Slash-fest
A GM-less RPG for playing slasher movies
by Mendel Schmiedekamp
\First before the game choose a depth usually from 2-5. This determines the
number of characters each player has. Depth reduces based on the maximum
number of suriving characters a given player has.
Each character is defined by two features. A single descriptive sentence
(a simple archetype or sterotype) and a type. This later is either victim
or slasher. Each player can have no more than one slasher, but need not have
one, albeit there must be at least one slasher in the game (ideally several).
In addition to their description slashers also have escalation which starts
at zero.
Once all the characters are created it is time to play. Each player then
is given three tokens of some kind. These are new location tokens.
The players sit in a circle and pass control to their left, starting with
a randomly selected player. Each player gets the option to pass or describe
a scene. If all players pass in a row, then it is time for a break, agree
on a time and return, with the next player starting again. If they describe
a scene the following happens:
1) Set the scene - continue a previous scene, start a new scene at a previous
location, or make a new location and start the scene there. This later option
requires giving up a new location token. If a new scene is started each player
has an option of placing one character at the scene. If it is a continuation
then all characters already present remain, but if the active player has
none then he or she may have one of his or her characters arrive.
2) Play through the scene until there is a revelation - this is done
by players acting and describing their character's actions until something
new is revealed about the character controlled by the active player, that
is the only character which can do anything not included in their description.
When this happens describe this revelation as a sentence of description and
add it to the character. The scene then ends.
2') Slasher scenes - if a slasher belonging to the active player has escalation
equal to the current depth, then the active player may have the slasher add
one description to another character (including one of his or her own). Unless
this character is the last character of a player this fact can include the
character's death. For each death note a kill count for the slasher involved.
One optional rule is that slashers can only kill other slashers with fewer
kills.
3) At the end of the scene - at the end of any non-slasher scene, the active
player adds an escalation to any slasher other then their own, if no such
slashers exist, ignore this.
Note, since the last character of each player cannot be killed the game eventually
reaches depth 1. when this happens, the endgame occurs. Endgame is three
rounds through all the players. In the first round no characters can be killed,
but at the end each character will be in the same location. During the second
round, all characters can use a slasher scene on another character. The last
round is a separate scene for each player describing the aftermath of the
carnage, which need not be related to the character that survived until the
endgame.
Advice:
Scenes should be played as quickly as possible, although early scenes will
usually take longer. Usually if a scene is taking more than 10 minutes it
has gone on too long. Scenes with few people in them should take only a few
minutes. Don't be afraid to pass, especially if you are temporarilly out
of good ideas or have to rethink something due to a slasher scene. But don't
worry too much, practice makes perfect, and most people are better at telling
stories than they think.
Usually someone should act as an arbiter for the game, to help people decide
if a fact has been added (and whether a character could actually do what
is described about them). This can also be done as a simple vote, though
a tie-breaking arbiter is often a good idea in this case too.
© 2004 Mendel Schmiedekamp