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,

AD

Barking Alien

Blues Clues

Been experiencing some real life difficulties recently that have delayed my blog posting and man oh man its been a royal pain in the smurf. 

Thankfully it's all been smurfed to a positive and smurfy conclusion. 

To celebrate, I am back to continue my recap of the Smurfs TRPG adventure/mini-campaign The Smurfs and The Palace of the Silver Princess (based on the classic D&D Module B3 Palace of the Silver Princess).

I really enjoyed playing in this game and there are only three installments of my retelling remaining [including this one] so, without further ado, here we go with...

Session Four, Part 2

Master Mirabillis, Court Magician of the Kingdom of Haven, now freed of the influence of Arik the Vile by our heroic Smurfs, explained what had transpired between himself and the evil of the Eye of Arik. 

"I escaped being petrified by the initial crimson glow of the so-called 'Lady's Heart', that cursed gem thanks to the wards I placed upon my staff. Unfortunately, each time I tried to escape the confines of the Palace, it became harder and harder to resist the corruption. A sinister voice, distant but always whispering, was constantly gnawing at my mind. 

Realizing I couldn't hold out forever, I hid the key to my Workshop and left clues on how to find it in hopes that, after my increasingly inevitable fall, some great hero would come along and find a way to free the Silver Palace and its inhabitants."

"And that's exactly what happened!", said Brash Smurf, puffing up his chest and placing his fists on his hips. The other Smurfs gave him a disapproving glare. "That is to say...", Brash began a bit sheepishly, "We Smurfs came along, sent by our Papa Smurf, and we aim to free your nation!" The group smiled and nodded in approval. 

"Hmm", Apathy wondered aloud, "How did you hide the clues and key from...yourself? Surely you would know where you put the key, no?"

"No strangely enough! I was essentially possessed by the evil of Arik, maybe even by the spirit of Arik himself! While the foul spirit could control my body and use my arcane skills, it could not read my mind or use my memories. I surmised this might be the case before I was completely taken over as it often felt my own thoughts were at war with those of the dark presence. It did not feel as if I were actually becoming evil myself", explained Mirabillis. 

While the party wanted to explore what this could mean and if there was anyway we could use it to our advantage, Cornflower suddenly blurted out, "The Sword of Arik! It can destroy the Eye, right? Any idea where it might be Master Wizard?"

It took a lot of concentration but Mirabillis was able to recall that during his possession he recalled that the Sword was located in the castle's Royal Armory. It is protected by a mighty Ogre.

An Ogre?!? 

Yes indeed, an Ogre. Standing much larger than a Human let alone a tiny Smurf, the muscular creature was armed with a spike mallet, a short sword, and perhaps more. "Huh? But not the Sword of Arik itself? I mean, it's right there y'all?", questioned Honeysuckle. 

"He can't use it", Apathy whispered under his breath. "The ghost of the Royal Cleric we saw on the stairs coming up here said something like, 'the sword is guarded by one who can not use it." Suave and Cornflower nodded, remembering the words. Brash and Honeysuckle exchanged glances, sort of recalling this but still wondering...why?

The Smurfs decided it was best that they proceed to the Royal Armory, while Master Mirabillis returned to his Laboratory to obtain any spells, potions, or items that might be useful in the final battle. "Final battle?", he said, knowing what was meant but unsure what the plan was in dealing with the Eye. 

"Once we have Sword, we will go to where the Eye is being kept and touch the blade against it, destroying both!", Brash exclaimed triumphantly, punching his right fist into his right palm. 

"Assuming we know or can figure out where the Eye of Arik is being kept", Suave pointed out. 

"It is near...", Mirabillis muttered, closing his eyes and putting out one hand. He looked as if he were feeling out for something unseen. "The Princess's bedroom! I can feel its menace there!"

"Excellent!", said Suave with a flourish, "Ha! Who knew it would be so simple."

"Simple except for the Ogre. Remember the Ogre", grumbled Apathy. 

"And the Dragon", Mirabillis pointed out. 

All the Smurfs' jaws fell open. "DRAGON?!?"

"Egads", said Mirabillis, "Did I forget to mention the Dragon?"

You did Master Wizard. You did.

Continuing soon...

AD

Barking Alien

Notes regarding this session:

Session Four was the longest session of the five we played. As depicted in Part 1, it started with reaching the Court Magician's Lab/Workshop, unlocking and entering it, Cornflower brewing new Potions, finding the Pertrification Counterspell, and then [after exiting back into the second floor corridor] battling a possessed Master Mirabillis. 

After freeing the Wizard, the rest of the session was largely exposition, out-of-game discussion, planning, role-playing, and rules talk. I have edited and embelished on the session here and there but essentially there was a lot of conversation and not a lot of action. To be clear it was nonetheless very fun. 

Smurfcornflower (my character) created 5 new Potions while in Mirabillis' Workshop. While I did not tell the other players/PCs what I had concocted, I did give a list of my magical drafts to Stephen, the Gamemaster. I used one of them almost immediately to face off against 'Evil Mirabillis'. This elixir was a Potion of Heroism or as the other players teased, 'Liquid Courage'. lol

I'm not telling you what other Potions I made either. Ha! It's a surprise!

A Fourth To Be Reckoned With

A very Happy Star Wars Day to all!

This has been a very interesting year for Star Wars fans, with the Star Wars Celebration fan convention of 2025 having taken place in Japan from April 18-20. While news from the show may not have been abundant, much of what was announced was intriguing to say the least. 

We got updates on the next two films, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter, as well as an announcement of the new Star Wars Animated Series Maul: Shadow Lord. Plus, there's Tales of the Underworld, a six episode limited series releasing, wait...Today! Nice!

 

What intrigued me the most, not surprisingly, was the information about Star Wars VISIONS Volume 3 and the introduction of Star Wars VISIONS Presents...

For those unfamiliar with this project, Star Wars Visions is an animated anthology series created and produced by a variety of international animation studios. Volume 1 featured studios that were all from Japan. Volume 2 had a world wide collection of animators from countries such as England, Chile, France, Ireland, and South Korea to name a few.

Volume 3 returns to Japan with 8 Studios and 9 Episodes including 3 that are continuations of characters and stories first seen in Volume 1! I am incredibly excited for this, especially the 'reoccurring VISIONS'.

Heheh. See what I did there?

Kamikaze Douga/ANIMA are returning to the black and white + a shock of color world of DUEL, featuring a Sith Ronin hunting other Sith in a galaxy heavily influenced by Japanese Samurai films. The new installment is called 'Payback' and looks to be easily as insane as the original. 

Production I.G., the venerable Anime studio behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Kaiju No. 8, brings back The Ninth Jedi, arguably the most popular episode of the first VISIONS. 'Child of Hope' is a sequel to the entry that so many found intriguing that...hold on. Not yet. I don't want to ruin the surprise.

 

The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope

Lastly, 'The Lost Ones' features the young female Jedi introduced in The Village Bride. While that a fine episode, it wasn't one of my favorites. That said, I absolutely thought the Jedi was cool and wanted to see more of her. Now we will thanks to the work of Kinema Citrus, Co. 

In addition to these follow-ups there are several brand new stories including:

• Yuko's Treasure - Another entry by Kinema Citrus, Co. 
• The Smuggler - By Studio TRIGGER (who do my beloved Delicious in Dungeon!).
• The Bounty Hunters - By WIT Studio
• The Song of Four Wings - By Project Studio Q
• The Bird of Paradise - Polygon Pictures
• Black - David Production

The first two VISIONS Volumes contain some of my all time favorite examples of Star Wars content. I absolutely love the mix of art styles, cultural elements, and creative alternate takes on that galaxy far, far away. Really looking forward to seeing what Volume 3 brings. 

As for Star Wars VISIONS Presents, it's a new Star Wars animation 'imprint' in which one of the stories from VISIONS is expanded beyond the original, beyond a sequel episode, and into a full one animated series! The first of these continues the story of The Ninth Jedi from Volume 1. So after this year's sequel 'Child of Hope', we'll get an entire season of stories set in this variation of the Star Wars universe. Honestly, this new blew me away. Can hardly wait for this!

 

Since you're on the Barking Alien blog you've probably figured out that a major factor in my desire to see this new anthology is that I'm hoping to incorporate components of Star Wars VISIONS Volume 3 (and its predecessors) into some far, far away gaming. I've been trying to figure out how best to merge elements of the Japanese TRPG 'Space Ship Story' with the awesome Star Wars D6 game by West End Games. 

And I think I've done it...

This and other Star Wars gaming thoughts coming soon. In the meantime go watch Tales from the Underworld, Andor Season 2, and as always May The Force Be With You!

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Barking Alien

You'll Never Run Your Best Campaign

When I was about 17 and feeling unsure of my role as a Gamemaster, concerned that I'd never be able to top the games I'd already run, my friend Richard said to me, "You'll never run your 'best' campaign because with each one you'll learn something and improve." I haven't thought about that statement in years. 

Recently, after reading posts by James of GROGNARDIA and JB of B/X BLACKRAZOR on the subject of creating one's 'Forever Campaign', the memory of this statement popped back into my head. It's one of the many reasons my views on the subject differ from those of my esteemed colleagues*. 

I've run and/or played a lot of games over my 48 years in the hobby.

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say I've easily played over a hundred+ different systems. If you include multiple editions of games as separate RPGs than definitely more. I also think it's very likely I'm being conservative. It could be several hundred. I'm fascinated by new rules sets, curious about how different designers view and adapt various genres, and interested in checking out known and unique settings.

With such a wide range of options out there - past, present, and of course future - why limit yourself to one game and one campaign? Why not embrace the RPG that is really speaking to you at that moment? Sure, it can be tough to hear that one game calling out to you among the cacophony of other titles vying for your attention but 'at that moment' is the key. 

We gamers of a certain age are always wary of the passage of timeTM, the great equalizer that lets us know, 'You only have a finite number of gaming days left'. True...but morbid, no? What a sad state of affairs it would be to focus on what we potentially can't do instead of what we potentially can. I personally feel that we shouldn't be looking for our Forever Campaign as we don't have forever. I'd much rather find my Great Campaign, one that my players and I absolutely love for as long as it runs. 

To this end, I try not to go into my campaign design process thinking the game will last forever. At the same time, I don't always aim for a 'finale' or 'conclusion'. It's an odd paradox isn't it? Most gamers [I believe] are either trying to tell a set story with a definitive ending or they're planning to play their game without a set tale but simply for as long as it goes on. As with most things, since no one told me you can't combine these approaches, I do.

A perfect example of this is my current Star Trek Adventure campaign, Star Trek: Prosperity. Now roughly 11 years on, we started it as a one-shot at a local game convention and after a few tweaks decided to keep it going. Approximately 200+ sessions later we're still going. The game is set and patterned after the Original Series of Star Trek and as such, there isn't a single overaching story but a series of adventures of the USS Prosperity and its crew. At the same time, we've seen PCs change positions, get married, leave the ship, new crewmen have joined, and at least two characters were promoted. The ship has been upgraded several times as well. 

The campaign, both within the setting and without, has evolved but like evolution itself there is not final form, no end game goal. This allows change to continue and to flourish. Who knows what they'll encounter next and what it will mean to them? Only that pesky time will tell. 

Unlike some, I can't just play Star Trek. That would be like eating my absolute favorite food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of my days. I would definitely get sick of it. Heck, to be honest I can't have tonight what I had last night. I always need to mix it up.

So while I am running my long lasting TOS Star Trek campaign, I'm also running a Champions campaign that I have periodically taken a break from to run a whole host of different things. I've also been playing a Hogwarts/Wizarding World campaign for the last 7 years, a Star Trek Adventures game set post-Voyager, and just finished a really great 5 session mini-campaign of The Smurfs (see previous and upcoming posts on the topic). 

In 2024 and 2025 together I've run the Japanese TRPGs Dragon Castle and Space Ship Story and got to play Star Rain Days in Meteor City. I mean...WOW! Just...do you know how cool that is? It's FREAKIN' COOL!

I can't imagine playing only one game, a single system and a single system, for the rest of years. Ugh. Sounds like creative torture.

This year I have plans for a return to ALIEN, Ghostbusters, Star Wars D6, and hopefully my Fantasy RPG world of Aerth. Hmm. Or maybe Ars Magica instead. Maybe both! Plus there's the upcoming release of Discworld, I definitely want to run more Smurfs, and Oh, Space:1999!

So many games but luckily...I've got time.

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Barking Alien