Adventurers for Hire! Heroes of the Borderlands Intro One-shot
Danger threatens the wild Borderlands! Grab your gear, team up with fellow heroes, and try to save the settlement from looming trouble.
TYPE
SYSTEM
LEVELS
EXPERIENCE
Details
Once / Sat, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (UTC)
Oct 24
$30 / Session
Ages 9 to 10
0 / 4 Seats Filled
Report Adventure
About the adventure
Welcome to the Borderlands! Perched on the rugged edge of civilization, the frontier outpost is a bustling refuge surrounded by vast, untamed wilderness. But life on the border is never quiet for long! Strange tracks have been spotted near the perimeter, valuable trading supplies have gone missing, and curious creatures are causing chaos just beyond the safety of the palisade walls. The outpost captain needs a fresh team of quick-thinking, brave adventurers to step forward, investigate the disturbances, and keep the settlement safe. Heroes of the Borderlands is an energetic, welcoming introduction to Dungeons & Dragons designed to give young players a taste of genuine fantasy heroism. Whether your adventurer wants to swing a gleaming sword, cast powerful elemental spells, track footprints through dense thickets, or talk their way out of a sticky situation, this adventure puts player choice front and center. The tone is lively and action-oriented. It’s an adventure where teamwork, creative problem-solving, and outsmarting foes saves the day. A Complete Story (With Room to Grow!) This session is designed as a complete, standalone adventure with a satisfying beginning, middle, and end. There is no future commitment required. However, for players who fall in love with their characters and want to keep going, this mission serves as the ideal launchpad to level up and naturally transition into an epic, full-length campaign (Storm King's Thunder). Who This Is For & Table Style Beginner-Friendly: Absolutely zero prior D&D experience is required! Core rules, dice rolling, and character actions are taught naturally step-by-step as we play. Supportive & Patient DM Style: Every player gets their moment in the spotlight. I emphasize encouragement, kindness, and celebrating clever ideas. There are no "wrong choices"—just unexpected adventures! Ready to Play: Pre-generated hero options are ready to roll so kids can jump straight into the action without spending hours on complex math or character sheets. Safe, Age-Appropriate Content: The adventure focuses on action, mystery, and exploration. The adventure is tailored to the age group playing to keep an emphasis on fun and safety. Pack your adventuring kit, grab your lucky dice, and answer the call! The frontier is waiting for its next great heroes!
More details
Ages 9 to 10
The party will be made up of only kids ages 9 to 10, led by a vetted professional Dungeon Master. This game will be recorded for quality & safety purposes and saved securely for 90 days. To review the content allowed in this age band see our FAQ.
Plot & setting
Heroes explore the wild frontier of Faerûn to stop mischievous raiders and recover stolen supplies. The journey takes them across untamed terrain or into mysterious cave chambers. Foes like sneaky goblins and wild beasts are troublesome and quirky rather than sinister or gory. Combat is fast, fun, and heroic, focusing on teamwork. Kids solve light puzzles, bypass simple traps, and can always use non-lethal, clever tricks to win the day, with themes kept lighthearted and adventure-focused.
Education
Game style
Meet the Dungeon Master
Adam Wright
5.0
(7)
Less than a year on Young Heroes
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Inclusive, Storytelling
About me
I have been passionate about tabletop role playing games for decades, both as a Dungeon Master running sessions, as a player, and as a writer. I write and publish independent tabletop adventures, wrote an official scenario for Paizo's Pathfinder Society Organized Play program, and write a Substack called Insight Check where I talk about tabletop systems and storytelling. My background is deeply rooted in supporting and mentoring young people. I worked for three years as a Special Education teacher for students with emotional and developmental disabilities. I have spent years volunteering in classrooms, assisting with high school drama productions, and serving as a Den Leader, Cub Master, and Assistant Scoutmaster in Scouting America. I continue to volunteer with Scouting America now that my child is grown. As a parent who regularly ran campaigns for scouts and my own family and friends, I know firsthand how valuable tabletop games are for helping kids build confidence, practice teamwork, and develop creative problem-solving skills in a safe environment. At my table, I focus on creating a welcoming, structured space where kids feel comfortable speaking up and working together. My goal is to guide players through fun, heroic adventures where everyone gets a fair share of the spotlight and leaves the session feeling capable and heroic.
View more →Reviews from parents (7)
Reviews from parents and guardians
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will need a desktop or laptop computer with a stable internet connection, as a computer screen makes it much easier to view both the video call and character sheet than a phone or tablet. A working microphone and webcam are required for table interaction and player safety. A relatively quiet space will also help your player focus, hear the story, and communicate clearly with their teammates. Only the three approved tools will be used. All messaging and coordination with guardians will take place directly through the StartPlaying website. The live game session will be run entirely on the Zoom link provided by StartPlaying. For character sheets and digital dice rolling, players will need a free D&D Beyond account. Before the session, please review the provided pre-generated character options and help your player pick their top two favorites. No rule reading, stat rolling, or book purchases are needed before we begin. Everything your adventurer needs to know will be taught step-by-step during the game. Sessions run 1.5 hours because 30 minutes is usually dedicated to check in, safety talks and debriefing. Each session is roughly 1 hour of active game time.
What Adam Wright brings to the table
I provide access to beginner-ready character sheets directly on D&D Beyond, along with clear visual aids, tactical encounter maps, and evocative creature art screen-shared over Zoom. Players do not need to buy rulebooks, accessories, or physical dice to participate. My GM style focuses on rich, engaging descriptions, clear storytelling, and an energetic, welcoming atmosphere that keeps kids immersed in the world. I strongly embrace the "Rule of Cool." If a player comes up with a clever or creative solution to a challenge, I will always try to find a way to let them try it rather than bogging down the table with rulebook technicalities. My approach is patient, encouraging, and structured. I ensure that every young adventurer gets an equal share of the spotlight, feels heard, and has the space to make decisions without feeling rushed. Mistakes are simply treated as exciting new directions for the story, and teamwork is rewarded.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Webcam
Platforms used
D&D Beyond
D&D Beyond is the official digital companion platform for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. It offers character building and management tools, content collection, navigation, and organization, and a suite of virtual tabletop tools like encounter builders, and maps in both 2D and 3D.
Zoom
Zoom is a videoconferencing software used for video and telecommunications around the world by businesses, governments, and of course, RPG groups! It's a simple, functional, and ubiquitous program for reliable video chat.
Safety
StartPlaying is committed to providing a safe and fun space for kids to break into roleplaying games with our team of professional Dungeon Masters.
Vetted Dungeon Masters
We review every Dungeon Master's application and require background checks for them to work with kids.
Reviews from parents
We require Dungeon Masters to submit at least 3 reviews from previous games they have run.
Recorded sessions
We record kids' sessions for safety and review. You can access recordings for up to 90 days after the session has run.
Identity Verification
Your Dungeon Master will verify each player's identity at the start of each session before letting you into the call.
Secure Payments
All payments are done through Stripe, one of the most secure payment processors in the world.
Dedicated Trust & Safety
Our team works to ensure that every player has a welcoming, safe, and fun experience. We are ready to assist if needed.
How Adam Wright creates a safe table
Player comfort and emotional safety are top priorities at my table. Before the session begins, guardians are welcome to message me on StartPlaying with any specific boundaries, fears, or topics their child wishes to avoid, ensuring table expectations are set before dice ever roll. At the start of the adventure, I introduce simple, kid-friendly communication signals. Players can raise a hand on camera or use the Zoom chat to pause the game, ask for content to change, or signal that they are enjoying the scene. If anything ever feels uncomfortable or overwhelming, we adjust the story immediately without question or fuss. To keep energy and focus high throughout our fast-paced 60-minute session, we take a scheduled 5-minute break at the halfway mark so kids can step away from the screen, grab water, and reset. At the end of the adventure, we spend our final minutes debriefing to celebrate each hero's coolest moments, wind down from the excitement, and make sure players log off feeling proud, supported, and energized.
Safety tools used
Additional tables
0 available
Frequently asked questions
$30.00
/ Session