Welcome to Fill in The Gap, a column devoted to individual, "one-off" scenarios, that any GM can run for his/her group.
What happens when the lines between a game and reality start to blur?
If you need to know more about the FITG(Fill in The Gap) system/column, please check out the first (and second) of these monthly columns. Without further ado, I bring you today's scenario:
As always, if you're going to play in this scenario (run by your favorite GM) then please read no further, for fear of spoilage. Alan, Dave, Kristo + Sarah, that means you!
Psycho-User is a scenario for 3 players.
The Premise
In Psycho-User, the players take on the roles of themselves - if they were playing a cooperative video-game together and ended up getting sucked into the game and playing as the characters they'd chosen to play. As this is clearly a mouthful, I'll take this step by step.
Let's clarify this. You're the GM, obviously they are your players. Their characters in the game are representations of themselves - however they're not in their own bodies. They're trapped in a video game, and they're stuck in the bodies of the characters that they (the player's characters) chose to play in the video game. So all mental attributes are moot (since your players are presumably as smart as their characters), and all physical attributes are those of their video-game characters.
The game they're playing is a violent (though rated E10+) next-gen 3D platformer. Think Super Mario 64 - a brightly colored though action packed fantasy game where they have the ability to brawl with the creatures around them, jump exceedingly high heights, and have to avoid dangerous traps and bottomless chasms.
In the scenario, each character has a unique special ability, detailed below in the characters section. As your players are really playing themselves, instead of trying to guess who you're playing with, the video game characters are described instead. Also, the setting section details the different areas of the game - and the events section details the types of encounters they may find.
The game ends when each of the characters runs out of lives - OR when they discover how to "escape" the video game. As straightforward as things may seem, as they progress the web of intrigue surrounding their lives and The evil witch Hagrion's plan become clear.
In this scenario, for the action bits and the enemies/athletics, use your imagination! Depending on what system you're playing this scenario in, these challenges may be a focus that you'll spend a lot of time crafting rules for - in other systems they'll just be an afterthought. Use the basic idea for them as you see fit.
Finally, please note that if you don't know too much about video games, or this genre of video games - this scenario might not be for you. Also note this scenario intentionally plays on the players real emotions and sense of self, and makes jokes in a lighthearted though slightly invasive way about personal identity - so play with grown ups.
The Characters
As you know, all of the characters are actually the players, playing themselves. Below are the in-video-game characters whose bodies they are inhabiting. They are aware of each of the character's motives and personalities, as well as history, because they've played the game before - however they don't know how it ends (they've never beaten it). Some general rules for them : Each character has three lives, if any of them "die", then they're immediately reborn near their friends with the knowledge of how many lives they left. It's a harrowing and painful experience (as death often is).
Aron: Knight of The Realm
Aron is a knight of the fantasy realm that the game takes place in. His special abilities are his sword attacks, which do more damage than any other character's attacks - and his shield and armor, which allow him to deflect most enemy attacks. Due to his armor however, he doesn't jump as high as the other characters. Aron's goal is to defeat the evil Witch Hagrion, and bring peace back to the land.
Streetball Jack
Streetball Jack is the plucky young teenager who's been (within the video-game's fiction) transported into the magical realm in which the game takes place from his real life, possibly by the evil Witch Hagrion. His only goal is to get back home to his family. Jack can jump higher than any other character, and run faster - but he's the least able to defend himself and fight.
Sneakthief Lena
Sneakthief Lena is a thief by trade, whose gotten mixed up in this crazy adventure to stop Hagrion as a form of punishment when she got caught stealing the king's horses! Lena is the only character who can effectively sneak by enemies, and she can also climb using her climbing hooks. Besides that, she's better in combat than Jack, and can jump higher than Aron, but isn't as good inversely as either.
The Theme
This scenario's theme is identity. The characters don't really know who they are - and each discovery makes it less and less likely that their world is the real one, and that the game isn't real. They should be constantly questioning the gravity and reality of their situation, testing boundaries - and probably getting confused.
The Setting
The setting for the game is entirely within the video-game they're playing - AstraCresta 4. This game is set in the mystical world of Astra, and is a Japanese published 3-player cooperative action platformer.
The plot of the game involves young Jack getting sucked into the video game when playing AstraCresta 3, by a new villain who hadn't been introduced to the series yet - the Witch Hagrion. Jack found himself meeting Lena and Aron, and discovering that together they needed to collect the four gems of antiquity, bring them to Hagrion's castle, and use them to defeat her there once and for all!
Unfortunately for the trio, the gems were each hidden in one of the different continents - the fire continent, the earth continent, the water continent, and the air continent.
On each of the continents are a generic set of traps and enemies they can fight, please detail them out for however you want to work them within the game system you play this scenario in. In addition to those things, there are three other types of items to find. Healing Potions, which give the players health back. Magic Potions, which give them power ups for a short time when they drink them (stronger sword attacks, higher jumps, the ability to climb on the ceiling, etc.), and Mooples, which is a form of currency.
The Fire Continent
The Fire Continent is full of enemy fire beasts, dogs, and bees. It's got a lot of rushing lava for the players to avoid, the occasional flame bursts, tons of moving platforms they have to fight on, and is generally kind of hot and unpleasant. The end boss of the Fire Continent (the gem's guardian) is a giant Fire Demon, named Baalzifer.
The Water Continent
The Water Continent is full of fish, sharks, water elementals, and electric eels. The whole continent is submerged, and the characters (with the exception of Aron, who walks along the sea floor) have to swim around. There are many different kinds of hazards underwater including choke-kelp which tries to entangle the characters, and strong currents which can flow them into spikes. The end boss of this realm is a huge whale, named Odihab.
The Earth Continent
The Earth Continent is full of mud monsters, snakes, tigers, and attack-crows. The continent is covered in lush forests and verdant meadows, with many dangerous plants and tribal-style traps (like swinging spiked logs, and rolling boulders). The end boss of the Earth Continent is Treeface, a huge Tree with angry grasping limbs.
The Air Continent
The Air Continent is full of living-tornadoes, dragons, bats, and angry stormclouds. The continent is entirely floating, with no solid land, the characters all need to be enchanted at the end of the water kingdom with the ability to don wings. Traps in the air include gusts of wind which can knock the heroes into enemies, and flash rain-storms which can cause their wings to get soggy and start to weigh them down.
The Witch Hagrion's Castle
Hagrion's castle is full of Undead monsters such as skeletons, ghouls, and zombies. It also contains exotic death traps like those found in torture chambers, spiked bottomless chasms, and other ridiculously contrived evil-castle stuff. At the end of the castle is Hagrion herself - who offers the heroes a choice.
These are the events that occur on each continent, and in Hagrion's castle. Each Continent can be played in any order, with the exception of the Air Continent which HAS to be played after the Water Continent (as that's where the players receive their wings). Hagrion's castle (if the players survive that far) is last.
The standard events that occur on every continent and don't have specific bearing on the scenario should be fights with the above enemies, and standard platforming trap-dodging type action, dictated by each of the player's strengths. Where possible, make them work together to succeed, requiring Aron to block an enemy's blasts with his shield while Lena sneaks up behind it, or needing Jack to get up high to get them the various helpful things they can find.
In addition to various fights with the monsters described, and having to avoid the various pitfalls and traps described, here's a list of other things that need to occur:
The Earth Continent Events:
A wood nymph comes along - if the players don't immediately attack it (at which point it would flee), they can engage it in conversation. It tells them their aura is sick - they don't appear to be well. It warns them to be careful - it also heals them if they've been hurt at all, and gives them healing potions (which they can use when hurt to get instantly better).
They encounter the Whispering Woodland - A copse of trees that whispers at them : "You don't belong" "you're wrong for this world" "you'll never survive" "give up now"... The trees will not engage in conversation, but will keep whispering.
They encounter a Leprechaun - Who is willing to sell them a magical device he found; it looks IDENTICAL to the video game system they were playing on's controller. He asks them for all of the Mooples they'd acquired from the things they'd killed up to that point - they can overpower the Leprechaun for it, but that will have repercussions in the Fire World (they don't know that in advance though). The controller does nothing unless they find the other pieces of the system, one in each world.
They encounter the boss, Treeface - He explains to them on their arrival that he's actually another of their mutual friends, who must have also gotten sucked into the game. He's in agonizing pain in his form. Pick someone you all know, and like. He begs to be killed by the characters, and points them to the gem. They can either fight and kill him (he doesn't fight back), take the gem and leave, or leave the gem.
The Water Continent Events:
They encounter the whirlpool - this is a huge whirlpool in the middle of the water that leads into an abyss. Entering the whirlpool looks like it must mean certain death, but it's actually a teleporter which allows them to skip content - give them hints about how it looks different than any other chasms or deathtraps they've encountered thus far. If they take the whirlpool, allow them to skip some enemies or puzzles, but otherwise don't punish them.
They encounter the octopi orchestra - a large orchestra of octopi each playing a different instrument. The octopi are playing a song that isn't found in the game, a real world song that all the players (and you) know. Asking the conductor how he knows that song reveals nothing, as he explains he wrote it - it's his composition.
They find a console system of the type they were using to play the game behind a series of elaborate traps - this should be a plausible but difficult challenge for the group to get through. If they get the system, they need the other three parts to get it to work.
They encounter the boss, Odihab. He explains to the players that he like them is a friend of theirs from real life who got stuck in the game - but he's happy to be there. Pick someone you know who you and the players may not be super-close to, but like and/or respect. He honestly believes he's meant to be in the game, defending the gem. Since he sees it as a game, he's willing to fight the players - however they decide to handle this, let them beat him easily if they fight him, or be able to convince him not to fight and give up the gem if they so choose. Found with the gem, is the wings they need to get to the Air Continent.
The Fire Continent Events:
They encounter the Inferno - this is a huge fiery mirror, looking into it reveals each of them as their "real selves", out in the real world. Jumping in costs them a life if they try it, otherwise it's quite avoidable.
They encounter the Leprechaun's Cousin - He's a huge hulking mutant leprechaun, one they could definitely not defeat in combat. If they meet him prior to meeting the Leprechaun on the Earth Continent, he offers to sell them this strange artifact he found (a TV), for only a few mooples (they should easily have enough by this point). If they did encounter his cousin, the way this encounter treats them is dependant on how they treated his cousin. If they treated his cousin poorly, the mutant leprechaun kills one of them by pelting them with the TV as hard as he can, then flees. The one who gets hit with the TV loses a life, but the characters get the TV. If the characters treated the Mutant Leprechaun's cousin nicely, he gives them the TV for free, and leaves in peace.
They encounter Hagrion! She shows up for a little pre-end battle brawl, and laughs at them. Have her call them by their real life names instead of their character names (everyone else refers to them as Lena, Jack, and Aron - except for Hagrion). Have her not seriously challenge them, and have her lose and flee if they decide to fight. If they decide to flee, she doesn't give chase. Have her mock them for being trapped in the game.
They encounter the boss, Baalzifer. He explains to the players that he like them is from real life but got stuck in the game. Portray him as someone you all know, but not very well (like a teacher you may have all had, or a relative of a mutual friend). Have him not really care what they do, but have him explain he hasn't been able to get out - but he heard a rumor that Hagrion's not even supposed to be in this game, and she's the one who got them all stuck there. He suggests they take the gem, and continuously tries to give it to them.
The Air Continent Events:
They encounter a terrible storm - this should be a scary endurance test for them, and should test their resolve and their willingness to lose lives. Don't let it kill them, but make them think it easily could. If they decide to wait it out, let them - but have a little fairy fly by and warn them that they're running out of time.
They encounter the Sprite Farm. The sprites are little pixies that are harvesting cloud-fluff for their little sprite castles, they ask the players to help - and inform them that they can pay them. If the players agree to stop and help the sprites for a while, have the sprites reward them with a long black cable attached to a strange black box - it's a power cable and battery pack for the console.
They encounter Hagrion! She shows up for a little pre-end battle brawl, and laughs at them. Have her call them by their real life names instead of their character names (everyone else refers to them as Lena, Jack, and Aron - except for Hagrion). Have her not seriously challenge them, and have her lose and flee if they decide to fight. If they decide to flee, she doesn't give chase. Have her mock them for being trapped in the game.
They encounter the boss, Baalzifer. He explains to the players that he like them is from real life but got stuck in the game. Portray him as someone you all know, but not very well (like a teacher you may have all had, or a relative of a mutual friend). Have him not really care what they do, but have him explain he hasn't been able to get out - but he heard a rumor that Hagrion's not even supposed to be in this game, and she's the one who got them all stuck there. He suggests they take the gem, and continuously tries to give it to them.
The Console
IF they assemble the video game console prior to Hagrion's castle, have it boot up the game "The Gamers". It's an old school point and click adventure style game, about their real lives. They get to pick any of the three of them (or you) to play, and they play each of you one at a time, going through their regular tasks and such. Besides that, it doesn't do anything else.
Hagrion's Castle Events:
At Hagrion's Castle, they encounter the Gem Holsters. They have to have collected the four prior gems, and put them into the slots, to enter the castle.
They encounter Hagrion's minions - they have to fight their way through her undead legions and her death traps.
They encounter Hagrion. She's sitting in a chair much like the chair you, the GM, are sitting in. She explains when they arrive that she's really you, from the real world, and that she's trapped in here too. She says the only way to get out is to run out of lives! She's lying - she's not you. She's Hagrion, and the "real world" you and your players hail from is (in the context of the game) completely false. If they ask why they fought earlier, have her feign innocence over the fight.
What the heck's going on here?!
Starting at the top - the "Real World" is actually Streetball Jack's world. That's the actual, honest to goodness - Earth. Streetball Jack did indeed get sucked into a video game (AstraCresta 3) by a villain in it (The Witch Hagrion) via some weird occurrence where she was magically given sentience in the game's world! She needs Streetball Jack to die in the game, so she can take his place in the Real World and take over! The world the players live in (and they think their characters actually live in) is a video game, called "The Gamers". This game was brought from Streetball Jack's world, when he was sucked into AstraCresta 3. AstraCresta 4 doesn't exist. Hagrion cast a spell over Aron, Jack, and Lena - that put a mask put over each of the character's thoughts in order to convince them to not take the video game seriously, despite the fact that they could indeed die there. She just wants the characters to die, and to die in the castle. If Jack dies in the game, she wins - which is why she summoned him from his real world in the first place. She got the idea to convince you guys you were characters from a video game Jack brought with him from his world, called "The Gamers", and cast a terrible spell to make it happen. If the characters kill themselves to try to escape the game - explain to them afterwards what happened. If they decide they don't believe Hagrion (who is pretending to be you), then they fight her. Have her at first refuse to fight, but have her defend herself with magic she (you) shouldn't know if pressed. If she defends herself, and if the players beat her - the spell is broken. Aron, Jack, and Lena all get their "real" memories back. Lena and Aron go back to being video game characters, and Jack gets back to the real world like nothing ever happened (though he still remembers). His mom does not believe him...
That's it for this scenario - I know this one's a bit odd. Next month's will be more normal, I promise.
Let me know what you thought of this scenario by E-mailing me at Msturnbull@comcast.net
See you next month!
