Tag: Sean Smith

Anyone for a revised version of a favorite?

http://www.evilhat.com/home/monster-of-the-week/

So last night one of my regular players wasn’t able to attend so we decided to play a one shot to fill the gap. Since there were only 3 of us this particular evening, I decided that Protocol Series would be a fantastic fit. We decided to break out Broken Hearts which is a protocol set in the realm of Deadlands. It was a little bit different in that it had a Grit mechanism we neglected to use (whoops). However, the story featured around two spirits that torment the town of Briar Gulch and it is up to the players to try to solve the mystery. My character was the law dog, Sheriff Thomas Payne, a man driven by his own selfish interests to gain a name for himself in the world while ensuring that the town under his watch was kept safe. The other two players were Aces McGraw, the under-handed huckster, and Vladimir Kalashnikov, the mad scientist hell-bent on showing Edison who was the real power in the scientific community. 

In regards to my relationship with Aces, I had complex/rivalry and ominous/codependency. We concluded that he was my good-fir-nuthing cousin who I was constantly having to lock up but was making a much better name for himself then I was able to so far. It was also decided that Aces’s felt I was keeping him down and that I had better watch my back. In regards to my relationship with Vladimir, he drew burdensome/long-term. We concluded that I did my best to keep him in town as the progress he might bring could put it on the map and he ultimately resented it.

We had some fun with the world building deciding that my dear wife Mary had been slain by the spirits after their arrival. We also found that Mortimer Johnson (or Old Man Mort as the townsfolk called him) was seen stealing from the dead. There were also two other deaths in the last year, Bow-Legged Sally who was beaten to death by a client and Pastor Williams (or Pastor Willy) who apparently committed suicide. 

The story itself was convoluted, as every protocol has been so far I have played, but I have some highlights I can give you: Aces caught trying to steal horses while all the townsfolk were in the Sheriff’s station trying to find protection from the savage storm; an ominously glowing well in the center of town with a keening wail coming from it; the town’s people becoming vacant and mindlessly trying to enter the well; a brutal energy-crackling twister that destroyed the laundry; a sky filled with thousands of crows; two figures that could only be spirits holding hands; a trip into the well that lead to an inter-dimensional rift; and likely more scenes than I can recall.

In the end, we found that the spirits were those of Pastor Williams and his lover, the town drunk, Jebidiah. He had ultimately killed himself out of heartbreak and my character was revealed for trying to cover up the murder most-foul that put the Pastor’s lover into the great beyond (discrimination over their forbidden love). Vladimir discovered that the ectoplasm left behind held certain unique properties he felt could finally push him past his nemesis. And finally, we discovered that Aces had actually worked with an Indian shaman to have him raise these spirits so that he might get sole access to the inky black oil in the well, becoming fabulously wealthy and a name known far and wide.

It’s a super fun system and alot of fun to play. I would recommend checking it out if you haven’t yet.

I’m thinking about trying to get a game of Protocol Series going next week, hopefully on Monday (12/8). These are short games, typically running about 2 hours. It is a GMless system and I’ve managed to get a few games of it in so far and enjoyed it a great deal. In regards to play style, it has a feel somewhat akin to Fiasco. If you think you might be interested, let me know.  When doing so, chime in on any of the following that sound fun to you. I have the following to choose from (I have played Joan of Arc and Eons so far):

Home is a story roleplaying game about soldiers in a fantasy world returning home from a long and costly war. Being on the losing side of the war, the characters must overcome adversity, national tension, and a lack of resources as they navigate the roads and wilderness. With only a few coins in your pockets, your long trek home begins.

Eons is a story roleplaying game about inexplicable horror and marginal science. Players take on the roles of fringecraft investigators, journalist, scientists, and theorists. Exploring nearly random events, the characters must piece together random occurrences and decipher hidden secrets to stop horrors beyond the veil from corrupting our world.

Joan of Arc is a story roleplaying game about scientists and rescue personnel working to save a damaged space station before disruptive energy rips it apart. Starting from the planet’s surface, the team has limited time to get to the station, climb inside, and repair the damaged station. The clock is ticking as problem after problem besets the team members who have limited resources to battle the ravaged reactor core.

Holy Diver is a story roleplaying game homage to Ronnie James Dio. With characters and events drawn directly from the lyrics of Ronnie James Dio songs (from Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and his self-titled work), the game is a strange trip through the golden lyrics of the metal god himself. Specifically, the game is about fantasy adventurers on a quest to the Silver Mountain, to see ‘the Witch’.

Broken Hearts is a story roleplaying game set in Deadlands: The Weird West™. Two star-crossed spirits have started to haunt the town of Briar Gulch and it’s only a matter of time before they tear the town — and perhaps everyone in it — apart. The spirits have brought a storm down upon Briar Gulch that threatens to level it. Every night the winds grow stronger and the town’s structures grow weaker. Signs are ripped off buildings, tombstones fall in Boot Hill, and grown men can barely walk down the tempest-tossed streets. 

Where did these spirits come from? Do they have something to do with a pair of lovers who died there a year ago? Can they be laid to rest before the town is destroyed by their vengeful force? The heroes who must survive the spirits’ rage are lightning-fast gunfighters, card-slinging hucksters, mad scientists, or even common townsfolk. And they’d best be quick—this storm threatens to break bones as well as hearts.