[Secret Waitress] GMless and GM Play

[Bryan Hansel]

Okay, I've had very little time to work on the game with some other big work projects coming together in the last week, but I've outlined -- have yet to play the changes -- a basic system with no designated GM.  Not at all like mentioned in the Initial Thread.  The newer version also addresses the questions that Jason Morningstar pointed out for me.

Background:  Players play secret agents competing for a promotion, they all have to take an undercover job at a supper club and serve a powerful corrupt senator.  The waitresses who work at the club are expected to do favors for the congressmen who eat there.  The PCs have to do these favors because of their cover, which are against their sense of duty and motivation, in order to gain evidence against the corrupt senator.  The first player with enough evidence wins.

Other Threads:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18433.0

PDF Version 0.1 - Not Updated Yet - Here:
My Secret Waitress

My question is:  Now that I have a GMless system, which I think will work (hopefully, I'll play it this week or have some friends try it out), is there value in including rules where there is one designated GM in addition to the GMless system? Or just stick with one or the other?

Thanks for any thoughts,
Bryan

[Jason Morningstar]

Definitely make the strongest choice and stick with it.  In my mind that is GM-less.  I hope some other folks will read your draft and weigh in, so you get some differently-biased opinions.

[Lisa Provost]

Hiya Bryan! 

I gave it a once over as well and I have to agree with Jason, this game is GM-less in my opinion.  When I first read it, I thought of Dogs in the Vineyard, where the GM makes the town and the PC's play the Dogs.  But you yourself even mentioned on page 5 "The GM doesn't dictate where the adventure goes, but only describes what the players see because of the consequence of their actions."  That line right there anwers your question in my opinion.  Anyone can narrate the consequences.  Let everyone be part of the story making/telling says I.

The next question is, have you had anyone playtest it yet?

[Bryan Hansel]

Thanks Jason and Lisa.  GM-less is how I'm going to take it.

Lisa, I haven't had anyone playtest it yet.  I haven't felt it was ready for playtesting yet.  But, hopefully, I'll have it together enough for a quick test tonight.  If you're interested and it works in the basic run, I'll try and get the new rules typed up before tomorrow night. I still need to finalize a couple of details: 

1. One of which is do I use cards for the Favors or have the players make them up.  I'm leaning towards cards with a way for players to add more cards.
2. And then I need to test two ideas for evidence.  One is gaining points, and the other is gaining words.  Both would be spent to answer these questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Again, thanks for the feedback,
Bryan