Tonight marks the penultimate meeting in this year’s annual VTTRPG campaign, the Warrens of Harengon, in which member characters venture through the portal left behind after the death of Mayor Fluffy Bunny to search for the phylactery of necromancer Lucifera. To help create a cohesive theme, here are a selection of virtual backgrounds from which you might choose:

Hello fellow guild members!

My greatest apologies for the delay but as many of you know, we held our guild officer elections at the beginning of the month. It is my great honor to introduce the guild leadership for the 2024-2025 Toastmasters year:

Guild Master (President): Greg Stockton

Quest Master (VP of Education) Andrew Brewer

Recruitment Master (VP of Membership): Cameron Pedersen

Master Bard (VP of Public Relations): Kait Watson

Master Scribe (Secretary): Kenneth Bradshaw

Master of Coin (Treasurer) Kelly Sclafani

Sergeant at Arms: Mindy Begenat

Thank you to all the members who ran for positions of leadership and thank you to those of you who will be serving as club officers next year. And finally, thank you to our current officers for such a great 2023-2024 Toastmasters year!

Welcome toastmasters to Dungeons & Toast,
And oh how our members do boast,
Their backgrounds are fun,
Declared second to none,
By members from coast to coast.

Welcome, fellow adventurers, to a realm where the power of speech meets the magic of storytelling. In our ongoing quest to master the art of public speaking, we draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), where diversity flourishes among its playable species. Today, we embark on a thrilling journey to encounter and embody the perspectives of various D&D races, unlocking new dimensions of communication and empathy along the way.

Tonight we’re diving into the hyperspace of suspense and intrigue with our Star Wars Murder Mystery theme! With Table Topics hosted by Master Kelly Sclafani, and our Toast Master Kait Watson.

Picture this: lightsabers gleaming, droids beeping, and the Force of eloquence flowing strong. We’ll transform the zoom room into the cantina of Mos Eisley, where Jedi, Sith, and scoundrels alike will gather to unravel a galactic whodunit.

Join us as we embark on an adventure where Table Topics serve as clues and improvisation reigns supreme. Whether you’re channeling the wisdom of Yoda or the charm of Han Solo, there’s a role for every Padawan and Master in this cosmic saga.

So, dust off your robes, polish your blasters, and prepare for a meeting that’s sure to be a blast! May the Force—and the power of speech—be with you as we journey to a galaxy far, far away.

See you at the meeting, and may the speeches be ever in your favor!

Also don’t forget to join us as we gather in the hallowed halls of oration to cast our votes and elect the leaders who will guide us through the next year of Dungeons and Toast!

There are a lot of things that are great about virtual tabletop gaming. Roll20 has changed the way we get to visualize our games and with the introduction of AI artwork, one could make the argument that a virtual tabletop might be even more immersive than in-person. Obviously nothing can beat a tabletop of hand-painted minis on a tactile map with mountains and trees but let’s be real, who can afford to do THAT? 

Pause as the author pictures a great tabletop ocean map with water and ships as far as the eye can see.

Where was I? Yes, the benefits of the virtual tabletop. You can combine that with great map builders and beautifully conceived, AI-generated imagery to create an amazing visual experience. Players can easily customize and control their tokens, there is no worry about scale, no worry about needing to find a table big enough. They’ve even done some amazing things with the creation of delightfully designed virtual dice. 

But there is one thing that I struggle with in a virtual environment: combat.

I already find combat in person tedious. How many times have you been in a situation where you know, every round, you’re going to attack the enemy closest to you. You roll your dice, add your modifiers and boom, you’re done. The next person goes, the warlock we’ll say, and it’s the same thing but with Eldritch blast. But, there comes a moment when someone who has been so focused on what they want to do that they haven’t paid attention to what’s going on. “Is that enemy close enough for me to hit? Can I cast Flaming Sphere? How far can I move?”

It’s hard to keep track of all the things one can do during their phase of combat, but it’s a struggle for those who pay attention and prepare while others need the additional help. In-person, this can be handled while the rest of the group can have a fun conversation, plan what else to do during the next round of combat, or grab a snack and just catch up. It’s easier to stay engaged in every round of combat in-person. A player can ask questions about what they want to without disrupting current play. Virtually, only two people can really have a conversation at any given time. So, if you’re like me and have ADHD, you may fall in the trap of zoning out. You may lose track of what’s going on. So to address this understandable challenge, I created a mechanic called “Support Dice” in my most recent campaign.

Player Support Dice 

Can be earned by strong, SUCCINCT roleplay during combat. When a player earns a “Support Dice,” they may use the dice to assist one of their party members at any point during the round of combat. It can be used in two ways:

1. You may add a D20 to your party member’s attack roll.
2. You may add a D20 to your party member’s damage roll.

To use the dice, pick a point in combat when another party member is attempting an attack or spell and roleplay how you will be assisting their actions. Example:

The rogue is attacking with their crossbow. I will use shape water and splash water in the enemy’s eyes, distracting them so that it makes it easier to hit.

Or:

The paladin is swinging his hammer to strike the enemy. I will shape earth and create a wall behind the enemy so they take additional damage.

The mechanic was created to encourage two things: paying more attention and more combat roleplay opportunities. 

I tried this out with my Batteries not Included game, and a couple of people used it towards the end of the game. They focused on helping their party members succeed when they had previously failed which was not an initial use I had considered. But I like my players to be successful. The creative throwing of Mayor Fluffy Bunny to assist made everything worthwhile.

Beyond that, the mechanic was not used much which I believe is my own fault. I limited the number of combat encounters, focusing more on skill check activities and puzzle solving. I also made the combat encounters a bit too squishy for the level of party members that were participating in combat during my game. Who would have thought, the GM who doesn’t love combat creates shorter combat scenarios!

I’m looking forward to trying this mechanic in other games I coordinate. I know many individuals that struggle with focus during combat, whether they also have ADHD or not. I’m hoping that this might encourage individuals to be more thoughtful about both keeping track of the actions of other members of their part as well as preparing how they are going to take their actions in combat.

Lights, camera, action! At our upcoming meeting, we’re stepping into the realm of cinema to explore the multifaceted world of movie characters. Just like actors bring characters to life on the big screen, we as speakers have the power to captivate our audience and embody various personas.

Last Friday, D&T welcomed award-winning British-Australian horror author Alan Baxter. He spoke to our group on the topic of world-building within the horror genre, touching on a number of things, including the differences between an action choreographed to appear on camera compared to the way an action scene needs to be written for appreciation by someone reading the scene. Watch the full 24-minute presentation below.

In honor of our special guest, the extemporaneous speaking portion of our meeting was themed “Dumb Ways to Die,” in which members and guests were prompted to choose a character and location then challenged to deliver narratives of their own deaths within the fictional town of Vorostrova. View the recording below and judge for yourself which was the “dumbest way to die.”

Tomorrow night, Dungeons & Toast is excited to present award-winning British-Australian horror writer Alan Baxter, author of more than two dozen books within the genres of horror, supernatural thrillers, and dark fantasy. He will be speaking on the topic of world-building, specifically within the horror genre. A question and answer session will follow, providing members and guests an opportunity to pick the brain of this renowned author.

Table Topics will be themed, “Dumb Ways to Die,” in which speakers will be encouraged to adopt the role of one of a dozen travelers to and residents of an inauspicious town in a remote area of Eastern Europe. Each speaker will be encouraged to deliver a tale of woe, culminating in their inevitable demise.

For an on-theme background, look no further than our “Dumb Ways to Die” gallery, featuring scenes from the upcoming table topics along with a selection of cuter options from Master Bard Kait: