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Upcoming Events
- Sep. 30 – 12:00 am PST: Smedley Award Membership-Building Ends
- Sep. 30 – 12:00 am PST: October Membership Dues Deadline
- Sep. 30 – 12:00 am PST: Club Success Plan Deadline
- Oct. 2 – 6:45 pm PST: Dungeons & Toast Meeting
- Oct. 9 – 6:45 pm PST: Dungeons & Toast Meeting
- Oct. 16 – 6:45 pm PST: Dungeons & Toast Meeting
- View Full Calendar …
Being a Dungeon Master or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Game Mechanics and Love the Story
It all started with an Eldritch Horror. As a Dungeon Master (DM) I had a great idea for an encounter in my leg of the Dungeons & Toast guild (club) adventure in the previous year’s guild campaign, Heirs of the Dragon, and it involved an Eldritch Horror. The idea was sound; the execution was not. (At the time of this adventure, the Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition [5e] ruleset was used.)
I struggled with how to create the creature that I wanted and to make it fair, yet still a challenge, to the Player Characters (PCs). What got in the way and tripped me up was game mechanics.
Another thing that got in the way was my execution of the idea and the encounter. First mistake, I should have reached out to the players involved and asked beforehand if it was okay to have something potentially bad, and violent, happen to their characters, even if only temporarily. I felt bad doing what I planned to happen in the encounter to one of the PCs, so I did it to my own character in the campaign, who probably got the worst of it, all things considered.
In service of telling the story during this encounter, I took some agency away from the players to be in control of the destiny of their characters.
If I were to run the encounter all over again, I would do it differently, to address the aforementioned things. This is how we learn, right, from our mistakes?
Fast forward to this year’s Dungeons & Toast guild campaign, the Prophecy of the World Eater, where I am again serving as a DM. Yes, I’m at it again with creature and encounter design. In my leg of the campaign adventure, players will have more agency and be more in control of their character’s destinies than in the adventure with the Eldritch Horror. I intend to accomplish this by having more communication with players before the adventure and a redesign of encounters, based on my experience with the previously mentioned Eldritch Horror encounter, to allow for more player choice, control, and determination of what happens with their characters. This time, however, I completely dispensed with game mechanics in the process of encounter design to create what I envisioned. Then, and only then, did I turn to game mechanics to assign those in game statistics and mechanics that are necessary and that powers any RPG and makes them go; always with an eye towards making it fair for the PCs. More I cannot say, as I don’t want to give away more than I already have to the players. (Since the players may be reading this, perhaps it’s too late for that!)
Prophecy of the World-Eater RPG Campaigns
Prophecy of the World-Eater Final Announcement
Welcome, adventurers! As we near closer to the launch of Prophecy of the World Eater, I wanted to post a more detailed description of the campaign so you know what to look forward to. This year’s campaign will take place in the land of Jormunmere, a land enveloped by a ring of mountains with Midgarlake in the center. Jormunmere is dotted with small cities and old crystal ruins of days long past. The land is eternally cold and covered in snow. In terms of antagonists, small bands of bandits have historically plagued the area, evading local attempts to rein them in. Recently, however, a group calling themselves the “Cult of the Snake” has surfaced and is known to be seeking the artifacts needed to wake up Jörmungandr, an event that presages Ragnarök. The cultists seek to remake the world and raise their leader Freydris as a God Queen to rule over all peoples.
The world itself outside of Jormunmere is empty (mainly because I have only designed Jormunmere). However, players are welcome to create their own areas beyond its mountainous borders. In other words, your character does not have to be from Jormunmere: you can create a homeland for your character with its own history and culture. Please note that there is no connection to Faerun or the Forgotten Realms — the setting for our last 3 campaigns — and no way to access Faerun from Jormunmere or anywhere else in the world. This explains why the Norse God Pantheon exists in Jormunmere.
In terms of character creation, there are a few things that the Dungeon Masters and I have come up with, the main points of which are:
- No chaotic neutral or evil characters: we are supposed to be a group of heroes after all, and these alignments interfere with our ability to work as a team.
- If your character is not originally from Jormunmere, you should come up with a reason why they’ve arrived here. You can make the reasons as fun or as serious as you want.,
- There are many pantheons of Gods existing around the world from our world. The Norse Gods just happen to have primary rule over Jormunmere and the surrounding areas, so Gods from other regions around the world may be hesitant to step in to avoid any stepping on the Norse Gods’ toes.
Because the Norse Gods exist, the myths from our world are a real part of the world of Jormunmere. This means that certain artifacts from those myths exist as tangible objects of great power. These artifacts are needed to awaken Jörmungandr and begin Ragnarök, which means that brave adventurers will need to work together to ensure they don’t fall into the Cultists’ hands. Similarly, the more artifacts the heroes have, the less “awake” Jörmungandr will be. There are a total of four artifacts to find, but don’t worry: you will have help in that department after the first game. Just know the Cult has help hunting for the artifacts as well. You and the Cult are in a race to who finds those artifacts first.
I’m so excited to see where this campaign progresses throughout the year and what all of you will do with this world not only as players, but as potential world builders. Good luck to all of you and remember to have fun and work together — the fate of the world depends on it!
Kait Watson,
Campaign Master
Let’s go on an acid trip …
I know what you’re thinking. No, we are not going on that kind of acid trip!
On July 11, 2025, everyone is invited to join me for a tasting tripping adventure where we’ll transform sour, acidic foods into surprisingly sweet delights.
How? With the magic of miracle berries, fruits that temporarily rewire your taste buds and confuse your perception of food.
During our tasting adventure I’ll walk you the flavors. For those who would like to actually follow along on a tasting trip, I’ve compiled a list of food recommendations and link to purchase the miracle fruits.
Even if you’re not tasting along in real time, you can still be part of the fun! I’ll take you on a vivid, imaginative flavor journey on the flavors and what to expect. You’ll learn how to host your own flavor-tripping party. I bet everyone will be convinced to try this new and unforgettable experience with your own friends.
HOW TO JOIN THE FUN
Date: July 11, 2025
Where: Our usual D&T Zoom Meeting
WHERE TO GET THESE AWESOME MIRACLE BERRIES
I recommend the dried fruit tablet version. Here is the link:
https://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets-10-Count/dp/B001LXYA5Q/ref=sr_1_1_sspa
RECOMMENDED TASTING LIST
Must-Try
- Lemon
- Strawberry
Other Fun Fruit Options
- Raspberry
- Pineapple
- Kiwi
- Cherry Tomato
- Watermelon
- Grapefruit
- Lime
Feeling Adventurous?
- Balsamic vinegar
- Salt & vinegar potato chips
- Sour candy (Warheads, Sour Patch Kids)
- Blue cheese
- Yellow mustard
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Tabasco sauce
- Tequila
- Guinness or any stout/porter beer
2025-2026 Officers Elected
Congratulations and thanks to the following members elected to serve in officer roles for the 2025-2026 year:
| D&T Role Name | Toastmasters Role | Member Elected |
| Guild Master | President | Kelly S |
| Quest Master | Vice President Education | Kenneth B |
| Recruitment Master | Vice President Membership | Angel L |
| Master Bard | Vice President Public Relations | Mindy B |
| Master Scribe | Secretary | Andrew B |
| Master of Coin | Treasurer | Brian L |
| Sergeant at Arms | Sergeant at Arms | Cody L |
Congratulations also to member Kait W, recently selected as Campaign Master for the 2025-2026 year.
Officer installation and the end-of-year awards ceremony will take place on July 18.
Hearth of Heroes 4th Anniversary Event
Four years ago, a band of brave adventurers gathered around a hearth to forge a fellowship. That spark became Dungeons & Toast, a community of storytelling, leadership, and a love of fantasy and roleplaying games. Now, as the hearth burns brightly, we invite you to join us in celebrating our 4th Anniversary!
Online Friday, March 4 at 7 PM PT
This year’s Hearth of Heroes is more than just a milestone—it’s a call to adventure. We’ll reflect on our journey over the past four years with speeches from three charter members, sharing tales of the club’s origins, its evolution, and the epic moments that have defined our guild. Whether you were here at the beginning, a newly inducted adventurer, or a future or past brother-or-sister-in-arms, this is a night to honor our shared legacy.
Quests and Challenges Await!
No adventurer’s gathering would be complete without challenges to test skill and wit!
Scavenger Hunt – Seek treasures in your own home. Be the first to return with your haul and win a guild t-shirt!
Best Drinking Vessel Contest – From ancient goblets to mystical tankards, share your finest drinking vessel for a chance at glory (and a guild t-shirt)!
Innkeeper Roleplay – Step behind the counter of a legendary fantasy tavern, welcoming heroes, spinning tales, and offering “adventurers the opportunity to become heroes.” Will you be the wise and weathered barkeep, the mischievous gossip, or the keeper of hidden quests?
Join the Celebration!
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a newcomer eager to embark on this journey, we welcome you to pull up a chair at the Hearth of Heroes. May the fire be warm, the tales grand, and the adventure never end.
Don an on-theme background Friday night with one of our tavern interiors: