D20 Questions: Viktor

D20 Questions:
Viktor

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• Life


• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5


• At the Tabletop


• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5


• Gaming Off the Table


• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5


• Beyond Gaming


• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5


• Outroduction

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Article Archive

Time for another D20 Questions!
Viktor is a jack of all trades running a one-man operation. He works as a writer, illustrator, editor, and more. A collegiate student from Poland, he broke into the tabletop scene in 2019 and is now looking to make his mark with a new 5e Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, Heart of Darkness.
The work Viktor has done continues to impress. On top of everything else, he’s been trying his hand at advertising. He launched a Kickstarter for his TTRPG product that’s currently 80% funded with 16 days to go. He’s eyeing stretch goals now, including a published version of his world in website form. You can add web page designer to the list as well.
Viktor's Itch.io includes a visual horror novel (unfinished, but well-received), a 5e ranger subclass, a 40-page bestiary, and Black Lillies, a 10-page adventure set in the Heart of Darkness setting.

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In this series, we pick a member of Stonehome Games or the wider community and ask them random questions based on the roll of a die. The goal? To offer a closer look at some of your favorite creators and ask them things they might not hear anywhere else. It’s a fun way to connect with our peers and learn something new about the people shaping the spaces we love.
For this third installment, we’re excited to bring you the complete interview. Now, let’s roll some dice and get started.

How it Works

Before the interview, our guest rolled a d20 twenty times to determine the questions, divided into four categories: Life, At the Tabletop, Gaming Off the Table, and Beyond Gaming. Rolls of 20 let the guest ask us a question, and rolling a double in the same category activates the Weighted Die, where we choose a question that isn’t on the list. We go through all the questions in order, with follow-ups as needed.

Full List of Questions

Life

Tabletop Gaming

What do you do for a living? Do you have any animals or pets? What’s a game or activity you enjoy most with friends or family? What have your convention experiences been like? What’s a small joy that always makes you smile? Can you share a moment when bravery really mattered to you? What’s a personal goal or milestone you’re proud of achieving? Have you ever had an experience you couldn’t explain? If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why? What would your ideal day look like? Is there a cause or charity that’s close to your heart? Can you tell us about a time that really scared you? Where do you go when you need comfort or quiet? Are you more introverted or extroverted? What’s a skill you’d like to learn? What’s something most people don’t know about you? What’s an item on your bucket list? What’s a moment in your life that still makes you laugh? What’s a trait or quality you love about yourself? Where do you see yourself in ten years?

What kinds of characters do you find yourself playing the most? Do you have a favorite system or one you prefer to run or play in? What’s your go-to in-game item? How about out-of-game essentials? How many dice do you own, and do you have a favorite set? What’s your favorite spell to cast? What feat or ability is an absolute must-have for you? Do you have a favorite creature or monster? What’s your favorite genre of tabletop stories or campaigns? Have you ever felt genuinely scared at the table? How do you feel about solo TTRPGs? What’s a GMing mistake you learned from? What’s a mechanic or rule that stands out to you? Do you use any house rules? If so, what’s your favorite? What was your first experience with TTRPGs like? What do you appreciate most in the people you play with? Has technology made your gaming experiences better? How? Do you have a character or idea you’ve never gotten to play? What’s a character death that still sticks with you? What’s the best advice you’d give to someone new to TTRPGs? What’s a moment at the table you’ll never forget?

Gaming Off the Table

Beyond Gaming

What first got you into gaming? Do you have a favorite board game? What’s your favorite video game or series? What’s the gaming triumph you’ve more recently achieved? What’s a retro game or system you love? What’s your favorite genre of video games? Have you ever had a game make you cry? Do you prefer mouse and keyboard or controller? How do you feel about esports? What’s the most challenging game you’ve completed? What’s a phone game you find yourself playing often? How do you feel about virtual reality gaming? Have you ever played a game that completely surprised you? What’s a gaming moment you’ve shared with someone else that stands out? Do you have a dream game concept you wish existed? If you could step into the world of a game, which one would it be? Do you have a gaming setup you’re proud of? What’s your favorite tabletop or digital card game? What’s a game you always recommend to others? How do you balance gaming with your other hobbies?

What’s a hobby you enjoy outside of gaming? Are you a sports fan? If so, what’s your favorite team or game? What’s your favorite movie or show soundtrack? What kind of music do you love? Do you have a favorite book or author? What’s a creative project you’re most proud of? What’s a skill or craft you’ve always wanted to try? Do you have any collections you’re passionate about? How do you discover new hobbies or interests? What’s an activity you’ve tried that was outside your comfort zone? What’s the kindest feedback you’ve ever received about your work? What’s your favorite way to relax? Can you play any instruments? Do you have a story or memory that always inspires you? What’s your go-to way to connect with others outside of gaming? What’s a movie or show that deeply impacted you? Is there a creative medium you’d love to explore further? What’s a place you’ve been to that you’ll never forget? Who’s an artist, writer, or creator that inspires you? What’s a hobby or activity you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet?

Table of Contents

• Life
• At the Tabletop
• Gaming Off the Table
• Beyond Gaming
• Outroduction

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Heart of Darkness Kickstarter Link

Check out the Heart of Darkness Kickstarter, live until June 1st, 2025!

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Viktor Links

• Itch.io
• Bluesky
• Kickstarter
• Ivory Court Discord Server

Life

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Critical Hit Question

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Viktor

What’s your backstory? How did you guys get into TTRPGs?

Chuck

The two of us and a couple of coworkers started a game 2002/2003, I think it was a 3.0 dnd homebrew of the Forgotten Realms with Drew as DM, who had been playing since second edition. The events and characters of that game would be the seed that would become Dromaria. As far as the group, we never really stopped playing. It might not always be in Dromaria, but we still get together every week or so to roll some dice.

What have your convention experiences been like?

Viktor

My first con experience was probably my favorite. Back in middle school – it was a small anime con around Christmas time. I went with two of my classmates. I was only getting into anime at the time, and stopped watching it soon afterwards, so I was mostly there to see what a con was like. We ended up roaming it for over 10 hours. It was a great time overall. In recent years, I feel like each subsequent con feels a lot less magical than those first ones, where everything felt very new.

Viktor's work, proudly made in Poland.

What are your art and writing inspirations?

Viktor

I definitely draw a lot from games and movies, I won’t deny that. But I also think that when you’re writing, especially fantasy, it’s best to find your own sources of inspiration in the real world – if you only reiterate ideas from other works without knowing their inspirations, you can only ever end up with a less interesting final product. I think a lot of what I learn in university as a student of culture bleeds into my worldbuilding in very interesting ways. Oftentimes during lectures, I get that thought, "This would make for a great TTRPG adventure, I need to research this more,” and then I learn a lot along the way.

What’s a skill you’d like to learn?

Viktor

Since I’ve made some music for my projects before, I would really love to improve those skills by learning at least one actual instrument. My sister played the piano when we were kids, but I was always too impatient to even learn to read sheet music. I’ve since researched a lot of theory, but I still can’t actually play, so that would be nice.

What’s a moment in your life that still makes you laugh?

Viktor

Not a single moment, just something that seems to happen consistently. So many people seem to have a misconception that my projects are made by a team. Sometimes people give me shoutouts and describe me in plurals, or approach me to ask about my work, assuming that I’m representing a team. The truth is that I work alone – writing, art, layout, music, anything I need for a project – I’ve picked up plenty of skills along the way. I’m flattered whenever people make that mistake.

Heart of Darkness Kickstarter Reward Tiers

Heart of Darkness Stretch Goals

At the Tabletop

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What feat or ability is an absolute must-have for you?

Viktor

Not any specific ability, but spellcasting for sure. I don’t think I’ve ever played a non-spellcaster, and the few times I started out as a martial class, it was always just a first level dip to make the magic come in during the campaign. My favorites are clerics, sorcerers, and warlocks – I’m very consistent in that regard. Lately, I’ve been really leaning into divine characters, since they offer so much interesting flavor depending on the domain, alignment, and goals of their deities. Especially when serving an evil deity whose goals go against those of the party, that’s my favorite archetype for sure.

Has technology made your gaming experiences better? How?

Viktor

I don’t have a point of comparison since I’ve only been in the hobby for a few years. But I do think that some innovations, like VTTs or online tools for character creation and worldbuilding, are generally positive. Personally, I still prefer playing and running in-person games, though, with printed out character sheets and physical rulebooks.

What was your first experience with TTRPGs like?

Viktor

Terrible, to be honest. It was on a Discord server, I think in 2019. We got a group of people who have never played DnD but wanted to, and one guy with some prior experience, who begrudgingly agreed to DM for us. It went about as expected – we had no guidance or help with character creation, so I read the Player’s Handbook and taught the rules to the other players. The DM was clearly not having a good time either. It fell apart after two or three sessions, and then I decided to run Curse of Strahd as my first campaign (it lasted much longer, at least).

Do you have a favorite creature or monster?

Viktor

Not in DnD necessarily, but I absolutely love vampire fiction – from the folklore, to 19th century literature, to modern reimaginings throughout movies, TV shows, and games. I’ve wanted to play Vampire: The Masquerade for a while, but I could never get a group together for it.

Do you have a favorite system or one you prefer to run or play in?

Viktor

I actually do, and I wish I got to run more games in it or write more homebrew for it. The system is called Bludgeon. It’s a tactical, grid-based, modular TTRPG system being developed by a group of RPG fans from India. I really hope it gets the recognition it deserves once it’s finished. I had a lot of fun in it both as a player and a BM (Bludgeon Master™).

Concept art for a cleric subclass.
Follow Viktor's Bluesky for more info.

Bludgeon TTRPG System

Gaming Off the Table

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Do you have a favorite board game?

Viktor

I’d like to say I have a favorite, but to be honest I really enjoy whatever we play with my main in-person DnD group, even if it’s the simpler games. I think ultimately, most of my enjoyment of board games, TTRPGs, or video games comes from being able to hang out with friends and have a good time.

How do you feel about esports?

Viktor

The same way I feel about physical sports, I guess – I don’t personally engage with either.

What’s the most challenging game you’ve completed?

Viktor

I don’t get to play as often as I’d like, so I wish I could say Elden Ring, but I’m still not even done with it. In that case, I suppose Witcher 3 and both its DLCs would be the hardest game(s) I’ve completed, though I wouldn’t consider them particularly hard.

Weighted Die Question

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Viktor

Dream team: If you could collaborate with anyone in the gaming world, no limits, who’s your pick?

I don’t have any single creator in mind. And rather than one person, I would love to find a group of like-minded TTRPG creators to collaborate with on multiple projects over time and uplift each other. Even though I’ve always worked as a solo creator, I really like the idea of working with a team and definitely want to try it eventually.

What’s a game you always recommend to others?

Viktor

I have a list of games from my pre-teen years that have kind of just stayed with me because of how much they resonated with me and still influence my work in a lot of ways. If I had to pick a few: the Outlast series, Alice: Madness Returns, and Neverending Nightmares would definitely be high on that list as major influences. I didn’t actually play them back then, only watched them on YouTube, since I didn’t have the means to game. So coming back to them and playing them years later felt very nostalgic, and made me appreciate them even more in some cases.

Viktor's Picks

Outlast by Red Barrels

Neverending Nightmares by Infinitap Games

Alice Madness Returns by Spicy Horse

Beyond Gaming

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Do you have a favorite book or author?

Viktor

I’m not sure if it’s a favorite, but I recently read the new Witcher novel by Andrzej Sapkowski – Rozdroże Kruków (Crossroads of Ravens). I hadn’t read any of his other books before that, so it was interesting seeing the differences and similarities with the game adaptations. I think it’s coming out in English later this year, so I’m curious what foreign audiences will think about it. I personally really enjoyed it.

Do you have a story or memory that always inspires you?

Viktor

Not any single one I can remember, but it’s definitely a mix of memories from the early years of my creative work. When I first started publishing my writing and art, I really didn’t expect it to resonate with people as much as it did. Seeing people be invested in my work, speculating on what will happen next, or just commenting about how it made them feel, was so incredibly rewarding for me. I don’t think I would be publishing anything if it weren’t for that initial positive feedback, which I’m still very grateful for.

What’s an activity you’ve tried that was outside your comfort zone?

Viktor

I’ve learned it the hard way, but I’m allergic to outdoor activities. The final nail in the coffin was when my high school, which was full of rich kids, offered us a sailing trip as a fun way to get to know each other. I was on the fence about it, but I was also 15, and my mom thought that it would be a great way to get to know my new classmates better.
It was terrible, most people got seasick on the first day after a huge storm, and those who didn’t were mocking us throughout the whole trip. Plus, we were doing all the physical labor around the ship; it was extremely exhausting, and I have no idea why anyone was having a good time outside of trauma bonding, I guess. So yeah, I’m never setting foot on a ship ever again.

What’s your go-to way to connect with others outside of gaming?

Viktor

Weirdly enough, all of my friends and contacts seem to come about either through my work or as a result of sheer accident. I think it’s best that way, it keeps things interesting

Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski

Critical Hit Question

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Viktor

What are your favorite things to do outside of TTRPGs? Any interesting hobbies?

Chuck

We enjoy playing board/card/video games. Drew has been playing Sunderfolk and BG3 while I am making my way through my first FFX playthrough. We are both big book fans, though we spend more time writing than reading these days. We used to be regular bowlers, but haven't done that in many years now. We both enjoy being outdoors, but rarely find the time to actually do it.

Outroduction

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Before we pack up our dice, what quest are you on that the world should know about?

Viktor

My dark fantasy open world campaign book for DnD 5e is out on Kickstarter now! If we meet and exceed the funding goal, I’ll have the funds and support necessary to continue focusing on my TTRPG work and expand my setting with more adventures and its own website, much like Dromaria! I hope you’ll help me make that dream a reality by backing the Kickstarter!

Thank You

Our appreciation to Viktor for taking the time to do this. We’re excited to see more Heart of Darkness and your many other projects in the future!
And a special thanks to you, the readers. We have several artists and creators in mind and look forward to featuring more soon. If you’d like to be our next guest, don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Interview Conducted by Chuck & Drew
Viktor's Avatar and Heart of Darkness art by Viktor.