A game for 3-6 players and a Game Master.
YOU ARE PATRONS OF THE WANDERERS' LIBRARY. You are also members of the Serpent's Hand, a not-so-secret society dedicated to fighting evil and keeping magic alive. Tenth Chief Archivist COMMANDER OXFY is ill with a possessive entity, and the Library is on lockdown until ze recovers. Librarian support is erratic, so you have taken up the duty of protecting the Library from harm- whatever that means.
Players: Create Your Wanderer
Choose your style: kindly, volatile, mad, tricky, jaded, joyous, heroic, or bizarre.
Choose the role you play: raider, healer, activist, scout, artist, inventor, or journalist.
Choose a number, from 2 to 5. A high number means you're better at SERPENTS (knowledge, books, investigation, rationality; cold, precise action). A low number means you're better at SPIRITS (intuition, feelings, communication, lust; wild, passionate action).
Make a quirk, or a special (possibly magical) skill that activates only in a specific situation. Such as, "if there is a fight and I ate a peanut within the past hour, I can shoot peanuts out of my mouth at moderate speeds." Be fair to your fellow players and don't make it too overpowered!
Give your character a fun fantasy name, like Luminous Wednesday or something.
You have a standard-issue green cloak (complete with hood and pockets), an instant communication scroll (does not take pictures), and a personal trinket of your choice. You do not have a weapon as those are usually banned, but you can always create one at your own risk.
Character goal— choose one or create your own: become honorary Librarian, gain secret knowledge, discover something new, regain your honor, have fun, or ruin everything.
Players: Build Your Setting
Choose a starting location as a group: Hidden Nest, Sea of Words, Rafters, Burnt Shelves, the Sticks, or the Archives (with or without permission).
Choose a plight that haunts your group: indebted, allergic to magic, persecuted by Librarians, cursed, unpopular, or invisible.
Players: Roll Your Dice
During the game, when you want to do something risky, roll 1d6 to find out how it goes. Roll +1d if your quirk can help out, +1d if you are an expert in the situation, and another +1d if a teammate helps you; they will be implicated in your success or failure.
If you're using Serpents, you want to roll under your number.
If you are using Spirits, you want to roll over your number.
If none of your dice succeed, something goes wrong, and a consequence of your GM's choice will complicate the situation.
If one dice succeeds, you barely make it, and a consequence still occurs.
If two dice succeed, things go well. Good job!
If three or more dice succeed, you have SERPENTSPIRITS. In addition to having a critical success, you gain extra insight into the issue at hand. You can ask your Game Master one question about what's going on- such as, "who's behind this?" or "what's the best way to X?"
Game Master: Create a Plot
A threat: the Madmen, a rogue Librarian, book pirates, a memetic virus-god, a group of conspiracy theorists, or Chief Archivist Commander Oxfy
Wants to: destroy/corrupt, steal/capture, bond with, protect/empower, build/synthesize, pacify/occupy
The: first books, boiler room,