At the end of September, I participated in my second and final InnRoads Plays Summer One Shot for this year. This time, we played 5th Edition D&D.  Quite a few months ago, Jeff Romo, a leader of InnRoad’s Ministries, had put a shout out for players on InnRoad’s Facebook group, The Tavern. I have wanted to try online roleplaying, so I signed up for an earlier Stars Without Number and this 5th Edition D&D game. Being my second game in Roll20, I was much more comfortable with the interface, but I still had to learn the 5th Ed D&D character sheet and mechanics utilized in Roll20.

After some chatting and getting to know each other, Jeff started the recording so we could officially introduce ourselves and our characters. Once the formalities were completed, we began our adventures in the North. I was impressed with how Roll20 managed the mechanics of D&D 5e and the line of sight with various light sources on the map. I still prefer theater of the mind and sitting around a table gaming with friends, but if you don’t have a local gaming group, then I can honesty say Roll20 is a very viable way to roleplay for a smaller group. Let me give you a little taste of our night of online roleplaying with an Overview Video and some info about the game itself.

Session Title: “The Pillar of Myriad Voices

A group of adventurers comes to Ravenfel with the express purpose of digging under the revered Pillar of Myriad Voices to see if any treasure lies below the ancient stone. The villagers, led by Curate Kenan Dobell, object to this plan, and an ugly stand‐off develops.

The PCs have been sent to intervene, and unless they do, blood will flow.

Jeff Romo as the Dungeon Master

Players:

Me as Bragi Grímmsson – Human Bard (Skald)
Alyssa Kolb as Weaver – Halfling Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
Alistair McNear as Gell So – Half-Orc Monk (Way of the Open Hand)
Gary Weston as Gezbsik Graniteheart – Dwarf Wizard (School of Evocation)

DND One Shot – Handout
Screen capture of the game in progress. Look at that adventurous group!

For this adventure, I decided to roleplay outside my normal more serious, some would say brooding, heroic types. In fantasy games I often play chivalrous paladins, zealot clerics, or noble fighters.  I decided to pay homage to a favorite character of a long time gaming friend who passed away. I have so many fond memories of his very charismatic Golnidan…warrior priest, lover of brawling and brew, chivalrous romantic, storyteller and poet. Thus was born Bragi, a boisterous and gregarious Viking skald who lived life to the fullest. If you ask my fellow players, I think they will tell you I honored Golnidan with my antics. I feel we all got into character more in this D&D game then we did with the Stars Without Number. Could be we were all more comfortable with the fantasy theme more than the space one, not sure. We also started earlier in the day so I think we all had more energy. Whatever the case, the acting skills of my fellow players really shined in this adventure. So many great laughs at the dwarf and halfling interacting with these huge Vikings, then more serious following the lead of the forward thinking and “get it done” half-orc monk, and the fun of them trying to deal with what trouble Bragi got into next.

My character – Bragi Grímmsson

From an early age Bragi proved himself impetuous, audacious, brave, and tough, which put him at odds with other sons of the clan of hold Hrothgadt. Bragi was bold and charismatic, seeking to relive the legends he heard spoke of his ancestors. As a teen, he earned the nickname Bragi the Boar because of his brash and violent outbreaks. As he was also gifted with verse and song, his father had him apprenticed under the clan skald to give him focus for all his passion and love for legends. Bragi threw passion into his studies and quickly excelled, finding he had been touched with the gift of spellsongs, which surprised the elder clan skald, Einarr Helgason. After the death of his father, Skallagrimm, Bragi gathered his blood inheritance and left his clan home to seek his own name, hiring out as a guide and seeking out further legends and myths of his people among the various other clan holds in the northern realm. His boisterous attitude is contagious, but never underestimate his skill in battle or loyalty to his clan or friends.

I am a skald…speaker for the dead, lore keeper, spell singer, and warrior of the clans.

Thanks to Jeff Romo and the players of the Summer One Shot of D&D. I had so much fun getting to know another group of gamers through these online games. Like my previous InnRoad’s One Shot, I look forward to gaming with any of these players again someday and hopefully getting to meet them face-to-face.

After two of these online games, I am seriously looking into running a game myself on Roll20 so I can experience how the system works from a GM’s perspective. If you get a chance next year, I highly recommend signing up for one of Jeff Romo’s online games. He is a great storyteller and does a wonderful job of keeping everyone engaged.

Have you ever roleplayed online? Did you run the game or play? What did you think of the experience?

 

Side Project: D&D 5th Edition – One Shot

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