Urban Fantasy Friday: Slasher Flick Director's Cut

At the start of the week, I posted about Horror Movie rules and the Final Girl. The topic of the Steven Jackson Games Magazine's Slasher Flick came up. I had never played that, but I did know about the RPG Slasher Flick: Director's Cut from Spectrum Games. 

I went back to Slasher Flick to see what it has that I can use to help flesh out my ideas for Jackson, IL. Obviously, Slasher Flick leans hard into the whole slasher sub-genre of horror, whereas Jackson is more supernatural horror. The list of movies is, of course, fantastic and a must-have. Reading the video recommendations is really one of the book's treats.

The obvious overlap is in structure. Jackson, IL is not a slasher setting in the strictest sense. There are slashers in it, certainly. There are masked killers, urban legends, haunted campuses, missing girls, old crimes that repeat, and all the usual things that make people in horror movies say, "I'll be right back," right before they absolutely do not come back.

But Jackson is not really about a killer with a knife. Jackson is about the thing under the town.

Slasher Flick is not just a game about killing off teenagers. It is a game about horror movie pacing. It understands that the first third of a horror movie is not really about death. It is about relationships. Who likes whom. Who is lying. Who is jealous. Who is scared. Who is trying to act brave. Who is going to make the wrong choice for exactly the right emotional reason. The book even notes that slasher films often focus on teenagers or college-aged characters, isolation, and the relationships and conflicts among them, especially in the first part of the movie. That is very useful for Jackson.

A Slasher Flick game asks, "Who is killing these kids?"

A Jackson game asks, "Why is this happening again?"

I'll talk more about this next week, but July 2026 marks 40 years since I first rolled up Larina as an AD&D character. So it seems fitting that I try her and her friends out. Compare and contrast their Jackson and Slasher Flick counterparts.

Larina "Nix" Nichols
Primary Character
Stereotype: Weird Bookish Witch Girl
Role: Smart Girl

Brawn: Poor
Physically Small / Not Built for This (-)

Finesse: Normal

Brains: Good
Occult Research (+), Perceptive (+), Knows the Library (+) 

Spirit: Good
Cool When Things Get Weird (+)

Special Ability: Psychic Power

Tidbits: Has a short temper. Has nightmares.

Items: Backpack, compact mirror, library card, Greek II notebook, flashlight, occult book, wristwatch

Stephanie Vale
Primary Character
Stereotype: Sweet Cheerleader
Role: Ms Popular

Brawn: Normal
Healthy (+)

Finesse: Good
Flexible (+)

Brains: Normal

Spirit: Good
Attractive (+), Annoyingly Perky (-)

Special Ability: Wholesome

Tidbits: Feels like she is the only one holding everything together.

Items: Car keys, cosmetics, mace/pepper spray, sunglasses, brush

Faye "Thornie" Thorne
Primary Character
Stereotype: Snarky Goth Girl
Role: Oddball

Brawn: Poor

Finesse: Good

Brains: Normal
Unconvential Thuinker (+) 

Spirit: Good
Bluff (+), Courageous (+), Witty Remarks (+), Overly Sarcastic (-)

Special Ability: Steel Yourself

Tidbits: Doesn't like to be touched, Loves hot peppers, encyclopedic knowledge of music

Items: Pentagram necklace, knife (in boot), knife (in pocket), knife (in jacket sleeve), leather jacket, cigarettes.

Candace "Candy" Mercer
Primary Character
Stereotype: Fun-loving Party Girl
Role: Smartass

Brawn: Normal

Finesse: Good
Breaking & Entering (+), Stealthy (+)

Brains: Normal
Resourceful (+) 

Spirit: Good
Seduction (+), Inappropriate Humor (-)

Special Ability: Dumb Luck

Tidbits: Shockingly good at First Aid. Uses inappropriate humor as a shield. Uses sex as a means of connection.

Items: First Aid kit, knife, baseball bat, lighter, cheap sweet strawberry wine/

Denise "Duchess" Carver
Primary Character
Stereotype: Party Girl with a heart of gold
Role: Rebel

Brawn: Normal
Street fighter (+)

Finesse: Good
Stealthy (+)

Brains: Normal

Spirit: Good
Bluff (+), Courageous (+), Untrusting (-)

Special Ability: Overcome

Tidbits: Knows where all the exits are. Doesn't trust anyone but Candy

Items: Crowbar, cigarettes, perfume, cosmetics, knife

--

Wow. I rather love these. I was thinking that these could be have been the girls in their next adventure, but this feels like early school year 1985. Maybe their second adventure and the first one with all five of them together.

Originally Candy and Denise were going to be Secondary Characters. But like how they evolved in NIGHT SHIFT, I couldn't help but make them Primary characters. These versions are likely the ones we see in Shadows of the Night.

Slasher Flick Adventure: "Hey Mickey, You’re So Dead"

So I want a good "Slasher Flick"- style adventure that keeps all the characters involved. It's easy to keep Larina and Faye involved; they love spooky shit. Denise and Faye are always in trouble, but Stephanie. She was an issue in the beginning. She didn't have a lot of reason to stay with the others despite their magic connection. This helps me solve that. Granted. Your game will have different issues with different characters, but Steph is the stand-in for the Popular Guy/Girl who would normally not be hanging out with the High School weirdos. 

This adventure involves her.

Michele "Mickey" Wren was the head cheerleader in Jackson for the 1965/66 school year. A senior, popular, pretty, and hated by her rivals. So, while decorating for homecoming in the gym at the Old High School, the other cheerleaders and football players decide to prank her by taking away the ladder she was using. Mickey didn't see this and fell to her death.

20 years later, the pep-squad has convinced the school district to hold the Homecoming dance in the old High School Gym (the "new" gym is not ready yet). This wakes up Mickey's vengeful spirit, and she tries to kill the current roster of cheerleaders and football players. This includes Stephanie, Valentino, and Andy. Steph needs Faye, Larina, and strangely enough Candy and Denise to help.

I am including Candy and Denise, well, because I love them, but I also need someone to climb to where Mickey fell to her death, and frankly that screams Candy. She isn't afraid of heights. 

It starts when someone sees a girl in an older cheer uniform, but wearing a Crimson Cougar mask (Steph sees this first). Then killings start. The clues are in the library (old yearbooks, newspapers) the realization that someone has died in the school every year since there was a Jackson Public High School (Larina figures that out). Someone gets cut (allowing Candy to show off her first-aid skills), gets trapped under the old gym (allowing Denise to show them the way out), and, basically, I want everyone to have something to do. Faye is the one who figures out Mickey isn't mad because she died; she is mad because everyone forgot her. In the end, Steph decides that the Homecoming theme is 1965 and Mickey is remembered, so she doesn't come back to kill again. 

Mickey's Slasher Flick components would be:

Hard to Kill

She keeps coming back after being knocked down, drowned, electrocuted, or locked behind doors.

Linked Location: Jackson PHS Old Gym and Auditorium Wing

She is strongest in the old gym, locker rooms, stage, costume storage, catwalk, boiler access, and trophy hallway.

Signature Weapon: Sharpened Spirit Baton

The baton is part cheer prop, part ritual weapon, part murder implement.

Stalking the Prey

She appears in mirrors, trophy case glass, polished locker doors, and the dark windows of the gym before she attacks.

Tidy

Bodies vanish, blood is wiped away, and the school keeps looking normal until the final act. This lets adults doubt the girls. It also makes Steph trust the others because they believe her right away.

Episode Theme Song: Mickey, which Candy will hum when they are supposed to be sneaking around. 

Candy: (softly) "Oh Mickey, what a pity..."
Faye: "Could you not do that?"
Candy: "Sorry, inappropriate behavior is how I deal with stress."
Denise: "I thought random sex was how you dealt with stress."
Candy: "I have a lot of stress."

Yeah. I like this. I don't think I need NIGHT SHIFT stats for Mickey Wren, but if she comes back, I'll certainly do them. 

This should also be the episode where the players learn that someone has died in the school every year since 1936.

Jackson, IL: NPCs, The Ones Who Know

One of the big hooks in the Jackson, IL NIGHT SHIFT game I am using is that the adults in the game know a little bit of what is going on. That is to say they know Jackson has more than its fair share of weirdness going on. 

Case in point. Devil Chairs or Witch Chairs. These are chairs found in many cemeteries across the Midwest. If a cemetery has one they typically have one, or maybe two. My real hometown of Jacksonville, IL (which Jackson is based on) has five. That town isn't normal. (Normal is about 120 miles NE of Jacksonville!)

There are also other teens who have figured out what is going on. These NPCs will interact with the PCs but may or may not get involved for their own reasons. 

Roderick Morgan, II, aka "Morgan Highstar"

Morgan, as he is known, is the "protector" of St. Michael's Catholic School and Academy. The "Academy" part is the older name and is used by the honor students. Morgan (and never, ever "Rod") is a psychic and covers the same role that Stephanie, Faye, and Larina cover for Jackson Public High School. 

Morgan, though, is a reluctant protector. Not because he can't, he is more than capable. He is reluctant because he doesn't really want to protect anyone. Well...he is doing it to prove his intellectual capabilities and his psychic ability, not because he actually likes any of the students at St. Michaels. On the contrary, he actively dislikes most of them. But it would wound his pride if a poltergeist or a demon got into the school. 

Morgan is a psychic and a rationalist. He doesn't believe in the supernatural. All the phenomena he encounters, he thinks, are the result of psychic interference. So ghosts, demons, hags, and the lot are all manifestations of the townspeople's own fears and psychic garbage. Psychic patterns or matrices. They believe the town is haunted, so they find ways to make it so. He finds it deeply offensive that others can't have the same mental discipline he does.

He also can't stand witches. 

Not hate per se. But they represent everything he thinks is wrong with this town. They feed into the superstitions and believe them themselves. The problem is also is that they are effective. He would argue that they are effective because they contribute to the problem. So it galls him anytime someone with magic shows up. And it destroys his world anytime Larina beats him in chess.

Concept: Psychic and intellectual snob with grades to back it up.
Song: "Subdivisions" by Rush
Quote: "A haunting is not a mystery. It is an unresolved pattern with delusions of personality."

Morgan is a 4th-level Psychic. He is a little more powerful than the other NPCs, but he is also doing all the work on his own. He is based on Morgan Highstar. 

Morgan is related to the Morgan Chemical family. His father, Roderick Morgan I, was not directly involved but is a professor at MacAlister College. They have a name and money.

Vera Rook

Vera is another witch at Jackson Public High. She and Stephanine go way back to Kindergarten together where they have always been rivals. She picked on Faye for loosing her parents and now she has set her sights on Larina as her newest target. 

Very is smart, incredibly cool, and popular. If this were the 2000s she would be described as a "mean girl." In the 1980s, we would have just called her "stuck up." 

Vera's deal is that she is a witch, and she could help, but she won't unless it somehow benefits herself. So there will be times when she pitches in and a lot more times when she just won't.  

While I don't want to make her into a cliché, I do admit I am having fun playing with the clichés. She is the worst qualities of the other witch NPCs distilled into one character with wit and flawless eyeliner.

Concept: Rival witch.
Song: "Cities in Dust" by Siouxsie and the Banshees
Quote: "And I care...why?"

Vera is a 2nd level witch. But don't expect her help or anything. Vera is brand new, but I rolled up her Pathfinder 2nd Ed and AD&D 1st edition character Veyra Shadowraven. Yes, more clichés! Might need to post all three stats one day.

Stephanie: "Ugh! Why is she such a bitch?"
Larina: "Why won't she help?"
Faye: "Why does she look so cool?"
Stephanie and Larina: "What?"
Faye: "What?"

The Rooks are also an old Jackson family. She would be a family tradition witch.

Kyra Bellamy 

Kyra: "There is evil in this town. It's old, and it is angry."

Kyra Bellamy is sharp, watchful, and not nearly as willing to take people at face value as they might hope. She has a serious streak, a cautious intelligence, and the habit of looking at the people around her like she is trying to solve them before they become dangerous. That wariness makes her seem distant, but it is born more from care than cruelty. Kyra wants the truth, even when it is uncomfortable, and she has little patience for sentimentality when the stakes are real. In a town built on secrets, that makes her both valuable and dangerous.

Kyra is the daughter of Rev. Jonah Bellamy, III. Preacher at "The Old Landmark Missionary Baptist Church", a predominantly African-American Baptist church. Kyra loves her church. Sundays are a day of dressing up, singing, worship, and, of course, the Sunday-afternoon cookout her father hosts. Yes, Kyra ends up working, giving out food, and is on her feet all day in a dress, but she still loves it, and when the local children ask "Miss Kyra" really nicely, she gives them extra Mac n Cheese. Ok, she gives them extra even if they don't ask.

The trouble is, Kyra is having a crisis of faith. Jackson is evil. She knows this. And there are witches walking the halls of her school. Some, like Faye and Vera, are easy to spot. Others wear a friendly face like Stephanie, and others look nice, like Larina, but Kyra sees the barely contained magic underneath. She doesn't understand how these girls can be allowed to walk around like they are normal.

Now, please keep in mind, Kyra is a good kid. She is just mistaken about what a witch really is. 

Kyra also likes things she knows her father would never approve of. She is on the track team, and she is quite good. She likes secular music and is enthralled by MTV when she goes over to friends' houses. And what confuses her most of all is she thinks she also likes Meriko in a more than just-friends way.

Concept: The Preacher's Kid
Song: "Dear God" by XTC
Quote: "Just because I’m polite doesn’t mean I agree with you."

Kyra is a 1st-level Theosophist. She is based on the Pathfinder iconic cleric Kyra. Kyra is here to provide some tension. She is not evil, quite the opposite, but she also wants to protect her family, her church, and her town. She isn't 100% sure where the evil is coming from. 

Spoiler: Kyra manages to come to terms with all her doubts. Later on she becomes a preacher of her own church, one that is a little more welcoming. 

Meriko Hayashida

Meriko: "So what is your deal? You are all witches, right?"

Meriko Hayashida is composed, intelligent, and far more perceptive than most of her classmates realize. She comes from a family that values discipline, accomplishment, and maintaining appearances, and she wears that training with quiet elegance. But Meriko is no passive observer. She notices patterns, remembers details, and understands more than she says. There is a calm confidence to her that makes her hard to rattle, and when she finally chooses to speak plainly, it tends to matter. She may not seek the center of the story, but she is far too smart to remain at its edges for long.

Meriko's father is a professor at MacAlister College. She has an older brother at Mac. Her parents want her to be more traditional, like her brother, but that is not Meriko's way. She discovered that dressing in what she calls "Ninja wear" or what Americans think Japanese people wear, she can really get under her parents' skin. She is also a tech junkie and shows off the new CD player "she got from Japan." Actually, she bought it in St. Louis, but since it's a Sony, it technically comes from Japan. 

Meriko is also something of a kleptomaniac and often shoplifts. She doesn't need these things, her family is very well off, but she likes the thrill of it. On the rare times she catches her, she fakes crying and speaking in Japanese, explaining she doesn't understand American customs and don't send her home to her super strict parents, she will dishonor them, and she lays it on so thick that most shop owners tell her to forget it just so they can get this hysterical girl out of their shop. The second she is out, she drops the act and shows the thing she actually stole.

Her best friend is Kyra. They relate because their families are both so strict and conservative. Meriko makes mixtapes for Kyra and labels them "French Lesson 1" and "Chemistry Notes" Kyra doesn't like the lies, but she loves the music Meriko picks for her.

Meriko also feels like Kyra is "more than a friend," but doesn't know how to act on that.

Concept: The Sharp One
Song: "Voices Carry" - 'Til Tuesday
Quote: 仕方がない。 Shikata ga nai. "It can’t be helped."

Meriko is a 2nd-level survivor. She is based on the Pathfinder iconic thief Merisiel.

Renee Sylvi Jäneläinen

Sylvia: "Now there is a face I did not expect to see darkening my threshold."

Renee: "Hello. Godmother."

Renee Jäneläinen is a girl of winter light and long dark nights, carrying with her the sense that she belongs to colder places and older tales. Thoughtful, self-contained, and a little mysterious even when she is being kind, Renee has the air of someone raised to respect things most people would laugh off until it was much too late. She is not dramatic, not loud, and not interested in making herself the center of attention, but there is depth in her that people feel even before they understand it. In Jackson, where so many dangers hide behind familiar faces, Renee stands out precisely because she seems to understand that the world has always been stranger than it looks.

If asked why she came to Jackson from her hometown of Jakobstad in Finland, she will say something simple like "I wanted to perfect my English," but she is already better than some of the locals. Or something odd like "I LOVE American Rock n' Roll," which is technically true; she has knowledge of classic rock that even impresses Faye.  In truth, Renee is not completely sure why she picked Jackson, other than that she was drawn to it. When she got here and felt the town's magic she knew she had picked the right town. 

AND for reasons I have not 100% figured out myself, I introduced her by having her walk into El Espejo Oscuro, and saying to Sylvia Velasco, "Hello. Godmother." I am not sure what I was thinking, other than it hit me one day, and I could not put it down. I still need to figure this one out.

Concept: The Foreign Exchange Student
Song: "In Silence" by Fra Lippo Lippi.
Quote: "Voin ymmärtää ja kunnioittaa pimeyttä ilman että tulen osaksi sitä."
"I can understand and respect the darkness without becoming a part of it."

Renee is a 2nd-level witch, but she tries to hide it. Renen is a nod to all the great foreign exchange students we used to get and all my friends who also went off to become foreign exchange students as well. Renee is also a witch and has her own reasons to keep her power quiet. Renee is based on Rhiannon. So it is possible that she and Morgan will have some dealings in the future. Likely not positive ones. 

These five NPCs are here to either help or impede the PCs as needed. Their motivations are complex.  While they have basic concepts, they are not basic characters. 

Jackson, IL: NPCs, the Adults in the Room

No game for me this past weekend. They were doing their "Pokémon meets D&D" game and no time for the 1980s. That's fine, I have a bit more world-building I need to do.

The thing about Jackson is that not every adult in town is clueless about the Supernatural. Many are, most are too thick to know. But there are some who know the truth, and some of them have fought these battles before. Here are some of the adults I want to put forward as my actual "Veterans of the Supernatural Wars." 

Old Jackson Public High School

Most of these adults don't really need stats; they won't be doing any fighting unless it is off-screen. Though it is possible that they could need them later on. For the most part, these are either 0-level humans or maybe 1st or 2nd level in something.

Lars Nichols

Lars is Larina's father. He is a good one to have in the game, whether or not Larina remains a named NPC. Like Larina as the New Girl, he is the New Teacher. He is a professor of Anthropology at MacAlister College, so he will make a good resource for the characters. 

Lars came to mind nearly fully formed. I knew he had the same hair color as Larina and that he had brown eyes. He sings, he loves music, he has an impressive music collection. And he LOVES Yes. Like obsessively so. And Larina is a complete Daddy's girl. Of course, "Larina" means "daughter of Lars." But Larina came first, and Lars came around later. Her mother is/was named Siân Stephens Nichols (my homage to Bewitched). She was blonde with blue eyes, the same eye color as Larina. I spent some time with Lars and Siân as OSE characters, and they were a blast. 

In Larina's original AD&D 1st ed version, her mom and dad both died when she was 19, necessitating her adventuring.  In my Dark Places & Demogorgons version, her parents are both still alive. Here, her mother died, and Lars and his daughter moved up from Southern Illinois so he could take a job at MacAlister. 

Lars is likely a Sage, maybe level 4. Yeah, I know I said 0 or 1, but he is going to be a solid resource. Plus, Lars knows about the supernatural; he prefers to avoid it when he can, but that is difficult when his daughter is one of the most powerful witches in the game.  

I like Lars. He is a good guy and acts all happy, but he is still mourning his wife. Because of this he will be protective of the characters.

Archetype: The cool, but heartbroken, single father
Quote: "Love what you love while you can, and never apologize for playing the record one more time."
Quirks: Has a huge record collection. Loves Yes, still misses his wife.
Theme song: "Wonderous Stories" by Yes

Malcolm "Mac" McGowan

Malcolm "Mac" McGowan is first and foremost the grandfather of Rowan McGown, the presumptive Spirit Rider of Jackson. His son, Jake, was the Spirit Rider for this area, but he and his wife were killed in a car crash leaving only the baby Rowan to survive. She was supposed to die as well. They were killed by supernatural agents. Mac has always known this and has done everything in his mortal-mundane power to keep Rowan safe. But he knows that sooner or later she is going to need to take up the mantle if Jackson is to remain safe. 

He is an older man who moved here from Scotland many years ago with his Irish wife. Their son Jake was born here in Jackson, and they settled down. Mac got a job caring for the horses at the Thompson Stables, hired by Andy's grandfather, who always respected Mac. It was their idea to have young Anderson come to the stables to learn how to care for the animals and destiny was forged when Andy fell in love with Rowan.

Yes, that is the flannel shirt Rowan wears now. She stole it when she was 12 and never gave it back. Wearing it reminds her of her grandfather.

Mac likes Andy, he sees more of Andy's own grandfather in him than his father, which is good. He also knows he will be kind to Rowan.  MAc respects people who work hard, but has a lot of issues with those who deal with the supernatural, especially Valerie Beaumont. These two have a history, and he is one of the very few people who know her secret.  Valerie wants to train Rowan in sword fighting to prepare her for her role as Jackson's Spirit Rider, and conveniently keeping all three away from directly helping and stealing the spotlight away from the PCs.

Valerie: "Good morning, Mac. You going to invite me in for coffee or shoot me with that revolver you are hiding in your jacket?"
Mac: "I have not decided yet. Maybe both."

If Mac has a class, he would be a level 1 or 2 Veteran. 

Archetype: The Protective Grandfather
Quote: "Horses don’t care what you say you are. They only care what you actually are."
Quirks: Talks to horse like they understand him. Maybe they do.
Theme song: "The Skye Boat Song" - The Corries

There are a lot of parallels between Lars and Mac, just as there are between Larina and Rowan. Almost like they are similar characters with different paths and choices. I like to explore these ideas. If Larina and Rowan are very similar, it might also explain why, in my mind, they are friendly to each other, but not friends. 

Of course, none that might matter in the actual game. So far, the players and the characters have only seen them in the background.  The teachers in the school are more important right now.

Here are a couple more.

Thomas Avery

Mr. Avery is the school's "cool" teacher. He is known to be a little eccentric, a little odd, and his classes are a lot of fun. He teaches Classical Literature, Senior Honors Lit, and Freshman English. He quotes Shakespeare in class, and he directs the Fall plays. 

Mr. Avery's big secret is that he is gay. He tries to keep his personal life to himself because, well, it's just 1985-86 and people are still bigoted. When he was younger, and the AIDS crisis began, he got "The Talk" by the school board. He was so embarrassed and frustrated that he considered leaving teaching altogether. Now he makes sure he is never alone with a student, always meets in the open, and never, ever touches anyone. He knows how quickly misunderstandings turn into rumors and rumors become more.  To that end, Keri Moreau flirts with him openly and often, which he finds amusing. She told him that she was willing to do whatever was needed to ensure he was protected. She is also at his side during the school plays as the "Assistant Director" of the plays. The other English teacher, Glenn Daniels, wants him gone, but he is intimidated by Keri, and she makes sure he never has an excuse. 

Thomas Avery is a lot of students' favorite teacher, and they will say he is one of the few who listen to them. Really listens to them. Again, I like to think Avery is a good guy. He loves teaching and he loves when students read something that really means something to them. 

Thomas and Elaine have been sharing their observations, and they are coming to understand that some students are more than they appear. And there are some things that hide in the dark. 

Thomas is likely just a level 1 Sage. 

Archetype: The Fun Teacher
Quote: "Words are not harmless. That is why we teach them."
Quirks: Quotes Shakespeare whenever he can.
Theme song: “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel

Elaine Bellweather

Elaine: "Some things work whether you believe in them or not. That is why you must be careful."
Faye: "Are we still talking about Jazz, Miss Bellweather?"

Miss Elaine Bellweather is Jackson Public High School's music teacher. She teaches Music Appreciation and History, Choir, and is the orchestra conductor. She doesn't teach band, though. The students think she is a bit old-fashioned; she still dresses like she did in the 1960s, and most students think she is older than she really is. She is only 45. 

Miss Bellweather is from one of the "first families" of Jackson. Along with the Thornes, Thompsons, and Vales, the Bellweathers were among the first to settle on the Mauvaisterre Moraine that would become Jackson. She never married, so she will be the last Bellweather. Like the Vales and Thornes, the Bellweathers produced a number of witches. The Thornes are hags, though many don't know that, and the Vales have a history of magic. The Bellweathers were Hedgewitches. As Elaine would say, her "grandmother could see around a few corners."  Elaine herself has no magical ability, but I do say she has some sensitivity. In game terms I say she is a 2nd or 3rd level Sage. She knows a couple of simple spells. 

Elaine lives in a small house with Marian Fitzpatrick, her long-time friend from their days at MacAlister.

Elaine Bellweather is also gay, but she doesn't get the same level of discrimination that Thomas does. That is the double standard of the 1980s that, for once, works in her favor, just for the wrong reasons. 

Not many students consider her their "favorite teacher," but she loves her job, and music is her life. She keeps a detailed set of notes on all the strange things she sees. She shares these notes with Mr. Avery and Mrs. Gloria Haskel, the school Librarian. Between the three of them they know about the monsters and work where they can to protect the students.

Archetype: The Shockingly Perceptive Teacher / Hedge Witch
Quote: "No, I do not know magic. I know songs. People are always confusing the two."
Quirks: Never married. Grandmother was a witch.
Theme song: “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles

Thomas and Elaine are also my subtle nod to the Monsterhearts game I played a while back, which was also almost like a Proto-Jackson. Much like Stranger Things did a flashback involving the previous generation, I like to think that Thomas and Elaine may have known something back when they were kids struggling on their own. I don't think they were in school together, at least I have not worked out their histories or backstories much more than what I have here, but I am leaving it all open. Mac would have been here, but he would have been an adult then as well. 

These are more of my "veterans of the supernatural wars." Just in this case, the last war.

Tales from Jackson, IL: Bring on the Dancing Horses

It is just before Christmas break in Jackson, but the supernatural does not rest. The Jackson Public School Football team is headed to the playoffs. Star players and the team co-Captains (despite only being Juniors), Andy Thompson and Valentino "Val" Moreno, promise to take the team all the way to state. But a freak snow storm, and even freakier hoof prints spell more than trouble; they are an old curse coming home.

I have been waiting for a good adventure to feature my "it" couple, Andy and Rowan. I have talked a little bit about them already, and they have been in the background. Andy Thompson is the son of the "first family" of Jackson. His father owns the local stables and horse track, where horse racing is held every weekend over the summer. Andy's father worked to bring betting to the track and turned his already rich family even richer. Rowan is the sweet horse girl who was all awkward knees and elbows and braces in Junior High and came back gorgeous in High School. 

Yes. I am embracing every cliché I can. But only the ones that serve the game.

Andy and Rowan are important to me and to these adventures. And I wanted to introduce them the right way.

Andy and Rowan

Larina: "Who are those two?"
Faye: "Oh. Andy and Rowan. They were born dating."
Stephanie: "I hear Hallmark follows them around for ideas."
Faye: "They came out of their mother's wombs and were holding hands when they left the hospital."
Stephanie: "Yeah, I have seen the pictures."

Andy and Rowan began as The Couple. You know, they were always together, never apart, only had eyes for each other. If this were a John Cougar song, they would be "Jack and Diane." But for me, I wanted a couple that had staying power, ones you could actually see growing old together. Why? Because with all the crazy shit going on in the game, I wanted them to be true. Trouble is, Rowan is a Spirit Rider, and Andy...well, Andy changed on me, and he became a better version of himself. 

Rowan and Andy (and Tempest). Aren't they adorable?

Rowan McGowan

"Some people learn magic. Some people are chosen by it. And a very few… belong to a place so completely that the place answers back. We call those people 'guardians' or 'protectors.' The old name is 'maor fearainna,' but folks also call them Spirit Rider."

- Malcolm "Mac" McGowan

Rowan in my games is many things. Witch. Protector. Guardian. Witch Knight. And I have worked her up in many different ways: 

• Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd Edition
• Pathfinder 2nd Edition
• Wasted Lands
• Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Here in Jackson, she is not quite all of that. At least not yet. Here, she is just a sweet "horse girl" who loves her grandpa Mac, doesn't remember her mom or dad (who both died when she was a baby), loves her horse "Tempest" (even if he hates everyone else but her), loves getting up before dawn to feed the horses, but most of all, she loves Anderson Thompson. 

She has no idea that she is secretly Jackson, IL's Spirit Rider, and it is because of her love for everything that she has unconsciously built a supernatural wall to keep everything else out. Until the night of the Bell. Now the Hollow King is doing everything he can to erode her will so he can finally break through to Jackson and feed. Even if she knows what is happening, she doesn't yet know how to fight it. So she is not the protector right now; she is the one who needs protecting. She needs the PCs' help. That is, until she accepts her power.

Which is saying something, because she is up before sunrise to get all her work done so she can enjoy her coffee in peace before school. The PCs have their work cut out for them.

Rowan Abigail McGowan
1st level Spirit Rider, Human

Background: Farm Kid

Base Abilities

Strength: 14 (+1)
Agility: 13 (+1) 
Toughness: 14 (+1) n
Intelligence: 13 (+1) 
Wits: 16 (+2) V
Persona: 15 (+4) n

Vit: 5 (1d4)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (A/N/D): +2/+1/+0
Attack bonus (base): +0
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +0

Languages: English, Spanish  
Skills: Horse Riding, Animal Handling (Farm kid)

Saves: +1 to Wits and Persona-based saves, +1 to Tougness-based (Farm Kid)

Spirit Rider Abilities
Innate Magic, Arcana, Arcane Powers, Commune with Spirit of the Land, Power Limitation (100 miles) Magic Battery

Innate Magic & Arcane Powers
Innate: Speak with Animals
Arcane: Precognition, Empathy

Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Height: 5'5"

Archetype: The "Horse Girl" / The Protector
Quote: "I trust horses more than most people."
Quirks: Dresses for comfort and work. Drinks coffee so strong that even Faye is impressed.
Theme song: "Wildfire" - Michael Martin Murphey. She is a country girl at heart. 

Her "Farm Kid" background gives her an "Animal Handling" skill and +1 on Toughness-based saves. All that clean living I guess. Technically, she doesn't live on a farm; she lives on a small ranch near stables, which are still within the city limits. But like I said, that is a technicality. Rowan is a farm girl deep in her bones. 

One thing I have decided about this NPC. She never swears. She will say "shoot" and "gosh darn it." Or maybe when she is really, really mad, she will let a "Hell" escape her lips. But never anything worse. She isn't religious, and this has nothing to do with blasphemy or anything like that. She had been taught that a "lady doesn't use those words." Rowan gets up before dawn so she can feed and water the horses, muck out the stalls, lift bales of hay that weigh 100lbs, and do all of this before her classmates even wake up. She doesn't think of herself as a "lady." She just thinks those words are impolite.

Trust me. That is the hardest part about playing her!

Anderson "Andy" Thompson

I had different plans for Andy. But while sitting there working on his backstory for the game, I discovered a few things. Andy and Valentino have been best friends since they were 4 years old, when Val brought a Nerf football to preschool. That image of these two little guys running up and down the playground with that blue-and-orange foam-rubber football was so vivid that all my original plans for Andy were scrapped. 

See, originally Andy was the son of Arawn, the God of Death (and played in my mind by Giancarlo Esposito, because the man was born to play the God of Death!). Rowan was supposed to die in the car crash that killed her parents, and Arawn had been looking for her, but she was protected by her grandfather Mac, a Witch Knight/Spirit Rider. Andy was supposed to collect her soul, but fell in love instead.

I kept the only parts that mattered. Malcolm "Mac" McGowan stayed a witch knight, her parents were still dead, and Andy and Rowan were still in love. And that little kid playing football and pretending to be in the Chicago Bears with the other little kid became his brother in all but blood. I mean, I just couldn't see either of those little guys as evil. 

So now Andy 2.0 is still the star football player, but now he is also just this really nice guy. I wanted to at least avoid the 80s stereotype that the football player meant "dumb jerk." 

Andy moves through the school with ease. He knows everyone's name; an artifact from his "Son of the God of Death" origin, now just because he pays attention (Sage's Lore ability). He asks them about their family, and if they have a game, science fair, band competition, or anything like that, he is the first and loudest to wish the best of luck. He will high-five the baseball team while still giving them grief about their last game, and then he will fist-bump the debate team on their way to state. He is just a good kid. 

During halftime of the football games, he runs out onto the field to join the marching band on trumpet. Coach Zimmerman always complains that his captain is out "being a cheerleader," but he knows nothing gets the crowd going more, and a loud crowd works wonders on the players. And the Coach actually thinks it's kind of fun. Andy will be the first to admit he's not the best trumpet player, but everyone loves seeing him out there to enegize the crowd.

Yeah, his dad can still be a jerk, but he is no longer the God of Death. They are still super rich and owns the stables and track. And most of the buildings are on the growing west end of town.

It was working one summer on the track (his dad called it character building) when Andy first really saw Rowan. The awkward, somewhat geeky "horse girl" was out riding, and Andy's heart stopped. He saw past all his teen nonsense to the woman she would become underneath all braids, braces, acne, and too-thick glasses. Rowan did not trust, or even like, Andy at first, but he spent the summer proving himself to her and to her Grandfather. They began "dating" their freshman year, and no one got it. When they came back their sophomore year, Rowan had grown into herself and was gorgeous. 

When the others finally saw her, Andy just asked, "What took you all so long?"

I also wanted a super stable couple. Because why not? 

The next problem became Andy's class. As the son of the God of the Dead, I had some flexibility. But now he is just a regular human kid. He is well-liked, offers an encouraging word to everyone, and is the model student-athlete. 

What he is is a Bard. Not the horny kind (well...), but he does play a horn. He really is the "face" character, the one who talks to the adults and convinces them that 10-ft tall monster was really just part of an elaborate prank they are playing on the St. Michaels Catholic High School on the East side of town. Of course, they believe him. He is a Thompson after all. 

Sages can cover Bards well and even get some skills to help round him out. I do want to make his Aspect (or Primary) stat to be Persona rather than Intelligence.

Anderson "Andy" Thompson
2nd level Bard (Sage), Human

Background: Jock

Base Abilities

Strength: 16 (+2)
Agility: 17 (+2) n
Toughness: 16 (+2) 
Intelligence: 14 (+1) n
Wits: 15 (+1) 
Persona: 18 (+3) A

Vit: 8 (1d6)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (A/N/D): +2/+1/+0
Attack bonus (base): +0
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +1

Languages: English, Spanish, French  
Skills: Read Music, Play instruments (trumpet, trombone, saxophone)

Saves: +3 to spells and magic-based saves, +1 to Strength and Toughness-based (Jock)

Sage Abilities
Survivor Skills, Mesmerize ("Fast Talk"), Lore, Languages, Spells

Survivor Skills
Open Locks: 15%
Bypass Traps: 10%
Sleight of Hand: 20%
Move Silently: 20%
Hide in Shadows: 10%

Spells
First-level: Bless ("Rally")

Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'11"

Archetype: The Popular Kid
Quote: "I’m just saying, maybe let’s not make the worst possible decision first." or "Ok! Let's Go! We can do this!" (in about every situation.)
Quirks: Remembers everyone's name and something about them. Wants to be liked for being a good person, not for his family's money.
Theme song: "Boys of Summer" - Don Henley. But during the "Season Finale" against the Hollow King, Andy will be belting out "The Final Countdown" on his trumpet.

The thing to remember about Andy is that he is a good kid deep down. He is the guy cheering you on, telling you that you can do it because he believes you can. And you end up believing him as well. 

Neither characters are powerhouses. They have low Vitality (hit points) and not a lot in the way of powers. In fact, they don't think what they do is magic at all. Andy's "Bless" spell is just his natural enthusiasm for everything. People *do* better with around because they think he is in their corner. And they are right.  Rowan calls her empathy and precognition "just good old 'horse sense'." She calls her ability to speak to animals just knowing how to listen. They are the least pretentious non-player characters in the entire game.

I have an adventure that features them coming up. A headless horseman tied to Rowan's past, but we did not get to it this past weekend, so all I did was introduce them. 

Spoilers

Rowan and Andy get married right out of high school. His father is mad and threatens to disown him, but his grandmother intervenes. Instead of U of I, he goes to Illinois Beecher College in town, plays on the football team, and gets his degree in Education to return to JPHS to teach and coach, eventually replacing the retiring Coach Zimmerman. Rowan, now the Spirit Rider of Jackson, runs the stables (Andy bought them from his dad with his college savings) and has turned part of them into a hippotherapy center for children. Rowan also attended Illinois Beecher College and earned her degree in psychology and occupational therapy. 

Adult Rowan's wards around Jackson are described by witches as "formidable" and by supernatural threats as...well, they don't describe them at all; Rowan usually dispatches them long before they ever get the chance. Rowan would rather calm a frightened horse or help a child learn to ride, but when it comes to defending Jackson, she is brutal and efficient. It is just another chore to be done, like mucking out a stall.

In truth, I love these two and wish them a ton of happiness.

Night Shift^® is a registered trademark of Elf Lair, LLC.

Tales of Jackson, IL: Hot for Teacher

I had something scheduled for today, but got my dates wrong, so today's post will be in one week instead. This one was supposed to be next week's post. 

One of my good friends has been helping me with ideas for this game. He has expertise here since he is a high school football coach and works security at a large suburban high school. Valerie Beaumont is one of his characters that I use as an NPC often. I have been helping him a little with his current Star Trek game, so I figure he can help me with some more teachers for my Jackson, IL game.

Today, two coaches and their friendly rivalry. 

Dr. Kiera "Keri" Moreau

Dr. Kiera Moreau could have gone anywhere. Former Olympian (Montreal, 1976), she retired, returned to school, and got her Ph.D. in Classical Studies. She was on her way to an interview for a job at MacAlister College when she crossed paths with Valerie Beaumont. They knew each other from years before and convinced her to come and teach at Jackson Public School. They also know each other's secrets. Vallerie is immortal, and Kiera is Fae, in particular, a sea nymph, or rather, the daughter of one. She isn't immortal, but she is long-lived. 

She opted to stay. She teaches Latin I and II, and an elective in Classical Mythology. Larina is in her class and is annoyingly excited about it. She is also the girls' swim team coach. 

In truth, Keri really kinda outclasses everyone here. I really like her and want to do more with her, and I know the characters can learn a lot from her. But. She has it all. Beauty. Brains. Strength and power. Why is she slumming it here? She knows something is going on. 

She has seen these patterns repeated throughout history, and this time she has decided that she won't just sit by. Valerie stays away because her connection to others hurts. Keri stays because life without that connection hurts more. This is a point of contention between the two. Val thinks Keri gets too involved, Keri thinks that Val doesn't get involved enough.

And if she can give the cast something to aspire to be? Well then, "fortes fortuna adiuvat." 

Dr. Kiera Moreau
7th Level Psychic (Empath), Half-fey (Sea Nymph)

Base Abilities
Strength: 12 (0)
Agility: 16 (+2) n
Toughness: 14 (+1) 
Intelligence: 18 (+3) 
Wits: 18 (+3) n
Persona: 20 (+4) A

Vit: 43 (7d6)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (A/N/D): +4/+2/+1
Attack bonus (base): +2
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +2

Languages: English, Latin, French, Greek 
Skills: History (Int), Swim (Agl), Occult Knowledge (Int)

Saves: +3 to Persona-based saves

Psychic Abilities
Body Control, Empathy, Hydrokinesis

Fey Abilities
Glamour, Breathe underwater (1 hour), Harmed by cold iron and shadow steel (double normal damage), Long-lived

Hair: Black
Eyes: Gold
Height: 5'10"

Archetype: The Teacher with a mysterious past
Quote: "Fortes fortuna adiuvat." Fortune favors the brave!
Quirks: Arrives at school super early to swim. 
Theme song: "Rio" - Duran Duran

Coach Kurt Zimmerman

Coach Zimmerman here is as much Greg's character as he is mine. Nearly all his background came from Greg.

Kurt Zimmerman, and he was born in Wisconsin in 1950. Went to college for math and was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1969. Did one tour of duty, where he rose to the rank of corporal. Was there at the Fall of Saigon and nearly missed his ride out. He was delirious but was rescued by Valerie Beaumont, whom he only sort of remembers. 

He was awarded medals that he felt he didn't deserve. He used the GI Bill to return to college and ended up at the University of Illinois, where he followed the Illini as a religion. Got his teaching degree in math and a coaching certification. Kurt likes the orderliness of math. Finding proofs and working on problems were his solace while overseas. 

He graduated and took a job teaching honors-level math (a job that Warren Evans wanted) and is the school's sponsor of the National Honor Society. He was raised on the idea that anything worth doing is worth doing correctly. This extends to his coaching and to his Calculus class.

He has a friendly rivalry with Keri over who will have more of their athletes on the Honor Roll. The winner gets to choose where they eat dinner, and the loser has to pay. Though they almost always end up at Sal's Pizza, where Keri orders her pizzas with green olives and extra anchovies. 

Kurt has seen the supernatural and fought it before. But he reasons that he left all that behind in Saigon. Now he is not so sure. He doesn't suspect that Keri or Valerie are anything other than they appear. Though he can't help but think he has seen Valerie somewhere else.

Kurt Zimmerman
6th Level Veteran, Human

Base Abilities
Strength: 16 (+2) A
Agility: 15 (+1) n
Toughness: 14 (+1) 
Intelligence: 16 (+2) n
Wits: 14 (+1) 
Persona: 12 (+0) 

Vit: 38 (6d8)
DV: 8
Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (A/N/D): +4/+2/+1
Attack bonus (base): +3
Melee bonus: +2  Ranged bonus: +1

Languages: English, Latin, Spanish
Skills: Math (Int), Running (Agl)

Saves: +2 to all saves

Veteran Abilities
Melee combat, Ranged combat, Increased damage, Combat expertise, Improved defense, Supernatural attacks, Tracking

Hair: Brown, usually cut close to his scalp
Eyes: Green/Blue
Height: 5'11"

Archetype: The Coach
Quote: "Hello, class, my name is Coach Zimmerman. No, you can't call me Coach Z. Yes, I was in Vietnam. No, I will not tell you if I killed anyone."
Quirks: Flies a crop-duster plane over the summers and fall. Says he nevers takes late homework, but always does. Hates the sound of chalk on a chalkboard, one of the only teachers who has a whiteboard.
Theme song: "Fortunate Son"  - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Coach Zimmerman is one of those guys who could have come back bitter from the war, but instead threw himself into his chosen vocation. He could have gone on and maybe even gotten his Ph.D. in math, but he wanted to teach so he could be a positive influence. He is kinda based on my high school calc teacher who was also a coach. 

As of now, Kurt is the only Veteran in the group. I kept the Veteran class out of the players' hands because I couldn't justify it. I suppose if someone had come to me and said that their character was a hunter, then maybe. I mean, I knew kids like that in high school, so it's not that odd. But these players grew up in the suburbs. That never dawned on them.

He gets a bit flustered around women, especially Keri, but she makes conversation easy, and they have a lot of common ground. 

Their Quarterly wager is well known throughout the school, just as it is also known that they will end up at Sal's Pizzeria. The only thing more certain is the constant shouting match between the waitress, Denise, and the owner, Sal.

Kurt and Keri's date, while Denise wants to be anywhere else.

"I swear, why do I bother writing this down? You two order the same stupid thing each time: a large pizza, green olives and extra anchovies, and two Budweisers. Gross." - Denise. 

I think I'll have to detail Sal's Pizzeria along with some other locations.

Night Shift^® is a registered trademark of Elf Lair, LLC.

Fantasy Fridays: Kull, Conan, and Kane for Daggerheart

Something a touch different today for Fantasy Friday. 

I was chatting with some Daggerheart fans, and they liked the Sonja build I had done. They suggested I should do Conan as well, but I got to thinking about my earlier statement of a connection between Kull, Conan, and Kane, and thought it might be fun to stat them all up in Daggerheart to see how I could represent the pinnacle of the Howardian "fighting men" in this new system. 

Joe Kubert's Connecting Covers Featuring Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kane

Caveat and Full Disclosure. I have read all of the Kull and Conan stories by Howard and most of the Kane ones. I have read some of his letters to others about these characters, but I know there is still an absolute ton I have not read. TL;DR I only marginally qualified to write them up as characters. Yeah I know what I would do with them, but there are people out there, people I am friends with, who are far more knowledgeable than I am about this. I apologize in advance for any mistakes I might make.

Kull of Atlantis

Kull spends most of the tales I read as King of Valusia and an exile of Atlantis. We know he has been a hunter, a gladiator, a soldier, a general, and finally a king. He is philosophical and brooding. He cares for his people even if he sometimes despises their civilized ways and the "masks" (though that turns out to be true later on) they wear. According to Wikipedia, his lifetime was some 100,000 years ago, or near the end of the Old Stone Age. The tales, of course, read more like Bronze Age. 

For this reason I am choosing Guardian for him. The Domains are Valor and Blade, the two competing aspects of his personality.

Level 3
Class & Subclass: Guardian (Stalwart)
Ancestry & Heritage: Wildborne Human
Pronouns: He/Him

Agility: 2
Strength: 2
Finesse: 0
Instinct: 2
Presence: -1
Knowledge: 0

Evasion: 9
Armor: 5 

HP: 9
Minor Damage: 15 Major Damage: 28
Stress: 7

Hope: 2

Weapons: Battleaxe, Strength Melee, +2 2d10+3 Physical

Armor: None

Experience
Fighting Man for Life +2
The Brooding King +2
Enemy of the Serpent Men +2

Class Features
Bare Bones (add STR to Armor), Not Good Enough (reroll 1 & 2 on damage), Bold Presence, Versitle Fighter, Soldier's Bond

Ok. I like this one. This is a soldier's soldier. This would be a fun character to play. Granted, he should be a bit higher level, but I wanted him lower than Conan.

Conan the Cimmerian

Howard's better known creation and maybe the Godfather of all D&D fighters. Now I feel better about doing Conan than Kull. 

Conan is the archetypical barbarian. Yes he has been a soldier, general, thief, sailor, pirate, and eventually King, he is at his heart a barbarian.

Like Red Sonja, he would be a warrior with his Domains Bone and Blade, but he is a little different. I am giving him the sub-class Call of the Brave, because if nothing else Conan knows no fear.

Level 7

Class & Subclass: Warriror (Call of the Brave)
Ancestry & Heritage: Wildborne Human
Pronouns: He/Him

Agility: 2
Strength: 3
Finesse: 0
Instinct: 2
Presence: -1
Knowledge: 1

Evasion: 12
Armor: 4

HP: 10
Minor Damage: 14 Major Damage: 22
Stress: 7

Hope: 2

Weapons: Longsword, Agility Melee, +3 3d10+10 Physical
Broadsword, Agility Melee, +3 3d8+7 Physical

Armor: Chainmail

Experience
I have been everywhere +3
I will LIVE by Crom! +3
I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content +2
Polyglot +2

Class Features
Get Back Up, Not Good Enough, Ferocity, Brace, Scramble, Deadly Focus, Know Thy Enemy, Battle Hardened, Recovery, Rage Up

Again, this is a good character and a fun one to play. I tried to capture Conan's multi-lingual ability here in Experiences. This covers that fact that he knows a lot of languages, but no formal education in them. I spent the extra point to bump up his knowledge to 1 (from 0) to also show that he isn't a dumb barbarian.

I gave him chainmail, which he sometimes wears, but he is just as often in just a loincloth or even the garb of a sailor.  Still, this is a good version of him I think.

Solomon Kane

Next is our dour puritan Solomon Kane.

For Kane, I also picked the Guardian class as I did with Kull. But where Kull is a Stalwart, Kane is dedicated to Vengeance. I mean, look at his single-mindedness in pursuing Le Loup. Kane sees himself as the instrument of God's will and often God's vengeance. He is more similar to Batman in this respect than he is say Conan or Kull.

With Kane, I went in a different direction. While I did what I could to increase Kull's and Conan's HP, I spent more time increasing Kane's Stress. Most of Kane's adversaries are a little more supernatural in nature and seem to be more taxing on his mind and soul than on his body.

To respect his Puritan background, I gave him the heritage of "Orderborne."

Level 6
Class & Subclass: Guardian (Vengeance)
Ancestry & Heritage: Orderborne Human
Pronouns: He/Him

Agility: 2
Strength: 1
Finesse: 1
Instinct: 1
Presence: 0
Knowledge: 0

Evasion: 11
Armor: 4

HP: 9
Minor Damage: 12 Major Damage: 19
Stress: 10

Hope: 2

Weapons: Rapier, Presence Melee, +0 3d8 Physical
Flintlock Pistols, Agility Ranged, +1 3d10+3 Physical

Armor: None

Experience
I am God's Instrument +3
Avenge the Weak and Defenseless +2
Wanderer of Africa +2
Scholar of the Occult +2 (this also covers his connections with N'longa)

Orderborne Dedications
Evil Must be Destroyed.
I am the instrument of God's vengeance.
Chivalry and Honor are not dead, not while I breathe.

Class Features
Bare Bones (add STR to Armor), Get Back Up, I Am Your Shield, Critical Inspiration, Deadly Focus, Rousing Strike, Champion's Edge

I like this version as well. Very solid.

Even among "Fighting Men" (to use the old term), there is a lot of variety and versatility in Daggerheart and I like that. Though each has their connections with the other. You could make a group of all "fighters" and still have plenty of differences between them to keep the game interesting. 

#RPGaDay2025 Day 21 Unexpected

 The unexpected is where the magic happens.

You can prep the dungeon. You can write out the villain’s monologue. You can stack the random encounter tables and plan your traps with precision. But none of it survives contact with the players.

And that’s the point.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." 

 - Mike Tyson

Fantasy roleplaying lives in that strange middle place between structure and surprise. The tension between what we plan and what actually happens. And over the years, I’ve learned to stop resisting the unexpected and start inviting it.

I’ve had villains turn into allies, thanks to a clever player speech. I’ve had major arcs derailed by a single spell (more than one). I’ve seen players bond with NPCs I hadn’t even named yet (too many times to count), turning a throwaway shopkeeper into a long-running favorite. I’ve had sessions where everything clicked, and others where nothing went according to plan but somehow worked anyway.

That’s what I love about this hobby. The unexpected isn’t a problem. It’s the reward.

But it’s not just in gameplay mechanics or plot twists. It’s also in the tone. The emotional texture. I’ve had horror campaigns become character dramas. Light-hearted one-shots veer into genuine catharsis. Once, in the middle of what should have been a tense combat encounter, a player described their character’s internal conflict so beautifully it stopped the game cold. We just sat with it. That moment, unplanned and unprompted, said more than any scripted scene could.

And sometimes, it’s the characters themselves who surprise you. The warlock who resists the call of their patron. The cleric who starts to doubt. The witch who turns away from power to protect something small and fragile. The hero who decides not to fight, but to forgive.

As a DM, I’ve learned to treat the unexpected like a knock at the door. You don’t always know who’s there, but it’s worth answering.

Because that’s where the best stories begin.

Not where you planned, but where the players took you instead.

Questions

How. Excited. Character.

How excited am I for a character? I am always excited about a new character, all the untapped potential. Everything about a new character.

https://www.autocratik.com/ • https://www.castingshadowsblog.com/

Duchess & Candella for Daggerheart

 I hope everyone had a great Gen Con. Sadly, I was not there, but I heard it was fun. I also heard that Daggerheart had sold out of its print run and had no copies left by Saturday. That is pretty cool, really. It's also still the #1 selling PDF on DriveThruRPG, a spot it has owned since its release. 

I was on DriveThruRPG today looking to see if any of the new games I had heard about at Gen Con had been released yet. I didn't find what I was looking for, but I did see something in my Personalized Suggestions; a bunch of new-to-me titles from Art of the Genre (the Folio people) featuring my favorite party girl rogues, Duchess and Candella. Most of these were for the FAST Core RPG System, which I know nearly nothing about. But there are a lot of titles featuring them. 

I remembered I covered a lot of the Folio Black Label books when I did my feature on Duchess and Candella, and there were some new ones (again, new-to-me) that I had not seen. I grabbed some more of the Folio adventures featuring them and one of the FAST Core D\&C books, which I might review later, but I'd like to get the core rules first. 

I do have the core rules for Daggerheart.

While I tend to gravitate towards witches, spellcasters, and the odd paladin type, I do love these two. Again, I imagine them as two party girls who love a good time and don't mind getting into a little bit of trouble if it means they are going to get some gold out of it. Art of the Genre has stats and extensive backgrounds for them both in The Storyteller's Arcana. It works, I can't disagree with them really other than I see them more as thieves and rogues rather than fighter-types. But hey, they have given these characters a lot more thought than I have. Still, for Daggerheart, I think I want to keep them as thief-types. Thankfully, there are two different Rogue "subclasses" I can try, the Nightwalker and the Syndicate.

Duchess

Level 2
Class & Subclass: Rogue (Nightwalker)
Ancestry & Heritage: Highborne Human
Pronouns: She/Her

Agility: 1
Strength: -1
Finesse: 2
Instinct: 0
Presence: 1
Knowledge: 0

Evasion: 12
Armor: 3

HP: 5
Minor Damage: 8 Major Damage: 15
Stress: 6

Hope: 2

Weapons: Longsword, Agility Melee, 1d8+3
Dagger. Finesse, Melee, d8+1 phy

Armor: Leather 6/13 +3

Experience
I will live the life owed to me +2 (when dealing with people of higher social class or money)
Candella is my sister in crime +2 (when dealing with rolls that can aid Candella)
So much gold and it will be mine +2 (when trying to steal or acquire wealth)

Class Features
Cloaked, Sneak Attack, Shadow Stepper, Believable Lie

Candella

Level 2
Class & Subclass: Rogue (Syndicate)
Ancestry & Heritage: Slyborne Human
Pronouns: She/Her

Agility: 2
Strength: 2
Finesse: 2
Instinct: 0
Presence: -1
Knowledge: 0

Evasion: 12
Armor: 3

HP: 5
Minor Damage: 8 Major Damage: 15
Stress: 6

Hope: 2

Weapons: Shortsword, Agility Melee, 1d8+3
Dagger. Finesse, Melee, d8+1 phy
Paired (Tier 1) +2 to primary weapon damage to targets in Melee Range.

Armor: Leather 6/13 +3

Experience
Life is a game, and I plan to cheat +2 (when any rolls are considered cheating)
Duchess is my sister in crime +2 (when dealing with rolls that can aid Duchess)
Gold! Wine! Adventure! +2 (when trying to steal or acquire wealth, or a good time.)

Class Features
Cloaked, Sneak Attack, Well-Connected, Enrapture

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The great thing about Daggerheart is how you can create characters that really support each other and have that baked into the rules and rolls. 

Love how these two came out!