https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/ Dungeons & Dragons as a learning tool — courses, classroom practice, and notes from years of DMing with kids. en Sun, 19 Jul 2026 23:02:03 GMT https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/from-wiki-to-wandcraft-and-more/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/from-wiki-to-wandcraft-and-more/ Sun, 19 Jul 2026 23:02:01 GMT School-year catch-up: Latitude history on the Vikingworld wiki, two new books, the Live Villages Minecraft mod, and more work on the character sheet & card app. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/an-update-on-my-summer-projects/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/an-update-on-my-summer-projects/ Sun, 31 Aug 2025 11:54:28 GMT Summer progress report: MyRPG, mastery advancement, the third-build character card system, and Fires at the Fjordgate. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/the-d4-pool-system/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/the-d4-pool-system/ Sun, 08 Jun 2025 22:26:12 GMT A bell-curved d4 dice pool that merges attack and damage—replacing the d20 for 5e-inspired or original RPGs. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/hero-posters-turning-d-and-d-characters-into-classroom-super-stars/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/hero-posters-turning-d-and-d-characters-into-classroom-super-stars/ Fri, 02 May 2025 13:39:48 GMT Full-color “Get to Know Your Heroes” posters that put every PC on the wall and make the classroom party feel legendary. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/card-based-characters/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/card-based-characters/ Sat, 30 Nov 2024 13:42:44 GMT Why full card-based characters may beat thick sheets for kids and digital-skeptical tables—and where the design is headed. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/ai-can-help-a-ton/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/ai-can-help-a-ton/ Thu, 09 May 2024 10:26:57 GMT Monsters, art, and on-the-fly improvisation: how AI tools help a non-“creative” DM (and an 11-year-old) run better games. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/aisongmaking/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/aisongmaking/ Sun, 05 May 2024 16:07:28 GMT Using AI to write and produce a session song—The Ballad of Bitey Boy Brock—and how bards (and DMs) can too. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/kids-dming-coffee-wizard/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/kids-dming-coffee-wizard/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 20:06:53 GMT Students take the DM chair: one experienced kid and one first-timer run short encounters, including Coffee Wizard. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-and-dungeon-mastering-beginner-resources/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-and-dungeon-mastering-beginner-resources/ Sat, 17 Feb 2024 17:49:07 GMT A practical starter stack for new DMs and players: free rules, videos, tools, and habits that actually help. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/crafting-class-results/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/crafting-class-results/ Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:09:26 GMT Student showcase night: custom miniatures and terrain from the crafting class, with photos of each creation. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/mastery-instead-of-xp-or-milestone-in-d-d/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/mastery-instead-of-xp-or-milestone-in-d-d/ Sun, 12 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT Leveling by mastery of abilities instead of XP or milestones—especially useful when teaching new players. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/the-story-so-far/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/the-story-so-far/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 22:28:53 GMT Campaign recap before a new school year: the fall of Þýdal, the flight to Niðaróss, and where the kids pick up next. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/using-chatgpt-to-do-research-for-d-d-campaigns/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/using-chatgpt-to-do-research-for-d-d-campaigns/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 21:11:49 GMT Jump-starting Norse-inspired campaign research with ChatGPT—races, gods, and historical flavor for educational play. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/terrain-crafting-paint-choices/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/terrain-crafting-paint-choices/ Sun, 01 Jan 2023 10:00:00 GMT The paints and techniques I actually use for tabletop terrain—so you can copy a working palette instead of guessing. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/character-package-example/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/character-package-example/ Fri, 25 Nov 2022 11:23:30 GMT A complete starter package for a new fairy bard: backstory, sheet, spell cards, and portrait art ready on day one. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/improving-your-game-with-ai-art/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/improving-your-game-with-ai-art/ Sun, 20 Nov 2022 18:24:57 GMT Using MidJourney (and similar tools) for characters, monsters, and battle maps—without letting art slow the game. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-isn-t-a-video-game/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-isn-t-a-video-game/ Tue, 31 May 2022 11:43:17 GMT Breaking the “balanced encounter” habit: how unbalanced challenges teach better play than video-game thinking. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-play-example/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-play-example/ Sat, 28 May 2022 23:51:21 GMT Deborah Ann Woll’s Relics and Rarities as a kid-friendlier play example than most streamed adult campaigns. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-resources-great-character-sheets/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-resources-great-character-sheets/ Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:44:40 GMT Class-specific, form-fillable character sheets from DM’s Guild that beat the generic PHB page for many tables. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/can-you-get-kids-to-slow-down/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/can-you-get-kids-to-slow-down/ Sun, 10 Apr 2022 23:51:48 GMT Using “caesura” at the table: getting rushed young players to listen, think, and enjoy the story more deeply. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-beginners-resource-handbooker-helper/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/d-d-beginners-resource-handbooker-helper/ Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:45:15 GMT Critical Role’s short Handbooker Helper videos—kid-shareable rules explainers without adult-campaign baggage. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/rpg-cards-in-action/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/rpg-cards-in-action/ Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:40:09 GMT Spell and ability cards sorted by Action, Bonus Action, and Reaction—so kids stay engaged on other people’s turns. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/making-rpg-cards-the-easy-way/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/making-rpg-cards-the-easy-way/ Wed, 14 Oct 2020 21:19:56 GMT A free browser tool plus sample wild-shape and spell decks so kids can hold their abilities in their hands. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/on-choosing-a-spear-as-your-main-adventuring-melee-weapon/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/on-choosing-a-spear-as-your-main-adventuring-melee-weapon/ Tue, 06 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT Why spears deserve a place as a main adventuring weapon—history, Viking-age campaigns, and practical table benefits. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/making-slings-worthy/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/making-slings-worthy/ Sat, 03 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT House rule: give slings shortbow ranges with lead bullets so a one-handed ranged option (and Magic Stone) is actually viable. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/on-rules-complexity-starting-kids-with-sidekicks/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/on-rules-complexity-starting-kids-with-sidekicks/ Wed, 23 Sep 2020 17:55:13 GMT Why Essentials Kit sidekicks beat full class lists for new young players—and how three archetypes teach the game. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/homebrewing-monsters-for-kids-part-1/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/homebrewing-monsters-for-kids-part-1/ Wed, 19 Aug 2020 22:01:00 GMT Turning Adventure Time penguins into kid-friendly Jotunheim foes—and why simple stat blocks win with young players. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/kids-love-parkour/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/kids-love-parkour/ Sat, 15 Aug 2020 22:28:40 GMT A lava-rock “parkour” set piece on Muspelheim that kids still retell—simple to run, hard to forget. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/promoting-teamwork-through-magic-items/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/promoting-teamwork-through-magic-items/ Wed, 12 Aug 2020 22:46:04 GMT The Bard’s Heart: a homebrew magic item that only helps someone else, nudging young players toward real teamwork. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/what-to-avoid-part-2-player-agency/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/what-to-avoid-part-2-player-agency/ Tue, 11 Aug 2020 01:18:04 GMT Why Sleep and Hold Person can shut kids down—and practical ways to protect player agency at a youth table. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/what-to-avoid-part-1-subject-matter/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/what-to-avoid-part-1-subject-matter/ Wed, 05 Aug 2020 23:55:00 GMT A parent-minded checklist of subjects to keep out of kids’ D&D—and how a graveyard mishap became a better adventure. https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/coding-engaging-enhancements-for-d-d/ https://teaching.ronhelwig.com/posts/coding-engaging-enhancements-for-d-d/ Mon, 03 Aug 2020 22:31:28 GMT Roll20 macros and API scripts that add spell and attack effects while cutting table busywork—free on GitHub.