Gordon_Greenwood
Is it my tone, or just the way you're reading it?
SETTING
Oh, hi!
Welcome to Songbird, California. A beautiful mountain town nuzzled close enough to the Oregon state line to enjoy their sales tax, but far enough away to avoid their property tax. We’re further off the one-ninety-nine than most people would like to live, but that’s what makes our tiny town special—being small enough to know your neighbor like family.
We’ve got everything a household might need; a community pool, an ice cream parlor, a used bookstore, and even The Song—our local newspaper. Plus, Kelly Shue just started renting out VHS tapes at the grocery. They’re in the back next to the wine, just in case you didn’t have plans for the night.
There’s about 6,150 people living here at last headcount. Somehow, that number seems a lot smaller when you’re right up close. Like how a beach looks bigger when someone tells you there’s a trillion grains of sand on it.
Now, I’ve got a couple ‘names to know’ for you.
The Scotts are first. Cynthia Scott is the mayor. She’s doing a grade-a job at it, too! Her husband Tim runs the PTA at Waterside, the school here. They have two sons that attend; one in high school and the other in middle. I vote for Cynthia every election, if that tells you anything about the people they are.
Then you’ve got the Reeds; our town’s local celebrities. Yes, that was Reed’s General Store you saw on the way here. And Reed’s Grab-N-Bag, and Reed’s Electronics, and Reed’s Memorial Park. That statue in the center of town is the founder Clay Reed, Paulie’s twice-great grandfather. Paulie and Vanessa Reed own half the town. Used to be more until the worker’s riot of 1906, but that’s another story. Avoid their son Bradley. Avoid the whole family if you can. They’re as likely to spit on you as look.
That’s it! I’ll let you get to know the rest of the town on your own. Don’t forget to set your phone up with APC Tone! They’re the only phone company that stretches out here. Try to sign up for something at the Fall Leaf Festival—best way to meet new people, and one prize is the new Walkman. It’s got auto-reverse!
And hey, I heard about the reason you moved out of the city, the break-in. I can’t imagine what that was like. I’m so sorry. But I know you’re going to love Songbird! Nothing bad ever happens here…
SETTINGOh, hi!
Welcome to Songbird, California. A beautiful mountain town nuzzled close enough to the Oregon state line to enjoy their sales tax, but far enough away to avoid their property tax. We’re further off the one-ninety-nine than most people would like to live, but that’s what makes our tiny town special—being small enough to know your neighbor like family.
We’ve got everything a household might need; a community pool, an ice cream parlor, a used bookstore, and even The Song—our local newspaper. Plus, Kelly Shue just started renting out VHS tapes at the grocery. They’re in the back next to the wine, just in case you didn’t have plans for the night.
There’s about 6,150 people living here at last headcount. Somehow, that number seems a lot smaller when you’re right up close. Like how a beach looks bigger when someone tells you there’s a trillion grains of sand on it.
Now, I’ve got a couple ‘names to know’ for you.
The Scotts are first. Cynthia Scott is the mayor. She’s doing a grade-a job at it, too! Her husband Tim runs the PTA at Waterside, the school here. They have two sons that attend; one in high school and the other in middle. I vote for Cynthia every election, if that tells you anything about the people they are.
Then you’ve got the Reeds; our town’s local celebrities. Yes, that was Reed’s General Store you saw on the way here. And Reed’s Grab-N-Bag, and Reed’s Electronics, and Reed’s Memorial Park. That statue in the center of town is the founder Clay Reed, Paulie’s twice-great grandfather. Paulie and Vanessa Reed own half the town. Used to be more until the worker’s riot of 1906, but that’s another story. Avoid their son Bradley. Avoid the whole family if you can. They’re as likely to spit on you as look.
That’s it! I’ll let you get to know the rest of the town on your own. Don’t forget to set your phone up with APC Tone! They’re the only phone company that stretches out here. Try to sign up for something at the Fall Leaf Festival—best way to meet new people, and one prize is the new Walkman. It’s got auto-reverse!
ROLESThis is your typical, 80s-themed, slasher roleplay. Most players are going to be guests, but one of you will be the killer. You can let me know on the character sheet if you’re interested in that role. There might be a few of you that ask, so the job will be given at random to someone that stated their interest right before the IC starts. I’ll spin a wheel or ‘Price is Right’ it if there’s a lot of you.
You’ll notice there’s a space to write in a ROLE on the CS. What’s high school without a hierarchy? You can choose one example below or create your own that fits. Here ya go:
The most popular: They’re the one that everyone wants to sit next to at lunch, but most are afraid to talk to. You know the type… “I’m constantly surrounded by people, but I always feel alone.”
The nerd: Either the super nerd with the enormous glasses and inhaler, or the quiet one with the paint overalls that takes out their ponytail and becomes “pretty”.
The jock: They’re the ‘bro’, dude! Typically dumb, strong, and quick to anger—a dangerous combo. But hey, maybe your jock/jockette is just simple-spoken with a heart of gold? Maybe they’re hiding a massive, brightly-colored secret just begging to ‘come out’ ?
The boho: Short for bohemian. They’re the 80s version of hippies, but think less crystals and positive flower energy, and more poetry slam writing painters that talk a lot about how “Cats” really did deserve to win Best Musical 1983.
The nice one: They want what’s best for the people they love, and in fact, everyone. That, or they’re manipulating people with false kindness to create an army of indentured friends. Who can say? One thing’s fer shure: they always finish last.
The goody-good: The teacher’s pet/the tattle-tale/the NARC. They’re the type to write names on a notepad and turn them over to some authority figure later. However, there is another type of goody-good. The secretly loved, and best friend to all, mother hen. When your head is in the toilet after your fifth shot, they show up to bring you water, rub your back, and tell you how everything’s going to be okay. Highly underappreciated, but they don’t do it for the thanks—it’s just how they are.
The Older Sibling: You graduated two years ago, but here you are anyway. Maybe you're the cool older sis that agreed to drive your younger sibling over, or maybe you're the douchey older bro that decided to crash the party for some free booze. Either way, you're hot! You've got a car, a fake ID, and you're in college—out of state! You're the one everyone wants to talk to... except your sibling. They still think you're embarrassing.
These are just a few stereotypical archetypes. Play with them, rework them, complexify them. Or throw them out and make one that’s all yours! You can even grab one of the characters mentioned throughout this interest check. If you want two characters, go right ahead! Probably best to have a back-up anyway, you know… just in case.
CharacterUh, hell-O! It’s Saturday!
What are you doing? Vegging out until they think of something better than MASH? If only this town had a mall, right? You could always entertain yourself like Brad—drag some grody roadkill to class and make people guess what it was before it became pizza. Ugh! What a wastoid.
Okay, here’s the 411! I hear Hillary’s throwing a wild party while her units are out on some Alaskan cruise. We’re absolutely going! Ditch the couch-potato look, kay? It’s pathetic. Tease out your hair, grab your jacket, and let’s book!
Oh yeah! You know how Hillary’s sort of a freak? She wants everyone to fill out this form. No, like, I kid you not. She’s a dweeb, but her ‘rents are loaded. Like, massive liquor cabinet loaded. So just schmooze up, take a pill, and fill the damn thing out. Your social life depends on it.
Character Sheet
Name:
Junior or Senior:
Popularity:
Role:
Likes/Dislikes:
Hobbies:
What are you wearing:
Description of Appearance:
Piercings, tattoos, and scars:
Do you have an interest in being a killer:
How comfortable are you with being killed off: (You're probably going to get the axe anyway, but I'll try to keep your answer in mind.)
Bio:
Wow. Cool beans. You’re finally finished. Now, go drop this off in Hillary’s mailbox. I’ll write the address at the the bottom of the next page. Later, loser!
Hillary's HouseHillary lives at 8 Prescott Lane. Take the main out to Cherry and hang a left. Once you get out to the place Mrs Coombes sets up that weird Christmas tree tent, take the next right. She’s at the end, so it’s about fifteen miles. Reset your tripmeter or you’ll fly right past her driveway and end up at the overlook. It’s the big blocky looking one right on the lake.
And don’t get lost! The closest payphone is at the Grab-N-Bag on Main.
Halfway up a mountain, surrounded by trees, and perched on the shore of Blue Water Lake; is the Park residence. The house boasts over 5,000 sqft with two main floors, a fully finished basement, and a boat house. There are six bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms spread between all three floors. The contemporary architecture of the home stands in stark contrast with the untamed wilderness in all directions.
The Parks own most of Blue Water Lake as their property consist of around eighty-six acres of land. They measure their nearest neighbors in miles, not minutes. It’s main features include a chef’s kitchen with walkthrough pantry, a massive billiards/pinball room, an eight-seater hot tub, and an enormous 25-inch color console television set. Plus, a sound system that will knock your boots off.
Before your characters arrive at Hillary's house, they're going to need to drop off their character sheets. Thank goodness the mailbox is at the end of the drive way and not at her front door. Driving into the middle of 87 acres to go all the way home again sounds like a pain.
Hillary's Mailbox
HOW IT WORKSThat's right! This isn't just going to be a point-and-stab RP. Every character has an opportunity to escape the killer's clutches.
I so appreciate you wanting to know the exact details on this, but I'm still working on the final polish of the rules. Let me break down what I've got so far, though.
You might already have guessed, but Discord is highly recommended for OOC and actions involving the 'checks' below. If you don't have one and really don't want to get one for a single RP, I get it. I'll do my best to work with you through DMs on RPN. Don't worry, all IC posts, character sheets, and most extras will be here on RPN, too!
The Gist:
-The killer is its own separate role. The character you make to attend the party is not the killer and still on the chopping block.
-The killer does get to pick their own victims.
-Scenes with the killer are broken down into 3 'checks' - the approach, the struggle, and the showdown. Both the killer and victim will face off in these checks secretly.
-The RP ends when either the killer finishes off the other cast members, or the other members unmask the killer.
-The killer can be unmasked by a victim passing all 3 'checks' or by gathering enough clues to determine the killer's identity.
-IMPORTANT: A lot of these ideas depend on honesty. If you as the victim fail a check, I'm hoping that you'll be honest about it. 90% of the fun here is in the fight for survival, it's not a fight if you've cheated your way into immortality. Letting go of a character you put a lot of time into is hard, but that makes it all the more exciting when you play fairly. Besides! Any player that looses a character is more than welcome to rejoin the party as a new latecomer!
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