Shelly Mazzanoble

Gather your party, it’s time to level up your parenting game!For years, millions of fans have looked to the beloved role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons for fun, friendship, and entertainment. And now parents and parents-to-be can use it to gain inspiration and how-to when it comes to their most challenging and rewarding role yet. Dungeon Masters are not just expert storytellers and arbiters of the rules, they’re compassionate, creative, quick-thinking leaders who embody the same traits that make a great parent.Where do you find an adventuring party who will have your back? What must-have starting equipment should you own before venturing into babyland? How does your gaming style reflect your parenting style? You don’t have to know how to be a Dungeon Master to master parenting—just think like one. Kids may not come with rulebooks, but now their parents do.

For many, the words “Dungeons & Dragons” conjure a fuzzy image, most likely of teenage boys in a dim basement hunched over a tabletop game. In Welcome to Dragon Talk, Shelly Mazzanoble, Greg Tito, and their surprising guests bring a different image into focus, offering: What if those boys were girls? Were famous actors? Were educators, therapists, and politicians? After nearly five decades, Dungeons & Dragons is more popular than ever and has drawn together a community that defies stereotypes. In this collection, the hosts of Dragon Talk, the official D&D podcast, recount some of the most inspiring stories from their guests. All use the core tenets of the game in their everyday life. Actor Joe Manganiello defends D&D by baring his soul (and his ripped abs). A teacher in a disadvantaged district in Houston, creates a D&D club that motivates students to want to read and think analytically. Writer and streamer Tanya DePass shows how D&D–inspired communication skills break barriers and empower people of color. Readers will see how D&D has given this disparate and growing community the inspiration to flourish in their careers and spread some of that in-game magic in real life—and how you can too.