Getting Into Character

No response here or on Facebook regarding my continuing with the 31 Day / 31 Characters Challenge so I guess I'm done. Since this series of posts isn't grabbing anyone's attention or interest, I'll just bow out and go one to discuss other things.

Next year I'll get back to posting memorable characters from campaigns [and one-shots] of the past.. 

In the meantime...

I've been thinking analytically and introspectively about why I don't like Character Creation in most Tabletop Roleplaying Games. In some ways its pretty easy to comprehend, I think...

When I create a character, it's a concept in my head. The character is simply an idea for a component of the adventure, setting, or whathaveyou. It is envisioned as serving a purpose; they are an obstacle, an ally, a love interest, comedy relief, or an example of 'local color' to give the game...well, um...character. 

As I tend to GM far more than I play as a Player, my 'Gamemaster Brain' is at the forefront of my approach to characters. When I want or need a character that does X or serves X purpose, I create them. I make them as interesting as I can so that the players in my game get invested in said character and their role in the campaign, whatever that may be. I'm aware that some GMs have been known to roll up their NPCs in systems with random generation and the very idea is baffling to me.

Why? You need a bandit, you stat up a bandit. You need a wise and powerful Jedi Master, you give them more dice where you feel they need it. Do you really want to roll up a handsome and seductive spy just get a really low Charisma/Comeliness score? That's...well...dumb IMHO. 

As a player, my outlook is not so different. Say I need to come up with a character for a Star Trek game set during The Next Generation Era. OK. What is everyone else playing? I see...no Doctor or Science Officer yet, huh? I do love playing the Science Officer when I get the chance. As for a Species, ooh, so many options.

In any game where non-Human Player Characters are a possibility, there's a very good chance I will play a non-Human. Hmm, I've never played a Kasheeta, a matriarchal dinosaur-saurian species that first appeared in the Federation Council chambers of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Yeah, that'll be interesting. I love seeing TOS and TOS Movie Era Aliens in later periods. The Kasheeta can seem arrogant, aloof, and off-putting but aren't really. It's a cultural thing I can creatively expand on and add my own twist to. I like it. 

The point it, I didn't roll this character up. This is an idea for a character that I came up with and can now extrapolate from and build upon. What I want now is a rules system that allows me to make this character in the game.

Therein lies the key to why I like or dislike a game's Character Creation. I don't want a system that gives me a character and tells me what they can do. I like creating a Character outside of any system and using an RPG's mechanics to make that character to the best of my [and the game's] ability. This is why I like Champions, Smurfs, Star Trek Adventures, Star Wars D6, and why I don't like D&D and 'Playbook' games like Blades in the Dark and Apocalypse World. Don't tell me who my character is and what abilities they are allowed to have. Tell me all the options available and I'll pick the ones that fit my character. 

This dynamic is a big reason why I don't like playing most Fantasy RPGs other than Ars Magica, which I love. Most Fantasy games have hard and fast Classes that give you particular skills and abilities and Races that only have or do specific things. Ars Magica says, here are a variety of different kinds of characters that fit the setting. They're all made of points. Here, I'll give you that amount of points so you can make what you like. There isn't a Wizard Class, there are characters who can have any combination of talents and skills including casting spells and we call that person a Wizard (or a Mage in Ars Magica proper). 

That's it for now. Onward...

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - Talking Out of Character

I have fallen behind something fierce. 

The reasons are many and I'm too exhausted to go into them but suffice to say, life's been kickin' my butt lately. There is also the fact that I'm kind of getting bored doing the Challenge this way. Yes, I get that its the 'Correct Way' but the thing is, as I've noted:

• I'm a [largely] Forever GM. Most of these characters will never see use except as NPCs.
• I don't make NPCs this way. I have a need, a concept, and just decide what the NPCs can and can't do.
• I don't enjoy the Character Creation systems and processes of most RPGs.
• I've already done a lot of my favorites. Others just take too long.
• I've got other things I want to discuss that are waaay more interesting to me than making up essentially purposeless characters. 

So what do I do? Getting kind of burnt out on the whole thing which is disappointing as I was pretty excited about it not a week or so ago. 

*Sigh*

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - GOSSIP SMURF

I am constantly amazed that the most fun I've had with a Tabletop Roleplaying Game in 2025 was with The Smurfs RPG by Maestro Media. 

First announced in 2024 and followed by a highly successful Kickstarter, the upcoming RPG about three apples tall blue people is way better than it had any right to be. Better than it had any need to be. I mean, if this game was a simple, silly game fit for 5 year olds and their Generation X grandparents, that would've been fine. I'd tip my hat to the creators for a job well enough done and that would be it. 

Instead, the people at Maestro Media created a cool game with clever mechanics, an excellent reflection of the subject matter, and a few surprises I definitely didn't see coming. There are base-building rules for making your own Mushroom Cottage and that is as awesome as it was unnecessary. 

Not surprisingly, I really like making Smurf characters. It was a real effort holding off on making one before this.

Character: Gossip Smurf

AKA: None

Player: Possibly me. Possibly an NPC. I hope me.

System: The Smurfs Roleplaying Game
 
Nature: Created for this Challenge

Gamemaster: None yet. Possibly me.

Circa: January 11th, 2025

Origins: It was a given that I'd be making a Smurfs character for this year's 31 Day Character Challenge (in fact I might make two). The real mystery, even for me, was 'what character should I make?' 

I decided I wanted to make an 'imperfect Smurf', one that is defined as much by his flaw as his advantage. I figured something more akin to Clumsy or Vanity might be interesting. It was the letter I was up to, 'G', that gave me the final form of my newest little blue friend. 

 
Backstory: Not too long ago Gossip Smurf was just another Smurf, one of the many identifcal Smurfs who live and work in Smurf Village. That was until he overheard Papa Smurf telling Brainy Smurf that Gargamel was up to something and he passed on that information to his friend Reporter Smurf. Reporter ended up printing it in the Smurf Tattler. Papa Smurf was very angry at first as he didn't want to panic the Village before he had more information. 

As it turned out, the Smurfs did panic and the Smurf who would become Gossip felt responsible. He decided to use his 'talent' of picking up and dishing out rumors to make Gargamel think the magical relic he was searching for was over by the Sarsaparilla Fields - where Handy and Hefty had set up a trap! Gargamel fell for it and while he was trying to escape, Brainy, Smurfette, and Grouchy moved the item from where it really was and brought it to Papa Smurf's house. 

Gargamel eventually got out of the trap but was so disoriented he got lost in the nearby Western Woods and eventually gave up. He would later learn that the Smurfs got to the artifact first. 

Reporter Smurf decided to hire the rumor spreading Smurf, giving him the name Gossip Smurf. 

Overview: Gossip Smurf has got something to tell you. Now to be perfectly smurfy, its just a rumor but he's smurfed it through several sources and it seems legit. Now before he tells you, and you know he'll smurf it to you straight, he was wondering if you'd heard anything about what that new contraption is that Handy's building. Really? You don't say? Oh no, I won't tell a Smurf. My smurfs are sealed. 

The Highlights: I decided to give Gossip Smurf a different sort of Advantage than I usually go with. Instead of using the type that lowers an Action's Difficulty Level, the type that adds a +2 to an Attribute, or the kind that awards you a Smurfberry, I went with the kind that Clumsy Smurf has:

When obtaining or spreading rumors, a roll that fails or succeeds by no more than 1 becomes a Partial Success instead.

This allows Gossip to persuade people to give him information or to convince someone of information he has, though with partials the information may not be wholely accurate or wholely believed.

His item, a Quill Pen and Paper, helps him remember what he's heard by writing it down. It can be used in other ways as well of course but I feel like that's its main purpose. 

Game Info: 

Notes: I like this guy! A lot! I haven't made a Smurf character yet I haven't liked but I can totally see having fun with this fellow by getting really creative. Heheh. 

 
Legacy: None yet - the ongoing drawback of this Challenge - but I hope he gets one. I can definitely see using him as an NPC with those friends I have who play Smurfs. 

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - FUMIKA WATANABE

Another of my favorite games to come out in the past few years in the independent Japanese TRPG 'Tokyo Ghost Research'. 

For the most part, I have used it to run a variation on Ghostbusters but in its original form it is a more generic 'Supernatural Office Comedy' game created by Seiji Nakata of Story Engine Lab. A fan-made or 'doujinshi' Tabletop Roleplaying Game in which investigating the paranormal is the job of a small Japanese corporation with overworked employees, obnoxious bosses, budget limitations, and other juxtapositions between the mundane world of business and the spooky world of exorcising ghosts.  

I've made characters for this game before but its one of the rare RPGs where I enjoy the process so...let's meet our Employee:

Character: Fumika Watanabe

Fumika is made up of fumi meaning 'Writing' or 'History/Record' and -ka 'Fragrance/Aroma' or 'Beautiful/Splendid'. Watanabe combines 'Crossing Over' and 'an Area or Border'. My idea for her name aludes to a 'Record of Crossing Over The Border', as in crossing over from the world of the living to that of the dead.

AKA: None

Player: Possibly me, possibly an NPC. 

System: Tokyo Ghost Research

 

Nature: Created for this Challenge

Gamemaster: None yet. Possibly me. 

Circa: January 10th, 2026

Origins: As noted above, I did this one just for fun because I like this game and oddly, creating characters for it. 

Backstory: A former employee of Japan's National Diet Library (the Japanese government's equivalent of the US's Library of Congress), Fumika Watanabe was recruited to the Tokyo Ghost Research company by her college roommate who was already working there. Prior to joining TGR, her roommate was one of the few people in the world who knew that Fumika had the Psychic Ability to summon the aid of a spiritual being. This talent combined with her excellent administrative skills made her a perfect choice for TGR's General Affairs Department.

Overview: As a child, Fumika was scolded by adults and teased by other children about her 'imaginary friend'. She generally hid the fact that this entity never went away and helped her quite a bit throughout high school and college and the passing of her father. She has since learned that the being is a Ghost-like Yokai similar to a Niji-Mitama. It likes her and enjoys helping her in exchange for being told stories about her everyday life. If she is threatened or made anxious by her relationships or job it can become an Ara-Mitama and become rough and violent. It will threaten the cause of her anxiety unless she directs it otherwise.  

I came up with this idea because normally the job of a General Affairs character isn't 'out in the field' but rather gets stuck in the office as the voice of 'the guy/gal in the chair' that assists the team. I figured she could and would definitely do that but in emergencies she'll call on her spirit friend for help. Then I could play the Yokai a little during encounters with the paranormal phenomanon the other PCs are dealing with.

The Highlights: Choosing 'Causal Existence'  allows for her ability to summon the Mitama. You wouldn't normally see a General Affairs Employee with this which is why I chose it. 

I also like her Previous Work Experience being essentially 'worked at the Library of Congress'. This gives her an excuse to know how and where to get additional information on whatever Project she's working on. 

Game Info:

Notes: None right now. I would definitely like to get to know her better.

It wasn't my intention but after I finished her I realized she kind of resembles Ichiko Yoruhime, a character from The Adventures of Horai Academy!! who I posted for a previous 31 Days/31 Characters Challenge from back in 2024.

Legacy: Like Notes, I have nothing yet in this category. I hope I get to play her though some day. She seems like she'd be fun to play.

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - EERIE

I've been planning to run a new campaign with Wednesday Night group but, as is usual for me, I couldn't decide which of the three or four ideas I liked best. I pitched them all to my group of four players and asked, "What are your top two picks?"

Everyone, myself included, had one pick among their preferred choices, Meteor City SFRPG - Star Rainy Days, and so that is what we're going to be playing.

 
To test Meteor City's Character Creation system before sharing it with the gang, I created Eerie, a Ghost Roamer of the Outer Rim!

Character: None.

The Ghost Roamers of the Outer Rim don't normally have individual names. They take the names of those they mimic, leave them behind, take new ones, and on and on. They will, on occasion, adopt 'nicknames' given to them by companions they like and respect. 

AKA: 'Eerie'.

Nickname given to it by aquaintences teasing them about the small, simple smile it always has regardless of the form it takes. While generally pleasant, the expression has been called eerie on numerous occasion. 

Player: Possibly me, possibly an NPC. 

System: Meteor City SFRPG - Star Rainy Days

 

Nature: Created for this Challenge

Gamemaster: None yet. Possibly me. 

Circa: January 6th, 2025

Origins: I played a one-shot of Meteor City - Star Rainy Days on New Year's Eve 2024 into New Year's Day 2025 with some internet friends in Chiba, Japan, Gamemastered by my pal Yasahiro Sato. I've been low key obsessed with the game ever since. 

When considering a new game to run this year, Meteor City was one of the top three titles on my list of 'Most Want to GM'. When my Wednesday group said yes to Star Rainy Days, I figured it would be a good idea to test the system by making a new character and I was curious to try a different Alien than the one I had previously played. 

Backstory: Shapes. Sizes. Colors. The universe is so full of amazing things to see. And not just see but imagine! And not just imagine but create and show others! This Ghost Roamer has traveled throughout the stars, experiencing breathtaking and wonderous sites and hoping to make some of its own.

One day it found out about a place called Earth, the homeworld of strange beings who have among them members of a class or profession called 'Artists'. Fascinated by the idea that a portion of Earth's native sentients, called Humans, were dedicated to creativity and the same things that excited and inspired the Ghost Roamer, it decided to travel to our world to more learn more about and make Art. 

It has since made friends among the local Artist Community in a place called Meteor City. Because it has not yet mastered Human facial expressions, its smile tends to look a little odd, though it does smile a lot these days. It has earned the nickname, 'Eerie'. 

Overview: I have a clear idea for this character but I am finding it hard to convey said idea. Eerie is a dreamer; a free-spirited entity who appreciates 'art' on a deep personal level but what it sees as art is not necessarily what we would attribute that word to. Eerie might be moved by the swirls of steamed milk poured into the espresso of a latte as it is the subtle smile of the Mona Lisa. His own creations are abstract in the extreme, though I haven't yet decided how that will manifest exactly. 

Mechanically, Eerie has a Sense of 5, which gives it an excellent awareness of its surroundings. It is always looking around, always listening, wanting to feel textures, smell smells, etc. 

Like all Ghost Roamers of the Outer Rim, Eerie has Mimicry, the ability to shift into the form and appearance of any person or object (of roughly half to full Human size). Ghost Roamers are able to duplicate the look, personality, and even memories of the person they're copying but not special Features, talents, or skills. Luckily (seriously, I randomly rolled it), it has a Potion of Complete Mimicry, which allows a Human to use the Mimic Feature or a Ghost Roamer to duplicate the Features of the person they're disguised as. 

Eerie also has a Favorite Shop, maybe a Cafe or Art Supply Store, where it can go, hang out with its friends, and receive the 'Empathy' Condition/Status while there. It's a Lucky liquid-smoke and also gets the 'Blessing' Status at the beginning of each Session. 

The Highlights: I like the abilities available in the game and I'm particularly found of this cloud-out-of-water character having a warm and passionate personality but also 'Back Alleys'; connections with space pirates, galactic smugglers, and other Alien ne'er-do-wells.It sees Art everywhere and so it doesn't write-off these scoundrels as not having 'culture'. 

Game Info: 

Notes: I really like this game and making up a character is actually fun. That's pretty special as the more I do this year's Challenge this way, the more I realize how much I REALLY don't enjoy making up characters in most systems (more on this in another post). This one was cool because it evokes a concept and supports 

Legacy: I'm about to run a Meteor City SFRPG - Star Rainy Days campaign. Eerie here may show up. What more intrisic a legacy can an RPG character have I ask you!

Well? I asked.

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - DANAR DUGONG

The announcement of Toon getting a Second Edition made me wax nostalgic about my old Zoonatics campaign from the early 90s. My love for that game inspired me to make a brand new Zoonatics character, dusting off my copy of the original Toon.

I rolled up the character's Stats but for everything else I used my own ideas and preferences for what this character would be like instead of randomizing.

Character: Danar Dugong

AKA: None

Player: Possibly me, possibly an NPC.

System: Toon

 

Nature: Created for this Challenge.

Gamemaster: None yet. Possibly me.

Circa: January 4th, 2026

Origins: As mentioned above, the idea for this character was brought about simply by the announcement of Toon's Second Edition and a hardy dose of nostalgia for my ol' NJ Group and our Zoonatics campaign. 

Backstory: Danar Dugong was born and raised in the warm, shallow waters around the Philippines. From a very young age, Danar wanted to swim further and deeper than his fellow dugong, curious to see new places, new creatures, and to learn all he could about the deep sea. Unfortunately, he - like all members of his species - breathe air! He can only go so far and so deep before he needs to surface. 

Unless...

Danar decided to learn the art and science of Deep Sea Scuba Diving. After years of study and practice he became an accomplished Diver, Scuba Instructor, and discovered a number of shipwrecks and new fish species. After an injury that prevented him from Scuba Diving for a while, Danar filmed sequences for Zoonatics. This lead to him having his own seqment, 'Diving with Danar Dugong'.

Overview: "Hello! Beautiful day isn't it! Look at that Sunshine! Feel that breeze! Smell the salty air! I am Danar Dugong and this is Diving With Danar Dugong! That's Me!"

OK, gonna get dark here for a moment...

Zoonatics, as noted in my previous post on the campaign, has a dark secret. The animals are in a zoo for the mentally unstable. There's no show, no cameras, and the audience stares at the characters through bars.

So what's wrong with Danar? Well...

I'm thinking he dove too deep once or twice and suffered a tiny bit of oxygen deprevation. The backstory above is largely all in his head. He tends to talk about himself in the third person, he exaggerates his accomplishments, and he is absolutely fearless to the point of ignoring obvious signs of danger. At the same time, he is always positive, warm, generous, and boisterous and wants to share his love of the sea with anyone who seems even remotely interested. 

The Highlights: None yet but I can already see this guy being a lot of fun in small doses. He isn't a 'main character' like Jekyll, The Killer Emu, Uhaul, Manny, and Flamingo Rose. He's more on the level of the Ninja Zebra, Ludwig W. Wombat, and Frog and Toad. 

"Hello! I didn't see you there! I am Danar Dugong and this is Diving With Danar Dugong! Today, we are diving the Great Barrier Reef! Don't look so scared! It's easy for Danar Dugong. Danar Dugong is going, are you? Of course you are! Danar Dugong is happy for you! Let's go!"

Game Info:

Notes: I only chose four out of the eight possible possessions each character is allowed at the start. I couldn't think of anything beyond those items that immediately sprang to mind. They are all of the 'unusual items' category and I would rule these items are kind of special and uncommon were I the GM. 

In addition to the obvious items like a Compass and Scuba Gear, I figured he'd also carry a Map of the area he's diving in and a Waterproof Camera to take underwater pictures.

Legacy: We'll see. I'm sure I could drum up a one-shot of Zoonatics when Toon's Second Edition releases. 

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - CAPTAIN CONDOR

I thought I'd round out the opening trinity of characters with a Superhero. After Medieval Fantasy and Science Fiction, that would seem the logical follow-up genre to cover the major TRPG 'Food Groups', right?

I don't have time to do a Champions character right now (thinking about what kind of Super to make takes more time than the actual act of Character Creation for me at this point), so I thought I'd go old school with a random generation system. Inspired by a fellow fan of the game by the name of Tim Hartin, I chose my favorite game from way back when, Villains & Vigilantes!

Let's find out who's going to be out there fighting for truth and justice shall we? *Rolls*

Oh boy. This guy is...definitely a V&V Character. LOL

Character: Captain Condor

AKA: Alan Dale, The Winged Wonder

Player: Possibly me, possibly an NPC.

System: Villains and Vigilantes, 2nd Edition

 

Nature: Created for this Challenge. 

Gamemaster: None yet. Possibly me.

Circa: January 3rd, 2026

Origins: Random rolls inspired me to think of this guy as a cross between Captain America and a Superhero in the Public Domain named Airman, but then I realized I'd rolled on the 'Powers' list. This fellow doesn't use devices or special gear to fight crime. He has Bird Powers! Not only that but I actually rolled 'Animal/Plant Powers' twice. When you get this result you get to roll for an additional 1D6 powers based on your rolled or chosen animal type. I rolled Avian and decided to go with two times the Bird Powers! As you can see, this fellow's got a lot of powers related to his Condor-ness. 

Backstory: (I imagine this character as Silver Age, early 1960s or so) Inspired by the heroes of the Second World War and the recent return of both new and old ones to the world stage, down-on-his luck pilot Alan Dale volunteered for what he believed to be a secret government project to create Super Soldiers for the USA by combining ones DNA with that of a particular animal. Alan requested 'Avian' DNA as he thought 'Flight' and 'Eagle Eye Vision' would work well with his past experience and skill as a pilot.

He was right, though the process was extremely painful and resulted in physical mutations he was too naive and desperate to anticipate. Dale grew functional wings, retractable talons on his fingers and toes, as well as a developing a number of other changes. Just as he was preparing to test out his abilities, the facility he was in was raided by a number of established Superheroes and CHESS Agents. As it turned out, the Scientist that performed the operation was lying and had no connections to the government whatsoever. He intended to perfect his techniques and sell his proccess to Intercrime to create new Super-criminals. 

Alan aided the heroes in capturing the Mad Doctor and his minions and was not charged with any crimes himself. Instead, they offered him a job! Work as a Superpowered operative for the Central Headquarters of Extranormal Activities for the Secret Service (CHESS, get it?)*. Originally the CHESS head honchos wanted to refer to his new identity as 'The Winged Bishop' but Alan requested something more inspiring, like the Golden Age Superheroes of yore. He wanted to be called, 'CAPTAIN CONDOR'. They laughed...but they liked it. 

Overview: I remember back in the day playing V&V and rolling the same power twice. We initially re-rolled, an unspoken houserule. Then one day, for reasons I don't recall, we allowed someone to just have a double strong Superpower. Not long after I rolled up a fellow who had Animal/Plant Powers, Animal/Plant Powers again, Wings, and then Waterbreathing. Everyone thought I'd start over but instead I had an idea; I chose Avian and Fish as my Animal Power Sets and created a Native American character called, 'The Seahawk', a cross between DC's Aquaman and Marvel's Falcon.

He was perfect for the campaign we'd planned, a superteam made of heroes from states other than New York and California; 'The Heartland League'. Representing Seattle, the Washington local had magical powers letting him talk to birds and fish, fly, breathe underwater, and possessed incredible Strength, Endurance, and Agility. Sure, Captain Condor is similar but luckily I also rolled a Body Power and a Special Power, allowing him to possess two unique abilities. Capt. Condor has his paralyzing Condor Cry and the ability to lift things into the air with his feet.

Fun!

The Highlights: Definitely like his Flight speed, the Condor Cry, and the Taloned Feet. His Natural Weaponry makes up a bit for his having lower Strength than I'd have hoped for. 

Game Info:

A couple odd things:

I couldn't figure out how to determine his starting Inventing percentage and beginning Cash. It's been a long time since I've played and forgot how it works and where to find it in the rules.

I totally remembered that we changed the Security Clearance system 'cause it kind of ridiculous. The lower the number the better it is, so the President of the US would have a SC of 1 and a Rookie Beat Cop would probably have a 30 [maybe]. You start with the number 40, subtract your less, then you subtract your PC's Intelligence and Charisma. This means someone with Heightened abilities would have an incredibly good Security Clearance. Capt. Condor here ended up in the negatives! Much better than a US President. That just doesn't make sense, especially for a starting character. 

I'd probably just fudge it.

Notes: None as of now. Again, I like him but I haven't thought about it too deeply as of yet.

Legacy: I can see translating this fella into Champions with a few upgrades or modifications. Maybe I'd use him as a PC or NPC in another Supers game as well but with nothing in particular on my plate, Captain Condor gets filed away for now. 

UPDATE: Last night my buddy Mark used Captain Condor as an NPC in our City of Heroes setting Cypher Superheroes game! The good Captain helped the PCs escape an alien ship that had abducted a Superheroine NPC and my PC.

Coming up...Someone Else!

Stay tuned.

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Barking Alien

*In Villains and Vigilantes canon CHESS stands for The Central Headquarters of Espionage for the Secret Service. I changed it back in the day as I wanted it to be thought of as a Superhero Support organization and not just a Spy agency.

31 Days / 31 Characters - BEFITIR

After making a D&D-esque character, I thought it would be a nice palette cleanser to create one for Star Trek Adventures.

For me, Star Trek is comfort food. Gaming in the Star Trek universe feels like going home. As such, it's very easy for me to create a character, since I'd be happy playing almost anything.

To that end, I'm going to roll a D20 and if it's even I'll make a Communications Officer, odd a Navigator. As far as Species, I did say 'almost anything', right? Definitely going with an alien. I'll make a list of my favorite Star Trek Alien Species and roll for that too.

*Rolls* Cool!

Character: Befitir Rru'ro

AKA: Lt. Befitir

Player: Possibly me, possibly an NPC.

System: Star Trek Adventures, 2nd Edition
 
Nature: Created for this Challenge

Gamemaster: None yet. Possibly me.

Circa: January 2nd, 2026

Origins: As noted above.

Backstory: Befitir Rru'ro was born on Starbase 1 (later dubbed Spacedock) in orbit around the planet Earth to two Diplomats from the Betelgeuse System. Befitir's father is the Betelgeusian Ambassador to Earth and his mother is a Chief Consular Officer at the Betelgeusian Embassy.

Fascinated by the myriad languages and customs of the people constantly coming and going to and from Starbase 1, Befitir Rru'ro studied a great deal about the galaxy's many and diverse Alien Species. When he was old enough, he performed the J'tonka, choosing of one of the great heroes of Ancient Betelgeuse to emulate, and picked Slichez, The Thinker and Intellectual. Following this path, he was drawn more and more towards joining Starfleet Academy.  It just seemed the best place to learn...well...more.

Betifir did well at the Academy, majoring in Communications and Linguistics. As part of his upbringing and heritage, he took minors and independent studies in other areas such as Self-Defense, among other subjects. He eventually graduated in the upper percentage of his class and was assigned to a Scientific Research vessel. 

After a few tours on a few different ships, Betifir, now a Lieutenant, has been posted as Chief Communications Officer on the recently commissioned Ventura Class Mk. III, USS Curiosity. 

Overview: I like this guy. I've never played a Communications Officer and always thought it would be fun to show how they could be used in a interesting way. Very often players playing this role connect the character to Starfleet Intelligence, code-breaking, or other spy shenanigans. I wanted to go a different way so I kind of focused on Diplomacy, Culture, and Linguistics. Since it's my character I decided to go TOS Era since that's my favorite period (well that and the TOS Movie Era around Wrath of Khan to Undiscovered Country). 

 
The Highlights: When creating a character in Star Trek Adventures you choose two Career Events. For Befitir I picked Narrow Escape and Negotiate a Treaty. The former is a fan made.event. 

Narrow Escape: Then Ensign Befitir was on the USS Hubble when the Landing Party was besieged by hostile creatures that could not be negotiated with via words. Befitir aided in the group's escape but it was a quite harrowing experience. He gained the Value: Solutions come from adaptability. 

Negotiate a Treaty: As a Lt. JG aboard the USS Goodall, he was instrumental in formulating a Treaty with an alien species with initially confusing ideals. Befitir learned a lot about Command and especially how and when to take action. His Value related to this would likely be Knowledge is power but application is free.  

 

Game Info:

Notes: For the Betelgeusian species I used the cultural information from previous  incarnations of Star Trek RPGs. The idea of the Six Heroes was from Decipher I believe. Having had Betelgeusian PCs and NPCs in the past, I would probably draw some inspiration from those experiences as well. 

Legacy: Who knows? He could certainly work as an NPC in my ongoing Star Trek: Prosperity. I'd definitely like to play him. I think he could be alot of fun. 

I wonder who's up next?

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - ALEA LOOKBEYONDTHESEA

I had a helluva time trying to figure out what kind of character I should create first.

Honestly, arguing with myself over which RPG would go first was starting to drive me a little mad. I have so many options, so many games that I love, that I came very close to overthinking the entire idea and experiencing 'Analysis Paralysis'. Finally I just stopped, took a deep breath, and thought, 'Where do stories begin?'. The answer is 'at the beginning'. Well what was the beginning? What started it all?

Dungeons & Dragons. 

I can sense your confusion. Adam doesn't like Dungeons & Dragons. He especially dislikes Character Creation in D&D. Well yes, all that is true. Creating a character for D&D would not only be uninteresting to me, it would be kind of pointless. I'd never end up using the character 'cause I never play that game. You're right again. 

I used to though. I started with D&D. I've played and run both short and long campaigns of Advanced D&D 1st Edition, as well as Dungeonmastered long campaigns of Dungeons & Dragons 3E and 3.5. I've played every version at least once. My favorite is...my version. D&D-But-Not, a term I've used over the years, isn't just an easy way to refer to my houseruled version of D&D but it is actually a game in and of itself. That is to say, D&D-But-Not (also called D&D AD) is a complete(ish) homebrewed game of my own creation, largely based on the various earlier editions of the famous ampersand Fantasy game. 

Introducing ...the first Dungeons and Dragons-But-Not Character I've created in at least 10-15 years.

Character: Alea LookBeyondTheSea

AKA: Alea of Corindel, Alea The Sea Ranger

Player: Possibly me, possibly an NPC.

System: Dungeons and Dragons AD/D&D-But-Not. A Homebrewed RPG based on D&D.

But very different.

 

Nature: Created for this Challenge.

Gamemaster: None yet. Possibly me.

Circa: January 1st, 2026

Origins: I already went over that above. I have chosen to go with a Race/Kind and Class that shows off the differences between my homebrew and the official versions. 

Backstory: Alea (Pronounced A-Leia) LookBeyondTheSea was born on the Island Continent of Corindel, the daughter of a Corindel 'Half-Elf' Shipwright and a Sea Elven Scout. She grew up a happy child, her family doing well as members of important and lucrative Guilds. Alea spent most of her time on the land with her mother where she learned about ships and sailing. She looked forward to her father's return from the sea to hear his tales of the ocean and its wonders.

As she approached her 'teens' (late 20s to early 30s) she apprenticed with her father and used her talents and knowledge to quickly raise to the level where she was dubbed a true 'Ranger of Corindel'. In adulthood she became a full member of the Corindel Rangers Guild. With her good looks, warm personality, and both learned and natural abilities, she was hired quite often. She was especially popular with Adventurers seeking fame, fortune, or knowledge either above or below the waves or on any of the scattered islands of the Northern or Southern Atlantaen Seas. Fueled by her innate Curiousity, she looked forward to any mission that took her to where she'd never been before, to see things she had never seen.

Overview: Alea LookBeyondTheSea showcases both a Kind (aka a Race - in this case a Race of Elves) and a Class with features particular to D&D AD.

She is a Corindel Elf, the accepted name for the people of the nation/continent of Corindel. The inhabitants of this land (think Australia) are the descendants of Humans, Elves, and Half-Elves who have lived, married, and had children together for many generations. While she is mechanically a Half-Elf, she could very well be a Six-Eighths Elf or a One Fifth Human. She receives a +1 Intelligence, a +1 Charisma, and two -1's that can be placed wherever the player wishes. In addition, while an Elf may choose a +3 Elf Trait and a Human a +3 Human Trait, Half-Elves choose one Elf Trait and one Human Trait, each at +1. She automatically receives Seafaring +1, as all Corindel natives do (which would drop her Kind Trait to a +2 if she were pure Human or pure Elf). . 

Hmm. For my stats I've rolled 4D6 drop the lowest. Wow. Not bad. Honestly best rolls I've had in a really long time. I add the +1 Int, +1 Cha, and adjust a -1 to Strength and -1 Wisdom. As her father is a Sea Elf, I'm picking the Sea Elf Trait 'Amphibious'. No Movement Penalties related to being in the Water versus being on Land. I should've gone with 'Waterbreathing' but I almost feel that's too expected. Her Human Trait will be Curious. This gives her a +1 when investigating/looking for clues, trying to learn something new, etc. 

Her Class is Ranger and in D&D-But-Not, Rangers begin with two Class Traits (Ranger Class Traits). One has to be Tracking +Level (Bonus is equal to the Character's Experience Level). Rangers follow trails, track animals or missing villagers, etc. Her second Trait is free for me to choose and I choose Survival +Level. This will help her if and when her Seafaring fails and ends up running aground, marooned on some tiny isle. I'm making her as a First Level Character so that's it. Later I can choose additional Traits or raise previous ones.

Lastly, Alea gets two Personal Traits. Traits unique to Alea LookBeyondTheSea. This is the fun part. One gets to be at +Level and the other is +1. Tough. Hmm. Random rolls! OK. For my first Trait I got a 'Gift' - a Magic Book! Ooh, how about a Magic Book of Maps! I'll call it, 'The Cartographer's Memories, A Guide to Where You've Been'. It makes maps of the places you go to as you move through the area so you'll have a (mostly) perfect record to refer back to. For the other I'll choose Swimming since, yeah, you figure she'd be good at that. 

I like her. A Seagoing Ranger who knows her way around a ship, can swim and move through the water almost unnaturally well, and has maps of the seas and lands she's already been to. Alea's not just good on a boat or in the drink but can handle herself on land, skilled at finding a way to survive in the roughest environments. 

Her character sheet would look like this...

Game Info:

Elements of Alea's Character Sheet will be both familiar and strange to many a D&D player and that's to be expected. As noted, this is NOT a Dungeons & Dragons or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons PC. This is a D&D-But-Not PC. There are several major and minor differences in the mechanics of my version of the game. 

Still and all, I think you get a decent idea of Alea's capabilities and could easily convert her to one of those lesser...ah, I mean...more familiar editions of the game. Heh.

Notes: This was...fun? I'm honestly not sure. I mean, I like her but there is nothing earth-shattering here. She isn't a member of The Winghorn Guard; those character sheets read more like a Superhero game! Rolling randomly for much of it was sometimes interesting but mostly slow. It took me longer to roll her up than to create a character for Star Wars D6, Star Trek Adventures, my Ghostbusters game, ALIENS, etc. 

In the end, I'm happy to be done with this first entry and look forward to creating characters for games I'm more jazzed about. Essentially, I like her but still don't like the game, even my take on it. 

Legacy: She'd make an interesting NPC. Maybe spice up her backstory a little more. Not sure.

Onward!

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Barking Alien

Faces of The Stranger

 The 31 Days / 31 Characters Challenge

is upon us once more!

Originally I had planned on going with a particular theme for 2026 but as I began exploring my chosen concept I decided it wasn't how I wanted to open 2026.

Instead I'm going to lean into the original intent of this challenge and create more brand new characters then I have in the past. Considering the fact that I primarily showcase PCs and NPCs from the games I've run and participated in over my 49 years in the hobby, this will be a big change, at least for me.

In fact, it might prove sort of difficult.

Unlike the majority of the TRPGamers out there, I don't generally enjoy the process of 'Character Creation'. Mechanically that is. I love creating characters! I just find most systems for generating PCs kind of tedious; an often limited set of options that I have to slog through to get kind of close to the idea in my head.

There are exceptions of course, systems where I truly enjoy Character Creation but they are usually ultra-simple like the Smurfs RPG or Meteor City - Star Rainy Days or strangely rather complex like Champions. I also really like games that hit that sweet spot in the middle thanks to the mechanics effectively reflecting the setting or genre; Ars Magica and Star Trek Adventures come to mind. Basically, I like Character Creation that gives stats to the concept I've come up with in my mind, outside of any system.

I also tend to dislike games where you create your character purely or largely through random die rolls. There have certainly been instances where random generation gave me an idea for a character I hadn't planned on making [yet still enjoyed] but outside of Traveller, that was mostly in my earlier years when that was pretty much all there was. 

So, how am I going to make this fun for me and also useful? Well, the latter is easy; focus on games I might actually use someday and character who can double as either a PC or an NPC. Yeah, that shouldn't be too hard, right?

Wish me luck gang.

Before I go, I want to wish everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, who comes to the Barking Alien blog a very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year! May 2026 be better than 2025, 2024, 2023...well, you get the picture. Thank you for taking the time to visit this small corner of the internet and reading what are surely the delusional yet hopefully entertaining scribblings of a madman. . 

See you next year,

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Barking Alien

Another sad passing to announce is that of Tim Kask, a playtester of the original Dungeons and Dragons game, the first real employee of TSR, and the first editor of Dragon Magazine, actually starting with its predecessors, The Strategic Review and later The Dragon. 

Even though his beginnings in the hobby were by way of wargames, particularly those of Avalon Hill, Kask once wrote in what was intended to be the forward to Eldritch Wizardry that, "D&D was meant to be a free-wheeling game, only loosely bound by the parameters of the rules." Later he wrote, "It all starting going bad with the publishing of AD&D, The Player’s Handbook. Here come the rules lawyers, the nitpickers, and the homegrown experts. The fun started to leech away within months. Now there were dicta, dogma, and regulations; gone were the days of guidelines."

While I do not have a particular fondness for the D&D of those days in the Golden Age of TRPGs, I do appreciate and respect the hobby's history and noteworthy personages. Tim Kask definitely qualifies as one of the forefathers of what we do and if I may be so bold, I think he and I would've gotten along just swell. 

Rest in Peace. Godspeed.