Dungeons & Dragons

did you know DMing and teaching have a lot in common.

Like so many others I enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. For me the social aspect, i.e. spending time with my friends, of the game is the most important part. However, I also firmly believe that playing DND has taught me numerous useful things about communication and teaching and honed skills I make use of often in my work as well.

My (major) Characters - Jockus and Meen’Alith

On the left Jockus, the halfing Bard whose carrots got frozen by the Dragon of Icepire Peak. On the right, his party. Both images made by my lovely spouse Chride.

I have played in a number of one-shots (short, one evening adventures) and two longer campaigns. In “Dragon of Icespire Peak” I played Jockus the halfling bard, a local gardener whose crops were destroyed by a dragon. He teamed up with the dragonborn Yixo, the half-elf Beleg and the bugbear Bandek and managed to kill the dragon, before returning to his quiet life in the town. Jockus was/is a relaxed–and a not too complex–character who liked making puns.

My half orc Barbarian, Meen'Alith who unfortunately fell in Ten Towns during our Rhime of the Frostmaiden campaign. Image made by my lovely spouse Chride.

In “Rime of the Frostmaiden” I played Meen’Alith. She was a half-orc Barbarian who was discovering herself in the world and had some trouble understanding that not all ends justify the means. Unfortunately, she lost her life in battle against followers of Auril.

My Campaign - Curse of Strahd

In addition to playing in a few campaigns I also enjoy DMing. My most significant DMing achievement is a full campaign of Curse of Strahd which ran from February 2022 to November 2024 and centered around five adventurers:

  • Darren, the human fighter who got tricked into Barovia with his squire Geoff. Darren, who initially had apparently been selected by Strahd to be the new ruler of the land and was challenged with maintaining his values as a knight and keeping Geoff safe in the despotic land of Barovia.
  • Xuza and Marillion, a drow and an asimar who appear to have been called into Barovia not by its ruler Strahd von Zarcovich, but perhaps by something more sinister.
  • Cinnari, the Kalashtar druid who grew up as the daughter of Strahd, who spent the campaign wrestling with Stockholm syndrome.
  • Bartholomew, the Vistani businessman whose livelihood was disturbed by Strahd cutting off the Vistani people from the outside world.

The journey of the Lost Travellers began with a strange dream in which most of them seemed to get transported into a misty forrest and asked by a couple of children to clear out their monster-infested house that had its basement in the attic. A few days after that, the party members who did not know each other prior to the events were independently called into Barovia. Their adventure came to a close 30 days later after surviving an ancient ritual designed ot capture a god.

These are the tales of their adventures.

The Lost Travel Logs

1st of the 1st Tenday Are We There Yet?

The party arrives in Barovia.

2nd of the 1st Tenday Too Much Pie Will Kill You

The party spends a day in the town of Barovia, eating pies and sleeping well

3rd of the 1st Tenday Fortune Reading at Tzer Pools

The party leaves the town of Barovia and gets their fortune told at Tser pools.

4th of the 1st Tenday Hags Will Kill You

With some genders changed, the party discovers the secrets of the pies.

5th of the 1st Tenday Too Much Gardening Will Kill You

The party exchanges some gardening services for a greater restoration

6th of the 1st Tenday Day off in Vallaki

The party explores the biggest town of Barovia

7th of the 1st Tenday Off To See the Wonderful Wizard of Wines

The party clears the frog problem at the local Vineyard

8th of the 1st Tenday Blood Druids at Yester Hill Will Kill You

The party leaves the Vineyard, stops a druidic ritual at Yester Hill, and returns to the Vineyard

9th of the 1st Tenday Abandonded Tower and Reunions in Vallaki

The party leaves the Vineyard, travels to the "abandoned" tower, and reunites with "friends" at Vallaki.

10th of the 1st Tenday A Scorned Anastrasya Will Kill You

The party fights Anastrasya in the church in order to save Ireena

1st of the 2nd Tenday Dinner With the Devil

The party has dinner with Strahd von Zarcovich

2nd of the 2nd Tenday Regrouping at Tzer Pools

The party regroups at Tzer Pools in order to decide on their next steps.

3rd of the 2nd Tenday Reunited with Cinna and Morgantha

The party reunites at the western gates of Barovia, continues travel toward Vallaki, and thwarts Morganthas latest plan.

4th of the 2nd Tenday Arrested by Guards, Bitten by Werewolves

The party's night gets interrupted by strangers in the forrest and guards of the town.

5th of the 2nd Tenday Rescurrecting an Old Friend

The party realise their standing with Vallakis current rulers is not great and stealthily rescurrect an ally.

6th of the 2nd Tenday Imps Will Kill You

The party ventures out to the wilderness, and get their asses handed to them by an imp.

7th of the 2nd Tenday Too Much Culture Will Kill You

Some of the party team up with the local bard in order to kill an opera singer.

8th of the 2nd Tenday Downtime in Vallaki

The party spends a day in Vallaki licking their wounds and doing yoga.

9th of the 2nd Tenday Arriving at Argynvostholt

The party travels to Argynvostholt to avoid too much inter-party conflict.

10th of the 2nd Tenday The Hatred of a Knight Will Kill you

The party spends their second day in Argynvostholt, kills Vladimir and meets Godfrey.

1st of the 3rd Tenday Too Much Religion Will Kill You

The party travels from Argynvostholt to Krezk, meets the Abbot and spends the night at Barts home.

2nd of the 3rd Tenday Werewolves Will Kill You

The party goes to meet up with werewolves, only to find someone they did not expect

3rd of the 3rd Tenday You Will Kill Morgantha

The party finally rids Barovia of the last hag, and gets invited to a wedding.

4th of the 3rd Tenday Preparing to Leave for the Amber Temple

The party prepares for their longest journey yet.

5th of the 3rd Tenday A Sword of Light Will Kill Vampires

The party arrives at Tsolenka Pass, finds a sword of sunlight and gets ambushed,

6th of the 3rd Tenday Amber Temple Will Kill You

The party explores the Amber Temple.

7th of the 3rd Tenday Baba Lysaga or Your Friends Will Kill You

The party explores Berez

8th of the 3rd Tenday Wedding Preparations

The party prepares for a wedding.

9th of the 3rd Tenday Travelling to the Wedding

The party travels to their final confrontation.

10th of the 3rd Tenday Strahd von Zarovich will Kill You

The party attempts to capture a deity