FOUNDER/GAME DIRECTOR

I grew up never knowing role playing games. Something I deeply regret. That’s not to say that I didn’t grow up happy, quite the opposite in fact. The earlier years of my life revolved around music, I was in multiple bands (And still am!) and went through primary, high school and university studying music, music composition and performance.

After that I moved into teaching as most musicians do. Working with people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures both in group and one-on-one sessions. It is here that I developed many skills that led to my eventual path towards role playing. Through my students I learnt of this game called Dungeons and Dragons where you could create a character in a fantasy world and do whatever you wanted, all determined by a dice roll and a game master. The idea sounded amazing and as soon as an opening in a session came about I was in.

From there, I was a player in multiple games, constantly creating different characters and different personas, learning day by day what I could do in this fictional world. After many years, I decided I wanted to try my hand at GM’ing (Being a game master) and connected with a group of friends who were previously players alongside me in other games. I created a new world, a myriad of towns folk to fill it out and a story that my players would eventually embark on. They are currently still in the same game, 2 years later, saving the world from a calamity of god like proportions. Every week we meet up and sit down at the table with our pens and paper before locking down into a night adventuring, laughs and fun.

My goal is to use the skills I’ve developed both as a teacher and a game master and use them to help people who are looking to develop their own personal and social skills through the power of role playing. The game lends itself to helping people discover an inner self, creating characters that would push boundaries in their own personal journey and allow them to role play out a part of themselves normally hidden from the real world.

And that’s where you come in :)

GAME DIRECTOR

I've been playing and running DnD (and other RPGs) for over a decade after getting brought into this magical hobby by some experienced friends of mine back when I was 20. What started as a goofy experience that I felt self conscious about participating in exploded into my favourite past time practically overnight.

Getting together with friends (and strangers who would become friends) to escape into our collective imaginations has kept my social life alive and healthy even in times of turmoil. To this day, I make it a mission to actively bring new people into the many folds of fantasy role playing I keep active so that I can continue to spread the fire for the hobby as it was spread to me by my old friends.

When I'm not playing, running, or prepping an RPG session, I'm typically cooking, reading, writing, or playing other games with my spouse of 7 years. We have a pair of beautiful cats that demand our attention as well, and sometimes we find the time to laze about with a good movie or TV show.

Picking my favourite class in DnD required internal blood to be shed in the decision-making process, but I've landed on the Monk. I loved Monks back when the rest of the community hated them, and since the 2024 update there are many reasons to love them even more (and the rest of the community finally sees their value as well; sorry Rangers, maybe you'll get your chance to shine in 6th edition). Monks are martial artists at their core, infusing their very powerful combat capabilities with fun and interesting features from their subclasses. My favourite PC at the moment is a bugbear Elemental Monk who I've styled after Brad Pitt's barenuckle boxing character from the movie Snatch, but way hairier and with the ability to punch and kick the elements at people from a stupid distance away. Monks are hilarious, I beg you to try playing one in a game with me.

GAME DIRECTOR

It has been a long and treacherous road to Totally Board! I have had a deep and abiding love for fantasy and adventure from a very young age. From playing a noble adventurer with my trusty (stuffed toy) puppy sidekick during playtime to tearing through every fantasy novel in my local library, tales of grand adventures with friends by your side have always been close to my heart.

I started playing D&D back in 4th ed sometime around the end of 2012, but I have always been slow to adapt to change. So when my lovingly crafted tiefling monk died in my first session of 5th ed in 2014, I walked away from the hobby for a good few years before being drawn back in by a friend. The heartbreak of losing a character still stung, but who can resist the siren song of adventure? After a few years of playing, I finally took the plunge and started running games of my own and was hooked. It took a long time for the nerves to stop feeling overwhelming before sessions. But even when they did, I knew that we just needed to start playing, and the laughter and joy around the table would work its magic so that the fear would slip away unnoticed.

When I'm not buried in rulebooks, I spend a fair amount of my time studying librarianship. Unsurprisingly, a lot of my down time is spent reading, but I also enjoy fiber craft like knitting and crochet; cooking up a storm in the kitchen; and lounging in the sun with my cats. Exploring the depths of Hallownest in Hollow Knight is a current preoccupation, and you can always find me wandering around Pelican Town in Stardew Valley!

Whenever someone who has played this game long enough is asked what their favourite class is, it inspires a very specific crisis. Picking just one feels like letting down every class you don't pick. I would like to give honourable mentions to Monks and Artificers, but after much consideration and soul searching, I have to conclude that my favourite class is Bard. They are remarkably versatile spellcasters that often pack a significant punch in combat. While each subclass brings its own unique flavour, I have a particular fondness for College of Eloquence bards, who favour speeches and conversation over music or combat. As a storyteller at heart, there is an undeniable draw to the characters that can weave literal magic with their words. Would you believe that all came from somebody who has never played a bard? Hopefully one day the opportunity will present itself, but until then you may see a wandering minstrel or two if you find yourself at my table!