New Types: Drama Kid and Punk

Image: a play at Spangdahlem Middle School, Spangdahlem Air Base.

This is post number 13 in the series “30 Days of Tales from the Loop,” a celebration of the game set in an 80s that never was.

In addition to the Valley Girl and Skater Dude, I have two more Types of Kid I wanted to provide for players. They are the Drama Kid and the Punk.

Drama Kid

Most people are stuck living a single life, but you live a multitude. You’ve been a lawyer, a greaser, a sailor, a French revolutionary, and even a star warrior, and you plan on acting in many more plays to come. Your experience and training in the school drama department is teaching you to better work with—and understand—other people.

Key Skills: Contact, Charm, Empathize

Iconic Item
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • Cape
  • Makeup kit
  • Case of props

Problem
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • People tease me for flubbing my lines in a recent play.
  • My dad doesn’t understand me.
  • I have stage fright.

Drive
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • I want to learn more about people.
  • I want to see more of the world.

Pride
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • I’m the world’s greatest thespian.
  • I have a great memory.

Relationships to Other Kids
Choose one for each other Kid or make up one of your own:

  • I like trying to make him/her laugh.
  • He/she lets me borrow clothes for performances.
  • We’ve been through some bad stuff together.


Relationship to NPCs
Choose two or make up two on your own:

  • I’m the drama teacher’s pet.
  • No matter what I do, the drama teacher won’t give me the really good roles.
  • Another drama student is my rival, and we compete for the best parts.

Anchor
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • Mr. Hellqvist [Jackson], the drama teacher
  • Anne Nilsson [Jane McCullough], a local actor and minor celebrity.
  • Mrs. Olsson [Woodruff], the guidance counselor, who always has cookies.

Typical Names
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • Girls names: Maria, Linda, Malin [Erin, Brenda, Bridget]
  • Boys names: Johan, Fredrik, Mikael [David, Tom, Brad]
  • Nicknames: DeNiro, Winona, Bozo, Oscar

Punk

Subverting the establishment is a way of life for you. Sure, you like loud, aggressive music, but there’s more to your outlook than that. You probably value individuality, personal freedom, and anti-authoritarianism, and wear either plain clothing or outfits designed to shock people. You’re not one for hiding what you believe in.

Key Skills: Force, Move, Investigate

Iconic Item
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • Razor blade (worn as jewelry)
  • Wrist band covered in spikes
  • Dr. Martens boots

Problem
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • People are scared of me.
  • My grandmother/grandfather is dying.
  • I’m a rebel without a cause.

Drive
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • I am an agent of change.
  • When things go wrong, I like to be there to see it.

Pride
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • Nobody can boss me around.
  • I scare people.

Relationships to Other Kids
Choose one for each other Kid or make up one of your own:

  • He/she gives me his/her lunch money for some reason.
  • Surprisingly, he/she also likes my favorite band.
  • I owe him/her a favor.

Relationship to NPCs
Choose two or make up two on your own:

  • The principal is always watching me, hoping to catch me doing something wrong.
  • The owner of the convenience store won’t let me shop there.
  • The band teacher, Mr. Andersson [Jones], keeps trying to get me to express my musical side.

Anchor
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • Grandmother/grandfather
  • Owner of the guitar store
  • Mr. Persson [Dobbins], the shop teacher

Typical Names
Choose one or make up one of your own:

  • Girls names: Sara, Camilla, Åsa [Michelle, Samantha, Pamela]
  • Boys names: Daniel, Magnus, Mattias [Kevin, Rich, Joe]
  • Nicknames: Spike, Studs, Sonny, Buzz

(I want to thank Björn Hellqvist for teaching me about 1980s Swedish names and providing some great examples.)

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