Welcome to the Inspirisles, a campaign setting for teens using a simplified version of 5e Dungeons & Dragons. This unique guide will incorporate an educational toolset and inclusive options for deaf players.
The world I’m crafting was inspired by my upbringing in windswept, beachcombed Cornwall and time spent exploring those magical coastlines through the lens of a fantasy-obsessed kid.
I have been playing D&D since the late 80s, and in early 2019, thanks to local community project, Community@67, I had the opportunity to run my first group for teens. And so Hatchlings was established with seven local children and without fail we’ve met every fortnight since.
I decided to create Inspirisles after my beginner Hatchlings were struggling with the extensive rules in the official Wizards of the Coast books. I knew if I wanted to nurture them into future dungeon masters, I would need to strip things back to basics.
A homebrew setting would allow me to adapt the rules, would give my Hatchlings ownership over a world they had contributed to, and would give me something to share or sell to the wider tabletop community.
Alongside the Hatchlings, I work for the deaf charity, Action on Hearing Loss. Many of my colleagues play tabletop games, but not a single one is deaf. I wondered if the same pattern applied to the larger community and discovered there were practically no opportunities for people with this disability to play.
After contacting a local deaf school, they expressed interest in bringing D&D to their students. And so was born Deafness & Dragons, a project to establish an inclusive platform for the deaf community to enjoy what I believe is one of the most beneficial hobbies in the world.
Contained within these pages you will find an alternate United Kingdom full of mysterious cultures, otherworldly magic and frightful monsters. You will visit places from Celtic legend and discover ways to bring your own stories to life. If you are an educator, there will be toolsets to encourage learning and development. And if you are deaf, you’ll have everything you need to enjoy this wonderful experience many people take for granted.
Rich Oxenham
HATCHLINGS 