Wisconsin Adventures

2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the Wisconsin-born, world-famous tabletop roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons. Celebrate learning through role-playing with gaming modules created just for Wisconsin!
Wisconsin Adventures: Dreams & Nightmares
Put on your best half-plate, prep your spell book and pack your rope, adventurer, it's time to roll your D20 through the scenarios of this NEW game.

Welcome to a new way of learning!
Wisconsin Adventures combines Wisconsin’s history and legends with the deep learning opportunities at the heart of fantasy role-playing games.
The circus is in town! A town beset by unknown forces, horrifying creatures rising from the depths, farmers under siege, a watery quest for true love, and more.
Wisconsin Adventures: Dreams & Nightmares welcomes you to Barribault!
Within each adventure, players interact with Wisconsin mythology and explore recognizable locations. The history, geography, and setting of each is provided, as well as a complete list of Wisconsin Academic Standards that can be met within the structure of role-playing games.
Dreams & Nightmares is designed to take your players from levels 5-8.
Relax in Wisconsin! Where fiends and nature meet…
Available now!Special Event
Wisconsin Adventures: Dreams & Nightmares Roleplaying in Wisconsin History
Horticultural Hall • Lake Geneva, WI
Sunday April 27, 2025 | 10 AM - 4 PM
Get your character sheet and pull out your best D20—you're going to need them for this Wisconsin-themed, 50th anniversary D&D adventure.
The Wisconsin Historical Society will introduce the game with a brief presentation on the history of Dungeons & Dragons. But the fun really starts afterwards with the 4-hour gaming experience.
Not an avid role player? Not a problem! Spectators can join in on the fun, too. Although the session might be nail-biting to watch, you won’t have to make any Constitution saving throws... but the party wizard casting Hold Person on a Badger State cryptid might.
Learn More
Wisconsin Adventures: Myths & Legends
The fun doesn't end with just one module! Wisconsin Adventures: Myths & Legends explores history and learning with more scenarios to test your dexterity and insight in this first game.
A Knight at the Museum
A knight has gone missing! Bell the Crazed vowed to find the village of Wade’s missing citizens, but she hasn’t been seen since entering the swamp! Will the heroes brave the swamp and face the evil in the ancient ruins of the museum?
The Hunt for the Hodag
A small village is plagued by a mystical creature that only comes out at night and slaughters their livestock. Worse, the forest around them has begun growing darker, with fell creatures everywhere
The Beast of Bray Road
Wade of Wade’s Inn has been missing for months, and terrible creatures stalk the town of Oxblood.
Myths & Legends Merchandise!
Take the game home with you and support history with dice, digital map downloads, and more!
Are you an educator? Get your educator bundle and save!
Shop CollectionThe History of the Game
Did you know that this groundbreaking tabletop fantasy game originated in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin? Co-creators Gary Gygax (Wisconsin) and Dave Arneson (Minnesota) and their cohorts developed D&D incrementally over several years, and Gygax’s company, Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) published the game rules in January 1974. D&D, which allows players to inhabit characters who journey through worlds of magic and mystery, is considered the first modern role playing game (RPG). Players work together to defeat monsters and win treasure, as they strive to overcome challenges laid out for them by a Dungeon Master (or DM).
In its 50 years D&D has grown from a niche hobby played by a handful of war gamers into a worldwide phenomenon played by an estimated 50 million people!
The Wisconsin Historical Society has an ambitious effort underway to collect meaningful D&D artifacts and oral histories to help share the stories of the game that has brought so many people together.
Explore the Collection
Collectors edition white box set of original D&D module published by TSR Hobbies Inc., Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, 1977. This example is from the sixth printing of the game first published in 1974. WHM object F2023.52.1a-f



Wisconsin Content and Standards
Within each adventure players will interact with characters inspired by historical figures, Wisconsin mythology, and actual locations. The historic background of each is provided at the end of the module, as well as an extensive list of English/Language Arts and Social Studies standards that can be met within the structure of the game.
Compatibility: This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
For more information on Wisconsin Adventures, please contact Kurt Griesemer | [email protected]