Read, Play, Game

Kids on Bikes - Character Creation (feat. Mfon Akpaete)

**NOTE: There was a technical mishap in the recording process, so there may be an increased level of background noise**

Dive deeper into our version of the Breakfast Club. Or rather, The Lunch Club.

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Theme song is "Do You Really Wanna Know?" by Captain Qubz

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Duration:: 1h 20m
Broadcast on:: 16 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

(upbeat music) - Let's jump into character creation. Awesome, so we've all kind of got ideas of the characters we're playing. If there are boundaries that you want the characters to have or modifications that you want to make this creation, please do, the core of the game is to experience the player. Okay, so let's go through the overview of what the character creation will look like. First, you select a trope from the playbook and take the appropriate character sheet. We've all selected tropes. They're gonna be your more typical tropes that you'll see, all of these are gonna be familiar if you've seen even one 80s movie. Maybe not all of them, but one of these movies in the genre, they're hallmarks of it. And what's nice about the tropes is that they're very simple. They're like, you could probably, you could probably, you could get a lot of mileage out of one in different kinds of characters. One of my favorite things that I did when I was watching the movies, I was watching to prep was I was just identifying what characters would fit into what tropes as I was going to keep in mind what would be relevant. And some tropes, some characters did not actually fall into the tropes in this. This list is not exhaustive. But I'm wondering, do you think we should go one by one and introduce our tropes or go one by one and introduce the full character once I read through the overview? - I think we should do introduce our characters first. I don't think we should do the whole overview personally. So just tropes? - Well, actually, I mean, the overview talks about things that you're selecting for your trope too. - Yeah, yeah, you could do like, 'cause the overview is just those five points. So you could do like that little bit and then we introduce them. - Oh, I see what you're saying. Like literally read the process of the overview. - Yeah, I think the first two things are like private choices. And then the third one is literally, we're introducing the character of the rest of the group. So I'll just, I'll read through the list and then we'll do that. So you select a trope from the playbook. I'll just read some of the examples. We're gonna have the tropes. I don't have to read them. If you're reading the book, you'll see the tropes. You make the, then each trope has individual decisions that you make. Some of them you can choose the age. There's three age ranges. There's child, teen, and adult. And I really, really enjoy the way the differences they clarify in this book about what that means mechanically for your character and just the kind of stories that you'll experience because they are such different perspectives. That is literally like, that is such from the ages from like nine to 25. Like that is, you'll see the most diversity of like mine, you know, just perspectives. I don't know. It's crazy how different we are as children, teens, and adults. I would say these are the three kinds of people in the world. - Okay. - The, what's the word for binary? But it's three like turd. - Tertiary. - Tertiary. - Tertiary is four. - The age, terniary. That is a bad word. Okay, so the trope selections you make for your characters are the age triangle. - The age? - Yeah. - How do we feel about doing, like, select a trope from the playbook and take the appropriate character sheet? Everyone say which trope you picked, and then we all say it. And then it's, okay, let's talk about what our age, strength, flaws, and first name is, and then we all say that. - Yeah, that's fine. - Yeah. - But yes, something that you select, you select, in addition to your age, you get two strengths that are specific to your character, flaws, and you pick their first name. So yeah, going in that same order we have for selection, what are our characters? What are the playbooks, just the playbooks we selected, starting with them fun? - I cannot choose. I have two tropes, laid back slacker and loner weirdo, and I am equally in love with both of them. I've had, I've flushed them both out, and so I think I should just let y'all choose, which one I do. - It comes down to whether you want to be a stoner or not. - I can't believe I like. - I can be a stoner. - I did my own, I was like, well, why wouldn't there be a stoner trope, like, that sounds great. - It's all about representation. - And also, I know you talked about before this whole thing, about potentially setting up like a second character, just in case something happens. So, you could always have one in the back pocket. - Well, will it change the story that you have, like, are the, is this two distinct characters or a character that could fit into either category? - They are different. I'm going loner weirdo. - I'm going to go loner weirdo. - Yeah, actually. - I'm next, right? I started with the playbook, plastic beauty. However, I did more of a create a character from scratch, and I'm calling it just the dumb blonde. (laughing) I'm on, I am going bully. - Mikey's getting back at us. - I'm getting back. This is my, this is my revenge arc. My, yeah. - I'm playing blue collar worker, and as previously stated, an adult. So, yeah, I guess we should wait to talk about it. - Yeah, we'll come back around. - So that's the only thing to note, I believe everyone else is a teen trope, but my-- - I'm a teen, yes. - I'm playing the blue collar worker, I'm a kid. (laughing) - I'm a child laborer. - That's the hidden underbelly of this town. - The cobblows. - The cobblows are the child, the boo chowers are whatever the hell they employ, just children. - The boo chowers. - Please. - They're like, all the shoes are made to smell because the kids make them through themselves. - Oh, me? Swish's hair. - I'm the popular. (laughing) - Everybody eyes on me, nope, not at all. - Cool, so circling back around with these selections, what are the age, what are they, I mean, we know the ages, you're all teens, except for Tori's character. And what's cool about that is that's gonna give each of you a specific strength, so as a teen, you all get the rebellious strength, I believe. I don't remember what that does. - It gives you plus three on roles to either persuade children or resist persuasion against children and plus three to resist persuasion against adults. But it does not give any bonus to trying to persuade adults. - Right, can I take a quick pause? I don't have the rule book in front of me. I just kind of picked a couple things on my character's shape. What are the stats in this game look like? 'Cause that seems to be a part of the game that I still am learning. - Like the stats on your character's sheet, like the D20, D10? - Yeah, 'cause I'm looking at the character's sheet, I have the form fillable one. I've just clicked a couple of things of traits. - Oh, did you not, I could send you the one with the one specific for your-- - Popular game? - I have it. No, I have it. - Yeah. So, you guys are saying things that I'm hearing for the first time. - What's your question about? - Just what the stats are. - What are the stats in this game? - The dia you use. - They're charm, flight, brains, grit, brawn, and fight. Do you have assigned the ones that correspond to the popular kid? - No. - Okay, basically, really-- - That should be on your character's sheet already. It's the, this part at the top. - I'll send it, I'll send it to you. But if you started with the-- - The form fillable, I don't think, yeah. - You have to download it, if you download it, let me send it to you. - I was down going to the screen. - Also, I like that they actually have them set up as in like, spectrum, so it's fight or flight, brains or brawn, charm or grit. - Oh, that's so true. - That's kind of, I didn't even notice that. - They all compliment each other. But for her popular kid Anish, the defined traits are d20 and charm, d12 and fight, d10 and brains, d8 and grit, d6 and brawn, and d4 and bine. - I'm sending you. - This system uses different dice for each skill. - Yes. - Yep. - So if we wanna go into this now, yeah, when you roll a skill check, you will roll the die corresponding to that. So there's one thing that you're exceptionally good at and there's one thing that you're terrible at. However, no matter what, you can always roll a one. - Anish, I just texted it to you, the specific popular kid character sheet, because for each trope you have, you also have strengths that you can choose, because there are a list of strengths, like on the blank sheet, the blank sheet has just all of the strengths, but there are specific strengths geared towards each trope. There are some that overlap, like quick healing, rebellious, wealthy, but some have, like, for instance, I as the bully have tough or gross that I can choose, but that's not on the popular kid's strengths. - The strengths are in fight. - Yeah, loser. - Don't worry, wait, do you-- - Plus one, yeah, plus one. - Okay. - In the book, it says, like, you get a trait for free of your routine, does that mean you get three traits, or does that mean you just have one, plus it's like-- - You have rebellious total, but rebellious is, you have to think rebellious for one of the three. Like, you don't get a choice, but you all have rebellious, except for-- - Yeah, and then you choose two more. - Yes, of the ideal, like, they've got some that are suggested for your trope, but you technically can choose from the longer list if you'd like. - Do you want, I have a fully built character sheet, do you want me to go through that, and that kind of how I-- - Sure. - And then they can, okay, so plastic beauty, the difference between plastic beauty and what I ended up being, which is dumb blonde, I moved around what my stats were, and I picked a trait that I technically would not have been, it wouldn't have been one of the suggested traits if I was plastic beauty. The difference is, plastic beauty is like me and girl, like, very rude, snippy, like, only cares about herself. And I struggle playing me and characters, so I didn't want to put myself through that again. So instead, I am still known as not a very nice person, but it is just because I am so dumb that I don't, like, pick up on things, and I, like, am rude to people accidentally. So my fight is a D10, that's 'cause I'm a cheerleader, so it's not, like, bad, it's pretty good 'cause I can still fight. My flight is a D8 'cause I don't really find myself in situations where I feel like I need to leave that often, but, like, I could get away if I needed to. My brains is a D4, that's my dump stat. My bra is a D6, not focused on that, and then my charm, of course, is a D20, and my grit is a D12, which was not suggested, but I thought, again, this girl is so obtuse that her mind is not going to be changed very easily when someone's trying to manipulate her 'cause she'll just be like, what are you talking about? Like, what? - Love. - Like, you're silly, what are you doing? And then my traits are easygoing, again, because of that, just kind of like, what, like, going with a flow. I get rebellious as a teenager, and then I am wealthy. I have not had to do much to work for my life. And then the flaws that I picked were flaws from the Plastic Beauty Playbook, which is flippant and self-centered. - So angles less mean, more like, almost silly, bimbo-esque. - And they have a good chart where they outline what each dye level means for a stat. So for a D20, you are superb at this skill, and like someone meeting you would immediately know that you're really good at this, like they know you're charming, they know you're strong, whatever, a D12 is impressive. People would say you're pretty good at it, but it wouldn't be something obvious in a first encounter. D10 is above average, D8 is below average, D6 is bad, and D4 is terrible. Upon meeting you, people would immediately be able to tell that this is a weakness of yours. For example, I'm sure if you met Emma's character, you'd be like, "Oh, you're done." - Yeah. - Would y'all like me to go over what the character stats mean? Are there any questions but the character stats, specifically? - I think it'd be helpful. - Okay, so brains, that one is, I feel like one of the more self-explanatory ones, it's like book smarts, how quickly they understand problems, how well they did or are doing in school, how quickly they're able to solve academic problems, so learning. Bron is brute strength. It does not determine how well they can fight, just how well they can lift things and how much physical damage they can take. It's very interesting that they separate Bron and fight here because I feel like fight here is more like in strategy because there's multiple ways you could do it. It also determines how physically intimidating a character is with their Bron. Fight is how good a combatant a character is with whatever weapons or fighting skills you decide your character knows. While a character with a high fight stat won't be able to pick up a gun and use it effectively if they've never fired one before, this stat will make them good with weapons that they do have experience with. Also, they'll be able to learn how to use new weapons and fighting skills more easily if given proper training. Flight, it determines how fast they are as well as how skilled they are at evading their problems, both literally and figuratively. Characters with a high flight stat will be fast and tough to trap both physically and verbally. Charm, this stat determines how socially adept a character is and how good they are reading the emotions of another person or group of people. Characters with a high charm stat will be able to top themselves out of tough situations and integrate ones with relativities within reason. Grit, that is how hard it is to break a character, both emotionally or physically. Characters with a high grit stat will be able to keep a level head in the worst situations and will be able to keep their cool even when pushed hard. Finally, this stat also determines how street smart a character is. - So going back to my example, I didn't want her to be mean, snippy girl who only cares about herself, but she is kind of obtuse. So her grit's pretty high, she's not gonna let things get to her 'cause they'd have to go through the cloud above her head. And then again, I said fight was pretty high because she's a cheerleader. So she's used to learning choreo, like she's very in her body with that kind of stuff, but she's not like super strong. - Okay, cool, fun. Do you wanna go over what you've selected for your character? - Sure, just my whole sheet. Age, Strength, Flaw's first name. That's probably the, we'll start with that. We know age though. - Age, excuse me. - Another important thing, I don't think there's, I don't know if there's anywhere to write this in the sheet. When rolling stat checks, teens add plus one to their fight and bronze checks as they're punctacious and in their prime. So each age group gets a plus one to two specific stats. And I'll read for adults because we do have an adult in the group. Adults automatically receive the skilled at blank strength. The skilled correspond to their profession, either legal or illegal. When rolling stat checks, they add plus one to their brain and grit checks. Even if they aren't always geniuses, they've seen enough of the world to know what it's about and to not get shaken by much. - What did you say the stat was that they gained or the skill? - You get plus one to fight and bronze, bronze. - No, the adult one, I missed. - Oh, the adult brains and grit. - Oh, the skill that. - The skill that is based on employment. So I think you decide that. - Gotcha. - Skilled at blank, yes. - Skilled at blank. - So I'll tell you what I have is I put endurance because I'm like on my feet, I'm gonna make it work long hours. Very patient. I also put darts 'cause I'm in a darts league on the weekends. - They're true. - And that was mine. - So your one-- - Is it just one skill? - The one checkbox, which is supposed to focus on one skill is endurance, parenthesis, and darts. - It's actually darts, common. (laughing) That was just what I put 'cause I thought I was supposed to just come up with this. - I'm a real lawyer. - I'll be fine for whatever you decide. - Tuesday skill, GM's discretion. You are assumed to succeed when making even moderately difficult checks, nine or less using the skill. If the GM determines you do not need to roll for more difficult check, or you do need to roll, add up to plus three for your roll. - So you have said skilled at endurance and darts. - I'm in. (laughing) - That is what I said. - What did you win? - No, could you explain to me how the darts are related to your profession? - I just, part of my backstory was I played darts on the weekend. I'm gonna be-- - That's not your profession, though. - No, I'm so sorry. - So endurance, patience. - I love endurance on your feet all day. - It feels like a pretty general skill, but I, in that specific life-- - You have examples. - Like, yeah. - There's like, well, there are the skills, like-- - Cooking seems like, what am I gonna use cooking? I mean-- - And I feel like you, honestly, like, how good do you think you are at cooking versus are you the classic, like dump stuff out, move it? - Yeah. - Corporate, they keep cutting our budget, so it keeps having to just be like oatmeal. - So you started character concept, by the way, 'cause we're talking about food. - Also, we were gonna go-- - Oh wait, we were talking about fun. - Yeah, I said in fun. - Oh, yeah. - Yeah, we'll come back to it when you'll be right after this, anyway, so go ahead and fun. - Hello. My name is Abeni, Abe, I go by Abe, though. She's 15, and her skills, she's cool under pressure, intuitive, and then rebellion, that's 'cause she's a teen. And Flaw is both too far as disobedient and blunt. - Mm, fun. - Like that. - So she is a stoner. (laughing) - Wow. - Really? - Oh, I will say, one question I had about flaws, strengths have listed a mechanical way in which they work. Like, you know, we talked about with Skilledat, or like, tough if you lose at combat, you get a plus three to the negative number, you know, stuff like that that's very defined, but flaws don't have a mechanical thing. Is it more of just a color slash role-playing? - It will be used against you to like, like it's, I guess it's more for me, but also keep in mind. - To like make it check to like find the chart situations, sure. - So like, instead of like it being a check of 10, like we got a role above a 15 type thing. - Yeah. - Sweet, that's what I figured. - Awesome, do you wanna just give a general introduction of your character, 'cause I feel like Emma did, so since we're at the Introducing Character step anyway. - Sure, Abe is, oh, let me pull up her, my little pick crew. She is a short queen. I only ever play tall characters in the new community. - This is honestly so exciting. - She's like five, four, and she's a loner weirdo, so she like is very eccentric in personality and attire, and that often gets her pushed to the side because people are like, you're fucking weird. She's blunt, she says what she wants. She's-- - Honest Abe. - Honest Abe, honest Abe, wow. - That was intentional. - Before he writes itself, so true. - Did you write the like backstory detail you had, or did you say that, or do you wanna say that? - Are we waiting for a character in your eyes or? - I guess we could do care. I mean, it's just, I feel like it's the, with the introduction section. I feel like we should have an idea of what the characters are so that we can do the character ties. - Yeah, she's just from, she's related to somebody in town distantly. Yeah, Emma's character, maybe. - Perhaps. - Perhaps, we'll see what character ties. But she is being sent over here by her stepmother to live with, in a po-dunk town. Yeah, she's got family issues, but her, her, her rest of her family is in the UK. - So that's why you sat across the pond. - Oh my God, are you thinking of ways to bully her, Mikey? (laughing) - Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. - The treble of the dice. - Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. - It's so funny. - What a nice dash go. - Could've go to the loo. - Loo, dash, no. - Save it, save it for the game. - Okay, Emma, I feel like, is there any more that you wanted to add about your character's details? - I didn't say her name, I realized, did I? - Yeah, no you didn't. Her name's Jennifer. - Ooh. - Jennifer. - Jennifer. - And she went by Jenny for a long time, but she's Jennifer. She'd prefer it. - She'd Jennifer for. - She's 17, and she's five, eight. - Oh, we're switching. - Mikey, I feel like it was you, no? - Yeah, I think we started-- - Yeah, no, it was me. I was, I thought, I thought, I thought, oh, you moved. - No, yeah, we started something and then, like-- - It's because, it's because what happened was, I, yeah, it moved because I turned my camera off 'cause the door opened. - Too bad. - Yeah. - You lost your space in mind. - No. - Okay, well, I'm just kidding. - Mikey, I'm just kidding. - My character's name is Mandy. She's tall, brutish, and imposing. She has shocked purple hair and earrings, as well as a stick and poke tattoo. She hides from her mom and the teachers. Her fists are always red from fighting. My little backstory I wrote is Mandy's dad died when she was young, so the only parent she has in her life is her mother. The stress of being a single mother is too much for her, so she takes out her frustration and harsh expectations on Mandy, who takes that pain and redirects it towards her classmates. She's largely the other kids, even the boys in her class are afraid of her. After school, you can find her lifting weights in the football player's weight room. However, when no one is around, she loves to find pretty papers from books and other things to origami, especially the crane her father told taught her to make before he died. - Wait, that's so funny. I also have a dead parent. - Bye! - I'm gonna make fun of you for that. - Oh no! (laughs) - And my name's Jennifer. Both my parents are alive and wealthy. - And, oh, I forgot. So she is hot-tempered and insecure. Her fear is being abandoned, and her skills are rebellious like teens and quick healing and tough. - So serious right now, I also have a fear of abandonment, typed it literally for you to do. - Oh, so cool! - That's why you're the president of the Muggies Park School! - We're the same! And then, for stats, I have a D20 in fight, a D12 in brawn, plus one, which teens have. D10 in flight, a D8 in grit, a D6 in brains, and a D4 in charm, 'cause I let my fist do the talking, baby. - I don't think I caught, how old are you? - Oh, I'm 17. - Cool. - Actually, why don't you go next, and we can just have all the teens-- - Teams, that the way, yeah. - Attendance. - Yeah, present. - Hi, my character is Varun, the popular kid. He is 17, and his whole shtick is that he is captain of the swim team, the best swimmer in the county, and he's trying to be the best swimmer in Maine. He's got big dreams, and one singular-minded passion for it. My character concept is based off this one character in this anime that I really like, called Skippin' Lopher, a slice-of-life anime. And the popular kid in that one, it does a real cool subversion on the popular kid trope, and makes him a rampant people-pleaser, and his whole struggle throughout the show is he loses his identity, because he's just such a yes person, and he kind of drowns out his own wants, and is so consumed by wanting to be like, that's one aspect of the character, at the very least, that I really liked. So his fear is that he does not want to be rejected. He wants to be like his cool strengths are that he is also cool under pressure. I mean, you gotta be if you're hitting those laps, he's training his lungs, he's good at breathing, and he's skilled at swimming pretty straightforward, and he's really nice, 'cause he's a teen. - Trying to chase the ghost ships. - Exactly. When y'all brought up the ghost ship, I was like, yeah, we're by a bay town, it's gonna happen. On top of that, his flaws, I wrote down that he's cowardly and self-centered. I think he's the type of kid where if he saw somebody getting bullied, he wouldn't do anything to stand up for them. He's not from a type of popular kid. He's so concerned with wanting to be liked. - His image. - His image. 'Cause it's something so precious to him. - If you stand up, you're gonna get bullied too. - We're not gonna be friends. (laughing) - I think he feels guilty about it, but he's also self-centered is the thing. - There's gonna be an arc. - There'll be an arc hopefully, and I characterize self-centeredness as people pleasing. - He's so concerned about other people that it's actually interior of the person. I don't actually care about you despite like, I just hope you approve of me. I'll do anything. It's all about me meaning. - Tough. - Yeah, tough. When I pitched this concept to our GM, I did get called out for-- - I was gonna say, yeah. - Facing it off of somebody I know. - Can't take up anybody. - Yeah, who would that be? - Who isn't? - Who isn't? (laughing) - Is it me? - Right, me like, who's self-centered? (laughing) - The jokes are themselves. Anyway, I think we're gonna do a promo clip. - This is gonna be the next scene. - You're gonna be self-centered? Oh, I hear what you're saying. You feel it can be self-centered to be worried. - Yeah. - And therefore being a people pleaser. - Yeah. - Okay, okay, okay. - And you, do you swim? - No. (laughing) - So you swim in jeans in a button-up. You, I feel you're a swimmer. - I've seen you that clip, huh? I've seen you that clip. - Me? - I know, I send a niche to that clip. - I do have an affinity for water. All this to say, there's a little bit of familiarity with this character coming into it. But if it's a little bit better backstory, I'm thinking that like my family situation, I think my mom died at a young age, but like so young that it didn't really matter to me. - This is so sad. - Yeah. - Everyone's a parents. - I think I grew up single dad who owned a restaurant in the town. And like he really wants me to take over the business. And I'm rebellious as a team because I don't want to do that. I wanna be a swimmer dad. - Definitely not. - I'm in the restaurant. - Stop me. - Well, the restaurant closed down because I think he remarried the owner of Lobster Jax. - Whoa. - My new mom, and I don't know how recent that is. You know, I'm still thinking about that. I just had that idea. - You can plan it out. Doesn't have to be right now. You figure it out. - Lobster Jacqueline, what-- - Jackie. - Jacqueline is a great name for-- - Cool. - That's some good deeds for that character. Let's go to Tori. What's up with you? - My favorite part talking about me anyway. So-- - By the way, is that a real cigarette? - No, it's not. - Yeah, I was about to ask. - Okay. - Anyway, so as you all have been going to school for, I guess Abe, this is your first year, but everyone else has been going there for a while. You always knew the lunch lady, Marianne Lucy, to be pretty bubbly. Always had this bright face of makeup, would greet you in the morning. And ever so often there would be like cookies and cakes available alongside whatever the lunch was there. And maybe occasionally she would ask you to run a cookie or a piece of cake to the librarian. However, this most recent year, she comes in, her eyes are down, there's no cookies, there's no cake, she doesn't wear any makeup. And what used to be on her name tag as a last name, which we'll figure out has since been crossed out and something else above. So the lunches have gotten more disgusting. Oh, oh, we mentioned ageism. I'm like, I think the oldest you could be as an adult is like 50. So I'm like, if I lose this job, it's getting harder for other places to hire me 'cause they think, especially in a small town, it's like, she's getting older. Do we wanna have to deal with retirement? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. My fear, ironically, working in like a mass scale food job is rats. So if you ever were in the cafeteria and heard a loud scream, it meant somebody. Usually it was the librarian who would come in and help. But since, I don't know, I guess we haven't seen a rat yet. (laughing) Fear of rejection, fear of abandonment. Rats. (laughing) I didn't say what I was afraid. I'm afraid of spiders. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Okay, oh, what am I skilled at? Spiider. Given the, (laughing) Given the fact that-- The Spiider won bite for ratty. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. From a reckless, death-n-n-kiss. Um, (laughing) I know I saw-- What are you skilled at? I know I saw an example. So, okay, okay, yeah. Tell us what your skill that you can, I'll let you, if you wanna be endurance. I said darts and endurance. (laughing) I think endurance makes a ton of sense. I'll let you have endurance, and in the situation where we encounter darts, you'll be good at it. Yay, okay, so great. I'm skilled at darts. I had also said prepared and tough. And then for the personality, I've got dogmatic, just meaning, so you've seen her kind of wilt this past year, and whatever, you know, she had sending sweets to the librarian has stopped. And so, I guess the backstory is, she had given up a lot of her life to work full-time for Nelson the librarian. And he has left her, and it feels like her youth and her life were spent building someone else up, and when they finally felt like they found their place, left her. So, she's a little envious of the children and their youth. But, so it's envious and dogmatic. Like, she's kind of filled with regrets. Sorry. (laughing) - This is insane, this is great. - Anyway, but also like adheres to whatever, her own set of like, you just have to wake up, and you have to go to work every day, no matter how you're feeling, you just have to do it. And if you have ever spent time in detention, you would have also spent time with her, because she runs the cafeteria during detention, and you know she loves a sig break. So, that is Marianne Lucy, or Siggy, as people call her nicely, or maybe not. - Y'all, we have perfect, perfect breakfast club scenario. (laughing) All right, hands. - I have a question. I know that Wealthy is one of the, what's it called, skills? - Yep, that's true. - So, my strengths, thank you. Y'all are so prepared. No one warned me that I was getting in a room with freaking theater kids. But, I didn't tell my whole backstory, but she, my, her dad is rich, but I don't know, I don't want it to be one of her. - I was, like in the like, descriptions of like, purchasing power, the things it was talking about for like kids versus like teens versus adults is like, kids don't really have any money. Like maybe they have a little bit together to like buy some food, that kind of stuff. But like as a kid, but like as a teen, you can have a job and like maybe have some savings to like get a hotel room, that kind of stuff. And it's like, even if your parents are wealthy, maybe they don't give you any of that money. So like you wouldn't like be wealthy yourself to be able to purchase things. - Yeah, tell me about this at like accurate Emma. - Mechanically, the wealthy stuff is like when you hit problems that can be solved with wealth and you are wealthy, you can, it's easier to do. So I have more disposable, like I think it makes sense that it can be part of your backstory that your family is wealthy, but like I'm spoiled and I have daddy's credit card type of thing. - Yeah, and maybe like you're, you're like family and fun is like, oh well, you gotta like pull yourself up by your foot, like I'm not gonna just give you the money. - Or also you don't have access to it. - Yeah, you're not in the same country as your family and maybe they only sent you with a limited budget or something. - Okay. That's what I have in my backpack. I have platinum credit card for emergencies only. And I don't think she'll use it because it's also tied to the stepmother who is technically not her stepmother yet, but she just calls her that 'cause she seems evil. - Another thing to keep in mind, make sure that you all are aware of the mechanical benefits of the strengths because the-- - Yeah, it's on page 59, it's an appendix B for strengths. - So for example, and we'll get into what exactly this means, who's that Tory went last? You said what prepared and tough? - Yes. - So prepared means you may spend two adversity tokens to just happen to have one commonplace item with you. And then tough is if you lose a combat role, add plus three of the negative number, you still lose the role no matter what, but you could reduce your loss to minus one. So just make sure you all know what the mechanical things they do and keep the mind 'cause these are basically the only like skills you have. - And you get adversary to adverse, what is it? - Well, we'll go on to first. - When you fail. - When you fail a role. Yeah, basically every time you fail, you get a thing called an adversity token. - Character ties, character ties. - We're gonna do character ties 'cause we all, now that we've all met each other. - Are you favorite part? - Now that you have the basics of your character I think about how they are related to the other characters at the table. We encourage you to make these decisions based on what the player characters tell you about or the players tell you about the characters. While it probably wouldn't make much sense for every character in a five player game, five player game to know every other character at the table well, each character should have at least one meaningful connection to another character, to another character, not every other character, but at least one with a character. So I feel like this could come intuitive intuitively, but I would love to hear ideas, hear some suggestions they give, you know, parents and children, siblings, step siblings, half siblings, cousins, classmates, teachers and students, best friends or work enemies, neighbors, mentors and mentees, bosses and employees and significant bosses. - Bosses. - What we've established is that I feel like basically this is a binary choice, it's whether you know a character or not because that will have implications. So I feel like, I don't wanna make a decision for you, but this seems to make sense based on what we've said before, Tori's character, I think you would know everybody because of the launch lady, except from fun's character because fun's came in. Would that make sense? - Yes, and I would say me and Mandy probably know each other a little bit better because I'm the supervisor of detention. So if you're getting a-- - Yeah, I'm in detention a lot. - Good to know. - At some point, maybe men targets in there, maybe we talk enough that-- - Yeah, there could be a character arc, I'm thinking of a character arc, unless I die. - Oh. - Is that a thing that can happen? - This is a fairly-- - Yeah, I'll have that actually. - I have a pitch, a pitch of a character tie that if the answer is no, that's totally fine, but know that it will still be part of my character. - Oh. (laughs) - In the, um, vroom vroom. (laughs) You and I are both very self-centered. - Yeah. - And I feel like you're popular and I'm like, beautiful. (laughing) - I feel like we could have a very not real relationship going on. - Oh, 100% not real. Like, yeah. - That's so funny. - Like, of course, like we're dating. Yay. - Yay. - Also, I got practice, so. - That's fine, I'm going to the mall. (laughing) - Dating but having spent a single minute outside of school with each other. (laughing) - It's like that meme of the kids, like texting each other. It's like, you wanna hold hands? It's like, no, I'm not ready for that yet. And then they just like, that's the only time they talk. - I just thought that would be funny. - It's only for image, yeah. - Yeah. - Yeah. - You know, all the teachers, you're like, oh, you're like, makes sense that you two are together. - Yeah. - Skags, do you wanna be step cousins? - I would love to be step cousins. - Step cousins, future step cousins. - Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, that's how, okay, so like, my aunt is going to, is engaged to my dad. - Oh my gosh, welcome to the family. (laughing) - Summer, do you do staying with Jennifer? - Jennifer. - Jennifer, please. - Yeah, that's what I said. - No, you said Jennifer, it's Jennifer. - Ooh, it's with the fur. - What? - Like the, you have to get the-- - The vocal fry. - The valley, I love the fur. - You know, the valley girl? - This girl, like, I was eating sushi last night and she walked by our table, like, just on the street. And she was like, I want a man with social stability. And I was like, oh my gosh! - That's me! - Exactly like that. - Yeah, exactly that. - You're reading what, Mikey? - Sushi. - Oh. - I'm adding that to the Burleigh Talley TVH. I know it was indirect, but that was, I'm counting it. That was a bully. - Likely to, for Mikey to eat. - No, it's just, it's from Japan. - Oh! - That was a deep cut. Like, how do you prevent them from the war? There was a lot left unsaid in that bullying moment. - And it's like, oh, so you're making fun of your friend for enjoying something that you really enjoy? What's the joke? It's like, maybe if you listen to Mikey's interest once in a game. (laughing) - Wow. - Maybe if we watch the vlog about Japan, we've watched it. - I'm about to post a new video. - About what? - Japan. - Aw. - Oh my, sorry. - I don't believe these guys. - I found it. - Found it. - That's, that's six. - But, darling, you did walk into that one, so. - I don't know. - No. Wait, what was, I don't understand what you're saying. - Don't worry, we're gonna keep removing. - It's okay, honey. - I just imagine I sent the boar head exploding image. (laughing) - That Tori said, no, no, no, no. No, Tori would've. - Yawn, right. (laughing) - Anyway. - Okay. - So, are you living with Jennifer? You're like, living at her house. - Okay, Jennifer. - Jennifer. - Jennifer. - Okay. - Oh, and you're like 15, so you're younger than me, so I could, like, ah, this is so exciting. - We're probably in the same classes though, so. - What? - We're probably in the same classes though. - Oh my gosh. Okay, I'll teach you. (laughing) - Are we gonna do alpha, and, uh. - I was just watching that! - Yeah. (laughing) - Don't worry, you can hang out with my friends. I'll introduce you to everyone, it'll be great. - Are you all friends with Mandy? 'Cause I feel like I would've had a very bad interaction with the bully. 'Cause I feel like I came during the summer, like, the summer, right, like two, three weeks before school started, and I ran into Mandy, and she put a really bad taste in my mouth. And so, if I find out that she would hang out with her. - It was toilet water. - So, one of the things I put on Mandy's sheet, like talking about like motivations, is like to run the school and keep others away from her. 'Cause, you know, someone who's afraid of being abandoned, pushing other people away, it's a call for help. No, but like, so I feel like Mandy would like know pretty much everybody, like at the school, but contentious relationships. - I'm excited to go deeper into like the questions to specify exactly what the relationship with Mandy is, but I don't think that we like, run in the same circle. - And there's a, there's a, there's a, like, hanging out all the time. - I feel like one thing we've got to note is that nose versus doesn't know, has a little more weight here. I feel like unless you have a word that you could say for what your relationship is, I wouldn't count it as knowing. Like, if you know of a classmate, that's different than not knowing them, if that makes sense. - So like knowing is in like, the difference between like an acquaintance and a friend. - Yeah, I wouldn't call just being aware of everybody as knowing them, but I would definitely call if you've specifically bullied anybody, you could probably say you know them, or like, like, if, like, I'm fun saying maybe Abe, and you had an encounter with him. - I'd say, I'd say, like, in terms of my ties, I definitely know like Mary Ann Lucie for sure, because like, all the times I've been, all the times I've been in detention. I think she's like one of the few people I'm not like mean to. Like, generally, 'cause I like food. - I feel like the person I probably pick on the most is Varun. - Classic. - Oh, I'd say I pick on Varun the most. So I like, like Varun is like the person I kind of constantly antagonize. And Jennifer, here's my pitch for like my reaction, their relationship with Jennifer is like, I pick on you, but like in a way that's not clear, you know what I mean? Like, like, I'm like, wow, you did such a good job with that. - Thank you. - Good job. Yeah, and it's like I'm making fun of you, but you don't realize. - No, I appreciate it. - And then. - Are you really good? - Yeah, George. (laughing) - Bijia, George, but like, yeah, but golf. - Yeah, yeah, golf, and beefy. - Yeah, and then I feel like, and I feel like similar thing with like Abe, like something like I'm not as antagonistic, like it's just more kind of a passing, like maybe there was like some stuff I said, but I feel like not like as pointed towards like Abe as much as George. - You've got some kind of vendetta against specific. - Because we both have, I mean, I don't know, would I know that Varun's, maybe? Okay, I'll say I don't know that Varun's like parents, I'm trying, so the thing I'm trying to think about is the fact that like, you both have a dad and I don't. - Yeah, that could be a good reason. - And so I feel like that could be maybe part of the thing that like really got us on Odds for Abe. I'm gonna think about it, but something akin to that. - Okay, if you're picking on Varun a lot, which means that you would be like kind of around, and I'm living with Jennifer, Jennifer. So I would see Varun, right? - Mm-hmm, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - I lost it, immediately I was so cute. - Maybe you tried to like stand up for Varun at one point? - I think I'm new on the block, and I'm like, what the fuck is going on here? And I think you don't like me because I stood up to you, and I don't like you because you're picking on people. - Mm, that's good, I like it, cool, cool, cool. - This is, it's actually like a dumb girl, and then like, some guy, like-- - These are all really, really good, fun informations for building the character. I don't want us to go to Varun's-- - Yeah, that's, I just love the details, but we're going a little more specific than I think. - But I love it. - We can have some of these two after we have the questions. So I feel like we've got a good idea, and then now that we've established how you know or don't know each other, each player will answer questions about the other characters. You'll do this one at a time, passing the list of questions around the table and collaborating to make the established relationships more complex and to handle the information about who you don't know. What I like about it is if you don't know someone, you get to like decide something about them. - The way this works is like those math problems, right? We're like one person goes first and everybody asks one question or answers one question and gets an answer from each person, and then the next person goes and the person who went first is no longer part of like the circle, 'cause everybody just needs one question and answer from each. - For reference, there are three ways you could do this. There's the quick start questions, the one-sided questions and the, what's the other one called? - It's like full or something. - Complete questions and these all correspond to different amounts of time. Though this has been running along, we're gonna do the middle one, which says approximately five minutes per player, so probably for us 10. In this version of the setup, each of you will answer a question about each other characters. Seating arrangement is not important for this version of the character questions. We recommend this approach if you wanna jump into the game, et cetera, et cetera. So we'll start again, we'll just go one by one, so we'll start in fun. For a character you know, if you feel mostly positive about them, roll a D20 and answer the corresponding questions from the character you know, positive list on the page, whatever. If the question doesn't fit the relationship that you have in mind or the question you roll has already been answered, you may answer a question above or below that one. If you feel mostly negative about them, roll a D20 and answer on the negative list, same deal. Cross out that question. Now have them answer a question about you from the other list, negative. If you answer a positive question about them or vice versa, cross out that question. We'll start with them fun and we'll just go down the line with that order and fun regarding Jennifer. - Do you feel positively or negatively about me? - Positive. Okay, now roll a D20 and we'll go on the chart. - Two. - What do you admire about this character but would never tell them? - Ah, I admire that she doesn't really care what people think about her because she doesn't think. - Yay! - And so I'm like, ah, I wish I could be like that. - I love that. And then the way that this works, since you asked one of the ones from the positive, I have to pick, I have to roll for one on the negative. - Yeah, and we've done two, so two can't be done anymore. - Two can still be done on the negative. - Oh, negative. - Yeah. - I rolled a six, so the question is, what is the character doing? Either knowingly or unknowingly, that hurts you. I think like, yeah. Fashion's a lot different here. And like, you're gorgeous, babe, you're gorgeous. I would love, I would love to give you some of my hand-me-downs, but like, you're really sticking to your own way of doing things. And like, I am so eager to get you like, all these friends here, and I want you to be connected with them. And I'm just like, which I don't say it. I don't say it, it's an unknowing. You are doing it unknowingly, and I am not communicating it with you, but I'm like a little bit embarrassed, because I'm like, she's not wearing any of my fun clothes. Why doesn't she want to wear them? That does. - You wear. - What is hurting me? - Your status, because I'm dressing the way I like it. - It's hurting my feelings that you don't want to wear my fun clothes and that you don't respect my popularity knowledge. - So true, you're like, hey, what if you tried this, and I'm like, no, no. As I put like my like, fucking like, Frankenstein monsters bolts on my-- (laughing) - Yeah, this is my suit of your cousin. She's really cool. Once you, like, we're gonna talk, we're gonna check. - Awesome, sounds good. - And that was number six on the negative. - Okay, so now we'll go to, I guess Mikey was next in the order, so Mandy, do you have me established-- - Oh, I'm following that. - And fun is going, yeah. - Literally just to, oh, okay. Gotcha, gotcha. - You're good. - So what, did we establish that you know? Yeah, you do know Mandy, right? - Yes, yes, yes. - Okay, so roll on the pot, or, I imagine it would be a negative table. - Yes, I'm still rolling. - Yeah, you're gonna do everybody-- - Oh, shit, okay, yeah, so true, so sorry. One. - It's, what did this character do in the past that you still resent them for? - Oh, fuck yeah. - Oh, Mikey, what did you say that you tease and Varun about? - You know, so this was the question. I think I talked about it, but like, I think it could be something of not having a mom. (coughing) - That's fucked up. - I mean, because he has a dad, I kind of like pick on him for that, so it's like projection. - Yeah, yeah, definitely. As someone who also doesn't have a mother, I take that shit to heart, so if I hear that, I think this is like what started our like TIFF, where I don't know, I like pop off on you, and you're like, fuck, who is this weird little kid talking shit, and like, I just like glare at you from then on, 'cause I'm like, disrespectful, little shit thinks she's a big dog in town, but like, I'm like in the corner with my fucking like, dinosaurs, like I'm so weird, but I think that's it. - I feel like that's like the vine, or whatever, where one person insults the other person's shoes, and it's like, the other person's like, well, your mom's dead, or something like, you don't have to talk about it? - Yes, I do, I know. 'Cause then people did like a cosplay of like, Azula or whatever, and they recreated the audio. (laughs) - I do feel like Mandy's a little Azula coded. - Yeah. - Even brother, do you have any siblings? - I haven't thought, you know, I could have a brother. - I would love to hear about that maybe later. - Yeah, we'll talk about that later. - Please think about it though, please. - I'm sure, okay, I'm going for an each. - No, no, no, for the positive table. - It's a D20, right? - Yep. - And I got a six. - Six, what role did this character play? And I'm gonna add a word here in the best recent day of your life. - Oh, wow, it was a good bullying session. (laughs) - We repeat it, what role did I have on the best day of her life? - What role did this character play, so did Abe play in one of like, your recent, incredibly good days? - Oh, damn. That's a really good question. Huh, I'm trying to think. The first thing that I'm hit with instantly is something to the effect of like, I was going to get in big trouble for something. And it wasn't like me bullying someone or me picking on someone. It was like a mistake I made. I'm not entirely sure what that mistake could be, like not like stealing, but it was like, I accidentally like broke something. And maybe it was something like, oh, she thought like I was gonna get like in trouble for it and like get suspended or, actually that would be a terrible day, wouldn't it? But like, my thinking is like somehow Abe helped me like cover it up or like get out of it. What are you thinking? - In the vein of this, somebody else did it and they believed it. - Okay, no, that's better. I like that, I like that. I think that's a better wrinkle to it. We talked about like the lobster statue briefly in the world building. Yeah, some statue to the school, some school like statue, lobster statue. I'll just say breaking the school lobster. - So what did Abe have to do with this? - Abe stood up for me and proved that I wasn't the one who did it when I was unjustly blamed for breaking the school lobster statue. - Alabai Abe. - A real Phoenix Wright. - I love Phoenix. - Objection. - Abe was just like, well, I'm gonna tell the truth and now has become this to you. You know, like I don't know. - Yeah, no, I like that idea a lot. - Okay, does that sound good? All right, roll for a niche. Do you, oh wait, do you, do you really know Varun? - Yeah, yeah, I do. - Yeah, we hang out. - Okay, you hang out, all right. - It's basically. - But you established the two of you don't hang out. - We don't hang out, we don't actually like each other. We go to the soda shop. - Yeah, they have to be seen out together to prove to people that they are together. - Yeah. - And they need to see a little girl in the back. - And I think to be clear, I don't know that it's a fake relationship. It just is a fake relationship. - I also don't know if it's a fake relationship. I think I'm doing it 'cause of pressure. - Yeah, I'm like, of course we're dating. - Of course, yeah. - We as outside observers understand that it is a-- - That they don't like each other. - Yeah, you know, it's-- - Okay, I'm rolling. - Wait, so are you saying that you do know or-- - I do know Varun. - And positive or negative? - Positive, negative, right? - Wait, did you say positive or negative? - Positive. - Positive. - Yeah, surprising. Why would it be negative? I don't have any. - Nice. - I guess I'm nice. - And it's perfect for you. - Yeah. I'm like, yeah, we have dead moms. - Oh, true, true, true, true. - Six. - That's already been rolled, I think. - That has already been rolled. - So I can't remember. Do we re-roll or do we just use-- - You can just pick the one above it or below it, I think. - Yes. - It's a little below it. - Five, I'm thinking five. - I was like, five is so juicy, I'm obsessed with it. - Okay, five is, why do you care about this character more than they care about you? - Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm. - Little Abe has a crush on Varun. - Ah! - Ah! - Yeah, that's funny. - It's just perfect. - Yeah, that's funny. - Yeah, I think that's it. That's just it. - Easy. - Teenagers. - Teenagers. - Little babies. - All right, Varun. - Oh, it's so juicy too, 'cause you're dating my cousin, step cousin. - And the relationship is so bad. It's gotta be like, there's gotta be like, come on, she doesn't get you. And it's like, neither do you. - I mean, I just wanna swim, y'all. - So true, okay. - Varun, roll on the negative table. Oh, I have to, yeah, yeah, yeah. 12. - How full? - Oh, you read it, Tori, this is so funny. - How far would you go to avoid being alone with this character? - I would come up with excuse, after excuse, because I would, the social capital I lose by just being alone with Abe is extreme. However, I think there could be a set of circumstances where I get entrapped by my desire to please and be approved by people. If I could find a way to make sure nobody was watching us, I think we could have a conversation. Otherwise, I'd be like, you know what, I actually have to go. How's school though? You're hanging in there? - Oh my God, this is so sad. - I love this so much. - I gotta go though. - That's so funny. - I think Abe just has anxiety. (laughing) - First realistic depiction of anxiety. - And on our, in a RPG. - We've already done the first realistic depiction. - Yay, yay. - Okay, awesome. Now it is you toward Ziggy. - Ziggy and I don't know. - You don't know. - Ziggy. - Ziggy sawdust. - I love it. - Yeah. - You still roll, but you've got that. - I still roll. - Yeah, it's just a different table. - Four. - What charming habit is this character known for throughout the town? - I think teaching anybody how to play darts, no matter how bad they are. - Or even if they want to. - Or even if they want to. - They're talking to you about darts. (laughing) - And it's like, in dear, like, she has a really broken people into doing something that they had no intention of doing, and then they enjoy it. (laughing) - She could have been an Olympic dark player if you wasted her life for this man. - It's so true. - Oh, she's like question. - I think there's that line and challenges where it's like, can we not talk about tennis right now? And she's like, we're always talking about tennis. It's like, whether you know what a mat it does all relate to darts. - I can't wait for all the dart metaphors you're gonna make with this case. - I want to-- - She looks them up, I guess. - I want to prequel with young Ziggy, where it's like she had a challenger's situation in like a darts league. - With her, Nelson. - Yeah. - Still work at the school. - Yes. And I had some backstory for motivation, but I'll leave that to you. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Maybe we'll just get into it when we play. - You roll a D20 now to decide something about Abe. - And I feel positively about you. - That doesn't matter, you don't know each other. - It doesn't matter, 'cause we don't know each other. - Just roll it, yeah, but don't know table. - Three. - What wonderful thing did this character do that the whole town was talking about? - Mm. - Boom. - So I'm gonna say maybe we, as a town, are kind of like struggling and dying. So maybe you are the first person who's moved here from England. Like, oh my gosh, we have our first England resident or whatever. And to commiserate that, there was like a-- - Commemorate? - To be in crump, yes, thank you. - To commemorate that, we had like a teen crumpet, like some kind of welcome-- - That's incredible. - And really goes to Team Spirit and I got to bake the crumpets for it. - Also, fun in real life has never had a bad lunch lady. So I loved to play a lunch lady. Like, I love lunch ladies. - They've really fallen off too. Like, I can't tell you the most recent like lunch lady trope I've seen, like maybe like meds declassified, but definitely the 80s. I feel like the lunch lady was a prominent side character. - What was the, what was the negative again? Sorry, I was for Marianne. - I don't think there was a negative. - They don't know each other. So it was just, what was the thing about Mary, about, I was always trying to teach people darts. - Gotcha. - Cool, now roll for, did you get everybody? - Yes, yeah. - Okay, cool, now we move on to Emma. - Okay, I've already done Ape, so now I'm doing Mandy. - Oh, I see. - I think, okay, I know that I know Mandy. - Oh, I see. - But I think I'm gonna roll Don't Know. - It doesn't seem like you have. - I have an inkling of knowing Mandy. - Why? - I have an idea that I think would be fun, 'cause we all grew up in this town together. So like, of course-- - Well, that's the thing, it lists in the thing, like when you're coming up with whether they know each other or not, since it's a small town though, they know each other by sight. Everyone in their small town knows everybody else in their small town by sight. So really think about like how meaningful is the connection to define if you know or don't know. - Well, that's, I want to know Mandy. - Okay. - I'm gonna go positive because I'm oblivious, so I can't tell that Mandy is bullying people. - You think you're best friends? - I just think that she's around a lot, and it's kind of funny, kind of silly. I got a three. - What great kindness did this character do for you that they don't even remember what you do? - When we were, let's say, five years old, on the playground, I think that I really wanted to go on the slide, but there was a really long line ahead of time, and I really wanted to go on the slide. And Mandy came up and beat up the kids that were in front of me on the slide, and that was really kind of her, because it meant that I was able to go first, and I really appreciated that she did that, and she's always thinking, I'm like, I know that she's gotten kind of, she's gotten a little silly now, and everything, but like, girlhood runs deep, you know? - Yeah, I love that. That's so good. - Well, so confusing, featuring Lloyd. - Yeah, it's such a good song. - I know, you have to roll and I did it for me. - Oh, damn. Okay, I rolled in 11. - What does this character do that makes you immediately lose your temper? - Oh boy, this is a great one. 'Cause one of my flaws is hot-tempered. One thing that you do that makes me lose my temper, just how, like, would you say your character is super positive and like bubbly? - Yeah. - That. - Cool way. - Oh, the way I don't-- - The way that I do. - Just the way that you are, just grinds my gears, because you're always so like nice and like people do stuff and you just overlook it. And I'm like, why, like, I just don't understand you. - So you think I'm nice, that's so cool. Next, I'm gonna roll for Vrud. I'm gonna roll on the don't know table. - That's so fucking funny. - Whoa. - If that's chill with you. - I'm also gonna roll a don't know. - I'm like, that's so hilarious. - That makes so funny. - I got a three, we already did that. So I can choose the top or the bottom. I'm gonna choose number four. What charming, how did it-- - We did four. - Nope, not on don't know, right? Oh, no, we did. - That's, did we do three and four? - We did three and four. So I'm gonna expand it. - Okay, so do two. - Oh, can I not look? Okay. - If you want, I mean, it's a game, do it. - All right. - Look at five. - Three or five, whatever you want. - Two or five. - Two or five, thank you. - Okay, why do some members of the town seek out this character? Do you work at the restaurant when you're not swimming? - When school is over and it's during the summer and I'm not like doing club activities, yeah. - Okay, then I think that the restaurant is one of the only places that is still doing well or like well-er right now, even though we're flailing, you know, because we're known for the food. So I think that people do like come to you for like, I know you're gonna take over the restaurant someday after you win the Olympics. Like, I'd love to talk to you about that. Like, what can we do with my, like, we love to cater. Like, can we give you desserts or something? I think that, like, people try to get in early on that. - Oh, wow. - Coming down the line later and I just have heard about it and I know that you're really popular and that's really cool that everyone likes to talk to you. - Cool, cool, cool. - Can I throw on the donut now? - Yup, another 20. - Why don't you want to associate with this character? - On the donut now? - That's on the donut now. - Oh, is it like the general you or you specifically? - Oh, I see why you wouldn't want to know, I gotcha, yeah. - Yeah, why don't you know me better? - I don't think we have similar interests. Not as invested in fashion, but on a deeper level, I think you're extremely honest and that scares me. What was the question again? - It was, why don't you want to associate with this guy? Like, why don't you know me? - Yeah, I think that's why. - If I dove any deeper, that would mean I would have to talk about myself and I'm a flighty person. - Cool, I'm also gonna roll donut now for Mary Ann, 'cause I don't think I pay attention to anybody besides myself. Okay, I'm just gonna roll that, 'cause I keep rolling the same stuff. All right, that's a six. Why is this character's family so important in the town? Picture this, your father or mother, we don't know, for sure. A family member of yours set the record at the local bar for a perfect game of darts and played against a celebrity of some sort and got money. So there's a little, another thing for people to look at when they're visiting the town is like a picture of your family member shaking hands with this celebrity. I don't know who. - Can it be me and my family? Or it has to be some-- - It's whoever taught you darts. This isn't the past. - Got it, that would be my daddy. - Oh, your papa. - He had me on one hip and dart in the other. Okay, so now I'll roll a D20 for you and I have to roll that I don't know you? - Yes. - So I just rolled a 18. - What is this character doing to threaten their family's reputation? - I'm gonna say that you enjoy high school for the social dynamics. I feel like you're a really great cheerleader and you really enjoy the experience of school but perhaps your grades have been slipping and your family's very wealthy and so there's like, they wanna keep up appearances and they're upset that maybe you're not top of the class. - My motivation is to not flunk out. - Is that actually true? - Yeah, I can always see these things. It's the way that they pick the spoon up. I can tell based on what's going through their mind if it has studies. - Okay, and that was-- - And it's usually, man, I wish I had some better food. Anyway, okay. - Mandy, roll for Varun. - All right. - I'm gonna say I'm gonna roll the no because I make it a point of my life to know as much as I possibly can about Varun to use it as ammunition. - Wait, you're bringing up all these fucking tables. How do I get back at you? What the hell? (laughing) - I imagine it's negative. - Oh, it's a negative, yes, one sec. I rolled a 15, which is, what insanity has this character shown warning signs of? - Oh. Oh. Oh. (laughing) Okay. I'm gonna say, so what insanity has Varun showed warning signs of? Mm. - When I stall. (laughing) - I'm trying. - I'm adding another style. - Okay, I'm just trying. - I'm trying to think, like, I don't know. - Yeah, give me a point. - 'Cause I have an idea of, but I'm not entirely sure. I'm thinking there could be some sort of sociopathic thing, or something that appears sociopathic, because maybe you saw Varun talk to someone and feel really, really nice, and then immediately just drop the expression as he walked away. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, you do not see a connection that is actually happening, or like-- - Or like? - Do you know what I mean? - Yeah, or like, you have a full conversation with his hand cut, and he was hiding it, and then like-- Yeah, no, I think the idea of like the little, the glances of like, sociopathy, or some kind of disconnect, and I kind of, I'd say that's kind of something I poke at it for. - What is sociopathic? - I'm like, oh, so sociopathic, like, sociopathy is like the way you-- - Sociopathic versus sociopathy. - It's like, sociopathy is the noun form. - Okay. - I've never heard of pronounced like that. - Neither have I. - Is it a thing? Hold on, I might be making something up. - Sociopathy. - Sociopathy. - Why don't you roll, eh? - Yeah, roll from-- - Yeah, if it's a bandy. - Like, I love the idea of trying to hide your feelings. - And you gotta roll the positive. - It's terrifying. - Yeah, that's awesome. 14, is this the no negative table, or no positive? - Positive. - Positive. - Okay, yeah. - What is the bravest thing you've ever seen this character do? - Somebody else was bullying Mandy back, and halfway through that conversation, she punched that guy, and just completely and utterly stood up for herself. And in that moment, I realized I really would like to be like Mandy one day. - Damn. - Damn. - If I were in her position, I would just kind of stand there and laugh it off, which is why I'm not Mandy anyways. - Okay, Mandy to Siggie. - Say, Siggie, Marianne, Lucy, yes. So I'll do the no as well. And I feel like my relationship with her is positive, at least generally positive. Like, my view of her is like not super negative, I think. So let me roll. I got a 12, have you done 12 before? - Why do you have an amount with this character that can never be broken? - I feel like she kind of, you know, I'm in detention a lot, and she like shares with me stories. She's trying to help me channel my passion, like my aggression, like my derives into a more positive, like a more positive direction. And so I feel like she kind of like stands up for me when, you know, other teachers try to, you know, talk badly about me. - Can I, can I wiffle ball as well? Or is it just like, yes, and? - I'd like to think what's different about our relationship is I'm the only adult not trying to teach you or tell you you need to do this, you need to do that. And I just kind of let you guys how you are. And so the bond is like, we are able to sit in silence or share stories or whatever. And I'm never trying to like make it a teachable moment. And hey, I've had bad days too. And so maybe it's like that's what's special is less that like I'm defending you and more of letting you just be who you are instead of like telling you, oh, you're better than this or you're. - Yeah, no, I think that's pretty much, yeah, that's a better way of saying what I was trying to say. - Yay! Okay, now I roll. And I roll negative, yep. - It is a four, have we done a four yet? - No, yes, yeah, no. - What are you sure this character's hiding from you? I know you started smoking cigarettes. I've been counting mine and I've been down with you. And it wouldn't be such a big deal if you weren't trying to lie about it. - So that's really what I take issue with. We will be discussing that at a later time. - Okay, is that it? - I love sickies for rich. - Has to do sicky and then that's it. - Oh, yeah. - Okay. - 'Cause you all will do back and forth. - I feel, I have a negative, I don't know, a negative. I need a positive force in my life. Miss sicky, please, I roll the 19. - What's your first memory of this character? - I was so extremely nervous on my first day of high school because it was a new environment. I was no longer the top dog as a middle schooler. I hadn't even gotten into the swim team yet. Just all those things you're nervous about and I sat in a corner because I wasn't popular yet. Really, there's so many new people I hadn't met yet. And Miss sickies kind of warmed the meaner and encouragement really set my day off right. - Yes, I think Miss sicky. - You're sitting alone in the gymnasium or cafeteria and I was like, now you know we got banana bread, right? First day is who we always got banana bread. So he's missing out if you're sitting out. It's your choice, but just wanted you to know. All right, and now. - Yeah, it's like that. - Oh. (laughs) - I gotta do negatives. - Negative. - I got an eight. - And you don't have a mom. - Oh, shit. - I'm the mom. - I'm the mom. - I'm the mom. (laughs) - What role did this character play in the worst day of your life? - I was hoping that you would get that for one of them. - Oh, God. - Oh, oh. - Uh-oh, that was-- - There's this explosive day where, you know, it's been a couple of weeks. Sigi has not been in her usual giant makeup. She's been very quiet and all of a sudden there's an announcement for a award for the least appreciated staff member and it will be announced at the end of the year. But since that has been declared, it's like declared that day. Sigi's like extra, you know, not careful with the spoon cores. And I think you ask, like, not meaning anything by it. Like, say you haven't had me bring anything to Nelson in the library in a while. - No. - And I'm just like, God, are you kids really that stupid that you can't just put two and two together? And kind of like yell at a student and like kind of just storm off. And I was really embarrassed about it because not only did I lose my temper, but like, I don't know, I kind of made this thing like and no uncertain terms like me and Nelson the librarian are getting divorced. And he also works at the school. So we're kind of in competition for this award. Anyway, so what do you think? - Yeah, I'm thinking about what Barun would do in that situation. It's like- - He would crumble into a million pieces. - Like everyone looking at him and just kind of frees up completely. And I think people would come up to him afterwards and I was like, wasn't that so weird, man? I was like, yeah. - That's exactly what I would say. I'd be like, what is up with that? You're like, I lived it before. - And then Mandy comes up and says, you wanna attention that bad, figures. (laughing) - You gotta get that going. - I'm not good at falling, I'm sorry. - Okay, GM. - Okay, so we're on the fifth step, which we will just do on our own time. And I feel like most of you have already talked about it anyway, but you just got you, the last finishing touches you have to put on your character, they're full name. So you can decide their last name. The only reason we didn't decide it before was just in case and there were any like relatives, which we do have two. And if you wanted to coordinate the last names, but since you all are step cousins, you probably wouldn't need to have the same last name anyway. So decide all your last names on your own time. Motivation, feel like we've talked about it. Fears, backpack, and answer those trope specific questions that are on your sheet, which they will have. And that's just, I mean, you guys are pretty fleshed out. So I feel like you know a lot of details. But if you haven't answered any of this stuff and haven't sent it yet, send it to me, at least. You don't have to send it to the group, send it to me during our break. But backpack is just pretty much stuff you'll have in your backpack. Like literally stuff that's essential to what you'll have all the time. Like maybe you'll have your swimsuit, or like maybe you'll have like-- - In the rule book, they say that backpack doesn't have to just be physical things. It's resources that you have available, not kidding. And I'm sorry to bring it up, but the example in the rule book was like, maybe it's supportive parents. (laughing) I know that that's not necessarily what we all have, except me maybe. But like it can be a different type of research. It's a metaphoric backpack, not a literal one. - I actually, I know we're about to end. But one thing I do really love about this book is the way it outlines fears in the differences of fears between children, teens, and adults. Children's usually-- - That was great. - They usually fear things that rationally they shouldn't fear, and don't fear things they ought to, versus teens are all over the place. Some are still scared of things that scare them as children, but they'll tend to be very tight-lipped about these. But sometimes most mature teens will have fears more like an adult, or they're more squared of social isolation, losing friends, embarrassing themselves, while adults have few of them have fears that children have, and most of them aren't worried about the kinds of social things that concern teens. Rather, they're typically afraid of things being taken from them, whether that's their families, their homes, or their livelihoods. Some adults also fear realistic things going wrong. So it's really cool the way they divide these age categories. - I had a quick question before we wrap things up. For Backpack, is there a limit on-- For instance, I was thinking, since Tori, you brought up the thing of me smoking, maybe I have a lighter and cigarettes. - Is that much stuff that you can put in a bag? - I don't think there's a limit. - Yeah, you can just-- - It's a-- - I have a note that magically reveals all of the information. - It's a good place to list advantages that you have over other people. So you don't have to put everyday commonplace things that all of us would have at school, but it's like things that you would have. And it's a good place to think about the more intangible resources you have at your disposal. For example, your Backpack might indicate that your parents are exceptionally supportive and do everything that they can to give her. The resources to succeed at school. There's not a limit on it. It's just like things that you know that you'll have that could be helpful. - I'm putting like makeup kit in mind with mirrors and then I'm also putting like financial support. - I'm putting swim gear and a salt and pepper shaker 'cause I think Varun grew up on good food and the food at school is sorry, very bad. - Cool, all right, we'll keep those in mind. Write those down, but for now, we'll end the read session and we will see you on a different side of the table when we play a little one shot. ♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo, po-pah-dah-dah ♪ - Ah! - That's so cute. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo, po-pah-dah-dah ♪ ♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo, po-pah-dah-dah-dah ♪ ♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo, po-pah-dah-dah ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music)