The Book of Armaments
This is a roleplaying game for three players that chronicles the saga of a legendary weapon as it goes from hand to hand, deed to deed.
Stage One: Forge the Weapon
Begin by deciding, as a group, the form and nature of the weapon. It can be anything from a futuristic laser-sword to a 20th-century prison shiv to a hunting rifle to a baseball bat, but it must be the kind of weapon that a single person can wield and operate, and must be re-usable.
Decide, too, the conditions of its manufacture (where it was forged, built, enchanted, delivered from the heavens) and the nature of the world to which it is introduced (Alcatraz in 1935, Detroit in 1972, Italy during the Second World War, some favorite world of fantasy or science-fiction, etc).
In addition, take an ordinary deck of playing cards (sans jokers) and separate it into three decks based on the suits: one deck of clubs, one deck of spades, and one deck that combines hearts and diamonds. Also gather a small pool of tokens.
Decide as a group, either by personal preference or some random method, who will take on each role (see below) for the first round.
Stage Two: Many Tales
In a round of play, each player takes on one of three roles: the Wielder, the Weapon, and the World. The Wielder player takes the role of the protagonist in this part of the story, they're the one who has possession of the weapon. The Weapon player is responsible for making sure the option of using the weapon to solve problems is ever-present in the mind of the wielder (the weapon may not be a sentient entity itself, but it is significant and attention grabbing for the wielder). The World player is responsible for describing the world around the Wielder, playing all the other characters in the world, and introducing adversity into the situation.
At the beginning of a round each player shuffles their respective decks (clubs for the Wielder, spades for the Weapon, hearts and diamonds for the World). Then they set aside some cards without looking at them, three each for the Wielder and Weapon players and six for the World player, leaving each with a play deck for the round (the Wielder and Weapon players each have ten-card decks and the World player has twenty). Each player then draws a hand of three cards from their play decks. Whenever a player plays a card they draw back up to three as long as they have cards remaining in their play deck. Running out of cards will trigger the end of the round, as explained below.
The Wielder begins the round by introducing their character and summarizing how the weapon came into their life (for example, a Wielder might begin: “I am Lady Holstead of House Raven, and I received the sword on my seventeenth birthday, a gift from my grandfather” or “I am Staff Sergeant Chuck Bennett, USMC, and I was issued the rifle for my first tour in Viet Nam. There are many like it, but this one is mine.”). The story for each round happens after the events of the previous rounds. It doesn't have to be directly after, but it can't be anything like a flashback or parallel view, and you can leave lengthy gaps in the history if you want. If the wielder ended the previous round alive and in possession of the weapon then you can use the same character as the wielder if you want to, otherwise create a new character.
After the introduction, the World player describes the environment around the wielder and the situation they find themselves in. The Wielder player roleplays their character, saying what they do, and the World player tells them what the consequences of those actions are. If the World player feels like something introduced into the story represents adversity or imminent danger they should play a card on the table to represent that adversity: Hearts for peril threatening someone or something the Wielder cares about, Diamonds for some person or other intelligent agent specifically taking action against the Wielder. Alternately, if they feel there is a lull in the story, they should play a card and describe some corresponding adversity or danger that manifests. The values on the cards roughly correspond to how significant the danger or adversity is (Aces are worth 1, face cards are worth 10, 1 is weakest and 10 is strongest). Whenever you've played an adversity card ask the Wielder “What do you do?”.
When there's an active adversity card on the table, it's the Wielder's job to address the adversity. They should describe what they do and play a card to correspond with their action. If the value on the Wielder's card exceeds the value of the adversity then the action successfully addresses the problem. Otherwise they make progress or achieve some partial success but don't fully resolve the issue. The World player describes the result of the action and the situation as it now presents itself, and if they want they can escalate or otherwise make the problem worse by playing an additional adversity card. The values of each side's cards sum together to form an overall value. After describing the new situation, ask “What do you do?”. The Wielder again needs to say what they do and play a card, and if the sum of all the cards they've played exceeds the sum of all the World player's cards then they succeed, otherwise the process continues until they succeed or someone runs out of cards, as described below.
Whenever the World player is being prompted to do something that requires playing a card, the Weapon player should try to think of a way the weapon could be used to address the problem. If they can think of one, they should offer the suggestion and one of the cards from their hand to go along with with. If the Wielder player chooses to pursue the suggestion the card gets played, just like one from their own hand, and the Weapon player draws their hand back up to three. If the suggestion isn't taken the card goes back to the Weapon player's hand. The Weapon player's suggestions must involve using the weapon. And they must involve using the weapon: no weak-sauce “meaningful glances toward the weapon” or other ominous implications that the weapon might hypothetically be used. The Weapon player is under no obligation to guess at courses of action the Wielder would like, they're supposed to be advocating for things the weapon is good at. (It's amazing how many problems go away once the source of the problem is removed!). The Wielder player's actions can always involve using the weapon if they want (it is theirs, after all), but if they use their own idea rather than a suggestion from the Weapon player they need to play their own card.
Running out of Cards
When it's time for a player to use a card but they're completely out of cards to play (i.e. both their play deck and hand is empty) it's the signal that the round is ending and this segment of the story should be wrapped up. If the Wielder ran out of cards it means that their character must die before the end of this round. If the Weapon player ran out of cards it means that the weapon must pass to some other character or otherwise leave the Wielder character's possession before the end of the round. If the World player ran out of cards it means that the Wielder character is triumphant in the goals they've been pursuing in this segment of the story. Work together to play out the conclusion of this story segment consistent with that guidance and the momentum of the story as it had been proceeding. You aren't forbidden from including the other conditions if they seem appropriate, for example a character might achieve their triumph by heroically sacrificing themselves to accomplish some great deed even though that would also mean the character died. When the Wielder or Weapon player runs out of cards before the World player that usually means there is adversity that they haven't overcome, which often (but not always) lends itself to a tragic resolution to the story segment.
Keep in mind that the Weapon player's rules involves the clause “if you can think of a way the weapon could be used to address the problem” – don't cheat by pretending you can't think of a suggestion if you really can. You might be tempted to fudge your participation merely to prolong this segment of the story, or because using a weapon to solve some problems might seem cruel, but stories about weapons aren't always pretty or neat.
Ending the Round
Legendary weapons shape, and are shaped by, the souls of those who wield them, the souls of the targets or victims, and the deeds that are done with the weapon. Look back at the story segment you've just completed and consider which of those elements you feel was most significant in this round. If you were the Wielder, choose between the souls of the affected and the deeds done. If you were the Weapon, choose between the soul of the wielder and the souls of the affected. If you were the World, choose between the soul of the wielder and the deeds done. Search your deck for a card to represent your choice: an ace for the soul of the wielder, a number card for the deeds done, or a face card for the souls of the affected. Put the card face down in front of you, then reveal them simultaneously once everyone is ready. If there are two aces, the Wielder player takes a token. If there are two number cards, the Weapon player takes a token. If there are two face cards, the World player takes a token. The tokens are used during the conclusion of the game.
Once the segment is finished, gather all your cards back into a deck and pass it to the left. Then start a new round with the new roles that corresponds to the new decks. Once you've played three rounds decide as a group whether the saga of the weapon is complete or if you'd like to play another three rounds. If you want to play more rounds, two players should swap decks rather than rotating so you get a different configuration of roles, then rotate as normal for the next two.
Stage Three: The Final Tale
When you've decided not to play any more rounds, whoever has the most tokens from the end-of-round procedure should describe how the weapon is destroyed, decommissioned, hung on a wall, stolen and never seen again, or otherwise retired to its fate.
More Than Three Players
If you'd like to play with more than three people, just distribute the three roles amongst the larger group, and during rounds where you don't have an active role to play as the Wielder, Weapon, or World player just enjoy the story the active players are creating. Rotate all the roles through the full group before checking to see if you want to move to the Final Tale.
Example of Play:
Anna is the Wielder, Brad is the Weapon, Chris is the World. The story is set in a vaguely medieval fantasy world, chronicling the tale of a plain-looking yet eternally sharp sword, forged by the dwarf king Kallamaxan during the Age of Heroes, lost in the Dwarfs' Last Stand against the demonic hordes, and only recently unearthed from ancient ruins by Queen Ariana in her ill-fated attempt to save her realm from invasion by the Drax Empire. (In the previous round Chris was the Wielder, playing Queen Ariana).
They shuffle their decks and then Anna draws J♣, 2♣, 4♣, Brad draws 6♠, Q♠, J♠, and Chris draws 6♦, 7♦, K♥, 6♥, A♥, 9♦.
Anna: OK, my name is... uh... Micah. And I was a peasant conscript in Queen Ariana's army. I was right there when the Drax champion killed Queen Ariana, and as I was running away with everyone else I saw the sword getting stomped into the mud, so I picked it up since I had dropped my spear. And now I'm back on my farm, and I keep the sword hung up above the mantle. I haven't used it since the war.
Chris: Yeah. And things have been rough since the Drax took over. Taxes are much higher than they were under the queen, and a few other families have been kicked off of their farms to give them to retired Drax soldiers. So, what sort of things do you normally do on the farm?
Anna: Well, farm stuff, I guess. I get up early and tend the animals, and then I go plant the fields or whatever.
Chris: OK, so this morning as you're headed out to the stall where you keep your plowhorse you see the ex-soldier who took over the farm two fields over. When he sees you coming he says, “My horse broke its leg, so I'm taking yours.” [puts 6♦ on the table, draws 5♥ into hand] What do you do?
Brad: [holds out J♠ to Anna] If you go get the sword you could probably decapitate him without too much trouble.
Anna: [considers Brad's offer, but shakes her head no] I say, “That's my horse, you can't have him,” and I go stand next to the stall door, positioning myself so that he won't be able to open it with me in the way. [plays 2♣, draws 10♣]
Chris: He just kind of snorts at you, and he starts moving forward with his arms out, like he's planning to just push you out of the way. What do you do?
Anna: Still just the 6 there?
Chris: Yeah.
Anna: [looks to Brad]
Brad: Well, if you had the sword with you I'd have a lot more to work with, but right now I got nothin'.
Anna: Hmm... I didn't want to waste this, but... [plays 10♣, draws 6♣] I sort of grab his hand and start twisting it, and I say “Horse bones aren't the only kind that break. Now get off my farm before you need to be put down.”
Chris: His eyes go wide, and you can tell he's terrified of you. He looks like he's planning to run off as soon as you let go of his arm.
Anna: I let go.
Chris: OK, so he turns and starts running, but he does call back over his shoulder “You'll pay for that!”
Anna: OK, I go back to doing whatever I was going to do before he showed up.
Chris: All right. Do you live alone on the farm, or are there other people there?
Anna: Hmm, I hadn't thought about it.
Chris: Well, think about it now.
Anna: I guess a farmer would probably have a wife, and let's say a few kids. A son and a daughter.
Chris: OK, after he's gone you realize that you hear some whimpering and sniffling. You look over toward the chicken coop and you see your daughter there and it looks like she's crying. Her egg basket is lying on the ground.
Anna: I walk over to her.
Chris: She says, “Oh, papa, I was so scared of that man, I thought he was going to hurt you, and I dropped the eggs!” and she starts bawling and trembling. [plays A♥, draws Q♦]
Brad: [holds out J♠ again] This looks like another perfect opportunity for decapitation.
Anna: What!?
Brad: [chuckling] Well, it would stop the crying.
Anna: She's my daughter!
Brad: Hey, I thought you should decapitate the horse thief, but he's not here anymore.
Anna: [Rolls her eyes at Brad] I say to her, “Oh, honey, it's all right. He won't hurt you, and mama will understand about the eggs.” I hug her. [plays 4♣, draws 8♣].
Chris: OK, eventually she calms down, and you go back to your normal routine. A few days later though, you're woken up in the night by pounding on your door. [moves to play a card, pauses] Are you going to see who it is?
Anna: Yeah, I'll go open the door.
Chris: OK, outside you see a man with a scrunched-up looking face, and he's got like a... hmmm... it's like a long purple piece of fabric around his neck, like not wrapped around but just so it hangs down to either side. And you know that's what Drax bureaucrats wear. And it's dark out there, but you can see that there are a few other men behind him, they look like big burly types. [plays Q♦, draws 3♦]. The man says “You are the rebel Micah.” And he didn't really phrase it like a question, but he's looking at you like he expects you to respond.
Brad: Oh man, I know I've been hitting this pretty hard, but this guy is obviously wearing a please-decapitate-me ribbon. [offers J♠ again]
Anna: [considers it] No, not yet, maybe this doesn't have to get violent. I say, “My name is Micah, but I'm no rebel. Please, come in and we can discuss this peacefully.” [plays 6♣, draws 5♣]
Chris: “Oh, we'll come in”, he says. And he barges in past you and his goons come in, too. A few of them start casually knocking things over. Like, not intentionally smashing stuff, but sending the message that they could easily start tearing the place up if they wanted to. [plays 6♥, draws 4♦]. You can see one of the goons getting dangerously close to a ceramic bowl that was your mother's favorite. What do you do?
Anna: “Hey, stop that!”
Brad: [interrupting] They'd probably stop touching your stuff if you chopped a hand off. [offers Q♠]
Anna: OK, I guess I've got to do something [takes the Q♠, Brad draws 5♠]. I go over to the fireplace, grab the sword from where it's hanging over the mantle, and I bring it down on the wrist of the guy going for the bowl.
Chris: Yeah, that would chop his hand clean off.
Anna: And I say, “This is my house, show some respect.”
Chris: That certainly got everybody's attention. The goons are clearly tensing for a fight. The guy with the purple sash says, “The property of rebels is forfeit to the empire. Now we will add attempting to claim imperial property to the list of charges against you, rebel.” [plays 9♦, draws Q♥]. What do you do?
Brad: [offers J♠] Cut them all down. They can't add anything to any lists when they're dead.
Anna: Yeah, I guess I've started cutting already, in for a penny, in for a pound. [plays the card, Brad draws K♠]. I fly at them with the sword, slashing and slicing.
Chris: Yeah, wow. You start swinging the sword and the goons start dropping. And then they start to realize they're in trouble and start trying to get away, but this is your house so you know the terrain much better than they do, so more of them go down while they're panicking trying to get past you. And the guy in the purple sash is last, he's been trying to keep out of the fray, but he's getting more and more agitated as you kill his guys. Do you kill him, too?
Anna: Yeah, him, too.
Chris: OK, you slash out with the sword and it goes right through his neck and his head goes flying.
Brad: Yes!
Anna: OK, after they're all dead I stop and catch my breath.
Chris: OK, as you're doing that, you hear your wife step out of the bedroom and she gasps. “Oh gods, so much blood!” [plays 5♥, draws 10♥]. She's obviously very upset.
Anna: I go over and embrace her, turning her around so she can't see the bodies. “It's OK, dear, I'll take care of it.” [plays 8♣, draws A♣]. “Go back to bed.”
Chris: “All right, but this won't be the end of it. Those Drax are so terrible! Pushing everyone around, just because they can.” But she calms down and goes back into the bedroom and leaves you to take care of the bodies.
Anna: I guess I need to dig a pit or something.
Chris: Yeah, that would do it. Hmmm... OK, it's a few days later and one of your neighbors comes by. He's a middle-aged man. His name is... uh... Tom. And he's like “Micah, you've got to do something. My son and some other boys, they're planning to do something against that Drax farmer that took our horse. They won't listen to me, but you were in the army, maybe they'll listen to you. They're going to bring the Drax down on us and get us all killed!” [prepares to play card] He wants to lead you to where they're gathering, do you go with him?
Anna: Yeah, I guess.
Brad: Bring the sword this time.
Anna: Yeah, OK, I take the sword off the wall and hang it on my belt before I go with him.
Chris: OK, they're in a clearing in a wooded area behind Tom's farm. There's like a dozen teenage boys, and they've got farm implements which could theoretically be used as weapons, like scythes and hoes and stuff. [plays 10♥, draws 10♦]
Anna: OK, so I say..
Brad: [interrupting] Challenge the toughest one of them to a fight, and once you beat him they'll all know they should listen to you. [offers 5♠]
Anna: No, they're just dumb kids. I think I can talk to them. I say, “I understand that you're upset, but if Drax troops come in here you could end up losing more than your horses. Your parents, brothers, sisters, the Drax don't care, they'll kill them all.” [plays 5♣, draws 3♣].
Chris: One of them scoffs. “Yeah, that's what you would say, coward. If you lot hadn't run away when Queen Ariana needed you we wouldn't be in this mess.” [plays K♥, draws 2♥]. You can see all the other kids perk up a bit when he's questioning your honor. What do you do?
Brad: Oh, this is the perfect guy to challenge to a fight. Cut him down to size. [Offers 6♠]
Anna: Oh, I'd like that six. But I don't want to hurt him. Not yet, anyway. No, I say “It's easy to talk brave when it's just talk, but it's a different story when you've got trained troops with real weapons marching on you. There were big talkers in the army, too, but they died just as easy as the cowards when the Drax came. It wasn't cowardice or bravery that let me live, it was just luck. And the Drax won't treat you like kids if they think you're starting a rebellion. [plays A♣, draws K♣, bringing the last of the Wielder deck into her hand]
Chris: So, one of the other ones, Tom's son, he steps up and says, “Yeah, we're just kids, that's true. So teach us how to do it right. 'Cause doing nothing sure isn't working. [looks at cards on the table] I think 20's good, I'll leave it there for now. What do you do?
Brad: [Offers 6♠] Demonstrate that their stupid weapons are worthless.
Anna: Yeah, OK. [takes 6♠, Brad draws 8♠]. I draw the sword and chop the end off the hoe or whatever it is that he's got, and I point the sword at him. “They'll kill you, kid.”
Chris: He squares his shoulders and steps right up to you so the point of your sword is right in the middle of his chest. “They've killed us already. We barely scraped by last year, and that was when we had a horse and didn't have these new taxes. And I know pa doesn't have the coin for a new horse. They've killed us, but it's going to happen slow. If that's what you want to happen, why don't you do it quick? Start with me.” [plays 4♦, draws A♦]. What do you do?
Brad: Well, you could run him through... [reluctantly holds out 5♠]
Anna: No... Ugh... I fought back against those goons, can I really blame these kids for wanting to do the same thing I did?
Brad: But if they try to fight they're probably just going to lose. They'll probably be able to take out that one horse guy, but you know there's going to be more.
Anna: Ugh. This sucks.
Brad: Actually, you know what? [puts back 6♠ back in hand, holds out K♠] Lead them to a Drax armory, kill the guards, and get the kids some decent weapons.
Anna: They do already think I'm a rebel. OK, yeah. [takes K♠, Brad draws 7♠].
Chris: OK, let's say there's a Drax armory in the market area one village over. You head over there, and it's basically just a house that's been commandeered but there's two Drax soldiers with spears standing next to the door. [plays 7♦, draws 5♦].
Anna: When I see them I shout a battle cry, “For Ariana!,” and I charge at them. [plays K♣].
Brad: Oh nice, that's way better than anything I was coming up with.
Chris: OK, yeah. You basically cut them to ribbons. The kids are totally in awe of you, and inside there's all sorts of armor and weapons. The kids start loading it all up on a cart that you brought with you. Let's cut to a few weeks later, and basically this is going to grow into a full-scale rebellion. Does that sound right?
Anna: Yeah.
Chris: OK, so what happens next is...