FAITHHEIST: VOL I

HAZARDGAMING.COM

BY DANIEL HODGES

FAITHHeist: Vol. 1© 2013 Daniel HodgesAll rights reservedCover Design: Brett GrimesEditing: Renee RitchieIllustrations: P.J.McQuadeLayout: Daniel Hodges and Brett GrimesPhotographs: Jade MaCalla (jademacalla.deviantart.com)Fantasy Stock (fantasystock.deviantart.com)

!anks to:Joey Lindsay, Meg Baker, and Shaun Hayworth, Jason Morningstar, Josh Roby, Zak Smith, Zach Weber, Epidiah Ravachol. Farrel Foster-Lynam, Donald Gardner, Tony Patterson, Daniel Melvin, Clint Johnson, and Rob Pomerleau.

!e short form/story games I’ve enjoyed in recent years, especially Fiasco and Witch- !e Road to Lindisfarne that encouraged me to dust this game o" and polish it up. Special thanks to Masen Ma, firstly for making me go to Pulp Fiction and then for writing Reservoir Zombies. If you’d not done both, this book would not exist.

Extra special thanks to all the people over all the years who played, ran, and enjoyed this game and made it what it is.

Lastly, but not leastly, thanks to Marlowe, Noah, and Angie, may you never find yourselves in this situation.

D.H. March 2013

FAITHCONTENTSINTRODUCTION IFRAMEWORK 3CHARACTERS 26WHAT IF... 42OPTIONS 44RESOURCES 45CHECK-LIST 47

NOTES 48

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INTRODUCTIONWhy should I buy Faith?Because you can play it now: there are no long rules sets to read and there is no preparation to do. If time is tight and you want fun right now, you’re holding just the thing. Turn to page 3 and get started!

Because it was played and refined until it was as deadly as the plague, as smooth as the slide on a freshly oiled Beretta, and as dark as a bullet hole.

Because you don’t want to just sit there and absorb someone else’s stories anymore: you want to start telling your own!

Sold! One question though: what is it?FAITH is a collaborative storytelling game for four players inspired by the films of Quentin Tarantino particularly From Dusk Till Dawn and Reservoir Dogs. Designed to play out in approximately three hours, it’s ideal for game nights, last-minute pick-up sessions, and convention slots. Its minimalistic design also makes it an ideal introduction for people new to roleplaying.

Despite its overall simplicity, the solid set-up and tight finale, when coupled with a wide-open second act, mean FAITH not only consistently produces engrossing tales but is infinitely replayable.

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Wait, back it up a bit. What’s a roleplaying game?It’s a type of game where you and some friends get to tell stories in which you’re the heroes. Scary-looking old houses are transformed from magnets for the meek and unprepared into opportunities for your characters to heroically rack a round into their pump-action shotguns, say something witty, and become the nightmare!

What system does Faith use?Faith is a self-contained game that does not require any supporting works in order to play. You’ll find easy to follow instructions that guide you every step of the way.

But, what’s it all about?Faith is a tale about four people at a crossroads in their lives, a shipment of biological weapons, and a large sum of money. It begins with a heist and a cold-blooded murder, and then moves to a wind-whipped ghost town with secrets of its own.

What do I need?One six-sided die, three hours, four people, and an imagination.

OK! I’m ready to get cracking. What do I do now?Read on...

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FRAMEWORKTo play FAITH all you have to do is follow the chapters in order, read aloud the READ THIS slugs, and then follow the directions in the DO THIS sections. It’s that easy. In the event you encounter a DO THIS followed by an ellipsis (…) it means you’ve got an option, so read both before deciding.

READ THISWhat about rules? !ere is only one rule: the order of the contributions made by players doesn’t have to match the order they happen in the game, but, you can’t invalidate something already established by another player. As a result take turns contributing first, and make sure each player has the opportunity to contribute before the first person has a second opportunity.

DO THIS When all the players are are assembled, set a timer to count down from three hours and place it so everyone can see. Once this timer runs out, no matter where you are in the game, go directly to Chapter 6 THE CHOPPER.

Each player selects one of the four characters (p26). Compromise and collaboration will be essential during the game so character selection is a good place to begin. In the case of disagreement, the player born closest to Faith, North Dakota gets to choose first. If you’re having trouble finding FAITH, it’s probably

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obscured by the “k” in whatever map you’re looking at.!e following outlines may help with this decision and also serve as a basic introduction to the characters in the game:

Nixon: A mafiaoso in charge of the heist and drop.

Cleveland: A seasoned hitman with issues.

Lincoln: Nixon’s muscle and second in command.

Carter: An ex-CDC microbiologist/geneticist who planned the heist and is along to handle the weapon.

ROLL TAPE

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PROLOGUEREAD THISNew Year’s Eve 1999:

A delivery driver, minus a head, lies in a ditch and four people, crammed into a van with a stolen biological weapon, head for the middle of nowhere and their piece of an $8 million dollar payo".

What more could you want to ring in the new millennium?

DO THISLook at the timer. Once half an hour has passed from now, move on to Chapter 2 FAITH.

DO THISEach player introduces his or her character and shares something about them. Although you can, you don’t have to disclose their darkest secrets. Physical appearance, demeanor, and mannerisms are fine, pieces of history are better, and anecdotes, best of all.

As the characters are being described the other players should ask questions and seek clarification to help flesh out these descriptions. Remember to make sure everyone’s involved

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DO THISPlayers take turns to describe, from their character’s perspective, what happened during the heist beginning with Nixon (this is the only time a specific player will narrate first).

END SCENE

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CHAPTER 1 THE JOURNEYREAD THIS !rough frosted windows you watch the desolate, grey, North Dakota landscape slipping past: an endless stream of empty fields wait patiently for the spring.

DO THIS!ere are three seats in the front: there are four of you. Who’s driving, who’s riding shotgun, and who’s riding in the back with the weapon?

A full-length sliding door between the cab and the back means whoever’s riding in the back isn’t cut o" from the rest of the group, they’re just uncomfortable.

DO THISEach player describes an aspect of the Biological Weapon. It could be the shape or size of the container, the color of the liquid, or even that there appears to be a strange looking puddle beneath it.

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DO THISEach player contributes a detail about the e"ects of the weapon.In these descriptions, as well as those to come, leave things open where you can. For example, “It’s completely immovable” is bad, while “It’s really heavy looking” is better.

DO THISOnce all the characters have been introduced the players then briefly describe the relationships that currently exist between their characters.

Try asking your questions in-character if you feel up to it, it’s a good way to give your character a voice.

END SCENE

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CHAPTER 2 FAITHFaith, North Dakota. Population: you. !is once bustling place is now a ghost town.

DO THISEach player takes a turn describing something about the ghost town they notice as they drive in. You could describe the size of the town, roughly what year it was abandoned, its major industry, the weather, or better yet, what happened to the town.

As always, the other players should ask questions, seek clarification, and collaborate in fleshing out these descriptions

If you’d like a little help coming up with ideas check out the resources section on p45.

DO THISIf you haven’t already, decide where the van gets parked and describe the location it’s parked in.

END SCENE

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CHAPTER 3 TAKING A WALKREAD THISIt wasn’t a long ride, but the combination of a lack of space and fresh air, and an unnerving proximity to Armageddon creates a strong desire to stretch your legs.

DO THISEach player describes what he or she does once they manage to get clear of the van. In your description, include a specific object or thing you’ve investigated or encountered during your wandering around town, e.g. a saloon, an abandoned shop, or some wandering livestock. !e other players should take this opportunity to ask questions that will flesh out the descriptions.

Although each player’s scene centers on their character, it can feature one or more of the others if you wish. !is doesn’t count as the other player’s scene, but their scene can directly follow the current one.

END SCENE

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CHAPTER 4 THAT’S CURIOUSREAD THIS As darkness closes in, abandoned towns become like dark basements: they’re a little spooky but almost never contain anything to be afraid of...

While you were wandering in the town someone saw or heard something unsettling. What was it?

DO THIS...To find out each player takes a scrap of paper and writes a mysterious observation they’ve made while wandering in the town. !ere should be no explanation along with the observation. Keep it in mind for later on but don’t write it down.

!is scrap is then placed face down on the table. Once everyone has done so, the ideas are revealed and together the players weave them into a cohesive picture.

!is may seem intimidating at first, but humans are innate storytellers capable of seeing patterns in random collections of information. You may be surprised at how easily you make interesting connections and create truly unique events.

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EXAMPLE (VERY BRIEF)

!e players jot down an idea each and turn them over.

Angie: !e local graveyard’s been disturbed.

Brett: !ere’s a small crater surrounded by scorched earth and some strange rock fragments.

PJ: A fresh, but stripped clean deer carcass.

Renée: A weird looking dead worm.

After a few moment’s musing...

Renée: Amongst the rock fragments there were eggs.

Angie: And some of them were open.

PJ: Come to think of it there was what looked like a tiny trail leading up to the deer and this large wide shiny trail that led away.

Brett: Are you sure that was a worm your guy saw Renée or could it have been a cocoon of some kind.

Renée: Yes! !at!

Angie: And there were little trails leading to the graveyard too as well as big holes above where the co#ns would be and trails leading away.

PJ: Nice.

Brett: So, an alien invasion starting in Faith North Dakota and we’re the only thing standing in the way?

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... or THISGo with whoever has a solid idea first, or decide together. For example:

• Survivalists are preying on tourists to the town. Uranium ore causing hideous birth defects contaminates their caves in the foothills.

• Aliens have landed nearby and they are intent on studying humans.

• !e headstones in the town graveyard show a pattern of townspeople dying regularly around New Year’s Eve. !eir epitaphs hint at some kind of creature that comes for them. Old newspapers say local natives believe it is the Wendigo. !e creature is said to awaken with the express purpose of consuming human flesh before returning to the Earth until awoken again by its terrible hunger.

!e only restrictions are the limits of the player’s imaginations.

Once you’ve agreed on a direction, players take turns adding details until a clear picture has formed. Most groups can accomplish this with one or two details per player.

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EXAMPLE (VERY BRIEF)

Lincoln: !ere’s an old clapboard garage over there. I saw a new- looking car through a crack I took a closer look and there’s a family still sitting in it. It looks like they’re dead.

Nixon: Okay. We decide to head over there to take a look. When we get close, we can see they’ve all been shot.

Carter: And the shooting has happened recently, too. In fact, so recently that their bodies aren’t even cold yet.

Cleveland: We also notice that two of the seats are empty and there are things in the car belonging to at least one, but perhaps two females; maybe a mother and daughter.

Lincoln: Did you hear that? Was that a scream?

If you’d like a little help coming up with ideas check out the resources section on p45.

END SCENE

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CHAPTER 5 THINGS GET REALYou were supposed to be taking it easy while waiting for the arrival of a chopper. Guess you were wrong.

DO THISAre there are aliens or zombies wandering the streets? Have survivalists been taking potshots at you with high-powered rifles? Has someone or something stolen the biological weapon and set fire to the town?

Players takes turns to describe their character’s part in whatever they’ve become embroiled in. !is requires some flexibility to fit all the individual narratives together, as well as lots of back and forth as you discover the story, investigate those discoveries, and try to make sense of your circumstances.

It’s going to turn into an awesome story; you’re old hands at this stu" by now.

END SCENE

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CHAPTER 6 THE CHOPPERREAD THIS You slowly become aware of a dull thudding sound. Looking skyward, an expanding ball of light on the horizon means the chopper’s inbound.

DO THISUnless it’s already been established in your unfolding story, it’s time to discover, or decide, who arrives in the chopper.

!e person with the next birthday rolls a six-sided die and looks on the list below. If the outcome doesn’t fit for some reason you can choose, or even come up with your own.

In any case, whatever action is underway when the chopper arrives doesn’t just stop; it gets woven in with the unfolding events.

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It’s whom you expect: guys ready to make an $8 million hand o" without any shenanigans. !is doesn’t mean there won’t be any shenanigans, however.

It’s a group of terrorists. Castellani was duped. !ey want the weapon, they’ll die to get it, and they intend to use it.

It’s the CDC, in HAZMAT suits. !ey’re going to quarantine willing, cooperative individuals, but more likely shoot to kill. Collateral damage is acceptable.

It’s the FBI coming for their agent. !ey’ll play it by the book... right?

It’s the military in a gunship. Someone in the government wants no trace of this having ever happened. !ey want everyone dead and the town wiped from the map.

It’s actually two choppers, one after the other. !e state police have been tipped o" that something’s going on in the town and arrives just before Castellani’s men.

!e players then collaborate to determine the general outline of the story after the chopper arrives before describing their character’s actions, particularly as it relates to whoever arrived in the chopper(s).

END SCENE

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EPILOGUEAll things come to an end. What was yours?

DO THISEach player briefly outlines the direction for his or her epilogue. If no conflicts arise then take turns to relate your epilogue in detail.

!is should be a somewhat collaborative process, so don’t be shy about suggesting cool and interesting ways things could pan out. You can also change narrators mid stream where character’s epilogues intertwine.

In the event that players have conflicting epilogues and no amount of compromise will satisfy both parties...

DO THIS...Each player rolls a six-sided die and the player with the higher roll gets his or her way. !e winner then relates their epilogue in detail.

!e other player(s) then relate their ending and when doing so they are allowed to subtly change the winner’s epilogue in order to make room for their own. However, under no circumstances can they alter the outcome of the central conflict.

For example: Angie, playing Lincoln, and PJ, playing Nixon, both want to get away with the money. Angie rolls higher than PJ.

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Angie: I shoot Nixon grab the money and ride o" into the sunset.

PJ: But the gunshot doesn’t kill me and, after I recover, I vow I will never stop until I have my revenge.

In the event that they both roll the same number, neither gets their way. In the process of making their final plays, everything that can go wrong does go wrong for both characters, their fates combing to produce the worst possible outcome.

... or THISEach player rolls a six-sided dice as above, but other players can contribute to either player’s roll with a die of their own. If they choose to do so, their own epilogue then becomes intertwined with the outcome of the roll. For this reason it’s necessary for this conflict to be resolved first.

THE END

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CHARACTERS!e character outlines and images that follow are provided so that you can start playing FAITH instantly. Of course, you needn’t feel compelled to use them as written or drawn: reimagine them as whatever fits your group best.

Another option is to come up with your own completely original characters. !e only thing they will need to have is some kind of motivation linked to the context of your story. In addition, although not strictly speaking necessary, establishing some relationships and tensions between your characters will add another layer of drama. A particular benefit of spending time on developing an original character’s backgrounds is that, if they di"er from your own personality, it will help you steer them through the game when there are di#cult decisions to make.

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NIXONOkay, Boss. It looks like we’re almost out of reception so I thought I’d bring you up to speed. Yeah it’s amazing the reception lasted this long because who the fuck lives out here?

Yeah. No signs... Nothin’. We’re about an hour out. No, we’re parked at the side of the road. Cleveland needed to take a piss. Yeah, Carter was fine, but I’m sick of hearing about Joel fucking Schumacher, I can tell you that.

Yeah, the one where the batsuit had nipples.

Anyway, so it all went to plan. We pulled up to the van and forced it o" the road. Ben... I mean Lincoln. !ese stupid fuckin’ names.

Yes Boss, I get it, no real names, but it’s like Reservoir Dogs or something. Maybe, but you know that film did not end well, right?

I know it was important to Poindexter, but why go along with it? And while we’re at it, why did I have to be Nixon? Naming me after the least trustworthy motherfucker in a long line of untrustworthy motherfuckers in a profession that attracts duplicitous charlatans and crooks seems a little unfair.

Well, I’m pleased it amuses you.

Yes. So Lincoln steps out of the car straight up to the driver’s door, rips it open, and drags the guy out. Blam! Blam! Two in the head. Driver’s dead, no hesitation. Poindexter starts blasting away, too,

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THE RUNDOWN• Mob soldier finally o"ered

the chance to get “made.”

• !eoretically in charge of the job.

• One of these other guys is a rat...

• Keep shit together until the chopper arives.

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God knows why or at what. Anyway the bioweapon gets transferred, Roosevelt puts the driver’s gear and drives o" like nothing’s happened and we get back in the van and head towards the drop.

Yeah, everything went exactly to plan. Actually, it went a little too smoothly, if you know what I mean. Yes, but just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you!

It’ll be about four when we get there. You say the guys are coming to make the pick-up at seven? Yeah, yeah, give or take.

Ga... Cleveland’s working out fine, but we didn’t really need him. Lincoln is apparently quite prepared to take care of any wet work.

Of course. Yes. When it arrives, all hands on deck. It’s suits though, right? Are we really worried about the hand-o"?

Eight million is a lot of reasons. I’ll watch out. Yeah, I can take care of the drop from here.

Am I ready to get made? Are you kidding me? I got fifteen years in. I got blood on my shoes when you made your bones. No, I won’t let you down. I appreciate that Boss. Is that the cops I can hear? Just routine stu" I hope. !ere’s a what?!

One of these guys is a rat? Boss? Boss?!

Who is this?! Who the fuck are you?! Sorry, wrong number, O#cer.

Asshole.

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CLEVELANDDon’t you love the look on someone’s face just after you’ve shot theirhusband, wife or lover? It takes them a second to get over the shock.!en the realization creeps across their faces, that look of total disbelief at what they have just seen, right in front of their very own eyes. !at moment is priceless. I have a photo album full of those faces.

It’s only fleeting, though. !e tears or anger wipe away that sublimeexpression, and then I have to kill them too. I guess it’s kinder that way. No lingering death, no infidelity, no cancer, no Alzheimer’s. Let God decide if they’re going to be together forever.

Me, I know where I’m going: straight to hell. Do not pass go. Do notcollect $200. I’m not worried, though. You see, I’ve made a deal with the Devil herself. Am I evil? I guess so, but you need evil people like me to appreciategood folks. I don’t think enough people appreciate that. !ey shouldreally be thankful.

I’ve seen the darkness in the hearts of every one of my victims. If youtake a hard look at yourself, you’ll see it there too.

Should I tip that guy over the railing? What if I stabbed my lover with this kitchen knife? You shouldn’t feel bad. It’s in all of us. You just spend your energy trying to deny it. Meanwhile, I embrace it.

What’s my deal with the Devil? Well, I didn’t do anything stupid, like say “I’d do anything to play the banjo real good.” !e Devil approached me.

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THE RUNDOWN• Hitman.

• Is a demon... psychosis or real?

• Needs to kill someone and claim his or her soul for !e Devil.

• Killing someone every day is a drag.

THE RUNDOWN• Hitman.

• Is a demon... psychosis or real?

• Needs to kill someone and claim his or her soul for !e Devil.

• Killing someone every day is a drag.

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Here I was, just going about my business, collecting my photographs,carrying out my hits, and working an honest 9-to-5 blue-collar job. Icould blame bad luck for what happened, but honestly, it was justsloppiness. I stopped taking pride in my work and I paid the price. See, that’s the problem with America today. Life’s too easy. It creates entitled people with no work ethic.

I guess I’m saying I deserved it.

Anyway, where was I? Right, right. I had the husband and wife bound up in their kitchen. !e wife was the hit. Apparently she’d run over a kid with her car. !e judge let her o" scot-free. “Kid came out of nowhere.” Case closed.

Well, she accidentally ran over the wrong kid. Turned out to be one of !e Family’s kids.

So there they are, husband and wife, begging for mercy, and I’m spelling out her crime, executioner style. I do that to make sure I’ve got the right person. Believe me, hitting the wrong person happens and it’s bad for our reputation and your bottom line. !en, from out of nowhere, there‘s this “pop” noise. It sounded more like a starter pistol than a gun. !e next thing I know I’m lying on my back. !ere’s blood all over me, blood all over the floor, and my vision starts to fail.

Turns out their kid was asleep in their room. He got up the guts to get Daddy’s gun out and shoot me in the back of the neck. Good on him.

Soon enough, I see this white light. I know there’s no fucking way I’m going to Heaven, and sure enough, here comes the Devil. I didn’t expect the Devil to be a woman, but in retrospect, I should have guessed. Next thing I know, she’s o"ering me a choice: die now and become a small, relatively unimportant demon or continue my good works on Earth and move up in the afterlife.

So I opt to stick around. Who wouldn’t? God gets angels, the Devil gets demons. It’s only fair.

!e deal’s not just “keep killing people and we’re even.” Whenever I o" someone, I have to conduct a little ritual in which I o"er up

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their soul to Satan. !is helps her get in first, you see. I have to do this once a day or it’s all over. It’s hard work killing someone every day without attracting attention. Fortunately, I’ve discovered you can bank souls, so to speak. If you kill three people in one day. you’re clear for the next two. Still, I’m not going to lie, it’s a drag.

So when Mr Castellani calls me up with a job providing muscle for the theft of a biological weapon, my cogs start to spin. For the job itself, I just have to help a crew intercept a van carrying some of the bugs to a silo in the middle of nowhere. !e Family’s smart, though. !ey’re not going to risk putting that shit in the hands of someone who might actually use it or worse, get involved with trying to put the screws to the government.

Once we’ve got the bug we’re drive them to some North Dakotabackwater where we’re supposed to wait and make the hando" to some corporate bagmen. See, Castellani’s already sold the bugs to some ambitious corporation that plans to threaten exposing its production to the media if certain lucrative concessions aren’t made. Apparently, the suits behind this master plan are banking on Uncle Sam being prepared to do just about anything to prevent the world discovering we’re ignoring that particular U.N. resolution.

It sounds like amateur hour to me. If Uncle Sam ever gets to the point he’ll do “just about anything” to keep something hush-hush, you can be fairly confident “anything” doesn’t include paying o" a blackmailer. It’s certainly something I’d never do. Still, what do I care? I’ve got a plan of my own for the bugs.

Ahhh. I see you get it. You’re a lot smarter than you look. Hold still now, that one’s good enough for the front page in my new album.

Oh, you want to know what happened to the couple and their kid?

Well, they were pretty surprised to see me drag myself up o" the floor and, long story short; I got a couple of days o".

Anyway, that’s enough of my yammering on. It was nice chatting with you. Say hi to the Boss for me and tell her it looks like Dick Clark’s not going to be making her New Year’s party again this year.

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LINCOLNI never believed in angels before, but it’s hard to say I don’t now, not with you standing right there behide me. What kind of angel will you be? A guardian angel, here to see that justice is done? An avenging angel, waiting for an opportunity to send me into the great hereafter? Or perhaps you’re just as confused as I am.

I don’t have the right to any answers, or solace. I pulled that trigger, and in that split second, blew your world apart. Your children will have to grow up without a father, your wife won’t get to grow old with you, and your parents will have to bury their son.

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

Why did you have to die? Because, in that moment, the most important thing to me was that the men around me believed I was a cold-blooded killer. A few minutes ago, I had myself convinced I didn’t get a good look at your face before I pulled that trigger. Now, as I stand here staring out at the darkening horizon, with an arctic wind tugging at my jacket, I’m not sure that’s true and I’m even less sure it would have made any di"erence.

It wasn’t supposed to be you transporting the bioweapon. It was supposed to be Marcus, the nice Australian guy really into Julia Roberts and raping homeless women.

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THE RUNDOWN• F.B.I. Agent.

• Sold out by bureau or someone in goverment?

• Has guardian angel... psychosis or real?

• Wants to disappear.

• Wants to make amends.

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!at’s a reason, not an excuse. !ere is no excuse.

Yesterday, in my final briefing I discovered that for the last three years it wasn’t just figures in organized crime that I’d been investigating, but links between them and “people in positions of responsibility” in the U.S. government. With the net closing, the wrong set of eyes must have fallen on my file at the Bureau and it cost you your life. It may yet cost me mine.

Someone must have figured I’d hesitate when I discovered it was a di"erent guy in the driver’s seat. !at hesitation would not have saved your life, though. One of the others would have done the job, but then they would have turned their gun on me. It might not have happened right away, but there’s no way I’d have walked away from this when it was all over.

But whoever set you up didn’t understand something very important. Eating, sleeping, and breathing a life not your own takes its toll. You forget that the people you’re spending your time with are the bad guys. You forget they’re not your real family. You forget you’re undercover for longer and longer stretches of time until you’re no longer playing a role. Instead, the role is playing you.

I’m not blaming anyone else, but after I squeezed o" those rounds for the first time in a long time, I felt something. I felt like myself.

So now that I’ve reached the final stop on this journey, maybe of all journeys, I couldn’t be more aware of who I am and what I have to do to make all of this right.

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CARTERTo whomever it may concern, You are holding what amounts to my last will and testament. I will spare you my name, lest you feel some sense of obligation to deliver it into the hands of my family. Nobody will mourn my passing, nor should they. !ank you in advance for taking the time to be my executor. I hope I was able to leave you something for this small kindness.

My story begins with my acceptance of a position at the Center for Disease Control in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When I took the posi-tion, I thought I was going to be helping find cures for the diseases laying waste to generation a"er generation of Sub-Saharan Africans. I was wrong.

I actually enjoyed my work for the first few years. I was making very good money and being encouraged by a government psychol-ogist to follow my dreams of playing rock guitar, flying choppers, and traveling the world. “A healthy and fulfilled mind is much more resilient to the challenges of the important work we do,” I was told. What they really meant was “a distracted mind is less likely to ask questions.”

I would still be living in my ideological dream world but for a misdi-rected memo. !e memo, intended for my supervisor, was an en-quiry about the virus I was working on. Specifically what the likely deployment date would be.

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THE RUNDOWN• Microbiologist/geneticist.

• Psychologically fragile.

• Chopper pilot

• Wants to disappear.

• Wants to have means.

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Deployment? Had I been documenting the excruciating disintegration of chimpanzees not as a way to find a cure but as part of a program developing biological weapons? All the little things I’d been ignoring, the unanswered questions, and nagging suspicions suddenly came crashing in and I suffered and immediate and violent psychotic break.

I’m not sure how much equipment I destroyed and how many people I hurt before they managed to restrain me, but it was enough that I was never allowed back in the building. !e CDC washed their hands of me.

A"er losing my job I completely self-destructed, drowning myself in alcohol and drugs and alienating every one of my family and friends. I even missed my brother’s funeral because I spent the money my parents sent me for the plane ticket on pills. I am certain that I would have eventually overdosed had I had not attacked one of my neighbors and been arrested for assault. To avoid jail time, I had to agree to enter rehab and attend a post-traumatic stress disorder support group.

Initially, agreeing to attend the PTSD group was merely expedient and I resented every second of it. However, hearing the experiences of some of the Gulf War veterans in the group gave me some welcome perspective on my experiences and condition. Once I realized that I still had a future  (unlike many of the other members), I began marshaling my mental reserves. Fortified by hate for the CDC and motivate by a burning desire for revenge, my confidence and sense of self-worth began to return.  However, they brought with them the memories I had tried to destroy. !is time though they did not return with the intent of dragging me back down but with a means of salvation. With the knowledge I had, I could make the CDC pay for what they had done to me, both literally and figuratively.

For my plan to work, I needed to find a group who’d want to buy

40

biological weapons, but I’d seen enough agonizing death. !at group had to be content to simply profit from exposing their existence rather than wanting to use it to support some misguided cause. I decided to contact the Mafia. I reasoned that even if they just wanted play the middleman in some deal, the love of their families would be enough to prevent the weapons falling into the hands of someone who might harm them, no matter how big the offer. To do that, I needed to get in front of someone high up. I settled for Milwaukee’s organized crime boss, Sergio Castellani. Over the next few months between soul crushing shi"s at Kahuna Burger I painstakingly entered and cross-referenced details from court cases involving the Castellani family with budget and personnel records from the Chicago Police Department. I then placed a few calls and was able to confirm the identity of an undercover officer within the Castellani family.

I called him up and asked him to get me an audience with Castellani. He was reluctant for obvious reasons, but I managed to convince him that I posed more of a threat to him if he didn’t agree to help me. Once I had my audience, there was no sense in being coy.

“America,” I said, “is one of the most outspoken opponents of weapons of mass destruction. And yet, the United States government dedicates hundreds of millions of dollars every year to their development in secret laboratories across the nation. I was an employee at one of these laboratories. “I know the schedules and routes for the transfer of these biological weapons. My plan is to hijack a shipment. !e weapons travel in unmarked vans guarded by one or occasionally two men. !ey call this setup “hiding in plain sight,” as it’s supposed to avoid creating an obvious target for terrorist organizations. Once you have the weapons, you could command any price you like for their safe return.

41

“All I want from this is a new identity including a passport upfront, and one million dollars a"er delivery. Now, in case any of your deputies suggests cutting me out, ask yourself, ‘Do I have anyone capable of handling and transferring a Weaponized Category D Biotoxin?’”

Castellani said he’d let me know. A couple of days later, I received a call saying the whole thing was set to roll. Mr. Castellani had found a buyer. He had put a crew together, including me, and we were going to go a"er the New Year’s Eve 1999 shipment. Once we had acquired the van, we were to transfer the weapon to another vehicle and take it to the drop-off point, then wait for the buyer. I make the transfer and get paid.

Now, if you’re in Faith, North Dakota as you read this, then it means the first part of my plan worked out. I wonder what happened next? Large sums of money rarely bring out the best in anyone. !ank you again for sharing these final moments with me. !e person that wrote them is long gone; they exist now only in my memory, if they still exist at all.

42

WHAT IF... ?!e thing about storytelling games is that, just like real life, there are no absolutes. !e best advice is: try to be fair, negotiate, discuss, and cajole until you’re all playing the game you want to play.

Having said that, there are a few circumstances that may arise which that are worthwhile addressing directly.

I want to contribute an awesome detail but I’ve had my turn?!at’s great just wait for everyone to finish having a turn before making the suggestion to the group.

I want to do a scene outside the framework?!at’s cool too, but again, wait for everyone to take his or her turn before suggesting it.

I know something my character doesn’t?Easy... well maybe not easy exactly, but you have try to play them as if they don’t know anything more than they’ve discovered during the game.

I want to kill someone else’s character, is that okay?If you have to ask, that’s a pretty good indication that it’s not. Because everyone’s playing the game to have a good time, it’s really only going to be okay if it means everyone’s going to have a better time than if you didn’t.

Believe me, these circumstances exist and you’ll know when you’re there, and so will whomever you’ve got in the crosshairs. Even so, it’s still a good idea to check before pulling the trigger.

43

My character’s been killed. What now?If you died as part of the game, that’s cool, it means it felt right and you went with it. Good for you! You put the narrative first, not everyone’s prepared to do that.

Just because your character’s dead doesn’t mean your game’s over though. You still take your turns to contribute to the story as it progresses it just may not be from your character’s perspective.

44

CHANGING THE STORYWanting to change the story either in part or altogether is a sure sign that if you’re not a roleplayer already, then you’re well on the way to becoming one.

Faith’s framework is adaptable to any type of game or genre you like. !e key aspects to encourage this style of game are tensions between the players and conflicting goals.

For example:Four escaped prisoners From Avoyelles Prison in Louisiana make their way to a bayou. As they try to avoid authorities and wait to be picked-up they also try to locate the proceeds of a previous heist. However, not only do they have company in the bayou, but one of the prisoners is responsible for them being imprisoned in the first place.

Optional Twist: Randomly select the inside man after the characters are set.

45

� 68

Chapte

r 3 FA

ITH

WEATH

ER

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d a

nd

sh

arp

sle

et

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ick f

og

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ll, full m

oo

n.

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den

sto

rm

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heavy r

ain

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heavy s

no

w

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d S

torm

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ARK

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co

ngruo

usly

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rld

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1900’s

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1940’s

1950’s

1980’s

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ROLL � � � � � �

RESOURCES

46� 69

Chapte

r 5 TH

AT’S C

URIOU

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top

it”

ROLL � � � � � �

47

� 70

CHECKLIST PROLOGUE

Describe heist …………………………………………… �

Set-timer (three hours) …………………………………… � Make a mental note of half an hour ……………………… �

JOURNEY

Seat characters …………………………………………… �

Each describe a feature of the weapon …………………… � Each describe an effect of the weapon …………………… �

Describe characters and ask a questions …………………… �

Describe any relationships…………………………………… �

FAITH

Each describe a feature of the town ……………………… �

TAKING A WALK

Each describe a scene in the town ………………………… �

THAT’S CURIOUS

Describe what’s going on in the town ……………………… �

THINGS GET REAL

Play out scenes that resolve events from “That’s Curious” … �

THE CHOPPER

Roll or decide who arrives ………………………………… �

Each describe what your character does …………………… �

EPILOGUE

Outline and check for conflicts …………………………… �

Narrate each character's epilogue ………………………… �

CHECKLIST

48

NOTES

49

50

51

52

53

54