Final Thoughts - Challenge 2025

So, time for an after-action report, of sorts. If you followed me this month you know that I set out to answer the January Character Creation Challenge this year by making only Outgunned characters, each day getting served two Action Flicks via random roll to use in the creation. These Action Flicks are mini-expansions with rules to adapt the basic Outgunned action RPG to a specific genre. Or the Outgunned Adventure pulp RPG as that may be. Initially, I also took that to mean that I have to use Tropes and Roles from the two Action Flicks.

That last one? Not a good idea. While there are a whole lot of Action Flicks for the system by now there were by necessity a lot of repeats, and no one wants to see, say, the 5^th Rookie for the District 77 Action Flicks. It just gets a bit too boring, and too restrictive. I ditched this rule halfway through, which I think was the right idea. Even if it watered down the influence of the respective Action Flicks a bit I think the resulting character set is more interesting.

Another mistake was that I chose to keep the system description fairly short. This helped me a lot, both to keep the time invested limited and to avoid repeats of paragraphs describing mechanics. But it caused in my opinion two issues – I assume this was fairly hard to follow for anyone who doesn’t know the system, and in my opinion more importantly this massively reduced how much you readers might be able to see what each Action Flick brings to the table. Many contain rules beyond the character creation, and that is of course completely lost in the way I wrote things.

Now onto the good things, though there will still be some criticisms. First of all, this was the easiest ride I had through the challenge. The randomly chosen Flicks gave enough of a hook to come up with characters easily, and each character took maybe 15 min on average including writing. As an aside, this time I decided to have a week's worth of characters as a buffer, which I made mid-December. But I found that within around 10 days I had made all 31 characters and written all entries, five of which were spent on actually doing what was needed. So, I was done with the challenge before Christmas. Mea Culpa. That said that also turned out to be beneficial – there are a few characters I didn’t find too fun (and I think their entries reflect that) – I am just not too inspired by things like cartoon characters, or the virtual reality thing. But many others were a joy, and I realized that I like to play with Neon Noir and Old Ones. Not surprisingly, I like Cyberpunk and Horror games. Overall, I do think Outgunned does deliver on the ability to make interesting and diverse characters, even with its mechanical focus on the seemingly limited action side of things.

As another plus, I still feel excited about the game, and have indeed prepped to run an Achtung! Cthulhu One-Shot using the Old Ones Action Flick. And now I have a very good idea of how the different Action Flicks function, though I really want to see most of them in play at one point.

The whole list of Outgunned characters on this blog lives here. I also want to highlight a few that I think would be fun to play.

The Cyberpunk Crew (with various other Action Flicks as support):

Karen “Wild Thing” DeFouchier (Neon Noir & Old Ones)

Lareina Rojas (plus A Kind of Magic)

Shao Müller (plus Rising Dragon) – the only one I would probably replace since I think Wuxia clashes too much with Cyberpunk.

Les Herbig (plus District 77)

This is a heady mix of five (!) Action Flicks. I am not sure how well it would play, but I do think the world sounds fun and interesting.

Others:

Kaleb Cassidy (Army of Evil & A Kind of Magic) 

Shristi Goyal (Wild West & Midnight Wars) 

Ulfgrim (Mighty Swords & Killing Aliens)

Gustav Mueller (District 77 & Midnight Wars)

Nathan “Red Nate” Marsters (A Kind of Magic & Wild West)

Rose (Neon Noirs & Midnight Wars)

Maisie Masterson (Great Powers & Old Ones)

Of these I am most surprised by Gustav Müller - I am not a fan of cop shows. Les in the Neon Noir crew is a bit of cheating since he essentially stopped being a cop; Gustav is not. That said, the idea of an old vampire as some kind of strange supervisor has appeal.

Ulfgrim is also a bit strange since the combo weirded me out at first. But I think he is a great kernel for another wild mix of Action Flicks, probably with an Everything All At Once character thrown in for good measure. The others are really just fun characters for combinations I liked and think I had the best ideas for.

Final thought – as much as I liked doing this, I did prefer last year's approach of making parties for different games. The mechanical variety helps. But I am happy I chose Outgunned as the one game for this year, and think that overall it worked very well indeed.

And with that, I will say - Challenge Met!

Thanks to TardisCaptain for the challenge, and the good folks at the RPG.netforums for far too many far too cool characters to list here – the amount of systems on display was nearly as astonishing as the abundant creativity!

Day 31: Outgunned Combo 31 - Great Powers & Old Ones

Lottery Result: Great Powers and Old Ones – superheroes and the Cthulhu mythos

Maisie Masterson has no memory of her youth. One day she was found drifting in the waters near Boston harbour. Age-wise she was a young teenager, sadly one without any memory of where she came from or what she was. After the doctors and law enforcement were through with her CPS sent her into the foster system. And then she was very lucky and landed with a very friendly and very understanding couple. She became the daughter they always wanted, and she returned their love and trust. It was a match made in heaven. She also took after her adoptive dad and became a journalist. The one thing she never told them was about her weird … powers. She could hear and communicate with sea life, for example. 

In any case, these days she works the beat in New England, living close to the water. Always an agile and passionate swimmer, Maisie is never far from the sea, or at least a pool. Something always draws her there. And now she is on her way to record a report about the new home of some weird billionaire, on his yacht in the harbour in a podunk little town called Innsmouth. A crew is already waiting.

Note: In this setting very few people have superpowers. I will also once again soften my rules and allow Maisie to take a role not from either Action Flick. As an Old Ones hero, she will get a mythos-related Experience (Scar) and a Death Roulette bullet.

Role: The Super (GP) Sleuth

Trope: From the Sea (OO)

Feats: Ruler of the Sea (free re-rolls when in water, can talk to seat creatures, can call on sea creatures for aid), Elemental Power (Water) (can manipulate water at will, including as an attack), Reporter (great at interviewing people), Memory of a Dream (might get clues from strange dreams)

Flaw: Drawn to the sea

Experience: Hazy memories of odd creatures hunting her through the sea. Of deep loss. (Scar). 

Catchphrase: "Need a sip?"

I round her out with points added in Flirt and Speech, and she gets a pistol and a phone.

And here is the final sheet!

And with that, the challenge has been met – I will likely post a few thoughts in a day or so when I have some distance. It has been fun, though there are clear favourite combinations for me. This one here surprisingly turned out to be one - Maisie is a great send-off to my contributions, I think. More in the future.

Day 30: Outgunned Combo 30 - Insert Coin & Midnight Wars

Lottery Result: Insert Coin and Midnight Wars – virtual reality and werewolves/vampires

OK, this one will be a perpetually online game, i.e. there is no offline sheet. And our PC will be John “Wildfang” Jones, who in the MMORPG “Hunters of the Night” is a member of the Black Pack, a small werewolf street gang. The Black Pack is a bunch of NPCs that serve as quest givers and sometimes companions to the players; John is a hireable companion. Yes, he is an NPC. Who just might be more aware than he should be.

The NPC is a special role that acts as both a Role and a Trope. However, since Midnight Wars has a tag we get to call John a Werewolf NPC to add some features.

Role & Trope: The Werewolf (MW) NPC (IC)

Feats: Lycanthrope, Shift, Motherload (unlimited money in the game), Big and Strong

Flaw: Gets nervous when outside the quest areas he is supposed to be in.

Catchphrase: “Just tell me what to do, boss.”

He gets six points, and I add them to Fight, Force, Shoot, Detect (2), and Streetwise. As equipment, he has a shotgun and a stake.

And he of course gets a sheet.

Day 29: Outgunned Combo 29 - Neon Noir & Midnight Wars

Lottery Result: Neon Noir and Midnight Wars – Cyberpunk and werewolves/vampires. I will not make this part of my burgeoning Neon Noir party since I feel it’d overload the whole thing a bit. Let’s do something different.

“I am fairly used to the world changing while I sleep. But I never experienced, let alone expected something like this. Weird lights and sound everywhere, barely a way to get some quiet, people in shapes and forms that would have sent the mob to fetch the torches and pitchforks in the time of my youth. 

But some things never change. People will always be greedy, and indeed greed is what created this weird new world. But there are always a whole lot of naïve people as well. Luckily. 

Yet there will also always be the others, our sworn enemy. As far as I know, I am the last night hunter in this strange place. And I have already seen their traces - the wolves still exist.

And I am all alone.”

This will be a One Hero Army character, meant for a game with one director and one player. As such she gets an extra Attribute point, 2 extra skill points that must be applied to a category where she has only an Attribute score of 2, and an extra Spotlight. Since she is supposed to be experienced, the director also grants her a single Advancement before the game starts.

And let’s call her Rose.

Role: The Slayer (Vampire) (MW) – since Vampire is a Tag that should be Vampire Slayer but that sounds massively confusing. 

Trope: Heartbroken Badass

Feats: Nosferatu, Werewolf Scourge (free rerolls when fighting werewolves), Dark Instinct (very sharp senses, also very hard to lie to), That's All?

One Hero Army: She gets a point in Nerves, and a point in Style and Flirt each. 

Flaw: Sensitive to information overload.

Catchphrase: “There is no peace for me.”

I give her a point in Stunt and a point in Force. She has a memento and a pistol with silver bullets. Beyonnd that she has a Reflexes Chip, which in theory breaks the creation rules since it costs $1 more than she can spend. But her life will likely be hard and short, so who cares? Also, the $1 selection makes little sense for a vampire in the long run.

Advancement: 1 Adrenaline, 2 skill points (Speech and Streetwise), and the Regeneration feat.

And she of course gets a sheet.

Day 28: Outgunned Combo 28 - Weirder Things & A Kind of Magic

Lottery Result: Weirder Things & A Kind of Magic – ok, this one screams magical middle school. Damn. But let’s not put this into a fancy elite school, but maybe something accessible to all pupils with magical abilities. A magical public boarding school, if you want.

Lakshmi Mason recently turned 10, and shortly after got what the bookworm always dreamt of – a magical letter, delivered by rat courier, inviting her to The Ever Institute. The Ever Institute is a school only magical folk know about, and while Lakshmi was convinced immediately that it existed, her parents were a whole lot less believing. In short, Lakshmi earned herself a good yelling at for the “fake letter”. 

Luckily, the school sent around a nice lady on a broom who set her parents straight. And once they saw that there'd be no attendance fees – looks like mages count as highly skilled labor, meaning the government is willing to support prospective students rather nicely – and that their little daughter would be well taken care of – they were willing to give it a go. Even though her father cried a bit when it became clear she'd be away for months on end.

Lakshmi is bursting with excitement as her mom and dad are driving her to the place she’d spend most of the next years, hoping to make cool friends and have grand adventures. She couldn’t have been more right.

As far as the game cares, she is a normal character – “young” and “old” are relative to the setting, and with 10 she is a perfectly normal first-year student.

Role: The Apprentice (AKoM)

Trope: Nosy Nerd (WT)

Feats: Intuition (good at noticing stuff others miss), Selfless (good at defending others), Always Prepared (can procure small items when needed for a cost)

Crew: Lakshmi's Gang

Flaw: Can't stand injustice

Song: Taylor Swift - 'A Place in This World'

I give her two points in Leadership, a Walkman, and the spells Magical Dart, Illusion, and Recall. Recall lets her call a small item to herself from a distance.

And she of course gets a sheet.

Day 27: Outgunned Combo 27 - A Kind of Magic & Cloak & Dagger

Lottery Result: A Kind of Magic and Cloak & Dagger. This time, I will go with musketeers and magic; I am a bit tired of pirates.

Rogier de Philippon has recently entered the service of Her Majesty as one of the prestigious musketeers. He comes from a less important noble line that has been reduced to a minimum lifestyle in terms of their theoretical status. Rogiers has answered the call partially to reduce the burden on his family’s finances, partially to do his duty, and a little bit so he gets to meet and maybe impress important people. In this world, maybe 1-5% of the population has magic, and it seems to be randomly bestowed by the gods. Commoners who are found to have magical talent tend to become priests or sometimes soldiers; nobles with it tend to rise to the top their rank allows. During his initial training, Rogier has been found to possess it, which is a boon to his family and the regiment. So much so that his family's future rests on his shoulders – no pressure!

Roger is young; as such he gets an additional point of Adrenaline, but one of his starting feats is the exclusive Too Young to Die. That means he will not suffer a specific consequence of being hurt very badly.

Role: The Magical (AKoM) Swashbuckler (C&D)

Trope: The Chosen One (AKoM)

Feats: Too Young to Die, Sword Fighter, That’s All? The last one lets him withstand pain more easily.

Flaw: Far too proud

Catchphrase: “I demand a duel!”

I give him a point each in Force and Drive, a Rapier, a Musket, Elegant Clothes, and the spells Magical Dart, Arcane Shield, and Stop. Stop allows him to temporarily freeze a target. 

And there is a sheet.

Day 26: Outgunned Combo 26 - Dark Light & Rising Dragon

Lottery Result: Dark Light and Rising Dragon – the forces of good and evil clashing in a wuxia movie? That’ll do, that’ll do.

The Southern Whip is one of four heroes that have been resurrected to protect the realm; evil oni have come, and without the Four Winds humanity will be lost. Time to take the fight to the demons.

Role: The Celestial (DL) Martial Artist (RD)

Trope: Anguished Cynic

Feats: Celestial, Bear Style (she is not easily wounded), Celestial Knowledge

Flaw: Impatient

Catchphrase: "The world deserved better."

I give her a point each in Endure and Fight. She gets a Jian and a sheet.

Day 25: Outgunned Combo 25 – District 77 & Neon Noir

Lottery Result: District 77 and Neon Noir – time to round out the Cyberpunk crew from days 3, 14, and 23 with some kind of law enforcement person. I will use a role from the base game to avoid having yet another Rookie or Solo. Let’s call our character Les Herbing. He is an old character. 

“If this would be a novel worth reading, the whole thing would have started with a Dame with a serious problem looking to hire a former cop. Instead, it started with an ominous email from a darknet account with an attached video showing a dame in cult clothing slitting a throat in some kind of ritualistic setting. Now, when you work the force, you get emails like this all the time. Other cops trying to pull a prank, less-than-upstanding citizens trying to stir shit - usually to create issues for a neighbor. Sometimes it’d be a convict looking for some revenge. Hell, it could have been my ex, but last I checked Iris was still dead from lead poisoning.

What made this one stand out were two things – the dame in the vid was the chief of police. And it was the first of several emails from various accounts pointing me at clues. It took me a while, but the nagging in the back of my brain made me investigate.

And now I am not a member of the force anymore, all my files confiscated. But a last mail warned that this would happen, a minute before Internal Affairs showed up at my desk. The same mail told me to look for someone called “Wild Thing”. Maybe now I will learn who my informant was. I don’t believe for a second that a has been merc fits the bill. But it is the best lead I have left. Time to saddle up.”

Name: Les Herbing

Role: The Sleuth 

Trope: Loose Cannon (D77)

Feats: Detective, Shadow, They Owe Me One, Tormented by the Past (NN). The last one adds another Scar Experience but also adds +1 to all Endure and Cool rolls.

Experiences: Iris looking at me with dead eyes in a shady bar, a gunshot wound in her forehead. (Scar)

The slaughterhouse of The Odd Job Killer, with far too many young faces in the shelves (Scar). 

Iris was a victim of the Odd Job Killer as well; retaliation for when he got to close.

Flaw: Mind like a steel trap - it doesn't let go.

Catchphrase: "Shady. Very shady."

Les gets another point in Detect and Stealth, a shotgun, a phone, and scanner eyes.

And here is his sheet.

Day 24: Outgunned Combo 24 – A Kind of Magic & District 77

Lottery Result: A Kind of Magic and District 77 – magical cops. I can work with that.

This one will be set in the world of the Leipzig Files, where the ostracized and outcast sorcerer Barry Leipzig is a small private eye in Boston. The sorcerers are loosely organized in the Council of Sorcerers, a political committee that decides the basic laws affecting sorcerers and politics with other supernatural creatures. This one will not be about Barry, though, he has to exist in his own little story. Instead, we will talk about the Custodians, a marshal service for the Council. Custodians get called in when sorcerers break the rules and dispense warnings or if needed execute the punishments the Council has determined. Our character here is Lijal Balandra; they joined the Custodians last week, and this is their first outing. Under tutelage by the other PCs, of course. Lijal at this moment still has a very happy outlook on life. Some people think they might not follow the rules, but while in all honesty they are a jokester and prankster they are never tempted to break the laws. At least in a consequential way. They are exactly the kind of fresh wind the Custodians need.

Role: The Magical (AKoM) Rookie (D77)

Trope: Silly Marauder

Feats: First Day (some extra luck for that)

Arcanimal (Crow) – can change into a crow. Note: my first impulse was otter.

Master of Disguise

Flaw: Sees humor in nearly everything.

Catchphrase: <wide grin>

They get two more points in Cool, a Custodians Mace, and the spells Magical Dart, Counterspell, and Quick Spell. She is great at countering other mages.

And here is their sheet.

Day 23: Outgunned Combo 23 – Neon Noir & Rising Dragon

Lottery Result: Neon Noir & Rising Dragon, cyberpunk and wuxia.

Shao Müller has been sent by the head of her order to the MKI arcology. Getting in wasn’t easy, but necessary – inside, a woman called Lareina Rojas is on the run. Shao will go there and help. Lareina will not survive otherwise. And once they have found the two others still hidden in the shadows, they will go up against something very, very evil. At least according to what the virtual gods told their seers. Time to get to work.

Role: The Martial Artist (RD)

Trope: Techno Wizard (NN, yes, she can hack)

Feats: Heads on a Swivel

Tiger Style – heave emphasis on unarmed combat

Hacker

Flaw: Stranger in a strange land – she has never been to the US, let alone the weird MKI arcology.

Catchphrase: "Quiet. Listen." 

She gets a point each in Fight and Cool. As for her equipment, she has Empowered Legs (and can jump high and run fast), a phone, and a gun. The gun is more to fulfill expectations these days.

Oh, and she has a sheet.

Day 22: Outgunned Combo 22 – Wild West & Insert Coin

Lottery Result: Wild West and Insert Coin, Wild West combined with virtual reality/videogame.

The new game “West of Destiny” got rave reviews, which was just that much more annoying – a VR game with explicit pay-to-win, aimed at rather wealthy whales, it was a whole lot of fun. But if you weren’t affluent, you had to work very hard for even low level equipment. When the company offered in-game jobs for in-game currency many people chose to get one. After all, an hour or two a day could get you some cool stuff to use, and what’s the harm?

Indie journalist Samantha Copeland had some thoughts of her own. She saw her friends – and their kids! - play more and more. Work more and more. And some of what she heard about the “in-game” jobs sounded a lot like barely hidden outsourced work. And no one was reporting on it. Even worse, after careful digging she found that quite a few users were found brain damaged. And again, no report. And as far as she can say, all those users were working in-game a long time. But then she ran out of sources and ideas. Until someone with a darknet address sent her a redemption code and a hint to look in the game if she wanted to save lives.

There is a new player in the game. Samity the Gunslinger is in town, and she will figure out what is going on. One way or another.

This is an In and Out game, i.e. a game that plays in the real world and in the virtual world. For this, there should be a second character sheet for Samantha herself made using core Outgunned. In the interest of brevity, I won’t include that one here. Also, since this is an IC game there is a decision to be made on what feats are available in general, and from the start. I will say all WW starting feats and all IC feats – Samantha used the redemption code she got, and it was a cheat code.

Role: The Virtual (IC) Gunslinger (WW)

Trope: Hero With No Name (WW)

Feats: Glitch – Samity can accept a -1 on a roll to bank a +1 for another future roll. Only 1 die max.

Heavy Machine Gun – for 1 Adrenaline she can have one item of choice suddenly in her hand. Any item. That item gets free rerolls on use and vanishes at the end of the scene.

Gunslinger

Flaw: Sometimes the Samity avatar glitches

Catchphrase: "My bullets can run faster than you"

Samity gets a point each in Drive (i.e. Ride) and Stealth, a revolver, knife, horse, and a sheet.

Day 21: Outgunned Combo 21 – Cloak & Dagger and Dark Light

Lottery Result: Cloak & Dagger and Dark Light, swashbuckling, and Angels/Demons. 

What has been forgotten over time is that underneath the conflicts fought with pirates, privateers, and official navies in the Caribbean was a hidden, more serious conflict – demons vs angels. And the frontiers were very, very murky, often with representatives of both supernatural realms meeting in the crew of the same ship. And when a pirate vessel went up against a merchant ship, it wasn’t always clear which side heaven or hell were on, or if they were indeed involved at all. Confusing times these were.

Edvin Blakesleye should have been dead. When his sloop was taken by the crew of the dread pirate Bobson, he caught a bullet to the belly. And that should have been it. But for some reason, the pirates decided to keep young Edvin around. Maybe it was the red hair? In any case, he miraculously recovered and became a kind of mascot to the crew. He quickly learned that as pirates go, they weren’t all that bad. The captain went after targets known to be very bad guys; the sloop Edvin had been on was run by a captain with a horrible record of ordering the slaughter of innocents, for example. Still, there was no way around it – the Green Wave was a pirate vessel, plundering its way across the seas. And over time Edvin became one of them. And he never told the others about the small voice in his head that sometimes gave him orders he couldn't deny.

Role: The Swashbuckler (C&D)

Trope: Too Sweet (DL)

Feats: Panache – he is very elegant, and can use Smooth + Style for Action and Reaction rolls.

Parkour

Blessed – this puts him on the side of heaven and gives him an otherworldly feat. 

Resurrection – this is his chosen otherworldly feat. If Left for Dead he can come back by creating a Bond to … someone supernatural.

Flaw: Sometimes zoning out at bad moments.

Catchphrase: "Hello friend!"

He also gets a point each in Fix and Streetwise, a rapier, a muzzle-loading pistol, some pirate clothes, and a sheet.

Day 20: Outgunned Combo 20 - A Kind of Magic & Wild West

Lottery Result: A Kind of Magic and Wild West. Fun! Magical Western works for me, though the Wild West/Supernatural Horror combo seems more popular.

Nathan “Red Nate” Marsters is a lot of things – a wanted criminal in some states, a degenerate gambler, a loyal friend and accomplice, a man with a soft heart for the weak, and last but not least a former thaumaturgy apprentice. His signature is enchanting his bullets with elementary effects, most often fire. Red Nate is usually easygoing, but when someone triggers him, he tends towards escalation and overkill. Hence the bounties on his head in various areas of the country.

But on the bottom line, he is a friendly fellow, generous to his friends and people he likes, and willing to defend people who need it. Once he invariably flames out he should be remembered that way.

Mechanically I will call his elemental bullets an AKoM spell. In this world, magic works with foci. In Nate’s case that’s his gun.

Role: The Magical (AKoM) Gunslinger (WW)

Trope: Right Hand of the Devil (WW)

Feats: Spell-Slinger, Hair-Trigger, Silver Tongue

Flaw: Hot-headed

Catchphrase: “We can burn it to the ground, you know?”

I added a point for each in Streetwise and Detect. Nate has a horse, a revolver, a knife, and the spells Magical Dart, Arcane Blast, and Quick Spell. The latter means he can cast very quickly. Finally, he has a sheet.

Day 19: Outgunned Combo 19 - District 77 & Midnight Wars

Lottery Result: District 77 and Midnight Wars, street cops and werewolves/vampires.

In this setting, there is a specific Italian Mob, to be precise the Lionettis. They are a bit more restrictive in their hiring than most organized crime families – to become a made member, you need to be not only of Italian descent, but you need to be from a werewolf family. In the grand scheme of things they aren’t all that important, but they are known for defending what they see as their turf with exceptional brutality. And for the most part, they leave evidence that no one really understands. Now, they have killed the daugther of a US senator; accidentally, but that hardly matters. The FBI got involved. And when the name of the Lionettis popped up, a special task force was alerted. One that deals with supernatural threats. One that has some supernatural members on the payroll. One that consists of a single agent.

The agent is (Very) Senior Agent Gustav Mueller. He came here in the mid of the 19th century as an immigrant from Germany. His various adventures were weirdly enough mostly quite mundane. Until he met J Edgar Hoover, who recruited him to the Bureau. And since then Gustav has been active, and working on protecting humanity. Granted, there were times when he had reason to question the bureau's integrity, but for the most part, he kept his head down and stayed out of politics. Oh, and as regards the not-clued-in personnel, he mostly works from out of office. He even has a special van. And his HR records keep changing every few years.

Now, the bureau has decided to send him against the Lionettis and hand him a few other agents to help.

Mechanically, Gustav (who goes by Gerald Muller these days) is an old character, so he gets an additional feat, an Experience, and a second death roulette bullet.

Role: The Vampire (MW) Agent (Core Outgunned)

Trope: Loose Cannon (D77)

Feats: Nosferatu – various vampire mechanics, and he gets access to Monstrous Feats

Bite – heal in combat by drinking blood

Fighter – Gustav has spent a long life honing his close combat ability.

Shift – his secret ace – he can turn into a swarm of bats if needed.

Flaw: Hates insubordination by others

Catchphrase: “What do they teach in Quantico these days?”

Experience: Donating blood to a dying J Edgar, to no effect. (Scar)

I add a point each in Stealth and Know, a pistol, special handcuffs, a badge, and a telephone. And a sheet. Done.

Day 18: Outgunned Combo 18 - Ghost Hunters & District 77

Lottery Result: Ghost Hunters and District 77 – seems fairly obvious that we are dealing with a police ghost-hunting squad. Let’s say humanity has proven the existence of ghosts a few decades ago, and has found ways to live with those dearly departed who aren’t willing to leave yet. Laws were enacted to regulate ghost activity, and of course, the police needed a way to deal with those ghosts willing to ignore the laws, or who became criminals in other ways. The EATS – Ectoplasm Arrest Tactical Squad – is sent to deal with such intangible lawbreakers.

Melanie Arnal has recently joined EATS as a corporal in Los Angeles. Melanie has talked her way into the squad since she figured it might be an easy ride – she is both fantastic with people and very wrong about everyday work at EATS. As such, she will be in for a wild ride.

Role: The Rookie (D77)

Trope: Charming Bastard

Feats: Silver Tongue – she is very convincing

They Owe Me One – she knows a lot of people in the community.

Pep Talk – and she knows how to prop up morale when needed.

Flaw: does not take ghosts seriously

Catchphrase: "No biggie."

And a point each in Force and Streetwise, a cell phone (EATS will provide other equipment), and a sheet as finishing touches.

Day 17: Outgunned Combo 17 - Mighty Swords & Killing Aliens

Lottery Result: Mighty Swords and Killing Aliens, shiny! Mighty thews versus creatures straight out of space horror. That works very well!

When the strange insect demons came for Ulfgrim and his people they fought to their last, and they earned their places in the afterlife as wave upon wave of horrors broke against them. But in the end, only Ulfgrim stood, alone on a mountain of corpses whose blood was biting into his very flesh. And just as the remaining hordes were about to add him to the fallen, a strange light enveloped him, and he found himself among strangers. Weird, soft strangers with weird habits and a bizarre unwillingness to fight. They did weird things to stop his wounds from killing him. Then they explained what had happened; the insect demons, “xenomorphs” had spread out over centuries, conquering and destroying cultures on untold numbers of planets. Including his own, 235 years ago. And now they were threatening the small area in space his hosts lived in. And the Argorians, as they called themselves, put "the need for violent confrontation” as they phrased it behind them ages ago. And their automated defenses were pretty good at holding the enemy at bay, but not good enough. So they picked among the doomed troops across time and brought them here to fight. As a reward, they would give their new troops the best weapons, the best support, and, once done, new planets to populate with their people. Summoning more would take time though, and for now only a few of the best warriors were brought in. Time for Ulfgrim to learn to work with the strangest people he had ever seen, and get some revenge…

Role: The Barbarian (MS)

Trope: Scarred Survivor (KA)

Feats: Battle Cry – allows Ulfgrim to remove a Condition or a lot of Grit by yelling a Battle Cry. Once per session, the player has to actually yell.

Bulwark – he wears armor like a second skin, not affected by its bulk.

Not Today – when he has to roll the Death Roulette he rolls twice and chooses the result he prefers.

Flaw: He has problems adapting to modern tech outside of combat

Catchphrase: “Victory or Death!”

To round him out he gets two points in Shoot, a machine gun, and a sword. And, of course, a sheet.

Day 16: Outgunned Combo 16 - Dino Storm & Mighty Swords

Lottery Result: Dino Storm and Mighty Swords. Mighty Swords is more or less Sword and Sorcery; Magic is always evil (though an exception is suggested), and most importantly the standard difficulties are overwritten to make the Mighty Swords characters far more powerful than the already competent basic Outgunned characters. Now, Dinos and Mighty Hews are already a well-known combo, so that’ll work. And hey, for this one I will break the rules a bit to make things a bit more interesting.

Meet Keldra the Huntress. Keldra left her tribe a while ago to explore Pangaea. She was supposed to become the mate of the chief’s son, and the wilds were always more interesting to her anyway. So she grabbed her closest friend, and the two set out. Since then, she has been wandering, sometimes helping people, sometimes… not.

Role: The Barbarian (MS) – I will modify this one following a suggestion in Dino Storm. There, the idea is to use The Dog Trainer from the World of Killers book to create a character with a dino companion. Instead, I will give the Barbarian a dino, change one of her feats with Dog Trainer ones, and give her one instead of two weapons.

Trope: Animal Lover (DS)

Feats: Mythical Warrior (Axes) – she gets free rerolls for axes, and for a cost can ignore any conditions while using them.

Beware of the Owner – if they mess with her companion things go pear-shaped for them.

Veterinarian – she needs to be able to heal her best friend if something happens.

Flaw: Painfully shy.

Catchphrase: "Snuffles, come on!"

One more point each for Fight and Stunt. She gets a Spear to start with, and her best friend Snuffles.

Name: Snuffles Type: Telmatosaurus Help: Guard Flaw: Drools everywhere

Grit: 3 Brawn: 5 Nerves: 5 Smooth: 3 Focus: 5 Crime: 3

And she also has a sheet!

Day 15: Outgunned Combo 15 - Army of Evil & Furious Wasteland

Lottery Result: Army of Evil and Furious Wasteland. Two post-apocalyptic flicks that flick well together.

When the aliens came they didn’t bother to touch down. They just sent some probes, bombs, really, that spread a tailor-made disease. Then the starships left again, and no one knows for how long. Now the world is overrun by zombies, and humanity has found shelter in former military bases and similar easy-to-defend places. 

Mattias Jonson grew up in a small village near Uppsala; when the Event happened he moved with his family to the nearby airbase to start a new life. He trained hard to become a guard, someone protecting the local community and prepping for the day the aliens would make their next move. Except one day someone let in the horde, and while the brave citizens were able to drive the zombies back, many were bitten. There was no cure, but as a small mercy the afflicted weren't killed but just kicked out. Which meant fending for themselves for a few days until the disease took their brains. Mattias was among them.

He had never heard of a zombie that could still remember, could still think. But he can, even now, more than a year later. He isn’t angry that he got abandoned. He is still protecting the community. From the outside. As one of the undead.

The world features fast zombies.

Role:  The Undead Dweller (FW, with the AoE tag that makes him undead)

Trope: Final Girl (AoE)

Feats: Undead (forced by the tag) – changes a few rules about grit, losing limbs, and so on.

Jackal – he can work wonders with scraps and debris.

Carnage – all melee weapons become rather brutal in his hands. Mutilations ‘R‘ Us.

Flaw: He desperately wants people to acknowledge his humanity.

Catchphrase: “Mpf.”

Experiences: My mum's wailing when I was cast out (Scar). As an inhabitant of the Wasteland, he has a scar. Also an additional Death Roulette bullet.

One more point each for Fight and Fix. He has no starting equipment, but does get a sheet.

Day 14: Outgunned Combo 14 - Neon Noir & A Kind of Magic

Lottery Result: Neon Noir & A Kind of Magic – Cyberpunk with Magic. Sounds familiar, though I cannot quite put my finger on it…

Just kidding.

Lareina Lucena Rojas is on the run. Yesterday, she was the star apprentice of Marlon Centino, himself the top magical scholar in the Arcology and a renowned professor at the university. This morning, she came into his office for the usual morning planning session and found a hit squad, a few cops, and the provost over the dead body of Marlon. And when they saw her, they raised their guns – reflexively she defended herself, and now her life has fallen apart.

Last week Marlon told her to look for an old friend of his if she ever had “problems that she couldn’t solve the usual way”. A person calling themselves “Wild Thing”. To go down into the dark underbelly of the arcology, find that person, and remind them of a certain debt. Lareina never expected to have to do this, but here we are.

In this world only the chosen few get to use magic; it is often a toy of those born with the right mutation. If they are born into a rich family, they get to study hard and become good at magic; if not, they might have a few small tricks up their sleeves but will more likely become sick and succumb to the wasting disease when the mana starts claiming their bodies. Magic is a tool for the rich and powerful. Mages in this world do not need fancy tools, but spells are spoken, with hand motions. Casting quietly is hard!

Role:  The Apprentice (AKoM)

Trope: Neurotic Geek – breaking my rules for this one; none of the NN tropes are at all fitting for this character. Anyway, the addition of cyberware, etc. should already make NN an essential part.

Feats: Magical Scholar – she can spend downtime learning a specific spell for a single use.

High Culture – good at navigating magical circles; this also applies to the rich crowd in general, but at -1.

Intuition – she spots things others don’t, including enemy weak spots

Flaw: She is too trusting

Catchphrase: "I don't think I've read anything about that"

She also gets a point in Shoot and Know, Photographic Eyes, the spells Magical Dart, Heal, Open/Close, and Empowered Blow (which makes the Dart Accurate and Rapid Fire), and a gun.

Her sheet is here.

By the way, you might have spotted that I have connected this one to the Day 3 character. This also made me wonder if a game that utilizes a lot of Action Flicks would work. Let's say you take a more world-defining one like Neon Noir as the basis, and then let players choose one additional one from a fitting selection if needed to round out their character.

Day 13: Outgunned Combo 13 - Quack Tales & Great Powers

Before I look at the lottery result, I will modify my own rules – if one rolled Action Flick does not add a role, I can choose one from the base Outgunned and Outgunned Adventure books. This should prevent tons of repeats, though I will still try to choose from the offered Action Flicks first.

Lottery Result: Quack Tales and Great Powers – Quack Tales means anthropomorphic cartoon ducks, with Great Powers indicating Superheroes. No problem – this will be about Quasar, the shining defender of Quackstown, part of the Magnificent Mallards superhero team.

Outside his superheroing, Quasar is known as Quinton Quack. Quinton grew up an orphan after coming to this planet as a little child, the last survivor of the space station his people lived on. His parents, owners of a small pizza shop, instilled a good work ethic in him. When he was hit by a random ray from a distant Quasar it gave him superpowers which he uses for good. The pizza parlor closed down a while ago, ruined by the big chains; Quinton works as a local delivery driver, helping his elderly stepdad Quenton to pay off the debt the pizza joint and the final medical treatments of stepmom Qahira left them with. Quinton is a bit bitter but has a heart of gold.

Role:  Super Toon Nobody – neither Action Flick comes with a role, but they use the “Super” and “Toon” tags that allow me to swap role feats for toon or super feats. Quinton also gains one free feat from either category.

Trope: Surly Sailor (QT)

Feats: Flying (QT)

Laser (GP)

Super-Speed (GP)

I’ll Make A Phone Call (Nobody)

I Never Learned Physics (Surly Sailor) – Quasar can use “cartoon physics” for a cost

Flaw:  Eternal pessimist

Catchphrase: “Not that again.”

They get a point each to Endure and Stunt, a cell phone, an old delivery van (speed 0), and a sheet.

Day 12: Outgunned Combo 12 - Dark Light & Ghost Hunters

Lottery Result: Dark Light and Ghost Hunters – two so far unused Flicks! Dark Light is about the kind of supernatural story that heavily features agents of Heaven and Hell. Ghost Hunters should be obvious. These two seem a bit tricky. Let’s assume our PC is a member of a Ghost Hunters Crew, but the only one for whom Dark Light rules apply. That is the case since he is…

Jarzazol, a minor demon who joined the newly founded Ghost Hunters business with the idea that they’d get to send a lot of souls downstairs now… their colleagues know them as Dave Smith, the recently hired muscle. Otherwise, this will be a standard Ghost Hunters setup, nearly identical to Ghost Busters. Jarzazol will be the one bringing in additional shenanigans.

As with other characters, the role is enforced by my own rules; only Dark Light offers a role, Ghost Hunters only has tropes.

Role:  The Demon Emissary (DL)

Trope:  Only Sane One (GH)

Feats:  Infernal – granted by the Demon tag, this mostly means that “Dave” has an aura easily recognized by Holy creatures, and can inflict additional damage to those types of enemies. It also makes them a target.

Cursed (Transfiguration) – Jarzazol can change appearance at will, with some limitations. As long as they keep that disguise up their aura is also hidden. Hence: Dave.

Unholy Knowledge – there should be some fun in the blue-collar hire sometimes knowing things about the paranormal creatures they encounter that no one else does.

Unimpressed – yeah, ghosts aren’t that scary to demons.

Flaw:  Cannot eat food without breaking out in hives

Catchphrase: “Well, if you say so.”

They get two points in Stealth, everyday clothes, a phone, and a sheet.

Day 11: Outgunned Combo 11 - Wild West & Midnight Wars

Lottery Result: Wild West and Midnight Wars – vampire-hunting cowboys! Yes!

Shristi Goyal has been on the trail of her prey for a while. The sucker had more than the usual bounty on their head – the dumb thing managed to kill the husband of the mayor of El Dorado, and now had a rather nice bonus of a round $500 listed. But she needed to be careful; so far, the monster had evaded her rather skillfully and seemed adept at disappearing into a crowd. Still, she had never wavered and always got her prey.

But as Shristi rode into the little no-name town, she knew her search would come to an end soon. Just a gut feeling. After a few years of this, she had gotten good at noticing the unease in the faces of the people on the street. And there was a faint smell of blood in the air. She loosened her gun in its holster and rode over to the local saloon. Things were about to become interesting!

Shristi is on her way to retirement; the $500 is awfully tempting. She is an old character. As such, she will get a Feat more, an Experience, and has two bullets in her Death Roulette already.

Role:  The Gunslinger (WW)

Trope:  Relentless Avenger (MW)

Feats: Eyes of Steel – she has seen a lot, and her cold stare is very intimidating

Hair-Trigger and Gunslinger – shoot first, shoot fast, aim true.

Hard to Kill – when she gets wounded she just returns the favor with a vengeance.

Flaw:  After years of hunting monsters she has a heart of stone.

Catchphrase: No sucker is like any other. Tricky bastards.

She gets a Revolver with Radiant Bullets (strictly speaking I am fusing roles here, but it seems nonsensical otherwise), a knife, a horse, and an added point each in Drive and Know. Her Experience is of being the last woman standing in what is now known as the ghost town of Blood Gulch. Still, the vampire nest there isn’t anymore. It was her biggest Achievement.

And she has a sheet.

Bonus Character: Swords of the Serpentine - Rashan Moridi, political scholar

So, since I had another dream last night I decided to put it into a character. Consider it a bonus, and please meet Rashan Moridi.

Prof. Moridi is an Erebosian scholar who joined the Imperial University a few years ago. An eminent scholar of politics he has a solid academic reputation and has written a large number of influential papers already when he was a lot younger. He took the position for a number of reasons. One was the obviously offered remuneration was very solid. The second – and the one he told his Erebosian colleagues at the time he left – was the opportunity to see the melting pot that is Eversink and let it inform his thinking. A third that he has only shared with a few close friends in Eversink is that he perceived Erebos to be stifling; as a distant cousin of the King, he was under constant surveillance, just in case one of the 68 people standing to inherit the title before him would suddenly perish. He was under constant, vigilant guard to see if he was still pious and following Erebosian culture, and if his research might present a dangerous ideology. He wanted to get away from that, and by moving to Eversink he effectively managed to do that. He is sure some spies will keep an eye on him, but that is far less worrisome.

There is a secret final reason he won’t share with anyone until he is very ready to do so – he wants to become the greatest political scholar ever known. To that end he started analyzing the factions in Eversink, starting with the Mercanti. What looked from the outside like a combination of acquiring funding and learning about what made these people tick had another purpose entirely. When he had learned enough Rashan performed a small ritual to contact a nearly forgotten minor goddess. Siyasa was willing to make a deal, and the price was fairly low and easily paid. For the gift of Professor Moridi’s true name and some precious goods the goddess taught him the basics of sorcery; combining the social sorcery she was able to teach with his own knowledge of politics allowed him to learn the Sphere of the Mercanti. Since then he has added more such knowledge on other factions. His ultimate goal is to use his ability to take the reigns, enacting empirical political studies with an unprecedented ability to create exactly the scenarios he wants to test.

Until then he is biding his time. He has used his knowledge to create a comfortable but not exceptional academic life for himself; often seen walking through the city, sometimes with a university guard for protection, he is well known to owners of various cafes and restaurants, where he whiles away his time, watching people interact. He is also a quiet presence at many social functions and has interviewed and been interviewed by many influential figures. And he always seems very, very harmless and trustworthy.

One thing he hasn’t thought about is that the Triskadane might notice something is awry in the city patterns - he hasn't studied them yet. They don’t know what is happening, yet, only some weird minor hiccups. But it is a matter of time now.

In mechanical terms, I created him as a part of a two-player party. He is Amicable, Private, Quiet, Eloquent, and Elegant. He finds best in life 

    • Figuring out the little intricacies that underlie society

    • Wielding my will to change the shape of a nation

    • A thoughtful discussion of intriguing topics

He has a Health of 6 and a Morale of 12. His Investigative Abilities are Charm 2, Liar’s Tell 1, Nobility 1, Servility 1, Trustworthy 4, Corruption 3, Forgotten Lore 1, and Prophecy 2. His General Abilities are Preparedness 8, Stealth 8, Sorcery 10, and Sway 4. His Sorcerous Spheres do morale damage, and they are Mercanti, Ancient Nobility, and Church of Denari. Yes, Denari is likely not too happy with him. For Allies he has the Mercanti and the Ancient Nobility at 1 each; his enemy is The Triskadane, at -1. 

What remains is his gear:

    • A lot of favorite spots in the city to rest, have a beverage, and watch people

    • Scholarly robes and ink-stained fingers

    • A well-worn notebook, regularly replaced, usually rapidly filled with notes

    • A few students who he loves to present with challenging questions

    • A small red pebble that is a memento of Siyasa

And he has a sheet, of course.

Looking at him he'd be best not as a PC, but as some kind of sneaky, hidden enemy, or maybe some kind of quest giver.

Day 10: Outgunned Combo 10 - Star Raiders & Killing Aliens

Lottery Result: Star Raiders and Killing Aliens – space opera and alien/predator. This one seems too easy.

In the distant future, the job of pest exterminator has changed fundamentally. People like Bud “Greased Lightning” Whizer – don’t ask about the nickname! – are in high demand. Anytime some small farming commune has an issue with a previously unreported lifeform and doesn’t want some government bozos to interfere with their livelihood for weeks and months on end they call people like Bud and his crew. And for the right price, the problem ceases to be one. Only this time they might have bitten off more than they can chew…

Role:  The Star Raider (SR – KA doesn’t offer a new role)

Trope:  Misunderstood Genius (KA)

Feats: Star Pilot and Full Throttle! Make him the ideal candidate for the spot as team pilot.

Know Your Enemy means he has the weak spots of a whole lot of critters memorized.

Flaw:  He is prone to drinking

Catchphrase: "Yeeeee-haaaaaw!!!"

He gets a point each added to Fix and Stunt, and I hand him his Laser Pistol, and his Starship, and gently push his character sheet down the exit ramp. 

Day 9: Outgunned Combo 9 - District 77 & Star Raiders

Lottery Result: District 77 and Star Raiders – crime drama and far-future sci-fi! What was that movie with Sean Connery called again? Ah yes, Outland! I might have to rewatch that one, come to think of it. But looking at the roles available with my self-imposed limitation that character would be a bit hard to create. So, let’s do something else instead, while maybe taking a bit of inspiration.

Saoirse Ken-Levett is the new local constable stationed on DSG Station 532b. The station has a thousand inhabitants, give or take, and is a small cargo hub deep outside the main inhabited areas of the galaxy. A quiet place where mostly dock workers, their families, and support crew live. And of course people running services like the local bars, shops, and so on. Saoirse is one of three cops stationed there, and only one of them has been around for a while. And Capt. Dettson is on the take. The station is a smuggling hub, controlled by a local gang who works with the smugglers. And no one at HQ has any idea. 

But recently an "accident" killed two cops, and now two comparative rookies arrive to take their place. Saoirse and her fellow rookie are in for a hell of a time, but she doesn’t know it yet.

Role:  The Rookie (D77)

Trope:  Logical Thinker (SR)

Feats: First Day – she can have an easier time once per session due to beginner’s luck.

Detective – good for finding clues and the like

Outsmart – her rather broad knowledge of things can help her a lot.

Flaw: She is worried about rocking the boat.

Catchphrase: “Well, if we look at it another way…”

She adds two skill points, one each to Stunt and Shoot. For gear, she starts with a Laser Pistol and a beautiful character sheet.

 

Day 8: Outgunned Combo 8 - Weirder Things & Great Powers

Lottery Result: Weirder Things and Great Powers. Stranger Things crossed with Superheroes, huh. 

We will set this one in upstate New York. A team of preteen geeks looking for a monster in the vicinity. One of them has special powers. Sound familiar?

The little kid is called “Project 8;” they never heard their real name. Recently, using their powers, they escaped a secret underground lab and are hiding in the garage of a local kid they ran into. This setting features “Superpowers for a few.”

Role: The Super Loser – the “Super” adds superpowers, and “The Loser” is the role from Weirder Things. Lovely combi.

Trope: Dark Knight (work with me here, please) (GP)

Crew: Those damn kids!

Feats: Head on a Swivel, Shadow, Detective, and Super Senses. There is very little Project 8 doesn’t notice, and they are very capable of evading people who they don’t want to be caught by. 

Flaw: Massive mistrust of adults.

Their favorite song is “Girls just wanna have fun”

Their two skill points go into Dexterity. She owns a Walkman given to them by a sympathetic guard that was also gone soon after.

Here is their character sheet.

Day 7: Outgunned Combo 7 - Rising Dragon & Star Knights

Lottery Result: Rising Dragon and Star Knights. Wuxia with Jedi. Not a bad fit. If I were to actually play this, I’d probably also add Star Raiders for the non-Jedi side of things. 

Another one with little setup. I think something akin to Seven Samurai crossed with Star Wars, a bit like Battle Beyond the Stars, just maybe a bit better. The PC we make will be from a famous warrior monk order that uses laser swords and martial arts in their teaching. Her name is Maya Lang; she is a wandering monk looking for challenges that will allow her to grow and learn. She is brash and impatient and needs to find the balance within herself.

Role: The Star Knight (SK)

As a Star Knight her Adrenaline Stat becomes Balance. She starts with two; it'll fuel her Power moves but also has importance for her mythical state of being.

Trope: Wild Warrior (RD)

Feats: The Power is With Me – this grants her access to “The Power”

Acrobat

Butterfly Style – this is the wuxia martial arts style that allows her to dance among her enemies, unphased, light-footed.

Flaw: “Injustice enrages me”

Catchphrase: "Stand Aside."

Her two skill points go into Awareness and Force. She carries a Double Star Sword and is also in possession of a character sheet.

Day 6: Outgunned Combo 6 - Killing Aliens and Cloak & Dagger

Lottery Result: Killing Aliens and Cloak & Dagger. Alien/Predator meets swashbuckling action. This one I am here for!

For this one, we need very little setup. A pirate crew, a treasure map, an overgrown island with maybe a small pirate port half a sailing day away.

Our unwitting victim, I mean hero, will be Magnolia 'Feral' Digby, a crew member of the Deceitful Delight. She is a young firecracker who joined the crew a while back. Counting months isn’t her strong suit, though she is very good at counting coin. She is a naturally born badass, and most of the crew is terrified of her. Still, they love having her on their side.

Let’s stat her up.

Role: The Swashbuckler (C&D)

Trope: Super Soldier Pirate (KA)

Feats: Sword Fighter, Parkour, and In the Face of Danger – the last one will allow her to not be cowed by small issues like, say, a Predator-like alien.

Flaw: “Oohhh.. don’t mind if I do – give it here!”

Catchphrase: “Ima rip you a new one!”

Her two skill points go into Survival and Endure. She carries a Rapier, a Muzzle-loading Pistol, and wears badly matched expensive clothing of dubious origin. Her sheet is here.

As badass as she is, she will have her work cut out for her. But man, this is also one I’d love to see at the table.

 

Day 5: Outgunned Combo 5 - Dino Storm & Midnight Wars

Lottery Result: Dino Storm and Midnight Wars. Oehm. Jurassic Park and Werewolves/Vampires. This is not an easy combo. Fuck it, let’s lean into the cheese.

1965. The recent expedition of a British noble adventurer to Antarctica has found something completely unexpected, a large area with tropical temperatures and flora and fauna straight out of a palaeontologist’s textbook. They radioed their findings in, but then contact broke off. A new expedition is assembled, with members suitable to the task of finding the expedition of Lord Fauntleroy. Note: Outgunned Adventure would be a better fit, but the two games are really, really close mechanically when it comes to characters.

One of the members of the expedition is a scientist, palaeontologist Leslie Grainger. Unknown to everyone else she is also a Daywalker, a half-vampire who suspects the area to be the mythical Land of Nod, the origin of her bloodline. Professor Grainer is 56, though she looks to be in her late 30s. The palaeontologist training was originally a cover that allowed her to travel the world and dig into vampire history. Often, she had to fight supernatural enemies in the course of that work, and she suspects this one will not be an exception.

Role: The Slayer (MW)

Trope: Action Palaeontologist (DS)

Feats: Damned (which in her case grants the monstrous feat Regeneration)

Occult Knowledge (she knows a lot about the supernatural)

Palaeontology (and dinosaurs and the like)

Flaw: No patience for the weak.

Catchphrase: “Yeah, they will do that.”

Her two skill points go into Know and Endure. She has a Memento of her mentor, a revolver with silver bullets, and a character sheet.

Day 4: Outgunned Combo 4 - Army of Evil & A Kind of Magic

Lottery Result: Army of Evil and A Kind of Magic. Urban Fantasy Zombies. 

We keep drawing some of the few flicks that imply worldwide catastrophes. Not ideal, but we will roll with it, I think.

For this one the world has suffered when in World War 2 an Ahnenerbe experimental ritual at the end of 1944 went out of control, turning all Nazi soldiers into zombies. Yes, in this world magic is real, and led to the Zombie apocalypse. It is contained to Eurasia for the most part. I also want the zombies to not have overrun everything; magic has helped contain them at least in part. Society still exists, though there are large wastelands (like Germany and large parts of the surrounding areas) run over by the undead. Now it is two years later, and the allied nations have organized a mission deep into enemy territory to try and find the remains and ideally documents describing the ritual that led to all this. Maybe, with a little bit of luck, this will allow the sorcerous cabals to come up with protection or some other solution. The world follows the “A Chosen Few” setting concept, i.e. few people can use magic. Also, magic users in this world need written spells for their magic. Additional materials are needed for rituals, of course.

Our hero is a young mage called Kaleb Cassidie, a Scottish magical prodigy sent along to provide magical support.

Role: The Apprentice (AKoM)

Trope: Next Door Hero (AoE) - some Trope from basic Outgunned might be better, but I will keep to the rules I gave myself. This one is the best fit in Army of Evil. 

Feats: He is a Spell Slinger, meaning he is very good at combat magic.

Proven Driver, which does the obvious thing.

Finally, he has Get Down!, allowing him to push allies into cover when they are in danger.

Flaw: I brag a lot.

Catchphrase: “Hah! Barely a hurdle at all!”

For spells, he has Magical Dart, which is an attack spell, and Counterspell and Invisibility.

His equipment consists of an old motorcycle and his personal grimoire.  The two skill points round him out by adding to Cool and Flirt.

And he has a sheet.

Day 3: Outgunned Combo 3 - Neon Noir & Old Ones

Lottery Result: Neon Noir and Old Ones. Cyberpunk meets the Cthulhu Mythos. Yikes.

“I hate dusk. It means I have another night of dreams ahead of me. 

Two years ago, my crew was at the top of the game in this city. We pulled the best jobs, the highest payouts, and the most risk. Everyone knew we’d deliver. And then we were hired for a high-profile extraction, returning some really rich kids who had run away to their parents. No matter how, and no matter what the kids wanted. It should have been a milk run, but finding them proved to be tricky. In the end, Red was able to pull a photo of the twins going into some random warehouse. They were with a bunch of other people, all wearing weird robes, some of which we could identify as very powerful players in organizations across the city. Complicated, but we took it from there.

The whole story ended as they sometimes do, with a shootout. This one on the rooftop of the MKI arcology. But the tentacled monstrosities rising from a lattice on the floor made up of strobing lasers were new. In the end, only Shengen and I made it out alive, and he was barely more than a gibbering lunatic. Mind gone. The kids? One had sacrificed the other to the intruders. But a trans dart meant that they came with us.

Since then, I have been digging deep into some of the blackest databases, and discovered another underground, far below where runners like me usually tread. I have seen things, things that mean I never sleep soundly anymore. And I have found the person ultimately behind the events that took my friends from me. Time to hire a team to get some payback.

I just hope some of them will survive.”

Karen “Wild Thing” DeFouchier is a former mercenary. Let’s stat her up. She is an old hero, and as such gets another Feat, and an Experience, but also an added bullet in her Death Roulette. I will also gift her $1 worth of Cyberware. She also gets another Experience (which has to be a scar) and another bullet in her Death Roulette for the Action Flicks in play.

Role: The Solo (NN)

Trope: Esoteric Scholar (OO) – she spent a long time living far below her former means, using up savings, and digging into any information she could.

Feats: Sprawl (the ability to easily navigate the darker side of the city)

Hard to Kill (obvious)

On the Brink (on the way down to losing their mind)

Memory of a Dream (sometimes she has vague memories of her nightmares that can provide clues)

Her first Experience is a Scar from her team getting wiped out by the cult. The second is a more recent memory - she tried to warn a team off of the same target that wiped hers out by telling her story. They laughed. They also never came back from their run. Also a scar.

Flaw: "The Conspiracy is everywhere!"

Catchphrase: "Don't."

Finally, she gets a point each in Streetwise and Know, a pistol, a phone, and a Scanner Eye and a Reflexes Chip as cyberware. But I also give her three Madness to represent her past experiences. She is a whole lot closer to dropping over the edge into madness.

And her sheet is here.

By the way, this world I really would like to play in.

Day 2: Outgunned Combo 2 - Furious Wasteland & Wild West

Today the lottery gifts me:

Furious Wasteland and Wild West

Post-apocalyptic Western could be called too easy! These are also both from Action Flicks 2.

He doesn’t really remember the bombs and the war, he was far too young. He does remember feeling afraid, and his mom and dad consoling him. He remembers growing up in the ruins of Miami. He remembers the day his mom ran afoul of the recently appearing scavenging gangs and didn’t come home. He also remembers the day when he was maybe thirteen, fourteen his dad decided that they’d join a trade caravan to the North-West, and the stories his dad told him of his grandparents, uncles, and aunts. That they live near a magically save place called Vancouver, once easily reached via flying machines but now far, far away. And he remembers when the caravan noticed that sabotage had cost them most of their water, and he had his father were left on their own in the middle of nowhere.

When he was lying there, dying of thirst, his father lying on his face a few hundred meters away the old man found him. Jim helped him back to his feet, the veteran training him in survival and self-defense. And he learned to live by the gun. When old age finally caught up to old Jim, he buried his mentor. And then the Wanderer decided to make his way to distant Vancouver, no matter what. 

Role: The Dweller (FW)

Trope: Hero With No Name (WW)

Feats: Jackal (he is very good at working with junk, scraps, and other debris for repairs and such)

Eyes of Steel (his cold stare easily intimidates others)

Gunslinger (yeah)

Flaw: No emotions. No smiles.

Catchphrase: "Sure, you can try me if you want."

Experience: He vividly remembers his dad pushing his last water over before dying of thirst (every Wasteland character starts with a Scar).

And he gets another point each in Awareness and Heal. Theoretically, he shouldn’t have any gear, but I will give him a revolver. As a character in a Furious Wasteland he gets +1 bullet in his Death Roullette.

Sheet.

Day 1: Outgunned Combo 1 - Rising Dragon & Army of Evil

Here we go! As a reminder, here is the official page of the challenge, and here are the guidelines I gave myself this year.

Time to look at what the randomizer brought us.:

Rising Dragon and Army of Evil, which combines wuxia with the zombie genre. Huh. Ok, that will work.

If you need a description of the process you can find a short description here.

Three years ago a novel pandemic that left the sick as little more than brainless monsters started somewhere in the EU, keen on feeding on the brains of the living. Transmitted via any bloody wound, a bite, or maybe even a scratch, the disease spread rapidly. While infectious within minutes the onset of serious symptoms took a few days, initially, until more recent mutants of the virus came along and shortened that to a few hours. The delay at the start led to the virus spreading around the world before anyone knew what was happening. Most countries on Earth have succumbed to the disease. Still, in most areas haven cities sprung up in which the uninfected, and in rare cases some with immunity, take shelter between hastily erected walls to keep themselves safe. Development of a scientific answer to the disease has been very slow, hampered by the fact that the surviving communities are low on resources, and often lack access to needed equipment. Depending on the area, even things like medicine or bullets are scarce. Food, at least, is often still available, if not in large amounts.

Some soldiers and other adventurers have taken up the task of venturing forth into the infested areas to obtain what is needed. Usually medicine, replacement parts, or research equipment. Or even some of the idiots who thought they could brave the undead without any training. Sometimes they do this for an extra share of rations, or fame, or even as a challenge. Some just realize that it is the best way for them to help their community - like Hao Wanjing. The former greengrocer also happens to be an expert in the centuries-old monkey style of Kung Fu which has been practiced in her family for centuries. The times call for her special skills, and so this seemingly plain woman has stepped up to become the hero her people need.

Role: The Martial Artist (RD)

Trope: Next Door Hero (AoE)

Feats: Monkey Style (this allows this hero to keep enemies at bay with her quarterstaff, which seems useful)

Parkour (fairly obvious)

Spirit of Sacrifice (she can accept a malus on a roll to give a friend a bonus on their next roll, essentially shouldering part of their burden.

Flaw: She cannot resist sweets. They are rare, but she will often find some when out among the undead.

Catchphrase: "Think thrice before acting."

Finally, she gets a quarterstaff, and I add a point each to Awareness and Stealth. She will need those.

And here is the sheet.