Protospiel Rochester 2026

Next Turn is a new gaming convention bringing together board gamers, roleplayers, creators, artists, and the wider gaming community for a weekend of play, discovery, and connection in Northampton, MA. Whether you’re here to play, create, learn, or meet your next gaming group, there’s a place for you at the table.

Hey everyone! I run a D&D community called Session Zero. We’ve had incredible growth over the last few days with so many amazing new faces joining us, and we are looking to expand our tables! Our main goal is simple: create a relaxed, welcoming space where people from all over can get together and just enjoy playing D&D. What to expect Players Welcome: We have campaigns spinning up all the time. We have games spanning multiple timezones, so if you want to play, there is a seat waiting for you! No more scrolling through Forums for a table! We don't charge anything. Everything is free. Always. Calling DMs: Our demand for games is growing more and more. You won't have an issue finding players to fill them seats! Want to run a game? Then you're more than welcome to host here! With everything in house, no more hunting for players. We make you dedicated campaign channels, DMs sharing tons of resources they've built up and we can help anyway we can! While we are thrilled with our active player base, we are on the hunt for EU based DMs to help run some games. We have a few EU campaigns starting up, but getting more rolling is our top priority! (And of course, we are still welcoming DMs from outside the EU as well!) DM Perks: I have a large DnDBeyond book selection I share with DMs running games in here. Fully free! The Vibe: Whether you're a longstanding DM looking to find a new group of players to take on a magical adventure, or perhaps wanting to get into the DM chair for the first time but need some support, you will be more than welcome. Our player base is a mix from never playing a game before to years of experience. If you're a player who's only just picking up your first quest or have been on many adventures, come grab a stool in our laid-back 18+ community. It's not just 5e! We're happy to host pretty much any VTTRPG! Patherfinder, Daggerheart, 5E, 5.5 etc!

We’re just starting our journey, and we have big plans for the tavern. Here is what we are building toward: A Thriving Multi-System Board: Growing an active roster of DMs running everything from D&D 5e and Pathfinder to indie narrative games and horror systems. Community One-Shot Nights: Hosting regular server-wide one-shot events so players can easily drop in and try new games. A Safe, Active Home: Keeping this tavern permanently free of scammer DMs, predatory pay-to-play traps, and toxic noise.

Nat One are a group of British D&D players, most of whom have been playing together for over 9 years. Curse of Strahd is something DM Jenna has been waiting to run for about two years and now... It's finally happening. Jenna (they/them) is using the Curse of Strahd: Revamped coffin-box edition of CoS, with inspiration and advice pulled from /u/MandyMod Reddit post "Fleshing out Curse of Strahd", ideas from DragnaCarta's Curse of Strahd Reloaded and, of course, portraying the story and NPCs in their own unique way. As an ex-teacher with a First Class degree in English Literature and Creative Writing (and almost a PhD in emotion mechanics in the TRPG), you are guaranteed to feel their passion for the craft of storytelling. Nat One's players also have similar backgrounds, with interests in literature, writing, education, development and emerging narratives. Take a look at the cast below: Cast Rebecca (she/her),  (she/her), playing the female Drow Circle of Stars Druid: Eylirae Val'Aonar. Rebecca is playing the young (70) studious daughter of a Priestess of Lolth, so has grown up wihin the matriarchy of the Underdark and left due to personal differences regarding the treatment of men. Andrew (he/him), playing the male Half-Orc Way of the Ancestral Dragon Monk: Friendly "Wee Scrapper" Tiene. Andrew is intentionally playing an unintentional misogynist who believes that women need protecting and that men are much more capable. Tabitha (she/her), playing the female Human Devotion Paladin of Torm: Lady Arabella Thistlethwaite. Tabitha is playing a noble lady who is the youngest of her siblings and expected to be a soldier when, really, she would love to be a lady of leisure. Lauren (she/her), playing the female Aasimar Order Cleric of the Red Knight: Lucia. Lauren is playing the reincarnation of Tatyana whose soul, in this adaptation, actually managed to get out of Barovia and is brought back in. That's not the only surprising thing about her... NPC-ish Players: Gemma (she/they), playing the male Human Vistani College of Swords Bard: Ravi Kovachi. In this adaptation, Ravi is Madame Eva's grandson; a Vistani Guide who leads the group to Barovia in the first place. Would you trust him? Beth (she/her), a larper since childhood with years of roleplaying and monstering experience, will also be coming in later on as Volenta Popofsky - If you know, you know. These episodes have been edited to remove all the long pauses, rules clarification and off-game speak to create a much more comfortable listening experience. This means the episodes are shorter, clearer and easier to follow. Jenna creates the art, thumbnails and records and edits without the use of generative AI (AI SUCKS!). Nat One do not accept requests for commissioned art, as we prefer the things we create to be created by ourselves. Nat One hopes you have a lovely, cosy little time listening to the horrors that will befall these wonderful characters in the world's most notorious D&D campaign: Curse of Strahd

Five brave souls get taken by the mists and wake up caged and shackled to poles somewhere in a deep dark cavern.

You have found a D&D group, your characters are ready and the players are hyped for the start of the game. However there is a thought that keeps cropping up in the back of your head: “What if they take the story in a direction I don’t feel comfortable with?” Tabletop roleplaying games are built on imagination and improvisation. Therefore setting boundaries might feel wrong or tricky. Perhaps you or someone else has a phobia of spiders, or some situations might make you uncomfortable. This is where safety tools come to play. Before you start thinking that these are borderline “censorship” methods - they are communication shortcuts that ensure everyone in your group is having fun, even if the story gets dark or brutal. What are safety tools? Think of safety tools as subtle “safe words” in a stunt show or a timeout in sports. It doesn’t mean that the show can’t go on, instead it allows for the participants to pause, edit or skip certain bits of content that might not be something everyone is comfortable with. It avoids the need for that awkward, long speech about themes and decisions while making some people feel uncomfortable with either expressing their creativity or feeling targeted in another way. When everyone at your group knows where the “emergency brake” lever is, players usually feel more comfortable with intense roleplay situations, as everyone feels more in control of the direction the story is going. /images/general-media/1778077472_okHsoUPF.gifIf the game goes in a direction that everyone is comfortable with - rewind. The big three Lines and Veils This is a list that is collaboratively created during Session Zero. Everyone agrees upon setting limitations regarding various topics and when to let the story progress in a “skip cutscene” manner. Lines: Hard boundaries. If a “line” is drawn at harming animals, these situations do not occur in your games. Veils: A soft boundary - this is more of a “fade to black” moment, where the story overlooks specific details and situations, but still acknowledges their existence. The X-card If a situation makes you uncomfortable, signaling (either with a physical card with an X on it, or writing it in the chat) the X-card means that whatever is going on is skipped or retconned. The game continues but avoids the specific direction it is currently headed. This is a no questions asked situation. You don’t have to explain why this situation bothers you, a healthy group will respect your choice and preference and move on. Open door policy In a situation, where you do not feel comfortable, you are permitted to simply get up and leave the table to either “take five” or stay away until the current situation is resolved. Or if the theme is simply overwhelming, you can excuse yourself for the rest of the session. It is important that the group agrees beforehand to respect the open door approach and will not judge the person choosing to opt out. “This will ruin the mood!” As a DM (or a player), you might fear that using safety tools will break the immersion. In reality, the opposite is true - players knowing that they and their preferences are respected will keep everyone on the same page. When a group has no discussed boundaries beforehand, players are likely to simply “shut down” during specific situations and simply disconnect either mentally or digitally from the game at hand. Since the story involves everyone in the group, everyone should feel like they want to be part of it. Knowing beforehand which themes and topics may be an issue for your players will help everyone in the group focus more on the game, and less on worrying or playing the “guessing game”, wondering whether the topic at hand is appropriate for everyone. How to react when a tool is used If you are the DM and someone uses the X-card or reminds of a “line”, here is a professional way to handle it: Stop. Pause the narration or situation immediately. Acknowledge. Say “Thanks for letting me know.” Don’t ask “Why” or try to downplay the situation. Respect the player and their decision Adjust. Change the scene. Feel free to “rewind” the scene and take it in a different direction. Instead of spiders in the room, there are goblins, wolves, mimics, dragons (okay lets not overdo it…), or nothing at all. Check-in. A quick “Everyone good?” to check whether the situation has been resolved. And continue the game. Why do we promote using safety tools? When meeting new people for the first time, you don’t have years of history to know what their triggers or boundaries are. And circling back to the “guessing game” - you shouldn’t be expected to know these. Instead clear communication will help your group in the long run. Using safety tools should be seen as a strong green flag. It tells others that you are a thoughtful player or a DM, who cares about the people behind the characters. You will turn the group of strangers into trusted players much faster. Be a brave player Great tabletop gaming stories are ones where players take risks, are vulnerable, come up with stupid plans (that somehow work) and defeat villains. Safety tools will guide your game in a direction where you don’t step on anyone’s toes and lets you focus on the game at hand. Ready to get into a game? Post your player profile on Groupfinder, or find a group where you can gather other like-minded, respectful, players.  If you know of a DM, who is looking to level up their group management - then share this article with them and help make the tabletop community a better and more enjoyable place for everyone. If you are ready to jump into a game, head over to our directory to find a D&D group looking for players right now.