Let Me Tell You About My OC: Intari

Let Me Tell You About My OC: Intari

Did you ever have a character concept you loved, one that looked great on paper even, yet… nothing ever worked out? That’s Intari Ariabis, my tiefling warlock. When my friend (and Sidequest Editor in Chief) Missy decided a couple of years ago that she would start running a Dungeons & Dragons game for us, and that the game was going to be full of feywild bullshit, the concept for Intari snapped together, crystal clear in my head.

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Let Me Tell You About My OC(s): Tabletop RPGs as Disempowerment Fantasies

Let Me Tell You About My OC(s): Tabletop RPGs as Disempowerment Fantasies

Late last year, I suddenly felt like I needed a break. Not a little one, either—I felt overwhelmed with responsibility for everything from taking care of my pets and family to texting friends to ask when everybody was available for our next D&D session.

All this happened alongside discussions in therapy about my intense need to be strong and capable and weather the world without asking for help. It’s a story I’d told myself and everybody else since I was a kid—that I was responsible for my own wellbeing and if I felt like I needed assistance, I was wrong and should just become stronger. You can imagine that, after 33 years, this story’s gotten a little old. (more…)

Let Me Tell You About My OC: The Shared Anxieties of a Long-Time Storyteller

Let Me Tell You About My OC: The Shared Anxieties of a Long-Time Storyteller

As an indie comic artist and visual storyteller, I’m used to creating characters with complex backstories and edgy personalities. But none have been so strange and intriguing as that of Laurus Francoeur, my latest creation and member of my friend group’s first Wanderhome game. (more…)

Let Me Tell You About My OC: I Want To Be An Elven Princess

Let Me Tell You About My OC: I Want To Be An Elven Princess

Hi, my name’s Kaitlyn. I’m a transgender woman, and I love fantasy roleplaying games. What I love most about fantasy is how freeing it is: you can create your own truths. You can do anything, and be anyone. Yet there’s a simple trend I’ve found to be true: your first character is often an idealized or exaggerated version of yourself. It’s certainly true for me. Of course, like most, I didn’t realize I was doing this when I created Belegerwen Daeris, an elven princess. In fact, at the time, I thought I was making the most unoriginal character I ever had. (more…)