Characters (The Journey System)



The hero's journey has certain archetypal heroes. In most movies, novels, and so forth that follow the hero's journey, the major character list looks like this: hero, mentor, threshold guradian(s), herald, shapshifter, shadow, ally (allies), and trickster. These are archetypes and as a result they can be combined- so while most hero's journey tales will have these archetypes, some may put more than one into a single character, and others may take a single archetype and spread it out amongst several characters.

In traditional tales, the allies would be the rest of the group helping the single hero. The Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion are all Dorothy's allies. Han Solo, Princess Leia, R2-D2, C3-P0, and Chebacca are all allies to Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars: A New Hope” (Obi-Won Kenobi is a mentor). This is one of the key ways in which the Journey system is different from a traditional hero's journey. The hero is the party itself. One Player Character is not the hero with the rest playing supporting roles. This is not Dragonball Z, and the rest of the party does not exist to make the “Goku” character look good.

Instead the party itself is the hero, and character types like the mentor and allies will be NPCs controlled by the Game Master.

Archetype Descriptions:

The Hero: These are the PCs, whether they are good guys or not. Macbeth was the hero of his play, and he was a murderer and committed treason then stole the throne for an encore. So this is the the party, simple enough. To get a sense of what most literary heroes are like, look at the list of Character Roles in the section on Game Master Generated Play Characters.

The Mentor: The Mentor is an experienced NPC who helps the Player Characters and has insight into the campaign. He likely knows more than he is telling and may be actually deceiving the PCs somewhat (remember what Obi-Won Kenobi did to Luke). The mentor may also be under false impressions himself, making his advice only useful up to a point. The Mentor is present much more in the early stages of the campaign, and has been known to die in the second half of the story. The Mentor is just as often a woman as a man, and there is virtually no set look for one, save that they tend to be older than the heroes/PCs- not necessarily old, just older than the heroes.

Threshold Guardians: These are beings who block the way for the PCs. In terms of the Journey System, the threshold guardians are 'sub-bosses' who stand in the way of the PCs reaching the final confrontation. The important thing to remember with the threshold guardians is that they are metaphors for the heroes' development, and so a confrontation with a threshold guardian should be different than the usual confrontation. Frequently threshold guardians will have a physical advantage too strong to overcome directly or without achieving a certain level of mastery in some skill. it is also important to note that Threshold Guardians are not necessarilly enemies, often their purpose is to make certain that only the qualified or worthy may continue forward. Threshold guardians can often be transformed into allies if handled properly.

Herald: The herald is the character that issues the 'Call to Adventure'. The herald is normally combined with another archetype in order to bulk up an otherwise slim purpose archetype.

Shadow: The Shadow is the opposition to the PCs. A good campaign should have multiple Shadows of differing importance and significance. The Primary Villain is the Dominant Shadow. Likewise subordinate villains are also shadows as are any unrelated villains that turn up in the campaign. Rivals are also shadows.

For a character to qualify as a shadow and not simply a monster or enemy- the would be shadow must be a dark parallel to the heroes in some way. In “Dragons of Summer Flame” the Knights of Tahkisis were the perfect shadows for the Knights of Solamnia. The Sith are likewise obvious as Shadows to the Jedi. In both cases they have strong connections to the heroes, their differing viewpoints take them down radically different paths and into conflict with each other.

It doesn't take a great deal of work to transform a generic enemy into a good shadow, the steps are laid out here. Follow them and you will realize how easy it is to turn a villain from a cardboard cut out into somebody the Players love to hate.

Shapeshifter: The Shapeshifter is like the herald, in that both archetypes rarely exist on their own as character. The Shapshifter archetype is attached to another major archetype creating a character who appears to be on one side of the conflict but is actually on the other- or a character whose loyalties are uncertain. Darth Vader is a Shapeshifter in both “The Empire Strikes Back”, where he is revealed as Luke's father, and in “The Return of the Jedi” where he betrays his master to save his son. The Shapshifter is a powerful archetype, and attached to a powerful figure in the story on either side the shapeshifter archetype creates powerful emotions in the characters.

Sometimes the shapeshift is hinted at, and it is up to the PCs to effect the transformation- just as when Luke confronted his father and the emperor in an attempt to bring his father back to the light side of the force. If this is the path you want to take, be sure to hint heavily AND tell the players outright. Have NPCs give advice. Have other NPCs tell them it will never work. Have other NPCs relate stories that support their idea and others who relate stories that make it look impossible. If you want the PCs to try and convert somebody- you will need to make them fixate on it.

it is important to note after spending so much time on the villain to ally shapeshift, that just as often it is an ally to villain shapeshift. The players are betrayed by somebody that they trusted and thought would back them up. This will create some of the strongest and most deeply hated archenemies you can summon up in a game.

If course, it is also possible that the heros themselves are the shapeshifter. Jake Sully in 'Avatar', The player in the original 'Deus Ex' game, Spawn in 'Spawn' are all heroes that are also shapeshifters. This can be a brilliant growing realization if done well, or very cliche if done poorly.

Ally/Allies: Allies are NPCs who join the Adventuring party to help the PCs. They should serve one of two purposes. They should either have insight into the “Special World” that the PCs are about to enter, or they should round out an unbalanced adventuring party. A good example of an ally who gives insight into the special world is Professor Abraham Van Helsing in 'Dracula'- Van Helsing is also the mentor of the story. Another good example of an ally with special insight is Meg Coburn from the movie “The Replacement Killers”. Meg is not the mentor but the love interest in the story, but as a forger and a local, she is able to help the Hero- John Lee- navigate the special world of the City. Local guides are good examples of this as well, as researchers and academic experts.

Trickster: The trickster is a catalyst character who torments the PCs, although the torment is rarely dangerous or even threatening- mostly frustrating, but often useful. The trickster serves several purposes. He keeps the PCs alert and off balance- preventing them from getting complacent. She also serves to drive the story and keep things moving by introducing information that the players missed or would be hard to give otherwise. The trickster is guiding the heroes' development, like the Mentor, but unlike the Mentor, he doesn't ask permission and always has her own agenda to pursue. The PCs may find the Trickster uesful, but they should never trust him, and should be on edge whenever she is around.