Death Stakes
From the Forge, comes this little story-telling party game. It is like All Thieves are Gay Anyway, only without the Strength. Or Gold. So, you know, without any reason to play this...
One player is the GM and everyone else is just ... players. 'cuz it's not one of those hippie games.
The GM describes a very dangerous situation: "The Fellowship defeated the cave trolls, and now there's goblins coming out of the stonework, and they're running and running." Then he uses one of the two key phrases: "Now ... how does someone die?"
One of the players steps up to narrate how people die. The narration should be a totally cool way for the person to die, not something lame. "The goblin surround them. Gandalf's staff is blazing with light, the only beacon in the sea of milling evil. Gimli shouts defiance, raises his axe, and leaps into the horde. He takes wound after wound as he cuts a path for the fellowship ... finally he falls, spitting blood, and they must leave him behind as they flee."
Then the GM uses the second ritual phrase. He rolls his eyes and says "Aaaactuallly," and then explains what happens instead so that nobody dies. This narration should also be very cool, and should link in to the next high-danger situation. "Aaaactually, Gimli is about to leap into the goblin horde when there's this huge boom! The goblins all freeze, then look off down the great hall, where flames are starting to rise. Then the goblins all freakin' scatter. The fellowship is alone to face the oncoming threat. 'What is that?' Aragorn asks, and Gandalf says 'A Balrog ... a monster of the old world. RUN!' And they're running, trying to get out before the Balrog catches them."
And then the GM repeats the initial key phrase: "Now, how does someone die?"
Play continues until one of the following end-game conditions:
One player is the GM and everyone else is just ... players. 'cuz it's not one of those hippie games.
The GM describes a very dangerous situation: "The Fellowship defeated the cave trolls, and now there's goblins coming out of the stonework, and they're running and running." Then he uses one of the two key phrases: "Now ... how does someone die?"
One of the players steps up to narrate how people die. The narration should be a totally cool way for the person to die, not something lame. "The goblin surround them. Gandalf's staff is blazing with light, the only beacon in the sea of milling evil. Gimli shouts defiance, raises his axe, and leaps into the horde. He takes wound after wound as he cuts a path for the fellowship ... finally he falls, spitting blood, and they must leave him behind as they flee."
Then the GM uses the second ritual phrase. He rolls his eyes and says "Aaaactuallly," and then explains what happens instead so that nobody dies. This narration should also be very cool, and should link in to the next high-danger situation. "Aaaactually, Gimli is about to leap into the goblin horde when there's this huge boom! The goblins all freeze, then look off down the great hall, where flames are starting to rise. Then the goblins all freakin' scatter. The fellowship is alone to face the oncoming threat. 'What is that?' Aragorn asks, and Gandalf says 'A Balrog ... a monster of the old world. RUN!' And they're running, trying to get out before the Balrog catches them."
And then the GM repeats the initial key phrase: "Now, how does someone die?"
Play continues until one of the following end-game conditions:
- A player narrates something lame and the GM accepts the lame death. "Sam trips on his own shoelaces and breaks his neck." "Fine. Let's play something else." Players lose.
- A player narrates something so cool the GM accepts the cool death. "Gandalf says 'Fly, you fools!' and is pulled into the abyss." "Works for me." Players win.
- The GM narrates something so appalling that the players physically assult him. "Then the Balrog raises his fifty foot sword of flame and plunges it into Frodo's heart." "Aaaactually, Frodo is wearing his mitril armor, so ... ack! ack! Stop! Get off me!" Everybody wins.