tales from the floodplain - rules and play deck

8/6/2019 Tales From the Floodplain - Rules and Play Deck

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Talesfrom the

FloodplainA Rude Mechanicalsadventure

By Matthew Tyler-Jones

Tomorrow.

The oil has run out.

Well, not quite, but it became such an expensiveresource that only national governments can affordit. People made adjustments, they forswore more andmore of the luxuries that they had gotten used to,

i t ti l t v l t fi t th i t d d

Introduction

Welcome to Tales from the Floodplain. This gamewas written during Game Chef 2011, for which thetheme was William Shakespeare. I chose not to beinspired by any of his plots, but rather by the

j f lf di th t hi h t k
http://www.jonboden.com/index.html


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i te ati al t avel we t fi st the i p ted g ds j f lf di th t hi h t k

Part one: Rude Mechanicals

"Men at some time are ma!ers of"eirfate: $e fault dear Brutus%not in&r!ars, But in&rselve,"at we areunderlings."

William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

This is not a game that uses dice. We are not afterall Fortune's fools. Instead all that may be is in thecards, how it plays out is up to us. To this end, playinvolves a deck of cards: the Play Deck, availableformatted to print on DECAdry business cardpaper, or cut out from any other still card. The PlayDeck is comprised of three sorts of card: Prologue

Cards, Nature Cards, and Story Cards. Prologueand Nature Cards used used by each player todevelop and define their character as the storyprogresses, the Story Cards describe objects, non-player characters (NPCs), incidents, atmospheresand places, and a subset of the Story Cards helpresolve actions. Some of the Story Cards aremarked with Act and Scene numbers, which will to

t t d t i h th i t l

Deck, with the acts in order so that the pilecontaining the last Act (Act 3 in Tales from theFloodplain) on the bottom and Act 2 on the top.

Finally place any remaining cards from the Act 1pile on the top of everything else and the deck isready for play.

The order of play

Players should begin by laying any red and blueNature Cards face up on the table in front of them

for everyone to see. The GM should ask for anyoneholding Act 1 Scene 1 cards to declare them and putthem into the center of the table to create a loosestory/discard pile. (Remember at this point, ifanyone is holding Act 2 cards, something has gonewrong.)

From this point on, play continues as in any

roleplaying game, with players describing theircharacter's actions in reaction to the inceidents andpersonalities revealed in the cards. Players can taketurns around the table, or work collaborativelywhen appropriate.

A player can pre-empt his/her turn by playing aStory Card at any time, as long as its not marked

ith A t/S b th t h t t b


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Scene 2 cards in the hand must declare and playthem. When the last scene in the Act is played, theGM will announce Act 2, Scene 1 and so on...

If the Play Deck runs out before your players havefinished, gather up and shuffle the story/discardpile, and without sorting it, turn it into a new PlayDeck.

Task resolution

As there are no dice task resolution is relativelysimple, with a presumption towards success. If aplayer proposes a reasonable action that is easy,then it will succeed, unless the GM has in his or heran appropriate Nature or Prologue card than cantwart the action if it adds to the story. Example: Aplayer might try to steal a kiss from a drunkenNPC, but the GM has a Vain card which says the

NPC thinks him or herself too good for the player'scharacter.

More difficult actions require that the player's handincludes a Prologue Card that explains thecharacter's ability to succeed in the task. Again, thetask might be thwarted if the GM chooses to playappropriate Prologue or Nature Cards. The rule of

th b i th t if th GM l d th th

parry and counterattack so in this case the playercharacter is winded.

When Action Cards are discarded, they don't gointo the main story/discard pile, but rather aseparate combat pool. Players replace their Actioncards from the pool generated during the previouscombat, unless there are none, in which case theyare dealt card from the Play Deck. This has theeffect of limiting the duration and ferocity of earlycombats, while ensuring there is plenty of

"stamina" for any climactic fights later in the play

Projectile combat may be opposed (if the target isactivly running and dodging) but is more likely tobe unopposed. Whether the shot is easy or difficultwill bedefined by circumstance (range, cover etc.)In the limited resource world ofTales from theFloodplain however, each bullet or arrow is a

precious card that must be discarded into the mainstory/discard pile when played.

Nature Cards

"Oh!$at y&c&ld turn y&r eye

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As you are using two cards, they will have twicethe effect, but once used you must discard bothcards back into the story/discard pile.

You can also use a Nature card when you don'twant to discard a Prologue Card (see below).

Prologue Cards

"And one man in his time plays many parts" -William Shakespeare, The Tempest

The green Prologue cards replace the skills, assets,traits etc of other RPGs. As described previouslythey can be played to improve your chances ofsuccess in any given action. When you play one(ormore), describe (for example) how the situationyou face is informed by a past experience and use itto modify an action, then discard it into the story/

discard pile.

If it feels right for your character, you may chooseto retain some Prologue Cards, and make them partof your charcter's archetype (example, the Tough,Military, Marksman). Every time you play aPrologue Card you want to keep, hand a NatureCard of your choice to another player. They must

k it d h th i ht t l it t i t t

The suggested location is a fictional village calledBradwell, in the Peak District in the North ofEngland. But you can set it anywhere you like.

Act 1

The first fleeting encounter is designed to set up theworld, and our character's place in it. The hardlydriven motorway has become a pedestrianwalkway, but by chance the players see aprocession of government cars flash by. The don't

stop. The government is so distant from the affairsto ordinary people that these cars might as well bechariots of the gods.

We meet the Gypsy band, Rex Fitzwilliam it'sleader, and his pretty, self-assured daughter Angel.Now the infrastructure of transport has collapsed,and communities have become more insular and

self-sufficient, Gypsies have become defacto Kingsof trade. If our players play their cards right, theircharacters could accompany or follow the Gypsiesto the village.

Act 2

In the village we meet a hostile reception. Gypsies

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The situation

The village is effectively ruled by Canon Davies.

Ironically, just as the Government has become adistant god, so the Church has become the effectivegovernment. Boys aged five and over are takenway from their families and brought up in adisused factory, (an eighteenth century watermill inthe next valley, if you retain the Bradwell setting)which has become a sort of monastery, or perhapsmore properly a sort of Christian madrasah. The

water wheel now generates a modicum ofelectricity. The students devote their time to Biblestudies, and enforcing Canon Davies' strictmorality. In this respect they are a little like AfganiTaliban, today. Canon Davies also has a moreprosaic power. He has a hoard of fertiliser, withwhich he can "bless" the villager's crops, just aslong as they behave like good Christians.

But one of the women has a secret. When her childwas born, a boy called Ben, she couldn't stand thethought that he would one day be taken away. Soshe faked a still birth, and managed to keep hisexistence a secret as he grew. With her cottage onthe outskirts of the village she managed to allowthe boy some freedom, and he grew up knowing it

i t t t i th bi t f hid

Post Script

This was only meant to be a one-off tale. But my

play testers enjoyed themselves enough to askabout Character Progression. So, we said a playercould keep as many Prologue cards as they haveNature cards remaining. A new set of Story Cardswould be required, but players could retain theobjects they had collected. We also discussedcreating a few more Prologue Cards which wouldbe based on the Cards each player had retained,

allowing characters to cascade their previousexperiences, into more specialist skills andknowledge.


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Story

Story

Story

Story

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Story

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Story

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Story

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Story

A preci!sbulet

#eGovernmentCavalcade

#e sweet

perfume ofpetrol,like a loverspa$ing k%s

#e

Motorway

An&l

A preci!sbulet A preci!sbulet A preci!sbulet A preci!sbulet

A preci!sbulet A ragged girl of twenty-onesits laughing in the sun

and were the figures of her fun

Jon Boden Beating the Bounds

Bullets are hard to make, and easy to

waste in the time of the Floods.

Hoard this and use it wisely.
















Lying on the motorway this morning, i

thought I heard a distant thunder

roaring

Jon Boden Days Gone By

And what were they doing, thosepeople from the government, burning

sacrificial gasoline to keep the dogs at

bay?


Act 1 Scene 1 Act 1 Scene 1 Act 1 Scene 1


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Story

Story

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#e oldfactory

And'rain%coming do(

Out beyond)

e by-pas

,overgro(wi)weeds

#e GypsieRex

Fi,wil

iam

#eB!nd-one D%tantfigureon)e m!ntain Preci

!sseeds

Wild DogsThe leader of the gypsy band. He

has a daughter called Angel.

This is one of the marks that define

the boundary of the parish.

PLAY THIS CARD NOW!

We had no food for ourselves, let

alone our pets, so we let them

go, and they survived, hunted,

multiplied, and now we fear them.

With no fuel for transport, thesetravelers have reverted to their

ponies and caravans and become

vital, if distrusted, traders.

forming silver ribbons on thesodden ground. People say you

can see blood in the puddles, blood

in the puddles, but I only see the

rain.

Jon Boden Has Been Cavalry

Act 1 Scene 2 Act 1 Scene 2

And all that I can think about,is woodsmoke in the valley,kisses in the fall-out shelter anddancing in the factory,that closed so long ago


Act 1 Scene 2

Take the seeds out to the garden

Sow them in the Soil

Split the wood we gather

Happy when we toil

Jon Boden We do what we can

Wild DogsPLAY THIS CARD NOW!We had no food for ourselves, letalone our pets, so we let them

go, and they survived, hunted,

multiplied, and now we fear them.


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Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

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#e blind-orytelerCanon

DavieSarah Jame

#eB!nd-one Aho-ilerece tion

A hoardof sugar

Sarah James is a widow of the

village who, it is said, lost her babyson shortly after his birth. Though

she is a willing worker in the

community, at home she keeps

herself to herself

This is one of the marks that define

the boundary of the parish.

The preacher is there for this

childrenHe will drive the dogs from the

wasteland

He remembers things weve forgotten

He will lead us to bread and water

Jon Boden

Penny for the Preacher


Act 1 Scene 2

Sealed tight and hidden away,

which sweet toothed idiot thought

sugar was the thing to hoard?

#e

ChurchH!se

Act 2 Scene 1

Abraham

Bro(

Abraham Brown is a harmless idiot

man in his forties. He works hardwhen told what to do and is always

happily wh istling.

Act 2 Scene 1

Ahab Smi)Pause a while by Nine Elms ReachFor Ahab Smith to make his speech

Fuel the hatred, stoke the fear

Same as he does every year

Jon Boden

Beating the Bounds


The news was on the Chu rch House

door, and all over the valley.

A storm cloud brewing in the East

and wild fire in the cities

Jon Boden

Dancing in the Factory

Where have

al'y!ng mengone?This old mans stories tell of a time

of plenty, long ago. When peopletravelled well beyond the parish

boundaries, even to far off lands. He

will also tell stories of sadness and

loss, in time of the floods.


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Story

Story

Story

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Story

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Ben,Sarah Jame

only son

Fe$

il%er

An oldandempty

p%tolA Knife

Sarah faked her babys deathbecause she couldnt bear to lose

him. She has kept him hidden all

these years, until his hormones

made him reckless.

Canon Davies keeps secure in the

Church House, a hoard of Nitrate

Fertiliser, which which he blesses

the Parishs crops.

Act 3 Scene 2Act 3 Scene 1

#e Ap.l

QueenAcross the bypass, in the elm and

ash woods, is a shrine. a goddess

made of the litter of years past, that

looks, to all that know her, like

Angel, the gypsys daughter.

Act 2 Scene 3

#ePreachersMen

Armed with sticks and knives, the

Preachers Men keep order in the

Parish

Act 3 Scene 2

#e

summoningBoys over the age of four arenot allowed to stay with theirmothers, but are taken by the

Preachers Men, for a good

Cristian education, and to

serve the community

A Stick

A KeyA KevlarJacket


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Story

Story

Story

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A St.

ke

Action Action Action Action Action


A feint A Block A MoveA St.ke

You may play up to two actioncards in a round, unless your

injuries preclude it. Actions can

be modified by other story cards,

as well as prologue and nature

cards. Discard into the action

pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.

You may play up to two action

cards in a round, unless your

injuries preclude it. Actions canbe modified by other story cards,



pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.

A St.

ke A St .

ke A St .

ke A St .

ke

A St.ke


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Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

Story

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Story

Story

Story

A feint A Block A MoveA HoldA St.

ke



A feint A Block A MoveA BiteA St.ke






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.






pool once played.


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Cowardly

C!ra&!sCowardlyRa/

Ra/ Apa)etic

TemperateApa)eticSelf-indul&nt

Self-indul&nt

Mean

ener!sMean

Humble

Ambiti!sHumbleVain

Vain Complacent

Patient ComplacentAngry

Angry

GenerVulgar

Vulgar


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Unasuming

Tru)ulUnasumingBoa-ful

Boa- ful

Wi0yCoarseAnnoying

Annoying

Cantanker!s

.endly Cantanker!s

Shy

ModetShyShameles

Shamele s

Righte!s SpitefulEnvi!s

Envi!s

F.enObsequi!s

Obsequi!s


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Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Ambidextrous

Ambidextrous

Animalhusbandary

Animalhusbandary

Knife fighter

Knifefighter

Marksman

Marksman

Fletcher

Fletcher

Green thumb

Greenthumb

Make do andmend

Makedoandmend

Fake ID

FakeID

Attractive

Attractive

Insignificant

Insignificant


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Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Soldier

Soldier

Hairs on theback of your neck

Hairsonthebackofyourneck

Builder

Builder

Prisoner

Prisoner

Mechanic

Mechanic

Intruder

Intruder

Policeman

Policeman

Faithful

Faithful

Aware

Aware

Contacts

Contacts


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Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Smells a rat

Smellsarat

Excellenthearing

Excellenthearing

Eagle eyes

Eagleeyes

Athlete

Athlete

Chemist

Chemist

Tough

Tough

Refined palette

Refinedpalette

Numerate

Numerate

Hunter

Hunter

Medic

Medic


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Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

User

User

HigherEducation

HigherEducation

Sure footed

Surefooted

Calm

Calm

Reputation

Reputation

Rider Lightningreflexes

Lightningreflexes

Electrician

Electrician

Bodger

Bodger

Lawyer

Lawyer Rider

tales from the floodplain - rules and play deck

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