Big Hippie Games » slow_burn_info

Slow Burn, in the alpha draft version shown below was submitted to the Game Chef 2009 design event. A Design Blog for this game was maintained up to the point of submission to Game Chef; it is located at Feeling the Burn. This design blog is no longer active.

Core Rules - Script

Track 1: Introduction

Welcome, and thank you for playing Slow Burn. Slow Burn was created and narrated by Leo Lalande.

You're a spy; or at least you were until someone got you blacklisted. You've been dumped in a city with no money, no credit, no history, and no I.D. All you've got are your talents, anybody still willing to talk to you, and a token object bearing nothing but a Fleur de Lis and some scribblings. To earn a living, you take whatever work comes your way - which usually ends up being some desperate soul looking for a solution to a problem; but you never lose sight of the fact that you've been blacklisted and that you intend to get off that blacklist.

This game is designed for three or more players, one of which must be the Handler. The players, except the Handler, play the role of blacklisted spies and their contacts. The Handler plays the role of the Opposition - the bad guys of each episode, and the Agency - the mysterious group that had the spies blacklisted. The Handler is also the arbiter of any disagreements between players.

Before beginning play, make sure you've got all the necessary gear assembled.

If you're a player you should have four twelve sided dice of one color, three or four twelve sided dice of a different color, a blank Fleur-de-Lis token, an envelope, three scene tokens of any kind - poker chips or similar are fine, paper - to serve as a character sheet and to make notes, and a pen or pencil.

If you're the Handler you should have twice as many twelve sided dice of one color as there are players, three times as many twelve sided dice of a different color as there are players, two Fleur-de-Lis tokens, paper, and a pen or pencil.

Throughout these audio recordings, you will be instructed to carry out actions such as writing something down, or describing something. When given such instrucrions pause playback of the audio recording until you have carried out the instructions then continue playback afterwards.

If this is the first session of play, proceed to Track 2: Character Creation.

If you've already created characters and you're starting a new episode, proceed to Track 7: The Job.

Track 2: Character Creation

It's time for the players to create characters.

You should have something to serve as a character sheet; it can be a sheet of paper, an index card, or even a business card. Now write your name, and your Spy's name on it.

Give your spy a speciality such as “Gadget Tech”, “Demolitions”, “Forgery”, or similar. Confer with the other players to make sure your speciality is unique within the group.

If you like, you can write a brief description of your spy's physical appearance or personality.

Next, pass your character sheet to the player on your left. The player on your right should be handing your their character sheet. Write down a contact known by the spy and give that contact a speciality. Now pass the character sheet in your possession to the player on your left; add a contact and specialty to the character sheet you were just passed from the player on your right then return the character sheet to its original player.

Next, pass the sheets to the player on your right; the player on your left should hand you their character sheet. Write down how your spy and the spy whose character sheet is in your possession are connected. Return the character sheets to their original players.

Finally, note that you have one Persistent Agency Die. Persistent Agency Dice remain in play during all scenes until one of them rolls a success. Once any one of your Persistent Agency Dice rolls a success, they exercise their influence and are removed from play. Refer to tracks eleven and fourteen for details.

Proceed to Track 3: Fleur-de-Lis Tokens.

Track 3: Fleur-de-Lis Tokens

Fleur de Lis tokens have a dual purpose. You will use them at the beginning of the first session of play while introducing your spy.

You should have a blank Fleur-de-Lis token. Write any single piece of information you want on it; you can write a phone number, a person's name, an address, a landmark, a lock or safe combination, or some such. The information should not directly reference any of the spies or their contacts.

Place the Fleur-de-Lis token inside the envelope, close the envelope, and hand it to the Handler. These tokens will be used later, during character introductions.

If you're the Handler, do nothing with your two Fleur-de-Lis tokens at this time; you may bring them into play later on, during the Job to trigger interference by the Agency.

Proceed to Track 4: The Path To Freedom.

Track 4: The Path To Freedom

Write a track of consecutive numbers from one through to ten along one side of your spy's character sheet. This is your spy's Path to Freedom.

The Path To Freedom is the measure of how close your spy is towards getting off the blacklist and escaping the clutches of the Agency. The first space represents first contact with the Agency; the last space represents the final gambit the spy effects to successfully break away from the Agency and get off the blacklist.

As your spy progresses along the Path to Freedom, you mark the appropriate position on the Path. You can draw a circle around the current position, use a paperclip, a sticky note, or indicate the current position in some other way of your liking.

After the character introductions, your spy will be on the first space of the Path to Freedom.

Proceed to Track 5: The Setting.

Track 5: The Setting

As a blacklisted spy, you're on all the government agencies' watchlists. If you try to leave town, you become the target of a major manhunt; so it's best to lay low right where you are. But where are you?

Discuss the setting with your fellow players, and the Handler. Everyone should agree on the city in which to set the game. It is best to set the game in a major city.

Proceed to Track 6: Character Introduction.

Track 6: Character Introduction

It is now time to introduce your spy into play.

Prior to playing through the introductions, your Handler will shuffle the envelopes of Fleur-de-Lis tokens and distribute them randomly to all the players.

Discuss the introductions with your fellow players and your Handler. You may introduce your spy individually or as a group in conjunction with the other spies. If you've got an idea for an introduction, it's usually best to run with it.

When you introduce your spy, describe what your spy was doing just prior to being blacklisted. Describe how your spy ended up in the city; whether your spy remembers those details or not is up to you. Finally, describe the meaning of the information on your Fleur-de-Lis token, and how your spy found it out.

Your Handler will influence the introductory scene via the non-player characters in the scene. The other players may suggest events or details. You may ignore these suggestions; but they are worth considering. They reflect what is interesting to your fellow players.

Once you've finished the character introduction, proceed to Track 7: The Job.

Track 7: The Job

The Job is the focus of each episode of Slow Burn.

Typically, someone with a serious problem approaches your spy for help; the kind of problem that only someone like your spy can solve. It might be someone who saw something they shouldn't have; and now they're being hunted. It might be someone who thought they were getting into a good deal; but now realize they're in way over their head.

Your Handler will introduce the Job during the first scene of Segment one.

Most Jobs last one or two play sessions.

The Job is divided into seven Segments. The Segments indicate your spy's progress towards the Job's completion.

To get started, proceed to Track 8: Playing a Segment.

Track 8: Playing A Segment

A Segment is one portion of the Job. It consists of one or more scenes intended to progress the Job towards completion. Think of a segment as the series of scenes between commercial breaks of a television show.

Every segment starts with twice as many Opposition Dice as there are players. The Opposition Dice are depleted as scenes are played. Details on depleting a Segment's Opposition Dice are provided in Track 11: Resolving the Scene.

Once a Segment's Opposition Dice are depleted, the segment ends and the next one begins.

Proceed to Track 9: Playing A Scene.

Track 9: Playing A Scene

A Scene is a discrete unit of actions that advances the story.

Every scene starts off with a 'Voice Over Monologue' setting up the action that is expected to take place during that scene. You and your fellow players may decide who among you will provide the Monologue; or you may collaborate to develop the Monologue.

Begin framing the scene. Determine the setting of the scene, and the initial circumstances.

Now determine how you intend to resolve the scene and assign resources to the scene. Resources include your own specialty, or those of your contacts.

Each resource you assign to the scene grants you one Job die. You may assign one resource to the scene without consequence; each resource you use beyond the first earns you an Agency die.

Agency dice gained via extra resource use persist until the end of the Segment or they roll Interference by the Agency.

Roleplay the scene's opening - how you, your fellow spies, or contacts are getting ready for the scene's action.

Proceed to Track 10: Rolling Dice

Track 10: Preparing Dice

Gather the dice you need to roll.

If you're a player, that means the Job dice you gained from the resources you've assigned to the scene, and any persistent Agency dice attached to your spy.

If you're the Handler, gather the currently remaining Opposition dice and all Agency dice gained so far during the Segment.

Proceed to Track 11: Interference Check.

Track 11: Interference Check

If you have any Agency dice, roll them now.

If any of your Agency dice roll a 1 or 2, the Agency interferes, joepardizing your work on the Job.

Even if no Agency dice come up 1 or 2, the Agency may still interfere. If you're the Handler and you have an unspent Fleur de Lis token, you may choose to spend it to automatically trigger interference by the Agency.

If interference by the Agency is triggered, jump to Track 14: The Agency Interferes.

If interference is not triggered, proceed to Track 12: Rolling Scene Dice.

Track 12: Rolling Scene Dice

It's time to roll Job dice and Opposition dice so the scene in progress can be resolved.

If you're a spy, you'll roll the Job dice you earned during the scene's setup.

If you're the Handler, you'll roll the Opposition dice currently remaining in this Segment.

Job dice score a success if they roll less than or equal to the Job's current segment number plus one.

Opposition dice score a success on a five or less.

Count the successes rolled by the Opposition dice and then by the Job dice.

Proceed to Track 13: Resolving the Scene.

Track 13: Resolving the Scene

If the spies roll more successes than the opposition, the scene will end favorably for them.

If the opposition rolls more successes than the spies, the scene ends unfavorably for the spies.

Narrate the end of the scene based on the results of the dice rolls - both collectively and individually.

Discard the Job dice.

Discard as many Opposition dice as there were successes on the spies' Job dice.

If there are still Opposition dice remaining, start a new scene; jump back to Track 9: Playing a Scene.

If all of the Segment's Opposition dice are depleted, the Segment is finished. If the current segment was the last of the Job, jump to Track 18: Finishing the Job; otherwise, start a new Segment and jump back to Track 8: Playing a Segment.

Track 14: The Agency Interferes

When the Agency interferes, it interrupts the scene in progress.

If interference is indicated by your own persistant Agency dice, then only your spy is implicated in the Agency's interference. You may now discard your persistant Agency dice.

If interference is indicated by the Handler's Agency dice, then any or all of the spies may be implicated in the interference.

If both your Agency dice and the Handler's triggered interference, then your spy is automatically implicated in the interference.

If your spy was not automatically implicated in the interference, you must roll a die. If you roll five or less, you are implicated in the interference.

If you're implicated in the interference, all resources you have assigned to the current scene are distracted and no longer provide Job dice towards the scene.

You're free to ignore the Agency's demands; but doing so has consequences. If you choose to ignore the Agency's interference, you lose the resource that is the target of the interference until you decide to respond to the Agency's interference, your target number to roll a success on your Job dice is reduced by one, cumulatively, every scene you ignore the interference, and you gain two persistent Agency dice.

If you choose to respond to the Agency's interference, proceed to Track 15: Playing the Interference Segment.

Track 15: Playing the Interference Segment

The Interference Segemnt is like a mini segment; it may consist of one or more distinct sequences of action.

The Interference Segment always focuses on the interplay between the Agency and the resources or spies they've targeted.

The interference Segment starts with as many Opposition Dice as there are spies implicated in the interference.

Proceed to play the Interference Segment in similar fashion as described in tracks nine, ten, twelve, and thirteen, but with the following exceptions:

You will play a maximum of three scenes during the Interference Segment. Place a scene token on the table to keep track of how many scenes you've played.

If you're the Handler, you will provide the Interference Segment's first Voice Over Monologue. You are free to accept suggestions from the players with regards to the anticipated action of the segment.

Only the spies or the resources implicated in the interference can be used during the Interference Segment.

Interference Segments do not feature Agency dice; so you may used any or all of the spies' specialties or contacts without consequence.

When rolling scene dice, both Opposition dice and Job dice score successes if they roll five or less.

If you deplete all the opposition dice by, or before the third scene, you've favorably dealt with the Agency's interference. If you finish the third scene without depleting all of the Opposition dice, then the interference goes less than favorably for you.

Narrate the interference to a suitable end and then return to the Job and resolve the interrupted scene in progress. Jump back to Track 13: Resolving the Scene.

Track 16: Pushing For Freedom

Once per episode, your spy must Push for Freedom. This means your spy is actively taking action to find out about the Agency, and to break free from the Agency's grip.

If a spy fails to Push For Freedom during any given episode, he moves back one space on his Path to Freedom. Also, the spy gains a persistent Agency die.

You must declare that your spy is Pushing for Freedom at the beginning of a Segment. During that segment, your spy's resources are not available to use for the Job.

More than one spy may declare a Push for Freedom during the same segment; however, at least one spy must remain focused on the Job during the segment.

You will play your spy's Push For Freedom segment at the end of the current segment.

Proceed to Track 17: Playing the Push for Freedom.

Track 17: Playing the Push for Freedom

The Push for Freedom segment, like an Interference segment, is a mini segment; it may consist of one or more distinct sequences of action.

The Push for Freedom segment, like an Interference segment always focuses on the interplay between the Agency and the spy; the difference is that this time it's the spy making the demands and the Agency reacting.

The Push for Freedom segment starts with as many Opposition Dice as there are spies participating in the segment.

Proceed to play the Push for Freedom segment in similar fashion as described in tracks nine, ten, twelve, and thirteen, but with the following exceptions:

You will play a maximum of three scenes during the Push for Freedom segment. Place a scene token on the table to keep track of how many scenes you've played.

Only the spies participating in the Push for Freedom can be used during the Push for Freedom segment.

The Push for Freedom segment does not feature Agency dice; so any or all of the spies' specialties or contacts may be used without consequence.

When rolling scene dice, both Opposition dice and Job dice score successes if they roll five or less.

If you deplete all the opposition dice by, or before the third scene, you've favorably made a Push for Freedom. Move your spy's Path to Freedom counter ahead one space.

If you finish the third scene without depleting all of the Opposition dice, then you've failed to make progress towards freedom during this Push for Freedom.

Narrate the Push for Freedom to a suitable end and then return to the Job and begin the next Segment. Jump back to Track 8: Playing a Segment.

If this is your final Push for Freedom, proceed to Track 18: Off the Blacklist.

Track 18: Finishing the Job

Congratulations! You've successfully pulled off the Job. You've taken care of the villain, one way or another; and your grateful client can now get on with their life.

Take a moment to narrate the end of the Job. Clean up any loose ends. Narrate how finishing the Job has benefited the client, and how they get on with their life.

Track 19: Off the Blacklist

Congratulations! You've pushed the Agency hard enough, and you're off the blacklist. Your life will soon be back on track.

Take a moment to narrate how your spy gets his life back together.

What you do next will depend on your play group's plans for the series.

If the series is an ongoing series, go ahead and make a new character. You'll introduce your new spy at the beginning of the next episode.

If the series is intended to end when all the spies earn their freedom, then sit tight and revel in your spy's new found freedom. If desired, you may take one of the other spies' contacts and develop them into a fully fledged character with their own contacts. The difference here is that this new non-spy character does not have a path to freedom, and is exempt from the rule requiring the character Push for Freedom.

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