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,

AD

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!

AD

Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - JORVAN STARSBYNIGHT

Another character created by the late, great David Cotton.

It's interesting to note how often the same players pop up when I am thinking of characters to post for this challenge. To reiterate, I am trying to choose ones who were not only awesome and memorable but who additionally haven't been discussed on this blog before or at the very least not in great detail.

 

Character: Jorvan StarsByNight

Player: David Cotton

System: Dungeons and Dragons AD - Homebrew Variant of D&D

 

Campaign: The Winghorn Guard: Golden Ring

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein

Circa: 2005-2006

Origins: I really can't say whether or not Jorvan had a specific origin or inspiration. I can only recall that this campaign was one of the first I ran with Dave, Dave's friend Lee, and our mutual buddy Jeff, following the first campaign I ran wherein we all met for the first time. 

Part of the reason I ran this particular Aerth/Winghorn Guard game was that Dave really wanted to try my homebrewed D&D variant. He was especially intrigued by the world/setting and wanted to not only explore it but play a 'Race' and 'Class' that was uniquely 'Aerth'. 

I wanted to help him fulfill these interests by suggesting he play a Corindel Elf, inaccurately referred to as Half-Elves, as well as a Sorcerer. Both quite different from their traditional D&D counterparts. Additionally he used his one his character's 'Personal Talents' to get a sailing ship, thereby checking the 'explore the world' box. 

Backstory: Jorvan StarsByNight is one of the 'Elves' of Corindel, a descendant of the island's Elven and Human inhabitants who have been interbreeding for many centuries. Referred to as 'Half-Elves', this nomenclature is inaccurate as the lineage of the Continent-Island-Nation's inhabitants are much harder to accurately identify. A given Corindel Elf might be only 1/10th Elf, or 95% Elf, or anywhere in between.

He inherited his ship from his father; an adventurer, explorer, and occasional privateer. StarsBySea, his father, was himself about 2/3rds Elf. His mother was a Sorceress from somewhere within the Southern Freelands of Rae. It was she that taught Jorvan the sorcerous skills of communicating with Elementals and other beings from Beyond this Realm. She died when he was fairly young, payment for a deal made with an otherworldly oceanic entity to protect Jorran and his father from a terrible storm.

After that incident Jorvan's father ventured out into the sea less and less but Jorvan himself did so more and more. He was convinced the sea would always protect him and his time on land was borrowed. By young adulthood, he was a pirate of sorts, though one preying on other pirate ships or the vessels of petty warlords and other villains. Having assisted a Winghorn Guard group on a mission to defeat a sea monster, the Sargent of that party suggested he try out for the Winghorn Guard himself. Not long after that he was Chosen and assigned to Golden Ring, the Guard division located at his homeland of Corindel. 

Overview: We first encounter Jorvan as his vessel, dubbed 'The Lady Luck', chases an enemy pirate vessel in the Sea of Polaris. A Sorcerer aboard the pirate ship had summoned a massive and powerful Sea Spirit that was creating a thunderstorm and terrible waves. Jorvan's allies were flying overhead, trying to wrestle control of Kargas (Griffin-like creatures from Turkish folklore) from their pirate riders. 

Combining his own Sorcerer abilities with his charm and gift of gab, he convinces the Sea Spirit to turn on its summoner for a favor to be bargained for later. Using his magical 'Hand Canon' (a Flintlock Pistol that can never needs physical reloading), Jorvan fires at the opposing Magician and appears to miss.

The Sorcerer taunts Jorvan for his wasted shot until Jorvan points out he wasn't aiming for the magic-user. StarsByNight looks down and the enemy follows his eyes to see the Summoning Circle on the deck of the pirate ship damaged by Jorvan's shot. The villainous Sorcerer looks up again as the Sea Spirit transforms into a tidal wave that crashes against the vessel, sending him head over heels into the ocean. 

When asked by the pirate ship's first mate how he was able to do all this, Jorvan replied with what would become his catchphrase, "Cheating!".

Jorvan's Caracca, 'The Lady Luck'

Indeed Jorvan favored cleverness and trickery above any other power or weapon at his disposal. He and the team's Aegytian (Aerth Egypt) Warrior / Cleric would often have friendly debates over his use of Cheating and the latter's preference for Knowledge, Honor, and Truth. Both agreed time and again that the others ways were not for them but certainly effective. 

In addition to the many missions the group would go on in the name of heroism and in service of the Winghorn Guard, Jorvan would rack up additional quests trying to buy or pay for favors of the various supernatural entities he dealt with to gain his powers or their help. 

The Highlights:

One of my favorite exchanges was when the Sea Spirit mentioned above wanted the bones of a sailor returned to his wrecked ship that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The bones had drifted inland and where now in a river. The River Spirit would only let the bones go if Jorvan planted a red-brown mushroom of some importance to the local river wildlife. The fungus had died out for some reason. This led to the discovery of an undead thieves guild organization using a poisonous black mushrooms to kill opponents and raise them as new members. The black mushroom had killed off the red-brown ones. 

What seems like side-quests at first turned into a complex relationship of enemies and ecosystems which eventually united a Forest Spirit, the River Spirit, the Sea Spirit, AND Osiris, God of the Nile to aid our heroes against their soon-to-be reoccurring nemesis, an Eye of Fear and Flame!

Legacy: I think I may have mentioned or used Jorvan as an NPC briefly in a one-shot but for the most part he hasn't been seen in many years and that's a shame. He is an extremely fun character with a lot of personality.

I will try to find a place for him the next time I run a game set on Aerth.

Game Info: The other day I went looking for Jorvan's character sheet, which I was certain I had and yet I could not find it at all. Bizarre as I found the other PCs from that campaign as well as all the notes from it. Is it possible I gave it to Dave? Maybe but it seems unlikely. 

It would be difficult to give you Jorvan's stats and specifics without context as, although he was a D&D character, he was actually a D&D-But-Not character. My house-rules version is so different from any official version as to make them almost incompatible. Well, maybe not incompatible, but there are significant alterations. 

The Sorcerer Class and Half-Elven 'race' (I prefer the terms Species, Tribe, or People) are quite unlike their commercial counterparts. Jorvan possessed the abilities of Seafaring (granting bonuses to anything related to ships, sailing, and survival at sea), Sorcery (here the power to communicate with, summon, and borrow powers from otherworldly beings in exchange for favors), and skill with both sword and pistol, a very rare talent (and item) on Aerth. 

Additionally his ship was enchanted to give him increased Defense and Saving Throws while aboard it (hence 'Lady Luck) and as mentioned, his pistol need only be shaken once after firing to 'reload' it. 

Next it's back to the Star Wars universe for one of my favorite characters, who belongs to one of my favorite species, played by one of my favorite players! Meet KASHPA!

AD

Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - IPPERIUS WITSPEAR

This entry has taken me far too long to complete and I don't feel like its anywhere near done or that it came out how I wanted it to.

This was a hard one. Aside from wanting to honor my friend Pete Hernandez, I wanted you - the reader - to really 'get' why Ipperius WitSpear is one of my favorite PCs of all time. I am not sure I did him justice or that I even could. I've had 35 years to get to know this character. You have this post.

 

Character: Ipperius Argenti-Hydrangea WitSpear

These days the character's name is written Ipperius WitSpear, with the second part of the compound word/name being capitalized. Originally it was simply Witspear. This change was made to match with the naming conventions of the other Elves of my original setting of Aerth. 

AKA: Ip, The Sage of The Silver Flower

Player: Pedro 'Pete' Hernandez III

System: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition - Heavily Modified, House-Ruled Variant.

 

Campaign: The Legend of Ipperius Witspear and others. 

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein

Circa: 1986-1988. Still used to this day. 

Origins: A number of factors went into the creation of Ip Witspear.

First and foremost, this was not only the first Dungeons and Dragons character Pete had ever created to my knowledge, it was among the first PCs he created in a game run my yours truly. Possibly the first. 

A lot of the character was created on the spot, the result of various choices and die rolls. Mixed into the character's design are such influences as Bugs Bunny, David Bowie in Labyrinth, and Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone'. 

Backstory: When we first meet Ipperius Witspear, he is asleep in a cabin aboard some sort of large ship bound for the continent of Ledgorna. Ip swings his feet off his bed to the sound of a splash and the awareness that he is ankle deep in sea water. The vessel he was on was sinking. 

Witspear gets dressed, puts on his armor, weapons, and gear, and goes top side. Fighting his way past several pirates, Witspear discovers the ship he is on has been besieged by boudy buccaneers! He is able to put up a respectable fight but is overwhelmed and forced to walk the plank of the pirate vessel. Moving his hand in a quick motion similar shaking off water, Ipperius then ran his hand through his hair and down his body as if dusting himself off. This, unbeknownst to the pirates, was his way of casting the custom spell, 'Dry'. 

Stepping off the plank, Witspear plunged for some time through the air unobstructed; the ocean moving away from him in all directions. Dry creates a protective barrier against water, causing it to reflect or run off at some three-to-five inches before touching the object or person the spell is cast on. Eventually, as the water reformed above him and Ip found himself in a sort of oblong bubble, he knew that eventually the spell's duration would run out and he would be in very deep (pun intended) trouble.

Luckily, the pressure built up below him and a moment later shot him out of the ocean, high into the air and with a bit of acrobatics he landed squarely back on the plank. The pirates stared in astonishment. Murmurs and whispers started to move through the pirate crew; "He's not dead?", "How did he do that?", "The sharks didn't get him?", etc. Finally one pirate in the back says, at standard speaking volume, "Ee's...ee's not wet?"

The pirates erupt into a screaming frenzy, running in all directions repeating 'He's not wet!' and 'Demon!' and bumping into the masts and each other. Taking advantage of the moment, Witspear knocks some pirates overboard, frees the held passengers and crew from his ship, arms them, and eventually maroons the pirates on the sinking vessel. In addition, the crew, passengers, and Witspear steal the pirate ship and head for land.

What we don't know at this point is: 

Where is Witspear from? Where did he get on this boat bound for the old world?

Why did he leave? What made him take this trip in the first place?

Where exactly is he going? Specifically that is.

We wouldn't find out the answer to those questions for a very long time as Ip Witspear got sidetracked by dozens of humorous misadventures and colorful characters. 

At some point early in the campaigns second year, Ip says his home is 'an isle lost at sea'. When other Elves encountered WitSpear they noted not recognizing his family name (the House of Wit) and were unfamiliar with his accent. He identifies himself as 'The Sage of The Silver Flower' before the Duke of Drakkenheim, a title neither the Duke nor anyone else in his court had ever heard of. Even those with extensive Elven knowledge were unfamiliar with the term.

It wouldn't be until many years of real time later, over a decade and a half in fact, that we would discover WitSpear's true origins. He was a member of the Eldritch or 'Pale' Elves, all of whom were now believed to be dead. They had attempted to violently conquer the world for its own good more than 500 years earlier, forcing the other Elves to unite and destroy the Pale Elves' 'Del Stone', a crystal connecting them to Aerth.

Just prior to these events, Ipperius' parents and many other Pale Elves who didn't agree with their people's tyrannical aspirations, fled the coming war for the Western Sea. Only a relative handful of the conscientious objectors made it to land, lucking upon a set of islands not found on any map. The islands were hidden by a mist that rarely parted and no scrying magic of any kind could pierce it. Unfortunately they were also cursed but that is a tale for another day. 

With his home no utopia to be sure and always curious about the place from which his kin had come (though I suppose in truth that would be Arcadia, the Realm of Faerie), a young adult WitSpear had found his way to the port on a near-ish Southern island not part of his hidden archipelago. Following that, he bought passage on a ship bound for the continent of Ledgorna and we are back to the beginning once again. 

See the fifth entry of the month - Ceren-Dee Windrake -  for more on the last of the remaining Pale Elves. 

Overview:  What can I say about Ipperius WitSpear that would even scratch the surface of how awesome he is? Thanks to the incomparable RPG talents of his Player, WitSpear made every session a delight. Every action clever, every line hilarious, every moment of emotion deep and heartfelt. 

I have often said that I GM at my best when I have great players playing at their best. This was especially true with Pete. I could throw challenge after challenge at him, be they puzzles, enemies, or deep pathos. He was so fun to GM for and that made the character just as enjoyable to run as an NPC years later. 

He was a staple of Ceren-Dee WindDrake's campaign, as she often went into his shop - WitSpear's Wondrous Wizardry Emporium - to obtain material components or identify magical items. Each time you walked in, some strange and often ridiculous situation was transpiring.

Everything in the store, except you of course, might be upside down, with the store counter, boxes, and Witspear himself all standing on the ceiling...which was actually the floor. One time the entire interior of the shop was in various shades of orange, including Ip and Gronk. In yet another instance, it was snowing inside the establishment, with customers shivering, Gronk giving out hot cider, and a group of small children building a snowman in the corner. 

Oh, Gronk...

While exploring the bowls of a Dark Wizard's fortress, WitSpear encountered a Troll (Aerth Trolls are more like those of Scandinavian Myth and Folklore). After humorously avoiding the Troll's attacks in a fairly tight space, WitSpear tried to talk the Troll into quitting his job with the Dark Wizard and coming to work for him. This led to an almost Discworld-ian discussion of Fantasy World workers' rights, labor unions for dungeon guards, and world conquering war machines as a sustainable business model. Eventually, after offering a decent pension package and a 1 week paid vacation each year, the Troll agreed to switch sides. 

The Troll remains with Ip for the rest of the campaign and into all his later appearances. I remember when the two signed off on their deal...

Witspear: "It's settled then. Oh, and I shall call you...Gronk."

Troll: "What? That's not my name. My name is..."

Witspear: "Not the point dear boy! Regardless of your actual designation, Gronk is the name I will call you and the name with which I will refer to you is Gronk. Good? Excellent."  

I love Gronk. Slow and deliberate but much smarter than he appears on the surface, Gronk is a friendly, kind-hearted everyman who can also throw a fully loaded cart, with horses, across a town square. I wish I could remember his real name. 

The Highlights:

Oh man, so many Witspear stories...

He fooled two Gnolls into paying 1 gold piece for a copper piece he convinced them could cast a magic Shield. He then backed their idea of going over to the Ogre at the front entrance of the dungeon and telling him off. With their new Shield Coin, well, they'll show him!

Using his Dry spell and a modified crossbow, Witspear fired several bolts into the air, each attached with blanket sized pieces of canvas. The end result was a cover of floating 'umbrellas' that protected an area below from rain as they slowly parachuted to the ground. This enabled Witspear and some NPCs to save a young child who fell into a collapsed well before she drowned. 

Using only complex word play and knowledge of his opponent, Witspear tricked a Dragon into taking a single book of his treasure hoard of magical tomes and giving the rest to Ipperius. Angry, roaring, and seemingly about to eat or breath on the clever Elf, the Dragon cleared his throat, straightened himself, placed tiny binfocal glasses on his snout, and thanked Witspear for such a challenging engagement. "Perhaps again in say...a year? A chance to win the books back? What say you?" WitSpear agreed, bowed, and departed. 

Legacy: Ipperius WitSpear has appeared in every Winghorn Guard/Aerth campaign since 1999 and will continue to appear in them for as long as I find myself returning to that world. 

Game Info: As with many of the oldest characters I've been posting, I don't have Witspear's first character sheet any longer. I am not even sure where his 3E version is these days. 

I recall that he was originally an Elven Wizard/Thief in Advanced D&D 1st Edition. In his campaign he made it to 6th and 7th levels respectively. His later incarnation, in 3E and 3.5, was much higher in level, something in the range of 14th or so in each class. 

In my D&D AD homebrew variant he has the additional ability of Perfect Timing, a natural talent of all Eldritch Elves that gives them a bonus to anything involving timing their actions against external events or the actions of others. He is especially knowledgeable about magic items, artifacts, and relics of all kinds.

He can not only identify most items but often knows the history, nature, and powers of these items. He collects and experiments with a variety of different material components and is always trying to swap out one for another to see how the new ingredient will effect a spell. 

I could write so much more. 

Next up, we head for Universal Century 0088 and believe in the Sign of Zeta! Say hello to Lt. JET OHANA but be prepared to say good-bye as well.

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - CEREN-DEE WINDRAKE

This next character entry is going to be a long one and that's as it should be. The character is, without a doubt, one of my all time favorites you will see this month and holds the special distinction of being created and played by one my favorite people in the world. This is the first character created by my ex-wife and dear friend Selina. 

In addition to being an amazing character, full of depth, nuance, flaws, courage, and drive, she was the catalyst for bringing back my world of Aerth and the revision of The Winghorn Guard concept after a nearly 20+ year hiatus.

Enjoy. 

Character: Ceren-Dee Windrake / WindDrake

Ceren-Dee's last name is actually Windrake, although it is said Wind-Drake. In subsequent Winghorn Guard campaigns this confused some people, especially those playing Elves, so I started spelling it WindDrake. 

(Selina just informed me that, "Since Winddragon and Winddrake would have had the 2 D’s in their names, both of them dropped one D. It was just aesthetically more pleasing to read/write.")

AKA: Guardsman, Sargent, then Lieutenant, then Captain Ceren-Dee WindDrake, Ceren-Dee EverDrake, The Lady of Everwind. In one iteration she becomes The Winghorn Guard's Master of Mages.

Player: Selina Wong

System: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition and 3rd Edition - Heavily Modified, House-ruled Variant.

 
Campaign: The Order of the Winghorn Guard: Honorheart 

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein 

Circa: Um...

This is a little unclear to Selina and I. Selina created this character in AD&D 1st Edition as that is all I had in my collection D&D-wise. A year or two later 3rd Edition came out and we went to Gen Con, our first trip together, and converted everything to 3E. That means we started in 1998 or 99. Meanwhile, I just found an image I drew of Ceren-Dee's daughter, the next character she would play after Ceren-Dee, and it is dated 1999. That seems almost impossible based on our recollections but there you have it. 

Origins: Here is a few words on Ceren-Dee from the creator herself. Ladies, Gentlemen, and Nonbinary Friends, Selina Wong...

"Ceran-Dee Windrake 

When I was thirteen, I became a fan of Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels after discovering the Fantasy section at my local Waldenbooks, and while I knew high school classmates who played D&D during our lunch periods or on the weekends at someone’s house, I never participated. I was really shy and introverted, and I hated anything that put me in the spotlight. I loved reading fantasy stories and that was enough for me… until I met Adam a decade later. 

He and I became friends through our mutual love of anime and for a while that was what brought us together. Then he introduced me to a group of people who got together every once in a while for an RPG game. The very first time I met them they played a game in fact. They invited me to join but I was not ready to participate. I opted to watch. Worried I’d be bored, they kept checking on me throughout the game, but I was having fun listening to their stories unfold. A part of me wished I had been brave enough to join in, but I had only just met these people and while I enjoyed their company, I was afraid they’d find me too timid or unimaginative to invite me along next time. 

Adam didn’t think so. 

One night, he talked to me about creating a character for a fantasy-based story. If I got to write my own fantasy novel, who would be the hero/heroine of my story? What kind of character would I make? What abilities would I want her to have? Where was this character from and where would she go?  

For the next few hours, Adam walked me through the process of character creation. Using a copy of the AD&D Player’s Manual, he explained races, classes, attributes, hit points, armor class, movement speed, skills, spells, and feats. He helped me pick out equipment and gear, and he helped me weave the story of my character’s origin, her education, her family, and her life’s objectives. I had chosen to create a female High Elf who would become both a mage and fighter. I described her as having raven-black hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a slender frame. 

When Adam asked me for her name, it took me a very long time to think of it. I had been thinking her name should sound something like the word “serenity” because it felt so elvish and graceful. Finally, after playing with multiple spelling options, I decided on 'Ceran-Dee Windrake.' 

By this time, I thought the exercise was done. Adam had proven to me that creating a character for a fantasy story or RPG wasn’t so hard and I had a lot of fun doing it. That was when Adam started describing the High-Elven city of Mithrandel, where Ceran-Dee and her family lived. I thought, maybe, he was helping me get a feel for a potential story I could write one day. I started imagining the scene he was setting. He was such a great storyteller, I could see and hear everything he described. I saw younglings running off to play their morning games, well-dressed politicians heading to their assembly meetings, and armed soldiers patrolling the city’s streets. 

Then, Adam asked me, “What are you doing?”

I blinked. “Me?” 

“Yeah. What’s Ceran-Dee doing?” 

“Uh… what are my choices?” 

“You can do whatever you want.”

“Oh.” I felt that I, Selina, had two choices. I could have said, “All right, I see what you’re doing, Adam, but this isn’t my thing. Let’s just say we had fun and call it a night.” Instead, I asked, “Uh… Can I…?” 

Honestly, I don’t remember the first “Can I” question I asked him, but it was the first of thousands of “Can I” questions I would throw at him for the next two years. He not only helped me create Ceran-Dee Windrake, he had planned on running a game for me just to help me get over my fear of role-playing. Did it work? Yup. 

I had designed Ceran-Dee to be brave, strong, clever, and outspoken - qualities I always wished I’d possessed. Playing her character in the amazing Winghorn Guard campaign that Adam created was easily the best RPG experience I’d ever have. Though it took me a little longer before I finally got up the courage to role-play with people other than Adam, it was worth every minute. 

Ceran-Dee Windrake was my first step into the world of role-playing. She was everything I loved in a fantasy heroine, and every character I’ve made since Ceran-Dee was designed with a fragment of my original Mithrandel elf. 

But the real hero is Adam. Without him, Ceran-Dee would never have found her voice, her heart, or her magic."

I would have to argue with that last line. I may have facilitated her creation but her magic and heart came directly from Selina. 

Backstory: Ceren-Dee Windrake (original spelling ;p) was born in the High or Mithral Elf city-state of Mithrandel, the daughter of Aadin-Kal Windragon and Falon-Dae Windphoenix. WindDragon (alternate spelling) was Captain of the Guard of the city's Order of the Brightstorm. Like her older brother Tavin-Kai WindGriffon, Ceren-Dee had joined the BrightStorm only to later apply to join the The Winghorn Guard. A great honor, their father was nonetheless a tad disappointed that neither would be replacing him as leader of the Brightstorm. 

Because of their connection to the knightly order protecting the city, the Wind family was one of the higher Noble Houses of Mithrendel. Ceren-Dee was friends with the children of the other Noble Houses, including her best friend and fellow Winghorn Guard member ThunderCall. 

Successfully chosen by The Great Winged Unicorn (aka The Great Alicorn) after a harrowing trial mission that took on a number of seriously dangerous turns, Ceren-Dee went on to quickly establish herself as a clever, resourceful Guard member with a keen mastery of Wind Magic and excellent fighting skills. She was assigned to the Honorheart Division in the City of Rae-Uhn.

Her greatest ability and yet the one that got her in the most trouble, was her unparalleled compassion. Until proven otherwise, Ceren-Dee viewed no creature or being as objectively 'Evil'. Everyone and everything was worth being given the chance to do the right thing. While this backfired once in a terrible way, she would learn from it but also never waver from this core belief. 

An old sketch I did of Ceren-Dee Windrake from the late 90s.

I was deeply in my Anime/Manga phase. 

Overview: It is very difficult to narrow down an overview of two years of gaming nearly every evening. Selina and I lived together before eventually getting married and we'd play a few hours each night (practically) before bed. The Ceren-Dee campaign was really just her as the player and myself as GM and the rest of the universe. I learned so much about NPC and story development as a result and it vastly improved my games from that point forward. 

It helped immensely that she, Selina, loved her character and the game. She was all in in a way that I don't see people immersing these days. When Selina started to play with my other groups, especially my ol' NJ gang, she brought that energy with her into a band of players that also all had that energy. It made for an incredible experience. 

Back to Ceren-Dee; she would eventually develop a strong bond and then a romantic relationship with the brooding, driven Sylvan Elf Shaylan Everleaf. Towards the end of the campaign and into the next one, Shaylan and Ceren-Dee would marry and establish the port city of Everwind, also a Winghorn Guard outpost. 

Other strong relationships were forged between Ceren-Dee and the Half-Ogre Vek-Tan, the Ranger-Cleric power couple Gestral Ronamoore and Promelia, and the Half-Elven bad boy and love interest of her friend Thundercall, Dalor EverBurnGreen. We spent as many sessions visiting the various homelands and families of the characters, shopping in markets and favored stores, and exploring the world as we did fighting evil villains, battling monsters, and unraveling ancient mysteries. 

Of particular note when it comes to relationships and villains is Ceren-Dee's dealings with the campaigns arch-nemesis Shadowhaunt. The last of the Pale Elves of Eldrindel (or so it was believed), Shadowhaunt went from pure evil to tragic and in the end he sacrificed himself to hinder an even greater threat than himself, one he partially helped create. He only did so after being moved by words from Ceren-Dee asking if this was his people's legacy. Is that what the Pale Elves will always be known for? Death and tyranny? He could not bare it and turned on the Dragons who'd pretended to be his allies just to steal his power. With his last, dying action and the combined forces of the Winghorn Guard, the evil cadre of Dragons were defeated and peace restored.

For a time...

Highlights: 

Another character with so many great moments and stories . Let's see...

Prior to Ceren-Dee Windrake, the Elves of Aerth had never taken center stage. With a campaign focused around one I decided I had to flesh them out. With Selina's help I designed their cultures, history, and created what I think might be Aerth's best feature.

Ceren-Dee and two other Winghorn Guard members are at one point swept up in a massive wave while on a ship at sea heading to meet the rest of her group. They were wary that the villainous Shadowhaunt was after them. She and her companions are flung overboard and when they surfaced, they'd arrived in the future. It was a timeline where her romantic interest, Shaylan Everleaf, has gone full-on Dark Knight against Shadowhaunt and his allies, hunting them down and making them pay dearly. He nearly destroyed the Dwarven City of Throal because one of Shadowhaunt's agents was said to be hiding there. The grief and anger of losing Ceren-Dee had driven him quiet over the edge it seemed. Luckily, the time displaced Ceren-Dee was able to talk him down and a tearful conversation followed that was one of the best moments I've ever had in a game. Ceren-Dee and friends were returned to their proper place in the timeline and sharing her experience gave them all a new found view of their places in the world and in each others' lives. 

A story arc I really loved involved Shadowhaunt assembling a team of villainous allies made up of either old villains from the original Winghorn Guard game or ones connected to them. To defeat them, Ceren-Dee tracked down the Guard members who had defeated these villains in the past. This resulted in the return of Arigon, Telerie, Rao Sunbird, and others from the previous Winghorn Guard campaign. Some just made cameos, some had short guest appearances, and some hung around for a season or two or had periodic reoccurring roles. 

Legacy: Ceren-Dee's campaign ended with her marrying Shaylan Everleaf, establishing the port city of Everwind and having three children; the youngest of whom, Galefyn EverFae, became her PC in a follow up campaign. 

Ceren-Dee has since appeared in nearly every incarnation of the Winghorn Guard or Aerth I have run since. Sometimes as a major NPC, sometimes a background character, and sometimes just a legend the PCs hear about in passing. 

Trust me, for as long as I am in this hobby and I run some version of Aerth, the name Ceren-Dee Windrake will never, ever fade. 

Game Info: You are in luck! The Chronicles of The Winghorn Guard are well kept. Lo and behold, Ceren-Dee Windrake's original character sheet:

Bonus Feautres:

I almost forgot to mention Ceren-Dee's familiar, a Tressym (Cat with Feather-covered Bat-wings) she saved and named WindFae. I never spoke as WindFae, simply meowing and making other cat noises and Selina had to figure it out. Eventually they develop a bond that enables her to more directly understand WindFae's 'language'. 

Ceren-Dee has a sword called 'The Blue Dragon's Tongue', discovered seemingly at random early in the campaign and then numerous reveals about its powers and origins were spread out through the rest of the game. It is a +3 Elven Longsword, +5 vs. Blue Dragons, and it has the ability to catch/absorb any electricity directed at it (Reflex save required). The electricity is then held within the blade and can be seen faintly crackling over the surface. By uttering the High Elven word for 'Lightning' the electricty can either be released as a bolt or discharged on a successful melee attack. She has used it to shock a group of enemies moving through a large puddle by stabbing into the water and it once disrupted an Artificer's invention by sticking the blade between two tesla-coil-like antenna. 

***

OK, that's all for this one. Whew. Big entry, huh?

Next up, it's cold outside and there's no kind of atmosphere but inside we've got everyone's favorite Gallus Sapien, CHICKEN!

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - ARIGON

I begin the 31 Days / 31 Characters Challenge with one of the all time greatest Player Characters I have been fortunate enough to run and later use as an NPC in my games.

Commencing an endeavor such as this with one of my favorite characters presents an interesting dilemma. If I've started with such a wonderful character, where do I do from here? Must I now slog through thirty posts of lesser characters? Definitely not. While this PC is indeed one of my favorites, he is by no means the only top notch PC I've encountered in my nearly 44 years in the hobby.

He is but the first of many...

Character: Arigon

AKA: Arigon the Dragon Slayer, The Patron Saint of Dragon Slayers, Arigon of Rae Astra, Arigon the Ranger, Gilgathane. 

Player: Martin Lederman

System: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition - Heavily Modified, House-ruled Variant.

 
Campaign: The Order of the Winghorn Guard: Highpoint (originally entitled P.E.G.A.S.U.S.)

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein 

Circa: 1983-1985 - Created in 1983 and played until 1985. He continued on as an NPC.

Origins: Arigon was a character my friend Martin had created and played for a campaign at school during the Winter months. He liked him so much he wanted to use him in the new campaign I was starting the following Summer. I said sure as long as this one, the one in my game, is now a separate and distinct parallel world version of the other character. Basically, what happens in one campaign has no effect on the Arigon of the other campaign. Martin agreed. 

Backstory: Arigon was born to a Human Ranger and a Half-Elven Sorceress on the island of scoundrels and ne'er do-wells known as Rae Astra off the coast of The Free Lands of Rae. His parents made a home there because of the many enchantments that hid the island as they were being hunted by a Black Dragon whose plans they had thwarted in the past. Unfortunately, the Black Dragon somehow found them and murdered them as well as nearly all Rae Astras other inhabitants by sinking the island with a massive deluge of its acidic bile.

With the help of Gilgathane, a family friend, Arigon managed to escape the island and was taken in and raised by the man as if he were his own son. As he grows up, Arigon swears he will avenge his parents and the people of Rae Astra, track down the Black Dragon, and destroy it. He learns to be a Ranger like his father and Gilgathane, hoping to also join the ranks of The Dragon Slayers, an elite group made up of those who have felled the great and ancient beings of Aerth. 

Overview: Some thirty years later, while on the hunt for the Black Dragon, Arigon is magically summoned and transported to the Barrier Peaks at the Southern end of the World's Edge Mountains. There he meets a host of other adventurers, both good and evil, all brought together by a mysterious figure who introduces himself as Neuron, The Neutral Man. Neuron claims that secreted away within the Barrier Peaks is a strange fortress; it and its master threaten the safety of the entire world of Aerth. 

After a rocky initial meeting, the group teams up and defeats the menace of 'Lord Darkstar', an insane Illithid equipped with strange magical items and control of an army of metal golems. Following this, Neuron congratulates the assembled on their 'shared destiny' and then disappears.

The group largely goes their separate ways except for Arigon, a Paladin named Telerie, BloodStar the Barbarian, Rao Sunbird - Cleric of Apollo, and two strange creatures calling themselves Cannibal and Puma. Though very different from each other, these individuals had formed a bond and decided to travel together to the city of Gallatain and try to join the Winghorn Guard. At the next 'Choosing' the Great Winged Unicorn picked each of them and they were all assigned to Gallatain's Highpoint Division. 

Over the next three and a half years or so of real time, this group would face numerous challenges, horrible monsters, vile villains, and the demands of their own backstories. Neuron would return time and again to warn and even aid them, though sometimes he also manipulated them into facing off against dangers they weren't prepared for.

Arigon himself would learn that his mother was not really a Half-Elf but a shapeshifted Dragon! She and the Black Dragon were to be bonded but she shunned him and married Arigon's father, which resulted in the Black Dragon's rage and the death of Arigon's parents.

Learning from Neuron that various parts of a Dragon can grant one strange powers, Arigon renewed his hunt, slaying other evil Dragons along the way. Before long he was wearing their skin as armor, a skull as a helmet, and bathed in their blood to extend his life and grant him invulnerability. His allies tried to dissuade him but he was driven by a hatred of the Black Dragon that clouded his judgement. Eventually, believing himself invincible, he charged headlong into a battle with a cursed being that he managed to destroy but not without a cost. 

The next morning he awoke, not as Arigon the Dragon Slay but as Arigon The Dragon! He had transformed into a Dragon and with each passing day it became harder and harder to think like a Human. The rest of his team banded together to help him, calling upon the power of the gods to aid them but the gods of the various party members did not get along. This attracted the attention of The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. They restored Arigon to his pre-Dragon self, causing the gods to back away but watch with great curiosity. The Four Horseman gave Arigon the ultimatum, "To continue on this Earth you must defeat each of us, alone, in a contest. You must sate Famine, cure Pestilence, battle War, and cheat Death." They explain that he, Arigon, had become too dangerous a thing to remain on the mortal plane and if he failed to defeat any of the Horseman his soul will be cast into the Void of Eternity. 

This begins an epic side quest wherein Arigon (via his player) must face off and outwit a series of challenges that bring him to terms with his own obsession, his anger over the death of his parents, and many other personal issues. Meanwhile, his friends are drawn into an alternate side quest helping Neuron, who is put on trail by the other Neutral Men for repeating interfering and being anything BUT Neutral. 

The stories eventually fish tail into each other as the rest of the team seeks out Arigon's help saving Neuron only to find him losing his fight with War. Telerie the Paladin interferes in the fight, hurling his Holy Avenger into War's chest. When the Four Horsemen arrive to announce Arigon has basically 'lost by disqualification', Rao notes that Arigon was not trying to defeat War but rather cheat Death, the last of the challenges. Arigon therefore gets a rematch with War and defeats him by refusing to fight him, proving his anger and need for revenge are under control. 

Oh my goodness, there is SO much more to say about Arigon. So many more stories to tell. 

The Highlights:

With the help of his friends he does manage to slay the Black Dragon but not out of vengeance. He puts an end to the Dragon's evil in the name of the greater good. 

He takes on an 'apprentice' of sorts, a Robin to his Batman. An Elf named Nitram of Namredel (do you see the Easter Egg? Nitram will get his own entry later this month). 

Eventually the Norse Gods call upon Arigon to help battle a child of the Midgard Serpent and he becomes the 'Patron Saint' of sorts to Dragon Slayers across the old continent. After the rest of the team retires to their final rewards and happy endings, Arigon stays in Asgard for a time, periodically returning to Aerth in disguise. One of the powers he gains at this time is to appear at any age he wishes. He always looks like himself but he can show up as an old man, a young boy, or his usual appearance of a fit man in his late thirties to mid-forties. This was a gift from Odin for his help. 

Legacy: Arigon is a legend, a myth, barely remembered except by historians, Dragon Hunters, and Northern Rangers when he is mentioned in a Winghorn Guard campaign I ran with my ex-wife some 13 years [of real time] after his own. Her character and her companions attempt to track him down in order to get assistance fighting old foes from the campaign mentioned above who seemed to have returned. 

Appearing to have aged into his late 50s or early 60s when he finally reveals himself, the story takes place a good 150 years after his originally ended. Over the course of several sessions he is revealed to be immortal now, a demigod of sorts, and an avid 'fan' of the current crop of Winghorn Guard members, especially the new PC group. 

Arigon has since appeared, vanished, and occasionally reappeared in every Winghorn Guard and Aerth campaign I've run since. Sometimes he appears as himself, sometimes he goes under an assumed name (usually honoring his 'foster father' by calling himself Gilgathane), and sometimes not mentioning his name at all. 

He is a warm, compassionate, 'working class' every man with a handsome face, honest eyes, and an air of deeper knowledge, weight, and meaning. Clearly inspired by Martin's love of Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, Robert Redford (upon whom his image is based) in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, and Han Solo, Arigon is cool, tough, but very much imperfect, wrestling with his demons throughout much of the original campaign. He seeks power and treasure only so that he can defeat his enemy. a Dragon [and my Dragons can sink islands]. Unfortunately, when the Black Dragon becomes his Moby Dick he has to come to terms with what it's doing to him, his friends, and the world around him. 

I love that he not only learns those lessons but returns to Aerth every hundred years or so to pass those lessons on to others. 

Game Info: There have been numerous character sheets and stat blocks written up for Arigon over the years in at least three or four different systems and editions of Dungeons and Dragons. I don't know where any of them are and trust me, I looked. 

From memory I can tell you that his original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition character sheet concluded with him as a 20th Level Ranger and a 5th Level Dragon Slayer - an 'Elite Class' of my own creation similar to the Prestige Classes of Editions 3 and 3.5.

In addition to the abilities such a high level character would have, he also possesses Dragon Sight (the ability of Dragons and Dragon-kin to sense others of their kind), the ability to appear at any age and state of physicality he wishes as long as he remains himself (he can therefore seem heavier or thinner, lengthen or short his hair, etc.). He is abnormally strong, possessing a strength of 20, which he can increase to 24 for 5 rounds per day. 

He wields the Aerth variant of the infamous Sword of Kas, a sentient bastard sword that can speak but only Arigon can hear it. It is constantly telling him what he's doing wrong, argues with him at ever turn, and is just a royal pain in the sheath. It functions as a +6 Defender sword, adding +6 to the wielder's Armor Class. It grants him the ability to Plane Shift, gives him Immunity to Fear, and does Double Damage against Beings from Realms Beyond (i.e. any creature or person that does not originate on Aerth's Prime Material Plane. It only does normal damage to creatures and people from Alternate Prime Material Planes, as its enchantment counts those beings as still originating on Aerth even if it's not this Aerth). 

Because the Sword of Kas is not specifically enchanted to slay Dragons, Arigon also has a +3 longsword that is +5 versus Dragons (including Drakes, Wyrms, and other related creatures). He has a +3 Longbow with at least 6 Arrows of Dragon Slaying.

He normally wears chainmail or scalemail armor under a cloth tunic and a cloak. He tends to dress in drab, earth-tone colors or woodland greens and browns. 

He appears as a sandy-blonde haired white male, 6 ft. 4 inches tall, about 240 pounds, with greenish-grey eyes. 

Next up we travel from a world of high fantasy to the depths of outer space! Evil do-ers beware! Here comes BLEEP - THE SPACE GUARDIAN!

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Barking Alien