The Deep Dice

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🚨 Win a seat to play with me as DM – last chance!

🎭 Master heartfelt narratives and character-driven campaigns by playing my new adventure with me, the author, as your DM.Then, use my hacks for your own homebrews.⏳ Out of 100 entries, only 45 are left for a free seat to play Murder in Arabel.Yesterday, I drew the first winner: Chauncey S. from the United States. Congrats!The last free seat will be drawn this Saturday-So enter right now for a chance to win!👤 In Murder in Arabel, you play one of six pre-gen characters with secrets, regrets, and goals carefully woven into the adventure.Wa...

Murder in Arabel: Meet Ortega-Namir

You’re a ship captain and an emerging merchant. In your latest voyage aboard the Serendipity, an ancient efreeti gifted you with a ring and magical fiery powers.During your joyful childhood, you and your cousin Salvador Ortega were partners in playful mischiefs. Salvador moved to a distant land, but your friendship persevered.Then came the tragic news: Salvador and his two sisters, Ines and Rosario, were brutally murdered, leaving no heirs in the city for their fortune. The murderers were found dead, apparently killing one another to claim al...

Murder in Arabel: Meet Dawa

You’re a sellsword who came to Arabel with your older brother, Berrian, just a few months ago.The journey was brutal—you were gravely wounded crossing the wilds and survived only thanks to Berrian’s unwavering care.Things changed the night you defended merchant Salvador Ortega during a tavern brawl. Grateful, he offered you both work as guards at his manor—above all, he offered you the chance to settle down.You and Berrian shared a warm smile the night you realized you’d finally found a home.Then tragedy struck. Thieves broke in and k...

Murder in Arabel: Meet Gormon

You’re a master of sleight-of-hand, conning the wealthy while charming them with your flute. Arabel’s shadowy streets are home, and while true friends are few, your connections run deep.Despite your tricks, you care for the downtrodden. As a teen, you befriended Yurkash, a bullied outcast—until your friend vanished without a word.Now, you rent a room from Gertrudt Falken, a kind old widow who’s become like family. You share meals, stories, and the warmth of companionship.But trouble brews. Since her husband’s death, Gertrudt has led t...

Murder in Arabel: Meet Yurkash

You grew up in Arabel with your single mother, Ysabel. In your teens, your appearance began to change—pointed, furry ears and sharp canines marked you as different. Mockery turned to violence.Only Ysabel and your friend Gormon showed you kindness. But even their support couldn’t shield you forever. One day, you fled Arabel—its cruelty too much to bear.You survived by stealing food and hiding, until the Wild Wardens—a nomadic band of druids and rangers from so-called “savage species”—found and embraced you. They saw your nature not...

Murder in Arabel: Meet Moonlight

You’re a former scholar and knight of a little-known order devoted to the moon goddess. Sworn to eradicate undead, hunt necromancers, and protect life in all forms, your path was shaped by tragedy.Raised in a peaceful woodland hamlet, your idyllic childhood ended on a cold, misty night when a necromancer's raid tore your family apart. Your parents were taken—never seen again.Now, in the heart of a great city, whispers of undead stir once more. A curfew has fallen. Streets lie deserted, haunted by eerie silence, bitter winds, and shadows...

Murder in Arabel: Meet Swaying Dandelion

You’re the only child of mage monks from a secluded woodland hermitage—a sanctuary devoted to mastering body and soul through martial discipline and elemental magic.The monks are not only ascetics but also guardians of ancient relics, entrusting the hermitage to safeguard powerful magical artifacts.You grew up dreaming of its traditional pilgrimage: a treasure hunt where each monk collects magic items from the outside world to return for safekeeping.Now it’s your turn, and you've teamed up with Moonlight, a holy knight sworn to purge ...

Deep Immersion Adventures: A candid talk on storytelling, game design—and the journey behind it all

🎥 In this podcast, I talk about how it all started:My experience with theater, storytelling, and the spark that led to Deep Immersion Adventures.Paulo Patrus—my partner on the Deep Dice project—Turned the spotlight on me.🎤 The result? A candid, wide-ranging conversation that dives into:What theater taught me about creating tension, pacing, and unforgettable momentsHow Shakespeare, Tolkien, and Anne Rice shaped my approach to DnDWhy I like my adventures with moral layers instead of good vs. evil tropesAnd how my past life in economics ...

Free Download: Character-Driven Adventures

📖 This practical, story-first guide helps you turn characters into the soul of your campaign.It builds on what we’ve covered so far, but stands perfectly on its own.🛠️ Inside, you’ll learn how to:Create setting connections that make your world feel realDesign campaign conflicts that speak directly to charactersSpot adventure magnets—hooks players want to chaseMine backstories to jump-start them into your adventures🔍 You’ll also get real examples from my new campaign, Murder in Arabel—Where I took players’ original backsto...

Free Download: Campaigns That Matter

🖌️You’ve got vivid characters.You’ve nailed Session Zero.Your party’s in sync.But then…🌫️The campaign begins—and something just feels off.The plot? Loose.The danger? Vague.The players? Drifting.❓If you’ve ever felt like your adventure should be working—But just doesn’t grip the table the way you hoped—My new free booklet is for you.✨The Ultimate Guide to CAMPAIGNS That Matter.It’s a laser-focused, practical tool to help you design campaigns that hit home—Narratively, mechanically, and emotionally.🛑No more ...

Free Download: Party Sync Quiz

🧩Ever dealt with misaligned DnD party chaos-As if each player had built a character for different games?Well, here’s a DnD Party Sync Quiz that can help you.🎲Players can have very different expectations about the campaign they’re joining-And distinct expectations can lead to characters that would fit different adventures.🕸️Sure, a deliberate (or accidental!) mixture of genres can turn into an amazing campaign.But if you want to avoid the Spider-Verse Syndrome (with a party of characters from different genres), here’s a fundamen...

Free Download: Session Zero Checklist

This short and sweet checklist will help your group to seamlessly weave backstories into character-driven adventures. But it’s more than that:It covers everything a DnD group needs to discuss about game rules and table dynamics before launching a campaign.Enough boring or aimless Session Zeros. You’ll run a dynamic and exciting campaign kick-off with clear goals and shared activities for everyone at the table: a Session Zero that actually electrifies everyone and makes us eager for the first campaign session.Launch (or relaunch) your campai...

Free Download: Characters That Matter

Immerse yourself in character-driven campaigns!Create remarkable charactersand seamlessly weave them into your adventureswith this 60-page bookfor playersand DMswho love roleplayingand storytelling.Make your characters the stars of your campaign. Fuel your roleplaying with intricate personalities and goals, and forge deep connections with NPCs. Shape adventureswith your backstoryand drive your character’s story arc growth.Align world-buildingwith player interests, involve them in your campaign setting and conflicts, and craft intricate charac...

Murder in Arabel: Play With Me

I aim to release the 320-page adventure in September 2025 on Dungeon Masters Guild in three versions: hardcover print-on-demand, e-book, and Roll20. I currently have two-thirds of the adventure written, along with 62 gorgeous illustrations and ten maps I’ve commissioned from talented artists. All that is needed to start playtesting!The playtest roadmap is the following:· May 2025: Alpha Test· Jun 2025: Beta & Gamma Tests· Jul 2025: Early Access (Chapters A to C)· Aug 2025: Early Access (Chapters D to E)· Sep 2025: Full ReleaseAlpha TestF...

Murder in Arabel: Campaign Synopsis

A violent murder shocked the citizens of Arabel. Salvador Ortega and his two sisters were killed at their manor, leaving no heirs in the city for their merchant house and fortune. Two days later, Silent Gus and his band are found dead in an abandoned warehouse, along with all jewelry and valuable items stolen from the Ortega Manor.The investigation reveals that Salvador owed the bandits a large sum of coins. Silent Gus tried to backstab his partners to take all the bounty, but they killed one another in the fight. With the perpetrators and moti...

Murder in Arabel: A Deep Immersion Adventure

Murder in Arabel is a Deep Immersion Adventure–but what does that mean?It’s basically how I named my style of playing DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS. With millions of DnD players worldwide, I’m sure many others out there play in a very similar way–without necessarily naming it like that.Deep Immersion Adventures feature character-driven storylinesthat delve into mature themes, presented through captivating storytellingwhere player choices matter.Deep Immersion Adventures goes above and beyond the cheerful and friendly moments of casual play–wit...