Why did Wild Dungeons start?
Like every epic adventure, Wild Dungeons started with a vision of something special.
I have always loved the outdoors. Whether it is climbing to the top of an imposing peak to get a view of the world beneath, or hiking by a river that has twists and turns, fast moving water and slow moving glens, or walking a trail in a mossy forest and dark corners. It brings a sense of exploration and wonder and connects us to something unfiltered and a sense of how big the world is and our place in it.
However, since starting my TTRPG journey and eventually becoming a Games Master, I have found something else on these explorations. Every time I saw a small crack in a stone I found myself thinking “I bet a dragon could live in there”. Whenever I saw an area of open grass sitting in front of a tree stump my mind would design the goblin encampment that adventurers would pass through on their way to loftier goals.
And so the natural world around me became a battle map in my mind. As I would delve deeper into a trail through a shadowy forest I would imagine the movement of enemies, circling to surround a party of adventurers and protecting the BBEG further down the path, with villains increasing in scale and difficulty as the walk progressed.
And so here we are. Let’s just do it, shall we? Trails, riverside and mountains, they are our questing playground. A beautiful walk, good friends and rolling dice. What could be better?
What does a Wild Dungeons adventure entail?
Simple.
We meet at the beginning of a planned walk and set off on our way. The quest and story will be narrated as we travel, with roleplaying along the way (if you are into that sort of thing) or just enjoying the scenery otherwise.
The sessions are run like a one-shot Dungeons & Dragons adventure. At various points on the walk there will be encounters. Some will be battles, some will involve investigation, some will involve puzzles. Miniatures will be used in the natural environment, with that environment being centre stage in how the encounter unfolds. Dice will be rolled to determine the success of our actions.
Once complete, we continue on the hike until we are victorious and covered in glory, with tales to tell of our final epic battle!
What equipment will we use?
Miniatures for all playable characters and non-playable characters will be provided by Wild Dungeons.
Each player will have a Wild Dungeons dice tray, with your character detailed on the inside cover. The character can be either designed by us, or you can contact us with specific requests as to who you would like your character to be and what skills you would like them to have. Characters will be simplified versions of Dungeons & Dragons races and classes. As you can appreciate, the environment and time involved in including the walk means that much of the in-depth character creation cannot be included within our adventures. Feats, backgrounds and traits will be simplified and bonus actions will be limited in order to aid the speedy flow of combat encounters.
Of course, dice will be rolled and provided by us at Wild Dungeons. Rolling dice is one of the best parts, no?
Standard walking/hiking gear will also be needed, and this is fully detailed in the ‘Practical info‘ page on this site.