I ran a White Wolf game at a local convention in 2001. I created six characters, all based on media characters that represented the major types of supernatural beings within the original White Wolf campaign setting.
Characters
I created six characters because 1) I think 6 is about the optimal number for a good roleplaying game, especially for a one-shot convention game and 2) it provided a 3/3 male/female dynamic which was expressed by one of the characters as “Complimentary Powers of Three”.
Changeling
Figuring out the Changeling was the hardest. There were so very few media characters that fit any of the differing types of Changelings as set out in the campaign world. “The Wizard” was a possibility but it wasn’t very well known.
And then it hit me. Thor called the Incredible Hulk a Troll.
It was in “The Incredible Hulk Returns”, a TV movie after the original “Incredible Hulk” series was over where a young Donald Blake discovered Thor’s hammer and was able to summon the Norse God of Thunder, Thor. In one scene, Thor sees the green Goliath that was the Hulk and called him a troll. Well, he should know. Trolls are a part of Scandinavian folklore. Plus it makes a certain sense why David Banner could never quite find a cure for his situation, because it was in part Changeling magic and not science.
Highlander
Highlander wasn’t in the White Wolf campaign world but at the time, pre-Internet, the first fan-created rules widely distributed using the White Wolf system and campaign world were for Immortals. In keeping with the tri-part balance of men and women, I chose Amanda from “Highlander: The Raven” who appeared in the original “Highlander” TV series and in her own short-lived spin-off.
Hunter
Buffy Summers. ‘Nuff said.
Mage
The Mage was easy: Phoebe Halliwell, the youngest sister of the Charmed Ones. It was her precognitive powers that provided the spark to get everyone together
Shapeshifter
This one was hard: the only werewolves on television didn’t possess much control their transformed state, and would only be trouble in a scenario. Then I remembered the short-lived series “Manimal” starring Simon McCorkindale, about a professor (Dr. Jonathan Chase) who could shapeshift into animals: one of his preferred animals was a black panther. That would do.
Vampire
This was the first and easiest character to create: Nick Knight, from the series “Forever Knight”. The only other possible character I would want for this scenario was Barnabas Collins from “Dark Shadows” but I just couldn’t see that character as a part of the scenario.
Personal Links