The Last Broadcast • 2016 rpg

Scott Slomiany • meeplespeak.com

While war rages overseas...what happens to the actors of a top-rated live radio show when the show falls apart live, on the air?

Each player needs to choose a “real-life” secret persona for their actor related to the on-going war, and a character trope for their “on-air” character.

Examples:

Real-Life Secret:
Traitor
Patriot
Propagandist
Immigrant
War Hero
Exile

On-Air Character:
The Star
Neighbor
Best-Friend
Announcer
Spouse
Servant

In scenes 1-3, when a player sneaks an element of their Real-Life Secret into the scene, they collect 2 poker chips.

SCENE 1: The script is missing! Improvise tonight’s broadcast. As the actors, decide on the setting and a conflict!

SCENE 2: Start the program as on-air characters. Involve everyone! 

SCENE 3: Following a commercial break, announce that Pearl Harbor has just been attacked. What happens that causes this to be the last broadcasted episode? Additionally, gain 4 poker chips whenever a player drops their on-air character for their actor persona while on-air. 

All further scenes: As players, create scenes that challenge other characters’ secrets. A player may discard a chip to have their character successfully “defend” against the challenge.

After spending their last chip, players tell an epilogue for their actor.

Author Comments (if any)

For 200 words, there’s a bunch of things that I find interesting tied up in this.

I’m a sucker for old-time radio programs. What was once thought to be pure entertainment designed to help sell soap and tobacco now can be viewed as fascinating historical documents of the times that they were created.

Additionally, the old Hollywood star-making system era is fascinating. I’m always drawn to the background players in old musicals, for example. Everyone knows the life story of Bing Crosby to a certain extent, but what happened to that 3rd girl on the right of the kick line in the big dance number? People like George Chakiris in his younger days when he was just another uncredited member of the dance troupe?

I’m also interested in games that have, as a result of playing them, a creating of a document of some sort beyond simply “hey, look, we played a game”.

And so, this game is an attempt to get players to create a document, that could be recorded and replayed over ( at least the initial scenes ) as a simulation of a moment in time. Plus it also ties into my fascination with sepia-toned old school entertainment in an manner of exploring “what ever happened to those old performers?”

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