Working title: Adventures at the Dresden-Potter Magical Medical Teaching Hospital Author: Threeforge challenger #1528. Thanks to: Paul Czege and [REDACTED]. Game Influences: Shab Al-Hiri Roach, Vornheim, Questlandia, Vast & Starlit, Risus, Levi Kornelsen’s Danger Cards, Apocalypse World, FAE, Itras By. Media Influences: House, ER, Scrubs, Harry Potter, Harry Dresden, The Magicians, Six Feet Under. Creating a hospital ------------------- Where is it? The Americas? The Old Country? Atlantis? The middle of the Australian Outback? Antarctica? Constantinople? Al Amarja? R’lyeh? Ancient Mesopotamia? What’s the tone? Serious? Semi-serious? Goofy as hell? What are the limits of magic? Pick three. Creating a character -------------------- Everyone is making a PC for themselves and a shared NPC for the table/world. If you’re stuck for inspiration, check out the NPC list down below- Feel free to make one of them your PC, or bring them into play later in the game if it makes sense. You’re not obligated to use any of the NPCs, but they should provide a good sense for the intended tone. To make a character: * Choose a Name. * Decide your Magical Speciality. * Decide your Medical Speciality. * Pick one more Magical or Medical professional side interest. * Decide your elective (non-work Hobby/Interest/Schtick). * Decide two things you’re bad at. * Write a sentence or three about your background before. * Ask the player to your left: “If {this thing about my character} is true, then what else {about my character} is true?” [Attention player to the left: Don’t be a dick. Use sense, logic, and awesomesauce. -Ed.] * Have you ever lost someone under your care? (Death etc. or worse, or actually lost.) * What’s your worst nightmare? Creating NPCs ------------- Write shared NPCs on index cards and put them in the center of the table where folk can reach as needed. For stats, give them one trait they are good at and one they are bad at. If they seem important, give them two extra traits. Next, make a drop table for your relationships. The whole table will share the same drop table. Take a regular sheet of paper and make a tic-tac-toe grid. Drop three dice on the paper. Whichever square has the biggest value, divide into fourths. Divide the other two squares into halves. (Nudge a die if they land in the same square.) You should end up with fourteen spaces, something like this: +-----------+---------------+-------------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +-----------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | | +-----------+ +-------------+ | | | | | | | | +-----+-----------------------------------+ | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | +-----------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +-----+-----+---------------+-------------+ Fill in the blanks with types of relationships, such as: Ex-lover, Blood Feud, Mentor, Donor, College Roommate, Sibling, Lunch Buddy, Rival, Enemy, Pure Sexual Attraction, Dominated by, Direct Report, Current Roommate, Childhood Friend, Kin, Covetous, Ally, Distant,Betrayed, Tension, Envy, Trust, Unease, Respect, “It’s Complicated” Take one die per each other player, then two more for NPCs (your choice). You probably want different colors for each character. Drop the handful of dice on the grid, possibly using a die tray or box lid as needed. Where the dice land is what your relationship with that character; their value is the intensity or importance of that relationship. If something doesn’t feel right, nudge a die. If something *REALLY* doesn’t feel right, scratch it off the drop table and rewrite. For each relationship, talk it over with the other player (or the table for an NPC) and write a sentence or two to capture the important points. Note that you don’t have to drop a die for a PC/NPC if you’ve got a really great idea for how they fit in with you. Doing things ------------ When something is in conflict, roll 2d6 plus one for every applicable trait you’re good at. If there’s an applicable trait you’re bad at, minus 1. (Nightmares and background stuff might count here, so think about it.) You can use fewer or more complications if it seems less or more important- or just dial the intensity of the complication up or down. 13+ Yes, and! (You do it, get a bonus) 10-12 Yes! (You do it, no complications) 7-9 Yes, but! (You do it, one or two complications) 6- No, and! (You don’t do it, one or two complications) Complications ------------- (Specific credit to Levi’s Danger Cards here) 1. Roll Again Twice 2. Missed Opportunity 3. Expense 4. Time problem: Delay or Haste 5. Peril 6. Enmity 7. Inaccuracy 8. Defeat 9. Breakage 10. Pain 11. Loss 12. Yak-Shaving 13. Injury 14. Death 15. Helplessness 16. Ensorcelment 17. Weariness 18. Affliction 19. Burden 20. Fear Experience ---------- Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. Whenever you fail, mark an XP. Every five XP, pick a Complication that won’t apply to you or add a new Trait. Hack the game’s assumptions --------------------------- The game assumes that you are playing in a contemporary, modern setting except that there is a hidden world of medium-high magic that is kept secret from the mundane world. Characters are young magical medical professionals, either still in school or newly graduated and practicing. What if you’re playing in the year 1000? What if magic is common and open to mundanes? What if it takes a hundred years to get your magical medical degree? What if all medical conditions have a magical cause? What if there’s a Creator? NPCs to meet ------------ Lawrence Merlin, M.D. M.M.D, M.M.A, Ph. D, Ph. D Adele Jackson, Triage Chief Nargathrax, Maintenance and Facilities Sally-Jo Cortez, Young Witch and Candystriper Coyote Jones, Surgeon Countess Odessa Sokolova, Mental and Psychic Ailments Alfonso Jiang, Radiologist MAGIAC-163, Department of Records Doug Groves, Patient Entertainment Coordinator Ruchira Gupta, Potions Chief Steven A. Heimann, ENT Ishauna McCloud, Curses Researcher The Former Mrs. Bess Houdini, Physical Therapy Gavrael, Director of Development and Community Awareness E. Coli Sapiens, Intern Denise Tucci, CIO Lord Thunderbeard, Foodservice and Acquisitions Imamu, Pediatrics To add ------ Disease drop table Psuedo-Latin name drop table More world stuff Design goals ------------ Use drop tables Low-prep/no-prep GM free? Supports long-form or short-form play Supports various tones Not only all white guys