ROLLDARK PROFESSORS
My workshop is going to be about creating Memorable NPC’s and Moments. Really focusing in on embedding knowledge into your players’ brains so they don’t forget it, even if they don’t take notes.
Workshop Parts:
- A crash course in memory. How memory works on a psychological level.
- How to use principles of novelty and contrast to engage your players’ interest.
- Crafting a memorable NPC from the bottom up.
The goal of most RPG systems is to, through collaboration as a group, create a story. That story can be a high fantasy epic or a series of Monty Python sketches strung along by a single loose thread of plot. Whatever style of story you are trying to tell, it is always going to be more engaging and fun for the players when that story is brought to life. This lesson focuses not on the plot, NPC's or themes, but how to tell an engaging story in a way that will draw your players in and keep them coming back for more.
Jordan has been running D&D games for just shy of a decade now, in-person, online, at conventions and as part of the Modified Roll podcast and more recently as a professional GM. He has also written or contributed to a variety of adventures and supplements for the DMsGuild and DriveThruRPG sites with several products becoming bestsellers with a variety of Metal badges. Beyond D&D, Jordan is an avid storyteller who loves to capture imaginations and send them running wild.
Alex Maude is a professional actor with a decade of experience in the industry. He has performed on stage, screen, and in video games like Diablo Immortal. His natural exuberance makes him a perfect fit not just for acting but for game mastering too!
It is impossible to teach a craft as complex and broad as acting in an hour... but it is possible to teach certain principles that all great actors employ when giving fantastic performances. Alex also employs many of these techniques*; and will help you break out of your shell to bring any character you want to life.
*Results of greatness may vary
**Neither Alex nor Rolldark can be held responsible for any drastic loss of shame or inhibitions.
Bring any character to life is purely metaphorical; neither Alex nor Rolldark condone the practice of unnecessary necromancy.
The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Step into the world of prep for your sessions and overarching story!
Learn to prepare killer sessions with combat encounters, puzzles, social encounters and more!
By the end of the session you'll have a step-by-step guide on preparing a killer session for your players.
Maps! Maps are useful for so many things in D&D from giving a large overview of a country or town right down to an individual room of a dungeon! When are the best times to use maps, what makes them interesting for your players and how to use your battlemaps to inform and make your combat encounters memorable.
We will together over the course of a session create a boss battle map together and run an encounter on it to show its best use.
Credentials:
Pro DM for 5 years, creating my own maps for every campaign I’ve run!
Rolldark Streamer
Voice actor
Have you found that your monsters at the game table lack distinction? Perhaps you’re afraid to try new voices and sounds for fear of being judged or sounding silly and risk breaking the immersion? Maybe your encounters aren’t as memorable to your players as you want them to be? Have you longed to do more than a deep, scratchy voice for your dragons, or you’re struggling to find a distinct sound for those other cool creatures that you’re dying to try out, like mind flayers, gnolls, or even something as strange as a beholder?
In this immersive, comprehensive, all-inclusive course, you’ll learn to give distinct, memorable performances for each new creature you introduce. You’ll learn how to wield simple tools of improv and observation to transform your monsters from run-of-the-mill beasts to unique and believable characters as unique as any NPC. And you’ll learn to unlock your own hidden talents to come up with sounds and behaviours for any kind of creature you’d like to throw at your players. With over fifteen years of professional improvisation and voice acting, GM JC will impart you tips, tricks, and strategies to make your games stand out and come to life like never before – without needing any special training or skill.
One of the biggest challenges a Game Master can face is creating exciting and different voices for your NPCs. In my workshop, we will cover a variety of different tools and techniques you can use to create varied, interesting and memorable character voices in your tabletop game.
Learn more about how the voice works and how to use it to make different character voices.
Discover different techniques to manipulate and modulate your voice, radically changing the way you sound.
Understand how to quickly and easily switch between different voices, enabling you to bounce between sounds rapidly during your game.
This workshop is designed to teach attendees about creating a TTRPG Campaign, highlighting the essential skills needed, including time management, organisation and planning, creative writing, digital skills, teamwork, commitment etc. It will also examine the significant differences between creating and running a One-shot vs a long-term campaign.
During the workshop, students will have the opportunity to:
Participate in a Q&A with a professional Game Master
Compare examples of pre-published and “homebrew” campaigns
Pitch campaign ideas of their own
RPG Experience
I have been running and playing games of D&D for the best part of two decades, starting with 3rd Edition and including every edition since. I now run several long-form campaigns including two for Rolldark.
In addition, I now have a healthy collection of other systems alongside D&D and am fluent in, own and have run games for the following:
ALIEN (official RPG from Free League)
Star Trek Adventures (Modipheus)
Outbreak Undead Second Edition (Hunter’s Entertainment)
Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition
DREAD
My professional performance experience.
Since 2010 I have been part of a local theatre group and have appeared on stage in productions such as An Inspector Calls, Blackadder II, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Spy Game, and hamming it up in several Pantomimes. I have also Directed plays, including An Accidental Death of an Anarchist and the aforementioned Spy Game. All of these ran at The Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe.
I have also presented professional workshops and one-shot sessions for D&D at a local college for large student groups.