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ONE LAST JOB Copyright Grant Howitt, 2014 To support my game design, go to http://www.patreon.com/gshowitt and become a patron.
! you"d #i$e to read more o! my stu!!, chec$ out my b#og at http://#oo$robot.co.u$/ http://#oo$robot.co.u$/.. ! you"%e down#oaded this game !or !ree, and you"%e en&oyed it, p#ease share the down#oad #in$ with other !o#$ who might be interested. 'rt by Greg (#ac$man ##ustrations )aceboo$: https://www.!aceboo$.com/Greg(#ac$man'*T Twitter: https://twitter.com/Greg(#ac$man'rt Tumb#r: http://gregb#ac$manart.tumb#r.com/
CONTENTS +T*-CT+ p T'*T+G TH G'3 p4 TT+G TH C*5 TGTH* p6 C+ T7 p8 9 '+++G C+ p; 9 'CT+ C+ p< H5 T 3'= ' CH'*'CT* >(7 5'*+G 'T 'CH TH*? p12 TH G'33'T* p16 +*- (7 '+- TH'+= T p1; TT+G p 1< 9 *)+' C*3+' p20 9 C7(*+= p22 9 5- 5T p24 9 )'+T'7 '-@+T* p2A 9 T9'C'7 p2; 9 +@TG'T* 5*=+G 'G'+T TH G*'T G- CTHH, * CTT + *@C ) '3 p0 CH'*'CT* HT p2 '7* CH'T HT 9 p
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INTRODUCTION You haven't worked in a while, and you haven't worked with each other in in a long, long time. Not Not after what happened. But now the the old crew is back together and you're going to have to make it work. Reckon you've still got what it takes? ne ast Bob is a tab#etop ro#ep#aying ro#ep#aying game you and your !riends can use the ru#es in this boo$ to te## stories together. Howe%er, it"s not #i$e most ro#ep#aying games !or a number o! reasons. +ame#y: YOU DON'T GET TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHARACTER. %ery !acet o! your character wi## be determined by another p#ayer during p#ay as they in%ent a bac$9story !or you. 7ou"## do the same !or them. YOU PLAY IT IN ONE GO. *u#es9as9written, *u#es9as9written, you shou#d be ab#e to p#ay through a Bob in a sing#e e%ening. THERE'S NO SETTING. The assumed setting is a wor#d o! pro!essiona# crimina#s, but you can use it to te## a story about any group o! peop#e who are on a #ast9ditch &ob: 552 commandos, ageing pun$ roc$ers, roc$ers, Dombie apoca#ypse sur%i%ors, 5i#d 5est 5est cowboys, and so on. There are siE settings at the end o! this document i! you need ideas. YOU MESS WITH YOUR DICE A LOT. nce you ro## your dice, you"## o!ten !ind yourse#! re9ro##ing them or changing their resu#ts on the instruction o! the other p#ayers. 7ou"## 7ou"## a#so ha%e the option to mess with the G3"s dice, sometimes. ea%e your dice on the tab#e unti# your turn is o%er, so e%eryone can re!erence them. YOU HAVE A LOT OF SAY OVER THE WORLD. t"s up to you, as we## as the G3, to create the wor#d and set up eEciting action scenes.
WHAT YOU’LL YOU’LL NEED TO PLAY Character sheets one per p#ayer, print them out or ma$e your own ens and penci#s >one per p#ayer? crap paper !or the G3 to $eep trac$ o! #ements and the rogress trac$ ots o! -10Fs >109sided dice? about !i!teen shou#d su!!ice, dice9ro##er apps wor$ we## too o$er chips or to$ens in two co#ours to represent tamina and Grit
CONVENTIONS IN THE TEXT 3ost o! the teEt in this thi s document re!ers to the p#ayer direct#y direct#y sometimes, though, it spea$s to the gamesmaster, gamesmaster, or G3, instead. i nstead. "%e tried to ma$e it as c#ear as possib#e which is which by addressing the G3 at the start o! e%ery re#e%ant passage. 5hen say you might mean you the p#ayer or your character. Hope!u##y it"s easy to determine which mean. !amples are written in italics, like this. T this. Ta$e a$e a #oo$ at the settings #isted in the bac$ o! the boo$ !or more eEamp#es o! speci!ic things. "ndented paragraphs, like this, are snippets of story or colour.
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STARTING THE GAME Your boss has brought you all back together for one last #ob, despite the fact that you're long past your best. $hey need people they can trust, and they trust you, and they make you an offer that you can't refuse. %o you sign up.
THE WORLD ic$ which setting youFre using >there are siE at the bac$ o! this boo$ with eEamp#es o! e%erything you"## ha%e to come up? or de!ine your own.
THE JOB 5or$ together, with the G3 as #eader, to determine what the &ob is. >'#ternati%e#y, G3, in%ent the Bob yourse#! be!ore the game.? =eep it simp#e we"re here to I%erbJ this InounJ is a good guide. &ere here to put down Red (ack, a psychotic mercenary who we used to work with.
THE CATASTROPHE omething bad happened #ast time you wor$ed together, and itFs #in$ed to the Bob. -e!ine where the catastrophe happened, then go around the tab#e, ta$ing turns to say one thing that happened during the catastrophe $hat one time in )tah, where Red (ack got his nickname after he went cra*y in the bank lobby.
THE BOSS n the !o##owing scenes, the G3 p#ays the (oss: the person who brings a## the characters together. Ha%e a thin$ about who the (oss wou#d be in the setting you"re using the boss might be a wea#thy eE9thie!, a griDD#ed n!antry captain, a conni%ing dragon, or a shadowy inKuisitor. $he Boss is an e!+criminal, rich and fat and out of the game, and will forever walk with a limp after what Red (ack did to him.
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PUTTING THE CREW TOGETHER et in, says the Boss, and the van door slides open. ven if there wasn't some goon pointing a gun at you sat in the back seat, the police on your tail are enough to persuade you to take any e!it you can get. You climb in and tell the guy to lower his gun before you club him unconscious with it, and light a cigarette.
The first re! "e"#er nce you"%e got the Bob and the (oss ready, the G3 hires the !irst crew member. G3, #oo$ at the Bob who wou#d be idea##y suited to ma$e it happen, no matter what the oddsL 5ho"s so !ar down on their #uc$ that they"d be hard pressed not to acceptL *emind the p#ayers o! the &ob, and then announce your character. '## you need is a name, an imp#ied pro!ession, and some sort o! prob#em. The !irst character you create wi## de!ine the tone o! the game and e%ery other character, so thin$ care!u##y. -entlemen, we need to kill Red (ack. f course, to do it, we'll need to hire %ally Nine, because if anyone's willing and able to kill him it's her. %he's a goddamn lunatic./ t"s then up to one o! the p#ayers to step !orward as the character in Kuestion. -escribe what they"re up to in their day9to9day #i!e, and discuss what sort o! o!!er the (oss wou#d ma$e that cou#d bring them bac$ into the &ob. *emember, your character is going to ta$e part in the mission. )ind a reason !or them to do so, rather than pro%iding reasons why they can"t. )or eEamp#e: -"'ll play %ally Nine. "'m hustling some guys in game of pool when things turn bad as they get wise0 one of them pulls a gun, " break his wrist, people start screaming, the cops show up. Your goons pull up in a van outside the back door and give me an out0 either get put away for aggravated assault or get in the van and earn enough money to never hustle again. "'m in./
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The rest $f the re! nce the !irst member o! the crew is recruited, they hire the second member. )irst, they de!ine an additiona# #ayer o! comp#ication on the &ob another action scene and then they create a character who cou#d dea# with that. 'nother p#ayer steps up and ta$es contro# o! the new character. The character who was hired immediate#y be!ore them is in charge o! recruiting them tra%e##ing to where they are, persuading them to come a#ong, and so on and they can choose one other character, inc#uding The (oss, to &oin them in the scene. %ally Nine's player speaks up. -&ith the right team, killing Red (ack won't be hard. $he problem is that he's laid lethal traps all around his cabin. 1uckily, " happen to know a woodsman, (im 2reeman, but... well, ever since we divorced, we've not been on speaking terms./ $he 3 writes down -Navigate a trapped area/ above the -4ill Red (ack/ on the last stage of the #ob, and another player steps up to be (im. This process repeats with the characters wor$ing together to recruit the rest o! the group. %ally and (im spring 5e!ter, a lock+picking sneak+thief from his prison transport0 (im and 5e!ter team up to rescue 2reda, a fi!er, from a pitched battle in a warehouse after a deal went bad. 7ou can de!ine as much or as #itt#e as you #i$e about the other characters. 7ou can name them, gi%e them bac$stories or character traits, or &ust pic$ out a pro!ession and #ea%e it at that. They used to be the best, but now they"re not. This is a## pro#ogue, so don"t ta$e too #ong o%er it. G3, i! you !ind the scenes starting to drag, draw them to a c#ose and mo%e on. nce e%ery p#ayer has a character and the G3 has written down the action scenes in a sensib#e order, the Crew is bac$ together and the game can start.
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nce you hit the road, it seems like your life is made up of life+threatening situations punctuated by brief pauses where you work out how you're going to throw yourself headlong into the ne!t life+ threatening situation. There are two types o! scene in ne ast Bob: action scenes, where the characters attempt to o%ercome an obstac#e and p#anning scenes, where they ta$e a breather and discuss what their neEt steps wi## be. 'ction and p#anning scenes wi## a#ternate throughout the game.
PLANNING SCENES 6ere's the deal, she says, and stretches a map out over the table + we sneak in, place the demo charges, then hit the vault as hard as we can. $hey'll never know what hit them. %o, you ask, we're going in 7uiet? Yeah, she says, and we're going out loud. (e!ore the an action scene starts, the #eader the character brought into the team to dea# the speci!ic prob#em posed during the action scene 9 wor$s with the G3 to decide your approach in a p#anning scene. -o it in character, either as a !#ashbac$ to the p#anning meeting or in rea#9time as the crew mo%es !rom one scene to the neEt. ' good way to !rame your approach is through the phrase 5eFre gonna go in M where M is shooting, !ighting, ta#$ing, Kuiet#y, disguised, singing, #ying, through the roo! with a set o! breaching charges, craw#ing through the %enti#ation ducts, etc etc. (e wary o! de!ining e%erything the rest o! your crew wi## do i! you state a## their actions be!ore they get a chance to do so, thereFs #itt#e point in them p#aying. o $ay, weFre going to go in disguise Fm gonna dress up as a guard, you and you stea# the uni!orms, and you hac$ the cameras so they canFt use their !acia# identi!ication so!tware to !ind us out is too much detai# $ay, weFre going to go in disguise can do the ta#$ing, but we need to get the uni!orms onsite !irst is much better. 5ith this, youFre framing the scene to your strengths so you can engage it on your own terms. t a#so gi%es you agency to describe the sort o! cha##enges youF## !ace, a#though the G3 wi## be the !ina# authority on this. G3, wor$ to in%o#%e the p#ayer characters" scars into the upcoming scene. '#so, as$ Kuestions and pro%ide in!ormation. 5hat"s the terrain #i$eL 5hat enemy !orces are presentL 5hat"s your re#ationship with the @iscountL How #ong has it been since you p#ayed guitar pro!essiona##yL and so on.
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ACTION SCENES You push on, your 4evlar vest slowing you down, and you slam another maga*ine into your pistol and shout to see if anyone's still alive and, over the sound of gunfire and sirens, you hear him crying out and it's #ust like him to get himself shot. $his feels like your honeymoon all over again. +ow you"re on the crew, you"## need to so#%e prob#ems and !ast. The #onger you stic$ around in one p#ace, and the #onger you ta$e to sort something out, the more attention you"## draw to yourse#%es. ach scene has a comp#etion trac$ which represents how much you"## ha%e strugg#e to comp#ete it the attention you"re drawing is represented by the danger poo#.
BEING THE LEADER %eryone"s been hired !or a reason when the (oss was getting the crew bac$ together, each member was brought on to dea# with a particu#ar prob#em. 5hen the crew is dea#ing with your speci!ic scene, youFre the #eader, which >in addition to p#anning your approach during the p#anning scene? means two things:
Pr$fiie%& #$%'s 7ouFre in your e#ement. 'dd a dice to a## poo#s you ro## during your stage o! the Bob.
P'((i%) $'t 7ou decide whether or not the team pu##s out o! a scene that"s getting too dangerous to hand#e, and you dea# with the eEtraction. >ee be#ow !or more detai#s on pu##ing out.?
DESCRIBING YOUR ACTION #ay in ne ast Bob ta$es in p#ace in rounds. %eryone on the crew acts once during a round the order doesn"t matter, a#though the #eader can a#ways go !irst i! they want to. nce e%ery p#ayer has acted, a new round begins. nce e%ery space on the comp#etion trac$ is mar$ed o!!, the crew has comp#eted the ob&ecti%e. 5hen you act, describe what you"re attempting to do what you do in!#uences what traits you use when ca#cu#ating your dice poo#. 7our poo# siDe is ca#cu#ated by ta$ing as many dice as your rating in the re#e%ant abi#ity, adding any dice !rom #egends or eKuipment and subtracting any dice !rom scars. >ee the Traits section #ater on !or more detai#s about a## o! these.? 5hen you act against the scene, you"re in a con!#ict with the G3 that you ro## to reso#%e. *o## to see i! you win or #ose, i! you get hurt, and i! you ma$e the situation more dangerous than it was to begin with. 5hat your action is depends on the pacing o! scene in Kuestion i! it"s a !ight, you might describe a b#ow9by9b#ow account o! the action. ! it"s a #ong &ourney, you might each describe a day"s tra%e#, or a %ignette !ocusing around your character and their abi#ities. 7our action is when the imaginary camera !ocuses on your character, and you ro## dice to see how much o! an impact they ma$e. )ee# !ree to !o##ow on !rom other character"s actions so i! they !ai# at a tas$, you can attempt it, or he#p them out or carry on, trying something e#se entire#y. nce you"%e ro##ed the dice, you can interpret how we## your action went with the G3.
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SPENDING GRIT %ery character starts with 2 grit. Grit is a measure o! your resource!u#ness, tenacity and your wi##ingness to ta$e stupid ris$s. 7ou earn grit by te##ing anecdotes, or accepting wea$ abi#ities and scars. (e!ore you ro## your dice poo#, you can spend grit in two ways: TAKE A RISK: 'dd three dice to your poo# !or your neEt action as you attempt something e!!ecti%e but probab#y pretty rec$#ess. ! you re9ro## the dice poo# !or any reason, $eep the eEtra dice in it. IGNORE THE PAIN: *egain a## #ost stamina points as you grit your teeth and shrug o!! in&uries.
7ou can on#y spend one point o! grit per turn.
TYPES O* ACTIONS 5hen you act, you can choose to push on or ho#d them o!!. >! you"re the #eader, and you rec$on the scene has grown too dangerous, you can choose to pu## out.?
P'sh $% 5hen you push on, you so#%e whate%er prob#em the scene is presenting you. ! you win the con!#ict, mar$ one success against the scene"s comp#etion trac$ !or e%ery dice o! yours that is higher than their highest dice. nce the comp#etion trac$ is comp#ete, the crew has made it through the scene.
H$(+ the" $ff 5hen you ho#d them o!!, you try to ma$e the scene #ess dangerous. ! you win the con!#ict against the G3, remo%e one dice !rom the danger poo# !or e%ery dice o! yours that is higher than their highest dice. The danger poo# can ne%er be #ower than 1.
ROLL AND COMPARE The danger poo# is a number o! dice that the G3 ro##s to represent the scene as a who#e when you act and ro## your dice, you"re ro##ing against the danger dice in a con!#ict. 5hoe%er ro##s highest wins the con!#ict wor$ with the G3 to describe what happened. ! you win the con!#ict, count e%ery dice that you ro##ed that"s higher than the highest danger dice these are your successes. >The G3 ne%er has to count successes either they win the con!#ict or they don"t.? 5hen you ro##, both you and the G3 shou#d announce your high dice >e.g. "%e got eight highN? to speed up reso#ution. 1ucifer -8yclops/ (ones, one+eyed gunfighter e!traordinare, is in a shoot+out with some unsavoury types in a bar 9 he's pushing on, trying to get through the bar and out the other side towards his destination. $he danger pool is currently rated at :. 1ucifer grabs his pool of dice 9 : for his &etwork ability, ; for his ivory+handled ;<;;'s, ; for his legend -$he t wo+gun terror of old Baghdad/ for a total of = dice. 1ucifer rolls ;>, ;>, , , =. $he 3 rolls <, @, A, . 1ucifer has the higher dice, so he wins the conflict. 6e has two dice higher than the highest dice in the danger pool C
DRAWS ! you and the G3 both ha%e the same highest dice, you and your opposition are e%en#y matched at #east !or now. 's the con!#ict hangs in the ba#ance, choose one o! the !o##owing. ! the G3 has mu#tip#e dice that match your highest, you can repeat this process unti# you win the con!#ict. DO SOMETHING STUPID: et the G3"s highest dice to 1 and add a dice to the danger poo#. GET YOURSELF HURT: et the G3"s highest dice to 10 you #ose a point o! stamina, but the dice is remo%ed !rom the ro##. >ee be#ow !or more about #osing stamina.? BACK AWAY : ose the con!#ict.
STAMINA LOSS %ercoming prob#ems can be eEhausting, ris$y, and e%en #i!e9threatening but you"re the best at what you do, so it"s a## part o! the &ob. 5hen a danger dice shows 10, it"s remo%ed !rom the ro## >but not the poo#? and you #ose 1 point o! stamina !or each dice remo%ed. 5or$ out what happened narrati%e#y with the G3 maybe you too$ a hit, or maybe you"re &ust getting tired, or scared, or your hip is acting up. 't the end o! the scene, your stamina is restored to its starting %a#ue as you grab a !ew seconds and catch your breath. G3, ! the danger poo# is e%er reduced to Dero dice, ro## another dice i! this dice comes up as a 10, remo%e another point o! stamina and $eep ro##ing additiona# dice unti# you score < or under.
THE DANGER POOL The danger poo# is a representation o! how... we##, how dangerous the scene is getting. The danger cou#d be outright you"re surrounded by ra%enous wo#%esN 9 or subt#e the #ady o! the manor is getting c#oser and c#oser to your hiding9spotN 9 but, mechanica##y, it a## wor$s in the same way. G3, the danger poo# starts at 2. ncrease the poo# by 1 !or e%ery 1 that a p#ayer ro##s on their dice. 't the beginning o! e%ery new round, increase the poo# by 2. 7ou can a#so try to increase the siDe o! the poo# once per scene by sounding the a#arm. 5hen you trigger an e#ement, you can re9ro## the dice. >ee the G3 section !or more detai#s on both o! these.? G3, describe what happens when the danger poo# increases or decreases in siDe.
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LOSING ALL YOUR STAMINA ! you #ose a## your stamina, you"re out o! the scene wor$ out why. 7ou cou#d be in&ured, or unconscious, or you cou#d !#ee the scene, or hide, or be captured, or get stuc$ in some inescapab#e situation. 5hate%er the reason, you"## ta$e no !urther part i n this scene. *emember, your stamina returns to its starting %a#ue at the end o! e%ery scene. Choose one o! the !o##owing options during the neEt p#anning scene. 7ou can"t choose the same option twice. TAKE A HIT: *educe an abi#ity rated 2 or higher by 1. -escribe what #owers it G3, i ! you !ee# the choice o! abi#ity or description doesn"t !it, you can as$ the p#ayer to change either. PUT SOMEONE ELSE IN DANGER: ic$ another character and reduce one o! their abi#ities rated 2 or higher by 1. BETRAY THE TEAM: Gi%e a grit to e%ery other p#ayer. 'dd 4 spaces to the neEt scene"s comp#etion trac$. 5or$ out what your e%i# p#an a## a#ong was with the G3. The G3 gets to use your character as an e#ement in the neEt action scene you &oin them as an +C, and no #onger ro## your own poo#s o! dice. HIDE THE PAIN: Ta$e part in the neEt scene as norma#, but at the end o! the scene, your character dies. n #ess combat9hea%y settings, your character is permanent#y remo%ed !rom the story in some other way, i! you wish. ! you #ose a## your stamina during the neEt scene, you die immediate#y.
PULLING OUT ometimes, a scene can get too hot to hand#e, or a crew member can be ta$en out o! action without warning, and the crew decide to ta$e a di!!erent approach. ! the scene #eader decides to, the group can pu## out at the end o! the round be!ore the G3 increases the siDe o! the danger poo# or sounds the a#arm >i! they ha%en"t a#ready?. The #eader ma$es a !ina# ro## against the danger poo# i! they win the con!#ict, they can sa!e#y eEtract one character !or e%ery success they ro##. The #eader chooses which characters, inc#uding their own, to eEtract sa!e#y. 'nyone who is not eEtracted sa!e#y gains a scar it"s !resh, though, so it"s technica##y a wound that represents a setbac$ or in&ury they su!!ered as they pu##ed out. This does not count towards their maEimum number o! scars, and it does not earn them any grit. >ee the neEt chapter !or more in!ormation on scars?. Then the #eader wor$s with the G3 to estab#ish a di!!erent scene that achie%es the same ends >oo$s #i$e we"re not getting through the !ront gates with a ram9raid we"## try to e%ade capture and brea$ in through the %enti#ation sha!ts instead.? and p#ay begins again with them as the #eader. The new scene starts with a danger poo# o! , not 2. 7ou can"t pu## out o! the !ina# scene.
GAME OVER hou#d e%ery character die, the mission is !ai#ed and the &ob is o%er. 3aybe their husbands and wi%es go on a re%enge mission a month or two a!terwards. That sounds #i$e it cou#d be !un.
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HOW TO MA,E A CHARACTER -BY SWEARING AT EACH OTHER. You watch him run into the brawl and get knocked over in seconds. et up, you say, and pull him to his feet0 you can't believe he's gotten so old so 7uickly, and you tell him this is no uncertain terms. ne time, back in the day, he took down four cops with nothing more than a chair leg. 6e shrugs you off, spits out a mouthful of blood, and lunges forward to grab one of the guards in a choke hold. 's you p#ay the game, you"## de!ine each other"s characters more by interacting with each other and reminiscing or insu#ting each other and in%enting an imaginary, impro%ised past history. There are !our $inds o! traits you can estab#ish abi#ities, #egend, eKuipment and scars.
ANECDOTES '## traits are estab#ished by te##ing anecdotes about other characters you can"t estab#ish your own. abi#ities are estab#ished before the dice are ro##ed, and in!#uence the dice poo# a## other $inds o! traits are estab#ished a!ter, and a##ow either a re9ro## or an automatic success. 'n anecdote shou#d describe an eEperience that happened in the past that re#ates to the tas$ at hand.
E/r%i%) )rit thr$')h /%e+$tes 5hen you estab#ish a trait by te##ing an anecdote, you can earn grit !or doing so. >Grit is used to hea# yourse#! and to get a brie! boost in power during action scenes.? 7ou gain a point o! grit i! you do any o! the !o##owing during an anecdote: 3ention your own character in the anecdote. 3ention another character, aside !rom the one with the triggering ro##, in the anecdote. Tie the anecdote bac$ into a pre%ious anecdote. Tie the anecdote bac$ into to the Catastrophe. ! more than one person gets in%o#%ed in the anecdote, wor$ out who ga%e the most to it, and award them the grit. ! you can"t wor$ it out, gi%e a## the participants grit and mo%e on.
Bei%) r'+e 3ost anecdotes, e%en positi%e ones, are intended to be rude you"re waiting unti# someone messes up and then saying how they used to be better, which spurs them on to great success. G3, i! you !ee# an anecdote is especia##y cutting, embarrassing, or entertaining, !ee# !ree to hand out an additiona# point o! grit to the p#ayer that"s te##ing it.
Ref'ti%) 7ou can re!ute an anecdote that another p#ayer ma$es up about you it"s not true, in the game !iction, and they"%e either remembered it wrong or they"re #ying. ! you re!ute an anecdote, you don"t get access to any o! the bene!its associated with ta$ing on a trait.
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C$%tr/+iti%) ! a statement contradicts something that"s a#ready been estab#ished as true, it can"t be ta$en on as a trait. )or eEamp#e, i! a character ta$es part in a sta$eout and sees something through binocu#ars and, #ater on, it"s stated that they can"t see anything because they"re b#ind, that won"t wash. ! they"%e described themse#%es as ta##, you can"t say that they"re short.
STAC,ING 7ou can on#y estab#ish one trait a!ter a p#ayer has ro##ed a #egend, a piece o! eKuipment, or a scar. 7ou can"t do more than one to the same ro##.
TRAITS ABILITIES 'bi#ities !orm the core o! your character and go%ern the $inds o! actions that they can ta$e in the game a## characters start with a## abi#ities at 2, which is a%erage. When soeone !""e#"s !n !$"%on& o( $!n es"!)*%sh "he%+ +e*e,!n" !)%*%". stab#ish an abi#ity a!ter someone dec#ares an action but be!ore dice are ro##ed. Yo( $!n'" es"!)*%sh soeone !s "he )es" !" !n !)%*%" (n"%* soeone h!s )een -es$+%)e- !s "he o+s" !" "h!" !)%*%". A/+ee%n/ "o )e "he o+s" !" soe"h%n/ /%,es o( 0 GRIT.
(ecause you ha%e to estab#ish someone as the worst at something be!ore someone e#se is the best, i t pays to ta$e one !or the team by attempting actions ear#y in the game that you don"t mind being bad at. The character who is best at an abi#ity ro##s dice when using it. The character who is worst at it ro##s 1. 7ou can on#y ha%e one character who"s the best, and one who"s the worst. The precise nature o! abi#ities depends on the setting, and go%ern what"s important and possib#e during p#ay. G3, ma$e up abi#ities be!ore the game or ta$e them !rom one o! the settings at the end o! this document. >There"s some ad%ice on ma$ing up your own in the G3 section o! this boo$.?
LEGEND egends are noteworthy things you"%e done in the past things that you"re !amous >or in!amous? !or. Des$+%)e ! *e/en- hen ! #*!e+ 1!%*s !" ! "!s2 "o /%,e "he !n %e-%!"e +e+o** %"h !n !--%"%on!* -%$e %n "he%+ #oo*. egends add an eEtra dice to any ro## they might app#y to >the G3 has !ina# &udgement on this?. ach character has room !or two #egends.
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E0UIPMENT Use E3(%#en" hen ! #*!e+ 1!%*s !" ! "!s2 "o /%,e "he !n %e-%!"e +e+o** %"h !n !--%"%on!* -%$e %n "he%+ #oo*. Kuipment is $ept #oose unti# another p#ayer determines what you"re carrying assume you ha%e e%erything you need to do your &ob, but nothing remar$ab#e, unti# someone mentions it.
i$e egends, Kuipment adds a sing#e dice to any action in%o#%ing the eKuipment. %ery character has one noteworthy piece o! eKuipment.
SCARS 7ou"%e got prob#ems. An o"he+ #*!e+ $!n "(+n ! 1!%*(+e %n"o ! s($$ess ) en"%on%n/ o(+ s$!+s. ! you generate a scar !or another p#ayer, they #ose no stamina this turn no matter what happens. n addition, they can ta$e any one o! the dice in their poo# and change it to a 10. 5hen you gi%e a character a scar, you"re turning !ai#ure into statistica##y9un#i$e#y success. cars remo%e a dice !rom a re#e%ant poo# down to a minimum o! one. 7ou ha%e a maEimum o! 2 scars. 5hen you accept a C'*, ta$e 2 G*T.
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THE GAMESMASTER You step out from the shadows and punch the guard in the gut0 he doubles over, and you bring your knee up into his chin, and he staggers back from the blow and collapses into a heap. You're about to congratulate yourself on a #ob well done, that maybe you've still got what it takes, when you notice the blinking red light of a security camera out of the corner of your eye and remember that they have those everywhere, now, and you curse as the alarm kicks in and you hear doors slamming open all around you.
BUILDING SCENES 's the G3, your &ob is to bui#d scenes action scenes, main#y. The p#ayers wi## gi%e you suggestions as to the broad sty#e o! the scene >when they !i## in the detai#s o! the &ob as they get the crew together? and they"## gi%e you more in!ormation during the preceding p#anning scene. 7our &ob is to describe the wor#d around them and how it reacts to their actions, and to describe what happens when they #ose stamina or add to the danger poo#.
C$"1(eti$% Tr/2 7ou"re a#so in charge o! the comp#etion trac$ e%ery time a p#ayer wins a con!#ict, mar$ o!! one space on the trac$ !or e%ery dice they ro##ed that came up higher than your highest dice. The trac$ determines how #ong a scene wi## ta$e to comp#ete: a good guide !or trac$ siDe is the number o! p#ayers present p#us the scene number times two >2 !or the !irst action scene, 4 !or the second?. "n a four+player game, the success track for the first scene is si! spaces long. $he second is eight. $he third is ten. $he fourth and final scene is twelve. )ee# !ree to bump the numbers up and down a #itt#e i! you thin$ it ma$es sense, or to ca## a scene to a c#ose i! it"s running on too #ong.
E(e"e%ts 5hen a scene begins, write down one or two e#ements that are important in the scene on scraps o! paper or indeE cards and set them out in !ront o! you e#ements are usua##y important +Cs or en%ironmenta# e!!ects, but i! you can come up with something interesting, go !or it. 7ou can trigger an e#ement a!ter you"%e ro##ed dice once per scene when you do, describe how it negati%e#y a!!ects the p#ayer characters, and remo%e it !rom p#ay, then re9ro## your dice poo#. 'ny stamina #oss your pre%ious ro## may ha%e in!#icted is discarded nothing carries o%er. 7ou can re9ro## at any time during a p#ayer"s turn, but you can ne%er re9ro## a re9ro##.
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The A(/r" nce per action scene, you can sound the a#arm to increase the siDe o! the danger poo#. This can be represented in the !iction howe%er you p#ease whether that"s an actua# a#arm going o!!, or some e#ite troops arri%ing on the scene, or the bui#ding co##apsing under the Cs, or the hostess unco%ering their indiscretions but the sta$es in the scene a#ways ramp up when they do. 7ou can sound the a#arm at the end o! the round a!ter you increase the siDe o! the danger poo#, but not i! the #eader is pu##ing out o! the scene. 5hen you trigger it, ro## the current danger poo#. )or e%ery dice that comes up A or more, add an additiona# dice to the danger poo#.
NARRATION 7ou don"t ha%e a set number o! antagonists to use instead, the comp#etion trac$ and the danger poo# combined gi%e you a rough idea o! a? how !ar away the p#ayers are !rom success and b? how much danger they"re in. -escribe the scene based on those numbers high danger cou#d mean #ots o! a#ert guards, or a sing#e power!u# threat, or a rapid#y9approaching time #imit. +arrate, and ha%e the p#ayers narrate, whate%er you !ee# appropriate within the boundaries o! your game so in a cyberpun$ setting, say, mowing down wa%es o! corporate security with a minigun is entire#y !itting, but in a &ewe#9caper game you might spend se%era# combat rounds outwitting, or braw#ing with, the same tenacious guard.
S$"e thi%)s t$ +$ !he% %/rr/ti%) se%es 5hen a p#ayer states they"re attempting an action, as$ them what wi## happen i! they !ai#. 5or$ out an answer with them. ! they do !ai#, narrate the changing situation. %ery action, succeed or !ai#, changes the situation. 's$ Kuestions o! the p#ayers, and respond to their Kuestions with interesting answers. ntroduce threats. %ery action they ta$e is, by de!inition, dangerous so bring that danger to the !ore!ront. -raw things bac$ to the catastrophe. *e9incorporate detai#s that the p#ayers ha%e mentioned. ometimes, a p#ayer might say something that doesn"t !it with your idea o! the wor#d. ! you thin$ it goes against the tone o! the game, as$ them to modi!y it, or modi!y it with detai#s yourse#! so it"s more in #ine. ! you ha%e an +C that you want to $eep a#i%e maybe they"re your e#ement !or the scene say up9 !ront that they"re important and that the p#ayers can"t ta$e them out o! action unti# they"%e had a chance to do their thing.
SCARS Try to ma$e sure e%ery character con!ronts a situation that is made more di!!icu#t than$s to their scars at #east once per game. This bui#ds on the bac$stories that you"%e made together, and maybe #ets the character triumph despite their prob#ems or, at the %ery #east, !ai# entertaining#y.
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INVENTING ABILITIES 'bi#ities !orm the core o! character abi#ities in the game. Here are some things to thin$ about when you create your own set o! 'bi#ities: KEEP THEM BROAD: 7ou"%e got !our abi#ities to go%ern e%ery sing#e possib#e action in the game, so don"t ma$e them too !ine9grain. BALANCE THEM OUT: Try to ma$e sure that each abi#ity wi## come up !reKuent#y in the game, so characters that are bad at one $ind o! abi#ity ha%e a chance to use others. MAKE THEM THEMATIC: 7our abi#ities in!orm the actions o! the p#ayers. ! you want the scope o! your game to be grand, ma$e 5'* your !ight abi#ity. ! you want it to be honourab#e, ma$e it -. ! you want to encourage dirty !ighting, ma$e it (*'5. ! you want p#ayers to command others, ma$e it T'CTC. !, in your en%isioned game, you want your p#ayers to a%oid combat, change it to @'-. THEY DON'T MATTER: Here"s the secret i! you pitch it right, in%enti%e p#ayers wi## be ab#e to app#y most o! their abi#ities in most situations, because they ha%e the chance to !rame their actions themse#%es. That"s abso#ute#y !ine.
PLAYING WITHOUT A GAMESMASTER 7ou can p#ay ne ast Bob without a dedicated gamesmaster, i! you want. > thin$ it runs better with a sing#e person at the he#m in a position o! authority, but it"s great this way too.? #ay as norma# with the !o##owing twea$s: -uring the p#anning stage, one p#ayer se#ects the mission and introduces the !irst character. They p#ay the (oss throughout the !o##owing eEchanges. They must ta$e the !ina# character created by the group. ach p#ayer wi## ta$e a turn to G3, ta$ing charge o! the scene that they created during the p#anning phase. TheyF## describe the scene, ro## the danger poo#, and %oice +Cs. They shou#d come up with a %a#id reason why their character isnFt in the scene theyFre G3ing maybe theyFre bringing up the rear, scouting ahead, waiting outside in the id#ing armoured car ready !or the escape, !i##ing their poc$ets with #oot, or whate%er. 7ouF## get a di!!erent eEperience !rom this, as not e%eryone wi## use the same sty#e o! G3ing as each other and p#ay might !ee# a #itt#e !ragmented. (ut itFs sti## a #ot o! !un, and it means e%eryone gets to p#ay.
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ONE LAST JOB IS INSPIRED BY3 5ushu, -an (ayn a %ery ru#es9#ight game that pits p#ayer characters against scenes, not enemy characters, that taught me a #ot about how to structure a narrati%e9#ed combat scene. Ho##owpoint, (. 3urray, C.5. 3arsha## another game about pro!essiona# crimina#s. Contains the phrase that one time in tah, which was the origina# tit#e !or this game be!ore stripped the setting out. 3ar%e# Heroic *o#ep#aying, Cam (an$s et al the concept o! the -oom oo# #ead to my danger poo# a changing, shi!ting set o! dice that the G3 throws to represent the con!#ict at hand. hoc$: ocia# cience )iction, Boshua '. C. +ewman one o! the c#e%erest games "%e e%er read, hoc$ gi%es p#ayers the chance to in%ent their own character abi#ities that de!ine the wor#d and the story by the important actions characters can ta$e within it.
THAN,S TO3 The P(/&testers TH M CCT@: eigh, =urtis, Conan, isa, ymon, (en&, Manthia, )#opsy, wen, (i##y and -rew. @*'C=: -eEE, Bonas, )e#iE, Boost and 3ari&n. @*7+ : Bohannes Oieg#er, arah Oieg#er, 3artin ichhorn, atric$ Thomas, eter Tracy, +ie# )u#ton, mi#y Bac$man, +ige# 5i##iams, 3ichae# %ans, +ic$ 'rga##, Bames Go#d!inch, Chris (enton, -ean *ei##y, @incent Cao, Bames Cameron, Tay#a Gaedic$e, =y#e Hunter, 'ri#d Bohannes etro%ic, Bimmy indK%ist, '#eEander i#%nPs, 'nton (ode##, and imon 3oberg.
The P/tr$%s -a%id, 'dam -rew, 'ndrew 3acennan, amantha treeter, Christy -ena, -ona#d 5hee#er, Gui##aume CarrQ, *a!ae# *ocha, %end 'ndersen, hawn 3cCarthy, Bessica Hammer, +athan (#ac$, Bames tuart, (ay, Bosh )#int, (en 3c=enDie, Conan )rench, hi#ip Han#ey, (en *obbins, 'ndy 3oore, Harriet Go#dstone, 5i## (#ac$stoc$, (eni, 'ndrew 'rmstrong, 3ary Hami#tron Hami#ton
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SETTINGS $he world has changed, he says, and takes a sip of beer then looks at you like he's said something incredibly wise. You narrow your eyes at him. $he world hasn't changed, you say. &e have. &e got old. $he world ticks along the same way it always has, but these days we can't keep up with it. You take a mouthful of his beer and wonder whether this is really such a good idea after all. These settings gi%e you some idea o! the sort o! stories that you can te## in ne ast Bob. They"re each di%ided up into se%en sections: '(T gi%e you the core abi#ities !or each character in the setting. ometimes, there might not be an abi#ity !or e%erything you want to do. ! you rea##y can"t !it the action in any o! the pre9generated abi#ities, ro## 2 dice. 5"* H* T is a run9down o! the sort o! &obs your crew might be ca##ed upon to do. The G3 wi## choose !rom this #ist >or ma$e up their own?, but i! there"s something you"re especia##y interested in, #et them $now. T" +T 3 5" H'@ T is a #ist o! comp#ications that the p#ayers wi## bring in to estab#ish additiona# stages and introduce new characters. ) C*, T - T, 5" +- is a #ist o! ready9made characters !or the setting, and shou#d gi%e you an idea o! the sort o! persona#ities that eEist in the wor#d. + TH 5'7, 5" *('(7 *+ +T is a #ist o! threats and enemies !or the G3 to wor$ into the story or use as e#ements. C3 +, 7 C'+ - T, 7 is a #ist o! samp#e G+- that p#ayers can gi%e to other characters. 7 H'@+"T (+ TH'T G- +C gi%es a #ist o! suitab#e anecdotes to power C'*. There are siE settings be#ow, but here are some other ideas !or groups and settings: regency #adies, modern9day monster hunters, rag9tag 552 commando unit, pirates, pu#p ad%enturers, science !iction eEp#orers, and spies.
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PRO*ESSIONAL CRIMINALS 'bi#ities: 5T5*= >hurt peop#e, act as a combat medic, dominate con!#icts? +)T*'T+ >snea$, brea$ and enter, stea#, disguise? GTC >mo%e yourse#! and others at speed, chase, e%ade, c#imb? +T**+' >#ie, charm, persuade, intimidate, con? 5e"re here to... R stea# something %ery important !rom a #oc$boE in an eEtreme#y we##9de!ended ban$. R $idnap the daughter o! a power!u# mob boss so he"## agree to more !a%ourab#e terms in our dea#. R assassinate a gangster who"s at ris$ o! pushing the ast and 5est !ami#ies into a b#oody con!#ict. R brea$ into an art ga##ery and stea# the priDe eEhibit be!ore opening night. R rob a casino, &ust to ruin the e%ening o! a high9ro##ing nemesis. R c#ean out an armoured car carrying persona# data pertaining to our c#ient"s business ri%a#. R stea# a truc$#oad o! drugs !rom a 3eEican carte# and hand it o!! without getting !ound out. R hunt down and $i## one o! our own gone rogue in the bac$woods o! Canada. t"s not so simp#e we"## ha%e to... R bypass these guys co%ered in guns. R snea$ through casino security. R do something about the security cameras. R e%ade the !reKuent patro#s o! '=489toting guards around the hacienda. R get !rom the 0 th to the ground !#oor in #ess than 20 seconds. R acKuire disguises so we can get through undetected. R ta$e out these guards without being spotted. R crac$ this sa!e open without tripping the a#arms. R o%ercome the in!ra9red scanners and #aser grid that protects the centra# computer. R sweet9ta#$ our way around the #ess9than9honourab#e head o! security. R get our armoured %an inside the %au#t, somehow. R #ose the cops once we get out o! the bui#ding and onto the open road. ! course, to do it, we"## need... R -anie# eaborne master thie! who"s pissed o!! e%eryone who matters at one point or another. R aura )ontaine, a genuine #unatic s#ight#y too good with a si#enced pisto#. R -octor )e#iE -eanto not actua##y a -octor, but an eEce##ent #iar. R Benny 3c=enDie, ace getaway dri%er and in%eterate gamb#er. R 5ende# Thurgood ageing sa!ecrac$er but the best in the business. R ucy i eE9#awyer, can ta#$ her way out o! pretty much anything.
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n the way, we"## probab#y run into... R armed guards. R bored security sta!! with #itt#e to do. R guard dogs. 3aybe guard geese. 7ou can ne%er be sure. R hi9tech security systems. R big #oc$ed %au#t doors. R po#ice, ranging !rom beat cops to 5'T teams. R a di!!icu#t c#imb between roo!tops in a high wind. R a chase through winding city streets. Come on, you can do it, you... R sto#e that -a @inci !rom under the nose o! %es t9ucien, and we a## $now what a pric$ he is. R shot that guy three streets away when you were !iring bac$wards !rom a mo%ing car. R base9&umped o!! the Chrys#er bui#ding with the stash and sur%i%ed a parachute ma#!unction. R made a con%incing disguise !rom the contents o! a &anitor"s c#oset in three minutes. R disarmed a guard and $noc$ed out two more with the butt o! his ri!#e be!ore they cou#d sound the a#arm. R con%inced those two a##ied gangs to start $i##ing each other and entire#y ignore you in the chaos. 7ou ha%en"t been that good since... R your wi!e beat the shit out o! you in pub#ic because she caught you cheating on her. R that guard dog trapped you in a corner !or three hours and you pissed yourse#! in !ear. R you got hoo$ed on prescription pain$i##ers. R you #ost that eye bac$ in tah. R the 3eEicans sea#ed you in a meta# container !or !our days and you went temporari#y insane. R you crashed the car bac$ in 3ins$ and $i##ed our !irst sa!ecrac$er. R you burned our c#ient and no9one trusted you !or eight years. R di%orced you.
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CYBERPUN, 'bi#ities: 3C >Hurt peop#e, be ath#etic, intimidate, protect? C7(* >Hac$ things, use computers? H'-5 >nea$, a%oid things, brea$ and enter, crimina# $now#edge? HT >ie, cheat, charm, impersonate, con%ince? 5e"re here to... R stea# a #oad o! sensiti%e data !rom the megacorp main!rame. R abduct and ransom o!! the #eader o! a power!u# Oaibatsu. R $i## a dangerous cybered9up war %eteran causing ha%oc on the neon streets o! Chinatown. R eEtract the @ o! )rostbyte Tech C and sa%e her !rom cyborg assassins. R stea# the condensed memories o! thousands and up#oad them into !resh bodies. R brea$ into the Tessier9'shpoo# orbita# strongho#d and up#oad an '. R scour out the production #ines o! a dangerous nano9drug once and !or a##. t"s not so simp#e we"## ha%e to... R bypass their security system. R b#uster our way through the b#oodthirsty Chen (oys" territory. R brea$ in through the %enti#ation sha!ts. R in!i#trate the mi#itary comp#eE without raising the a#arm. R p#ot our getaway through the cross9city tunne# at rush hour. R stea# - passes and uni!orms !rom the guards so we can pass undetected. R ho#d o!! the po#ice in a pitched gun!ight when they ine%itab#y arri%e. R b#ow through a sKuad o! hired raDorboys. R de!eat the C surrounding the data we need. ! course, to do it, we"## need... R 4r4riw0m4nSM, an eE9corporate dec$9&oc$ey who was once married to. R @ent, an ice9co#d street samurai with a #o%e o! intimidation and too many meta# parts. R Ma%ier, a &oyboy who $nows e%ery Bohn and Bane !rom here to +ew 'msterdam. R o##y oc$et$ni!e, a so#o with a co#our!u# reputation and her own range o! per!umes. R ogos, a drone9rigger who has a worrying#y c#ose re#ationship with her si#icon !riends. R 7oshiba9san, a kuruma >getaway dri%er? with a direct neura# up#in$ to his gra%9car"s data!eed.
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n the way, we"## probab#y run into... R comp#eE #aser security grids. R rentacop corporate security guards with bu##pup ri!#es. R desperate gangbangers #oo$ing !or a Kuic$ buc$ in the 7o$ohama shanty. R other crews o! cyberwear9#aden pro!essiona#s primed to dispatch i! there"s troub#e. R #egendary assassins with raDor !ingers, o%erc#oc$ed #aser ri!#es, and ha##ucinogenic gas bombs. R iso#ated main!rames. R !u##y9#oaded mi#itary he#icopters. R mind9wiped, %at9grown $i##er with a ma#!unctioning corteE bomb. R urban shamans p#ugged into the grid, contro##ing e%eryone around then. R attac$ drones, sur%ei##ance bots, de!ensi%e robotic gun emp#acements. Come on, you can do it, you... R hac$ed the Gress#er9=han main!rame !rom a pub#ic termina# in !i%e minutes !#at. R #i!ted a man c#ean abo%e your head and threw him out o! a mo%ing monorai# car. R used your %ibro9sword to de!#ect that assassin"s bu##et be!ore it hit me. R con%inced that enator to gi%e up the in!ormation that ogos needed using on#y a need#e. R bro$e into andaE H and made out with the C"s e#dest son be!ore b#owing the p#ace up. R hi&ac$ed that armoured car without bothering to ma$e it pu## o%er !irst, bac$ in "0<. 7ou ha%en"t been that good since... R that b#ac$ C !ried your brain and #e!t you a droo#ing simp#eton. R you and !e## out o! a !i!th9story window and you gracious#y bro$e my !a##. R you and Ma%ier got burned by that raDorgir# who started hunting down your !ami#ies. R you too$ two to the chest !rom that rentacop"s '* eacema$er. R the *ussian ma!ia burned the ta#ent right out o! your head a!ter you betrayed them. R you pic$ed up that deE9amphetamine addiction o!! o##y. R you had your arm rep#aced with a @ietnamese $noc$9o!! o! a Chinese copy o! a Titan shoc$!ist.
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WILD WEST 'bi#ities: C= >shoot peop#e in a straight !ight, ta$e co%er, mo%e Kuic$#y? 3'+ >intimidate, !ight dirty, snea$, #ie, brea$ the #aw? TGH >sur%i%e o!! the #and, endure pain and hardship, braw#? G- >charm, persuade, en!orce #aw, de!end innocents, hea#? 5e"re here to... R rob a stagecoach carrying go#d bac$ east. R sa%e a town !rom a (#ac$ hane and his gang o! out#aw scum. R unseat a corrupt heri!! be!ore he #ets the in&uns in to ta$e o%er. R rob a ban$ run by a cheatin", no9good sumbitch. R protect a group o! miners as they bring their spoi#s bac$ to ci%i#isation. R hi&ac$ a train and stea# the weapons shipment inside. R trac$ the %icious out#aw, (u##et9ho#e Bim, into the misty swamps. t"s not so simp#e we"## ha%e to... R snea$ past these trigger9happy gunmen. R bypass the 'rmy encampment that"s set up nearby. R ma$e our way through the harsh mountains and scrub#and in the dead o! 5inter. R na%igate the hosti#e n&un !#at#ands in the b#aDing heat o! ummer. R chase down the stagecoach. R con%ince the gang to #ea%e town with a due# at high noon. R punch our way through the seediest bar in a## the 5est. R rouse up the #oca# popu#ace into a de!ence !orce. R protect the !armer and his !ami#y, as they"re in the #ine o! !ire. ! course, to do it, we"## need... R Henry rons, an un#uc$y gun!ighter with a coat !u## o" ho#es and a hundred scars. R a##y Bac$son, a schoo#marm turned heri!!"s deputy, who cou#d ne%er Kuite gi%e up the gun. R ta#$ing ossum, an a#bino n&un outcast with a grudge. R (essie Three9*i%ers Terwi##iger, raised by the n&uns, who $nows o! secret paths. R eamus "3urphy, red9headed rish boEing champion and !amous drun$. R bidiah tone, disgraced eE9heri!!, who dear#y wants to atone !or his crimes. R 3a#co#m 5ise, a rai#road wor$er turned en!orcer, drummed out o! the in$ertons !or... reasons.
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n the way, we"## probab#y run into... R sa%age n&uns, #oo$ing to get re%enge !or our intrusion on their #and. R hired guns, Kuic$ on the draw and mean as he##. R in$erton stri$ebrea$ers. R aggressi%e, desperate drun$s trying to pro%e themse#%es worthy. R bandits and out#aws in a sto#en, armoured stagecoach. R miners9turned de!enders, ho#ding out with dynamite and pic$aEes. R a dead#y c#i!!9!ace, crumb#ing under our !eet. R the dead#y heat or hash co#d o! the wi#derness. R con!using ca%e networ$s that run underneath the impassab#e mountains. R a !u## army regiment, caught up in the chaos. R hungry wi#d#i!e coyotes, wo#%es, bobcats, e%en bears. Come on, you can do it, you... R $i##ed three men with two bu##ets not ten year ago. R once shot your way out o! a mine !i##ed with dynamite. R bro$e a wi#d sta##ion by starin" into its eyes and whisperin" in its ears. R sto#e the b#ac$ heart o! that wic$ed heri!! with nothin" but a win$. R trac$ed ne9ye )#inders across the sa#t !#ats !or three days without a sip o! water. R sa%ed my daughter !rom the bui#ding that set on !ire. 7ou ha%en"t been that good since... R you bro$e your an$#e and had to #imp through the desert whi#e that n&un rode behind you. R you Kuit drin$in" and got the sha$es, rea# bad. R you started drin$in" and #ost your aim. R you saw your !arm burned to the ground by o#" i#as 3cGin#ey. R that bear pu##ed your arm c#ean o!! at the shou#der. R that time the pair o! us got near9drowned by that posse up in -ead 3an"s Gu#ch. R that time you and ta#$ing ossum got run out o! town !or cheatin" at cards. R that time you and eamus got arrested !or bein" drun$ and disorder#y in charge o! an in!ant. R that time shot you o%er my woman.
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*ANTASY ADVENTURE 'bi#ities: T*+GTH >hit things up c#ose, #i!t and brea$ ob&ects, chase, withstand harm? -MT*T7 >dodge, shoot, !#ee, pic$ #oc$s, disarm traps, spot things, stea# things? +TG+C >counteract magica# de!ences, cast spe##s, $now ancient #ore, hea# others? CH'*3' >charm, #ie, persuade, intimidate, bargain with demons and gods? 5e"re here to... R s#ay a mighty dragon that"s been terrorising the countryside !or months. R burn out a nest o! orcs that"s ta$en up residence underneath the town and dri%en e%eryone away. R put to death an e%i# wiDard in her !araway tower. R wa#$ into the dream#ands and due# a !airy prince so he"## brea$ the curse he cast on the $ingdom. R hunt down a %ampire in her cast#e in the wind9swept mountains. R !ind out which o! the %i##agers is the murderous werewo#!. R rec#aim the (#essed Grai# !rom within the e%er9eEpanding con!ines o! -is, the Hungry City. R snea$ into the mind9!#ayer contro##ed city and ta$e out their e#der brain o%er#ord. t"s not so simp#e we"## ha%e to... R get through the camps o! the wic$ed Three9)inger Gob#ins. R con%ince the guardian !reeti to #et us through. R best a %ariety o! doors #oc$ed tight by magica# de%ices that need more than $eys to open them. R ta$e on that undead army that"s shamb#ing through the p#ains on the orders o! a #ong9dead man. R wa#$ a## the way across those massi%e snowy mountains. R na%igate the treacherous underground city o! the dwar!s. R get through )reeberg, City o! coundre#s, and $eep the shirts on our bac$s. R snea$ past the animate stone guardians o! r"Co#o$. R protect the town we"re staying in !rom the gno##s that are doubt#ess#y !o##owing us. ! course, to do it, we"## need... R )eynau#t, ha#!9e#! pa#adin and #othario with e!cellent hair and a rapier wit. R itt#e a##y )ingers, an ageing ha#!#ing rogue with a co##ection o! !ingerbones on her nec$#ace. R (ou#der, a roc$9$in shaman outcast con&ures the spirits o! the mountains to aid him in batt#e. R 'rdina, human c#eric o! one o! mu#tip#e gods depending on which is current#y most he#p!u#. R Gash +"Gro$, the most success!u# ha#!9orc wiDard e%er seen sti## not that success!u#. R 5oe o! )a##ing ea%es in 'utumn, grace!u# e#! !ighter thorough#y up herse#!. R uintDe# the @i#e, dwar! necromancer out o! wor$ !o##owing undead rehabi#itation scam.
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n the way, we"## probab#y run into... R gob#ins, orcs, bugbears, hobgob#ins, a## your standard mi#itaristic greens$in races. R guardian beho#ders, spitting eyebeams a## o%er the shop. R suspicious towns!o#$, o!ten in the !orm o! angry mobs. R wic$ed traps wired by snea$y $obo#ds or ancient ci%i#isations. R hon$ing great doors #oc$ed with magica# wards. R Dombies animated by magic, either ma#icious or surp#us. R curmudgeon#y giants, stomping across the #andscape. R tro##s hanging out under bridges and demanding to##s. 7ou can do it, you... R con%inced the 5iDard o! -ur#ath to gi%e up his magica# sta!! in eEchange !or a $iss, and he"s not e%en gay, )eynau#t. R he#d bac$ a horde o! -ar$ -war%es with nothing but a burning torch and your !ather"s shie#d. R carried the great orc hero -ra$ n"Tra$$ to the top o! $y!inger ea$ and buried him there. R b#u!!ed your way out o! a po$er game with ord 'smode#, =ing o! the -emons. R punched a horse to the ground because it #oo$ed at you !unny. R in%ented the +uc#ear )ireba## spe## with Gash +"Gro$. R strang#ed that ghost. R dragged me out o! that neEt o! spider9centaurs unharmed a!ter they poisoned me. 7ou"%e not been that good since... R you had seE with that spider9centaur and it en%enomed your bits. R you got partia##y9possessed by the ghost o! your greatest enemy, and now it won"t shut up. R you got bitten by that @ampire and now sun#ight sets you on !ire a #itt#e. R you !ound out you were a werewo#! and you got terri!ied o! in!ecting anyone e#se with your b#ood. R that time you and uintDe# decided it wou#d be a good idea to bott#e eEp#osions as a business and you #ost three !ingers at the #aunch party. R that time a##y con%inced you to &ugg#e price#ess #%en arte!acts at their !orest strongho#d, and you bro$e all of them.
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POST4APOCALYPSE 'bi#ities: = >shoot, hit, strang#e, drown, destroy, brea$? *@@ >endure, na%igate the wi#derness, trac$? C33+ >ra##y peop#e together, he#p others, charm, persuade, gi%e aid? MC- >intimidate, threaten, se## out, betray? 5e"re here to... R $i## Hades, the (andit =ing, in his great iron strongho#d to the +orth. R rid the town o! this Dombie p#ague once and !or a##. R stea# %ita# parts o! a nuc#ear reactor !rom a distant, ri%a# town so we can power our own. R estab#ish a !arm on top o! $ree 3ountain and $eep it sa!e through 5inter. R stop this re#igious cu#t !rom burning e%eryone to death. R rescue the mayor"s daughter !rom the e%i# men who are ho#ding her to ransom. R $idnap the mayor"s daughter so his raids on your out#and !armsteads wi## cease. R push deep into the toE9mines to the outh and retrie%e %a#uab#e #egacy techno#ogy. R destroy the )our Horsemen so the wor#d can start again. t"s not so simp#e we"## ha%e to... R ta#$ to the maniacs that #i%e in the o#d windmi## and persuade them not to $i## us. R get past the noEious !umes boi#ing out o! the canyon. R pass ourse#%es o!! as Chi#dren o! the nd so the cu#t don"t burn us too. R gather supp#ies !rom dangerous ruined bui#dings. R run !rom the bonewo#%es that wi## chase us down the ashen mountains. R try to bui#d a she#ter !or the night be!ore the snow begins to !a##. R start a !ire with no materia#s to hand. R dea# with the wandering beggars and sa#esmen who might a#ert the bandits to our presence. R na%igate past the mutant sca%engers that p#ague the b#ood swamps. R $i## a who#e #oad o! Dombies. ! course, to do it, we"## need... R Twist, a mutant, strugg#ing to !it into norma# society. R 3anda#a, a trac$er, eE9cu#t en!orcer worrying#y good at his &ob. R (ernie, a sharp9shooter, used to wor$ !or the (andit =ing, doesn"t #i$e to ta#$ about it. R Ooe, a beast s#a%er, ta#$s to the anima#s, wears pe#ts, sme##s a bit. R -u$e, a charismatic town #eader #ost her town a !ew years ago. R a%#o%, a b#ac$9mar$et trader $nows price o! e%erything, %a#ue o! nothing.
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n the way, we"## probab#y run into... R mutants big s#a%ering ones, #itt#e wiry ones, psychic ones, monstrous amorphous ones. R Dombies, in hordes, or in!i#trating p#aces we thought sa!e. R harsh weather: wind, rain, snow, ash storms, s#eet, hai#, ba$ing heat, drought, !#ood. R star%ation, thirst, and eEposure to the e#ements. R wi#d anima#s, hungry !or human !#esh. R unstab#e ruins that co##apse under our !eet. R one or more o! the )our Horsemen. R bandits, out#aws, scoundre#s and #aw#ess scum. R suspicious towns!o#$ who Kuite right#y 9 don"t trust us. R apoca#ypse cu#ts, re#igious craDies, nihi#istic psychopaths, and other unhinged peop#e. Come on, you can do it, you... R he#d o!! the Dombies a## through the night when we went to !etch the har%est #ast year. R wrest#ed that giant wo#! to the ground and drowned it in that !i#thy ri%er that runs by our %i##age. R con%inced that cu#t #eader to gi%e up his !aith and hand o%er the supp#ies. R prayed !or !ire, on#y to ha%e #ightning stri$e a tree neEt to you. R carried me and Ooe through the wastes a!ter we co##apsed !rom hunger. R con%inced that bandit chie! you were on his side, right up unti# the mutants tore him apart. 7ou"%e not been that good since... R that giant mutant near#y pu##ed your arm o!! at the shou#der. R the second time you prayed !or !ire, and the #ightning struc$ you instead. R that town #eader accused your wi!e o! being a witch and burned her at the sta$e. R you mo%ed into that cushy arco#ogy you thin$ we don"t $now about. R got hoo$ed on pre9war anti!reeDe. R you and a%#o% were inducted into that apoca#ypse cu#t and $i##ed someone you cared about.
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INVESTIGATORS WOR,ING AGAINST THE GREAT GOD CTHULHU5 OR CULTISTS IN SERVICE O* SAME 'bi#ities: (- >hurt peop#e, gi%e sacri!ice, endure torment? C*T >$now hidden things, cast ritua# magic, search !or in!ormation? H'-5 >snea$, #ie, cheat, stea#, hide? 3+7 >!und, bribe, buy, gamb#e?
5e"re here to... R stea# a pro!ane teEt !rom c#ue#ess go%ernment agents. R trac$ down a !amous sorcerer and end his #i!e. R get down to the bottom o! what"s really up with the mayor. R eEp#ore the ruins o! this great and !orgotten city on the +orth o#e !or a power!u# arte!act. R #earn the spe## that wi## end the wor#d, but it on#y eEists in the -ream#ands. R brea$ out o! this menta# hospita# and sa%e the wor#d. R get in and out o! ost Carcosa and stea# the ueen"s crown whi#e we"re there. R ta#$ to the strange creatures that #i%e under the city and disco%er the secret o! eterna# #i!e. t"s not so simp#e we"## ha%e to... R not go comp#ete#y mad. R outwit this b#ood9thirsty cu#t. R brea$ into this museum. R trac$ down the ro!essor ha#!9way across the wor#d. R batt#e the !rea$ weather that spontaneous#y generates around the arte!act. R !ind ritua# components !or the great spe## that wi## contact the diety. R batt#e rotting cada%ers in the basement o! a temp#e. R escape the hungry -ar$ 7oung o! hub9+iggurath. R in!i#trate the spea$easy to meet our gangster contact. R co%er9up our eEp#oits so no9one wi## e%er $now what we did. R get the in!ormation out o! the wide9eyed man who whispers in a strange tongue. R e%ade the po#ice cur!ew whi#e we na%igate the dar$ city. R stabi#ise a man who undertoo$ se#!9muti#ation to rid himse#! o! some %ery %a#uab#e $now#edge. ! course, to do it, we"## need... R s#a Gregor, a newspaper reporter an eye !or the truth, but not abo%e #ying !or pro!it. R Terrence 'nderson, an eE9so#dier saw some things in the trenches, doesn"t #i$e to ta#$ about it. R -octor )rederic$ ssenheim per!orms unethica# eEperiments and surgeries, nice guy though. R a##y a#amander, a torch singer $nows e%eryone, owes e%eryone money. R (ig -u$e, a gangster wi##ing to hurt peop#e and things !or money, as$ed too many Kuestions. R *osamund Hampton, an heiress has money to spare and a dangerous#y inKuisiti%e mind.
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n the way, we"## probab#y run into... R deranged cu#tists. R shady go%ernment agents. R mystica# wards. R #oc$ed doors to un$nowab#e rea#ms. R ha##ucinations and madness. R #esser monsters and ha#!9men, that we can !ight. R great beasts and deities, that we can maybe run !rom i! we"re #uc$y. R bruta# crimina#s. Come on, you can do it, you... R punched a Dombie unconscious once. R sto#e a cu#t robe and too$ o%er !rom their recent#y9deceased #eader in their year#y sacri!ice. R #ost near#y three pints o! b#ood and sti## comp#eted the ritua# that sea#ed the porta#. R caught a g#impse o! an e#der god and he#d onto your sanity. 5e##, some o! it. R hid !rom the $een eyes o! the 3i9Go as they swooped abo%e you through a c#oud#ess s$y. R sto#e that price#ess mas$ !rom the hea%i#y9guarded art eEhibit. 7ou ha%en"t been that good since... R you touched that mirror9porta# and something dar$ and terrib#e burned out your mind. R you cut o!! your own right hand in a mad >and !ai#ed? attempt to gain magica# power. R you got hoo$ed on bathtub gin. R you watched your husband die as tentac#es burst !rom the ground and tore him away !rom you. R that time in nnsmouth, with the !ishmen, and the harpoons. R so#d me out to the authorities so you cou#d escape scot9!ree with the spe##s. R got #ost wa#$ing through the )ar *ea#ms !or a !u## year. R $i##ed you that one time.
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ONE LAST JOB 6 CHARACTER SHEET PLAYER NAME3 CHARACTER NAME3 SCENE LEADER DURING3 A#i(ities3
RATING3
GRIT -either 7 e8tr/ +ie $r rest$re st/"i%/.3 OO
9 :
STAMINA3 O O O
7 ; LEGEND -re4r$(( /t <9.3 9
: E0UIPMENT -re4r$(( /t <9.3
SCARS -/'t$"/ti s'ess5 ($se %$ st/"i%/.3 9
: 32
