G'day
My name is James and I've developed a unique online virtual tabletop for hosting Dungeons & Dragons™ adventures. Zalgariath Gaming aims to teach folks the basic D&D rules and experience the magic of the classic role playing game with no prior experience needed.
As a Dungeon Master for Hire, I can bring beginner level, single or multi-session experiences to your workplace or group of friends to get you started in the hobby or simply for a one-off team building experience.
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My platform is completely online so perfect for those unable to be in the same physical place. All you'll need to bring is a webcam and (some) imagination. I now also offer in-person hybrid gaming too!
Zalgariath's Fable
Firstly, because I know you want to know, it is Zal-gar-eye-ath... or if that's too much of a mouthful, Zal for short. I came up with that handle when I was about 13 or 14 for playing RPGs on BBS's back in the mid 90's... you know, those things before the Internet existed. Anyway, I of course used it as my email and being the massive geek that I am as my alias for every computer game I ever played from "Quest for Glory" to "Neverwinter Nights" to "Skyrim"and even my real-world hobby of Geocaching. The best part has always been it is completely unique. I never have to add random numbers to symbols to get a username.
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I've played and preferred the RPG genre in computer games for decades,
including many D&D based and inspired titles so I was always familiar
with the lore and premise of the game. Somehow, despite being a Tolkien
and Feist nerd and loving my Warhammer 40K I never played a real-life game
of D&D until the great lock downs of March 2020. It wasn't me, it was actually
one of my least geeky mates who bought the Starter Kit and organised us to
play. We completed the "Lost Mine of Phandelver" with him as DM
completely via web-chat and in the Theatre of the Mind.
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While we loved it and wanted to graduate to a longer campaign, there was something missing. The visuals and tactics of table top battle we all love.
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We looked at some commercial options for online play like "Fantasy Grounds" and "Role 20", but they have a steep learning curve and ongoing cost associated with them, so I volunteered to take over the Dungeon Master duties, knocked up a MASSIVELY over complicated excel spreadsheet for tracking battles and the campaign and got to work on my virtual tabletop. Long story short, with over a year of development and weekly testing in my home game, the platform is working great and brings classic board game elements to the online D&D sessions we play.
Two of our group developed an online dice roller which has proved an invaluable tool for our play and completed the puzzle nicely. My has system won a prize on Instructables for their RPG competition and when in 2021 a friend wanted me to start running a few sessions for Team Building at his work, Zalgariath Gaming was born to share the system and joy of D&D with the world. The trend of working at home might bring many benefits, but with teams rarely meeting face-to-face these days, team building is tricky and options limited. I believe I can help with that...
I may be in Sydney, Australia, but I'm looking forward to bringing a fun and exciting taste of the world of 5th Edition D&D to you and your friends and colleagues no matter where you are in the world. Who knows, one you get a taste you might find yourself setting up your own weekly game and donning the DM Wizards hat!
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Cheers! James "Zalgariath" Finger
Contact
Interested in organising a game? Let's chat. Email me or reach out on my Social Media platforms.