Posted in: Pirates, Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2026 Day 30: Take Pride in ye name

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 30 Prompt: Pride
Week 5 Prompt: Emotion
Weekday Prompt: Blessed

“Yar, and heave ho ya land-lubbers. Tis no Talk Like a Pirate Day yet, but the scurvy scribe takin this down is using the buccaneers of the high seas as a rightful inspiration for Day 30 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge.”

I look up from my keyboard. “Yes, I’m writing this all-down Captain. Are you sure the new crew on the Black Dove will be able to read this?”

“It be true that some of the bilge-rats are lacking in the book learning department me lad. But we have a proud oral tradition of passin on the ways of the sea between masters and apprentices. And since ye is one of them college educated additions to this fine crew of pirates, I’m taskin ye with the job of writing this down.”

My wrists still hurt from when I was tied up, but I’d rather be the ‘scribe’ instead of thrown in the brig like the other captured members of my previous vessel. “So, what do you want me to put down next Captain?”

“We already talked about keeping the Black Dove ship-shape as this be our home among the waves. And the best ways to swing a cutlass and rapidly reload a musket.” He tosses a piece of Turkish Delight to his pet monkey. “Ya already got a good lesson on broadside cannons and how to board another vessel. That was a fine piece of work me lad.”

“Thanks Captain.” I say with a grin.

“But to rise above the ranks of bilge-rat to actual buccaneer requires something that you need to take pride in. Something that ye might be blessed with by others or choose for ye self. That be ya sea name amongst the pirate community.”

“A name?” I try to keep the surprise out of my voice.

He looks at me with a glint in his eyes. “Do you shake in your boots when you hear that Edward Teach is huntin ye vessel, boy?”

I try to stifle a laugh. “Uh, no I wouldn’t”

“And if I told you that Captain Teach goes by another name? That be Blackbeard the Pirate.” his voice was stern.

I gulped. The image of slow burning fuses sticking out of his pirate namesake while he stood on the deck of Queen Anne’s Revenge instantly popped into my mind.

“Exactly lad. A name carries a reputation. And if done right, it can invoke a particular emotion in ye opponent.”

“I hadn’t thought about that sir. How does one get a name like that?”

“Well, it can come from the way ye act, or something noticeable about ye. As I mentioned before, sometimes you’re blessed with it by yer shipmates. If ye get stuck with a bad name, it may take an act that would impress the devil himself to get ye a new one. There was once a pirate named Puddlefoot Pete. This poor soul took ten years and one stolen Spanish treasure fleet later before his shipmates started calling him Iron Pete.”

“What are some of the pirate names that have been blessed amongst the different crews.”

“I’m glad ye asked boy, write these down for record keeping so that we don’t give them to others.”

List of possible Pirate Names.

  • Deadwater Jacob
  • Tempest Tom
  • Crow’s Nest Nick
  • Cutlass Catherine
  • Two Pistols Pete
  • Smiling Sam
  • Blackheart Annie
  • Mad Marguerite
  • Monty Mudshark
  • Bloody Bethanne
  • Portside Pierre
  • Blackreef Roger
  • Harbor Helga
  • Eastwind Ethel
  • One-Eyed Ned
  • Whisper Jack
  • Gunpowder Gracie
  • Laughing Louis
  • Two Card Charlotte
  • Honest Lionel
  • Reefwalker William
  • Bones McCoy
  • Mad Dog Santiago
  • Fortunate Erik
  • Unlucky Luke
  • Yard Arm Astrid
  • Widowmaker Will
  • Goldtooth Giuseppe
  • Harpoon Hannah
  • Storm-Eye Diego
  • Battleaxe Baldrick
  • Red Tide Rafael
  • Hammerhead Hassan
  • Cannonball Carlos
  • Malik Hookhand

The captain looks over my shoulder at the list I’ve written down. “Good job lad. A man can choose his ship or who he crews with. Sometimes he can even choose his fate. But a pirate’s sea name? That is chosen by the stories others tell about him over a round of rum.”

Oh and in honor of the late Tim Curry, I present:

What pirate names would you add to this list? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2026 Day 29: An early Labor Day

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 29 Prompt: Labor
Week 5 Prompt: Emotion
Weekday Prompt: Works Hard

While its not Labor Day on the calendar, we are using Labor as the prompt for Day 29 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge. Since Labor Day is approaching here in the United States, it reminded me of some research I’ve done in the past that is now bubbling back to the surface.

In our modern era, one of the tropes that gets a chuckle (and it’s funny because it’s true) is an out-of-touch corporate upper management throwing a pizza party for their employees thinking that will resolve any grievances they have. There is an equivalent of that in medieval times, but on a grander scale. The upper class and royalty would hold lots of holidays, feasts and festivals that helped maintain social cohesion while also providing a break from labor. Most of the time these were centered around the harvest, community pride, competitive events, culture and traditions or had religious significance. Sometimes specialized food, or costumes, would be involved. What it all came down to is that it provided a break for those who did the labor. A lot of labor compared to the modern world we live in now.

In the worldbuilding for a fantasy campaign for Dungeons and Dragons, Old School Essentials, Dungeon Crawl Classics or any others, there should be lots of these traditional festivals and holidays for the people who provide that labor. This gives the gamemaster plenty of opportunity for roleplaying opportunities.

A Day for the Guilds. I really wish I could remember which RPG book I read this in, but a concept that each guild had their own day to celebrate. Their shops would be closed on that day in honor of the festival and hold a grand feast. No two guilds could have their events on the same day. But it could throw a monkey-wrench in the works for the players. They arrive at the Grand City of Roses only to discover that all the blacksmiths are celebrating Fire and Hammer Day. They wouldn’t be able to get their armor repaired for a day or two because of the backlog. The shipwright’s guild is on a cruise, the baking guild is on a fast, members of the town guard are milking the cows because the farmers guild is observing a day of rest.

Some of these festivals deal with warding off spirits or providing tributes to their ancestors. This could lead to minor issues like; Where is the costume the mayor is required to wear to honor the first mayor of the city? The sweet biscuits are being made, but they must be served with the flowers of the pika plant otherwise we will have a poor harvest this fall. The bard required to write the new song of devotion is not feeling inspired and left and hasn’t returned yet. We don’t have enough camphor wood for the 47 bonfires honoring St. Lethek.

Now where do some of these holidays and festivals come from. For some of these, the answer is older festivals that were altered for the current time frame. I remember watching a documentary on the history of Christmas, and that famous holiday went through a lot of changes. Religions had pulled a lot from pagan rituals such as roman Saturnalia and Norse Yule. The farther back you go, the less that my readers might recognize. Christmas was even banned in Plymouth colonial times by Puritan leaders. Well what type of roleplaying scenarios could come up from a strict sect wanting to “return to old times”. Or if an older sacred text showing a different way to celebrate a holiday was found by the adventurers? What would they do with the scrolls? When certain powers discovered that they had this information, what steps would they take to maintain the status quo?

Now in my current Castles and Crusades campaign, I’m keeping the world building down to a minimum in certain sections. At session zero, I explained that I didn’t want to build everything and then discovered that I only used 5% of that effort. The players got to name the towns and kingdoms that the characters came from. They got to name the gods that were part of the pantheon of this world. And I’m going to let them name the festivals, feasts and celebrations held by the aristocrats and laborers in this game world. I’ll have to ask them what they would like to celebrate.

What celebration would you like to see in a fantasy RPG? Is it based on a real event or something that you created on your own? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: August 24-30

Written by TardisCaptain
How it feels to read most Facebook posts.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account and the @STrekQuotes Bluesky account for the week of August 24th through August 30th. Note: Because Twitter/X will use posts to train AI, we will no longer be posting on that platform. This is out of respect for the owners of Star Trek.

August 24:
Happy Birthday to Jennifer Lien. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jennifer_Lien #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #Quote

“But isn’t that why we have minds—to look beyond biological urges, to consider their consequences?” Kes- Elogium, Stardate: 48921.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #Quote

Happy Birthday to Melissa Navia. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Melissa_Navia #StarTrek #StarTrekSNW #IDIC #Quote

“Are you kidding? This is your idea of a practical joke?” Uhura “Kind of.” Ortegas “I’m going back to change.” Uhura “You do not want to be late to the captain’s table. Relax, Cadet. It’s tradition.” Ortegas- Children of the Comet, Stardate: 2912.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekSNW #IDIC #Quote

August 25:
“Genuine research takes time. Sometimes a lifetime of painstaking, detailed work in order to get any results.” Dr. Crusher- Ethics, Stardate: 45587.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #Quote

August 26:
Happy Birthday to Chris Pine. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Chris_Pine #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #Quote

“Are you feeling homicidal, power-mad, or despotic?” Dr. McCoy “No more than usual.” Kirk- Star Trek Into Darkness, Stardate: 2259.55 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #Quote

August 27:
“We’re explorers. Where’s your spirit of adventure?” Tucker- Dead Stop, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #Quote

August 28:
“If you’re going to judge me, judge me for what I am now.” Sito- Lower Decks, Stardate: 47566.7 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #Quote

August 29:
“You must know what you’re doing. You always do. If I’m to be the woman of a Caesar, can’t I know what you’re up to?” Mirror Moreau- Mirror, Mirror, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #Quote

August 30:
“I want the Federation back. I want to sell root beer again!” Quark- Behind the Lines, Stardate: 51145.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2026 Day 28: The Devotion of fellow geeks

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 28 Prompt: Devotion
Week 5 Prompt: Emotion
Weekday Prompt: Loving and Giving

Do you see that? That is the light at the end of the tunnel as we reach Day 28 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge. So, the calendar graphic states that the prompt for today is Devotion. Which isn’t a bad topic, but I could take it in so many different directions.

I checked the hashtag of #RPGaDAY2026 and I see that fellow blogger Craig O had an interesting take of what game have you played the most. But I think I’ve already answered that one before (waves at my own blog). Some other social media posts have talked about the characters that they have been devoted to. How much real devotion does the GM have to have to keep creating content. I believe that same could also be said about the many game designers and authors. I see some people making games that barely get noticed and some games that even make it to major bookstores. But I love their work. Jim J, Chantel J, and Bill L, please keep publishing your books. It inspires me and gives me hope that I’ll hit that milestone some day.

It takes devotion to write this blog. Challenges like this in August and the Character Creation Challenge in January are a lot of work. I’m feeling the runner’s high from this current challenge (even though some of the prompts made me scratch my head). But there are also dry months when I feel guilty for not getting my latest review, plot idea or after-action report written down. But when I get feedback from email, on my discord server or in response on social media, it’s worth it. Hearing from other fellow geeks helps me feel not alone in this smegged up world. I also want to say thank you to anyone who purchased anything from my sponsored links to DriveThruRPG or Amazon. This blog was never intended to be an income source. It exists because I enjoy sharing ideas with other gamers and because the hobby has given me far more than I could ever return. But the few pennies it pulls in goes back into the geekdom.

Well, I guess the muses decided I needed to pour from my heart today instead of my creative brain. Perhaps I needed a palate cleanser. I was seriously thinking about writing about how a pirate crew shows devotion to their ship, but it didn’t happen. So, I’ll try to see if I can slip a pirate theme in one of the last posts for this challenge.

Thank you to the devoted readers for reading this far in this post and keeping up with my blog. I really want you to know how much I appreciate you. Sometimes I hear from readers in the oddest locations and that always brings a smile to my face.

What are you devoted to in any fandom or geekdom? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games, Star Trek

RPGaDAY2026 Day 27: What is your Star Trek game hungry for?

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 27 Prompt: Hunger
Week 5 Prompt: Emotion
Weekday Prompt: Far to Go

The prompt of “Hunger” is what we’ve been given for Day 27 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge. And I had to wonder how I was going to connect a generic term to a positive post about roleplaying. Then it dawned on me, when you are hungry, you eat. And while eating is a natural biological function, it is also a social opportunity. Every year my Star Trek fan club host the Admiral’s Banquet to celebrate the club’s anniversary and to highlight the member achievements. It’s now a tradition to get together and break bread with members of our Star Trek family.

We’ve seen similar traditions in the show. So today I’d like to talk about some of the traditions seen on the show and how they can be implemented in your Star Trek Adventures campaign. Some of these are food related, some are not. This gives the gamemaster the options to introduce some role-playing opportunities at the table.

The first tradition that came to mind when I saw the prompt hunger is from The Next Generation second season episode “A Matter of Honor”. Commander Riker is transferring to the Klingon Defense Force vessel IKV Pagh as part of an exchange program. He will be serving as the vessel’s executive officer. He participates in the practice of the feast before the transfer to try some Klingon dishes.

If an officer is transferring to a planetary assignment, they could use this feast to learn about the local dishes. I could see an eager young ensign using this feast to learn about the traditional dishes from the home region of his new commanding officer. Confirming what those dishes are (or the favorite dishes) could lead into a B-plot similar to Ensign Sato being assigned to find out what Lt. Reed’s favorite food is in the Enterprise first season episode “Silent Enemy”.

We saw even more food-based rituals when we saw Cadet Uhura attending her first meal at the Captain’s Table in the first season Strange New Worlds episode “Children of the Comet”. Welcoming banquets have been seen in “Journey to Babel” (TOS season 2), “Sins of the Father” (TNG season 3) and more.

Now not all of these traditions require physical sustenance. In the first season Strange New Worlds episode “Spock Amok” we learn about Enterprise Bingo. A list of challenges that lower ranking crewmembers try to accomplish without their superiors catching them in the act. It is very possible that each Starfleet vessel has its own bingo traditions. While there is a list of the Enterprise entries in the link above, here are some possible suggestions for a bingo list.

  • Sneaking into a ceremony or banquet that they were not invited to.
  • Touching the warp core.
  • Find the ‘sweet spot’ on the vessel.
  • Make it from Deck 1 to Engineering without using the turbolifts.
  • Swim in Cetacean Ops.
  • Find the oldest food recipe in the replicator.
  • Hide your signature in a space you don’t think anyone will find it.
  • Spend one minute alone on the bridge.
  • Change the ringtone on a crewmember’s combadge without them noticing.

There is a current naval tradition called “Crossing the Line.” Sailors who travel over the equator transform from Pollywogs to Shellbacks in a ceremony held on the ship. A Shellback is someone who has been accepted by King Neptune. Well, there isn’t really an equator in space, but there is the border between the Alpha and Beta quadrants. This could be called “Crossing the Divide” with an initiation process that marks the crewmembers as “Wayfarers.”

And sometimes new traditions starts on a lone vessel. This could spread to other vessels with transfers and interactions with fellow Starfleet ships. In the Deep Space Nine sixth season episode “Behind the Lines”, there was a crew practice held at the end of a successful mission with the used power cells from the phaser array. Rather than recycling them immediately, the spent power cells became visible reminders of what the crew had endured together.

In your Star Trek Adventures game, look for opportunities for the players to create their own traditions like this for their characters. After each successful cargo haul, the crew has to drink a certain brand of Saurian brandy. What happens if they are getting low on that brand? For each new first-contact, how would the crew want to mark the occasion? The options are endless.

So, are your players hungry for something that makes your sessions actual Star Trek episodes with an “A” plot and a “B” plot? See what traditions you can shuffle into the adventure.

What traditions would you have on your Starfleet vessel? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2026 Day 26: The Royal Regret

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 26 Prompt: Regret
Week 5 Prompt: Emotion
Weekday Prompt: Full of Woe

Drums fingers on desk. Regret is the Day 26 prompt for the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge? How do I make something positive out of this? Rubbing forehead. Come on Carl, think think think. Muses don’t fail me now.

High Steward Zarkinian looks over the rows of tables arranged in the grand dining hall of the castle. Three different groups of adventurers had been found by his agents. The teams were eyeing each other with caution which didn’t make Zarkinian feel confident.

“I need these teams to work together.” He thought to himself.

He walked in front of the royal table where King Gregorian the Third normally sat for the evening meals with the people and bid welcome to the humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, half-giant and even a centaur.

“Thank you all for coming on short notice.” He calmly stated with his stately voice. “This is an opportunity to serve the Coastal Kingdom of Harrath. I know some of you are here out of service, and others for coins. Whatever your motivation, your efforts will be greatly appreciated.”

“You’ve got a motley crew here lad.” a burly dwarf spoke up. “What do ye need from the likes of us that the king’s own men can’t handle?”

“A valid question Timrith Stonecarve son of Tylee.” Zarkinian took some internal glee from the surprised reaction of the dwarf. He had always made it his business to know with whom he was dealing with. “The kingdom’s defenders are committed elsewhere.”

An older, but loud voice boomed from the doorway. “And the tasks I need accomplished cannot be done by mere soldiers alone. I need adventurers who can think on their feet.”

Everyone stood immediately when they recognized King Gregorian’s frame filling the doorway to the grand hall. Despite his many years, he still stood with the presence of a ruler.

“Damn.” Zarkinian thought as he began his bow. “The herald didn’t announce him and he’s early.”

The herald ran into the room past the royal robe and started to announce in a panic “Hear ye….” before the king waived him off. “Silence. This is a meeting of action not some diplomatic ball.”

Zakinian took control with a courteous nod to King Gregorian. “Your majesty, I was just starting the briefing with the…”

“High Steward… my time is precious. Let’s get to the heart of the matter here.” King Gregorian boomed. “Have you given them their assignments yet?”

All eyes turned to Zakinian with curious looks.

“Forty years ago, Black Highland raiders destroyed the shrine dedicated to Khendia in the West Woods Providence. All of the high priestesses and acolytes were slaughtered.”

Elliath Silverleaf spoke up with his smooth, elven voice. “A dark day that even reached our courts in the Bartel Forests. To my knowledge, only half of the raiders were ever caught. Raiding a shrine dedicated to the mother goddess of women, children and domesticated animals shocked a lot of the civilized kingdoms.”

“We could have prevented it all together had I not been impertinent.” Gregorian’s voice boomed. “Every year I receive reports from the villages near those woods,” Gregorian said quietly. “Every year I am reminded of what was lost there.”

“His majesty is concerned that the decisions made during that time led to that dark day.” Zakinian spoke up before the king could continue. “The telescopic lens may look well into the past but fails to see clearly in the present.”

The king pushed the matter forward. “I could have done more then. I had spread my forces too thin in trying to capture the pirates along the coast and the orc tribes to the south. I left an opening that these damned raiders discovered and took advantage of. I’ve had a lot of time to look back on that day. But I’m not going to let regret silence the cries of justice that I still hear now. That’s where you come in.”

The centaur, Wittmeer, stood up proudly and stated. “What is it you wish us to do my lord?”

A smile pulled across Gregorian’s face. “Straight to the point. I like it. There were three seer stones stolen from that shrine. Stones that I believe helped protect those lands.” He waved his hand at the High Steward. “Zakinian has gathered three hearty companies with the goal of retrieving those stones and returning them to the location of the shrine. I’ve already made arrangements to secure the area from the goblins and other raiders still plaguing the area. I know it’s been a long time. Too long for a brow as withered as mine. I want to see things set straight.”

“Forty years is a long time yer majesty.” Timrith stated. “These precious stones could be anywhere in the wildlands, the coastal kingdoms or beyond. What has changed?”

Zakinian cleared his throat before continuing. “Recently one of the surviving raiders was caught and questioned. While facing executioner’s axe may entice any type of bargaining from the convicted, he did provide some details that fit with information that we already had. Not enough to justify a dispatch of our expeditionary forces, but enough that would warrant our hiring of experts such as yourselves.”

Seeing a few raised eyebrows, Zakinian continued by gesturing towards a map on the table. “We now believe that one of the stones is in Castle Darktak along the Jagged Coast. The second…” he pointed at another section of the map. “… should be in the hands of the Pirate King at Port Azure.”

“And the third?” stated a human sellsword by name of Kentrick.

“The Grand Spire.” stated King Gregorian. “We don’t know if it’s in the hands of the dragons or the demons that inhabit that cursed location.”

“Neither of those places a sane soldier would go into.” coldly stated by Bibil Hillfellow as his halfling frame stood on a chair looking at the map. “While we are just crazy enough to attempt to get into those places… for the right amount of compensation off course.”

King Gregorian waived him off. “Formalities that High Steward Zakinian will take care of. At a minimum, find out if the stones are there or if I need to give the executioner an assignment.” His eyes narrowed. “I can tell you that more coins will flow your way if you can actually return with the stones.”

And with that statement, King Gregorian turned and walked out of the grand hall with the herald quickly in tow.

After his departure, Zakinian looked at the three companies. “As you can see, regret can be a powerful motivator. And it can fill your purses if that is what you desire. Now, which company wants to go where?”

So, would this adventure seed work for your Basic Fantasy, Fantasy Age or Dungeons and Dragons campaign? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games, Sports

RPGaDAY2026 Day 25: A Lair of Familiarity

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 25 Prompt: Familiarity
Week 5 Prompt: Emotion
Weekday Prompt: Full of Grace

On the 25th Day of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge we have the prompt of “Familiarity”. This is also the last prompt for “Full of Grace”. Well let’s see where the muse takes us as my fingers start tickling the keyboard. One of the first ideas that came to mind was the sporting concept of “Home Court Advantage.”

Have you ever heard of the sporting term “Home Court Advantage”? The way it was first explained to me was in regard to high school basketball gyms. Unlike the professional level floors that we see in the NBA or high college leagues, a gym in high school might be on a lower quality level. But by practicing on it every day the player got used to how the ball bounced in certain spots. This “insider knowledge” would help when playing on a team’s home court. I’m not a gambling man, but I understand that the oddsmakers would give a home team a few extra points when setting up the betting line.

How does this apply to roleplaying games? Think of the advantages that would be gained by familiarity by certain opponents within the scenario. A tribe of Kobolds would know which tunnels were the best for defending their home. Outlaws knowing which slot canyons to avoid in the badlands. Pirates sailing the waters around their hunting grounds would know where the shallow waters and reefs were located. Interstellar smugglers would know which gas giants to hide in or which nebulas they could use for short-cuts. Even the dreaded dragon in his lair would present a formidable challenge due to his innate knowledge of his domain.

Players would be wise to acknowledge these advantages when making their plans. A clever party doesn’t always attack the villain where the villain is strongest. Sometimes the adventure becomes finding a way to lure the enemy away from the ground they know intimately.

Gamemasters would factor in the difficulty numbers of an attempted raid on an opponent’s home turf. Would it be tactically advantageous to get the dragon out of the lair that he is familiar with? How would the characters do this? How big of an advantage would it give them? Familiarity can also create an emotional attachment. Defenders fighting for their home, lair, fortress, or favorite starport may be far more motivated than they would be on neutral ground.

Sometimes players will come up with plans specifically designed to deny an opponent that familiarity advantage. A GM might allow this under the “rule of cool,” or simply out of curiosity to see whether the plan actually works. “You want to set the forest on fire to drive the bandits out of hiding? Well how do you plan to do that?” You never know what the imaginations of the players are going to come up with to gain or deny the familiarity of a home court advantage.

What examples have you seen or played where familiarity has altered the course of the gaming session? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games, Star Trek

RPGaDAY2026 Day 24: What distance is too far?

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 24 Prompt: Distance
Week 5 Prompt: Emotion
Weekday Prompt: Fair of Face

We have a new weekly prompt of “Emotion”, and we’ve cycled back to the weekday prompt of “Fair of Face”. The Day 24 prompt for the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge is Distance. So, what am I going to do with this one? I’m going to lay down some common sense.

When characters need to get somewhere, then remember this simple rule. The game should move at the speed of plot. Think about it. When John McClaine was moving through the ducts at Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard, we saw the character-building moments. But we don’t see him going through every inch of the ducts. We didn’t see every light-year that the USS Voyager traveled to get home, or all the steps that Phileas Fogg took on his 80-day journey. We see the parts that help the story.

So, with the players controlling their characters, we don’t need to see everything they do all day. Even during the gaming session. Focus on the parts that enhance the story, build the characters, or are just entertaining. There was one game that I was involved in where the GM made the players roll just to dock their starship. It wasn’t a challenging event, but it made the players freeze for a second because there was no helmsman that was a PC. They eventually remembered: “Oh yea, we have Ensign so-and-so who can do that” I remember rolling my eyes thinking this interaction didn’t help. The ship was never really in any danger; we weren’t collecting in game currency (like momentum), the scene didn’t really enhance the game. In my humble opinion, it should have been skipped. “Ok you’ve ordered your helmsman to dock, and you hurry to the Admiral’s office for your briefing.”

If there is a distance between plot points is where you get the characters to assist the gamemaster. Hopefully you’ve already had a session zero where you know some of the goals the players want to do with their characters. “In the seven days it took to travel to Promise Station describe what your character did to improve their fencing skills.” Perhaps that could be worth a die roll to see how well they did on that front.

Another GM trick that I just recently used is correspondence from connections the characters have. This is a good way to get PC knowledge into the minds of the players. This allows them to contribute to the game when clues pop up that their character can assist with. Just before session two of my Star Trek Adventures campaign (yea, I know I need to post play reports here) I sent emails to my players with different nuggets of information. Two were personal correspondence letters from contacts which were directly tied into the next session. The CO, XO and Chief of Security all got the same security briefing that was sent out by sector command. Some of the nuggets were valid; others were just there for flavoring. The Chief Engineer got a subspace message from a friend in the Quartermaster Division talking about what supply requests were and were not fulfilled. This helped when the ship went into battle, and the character already knew what was missing out of inventory for repairs. The Chief of Communications got a duty report from the third shift which really didn’t connect to the upcoming session but did still give them some ‘this is real’ vibes on what happened between sessions. Some time and distance had happened between session one and two and the players noticed it, but it didn’t drag down the game. It also kept the players engaged between sit-down sessions as some players sent character responses to me. And when player A popped up with “well this unknown term came up” then player B was able to quickly say “Oh, that’s this…” without hearing it from the GM before they parroted it out to the rest of the table. I received several compliments about the between-game emails and how it helped with the roleplaying in the session.

So, if your players are on their way to Far2Go to reach Promise Station or traveling through the jungles to find the Well of Desires in a lost city you don’t have to track every mile. But you can make it feel like it was a long distance by the way you presented it. If done right, your games can run a lot smoother.

What suggestions would you recommend for keeping travel distant without drying up the adventure? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Pirates, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Spy-Fi, Westerns

RPGaDAY2026 Day 23: Finding your Fortune

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 23 Prompt: Fortune
Week 4 Prompt: Instinct
Weekday Prompt: Blessed

Day 22 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge and our prompt is “Fortune”. This is also the last entry for the week 4 prompt of “instinct” with the Sunday prompt of “Blessed”. Another prompt that could be RPG related, but I don’t want it to be too generic. Let’s see if this works as I let the muse take over.

Jackson runs into the shop. “Kei? Kei are you here?”

The hanging bead curtain door gently separates as Kei steps forward. “Greetings on this blessed day Jackson. I hope your fortunes have improved.” She said with a calm voice.

“No, they’ve taken a turn for the worse. I can’t find my lucky coin. The one that’s been helping me ever since I found it. Did I leave it here by mistake?” Jackson’s voice sounded like it was on the verge of panic.

“So, Fortune’s Coin has moved on to help another? No, Jackson, you didn’t leave it here. It was time for it to move to the next soul who needed assistance.”

“What? How do you know that? That coin changed my fortunes almost overnight. I was able to get my debt paid off after the local administrator finally approved my proposal. I wasn’t getting harassed by those thugs and even the storm that hit left my property mostly intact.” Sweat starts forming on Jackson’s brow.

Kei lit a calming candle on the counter. “Breathe this in Jackson, you don’t want to overextend yourself after finally getting things in order.”

“But the coin…”

“Jackson.” Kei’s voice was stern, but not loud. This caused Jackson to suddenly stop having never heard Ke raise her voice once.

Taking a deep breath. Then three more, Jackson opened his eyes again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to slip back into the bad situation that I was in before.”

Kei’s calming smile returned. “But now you have the resources and the knowledge to make your life better, correct?”

“Well… yes.” Jackson hemmed.

“And having experienced the bad, you want to continue to improve your fortunes, correct?” Kei’s voice purred.

After a short breath a calm “Yes. I know that I can do this.” Escapes from Jackson’s mouth.

“Then Fortune’s Coin has done its job. The rest is up to you since it has now moved on to the next soul it intends to help.” Kei adjusted the sage hanging from the ceiling. “It chose you to help when you needed it. But it can’t carry you. You have to do that yourself.”

“You’ve seen this happen before?” Jackson raised an eyebrow.

“Seen. Read about. Heard about. Recognized it every time it showed up.” Kei smiled again. “And, gods willing, will get to see it improve another soul’s life again in the future.”

“I guess I panicked. I always said I just needed one boost to get me over the threshold, and I sure got it.”

Kei reached out and grasped Jackson’s hand. “Then don’t spoil this opportunity. Make things better for you and for others. That is how you can show your gratitude for the assistance Fortune’s Coin provided to you. Perhaps your generosity is the assistance that Fortune’s Coin needs to bless others.” Kei looked at the clock. “I believe you are needed at your next appointment. Well get some tea later and you can tell me all about your plans.”

After the farewell and getting half-way to his destination, Jackson had a stray thought. “How did Kei know that I had an upcoming appointment?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Can’t think about that now. I’ve got things to do.” And he continued to his future.

For your fantasy RPGs like Fantasy Age, Basic Fantasy or Tunnels and Trolls; Fortune’s Coin is a Piece of Silver with a Crown stamped on it.

For your pirate RPGs like Pirate Borg, 7th Sea or Tiny Pirates; Fortune’s Coin is a gold doubloon with one side scratched out in an “x”.

For your western RPGs like Boot Hill, Modern Necessities-Single Action or Tall Tales B/X; Fortune’s Coin is a lucky silver dollar that has taken the impact of a bullet and prevented it from passing through it.

For your pulp or modern RPGs like Amazing Adventures, Everyday Heroes, or Gangbusters B/X; Fortune’s Coin is ancient silver coin that looks like it has survived several centuries.

For your cyberpunk RPGs like Shadowrun, Modern Necessities-Cutting Edge, or Cyberpunk Red; Fortune’s Coin is a physical crypt-token.

For your science fiction RPGs like FrontierSpace, Traveller or Stars Without Number; Fortune’s Coin is a centuries-old trade credit chip.

For your post-apocalyptic RPGs like Mutant Crawl Classics, Fallout or Mutant Future; Fortune’s Coin is The Last Quarter, a worn US quarter minted in the final year before the fall of civilization.

So, I think the muse helped me out on this one. I did do a lot of “squirrel” distractions as I was looking at different systems that this article could have referenced. But I think I’m happy with this one. What do you think? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2026 Day 22: What is Grit?

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 22 Prompt: Grit
Week 4 Prompt: Instinct
Weekday Prompt: Works Hard

Grit is the topic for Day 22 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge. And this is probably going to be a short, but philosophical one.
What is grit? Well one of the definitions that I pulled up talked about how grit was the tiny grain of sand that got caught in a clam and caused irritation. The clam, in order to defend itself, basically covers the grit with a substance that will eventually form a pearl. These pearls are sought after as items of beauty.

Just learning to be a player in a roleplaying game may be gritty because you may not know all the rules. Or you don’t know how the rules work well together to make something better. Perhaps you’ve played for a while but never thought you could run a game as a gamemaster. Could you organize everything, set up a story, get all of the material together, think on your feet in response to the players’ reactions? It takes a lot of work to do this.

But it is all worth it. You keep doing it, and eventually, like the layers being added to the grit, you get the pearl.

We are now a couple of sessions in on both my Star Trek Adventures and Castles and Crusades campaigns. I’m rusty. Man am I rusty. I’ve even forgotten a major component of one of the games (What? How many experience points did you get?) and I’ve had to re-remember some stuff. Outside of some one-shots, I haven’t run a RPG campaign in 15-20 years.

Some items I’m slipping back into. I don’t know how I come up with some of the voices or mannerisms for the NPCs. But I do. Improv has never really been my strong point. It’s a source of irritation. But I’m starting to see the shine of the pearl as I keep at it. As I start to re-remember how I did things. Having new tools that weren’t available in the early 2000’s really helps as well. I’m using OneNote like my own personal campaign wiki.

You can also reach pearl status. In your writing, your gaming, your GMing, your art or what ever you want to attempt. Mistakes are only nuggets of wisdom that you didn’t know beforehand.

Have the grit to keep up on whatever creative thing you are doing. I can tell you that you will be rewarded with your own pearl that you created. And even if others don’t see the beauty in it, you’ll see the beauty in what only you could create.

Wow, I should write a fortune cookie or something.

This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

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