PC groups for games I would do with different systems
23f: The Lord Of The Rings with Kids On Bikes - Sam
Samwise Gamgee
Blue-Collar Worker (bending the rules for an adult trope)
Friday, 23 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 23f: The Lord Of The Rings with Kids On Bikes - Sam
Character Creation Challenge 2026
Thursday, 22 January 2026
Sinners breaks Oscar nomination record
The Academy Award nominations are out, and Sinners got sixteen.
Character Creation Challenge 2026 22f: The Lord Of The Rings with Kids On Bikes - Frodo
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
22f: The Lord Of The Rings with Kids On Bikes
F is for Fellowship. And Frodo.
I’d go with The One Ring for a Middle-earth game, but for the purpose of this challenge I considered a few options emphasising different elements of the saga.
Desperate mission story game Our Last Best Hope would work for the Fellowship overall as a one-shot, although only Boromir and temporarily Gandalf get the dramatic deaths the system runs on.
Pastoral travel game Wanderhome, for contrast, for The Hobbit. Possibly swapping out Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger from The Wind In The Willows for Bilbo, Balin, Thorin and Gandalf.
But I finally settled on Kids On Bikes (first edition, as I don’t have second and it’s apparently a small revision) for the four Hobbits, with Gandalf as the powered character. The rest of the Fellowship could be statted as Teens or Adults.
Leaving home on a great adventure cuts out the town focus and collaborative creation, but hey. And I ran through that last time I used this for the Challenge.
Characters start with Tropes (playbooks) that can be adjusted, or made from scratch. This gives them a stat line, suggestions for their two starting strengths (along with the one they get from age range) and flaws, and some personality questions, with a longer list for making connections to a setting.
22f: The Lord Of The Rings with Kids On Bikes - Frodo
Frodo Baggins
Popular Kid
Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 21e: John Wick with Hell 4 Leather
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
21e: John Wick with Hell 4 Leather
Since John Wick (the film, not the game designer) was released its mix of heightened action and semi-secret world setting has had people discussing games to use for it, and games and sourcebooks coming out referencing it explicitly. If I were running a series I have several options, but if I wanted to play something like just the first film I’d be tempted by a one-shot game like Hell 4 Leather, a story game about one PC coming back from the dead for revenge on all the others.
The PCs and the game’s timeline are based on the Major Arcana from the Tarot. The central PC is the Fool, also given the cards Death and the Devil. The others take one of six cards and fit that role and each get a Boon (which can save them... maybe...) from another set of six, and can take Guilt Boons by narrating their part in the betrayal if there are any left.
John is The Fool.
Viggo is the Emperor, with the Boon of Strength and the Guilt Boon of the Lovers because he knows John’s reasons.
Iosef is the Hermit, with the Boon of Temperance because he lacks that and the Guilt Boon of the Chariot because he stole John’s car and this is all his fault.
Avi is the Hierophant, with the Boon of the Wheel of Fortune as he has the worst luck.
Perkins is the Empress, with the Boon of Justice as she breaks the rules of the Continental to seek the bounty on John.
Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 20d: Star Wars with Black Star - Chewbacca
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
20d: Star Wars with Black Star
20d: Chewbacca, Wookiee veteran
Chewbacca was first mate of the Millennium Falcon for decades, and a decorated veteran of the Galactic Civil War yes he did get a medal.
Monday, 19 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 19d: Star Wars with Black Star - BB-8
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
19d: Star Wars with Black Star
19d: BB-8, maintenance droid
BB-8 is Poe’s loyal little droid.
I gave him an extra Talent to make up for being unable to use regular hand tools or weapons.
Sunday, 18 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 18d: Star Wars with Black Star - Rose
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
18d: Star Wars with Black Star
18d: Rose Tico, Resistance technician
Rose was a maintenance tech, supporting the Resistance including her pilot sister Paige.
Saturday, 17 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 17d: Star Wars with Black Star - Poe
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
17d: Star Wars with Black Star
17d: Poe Dameron, ace pilot
Poe Dameron, X-Wing pilot, Resistance squadron leader, dashing rogue. Not to be confused with Cameron Poe, hero of Con Air.
Friday, 16 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 16d: Star Wars with Black Star - Finn
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
16d: Star Wars with Black Star
16d: Finn, rogue Stormtrooper
Finn, formerly designated FN-2187, was a First Order Stormtrooper conditioned from childhood and... that didn’t really work. Touched by the Force, he broke free about as soon as possible.
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 15d: Star Wars with Black Star - Rey
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
15d: Star Wars with Black Star
Black Star from LakeSide Games is a light 2d6-based system for classic space opera and heroic science fantasy. Quoting the introduction: “If there is any hope for the galaxy, if the dream of peace, justice and equality for all is to become a reality, if the Imperium is ever to be overthrown, the galaxy will need heroes...”
(Not to be confused with Blackstar, the David Bowie video I most want to run as a Doctor Who game.)
Check out a runthrough of a scene here.
--
Heroes have ten Attributes, starting at 1 with 10 points to spend and a starting maximum of 3:
Blasting, Brawling, Diplomacy, Discipline, Instinct, Intellect, Speed, Strength, Tools, Transports
Two Archetypes each, from a list of ten. They also have five Talents, one for each Archetype, one from the list for each, and one other.
They also start with Gear, a Link (comlink), three other pieces of Gear, any archetype Gear and two slots to have useful Gear in an adventure.
And finally 7 Resolve, the system’s bennies.
--
15d: Star Wars with Black Star – Rey
Rey is “no one”, an abandoned child turned scavenger on a desert planet, but the Force is with her.
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Character Creation Challenge 2026 14c: Vampire with Elegy - Narcissus lineage
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
14c: Vampire: The Masquerade with Elegy - Narcissus lineage
Narcissus
“The Aesthetes embody the myth of the seductive and sensual vampire. Their eerie presence, manipulation skills, and charm make them irresistible to both mortals and vampires. They place high value on sensuality, aesthetic experience, popularity, and status.”
The modern pop culture vampire, the Daeva take this role in Requiem, kind of split between the Brujah and Toreador in Masquerade with their original writeup closer to Toreador but with the Brujah power suite. As those are the two Masquerade clans I’ve played most and the only Requiem clan I’ve ever had a chance to play the one time I got to, and hey, I’m playing one now...
Paris
Occupation in life
Events organiser around a large campus
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
V5: City Of Angels 36
Vampire: The Masquerade - City Of Angels session 36
First RPG session of the year, and the long-suffering vampire events promoter stopped someone else crying instead of being the one crying.
Maybe when she gets home.
Character Creation Challenge 2026 13c: Vampire with Elegy - Kerberos lineage
Character Creation Challenge 2026
PC groups for games I would do with different systems
13c: Vampire: The Masquerade with Elegy - Kerberos lineage
Kerberos
“The Savages embody the myth of the primal, animalistic, untamed vampire. Their deep connection to the wild and fierce independence make other vampires fear - or misunderstand - them.”
The Gangrel, the classic wolf-and-bat vampire and ambivalent to the city-based vampire society, are a mainstay in Masquerade and Requiem. I’ve played a couple now and then, and often have one as a dangerous enemy - or possible ally - among my NPCs.
Walker
Occupation in life
Old West outlaw
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