Welcome to Tavern Talk Thursday! This is a weekly column where we chat with a member of the TTRPG (tabletop role-playing game) community to learn more about how they found themselves at the table, what they love about tabletop gaming and other fun things. Think of it as a little sneak peeks into the minds of our fellow players and DMs.
This week we are chatting with the incredibly talented bard who has made it her mission to educate the world on the schools of magic – Amy Vorpahl! The incredibly creative Lady Wizard is a household name within the Dungeons and Dragons community. But she is much more than that. Vorpahl is a skilled musician who has already put out an album featuring nerdy songs like my absolute favorite, The Dungeon Master’s Lament. Seriously, give it a listen and forever have it stuck in your head. And while you’re at it, check out everything she had to share about what she loves about the TTRPG community!
Be sure to keep up with Amy by checking out her website and signing up for her newsletter!
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Amy Vorpahl
Julia Roth: Let’s chat your TTRPG back story! How did you find yourself at the table?
Amy Vorpahl: My very first day of freshman year at college (University of Oklahoma), my cousin, who also went to OU, introduced me to a friend. He took one look at my dorm room, covered wall-to-wall in LOTR posters (and one Yoda mosaic poster), knew I was an acting major and did the math for me. He invited me to play D&D (3.5e at the time), and I think our first game was the very next night. I was sold immediately, and we all played throughout my entire college career!
JR: Favorite world to adventure in?
AV: It would have to be Forgotten Realms or The Feywild. I think most DMs I’ve played with have leaned into a Tolkien-esque high fantasy, even if sometimes steampunkier elements are introduced, but I love that because it’s where my imagination goes first, too!
JR: Favorite one-shot adventure?
AV: Don’t mind if I do… Kandlekeep Dekonstruktion in D&D‘s Candlekeep Mysteries anthology hardback. I wrote it, and it felt like the greatest contribution I could have ever made to the D&D community, the Forgotten Realms, and not for nothing, my RPG career! Also, it’s a hoot and a holler to play, especially when you have players who are not afraid of going silly.
JR: Backstory or class first?
AV: This may sound like cheating, but both at the same time? Which comes first? Who’s to say? It’s sort of like how I write my songs–I usually think of the lyrics and melody sort of all at the same time, and that’s how a character enters my brain. I guess if I had to decide, though, I’d say class, just based on logistics of gameplay and the world outside the game. I usually want to choose something that complements the group but doesn’t step on toes, OR if it’s the same class, that the other player and I have a good reason why we both are that sort of hero and have enough differences to warrant us both joining up. Peas in a pod duplicates can also be fun, as long as we discuss it beforehand!
JR: Favorite spell and why?
AV: Scrying! I love the idea of peeking in on someone’s life, as insignificant (or powerful) as the creature might seem. I’ve often found that scrying can actually turn into its own little side quest or add a huge turning point to a big moment!
JR: Who has been your favorite character to play?
AV: I had a goliath druid named Lonwood “Lowstorm” Bek’Bababeka, who takes up a lot of real estate in my head. I played her during an Ironkeep Chronicles campaign on Saving Throw Show, and her main objectives were keeping her friends close to her, spending her wildshapes every night to keep in practice (often giving other characters different animal-rides before bed), and looking for her fairy that would establish her as a real member of her tribe. Of course, I think most people know me as Efink Murderdeath from Dimension 20‘s Escape from Bloodkeep, and she was an amazing character to play, so shoutout to Efink here, too!
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JR: Do you have a particular race/class you enjoy?
AV: Dwarven Warlock! That’s based on another character I played, but I love the idea of a dwarf who is so handy with materials delving too greedily and digging too deep, as Gandalf says. In this sense, you can play the character as digging too deep literally into the earth OR metaphorically into their mind!
JR: Is there something that you build into every character? A fun trait or a special item?
AV: I usually do some sort of a voice, whether it’s an accent or just a version of my own voice. And then I make sure to give the character one thing they’re very interested in (a category of knowledge, or collectibles, etc.) and one thing or person they’re afraid of, and I always write up a backstory that I think would be fun to play, complete with trauma (hehe), names of geographical locations and people’s names. I give all those to my dungeon master. Beyond that, I am always comfortable to let preplanned things go in favor of co-creating alongside my party based on their ideas and decisions.
JR: What is your favorite system to play within?
AV: D&D 5e at the moment–it’s widely known and fairly simple. Also, I know the rules well enough that I feel comfortable breaking them, too!
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JR: Tell us about the wildest adventure you have been on?
AV: I played an Edge of the Empire campaign with Never Tell Me The Odds podcast where I was Tamaya, a Rebel Diplomat, secret-married to an Imperial General. We all got captured at the end of the first campaign, and in our second campaign, I played my secret-husband, General Merce Leck, who was part of a cadre to try to rescue the original crew!
JR: What has been your most impactful moment at a table?
AV: That would have to be when my dungeon master of the above campaign straight up killed Merce Leck in a final lightsaber battle. I went through the five stages of grief in the span of seconds.
JR: Favorite dice to use?
AV: I have a set of Artisan Dice made of Texas Ebony. The numbers are difficult to read, but they were a Christmas present from my parents, and I’m from Texas, so it is a reminder of how much I feel seen by my family!
JR: Would you rather face off against an entire dungeon of undead or charm your way through a royal court?
AV: Charm all the way, baby. I will always favor role-playing over battle, even though I think both provide wonderful opportunities to create fantastic character moments!
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JR: Favorite TTRPG Monster?
AV: Modrons! Their strange hierarchy and religion opens up a whole world of possibilities.
JR: Good luck charms or rituals before a game?
AV: If possible, I like to have a flavored seltzer and some M&Ms (any kind, but PB preferred) nearby.
JR: Who is sitting at your dream table?
AV: My three sisters and my three nephews. They are the people I love the most in the entire world, and I admire them all so much–I bet we could get into some incredible hijinks. And I’d love to learn more about their dreams (and obviously inner darkness) through roleplaying!
JR: What are you most looking forward to within the TTRPG world?
AV: I can’t even begin to guess. I love that I’m positive the community will surprise me. Ten years, heck, even five years ago, I would never have believed the impact this game would have on me or my career, so I’m looking forward to being delighted with whatever shows up! I’m absolutely positive I’ll make new friends and share new laughs, so beyond that, everything else is icing!
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/linsay-rousseau-the-die-is-cast-gaming-interview/
Who I Am: A nerd by the strictest definition. I enjoy diving straight into my favorite fandoms without a care in the world. I live on video/board games, fantasy movies and TV, and all things geeky.
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