There are so many things that I want to talk about regarding my blog, Dungeons With Dragons. Some of it I am keeping close to heart, but a lot of it I want to share with you! No matter what, though, changes are coming to my website that I am sure will be fun for everybody involved.
What I want from my website, Dungeons With Dragons
There are a variety of things I want for DWD:
- I want DWD to be easy to access and fun to interact with.
- I aim to contribute positively to the Dungeons & Dragons community and the broader TTRPG community.
- I want to update my blog more regularly with well-written content (Never made with AI).
- I want to contribute my custom ideas and stories to the D&D community and celebrate moments of glory in my games. I want to invite others to share their stories, too.
- Again, DWD Will Thrive!
I want DWD to be easy to access and fun to interact with.
So, what does “easy to access” mean? It means that I’m going to be delving into the guts of the website itself to make it operate smoothly! It also means updating some of the current buttons I have created over the years (Looking at you, “Need a Ride” button!). I think giving the base website a slight makeover will be beneficial for the rest of the plans I have for the website in the long run as well. I plan to have this done after I move into my first apartment here in glorious Colorado Springs! So my deadline for these website updates will likely be towards the end of July.
So, when I say “fun to interact with”, what in the Nine Hells does that mean? Well, it means more interactivity for the website! While I’m not a good coder by any stretch of the imagination, I plan to hide several secrets between my blog posts that readers can find. By leveraging the power of AI to assist with my coding questions, I plan to cobble together a website featuring interesting tidbits about the world of D&D, along with random tips for DMs and players. Later on, I would like to hire someone to create mini-games that people can enjoy while browsing the site.
However, just like any endeavor, it is wise to take small steps. I know I already mentioned the “Need a Ride” button, but that was already my first step into coding something that encourages interactivity. Now I just need something a lot less intrusive and much more immersive into my theme of Dungeons With Dragons. Stay tuned, I suppose.
I aim to contribute positively to the Dungeons & Dragons community and the broader TTRPG community.
Here, I really want the website to grow into a small hub for like-minded D&D players. Somehow, I’d love for the site to be a part of various events around the web. Maybe for various events around the world, eventually. I think this requires the addition of a forum for like-minded people to congregate. I also want to integrate YouTube into the blog, which will expand the community I am seeking to cater to. In the long run, it would be great to foster partnerships with some of the major players in the D&D community. I am nowhere near close to thinking about that, though. I haven’t even thrown any skin in the game so to speak…
That’s the first step in this plan! I want to throw some skin in the game. By this, I mean contributing to the community differently. By providing free and paid content to the community for life. Along with my various blog posts, you can expect to see more content from me to help you with your D&D modules and adventures. While I may not be an expert in the game by any means, I want my contributions to make it easier for players in the community to do what they love—playing D&D and creating memorable moments with their friends and family. As a result, you may occasionally find a .pdf or graphic that can help you play D&D as you browse the site.
I want to update my blog more regularly with well-written content (Never made with AI).
Here, I want to address the elephant in the room. I haven’t posted content in over a year. I want to provide answers to what’s been going on in my life and how my recent experience will now contribute to helping this website grow.
In 2024, I was struggling in Spokane, WA to foster a business in doing paid D&D games online using the platform startplayinggames.com. While that website is quite a viable business, and I can definitely see myself using it again, the cards weren’t going in my favor. I foolishly left my hotel job to try and pursue this effort without the backing of a community behind me. However, something else amazing happened while I struggled with this business.
A work opportunity occurred. The hotel industry clawed its way back into my life! I was offered a position that I couldn’t pass up, essentially. Instead of working as a GM (Game Master), I’d wind up as a GM (General Manager) instead! That’s right, I was offered a position of management for a hotel. That was back in May 2024. For a straight year, I threw myself into the position with the goal of learning as much as I could about administrative work and company management. It was hard work. I was expected to do more than check guests in. My new clients were my directors, contractors, employees, and, of course, the hotel ownership. I had to navigate hiring, managing employee needs, and maintaining a hotel building.
It was very valuable experience, if I do say so myself. I want to give a big shout-out to my bosses, Fred and Lee, for giving me great insight into the business.
Taking what I learned there, I took the opportunity to leave after my friends asked me to move to Colorado with them. I figured I also had family in Colorado that I’d like to get to know about, too, so it was a done deal. Now, I plan to renew my efforts into this website and towards the D&D community at large. I don’t know about you, but I would like to make a living from fun and entertainment, rather than a traditional job.
So that’s where I’ve been for the past year. Now, you know. I may have to hire a mindflayer to hunt you down now that you do, though. So watch your brain.
Now, the plan is to write content regularly for the site! I was astonished to learn that, despite the site effectively having one foot in the grave, there were still many people visiting the site and reading my old content. I view this as a disservice to my readers, and it needs to be corrected immediately! To remedy this, I plan to do exactly what I set out to do when I started this site. To provide great human-written content to my readers, as I always have. Given my professional background in news writing, I am capable of handling this task myself.
Regarding the AI-generated images on the site, they will remain until I reach a specific milestone. Eventually, I plan to hire a professional artist to create the dragons on the site, rather than relying on AI for this specific task. I am not artistically inclined. I do have family who have art in their blood, though. Maybe when the website proves itself, they’ll be able to participate. It’s either that, or I will employ somebody to do the job proper. The day that happens will be glorious! I can’t wait!
I want to contribute my custom ideas and stories to the D&D community and celebrate moments of glory in my games. I want to invite others to share their stories, too.
A woman contracted to murder for her patron stands on the road with a bloody knife in hand, as her future party member cautiously inspects the scene. She’s able to wipe away the blood from her blade before they notice, and now she’s just a concerned passerby investigating the death of the poor courier on the road.
The paladin foolishly leaves his party members and roams by himself along Old Svalich Road. He ignores the warnings of the night. The full moon. The howling in the distance. The legends of Barovia. He dies a bloody death without a witness. Gored by a horde of passing wolves running heedless of their master, Strahd von Zarovich.
The adventurers greet the master lich in broad daylight. The shadow of a crumbling and ancient tower that belonged to it. However, the lich is found mistaken. No longer undead, but instead a simulacrum, he begs the party of low-level adventurers to spare his life. After all, the spells he knows will kill him, and he seeks a new beginning. The party surprisingly does just that, and now he’s their butler. For now.
The above accounts are just some of the experiences my players have had at my table. All of them varied and interesting experiences! While I’m sure many Dungeon Masters around the world are having their own interesting experiences, I want this platform to be the place to share these stories with you all. I also want this place to be where others share their stories in D&D for others to learn from, too. That’s always been a focus for DWD, and I’m here to assure you that it will remain so.
Again, DWD Will Thrive!
Thanks for reading. This blog post feels to me like a pouring of my soul to the internet at large rather than some helpful information, I fear. But that’s what it means to write truthfully online, I believe. To those who have visited my site over the past few years with expectations for content, I am truly sorry. As a fellow consumer of content, I know it is vital to keep things up to date and be consistent with you all. Now that I have more time on my hands and some learned skills of the management trade, I genuinely do believe that it will be easier (and more fun) to maintain this wonderful site for you all. Stay tuned for a more updated experience soon.
Sincerely,
Ryan – Creator of DWD
