The Roll that Matters
Roll for Initiative; Rejoin the Party
There exists a certain type of character in every story: the catalyst to its beginning. Deep, complex, and ever-changing… She is familiar to all, no matter her ability scores, her class, her background, or her skills. Many stories include this character until the very end…
But not my story.
This character has been missing in my story for a long time, though they are not gone.
I see them standing just outside the firelight. Not unwelcome, but paused. Waiting for something. Hoping for something. Unsure how to re-enter the story they stepped out of.
The answer is not too far from them.
Initiative Isn’t Just a Number on a Sheet
In combat, initiative decides who acts first. Here, initiative decides who gets to act at all.
When seeking a way back into your party, you must demonstrate initiative in the truest sense. You must be the one to step forward. You cannot make your way in with brute force, nor can you do so through charm and charisma. Your party must receive your effort.
If you do not understand why you have been excluded from the party, your first goal should be to uncover these details.
You will miss every time you swing at an invisible monster. You need to identify the source of a problem before you can tackle it. You must reckon with the trail you left behind. Seek to identify where the path is overgrown, then target these areas with energy and effort.
General Apologies Roll with Disadvantage
An easy trap set for hopeful prey…
Behold, the sweeping, all-purpose apology:
“I’m sorry for everything.”
It sounds dramatic. I’m sure it’s honest.
But as a mechanic, what has it provided to my gameplay?
Any character’s history isn’t a single bullet point; it’s a list of many, many entries. A single apology could not stand against the masses, so you alter it with a spell. Your apology is crafted, delt, and it billows out over everything at once. Unfortunately, targeting all defeats none, and now, you’re left with the “aggro” (aggravation) of everyone on you.
If pain has been dealt in specific places, then repair must be specific as well. Point to the moment. Name the fractures. Own the fallout.
That is the move that turns the table. Only then can you roll with advantage.
Taking Responsibility is a Solo Skill Check
Picture the party prepared for healing. They wait patiently. There’s space on a log by the fire. No one is holding their weapons. A path back exists.
But one’s responsibility cannot be taken by another.
You cannot outsource your job to a magical artifact, a prophecy, a convenient explanation, or even some graphic you found in a quick Google Search after 2 seconds on the internet. You cannot point to something outside and say, “This is why I was the way I was.” I’ve seen others similar to you who have set a higher example, so I wonder why your focus is on explanation rather than apology.
Damage Control only reduces injury. Love creates healing.
Pain doesn’t care about the details. That means you need to save them for later.
The Door Stays Open, But It Won’t Open Itself
Needing that step from a returning character isn’t cold or cruel. It’s actually the opposite.
When this boundary is drawn, it’s because there is a belief that something real is still possible. Your party believes there’s a version of the story where this character comes back stronger, wiser, and more honest in their place at the table.
But the gate doesn’t lift because the party hopes.
It lifts because the character tries.
And not just tries any way—tries the right way.
A way that respects the damage done and the people who have carried it since.
Every Good Reunion is Earned
The party’s story hasn’t ended without this character. It’s simply moved forward in the direction it needed to go. But the pages aren’t sealed. There’s still room for a return, for healing, for a character who chooses courage over comfort.
All that’s required is the roll that only she can make.
When she steps forward, when she names the wounds instead of circling them, when she stops searching for shortcuts and starts reaching for understanding — that’s when her story and the party’s has a chance to realign.
Until then, the party waits in truth, not limbo.
Reunion isn’t a gift.
It’s a chapter you need to earn.