Game Sample:

Game Manager Manual

Setup

Materials needed:

Paper and pen
3-sided die
6-sided die
12-sided die

Dungeon Master is narrator and can voice NPCs.

Characters and Classes

[See Character Sheets for Character Stats/Attributes, Attacks, and Skills]

Vampire – Assassin
Lycan – Warrior
Elf – Healer
Lizardman – Rogue
Ogre – Tank
Demon – Dark Mage

Leveling Up

Each Character starts with a number of physical attacks, magick attacks, and a skill specific to their class. At certain points in the story, such as after a quest, characters and/or those in the party gain a skill point.

Skill Points

Skill points can be used to strengthen a stat/attribute to scale with attacks and skills, or saved to learn new attacks in the character class tree [See Character Sheets for Class Trees]. A total of 24 skill points are guaranteed, with up to 13 more skill points available depending on choices made throughout the story.

Introduction

A group of teens (or young adults) have a tradition of playing a tabletop roleplaying game every two weeks. The game has been going on for several months, and each player has a character they’ve developed from day 1. By the half-year mark, the Dungeon Master (DM) wants to spice things up and looks in their attic for any materials or literature that can inspire some new ideas for the upcoming story/questline.

While searching the attic, the DM finds an old and dusty book in a box. The archaic designs of the cover poke their curiosity and they open the book to find the text is in latin. Nothing a little Google translate and research can fix.

By the next game meet, the DM has managed to translate a little of the first few pages, but not enough to understand what they mean. When they start the game, they want to read a line of latin that they think will give a more surreal effect to their environment/surroundings for a more immersive gameplay experience. The group agrees.

At first, their surroundings start to introduce audible sounds and sensations. The players feel a sense of adventure rise as they see their characters portrayed as an overlaid visual to each of them, like an avatar. Then, suddenly, the world before them washes away.

The group appears in a foreign land. The DM is nowhere to be seen, and the players now embody their characters as if they were always real and exist in this world.

Players get introduced to all characters and decide who is who. Can discuss amongst themselves or role six-sided die to assign characters if more than one player wants to be one of the characters.

Pass out character sheets and copies of script. Game is progressed by following the narrative story and reading the next part in the narrative or the respective script of Narrative Path 1 or 2 when referenced. I.E. (See Script 1), followed by Narrative Path 1 or Narrative Path 2 based on the initial first choice. Below is an example of how that works.

Narrative and Script Sample

Enter Campaign

Part 1

(See Script 1)

Narrative Path 1

Travel 1

Group travels in the same direction as the merchant with no trouble along the way, being in neutral lands. After traveling for what feels like half a day, they notice other travelers up ahead.

(See Script 2)

Script

The following pages contain character scripts. The script as a whole is split into parts, active during different parts of the story. Players can ad lib during quests, whereas scripts are used to move the story along.

Script 1

Lycan [looks around]: Where are we?

Elf [examines other players]: More importantly, who are we?

[Players look at one another and then themselves]

Ogre: And why am I so…big?

Lizardman: [insert name here] is that you?

Demon: Hold on, hold on. [Pause] Is it just me, or do we all look like our characters in the game? Who’s who?

[Players raise their hand and announce themselves one by one]

Vampire: So everyone’s here…except the DM?

Elf: What? Where did my brother go?

Demon [looks around and suddenly vanishes before reappearing as a shadow]: Well, that’s new.

Lycan: What did you just do?

Demon: Shadow step. Can’t the rest of you perform the skills of your character?

Elf: Now isn’t the time. Did any of you see what happened to my brother before we got here?

Lizardman: Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s somewhere around here.

Vampire: What was that spell he performed anyway?

Ogre: Vampire…in the daylight. [Laughs] Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh. But if we’re our characters, shouldn’t you be sizzling right now?

Vampire: No, I’m a daywalker.

Ogre: Right… [looks at self] and I’m a hideous orge.

Lycan: Aw, come on. I’m sure for an orge you’re very attractive.

Elf: Can we focus, please? [Looks at Vampire] You were asking about the spell? What spell?

Demon: The DM was talking in latin before we got here. They said it was supposed to be a spell to enhance our surroundings. Didn’t you hear that part?

Elf [mumbles]: I wasn’t really paying attention…I was filling my goblet with fruit wine.

Ogre [chuckles]: That’s fair. I was munching on the snacks and didn’t notice anything until our avatars appeared.

Vampire: Right, okay. So, each of us are the characters in the game. But this place doesn’t look like where we left off in the campaign.

Lizardman: What about our gear? And our supplies? [Opens up backpack]

Lycan: Well? Is it all there?

Lizardman [shakes head]: It’s all gone. [picks up a golden coin] But I have some gold?

[Players check their belongings. They also only find gold, about 50 pieces each. They notice a travelling merchant coming their way]

Elf: Looks like we need to restock. That guy should be able to help. They look like a merchant in the game, right?

Lycan: Maybe, but just in case, let me do the talking. I’m the most normal looking one here…when not in wolf form.

[Players approach merchant. Merchant notices them and stops]

Merchant: Oh, my, now what do we have here? Some customers I hope.

Lycan: Maybe. What do you have, uhm, good sir?

Merchant [grins and puffs chest]: Only some of the finest wares in all the land. You’ll find plenty of items here…for a price.

Lycan: As in ‘all the land’, where do you mean exactly? [Gestures to party] We’re travelers and not from around here.

Merchant [scans group]: Must not if you’re traveling with a demon.

Demon: Hey!

Lycan [turns to demon]: Just keep calm. [Turns to merchant] Don’t mind them. Now, you were saying?

Merchant [huffs]: Well, before I was rudely interrupted, I was saying you all seem new around here. How about I help you out with some travelers kits? Say, 25 gold a piece?

Elf: That’s basically half of what we have. Can’t you do us a favor?

Merchant [slightly stunned]: An elf? My, my, I didn’t see you there. And an attractive one at that. [Turns back to the Lycan] 20 per kit is my best offer.

Lycan [sighs]: We’re a little low on gold at the moment.

Merchant: And I’m offering you a deal. [Reaches for an item and presents a travelling kit] Each kit has three health potions of varying degree. Plus, a stamina potion.

Lycan: That’s it?

Merchant: Hey, usually you have to buy these separately. And if you don’t want it, then I’ll be on my way.

Elf: Oh no, please sir. We’ll take it.

Merchant [grins]: Well, at least one of you has some manners.

[Players purchase one kit each]

Merchant: Now, anything else I can help you with?

Lycan: Like I said, we’re not from around here. Where is here?

Merchant: Here? Right now, neutral territory between villages. But this land here is the under the empire of the Death King.

Vampire: The what now?

Merchant: The Death King? The man who came back from death after the war? Offers eternal life if you serve in his army?

[Players shake heads]

Merchant: Wow, you really are strangers around here. [Shrugs] Well, I’ll be on my way then. Plenty of customers with more gold in the castle. [Waves goodbye and walks off]

Lizardman: Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this, or is that just my reptilian brain?

Orge: Not just you, pinky. I don’t like the sound of a ‘Death King’.

Lizardman: Sounds scary. And don’t call me ‘pinky’!

Demon: I definitely don’t like the idea of someone other than me being able to escape the Underworld.

Vampire: Maybe we should follow that merchant into the castle and meet this ‘Death King’.

Lycan: Or maybe not. Travelling merchants usually come from a village. Maybe we should go in the other direction and see what else we find. You know, before certain doom?