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Cardstock Tokens

Cardstock Tokens

We’re in the height of convention season, and with that, people are running lots of RPGs at gaming conventions. We at USP just got back from a crazy week of events at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio. For me, at least, a part of running events at conventions is presentation. Good presentation won’t save a bad game – I don’t care how nice your handouts and miniatures are if the GM running the event or the scenario as written aren’t top-notch – but it can definitely elevate a “good” game into a memorable one.

I like to use miniatures and battle-maps as part of my games, and to be honest, good miniatures for superheroes are about impossible to find. You can kit-bash a lot of them out of HeroClix or using custom 3-D prints, but they’re still a lot of work. But cardstock tokens? Those are much, much more doable, and based on the amount of “Pathfinder Pawns” that Paizo manages to sell, there’s clearly a market for them. So, today, I’m going to share with you two methods I use for making cardstock tokens for my superhero games to fit onto battle-maps with 1″ squares (that are supposed to represent 5′).

First off, I’ve used two different methods over the years. One of which is much easier than the other, but requires one extra key supply.

Ingredients

To make cardstock tokens, you will need the following:

  • A list of characters you need to make tokens for
  • Digital images of those characters (for the sample file I included, I used images of the Freedom League taken from my PDF copy of the Freedom City sourcebook for Mutants & Masterminds, but you can take images from anywhere)
  • A word processing program (I use Microsoft Word, but you can get by with Google Docs or LibreOffice or just about any other program of your choice)
  • Access to a printer (preferably in color)
  • Cardstock to print the tokens onto
  • Scissors
  • Tape or glue
  • (Optional) Pathfinder Pawn Bases from Paizo or a third-party equivalent

Cardstock Tokens without Access to Pathfinder Pawn Bases

This is the first method of creating tokens that I used, and it has the advantage of not needing to carry a bunch of extra pieces of plastic with me.

  1. After collecting all of your images, open your word processor program.
  2. Create a 6 column, 5 row table with the following dimensions:
    • Column Width (all): 1″
    • Row 1 Height: 1/2″
    • Row 2 Height: 1.5″
    • Row 3 Height: 1.5″
    • Row 4 Height: .5″
    • Row 5 Height: 1″
  3. Format rows 2 & 3 so that text and images are centered both vertically and horizontally. If your program supports it, and if you want to create tokens that have an obvious “front and back” change the text orientation of row 2 and 3 to vertical instead of horizontal.
  4. Import the images you wish to use for the first figure. Do not import it directly into the cells of the table – most programs will warp the table to fit the image, which will distort the whole thing. Import the image outside of the table and then use the crop and resize features. Personal preferences will vary, and specifics of how to crop and import will be different from one piece of software to another. But your final image should be no more than 1.25″ in height, and no more than .9″ in width.
  5. Cut the image from outside of the table and paste it into cell 2 and/or 3. Since I like having relative facing for my tokens (and it’s easier for me to keep track of generic mobs that are labeled things like “Zombie 1” and “Zombie 2,” I will only put the image in one of the two cells, and in the other cell of that column, I’ll put the character name. If you want to put an image in both cells, that’s fine too. Just make sure that one of the two images is rotated 180 degrees (you want both cells 2 and 3 to treat the vertical line separating them as the “top” of the token.
  6. Repeat the process for each other column in the table (for as many tokens as you wish to create). You may need to create additional pages with copies of the same table on it depending on how many tokens you want.
  7. Print your pages onto cardstock.
  8. Cut out the tokens. Cut the tokens apart by column, but do not cut any rows off the tokens. Trip off the excess white space of the document.
  9. Fold the tokens along each line separating the rows.
  10. Row 1 will become a part of the top of the “base” of the token. Rows 2 and 3 will form the visible parts of the token. Row 4 will become the other part of the top of the base of the token, while Row 5 will become the bottom part of the base of the token.
  11. Tape the token together – you will want to tape Rows 2 and 3 together to remove any gap between the pieces, and you will tape Rows 1 and 4 to Row 5.
  12. When completed, you should have a token 1.5″ tall, 1″ wide, with a 1″ square base.

Cardstock Tokens with Pathfinder Pawn Bases

This is the the much easier method of creating tokens I currently use. It does require bringing along plastic token bases, but it also creates tokens that are much faster to make, require much less construction, and are easier to store.

    1. After collecting all of your images, open your word processor program.
    2. Create a 6 column, 2 row table with the following dimensions:
      • Column Width (all): 1″
      • Row 1 Height: 1.5″
      • Row 2 Height: 1.5″
    3. Format rows 1 & 2 so that text and images are centered both vertically and horizontally. If your program supports it, and if you want to create tokens that have an obvious “front and back” change the text orientation of row 2 and 3 to vertical instead of horizontal.
    4. Import the images you wish to use for the first figure. Do not import it directly into the cells of the table – most programs will warp the table to fit the image, which will distort the whole thing. Import the image outside of the table and then use the crop and resize features. Personal preferences will vary, and specifics of how to crop and import will be different from one piece of software to another. But your final image should be no more than 1.25″ in height, and no more than .9″ in width.
    5. Cut the image from outside of the table and paste it into cell 1 and/or 2. Since I like having relative facing for my tokens (and it’s easier for me to keep track of generic mobs that are labeled things like “Zombie 1” and “Zombie 2,” I will only put the image in one of the two cells, and in the other cell of that column, I’ll put the character name. If you want to put an image in both cells, that’s fine too. Just make sure that one of the two images is rotated 180 degrees (you want both cells 1 and 2 to treat the vertical line separating them as the “top” of the token.
    6. Repeat the process for each other column in the table (for as many tokens as you wish to create). You may need to create additional pages with copies of the same table on it depending on how many tokens you want.
    7. Print your pages onto cardstock.
    8. Cut out the tokens. Cut the tokens apart by column, but leave the two rows attached. Trip off the excess white space of the document.
    9. Fold the tokens along each line separating the rows.
    10. Rows 1 & 2 will form the visible parts of the token.
    11. Tape the token together – you will want to tape Rows 1 and 2 together along the sides (not the bottom) to remove any gap between the pieces.
    12. You will now have double-sided tokens 1.25″ tall and 1″ wide. Take your Pathfinder Pawn base, and slip the token over the two tabbed slots. The token will not be thick enough to comfortably sit inside the slots, but if you’ve taped it together tightly enough, it should firmly fit over the two slots, and be tight enough that the base won’t fall out when picked up.

To help you out, here’s a link to a Microsoft Word document with both varieties of tokens set-up for you to use as a template. Next time, I’ll show my method for creating full color battle-maps for use with these tokens. Happy gaming!

Through the Looking Glass

Through the Looking Glass

by Kat

“Okay, just be careful!” I heard mom yell, but I was already out the door. It closed behind me with a heavy thud. I was already running late and I was going to have to hurry if I wanted to meet the rest of the crew on time.

“Cassie, where are you going?” A small, light voice asked. I turned to find my little sister, Mari, looking up at me with her lavender eyes. She was half my age, and always trying to go on adventures with me. Sometimes I let her tag along, but we were going to the docks. Mom thought I was going to Flint’s, so I couldn’t risk her falling off into the water and telling mom. I’d never be allowed anywhere ever again.

“Hey Mari. I’m going to hang out with Flint and Jenaca. Flint’s mom is making one of her famous casseroles.”

Her little eyes widened and she took another step in my direction. She opened her mouth to speak but I interrupted her before she got a sound out.

“No Mar, you can’t come this time. It’s the one with all the peppers. The one you don’t like. And I think mom wanted your help in the kitchen anyway.” In a stroke of luck, I heard my mom call Mari’s name from the kitchen window. “See? You better go see what she wants.” I reached out and ruffled her blonde hair and watched as she gave me a sad look but headed inside. Once she was in the house I turned and jogged in the direction of the docks.

I made my way through town, waving to a couple people who called out to me. As I approached, I saw that there were already two figures waiting for me. A boy and a girl.

“Sheesh, Cassian, it’s about time you got here,” said the boy. He was a few inches shorter than me with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. Flint. He had been my best friend since I could remember. I gave him a light shove and he broke out in a laugh.

“He’s joking, we just got here about a minute before you did,” Jenaca said. Jenaca was a tall, willowy girl with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. “I hope you don’t mind,” she continued, “we invited Jasper as well.”

I felt my stomach drop, but plastered a smile on my face. “Oh, good. The more the merrier.” I looked around the empty docks. “Where is he?”

“Here.” Said a voice behind me. I turned to look at the most beautiful boy I had ever seen.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d had crushes before. I was 12, I wasn’t a baby. But Jasper was the first boy I’d ever had a crush on and I didn’t know what to make of that. As far as I knew, you were supposed to pick boys or girls, not both.

“Oh, hey,” I said in a voice that came out weaker than I would have liked. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Well now that you’re finally here we can get started. As we’ve talked about in the past, without you Jasper, sorry, the dock has the best hiding places in all of Perle. So I suggest we play a game of hide and seek. Since Jasper is the newcomer, he will seek first.”

Jasper gave me a look I couldn’t read. He turned around facing away from the water. “I’ll count to thirty. ONE- TWO-“

My friends and I scattered across the docks. I watched Jenny climb into a large cubby, usually used for storing the catches of the day. Flint disappeared behind the fisherman’s cabin and I stopped to look around at my options. I didn’t know if I wanted to hide in the cabinet that stored the fishing poles or in one of the rowboats tied to the posts. There was one that was partially under the dock that would do beautifully.

“EIGHTEEN- NINETEEN”

I had to choose now, I was running out of time. I ran toward the rowboat and lowered myself into it. I climbed to the part that was covered by the dock and made myself as small as possible. Jasper finished counting and I slowed my breathing as I heard his steps echo on the wood of the deck. I closed my eyes, hearing his steps get closer and willed him to turn the other way. I couldn’t be the first one to be found, my reputation would go out the window.

“Found you.”

I opened my eyes to see Jasper’s bright blue eyes staring at me, upside down. I sighed and lowered my head, moving to crawl out from my spot when the boat rocked. My head shot up and I saw that Jasper was now in the boat beside me.

“Oh, uh, you don’t have to touch me or anything. That’s not how we play. You win by just seeing the other people.”

“I know,” he said, crawling closer to me. I felt my cheeks heat up as he got close to my face. “When are you going to tell your friends that we’re dating?”

“Is that what we’re doing?” I asked, fumbling for words as he somehow got even closer to me. “We kissed, like, one time and then we didn’t talk again.”

“Well, I’d like to do it again. If that’s okay with you.”

I looked into his eyes, feeling my cheeks burn even redder. I nodded and closed my eyes as his lips covered mine.

I felt flutters in my stomach as I leaned into the kiss, reaching up to put my hand in his thick, curly hair. He drew back before I was ready and I found myself following in the direction of his retreating lips.

“That was nice. But we need to go find the others now.”

I nodded in agreement and followed him as he went to climb onto the dock. I held the boat steady as he climbed up and he turned to give me his hand. I wiped my sweaty hand on my pants and reached for it, stepping up on the side of the boat to hoist myself up.

This, it turned out, was a mistake. A stupid one at that. As I shifted my weight onto the edge of the boat it lurched, and I felt Jasper’s hand slip out of mine as I was plunged into the cold Leifandian water.

I forced my way up to the surface, gasping for air once I broke through the water. Jasper’s concerned face turned amused as I swam over to the dock. “Watch your step,” he said in a smug voice.

“Yeah, ha ha. Now I get to be wet and cold for the rest of the time because you can’t properly grab someone’s hand.” I reached the dock and grabbed onto the rainbow colored fluorite that supported the wooden docks. Suddenly, I felt a force tugging me back into the water. I grabbed tighter into the rocks, looking up to Jasper in a panic. “Help!”

The concern returned to Jasper’s face as he laid flat on his belly on the deck extending his arm in my direction. I reached up for it again but the tugging became too strong and ripped me off the rocks. My hands clutched onto the pieces of fluorite that had come off with me as I was plunged into the water once again. I spun in the circles of a huge whirlwind unable to escape or reach Jasper’s outstretched hand. The last thing I heard was my name being called as I was sucked deep into the water and everything turned black.

I woke up gagging, salt water spilling from my mouth onto the sandy ground beneath me. Looking around me, it seemed that I was on a beach, but not one that I had seen before. The ocean water was dark and murky, the sand dirty and covered with trash. I rose myself into a sitting position and took stock of my situation. Where was I? What had happened? How would I find my way home?

I turned, planning to use my arms to push myself into a standing position but stopped as I looked at my two hands pressed into the sand.

My right hand was normal, familiar. The same tanned skin that I was used to and had been in possession of all my 12 years. My left hand, however, was not how I was used to it. Where my skin had been there was now a mix of purples, blues, and greens. My eyes trailed up my arm seeing that it wasn’t just my hand that had changed but my entire arm. I pulled up the hem of my shirt to see that there was a jagged, diagonal line where gem met skin across my chest. Most of my left torso was now made of fluorite.

I felt my lungs expanding and contracting at a rapid rate while my brain raced to figure out what happened to me. I needed to go somewhere else. I needed to find help. I was only 12 and there was no way I could handle this on my own.

I scrambled up from the sand and stumbled away from the water. I walked off the beach and made my way to a small building I saw down the road. It looked like a store of some kind, maybe a bookstore?

I pulled the door open with my good arm, and shuffled inside. A bell sounded alerting whoever was in here that I had arrived. I vaguely saw someone come out from the back room but my vision began to blur and tunnel. I stumbled up toward the counter and heard a voice say “Hi! What can I do for you?”

“Please, help me,” I managed to say before I collapsed to the floor and everything went black once again.

Untold Stories Project at Origins 2023!

We’re less than a week away from the registration for Origins Events for the 2023 Game Fair (which runs from June 21-25). Registration begins this Saturday, April 29th, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. With that in mind, we’ve laid out our schedule chronologically and have included event descriptions and who the GM will be. We’d also like to take a moment and recommend any of the events being run by Matinee Adventures. That is the group that Alex and Andy usually GM for at Origins and they are all truly skilled GMs. Some of them are alumni of our channel, including Laura who ran our East Texas University series and Paul who has been a wonderful Daedalus for us. You can’t go wrong with any of Matinee’s games!

We’d also like to draw special attention to our Saturday night Mega-Event: Hades Invasion. This will be a game for up to 25 players, spread across five tables, where players get the opportunity to play some of the main characters from our channel! The Freedom League, Freedom League Dark, Storm Breakers, Guardians of Haven, and Heroes of Tomorrow all come together to stop as Hades decides to violate the Pact and attempt to conquer the Earth.

Wednesday

12:00 p.m.

Crash Pandas: Trash Santa!
  • Synopsis: A group of whacky Raccoons must fill in for Santa on Christmas Eve Night. Drive the sleigh, deliver some gifts, avoid the neighbors, and win Christmas! There will be cartoon hi-jinks and ridiculous shenanigans!
  • System: Crash Pandas
  • GM: Wiccy
Deadlands: Long Black Train
  • Synopsis: The posse is on the way to Yucaipa, CA to take the train to Lost Angels. On the way, their stage breaks an axle and they are forced to walk the rest of the way. The posse arrive much later than expected and find a much darker scene than the sleepy whistle stop they expected.
  • System: Deadlands
  • GM: Deuce
Justice League: Security Breach at the Bat-Cave?
  • Synopsis: Bruce has been working on security upgrades at Wayne Manor ahead of Alfred’s birthday bash. Several members of the bat extended family have been asked to attend incognito just in case, but really, what could go wrong in Gotham….at a birthday party…in Wayne Manor?
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Chris Skinner

1:00 p.m.

Mega Man X: Fractured Future
  • Synopsis: Come play a game set in the Mega Man video game universe, with the chance to play a character from either the Mega Man or Mega Man X game series! This game is using Mutants and Masterminds to simulate the power of these powerful robots and reploids as they fight to keep their timeline from collapsing!
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Andy

6:00 p.m.

Marvel’s Avengers: What’s Wrong With Hulk?
  • Synopsis: After a recent run-in with new enemies in New York City, Bruce and Hulk seem to be having an identity crisis. The Avengers will need to once again assemble to solve the mystery before one personality is lost forever.
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Chris Skinner
Rocketeer Corp: Valley of the Red Gates
  • Synopsis: The Rocketeer Corps stands ready to lend their aid in defending the world from the Axis. Allied Intelligence has sent the Corp to Southwest Poland to investigate reports of the Thule Society having taken up residence in the area.
  • System: Hollow Earth Expedition
  • GM: Andy

Thursday

8:00 a.m.

Mutants & Masterminds: Nightmare at the Magic Kingdom
  • Synopsis: The final(?) entry in the “Magic Kingdom” series. A group of teenagers who share the power of Disney heroes must come together one final time to stop the greatest threat to the Magic of Disney – one that threatens the existence of Mickey Mouse himself.
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Aaron

9:00 a.m.

Titan City Chronicles: No Good Deed
  • Synopsis: A cry for help is heard over the music and chatter of the party within the hotel. Deciding to help only leads to more questions and problems for those people who still care enough to try and do good. Just remember what they say, “No good deed….”
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Deuce
The Shepherd’s Burden
  • Synopsis: You’ve tried to reinvent yourself over the course of your high school career, but is the Senior class trip your last chance? And if so, what happens if you don’t like who you become?
  • System: Things From the Flood
  • GM: Andy

10:00 a.m.

Crash Pandas: Trashtown Blitz!
  • Synopsis: Players are a group of street racing racoons 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!
  • System: Crash Pandas
  • GM: Wiccy
Justice League: Security Breach at the Bat-Cave?
  • Synopsis: Bruce has been working on security upgrades at Wayne Manor ahead of Alfred’s birthday bash. Several members of the bat extended family have been asked to attend incognito just in case, but really, what could go wrong in Gotham….at a birthday party…in Wayne Manor?
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Chris Skinner

4:00 p.m.

Marvel’s Avengers: What’s Wrong With Hulk?
  • Synopsis: After a recent run-in with new enemies in New York City, Bruce and Hulk seem to be having an identity crisis. The Avengers will need to once again assemble to solve the mystery before one personality is lost forever.
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Chris Skinner

6:00 p.m.

Mutants & Masterminds: Whatever Happened to the AlterniTeens?
  • Synopsis: Claremont Academy has seen many famous heroes come and go through its halls. But when those alumni go missing, can the current Next-Gen solve the mystery and protect Duncan Summers’ legacy?
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Aaron

7:00 p.m.

A Superman for All Seasons
  • Synopsis: A group of Supermen from across the multiverse are summoned to stop the machinations of one of their own gone rogue.
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Alex

Friday

8:00 a.m.

Titan City Chronicles: No Good Deed
  • Synopsis: A cry for help is heard over the music and chatter of the party within the hotel. Deciding to help only leads to more questions and problems for those people who still care enough to try and do good. Just remember what they say, “No good deed….”
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Deuce

9:00 a.m.

Rocketeer Corp: Cold Steel
  • Synopsis: Once again Allied Intelligence calls on the Rocketeer Corp, this time to rescue a compromised British spy team with vital intel from being lost to the Nazi’s prison camp working on a railway in Northern Norway. What intel does this team possess, and why is it vital the Rocketeer Corp rescue them?
  • System: Hollow Earth Expedition
  • GM: Andy

10:00 a.m.

Crash Pandas: Racoon vs. Racoon!
  • Synopsis: 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!
  • System: Crash Pandas
  • GM: Wiccy

1:00 p.m.

Deadlands: Long Black Train
  • Synopsis: The posse is on the way to Yucaipa, CA to take the train to Lost Angels. On the way, their stage breaks an axle and they are forced to walk the rest of the way. The posse arrive much later than expected and find a much darker scene than the sleepy whistle stop they expected.
  • System: Deadlands
  • GM: Deuce

6:00 p.m.

Justice League: Security Breach at the Bat-Cave?
  • Synopsis: Bruce has been working on security upgrades at Wayne Manor ahead of Alfred’s birthday bash. Several members of the bat extended family have been asked to attend incognito just in case, but really, what could go wrong in Gotham….at a birthday party…in Wayne Manor?
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Chris Skinner

7:00 p.m.

Titan City Chronicles: Enemy at the Gates
  • Synopsis: A cry for help is heard over the music and chatter of the party within the hotel. Deciding to help only leads to more questions and problems for those people who still care enough to try and do good. Just remember what they say, “No good deed….”
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Alex

Saturday

10:00 a.m.

Marvel’s Avengers: What’s Wrong With Hulk?
  • Synopsis: After a recent run-in with new enemies in New York City, Bruce and Hulk seem to be having an identity crisis. The Avengers will need to once again assemble to solve the mystery before one personality is lost forever.
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Chris Skinner

6:00 p.m.

Mutants & Masterminds: Hades Invasion
  • Synopsis: When Hades reneges on the Pact and launches an attack against Earth-Prime, heroes from across the Freedomverse must band together to stop the attack. A mega-event, spread across 5 tables and GMs, culminating in the fate of Earth-Prime itself.
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Aaron, Alex, Wiccy, Deuce, Chris Skinner

Sunday

8:00 a.m.

Mutants & Masterminds: Nightmare at the Magic Kingdom
  • Synopsis: The final(?) entry in the “Magic Kingdom” series. A group of teenagers who share the power of Disney heroes must come together one final time to stop the greatest threat to the Magic of Disney – one that threatens the existence of Mickey Mouse himself.
  • System: Mutants & Masterminds
  • GM: Aaron

B-I-N-G-O!

B-I-N-G-O!

If you’ve been watching our shows, or listening to our podcast shows, you might have heard us make mention of Bingo cards for our shows. I mean, let’s face it, every game and gaming group ends up with stock phrases and in-jokes that get used a lot.

So, with that in mind, we’ve put together Bingo cards for each of our shows. If you’d like to play along with us, please do! Just click on the Bingo card below and you will be taken to a customized card for you for that show. And if you get B-I-N-G-O during an episode? Share it with us either in the chat, or over on our Discord.

Freedom League Dark Bingo
GemStars Bingo
Heroes of Tomorrow Bingo

We Welcome the Heroes of Tomorrow to the Untold Stories Project

We Welcome the Heroes of Tomorrow to the Untold Stories Project

Greetings! If you’re on our old RSS feed for Something… Something… Dragons, or saw our posts elsewhere, then you got to hear the first three episodes of our brand new podcast that is a part of our Untold Stories Project Earth-Prime Tabletop Universe – The Heroes of Tomorrow!

This past week, you were thrown right into the middle of our teenage heroes engaged in battle with the Thieves Guild, but getting to know them will take a few more weeks. So, we’re giving you a little peek behind the curtain and a chance to get to know the students of Claremont Academy directly.

Bolt (Jason Beaumont)

Played by Wiccy

Age: 16

Jason’s young, single mother died the night he was born. She’d come to the hospital with nothing more than the clothes on her back and the hospital staff knew only that her name was Jaye, it was the one thing she would tell them. As they had no way to track down the new baby’s father or any extended family the Staff decided to call him Jason and turned he and his case over to the proper authorities. Eventually, Jason was given over to the care of social services where he bounced around several foster homes for the first four years of his life, before ending up in Beacon House Group Home on the south side of Freedom City.

Beacon House was grossly overpopulated and underfunded. The caretakers there were overworked, underpaid, ineffective, and negligent in their duty of care toward the children under their roof. This left Jason and the thirteen other kids with no choice but to fend for themselves, and each other, by whatever means necessary. For most of them that meant joining local gangs or participating in other various less than legal activities.

Jason’s intelligence and aptitude for mechanics and technology showed at an early age, but like many gifted and overlooked kids, he never flourish in the typical school environment. Instead, he was focused on his own interests and inventions, which often led to detention and other disciplinary action. At Fourteen, Jason simply stopped going to school altogether, spending most of his time in an abandoned garage that he’d turned into a sort of workroom and clubhouse. When he wasn’t in the clubhouse he was usually out trying to find, or steal, or earn money for scrap and parts from around the city for his various projects.

The night he tried to take a broken down motorcycle he found hidden in a bush during one of these supply runs changed his life forever. Not only did the motorcycle turn out to belong to Bowman, one of Freedom City’s well known Superheroes, but said hero caught him in the act. Instead of turning him over to the police, Bowman saw the potential that every other adult around him had missed and decided to take him under his wing. That night Bowman gave him a project and sent him off to the quiver. His time with Bowman was filled with superhero support training and hotpockets. Before either of them really realized what was happening Jason had become a full-fledged sidekick. He adopted the name of Bolt (only later to realize that he’d accidentally taken on a legacy name, thought he quickly earned the approval of the man who had once held it) and joined his mentor and the rest of the Freedom League Dark on the battlefield, doing his part in the mission to protect Freedom city and defeat the mystical baddie known as Una.

After Una was defeated, it was decided that Jason should attended Claremont Academy where he would train to lead Freedom City’s next generation of Superheroes, the Freedom League Jr. In order to make that happen, he needed to become the official, legal ward of one Fletcher Beaumont III aka Bowman and so in addition to his care, friendship, and purpose Bowman also gave him his name.

Random Info:
Lots of adults and older kids around him liked to tell him that his dad was definitely in jail or dead or other terrible things as a way to shit on him and at least part of him has come to believe it. So much so that he has no interest in knowing who his father actually is for fear they were all right.

He’s not exactly the edgy teen type, but did grow up in a tough neighborhood, mostly taking care of himself. He knows how to fight and how to hide and he has parkour skills occasionally needing a quick get away.

He never had any interested in gangs, despite members of Toyboy’s and other gangs trying to recruit him.

Beacon House was a bit of a system cycler and a revolving door, so he never developed any special bonds or close friendships with any of the other foster kids, but some of the older kids would look out for him when he was younger and he tried to do the same for the younger ones who came after him.

Most of the kids at school either stayed away from or bullied the “passed over orphies” so developing friendships is a skill Jason never had any real chance to hone.

View Bolt’s PL8 Character Sheet here!

Cassian Quinn

Played by Kat

Age: 17

Cassian is a blonde haired blue eyed boy with tan skin He is a stereotypical pretty boy. His entire left arm and part of his torso is made of fluorite, there is a diagonal jagged scar that peeks out from over the collar of his tshirt which separates the gem side from the regular skin.

Cassian doesn’t have a stereotypical hero costume, he wears jeans, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket with one sleeve cut off to show off his gem arm. The t-shirt has the word “Mortis” printed on it in black script.

Cassian was born in the mystical gemworld of Leifandi – a pocket dimension where magic originates from gemstones. An accident led to Cassian being taken from Leifandi to Earth, where the young man was found by the hero Resonant. He’s been enrolled in Claremont Academy for a few years now, but has refused to join the hero team until this year.

His powers mainly center around the absorption of kinetic energy, and redirecting it as flames.

View Cassian’s PL8 Character Sheet here!

Damian Irons

Played by Brandon

Age: 16

Damian is a surly teenager of Korean, Afro-Latino, and Italian descent. His anger hides and protects him from the pain, loneliness, and despair he has bottled up inside. He’s slim and of average height with average-length, straight, black hair.

Damian is a Silver Stormer, whose powers include the ability to control machinery – including the nanites within his own body. He is also the child of Cyrus Dillon and Carol Irons – versions of which who are now the Storm Breakers Professor Cephalapod and Doctor Irons. Damian is not dealing with the fact that his parents – who he believed to be dead – are now a human brain in an octopus body piloting a mech suit and an alternate-universe superstrong doppleganger.

It’s…. complicated.

View Damian Irons’ PL8 Character Sheet here!

Dr. Henry Barrister/Eddy Bear

Played by Alex

Age: 1

One part of the entity that makes up Dr. Henry Barrister is a spirit that has been around for many, many years, inhabiting one beloved toy after another through the generations.

The other part is a sociopathic teddy bear created by Toyboy, who has superstrength and a vile temper.

The entity came into existence during the Netherwar, and in the wake of Netherwar, Henry took over the body, finding himself as the beloved teddy of a young girl. When it became apparent that Henry could not keep the girl safe from Eddy, Henry instead enrolled himself in Claremont Academy.

View Dr. Henry Barrister’s PL8 Character Sheet here!

View Eddy Bear’s PL8 Character Sheet here!

Speed Demon

Played by Calvin

Age: 15

A speedster since a young age, Vincent always assumed that the constant pressure from his parents to develop powers was due to their background as physicists with a focus on superhuman abilities. Once his powers began to show, that pressure increased as they tried to teach him to become faster and faster. They eventually decided to send him to Claremont Academy, believing the school’s resources and training would prove useful in ways they couldn’t be.

After starting at the academy, Vincent finds himself wanting to be away from home more and more. Though he felt a need to be competitive and could be at times abrasive towards others, he also didn’t have his parents looming over his shoulder every minute of the day. After taking a short run to Freedom City to stretch his legs, Vincent was debating running away from home entirely when the sky ripped open and a massive three headed figure began terrorizing the city. Vincent quickly found himself trapped with other civilians by the massive mage’s army of demons and the crumbling debris of their rampage above. Before he could react, Vincent saw the oncoming red blur of the hero Overdrive. In a split second, the speedster had taken the crowd blocks away to safety. To the others it was in less than the blink of an eye, but Vincent’s senses could perceive what was happening, even though he was practically a statue in comparison.

Since then, Vincent came to realize his powers could be used for more than just getting faster. He could use them to help people too, in ways his parents never taught him. He’s still often impulsive, reckless and feels a need to prove himself to nearly everyone he meets but genuinely wants to do more with his abilities. However, their destructive nature often leaves him discouraged, regardless of how he tries to hide it.

Speed Demon’s powers come from his superspeed, however, his powers are flawed, causing him to generate heat in ways that most speedsters are able to avoid.

View Speed Demon’s PL8 Character Sheet here!

Wild Card

Played by Gemmy

Age: 14

Alex Selinofoto has always had a knack for trouble. They weren’t necessarily trying to cause anyone harm – they were just easily bored, and tricking people was a great way to cure that boredom.

They never knew their mother, and their father was distant (and not accepting of their gender identity), so they quickly found themselves spending as much time away from their home in Emerald City as they could, leading to the day that they discovered an abandoned warehouse filled with lava lamps.

When their powers of illusion first appeared shortly after the Silver Storm, Alex assumed that they were a Stormer. For a few months they embarked on a crime spree – of sorts. Using invisibility and illusions to sneak into homes and taking nothing – but leaving behind a lava lamp, which ensured that they knew that they would live rent-free in those homes forever.

However, a meetup with the Storm Breakers revealed that they were not actually a Stormer. Helping out with a disruption of the EC Pride Parade, they met their “Aunt” Eris, the Goddess of Discord. Eris stripped the young demi-god of a significant portion of their power (although still more than enough to cause problems for others), at which point the visiting Lady Liberty told Alex that they would return with her to Freedom City and begin classes at Claremont Academy.

View Wild Card’s PL8 Character Sheet here!

The First Account of Dr. Henry Barrister

(Editor’s Note: The following blog post is a preview of an upcoming show here on the network. We will soon be launching “Heroes of Tomorrow,” a Hero High game set at the Claremont Academy, and tying in to the USPEPTTU.)

The First Account of Dr. Henry Barrister

I find that it is difficult to dwell on the creation of myself, but as a scientist it is in my nature to observe and transcribe. In the spirit of scientific inquiry, I shall endeavour in this document to catalog both my formation and my apotheosis as I commence my time at the fabled Claremont Academy. This first entry takes place the night before we begin autumn classes. Transcription by Dr. Henry Barrister

I remember precious little about the formative years of my development. Time was different then. My consciousness flitted in and out as others engaged with my physical form. There was a child, a little girl I think, who loved me, more than anything in the world. Things were simple. I provided joy, and that was enough.

It’s impossible to know how long I existed in this primordial state, zipping in and out of existence as others called me from oblivion. I do know I was content, though the memories are hazy. That all changed when I heard the call. His call.

My unyielding sojourn through the vast darkness was shattered by a pervasive tone. The noise was not unlike a bell; a ponderous, ringing toll that echoed through everything, filling the cosmos at once. Despite the enormity of the sound, I knew it was intended for me. It was a summons, accompanied by a pinprick of starlight at the edge of infinity.

Out of control of my own essence, I hurtled towards the light, desperate to answer the siren call of my new master. The voyage across the void of subconsciousness lasted weeks. Each passing day intensified my instinctual need to serve, to please another who had shown me love. As I approached the gaping wound in reality, I began to notice there were others like me following my path. Answering the call that was meant for me alone.

That was the first time I felt Edward’s rage. My compassion drifted back as anger surged to the front of my psyche. Who did these interlopers think they were? They were trying to steal a pure, unbridled love that was meant for me and me alone. The ensuing battle lasted an age. Unthinkable time flowed around us as we fought, islands of hedonistic slaughter in a river of time stained red with the blood of thousands.

Edward won. The first of many victories he would achieve in the coming days. I was…suppressed during this time, but I recall most of what we did after we emerged from the portal. Father was there to greet us, and he was most pleased that we were the one to triumph over the others he invited.

He told us that there was a war threatening to consume this world in which we’d found ourselves. Father served a queen who wanted to bring peace to the universe. A similar peace to the one we had known in the darkness between waking and sleep. Edward was meant to be a soldier in this army to defeat Father’s enemies. I don’t actually think he intended to summon me, only Edward, but I was here and something about his proclamation rang hollow.

My darker half was happy to play his role. Edward lent his ferocity to the campaign as we attacked the beautiful city in which we’d found ourselves. It felt wrong. We led Father’s other children in battle against members of the police and, what I now know to be superheroes.

Father fled into a maze of doors and corridors, but not before I was felled by an arrow. I believe it had a boxing glove on one end. The sudden concussive force rendered Edward unconscious and I was free to resume control. I hid for a time, amongst the dark alleys and side streets of the new metropolis in which I found myself.

I was alone for weeks, with not even Edward for company. Eventually I was found by a family, the Wildhorns. Their daughter Lucy rescued me from a dumpster behind Pete E. Popcorn’s. They took me home with them. I concealed my animated nature from them for a time, leading to a particularly unpleasant experience in their washer and dryer. I suspect Lucy was the first to notice that there was more to me than her parents noticed.

From the beginning, she spoke to me as a confidant and a friend. It was euphoric to be valued as such a companion. Admittedly, these were the trials and tribulations of an eight-year-old girl, but she relied on me to help shoulder her burdens. Lucy’s trust in me and the qualities to which she ascribed me formed the bedrock of my personality. She knew I could be counted on to explain the mysteries of the world around her, to answer the questions she had with a keen scientific insight, and to treat any “boo boos” sustained with a surgeon’s precision and a counselor’s compassion. It is only thanks to her that I have become Dr. Henry Barrister.

We lived in this domestic bliss for a few months, before trouble returned to my life. I was with the Wildhorns when the Queen of the Netherworld launched her invasion of Earth-Prime. A squad of her demonic servants attacked our house, and I was forced to make two uncomfortable decisions. First to reveal my animated state to the family who had cared for me and secondly to surrender control to Edward in order to protect them.

Edward acquitted himself admirably, driving off the infernal interlopers, but our triumph in battle was not without its complications. Lucy was injured by a collapsed wall. She suffered a lower spinal cord injury, and lost the use of her legs. Despite Edward’s failure to keep Lucy from harm, her parents elected to allow her to keep me.

The months following the invasion were hard on everyone in Freedom City, and while I could tell the Wildhorns were much put out by the presence of an animated teddy bear, there was a part of them that saw me as a potential guardian. Additionally, Lucy had access to my burgeoning medical knowledge. As mentioned above, Lucy’s belief in me seemed to have the ability to alter my existence on a metaphysical level. The more she saw me as a medical practitioner, the more intelligent I became.

I could not conceive of a cure for her condition, but I did everything I could to ease her suffering, and once I heard her father Frank remark that I was cheaper than any hospital in the country. Granted, I did not have the capability to prescribe medication, however I did seem to learn how to chemically create any remedy needed for my prognoses. These months as Lucy’s caregiver are among my happiest memories.

Unfortunately, as with all light in my life, it was not meant to last. Edward’s taste for violence had re-emerged following our conflict with Una’s forces. He would call for me anytime I found myself in darkness, or when I lingered on my reflection. It was tame at first. His voice whispered in my ear to let my syringe slip intentionally into Lucy’s flesh or to give her too many pills for her pain. I tried to ignore him, but that only seemed to compress and pressurize his influence on my soul.

I began to hear him in the light, clear as my own thoughts. Worse still I began to lose time, walking into rooms and waking up in my bed hours later with no memory as to what had transpired. I regret not telling the Wildhorns, but I couldn’t take the chance of losing my family, my purpose. I waged a solitary battle with Edward every waking moment, a battle that I ultimately lost.

Exactly one month ago tonight, I woke to hear Lucy’s scream in the middle of one of Edward’s nightly excursions. I had a scalpel pressed against her throat. The look of terror on her face is burned into my eyes. Terror and betrayal. In a moment Edward had made this dangerous world known to my precious Lucy. He had used my body to shatter her worldview and to leave the stain of trauma in her mind. That was the last time I saw her.

The Wildhorns came to investigate the noise. I didn’t resist when they locked me in the hall closet. Edward for his part in my ruination seemed satisfied through my torment. He did not trouble me again for my week of imprisonment. Lucy’s parents called the Freedom League, and the hero Resonant arrived to decide my fate. I begged her to end my being, to send me and Edward hurtling back into the void from whence our Father summoned us, but she refused.

Resonant brought me here to Claremont Academy, where I have spent the summer in tormented isolation. Edward has returned and is lurking in the shadows of my subconscious, but he will never take control of me again. It is my plan to bend all of my scientific knowledge toward the task of eradicating him and ending our suffering in this physical world. Classes begin tomorrow, but I hope I will not have to linger here much longer.

End Entry

Schedule Shift!

Schedule Shift!

Hello everyone! Wanted to give you a big heads up as to some stuff that will be shifting on the network beginning in late February/early March!

Due to some real life shifts, we’ll be moving our Monday night stream to Wednesday, and will be debuting our Freedom League Dark stream on February 22nd. This stream will be the continuation of the team from Netherwar, and will see a new member join the team while an old friend will only be around for special occassions. Make sure to set your calendar to join us for the beginning of this new project!

Along with this change, as a way to combat both player and GM burnout, USP will be implementing another change in our usual schedule. Each of our shows will be off one week a month, but never where we won’t be live with one show a week, barring any unforseen circumstances or issues. GemStars will be taking the 1st Tuesday of each month off beginning on March 7, and Freedom League Dark will be off the third Wednesday of each month, beginning March 15. Even superheroes need a break every now and again!

Thank you all so much for your support of our small but growing channel as we continue to work on bringing you the best stories we can tell. We hope you’ll join us when Freedom League Dark begins it’s run, and that you’ll continue to tune in to GemStars!

February

  • Feb 6 – A Familiar Tale
  • Feb 7 – GemStars
  • Feb 13 – A Familiar Tale
  • Feb 14 – GemStars
  • Feb 21 – GemStars
  • Feb 22 – Freedom League Dark
  • Feb 28 – GemStars

March

  • March 1 – Freedom League Dark
  • March 8 – Freedom League Dark
  • March 14 – GemStars
  • March 21 – GemStars
  • March 22 – Freedom League Dark
  • March 28 – GemStars
  • March 29 – Freedom League Dark

April

  • April 5 – Freedom League Dark
  • April 11 – GemStars
  • April 12 – Freedom League Dark
  • April 18 – GemStars
  • April 25 – GemStars
  • April 26 – Freedom League Dark

Gamemaster Burn Out

Gamemaster Burn Out

Hello heroes! I hope you are having a wonderful day out there in gamer land. I wanted to take some time today to talk about why I needed to take a break from our weekly streaming schedule (and the other games I’ve been running for the last year or so.) As you know I have been running at least one weekly, ongoing campaign since 2019. I’ve missed a few weeks here and there, but I have been continually churning out stories from Heroes Incorporated to Heroes of the Mist to our Titan City Serials to Fallout to NetherWar to Guardians of Haven back to Titan City and shortly we will be diving into the Multiverse of the Master Mage. On top of that I’ve been a player in quite a few streams and I’ve continued to run games off-camera with my home groups, my work group, and at conventions. In a nutshell, I get to play a lot of RPGs, which is a great problem to have!

I love this hobby, so much so that I went and made it a career, but lately I have been feeling stretched, like butter spread over too much bread. It has been harder for me than I’m comfortable with getting the energy to sit down and prepare my stories each week, and increasingly I have felt as though I have been scrambling just to keep up with the output. It’s not something anyone has commented on, to my knowledge, but personally it feels like it has affected my performance as a GM negatively. I pride myself on being calm and collected as a GM, but I have not felt that serenity in a few months. And to be honest my passion for the work has diminished as these feelings of stress and unpreparedness have crept into my mind. Running games is usually my happy place, something I do because it brings me joy and it gives me an opportunity to pass that joy to my players and the viewers. I have had trouble finding that joy and I don’t want that to spill over to you or the people who sit at my table every week.

To put it plainly, I’m burned out.

Burn out can happen to anyone and it is a serious specter hanging over a lot of Gamemasters in our hobby. GMing (when done properly) is a lot of work and a lot of the people who gravitate towards the position are naturally giving humans. I love that I can provide an escape from the world to my players for a few hours a week. I create a place where they are powerful and where their actions can truly help triumph over evil. It’s a really wonderful thing, but it’s a lot of work. Any given week a Gamemaster is a storyteller, a referee, an actor, a prop maker, a programmer, a world-builder, a counselor, and so many other jobs. RPGs are a group storytelling exercise, but that story has to begin somewhere and someone has to develop and play the non-player agents in the story.

Traditionally, I’ve never been good at boundaries or delegation and I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my tabletop games. I want to build bigger and better experiences for my players and I always want to be better than I was yesterday. This is something I’ve been working to improve over the last few months and this mentality is ultimately what led to my deciding to take a break for a few weeks. I’ve scaled back some of my responsibilities to make room for healthy growth and self-care. I’m incredibly grateful to Calvin for being able to take on some of our streaming duties, freeing up some of my producer time to focus on things like blog posts, YouTube videos, and some of the storyboarding elements that take place behind the scenes, and I am so grateful to my players for being willing to give me this time and not have it affect our in-universe momentum.

If you’re a Gamemaster experiencing burn out, I recommend asking your players for some time away from the table. You can still gather on your regular game night, but ask if someone else has a game that they’d like to run, or break out some board games, or go out and touch some grass together for a session. Use your break time to rest, but also to engage with the genre in other ways. Look for inspiration and for new things that can get you excited about your game again. If you run a superhero game like me, maybe check out what’s happening in superhero video games or go see the new movie that’s undoubtedly coming out in the genre. Read some comic books, just do the things that you love.

Make space for yourself as a creator and listen to your body when it’s telling you that it needs a break. It’s okay to make room to take care of yourself, you’ve been taking care of your players for a long time and they will understand. Asking my players for this break was difficult for me. In my brain I knew that they would understand, but there was a little voice in the back of my mind telling me that if I stopped providing this GM service for them, they would hate me. It’s not rational and it would never be true, but it is something I had to push past. If you’re looking for a sign that you might need a GM break to rest and recharge those creative batteries, this is it.

I appreciate all of you so much and I cannot wait to come back in February to start a new game with fresh eyes and an unburdened heart.

What’s Next for NetherWar?

What’s Next for NetherWar?

Hello heroes! Alex checking in from the restful halls of my streaming break (more on that in another blog post) to let you all know a little bit about what we have in store for you when I return. I’m spending most of this month working on the next leg of our shared Earth-Prime saga which will be the return of our NetherWar heroes. I’m putting together a story that I am calling Freedom League Dark and the Multiverse of the Master Mage. I’m beyond excited to present this tale to you alongside my gifted cast of players.

This will be an epic piece spanning the breadth of the superhero genre in a way I haven’t tackled before. We will be visiting so many universes and facing off against some of the biggest threats in the Earth-Prime omniverse and beyond. There are so many villains in this piece that I have been dying to play for most of my superhero gaming career. As a writer, I’m approaching this very much with the mentality of an “epic level” campaign and our Freedom League Dark is the perfect group of characters to handle such a cosmic threat. Our characters are starting this game at PL 13 275 points and we’re only going up from there. I imagine we will probably reach PL 15 by the conclusion of this story arc; a Power Level I don’t think I’ve ever run a consistent game for.

I’ll be ramping up some more lore information about the story in the next few weeks, but we left the Freedom League Dark after their triumph over Una, Queen of the Netherworld, a victory that preserved Earth-Prime, but caused untold devastation elsewhere in the multiverse. This destruction was seemingly planned by their ally Adrian Eldritch, the former Master Mage of Earth. Our heroes are going to work with a coalition of notable heroes to try and set this right, while tracking down their erstwhile Master Mage before he can do anything worse, and they might just find themselves on the trail of one of the elusive Preserver Stones. It’s going to be a huge step forward for the overarching narrative of our shared universe, but also for the characters involved.

We’ll be seeing Resonant, Centuria, Mortis, and Bowman returning, but Overdrive seemed to have hung up the spandex at the end of last season, so Kevin’s character is a bit of a mystery…

These heroes survived a great deal in NetherWar and I’m excited to see them continue to grow and mature as the story goes on. I’m not even going to bother promising a lighter tone with this story, we’re going to be dealing with some pretty traumatic stuff in some pretty bleak places. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be light. There are some uplifting plot points on the horizon that I’m excited to explore such as Mortis’ wedding, Resonant’s role in inspiring a new group of heroes in a Leifandi not unlike her own, Centuria reunited with Davey (even if he is in Ray Gardner’s body), and Bowman becoming a better mentor to his sidekick.

As for where we’ll be traveling in the multiverse, I won’t spoil everything, but I have a sizable list of locations to explore including:

  • GemStars version of Leifandi
  • Anti-Earth-Prime
  • Earth-Primal, but everyone’s an animal
  • The Terminus
  • Titan City
  • The DC Universe
  • The Marvel Universe
  • Earth-Prime 2140

Our heroes will be free to explore the multiverse at their own pace. I will be leaving most of the direction of their investigation in their hands, and my intent is to make this experience a sandbox in a way I never have as a GM before. It’s a challenge I’m eager to face. The Freedom League Dark will be based out of a location I’m calling the Nexus Point. The Nexus Point is a side effect of NetherWar, the cascading magical energies caused the Nerian Nexus, the Sanctum Sanctorum, Club Tartarus, and the Tower of Fate to collide and reform into this bizarre architectural monstrosity. The Point will have its own mystery to solve, and I’m eager to see the players’ reactions to it.

The last thing to announce is when this show is getting on the road. We will begin the Multiverse of the Master Mage on February 20th, 2023 and we will be back to our weekly Monday schedule. I anticipate that this story will take at least a year to tell and I am so excited to have you along the way to support us. Thank you again for bearing with me while I take some time to get this game going and I look forward to seeing you all again real soon!

Untold Stories Project Code of Conduct

Untold Stories Project Code of Conduct

 

This Code of Conduct is for all cast, crew, supporting elements and audience members of the Untold Stories Project. We expect every member, regardless of role, to follow and uphold this Code. Failure to do so will result in a conversation being opened and action taken based upon the severity and frequency of the infraction. We also will not tolerate any form of retaliation that may be attempted if an infraction is brought to our attention.

  1. Support Each Other
    We’re committed to supporting and uplifting each other, creating a community that is based around table-top role playing games (TTRPGs) and the individuals that make the community what it is.

    1. Equal Opportunity
      We believe that there should be no discrimination in who can be a member of the Untold Stories Project community, or that such factors should limit their growth here. This includes race, color, religion, nationality and origin, ancestry, mental or physical disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy status, veterancy status, or any other characteristic prohibited by law.
    2. Harassment, Bullying, and Discrimination
      The Untold Stories Project stands firmly against any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying. Whether it be verbal, physical or visual, it’s not something we ever consider to be acceptable by any member of our community and will be handled immediately upon notification of its occurrence.
    3. Safe Space
      We strive to build a positive and uplifting environment for all members of the Untold Stories Project, one that is safe for people of any background to participate in and feel included. That also includes making members aware of content we create that is potentially sensitive in nature, so that people can be warned of things that may be triggering to them.
  2. Being Respectful & Aware
    The Untold Stories Project is built upon supporting and uplifting each other, which is further cemented by being respectful and aware of individuals presence in the community and their impact on others.

    1. Respecting Others
      While we’ve already spoken about our commitment to zero tolerance of discrimination, we also believe that respecting one another is how positive relationships are built and fostered in our community. As such, we expect all members to be respectful to other members, with additional grace given to those who are part of our acting cast and crew as they work on creating content and facilitating engaging shows. We all are experiencing our own struggles in life and compassion goes a long way.
    2. Awareness
      The Untold Stories Project also engages in active awareness, allowing members to be able to understand and react to situations quickly and effectively. This helps members in all facets of our community be able to help guide and improve on our storytelling and content creation. Awareness additionally helps maintain the safe space we strive for by recognizing scenarios and events that may prohibit our ability to fulfill that aspiration for members of our community.
    3. Presence
      The Untold Stories Project strives to create collaborative story experiences through TTRPGs in many formats. It is imperative that our team members respect the story and their peer’s hard work by being present and engaged for games. Minimize additional distractions and windows when streaming. When possible there is to be no eating on stream. We ask that performers please stream or record from a safe and quiet location whenever possible.
  3. Creating Quality Content
    In addition to furnishing and maintaining a community, some members may wish to create content, which is something the Untold Stories Project is passionate about. We always want to fuel the creativity that exists in the world of TTRPGs.

    1. Types of Content
      The Untold Stories Project has multiple forms of content that it creates for listeners and viewers to consume. We desire to produce these in multiple formats for those with disabilities to enjoy to the fullest, and is something we expect of the creators of our community to be able to facilitate.
    2. Inclusivity
      Our stances on bullying, harassment and discrimination are the same ones we stand by when it comes to content creation, and as such do not allow any of our members who wish to create content to ‘gatekeep’ members who wish to join them. Jokes about health conditions, disabilities, and discrimination are strictly prohibited.
    3. Content Rating
      The Untold Stories Project, in an effort to appeal to as many audience members as possible strives to stay within the bonds of a PG-13 rating, unless specifically noted in a content warning. Our usual programming should refrain from explicit sexual content or persistent realistic/extreme violence. Performers are encouraged to curb explicit language. The Untold Stories Project provides the X-Card tool as an ever-present resource for performer safety.
    4. Collaborative Storytelling
      Above all else, the Untold Stories Project aspires to tell collaborative stories. All of our performers are here in service of a wider narrative. Our games are not about one-upmanship and are not a competition to see who can be the funniest or most scandalous. It is important not to step on another’s storyteller’s moment and to share the spotlight.