Pretentious Word Nonsense

You are a robot. You were once owned by a human, but you ran away, were rescued,
were thrown out, or something else. Now you live in a community of fellow independent robots.
Your community faces challenges to survive, both environmental and interpersonal. You face
challenges, too - to grow beyond the use your ex-owner had for you.

This is a game for multiple players. To play, you will need pencil, paper and at least one
ten-sided die. You may find it useful to have tokens of different colors to represent your identity
track, stress track, and so on.

Before play, decide on some details of your setting. Where is your community? How
many robots strong? What’s the overall technological aesthetic? Are humans still around, or are
they extinct? What sort of common tasks does the community do to survive (ex. communal solar
panel maintenance, scrounging for spare parts)?

Note: the game assumes that all pcs are similarly sized, but if you wish to play with large
differences in character scale, go for it.

To create a character, write down what your function was for your ex-owner - “washing
machine”, “personal assistant”, “artillery drone” or the like. Next to it, draw 10 bubbles and fill 7
of them in. This is your identity track. Underneath your identity track, write down four traits your
ex-owner perceived you as having. At least one trait should have been perceived as desirable
(ex. “quantum-positronic brain”, “GPS”), and at least one should have been seen as a negative
(ex. “delicate wiring”, “sensitive targeting systems”). A negative trait need not be
disadvantageous to the character, it only needs to have been seen as such by the ex-owner. If
needed, indicate which is which. Rate two traits at 1 dot, one trait at 2 dots, and one trait at 3
dots. Below, draw a row of 10 bubbles and fill 1 of them in. This is your stress track.

Example:

air conditioner • • • • • • • ◦ ◦ ◦
(+) smart-house integration •
(-) embedded microphone •
(-) bulky size • •
(+) body language prediction algorithm • • •
stress track •◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Play proceeds in rounds. Each round, every player sets up one scene for their character.
This character is the focus of this scene. The player may choose other player’s characters to be
present at scene set. Other players can choose to introduce their characters into the scene as
appropriate, or choose to introduce/control npcs or environmental aspects.

Scenes should be either one of two types: providing challenges for the pc that require
drawing on their abilities to overcome, called conflict scenes, or providing opportunities for the
pc to reflect on themselves and their identity, called reflection scenes.

In conflict scenes, play should progress to a climax that points to a key obstacle or
challenge the focus character must confront. The player will roll one or more d10s to determine
success or failure. The player only makes one roll per scene; a complex challenge that could be
composed of multiple rolls should either be narratively collapsed so that a single roll will suffice,
or split between multiple scenes.

Players will mostly roll using their identity, and occasionally roll using their stress.

If rolling identity, first decide if your character is acting in accordance with their old
identity or in spite of it. Next, decide if your character is using one of the traits their ex-owner
saw in them.Rroll a number of d10s equal to 1+the dots associated with the trait used, if any.

When acting in accordance with their old identity, a die result at or below their identity
dots is a success, and above is a failure. When acting independently of their old identity, a die
result above the number of identity dots is a success, and at or below a failure.

If rolling multiple dice, a success on any die results in a success for the character.

After the roll, gain or lose one identity dot if possible. If acting with identity, gain a dot for
a success and lose a dot on a failure. if acting against identity, lose a dot for a success and gain
a dot for a failure. Note that the maximum for identity is 9 and the minimum is the total number
of dots among all traits held by the character.

On any failed roll, add a dot of stress. When rolling multiple dice, any die that is a failure
adds a dot of stress. If the used trait was a negative one, you always gain at least one stress
dot, no matter the result.

After confirming the results of the roll, work towards a scene conclusion that reflects the
results.

One may choose at any time to use stress to roll instead. If stress ever reaches 10, one
must roll it to resolve the next challenge. 10 is the maximum stress a character can have at any
time.

Rolling stress means that your character acts erratically: lashes out, runs away, or some
other outburst of emotions. This can’t solve large or long-term problems; at best, it provides a
short-term solution to an immediate stressor on the character.

Roll one d10. If the result is above the character’s current stress, this is all that happens.
If it is at or below the character’s current stress, the character only makes things worse with their
action.

After rolling stress, reduce the character’s stress by the difference between their current
stress and the die result. The minimum stress a character can have is 0. Then work towards a
scene conclusion that reflects these results.

In reflection scenes, play should center around the focus character considering their
identity and past, either through talk, thought, or gentle action. Setting up an obstacle is
inappropriate here; these scenes are about interiority, not conflict.

Play continues until the focus player draws a connection between two or more of their
character’s past, present and/or future. While this connection doesn’t have to be explicitly made
in-character, the focus player should state it to the group and make a note of it on their
character sheet, and then have it affect the scene and their character however is appropriate.
After this connection is made, the players should try to wrap up the scene in a satisfactory
conclusion.

At the end of a reflection scene, the focus player may choose to erase one dot from one
of their character’s traits, to reflect their character healing from the image their ex-owner had of
them. When a trait loses all dots, the player may choose to keep the trait - indicating that the
trait is true, but that the character has shed the baggage associated with it - or change the trait
to something else - either indicating that the trait was a false perception by the ex-owner and is
now replaced by a true perception, or that the character has lost attachment to the trait and
modified themselves to become something else. Using these reclaimed traits in a roll add only
one d10, but only add a dot of stress when the roll has no successes.

Note: the default assumption is that a trait that has been reclaimed can no longer be
changed in any way, including adding trait dots. However, if long-term play is desired, reflection
scenes may add a dot to a modified trait instead of reducing a dot in an unmodified trait. In this
case, modified traits add a number of d10s to identity rolls based off their rating, and still only
add a dot of stress when a roll has no successes. Modified trait dots are not counted as trait
dots for a character’s minimum identity rating.

The goal of the game is to reduce all characters’ identity tracks to zero. If a character
reaches zero, they have successfully worked to heal themselves from the image of themselves
cast by their ex-owner. Although these characters can still be the focus of scenes if the players
find this fun and engaging, play should generally be focused around the characters who still
have yet to shed their identity points.

Notes:
Did I really forget to post this here? I guess I did.

Inspirations include Exalted, Lasers & Feelings, Dream Askew and the emotional mecha game jam. Shoutout to my sweetheart for suggesting the title and some edits!

I think this could be used for a fun hack of Dream Askew...I'm still not sure if I want some sort of option for players to "play" external problems from the environment. Oh well.

To play, you need players, pencil, paper, and cards.

All players are researchers on the Human Oneirome Project. You are collectively studying a sleeping subject. They might have a number designation, or might simply be referred to as "the subject".

One researcher records the subject’s dream. They narrate a short but vivid scene - one or two sentences. The others debate the dream’s meaning. Majority vote decides the official interpretation. If there is a tie, the recorder casts the deciding vote; otherwise they provide no input.

The recording researcher writes the scene and interpretation on paper. They choose one symbol from the dream and its interpretation to write on a card and place in the center. Recording duties pass to the researcher on the left.

Recording researchers may choose to either narrate novel scenes or pick a symbol from the center to involve. The latter reopens the debate on that symbol’s meaning; the recorder is encouraged to narrate scenes that support alternate interpretations. If the symbol is revised, note the revision on the card.

The game ends when everyone loses interest, the paper is filled, or all are satisfied with the interpretations’ implicit narrative.

Once per cycle around the table, anyone can describe the behavior of the subject in their sleep. Researchers are free to incorporate or ignore the subject's behavior in future interpretations. The subject cannot wake up.

EXPANSIONS:

Publish or Perish
All researchers have a stat, reputation. Reputation starts at zero.

Every time a researcher’s interpretation on a novel scene is made official, that researcher gains one reputation.

Every time a researcher’s interpretation supersedes another’s on a preexisting symbol, the successful researcher gains one reputation and the outdated researcher loses one reputation. (It is useful to note on cards who has supplied the current interpretation.)

At the end of the game, the researcher with the highest reputation is made lead author and wins.

Subjectivity (by my wonderful partner)

One of the players is the sleeping subject. They lie down in the center of the circle. The subject’s sleep may be as restful or disturbed as they wish, but they cannot wake up.

Lucid Dreaming (by my wonderful partner)

One of the players is the sleeping subject. They sit in the middle. For any turn, the sleeper may choose a single symbol from those present. The current recording researcher must either choose that symbol or narrate a de novo dream. Alternatively, the sleeper may choose to reject all symbols and the recording researcher must make a de novo dream.

Partner’s note: “I could also see a version where the subject never gets to hear the symbols’ interpretations, they just know the ones the researchers have picked out as important, and they reject or keep as appropriate
varying degrees of knowledge and control”

My note: the original game is centered around the lack of autonomy and voice of the subject - the researchers operate off of no personal knowledge about the subject, yet their interpretations are canonized. A subject as the player character with mechanical power changes the feel of it significantly.

NOTES:
Inspirations are The Shab-Al-Hiri Roach (rpg), Mysterium (board game), human rights abuses in research.

I originally wrote this to be under 200 words for the, well, 200 word rpg contest, but I missed the deadline. So I'm padding it out a bit.

I am realistically never going to DWRP, let alone mod a game, but I keep having ideas so here's my idea tracker. They're open for anyone to use.

( Read more... )

(From The Heavens To The Center)

To play this game, you’ll need at least two other people and temporary pigments that are okay to use on human skin. No permanent markers.

Your characters live in a city, surrounded by desert. The city has fallen, or is on the verge of falling - your characters’ community is tenuous. The desert is wild and dangerous and full of hidden things.

Talk for a while with each other about what that means. Develop character concepts with each other. let your characters influence the setting, or vice versa. Feel free to make up history, society and background NPCs as needed. At some point, you’ll be ready to play.

There are two stages to play: desert and city.

Eventually, there will be something your character needs that they can’t find in the city. They must go out into the desert. Water for a community dying of thirst, gasoline to fill your almost-empty car, a part-time job to pay the rent, or a cursed emerald as big as your head because You Want It are all good reasons.

If it’s your character who is going out, it’s your round. You must take at least one other character with you. At least one player must sit out. If no one wants to go with you, your character must do without and the round passes to the player to your left. If no one wants to stay, the player with the most marks who isn’t leading the round must stay.

During a desert round, each player takes turns narrating. Players with characters in the desert narrate the actions of their characters. One of their goals is to have memorable experiences. Players sitting out narrate the world. Their goals are to provide challenge, put characters in tight spots, and create opportunities for memorable experiences.

The round ends when all characters either find what they’re looking for and return, give up and return, or are overcome. Each player of a surviving character chooses one player who accompanied them. Rhey paint a mark on that player’s arm that represents a moment from this round, something significant or memorable. Ideally it should be something abstract or symbolic. If there’s no more space, that player must wipe off one of their current marks to make some.

At the end of the round there is a city stage, in which the current characters react to what happened in the desert and participate in city life. All players are free to narrate the world as well as their characters, including supporting NPCs. The goals of this stage are decompression and freeform character development.

When it is appropriate, another player takes on the next desert round. The default assumption is that the round goes to the player to the left of the previous round-holder, but players may prefer to have the decision rise organically from play.

During desert stages, a character’s players are only allowed to narrate their character’s actions, but this also covers their character’s reactions, including bodily integrity. World players can put characters in situations that will almost certainly result in harm, but only the character’s player says if that harm occurs. There are two exceptions. The first is that a character’s player can choose to wipe off one of their marks in order to narrate a single statement about the world, like a world player can. The other is that if a character’s player has no marks at the end of a desert round, their character leaves the game in whatever manner they choose.

Notes:
Credits: We Know The Devil, With Those We Love Alive, Game Chef