[In Memory] An RPG Add On

[Brandon Parigo]

   Here is a recent RPG rules add on I've been tinkering with.  I don't really know if it fits into this forum, but I thought I would try it anyway.  This was sort of a byproduct from the creation of another game that I am working on (but is not ready to present to anyone even for feedback, or advice, yet). 
   It feels sorta weird presenting something as short and silly as this as my first item on the Forge.  My goal with this is to publish it on my website as a free pdf.  I would like to flesh it out and make it a few pages of advice and suggestions on how to get into the theme before I do that.

   I'm looking for a few things:
      Does it work?  I have yet to playtest this because of my current lack of gaming group who loves the drink as much as I do, but on paper it seems it would work, and might even give groups who are not into switching stance a small intro into those forms of gaming.  Atleast that was one of the design goals.
      Does having it as an add on to any game make the transistion from the Now (the old characters) to the Then (the new characters) seem a bit rough or odd?  Would it be served by just adding in a system to run the Then portions of the game?  or, is the fact that you can add in any system you like a bonus?
      Is it fun? or does it atleast sound amusing?  That was my other primary design goal with it, to add something interesting but not mind bending to an already established gaming group. 
   

In Memory:
A drinking game, to add to any RPG.

   The concept here is that you are playing characters who are old and drinking in a local pub, or whatever your setting has that is like a pub.  They are telling stories of their past, and arguing over the details.  So you end up playing both the old and young version of your character, while getting stinking drunk and talking in funny voices.
   Here is the outline of how it works.

I. Coming to the Pub
   A. Everyone gathers at a place to game.  Atleast one person has to bring a bottle, or case to drink.  This can be beer, wine, or spirits (ouch if its spirits).  This place probably should have a table, I mean what good pub doesn't have a table.
   B.  Name this place.  Give it the name of your characters favorite drinking spot.  I call mine The Dive. 
   C. One person brings the first round to the table.  Technically all the drinks could be on the table, but one person serves the first round.  If this is not obvious, who it would be, then decide.  Usually its the person with the glasses and the bottle in their hands.

II. The First Round
   A. The person who brought the first round to the table poors himself a drink (or opens a can/bottle).  While he is doing this he remembers a scene back in the day.  Example: "Remember that time in Port Royale when the Brits tried to take our monkeys". 
   B. The bottle passes to the right, and each person fills their glass while adding more detail to the scene.  Examples: "oh yeah, and we had just come from seeing the governer who was crazy and made us wear funny hats"," Yeah but his shell fish made us all sick". 
   C. Once the bottle is back to the person who brought the first round then play transitions to the rules of the normal roleplaying game with the person who brought the bottle being the Game Master.  Or if he does not want the duty then it is given to one that does.

III. Drinking
   A. So what is it with the drink?  Well it allows you to do certain things during the game. 
      I. There are three types of drinks in this game: A Drink, A Swig, and A Glass.  What each one really means you should decide with the group before you get too drunk and fist fights break out.
         A. "Are you sure that missed him?"  A Drink will give your character a reroll, or an additional die.  You can also drink to give another character the same benefit.   
         B. "I know I made that shot"  A Swig will give your character an automatic success, or two dice.  You can also drink to give another character the same benefit.
         C. "It didn't happen like that"  You can down what is left of your glass in order to take the game master control away from the person in charge to give to yourself.  You then have the right to back up the scene to start telling it over again where you thought it should of changed. 

IV. Reflection and Return
   A.  When the scene is done you can call it quits for the game session or continue on to a new scene.  The new scene could be something chronologically connected to the last one or just another memory that your old geezers have of their past lives.  Thats up to you.
   B.  I was thinking it would be fun to do this using a game that has already happened.  That way people could twist the story to fit how they would rather of remembered it.  That is if they don't get to drunk first.
   C.  Old characters getting drunk and telling adventure stories is cool. 

[TonyLB]

I particularly like the idea that the drunkest person at the table will routinely sieze game-mastering duties (because, hey, his glass is already practically empty and besides he can do a mussh bitter... batter... better job!)

[matthijs]

I really like the basic idea of the game. I can see the transition from old drunk with battered plate mail to Percy Paladin, bright-eyed and full of intent to Save the World.

The drinks that give bonuses are a great idea. Easiest reward system ever, with natural limits. I do predict, however, that the game would fall apart after an hour or two, when people start losing focus. And next week when they all meet again, some of the events from the drunken session might seem daft and have to be edited out.

"I was thinking it would be fun to do this using a game that has already happened." Hm, how? You'd have to replay the scene in the "real" game, right? (So say you have a D&D campaign, you killed the orcs, then you play In Memory, and you go back and try to kill the orcs again, but fail). What are the consequenses for the campaign when past events are altered? (Or aren't they?)

Have you considered having a separate system for the Then, instead of using existing systems/campaigns? That way, you wouldn't have the same potential problems wrt altering events.

[Andrew Cooper]

You really should read Great Ork Gods and merge this game with that one.  It could be Great Drunken Ork Gods.

All joking aside, you should pursue this game a little more.  I'd separate it from any existing system and devise one of your own.  It'd need to be a very simple system or players might have trouble getting anything done at all after a scene or two.  I'd have either the losers or winners of conflicts/tasks be required to take drinks, depending on what effect you are looking for (ie winning means getting more drunk or losing means getting more drunk).  Avoid dice or other small objects that could be difficult to control or read for a resolution system.  Try a Karma system with large counters for resource representation... or make the resources tied to the drinks.  Passing out or barfing should definately have negative game effects.

[Brandon Parigo]

This game originally was attached to its own game system, but the two items went seperate ways.  Maybe it would be possible to bring them back together with some minor altering.  The system it was attached to was pretty simple, but I wanted it to be a bit more than a drinking game.  Leaving it so that you can use other game systems would add some interesting 'retelling' of adventures past. 

The reason I think this would be fun to do with games that already took place is because the game is mostly about how the characters remember what happened.  We all know they survived the encounter, and what 'really' happened but this is a chance to roleplay the characters trying to make it happen in their memories the way they think it should of gone.  Further fun could be had I imagine with the arguements at the table about those desperate attempts to make the past seem more grand than it was (which could lead to more drinking!)

This game is going to be the death of me, I can see it now. 

As the game is written I think it will work best on a scene by scene bases and not a long running game.   Who knows, perhaps this group gets together every friday and they love to drink! 

Thank you all for your feedback, if you are interested I can post the basics of the system that it was originally attached to, but I can't promise the basic system is anything interesting, as it was written before I took them apart.

[Eric Provost]

"So, you're all in a tavern..."

I think I'd totally dig this game if it were a stand-alone game that was entirely about drinking and re-telling old RPG stories.  That is, stand-alone and not 'attached' to another game.  I imagine a system where the opening round starts with a basic re-telling and ends up a tremendous "big fish" story about someone's favored character.

-Eric

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

I have a couple of references you might be interested in: The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen, from Hogshead Publishing, and the card game Once Upon a Time, from Wizards of the Coast. The first is basically a competitive tall-tale game and the second is a competitive, card-driven construction of a fairy tale.

I think the Baron provides the closest thing I can think of to what you're describing, and your post leads me to think you might have hit upon a better mechanics-basis than it uses. I'm recommending Once Upon a Time not due to its specific mechanics, but because it has some excellent, very clear rules about managing interruptive narration.

Um, and there's also Ben Lehman's game, Over the Bar ... best described as "a drinking game with a role-playing problem" ... which would bring a certain something into play, that's for sure.

Best,
Ron

[Ben Lehman]

Hmm... If you're interested in the present rules of Over the Bar, please PM me your e-mail address and I'll them to you.  I like your game better, though...

So, if I am correct, taking more of a drink gives you greater metagame power?  Are you drinking during the scene or before the scene starts?

I'd really like to see a mechanic where anyone at the table can "buy another round" to become the GM and frame a new scene.

yrs--
--Ben

[Adam Dray]

I imagine a "support" mechanism called "I'll Drink to That," where other people do a shot to lend credence to something the narrator is saying. Or support it and steal narration.

[Brandon Parigo]

Ron: Thank you for your game suggestions, I have seen those games mentioned many times but have yet to check any of them out.  I'm sure that won't be the case for long as I'm always looking for new things to feed my head with.

Ben:  I PMed you.  Also to answer your questions.  How I imagined this working when I first designed it, was that you would drink during the scene.  Before the scene starts you pour the drinks, and set the scene.  I also would imagine that you can't drink unless you are using one of the three methods of controlling what happens.  I guess that would encourage the people at the table to try to contribute something in the Now of the old characters as well as the Then of the game that they are talking about.  

The 'buying another round' idea of Bens and the 'I'll drink to that' idea of adams has got me thinking...

[Brandon Parigo]

Ok, I changed a bit of it to incorperate some suggestions.  My thoughts on it now are:  Can it function as a drinking game with that many options?  If not, will a cheat sheet help (probably have to get it lamenated)?

I'm also seriously considering, now that I have had feedback from a few people, expanding it into a full game.  Although I kind of like the idea of it resting on any game that the group likes.  I guess the only way to find out is to try it both ways. 


III. Drinking
   A. So what is it with the drink?  Well it allows you to do certain things during the game. 
      I. There are three types of drinks in this game: A Drink, A Swig, and A Glass.  What each one really means you should decide with the group before you get too drunk and fist fights break out.  Here are the things you can do with your drinks:
         A. "Are you sure that missed him?"  A Drink will give your character a reroll, or an additional die.  You can also drink to give another character the same benefit.   
         B. "I know I made that shot"  A Swig will give your character an automatic success, or two dice.  You can also drink to give another character the same benefit.
         C. "It didn't happen like that"  You can down what is left of your glass in order to set the scene back in time and have something happen the way you think it should of.  You don't gain control of the game mastering function, but you do get to say when the scene picks up and what will change from then on out.
         D. "Buying another round"  This ends the scene, switchs who is doing the game mastering, or raises the stakes of the scene.  Each player receives another serving, and you state which one of the above choices is going to happen.  If the scene is going to end and another one start, then as each serving is being poured everyone helps set the new scene (just like when the first scene was being set).  If the scene isn't over then the game master has to switch or the stakes of the scene have to raise (I recommend doubling the problem).
         E. "I'll drink to that"  You can drink to anything that happens in the scene.  What this does is make it harder for anyone to override it with other drinking.  Double hard as a matter of fact.
         F. "We'll drink to that"  If you offer up an "I'll drink to that" and then more than you end up drinking to it, then it can not be changed no matter what, not even if someone says "It didn't happen like that".

IV. Reflection and Return
   A.  When the scene is done you can call it quits for the game session or continue on to a new scene.  The new scene could be something chronologically connected to the last one or just another memory that your old geezers have of their past lives.  Thats up to you.
   B.  I was thinking it would be fun to do this using a game that has already happened.  That way people could twist the story to fit how they would rather of remembered it.  That is if they don't get to drunk first.
   C.  A very special rule is:  If no one remembers that it happened, or you were to drunk to catch that someone didn't drink twice to override your "I'll drink to that",  then who cares! 
   D.  Old characters getting drunk and telling adventure stories is cool. 

[matthijs]

A drinking game should probably be simpler than this. I suggest having a maximum of three drinking options. But playtest might prove me wrong :)

[Andy Kitkowski]

First off, I'm jumping in here late inoir.

I love this idea.  I don't think it needs to be a standalone game to be good.  I personally love "metagame mods" that can be brought to any existing system (Formless, etc), and see a great opportunity here.  Plus, the market's huge enough at that: There's a lot of humebrewer trogs who get together for D&D, they'd FLIP for a game like this.  I'm seeing it in use with everything from Shadowrun to Feng Shui.

In other words, if your heart is into a roleplaying rule meta-mod, keep running with that.  I think that you've got something great here that doesn't need to be its' own self-contained rules set to turn heads.

A drinking game should probably be simpler than this. I suggest having a maximum of three drinking options. But playtest might prove me wrong :)

I say we playtest this at GenCon.  In any case, inoir, the "III. Drinking" section could easily be laminated into a "half page". I'd say go for putting 4 of these laminated rules quick cards in the pack so that you don't have to continuously pass it around; It'll be like that "purchasing card" from Settlers of Catan: People will really rely on it at first, but after a few games there'd be no need.

In any case, again, I'm really digging this.  If you think it works as an adaptable rules mod (I'm totally behind that), go for it.  If you want to bring in some rules at the end for running it as its own game, that could work, too.

-Andy

[garapata]

I like it!
Am gonna see if I can somehow apply this to White Wolf games.

[Brandon Parigo]

After long debates with myself over this during the weekend I decided to let it stand as a game add on.  Right now I think the most important thing is to start doing more playtesting of it (or is that my wanting to drink speaking).  If I was at Gen Con this year I would be glad to playtest with many many people, but I won't be.  Sorta sad 21 years as a gamer and no Gen Con ever. 

I think it also needs to be playtested with the orginal 3 drinking rules, and the newer ones. 

In a round about way the idea of a drinking roleplaying game started with White Wolf games for me.  A friend of mine made Sabbat and Camarilla shot glasses and before each game session we would toast to the game using those glasses.  I think In Memory would serve Vampire (both old and new) well.  An old Coterie getting together once every ten or so years, to remember what it was like to be a young camarilla or sabbat flunky, would be good.  Sorta sappy but good.
Or Werewolf (old since I have yet to read WtF), could work with the players taking the Now parts as being the Elders, telling each other and the cubs stories about the ancestors.  It would be very interesting to retell the lore of the garou with each players bent, and drunk goggles on.

If you are someone who needs a good in game reason for the characters to start acting more strange as the night goes on (as you get more drunk), something interesting like taking on the roles of demons giving a sorcerer knowledge of an occult past would be interesting.  The demons can only focus so much into this world, and as the story continues they loose site of what they are telling, and the tales start to fall apart, become outrageous, and sometimes devolve into nothing.

If only I could playtest at my dayjob.