A home for the Untold Stories Project streaming network. Show information, cast bios, and blogs!

Guardians of Haven Season One Recap

Guardians of Haven Season One Recap

Our Heroes

Ailynn aka Trinity

The people’s champion, Ailynn fights for Starhaven’s forgotten. She smuggles food, medicine, and hope into districts strangled by politics and corruption, all while wrestling with the trauma of her family’s murder by the Imperium. In battle, Ailynn is a team unto herself, splitting into Prime, Brains, and Brawn.

Powers: Triplication, Cunning, Keeping Everyone on Task*
*Not Responsible When They Inevitably Get Off Task

Chimera

More mystery than man, Chimera is a size-shifting warrior haunted by fragments of a stolen life. Once an AEGIS agent, now rebuilt as a Preserver weapon, he shifts between man and monster, all while a strange voice whispers inside him. Chimera fights fiercely to protect Ailynn, but what will happen when the Preservers call him home?

Powers: Size-Changing, Super Strength, Soft Serve Dispenser

Elara

One half of the Moon-Moon Twins, Elara is sharp, ambitious, and dangerously tempted by the Moonstone’s influence. She’s quick with her words and even quicker with her mind-cronching psychic power. Elara wants to prove she can be more than a pawn of Lady Lunar, even as her sacrifices, betrayals, and flashes of obsession threaten to pull her closer to her aunt’s shadow.

Powers: Telepathy, Poor-Decision Making

Ersa

The other half of the Moon-Moon Twins, Ersa is all heart and telekinetic might. She throws herself into danger to protect the people she loves, even if it means breaking herself in the process. Ersa’s compassion makes her the soul of the team. If only her sister shared a scrap of her empathy they might not be fighting right now.

Powers: Telekinesis, Disappointed Glare

Flynn

The dashing rogue of the Guardians, Flynn is equal parts swashbuckler, sharpshooter, and pilot extraordinaire. With a sword in one hand and a blaster in the other, he thrives in chaos, masking a sharp tactical mind beneath devil-may-care charm.

Powers: Gumption, Silver Tongue, Great Ass

And Introducing…

Deuce’s Character Goes Here

Major NPCs from Season 1

Astaria

Ersa and Elara’s unknown sister. Either a clone of them or the original person they were cloned from, jury is still out. She is currently absorbed by Toasty alongside the Ferryman and the Moonstone. Location unknown.

Erik

Ersa’s boyfriend who was abandoned by Elara during their escape from Farside City. He was a conditioned enforcer for Lady Lunar until our heroes rescued him and broke her control.

Zoth Roque

Lady Lunar’s chief interrogator and representative on Starhaven. He tortured the Moon-Moon Twins for most of their lives, but they got the last laugh when Oggros trapped his cybernetic mind inside an Atari 2600. His body is currently occupied by the digital spirit of Takashi Solo.

Agent Harrison Jones “Hatrack”

Captain Flynn’s hookup inside AEGIS, a fairly average AEGIS agent who keeps stumbling into bigger and bigger cases. His brother was the agent who would become Chimera.

Gruk

Wisecracking space goblin with a dope car and a big-ass blaster rifle. He works in Starhaven Engineering and Maintenance alongside his good friend Oggros. Had a crush on Ersa, but he’s mostly over that.

Oggros

The gentle giant Cholaxian who provides the even temper to Gruk’s fiery outrage. Ogg is a genius with tech who has a soft-heart and is in love with Elara.

WATSON (Wireless All-Terrain Scribe, Organizer, and Notetaker)

A Preserver robot tasked with protecting the Pyramid of the Prophet, WATSON was recovered by the heroes and assigned to guide them on their quest for the Preserver Stones. He is a snarky robot who keeps trying to figure out if Ersa is truly from this universe or if she is from somewhere else in the multiverse. He mostly does this with apples.

Hansha

A mysterious Preserver AI who seems to dabble in temporal observation. He trapped our heroes inside a mirror prison and showed them some possible futures. Ailynn used him to trap Ko-Nan Bloodravager after the Siege of Starhaven arc.

Praetor Ashay

Commander of the human forces on Starhaven, she is an occasional ally, occasional foe of the Guardians.

Takashi Solo

Formerly the supervillain Doc Otaku, Takashi was the CEO of Quantum Industries on Starhaven and led the push for excavating Preserver artifacts. He was killed by Daedalus’ armor under the control of Phoenix, but the Guardians managed to upload a digital copy of his consciousness into Zoth Roque.

Ko-Nan Blood Ravager

One of the Star-Khan’s bastard daughters, and the killer of Ailynn’s family. Ko-Nan launched an invasion of Starhaven as an offering for her father. And she would have gotten away with it too, if not for those meddling Guardians and their dumb milk machine.

Phoenix

Revealed to be Daedalus’ son Icarus, a vengeful villain that sowed discord in Starhaven. Phoenix stole the identity of an historian named Valerius Cornu, stole Daedalus’ armor, and launched a robot revolution all in the hopes of finally getting revenge on his father. Currently deceased. Currently…

Toasty/The Ferryman

The Guardians pet toaster who turned out to be the living spirit of the Moonstone silently judging Elara’s worthiness to be its caretaker. She was found lacking.

The Prophet

A Preserver AI tasked with guiding heroes to the locations of the Preserver Stones in the case of Collapsar’s awakening.

Angelique Decatur

One of Flynn’s oldest friends and contacts, she runs a fortune teller store in the Draffsnarl. The Guardians used her talents to deprogram people under Lady Lunar’s psychic conditioning.

Mama Kaiger

Starhaven crime boss, but a surprisingly staunch ally of the Guardians. Mama Kaiger and her little cysters are gangsters who protect the unfortunate of Starhaven’s neglected districts.

Bran Cardon

A space alligator hacker who was the first villain the Guardians faced. Made it possible for Ko-Nan to invade Starhaven but provided the Guardians with a counter virus for her robots.

Retcon

I try to avoid this when possible, but there is a pretty serious retcon I need to make so our continuity can stay in line with our other Earth-Prime offerings at the Untold Stories Project. I previously called out six Preserve Stones, those being the Dream, Moon, Life, Star, Night, and Primordial Stones. We’re changing these to the baseline five Earth-Prime Preserver Stones which are as follows:

Starstone

Last Seen in City of Destiny Season 2, the power source for the Star Knights.

Nightstone

Last Seen in City of Destiny Season 2, the power source for Blackstar and his Blackguards

Moonstone

Last Seen in Guardians of Haven Season 1, psionic amplifier previously used by Lady Lunar to ascend the throne of Farside City, currently AWOL with its Preserver AI caretaker, the Ferryman

Lifestone

Last Seen in Freedom League Dark/GemStars Crossover Episode

Axiomstone

Last Seen in Freedom League Dark Season 2

Story Arcs

The Guardians’ story began with a job that should have been simple: smuggling a crate of Sarkeezi eels into Starhaven for Mama Kaiger. Instead, they found themselves in a running fight with robot pirates led by Bran Cardon, a regretful ex-Captain Kraken crewmate. They made a deal, saved the shipment, and became a crew.

That job dropped them straight into a Preserver outpost buried in the desert, where acid borers attacked and nearly stole the whole haul. In the chaos, they discovered WATSON, a Preserver AI who had been waiting fifty thousand years for someone to arrive. WATSON came with warnings of Collapsar, a sentient black hole said to end all things, and with clues left behind by the outcast Prophet, who claimed the Preservers had hidden Stones of unimaginable power across the galaxy. The Guardians retrieved the eels, but they walked out of the outpost with something much heavier: a destiny.

Back on Starhaven, they learned they weren’t the only ones with eyes on Preserver relics. A Farsider delegation arrived led by Zoth Roque, the twins’ lifelong torturer, and shadowed by a mysterious young woman named Astaria, a mirror of Ersa and Elara who claimed Erik, Ersa’s lost love, as her companion. Were the twins clones of Astaria, or was Astaria a clone of them? The question has yet to be answered, but the revelation bound the sisters even tighter to Starhaven’s fate.

The Guardians soon plunged into Starhaven politics and galactic intrigue. They tangled with Takashi Solo (formerly Doc Otaku, now head of Quasar Industries), flirted their way into high society galas, and crossed paths with cultists of the Children of Chrysalis, who were using Preserver biotech to “heal” citizens while secretly tagging them with trackers. Beneath the city, the team stumbled into the mirror realm of Hansha, an AI who showed each of them visions of their past, present, and possible futures: Ersa forced to choose between her sister and her lover, Chimera confronted with the truth that he had once been human, Flynn watching Europa consumed by Star Khan’s Blood Ravagers, and Elara tempted with the power of the Moonstone.

The visions confirmed a grim truth: the Prophet had chosen them as the ones who must stop Collapsar. Whether they wanted the job or not, the Guardians had inherited the fight.

From there, the season escalated into a storm of Preserver mysteries, Farsider schemes, and personal betrayals. WATSON tested the twins with apples and riddles. Angelique Decatur, Flynn’s psychic friend, warned Ersa that Elara’s conditioning meant she would deliver the Moonstone back to Lady Lunar if given the chance. Ersa began to doubt her sister, and Elara began to doubt herself.

The Guardians’ hunt for Preserver artifacts brought them into the Facetwild, a region of glittering chasms and lethal anomalies, where they uncovered a pyramid containing a shriveled Preserver corpse with Daedalus chained to it. Possessed and dangerous, Daedalus nearly killed them before the team severed the connection and pulled him free. For a moment, it seemed the Prophet’s predictions might be contained.

But Starhaven was already slipping. Phoenix, Daedalus’s vengeful son, manipulated events to claim his father’s armor and nearly triggered a robot uprising. Zoth’s cybernetic brain was ripped from his skull and plugged into an Atari 2600. The Guardians let Takashi’s digital ghost hitch a ride in the empty body. Astaria struggled against Lady Lunar’s control while Erik was broken and left hollow by years of conditioning. The Children of Chrysalis revealed their true colors, twisting their faithful into monstrosities at Pupil’s command.

The Guardians fought their way through it all: stealing a Preserver speeder from the Farsiders, punching dinosaurs in the snow, hacking Preserver mainframes, crashing Valerius’s masquerade as a kindly professor, and facing down Ko-Nan Bloodravager when she brought a Stellar Imperium invasion to Starhaven’s gates. In the climactic Siege of Starhaven, Ersa atomized a warship with the Moonstone’s power while Ailynn and Hansha mirror-trapped Ko-Nan. The Guardians stood before the city and declared victory: Starhaven belonged to them.

But even victory cut deep. In the aftermath, WATSON decided the Preserver Stones were too dangerous to be left in mortal hands. He absorbed Astaria, the Ferryman, and the Moonstone itself into Toasty’s frame and vanished. Ersa kept the secret of the Moonstone’s last use. Elara stepped forward to claim leadership, even as doubt gnawed at her.

Season One closed with the Guardians standing on the threshold of rulership and ruin. They had fought pirates, cultists, warlords, and Preserver ghosts. They had saved Starhaven from collapse. But Collapsar is awake, the Preserver Stones are scattered, and the Moon-Moon Twins’ bond has never been more fragile.

The Guardians are back, but the galaxy is darker than ever.

State of the USP 2025

State of the USP 2025

Hello heroes! I hope you had a restful and joyous holiday season. I certainly enjoyed the rest and recharge that came with my break from running games and I’m so excited to be back this month telling stories with people I love. There’s been a lot of change behind the scenes here at the Untold Stories Project as we’ve been working towards finding our voice and strengths and improving our work for you wonderful folks.

I’ll start with announcements, we have a lot of awesome new projects spinning up here including the new Titan City Serials podcast. This show releases on Thursdays and features short adventure arcs with a rotating cast of players and characters from across Titan City. Each Serial is a fun injection of noir, pulp, horror, fantasy, and/or action and I hope there is a story for everyone there. Episodes are around 30 minutes and are available anywhere you get your podcasts so I hope that makes it accessible to more members of our audience.

Tuesdays starting next week see the return of City of Destiny! Our cast of disaster bisexuals are still protecting Emerald City and will soon make their way into universe-spanning danger. I can’t wait to come back as Crucible with some familiar friends and new faces.

Freedom League Dark is also back and we’re diving into the final act of the Multiverse of the Master Mage! We’re starting with a pit stop in the zombie-ridden mall of Dead Rising and only going up from there. Tune in Wednesdays to see if our heroes can stop Eldritch’s nefarious scheme.

We’re also bringing back the weekly blog posts and Aunt Puppy has so many amazing things for our social media presence. As for conventions, we have GMs scheduled for conventions all year round. We’ll be at Buckeye Game Fest, Origins, Gen Con, Pittsburgh Gaming Expo, and U-Con with thoughts about some other shows.

As always keep your eyes here for updates. Next week’s blog post is a fun one where I break down an exciting new game design concept called Emergent Mystery! Until then play a game and we’ll see you soon.

Character Descriptions for USP Presents: Shadow War

Character Descriptions for USP Presents: Shadow War

This is a list of all of the characters who will be available for play for “USP Presents: Shadow War,” the Mega-Event being hosted by the Untold Stories Project for the 2024 Origins Game Faire. The heroes for this event are broken up into seven teams. Each team will begin the session together. Note that during this event, the teams will be broken apart during the event. If two characters’ names are in the same color, they will remain together during the second part of the event. The AEGIS team will not break apart, although they will interact with the other teams.

Freedom League Dark (PL 12)

The Freedom League Dark were formed to respond to the magical threat of the Netherwar. They are among the world’s most pre-eminent heroes, and operate out of Freedom City. Everyone knows of them – their exploits are the sort of thing that happens on the nightly news, even if a lot of their specific missions are more secretive.

  • Bowman – A legacy hero, he is the third Bowman. Masterful archer with a wide variety of arrows. Has a teen sidekick (Bolt) who is a member of the Next-Gen.
  • Centuria – The universe-displaced daughter of the world’s greatest hero, Centurion. Centuria is the classic Paragon archetype.
  • Gatorman – A refugee of the Silver Storm, Gatorman is a humanoid gator with vast physical power and incredible tracking skills. Before becoming a hero, he clashed with members of the Stormbreakers.
  • Mortis – The Guardian of the Crossroads, Mortis is a living conduit between the world of the dead and the world of the living. Magical in nature, Mortis is the expert on all things involving the other side of the veil.
  • Overdrive – The fastest man alive, Overdrive is a speedster without match..
  • Resonant – A gem-mage from the world of Leifandi (see the Gemstars), Resonant is a flexible mage whose powers are just as well suited to supporting her team as they are to direct action herself.

Stormbreakers (PL 12)

The Stormbreakers are the West Coast’s premiere superteam, debuting shortly after the Silver Storm. Though relatively new to the scene, they are rivals with the Freedom League in power. This group is probably the most straight-forward “comic book” team.

  • Bulwark – One of the most resilient people ever, Bulwark was an old man before the Silver Storm. He is still old, but is possessed of new vitality, and puts himself as the shield between innocents and those who threaten him. He is super-strong, but his strength pales behind his resilience.
  • Crucible – The “office intern” of Magnetism. Crucible is straightforward, honest, and self-sacrificing. He is dating Khione, and is best friends with Tommy Moore. (see AEGIS).
  • Doctor Irons – A Brick/Tank from another alternate Earth. In a relationship with her (sort of?) husband, Professor Cephalopod, and is kind of the mother of Remote of the Next-Gen.
  • Khione – Mystically-originated ice elementalist. A bit too prone to violence. Dating Crucible.
  • Portal – A teenage felon turned hero (and a graduate of the Claremont Academy), Portal is a teleporter who uses portals for transportation, to protect others, and as a weapon. Portal is very overtly pansexual and polyamorous, and is currently in a relationship with Tommy Moore (see AEGIS).
  • Professor Cephalopod – On the surface, he’s a Giant Pacific Octopus in a mech suit. Beneath that, he has the mind of a brilliant scientist trapped in the octopus’ body, and his deceased wife was this universe’s version of Doctor Irons. His son, Remote, does not approve of the secrets that were kept from him.

Guardians of Haven (PL 10)

Operating primarily out of Starhaven, the Guardians are a team of rogues and ne’er-do-wells with hearts of gold. Although they have a veneer of being only interested in their own wants and needs, they’ve risen to the occasion as heroes more than once.

  • Ailynn – A femme fatale who can separate into three different versions of herself. Ailynn is the Second Mate of the Marian, and carries several big guns.
  • Captain Flynn – Obsessed with all things swashbuckling from Earth, Flynn is a space pirate and the Captain of the Marian.
  • Chimera – An inhuman construct capable of growing to great size, Chimera is a piece of Preserver technology with the remnants of a human consciousness inside it.
  • Ersa – The telepathic twin, Ersa is the more power-hungry of the two. The twins are the rightful rulers of Luna City, and they want the Moonstone from Lady Lunar.
  • Elara – The telekinetic twin, Elara is more concerned with her family (both her original family and her found family) than she is with power or regaining the Moonstone.
  • Ogg & Gruk – A pair of technicians from Stahaven. Ogg is nearly seven feet tall, possessed of great strength, and can fix almost anything. Gruk is a space goblin who carries a BIG gun, and whose skill at scavenging tech is unparalleled.

Gemstars (PL 10)

Hailing from the Gemworld of Leifandi (an alternate version of which is the home of Resonant from the Freedom League Dark), these six “Magical Girls” each have powers supplied by a mystic gem. They have saved their homeworld from the threat of the Shadowqueen and Shadowfall, and as a result, Leifandi now orbits Earth as a second moon.

  • Alexandrite – The Gemstar of Magic, Alexandrite is native to the Shadowfall. Her powers concern the raw stuff of magic.
  • Amber – A shapeshifter whose gem allows them to transform not just into other creatures but into elemental forms. Amber is actually a Grue, something that was kept secret but is now known to their teammates. (Note that Amber is genderfluid).
  • Emerald – The Gemstar of Luck, Emerald is able to manipulate luck and inspire her teammates to greatness. In a relationship with Ruby.
  • Morganite – The Gemstar of Healing. Her brother, Cassian, is a member of the Next-Gen, having been transported from Leifandi to Earth years ago. 
  • Ruby – The Gemstar of Strength and the team leader of the Gemstars. In a relationship with Emerald.
  • Sodalite – The Gemstar of Psychic Power, Sodalite is mysterious and stealthy, and was an assassin before becoming a Gemstar.

Next-Gen (PL 8)

Students at the Claremont Academy, these heroes mostly have connections to other heroes and teams. They are young and filled with potential.

  • Bolt – The teen sidekick to Bowman, Jason uses trick crossbow bolts to emulate his mentor. He is dating Cassian.
  • Cassian Quinn – A refugee from the Gemworld of Leifandi (see the Gemstars), Cassian can absorb kinetic energy and redirect it either as physical strength or projected outward as fire. He is dating Bolt.
  • Dr. Henry Barrister/Eddy Bear – Jekyll & Hyde if they were teddy bears. Henry is brilliant, compassionate, and an inventor. Eddy is super-strong and sociopathic. They came into existence as a result of Toyboy’s actions during the Netherwar.
  • Remote – The sort of son of Professor Cephalopod and Doctor Irons (see the Stormbreakers), Remote is a Silver Stormer whose power allows him to control a series of nanites in his bloodstream as well as other technology. He also has a pet robotic velociraptor.
  • Speed Demon – A teenage speedster whose lack of control over his powers manifests as flames (which Speed Demon is learning to control as well).
  • Wild Card – The child of a Greek God (they are unsure which one), Wild Card is an illusionist. Their powers are far greater than they normally have access to, having been partially depowered by their Aunt Eris. (Note that Wildcard is Aesexual and Agender)

ARCADE (PL 8-10)

There are things that go bump in the night, and ARCADE exists to stop them. These magical-based heroes are troubleshooters for a secret government organization. Unlike the Freedom League Dark, the things that ARCADE deals with almost never make it to the nightly news – which is for the best.

  • Babel – Larry Raynes is a priest who has a dark passenger – Babel, the spirit of conflict. Both are masters of language, but Babel is also capable of doing a lot to incite conflicts and violence.
  • Harper Graves – A monster hunter who is bonded with a demon (inside a plastic duck). They kill monsters, usually with their bare hands.
  • Marcus Moon – A dimensionally displaced supergenius with a disdain for magic.
  • Muse – The Master Mage of Mathematics and Music, Muse is a wizard whose powers manifest through the mixture of music and hypermath. (Note that Muse is nonbinary.)
  • Orpheus & Eurydice – The figures from mythology, Orpheus and Eurydice share a body with a twist (specifically, when Eurydice’s body is present, Orpheus is driving and vice versa.) Orpheus is a bard, with extensive knowledge and the power to inspire and influence through his songs, Eurydice is a nature-nymph, with powers over animals, plants, and the weather.
  • Professor Daffodil Carrie Pembroke – A ritual magician and inventor who is also a potent telekinetic. Daffodil is paralyzed from the waist down, and as such rarely puts herself on the front line, preferring to send drones out to monitor the field of battle and operating from afar.

AEGIS (PL 6)

Secret Agents and Superspies, AEGIS is the shield between the world of superhumans and “normal” humanity. This team is made of regular AEGIS agents and freelancers, each of who has a connection to one of the above teams.

  • Agent Harrison Jones – An AEGIS Agent who was stationed at Starhaven. Agent Jones is dating Captain Flynn. The most “traditional” AEGIS Agent of the team. (See Guardians of Haven)
  • Borvis Gore – A superspy from Leifandi, Borvis is charming and charismatic and clever. (See the Gemstars)
  • Duncan Summers – A retired superhero (he was once the Raven), and the Headmaster of Claremont Academy, Duncan Summers remains smart and capable. (see the Next-Gen).
  • Sam Laurant – Friends and employee of Resonant (see Freedom League Dark), Sam is a budding artificer and mage who carries a wide variety of mystical tools for protection, defense, and information. 
  • Thomas Rhymer – A mystic troublemaker. No one is ever happy to see Thomas Rhymer, but most people know that when he’s around, it’s probably because he needs to be. Thomas is a ritual mage and the world’s foremost expert on the Fae. He has worked with ARCADE in the past.
  • Tommy Moore – Good friends with Crucible, and dating Portal, Tommy was the “guy in the chair” for the Stormbreakers, until Professor Cephalopod built him a supersuit. Now Tommy uses his tech skills to assist AEGIS.

 

USP Events for Origins 2024

USP Events for Origins 2024

Hello heroes! Origins event registration is just about a month away and I wanted to give you all the first glimpse of the events we’ll be offering. This is our biggest Origins yet! We are offering 58 events from 14 Gamemasters across the whole con in a bunch of different game systems from our tried and true Mutants & Masterminds, Deadlands, AGE, Cthulhu Awakens, Crash Pandas, and many others. We’ll have something for you no matter what kind of game you’re looking for! I’ve broken down the events by timeslot, making sure to note which Gamemaster is running which and what system they’re using. We hope to see all of you at the convention!

Special Note: Andy is running his events under an amazing group of GM’s called Matinee Adventures. I highly recommend any of their offerings as well, and have included Andy’s submissions here in case you want to play with him!

Wednesday 12pm

Heroes of the Magic Kingdom

  • A group of teenagers are tasked with saving the magic of Walt Disney World when the characters become real and Maleficent attacks. Part 1 of 5 (you do not need to play in the other parts)
  • GM: Aaron
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Crash Pandas: Trashed Santa

  • The Raccuzza have kidnapped Santa. The players are a group of whacky raccoons who must win his freedom in the Christmas Eve race. There will be cartoon hi-jinks, ridiculous shenanigans, and maybe even a little Holiday magic!
  • GM: Wiccy
  • System: Crash Pandas

Justice League: Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

  • After a near miss with Hush, the junior members of the league continue their mission to infiltrate the Gotham’s newest crime syndicate. But how do you find people who can be anyone and no one all at the same time?
  • GM: Chris
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Legends of Tomorrow: A Little Less Conversation

  • The Legends must track down a time-displaced Elvis during an Elvis impersonator contest in 80s Vegas.
  • GM: Alex
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Titan City Chronicles: The Dragon of Parkhurst Manor

  • Titan City, 1936. The students of the Silverthorne Academy must help a baby dragon return to its mother when they rescue it from monster smugglers outside Titan City.
  • GM: Isaac
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Wednesday 1pm

Castlevania: Divergence of Fate

  • Light and Dark have long played a game with the world, each side offering up champions for their cause. Now, a third entity is making a play for the game, in an attempt to seize control. In order to preserve the world, Light and Dark summon forth champions to fight for the fate of reality itself.
  • GM: Andy
  • System: FATE

Wednesday 6pm

Return to the Magic Kingdom

  • The Heroes of the Magic Kingdom return to prevent Maleficent’s resurrection while dealing with threats facing the actors behind Disney’s Descendents. Part 2 of 5 (you do not need to play in the other parts)
  • GM: Aaron
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Rent-a-Capes

  • When the heroes of Emerald City are needed elsewhere, they hire a bargain bin hero team to hold down the fort in their absence.
  • GM: Claude
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Marvel’s Avengers: Frenemies-Giving

  • The Avengers are looking forward to a peaceful holiday season, but a coded message from a rival-turned-ally changes what’s on the menu. Can the Avengers assemble in time to solve their latest dilemma affecting the very fabric of reality…not to mention dessert?
  • GM: Chris
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

ZomDnd: A Fantasy Undead Survival Story

  • Four days ago the city of Mulmaster sent out a distress call before going dark. Two days ago a platoon sent to investigate the city disappeared. Your party must now teleport in for a recon mission. Your only clue as to what has happened is the original distress call…”The dead won’t die”
  • GM: Cammy
  • System: Dungeons & Dragons

Titan City Chronicles: Smoking Gun

  • Titan City 1938, The Titan City Sentinels must defend the city when a demon breaks free from its prison.
  • GM: Isaac
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Rocketeer Corp: The Archivist’s Tomb

  • Intelligence confirms that Axis powers are making a move towards the presumed location of the lost library of Alexandria, searching for powerful relics rumored to be there. The Rocketeer Corp is once again called into action to ensure that the Thule Society and its allies do not gain the upper hand.
  • GM: Andy
  • System: Hollow Earth Expedition

Thursday 8am

Farewell to the Magic Kingdom

  • The Heroes of the Magic Kingdom are called upon again as a new threat arises, one that will change the very nature of Walt Disney World. Part 3 of 5 (you do not need to play in the other parts)
  • GM: Aaron
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Night of the Living Robots

  • Teen heroes unite to face an animatronic army of chaos!
  • GM: Claude
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Titan City Chronicles: Extracurricular Activity

  • Titan City 1937, The magical students of Silverthorne Academy are challenged to an intramural tournament against their counterparts at the Titan City Institute for Monster Excellence.
  • GM: Alex
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Thursday 9am

A Growing Disquiet

  • After a long winter, your group of sellswords are hired to travel to the neighboring nation of Eltaris to discover the whereabouts of several missing caravans. Note to Players this adventure contains horror elements.
  • GM: Jonesy
  • System: Fantasy AGE

We Now Return You To…

  • Senior year is almost over, a blur of memories and experiences you only tangentially recall. Somehow you’ve made it almost to graduation, a feat that seems almost unreal to you and your friends. But it shouldn’t, so why can’t you shake the gnawing sense that something isn’t right?
  • GM: Andy
  • System: Things From the Flood

Thursday 10am

Crash Pandas: Trashtown Blitz!

  • Players are a group of street racing raccoons out for glory by working together to drive a car and win a street race in this game of cartoon hi-jinks and ridiculous shenanigans!
  • GM: Wiccy
  • System: Crash Pandas

Justice League: Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

  • After a near miss with Hush, the junior members of the league continue their mission to infiltrate the Gotham’s newest crime syndicate. But how do you find people who can be anyone and no one all at the same time?
  • GM: Chris
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Thursday 1pm

Cyberpunk 2185: The Seacrest Run

  • A ragtag group of cyber gutterpunks are on a mission to deliver merchandise to a local boss but something is up and too many people are after it. (No previous experience required) Events of this game will be mentioned in the second installment and can play the second event with same character and loot. Premade Characters provided.
  • GM: Gaylan
  • System: Dungeons & Dragons

Gotham City Misfits: The Invitation

  • Killer Moth has to get his group of D-list degenerates to War World when they receive an invitation to participate in a grand tournament from Mongul himself!
  • GM: Alex
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Up Around the Bend

  • After getting away from the horror of the City of Yulcaipa, the posse has hopped on the last train to Lost Angels. The workers of the Wasatch Railroad working the engine are very curious as to what happened in the town and want answers from a confused Posse and the lone little girl they brought with them. Yet the fear that pervades the town may also have hopped a ride too.
  • GM: Deuce
  • System: Deadlands

Redacted Rangers: Assault on Wondertainment World

  • The conscripted villains of the Redacted Rangers are called in to rescue a VIP when fantasy monsters start to attack a theme park.
  • GM: RC
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Honey Heist

  • You know you want to be a bear, in a hat, stealing some honey. We all know it. So let’s rob a Queen and get THE BEST HONEY EVER!
  • GM: Jo
  • System: Honey Heist

Thursday 4pm

Marvel’s Avengers: Frenemies-Giving

  • The Avengers are looking forward to a peaceful holiday season, but a coded message from a rival-turned-ally changes what’s on the menu. Can the Avengers assemble in time to solve their latest dilemma affecting the very fabric of reality…not to mention dessert?
  • GM: Chris
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Thursday 6pm

Before the Magic Kingdom

  • The Heroes of the Magic Kingdom find themselves forced to unravel a threat against the very history of Walt Disney World. Part 4 of 5 (you do not need to play in the other parts)
  • GM: Aaron
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

ZomDnd: A Fantasy Undead Survival Story, Part 2

  • You and your party are tasked with teleporting to the last known location of a recon squad sent to investigate the strange goings on at Mulmaster. The previous squad was able to send only one patchy message calling for aid and that they found only one survivor, the necromancer at fault.
  • GM: Cammy
  • System: Dungeons & Dragons

The Great USP Bake Off

  • Hey there, bakers! Today, we’re welcoming some of our favourite USP characters to the tent for a rollicking good time. Get ready to watch them rise to the occasion and tackle some of the most delicious desserts around. But hold onto your aprons! This isn’t your ordinary baking showdown. Though we may not be in a physical kitchen, we’ve added a dash of Mutant and Mastermind to the mix shall imbue this delightful homebrew with challenges aplenty, so expect some wild and wacky challenges. Just like in the show, our celeb bakers will whip up signature bakes, tackle technical challenges, and create show-stopping sweets that will blow your taste buds away. Will Khione keep her cool under pressure? Will Wildcard pull off an illusion to save the day? Can Eurydice’s sugar flowers make us swoon? Will Gatorman’s treats be worth the calories? Or will Sodalite’s knife skills slice through the competition? Join Paul and Prue as they judge who is the ultimate Star Baker in this celebrity edition.
  • GM: Aunt Puppy
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Thursday 7pm

A Growing Disquiet

  • After a long winter, your group of sellswords are hired to travel to the neighboring nation of Eltaris to discover the whereabouts of several missing caravans. Note to Players: This adventure contains horror elements.
  • GM: Jonesy
  • System: Fantasy AGE

Thursday 8pm

Titan City Chronicles: Brass Templar

  • Titan City 1926, TCPD’s special monster division, the Brass Templars, must discover the connection between a spree of monster attacks throughout the city.
  • GM: RC
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Friday 8am

Titan City Chronicles: Extracurricular Activity

  • Titan City 1937, The magical students of Silverthorne Academy are challenged to an intramural tournament against their counterparts at the Titan City Institute for Monster Excellence.
  • GM: Alex
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Nightmare in the Magic Kingdom

  • Our grand finale, as the Heroes of the Magic Kingdom come back one last time to save Mickey and the rest of the Fab Five from their greatest threat yet. Part 5 of 5 (you do not need to play in the other parts)
  • GM: Aaron
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Titan City Chronicles: Far From the Tree

  • There is always someone down on their luck and looking for help. You come across a man who seems to be drinking heavy and broken. He certainly tells you a tough story but can you put aside who he is to help?
  • GM: Deuce
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Friday 10am

Crash Pandas: Raccoon vs Raccoon

  • Players are street racing racoons out for glory! Teams will go head to head as they work together to drive a car and win the big race! This is a PvP game of whacky cartoon hi-jinks and ridiculous shenanigans! Prizes will be awarded!
  • GM: Wiccy
  • System: Crash Pandas

Friday 1pm

Wacky Racers Goblin Quest

  • The Wizard King is hosting his annual race and anyone can enter. Get your clutch mates together and race to the finish line to leave your mark on goblin history forever.
  • GM: Isaac
  • System: Goblin Quest

Pros & Cons

  • A team of ex-con supers are the city’s only hope against a would-be cosmic dictator!
  • GM: Claude
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Cyberpunk 2185: Wraith Crisis

  • A ragtag group of cyber gutterpunks are on a mission to find who destroyed a local restaurant and killed its patrons. Something tells us it’s nothing like we’ve ever seen. (No previous experience required). Premade Characters provided.
  • GM: Gaylan
  • System: Dungeons & Dragons

Get the Horns

  • It’s up to the heroes of Highwind City to protect the citizens when genetically modified barnyard animals take a farmers market hostage.
  • GM: RC
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Tales From The Corner Coven

  • When night falls in the city, the greatest magical guardian come forth to protect the neighborhood: Bodega Cats! Imbued with sassy arcane knowledge, your small pride will take on whatever evils try to defile your precious corner stores.
  • GM: Jo
  • System: Tales From The Corner Coven

Friday 4pm

Voyage of The Enduring

  • Five days out from Kingsport, the crew of commercial fishing vessel The Enduring comes face to face with long sunken secrets.
  • GM: Jonesy
  • System: Cthulhu Awakens

Friday 5pm

Power Rangers: Convergence

  • A call for help from a Promethea research facility will lead the Rangers on the most important mission of their lives, as they deal with the machinations of Rita Repulsa and her new allies. But what happens when the power of the Morphin’ Grid isn’t enough to stop her? This is a crossover event with a GI Joe and Transformers event at the same time. We’ll share more info when we have it!
  • GM: Andy
  • System: Essence20

Friday 6pm

USP Baking Contest/Social Hour

  • Come eat baked goods and meet the cast and crew of the Untold Stories Project actual play network!
  • GM: Alex
  • System: Special Event

Friday 7pm

Titan City Chronicles: Last Rites

  • Titan City 1928. Magic-users across Titan City hear an ominous portent from a dead wizard claiming that if he isn’t restored to life within 48 hours, all will suffer.
  • GM: Alex
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Up Around the Bend

  • After getting away from the horror of the City of Yulcaipa, the posse has hopped on the last train to Lost Angels. The workers of the Wasatch Railroad working the engine are very curious as to what happened in the town and want answers from a confused Posse and the lone little girl they brought with them. Yet the fear that pervades the town may also have hopped a ride too.
  • GM: Deuce
  • System: Deadlands

Titan City Chronicles: Taking Stock

  • Titan City 1927, a group of Club Tartarus employees are sent to recover a patron who gets lost in the nightclub’s mysterious depths.
  • GM: Isaac
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

ZomDnd: A Fantasy Undead Survival Story, Part 3

  • Your party is the back up to the back ups. The mission is now dire as the last message from Mulmaster mentioned hordes of undead. Your mission is to extract whomever is left along with the necromancer by any means you can and teleport back with the use of a special scroll.
  • GM: Cammy
  • System: Dungeons & Dragons

Saturday 8am

Titan City Chronicles: Last Rites

  • Titan City 1928. Magic-users across Titan City hear an ominous portent from a dead wizard claiming that if he isn’t restored to life within 48 hours, all will suffer.
  • GM: Alex
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

“Haunted? Always has Been.”

  • The heroes of UNION Alpha Squad are called in to investigate when contact is lost with a secret moon base.
  • GM: RC
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Titan City Chronicles: Far From the Tree

  • There is always someone down on their luck and looking for help. You come across a man who seems to be drinking heavy and broken. He certainly tells you a tough story but can you put aside who he is to help?
  • GM: Deuce
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Saturday 9am

Bears in Refrigerators: The Kidnapping of Gail Simone

  • Gail Simone is NOT a bear, but she has been kidnapped! Deadlines are looming and social media needs trolling. Why was she taken and who could be behind this dastardly plot?! Deadpool is gathering a team of fan favorites to find the answers and save his favorite redhead! Expect plenty of 4th wall breaking and reality blending in this silly, metatextual super-powered adventure!
  • GM: Wiccy
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Saturday 1pm

Steel Hearts

  • You are awoken warforged who have just unveiled you are different from the others, you have a soul and don’t want to abide by the Warforged Mandate anymore. This one shot is set during the Last War of Eberron when the warforged was created. (No previous experience needed) Premade Characters included.
  • GM: Gayalan
  • System: Dungeons & Dragons

Girl By Moonlight – At The Brink of the Abyss

  • Mecha pilots struggling against extinction at the hands of the Leviathans. This short adventure is about heroism and redeeming a broken world, changing it for the better. (For fans of magical girl stories like Sailor Moon and Steven Universe.)
  • GM: Jo
  • System: Girl by Moonlight

ZomDnd: A Fantasy Undead Survival Story, Part 4

  • All attempts at extraction thus far have failed. You and our party have been sent in to reclaim the city. Your only request is to verify the fates of the previous squads and the necromancer. Should there be any survivors, assist them as best you can.
  • GM: Cammy
  • System: Dungeons & Dragons

Saturday 6pm

USP Presents: Shadow War

  • The Untold Stories Project is back with another massive mega event – this time facing off against the forces of SHADOW. Once again, we’re going to be bringing the characters from all of our shows together into one, five-table immense story. Please contact us on our website if you would like to pre-register for a specific character or group of characters.
  • GM: Everyone!
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Sunday 10am

X-Men: Pariah

  • The X-Men must band together to rescue a new mutant with a mysterious new ability.
  • GM: Alex
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds

Orc vs Lovecraft

  • You are legendary Orc Heroes who defend the world from great evil, however something has come through the World Scar that we never anticipated. Cthulhu has come with his army and we are the last wall of axes, tusk, and spells to defend the world from Insanity. No previous experience needed. Premade Characters Provided.
  • GM: Gaylan
  • System: Cypher System

Gnomesteaders

  • “A Hero Is a Hero. No Matter How Small. You are a seven-inch-tall Gnomish Hero, called by your fellow gnomes to lead them from tragedy to a new land of promise. Only you and your compatriot heroic gnomes can create hope from the loss in a world that towers over you.”
  • GM: Jo
  • System: Gnomesteaders

Six Tips for Helping Your Players Create a Superhero PC

Six Tips for Helping Your Players Create a Superhero PC

Hello heroes! Today we are talking about something near and dear to my heart: superhero RPGs and the player characters who populate them! Like most roleplaying games, a good superhero campaign relies on an interesting cast of heroes to follow and root for as they vanquish the forces of evil. However, such larger than life characters can be daunting to create. A lot of superhero games have incredibly customizable character creation systems and tend to eschew things like classes. This is an amazing opportunity for people to flex their creativity but this lack of cookie cutter options can lead to analysis paralysis if not handled with care. I’m here to help you help your players when this comes up!

1. Finding a Mold

The easiest way to help someone come up with a superhero concept is to ask them who their favorite superhero is or what superhero they would have in the real world if it were available. One of the reasons superheroes are so iconic is because they are larger than life figures who we can aspire to be and that aspirational element lends itself well to copying. This simple question also gives us a place to begin character creation that is slightly less wide-open than, “You can be whatever you want.” Ask your player what they like about this hero or power set. What do they think is their best quality? What are some of their opportunities for improvement? Do you like their personality but not necessarily their power set? I created Crucible from our City of Destiny stream using this line of questioning. I knew the adventure was going to feature regular people suddenly getting their powers so I looked at some of my favorite every man heroes and settled on Peter Parker. I wanted to emulate his attitude and how he is his own worst enemy a lot of the time, but I wanted to combine this personality with a power set I’ve always wanted in M&M: ferokinesis. Magneto has always been a favorite of mine and I just think the power is endlessly fascinating. So I mixed them up and came up with Emerald City’s favorite idiot.

2. Origins

Another way to develop a superhero PC is by focusing on a specific power source as a place for inspiration. This is sort of a macro level bit of creativity on the players part. Let them know where powers come from in your setting. Are there aliens? Are their mutants? High tech or magic? Knowing the big picture can help them think of how their character fits into the wider cosmology of your universe. It also helps if you leave room in these categories for player inspiration. If you have aliens in your setting, feel free to share some types of aliens with the player but ask if they have an idea for a unique sort of group. The DC Universe has Thanagarian bird people, Kryptonians, and little blue men. Each is an alien technically but they are so varied that any character concept can fit.

3. Secret Identity

If your player is having trouble with coming up with a power set for their character, leave that step behind and start figuring out who that character is as a person. What do they do? What are their hobbies? What’s their personality like? The human element can inform the power set. Maybe the character is a hot-headed stunt driver with a heart of gold. Their brash nature lends itself well to fire powers or if you want to be ironic give them ice powers. A paramedic might develop healing powers or become a dangerous vampire that needs to feed on the blood of her patients to survive. Look for connections to their job, their personality, or even their loved ones.

4. Team Building

If one or more of your players are having trouble coming up with a concept, you can ask them if they want to have a team-based group of heroes who all fit into a theme. Think of how the Fantastic Four all represent one of the four elements while still feeling very distinct from one another. You can really get abstract with this concept. Perhaps the heroes are all representations of characters from Alice in Wonderland or characters from Penny Dreadful novels. They could be a collection of metals who all have different abilities. Maybe they fell into a radioactive game of Candyland and now they’re really strange candy creatures. Tie them together and let the players collaborate on their ideas.

5. Secret Powers

One fun thing I’ve done to help players get through the power selection process is to just come up with a power set for them and not tell them what it is until they get their powers in the first session. We’ll go through creating their backstory up until the moment they get their abilities which I’ll do as our first session in the campaign. This does put a lot of the onus on you to make fair and exciting choices for your players and I would recommend only offering it to people you’ve played with before because it does require an element of player-GM trust, but it leads to some really cool roleplaying moments when it works out!

6. Mad Libs

The final tip I have to help you create a superhero character is to offer your player a sort of mad lib style exercise where you ask them for a list of colors, adjectives, and a list of nouns that they can mix and match to see if a concept leaps out at them. Ask them for 12 colors, 6 animals, 3 professions, and 3 verbs, write them down into columns and start drawing lines between combinations that sound promising. Even if they don’t like any of the combinations, the act of creating names and doing something imaginative will kickstart their creativity and they will find something they latch onto. A variation of this trick is to keep a notepad (physical or in your phone) and write down anything you hear or think of that sounds like a good superhero name and use that list as a jumping on point for your creativity.

There you have it! There are endless ways to create a superhero, but these six tips will help you narrow down the vast array of options or just get your imagination into gear. Please let me know any tips you have in the comments below!

Delegating and Why It’s Important

Delegating and Why It’s Important

(or “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Loved Asking For Help)

This one is kind of going to hit on both a meta- and gaming-specific level. Because one thing I’ve often noticed is that awesome, creative, ambitious people tend to be really bad at asking for help. Which is a shame. Because awesome, creative, ambitious people often make the best GMs, and the best people to go into business creating a streaming network with. But then, you find yourself getting frustrated because they promise a lot of amazing things, and then aren’t able to deliver on all of them.

And of course they can’t! No one can. These people usually have ideas and thoughts that, while amazing, are far beyond what any human being has time and energy (or spoons) to accomplish.

Case in point? I wasn’t the one who was supposed to write this week’s blog. Today’s topic came from a list that Alex had laid out at the end of 2023 as a road-map for 2024, designed to make sure that we had new content on both the blog and on our Patreon (are you supporting our Patreon yet? You can, at patreon.com/UntoldStoriesProject.) If you know Alex, you’ll also realize that he had filled out topic ideas for the first six months of the year, week-by-week, and that he had the first four or five posts ready as of January 1.

You also know that Alex is the Line Developer for Mutants & Masterminds at Green Ronin Publishing, and they’re in the middle of a pretty significant project (namely the Kickstarter and launch of Valiant Adventures, which I’ve heard a few people call Mutants & Masterminds Third-and-a-Half Edition). He’s an author, working on the next book in his Titan City Chronicles series, and several other projects related to Titan City. He runs one of our weekly shows here at USP, and runs the stream and plays in another. He also has a day job, and a wife, and several other side gigs.

In other words, he literally doesn’t have enough hours in the day to do everything he wants to do. But he’s ambitious and creative (and awesome) and wants to do it all.

The problem there is that when you promise a bunch of stuff, and then realize you can’t carry all of it, you end up dropping things. And then you have people wondering why the thing was dropped, when they would have been happy to carry it for you.

All of which is why I jumped in to write this blog post. And you’ll see that across USP – we want to give you much more than we’re able to do. And occasionally we need a reality check. But we could also ask for help from other people.

But this is also good advice around the gaming table, for GMs and for players.

Most GMs (me included), want to make our campaigns as immersive as possible. We have ideas for maintaining calendars, and maps, and information about all aspects of the campaign world, and lists of loot that the characters have gathered, and information about all the NPCs that they’ve met (or know). And it’s way more than anyone can maintain – especially in the middle of the session where you’re running a game.

We can delegate to our players. If I (Aaron) am running a game for Brandon, Calvin, Deuce and Everly, rather than trying to do everything myself I can break the work out.

So, a traditional awesome, creative, ambitious GM might look at the division of work as such:
A – Write the game, run the game, prep the stat sheets, keep notes on all NPCs, maintain in-game calendar, keep track of party loot

B – Have fun playing!

C – Have fun playing!

D – Have fun playing!

E – Have fun playing!

All of which works for one or two sessions, and then the GM burns out and doesn’t want to run another game for six months.

Perhaps a healthier model might be one in which the division of labor is:

A – Write the game, run the game, prep the stat sheets and have fun running!

B – Keep the campaign journal with an overview of the sessions, and timekeeper, noting when things happened, and have fun playing!

C – Keep the list of all of the loot and figure out each person’s share, and have fun playing!

D – Keep notes abut NPCs the party has met, and have fun playing!

E – Coordinate who is bringing snacks, work on art resources for the campaign, and have fun playing!

But this idea can also apply for players and how they can delegate to the other players. In some games, especially superhero games where characters can be hyper competent, there can be a desire to make sure your character can do something about any given problem. These are the characters with variable powers, huge skill lists, etc. On the one hand, these characters are rarely completely unprepared, but one thing they can do is make the other heroes in the party feel redundant.

This is a place where a Session 0 can be incredibly helpful. Make sure when designing your character, you don’t have to figure out how they can do it all. Figure out the things that your character is completely unprepared for, and talk with the other players and make sure everyone has a niche.

In a typical fantasy adventuring party, you don’t want five fighters, or five wizards, or five rogues, or five clerics. Ideally, you want a mix of a front-line fighter type, an arcane magic specialist, a divine magic/healing specialist, and a trap-finder/disarmer, and then the fifth character can either double-up or be a pinch-hitter for one or more of the other roles (perhaps a bard). And while you can perhaps have a competent party with five bards, you still really want those bards to specialize their focus.

Gaming is fun and a great pastime and a way to stretch your creative muscles. And we all want to enrich that experience for ourselves and the other people at the table. But if we’re willing to delegate some of that work to the other people engaged in it, we can accomplish a lot more for a lot longer.

Happy gaming!

GMing for People Afraid of GMing

GMing for People Afraid of GMing

How do you introduce a show that is about so much? Well there’s only one way to eat an elephant, one bite at a time. Or something like that. We are using that same kind of logic when it comes to this show. AuntPuppy has always felt incredibly intimidated by becoming a Game Master so she tried to learn, but there were so many resources that felt like they were more designed for relatively established Game Masters. AuntPuppy was basically starting at ground zero with what she needed to know. As a player she’s not afraid to ask questions but how does one not drag the room down while still feeling welcome.

Then it hit her, there should be a show that’s for people afraid of Game Master-ing. That idea was presented to Alex as a vague concept that they basically start at zero and work their way up in small chunks. Thus GMing for People Afraid of GMing was born. The working angle for the show is bite sized episodes breaking down larger concepts with a newbie, AuntPuppy, and a seasoned pro, Alex. This allows for the small small things to be discussed, that are sometimes overlooked by seasoned gamers while not making anyone feel small.

Each month there will be an overarching theme they will tackle in small bites. This could range from a vocabulary episode going over common words or abbreviations to big topics like advanced game play techniques. But instead of just jumping straight for 3 hours on the big topic and getting on tangents those tangents will be how they get to the big topic. So maybe you don’t need the vocabulary lesson but still want other parts of the overarching theme that you don’t quite understand, this show will allow you to sort through it more easily and cleanly.

Alex and AuntPuppy’s goal is to show that no matter how terrifying starting is, the best thing you can do is start. They are working through building episodes through the month of Feb and some of March with the hope of a release date no later than April 1st. Because what better way to start a new show than to start on April Fools Day!

They hope that you will join them and bring your questions for them to answer. The hope is to have live check-ins where they answer peoples questions and introduce guest GMs. AuntPuppy will be GMing for her first time at Origins and will use the skills she learns through these videos there. What could possibly go wrong? Roll for initiative.

How to Write a “One Shot”

How to Write a “One Shot”

Hello heroes! We’re getting back into the swing of things here at USP and I figured it was a great time to talk about a topic near and dear to my heart: one shots. These are self-contained adventures that have a wide variety of uses. They can be for gaming conventions, demos, palette cleansers, or a way to celebrate some of your favorite settings without the commitment of a long form campaign. I’ve run a lot of one shots over the years. My con game database alone contains over 50 adventures, and those are just the ones I could remember when I sat down to create the database this year. It’s hard to believe after seeing my performances on stream, which tend to be called one and a half shots or limited miniseries these days, but I do know how to construct a game that can be played in 4 hours or less. I promise! I have presented my general outline for constructing a con game. This is the order I tend to do things in, but as long as you put some thought into all of these bullet points it doesn’t matter what order you follow.

Idea

This is usually my first step and it is one of the most difficult to grasp. Ideas are ephemeral things that can be a challenge to summon at will, which is why I don’t tend to actively think about them. I prefer to be surprised by my ideas, sort of those flashes of inspiration that I jot down on a napkin or as a note in my phone when they strike me—typically somewhere inconvenient like in the shower or as I’m driving. That, however, is not helpful advice to people who are trying to prepare a one shot. If you do find yourself in the unenviable position of having to manifest an idea purposely, I have a few tips to get your creative juices flowing.

  • Add limitations. I know this sounds counterintuitive for exploring creativity, but a limitation of some kind gives your imagination parameters to start working with. This limitation can come in a lot of forms. If I’m trying to create a slate of adventures to run at a convention I like to think of which settings I want to cover. At Origins each year I sit down and I write out a list of IPs that people have requested from me or settings that I know go over well. I’ll mark down the five days of gaming and make notes like: “I like to end the con with a Justice League game because Scott and Kyle usually sign up for that each year before they hit their flight home.” “I need at least one Titan City game on the schedule because that’s my setting and I want to sell some books while I’m at the con.” “Suicide Squad, Gotham City Misfits, and Guardians of the Galaxy all have a fun zany quality that makes Saturday night low-stakes shenanigans. I did Misfits last year so I’ll swap in the Guardians this year.” Now I know I have three games that need ideas, one Justice League, one Guardians, and one Titan City. That puts a sandbox around the possible stories I can tell. Another great limitation is a shared theme or plot element for each adventure. “I’m running five games this year and I want them all to feature dragons prominently,” gives you a place to start with your ideas. A dragon story featuring the Avengers is going to be very different from an East Texas University dragon story, but now you have something to anchor your creativity to.
  • Mash-Up: Another thing I like to do for idea generation is come up with pun titles related to movies or songs and think about how that title can be reflected in an adventure. Titan City: Big Trouble in Little Moscow and Guardians of the Galaxy: The Hangover are two of my favorite scenarios and they started just with mashing a superhero team up with a classic movie of a similar vibe. You can also just mix and match toys from different universes to see how they gel. My Superman for All Seasons adventure brings over 20 paragons from across the multiverse together and it’s always amazing seeing how different properties match up.
  • Characters: After I have my idea, I choose the characters I want to focus on for the story. If it’s from a licensed universe, I’ll review the cast of characters to see who my favorites are, or who I think would be the most dynamic inclusion for the idea I had. You don’t have to worry about this step as much if you’re running a one shot for your regular gaming group—they’ll probably play their usual characters. Now you decide how the characters are going to be generated. Are you going to make a group of pre-gens for the player’s to choose? Will you assign characters to your friends to make before the game starts? Are you using their existing PCs and it’s a non-issue? Whatever you choose, make sure it’s fair for everyone involved. The characters should be on a fairly even playing field, or if they are of differing level/ability/power level make sure the game is an even playing field and everyone has something important to do.

Synopsis

This is an elevator pitch for your adventure. Most conventions ask for them as part of their event organizing process, but even if this adventure is for your home group I encourage you to come up with a short and dynamic explanation about what the adventure is. This should ideally be 30 words or less (about 1-2 sentences) that drive the point of the story home for someone. Anyone who hears this synopsis should think that the adventure sounds awesome and should know generally what they have in store. This is something that takes practice, but here are a few of my personal examples to get you started.

  • The Justice League is forced to play in Mr. Mxyztplk’s D&D game when they ruin his Saturday night plans.
  • The Collector hires the Guardians to recover a priceless bird statue from the wreck of a Kree warship.
  • Titan City 1922, Popov’s Russians are smuggling monsters into the city, it’s up to a group of misfit Titan City citizens to put a stop to it.
  • Emperor Palpatine has put out a call across the Outer Rim for bounty hunters willing to hunt down a dangerous Jedi in hiding.

Plot

This is where I tend to fall down when creating one shots for our streams and where I get my reputation as a writer of 1 and a half shots, and the reason for that is a try to stuff too much plot into a 3 hour time block. It goes better when I run at conventions because those tend to be 4 hour blocks, but whatever time slot you have to work with, the important thing to keep in mind is that this is a contained story. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end and it should be fairly straightforward. That doesn’t mean simple, but it does mean that your players shouldn’t spend a lot of time asking themselves, “Where should we go next?” One shots are meant to be explosive stories that can be resolved in one sitting. Don’t be afraid to trim some branches off the villain’s plan tree, or leave what you think are obvious clues—I call these clue by fours and players still spend time agonizing over them for a lot of the time. If you’re working from a plotline it should be a lot more diamond-shaped than flow chartesque. From left to right it should read:

  • Plot Point 1: Thrust the characters into an interesting opening scene. This can be an in media res fight or challenge, the end of an adventure they started off-camera, or a quiet roleplaying scene to get everyone in the headspace for the adventure. Point them somewhere specific at the end of this scene, either with a mentor character—or Amanda Waller—sending them on a mission, a cry for help that pulls them somewhere, or an obnoxious imp sending them to TV land.
  • Plot Point 2: The first scene of the adventure proper. The heroes arrive at the location they were pointed at and have to contend with an issue. If you didn’t start the story with a fight, this is a good place for the first fight scene, but I tend to enjoy using this scene as an investigation/roleplaying beat. The heroes overcome this plot point and find clues pointing them to 1-3 locations (generally 2).
  • Plot Points 3 and 4: The heroes go to 1 or 2 of the locations from the clues and solve some sort of technical issue. This can be a skill challenge, an interrogation, a riddle, a puzzle, anything you like, but I advise against making either of these a fight. They figure out the antagonist’s end goal or uncover the danger of the story and find out where to go to stop it.
  • Plot Point 5: Big fight with the antagonist or the ultimate danger. This is the only combat in some of the games I run, but it should be bombastic and intense. See https://untoldstoriesproject.com/step-4a-for-writing-super-hero-adventures-combat-encounters/ for tips on writing exciting combat encounters!
  • Epilogue: A small scene for each player to close out their time with the character, usually a what does your character do now that they’ve defeated the villain or fallen to the alienation of the dread Cthulhu?
  • Special Note: Should you find yourself in the position where your players have arrived at the big ending fight way ahead of schedule—I know it’s shocking to think that a one shot might end earlier instead of bleeding into 3 extra weeks of story—all is not lost. I use a technique I call “Russian Nesting Doll Endings.” Basically Plot Point 5 has an ending, and if it’s on time, that ending is satisfying in and of itself, but if it’s early, there’s actually a twist. This can be a “final form” for the boss that is triggered by its first defeat, a surprise betrayal from a trusted ally, a surprise exploding base because the boss was a load-bearing villain. Whatever the case may be, it’s an additional bit of content to eat up more of the time slot and reward industrious players who are too clever for their own good. This actually happened at U-Con this year during my Gotham City Misfits game. The players found a clever way—albeit a gross food-poisony way—to avoid the big fight in the middle of the adventure and with some hot dice rolls found themselves at Warworld with 45 minutes to an hour to go. Fortunately, I had a scene planned at Warworld in case a group ever made it there before the time slot was over. Mongul gave them the choice of fighting the Legion of Doom for the right to represent Earth in the grand melee or to take a consolation prize from his vault. The Misfits chose the vault and then proceeded to backstab and obliterate Mongul when he had his back turned. It was a blast.

Scenes

This is molded into the plot point, but I feel it warrants its own inclusion. Once you know how many plot points you have, you want to come up with scenes for each of those and you want to make sure you offer a variety of scene types. I find combats tend to take up the most time in a given game system so I advise GMs to have 1 or 2 combats per adventure and dedicate the other scenes to things like roleplay, skill challenges, investigations, and the like. The goal is to make sure there is something fun for everyone and to come up with ways for specific characters to shine, especially those who aren’t the best at beating up bad guys. Everyone comes to roleplaying games for different reasons and as the GM it’s up to us to accommodate a wide variety of tastes and personalities.

What to do When Time Runs Out

It is inevitable, at some point you will run a one shot that runs out of time. It happens to the best of us—some more often than others. Don’t worry, there are options! The easiest thing to do is to ask your players if they are willing to play the story through to the end, even if it runs a little longer than usual. This can be sort of dicey in a con situation where some players have their slots back to back, but if they’re having a good time, generally players are excited to keep playing. If you’re with your home group you can ask them if they’re willing to play one more session of the story—as seen in this month’s Titan City miniseries that began as our Thanksgiving special. Finally you can ask your players if they want to quickly summarize a plot point to get to the end scene, rather than playing out the whole scene, or if you’re players are really enjoying the investigation and roleplay you can ask your players if they’re okay with you giving an abridged version of the finale’s events. This looks a little bit like, “Thanks to your tireless investigation you and the heroes are able to track Dr. Simian to his lair and quickly dispatch him. Please give me a brief description of something that happens during the climactic fight.” I’ve had this ending a couple of times in my career and it is still fulfilling for players if the rest of the adventure was a blast to play.

And there you have it. My sure-fire way to write a one shot that will definitely end in one session and not go on to become additional adventures or commitments. Who am I kidding? This is my version of the best laid plan that goes to hell when people start having fun, and the whole point of playing tabletop RPGs is to have fun! Show up with your plan in mind, have a good time with your players, and if you need to run a second session, give yourself the grace to do so. I’ll see you next time!

For more content like this, be sure to check out our blog posts about game theory like these ones:

And if you want to support our growing network, the best place to do so is our Patreon where we share statblocks, fiction, opportunities to play with the cast and crew, and many other wonderful things!

USP New Year’s Resolutions 2024

USP New Year’s Resolutions 2024

Hello heroes! It’s the start of a new year and that means a lot of people are making resolutions for the months to come. Things like exercising more, spending less, being more productive, finally getting those squirrels out of the crawlspace, we’ve all been there. I thought it would be fun to get everyone together to ask them about gaming specific resolutions and our cast and crew did not disappoint.

Alex

I want to spend more time this year supporting Gamemasters. I want to take some time to step away a little bit from running my own games in order to lift up others in the art of GMing. I also want to try out a few of the solo RPGs I’ve heard so much about. I’m curious how playing by yourself even works and how it differs from writing fiction. I also want USP to publish its first RPG products this year and I want the new Titan City book to drop before Origins.

Gemmy

It feels silly but I want to start dipping my toes into the gaming world with some friends (and/or to stop killing men in my backstories.)

Jo

I have graphic design goals attached to mine and Gaylan’s games at Origins, but that’s a surprise for June!

Jonesy

Get more Compendiums on Roll20 and publish an adventure under the AGE Creators Alliance program.

Kat

Make at least one new friend through gaming.

Deuce

Try at least one new system I haven’t played before.

Brandon

Stop talking so damn much in games.

Andy

Get my book finished and ready for publication. Work on stories and scenarios and look for ways to get those published for TTRPGs. Finish one of my challenging cosplays.

Aaron

Get Nobody’s Hero into publication. See one adventure published. Submit at least one more piece of writing to an RPG publisher. Allow myself to feel confident in my skills as a writer and a GM.

We’ll check back on these at the end of the year and see how everyone did, although I suspect some of these will be fulfilled much sooner than the crew thinks 😉 Happy New Year to you all and I hope you find time in 2024 to play some games and expand your creativity!

Happy Holidays from USP!

Happy Holidays from USP!

We wanted to take a moment to say happy holidays from all of us here at USP! We hope you are enjoying a time of rest and rejuvenation in whatever way suits you best. This is a time of peace and reflection and a time to recharge from the scramble of the last few months. We are sending you all healing energy and good thoughts as we take time with our loved ones and prepare for the new year. Thank you for all your support and see you in 2024!