On A Blue Note

My recent lackluster excursion into Medieval Fantasy Solo RPGaming had me really down; moreso than I would have expected. It was made worse by a poor purchase I made specifically for this experiment, hoping the product I bought would be useful for my endeavor*. It was not and in fact it is so lame I can't see myself ever using it but more on that later.

I really dislike wasting time and money. Grr. Sigh.

Luckily, there is light at the end of this dark tunnel and that light my friends, is blue...

I'll be running The Smurfs RPG this week! Woohoo!

With some of our regulars out we'll be skipping the next session of the normal campaign and playing a Smurfs one-shot instead. I am officially cheered-up as I haven't gotten the chance to run The Smurfs in what feels like a long while and, as you probably know by now, I absolutely love this game! 

It looks like Nick will be return to play Sir Smurfsalot - The Questing Smurf, Ray will reprise Spelly Smurf, and Will will be coming in with a brand new Smurf Girl from Smurfy Grove by the name of Smurfevergreen! 

I'm genuinely looking forward to this and will be spending today working up my adventure (as much as Adam works up adventures that is). Later in the week I'll give you all the aftersmurf report. 

Until then, smurf you later my fellow Smurfs!

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Barking Alien

*A Mini-Review of Roll & Play Press's 'No Place Like Homebrew':

I don't normally do product reviews of this sort but I was not happy with this purchase and I wanted everyone out there to be aware of what the book was all about. If you are new to tabletop roleplaying games in general and Dungeons and Dragons 5E specifically, this product might be of interest and use to you. 

If you have been playing for 10 years or more, have played games other than D&D, and have what I have to assume is a modest amount of creativity, you can probably skip this book. It has 252 pages of stuff, ranging from deities and locations to creatures and more locations that you've already come up with or read before on a blog, in a magazine, or any number of other places a dozen times already. Nothing in it, as far as I can tell, is of particular noteworthiness. 

The book is oddly organized, at least to me, though perhaps Fantasy gamers are more accustomed to the thinking process that went into this. For example, it starts with REALMS, a whole section on sample worlds and settings which certainly makes sense but its then filled with things like Deities, Celestials, and other otherworldly entities. Is that where most people start their world-building? With the Gods? Is that the first thing I need when trying to put together an adventure for my party of players and their PCs? Felt a little strange to me. 

Their idea of cool and interesting monsters are Bulettes but their gold-colored, Corgis with extra legs, and Pink Hounds that don't tire. Wow. Breathtaking. Also, thank goodness for an Index at the end of the book because its not like all the creatures are in one creature section. Instead they're scattered throughout the book (as are NPCs and other elements) based on terrain type. That makes sense, can't fault them for that, but I found it hard to know where to look to find something I'd previously read without use of the index. 

At $54.99 for the physical book (not including shipping) and $29.99 for the PDF, I can't recommend this for your money. I've far more exciting and innovative ideas to plug into your campaign for free or at a much lower cost from blogs, forums, magazine articles, and the like.

This product gets a 5 or maybe 5.5 out of 10 from me.

Crestfallen

I ran the first session of my Solo TRPG game 'Journal of a Mixed Elf Mercenary Hero' using my homebrew system, 'Adventurers of the Enchanted Lands', a hack of Teenagers from Outer Space and the end result was...meh.

Honestly, I am really disappointed. I was so excited for this, as you can probably tell by how many posts it inspired. Not just the number but the frequencey! Unfortunately, after a little while of actually partaking in the endeavor I've almost completely lost interest. Seriously. Just *poof*, enthusiasm gone. It was way more fun to prep for than to actually run and play.

Why? Let's talk about it...

Damn. I hate to disappointed her.

Mechanically it worked just fine. The system was good but didn't do anything especially dynamic. That can be OK in many cases but here it contributed to a lack of things to get jazzed about. It was an easy-to-run, easy-to-play, functional set of rules. Yay? As someone who isn't overly hung up on rules they usually only get my catch attention and interest if they're something special or something awful. This didn't reach the level of either extreme. 

One thing I started to think about that I didn't expect to was the role of Roles and Classes. I really dislike them but they are a trope of the genre and if you are running this sort of Medieval Fantasy game without them it feels...I don't know...a little weird. It's off somehow. Not sure how to solve this issue as, like I said, I still don't like them. This was helpful though in a way as it gets me to consider some way of solving this problem if I run a long term Fantasy campaign in the future. 

I still find the tropes and setting of standard Fantasy kind of boring to engage with. This is my issue as a player, although it's related to what I'm going to discuss next. I'm just not looking forward to questing to find a magical item or slaying some mythic beast. These are the sorts of adventures that appear in a lot of Solo Fantasy RPG charts and with good reason - that's the genre. I find it really banal and mundane to the point where it's hard to maintain any interest. It goes back to one of my biggest problems with the base Fantasy genre, nothing feels fantastic. 

Sure, I could modify this by coming up with custom charts and tables and in fact I did but I also tried to stay firmly in a standard Fantasy vein and it just didn't work. Not for me anyway. D&D and Pathfinder are the most popular RPGs in the Western world so it's clear lots of people find this very fun but I've just never been one of them. 

In the end, another big reason for my disillusionment is the same problem I always (thus far) experience with Solo gaming; there is a very low degree of surprise do to its very nature. I am interacting with random charts, die rolls, and myself. Without other players, there is no back and forth of ideas I might not have thought of. No approach from someone with a different way of looking at things. Sure, it guarantees 'my kind of game' but it reinforces my general feeling that Solo RPGs aren't games but exercises in creative writing. 

So what next? Honestly not sure. I do have some other things I want to talk about but I think this project is going on the back-burner for now. If I come up with some new approach or have a gaming epiphany regarding it I will definitely let you all know. For the time being though, Raelyn's journey and her Journal will go on without us...

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Barking Alien

A World of Adventure

A big focus of my Solo TRPG Campaign project, 'Journal of a Mixed Elf Mercenary Hero', is exploration.

The Enchanted Lands

As a Gamemaster, I absolutely love World-Building. It is by far my favorite part of the pastime. It allows me to do something with all these ideas that are constantly forming in my head, threatening to burst out of my skull and spray all over the place. Sorry. I know that's a little intense but that doesn't make it untrue. Besides, no one wants to clean that up, trust me.

As a player, I want to explore the world or universe of the game we're playing. I want to see the Gamemaster's vision, be it an original creation or their take on a known IP, and I would like the opportunity to get to know it up close and personal.

In either role, my preferred way to go about this is through an Open-World Exploration Campaign. That is essentially what I am hoping for with this Solo RPG and I feel pretty confident I can achieve it since I am occupying both positions.

Let's start by looking at the map and filling in some general ideas on what exists and where...

  

The usual recommendation when going about the act of world-building is to start small, really local-like, and then only expanding as you need to. For me, that's crap. I can't work that way for a host of reasons, the biggest of which is I want my players (and in this case myself) to be able to go where they want to go as long as they have some way of getting there. To the age old school question of, 'What happens if we travel beyond the edge of the map?', I like to answer, 'There is no edge to the map'. 

To make this work, I need to 'sketch out' some areas so I have a guide for my imagination. Looking at the second map, some points of interest have been placed in the hope that I can explore those areas during the campaign. Some important or at least interesting bodies of water are also included. The Trading Seas are small-to-medium oceanic bodies constantly plyed by merchants and unfortunately pirates. The Strange Sea is almost completely surrounded by lands, from small islands to the large main continent, with many legends surrounding what it is the sails across and roams beneath the waters of this region. Ghost Ships, Sea Monsters, and Vanishing Island that occasionally appears in the center of the sea. 

While I show the homeland locations of the Dwarves, the Elves, the Hairfoots, and the Humans, I purposely haven't defined how large their domains are, how many settlements or citizens they have, etc. I also haven't given the proper name of these places on account of the fact that I haven't decided on them yet. Furthermore, just because I haven't identified where Beastkin or Goblins live doesn't mean there aren't Beastkin and Goblins. This is best thought of as a Visual Outline. 

To this end, I've also pointed out areas of potential adventure and danger by designating Giants in the Northeast and possibly a Dragon in the Northwest. I wrote it in as 'A Dragon?' because I haven't decided if that information is true or merely a fanciful story. Then, as I've already mentioned, there are lands far away to the Southeast and Southwest that have yet to be explored. I've included these known unknowns for exploration and further development later on.

Of special interest is The Ruinlands of an Ancient Empire; a vast expanse of land with numerous dungeons and crumbling temples that are all that remains of a powerful and very magical civilizations from long, long ago.

Finally, I've also noted where my Player Character, Raelyn Riversprite, came from and the fact that the town was basically destroyed. The port is abandoned now - no one lives there to my character's knowledge. 

Exploration

• • PCs are rewarding for discovering something new – a never before encountered (by them specifically) monster, location, thing about the world, etc. For Solo play, these are notated in the campaign ‘Journal’ as ‘I discovered [name or description of thing]’. 
• • Dungeons are ‘alive’: Traps, rival adventurer parties, sentient doors, patrols of haunted armors, and wandering entities that want to chat.
• • Food & Rest: Cooking plants, animals, or even monster meat gives mechanical buffs and restores Physical and Spell Fatigue (a la Delicious in Dungeon). Skipping meals may cause penalties (hungry adventurer/party = comedic failures). Sleep is similar. 

As per usual, more thoughts as they come to me. I am really eager to actually start playing. Hopefully later today. 

Hope to see you on the road...

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Barking Alien

Of Might and Magic

Before I getting going with the campaign proper I thought it might be a good idea to give you some more of the rules. Specifically, I want to go over Combat and Magic. 

Combat

Starting with some really basic thoughts:

• •Theater of the Mind with quick rounds*. No grid, minis, or any of that needed.
• •Initiative: Roll 2D and add Agility + Luck or just go in dramatic order.
• •Damage is narrative...sort of. You take Hits; after taking half your total you are stunned and hurt. Target Numbers go up to the next difficulty level. At zero Hits, the character is unconscious and their overall situation may worsen. Player Characters can only die in unavoidable situations or by player choice. However, they may suffer a permanent injury, lose a hand, lose an item, or that sort of thing. Starting Hits = Body + ½ Luck.

Characters do ½ their Body in Damage on a successful unarmed Attack.

When using a Weapon, the Damage is ½ Body + the Weapon's Damage. 

As noted in the first post on the basic mechanics, certain successful rolls can result in more damage or special effects. 

As noted in the previous entry on rules, Light Weapons do 1 Damage, Medium Weapons do 2, and Heavy Weapons do 3. Most Light Weapons can be thrown. Heavy Weapons require two hands to use.

Armor provides Protection, which reduces the Damage taken from most Attacks.

This is true for PCs, NPCs, and Monsters. No Armor, natural or otherwise, means no Protection.

Basic Armor is at -1 but you can exchange an Agility Penalty or Gold or increased Protection.

Critical Successes and Failures in Combat cause Physical Fatigue. Characters subtract -1 from their Body when this occurs and function with the resulting number until they can rest. On the Character Sheet I record Physical Fatigue separately from Body because after resting Body returns to normal. That's easier for me but I might change it in the future to avoid confusion. 

Magic System 

Anime-Flavored Magic is flashy and costly. Roll Spirit + Magic Knack + 2D6.

• •Low-Cost Spells: Utility, Buffs, Attacks with no Damage (They Confuse, Distract, etc.). Only costs Spell Fatigue on a Botched Check Roll.
• •Big Spells (Dragon Slave! style): Powerful but they drain Spirit (an effect called Spell Fatigue) or cause side effects (hair turns odd color, scent attracts monsters, etc.). -1 Spirit to cast, -2 on a Critical Failure.
• •PCs can take on extra Spell Fatigue to make Spells more effective. 
• •Learning Magic: New Spells are obtained by learning and practice. Must be taught or found in Spellbooks or on Scrolls. Progression feels like Frieren - slow, meaningful mastery that occurs over time.

One's 'Magic Knack' could be be Alchemy, Arcane Spellcasting, Illusion Magic, Summoning, Witchcraft, or anything else you can think of as long as its appropriate to the genre. These are categories without a difference mechanically though, except in a narrative way. You decide on a specific definition for your type of magic but within that your are welcome to get creative. 

For example: Raelyn Riversprite has Animal Magic and Elemental Spellcasting. 

Animal Magic enable her to take on one aspect of a non-magical creature for one scene. It could be Strength of a Bear, Speed of a Cougar, Vision of a Hawk, etc. Yes, a Cheetah might be faster than a Cougar but I don't know that Raelyn's ever heard of a Cheetah based on where she's from in this Medieval Europe-themed setting.

Trying to duplicate a second animal while already having the aspect of one increases the difficulty of the roll by +5. She normally sticks to one creature at a time, though she might be able to do two aspects of the same animal at a lower difficulty. Maybe +3? Say she had the Strength of a Bear and wanted to give her unarmed attack a 'Bear Claw Strike!'; that's very Anime and I could see that being viable. 

Elemental Spellcasting allows her to focus the traditional four Western elements of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water to performs various attacks, defenses, or feats. Raelyn is largely self-taught and doesn't usually cast anything too complex. She favors blasts of water and wind, walls of rock and soil, and wreathing her sword in fire for added damage. People think she's a 'Battlemage' but the truth is these sorts of spells are just easier to cast. 

Things she can't do: Shoot of bolt of pure Mana, create a Force Shield, turn Invisible, or Shapeshift. These just don't match how her [albeit vague] magic is defined. 

Since we're on the subject...

Magic Weapons

Most enchanted weaponry are unique; one-of-a-kind items created upon special request or commission and likely for some specific purpose. There are no +1 Swords lying around that do not else besides being +1. 

Magic weapons will certainly have 'to hit' bonuses but they always come with other features. It's these 'other features' that appeal to me most. Possible enchantments and enhancements could be:

• ·        There are +1, +2, and Roll with Advantage Weapons.
• ·        Damage may be +1. +2, or even a bonus 1D6! Whoa. That’s powerful!
• ·        In addition, the item might grant the wielder an additional Attack, Invisibility, the ·        ability to Strike Ghosts or any number of other mystical abilities. Many have a few ·        minor powers related to a theme such Slaying Dragons or Vanquishing The ·        Undead. 

I'm sure there is more I could say on these subjects and indeed I probably will when they come up during the course of play but this should suffice for now. I was hoping my next post would be from the start of the actual campaign but this weekend has become rather busy and I may not have time to do that. Instead, the next entry on the subject will likely cover the world itself, as I've finally decided on one and made a map. 

Look forward to sharing it soon,

Later,

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Barking Alien

My apologies if some of the formatting of this post is a little off. Sometimes Blogger just decides that the thing it has done the same way a 100 times before is going to work differently the 101st time just because. 

Have Haversack, Will Travel

I know I've mentioned it before but probably none too often as I don't generally discuss Medieval Fantasy gaming as much as I do Sci-Fi, Superheroes, and practically anything else but I really enjoy coming up with Magic Items. I kinda despise calling them 'Magic Items' though, as that is one of D&D's notorious modern/technical terms for what should be a miraculous and wonderous thing. I suppose it's fine for practical purposes but I try to avoid the term when I can. 

Anyway...

I want to give more detailed information on Raelyn Riversprite's Signature Item, The Homey Haversack. 

This mysterious object is based on a very similar concept from my ol' Aerth game, which was in turn inspired by Heward's Handy Haversack, although that item is quite different from mine. The original was merely a more impressive Bag of Holding. As you'll see, this one is something else. 

The Homey Haversack is a backpack of supple black leather that appears well-used and worn by time and the elements such that is appears more charcoal gray than black. Its straps may be adjusted so that it can be worn as a backpack, over one should, or slung across the body to rest at ones hip. In additional to the mouth of the pack at the top, there are three additional pouches; one large one in front, and two smaller ones to each side. 

Upon opening the top flap and adjusting the hidden drawstring, the bag will open to be slightly wider than expected. The top of a wooden ladder can be seen just over the lip of the bag. If you enters the top and descends the ladder, they will come into a medium-sized room of stone walls and floor. It has a bed, a large chest/trunk, two desks, a simple chair, a fireplace, and a window. 

 

Regardless of the position of the Haversack in the outside world, within the item the room is always level and the temperature is generally similar to the interior of any abode in whatever land your traveling in. For example, if you are walking through snowy tundra, it will be cold in the room but certainly warmer than being outside in the snow. Best get a fire going. 

Where the smoke from the fireplace goes is unknown. Stranger still though is the window. This small window, which can be shuttered to prevent wind, snow, or rain from entering the room, always shows a view of whatever is outside the bag. When using it to sleep in, Riversprite usually hides it on a roof top or ties it up in a high tree before entering down the ladder. This allows her to view her immediate surroundings to some extent. You can stick your arm and hand out the window but only a few feet or so. Beyond that you will find it impossible to push further out. 

The room is as it is and does not provide additional items, nor does it replenish resources. Firewood much be obtained and brought in by the owner of the item. If you want to cook in the fireplace, bring in some ingredients as well as a pot and frying pan. Raelyn often catches and cooks fish, then opens the window to air out the place. Which brings us to keep it clean - you must sweep and dust yourself, as well as make your own bed. Basically, you get a furnished room and nothing more but it is a room you can carry with you. 

The outer Haversack seems immune or at least highly resistant to rain, puncture, being crushed, and the like. None of those things effect the bag and someone inside would be completely unaware of what was transpiring. In fact, the item can even be submerged in water but the window shutters will automatically close and no force can open them until the bag is once again in open air. You would see water and fish swimming by out of the window. 

Raelyn often keeps her Bow and Arrows in the sack instead of on her as she rarely ever uses them in combat. They are primarily for hunting game. She also stores any Magic Books and Scrolls she comes across in the Haversack, usually on the shelves above one of the desks. Spare clothes and a few mementos she has from her family and her time with the Elven Knights are neatly placed inside the trunk at the foot of her bed. 

Even with this amazing object, Raelyn still camps out fairly often. The interior of the Haversack is both her safespace and refuge and a place she fears being trapped in. Not trapped like it won't let her leave but that she'll get too comfortable, feel too safe, and won't want to leave. 

And that is The Homey Haversack.

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Barking Alien

Spellcasting and Sword Swinging

I've decided my Solo RPG Campaign is going to be Medieval Fantasy and as for a system I'll be using my TFOS hack 'Adventurers of The Enchanted Lands', described in my previous post.

As for my main Solo character, I am sticking with my original concept, though I may adjust as I go given I still haven't decided on what world setting I will be exploring.

Raelyn Riversprite is a Female Elf of mixed heritage, around 250 years old (in her mid-twenties by Human developmental standards). She is skilled at both Magic use and Sword Fighting. I also see her as hailing from a port town on a river...originally...before her home was destroyed by some as yet undecided upon fiend. This would give her a reason for potentially having skills like Sailing or Swimming and the like. 

Yes you Raelyn! C'mon up and say hello to everyone. 

As far as she knows, she is the only survivor of an attack that destroyed her small port town and wiped out her family. She was saved by Elven Knights of the larger city near by. 

In games like this, where your PC 'lives in the world' as opposed to trying to emulate a TV Show, Comic Book series, or other form of media medium, I tend to prefer a character who is functionally competent at a variety of things. While many players prefer to specialize or (gag) optimize their characters, I would rather have a jack-of-all-trades, even if they end up a master of none. 

That said, I envision Raelyn as darn good at a few activities, even if she is only pretty good at most of what she attempts to accomplish. With that in mind, let's spend her 45 Attribute Points and determine her Stats. 

Aww. C'mon. Give it a chance. Could be fun!

I've noticed that Character Creation takes a long time for a lot of people but not me, at least not usually. The reason for this is I try to generate a complete(-ish) picture the character in my head first, then do my best to make that concept using the game I'm playing. This is very much the case here. I'm going to start with Riversprite's worst stat, which I'll say is a 3 in Charm. She's used to living, traveling, and working alone, which makes her socially awkward and not much of a people person. 

Her two highest stats will be Journey and Spirit, both a 7. She is a gifted Mage, very attuned to nature, and has been surviving on her own through rough terrain and weather for some time. 

To fill in the rest of the Attributes: Agility 6, Body 6, Craft 5 (I'll want to improve that at some point I think), Luck 5, and Mind 6. Done. Easy peasy. 

As for Knacks, I know exactly what skills I want for her, though I am only now deciding how many points to put to each. She will have Animal Magic, Elemental Spellcasting, Fishing, Foraging, Sailing, Swimming, and Swordfighting. That's eight Knacks and 10 points to allocate to them. 

So...let's put 1 point to everything except Animal Magic, Elemental Spellcasting and Swordfighting. Those are at 2.

Oh, almost forgot, her Archtype is Elf and her Party Role(s) are...hmm...well there is no 'Party' yet but her defining traits at the start of the campaign will be Battlemage, Mercenary, and Survivor.

She's got such range!

She is skilled at Magic, Fighting, and Fighting using Magic. She can weigh the Risk vs. Reward dynamic of any mission or quest she's given based on years of experience plying the Mercenary trade. It might hinder her sometimes as well, since her good heart can sometimes be at odds with her goal of earning coin. Finally, she's the last living member of her family, she's been on her own for decades, and she is just to damn stubborn to die. 

For Anime Powers/Special Abilities I rolled a D6 and got a 6. Cut in half, that's 3 unusual gifts. Let's go with Battle Awareness (an ability I gave to the High Elves of my Aerth setting), Immortal-ish (the ridiculously long-lived nature of Elves and immunity to effects that age you), and Magic Affinity (Elves take 1 less Spell Fatigue when they are afflicated with that effect). 

For her equipment, I figure she has fairly standard adventuring gear; Rope, Torches, Flint and Tinder, A Fishing Pole and Medieval 'Tackle', Tent Sheet and a Blanket, a Spellbook, etc..

Her Signature Item is The Homey Haversack; a soft, black leather bag that can be worn as a backpack, slung over one shoulder, or slung across the body. It has some...peculiar but extremely useful features...which I will describe in the next post [most likely]. 

Her Armor, well, I picture chainmal with some plated areas. She isn't tremendously tough or quick so I am going to spend 4 Gold to give her an Armor Protection of an additional -2 for a total of -3. Because I spent Gold instead of taking an Agility Penalty, the Armor is of such quality that it doesn't hinder her (A Protection of -1 is automatic. Additional -1s require lowering your Agility by -1 or spending 2 Gold). 

My choice of Free Weapon is a Long Sword (Damage 2). Going to spend another 3 Gold right here to get a Dagger (Damage 1) and Medium Bow (Damage 2). She's not skilled with either but maybe she'll improve with practice (XP). 

Beginning with 10 Gold as any Player Character would, she is now at only 3. Yikes. My girl needs a quest ASAP! 

The final starting Character Sheet for Raelyn Riversprite looks like this:

And there we are! I like her. I really like her. And making her up was actually fun! Fun Fantasy RPG Character Creation! I can hardly believe it. If I hadn't been there myself I might not to be honest. I am really looking forward to seeing where I can take this little endeavor. 

Come along with us!

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Barking Alien

A Fantasy I Have

Yesterday morning I awoke to a jolt of inspiration! Part epiphany, part dream, and part memory, thoughts began running through my mind and I rushed to my computer in order to weite them down.

In about three hours I created 'Adventurers of The Enchanted Lands', a Fantasy hack of R. Talsorian Games' Anime Comedy RPG classic, Teenagers from Outer Space, created by Mike Pondsmith. 

This isn't exactly my first time creating this game.

I've used TFOS to run many different genres and settings over the years, including Medieval Fantasy. It is one of my all time favorite RPGs. I once used it to run my D&D-But-Not milieu of Aerth for a short Winghorn Guard campaign as a matter of fact. 

For this outing I'm doing things a little differently rules-wise; the mechanics being even simpler this time around. In addition, I'm adding in a few features inspired by recent Japanese Indie TRPGs for a little extra flavor. 

Where to begin? OK, the Core Mechanic: 

Roll 2d6 + Relevant Attribute/Stat + Relevant Knack (if any) and try to meet or beat a Target Number (TN) set by the GM.

• • Easy task: TN 7–9 
• • Moderate: TN 10–12 
• • Hard: TN 13–15 
• • Epic: TN 16+

Critical Success: Boxcars! A Natural 12. Amazing Effect + ‘Anime Flare’ (A flashy description, an extra benefit, or a temporary power-up. This could include making your next Check Roll with Advantage. Roll 3D6 and take the highest two. 

Comedic/Flawed Success: Beat TN by 10+. You succeed with a funny or dramatic side effect (e.g., Your Fireball cooks the monster as well as the Party’s food supply or burns up the dungeon map. Perhaps your elaborate sword technique leaves you dramatically posing for another round or two).

Success: Simply beat the TN. You succeed! 

Failure: If Check Roll is below the TN it is a Miss or Failed Action. You can change it to a Partial Success, succeeding with a Complication, -1 Fatigue, or Disadvantage on next roll. A Disadvantage means rolling 3D6 and taking the two lowest numbers.

Critical Failure or ‘Botch’: Roll Snake Eyes! A natural 2. If the Check Roll total is a Failure, some additional dramatic complication occurs in addition to the Miss. If the Check Roll total Succeeds, you do indeed do what you intended but something still goes seriously wrong. 

As you can see, different factors can introduce a Bonus or Penalty Die Advantage or Disadvantage to a Check Roll but generally speaking that's all there is to it. The objective is to keep things both simple and narrative. 

Character Creation is likewise pretty simple and straightforward, largely the same as TFOS with a few tweaks for a Fantasy setting: Players pick an Archtype - Elf, Dwarf, Human, etc. , determine their Party Role(s) which are 1-3 Traits which can lower the Target Number of tasks related to them, and then work out their Attributes - Stats and Knacks - Basically Skills but also things like Spellcasting or Turning Undead. 

The Character Sheet looks like this...

Magic System 

Anime-Flavored Magic is flashy and costly. Roll Spirit + Magic Knack + 2D6.

• •Low-Cost Spells: Utility, Buffs, Attacks with no Damage (They Confuse, Distract, etc.). Only costs Spell Fatigue on a Botched Check Roll.
• •Big Spells (Dragon Slave! style): Powerful but they drain Spirit (an effect called Spell Fatigue) or cause side effects (hair turns odd color, scent attracts monsters, etc.). -1 Spirit to cast, -2 on a Critical Failure.
• •PCs can take on extra Spell Fatigue to make Spells more effective. 
• •Learning Magic: New Spells are obtained by learning and practice. Must be taught or found in Spellbooks or on Scrolls. Progression feels like Frieren - slow, meaningful mastery that occurs over time.

Combat & Exploration

• •Theater of the Mind with quick rounds. No grid needed.
• •Initiative: Roll Agility + Luck or just go in dramatic order.
• •Damage is narrative. You take Hits; after taking half your total you are stunned and hurt. Target Numbers go up to the next difficulty level. At zero Hits, the character is unconscious and their overall situation may worsen. Player Characters can only die in unavoidable situations or by player choice. Starting Hits = Body + ½ Luck.
• •Dungeons are living, breathing places: Traps, rival adventurer parties, sentient doors, patrols of haunted armors, and wandering entities that want to chat.
• •Food & Rest: Cooking monster meat gives mechanical buffs and restores morale. Skipping meals causes penalties (hungry party = comedic failures).

These are the basic or core rules I have so far and they should be enough to start my Solo campaign. In the next post I'll give you my main character's completed Character Sheet, some idea of why I made the choices I went with, and perhaps a little of the world/setting. Still haven't decided whether or not to go with Aerth. 

Thoughts, opinions, and ideas on this project are much appreciated! 

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

What's Fun for Me

The title of the post is both a statement of intent for what I want to talk about but also a question, which I pose to myself; what is it that I enjoy about running and playing Tabletop Roleplaying Games?

This isn't my first time asking myself this. Nor is it the first time I've discussed the answers with all of you. Far from it. What makes this time special? Well...nothing really, other than the subject is on my mind. 

Oh, there's also the matter of a Solo RPG experiment I'd like to try...

Basically, I have two concepts for Solo RPG campaigns, both designed to explore and test out ideas I want to implement in my next long term, open world campaign. I don't believe I'll be able to run both games and so part of what I want to do here is determine which of these two options is the best choice.

Many of the features of the two campaigns will be alike as they share similar DNA: both are open world/universe games, both feature a great deal of player agency, and are going to be 'run' by me (in so far as Solo RPGs have a game facilitator).

Some things may work in one game but not in the other. Some may require tweaking or even need to be heavily reworked in order to fit in a given game. My hope is that the games can both accommodate all the wild antics I have in mind but we'll see. 

As noted above, I can probably only do one of these at a time given various time and obligation constraints, some I'd love to know which one you'd all like to see.

#1. Journal of a Mixed Elf Mercenary Hero

Likely set on my 'D&D-But-Not' world of Aerth, the campaign would follow a young Female Elf of mixed heritage (High Elf and Sylvan Elf) who travels from place to place slaying monsters, defeating brigands, and other such work in exchange for food, shelter, and [I'm thinking] information on the whereabouts of some fiend who decimated her village and killed her family. Yeah, kind of cliche' but it works for this kind of thing. 

The Solo PC would be a Female Elf from a village on the outskirts of Namredel, a nation of Elves of mixed lineages. She herself is descended from a line of High Elf Warriors and Sylvan Elf Mages (though not everyone in her family tree was either a fighter or a magic-user. I'm sure they had shopkeeps and blacksmiths). I see her having 'Nature Magic', spells related to plants, animals, the four elements, and weather. She might seem like a Druid but she comes at it from a very different angle. To me, Druids are Spiritual/Supernatural, while Wizards have a gift that requires study, practice, and skill to use effectively. 

I am curious to explore the character, her personality and interactions, see her in action, develop the world on a smaller more intimate level, and [with any luck] figure out how to create a Medieval Fantasy TRPG campaign that I actually enjoy. I tend to really like my Aerth games but that's largely because of the Winghorn Guard concept, which is actually more like Superheroes than D&D-like Fantasy. By not making her a Winghorn Guard member I am challenging myself to figure out, 'well then what do you do in this setting and how to you go about it'. 

One of the biggest difficulties (and one reason I'm much less into Fantasy) is the lack of dedicated lodging and easy travel. A single PC, or a small party for that matter, can't get from place to place as easily as say, a bunch of flying Superheroes or the crew of a Scout Starship. The whole 'murderhobo' dynamic, sans the murder of course, still leaves one a homeless wanderer. No base to speak of and you know how much I love bases. I could give her a boat or small ship. Hmm. Have to think on this. 

The primary inspirations for this campaign are my previous adventures on Aerth with and without The Winghorn Guard and various Anime/Manga Fantasy series like Delicious in Dungeon, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and others. 

UPDATE: If I go with a Fantasy game, I may not use my Aerth setting after all. As much as I love it, and I do, it isn't a 'traditional' Medieval Fantasy world in many aspects and I feel like creating something new. 

#2. Diary of a Well Meaning Galactic Outlaw

Set in the Star Wars universe, this campaign follows a Smuggler during an unclear period post-Return of the Jedi/The Battle of Endor, roughly around the same time as the first two Seasons of The Mandalorian. Our 'hero' is a Female Togruta trying to get by in the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy, with [probably] a price on her head. I see her having done something positive and just while working for a space crime lord and it caused her to fail the job he gave her. No good deed unpunished kind of thing. 

Our PC is, as noted, a Female Togruta (same species as Ahsoka Tano) Smuggler with a decent Light Freighter starship, exceptional piloting skill, a pretty good fighter, and maybe a droid sidekick and/or a co-pilot friend. Not sure. I do want more characters to join her as the campaign goes on but I'm not certain how many allies she should start with. 

In classic Star Wars fashion, her ship is her conveyance, her home, her protector, and in some ways her best pal. It's a little old, kinda beat-up, but it has some kind of unique advantage. Like, for example, maybe it has improved Shields or great Sensors or even a secret Weapon but it's prone to malfunctions and isn't as fast or maneuverable as she'd prefer. Something like that. 

The main obstacle with this kind of campaign is keeping it fresh and exciting. At this point, we all know Star Wars (or at least most of us are) and it can feel like there's nothing new under the twin suns. At the same time, most people I've met tend to play Star Wars RPGs a little differently than I do. I like to mix the swashbuckling action and adventure of it with a cozy, 'slice of life' kind of feel. I love the idea of playing someone who just lives in that universe. They aren't a 'Hero of the Rebellion' or 'The Last of the Jedi'; they're just people doing what they do in this epic, Space Fantasy setting. I kind feel that way about the first campaign as well. That really is my preferred way of running these sort of open universe games. 

Inspirations here, aside from, ya'know...all the Star Wars, are some very specific influences such as recent [and upcoming] computer and video game releases like Star Wars Genesis, Galactic Racer, Zero Company, Outlaw, and of course the animation anthology Star Wars Visions. There's been come cool Star Wars Manga too such as Path of the Lightsaber and Tsukumo, though I don't intend for our Smuggler to be Force Sensitive. Maybe she'll meet a companion who is...

Anyway, those are my ideas. Which do you think I should go for? Which would you want to read about or play? Let me know in the comments. 

Later,

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RPGaDay 2026 - An Actual Challenge?

Next month, August of 2026, marks 49 years that I have been in the Tabletop Roleplaying Game hobby. Next year will be 50 years, the big Five-Oh!

I'm going to start celebrating early with yet another attempt to complete the annual RPGaDay Challenge which looks...huh...actually interesting this year. Maybe even...dare I say it...truly challenging!

I skipped last year's RPGaDay because I often find blogging difficult in August for various reasons and the prompts tend to be rather uninspiring. The idea of the challenge has been, in recent years, more fascinating to me than participating in the challenge itself ever is. This year might be different, with prompts that are not so obvious or direct in their meaning, at least as they apply to RPGs.

There are some words here I can already tell I'm going to have a lot of trouble with; poise for example (Day 3) isn't a word that comes up in my vocabulary very often. I don't usually think about poise and certainly haven't said the word in recent memory. There are a few others like that but given the nature of the RPGaDay Challenge, perhaps my brain will come up with some way to interpret these term in a gaming related way once I get the started. 

All in all, I definitely feel these prompts are an improvement over those of the past years.

UPDATE: Re-reading the RPGaDay home site AUTOCRATIK, it would appear that Runeslinger, who created the prompts for this years outing, suggests the words be used to create characters, making this a Character Creation Challenge instead of the usual, less 'intentioned' approach to the RPGaDay events. 

This certainly makes some of the terms easier to picture but I'm not sure I want to create a month's worth of characters, given that I'm much more of the 'Forever GM' type. Also, January sees the 31 Days/31 Characters Challenge and I don't necessarily want to muscle in on that event's turf, so to speak. I'm not 100% against the idea either though.

Hmm. Tough call here. Going to have to think about this.

A heartfelt thank you to F. Douglas Wall of There's More to Oz Than The Yellow Brick Road, as it wasn't until I read his post on the subject that I realized what the original creators were going for. 

Join me for this next month won't you? I can't wait to see what I decide to do!

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I'll Tell You What I Want, What I Really, Really Want

I am currently running three campaigns. 

One is a bi-weekly game of Star Trek Adventures that my players and I have titled Star Trek: Prosperity. This campaign has been going on for nearly twelve years of real time. It features four players, plus myself as Gamemaster, and is set in a version of The Original Series Era that has run considerably longer than the first Star Trek TV series lasted on television. 

I love this campaign. My players appear to love it. It just keeps going.

The other two are, as mentioned the other day, Superhero games;

One is My Hero Academia: Hero Helpline; basically the premise of the video game Dispatch set in the universe of My Hero Academia. I'm using a Japanese fan-made TRPG called 'Plus Ultra'.

The second is The Legion of Superheroes: Legion Outpost, a Champions 4th Edition campaign following an expansion team of DC Comics' 31st Century Superheroes, The Legion of Superheroes. 

These two are fun. Definitely fun. There are ideas in both of them that I think are interesting to explore. That said...are these the games I really want to be running? Well...

Allow me to start by saying, I don't mean for this post to imply I'd rather be running one of the following campaign concepts instead of any of the ones I'm currently GMing.

OK...wait. No, that is kinda what I'm saying. The RPGs below are what I'd really love to be running if I could run anything I wanted and had people who wanted to play them. Except Star Trek: Prosperity. I would want to run one or more of the campaigns I'm about to discuss in addition to continuing with Star Trek: Prosperity. That doesn't mean I am unhappy with the games I'm currently running, just that these are my current 'dream campaigns'. 

The problem is...I don't know that the games I want to run are ones my current groups of players want to play, especially for a prolonged period of time. They might say yes to a one-shot and truly have a great time with it but I don't think they see the ongoing potential of the ones I'm going to talk about. 

Maybe some do. Hmm. OK. With that...

Ghostbusters

Yeah, I've definitely been slimed by the news of the upcoming Netflix animated series Night Shift but a desire to run a long term Ghostbusters campaign always haunts the back of my mind. 

I love the idea of characters who aren't exceptionally adept or particularly professional facing off against foes beyond their 'pay grade'. At the same time, the PCs do have some special skills and gear to level the playing field (pun intended) and the wits and determination to take down far more powerful adversaries. 

I'm also particularly found of the system I've homebrewed to run Ghostbusters, really a kitbash of the original WEG RPG, InSpectres, and the Year Zero mechanics from Free League's ALIEN game. Add in some of the customizable elements my groups and I have added over the years  - things like unique Proton Packs, alternative Ecto Vehicles, and the PCs' Headquarters - and I really think the game, and the players, would get the most out of an extended campaign, instead of just the occasional one-shot.

The Adventures of Horai Academy!!

This is a game near and dear to my heart that I honestly haven't run in roughly 30 years. And to be clear, even back then I only ran 6 sessions. I'd never run it before that and I haven't had the opportunity to run it again since. どうしたの？

Not only do I love the premise, best described by my friend Ray as, 'Crazy Japanese High School - The Roleplaying Game', but I also feel it has simple, interesting rules that make it a breeze to run while maintaining a certain amount of mechanical depth. Not too much mechanical depth I suppose but just enough to keep me engaged and allow for the kinds of stories and actions the game intends to create. 

Man, I have to do a dedicated post on this game. It's history and current incarnation are absolutely fascinating.

Anyway, I am once again in an Anime/Manga mood and this game would absolutely satisfy my craving for Japanese pop culture and fandom influenced gaming. 

The Smurfs

I haven't run or played The Smurfs Roleplaying Game in a while now and I REALLY miss it. Moreover, I desperately want to produce an ongoing campaign. Not only have I been eager to do this for some time now but I have so many ideas for putting one together that they're burning a hole in my smurf!

In addition to exploring the fun characters that players keep coming up with, I want to continue expanding the world/setting, bring in both new and classic adversaries, and incorporate the base-building element of developing your Smurf House. 

I seriously think a long term Smurfs campaign could be the best Medieval Fantasy RPG you're going to get from me. Hopefully I'll get the chance. Smurfs crossed.

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Barking Alien