Hello!! Ok no delay lets roll initiative and get right into it! Go on and introduce yourself.
Hi, my name is Matt Ledoux.
Welcome Matt. So tell us when did you start playing D&D?
I started plying D&D When I was 10 years old, that was about 40 years ago.
Sweet ancient dragons! Do you remember what edition you first played?
My first introduction was with the original Basic but that was just an introduction, after a few sessions we restarted, and I had my first campaign using AD & D, 1st Edition.
How long before you started DMing?
I was a player for a very long time after that and did not try my hand at Dungeon Master until about 15 years later and ran my first campaign in Forgotten Realms using the 2nd Edition ruleset. Since then, I have tried my hand at playing and running various editions and a plethora of other game systems like Shadowrun, Rifts, Champions, Gurps, Battletech, L5R, and even Street Fighter, to name a few.
That is awesome, and kudos on working in the correct use of the word plethora! In all the games you’ve play you must have a favourite race/class to play.
While I have played a vast number of races and classes over the years, my personal default is to play Elves (thank you Tolkien) and Wizards (thank you Malory).
Elven Wizard, an absolute classic! What about a favourite realm or setting? Do you have a favourite book you like to go to?
I have read numerous novels based on the various settings in many of the RPG varied genres, but my all-time favourite is the first novel, or I should say series, that I read which is the original Dragonlance trilogy.
Wonderful book…the movie…no so much…oh Kiefer Sutherland what were you thinking. (For those who don’t know what we are talking about go look up Dragonlance : Dragons of Autumn Twilight) Moving on, let’s talk about monsters. What is your preferred NPC of monster to throw at a party?
When in an appropriate fantasy campaign my absolute favourite monster to use are Kobolds, but not the generic Kobolds from the Monster Manual, I like to use the Pax Romani version from the Orcs of Thar campaign. This gives them tactics, strategy, a high level of equipment, organization, and clear hierarchy. Making them a very dangerous foe for the uninitiated, and a potentially strong ally for those daring enough to see past common prejudices.
I can’t wait to hear the words “Come on guys, it’s only a Kobold.” uttered in your campaign. Now we’ve asked this questions to all the other DM’s and with all years of playing and running games you have under your belt I really have to know. How many sets of dice do you own?
As a long time gamer and the victim of dozens of moving days over the past four decades I have lost count of the amount of dice I have bought, currently I have 65 dice, but I am a few short to round out having a complete set.
Well I have it on good authority that there will be sets of dice in this year’s Broken Heroes Swag Bag! So wrapping up here how about you tell us about one of your best D&D stories?
This is from when I was around 13 or 14 and I had just lost my current character at the end of a particularly long campaign. I was playing a half-elf fighter/wizard at the time, our party had our final encounter with the BBEG which we overcame when the DM at the time made a hail mary last ditch attempt at a TPK when instead of allowing my spell to take effect and end the encounter the BBEG instead tried to absorb the spell with their Staff of the Magi, which in turn triggered its Retributive Strike for absorbing too many spell levels. This, naturally, destroyed the BBEG but also killed my character for being too close when it happened, and our Rogue/Assassin as well. I recall this session in particular because it was a turning point in my development as a player and while I was distraught and upset over losing such a beloved and successful character, I came to accept their death as a very well done ending to a very dear to me character. This has allowed me to view my characters since then as having a story to tell and what would be the best/most comedic/most dramatic version that would have the most fun for everyone.
That is a great story and what a wonderful philosophy for players to emulate. Thank you for taking time to chat with us and we are looking forward to seeing you in person this summer!!