anyway: Going Into Darkness

2011-10-17 : Going Into Darkness

or: the only way I know how to explain things is by designing a damn game

Late in the autumn of 1786, a horror came to Boston. Like all of its kind, it preyed by night upon the weak. It butchered a drunkard in the alley off H—St. It forced the window of a sailor on M—St and took his two children in their beds; when his wife surprised it, it tore her face and fled. She afterward described a frightful creature, like a wolf in the muzzle and shaggy back, like a madwoman in the eyes and limbs, hung with rags of filthy silk and lace. A possible sighting put its lair somewhere about the Copp's Hill grounds, but an investigation there discovered nothing, and an official statement blames desperate vagrants.

Last night, this horror attacked a second drunkard, who managed to fight it off and survive. This drunkard was one of you.

This is what happened next.

Going Into Darkness

Creating Characters

All the PCs have reason to hunt this monster. As you create your character, consult with your GM to arrive at one.

One of the PCs must create the drunkard whom the monster most recently attacked. Volunteer! As you create your character, be certain to choose all the options marked with an asterix (*).

Which of the following has your character suffered? Choose any or all, but at least two:
- Personal violence, like an assault or attempted murder.*
- Conscription into military service.
- The impersonal violence of war.
- The death of spouse, children, or both.
- Arrest and imprisonment.
- Forced labor.
- The loss of land, property, and good name.
- Cruel punishment, like whipping or branding.
- Lasting poverty.
- Drunkenness, gambling, and moral degradation.*

Your character is desperate equal to the number you've chosen. However, if you've chosen more than 6, your character's still desperate equal to 6.

Your character is patient equal to 8 minus desperation.

Which of the following has your character seen? Choose none, one, any or all:
- A man or woman laid open by wounds or by a surgeon's hands.
- A ghost.
- A miraculous healing by the grace of the Almighty.
- A midnight convocation of persons unknown.
- A carriage, unlit, racing the city's streets by night.
- The birth of a child.
- A vision of the future, which proceeded to come to pass.
- A nightmare creature in the waking world.*
- A vision of a loved one far away, found later to be true.
- Initiation into Freemasonry, the priesthood, or an antique cult.

Your character is cautious equal to the number you've chosen. However, if you've chosen more than 6, your character's cautious equal to 6, and if you've chosen fewer than 2, your character's nevertheless cautious equal to 2.

Which of the following can your character do? Choose any or all, but at least one:
- Fight in soberness with sword and pistol.
- Fight in rank and good order with musket and bayonet.
- Fight with fists, knives, throttling fingers, and murderous intent.*
- Ride a horse well and at speed.
- Create beautiful things with your hands.
- Sing, or play beautiful music.
- Read.
- Stitch closed a wound and set straight a broken bone.

Your character is brash equal to the number you've chosen. However, if you've chosen more than 6, your character's brash equal to 6, and if you've chosen only 1, your character's nevertheless brash equal to 2.

Strong
Your character is strong equal to the greatest of desperation, patience, caution, and brashness.

You'll roll your character's strength in fights and other direct physical confrontations.

Dangerous
Disarmed, your character is dangerous equal to 1.

Armed appropriately, your character is dangerous equal to 3.

Armed but inappropriately, your character is dangerous equal to 2.

Next To Come:
Going into darkness;
Using caution, skill, or care;
Threatening or intimidating another;
Enduring duress;
Keeping faith.

1. On 2011-10-17, Kit said:

Now I want to play Poison'd again. (As in, want-again, not play-again.)

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