Tag: Dungeons and Dragons

Tallavanor’s Tales: It’s Been A While, and the World’s Turned Upside Down


It has been nearly a year since I wrote an installment in Tallavanor’s Tales, and with the time allotted by summer break and a desire to get back into writing, I’ve taken the opportunity to compose some more of this tale. We’ve had quite the adventures in the past time, so summarizing it will be tricky, but hopefully I’ve done the last year’s events justice. (part 1 of 2, since it’s longer than I anticipated!)

Continue reading “Tallavanor’s Tales: It’s Been A While, and the World’s Turned Upside Down”

Tales of Tallavanor – Now in Audio Form!

Enjoy the new Tales of Tallavanor – now in audio form!


You – Hey you! Want to listen to all of Tallavanor’s Tales from the very beginning? Well now you can! Thanks to our Friends over at Fantasy Storytellers, you can listen to a large chunk of my character’s story. Pretty neat! I’ve embedded the first one below for your delight. Also – gotta say, I love the artwork! Someone’s got some talent over there, and I want to know who! If you want to reread Tallavanor’s Tales then check out the homepage for that here, and if you want to read more of my work, check out my novels and DM’s Guild Dungeons and Dragons Modules!

A Return to the Maryland Renaissance Festival!


Exciting news everyone! I’ll be returning to the Maryland Renaissance Festival this fall. You’ll be able to get my alternate history steampunk series, as well as an exciting new TTRPG offering from things previously available only online. You won’t be able to get these anywhere else, so be sure to pick them up. I’ll have more details to come in the near future, but for now, be sure to book October 1st in your calendar to come and visit me to get your books signed! Of course, if you prefer to go any other weekend (and let’s be honest, if you’re like me, you want to go several weekends) you can always go and grab my book from then before or after that weekend as well!

Tickets go on sale in August, so be ready to grab them! You can get multi day passes now.

Designing a D&D Campaign for Middle Schoolers – The Tutorial Section

Running a D&D Campaign for Middle Schoolers – the Tutorial and Learning to Play


As I mentioned in an earlier article, I’ve been running a D&D club for middle schoolers at a local school. I had more interest than slots, and decided to run the club just one day a week to maintain my sanity. Let’s quickly review what I said I would do…

Continue reading “Designing a D&D Campaign for Middle Schoolers – The Tutorial Section”

Designing a D&D Campaign for Middle Schoolers Afterschool: Episode 1

Designing a D&D Campaign for a Middle School afterschool program.


Greetings, and welcome back to Modern Papyrus! Today I’ll start looking at a new series of designing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign for a group of middle schoolers that fits into a shortened time period after school. This has it’s own challenges and restrictions that require some suitable tweaks to the standard D&D Campaign. So let’s take a look!

Continue reading “Designing a D&D Campaign for Middle Schoolers Afterschool: Episode 1”

Renfest Book Signing this October!


Hi everyone,

It’s been a busy time here in the Ottalini household, but I’m excited for things to settle down a bit with the school year starting, and even more pleased to announce my return to the Maryland Renaissance Festival this October 2nd, 2022! Thanks to the kind generosity of Page after Page, the preeminent (and only!) Bookstore at the festival, I’ll be signing copies of my novels and anthology, which you can pick up there in person!

Also feel free to chat with me about all the great Dungeons and Dragons modules I’ve been putting out this last year.

See me last year in my author get-up. I’ll hopefully have a few additional pieces of gear to wear this year! Make your reservations to visit the faire here, and come out and support me and my books (and have a cracking good time at one of the best events in the Mid Atlantic!)

If you can’t wait to get your copies, you can always order them in advance here!

The Mystery of Drav’eka Manor now available!


The Mystery of Drav’eka Manor is now available on DM’s Guild!

The Mystery of Drav’eka Manor is an adventure module built for a group of level six to eight PCs. Investigate the Drav’eka manor, deal with a band of Searing Torchbearer cultists, and discover the roots behind why the manor was abandoned. Within this 21-page adventure module you’ll find…

  • Clues to the cause of the curse on the Manor
  • New enemies to fight with new stat lines.
  • An host of plot hooks perfect for any world, setting, or campaign.
  • Three DM maps and two player maps of the manor, with area by area descriptions!
  • Traps, challenges, and intrigue perfect for your newly powerful PC party!

For only $2.99, all the mystery is yours!

Cover Reveal – The Mystery of Drav’eka Manor

Check here for the cover reveal for my forthcoming Mystery of Drav’eka Manor 5e adventure module!


That’s right! It’s finally here! The Mystery of Drav’eka Manor goes live this week on DM’s Guild, and here’s the cover! Created by the talented Tim Williamson, I’m absolutely in love with this cover. Hand drawn with ink, it completely conveys the mood of this story. There’s also an alternate cover, which I decided to use later on within the module itself, also created by Williamson.

Like what you read? Want to learn more? Subscribe to the blog to get the latest! Check out my other D&D adventures here, or my full-length alternate history novels!

What’s that Burning Smell? A look at the Cult of the Searing Torchbearers

Meet the Searing Torchbearer Cultists


“Those cultists are another thing, I tell you. More likely to burn each other with those weird symbols of those. Some people like the smell of bacon in the morning. I think they prefer the smell of another meat instead….” – Maud the Mauler, after an encounter with the Searing Torchbearers in Pier’s Landing.

Continue reading “What’s that Burning Smell? A look at the Cult of the Searing Torchbearers”

Tallvanor’s Tales: From the High Seas to The High Temple


When last we left Tallvanor and his band of, well, ne’er-do-wells, the party was struggling to deal with the after effects of chasing down leads in Mulhussen. We’ve since gained some new party members and we realized we would need holy intervention if we truly were up against some type of unholy or vampiric influence. Ibrahim and Tilly, our newest Paladin and Cleric, joined the party, while Claudia, our bard, disgusted at the events that took place around the stealing of the annals of the Yellow King, left the party.

Continue reading “Tallvanor’s Tales: From the High Seas to The High Temple”