Over the last week I have been creating full‑color “Get to Know Your Heroes” posters for the adventurers in my campaigns—centaurs, sea‑elves, dragonborn, tabaxi, even a war‑forged. What began as a fun art project has grown into a great additional teaching tool. Here’s why these posters deserve a place on every homeschool wall (and why your young adventurer should help design the next one!).
Literacy & Writing: from Stat Block to Story
Each hero needs a 120‑ to 150‑word blurb—short enough to fit on a letter‑sized page, rich enough to capture bravery, flaws, and triumphs.
Back‑stories used to be a hard sell; kids are used to video games that supply (or skip) the lore. But when they see classmates’ stories promoted in a cool poster, suddenly they want one too—and a half‑sentence back‑story won’t cut it.
Visual Design & Media Literacy
One player asked for “a more mature, semi‑realistic style.” Another insisted his tabaxi have a human face, cat ears, and mismatched glowing eyes. They’re discovering how style and layout shape perception—skills that spill over into personal branding and digital citizenship.
Self‑Esteem & Social‑Emotional Learning
Hanging the posters validates each child’s creativity. Even the shyest students beam when friends stop to read their hero’s tale.
I’ll update posters as we play: a Level‑1 wizard can grow into a Level‑5 “graduate” version. Kids see progress—richer prose, stronger art, and a tangible reminder of how far they’ve come.
Role‑playing also builds empathy. Writing a rogue’s motives or a paladin’s oath nudges students to step outside themselves—practising perspective‑taking in a medium they adore.
Community‑Building Beyond the Table
Parents, siblings, and friends wandering past the poster wall suddenly know who Wavesia Fjordmist is and why defending Niðaróss mattered. It turns our regular games into a shared narrative everyone can cheer for—exactly the kind of positive peer recognition many homeschoolers crave.
Want to Try This at Home?
- Pick one hero (or NPC) and have your child retell a recent scene in ~100 words.
- Find or create art. We use AI‑assisted illustrations based on student descriptions. Even a rough sketch helps the AI—and removes the “I’m not good at drawing” barrier. Prefer hand‑drawn? Great, too!
- Add three “Did you know…?” bullets (favourite spell, defining moment, personal goal).
- Print, post, repeat.
Join the Adventure
In my Fall 2025 sessions we’ll keep updating hero posters and expand our “Know Your Places” series to teach history and geography (we’ve started with Niðaróss and Orkanger—real towns the characters visit).
If your learner thrives on stories, art, and hands‑on projects, Dungeons & Dragons might be the perfect classroom for them. Spots open soon—come roll some dice and watch your child’s story unfold!
[I will add some examples if/when I get an OK from the parents.]