#so since I'm falling into a worldbuilding headspace that's what I need to do

[strelles-universe]

Gonna say it now; Embrace the Inferno might b a bit slow in the making - not because I don't have any ideas lmao - but as y'all probably noticed, I've been on a worldbuilding spree.

As Embrace the Inferno is the last book in A Prophecy of Fire, I've decided that I really need to get at least the basics of the worldbuilding down for the groups outside of the clans. Since the second arc is the Journey to the Lake and a lot of shit is changing because of this last book, I want as many possible conflicts and plot threads available to me.

So I'm getting a bunch of stuff for the loners settled since they're the ones who'll likely be encountered the most frequently. Plus, I also wanna look at things that were happening at the same time in the Darkest Hour - figure out what's going on with Havoc and Maluri specifically.

I'm a bit of a perfectionist so while I am more used to posting WIPs to tumblr, I will mostly be transferring complete worldbuilding over so if you want to hear me ramble, join the discord server.

EtA - the link to the discord server. Seriously guys, help me organize this thing

[dungeonsandblorbos]

hi! I love your blog! I didn't ever think of writing about ttrpg on my writeblr blog, so thank you for sending me down that tunnel! It's making me see my table top characters in whole new ways to think of them as oc's. (and honestly inspired by you im thinking of rebranding my blog to include ttrpg stuff now yay) Quick actual question, since this is an ask after all, how do you like to get to know a new oc when you have first created them?

aww, thank you! glad to know i can offer some inspiration there, and i look forward to learning about your PCs/campaigns too if you do end up posting stuff about them! 🥰

and ooh, that's a great question. there's a few different things i like

for my PCs, i usually only have vague ideas at first, so the process generally starts with me pouring over the rulebooks for the right class/subclass, background, feats, etc. to match the vibe i have in mind. this helps me narrow in on a more specific vision of the character and sometimes even gives me some new ideas to play around with. from there, it's often a lot of just writing things down, either in the character sheet or on my designated backstory doc, until it's time to actually play. it can take a few sessions to feel out a new PC and settle on how i play them, but i never really fully know them until i've "been" them, ya know?

if i'm getting ansty or want to do more character work in between sessions, i like working through lists of questions (especially when they're DM-provided). i really enjoy Ginny Di's POV Roleplay video series, especially this one: POV Roleplay: You're treated by a healer video link, as a more interactive style of questionnaire. essentially, Ginny takes on the role of a D&D-style NPC and has a "conversation" with you, with pauses in the video to allow you to respond in character. it can feel kinda silly at first, like a bizarro adult version of Dora the Explorer, but once you get comfortable with it, it's a pretty fun way to get into the character's headspace and explore how they think and interact with others in a zero-stakes, non-canon environment.

finally, i tend to do a lot of daydreaming and expanding their backstory doc. like, when i say that i am mentally ill about Cerris or Ariel, i am not exaggerating. i have hyperfocused on them to the degree that for, like, a month at a time, any time i wasn't actively focusing on something else, i was thinking about one of my boys. it's how i'd deal with long public transit to and from work when i didn't have headphones (and at least once missing my stop because i was too engrossed in blorbothinking). it's how i'd fall asleep. it's how a quick shower would turn into twenty minutes of me standing under the hot water not actually bathing, just thinking about character things. and Ariel's backstory doc (which also contains a good amount of worldbuilding content, as i got to help the DM develop the country he's from) has ballooned from its original, like, 4 pages to a solid 18-20. i have family crests and pedigrees and height comparison charts and explanations of noble social customs and naming conventions. it's ridiculous.

in a similar vein, i'll sometimes write letters and journal entries from their perspective, or random backstory scenes. these are especially helpful in getting a feel for the character's voice, which is a key part of writing and roleplay for me!

for non-PC characters, both player-created NPCs and OCs for non-TTRPG projects, i'll do some of the same things, but a lot of it ends up revolving around the simple question: what do i need them to do in the story i'm trying to tell? what characteristics and storytelling elements are going to best allow them to fulfill that goal? it sounds very formulaic and detached when i write it out like that, but in practice it feels much more personal, like helping a character discover their purpose in life

anyway TLDR: basically i give myself free reign to hyperfixate on the character and think about nothing else for at least a week straight 😂 when you spend that much time thinking about a character, it's hard to not figure out almost everything about them!