The Death Game -- Rules Draft

[The Man in Red]

I will be releasing my current drafts of the rules in this topic. One 'section' of them, as I have them typed up and prepared, will be put up here each week. To avoid any clutter, if you spot any issues or have any questions that need clarification, post in the main Death Game thread, or in the channel created for it in the Discord server.

That said, without further ado, here we go with the rules:

Rules Part the First: Overview

What is the Death Game?

Why, as its name implies, it is a game of death! A game to see just what people are willing to do to win prizes, and how delightfully creative they can be while doing so. Where it is hosted and run from is a mystery; but this is not the first showing of it in the Crossroads, nor does it seem to be managed by the same staff or even from the same world each time it is held.

It incites equal parts of admiration, horror, and mockery (for its "imitation" of other, more famous events, perhaps), but people still watch. The sheer absurdity and energetic theatricality of it all elevates it to something like almost genuine entertainment, in spite of the utter horror involved in it. The spectacle of it is to be admired.

The enigmatic and eccentric host and his assorted helpers are always watching, and seem to be on every world. They will poke and prod for information, approaching targets of great interest or potential to offer them an invitation to the 'festivities'. In some event, particular individuals may even be outright kidnapped and forced to compete, for those irritatingly unwilling types; can't let all that potential go to waste!

The Death Game promises many things to many people, but above all of them are a good show for all watching, horrid trauma for its participants, and great prizes and fame (or notoriety) for its winner....or winners!

The only rules are that once you agree to participate, or are brought to the staging facilities for the game, you cannot leave. Not alive, at any rate.

When enough players have been gathered, and the fields are finalized...the staff out among the worlds will all mysteriously vanish and depart, the facilities closing their doors completely. The preparation of the event will then begin in earnest, as the contestants have a fleeting final day to relax, rest, or prepare themselves before being....escorted to their new home for the next little while. They will arrive with only the basic supplies gifted to them as a courtesy by the event's host, and the rules of the game — "Survive. Hunt. Fight. Kill. Paint this arena red."

How long the event lasts is up to the players -- the faster they thin their numbers, the sooner it will end! -- but without some sense of urgency, it wouldn't be exciting, and the time limit will make itself known swiftly enough. How the intrepid souls participating go about their task is up to them -- actively seeking out others like a hunting beast, skirting and flitting about the island to pounce on weakened targets like a pragmatic opportunist, or simply carefully hiding out to try and outlast the more vicious types? Nothing really matters; the only important things are to make it entertaining, and that in the end only one person is left standing.

That one will be the star of the host's eye. While every participant will be awarded with some measure of fame/infamy, coin and essence to line their pockets (or those of their next of kin) just for participating, only the final winner will truly prosper. They will be known far and wide with great fame and/or infamy, and walk away with pockets heavy from coin, soul strengthened with essence from the experience, and maybe even...other prizes. And the eternal admiration of (and a lifetime of being spied on and constantly observed by) the enigmatic host of the event.

 

[The Man in Red]

And here we are once more, back again. More rules to be presented, in their current draft form:

Rules Part the Second: Abilities

In a whimsical tribute, all contestants who sign up for the Death Game (or get signed up for it) will be stripped of all of their personal gear and effects (such as swords/shields, firearms, scanners/sensors, powered armor, etc etc) and be fitted with a restraining device in the form of a collar which....limits them. This is in an attempt to remove some pesky tricks and abilities and level the playing field just a bit. Attempting to remove this device will result in immediate death in an extremely brutal fashion; other contestants attempting to intentionally damage, destroy or remove their opponents' collar will find themselves similarly punished.

In total, the following abilities are completely negated:

• Concealment
• Communication
• Healing
• Sense
• Teleportation

The following abilities have some limits to their function:

• Flight functions, but without the Ongoing modifier, restricting it to simply the temporary 'super jumping' form
• Damage and Protection-based effects, so long as they come solely from the user (super strength, breathing fire, toughened skin, generating magic shields, etc) are fine and retain full function. Anything which requires external tools or weapons, however, cannot be used as all such gear is stripped away.
• Summoning still works as intended, but be wary -- bringing them here means they suffer the same risks as elsewhere, and may very well die

Consumables

Consumables of any and all kinds are not permitted to be used and as such will be removed along with all of your other gear. If your entire entire character design is based around such a concept, and you desperately need something in this vein (such as a pilot needing their mech or some such), then....perhaps we can work something out. Get in touch.

Focus

When used, Focus does not regenerate normally. In this instance, "the scene" refers to your entire stint in the Death Game. Once used, it's gone for good. There are certain support items, however, which might work to restore it if you can find them. Your 'cap' on Focus is locked in at the time of the Death Game's start; this means, even if you should level up during its course, your uses of Focus will not increase, nor can any items increase it beyond your cap at the event's start.

When you want to use Focus, you will be obligated to let me know ahead of time. Usually, this is best done when you're getting ready to make your moves for the day. Focus can give you an edge, or help compensate for injuries or a poor weapon, but it won't swing you a win all on its own.

If you haven't cued up your Focus ahead of time, and you get into a fight that scares you, at that point it's too late to send in your uses of it.

Notes

• Be aware that if push comes to shove, I can and probably will have your characters use Focus if it would let them get out alive when they might otherwise die, even if you don't have it cued up. Letting them go out when they still have that trick available seems incredibly silly, and not at all like a good show for the fans.
• A use of Focus can let you temporarily overcome the restrictions on abilities. If you want to use your Focus to do something specific like this, be sure to include it in your cued up usage of it.

 

[The Man in Red]

Here we go once again. Next part of the rules to be presented, as currently written.

Rules Part the Third: Time and Movement

Every OOC hour equals roughly 15 minutes of time on the island. This of course means that every 24 hours or 1 day in OOC terms equals about 6 IC hours, and thus that 1 IC day equals 4 OOC days.

Each IC day is broken up into 4 phases, each of which will start and end at Noon (12 PM) Eastern time. At the end of every phase, I will make a note closing it down and shortly (within an hour) have the next phase ready, along with an island-wide announcement for all to hear about relevant information which happened during the last phase. This information will include any deaths, new danger and/or dead zones, any upcoming special events or presents, and any changes in weather as well as announcing changes in time of day, most notable the rising and setting of the sun.

For reference, each space on the map is an area of roughly 3 miles square (that is, each space is 3 miles on a side -- or 9 square miles). There is plenty of space to be had there, and ample space for you to wander through and hide.

Movement

Every phase (that is, every OOC day) you may move up to 3 times. Each move will cover one square on the grid map. You move via sending me a message, stating which square you're starting on, and which square you're moving to or which squares you're moving through. Make sure to include every square you move through, as this is important once danger zones and dead zones begin to appear more frequently. You cannot move diagonally (for instance, from D3 directly to C4) but you may move down one square and over one square (say, from D3 to D4 to C4). This will, obviously, consume two moves, as expected.

Movement is not optional. You must move at least once during every 48 OOC hour period. Failing to do so will result in Bad Things, which may or may not involve skeletons and/or horrible dismemberment via exploding collar. Even if you post once an hour, but fail to move, you will still die. Make sure to keep on top of it. You are, of course, free to move at any point during a phase whether 2 minutes after it starts, or 2 minutes before it ends, if you so wish to. Just make sure you DO move in time.

Make sure you keep track of danger zones and dead zones. Moving into or through the former will not be fun, and the latter will cause certain death. You won't get any warnings or reminders, consider this your one and only.

Moves don't accumulate or build up. You get 3 per phase, no more no less; use them, or lose them.

In the event you move onto the same space as another contestant, you will trigger an event known as a Face Off -- more about those later! If you intend to ally with someone, then send me a message stating your intent to do so. Better make sure I get it from both (or all) parties involved, though, otherwise I can only assume shenanigans and imminent backstabbing, and will treat it as such. I won't ask for clarification or confirmation, so stay on top of this.

Players who have teamed up together can all move in unison. One player can send in movements for them. I suggest making a group conversation to do so. In the event that a group of 3 or more is formed, they may still move and function as normal...but they'll be slower, only able to make 2 moves per phase rather than 3, and will be certain to draw more attention and notice -- good and bad. Make sure you communicate and coordinate well; if I get moves from multiple parties, I will be going with the first one(s) I get.

Under no circumstances will you be allowed to 'take back' or cancel moves. Once you send in a message, it's set in stone, regardless of potential consequences.

Final Notice: It is your responsibility to keep an updated and current list of who is alive, where you think they are, and especially what areas are danger/dead zones. I will be tracking it myself, but will not make it public for you all. I did hand out a map, so make good use of it!

 

[The Man in Red]

And on we go, here's the next part.

Part the Fourth: Survival Gear

Upon being sent to the island, you will be 'gifted' with a bad of supplies to aid you during your participation in the Death Game. This is a duffel bag, (11"/28cm Height, 23”/58cm Wide, 11”/28cm Deep when empty). It contains the following:

• 4 assorted MREs
• 8 20-ounce bottles of water
• A compass
• A map of the island
• A random weapon or support item (Assigned to you during finalization)

The bag may not be on your person, but it will always be close by -- usually within 20 feet or so, and easy to find.

MREs -- you know what these are. A 'Meal Ready to Eat'. High in nutrients and calories, sometimes delicious and sometimes not, usually sufficient to last for an entire day. Google can probably help you find out more.

For using the compass and resulting directions, the map is oriented so that the 'top' of the map is considered East.

Your weapon or item will be in your bag, though some assembly may be required. In some cases, such as it being too big or unwieldy it may instead be in pieces needing assembly or even simply be found nearby, along with the bag itself.

The bag offers a means to carry these things, and is mercifully waterproof (so long as it remains zipped) and is sturdy enough to be resistant to minor/mundane damage.

You are of course free to scavenge for other supplies in various buildings in the cities, or hunt for food in the wilds. You cannot find any true weapons, but many other useful survival items and tools and things which might come in handy for all your writing and surviving needs out there.

Repeat: You cannot find any additional weapons. None that will count in terms of judgement or lend any advantage in a fight, at least. I mean, let's be real: in an emergency, what couldn't you use to defend yourself, right? For story purposes feel free to go nuts and find things, just know it won't have any impact in confrontations or affect the outcome or results in any way, shape or form.

 

[The Man in Red]

Onward we go. Next part of the drafty ol' rules.

Part the Fifth: Competition and Judgement

Whenever two (or more!) characters land on the same square, and they have not all coordinated with me to team-up and/or ally, then things are about to get crazy. This is what we in the business call a 'Face Off', in our totally original and not at all copyright-infringing terminology. If multiple parties are moving along, and happen to move through the same space, they usually won't trigger one (unless you specify you want to fight anyone you move past, of course; be sure and let me know if you're that type of crazy!), only when ending a move on the same space.

These Face Off confrontations are events which are written and authored by the host of the Death Game. When such an event occurs, I will make a post as soon as I process all the relevant movements stating the participants, something like the following:

FACE-OFF

Albert Wesker, Superman, Peter Griffin​

Contestants aren't necessarily listed in any order (not even numerical or alphabetical!), but by the order in which I realize and/or recognize their participation in the event. Any potential teams are left out of this initial post, leaving only who will be involved. After this, I will do a few minutes of research and decide roughly how long I think it will take to write up and judge, and give people an estimated timeframe. Sometimes it might be as short as 10 minutes, sometimes it might take a couple hours. If it will be a long while, you're free to continue writing.

When I'm finished, I'll be sure to let you all know, and either edit the results into the original post, formatting to include official contestant numbers and separate into teams/groups as necessary, or make a new one with the fight contained in it. If you do post while waiting for the results, make sure you just continue as you were and leave the fight to me.

Cooldowns -- After a Face-Off occurs, any and all surviving participants will enter a cooldown period. Whether from running away frantically and being too hard to catch, diving into cover somewhere to hide, or simply finding a dark corner where it's safe to nap and lick their wounds, they're safe from any further Face-Off events for the next 8 OOC hours. If they leave their current space, or message me to ignore this cooldown, it is nullified immediately.

Group Handicap -- Working in groups is a benefit, but also a double-edged sword. It makes all of your group's weapons downgrade by one tier. This 'group handicap' mitigates the other benefits obviously gained from teaming up in the first place, along with the movement penalty mentioned previously.

Cornered Tiger -- Whenever a single individual is faced by more than two opponents (that is, 3 or more enemies at once), they will receive a boost to their capabilities. Desperation, tenacity, sheer unbridled 'fuck you', whatever it is they won't go down without one hell of a fight. Their weapon will be upgraded by one tier, or they will be treated as if they have an 'okay' tier weapon if they have no weapon at all. In addition, if said outnumbered fighter has more than one Minor Injury, they receive a free use of Focus for that encounter. This bonus primarily applies to single individuals, but may apply to a group of two, or even three, if they are sufficiently outnumbered by a large enough group.

The Face-Off events here are where all the main action occurs. This is the primary source of where damage, injuries and deaths come from. It is also the one part where the writing, and thus your character's actions, are entirely out of your hands. To such an extent, when you join you thereby consent and agree with the fact that you're okay with someone else writing your character (said someone being me, the Host, of course). Given the game, your consent for being potentially injured and (eventually, and in all probability) killed, in ways entirely outside your direct control.

I will of course do my best to write your characters accurately and to the best of my ability. But I am not perfect; if I make mistakes, I can only beg forgiveness and chalk it up to the stress and/or excitement of the event making them act a little...off.

But of course, even with all that said, I know you have one question. How does the judgement work? How exactly do I decide who wins these engagements?

Well, dear readers, there are several ways, but it does boil down to a few important, key factors:

1. Injuries -- A character who is heavily injured will of course be at a disadvantage. They hurt, they're weakened, they may be missing a lot of blood or even limbs. Life is hard and full of agony. They will need some way to get around their handicap, or they're not going to do well.
2. Weapons -- Especially important for injuries being doled out. A stronger weapon can give you an advantage and let you more seriously injure your opponent(s), or likewise help you avoid injury if your opponent is otherwise in a better position than you.
3. My Opinion -- The big one. I am the sole judge and grader of this nonsense. Everything is 100% based on my own opinion and thoughts, with the other factors mentioned above only coloring that opinion.

There is nothing like a 'score sheet', nor will I be grading anything/everything you write or post up. But I am going to read things, and they are going to sway and color my opinions. They might make me like your character more, they might not. They might make me hate your character more, they might not. They might inspire me, and make me think you deserve to do well, or that you suck and should be eliminated sooner.

Be aware: quantity of posts has nothing to do with anything. Posting too much might actually hurt you a little. I prefer good quality and substance over long drawn-out posts (Ironic, I know). You can write thousands of words every day, post once ever hour you're awake, and it all be boring as trash. Someone else might post a few hundred words, only once every other day, and it be amazing.

Guess which one I'll probably like more.

Don't go crazy with things like post length, as if things get too long (regardless of how good) I start to zone out and lose focus and/or interest. That's not good for you. Don't go crazy with flowery words and purple prose, don't pick up your nearest dinosaur lexicon of similar words, don't try and "force it" to make things better for the sake of it. Write how you do, be genuine, be you.

After all, this is a game, and it should be fun.

The more I like (or hate!) a character, the harder it will be for me to kill them off. Maybe I feel like they've got more things they can do, more drama or action or chaos. Maybe I want to see what they'll do next, or where they'll go. Maybe I just want to keep hating them, or rooting for them to pull a win. Maybe, maybe, maybe!

But the bottom line: Don't try to make me like your character. Don't try to make me hate your character. Try to make me care about your character. It's all about that, about how much I want to see more, whether because they're awful or amazing or anything in-between.

This is a contest, though. At the end of the day only one person can win (right?), and so obviously you should do your best. But remember, it's about the characters here. The characters, and the story you tell with them. It doesn't matter (as much) how well you write, and it doesn't really matter at all how much you write. But don't force it. Don't try and find "the writing style that the Host loves more than anything", because even if you do, it won't be you. It won't be genuine, and real, and you won't be able to tell your story as effectively. Do your best -- but make sure you do your best, above anything else.

But just remember that, sometimes, no matter how well you do on this front, it won't always be enough. It is, once again, a contest and competition. Game elements will intrude. Things will get out of hand, out of your control. Stakes are high; it will be frustrating and stressful, things will blow up, people will die, and sometimes it might just come down to luck.

It's all a gamble. And that's why it's fun.

 

[The Man in Red]

To remain on track and just a little ahead of the curve of things, let's move on and drop another little tidbit here.

Part the Sixth: Damage, Injuries & Death

Getting in a Face-Off event is likely to result in some damage, sooner or later.

The only way to heal it is if you have an item that does so, or by using precious applications of Focus. You cannot heal damage or injuries in any other way. Read that again: you cannot heal damage or injuries in any other way. You are free, of course, to improvise things like bandages or splints and the like, and it might give you some nice writing fuel. But it won't impact future grading and judgement, and the severity of your injuries and damage will remain unchanged.

Injuries -- Getting in fights will result in injuries. These will accumulate, and start to wear you down, negatively impacting performance and survivability in future confrontations. They are also an excellent tool to enrich and add fuel to your writing, so capitalize on even the worst of them! They're a disadvantage in fights, but maybe you can swing it for an advantage elsewhere.

• Story Injury -- These are mostly insignificant injuries. Small cuts or scrapes, minor bruises, a little sickness or a bad knock to the head. They are mostly for roleplay fodder and won't seriously impact you -- but if you let too many of them stack up it might start to get to you, and they can always be upgraded to a 'real' injury later on, so watch out.
• Minor Injury -- Minor injuries are more serious, and begin to actively impede your progress. Deep or heavily bleeding wounds, sprains or minor fractures, more serious head trauma or damage. You can push through most of them, but they'll add up over time.
• Major Injury -- These are more crippling things, like fully broken bones or limbs, serious trauma and deep lacerations or abrasions, bleeding that just won't stop, or long-term impaired senses. These will make your life hell, but you can....usually still function.
• Insane Injury -- These are the kind of injuries that, while they didn't kill you, they'll make your remaining time hell. Completely severed/mangled limbs, or total loss of a senses. They can't be healed by any means, and all you can do is push on.
• Mortal Injury -- These are rare. These are awful. These will kill you. If you suffer a mortal injury, you have 12 IC hours to live before you shuffle off this mortal coil. They can be healed, if you're extremely lucky, down to a Major injury.

Death -- Eventually, your wounds will prove too much. You will inevitably die. Make sure you have some really good life insurance.

Inactivity -- If you should go for 12 IC hours (or 2 OOC days) without making any moves, regardless of whether you posted or were active during that time, you will die. In some gruesome fashion. This does count as a 'real' death, and you had best hope you have the insurance to come back.

 

[The Man in Red]

And onward we go, to the next part of the rules.

Part the Seventh: Non-Player Entrants

The player characters will not be the only contestants on the island. There will be several NPC contestants, as well. They will be competing in the event themselves, and follow (almost) all of the same rules as players. They will receive a random item or weapon just like you all, and will be doing their damnedest to win.

They do not move normally like player characters: they move in set schedules, once every 6 OOC hours. The observant among you might realize something amiss. "But hey, you, host-guy!" you shout. "That's more than 3 moves per phase!" Yes, yes it is. That's what that word in parentheses above was for. Their locations will be kept secret, until someone encounters them. Once 'revealed', there will be a minor update at each phase change they survive to, including general noes about what they did, and obtuse hints about where they've moved to during that time.

In the event that a player lands on the same space as an NPC, this will trigger a Face-Off just as if it been another PC. Despite being an NPC, the fight will go down the same way, using the same rules. Given that most of the time, the NPCs won't be writing (or else receive very minimal writing), I can't really judge them there. So they get a Handicap, ranging from 1 to 5. Lower means they have less overall 'punch', and higher means they will be stronger and harder to kill. Higher handicaps might even mean they have...other tricks up their sleeve, and may even ignore some other rules to make them nightmares to deal with.

Keep in mind that due to a combination of factors, such as random weapons/items, sheer luck and things like Focus (which not all NPCs have, but still...), that no NPC is a complete pushover. Even a low-handicap fella could get a good weapon and mop the floor with you if you have a poor weapon or aren't doing too well.

In the (admittedly, incredibly unlikely) event that two NPCs land on the same space....well. There will be the usual fireworks, of course.

The NPCs will be revealed as people sign up, and their basic information along with their Handicap will be posted up in the appropriate section.

Allying: If you are traveling alone, and you happen to run into an NPC, it may not trigger a Face-Off. They may instead decide to partner up with you. Don't ever count on this, of course, as you never know what they might do. But if they do, you can stick with them as long as you want. Part ways at your leisure, or even betray them. Just be aware, they can do the same to you at any time.

 

[The Man in Red]

Rollin', rollin', rollin' right along. Nyeckst part!

Part the Eighth: Special Events

'Special Events' are a generic and catch-all term for anything which either will, or can, affect everyone on the island, or which is just useful for everyone to know about. Any such events will be broadcast both IC and OOC during the phase change update prior to their starting. For instance, if there was to be an event on Day 2 Phase 1, it would be announced during the phase change update for Day 1 Phase 4.

Not every event will have the same impact. Some may do almost nothing, some might shake up the entire game.

As a general rule, at least one special event will be announced each IC day, though more may be announced if things need to be...shaken up a little.

Easter Egg -- These are special events which may trigger randomly, involving a special item up for grabs. This could be an amazing weapon, a powerful support item, or a complete piece of worthless garbage. It's all a gamble. When these are announced, you can join in by messaging me as if for a move, with your intent to join. For teams/groups, every member must state their intent to participate, or only the ones who did so will be going. When the time comes, a Face-Off event will be posted up shortly after the next phase change. The winner will receive the prize, after which everyone involved will be sent back to their previous space.

Repeat for clarity: you don't need to use moves to get to the event.

Be aware of the following things, when signing up:

• There is a very real chance and risk that NPCs may also participate in these events.
• You can be injured or die, gain new weapons, or even lose your weapon/item during these events.
• You are sent back to the same space, but not necessarily the same location.

Weather Event -- Normally, the weather is typically pleasant, though does vary wildly based on what part of the island you're on. Assume 'typical' weather for late spring for the type of terrain or climate you seem to be in. However, that might change; island-wide events of changing weather can occur at a moment's notice. Rarely, more drastic things may happen, such as eerily fierce storms, tornado formation or earthquakes. This will cause difficulties in the affected areas, and will impede travel and may cause certain spaces to temporarily become danger/dead zones.

 

[The Man in Red]

Onward, onward, onward. Next part, the second-to-last one:

Part the Ninth: Updates & Messaging

All updates and official correspondence for the Death Game will make use of the Private Messaging/Conversation system on the Multerra forum, and should be sent to this account, The Man in Red. You are free to ask questions or other such things via other media, such as Discord or various threads on the forums, but any and all updates and official messages must go through the forum. Don't send updates, moves, or anything else through any medium except the forum's messaging system.

I'll be nice, and offer one reminder. But then you will be very sternly ignored.

The conversation system is fairly easy to understand, and if you are in a group/team it's recommended to make it a group conversation to include all parties so everyone is on the same page.

I try to stay on top of things, and make sure all updates get processed smoothly. But I'm human, I might make mistakes. I might delete a message, or leave a conversation, or something else equally dumb. To that end: Make sure you keep records. The burden of proof is yours: I try to be nice, but benefit of the doubt might allow for unfortunate twistings and finangling of the rules. So unless you can produce a screenshot or some kind of obvious record, I'll be forced to go by what my current records and notes tell me.

Also be aware: I won't respond to updates, unless there's some kind of issue or problem or I have a question. Don't wait around too long for confirmation or anything.

You can send in update messages to do things like use Focus, indicate you do/don't want to use your weapon or item, that you want to specifically do one thing if you get into a fight (try and run, cover for your partner(s), let your partner(s) run interference, etc etc), or if you have any stipulations or strategies for if you happen to encounter a specific scenario (a specific other contestant, a lone target, a group, someone heavily injured/not injured at all, etc etc).

If you are unsure about how to word your messages/updates for movement, or doing things like using focus, allying, betraying, etc etc, then don't hesitate to ask. I would rather explain it a few times than have everyone do it wrong