Why do I …
Part 4 of 4 - Telling stories with friends while throwing out the plan I made. Speaking of plans - what’s the plan for this Substack?
First and foremost - Hi! Welcome back to my CreativelyChaotic corner of the internet! I’m glad to have you back! Sorry for not greeting you last week, it must have slipped my mind. Anyway, this post is a little late but me and hot weather just don’t mix very well. Summer’s going to be fun. Not. But anyway, that’s not why you’re here, so let’s get to it!
Why do I - play Tabletop RPGs?
Dungeons and Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge), Pathfinder, Starfinder … oh my! There are so many different games in different worlds with different rules that you can use or adapt as needed. Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Mystery - feel free to choose anything, really!
But why do I play it? - Because it allows me to meet new people - either online or in person. It helps me tell a story that I would probably have never told otherwise. It also keeps me on the tip of my toes because the dice decide if the group makes it or not. Just this last Saturday, the 20th of May, the group could have lost their rogue during or rather after a fight! But, the dice were kind to him (well, as kind as they always are, really) and he gets to see another session!
I can plan a lot for these games and I usually have two or three possible ways mapped out - but most of the time those plans never see the light of day. Because the group throws me a curveball and decides that they want to do something completely different. Which is great, really! I have to think quickly, create people and characters on the spot or try to find a way for them to meet someone important. And I can always use the plans I made for a different session or even game!
Granted, I’m still fumbling a bit myself. This is my first campaign after all and I’m still stoked that the core of my group has been with me for … over two years by now. It’s amazing, really.
Recently, we’ve decided to do a CoC campaign as well, to take a little break from the main game. Fantasy and Horror are two of my favourite genres anyway, so that fits.
How it started
I kind of stumbled into this world of RPG through computer games. Every time I had the choice, I would go with long, story driven games that had different outcomes depending on what choices you made, what characters you talked to or what quests you took. The one that always comes to my mind is the Dragon Age series.
But the whole tabletop rpg thing started when my best friend invited me to meet up with two of her co-workers for a game, I believe. Quite honestly, I remember some things from back then but others are kind of fuzzy. The long and short if it is - I was a character. First in just one game of The Dark Eye, then in two. While I loved it, there was always something holding me back. At least, that’s what it felt like.
Then I decided to try my hand at being the Storyteller instead of just a character. I had stumbled into the world of DnD and one New Year’s Eve we spent hours playing a One-Shot DnD game. After that, I was hooked. Not just on the game system but also being a DM.
There was something addictive in the fact that it was me guiding the group to either demise or glory. After that, I left the whole player part alone for the most part.
For one, because I was really enjoying the whole story teller position and always had a hard time because I couldn’t let go enough. I always tried to think a few steps ahead, which is great for a DM but not so much for a player. At least in my case. And secondly, my first group and I didn't quite click well enough that I would stay. Their playstyle clashed with mine. I enjoyed the time, yes, but not long term. Though, I do have to say that with my current group I enjoy being a character as well. We played a horror themed DnD game (Curse of Strahd) in which one of my players was the DM. I needed a bit of a break from being the DM, honestly. They did an amazing job and I truly enjoyed myself! I wouldn’t give them up for the world.
What is the plan for this Substack?
Alright, now that we’re through with the whole Get-To-Know-Me posts it’s time to see where this will go for now. I’ll have to revise the plan if it doesn’t work out. For now, I plan to have one newsletter every Sunday. It’ll be a bit of an update-letter about what projects I’m working on, how they’re coming along that week and in the end when they’ll be posted. All my posts will be categorized with their respective tags, so if you’re only interested in yarn works, you’ll find everything yarn-y in the Yarnbasket. Stories, short and long, scenes and other assorted words will be filed under Worldof Words. And so on and so forth. Once I have a posted a few stories and/or chapters, I’ll create a post that will be pinned and in which I will link all the chapters, stories and so on.
There are a lot of amazing people on here, who write thoughtful and inspiring posts. They share something about themselves and while I don’t know if I’ll ever get to that level, I wish to share a bit more my passions. And hopefully find some people who share some of my loves.
Alright, so - I wish you all a lovely week and hope to see you again next week!