Going Solo

I've never understood Solo TRPGs and still don't to be honest. I'm also absolutely fascinated by the idea.

I've made several attempts to 'get it' in the past but always end up with the same question, 'Why am I rolling dice if no one is here to see it?'

Now that probably sounds like a 'Why can't I just cheat?' question but it isn't, at least for me. Its a question of whether I need to roll. Of course if I don't I'm not really playing a game am I? I'm just writing fiction. So...why aren't I simply writing fiction?

The entire excercise feels like a paradox with little benefit. Solo RPG gaming is what you do when you aren't fortunate enough to have someone else to play with. It isn't something one wants to do but has to do given your particular circumstances. 

Except that I know that isn't absolutely true. It isn't the only reason. There are a ton of motivations that might lead one to be interested in the concept of gaming Solo.

Maybe you want to try out a new system or scenario before bringing it to the table with your regular group. Perhaps you have an interest in a game that your group isn't into; why shouldn't you get to run and play it anyway? Maybe you do want to write a story of short fiction but want to experiment with prompts and other parameters that will test your ability. What if...now stay with me on this...you just think it could be fun?

I am in a few of those camps. Sometimes I get bored or more accurately 'less inspired' by my regularly scheduled games and I want to try something different while everyone else wants more of what we're already doing. Fairly often I'll come across an RPG, particularly one within my niche sub-hobby of collecting Japanese TRPGs, and I really want to test it out before I feel comfortable with my translation of it. Sometimes I just have a crazy thought I want to explore. 

The bottom line is that I'd like to give this a shot...and can't seem to get started. There are a lot of reasons for this but the main one is not being about to shake the feeling that its kind of a waste of time. Pointless. Why do this instead of trying to set up a session of some with other people or working on one of my other active campaigns, preparing for a future campaign, and/or writing a blog post?

Why? Because...I don't know. I really don't. I just want to. 

Another major hurdle has to do with the nature of how a Solo RPG general works. After a long conversation with my friend Mark - who has quite a bit of experience playing Solo - I realize that my brain may not be wired correctly for this endeavor. 

Generally speaking, when a situation comes up in a Solo game (which is generated by random rolls) and your character reacts (and you randomly roll to determine if you intended reaction is successful), you then roll randomly to determine what happens next, how your opponents reacts, or whatever. 

That's A LOT of random rolling. Waaay too much for me. Being the player in the scenario I kind of get that I'll be rolling a lot but being the GM also it becomes far more random than I am used to. It's not how I Gamemaster normally and the idea of doing it here really isn't enticing.

I don't rely on random die rolls to determine things as much as I guess the average GM does. If it's been established that the alien/monster we've been tracking is cold-blooded and the one of the players thinks of a way to decrease the local temperature, I am going to have the PC roll to see if or how well he pulls off this trick but once pulled off I'm not rolling again to see if the creature is slowed. It's just slowed. That's what happens to a cold-blooded lifeform in a chilly place. It's science, it's been established in the continuity of the game, and the PC effectively pulled it off. Logic and story elements always supercede randomly results in my games. 

So what's the issue? Just do the same thing here, right? Sure but then once again I feel like I'm writing a story and I can just do that without the need for rules. Ugh.

In conclusion, I still want to give Solo gaming an honest go but not just yet. I waiting for something to speak in to me in a way that makes me say, "Yes! This is what I want to go with." Until that happens, I certainly have things that can occupy my time.

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Barking Alien

Coming To Save The World This Summer

It's June 8th, 2025 - Happy Ghostbusters Day to one and all!

For a month or more prior to the release of the film posters with the Ghostbusters 'No Ghost' logo appeared in train stations, in movie theaters, and in a variety of all places. No one [I knew] had any idea what they were for. 

Eventually they were replaced by the poster you see above, the mysterious emblem accompanied by the words, 'Coming To Saving the World This Summer'. My grandfather, a theater manager, didn't get the film in his movie house but it did show in one of his previous locations with whom he was on very good terms. 

Through this connection my younger sister and I went to go see it together, just the two of us as I recall, at the Kings Highway Theater in Brooklyn, NY. We got in free since we were 'Al's Grandkids'. I would've been 15 years old and my sister about 10. I don't recall if it was opening day but I do remember I was one of the first among my friend group to have seen it.

That was 41 years ago and I've been an avid fan of the franchise and especially that first film ever since. 

Yesterday was the celebration of Ghostbusters Day at Hook and Ladder No. 8 in Downtown Manhattan (New York City, NY), the real world working firehouse that serves as the Ghostbusters HQ in the films. I was down there myself last year and I hopefully will be there next year but unfortunately, for various reasons, I wasn't able to attend myself in 2025. 

Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman and current head producer and writer for the GB franchise, was there along with Carrie Coon and McKenna Grace of Afterlife and Frozen Empire. Serving as ambassadors of good will between the studio and the fans (and doing an awesome job!), the event featured music, walking tours of the film locations, product announcements, and lots of people in incredible cosplay. Oh and the Ecto vehicles! The Ecto Vehicles! Absolutely awesome!

Last but far from least, Sony Pictures teamed with Ghost Corps and the massive collection of fandom franchises to initiate 'Ghostbusters Give Back', a year long competitive charity drive wherein Sony will match donations up to $150,000. You can learn more about this here and at the Ghostbusters Give Back hub.

The various Ghostbusters Fan Club 'Franchises' across the USA and the world have long been involved with charity events and fundraisers. This is not only an extension of that tradition but yet another example of how well the Ghostbusters IP partners with those who love it, something other studios could learn a lot from. 

I do wish they'd given us more details on some of the upcoming film and animation projects but I feel like that will be coming soon enough as the Annecy International Film Festival begins today.

You'll definitely be seeing some Ghostbusters RPG ideas from me in October but keep an eye out; you never know when and where a paranormal imanifestation will appear. When it does...Who You Gonna Call?

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Barking Alien

The Last Dragon...Magazine

An unfortunate 'Sign of Our Times'...

It's the end of an era going back 37 years as Japan's Dragon Magazine - home of Dragon Half, Patlabor, Slayers, the Sword World RPG, and Weathering Continent among many others - has ceased publication this year. The final issue apparently came out in May of 2025. 

Haven't bought it or even seen in a long while but I was an avid collector from the late 80s to the mid 90s. Honestly I'm feeling a little heartbroken. This magazine was my first glimpse into the world of Japanese Tabletop RPGs and introduced me to many of my favorite games, as well as Replays, TRPG related Manga, and the idea of Light Novels.

Sayonara Dragon Magazine, Gokurousama.

(Goodbye, thank you for all your hard work)

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Barking Alien

The Unmitigated Gaul

Asterix, also known as Asterix The Gaul, Asterix and Obelix, or The Adventures of Asterix, is a franchise based on the French Comic Strips and Albums of the same name(s) created by René Goscinny (Writer) and Albert Uderzo (Artist) and originally published in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote, first released in 1959.

I am a big fan of the Asterix comics - 41 Volumes as of this post selling over 393 million copies in 111 language across the world - as well as the animated films - a dozen of those I believe - and the recent 3D Computer Animation series Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight (in French) on Netflix (based on the story from a comic album published in 1966). I haven't seen any of the 5 live-action outings yet - two of which were among France's high grossing films! - as I'm nervous they won't be able to duplicate the feel of their illustrated counterparts. 

Like the Smurfs, I first came across those in both French and English adaptions when I was very young and so I was familiar with Asterix and his adventures long before they'd gained any kind of widespread footing in the book and comic book stores of the USA. In addition to the artwork and humor, I loved the mix of History and Fantasy. As with Smurfs, there was an occasional anachronistic twist on the setting and its inhabitants that was expertly handled and so I pretty much fell in love with it.

 

The premise is fairly simple and nearly every Asterix story begins...

The year is 50 BC. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely... One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders.

The mighty Legions of the Roman Empire, four of which camp not too far from this small Gaul village, have been unable to defeat these 'barbarians' as they possess a secret weapon; their Druid Panoramix (Getafix in English versions) has created a potion that temporarily gives the imbuer Superhuman Strength. In addition, one member of the village, Obelisk, has permanently enhanced strength as he fell into a cauldron of the concontion when he was a child.

As with all things that interest and/or inspire me, at some point I have to ask myself, "How do I game this?" 

As it turns out, Asterix is no stranger to gaming. 15 Board Games, a few dozen Computer/Video Games, and even a series of 10 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style Gamebooks have been produced over the decades since 1970. Impressive, no? Of course, I'm talking about Tabletop Roleplaying Games and it's very likely I'm the only one crazy enough to want to...wait a sec. What's this?

Indominable Gauls by Thomas M. Grenery is an Asterix inspired game that uses an interesting mechanic based on the game Cthulhu Dark [as I understand]. It is very clearly Asterix with the numbers filed off and that's not a criticism. That was basically the objective and he achieved his goal. 

So we have our Asterix game, yes? It would certainly make my life a lot easier to just use this instead of trying to make my own version, if indeed I was looking to run an Asterix RPG. Well...I do intend to do this, I've never been one for 'the easy way' if there might be 'a better way', and I actually do I a system in mind. 

I think Asterix and his world could benefit from the game system designed to run the adventures of our gallant Gaul's Franco-Belgian Comics cousins the Smurfs. 

Please note this is a fan made creation. As of this writing Maestro Media does not have the license to and is not making an Asterix RPG to my knowledge. If that changes in the future, call me guys. 😉

Gamemechanix

The core rules of the Smurfs RPG regarding Character Creation, Difficulty Level/Dice, and how Actions are resolved will largely remain the same. Probably identical at their most basic level. Having one 'Specialty' or signature ability that can lower the Difficulty Dice as well as Expending Effort will also be handled in the same way.

Where things get interesting is that Smurfberries and Smurf Power would need to be renamed or replaced, especially Smurf Power. I am thinking I need something that simulates how the Gaul Villagers become Super Strong once they drink their magic potion and that should be more reliable than the way Smurf Power works but also perhaps more rare.

Rare or infrequent isn't really the correct terms though. Conditional or Contingent Upon is a better way to put it. Their Superpower comes from drinking this elixir and it lasts X amount of time and that's it. There is no way to spend points to that. It either happens within the context of the narrative or it doesn't. 

Asterix getting his drink of the Magic Potion in Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight

Maybe. I am suddenly thinking of an alternate approach wherein one can spend or activate a condition, like how Smurf Power functions, to gain Super Strength but you need to explain it. 

GM: Your group is surrounded by Romans who happen to have lions with them. It seems they were taking them to the Colosseum when they ran nto you.

Gaul Player 1: Lions?! Well that does it! I activate my Indominable Power! Now I have Super Strength (However I decide to have that function mechanically)! 

GM: Wow! How did you get a potion?

(You must come up with a reason why you have a potion handy if not anywhere near one).

Gaul Player 1: Uh...wait! Remember when I was discussing with Druid whether the potion would still work if reheated or frozen? Well I took a small vial to test my idea at some point and still have it on me.

GM: Ah-ha! Most fortunate! The vial is small though so it will only last one round.

Gaul Player 1: That's all I need! *Rolls up sleeves*

I'll need to think on this some more and test it in play a few times and see if anything else needs major adjustments. Overall, I think the conversion from the Smurfs to Asterix should be pretty smooth. 

Theatrix

A key component of Asterix's charm are the characters and the interactions between them. The Roleplaying opportunities abound! While its pretty obvious that Asterix and Obelix are best pals and Dogmatix is just the best friend doggo a Gaul could have. The rest of the village is a bit more complicated and surprisingly nuanced. 

While the men of the village seem to do all the things - Vitalstatistix (French: Abraracourcix) is the Village Chief, Fulliautomatix (French: Cétautomatix) is the Blacksmith, Unhygenix (French: Ordralfabétix) is the Fishmonger, etc. - it is the women of the village that have the real power, at least to a considerable extent.

A Variety of Female Characters from the Asterix Franchise

The wives of the aforementioned villagers are crucial to the smooth operation and continual existence of this group of Gauls. For example, Chief's wife Impedimenta (French: Bonemine) has numerous flaws but fights along side the men against the Romans, often wielding a Rolling Pin as a club. She is not only a good fighter and the village's best cook but is often able to rein in the chaos of the rest of the village when her husband can not. 

Many of the relationships and therefore the characters themselves are very old. The Druid Getafix (French: Panoramix) and the eldest villager Geriatrix (French: Agecanonix) are depicted as looking exactly the same in prequel and flashback stories that show the rest of the villagers as children or very young adults. Geriatrix makes references to having fought in a number of earlier wars and has knowledge of other villages long gone. Imagine playing an older character who remembers fighting Romans before the magic potion!

So many ideas in this category, I could easily write an entire post just on character concepts and stories. Hmm. Perhaps the 'Motivation' entry on the Smurfs Character Sheet could be modified to Relationship so you can identify what other character is important to your PC and why.

Geographix

Where does Asterix take place? Obviously Gaul, in the year 50 B.C.. On to the next...OK, OK, I'll expand on this. 

The Gaulish Village of Asterix and his friends is a seaside town, giving the inhabitants easy access to as much fish as they like. Unfortunately, they are somewhat limited in where they can travel by the four encampments of Roman Legionnaires near by (See above). 

That said, the villagers and their stories go all over the place in the Asterix Comics thanks to use of their magic potion, clever trickery, and dealings with those in power from other lands. Asterix and Obelix have gone to Roman, assisted Cleopatra in Egypt, and traveled to Spain, Germany, and Britain to name just a few of their exstensive travels. 

Sometimes the adventures come to them. Other Gaul tribes occasionally stop by to ask Chief Vitalstatistix and/or Getafix the Druid for assistance. The villagers are constantly confronted by Roman Soldiers of course. Additionally, Asterix's group of Gauls has been visited by the Normans (in the comics. The Vikings in the animated film adaption) and Huevos Y Bacon, the leader of a small town near Montilla in Hispania (Spain), and his son Pepe. 

I can see a nearly limitless series of scenarios of mixing Comedy, Action, Adventure, and Historical Fiction. That's not even addressing the Fantastic Elements of the franchise. 

Mythologix

Asterix takes a really interesting approach to Magic and Mythology. While there definitely is magic as evidenced by the Magic Potion that grants Super Strength, in many other cases the mystical falls more squarely into the realm of heresay and folklore.

Gods of both the Gauls and the Romans are referenced regularly but never seen in the 'flesh', nor do they appear to directly effect the stories in any physical way. In Asterix and The Griffin, the rumored half-eagle and half-lion creature is revealed to be a dinosaur skeleton frozen in a lake. 

However...in some stories and the animated films, the Magic Potion if made improperly can create other effects such as causing people to change color, glow, fly, and even give Getafix 'telekinetic' control over the imbuer. We've seen other evil Druids perform tricks of their own and Sulfurix (aka Demonix) [in Asterix and The Secret of the Magic Potion] grew into a giant after following into a puddle of bad potion. 

So are there 'real' magical creatures, spells, and/or gods in Asterix. It would seem the answer is...maybe. Yes?

Does magic exist? The answer is certainly yes. It takes a subtle hand and a bit of finesse to balance the nature and supernatural worlds of Asterix's setting in my opinion. Personally I love this sort of thing but I can see it being difficult to resist adding a host of witches and dragons and other major sorcerous elements. It can be done but takes a little mental effort to keep the feel of the comics authentic. 

Appendix

This project obviously needs a lot more thought and work but I was so jazzed about it I figured I'd share what I did have. If you have any suggestions, questions, or ideas on the subject I'd love to hear from you. 

Thanks for indulging me and onward ho!

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Barking Alien

Calibrate Your Enthusiasm

Happy Orthodox Star Wars Day!

As I've noted in the past, while most fans - from casual to hardcore - celebrate Star Wars on May the 4th, the actual anniversary of the original film is today, May the 25th. Because of my deep love of Star Wars, I celebrate both. 

In honor of the this, I had some thoughts inspired by the newest installment in the franchise; 

We are twelve days out from the final episode of Andor Season 2. 

Overall, I really enjoyed and was incredibly impressed by the direction, writing, acting, and the production in general. It was an excellent story expertly told. I am not generally in favor of this flavor of Star Wars, preferring the more Pulp Sci-Fi Fantasy aspects of the franchise, but well done media is well done media.

A number of quirky ideas occurred to me at the end of the series that could potentially be used in a Star Wars TRPG and I figured I'd share them with the rest of the galaxy at large. 

WARNING: This post may contain Spoilers for the Second Season of the Disney Plus streaming series, Andor. Continuing on with this post may directly or indirectly impact your enjoyment of the series so it is highly recommended you watch Andor Season 2 before reading this.

Alright, Welcome to the Rebellion...

Base Building: Apartment Hunting

In the course of Season 2 we see several apartments in different sections of the mega-metropolitan sprawls of Coruscant, the city planet. Most notably I'm thinking about the hideout/safe house used by the agents of Luthen Rael (such as Cassian and Bix and later Kleya Marki) and the stark high rise abode of ISB Agent Dedra Meero. 

We've seen Coruscant a ton of times across many Star wars projects and all too often it's just a backdrop to whatever the characters are doing. Andor breathes life into the world-city, showing it as a place where people live and work in a fashion we've not really seen before. It shows the mundane, domestic side of Coruscant's massive skyscraping towers and makes the planet seem like a really real place to me for the very first time. 

It also had me imagining a 'party' of Star Wars Player Characters who fly their starship into Imperial blockades or to ruins Jedi temple ruins on a shallow ocean planet and then return home to their 175th floor duplex only to discover the Blue Milk went sour while they were gone. 

Maybe a few of the PCs can start out being roommates who share the rent of a loft on the mid-to-low levels. Maybe Experience/Character Points could be spent to deck out their place the way one might for improving their spacecraft. Perhaps Building Points could be used to do this, separate from XP, the way some other games do.

See my posts on Bases for other ideas. 

Character Concept: Control Droid

When the 'Stretcher Droid' appeared in Episode 10, the members of the Droid Fans facebook group I'm in went wild trying to find more information. As if they heard our plea, the official Star Wars website put an entry about it into its 'Databank' section. As it turns out, this isn't a Droid Stretcher so much as a standard Hover Stretcher with a spherical 'Control Droid' attached. 

This gave me a really great (IMO) idea for a PC or NPC. Imagine playing the Control Droid, carried around by one member of your adventuring group or another and connected to whatever they need to have operated remotely while they busy themselves with something else. I'd love to play this character!

Think about it - Attach my PC to a Hover Stretcher and now he's a self-guided gurney who can get an injured fellow PC to a doctor while the rest track down his attacker. Attach it to a 'Control Pit' in a Landspeeder and now he's a Droid Landspeeder like we saw in the very first episode of The Mandalorian. Need to load cargo onto your Light Freighter while under fire from Stormtroopers? Pop the ball shaped Droid into a Load Lifter and boom, it lifts your load so you can engage in the blaster shoot-out. 

I can think of so many ways to go personally wise! A Control Droid like Marvin from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy whose depressed by his lot in life and feels eternally put upon. An eager youngster who is super-enthusiastic about doing her part for the Rebellion! A self assured, almost boastful Droid who sees itself as a Jack-of-All-Trades, believing the team would be lost without it. 

So many possibilities!

Character Concept: Force Sensitives

One aspect of the original Star Wars RPG (West End Games, D6 System) that I feel is under appreciated is the way it handled 'Force Users'. The game was (initially and primarily) set during the Rebellion Era and put forth the idea that the Jedi were gone. That's 'cause they were. With only the Original Trilogy to go by, the game was 'loosely adamant' that the Jedi were all dead. At least to the point where you weren't one. 

You could be a wannabe, an aspiring one, or an adjacent Force User but not a capital 'J' Jedi. Templates in the First Edition included Alien Student of the Force, Failed Jedi, Minor Jedi, and Quixotic Jedi. Of particular note is the Minor Jedi, renamed Young Jedi in the later editions I believe, which has as the first of its 'Background' text: 'You'd like to call yourself a Jedi Knight but you are not, really.' The Jedi are all dead, at least the real ones, but you truly have a connection to the Force and with hope, effort, and the Will of the Force, maybe you can bring them back. Maybe you can be one.

In Andor Season 2 Episode 7 we meet an unnamed Force Sensitive woman who can heal, to some extent at least, who senses/foresees Cassian's destiny, and who clearly isn't on her way to battle Darth Vader and re-establish the Jedi Order. She is just a woman living in the galaxy and doing her part, however small. Yes she has a gift and while it's not flashy or spectacular, she's using it to fight the injustice of the Empire. 

This is the type of character that, while rarely seen in Star Wars live-action content (until recently that is), works perfectly in a Star Wars roleplaying game campaign. Next time you gear up to run or play a Star Wars game, particularly during the era of the Rebels vs. the Imperials, consider playing a Force User who only has a small set of abilities or even a single special power. Healing, Farseeing, Force Echoes (Psychometry), and Connection with Creatures are all good candidates for singular abilities that prove useful while adventuring throughout the Star Wars galaxy.

Scenario Hook: Galactic Antiquities, Artifacts, and Relics

When it comes time to include a MacGuffin in a Star Wars adventure, it isn't surprising most GMs turn to something of a Jedi or Sith nature. A legendary or rare Lightsaber or a Holocron with ancient secrets of the Force are both obvious and intriguing as items of significane in the Star Wars universe. Sure but what if those weren't the only objects from the distant past that had value in the present?

As evidenced by the Star Wars Comic Book character Doctor Aphra and Luthen Rael's shop, we can see that the wealthy and powerful in the galaxy are prone to seeking out and collecting various relics from the long history of outer space's starfaring societies. Be it a Nautolan Bleeder Knife, a Naboo Royal Headdress, or an ancient suit of Mandalorian Armor, these items are difficult and rare to come by and fetch a very high price on the galactic market. Finding and selling a Twi'lek Kalikori that dates back to the days of the Old Republic could easily fund a Rebel Cell for months or provide a Smuggler enough credits to pay off his debt to Jabba. 

Perhaps they have others potential purposes as well. Obtaining and returning said Kalikori to the Twi'lek people would definitely score you a positive reaction from the tribe from which is came, resulting in allies or at least a foot in the door in that direction. What if you come across the fabled Goonga-Doo Horn of the great Gungan King Doob Gon Gon and learn a high ranking Imperial is after it? Why does he want such an item and what secrets does it hold? Such items add a bit of Indiana Jones to your Star Wars and that might be a perfect change of pace for a great several session scenario. 

Hmm. Where did Luthen get all those artifacts anywhere? Maybe he hired your PC group to obtain them for him! You never know...

I think I may be posting more Star Wars content on and off in the near future. We'll see. I'm just gonna Trust My Feelings. 

May The Force Be WIth You,

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Barking Alien