Dark Diaries Stories of people helping each other avoid a spiral into oblivion 1. Find a small notebook (or moleskin), some glue, a pen, a pencil, a highlighter, and a deck of standard playing cards. 2. Don’t glue the first two pages into the notebook, but use the glue to paste the next two pages into it. This page explains overall rules, the next page defines a character, the third and fourth pages (the specific game rules) form the specific rules that will govern this game. 3. Create a character (made up of 4 reserve pools) and read the rules. 4. Use the highlighter to mark the first and last complete rules, and any single one of the other sub-rules. These will be a permanent part of the game for you. 5. Use the pen to cross out any two of the sub-rules. These rules will never apply to you while you play the game. 6. Use the pencil to cross out any two of the sub-rules. These rules don’t apply to you at the moment, but at some later time you might erase these line and they might become active. 7. The remainder of the notebook is used to tell a story. This story begins in the real world, but at some stage this word will end. 8. Engage in this game at least once a day. 9. Engaging this game occurs by drawing three cards from your deck. One of these cards is assigned to a positive event (based on your current activities), one is assigned to a negative event (based on something that has happened to you today). Make a note of the cards drawn at the top edge of the page, make a note of pool changes (based on cards allocated) at the bottom edge of the page. Use the remainder of the page to write a story about what has happened, use the card events as narrative prompts for the story on each day. 10. If you meet someone else playing this game, draw a card and add a scene describing this. If you have any bonuses, you may trade them with this person (make sure you describe this in the diary). ----- Character: 1. Choose a name 2. Choose your character’s social class (This is where they come from and their general background) Elite Upper Middle Working Connections ♥ 2 3 4 5 Wealth ♣ 5 3 1 0 Possessions ♠ 3 2 2 1 Skills ♦ 1 3 4 5 3. Choose your character’s primary social capital (This is the network that has helped them survive so far) Add these totals to the social class values to determine starting scores. Minority Racial Political Criminal Family Independence Privilege Activism Dealings Connections ♥ 2 0 1 1 1 Wealth ♣ 0 0 2 0 1 Possessions ♠ 0 1 0 1 0 Skills ♦ 1 2 0 1 1 These numbers will rise and fall during the course of the game. They may be exhausted or boosted temporarily (any temporary modifiers are negated after 7 days). They may also be permanently reduced or increased. Mark the reserve pools at the bottom of the page marked as permanent score then temporary score separated by a slash. ----- The Rules: 1. Write something in this notebook at least once a day. 2. The Traveller (Spades) a. Avoid the Worst b. Taking Advantage c. Sacrifice (Possession) d. Acquistion (Possession) 3. The Visionary (Diamonds) a. Avoid the Worst b. Taking Advantage c. Sacrifice (Skill) d. Acquisition (Skill) 4. The Speaker (Hearts) a. Avoid the Worst b. Taking Advantage c. Sacrifice (Connection) d. Acquisition (Connection) 5. The Aggressor (Clubs) a. Avoid the Worst b. Taking Advantage c. Sacrifice (Wealth) d. Acquisition (Wealth) 6. Joker’s Gateway – If you draw a joker, life becomes “Strained” for you all pages need to include something sinister and surreal on them. If you draw a joker and your life is already “Strained”, you “Shatter”. Describe the dark awakening that shatters your character’s mind on your final page and give the notebook to someone else. Let them start their journey. Avoid the Worst: If you use a card of this suit as a negative event, and the card’s rank is less than one of your reserves. Describe a scene where the reserve helps you overcome the issue. Ignore negative effects from the event and exhaust the relevant reserve by 1 point for 7 days. Taking Advantage: If you use a card of this suit as a positive event, restore a point to a single reserve that has been exhausted. Sacrifice: If you discard a card from this suit (using it for neither a positive nor negative effect), you must exhaust the relevant reserve by 1 point for 7 days. Acquisition: If you draw a pair of cards from this suit, you may permanently increase the mentioned reserve by 1. ----- Positive Events A-2-3 Nothing good happens today 4-5 Refresh an exhausted point in this suit 6-7 Refresh two exhausted points in this suit 8-9 Erase a pencilled line through a sub-rule. 10-J Highlight a sub-rule of choice. Q-K Gain a permanent point in this suit Negative Events A-2 Use a pen to cross out a sub-rule in this suit. If they are all crossed out, you “Shatter”. 3-4 Use a pencil to cross out a sub-rule in this suit. If they are all pencilled, use a pen to cross one out. 5-6 Permanently lose a point in this suit 7-8 Exhaust two points in this suit 9-10 Exhaust a point in this suit J-Q-K Nothing Bad Happens Today Meeting People A-2-3 The next day’s event for each character draws inspiration from a recent event in the other character’s diary. 4-5 Each character gains a one off bonus from the other. This bonus matches the other character’s highest reserve pool and may be used to negate a single negative event in the next week. 6-7 If one character’s life is “strained” and the other isn’t, this meeting removes the “strained” trait. 8-9-10 Compare the character’s reserves matching this suit. The player with the higher score may exhaust a point to completely restore the pool of the player with the lower score. J-Q-K Compare the character’s reserves matching this suit. The player with the higher score may exhaust a point to permanently increase the pool of the player with the lower score. If a description tells you that a person is involved, describe them. You may describe a number of unique people equal to your “connections” reserve pool. This also applies to objects (up to your “possessions” reserve pool) and abilities (up to your “skills” reserve pool)