Gus Gabara

Oh Gus, my big awkward boy.

The hardest decision I faced in reviewing character ideas was in choosing whether to push back on Cam’s choice for Gus’s alter ego (he didn’t know it would be an alter ego at the time, I just asked all of them about a media figure their character particularly aspired to or identified with.) Because while everyone else chose someone powerful in their own way, a powerful witch from a sitcom show was something else entirely. If I were to emulate the powers of Aunt Zelda in any satisfying way, I would be giving one of my players a phenomenal amount of power. I had to consider all sorts of things - what would this level of power do to the game experience, to the group dynamic, to the plot in general?

In the end, I decided to go with it. The possible advantages outweighed the disadvantages, for me. So far, I haven’t regretted it.

I love Gus. I love his literal approach to the world, I love his cleverness and the way he tackles problems. I love how sensitive he is while appearing so matter-of-fact. I think that the whole group loves Gus, each in their way, despite the difficulties they sometimes have with communication.

Playing Gus’s family - his loyal and loving, if kind of distant brother Erik, his amazing almost-sister Nikki, and the unpleasant old Nana - has been one of the many delights of running this game. It’s an unusual family dynamic, to be sure, but a very wholesome and enjoyable one.

Sera