Solo Ghostbusting - 'Computer Glitch' - Part I

Scenario I, Session 1:

Phase 1: Introduction / Opening

Fumiko Magari was sitting at her desk, randomly scrolling through a dating app on her phone wondering why she was scrolling through a dating app on her phone. She was weird by Japanese standards and (kind of) proud of it. She wasn’t going to meet anyone on this thing. She turned to look at her co-worker and friend Michio Tsumura who seemed to have a new girlfriend every few months. He was asleep at his desk with an unfinished report on his computer screen. 

The door to the Boss’s office opens quickly to reveal the ‘The Old Man’, Mr. Kori Koarishi, standing there with his customary frown. As those in the office turn to see what’s up, Koarishi nods at Miss Aya Nakamura in General Affairs and motions her into his office with a sharp movement of his nose. Nakamura enters without a word and a few moments later exits holding a folder. She walks between the desks of Fumiko and Michio and reveals that that she has a Project for them.

  

“Ghostbusters: Ningyotoshi Ghost Research has gotten a call from Hiroshi Taniguchi, the Head Network Engineer with Seijitsu Soryūshon (Sincere Solutions). Several members of his department, including himself, were experiencing computer issues with no discernible source or explanation. Eventually, a couple of them saw a Desktop Computer, complete with Tower, Screen, Keyboard, and Mouse, moving on its own about the office. When pursued the Computer ran away and seemed to disappear. He finished with ‘Please help Ghostbusters! We have numerous projects and sales reports due’!”

Happy to have some action (really anything constructive to do), Magari and Tsumura suit up. As they enter the Gear Locker room, each takes a Proton Pack with a Neutrona Wand, a Ghost Trap, and a Walkie-Talkie. Additionally, Fumiko takes Ecto-goggles. As they enter the garage, Kenji Boudreux tosses Michio the keys to the Ecto-NT 1 (a 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser).  Michio adjusts the seat and mirror and then reaches for the siren but Fumiko gets to it first and sticks her tongue out at him, then smiles wide. Michio smirks and shakes his head as they drive off to their destination.  

Miss Nakamura calls them while they’re enroute to let them know she will be their Manager on this Project if they need anything from headquarters/the home office. 

Project #1: 

Project Name: Computer Glitch

Number of employees required: 3 people

Number of phases: 3

Recommended skills: None

Client: Hiroshi Taniguchi, Network Engineer Manager at Sincere Solutions

Ghost: Class V Animated Phantom Tsukumogami – Computer Spirit

Phase 2: Investigation

The team of two arrives at the office building and head upstairs to the 5th floor (really the 4th, an unlucky number in Japan). Upon stepping off the elevator they are able to locate Mr. Taniguchi easily as he was hiding…I mean waiting for their arrival. “Thank goodness you’re here!”, shouted Mr. Taniguchi, a lot louder than was necessary. Yes, there was noise in the background – yelps and gasps from employees, falling chairs and coffee cups, etc. – but he was no more than a few feet in front of the Ghostbusters. 

Michio started to ask for the current details about the situation but Mr. Taniguchi shouted, “Excuse me? Speak up please! The ruckus caused by this…whatever it is is very loud!”. 

Fumiko exchanged glances with Michio and then leaned in close to him and whispered, “I’m thinking something made a loud noise near his head. He might be temporarily hard of hearing until he…”, but before she could finish the client stamped his foot and pointed at her with a frustrated face and finger.

Fumiko makes a Task Roll using her Brains to figure out why Taniguchi appears hard of hearing. She gets a Success with Trouble, taking 1 point of Mental Damage and 1 point of Environmental Damage. She is embarrassed and thinks she might be reflecting poorly on her company. 

“I said PLEASE SPEAK UP! Don’t whisper. Whispering is obviously the opposite of speaking up. My goodness, I thought you all were professionals! I…”

Michio stood up straight, puffed out his chest, and moved quickly into Taniguchi‘s ‘personal space’. Tsumura put on a frown and a furrowed brow and his message was quite clear. Mr. Taniquchi backed up, took a deep breath, and apologized. “Terribly sorry young lady. I think I’m having trouble hearing, I am at my wits end with this…situation…and again, my apologies.” 

Fumiko gave a polite bow. “Completely understandable!,” she shouted, actually catching Michio off guard and startling others in the area. “My fault entirely. I should have realized I was being impolite. Can you tell us exactly what’s going on?”

Taniguchi proceeds to describe what began as a normal if busy day but one which changed dramatically just after lunch/midday. Various computers in the office started having issues, including not saving work, sudden shutdowns, going onto naughty sites of their own accord, and other strange activities. As the issues spread, Taniguchi and some of his best people checked the servers, ran diagnostic programs, and even investigated the buildings electrical systems. Nothing seemed wrong and the problems made no sense. 

Finally, someone in the main offices screamed and a small, almost robot-like figure appeared. It seemed to be made up of computer hardware from an older model desktop. It began running around and as it passed people’s desks even more network issues and IT problems erupted. Taniguchi and others tried to catch it but it made a Laptop on someone’s desk explode and then disappeared in the chaos. 

Fumiko asked how the ‘Computer Boy’ blew up the laptop. While no one knew exactly, someone nearby said she saw it press a button on the laptop’s keyboard before the item exploded. “We should take a look at the remains of that device”, said Michio. Fumiko agreed. 

Mr. Taniguchi escorted the Ghostbusters duo through the office as concerned company personnel looked on. He brought them to the desk of a young woman named Arai Hotaru who stood beside her chair looking very frightened. A charred, open laptop sat on the burnt surface of the desk, bits of metal and plastic scattered across the area like confetti. Taniguchi introduced Miss Hotaru to the pair of Paranormal Investigators and Michio noted she had some minor burns, cuts, and her hair was all frizzy. 

“Are you alright Miss Hotaru?”, asked Michio in a purposely slow, warm manner, with a calm and kind tone. The woman blinked and looked up at him as if she had just that moment noticed that anyone was there. 

Miss Hotaru said in a quite and shaky voice, “I moved away from the laptop as soon as I heard it sizzle and smelled smoke but …I feel hot and there’s a tingle…”. She trailed off unable to focus. Tsumura placed one of his large hands on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look. He nodded to Magari with a particular expression she knew quite well. 

Using her cellphone, Fumiko called the Fire Department and explained the situation*. She followed that with a quick call in to Nakamura back at the GB: NGR office to fill her in on the information they had so far, which wasn’t a lot. Nakamura let her know that as Project Manager she can coordinate with the Paramedics at the local hospital and can send back-up Field Operatives if needed. Magari nodded (even though Aya couldn’t see her) and let Nakamura know they hadn’t yet encountered the entity, so don’t send reinforcements just yet. Fumiko recommended Aya keep them on stand-by. 

*Fumiko calls the Fire Department and not an Ambulance or Paramedics. Why? Well, in Japan it is the Fire Department that handles transporting injured people to medical facilities. They are trained with basic Paramedic skills. Once at a hospital or emergency clinic, full Paramedics respond to the patients and get them to doctors and nurses in the facility as necessary.

Michio and Mr. Taniguchi helped Miss Hotaru get around her desk and Taniguchi walked her towards the elevators. Tsumura grimaced, narrowed his eyes, and looked about the place as if he could simply sense the entity they were searching for. Thing is…he could. He had always had this knack for feeling the presence of spirits and the supernatural. Here…

Michio makes a Task Roll using his Spirit Perception Skill. I made the Difficulty Number 8, Slightly Difficult, as I wanted this first entity to be hard to locate. Why? Something to explore later. I rolled a 6. Instead of a Success with Trouble I decided that Michio straight up fails in his attempt.

When this happens, the character takes 1 Point of Damage, in this case Mental, and also gains 1 Point of Overtime. He can now activate his Overwork Skill once by spending the point of Overtime. Going to save that for later.

Tsumura let out a sigh. Nothing. He almost felt like there was some sort of 'background noise' making it really difficult to sense this thing. He turned, hoping to locate Magari and continue with their investigation of the premises only to virtually slam right into her. "Eh?! Fumiko, were you right there the whole time?”

For her part Fumiko was standing barely a foot in front of him, almost on her tippy-toes, grinning widely, and holding the burnt laptop to her chest with both hands. “I think I’ve figured something out!” 

I decided to have Fumiko’s ‘Player’ ask the following question(s):

1) Can I determine what caused the laptop’s battery to explode and is there any connection between this cause and the other issues Sincere Solutions have been experiencing due to this entity. 

Hmm. I’ll use an alternative system here. To answer the first half, ‘Can I determine what caused the battery to explode…’, I rolled a D100 (Two 10-sided dice read High/Low) and consulted the chart ‘Ask The Gamemaster’ in the One-Page Mythic GM Emulator. I’ll expend a use of her Super Search Technique Skill to accomplish this. 

I rolled a 40 against the Difficulty Level of ‘50/50 or Unknown’. This results in a Yes! Cool. 

For the second part, ‘is there any connection between this and the other issues Sincere Solutions have been experiencing?’, I roll again on the same chart, this time applying Fumiko’s Office Chair Detective Skill. The roll is 17 – Yes again! OK. So, what is that connection?

I got it!

“Electricity! That’s the key! After a thorough analysis of the damaged laptop I discovered that the battery had been overloaded. Other evidence pointed towards an electrical surge as the cause. Then I thought about the other issues the employees have experienced and wondered, ‘If the electricity going into the other computers…um…hiccupped…wouldn’t that cause the computer to do strange things like fail to save documents, shut down suddenly, etc.?’”

Michio considered this. It all made sense though he would be the first to admit he was no computer specialist. On the other hand, Fumiko was and so he had faith she was on to something. He nodded and said, “OK, let’s go with your theory.  So the entity can control electricity or at least it can transfer it into technology to cause glitches…or worse”, he said motioning toward the ruined laptop. “How do we stop it? Ground it? How do we do that?”

Fumiko’s big grin shrank, then faded even further as she spoke, “I’m not sure actually. Thing is…Mr. Taniguchi reported that he and several other people had seen what appeared to be an old computer walking around looking somewhat like a person. This would indicate a spirit possessed item or an item that’s developed a spirit. Like a…um…”

“A Tsukumogami”, said Tsumura. He then waited for his friend to continue.

“Right! A Tsukumogami! Wait…don’t those take a really long time to form? I mean, there isn’t going to be a hundred year old computer in this place.” Michio nodded to confirm as she put her index finger on her chin. Then she snapped her fingers and her eyes brightened, “What if its pretty old, a classic model, and someone has been turning it on and using it off and on. Suddenly, for whatever reason, they’ve stopped and the spirit is upset?”

“If someone were really attached to it, their feelings might have accelerated the formation of the spirit within. That could be. Hmmm.” Michio trailed off, a lot of questions still running through his head. 

Suddenly, a loud, grating noise blared through out the offices. It was awful! The Ghostbusters tried to cover their ears – Difficulty 7. Michio, using Physical Skill rolls a 7. Just made it. Fumiko using Brains rolls -holy smokes – a 7 as well! 

Can either member of our team recognize the sound? Difficulty ‘50/50 or Unknown’ for Michio and Likely for Fumiko. Percentile Rolls. 16 for Michio and 44 for Fumiko making it a Yes for both of them!

“A dial-up modem?!?” exclaimed Magari.

“Make it stop!!!” shouted Tsumura.

 

To be continued...

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Barking Alien

A key factor in my enjoyment of this exercise in Solo Gaming is the speed at which it moves, which is basically 'as fast as I want it to'.

 
I've mentioned in the past that my old games progressed really quickly compared to the ones I've run over the past decade or so. This is largely do to playing the majority of my games online and the limitations of the medium.

That isn't the only reason though. Now I apologize as I get a little ranty. 

It's also the fact I have been gaming with players unaccustomed to my rapid fire approach; most people didn't grow up gaming at the breakneck pace I find 'normal'.

I get it, it takes time to process what the GM has said, ask questions to get a clear idea of situation the PCs are in, and to define the details of the scene's setting and environment, etc.

I don't have to do any of that when I'm gaming Solo. If I randomly roll up that there's a 'Large Crowd', thats 'Gawking' at something in the 'Fish Market District',, I know EXACTLY what that looks like. I can instantly see it in my head.

I can further dispense with the [usually] unimportant questions most players will ask at that moment like 'how far away are we from the crowd', 'are there any fisherman or sailors there?', or 'what kind of fish do I see?'.

Since the answer to these types of questions is always the same, 'What does that $^#&ing matter?!?', I can get right to having my characters actually do something. This is how it always worked with my Grade School, High School, College, and New Jersey crowd but these days people seem to need everything spelled out to commit to a course of action. Honestly, it's weird.

Obviously that's not the case when playing solo.

Solo Ghostbusting 101

I've started my Solo Tabletop Roleplaying Game journey and I am [surprisingly] really enjoying it! The game in question?

Ghostbusters: Ningyotoshi Ghost Research is a Solo TRPG campaign by me for me! I'm using the Japanese indie RPG 'Tokyo Ghost Research' with some modifications for my own Ghostbusters adapted setting and the fact that its a Solo game.

The campaign follows the paranormal investigation and elimination cases, called 'Projects', of a Ghostbusters franchise in the (fictional) Japanese Coastal City of Ningyotoshi (Mermaid City). The main characters are a pair of Ghostbusters field operatives named Michio Tsumura (Male - 32) and Fumiko Magari (Female - 28).

Michio Tsumura (whose first name means 'Man on a Journey' and his last name 'Harbor Village') is a 32 year old, single Male who was born and raised in Ningyotoshi. He went to high school locally and university in Kyoto, majoring in History and Folklore Studies.

Prior to joining the Ghostbusters he mostly did odd jobs for neighbors and other local residents. All the while he read and learned as much as he could about Japanese Mythology in general and Ningyotoshi legends in particular. Eventually he applied for the Ghostbusters in an attempt to both further his knowledge and put it to practical use.

Michio is in the Sales Department because of his ability to get along with both the living and the dead. His knowledge of local legends and ghosts in general allows him to negotiate with paranormal beings instead of having to always blast and trap them.

Tsumura has a kind of 'sixth sense', an ability to detect supernatural entities that he's had all his life. It is part of the reason for his interest in the paranormal.

Michio is a big fellow, not especially tall (though above average for a native Japanese male)  but he's got a lot of muscle. He can be charming and warm like a large teddy bear but also gruff and intimidating. He knows this and uses it to his advantage when dealing with other people. Good looking in a rough way, many think of him as a 'ladies man' but that's not really true per say.

He is well known and liked throughout the city from his odd job days and just has a lot of female friends. He dates but its mostly just looking to enjoy the company.

'Sure I know a lot of woman and yeah, its fun to go out and do something but it isn't serious or deep. It's not like my friendship with Fumiko. I mean, the two of us can get into some really wild conversations and man, is she smart. And her hair...I really like how she colors it just 'cause she wants to and it makes her happy and...what? Get outta here! Me and Fumiko? Nah, man...I'm..ya'know I'm just sayin."

Fumiko Magari (whose first name means 'Intellectual' and whose last name means 'A Twist or Distortion')  is a 28 year old single Female who was born in Ningyotoshi but travelled across Japan with her family due to her father's job.

She is incredibly smart and understands the physics and metaphysics of the Ghostbusters technology and science. She attended the Fukui University of Technology while also taking classes at two other colleges online. After graduating she immediately applied to the Ghostbusters in order to get her hands on devices like the Proton Pack, Ghost Trap, and the Ghost Light (an item unique to the Tokyo Ghost Research game that I love. It's a Flashlight that emits charged particles similar to the Proton Thrower and Trap which cause invisible supernatural entities to appear visible within its beam).

She serves in the Investigations Department of Ningyotoshi Ghost Research as her analytical mind makes her an excellent detective.

Fumiko is scientifically and technically brilliant but a bit socially awkward. She gets excited very quickly and can't hide it. She wants to be herself but gets embarrassed when people see her as different and not adhering to Japan's social norms. She gets along well with her co-workers (most of whom would also be thought of as weird by most of Japanese society) but doesn't have a lot of outside friends. She sometimes hangs out with the Unconventionals, a community of artists, writers, and musicans who live in the Northeastern area of the city along the river.

A romantic at heart, Magari would really like to meet someone special but because of her outside-the-box thinking, her failure to prioritize Japan's usual social practices, and her job, she finds it hard to meet anyone compatible.

"How does Michio do it? I mean, sure he's kind of good looking and physically fit...and he's interesting...even sort of cute when he's talking about his interests...but...WHAT AM I SAYING?! Deep breaths Fumiko. I should probably go...modify a nuclear accelerator. That always calms my nerves."

The current supporting cast consists of:

Aya Nakamura (first name means 'Colorful' or 'Beautiful', last name means 'Middle Village') is the Project Manager for most of our Ghostbusters: NGR heroes' outings. Her abilities fall under the Career Type/Department of General Affairs. She is very good at coordinating a group's efforts, cutting through red-tape, and controlling who knows what information (so she can spin screw-ups to look better to the press and bureaucrats).

She always wears something colorful but odd, such as a business blazer made from blue flower pattern kimono material or a brightly hued plaid skirt.

Kenji Boudreaux - last name pronounced Bo-du-ru by the Japanese - is a second generation mixed ethnicity Ningytoshi native (for various reasons, Ningyotoshi has more foreign and mixed ethnicity residents than most Japanese cities its size. A follow up post will go into detail on the city itself). He is a back-up Field Operative Ghostbuster as well as being in charge of the team's vehicle. (His first name means 'Strong or Healthy Second Son'. His last name, of French Creole origin, means 'Leader of the Group'. He's basically the outfit's Second-in-Command after the boss).

Finally...The Boss! You randomly roll up the Boss in Tokyo Ghost Research and I was quite inspired by what I got. Here's Kōri Koarashi.

Boss: Kōri Koarashi (whose name means 'Cold Little Storm')

Position: Nearing Retirement Age

Appearance/Impression: Age Unknown

Nature: Nothing is said. Rarely speaks. 

Bad Habits: Cold Gags – Dark sense of humor.

Another native of Ningyotoshi who lived in Tokyo in his college years. Koarashi was one of the first Ghostbusters in Japan, having served for over two decades with GB: Tokyo Ghost Research. While generally said to be 'near retirement age', no one is certain how old he actually is.

The Boss rarely speaks, preferring to communicate through grunts and motioning with his head. When on rare occasion he does say something, its often a dark joke of dubious appropriateness.

I have a lot of thoughts about this whole endeavor but I'll start with this epiphany...In a Solo TRPG you are in the role of Player. The Gamemaster role is 'automated'.

I know this seems rather obvious to most people but it took a while for this to sink in for me. My brain defaults to thinking like a GM; to thinking that I AM a GM. This is why it was so difficult for me to grasp not just the idea of Solo gaming but also why one would even like doing it. 

Once I was able to let go (sort of - keep reading) of trying to be fully the GM and fully the Player at the same time, I had a lot more fun with the exercise. Focusing on the Player role and letting the Game System, Tables, and Dice be the referee is what makes the whole thing work. That said...

As noted, I am a Gamemaster at heart. If I wasn't going to get involved with creating the game's narrative and actively world-building, I'd probably get bored with the whole process pretty quickly. So, what I've decided to do is roll randomly for many of the key elements of the game and then generate a story, a setting, and the encounters myself using those prompts. Essentially this how all Solo RPGs function, I understand that. What I'm trying to do is add a bit more from my head than from random generation. 

If Solo TRPGs typically have the Dice and Mechanics handling 75% of the Gamemastering duties and you filling in the remaining 25%, my approach is more 60/40. These aren't real or exacting numbers but just a way of helping to visualize how I'm looking at it. 

I have a ton of other thoughts and ideas about this in addition to a recap of my first session. I hope to run my second session tomorrow (I've been busy OK! Sheesh). Before I go though, I want to share a table I made that I am really proud of. This is my custom 'Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research Japanese Ghost Generator'.

For this campaign, I start most scenarios by getting a Client using one of several online NPC generators (such as this one for example: Chaotic Shiny Modern Character Generator) and then going to a different site to give the character a Japanese Name. I do a little research on the names I find interesting and alter them if needed to get one I like that has the meaning I'm looking for. 

Next, I use the table above to create the Ghost haunting the Client. As you can see, you roll 1D10 four times, or just 4D10 I suppose, and put together the results. The first three categories are clearly from the Ghostbusters franchise and the same CDI identifiers I use in my other homebrew/kit Ghostbusters game. The last column adds a Japanese Yokai Type - a spirit/ghost/monster from Japanese folklore - to the mix to give The Call an appropriate local feel. 

The best thing about this is that it can result in some very unique or at least unusual Japanese supernatural entities. An Oni for example is a powerful Ogre-like demon but what if you're dealing with a Class II Terminal Mist Oni? This is an Oni that can barely manifest itself. It can be made to shuffle off back to the ghostly realm (Terminal) but what will make it do that? If you don't do that, will it get stronger and eventually fully form? So many possibilities!

Let's do one right now to show you what I'm talking about. We start with a Client. 

Interesting. A Photographer. OK, getting an idea immediately but before I'll get to that I need to give him a Japanese name. Let's see...

After several attempts I saw a couple of names that I liked but decided to combine two in order to make:

Hibiki Fushimiya (Hibiki means 'Echo' and Fushimiya means 'Hidden Shrine'). Hmm. A photo is like a visual echo, no?

OK, now let's roll 4D10 using an Online Dice Roller. 

What have we here? A Class IV Repeating Phantasm Mōryō.

A Mōryō is a supernatural wilderness being connected to mountains, forests, and most especially water, usually streams and rivers. This Yokai is generally viewed as a nature spirit but also as an eater of the dead, consuming corpses like a ghoul. While it might 'live' near a riverbank or waterfall, it can often be found skulking around graveyards looking for a meal. 

So combining this result with the Client I can generate the Project or Scenario for an adventure. 

Project Name: Picturing The Dead

Number of employees required: 2-3 people

Number of Phases: 4

Recommended skills: Any

Client: Hibiki Fushimiya, Freelance Photographer

Ghost: Class IV Repeating Phantasm Mōryō.

While doing some Wildlife Photography near a forest stream East of the city, a young man named Hibiki Fushimiya saw something strange and accidentally caught it on camera, though it is difficult to clearly make out what it is. 

That was a week ago and every since (Random Rolls on Various Tables) Hibiki has since seen strange lights, ghostly figures, and heard distant voices at random wherever he goes. Returning to the site of stream he found parts of a dead body in the water. It looked very old (long since deceased) and like it had been chewed or gnawed on by some very large animal. 

Taking pictures of the scene, Fushimiya once again caught a bizarre image in a photo, a monstrous being reflected on the surface of the water. He called Ghostbusters: Ningyotoshi Ghost Research (Random Motivation Roll: Lust? Huh. The Lust result matches the 'Favorite Sin' entry on his NPC info. Got It!) and specifically asks for Fumiko Magari for help as he has seen her on TV and Social Media and has a crush on her.

How will she react? Will Michio get jealous? Why is this creature now haunting this poor guy?

That, as they say, is the adventure! 

Well, that's all for now but as noted there's a lot more where this came from*.

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Barking Alien

*That would be my head.

I'm Not Dead I'm Regenerating

Sorry for another long, quiet stretch but I've been working on...just so many things.

Trust me when I say there are a lot of new posts on the way, though it might still be some time before I get the first of them out. 

Real LifeTM and the actual doing of the things are eating up a lot of time and leaving me pretty exhausted. Add to that New York City's recent heat wave and in the words of the immortal Madeline Kahn, "Let's face it, I'm tired."

As far as what you can expect in the [hopefully] very near future: 

Daggerheart

I've played Daggerheart and - SPOILERS - I liked it! Whaaat? Yes! In fact, I enjoyed it enough to join in on an ongoing campaign of indeterminant length. I definitely want to talk about Daggerheart a little. 

Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research - Solo RPG Campaign

I have figured out Solo Roleplaying Games - or at least I have solidified my take on Solo Roleplaying Games - and I am having a lot of fun with it! I hope you'll join me for Ghostbusters: Ningytoshi Ghost Research, a Ghostbusters Solo campaign set in the (fictional) coastal city of Ningyotoshi, Japan using my GB flavored version of the Japanese TRPG Tokyo Ghost Research. 

私は幽霊を怖がらない!*

Smurfs

Great smurf in the smurf! I need to complete my recounting of our smurfy adventure/mini-campaign 'The Smurfs and The Palace of the Silver Princess'. I am sooo sorry to all my fellow Smurf adventurers out there that I've not finished this series of posts already. I've really smurfed the smurf on this one. 

I really want to get this done because the game will hopefully be out later this year and I'll want to start working on new ideas to add to it. I feel like I need to clean my plate before I start on the next course. 

Star Wars 

Skeleton Crew, Andor, and the upcoming VISIONS have inspired me to run a short Star Wars campaign with one of my groups. Additionally, and equally as importantly, the members of this group have never played the West End Games D6 System Star Wars RPG. What the Force? Right?! How crazy is that? I feel a deep need to remedy this situation.

Set during the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire (roughly Season One of Andor to Return of the Jedi), I am lucky enough to have gotten some truly classic Star Wars archtypes. We're looking at an Ace Pilot, a Bounty Hunter, an mysterious orphan Kid, and a Smuggler. 

I have some other thoughts - a lot actually - but they're still formulating, so that's it for now. 

Talk to you soon,

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Barking Alien

*Watashi wa yūrei o kowagaranai or I'm not afraid of ghosts.

Too Many Ideas Syndrome

Too Many Ideas Syndrome. Apparently this is really a thing. It's sometimes called 'idea-ism'. Yeah, I've definitely got it bad right now. 

My lack of posting is not because I have nothing to talk about or show you all but rather the opposite; I have so many RPG concepts runninlg through my head I don't know where to begin. Adding to the problem is that many of them are only half finished and poorly organized. 

Let's start with a 'State of Gaming' update, shall we?

Currently as of this post...

I am playing Hogwarts: A Mystery

Now in its 6th or 7th year, the campaign follows students - currently 5th Years - in House Ravenclaw. It is full of teen angst and drama, setting based angst and drama, action, suspense, and other kinds of angst and drama. The GM is very into making children suffer. No, no...in a good way!

The game runs bi-weekly with my friend Alex as Gamemaster and four players including myself. My character, Francis 'Frank' Pellgrove, goes on the short list of all time favorite PCs I've ever had. The system is a homebrew extremely loosely based on Apocalypse World but really nothing like it at this point. 

I have been running SMURFS

Over the past month I've run a three session scenario and a one-shot scenario using the Quickstart Guide rules for the upcoming Smurfs officially licensed RPG by Maestro Media. I'm pretty much obsessed and I love the game. Getting people to play it may be the biggest challenge one faces with the game but based on my own experience most truly mature gamers will give it a try. After all, those are the people most comfortable with not taking the hobby too seriously. 

Upcoming posts will discuss the Player Characters from both games and later I'll talk about the adventures themselves. 

I am still running Star Trek: Prosperity

Our Original Series era Star Trek Adventures campaign is still going strong, with all the sessions so far this 'season' (Season 8 that is! Eight years of Star Trek: Prosperity! Woohoo!) being good and a few being great! We've had a couple of real bangers! Very much looking forward to the next three missions, the last ending in a 'Season Finale Cliffhanger'!  

This game is [usually] played bi-weekly. I am the Gamemaster and we have four players. It ranks as my longest running single campaign ever. 

Coming up...

I will be running Champions: UNITY again

My weekend group is returning to our Champions campaign after experimenting with a host of other concepts with mixed results. Our campaign is set in yet another version of my friend William Corpening's 'Age of Champions' setting, this time on Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1A. The campaign is already three years old and the players are eager to get back to their characters and this universe. Actually, one player will be using a new character.

I have mixed feelings on this personally. I am not really feeling 'Superheroes' at the moment and I'm having trouble coming up with a new or interesting angle. Don't get me wrong, I have some ideas for villains and scenarions but I'm lacking...I don't know...that certain something, ya'know? 

I will largely be playing Star Trek: Copernicus

After the Smurfs my Midweek Group is going back to our Star Trek Adventures campaign, Star Trek: Copernicus. This game is...good...sometimes great...sometimes just OK. It's been a tad inconsistent and that's not surprising. We've been doing a 'Revolving GM' situation, with the four players each taking turns as the Narrator when they had a solid adventure idea. Going forward it seems that one of us will be the 'lead' Narrator, having quite a lot of ideas and enthusiasm for the game.

I like my character a lot and that goes a long way towards making the game fun. 

In the near future...

I would like to run Space:1999

A fan of the series and intrigued by the rules, I would love to run a short campaign of this, partially to see if it has legs. That is to say, I'd likely run a three session 'pilot' adventure and gage interest in doing more.

Halloween is coming and I have Spooky Games in mind

Obviously I would love to revisit Ghostbusters. My hope is I'll get to run at least a one-shot scenario with my A&D/'The Home Office' group sometime in October. With any luck I might also be able to set up a Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research adventure with my friends in Japan. 

On that note, I want to finish my recap of the 'I'm So Embarrassed! My Uncle is a Bullet Train!' game. I'll also post some general ideas for more Ghostbusters RPG paranormal activities (see what I did there?). 

Another one-shot [or maybe two-to-three-shot] I'd love to run is Peekaboo (aka Peekaboo Horror), The Neighborhood Ghost Story TRPG from Japan that I adore but rarely get to the table. I also have a recounting of my first time playing it coming up next month so be on the look out for that. 

Finally...

What should really be an entire post all on its own (and might be soon) is this nagging desire to run...hold on to socks...Fantasy. 

Specifically I am wanting to run Fantasy with an Anime twist. Like...imagine if what I did with Superhero gaming to create The Winghorn Guard and my world of Aerth was done with Anime/Manga tropes in mind. Although Aerth does have considerable Anime/Manga influences already. Hmm. 

I really want to do this but I keep running into two major snags: I just don't love Fantasy gaming for a variety of reasons and I can find a system I really like that does what I want. 

Arrgh! 

*Sigh* Oh well. I'm glad I got that off my chest. Let's finish up with the Smurfs RPG for now so I can move on to other discussions.

Thanks for letting me prattle on.

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Barking Alien 

I've been so busy with Real LifeTM that I've missed some very important acknowledgements.

 

On September 9th of this year the world lost an entertainment icon in the person of James Earl Jones. A multiple award winning pioneer of theatre and film, Jones was a fascinating man before and after his long career of acting and voice overs. While best known to fandom as the voice of Darth Vader and Conan's nemesis Thulsa Doom, I highly recommend looking into this fellow's life outside these roles if you haven't already. Epic. 

Rest in Peace Mister Jones. 

September 24th was the birthday of Muppets creator Jim Henson. I don't even know where to begin talking about my feelings regarding Jim, one of my all time heroes. I've discussed him many times in the past and if you're interested you can look back to previous posts on the man. Henson is another fellow I suggest reading up on for the incredible life he lead and the impact he had on generations of fans and creatives. A documentary about him entitled 'Jim Henson Idea Man' is currently available on Disney+ and while it was tough for me to watch I definitely suggest checking it out. 

September 25th, yesterday, was the birthday of the amazing Mark Hamill. Actor, voice actor, and vigilant, outspoken, opponent of stupidity, Mark is a gawd dang national treasure. Happy Birthday Mark!

I'm So Embarrassed! My Uncle is a Bullet Train! Chapter 2

Welcome to the second half of my recap of the Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research adventure I created and my friend Yasa ran for his gaming group in Japan.

I recommend reading my description of the game itself and my idea of crossing it with Ghostbusters. It isn't necessary but I think it will give you a clearer context in regards to the adventure. 

I definitely suggest you read Chapter 1.

OK? You good? Cool. Let's continue...

Part 1 Summary: A Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research team consisting of Isamu, Kei, Sachiko, and Ryōsuke, and overseen by Kimiko back at the main office, were sent to Osaka to investigate strange activities on one of the Bullet Train lines. After a road trip and some investigation at Shin-Osaka Station, the group encountered a young woman named Kiko Sato. Miss Sato was seen on security footage regularly visiting the station for a few weeks, eating her lunch in the afternoon and just sitting in the evening, never once boarding or getting off a train. 

When the GB:TGR group confronted the woman, in a friendly fashion of course, they started asking her questions and she revealed that her uncle had passed away recently and he was an absolute fanatic about trains. She had become aware of the Bullet Train incidents and came to the realization that her late uncle, Yukito Sato, was haunting the Bullet Train(s). Seconds after this declaration, Ryōsuke's Psychic Spirit Perception went off and he turned towards the tracks to see a Bullet Train coming in. A Bullet Train POSSESSED!

Part 2 and How it went:

Phase II - Main Part: Kei swung her Ghost Light towards the train and its eerie pale beam revealed glowing blue streams of ectoplasm/spirit steam*. A ghostly blue vaguely humanoid shape hovered above the front windshield. It turned to look towards the Ghostbusters and faded as it passed downward into the driver's cabin.

"It's him. That's her Uncle. My Psychic Abilities confirm it", said Ryōsuke.

The train doors opened and people got off but at the late hour few got on. Sachiko broke into a mad dash for the doors and the group was taken aback. Kei rushed to follow her. Ryōsuke took Kiko Sato's left hand and gingerly motioned for her to stand up and follow him. She looked to him, blushed a bit, and then they both looked to the right to see Isamu doing the exact same thing with her other hand. Isamu gave an embarrassed smile as Sachiko, now on the train, saw him holding Sato's hand and turned red, starring daggers at him. Just then, the doors closed and the train took off at greater than normal speed.

"What the--? To the Ecto-K!", exclaimed Isamu with a devilish smile. He and Ryōsuke took off towards their vehicle at a 'Naruto Run', with Kiko Sato holding on to both their hands for dear life as she trailed behind them.

They rounded the K-Truck, got in, and as Isamu started the engine, Ryōsuke activated a roof mounted PKE Sensor. Between this device and Ryōsuke's Distant Impressions ability (thanks to touching the Uncle's book about trains earlier - See Part 1), there was no way they'd lose track (pun intended) of the haunted Bullet Train. Isamu drove like a wild man to travel to the next stop ahead of the Bullet Train. Unfortunately, Bullet Trains go FREAKIN' FAST, so Isamu had to cut across areas other than the expressway..

"Areas other than the expressway? What does he mean by that?", asked Ryōsuke.

"Buckle up and hold on to something. We're going off-road!", chuckled Isamu as he jumped the K-Truck over a barricade. 

Ryōsuke called Kimiko and gave her the 411 on what they're learned so far and the team's current status. He asked her to please compile any information she could on previous Projects involving haunted vehicles in general and trains in particular. She said OK but was rather busy on the other line; she was speaking with the Japanese transit authority client, various emergency services, and her contacts within the police. Kimiko was attempting to coordinate a response should things go...well...off the rails. 

At this point Kimiko and her player entered a kind of 'mini-game' in which she had to convince those who controlled the three key resources - the Trains, the Emergency Services (Fire, Paramedics, etc.), and the Police - to work together and supply the Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research Team with assistance. A key component was 'The Budget'. Inspired by the bureacracy and political troubles depicted in Japanese media (such as modern Godzilla films for example), Yasa managed to give Kimiko a social interaction/resource management task tailor made for her player and the character's role as a General Affairs Employee. 

These scenes were intercut between the scenes featuring the other characters. Sounds awesome and perfect for the themes of Tokyo Ghost Research.  .

Meanwhile on the train...

Kei grabs and shakes Sachiko, scolding her for being so brash. Sachiko apologized, letting out a sigh. She asks Kei if she saw Isamu flirting with Kiko and how unprofessional it was. Kei looks at Sachiko dumbfounded and tells her that yes, that would be unprofessional but that didn't seem to be what he was doing. 

"Do you...like Isamu?" asked Kei in a low, even voice.

Sachiko become flushed and lightly pushed Kei away. "No! That's not...we're...it's...nevermind."

Suddenly the two ladies heard screams from the next car foward and immediately took ready stances, charging up their Proton Packs. Kei stuck a Pocky in her mouth, looked at Sachiko and the two nodded at each other and began to take aim at...whatever may come. 

They didn't have long to wait. Blue and violet sparks erupted from the door and through them crawled...this crazy b****.

That my friends is a Teke Teke; a Japanese urban legend [with some yokai folklore ancestry] describing a young woman [usually] whose legs, or sometimes their entire lower torso, have been severed after being hit by a train. As in the legend this vengeful spirit, armed with a curved knife, asked the Ghostbusters, "Have you seen my legs?"

When Kei responded with a 'Huh?' the Teke Teke charged her, somehow bouncing into the air and swinging her blade downward, nicking Kei's cheek and knocking off her glasses. Sachiko shouted, "Hey! I know where your legs are!" The Teke Teke landed on a seat and spun to look at her, totally focused on Sachiko and seemingly desperate for the info. "Right here!", Sachiko growled as she blasted the Teke Teke at close range with a Particle Stream. 

The Teke Teke hit the wall and window, richocetted off into the aisle and then went at Sachiko in a berserk rage. "Everyone - Move away from the center aisle and towards the windows!", shouted Kei as she stood up and pointing her Neutrona Wand straight ahead of her. Together the two ladies in grey fired their weapons, sending the Teke Teke hurdling backward down the middle of the car. The passengers cheered and a few had their cellphones out, taking video of the two GB: TGR Agents. 

The Teke Teke, clearly injured, rushed Kei and Sachiko again, flipping about to avoid their blasts. Sachiko got stabbed in the shoulder as Kei lassoed the yokai with a Capture Stream. Sachiko, nursing her shoulder wound, tossed a Ghost Trap under the Teke Teke and activated it. The Teke Teke struggled against both the Streams and the Trap, slashing and thrashing about. Sachiko played to the crowd to boost herself and her teammate as well as intimidating the yokai, then fired her own lasso Stream. After a few tense moments, the Teke Teke was sucked into the Ghost Trap.

"Yatta!", the pair cheered as they high-fived each other to the applause of the passengers. The train then began to slow down and the two woman prepared to run further ahead towards the driver's car. 

Back to the boys...

Both Isamu and Ryōsuke took some Physical and Environmental Damage as the Ecto-K sped, swerved, and 'stunt showed ' to get to the next station before the paranormally possessed train arrived. Both guys took turns making sure Miss Sato was alright in the back seat, though Ryōsuke moreso since Isamu was driving.

They pulled in to a parking area near their target station and then the three of them hoof it to the train platform as fast they can. Reaching their destination, Sato pointed towards the second car and said, "Excuse me but...aren't those your co-workers?", as the fellas saw Sachiko and Kei running into the middle door. After exchanging quick glances at each other, the three of them put everything they had into a powerful sprint and managed to get on the train just as the doors were closing. The whole team plus Sato assembled once more, collectively taking a moment to catch their breaths. 

Kei's phone rang and it turned out to be Kimiko. She informed Kei that back-up and support was on the way or already in place. Kei lets the rest of the team know and Kimiko blushes and smiles as the others graciously thank her for efforts. Sachiko mentions the capture of the Teke Teke and Kimiko confirms she'll add that to her research for the Project. She'll also be sure to charge the client extra. 

Stay tuned for Chapter 3 and the big finale!

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Barking Alien

I'm So Embarrassed! My Uncle is a Bullet Train! Chapter 1

A few weeks ago I was contacted by my friend Yasa who told me he had read my posts on the Japanese TRPG 'Tokyo Ghost Research' and mixing it with Ghostbusters. He really liked the idea, downloaded the game rules, and decided he was going to run a session of it with his friends at their favorite game cafe. 

The only issue was he didn't feel comfortable going in without a pre-made adventure and wasn't certain he could come up with one himself. While there are some pre-mades for TGR available online, none of them are written with the idea of adding Ghostbusters elements. He asked if I could help. His group was likely to be 4-5 players and the session would last about 4 hours. 

I told him I'd be glad to assist. I had a sudden jolt of inspiration and came up with a scenario in no time. We met up on Discord to discuss it and go over any questions or unclear details. The end result was, 'It Seems My Uncle is a Bullet Train!", the title of which Yasa changed to 'I'm So Embarrasse! My Uncle is a Bullet Train!'. He ran it the weekend of July 20-21. 

He told me how it went and said it was OK to share it with all of you. As English is not his first language, he said it was cool to paraphrase his story in my retelling. 

Here goes...

GHOSTBUSTERS:

TOKYO GHOST RESEARCH

'I'M SO EMBARRASSED! MY UNCLE IS A BULLET TRAIN!'

Left to Right: Ryōsuke, Isamu, Sachiko, Kei, and Kimiko

Overview/Premise: The Japan Railway Construction, Transport, and Technology Agency has received numerous complaints over the past few weeks about Bullet Trains on a particular line and/or their operators having schedule issues, performing incorrect operations, experiencing malfunctions, and being generally discourteous to riders. Unable to get to the bottom of the situation on their own or with Police assistance, the JRCTTA has contacted Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research just in case the problem is paranormal in nature. 

Player Characters: Yasa and I came up with a twist on the original Character Creation rules, allowing each Employee to choose up to two Career Types. If they intended to play a 'traditional' Proton Pack wearing Ghostbuster, one of their Careers must be Sales.

The group ended up with:

Isamu -Sales and Investigations - Specializing in Social Interactions with People and Physical Action.

Kei -Sales and Technology - Focused on Equipment and Paranormal Science. 

Kimiko - General Affairs - Coordinating her Team with Public/Government Bureaucracy and managing the Project overall. 

Sachiko - Sales and Investigations - Specialized in Social Interaction with Ghosts and Detective Work.

Ryōsuke 'Ryo' - Sales and Technology - Having a Positive Attitude and Psychic Abilities. 

As noted in my previous post on Character Creation in Tokyo Ghost Research, each character chooses 5 skills between their Career(s) and General Skills. Most of the characters here focused on Career Skills with the exception of Kimiko and Ryo. Since Kimiko only picked one Career, she had General Skills that complimented her General Affairs abilities, specifically Communications and Connections. Ryo was Irish-Japanese and had the Psychic Powers of Distant Impressions (Psychometry) and Spirit Perception.

How it went: 

Introduction Scene: The Employees are sitting around the Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research office trying to stay awake and look busy. It's been a while since they'd had a Project and they were all pretty bummed and bored. 

Isamu and Sachiko were slacking off, playing a video game against each other at their desks. 

Ryosuke had just come back from a vacation to Ireland and was showing trip photos to Kei.

Kimiko was keeping busy with other work, filling out forms that had piled up on her desk.

Suddenly, the boss threw open the door of his office and enthusiastically announced a Project had come in! He called Kimiko into his office, closed the door, and explained what the job was. Meanwhile, the other Employees were trying to ease-drop at the door. Kimiko was told to put a Sales Team together and have them head out to Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka, Japan. The boss's office door swung open once more, sending the group comically scrambling to appear as if they weren't attempting to listen in. Kimiko shakes her head, assembles the Employees, explains what's what, and hands the Ecto-K keys to Isamu (who took the General Skill 'Company Car'). 

Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research Company Car - The 'Ecto-K'

An Ecto-Vehicle variant based on the Japanese K-Truck. 

Phase I - Investigation: As the team drives to the project site (about 6-8 hours from Tokyo to Osaka), Kimiko makes some calls to Shin-Osaka Station and her contacts in the Osaka Police Department. She starts to put together a more detailed understanding of what's been going on and assembles a file she can read to the team and hand in to the boss. What she learns is interesting; not just in what her contacts say but also in what they don't. 

On the suggestion of Isamu and Sachiko, the group stops for food and restrooms. This allowed for Roleplaying and Character Development. Isamu and Sachiko are highly competetive with each other. They are both very 'act first, think later'. There is also, possibly, unspoken romantic feelings between the two. At the same time, Isamu flirts with any pretty girl he meets, causing Sachiko to stare daggers at him.

Ryo is health conscious and vegetarian. He has a mellow, relaxed, open-minded, and unconventional approach to life. He's warm and quite gregarious. Kei has a sweet tooth and only seems to eat sugary snacks, cakes, Pocky, etc.. She is introverted, nerdy, and socially awkward, while also being very intellectual and focused on her job. The two are quite opposite but get along really well. 

Kimiko calls the team and goes over what she learned. A few of the Bullet Trains running on a specific transit line, all of which pass through Shin-Osaka Station, have been performing strangely. Numerous maintenance checks have failed to reveal any mechanical problems. The trains in question open and close their doors at random intervals, speed up or slow down in the same fashion, and sometimes even turn or break in a way that has caused minor injuries. 

Only...

Speaking with her Law Enforcement contacts and reading the complaints very carefully she discovered a peculiar trend. In one instance, an older businessman yelled at a pregnant lady to hurry and get on the train; he even pushed her. Once she was on the doors suddenly and very quickly shut in the businessman's face and the train left the station. At another time, the doors refused to shut until two old women got on. The most curious incident occurred late one evening when a drunk man was harassing two high school girls coming home from an after-school club meeting. The train sped up and changed tracks abruptly, sending the man stubbling and falling hard to the floor. When he got up, the train did it again. The man got off at the next spot and was later treated for a badly bruised elbow and dislocated shoulder. 

"If this is a ghost at work it seems OK by me", said Sachiko. Isamu nodded in agreement while Ryo and Kei exchanged concerned glances. 

Once the PCs reached Osaka Station, Kei and Ryo immediately went to speak with the administrators, while Isamu and Sachiko went to explore the station platform. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on the platform until they noticed a young woman in business attire eating onigari and drinking a bottle of lemon tea. They noticed that she sat, ate, watched a train or two go by and then left. Her expression was an odd mixture of happiness and sadness, switching between the two states several times. 

Kei and Ryo arrived not long after and Ryo tried using his Psychic Abilities to find signs of a supernatural presence. Kei walked beside Sachiko and Isamu as they continued to investigate, shining her Ghost Light into dark corners or anywhere they heard an odd sound. After a few hours the group was tired and frustrated (in character, having fun in real life) as they came up with theories as to what might be going on. Just as they were preparing to leave, the young woman from earlier returned. 

As most of the team went over to talk to her, Kei had the brilliant idea of calling Kimiko. Kei asked if they could get ahold of security footage of the platform. If so, she asked Kimiko to check it for the presence of the young woman. Kimiko got on it right away. 

"Good evening", Isamu began in a polite and cordial manner, "lovely weather isn't it?" The young woman only then noticed him and nodded yes, looking out over the tracks. "So...you must like trains." Isamu added, smiling wide and scratching the back of his head..

"I suppose", she said quietly, "my Uncle did. He liked them a lot. He was a train otaku, especially the shinkansen ('new main line' or what we in the US would call 'the Bullet Train')."

She started to tear up a little though her voice did not tremble. Ryo handed her a tissue. She thanked him so quietly no one could really hear her. "He would sit here with me for hours and tell me all about them. I loved that when I was younger. Not so much when I grew up. I just thought of him as my silly Uncle who loved trains."

Kei rejoined the others. Isamu asked her name and she replied that it was Kiko Sato. The Ghostbusters all introduced themselves to her. Ryo noticed the young woman had a book about trains in her bag. He motioned to it. "Was that his?" he asked. Again, she nodded yes but didn't speak. "May I...?", asked Ryo, gingerly stretching out his hand. At first she gave him the faintest of scowls but then relaxed seeing his warm smile. She shrugged and handed him the book. 

Ryo flipped through the tome but wasn't really reading it. He was using his Psychometry to get impressions of the woman's uncle off the book. As he did, Kei's cel phone rang and it was Kimiko. She confirmed that the young lady they were talking to came to the station twice a day, every two or three days, and had been doing so for a few weeks. She was never once seen boarding or getting off a train. 

"I'm guessing your Uncle died", said Sachiko matter-of-factly. Everyone gave her a cold, stern look and she reeled back in true 'Embarrassed Anime Girl' fashion. Big Sweat Drop on the back of her head. Kiko sighed and told them that yes, her Uncle passed away last month. A tired and depressed man most of the time, with a job he found boring and tedious. He ate poorly, smoked, and drank a bit too much. The only think that seemed to make him happy had been trains. "I'm sorry", said Sachiko, as much for her bluntness as for consoling Miss Sato. 

"I assume you're here about the strange reports of trains malfunctioning. It isn't the trains themselves, not exactly." The others were all about to say something but stopped themselves. Kiko stood up and said, with tears of shame, "I'm so embarrassed! My Uncle is a Bullet Train!" (the players burst out laughing at that moment). Before anymore could be said, Ryo's green eyes flashed bright blue and he turned around quickly towards the tracks.

"There's a train coming and yes, it's her Uncle!"

Chapter 2 coming soon - stay tuned!

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Barking Alien