The Secret Origin of Professor Pathfinder and Absalom Academy: Why I Write

 

I was thinking about what to write about for the blog. Should I write guides to classes and ancestries? That will come later. Should I write fanfiction or advice for novice players? That will come later. I came to realize that every story has a beginning and so it should be with Absalom Academy.

I have always had an interest in fantasy and role playing. Ever since I was able to pick up a controller and play video games like The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy III, I felt the appeal of swords and sorcery. This interest extended to books like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Dragonlance Chronicles, and the Icewind Dale trilogy as a teenager. This passion continued into adulthood with PC game series such as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights.

Why did I enjoy it? Maybe it was the coping mechanism of a bullied kid who dreamed of a way to crush his tormentors. Maybe it was a dream to become more than I was. Maybe I was just looking for an escape from a life I resented more and more with each passing year. We can't explain why we develop a passion for our interests and hobbies. It's like trying to explain why we like a particular food or song.

Regardless of the reason, I enjoyed RPGs and still do to this day. A few years ago, I wanted to try tabletop gaming. I had done this several years earlier and had joined a D&D group. I quickly gave it up due to frustration with the DM as he frequently cancelled at the last minute and when he did show up, frequently brought his baby which made it impossible to focus on the game. Combine this with a complete lack of knowledge on how to play and no one interested in teaching me and it was a recipe for disaster.

I decided to try again but this was easier said than done. When you live in a small town in NW Indiana, gaming groups aren't too common. I was completely oblivious as to the existence of Warhorn. So, I searched Facebook for groups. I wanted to try Dungeons & Dragons again as I was familiar with the lore and setting. However, the nearest group I could find was in Warsaw, Not wanting to travel over an hour, I looked for something else. That is when I came upon a Pathfinder group in Valparaiso. I had heard of Pathfinder. I had played a little bit of Kingmaker on the PC. I was unsure but I did research and read that Pathfinder was very similar to D&D. I decided to give it a try.

My introduction was rough. I had no rulebook, no dice, no miniatures, and no clue. I made the mistake of choosing an Investigator as my first class and I realized just how in over my head I really was. what made this attempt different was that I had people who patiently instructed me as to how to play the game. Without Brian, Bill, and Angie, I likely would have quit out of frustration. This blog is dedicated to them.

Despite a bad case of restartitis which culminated in me creating more than 20 characters, I picked up on the game. I attended Gen Con Online in 2021 and played 9 games in 4 days. I came to love Pathfinder. I bought special dice. I opened a Hero Lab account. I am devoted to the game. While I was forced to take a hiatus due to personal commitments, I am back and I am ready to make my return at RegionCon in Merrillville, IN on April 22 (Join our games on Warhorn if you are in the area, we have plenty of seats!)

That brings me to why I started this blog. My first attempt at blogging failed because I realized that I did not have the passion for what I was writing about. Without passion, writing has no meaning. My dad encouraged me to keep writing because he believed in me and strongly felt that I had a gift. I realized that he was right (Dads usually are). My fellow Pathfinders always enjoyed the backstories I would create for my characters. Going from writing backstories to writing a blog was a natural step.

I realized that, outside of Paizo's blog, there was no blog devoted specifically to Pathfinder. I wanted to change that. I also realized how much passion my group had instilled in me for the game, and I wanted to do the same for others. I also wanted to help guide new players as my group guided me. I realized that a blog was a good way to do that.

So, to summarize, I started Absalom Academy because I want to promote the wonderful game of Pathfinder and teach others how to love and enjoy it as much as I have. I want to write guides and tutorials to help new players. I want to share my thoughts on Pathfinder news. I want to write fanfiction and create my own homebrew campaign one day. I want to write about my passion in life and share it with all of you. Thank you all for reading and hope to share my insights with you very soon.


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