Mission Statement, aka Why This Exists

This blog exists as a place to organize and record my ramblings, in a hopefully more useful form than hundreds of scattered text documents. Hopefully this blog will become a place for me to post GURPS related content (probably of a fantasy leaning but who knows!) and just things related to TTRPGs in general. 

I cannot pinpoint exactly when I first desired to play a TTRPG. I remember playing games of pretend on the playground, slaying monsters and saving damsels well past the point the other kids had relinquished their imaginary swords. My first real experience was in DnD 3.5 in a massive group of 12 people. It was a complete mess, yet the GM managed to keep things interesting and to my young mind it was the most fun time of the week. Over the years I have played many games of 3.5 and other systems as well: Shadowrun, Dark Heresy, 5E, and GURPS being the main ones. Eventually I became tired with DnD and its ilk and in the last few years have settled comfortably into GURPS' many faceted embrace. 

To give the intrepid reader an idea of what they're in for. This blog will most likely be written in a style similar to many OSR blogs out there, I hope to do them justice. Goblinpunch was the first such blog I found and I was amazed by the idea of a malformed psychic t-rex trying to ensure his resurrection millenia in the future, and that was not even scratching the surface. Other blogs which churn my mind waters are Dreams and Fevers, Throne of Salt, and Against the Wicked City. Of course there are other sources of inspiration. The works of various authors: Steven Erikson, Ian C Esselmont (In fact it was hearing that the world of Malazan was originally an RPG world run in GURPS by Steven Erikson and Ian C Esselmont that turned me onto the system in the first place.), Ian Irvine, Sara Douglass, Robin Hobb, Peter Watts, and Neil Stephenson. It would be trite to list them all (indeed impossible really) but I consider these my main sources as it were. 

 My creation process is not unique. To paraphrase what I've read countless times, "Nothing is original. Steal shamelessly, from as many places as possible, mash it all together and create something new". If I can create things interesting and engaging I'll consider it a success. 

I have been working on a setting originally inspired by the Dominions series of video games, but it quickly grew beyond that, expect over the coming months posts solidifying and expanding on that. 

My goal is to write at least 1 post a month, hopefully more. Not a blistering pace by any account but enough that the setting I desire to create should grow at a decent pace, eventually I'll get to play a game in it too. Ideally this blog will become a place I can direct my players to for setting information but that is a ways off. 

I am not so egotistical as to think I will have any astounding insights or creations but if others get something out of this then I will be happy. So if some strange eddy of the internet's currents have brought you here, I hope you find your visit interesting and maybe you can find something to steal yourself. I welcome you to join me in my explorations of beast and men.