I don’t know when or how Matthew Colville first popped into the stuff Youtube recommends to me. I do remember that it was his reaction/explanation video for some key twist/event in the climax of Critical Roll season one.

A brief aside I’m not a fan of Critical Roll. I think it presents an unrealistic view and expectations of the majority of RPG sessions. Not every group is made up of voice actors, and all that over theatrical stuff.

Back to Matthew Colville. On his channel he has a series of videos giving advice to DMs both new and old. Which I’ve been dipping into, watching episodes that catch my interest.

I think it’s the opening video in the series where he creates a starting adventure off the top of his head. It’s impressive and demonstrates his decades of experience. It also looks like a nice little dungeon to use at the start of a campaign with new players. And from what I can tell has been run by a lot of folks.

However from all the videos I have watched so far, and enjoyed I decided to share the following one. It’s about sandbox campaigns. Colville has done another discussing on rails vs sandbox. I fall on the side of sandboxes. Hence why I’m sharing the video. But there are also a few links to adventures that he uses to seed his sandbox world. So it’s an amazing resource for those looking into running their own sandbox campaign. I’m a particularly new fan/convert to the Dungeon Delve and Book of Challenges. They look fantastic resources for a GM.

Sadly for an Android campaign doing something similar using existing published adventures isn’t going to happen. At best there will be that GenCon/Pax Unplugged two parter. So to do something similar would require a lot more work.

A Judge Dredd sandbox campaign on the other hand using suitable existing adventures as Colville has for D&D is do able. Before this latest Judge Dredd system using the WOIN came out, there were three other systems with their own supplements and adventures. So more material to work with.

So after that it’s about time we find out what Dram has been up to.

Gundren the dwarf was lying on the floor of the room in pretty bad shape.

“The dwarf needs healing!” shouted Dram.

But his words fell on deaf ears.

Dram tried once more to get the dwarf the help he desperately needed. But the other members of the party were wrapped up in their own petty little interests to listen or help.

Disgusted with the others Dram wandered off back to the hall where he had roasted the group of goblins. Leaving the dwarf to an uncertain future. He wasn’t happy about it. Dram had done all he could to help the dwarf. But healing wasn’t in his skill set. He had no potions or spells. He was a wizard not a Druid.

On his way to the hall Dram witnesses Ace lock Nick in a small room. “That was more important than helping the dwarf?” muttered Dram to no-one in particularly and shaking his head.

In the hall at the far end the charred remains of goblins littered the floor near to the blockage that Dram and Grull had created. But despite that burnt smell of goblin flesh wafting round the room, his nose hadn’t let him down. In the opposite corner to the bodies near to where he had entered the hall was a large pot of stew cooking.

Dram grabbed a spoon, dipped it in the pot. Tentatively Dram tasted the contents. It wasn’t the best stew he’d tasted, but it was not the worst either. It was edible whatever the mystery meat used was. He tucked in. Maybe a full stomach will easy his disgust at his companions.

After eating his fill of stew. Dram decided he better share the rest with the others.

On his way back to the others in the hall way there was an owl bear! It was a fleeting glimpse of this beautiful creature before it disappeared behind a curtain.

He had just seen an owl bear! He was surely one of the luckiest halflings ever.

Once the initial shock had worn off. dram shouted “I saw an owl bear!!!!”

The gnome and Sarmyar joined Dram in the hall way. The gnome wanted to get some food but was too scared to go by himself. But Dram wanted to see the owl bear again, so he went behind the curtain moments before that the owl bear had disappeared behind. The other two joined him.

The room they entered was empty. No sign of the owl bear. However in the outer wall was a gap leading to the outside. Dram reasoned it must have escaped the keep that way.

Back in the room where the wounded dwarf had been left, Dram was pleasantly surprised to see the dwarf back on his feet and looking a bit healthier than he had been.

Everyone was now back in the room with them. Including an unconscious Nick.

After short rest, a battered Nick was back on his feet.

A brief discussion was held on what to do next. Did the group rest so they were in better shape for the journey back to Phandaline, or did they set off immediately and risk the open road? Resting first won out. But Sarmyar decided to head off on her own.

The party returned back to the hall to eat and rest.

Early evening bought a surprise. As the sun set a war-band returned from it’s patrol.

As the war-band approached the keep, Grull came up with a cunning plan of negotiating with the war-band. It was risky, but it just might work.

Back in the room where the bugbear had been, and the dwarf had been found, Grull wearing the crown of the bugbear, sat on the throne. Declaring himself the king of the keep. On one side of the throne stood the gnome, hidden in the corner of the room was Ace. Nick was hiding in the side room. And Dram was on the other side of Grull ready to cast a spell.

Three hobgoblins and a couple of wolves entered the keep and blocked the doorway to the room.

Grull and the leader of the war-band parley. Apparently the previous occupants were not that popular with the war-band, and there was very little loyalty towards them. An agreement is arrived at despite the clumsiness of Ace dropping a hobgoblin head on the floor.

The war-band would get the keep, and the crown. And the party would leave without any trouble. Everyone was a winner.

The journey back to Phandaline was uneventful. They met up again with Sarmyar just outside of town.

In Phandaline Dram went back to his room at the inn, and ordered food and drink delivered to his room. Whilst in his room he sat at his table, opened up his spell book and started writing down some new spells.

He was feeling more powerful…