This is a chronicle of one prodigal gamer's return to the RPG hobby...
Hello, my name is Anthony. In the RPG blogosphere I've also called myself "Drance," which is a name I've used for many of my player characters over the course of my gaming career. For those of you who are interested, you can explore my personal gaming history in detail by reading my testimonial.
Hello, my name is Anthony. In the RPG blogosphere I've also called myself "Drance," which is a name I've used for many of my player characters over the course of my gaming career. For those of you who are interested, you can explore my personal gaming history in detail by reading my testimonial.
If a summary of where I’ve been, where I am now, and where I think I’m going will suffice for you, read on:
I started gaming in the latter 1980’s as a young teen. My first experiences were with, of course, Dungeons & Dragons. I cut my RPG teeth on 1st and 2nd editions, but never truly got into Original/Classic D&D back then. I dabbled in other systems as well as the years went on. I gamed fairly regularly for about a decade, and had a grand old time. I credit roleplaying with helping me to develop socially, hone my imagination, and sharpen my skills as a writer and storyteller.
When I was in my mid-20’s, my RPG activities ceased for a myriad of reasons. Mostly it had to do with a foolish and transient belief on my part that the time had come for me to move on from the hobby. Other reasons included the attrition of my old group of gaming compatriots. Over the next few years I went on to get married, buy a house, and have kids. But always in the back of my mind there was a gaming itch that longed to be scratched.
When I was in my mid-20’s, my RPG activities ceased for a myriad of reasons. Mostly it had to do with a foolish and transient belief on my part that the time had come for me to move on from the hobby. Other reasons included the attrition of my old group of gaming compatriots. Over the next few years I went on to get married, buy a house, and have kids. But always in the back of my mind there was a gaming itch that longed to be scratched.
When I reached my 30’s, I realized that I needed to return to roleplaying. The urge would not leave me. So around 2007 I began my first tentative steps back into the gaming realm. Since then, it has once again become my favored pastime, serving many roles in my life: creative outlet, stress reliever, and much more.
Eventually, I encountered the gaming blogosphere, and specifically those blogs pertaining to the Old School Renaissance (OSR). I decided that I wanted to share my experiences with others, in the hopes of connecting with what I deemed a vibrant community of kindred spirits. I’d like to think that what sets my blog apart is my focus on relating the travails of my return to the hobby. I feel most comfortable when giving accounts of actual game sessions and the musings that result, because that’s what’s most important to me in this stage of my gaming career: actually roleplaying.
I’m also here because I like to seek wisdom from other roleplayers. In the past, I never had a large community of gamers from which I could solicit advice or share “war stories.” It’s really cool to have that now. However, that’s not to say that I don’t/won’t blog about thoughts I might have on gaming concepts, give reviews of gaming products and novels, or let out my feelings about “controversies” or trends.
My blogging is not very structured, but more of a stream of consciousness that flows organically. I just hope that, in the process of my ramblings, I provide food for thought as well as entertainment, with a dash of comradeship thrown in for good measure. My blogging will also fluctuate due to time restrictions. My first priority for what little free time I have is prepping for game sessions and actually playing/running said sessions. So sometimes the blogging has to suffer.
This blog is not necessarily a strictly old-school roleplaying blog. I am a gaming omnivore, and therefore will sample freely from the cornucopia of materials in our diverse and expansive hobby. True, I may favor the old school, but that doesn’t mean I won’t take long looks at more recent systems.
I am a believer in “game and let game.” I don’t fault anyone for playing games that do not appeal to me. So no “edition wars” or the like for me, thanks. I see actual table-top roleplaying as such a precious thing that I prefer to encourage others to play whatever suits their fancy rather than have them play nothing at all. More gaming is better than less gaming.
For some time, I gamed at an FLGS (RIP All Things Fun!) with a small but awesome group of players. These days, I primarily roleplay with a group of friends I've know since my youth, most of whom I started gaming with decades ago. I'm also branching out again via Meetup, finding new friends among like-minded gamers in my area.
In all, it has been a long, strange nostalgia trip, indeed!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you find something of value here. I appreciate your time and your opinions, if you want to share them. If you are so inclined, please reach out and I’ll be glad to converse!
Well met, comrade in arms! And as always, happy gaming!
