The Avatar Mini-Game

[Tegyrius]

Back in the day, my World of Darkness group occasionally dabbled in what were then called "avatar campaigns" - porting the real-world players to the game's character model. I've seen this done in a number of other settings, usually with results as grim and dismal as ours were. Off the top of my head, the only published systems that are designed for it are Outbreak Undead and its SPEW-AI assessment quiz, and possibly Legendlore (it's been a while since I glanced at it).

During a discussion elsenet about T2k campaigns, someone commented on players who feel that their real-life military experience should entitle them to command roles or better character traits in play, regardless of the normal character creation process or results. I was inspired to provide something to... help... those folks. These, then, are my pre-alpha-test notes for running player-history-based characters. This should work for any edition of the game.

Step One

Bring to the table printed copies of the following:

• your latest medical examination up to, but not later than, your nation's official entry into combat (November 1996 for American players in most editions)

• if claiming military service, your DD-214 or equivalent

• if claiming education, transcripts from all postsecondary education attended

• if claiming workplace experience, copies of income tax records for each year claimed that clearly show claimed occupation for that year

Step Two

Assign attributes and skills appropriate to your verifiable personal history up to November 1996 (or equivalent).

If you had no military service history prior to November 1996, assume you were drafted and apply additional skills appropriate to the training an infantry conscript would have received in your nation in 1997.

Step Three

Pass your personal history documentation and character sheet to the player on your right.

Using your choice of red pen, X-Acto knife, or Zippo lighter, audit the materials you just received and correct the character sheet as you deem appropriate.

When done, pass that character sheet to the player on your right. Continue this process until your own character sheet returns to you.

Step Four

Roll 1d20 and consult the following table:

1 - died in transportation accident or enemy attack during deployment or troop movement
2 - died from small arms fire
3 - died from artillery
4 - died from air strike
5 - died from other kinetic effect (e.g., minefield, heavy weapons fire, destruction of vehicle)
6 - died of strategic nuclear strike on critical infrastructure or military installation
7 - died of tactical nuclear strike
8 - died of radiation poisoning
9 - died of untreated chronic medical condition (either existing but previously-undetected or caused by wartime conditions)
10 - died of animal- or insect-borne illness
11 - died of foodborne illness or accidental toxin ingestion (e.g., eating the wrong frog)
12 - died of respiratory illness
13 - died of dysentery
14 - died of dietary deficiencies (e.g., scurvy, rickets)
15 - died of starvation
16 - died of dehydration
17 - died from medical error (e.g., incompetent surgeon, contaminated or incorrect drugs)
18 - died of environmental causes (e.g., heatstroke, hypothermia, drowning, snakebite)
19 - succumbed to despair and self-terminated in a manner of your choice
20 - survived to enter play

Step Five

If you rolled 1 through 19, contemplate the yawning abyss that is your own mortality and the inevitable triumph of entropy over everything you've ever been, done, known, loved, created, or experienced. Take two drinks.

If you rolled a 20, do the following:

• Roll a number of d20s equal to the number of edits the other players made to your character sheet. Add the total of all rolls. This is your starting rads.

• Multiply your starting rads by 10. This is your starting budget for selecting equipment.

• Roll 1d4-1. This is the number of promotions you earned after November 1996 (or equivalent). Record your new rank, then edit it off your sheet because it doesn't matter any more.

At this point, you're probably the only person at the table with a surviving PC. Good luck! You're on your own!

This is intended as satire and should not be used for actual campaign setup. No grognards were harmed in the making of this post.

- C.