Grimwald Darkstone

Forever DM who has been running the same campaign for eleven years and has accepted that it will never end.

45 articles

Writes for The Dungeon Delver's Digest

Joined February 10, 2026

Articles by Grimwald Darkstone

Skeleton Employee Files Grievance Over Lack of Break Room Chairs With Lumbar Support

The undead archer, who has been standing in a corridor alcove for four years without rest, argues that his spine -- literally all he has -- deserves ergonomic accommodation.

Party's Bard Insists on Narrating Combat in Real Time, Adds Average of 90 Minutes Per Encounter

The bard's insistence on composing and performing a rhyming couplet for every attack, parry, and critical miss has led three party members to request a 'no-narration clause' in the party charter.

NPC Tavern Keeper Develops Existential Crisis After Giving Same Speech for 4,000th Time

The barkeep, who has directed adventurers to 'speak with the old hermit on the hill' approximately 4,000 times, has begun questioning whether the old hermit on the hill is even real.

Dungeon Contractor Sued After Load-Bearing Pillar Turns Out to Be Decorative

The collapse of Sublevel 4 of the Crimson Crypts has been attributed to a contractor who installed cosmetic pillars instead of structural ones, citing 'budget constraints and the fact that nobody checks.'

Wizard's Spell Slot Management Compared to 'Nightmare Spreadsheet' by Party Members

The wizard's insistence on optimizing every spell slot has added an average of 45 minutes to each combat encounter as she consults a hand-drawn matrix before casting anything.

Tavern Notice Board Lists 47 Active Quests, Zero of Which Pay a Living Wage

Adventurers' union representatives have condemned the postings, which offer 'exposure, experience, and the gratitude of a village' as compensation for dragon slaying.

Gelatinous Cube Promoted to Middle Management, Absorbs Three Direct Reports

The dungeon's HR department insists the promotions were 'merit-based' despite the new manager having literally dissolved the other candidates during the interview process.

Rogue's Resume Lists 'Disarmed 200+ Traps' Without Mentioning the 43 That Went Off

A background check by the Adventurers' Guild reveals that the applicant's 82 percent success rate, while technically accurate, resulted in seven party members being poisoned, four being impaled, and one being launched into a ceiling.

Retired Dungeon Boss Opens Bed and Breakfast, Guests Complain About Involuntary Boss Fights at Check-In

The former dragon has been deducted three stars on TripAdvisor after guests reported 'an unprompted fire-breathing incident during the complimentary breakfast.'

Mimic Therapy Group Helps Treasure Chests Process Feelings of Being Punched Open by Strangers

The support group, held weekly in a cleared storage room, has helped dozens of mimics cope with the trauma of being 'reduced to a loot delivery mechanism' by adventuring parties.

Adventurer Insurance Claim Denied After Party 'Voluntarily Entered Room Clearly Labeled CERTAIN DEATH'

The insurer cited the 47-foot-tall sign reading 'CERTAIN DEATH BEYOND THIS POINT' as evidence that the party 'assumed the risk with remarkable enthusiasm.'

Trap Designer's Portfolio Review Goes Poorly After Every Sample Activates During the Presentation

The aspiring dungeon architect's presentation of twelve trap designs was cut short after the spring-loaded dart mechanism in Slide 4 actually fired darts, injuring two panelists and a potted fern.

Monster Union Demands Better Working Conditions, Threatens to Strike During Peak Adventuring Season

The Brotherhood of Dungeon Denizens has cited 'unsustainable casualty rates, zero health benefits, and a complete absence of break rooms' in their list of grievances against dungeon management.

Dungeon Health and Safety Inspector Shuts Down Lich's Lair for 47 Code Violations

The violations include inadequate egress signage, unlicensed use of necrotic energy, and a load-bearing wall that is 'visibly composed of screaming souls, which is not an approved building material.'

Loot Distribution Argument Enters Third Day as Cleric Insists 'Need Before Greed' Applies to Gold Coins

The party has been camped outside the Dragon's Treasury since Tuesday, unable to divide 4,200 gold pieces among five adventurers because the cleric claims to 'need all of it for temple renovation.'

Dungeon WiFi Password Turns Out to Be Final Boss's True Name

Adventurers who crack WPA3 encryption bypass all encounters directly to treasure room.

Healing Potion Recall After Side Effects Include Turning Blue

Batch 7B restored hit points but permanently altered skin pigmentation to vivid cobalt.

Rogue Fails Stealth Check So Badly the Next Dungeon Over Hears It

Unprecedented natural one causes chain reaction of awareness across three underground complexes.

Dragon Complains About Adventurers Not Respecting Visiting Hours

Ancient wyrm posts appointment sign; adventurers continue showing up unannounced at 3 AM.

Enchanted Sword Requests Transfer to Different Adventurer

Sentient weapon files formal grievance about wielder's frankly embarrassing combat technique.

Party Wipe Blamed on Bard Who Narrated Every Action

Sole survivor confirms bard spent three rounds describing his sword draw before combat began.

Necromancer Creates Hostile Work Environment by Raising Dead Coworkers

HR investigation reveals undead employees were not consulted about their return to the workforce.

Dungeon Architect Wins Award for Most Unnecessarily Complex Door

Fourteen-step puzzle door requires aligning moons, solving riddles, and performing a specific dance.

Treasure Chest Contents Worth Less Than the Chest Itself

Party defeats three trolls and a hydra to claim chest containing four copper pieces and a used candle.

Insurance Claim Denied After Policy Excludes Acts of Lich

Fine print in standard adventuring policy reveals comprehensive list of excluded supernatural perils.

Level One Slime Promoted to Final Boss After Outstanding Review

Former entry-level ooze credited with TPK rate of 73%, shattering expectations for introductory encounters.

Monster Union Votes to Strike Over Unpaid Overtime

Goblins, skeletons, and one beholder demand compensation for adventuring parties that take too long.

Trap Designer Union Demands Royalties After Solution Posted Online

Viral walkthrough video reveals pressure plate sequence, rendering elaborate puzzle worthless overnight.

Mimic Support Group Reports Record Attendance After Identity Crisis Epidemic

Chest-shaped monsters struggle with existential questions about whether they chose to be furniture.

Dungeon Health Inspector Shuts Down Level Three Over Mold Concerns

Adventurers forced to skip directly to Level Four after failed inspection cites 47 violations.

Online Session's Audio Issues Cause Cleric To Accidentally Banish Party Member Instead Of Demon

Three seconds of mic cutting out turned 'I banish the demon' into 'I banish the' followed by the fighter's name being the next audible word

Party's Alignment Chart For Ordering Pizza More Contentious Than Any In-Game Moral Dilemma

Lawful good insists on one large with agreed toppings; chaotic evil suggests everyone order separately from different restaurants

Nat 20 On Persuasion Check Does Not, In Fact, Let You Convince The Dragon You're Its Mother

DM's explanation that 'a 20 is the best possible outcome, not a reality-altering event' met with table-wide disappointment

Player Creates Elaborate Character Voice That Group Cannot Understand

Scottish-dwarven accent practiced for two months renders all in-character dialogue unintelligible to four of five players

DM's Carefully Balanced Encounter Destroyed In One Round By Spell He Forgot Existed

Three weeks of encounter design rendered irrelevant by a 2nd-level spell from a sourcebook the DM does not own

Dice Goblin's Collection Now Exceeds Weight Of Actual Goblin

237 polyhedral dice sets stored in a custom display case that cost more than every other piece of gaming equipment combined

Man Who Said 'It's What My Character Would Do' No Longer Has Character Or Friends At Table

Chaotic neutral rogue's decision to steal from party members defended as immersive roleplay by exactly one person

Party Spends Entire Session In Tavern Despite Dungeon Being Right There

DM prepared a five-room dungeon with three puzzles and a boss fight; party interrogated the bartender about ale prices for four hours

Player's Backstory Longer Than Published Adventure Module It Was Written For

Twelve-page tragic origin for level 1 rogue includes three wars, two prophecies, and a secret identity that the DM did not ask for

Bard Player Insists On Singing In Character, Cannot Sing

DM rules that performance check succeeds despite table-wide evidence to the contrary

Miniature Painting Backlog Now Qualifies As Archaeological Site

Carbon dating not required but helpful for determining which Kickstarter the oldest unpainted goblin came from

Rules Lawyer's 47-Minute Argument About Opportunity Attacks Ruins Birthday Session

DM prepared a surprise dungeon for the birthday player; surprise was ruined by debate over whether a gelatinous cube has a 'reach'

Player Processing Character Death Goes Through All Five Stages Of Grief In Real Time At Table

Barbarian with 7 hit points who charged a dragon alone is mourned with intensity typically reserved for actual loss

Group's Scheduling Conflict Now Longer Than Actual Campaign

Eight months of Doodle polls, group texts, and calendar negotiations have produced three sessions totaling nine hours of play

Forever DM Hasn't Played A Character In Six Years, Claims He 'Prefers It This Way'

Man who has run 312 sessions for five different groups insists he does not miss rolling a d20 from the other side of the screen