Showing posts with label victorian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label victorian. Show all posts

Thursday, August 31, 2023

#RPGaDay2023 FAVOURITE RPG of all time

 This is a tough one. I have had so many favorites over the years. Each one representing a different point in my life and gaming.

Favorite RPGs

Most of these will be known to readers here.

Basic (B/X) D&D - not the one I started with that would be the Holmes Basic, but the one that got me deep into the hobby.

AD&D 1st Edition - This is the one I played the most in those early days. The Monster Manual was my gateway drug to RPGs coming from Mythology.

Chill 1st Edition - This was either my first or second RPG after D&D (tied with Traveller) but it was my first horror RPG, and it spawned everything after.

Call of Cthulhu - Not my first Horror RPG, but one of my favorites. Really set the bar on what a horror RPG should be.

Masque of the Red Death - not an RPG by itself, and a bit wonky, it did something I always wanted: it brought my AD&D 2nd ed rules to Gothic Victorian Earth and Horror. Ravenloft brought some of this earlier, and both were my game of choice throughout the 90s until D&D-burnout set in and I went to my next big thing. 

CJ Carella's WitchCraft - I can't overestimate how much this RPG changed things for me. The world was close enough to that of Chill, Call of Cthulhu, and Masque of the Red Death that my ideas for those games gained new life under Unisystem. I loved the game so much I pestered the publisher, Eden Studios, to let me write for them. The result was my next favorite.

Ghosts of Albion - while this might be self-serving, it is my favorite for a reason. Everything I wanted in a Unisystem game is here. Victorian era, magic, horror, and Unisystem. I would have happily written for Unisystem for ever if I could have.  Which leads me to my last one and the top of my list.

NIGHT SHIFT Veterans of the Supernatural Wars - Again, a little self serving but NIGHT SHIFT is everything I have ever wanted in a game. It combines the best mechanics of all the games above along with a play style I love and in a world, or more to the point worlds, I enjoy.

If I only get to pick one, then it will be NIGHT SHIFT.

NIGHT SHIFT

I have had the luxury and the privilege to work on a great number of RPGs over the years. Some of which were dream jobs and dream games. I consider myself lucky. But of all of those, NIGHT SHIFT is not just my favorite game, favorite rules, and favorite setting; it was also my favorite writing experience. Only Ghosts of Albion and my various Witch books come close.


Thank you, Dave Chapman for hosting this again! I had a great time.

RPGaDay2023


Wednesday, August 23, 2023

#RPGaDay2023 COOLEST looking RPG product / book

 In addition to August being #RPGaDay2023 it is also #30yearsofMage. I knew Mage was going to come into this at some point and today is that day!

Mage the Ascension, especially in it's 20th Anniversary Edition format is one of the coolest-looking RPGs ever.

From its leather cover, to full-color art, to the ribbon bookmark (I am a sucker for a ribbon bookmark) and gilded edges it is one hell of an attractive book.

Mage Leather cover

Mage color art

Mage color art and ribbon

Mage color art

Mage color art

Mage guilded pages

Not to be ignored is one of my personal favorite versions of Mage, Mage for the Victorian Era.

Victorian Age Mage

Victorian Age Mage

Victorian Age Mage

Additionally, all the Mage books I own (all Mage: The Ascension, I unloaded Mage: The Awakening years ago) are not just fantastic to look at, they are great games too.

Mage: the Ascension

I do wish I could play it more often. 


RPGaDay2023


Tuesday, August 15, 2023

#RPGaDay2023 Favourite Con MODULE / ONE-SHOT

 My favorite Con Module or One Shot? Well, there are two, but that one I'll save for later this week.

The first one was when I ran Ghosts of Albion: Blight at ENWorld's Chicago Game Day at Games Plus a few years ago. I had a player who was WAY into his role-playing the ghost of Lord Byron. He really made the adventure come alive for everyone.

Game Day
I am a lot grayer but also a LOT thinner now.

We all really had a great time, and I loved how well the adventure came together and how much fun everyone seemed to have had. 

Thinking about this makes me realize how much I miss playing Ghosts of Albion and Victorian Era games. 


RPGaDay2023


Monday, February 27, 2023

Monstrous Monday: Tribute to Jonathan Thompson

Jonathan Thompson
Something a little different today and altogether too sad.

Normally I spend today doing monster write-ups, reviews of monster books, or even updating my slow progress on my Basic Bestiary. But today I want to talk about something else.

Last week Jonathan Thompson passed away.  He was well-known, and well-liked, by many in the RPG community. 

I met Jonathan through our mutual love of the Victorian period. We became fans of each other's RPGs as well.

I helped a very, very tiny bit with the newest version of Gaslight, with some of my material making into one other Battlefield Press book.  Mostly though he had come to me for advice and edits on the 3.x and 5e monsters he had been working on.

Among other thingshe was due to publish my "Darwin's Guide to Creatures, Mythical and Mundane." A monster manual for the Victorian era and for Gaslight in particular. 

It got pushed back a few times but he had approached me over the summer to get it updated. I was going through Covid at the time and could not get back to him. When I could he had developed health issues of his own.

I typically ran into him at Gen Con. Out of thousands of people there, we always would run into each other. We typically hit the food trucks and chatted about things.  We had, over the years, continued to talk about monsters, the Victorian era, and more. I find it sad that I am no longer going to get to that.  

There is a Go Fund Me set up to cover his expenses. I urge all my readers to send whatever they can. 

His family are in my thoughts and hopefully, I can send some donations their way.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Random RPG Thoughts

Have a bunch on my plate at the day job right now and I am headed up the Gary Con tomorrow and the weekend.  The best part of Gary Con?  I can drive in, drive out, and sleep in my own bed every night!

Unnamed Victorian/Rural Gothic Mini-campaign

I want to run an adventure/campaign set in Victorian times and combine "Little House on the Prairie" with "True Detective" Season 1 and Carcosa.  Essentially you are all a bunch of gritty detectives and have chased this dangerous "End times" cult to the US Midwest in the 1880s.

This cult had a member that is a bit clairvoyant and saw World War I and decide that it is better to end the world.  She went mad (naturally) and this is how the PCs discover the cult's activity and connects them to a string of grisly sacrificial murders.

Why Little House?  Well I did enjoy the show growing up and it seems so idyllic, even with their hardships, and some cult trying to draw down some horror beyond the stars is so incongruous to the setting that it makes for its own first level of horror.

Originally this was called "Ghosts of Albion: Carcosa"  but today I could use pretty much any Victorian-era system for it.  I have all of them. 

Victorian Games

New Gaming Gear

My youngest is now in college and has built a new computer.  So I just got a "hand-me-down" Alienware.  With this and my other gaming computer, I am thinking about getting some new PC games to play.  All of the old AD&D "Gold Box" games are coming to Steam.  I never had the time to play them when they were new but I am hoping they might scratch that AD&D 2nd Ed itch I have.

ETA: Just found another hard drive to put in it!

Sci-Fi RPGs

I have been in the mood for a sci0fi RPG for some time.  Now my oldest is too.  Though he wants something that is compatible with 5e so he can continue playing in his world and doesn't want to go the Starfinder ("Featfinder") route.  Ultramodern5 has been suggested to me as has Esper Genesis

This is only quasi-related to my Star Trek games. Though it will inform my choices when I do Sci-Fi month in May.

Spell Database

Not for publication, just my own use. I am putting together a database of every spell I have written for all my witch books.  While I am not expecting to share this out, you will likely see the products of the labor one day.

Monster Books

With the day job, I have not had much of a chance to really work on any of these.  In fact, my last edit was early February according to the file dates.   Hope to get back on these. 

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Lee Jun-fan

Today's character could work with either my Victorian setting or Spirit of '76 for a lot of the same reasons.  

I have always been a big fan of Bruce Lee.  I first saw him on the old Batman series as Kato and then later in interviews.  I am not sure what the first Bruce Lee movie I saw was, but likely it was "Enter the Dragon."  Later I learned of his legacies of how Asian-American actors were treated in Hollywood, his invention of Jeet Kun Do, and his atheism.   He was in every respect of the word, an icon and all-around good guy. 

He was huge in the 1970s, especially after his death, and he was central, or at least he heavily influenced the TV series Kung-Fu.   That gives him an "in" to both eras I am gaming with this month.

So in the tradition of the series(es) Kung-fu I have a character idea that would work for both times.  This is an alternate world (NIGHT SHIFT) where Bruce Lee's "Jun Fan Gung Fu" (just Gung Fu from here on out) was a classical style (and totally missing the point of what Lee was trying to do I know...).  

Victorian Era

Here a young British Lord and his Chinese wife had a son, Lee Jun-fan.  But they were killed in the Taiping Rebellion. Their son, whom they feared would also be killed, was left with monks where he was raised to learn Gung Fu. Here he trains for his first 30 years of life.  He returns to his father's home in England where he deals with the racism of 1880s Victorian England.  He is protected by title and wealth, but still, things are not easy for him. He is also a master of Gung Fu and learns of the vast Occult Underground London has to offer.  

Think of it as "Kung Fu by Gaslight."

Spirit of '76

In 1976, Lee Jun-fan's great-grandson, also named Lee Jun-fan, but going by "Lee Young" (yes, I know Lee was a family name) now lives in America, but his legacy will soon be tested.

Here he is (both versions use the same stats) for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Lee Jun-fan (Lee Young)
6th level Mystical Martial Artist (Human)
Archetype: Martial Artist in a Strange New World

Strength: 18 (+3) P 
Dexterity: 19 (+3) S
Constitution: 16 (+2) 
Intelligence: 13 (+1) 
Wisdom: 14 (+1) 
Charisma: 16 (+2) S

HP: 33
Alignment: Good
AC: 5
Attack: +3
# Attacks: 2

Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +4/+2/+1
Melee bonus: +3 Ranged bonus: +3
Saves: +2 to Constitution and Dexterity saving throws

Martial Arts Powers
+3 to Dexterity; Free Running; Instant Kill ("Gung Fu Death punch"); Lightning-fast; 
Danger Sense, Supernatural Attack, Pneuma Blast

Skills
Athletics, Steady Hands, Body Control, Insight

--

In both campaigns, the emphasis for this character is he is close enough to the world he living in at the time, but still an outsider.  But he is also an outsider with this amazing power.

In both cases, I would want to feature his sense of humor. Bruce Lee had a wicked sense of humor and my Lee Jun-fan would also.  I also want a character who despite all the hardships and reversals he has faced wants to believe that people, in general, are good and they act how they do out of fear.  

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge


Sunday, January 16, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Doctor John Watson

Wrapping up my tour of the Victorian era with the original dynamic duo of Holmes and Watson.  Today I focus my sights on the good Dr. John Watson.

John Watson is an interesting character.  By all rights, he would have been the star of his own serials; British Army officer, Doctor, not a bad detective in his own right and good with a service pistol.  He was also smart, just not as smart as Holmes.

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Dr. John Watson

6th level Veteran (Human)
Archetype: Chronicler and sidekick

Strength: 13 (+1) S
Dexterity: 14 (+1) S
Constitution: 13 (+1) 
Intelligence: 14 (+3) P
Wisdom: 16 (+2)  
Charisma: 14 (+1)  

HP: 33
Alignment: Light
AC: 8
Attack: +3 

Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +4/+2/+1
Melee bonus: +1 Ranged bonus: +1
Saves: +2 to all saves

Veteran Abilities
Combat Expertise, Improved damage, improved defense, Supernatural Attack, tracking

Skills
Medicine x2, Science, Insight, Notice

--

Dr. Watson is a veteran with a lot of training in medicine. This covers his character rather well. 

I hope this gets me motivated for some more Sherlock Holmes posts. 

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 


Character Creation Challenge


Saturday, January 15, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Sherlock Holmes

Today I want to wrap up my tour of the Victorian era with two of my favorite characters of the time, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. 

I have, sitting on my hard drive or a flash drive somewhere the stats for Holmes for every Victorian-era game I have ever played.   I keep meaning to post them and never get around to it.  So of course today is a set of stats I am coming up with now.

The issue with doing Holmes in many games, but modern occult ones, in particular, is that Holmes does not live in a magical world.  He lives in a world with predictable laws of science that follow predictable patterns.  This is what makes him so good at what he does, he can see these patterns and connections. Holmes works because the world is mundane and what he does looks like magic.

For NIGHT SHIFT there is no one class that would do him justice.  While I could get away with making him a 10th level Survivor (and I feel 10 levels is right) he is missing a couple of key ingredients. So time to try another multiclass.

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Sherlock Holmes
6th level Survivor / 4th level Sage (Human)
Archetype: Consulting Detective

Strength: 16 (+2) 
Dexterity: 16 (+2) S
Constitution: 14 (+1) 
Intelligence: 18 (+3) P
Wisdom: 16 (+2) S 
Charisma: 10 (0) 

HP: 35
Alignment: Light
AC: 8
Attack: +3 

Fate Points: 1d10

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +5/+3/+2
Melee bonus: +2 Ranged bonus: +2
Saves: +4 to death saves. +2 to all others.

Survivor Abilities
Stealth skills; Climbing; Danger Sense (1-4); Sneak Attack +2, x3; Read Languages 80%

Stealth Skills (8th level)

  • Open Locks: 85%
  • Bypass Traps: 80%
  • Sleight of Hand: 90%
  • Move Silently: 90%
  • Hide in Shadows: 80%
  • Perception: 90%

Sage Abilities
Survivor Skills (factored in above); Mesmerize Others; Lore; Languages (18); Spells* (to Holmes they are not "spells" merely "advanced techniques.")

Spells
First level: Command, Detect Snares & Pits
Second level: Find Traps

Skills
Athletics (Bartitsu), Sleight of Hand, Research, Science, Insight, Notice

--

Holmes combines a variety of class abilities and skills to create one investigator.  Would an "Investigator" class have been better?  Not really.  In this case, I feel the mix of classes and skills point to obscure training and thus a unique character.  Holmes is certainly that.

If you are interested in playing Sherlock Holmes in a game system more suited to the world he lived in then might I suggest both Victoria and Baker Street: Roleplaying in the world of Sherlock Holmes.  Both are very fine games.

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 


Character Creation Challenge


Friday, January 14, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Marie Laveau

Sticking with my Victorian-era and moving south from Lincoln's ghost to New Orleans and her voodoo queen.  

But "Wait," you say. "Marie Laveau died in 1881. Long before your 1890s game." True. That's what people believe. There is a lot of confusion about her exact date of death. There is even doubt as to where she is actually buried.   So for my purpose, this works for her faking her death so she could go on do her thing.  Besides there have been rumors that she survived her own death for years.

Marie Laveau is not just synonymous with Voodoo she is very much part of New Orleans herself.  No New Orleans. No Marie Laveau.  Also, what was she exactly?  She was the self-proclaimed Voodoo queen of New Orleans sure, but what *is* that in terms of NIGHT SHIFT? A Witch? A Theosophist? Sage?

No Marie is something special and in NIGHT SHIFT terms she is something from the new Night Companion book.  She is an immortal Spirit Rider.

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Marie Laveau

Marie Laveau
6th level Spirit Rider (Supernatural, Immortal)
Archetype: Voodoo Queen

Strength: 10 (0) 
Dexterity: 16 (+2) 
Constitution: 14 (+1) S
Intelligence: 13 (+1) 
Wisdom: 15 (0) S
Charisma: 17 (+2) P

HP: 33
Alignment: Neutral
AC:
Attack: +1

Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +4/+2/+1
Melee bonus: +0 Ranged bonus: +2; Wisdom is added to Spell attacks (+6)
Saves: +3 Death Saves and area effects, +2 to Wisdom and Charisma-based saves

Immortal Powers
Unique Kill: She has to be removed from New Orleans and killed with a ceremonial knife.

Spirit Rider Skills
Innate Magic (6 spells up to 3rd level); Arcana (100%); Arcane Powers (4); Commune with Spirit (Loa); Limited Power (New Orleans); Magical Battery
Arcane Powers: Charm Person, Detect Thoughts, Suggestion, Telepathic Transmission

--

As the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau is tied to the city. This includes the City of New Orleans and the combined Orelans Parish.  She can leave, but her power and her immortality is threatened.

She is a Spirit Rider instead of a witch because I really wanted to try something different.  Plus in voodoo, it is said that the "Loa rides you" when you are communicating with them. This is a description of her powers. Much like Nellie in London, Marie Laveau is someone the characters might have to seek out for information.  

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge



Thursday, January 13, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Dirty Nellie, Street Fae

So far my dive into Dracula and then Victorian characters for NIGHT SHIFT has been a lot of fun.  Also, my characters have largely been based on other people's characters or, in the case of Lincoln, real people. 

Today I want to do one of my original characters (OCs for the kids online). She is also one of the characters I had in mind for the Supernatural character rules.

I had introduced you all to Dirty Nellie a few years back (2009!) for various Victorian-era games including Ghosts of Albion, Savage Worlds, and Victoriana 2nd Edition.

Briefly, she is a Street Faerie. These are members of the Fae that have chosen to live in cities.  They are like pixies, complete with wings, but are more human-sized, if a bit shorter.  Their wings look like those of the Peppered Moth.   The obvious reason why is due to the case of the evolution of the peppered moth due to the Industrial Revolution.  Just like the moth, these fae have adapted to the grim, gaslit streets of London.

Nell herself is a central figure in my Victorian games.  She begins as a streetwalker but soon works her way up to running the notorious Gentleman's Club (in the Victorian sense of the term) "Mayfairs" in the late Victorian age.  She is an occult information broker and nearly anyone who is anyone in the occult underworld owes her a favor. Knowledge is power and Nell knows everyone and knows what they know.

Here she is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Dirty Nellie, art by Djinn
Nellie by Djinn in the Shade
Dirty Nellie

10th level Survivor (Supernatural, Faerie)
Archetype: Party girl Information broker

Strength: 10 (0) 
Dexterity: 14 (+1)
Constitution: 13 (+1) 
Intelligence: 15 (+2) S
Wisdom: 17 (+2) S
Charisma: 20 (+4) P

HP: 55
Alignment: Neutral 
AC: 6
Attack: 3

Fate Points: 1d10

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +5/+3/+2
Melee bonus: +1 Ranged bonus: +2
Saves: +6 against magic and supernatural attacks

Feed: Nell must engage in some revelry to feed.  

Faerie Powers
Innate Magic (Every 3 levels: Magic Missile, Charm Person, Produce Flame, Teleport), Double Damage from Iron weapons, +2 to Dexterity or Charisma, Glamour

Survivor Skills
Danger Sense, Sneak Attack +4 (x4 damage), Ritual Magic
Open Locks: 105%
Bypass Traps: 100%
Sleight of Hand: 110%
Move Silently: 110%
Hide in Shadows: 100%
Climb: 95%
Perception: 85%
Read Language: 80%

--

Nell is a great character and I have loved using her in many games. By the 1890s she is quite rich, very powerful, and someone that the PCs will run into at some point. 

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Abraham Lincoln

You can't grow up in Central Illinois and not know something about Abraham Lincoln.  I have been to Lincoln's tomb many times, the old Illinois State Capital, I have been to all the places he debated with Stephen Douglas, memorized many of his important speeches, and went on the Lincoln Pilgrimage a few times. 

While I would categorize myself as merely an armchair Lincoln Scholar (I know two bonafide Lincoln Scholars) I would also say I am a bit more than an amateur, but certainly a fan.

Lincoln has, no surprise really, featured in a few of my games.  His ghost is part of both my Ghosts of Albion games and my AD&D 2nd Ed Masque of the Red Death games.  He was part of my Haunted Illinois for both games, and that material is seeing new life in the NIGHT SHIFT Night Companion.  The Order of Lincoln was a secret society in my Leagues of Adventures games as well. 

In the 1890s though, Lincoln is dead.  But that is not stopping him from fighting the forces of evil and darkness.  Lincoln still walks at midnight

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln

5th level Chosen One (Supernatural, Ghost*)
Archetype: Supernatural fighter of injustice

Strength: 16 (+2) S
Dexterity: 17 (+2)
Constitution: 13 (+1) 
Intelligence: 17 (+2) S
Wisdom: 15 (+1)
Charisma: 17 (+2) P

HP: 28
Alignment: Lawful
AC: 6
Attack: 4 (Damage bonus +2)

Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+2/+1
Melee bonus: +8 Ranged bonus: +7
Saves: +3 to supernatural attack saves, +2 to all Saves

Feed: Lincoln must destroy other supernatural creatures to sustain his existence. 

Ghost Powers
Intangible. Can only be hit by magic or supernatural attacks. Unique Kill (same gun that John Wilkes Booth used). Can't leave their place of haunting, Supernatural Attack, Invisible. Supernatural Power: Manifest Weapon (Rail Splitter Axe).  Drawback: Cannot Lie.
(Ghosts are not defined as a character race yet.) 

Chosen One Skills
Brutal Warrior, Stunning Blow, Killing Blow, Difficult to Surprise, Supernatural Attack, Improved Defense, Survivor Skills (2nd level)

--

So there are no Ghosts as a playable race in NIGHT SHIFT.  At least not yet.  I have been playing around with some ideas.  One idea is that every ghost will be able to choose a supernatural power like a Witch does.  In Abe's case here he can manifest a spectral axe like the one he used in his "rail-splitter" days to fight evil supernatural creatures. This replaces the "scare" and "age 10 years" powers monster ghosts have.

Additionally, all Ghosts will have some sort of drawback relating to their life or death.  Abe here can't willingly tell a lie.  All those years of being called "Honest Abe" have put something akin to geas on him.  For his "feed" he must defeat a supernatural creature every night.  With nearby Jackson (see the Night Companion for more on that!) and ghosts from the Civil War, to ghosts dating back to the Ice Age (Ghost Mammoths!), to strange hominids and ghost panthers, there is plenty to keep Abe busy every night. (And plenty for me to think about when I used to go to the Illinois State Museum as a kid.)

Lincoln here is also a Chosen One.  He was supposed to do more in his life and defeat more evil until he was prematurely assassinated.   He continues his quest after death. 

Lincoln haunts the Illinois State Capitol building and his tomb in Springfield IL.  The first sighting was reported by a night guard in 1876.  There are rumors he is also haunting the White House in Washington DC (hey maybe Nixon wasn't crazy!) as well. 

I will be posting a lot more about Jackson, IL here as a "Blog exclusive."

Spirit of '76:  Lincoln's ghost can also be used in my Spirit of '76 games.

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Dorian Gray

The book "The Picture of Dorian Gray" certainly fits well with my Victorian theme.  The movie, and my first experience with this tale, belongs to a later time (1945) but it still works.

I am not sure when I first saw the 1945 movie starring Hurd Hatfield and a young Angela Lansbury, but it left a mark on me.  That picture! Only hinted at and eluded too through most of the film was bright and vivid in its final reveal. 

Dorian Gray can be seen in the NIGHT SHIFT game as an Immortal. His unique kill would be to destroy the painting.  

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Dorian Gray

2nd level Survivor (Supernatural, Immortal)
Archetype: Immortal Amoral Libertine 

Strength: 10 (0) 
Dexterity: 11 (0)
Constitution: 14 (+1) S
Intelligence: 15 (+1) S
Wisdom: 11 (0)
Charisma: 17 (+2) P

HP: 7
Alignment: Dark
AC:
Attack: +1

Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +2/+1/+0
Melee bonus: +0 Ranged bonus: 0
Saves: +3 Death Saves and area effects

Immortal Powers
Unique Kill: Destroy painting, Immortals regenerate 1d8 hit points every minute. +3 to Intelligence

Survivor Skills
Open Locks: 25%
Bypass Traps: 20%
Sleight of Hand: 30%
Move Silently: 30%
Hide in Shadows: 20%
Perception 45%
Danger Sense
Sneak attack +4, 2x damage
--

Dorian here is a different sort of immortal. There is a tendency to make immortals all sword-wielding warriors out for each other's head (Highlander, The Old Guard) but not Dorian. He is a lover, not a fighter.  Ok, he is an amoral lover and wicked man, but he is not going to go off to battle. 

In some other ways, he is much like a successful lich, with his painting as his Soul Cage

Dorian is described as a lot of things, but an RPG character is usually not one of them.  He is, by all accounts, a normal human.  I made him a 2nd level Survivor because I am sure he picked up a thing or two in his "adventures." 

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge


Monday, January 10, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

My week of doing the characters from Dracula has been an absolute blast. Can't wait to go reread the novel again.  It got me thinking about others from this time period that might work out well and there are dozens. More than I will do for this challenge for sure, but enough to keep my busy.

One such character is Dr. Henry Jekyll and his evil counterpart Mr. Edward Hyde.

This also gives me a chance to try out something different with the new Lycanthrope rules.  

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde

4th level Inventor (Supernatural, Lycanthrope)
Archetype: Disturbed Scientist/Human madman

Strength: 13 (+1) [16 (+2) p]
Dexterity: 11 (0) S [14 (0) s]
Constitution: 11 (0) [11 (0) s]
Intelligence: 16 (+2) P [16 (+2)]
Wisdom: 12 (0) S [12 (0)]
Charisma: 15 (+2) [15 (+2)]

HP: 18
Alignment: Light/Dark
AC: 9 [7]
Attack: +2 

Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+2/+0
Melee bonus: +1 [+2] Ranged bonus: 0
Saves: +3 to Inteligence and Wisdom saves   

Powers (Jekyll): Danger Sense,  Stressful Transformation, Gadgets (Hyde serum, delivery system, antiserum). 

Powers (Hyde): Danger Sense, Regenerate 1d6 hp, Natural Weapons, Rip and Tear, +3 to wisdom saves.
Feed: Must commit an act of violence every night.

Skills:
Medicine, Science, Knowledge (Chemistry), Research

Madness: On a roll of 1 or 2 on a d6 Jekyll will transform into Hyde.
--

I opted to make Dr. Jekyll an Inventor rather than a sage because that seems to work out the best.  His inventions are his serum and the means to deliver it.  There was a great scene in the otherwise forgettable Edge of Sanity (1989) starring Anthony Perkins as both Jekyll and Hyde.  Basically, Hyde is walking around London, killing prostitutes and hitting on, for all purposes, a crack pipe. The movie was not good, but Perkins was and the scene stuck with me. 

Also the Jekyll/Hyde transformation can be used as a special type of Lycanthrope, or more generally, a "science" based Therianthrope.  This would be the same thing we would use for the Hulk and Cú Chulainn.

There are some more tweaks I can do to this character, but this is a good place to start.

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge


Sunday, January 9, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Quincey P. Morris

Quincey Morris is the odd man out here in the Dracula tale. He is a rich American, friends with Holmwood and Seward, and like Van Helsing he has had dealings with blood-suckers, in this case, vampire bats, before.  He is also the character that gets left out of most other media more times than not.

It is Quincey, or rather his Bowie knife, that is instrumental in bringing down Dracula so Harker and Holmwood can kill him.

Had he survived the attack by Dracula he would have been a great character to become a vampire hunter.  Other authors have picked up this challenge and have told stories of a survived Quincey, a vampire Quincey and even Quincey's younger brother (called "Cole" in at least one story).  Quincey lives on in John and Mina's son, Quincy Harker.

Again, one of the best portrayals was Billy Campbell in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) which was also one of the most book accurate portrayals.  Another good one is Ethan Chandler in Penny Dreadful

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Quincey P. Morris
4th level Veteran
Archetype: Rich Texan

Strength: 13 (+1) S
Dexterity: 17 (+2) P
Constitution: 16 (+2) S
Intelligence: 11 (0) 
Wisdom: 13 (0) 
Charisma: 15 (+2)

HP: 24
Alignment: Chaotic Good
AC: 8
Attack: +2 

Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+2/+0
Melee bonus: +1 Ranged bonus: +2
Saves:  +2 to all saves. 

Powers:  Combat Expertise, Improved damage, improved defense, Supernatural Attack, tracking

Skills:** 
Beast Whisperer, Steady Hands, Notice, Wilderness Survival

** Skills are optional in NIGHT SHIFT, but for Seward, Holmwood, and Morris I feel they are what set the characters apart and above and beyond their class abilities. 

--

You can see why Arthur and Quincey are often combined in movies where they work better in a book. Here their stats are not very different, they are both even 4th level Veterans.  I did that on purpose to show that with the optional skills rules you can provide more customization with the characters.  They are also played quite differently. 

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge

Saturday, January 8, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Arthur Holmwood Lord Godalming

In the book Arthur Holmwood, later the Lord Godalming, is the other suitor for the hand of Lucy and the one she ultimately chooses.  One of the plot threads in the books and made more clear in the 1992 movie, was that Holmwood, Seward, and Morris were all friends and even had a few adventures together.

I recall at the time of the 1992 movie that there were rumors of a possible prequel involving the "Victorian Young Guns" and their fights with the supernatural before Dracula.  Neat idea, but all three were fairly incredulous at the idea of the supernatural when Van Helsing brings up the topic.

Still, Holmwood is pretty important to the tale because not only is he Lucy's suitor, he provides the money and the title to get the heroes all the things they need.  Holmwood is also the one that drives the stake into Dracula's heart in the novel.

Cary Elwes provides one of the best performances, but I am also rather partial to Michael Gough in Hammer's 1958 Dracula and Simon Ward in 1973's Dracula which questionably featured Jack Palance as Dracula.

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Arthur Holmwood
4th level Veteran
Archetype: Victorian Lord

Strength: 12 (0) 
Dexterity: 15 (+1) P
Constitution: 13 (+1) S
Intelligence: 12 (0) 
Wisdom: 11 (0) 
Charisma: 16 (+3) S 

HP: 22
Alignment: Neutral Good
AC: 8
Attack: +2 

Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+2/+0
Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: +1
Saves:  +2 to all saves. 

Powers:  Combat Expertise, Improved damage, improved defense, Supernatural Attack, tracking

Skills:** 
History, Convince, Literature, Wilderness Survival

** Skills are optional in NIGHT SHIFT, but for Seward, Holmwood, and Morris I feel they are what set the characters apart and above and beyond their class abilities. 

--

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge


Friday, January 7, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Dr. John "Jack" Seward

My next three characters are the ones that get forgotten the most.  While Mina and Lucy will have their names changed/swapped, the next three are either reduced to one or two characters or forgotten about altogether.

Today I want to do one close to my heart, Dr. Jack Seward.  Seward was a psychiatrist and I spent a number of years as a psychologist.  Plus my one and only time on stage was playing Seward in my High School version of Dracula.  Yeah, I am not going to dump my academic career for a life in the limelight, but it was fun.

My favorite performance of Seward was from Bram Stoker's Dracula from 1992 played by Richard E. Grant, though Donald Pleasence also gave a great performance in 1979's Dracula.

Seward's role in the novel is to first be a suitor to Lucy, but he also brings in Van Helsing. His friends Arthur Holmwood and Quincy Morris are also instrumental in the battle against Dracula.

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Your Humble Author in High School as Jack Seward
Yeah, me with a full beard in High School as Seward
Dr. Jack Seward
3rd level Sage
Archetype: Would-be suitor, doctor

Strength: 11 (0) 
Dexterity: 12 (0) S
Constitution: 13 (+1) 
Intelligence: 16 (+2) P
Wisdom: 12 (0) S
Charisma: 15 (+2) 

HP: 14
Alignment: Lawful Good
AC: 9
Attack: +1 

Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+1/+0
Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: 0
Saves:  +3 to saves against spells and magical effects. 

Powers:  Mesmerize Others (used on Renfield and Mina), Suggestion, Survivor Skills (level 1), Languages (16), Arcane Dabbler

Survivor Skills
  • Open Locks: 15%
  • Bypass Traps: 10%
  • Sleight of Hand: 20%
  • Move Silently: 20%
  • Hide in Shadows: 10%
Spells*
Level One: Charm Person, Detect Evil

*In this case "Spells" will be just bits of lore and learning he is able to use. 

Skills:** 
History, Knowledge (Psychiatry), Medicine, Science

** Skills are optional in NIGHT SHIFT, but for Seward, Holmwood, and Morris I feel they are what set the characters apart and above and beyond their class abilities. 

--

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge


Thursday, January 6, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Lucy Westenra

Yesterday I featured Mina Murray Harker, the hero of the Dracula novel.  The archetypical victim though belongs to her friend Lucy Westenra.  I have compared Lucy and Mina a few times. Showing where Mina is the "Modern Woman," Lucy is the "Old World Woman."  She does a lot to make herself more attractive to Dracula.  She is looking for a man to define her life, she is a member of the "idle rich," she has bouts of sleep-walking, her innocence, and more.  Where Mina is proactive, Lucy is largely reactive.  

It is hard really not to feel bad for her.

After she is turned by Dracula all of that gets inverted.  The sweet, coquettish girl becomes the dangerous "bloofer lady" that preys on children. 

My favorite portrayal of her comes from Sadie Frost in 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula, but I also rather liked how Jan Francis looked as the vampire Lucy (or rather "Mina" in this version) in 1979's Dracula, though she looks nothing like the "bloofer lady."   Though the most accurate physical portrayal was by Katie McGrath in the short run NBC series Dracula.

Here she is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Lucy Westenra
2nd level Survivor (Supernatural, Vampire)
Archetype: Vampire Victim

Strength: 11 (0) 
Dexterity: 12 (0) 
Constitution: 8 (-1) 
Intelligence: 11 (0) S
Wisdom: 10 (0) S
Charisma: 17 (+3) P

HP: 4
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
AC: 9
Attack: +1 

Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +2/+1/+0
Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: 0
Saves: +3 to all Wisdom saving throws, +3 to death saves. +1 to all others.

Powers:  Vampire Powers, Stealth skills, Climbing, Danger Sense (1-2), Sneak Attack x2

Vampire Powers
  • Ability Bonuses (+2 to Strength, +2 Dexterity)
  • Damage Immunity
  • Feed on Life (Con drain)
  • Vampire Regeneration
  • Vampire Vulnerabilities

Stealth Skills

  • Open Locks: 25%
  • Bypass Traps: 20%
  • Sleight of Hand: 30%
  • Move Silently: 30%
  • Hide in Shadows: 10%
  • Perception: 45%

--

Dracula, and Lucy for that matter, drains Constitution, not "Levels," which is as it should be for "Dracula."  There was no way Lucy could survive three attacks of draining 2 levels when she is always described as frail and weak before Dracula even shows up.  Not only that the children Lucy later preys one are certainly 2nd level, they are barely 0 level.

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Mina Murray Harker

Longtime readers here will know of my love of Mina Murray Harker, the true hero of the Dracula novel.  I have talked about her here a few times, but in short, she is the one that puts all the pieces together, she is the one that has the forethought to transcribe everyone's notes.  She is the one that really has the tools to go hunting for Dracula.  She is also the prototype of the "Final Girl" a trope that will only grow for the next 120+ years.

One thing I have never cared for though was the whole reincarnated lover of Dracula.  Mina is interesting enough without needing to add anything else to her character.  That being said, I did not mind Alan Moore making her into a vampire.  But that is not what I am going with her.  This is Mina from the book and most of the movies.

Here she is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Mina Murray Harker
3rd level Survivor (Human)
Archetype: Survivor

Strength: 10 (0) 
Dexterity: 12 (0) 
Constitution: 15 (+1) S
Intelligence: 16 (+2) P
Wisdom: 12 (0) 
Charisma: 16 (+2) S

HP: 11
Alignment: Light
AC: 8
Attack: +1 

Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+1/+0
Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: 0
Saves: +3 to death saves. +1 to all others.

Powers:  Stealth skills, Climbing, Danger Sense (1-3), Sneak Attack x2, Read Languages, 

Stealth Skills

  • Open Locks: 35%
  • Bypass Traps: 30%
  • Sleight of Hand: 40%
  • Move Silently: 40%
  • Hide in Shadows: 30%
  • Perception: 50%

--

Mina is a vampire attack survivor, more so that she survived an attack by Dracula.  That has to count for something. 

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

Character Creation Challenge


Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: Jonathan Harker

Harker is the first character we meet in the novel Dracula. You would think this would make him the most important character, but that role will be discussed tomorrow.  Harker is a means to end, both to the novel Dracula and the character Dracula.  He provides the Victorian England point of view of the story.  

He is not a particularly useful character, either in the novels or many of the movies. Though he gets more limelight in the 1979 John Badham, Frank Langella staring Dracula and in the 1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula from Francis Ford Coppola.  I do remember at the time really ripping into Keanu Reeves' portrayal, but looking back over others and re-reading the book, Harker is kinda weak. 

He does get to fair a little better in the "Alternate" Dracula, Powers of Darkness, and in the RPG Rippers.

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Jonathan Harker
3rd level Survivor (Human)
Archetype: Survivor

Strength: 11 (0) 
Dexterity: 12 (0) 
Constitution: 16 (+2) S
Intelligence: 14 (+1) P
Wisdom: 12 (0) 
Charisma: 15 (+1) S

HP: 14
Alignment: Light
AC: 8
Attack: +1 

Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+1/+0
Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: 0
Saves: +3 to death saves. +1 to all others.

Powers:  Stealth skills, Climbing, Danger Sense (1-3), Sneak Attack x2, Read Languages, 

Stealth Skills

  • Open Locks: 35%
  • Bypass Traps: 30%
  • Sleight of Hand: 40%
  • Move Silently: 40%
  • Hide in Shadows: 30%
  • Perception: 50%

--

Harker is pretty much the archetypical vampire-attack survivor.  

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog for more! 

Character Creation Challenge


Monday, January 3, 2022

Character Creation Challenge: R. M. Renfield

One of the more interesting characters in the Dracula novel and movies is "zoophagous maniac" R. M. Renfield.  He is one of Dracula's first victims, though we never see the attack, we know that he is under Dracula's thrall. 

We first meet Renfield in Dr. Seward's sanitorium where we learn he is very excitable and very strong.  His defining features are his diet of bugs (though he hopes for a cat) and his deference to his "Master."

Given all of this, I thought with the new NIGHT SHIFT Night Companion going out to backers today, I'd give Renfield a try as a Ghoul.

Here he is for Night Shift.

Alexander Granach as Renfield/Knock in Nosferatu
R. M. Renfield

5th level Survivor (Supernatural, Ghoul)
Archetype: Thrall

Strength: 16 (+1) P
Dexterity: 16 (+1) S
Constitution: 15 (+1) S
Intelligence: 11 (0) 
Wisdom: 8 (-1) 
Charisma: 8 (-1) 

HP: 20
Alignment: Dark
AC: 8
Attack: +2

Fate Points: 1d8

Feed: Live flesh, prefers insects

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+2/+1
Melee bonus: +1  Ranged bonus: +1
Saves: +3 to all Constitution-based saves and are immune to poison. +3 to death saves.

Powers
Rake attack, paralysis, Stealth skills, Climbing, Danger Sense (1-3), Sneak Attack x3

Stealth Skills

  • Open Locks: 55%
  • Bypass Traps: 50%
  • Sleight of Hand: 60%
  • Move Silently: 60%
  • Hide in Shadows: 50%
  • Perception: 60%

--

A few things here.  First I think this works great as Renfield. He works great as a Survivor, especially with his sneak attacks and his ability to escape.  He also works great as a Ghoul.  His bug-eating is covered well by his "Feed", a new rule feature in the Night Companion for Supernatural characters.  

Additionally, his alignment is listed as "Dark" another new feature of the Night Companion.  He is evil, but not irredeemable. Though in truth he never gets the chance. 

 

Character Creation Challenge