There are a lot of RPG players – way more than Game Masters. So, it was high-time that I wrote a little something for those on the other side of the screen. Recently, I came out with a short PDF called Play Your Character like a Fucking Boss. It’s a follow-up to the successful How to Game Master like a Fucking Boss.
In the spirit of playing a character like a fucking boss, what follows is a fun list of possible character actions, words, and accomplishments that can gauge your players’ raw quotient of awesome in a given session. For ease of play, download this sheet, print out a few copies, and then hand them to your players. During the session, players put a check-mark next to each entry that they’ve done, said or experienced. At the end of the night, total up the point values next to each item and see how they did.
[Editor’s note: Does it really matter who gets the highest score? That’s up to you. Perhaps the winner gets a cool prize, or perhaps the lowest score gets the cup of shame. Either way, it can be a neat exercise to help players up their game, or simply break out of their shell.]
Click here to download the PDF handout Play your character like an effing boss.
Here are some examples…
• Slayed a legendary beast, creature, or entity. [12 points]
• Freed people from slavery, servitude, or bondage. [10 points]
• Stole something major (like a starship). [8 points]
• Killed an opponent with a surprise attack. [4 points]
• Tricked a PC into doing something he otherwise wouldn’t do. [4 points]
• Told off a major NPC. [3 points]
• Desecrated an enemy god’s temple, shrine, or holy place. [3 points]
• You used some crazy mode of transportation (like riding on the back of a dragon or rocketing to the nearest moon using a jetpack). [3 points]
• Said or did something that made one or more NPCs laugh. [2 points]
• One or more NPCs start worshiping you. [1 point / worshiper]
• You learned something that not many know. [1 point]
• You made your saving throw. [1 point]
• You got knocked unconscious. [1 point]
• Coin a new word or phrase or name something. [1 point]
• You died. [-2 points]
Calculating Values of Awesome
1 – 9 points: You did the bare minimum… perhaps you were asleep for most of the adventure?
10 – 19 points: You barely made a dent in the world. Were you playing Bunnies & Burrows on easy-mode?
20 – 31 points: You accomplished a few things and made your mark upon the world.
32 – 49 points: Holy shit, dude! You owned this game.
50+ points: There is none greater!!!
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If you use this thing, let me know. If you think of items that should be on the list, also let me know.
Thanks for reading and sharing,
VS
Venger Satanis
High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing. Also found at Venger's old school gaming blog.
Age: Almost 42.
Favorite Films: Star Wars, Heavy Metal, The Godfather, The Thing, Alien, Conan the Barbarian, Zombie, The Terminator, Hellraiser, Herbert West Reanimator, Planet of the Apes, Flash Gordon, Vanessa, Escape from New York, Krull, Clash of the Titans, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and many others...
Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream: Classified.
Interest in Roleplaying Games: Started when I was about 10 with the D&D magenta box.
A couple people have commented elsewhere about the flat -2 points for dying. Upon reflection, I think there are different kinds of death… cowardly, heroic, ridiculous, weird, commonplace, and hilarious. Each one should receive individual point values. When this checklist is revised, I’ll take that into account.