The demo script for Hot War is just about finalised and I'll be testing it out on a willing group of participants tomorrow evening. Prior to that, I'd love to gather some comments on the script, particularly on the characters.

Any and all comments and thoughts are appreciated.

Contents:

This demo pack for Hot War contains:

Demo script (this bit right here)

4 streamlined characters

Synopsis

1: Introduce yourself and the game

2: Frame the scene

3: Encourage conflict

4: Create dice pools and roll off

5: Someone narrates and assigns consequences

6: End the scene and thank everyone for taking part

Intro

"Hi, my name is [say your name] and this is a quick, 15 minute demo for Hot War.

Hot War takes place in post-apocalypse London in 1963, after a war involving nuclear weapons and even stranger technologies.

The characters are all members of the Special Situations Group, a paramilitary unit tasked with hunting down refugees, terrorists, seditionists and rogue monsters.

But, everyone has their own agendas, relationships and things they want from their lives. Take a moment to have a look at the characters. These are cut down versions, the characters you would create in a full game are more detailed."

Make sure you have a copy of the book at the demo area so people passing by can see what is taking place.

Ask the participants their names and make sure to make eye contact and great each one of them individually.

Situation

Frame the scene as follows:

"The scene takes place outside the British Museum.

Something has been killing people in the area, including a couple of very recent deaths. On the shattered steps of the museum lie the bodies of two men. It is night-time and the only light comes from the moon and from the characters torches.

There are two women and a child huddled near the bodies. The first woman, Mrs Warren, is a British citizen and has ID papers and a ration card. The other woman and child are refugees who have been given a hiding place by Mr and Mrs Warren.

The dead men are the husbands of the two women.

The refugees have no ID papers or ration cards, therefore they should be arrested and sent to the camps.

The children are all crying, the women a hysterical with grief and anger.

What do you do?"

Conflict

Ask the players what their characters are doing, subtly drive towards a conflict where you can break out the dice. Not all of the players have to be involved directly in the conflict, as this would allow the demonstration of non-participants adding/subtracting dice from the pools.

Try to manoeuvre the conflict towards inter-PC conflict as this will give at least one participant a chance to narrate and assign consequences.

Guide people through creating a dice pool, going through attributes, traits, hidden agendas and relationships.

If there are people not taking part in the conflict, explain to them that they can add or subtract a die to/from one dice pool of their choice.

Roll the dice and explain how success is determined.

Outcome

Let the victors briefly narrate the outcome then show them the list of consequences they can choose from. Let them assign positive and negative consequences as they fit.

Conclusion

Thank everyone for taking part in the demo and ask what bits they enjoyed (open questions are good, avoids the easy yes/no answer).

Say that the the book is available right here for $28/£15. Gently move people away from the demo area to another part of the booth if they wish to browse a copy of the book.

NPCs

Mrs Warren

Action: 2
Influence: 3
Insight: 3

Traits: Made of stern stuff (+), Terrified of arrest (-)

Refugee Woman

Action: 3
Influence: 2
Insight: 3

Traits: Knows how to survive (+), Language difficulties (-)

Characters

Character 1: Racist, anti-refugee

Name: Connie Bancroft
Concept: Racist former bureaucrat
Faction: Government

Action: 2
Influence: 4
Insight: 2

Traits: Never back down (+), Sickened by violence (-)

Relationships: Lieutenant Keith Blake (+), Constable Mike Watts (-)

Agenda: Get promotion by showing determination to catch and imprison as many refugees as possible

Character 2: Pro-refugee

Name: Constable Mike Watts
Concept: Friendly, but slightly disturbed policeman
Faction:

Action: 2
Influence: 3
Insight: 3

Traits: Easy-going manner (+), Fits of temper (-)

Relationships: Elizabeth Cathcart (+), Connie Bankcroft (-)

Agenda: Establish a mutual aid and resistance network amongst persecuted refugees

Character 3: Military officer, stickler for order

Name: Lieutenant Keith Blake
Concept: Military officer, stickler for order and rules
Faction: Army

Action: 4
Influence: 2
Insight: 2

Traits: Everything by the book (+), I doubt my abilities (-)

Relationships: Connie Bankcroft (+), Constable Mike Watts (-)

Agenda: Find and eliminate all Soviet biologicals without mercy

Character 4: Terrorist spy

Name:: Elizabeth Cathcart
Concept: Spy working within the SSG for a terrorist group
Faction: Citizens Defence Army

Action: 3
Influence: 2
Insight: 3

Traits: Everything for the cause (+), Sometimes says too much (-)

Relationships: Constable Mike Watts (+), Connie Bancroft (-)

Agenda: Build relationships with the military and use that to get arms and explosives