Magic Eight Ball

In a recent post on his blog Cowboys, Capes, and Claws, the illustrious Tim Knight discusses what he want in his 'Holy Grail' RPG.

At least, that's the general gist of the post. The title is, at least to me, a tiny bit misleading. His Holy Grail RPG is a Dungeons and Dragons-esque game and so he identifies the Eight Factors he wants to have, must have really, in a Dungeons and Dragons-esque game. Not any TRPG but very specifically, a D&D game. 

To be clear, these are Mechanical Elements that the game must have. That's important...to Tim that is. Reading the post and the specifics of what he's looking for got me thinking...

If I posted my own 'Eight Factors', well A) they wouldn't be for a D&D-like game now, would they? B) Rules matter to me much less than, say, everything else about a game. Sure, there are systems I like and ones I don't and quite a range in between but I don't know that I'd consider the rules until after I had a campaign's setting, theme, objectives, etc. in mind.

Unless...hmm...unless we were talking D&D-type Pseudo Medieval Fantasy. Then, for some reason, it matters more to me than it does in other games. Can't say I'm certain why that is but its definitely one of the genres where I do strongly consider the mechanics before [or at the very least 'as'] I develop the world and overall atmosphere. 

With this in mind, I made my eight criteria for my 'Holy Grail' Dungeons & Dragons style campaign:

1. A single die type. Preferably D6s.

I would entertain D10s only or 2D20 only as with Modiphius's Star Trek Adventures but I am over the multiple dice used just because they exist. I find it inelegant and unnecessary.

2. Armor reduces the Damage a Character or Monster takes.

Armor makes you harder to hurt, not harder to hit, which I've always found counterintuitive and a bit silly.

3. DM able to summarise all relevant information on any and all aspects of the game quickly and easily.

Little to no need to look up most elements of gameplay during gameplay. 

4. Archetypes/Templates instead of Race and Class.

Reading and running Space Opera Heroes has cemented something I already knew but now realize I  wouldn't prefer it any other way; I like Character Creation that consists of a pre-built Character 'Model' you can then customize as you like. 

I don't want to go through the whole rigamarole of figuring out all the things that make up a character, flip to a bunch of different pages, need to look up what aspects of the character do, etc. If I want to play a Dwarf Warrior, just let me grab the Dwarf Warrior Template, add a few numbers or move some around and start playing. Star Wars D6 and Space Opera Heroes are awesome for this. 

5. Contingent Advancement. No Levels. Maybe no XP. 

The PCs receive additions, increases, or other improvements once a circumstance has been met. For example: Player Characters get a +1 to Skills they used during the adventure once the [entire] adventure is over. 

We use this to great effect in my 12 year long, still ongoing, Star Trek Adventures campaign, Star Trek: Prosperity.

At the start of every even numbered 'Season' the PCs get to increase one Attribute or Department, gain a new Focus, gain a new Talent, or some combination of these. A Season is 12 Adventures, which can mean 12-36 sessions of play. 

On odd numbered Seasons the Players get to upgrade their starship with improvements to Sensors, Weapons, Impulse or Warp Drive, etc. Early on I introduced minor flaws in the ship's design and they've also used their upgrades to remedy and eliminate these drawbacks. 

I've fallen so in love with this approach that I want to implement it in every game I run from now on in some capacity. 

6. Flexible Magic of different types that comes with a cost.

Magical needs to feel Magical, not like a technical, scientific discipline. It is an art and should act as such; beautiful, sometimes terrifying, inspiring, and occasionally painful.

7. Speed & Simplicity of play

This but you know, actually this. 

I'd be a rich man if I had a quarter for every time I've asked a forum to suggest a rules-lite or simple Fantasy game and gotten suggestions of Pathfinder, D&D 5E, or Dungeon Crawl Classics. Sorry but just because you understand a game's mechanics that doesn't make it an easy, uncomplicated system. 

If it takes more than 20 pages to explain a game's base mechanics, [basic] character creation, and combat system, you're game is too crunchy for me. 

8. Regardless of the PCs' degrees of power and skill, they should always feel challenged. 

The game should never feel like its a cake walk , nor impossible to survive. Moreover, Player ingenuity and creativity should be what determines survivability, not stats or lucky die rolls. This must be true from session one to session one thousand. 

Well that would be The Eight Factors I'd Want/Need In My Holy Grail Fantasy Game. Sadly, I can't easily think of any Fantasy RPG system that matches all of these. This could be why I have so much trouble finding a Medieval-esque Fantasy TRPG (other than Ars Magica and The Smurfs) that truly works for me.

I'll probably have to make one myself. I've tried to do this before, recently even, but I didn't necessarily have all these aspects in mind. Hmmm. Something to consider.

AD

Barking Alien 

RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 20 - PROMISE

PROMISE

The Promise of completing the RPGaDay Challenge this year seems unattainable at this point but if I'm being honest, I'm not overly upset about it.

I've gotten further along with it, had more engagement from it, and accomplished so much because of it, much more than in previous years, that I am considering this a win. 

Because of my focus on the Japanese TRPG Space Opera Heroes, a lot more opportunities and other projects have opened up and honestly, attention to those endeavors needs to be my priority right now. 

I have been asked to run a short Star Wars campaign and I am being paid to do so. Yes, a paid Gamemastering gig. I'll be using Space Opera Heroes to run it, so I am currently working on an adaptation of the rules I am calling 'Star Wars Heroes' for now. With some very minor tweaks, this adaptation will serve as the basis for a Star Wars Visions Heroes campaign that I hope to run next year. 

I am have a few other bit business to address while I have your attention...

Tuesday, August 25th of this year, marked by 49th year in the Tabletop RPG hobby. Next year will be 50 years\.

Yesterday was National Dog Day and today is my dog Sketch's Birthday. Happy Birthday buddy!

I need to acknowledge the passing of an American Entertainment Icon, Humanitarian, and the absolute 'Queen of Country', the one and only Dolly Parton has let us at the age of 80. It's hard to explain how sad this news made me. While not a Country Music fan, I've all but grown up with Dolly thanks to her appearance with the Muppets, on the Simpsons, and of course her incredible scenes on The Orville. A true National Treasure, she will be greatly miss. 

Another talent we lost this week was Tim Curry, English Actor and Singer, a Star of Stage, Screen, and numerous Voice-Over Projects for more than five decades. His break-out role was Dr Frank-N-Furter in cult classic The Rocky Horror Show and it was followed up by some of the most memorable characters in cinema history. From comedies like Clue: The Movie and Muppet Treasure Island to Pennywise in the classic horror series IT, Tim Curry was a unique individual with a knack for choosing some very special projects. Tim Curry was also 80.

Rest in Peace to both of these legends in their own time. The night sky is darker now for there are two less bright stars.

AD

Barking Alien

RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 19 - DESIRE

DESIRE

I have a Desire to do...a lot of things.

The story of my life. 

Right now my head is in a million places but there are definitely some subjects taking up more space and energy in my gray matter than others. 

At least for now they are:

Ghostbusters and my 'Hosts of Freaky Ghosts' project are definitely near the top of my list of things I desperately want to work on, as October and Halloween will be here before you know it. All Hallow's Eve is both my inspiration and my deadline for getting my book completed so that needs to be a major focus next month.

An ongoing Smurfs RPG campaign is never far from my thoughts these days. With some of the ideas I've been having for expanding the Starship-as-Base-Building component in Space Opera Heroes, I am more jazzed than ever to see where I can take Mushroom Cottages in Smurfs. Plus, it looks like Smurfs is the only Fantasy RPG I truly enjoy outside of Ars Magica. 

Looks like my Star Wars Visions Heroes will be joined by a more traditional round of Star Wars Heroes, since some friends of a friend want to give a Star Wars mini-campaign a try and I figured it would be a great way to test how Space Opera Heroes handles ongoing play. 

Those are the endeavors generating a burning passion in my heart at this time.

Who know what I'll be obsessed with next week. 

AD

Barking Alien

RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 18 - DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS

The actual prompt for Day 18 is DIRECTNESS but, *sigh*, I'm already getting kind of tired of these word choices.

As I've already stated, many of them lack 'energy' for me. Between Discipline, Resolve, Tact, and Directness...is there really that much difference? I understand these are not the same words and they have different meanings but somehow they also feel too similar. At the very least, they are related enough that they don't give me any inspiration for Character Creation as they tend to make me think of the same sort of characters.

Instead, I want to talk about the Directions I might take with this game, Space Opera Heroes. 

The most basic Direction I could go in is trying to run it as an ongoing campaign. I certainly think it would work for that and I could see it going over well. This is, as noted, the basic approach to utilizing this system. The key would be setting the tone properly I think. 

Another approach, and one I am likely to try at least once in a while, is to run it as a Solo campaign. I like Gidget and the setting I'm developing and if nothing else, at least I get to have funny playing around with my current favorite game [other than Smurfs].

Now here's a Direction that, I'll be honest, is really gaining strength in my mind; I want to use Space Opera Heroes to run a Star Wars ongoing, long term campaign. Not just Star Wars though; Star Wars with an Anime/Manga vibe. 'Star Wars Visions Heroes' essentially. I've mentioned my desire to run an Anime influenced Star Wars campaign before but now I am actually starting to see exactly how to pull it off. Space Opera Heroes is the key. 

Lots of balls in the air as usual but some solid plans are forming. Curious to see where this all goes. 

 

AD

Barking Alien

RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 14-15-16-17

REGARD - ENDURANCE - COMPOSSURE - INTENSITY

This past Wednesday - the first day I really started to feel better after feeling awful from a flu over the weekend - I got the chance to run my first actual session of Space Opera Heroes for some of my buddies. 

Nick was Sal Starwind, an Esper Hero of high Regard.

Ray was the team's Plucky Sidekick, a young man of loyalty and Endurance.

Carl was Hark Harwell, a Charismatic Hero who never lost his Composure.

Will was Celes Teal, a Lucky Heroine of joyful Intensity. 

Our Heroes!

Plucky, Sal Starwind, Hark Harwell, Celes Teal, and a helpful Repair Robot

Together they teamed up to serve the Galactic Federation by rescuing Ambassador Oeg Tagothi (Hey! We know him!) who had been kidnapped by the evil Raellians to prevent him from negotiating an important treaty between the GF and the Space Amazons. 

Oh Ambassador! You're always in the thick of things.

The Raellian Raiders had taken over an abandoned Galactic Federation Research Outpost on Gamma Serpentis II. Our heroes came in stealthily using Cloaking Device they'd obtained on a previous mission. It was illegal alien tech however, so they couldn't let the Ambassador know that's how they'd gotten to the surface of the planet. 

The Abandoned Research Outpost on Gamma Serpentis II

After landing on the roof of the Outpost (which threatened to cause said roof to collapse at any moment), the Raellians came out of hatches to see what the noise up above was. Shocked to see the rescue team, they nonetheless got ready to do battle but Starwind's Ray Sword and Plucky's pinpoint accurate shot with his Laser Rifle made short work of them. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the roof, Celes tried to sneak in another way but was met by a Raellian in a Powersuit heading up through double doors. Celes managed to lock the hatch, forcing the Raellian to blast through the roof to get to her. While he was doing that, she slipped away and took a different route down into the facility.  

The Raellian Raiders firing beams from their Psycho-Lenses!

Thanks to his Sixth Sense and Telepathy, Starwind was aware of the Powersuited Raellian and leaped to his position, cleaving the marauder in twain with his amazing Ray Sword skills. Hark Harwell used that opportunity to intimidate the remaining Raellians on the roof, convincing them they were outmatched and outnumbered by the forces of the Galactic Federation. The Raellians dropped their weapons and surrendered. The heroes, sans Celes who was already inside, instructed the aliens to take them to their leader. 

Raellian in an old Iapetus Class Powersuit with Laser Cannon and Missile Pods attachments

Celes meanwhile had come across a Maintenance/Repair Robot who was active and unaware the Outpost had been abandoned. It simply continued on doing its job, fixing various components and systems as they broke down. Celes asked him where they kept live specimens because...er...she detected a malfunction in that area. Complaining about people not reporting in such things and failures to follow protocol, the Robot took her to where it just so happened the Ambassador was being held! How lucky! 

Repair Robots are cranky but helpful. 

At around the same time, Hark, Plucky, and Sal were heading into the corridor leading to the Command Center. They had the three Raellians they captured with them. As they approached, two Raellian Raiders tried to sneak up on them from behind. Bad news for them, as you're going to be hard pressed to sneak up on Sal Starwind and his Psychic Sixth Sense! Leaping into the air, spinning backwards, and igniting his Ray Sword as he swung downward, Starwind smiled with satisfaction as the first Raellian's hands, tightly gripping a Laser Pistol, fell to the floor, severed at the wrists. It took a second for him to realize what had happened and then the Raellian roared in surprise, panic, and pain. Sal tried to read the thoughts of  the second Raellian who, in turn, took a shot at Sal using the Psycho-Lens on his foreheard. Sal deflected the beam with his blue laser blade as Plucky spun and blasted the attacker. 

Space Opera Hero Trivia Kids! Raellians can use Psychic energy directed at them and convert it into a beam emitted by the lens-like crystal on their foreheads. This only works if you try to read their minds, use telekinesis on them, etc. They can't absorb psychic power from Sal's Sixth Sense as that is internal and not directed at them. 

The doors at the end of the hall opened then, revealing the Outpost control room and the Raellian Leader. Hark got right to the point and noted how his team easily cut through the alien Raiders. The Leader was impressed and willing to negotiate...or so he said. 

At the same time, the Repair Robot and lucky Celes managed to find a lab with several large chambers for holding live creature, one of which contained Ambassador Tagothi. After giving the parched diplomat some water (which he promptly splashed over his head), the three of them got ready to head back to the ship. Celes let the team know what had happened and they she had the Ambassador. This was announced loudly over Harwell's Communicator, which he had left on in order to use it as a translator for the Raellian language. 

The Raellian Leader has a trick up his sleeve...er...on the back of his hand!

Chuckling in a most unpleasant way, the Raellian Leader pressed a glowing green button on his gauntlet, causing the double-doors behind him to open, revealing a warbot powersuit even more powerful and terrifying than the last...

Oh no! Are our Space Opera Heroes Doomed? Can Celes get to her teammates in time to help? Do the Raellians or their technology have a weakness? Find out - Same Space Opera Time, Same Space Opera Channel!

To Be Continued...(maybe).

We had a lot of fun and the game went over well, though it was played more for laughs. Were I to use Space Opera Heroes for an ongoing campaign, I wouldn't go quite this light-hearted. Still and all it was a blast and has me even excited to try other iterations of the game in the future. 

AD

Barking Alien