I wanted to open this week's Moon Pope Monday post off with a disclaimer. Alice is my partner, and she publishes most of her RPG content through Azukail Games, which is the same publisher I work with for a great deal of my supplements. However, over the past several years these Monday posts have become a place where I like to shout out fellow creators who need eyes on their work, and who are having a tough time reaching an audience who needs what they're creating.
And if I didn't think Alice's work wasn't great I wouldn't be telling all of you to go check it out. All right? All right. Let's get into it!
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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!
So Who Is Alice (And What Does She Make)?
For folks who've never seen Alice's name before, she's an author, a Twitch streamer, and a YouTuber. She's got over 30 titles published for her fiction (I'm biased, but I'd absolutely recommend Succumb to Darknessfor folks who like gothic vampires and the French Revolution), and you can check out her channels KHR Arts where she primarily hosts her cozy gaming streams, and Alice The Author where she gives folks a peek behind the curtain and explains the business side of being an author.
And as if all of that wasn't enough, she's making a comeback to RPGs in the near future!
You know, in the COPIOUS amounts of free time she had...
While she's got a laundry list of fresh supplements she's currently working on (I don't want to spoil too much before they're ready), I did want to give her previous work a shout-out, and encourage folks to go grab copies of it for their tables. Because she puts a lot of thought and craft into her supplements, and it's hard as hell to reach an audience these days.
So, check out the following if you haven't yet!
- 100 Stat Boost Potion Recipes: Her longest, most intricate title, this alchemical recipe book goes deeper than more RPGs need... but it is great for inspiration, worldbuilding, and just plain fun!
- 100 Dangerous Plants: Alice's bestselling title, which reached Electrum a while back, this is another great thing for GMs to make their worlds (and encounters) a bit more fun!
- 100 Witches: An NPC list that covers witches of all sorts and stripes, there's inspiration for allies, antagonists, and everything in between in this one!
- 100 Flowers and Trees Sure To Boost Your Stats: A perfect companion to the first entry on this list, this supplement is also a less-expensive title if the price tag of the potion recipes makes you balk a bit.
- 100 Avian Beasts: The odd duck out, pun very much intended, this one hit Copper status, but has had trouble climbing higher. I'd recommend checking it out if you're in the market for some inspiration for your bestiary.
That's all that Alice has available for RPG supplements for the time being, but since I have your attention, consider subscribing to her channels, and watching some of her videos. She's been battling the algorithm on YouTube forever, and it would be a huge boon if she could get one (or both) of her channels monetized. And, best of all, the only thing you have to do in order to make that happen is to click a button!
We're all about supporting one another in this community, so please, check out some of Alice's work and help her keep her bills paid while she works on getting some fresh content to the presses!
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!
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!
There is a fear I have seen among a lot of writers out there. In short, it's a desire to make something genuinely new and different the no one has seen before, which is driven by a fear that someone will accuse their work of being derivative, or of simply being too similar to other stories that have been told before. And, for some reason, this fear seems to affect Game Masters (particularly newer Game Masters) to an even greater extent. They worry their players will guess their twists, figure out their inspirations, or that once they get a bit of insight they'll be completely uninterested in the game because it won't be new or fresh anymore.
Now, I don't often turn to the bible in situations like this. Not my faith, not my book. With that said, though, I'd recommend Ecclesiates 1:9 for advice. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
I'll be damned... it's right in the book.
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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!
Seriously, Just Embrace It!
There are a lot of Game Masters who likely laughed, shook their heads, or rolled their eyes at the introductory paragraphs. I've lost count of the number of people who are all too happy to list the books, movies, and even other RPG settings they've stolen their ideas from, talking about the various NPCs, locales, and plot arcs they've snagged from other places to make their own Frankenstein creatures to serve up to their players.
And in some cases the GM had wider, deeper, or older tastes than the players, so nobody realized the campaign, world, etc. wasn't spun entirely out of whole cloth. However, most of the time realizing that a Game Master took inspiration from a particular property (or even an entire part of history, for those who know that Game of Thrones is based on the War of The Roses) doesn't ruin the experience for the players... because it's not about being utterly and completely unique in a way that no one has ever done things before. It's about providing your players an experience that's unique to them and which has your signature style on it.
Put another way, think of your campaign as a grilled cheese. Everyone knows what a grilled cheese is, and everyone has probably had them dozens of different ways over their lifetime. Now, you might make yours in a slightly different way that some people (maybe your cheese is spicy, maybe you use mayo instead of butter to ensure the bread is toasty, perhaps you like to put bacon bits in it, whatever it is you do), but others are going to take one bite and it will be instantly familiar to them. That doesn't mean they stop eating the sandwich, especially if you prepared something they like in a way that is fresh, delicious, and which is served up on a platter to them.
I've got plenty of examples in my own catalog where I embraced the inspirations for a particular project. My elevator pitch for The Curse of Sapphire Lake is, "The love child of Beowulf and Friday the 13th," after all. And fans of classic action movies will quickly recognize the inspiration behind my Army Men mission module Assault on Outpost 13, since even the title is an homage to the film Assault on Precinct 13. My Sundara: Dawn of a New Age fantasy RPG setting completely does away with the convoluted multiplanar structure used in Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons, opting for a simpler, more streamlined system of the material world and the Prim, which I explained in Gods of Sundara... and it's going to look very familiar to any fans of the Warp in Warhammer 40K as far as structure goes.
Hell, even my World of Darkness supplement Evil Incorporated just looked at historical atrocities (and modern ones) committed by corporations and billionaires. The introductory fiction even has a veiled call-out to the owners of Hobby Lobby who (at least allegedly) paid a ridiculous amount of money to terrorists in the Middle East to purchase stolen relics which they kept in their own homes.
Now, I'm far from unique in this aspect. Zon-Kuthon, from Pathfinder is clearly heavily inspired by the cenobites of Hellraiser, but not only that, the nation that worships him is steeped in winks and nods to Melnibone, the nation from the Elric novels by Moorcock. The same can be said of the supposedly cursed kingdom of Valyria from Game of Thrones, for the record. There are references all over our games to works by H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, to say nothing of Tolkien. And that's before we get into the copious use of world mythology, and great works of fiction like Arthur and his knights of the round table.
So while a particular game might have a different flavor, or a unique twist on things (such as a medieval fantasy game where you have to investigate the Cthulhu Mythos, or recreating the Trojan War as a starfaring space battle using mech combat), the inspirations are going to be present. There is always going to be a story that came before you, or a character someone else has seen, that bears some similarity to what you're doing at your table. More importantly, if you spend all your time focusing on what you don't want your game to be, then you're going to define it by what it isn't, rather than what it is.
I'm not saying you should shamelessly copy someone else's homework and just change a couple of the names around (I'm looking at you, Games Workshop). However, if you're tying yourself into knots worried that your players are going to figure out that your particular order of cavaliers is based on Lancelot, or that they're going to guess the plot twist for the traitorous noble because he's basically Count Dooku with a bastard sword, don't sweat those kinds of things. Instead, focus on the presentation and preparation for your game.
Everyone has had a grilled cheese before. Just make sure the one you serve them is perfectly crispy, melty, and delicious, and everyone will probably enjoy it!
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!
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!
Molly felt cold. It wasn't the sharp, immediate cold of the wind outside, or the chilly, winter claws that scrabbled at the corners of the cracker box of her studio apartment, though. It was the sort of cold that marked an absence. It was how you felt when there were no more laughs or tears inside you. It was how you felt when you'd been clinging to your diet for so long your stomach had gone quiet, and even your tongue couldn't be bothered to complain. It was how you felt when the water around you went pink, and the panic had ebbed out along with your blood.
"Time's a funny thing, isn't it, kid?" a voice asked. It was a strange voice, with an old-timey accent she'd only ever seen on clips from black and white movies and news broadcasts.
Molly blinked, using what little energy she had to turn her head on her pillow. She glanced at the cracked TV with the cardboard shims to keep it even sitting on the old dresser she'd found in an alley. Her eyes slid over the kitchenette, where the empty fridge hummed on, and her one set of dishes sat ready to be used. Her laptop was open on the rickety desk she'd gotten from a neighbor who didn't want to pack it up. The old machine's screen was dark, but a single, green eye pulsed in the dimness. That was the closest thing there was to another person in the room with her, as usual.
"Hearing things..." Molly muttered, her eyes falling closed again.
"That's the nature of the spoken word, Molly Mouse," that voice said again. "Hearing is the first step to understanding."
Molly's eyes shot open, and adrenaline pumped through her veins. She sat up fast enough to give herself vertigo, her head whipping around. That voice hadn't come from inside her head; it had come from the tiny clock radio that sat on the milkcrate she used as a bedside table. She hadn't turned the thing on since she'd moved in, but she just hadn't had the give a damn to move it. She blinked, trying to focus, peering at the speaker.
"Can... can you hear me?" she asked in a small, soft voice.
"Of course I can hear you, Molly," the radio said. Then, from across the room, the same voice leaked out of her busted TV. "The question is, dearest heart, are you hearing me?"
Molly's mouth went drier than dust, and her eyes opened wide enough that her lids practically disappeared. Hissing, electric laughter echoed on the air, emanating from every speaker in the room. Molly shook her head, putting her hands up to cover her ears. She shut her eyes, as if not seeing the room would mean she couldn't hear what was happening. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, everything went silent. Molly opened her eyes, and stared in open-mouthed silence at what she saw.
A man was seated in her rickety old desk chair. He wore polished shoes with dark spats, and a crimson lounge suit with barely-there silver pinstripes. His legs were crossed, and his long-fingered hands were laced together over one knee. A watch chain snaked out of his breast pocket, hanging like a coiled serpent that hissed and shushed against itself. His tie was like a piece of a dream, shifting colors with the light every time he moved, as if the wan beams of winter sun were revealing deep, dark secrets. His face was strangest of all, though, in that he didn't have a face. He didn't have a head either... not really. Instead, sitting atop his neck was an old-fashioned radio. There was one dial for volume, and one for tuning, and a band filled with numbers beneath the off-black speaker. Molly frowned, trying to make out the numbers, but they seemed to blur and change, taking on shapes and patterns that made no sense. The figure raised one hand, and snapped his fingers; it sounded like the volume coming back on.
"I've got a limited time offer for you, Molly," the figure said, tilting its head forward slightly. "And I need you to listen very carefully. Because you've been here too long, and this may just be your one chance out of that bed."
"I don't need-" Molly tried to say, her words slipping over numbed lips, but the bizarre figure interrupted her.
"On the contrary, my dear, you very much need," he said. "You've done without for far too long. Friends, family, fulfillment, purpose, love, and even food... you've told yourself you don't need for so long that you almost believe it. But if that were true, then you wouldn't have those scars on your wrist, now, would you?"
Molly groped for her wrist, cupping the places where she'd cut deeply, but not deeply enough. The tuner on the radio spun, and static flickered with a dozen different voices before the thing spoke again.
"You have cut yourself in more ways than that," he said, his voice lowering conspiratorially. "You have carefully carved away every part of yourself that needs. Every part of yourself that wants. Maybe you thought it was safer to deny yourself, rather than to be denied by someone else. Maybe denial is the one thing you felt you had control over, until you realized that you didn't. Whatever the reason, though, your window is closing, and this is your final opportunity."
"Opportunity for what?" Molly asked in a hoarse whisper.
The dials spun again, and this time they were accompanied by a flash of color. It bathed Molly's face, and a dozen emotions flooded her mind. Anger. Joy. Lust. Pain. But atop all of them, like the tart frosting on a sour cupcake, was a single, overriding emotion. An emotion Molly had almost convinced herself she didn't feel; Want.
"An opportunity to raise your voice," the figure said, leaning in close enough that Molly could hear the hiss of static from the speaker. she swore she heard other voices in that static... a thousand times a thousand people, all talking at once, from somewhere very, very far away. "Let me be your microphone, and turn that whisper into a demand. What do you say?"
Molly raised one hand. She hadn't realized how thin she'd grown... or how weak she'd become. She swallowed, and she heard a hollow click from her throat like a gun cocking. A tremor ran through her, and she ran her dry tongue over dry lips.
"What are you?" she asked.
"Vox Mortis," the figure said, holding out a hand. "Now tell me, Molly... do we have a deal?"
This isn't where your story ends... not if you don't want it to!
Molly "Mouse" Madrigal and Radiohead
Molly Madrigal was a lurker in her own life. A product of environments she found threatening, and social cliques that were always looking for victims, she moved through her life choosing safety and security. Forgotten about by her classmates, and even her parents, she had two great loves in her life; music, and the Internet.
As a young woman, Molly consumed everything she could find. Songs, music videos, tutorials, ASMR, affirmations, storm chasers... no matter what it was, she wanted it. Being able to consume emotions vicariously, and to watch the interactions of others on forums without every getting involved, gave her a feeling of connection in a way she'd never had before... even if the connections were parasocial at best.
Old habits died hard, though, and Molly's were the sort of habits that could kill you if you didn't yank them out by the roots. As more of her happy spaces were taken over by aggressive trolls, scam artists, and worse, she soon found she had nowhere to retreat to. Every social media page, forum, and fandom was being poisoned, and it was all too much. She lost herself in the comfort of old voices, but soon even those faded away to noise. Food was bland and tasteless in her mouth, and even the warmth of her bed was less of a comfort, and more of something she was simply too tired to try escaping from.
She would have died there, and likely remained undiscovered until the slumlord who owned her building came to investigate why she was behind on rent, if not for the intervention of the geist calling itself Vox Mortis... a creature she often refers to simply as Radiohead.
Since that time, Molly has embraced life again. Not only that, she's become one of the more recognized voices on the local Twilight Network. The smoky tones of her broadcast are well-known to most Sin Eaters in the Chicagoland area, and those in the know tend to keep an ear out for when she and her associated geist make vital information known to people.
Would You Like To See More of Them?
While this is a brief introduction to this Sin Eater and her geist, I would like to make a pitch to all my readers out there this week. Because I would like to do more with these two... in fact, I think they would make ideal hosts for season two of Windy City Shadows, which I mentioned a while back in the post talking about Dead City Blues, which is my tentative title for the Geist season.
Now, Dead City Blues as a season would wrap up the story of Johnny Hammer, the Six Gun Saint, and their grudge with the mage Cyprian who wronged both of them. However, the sheer scope and scale of that revenge story is going to involve a lot of factions in Chicago, with both sides looking for allies, and trying to counter their enemies. Even the tentative plot I have right now is a significant step up from the very small and personal stakes I have for the Changeling season, which is slated to go up before that.
However, Molly and Vox Mortis would fill the role for season 2 that would be held by Mr. Nowhere in season 1; the voice of our announcer, and characters who are still part of the story as it unfolds, getting more and more involved in the events they'd previously been mere commentators about.
If these two represent an interesting addition to the cast that you'd like to see/hear more from, then all you have to do is help me get the Azukail Games YouTube channel monetized so that I can finally start in on making these episodes! We're just over 900 hours of watched time away, so check out the Chronicles of Darkness audio dramas we've already made, and maybe check out some of our other shows like Discussions of Darkness or Speaking of Sundara while you're at it! Also, if you're someone who's a fan of Geist in general, consider grabbing a copy of my supplements 50 Geists and 100 Mediums, which planted the seeds for this entire season of the show I'm practically champing at the bit to make!
And for those who got this far and are curious, yes, I finally got around to watching Hazbin Hotel. Inspiration strikes from the oddest of places, doesn't it?
Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!
That's all for this week's addition to my Unusual Character Concepts! To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the 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!
Celia dropped to all fours, panting, her claws digging into the dirt. She struggled to rise, throwing her head back, but she felt a hand on her shoulder. A human hand, no longer bearing the rending claws it had moments before.
"Take your ease, Black Mane," Jericho said. Celia growled, pushing against him, but Jericho kept his hand firmly on her shoulder. "You did good work today. But if you push yourself too far then you won't be able to do it again tomorrow. Breathe. Then we will eat, drink, and sleep."
Celia let out a long, shuddering breath. She let the hide of the wolf slip away, her fur retreating to reveal her dark, olive skin. Her eyes, when she raised her head, were deep brown rather than the gold of her war form. She bared her teeth in a fierce expression that wasn't quite a smile, and wasn't quite a snarl. Those teeth were still sharp, but they were human all the same.
"One of these days it's going to be you down in the dirt, Jericho," Celia said.
Jericho returned her smile, and held out his hand. Celia clasped it, and her alpha hauled her back to her feet.
"I look forward to it," he said, clapping her on the shoulder. "Come on. First round's on me."
I want you to be the best. And I'll do everything I can to get you there.
What Does It Mean To Be The Alpha?
Most of us are familiar with the idea of the pack alpha being the wolf in charge. Decades ago researchers made the case that wolf packs were tightly controlled, with dominant leaders. Of course, that research was largely based off of captive wolf packs, which were the equivalent of lupine prison gangs. These days we know, having observed wolves in the wild, that a pack is much more cooperative; more of a family unit where everyone helps do their part.
Which provides something of a unique opportunity for Werewolf: The Apocalypse players.
Because the way society is structured among the garou tends to fall much more in line with the idea of a rigid hierarchy, compounded by ceremony and ritual. As such, we tend to think of the ideal alpha as the one with the most power, or the highest rank... but the true alpha is someone who fills the role of the natural born leader. Someone who earns the respect of others, and who does their best to help those around them achieve their full potential. Someone who fosters cooperation and teamwork, and who can bring out the best in everyone around them.
You can do it. I believe in you.
As a concept, this doesn't require any particular moon sign, gifts, rank, or mechanics. You can do it as any tribe, or as any breed... the only thing that will change is how your particular character's personality brings this across, and the sort of results it generates around you.
For example, your Get of Fenris ahroun may have a sort of rough camaraderie that, while indelicate, can't help but make someone feel like they're part of the team. A Shadow Lord ragabash might have the commanding presence of a mafioso who makes those who fight alongside them feel like true family. A Silver Fang galliard might have the charisma of the old royalty, able to re-ignite the passion in the hearts of the garou, and to remind them why they once followed the old kings unto the breach. A Bone Gnawer theurge might combine the best aspects of a street preacher and a union organizer, while a Fianna philodox could earn the respect of others as a judge who is harsh, but fair, and who holds themselves to the same standards they judge everyone else by.
The true alpha takes many forms, and isn't defined by skill set or even personality. It's the way you play them. Someone who helps others, who leads by example, and who ensures that everyone gets what they need, whether it's praise and recognition for the tasks they've completed, training in new skills or abilities to help them become their best, or the trust to accept new responsibilities, the alpha is someone who acts as the glue that binds everyone together.
They are, in other words, the wolf that others would gladly follow straight into the gaping maw of hell, howling all the way!
Need More Werewolf in Your Life?
As most folks know, I've been putting out a lot of content for Werewolf over the past few years. My "100 Kinfolk" project, for example, has 1,400 kinfolk NPCs covering all the standard tribes (along with the Black Spiral Dancers), and you can get them all in one, handy bundle! This is particularly useful since, in addition to NPCs, kinfolk can also act as connections for the PCs, or even as inspiration for them since every kinfolk has the potential to have their first change!
Also, for those looking for even more resources, I also have 100 Stargazer Kinfolk and even 100 Mokole Kinfolk out now. I don't currently have plans to expand the list to cover all the different kinds of fera, but if readers want them then I will have to do my best to provide.
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.
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!
"Did I hear you say something, stranger?" Barak growled. He was a big man, full of whiskey, and spoiling for a fight.
The stranger set his glass down, and looked at Barak. He was a long shank of a man, whipcord, and hard. He didn't seem worried, or even impressed. He let the moment swell, unbuttoning his right sleeve and rolling it back. A black serpent tattoo circled his wrist, fangs sunk into its own tail. Above that, a black heart with a dagger through it on his forearm. And in the crook of his elbow, a laughing demon.
"I said a man your size should be able to hold his liquor better," the stranger repeated.
"You're quite right, Sir," Dolomon said, snatching Barak by the arm. Though his words were jovial, Dolomon's knuckles were white. "I'll just get him sobered up someplace."
"You do that," the stranger said, returning to his drink.
Dolomon held his breath until they were outside, letting it out in a long gust. Barak was complaining, making excuses about how he could have taken the mouthy drunk. Barak had never served in the king's navy, though, and he didn't know what Dolomon knew. The black serpent was worn by Calabra Privateers, and the killer's heart only by those who'd spilled blood for their captain. The laughing devil marked the ship's Questioner... and Dolomon had heard enough rumors about what they did to know that they wanted no part of that man's ire.
Gold makes monsters of the best men... and it makes the worst of them into devils.
Tattoos and Scars
It's the small details that often makes our characters really stand out, and body modifications are one of those things a lot of us turn to for adding a touch of unique flair. Even in instances where there's no mechanical bonus (such as you get from magical tattoos, from enchanted earrings, or class features where your heavy scarring actually grants you natural armor, or adds to Intimidate checks), these features still make our characters truly stand out.
Not only that, but what these things say about our character and their histories can also tell us a lot about who they are, and where they've been.
It is rare to see one who survived the training of a Kiloshan Warlock.
Sometimes these markings might be a cultural thing, as I mention in several entries in 100 Superstitions For a Fantasy Setting. Perhaps it's the belief that an earring will prevent seasickness, and so it's common for sailors and fishermen in certain areas to have their ears pierced in particular ways. Alternatively ritual scarification might be how individuals are marked as adults in certain cultures, with the pattern saying something about their history and deeds. Or, as is mentioned in 100 Fantasy Tattoos (And The Meaning Behind Them), tattoos might mark how many children one has, what rank they hold socially, or it might even be used as a marking to prove that a particular noble is who they say they are.
However, even if your tattoos, scars, or piercings don't "mean something," they still mean something.
What does that mean? Well, even if your character got a tattoo for no reason other than they thought it looked cool, or their scarification was something they got done with a friend on their travels, or they got drunk and pierced on a lark after going through a dungeon, the fact that the marks don't have personal, religious, or cultural significance to the individual don't render them useless.
Generally speaking, certain traditions of body modification aren't going to be universally available, practiced, or even allowed across the entirety of a fantasy setting. So for a character to boast tattoos of a particular style, to wear a nose piercing with a chain hooked to an ear ring, or to bear a pauldron-flower scarification pattern means they likely traveled to a region where such an art form is practiced. And if they didn't, then they somehow crossed paths with a craftsman who was able to create the art they now bear.
In some cases the body modification might even have been as a reward for deeds done, or to signify membership in a tribe, a gang, a brotherhood, or a knightly order. From soldiers being inducted into service, to a champion who stood against a greater force on behalf of an outnumbered tribe, to someone who married into a particular culture where these markings were part of the ceremony, there's always some kind of significance to them with regards to a character's story.
So ask yourself what sort of body mods your character has. And once you know what they have, ask what personal significance they have, where they got them, how they got them, and what those markings might tell other people who see them. Because they might just be really into tattoos and piercings... or those marks might tell those with the right knowledge that this is a magus of a prestigious magical lineage, a vicious outlaw, or someone who was (at least at one time) a member of a holy order.
Additional Reading and Inspiration
For those who'd like additional reading over and above the supplements listed above, check out the following:
- Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend: Reputation in an RPG setting is an important thing to consider, and for those who are known by certain body mods those decorations are going to make them identifiable at a glance.
- 100 Gangs For Your Urban Campaigns: Tattoos are often a kind of street heraldry for gang members, and this supplement has a dozen different inspirations for those looking for characters who have something of a checkered past.
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!
As some regular readers have no doubt noticed, there's been a spike in the amount of content I'm writing for more modern, urban fantasy games on this blog. Stuff like my post Want to Run Better World of Darkness Games? Then Watch John Wick!, for instance. Simply put, I needed a bit of a break, and you all seem to enjoy those posts. As such, I figured I'd make an effort to put a few more of them out there.
That's why this week I figured I'd provide a little inspiration for all the fans of modern, secret-world style games. All you have to do is take a couple of minutes to watch the short film As They Continue To Fall.
Intriguing, right?
What The Hell Did I Just Watch?
That video stuck with me the first time I saw it, leaving me full of questions about what strange world I just caught a glimpse of. It was written by C. Robert Gargill, the pen behind Doctor Strange, and directed by Nikhil Bhagat. Sadly, though it feels like a tantalizing taste of something bigger, there was never a full film made for this project (though there was a Kickstarter, which has since been deleted), so this is all we're going to get... for now, at least.
Personally, every time I watch this short it makes me want to start a Hunter: The Reckoning or a Hunter: The Vigil game. Not overly picky, as anything that would let me play a wandering, unseen badass in a crumbling city full of unseen monsters would go down just fine after that little film.
The other reason this particular short came up recently is that I've been working on my 100 Kinfolk project with High Level Games, and I'm elbow-deep in the Bone Gnawers list at the moment (so far I've finished the Get of Fenris, Black Furies, and Glass Walkers over the past few months). So if the idea of people wandering the fringes of society with a blade up their sleeve and a blessed bullet in their pocket is the sort of thing you want to see more of, stay tuned for that as well!
That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed the film, and it provides you all with the same sort of inspiration it did me!
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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.
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.
The room grew silent as Harran grinned. He was pleased with himself, and at the wit that had flown from his lips unbidden. Dorovich slowly turned, and looked at him. The old man's expression hadn't changed, and he wiped one, arthritis-swollen knuckle along the side of his nose. "What did you say?" Dorovich asked in that slightly wheezy way he had of speaking. "Are you going deaf, too?" Harran sneered, stepping closer. "I said-" Harran had drawn in breath to repeat his earlier verbal barb, but before he could Dorovich slammed a fist into his stomach. Harran doubled over, one hand protecting his gut, the other scrabbling for his dagger. A cloudy glass, still half-full of beer, slammed into Harran's face. His nose broke with the sound of a pine knot on the fire, and blood jetted down his front. His knees folded, and he fell bonelessly onto the taproom floor. Dorovich tossed the remains of his glass on top of Harran, and turned back to the bar. "Another," the man once called the Hammer of Dry Lake said. "He's paying for it."
Seriously, adventurers only get more dangerous with age.
The Aging Badass
We're all familiar with this kind of character. He's Logen Ninefingers in Red Country, both Riggs and Murtaugh in the later Lethal Weapon movies, and pretty much every member of the first generation Expendables team, and every protagonist in RED. These characters may be old enough to have grandchildren, but they are still canny, capable, and dangerous. Even if it takes them a little longer to bounce back from a brawl than it used to.
There are some characters you'll note who are absent from the list of examples; wizards and witches. Because while nothing says those characters have to be old and gray, it isn't unusual to find a Gandalf or McGonagall look-alike wielding great power, and then using their relic staff as a walking stick. What is unusual, though, is finding a character with a more martial skill set who is still breaking teeth and wrecking house long after most folks figured they would have hung up their baldrics.
Making Your Age Work For You
If you're playing a system like 5th Edition DND, this is purely a flavor thing. To the best of my knowledge, age penalties are something Wizards chucked in the bin when they stepped away from 3.5. However, if you're playing a Pathfinder game then you take penalties for middle age, old age, and surviving long enough to become venerable.
Make that work for you.
For example, an aging swashbuckler may not have the raw Dexterity they once did, but their enhanced Charisma means they can make better use of their deeds now. A venerable paladin may seem to be just an old man past his prime, but when it comes time to smite an evil creature he suddenly becomes a titan both in his damage output, as well as in his attack and defense. An aging bloodrager may not be able to crush a man's skull in one hand like she used to, but the raw, potent force of her bloodline's magic is more than enough to make up that difference. Even an aging assassin may not have the grace they once did, or the ability to blend quite so seamlessly into alternative personas, but they know more than a dozen of their younger protoges combined, and surviving their death stroke is nearly impossible once it's been delivered.
One of my favorite combinations for this is an aging barbarian with the Spring Rage power. A titan in their youth, when the fresh wind blows again all their raw, physical power comes flooding back into them... for a little while, at least. If you combine this with an Intimidate-based build to make use of your heightened Charisma due to age boosts, you can have a potent mixture on your hands.
There's a common misconception that all levels gained are done so in a linear fashion. It's why so many PCs are young and fresh; they're first level, and they have no experience.
Toss that idea right out of your head for this concept!
If you're an older character, and especially one who's been around and done their share of stuff, feel free to embellish their history and talk about how badass they used to be. Just keep in mind what I said in The 1st Level Badass (Freeing Your Backstory From Level Restraints). Just because you were amazing then doesn't mean you kept all of that prowess and skill. You might need a refresher, and a little time to work the kinks out before you get back to your former glory.
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.
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Despite the fact that fantasy RPGs don't take place in the real world (or, at least, most of them don't), players and dungeon masters the world over get their knickers in a twist if you introduce elements that aren't period into their games. Period, in this case, referring to a very wide definition of medieval to mid-Renaissance, depending on how fine the hairs you want to split are. Now, on the one hand, I am the first to point out that as soon as we agree that this game does not take place on Earth, then any argument using Earth history as its foundation is pretty well invalidated. On the other hand, I do think that it's a good idea for us to take fun ideas and inspiration from our actual history, and ask what would happen if we introduced it into our game worlds.
You know, like what if an alchemist guild invented soda? Or the kingdom ran a Dragon's Lottery as a way to make money without raising tax revenue? Or if there were huge billboards advertising the upcoming title fight in this year's Sand and Blood tournament?
The Iron Stallion takes on the Crimson Cad! A battle for the ages!
While that might sound sort of facetious, there is a nugget of honesty in these ideas. Because while we might think of all the comforts and technology that we enjoy today as being thoroughly modern, our ancestors were rocking a lot of the same conveniences we have, and they didn't have electricity or magic!
Cool Ancient Technologies To Make Your Game Unique
Out of these two articles, I have a few favorites.
My first favorite is the ancient Persian air conditioning system. Using the simple science of air flow, underground water, and strategic digging, the empire that went to war with Sparta could build comfortable, temperature-controlled mansions, taverns, or public buildings in the middle of the desert. The same technology was also used to create chill houses where, even in the hottest summers, the empire could store ice and food.
The places even looked like upside-down ice cream cones.
In addition to giving us continent-spanning roads, and bridges that still hold up to this day, Rome also had shopping malls as far back as 113 A.D., and they came complete with fast food joints, clothing stores, jewelry, and all the other vendor trash we're used to seeing when we go to the mall. There were probably stores that sold pipes right alongside swords that were meant more for decoration than for use in the field, too. Not only that, but about 2000 years ago, Hero of Alexandria invented a primitive version of the vending machine to dispense holy water at shrines. Add in the wishing wells that were all over most Roman cities, and you have a place that really doesn't look that different from some of our modern small towns.
Of course, there is nothing that says a DM has to do anything with this knowledge. It's just fun, and interesting, to see the looks on people's faces when they realize that it's perfectly possible to recreate modern comforts using ancient technology, if one is determined to do so. And if you live in a country where magic (even low-level magic) is commonly available... well, there's no limit to the directions you could go, if you were of a mind to do so.
That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday post. Hopefully it gets the wheels turning, and leads to some interesting additions to your future games. If you'd like to see more of my gaming content, take a few minutes to check out my Gamers archive. To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, and if you want to support Improved Initiative, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! All it takes is $1 a month to make a difference, so please, consider tossing a little change in my cup so I can keep the content flowing.
Roleplaying games have used world mythology as a free idea bucket for decades. Most editions of Dungeons and Dragons have Norse gods in them (speaking of, there's a build for Thor here, and Loki here), White Wolf's Scion offers a number of world pantheons including Egyptian, Greek, and Japanese, and even H.P. Lovecraft's Old Ones have been drawn up and statted out for their own game. Despite this obsession with the divine though, most of our games come from a uniquely Western view. What I mean is that we're more likely to include completely made-up gods like Cthulhu and Hastur (say that three times fast if you dare!) than we are to take inspiration from African gods.
This series by photographer James C. Lewis might change your tune, though.
The Gods
According to the original post on Buzzfeed here, this project was born out of discovery and a touch of frustration. Lewis had been reading about mythology in school since he was young, but found that most of the pantheons taught in America tend to exclude African folklore. Lewis didn't find anything on the Orishas, an ancient African pantheon from whom the modern day loa of Voodoo are descended, until he really looked for them. When he completed his research he decided to portray them in a way that showed their youth, strength, and power that would catch the attention and hold the imagination of audiences not familiar with these gods. The names he used are spelled in the Yoruba language, common to Nigeria and surrounding regions
It looks like Lewis hit the nail right on the head!
Why Not Spice Up Your Game a Bit?
There's no reason to cut out the gods your game already has... but take a moment and ask yourself how much richer the world would be if you had additional gods and cultures. Haven't we had enough Celtic knock offs and tongue-in-cheek Greek references to last for a bit?
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