RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 13

There hasn't been much Player Character death in my campaigns over the last 20-25 years. This is something I've mentioned a number of times before but I feel it's relevant to reiterate in a post about the 'most memorable character DEMISE' I can recall.

Even prior to 25 years it wasn't particularly common. The original reason for this was that I sought to emulate the genres I was running - Ghostbusters, Star Trek, Star Wars, Superhero Comic Books - and main character death in these settings didn't occur very often if at all. 

A second reason, which evolved over time, was that my players and I found it more fun to challenge the PCs and make their lives more interesting and difficult as opposed tp simply ending them. It could happen; a bad decision, a poorly executed plan, or underestimating a particularly formidable foe or obstacle could certainly bring about a character's final curtain call. Luckily, my players were clever, crafty, and we all understood what we were going for. Put a pin in that last part as it will be important soon enough. 

Something changed when I started playing with many of my current groups about 15 years ago and onward. While reason number one remained in place, reason number two wavered a bit. I realized the groups I was with played differently from my older ones and if I went full tilt, what would be considered a challenge to my ol' Art and Design High School buddies would surely, regularly, result in TPKs with my newer friends. 

To be clear, this is not because my newer gaming compatriots are inferior in any way to my prior players but rather because they lacked that intrinsic understanding of what I had in mind and my unfamiliarity with their playstyles. We weren't, and couldn't be, on the same page it took my old friends and I years to establish. 

Now we come full circle back to the initial prompt/question: What is the most memorable character DEMISE I can think of? Well, I've told tales of notable PC passings in the past and don't really have one that I am excited to discuss here so I will simply link to a few favorites.

Carlacc 'Junior' Acen - Star Wars

Gobo Pepperthorn - My very first PC - Basic Dungeons and Dragons

Jet 'Ohana' Kahele - Mekton II / Mobile Suit Gundam houserules

That should be good enough. I'm still really drained from being sick last week so please forgive me, this is about the best I can muster. 

See you tomorrow,

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Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 11

 

That's like asking Willy Wonka which of the confections he's created is the tastiest. How could one begin to choose?

I've run and played a lot of Weird games. A LOT. A lot of a lot. Picking one as 'The WEIRDEST' is just too difficult. Examples include...

Next...

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Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 10

 

Easy, none.

I don't have a favorite 'tie-in FICTION', unless you count the various Star Trek films and television series or the like as tie-in FICTION for Star Trek Adventures. Are DC and Marvel Comics tie-in FICTION for DC and Marvel or other Superhero RPGs?

Sorry, this feels like a very D&D player question. It just doesn't really apply to me.  

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Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 9

 

Ah yes, the kind of hard-hitting, deep thinking, challenging-the-status-quo type prompt I've come to expect from RPGaDay. Wait...no...the opposite of this. 

OK, so favorite die: The D6. The cube. The lowly, Six-Sider. Ta-da! 

That's it for tonight folks, you've been a great crowd! Please tip your droid before you go. Safe travels!

What? You want more?

Well...hmm...I don't really have more. 

I don't really share the typical dice fetish most gamers have. Sure, I like pretty dice as much as the next RPG fan but I don't really have a favorite set. I will often use my black D6s with the little white dots on them for space games like Star Wars or Traveller and I do love my custom ALIEN and Ghostbusters dice but I only use them for ALIEN and Ghostbusters. For most of the games I run and play, I just grab some dice from my collection and go. 

I will say, I prefer rolling real dice vs. using online die-rollers. I do use them, fairly regularly, but my preference is for the real deal. 

OK? We done?

Cool.

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Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 8

 

My previous response to the same question covered my favorite Player Character of my own creation. This time I'll talk about one of my favorite Non-Player Characters that I've come up with.

I considered discussing a favorite PC from one of my players over the years or NPCs another GM created but there are other blog challenge events where those might come up. Forgive me for indulging my own materials would you? Thank you. You're too kind.

OK, favorite NPC of mine. Here goes...

BARKLEY! 

Barkley is essentially the mascot character of this blog, the quintessential, literal interpretation of a 'Barking Alien'. He started life as an impromptu NPC created during the first session of what would come to be my one and only Galaxy Quest homebrew campaign way back in 1999.

Since then he's appeared as a Non-Player Character in different variations for games set in such universes as those of The Orville, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Traveller. He shows up on this blog from time to time as either the voice of reason when I go off ranting or he allows me an outlet to voice my opinions in an intense but humorous manner while 'Adam' remains calm and collected.

Lastly, Barkley's image is part of the logo for Barking Alien Productions and is seen quite often here on the blog in many alternative iterations to liven up the text of a a given post. 

So what makes him my favorite character? Well, that's tricky to explain, as no two versions of Barkley used in my games are exactly the same.

Traveller Barkley is a retired Vargr adventurer who claims to be a member of a 'rare sub-species' with green fur hailing from either deep within or far beyond the Extents depending on the day you ask him. His is a restaurant/bar owner, a collector of rare objects and information, and is a generally good natured fellow on the side of whomever or whatever most benefits the safety of himself, his business, and his space station home.

Star Wars Barkley owned and operated a landing bay and repair shop on the planet Gardine in a role akin to that of Peli Motto on The Mandalorian. This incarnation of Barkley was of an unknown species and seemed a bit more shifty than Traveller Barkley, though definitely less conniving than the original, Galaxy Quest Barkley. 

In each and every variation he tends to be clever, charming, a bit on the sly side, and usually self interested (at first at least). He is also shown to be good natured and willing to help others as long as it also helps (or at least doesn't harm) him. Over time, his true goodness always comes through even if he refuses to ever believe the universe doesn't revolve around him. 

Say the post is over Barkley.

"The post is over Barkley."

Thanks, pal.

"Your welcome. Now let's talk dinner. What are you making us?"

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Barking Alien