In a strange yet familiar world of an alternate 1980s, Tales from the Loop provides a unique nostalgic setting for stories about technological secrets, alien encounters, and algebra homework. Large robot laborers tow Oldsmobiles. The arcade neon glows in the shadow of the particle accelerator’s coolant towers. You and your friends are kids in this unremarkable town but will soon be wrapped up in the wild, exciting mysteries hidden below the surface. One glaring question remains; who are you?
This critical answer will alter the core of the story you’re about to tell and determine how you will play the game. Every character is built from a combination of mechanical skills as derived from the rulebook (their ‘Body’), and their identity as imagined by their creator, (their ‘Soul’). This guide will walk you through the technical aspects of the character creation process. Together, we’ll give your character, or in Tales from the Loop, your ‘Kid,’ a Body and help you cultivate their Soul.
Your Role in the Breakfast Club.
Each Kid aligns with one of the eight archetypes designed from teenage stereotypes of the 80s: Bookworm, Computer Geek, Hick, Jock, Popular Kid, Rocker, Troublemaker, and Weirdo. These ‘classes’ decide your Kid’s key skills and their place in the world’s social hierarchy. For example, a Computer Geek will be good at the Calculate, Program, and Comprehend skills but likely bullied by Popular Kids, who are good at the Contact, Charm, and Lead skills.
Bookworms are shy and curious characters, they draw from literature to navigate society and find comfort in fiction when their real life is upsetting, dull, or lonely.
Computer Geeks are hyperintelligent kids armed with knowledge and calculators, they thrive amongst robotics and arcade machines.
Hicks were raised in hardworking blue-collar homes, learning practical skills on the farm or in the workshop— they love to get their hands dirty and have the scars to prove it.
Jocks are strong athletes, passionate about their sport and team— they command respect on the field but may flounder in the classroom.
Popular Kids have a charismatic influence over others, always being in the know and stealing the show, they’re at the top of the social food chain.
Rockers found that loud, hard music touches their rebellious soul like nothing else— their happy place is anywhere they’ve got a Walkman on and an instrument in hand.
Troublemakers are often the unruly result of a chaotic life at home, breaking the rules and getting into fights are some of the only ways they can get their feelings out.
Weirdos are unabashedly different, outcasts attracted to the strange and obscure, their quirks are badges of honor, uncaring of what ‘normies’ might think of them.
Sorry, You Can’t Have 16 Candles.
After selecting a Type, consider your Kid’s age. The Kids are anywhere from 10 to 15 years old, and this has a mechanical function in the gameplay. An older Kid is stronger, smarter, and experienced, so you’ll have more ‘attribute points’ to distribute, meaning you’ll generally be better at things. Despite fewer attribute points, younger Kids are Luckier than their elder counterparts. They receive ‘Luck Points’ they can use to re-roll dice, turning failure into success.
You start each session with Luck Points equal to 15 minus your Kid's age; a 10-year-old will have five, and a 15-year-old will have none. You can re-roll a check with each Luck Point, giving you another chance to succeed. A Kid’s Luck Points replenish at the beginning of each session. Luck allows younger Kids to pull through in critical moments. Meanwhile, older Kids have more attribute points enabling them to be more consistent in their roles.
Never Tell Me the Odds.
The core attributes of a Kid are Body, Tech, Heart, and Mind. Their scores represent how ‘good’ a character is at their associated skills. A Kid with a high Body score can fight, sprint, sneak, and climb well. A high Tech score means a Kid can interface with machinery and craft helpful tools. Kids with high Heart scores can talk in and out of situations, forge connections, and influence others. Kids with high Mind scores are analytical, collecting information, solving puzzles, and cracking codes.
To determine your Kid’s starting scores, allocate points equal to your Kid’s age between the four attributes— each must have at least one point, but cannot have more than five, this is how many dice are rolled when using a skill from that attribute.
The skills listed below the attributes on your character sheet represent specific proficiencies a Kid has. These talents can be leveled from one to three, but their starting maximum is level one, except for your Kid’s key skills. Your Kid’s Type has three key skills that can be raised to level three. They’re different for each Type; a Weirdo’s key skills are Sneak, Investigate, and Empathize but the Hick’s are Force, Move, and Tinker. Each level is an extra dice added to that skill’s roll. This allows the Kids to specialize, have strengths and weaknesses. You start with 10 points to distribute across these skills, leveling them up, but remember, all but your key skills currently have a level cap of one.
Say Hello to Your Little Friend!
Skills aren’t the only way to get bonus dice. Your Kid has an Iconic Item. Think Marty McFly’s Hoverboard, Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber, or Indiana Jones’ bullwhip. While the item can be just about anything, it’ll represent some significant part of your Kid. Maybe it’s a family pet, your father’s calculator, or a signed baseball. When used in-game, you add two bonus dice to the roll.
Nobody Calls Me Chicken!
Now that you understand your Kid mechanically, let’s examine them emotionally. Tales from the Loop challenges players to give Kids a Problem, Drive, and Pride to further explore what makes them unique.
The Problem is something in everyday life your Kid struggles with; unrequited love, arguing parents, low grades. Use this issue to hint to your Gamemaster what situations you want your Kid to get into.
A Kid’s Drive is their motivation. It’s why they’re willing to investigate, work with others, and even put themselves in harm's way to uncover the truth. Maybe your Kid is trying to impress their crush or is a thrillseeker, either way, their Drive is why they’re along for the ride.
Your Kid’s Pride represents a quintessentially strong aspect of them or their history. They could be pursuing valedictorian, score game-winning buzzer-beaters, or be the golden child. Once per session, you can ‘Check your Pride’ and automatically succeed, but justify how your Pride is relevant. If you fail an Investigate check, but your Pride is ‘I’ve read almost every book in the library,’ you could Check your Pride and succeed because of your vast encyclopedic knowledge.
Goonies Never Say Die!
Your Kid is not alone in the world of Tales from the Loop. Before the Mystery begins, they’ll have preexisting connections with other Kids and NPCs. Use the ‘Relationships’ section of your character sheet to record the dynamics your Kid has with others. These are brief yet encapsulating lines. For example, another Kid could be your best friend or have let you cheat off them during a test. If you haven’t already, now is the time to give your Kid a name and description so the other Kids can connect with yours.
Your Kid’s most important relationship is with their Anchor, an adult who provides comfort or guidance. This can be a parent, teacher, local game store owner, or anyone who fills that supporting role. If your Kid suffers a Condition (Tales from the Loop’s damage equivalent), having a scene with your Anchor can heal those conditions.
Welcome to the Party, Pal.
The final steps in character creation are done collaboratively, alongside all the Players at the table. Together, you’ll determine your group’s Hideout, a place where the Kids can be safe and let their guard down. Here, they can have meaningful scenes with each other and heal their friends' Conditions, much like the Anchor. This can be like an arcade backroom or a Kid’s decked-out basement.
Now, the Gamemaster will ask introspective questions about your Kid and the group, pushing deeper into their personality. Questions like “What does your room look like?” and “Who in the group has the most to say?” encourage Players to enrich their Kid’s complex character and strengthen their bond.
You’re Still Here? It’s Over. Go Home.
Congratulations on creating your new Tales from the Loop character! As a finishing touch, enter the mindset of your Kid in the 80s and choose their favorite song. With hits like “Material Girl,” “Hip to be Square,” and “Take on Me,” finding your Kid’s theme song will set you up for a great game. Complete with an archetype, defined skills, and interesting relationships, your Kid is ready for whatever strange and awesome Mysteries await them in the world of the Loop.
Finn Halpern is a Chicago-based writer, passionate about TTRPGs, nerd culture, and the art of storytelling.
