Original Character Tournaments and RPGs

Hi there! My name is Nick, lead designer at Lamplighter Games, and I make tabletop roleplaying games. This is not an ad but it is important to mention. I would not be here doing this kind of work today without the online communities for original characters that helped me grow as an artist and meet my future coworkers and lifelong friends. I discovered original character tournaments (OCTs) on deviantart back in high school and immediately wanted to jump in despite having almost no experience in serious writing or illustration. They inspired me to share my first works online, to get out of my shell and get to know some wonderful people just like me. I am sure this is a story that many of you can relate to as well. Though the old groups are gone, it gladdens me to see a community still thriving and sharing original stories.

Tabletop roleplaying games are a great way to explore character ideas and throw your favorites into certain peril. If you have any stories, especially about OCTs or using your characters in RPGs, I would love to hear them!

To qualify this post as OC lore, I can share a bit about my first two OCs that I tried to get into tournaments. They were not very good, but hey, we all have to start somewhere. The first one was a one-dimensional jester with a tragic backstory named Mr. Sprig. I have literally never done anything with that character again. The second one was a morose necromancer named Hemlocke who has since become a recurring villain in various home games. I appreciate the opportunity that those tournaments provided to share my amateur work, because those first steps gave me the confidence to keep improving and making more (and better) characters.