AoW Fanfiction...?

[Courtney!]

Does such a creature exist? If so, where does it reside? I recall reading a rather excellent story on this very messageboard starring the lovely Celeste, but other than that, I have had no luck in my search. It's a bit odd to me, honestly...there are so many strong and memorable characters in the AP, it seems they would lend themselves naturally to the medium. Admittedly, I'm more than a little spoiled; pretty much any other universe of fandom I've wanted to explore has been not just existent, but prolifically so, thanks to the friendly, geek-nurturing internet. It's possible that there really is none to be had, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

A second question I would pose, I guess, would be, what stories would you like to see told? Any characters you thought had to have an especially entertaining back story? Any relationships that were hinted at, but never really came to fruition? One of the big reasons I can so readily see a connection between an AP and fanfiction is that, while fanfiction often declares itself "AU," each instance of AoW, each with its own party of heroes, actually resides in an alternate universe, where events don't play out exactly like any other universe. This allows us to play with the variables quite a bit. The heroes have been alternately noble, despicable, and self-interested. The Free City has been saved, the Free City has been destroyed. Characters that barely get mentioned in one game can become rivals, love interests, or recurring villains in another. By exploring the AP in different ways, we get to see not just who the characters are, but who they might have been.

Perhaps the already dynamic nature makes the speculative fiction angle a bit redundant? I don't know. Anyhow, pointers either relating links or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

LAST-MINUTE EDIT: Of course I have lovingly perused the many and varied campaign journals offered on this and other sites, and I am grateful for those insights into other people's shared fantasy worlds. Just looking for the next step...

[drsparnum]

Shag Solomon, from the Prince of Redhand, a minor supporting character, left an impression with my players.

I think they liked him so much because I did him with a distinct voice (a Sean Connery expression). That combined with his picture, his comical drug addiction and his friendly Borneo/Colonel Mustard type bluster ("some say man's the most dangerous game, man says that t me tells me that man's never hunted dinosaur") made my players fall in love with him.

Anyone in my game has an open invitation to get him as a cohort if they take the leadership feat (a quaggoth ranger with beasts as a favored enemy?).

That's who I'd most like to see fan fiction for, if you're offering.

[DMR]

This is a *great* idea. I'm also surprised that it doesn't already exist. I guess the campaign journals are the closest thing to this, although few are what I would consider serious novelizations of the AP. Is such a thing even legal (copyright infringment, etc.) - since technically Wizards owns the AoW, not Piazo (correct me if I'm wrong).

[Courtney!]

DMR wrote:

This is a *great* idea. I'm also surprised that it doesn't already exist. I guess the campaign journals are the closest thing to this, although few are what I would consider serious novelizations of the AP. Is such a thing even legal (copyright infringment, etc.) - since technically Wizards owns the AoW, not Piazo (correct me if I'm wrong).

*shrug* Every time I've seen a fanfic, be it X-Files or Buffy or whatever, there's always the little disclaimer of "I didn't create these characters, but give thanks to the demigods of awesome who did, blah blah blah..." Is that sufficient? I know one couldn't release an actual novel bearing copyrighted material without the express approval of the owner/creator, which seems to be infrequently granted, but I guess it seems like most times, it would be ridiculous to discourage fans from further exploring a world you created. Free publicity, right? I mean, DC rarely grants novelization rights to anyone, but there are over 735 Superman stories at fanfiction.net alone.

And as for the gentleman quaggoth...yeah, that guy's a riot. I can't even look at his picture without forcing back a giggle. Well-mannered, knows charming stories and turns of phrase...and if wounded, could fly into a rage from which he will emerge victorious, or dead. Too much. :) And this is exactly what I'm talking about. The characters feel so lovingly crafted, it's a shame to just let them twiddle their thumbs and gather dust until the next DM decides to run AoW.

[Kobold Catgirl]

I'm actually writing a mock campaign journal in AoW for NaNoWriMo. It's a crossover with FiM, though, so probably not your cup of tea. ;D

Fanfiction is fully legal and very, very hard to crack down on. I wouldn't worry.