[The Dull and the Dramatic] A game sketch

[Tomas HVM]

Here goes! Following is a short sketch of a possible roleplaying-game. Any comments are apprectiated. Any test of it and report in the "Actual Play"-forum is appreciated. Go gently, it's a first draft, and for me it's nothing more than an exercise in design. The value of it lies in your testing it and giving constructive critisism.

The Dull and the Dramatic

This game is about a group of people gathering around the telly, watching their favourite show. They may be friends or family, or a mix. Players decide what TV-show is the favourite of the characters before play commence. It may be an imagined show, as long as you agree on it. If you go for a real show, remember that you will play out a very special episode in it, so feel free to let the show grow into something completely different as the game chrashes into it...

Characters are based on friends/family of the players, but piecemeal; one trait from one friend, another trait from another friend. You must state which of your family or friends you get the trait from. No one may argue with your interpretation of it, even if you pick a trait from one of the other players. You may create characters with as many as five traits (based on 2-5 of your friends). The gender of the character has to be the same as your own, but you may base it on friends/family of another gender (or a mix). The name of the character has to be a mesh of the names from the inspirations of the traits, but male characters have to have male names, and females must have female names. NO character may be anything out of the ordinary. They may be nice and sympathetic, and they may have flaws as you see them, but no trait may set them aside or above a normal man or woman.

The show-characters: after doing the characters, you will do the main characters of the TV-show they are going to watch. You will make a set of characters equal to the player characters in number and gender, save that you will decide on one character extra; the main villain. The Villain do not have to be a character normally in the show (not all TV-show have one), but he/she will be in the game. The show-characters are also befitted with 2-5 traits, but the traits may be totally fantasy, within the bounds of the chosen show. Do this together, so all of you get to know the show-characters. Do not relate the show-characters to eachothers, or make any more details of the show.

Have a table, or several small ones, between yourselves and the telly. Be sure to sit in a semicircle, so that all of you see the telly and all other players. Place your character-sheets before you, with your name in BIG letters for all to see. Place the show-characters in the centre, for all to reach (to pick up and study). If you want any grub place it on the tables before the game commence. Use whatever grub you think appropriate for a group of dedicated TV-viewers.

Have a telly before you, but let the screen be black and no sound coming from it. It's only there as a dead prop, for you to point on and look at, and for you to stand behind/beside if it comes to that... (see: "A possible development..." )

Wind down and open up. The game starts with a wind-down exercise. All players place themselves in a comfy chair or sofa, and starts breathing slow and deep. One player will lead in this exercise, telling the others to draw a deep breath, and to breathe slowly out, to the bottom of their lungs. Keep this going a short time, and then you start saying things in chorus, following the lead of the one player. Things like:
- My feet are calm.
- My body is calm.
- My arms are calm.
- My head is calm.
- I will relaxe.
- I will open up to our interaction.
- I will search for the silence within my character.
- I will enjoy the silence.
- I will participate with ease.
- etc.
Each phrase is spoken at least three times, in calm and deliberate voices, together.

When the routine of calming down and opening up is finished, the leader of the routine tells the others the gameplay is starting. There is no break between the calming-routine and the start of gameplay. They are now in character. The favourite show of the characters are being anounced on the telly. They are watching.

The gameplay:
- A player may have his character make a statement on the "TV-show" or on some element of the "character-reality". All and every statement must be in character.
- Statements on the character-reality should always be a bit dull, nothing special. Their lives should be very ordinary, nothing special. All such statements should be followed up by a prolonged silence (longer than natural) and then by some reaction in the small scale (a nervous twitch, a shifting, drinking some more and the like). The players should always perform these actions. Actions like going to the kitchen for more grub or going to the toilet should be performed as such an action.
- Statements on the "TV-show" should try to describe a dramatic delvelopment in the show, and may very well be exciting, extreme and flabbergasting. All such statements should be followed up by a shocked silence (longer than natural) and then by some reaction in the extreme (a gaping mouth, slamming your hand on the table, drinking greedily, pointing and eyeballing, and the like). The players should always perform these actions. Raising from the chair and going restlessly from one wall to the other could be such an action, or going the the telly and giving it a "kick-start" could be.
- For every statement a character give, all the other characters has to react, at least once. It is important to remember that each and every action should be followed by a little time/space to echo in the room and the minds of the players, just like the statements. Only when all of the other characters has reacted to the statement is any character allowed to give a new statement (even the last who did so). No reaction shall ever include a statement. This game does not opt for high reality, but rather for a silent and surreal atmosphere of "verfremdung".

- The "single statement"  --->  "multiple reaction" is the core mode of the game.

As the game commences the TV-show is going on, taking the usual dramatic twists and turns. This must reflect in the statements on the TV-show, done by the characters, but it does not have to be fully accounted for. Take things for granted, and do not occupy yourselves with internal logics. There is always an explanation to everything that goes on within the telly, you know. If it makes the whole show bizarre or dreamy then let it.

A possible development...
When all characters has made at least one statement in the game, it is possible to develop it in a certain direction. This is nothing you have to do. If you find the game amusing as is, you may go on into you all decide you've had enough (the TV-show is over, and they turn off the telly). Or you may develop it into something the characters don't expect...

If you opt for this development, you may start to make statements about the characters leaving their "reality" now, and joining the TV-show by replacing one of the show-characters. Such a statement is part of the TV-show statements, and should be met with flabbergasted friends of the character, and appropriate reactions.

When a player-character joins the TV-show it enables all players to make statements on what he/she is doing in the show. But: all such statements should show the character to be out on thin ice, silly or coward, and in some way misplaced in the drama. He/she will never be a hero, and never succeed. He/she will ruin plots and give way to evil, slowly, but always.

As for the player "in control" of the character, he/she may speak to the other characters from the TV-screen directly (as a statement in character-reality), and he/she may describe what his character is doing in the show (as a statement on the TV-show). If the player want to speak directly to the others from the telly, he/she should stand beside or behind it when doing so.

As more characters leave their "reality" and end up in the TV-show, a great evil will stir. The characters will in fact be the portal for this evil to enter our world. The evil will enter in their hometown, and spreak to the entire world, engulfing it in some vile destiny. Their only chance of stopping this evil, is by defeating the main villain.

If the characters do not succeed in stopping evil (and they are not likely to succeed), one of them will make a final statement on the evil let loose in our world. This final statement will be met with silence from the other players. No reactions. No sound. No stirrings, only silence. The silence should be a prolonged and unnatural silence. The players should take care to breath calmly and be at ease.

The game is over.

[matthijs]

A few questions:

- Characters are based on people you know. Why is this?

- "Only when all of the other characters has reacted to the statement is any character allowed to give a new statement (even the last who did so)." This structure can get confusing after a few turns. Say you have four players (A, B, C and D), going like this: A, B, D, C, D, A, B, C, C... chances are at least one of the players lose track at this point. What if you have a bowl of tokens (one for each player) on the table, next to the munchies, and draw turns at random? After each turn, you put the tokens back. (On the other hand, that might actually break a little of the atmosphere you're aiming for).

- The prolonged silence after character statements sounds cool. Why the silence after show-character statements? Perhaps they could be the opposite - fast & frantic reactions?

- Have you considered some sort of ending for the game (apart from "a possible development")? As it stands, it seems like it might just disintegrate when players don't have anything more to say, which is unsatisfying.

[Tomas HVM]

Based on people you know to make it more real, down to earth. I'd like people to use the game to play around with identified traits in real people in a creative way. It's not a fantasy game.

The chance that gameplay gets confusing is high, yes. I'll let it be for now.

Silence after show-statements because the game requires it. I hope for the silence to be the goldmine of this game.

There's the evil ending, of course, and then there is the ending of the TV-show, as stated in the text. That's all.

Thanks for the feedback, Matthijs!

[xenopulse]

for me it's nothing more than an exercise in design

Sorry, I stopped reading at this point. Unless I misunderstand you. If you actually plan to make this a complete game and publish it in one way or another (even as a free pdf), I'll look at it.

[Tomas HVM]

Xenopulse: yes, it's an exercise in design, but it's an "exercise" more serious than much of the "grand scale design" you often see posted on such forum. I'm not "working on a game" (as many would-be designers do); I've written it. It is a roleplaying game in its own right, although it has been "published" in a very offhand and not-so-solemn way. So please regard it as a game in itself, and let the qualities of the game deside if it's worthy of critique or not. If you contribute you may help bring about a nice little game in the public sphere, for all to play at no cost.

Depending on the feedback I may post a final version on my website. Let me have my little quirks, and focus on content.

[Tomas HVM]

Xenopulse: as a reaction to your post, I looked the game over, and did some more work on it. I've posted the new version on RPGnet.

Direct link: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=281826

Any comments or reports of play are welcome.

[Tomas HVM]

...can get confusing after a few turns.

The new version of the game has taken this into consideration, and opt for a simpler solution. I believe any confusion will be very minor in that version.

It's located here: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=282019

By the way: this is a full roleplaying game for you to play. And you may comment on it too, any part of it, if you care to.