2025 Character Creation Challenge, Day 7: Is a Kaiju a Character?

Sure, let's go with that!

I decided to devote space in this challenge to the lesser known products in my collection. Just to keep things interesting. This time around, I'm making a giant monster using Kaiju Generator by N. Robinson at Bardic Inquiry. It's a pay-what-you-want 14-page zine that I received as part of the TTRPGs for Reproductive Rights bundle on itch.io a couple of years ago.

Cover of Kaiju Generator.

Kaiju Generator mostly uses random results, so I'll mostly be commenting on my reactions. This is the first time I've encountered the 1d66 dice mechanic. A pair of six-sided dice are rolled and read like percentile dice. Thus, a result of 1 and 3 would be read 13.

The form of the kaiju can be determined randomly or chosen. I picked "lizard" due to tradition. Although "platypus" and "hare" were tempting. If "cow" was an option, I would've gone with that.

Next came the kaiju's ability. "Can channel and release electricity through its body" was the result. Now I'm regretting not making this kaiju a hare. Or that "mouse" wasn't an option for form. Perhaps the ability to generate electricity can be harnessed for good?

I got "hatched from an egg" for origin. Which is incredibly mundane for a lizard, even a kaiju lizard. Maybe there are more eggs out there? "Investigating a giant egg" has been used in the plot of plenty of kaiju movies.

At this point, the goal of the kaiju is determined. The addition of a motivation is where the kaiju goes from a threat to a character. "Trying to reach evolutionary perfection." I'll ignore the use of popular misconceptions concerning evolution and move on. Maybe this lizard is actually a pocket monster? What does a giant electric lizard that hatched from an egg evolve into? It this kaiju actually a dinosaur? Does that mean that the next step is becoming a giant electric bird? Will this kaiju then gain the ability to fly or run fast? Why would that be desirable? Maybe what our kaiju really wants is plumage?

Raiju - named for the Shinto "thunder beast" - is a recently hatched kaiju. Initially encountered as an egg, a monitoring station was established to study her. All nearby sources of electrical power were drained shortly after the monitoring station became operational and Raiju emerged from the egg. Raiju's ability to generate and project electricity has been repeatedly demonstrated during clashes with military forces and other kaiju. Observations of Raiju's movements indicate that she is seeking certain materials to consume. It is believed that these materials will have a mutagenic effect, forcing her to develop in certain ways. So far, Raiju has already sprouted feathers after devouring a gemstone of unknown composition. Continued tracking and study is recommended.

Link to Kaiju Generator by N. Robinson on itch.io.