Dramatis Personae: Galactic Fantasy

Dramatis Personae: Galactic Fantasy is a character-first toolkit for building stories among the stars. It contains one hundred ready-to-use characters written in a flexible format that fits any setting built with The Simple Approach, and can be easily adapted for any roleplaying game. Each profile includes a character summary, physical description, personal outlook, and six narrative traits: archetype, identity, strength, weakness, drive, and assets. Together, these elements provide an immediate portrait of who this character is, how they act, what they want, and how they fit into a larger world.

These characters are designed to be played. You can use them as protagonists, allies, rivals, or antagonists. You can hand one out as a pre-generated player character, slot one into a scene as a supporting cast member, or steal elements from three different profiles and remix them into something new. Every entry is complete, but unfinished. These characters are meant to be activated, interpreted, and transformed through play.

The tone of this collection is shaped by the genre of galactic fantasy: big stakes, old betrayals, broken empires, found families, strange tech, and mythic weight. You’ll find vigilantes, akaashan, star pilots, prophets, diplomats, outcasts, and warriors, all written to support stories about legacy, rebellion, and hope in a galaxy full of lost histories. Each one carries tension. Each one suggests more than it reveals. Each one can matter.

There’s no wrong way to use this book. Start anywhere. Build a crew. Populate a station. Flesh out a forgotten bloodline. Drop one of these figures into the next corridor your players explore. Treat it like a casting sheet. Every character here is ready for the spotlight.

Using This Book

The Simple Approach is a narrative-first system built around character traits. Each trait is rated on a 1 to 5 scale, with 3 representing a competent level of experience. The characters in this book are written at that level, strong enough to feel capable and distinct, but grounded enough to support spotlight balance during play.

These characters are designed for maximum adaptability. Their ratings can be scaled up or down to match your group’s experience level. Traits can be reworded, swapped, or reskinned to better match your setting’s tone or cosmology. The phrasing is system-agnostic, designed to suggest emotion, motivation, and action rather than hard-coded abilities or rules.

Gamemasters can use these entries to populate scenes quickly, replace a placeholder name with a fully realized character, or create thematic echoes by mirroring traits between allies and enemies. Players can select a character as a starting point and build outward from their backstory and goals. The entries are written to read like story beats, not stat blocks.

You don’t need to memorize anything. Every profile is self-contained and immediately usable. The only thing you need to decide is what role the character plays in your story, and how that role might shift as the story unfolds.

Level of Experience & Ratings

Each character in The Simple Approach uses a scale of 1 to 5 for their traits. These ratings reflect relative experience, impact, and consistency, not success rates or numerical modifiers. The number next to a trait describes how often that trait defines a moment, influences a scene, or shapes a decision.

Beginner (1): Just starting out. These characters are learning what their traits mean in action. They may have raw potential, but haven’t had the chance to refine it. Beginner characters receive 5 build points to distribute across traits.

Novice (2): Still finding their rhythm. They’ve had some training or field exposure and can apply their traits with moderate consistency. Novice characters receive 10 build points.

Competent (3): This is the baseline level for most characters in this book. They can rely on their traits under pressure, and these qualities show up often in their choices and behavior. Competent characters receive 15 build points.

Master (4): These characters are experts, known for their capability and consistency. Their traits regularly influence scenes and often define how others perceive them. Master characters receive 20 build points.

Authority (5): Among the best in their field, these characters shape events wherever they go. Their traits dominate encounters, shape stories, and represent defining strengths. Authority characters receive 25 build points.

These levels help you understand how the character might function within the group, how often a trait might come into focus, and what kind of narrative weight they bring into the room.