About RJ

Hey, I'm RJ and I run RJD20.

I am a human who lives on earth, shamelessly steals Chris Perkins's title Dungeon Master for Life, and loves D&D and roleplaying games of all sorts. 

A few other mundane facts about me:

• I am in my twenties.
• I am married to the most wonderful woman in the world.
• I have a young daughter.
• I somehow earned a degree in Computer Science.
• I work in marketing and help people get jobs.
• My favorite video games are Path of Exile and Guild Wars 2. 

As anyone reading this can probably tell, I am an advocate and sycophant of tabletop roleplaying games, worldbuilding, and everything else in proximity to gaming and fantasy.

In 2018, I decided to start writing weekly articles about my experience with this amazing hobby, inspired by Chris Perkins's The Dungeon Master Experience columns. Since then, I have experienced a few lulls and breaks, but those have made me more determined than ever before to build RJD20 into an always-growing library of D&D/TTRPG information and advice for Game Masters, Players, and Worldbuilders. 

Every week or so, I wander my heart & mind for compelling material. Then, I write about it for you all to read and ponder over. Some of it is good, some bad, and some horrendous, but it all comes from the same place: a heart and mind dedicated to helping more people learn and love TTRPGs.

Tabletop Origins

My premiere delve into D&D occurred when I was ten years old. My father, an avid D&D Player and Dungeon Master during the RPG's earliest years, ran a short adventure for my brother and I after we showed interest in the game: The Burning Plague.

I played a kobold sorcerer named Meeko the Outcast, saved by my younger brother's wood elf ranger. Together, we saved an endangered village from a dastardly orc shaman who poisoned its water supply. The mini-quest hooked me.

There was a small stretch of time during which I did not play. During summer, my friends and their parents would come over and we would roll some dice, but we did not play consistently. I tried my hand behind the screen once or twice during that period, but never experienced a perfect storm of inspiration and insight. Instead, a sparse D&D schedule was the norm and I adventured in games like Neverwinter Nights and Dungeons & Dragons Online. On disconnected days, I read D&D sourcebooks older than I was.

Then, fifth edition D&D released, and everything changed. The new edition's release conjured up the perfect storm I was searching for in years prior. 

As soon as the Player's Handbook hit the shelves, I rushed to buy it. Soon after, I purchased Hoard of the Dragon Queen. That very same day, I contacted all my childhood D&D pals and asked them to play D&D that night; they accepted my offer. We played that initial leg of Hoard of the Dragon Queen and almost every week since, I have played D&D or other tabletop roleplaying games.

Presently, I have a wealth of knowledge and a mountain of experience. Under my belt are multiple homebrew campaigns, hundreds of pages of lore & D&D scripture (sourcebooks!), and ever-changing opinions on the game. 

I run two homegrown campaigns currently: one weekly for my friends & a few family members, one monthly for my close family. Over the years, I have introduced a plethora of new folks to D&D and even inspired them to build their own adventures, through RJD20 and my own campaigns.

Closing Thoughts

The campaigns I create are of my own design, mostly occurring in my homegrown world of Eldar. Of course, I borrow and steal the usually amazing content of Wizards of the Coast and other spectacular worldbuilders and DMs, but molding the plots, characters, and locations on my own gives me an indescribable feeling.

When I play in, write about, or build D&D content, this euphoria amplifies tenfold.

On RJD20 and beyond, I hope to spread this feeling to you: a novice or veteran DM, a dedicated player, or a determined worldbuilder, wherever you might be across the globe.

Want More RPG Tips & Tales from RJD20?

• Discover more RJD20 content.
• Join the RJD20 Patreon community.
• Subscribe to RJD20's newsletter.
• Support RJD20 products.
• Come tweet with me.

As always, thanks for reading. Please send all inquiries to rjd20writes@gmail.com or leave a comment below.