By the time you begin reading this article, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will have been under a stay at home order for about six weeks. The school I work for has been closed since mid-March where we took the first two weeks in order to prepare for the eventuality of digital learning and are now implementing it. I spend my days trying to make the best of the situation by keeping up with my lesson plans and grading, spending time with my wife, taking my dog on walks to the nearby woods, and creating D&D content.
A couple weeks back I was asked to sit on a panel where the topic of discussion would be how the recent pandemic has been affecting our gaming community. I instantly said yes, and began to contemplate the topic. How has my gaming life changed since the start of the pandemic. Well for starters The Adventurer’s Guild, the D&D Club I run at my school, is no longer meeting. A club of a little over twenty students spread between three different campaigns. Two of my student DMs have been continuing their games online, which I am completely overjoyed about. My own personal games have also converted to online sessions, Roll20 and Skype being our preferred modes of meeting. This transition has been bumpy, but now that it is the new norm, we are starting to get the hang of it.
I wanted to take the time to really reflect on some of the things that we talked about during the panel focusing on some of the bigger picture takeaways that we wanted our viewers to have.
One of the first things we all seemed to agree on, is the impact of technology on the game. Live stream games like Critical Role revitalized the D&D Community and got us excited to learn how to play, or to dive back into it. Chris Solo of the Fabled42 Network talked about how technology like Roll20 and Vorpal Board allow us to stay more connected than ever and play our games, once around a table, now virtually in a chat room. D&D Beyond has also been a huge help, providing online tools and resources for players and dungeon masters alike.
Early on, one of the biggest pieces of advice came from Anthony of the Investigation Check podcast. He talked about how when he initially stepped into the realm of digital play, he tried so hard to match the style and feel of his game to the physical D&D experience his party was used to. However, Anthony says having this mentality is a mistake. Your home game will not be the same as the one you play online now. The medium is completely different, the setting, and how we interact with one another takes time to learn and feel out. As Dungeon Masters we need to determine what is working and what needs to be expanded upon as you play together. He recommends for us to come to the virtual table with an open mind and to redefine what success looks like for these digital sessions.
Player engagement is one of the most crucial things to keep tabs on as a Dungeon Master.
Jason from Critical Dice said it best saying just because this experience is different, doesn’t mean it’s worse. There are plenty of things you can do with technology that you can’t do while playing live. He followed up by giving the example that while he is playing online he can see all the faces of his players without having to look around the table. This is extremely helpful when attempting to evaluate player engagement or reaction when something happens in the moment. You also get a chance to run surprises you normally may not. Whether it’s bringing a former party member in for a couple sessions, or presenting a party with a giant terrain build. Cameron from The D&D Coalition added to this saying we as Dungeon Masters really need to find a way to capture those lightning in the bottle moments and bring inspiration to the table despite the new digital format.
Another great piece of advice we all seemed to agree on is regardless of how often we talk to our party we should be making sure your party members are doing well both physically and mentally. It’s easy to fall into a rut of not caring, but all it takes is a phone call or a text to see how they are doing, and making sure they are doing alright through these tough times. As Dungeon Masters, it’s our responsibility to make sure our players are doing alright, staying healthy. Anthony said it best when he said; encourage your players and bring life, light, and creativity to your players lives! Love your game, your characters, but most importantly love your players.
Wizards of the Coast has been giving tons of free content to the D&D community. Check it out here!!
Breanna the Dungeon Documentarian was asked about her thoughts on what the future has in store for the tabletop gaming community. Her main concern regarding the conditions we are in as a community was the accessibility to content, stating that even now it is at an all time high. Since the pandemic has started, Wizards of the Coast and D&D Beyond have banded together to make the rules, and adventures more accessible to both new and current players. Creatives are publishing content for the D&D community to add into their games. Adding to this, Anthony gave a great piece of advice we all seemed to agree on. He asked the question: “What did we learn from this time period, and how can we take what we learned to improve moving forward from this season?” He continues by saying we need to take the time to recognize and learn from this season, because there has been so much to learn and adapt to. We won’t be going right back to the way things were before the pandemic started. We will be moving forward with new knowledge, tools and resources, and ways to stay connected. Staying connected as a community, whether it is just your gaming group, or the community at large is what is most important.
Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to talk about finding inspiration. At the start of my time in self-isolation I found it difficult to get into the swing of things, both for my professional life, as well as my content creation. The lack of in-person interactions combined with the lack of structure had me in a state of limbo struggling to find the motivation and inspiration to do the things I love. I found it crucial to find the right atmosphere and to set the scene for myself, and I recommend this to anyone else. Get yourself into the mood to create. Find people to connect with as well. I thankfully have been able to be a part of several streams and panels with Fabled42 and have had the opportunity in recent weeks to chat with other content creators in the D&D Community. These interactions have been crucial to me digging deep and finding the sense of purpose and motivation I felt like I was lacking in earlier weeks.
Watch the Panel Here!
The State of the Game Panel confirmed the importance of connecting with people in the community and maintaining open communication with them. When you need some human interaction reach out to your players or your dungeon master. Call a fellow DM and chat about your upcoming session, two heads are better than one after all and they may be able to bring some new insight to an encounter you are planning on running. It is so important to surround yourself with people who will help inspire and motivate you. This community has so many extraordinary people willing to help you succeed and grow. All we need to do is reach out and establish that line of connection.
As a final reflection, if the State of the game has taught me anything it’s this; in a time where the world seems to be rolling with disadvantage, the D&D Community has rolled 2020. Be safe, healthy, and if you ever need someone to chat with I, and many others are close by to listen. Happy Adventuring.
Meet the Blogger
Logan H. @dm_screening
Coalition Blog Director
Logan is a teacher from the Greater Philadelphia Area. A lifelong seeker of fantasy and adventure he spends his time writing campaigns and homebrews, going on adventures to local breweries, or reading all manner of tomes and scrolls to enhance his knowledge as a Dungeon Master.