So there he lay, broken, shattered, and resilient. Dedicated to freeing those taken, those lost, Raiden stood on bits of broken bones and remaining foundations of armor that supported him. Too persistent to give in to the pain, he wobbled into the world beyond.

In this class, we will examine ways to find your voice in Dungeons and Dragons by examining elements of a session that impact your players and you, developing the importance of NPC’s that have life and vigor, breaking down the narrative of the story, and ultimately utilizing your passion into crafting a story that ultimately matters to you and your players!

As a Professional Storyteller, Writer, Advocate, Dungeon Master, and Business owner I have worked with dozens of organizations to find their voices in their community, along with transitioning new players to Dungeons and Dragons to the understanding of how narrative can impact real-life and can be utilized into self-advocacy and peer relationships. I have also led events all across my home state, acting as an expert Public Speaker on Storytelling and Its Connection to Building Up Underserved Communities. Need more information? I am also a Youth Mentor and Advocate who helps individuals find the power in their unique voice in story and creative elements. All in All, my work is uniquely designed to build community voices and peer relationships, both of which are so integral to D&D!

To take this class, you will need a place to jot down ideas, and ultimately keep notes. I recommend writing your homework in a document and continuing to work on it after class.

This class is ultimately for those who want to strengthen their voice as a dungeon master/storyteller or simply want to build their ongoing skills.

Project Description

Please write a summary of what you want your story to be. Include a mention of the topic, tone, and mission, and provide where you want your players to start. Feel free to infuse it with a setting that is unique to you, a evil figure if you want, and feel free to give it the tone that you feel most suits the story. Please know this can change and can adapt as you go but this is just a beginning understanding of where you want it to start.

Step 1 Consider what you want your story to be: Is it Sci-Fi, a western, a romantic journey, or something else? Does it involve multiple species? Is it a world of Just Humans? Is there magic or is it a more down-to-earth story where only rudimentary technology exists?

Step 2: Once you have your beginning idea think of what makes it special to you. Is there a way that you can look at the people in your story? Is there a tone or feel to the story you want to apply? Is it going to be comedic or a more violent story? Does your story have an emotional tie to you? Is there an inspiration that you want to honor? Is it a person or a story? Think about these elements and consider what they mean to you and how you feel about them.

Step 3: Once you have these ideas start rooting them on paper. You do not have to craft a whole world, but consider how to apply these to your starting point. How does your tone fit into where your players start? Do you want the story to progress as you go slowly? Or do you want to throw your players into danger immediately? Consider your NPC’s and the world you are creating, and think about what you want them to act like. What do the key characters in your story talk like, move like, and behave like? Once you have that, create a map and start connecting these pieces together.

Step 4: Once you have a strong map for your work, piece them together on paper, making sure to implement them in a way that connects to you. Remember if we do not care about the stories we tell, they suffer. This practice is really designed to help you create the core of what you want this story to be. Put your passion and creativity into it. Feel free to have this be a draft and going forward adapt, shift the ideas, and mold the character to be more of what you feel gives them life.

Video planning

Intro Video

No more than 2 minutes in length, your intro should share a bit about you and your background. You should also provide a brief overview of what you'll be teaching, and outline what students will learn and why your class is important.

Helpful Resources:

● Planning Your Intro Video

Lesson Title: hello and welcome to Finding Your Voice in D&D

Video Format: MP4

Media & Visuals: original art created for this class

D20,s text, fantasy images

Lesson Length:

2 minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts: An introduction for who this class is and a bit about my work, how it applies to the world of D&D and building communities.

Project Video

Take some time to explain the project and what students will submit.

Helpful Resources:

● Planning Your Project Video

Lesson Title: The Importance to Creative Voice in D&D

Video Format: MP4

Media & Visuals:

Lesson Length: 6-11

Talking Points and Key Concepts: A discussion of how creative voice in D&D can better a game by adding depth, creativity, great npcs, and making sure to start applying it to your sessions

Lesson

Each video lesson should focus on one core concept or technique.

Helpful Resources:

● Planning Your Class Lessons

● Lesson Delivery Tips

Lesson Title: Understanding Narrative in D&D

Video Format: Mp4

Media & Visuals: art created for this event

Lesson Length: 5-9 minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts: a starting point in understanding narrative in D&D, how to apply them, and utilizing your voice in your narrative and characters

Lesson

Each video lesson should focus on one core concept or technique.

Helpful Resources:

● Planning Your Class Lessons

● Lesson Delivery Tips

Lesson Title: Elements of Finding Your Voice in D&D

Video Format: Mp4

Media & Visuals:

D20’s, dragons, fantasy images, text

Lesson Length: 12 minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts: find the story that connects with you, applying your voice into your characters, finding the method you want the narrative to flow, emphasizing the story you want to tell

Lesson

Each video lesson should focus on one core concept or technique.

Helpful Resources:

● Planning Your Class Lessons

● Lesson Delivery Tips

Lesson Title: The Importance of implementing your voice through Preparation

Video Format: Mp4

Media & Visuals: fantasy images, text, photos, and

Lesson Length: 5-8 minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts: We will break down why prep time is so important in both creating your distinct voice but also how to implement your voice while prepping for and developing ongoing story.

Tip: Need to add more fields to plan your lessons? Just highlight the entire Lesson block above, copy it, and paste it as many times as you need below this tip box.

Conclusion Video

The last video in your class! Summarize key takeaways and encourage your students to post their projects to the Project Gallery. Don’t forget any final reminders, such as asking students to leave you a review or follow you on Skillshare.

Helpful Resources:

● Planning Your Conclusion Video

Lesson Title: You have done it

Video Format:

Mp4

Media & Visuals:

Text, fantasy images, D&D Images

Lesson Length:

2 minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts: You Are on your way, we will emphasize the importance of solidifying your skills, continuing your path and practice, be kind to yourself and then implement your skills

Thomas Wilson

Storyteller & Event Specialist

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