A Ghost Tale
Genre & Premise
A sad and grim (but, in some strange way, ultimately hopeful) template inspired by stories as the movie Ghost or the novel The Lovely Bones. I.e., the protagonist is dead but comes back as a ghost, unable to interact with the living world..mostly.
What brings to the table
- A 5-Acts plot structure focused on the themes of Denial, Rage, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance .
- Ghostly Powers as an example of how to frame Power Quirks in a thematic, limited way.
Alone in the Mist / Residence of Darkness
Genre & Premise
An unnerving and eerie game template at the beginning, that turns more visceral and horrifying once the protagonist realizes that they are a) trapped, b) surrounded by supernatural creatures, and b) chased by an unstoppable, relentless creature. Inspired by the likes of Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, etc., this is a double-feature template set in a mysterious town engulfed by the mist, or a big residence with even bigger secrets inside.
What brings to the table
- A 5-Acts plot structure that goes deeper in both a metaphorical and literal sense, with a series of World Mysteries that are answered during the game instead of (as other World Questionnaires) before the start.
- An up-and-front use of the Survival rules to represent the scarcity of weapons, ammunition, healing, etc. Also, restricted fast-travel and dangerous backtracking to emphasize it.
- A series of random Good/Bittersweet/Bad Endings to reflect the conventions of the genre. Especially the 'what the heck?' ones.
Space Horror
Genre & Premise
An adaptation of the previous template to a Space setting, whether a forsaken space colony or a derelict spaceship or space station. Inspired by videogames as System Shock, Bioshock and Dead Space, and by films as Aliens, Event Horizon, etc.
What brings to the table
- A 3-Acts plot structure that condenses the one of the previous template in a more quick and visceral way.
- Specific Good/Bittersweet/Bad Endings that, again, may ring a bell.
City of Crime
Genre & Premise
An open-world game template featuring the head of a notorious criminal Family, or the leader of a small street Gang. Or one member of the former of the latter, who's tasked with all kinds of menial, mook work...at least at the start.
What brings to the table
- Four game modes: Big Fish in a Big Pond, Big Fish in a Small Pond, Small Fish in a Big Pond, Small Fish in a Small Pond.
- Guidelines for different game eras: 30s Classic Noir, 70s Street Heat, 80s Vice City, 90s 'Hood Wars, or Current Era Japan (Yakuza).
- Rules for creating and managing your own Family / Gang.
- Examples of missions to carry out when you're a Small Fish.
- Rules for quickly "acquiring" a vehicle.
Cyber City Chronicles
Genre & Premise
Dystopian Cyberpunk Noir, in the vein of the classic Neuromancer and the more recent Cyberpunk 2077.
What brings to the table
- World-building guidelines to create the City and the whole zeist of the setting, with different grades of retro-futuristic styling.
- Five Factions that act as the mover and shakers in the City: The Mega Corp, The Local Government, The Law, The Underground Resistance, and The Gangs.
- Five Origins for the protagonist, each one with their own background and guidelines to create jobs: The Cyber Ronin, the Solo Investigator, The Net Rider, The Deft Courier, and the Corporate Suit.
- Rules for Cybergear equipment and for Hacking Incursions.
Far West
Genre & Premise
Western stories in the line of Red Death Redemption or Call of Juarez videogames, and also the Sergio Leone filmography.
What brings to the table
- World-building guidelines to create the Region where the game is set, and the Town at its center.
- Rules for classic showdons and for wanted-poster generation.
- Rules playing as a whole Five-members Gang of outlaws or Team of drifters (and, potentially, law-keepers).
Pirate Tales and Adventures
Genre & Premise
A reframing of the Starship + Crew rules in the Startship Captain template, turning it into a Pirate Ship + Crew story. With two flavors: playing as the Captain of a Greedy Crew who just want to plunder, or of a Jolly Crew who sails the waves searching adventure.
What brings to the table
- Rules for Greedy Crews and Jolly Crews, and how to keep them happy.
- Rules for Big Ships with loads of Redshirts and Small Ships with just elite crew members.
- World-building guidelines to create mysterious islands in a world under the control of big four factions: The Crown, The Fleet, The Company, and The Pirate Council.
- Guidelines for introducing supernatural elements in the setting. Yes, it can take the form of "fruits that give superpowers". Why shouldn't it be?
Spy Games
Genre & Premise
A mix of different styles of stories, all related espionage tales but in different flavors. So, a mix of Metal Gear Solid, the James Bond, Spy Kids and Bourne franchises, the Metal Gear and Splinter Cell, videogames, the Archer and Inspector Gadget series, etc.
What brings to the table
- Six Origins for the protagonist, each one with their own style:
- The Suave Operative, an elegant elite agent that solves their mission with flair.
- The Stealthy Infiltrator, who works without being detected and leaving no trace (or that's the plan).
- The Amnesiac Sleeper, who has just woken up with no memories and a killing instinct.
- The Jerkass Elite, who's the best agent you can find but also a lazy, reckless, clueless of a jerk.
- The Teen Agent, young and idealistic, who thwarts the plans of the villain in turn with the help of a Buddy.
- The Lucky Blunderer, with an arsenal of gizmos (or disguises) who just bumbles around the mission but nevertheless always succeed...thanks to a loyal assistant that secretly does all the work.
- A mission generator, with specific goals, targets and locations.
- Rules for the use of Spy Gear during the game.
The Needs of the Many
Genre & Premise
A game template of heroism and sacrifice, featuring a five-members crew that represents the only chance for Humanity against an apocalyptic-level threat (The Core, Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow, etc.). Or, maybe, a group of bystanders caught in the middle of some natural catastrophe (as in Dante's Peak, Earthquake, etc.).
What brings to the table
- A threat generator and a 5-Acts plot based on the crew efforts to thwart it.
- A Dwindling Party mechanic that turns the end of each Act into a potential death of a crew member. Yes, including the leader. There are no favorites, in this genre.
Slasher Flick
Genre & Premise
A variation of the previous template, where heroism and sacrificed is replaced by foolishness and gruesome (and stupid too, many times) deaths. Featuring a Final Girl and four suckers (the Fool, the Jock, the Nerd, and the Socialite), who are doomed to die at the hand of the Slasher. Okay, maybe the Final Girl will make it, but that's not a given.
What brings to the table
- Rules for creating a Slasher and how to play a 5-Acts based story of their exploits.
- A variation of the Dwindling Party mechanic that guarantees that one of the main cast member (except the Final Girl) will be offed in time.
- A Sequel generator so you can squeeze the franchise until its dry as a bone. And beyond that, too.
Ultimate Tournament!
Genre & Premise
The companion of the Tournament rules in the core manual, covering the more narrative aspects, but also how to create the tournament roster. All of this in the context of a Martial Arts Tournament, probably on the "not-too-much" side of the legality spectrum.
What brings to the table
- Rules for generation the 32 contenders in the Tournament, which includes the protagonist and the favorite Dreaded.
- A 12-Acts plot structure that covers both the rounds of the Tournament and the out-of-the-arena shenanigans that could (will?) happen between rounds.
Warlords of the 25th BCE Century: Gilgamesh's Ambitions
Genre & Premise
A mix of psychedelic fantasy, metal fantasy, and 80s 'are you sure this is not a long ad for toys?' cartoons. Yep, this one is just weird.
What brings to the table
- World-building tools to create your own version of retro-futuristic Ancient Sumer, including their warring factions (Gilgamesh himself, but also some conquerors from other eras) and some of the heroes who oppose them.
- An example of dime-novel serialized structure, where each story is self-contained and with lots of (implied) off-camera stories and events.
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