[UA] Feedback on UA-ish convention scenario concept

[James O'Rance]

As this is in regards to a UA-style scenario that I may be writing for 
Necronomicon 2001, Doug Stalker (and anyone else likely to go to that con) 
may wish to avoid reading it.
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I've been asked to design a Short Sharp Shock for this convention (held in 
Sydney in October), which is a category of game that could be described as 
confronting and (ideally) a bit experimental. Power Kill would make a good 
SSS, for example (if it could be run effectively in three hours).

Although these games are typically systemless, non-game world specific or 
occasionally Cthulhu-based, I'm thinking that something in the vein of UA 
might work well, and help to improve the visibility of the game around here 
(something which I've tried to do in the past).

That's the preamble out of the way; here's the idea that I've been 
developing.

The basic premise is that the players are each playing a splinter 
personality of someone with dissociative disorder. The players are not aware 
of this at the beginning of the scenario; they are each given a character 
briefing that describes different aspects of the same person, but are lead 
to believe that they *are* different characters.

Each personality will perhaps be described as though they have five failed 
notches on a different Madness Meter. There will be some kind of incident 
that lead to the creation of these splinters, but each personality will only 
possess pieces of this knowledge. The relationships between each splinter 
personality and the others will be worked out; it is possible that some 
personalities will not "know" the others.

As the GM runs these personalities through the scenario, he is actually 
portraying a psychiatrist who is giving therapy to his patient through some 
roleplaying exercises. The GM takes some care to act towards the players as 
he would towards an actual petient, not someone in a convention scenario, in 
regards to body language and tone of voice. More significantly, he only 
speaks directly to one player at any one time - the "dominant" personality 
of the patient. The other players are free to converse with each other, of 
course, and the GM should switch focus when it seems appropriate.

I don't have enough knowledge of this disorder to know if roleplaying 
techniques have ever been used to treat it (although I'll be doing some 
research). A friend who I would normally ask about psych stuff wants to play 
anything that I run at Necro, so I can't use his advice!

The goal of the scenario is for the splinter personalities to realise the 
truth about their situation, to face the cause of their distress, and 
(perhaps) to begin the process of reintegration. Whether they decide that 
they want all of this would be entirely up to the players, of course.

The challenge of the scenario is for the players to a) explore the 
"advanture" that the psychiatrist is presenting, b) realise the secondary 
nature of the game that they are playing, and c) arrive at a dramatically 
satisfying conclusion.

This scenario would work best without overt mechanics being used, but it 
could possibly be run in the UAverse. There are a few metagme techniques 
that I've picked up running other convention scenarios (using Cthluhu, 
mostly) that I'd apply here.

I'm uncertain of the strength of this scenario idea, and I'd appreciate a 
little feedback - especially valuable considering the talented and 
intelligent folks that I've seen here.


Cheers,

James O’Rance
“Divine being creates petting zoo. It gets out of hand.”
- The Bible (summarised by John W. Mangrum)

http://www.geocities.com/dragon-dreamer/






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