Guest Interview: Michael Weldon and Lisa DeGirolamo

What could be more romantic than the quaint English countryside, your true love at your side, battling an arch-deamon from the abyss?

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Michael Weldon and Lisa DeGirolamo, two adventure partners in love,  spent their honeymoon with us at D&D in a Castle. They say love is the greatest adventure of all, and what a better way to start than an epic, 3-day adventure through peril and tyranny!

Which events of D&D in a Castle were you at, and who was your DM?

Michael & Lisa: We attended both castle events at Langley Castle in 2019.  The GM Tim was for the 1st event and B Dave Walters for the 2nd.

How did you get into playing D&D? And how long have you been playing for?

Michael: I've been into D&D since I was a kid, but I lived in the boondocks of British Columbia, and had no one to play with.   It wasn't until after Lisa and I met that we started playing Adventure League together (at my suggestion), and also had started a home-game with friends.  Seriously playing for about 7 years.  

Lisa:  This is all Michael's fault.  I had "ideas" about people playing D&D before this, and was pleasantly surprised to find a community that I wanted to be a part of.  Been playing seriously for about 7 years. 

What's the coolest thing you have done with D&D, or tabletop role-play generally?

Michael & Lisa: D&D in a Castle is pretty high on the list. 

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Are you into any other kind of nerd stuff? Got any projects on the go?

Michael:  Other than being a science nerd?  I help cure diseases using photonic death-rays.   

Lisa: I'm really into indie games on demand, and the creators that they show-case.

How did you end up coming to D&D in a Castle?

Michael & Lisa: We first heard about the first castle (2018) from an interview with Jeremy Crawford, and then kept tabs on it afterwards.  On a lark we tried to get in for 2019 and were on the waiting list, thinking it would be a cool honeymoon.  We were happy to find out we got in!

What stood out about your DM at the castle? What was unique about your particular campaign?

Michael & Lisa:  The GM Tim was like a tour-guide.  He had arrived a couple days before and absorbed like a sponge all the cool stuff about the castle, and then used that to enhance the game.  The best part about the campaign was... well, he had to re-write it several times (sorry Tim), so it was completely customized for our characters.  Let me explain...  Lisa and I had come up with the characters of Barf and Mucosa Schittfruit, who owned a Jam company (The preserve you deserve!).  This started as a joke, but all the other players loved this and made adjacent characters that filled out the cast amazingly.  We had met up with Tim the day before and he quickly realized from the group's enthusiasm that it was all about the Jam company and so started the first of many rewrites.  Bless him, he even got James Introcaso to play the main villain, J. Pearl Morgan, of our rival jam company, Pearl Jam.  Suffice to say, it was pretty epic.  Especially when we almost were wiped out in a cross-over from the game James was running.

B Dave Walters is a mountain of an individual, both in presence and skill as a DM.  He's got one house-rule... a 1 always fails and a 20 always succeeds.  His style makes you feel like you're there; it gets under your skin and hits you in the heart.  Very raw emotions which weren't expected in a standard D&D game.  We started the campaign at the top... in level that is.  Being level 20 was intense all on it's own, but did let us focus on the game and not thinking about leveling up between sessions.  B Dave even pulled characters from a Darkened Wish, when Amy Dallen and Rick Budd joined our game for a session, playing as Helene and Xander respectively.  Probably the most amazing thing about the game (aside from battling an arch-demon from the abyss) was that all the other games at that event were all tied into the same world/story.  Truly a masterpiece.

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What kind of gamer are you generally? Do you play one consistent character, or switch it up a lot? Do you prefer theatre of the mind, or do you love the minis and terrain? What type of game are you most into?

Michael:  I used to get lost in the mechanics of the game when I was younger, but am focusing now on having fun and getting into roleplaying more these days.  I always switch it up, but when making a character I usually have a theme, even if it's a joke.  I find theatre of the mind easiest to play/run, though if there's a lot of combat mini's are helpful.  I love all types of games, but would say something with a strong over-arching story that allows deep character development would be very satisfying.  

Lisa: I'm more story-driven and role-playing; the mechanics of the game should serve the ends of the story.  I play an assortment of characters, never the same one twice.  I  can play either, though theatre of the mind is more freeing.  Games that highlight story and character development are best, though a classic dungeon crawl has its place.

Do you think you will return to D&D in a Castle? If so, what draws you back?

Michael & Lisa: Yes!  It was a lot of fun and we made quite a few friends and this gives us a chance to do it again and see all those friendly faces. 

What lesson have you learned from D&D that you wish more people understood?

Michael: Don't let a +1 modifier hold you back from being satisfied with your character.

Lisa: Making mistakes is often better than being successful.