Quest for a TTRPG Fairy Tale

September is International Podcast Month (IPM), and I was fortunate enough to be able to participate by playing in a TTRPG one-shot run by the wonderful Russ Wilde, gamemaster of the Prism Pals podcast. This game was my first experience with the new Quest TTRPG system, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to give a bit of a peek behind-the-scenes regarding what goes into creating a character and learning to play what ended up being a simple, enjoyable, and incredibly wholesome game.

You can find the IPM Episode for this one-shot here. Keep reading if you’re interested in learning more about what goes into character creation for Quest, or if you just want to learn more about the characters we played.

Some TTRPGs, as much as I love them, have incredibly high barriers to entry when it comes to learning the rules and building a character (I’m looking at you, Shadowrun and Pathfinder). Quest​ very much takes a different approach. The entire process of learning how to play and creating my character took me only a couple of hours, and a lot of that time was the creative process of coming up with a name and backstory.

Character creation in Quest consists of answering eight questions about your character, the answers to which fill out the blanks in your Character Profile. (You can download a blank Character Profile form for free on the Quest website here.) The book does a great job of explaining and providing examples for each question, giving each a separate section to guide players through building their characters. I love the Character Profile; it’s a great way both for each player to become comfortable with their own character, and to introduce their character to other players.

Heya,
My name is Tee (They/Them, Half-Elf). I’m 19 years old and stand 5’11 tall. I’m the party’s Fighter. When people see me they notice my radiant smile, beginnings of a beard, and flawless poise. I wear hand-me-down armour and a flowing skirt and walk with a joyful whistle. I’m from a traveling caravan where my people are known for their sense of duty to each other. I believe in compassion, but my naïve reckless side can get in my way. I dream of spreading my ideal across the land. I carry Brell’s Tent in a Tin, a longsword and a dagger.

Additional Information
Tee is Asexual and Aromantic, but has a lot of feelings and care for the party. Very heart on their sleeve type with a penchant for being too forthright with their kindness. They frequently want to go out of their way to lend a hand to others if they see someone needing a hand. 

Story Questions
Why did you become a hero? 
Tee’s family and extended family (the caravan of motley travelers) always held such a high standard of duty and camaraderie to each other and the people of the places they visited. It was what instilled such a strong sense of reaching out to others. Upon their 19th birthday Tee set out to become a hero for people who didn’t have a band like the caravan they grew up with – setting sights on the first goal they’d heard of…

How have Writing Wraith’s villainous deeds impacted your life? 
Tee had successfully helped around in a couple of small villagers but upon hearing news of a more villainous plot turned paths to face the Writing Wraith, finding Curio and Briar along the way.

What is your favorite thing about your party members?
Tee greatly admires Curio’s confidence in both her swords and her words, paying close attention like a young sibling would to an older sibling when they see them expertly handle a stressful situation.
Tee respects Briar’s values and goals. A more mature and lived experience of the world yields much more balance to Tee’s naivety.

Hi, my name is Curio (she/her, Tiefling). I’m 25 years old and stand 5 feet 7 inches tall. I’m the party’s spy. When people see me, they first notice my berry-red skin, antelope-like horns, and rakish grin. I wear an expensive silk shirt, a cat charm necklace, and move with grace and confidence. I’m from a bustling city, where my people are known for criminal activities and resisting cruel rulers. I believe in freedom, but my hedonist side can get in the way. I dream of becoming a celebrity. I carry a rapier, a dagger, a crossbow, crossbow bolts, and lockpicks.
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Story Questions
Why did you become a hero? 
I became a hero to fight against my city’s rulers, and also gain fame and fortune. 

How have Writing Wraith’s villainous deeds impacted your life? 
In a fight with the Writing Wraith, I got a scar across my face, and lost a trinket which I stole from a particularly nasty aristocrat in my city.

What is your favorite thing about your party members?
• Respects Briar’s commitment to justice
• Enjoys Tee’s joyful demeanor

Hi, my name is Briar (she/her, human). I’m 30 years old and stand 5’7” tall. I’m the party’s naturalist. When people see me, they first notice my messily-braided brown hair, skeptical hazel eyes, and tightly-wound energy. I wear a plain, comfortable tunic, mismatched earrings (one red rose, one white), and move with absentminded assurance. I’m from a quiet farming community by a large forest, where my people are known for close ties to nature and an appreciation for good food. I believe in justice, but my reckless side can get in my way. I dream of returning home having found justice for (and a way to remove the curse from) my sister, Blossom. I carry a knife, a friend flute, and a bag of gingerbread & candies.

Story Questions
Why did you become a hero?  How have Writing Wraith’s villainous deeds impacted your life?
I lived in a cottage in the forest just outside of town with my sister, Blossom, who is an excellent cook and a baker. My sister sells her baked goods in the nearby town & the Writing Wraith came by one fateful day and took one of her cookies, assuming it was oatmeal chocolate chip. It was actually an oatmeal raisin cookie. Unreasonably enraged by this turn of events, the Wraith (who didn’t even pay!) turned our cottage into gingerbread and all our belongings into sweets.
In one fell swoop, the home where we’d been raised was completely uninhabitable, we lost everything we owned, and to top it off both the woodland animals and local children were making themselves sick eating the house. With all the ‘free’ sweets and no functional kitchen, my sister was completely out of any business, too.
We tried to dismantle our ruined home and rebuild, but the Writing Wraith’s magic made everything tore down reappear the next day, and everything new my sister built turned to gingerbread. Blossom insisted on staying to try to at least keep her odd curse from spreading anywhere else. Really, I think she’s also too saddened by the idea of leaving our home to try to start fresh somewhere else. I’ve decided that I can’t let the Writing Wraith just keep doing this sort of thing to people, and I couldn’t let Blossom stay cursed, so I set out to deal with her, making some likeminded friends (Tee & Curio) along the way.

What is your favorite thing about your party members?
My favorite thing about Curio is that she values freedom and resists cruelty.
My favorite thing about Tee is their carefree, joyful attitude. I view Tee as a younger sibling, and try to watch out for them.