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 