31 Days / 31 Characters - GABRIEL ZIMMERMAN

What happens when you create an officially licensed Ghostbusters RPG but spend an unusual amount of energy and creativity on Extraterrestrials and Outer Space early in its incarnation, two things not related to Ghostbusters?

If you're me, you create a Player Character...

Character: Gabriel Poindexter Zimmerman

AKA: Professor Zimmerman, The Innovative Ghostbuster, The Intellectual One

Player: Adam Dickstein, Michael Moss.

System: Ghostbusters, The RPG, 1st Edition - West End Games. Modified with Houserules.

 

Nature: Long Campaign: Ghostbusters: The Home Office 

Gamemaster: Joseph Vitaliano Jr. and others. Adam Dickstein when run by Mike Moss.

Circa: Original Campaign 1986-1989. Returned in 2019 and 2020. Looking forward to future appearances.

Origins: I'm not really a horror guy. I'm a Sci-Fi guy. 

One of the things I love most about Ghostbusters - the setting that is - is that even though the Ghosts are considered 'Supernatural', a few mad geniuses figured out how to effect them using [Super] Science. Science Fiction can fight against the Paranormal here, unlike in many settings where Magic trumps science and technology. 

As such, Egon Spengler was absolutely my favorite character. Thanks largely to the incredible comedic acting talent of the late, great Harold Ramis, Egon is a man as brilliant as he is odd and I wanted in on that action.

As each of the other players pitched their PC concepts for our Ghostbusters: The Home Office campaign, I was happy to hear that no one had created an 'Egon character'; nobody had decided to be our Mad Scientist/Tech Savant guy. 'Perfect', I thought and then jumped in with my idea for Gabriel Zimmerman.I was given the thumbs up by the GM and read some more of the game's rules and setting material to develop more of a story for him. 

As I did, I came across references to UFOs and related phenomena and was very surprised. I also checked out Ghostbusters second pre-made adventure, Hot Rods of the Gods, which (Spoilers!) is a module in which your Paranormal Investigators face off against alien punks in a flying car.

Huh? That's not a Ghostbusters story, it's more Men in Black (which wouldn't come out for another 11 years). However...it did give me an idea. 

Backstory: Originally hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Gabriel P. Zimmerman was a genius student excelling in the studies of astrophysics and astronomy. He was also incredibly socially awkward, excelling in making other students confused and uncomfortable with his often absent minded nature and other peculiarities. Before graduating college he worked at the university observatory, discovering a number of stellar objects and improving the operations of the facility's primary telescope, the latter without permission. It simply wasn't operating as effective as it could be, so he fixed it. Why were people upset? 

Right after graduation Zimmerman was recruited by NASA and eventually assigned to a variety projects at their Space Center in Houston, TX. He was working there when the events of the first Ghostbusters film occurred. Fascinated by the development of the technology being used to 'fight ghosts', Gabriel nonetheless didn't believe in the existence of the paranormal. It was his professional and scholarly assessment that the phenomena the Ghostbusters were encountering had more sensible and logical origins. 

That was until the Ghostbusters themselves arrived at the Space Center, called in amid reports of a 'Phantom Astronaut' moving through sections of the main facility and causing computers and other equipment to go haywire. Dr. Ray Stanz and Dr. Egon Spengler contacted Zimmerman and requested his assistance on the matter. They believed they'd identified the ghost and were informed Zimmerman was particularly knowledgeable about the mission the man had been attached to. He gladly joined the boys in gray in hopes of getting to the bottom of whatever was really going on. 

The Ghostbusters and Gabriel Zimmerman encountered the Spectral Spaceman and there was no denying this entity defied the conventional science that Zimmerman was familiar with. Following the 'Space Ghost''s capture, Gabriel remained with NASA for a time but all the while he read up on metaphysics, parapsychology, and anything and everything he could find on the supernatural. He even went so far as to get several degrees in those fields (in his spare time). Eventually, he quit his job to apply to work for Ghostbusters, Inc. and was hired to work with the Home Office. 

Overview: I don't know what to say beyond I absolutely love this character. He is just so much fun to play and easily ranks among the top 5 most fun characters I've ever had. He isn't necessarily the deepest, his background and personality largely played for story context or laughs but he's enjoyable to portray and that's what matters. 

Since just prior to the Covid Pandemic I've been able to reconnect with some of my high school friends, including many I hadn't seen in almost 35 years. Among them is the brilliant and very funny Michael Moss, an artistically talented guy as well as a truly kind and intelligent person. When I've run Ghostbusters: The Home Office since, Mike has taken over playing Zimmerman on my request and he's not only nailed it, he enhanced the character. I honestly like his take on Zimmerman even more than my own. He just gets the whole theme of subdued zaniness that makes the character special.

The Highlights: 

Boy, this is hard. There were both so many cool moments and it was so long ago that I played him it's very difficult to parse out highlights. 

My best recommendation would be to check out my Tag for 'The Home Office'. I've updated it so all the references to that campaign are under one heading. The exploits of Prof. Zimmerman and the entire gang can be found there. 

Game Info:

Thanks to Joe Vitaliano Jr., my dear friend and the primary GM of our original campaign, I have the 35 year old character sheets for all the Home Office members...except Zimmerman.

*Sob*

It seems I may have taken that one home with me at some point and lost it over the last three decades or so. So pissed I can't tell you. 

I do have his revised sheet from the games where Mike played him and ultizing my homebrew/kitbash system detailed in past posts (Search for Tag 'Ghostbusters').

Notable on here besides his penchant for Birdcalls is his Specialty in Paranormal Phenomena. This indicates his knowledge in areas of supernatural events, commonalities, anomalies, and other such side effects of ghost activity moreso than understanding the ghosts themselves. For example, he is familiar with things like Dimensional Crossrips and Portals, Symmetrical Bookstacking, Cold Spots, and physical beings or objects being transported in another plane of existance. 

Like the rest of the original Home Office team, Gabriel uses a custom Neutrona Wand/Proton Pack assembly known as the Positron Field Generator. This device can function as a standard particle thrower but has two additional functions (actually a single functio

n with two settings):

 

Positron Capture Field: Zimmerman can place a bubble of charge protons around the Ghost, holding it in a fashion similar to a Capture Stream but more stable. The being or creature must be smaller than the maximum field size of 20 feet in diameter. A Technology-Modifications Roll with a minimum of 2 Successes can increase this size but only for a round or two. 

Entities held in this way must roll their PKE versus Zimmerman's Technology + 1D for the Proton Pack. If Gabriel gets more successes than the ghost in this case, he is able to contain it in the bubble field. This allows 1 Ghostbuster per Success over what the Ghost got to take an action (other than Zimmerman himself) so that can position themselves to Blast, ready an additional Capture Stream, or drop a Ghost Trap. 

Position Force Field: Zimmerman can protect himself with a roughly sphereical bubble of Protons that prevent PKE empowered Ectoplasmic entities from touching him. The field is approximately 20 ft. in diameter and forms in a radius around him. In order to use the device in this way he must make a successful Technology-Modifications Roll (only 1 Success is needed under normal circumstances but this can be increased based on a variety of conditions). 

This Proton Bubble reduces the effects of many of their attacks by 1D per Success he achieves with a Technology + 1D Proton Pack Roll. The Force Field will cause Ghosts Ectoplasm damage if they try to push through it. Touching the field is that same as being hit by a Blast Stream; Zimmerman's player rolls Technology + 1D for Proton Pack and the Ghost/GM rolls the entity's Ectoplasm Dice. For every Success Zimmerman does over the number the Ghost gets, the Ghost losses 1 point of Ectoplasm. If the Ghost gets more Successes than Zimmerman it still takes 1 point of Ectoplasm damage but Zimmerman's Proton Pack loses its +1D Bonus and must be repaired to get it back.

Notes: 

Gabriel Zimmerman looks a little like the version of Egon Spengler from 'The Real Ghostbusters' animated series but was actually created just before that show first aired. Literally days before.

There is also a resemblence between Prof. Gabriel Zimmerman and Dr. Jillian Holtzman from the it-should-never-be-spoken-of-again-and-I-will-punish-myself-harshly-for-mentioning-it-here Ghostbusters...film...from 2016. Honestly she was the best part of that debacle. 

Gabriel's next of kin is his younger sister who lives in Chicago and would probably look a lot like the aforementioned character. 

My version of Zimmerman is a tad more scatterbrained than Mike's depiction, thinking so many things so quickly that he's often lost in his own thoughts and unable to find his way back. Mike's take has him as a much more focused, deliberate thinker but one so focused on what's on his own mind he isn't always processing what others are saying until he's finished with the idea in his head. 

Legacy:

Man oh man oh man! I am chomping at the bit to get to run for the ol' Home Office gang again and see what Mike Moss does with Zimmerman next!

Anytime guys, I'll be waiting.

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - FLEA FLY

My apologies for the big delay between post by I was having some computer issues. Hopefully this makes up for it a little. 

My Hero Academia, the seminal Japanese Manga and Anime property that gave us the definitive Japanese take on American Style Superheroes, has some big news this year.

In My Hero Academia's Final Season - Season 8! - kicks off! While the series has been on the weak sauce side for a while, Season 8 promises to be a serious turnaround (and having read the Manga I can confirm it!). Possibly even more exciting is the news that the spin-off Manga, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is getting animated! That series is schedule to begin in of 2025. I am a big fan of Vigilantes and I'm really looking forward to this. 

Hmm. That gives me an idea...

 

Character: Flea Fly

AKA: Shiro Rikitake, The Flea Circus Hero

Player: Not yet applicable. Tim Knight? 

System: Deadline Heroes RPG, Rommel Games/Fujimi Shobo, Kadokawa Group

 

Nature: Not yet applicable 

Gamemaster: Not yet applicable. Hopefully me.

Circa: January 5th, 2025. Not yet used.

Origins: The conspiracy corkboard of my mind put it all together: The My Hero Academia universe. Japan's Deadline Heroes RPG. Tim Knight's recent Superheroes RPG posts on Heropress. The 31 Days / 31 Characters Challenge. Tim's beloved Acrobatic Flea. Don't you see?!? It's All Connected!!!

I've reimagined Tim Knight's Acrobatic Flea as a student at U.A. High School using the very MHA supplement for Deadline Heroes 'School of Madness'. He's depicted here at the end of his first year (roughly Season 2 of a made up by me My Hero Academia Anime Spin-Off no doubt) we see him as getting the hang of his 'Quirk' and pushing them further to [hopefully] uncover new aspects to them in the future [tune in for Season 2!]. 

So here is Flea Fly, the Acrobatic Flea if he were a student at U.A. High School... 

'School of Madness'

Deadline Heroes Supplement

Backstory: Shiro Rikitake, like over 80% of the rest of Humanity, possess a 'Quirk' - a superhuman ability that can defy predictable physics, biology, and indeed logic. Growing up in a small town in the Japanese countryside, Shiro could barely wait for his Quirk to manifest as he was eager to travel to the major city of Musutafu in Shizuoka Prefecture and, hopefully, gain entrance to U.A. High School. His goal, like that of so many others, was to become a Pro-Hero!

Beyond that I am not sure...I have some ideas but I would leave the details to the player (as I am prone to do), going over it with them to insure it 'lines up' with the campaign background. 

Overview: I ran a MHA themed campaign once some years back and it was really good if I do say so myself. It was set in the United States and took a look at what America's version of U.A High School. Dubbed 'My Hero Academia: American Ultra', it was a super fun campaign that had a distinct beginning, middle, and end. 

So I wonder...

This version of The Acrobatic Flea is, in fact, not really The Acrobatic Flea. He is definitely the Flea reimagined as a character in a Japanese My Hero Academia series. Flea Fly is very much an Anime/Manga inspired variant, right down to his non-hero identity. 

I could see running 'My Hero Academia: UK Ultra' or something similar. What is England like in that world? If that was the campaign, I would likely make the character a bit differently; something closer to Tim's 'iconic' version . Maybe. Hard to say but interesting to think about. 

A little My Hero Academia and a little Kamen Rider.

 

The Highlights: None as of yet since this character hasn't been played. I foresee a good number of possibilities though.

Game Info:

As I don't have a fully translated edition of Deadline Heroes, the best I can do when making characters is to reverse engineer sample characters and some fan-made PCs and NPCs I've been able to check out on the Japanese TRPG 'net.

With that in mind...

Flea Fly is built as a Scion, a character type indicating a species of superbeings such as Mutants, which is what I feel best represents the Quirk-Users of MHA. 

His powers are:

Flea Agilitty: A Defensive ability representing superhuman agility and acrobatics that make it extremely difficult to hit him. 

Flying Leap: Flea Fly can leap so far and so high he appears to be flying short distances. He can easily attack opponents who are actually flying and if he leaps from the roof of a building he can cover many city blocks. 

Rapid Healing: A 'Mutant Healing Factor' pure and simple. Each time its used, roll 1D6 and the PC gets half the result back in Life Points [at the cost of 1 Sanity Point]. 

Strong Blow: A super strong punch but not Far Future GIrl strong. Spidey, not Supes. 

Notes: I really wanted to add The Acrobatic Flea's Energy Blasts but building Flea Fly as a starting character it didn't seem possible. I imagine this would be an emergent property of his developing Quirk. 

Legacy: We shall see! I would love to 'Go Beyond Plus Ultra!' with this character. 

Whattaya think Tim? Please be kind.

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - ETO HALO BRIGHT

Starting the year off right, I had the privilege of playing a Japanese TRPG with my friend Yasa and a bunch of his pals over Discord. Due to the massive time difference between New York and Chiba, Japan, I ended up sleeping for twelve hours following the session, missing most of New Year's Day. 

Totally worth it.

Character: ETO Halo Bright 

AKA: Halo Bright, Eto Bright (See Below)

Player: Adam Dicsktein

System: Star Rain Days in Meteor City

The exact translation of the game's title might also be Star Rainy Day in Meteor City or Stars Rain Down on Meteor City as my translation software and Google Translate don't always agree. Plus, there are multiple Japanese websites listing it slightly differently (possibly due to typos). My friend Yasa seemed to translate it as 'Star Rain Days in Meteor City' so that's what I'm going with. 

 

Nature: One-Shot. Online over Discord. Roughly four hours. Five players and a GM. 

Gamemaster: Yasahiro Sato

Circa: January 1st, 2025!

Origins: What felt like a last minute idea to me was actually a well planned event by Yasa. He and a small group of friends intended to meet on New Year's Eve, go out to a favorite local restaurant, eat, drink, and then return to their homes to log on to Cocofolia (a Japanese Online Gaming tool and Virtual Tabletop similar though more expansive than say Roll20 - See Notes) to play a TRPG. 

After reading my post on unusual genres or genre takes I'd like to explore, Yasa decided Star Rain Days in Meteor City would be the game. That was way back on December 9th! He purchased it, read it, and a few weeks later had an epiphany! Get Adam (me) in on it.

He came up with a character he specifically wanted me to play and sent me an email on the subject. I said yes; how could I pass up this chance? The only problem was I couldn't figure out Cocofolia as it is generally used more in Asia than in English speaking countries. After a discussion and an attempt to get it working, Yasa said it was OK if we used Discord.  

Overview: Normally I do the character's Backstory entry before the Overview but in this case it makes more sense to introduce the game and the scenario's premise before the character. He's a doozy so I don't mind keeping you in suspense. *Giggle*

Star Rain Days in Meteor City is a tabletop RPG about living in a small-ish city whose night sky hosts a most unusual phenomenon, not unlike the Northern Lights of Canada. For reasons scientists can not yet figure out, a surprisingly large number of meteors and other space debris streak across the evening skies on a regular basis such that it often looks like its raining shooting stars.

The Player Characters are Observers, people living in Meteor City who know the truth, a least in part. Meteor City is secretly a Spaceport for Extraterrestrial Visitors arriving and leaving the Earth. Some of the citizens of Meteor City are aliens themselves, working in hidden shops, restaurants, and travel offices that facilitate and accomodate the various Star People stopping over on our little blue marble. 

It's a cozy, slice of life Men in Black. It's a Sci-Fi themed Kiki's Delivery Service. Its my new obession. 

Of course, our session began as very laid back and ended up FLCL. 

Backstory: A group of university students living in Meteor City are gearing up for a small, intimate party at the house of one of the group named Takashi. Takashi, or Taka for short, has his house to himself as his parents are traveling abroad. We first encounter everyone as they are shopping in a sort of mall/market area, each looking to bring something for everybody to enjoy at the party, as well as a gift for Taka for hosting. 

(Within moments we learn a little about everyone and the dynamics between the four friends. Very well handled by Yasa and portrayed by the players). 

While looking for special sweets, two of the friends - Yoshi (Male) and Reimi (Female) - notice a strange, blonde haired boy who appears lost and confused. Yoshi suggests helping the kid out but Reimi is weary. After all, the four friends are all Observers, people who know about the strange goings on in Meteor City and they might accidentally reveal something to this stranger. Yoshi chides her for her cold demeanor (apparently typical of Reimi) and says, "All the more reason to talk to him. Maybe he's a 'Visitor'."

Meanwhile, Sakura (Female) and Takashi (Male) are looking for drinks for the party. Sakura goes on and on about having enough beer, which Takashi humors whiles also blushing. He is attracted to Sakura and knows he can't drink even half as much as she can. Sakura then says she has a great idea; she knows of a store that carries, um, very unique beverages. Taka gets nervous but she convinces him to follow her down a back alley to a hidden shop. As they walk - really she runs and he gets pulled along behind her - Taka eyes Yoshi and Reimi walking over to a foreign boy with blonde hair. 

The pair greet the stranger in a polite and friendly manner - well, Yoshi does - and ask if they can help him. Though he looks young, the two friends estimate he is close to them in age once up close. The boy introduces himself as Halo Bright, although he begins by saying "eto..." (See Notes). Reimi from that point forward calls him 'Eto Bright', and Yoshi thinks she is being mean by teasing him. Bright explains he is looking for the Golden Evening Star. The others don't seem to know what he's referring to. 

Sakura and Takashi walk up with bags full of beer cans and bottles with odd looking shapes and labels. Yoshi and Reimi ask if their friends are familiar with the Golden Evening Star and unfortunately they aren't. Bright seems sad or at the very least a bit frustrated and Sakura suggests they invite him to their party and try to sort it out. Yoshi backs her up while the other two question inviting a total stranger to Taka's house for a get together of long time friends (in fact, Sakura's suggestion is a major faux pas in Japan. No one would do that in this way but the player said Sakura doesn't care and often ignores proper social ques and conventions.). Sakura pouts, then pleads, and because of his crush on her Taka caves in. 

The Highlights: We jump ahead to the group, including Bright, preparing food and making lively small talk in Taka's house. Not being from Japan, Bright seems clueless about many customs and the others have fun filling him in. All but Reimi, who spends much of the time staring at Bright to the point of unnerving him. There was even a hilarious moment where Bright goes to get ice out of a freezer in the basement and turns on the light only to see Reimi standing there holding a big bag of ice in her hands. I as the player made a squeaky yelp that made everyone laugh hard. A startled Bright says, "Eto...eto...thank you?", nervously takes the bag - which he almost drops its so heavy and cold - and then hurries back upstairs. 

This is followed by a number of character moments and gags out of a typical Japanese Rom-Com anime, though adjusted for the games tone of coziness mixed with a touch of melancholy. The group of Japanese friends start drinking, first beer and sake, then Sakura pulls out the weird stuff from the hidden shop. Bright seems to only drink water. There was a moment where Yoshi offers him a beer, Sakura insists, and Taka scolds them thinking Bright is way too young. "No, I just look young", I say , "I'm likely the most mature person here". Everyone laughs.

Just then, the night sky lights up with fireworks both man-made and natural, as Meteor City's New Year's celebration merges with its famous rain of falling stars. One in particular pulses as it descends and Reimi drops her drink as she stands and stares at it.

The flashing meteor lights up Bright's eyes and he points, "There! That's it! The Golden Evening Star!" Taka, Sakura, and Yoshi look at each other dumbfounded. "That's my ride home! Oh my, I must hurry. Thank you all so much for this evening. It was so special. I will never forget it. I will always remember your kindness and friendship, even if I should live a thousand, thousand years...which I likely will." At that, Halo Bright began to glow with a golden shimmer and transformed into...

Halo Bright of The Legacy of Sirius

"Not so fast", muttered Reimi. "Your people destroyed those who created mine and I am sworn to vengence!" Reimi's body goes through a complex transformation of its own, revealing her to be a battle ready android armed to the teeth with everything from eye beams to missiles!

Reimi 3 of the Mechane of Mars

This was immediately followed by the other players and I exclaiming a collective WTF?!?

It was so brilliant. I was the obvious alien, so obvious that everyone pretty much figured out the mystery of who I was almost immediately. This...this came out of no where and yet all the signs were there! Reimi was alluring but cold and distant. She didn't trust me right from the start. She seemed indifferent to my plight and was always watching me. She could easily lift and hold a big bag of ice in her hands without issue. So good! SO GOOD! 

I would later learn that yes, I was the alien everyone was supposed to focus on; there had to be an alien character in this outer space conspiracy setting and it only made sense to make it me, the actual foreigner in the group. Reimi's player was given her character and said, "When the alien is revealed, know that your species of androids from Mars doesn't like this alien". It was the Player who suggested, "Ah yes, long ago that species killed off the people who built the androids." Perfect. 

As Bright and Reimi battled, their fight spilled out of the top floor of the house and into the New Year's Eve air as they leap and floated off nearby rooftops. I could fly (though not especially fast), she could not, but her attacks were only barely held back by my magical powers (mostly Shield and Change Fate). The others went to all kinds of lengths to protect me and try to make Reimi stand down, from throwing things in the way of her attacks to playing her favorite song to calm her down (or cheer her up?). It was madness - wild and wacky Anime fun at its best. 

Finally, as the Golden Evening Star began to beam me aboard and mysterious figures approached to read everyone the riot act for 'disturbing the peace' (See Notes), I gave a speech above mistakes, consequences, and what the true Legacy of Sirius was - paying for the terrible actions of our ancestors and feeling lost in the galaxy. Reimi stopped, gritted her teeth and replied how although her programming made her attack a Sirius Legacy alien, Reimi 3 didn't hate Halo Bright. She acknowledged that he was kind, sweet, helpful, and she wished things could have gone differently.

"Honestly" said Bright with a melancholy smile, "Given the history of our peoples, it went the best it could." Bright departed in a thin streak of glimmering yellow light as Reimi, now joined by the others, watched his 'star' fade into the nighttime sky. 

Cut to the four friends on a Taka's roof with a telescope, Reimi back to 'normal', toasting to a better tomorrow.  

Game Info:

This character sheet might not make a lot of sense without more detail on the system but its basic mechanics are really simple:

To accomplish something, roll 2D6 and add the appropriate Stat/Attribute in an attempt to meet or beat a difficulty number. Want to jump over a fence? 2D6 + Physical. Trying to read a map? 2D6 + Mental. Attempting to overhear a nearby conversation? 2D6 + Sense. Can you make friends with the frightened alien child? 2D6 + Connect.

With the right Features, Conditions, and/or Items you might receive bonus D6 which is rolled along with the base 2 and the result of all three added together. 

There is a lot more to it than that though, with an interesting game mechanic economy that I find quite cool. Again, I'm sure I'll cover that in the future.

 

Notes: 

The players in this session are many of the same ones from the Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research game, 'I'm So Embarrased! My Uncle is a Bullet Train!' (the recap of which I REEEALLY need to finish). Yasa GMed both and beyond that:

Reimi was played by Kei.

Sakura was played by Sachiko

Takashi was played by Ryōsuke

Yoshi was played by Isamu.

Halo Bright is a member of the alien species known as The Legacy of Sirius (or Sirius Legacy), extremely long lived beings who once ruled a vast space empire. The empire fell long ago and now the Sirius Legacy are scattered across the galaxy. In the rulebook they are said to look identical to Humans. Neither I nor Yasa liked that so we workshopped an alternate appearance. I suggested that they were in disguise as Humans and their true form was a glowing angel. Together we came up with the final look. 

Reimi 3 is a member of a race of androids known as the Mechane of Mars. Reimi came up with the idea that those who built the Mechane were wiped out by the Sirius during the days of the empire.

'Eto' is a word used in Japanese to indicate thinking or searching for the right words. It is the equivalent of 'umm...', 'hmmm...', or 'er...' in English. Playing the part of a lost alien tourist, I opened many sentences with eto. As I know the Japanese love wordplay, it is revealed during the session that Bright thought it meant 'ExtraTerrestrial Observer'. He misunderstood its use and thought it was an honorific. 

When its mentioned near the end of the game that people are likely coming to investigate the lights and sounds of Bright and Reimi's battle, it was implied this might not be the Meteor City Police. In the game's setting there is something called 'The Navigator Act' that allows for the spaceport hidden within the city to exist but prohibits aliens from allowing themselves, their abilities, and their technology from being seen by normal Human society. Someone - who exactly was never clear - may have shown up to prevent the commonfolk from seeing a blazing golden angel fighting an attractive android combat-doll. Does Meteor City have its own Men in Black? 

Yasa and the other players made their version of Meteor City feel so real so quickly and easily I couldn't help but be impressed. Turns out that two of the players were originally from smaller cities; one growing up in a suburban town and the other coming from the coastal city of Choshi in Northwestern Chiba Prefecture. Apparently the city in this session was strongly influenced by Choshi. 

Chiba Prefecture - Choshi highlighted in yellow.

Cocofolia is a fascinating online Virtual Tabletop that is especially popular in Japan, Korea, and a number of other countries. Among the interesting features of this tool is the ability to support still or animated illustrations representing the Player Characters and/or GM run NPCs. Most of these are 2D images and not as animated as say, VTuber models but they appear or move when the player speaks and it creates a very different experience from what we see on Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds. 

The rules of the game are really interesting and I will very likely cover them in a future post. This post is long enough (Sorry).

Legacy: The biggest lasting legacy of this session was that I purchased Star Rain Days in Meteor City and hope to run it with ones my groups as soon as Yasa and I finish translating it. I would absolutely love to GM this sometime later this year.

Really sorry this one is so long folks. It could easily have been twice the length as there is so much I have to say about the experience, the players and their characters, the system, and just...just...WOW! Not sure how I'm gonna top this. 

...but I'll try. 

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - DEENO

Are you enjoying the new Star Wars Disney+ series 'Skeleton Crew'? I clearly am...

Character: Deeno

AKA: Captain Deeno, Formerly 'Quasar 3' 

Player: Adan Dickstein

System: Star Wars, The Roleplaying Game (D6 System, West End Games), 2nd Edition

 

Nature: Not yet applicable.

Gamemaster: Not yet applicable

Circa: December 25, 2024. Not yet used.

Origins: Pretty simple: As soon as I saw Roona, the little Vazooan girl that Neel has a crush on in the first episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, I knew I want to make a character of that species. Aside from being adorable, I wondered why that alien in particular was found on the same 'Old Republic' planet as Star Wars mainstays such as the Ithorians and Rodians. 

As far a role or job, I'm almost always going to go for a Pilot when playing Star Wars, which I'll be honest isn't the brightest idea on my part. I've found that few GMs know how to include a Pilot on a team of non-pilots. For this reason, Deeno is built more like a Smuggler than a Brash Pilot. 

Backstory: I don't have details on Deeno's childhood or his background prior to the Galactic Civil War but during the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire, Deeno became a Starfighter Pilot serving with Quasar Squadron. He was eventually given the position of Quasar 3 and fought in a number of battles in the Outer and Mid-Rim regions. 

Following the fall of the Empire, Deeno purchased a used Light Freighter, customized it a bit, and then used it to make supply runs to areas on the Mid-Rim border struggling with post-war rebuilding. After a few run-ins with members of the Imperial Remnant, Deeno teamed up with other independant spacers to help keep New Republic citizens safe. 

'Shyyyo's Nest'

YX-950 Industrial Freighter,

Design by EC Henry

Overview: In many ways, Deeno is kind of a generic Star Wars character. There really isn't much here to work with but then again, that's kind of the point. When it comes to Star Wars, I don't like developing massive backstories. I like to learn about my character as I play, adding a personality and history over the course of the game. This is pretty common for me across settings actually but especially in Star Wars. Why? Well, partly because I would just be so happy to play an Alien Star Pilot in the Star Wars universe that this alone is all I'd need to get excited about my character. 

The Highlights: None yet. 

Game Info: 

I've built many dozens of custom player character Templates for the Star Wars D6 RPG since the game's debut in 1987. The fact that you can easily do so is one of the reasons I absolutely love this game. It's also one of the reasons that I grew to look down on systems that use 'Classes' without giving you simple, straightforward mechanics for building your own. 

'Vazooan Star Pilot' is based on a mix of the Smuggler, Brash Pilot, and a few other related Templates given in various official West End Games products. The species Special Ability is, as noted, my own creation. 

Notes: As I mentioned above, Deeno was inspired by Roona, a character seen in the first episode of Skeleton Crew. According to information on the Star Wars/Lucasfilm official website, Roona is a Vazooan. They are noted for their large black eyes, large ears, and small antennae resembling giraffe horns. They come in different colors: blue, brown, light purple, and of course green, My thinking is the species evolved from a nocturnal creature often preyed upon by fast and deadly nightime predators. To counter these beasts, the Vazooan's ancestors developed heightened senses of various sorts. This is reflected in their Limited Danger Sense [noted on their character sheet]. 

Legacy: Legacy? I haven't played him yet. I do hope he lives long enough and does well enough to have a legacy though. I like him.  

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - CURIOUS MERP

Character: Merp

AKA: Ensign Merp, Curious Merp

Player: Adam Dickstein

System: Star Trek Adventures, 2nd Edition

 

Nature: Not yet applicable

Gamemaster: Not yet applicable

Circa: December 28th, 2024. Not yet used.

Origins: I fell in love with Star Trek: Lower Decks right from the very beginning. Now, with the series completing its run with Season 5 (at least at the time of this writing), I'm even more inspired to run and/or play a 'Lower Decks' style campaign of Star Trek Adventures. The Second Edition of the game is now available and while I wasn't particularly interested in giving it ago*, I did consider, 'Why not make a 2E character for the 31 Day Character Challenge?'.

A about a year ago (roughly) I came up with some alternative Character Creation rules for making a Lower Decks PC that seems closer to the characters on the show. The write-up for Ensign 'Curious' Merp does not reflect this as my objective was to see how 2nd Edition was different from First. I didn't want to confuse things with my own houserules. I might redo him if I were going to use him in a full-on campaign. 

Why a...Merp?

Well, the Merp are an alien species introduced to the Star Trek universe in the inagural season of Lower Decks, though they remained unnamed for sometime. Eventually we learn that one individual member is named Merp. Later in the series we meet another nicknamed 'Big Merp'. The third member identified is a female called 'Sleepy Merp'. We still don't have an official name for these aliens but it would seem they're simple called the Merp. Each Merp is named Merp. This humorous concept spurred me on to create this PC. 

Merp, Big Merp, and Sleepy Merp.

Backstory: Merp, like so many Merp, was born on the Merp homeworld to a family of artists and creative philosophers. Merp grew up fascinated by the idea that a people's art could give you insights into their culture and even their biology. His parents were extremely supportive, as not only was Merp their only son but their worldview was all about 'following your heart, mind, and spirit wherever they lead you'. I imagine them being low-fi nerdy space hippies.

Once he was old enough, he applied to Starfleet Academy, deciding to Major in Anthropology and Cultural Studies. Combining his studies he focused on researching his idea of learning about sentient species through their art. Merp Minored in Xenobiology to round out his theories. This and his overall nature earned him the nickname 'Curious Merp' from his classmates.

Merp graduated to the rank of Ensign and was assigned to the Starfleet Support Service vessel USS Long Beach, a California Class starship specializing in Scientific Research and Survey Operations. 

Overview: I love the idea of a character who is intelligent, kind of nerdy, and accidentally brave. That is to say, he is so eager to learn, to understand and know his universe, that he is willing to put himself in mortal danger to do so. You'll notice his Attributes reflect this, giving him a decent Daring for a Junior Science Officer. 

The Highlights: None yet. 

Game Info:

Note that there are no official stats for the Merp species. I based them on the Aquans from the Star Trek: Animated Series, which are depicted in the Animated Series Campaign Guide. I made a few changes but not much. My reasoning is that in at least one episode we very clearly see Big Merp with his shirt off and he has gills on the sides of his ribs.

Full transparency, I used the absolutely amazing Star Trek Adventures Campaign Creator by BC Holmes, a fan who has gone above and beyond in the development of an indispensible sets of tools for running a Star Trek campaign. If you plan to run Star Trek Adventures, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Notes:

The ship Curious Merp is assigned to is named for Long Beach, CA, known for Long Beach Comic Con and being the home of my paternal grandfather for decades. My grandpa and my dad were both born in Southern California. 

*I have nothing against Second Edition but I also don't feel the need to switch my current campaign from 1st. Why? After 10 years or so of running Star Trek Adventures and modifying the game to my liking - adding houserules, taking away unnecessary elements - I have the 'edition' of the game that works best for me. The 'Barking Alien' edition.

This is pretty common for me with games I've played again and again over a long stretch of time. 

Legacy: I want to play this guy sooo badly. I've got ideas man. IDEAS! He has an outlook!  He's got goals! He loves to play Human party games like Charades and Pictionary so he can better understand how others think. Get to know him! He definitely wants to get to know you!

How far can I take him? Ensign to Chief Science Officer perhaps? I'd really like to try. 

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Barking Alien