#HeyLouisville • Games, Hangouts, Adventures

Join me for a casual discussion about how to get started as a Dungeon Master! Our Wednesday "D&D Night" has been very successful in bringing in new players, and in response we're creating a space to talk about how to get started as a Dungeon Master. It's not as hard as it seems—the first time I ever played D&D I was the Dungeon Master—and the most important thing is to be prepared just enough to start diving in. Most of what you need to know to be a good Dungeon Master you can only learn by being a Dungeon Master.

Maybe you're a little more sane than me and you want play as a regular player before you run a game. If that's you and you've never played a TTRPG before, feel free to stick around and watch/play in one of the games at "D&D Night"!

Quick Glossary of Terms for the Uninitiated

• D&D = Dungeons & Dragons
• DM = Dungeon Master (specific to D&D) | The player that runs the world and plays the supporting cast (NPCs) in a D&D game
• GM = Game Master | The general TTRPG term for a Dungeon Master (not specific to D&D) | All DMs are GMs but not all GMs are DMs...
• TTRPG = Tabletop Roleplaying Game | D&D is the most famous, but there are many others | D&D is to TTRPG like Kleenex is to Tissue...
• NPC = Non-Player Character | A character played by the GM
• PC = Player Character | A character played by a player that isn't the GM
• CM = Character Master | A player who plays a PC

See, we're learning already...

What can you expect?

• A casual, personable conversation about your experience with TTRPGs, your interest in running a game, and the steps needed for you to feel comfortable [enough] to step out on your own.

About the Venue
Awry Brewing is a small brewery on the corner of Winter and Barret. They have a cabinet of board games, a couple TVs that play nerdier stuff (at least one is usually animation if not anime, and sometimes folks play Switch games at the bar), a lot of indie art, and the intention to be a haven for nerds.

Provision! (Food & Drink)
Awry's offerings include an ever rotating list of beers, a small cocktail menu, and some non-alcoholic options as well as an easily accessible water station.

Can't make this timeframe but still interested?
Shoot me a message and we'll see if we can find another time to host a "how to be a DM" conversation, either in person or online!

Is there an event fee?
There is no fee for this event, and Awry doesn't pressure us to buy anything.

Miscellaneous Notes

• By default, public No Dice events are 18+ events
• Meetup messenger does not send me notifications, so day-of messages or comments will likely not be seen by me until after the event (the best way to contact me is through Discord, you can follow this link and @cali in the bothering-cali channel: https://discord.gg/6Tv4qHBVvc)

Come check out our local TTRPG community as we play one-shots and open campaigns!

> If you've never played a TTRPG before, checkout our D&D Night event page for more information on our most beginner-friendly event!

While I'm running my beginner friendly table (Daggerheart), a handful of GMs run a variety of games such as Pathfinder, Starfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Vampire the Masquerade, Mothership, Old Gods of Appalachia, Shadowdark, Dragonbane, Dice Mice (an indie game in development by Gary Mattingly), Catastrophe, and I'm sure I'm missing a few others.

To see what games are planned for tonight, drop an inquiry in the comment section below.

We run things in a pretty chill and fluid/organic way: I don't run any sign-ups and the night is intended for folks who want to be social while also playing a TTRPG, although you can reach out directly to a GM beforehand to ask them if they'll save you a seat at their game. We swing pretty "system agnostic," with a focus on being flexible even if you have a strong preference for what you want to play that night. We're a free TTRPG Community Night where all but one GM (me) is a volunteer.

We also love to help GMs take their first crack a running their first game or a new system.

About the Venue
Awry Brewing is a small brewery on the corner of Winter and Barret. They have a cabinet of board games, a couple TVs that play nerdier stuff (at least one is usually animation if not anime, and sometimes folks play Switch games at the bar), a lot of indie art, and the intention to be a haven for nerds.

We've been slowly expanding over the last year and there's a chance we will have reached the limits of what we can run at Awry, so some tables may overflow into a nearby location.

Provision! (Food & Drink)
Awry's offerings include an ever rotating list of beers, a small cocktail menu, and pub-style foods. Their "Chicken Nugz" are my favorite, and there's also an easily accessible water station.

Is there an event fee?
There is no fee to play at this event. If you can afford it, plan to be a good patron for the brewery by making some sort of purchase—whether it be a drink or just a snack. And, of course, tip your bartender!

Projected Timeline
5:30-6:30 (Pregaming & GM Event) | How to be a GM Event / Meet the GMs / Ask Questions
6:30 | Arrival, Saying Hello, Finding the Group, Soft Start Time
6:30-7 | Soft Start & Flex Time: if there are newcomers, this time can be used for introductions between players, explanations of rules and character sheets, and a preview of what the night will look like. If everyone is ready to go from the start, gameplay can start right away.
7-9 | Gameplay
9-9:30ish | Session Wrap-up (if you need to leave earlier, no worries)
10 | Awry Closes

Miscellaneous Notes

• By default, public No Dice events are 18+ events
• Meetup messenger does not send me notifications, so day-of messages or comments will likely not be seen by me until after the event (the best way to contact me is through Discord, you can follow this link and @cali in the bothering-cali channel: https://discord.gg/6Tv4qHBVvc)

Join us for a beginner-friendly, open campaign and hangout!

> Always wanted to try D&D but the stars never aligned? You've come to the right place! We'll meet at a public location and play a one-off adventure (no homework required, just a quick-and-easy quest explanation at the beginning of the adventure). We recommend bringing dice and your phone/some technology with internet connection capabilities!

If you already have significant experience with D&D or TTRPGs and want to check us out, feel free to head over to our event page for Thieves Run: TTRPG Community Night for more information (Thieves Run happens at the same time and same place as D&D Night, just with a different focus).

What can you expect?

• Guided character creation to happen at the beginning of the session (if it's your first time, bring your phone or a tablet to use for a digital character sheet!)
• A consent checklist for first-timers to fill out (a safety tool that let's you indicate what types of content you are and are not comfortable with)
• A party of 2-5ish player characters going on a small mission that is part of a larger quest (if we have more than 5 players, we usually have several overflow options for our growing community!)
• A recap/report at the end
• A good time/laughter
• D&D or another beginner-friendly tabletop RPG experience

About the Venue
Awry Brewing is a small brewery on the corner of Winter and Barret. They have a cabinet of board games, a couple TVs that play nerdier stuff (at least one is usually animation if not anime, and sometimes folks play Switch games at the bar), a lot of indie art, and the intention to be a haven for nerds.

Provision! (Food & Drink)
Awry's offerings include an ever rotating list of beers, a small cocktail menu, and pub-style foods. Their "Chicken Nugz" are my favorite, and there's also an easily accessible water station.

Is there an event fee?
There is no fee to play at this event. If you can afford it, plan to be a good patron for the brewery by making some sort of purchase—whether it be a drink or just a snack. And, of course, tip your bartender!

Projected Timeline
5:30-6:30 (Pregaming) | How to be a GM / Meet the GMs / Ask Questions
6:30 | Arrival, Saying Hello, Finding the Group, Soft Start Time
6:30-7 | Flex time: if there are newcomers, this time can be used for introductions between players, explanations of rules and character sheets, and a preview of what the night will look like. If someone wants to create a new character or level up their current one, this is the time to do so. If everyone is ready to go from the start, gameplay can start right away.
7-9 | Gameplay
9-9:30ish | Session Wrap-up (if you need to leave earlier, no worries)

Miscellaneous Notes

• By default, public No Dice events are 18+ events
• Meetup messenger does not send me notifications, so day-of messages or comments will likely not be seen by me until after the event (the best way to contact me is through Discord, you can follow this link and @cali in the bothering-cali channel: https://discord.gg/6Tv4qHBVvc)
• Strictly speaking, we don’t typically play D&D 5e or 2024 (I usually run Daggerheart and other GMs run various other TTRPGs) but since the general public thinks all TTRPGs are types of D&D, we advertise as a D&D Night so as to not scare away newcomers with “TTRPG Night”

Join me for a casual discussion about how to get started as a Dungeon Master! Our Wednesday "D&D Night" has been very successful in bringing in new players, and in response we're creating a space to talk about how to get started as a Dungeon Master. It's not as hard as it seems—the first time I ever played D&D I was the Dungeon Master—and the most important thing is to be prepared just enough to start diving in. Most of what you need to know to be a good Dungeon Master you can only learn by being a Dungeon Master.

Maybe you're a little more sane than me and you want play as a regular player before you run a game. If that's you and you've never played a TTRPG before, feel free to stick around and watch/play in one of the games at "D&D Night"!

Quick Glossary of Terms for the Uninitiated

• D&D = Dungeons & Dragons
• DM = Dungeon Master (specific to D&D) | The player that runs the world and plays the supporting cast (NPCs) in a D&D game
• GM = Game Master | The general TTRPG term for a Dungeon Master (not specific to D&D) | All DMs are GMs but not all GMs are DMs...
• TTRPG = Tabletop Roleplaying Game | D&D is the most famous, but there are many others | D&D is to TTRPG like Kleenex is to Tissue...
• NPC = Non-Player Character | A character played by the GM
• PC = Player Character | A character played by a player that isn't the GM
• CM = Character Master | A player who plays a PC

See, we're learning already...

What can you expect?

• A casual, personable conversation about your experience with TTRPGs, your interest in running a game, and the steps needed for you to feel comfortable [enough] to step out on your own.

About the Venue
Awry Brewing is a small brewery on the corner of Winter and Barret. They have a cabinet of board games, a couple TVs that play nerdier stuff (at least one is usually animation if not anime, and sometimes folks play Switch games at the bar), a lot of indie art, and the intention to be a haven for nerds.

Provision! (Food & Drink)
Awry's offerings include an ever rotating list of beers, a small cocktail menu, and some non-alcoholic options as well as an easily accessible water station.

Can't make this timeframe but still interested?
Shoot me a message and we'll see if we can find another time to host a "how to be a DM" conversation, either in person or online!

Is there an event fee?
There is no fee for this event, and Awry doesn't pressure us to buy anything.

Miscellaneous Notes

• By default, public No Dice events are 18+ events
• Meetup messenger does not send me notifications, so day-of messages or comments will likely not be seen by me until after the event (the best way to contact me is through Discord, you can follow this link and @cali in the bothering-cali channel: https://discord.gg/6Tv4qHBVvc)