[Shab-al-Hiri Roach] Endgame and other issues

[Jason Morningstar]

I'm basically repeating myself, but I don't think the Roach needs much in the way of rules changes.

Well, I'm coming around.  Maybe if I hear that enough I'll leave it alone.  But the recent games all had some dissatisfaction in the end, so I'm still considering changes. 

2. Make sure that players know they should play NPCs to the hilt and that NPCs are always up-for-grabs before someone brings them into a conflict.

This is definitely getting more explanation and emphasis.  Also, the character sheet has a lot of space for organizing NPCs (with cause of death), noting other character's names, the order of events, and so forth.  Thanks, Jon!

[Adam Dray]

I think Jason removed the "who-hates-who/who-likes-who stuff" from the game. We certainly didn't do any of that.

As for NPCs, I felt that no one cared about them enough to protect them. I threw out a suggestion that an NPC, once used, is "yours" in the sense that you and only you get a bonus for using them. Anyone else can do nasty things to them, and get rid of your bonus. This spurs revenge and gets players invested in NPCs they use. I would just write them on index cards as they came into play and put them on the table in front of the player.

There was a lot of discussion after our game about the fact that we weren't all that violent, relative to other Roach games they'd played. I think a stronger revenge motive and more incentive to kill NPCs would ensure that element was present in every game.

[Jason Morningstar]

Well, Adam, Jason certainly forgot the "I hate you, I like you" thing from two of three games.  A shabby performance all around.  It may have helped, actually, although in the third game we didn't miss it.

The funny thing is that NPCs do routinely get dragged into conflicts, and used as a mechanism for revenge (since PCs are sacrosanct).  They just didn't, much, in the saturday night game.  Although your suggestion is a good one, I'm not going to take it for two reasons - an aversion to increasing handling time in general, and a desire to encourage people to narrate in an abundant variety of NPCs, including those that are other players pets. 

By the way, I really appreciate your feedback.  This is tremendously helpful. 

[Jason Morningstar]

Just an update, based on the feedback and my own experience in recent playtests, here's some added verbiage:

On lines and veils:

"In actual play, the Shab-al-Hiri Roach tends toward gallows humor.  Characters are regularly abused in unspeakable ways.  The prejudices of the time and place often make appearances.  This is as it should be, but a little sensitivity is in order.  Before you begin, please take a moment to discuss what your group is comfortable with.  Decide if any particular action or concept would be distressing or objectionable, and to what degree.  If it turns out that certain things simply need to be left out for everyone to be comfortable playing,  honor these boundaries.  Alternately, perhaps everyone will agree that specific topics or themes can be "faded to black", and permitted but not described."

I also added a big-ass example of play.  I'd like your feedback on this - specifically whether it successfully illustrates the social and mechanical aspects of a Scene.  Did I miss anything important?  I'd also like to know if I should hand wave the "they do some role-playing" part like I have done here, or whether that should be more clearly illustrated.  The work-in-progress: 

REPETITIO EST MATER STUDIORUM

Joel is playing Prentiss Basnight, a Roach-bound Assistant Professor with 6 Reputation.

Steve is playing King Kurowski, an free-willed Assistant Professor with no Reputation.

Val is playing Oswald Mulligan, a Roach-bound Full Professor with 1 Reputation.

It's the fourth Event - the homecoming football game.  It's Joel's turn to start a Scene.  He selected his enemy of the moment, Steve, and drew the Command "GIGŠE NIDINIR NAR - You must put the fear of the Gods into this person, in fury and anger".

JOEL:  OK, this is an Everything Else conflict.  I'm betting three Reputation.  Here's the Scene.  Steve, I want you in it.

(STEVE puts one Reputation forward and grabs his personal die for the Scene, a D8.  JOEL also grabs a D8 for his personal die, along with a D12 for the Roach.)

STEVE:  You're betting three Reputation?  I'd be in anyway.  Val, help me out here.  We need to stop him.

JOEL:  I want to grab Kurowski by the collar, drag him underneath the bleachers during the first quarter, and beat him nearly to death with a Futurist sculpture.

STEVE:  What?  Man, that's low!  You know you can't kill a player character, right?

JOEL:  Yeah, that's why I said "nearly".  That's the Roach's idea of a good scare.  I had to threaten the docent in the art museum with a failing grade before she'd let me borrow the sculpture, too.  So that's my personal die, dice for my Expertise of modern art and my Enthusiasm of manipulation for a total of 3D8, as well as two D12 for the Roach.

VAL:  Two D12?

JOEL:  GIGŠE NIDINIR NAR, baby!  I'm doing the Roach's bidding!

STEVE:  You bastard.  At least I'm so slobbering drunk I almost welcome the beating, bringing in my self-destruction.  So that's 2D8.  Thank God I'm not a Full Professor.  Luckily the groundskeeper, Bill Statistawicz, is standing there drinking with me.  So he's worth a D10.  And I know you hate me Val, so I bet you're not stepping in.

(VAL puts forward 1 Reputation)

VAL:  Well, actually ... UNA ÐEAMEAM DU!  Oswald Mulligan does hate you, and I chose to play my Command on you, but I drew "Protect this person, so let it be", so I'm there and ready to kick some ass.  Bad luck, I guess.  I haven't used it yet so that's 2D12 plus my personal die, another D6.  Can I narrate in my Enthusiasm for Sport?

JOEL:  Sure, why not?

STEVE:  Right on!  Some hot Roach-on-Roach action!

JOEL:  Oh, I totally want Professor Emeritus John Acton Gerard to stumble down there to take a pee. 

VAL:  He's a luminary, only worth a D4.

JOEL:  I know, but it'll be awesome when he gets caught in the crossfire.  After you narrated him snubbing me at the wine and cheese social, I've had my eye on him.  Val, will you play him, please?  He wouldn't be on my side in this.

VAL:  No, I guess not.  So what's at stake?

JOEL:  What's at stake is whether or not I send King Kurowski to the hospital.  Everyone cool with that? 

(The players role-play a bit, with JOEL describing the set-up and all the various characters interacting.  During the interplay JOEL narrates in quarterback Bantam Whaley, benched with an injury and limping over to check out the commotion.  JOEL decides the football star hates Kurowski and will watch with pleasure.  Finally it reaches a crisis point where the outcome is uncertain, and dice need to be rolled before continuing.)

STEVE:  Let's roll some dice.  Everybody ready?

(On JOEL's side, 3D8 in personal dice, 1D10 (for Whaley) and 2D12 are rolled.  Opposing him, VAL rolls 1D4 (for Gerard), 1D6 for her personal die and 2D12,  STEVE, also opposed, rolls 1D10 (for the groundskeeper) and 2D8 in personal dice. 

On the "beat him down! side, the dice end up as follows:  2, 4, 4, 5, 10, 11.

On the "Save Kurowski!" side, the dice end up as follows:  1, 2, 2, 5, 6, 9, 11.)

JOEL:  A tie!

(JOEL and VAL re-roll immediately.  JOEL rolls a D8, his smallest die.  VAL rolls a D4, the smallest die on her side of the conflict.  JOEL rolls a 5 and Val rolls a 3.  Since JOEL won the conflict, he gets to narrate the result.  He also wins his wager in reputation, and the others lose their single point of Reputation.)

STEVE:  Uh-oh. 

JOEL:  Yes!  OK, I drag Kurowski back there and shove the groundskeeper out of the way - he's too drunk to put up a fight.

VAL:  I totally try to stop you.  How about if, at the last second, I slip in Gerard's pee and knock myself out?

JOEL:  Excellent.  Gerard just stands there, mortified, as I beat Kurowski with my sculpture.  Through the forest of stamping feet on the bleachers, I see Bantam Whaley, and he's grinning and egging me on.  When I finish I turn to Professor Gerard and say in my best Roach voice "Tell anyone about this and you're next."

VAL:  That's beautiful.

STEVE:  Oh, I so have a follow-up Scene...