I started playing tabletop roleplaying games, especially Dungeons & Dragons in 2019. A few friends and myself expressed interest and luckily the brother of one of those friends already had some experience. So a few weeks later we played a one shot adventure with him as the dungeon master. A rescue mission where we where throwing each other into guard posts or flambéing goblins while trying to escape a horde of them. (In 2025, when I read Lost Mine of Phandelver, I found out that we played the first part of that adventure.)
I had so much fun doing this. That I wanted to try being a dungeon master myself as I already understood that if I am not the DM no one will be, unfortunately. I recreated the same one shot adventure for some friends during a new years eve party with hand drawn maps and some amended riddles and encounters. I enjoyed planning and creating this world for the player.
A few months later the in 2020 the pandemic hit. Everyone was at home and my entire social life was happening in TeamSpeak 3. I was still curious about what D&D can be. So I bought the Essentials Kit with the Dragon of Icespire Peak adventure. And at that time I had so many players, that I basically hosted to groups. It was also interesting to see how both groups roamed the imaginary worlds along the Sword Coast, how different the dynamics within the groups were.
One group was difficult to host because almost every session at least one or two people were absent and so it ended after a few sessions, quietly.
The other group was a lot more fun. We all were having fun. We were explaining what the world looked like for each of us. Trying to stealth around and then failing and what not. But in the end it kind of hurt that I had to kill off two of the four players and a third player leaving the group has she didn't have enough time to play on weekly basis. We tried to continue with new characters and a new player but it was never the same. So this adventure also ended prematurely and quietly.
After that it was quiet for a few years. I was a player for a one shot once because a friend hosted. Where I created my dumb but very strong dwarven paladin Dalonur of Balderk. He likes milk. One time we were in a city and looking for work on a job board. As we were leaving we realized that maybe we should take the note of the board before someone else preempts us. Of course Dalonur volunteers and so he returns to the board while the rest of the adventuring party watches. The problem: Dalonur is a dwarf. He can't reach the note. The solution: Grabbing the entire job board and pulling it out of the ground to take it with him.
A few more years passed and in late 2025, I kind of desired to play D&D again. I asked around and had a group of new players. With them, I played the first part of Lost Mine of Phandelver. However for some reason, the group decided to take a 2 hour detour through a village which did not contribute anything to the progression of the adventure, but that is part of the freedom you have in such a game.
Later on new years day I decided to host The Wild Sheep Chase spontaneously with around 2 hours of preparation. I wanted to test my own abilities as a dungeon master. According to my players it went well, though they preferred it when I was prepared.
In January 2026 I again hosted a D&D one shot. However I was kind of tired of playing around the Sword Coast all the time, so it was time to explore something new. A world where I might set a longer adventure in maybe.
So I created a mystery based adventure set in Ravnica within the Orzhov Syndicate. The players are a group of ministrants overseeing a creditor convocation. But something unusual happens.
So far this is still a work in progress. I might publish it once it is done and has been play tested.
As I have limited time, I am happy about the technological development in AI which helps me a lot with finding gaps in my plot designs and to balance difficulties for encounters. Additionally, I can easily create visualizations such as the cover art on the right.
Over the years, I also accumulated some sourcebooks both digitally and physically. I really like the official physical D&D content not only for what they make possible for players and dungeon masters alike but also for the artwork which also inspires me to create more.
The physical content I own so far are:
• Player's Handbook (2014)
• Monster Manual (2014)
• Dungeon Master's Guide (2014)
• Xanathar's Guide to Everything
• Dragon of Icespire Peak
• Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (still unplayed)
• Curse of Strahd (still unplayed)
• Monster Manual (2014)
• Dungeon Master's Guide (2014)
• Xanathar's Guide to Everything
• Dragon of Icespire Peak
• Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (still unplayed)
• Curse of Strahd (still unplayed)
My collection is still missing one thing: a setting sourcebook. I am not sure yet which one I will get, but I am sure it will be helpful for future adventures.