So here's the thing. This one's going to be new to me, and maybe (I wouldn't attempt to guess!) new for some of you, as well. High fantasy? Been there, done that. Vampires? Got the t-shirt. Post-apocalyptica? I keep trying (and failing) to gain any traction. Fandoms? Sure. Plenty. But I'm a little bored with it.

My Dad was off-the-boat British, and any time I was out with the Scouts camping and building fires, or building a skateboard ramp, or otherwise engaged in generational tomfoolery, he'd call it "real Boys Own stuff." I think (correct me if I'm wrong) 'Boys Own' was an outdoorsy magazine from England.

What I want to do feels like Goonies. Or Stand By Me. Maybe 'Stranger Things' or the recent remake of 'It.' (I wouldn't know exactly... I have only seen part of S1 of Stranger Things.)

I'm in my late 40's. I'm a member of the 'Oregon Trail' generation. I can absolutely remember a time when I was sent out the front door and wasn't expected home till after the street lights came on.

So let's do some world-building here. We'll need a mission, or an adventure. The Goonies were looking for One-Eyed Willy's rich stuff. The gang from Stand By Me was looking for a dead kid their age who had gone missing. The Kids from It and Stranger Things were trying to solve strange occurrences in their neighbourhood. Heck -- the younger members of the Ghostbusters (in the new movies) were Bustin' on summer vacation!

So we need a backdrop, a set of circumstances that our small group finds themselves thrust into. Happy to discuss. (But be warned, I might throw a wrench in the works. For instance: maybe you suggest we build a demolition derby car for the fall fair. Maybe I counter with 'people are going missing at the fall fair.')

We'll need a crew of four or five, I think. And the Character Sheet will be pretty specific (TBD) as far as how your character interacts with the world, and how they impact the group, the 'role' they fill in our gang, and what they bring to the table in the adventure. (Remember, Vern had only $.06, and a comb, but he was the childlike innocence of Chris Chambers' gang.)

Who wants to be 13 all over again?

Disclaimer: this will be 18+ for potential themes, situations, maybe fantasy creatures or horror imagery, violence, and language, but it should go without saying it will not be 18+ for any sexual content. These characters will be minors.

Edit to add: (stolen from Google) The "Boy's Own" Paper (Historic Magazine) The title famously dates back to the Boy's Own Paper, which was published weekly from 1879 to 1967 by the Religious Tract Society in London. It was designed to provide positive moral stories and adventures for young boys as a wholesome alternative to "penny dreadfuls". The publication became so famous in British culture that the phrase "Boy's Own stuff" is still used to describe an exceptionally brave, adventurous, or exciting event.

Being a boy who loved summer adventures, I want in on this one.

If you're looking for some ideas ... group of boys at summer camp, or holidays, make up the legend of the haunted island. Their summer is spent trying to find a way to get to the island that is too far to reach by swimming.

Group of boys spend time trying to help one of their friends trying to get to some otehr town to find his first love.

Can never say no to a good treasure hunt

Summer of Dares ... climb to the top of the water tower, swim across the leech-filled pond, sneak into the neighbourhood haunted house, and on and on

I am so down for this, I cannot even accurately express my excitement. My only question is are we sticking to male characters on this one? I have ideas...for a very queer character that would still technically fall under the "boy" category. Think Max from Suite Life of Zack and Cody...

Hey again, @deegee. Nice to see you. I'd be totally down to get in on this, if you'd have me!

…are we sticking to male characters on this one? I have ideas...

Oh, absolutely not sticking to only male characters. I can only imagine that the original printed magazine assumed at that time their target audience was male, but I think we all had female friends who could one-up us in almost anything. NB or tomboy, or queer… friends are friends.

@deegee then count me in, friend.

Hi all -- been thinking about Character sheets.

While some of it is pretty standard...
-Name:
-Nickname:
-Nickname (which only your closest friends call you, and you maybe hate it):
-Age (down to the month -- seniority matters here):
-Siblings?
-Family Life?
-Fear:
-Secret Fear:
-Size: (could be 'big for her age' or 'shrimp,' or 'classroom bully/behemoth, etc.etc.)
-Weapon: (remember, we're kids here. Could be a slingshot, could be a favourite stick, could be a scout swiss army knife, hell -- could be a nerf gun.)

Some of it might not be so standard...
-What does your character 'bring to the table?' (Think Goonies. Are you the Data, the Mouth, The Chunk? ...open fo you to invent.)
-I'd each character to pick one of the following: Strong. Fast. Brave. Charismatic. Smart. Dedicated. Tough.
-List four things that your character always has in their backpack (useful or not.)

In this vein, anything else that makes sense to add?

I feel like this needs me. But that’s up to you @deegee

So, let's see... Shanky, Arya, Ducksworth, Stryder? Anybody else interested? I think we could accommodate one more if there was someone very keen. Also -- let me know what you guys think as far as adding to the Character Sheet, and keep discussing plot ideas here, I'm watching and will add my bits as I see things arrive.

The Character sheet looks fine to me, I can't think of anything else that would really need to be added, personally. As for the plot, the mysterious island thing is cool. I think either starting them at a summer camp or having them already be an established friend group would work best for the plot...maybe we could do some sort of treasure hunt? Mysterious island with treasure? Child pirates? lmaooo honestly, we could go so many different directions with this and all of them sound fun. We could go supernatural and do some ghost hunting, we could go urban legend...so many options.

The writing, for me, in this one, is about the interaction between the characters. I am torn between wanting something evil / supernatural, like the group from IT trying to defeat Pennywise, and the group from Stand By Me, just out to do something real, but formative.

I do like the notion of something going down at the carnival / fall fair. It's usually only in town for a weekend, which puts a cap on how long the adventure can go on... I also love the idea of a haunted house, or doing something as a team, like a soap-box derby, or something that happens at a destination, like a state park, or a summer camp.

With the character sheet, do you want physical descriptions too? Other than size.

While I don’t mind the idea of a supernatural threat? Maybe the characters can get to know each other better in the context of some more *wholesome* first adventures.

Good question Stryder. I’m ok with or without. Like, it shouldn’t matter. But I know writers (myself included) like to know who these people are that we are portraying. So do as you like! But that leads me to character art.

I think for this one, all character portraits, if you like to have one, should be animated or AI. Non-real. Because otherwise the option is that you’re going to find a picture online of someone’s actual minor (no thanks) and make use of it, or you’re going to grab a picture of a celebrity like Malcolm from Malcolm in the middle… And I think these characters should be anonymous. Seeing pictures of celebrities that we recognize gives preconceived notions.

I like the idea of a summer camp to start out with. Co ed obviously.

Maybe a camp mystery that is told around the campfire and it hasn’t been solved? And the group try to solve or seek out this mystery?

I agree that summer camp or some group activity where they're all in the same proximity would probably be the best starting out...maybe we could start more wholesome like Stryder said? And then ramp up to the big mystery? I'm still particular to a ghost hunt or a treasure hunt myself...though I also love the idea of an old-school like camp legend that they try to uncover, would be fun.

Either way, I'm working on character ideas for my very tomboy presenting kid, she's very rough and tumble but I'm still sanding some edges down to get her ready and polished for the rp. :)

OK, so, a summer camp to start off with. Allows us a bit of time to get to know our characters, while they enjoy, or don’t enjoy, their time away at a sleepover camp. Maybe a couple of these kids know each other from back home? Maybe they’re all perfect strangers, meeting for the first time at this camp. Up for us to discuss. I like the idea of there being something that we find out at the camp, down the road… Whether that is a legend told around the campfire, or something we hear the counsellors talking about, or something we witness ourselves. But I like the idea of starting out innocent and just allowing our regular interactions to develop.

Summer camp sounds great. Just before I get started on my character sheet… are the characters all about 12-13. Just assuming, because they are at camp together.

Will this be current day or travelling back into the Goonies time period. A kid today might have a cell phone, Nintendo Switch whatever with them … back then the world of technology was a huge unknown.

More good questions. Hmmm. I think our characters could be anywhere from 11-14. At that age when, if parents think they can handle it, they have that first ‘sleep away’ camp experience.

As for which era to set the RP in, it’s difficult to be nostalgic about any era, really… because as writers we all likely came from different eras. For instance, I was 13 in 1990. Someone we’re writing with could be born in 2002. Different generations, different memories of what’s ’nostalgic.’

If we set it in the 80’s, we get around the tech hurdle by virtue of the fact that it simply didn’t exist. If we set it today, and you didn’t want your character to have access to devices, they could be under-privileged? Or it could be a camp rule: no devices.

Thoughts?

Honestly, I'm totally down for something set in either the 80s or the 90s as a 90s kid myself. Though, I'm open-minded to any generation, really. I feel like the 80s to 90s generation will play well with The Goonies vibe while also giving it a very Life is Strange feel to it, which works rather well, in my opinion.