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Bangsian Hell, Clipped Syntax, and Ecphonemes • 2018 rpg
Kirt Dankmyer • https://www.patreon.com/xiombarg
3+ players, more the merrier!
Decide randomly first person to pick a famous dead person to be their character. Continue clockwise until everyone's picked different dead people to play.
Last to pick describes the afterlife. Are y'all in Hell? Heaven? Houseboat on the Styx? What drinks are served? Set the tone! Answer questions from others.
Player whose character's been dead longest frames scene in that afterlife, all characters present.
Interact and talk! Argue! Flirt! Plot! Whatever seems natural, but chew scenery!
Focus is dialogue, but if something like battle happens, flip a coin. Before flipping, everyone must agree what happens on heads and what happens on tails.
Additional characters can be introduced and played by anyone, but also vetoed by anyone.
Resolve out of character impasses with coin flips.
Don't feel obligated, but once apiece, each player may call for a twist. If you do, roll a die and consult table below. Player to your left decides how to implement.
1-Someone is an impostor!
2-The afterlife status quo has been upset!
3-Romance blossoms!
4-An unfortunate truth is revealed...
5-One of you feels sick. WTF?!
6-Friends become enemies...
Game ends when scene does! Play again?
Author Comments
Ecphoneme is an obsolete word for “Exclamation Mark,” used entirely because of the 45 character limit on titles. The “Clipped Syntax and Ecphonemes” part of the title is self mockery: I used a lot of exclamation marks on purpose, to try to pep it up a little, and the syntax is a bit clipped due to the 200 word limit. Really, “Bangsian Hell” is the informative bit; John Kendrick Bangs is known for writing literature featuring historical individuals interacting in the afterlife.
