(My Little Pony) Apple Cider Vinegar - Holistic Pony #CharacterCreationChallenge

Let's be honest, this year's #CharacterCreationChallenge has a number of concepts that didn't make it to last years and I carried them over. 

I'm very happy the Apple Cider Vinegar is not one of them.  This is him statted out for My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria by River Horse Press, not just the best pony-based RPG, but one of the finest RPGs I've encountered in the past 40 years.  

Pony Name: Apple Cider Vinegar

Pony Type:  Earth Pony

Level:  4

Element of Harmony:  Honesty 

Body:   D6

Mind:   D8

Charm: D10

Stamina: 14

Talents:

Stout Heart   D12

Healing Touch D10

Pony of All Trades D8

Keen Knowledge:  Cooking  D6

Keen Knowledge:  Biology D4

Quirks:  

Overenthusiastic

Equipment: 

Cart containing an assortment of elixirs, poultices, and tinctures, as well as a small library of tomes.

Kit (Cooking supplies)

Yes, Friendship is Magic, but have you ever woken up after a night of wearing a chamomile mask laced with pine nuts?  THAT is truly magical.  

Apple Cider Vinegar is a pony always seeking alternative forms of medicine, beyond first aid, beyond magic.  You can regularly see hit pulling his cart, filled with herbs and "rare" substances that he uses to concoct his creations.  

And the crazy thing?  Nothing is harmful, and sometimes, just sometimes, it all seems to work.  And he's a Earth pony with Honesty as their Element of Harmony.  

At some point early one,  Apple Cider Vinegar somehow transferred his healing touch into one of his remedies.  He doesn't necessarily know how it happens, or how often, but he now can't use that talent without using the remedies as his vessel. 

(Hackmaster) Frizzia Nimblewhim - Gnome Illusionist #CharacterCreationChallenge

Day 4 of the #CharacterCreationChallenge, and I stick with statting out minis I've painted in 2025. 

This female gnome illusionist from the Hackmaster 4th Edition line was painted on a whim back in May.  There may not be much whimsy about her as a character, though. 

"Frizzia" Nimblewhim - 5th Level Gnome Illusionist

Age: 100   Height: 3'4"    Weight:  80 lbs  Handedness:  Right

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Social Class: UMC  Mother Deceased, Father Unknown

2nd Born, 3 Siblings (Male, Female, Female, all illegitimate)

Strength:            8/22

Intelligence       19/61

Wisdom              7/53

Dexterity           15/49

Constitution      10/94

Charisma            10/44

Comeliness:        9/26

Honor:                  20

Quirks and Flaws:  Strange Body Odor, Hemophiliac, Narcolepsy, Truthful 

Proficiency:  Dagger, 

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Spells Base:   6 - 2 - 1 

Talent: 
Freeze

Skills:  
Arcane Lore                      24

Art Appreciation: Painting (d20) 23
Artistic Ability (d6)          28

Botany (d8)                       24  

Culinary Arts                     18

Eye Gouge                         26

First Aid Skill Suite (d6)   41

Language: Dwarf  (d10)    21

Language: Gnome (d10)    23

Language: Common (d10) 27

Read/Write: Dwarf   (d6)   27

Read/Write: Gnome (d6)    25

Read/Write: Common (d6) 21

Shaving/Grooming             Auto

Slip Away in Shadows (d6) 46

Tumbling (d6)                     48  

Hit Points:  34

Armor Class:  8

Magic Item:

Rod of Beguiling (Opalescent white with a crystalline tip)

A variety of potions

Born in the gnome village of Brillibog Hollow, nestled under a canopy of singing mushrooms and sparkling firefly trees, Thistledrop Nimblewhim always had a talent for getting attention… and then disappearing when it got too real. From a young age, she entertained her friends with dancing lights, illusory fireworks, and spontaneous hair color changes (some intentional, some not). Her family were outsiders, running a traveling puppet show, but she often got bored of repeating scripts and would rewrite whole acts with illusory creatures  or talking goats to spice things up.  

She earned the nickname “Frizz” after an early magical mishap that turned her hair frizzy and created a permanent sparkle trail whenever she sneezed. Her hair  stuck. The sparkle mostly faded away by the time she reached 80 years old. Nowadays, if she turns quickly, in the right light, there’s still a shimmer that can be seen.  She considers it part of her brand.

Frizz left Brillibog not out of rebellion, but out of curiosity. She believes that illusions reveal truth as much as they hide it, and she’s out to find the line between what is real and what people only wish was real. She studies the minds of others the way a bard studies rhythm, watching how people respond to falsehoods, dreams, and phantoms with equal parts delight and fear.

Frizz should be a much more powerful illusionist, but her hemophilia has kept her further from the quests, dungeons, and adventures.  She normally supports herself by posing as a fortune-teller, glamor artist, or street performer, depending on the town. She avoids puppets like the plague. 

(Star Wars) Vael Dorrin – Gotal Guide #CharacterCreationChallenge

Day 3 of the #CharacterCreationChallenge, and I'm digging into the minis I painted in the past year for inspiration. 

Vael Dorrin – Gotal Guide (Former Diplomat)

Species: Gotal

Character Type: Guide

DEXTERITY: 2D+2

• Blaster 4D+1 (“For Jedi. Just in case.”)
• Dodge 4D+1
• Grenade 3D

KNOWLEDGE: 4D

• Alien Species 5D
• Bureaucracy 5D (former expertise, rusty but effective)
• Cultures 5D
• Languages 5D
• Planetary Systems 4D+2
• Streetwise 5D
• Survival 5D+1 (focus of his new life)
• Value 4D+2

MECHANICAL: 3D

• Astrogation 3D+2
• Beast Riding 3D+2
• Repulsorlift Operation 4D+1
• Sensors 4D
• Space Transports 3D+2

PERCEPTION: 4D

• Bargain 5D+1 (soft-spoken, effective negotiator)
• Con 4D+2
• Hide 4D+1
• Investigation 5D
• Persuasion 6D 
• Sneak 4D+2

STRENGTH: 2D+2

• Climbing/Jumping 3D+1
• Stamina 3D (slowly rebuilt after years recovering)

TECHNICAL: 2D+2

• First Aid 3D
• Security 3D+1
• Repulsorlift Repair 3D

Special Abilities (Gotal):

Energy Sensitivity: +2D bonus to Perception to detect hidden emotions or Force activity.

Overwhelming Energy Drawback: If multiple Force users are nearby (or a particularly powerful one), Vael must make a Moderate Stamina roll or be overwhelmed (stunned or unconscious for 1D rounds). 

Losing Oneself in the Crowd:  Must make an hourly Moderate stamina check in urban or crowded environments. This also triggers PTSD-like symptoms (GM discretion, usually running or hiding away for 5d6 minutes).

Directional Senses: As before (+1D to Survival checks for navigating terrain).

Equipment:

Blaster Pistol
Rugged Trailcloak with Sensor-Masking Lining
Comlink 
Old Diplomatic Signet Ring 
Coded Datapad of pre-Clone Wars trade routes
Pocket holoprojector 

Vael was once the silver-tongued voice of his people, representing Gotal interests in high-stakes negotiations during the Clone Wars. But when Jedi entered the summit chamber unexpectedly, the sudden burst of Force energy overwhelmed his sensitive physiology. He collapsed, unconscious, and awoke in a Republic holding cell—traumatized, disoriented, and sure of betrayal.

Though later released without harm, that moment shattered him. He left his position and vanished from the galactic diplomatic scene, drifting into the wilderness of outer rim worlds. He took up work as a guide, rebuilding his strength slowly, year by year.

But the scars remain. Cities are too loud. People are too emotional. Force-users are abominations. If he ever crosses paths with a Jedi again, his blaster will speak before words do.

(Gamma World) Guy N Pygmalion - Riverboat Pirate #CharacterCreationChallenge

 Day 2 of the #CharacterCreationChallenge and we return to Gamma World for exactly what everyone was waiting for : Guy N Pygmalion,  Mutant Guinea Pig Riverboat Pirate

Guy N Pygmalion - 5th Level Enforcer (Mutant Guinea Pig Riverboat Pirate)

Attributes:
Physical Strength:   9
Dexterity:   15
Constitution:  12
Intelligence:   13 
Mental Strength:   10

Charisma:     16
Senses:   20

Hit Points:  64

THAC Melee: +5  THAC Ranged:  +7

Mental Defense:  10

Armor Class:  15

Health: 10

Robot Recognition:  14

Stealth:  +2

Speed: 9 (All fours and bipedal)

Skills:
Combat Leadership 8 Makeshift Weapon/Ammmo 6, Size-Up Opponent 10

Mutations:

• Heightened  Smell (Applied)
• Heightened Sight (Applied)
• Chameleon Skin (14)
• Electrical Generation (14)
• Life Leech (12)

Equipment:

• Makeshift Riverboat, Squealing Queen
• Laser Pistol (15 charges, 3d6 damage)
• Cutlass 
• Smoke Bombs (x3)
• Flare Gun 
• Electro-Whip – Conducts electrical charges when his mutation activates.
• Grappling Hook and Rope 
• Spyglass 
• Energy Cell Recharger 

Appearance: 

Guy is a 3'6" Guinea Pig with sleek, glossy fur with some mottled patches of brown and white.  He wears a patched captain's coat, a tricorn hat adorned with random, but colorful feathers, and and an eye patch (for style, not necessity). While he's above deck, a bandolier crosses his chest, bristling with throwing knives, pistols, and assorted gadgets scavenged from wrecked vessels. His buck-toothed grin and twitching whiskers are often the last things his enemies see before their cargo is plundered.

Background:

Raised among river raiders and scavengers along the River of Spirits, Guy N Pygmalion carved out a reputation as a cunning and charming pirate. He commands a jury-rigged riverboat called the "Squealing Queen," equipped with makeshift cannons and reinforced hull plating. His crew consists of misfits, mutants, and mercenaries drawn to his magnetic personality and promises of treasure.

Despite his pirate persona, Guy follows a loose code of honor.  Failure is tough to overcome in river piracy, but forgivable.  Betrayal?  He’ll make sure the river swallows you whole. 

He’s always on the lookout for ancient artifacts and forgotten technologies that might secure his dominance over the waterways below the Devil's Gate.

Another Season at Dollar Tree

 Another Christmas over, another new year.

Another wave of restocks and inventory rollover for Dollar Tree.  

I swung into my local Dollar Tree on Tuesday.  Most of the Christmas stuff was gone, the rest at least half off.   There was an endcap of New Years Stuff and a whole aisle of Valentine's cards (The Valentines with toys are intriguing, I may grab some of over the weekend. 

After a few years of delays, this year the spring and garden section was fully stocked, and it wasn't even 2026 yet! 

Most of the accessories aren't as usable as prior years.  Definitely more static/background pieces.

The fairy houses seem to be the same height, but the features seem to be smaller.  Color me intrigued by the red-cap mushrooms in their own box.  They've got a shiny glaze to them, but my only worry about a table decorated with them is packing them safely enough so they don't break.  

(Call of Cthulhu) Margaret Sallow, Archeologist #CharacterCreationChallenge

Day one of the #CharacterCreationChallenge, and I'm going for low-hanging fruit.  This one was floating around Pinterest for awhile, along with it's other AI elvish tomb raiding sisters....  

I think she has all her fingers and toes, so a basic Call of Cthulhu character (6th Edition) it is! 

Margaret Sallow

Age 28, Nationality: British  Birthplace: Cambridge, England

Strength: 10

Constitution: 13

Dexterity: 12

Appearance: 14

Intelligence: 16

Power:  12

Size:  9

Education: 17

Idea: 80%

Luck: 60%

Knowledge: 85

Sanity: 60

Magic Points: 12

Hit Points 11

 Skills:

Archaeology: 75%
Anthropology: 60%
Dodge: 40%

First Aid: 30%
History: 70%

Library Use: 60% 

Other Language (Egyptian Hieroglyphs) 20%

Other Language (Latin): 40%

Other Language (Greek): 20%

Occult 40%

Photography: 40%

Persuade: 50% 

Spot Hidden: 65%

Background

Margaret Sallow grew up in Cambridge, the daughter of a classics professor. Immersed in academic life from an early age, she developed a fascination with ancient civilizations and the mysteries they left behind. After earning her degree in archaeology at a prestigious university, she embarked on expeditions across Europe and the Middle East, specializing in uncovering artifacts and inscriptions.

Margaret’s travels introduced her to the shadowy fringes of history and most recently to the museums in New York City.  Recent discoveries of anachronistic hieroglyphs in Egypt have led her over the pond to similar collections in the United States.  

Equipment

• Archaeologist's toolkit (trowel, brushes, etc.)
• Lantern and oil
• Notebook and pencils
• Leather satchel for carrying artifacts
• Compass
• Small revolver (for emergencies)
• A copy of The Histories by Herodotus for casual light reading.

Happy New Year 2026!