What's Fun for Me

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1. Journal of a Mixed Elf Mercenary Hero

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

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

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

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

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

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

#2. Diary of a Well Meaning Galactic Outlaw

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

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

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

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

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

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

Later,

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This Is The May - From Shadow Lords to Baby Yodas

Today in a galaxy far, far away...

It is May the 4th once more, or as I like to call it, 'Secular Star Wars Day'. 'Orthodox Star Wars Day' being May 25th of course, the actual day the first Star Wars film was released. 

Nonetheless, this is the day we Star Wars fans celebrate George Lucas' creation; a universe of strange aliens, clever droids, fantastic creatures, distant planets, and of course, The Force.

This year, there is a lot to celebrate too, as we currently have the animated series Maul: Shadow Lord and will be getting The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22th, the first Star Wars film in theaters in 7 years. 

As the date approached, I started to get an idea for a Star Wars RPG that leaned even more heavily into the cinematic, often over-the-top nature of things like the Star Was computer and video games, the animated series such as the current and awesome Maul: Shadow Lord, and one of my personal favorite projects, Star Wars Visions. 

A few weeks ago (roughly), I had the chance to play in a game of Outgunned, a rules-lite cinematic 'Action Film' RPG by a company called Two Little Mice. The one-shot was run, quite excellently, by my friend Nick, a member of my Wednesday evening group. I liked it, a lot, though I couldn't resist the desire to tweak and modify the game for an even greater potential. One thing I wanted to be able to do with it was adapt it to other genres and settings such as...hmmm.

The day after the game I started writing up some notes for an Outgunned powered Star Wars game. While the official supplements for Outgunned, Action Flicks and Action Flicks Vol. 2 respectively, each contain Star Wars-like setting options and additional rules for 'Star Raiders' and 'Star Knights', I decided to try building my version of Outgunned Star Wars from scratch. Sort of.

I did read through the Action Flicks homage versions and they did indeed inform some of my ideas and choices going into the project. I also used Twitter's Grok AI to see what different variations of my proposed adjustments would be like. In the end, I'm pretty happy with what I've got. It isn't a full-on new game by any means but rather a functional way of using a particular set of already established rules to run an already established setting. It's the work of a fan of two things hoping to merge them together. 

I'll be making a series of posts across the month of May - Star Wars Month! - detailing my ideas under the working title...

Happy May the Fourth and beware Revenge of the Fifth.

Remember, The Force will be with you, always.

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31 Questions For Barking Alien - Phase II - Question 2

This next question comes from my good friend Miguel de Rojas, who has come all the way from Spain to provide us with this inquiry! Via the internet that is.

In your Star Wars games, do you follow Legends or Disney's timeline? Or do you disregard both to to make your own? What are your feelings about the prequels and the sequels?

And finally, maybe worth splitting into a second question, do you have any favorite "obscure" Star Wars work, besides Visions?

This could get complicated but I'm going to try to keep it focused and trust in The Force.

All my Star Wars games follow the same basics rule:

First, Star Wars is a Fantasy Fairytale set in Space. It is not Science Fiction. 

Second, The Original Trilogy - Star Wars [Episode IV: A New Hope], The Empire Strikes Back [Episode V], Return of the Jedi [Episode VI] - happened. That is the only definitive absolute canon that matters. Everything else - EVERYTHING - is apocryphal after that in my mind.  

Many, though not all, of the materials from Star Wars The Roleplaying Game (Star Wars D6) by West End Games are part of my gaming headcanon and considered to exist within the universe of my campaigns. 

I generally ignore any and all 'Legends' material. Components may creep into my games here there but for the most part none of it exists within my Sta Wars RPG headcanon. 

I generally accept the events of the Prequels but mostly in broad strokes, preferring to be vague on the details and allowing for or ignoring them on a case by case basis. I was not a fan of the Prequels and I am still not. They are, unfortunately, a major touchstone for many people when thinking of Star Wars as a whole and so I allow for them. 

I generally accept the events of the Clone Wars Animated Series in a similar fashion, though I very much enjoyed the Clone Wars. 

I generally accept the events of the Star Wars: Rebels Animated Series as it is one of my favorite productions in the entire franchise. The one possible exception is the existance of Grand Admiral Thrawn, though I will address that further on.

I generally ignore the Sequels. I might use a species or technology (a BB Droid for example) but for the most part that entire era and all the characters involved are irrelevant to my games.  

I generally ignore Rogue One as I did not care for it and I feel it weakens the first Star Wars film. Elements of it are excepted but I don't use the film, its events, or its characters for the most part.

Star Wars: Resistance the Animated Series is generally ignored, although I may borrow ideas and elements from it. I initially really liked it but as it went on it became more and more meandering and eventually meaningless. As I don't care for the Sequels, this story set in the same era is of no use to me. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story is for the most part completely ignored. 

I generally accept the first two seasons of The Mandalorian as, again, I am a fan of that work and I feel it fits my style of play rather well. 

I generally ignore the Bad Batch Animated Series but will use elements from it here and there. I wasn't a big fan of the show. It started out kind of interesting but it ended up  wasting most of its potential and spent too much little time on its best characters and qualities. 

I accept Andor and that may sound strange considering how I feel about and treat Rogue One but the former was an incredibly well executed series with some of the most interesting characters in the setting. 

I largely ignored The High Republic publishing initiative and do no have a strong opinion on it one way or another. It has [had] very little if any impact on my games. 

I have not made a final decision on the Ahsoka series but I am leaning towards generally ignoring it. I might use aliens, devices, or other things from it but overall I did not like it very much and was extremely disappointed by its handling of the Rebels characters who are, as noted, among my absolute favorites. 

The Acolyte was not a thing. It didn't happen. You can go about your business. Move along. Move along. 

I generally accept Skeleton Crew, though I have yet to really utilize much from it in my campaigns. 

Finally, while I can appreciate his role in the Star Wars: Rebels series, the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn is one of my least favorite Star Wars things ever created. His very presence in a book, show, or other media immediately takes me out of it being 'real Star Wars'. While I will put up with him being there and not immediately write off the production he appears in, Thrawn, his species the Chiss, and most of the other particulars related to him do not exist in my Star Wars RPG headcanon. 

As for the second question/part of the inquiry...

I can't say I have a favorite 'obscure' Star Wars project or product. I have a number of things I've liked across the many decades of comic books, novels, video and computer games, etc. but no particular thing stands out as a favorite. I do have a soft spot for the Droids Animated Cartoon from 1985. I always found that series fun. 

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Blurry VISIONS

Star Wars: Visions is perhaps my all time favorite production to have come out of the 'Disney Era' of the franchise, even when not every entry is an absolute banger. This is because they experiment, take chances, do things differently, and don't worry about the $@^%ing canon. 

The newest iteration, Volume 3, is no different and yet it kind of is.

Having watched each of the episodes at least twice now, here are my thoughts...

WARNING: SPOILERS INCOMING

Switch all power to front deflector shields!

Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 returns to Japan for nine short form film/episodes that are not directly linked to each other, though all are set in the Star Wars universe of course. In fact, although adherence to canon isn't a major factor, this time out the series seems to feel the most traditionally 'Star Wars-y' so far. You've got familiar aliens, droids, X-Wings, and other bits and bobs that just say 'this is Star Wars' loud and clear.

One unique feature this time out is that we have several sequels to installments first seen in Volume 1. The Duel, The Ninth Jedi, and The Village Bridge all get continuations. This is great to see but it highlights one of the weaknesses of this Volume.

Volume 3 feels less fresh and new. With perhaps two exceptions, most of the entries this time around are not experimental, they're not taking chances, and they're really not doing things all that special or unique. This doesn't mean there aren't some really great pieces here but it feels safer, more packaged, and more what you might expect from 'Star Wars by Anime Artists'. 

I also feel that overall the music wasn't particularly great. Maybe it's my computer but on more than half of the episodes the music is too quiet, too low in volume (even after adjusting it), and generally comes off as something I either didn't notice at all or found just audible enough to be distracting at times. Your light years may very. I am not much of a music guy these days.

My final criticism is that while most of the entries are very good and I liked them, with none that I would consider truly bad in any way, it's equally true that none are so grand, so ground-breakingly amazing that I can say I've found my new favorite. They're all just really good, though some still better than others.

What follows are my opinions on each and what elements stand out to me for whatever reason. I am always looking at media through a Gamemaster's eye, so there may be some gamer talk but for the most part I'll save the RPG discussions for a separate post.

Title: The Duel: Payback (8.5/10)

Studio: Kamikaze Douga/ANIMA

Director: Takanobu Mizuno

Writer: Jumpei Mizusaki[

The first short film in the first volume of Visions was The Duel and I scored the original a 10 out of 10. It was incredible. It still is. It looked unlike anything we'd seen before, especially in the context of Star Wars - black and white with pops of strategically placed color, a rough, sketchy, almost unfinished illustration style, a familiar universe reinterperted as Feudal Era Japan, and a main character who was both the hero and a villain. 

Here we revisit that same world and as such, while possibly the best of the bunch this time out as well, it isn't something completely unexpected. It's more of the same, though the 'same' is really excellent. The new characters, the set pieces, and the fleshing out of the Ronin were welcome additions. Great imagery continues in the tradition of the first.

The music in this one was probably some of the best too, though at lot of it was derived from the films (particularly the Prequels I think). 

Title: The Song of Four Wings (8/10)

Studio: Project Studio Q

Director: Hiroyasu Kobayashi

Writer: Yoji Enokido

I'm just going to put this out there right up front; I really liked this one! I say it that way because I've looked about the internet and a lot of reviewers see this one as 'nothing special'. It seems a good number of Star Wars Youtubers didn't find The Song of Four Wings to be anything to write home to Coruscant about. 

I get that. At least I can see why some might feel that way but for me it was really fun. First, it was very Star Wars. It had a heroic Princess with a cool Astromech Droid riding a classic looking Speeder Bike across an Ice Planet to save a cute little alien from Snowtroopers and AT-ATs. C'mon! If you're a Star Wars fan, what is there not to love about that?

Simultaneously, it's VERY Japanese. Very Anime and Manga. It combines Star Wars with three major tropes of Japanese media culture; Mecha, Magical Girls, and Origami. No story with transforming Walkers, a plucky girl's droid becoming an X-Wing battle suit, a Force Sensitive, big-eyed furbunny, and traditinal Japanese paper cutting art could be anything less than awesome. 

The music here should have been better. It's OK but missing something. Crane's personal tune is kinda neat but since music is actually an element of the character, I would think Project Studio Q would've made it stand out a little more. The background music is likewise a bit lackluster. None of it sucks but none of it soars either.

It's probably a 7.5 episode but its an 8 to me. Perhaps not the best of the entries but definitely a personal favorite of mine.

Title: The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope (7.5/10)

Studio: Production IG

Director/Writer: Naoyoshi Shiotani

This was a good episode of a typical Anime Action Show but a slightly weak entry in not only the Star Wars: Visions series but as an installment of The Ninth Jedi as well.

One of my favorites from the original Visions Volume 1, the first incarnation of 'The Ninth Jedi' had an interesting take on the Star Wars setting, charming characters, and a very cool story twist. This one...doesn't have those things. The droid Teto that they introduce is very cute and cool but there is no twist and very little that advances the world-building of this far future(?) version of the familiar galaxy far, far away. It was both well done and somewhat disappointing.

Also the starship designs were...strange. I think they were going for a more futuristic Star Wars aesthetic but instead it looked more like knock-off Star Trek. As an Anime fan I expected a little more from Production IG.

Title: The Bounty Hunters (7/10)

Studio: WIT Studio

Director: Junichi Yamamoto

Writer: Hiroshi Seko

This is a tough one. I liked The Bounty Hunters but it wasn't all that much to speak of. A predictable story. Pretty standard villain. Good art if a little simple and solid enough animation. Like The Song of Four Wings, this one isn't shaking anyone to their core but damn if it wasn't fun. I liked the main character but thought the split personality droid was a really cool and clever idea and his look was neat. Additionally, I thought this was one of the few episodes this volume to feature cool ship designs. 

Title: Yuko's Treasure (7.5/10)

Studio: Kinema Citrus Co. 

Director: Junichi Yamamoto

Writer: Hiroshi Seko

Another very fun entry with a strong 1970s to early 1980s Anime feel. There was an era in Japanese Manga and Anime that saw stories of this type all the time. Classics like Doraemon, Dr. Slump, Magical Princess Minky Momo, and others feature many of the tropes you see in this episode: really young protagonists, a cute looking but surprisingly tough 'Pet' Robot, over-the-top masked villains and their goofy minions, and running gags like the one where the monster and villains repeatedly fall down a hole. Like Pokemon's Team Rocket blasting off to become a twinkle in the sky at the end of each episode of that show. 

This one was not only fun but I could definitely see this being an easy entry point into the Star Wars universe for many elementry school age children. While a tad silly and having a very child friendly art style, even adults can get a chuckle from this one and feel the timeless charm fused into it.

The ship shown at the end is pretty adorable and quite Star Wars appropriate so it gets a thumbs up. 

Title: The Lost Ones (8/10)

Studio: Kinema Citrus Co.

Director: Hitoshi Haga

Writer: Hitoshi Haga and Takahito Oonish

In Star Wars: Visions Volume 1 we got The Village Bridge, a very pretty episode with an intriguing setting and a character I really wanted to see more of, the female Jedi known only as 'F'. The Lost Ones sees her return, facing off against a cataclysm that drove people off their world and the return of her former master now turned to the Dark Side of The Force.

I liked this one, quite a bit, but I felt it had some of the same flaws as its predecessor. There is a story about a planet and its people as their was in The Village Bride but just like in that previous episode, it doesn't connect directly to F or her facing off against her ex-mentor. I mean, the two stories cross over each other and there are characters that connect the two during the episode but it just feels like she could have been anywhere else and the story might have progressed the same way. 

The Jedi Master turned Sith (maybe an Inquisitor?) and their ship comes looking for F, not the planet, the people, or anything else. So why tell us all about the plight of these folks? Again, its not that the two plots are completely disconnected but they're not intrinsically related either. 

I really like F. I'm not even sure why. There is just something about her. Cool design, a real survivor, and a good person at heart. I hope we see another outing of hers that deals more directly with what she does to survive in the Rebellion Era and how true she stays to herself.

Music good. Nothing especially stand out-ish but good. 

Title: The Smuggler (8/10)

Studio: Studio Trigger

Director/Writer: Masahiko Otsuka

A big fan of Studio Trigger I was hoping I'd like this one and I very much did. This one felt like a group of Player Characters doing the initial mission that forms their party. A smooth mix of classic Star Wars and modern Anime/Manga ideas the results in just the kind of short I imagine would result from a Star Wars Visions project.

The Smuggler appeals to me for the same reason The Bounty Hunters and The Song of Four Wings does. Nothing groundbreaking but a fine example of what you can do when you cross pollenate Japanese Anime tropes with those of Star Wars. 

The ships here are very Anime but they do reveal some Star Wars DNA in them, especially the bounty hunter fighters that show shades of TIE fighter on what is otherwise a 1990s Japanese Animation design. On the flipside, the Landspeeder in the episode is spot on Star Wars. 

Title: The Bird of Paradise (7.5/10)

Studio: Polygon Pictures

Director: Tadahiro Yoshihira

Writer: Tadahiro Yoshihira and Makoto Uezu

This one. Hmm. This one is tough to review.

Absolutely beautiful looking art, excellent animation, and a story that is quite intriguing thanks to the blending of Japanese spiritual beliefs with the Force. It makes for an atypical approach to the traditional Jedi vs Sith stories we're accustomed to. 

I can't emphasize enough that the visuals are just stunning. I was particularly fond of the Sith characters' design and the look of the Dark Side version of the main character. Unfortunately...

The drawbacks to this entry that prevent me from fully enjoying it are two fold: First, the female protagonist is quite pathetic and whiny for a good portion of the episode. The change toward a stronger and more positive attitude is very subtle at first, which could be a testament to good storytelling, but because I'd already grown to dislike her it was hard to me to notice or appreciate it. Second, we don't get to spend much time on each of the days of her journey of self-reflection and discovery. As a result and as noted before, the change from her being weak and bratty to being more centered seems abrupt, though it wasn't meant to. 

The episode also has a less than satisfying ending in my opinion. We never return to the battle that starts the story rolling and have not idea what became of the main character's Master, the Sith adversary, or her really cool droid, Daruma. We never get to see our heroine face the enemy after her 'rebirth' so we are told what she learned but don't see it in action. 

The music here, it works. It fits and does what it needs to do.

Title: BLACK (6.5/10)

Studio: David Production

Director/Writer: Shinya Ohira

If any of the shorts could be legitimately called disappointing it would be BLACK. 

Hailed as a masterpiece when it was shown at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France back in June, the buzz around this one was intense. A very different take on not only Star Wars but what could be done in animation, supposedly paired with a righteous jazz score reminiscent of Cowboy Beboy made it one of the most anticipated pieces in Vision Volume 3.

Problem is...it just doesn't work. At least not for me.

The imagery is chaotic, designed to show the madness of an Imperial Stormtrooper going through some sort of psychotic PSD episode. A very intriguing idea but one that becomes tiresome to watch as it runs on too long without any sort of narrative. I watched it twice but the second time I was more often listening to it than watching it. My eyes got tired of the random visual noise. 

The music, which I expected to really like as a fan of this kind of Jazz and of Cowboy Beboy, was sorely lacking. The vast majority of the episode's run you can barely hear it. The rest of the time it doesn't quite match with what is going on in the animation. The visuals and the score seem almost at odds instead of complimenting each other. 

It was cool that they went for it with this one, that they tried to do something really different but in the end it is definitely the short I enjoyed the least.

As you can see, not a single one of these was rated a 9 out of 10, let alone a 10/10. The guy who is a huge Star Wars and Anime fan didn't gush about how awesome any one of the entries were. Cool? Sure. Well done? Mostly yes. Amazing! Well, that's going a little far. 

If you haven't watched Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 yet and for some odd reason read this first, I would go with the advice of Major Partagaz from Andor and 'Calibrate your enthusiasm' before checking it out. 

That doesn't mean it was great to have another volume of VISIONS or that it didn't inspire some Star Wars TRPG ideas. I am still extremely excited for the upcoming The Ninth Jedi ongoing series and hopeful for a potential Volume 4. 

フォースとともにあらんことを

Fōsu to tomo ni aran koto wo

May The Force Be With You

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I'm Not Dead I'm Regenerating

Sorry for another long, quiet stretch but I've been working on...just so many things.

Trust me when I say there are a lot of new posts on the way, though it might still be some time before I get the first of them out. 

Real LifeTM and the actual doing of the things are eating up a lot of time and leaving me pretty exhausted. Add to that New York City's recent heat wave and in the words of the immortal Madeline Kahn, "Let's face it, I'm tired."

As far as what you can expect in the [hopefully] very near future: 

Daggerheart

I've played Daggerheart and - SPOILERS - I liked it! Whaaat? Yes! In fact, I enjoyed it enough to join in on an ongoing campaign of indeterminant length. I definitely want to talk about Daggerheart a little. 

Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research - Solo RPG Campaign

I have figured out Solo Roleplaying Games - or at least I have solidified my take on Solo Roleplaying Games - and I am having a lot of fun with it! I hope you'll join me for Ghostbusters: Ningytoshi Ghost Research, a Ghostbusters Solo campaign set in the (fictional) coastal city of Ningyotoshi, Japan using my GB flavored version of the Japanese TRPG Tokyo Ghost Research. 

私は幽霊を怖がらない!*

Smurfs

Great smurf in the smurf! I need to complete my recounting of our smurfy adventure/mini-campaign 'The Smurfs and The Palace of the Silver Princess'. I am sooo sorry to all my fellow Smurf adventurers out there that I've not finished this series of posts already. I've really smurfed the smurf on this one. 

I really want to get this done because the game will hopefully be out later this year and I'll want to start working on new ideas to add to it. I feel like I need to clean my plate before I start on the next course. 

Star Wars 

Skeleton Crew, Andor, and the upcoming VISIONS have inspired me to run a short Star Wars campaign with one of my groups. Additionally, and equally as importantly, the members of this group have never played the West End Games D6 System Star Wars RPG. What the Force? Right?! How crazy is that? I feel a deep need to remedy this situation.

Set during the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire (roughly Season One of Andor to Return of the Jedi), I am lucky enough to have gotten some truly classic Star Wars archtypes. We're looking at an Ace Pilot, a Bounty Hunter, an mysterious orphan Kid, and a Smuggler. 

I have some other thoughts - a lot actually - but they're still formulating, so that's it for now. 

Talk to you soon,

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*Watashi wa yūrei o kowagaranai or I'm not afraid of ghosts.

Calibrate Your Enthusiasm

Happy Orthodox Star Wars Day!

As I've noted in the past, while most fans - from casual to hardcore - celebrate Star Wars on May the 4th, the actual anniversary of the original film is today, May the 25th. Because of my deep love of Star Wars, I celebrate both. 

In honor of the this, I had some thoughts inspired by the newest installment in the franchise; 

We are twelve days out from the final episode of Andor Season 2. 

Overall, I really enjoyed and was incredibly impressed by the direction, writing, acting, and the production in general. It was an excellent story expertly told. I am not generally in favor of this flavor of Star Wars, preferring the more Pulp Sci-Fi Fantasy aspects of the franchise, but well done media is well done media.

A number of quirky ideas occurred to me at the end of the series that could potentially be used in a Star Wars TRPG and I figured I'd share them with the rest of the galaxy at large. 

WARNING: This post may contain Spoilers for the Second Season of the Disney Plus streaming series, Andor. Continuing on with this post may directly or indirectly impact your enjoyment of the series so it is highly recommended you watch Andor Season 2 before reading this.

Alright, Welcome to the Rebellion...

Base Building: Apartment Hunting

In the course of Season 2 we see several apartments in different sections of the mega-metropolitan sprawls of Coruscant, the city planet. Most notably I'm thinking about the hideout/safe house used by the agents of Luthen Rael (such as Cassian and Bix and later Kleya Marki) and the stark high rise abode of ISB Agent Dedra Meero. 

We've seen Coruscant a ton of times across many Star wars projects and all too often it's just a backdrop to whatever the characters are doing. Andor breathes life into the world-city, showing it as a place where people live and work in a fashion we've not really seen before. It shows the mundane, domestic side of Coruscant's massive skyscraping towers and makes the planet seem like a really real place to me for the very first time. 

It also had me imagining a 'party' of Star Wars Player Characters who fly their starship into Imperial blockades or to ruins Jedi temple ruins on a shallow ocean planet and then return home to their 175th floor duplex only to discover the Blue Milk went sour while they were gone. 

Maybe a few of the PCs can start out being roommates who share the rent of a loft on the mid-to-low levels. Maybe Experience/Character Points could be spent to deck out their place the way one might for improving their spacecraft. Perhaps Building Points could be used to do this, separate from XP, the way some other games do.

See my posts on Bases for other ideas. 

Character Concept: Control Droid

When the 'Stretcher Droid' appeared in Episode 10, the members of the Droid Fans facebook group I'm in went wild trying to find more information. As if they heard our plea, the official Star Wars website put an entry about it into its 'Databank' section. As it turns out, this isn't a Droid Stretcher so much as a standard Hover Stretcher with a spherical 'Control Droid' attached. 

This gave me a really great (IMO) idea for a PC or NPC. Imagine playing the Control Droid, carried around by one member of your adventuring group or another and connected to whatever they need to have operated remotely while they busy themselves with something else. I'd love to play this character!

Think about it - Attach my PC to a Hover Stretcher and now he's a self-guided gurney who can get an injured fellow PC to a doctor while the rest track down his attacker. Attach it to a 'Control Pit' in a Landspeeder and now he's a Droid Landspeeder like we saw in the very first episode of The Mandalorian. Need to load cargo onto your Light Freighter while under fire from Stormtroopers? Pop the ball shaped Droid into a Load Lifter and boom, it lifts your load so you can engage in the blaster shoot-out. 

I can think of so many ways to go personally wise! A Control Droid like Marvin from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy whose depressed by his lot in life and feels eternally put upon. An eager youngster who is super-enthusiastic about doing her part for the Rebellion! A self assured, almost boastful Droid who sees itself as a Jack-of-All-Trades, believing the team would be lost without it. 

So many possibilities!

Character Concept: Force Sensitives

One aspect of the original Star Wars RPG (West End Games, D6 System) that I feel is under appreciated is the way it handled 'Force Users'. The game was (initially and primarily) set during the Rebellion Era and put forth the idea that the Jedi were gone. That's 'cause they were. With only the Original Trilogy to go by, the game was 'loosely adamant' that the Jedi were all dead. At least to the point where you weren't one. 

You could be a wannabe, an aspiring one, or an adjacent Force User but not a capital 'J' Jedi. Templates in the First Edition included Alien Student of the Force, Failed Jedi, Minor Jedi, and Quixotic Jedi. Of particular note is the Minor Jedi, renamed Young Jedi in the later editions I believe, which has as the first of its 'Background' text: 'You'd like to call yourself a Jedi Knight but you are not, really.' The Jedi are all dead, at least the real ones, but you truly have a connection to the Force and with hope, effort, and the Will of the Force, maybe you can bring them back. Maybe you can be one.

In Andor Season 2 Episode 7 we meet an unnamed Force Sensitive woman who can heal, to some extent at least, who senses/foresees Cassian's destiny, and who clearly isn't on her way to battle Darth Vader and re-establish the Jedi Order. She is just a woman living in the galaxy and doing her part, however small. Yes she has a gift and while it's not flashy or spectacular, she's using it to fight the injustice of the Empire. 

This is the type of character that, while rarely seen in Star Wars live-action content (until recently that is), works perfectly in a Star Wars roleplaying game campaign. Next time you gear up to run or play a Star Wars game, particularly during the era of the Rebels vs. the Imperials, consider playing a Force User who only has a small set of abilities or even a single special power. Healing, Farseeing, Force Echoes (Psychometry), and Connection with Creatures are all good candidates for singular abilities that prove useful while adventuring throughout the Star Wars galaxy.

Scenario Hook: Galactic Antiquities, Artifacts, and Relics

When it comes time to include a MacGuffin in a Star Wars adventure, it isn't surprising most GMs turn to something of a Jedi or Sith nature. A legendary or rare Lightsaber or a Holocron with ancient secrets of the Force are both obvious and intriguing as items of significane in the Star Wars universe. Sure but what if those weren't the only objects from the distant past that had value in the present?

As evidenced by the Star Wars Comic Book character Doctor Aphra and Luthen Rael's shop, we can see that the wealthy and powerful in the galaxy are prone to seeking out and collecting various relics from the long history of outer space's starfaring societies. Be it a Nautolan Bleeder Knife, a Naboo Royal Headdress, or an ancient suit of Mandalorian Armor, these items are difficult and rare to come by and fetch a very high price on the galactic market. Finding and selling a Twi'lek Kalikori that dates back to the days of the Old Republic could easily fund a Rebel Cell for months or provide a Smuggler enough credits to pay off his debt to Jabba. 

Perhaps they have others potential purposes as well. Obtaining and returning said Kalikori to the Twi'lek people would definitely score you a positive reaction from the tribe from which is came, resulting in allies or at least a foot in the door in that direction. What if you come across the fabled Goonga-Doo Horn of the great Gungan King Doob Gon Gon and learn a high ranking Imperial is after it? Why does he want such an item and what secrets does it hold? Such items add a bit of Indiana Jones to your Star Wars and that might be a perfect change of pace for a great several session scenario. 

Hmm. Where did Luthen get all those artifacts anywhere? Maybe he hired your PC group to obtain them for him! You never know...

I think I may be posting more Star Wars content on and off in the near future. We'll see. I'm just gonna Trust My Feelings. 

May The Force Be WIth You,

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Barking Alien

A Fourth To Be Reckoned With

A very Happy Star Wars Day to all!

This has been a very interesting year for Star Wars fans, with the Star Wars Celebration fan convention of 2025 having taken place in Japan from April 18-20. While news from the show may not have been abundant, much of what was announced was intriguing to say the least. 

We got updates on the next two films, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter, as well as an announcement of the new Star Wars Animated Series Maul: Shadow Lord. Plus, there's Tales of the Underworld, a six episode limited series releasing, wait...Today! Nice!

 

What intrigued me the most, not surprisingly, was the information about Star Wars VISIONS Volume 3 and the introduction of Star Wars VISIONS Presents...

For those unfamiliar with this project, Star Wars Visions is an animated anthology series created and produced by a variety of international animation studios. Volume 1 featured studios that were all from Japan. Volume 2 had a world wide collection of animators from countries such as England, Chile, France, Ireland, and South Korea to name a few.

Volume 3 returns to Japan with 8 Studios and 9 Episodes including 3 that are continuations of characters and stories first seen in Volume 1! I am incredibly excited for this, especially the 'reoccurring VISIONS'.

Heheh. See what I did there?

Kamikaze Douga/ANIMA are returning to the black and white + a shock of color world of DUEL, featuring a Sith Ronin hunting other Sith in a galaxy heavily influenced by Japanese Samurai films. The new installment is called 'Payback' and looks to be easily as insane as the original. 

Production I.G., the venerable Anime studio behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Kaiju No. 8, brings back The Ninth Jedi, arguably the most popular episode of the first VISIONS. 'Child of Hope' is a sequel to the entry that so many found intriguing that...hold on. Not yet. I don't want to ruin the surprise.

 

The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope

Lastly, 'The Lost Ones' features the young female Jedi introduced in The Village Bride. While that a fine episode, it wasn't one of my favorites. That said, I absolutely thought the Jedi was cool and wanted to see more of her. Now we will thanks to the work of Kinema Citrus, Co. 

In addition to these follow-ups there are several brand new stories including:

• Yuko's Treasure - Another entry by Kinema Citrus, Co. 
• The Smuggler - By Studio TRIGGER (who do my beloved Delicious in Dungeon!).
• The Bounty Hunters - By WIT Studio
• The Song of Four Wings - By Project Studio Q
• The Bird of Paradise - Polygon Pictures
• Black - David Production

The first two VISIONS Volumes contain some of my all time favorite examples of Star Wars content. I absolutely love the mix of art styles, cultural elements, and creative alternate takes on that galaxy far, far away. Really looking forward to seeing what Volume 3 brings. 

As for Star Wars VISIONS Presents, it's a new Star Wars animation 'imprint' in which one of the stories from VISIONS is expanded beyond the original, beyond a sequel episode, and into a full one animated series! The first of these continues the story of The Ninth Jedi from Volume 1. So after this year's sequel 'Child of Hope', we'll get an entire season of stories set in this variation of the Star Wars universe. Honestly, this new blew me away. Can hardly wait for this!

 

Since you're on the Barking Alien blog you've probably figured out that a major factor in my desire to see this new anthology is that I'm hoping to incorporate components of Star Wars VISIONS Volume 3 (and its predecessors) into some far, far away gaming. I've been trying to figure out how best to merge elements of the Japanese TRPG 'Space Ship Story' with the awesome Star Wars D6 game by West End Games. 

And I think I've done it...

This and other Star Wars gaming thoughts coming soon. In the meantime go watch Tales from the Underworld, Andor Season 2, and as always May The Force Be With You!

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Barking Alien