Monday 10th June

Hatchlings had their 6th session over the weekend as they arrived in the City of Splendours, Waterdeep. This was their introduction to Wizards of the Coast‘s module Waterdeep: Dragon Heist and boy was it dramatic. Only a few of the post-session questionnaires had been completed, so I sent the group home with fresh copies. Hopefully they’ll give me some feedback in a few weeks, otherwise I may have to rethink handouts.

For Inspirisles, I completed an introduction and a creation myth. I also finished pixel art for the eight races and added quotes to text. For the week ahead, I’ll be pixelating the four deities using free art package, GIMP and fleshing out the Questing segment to offer ideas for players to create their own stories in my world. I’ve also created a Project Plan list, which I can strikethrough when elements of the setting are complete.

For Deafness & Dragons, I’ve decided to create a BSL alphabet but for D&D monsters and spells. I’ve added some example photos and explained the process.

Go to relevant pages for these updates.

Introducing Inspirisles

Welcome to the Inspirisles, a campaign setting for teens using a simplified version of 5^e 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

Monday 3rd June

As HATCHLINGS have their week off, I’ll be concentrating solely on the INSPIRISLES setting, and as of now, its inclusion of the DEAFNESS & DRAGONS project and the deaf BSL lexicon I aim to produce. At some point it’s clear I’ll need a professional artist to complete the work to a publishable standard and the help of a deaf friend at the charity. These collaborators will need paying, so I’m starting to think about crowdfunding options such as Kickstarter, Patreon or Ko-fi.

Go directly to the pages for the updates.

Monday 27th May

As the bank holiday approaches, I’m formulating plans for the blog update on Monday 27th May. Here’s what to expect…

KEYNSHAM HATCHLINGS have their 3rd official session with five teens expected to play. Following the game, I’ll set the kids a research task and encourage them to complete a questionnaire. These documents are for my PhD data, but also a recording of their adventures, something they can look back on fondly in years to come. I’ll also take a bunch of photos for the blog and Twitter.

For the INSPIRISLES setting, I want to write introductory passages for each race (friend) players will choose. These will give the kids an impression of the world they grew up in and the Fey they were adopted by. If I have any time spare, I’ll also start on the pixel representations of each race. These will be used as character templates and can be adjusted accordingly depending on unique characteristics the kids choose (skin colour, eyepatch, hair design, equipment carried etc).

This weekend, I want to dedicate time to designing the DEAFNESS & DRAGONS logo. I plan on taking the Hatchlings dragon illustration and giving it a cochlear implant. I think this will work perfectly alongside the hearing aid symbol of the logo. Behind the scenes, I’ll be contacting representatives at Action on Hearing Loss with my proposal.

Phew! Lot to get done over the next few days, but sustaining momentum is the key to any successful venture.

UPDATE:

HATCHLINGS session was a lot of fun and for some reason the evening finished with one of our players becoming a God. Questionnaires taken home and should be filled out by next session.

INSPIRISLES racial designs in progress. I aim to get the eight principle races represented in pixels by next Monday. I will post new designs here and via Twitter. Also the introductory passages will be done by next week.

As I turn my focus to getting the DEAFNESS & DRAGONS project off the ground, I have contacted Action on Hearing Loss and a deaf school outside of Bristol where a friend and ex-colleague works.
I have also explored appropriate content and world-building on the Deafness & Dragons page.

Featured

HATCHLINGS & BEYOND

That you are here likely means you have some association with tabletop RPGs, so welcome!

This blog will cover the promotion of life skills and empathy through Dungeons & Dragons and deaf awareness in the tabletop RPG space, something I feel deeply passionate about after working with the community for nearly a decade.

The various pages include…

Coverage of Keynsham Hatchlings teen group.
The Inspirisles homebrew setting, created to promote deaf awareness, inclusivity and empathy in teens.
The ambitious Deafness & Dragons project: developing tools to enable the deaf community to enjoy tabletop RPGs.
The Sinking World YA fiction.

Updates every Monday.

Please don’t hesitate to Get in Touch…

Twitter: @HatchlingDM

Facebook: Keynsham Hatchlings

Ko-fi: Ko-fi.com/hatchlings

Email: oxenhamrichard@gmail.com