A journey through tabletop and digital worlds, leading to the birth of Galactic Chronicles: Rebirth.
Introduction: A Dungeon Master’s Beginning
My journey into tabletop gaming began in the summer of 1978 when I first played Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) using the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) First Edition Basic Rule Set. I quickly took on the role of Dungeon Master for my friends and siblings, a position I held throughout my high school years. I spent countless hours graphing dungeon layouts when I should have been focusing on schoolwork.
Back then, our games weren’t filled with deep narratives—our adventures were simple: explore the dungeon, slay the monsters, and haul back the loot!
After graduating high school and heading off to college, life for an almost 20-year-old became overwhelming. Between school, work, and the challenges of adulthood, tabletop gaming all but disappeared from my life. However, the love for it never faded.
From Dice to Pixels: The Digital RPG Era
In 1983, I purchased my first computer, a Commodore 64, and discovered a bounty of D&D-style games. While my tabletop adventures had come to a halt, I found new worlds to explore through digital screens.
From July 1983 until November 2001, D&D remained alive for me—not on the tabletop, but in the digital landscapes of some of the most iconic role-playing games of the time.
Then came November 2001.
On day one of its release, I bought the original Xbox and a copy of Halo—and with that, I dove headfirst into the sci-fi genre. While I still played D&D-inspired video games, primarily The Elder Scrolls series, I kept returning to Halo.
For years, video games dominated my spare time, until something changed in June 2008.
The Return to the Tabletop
That month, Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition (4E) was released. In my opinion, it was—and still is—the best edition ever made.
After nearly 30 years, my love for D&D and Game Mastering was rekindled. But with childhood friends scattered across the country and a demanding work schedule, finding a group wasn’t easy. So, I turned to those closest to me:
- My wife (a video gamer but not a tabletop gamer).
- Immediate family.
Not Everyone Was on Board
My kids? Absolutely not interested.
“That’s just weird!” my oldest would say every time I suggested it.
Eventually, I convinced my mother (who was in her 60s at the time, also a video gamer but never a tabletop gamer) and my youngest brother (another video gamer, but new to D&D) to play.
It turned out to be some of the best gaming memories of my life.
My mom and brother are both gone now, but those weekends spent around the table, rolling dice and laughing, remain some of my most cherished moments. Even now, my wife and I often reminisce about that time—it stands out as one of the best periods of our lives.
Our house saw a lot of D&D and a lot of video games during those years.
D&D Next and the Birth of a Homebrew Dream
By 2012, I had signed up for the Dungeons & Dragons Next (D&D Next) playtest. For the next two years, my brother and I played D&D Next—just the two of us.
The playtest introduced “Sidekicks”, but running full adventures with only two players was a challenge. Neither of us thought that one person controlling four to six characters was a great idea.
A New Obsession: Mass Effect Meets D&D
2012 also saw the release of Mass Effect 3, the final game in the Mass Effect trilogy.
My brother and I became completely obsessed with the series—he played through it far more times than I did. Somewhere along the way, the idea struck us:
“Why not turn this into a tabletop game?”
Thus began our first real attempt at tabletop game design—a Mass Effect module for D&D Next.
- We envisioned a universe set centuries beyond the Mass Effect trilogy timeline.
- We homebrewed firearms mechanics to match Mass Effect’s combat style.
- We playtested. It failed.
Whether it was our inexperience with tabletop mechanics or the quirks of D&D Next, the project ultimately proved frustrating.
Eventually, we abandoned it—but the idea never truly left me.
Then Came 2020.
With the world in lockdown due to COVID-19, I turned my focus to solo gaming.
Video games remained my primary escape, but I began actively seeking out solo tabletop experiences—anything that could scratch that gaming itch while I was stuck at home.
I scoured DriveThruRPG, purchasing any solo-compatible game I could find.
- Ironsworn
- Rangers of Shadow Deep
- Five Parsecs from Home (I own all the expansions as well)
- And too many to list here!
If a game had even the slightest solo component, I was buying it.
Then came September 2021—and with it, a shift that would alter my course forever.
A Catalyst for Something Bigger
I don’t remember exactly what introduced me to the concept of solo sci-fi wargaming—maybe it was an email, a Facebook ad, or a YouTuber.
But however it happened, it wasn’t long before I discovered and rapidly consumed the catalyst that would eventually lead to Galactic Chronicles: Rebirth.
That catalyst was Five Parsecs from Home (5PfH) by Nordic Weasel Games (now owned by Modiphius).
I became obsessed. Consumed.
This wasn’t just a game—it was a gateway back into the sci-fi genre, deeper than I had ever gone before.
A Hobby Within a Hobby
For the first time, I wasn’t just playing—I was crafting. I was painting.
I had amassed a huge collection of fantasy miniatures and terrain over the years, but I had nothing that fit the sci-fi aesthetic. That changed quickly.
I poured thousands of dollars into this new obsession:
- Army Painter paints
- StarGrave miniatures
- And too many Terrain kits to mention
At one point, I even considered having custom 3D-printed miniatures of my crew made through Hero Forge.
But why stop there?
Instead, I purchased an ANYCUBIC resin 3D printer, with the express purpose of printing my own miniatures and terrain.
I did manage to create a few scatter terrain pieces, but my 3D printing hobby never quite took off—at least, not at the time.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about getting back into it, this time with my grandson, Case.
Not just for the fun of it, but to create something lasting—memories that he can carry with him for a lifetime.
I want him to experience the same joy I did, crafting and painting miniatures, shaping worlds with our imagination—something he can one day pass down, just as I hope to pass it down to him.
From Solo Adventures to Galactic Chronicles
I became so invested in Five Parsecs from Home that I started documenting my games.
I created multiple sites to chronicle my campaigns—Solo Tabletop Adventures became my personal logbook, recording the exploits of several different crews.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that two of these campaigns—the Bray campaign and, more importantly, Starbound Reckoning—were not just stories.
They were the first whispers of what would become Galactic Chronicles: Rebirth.