A retelling of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop game sessions in story form
You’ve wandered a long way from home. It’s been quite the adventure; you’re weary, footsore, and in need of a long rest. Around you the peaceful valley with rolling hills appears empty save for yourself and the lone call of a mockingbird. The sky, a vibrant blue throughout the day, begins to mute itself with purples and grays, beckoning the coming night.
Sleeping in the open on a night like this wouldn’t be so bad. The temperature promises to be cool but not freezing, a small campfire and your bedroll would suffice. There are more than enough rations in your pack to fill your belly and you can see signs of a nearby stream.
A night like this in the open is a traveler's dream, your dream. It’s everything you hoped for on your journey. And yet tonight, you feel the call to sleep in a proper bed, to put your feet up by a hearth, eat warm food you didn’t have to cook yourself, and enjoy a story or two from the local bard. As you ruminate on this thought, almost ready to find a place to set up camp, you crest one of the rolling hills and spy a set of lights in the distance.
***
The Wayfarer’s Inn & Tavern is set at a crossroads in the middle of this gentle valley, the warm glow of its lanterns and the sound of merriment beckoning to travelers as they pass by. As you come up the road past the stables and various wagons, carriages, and coaches of its patrons, you spy a large wooden door, open along with the windows to let in the fresh evening breeze. Crowded, but not uncomfortably so, you pull up a cushioned seat by the fire with a clear view of the Tavern’s bard. She sits strumming her lute softly, not playing any recognizable tune, but it is pleasant none the less.
“Tell us a story!” someone shouts. Instantly the tavern is hushed, all eyes on the bard. She stops playing and looks up with a twinkle in her eye. “I know just the one for a night like this. I’ll tell you the story of the pirate Gryphon and his journey from ships of the sea, to ships of the skies.” The crowd cheers then settles in anticipation.
Plucking at her lute, the bard nudges with her elbow to a cup on her table with a sign that reads: T.I.P.S.: To Insure Prolific Storytelling. A merchant, catching on, tosses a silver into the cup and with that she begins, “It was a bright and stormy morning. The sun, rising above the sea, shone brightly beneath the angry clouds which dumped a torrential rain upon the city...”
Welcome to The Campaign RPG. Here you’ll find stories of and inspired by the various tabletop role playing games (TTRPGs) I’ve played in, resources to help you run or play in your own games, art inspired by characters and scenes from games, and from time to time, advice.
Welcome
