What’s Old is New

I watched the D&D Descent live stream that happened this weekend. While I have no doubt I’ll talk about what I saw and what is coming at a later point. Right now I want to talk about how it got me thinking about what came before. I’ll explain in a bit, but first I want to give a little context.

Let me tell you about Thayrel. He is an angel. Once a mighty warrior. He led armies against the forces of evil and chaos. He battled demon armies and dark gods. In one particular battle, fought on the edge of creation, he sacrificed everything to save us all. In one move, he lost his wings, his leg, and his eyes.

Before the war, he had been an artist. He painted sunsets for mortals to see. He chose vibrant colors and washed them across the skies. He gave that up to a sword stroke from a long dead deity that no one remembers anymore. With his eyes gone he’d lost his first love, color.

He was retired. Given his reward of choice. He asked for a little place to call his own. A small shop where he might find people to feed, strangers to make friends, and a world he might bring a small amount of joy to. He was given a shop in Sigil, the city of doors. He sold coffee and baked goods. He smiled at every customer and welcomed them in to his space. He was loved.

And until recently, I had completely forgotten he existed.

Recently, I talked about an old villain I created a long time ago for Planescape. In that piece I talked about how I found a treasure trove of old notes and ideas. It got me looking over older characters that I used as merchants, enemies, quest givers, victims, folks in need of rescue, and just people they came across on a daily basis.

All of these notes were in an old box of D&D things that I packed away when I moved two or three times ago. They never got unpacked for some reason. Probably shelf space and laziness.

Planescape existed in this place between realms where anything and everywhere were connected by portals and gates. This allowed me to use creatures I’ve never used before. Not just as monsters but also just people they knew. One of my players had a landlord from one of the lower planes. This was a unique world to exist and play in. It let us do so many new things.

I’ve often wanted to go back to Planescape to revisit those characters and ideas but there was never a time for it. I never had a setting that felt appropriate.

Now, Avernus is coming to us. We’re going to see one of the Hells. A place of war, chaos, and grim deals. A place filled with Devils, demons, and warlords.

I can bring back Grishnak the Unkillable, Destroyer of Worlds, a Kobold Barbarian with a quest for a warband. I can give him a crew of lunatics and some war machines. Let them run across the planes of Avernus in search of soul coins and power. I can dredge up Thayral. There’s a caravan that travels around Avernus that offers safeish harbor. I feel an Angelic baker might fit in there.

These wonderful friends I haven’t seen in so long can come back now. Every merchant, villain, quest giver, magic item, organization, and hapless side character can come back. Even the ones I had forgotten.

The long point of this story is this. If you’re a new DM and are building worlds and characters; moving them to and fro. If you’ve created a setting, campaign, or just a one shot adventure. Try and save your notes. I never expected Grishnak to become a thing, and yet he is fun to play. Thayral started as a faceless coffee shop owner and baker before I added the rest of the story when the players decided they liked the bakery and asked questions of the smiling blind man behind the counter. You never know who will be a grand thing. Who you will need years later.

When we stopped playing in Planescape I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get to go back. I still may never get that chance. However, because I kept those notes. Because I got so lucky and found them at just the right time. I may get to use them again.

Keep your notes. Hoard them like a dragon’s treasure. Because you never know when the dwarves will open the gates and let you fly again.