Level Up Your Free Time: 28 Hobbies for Fantasy & RPG Fans

Bored? Can’t think of a hobby that is not reading, Netflix or video games? Still want those fantasy-adventurer-protagonist vibes? Here are some fun hobbies for fantasy fans and RPG nerds to check out before logging into Steam, or picking up that same book series again (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

The Innkeeper (brewing & cooking)

After a long, hard day of slaying (or hanging out with) dragons, there’s nothing more inviting than the cozy warmth of an inn. The fire crackling in the fireplace, the smell of freshly baked bread, the laughter of people. A place to rest and recoup. All this wouldn’t be possible without the heart of the inn, the friendly innkeeper.

Cozy, right? Someone should fix those chairs though.

Brew your own beer, wine or mead

• .. or if you’re a bit of a hipster, kombucha!

Taste some potions

Mix your own herbal teas

• If you’re not into growing or foraging your own herbs, go to your local mage shop (or health store) and buy some of your favorites. A quick consulting the Google lore will give you an idea of different herb benefits… and warnings.

Taste different types of tea or coffee

• Not into herbs? Look into different kinds of tea and/or coffee. Create a relaxing morning or afternoon routine with a new beverage (you know, a save point for the weary traveler). Miss the smell of campfire? Lapsang souchong.

Bake bread

• for the patient innkeeper, sourdough is a classic
• in a hurry? try buns or crispbread

Nerdy cooking

• Start with classic LOTR recipes for halflings and elves alike.
• Try out some recipes from The Witcher books, games and the TV-series: Witcher Kitchen
• Some fantasy/RPG-esque cookbooks you might like: The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook , Heroes’ Feast (Dungeons & Dragons): The Official D&D Cookbook and Cooking for Wizards, Warriors and Dragons

Host a feast

• Made some delicious treats? Share your cooking with friends! Perfect for game nights and movie marathons.
• No friends? No problem! More food for you, and a nice idea: match your cooking to a book you’re reading. Immersion.

The Smith (building & making cool stuff)

An adventurer without proper gear is a sad (or dead!) adventurer. Whether your choice is a full set of armor with a heavy sword, or a pair of light daggers, the smith has what you need. The smith also provides the village with practical and beautiful objects (also known as “loot” to the sticky-handed rogues). Smithing is one one of the most perfect hobbies for fantasy fans; there are so many RPG-esque things to make!

AI went: “oh, a smithy! Throw in some iron and fire… perfect!”

Dioramas and miniatures

• dioramas are a small scale model of a scene, miniatures are… well, miniatures (yeah I can hear you yelling “thanks, Sherlock!” through the screen)
• if you’re a smith, I have one resource for you: Nerdforge. Whatever nerdy-rpg-inspired stuff you want to build, they’ve probably done it (and it’s 100% EPIC)

Blacksmithing or silversmithing

• blacksmithing gear is expensive and requires space; try a course or other training first if you’re not sure if it’s the right thing for you
• the same can be said for silversmithing, although it’s a bit “smaller scale” than blacksmithing

Leather crafting

• generally cheaper than smithing, a lot of great adventurer gear can be made with leather!
• here’s a great beginner video, and ideas: leather wallet, foldable foraging bag
• tip: you can find cheap old leather stuff second hand that you can repurpose

Build or re-use furniture

• give your IKEA stuff a makeover (example: little extra something for your Malm)
• find old furniture for cheap and flip it either to match your own style or for re-selling
• …or build your own from scratch if woodworking is your thing!

The Adventurer (exploring the outdoors)

The smell of a forest after rain, soft dirt under your feet, orange sunrise inviting you to another day… finding new things to look at, a great view to enjoy your sandwich with. No timetables, no hurry. Just you, the moment, and a vast world to explore. The life of an adventurer.

These AI paintings are great. If you don’t look at them for more than a second. Those shoes are looong.

Make a (fantasy) map

• Make a map online: the free version of Inkarnate has enough features for a beginner map maker, and is easy to use

• If you’d rather draw by hand, How to Draw a Fantasy Map is an awesome Youtube series for starting

Geocaching

• It’s on every adventurer’s list for a reason. Treasure and adventure!

Metal detecting stuff

• I have no idea how this stuff works so here’s a link to some tips

Exploring abandoned buildings

• one tip above all: be careful! abandoned buildings can and will be hazardous, so… as much as I hate to say this: caution before adventure.

More outdoor activities for adventurers in this post.

The Mage Scholar (Writing & paper-y stuff)

Stacks of scrolls, ink-stained fingers, dusty tomes with hidden lore. They know that knowledge is power, and their spellbook is never finished. Whether deciphering ancient runes, experimenting with arcane formulas, the Scholar Mage thrives on curiosity.

I named this piece “Piles of Fire Hazard”.

Bookbinding

• mages LOVE big ol’ tomes. Blank books you find in stores are often plain and way too thin. So make your own tomes! These (link) can hold a lot of magic stuff in them.

Keep a journal

• Those mage novices giving you a headache? Unburden your mind by writing your troubles on paper.

• a journal can also be a themed one. A wizards spell crafting journal. The journal of your RPG character, or their owl bear pet.

Write letters

• To a friend. To your grandma. Writing letters might feel weird in this smartphone & online era, but it’s fun, I promise.

• You could also write a story by letter; write a few sentences and let your pen pal friend continue. Exchange letters until the story is finished.

• Or make up characters with your writing buddy and write to each other as said characters. Letter-RPG.

Learn astronomy or astrology

• these were grouped together until about the 1700’s, so if you’re an open minded mage, study both

The Rogue (Questionable stuff)

The comfort of shadows and the thrill of moving unseen… Quick fingers, sharp eyes, and an instinct for trouble. Rogue, the master of mischief, thrives on being one step ahead of everyone else. Oh, and shiny things. That are not yours (yet).

As long as you keep AI from drawing faces and fingers, these images are ALMOST okay.

Lockpicking

• The one and only LockPickingLawyer is your guide to locks, and several guides can be found on Google I mean in The Great Lore Library

• … please don’t actually break into people’s stuff, that’s a d-bag move and heavily discouraged by this blog. And your local law enforcement.

Study human behavior

• this species is interesting.
• for a rogue, things like how to persuade someone and generally the art of persuasion might be interesting

Card magic/close-up magic (sleight of hand)

• start with the easiest card trick and then go into the endless YouTube pit of card magic

• this could be a job for the bard too, so you can swipe pockets at the meantime (again… don’t..), but the nature of fooling people makes this great for the rogue as well

Parkour and freerunning

• very handy if you’re a rogue with sticky hands but have absolutely no luck pickpocketing (apologies to my BG3 multiplayer group)
• parkour is a great physical activity combining running with gymnastics – but also dangerous if not done properly, so start small

The Bard

Words can cut deeper than swords, but also lift you up. The Bard’s greatest power is their gift for connection – and what better way to connect than with song and dance. They turn moments into memories, chaos into rhythm, and strangers into friends. With a sprinkle or two of absolute randomness.

Learn an instrument

• If you want to keep this very fantasy-rpg-esque: flute (tin whistle, recorder) and lyre are easy to start with
• if you’re feeling batshit crazy brave, lute. And let’s not forget the hurdy-gurdy!

Juggling

• Human + ball = fun. Human + multiple balls = a blast. And I do mean juggling

Storytelling

Learn to motivate people

• Here’s a nice article on how to motivate someone

• after all, that’s what’s at the core of the bard

The Sidequester (random stuff)

OH! a Very Important main questline! better go and do everything but the main questline. And then spend a good amount of time wandering around, picking herbs and exploring the environment. And try whatever weird thought pops into your head just to find out what happens. Sounds familiar? You might be a Sidequester.

No, you don’t get a picture ’cause I don’t know what the heck you’re doing.

Juggling

• an activity previously reserved for bards, but will suit a sidequester perfectly, since you’re already juggling a million things on your adventure

Whittling

• It’s not that you’ve got better things to do, right?

Mooing

• As in, imitating cow sounds

• more of a rooster kinda person? here’s a sample

That concludes our list of hobbies for fantasy fans. Did you find a class for yourself or got a RPG-themed hobby that I didn’t mention? I’d love to hear it, I’m always looking for new things to try out! (and obviously, sharing those with others).