July marked the beginning of our yearlong campaign to retrieve the artifact the Orb of Davras from the Lost Lair of the Manticore, and members have so far embraced the concept with a series of in-character speeches.

The first is from member Cliff C, in which he has recently returned triumphant (and malodorous) from battle and toasts his friends and companions and their recent travails.

And here’s a double-feature, two speeches delivered by member David E, translating from the original orcish of his imported Manticore character, Uggh (the second speech was technically delivered at the first meeting in August).

Sure! That sounds like an easy question to answer. In response to this question you may say to yourself of course I do! My characters have mad skills and I know what I can do with them! But do you?

I thought I did for my Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fifth edition (5e) characters, until I saw this post on Reddit. The information contained in this post changed my perspective on what I can do with the skills that my D&D 5e characters have. 

Use this list as a springboard to creativity for what your characters can do in-game to enhance the role-play, gameplay, and experience of everyone at the gaming table. Please be sure to reach out in advance to your Dungeon Master (DM), or Game Master (GM) if you plan to use this in another TTRPG (Tabletop Role-playing Game) system, to get their approval prior to the inclusion of what can be done with this list of skills into the adventure or campaign world. 

In reality — which is an ironic choice of words given the fantastical, made-up nature of TTRPGs! — the only limit to what your characters can do with their skills, or anything else, is your imagination and creativity. (And your DMs/GMs approval!) 

Although the thread is archived on Reddit and thus further comments are unable to be posted in said thread as a result, please feel free to post any suggestions or comments that you may have here. 

Players, the addition of what can be done with this list of skills into your adventure or campaign world may enhance your gameplay, level up your game, and add another string to your bow.

As I worked on my Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) character for the Dungeons & Toast guild (Toastmasters club) Year of the Manticore narrative campaign, I stumbled when I hit this roadblock—character likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes?! How should I know? It’s a first level character! And to the best of my knowledge, I’ve never delved that deep into character creation to create likes and dislikes for any of my roleplaying game (RPG) characters—ever. (And I delve deep when it comes to character creation, as I seek to mine the character for all it’s worth and to uncover treasures heretofore undiscovered.)

What was I to do!?

Well, I reached out to the Aether (internet) and contacted the sages there. And I found some hidden nuggets of knowledge—ancient scrolls which contained wisdom about character likes and dislikes. Right away I incorporated these character traits into my character’s personality and backstory as these wise words dovetailed into what I had already created for my character.

If you want to find likes and dislikes for your D&D, or other RPG system characters, go here. (The list is also a good list for writers’ prompts, per the author.) Although some of the prompts are modern, and thus may be a poor fit in your campaign—or they might be!—they might be a good resource to create the historical or futuristic equivalent, if possible, or used as a springboard to other ideas for possible likes and dislikes for your characters.

If you’d like your characters likes and dislikes to be more random and left up to the gods of chance and fate, and determined in a random fashion, go here. (This is a great way to stretch yourself and include likes and dislikes for your characters that you might otherwise pass on.)

Another way to draw inspiration for likes and dislikes for your characters is to draw from your own life experiences; or perhaps you know someone who has likes and dislikes that are different or unusual, odd or eccentric, or quirky. Another source to draw inspiration from for characters of your own is from characters that you like from other sources (books and the like; please be sure to respect the author’s works.) People watching is another great way to get ideas for character likes and dislikes.

Now go forth and create characters! If you have any great character likes and dislikes that will enhance the roleplay, fun, and experience for all those at the table, please share them so that we can all benefit!

Additional Resources:

Let’s be productive!

I am a strong believer that co-working sessions to get things done and bounce new ideas off another brain when it feels like you have no creative momentum. I’ve done it often both professionally and personally and I have found that a room “bustling with productive activity” helps me channel my creative focus.

With that in mind, I’m excited to share that periodically, when I’m in work/writing mode, I will be opening up my Zoom room to the guild as an opportunity for members to take advantage of a “shared workspace.” Please join me to try and make progress on anything that may have you stumped. Initially I saw this as a good opportunity for group feedback regarding speech ideas but I would say, don’t limit yourself! If you’re working on something for your Clark Kent job, bring it to the Zoom.

Rules of Engagement:

• Please bring something to work on – this is NOT socialization hour.
• If you realize you’re in a zone and don’t want to be interrupted but still appreciate being in the “busy space,” just turn off your camera.
• If you need more in-depth discussion, consider using a breakout room with those who are available to provide feedback and leave the general area open for the wonderful vibe of working with no talking.
• I will most likely play some light music. If you don’t like my music choice… tough cookies.
• Okay, if you don’t like my music DM me some suggestions for a different playlist.

That’s really it. Whenever I’m opening up the room I will post in the Members Only channel on discord. I imagine most sessions will run between 45 minutes to 2 hours. And finally, if you ever want to schedule a working session or discussion, please don’t hesitate to let me know – I love scheduled project time! It makes me feel uber productive.

Cheers y’all!

With the advent of the Year of the Manticore RPG campaign, members are encouraged to create a character to play over the course of the year, both through speechwriting and delivery, and on Game Nights dedicated to moving the narrative forward. For those interested in creating a playable character, we’ve created a tutorial for building Fifth Edition characters, using the free tools provided by D&D Beyond.

Continue reading Creating a 5E Character…

2022-2023 is known as the “Year of the Manticore,” wherein members of the Dungeons & Toast guild must band together to recover the Orb of Davras — a legendary artifact said to grant fantastical oratory powers to anyone who possesses it — from the hoard of the elusive Manticore of Sword Mountains. Along the way, there will be opportunities to improve your skills, perform heroic feats, and develop friendships with those numbered among your companions!

View the backstory:

Learn about the mechanics:

Learn more about the Lost Lair of the Manticore campaign.

Any good magician, any good story, will leave you entranced and enchanted. The past 15 months as the guild master (club president) for this amazing guild, full of amazing guild members, has been magical. It is my hope that your experience in the guild (club), whether as guild member (club member), party leader (club officer, sponsor, or mentor), or visiting dignitary and guest, has entranced and enchanted you.

It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve as the guild’s guild master. I was adamant that the role of guild master was one that I was uninterested in, as I saw what was involved. Until the Dungeons & Toast masters of toast (Toastmasters) guild came along, that is. That opened me to to new possibilities, new horizons, new adventures. All I had to hear was that a new guild for fans of RPGs was starting and I was in.

In an instant, my no transformed as if by magic, into a yes. I’ve had the good fortune to work with some of the best party leaders a guild master could ask for; masters in their own right. The Sacred Scroll stored in a place of honor in the guild house contains their names; it is long, and ever growing as it should be, and includes–Hovey Y., Ryan K., Kelly S., Greg S., Andrew B., Michael H., Loni H., Jeremy K., Arbind R., Yanini C., Matthew G., and Michael C.

There are many people to thank, and many awesome memories to share. Too many to fit on this small scroll. Special shout outs to Stephanie H., Greg S., Loni H., Andrew B., and Michael C., for helping with our special themed guild meetings; shout outs likewise to Greg S. and Loni H., for our fabulous guest speakers.

Thank you to Loni H., Hovey Y., Cathy B., Michael H., and Greg S., for bringing our aetheral communication machine to life (our wonderful club website).

I also want to bring attention to our guild champion in our lord’s yearly verbal joust (Toastmasters speech contest): Andrew B., who advanced far and made it to the district speech contest, and did himself and the guild proud. Kelly S., also competed in the verbal joust, albeit for another club. Kelly did a great job, one that deserves to be recognized, regardless of what club she competed in. Fantastic job Andrew and Kelly!

Team Awesome–aka the Magnificent Seven–Greg S., Andrew B., Michael H., Loni H., Jeremy K., Arbind R., Yanini C., Matthew G., and Michael C., all were party leaders par excellence.

And to you, my fellow guild members, all treasured members of this guild, go my many thanks. You make this guild run. You make it fun. It is by and for you. Thank you for being excellent in so many ways.

I’ve had the time of my life and had more fun in the role than I ever thought I would. I’ve leveled repeatedly in ways that I never imagined I would, or needed to.

Thank you all for taking this journey with me.

When I served as a local lord (Area Director) of an area in the masters of toast realm, my Division Director, a woman of great foresight and wisdom once said to me, “We leave the division better than we found it.” When I apply that statement to our guild, I’d say we did just that in the fist 15 months of our existence as an official guild. (Eighteen months, if you count the chartering period.)

I ask you to look back and remember all of the fun we had. And to look ahead at all of the fun we’re going to have in the new masters of toast year (Toastmasters), that starts on July 1. More on this, I cannot say, as I am sworn to secrecy. Come to our July 8 guild meeting and you will learn what quests and adventures lie in store for you!

I now prepare to pass the mantle of leadership and the mighty, magical guild gavel to our next guild master–Andrew B., as I level up and ascend into a new position of leadership–that of Immediate Past Guild Master (Immediate Past President).

Until our paths next cross, guild members, guests, dignitaries–friends–stay safe, remember that “It’s dangerous to go alone (The Legend of Zelda)”, so take trusted guild members with you, and may your sword be as sharp as your wit. Always. If you ever need help, blow the Horn of Gondor and I shall be there.

Patrick V.

Guild master

Invisible Sun is a completely unique RPG by Monte Cook Games. The game is designed  from the ground up to be not only sandbox style, but to encourage collaborative world building. 

The world is surreal, has ubiquitous magic, all players can use magic in their own way and mysteries hide in every corner.

Session Zero for the game involves collaboratively creating neighborhoods, potential plot hooks and goals for each person playing in the game. The first part of this process, the creation of each player’s neighborhood, is done by brainstorming ideas for neighbors, points of interest and problems for the neighborhood–the person whose neighborhood it is picks off the list of ideas, and so creates their own neighborhood.

The June 3, 2022 Table Topics was to recreate this process for a single neighborhood, with each speaker identifying one element. Instead of a single phrase, though, the speakers spent 1-2 minutes elaborating on the element.

As promised, I am posting the results (as best as I could capture them writing in real-time) of that session here. Also as promised, these are being entered into my World Anvil world building site as canon elements that can be encountered in the two Invisible Sun games I run.

The first three volunteers were prompted to think of a person who would fit the neighborhood, and who live near the player’s own house. The next two speakers described the points of interest, strange behaviors or other elements that build out the spirit of the neighborhood itself. The next prompt was for someone to describe a problem that is occurring in the neighborhood. In each instance, the speakers had to come up with their own ideas but also listened to what others were saying, and created something that “fit” the collaborative neighborhood.

Normally the neighborhood-building would end there, but I added two additional prompts (to allow two additional speakers) where people described interesting features of the player’s house. Normally, these details would be filled in by the player themselves or would come out during play–but it worked to have them crowd-sourced.

Left Neighbor

It’s not technically left. This is an MC Escher neighborhood, so left isn’t really left. You end up somewhere else. The “first” neighbor looks sort of like a gnome but never stays constant. He always knows where he’s going, and he’s a good source of information and directions. As long as you follow the directions, you end up where you want to go. Maybe he’s a map maker? His directions worked beautifully last time, but you couldn’t get home before the ice cream melted.

Right Neighbor

Bob. He “gets” the world and especially the Escheresque neighborhood. He’s incredibly forgetful,  never seeming to remember what he discovered the day before. In any case, it’s hard to get any information out from Bob. People have learned that Bob can be tracked. If you see and follow Bob, he’ll always get you back home.

Across Neighbor

Whether you can walk there or not, if you stand on the player’s yard, you see a beautiful well-maintained 3-car garage. The whole neighborhood knows that Matigan owns the house. Mail arrives addressed to Mr. Matigan. Punctually At 7:55am, he’s driving away to work. At 5:05, he returns home. 

He’s not interesting. What’s interesting is that if he leaves at 7:55, then at 8am the animals start moving towards his house. His cats jump the fence. The rats go along small paths through the  fence. The birds fly over. The dogs wander around the outside. By 4:30, the yard is covered in neighborhood animals. At 4:55, they start to leave, and are gone by 5:05.

Neighborhood Feature #1

A babbling brook. I mean literally babbling. All the property values are worse. Worse than living next to a train yard. Sometimes it gets a little profane, sticking 4 letter words into its babble. It does have the most delicious water, from the magical mountains. It’s not all bad. Or they would have long ago damned it up. (h/t to whoever quipped “Tourette’s tributaries” after the speaker finished.)

Neighborhood Feature #2

As you travel through the seen and unseen. Things come in and leave, but they all feel the tickle. This thing is here, and in our heads, and passing through. It doesn’t map on any senses we know. It maps to others, unknowable, with either a capital H or R in the name. There seems no rhyme or reason. It delights tickling all the wrong places. When you want to have a pet, it’s somewhere else. They might actually know what’s going on in the slithering thoughts between the thoughts.

Neighborhood Problem

It used to be so easy to get around the neighborhood. For the last few months there have been problems. People drive, and their cars disappear in the walls of the canal. When people try to use their narrow boats the canal becomes a road. We need to get control of our transport. Just get what you wish and get the roads and airstrips working again.

House Secret #1

I move here. I can concoct my adventures here. There’s another door and another door, and then I’m back in the original door. Or is it? Everything on the left is on the right. I must have gone into a mirror dimension. Everything that’s in the house is normal. Everything is normal including this…wait, I’m not a wizard. There are secret lizard people that know about this!

House Secret #2

The House has a whispering willow. Like a weeping willow tree but when you stand underneath it or if you find one of its leaves it will whisper a secret or piece of gossip the tree heard in the neighborhood