Meet the CTGA Board at Red Gate Woods
Earlier this year, the CTGA was scheduled to have a "Meet the Board" cookout at one of the local parks, but unfortunately the city was dealing with wildfire smoke that had drifted down from Canada. So it wasn't an ideal time to be frolicking outside. Since that event was cancelled, the board has been kicking around other ways to introduce ourselves better to the community.
One of the ideas that came up was producing a liveplay; not only is it almost too on theme, but it's already how our community is used to getting to know each other. I've always got a few one-shot ideas rattling around in my brain, so I jumped on the opportunity to run it. And where better to set a one-shot than the city we love so much.
Once they got over the existential question of "who am I?", my fellow board members were excited to play themselves and explore Chicago from a magical realism angle. Now you might be thinking that there are a lot of systems that are perfectly designed for this setting. A couple of the Powered by the Apocalypse games come to mind, like Monster of the Week or Masks. One of the many Borgs or even Cyberpunk might be better suited to represent a modern-day Chicago.
But we did not do that.
The CTGA Board as D&D Characters
Instead, we used a modification for D&D 2014 that I wrote a few years back. Ultimately, you could argue that I chose that because I don't like change. And you wouldn't be wrong. This was my first streamed lifeplay, and I wanted to stick with a system that I knew backwards and forwards. More than typical one-shots, the pacing of a liveplay has to stay rolling to keep an audience invested. Unless the bits are reeeealy good, the GM and players all need to know what they're doing. No one likes sitting through a half dozen rounds of players stumbling over all their spells and abilities.
But the cultural juggernaut that is D&D also played into that choice. Because this was supposed to be a moment for community members to learn about the board members, I wanted that impact of labeling ourselves as D&D classes. D&D is an institution, and the class system is almost treated like an astrology system for the TTRPG world. Your favorite class to play says something about you as a player, maybe not as much as we give it credit for. But you still know something about me when I tell you that I almost always play a Warlock or Druid. I've enjoyed my time as a Barbarian or a Paladin, but it's not me.
I wanted those watching to be able to identify with the players in the same way. Our dear Susan cringed at calling themselves a bard, but they are in all the best ways. Susan is a masterful storyteller, a student of the human condition, and deft at inspiring others. They're also quick with a dick joke. And I didn't even have to say all that with words, because you all know what a bard is. There's an emotional response and understanding that isn't there if they were to have played a Beacon. (Though that would also have rocked.)
So that's why it had to be D&D. But how did the modern mod we used work? Glad you asked!
D&D for Life in 2026
This mod uses the 2014 version of D&D 5E. All you need to do is leave the background and item selection off of standard character creation (that’s why it doesn’t work well in the 2024 5E edition; backgrounds are too important now). Build the character as you normally would, and then add on two of the Modern Backgrounds from my list.
These new backgrounds are designed to represent modern-day careers and hobbies. Each of them lists a skill proficiency you get and gives the players what I’ve called “Mechanical Items”. Think of them as items that are mechanically useful in the game; they give bonuses to rolls or grant the players weapons or armor that could be used in combat or skill checks. Outside of what’s given, it’s pretty light on weapons and armor. After all, most of us don’t go around carrying a shield or crossbow.
They also each come with a unique feature to help bring extra flavor. For example, athletes can find refuge in Sports Bars, and old-timers can attempt a check to see whether or not they’ve met an NPC before. Some backgrounds also come with vehicles that can be helpful when moving the party around too.
This definitely affects some classes more than others, and that’s more of a feature of the system than a bug. I made this mod to play modern games with more of the tone of Buffy or Angel than typical D&D. Combat should be seen as a last resort, as most of the creatures you’re up against will be stronger than you, and you’ll need to plan out your resources ahead of time if you don’t want a TPK.
That said, if you want to build a character that has the skills and weapons they need to still be a traditional front-line fighter — you can do that. From the playtests I’ve done, it’s been a flexible enough system to allow for a wide range of characters and playstyles.
Try Out Modern Backgrounds for 5E at Your Table
Worry not, fellow TTRPG nerd! I wasn’t just gonna talk about a fun mod I made and not let you try it out.
Use the button below to download a PDF of the Modern Background to share with your table; let us know how they work for you over on our Discord server!
The Legend of the Red Gate Woods
I had an incredible time running for my friends on the board; for most of us at the table, it was the first time we had actually gotten to game together. I took inspiration from the board’s search for a new “meet-the-board picnic” location and sent them out to one of the Southside’s best-kept secrets — the Red Gate Woods. The part where our Vice President, Brett, gets hauled off by a swarm of mutant mosquitoes and needs rescuing is not based on an actual event. However, everyone agreed that it was very Brett-coded.
And somewhere in all that madness came the inspiration for a new cocktail: Pipe Water. Keep your eyes peeled for it at the upcoming End of Year Fundraiser.
We streamed the game at the Chicago Roleplayer’s Guild, so we had a great atmosphere to play in. During the game, we soft-launched our new Membership program, and anyone who joined during the stream got to affect the game by giving the players a boon or a bane. No one chose to give them an advantage, which, as the DM, I loved. Although in classic fashion, they turned some of the banes into boons anyway. Thanks so much to everyone who watched and hung out in the chat. And a special thanks to anyone who supported us with a membership.
While you won’t get to turn the board into Flumps if you join now, there are still a lot of cool perks for members, and you can check them out here.
If you missed the stream, you’ll be able to check it out on YouTube soon!
This blog and the D&D one-shot it’s based on were written by Rayne B. Whitington. If you want to chat about TTRPG design or your favorite episode of Angel, you can catch him over on the CTGA Discord server! Use the button below to join and check out our next upcoming event here!
Disclaimer: The information in this blog and on www.chicagotga.org is presented for educational and entertainment purposes. Any statistics, recommended products, or other information is researched in good faith, but no warranty is made to the completeness nor accuracy of the source. All written and multimedia content published here is the intellectual property of Chicago Tabletop Gaming Association (CTGA) or contributing community members and is not for reproduction or sale by third parties. By accessing this site and all its materials, you agree to and acknowledge these terms.
