#DragonRealm

[burningdreamerfox]

Strongest of all - Chapter 31 (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1269364245-strongest-of-all-chapter-31?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=lily234089 Izuku Yagi suffered the moment he was diagnosed as quirkless. He was neglected by his parents and physically and emotionally abused by his sister and friends. He had no one. He had nothing. He was just a worthless Deku. Or so he thought.

[grillagrafx]

(Grab Your Stickers Today!!)

Dive into the world of dragons and steampunk! Meet Cedric, Reginald, Alistair, Donovan, and Brutus—each with their unique flair and story. From shadowy heists to grand visions, these dragons blend elegance, power, and intrigue. Elevate your style with our exclusive merchandise. Join their realm today!

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[retrocgads]

USA 1997

[thaumium-block]

I have become TIMEZONE

[tachyonblu]

Champions of Elanthia: Survey Deadline Reminder

Just a quick reminder for Champions of Elanthia backers:

🛡️ Most of your surveys are in (thank you so much!) but we’re still waiting on 7 of you.

🗓️ The deadline is Tuesday, June 24th—check your Kickstarter messages to make sure your rewards can be delivered!

You’re all amazing. 💫

[wolfwynd229]

I love vinnies finds. This is my latest one

Never heard of this author or this series before but I’m fucking hooked. Read three chapters before I even bought the thing

[nahobinosblog]

He didn’t punish me. He just made a tea.

He didn’t yell. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t say a single cruel thing. Just made tea. Sat beside me. Waited.

And somehow, that hurt more than anything else ever could.

I’d attacked him. Lied. Tried to prove I was in control. But he knew the truth: I wasn’t. And he stayed anyway.

This isn’t a story about redemption. It’s a story about being seen, and still being handed a cup.

[but-first--tea]

3: On what platform did you start RPing?

Oh, everyone who didn't already know is about to find out that I am very old right about now. Once upon a time, in an entirely different century, I was a teenager who logged onto AOL while very bored. I found a text MUD called "Dragonrealms" and decided to see what it was all about. I had already developed a love for sci fi and fantasy novels by this point, so it was an obvious choice.

I was a completely lost level 1 commoner who had to start out by killing rats. I eventually figured out what was going on and joined the warrior mage guild. I had a scimitar, specialized in lightning and wind spells. I think I played this game for well over a year before I even discovered that RP was a thing that existed. Of course, I was 16 so everything I came up with was all pretty predictably terrible.

The interesting thing about this game, though, was that any player could attack any other player at any time. You could kill them and then take their stuff. But what you couldn't do? You couldn't see their level or skills. There was no real level cap and levels and skills took actual months or years to gain. All you saw was a text description of what they looked like and what they visibly appeared to be wearing. So, before attacking someone, you had to either know how strong they were by reputation, or fuck around and find out. Make the wrong choice, and you could lose everything you have. There were very real consequences for being an asshole or a troll. People also had very real motivations for making allies, and I can say I learned quite a bit about understanding people during my time playing this game… which lasted right up until around the time vanilla WoW was released.

Thank you for the Ask!

[lesdeuxmuses]

Druadan Forest - Dismal Spells From The Dragonrealm (Werewolf Records, 2019)

[grillagrafx]

Dive into the world of dragons and steampunk! Meet Cedric, Reginald, Alistair, Donovan, and Brutus—each with their unique flair and story. From shadowy heists to grand visions, these dragons blend elegance, power, and intrigue. Elevate your style with our exclusive merchandise. Join their realm today!

Grab Yours Today!!

GrillaGrafx.com/merch

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[impulsivemuses]

"Wowie! That's sure fancy!" Wheezie giggled out in amusement at the little show that Tomas had put on for the children. He sure made an entrance that's for sure. He seemed like such a celebrity with all these fancy titles that Wheezie nor Zak had ever heard before. He's a big performer for what they understood. Although Zak and Wheezie didn't know very much outside of Dragonland and SOME parts of Earth that Max and Emmy talked about. Some of the traditions even come from Human culture, namely Christmas and Halloween for example!

"I think I've heard of a bard before; in the stories our parents tell us. They're song dragons aren't they?" Zak could only grasp SOME of what Tomas had mentioned, but to him... this sounded fascinating. Dragonrealms? There was more the Dragonland? It made sense... there's a LOT out there that was dangerous that was beyond the safety of the green meadows. Zak is more attuned to knowledge and being 'smart' all the time. Whether that's to prove a point or not remained to be seen.

"He sounds super, duper important. I don't think Quetzal told us that anyone else would be stopping by." Wheezie was very much excited about the prospect of being able to meet someone so influential to the 'Dragon realms' whatever that meant. She's more of a doer then a thinker. She left all the important, boring thinky stuff to her younger brother. She should show him all there is to Dragonland! She wondered if her parents would be okay with having a guest over at the Knuckholes?

"Well, in any case. I'm Zak and this is my sister Wheezie. We live over there." He points to a bunch over VERY oversized mound holes... which would be a wonder how those two as big as they are would fit into them. Sometimes it's best to not question the magics of Dragonland. Especially when it came to Wheezie's sheer will. "We don't meet a lot of Dragons that AREN'T from Dragonland. We always meet pixies or giants or mermaids." It's good to know that it wasn't too far off from what Tomas was used to in his travels.

Tomas's Lute Song

Instead of answering the young dragons the larger dragon simply played his lute as the two yelled at one another. He would wait for the proper moment to interject as that was the best way to deal with someone who had a large personality. Once the moment to respond came Tomas gave the pair a slight bow of the head as he took off his hat showing a small plume of pink hair underneath.

"Forgive my silence, I was enjoying the double act the two of you have. Reminds me of my many arguements with another dragon I know by the name of Darius. He who adores the stage to such a degree why he could write endless books on the subject."

Tomas chuckled to himself as he spun in a circles causing the anklet of bells he wore to ring in time with his lute music in perfect harmony. He moved to be on the level of Zak as he booped the green dragon's nose. Before then offering a wink of amusement.

"You are the one who reminds me of Darius. So careful, so intent to follow a script that he dare not step even a foot out of line if it was not part of her planned performance. While you young lady I can tell are a girl after my own heart. The type to throw yourself into anything without fear! For it is in those moments of fearlessness that we grasp true beauty. Artists must take that leap, for if we do not jump then how can we soar to the highest forms of artistic expression?"

"Ahh, but I digress. Allow me to introduce myself! I am Tomas! The bard of Dragons! The greatest performer the Dragon Realms have ever known! With a single note the world is mine to shape. I can make the strongest of hearts weep! I can give strength to even the smallest person who has need of me! So long as an audience needs me! I Tomas shall answer the call of those who need my music!"

Tomas played more music which caused many bright lights to dance around him before exploding into bursts of light that dazzled everything. Now Tomas was center stage and he loved it.

[retrocgads]

USA 1997

[thaumium-block]

[sparrowsingsstories]

Alright. Fine. How I Met The Husband:

Way back in great beyond when we all still logged on via AOL and got asked to please stop tying up the house phone, I started playing a Free-to-Play text based game: Dragonrealms. And I started out as a Moon Mage because I was young and impressionable and through Many Trials, realized I was NOT cut out for the Guild Guarded By A Monster and also Guildmaster Sometimes Taken Over By Mods Who Would Toss You From A Window, wised up, and joined the Bard Guild.

Now, text based games were exactly that: all text. No messy animations or pictures to create strange and exciting Bugs. Nope, if you wanted to move, you would type "Move N." You could interact with a lot of the world and if an action hadn't been coded in, well, you could RP with some minor lead-up. Think typing out a perform with an action word at the beginning in a basic code and you get the picture.

So my character - an elf with a good page and a half description of JUST HER DRESS - is sitting in the Bard Guild. Most likely watching in horror as some bard friend pulls out yet another box to Examine, attempt to Dismantle the trap, and attempt to Pop the box (this sometimes resulted in explosions in the guilt...) and I thought "I don't want to visit the Empaths today let's not stay here with Mr. I've Sprayed Acid Across The Room Ten Times" and I moved my character into an side room where one Cat Character is standing.

My husband.

I have not met him yet.

This guy pulls out an impressively large fish, proceeds to wind up, and smack my character with it. Note, I think this was coded into the fish. If not, my husband had to type out winding up, letting fly, and thrwapping my impeccably dressed elven bard upside the head with a giant fish.

This led me to talking to him. Which led to a friendship. Which led to him visiting me. Which led to 19+ years of marriage with a man who is currently playing gas station simulator behind me unironically.

And that's how I met my husband.

My husband and I are discussing Disney Land vs Disney World.

Me: "We went to Disney Land and you cried!"

Him: "It was our first date..."

Cue manic laughter from the kids

Note - he cried because Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion were closed for renovations.

[nahobinosblog]

He reads like he’s holding something fragile. Turns out, it was me.

Follow Gran’s journey into a world where dragons are real — and some of them even read gently.

[guidedbynors]

Journal of a Paid GM: Part 6: Bad Fantasy Novels Make Good Inspiration

When I was a kid, say 7th, 8th, 9th grade, I was severely dyslexic. I am still dyslexic. It isn't something that goes away. I learned to adjust. To compensate. To read. The above image is the cover of the first book I ever read. First novel, anyway. I don't count See Spot Run or Hop on Pop.

I was an avid Diablo II fan when it came out in. . . whenever it did. It was only natural that when a friend of mine who also played let me barrow the book he'd just read that was based on the game, I was determined to struggle through it. I think it took me something like 9 months to work through it. But I did.

Why do I bring this up? Well, because Richard A. Knaak, the author of the above book, put me on a path I am still on today. Coinciding with my love of Diablo II and my determination to read the tie-in novel, came my 8th grade English teacher. While I couldn't write papers, I could dictate them to my parents. My English teacher told me I should be a writer. That the work I was turning in was different than my peers. I didn't see how. She, of course, knew I was dyslexic and wasn't writing my own papers and that my parents were helping me, but for whatever reason, she thought that was what I needed to hear. I hope it was the thing she believed to be true, also.

So, how does this have anything to do being a paid GM? Pretty much everything. I'm not going to pretend I think Richard A. Knaak's work is quality fiction. That sounds snobbish. Let me get this right. . . I love Knaak's books. I recently discovered the Legends of the Dragon Realm omnibuses. I'd only ever read books he'd written in OTHER peoples worlds, and so picked up the first omnibus (books 1-3 in the series).

Firedrake, the first novel set in The Dragonrealm is. . . dated. That's a nice way to put it. It has some unsavory tropes and depictions of women in it that are frankly difficult to read without rolling your eyes and shutting the book completely. There's also liberal uses of the construct of race, superior races. It makes me grimace just thinking about it. But its also written at a breakneck speed. It focuses on things happening and happening right now. There's no slow burn here. And this is why I think it's actually the exact type of book that is helpful in running TTRPGs.

*NOTE: I think it bears saying that reading novels such as these must be done with a critical eye. The stereotypes and tropes it relies on are disappointing. This is a book from 1989. The same sensibilities do not apply. This isn't an excuse, but it is a reason. The great thing about D&D and other TTRPGs today, is that they try to eliminate these unfortunate fantasy tropes. (I believe there are other books you could find that function in the same way as this book. . . maybe without the sexist and racial insensitivities).

I read a review of the D&D movie the other day. It was all about how fun and fast and interesting the combat scenes were. I haven't seen the movie--and probably won't. But this review struck a cord with me. It mentioned how the reality of D&D 5e is so far flung from what the movie portrays, why is there not a reimagined combat system that feels cinematic and cool like the movie? I don't know why--I do know there are better combat systems out there, Forbidden Lands is one of them, Warlock! is another. But these are not D&D. As someone who runs 5e as a paid GM, this review, and indeed, Richard A. Knaak's Legends of the Dragonrealm remind me what the best part of D&D can be. Fast paced, frantic, fun. There shouldn't be times in which players are wondering what to do. If there is--DMs should throw something into the session that makes them react and DO something. That's what Knaak's stories are all about. There very akin to Jack Vance's work, though less science fantasy and more hard fantasy fiction.

(I still have 1 seat in my bi-weekly Eberron campaign of 5e. Check out Demon Wastes Rising. There is still time to sign up before out next session on Sunday.)

In planning for my next session, which is on Sunday, I created a list of 10 "Action Triggers" to spring on my players at any given time. If there's a point at which they are all wondering. . . what do we do now? And sorta milling about with indecision, I can introduce these triggers at any time. Something like: The local bandit clan set a building on fire in retribution for one of their numbers being imprisoned.

Does this have anything, really, to do with the plot? Maybe. I don't know yet. But it's something exciting for players to deal with--so it will spur them to action and create improved drama. The point is, and it sounds like the D&D movie captured this, this game is about action. Things need to happen. If they don't, why are we playing? Sly Flourish does a great job of focusing on this aspect of the game in his Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master prep book. I enjoy using the book and would recommend it to anyone GM who wants to make their games just better--in, like, every way.

I hope this has been helpful. It's been less about the being a paid GM and more about where to find inspiration for our games. Hopefully it still holds, as I think it points out another aspect of why we, both GMs and players, love to play these games--adventures in imaginations.