The Road Between Dice and a Map
The Story of Our First Dungeons & Dragons Campaign and the Memories It Created
*NOTE: Article Voiceover Recommended for the full experience, with immersive music, ambiance, and Junior joining me by voicing all of his own lines. 🎧
Between all our gaming sessions, I found myself wondering if there was another hobby that could capture the same sense of adventure. Something that would be just as fun for me and Junior, while offering the same opportunities to learn, imagine, and grow. Only this time... away from the monitor.
So... I decided to give Dungeons & Dragons a shot. Or... perhaps, more appropriately... a one-shot. 🙃
Now, here’s the interesting part: I’ve never been a Dungeon Master before. I’d only ever play as part of a group of friends, and it was always a time to remember. But as a dad, I am also seeing this tabletop game as a storytelling tool. A chance for us to create a story together.
So yeah... why not go on an adventure with Junior?
The Setup
Preparing our first adventure turned out to be surprisingly simple.
A copy of the basic rules. Two sets of dice. A simple grid map and washable markers. A handful of figurines… and, according to Junior, one very important addition:
“Why can’t I play with my LEGO minifigure?”
Well… honestly... why not? 😄
So, alongside a few fantasy miniatures, his slime-headed LEGO hero officially joined the party.
I also, did not set our first adventure in any particular world. No official campaign books, no pre-written adventures, and “most importantly” no careful balanced encounters. Instead, I went with what felt most natural: a few rough guidelines for me and the classic "adventurers arrive at a tavern" beginning.
“What’s a tavern?“ Haha, then I realized… this usually may be considered a trope, but for Junior, it would be a first.
For quests, I borrowed inspiration from favorite games and movies. And I also wanted our story to end with a proper dungeon crawl. So I opened a simple free map-making tool, printed a dungeon layout, and sprinkled in a few traps here, a puzzle there, some monsters around and an event at the end.
Then came the heroes.
Junior created Slimy, a Water Genasi Fighter inspired by his beloved slime-headed LEGO minifigure. Meanwhile, besides acting as Dungeon Master, I also rolled up a character of my own: Log, a Firbolg Monk. He wasn't meant to steal the spotlight—quite the opposite. His role was to be a guiding or helpful hand when needed, and for me, to experience this adventure alongside Junior.
With all this, we were genuinely excited to discover where the story might take us. We were ready for a literal unexpected adventure!
First Taste of an Adventure (Session 1)
For the next few hours, we weren't father and son anymore. We were simply two travelers trying to make a living on the road.
We reached a small town and, weary from a day’s travel, entered the only tavern we could find, where the townsfolk were eager to welcome a pair of new faces.
Asking if there was any work for us in exchange for a day's coin, we learned that the innkeeper had lost a few chickens over the past several days. Then, a local named Tom told us that a few children had also gone missing almost a week earlier, and the whole town was growing worried, as every search party had come back empty-handed.
Naturally, we wanted to tackle the missing children first. It felt far more important than a few stolen chickens. But... well... Junior quickly discovered how a few unlucky rolls can leave you with very little information on where to begin.
“But I rolled high!“ Junior protested, not understanding our bad luck.
”You rolled a 9.” I tried to explain.
”Yeah… that’s almost the highest grade at school!”
…Oh. Now I understood the confusion, so I explained the D20 die again. 🙂
The next day… we started at the chicken coop, where Junior rolled a Perception check, now hoping for numbers above 10.
The dice bounced and rolled. It stopped, and… His first Nat20!
“Yeah! The highest grade!”
Well… he was still thinking in school grades, but the cheer was spot on.
That keen eye he rolled revealed a very, very faint trail of footprints. And his conclusion came immediately.
”Someone is stealing chickens!” Junior declared, proud of himself for solving the mystery.
So off we went, following the trail deep into the forest…
“A pair of bandits?! For sure, hiding in the forest.“ Junior thought.
The tracks eventually led us to the entrance of a cave. Its mouth wide open and uninviting, as if ready to swallow us whole.
Junior looked at me: “Should we really go in? There are bandits in there.” he said, now unsure of himself.
But we entered. Lit a torch, and carefully explored a fairly deep cave but…
No sings of life…?
No bandits, no chickens… ?
Just damp stones, dripping water, and… silence.
“What is this? Where are the bandits? Can’t we even find a few chickens?!“ He was genuinely disappointed! At least… until…
Until he caught the faintest smell in the air. On the final perception check, a smell of… Crispy Chicken?! 😮 What in the world?
Following the smell, he noticed a narrow, hidden passage branching off from the main cave. So…
We extinguished the torch.
He readied his sword.
I clenched my fists and… together, we slipped into the darkness. Surely the bandits were enjoying a freshly cooked chicken on the other side.
We managed to reach the other side without a sound. Then… a flickering light. A campfire. And, as we carefully peeked into the chamber beyond...
Kids? Kids?!… The kids!
Two teenagers... and a smaller one.
After giving them quite a scare, we eventually found ourselves sitting around the fire, listening to the story behind their little summer adventure. It had all been the older boy's idea, and he had just went to fetch fresh water, so he should arrive shortly… and arrive he did.
In a hurry.
Shouting, screaming.
Yelling to the other kids to get into the narrow tunnel!
A pack of wolves was right behind him, closing the distance fast. Luckily, we were there. We jumped in between, ready to take on three angry wolves.
It turned into a short but exciting fight. We took a few bites, but the wolves couldn't stand against a fighter's sword for long, and soon they started running the other way.
We didn’t linger any longer in the cave, we gathered all that we could—including the few uneaten chickens—and began the journey back to town.
With the children safe, the mystery solved, and the missing chickens finally accounted for, I found myself looking forward to collecting our reward.
But Slimy?… He wasn't thinking about the reward at all. He was fully immersed, fully in character. In his mind, he was truly traveling beside the kids, proudly taking on the role of the more experienced adventurer, sharing a few lessons from the road.
“See? Adventures are better when you come back home afterward.”
Then, after a thoughtful pause, he added:
“And... never steal chickens again.”
The Unintended Quest (Session 2)
After celebrating with the townsfolk late into the evening, we packed our belongings the following morning, ready to continue our journey… or so we thought.
The town mayor had a small favor to ask of us: to check on the town’s hunter, stationed at a cabin high in the nearby mountains. He usually returned once a week with the spoils of his hunts, but this time he was running late. We agreed!
Upon reaching the cabin, we found it… empty.
No hunter, nor any sign of where he could be. Well… we guessed he was out hunting, right? So we tried our chicken coop trick again, searching for tracks.
After a few rolls and several different attempts, we managed to find what looked like a possible trail. We weren't completely sure we were following the right direction, but eventually… something caught our attention.
Sounds up ahead.
A low growl echoed between the trees.
We quietly crept closer. Then came another growl, followed by an unmistakable sound of flesh being torn apart.
”What could it possible be?” Well… while hiding behind a line of trees, we spotted a large bear happily filling its belly with a fresh kill.
“Let’s not disturb him!“ Junior whispered.
That plan didn't last long. As from behind another group of trees, two bolts suddenly flew through the air, striking the bear in its side. But they only seemed to anger it. Roaring in fury, it charged toward whoever had fired them.
“The Hunter!“ Junior called out, surprised. “He is trying to hunt a bear by himself?!”
Without thinking twice, we jumped to help.
I managed to land the first blow, drawing the bear's attention just as it was about to maul the hunter. Well… lucky for him, as the bite now came for me. Junior rushed in to flank the beast, but he wasn't quite in time, and...
“Did the bear just rolled a 20?!“ he asked, suddenly unsure of what was about to happen.
”Uhmm… Yeah! And I’ll be taking double the damage.” and with that perfect critical hit, I was down after a single bite.
I fell unconscious.
Junior visibly shocked… He looked at me, then at the bear, then back at me.
”Go on! Bring that bear down! See if you can save me!” I encouraged him. And so, with renewed determination, he threw himself back into the fight, now both excited and terrified at each roll of the dice. Thankfully, the hunter's bolts were now flying beside him as well.
The bear proved very tough. It bit me. It bit Slimy. After absorbing blow after blow, and bolt after bolt, it was preparing one final attack against Slimy too...
But he missed.
That was its downfall… one more bolt and one final thrust from Slimy’s sword, and we now had the promise of a proper bear steak.
Before anything else, the hunter patched me up with a few medicinal herbs, just enough to get us to his cabin, where we spent the evening enjoying a well-earned bear steak.
Over dinner, we learned what had happened: it seemed the bear had grown clever enough to follow the hunter and steal his kills, that’s why he hadn’t returned to town for so long. But now?… Now he had a WHOLE bear. 😄
The following morning, he packed several large bags full of meat, ready to head back to town. We gladly helped him carry the load, while Junior even suggested that, for future trips like this...
“...you should really buy a donkey.” Not bad advice, honestly.
Back in town, the mayor was impressed once again. No reward had been promised, as we had only been asked to check on the hunter, but after hearing what had happened and seeing our adventurous spirit, he had in idea.
He decided to hand us an old map. No promises of treasure. Just the location of an old ruin and he wasn’t even sure we’d find anything there.
Junior was already ready to end the session, satisfied with everything we’d accomplished. But then...
I reached behind my back… “One more thing.“ I said.
And I handed him a rolled-up piece of parchment.
Junior froze…
”...Is that... The Map?” His eyes popping out as he carefully unrolled it, to discover an old, worn, slightly burned parchment that looked like it had survived countless adventures of its own. “Yohoo… A REAL Map!“
Yeah! I actually created a realistic looking treasure map just for him, a physical handout. A small piece of our adventure that had spilled into our real world. 😄
We packed everything away for the evening. But Junior… he was still holding onto the map. Still studying it. Wondering about the landmarks, the strange symbols, the mysterious X spot, how we would get there... and what we might find.
At that moment, I was happy. I think I managed to make him no longer excited for the next session… but for us to resume our adventure. 🙂
A Proper Hiking Journey (Session 3)
That little parchment completely changed our adventure. We were no longer taking jobs from worried villagers or helping stranded hunters.
Now... We had a destination.
A mystery.
An X marked on an old map.
After studying it together and figuring out our location, we realized the marked spot was a literal mountain away. So… we excitedly prepared for a hiking trip, eager to find out whether there was any truth behind the map and if there was a hidden discovery waiting for us.
Before leaving, we prepared exactly like we do for our real mountain hikes. Rations. A tent. Warm blankets. Rope. Pitons. Medicine. A few useful tools. Even a Level Up. And, just like in real life... I may have overpacked a little. 😅 Then again, my Firbolg belongs to a half-giant race, so he can carry twice as much as a normal human.
“Yeeey! We’re going hiking and camping with a tent in the mountains here too!“ Junior stated excitedly.
Now… behind the screen, I rolled for weather, random encounters, and the difficulty of the trail… which looked like it would take us about 4 days. We got soaked by a rain a few times, but the weather remained warm and sunny overall, so thankfully no exhaustion checks were needed. And what I enjoyed the most here, was simply describing the journey. Towering mountain peaks in the distance, winding forest trails, rivers cutting through rocky valleys, how we'd stop just to admire the view before continuing onward.
It reminded me so much of our real hikes, and of why I ended up writing Pausing at the Edge of Worlds, an article about these exact moments, but in games, where the virtual scenery’s would becomes just as memorable as the real ones.
The only memorable encounter, however, came when we reached a wide river, swollen by the recent rains.
“How do we cross?” Junior wondered aloud.
We looked upstream. Downstream.
No bridge. No fallen tree. No shallow crossing.
“Oh, I know!” Junior said suddenly, looking at his character sheet. “I can freeze water!“
Indeed, Slimy had a trick up his sleeve. As a Water Genasi, he could cast Shape Water, a simple cantrip spell that allowed him to temporarily freeze a few patches of water. You bet I was a proud Gamer Dad, because Junior had come up with a solution entirely on his own.
So… slowly and very carefully, we started crossing the river on patches of ice, suspended above the rushing current, using his Water Genasi magic. But... it seemed there was a hungry crocodile nearby, and it was itching to make a meal out of us.
Completely focused on keeping our balance, we never saw it coming. The crocodile got the jump on us. Slimy managed to leap safely to the opposite bank, but I was stranded on a patch of ice. He even tried freezing the crocodile's tail in the water while I attempted another jump after taking a nasty bite from the beast.
But in the end, though, we brought it down, and we set up camp on the riverbank to patch up my wound, lit a campfire, and enjoyed some roasted crocodile skewers.
“Skewered meat over the fire is awesome... just like marshmallows when we camp for real.“ Junior remarked.
The following day, we finally reached the X. There were no glittering treasures. No piles of gold to be dug up. Just the weathered ruins of an old church. But somehow...
Looking around…
Hidden beneath a big rock… A cellar door!
“My first dungeon!”
The Final Dungeon Trial (Session 4)
As we stepped inside, the atmosphere changed immediately.
No more warm sun or fresh air. No more soft grass beneath our feet.
Everything was damp, dark and… silent.
Like the dungeon itself was waiting for us to make the first move.
To make the first sound.
And indeed, Junior noticed it immediately and became much more attentive.
More careful of his surroundings.
And he was right to be, as… in the very first room, we barely brushed against a few spider webs before several swarms of spiders came crawling toward us. In the first corridor... spiked traps. In the first side chamber... a skeleton.
Surely, all omens of danger.
“We should really check everything...” Junior noted.
Then, step by careful step… avoiding another trap and not touching another spider web, we reached a large stone chamber.
Five ancient altars stood in a circle.
Each one carried strange carved symbols.
Not letters, or drawings.
Just flowing, wavy or sharp lines.
They made no sense... until Junior suddenly grabbed the old map.
“...Wait... I’ve seen these before.”
They were indeed marked on the map, scattered in seemingly random places. He realized each symbol represented an element, and placing the correct one upon its matching altar was what we needed to do. Each solved altar awakened the ancient mechanism hidden beneath the temple.
Somewhere ahead, heavy stone echoed through the corridors... and moments later, something else awakened.
To our dismay, every activation also released another guardian: a giant spider, a stone golem, a pair of enormous snakes, a massive centipede, and finally... a Basilisk.
The encounters grew tougher and tougher, and only during the final battle did Slimy finally fall unconscious, but fortunately I managed to finish the fight. Each guardian had emerged from the passage ahead, and only after defeating all five guardians did the final passage reveal itself.
Finally, we could continue. After a short rest to gather ourselves, we pressed onward, only to discover... a vast underground lake? And no bridge.
Looking more carefully, we realized the water stretched far beyond the reach of our torches, and was about a meter below the rocky ledge where we stood. And in the middle of the lake stood another platform.
A small shrine.
A stone table.
And, of course... a treasure chest.
All taunting us to come. Swimming? Well... we only needed one glance to realize the lake was full of hungry sharks… Looking for clues, we discovered a stone tablet hidden beneath another old spider web.
It carried only a single sentence: Only the faithful shall walk onward.
“What does that mean?…” We searched everywhere.
No hidden lever. No secret door. No bridge.
Nothing…!
Even Log wasn't sure… He kept staring at the inscription, thinking out loud:
”Faithful shall walk… hmm… I'm not sure blindly trusting something lets you walk on water...”
Then... Junior looked up. “Wait! What if... There IS a bridge!”
Silence.
“Only one way to find out!” Junior said closing his eyes and... stepping forward.
...
He didn’t fall.
The bridge had been there all along. Invisible. Junior couldn't stop smiling as he confidently began walking across what looked like thin air… but!
That would be far too easy, right? He then realized The sharks weren’t simply hungry. They were guarding the crossing. Every few moments one would leap from the water, over the bridge, trying to bite us, or knock us into the lake below.
The challenge suddenly became clear. Each round we needed to keep running across the invisible bridge while sharks attacked. We could spend precious time fighting... or gamble everything and run.
We tried fighting once, but quickly abandoned the idea after realizing just one bite had taken a third of Log's health. So we committed:
Slimy used Action Surge.
Log used Step of the Wind.
Together we sprinted toward the treasure, reaching it in only two more rounds.
But we were completely spent.
Inside the chest we found exactly what every adventurer hopes for: gold, jewels, equipment that fit each of our characters surprisingly well, and even a handful of healing potions. They would prove invaluable on the journey back.
This time we tried dodging the sharks, but without success…
One bite tore through our defenses.
Then another bite.
And Another.
Until... Slimy collapsed.
I quickly poured a healing potion down his throat, bringing him back to his feet... only for me to fall in that exact same moment.
Junior getting up. Me going down.
“Oh, NOOO!“ Junior exclaimed.
And with only a final dash left to reach the cave ledge... Junior froze.
…
But only for a second.
He then quickly hoisted Log onto his shoulders.
Somehow… dodging the incoming shark attack.
Somehow… carrying both of us safely back onto solid ground.
Now THAT… was a Hero move!
We were finally safe. Junior gave me his last healing potion, and we rested there for quite some time, barely able to move.
We recovered. We climbed out of the ruins, set up camp beneath the open sky, and… for that evening at least, we stepped out of the adventure and packed away the dice.
Junior couldn’t stop talking about everything that had happened:
The traps. The puzzles. The invisible bridge. The sharks.
He had defeated monsters... solved riddles... saved his friend... and completed his very first dungeon.
And while he was reliving every moment of the adventure... I found myself thinking about something else entirely.
A Dungeon Father Thoughts
Looking back, I honestly think this became one of the most memorable gaming experiences Junior and I have shared. And yes... I still call it gaming.
Dungeons & Dragons may happen around a table instead of a monitor, and it may begin as a board game, but for me it is far more of a storytelling game, one that is present much more in our imagination than on the table itself.
I never wrote a complete adventure. I only prepared a handful of ideas, borrowed inspiration from some of my favorite games and movies, then trusted the dice—and Junior—to take the story somewhere neither of us expected. Did you recognize any elements?
The 1st session's quest was inspired by The Witcher 3's Empty Coop side quest, which fit perfectly as a first taste of D&D: simple, mysterious, funny in the end, and with just enough danger to become the perfect introduction for Junior.
Skyrim was an inspiration for the village, which I’ve imagined similar with Riverwood. And, of course, Skyrim also inspired the hiking journey from the 3rd session.
Do you remember the elemental stones from The Fifth Element? Well... they became the inspiration for the dungeon's first puzzle room. 😎
And if you haven't figured it out yet, the invisible bridge from the final stage of the dungeon was borrowed straight from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. 🤠
But those inspirations were only starting points and guidelines. I never planned every step. I didn't know exactly how all those ideas would connect or how I would weave together all the different elements… but through improvisation, collaboration, a few lucky dice rolls—and quite a few unlucky ones—the adventure slowly wrote itself.
It became something neither of us could have planned beforehand, and that’s what fascinates me about D&D. It exercises the muscle of imagination in a way I’ve never experienced with any other game.
Watching Junior grow over just four sessions was fascinating. At first, he waited for me to initiate most of the decisions and conversations. But I’d gently encourage him to choose, to ask questions, and speak with the villagers himself.
By the end, Slimy wasn’t following Log anymore... he was saving him. And sure, every now and then he still rushed headfirst into a spider nest, but he also began proposing clever solutions, talking to NPCs on his own, and treating the world as if it truly existed.
The only place where he still looks to me is during combat. He enjoys the action but prefers that I narrate the dramatic sword swings, daring leaps, and heroic moments. And that's alright. Imagination is a muscle too, and I suspect every new adventure will strengthen it a little more.
More importantly, D&D constantly placed him in situations that no parent can easily recreate in everyday life: negotiating with strangers, solving problems under pressure, making decisions with incomplete information, accepting failure when the dice refuse to cooperate, and learning that sometimes bravery means asking for help instead of charging ahead.
None of it was real... Yet, all of the thinking was. All teaching him how to approach unfamiliar situations a little better. Today, inside a game of imagination. Tomorrow... perhaps in real life too.
Yes, it takes time. Preparing the sessions took an evening here and there, and each adventure lasted around three hours. Even my wifey would occasionally check in on us. 😅
But not once did those hours feel wasted. They became stories we’ll remember years from now. Stories we built together. Stories that helped us grow. Stories that only existed because we chose to sit around a table with a handful of dice, a few figurines and our imaginations. That’s a pretty remarkable thing for any game to achieve. What more could a Gamer Dad ask from a game?
Now I’m curious about your story... What’s one game, hobby, or shared adventure that created a lasting memory for you and someone you care about? Let me know down below… 👇 I’d genuinely love to read it.
—ROP #GamerDad #DungeonsAndDragons #DnD #TabletopRPG #Storytelling #GamingMemories #Parenting #FamilyGaming
🎮 Want to explore it yourself?
You can start with the Basic 5e D&D Rules, which are free to download.
You can find the free Dungeon Maker tool HERE.
Curios how I created my map? Check out this VIDEO.
📺 Prefer video?
This is work in progress for the moment, will update it here one done. Until then, feel free to check out previous Immersive Audio Story:
Thank you for joining us on our journey. Looking forward to the next level. 🦘
Super! Loved hearing Junior so involved in the story 🙂
Wow! This was such a wonderful adventure. I loved every word.