WEB 110 Introduction

You all meet in a tavern...

Or, in this case, on a website. Hello there, I'm Joseph Osuna. I'm an aspiring web developer, wannabe writer, and regular Dungeon Master for multiple groups of gamers. It's the latter two things that this blog will focus on going forward I think, as I like to think I have a little more existing expertise in those areas than in the one that I'm still scratching the surface of. 

I am passionate about storytelling. No matter the medium, I think that there are few things in this world more rich and fulfilling than a well-told story. If you think about it, it's really one of the world's oldest art forms, predating music by a fair bit I would wager (though, admittedly, they got together pretty quick historically speaking) and serves a practical purpose in our history as well. Without the stories we tell each other, where would our history come from? Without traditions of passing on tales, first orally, then on ink and paper, how would we know who we were? To my mind, the only true way to carry on is to know where one has been, and storytelling is a key part of that. 

So I'm a writer, and one with a fairly casual and laid-back voice if I hadn't made that obvious enough already. I like to write as I would speak, and I've been told I'm more than a little rough spoken, so there you are. I think I'm wordier in person though, by virtue of not being able to edit myself afterwards. 

Speaking of wordy, let's circle back around to the storytelling thing I so richly introduced. One of the newest forms of storytelling is the tabletop roleplaying game. That's right, we're going full nerd in this blog, so buckle up and enjoy the ride or go read somebody else's to comment on. With the proliferation of popular podcasts and franchises that are popping up around Dungeons and Dragons these days, the tabletop RPG is experiencing an unprecedented time of mainstream appeal, and that was enough to drag my friends into the wonderful world of D&D. 

For those of you who aren't sure what D&D is, or who have only heard about it in passing, it's essentially adult make-believe with rules that govern what's going on (to prevent the machinations of that one friend growing up who would summon an "everything proof shield" just when your pretend games were going your way). A number of players sit around a table with sheets that tell them what their characters can and can't do, and navigate a world created by the Dungeon Master. That is the role I frequently occupy. A combination of narrator, antagonist, and, well, anything else the story might require, the Dungeon Master is the ultimate adjudicator. Their word is law, and reality all bundled into one. It's a staggering responsibility, and by far some of the most fun I've ever had in my adult life, and handled correctly, the players at the table can all work together to weave interesting, entertaining, and meaningful stories that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

So that's what I intend to talk about mostly. It's my blog and I might venture away from those topics a bit as my mood strikes me, but most of what I want to talk about is how to be a good narrator in D&D. How to tell a compelling narrative, and how to hone your narration to work with your players to create stories that may just be told again and again. 

I've included a picture below of my current D&D group, a fun bunch of players and some of my best friends. But because I'm not entirely sure how literal the professor was being with his requirements for this blog assignment, I'm also including a picture of my cat, who I love despite her usual apathy towards me.

Calassabrak - Reluctant Heroes of the Realm

 

Cleo - Napping in my Laundry