Posted in: Archer, Character Creation Challenge, Comic Books, Conventions, Doctor Who, Dune, Dungeons and Dragons, Horror, Movies, Music, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Star Wars, Video Game, Website

Moving from 2023 to 2024

Stack of character sheets printed out for the 2024 #CharacterCreationChallenge

2023 was a weird year to say the least. I was able to see a ton of concerts including several that I wanted to check off of the bucket list. These included Duran Duran, Love and Rockets, The Cure, Garbage, and Depeche Mode. I was able to see a live show that featured some of the comedians from “Who’s Line Is it Anyway” (the show had a different name probably for copyright reasons). I’ll be getting the photos for these up in the photo albums.

For the first time in a long time, I had the opportunity to attend a gaming convention. SaltCON Spring, SaltCON Summer and SaltCON End-of-Summer. I know at the beginning of the year, I stated that I only wanted to participate at this event and not volunteer. Well, after much thought and discussion with others, I’ll be running two games next spring. One will be a one-shot for Basic Fantasy RPG that I already had written up and did some polishing on. The other is a Star Trek Adventures: Lower Decks inspired game where the crew will be meeting the cast of Top Core (a sci-fi parody of the BBC show, Top Gear).

I’m still watching a ton of movies at home thanks to the many streaming services that I have access to. In the theater I did enjoy Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. I also saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. I also enjoyed this movie and I hope that the ending would lead to another sequel. But I wouldn’t be disappointed if there wasn’t one. My youngest is a Five Nights at Freddy’s fan so we had to go see the movie in the theater. Not knowing much about the video game series, I thought the movie was OK and I wasn’t bored. In 2024 I’m looking forward to seeing Dune: Part Two, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Television wise I’ve been soaking up all of the various Star Trek franchises (Picard knocked it out of the park and I demand more Lower Decks). The Star Wars episodes have been good as well. I’m sad that Archer is ending, but I’d rather have it end on a high note. What We Do In The Shadows has also continued to entertain me. MST3K season 13 was a blast. I watch so much TV that I am unable to list them all here. On the weekends I’ve still been enjoying Svengoolie and Creature Features. I’m really looking forward to the new Doctor Who episodes after the great introduction from the 60th Anniversary specials and Christmas episode. The Fallout TV series has also caught my attention. I did cancel my Peacock account because there was nothing on it to watch (and I’d go months forgetting it was even there).

Reading wise I’m still going strong on the Star Trek and James Bond comics. While I’m also enjoying the Star Wars comics, I had to move from buying the physical books to a subscription to Marvel Unlimited due to the high cost of the individual issues. Too many Star Wars comics to continuing to buy them all.

I may have made a mistake with my video games. I set up both a Steam account and a GOG account. So I’ve been getting deals on lots of classic games that I use to play. I’ve been trying to play a few others as well such as Fallout New Vegas and a couple of other hidden gems that were tossed my way. But when it comes to time crunch issues, the video games get put off to the side pretty fast. I need to make sure that I’m spending some enjoyment time playing these games.

I want to get some writing done in 2024. I’ve talked about it, but I need to sit down and do it. Hopefully the Basic Fantasy scenario will be good enough to submit to the BFRPG community for consideration. While I also have some fan projects in mind, I’d actually like to have a few publications that I could legitimately sell online.

Keep an eye on this blog for what happens in 2024. Now off to the USS Ticonderoga New Years Eve party. Tomorrow I dive into the deep end of the pool with the Character Creation Challenge.

What did you enjoy about 2023? What geeky things do you want to do in 2024? 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: December 25-31

Uh… because it is.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of December 25th through December 31st. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

December 25
“What’s this, Christmas come early?” Michael Sullivan “It has for you. Open it.” Janeway “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, by Mark Twain. I’ve read some of his books, but not this one.” Michael Sullivan- Spirit Folk, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 26
“The time for killing has come to an end.” Riva- Loud as a Whisper, Stardate: 42477.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 27
Happy Birthday to Wilson Cruz. @wcruz73 https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Wilson_Cruz #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I didn’t know you were married.” Dr. Culber “Yup. My wife is Soyousian. She went totally bananas during the planning.” Reno “Believe me, I understand micromanagement.” Dr. Culber- Through The Valley of Shadows, Stardate: 1048.66 #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 28
Remembering Nichelle Nichols who was born on this date in 1932. @NichelleIsUhura https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Nichelle_Nichols #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekProdigy #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“You know what they say, Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.” Uhura- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Stardate: 8210.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 29
“It’s important to know how you… candidates deal with other cultures, other species…” Chang “Then it was a test!” Mordock “Yes… not all tests are announced or what they appear to be.” Chang- Coming of Age, Stardate: 41461.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 30
“I used to say I could land a shuttlepod with my eyes closed.” Archer “Well, the proof’s in the pudding, Captain.” Reed- Rogue Planet, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 31
“Oh, you know how I hate to miss a party.” Dax- Rejoined, Stardate: 49195.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

Posted in: Character Creation Challenge, Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games, Spy-Fi

Prepping for the 2024 Character Creation Challenge

Some of the games that I plan to use in the 2024 #CharacterCreationChallenge

For the three previous years of the Character Creation Challenge (in 2021, 2022 and 2023), I’ve prepped ahead of time to make the challenge a little bit easier. Especially since I try to use a wide variety of games in January 2024. I’ve already had some people reach out to me using various methods to let me know of their participation. Please let me know, Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com if you plan to post your characters up on a blog. I’ll link to it from the Character Creation Challenge section of my website.

If you are posting on any of the social media websites, please use the hashtag #CharacterCreationChallenge so that other participants can find them. I love seeing what other RPG fans have come up with.

The photo above shows the physical books that I’ll be using. Some have been gifts, others were picked up at local gaming conventions or found at thrift stores. I also have a collection of games purchased from Kickstarter, DriveThruRPG, HumbleBundle and Bundle of Holding.

I’m once again using a spreadsheet with the date, day and game type to schedule my games. This way I won’t have two fantasy games next to each other. I can also plan a game that may take more time and energy on a day off. This is also a good idea for those dates I know are going to be busy, I can schedule the systems I’m more familiar with for these days.

As in the past, I’ll try to walk through the character creation process as I understand them in the rules-as-written (RAW). This also gives me a chance to do a review of the process. I will then scan the character sheet for all to see. And I will have all of the character sheets printed out before the challenge starts. I’ve found that this helps me get everything ready.

My entries will be blog posts on this website. Then I will post links on my various social media sites along with the three main roleplaing message forums at RPG.net, RPGpub and RPGgeek.

If you are reading this after January 1st and you still want to jump into the challenge, please do. A few participants last year either did a quick catch up or just made sure they ran a full 31 days. The choice is yours. This challenge is just for fun with our gaming systems.

Remember to have fun with this. That was one of the primary goals of the challenge.

You can also use this graphic to help promote the #CharacterCreationChallenge.

31 Day Character Creation Challenge
Feel free to share this image on social media to spread the word.

You can also post your characters on my discord server in the #Character-Creation-Challenge channel. 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: Anime, Role Playing Games

The Power of Gaming 2023 Edition

Teenagers from Outerspace by AnimechaniX/R Talsorian Games

So in 2020 and 2021 I talked about the power of gaming. Several participants on the RPG.net forums would get involved with a Secret Satan (a play on words of Secret Santa) where we would all send gifts to each other. In 2020 I was thrilled to receive Mutant Crawl Classics and in 2021 I received two 5e books for Ravenloft and The Curse of Strahd campaign. In 2022, I messed up and didn’t get in the system in time. I reached out to the coordinator and was able to help out someone who needed a pick-me up, of which I was glad to help out with.

So when it came time for the 2023 Secret Satan, I made sure to sign up the moment it was posted. I know that the gifts I sent off were received (and loved according to the post my victim made). I even let one of the makers of one of the gifts know that it was well received. She blushed.

Today, my gift from Secret Satan arrived. It was a print-on-demand of the anime comedy roleplaying game, Teenagers from Outerspace. I also received an email that there was a PDF copy waiting for me at DrivethruRPG. My RPG playing daughter and I have already flipped through the rulebook. It reminds me a lot of some of the comedic anime series that I had seen in the past such as Louie the Rune Soldier, Ranma 1/2 or Project A-Ko. This game is published by AnimechaniX, which is a sub-division of R. Talsorian Games. This is the same company that released the Bubblegum Crisis RPG that I had used in past Character Creation Challenges.

I am planning to use this game in the 2024 Character Creation Challenge. I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to play it. But I wonder if I’ll be inspired to try to run a one-shot for SaltCON.

Have you played Teenagers from Outerspace? Is there a comedy anime that would be perfect for this RPG? 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: December 18-24

Wondering if we can survive one more week of constant Christmas music.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of December 18th through December 24th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

December 18
Happy Birthday to Jason Mantzoukas. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jason_Mantzoukas #StarTrek #StarTrekProdigy #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Jankom’s not just an engineer. He’s a miracle worker.” Jankom Pog- Supernova, Part 2, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekProdigy #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 19
“Your Surak is a brave man.” Kirk “Men of peace usually are, Captain.” Spock- The Savage Curtain, Stardate: 5906.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 20
Happy Birthday to Nicole de Boer. @Nikki_deboer https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Nicole_de_Boer #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Are you always this emotional?” Ezri Dax “I refuse to engage in this human game of taunting.” Solok “Human? Did I forget to wear my spots today?” Ezri Dax- Take Me Out to the Holosuite, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 21
Happy Birthday to Michelle Hurd. @ItsMichelleHurd https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Michelle_Hurd #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Also, you look conspicuous in that hood.” Worf “Says the Klingon in warrior gear.” Raffi Musiker “It is not warrior gear, it is casual.” Worf “Seriously, where do you wear that… to a Tuesday beheading?” Raffi Musiker- Seventeen Seconds, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 22
“The captain and Doctor Crusher are saying that the very thing which has given us this wonderful world is what has caused this tragedy.” Rashella “That’s it. Exactly. Your Custodian has controlled you so completely you’ve lost even the desire to even question it.” Picard- When the Bough Breaks, Stardate: 41509.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 23
Happy Birthday to Noel Wells. @RealTomHankz https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/No%C3%ABl_Wells #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“You guys don’t know anything about my family!” Mariner “WE ARE YOUR FAMILY! We will always be there for you and right now, we’re heading right into a pile of crazy dangerous space debris!” Tendi- First First Contact, Stardate: 58130.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 24
“This is Lieutenant Tuvok to all decks. We are preparing to land the ship. Go to Blue Alert and report to Code Blue stations.” Tuvok- The 37’s, Stardate: 48975.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: December 11-17

All of the merchants this season.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of December 11th through December 17th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

December 11
Star Trek: Insurrection premiered on this date in 1998. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Insurrection #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“But some of the darkest chapters in the history of my world involve the forced relocation of a small group of people to satisfy the demands of a large one. I’d hoped we had learned from our mistakes, but it seems that some of us haven’t.” Picard- Star Trek: Insurrection #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 12
“The universe is balanced on the back of a giant koala! Why is he smiling? What does he know?” O’Connor- Moist Vessel, Stardate: 57538.9 #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 13
Remembering Christopher Plummer who was born on this date in 1929. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Christopher_Plummer #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“We need breathing room.” Chang “Earth, Hitler, 1938.” Kirk “I beg your pardon.” Chang- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Stardate: 9521.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

Star Trek Nemesis premiered on this date in 2002. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_Nemesis #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“But I take it there will be no speeches during the ceremony on Betazed?” Picard “No. No speeches and… no clothes.” Riker- Star Trek Nemesis, Stardate: 56844.9 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 14
“Sir, may I suggest we set up our defense perimeter?” Nog “Good idea. How much is this going to cost me?” Quark “Don’t worry, no charge.” Nog “Starfleet has really corrupted you, hasn’t it?” Quark- The Magnificent Ferengi, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 15
Happy Birthday to Garrett Wang. @GarrettRWang https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Garrett_Wang #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Seven of Nine told me love’s like a disease! Well, maybe it is pheromones, endorphins, chemicals in our blood, changing our responses, physical discomfort but any way you look at it, it’s still love.” Kim- The Disease, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 16
“All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer by.” Kirk- The Ultimate Computer, Stardate: 4729.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 17
“Do Vulcan captains have their portraits hanging at the High Command?” Archer “Vulcans are revered for their accomplishments, not for the way they look.” T’Pol- Rogue Planet, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

Posted in: Role Playing Games

Character sheets from past games: Fantasy Hero

Here is another obscure character sheet that I had found in my book of character sheets. Fantasy Hero (and from the copyright, it appears to be the 3rd edition). Like Star Ace, I don’t recall playing this game, so it may have been a one-shot or another victim of the dreaded gaming scheduling curse.

So a little bit of a background. In 2021 I was going through some old boxes and found a three-ringed binder full of old character sheets. So one of the things I thought I’d do is scan them and post them here in this blog. In my previous character sheet entries I posted characters from Dungeons and Dragons, the FASA Doctor Who RPG, Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, Vampire: The Masquerade, WEG Star Wars the Star Trek RPG by FASA, GURPS, Marvel Superheroes and Warhammer Fantasy.

I have a vague memory of seeing the book while at a friends house. That may have been the time we had created the character. I had named him Sleetos (with Red Storm in parentheses). Why? I don’t recall. But I do see under my disadvantages that he had belonged to a clan that he now hated. Was Red Storm a clan name, or a name that the clan wouldn’t know? He has an accent, but he also had powers such as flight, a force field and energy blasts. As I was reading this, I wondered if it was a super hero game or a fantasy game? But on the back (not scanned) I wrote down the character’s equipment. They were all standard fantasy rpg items such as weapons, rope (Why if he can fly), a lantern with flint & steel and… 15 Caramel Nut Clusters with Peanuts. OK that last item was very strange. I really wonder what past me was thinking or experiencing at the time.

Another thing that had me scratching my head is that I had “(R.L.)” written down next to my player name on the character sheet. Real Life? Rusty Lance? Robot Liposuction? Why R.L.?

I don’t recall anything about the system. I could see that Fantasy Hero 6th Edition was available on DriveThruRPG or Amazon, but I couldn’t find the 3rd edition to see if I could recall anything. I do have a physical copy of the 6th edition that I’ll be using in the upcoming Character Creation Challenge. So I’ll have to see how that character sheet compares to this one.

Did you ever play any of the versions of Fantasy Hero? 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: December 4-10

I hate the snow and the cold.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of December 4th through December 10th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

December 4
Happy Birthday to Tony Todd. @TonyTodd54 https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Tony_Todd #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekDS9 #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“You do understand that we cook most of our foods…” La Forge “Ah yes, I was told to prepare for that. I shall try some of your burned replicated bird meat.” Kurn- Sins of the Father, Stardate: 43685.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 5
“I swear this oath by Apollo Physician, by Asclepius, by Health and by all the gods and goddesses: In whatsoever place that I enter I will enter to help the sick and heal the injured, and I will do no harm.” The Doctor- Darkling, Stardate: 50693.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 6
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country premiered on this date in 1991. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_VI:_The_Undiscovered_Country #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I am constant as the Northern Star.” Chang “I’d give real money if he’d shut up.” Dr. McCoy- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Stardate: 9521.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 7
Star Trek: The Motion Picture premiered on this date in 1979. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Motion_Picture #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I weep for V’ger as I would for a brother. As I was when I came aboard, so is V’ger now. Empty. Incomplete. Searching. Logic and knowledge are not enough.” Spock- Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Stardate: 7412.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 8
“Perhaps we are letting our imaginations run away with us. I should never have let Mister Tucker talk me into watching The Exorcist last week.” Dr. Phlox- Doctor’s Orders, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 9
Happy Birthday to Michael Dorn. @akaWorf https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Dorn #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekDS9 #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Very good, Ensign. You have passed the challenge.” Worf “What? By taking off the blindfold?” Sito “It takes courage to say the test is unfair.”  Worf- Lower Decks, Stardate: 47566.7 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

December 10
Remembering John Colicos who was born on this date in 1928. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/John_Colicos #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“May Kahless guide us on this day of vengeance.” Kang- Blood Oath, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

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