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Aaron Johnson
Aaron Johnson Presents
The Town
RPG System
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Aaron Johnson
THE STORY
The Day of Confusion (Day One)
It was a morning- at least, resembled a morning, when the residents of the Town woke
up. The light rays cast from illuminated sky began prying open eyelids, which groggily blinked
open with morning drunkenness. The street of what looked to be a residential neighborhood was
littered with the bodies of unconscious people, some of whom were beginning to stir and rise.
The neighborhood resembled a modern housing development, with the same house plan copy
pasted down the streets. Each house had the same off white/beige color scheme, a small neat
plot of grass, and one medium size tree. The people were all wearing different clothes that
suggested many walks of life. Cries of alarm and confusion began to ring out and echo, with
other voices joining. Some found themselves waking in a dense wooded area of the Town. To
them, waking in the dark shadows of the forest was a terrifying ordeal. The forest had large trees
(much larger and thicker than seemed usual - most thought) that had large gnarled branches, that
twisted and forked like witches fingers. Some of the residents began immediately looking for
help, others sat, paralyzed with fear. Then there were the misfortunate. A small amount of
people (six to be exact) died that day, sometime before everyone woke up. Most of the deaths
were from drowning, with four people found on shore by the lake. They were fully clothed. One
person had rolled off a large embankment during his slumber, and never once became conscious,
as a large sharp rock had broken his neck. The last person was an elderly woman who had a
heart attack immediately on waking. This day became known to the people of the Town later as
The Day of Confusion.
The Wall
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That day the people also discovered The Wall. The Wall existed on the outermost
borders of the town. After a number of people attempted to leave Town post haste, they
discovered that any and all paths out of the town are blocked by an invisible barrier. The barrier
has withstood all forms of abuse in an attempt to crack or break through it, and all have resulted
in failure. Some people surmise that an Atom bomb could possibly do the trick, but that’s just
people talking (and no one happened to have an Atom bomb to try). One resident of the Town
put forth the idea that the Wall was perfectly circular, as he had estimated in number-of-steps.
The wall glows a pale translucent white at night, replacing the usual dark starry night that man
has grown accustomed to with essentially a dim night light. There appears to be nothing but
blackness beyond the Wall. Some have spent days trying to peer through the Wall, desperate to
catch a glimpse of anything that could hint towards the current condition, but have never seen or
heard anything so far. The land and world of the Town simply stopped existing on the other
side. The Wall was always the target of much hypothesis, but the fact remained that it was an
impenetrable barrier, a jail door on the cell that was the Town.
The Beginning
The beginning of the Town was filled with violence and mistrust. No one in the town
could recall exactly who they were, or any memories beyond the events they found themselves
ensnarled in. The only clues were the clothes, and accessories that the person had on waking up.
Some had brief cases, suggesting a possible business worker. Some had cell phones (which
didn’t work), knives, and tools. A few had pistols or rifles strung around them (with a very
limited amount of ammunition), and these were the people who first began organizing. Weapons
are power in this system, but the people with guns are acutely aware that there is limited ammo.
The Groups
Several groups of people have formed tight knit allegiances within the Town. The largest
group belongs to Big Flagg, a fast talking man who happened to wake up with a fine silver pistol
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(complete with several cases of ammo he later discovered in his jacket). Flagg has the demeanor
of a used car salesmen that you would see on T.V, with a large portly stomach and broad grin
plastered on his face. Big Flagg convinced a large amount of people near the residential area that
he could lead them, and he immediately found a few people he befriended (some also with
weapons) to become deputies with him, in order to “ensure the peace” in the chaotic
environment. A few people who crossed Big Flagg have come up missing, and some are starting
to think that Big Flagg might not be the symbol of leadership he presents himself to be.
However, due to his weapons and power, Big Flagg still is in control of a sizable portion of The
Town, including a general store and most of the residential housing (with no electricity of
course). Big Flagg (after conducting interviews with his people) has convinced some who had a
special knowledge of Chemistry to come work in his “research labs.” It’s in these labs that Big
Flagg is producing a large amount of the street drug Meth. Big Flagg then in turn sells this
product to a few reliable citizens (people he uses as hired thugs) or members of other groups.
Big Flagg always has a way to distance himself from the seller of the drug if they are ever found
out though. The supply of propane needed to make the product is dwindling however, and this
has emboldened Big Flagg to start pushing out into territory that isn’t his in order to search for
fuel.
Another powerful group that emerged was the DayNighters. The DayNighters mostly
believe in embracing the chaos and living in the moment. They are led by a man who wears a
small theatre mask, and whose face has only been seen by his most trusted. It is said that the
man woke up with the mask on, and was seen laughing hysterically (sometimes it sounded like
crying) for most of Confusion Day. This man began to spread his message that this was God’s
plan for the people, and for his followers to reject modern advancement and embrace a more
chaotic roots life. Rebuked by Big Flagg, the DayNighters led by Mask inhabit a large churchlike building on the border between the forest and the residential area. Groups of DayNighters
have been known to rob people, as well as invade houses searching for supplies when they are
low. The DayNighters hold a strange ceremony akin to a church service every week that is led
by Mask. Mask preaches about embracing The Wall, and doing the work of the makers in the
form of proliferating chaos. Members of the DayNighters do not usually have guns, but instead
use clubs or makeshift weapons. There is a rumor that Mask has been able to communicate with
whomever constructed The Wall.
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After Flagg’s group and the DayNighters, there are the Isolators. The Isolators have set
up rag tag camps in a large clearing in the forest, which they call their own. The Isolators prefer
to have small groups, and don’t even like linking up with other Isolator groups, but realize they
must to protect themselves from raids from other groups or individuals. Isolators aren’t liked by
many outside of their group, as they are seen as selfish and warlike. There have been a few
stories circulating among the residents that a group of Isolators had found something strange in
the forest… a “thin” area. The Isolators who had discovered the thin spot seemed terrified, and
refused to go back. They described an area where our reality seems thin, like the outer
membrane on a glass of water filled slightly beyond its max. It was there, they claim, that
something terrible was on the other side.
The Technology
There is a shortage of power in The Town, along with every other amenity that current
society has become used to. Running water does not exist, meaning people must keep a supply
of water handy, and if necessary make a trip to the lake and draw some fresh water from a fastmoving area of water (to avoid disease).
Some have found certain houses that have small
power generators inside, although it is quite lucky to actually find someone with propane or fuel
in order to run the generators.
Certain mechanically-minded individuals have become extremely useful, rigging up wind
turbines to power and recharge small electric generators. This kind of technology is highly
sought after, and is usually located in the residential district, where the mechanics can live safely
within the protection of Big Flagg’s ranks. The residential area also has some existing power
infrastructure that was tapped into by the mechanics, giving them access to electric lights,
powered refrigerators, juke boxes, and other such luxuries. A few cars have been found (much
less than what seems normal for a town, even an abandoned and deserted on). These have a
small reservoir of fuel, and are usually kept hidden due to their extreme value.
Isolators who have been practicing the craft of weaving have become very good at
fashioning bows and wooden armor, using them to hunt for game in the forest. Some Isolators
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even make their own medicine from vague memories of the past. They don’t remember how
they know, but they know.
The Gate (Main Arc)
In the first few weeks of The Town, there was much chaos. The Town was not a small
plot of land, but the rules of man were once again upheld. Confined space, limited resources,
and no order resulted in quite a few dead. At the end of these first three weeks, social stability
began to be established through the gangs of Flagg and Mask. After a few months, things were
actually running smoothly in the residential area. There were shifts at night by the guards (one
of which carried a working rifle with a handful of ammunition) to keep the people in the housing
district safe at night. All of this welcomed respite from the initial chaos was soon lost however,
once news of The Hole had been spread.
The Hole was found after someone observed a mysterious man nick-named “Fast Eddie"
diving into the lake late at night, and not surfacing again for several hours. Once Eddie had left
the area, the person brought others down to the lake and began searching the area that Eddie had
dove into. What they found was a small opening into some strange-shaped rocks below the
surface of the lake. The opening was far enough down that anyone visiting it would have to be
accustomed to holding their breath or traveling under water. The astonished investigator swam
into the opening, beginning to feel the strain of holding one’s breath. The person found
themselves coming out of a structure identical to the one they had just entered, but had no time to
gawk as they swam to the surface for breath. Upon reaching the surface, the person was in for an
even bigger surprise. The surface was completely different. Almost no trees remained on the
shoreline, only small charred stumps and shapes. The person thought they saw a jaw bone
poking up from crumbled dirt not far from shore. With a shriek the person swam back down into
the water to tell the people waiting at the shore. The person passed back into the opening in the
strange rocks (which seemed to have a faint yellowish glow now), and out again into the mirror
opposite.
Swimming with full speed to the top, the person burst out of the water and paddled to the
shore frantically. The others waiting had to slow down the excited person multiple times, and
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expressed doubt in the story. Sending another person (this time a tall well liked fellow by the
name of Adam) down into the frothy depths, they waited about 15 minutes before Adam burst
through the surface of the water just like the last person, eyes as wide as dinner plates.
“It’s… it’s … here. It’s here, but not… and everything there is completely overgrown!
Huuuge trees and bushes! It looks like there hasn’t been a person there in at least a few hundred
years! I only ran around the shore, but I heard something in the bushes that didn’t sound… “
Adam stopped talking, and only looked at the ground beneath his feet, muttering softly.
Everyone understood his fear. The first person then stepped forward and explained that they had
seen a far different scene, one of a barren long dead wasteland. Everyone in the group turned
and looked at the surface of the water, where seemingly innocent waves splashed into large rocks
bordering the shore.
“My God…” someone said.
This group sat around (what they decided to call) “The Gate” for a long time, sending
members in one at a time until they developed a small knowledge base on what was happening.
The rules they discovered, in no particular order were: 1.) The Gate brings whomever enters into
a completely new Town. This is debated amongst some group members, as no one had fully
explored the new Towns they had emerged into, but it was confirmed through landmarks that
each instance had been different so far. 2.) Exiting the Gate brings you back home, and not to
another Gate. Someone had began speculating about micro-chips when the realized this fact, and
had begun inspecting themselves thoroughly (finding nothing but a few bug bites). 3.) The
person Fast Eddie somehow had knowledge of this Gate, and had not told anyone.
Eddie was the most immediately concerning to the group. What if Eddie was an
outsider, one not meant to be here with them? Some of the brief expeditions from the Gate had
revealed landscapes that appeared to show evidence of violent events. Could there be more
people out there in Towns just like this one? Could they be hostile?
It was decided that Fast Eddie should be apprehended and questioned as soon as possible.
The knowledge of the Gate was sworn to secrecy among the group members. Members of the
group sought out Big Flagg, and tried to convince him to have his men arrest Eddie. They told
him that they saw Eddie sneak off into the woods near the lake, and come back with a backpack
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full of batteries and small propane canisters. Suspecting that Eddie had a secret stash, Big Flagg
decided he had enough of Eddie holding out on him (and conveniently did break a legal law he
had made months earlier- withholding from “the group”) and issued the order to arrest Fast
Eddie.
Eddie was found before he could flee, at his usual spot in town hawking batteries (for the
small asking price of an arm and a leg) sitting on top of a soapbox. As members of Flagg’s gang
walked up to him with ominous looks in their eyes, Eddie connected the current events and stood
up as if to run away. A shot rang out, echoing around the suddenly empty streets, while a chunk
of Eddie’s thigh suddenly disappeared, replaced instead by a cloud of dark red mist. Eddie
screamed and fell over, while the men ran over to bind him. One man holsted his rifle, barrel tip
still smoking. He held in his hands a bullet casing, that was still hot between his gloved fingers.
What Eddie Said
Eddie was brought before Big Flagg bound and with a bag over his head, in the second
story of the largest house on the residential block, where Flagg lived. His leg had been wrapped
tightly with gauze, but it was beginning to bleed through the bandages, a dark spreading red blot
on his thigh. After they removed the bag, Eddie began talking. “Listen, Flagg, I didn’t have
nothing to do with any of that propane bidness, aight? That shit isn’t me man… I’m just sellin
batteries!”
Flagg laughed, a deep chortle that resonated around the room. The glass in the windows
seemed to bounce with the vibration of his baritone.
“Eddie… Eddie! You know Eddie, I have started to develop an outlook over here,
running things in this Town. I see the same, same, SAME (Big Flagg raised his voice on each
iteration of the word) kind of SHIT, every DAY over here Eddie...” Flagg took a momentary
pause to wipe his brow with a small handkerchief. The handkerchief was dwarfed by Flagg’s
enormous hand, and gave him almost a comical appearance during his brow wipe, if not for the
grim deadly business face he wore. “Do you want to know what that is? It’s that if you are not
part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Have you heard that before Eddie?” The man
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holding Eddie gave him a small twist and kicked out his injured leg slightly. Eddie screamed,
and writhed on the floor, grabbing his leg with his bound hands.
One of Flagg’s men suddenly walked through the door, with two others behind him.
When they entered, they entered with a sense of urgency, but they cast a frightened look at Eddie
first. Flagg caught the glance, and interrupted his inquisiton to see what they had to say.
“Flagg, he isn’t Eddie. I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, but that man is not
Fast Eddie.” The man took another frightened glance over his should at Eddie, who was still
writhing in agony holding his leg.
Flagg looked at them blankly.
“How much meth have y’all had today? Speak some sense Boy. What?”
The man continued, un-phased by the meth comment (he had shot up quite recently in
fact, to sooth himself after what he discovered).
“We searched his residence, the shack on the outside of town. I… We found Eddie there.
He was in a chest, real old and dead like. Looked like he’d been strangled from the mark around
his neck. Sir, Eddie is DEAD!” The man looked again at Eddie, fear evident in his expression,
wiping the spittle from his lip with a forearm.
Eddie stopped writhing, and sat still, his head hanging low, stringy curly hair obscuring
his face. The room was dead quiet, with all eyes suddenly on Eddie. One corner of Eddie’s
mouth curled up into a grin.
Flagg looked at his man, then back at Eddie.
“We’re coming for you.” Eddie said with a thick voice, but clear as day. “Your town,
THIS town. ALL towns. All of it.” Eddie leaned back his head, throwing his curly hair back, and
laughed, one short “HA!” retort. His eyes bulged with animal will. Suddenly he drew his hand
away from his foot with a quick motion, and jumped to his feet. His restraints lied broken on the
floor, cut with a piece of metal Eddie had hidden in his sock.
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As soon as Eddie jumped, the room suddenly started moving again, with men reaching
toward Eddie, as Flagg clutched his chest, still shocked at the events. Flagg’s heart wasn’t too
great these days, and surprises could really get his ticker wound up the wrong way. He gasped
for breath as Eddie leapt for the nearby window, smashing into it with wrecking force.
If Eddie had been trying to get away, he most certainly failed, as the glass was very
sturdy (as all the materials found in the Town tended to be) and when it broke it cut Eddie to
ribbons. The subsequent fall down two stories and impalement upon the glass shrapnel ensured
Fast Eddie was dead. The men in the room looked out from the window in shock, small pockets
of glass still falling onto Eddie’s body from the broken sill.
Aftermath
Big Flagg shortly after the night of Eddie’s death thoroughly investigates Eddie’s known
movements and previous hangouts. A small scribbled map of the town was found in Eddie’s
shack, that looks to have been made not long ago (and thus after the death of original Eddie). On
it the places where Flagg had secret ammo stashes hidden were circled (well not ALL of them –
Flagg though with some amusement). Flagg tells himself that Eddie had found a man and after
killing him (for whatever the reason) after waking up in The Town had assumed his position to
cover the crime. But he had doubts. Lingering doubts.
The group that had sworn themselves to secrecy about the Gate had also gotten word of
Eddie’s double deaths. To them, this was a greater horror. Not only are there others, but they
were HERE. Eddies original body was badly decomposed, but appeared to also have curly hair,
that matched the recently dead Eddie. Why did other Eddie choose to kill this man in particular?
Was it random?
The group realized they needed to share the information with Big Flagg, a decision that
caused them much trepidation. Flagg was power hungry (as well as being ruthless) yes, but he
would act on a threat like this. Something that threatened them ALL. After all, a spider only
feeds when he has flies in his web.
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After sharing the information with Big Flagg as a group, Flagg realized the scope of his
problems. The Gate, or whatever this thing was, needed to have a guard on it 24/7. They
weren’t about to get invaded by these sonofabitches if Flagg had anything to do with it. After
checking out the location himself with some of his men, Flagg ordered his guards to shoot
anyone that comes out of the water that wasn’t from home. HIS Town.
Flagg over the subsequent months began sending some of his own people into The Gate,
and they had some adventures. They found that if you connected yourself (with twine, cloth,
whatever) to another object while going through The Gate, you could go through with that object
in toe. This applied to other people as well, and they connected each other with a piece of rope.
Once on the other side, his men would head to the remote secret locations that had fuel and, if
they found anything, bring it back. His intuition that they would even HAVE secret locations
with propane (just like his Town did) turned out to be true, with his men often returning with
valuable handheld propane tanks. They said they had not encountered any inhabitants of other
Towns yet. To them, the Gate led to dead worlds that sometimes had useful things.
However Flagg realized more inside spies might exist. In his logic, where there was one,
you could often find two. He also had no idea what was happening with the DayNighters camp,
and if they too harbored spies. Flagg concocted schemes to go at war with the DayNighters.
What you can’t control, you kill. It’s really that simple.
Then one day shortly after Flagg was scheming, The Town was raided.
They came at night, taking out the guard by the water with a silent swimmer. Suddenly, a
dozen bodies came out of the water, people with dark shadows over their faces, holding knives in
their teeth, dripping water falling off of their sparse clothing. There appeared to be a leader, who
emerged last. The others reacted to his hand signals, splashing out of the water and setting up a
silent perimeter.
As the light fell on the face of the leader, it revealed the face of (Player at the Table).
Except (Player at the Table) had a large scar across the face, covering the right eye. Several
cracked skulls adorned his neck, strewn together by a line with some beads. The leader
motioned to the other doplegangers. Starting here, they were going to creep first through the
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Isolator camps, then hit the residential area. Removing the blade from his mouth. The leader
nodded his head toward the Isolator camp.
War had begun.
CLIFFHANGER FOR SEASON 1 OF THE TOWN
CHARACTER CREATION
The Rules
A Character is generated in The Town by choosing 4 initial skills in a meaningful order.
The GM shall prompt the player using the provided script to help aid the player in creating a
character that is unique and fitting for that person. This is best if done in a group, so members
have the option of picking supporting skills to form a strong team.
Players, in picking their skills, assign a primary and secondary skill based on the first two
rounds, using the defined V.I.S.A system. The granted bonuses change depending on if an
attribute is primary or secondary, and have meaningful impact on the way that character plays.
Players should be briefed on the bonuses conferred before starting the character creation process,
as well as be able to view the chosen skills and what attributes they assign when chosen.
After choosing skills, the player selects one item from the starting item lists, see chart
below.
Baseline health for default characters (without modifiers) is 100.
Primary Attributes:
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-Vigor:
Primary: A character with a primary attribute of Vigor is better suited for combat. -2 to
all those who attempt to fight this character without also having a primary attribute of Vigor. -1
to rolls during combat to those with a secondary attribute of Vigor. This character has double the
amount of hit points as other characters. When taking lethal damage, a character with Vigor may
roll against a GMED of HARD(5) with no modifiers. If successful, The player is left with 15 hp,
and no mortal wounds.
Secondary: A character with a secondary attribute of Vigor grants -1 to all combat
targets without Vigor as a primary or secondary. This character has 1.5 times the base hit point
value.
-Intelligence:
Primary: This character can use skills that require memory of training (such as driving a
car, or using a bike). This character gets a +2 to any attempt to use an item, as well as receive
special spatial queues from the GM about hidden secrets that may be around. If this character
fails a roll, they may retry it. This ability regenerates whenever WP is restored to the group.
Secondary: This character gets a +1 to any attempt to use an item, as well as ability to
use skills that require memory of training. This character also receives special spatial queues
from the GM about hidden secrets that may be around.
-Social:
Primary: This character receives +2 to any social skill success. This character can enlist
NPC’s for help. Most NPC’s that are neutral or friendly to the player can be convinced (at the
GM’s discretion) to aid the player in a task, if they do NOT have the social skill. The player may
only have only one NPC helping them at a time, unless they have a specific skill that explicitly
says differently. NPCs are able to accomplish actions (played by the GM) that the controlling
player wishes, with a -2 penalty. NPCs go back home after 2 actions. Usable once per WP
regeneration. A player cannot spend WP on an NPC action.
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Secondary: This character receives +1 to any social skill success. This character can
enlist NPC’s for help. Most NPC’s that are neutral or friendly to the player can be convinced (at
the GM’s discretion) to aid the player in a task, if they do NOT have the social skill. The player
may only have only one NPC helping them at a time, unless they have a specific skill that
explicitly says differently. NPCs are able to accomplish actions (played by the GM) that the
controlling player wishes, with a -3 penalty. NPCs go back home after 1 action. Usable once
per WP regeneration. A player cannot spend WP on an NPC action.
-Agility
Primary: This characters gets a +2 bonus to any mobility skills. This character can also
dodge when attacked and successfully hit. Dodging must be a separate roll, where the character
rolls with a -1 modifier and attempts to roll greater than the attackers roll. If the roll is greater,
than the attack is considered dodged and does no damage.
Secondary: This character gets a +1 to any mobility skills. This character can also
dodge when attacked and successfully hit. Dodging must be a separate roll, where the character
rolls with a -2 modifier and attempts to roll greater than the attackers roll. If the roll is greater,
than the attack is considered dodged and does no damage.
Example Creation Process

Round 1) player chooses Heavy Lifting skill.
o Player assumes primary attribute of Vigor.

Round 2) player chooses Street Smarts skill.
o Player assumes secondary attribute of Intelligence.

Round 3) player chooses Hunting skill (small game).

Round 4) player chooses Tackle skill.
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The GM is assumed to be assisting in the character development process. The GM
should read the narrative prompts for character creation to the players, and guide them through
the process.
GM Character Creation Script
GM: “Your character wakes from slumber in a- *INSERT STARTING LOCATION
DESCRIPTION HERE* -staring at the sky. You begin to have a memory of something distant.
The first memory you glimpse is something that you have a strong affinity for… Which of these
is your character most familiar with?”
*The GM then presents the list of skills to choose a primary stat from, as listed on each
skill. After Player selects, proceed to next prompt.
GM: “Your character remembers (insert primary chosen skill here), but they also recall
something else they were familiar with, just not quite as close as they were with the first memory.
That memory was of?”
*The GM then has the player select another skill of the list. GM records secondary
character stat. The GM uses the next prompt for both remaining skills left for the player.
GM: “Over the next few days the following skill also returns to the player.”
*The GM then has the player select the two remaining last skills.
The player is then encouraged to think of a backstory for the character, which can be noted
on the character sheet. Working with other players during any point of this process (or any
communication between players) is allowed.
Initial Skill Selection Choices
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Running (Agility) 1
Convince (Social) 1
Boxing (Vigor) 1
Foraging (Intelligence) 1
(generate a snack in capable areas)
Hunting (small game) (Vigor) 1
Fishing (Agility) 1
(generate a small game catch in capable areas)
Navigating (Intelligence) 1
Heavy Lifting (Vigor) 1
(Determine the correct way to a location)
Seduction/Attractive (Social) 1
First Aid Medicine (Intelligence) 1
(heal 25 HP and cure non-mortal wounds)
Swimming (Agility) 1
Entertain (Social) 1
Cooking (Intelligence) 1
Hide(Agility) 1
Shelters (Intelligence) 1
Knives/Cutting weapons (Vigor) 1
Initial Item Selection Choices
Long Rope
First Aid Kit (+15 hp on usage)
Hatchet
Backpack
Swiss Army Knife
Flashlight (powered by shaking)
Brass Knuckles
Flute(+1 to all social rolls)
Perfume(+1 to all social rolls)
Matches
Mixed bag of food(2 apples, 2 servings of
berries)
Sharp Stick
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THE TOWN
CHARACTER SHEET
Name:________________________________________________________________________
Back Story
(Description):__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Skills:
1.___________________
5.___________________
9.___________________
2.___________________
6.___________________
10.___________________
3.___________________
7.___________________
11.___________________
4.___________________
8.___________________
12.___________________
STATS
Hit points:__________________________
(circle one)
Primary ______
V/I/S/A
Secondary ______ V/I/S/A
INVENTORY
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WORLD RULES
Dice
The Town uses a maximum of 2D6 to calculate values.
Turn Time/Resting
Each turn represents about 10 minutes. A player’s turn is over when they perform an
action, or declare it to be over. A group may decide to rest and recuperate at any point to
regenerate WP, as long as they haven’t already rested within 10 full player rounds. Resting also
restores +15 hp to all players, if they are not mortally wounded. Mortally wounded characters
receive –15 hp during a rest period. If a player goes 2 resting periods without eating, they gain
the emaciated state. See Hunger for more details.
Turn Order
Turn order can be declared by the GM for the table (for example counter-clockwise).
Any player on their turn can make a “free” action (such as talking) or a primary action, using a
skill. Mobility is considered an action, such as “I want to move into close range.”
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Will Points
Every day in game time (upon waking up from a nights rest) each player is granted two
Will Points (or WP). WP can be spent on any intended action using a skill the player possesses.
Using a WP ensures the success of that action or skill usage. Once spent, a WP cannot be
regenerated unless the group rests, in which case the players regain their WP. Players do not
regenerate WP if they are emaciated when they go to rest.
Character States
A character can be one of the following states:
Rested:
No penalties. Default state.
Well Fed:
+1 to all rolls.
Emaciated:
-2 to all rolls.
If emaciated when exiting a rest period, take 6 hp damage.
Every turn the player takes 5 damage.
Eating any food of any kind (GM discretion) will result in Emaciated status being lifted
until after the player wakes from their next rest (without taking rest emaciation damage).
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This state is removed permanently once the player receives a Well Fed status update from
the GM (Eat a big meal! Big is up to the GM).
Wounded:
When the character has taken great damage. For 3 turns, the character loses (GM
Adjustable(9-15) damage per turn, or until healed. The GM may specify whether an attack
wounds a player when damage is applied.
Mortally Wounded:
The player will die in 3 turns unless healed. The player cannot make any actions except
against GMED values of Easy().
If the player rests while mortally wounded, they take 15 damage on waking.
If the player reaches 0 HP at any point they die.
Unconscious:
The player cannot take actions for a specified number of turns.
Using Skills
A skill represents something that the player has experience with, and thus is granted a
bonus to succeeding on a roll, or using a WP with it to ensure success at strategic moments.
Once a player uses a primary skill and it is resolved by the GM, their turn is over (after any and
all damage is applied for that turn). In order to use a skill, the GM first generates a Game Master
Estimated Difficulty, or GMED for the players requested action. The player then rolls a 1D6 and
adds up any modifiers. If the value is greater or meets the GMED, the roll is successful.
Game Master Estimated Difficulty
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The GM when given a player action assigns a general value of difficulty to the task. The
GM may also slide the scale of the return Value within the designated parameters to better
simulate the difficulty. The difficulty list is as follows:
EASY:
The action success attempt is trivial for the character.
Value to roll against: Adjustable (1-3)
MODERATE:
The action success attempt takes a bit of concentration from the character.
Value to roll against: Adjustable (2-6)
HARD:
The action success attempt is a true challenge for the character.
Value to roll against: Adjustable (4-11)
UNLIKELY:
The action success attempt is extremely likely to fail for the character.
Value to roll against: Adjustable (11-12)
IMPOSSIBLE:
The character cannot accomplish this action.
When given the GMED value the character must meet or exceed that value in order to
successfully complete an action.
Food
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Food in The Town is a very important resource, not only for eating but for trading. It is
recommended to carry some food on trips, to avoid becoming emaciated (not eating for 2 rest
cycles).
The GM decides if the amount of food being eaten merely holds off starvation, grants no
bonuses, or grants well fed. See Character States for more information.
Combat
Combat in The Town is when a character tries to inflict damage on another. At 0 hit
points, that character is considered permanently dead. Combat is very contextual in terms of
what skills can be used when spatially. A knife skill for example, can only be used at close
range. The ranges are decided ultimately by the GM using common sense. There is no need to
quantify actual distance from the character, the GM only cares if the player is in range to use the
target ability or not. Movement is handled using the agility stat. If a player wishes to move into
range, the GM generates a GMED, and produces a value that the player rolls against using any
additional modifiers. If the movement roll is failed, that player’s turn is passed (trip or
movement disruption).
Flash Events
Any new characters introduced in the combat event (like the bad guys) act as new players
at the table for turn order purposes. The GM will append the new characters turns to the end of
the player turns, unless that character is a flash event, in which case those characters turns are
settled first before the player turns (flash events are things that catch the characters off guard,
such as a surprise attack).
Dodge
If a character in The Town is attacked, that character may make a dodge roll if that
character has a primary stat of Agility (or has a specific skill that enables them to dodge). A
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dodge roll is performed after the declared attack and roll. Dodging must be a separate roll,
where the character rolls with a -1 modifier and attempts to roll greater than the attackers roll. If
the roll is greater, than the attack is considered dodged and does no damage.
Damage Calculation
Damage is calculated using a roll with the generic damage chart for GM usage. Any
damage resulted will be subtracted immediately from the HP of the character. Consulting this
chart and the likelihood of applying a wound will be done by the GM after the attack is
successful. If the character is injured by a wound-inducing weapon, then an additional roll (1D6)
is made by the injured player against the wound value listed in the damage reference chart.
Wound Roll
Rolling greater values than the indicated Wound Value for the damage done will result in wound
application.
Roll Order
The rolling order should be the attacker rolling for hit success, then the victim rolling for
damage amount (if successful) and wound (if applicable).
Damage Reference Chart
Unarmed:
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Damage: Roll 1-3 = 15 damage, Roll 3-5 = 20 damage, Roll 6 = 25 damage
Wound: N/A
Small Object:
Damage: Roll 1-3 = 19 damage, Roll 3-5 = 25 damage, Roll 6 = 30 damage
Wound: N/A
Blunt Object:
Damage: Roll 1-4 = 28 damage, Roll 5 = 33 damage, Roll 6 = 36 damage
Wound: (4) – If wounded this target also is unconscious for two turns.
Piercing:
Damage: Roll 1-2 = 28 damage, Roll 3-5 = 47 damage, Roll 6 = 58 damage
Wound: (3) –
Fire (explosions):
Damage: Roll 1-3 = 45 damage, Roll 4-5 = 70 damage, Roll 6 = 120 damage
Wound: (2) – If character wound roll is > 5, wounded target is unconscious for three
turns.
Falling:
Damage: Roll 1-3 = 25 damage, Roll 4-5 = 43 damage, Roll 6 = 55 damage
Wound: (3) – If character wound roll is > 5, wounded target is unconscious for three
turns.
Projectile:
Damage: Roll 1-2 = 30 damage, Roll 3-5 = 75 damage, Roll 6 = 100 damage
Wound: (2) – Applies Mortal wound if wound roll is > 5
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Healing
Once damaged, a character can be healed depending on the severity. Mortal Wounds
require someone with the Advanced Medical skill to cure. The attempt to cure is made just like
any other GMED check.
Wounds can be cured through anyone with Medical skills, or by using a Med Kit items.
The value of returned health is noted on the skill or item.
Character Health Regeneration
A Character who does not have a character state of Emaciated or Wounded regenerates 5
HP per turn if they have not taken damage that round. Players are expected to handle this
calculation themselves, but may be prompted by the GM.
This addition is done at the start of every turn.
Items and Character Inventory
A Character in The Town has 4 innate inventory slots. A character can obtain items like
a backpack, which take up an inventory slot, but also offer internal inventory inside the item as
well. See World Content for sample items.
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Example Actions
Characters may use actions on other characters or objects in the world.
Using a skill to complete an action looks like this:
Player A: “I use lock pick on that old door in front me”.
*GM examines the door and returns a GMED value of Moderate(3).
*The player has the lock pocking 1 skill, which grants +1 to lockpicking.
*The player rolls a 1D6 for a value of 3.
*The players combined total of (3+1) exceeds the GMED of Moderate(3)
*The door is successfully lock picked!
Using a WP on a skill looks like this:
Player B: “I use a WP to lock pick that old door in front of me.”
*GM sees that player has Lock picking 1 skill.
*The door is successfully lock picked!
GAINING SKILLS AND
CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
Gaining Skills
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A character may receive new skills during the game. Skills are extremely valuable in The
Town, as that is what defines the character. Skills can be acquired through completing quests as
rewards, or through training.
Training
Training is when a character attempts a basic skill action (punching a punching bag)
without the necessary skill. If the player is successful, that player may write that skill on their
character sheet. If the player completes this skill 3 times successfully during the game, they gain
the skill at level 1. Some skills are going to be very hard to do without training however!
Leveling Skills
If a character pulls of a skill in a particularly clever or amazing way, the GM may level
that persons used skill. Annotate the Character sheet with another +1 added to the modifier for
that skill. For every advancement of the skill, that skill receives another +1 modifier, to a cap of
4. Once a skill has 4 levels, it is unable to be leveled further. Levels may also be granted as
rewards for finishing certain challenging quests.
Rewards
Making awesome exciting moments with your characters is a sure fire way to get
rewarded with extra levels! A well planned WP expenditure can sometimes save the day, and
grant level ups.
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Completing a module also results in level rewards, item rewards, or skill rewards (at GM
discretion)!
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WORLD CONTENT
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GENERATED CHARACTERS
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CHARACTER
Name : “Fast Eddie”
Description:
Eddie first began making a name for himself when he showed up in town with a
backpack full of batteries. Eddie was a tall, extremely tanned individual with an unkempt beard
that curled toward his neck, and long stringy hair. Despite his appearance of ill-repute, Eddie
found business fast by exchanging batteries. This earned Eddie the highly innovative nickname
“Fast Eddie.”
It’s assumed Eddie found a storage facility of some kind, and has been taking backpacks
full of supplies into the market whenever he needs to exchange goods or services. Eddie has of
course been followed by some with dark intent as to find Eddies stash, but Eddie is very light
footed in the forest, and has always lost any tails quite quickly. It’s become a saying in town
when something is hard to find: “must be in Eddie’s depot.”
Attributes: Primary(Agility) Secondary(Social)
Skills:
Business Man- able to get the best deal occasionally through sheer bartering skill.
Evasive- Any character trying to find or track this character has the GMED set to Hard.
CHARACTER
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Name : “Big Flagg”
Description:
Big Flagg was one of the first figures to start ordering people around on Confusion Day.
A natural leader, Big Flagg has the nickname “Big” in front of his name because Flagg was quite
a large man. Not fat, although he was as round as a barrel. Flagg had very thick limbs and a
thick stocky build. He can be very intimidating when he chooses to be.
Flagg has been supplying his people with drugs, which he essentially does to keep them
as slaves. Although not officially led by Flagg, Flagg is the kingpin in the dark pulling the
strings.
Attributes: Primary(Vigor) Secondary(Social)
Skills:
Business Man- able to get the best deal occasionally through sheer bartering skill.
Intimidating- +1 to any social skill.
Hard To Kill- Big Flagg takes 50% less damage, and has 1.5x health.
Possy- If Big Flagg is attacked (1 man for each player, GMED of Hard() recommended)
appears and confronts his attackers.
CHARACTER
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Name : Generic Flagg Gang Member
Description:
Lost in a confusing world, this aimless soul does what he does best… follows power.
After waking up, he was lured to Flagg’s side after being given meth. Now, Flagg pays him in
meth, and he’ll do anything to do what Flagg wants… unless it involves him dying.
Attributes: Primary(Vigor) Secondary(Agility)
Skills:
GM Choice:
Shaky Hands: -1 to all combat rolls
Recently Drugged: +1 to all combat rolls
Knife Affinity: +2 to all knife actions
Blunt Object Affinity: +2 to all blunt object actions
Coward: Will attempt to run away at under 25% hp
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CHARACTER
Name : “Frump”
Description:
An Isolator on the outskirts of town, Frump will sell food to anyone who presents items
for barter or trade. His food includes, apples, figs, berries, squirrel, and the occaisional deer or
rabbit.
Frump doesn’t like people much even though he sells to them, mostly communicating
with shakes of his head. A portly fellow with a hanging brow and giant hands.
Attributes: Primary(Vigor) Secondary(Agility)
Skills:
Hunting vendor (small game) – generates meat to sell. This meat will result in well fed.
Foraging vendor – generates small berries and other fruits/vegtables. Great to take on the
road.
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CHARACTER
Name : Generic Town resident
Description:
Always a sheep, this person just goes with the flow.
Attributes: Primary(Agility) Secondary(Vigor)
Skills:
Run Away: +2 to agility if it is for evasion/running from a fight
Coward: Will attempt to run away at under 45% hp
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CHARACTER
Name : DayNighter Bandit
Description:
This is the crazy guy, waiting with the other crazy guys, to rob you, beat you, and laugh
while doing it.
Attributes: Primary(Agility) Secondary(Vigor)
Skills:
Knives/Cutting Weapons: +1 to all attacks using these types
Insane: Gets +1 to all rolls if HP < 10.
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CHARACTER
Name : Stray Dog
Description:
This poor mutt hasn’t eaten in a while. Most likely he will follow whomever feeds him,
as his loyalty lies in who gives him food.
Attributes: Primary(Agility)
HP: 25
Skills:
Bite: Bites a hostile stranger, doing unarmed damage during his masters turn.
Befriend: If fed, will follow person who last gave him food.
Run: Runs away if hostile actions are taken towards it with no master.
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CHARACTER
Name : Distressed Mother
Description:
The child she had been taking care of (after assuming the mother position for the orphan)
has gone missing, and she has been weeping all over town, emploring people to go looking. The
child was last seen by the Isolator camp, in the direction of the southern plains.
She would give anything to someone who rescues her child. She offers to teach the skill
of Advanced First Aid to all who help find her child.
Attributes: Primary(Social)
Skills:
Wail: Attract attention of nearby people to hear her cause.
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CHARACTER
Name : Wolf
Description:
Wolves travel in packs. It’s best not to stay in one place when you meet one. Or let it
bite you.
Attributes: Primary(Agility)
HP: 35
Skills:
Bite: Bites a hostile stranger, doing piercing damage
Howl: If brought below 10 hp, the wolf howls, summoning (1 wolf per player) more
Wolves as a flash event. This can only happen once, and does not apply on the subsequent
wolves.
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THE TOWN MAP
SETTING DESCRIPTIONS
Residential Area:
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Cookie cutter houses without electricity line the streets. It’s like someone ripped out a
piece of suburbia, then transplanted it on top of the rugged terrain that makes up The Town. The
streets seem to be freshly paved, with only a bit of wear and tear starting to show. Mailboxes
exist still, at least those that haven’t been broken off and salvaged yet.
All of the houses look exactly the same (stucco walls, brown roof, off-white paint) except
for the two story house. That house belongs to Flagg. There are usually a few of his men
hanging around outside, and the place is one of the very few that have electricity, provided by a
propane generator. How he still has propane is anyone’s guess.
Trash bins, tree stumps, and other blockading debris block the main gates entering the
residential block, limiting the number of people who can enter the gate into 1 person at a time.
Main Road:
The road again appears to be in good condition. The main road is perfectly flat. There
are occasional dark red smears, prompting one to wonder what took place there. Dust gathers on
the side in clumps, coming free and and flying into the mysteriously gusty warm air with each
step taken on it.
Bandits and desperate people are known to camp the road hoping for a trader to come by,
it’s best for travelers to be cautious of anyone met out on the road.
The road travels around the lake to the southwest, emptying out into the desolate
warehouses inhabited by the Daynighters. It’s rare for anyone to take it that far. A full walk
down the road takes about 3 days.
Market Streets:
Vendors set up selling tables or surfaces, really just a crazy mess of people trying to
exchange goods. Here you can either pick up some delicious cooked squirrel (for a pretty price),
or find someone has snatched something valuable from your pockets. This is a mixing ground,
where Isolaters occasionally venture in to purchase needed supplies.
You can find most of the vendors from the residential district here. Flagg’s men do
patrol this area, so if you are in hot water with Flagg you don’t want to go here.
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Isolator Encampments:
Occasional tents and hammocks spread amongst the trees. A lot of the Isolaters fish at
the nearby lake. The ground here is very plains-like, with tall wispy grass that moves gracefully
with the wind. Daynighters occasionally enter this area to harass or steal from Isolators who
have moved too far from the others.
A few healers can be found here, valuable because they aren’t controlled by Flagg.
Instead, they forage for natural remedies, and offer their services for things they need.
Forrest Area:
The forest is dark, despite the artificial pale glow of the Wall. There are definitely some
things in this forest that can bite… snakes, wolves, and there is a rumor about a bear being seen.
It’s not wise to stay out alone in the forest for long.
The trees are very tall, with skinny limbs that stretch out, forever green. Crags and rocks
sprinkle the area. The air here is fresh at least, filtered by the trees, unlike the smog in the
residential area from all the propane and generator usage.
The Wall:
The Wall emits a subtle hum, that you can only hear when you walk closely to it. It’s
made of a milky transparent material that is like trying to look through heavy waves of rolling
fog. On the other side nothing can be seen. Although there have been rumors, people have
claimed to see lots of things in the vastness outside the wall. Dead residents, aliens, monsters,
people have said they’ve seen it all out there.
The ground is scorched where it meets the wall, and it appears the Wall cuts off the
Terrain completely outside of it. That’s what it looks like from inside at least, it’s hard to tell
because of the milky fog.
Nothing has been able to crack or scratch the Wall so far, and people generally stopped
trying. What’s the point? There is only blackness outside the fog.
SECRET AREAS – GM USE ONLY
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The Gate:
The Gate lies underwater, beneath a few distinguishing shore rocks at the lake. The
location is between the Residential area and the Isolator camps, so it’s a great place to keep a
secret. The water churns here, moving back and forth and getting frothy where it meets the
rocks. It’s almost ocean like.
Underneath the water, you must swim toward the black depths before a faint glow can be
seen. There, curious rock formations form a tunnel that is man-sized. Once through… well that
could be anywhere.
Southern Plains:
There is rumored to be something sinister out here by the Isolators. People avoid this
area. There have been several dozen cases of missing persons from the Isolaters or the housing
area, and they usually all wind up pointing towards this area. Sometimes at night a distant
wailing can be heard.
The Isolators say that there is a “thin spot” out in the plains. It’s here, where you fall
between the cracks in this world, and are never seen again. Maybe because of the
disappearances, maybe because of the myths the Isolators spread, but no one travels out here
willingly. Not even Daynighters.
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SAMPLE SKILLS
A skill can be any specific area of subject or action. It’s encouraged for GMs to create
their own skill lists to append.
Guns 1
Sweet Talk 1
(distract an NPC for a turn)
(requires P/S: Social)
Knife Throwing 1
Grapple 1
(Knives can now be used as ranged weapons)
(requires P/S: Vigor)
Pick Pocketing 1
Cook Stew 1
(steal something off someone)
(makes a meal that grants well fed. Requires
(requires P/S: Agility)
items rabbit and potatoes)
(requires P/S: Intelligence)
Fighting Dirty 1
Imbue Hope 1
(requires P/S: Vigor or Agility)
(group members get +1 to rolls this round, 5
round cooldown)
(requires P/S: Social)
Anatomy knowledge 1
Instill Fear 1
(reduces wound Value by 1 to chance of
(cause 1 enemy to flee, 5 round cooldown)
inflicting wounds with all weapons)
(requires P/S: Vigor)
Leadership 1
Running Kick 1
(increase NPC follower count)
(unarmed attack initiated at range. Brings
(requires P/S: Social)
character into close quarters)
(requires P/S: Agility)
Booby Trap Construction 1
Scout 1
(requires P/S: Intelligence)
(requires a location, reveals ambushes if any)
(requires P/S: Agility)
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Animal Mastery 1
Scout 1
(send Wild Animals away)
Rage 1
(requires P/S: Intelligence)
(-20% HP for 30% more damage, 1 turn only. 5
round cooldown)
(requires P/S: Vigor)
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SAMPLE WORLD ITEMS
Item worth reflected by rarity. Affects barter value.
6 shot Revolver
Used Hiking Shoes
Very Rare
(+5 HP when worn)
Common
Ammunition
Nails
Very Rare
Uncommon
Bowie Knife
Battery
Rare
(powers a device for 4 activations or 10 turns,
whichever comes first)
Rare
Rope
Net
Common
Uncommon
6 Inventory slot Sack
Town Map
Uncommon
Rare
Anti-Bleeding Salve
Rabbit
(cures non-mortal Wounds)
Common
Uncommon
Cloth armor (Heavy Cloth)
Snake venom (poison)
(+ 15 HP when worn)
Uncommon
Uncommon
Scrap Metal armor
Baseball Bat
(+ 30 HP when worn, -1 to agility rolls and
Uncommon
skills)
Uncommon
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DESIGN DOCUMENT
Design Goals
My first goal in this iteration of The Town was to make the system simpler and friendlier
to narrativists. Originally, the character creation started with narrative, then devolved into stat
rolling. I received feedback from playtests that the stat rolling heavily took away from the
feeling of the game, and was tyring to pull the game in a direction away from narrative, which is
the core of The Town. Also I was aware that gamists were not going to be satisfied with my
character creation, due to a lack of meaningful information regarding that characters abilities, or
advantages on the game.
The solution to this was my primary/secondary attribute rework. Instead of generating
stats off of all of chosen 4 skills, I place more emphasis on chosen order and general archetype
(strong, fast, etc.) for people to clearly start to define the direction their character goes in. The
gamist suddenly has options to mull over, as each primary attribute offers a pretty decent bonus.
My change to damage (more like adding explicit damage values) definitely helped the
rework also, as the simulationist now has an area they can connect with that applies to every
weapon.
The player is constantly switching between modes in my game, going from shopping
(bartering for good deals from vendors or other players), to combat (defending or attacking), to
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investigating or surviving. I like the dynamics this bit of simulation brings to my game, as it
hopefully makes players feel like they belong to a grim little world.
I added WP to my system to enforce the narrative construction by the player. In my
system, using WP allows players to change the game in the way that they want, essentially
giving them slight control over actions in the story, as long as they plan well. The reward
attached to WP or good narrative skill usage also should entice the gamer to engage with the
narrative, in order to gain a game advantage.
Previously I had eliminated hunger, but I felt that some kind of hunger needs to be
present in this system, without becoming too complicated. My changes included adding a resting
period, where characters can regain their WP, but also start to incur the wrath of hunger while
doing so. This just ensures that food is always somewhere in the players plan.
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INTENSITY CURVE
Ideal Play
Point breakdown:
1) Players are in the market, when they hear a woman crying about her lost child
2) Approaching the woman, they learn her child has gone astray near the southern plains
and she offers a reward of a skill for his return.
3) The players set out toward the southern plains.
4) Wolves suddenly attack from the road!
5) The players run from the wolf pack.
6) The players encounter the strange souther plains area, still being pursued by wolves.
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7) The players see the entity in the “thinnie”, and surmise that the boy has been sucked in.
Wolf fight resolves, with the players killing the trailing wolves (1 per each player)
8) The group returns to break the sad news to the surogate mother, who weeps but gives the
group the reward for trying.
PLAYTEST NOTES
Test 1 (12/07/14):

Testing Character Creation, and first 5 rounds.

Testers: Seth, Matt, Joe, Joe L, and John.
Test 1 Data:

Seth created a musical bard like character, or was his stated intention. I realized I
had no options for members who would like to entertain the group, so I added an
initial flute item for players that would like to shape their character to be more
bard like.

Character creation definitely smoother after elimination of all dice rolling.

Players would like more class abilities – don’t know if possible due to time and
scope, but would like this.

Players a bit unsure on what first round should entail or what they should do after
being created.

Joe and John fought random townspeople, so GM called in Flagg troops. John
was mortally wounded by guard. No plan for if player dies? John is 4th round out
now.

No clear story direction at the moment, should choose to reveal clues earlier?

Players enjoyed fighting. Possible less enemy health than what is usual until
players have more leveled skills. Scale enemies to player abilities better.
Test 1 Summary:
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I felt this was vastly improved over my previous build, which had potential but a lot
of muddying elements. The group was tired coming off of game submission, but we
had a few beers and I made them play my game for a while, as we were burned out on
electronics.
Surprisingly we had a blast (could have been the beer) and I actually was surprised I
made a decently simple system that appears to work! I could use more moment to
moment goals and subplots, but that is a time and scoping issue. Hopefully would be
solved by good initial module design, although it should be possible for characters to
pick a moment in the story line to exist in the world, and play out the plot points with
the GM directing.
My GM roles were much more defined this time, giving them the reference charts and
sample solutions so they could hopefully create anything they needed. The GM for
this test (Matt) only walked them through 5 rounds, so didn’t get to come up with
anything crazy, but mortally wounding John came off as hilarious (instead of
sombering, but John has a reputation with the group). Overall it still was an engaging
moment!
Test 2 (12/08/14):

Testing Scene where they witness Fast Eddie go by the lake, scene described in
story content.

Testers: Hiago, Mac, Alejandro, Jordan.
Test 2 Data:

I allowed Jordan to GM, after giving him a crash course.

Smaller group of players, no beer. More somber tone, as we are waiting for
people to show up for game work session. Better test of environment/mood
setting.
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
Character select went smoothly. The GM correctly stopped prompting the full
narrative for each player, instead asking “and then what do you choose next?” I
guess this works, as the players know the narrative by then.

Hiago asks a vendor the price of a knife. Jordan (GM) responds by asking Hiago
(as the vendor) to go find a nice chicken in exchange for a crude knife. This
sends Hiago on a chicken-hunting sidequest the entire game, was quite humorous
to the group! He kept making awareness checks for chickens. This clashed with
the serious theme of the scene, but worked as a tension reliever that I didn’t script
for. Maybe should use the chicken thing as an actual quest.

Player kills a bandit, feels like they should have been more rewarded? Didn’t
think to loot body.
Test 2 Summary:
Overall this play test told me that the game, while being serious in nature, has room for a
bit of humor. I can do this in a macabre sarcastic way (as I have been already inserting
some sarcastic sentiments) or through an over the top chicken hunting way. I think both
have their merits, and are useful in the system.
The story campaign is a bit hard on the GM to generate content for, but there is enough
world fleshed out for the GM to throw things at the player. I could possibly add more
side quests and mentions into the main story.
There are some flaws in the system that can break things (if the group never chooses to
rest for instance, they never need food) but mechanical dependencies that are built in
discourage this (the regeneration of WP is something the players really want, and you
need to rest to do that).
I feel like this is a huge improvement over the original, and am happy to submit this
product.
ART CREDIT:
Copyright DigiPen Institute of Technology
Aaron Johnson
Stock images taken from http://www.shutterstock.com/ppclp-search.mhtml?pl=GOUS57128379545&cr=ec&kw=stock%20images&gclid=Cj0KEQiAwaqkBRDHx6rzxMqAobgBEiQ
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