Using Jungian Archetypes As A Way To Build Your Character

The early contributors to the modern art of psychology were really more philosophers than they were doctors in many respects. Because of this, most of the things they laid out as explanations for human behavior seem wildly off-base at best, and outright harmful at worst, mostly because of how far we've come since these initial explanations that are nearly a century old in some cases. While not really useful for modern therapists, however, the models and ideas they proposed can often be extremely useful to storytellers and players alike who might be having trouble getting a strong grip on their characters, and what their story is.

And if you're looking for a fun place to start, I recommend the 12 Jungian Archetypes.

As we enter the dark contemplation of the soul...

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

The 12 Archetypes (And Their Uses)

The idea behind the 12 Archetypes is that these are concepts that exist within the great collective unconscious of humanity. They are broad titles and ideas which, according to their inventor, provide insight into understanding the human psyche, and the challenges we face both inside and out. While this idea has long fallen by the wayside for medicinal purposes (right alongside cocaine being used to treat the ghosts in your blood), this idea can have several applications for your characters, and even your settings!

The 12 Archetypes of Jung are:

- The Innocent

- The Orphan

- The Hero

- The Caregiver

- The Explorer

- The Rebel

- The Lover

- The Creator

- The Jester

- The Sage

- The Magician

- The Ruler

This might put one in mind of ANOTHER tool that deals in archetypes and symbolism...

While a deeper description of the archetypes is listed in the link at the beginning of this post, the best way to think of them is kind of like a zodiac sign for a character. They represent a generalization, along with conflicts and struggles someone who fits this kind of concept might deal with, and the strengths and drives they might have. What can be even more fun, though, is that because there's 12 of them, you can roll 1d12 as a way to randomize part of what you want to do with your character's story, as well as their personality!

If you want to play a fighter, but you end up with the Creator, do they struggle with their skill in conflict? Do they hope to lay aside their sword one day, and to take up a life of carpentry, or another craft? Do they instead attempt to treat their weapon as an artist would a brush, developing a unique martial art, or perhaps weaving their own legend? Or do they seek mastery of strategy, creating entirely new ways of thinking about warfare? Does a wizard who winds up as the Ruler seek to solidify their grasp on power and authority through the arcane arts? Do they struggle with trust, or delegation to others, growing paranoid as they come ever closer to a seat of command? Or does the rule over mortals pale when compared to a rule over gods? Does the noble with a cold fortune and elite training fulfill the role of the Orphan, seeking to find (or perhaps to be) the family that was denied to them? Or do the challenges they face leave them as an outsider, despite their best attempts?

And if you're a Game Master who happens to be in the process of creating your world, consider using these 12 Archetypes as the basis for your cosmic pantheon. They make for great gods, and they can really get your brain churning regarding the types of divinities your players might serve... or even oppose! Making these Archetypes the names of constellations and actually turning them into the zodiac signs of your world is also a fun idea (especially if you're keeping a 12-month calendar), and this goes double if being born under certain signs does actually come with particular powers and blessings, as well as drawbacks.

Lastly, though, I have one for my World of Darkness players...

You summoned us?

If you're having trouble with a character's Nature and Demeanor, roll 2d12. The Archetypes work a treat for that system, and they're a great way to really stretch your creativity by seeing how these two randomly-selected broad generalizations come together, and coalesce into a single person. Especially when they seem contradictory, but truly aren't when you dig just a little bit beneath the skin.

Some More Recommended Reading Before You Go...

If this article caught your attention, I wanted to recommend a few supplements I've put out over the past few years that also might be of use to you! So if you've made it this far, consider picking up"

- 100 Questions To Ask About Your Characters

- 100 Character Goals and Motivations

- 100 Tips and Tricks For Being A Better Game Master

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

What Languages Does Your Character Speak (And How Has That Shaped Them)?

Languages have been an important facet of tabletop roleplaying games ever since the start of the hobby. After all, how many times has there been an inscription on a magic weapon, or a line in an eldricth tome, that offered a massive clue to the party if they could decipher it, and which set you up for a hard time if you couldn't?

The words Bree Yark come to mind, and for those who don't speak goblin, or aren't familiar with this incident, it shows exactly what it is I'm talking about.

However, the languages your character speaks is more than just a mechanical advantage or disadvantage... it also tells you a lot about them, and it helps make their story that much more interesting. Which is why you should examine this corner of your character sheet, and ask why it looks the way it does?

Fear not, friends, I can read this dread tome... though it may cost me my sanity.

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Language Expresses How You Experience The World

Which languages you can speak and write is a testament to where your character comes from, and the things they've done in their lives. For example, if a character speaks a language like draconic, that might mean they're trained in the magical arts if the language of dragons is the language used for spellbooks and magical scrolls. However, it could also mean the character was raised by a dragon, or in areas declared a protectorate of dragons, and thus needed to be able to communicate with wyrms. Or if they're a barister from a nation whose legal codes are written in the language of dragons, they might be very familiar with the language, even if they have no training in magic whatsoever.

They gave us our laws, and we honor them with the initial language they were written in.

While we typically think of languages as things you learn growing up, or things you learn in school, it's important to also consider that they're things you pick up in your travels. A wandering sellsword might speak one of the most common elven tongues simply because he traveled with an elven mercenary for a time, and he wanted them to have a shared tongue to communicate in privately. Did a bard learn one of the more common dwarven tongues so he could properly perform their drinking songs? Did your halfling favor a tiefling, and so he tried to learn infernal to impress them?

There are a dozen and more ways one might come to know a particular language, and the story of why your character knows a certain tongue can be an interesting facet of their history, and who they are. However, there is another aspect of language that is important to consider... how it shapes concepts your character knows, and the way they think! Consider the following line:

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue

Now, anyone who has looked at flowers knows that violets are, in fact, purple. However, at the time these words were written, we did not yet have the linguistic concept of purple in our lexicon. Or consider a language where the term of ultimate endearment roughly translates to, "This is the one I hate the least."

The languages your character knows give insight into the kinds of cultures they understand, and the way they see the world. As an example, there might be a saying that, "The orcs of the Cartoran Hills have a thousand words for enemies, but none for friends," might paint a picture of a society that is very focused on betrayal, grudges, and enmity, with the very idea that some people are deserving of trust or love to be a foreign concept. By contrast, you might find the language of a society of gnomes who grew without any kind of serious, armed conflict doesn't have a word for war because the very idea of war as a concept is something they haven't conceived of. One might also find that languages like infernal do not have words or concepts like freedom, because in the worldview of devils there are contracts and requirements, and all things one does is in service to their role in a greater, cosmic machine. None are truly free, because all are bound by obligations.

These sorts of things can all give interesting insights into concepts your character does or doesn't understand, and the way they view the world. It also gives you some idea of the customs they'll grasp, or the social aspects they should understand, so that you can add a little extra depth to your roleplaying!

Additional Recommended Reading!

If you found this week's entry thought provoking, consider picking up some of my character-centric supplements:

- 100 Questions To Ask About Your Characters

- 100 Character Goals and Motivations

- 100 Dark Secrets

- 100 Fantasy Professions (That Aren't Adventurer)

As always, all sales of my supplements put royalties in my pocket, so grab a copy for yourself, and if you like what you read, leave a review so I can keep writing more of these in the future!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

A "Chronicles of Darkness" Mortals Game, With a Twist!

I tend to give a lot of advice for Game Masters and Storytellers on my Monday posts. That wasn't what I originally intended this slot to be for, but it seems popular, so I try to go with the flow when it comes to what readers want to see more of. And as the holidays close in on us, and many of us are spending time with folks we may not get to see that often, I thought I'd share an idea for a Chronicles of Darkness chronicle that I had forever and a day ago, but which I've never had the time to actually run.

For ease of discussion, let's call it a Faces of Death campaign, as PCs dying is when things get interesting.

It might be hard to convince your players, but it may be worth the effort.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Worse Things Than Death Lurk in The Shadows

As a quick note before we get started, this strategy can be use for both World of Darkness games as well as New World of Darkness (or Chronicles 1st Edition, if you prefer) games. But for simplicity's sake, I'm just going to stick to discussing the one edition, and the options it presents you as a Storyteller.

Now then, on to the idea!

To begin with, have your players put together a group of mortal characters. I recommend keeping special abilities or powers (like one might find in Second Sight) off the table... initially, at least. You can even run this as an avatar game setup (where players make game versions of themselves) if you want to. That might add a little spice to the game once the twist comes, but it won't be for everyone.

So what's the twist, already?

There is no fixed plot for the initial game. Whether your players are private investigators looking into missing persons cases, or they're small time hoods just trying to make a living on the streets, or there's a bizarre, occult conspiracy that has sucked them all up, the initial plot is not what matters. What matters is what happens when one of the PCs dies, or appears to die.

At that moment, you invoke the shadows of the setting, and some supernatural force manifests to bring the character back as a member of one of the spheres of the other CoD lines.

Let's say, for example, that the gang was selling drugs in a vampire's territory. Shot full of holes, they're going to die... until a figure in black grabs them, and offers them a drink of their blood. Either becoming a ghoul, or a full-on newly-forged vampire, gives the character a new lease on life. Perhaps it's the vampire whose territory the gang was unknowingly operating in, or one of that vampire's rivals eager to turn the PCs into weapons in a territorial dispute, the reason is up to you. Alternatively, perhaps the danger, fear, and injury triggers one character's latent werewolf heritage, and they undergo their first change, healing rapidly from the wounds that should have killed them. The character might take a final level of damage, and collapse into a pile of leaves and twine, as it turns out they were a fetch the entire time, and now the player gets to re-make their character as a recently-escaped changeling. The dying mortal might hear the whispers of a Geist offering to keep them from shuffling off the mortal coil, or they might actually die, only to awaken as a recently-made Promethean whose memories of the past are... fragmentary, to say the least.

Maintaining Power Level, and Avoiding ST-Assisted Death

A Faces of Death game is, in short, a way for an ST to either slowly induct the party into a given sphere of the Chronicles of Darkness setting, or to create a troupe game with everyone finding their own way into one of the various game lines. Personally, I recommend using this for a troupe game, because I feel that it provides the most varied options, and it helps you find ways to maintain power level and challenge when it comes to the ongoing chronicle.

There's a lot in there, so let me unpack it.

First of all, let's discuss power dynamics. Because it's true that whoever it is that dies first is going to wind up with a leg up over the rest of the folks in the game in some ways. Whether they become a full-on supernatural creature, or they end up with a lesser template as a ghoul, an ensorcelled mortal, etc., they're going to have access to resources and abilities that the rest of the table may not have. However, to counter that, it's important to also provide additional complications and limitations that the rest of the table doesn't have to deal with (but which could act as additional plot fodder).

For example, let's say that one character did become a vampire. Now they have to follow the rules of the masquerade, and they have to do what they can to exist in the world of the night. They might have new powers they can use, such as moving faster or becoming stronger, but their powers shouldn't immediately fix problems presented in the chronicle. The mortal hacker, or the socialite with connections among the business community, are still going to be useful when it comes to investigating mysteries and solving crimes, even if the group's bruiser no longer has a pulse and has to drink blood, for example. Most importantly, though, one character becoming a vampire now means you can bring in the lore, enemies, and plots involving those monsters going forward. And every time you bring in a new creature or game line, the amount of stuff you can call on just gets bigger.

Additionally, as the game goes on, your players have to deal with the competing interests of the different factions they belong to, and they have to choose sides in what's happening. As an example, if one of the other party members becomes a changeling, does their assistance with someone else's vampire have political ramifications? Can the werewolf and the promethean still work together, or does the werewolf risk ostracization from their community if they don't destroy something that unnatural? What kind of political points can be scored by forging alliances, or toppling existing rulers? These are the sorts of opportunities a Faces of Death game can present, if you choose to pursue them.

What was that last part, though?

Once players realize that they get an upgrade when they die (assuming you didn't start the game off explaining this twist), it's possible that folks begin taking on suicidal acts hoping that this is the time they get their monster badge. It's important for you, as the ST, to discourage this behavior up-front by explaining that purposefully putting your character in danger for the hope of more power, rather than for story purposes or because of the roll of the dice, won't result in a positive outcome.

However, if someone's mortal character doesn't die, make it clear that they can still get their own upgrades so they don't feel like the token PC in the monster chronicle.

Characters who manage to outlive their compatriots might find themselves awakening as Mages simply from the constant exposure to all of the supernatural goings-on around them. They might end up becoming a part of a Hunter faction, gaining access to the gear, resources, etc., of those who bump off the things that go bump in the night. They could also combine the various boons that can be given to mortals, such as drinking blood from a vampire to become a ghoul, swearing an oath with a changeling to gain additional skills and power, etc. You can even break out books like Second Sight, granting them their own set of powers they can use to keep up with the rest of the table.

Final Recommendations and Challenges

A lot of the following pieces of advice are going to depend on your table, and your players. It's also going to depend how much they trust you. Generally speaking, though, these are areas you should address before you begin.

- Would your table react well to the twist being secret? Some players would think this was an awesome continuation of a character, while others might think this was a big manipulation. If you're not sure you can always err on the middle ground of telling your players there's going to be a twist, but asking if they want you to spoil it for them or not.

- Ensure that players are onboard with roleplaying the transformation and understanding of a monster's new life. Part of the fun of this change is seeing characters alter and adjust to their new life situation. How do they deal with their new urges, their altered perceptions on morality, or the new responsibilities they now have to deal with? Even if we, as players, know the mythos and the ins-and-outs of the monsters, playing them from the perspective of an established character who has to see it all with fresh eyes is part of the challenge.

- Ask yourself (if not your players directly) what kind of monster they would most enjoy playing (or which ones they definitely don't want to play). This is another that's going to vary by player and table. Part of the challenge of a Faces of Death game is that the specific monster the PCs end up becoming should vary by plot and circumstances. For example, if you're doing a vampire arc, then becoming a ghoul or a vampire is the most thematically-appropriate option. However, if you know a given player really doesn't care for vampires, and wouldn't enjoy playing one, then perhaps they're approached by a Geist that was a victim of that same kindred in the past. Maybe this is where their latent werewolf heritage comes out. Even if you want to give your players input on what kinds of monsters they'd like to become, consider a ranked-choice system, or a general template, but not giving them specifics. A player might pick "vampire" as their creature, but surprise them with the particular clan they're turned by, for example.

- Remember to include the mortal side of things, as well as the supernatural. As I said back in World of Darkness Storytellers, Don't Forget The Mortal Side of Things, but it bears repeating. All the supernatural wooge in the world does you no good if you have to blend in and mix with the normal folk in order to complete the plot, so keep that in mind when you're designing your challenges.

Additional Resources

Regular readers know I've been making WoD/CoD content for a while now, and I've got an RPG pin board with the 30+ supplements I've made for Werewolf, Vampire, and Changeling. However, some supplements that will be most useful for populating a Faces of Death Game include:

- Deadly Country: 100 NPCs of Central Florida: While this one is location-specific, the characters can easily be shifted to most other parts of the country, as the Storyteller needs.

- 100 Ensorcelled Mortals: A Changeling: The Lost supplement, this one is quite useful if you want at least one member of your chronicle to have a brush with the world of the fae.

- New World Shadows: 100 Ghouls For The American Sabbat and New World Nights: 100 Ghouls For The American Camarilla: While originally written for Vampire: The Masquerade, these NPCs can be easily shifted and re-imagined for whatever edition of the setting you happen to be using.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Fighting Systems is Harder (And More Satisfying) Than Fighting Individuals

Most of the time when you're in a campaign you typically have a Big Bad that your efforts are bent toward destroying. Whether it's the lich king at the head of their armies, the mad mage at the center of the dungeon, or the dragon that has declared themselves the tyrant of the region, it feels like there's always a singular threat that needs to be dealt with. If you depose the leader, slay the head of the cult, etc., then all will be well again, mission accomplished.

And sure, there's a certain amount of fun and escapism in that framework. However, it does start to feel contrived after a while. Which is why I wanted to take this week to talk about something several GMs of mine have done, and which I'd highly recommend others consider in their games.

Instead of fighting individuals, have your party oppose a system. Because fighting a system is a lot harder to do.

Ahem.

For those who are curious, yes, my group did recently start playing Hell's Rebels, and that's at least partially why this particular topic is on my mind.

As always, if you want to stay on top of all my releases, make sure you sign up for my weekly newsletter. And if you want to help me keep the wheels turning so I can keep putting out content just like this, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

It Is Astonishingly Hard to Kill an Idea

When it comes to battles in our campaigns, the physical ones are always the easiest ones to win. If there is a local bandit gang preying on the highways, or a cult stealing people in the night, what's the solution? You send in a group of adventurers, and they will break up the problem. Once heads have been knocked, and potential prisoners taken, the threat is over...

Or is it?

Who can say for certain?

While an individual bandit gang might be disrupted or broken up, if those bandits existed because there weren't enough legitimate ways for individuals to earn a living to care for their families, there will be fresh bandits sooner rather than later. If the cult is slain, then they might become martyrs to other believers who didn't put on the robes and lead rites, but who might now feel they must follow in the footsteps of those who went before them.

The root causes that led to the situation in the first place were not fixed. It was not created by any singular individual, and so it cannot be solved by dealing with that singular individual. Which gives our protagonists a very different kind of challenge to face.

And it has been refreshing as hell every time it's come up.

This Isn't System Specific, Either

For those who've read my group's journey through the Mummy's Mask adventure path (and if you haven't, start at the beginning), my GM embraced this idea whole heartedly. Because the Cult of the Forgotten Pharaoh was centered around an individual, that's true, but it was not the Forgotten Pharaoh themselves that gave it power. It was what the cult could do, what it could offer, how it wormed itself into the society of Osirion, and how it got into the minds of the populace through fear, nationalism, greed, and more.

While the party was instrumental in fighting against the cult's ground forces, and while it did remove several of its major players from the board, they did not slay this idea all on their own. They had to recruit allies, reform enemies who realized they'd been duped by the cult, and they had to fight a war of propaganda over the hearts and minds of the public in order to instill bravery and tell the truth about many of the cult's lies.

It was one of the more engaging experiences my table got, especially when one considers how linear adventure paths can often be.

Don't worry, I have negative examples, too.

On the other end of things, though, there are a lot of games that are designed with systems and ideas as the enemy, but where the individuals running the game focus too much on the "Great Man" that's responsible for everything. A majority of my experience with World/Chonicles of Darkness games suffer from this tunnel vision. The corrupt CEO who's responsible for all the pollution in a region in Werewolf: The Apocalypse, for instance, or a vampire who acts as the nexus of all evil in a given territory that can simply be slain to purify everything, and so on, and so forth. When it's far more likely that taking out one vampire means another will take their place, or removing one company means another two will compete for the market (possible even a few entries from Evil Incorporated: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries for those looking for inspiration).

Perhaps the best example I can think of is a Changeling: The Lost game where the storyteller's entire focus was treating a single True Fae (the demigod alien creatures that steal people away to Arcadia) as the BBEG of a particular conflict. Not just in the sense that their attention and malice had fallen on the freehold, but that they were actively involved in an arms race, and they were going to march on the gathered changelings to fight them... for reasons?

While I am all for deadly punch ups with magical wooge and fae nonsense, this entire plot arc was a classic case of making the plot all about an individual rather than a system, an idea, or something more difficult to combat. Because this True Fae didn't have any sort of persuasive rhetoric on their side that turned people against the freehold. They weren't riding some populist wave of anti-changeling sentiment among the hobgoblin community, and the army they had seemed to be made up mostly of nameless, faceless NPCs who had no personality, no driving goals, and no real purpose other than to act as cannon fodder. They couldn't be reasoned with, persuaded to change sides, or even spoken to aside from shouting across a battlefield.

This plot spiraled out of control, eventually getting so messy and frustrating that it culminated in a single, massive, completely unsatisfying battle. A battle that, once it was resolved, left no mark on the game's landscape, achieved nothing, satisfied no one, and was more or less forgotten about within a month. In fact, even trying to recall the details of it right now is a difficult exercise as it just faded into so many other fantastic battles that were waged more because the person running the game felt there should be a Protagonist V. Antagonist throw down rather than because it was a genuine, organic development of the plot and its themes, or that it would achieve anything tense or meaningful.

Also, speaking of Lost, if you haven't checked out my supplements for that game yet, give them a look!

- 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments to Find in The Hedge

- 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings

Win Hearts and Minds to Forge Your Legend

Memorable villains and satisfying victories are tough things to achieve. But this is a topic I've been thinking about long and hard even since I got to work on Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (available for Pathfinder and DND 5E) for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting. Because in a setting where there is no alignment, and everyone is left to decide right and wrong for themselves, you won't find evil waiting in black robes and wielding blood-dripping daggers making sacrifices to demon lords. You find it in the indifference of the common people to oppression. You find it in the greed of the powerful. You find it in unfariness, and brutality, and myths that treating other people with violence makes you tough, or strong, or righteous.

And fighting ideas like that takes more than steel and spells.

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? Or do you have your own story you'd like to share with folks?

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I help out from time to time. Or, to check out books like my hard-boiled cat noir novel Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

"Small GM Energy" Can Be a Problem For Your Game

Tabletop RPGs are supposed to be filled with the wondrous and the fantastical. Whether you're playing denizens of the night, lurking in the shadows of the modern day and feeding from the blood of mortals, or a party of great heroes standing against the undead tides of the necromancer lord Zar-Nathas, we're all fond of saying that the only limitations for our games are our imaginations.

I would personally recommend that more game masters out there embrace that spirit! Because far too many folks fight their players tooth and nail to try to make their games as small as possible, and I have rarely seen anything stifle player interest and creativity as thoroughly as those efforts.

Go on... let it out already!

For folks who don't want to miss out on any of my upcoming releases and news, make sure that you subscribe to my weekly newsletter! Additionally, if you want to help me keep doing what I'm doing, consider become a Patreon patron today! Or if you're just looking for something fun to add to your table, you might want to take a look at 10 Fantasy Villages, or my supplement for Ironfire, the first city in my new fantasy setting available for both Pathfinder and DND 5th Edition!

What I Do (And Don't) Mean About "Small" Games

To eliminate confusion, I'm going to talk about what I do and don't mean regarding what a "small" game is. Because I'm sure there are some GMs out there who think I'm talking about giving their players powerful magic items, letting them have high-level characters, or giving them expansive resources (servants, castles, mercenary companies, etc.) just because the players want it, and it fits their backstories.

But I'm not talking about any of that.

When I say that too many GMs put in white-knuckled effort to keep their games small, I mean that they restrict as many starting options as they can in order to fit everything within narrow boxes. I'm talking about GMs who will tell you that elves can't be barbarians, that orcs and half-orcs can't be nobles, and that drow, tengu, or tieflings are right out because they, "Don't want to deal with them." These are the GMs who, even though they're running modern games, will re-write the rules to discourage use of firearms so that players either won't (or effectively can't) use them. The GMs who, even if the setting is strange, bizarre, and fantastical, want to limit as much stuff as they can so the players only have a handful of real choices when it comes to making their characters and telling their stories.

But why, you may ask?

Academically, I understand why some GMs do this. Generally speaking there are two reasons:

- They want to exert some sort of control on the toolbox that players have available to them. They might be prepared for barbarians, wizards, and sorcerers, but they don't also want to have to deal with psionic nonsense that follows its own rules, a character race that's highly resistant to certain abilities, etc.

- They want to control what kind of story is being told, and what sort of elements are present in it.

For the record, the second one is a way bigger problem, and a far more common reason that this happens in my experience.

You Can Change The Game (But Your Players Need To Know)

The rule most people cite here is that we can all change the rules of any game we want to as long as it gears it toward the experience we want to have. And I am totally in favor of doing this... what most people seem to leave out, though, is that if a GM is going to change the rules or the setting, that needs to be done with the informed consent of their players for it to be fair.

And there should be a conversation around it... especially if this is going to be a problem for your game going forward.

Everybody's got deal breakers.

As an example, if you want to run a Pathfinder game in the core setting of Golarion without black powder, guns, gunslingers, or any of the weird tech that exists in that core setting, then you need to tell your players about this change up-front. This is especially true if there is no canonical reason for the change to happen in setting, such as rewinding the timeline so the gunworks in Alkenstar hasn't been built yet, so of course there aren't widespread firearms. You can limit the race and class choices if you want to, and even declare certain feats and spells are off-limits. You can state that elves are no longer aliens, that gnomes are not fey creatures, or anything else that you want.

What you might find, however, is that your players are a lot less enthusiastic about your game if you do that. It's even possible they'll decide to walk away, and wait for a game that allows them full access to the breadth of options in the published material rather than play with options they want grayed-out.

So the next time you go to make a change in your game, stop and ask yourself whether it broadens the options players have available to them, or if it shrinks them. Because I can tell you this right now... if you let your players have the toys they want, and if you let them really go for it when it comes to their characters, you will never have to chase them down to ask if they're coming to game. They will be there, ready to roll, and eager to play because you worked with them to help provide the experience they wanted.

And sometimes that's worth a little extra planning, or a slightly convoluted explanation on your part as the game master.

Also, for additional reading, consider some of the following:

- Too Many Game Masters Are Just Itching To Say "No"

- Game Masters, Make Sure You Run The Setting Everyone Agreed To

- Game Masters, Goal-Oriented Players Need Challenges (Or They'll Eat The Setting)

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Reincarnated

The forest looked different through her new eyes. The edges were softer, fuzzier, but the shadows were non-existent. The smells had changed as well; the familiar scents brought into such clarity that they were nearly overwhelming. Her hands were thicker, her feet heavier, and her former grace had deserted her. It had taken some getting used to, but she was adjusting, and working the old skills back into her new muscles.

 

A twig snapped, and in a fluid motion she turned and raised her bow, twin arrows nocked. Three of the border wardens stood in the branches, their own bows in hand, staring down at her with the blank expressions of executioners.

 

"Avoril, Shentar," she said, nodding at them. "It is good to see you."

 

The forest wardens' eyes twitched, but they betrayed no other surprise.

 

"How do you know our names, grayskin?" Avoril demanded.

 

"When last our paths crossed, you told me I had the most beautiful eyes in the forest," she said, baring her now much-larger teeth. "You clasped my hand, and told me to be safe. And I told you I would return, one way or another."

 

"Isandra?" Avoril said, her name a whisper. His aim shook, and he lowered the yew, staring at her.

 

"Though I may not look it," she said, slowly letting the tension off her own bowstring. "There is much to tell. I would prefer to do it without another death staring at me, if you would oblige?"

 

It is quite a tale.

Shedding Your Skin

Death is not the end in most of our fantasy games, but when most of us think of characters who have died and been brought back, we tend to think of a resurrection spell. Characters who have been brought back that way fall into The Returned... but the Reincarnated come with their own unique challenges and benefits.

For those who've never had a character subjected to the spell, reincarnation creates a fresh, young adult body for the subject. However, what race that body is will often vary quite widely, which can lead to some... interesting new perspectives.

Please be an elf... please be an elf...

The difficulty with using reincarnation as a way to resurrect a character is that if you wind up with a vastly different race, it might screw up what your character was built to do. A dexterous archer might find themselves trapped in a clumsy body that can no longer use the delicate weapons they once did. A potent sorcerer might find the creature they rise as no longer possesses the same force of personality they did in their old self. And so on, and so forth.

As a storytelling mechanic, however, a reincarnation spell can be a godsend. Particularly if you're looking to play out a particularly unusual tale in an unfamiliar skin.

For example, how would an elf who'd fought orcs for nearly a century react to suddenly finding themselves encased in their gray skin? What lessons would they learn seeing their "enemy" with their guard down, or experiencing the sort of treatment they once participated in from the other side of the coin? How would a goblin, who was held as suspicious and dangerous, react to people suddenly ignoring them because they were resurrected as a halfling? How would they react to losing their darkvision, or no longer being able to eat many of the things they once enjoyed? Would their sense of smell be different? Their sense of hearing? The list goes on and on.

The other useful thing you can do with a character who's been reincarnated is that it allows you to play certain races without the baggage that may normally come with someone raised in particular parts of the world, or who has been part of a certain community. For example, if you wanted to play a goblin, a bugbear, a gnoll, a lizardfolk, a kobold, or even a troglodyte (and that's just off the basic list of potential races), you could have begun life as someone else before dying heroically and being reincarnated as thanks for their service. Maybe someone who was born sickly made a bargain with a spellcaster, asking only for a new chance at a fresh life, and they got what they asked for in a way they didn't expect when the 90-pound human arose as a 300-pound bugbear. There's all sorts of possible story arcs you can play with, here!

And for those who want to have a Dr. Who-ish aspect to their characters, the Reincarnated Druid out of Ultimate Magic allows you to reincarnate over and over again as a class feature, making it particularly difficult to keep you dead for any real length of time.

On that note, you may want to check out my 5 Tips For Playing Better Druids before you take that archetype for a spin. And, as always, if you haven't signed up for my newsletter yet, please take a few moments to do that today!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Unique Currencies Can Add A Lot To Your Game World

Hargrave sat nervously at the table in the rear of the tavern. He'd been told to wait, and wait he had, nursing a tarred jack of sour wine and trying not to grimace. When the man in the black hood entered, Hargrave pretended not to notice him. The man didn't speak, but Hargrave told him what he'd seen in a low whisper. When he'd told everything he knew, the man nodded, stood, and went the way he'd come. Sitting on the scarred tabletop, gleaming dully in the firelight, was a single, thick coin. Heavy as only gold was heavy, Hargrave saw the profile of an old man in a tall hat, and smiled.

Golden bishops were rare in this quarter, and now that he had one, he could afford to drink something a little sweeter than this cup of vinegar.

A Gilded Wraith? Friend, I'd sell you both my sisters, if you had one of those to pay.

What's Currency Like In Your Setting?

Most fantasy games out there use a pretty familiar system of metal coding to determine the value of a currency; copper, silver, and gold. Sometimes you use platinum for something even more valuable than gold, and sometimes you throw in weird metals like electrum, but those Olympic metals are the baseline for most in-game currency. And why not? They're easy to remember, and they happen to correspond to a system we're all pretty familiar with.

But if you've been looking for a way to add a touch more detail to your world, consider adding a few details to the money your players see, handle, and spend.

A golden mother? Where did you say you were from again, stranger?

Every kingdom and country is going to have their own, unique currency, even if they're made of the same material and have roughly equivalent values. After all, gold is gold, and you can still buy a fresh sword and new armor with it no matter how old it is. But can the money in someone's pocket give you clues about who they are? Or tip you off about something you should have noticed?

For example, say your party has just been given a job, and were paid up-front to take care of a small matter. Some might just tuck the coins away sight unseen, but one party member might notice the coins are stamped with a peacock and an elephant. Not only are these coins from far away, they also come from the nation this country is currently embroiled in a cold war with. While it will spend just as well as any other gold, it might draw suspicion, and get you marked as enemy agents. It might also tip the party off that their employer is either very far-traveled, or may be embroiled in deeper affairs than they can see.

Alternatively, say that you see someone paying for services with very old coins. Not just decades, but centuries old. Gold is still gold, but that minting date, the stamp, and the wear indicates that these coins likely came from a treasure hoard, rather than from daily labor. Where did it come from? An old pot dug up from a field that is unknowingly atop an ancient ruin? Found in the shallows, washed up from the sea? Or is this person a strange, fey creature in disguise who doesn't know that this gold is suspicious to those looking for such details?

You don't have to change up the money people are using by switching from copper, silver, and gold to magic gems, or trading the bones of particular beasts (though feel free to do that if you want to). You just need to fill in the details of what makes the coins from one place different from the coins from somewhere else.

Themes, Appearance, and Style

The other day I was browsing, and saw a conversation about currency. One of the suggestions was to make coins based off of chess pieces... and that is a perfect example of how you can craft a small detail that immediately makes your setting feel that much more real.

Coppers are called pawns, while a five-piece would be a rook. Silver knights are worth ten pawns each, and golden bishops are the most expensive currency most are likely to see in their lives. Platinum queens might be carried by the very rich, while a king is less of a coin, and more a measure of wealth used to pay bills by governments, and families of extreme wealth. The kind of money you'd use to cover an army of 10,000 soldiers, or to pay a debt for that season's grain purchase.

You could even use the coins as pieces, gambling with them in a game of strategy... long as you have a king stand-in.

Those coins immediately give this nation a personality, and allow you to start making flavorful associations.  It also uses a system that's simple to learn, and if you want to have some extra fun, you can use physical chess pieces as a way to keep track of bennies in your game. More about how that might work in If You Haven't Tried A Bennies System, You Should Give It A Shot.

There are all sorts of hierarchies you could use to tie your currency to the themes of a given country to make their money feel more unique. You might have a system based on animals, with gilded lions at the top, and copper hares at the bottom. You could have coins that look more like poker chips, with the suits just as important as the metal in determining their worth in the Four-Winds Nation. You could even have coins that feature monsters, gods, and heroes if you want to put a little lore into each transaction, or give players a hint that certain coins are out-of-the-ordinary, and might be a clue to something deeper.

And that's before you even get into strange and unique coins, like the Coin of The Realm, which legally excuses the bearer of any crime short of regicide, and is detailed in the supplement A Baker's Dozen of Rumours (And The Truth Behind Them) from Azukail Games.

It's Just One More Option

Since I know there will be some DMs out there who feel this is somehow calling them out for not paying attention to which imaginary figures have their imaginary portraits stamped on imaginary coins that only exist as a metric for who can buy the most powerful imaginary stuff, let me be clear. If you have no interest in putting extra detail into the coins, gems, or other currency your party comes across, that's fine. You aren't committing some grievous sin of world building.

However, it is one more aspect of the world that you can use to get information to your players, and to make the world they're in feel that much more unique.

That's all for this Fluff installment. Hopefully it got a few gears turning out there! If you'd like to see more of my work then head over to my Vocal archive, or click my Gamers page just to see my tabletop stuff. You should also check out Dungeon Keeper Radio, a YouTube channel where I get together with other gamers to make videos for dungeon masters and players alike.

To stay on top of all my releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. If you'd like to support me, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or going to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron. Lastly, if you'd like to get your hands on some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, you should head over to My Amazon Author Page!