Train Lightning is the next stop on my tabletop RPG adventure. As might be gleaned from my About page, I am a Software Dev by trade with a passion for tabletop role-playing games. While I still consider myself (relatively) new to TTRPG writing, I view this blog as a chance to better understand and convey my thoughts on one of my favorite hobbies. But before I embark on the next leg of my RPG journey, I’d like to share where I have already been so it’s clearer where I may be going.
The First Stop, of a Sort
I first cut my teeth on tabletop RPGs in middle school. My geeky friend in the back of the schoolbus introduced me to the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons; one of my first questions was “Can I play as a dragon?” (the answer was “maybe, at like level 16”). I grew enamored with the art style, the detailed miniatures, and the promise of fantastic adventures. There was something wondrous about exploring the fantasy genre outside the constraints of a movie, book, or video game. The flexibility of creating and playing as D&D characters greatly appealed to my inner Lord of the Rings and Elder Scrolls fan.
Lightning Rails & Daring Tales
When Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition rolled around, I jumped on the new-edition bandwagon. I embraced the team-oriented approach it took to combat (plus, you could realistically play as a dragon). At one point, I had practically every player-oriented rulebook for the system on my bookshelves. When Wizards of the Coast released the 4th Edition version of the Eberron campaign setting, I immediately fell in love with the setting’s approach to magic, technology, and the factions and industries built around them — from magical robots, to airship battles, to train engines powered by lightning elementals!
It was during this period when I started lurking in the now-defunct Wizards of the Coast forums. I came for the character optimization guides and stayed for the invaluable Dungeon Master advice. Sadly, those forums (and their countless troves of community knowledge) disappeared while I was busy with college. Any information that wasn’t backed up or migrated to another forum was lost to time. With 4th Edition’s release schedule winding down and my own schedule focused upon higher education, I largely drifted away from tabletop RPGs for a time. My attention shifted to other hobbies like Magic: The Gathering and team-oriented video games like League of Legends and Overwatch.
From Passenger to Conductor, & the Adventures Ahead
Through the college friends I made playing those team games, I began playing in the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. We relied upon a virtual tabletop for cross-country play long before the COVID-19 pandemic began. It was with this edition that I seriously began learning how to run and manage a long-term tabletop campaign, drawing on advice from RPG community mainstays like Matt Colville, Sly Flourish, and Justin Alexander. I rekindled my interest in the Eberron setting while also branching out into tabletop games outside of Dungeons & Dragons.
My focus currently lies with the still-young, mud-and-lasers mecha RPG called Lancer. Since delving into the game system around the summer of 2021, I have since contributed to COMP/CON (Lancer’s official character builder), created a Lancer template and style guide, theorycrafted some interesting mechs to challenge players, and even wrote an introductory module with the help of Storytelling Collective‘s RPG Writing Workshop. Now, I am exploring new ways to leverage the Lancer system to tell engaging, player-driven stories. Whatever lies beyond, I know I will be thinking about new ways to enable GMs to prepare content, empower players, and facilitate fun in their tabletop games.
So, next stop: adventure! Hop on board and hold on tight, because where we’re going, we won’t need rails.