Ripples in Time


Introduction

Ripples in Time is a collaborative story-crafting RPG about changing the world through small actions. The players each take on the role of a Pivot, a person in a community who has been chosen by the Oracle to change history through their day-to-day lives. The Oracle is a mysterious being from an alternate future sending dreams and flashes of insight to the Pivots, guiding them to enact the sequence of events needed to change the world. Beyond the Pivots are the Bystanders, the other members of the community and perhaps even visitors or outsiders whose relationships with the Pivots will determine whether the Oracle’s future will occur.  

Play consists of each Pivot in turn having a few Moments, short vignettes or mini-scenes described by the Pivot’s player and depicting what is going on in that character’s life and how their relationships with Bystanders and other Pivots are changing and why. As those relationships change the Pivots will attempt to produce a series of emotional notes leading leading to the Ripple of events which will produce the Oracle’s future. 


Preparations

Ripples in Time is played with a standard 52 card deck of playing cards, a copy of these rules, and some paper and writing utensils for keeping track of the story and its characters. It is a game for 3 to 6 players and can be played in a few hours.


Setup

First shuffle the deck of cards. One player will be the dealer. That player will deal out cards and start each round of the setup, as well as have their Pivot take the first turn. Play then proceeds clockwise from the dealer.

Deal seven cards face down in a line in the middle of the table. These are the Ripple, the sequence of moments the Pivots will need to enact to bring about the Oracle’s future. 

During setup each player will do three different card placements:
    Place a Community Detail: choose a card from their hand and place it on the table as a detail of the community, using the Community Detail table as a starting point.
    Place a Bystander: choose a card from their hand and and place it on the table as a Bystander, using the Pivots and Bystanders table as a starting point and adding a name and other details.
    Place the Pivot: uses their last card and place it on the table as their Pivot, using the Pivots and Bystanders table as a starting point and adding a name and other details.

For 3 players, deal each player 5 cards. There will be 5 setup rounds, during which each player will:
     1st) Place a Community Detail.
     2nd) Place a Bystander.
     3rd) Place a Community Detail.
     4th) Place a Bystander.
     5th) Placing the Pivot.

For 4 players, deal each player 4 cards. There will be 4 setup rounds, during which each player will:
     1st) Place a Community Detail.
     2nd) Place a Bystander.
     3rd) Place a Community Detail or Place a Bystander.
     4th) Placing the Pivot.

For 5 players, deal each player 3 cards. There will be 3 setup rounds, during which each player will:
     1st) Place a Community Detail.
     2nd) Place a Bystander.
     3rd) Placing the Pivot.

For 6 players, deal each player 2 cards. There will be 2 setup rounds, during which each player will:
     1st) Place a Community Detail or Place a Bystander.
     2nd) Placing the Pivot.


Playing the Game

Play begins with the Dealer choosing the first card on one side of the Ripple cards sequence and taking a turn. From this point on each consecutive turn will focus on the next Ripple card in the sequence. This wraps to that first card again if the previous turn focused on the last card in the sequence. 

During their turn, each player will draw a card from the deck. This card will help influence the Moments they will describe for their Pivot character. These Moments should revolve around one of the following:

    Introducing a New Bystander (Diamond)
    Introducing or Heightening a Conflict (Clubs)
    Introducing or Heightening an Affection (Hearts)
    Resolving a Conflict or Affection, or Eliminate a Bystander (Spades)

Each of these options is also a guess as to which suit the current Ripple card might be, or if the Ripple card has been revealed, the option associated with that suit must be taken. 

Before making a guess the player can ask other players what they guessed for that Ripple card, but they may not recall and are not required to tell in any case. Alternatively, other players may remind the player what they guessed. However under no circumstances should those players tell what the Ripple card’s suit actually is. 

When choosing an option, declare it. If the Ripple card is face down when choosing an option, declare that option and then look at the card. If the guess is correct, turn the card face up. Otherwise, return it face down. Then the player briefly describe the Moments involving their Pivot and the changes to the community based on the option. For particulars see the sections below.


Introducing a New Bystander (Diamonds)

When a new Bystander is introduced, the player should first briefly describe the new character and whether he or she is a newly arrived outsider or an existing part of the community that just hadn’t been elevated to the status of Bystander before. A new Bystander might even be a person mentioned in a previous turn as a logical way to flesh out the community. 

The card drawn by the player is used on the Pivots and Bystanders table as a starting point. With the addition of a name and other details. However, while in setup these details are simply stated, during their turn a player should show who this new Bystander is, what they are like, and how they meet the Pivot. The player does this by presenting a few moments, which could be the visual when the Bystander appears, a dozen seconds of dialogue where the Pivot speaks to the Bystander by name, or even an exchange between two other characters referencing the Bystander by name and mentioning what the new person is doing.

    Examples:
    1)
    2) 
    3) 


Introducing or Heightening a Conflict (Clubs)

A conflict is when two or more characters want or need something and they cannot all be satisfied. Broadly this can be because the characters all want the same limited thing: to get a specific job or political office, to gain the commitment of another whether romantically or friends, to gain status, or so on. Alternatively, a conflict can be because the characters want inimicable outcomes: one wants to work in the library and the other wants to shut it down, one wants to terrorize another who (presumably) wants to feel safe, and so on. 

Conflicts intensity can range from friendly competition all the way to life-threatening dangers. When heightening a conflict the intensity usually increases as well as the scope. For example, a friendly rivalry in an amateur sports league might escalate to vicious gossip, trying to get each other fired, or even physical blows. 

The card drawn by the player is used on the Conflict Elements table as a starting point. The player chooses which character their Pivot will conflict with, whether a Bystander or another Pivot. Alternatively, the player can choose an existing conflict involving their Pivot to heighten and expand. The player then describes one or more moments. These could be parallel, showing both characters entering the same competition, applying for the same job, or flirting with the same man. These could be the direct start of the clash, with an exchange of words or actions leading toward the conflict or showing how the conflict has heightened. 

    Examples:
    1)
    2) 
    3) 


Introducing or Heightening an Affection (Hearts)

An affection is a positive feeling, such as love, respect, or friendship which is established from one character to another. Affection might be one-way or shared. When introducing an Affection, a player is establishing that their character has affection for another character, and possibly that the other character feels affection back. 

The card drawn by the player is used on the Affection Elements table as a starting point. The player chooses which character their Pivot will build affection for, whether a Bystander or another Pivot. Alternatively, the player can choose an existing affection involving their Pivot to heighten and expand, perhaps including how the other character is responding to these changes. Then the player describes a series of moments, showing a sign or action indicating their affection, and perhaps a moment indicating how the other character responds. 

    Examples:
    1)  Leaving a small wrapped box with a note for a Liz. / Liz opening the box with a look of surprise and joy.
    2) 
    3) 


Resolving an Affection or Conflict (Spades)

Establishing affections and conflicts sets up a number of tensions and questions. These get answered by resolving them. For affections, resolution is how the relationship between the characters changes. When resolving a conflict, the result could be that one character gets what they wanted or needed, that the situation changes and both characters can be satisfied, or that now neither can be. 

An important part about resolving affections and conflicts is that a player doesn’t resolve anything directly involving their Pivot. Instead, their Pivot’s actions bring about the end of a conflict or affection involving another player’s Pivot. 

The card drawn by the player is used on the Resolution Elements table as a starting point. The player chooses which affection or conflict to resolve, and then describes their Pivot’s intervention, as one or more moment showcasing the interference, the aftermath, and what ultimately happens to the characters involved in the affection or conflict. The aftermath should be proportional to the intensity of the affection or conflict, and in the very least cannot eliminate a Pivot or a Bystander.

    Examples:
    1)
    2) 
    3) 


Eliminating a Bystander (Spades)

If a Bystander is not involved in any unresolved affections or conflicts, a player can remove them from the community, or possibly just the ongoing story. The card drawn by the player is used on the Why Did They Go table as a starting point. The player chooses the Bystander, who must have no unresolved affections or conflicts, and describes a few moments where their Pivot influences or just witnesses the Bystander leaving. 

    Examples:
    1)
    2) 
    3) 


Correctly Guessing a Ripple Card

When a player correctly guesses a Ripple card, the card is revealed and the value (Ace through King)  of the Ripple card becomes a hint or promise of the future the Oracle is helping the Pivots create. Sometimes these promises are personal, sometimes they are a broader glimpse of the future. What the particular promise will be is found in the Oracle’s Promise table below. 

If this was the last unrevealed Ripple card, then the game ends, and the Oracle’s future become a certainty.


The Game Ends

Ripples in Time ends in one of two ways. 

After the last Ripple card is revealed the future promised by the Oracle comes to pass. Starting with the player who took the last turn, each player describes a part of that future and how it affects their Pivot, drawing on the promises the Oracle gave them (where possible).

However, if the last card in the deck is drawn on a turn and at the end of that turn there remains unrevealed Ripple cards, the chance has been lost and the Oracle’s future will not occur. Starting with the player who took the last turn, each player describes how a different future occurs. If they received any promises from the Oracle, these most likely do not come to pass. 


Reading the Cards

    Community Details:
    Ace - Agricultural: a significant part of this community works in farming, ranching, or fishing. 
    2 - Mining: a significant part of this community is built around working nearby mines. 
    3 - 
    4 - 
    5 - 
    6 - 
    7 - 
    8 - 
    9 - 
    10 - 
    Jack - 
    Queen - 
    King - 


    Pivots and Bystanders:
    Ace - 
    2 - 
    3 - 
    4 - 
    5 - 
    6 -  
    7 - 
    8 - 
    9 - 
    10 - 
    Jack - 
    Queen - 
    King - 

    Conflict Elements:
    Ace - 
    2 - 
    3 - 
    4 - 
    5 - 
    6 - 
    7 - 
    8 - 
    9 - 
    10 - 
    Jack - 
    Queen - 
    King - 

    Affection Elements:
    Ace - 
    2 - 
    3 - 
    4 - 
    5 - 
    6 - 
    7 - 
    8 - 
    9 - 
    10 - 
    Jack - 
    Queen - 
    King - 

    Resolution Elements:
    Ace - 
    2 - 
    3 - 
    4 - 
    5 - 
    6 - 
    7 - 
    8 - 
    9 - 
    10 - 
    Jack - 
    Queen - 
    King - 

    Why Did They Go:
    Ace - 
    2 - 
    3 - 
    4 - 
    5 - 
    6 - 
    7 - 
    8 - 
    9 - 
    10 - 
    Jack - 
    Queen - 
    King - 

    The Oracle’s Promise:
    Ace - Heroic Demise: sadly this Pivot will not live long into the promised future, but his or her heroic sacrifice will be remembered as a crucial moment in bringing it about. 
    2 - 
    3 - 
    4 - 
    5 - 
    6 - 
    7 - 
    8 - 
    9 - 
    10 - 
    Jack - 
    Queen - 
    King -