Introducing the Curious Quill
Welcome to Curious Quill, an original content resource for the best fantasy roleplaying game in the world. You’ll quickly get an idea on what we offer both GMs and players alike, but we thought you might first like to know who is behind The Curious Quill; who is pushing the pen, as it were.
How it started
It was 1981. Two young preteen boys in middle school (6th grade) growing up in a quiet suburb of Milwaukee, were destined to, at some point, be introduced to Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) as the birthplace of the roleplaying game was just a couple hours drive southwest in Lake Geneva, WI. These two boys were avid fantasy readers including, of course, their favorite, J.R.R Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” among other early fantasy novels. So, a few years later, it was almost a foregone conclusion that when the D&D call came for them, not quite at the beginning in 1977 but with the second revision - the classic “red box set” - in 1983, they were into it hook, line, and sinker.
After playing through many editions of the game, and exhausting a large portion of the published material, all of those boys’ influences, mixed with a need to create their own immersive fantasy environment within D&D, propelled them to create countless player characters and NPCs as well as new locations. As the boys got older, becoming men, their love for D&D never waned, but their ability to play as regularly as they used to did.
Looking back at all they had created, they realized the sheer volume of original material was as much as published settings. The official D&D settings (like the original setting of Greyhawk they had stuck with) were left behind for the greener pastures of creating a completely new one together. Through it all, the two men always saw eye to eye on setting and stories, again, based on their mutual interest and influences growing up as best friends.
Where we are now
In recent years, the two men, were reinvigorated with the new 5th edition rules and new tools to play online together when they couldn’t get together in person. Now, with the game enjoying a resurgence of popularity with a whole new generation thanks to it being heavily featured in popular culture.
With the advent of social media and other electronic methods to reach masses of players, including Instagram and Reddit, the two men were inspired to try their hands at releasing the content they had been working on for dozens of years.
This is that project - The Curious Quill - the alter ego of Peter Balistrieri and Kevin Frank.
What we are creating
Our intention is to create original content we love, first and foremost. This is a passion for us; a labor of love, which means come of our content here will be infused with the world we’ve been building. As we create more and more content, we will, at the same time, be contributing to our own setting. Despite it being original content, most of it will be usable in any setting, including in your own 5e worlds and/or campaigns too.
Based on our influences, fantasy setting preferences, and our love for world-building, The Curious Quill content will:
Be rooted and wrapped in traditional fantasy conventions. Magic use is not cavalier or popular and magic items are not as common and not nearly as extravagant as you may see in many other settings.
Explore the traditional people and cultures of fantasy role-playing including player characters and typical NPC lineages: dwarves, elves, and humans, a few original lineages, even common humanoid races such as orcs, ogres, trolls, and goblins. The depth of these descriptions will enrich gaming experiences for DMs and players, helping to better build campaigns and to enhance role-playing experiences
Be well thought out and developed before being created and published. There are origins, explanations and reasons for most things creating a cohesive setting versus a patchwork of everything fantastical.
So that about sums it up. We’re glad you found your way here. We hope you see the enjoyment we take in making this content. For dungeon masters, we hope it enhances your world, your campaigns, your encounters, and your treasures. For players, we hope to give you a little more insight into your character’s origins and background as well as magical and non-magical items that help to better define your character.
More to come. Until then, happy storytelling and adventuring!
Best,
Peter Balistrieri & Kevin Frank
