Perhaps I should tell you about myself, in the context of the gaming realm. After all, if you’re going to be reading about the role playing content I plan on creating, you should know that I do happen to have some experience to go along with the articles that you’re reading. And to describe my experiences shall we use something typically reserved for employment? How about a Role Playing Resume?
Granted, while I can’t generate a multiple column format that I’d prefer to use to keep the information tidy, I will use a more bland vertical arrangement.
Finally, keep in mind that this is probably not all of my experience. I’ve omitted games that failed to take off, fizzled out for one reason or another, or were just bad ideas in general.
Summary:
An experienced game master and hoarder of digital role playing systems, software and other various assets. Has participated in face to face via table top role playing, and play by post style role playing with over 30 years of playing experience using a variety of systems.
Purchased Games:
ALONe, Anime 5e, Anime Action, Anime Campaign, Big Eyes Small Mouth (1-4, d20), Cities Without Numbers, Dungeon's & Dragons (3.5), Exalted, FATE (Core, Accelerated), Freeform Universal, Girl By Moonlight, Glitter Hearts, GURPS (5), HERO (6), iXe, Lasers and Feelings, Love and Justice, Madoka, Magical Burst (4, 5), Magical Fury, MAID, OVA, Scion, Shadow Run (4), Space Master, Sparks of Light, Stars Without Numbers, Toon
Playing Experience:
2020 - Present: ““, None
Yeah, I’ve attempted to start many games on various platforms, however, that doesn’t work so well when you have no friends to play with. Sure, there’s always the Solo option, but I haven’t quite gotten the hang of that just yet, and I miss the chaotic interactions between the other players throwing my plans under a bus whenever possible. I’m hoping that by starting this publication, that I’ll meet some people who would welcome an old dog with uncanny ideas to the table.
2018 - 2020 ““, Shadow Run 4e
Lindsey Shadowbane, 23, Unarmed combat covert ops assassin and Heavy Weapons Specialist. She had the most screwed up psychological issues I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Lindsey suffered from a rare condition called Neoteny, a genetic mutation that causes the body to stop age prior to the onset of puberty. As a result, she was a very uncouth girl and had a large attitude to make up for her short stature. She was the victim of several corporate modifications, which turned her into a lethal asset, under the primary care of Ares Corporation. To further complicate her life, she also sported something called Mood Hair. Another unusual condition that caused her hair follicles to change color based on the emotional reaction she currently experienced. With years of mental conditioning, to include the humiliation and physical beatings that she endured, she had nearly mastered how to stay neutral under most conditions. And if her raven hair ever changed color? Here’s one word of advice: Hide.
She was a fun character to explore, in fact, one of my most memorable experiences was Zero Mission. To play-test our new characters in this new game system, we ran a short adventure of robbing a bank. Lindsey was stationed outside in the parking lot to provide cover, and to keep an eye out for trouble. Wouldn’t you know that trouble started almost immediately. A silent alarm was tripped and Lindsey was told to “get in here, now!”. Mind you, she had a Gatling gun mounted to the van the team drove. She aimed at the glass windows, where there were a majority of the patrons trying to flee from the ensuing chaos inside the building and opened fire, resulting in the slaughter of more than 20 innocent people in the process. But she was able to walk in without much trouble. She was a true badass. (Later we discovered that she should have had to pass a Composure Test, but being the eager bunch of geeks to play, we must have missed that on page SR4-138. Note, in hindsight, she would have utterly failed that check.) But you have to admit that it was pretty cool to do as much damage as she did, and I was able to pull off the Uncouthness of the character without too much issue, unlike how I am in real life. I also enjoyed this character because this was during a time when I was discovering what Asexuality was, and it was refreshing not to have the romantic undertones to complicate the character with.
2014 - 2018 “Bubble Pop Paradox”, Big Eyes Small Mouth 3e
Fate Testarossa, 13, Enforcer-in-training, Magical Girl, Space-Time Administration Bureau (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s+). This was a game where I was the Game Master, and the Third Edition of Big Eyes, Small Mouth continues to be a favorite of mine. This campaign was set in my old high school, and each classroom was home to a different anime dimension. Meaning that each dimension was an alternate version of Earth where other anime worlds resided. One room may have hosted Tenchi Muyo, another Sailor Moon, yet another room may have had Pokemon. But as the game progressed, we added other realms from fiction, to include Fraggle Rock, The Jetsons, and even Sesame Street, just to name a few. After we would complete an adventure in one of the dimensions, it would pop, and thus be shattered, for us to never return again. Fear not, there were well over 300 worlds to explore, and many fictional friends were made during our questing. Unfortunately, we never were able to leave that cursed school. Life happened, and the game sort of fell apart.
This game was interesting because we explored playing multiple characters at the same time. We really did goof around a lot, and had fun experimenting within the realm of fantasy.
2010 - 2012 “Sparks!”, Big Eyes Small Mouth 3e
Katelynn (28) and Cassandra (25) were friends in this game and were amongst some of the newest special abilities teachers at this school for the enchanted. This was a game that was hosted online and a group of three of us played by post for the first time using the full game system in an online setting. We figured out how to resolve dice rolls and god-modding fairly well by the end of that game. Although there were some rather uncomfortable topics that came to light, I got to experience how to resolve a couple different forms of harassment that may happen when gaming online. Needless to say, it was a brave new world back then.
2009 - 2010 “Destiny’s Fear: Revisited”, Big Eyes Small Mouth 2e / Freeform
Kamado Tashiko, 30, starred in a lead role in this crossover among Tenchi Universe and Star Wars, with a bit of Gender Bender fun thrown in. Whenever he drank alcohol, he changed forms into a girl, and of course, as an innocent looking female, the rest of the crew kept any alcohol away from her at all costs. Nothing was more humiliating than to be a Fighter Pilot but in a ridiculous disguise that you couldn’t get out of. I had quite a bit of fun with this character, despite the game being such a short lived game. I’m tempted to resurrect it from the grave, but first I need some pretty open minded friends to play with. The Internet has changed in the last 15 years.
2005 - 2009 “Destiny’s Fear”, Freeform
Destiny’s Fear will always hold a special place in my heart, because it was the first game I Game Mastered, and it was also the first role playing game I played while online using a Play by Post format. Set in the world of Tenchi Universe, I played a bastardized version of Princess Ayeka. This is also when I began exploring my sarcastic and twisted sense of humor. This game ran fairly successfully, despite me not having a clue as to what I was doing. About halfway through the game, I stumbled onto Big Eyes Small Mouth Revised Second Edition, and attempted to retrofit the characters into using that system. It kind of worked, but mostly, no. But I did learn quite a bit about role playing online.
I’ll forever remember this game because the characters ended up so over powered that we collectively nearly destroyed the fabric of Space-Time, thus ending the game because we reached an impasse. I’ll never forget all the friends whom I met on that forum and during that role playing adventure. And I’ve attempted to recreate the experience on more than one occasion, but the Internet Forum has become an ancient relic of a time long since gone in the Age of Facebook and other more dedicated role playing platforms.
2001 - 2005 [Forgotten Campaign Name], Role Master RMSS
Despite playing this game for nearly four years, I had completely forgotten the name of this character. I do remember that she was a fairy creature that used Essence Magic (nature based and the four elements). And while I’ve realized during this time that High Fantasy can be fun, it’s not really my cup of tea.
1994 [Unknown Campaign Name], [Unknown System]
I remember that the setting was in a high school, and that our locker was on the other side of the school from our classes. This was a fairly shortly lived game because of other drama that occurred but it was still quite fun, because this was my first time playing the opposite gender, and I loved it! Ever since, I would insist on playing female characters, because there’s a special kind of magic associated with it for me.
1993 [Unknown Campaign Name], Starwars d6
Yet another character I don’t recall his name. This was my introduction into the world of role playing, and I do remember having a blast, playing as an X-Wing pilot with some buried Jedi talents. Unfortunately, the school year ended and the game was abandoned. Someday, I may revisit Star Wars, officially, but in any case, the setting is fantastic for creative endeavors.