Publisher: Thought Police
TEMPORARILY ON SALE PWYW. LIMITED TIME ONLY.
NEVER Stop Smiling is a weird fiction game set in post-apocalyptic dytopia. An unknown cataclysm tore apart the Earth and decimated humanity. "Cursed lands" and "wild places" have subsumed the world.
The Happy Place is one of the walled cities housing the remnants of mankind. There it is literally the law to NEVER Stop Smiling. Players explore the dystopian society of The Happy Place and mysteries of the broken world they live in.
Characters usually cannot die, but can be lost to Madness. If a character dies, they will mysteriously resurrect off-screen and return to the story. However, the ressurection is flawed, leaving behind a disturbing resonance of instability. The mysteries of the world can also be too much for the mind to bear. Eventually, the instability will become a permanent Madness. The gift of Undying also fades as characters venture too far from The Happy Place.
Uses a simple yet deep 2d6 system, tuned for the wild nature of the setting. One die determines success or failure, while the other determines cost or advantage. Character skills change the chances of success and advantage. "Stones" representing favors and secrets are gained and spent. Natures and Madness not only provide roleplaying guidance, but have impacts on the world and play.
This beta release provides a complete system including:
- Setting Introduction
- Core dice system, including guidance on how and when to roll
- Extended action rules
- Action sequence and conflict rules
- Narrative conditions making mental and spiritual conflict as important as physical battle
- Special moves rewarding caution and sacrifice
- Guidance for Madness impacts
- Overview of the wider world
- 9 example beasts
- Guidance for creating team ties and direction
- Suggestions for beginning encounters
- Character growth advice and guidance
- Guidelines for a GM-less game
- Dice oracle for solo, GM-lite, and emergent world play
- Advice for worldbuilding and play modes, structure, and flow
- Example characters (4 player level and 13 non-player characters)
This is a full game beta release, based on the original one-page experimental release.
Purchasers of this version will receive all future updates and expansions.
Price: $4.99
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