Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A shared Character Theme is a fun way to spice up your RPG campaign, such as all in a Thieves Guild, a travelling band, or a shared character race. Themes allow players to deep-dive into aspects of the game world that most campaigns could never do. But when one player decides not to join the Theme (a.k.a. The 13th Warrior) the campaign can quickly collapse.
PATREON (Tip Jar): patreon.com/SSkorkowsky
A very special thank you to my 200 Patrons for their support.
______
CHECK OUT MY NOVELS
If you want to support my channel, or just want to read an action-packed Urban Fantasy about modern-day monster hunters and their sentient weapons, check out my four-novel Valducan series (you might notice Hounacier subtlety placed behind me). They feature gun fights, sword fights, chases, monsters, and a smattering of horror. Audio book editions narrated by the badass R.C. Bray: amzn.to/3rehNnJ
I also write pulpy Sword & Sorcery thief adventures in my Tales of the Black Raven series. It's 21 short stories packed with action, intrigue, and daring heroics. Audio editions read by R.C. Bray. amzn.to/3faj4cX
And if you want a kickass and dark revenge story about a modern-day sorceress hunting across the multiverse for lost Carcosa, my novel Ashes of Onyx is available in print, ebook, and audio book: amzn.to/3sfh1IA
If you enjoyed my stories, please leave a rating or review on Amazon, Audible, and/or Goodreads
goodreads.com/author/show/4088554.Seth_Skorkowsky
__________
MY PUBLISHED RPG ADVENTURES
A Mother's Love (Call of Cthulhu 7e). This collection of adventures win the 2020 Gold ENnie Award for Best Digital Adventure Book: drivethrurpg.com/product/299661/New-Tales-of-the-Miskatonic-Valley--An-Anthology-of-Call-of-Cthulhu-Scenarios-set-in-the-1920s?affiliate_id=1017650
Mysteries on Arcturus Station (Mongoose Traveller 2e). This is two adventures. One is written by me, and the other is my update to J. Andrew Keith's brilliant Murder on Arcturus Station: drivethrurpg.com/product/350034/Solomani-Adventure-1-Mysteries-on-Arcturus-Station?affiliate_id=1017650
And while I didn't write it (Marc Miller has that distinction), I did greatly expand and update the classic Traveller adventure Death Station to Mongoose 2e, which is TOTALLY FREE: drivethrurpg.com/product/380659/Death-Station?affiliate_id=1017650
__________
GOT DICE?
Check out the Q-Workshop Seth Skorkowsky RPG Icons Dice, a 10-die set that I designed with Q-Workshop: q-workshop.com/en/221-rpg-icons-seth-skorkowsky
__________
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
I mostly ramble about movies, tabletop roleplaying games, and random other things as they occur to me:
twitter.com/SSkorkowsky
__________
I HAVE A PODCAST NOW
Check out the Modern Mythos Podcast where veteran RPG writer Jon Hook and I discuss gaming, especially Call of Cthulhu: modernmythos.libsyn.com/?fbclid=IwAR1_wArr3cKQhXj5GNv52s2Q-_gdM9yyq-0O-_dugpOYp3CsevyZiir5mBU
You can find the podcast on YouTube as well (You should totally subscribe): youtube.com/channel/UCmk5Y_OheFJL7-Xgvx-REJA
__________
Guest starring Mike, Todd, and Dweebles
00:00 Intro
02:43 What is a Theme Campaign?
03:11 System Themes
03:54 Setting Theme
06:49 Character Theme
12:42 How To Make a Theme Campaign
13:57 Tell Your Players the Theme
14:49 Sell the Theme
16:16 Accidental Themes
18:05 13th Warriors
20:43 Easy to Introduce Hard to Keep
24:39 They Become the Star
26:30 They Destroy the Table's Fun
29:05 Closing Thoughts
And for those who scrolled all the way down here, if you're interested in watching the original "5 Worst Characters That Good Players Make" video from 2017 (and trust me, it's terrible), you can watch it here: youtu.be/Qy0RNOiQxu8
A shared Character Theme is a fun way to spice up your RPG campaign, such as all in a Thieves Guild, a travelling band, or a shared character race. Themes allow players to deep-dive into aspects of the game world that most campaigns could never do. But when one player decides not to join the Theme (a.k.a. The 13th Warrior) the campaign can quickly collapse.
PATREON (Tip Jar): patreon.com/SSkorkowsky
A very special thank you to my 200 Patrons for their support.
______
CHECK OUT MY NOVELS
If you want to support my channel, or just want to read an action-packed Urban Fantasy about modern-day monster hunters and their sentient weapons, check out my four-novel Valducan series (you might notice Hounacier subtlety placed behind me). They feature gun fights, sword fights, chases, monsters, and a smattering of horror. Audio book editions narrated by the badass R.C. Bray: amzn.to/3rehNnJ
I also write pulpy Sword & Sorcery thief adventures in my Tales of the Black Raven series. It's 21 short stories packed with action, intrigue, and daring heroics. Audio editions read by R.C. Bray. amzn.to/3faj4cX
And if you want a kickass and dark revenge story about a modern-day sorceress hunting across the multiverse for lost Carcosa, my novel Ashes of Onyx is available in print, ebook, and audio book: amzn.to/3sfh1IA
If you enjoyed my stories, please leave a rating or review on Amazon, Audible, and/or Goodreads
goodreads.com/author/show/4088554.Seth_Skorkowsky
__________
MY PUBLISHED RPG ADVENTURES
A Mother's Love (Call of Cthulhu 7e). This collection of adventures win the 2020 Gold ENnie Award for Best Digital Adventure Book: drivethrurpg.com/product/299661/New-Tales-of-the-Miskatonic-Valley--An-Anthology-of-Call-of-Cthulhu-Scenarios-set-in-the-1920s?affiliate_id=1017650
Mysteries on Arcturus Station (Mongoose Traveller 2e). This is two adventures. One is written by me, and the other is my update to J. Andrew Keith's brilliant Murder on Arcturus Station: drivethrurpg.com/product/350034/Solomani-Adventure-1-Mysteries-on-Arcturus-Station?affiliate_id=1017650
And while I didn't write it (Marc Miller has that distinction), I did greatly expand and update the classic Traveller adventure Death Station to Mongoose 2e, which is TOTALLY FREE: drivethrurpg.com/product/380659/Death-Station?affiliate_id=1017650
__________
GOT DICE?
Check out the Q-Workshop Seth Skorkowsky RPG Icons Dice, a 10-die set that I designed with Q-Workshop: q-workshop.com/en/221-rpg-icons-seth-skorkowsky
__________
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
I mostly ramble about movies, tabletop roleplaying games, and random other things as they occur to me:
twitter.com/SSkorkowsky
__________
I HAVE A PODCAST NOW
Check out the Modern Mythos Podcast where veteran RPG writer Jon Hook and I discuss gaming, especially Call of Cthulhu: modernmythos.libsyn.com/?fbclid=IwAR1_wArr3cKQhXj5GNv52s2Q-_gdM9yyq-0O-_dugpOYp3CsevyZiir5mBU
You can find the podcast on YouTube as well (You should totally subscribe): youtube.com/channel/UCmk5Y_OheFJL7-Xgvx-REJA
__________
Guest starring Mike, Todd, and Dweebles
00:00 Intro
02:43 What is a Theme Campaign?
03:11 System Themes
03:54 Setting Theme
06:49 Character Theme
12:42 How To Make a Theme Campaign
13:57 Tell Your Players the Theme
14:49 Sell the Theme
16:16 Accidental Themes
18:05 13th Warriors
20:43 Easy to Introduce Hard to Keep
24:39 They Become the Star
26:30 They Destroy the Table's Fun
29:05 Closing Thoughts
And for those who scrolled all the way down here, if you're interested in watching the original "5 Worst Characters That Good Players Make" video from 2017 (and trust me, it's terrible), you can watch it here: youtu.be/Qy0RNOiQxu8
