Hero Academy: Intro to Dungeons and Dragons for Complete Beginners (14-18)
The best place for kids to start playing D&D, offering a fun and easy-to-follow introduction to the world of adventure and imagination!
Guild of Imagination - DnD | VR
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(599)
Popular
What's included
3 live meetings
3 in-class hoursProjects
1-2 hours per week. After each lesson learners will be encouraged to create a representation or reimagining of one of the decisions they made during the lesson. This may take the form of a short story/poem, drawing a picture, creating a block structure, among others.Assessment
Learners and parents may request an assessment of how their learner responded to the lessons and grasped the fundamentals of the game.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
🍎Meet the Guild's educators here (Copy and paste the link into your browser): https://rb.gy/5i6841 DESCRIPTION Welcome to Hero Academy, where young adventurers ages 10-13 take their first steps into the exciting world of Dungeons & Dragons! This course is designed for kids who are brand new to D&D and want to learn the ropes in a fun and supportive environment. We know that diving into a world of fantasy, dice, and epic quests can be a bit overwhelming at first, so we’re here to make it easy and enjoyable from the start. What We’ll Cover: In our first lesson, we’ll get everyone up to speed on the basics. You’ll learn what D&D is all about and how to be a great player. We’ll talk about how to work together as a team, respect each other’s ideas, and make sure everyone is having a blast. This isn’t just about rolling dice; it’s about creating an adventure together where everyone plays a part in the story. Next, we’ll explore the incredible things your character can do. Whether you’re casting spells, swinging a sword, or sneaking through the shadows, we’ll break down the possibilities so you feel confident in your role. By understanding what your character is capable of, you’ll be ready to contribute to the adventure in a meaningful way. Finally, we’ll bring it all together with an exciting scenario where you and your fellow adventurers will face challenges, solve problems, and maybe even fight some monsters! This is where the real magic happens—when everything you’ve learned comes to life in a shared adventure. It’s not just about the game; it’s about the experience of storytelling and working together to overcome obstacles. By the end of the course, your child will not only know the basics of D&D but also how to collaborate and create memorable stories with others. Whether they’re new to tabletop games or just curious about what D&D is all about, Hero Academy is the perfect place to start. We can’t wait to see the heroes they’ll become! MISSION Guild of Imagination’s mission is to empower learners to explore their creativity, embrace diverse perspectives, and encourage lifelong curiosity through immersive storytelling experiences. OUR VALUES 1. Inclusivity: We embrace diversity and create a safe, inclusive space where learners from all backgrounds feel valued, respected, and empowered to explore their creative potential. 2. Empathy: We cultivate empathy and understanding, fostering a culture of compassion and support, where learners can freely express themselves and connect with others on meaningful storytelling journeys. 3. Creativity: We ignite and nurture the spark of creativity within each learner, cultivating an environment that encourages imaginative thinking, innovation, and the development of unique storytelling voices. 4. Community: We build a strong sense of community, where learners come together, collaborate, and form lasting friendships, creating a network of support and shared storytelling experiences. 5. Growth: We promote continuous learning and growth, providing opportunities for learners to expand their storytelling skills, build confidence, and unlock their full creative potential, laying the foundation for lifelong learning. LEARNER EXPECTATIONS Guild of Imagination Storytellers strive to provide a kind, welcoming and inclusive environment where all learners can have fun and have their ideas heard. We have a few guidelines that help keep these values in place during our adventures: 1) Respect: All learners should respect their fellow learners' ideas and actions. No one should ever put down another learner for roleplaying or coming up with ideas, even if it's something they wouldn't normally decide to do. 2) PVP: We do not condone PVP (Player Vs. Player combat). This includes senseless violence or antagonizing behavior against helpful, or good NPCs (Non-Player Characters). Sometimes in the mechanics or the story of the game an evil NPC or monster may force a small form of PVP, but this would be an extension of the villain's actions, not the Player Character's actions. Non-story PVP will not be tolerated. 3) Metagaming: Metagaming comes in the form of reading the adventure or monster stat block ahead of the game session and using that knowledge to overcome obstacles. We prefer that you don't metagame, but we know that in some instances you may have read an adventure before enrolling. In these instances we ask that a learner try not use their metagame knowledge in the game. In addition, a learner should never spoil any story elements for the other learners in the game. 4) Honest Dice: Most of Guild of Imagination adventures use the honor system for dice rolls. Learners will usually be rolling their dice they have at home, or using a digital dice roller. We ask that learners tell the truth about their die rolls. Announcing rolls that are better than what you actually rolled can be frustrating to learners who are being honest about their rolls. Even more importantly is that a learner will find that always rolling well will get boring and remove a lot of the fun of the game for themselves.
Learning Goals
Students will learn the principles of D&D. Including how the cadence of the game is played, role-playing and encounters.Students will get a chance to make creative decisions and learn how their decisions impact the greater story.
Syllabus
3 Lessons
over 3 WeeksLesson 1:
The Adventurer's Guide
In this lesson, young adventurers will embark on their journey into the world of Dungeons & Dragons by learning the essential rules and concepts that make the game both fun and fair. We'll explore how to be a great player by encouraging teamwork, respecting others at the table, and ensuring everyone has a blast. This foundational lesson will set the stage for exciting adventures to come, focusing on the importance of collaboration and shared storytelling. 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Heroic Possibilities
In this lesson, we dive into the exciting abilities and actions your character can take in the game. From casting spells to wielding powerful weapons, you’ll learn how to make the most of your character’s unique skills. We’ll explore how different roles contribute to the team, helping you understand the possibilities within the world of D&D and how your hero can shine on the adventure ahead. 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Your First Quest!
In the final lesson, it’s time to put everything you’ve learned into action! You and your fellow adventurers will embark on a thrilling quest, where teamwork and strategy are key. This hands-on scenario will challenge you to use your character’s abilities, make decisions together, and experience the excitement of a real D&D adventure. Get ready to face challenges, overcome obstacles, and emerge as true heroes! 60 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Some Guild of Imagination Game Masters may make use of D&D Beyond to manage character information and reference rules.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined August, 2019
4.9
599reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
1 teacher has a Graduate degree
Master's Degree from Lindenwood University
3 teachers have a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh- Online Division
Bachelor's Degree from Otterbein University (ne. College)
Bachelor's Degree in Science from Full Sail University
1 teacher has an Associate's degree
Associate's Degree in Science from Sanford-Brown College
Welcome to the Guild of Imagination!
My name is Patrick Stephens. I have a love for tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and want to bring that love to as many people as I can. The Guild of Imagination will be teaching classes on how to play Dungeons & Dragons with a focus on team storytelling, problem solving, critical thinking, social interaction and much more!
I am a father of 4 and have been playing both board games and tabletop role-playing games with my children since I can remember. We love to get together as a family, with cousins or friends and tell amazing stories! I personally love Dungeons & Dragons because of the bonds you create with the other people playing the game with you. You also get to build memories of going on fantastic adventures with friends and driving that story. I created the Guild of Imagination to help your children build those memories, too!
The Guild of Imagination offers 4 types of classes, each one is color coded on our class pictures:
**Green Guild Badge (Apprentice) - These classes are for beginners. Your child may want to play Dungeons & Dragons but maybe doesn't know how to get started. Or maybe they want to learn how to create a character for the game. Maybe they've played a little, but aren't comfortable jumping in with experienced players. For Apprentice classes look for the Green Guild Badge!
**Blue Guild Badge (Hero) - These classes are for kids that may have experience or are ready to jump in and learn with others that have played before. If your child is looking for a multi-week or ongoing campaign they can play with other kids that love the game they can find that here. For Hero classes look for the Blue Dragon Badge!
**Orange Guild Badge (Scholar) - These classes are for players or Dungeon Masters looking to up their game. These classes will provide your child with inside knowledge, hints, tricks and tips to help them create more believable worlds, run a smoother game for their friends, or maybe learn some rules they hadn't known about before. For Scholar classes look for the Orange Guild Badge!
**Purple Guild Badge (Explorer) - These classes are for the children that love mysteries and exploring new worlds. These classes don’t focus on a role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons, instead you’ll find the guild’s Puzzle Adventures and Virtual Reality experiences. Your child will solve puzzles, crack codes and explore worlds! For Explorer classes look for the Purple Guild Badge!
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Our Dungeon Masters
**Patrick Stephens** - Patrick is a father of 4 and has been playing both board games and tabletop role-playing games with his children since he can remember. He loves Dungeons & Dragons because of the bonds you create with the other people playing the game with you. You also get to build memories of going on fantastic adventures with friends!
**Dean McKinnon** - In 2020, Dean created Dragons Love Parties, a D&D events company in Toronto, Canada. He has over five years experience playing and running Dungeons and Dragons games (and various tabletop games) as well as five-years experience programming for kids ages 8-16 with Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada. After playing D&D with his own kids, he realized the incredible gift of the game — an opportunity for creativity, problem-solving and imaginative play for a team of friends. It is his greatest pride and passion to introduce and facilitate games of D&D to kids and adults all over the world.
**Gary Sousa** - Gary started his D&D career in the late 70s with the original box set and spent the better part of the 80s saving up his dollars and cents for the latest module from TSR or thumbing through the most-recent issue of Dragon Magazine at his local hobby store. Ever the DM, he learned to enjoy building and managing the sandbox in which his friends could play out their imaginations. Although “growing up” put his RPG self into temporal stasis, Gary eventually found his way back into education as a high-school teacher, where he came to realize the potential of game play as a formal learning tool. Now in his third decade of teaching history, Gary uses a number of role-playing scenarios, both in his classroom and in his leisure time, and most enjoys developing the means to meld both modes.
**Cory Gillings** - In 2020 Cory Gillings began his journey to provide a safe place for kids to learn, create, share and express themselves. He started the D20 Guild Enrichment Program where he teaches kids how to play Dungeons and Dragons as an extracurricular activity where they get practice with math, literacy, problem solving and growth mindset training. He uses Dungeons and Dragons as an amazing tool for kids to learn social emotional development. Allowing kids of all ages to express themselves with confidence and explore the endless possibilities of a life of an adventurer. He hopes to one day open an afterschool facility.
**Shayne Taylor** - Despite an almost lifelong background in roleplay, performance, gaming, and storytelling – particularly within the Fantasy genre – Shayne only really found D&D within the last few years. Once he discovered that this game (and other TTRPGs like it) could provide those passions with such structure and comradery, however, the floodgates were opened. Before ever playing in a single session, Shayne began writing adventures to share with his friends and instantly jumped behind the DM’s screen.
His love of D&D has grown exponentially since then, with his focus geared towards creating safe, accessible, and inclusive spaces for people of all backgrounds and abilities to experience the power of this game. He is so excited for the opportunity to help youth tell their stories; explore their creativity; and build the kind of lasting memories and kinships that Bards will sing of for ages to come.
**Tom Madge** - Hello! I’m Tom, an avid gamer, world builder and dungeon master! I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for over 14 years among other games, love creating my own worlds for players to explore and have recently began creating my own homebrew rules.
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We can't wait to go on your next adventure with you!Reviews
Live Group Course
$22
weekly or $65 for 3 classes1x per week, 3 weeks
60 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
2-5 learners per class
