Welcome to my D&D Beginners League! This class will meet for 90 minutes, once per week for 6 weeks. This class is designed as an adventure for brand new players, and will progress towards level 5. Players will spend the first session, 'session zero', creating their characters and meeting their adventuring party. This class will be a 'learn as you go' experience- once the characters have their boots strapped, we jump right in! Player choice will dictate how the adventure plays out, and I as the DM (Dungeon Master) will be there for any and all questions players have on how to play the game. 

One thing to know about my teaching style- I LOVE questions! One of my top priorities as a teacher in the classroom was to encourage students to ask deep questions. Students in my D&D classes will not only be learning how to play D&D, but also concepts from social studies related to the worldbuilding- How do goblin raids affect the trade in an area? How is the economy of this town structured, and what are their primary resources? What are the likely motivations of each group based on their surrounding geography? My classes often take small divergences to explore topics such as world cultures, human geography, biology, and geology. 

The classes will meet over the Outschool Zoom tool. Students will only need a stable internet connection and webcam. No dice, no problem! For story portions of the game, I use a variety of artwork, as well as sound effects and music from YouTube. For gameplay that involves battles, or spatial reasoning, I use Explain Everything from my end to display maps and tokens of characters/monsters. Most of the information for D&D comes from licensed books such as the Dungeon Master's Guide and Player's Handbook. 

None of the resources above are required or even needed for students of this course. This course is specifically designed for easy access and no extra cost. 

Each class will meet virtually for 90 minutes. The first 10 minutes of each session will be a circle to touch base with each player, and to recap the story so far. The majority of the class will be playing the game, and the last 10 minutes will be set aside as a Q&A for players to ask any game-related questions. 

1st Class: This is known in D&D as 'Session Zero'. The majority of this session will be used to explain the very basic concepts of D&D to players, and laying out what they can expect to learn from the entire course. I will assist players in creating their characters using a downloadable "Character Sheet." Creating a character is an involved process, and is not simply about rolling dice for attributes- this is where students will use creative writing skills to flesh out their character's background, motivations, quirks, and personalities. 

Based on remaining time, we may begin the adventure in the starting area. If character creation and setup takes the entire class, we will begin the adventure in the 2nd session. 

2nd-6th Classes: These sessions will consist of playing the game of D&D. Students do not need to know anything at all about playing the game. D&D is a cooperative game, and players will be working together to solve puzzles, defeat enemies in battle, and even building friendships between each other's characters.  I will be guiding the players through the story, which will dynamically change depending on their choices. D&D is something of a choose your own adventure type of game, and as such is not a rigidly structured experience. 

In D&D, combat takes place in turns, with each character rolling for 'initiative' to determine their place in the turn. Out of combat, players will be presented with options as a group, and will take turns depending on how the group wants to play. 

During these sessions, students will learn the mechanics of 'levelling up' their characters according to the experience points (XP) they've achieved through their actions. 

By the 6th class, players will have achieved level 5 in their character progressions, and have reached the end of this campaign's story.  

This Campaign adventure has specific milestones built in to keep the story moving and ensure that players have a fun and engaging time, while also reaching the end of the adventure during the 6 weeks. There will be included time at the end of each session for learners to ask further questions about the game and my other Beginners League classes. 

The Beginners League Campaign takes place over live video meeting, and learners will interact both with other players in their adventuring party as well as me, the DM. 

***Please keep in mind my classes are listed in Central Standard Time***