We all met up at the beach where Camden's pontoon boat was still tied up. The others talked about their experience in the storyline while I watched the final cut on the red wallpaper.
"Do you realize that you finally recovered from the disease at exactly 1:00 PM, 24 hours after the race started?" Camden said to Kimberly, who was getting attention from everyone. "It was literally just a game of surviving for one full day. We must have wasted so much time trying to turn this into a real story."
He had no idea how right he was.
As I watched, I realized that Carousel mostly cared about Kimberly and Antoine's story when it came to the players. Camden was also important because he was the one who planned their escape, but other than that, the rest of us were very distant side characters. I got a big moment for biting Bruce on the face. I knew Carousel would like that.
Ramona was given some screen time so that when she got shot and fell out the window, it would be meaningful. Cassie and Isaac were only featured enough so that they could interact with Ramona, and so that their deaths would be slightly more notable. Isaac wasn't even a named character. Cassie had casually called him her brother at one point in time, and that was the only introduction he got, besides playing with his yo-yo.
Kelsey was also an unnamed character, and I was credited as Spotter, though I was pretty certain I had been referenced by name at some point.
Kitty Lincoln got plenty of screen time as she manipulated the NPCs up in the owner's suite, and we actually got to see a fair amount of what the military was doing, but in vague ways. Nothing was explained until the end. It was as we expected. Commandant Caster was assigned to make sure knowledge of the zombie virus never got out, which was why he could never use firearms or explosives to kill the zeds.
And his name really wasn't Commandant Caster. That's just what he told us over the radio. It was something Jefferson. Lame.
Overall, the story was fine. Dead Pursuit was, after all, a bit of a sandbox. It was a simple setup: survive for 24 hours while keeping Kimberly alive, and you win.
It was no surprise then that when it came time for rewards, Silas the Mechanical Showman was less than generous with tropes. The storyline was still a rescue, and it was difficult, especially once the military started sending zombies around like attack drones. We received approximately the number of stat tickets I anticipated.
I got exactly one stat ticket. I was thrilled, because I was the highest-level player.
I got a single trope directly related to my maneuver against Bruce. Pretty much every scene that I had was designed to build up to that moment, so I was glad that I had put in the work to argue with him before we made our getaway from the NPC mob, even if it did get repetitive.
Infighting On Set
Type: Debuff
Archetype: Film Buff
Aspect: Filmmaker
Stat Used: Moxie
Long before a movie hits theaters, rumors of an actor’s tumultuous relationship with the director can lead viewers to speculate whether the behind-the-scenes fight leaked onto the screen.
Characters who have a grudge, rivalry, or hostile relationship with the user will be debuffed.
“You’ll never work in this town again!”
I couldn't see myself using this because it wasn't predictable that I would have some sort of animosity with someone I actually wanted to debuff. Technically it could be used as blood control, but we had much better methods. Still, the idea of having a trope that would debuff anyone who argued with me definitely gave me some satisfaction.
~
Antoine was our story’s hero, and his storyline was devoted entirely to Kimberly, who also got a lot more scenes than I realized before her infection, shot by Danny, no less. He didn't tell me about that. Perhaps he forgot who he was working for. Antoine also got one stat ticket.
Designated Driver
Type: Rule/Buff
Archetype: Athlete
Aspect: Health Nut
Stat Used: Savvy
The audience’s attention is a valuable commodity in a scene filled with characters. Even if most of the party is struggling, having a lead character who is thriving can make the group look all the more competent.
When the user is leading a group of characters, the group will benefit from the user’s Hustle and Grit to navigate obstacles, evade enemies, and power through injury.
Traveling is easier when you only have to follow the leader.
Designated Driver. The title made you wonder whether it was just a coincidence that a trope like that existed after Antoine played a racecar driver, or whether Carousel made it bespoke? Whatever the case, it was a very interesting concept, and a zombie apocalypse was exactly the kind of storyline it would be useful in. We would have to look for spots to use this.
~
Cassie got two stat tickets because, while her efforts in the story didn't really amount to much On-Screen, she did technically save us from an ambush by the NPC mob and took a bullet that was clearly meant for me. That, combined with being underleveled, served her well.
She got one trope, and I wasn't sure if it was the kind that was designed to mock her. Technically, she died by accident because one of the NPCs saw her imitating a zombie and thought she was one. Carousel played that scene up well. It wasn't clear that Cassie had done it on purpose, of course. It looked like real friendly fire. A sad moment.
Accidental Death
Type: Rule
Archetype: --
Aspect: --
Stat Used: --
When a monster is bearing down on you, it can be easy to forget that running through the forest in the dark is, itself, dangerous. Sometimes the thing that kills you is bad circumstances.
The user will die by accident or misadventure, rather than at the hands of the enemy.
A touch of tragic irony can be a refreshing note in an otherwise sadistic affair.
Whether Carousel was mocking her or not, this was a priceless trope. There were quite a few storylines where having a death unrelated to the enemy would be a godsend. I also found it lent credibility to the action if people could die from doing normal dangerous things.
~
Isaac got four stat tickets because he was so low-leveled, and he did provide a good fight scene in the end, injecting the storyline with enough humor to keep it from focusing on the misery of the infected. He didn't get any tropes, but that was just how it went sometimes.
~
Kelsey got two stat tickets and no tropes. While she was helpful in general, she never got a chance to shine in the storyline after getting turned.
~
Ramona did her best, and if the storyline had gone in a different direction, she could have been much more significant, given that she could communicate even after being infected. Unfortunately, she didn't end up getting much more screen time after First Blood.
Ironically, her actions in the storyline had unlocked one of the most powerful tropes in the game.
The Red Mist
Type: Perk
Archetype: --
Aspect: --
Stat Used: --
Death can come quickly. Sometimes you blink and miss it.
The user will die an instant, painless death. Lowers the user’s Plot Armor by a tenth. This death will cause no lasting mental trauma.
When Death waves hello, you’ll be looking the other direction.
It made sense. Ramona died a lot in the storylines she was a part of, and she had gone out of her way to give herself a less painful demise in this one, although it was ironic that in this storyline she didn't actually die, not that I saw. I also theorized that this reward could also be related to how things turned out for her in the Sunken Cradle Part II, where her death was drawn out and horrific.
The funny part was that Kimberly had long ago been given a rewards program card that would allow her to unlock The Red Mist if she died for First Blood five times, and, to my recollection, she never died for First Blood again after that. It made it even clearer that the rewards card was Carousel teasing her.
Ramona got two stat tickets.
~
Camden got a couple stat tickets as well, but that wasn't the biggest prize. When he pressed the button, Silas the Mechanical Showman had something else for him.
"You can pick one from three; what will it be?
No matter the choice, no room to rejoice.
All three can save your skin or tear it off again,
The question remains, you must choose your pains,
In this game of dread, you can choose well and still be dead."
Camden was getting his aspect. While the requirement was simply outsmarting a Savvy-based enemy in the Finale, it was far more strict than it sounded. You actually had to go up against someone who was more of a mastermind-type character, not simply one that was smart.
Carousel gave him all the information on the three aspects that he had to choose from.
There was Researcher, which, as its name suggested, was devoted to books and scientific inquiry. The goal was to unlock knowledge hidden and obscured by minutiae. It was a pure Savvy specialist.
Sleuth was about following clues and unlocking the events that preceded the movie, those leading up to a murder or to a monster's rampage. It was exactly like it sounded. We solved a lot of mysteries, but if he chose Sleuth, we would have to go stronger into that to reward his choice. It focused on the Moxie and Hustle one might expect from an intrepid gumshoe.
Strategist was about tactics and combat, analyzing the enemy's behavior so you could beat them. It was the aspect that emphasized planning and the use of traps. This was the combat build for Scholar, in addition to having great leadership tropes. It allowed him to use his Savvy to get around a lack of fighting proficiency.
I tried to leave Camden alone while he made his choice because I knew it was an important one. He had been so fundamentally important because of his researching ability that I worried he might feel pressured into becoming a Researcher on that alone.
I didn't want to influence him negatively.
Fortunately, he didn't take long to decide. He smiled when he realized it was time to make his choice, and while he took time to read through the aspect capstone tropes, I had an idea that he knew his pick from the beginning.
All aspects had a keyword usually unique to them, but not always. For Scholars, it was Illuminate, which allowed them to debuff the Plot Armor of the enemy as they learned things about them and exposed them to the audience.
Required Reading
Type: Rule/Debuff
Archetype: Scholar
Aspect: Researcher
Stat Used: Savvy
The limitation of film as a medium is that dense information must be pre-chewed. The story needs a giant library, a high-tech lab, or intricate glyphs on a wall, but the viewer cannot mine the knowledge hidden within them without a special character who can dive deep and synthesize a mass of information into layman's terms.
Illuminate: the player will debuff the enemy as they reveal aspect-specific knowledge to the audience.
As a Researcher, you Illuminate deep, hidden knowledge that could never be portrayed on film except for your expository prowess. These reveals lower the enemy’s overall Plot Armor, lessening the grip their mystique has on the narrative. Your revealing experiments and demonstrations are tantamount to striking blows against the enemy from afar.
You will always be safe when conducting in-depth research Off-Screen, so you can synthesize the information On-Screen for presentation. Your research, experiments, and demonstrations will be worked into and supported by the narrative.
This ticket is granted after the player outwits a significant Savvy-based enemy in a contest of wits in the Finale following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Researcher aspect.
Under your microscope, even evil looks small.
~
Closet of Skeletons
Type: Rule/Debuff
Archetype: Scholar
Aspect: Sleuth
Stat Used: Savvy
The darndest thing about a whodunit is that the most important part of the story happened before the camera started rolling. A mystery film tries to make a new story out of what remains of an old one. If the audience is to engage with what is happening now, they will need to know what happened then. Maybe you’re the gumshoe to show them.
Illuminate: the player will debuff the enemy as they reveal aspect-specific knowledge to the audience.
As a Sleuth, you Illuminate the narrative hidden in the past and stored only in clues that have no meaning until you decipher them. The more of the past is revealed, the more human and vulnerable the enemy becomes. The enemy’s supernatural and functionally supernatural meta-protection will begin to fail as they are humanized or given proper context. Your set-piece investigations and interrogations will be worked into and supported by the narrative.
This ticket is granted after the player outwits a significant Savvy-based enemy in a contest of wits in the Finale following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Sleuth aspect.
Once you know an evil’s beginning, you can better find its end.
~
Know Thy Enemy
Type: Rule/Debuff
Archetype: Scholar
Aspect: Strategist
Stat Used: Savvy
A horror film can be packed with all kinds of hidden lore and dark secrets, but the overarching narrative isn’t worth much if the audience doesn’t grasp how the monster might act if it were in the theater with them. A werewolf hunts and pursues, a zombie roams and infects, a killer stalks, waiting for the chance to strike. The audience cannot engage with a movie monster until they know how it moves and thinks. They need you to map it out for them.
Illuminate: the player will debuff the enemy as they reveal aspect-specific knowledge to the audience.
As a Strategist, you Illuminate the behavior and tactics of the enemy, which is shrouded in often literal darkness until you unveil it and plan around it. As you categorize and analyze the enemy, developing counterplay as you go, their ability to surprise and outmaneuver will decrease. You will gain protection as you reveal the enemy’s behavior and exploitable tactical weakness On-Screen, and will gain extra protection while observing it Off-Screen. Your scouting, planning, and prepping will be worked into and supported by the narrative.
This ticket is granted after the player outwits a significant Savvy-based enemy in a contest of wits in the Finale following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Strategist aspect.
Predictability is the silver bullet to every monster.
In the end, the choice was Strategist. We were a very insight-heavy team to begin with. We didn't need a heavyweight researcher, and frankly, if we wanted to devote ourselves to murder mysteries, we could work toward getting a Detective advanced archetype or relying on social tropes if need be.
Strategist allowed him to do a lot of damage in the Finale after I had usually been taken out.
That left Anna. She got a single stat ticket and one trope.
Carousel was not impressed with her performance, although I would argue that her failure to consider the interactions among her own tropes in the Finale actually made it more heart-racing and a better scene. The faux pas of denying Carousel what it originally wanted was punished harshly.
I wasn't sure whether Cassie's trope was meant to mock her, but I knew Anna's was.
Failure to Launch
Type: Perk
Archetype: --
Aspect: --
Stat Used: Savvy
A plan is only as good as its execution.
The user will go Off-Screen after the failed implementation of a plan.
If you have to scramble to fix things, best you do it in private.
Carousel had a habit of always teasing you with tropes that were genuinely useful but still hurtful.
Anna looked devastated, and while I wished I knew the words to make her feel better, I was glad we had Kimberly back. She would find the words, even though she was dog-tired.
As Camden drove us back down the river toward our accommodations, I could breathe a sigh of relief. Our team, which had been fractured, had come back together. Now it was time to make our next move, and whatever it was, it would have to be a bold one.