With a new semester comes new challenges, and my group for Spring 2024 Tales of Resilience was very different from my last. For this party, I was able to explore what it means to tell a collaborative story and my part in it. I was able to expand on what I already knew as a DM.
The most obvious difference was the group size. My group last semester had 3 participants, while this one had 5. Adjusting to that and making sure that everyone had a space was very important to me, and I worked hard to ensure that everyone felt like they had a place at the table.
This group really challenged my confidence as a DM. Only one of my players was experienced, and I felt that the gaps in my knowledge about the game were on full display all the time. I decided to lean into this feeling rather than shy away from it, and I believe I came out of this experience better because of it. I focused on what I knew I could do: create plot hooks, make my players laugh, and emphasize moments of truth or empathy. I especially tried to work on incorporating the more serious sides of role-play into the story, as I realized that I wasn't engaging in those story elements as much as I could. I worked with my honors advisor and creator of TOR, Kyle (hey Kyle!), to make those moments count.
As with every semester, I got feedback from my players about things they enjoyed and things I could improve on. They really show the way that we bonded over the semester, and affirm to me that regardless of any temporary stress or struggle, this experience means something to me and its participants. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to have TOR be a part of my story and college experience. Just like last semester, I am amazed that a random group of people can create such a powerful story.
From Quotables:
"How many grams of protein have you had today?" "...10?"
">:(" - Carl
"Do we know where her dorm window is? We could go throw rocks at it"
"is anyone proficient in digging?"
"I'm gonna wake her with my shoe*" *monopoly game piece shoe
