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

Who's Who and What's That

Variation of the Ghostbusters Logo based on

the operning of 'The Real Ghostbusters'

Design by That's Art Folk

The book 'Who's Who and What's That' - an up-to-date copy of which is located in the Ghostbusters Firehouse Library; specifically in the second bookcase, third shelf, dead center - is a resource for the occult and paranormal community that is more accessible to the layman than the rarer and more obscure Spate's Catalog or Tobin's Spirit Guide. 

The tome serves as a highly useful reference to those interested in identifying the wide variety of spectral entities and supernatural miscreants one can encounter in the defense of our world from theirs. With Halloween approaching, it is very likely your Ghostbusters franchise is about to get really busy. The information in this book should be be quite helpful, so we here at The Home Office would like to point to a few key entries that our research tells us are likely to pop up...

It has been established in our own Ghostbusters canon that the weeks leading up to Halloween get busier and busier, often culminating in a major incident around October 31st. While you never know what might manifest during this time, there are certain beings more likely to appear than others. 

***

Note that Who's Who and What's That introduces some additional and alternative Descriptors applicable to the Ghostbusters CDI System.

Conditional: A wide ranging Descriptor that covers any entities who manifest when a specific condition is met. The criteria can be nearly anything, from 'Appears in the evening of the first day of Autumn, usually at sundown, every year', to 'Whenever someone says the ghost's name three times'. Sometimes referred to as Triggered, this Descriptor can be seen in the description of The Fall Bearer (aka The Ghost of Rottinghume Manor), as well as below. 

Paired: Most PKE Manifestations appear singularly, one being appearing by itself. On occasion, multiple ghosts will appear simultaneously or come into being separately and then gather together. In specific instances, there will be ghosts that only appear in a group; none of the individuals can or do appear without the others. This type of manifestion receives the Descriptor Grouped. A less common but notable variation of this is Paired; when two entities appear together and only together. Paired Ghosts have a connection with each other that makes tougher to deal with in unison. Remember the Scoleri Brothers? They're a perfect example of Paired paranormal beings.

Tempered: Rare Descriptor indicating a spectral being who places a self-imposed limit on the nature or amount of damage and chaos it causes. This sort of entity will only create mayhem up to the point of its own choosing. 

Examples of this would be a ghost who tries to terrify everyone except small children, whom it shows kindness towards, or one that screams and throws things so long as no one is looking at it.

Sometimes the criteria it has set for itself is subtle or at least not especially obvious at first (such as Sweet Tooth - see below).

These beings should not be confused with those who deserve the Descriptor Constrained or [less commonly] Restricted. These ghosts are limited by some being or condition outside themselves. 

***

The Halloween Hater

AKA: The Ghost of the Grand Market Mall T-Mart, Foresaken Clerk

CDI: Focused, Conditional Repeating Phantom or a Class IV Full-Roaming Fog.

The Halloween Hater is a ghost with a grudge against the holiday and her goal is to take the fun out of the spooky season every year it comes around. In life it is believed she was a Puritan Woman by the name of Foresaken Clerk (an earlier version of the name Clarke, generally referring to a scribe). She was critical of her Irish and Scottish neighbors, specifically angered by their annual All Hallow's Eve celebrations. Each year she would dress up in festivity appropriate garb and sabotage the holiday activities. She was finally caught by a young Irish girl who pointed out Foresaken was participating by pulling 'tricks' on her kinfolk, all while in disguise. Flustered and infuriated, Foresaken ran back home but accidentally fell in a ditch, hit her head on a rock, and died. 

Fast forward to modern times and the popular discount department store T-Mart, taking up a large portion of the Grand Market Mall, is haunted by Foresaken's ghost, which appears every year as soon as Halloween themed candy and costumes go on sale. Her main goal is to either damage the display and merchandise or frighten away customers. Things have escalated in the last two years as a new manager thought of using Foresaken's presence as a means of bringing people in to the store. 'Don't be a Halloween Hater!', say signs showing an illustration of Foresaken, 'Come to T-Mart, your one-stop Scary Fun Shop!'.

Foresaken is not amused.

The Halloween Hater appears as a full-torso apparition that looks like a Puritan Woman in her early 20s. She wears clothing typical of New England Puritan women of the late 16th or early 17th century. The ghost has no clear feet, as is typical of full-torso entities, and instead 'ends' in a dimly glowing fog. Her head covering hides the exact spot where Foresaken's skull collided with the stone that did her in. The horrible wound beneath is visible when Foresaken uses her Frightening Visage ability. One important detail is that she appears with a journal or diary of some kind, one which she will do anything to protect. The Halloween Hater will not let anyone touch this book, whatever it is. 

In addition to transitioning into a Terrifying Visage and being able to Physically Push things, Foresaken has a rather limited but strangely effective psychokinetic ability, Psychokinetic Trip. This causes anyone targeted to trip over nothing and fall prone if the Halloween Hater gets more Successes than the person's Athletics Attribute. Note, this is not 'if she gets more Successes than the target does when they make an Athletics roll'. This is more Successes than the target's stat. For example: If she tries to trip Professor Gabriel Zimmerman, she needs to roll 3 or more Successes, as his Athletics stat is 3. He does not get an Athletics Defense Roll as the attack is invisible and essentially comes from nowhere.

Now, if he knew an attack was coming and he decided to run, Foresaken would have to get 6 or more Successes as Zimmerman has the Signature Skill 'Run' at 6 Dice and that would be an appropriate defense. Again, not a Defense Roll but a better chance of avoiding the attack and its effects. It's less about distance and more about Foresaken being able to concentrate on a clear target. 

Scenario Idea: A local female celebrity of some kind (influencer, musican, politican)  comes into the T-Mart to buy some Halloween stuff for herself and maybe some friends or her kids. The Halloween Hater goes crazy! Foresaken keeps tripping the woman and anyone she's with, frightening them and pushing displays on top of them. Turns out the woman is a descendant of the Irish girl who pointed out Foresaken's hypocrisy almost 200 years ago. 

Sweet Tooth

AKA: The Candy Counter Ghost

CDI: Focused, Tempered, Non-Terminal Repeating Phantasm or a Class V Free-Roaming Vapor

First appearing in Brooklyn, NY around the end of the 19th Century, the 'Candy Counter Ghost', later dubbed 'Sweet Tooth', became the bane of the numerous immigrant candy makers who established New York as the [now unsung] capital of the candy world. As more and more confectioners came to New York City and set up shop, the menace of the gluttonous Sweet Tooth ghost grew greater and greater.

This Phantasm traditionally appears and wrecks havoc in candy stores or sweets factories, eating everything in sight from jujyfruits to junior mints, then suddenly stopping and disappearing once again. This has been its pattern for decades.

A few renowned occultists in the late 30s surmised that this particular Vapor ate as much as it liked but never so much as to completely eliminate its food source. That is to say, it never consumes so much candy that any of the confection crafters is preys on are forced to go out of business. Still, it haa hurt the livelihoods of a great many people and continues to do so whenever it reappears.

Personally, I would lean into this and have the entity wrestle with the paradox; it loves candy and will consume all it can but not too much 'cause then there won't be any candy and the candy makers will go away. At the same time, there is sooo much candy! Why not eat it all! Oh wait... It's enough to drive a Reoccurring Phantasm mad! 

Many of Sweet Tooth's appearances across the past 100+ years have been random, however it's guaranteed to show up during candy focused holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and especially Halloween.

The Candy Counter Ghost resembles a typical Class V Vapor upon first manifesting; the entity is off-white in color and appears to be made of soft chewing gum, taffy, or stale marshmallow. As Sweet Tooth consumes candy he begins to take on blotches of color as if stained by the lollipops and gumdrops he's eaten. Sweet Tooth also gradually increases in size during its treat consumption rampage.

Another side effect, and one that relates to Sweet Tooth's only unique supernatural ability, is that its Ectoplasmic Residue becomes thicker than average, turns pink and/or lime green, and extremely sticky. The Phantasm uses this syrupy slime to hinder or trap pursuers. In addition to passing through things and leaving Ectoplasm behind, Sweet Tooth is able to project it forward, downward, or backwards out from its lower torso. (Opponents Slimed are at a -1D penalty to all rolls for one round per Sweet Tooth's Successes using Extra Sticky Slime in addition to normal Slime rules). 

While Sweet Tooth always appears during Candy-centric holidays, it isn't considered 'Conditional' because it appears randomly at other times as well. 

Scenario Idea: A posh new Candy Pop-Up Shop opens and its taking a lot of customers and money away from a veteran, Mom-and-Pop confectioner whose been around since the early 20th century. The latter finds an incantation in an old book that enables them to summon Sweet Tooth and sick'em on the competition.

Trick and Treat

AKA: The Terrible Trick or Treat Twins

CDI: Paired Non-Terminal Repeating Spectres or Class Vs Free-Roaming Masses

These two peculiar paranormal perps were difficult to classify but were eventually given the designation of Class Vs (Class Five-'S') They seem to manifest as sentient, mobile Halloween costumes, usually simple bedsheet ghosts, roughly the size of middle school children. They possess a faint green glow (like glow-in-the-dark' toys from the 80s) that is much more easily seen at night (like glow-in-the-dark toys from the 80s). Note that they have feet and wear rubber soled boots or perhaps high-top sneakers. In addition to their costumes and footwear, the 'Twins' (as they are often called) carry plastic Jack O' Lanterns often filled with candy. Note that these are real, not Ectoplasmic, though everything else about them is. 

The exact origin of these two entities is a mystery. They first started to appear in urban and suburban areas along the Eastern Coast of the United States during the mid-to-late 1930s. They disappeared following the Great Depression, with no known reports of them again until well after World War II. Since the early 1970s they appear in a far wider range of geographic areas, though exclusively within the continental USA. 

When the Sun begins to set on the night of October 31s, these two ghosts will appear amid all the other local trick or treaters and try to blend in with the crowds. They will never go more than a few feet from each other, tend to lag behind largely groups, and rarely speak or interact with anyone durings these times. When they do their voices sound like raspy male children around 12 years of age. They keep their sentences short and use a limited vocabulary. 

Trick and Treat's M.O. is to wait under there is no one else in front of a house or apartment and then knock on the door saying, 'Trick or Treat' in unison. If they are given candy, they give the person a nod or slight bow before leaving to the next house. On occasion, Treat has even been known to say thank you.

If they are given anything else...fruit, money, chapstick..they will stand in front of the person for an awkwardly long moment in complete silence before slowly walking off. Trick will then egg the house, throw toilet paper all over it, or some other suitably childish 'revenge'. Now, if they are given nothing, the consequences can be much more severe. Trick has been known to let all the air out of someone's tired, stick rocks up their tailpipe, leave flaming ectoplasm poop on the person's doorstep, and in one instance 'he' dropped fireworks down their chimney into an active fireplace.

The response is also effected by how the person in the home is perceived. If they give nothing but explain they are poor, retired and can't easily get to the store, or some other reasonable excuse, Trick is much more lenient. If the person in the house is nasty to the pair in any way, Trick's actions will scale up accordingly. 

On some occasions, Treat will feel bad for someone who has very little but gives the pair some sort of candy, even if its a single chocolate kiss or life-saver. When this happens, he will leave them candy! Usually it is a lollipop or candy bar. 

Both Trick and Treat have the ability to Manifest Objects from seemingly nowhere and can Physically Move things roughly equivalent to what the average adult Human can lift and move. 

Scenario Idea: Trick and Treat enter an area where no one seems to be home. Trick wants to wreck havoc, Treat wants him to wait. Finally they discover a Halloween Party for the neighborhood kids and their families being thrown at your Ghostbusters HQ. The Twins will knock and if invited in, they'll participate in the fun a little before disappearing and leaving behind a bunch of candy. If barred from entering, scrutinized, or otherwise made to feel unwelcome, Trick will cause all manner of chaos - up to and including shutting down the Power Grid!

That's all for now. Remember Ghostbusters, Another Ghost, Another Dollar.

Who ya gonna call?

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Barking Alien

Solo Ghostbusting 101

I've started my Solo Tabletop Roleplaying Game journey and I am [surprisingly] really enjoying it! The game in question?

Ghostbusters: Ningyotoshi Ghost Research is a Solo TRPG campaign by me for me! I'm using the Japanese indie RPG 'Tokyo Ghost Research' with some modifications for my own Ghostbusters adapted setting and the fact that its a Solo game.

The campaign follows the paranormal investigation and elimination cases, called 'Projects', of a Ghostbusters franchise in the (fictional) Japanese Coastal City of Ningyotoshi (Mermaid City). The main characters are a pair of Ghostbusters field operatives named Michio Tsumura (Male - 32) and Fumiko Magari (Female - 28).

Michio Tsumura (whose first name means 'Man on a Journey' and his last name 'Harbor Village') is a 32 year old, single Male who was born and raised in Ningyotoshi. He went to high school locally and university in Kyoto, majoring in History and Folklore Studies.

Prior to joining the Ghostbusters he mostly did odd jobs for neighbors and other local residents. All the while he read and learned as much as he could about Japanese Mythology in general and Ningyotoshi legends in particular. Eventually he applied for the Ghostbusters in an attempt to both further his knowledge and put it to practical use.

Michio is in the Sales Department because of his ability to get along with both the living and the dead. His knowledge of local legends and ghosts in general allows him to negotiate with paranormal beings instead of having to always blast and trap them.

Tsumura has a kind of 'sixth sense', an ability to detect supernatural entities that he's had all his life. It is part of the reason for his interest in the paranormal.

Michio is a big fellow, not especially tall (though above average for a native Japanese male)  but he's got a lot of muscle. He can be charming and warm like a large teddy bear but also gruff and intimidating. He knows this and uses it to his advantage when dealing with other people. Good looking in a rough way, many think of him as a 'ladies man' but that's not really true per say.

He is well known and liked throughout the city from his odd job days and just has a lot of female friends. He dates but its mostly just looking to enjoy the company.

'Sure I know a lot of woman and yeah, its fun to go out and do something but it isn't serious or deep. It's not like my friendship with Fumiko. I mean, the two of us can get into some really wild conversations and man, is she smart. And her hair...I really like how she colors it just 'cause she wants to and it makes her happy and...what? Get outta here! Me and Fumiko? Nah, man...I'm..ya'know I'm just sayin."

Fumiko Magari (whose first name means 'Intellectual' and whose last name means 'A Twist or Distortion')  is a 28 year old single Female who was born in Ningyotoshi but travelled across Japan with her family due to her father's job.

She is incredibly smart and understands the physics and metaphysics of the Ghostbusters technology and science. She attended the Fukui University of Technology while also taking classes at two other colleges online. After graduating she immediately applied to the Ghostbusters in order to get her hands on devices like the Proton Pack, Ghost Trap, and the Ghost Light (an item unique to the Tokyo Ghost Research game that I love. It's a Flashlight that emits charged particles similar to the Proton Thrower and Trap which cause invisible supernatural entities to appear visible within its beam).

She serves in the Investigations Department of Ningyotoshi Ghost Research as her analytical mind makes her an excellent detective.

Fumiko is scientifically and technically brilliant but a bit socially awkward. She gets excited very quickly and can't hide it. She wants to be herself but gets embarrassed when people see her as different and not adhering to Japan's social norms. She gets along well with her co-workers (most of whom would also be thought of as weird by most of Japanese society) but doesn't have a lot of outside friends. She sometimes hangs out with the Unconventionals, a community of artists, writers, and musicans who live in the Northeastern area of the city along the river.

A romantic at heart, Magari would really like to meet someone special but because of her outside-the-box thinking, her failure to prioritize Japan's usual social practices, and her job, she finds it hard to meet anyone compatible.

"How does Michio do it? I mean, sure he's kind of good looking and physically fit...and he's interesting...even sort of cute when he's talking about his interests...but...WHAT AM I SAYING?! Deep breaths Fumiko. I should probably go...modify a nuclear accelerator. That always calms my nerves."

The current supporting cast consists of:

Aya Nakamura (first name means 'Colorful' or 'Beautiful', last name means 'Middle Village') is the Project Manager for most of our Ghostbusters: NGR heroes' outings. Her abilities fall under the Career Type/Department of General Affairs. She is very good at coordinating a group's efforts, cutting through red-tape, and controlling who knows what information (so she can spin screw-ups to look better to the press and bureaucrats).

She always wears something colorful but odd, such as a business blazer made from blue flower pattern kimono material or a brightly hued plaid skirt.

Kenji Boudreaux - last name pronounced Bo-du-ru by the Japanese - is a second generation mixed ethnicity Ningytoshi native (for various reasons, Ningyotoshi has more foreign and mixed ethnicity residents than most Japanese cities its size. A follow up post will go into detail on the city itself). He is a back-up Field Operative Ghostbuster as well as being in charge of the team's vehicle. (His first name means 'Strong or Healthy Second Son'. His last name, of French Creole origin, means 'Leader of the Group'. He's basically the outfit's Second-in-Command after the boss).

Finally...The Boss! You randomly roll up the Boss in Tokyo Ghost Research and I was quite inspired by what I got. Here's Kōri Koarashi.

Boss: Kōri Koarashi (whose name means 'Cold Little Storm')

Position: Nearing Retirement Age

Appearance/Impression: Age Unknown

Nature: Nothing is said. Rarely speaks. 

Bad Habits: Cold Gags – Dark sense of humor.

Another native of Ningyotoshi who lived in Tokyo in his college years. Koarashi was one of the first Ghostbusters in Japan, having served for over two decades with GB: Tokyo Ghost Research. While generally said to be 'near retirement age', no one is certain how old he actually is.

The Boss rarely speaks, preferring to communicate through grunts and motioning with his head. When on rare occasion he does say something, its often a dark joke of dubious appropriateness.

I have a lot of thoughts about this whole endeavor but I'll start with this epiphany...In a Solo TRPG you are in the role of Player. The Gamemaster role is 'automated'.

I know this seems rather obvious to most people but it took a while for this to sink in for me. My brain defaults to thinking like a GM; to thinking that I AM a GM. This is why it was so difficult for me to grasp not just the idea of Solo gaming but also why one would even like doing it. 

Once I was able to let go (sort of - keep reading) of trying to be fully the GM and fully the Player at the same time, I had a lot more fun with the exercise. Focusing on the Player role and letting the Game System, Tables, and Dice be the referee is what makes the whole thing work. That said...

As noted, I am a Gamemaster at heart. If I wasn't going to get involved with creating the game's narrative and actively world-building, I'd probably get bored with the whole process pretty quickly. So, what I've decided to do is roll randomly for many of the key elements of the game and then generate a story, a setting, and the encounters myself using those prompts. Essentially this how all Solo RPGs function, I understand that. What I'm trying to do is add a bit more from my head than from random generation. 

If Solo TRPGs typically have the Dice and Mechanics handling 75% of the Gamemastering duties and you filling in the remaining 25%, my approach is more 60/40. These aren't real or exacting numbers but just a way of helping to visualize how I'm looking at it. 

I have a ton of other thoughts and ideas about this in addition to a recap of my first session. I hope to run my second session tomorrow (I've been busy OK! Sheesh). Before I go though, I want to share a table I made that I am really proud of. This is my custom 'Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research Japanese Ghost Generator'.

For this campaign, I start most scenarios by getting a Client using one of several online NPC generators (such as this one for example: Chaotic Shiny Modern Character Generator) and then going to a different site to give the character a Japanese Name. I do a little research on the names I find interesting and alter them if needed to get one I like that has the meaning I'm looking for. 

Next, I use the table above to create the Ghost haunting the Client. As you can see, you roll 1D10 four times, or just 4D10 I suppose, and put together the results. The first three categories are clearly from the Ghostbusters franchise and the same CDI identifiers I use in my other homebrew/kit Ghostbusters game. The last column adds a Japanese Yokai Type - a spirit/ghost/monster from Japanese folklore - to the mix to give The Call an appropriate local feel. 

The best thing about this is that it can result in some very unique or at least unusual Japanese supernatural entities. An Oni for example is a powerful Ogre-like demon but what if you're dealing with a Class II Terminal Mist Oni? This is an Oni that can barely manifest itself. It can be made to shuffle off back to the ghostly realm (Terminal) but what will make it do that? If you don't do that, will it get stronger and eventually fully form? So many possibilities!

Let's do one right now to show you what I'm talking about. We start with a Client. 

Interesting. A Photographer. OK, getting an idea immediately but before I'll get to that I need to give him a Japanese name. Let's see...

After several attempts I saw a couple of names that I liked but decided to combine two in order to make:

Hibiki Fushimiya (Hibiki means 'Echo' and Fushimiya means 'Hidden Shrine'). Hmm. A photo is like a visual echo, no?

OK, now let's roll 4D10 using an Online Dice Roller. 

What have we here? A Class IV Repeating Phantasm Mōryō.

A Mōryō is a supernatural wilderness being connected to mountains, forests, and most especially water, usually streams and rivers. This Yokai is generally viewed as a nature spirit but also as an eater of the dead, consuming corpses like a ghoul. While it might 'live' near a riverbank or waterfall, it can often be found skulking around graveyards looking for a meal. 

So combining this result with the Client I can generate the Project or Scenario for an adventure. 

Project Name: Picturing The Dead

Number of employees required: 2-3 people

Number of Phases: 4

Recommended skills: Any

Client: Hibiki Fushimiya, Freelance Photographer

Ghost: Class IV Repeating Phantasm Mōryō.

While doing some Wildlife Photography near a forest stream East of the city, a young man named Hibiki Fushimiya saw something strange and accidentally caught it on camera, though it is difficult to clearly make out what it is. 

That was a week ago and every since (Random Rolls on Various Tables) Hibiki has since seen strange lights, ghostly figures, and heard distant voices at random wherever he goes. Returning to the site of stream he found parts of a dead body in the water. It looked very old (long since deceased) and like it had been chewed or gnawed on by some very large animal. 

Taking pictures of the scene, Fushimiya once again caught a bizarre image in a photo, a monstrous being reflected on the surface of the water. He called Ghostbusters: Ningyotoshi Ghost Research (Random Motivation Roll: Lust? Huh. The Lust result matches the 'Favorite Sin' entry on his NPC info. Got It!) and specifically asks for Fumiko Magari for help as he has seen her on TV and Social Media and has a crush on her.

How will she react? Will Michio get jealous? Why is this creature now haunting this poor guy?

That, as they say, is the adventure! 

Well, that's all for now but as noted there's a lot more where this came from*.

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Barking Alien

*That would be my head.

31 Days / 31 Characters - BLOODY SUNDAY

This character is an NPC with a rather strange origin, one I admit I may not be remembering accurately. I'll be doing the best I can to recall as much as I can. I created it and have been using it across a variety of different genres and systems since sometime in the 1980s. It's been a while since I've brought it to the table but would like to find a way to do so this coming year. 

Character: Bloody Sunday

AKA: Bloody Sabbath, The Bloody Gentleman, The Bloody Lady, Bloody Mary

Player: Non-Player Character

System(s): Villains and Vigilantes. Stalking The Night Fantastic, Chill, Ghostbusters, Champions, and more.
 
Nature: Numerous Short Campaigns and a handful of Long Campaigns. 

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein

Circa: The first version of the character appeared in the early 1980s. The last incarnation was probably used around the early-to-mid 2000s. 

Origins: I created the character of Bloody Sunday for a creepy short story I wrote for...some reason. It was most likely a school assignment of some sort. I barely recollect the details except that the character was originally called Bloody Sabbath and the story was focused on the theme of pointless or unnecessary violence. 

That theme remained a key component of the character, who first showed up in an RPG as a supervillain in our Heartland League campaign (mentioned in the previous entry). According to that campaign, the organization known as Intercrime was lead by someone named 'The Crime Lord', only that was a title and not an particular individual. At some point early in the campaign, the then current Crime Lord was murdered and replaced by a mysterious criminal called Bloody Sunday. We would eventually confront him only to discover 'he' was some kind of supernatural entity; essentially the physical incarnation of senseless violence. Weakened by the heroes saving lives and preventing others from taking them, Bloody Sunday flees the scene vowing vengence.

I've used the concept of this entity again and again through the years in various campaigns,  with slight alterations to its demeanor, appearance, and even its abilities. Some of my favorite versions of Blood Sunday have manifested in Comedic Horror games such as Stalking The Night Fantastic and Ghostbusters, always easing off the humor and upping the creepiness. I often portray these incarnations of Bloody Sunday as self-hating and sad, not wanting to be what it is but unable to be what its not. I know, its sounds a little complicated for what is basically a being of otherwise mindless anger but that's what makes the character more than just another scary monster. 

Backstory: There have been several variants of Bloody Sunday and trying to write up all of them would make this entry twice as long as it already is. What I'll do is split the difference between the versions and give a sort of gestalt interpretation of the character. This will be less Comic Book Supervillain and more like my preferred way of portraying Bloody Sunday as a tortured supernatual being.

American legends and folklore surrounding Bloody Sunday date back to the Revolutionary War but tales of similar spirits abound in many cultures, especially those that would have been present during the early European colonization of North America. Stories of ghostly beings in white with blood stained clothing are told and retold time and again by the English, Irish, Germans, and countless others. Even the Indiginous peoples of Mexico and North America feature blood stained spirits in otherwise pale garments. Bloody Sunday's mythology shares many elements of these other entities but we'll focus on the points that make it unique. 

Bloody Sunday appears during or just after acts of violence considered senseless or extreme. It is especially likely to show up if, for example, soldiers continued fighting after a ceasefire was called. If innocent bystanders or civilians are killed in a conflict between two other parties it is practically a guarantee that the Bloody Sunday entity will manifest. 

If bloodshed could have been avoided but wasn't, expect a visit from this disquieting spectre.

Overview: It has been seen as a male, a female, or an androgynous being, usually around 6 feet tall, finely dressed in quality white garments slightly behind the times (whatever those times may be). Its clothing always displays blood stains, ranging from a light dappling to being virtually soaked. Some white is always visible however.

The being's facial features are never clear, completely covered in a blend of blood and shadow. Its head is covered in a torn sheet, blanket, hood, or some kind of tattered hat. The phantom leaves behind proof of its passing (though doesn't if it doesn't wish too), most commonly drops of blood or bloodied footprints. It moves very quietly when it wishes to and rarely speaks. When it does, its voice is low, raspy,  and laced with sorrow and anger. 

When Bloody Sunday is present, it attempts to make bad situations worse. It will spur on or antagonize the most short-tempered, violent people present in an attempt to cause even more fighting and death. It rarely goes into battle itself, prefering to generate violent acts and chaos while fading into the background.

Such conditions do empower it however and if directly attacked by anyone capable of doing so - other supernatural entities or those with weapons that can hit ghostly beings - Bloody Sunday will engage opponents with the goal of getting away as quickly as possible. Apparently, Bloody Sunday gains nothing from causing pain and injury on its own. 

The entity possesses incredible strength and speed, made greater by the amount of bloodshed and violence that has recently occurred [or is currently happening]. It has thrown individuals across parking lots and smashed others straight through car doors but has never been seen lifting a car, so its exact level of might remains in question. As implied above, it can not be harmed by physical hits or conventional weapons but only other paranormal beings and/or attacks specifically designed to effect such beings (such as certain Magic Spells, the Ghostbusters' Particle Streams, etc.). Once it gets far enough away from its opponents - say 50 ft. or more - Bloody Sunday will disappear, rapidly fading from sight. 

The Highlights:

A rash of very brutual turf wars between various New York street gangs was getting out of hand and starting to spill out into the surrounding neighborhoods and threatening common citizens. Bureau 13, a super-secret organization dedicated to protecting people from supernatural and paranormal dangers, is called in to investigate a possible unnatural cause for what was happening. After a few days of looking into the problem, the Bureau 13 Agents encountered evidence and references to the Bloody Sunday entity, soon after coming into direct contact with it.

Using a combination of occult items and paranatural abilities, a few of the Agents delayed the entity (and got their butts kicked pretty badly) as the remaining members of their team talked the gangbangers out of continuing their foolish conflict. It was a truly heart felt speech by one of the Bureau 13 operatives who was in a gang himself as a young boy and appealed to the thugs sense of family and community in a way most outsiders wouldn't relate to. Bloody Sunday got less and less powerful and eventually departed by disappearing before the Agents' eyes.

The Ghostbusters appearance of Bloody Sunday was awesome as I remember but I can't picture the details and specifics. There was humor in the way the PCs interacted with each other and with this being, at least initially, but the overall narrative was actually serious and spooky. 

Game Info:

I don't have any of the write-ups for this character (think I lost them in a transfer of files to a new computer long ago). Instead, I did a new information sheet using my homebrewed Ghostbusters kitbash (combining Ghostbusters, InSpectres, and ALIEN's Year Zero system).

Notes:

I think of this character as falling into the same [or into a very similar] category as The Red Rider. I have a few of these. Hmm. For a guy who isn't really into the Horror genre, I definitely have some spooky NPCs, no?

What makes this character interesting and cool in my personal opinion is how the players and their PCs deal with him. With the right group, Bloody Sunday can generate some intense moments and fantastic dialogue. With a more traditional party of hack-and-slash types, this character is either wasted or - if you are a particularly evil GM - their activities would result in making the entity incredibly powerful. Imagine setting up situations where the PCs could talk their way out of them but resort to violence instead. When they finally encounter Bloody Sunday they'd be facing off against an extremely dangerous opponent indeed.  

Legacy:

It's been quite a while since I've made use of this character but I'd love to put him in effect in a game of InSane, Castle in Gray, or other Japanese Horror RPGs. 

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Rivers and Seas Boiling!

An adventure run by my good buddy David Concepcion, this was one for the history books and honestly kind of difficult to sum up in a post of this nature.

Describing this session as I do other gaming scenarios doesn't properly convey the subtly and nuance of the story, the way he absolutely nailed the genre, and the creative approach he used to lay out the clues while simultaneously leading us astray.

Agatha Christie would be proud.

The Case of The Murderer's Murderer's Murder

AKA: A Ghost of a Clue

 

Gamemaster: David Concepcion

Synopsis: The Ghostbusters are invited to dinner at the home of an eccentric and very wealthy entrepreneur who is a big fan of theirs. He is also a collector of occult items and books and has donated many of both to museums and various paranormal societies. The GB team are the last guests to arrive; already present are the Host's Business Partner, his Lawyer, his Personal Assistant, his Nephew, the Butler, and the Maid. Everyone is escorted to the dining room and seated around a huge table. The guests wait for a while but when the Host doesn't show, the Butler goes to fetch him. He returns a few moments later to reveal the Host is dead!

Everybody rushes to the Host's bedroom and the Ghostbusters are able to determine the old man was strangled. In addition, he'd likely been dead over 24 hours and that's too long for him to have personally invited the Ghostbusters just that morning. Scanning the room revealed PKE until a power surge caused a lot of their equipment to fail. It also made the lights flicker, the phones go dead, and fireplace roar. The attendees discovered the windows and doors to the outside were all suddenly locked shut. A few of the guests wondered if this weren't some con by the Ghostbusters but the Lawyer and Assistant confirmed their findings and noted they arrived last [others confirmed having seen the Ecto-1 drive up to the mansion]..

Re-assembling back in the dining room the Ghostbusters offered to help solve the Host's murder when the lights went out yet again. This time when the lights returned, not a moment later, the Nephew was dead, also murdered! Curiously, not the same way; the Nephew had been slabbed with a knife!

What followed was a mystery worthy of Hercule Poirot with numerous twists, turns, and everyone a suspect! In addition, the Host's Ghost appeared to aid the Ghostbusters in finding the killer, though his ability to do so was hampered by bouts of supernatural exhaustion. The Ghost was notably adept at switching between a Phantasm/Vapor (largely intangible) and an Undead/Corporeal state (physically solid, more like a Zombie) by absorbing energy around him (hence the failure of the lights, phone, the Ghostbusters equipment, etc.). His power to do this was taxing and limited so he couldn't give us all the insights he had without draining himself considerably (or so it seemed). 

In the end it turned out the Nephew killed his uncle the Host and the Host, in Zombie Ghost form, killed the Nephew and then turned back to his less substantial state and passed through a wall while the lights were out. All the time he appeared to be assisting in our investigation he was actually drawing us further and further from the truth. Unfortunately for him (though much to the delight of the GM) we noticed something was amiss and the more he did it the more we realized he had to be the guilty party (at least in part).

While we helped solve his murder, we did have to capture and incarcerate the Host Ghost for his crime of revenge. He agreed completely and said it would be an honor to be caught by the Ghostbusters (though he didn't make it easy). 

Highlights: Aside from the scenes I mentioned above in the synopsis, the one moment in the game that stands out in my memory was this unprepared, unplanned 'Who's on First' meets The Marx Brothers routine the team got into while discussing the mystery and the Host's role in it. We started to get suspicious that the Host's Ghost was not telling us everything he knew. Most of his words rang true...but definitely not everything.

So the Ghost, the Host's Ghost, did indeed boast the most exposed clues to post but always had ripostes when we asked that inmost truths be approached. 

This went on for a good five minutes.

Notes: To clarify, the Ghost assisted us in finding the clues and possible motivations for his killer, which in turn lead us to suspect the Nephew. When we arrived at that conclusion he said, "That can't be, can it? I mean...it makes sense but he himself was murdered."

Part of what made The Home Office game awesome is, as I've noted in the past, the fact that each GM brought a different feel to their sessions. It should also be said that the rotating Gamemaster also gave us a range of adventures types that one might not see with a single GM. If I had run all of the sessions it is highly unlikely we would've gotten an Agatha Christie style mystery. Especially back then I don't think I would have had this type of scenario in my repertoire. 

As I said before, Dave absolutely nailed the particulars of the 'Cozy Mystery' and in doing so brought an alternative way of looking at the Ghostbusters universe and how Ghostbuster characters interact with it.

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Real Wrath-Of-God Type Stuff

This post is very late and very long and I am very sorry.

Real LifeTM, especially in the form of my work schedule, has been particularly busy of late. I have so much I want to post, a lot of it Ghostbusters related, and I'm feeling more than a little bit frustrated by the fact that I am just getting to the first of these entries today.

Grrr. Anyway...onward.

Our original Ghostbusters campaign back in 1986 had some awesome adventures, largely thanks to our lead 'Ghostmaster' Joe and the amazing storytelling talents of my friend Dave. Will (of 'Champions: The Age of Champions' fame) and I ran a few each as well, with some gems and a few only OK sessions.  

What you'll find below is one of the best and most memorable scenarios we had, with more to follow in the coming days. Not all of them were perfect (namely mine) but many were amazing, literally among the greatest adventures I have been in as a player. I mean, how many campaign story-arcs do you remember 35+ years later?

The Case of The Cereal Killer Crunch

AKA: Ghost Toasties

Inspiration: This adventure was a revision of Ghost Toasties, the first published module for the WEG Ghostbusters RPG.

Gamemaster: Joseph Vitaliano Jr.

Synopsis: World renowned entrepreneur, explorer, and food industry magnate Jerome Westbrook III has announced a contest in association with his company's popular breakfast cereal, Flakey Jake's Golden Flakes; one of the millions of boxes contains a toy replica of The Crystal of Hagost, an ancient gem of supposedly mystical power that Westbrook discovered in a cave in Peru. Other boxes contain Red Leopard figurines, miniature Bolas, miniature Slings, and rocks carved with runes that can be decoded with a code key on the back of every box. Whomever finds the crystal (actually a remarkably well cut gemstone) wins a lifetime supply of Flakey Jake's Golden Flakes. Oh boy! Of course, something much more sinister was afoot. More evil than getting children to convince their families to buy sugary cereal just so they can win even more sugary cereal? Just you wait...

Soon after the announcement, supermarkets all over the USA were besieged by customers trying to find the winning box. Ghostbusters Franchises across the country became rather busy in the following days responding to pesky poltergeists who also seemed interested in the cereal. For unknown reasons, spooks started causing a royal ruckus in the isles of stores wherever Flakey Jake's Golden Flakes were sold. The GB Inc. community, coordinated by The Home Office, were able to find some clues that enabled the PCs to piece together what might be going on. Unfortunately, the team receives word that numerous grade school and middle school kids began acting strangely, obsessed with the toy surprises they have found and trying as hard as they could to meet up with each other and play [with the items] together. 

After dealing with all the weird goings on for nearly a week, The Home Office came to the realization that the Crystal of Hagost and the odd cereal prizes were all part of a ritual to return Hagost to the world. An agricultural god worshiped by a lost pre-Peruvian people, Hagost was connected to sugar cane, corn, and the ailments that come with consuming too much sucrose. The crystal hidden among the boxes of Golden Flakes wasn't a replica but the real deal! Jerome Westbrook III found it while exploring an area not far from Machu Picchu and the spirit of Hagost was able to possess him. Using Westbrook III, Hagost dispersed the components of his resurrection among his 'worshippers'; kids obsessed with sugary foods. 

The full ritual had all the kids with figurines possessed by the ghosts of Hagost's ancient temple guards, armed with the toy weapons which became real when they touched them. Then, those with the rune stones would assemble them into the proper order and positions for the words to a mystic chant to be read, translated through the decoder system on the back of the boxes. Finally, whomever found the Crystal of Hagost would stand in the center of it all to summon/be possessed by the full power of the deity. By the way, that someone turned out to be nine year old Jason Greer of Queens, NY.

In the final climactic scene, the ritual is performed at a press conference held at West End Foods Headquarters in New Jersey. Hagost manifests, using his powers to animate fiberglass statues of all the West End Cereal Mascots who then terrorized everyone present. The Ghostbusters HO gang  defeat those minions and damage the crystal as Hagost opens a gate to another dimension.

Within this other realm, which the Ghostbusters enter to chase Hagost, there is an ancient temple in the style of the indigenous peoples of Peru. A trap is triggered pouring sweetened corn flakes down on the heroes, threatening to drown them in frosted breakfast cereal. Using a combination of their unique personalities, skills, and specialized equipment The Home Office is able to separate the Crystal of Hagost from its young host and destroy it, banishing the Red Jaguar god back into the netherverse. Grabbing little Jason Greer, the team booked it back to the material plane before the gate collapsed.  

Hagost - Initial Incarnation

Highlights: Dave Nelson suggested the team try to locate the crystal before the general populace did, heading off the trouble before it started. The others agreed and tried to strategize the best way to do that. Meanwhile, Nelson took the initiative and a wad of petty cash and bought as many boxes of Flakey Jake's Golden Flakes as he could, got back to the Firehouse, and started eating. The rest of the team found out and, well, there was a lot of head shaking. 

Zimmerman delved deep into the 'lore' of the West End Foods cereal mascots, assuming their stories were influenced by the mythology and folklore of the original believers in Hagost. As it turned out, he was partially right! There were hints to the relationships between the various minions of Hagost in the relationships between the cereal characters. Stadler and Zimmerman were able to convince the haunted fiberglass Flakey Jake to side with the PCs and help against the big bad boss jaguar himself. 

There were a lot of tricks and traps at the end of the sessions big finale. It was as much about smarts as it was Ghostbusting talent and ability. We had to free the ghost possessed kids, grab and/or damage the crystal, fight the minions, and stop Hagost all while protecting the West End Foods employees, parents, etc. We really had to use every ounce of brains and brawn we had to win the day this time and it felt great. This victor was earned. 

Hagost - True Form

Notes: Joe based this scenario on the West End Games published module 'Ghost Toasties' but he modified it quite heavily. The major differences between the two versions are:

Joe's adventure was scarier and less silly then the official one as per his views on what makes for a good Ghostbusters game. He altered the names of a few things, replaced travel to a Candyland-like dimension with most of the danger happening here in our world, and made Hagost's minion ghosts less goofy in general.

Joseph also expanded the scope of the situation, with the nationwide contest resulting in nationwide paranormal problems. This allowed him to set up the world-building of the future of the Ghostbusters 1984 film continuity that our campaign takes place in.

Run early in the course of the original campaign, this adventure established the existence of other franchise offices in other cities and states (as well as a few in other countries). It further enforces the fact that our Ghostbusters continuity is different from that of movie canon but works perfectly well with the RPG and many of the GB fan clubs.

Our original campaign (as well as most of the Ghostbusters games I've run myself) featured very few high powered entities on the level of Gozer. Hagost was one of the rare ones.

Stay tuned for more adventures, adversaries old and new, and saying "Who you gonna call?" in Japanese!

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