Plenty of teachers around Edmond Memorial High School have hidden gems of hobbies/side jobs, and Brook Bullock, the Senior Advanced Placement (AP) Literature teacher, is one of them. Bullock, for many years, has been working as a podcaster in a series called “Red Dirt DnD” that follows the reenactment and game play of the Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) board game. 

“Michael Cross [an NPR morning host] and a friend wanted to do a podcast. They put out a call for tryouts, and I thought ‘that’s completely ridiculous and fun,’” Bullock said. “I put my name in the hat, they narrowed it down to twelve applicants to sit around the table and play, and I happened to be one of the selected.”

The game DnD became popular among roleplayers and fantasy-lovers in the 1970s to use as a fun and playful way to escape reality. Bullock claims to have been an “old school nerd” in the 80s, throughout high school and college years, with an obsession for this game. When entering adulthood, Bullock put aside this hobby until recently when given this opportunity to play on a podcast.

“There’s this big resurgence with Game of Thrones or Skyrim and others, and DnD is basically the original fantasy where players can gather around a table,” Bullock said. “If you like adventure movies, or have a little bit of an actor in you, then DnD is a ton of fun.”

“Red Dirt DnD,” with 65 episodes up to date, is packed full with creative/fantasy content combined with the stereotypical Wild West setting and adventures. The story follows four adventurers (Bullock playing as the Mak’ren Stoneshaper in most) that explore and face challenges in the fictional world of Ka’alban Frontier. Each episode (roughly 40 minutes long) marks a new adventure and conflict for the four adventurers as Bullock and his other co-stars play DnD around the table. DnD allows for each player to make decisions to alter the game’s path but requires a 20-sided dice to add an element of surprise and chance. 

“There are five people involved, all of them with professional jobs outside of this, so we pick one day a month to record for five hours that get broken down into four episodes [one for each week],” Bullock said. “The Dungeon Master [or game master] gives us a scenario and we have to ask: what is your character going to do? And for spontaneity and rules, that is where the dice comes in.”

As DnD and fantasy become increasingly popular once again through modern TV shows, movies and videogames, Bullock is pleased to see his own students enjoying not only his involvement in the Red Dirt DnD podcast but also enjoying the game for themselves. Students around the school had teamed up with English IV teacher, Melanie Stephens, a couple years ago to turn their love of fantasy/improvisation into a school club. The club has roughly three or four DnD tables playing at a time every other Thursday during tutorial. 

“That has been tons of fun for me,” Bullock said. “Seeing people take a break from reality, pretend in a positive way, and just have fun.”

Tune in to all episodes of Red Dirt DnD on platforms including Spotify, Google, Apple and Stitcher or join live streams on Twitch every Tuesday at 6:30 pm CST. 

Contact Avery Hamlin at [email protected]