DescriptionOver the Edge: a play by email roleplaying game of weird conspiracies, intrigue, and adventure Welcome to the mysterious island of Al Amarja. Desperate for money, looking for an escape, or both, you have been hired to come here and track down the daughter of your wealthy benefactor. But not everything is what it seems. What looks like an easy pay check might end up costing your life, or could lead to something far stranger. Over the Edge will be a play by email roleplaying game. You will need to commit to posting at least once a week. It is a very narrative-driven, rules light game which uses free-form character generation. The games is in the spirit of shows like the X Files, Erie Indiana and The Prisoner. I am looking for four players maximum. I'd be happy to run the game with 1, 2 or 3 players The game may feature adult themes, so players must be 18 or over. If you are interested in playing, email matcolver@yahoo.co.uk I am happy to answer any questions, but you'll find most answers in the info below. ************************ Character creation First, come up with a character concept, for example, a private eye who has disturbing and sometimes vaguely prophetic dreams about another world. Based on the concept, generate your Main Trait and Side Trait, for example: Main Trait: Private Detective Side Trait: Disturbing Dreams Next is your 'Trouble'. This is something that could, as the name suggests, get your character into trouble, so maybe a phobia or addiction, bragging, or risking themselves to save an innocent. In our private eye's case, perhaps he has a habit of rushing into things without thinking them through, so maybe: Trouble: Impulsive Next is your 'Question' element. This is something that is fundamentally true of your character at the start of the game, but perhaps not always true, or might change as the game progresses. Maybe the PI never drinks alcohol (at least not usually), so: Teetotal(?) Virtually any character is possible, but there are some core principles: Your character cannot have a trait which breaks the game (so they cannot grant wishes, read-minds, mind-control people, see the future, stop time, etc.) Your character should at least appear to be more or less human. The character is not 'played straight'. For example, a vampire who drinks human tears, or a hacker who hacks into memories rather than computer systems. Next is 'Secrets', which should be self-explanatory - things that your character does not want people to know about. They may have more than one but should have at least one. These can relate to your Traits or may be unrelated. 'Tells' are observable details that relate to your characteristics. For example, a boxer might have a nose which has obviously been broken and have been reset and be heavy built. Our PI might wear the stereotypical trench coat, for example. Once you have all this, you are almost ready to submit your character. You can flesh out the character with details of their Appearance and Personality. You may also wish to write a short backstory - what the character knows or believes about themselves (this might not necessarily be the truth). Think about what hobbies, activities or interests your character pursues. Here is a blank character sheet: Character name Main Trait Side Trait Trouble ? Secret(s) Tells Appearance Personality Backstory Interests Game mechanics: attempting a task When attempting a task where the outcome is uncertain, a player rolls dice, using: 4 dice for anything relating to their primary trait 3 dice for anything relating to their secondary trait 2 dice for any 'normal' actions (the default) 1 die for something character is bad at Depending on the circumstances the character may have an advantage or a disadvantage: Advantage - add one die to their pool and discard the lowest result Disadvantage - add one die to their pool and discard the highest result Target Numbers A task is successful if the sum of the dice equals or exceeds a set difficulty number. Routine/Easy: 4 or higher. Moderate: 7 or higher. Difficult: 11 or higher. Very Difficult: 14 or higher. Near Impossible: 18+. A task is successful if the total of all the dice equals or exceeds the difficulty number. Opposed rolls When acting against an opponent (either another PC or an NPC) the highest total wins. Combat and health Characters can take three 'strikes' before they are down or dead. Not all combat is lethal - sometimes participants are knocked unconscious. Damage is not tracked with hit points. Instead, it's described narratively. Characters may acquire scars, lose fingers or hands, get cuts and bruises, etc. In the setting, guns are very rare and illegal on the island. Combat emphasises creative, non-firearm methods. Overall approach Focus on your character's action and intent. You don't have to describe your thoughts / inner monologue, but you can if you want to. Write what your character is attempting to do, and the GM will determine the appropriate trait, resolve the dice, and tell you the outcome. |
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Greg Lindahl