Character Challenge 2026 - Catching Up - Willy Pete and his Merry Band

If I mean to catch up and create 31 characters for January, I need to start doing 3 or more characters at a time. Here we go. 

Let's start with the overt commercial: 

I use Necrotic Gnome's Old-School Essentials, but picked up the boxed sets from a Kickstarter. You can approximate this with two titles: The


Referee's Tome and The Player's Tome. Or you could taste test it with the Basic Rules. These are free.

When I create characters for myself, I love to create backstories for them. The odder the better. 

Meet Sergeant William Peterson, U.S. Army. He was drafted back in '71 and served in Vietnam, quickly becoming a sergeant. With a name like William Peterson, the jokes flew like crazy. At mailcall, soldiers would "mail" him anything labeled "White Phosphorus": grenades, canisters, box lids, etc. 

Good times. 

After the war, he married his high school sweetheart and started a family. Jenna and William had a daughter named Jane. William became a chemist at a local factory. He kept close ties with his Army buddies. 

In the late 70's, there were strange happenings at the local Army base. All kinds of weird shit was happening there. Lights in the sky, strangely dressed people, creatures no one had ever seen before. Before anything was resolved, the base closed up, and William's former unit was moved clear across the country. 

The former base was supposed to be converted into a public park, but the funding stalled. It was too far from the town. Besides a few picnic tables, a playground, and a lonely OV-01 display, the park was never completed. Jane, Jenna, and William pressed the local government to continue the project, but it was an uphill battle. For the most part, only the Petersons visited the place for weekend picnics as the base slowly decayed.

One rain-soaked morning on their weekend outing, the Petersons disappeared. Again, strange lights in the sky were reported, but like the park, nothing ever came of the investigation. The family simply vanished. 

William and his family awoke on the Isle of Dread, near location 10. The Phanton Settlement. Using his knowledge of jungle environments, William carved out an encampment for his family and hid the family car. They quickly discovered the Phantons and made friends with them. They have a mutual support pact with the little creatures. They have loose contact with the other natives of the island. 

They tried to find a way home, but as time passed, they adopted the ways of the people of the island. William is a Magic User/Fighter. Jemma is a Cleric/Fighter, and Jane has chosen the middle ground, becoming a Druid. 

William Peterson Fouth Level Fighter and Fourth Level Magic User 

Strength: 12
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 7
Charisma: 12

Hit Points: 39
Armor Class: 9 He doesn't like to wear armor

GP: 117  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 0 Gems: None  

Spells: Various fire-related spells
Languages: Common

Equipment: 

Axe
Dagger
Crossbow

Alice Pack: 
2 canteens,
7 Days of Rations
Bedroll
Change of Clothes
Shoulder Bag
Map

The Peterson Compound
Sans Trees

Jane Peterson Fourth Level Fighter, Fifth Level Cleric

Strength: 14
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 10
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 14
Charisma: 16

Hit Points: 49
Armor Class:  6 Leather Armor and Shield

GP: 117  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 0 Gems: None  

Spells: Healing spells mostly. 
Languages: Common

Equipment: 

Hammer
Dagger
Crossbow

Alice Pack: 
2 canteens,
7 Days of Rations
Bedroll
Change of Clothes
Shoulder Bag
Map

Jane Peterson Third Level Druid

Strength: 14
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 10
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 16
Charisma: 10

Hit Points: 20
Armor Class:  6 Leather Armor and Shield

GP: 117  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 0 Gems: None  

Spells: Druidic spells
Languages: Common, Phanton

Equipment: 

Dagger
Spear

Backpack:
6 Torches
Tinderbox 
2 Waterskins
2 Sacks
7 Days of Rations
Bedroll
Change of Clothes

The Petersons don't have magic items, but William has surrounded their treehouse with working mortars and tripwire flares to defend against dinosaurs. He can make excellent fire-starting tools like firebows and tinderboxes. Jane and Jenna know modern first aid and CPR. The villagers tend to avoid the "weird ones" but will bring the injured and sick to the family for assistance. The Phantons are on very good terms with the Petersons. 

Being a chemist, William has a cave to the west (2 hexes or 12 miles away) stocked with dangerous chemicals and a makeshift lab. Of course, some of this is Willy Pete. He does keep small amounts of materials closer to home, but since the house is wooden, he doesn't like to keep a lot around.