Magic Eight Ball

In a recent post on his blog Cowboys, Capes, and Claws, the illustrious Tim Knight discusses what he wants 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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

 

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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. 

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RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 13 - STRAIN

STRAIN

The biggest Strain on my ability to catch up with and continue posting for the RPGaDay Challenge of 2026 has been the fact that as of last weekend I've been really sick with the flu. That is in addition to work, life, side projects, and all the other facts that usually make August a tough go for blogging. 

My apologies to all my readers and I hope to get back on schedule but don't be surprised if the next few posts are a bit of a cheat in order to reach the point of being at least roughly concurrent with where I'm supposed to be. 

Ya'know, like this one.

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RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 12 - LOSS

LOSS

This one is going to be a little different. 

These characters aren't active NPCs and they aren't villains; these are characters in the background of our protagonist Gidget Starseeker and are part of the World-Building of my Space Opera Heroes Solo Campaign. 

Here we go...

'The Starseekers' were a organization

 of independent deep space explorers operating in and around the Frontier Sectors of Epsilon and Zeta for over 20 years. They surveyed over 50 planets in that time and made First Contact with five previously unknown starfaring species, including the Opionchidians, who are now members of the Galactic Federation.

About ten years into their activities, two of the lead surveyors, Gene (Chief Expedition Leader and owner of their starship, The Wanderer) and Gillian (Head Xenobiologist and a Xenoanthropologist) had a child, a daughter they named Gidget. The Starseekers was starting to look like a 'family business'. 

Approximately 10 years later [and roughly 15 years ago] the Wanderer was investigating a Spatial Anomaly in the Zeta Sector when a discharge of unidentified energy damaged the starship severely. Gene and the ship's Chief Engineer, Gillian's Sister Ginny, had to go outside the ship to repair the damage when a second discharge appeared to vaporize Ginny! Gillian, overcome by her sister's death and her husband being in mortal danger, left her daughter with her robot companion and protector GUS and headed out as well.

Gidget's Aunt Ginny

Yes, she went outside the ship. I know what you're thinking...why her? She wasn't specifically qualified for this course of action, nor was she a particularly big fan of Zero Gravity. She did it because she felt she had to. To save her ship, your team, her husband, and her daughter, she had to do something.

She was right...to an extent. Gillian was able to assist Gene in repairing a key component that would allow the ship to escape the area and get beyond the range of the anomaly. Unfortunately, a third discharge took her and her husband away in a flash before Gidget's very eyes. 

Over the next three years following the incident, the Starseekers broke up as an organization. Some just retired on the credits and accolades they'd gained during their time on the Wanderer. Others, without the leadership, vision, and charisma of Gene and Gillian, migrated to other exploration teams.

Gene, Gillian, and Ginny were the only members of their species on the team and that species is rare in the galaxy, their homeworld sitting in a sector that was practically on the opposite side of the Galactic Federation. Even then, few of them venture off their planet. Returning Gidget to other family members, if indeed any others existed, was not feasible. In addition, her parent's left the Wanderer and GUS to her.

For sometime after, Gidget remained in the custody of the Galactic Federation's Bureau of Unfulfilled Parental Guardianship until, at the age of 18, she was able to claim the Wanderer, GUS, and establish herself as Gidget Starseeker, freelance explorer. 

In addition to her other adventures, Gidget is always trying to obtain information on the Spatial Anomaly that took her parents and aunt, now known as 'The Zeta Evanition Enigma'. She seeks to understand what happened, how it happened, and did they actually die. In all instances related to the Enigma, no debris, remains, or even scattered particles of the objects or beings struck by discharges from the anomaly are left behind. How is this possible? Could something other than simply 'hit by an energy blast' be going on?

The alternative is that our heroine is chasing ghosts and running from Loss.

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*As originally noted, the proper names given to people of Gidget's species are the closest sounding Human equivalent. Family names are unpronounceable by Humans and possibly can't even be completely 'heard' with their antenna. 

Evanition is an old time poetic word for someone or disappearing, vanishing, or fading from sight.

RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 11 - TACT

TACT

Some say war is inevitable. A baked in brute fact resulting from nature of the vast majority of intelligent lifeforms. Makes you question the term 'intelligent' doesn't it?

Right now, there are probably dozens of wars going on across our galaxy and that's a conservative estimate. At the same time, there are dozens of battles that have been avoided, dozens of treaties signed, and many, many sophont species shaking hands (or tentacles, or face tendrils, or suction tubes) in favor of a peaceful solution to their predicaments. 

War is easy. Tact...that requires real skill.

Ambassador Oeg Togathi is the Galactic Federation's foremost Diplomat, responsible for negotiating numerous famous trade agreements and cease fires over the course of his very prestigious career. Ambassador Togathi convinced the aggressive Cumopatians to join the Federation. He prevented open war with the Dark Pulsar Imperium, maintaining our current 'cold war' status. Finally, he worked out a deal where the Sunfire Blades, a former Space Pirate fleet, now make a living protecting the Australis-Opiuchi Trade Route. 

How does he do it?

A bit of skill, a bit of talent, and a lot of experience.

Like all members of his species, Oeg Togathi has an extraordinarily long lifespan. Now into 'Middle Age', the Ambassador recently celebrated his 350th birthday. During that long stretch of time, the Ambassador served in the Galactic Federation's Space Forces as a Captain and later Admiral, the Primeminister of his homeworld, and has traveled all over known space.

 

While drawing on his accumulated knowledge of how sentient beings think in times of both war and peace, Togathi also incorporate empathy, an understanding of the emotions of others and how their feelings interact with their reasoning. This is his greatest advantage and the galaxy as a whole is better for it. 

The Ambassador is once again a custom Archetype, 'Alien Ambassador', built on a combination of several Spy Hero variants. Originally I pictured him being a lot like Keith Laumer's Jame Retief, a sort of 'Action Diplomat', but decided he used to be that guy and is now older and wiser. He is intended to be more of a father figure/mentor should he run into Gidget in their travels. 

Flag of the Galactic Federation

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*Oegopsida is one of the four order of Squid's that exist in the world. 

Nematogathi is the old term, no longer used, for fish of the order Siluriformes or more colloquially, Catfish.

RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 10 - SECRET

SECRET 

Who is 'The Black Knight of Nebula-X'?

Before I tell you all about her my fellow Space Cadets, I want to address the trope from whence she came - The Masked Mystery Villain!

While the West certainly has its far share of mysterious masked menaces, what were discussing here is a little more specific and particularly, if not uniquely, Japanese. 

In Japanese pop culture media dating back to origins of Kabuki and Noh theatre, where masks represented a particular negative emotion such as anger, greed, or jealousy for example. As these art forms developed there was, on occasion, the idea that a mask of happiness hid sorrow or a mask of rage could be turned to understanding. 

In Japanese Manga and Anime, the trope of the Masked Mystery Villain takes this further with some very specific elements. Usually the Masked Villain isn't THE villain, not the Big Bad. They are the Second-in-Command, right hand 'man' of the leader of the evil organization or power. They are more 'physical' then the Big Bad however, actually going into battle to face off (pun intended) against the heroes while the main antagonist hides in their secret fortress. 

The Masked Villain in many stories is someone the PCs are connected or even related to. They may not know they know them but the writer knows there are ties between the heroes and the villain.

They could just be a well known person in disguise but this is much less common. The cowled antagonist seems to know one or more of the PC heroes as well, occasionally dropping clues to this fact, making the main characters actively wonder who they are. Their identity, their TRUE identity, becomes an important part of the narrative. 

At some point, the moment where the PCs/heroes finally get one up on this villain [who has up until now has seemed unbeatable], their mask cracks, partially revealing their true face. This is often a turning point in the story where the relationship between the heroes and this villain changes. Maybe the Masked Mystery Villain starts to see the era in their ways or redoubles their efforts to destroy the protagnists, embarrased to the point of unrivaled fury!

The perfect version of this character in the West is Darth Vader of course; he is Obi-Wan's former Padawan, Ashoka's former Master, and Luke's Father. His face mask has been damaged to reveal his face in Star Wars REBELS, the [awful] Obi-Wan streaming series, and in Return of the Jedi. He goes to meet the heroes while the Emperor remains an even more mysterious mystery character.

With that...

The Black Knight of Nebula-X, or simply The Black Knight of Space, is a being of unknown origin who occasionally works for the Lord Kowai of the Meraisekai, the Emperor of the Dark Pulsar Imperium, and other interstellar ne'er do wells. At the same time, 'she' (the Black Knight is believed to be female based solely on their appearance - true gender unknown) doesn't take any job she doesn't agree with and it has been theorized her agenda and goals are very much her own.

She possess a suit of Powered Armor of highly advanced design that has capabilities rarely seen in a powersuit of this size. The armor appears essentially unique in that there is no record of any other Powered Armor of the exact same design being identified elsewhere. 

She carries a Ray Sword that is clearly of an older style than the sort seen in modern times. Many believe the Black Knight also has Psychic Abilities but this has not been confirmed at all. A popular theory among the Galaxy Police is that her evidenced supernormal powers can be attributed to her powersuit.

Her starship is as impressive as her skills and armor, being a custom Boomerang Class vessel heavily modified to allow for great speed, maneuverability, and possessing a Cloaking Device! That's right, the Black Knight's ship has an energy shield capable of bending light to appear completely invisible to visual sight and a stealth coating making sensor detection very difficult.  

OK but who is she and what is Nebula-X?

Nebula-X is a common use name given to the Adiaphoron Nebula, a breathtaking but extremely dangerous gaseous nebula roughly 100 light years across. It is a malformed stellar nursery; a region where fluctuating gravitational forces cause stars to form and get pulled apart on a regular basis. Due to the extreme levels of radiation and electro-magnetic discharge, sensors and communications do not function properly, if at all, within the Nebula. Many brave and ambitious explorers have attempted to map the Nebula's interior...never to return.

Somehow, the Black Knight's base of operations is somewhere within Nebula-X. On several occasions, her vessel has been confirmed to be entering or existing the Nebula. In fact, in one notable instance, the Black Knight escaped a squadron of Galaxy Police Patrol Ships by entering the Nebula. How this is accomplished is unknown. 

The Adiaphoron Nebula or 'Nebula-X'

As far as who she is...obviously no one knows. Captain Lacey Pepper of the Galaxy Police of Frontier Sector Zeta has several theories. Based on her technology and previous actions, Capt. Pepper thinks The Black Knight may have adapted artifacts of the ancient Forerunner species that went extinct in our universe many eons ago. Their tech often defies logic when compared to current levels of engineering. It may also be that the Nebula itself is the result of Forerunner experiments and her ship is geared to function within its particular conditions. 

On a few scant occasions The Black Knight has encountered the explorer Gidget Starseeker and refused to attack her or take any action that would caused her serious harm. She has damaged Gidget's ship to slow her down and prevent the Wanderer from giving chase. Capt. Pepper suggests The Black Knight may be of the same Alien Species, one rarely seen in the galaxy. 

The Black Knight of Nebula-X - Masked Myster Villain

Ability Scores: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Agility 3, Intelligence 5, Luck 0, Size 1.

 

Skills: Evasion 3, Firearms-Pistol 3, Melee Combat 3, Powersuit 2, Ray Sword 3, Spaceship Piloting 2, Stealth 3, Tactics 4.

Powered Armor-Unique: Anti-Gravity Assisted Jetpack (Super Leaps, Limited Flight), Built-in Communicator (can summon Starship), Energy Shield (+2 to Durability B), Palm Laser (Damage 4, Skill Dex+Powersuit+1D6), Physical Enhancements (Already Adjusted).

The Ebony Dragon, The Black Knight's Starship

Ability Scores: Structure 8, Size 7, Agility/Maneuverability 3, Armor A 1 and B 1.

Final Hull Durability: Base 15, Durability A 16, B 16. 

Weaponry: Two Particle Beam Cannons Foreward and one rear. Skill: Spaceship Weapons, Damage 17, Damage Type B, Size 4, Rate of Fire 1.

Modifications:

Cloaking Device +1D6 to Avoid Detection or penalize opponent with 1D6 Detection Disadvantage (Attempts to Detect the Ship roll 2 Dice on their Check and take the lowest result). 

Cloaking Device can not be maintained for more than 5 rounds.

Nebula-X Protective Shield - Enable ship to enter and operate in Nebula-X.

There you go, an antagonist with a concealed identity and a hidden agenda! Exploring her and her role in the game would definitely be fun. 

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*Adiaphoron means indifferent or indifference. Nebula-X does not care about you. It is not your friend. 

RPGaDay 2026 - BONUS - DRIVE AND INTELLECT

BONUS

A little extra treat celebrating the first two weeks of the RPGaDay Challenge for 2026 inspired by the weekly prompts Drive and Intellect.

I REALLY enjoyed Star Wars Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi and as I've mentioned already, its recharged my desire to run a 'Star Wars Visions' campaign as opposed to just a Star Wars one. Loving Space Opera Heroes as I am, I thought to myself, 'Why not use Space Opera Heroes to run Star Wars'? They seem to be a perfect match to me so let's have some fun...

Introducing...Bani, Lepi Scout!

Bani (pronounced like Danny but with a 'B') Tuknukchee is a Lepi, a sentient species recognizable for their lanky bodies, long ears, small fluffy tails, and often proportionally large feet. They are covered in soft fur of earth tone colors, though nearly black, white, and even green appear on occasion. Notable members of this species include the smuggler and scoundrel Jaxxon and Lop, a Force wielding young female.

Our Bani here is a freelance Scout, exploring the unknown on behalf of those willing to pay for her services. Maybe the Rebel Alliance is looking for new secret base. Perhaps a Bounty Hunter wants the low down on a planet his target is hiding on. One time, the University of Sanbra hired her to confirm the existence of an alien megafauna on Batuu that had been thought to be extinct. Unfortunately for her Landspeeder, it was not. 

To build a Scout, specifically a Lepi one, I combined the Archetypes 'High-Speed Hero' and 'Lucky Heroine'. She focuses on Agility and Luck, excellent starship skills, decent firearms, and the ability to physical avoid danger using Acrobatics and Evasion. In addition, she can leap exceptionally far (even for an Anime Character!).

As you can see, Bani is similar to Gidget in a number of ways and that's not an accident. If I decide to run a Solo Space Exploration campaign using Space Opera Heroes, I want the option of setting it in my own SOH-inspired universe or the Star Wars universe. If the later I still intend on giving it a strong Anime/Manga vibe. 'Star Wars Visions The RPG' unlocked!

Bani's mission partner and best buddy is RB-EZ1 or 'Easy', an RB Astromech unit she received as payment for one of her first scouting jobs. Easy is laid back and takes even the worst setbacks in stride. Sometimes he's so nonplussed it can be irritating, at least to the very action oriented Bani.

RB-EZ1 is built on the GE MCE Little Boy from Space Opera Heroes (same as Gidget's Robot Companion GUS). Easy's stats are:

RB-EZ 1

Ability Scores: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Agility 1, Intelligence 2, Luck 0, Size 1

Evasion 1, General Engineering 1, Spaceship Engineering 1, Spaceship Navigation 1, 

These droids are really durable (RB units and Little Boys) and have Armor A 2 and B 2. With a Durability Base Value of 3, this gives Easy a final Durability of A 5 and B 5!

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Bani's starship is a Corellian ES-125 Long Range Scout, designed and constructed by the shipyards of the Corellian Engineering Corporation. This vessel is modified from its initial rollout to have a Single Barrel Turbo Laser Turret (Ventral) and more Powerful Engines. 

While a GP JS-X Callisto Class is probably the Space Opera Heroes jumpship that best suites 'The Flying Leap ', I don't see this vessel as the same as Gidget Starseeker's 'Wanderer'. That starship is more 'Science/Research', specifically designed and customized to explore the mysteries of the galaxy. This Long Range Scout is a bit more 'Forward Observer', a 'Combat Scout' if you will. 

As a result, I'm going to modify the stats of the standard GP JS-X and make a new but comparable ship:

The Flying Leap

Corellian Engineering Corporation ES-125 Long Range Scout

Ability Scores: Structure 9, Size 8 - Agility/Maneuverability 3, Armor A 2 and B 2.

Final Hull Durability: Base 17, Durability A 19, B 19.

Shields: 3 

Weaponry: Twin Barrel Blaster Cannon Turret - Dorsal (Topside), Skill: Spaceship Weaponry, Damage 16, Damage Type B, Rate of Fire 2.

Modifications:

Single Barrel Turbo Laser: A powerful, turret based energy weapon on the ventral (underside) of the starship. It can only be fired once a round at a cost of one Action Point. To fire a second time in the same round, the follow-up shot would cost two Action Points and take the weapon offline in the next round.

Damage 19, Damage Type B, Rate of Fire 1 (see above).

Powerful Engines: Any roll involving speed due to thrust [in an atmosphere or space] is made at +1D6.

I think we'll end it there for now. I am actually pretty eager to try playing her and using Space Opera Heroes to explore the Star Wars universe, Anime/Manga Style! 

What do you think? Anybody want to see more of Bani? Let me know.

Later,

AD

Barking Alien

Bani is the Japanese way of saying 'Bunny', a loan word from English. This is instead of Usagi, the Japanese word for Rabbit.