Death by Living
Death by Living
Object:
To be the first one to die by means of an excess in a given lifestyle.
Card Types:
Things (subtype): Things are objects that have an effect on your lifestyle. Things remain in play. Things have a value in one of a number of Facets, which can equal +1, 0, -1, -2 or -3. They come in one of four subtypes, each of which remains in play:
Objects: Objects Physically exist in place and can effect your life. Places: Places are locations that have an effect on your lifestyle. Places remain in play.
Effects: Effects are lasting circumstances or “permanent actions” that have an effect on your lifestyle.
People: People are a sort of thing that effects your lifestyle.
Actions: Actions affect you or other players or their actions. Once played, Actions are discarded. Actions are capable of removing Things. Special kinds of Actions, called Death, can only be played if you meet certain criteria. Others can penalize others if certain criteria are met.
Death: A Death card can only be played on yourself, and only if its conditions are met by the Things you have in play before the start of the turn in which you play the Death card.
Thwart: A Thwart takes advantage of another player’s Facets, allowing you to neutralize some of their Thing cards, or prevent them from acting. The required Facets are listed on the card, similarly to a Death card.
How to Play:
Following modified Dvorak rules, on your turn you may do the following, in order:
1. Draw 1 card from the deck.
2. Play up to 2 cards, but they must be of different Card Types.
3. Check your hand size – your hand size may not exceed 5 cards – discard down to 5 cards.
How to Die:
Death is accomplished by playing Thing cards. Each thing card has a value on it representing one of the Facets of Being, as described below. Each Death card has a required value in several of these Facets. If you have the appropriate Facet scores at the beginning of your turn, you may play the matching Death card
Mind: Your mental health is reflected by your Mind – psychosis and trauma affect your Mind. The lower your Mind score, the more crazy you are.
Looks: Being ugly is a good way to suffer low self esteem. Ugly people tend to die in ways that nobody even cares about.
Wealth: How much money you make can influence your will to live. A low wealth score means you, my friend, are eating out of dumpsters.
Health: These cards effect your Health in a wide range of ways – drugs, disease, wounds and accidents can alter this.
Fame: Your level of fame or infamy. The lower this is, the more people obsess over you, and the more stalkers you have.
Identity: Your sense of self and your personal identity. The lower you are, the more of a slave to the system you become.
Faith: Your faith in yourself, your deity and/or the human race in general. Low values represent either a swing towards total faithless apathy, or else you belong to the farthest precipice of the lunatic cult fringe ever known.
Karma: Your place in the cosmos as determined by your actions. A low Karma is a good way for the universe to smack you down.
Love: This is how many people truly love you and how much. Without love, there’s little left but rage and hate.
Cards
Some preliminary examples:
This 200 proof distiled sugar alcohol, it turns out, is cut with just the slightest hint of turpentine - for flavor.
"Wooooo! That's got the mo' bite than a pack o' pitbulls!"
You have discovered that your lover has left you for your boss.
"If it's so much better to have loved and lost, why don't you dump your man and see how it feels?"
Partying in the underground seemed so spiritual, until the third time you saw those kids in that... ugh...
"We installed that switch for you to turn the lights on and off."
Sometimes the best way to get noticed is to show off more than anyone really needs to see.
"Those aren't boobs."
Your association with the newest fad cult has depleted your brain of oxygen to an alarming degree.
"I love all the little peoples, man..."
You're not sure if it was the war, the acid or the kitten huffing, but you've never stopped paying the price.
"The spiders are in my skin!"
You have discovered that the path to true happiness lies in not drawing the boss' notice.
"So, did you hear that Bob in accounting got let go? I guess he just wasn't fitting in."
Your compulsive buying has landed you in more debt than three of you could pay off.
"What do you mean HDDVD is dead?"
Your obsession with this habit is matched only by your loss in social life.
"90 hours of side quests? I am so there!"
The law has discovered your debauchery and has come to unload you of your least legal vices.
"You have the right to remain silent, so shut the Hell up."
You can't remember leaving the bar - or driving to Ohio - but everything seems to have worked out well!
"Who's bra is this? Wait, who's bra is this then?"
You heard about the break in across the street, and have decided to invest in an alarm system.
"Wow, they got robbed? What a shame. What's on TV?"
Your family and a well paid TV crew has ambushed you and is sending you to rehab.
"Bob went to rehab for 8 months, and now works herding cats."
You have successfully died. Now if only you would stay dead...
"Anyone got a shotgun?"
You have successfully died. Too bad you couldn't take that paparazzi prick with you.
"Paparazzi lawyers claimed that their clients have a right to Freedom of Speech, no matter the cost - the full story tonight at nine."
