The Düngeonmeister Book of RPG Trivia

I've loved the Düngeonmeister book series ever since friend and collaborator Rob mixed us up themed drinks at one of his monthly games. The number of books I have to hand by Aldritch & Taylor is constantly growing, and each has made me (I like to think) a better player.

This one, though, is mainly for funsies.

This handy book serves up more than 400 trivia questions about RPGs and RPG culture. From the beloved to the obscure, from the games themselves to the media around them, this one is full of thinkers.

Since I got my copy, I've enjoyed pulling the book out before one of my weekly games and testing my friends at the table. Who was the rogue who died at the beginning of the Darkest Dungeon Chick tract? What was Marlon Wayans's character's class in that one D&D movie we don't talk about? Which video games shaped the TTPRG industry? All that and more is covered in this book. Plus, there's "Critical Info" throughout, offering more details on especially bizarre trivia tidbits.

Will this book make you a better player? Probably not; but it's not meant to. Will it start some fantastic discussions at the table before and after games? Absolutely. And you'll find out why Gary Gygax spent his life on an FBI watchlist. And isn't that worth the price of admission on its own?

Whether I'm writing a story for publication or crafting an RPG character, one of my favorite ways to build them is by answering questions. It's how one of my regular groups starts every session, and it leads to some of the most intriguing plot points. Now imagine a short-form TTRPG where that's the entirety of the process. That's Oh Captain, My Captain!... and it's one of the most surprisingly satisfying one-shot RPG experiences I've ever had.

Each player is a member of a crew led by a bold captain. Only one thing is known about that captain: the crew trusts them implicitly. This small crew is accompanying the captain on a quest for a legendary treasure—and you also don't know what that is. Details about the captain, the treasure, and the characters at the table are revealed by taking turns answering questions. At the end, players come to a consensus on what the treasure is, what sort of captain they follow, and how they confront one final challenge once the treasure is in sight.

I played this game with Phoenix and Katy, the former being a local DM whose table I'm at fairly regularly, the latter of whom is usually at those tables with me. Starting out with nothing but one of the "Captain Cards," we ended up with surprisingly fleshed out characters of our own. Through pointed questions, Phoenix created a strait-laced former paladin who refused to execute the captain and was recruited into her crew; Katy created the captain's secret lover; and I created a young prisoner captured by another crew and offered freedom in exchange for help on this quest. We were all shocked at how naturally and quickly these characters arose through nothing but questions.

That said, the questions are extremely well written and lead to a series of follow-up questions in the group. For example, one card states: "The captain once confessed a regret to you. Why does this haunt you?" Note that the question is not focused on the minutiae of what that regret was (though it will come out while answering the question). Rather, it asks how the character was affected by the revelation. All the questions are like this, leading to insightful discussions.

If there is one issue with this deck, it's that the voting on the captain's nature is a bit too open-ended—to the point of causing confusing rather than encouraging discussion. The three options are "strong or evil," "weak or foolish," and "wise or righteous." Two of us voted the third; one of us voted the first. But we were all agreed that our captain was equally strong and righteous, but that the strength took priority. The best way around this is likely to have a discussion about your choices after they're made and figure out what each of you is really voting for.

Oh Captain, My Captain! is a fun game for people who enjoy character building. But it's also a fantastic exercise to help new groups learn to roleplay together. It demonstrates, in a contained game, just how quickly collaborative storytelling can bring a cast of characters to life. For longer gaming sessions, it's also a great warm-up to get your brain into that "yes and" space. This will not be living on my bookshelf; it will be living in my gaming bag, accompanying me everywhere. I am legitimately in awe of this game.