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Multi-Layered Roleplay [WIP]

Tools: Discord Bots for each character or some other way to quickly communicate with others in a way that people have an idea on who you are, but can’t be 100% sure (such as text messages with the host utilizing the “impostor”’s phone.)

🎭 Pet Story: Multi-Layered Roleplaying

Premise: At the start of the episode, the Host announces a "Body Swap" has occurred. Players are informed privately that someone has volunteered to have their body swapped with a HPC. The Host will secretly be running the volunteer's character for the duration of the episode, while the volunteer observes. The players' goal is to deduce who among them isn't who they seem to be.

The Rules of this Pet Game:

Volunteering for the Swap

At the beginning of the episode, the Host will privately solicit volunteers. A player who volunteers agrees to turn over control of their character to the Host for the episode. In exchange, the volunteer is guaranteed to be safe from any elimination that episode, and they are granted a bonus of +5 Audience Sentiment or 3 Destiny Dice at the episode's conclusion, regardless of the outcome. The volunteer can still be eliminated in a future episode. If nobody volunteers, inform all players that no one did and proceed with a different challenge. This is a major risk to player agency, so let them have the final say.

Host's Role

The Host, now in control of the imposter character, will use a HPC as a guide to subtly (or not so subtly, check the Social score for more information) to alter their behavior, motivations, and interactions. The Host is the only person who knows the identity of the imposter. The imposter can still use all of the character's abilities and resources but may do so in ways that seem.. off...

The Deduction

The players must use their social and mental skills, both in-character and out-of-character, to figure out who the imposter is. A key rule is that players are forbidden from using any out-of-game information as proof, such as the private chat logs with the Host, or events that happened OOC, to make their case. The deduction must be based on observed behavior, a character's actions, and the narrative.

Accusing the Imposter

At any point during the episode, a player may formally accuse another player of being the imposter by declaring it and confirming with the Host that’s who they want to accuse. On the first wrong guess, the Host buzzes and mentions they were wrong, on the second, the player’s lose the challenge and the faker is revealed. On a correct guess, the player’s win the challenge (and if there’s multiple teams) the host decides a loser.

End of the Episode Resolution

If the players successfully identify the imposter: Another team is put up for elimination, and the volunteer gets their payday.

If the players fail to identify the imposter by the episode's end: The player’s team is up for elimination, but the volunteer gets their under-the-table plot armor. As a treat.

This "Pet Story" not only provides a unique challenge but also ensures that the player who volunteers is always rewarded, even if their character is discovered.

Afterwards, the host may or may not run a 1-on-1 session with the volunteer showing their POV of the swap, playing a similar role as the host does here, as an add-on incentive or replacement to original reward. Depends on the players.

Act 2: The One-on-One

This one-on-one scenario puts a single player character in the hot seat, forcing them to use their social and mental skills to deceive a group of Host-controlled characters (HPCs).

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The Setup

The Host brings the volunteer character of the above for a private session with a rival team's HPCs. The player's goal is to convince the HPCs that they are the HPC that tried to impersonate them in Act 1 (or another from another team, depending on team setup. Bodyswaps are hard ok).

The Deception: The HPCs are aware of the challenge and are actively (ok, maybe semi-actively) trying to figure out who you are and what their allies are doing.

The Stakes: The volunteer should know if the situation is dire enough that failure will definetely eliminate their team, or maybe that another team could lose.

Host's "Roll-Happy" Rule

Because the HPCs have no free will, the Host must act on their behalf to make the scenario feel tense and engaging. The Host should make frequent dice rolls for the HPCs to simulate their social deduction skills.

HPC Checks: The Host should use the HPCs' Mental and Social stats to make frequent checks (Difficulty 2) to probe the player's story. A successful roll for an HPC means they've noticed a flaw, a subtle tell, or a key inconsistency. This is not about a single failure but a gradual process of suspicion.

Suspicion: To mechanically track the HPCs' suspicion, the Host can use a simple track of 3 points. Every time an HPC succeeds on a check to the player or fails to an ally, a point is added to the track for that character. When the track is full, the HPCs have made a conviction and will accuse. First time will buzz and clear the HPC, second time lets the player win.

Success Condition: The Conviction Track

The session is divided into a series of rounds, representing the conversation.

Round Structure: The session should last for 4 rounds. During each round, the Host will make rolls for the HPCs' checks as per the "Roll-Happy" Rule and the HPCs make their case towards either the player or each other. The target of these accusations, which is sometimes the player will make a single Mental or Social check (Difficulty 2+Suspicion) to convince the HPCs of not being the impostor. A clever reason may make the roll easier or unneeded

Winning the Challenge: The player wins the challenge if all the rounds are used before the Host fills the HPCs' Deception Track. If they fill the track, the HPCs are convinced, and the player succeeds.

Failure Condition: The player loses the challenge if the Host fills the HPCs' Suspicion and accuses the player, which may end in an elimination. Tough luck!

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