I often find my biggest inspirations for writing when I least expect it. After I took a hiatus from blogging for two years, blog and internet friend Adventure Rules suddenly dropped in with a community challenge to send him questions and he would reciprocate, leading to a mass exchange of questions among friends and fellow writers. This flux in conversation brought so many excellent topics to the forefront of my attention span and ignited a spark that had long been dormant inside me…the inspiration to blog. Consider my Bonfire Lit.
One of the questions submitted was from another long-time friend of the site, The Gaming Diaries, who asked “What stats and abilities would you choose if you were to create an Adventure Rules character for a game?” Reading the question only served to grease the blogging-gears that had begun turning in my head once again- “What would MY stats and abilities be in an RPG?” I asked if the two of them would mind if I also answered this question for my own post, and graciously, they told me they’d be eager to read it!
So here we are! Big thanks to my friends AR and GD for letting me jump in on this question. I’d highly encourage you to read AR’s original post on the topic here- he’s a more detailed writer than I could ever dream of being!
And now, since I usually spend way too much time in Character Creation, let’s get started! 😉
What Kind of RPG Should I Even Be In?
The first order of business is figuring out what the heck kind of RPG I’d even find myself in! Fantasy or sci-fi? Cartoonish or realistic? Light-hearted or gritty? I want to base my own choice in the same way that Adventure Rules did- “What sort of world do I imagine would be suitable for the Brink persona?”
The world itself would be colorful and open, home to a variety of geographical biomes, climates, and cities/villages much like that of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. Forests, rivers, mountains, and deserts would all be fully open to exploration providing you have the right equipment to survive the conditions. There would also be caves, abandoned ruins, and entire underground cities to explore and find goodies…provided you overcome the dangers!
What good is an open-world without living things to fill it? Blending the idea of Pokémon together with the Japanese Shinto belief that kami spirits reside throughout everything in nature, Spirits of the 5 Classical Japanese Elements (Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Void/Heaven, which I’ll refer to as Aether from here on) could be found and befriended all over the world- some by making shrine offerings, and others by fulfilling certain deeds in the right place or during natural phenomena/weather events.
Each type would have a variety of sub-type specializations (Water might have Lake, River, and Rain Spirits, Earth might have Rock, Mountain, Plant, etc.) and unique appearances that would range from cute to uber-tough. Your Spirit allies would help you battle against Demons that have invaded all over the countryside, all of which are corrupted Spirits that you need to purify.
Much like the game Monster Sanctuary, another creature-collector, your allies would also use their skills to help explore the overworld. Have a River Spirit? It can help you cross deep water, while a Lake Spirit could help you descend underwater to explore sunken ruins. Mountain Spirits could likewise help with climbing steep terrain, Plant Spirits could help fashion a shelter when caught in the wild after dark, Wind Spirits for gliding and eventually flying, etc.
What Should My Role Be in This World?
You might wonder at this point- “If the focus of the game is creature-collecting, what would your role even be?”
I’m not the kind of person to whole-heartedly ascribe belief in rigid personality systems, but I DO believe that they point out our tendencies when interacting with the world at large. I’ve taken the “16 Personalities” Test (based off of the Myers-Briggs Personality Test) on three separate occasions- once as a part of my Psychology major in college, once as a young adult, and another when showing it to co-workers as a mere curiosity/time-waster. Every single time I’ve taken the test, I have gotten the same type: INFJ. I’m not going to explain what each letter stands for as that would be a whole post in itself, but of the 16 personality types, this one is called ‘The Advocate.’
While being an Advocate aligns with my work in the real world (formerly in Mental Health, and now as a Youth Mentor), this sort of role would also fit perfectly in a world of partnering with Spirits for adventure and safety. I gain purpose in life through helping others. As such, I’d see myself as being a character like Kakashi Hatake from Naruto that teaches new Spirit Seekers (yeah, we’ll call them that!) how to befriend Spirits and draw out their potential. My role would also involve bringing new Seekers out into the wild for practice, helping them hone their talents in a safe environment before they venture far away from our home village.
But being an Advocate is also about diplomacy. I would also be responsible for venturing out of the village to assist in quelling Demons and protecting Seekers and travelers who are in severe danger, and also for helping soothe Spirits who might be corrupted and on the way to becoming a Demon. I’m not a main character sort of person- I’d be the one who teaches, but also shows up when things look rough and helps settle everything down to normal.
What Powers Best Support That Role?
Given that I’ve built an RPG that puts a team of Spirits at the forefront of battling and exploration, what sort of bonuses would BRINK have within the scope of the game? Honestly…probably not many. I think the true showcase of ME in the game would be the sort of Spirits I surround myself with to fulfill my duties.
Given the Pokémon inspiration, let’s max out my team of Spirits at six. I would keep a balance of Spirits with me at any given time to account for quick travel in most terrains, as well as ones to protect myself and others from Demons.
1. First and foremost, a Wind Spirit (Cloud Type) to fly me wherever I need to go. Yes, this is absolutely a rip-off idea of Goku’s Flying Nimbus in Dragon Ball, but this Spirit would be shaped like a platypus, all while made of white, fluffy clouds that could take me anywhere quickly.
2. Sometimes flying might be a bit much, so an Earth Spirit (Meadow Type) could haul me over land quickly when needed. It would have the form of an antelope, but with ethereal horns and mist around its feet.
3. To round out my travel helpers, I’d keep a Water Spirit (Lake Type) close at hand. This Spirit would be a giant orb of water that I could ride inside of to roll both over or under water (and it can keep me oxygenated because MAGIC :P).
4. My top priority when venturing out to assist others is ensuring their safety. Thus, the next member of my team would be an Aether Spirit (Heaven Type). It would have the appearance of pure white spider with bright blue eyes, and it would spin its web over and around wounds to quickly heal bodily injuries and illnesses.
5. When rescuing others from danger, I would need a protector to keep us safe- enter the Fire Spirit (Molten Type). This Spirit would be a large obsidian golem, able to fight or protect, as well as spew lava from its mouth to fend off attackers or build quickly-cooling rock barriers between us and Demons.
6. Every creature-collector needs a best buddy to stick by their side-mine would be a mischievous Aether Spirit (Void Type) with an impish body, but a head and two-tails like a Japanese cat spirit- the Nekomata. This Spirit would specialize in illusions and can change its appearance to blend in with its surroundings. Its abilities would also help when trying to face strong enemies.
While the Spirits I befriend would be the ones with the cool powers, these abilities would all serve the purpose of fulfilling the same duties I would uphold even WITH magical/super powers. I’ve always believed that people are stronger together when they work towards a common goal, and my need to find purpose in advocating for others would be easily fulfilled in this world of Spirits and adventure.
Since Spirit Seeker Brink would specialize in helping/teaching others, I would also bring small groups of new Seekers into the wild to explore new areas, teach them how to meet new Spirits, and guide them in what it takes to be a successful Seeker. Learning is often the best teacher and so I would also give the newbies opportunities to use their Spirits to face smaller Demons, all while keeping my own Spirits at the ready to intervene if things go awry.
I really love traveling and seeing knew places, both urban and rural, which is something my team of Spirits could help me achieve. However, being in new places as an adult sometimes gives me anxiety as I’M responsible for watching after my own safety. Having a crew of Spirits with me at all times would alleviate those nerves and allow me to focus wholly on the enjoyment of experiencing something new.
Wrapping Up
…Dammit, now I just want this to be a real game. What have I done?!
I have to admit, this post took on a much different direction than I anticipated when asking GD and AR if I could participate in their question. My intention was to detail myself and my role/abilities in an RPG setting, but my love for creature-collecting and adventure brought me into brainstorming a whole-ass game. If you’ve made it with me this far, I appreciate you reading along! I hope you’ve enjoyed the trip!
Until next time, take care!
-Brink
The Brink of Gaming 