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[Mini-Phalla] The Thing, Day 5 - "I'm a real light sleeper, Childs." - Outpost Wins!
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Just think of it on the bright side. A clear test means less bullets flying your way.
True I suppose. It just seems like it could go better places you know? I know I would come up clean, and it wouldn't make sense for T_R to come up as a Thing, just because I would have been made one by now too then.
Including you?
I'd still like to test Clark, but in the insterest of solidarity in case there more things to swing the vote:
!Retract Bliss 101
!The Reflection
You would say that you're
a cut above the rest.
I've seen this before.
What does it mean?
I'll start the narration in a little while, I have some stuff I need to do first.
The men stood in the rec-room, with Garry and Norris tied to chairs next to each other. MacReady leaned against the pool table, Garry's pistol held loosely in one hand. Nauls and Fuchs held a flamethrower each, while Blair collected a blood sample from each restrained man.
"That was cute, Garry," MacReady said, gesturing with the station commander's pistol. "Trying to tell the others that Nauls and me, we were Things, and we were converting the scientists. Real cute."
"It's the truth, Mac," Garry replied, his eyes on the pilot's. "And when you four start copying everyone here, they'll know it, too."
Childs nodded slowly, while Clark and Palmer looked more confused than anything else. Confused, and a little frightened.
"Yeah, that's what I figured," Mac replied, before nodding to Blair.
The biologist held a thick, exposed wire in the ignition flame on Fuchs' flamethrower, then deliberately dragged it through a dish of blood. There was no reaction, other than a hiss of steam.
"What the...?" Mac started, before Blair turned the dish round, to expose the label. 'Norris', it read. While he started to heat up the wire once more, Garry exhaled slowly, and looked at the ground.
All eyes were on the wire as it was touched to Garry's blood, which suddenly leapt from the dish with an unholy shriek, landing on the wall where it started to flow upwards in a thick, glutinous mass. Nauls caught the blood in a tongue of flame, causing the mass to drop to the floor where it started to crisp and smoke.
Garry's whole body was vibrating madly, his eyes rolling back up into his head when the group turned their attention back to him.
"GET ME OUTTA HERE!" Norris yelled. "GET ME AWAY FROM HIM!"
Just as Garry's head started to bifurcate, Fuchs turned the flamethrower on him and let loose, burning the transforming thing to cinders. The blast also caught Norris' arm, a glancing blow, but the big man's sweater caught fire easily, and his screams turned from terror to pain. Blair shrugged out of his jacket, and used it to extinguish the flames before starting to untie the geophysicist from his position next to the Thing that used to be Garry.
"...What? Garry?" Childs gasped, looking from face to face in shock and horror. "How the... how'd it get to him? I was with him the whole time!"
"I'm a real light sleeper, Childs," MacReady cut in, aiming the gun at the black mechanic's head. "And I know you are, too. I never trusted you."
BANG!
A perfect hole appeared between Childs' eyes, and the man staggered backwards, before falling to his knees. The wound started to ripple, then widened, jagged teeth forming in the bloody, ragged flesh. That now-familiar shriek filled the air, a warbling cry of loathing from an inhuman throat.
"Burn him," Mac ordered, as both Fuchs and Nauls stepped forwards to deal with 'Things'.
Moments before the men pulled their triggers, Child's arms split in two, revealing serrated claws on what used to be his bones, and the man's ribcage burst open, a vaguely canid form pushing out towards the survivors.
Everything burned, eventually to nothing. Extinguishers limited the damage, and all remains of the Things were taken outside, dumped in a pit full of kerosene, and thoroughly burned beyond all recognition.
"Fucked up, man," Palmer stated before kneeling by the firepit to light a joint. "Anyone want a toke?"
"After we're all tested," Fuchs replied, as Blair nodded in turn.
"Once we know we're all human," the other biologist agreed.
US OUTPOST 31 WINS!
All Things eradicated, the human race is saved!
Great game everyone, it really started to come alive in the last few days once everyone had found their feet. I think if I were to run it again, I'd probably start with two Things, rather than one Thing and an automatically successful conversion. I'd also want to tweak the conversion mechanics, especially for multiple conversions.
The Trust/Distrust mechanic didn't come into play as much as I'd thought it would - initially, I was envisioning larger groups than two - basically, Bad Things would happen if there was a buddy group that involved people that distrusted each other, but it could be balanced out by one of the distrusted men having a trusted friend in the group - this happened the first night B:L, Frostmist, MacGuffin and Tommy stayed together - MacGuffin would have acted as a buffer, but Lawinator killed him, leaving Tommy and Frostmist in a distrusted association. I figured that if one person had a vigilante weapon in this situation, they'd use it. Thing is, Frostmist had already sent in an order to kill Tommy with the knife, so it all worked out well. It also came into play with Celebrim/Witchdoctor last night, but as Witchdoctor had TWO of his trusted associates in the group, I figured that people'd calm each other down and all.
So, all in all, I think I made some things a little too complicated, and other things a little too simple. Anyone have any suggestions on tweaks or modifications that I could make to give a smoother, more enjoyable experience if I were to run this again? And thanks again for making this work, it was a great experience.
My theory is that is was solely because you were his distrusted dude, and he was yours. Other than that, no idea!
Plus, the instinct is always to use a vigilante kill if you have one? (I imagined people would hold onto them and use them in a similar way to how B:L did - to take someone out that was blatantly a Thing, but had escaped the vote because of trust issues).
Thanks for trusting me guys, especially when trust is hard to come by these days.
It was quite fun fighting against both distrust and the cold, unfeeling tentacles of Inactivus. I figure the trust/distrust meant trusted are better guards but can convert you easier, and distrusted are worse guards but it'll be harder for them to convert you, if they were human/thing respectively.
And I love how I landed on MacCready with the sign up quote.
Best game ever?
ROLE PMS
MacReady
Trusted Colleagues - Dr Copper and Fuchs
Distrusted Colleague - Childs
You're something of a loner, even going so far as to having your own shack away from the rest of the complex, where you drink whiskey, play chess with your 'cheating bitch' of a computer, and cheat on her with your inflatable companion, 'Annie'.
You're gruff and no-nonsense, and the outpost's primary pilot. While not a military man, you have a basic knowledge of handguns, you know how to work the flamethrowers, and you can handle yourself in a fist-fight. Also, you somehow make a huge cowboy hat look good.
In your time at US Oupost 31, you've grown to trust the group's doctor, Copper, and the assistant biologist, Fuchs. You feel more at ease with these two than the others. On the other hand, you've never quite trusted Childs as far as you could throw him, and Childs is a pretty big guy.
Trusted Colleagues - Garry and Fuchs
Distrusted Colleague - Dr Copper
A solid worker. A man who does things by the book. A selfless individual who considers the needs of the many before the selfish wishes of the few. You are all these things, as Dr Blair, the outpost's lead biologist and geneticist - you are on the team to investigate novel species found in this frozen desert.
You're friendly enough, both a listener and a talker, though mediation is something you wish you were better at. You have an excellent grasp of your chosen subject, a keen interest in it to go with the knowledge, but you have a tendency to get absorbed in your work and sometimes shut others out.
Fuchs is a friend, a trusted colleague with whom you work with every day. You know how he acts, and you like him. He reminds you of a younger version of yourself. As a loyal member of the team, you trust Garry, the 'Commander' (though his title is Research Group Manager). Dr Copper's lack of regard for tradition, and his rebellious nature rub you the wrong way, however.
(DIABEETUS)
Trusted Colleagues - Palmer and Windows
Distrusted Colleague - Fuchs
Funk, rollerskates, disco and cooking. Oh, and weed. These are your passions, and you're stuck at the ass end of nowhere cooking up beans on toast for a group of square scientists and ex military assholes. But hell, the money's good, and the weed Childs and Palmer grow with your help is the best you've ever smoked.
A people person, you're quick to involve yourself in conversation, discussion, but you just don't seem to gel with most of the crew. You can deal with them well enough, but you can't really talk to them. Except for Palmer, of course. Childs is cool too, but you get the feeling he doesn't like you. You don't involve yourself in the science crap, you just cook up their meals on time, play in the rec-room, and chill with your dope-buddies.
Palmer and Windows are dudes. You grow a decent crop of weed with Palmer and Childs, and though some of the others partake on occasion, they can't handle it like the four of you. Four-twenty for life, erryday lil' buddy. Fuchs, as the biggest square at the outpost, has tried reporting you once or twice. You don't trust him.
Trusted Colleagues - Nauls and Childs
Distrusted Colleague - Windows
Weed. That's pretty much all there is to you, at least on the surface. Weed, punk, and machines. You're a mechanic, a decent pilot, and an expert 'green' grower. The science guys are okay, but they need to relax more. A fat blunt'd help them realise that not everything's so serious, and everyone'd be happier.
You get on fine just just about everyone, but not really great. Mostly because your short-term memory's not what it was, and to be honest, these are guys you work with. They're not really friends. Apart from Nauls and Childs, that is. You get on great with them. Not so much Windows, though. You don't get why Nauls hangs with the guy, he's a rat. You're sure he's only been smoking up with you so he can get Garry to consfiscate the goods.
You have a penchant for old gameshows and porn. You have an extensive collection on video that you share with your toke-buds when there's nothing important to do.
Trusted Colleagues - Palmer and Clark
Distrusted Colleague - MacReady
You fancy yourself as the ultimate badass. You've seen your fair share of bad things in life, and you know how to deal with them. Working with machines has always been a talent, and you developed your knack for fixing things around the house into an employable skill. Now, you're responsible for most all the machines at the outpost, including the generators, vehicles, electric wiring and plumbing. You're the ultimate handyman, which isn't quite a badass, but it'll do.
As a physically fit 'badass', you can handle yourself in a fight, no matter what's to hand. You're also into your weed, and maintain a crop in the complex with the help of Palmer and Nauls. Palmer's solid, you trust him totally. Nauls is okay, but he's a kid. Kids make mistakes. You have a strong friendship with Clark, the dog-handler, that neither of you can really explain. You think it's because he knows when to shut up and be quiet, but you respect the way he deals with the outpost's dogs, because you know they're as important as the machines you look after.
MacReady threatens you. It's nothing he does in particular, but he's another ultimate badass, a helicopter pilot and smartass. He just rubs you the wrong way.
Trusted Colleagues - MacReady and Norris
Distrusted Colleague - Dr Blair
You may be one of the older members of the team, but you're probably the youngest at heart. You've always been a rebel, an anti-traditionalist, and a non-conformist. You even have a nosering, and you're over fifty! You dress like one of those alternative college kids, you always have done, and you always will. However, you're also very on the ball and you know how to do your job.
You're not a big guy, but you're fit, active, and in shape. You really have to be in a placement like this. To be honest, most people are surprised that you're a medical doctor, and that you're responsible for the health and wellbeing of the whole team. Cool under pressure, but quirky and unpredictable at rest, you're one of those people usually referred to as 'inscrutable'.
MacReady is a close friend, you like they way he pretends not to care what people think, and you recognise his competence. Norris is like MacReady's polar opposite - quiet, a little insecure and needy, completely lacking in confidence... and wholly without guile. Dr Blair is just a little bit too stuffy for your liking, though. Anyone who is that much of a slave to the rules has to have some hidden agenda, right?
Also, you have a penchant for full frontal nudity in times of confusion and panic. Yep. That's in the movie.
Trusted Colleagues - Garry amd Norris
Distrusted Colleague - Clark
One of the most 'normal' members of the crew. You like football, baseball, and the weather. Meteorology's a science, and you have a firm grasp on the whole thing, but it's not your driving passion. And now that you're stuck out here, you're not exactly able to follow your teams. Best to just try and make the most of it. Studying weather patterns in the polar circle, and advising your colleagues on what's on the way isn't all bad, after all.
Very middle of the road, with a respect for authority and pride in doing a good job? That's you. You're getting paid, and while you can't watch your sports, you're not really missing anything else. You get on with the guys, you do your job well, and you get paid one hell of a shift differential for basically being on-duty 24/7.
Garry's a friend, an authority figure that you respect. Norris is a little quiet, and needs someone who knows what they're doing to keep him out of trouble. You feel that he'd be taken advantage of if you weren't looking out for him. Clark, though. Clark's too intense, and more than a little creepy. After all, isn't he the 'dog handler'? Gross.
Trusted Colleagues - Dr Copper and Bennings
Distrusted Colleague - Garry
You're more than a little shy. You're out of shape. You feel that you don't fit in here, you're not as smart as Blair or Fuchs, you're not as cool as MacReady or Childs, and you're not as laid back as Palmer or Bennigs. Regardless, Copper and Bennings seem to like you, and look out for you, so you're doing okay.
As a geophysicist, you're here to investigate 'stuff under the ice'. It's a general research post, and you do your job well. It's in your time off that you feel insecure and a little out of your depth. You've also been having a lot of chest pain recently - you think it's your heart. You haven't told anyone, but soon you might have to. Especially with the recent extra stress in the job.
You look up to Copper and Bennings, and they've never been anything but nice to you. Hence, you trust them more than anyone else at the outpost. Garry, on the other hand, is a little loud and overbearing, and always seems to be on your back. You didn't do anything to deserve it, and you just can't trust him.
Trusted Colleagues - Windows and Childs
Distrusted Colleague - Bennings
Animals, as a rule, mean more than people to you. After all, people can look after themselves. Animals? In this day and age, they need more than a little help. You're here at the outpost to look after the animals, keep them healthy, and make sure they're well treated. You're very good at your job, but sometimes go that little extra distance that makes the rest of your colleagues regard you as 'intense'.
Your passion for your animals is matched only by Childs' passion for his machines. You have an unlikely friend there. By all intents and purposes, it shouldn't work. You're like chalk and cheese, apart from your shared attentiveness to things other than fellow humans. You also get on well with Windows, he doesn't judge you, you don't judge him. He's given you a heads up from time to time that's helped, and thus, you're more likely to trust him (and Childs) than the others.
Bennings is not your friend. He seems uneasy around you, and that usually turns to spite or snide comments, and you'd really rather not deal with it. He doesn't like you, and thus, you know you can't trust him to watch your back.
Trusted Colleagues - Bennings and Dr Blair
Distrusted Colleague - Norris
Once, you were in the military. Nothing huge, just a Sergeant in the Army. This leadership experience set you up for a more managerial role once the shrapnel in your knee got you honorable discharged. You prefer the term 'Station Commander' though, as it sounds less like a four-star McDonalds employee. You're still a good shot with a handgun. A crack shot, even. You practice daily, and always carry your pistol. What else is there to do in this frozen wasteland if you're not a scientist or a pilot?
You do things By The Book. As a result, you have the respect of Dr Blair and Bennings, and know you can trust men who know a leader when they see one. Norris, though. He's too quiet, he has to be up to something. He always looks guilty, after all. Your military training singles him out as a troublemaker.
You're a good man, though, and you try to be professional and do what's right. You hate it when someone starts talking over your head about stuff you don't understand, however.
Trusted Colleagues - MacReady and Dr Blair
Distrusted Colleague - Nauls
Quiet, professional, bright, young... You're told you remind people of a younger Dr Blair with a little more strength of character. You take that as a compliment, really. You don't idolise the doctor, though you do respect him a whole lot. Respect him, and trust him. It's his influence that's causing you to consider a PhD in evolutionary genetics, pushing you away from your macrobiology background, after all.
MacReady's another friend. He's the sort of guy you wish you had the guts to be, but you've resigned yourself to the fact that you're a thinker, not a doer. It's not all bad, though. MacReady seems to like you in return, as much as a loner can like people, and he's stood up for you a few times when the others are trying to make things difficult for you.
Speaking of which, Nauls is something of a bully. He rarely has a nice word for you, and you usually just try to avoid him. Apart from this behaviour though, you have no problems with him. You just know you can't trust him, because he has no respect for you as a person. He thinks you're too 'square', whatever that means.
Trusted Colleagues - Nauls and Clark
Distrusted Colleague - Palmer
You like to talk. So much so, that you studied other ways of talking to people at the other end of the world. You're a radio and communications expert, and your talent's helped out immensely at US Outpost 31. If it involves a radio, chances are you can do it. You can identify and replace broken components (though you usually don't know what they're called), tweak the whole rig to get a few extra miles range out of it, and otherwise produce miracles of a modern technological manner.
You're not one to ignore the people around you, however. Your ability to fix anything radio-related has helped you out with Nauls, when his boom box died a hideous death in the first week of your 'shift', and your enjoyment of the green stuff helped cement that friendship further. Now, you're learning how to take care of the plants, though it's not what you're best at. Clark's also a good guy. You've learned not to let other people's opinions colour your own when it comes to, well, other people. You know that you can rely on both of them to watch your back if need be.
Palmer's another matter, though. He seems jealous of your friendship with Nauls, and goes out of his way to make sure you know he doesn't like you. If you needed to tell someone something important, it wouldn't make sense to pick Palmer.
ACTIONS
Investigation - Every day, you will have the power to 'investigate' that person you really don't trust. You may find information on who they are investigating, anything out of the ordinary that they may do or have done to them, or even catch a Thing in the act of converting them.
Encounters - Some nights, something special may happen. You will be informed of this by PM if it does.
The Thing
YOU HAVE BEEN IMITATED
The dog that you rescued from the crazy Norwegians? Well. That wasn't a dog. You're not sure what it was, at least, you weren't. Now you know, because you're one and the same.
You're Not From Here. You're what your previous incarnation would have called an 'Extraterrestrial', but the reality of the matter, is that you just want to survive. These people, these humans, they'd kill you every part of you. You're sure of it. The only way to stop them from doing this, to make them see the light, is to share your substance with them, make them like you, and only then can there be peace and understanding.
ACTIONS (These replace your previous action choices.)
You can Associate as previously described, and this is a good way of getting someone alone in order to take them over. You don't want the group to be too big, however.
Imitation - Once per night, you can PM your target to me. If you're associating with them, you gain a bonus on your attempt to get them alone, and turn them. If you're not, you get a penalty. If they're alone, and not associating with anyone, you gain a bonus as if they were associating with you, but without the chance that others in the group might notice.
You were a good red herring, but it was good enough that the Things left you alone because you were too suspicious'd.
Also, Witch Doc:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948
Also, this phalla shall henceforth be known as
The MacCready
The MacB:L has a nice ring to it as well
I don't think I could've pulled off the same stuff if I wasn't MacReady.
Any juicy Thing PMs/proboards?
Arch,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_goGR39m2k
Also, there was a lot more interesting stuff going on in PMs than in the board. There was this whole thing where Wildcat and I were trying to group with B:L, but I genuinely believed he was being a complete douche and thought it would just end up with the two of us the night Bliss attacked.
I dunno, I didn't think anyone would expect it.
Arch,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_goGR39m2k
So.
Much.
Thanks for running it, Kay.
And fuck you all for ruining my fun.
As was previously mentioned, fun PM actions:
Day 2:
Day 3:
One of the things I'd do is rejig the 'encounters' I mentioned, which were more like 'special events/items' that could be found.
Vigilante weapons were in there, like the knife, though the pistol was intended to be found, then passed around by vote to whoever the group trusted most. I need to tweak the pistol's introduction. Maybe Garry can give it up in the first night if I run this again, and the players get to vote on who it goes to.
Nauls found a First Aid Kid one night too late - the idea behind this item was, at vote-close, the first-aid kid holder would be told who, if anyone, was going to die, and they could save one of them. One of the reasons I wanted people who could be active around vote-close time.
The 'improved test' was a fixed special event that was meant to kick in around day 3, and two people from the group Copper, Blair, Fuchs and possibly one of the other scientists (maybe Clark) were alive.
Other ideas were things like Naul's boombox, which could disrupt an investigation attempt (but that didn't do anything worthwhile, I decided) and dynamite, which was never given out. I'm keeping that one's mechanics a secret in case I do run things again.
I think I'd definitely start with 2 Things next time - starting with one makes it a) possible for a day 1 victory, and b) makes The Thing's player feel a little too helpless and out of their depth, I think.
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3
I started getting paranoid about Wildcat, who I thought was going to be my only partner for the night:
Completely awesome Night 3 Event:
I really had no idea that B:L and Celebrim were going to be with me and Wildcat that last night. It was really cool seeing that whole narration play out over the course of the day.
Only fake douchey.
Looking back over those investigations, we really should've noticed something wrong when Garry raped Childs. o_O