I'm back, after... How many years?

[Ibyys]

I wouldn't be shocked if the story's old hat by now, but after poking around, I'm glad to see things more or less the same as how they were when I went inactive - new faces doing new things in the same old building. It's been very nostalgic looking through the different sections and seeing threads from 10 or more years ago - even if I am left cringing by some (most (all)) of my own writing from back then.

I'm still a sucker for fantasy of all kinds, same as I always was, but as problematic as it is sometimes, I view D&D as my home turf these days. Besides my first forays into worldbuilding on RPA so many years ago, Faerun is the place I really learned how to craft a setting and a story, and I still play weekly with a group I've been lucky enough to game with for the last 4-5 years.

I'd love to get a roleplay started again - I promise that I'm much better now than I was - or just strike up conversation and meet new people! I can't guarantee I'll check the site religiously, but I'm pretty sure I'll at least get emails about thread replies. If I go quiet again, feel free to shoot me a private message, I know I'll get an email about those.

It's good to be back!

[V]

Hi Ibyys

Welcome back, I think we're all like that reading our old posts. I know I certainly am

Hope to see you about more

[Hannelorian]

Welcome back!

[Kiki]

HELLO! Welcome back!!! It's so good to see some old faces again.

[Falcon Red]

Welcome back Ibyss! If it makes you feel better I think we are in the same boat here haha. I'm too afraid of reading my own writing from back in the day lmfao.

Also more in the DnD scene myself, so don't feel bad on that. I am thinking of doing some solo adventures based on my characters early days, especially since one loves in a homebrew world built by a buddy, but you take the bad with the good.

Do your thing and flow in and out as you please. Be well.

[Ibyys]

Solo adventures in D&D? I was under the impression that was just called "writing a book"

The different settings in D&D are really lovingly crafted by all the people who've participated in making them over the years, but gods bless them, they really have the tendency to meet foot to mouth sometimes - especially in some of the older editions. I had one friend some years ago who'd completely rewritten the book on Drow for his world, and it was a very refreshing take.

Go on some of those solo adventures! I've got a few ideas rattling around in my head for old, beloved characters of mine who fell out of use before their time, but I'm not sure if it'd be best to explore those ideas with someone in RP, or if I should just bite the bullet and write fanfiction of my own characters on my own.

[Falcon Red]

Haha! I mean you're not wrong! Truth be told, I've always been a bigger fan of writing short stories personally. I love world building and character creation and development, but I don't have the long term focus to get through writing a novel.

Oh for sure. But when you make something ao large that can be intensely fan driven, you're bound to have problems... that's why my buddy went and homebrewed his world I'm pretty sure. He keeps the classes and races, but some of the homebrew content out there he really distrust and will rework it for balancing purposes which I appreciate. He had to rework my fighter a bit, Shifter Echo Knight. He really didn't do too much to it, but it works for his world now!

I'm not sure if I'd do an RP of it myself, not out of the question just, not in the plan atm...

[Ibyys]

I'm completely on the same page with you, short stories are just about the only pieces of solo prose I've ever finished, but the process of at least attempting something longer is fun enough that it always has its allure to me. Now, when I learn to come back to finish and polish some of my old work when these bouts of inspiration strike me instead of just beginning a clean slate, that's when the magic will really happen.

That's kind of how I like my homebrew, really - small, measured changes to help make the pieces click. I'm glad you've got a discerning DM who's able to get your character to fit nicely into the world! The state of homebrewing in 5e, and the culture around it, is honestly my chief gripe with the edition, and why I still prefer to play 3.5e. If I've got a story for some character, but it doesn't click neatly with the subclasses for the class I've chosen, for instance, homebrew is really the only recourse. The same holds true for several hiccups that can come during character creation. While there's undeniably some really cool stuff that's come of it, it can sometimes feel like homebrewing is a crutch the community is needing to rely on to compensate for issues in game design. 3.5e is no perfect game, either, to be fair, but the arms race that invariably arises from the game being completely allergic to balancing is at least interesting and a test of the group's mastery of the system and ability to collaborate.

I get that, it can be kind of tough to make a backstory RP square up with the established canon of the character from their time in-game, now that I think about it. Not impossible, especially if you're willing to close your eyes to plotholes of one's own making, but challenging. I've at least found the reverse to be thrilling, though - some of my favorite characters had their roots in RPs that never were seen through to completion, and we were able to bring those stories to satisfying conclusions in a proper game.