MARS COLONY

39 DARK
By Tim C Koppang
“Donʼ’t let anyone tell you that the government is forcing you to
fight against it. Thatʼ’s cowardice, and announces to everyone
that the government is still in charge. Do this because you
want to, because you know itʼ’s right.”

— 39 Dark founder, ECKHARDT POULSON

 MARS COLONY

39 DARK
A
 

roleplaying
 

game
 

for
 

t wo
 

players
 

about
protest,
 

responsibility,
 

and
 

sacrifice.

T I M
 

 C
 

 K O P P A N G

y
TCK
 

•
 

Roleplaying
Westmont,
 

Illinois
Copyright
 

©
 

2014
 

by
 

Tim
 

C
 

Koppang.

All
 

rights
 

reserved.
 

No
 

part
 

of
 

this
 

book
 

may
 

be
 

copied
 

in
 

any
 

form
 

without
 


the
 

express
 

written
 

permission
 

of
 

its
 

author.

Interior
 

illustrations
 

by
 

Tazio
 

Bettin
 

(taziobettin.deviantart.com).

Playtesting
 

 by
 

 Rich
 

 Bauer,
 

 Juliusz
 

 Doboszewski,
 

 Ron
 

 Edwards,
 

 Diana
 


Koppang,
 

Larry
 

Lade,
 

and
 

Jan
 

Laszczak.
 

Readers
 

include
 

Diana
 

Koppang,
 


Marshall
 

Miller,
 

Ben
 

Thomson,
 

and
 

Mike
 

Wass.
 

Thank
 

you.

Thank
 

you
 

to
 

my
 

Kickstarter
 

backers;
 

without
 

you,
 

this
 

game
 

would
 

not
 

have
 


been
 

 possible.
 

 Thank
 

 you
 

 to
 

 everyone
 

 who
 

 listened
 

 to
 

 me
 

 prattle
 

 on
 

 about
 


politics
 

 and
 

 M ars
 

—
 

again.
 

 Finally,
 

 thanks,
 

 with
 

 love,
 

 to
 

 my
 

 wife
 

 for
 

 her
 

 con-
tinuing
 

support
 

in
 

all
 

my
 

endeavors.

Created
 

in
 

the
 

United
 

States
 

of
 

America
 

( Earth
 

Coalition
 

Member
 

A1001).

tck
  

•
  

roleplaying
http://tckroleplaying.com/

First
 

Electronic
 

Edition,
 

Summer
 

2014.
“The
 

President,
 

Congress,
 

and
 

the
 

Courts
 

have
 

forgotten
 

that
 

the
 

costs
 


of
 

bad
 

policy
 

are
 

always
 

borne
 

by
 

ordinary
 

citizens,
 

and
 

it
 

is
 

our
 

job
 

to
 


remind
 

them
 

that
 

there
 

are
 

limits
 

to
 

what
 

we
 

will
 

pay.”

—
 

E DWA R D
 

S N OW D E N
 


CONTENTS

Introduction 8
Overview 16
Preparation 21
Stage
 

1:
 

Anger
 

Cards
 

 23
Stage
 

2:
 

Factions
 

 24
Stage
 

3:
 

Organizations
 

 29
Stage
 

4:
 

Character
 

Worksheet
 

 33
Stage
 

5:
 

Lane’s
 

Faction
 

 35
Stage
 

6:
 

Lane’s
 

Followers
 

 35
Stage
 

7:
 

Agendas
 

 36
Goals 40
Play 42
Scene
 

Types
 

 43
 


Collaboration
 

 47
Endgame
 

 49
Progress Scenes 51
Stage
 

1:
 

Timeline
 

 52
 


Stage
 

2:
 

Scene
 

Framing
 

 53
Stage
 

3:
 

Action
 

Level
 

 54
Stage
 

4:
 

Dice
 

 55
Stage
 

5:
 

Success
 

&
 

Failure
 

 58
Success
 

 58
Failure
 

 60
Abandonment
 

 61
Consequences 64
Treason
 

 64
Sacrifice
 

 65
Humiliation
 

 67
Hope
 

 69
Disillusionment
 

 72
Endgame 74
Advice 78
For
 

the
 

Savior
 

 78
For
 

the
 

Governor
 

 81
Pacing
 

 84
Sequel 89
Scene
 

1:
 

Background
 

 90
Scene
 

2:
 

Rally
 

 92
Scene
 

3:
 

Galvanization
 

 93
Influences 96
Appendix A: Prepared Materials 99
Appendix B: Blank Worksheets 106
 INTRODUCTION

8 A
 

solar
 

day
 

on
 

Mars
 

is
 

39
 

minutes
 

and
 

35
 

seconds
 

longer
 

than
 

on
 


Earth.
 

 It
 

 sometimes
 

 takes
 

 weeks
 

 for
 

 a
 

 person’s
 

 circadian
 

 rhythms
 

 to
 


adjust
 

to
 

the
 

time
 

differential.
 

Can
 

you
 

imagine?
 

Jet-lagged
 

for
 

three,
 


four
 

weeks?
 

Intolerable.
 

But
 

the
 

colonists
 

still
 

pour
 

in
 

from
 

Earth.
 

The
 


Earth
 

Coalition
 

promises
 

them
 

a
 

playground
 

in
 

space,
 

and
 

they
 

flock
 


to
 

the
 

spaceports,
 

ready
 

to
 

build
 

a
 

new
 

life
 

for
 

themselves
 

on
 

Mars
 


before
 

 Mars
 

 is
 

 ready
 

 to
 

 accept
 

 them.
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 

 was
 

 built
 

 under
 

 a
 


great
 

dome,
 

divided
 

into
 

five
 

districts,
 

each
 

with
 

representatives
 

sitting
 


on
 

the
 

Colony
 

Council.
 

The
 

Colony
 

was
 

meant
 

to
 

be
 

a
 

perfect
 

restart
 


for
 

humanity.
 

It
 

was
 

the
 

promise
 

of
 

life
 

among
 

the
 

stars,
 

the
 

beginning
 


of
 

a
 

new
 

era
 

of
 

exploration
 

and
 

colonization.
 

Even
 

the
 

new
 

Earth
 

Co-
alition
 

and
 

local
 

Martian
 

government
 

were
 

supposed
 

to
 

usher
 

in
 

an
 


age
 

of
 

harmony.
 

But
 

it’s
 

all
 

the
 

same.
 

The
 

government
 

believes
 

that
 


it
 

can
 

take
 

more
 

power
 

for
 

itself,
 

that
 

it
 

knows
 

best.
 

Its
 

halls
 

are
 

filled
 


with
 

career
 

politicians,
 

most
 

of
 

whom
 

are
 

allied
 

with
 

corporate
 

inter-
ests
 

because
 

they
 

are
 

themselves
 

stockholders
 

and
 

CEOs.
 

Profits
 

and
 


job
 

security
 

provide
 

the
 

politicians
 

with
 

all
 

the
 

motivation
 

they
 

need
 

to
 


remake
 

Mars
 

in
 

their
 

own
 

vision
 

regardless
 

of
 

the
 

will
 

of
 

the
 

people. 9
It
 

 doesn’t
 

 have
 

 to
 

 be
 

 this
 

 way.
 

 On
 

 Mars
 

 we
 

 can
 

 be
 

 free,
 

 severed
 


from
 

our
 

Earthly
 

roots.
 

Most
 

Colonists
 

believe
 

that
 

we
 

need
 

Earth
 

to
 


replenish
 

our
 

supplies
 

and
 

provide
 

us
 

with
 

security.
 

Food,
 

water,
 

build-
ing
 

 materials,
 

 and
 

 even
 

 comfort
 

 goods
 

 need
 

 not
 

 come
 

 from
 

 Earth.
 


We
 

 can
 

 make
 

 them
 

 all
 

 here
 

 on
 

 Mars.
 

 We
 

 need
 

 only
 

 free
 

 ourselves
 


from
 

the
 

fear
 

of
 

failure.
 

We
 

are
 

strong.
 

We
 

can
 

take
 

what
 

we
 

need
 


from
 

Mars
 

and
 

start
 

a
 

new
 

life
 

here.
 

It
 

ends
 

and
 

begins
 

with
 

you,
 

Lane
 


Novak.
You,
 

Lane
 

Novak,
 

are
 

a
 

native
 

Martian,
 

born
 

and
 

raised.
 

Once
 


a
 

trusted
 

government
 

insider,
 

you
 

have
 

been
 

tapped
 

by
 

the
 

Martian
 


uprising.
 

 A
 

 group
 

 calling
 

 themselves
 

 “39
 

 Dark”
 

 is
 

 protesting
 

 for
 


change.
 

They
 

are
 

in
 

need
 

of
 

a
 

talented
 

leader
 

with
 

a
 

history
 

of
 

making
 


the
 

 voice
 

 of
 

 the
 

 people
 

 heard.
 

 The
 

 current
 

 system
 

 is
 

 broken,
 

 and
 

 the
 


everyday
 

citizens
 

that
 

have
 

joined
 

the
 

ranks
 

of
 

39
 

Dark
 

are
 

looking
 

to
 


 you
 

for
 

guidance
 

and
 

strength.
 

You
 

are
 

obviously
 

in
 

over
 

your
 

head,
 


but
 

you
 

have
 

the
 

potential
 

to
 

make
 

good
 

on
 

the
 

promises
 

you
 

have
 


10 already
 

 made.
 

 You
 

 must
 

 calm
 

 the
 

 schisms
 

 that
 

 threaten
 

 to
 

 divide
 

 the
 


movement,
 

guide
 

the
 

loyalty
 

that
 

is
 

fomenting
 

in
 

the
 

streets
 

against
 

the
 


Colony
 

 government,
 

 and
 

 force
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 

 to
 

 change
 

 for
 

 the
 

 better
 


before
 

 apathy
 

 and
 

 entrenched
 

 interests
 

 doom
 

 it
 

 to
 

 continue
 

 down
 

 its
 


current
 

path.
 

This
 

is
 

no
 

easy
 

task.
 

You
 

will
 

probably
 

fail,
 

as
 

has
 

every-
one
 

who
 

has
 

tried
 

before.
 

But
 

for
 

now,
 

you
 

are
 

the
 

hero
 

to
 

be.
 

A
 

traitor
 


to
 

some,
 

but
 

a
 

beacon
 

for
 

many.
 Audio playback on Eckhardt_Poulson.video, at 11:17:43

“The
 

 first
 

 people
 

 to
 

 come
 

 to
 

 Mars
 

 were,
 

 of
 

 course,
 

 the
 

 astronauts.
 


11
Theirs
 

was
 

a
 

mission
 

of
 

politics
 

and
 

science.
 

They
 

meant
 

to
 

explore
 


the
 

 planet’s
 

 soil,
 

 atmosphere,
 

 geography,
 

 and
 

 fossils.
 

 But
 

 it
 

 was
 

 also
 


a
 

mission
 

of
 

political
 

bravado.
 

Mankind
 

first
 

stepped
 

foot
 

on
 

Mars
 

in
 


an
 

era
 

before
 

the
 

Earth
 

Coalition
 

was
 

formed.
 

The
 

United
 

States
 

of
 


America,
 

galvanized
 

by
 

an
 

increasingly
 

powerful
 

China,
 

spent
 

down
 


what
 

goodwill
 

it
 

had
 

left
 

on
 

Earth
 

in
 

order
 

to
 

fund
 

its
 

manned
 

mission
 


to
 

 Mars.
 

 The
 

 debt
 

 was
 

 enormous,
 

 but
 

 so
 

 was
 

 the
 

 demonstration
 

 of
 


power
 

and
 

political
 

will.
“So
 

you
 

see,
 

Mars
 

has
 

always
 

been
 

a
 

planet
 

shaped
 

by
 

politics.
 


How
 

could
 

it
 

be
 

any
 

other
 

way?
 

Mankind
 

is
 

inherently
 

a
 

species
 

of
 

so-
cial
 

organization.
 

It
 

cannot
 

help
 

but
 

to
 

impose
 

a
 

political
 

order
 

on
 

the
 


places
 

to
 

which
 

it
 

spreads.
 

However,
 

we
 

must
 

ask
 

ourselves:
 

Whose
 


political
 

will
 

should
 

be
 

allowed
 

to
 

survive
 

on
 

Mars?
 

Whose
 

agenda
 


should
 

 the
 

 people
 

 of
 

 Mars
 

 support?
 

 Should
 

 we
 

 always
 

 be
 

 yoked
 

 to
 


 the
 

policymakers
 

of
 

the
 

mother
 

world?
 

Or
 

will
 

we
 

allow
 

ourselves
 

the
 


freedom
 

 to
 

 make
 

 our
 

 own
 

 fate?
 

 ‘Allow’
 

 ourselves?
 

 Ha!
 

 Even
 

 my
 

 own
 


12 phrasing
 

betrays
 

the
 

Earth
 

Coalition’s
 

grip
 

on
 

my
 

conscience!
 

It
 

is
 

not
 


a
 

matter
 

of
 

being
 

allowed
 

to
 

do
 

anything.
 

It
 

is
 

a
 

matter
 

of
 

asserting
 

our
 


basic
 

right
 

to
 

self-govern.
“The
 

 astronauts
 

 had
 

 their
 

 day
 

 on
 

 Mars.
 

 They
 

 were
 

 the
 

 ones
 

 to
 


establish
 

the
 

first
 

long-term
 

colonies.
 

These
 

consisted
 

of
 

nothing
 

more
 


than
 

 soft
 

 domes
 

 supplemented,
 

 slowly,
 

 by
 

 shipments
 

 of
 

 prefabricated
 


buildings
 

from
 

Earth.
 

A
 

number
 

of
 

individual
 

colonies
 

were
 

established
 


at
 

 various
 

 locations
 

 on
 

 Mars.
 

 Among
 

 the
 

 first
 

 colonies
 

 are
 

 names
 

 fa-
miliar
 

 to
 

 us
 

 all:
 

 Hope
 

 Colony,
 

 Endurance
 

 Colony,
 

 Olympus
 

 Colony.
 


These
 

 were
 

 the
 

 first
 

 true
 

 settlements
 

 of
 

 Mars,
 

 and
 

 remain
 

 bastions
 

 of
 


Martian
 

independence
 

to
 

this
 

day
 

only
 

because
 

the
 

Coalition
 

sidelined
 


them
 

as
 

antiquated.
 

Eventually,
 

the
 

Earth
 

Coalition
 

formed,
 

and
 

the
 


technologies
 

for
 

long-term
 

habitation
 

on
 

Mars
 

were
 

developed.
 

It
 

was
 


no
 

 longer
 

 necessary
 

 that
 

 only
 

 highly
 

 skilled
 

 scientists,
 

 engineers,
 

 and
 


other
 

 explorers
 

 be
 

 the
 

 ones
 

 to
 

 live
 

 on
 

 our
 

 unforgiving,
 

 hostile
 

 planet.
 


Mars
 

was
 

opening
 

up.
 

It
 

was
 

opening
 

its
 

secrets
 

to
 

all
 

of
 

mankind.
 

The
 


last
 

 hurdle
 

 was
 

 merely
 

 an
 

 infrastructure
 

 to
 

 support
 

 the
 

 eventual
 

 swell
 


of
 

immigration.
 

Unfortunately,
 

that
 

infrastructure
 

was
 

designed
 

by
 

bu- 13
reaucrats
 

and
 

ad
 

men.
“Mars
 

 Colony,
 

 that
 

 beautiful
 

 ‘paradise’
 

 that
 

 was
 

 packaged
 

 and
 


sold
 

 to
 

 Earth
 

 inhabitants,
 

 was
 

 willed
 

 into
 

 being
 

 so
 

 quickly
 

 that
 

 its
 


shoddy
 

 construction
 

 still
 

 threatens
 

 to
 

 implode
 

 under
 

 a
 

 pressure
 

 dif-
ferential!
 

The
 

name
 

of
 

the
 

colony
 

itself
 

is
 

a
 

joke,
 

as
 

if
 

any
 

single
 

colony
 


can
 

dare
 

to
 

stand
 

for
 

all
 

of
 

Mars!
 

Hundreds,
 

if
 

not
 

thousands,
 

of
 

immi-
grants,
 

unprepared
 

and
 

untrained
 

for
 

life
 

on
 

Mars,
 

were
 

rushed
 

here
 


with
 

promises
 

of
 

freedom,
 

property,
 

and
 

opportunity.
 

Is
 

it
 

any
 

surprise
 


that
 

 political
 

 unrest
 

 was
 

 an
 

 immediate
 

 consequence?
 

 Does
 

 anyone
 


dare
 

 argue
 

 that
 

 the
 

 failure
 

 of
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 

 was
 

 not
 

 inevitable?
 

 Even
 


the
 

 Coalition’s
 

 savior,
 

 Kelly
 

 Perkins,
 

 was
 

 unable
 

 to
 

 truly
 

 eradicate
 

 the
 


disease
 

 festering
 

 in
 

 the
 

 foundation
 

 of
 

 the
 

 Colony.
 

 Perkins’
 

 noticeably
 


brief
 

tenure
 

as
 

consultant
 

was,
 

at
 

best,
 

a
 

bandage
 

used
 

to
 

conceal
 

the
 


voice
 

of
 

everyday
 

Martians
 

straining
 

for
 

authentic
 

political
 

voice.
 “Now
 

 is
 

 the
 

 time
 

 for
 

 action.
 

 Now
 

 is
 

 the
 

 time
 

 for
 

 hope.
 

 Join
 

 us,
 


Martians,
 

and
 

find
 

the
 

strength
 

to
 

make
 

your
 

planet
 

yours
 

again!”
15
—
 

39
 

Dark
 

founder,
 

ECKHARDT
 

POULSON,
 

in
 

a
 

rally
 

speech
 


approximately
 

 20
 

 minutes
 

 before
 

 his
 

 assassination
 

 in
 

 Mars
 


Colony
 

District
 

4.
 OVERVIE W

16 39
 

Dark
 

is
 

designed
 

for
 

t wo
 

players.
 

One
 

player
 

(called
 

the
 

“Savior”)
 


takes
 

 on
 

 the
 

 role
 

 of
 

 the
 

 story’s
 

 main
 

 character,
 

 Lane
 

 Novak.
 

 Lane
 


can
 

be
 

male
 

or
 

female,
 

but
 

for
 

convenience
 

I
 

will
 

refer
 

to
 

Lane
 

as
 

fe-
male.
 

Lane
 

is
 

the
 

new
 

leader
 

of
 

a
 

burgeoning
 

protest
 

movement,
 

“39
 


Dark.”
 

She
 

is
 

tasked
 

with
 

bringing
 

about
 

significant
 

change
 

on
 

Mars,
 


especially
 

at
 

the
 

governmental
 

level.
 

In
 

addition,
 

Lane
 

must
 

cope
 

with
 


the
 

fact
 

that
 

the
 

government
 

and
 

people
 

of
 

Mars
 

will
 

actively
 

resist
 


change
 

 and
 

 label
 

 her
 

 a
 

 traitor.
 

 Lane
 

 will
 

 face
 

 failure,
 

 her
 

 own
 

 feel-
ings
 

of
 

inadequacy
 

as
 

a
 

leader,
 

and
 

the
 

possible
 

futility
 

of
 

39
 

Dark’s
 


efforts.
 

She
 

will
 

also
 

face
 

the
 

choice
 

between
 

peaceful
 

protest
 

at
 

the
 


cost
 

of
 

efficacy,
 

and
 

more
 

violent
 

action
 

at
 

the
 

cost
 

of
 

lives.
 

Her
 

posi-
tion
 

is
 

tenuous,
 

daunting,
 

and,
 

above
 

all,
 

emotionally
 

devastating.
The
 

other
 

player
 

(called
 

the
 

“Governor”)
 

is
 

in
 

charge
 

of
 

all
 

other
 


characters.
 

 These
 

 may
 

 include
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 members,
 

 government
 

 of-
ficials,
 

Colony
 

citizens,
 

Peacekeepers,
 

criminals,
 

rogue
 

freedom
 

fight-
ers,
 

Earth
 

visitors,
 

etc.
Both
 

 players
 

 may
 

 invoke
 

 elements
 

 of
 

 the
 

 setting,
 

 including,
 

 17
among
 

 other
 

 things,
 

 the
 

 Martian
 

 landscape,
 

 weather,
 

 Colony
 

 tech-
nology,
 

and
 

political
 

climate.
The
 

object
 

of
 

the
 

game
 

is
 

to
 

tell
 

a
 

meaningful
 

story
 

about
 

Lane
 


Novak’s
 

attempt
 

to
 

change
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

for
 

the
 

better
 

and
 

cope
 

with
 


her
 

 own
 

 sense
 

 of
 

 self-worth
 

 in
 

 the
 

 face
 

 of
 

 mounting
 

 violence
 

 and
 


political
 

backlash.
 

The
 

story
 

takes
 

place
 

as
 

a
 

series
 

of
 

scenes
 

during
 


which
 

 Lane
 

 learns
 

 of
 

 impending
 

 or
 

 ongoing
 

 efforts
 

 by
 

 the
 

 Colony
 


government
 

to
 

further
 

oppress
 

its
 

citizens.
 

Lane
 

will
 

then
 

implement
 

a
 


plan
 

to
 

try
 

to
 

achieve
 

an
 

agenda
 

designed
 

by
 

39
 

Dark
 

to
 

alleviate
 

the
 


oppression.
 

The
 

other
 

characters
 

in
 

the
 

story
 

exist
 

to
 

help
 

or
 

hinder
 


Lane.
 

They
 

act
 

independently
 

as
 

individuals,
 

with
 

their
 

own
 

motives
 


and
 

 goals.
 

 They
 

 may
 

 or
 

 may
 

 not
 

 value
 

 39
 

 Dark’s,
 

 or
 

 the
 

 Martian
 


citizens’,
 

best
 

interests.
 When
 

Lane’s
 

plans
 

work,
 

she
 

will
 

help
 

to
 

empower
 

the
 

citizenry
 


towards
 

self-government.
 

 When
 

 they
 

 fail,
 

 she
 

 will
 

 have
 

 to
 

 choose
 

 be-
18 tween
 

 facing
 

 the
 

 consequences
 

 of
 

 her
 

 failure,
 

 including
 

 the
 

 sacrifice
 


of
 

 her
 

 reputation
 

 and
 

 followers,
 

 or
 

 feeding
 

 the
 

 people
 

 false
 

 hope
 

 in
 


the
 

name
 

of
 

a
 

better
 

future.
 

Too
 

much
 

false
 

hope,
 

however,
 

will
 

lead
 


to
 

disillusionment
 

and
 

accusations
 

of
 

treason.
 

If
 

Lane
 

is
 

not
 

careful,
 


she
 

will
 

face
 

arrest,
 

exile,
 

or
 

even
 

execution.
You
 

 and
 

 your
 

 partner
 

 will
 

 take
 

 turns
 

 setting
 

 scenes.
 

 During
 

 each
 


scene,
 

you
 

will
 

move
 

the
 

story
 

forward
 

by
 

describing
 

any
 

action,
 

con-
flict,
 

or
 

dialogue
 

that
 

is
 

taking
 

place.
 

When
 

one
 

scene
 

ends,
 

another
 


will
 

begin.
After
 

 nine
 

 attempts
 

 to
 

 achieve
 

 39
 

 Dark’s
 

 agendas,
 

 the
 

 game
 


ends.
 

You
 

will
 

take
 

stock
 

of
 

what
 

Lane
 

has
 

accomplished
 

and
 

decide
 


if
 

39
 

Dark
 

will
 

blossom
 

into
 

a
 

successful
 

movement,
 

bringing
 

greater
 


freedom
 

to
 

the
 

people,
 

or
 

die
 

out
 

as
 

a
 

fringe
 

group
 

bent
 

on
 

naïve
 


goals
 

or
 

even
 

treasonous
 

methods.
 

You
 

will
 

also
 

decide
 

if
 

Lane
 

be-
comes
 

a
 

hero
 

of
 

the
 

people,
 

or
 

exits
 

in
 

disgrace.
GAME SUMMARY

Preparation:
 

 The
 

 players
 

 decide
 

 who
 

 will
 

 play
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 (the
 

 pro-
19
tagonist),
 

and
 

who
 

will
 

play
 

the
 

Governor
 

(everyone
 

else).
 

They
 

create
 


the
 

 opening
 

 political
 

 situation
 

 on
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 

 by
 

 either
 

 choosing
 

 a
 


set
 

of
 

prepared
 

worksheets
 

from
 

Appendix
 

A
 

or
 

the
 

TCK
 

Roleplaying
 


website,
 

or
 

creating
 

their
 

own
 

using
 

the
 

steps
 

detailed
 

in
 

the
 

following
 


chapter.

Play:
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

 narrates
 

 an
 

 opening
 

 vignette
 

 that
 

 introduces
 

 the
 


protagonist,
 

 Lane
 

 Novak.
 

 Normal
 

 play
 

 then
 

 commences
 

 with
 

 the
 


Governor,
 

and
 

continues
 

as
 

the
 

players
 

take
 

turns
 

setting
 

scenes.
 

They
 


play
 

 out
 

 each
 

 scene
 

 together.
 

 During
 

 Personal
 

 Scenes,
 

 the
 

 players
 


will
 

learn
 

about
 

Lane
 

Novak
 

as
 

a
 

person.
 

During
 

Opposition
 

Scenes,
 


the
 

Governor
 

will
 

act
 

as
 

antagonist
 

to
 

Lane.
 

During
 

Progress
 

Scenes,
 


Lane
 

will
 

attempt
 

to
 

make
 

progress
 

towards
 

39
 

Dark’s
 

Agendas
 

for
 

a
 


liberated
 

Mars
 

Colony.
 Endgame:
 

After
 

nine
 

Progress
 

Scenes,
 

or
 

when
 

there
 

are
 

five
 

tokens
 


in
 

the
 

Treasonous
 

circle,
 

the
 

players
 

narrate
 

closing
 

vignettes
 

and
 

the
 


20 game
 

ends.
P R E PA R AT I O N

To
 

play,
 

you
 

will
 

need: 21
•
 

 9
 

small
 

tokens,
 

used
 

to
 

track
 

Lane’s
 

Hope,
 

Loyal,
 

and
 

Treasonous
 


circles
 

on
 

the
 

Character
 

Worksheet.
•
 

 6
 

six-sided
 

dice,
 

used
 

to
 

generate
 

Change
 

and
 

Hope
 

points
 

dur-
ing
 

Progress
 

Scenes.
•
 

 6
 

small
 

pieces
 

of
 

paper,
 

used
 

to
 

create
 

Anger
 

Cards.
•
 

 A
 

 copy
 

 of
 

 the
 

 following
 

 player-aids,
 

 included
 

 at
 

 the
 

 end
 

 of
 

 this
 


book
 

and
 

on
 

the
 

TCK
 

Roleplaying
 

website:
•
 

 Faction
 

 Map,
 

 used
 

 to
 

 track
 

 the
 

 four
 

 fictional
 

 political
 

 Fac-
tions
 

within
 

the
 

39
 

Dark
 

movement.
•
 

 Organization
 

 Map,
 

 used
 

 to
 

 track
 

 the
 

 characters
 

 within
 

 the
 


four
 

major
 

organizations
 

in
 

Mars
 

Colony.
•
 

 Character
 

 Worksheet,
 

 used
 

 to
 

 track
 

 Lane
 

 Novak’s
 

 progress
 


as
 

the
 

leader
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.
•
 

 A
 

pencil
 

for
 

each
 

player.
 SUMMARY

Before
 

 beginning,
 

 decide
 

 who
 

 will
 

 play
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 and
 

 who
 

 will
 

 play
 


22
the
 

 Governor.
 

 Both
 

 players
 

 will
 

 take
 

 charge
 

 of
 

 generating
 

 the
 

 major
 


characters
 

 on
 

 Mars,
 

 as
 

 well
 

 as
 

 the
 

 initial
 

 situation
 

 into
 

 which
 

 Lane
 


Novak
 

will
 

venture.
If
 

you
 

prefer
 

to
 

skip
 

over
 

the
 

preparation
 

phase,
 

you
 

can
 

find
 

pre-
generated
 

game
 

material
 

at
 

the
 

end
 

of
 

this
 

book
 

and
 

on
 

the
 

39
 

Dark
 


website
 

at:
 

http://tckroleplaying.com/39dark/.
 

If,
 

on
 

the
 

other
 

hand,
 


you
 

prefer
 

to
 

start
 

from
 

scratch,
 

you
 

will
 

need
 

to
 

work
 

through
 

the
 

fol-
lowing
 

seven
 

stages
 

in
 

order.

 

1.
 

 Create
 

Anger
 

Cards
 

(together).

 

2.
 

 Choose
 

fringe
 

groups
 

and
 

create
 

Factions
 

(together).

 

3.
 

 Assign
 

Factions
 

to
 

the
 

Organization
 

Sheet
 

( Governor).

 

4.
 

 Place
 

tokens
 

on
 

the
 

Character
 

Worksheet
 

( Savior).

 

5.
 

 Assign
 

Lane’s
 

Faction
 

( Savior).

 

6.
 

 Create
 

three
 

Followers
 

for
 

Lane
 

( Savior).

 

7.
 

 Create
 

the
 

first
 

Agenda
 

for
 

39
 

Dark
 

(together).
23
S TAGE 1: A NGER C A RDS

Begin
 

by
 

generating
 

Anger
 

Cards.
 

Each
 

player
 

takes
 

three
 

index
 

cards
 


or
 

other
 

small
 

pieces
 

of
 

paper.
 

On
 

each
 

card,
 

the
 

players
 

privately
 


write
 

 one
 

 thing
 

 that
 

 angers
 

 them
 

 about
 

 their
 

 real-life
 

 government.
 


When
 

 creating
 

 Anger
 

 Cards,
 

 think
 

 in
 

 terms
 

 of
 

 policies,
 

 laws,
 

 social
 


norms,
 

and
 

conventions
 

that
 

you
 

would
 

like
 

to
 

see
 

changed.
 

Which
 


of
 

 those
 

 laws
 

 or
 

 conventions
 

 make
 

 you
 

 angry?
 

 Do
 

 you
 

 see
 

 oppres-
sion,
 

unfairness,
 

or
 

mistreatment
 

anywhere
 

in
 

your
 

country?
 

Is
 

your
 


government
 

complicit
 

in,
 

or
 

failing
 

to
 

prevent
 

unfairness?
 

Does
 

that
 


make
 

 you
 

 angry?
 

 Are
 

 there
 

 any
 

 individual
 

 leaders,
 

 political
 

 parties,
 


corporations,
 

 or
 

 media
 

 organizations
 

 that
 

 perpetuate
 

 the
 

 things
 

 that
 


make
 

you
 

angry?
 

Is
 

there
 

anything
 

else
 

about
 

your
 

government
 

or
 

its
 


policies
 

that
 

makes
 

you
 

angry?
 

Whatever
 

it
 

is,
 

write
 

it
 

on
 

a
 

card.
 After
 

 creating
 

 Anger
 

 Cards,
 

 the
 

 players
 

 each
 

 randomly
 

 turn
 

 one
 


of
 

 their
 

 cards
 

 face-up
 

 in
 

 the
 

 middle
 

 of
 

 the
 

 table.
 

 Shuffle
 

 the
 

 four
 


24 remaining
 

 cards
 

 together
 

 and
 

 place
 

 them
 

 face-down
 

 in
 

 the
 

 middle
 


of
 

 the
 

 table.
 

 Use
 

 this
 

 common
 

 deck
 

 for
 

 inspiration
 

 during
 

 gameplay,
 


turning
 

over
 

a
 

new
 

card
 

whenever
 

both
 

players
 

agree.

S TAG E 2 : FAC T I O N S

The
 

 players
 

 collaboratively
 

 choose
 

 four
 

 fringe
 

 political
 

 movements
 


that
 

 currently
 

 exist,
 

 or
 

 whose
 

 influence
 

 is
 

 still
 

 felt
 

 today.
 

 You
 

 are
 

 al-
lowed
 

 to
 

 choose
 

 recognized
 

 political
 

 parties,
 

 but
 

 may
 

 not
 

 choose
 


groups
 

 thought
 

 of
 

 as
 

 mainstream
 

 by
 

 most
 

 people.
 

 Better
 

 choices
 


would
 

be
 

fractured
 

organizations,
 

culturally
 

oppressed
 

but
 

organized
 


minority
 

 groups,
 

 militant
 

 resistance
 

 groups,
 

 protest
 

 movements,
 


internet-based
 

 alliances,
 

 and
 

 amorphous
 

 coalitions
 

—
 

and
 

 always
 


with
 

 a
 

 definite
 

 agenda
 

 or
 

 political
 

 point
 

 of
 

 view.
 

 You
 

 may
 

 choose
 


any
 

 group
 

 from
 

 around
 

 the
 

 globe,
 

 but
 

 at
 

 least
 

 one
 

 player
 

 should
 

 be
 


passingly
 

familiar
 

with
 

the
 

group’s
 

personality
 

and
 

t ypical
 

methods
 

of
 


carrying
 

out
 

a
 

plan.
25
Example
 

:
 

 John
 

 and
 

 Mary
 

 are
 

 playing
 

 39
 

 Dark.
 

 They
 

 start
 

 brain-
storming
 

political
 

movements
 

from
 

around
 

the
 

world
 

and
 


immediately
 

decide
 

that
 

they
 

want
 

to
 

include
 

the
 

hacker
 


group,
 

Anonymous,
 

and
 

the
 

protest
 

movement,
 

Occupy
 


Wall
 

Street.
 

John
 

then
 

admits
 

that
 

his
 

knowledge
 

of
 

politi-
cal
 

movements
 

is
 

limited,
 

so
 

Mary
 

suggests
 

the
 

PLO
 

and
 


the
 

Tea
 

Party.
 

John
 

agrees,
 

and
 

preparation
 

continues.

The
 

Governor
 

writes
 

the
 

four
 

chosen
 

organizations
 

in
 

the
 

four
 

corner
 


boxes
 

 of
 

 the
 

 Faction
 

 Map
 

 where
 

 they
 

 are
 

 labeled,
 

 “Fringe
 

 Group.”
 


Where
 

the
 

boxes
 

are
 

labeled
 

“Agenda
 

&
 

Methodology,”
 

the
 

Governor
 


then
 

writes
 

t wo
 

to
 

three
 

phrases
 

summarizing
 

the
 

actual
 

fringe
 

group’s
 


goals
 

 and
 

 methods.
 

 If
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 is
 

 more
 

 familiar
 

 with
 

 some
 

 of
 

 the
 


chosen
 

 groups,
 

 he
 

 should
 

 help
 

 the
 

 Governor
 

 to
 

 fill
 

 in
 

 descriptions.
 


These
 

notes
 

can
 

be
 

especially
 

useful
 

when
 

one
 

player
 

is
 

more
 

familiar
 


Fringe Group Fringe Group

Agenda & Methodology Agenda & Methodology

STEEL MIDNIGHT
SCARLET
39 DARK

Fringe Group Fringe Group

GOLD

Agenda & Methodology Agenda & Methodology

with
 

a
 

group
 

than
 

the
 

other,
 

but
 

also
 

define
 

the
 

key
 

characteristics
 

of
 


the
 

fictional
 

group
 

that
 

the
 

players
 

will
 

create
 

on
 

Mars.
There
 

are
 

four
 

points
 

of
 

intersection
 

on
 

the
 

Faction
 

Map.
 

These
 

 27
intersections
 

 are
 

 labeled
 

 with
 

 one
 

 of
 

 four
 

 colors:
 

 Steel,
 

 Midnight,
 


Gold,
 

 and
 

 Scarlet.
 

 Each
 

 color
 

 is
 

 the
 

 name
 

 of
 

 one
 

 of
 

 four
 

 major
 


Factions
 

within
 

the
 

39
 

Dark
 

movement
 

on
 

Mars.
 

No
 

single
 

Faction
 


dominates
 

 39
 

 Dark.
 

 They
 

 all
 

 share
 

 the
 

 common
 

 goal
 

 of
 

 effecting
 


serious
 

change
 

on
 

the
 

Martian
 

political
 

landscape,
 

and
 

yet
 

they
 

all
 


have
 

different
 

ideas
 

about
 

how
 

39
 

Dark
 

should
 

go
 

about
 

achieving
 


its
 

overarching
 

goal.
Adjacent
 

organizations
 

overlap
 

with
 

their
 

neighbors;
 

however,
 

di-
agonal
 

organizations
 

never
 

intersect.
 

Where
 

the
 

Governor
 

places
 

the
 


different
 

organizations
 

on
 

the
 

map
 

will
 

determine
 

the
 

personalities
 

of
 


many
 

of
 

the
 

characters
 

created
 

in
 

the
 

game.

Example
 

:
 

 Continuing
 

 their
 

 preparation,
 

 Mary,
 

 who
 

 is
 

 playing
 

 the
 


Governor,
 

 assigns
 

 their
 

 political
 

 movements
 

 to
 

 the
 

 vari-
 ous
 

Factions
 

on
 

the
 

Faction
 

Map.
 

Starting
 

from
 

the
 

upper
 


left
 

and
 

proceeding
 

clockwise,
 

Mary
 

fills
 

in
 

the
 

Tea
 

Party,
 


28 the
 

PLO,
 

Occupy
 

Wall
 

Street,
 

and
 

A nonymous.
 

Therefore,
 


the
 

Steel
 

Faction
 

will
 

be
 

a
 

combination
 

of
 

the
 

Tea
 

Party
 


and
 

the
 

PLO.
 

The
 

Midnight
 

Faction
 

will
 

be
 

a
 

combination
 


of
 

 the
 

 PLO
 

 and
 

 Occupy
 

 Wall
 

 Street.
 

 And
 

 so
 

 on.
 

 Note
 


that
 

on
 

John
 

and
 

Mary’s
 

Faction
 

Map
 

there
 

is
 

no
 

overlap
 


between
 

the
 

PLO
 

and
 

Anonymous
 

or
 

the
 

Tea
 

Party
 

and
 


Occupy
 

 Wall
 

 Street
 

 because
 

 those
 

 movements
 

 are
 

 situ-
ated
 

diagonally
 

from
 

each
 

other.

It
 

 is
 

 important
 

 to
 

 remember
 

 that
 

 none
 

 of
 

 the
 

 modern
 

 political
 

 move-
ments
 

exist
 

on
 

the
 

fictional
 

Mars,
 

only
 

their
 

fictional
 

counterparts
 

that
 


are
 

inspired
 

by
 

a
 

combination
 

of
 

t wo
 

such
 

movements.
 

A s
 

the
 

game
 


continues,
 

 you
 

 will
 

 develop
 

 the
 

 precise
 

 personalities
 

 of
 

 the
 

 various
 


fictional
 

 Factions.
 

 The
 

 real-life
 

 political
 

 movements
 

 serve
 

 only
 

 as
 

 a
 


basis
 

for
 

inspiration.
S TAGE 3: ORGANIZ ATIONS

The
 

 Governor
 

 chooses
 

 one
 

 character
 

 from
 

 each
 

 of
 

 the
 

 four
 

 major
 


29
Organizations
 

 listed
 

 on
 

 the
 

 Organization
 

 Map.
 

 For
 

 each
 

 character,
 


the
 

 Governor
 

 chooses
 

 a
 

 fictional
 

 Faction
 

 from
 

 the
 

 Faction
 

 Map
 

 (i.e.,
 


a
 

color)
 

and
 

records
 

it
 

underneath
 

the
 

character’s
 

name
 

on
 

the
 

Or-
ganization
 

 Map.
 

 The
 

 character
 

 does
 

 not
 

 necessarily
 

 belong
 

 to
 

 any
 


fringe
 

group
 

on
 

Mars.
 

In
 

fact,
 

most
 

do
 

not.
 

Instead,
 

when
 

a
 

personal-
ity
 

 is
 

 labeled
 

 with
 

 a
 

 Faction,
 

 that
 

 character
 

 becomes
 

 a
 

 target
 

 for
 

 the
 


Faction.
 

The
 

corresponding
 

Faction
 

members
 

consider
 

the
 

character
 


a
 

potential
 

ally
 

to
 

the
 

movement,
 

and
 

therefore
 

worth
 

pursuing,
 

or
 

a
 


threat,
 

and
 

therefore
 

worth
 

antagonizing.
 

The
 

players
 

do
 

not
 

need
 

to
 


decide
 

on
 

the
 

precise
 

details
 

about
 

each
 

character
 

during
 

prepara-
tion,
 

and
 

should
 

feel
 

free
 

to
 

define
 

the
 

character
 

through
 

play
 

as
 

the
 


game
 

unfolds.

Colony Government.
 

The
 

government
 

consists
 

of
 

three
 

major
 

sub-
organizations,
 

each
 

of
 

which
 

vie
 

for
 

political
 

dominance.
 

The
 

Mayor’s
 


 O r gani z at i o n M a p
[ Peacekeepers ] [ United Workers of Mars ]

Chief Commander Rep. Niles Brun Trustee Sophie

Zaki Jau Thomas

Investigator Hajek Media Liason Faqiri Organizer Aldo Council Member

Prins Jiang Li

Deputy Chief Tandy President Ushi

Smith

[ News Network Corp. ] [ Colony Government ]

Coalition President
Arnold Fletcher
Network Chief Feed Writer
Serena Panin Silje Asp
Colony Mayor Coalition Rep.
Iara Dias Ela Verma

Lead Anchor Beat Reporter

Theo Meyer Sydney Fane
Council Member Council Member
Gartee Ba Tanya Koch
Office
 

is
 

the
 

executive
 

branch
 

of
 

the
 

Colony
 

government.
 

The
 

Colony
 


Council
 

 is
 

 the
 

 Colony’s
 

 legislative
 

 branch,
 

 responsible
 

 for
 

 passing
 


local
 

 laws
 

 and
 

 ordinances.
 

 The
 

 Earth
 

 Coalition
 

 is
 

 a
 

 multi-member
 

 31
group
 

 of
 

 Earth
 

 nations
 

 that
 

 sponsored
 

 the
 

 construction
 

 of
 

 Mars
 


Colony.
 

 These
 

 nations
 

 all
 

 claim
 

 an
 

 interest
 

 in
 

 how
 

 the
 

 Colony
 

 is
 

 run.
 


In
 

order
 

to
 

provide
 

a
 

conduit
 

between
 

the
 

Colony
 

and
 

the
 

people
 

of
 


Earth,
 

and
 

in
 

order
 

to
 

administer
 

Coalition
 

directives,
 

the
 

Earth
 

Coali-
tion
 

sent
 

a
 

representative
 

committee
 

to
 

Mars,
 

which
 

has
 

the
 

power
 

to
 


issue
 

“recommendations”
 

to
 

the
 

local
 

Colony
 

government.

Peacekeepers.
 

 The
 

 Peacekeepers
 

 are
 

 a
 

 paramilitary
 

 police
 

 force
 


organized
 

 by
 

 the
 

 Colony’s
 

 first
 

 deputy
 

 mayor,
 

 now
 

 retired,
 

 Rebeca
 


Collins.
 

The
 

Peacekeepers
 

are
 

 still
 

 ostensibly
 

an
 

 arm
 

 of
 

the
 

 Colony’s
 


executive
 

 branch,
 

 but
 

 have
 

 recently
 

 claimed
 

 greater
 

 independence
 


under
 

its
 

Chief
 

Commander,
 

Zaki
 

Jau.
 

Projectile
 

weapons
 

of
 

any
 

sort
 


are
 

banned
 

on
 

Mars
 

in
 

order
 

to
 

promote
 

safety
 

and
 

the
 

integrity
 

of
 


the
 

Colony
 

domes.
 

Anyone
 

in
 

possession
 

of
 

a
 

projectile
 

weapon
 

is
 


 severely
 

 punished,
 

 including
 

 Peacekeepers.
 

 Therefore,
 

 officers
 

 in
 

 the
 


Peacekeepers
 

 carry
 

 stun
 

 batons.
 

 The
 

 batons
 

 have
 

 become
 

 a
 

 symbol
 


32 of
 

power
 

and
 

oppression
 

to
 

many
 

citizens.

News Network Corporation.

 

The
 

Network
 

is
 

the
 

Colony’s
 

only
 

ma-
jor
 

news
 

source.
 

While
 

the
 

Network
 

has
 

many
 

employees,
 

there
 

are
 

a
 


few
 

key
 

voices
 

including
 

Network
 

Chief
 

Serena
 

Panin,
 

feed
 

writer
 

Silje
 


Asp,
 

beat
 

reporter
 

Sydney
 

Fane,
 

and
 

lead
 

anchor
 

Theo
 

Meyer.
 

The
 


Network
 

has
 

long
 

been
 

scrutinized
 

for
 

regurgitating
 

the
 

government’s
 


version
 

 of
 

 major
 

 news
 

 events,
 

 while
 

 simultaneously
 

 sensationalizing
 


reports
 

from
 

everyday
 

citizens.
 

Idealism
 

is
 

a
 

rare
 

commodity
 

at
 

the
 


Network.

United Workers of Mars (UWM).

 

The
 

Union
 

exists
 

in
 

spite
 

of
 

itself,
 


and
 

in
 

spite
 

of
 

official
 

opposition
 

from
 

the
 

Colony
 

government.
 

The
 


government
 

claims
 

that
 

unionization
 

is
 

illegal,
 

and
 

that
 

any
 

work
 

stop-
page
 

 would
 

 gravely
 

 endanger
 

 Martian
 

 citizens
 

 who
 

 depend
 

 on
 

 the
 


continual
 

 flow
 

 of
 

 the
 

 various
 

 mined
 

 minerals,
 

 chemically
 

 generated
 


water,
 

 hydroponically
 

 grown
 

 food,
 

 and
 

 other
 

 basic
 

 supplies.
 

 Despite
 


the
 

government’s
 

crackdown
 

on
 

organized
 

labor,
 

the
 

UWM
 

continues
 


to
 

 draw
 

 members.
 

 In-fighting
 

 abounds
 

 within
 

 the
 

 union,
 

 but
 

 political
 

 33
pressure
 

has
 

nonetheless
 

galvanized
 

Martian
 

workers.

S TAGE 4 : CHAR AC TER WORKSHEE T

The
 

Savior
 

places
 

nine
 

tokens
 

in
 

the
 

circle
 

labeled
 

Loyal
 

on
 

the
 

Char-
acter
 

 Worksheet.
 

 The
 

 other
 

 circles,
 

 Treasonous
 

 and
 

 Hope,
 

 begin
 


empty.
 

Together
 

these
 

circles
 

represent
 

Lane
 

Novak’s
 

reputation
 

with
 


the
 

 general
 

 populace
 

 of
 

 Mars
 

 Colony,
 

 including
 

 the
 

 members
 

 of
 

 39
 


Dark.
 

Lane
 

begins
 

the
 

game
 

with
 

a
 

reputation
 

for
 

being
 

a
 

loyal
 

citizen.
 


In
 

play,
 

the
 

Savior
 

will
 

move
 

tokens
 

among
 

the
 

three
 

reputation
 

circles
 


depending
 

on
 

Lane’s
 

methods
 

and
 

whether
 

she
 

succeeds
 

or
 

fails
 

in
 


achieving
 

the
 

goals
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.
 

For
 

example,
 

as
 

tokens
 

move
 

from
 


Loyal
 

 to
 

 Treasonous
 

 during
 

 the
 

 game,
 

 certain
 

 citizens
 

 will
 

 begin
 

 to
 


suspect
 

Lane
 

of
 

treason.
 

A s
 

the
 

Savior
 

continues
 

to
 

move
 

tokens
 

into
 


 Lane Novak Faction :
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Timeline

Followers :

L oya l

Ho p e Trea so no us

MARS COLONY
F 39 DARK F

Agenda & Call to Action Hope Change Total

5
the
 

 Treasonous
 

 circle,
 

 citizens
 

 will
 

 demand
 

 that
 

 the
 

 Colony
 

 govern-
ment
 

stop
 

Lane.
35
S T A G E 5 : L A N E ʼ’ S F A C T I O N

The
 

Savior
 

chooses
 

a
 

Faction
 

for
 

Lane
 

Novak.
 

Lane’s
 

Faction
 

does
 

not
 


dictate
 

 her
 

 actions,
 

 but
 

 instead
 

 represents
 

 the
 

 reputation
 

 she
 

 has
 

 for
 


political
 

 change.
 

 Lane
 

 may
 

 be
 

 mildly
 

 sympathetic
 

 or
 

 fanatically
 

 loyal
 


to
 

her
 

Faction’s
 

point
 

of
 

view.
 

The
 

choice
 

is
 

left
 

to
 

the
 

Savior,
 

and
 

may
 


evolve
 

over
 

the
 

course
 

of
 

the
 

game.

S T A G E 6 : L A N E ʼ’ S F O L L O W E R S

The
 

Savior
 

creates
 

a
 

list
 

of
 

three
 

Followers
 

that
 

are
 

close
 

to
 

Lane
 

No-
vak.
 

The
 

first
 

must
 

be
 

a
 

relative.
 

The
 

second
 

must
 

be
 

a
 

lover.
 

The
 

third
 


must
 

be
 

a
 

fanatic
 

connected
 

to
 

the
 

39
 

Dark
 

movement.
Each
 

Follower
 

must
 

be
 

named,
 

and
 

assigned
 

to
 

one
 

of
 

the
 

four
 


Factions.
 

 Each
 

 Follower
 

 should
 

 be
 

 someone
 

 for
 

 whom
 

 Lane
 

 would
 


 find
 

it
 

painful
 

to
 

lose.
 

Therefore,
 

the
 

Savior
 

should
 

elaborate
 

on
 

a
 

few
 


details
 

concerning
 

Lane’s
 

relationship
 

with
 

her
 

Followers.
36
S T A G E 7: A G E N D A S

The
 

players
 

collaboratively
 

create
 

the
 

first
 

Agenda
 

that
 

39
 

Dark
 

will
 


pursue.
 

 Over
 

 the
 

 course
 

 of
 

 the
 

 game,
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 may
 

 adopt
 

 a
 

 total
 

 of
 


five
 

such
 

Agendas;
 

however,
 

the
 

group
 

starts
 

with
 

just
 

one.
 

Only
 

after
 


Lane
 

and
 

39
 

Dark
 

have
 

made
 

Significant
 

Progress
 

towards
 

achieving
 


their
 

first
 

Agenda
 

will
 

the
 

players
 

create
 

a
 

second.
 

Each
 

time
 

they
 

are
 


required
 

to
 

create
 

a
 

new
 

Agenda,
 

the
 

players
 

should
 

begin
 

by
 

jointly
 


selecting
 

one
 

of
 

the
 

following
 

categories:

personal expression, information sharing, elections,

representation, transparency, privacy, travel, wages, healthcare,
education, immigration, work assignment, rationing, policing,
sanitation, corporate rights, equality, technology access, worship,
outer-dome settlements, criminal justice, housing allocation
 Each
 

 category
 

 is
 

 vague,
 

 and
 

 does
 

 not
 

 by
 

 itself
 

 comprise
 

 an
 


Agenda.
 

To
 

complete
 

the
 

process,
 

the
 

players
 

should
 

discuss
 

specific
 


problems
 

in
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

that
 

relate
 

to
 

the
 

category
 

they
 

have
 

chosen.
 

 37
From
 

 there,
 

 the
 

 players
 

 must
 

 define
 

 the
 

 Agenda
 

 as
 

 a
 

 specific
 

 Call
 

 to
 


Action.

Example
 

:
 

 John
 

 and
 

 Mary
 

 choose
 

 the
 

 category
 

 “rationing”
 

 for
 

 their
 


first
 

 Agenda.
 

 Before
 

 doing
 

 anything
 

 else,
 

 they
 

 discuss
 


what
 

 sort
 

 of
 

 rationing
 

 is
 

 (or
 

 is
 

 not)
 

 being
 

 implemented
 


in
 

Mars
 

Colony.
 

They
 

discuss
 

different
 

possible
 

types
 

of
 


rationing,
 

 such
 

 as
 

 food,
 

 power,
 

 and
 

 water.
 

 They
 

 also
 

 dis-
cuss
 

the
 

current
 

political
 

situation
 

surrounding
 

rationing
 

in
 


the
 

Colony:
 

Who
 

is
 

involved?
 

What
 

are
 

the
 

entrenched
 


interests
 

under
 

the
 

current
 

system?
 

Etc.

Once
 

 the
 

 players
 

 have
 

 settled
 

 on
 

 the
 

 basic
 

 details,
 

 they
 

 need
 

 to
 

 nar-
row
 

and
 

define
 

the
 

Agenda.
 

Only
 

when
 

the
 

Agenda
 

has
 

been
 

defined
 


as
 

a
 

Call
 

to
 

Action
 

are
 

you
 

ready
 

to
 

begin.
 

Once
 

decided,
 

the
 

Savior
 


should
 

 record
 

 the
 

 finalized
 

 Agenda
 

 on
 

 the
 

 Character
 

 Worksheet
 

 un-
der
 

the
 

matching
 

heading.
39
Example
 

:
 

 John
 

and
 

Mary
 

settle
 

on
 

water
 

rationing.
 

They
 

must
 

then
 


define
 

 a
 

 specific
 

 Call
 

 to
 

 Action.
 

 They
 

 choose:
 

 “Water
 


rationing
 

 should
 

 be
 

 based
 

 on
 

 need,
 

 not
 

 ability
 

 to
 

 pay.”
 


This
 

 final
 

 sentence
 

 is
 

 the
 

 completed
 

 Agenda,
 

 and
 

 John
 


records
 

it
 

on
 

the
 

Character
 

Worksheet.

Be
 

 careful
 

 to
 

 make
 

 Agendas
 

 robust
 

 enough
 

 to
 

 engender
 

 sustained
 


and
 

vigilant
 

opposition
 

to
 

the
 

39
 

Dark
 

movement.
 

An
 

Agenda
 

that
 


is
 

easily
 

“solved,”
 

 or
 

 that
 

 lacks
 

 strong
 

 opponents
 

 is
 

 inappropriate
 

 for
 


a
 

game
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.
 

This
 

is,
 

after
 

all,
 

a
 

game
 

about
 

an
 

uprising.
 

You
 


must
 

ask
 

yourselves,
 

“ What
 

would
 

the
 

citizens
 

of
 

Mars
 

consider
 

worth
 


fighting
 

for?”
 

The
 

answer
 

to
 

that
 

question
 

should
 

be
 

the
 

basis
 

of
 

every
 


new
 

Agenda.
 GOALS

40 The
 

primary
 

goal
 

for
 

both
 

players
 

in
 

Mars
 

Colony:
 

39
 

Dark
 

is
 

to
 

tell
 

a
 


satisfying
 

story
 

that
 

explores
 

the
 

themes
 

of
 

politics,
 

personal
 

freedom,
 


organized
 

 resistance,
 

 and
 

 the
 

 cost
 

 of
 

 facing
 

 seemingly
 

 insurmount-
able
 

odds.
 

39
 

Dark
 

is
 

a
 

game
 

about
 

telling
 

a
 

story
 

and
 

learning
 

what
 


it
 

means
 

to
 

be
 

in
 

a
 

position
 

of
 

leadership
 

within
 

an
 

oppressed
 

civiliza-
tion.
 

 The
 

 game
 

 is
 

 designed
 

 around
 

 that
 

 premise,
 

 and
 

 every
 

 decision
 


you
 

make,
 

even
 

instinctively,
 

should
 

move
 

towards
 

that
 

goal.
 

Getting
 


caught
 

up
 

in
 

the
 

flow
 

of
 

points
 

and
 

tokens
 

is
 

fine,
 

but
 

when
 

it
 

comes
 


time
 

to
 

make
 

decisions
 

about
 

how
 

to
 

best
 

use
 

those
 

points
 

or
 

tokens,
 


the
 

questions
 

you
 

ask
 

yourself
 

need
 

to
 

circle
 

back
 

to
 

the
 

primary
 

goal
 


of
 

 the
 

 game.
 

 If
 

 you
 

 abstractly
 

 consider
 

 the
 

 mechanics
 

 separate
 

 from
 


the
 

premise,
 

then
 

you
 

are
 

going
 

to
 

lose
 

the
 

narrative
 

power
 

that
 

role-
playing
 

has
 

to
 

offer.
You
 

cannot
 

treat
 

39
 

Dark
 

as
 

you
 

would
 

a
 

board
 

game
 

or
 

a
 

card
 


game
 

 where
 

 direct
 

 competition
 

 and
 

 mechanics
 

 alone
 

 can
 

 provide
 


the
 

scaffolding
 

for
 

satisfying
 

play.
 

39
 

 Dark
 

does
 

not
 

work
 

abstractly,
 


apart
 

from
 

considerations
 

of
 

theme.
 

Instead,
 

39
 

Dark,
 

like
 

most
 

role-
playing
 

 games,
 

 requires
 

 buy-in
 

 from
 

 the
 

 players
 

—
 

a
 

 tacit
 

 agreement
 

 41
to
 

 prioritize
 

 the
 

 thematic
 

 experience
 

 of
 

 story-telling
 

 over
 

 mechanical
 


manipulation.
 

If
 

you
 

start
 

with
 

the
 

assumption
 

that
 

you
 

are
 

going
 

to
 


address
 

 theme
 

 first,
 

 mechanics
 

 second,
 

 then
 

 the
 

 mechanics
 

 become
 


a
 

 tool
 

 and
 

 you
 

 become
 

 the
 

 artist
 

 wielding
 

 that
 

 tool.
 

 It
 

 may
 

 sound
 


pretentious,
 

but
 

it
 

works.
That’s
 

not
 

to
 

say
 

that
 

mechanics
 

and
 

rules
 

are
 

arbitrary,
 

or
 

that
 


you
 

should
 

feel
 

free
 

to
 

ignore
 

rules
 

you
 

don’t
 

like.
 

On
 

the
 

contrary,
 

the
 


rules
 

of
 

39
 

Dark
 

are
 

designed
 

to
 

place
 

pressure
 

on
 

the
 

themes
 

of
 

the
 


game,
 

and
 

on
 

you,
 

the
 

players,
 

so
 

that
 

thematic
 

choices
 

are
 

more
 

fo-
cused
 

and
 

more
 

poignant.
 

Pay
 

attention
 

to
 

the
 

rules.
 

Use
 

them.
 

Work
 


within
 

 the
 

 limits
 

 they
 

 impose,
 

 and
 

 try
 

 to
 

 overcome
 

 the
 

 obstacles
 

 they
 


throw
 

in
 

your
 

path.
 

But
 

don’t
 

break
 

or
 

ignore
 

them.
 

Adherence
 

to
 

the
 


rules
 

makes
 

39
 

Dark
 

a
 

game.
 

Collaboration
 

towards
 

a
 

joint
 

vision
 

of
 


character-based
 

themes
 

makes
 

it
 

a
 

roleplaying
 

game.
 P L AY

42 To
 

begin
 

play,
 

the
 

Savior
 

narrates
 

an
 

opening
 

vignette
 

that
 

introduces
 


Lane
 

 Novak.
 

 The
 

 opening
 

 vignette
 

 is
 

 a
 

 brief
 

 scene,
 

 and
 

 the
 

 Savior
 


should
 

therefore
 

establish
 

who
 

is
 

present,
 

where
 

they
 

are,
 

and
 

what
 

is
 


happening.
 

Over
 

the
 

course
 

of
 

this
 

brief
 

scene,
 

the
 

Savior
 

establishes
 


Lane’s
 

background,
 

qualifications,
 

and
 

relationship
 

with
 

the
 

govern-
ment
 

 and
 

 the
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 movement.
 

 When
 

 narrating,
 

 remember
 

 that
 


Lane
 

was
 

chosen
 

by
 

39
 

Dark
 

above
 

all
 

other
 

members
 

to
 

lead
 

the
 


movement.
 

Be
 

sure
 

to
 

establish
 

why.

After
 

the
 

opening
 

vignette,
 

the
 

game
 

follows
 

a
 

cycle
 

of
 

scenes.
 

The
 


players
 

 will
 

 take
 

 turns
 

 setting
 

 a
 

 scene,
 

 describing
 

 what
 

 happens
 

 to
 


Lane
 

 and
 

 the
 

 other
 

 characters
 

 in
 

 the
 

 scene,
 

 resolving
 

 any
 

 conflicts
 


that
 

arise,
 

and
 

noting
 

any
 

progress
 

made
 

by
 

39
 

Dark
 

towards
 

its
 

mis-
sion
 

of
 

change.
 At
 

 the
 

 start
 

 of
 

 normal
 

 play,
 

 the
 

 Governor
 

 goes
 

 first.
 

 He
 

 chooses
 


the
 

 scene
 

 type
 

 and
 

 then
 

 describes
 

 who
 

 is
 

 present,
 

 where
 

 they
 

 are,
 


and
 

what
 

is
 

happening
 

when
 

the
 

scene
 

opens.
 

When
 

the
 

Governor’s
 

 43
scene
 

is
 

over,
 

the
 

Savior
 

continues.
 

The
 

Savior
 

chooses
 

a
 

scene
 

t ype
 


and
 

frames
 

the
 

scene.
 

When
 

that
 

scene
 

is
 

over,
 

the
 

Governor
 

goes
 


again.
 

Play
 

proceeds
 

like
 

this
 

until
 

the
 

players
 

have
 

completed
 

nine
 


Progress
 

Scenes,
 

or
 

until
 

Lane
 

Novak
 

is
 

arrested
 

by
 

the
 

Colony
 

gov-
ernment
 

for
 

treason.

SCENE TYPES Governor

 

Scene Savior
 

Scene
(Personal
 

or
 

Opposition) (Personal
 

or
 

Progress)
There
 

 are
 

 three
 

 types
 


of
 

scenes
 

in
 

39
 

Dark.

Personal Scenes (Savior or Governor).

 

Personal
 

Scenes
 

focus
 

on
 


Lane
 

Novak’s
 

private
 

life
 

and
 

personal
 

struggles.
 

They
 

do
 

not
 

directly
 


implicate
 

Colony
 

politics
 

or
 

39
 

Dark’s
 

Agendas.
 

For
 

example,
 

a
 

scene
 


between
 

Lane
 

and
 

one
 

of
 

her
 

Followers
 

would
 

make
 

a
 

good
 

Personal
 


 Scene
 

so
 

long
 

as
 

the
 

scene
 

focuses
 

on
 

Lane’s
 

life
 

outside
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.
 


If
 

the
 

scene
 

is
 

primarily
 

about
 

39
 

Dark’s
 

business,
 

then
 

an
 

Opposi-
44 tion
 

or
 

Progress
 

Scene
 

 would
 

 be
 

 more
 

 appropriate.
 

 Personal
 

 Scenes
 


are
 

a
 

chance
 

to
 

explore
 

the
 

effects
 

of
 

leading
 

39
 

Dark
 

on
 

Lane.
 

They
 


advance
 

the
 

plot
 

insofar
 

as
 

you
 

learn
 

about
 

Lane
 

as
 

a
 

human
 

being.
 


Quiet
 

 interludes,
 

 moments
 

 of
 

 personal
 

 weakness,
 

 and
 

 the
 

 pursuit
 

 of
 


personal
 

obligations
 

would
 

all
 

make
 

for
 

successful
 

Personal
 

Scenes.

Example
 

:
 

 It
 

is
 

John’s
 

turn
 

to
 

frame
 

a
 

scene
 

as
 

the
 

Savior.
 

Mary
 

and
 


John
 

 have
 

 just
 

 finished
 

 a
 

 particularly
 

 brutal
 

 Opposition
 


Scene,
 

and
 

John
 

decides
 

that,
 

instead
 

of
 

jumping
 

imme-
diately
 

into
 

a
 

Progress
 

Scene,
 

he
 

would
 

prefer
 

to
 

pause
 


and
 

 learn
 

 about
 

 how
 

 the
 

 political
 

 events
 

 surrounding
 


Lane
 

are
 

affecting
 

her
 

personal
 

life.
 

John
 

frames
 

a
 

scene
 


between
 

Lane
 

and
 

her
 

brother,
 

Ian,
 

at
 

a
 

work-sponsored
 


cocktail
 

 party.
 

 The
 

 scene
 

 is
 

 a
 

 break
 

 from
 

 the
 

 grittier
 


scenes
 

 involving
 

 39
 

 Dark’s
 

 escalating
 

 protests.
 

 As
 

 the
 


 scene
 

plays
 

out,
 

Mary
 

and
 

John
 

establish
 

that
 

the
 

once
 


loving
 

relationship
 

between
 

Lane
 

and
 

Ian
 

is
 

deteriorating
 


as
 

Lane
 

is
 

consumed
 

by
 

her
 

work. 45

Both
 

the
 

Governor
 

and
 

the
 

Savior
 

may
 

select
 

a
 

Personal
 

Scene.

Progress Scenes (Savior Only).

 

 During
 

 Progress
 

 Scenes,
 

 Lane
 


implements
 

a
 

plan
 

to
 

advance
 

a
 

39
 

Dark
 

Agenda
 

and
 

force
 

the
 

gov-
ernment
 

 to
 

 alter
 

 its
 

 policies.
 

 The
 

 rules
 

 for
 

 Progress
 

 Scenes
 

 are
 

 more
 


formal
 

 than
 

 for
 

 Personal
 

 or
 

 Opposition
 

 Scenes,
 

 but
 

 also
 

 ensure
 

 that
 


the
 

game
 

drives
 

forward.
 

At
 

most,
 

there
 

are
 

nine
 

Progress
 

Scenes
 

in
 

a
 


game.
 

After
 

the
 

ninth
 

Progress
 

Scene,
 

the
 

game
 

ends.
Only
 

the
 

Savior
 

may
 

select
 

a
 

Progress
 

Scene
 

on
 

his
 

turn.

Opposition Scenes (Governor Only).

 

 An
 

 Opposition
 

 Scene
 

 must
 


involve
 

 Colony
 

 politics
 

 or
 

 a
 

 threat
 

 against
 

 39
 

 Dark,
 

 its
 

 members,
 

 or
 


the
 

general
 

Colony
 

population.
 

Opposition
 

Scenes
 

only
 

set
 

the
 

stage
 


for
 

Lane
 

to
 

take
 

action.
 

If
 

the
 

Savior
 

begins
 

to
 

narrate
 

what
 

Lane
 

is
 


 doing
 

 to
 

 address
 

 a
 

 threat
 

 or
 

 advance
 

 an
 

 Agenda,
 

 the
 

 Opposition
 


Scene
 

 should
 

 end
 

 and
 

 a
 

 Progress
 

 Scene
 

 should
 

 begin.
 

 However,
 

 an
 


46 Opposition
 

Scene
 

does
 

not
 

necessarily
 

have
 

to
 

transition
 

into
 

a
 

Prog-
ress
 

Scene.
 

An
 

Opposition
 

Scene
 

is
 

the
 

Governor’s
 

chance
 

to
 

tighten
 


the
 

 screws
 

 of
 

 Colony
 

 government,
 

 and
 

 to
 

 antagonize
 

 Lane
 

 Novak.
 


However,
 

the
 

Savior
 

is
 

free
 

to
 

follow
 

any
 

line
 

of
 

action
 

he
 

sees
 

fit,
 

and
 


in
 

any
 

order
 

he
 

sees
 

fit.
 

Sometimes
 

the
 

social
 

and
 

political
 

difficulties
 


developed
 

 in
 

 an
 

 Opposition
 

 Scene
 

 continue
 

 to
 

 fester,
 

 prompting
 

 ac-
tion
 

in
 

a
 

later
 

scene,
 

or
 

never
 

at
 

all.
 

The
 

choice
 

is
 

left
 

to
 

the
 

Savior.
Only
 

the
 

Governor
 

may
 

select
 

an
 

Opposition
 

Scene
 

on
 

his
 

turn.

When
 

it
 

is
 

your
 

turn
 

to
 

frame
 

a
 

scene,
 

you
 

may
 

select
 

any
 

scene
 

t ype
 


available
 

 to
 

 you.
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

 does
 

 not,
 

 for
 

 example,
 

 have
 

 to
 

 select
 


a
 

 Progress
 

 Scene
 

 after
 

 the
 

 Governor
 

 selects
 

 an
 

 Opposition
 

 Scene.
 


Likewise,
 

the
 

story
 

may
 

bounce
 

around
 

from
 

one
 

plot-line
 

to
 

another.
 


Scenes
 

 do
 

 not
 

 have
 

 to
 

 follow
 

 one
 

 another
 

 chronologically.
 

 You
 

 may
 


frame
 

flashbacks
 

or
 

dramatically
 

cut
 

forward
 

in
 

time.
 

Frame
 

whatever
 


is
 

 most
 

 powerful
 

 in
 

 the
 

 context
 

 of
 

 the
 

 story.
 

 There
 

 are
 

 no
 

 restrictions
 


save
 

 the
 

 limitations
 

 of
 

 the
 

 selected
 

 scene
 

 type
 

 and
 

 your
 

 personal
 


tastes. 47

COLL ABOR ATION

If
 

the
 

scene
 

type
 

is
 

Personal
 

or
 

Opposition,
 

the
 

players
 

collaborate
 


to
 

describe
 

how
 

the
 

scene
 

unfolds.
 

Generally,
 

the
 

Savior
 

narrates
 

for
 


Lane
 

Novak,
 

and
 

the
 

Governor
 

narrates
 

for
 

all
 

other
 

characters.
 

Play-
ers
 

may
 

narrate
 

in
 

the
 

first
 

or
 

third
 

person.
 

If
 

a
 

conflict
 

arises
 

in
 

the
 


fiction,
 

the
 

players
 

should
 

reach
 

an
 

agreement
 

about
 

how
 

the
 

conflict
 


is
 

resolved.
 

If
 

a
 

scene
 

has
 

served
 

its
 

purpose
 

in
 

the
 

story,
 

the
 

players
 


should
 

end
 

the
 

scene.
Any
 

 time
 

 a
 

 player
 

 introduces
 

 a
 

 new
 

 character
 

 from
 

 one
 

 of
 

 the
 


four
 

 major
 

 Organizations,
 

 he
 

 must
 

 choose
 

 a
 

 Faction
 

 for
 

 that
 

 charac-
ter
 

and
 

record
 

it
 

on
 

the
 

Organization
 

Map.
 

Players
 

should
 

strive
 

to
 


 introduce
 

characters
 

listed
 

on
 

the
 

Map
 

first,
 

but
 

should
 

also
 

feel
 

free
 


to
 

invent
 

new
 

characters
 

when
 

appropriate.
48 Anger
 

Cards
 

serve
 

as
 

inspiration
 

when
 

needed.
 

Either
 

player
 

may
 


introduce
 

 a
 

 fictional
 

 element
 

 derived
 

 from
 

 one
 

 of
 

 the
 

 face-up
 

 Anger
 


Cards.
 

When
 

they
 

both
 

agree,
 

the
 

players
 

may
 

turn
 

over
 

a
 

new
 

Anger
 


Card.
 

 Older
 

 Anger
 

 Cards
 

 remain
 

 on
 

 the
 

 table
 

 throughout
 

 the
 

 game,
 


and
 

continue
 

to
 

provide
 

inspiration
 

when
 

needed.
If
 

 the
 

 scene-type
 

 is
 

 Progress,
 

 the
 

 players
 

 will
 

 follow
 

 a
 

 more
 


formal
 

 process
 

 described
 

 in
 

 the
 

 next
 

 chapter.
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

 will
 

 roll
 


dice.
 

Lane
 

will
 

be
 

tested.
 

39
 

Dark
 

will
 

gather
 

support,
 

attention,
 

and
 


influence
 

—
 

or
 

 it
 

 will
 

 suffer
 

 setbacks
 

 and
 

 criminal
 

 accusations.
 

 39
 


Dark’s
 

success
 

and
 

failure
 

hinge
 

on
 

Lane’s
 

abilities.
 

Martian
 

freedom
 


is
 

always
 

at
 

risk.
Finally,
 

 players
 

 should
 

 note
 

 that
 

 “scene”
 

 is
 

 meant
 

 as
 

 a
 

 broad
 


term.
 

You
 

do
 

not
 

need
 

to
 

artificially
 

limit
 

a
 

scene
 

to
 

a
 

single
 

location
 


or
 

a
 

single
 

group
 

of
 

characters.
 

Instead,
 

a
 

scene
 

should
 

be
 

a
 

cohesive
 


segment
 

of
 

action
 

within
 

the
 

story.
ENDGAME

The
 

 players
 

 will
 

 continue
 

 to
 

 take
 

 turns
 

 framing
 

 scenes
 

 until
 

 they
 


49
complete
 

nine
 

Progress
 

Scenes,
 

or
 

until
 

there
 

are
 

five
 

tokens
 

in
 

the
 


Treasonous
 

circle.
 

If
 

there
 

are
 

ever
 

five
 

tokens
 

in
 

the
 

Treasonous
 

circle,
 


Lane
 

Novak
 

is
 

forever
 

branded
 

a
 

traitor
 

to
 

Mars
 

Colony.
 

The
 

Martian
 


people
 

 capture
 

 or
 

 kill
 

 her,
 

 and
 

 the
 

 game
 

 ends
 

 prematurely.
 

 39
 

 Dark
 


may
 

survive
 

Lane’s
 

personal
 

failure,
 

but
 

Lane
 

will
 

not
 

have
 

anything
 

to
 


do
 

with
 

its
 

future
 

success.
Whether
 

the
 

game
 

ends
 

after
 

nine
 

Progress
 

Scenes
 

or
 

with
 

Lane’s
 


capture,
 

Lane
 

must
 

try
 

to
 

accomplish
 

as
 

much
 

as
 

she
 

can
 

while
 

lead-
ing
 

 the
 

 movement.
 

 The
 

 further
 

 Lane
 

 is
 

 able
 

 to
 

 advance
 

 the
 

 Agendas
 


of
 

39
 

Dark,
 

the
 

greater
 

the
 

freedom
 

the
 

people
 

of
 

Mars
 

will
 

enjoy
 

now
 


and
 

in
 

the
 

future.
PROGRESS SCENES

Progress
 

 Scenes
 

 move
 

 the
 

 game’s
 

 storyline
 

 forward
 

 and
 

 provide
 

 the
 

 51
Savior
 

with
 

an
 

opportunity
 

to
 

implement
 

Lane
 

Novak’s
 

plans
 

for
 

39
 


Dark.
 

Progress
 

Scenes
 

are
 

mechanically
 

rich
 

with
 

multiple
 

dice
 

rolls
 


and
 

decision
 

points;
 

however,
 

without
 

quality
 

Personal
 

and
 

Opposi-
tion
 

Scenes
 

leading
 

up
 

to
 

Progress
 

Scenes,
 

they
 

can
 

also
 

be
 

narra-
tively
 

bland
 

and
 

repetitive.
 

It
 

is
 

important
 

to
 

make
 

all
 

three
 

scene
 

t ypes
 


overlap
 

and
 

complement
 

each
 

other
 

for
 

a
 

full
 

experience.
During
 

a
 

Progress
 

Scene,
 

the
 

Savior
 

will
 

try
 

to
 

generate
 

as
 

many
 


Change
 

 Points
 

 as
 

 possible
 

 in
 

 one
 

 of
 

 the
 

 Agendas.
 

 Change
 

 Points
 


measure
 

Lane’s
 

progress
 

as
 

leader
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.
If
 

the
 

Savior
 

can
 

generate
 

40
 

or
 

more
 

total
 

Change
 

Points
 

in
 

one
 


Agenda,
 

then
 

Lane
 

has
 

made
 

Significant
 

Progress
 

towards
 

ensuring
 


greater
 

freedom
 

in
 

that
 

area
 

of
 

political
 

influence.
 

If
 

the
 

Savior
 

can
 


generate
 

 80
 

 or
 

 more
 

 Change
 

 Points
 

 in
 

 an
 

 Agenda,
 

 then
 

 Lane
 

 has
 


succeeded
 

in
 

accomplishing
 

the
 

specific
 

Call
 

to
 

Action
 

that
 

defines
 


 the
 

Agenda.
 

Additional
 

Change
 

Points
 

beyond
 

80
 

in
 

a
 

single
 

Agenda
 


indicate
 

that
 

the
 

people
 

have
 

enshrined
 

the
 

values
 

represented
 

by
 

the
 


52 Agenda
 

in
 

their
 

consciousness.

PROGRESS SCENE OVERVIEW

In
 

order,
 

the
 

Savior:

 

1.
 

 Checks
 

off
 

the
 

next
 

number
 

on
 

the
 

Timeline;

 

2.
 

 Frames
 

the
 

scene,
 

and
 

defines
 

the
 

plan
 

and
 

goal;

 

3.
 

 Declares
 

the
 

starting
 

Action
 

Level;

 

4.
 

 Makes
 

a
 

series
 

of
 

dice
 

rolls
 

to
 

generate
 

Change
 

Points;
 

and

 

5.
 

 Ends
 

the
 

scene
 

when
 

he
 

stops
 

rolling,
 

or
 

rolls
 

a
 

failure.

S TAGE 1: TIMELINE

The
 

Savior
 

crosses
 

off
 

the
 

next
 

highest
 

number
 

listed
 

on
 

the
 

Character
 


Worksheet’s
 

“Timeline,”
 

starting
 

with
 

9
 

and
 

moving
 

down
 

to
 

1.
 

If
 

the
 


Savior
 

crosses
 

off
 

the
 

1,
 

then
 

the
 

current
 

Progress
 

Scene
 

will
 

be
 

the
 


last
 

full
 

scene
 

of
 

the
 

game.
53
S TAGE 2: SCENE FR A MING

The
 

Savior
 

frames
 

the
 

scene
 

by
 

describing
 

who
 

is
 

present,
 

where
 

they
 


are,
 

and
 

what
 

is
 

happening.
 

Next,
 

the
 

Savior
 

declares
 

which
 

of
 

the
 


Agendas
 

 on
 

 the
 

 Character
 

 Worksheet
 

 Lane
 

 will
 

 be
 

 trying
 

 to
 

 improve.
 


He
 

also
 

describes
 

Lane’s
 

plan
 

and
 

goal.
 

The
 

plan
 

is
 

a
 

basic
 

outline
 


of
 

how
 

Lane
 

will
 

attempt
 

to
 

advance
 

at
 

least
 

one
 

specific
 

area
 

associ-
ated
 

with
 

the
 

Agenda.
 

The
 

goal
 

is
 

what
 

Lane
 

hopes
 

to
 

achieve
 

in
 

the
 


short
 

term
 

even
 

as
 

she
 

keeps
 

in
 

mind
 

the
 

broader
 

Call
 

to
 

Action
 

as
 

the
 


overarching
 

goal
 

for
 

the
 

Agenda.
 

If
 

Lane
 

is
 

able
 

to
 

generate
 

enough
 


Change
 

Points
 

in
 

a
 

single
 

Progress
 

Scene,
 

her
 

temporary
 

goal
 

may
 


expand
 

to
 

include
 

the
 

entire
 

Agenda
 

itself.
 

For
 

this
 

reason,
 

goals
 

may
 


be
 

 large
 

 in
 

 scale.
 

 Plans
 

 may
 

 take
 

 hours,
 

 days,
 

 or
 

 even
 

 months
 

 to
 


complete.
 The
 

 goal
 

 and
 

 plan
 

 are
 

 what
 

 Lane
 

 hopes
 

 will
 

 happen,
 

 not
 

 neces-
sarily
 

 what
 

 will
 

 happen.
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

 should
 

 not
 

 pre-narrate
 

 any
 

 of
 


54 the
 

 action
 

 to
 

 come,
 

 but
 

 instead
 

 wait
 

 until
 

 after
 

 the
 

 dice
 

 are
 

 rolled
 

 to
 


describe
 

what
 

actually
 

happens
 

in
 

the
 

story.

S TAGE 3: AC TION LE VEL

The
 

 Savior
 

 chooses
 

 the
 

 starting
 

 Action
 

 Level
 

 for
 

 the
 

 scene,
 

 which
 


determines
 

 both
 

 the
 

 number
 

 of
 

 dice
 

 rolled
 

 and
 

 the
 

 type
 

 of
 

 protest
 


engaged
 

in
 

by
 

Lane
 

and
 

39
 

Dark.

 

1.
 

 Civil
 

Protest
 

( 2
 

Dice);

 

2.
 

 Civil
 

Disobedience
 

(4
 

Dice);
 

or

 

3.
 

 Violent
 

Uprising
 

(6
 

Dice).

Civil
 

Protest
 

includes
 

actions
 

such
 

as
 

marching,
 

picketing,
 

online
 

cam-
paigning,
 

 and
 

 other
 

 forms
 

 of
 

 contained
 

 demonstration.
 

 Civil
 

 Disobe-
dience
 

includes
 

non-violent
 

actions
 

like
 

sit-ins,
 

general
 

law
 

breaking,
 


and
 

extended
 

or
 

large-scale
 

demonstrations
 

that
 

disrupt
 

Colony
 

func-
tions.
 

Violent
 

Uprising
 

includes
 

armed
 

resistance,
 

terrorism,
 

demoli-
tion
 

 of
 

 iconic
 

 Colony
 

 structures,
 

 and
 

 any
 

 other
 

 action
 

 taken
 

 with
 

 the
 

 55
collateral
 

goal
 

of
 

destroying
 

significant
 

property
 

or
 

harming
 

others.
Each
 

Action
 

Level
 

has
 

its
 

advantages
 

and
 

disadvantages.
 

In
 

gen-
eral,
 

lower
 

Action
 

Levels
 

are
 

less
 

effective,
 

but
 

also
 

less
 

dangerous.
 


The
 

Savior
 

rolls
 

less
 

dice
 

and
 

generates
 

Change
 

Points
 

slowly.
 

Higher
 


Action
 

Levels
 

allow
 

the
 

Savior
 

to
 

roll
 

additional
 

dice
 

and
 

ignore
 

initial
 


failures;
 

however,
 

those
 

higher
 

levels
 

also
 

carry
 

with
 

them
 

severe
 

con-
sequences
 

when
 

a
 

plan
 

backfires.

S TAGE 4 : DICE

Depending
 

on
 

the
 

Action
 

Level
 

selected,
 

the
 

Savior
 

rolls
 

2,
 

4,
 

or
 

6
 


dice.
 

 Each
 

 roll
 

 represents
 

 an
 

 attempt
 

 by
 

 Lane
 

 and
 

 the
 

 members
 

 of
 


39
 

Dark
 

to
 

implement
 

Lane’s
 

plan.
 

The
 

Savior
 

adds
 

up
 

all
 

the
 

dice,
 


the
 

total
 

of
 

which
 

is
 

the
 

number
 

of
 

Change
 

Points
 

generated
 

by
 

Lane,
 


 i.e.,
 

the
 

amount
 

of
 

progress
 

made
 

by
 

39
 

Dark
 

towards
 

the
 

relevant
 


Agenda.
56 After
 

rolling,
 

the
 

Savior
 

chooses:

1.
 

 Risk
 

another
 

roll
 

for
 

additional
 

Change
 

Points,
 

or

 

2.
 

 Quit
 

and
 

keep
 

the
 

current
 

total.

The
 

Savior
 

may
 

continue
 

to
 

roll
 

as
 

many
 

times
 

as
 

he
 

likes.
 

There
 

is
 


a
 

catch,
 

though.
 

On
 

any
 

roll,
 

including
 

the
 

first
 

roll,
 

if
 

one
 

or
 

more
 


of
 

the
 

dice
 

show
 

a
 

1,
 

then
 

the
 

entire
 

plan
 

is
 

a
 

potential
 

failure.
 

If
 

the
 


Savior
 

 accepts
 

 the
 

 failure,
 

 he
 

 earns
 

 no
 

 Change
 

 Points
 

 for
 

 the
 

 scene.
 


Any
 

 Change
 

 Points
 

 previously
 

 rolled
 

 in
 

 the
 

 scene
 

 are
 

 lost,
 

 and
 

 the
 


scene
 

ends.
When
 

the
 

Action
 

Level
 

is
 

elevated
 

above
 

Civil
 

Protest,
 

the
 

Savior
 


may
 

ignore
 

a
 

certain
 

number
 

of
 

1s.
 

At
 

Action
 

Level
 

2
 

( Civil
 

Disobedi-
ence),
 

the
 

Savior
 

may
 

ignore
 

a
 

single
 

1.
 

To
 

do
 

so,
 

the
 

Savior
 

ignores
 


the
 

1
 

and
 

adds
 

the
 

total
 

on
 

the
 

other
 

dice
 

to
 

his
 

potential
 

progress
 

for
 


the
 

scene.
 

At
 

Action
 

Level
 

3
 

( Violent
 

Uprising),
 

the
 

Savior
 

may
 

ignore
 


a
 

total
 

of
 

t wo
 

1s
 

(one
 

more
 

than
 

Action
 

Level
 

2).
Each
 

 time
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 ignores
 

 a
 

 1,
 

 he
 

 must
 

 move
 

 a
 

 token
 

 from
 

 57
Loyal
 

to
 

Treasonous.
 

If
 

the
 

Savior
 

ignores
 

t wo
 

1s
 

in
 

the
 

same
 

roll,
 

he
 


must
 

move
 

two
 

tokens
 

to
 

Treasonous.
 

Treasonous
 

tokens
 

generated
 


after
 

ignoring
 

a
 

1
 

represent
 

the
 

citizenry’s
 

disapproval
 

of
 

39
 

Dark’s
 


intrusive,
 

illegal,
 

or
 

violent
 

tactics.
 

The
 

only
 

way
 

to
 

avoid
 

moving
 

to-
kens
 

to
 

Treasonous
 

is
 

to
 

make
 

a
 

Sacrifice
 

(see
 

Stage
 

6
 

below).
The
 

 Savior
 

 may
 

 escalate
 

 the
 

 Action
 

 Level
 

 in
 

 the
 

 middle
 

 of
 

 a
 


Progress
 

Scene
 

to
 

ignore
 

a
 

1
 

that
 

he
 

just
 

rolled.
 

To
 

do
 

so,
 

the
 

Savior
 


narrates
 

 how
 

 the
 

 protest
 

 escalates
 

 to
 

 a
 

 higher
 

 level.
 

 Note
 

 that
 

 if
 

 the
 


Savior
 

 rolls
 

 two
 

 1s,
 

 he
 

 must
 

 escalate
 

 to
 

 Violent
 

 Uprising
 

 to
 

 ignore
 


both
 

1s.
 

If
 

the
 

Savior
 

cannot
 

ignore
 

all
 

1s
 

on
 

the
 

current
 

roll,
 

the
 

entire
 


series
 

of
 

rolls
 

is
 

a
 

failure.
Note
 

that
 

the
 

Savior
 

may
 

never
 

de-escalate
 

the
 

Action
 

Level.
After
 

each
 

roll,
 

the
 

players
 

should
 

narrate
 

Lane’s
 

progress.
 

There
 


is
 

 no
 

 need
 

 to
 

 narrate
 

 long
 

 descriptions,
 

 but
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 should
 

 estab-
 lish
 

what
 

Lane
 

and
 

39
 

Dark
 

have
 

accomplished
 

—
 

and
 

what
 

remains
 


to
 

be
 

done.
 

The
 

Governor
 

should
 

establish
 

what
 

the
 

government
 

and
 


58 its
 

 allies
 

 are
 

 doing
 

 to
 

 oppose
 

 39
 

 Dark.
 

 Remember
 

 to
 

 include
 

 details
 


appropriate
 

to
 

the
 

current
 

Action
 

Level.

S TAG E 5 : SU CC ES S & FA I LU R E

If
 

the
 

Savior
 

quits
 

before
 

rolling
 

a
 

1
 

that
 

he
 

cannot
 

ignore,
 

Lane’s
 

plan
 


is
 

a
 

success.
 

Any
 

other
 

result
 

is
 

a
 

failure.

Success
When
 

Lane
 

succeeds,
 

she
 

succeeds
 

in
 

advancing
 

her
 

chosen
 

Agenda.
 


Even
 

if
 

the
 

Agenda
 

is
 

still
 

incomplete,
 

it
 

is
 

important
 

to
 

remember
 

that
 


it
 

is
 

not
 

a
 

failure:
 

39
 

Dark
 

has
 

made
 

progress.
 

The
 

Savior
 

adds
 

all
 


of
 

 the
 

 Change
 

 Points
 

 generated
 

 to
 

 the
 

 appropriate
 

 Agenda
 

 on
 

 the
 


Character
 

Worksheet.
When
 

 an
 

 Agenda’s
 

 total
 

 reaches
 

 40
 

 or
 

 more
 

 points,
 

 Lane
 

 has
 


made
 

 Significant
 

 Progress
 

 towards
 

 the
 

 Agenda’s
 

 overall
 

 goal.
 

 This
 


has
 

 t wo
 

 in-game
 

 effects.
 

 First,
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 may
 

 narrate
 

 the
 

 release
 

 of
 


any
 

Follower
 

incarcerated
 

as
 

part
 

of
 

a
 

Sacrifice
 

in
 

a
 

previous
 

Progress
 


Scene.
 

 Second,
 

 the
 

 players
 

 create
 

 a
 

 new
 

 Agenda
 

 for
 

 the
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 59
movement
 

using
 

the
 

same
 

procedure
 

detailed
 

in
 

Stage
 

7
 

of
 

the
 

Prepa-
ration
 

chapter.
 

The
 

Savior
 

records
 

the
 

new
 

Agenda
 

on
 

the
 

Character
 


Worksheet.
 

The
 

maximum
 

number
 

of
 

Agendas
 

for
 

any
 

game
 

is
 

five.
When
 

an
 

Agenda’s
 

total
 

reaches
 

80
 

or
 

more,
 

Lane
 

has
 

succeeded
 


in
 

accomplishing
 

her
 

goals,
 

and
 

specifically
 

the
 

Agenda’s
 

Call
 

to
 

Ac-
tion.
 

Mechanically,
 

the
 

Savior
 

moves
 

one
 

token
 

from
 

the
 

Treasonous
 


circle
 

back
 

to
 

Loyal,
 

representing
 

the
 

people’s
 

recognition
 

of
 

Lane’s
 


dedication
 

to
 

the
 

Colony.
 

In
 

the
 

story,
 

the
 

people
 

may
 

congratulate
 


Lane
 

and
 

rally
 

to
 

39
 

Dark.
 

The
 

government
 

may
 

make
 

concessions
 


to
 

 the
 

 movement,
 

 whether
 

 publicly
 

 or
 

 in
 

 effect.
 

 The
 

 players
 

 should
 


discuss
 

and
 

decide
 

on
 

all
 

such
 

details.
 

However,
 

they
 

do
 

not
 

create
 


a
 

new
 

Agenda
 

or
 

release
 

an
 

incarcerated
 

Follower
 

unless
 

the
 

Savior
 


simultaneously
 

made
 

Significant
 

Progress
 

during
 

the
 

scene.
 The
 

Savior
 

narrates
 

the
 

conclusion
 

of
 

the
 

scene
 

and
 

the
 

ultimate
 


outcome
 

 of
 

 the
 

 plan.
 

 If
 

 Lane
 

 has
 

 made
 

 Significant
 

 Progress,
 

 or
 

 com-
60 pleted
 

 an
 

 Agenda,
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 should
 

 include
 

 all
 

 such
 

 appropriate
 


details.
 

 The
 

 Governor
 

 should
 

 feel
 

 free
 

 to
 

 contribute,
 

 but
 

 the
 

 Savior
 


has
 

final
 

say
 

in
 

how
 

the
 

scene
 

concludes.

Failure
If
 

the
 

Savior
 

rolls
 

a
 

1
 

that
 

he
 

cannot
 

ignore,
 

disaster.
 

Lane’s
 

plan
 

is
 

a
 


complete
 

failure.
 

Unless
 

the
 

Savior
 

chooses
 

to
 

feed
 

the
 

people
 

Hope
 


(see
 

below),
 

he
 

loses
 

all
 

Change
 

Points
 

generated
 

for
 

the
 

scene.
The
 

 Savior
 

 narrates
 

 Lane’s
 

 failure
 

 and
 

 the
 

 way
 

 in
 

 which
 

 39
 

 Dark
 


fell
 

 short
 

 of
 

 its
 

 objectives.
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

 must
 

 tailor
 

 his
 

 narration
 

 to
 

 the
 


appropriate
 

 Action
 

 Level.
 

 In
 

 other
 

 words,
 

 if
 

 Lane
 

 failed
 

 at
 

 the
 

 Civil
 


Protest
 

level,
 

the
 

consequences
 

for
 

failure
 

will
 

be
 

less
 

severe
 

than
 

if
 


she
 

 failed
 

 at
 

 the
 

 Violent
 

 Uprising
 

 level.
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

 may
 

 also
 

 suggest
 


ways
 

in
 

which
 

the
 

Colony
 

government
 

and
 

people
 

react
 

to
 

Lane’s
 

fail-
ure.
 

 However,
 

 the
 

 Governor
 

 defines
 

 how
 

 the
 

 Colony
 

 tightens
 

 its
 

 grip
 


on
 

the
 

citizenry
 

as
 

a
 

result
 

of
 

the
 

failure.
61
Abandonment
At
 

the
 

end
 

of
 

a
 

Progress
 

Scene,
 

the
 

Savior
 

may
 

opt
 

to
 

abandon
 

the
 


current
 

 Agenda
 

 (and
 

 only
 

 the
 

 current
 

 Agenda).
 

 To
 

 do
 

 so,
 

 he
 

 must
 


narrate
 

Lane
 

or
 

39
 

Dark
 

publicly
 

acknowledging
 

that
 

the
 

group
 

will
 


no
 

longer
 

pursue
 

the
 

goal
 

or
 

particular
 

Call
 

to
 

Action
 

associated
 

with
 


the
 

Agenda.
 

In
 

exchange,
 

the
 

Savior
 

moves
 

one
 

token
 

from
 

Treason-
ous
 

back
 

to
 

Loyal.

Example
 

:
 

 John
 

has
 

been
 

playing
 

Lane
 

as
 

the
 

 type
 

 of
 

 leader
 

 who
 


pushes
 

39
 

Dark
 

close
 

to
 

the
 

edge
 

of
 

outright
 

revolution.
 


While
 

this
 

strategy
 

has
 

paid
 

off
 

in
 

Change
 

Points,
 

it
 

has
 


also
 

 cost
 

 Lane
 

 her
 

 reputation.
 

 John
 

 is
 

 worried
 

 that
 

 the
 


game
 

is
 

going
 

to
 

end
 

early
 

because
 

he
 

has
 

accumulated
 


4
 

 tokens
 

 in
 

 the
 

 Treasonous
 

 circle
 

 (one
 

 more
 

 and
 

 Lane
 


would
 

 be
 

 arrested
 

 by
 

 the
 

 Colony
 

 government).
 

 After
 

 a
 


 lackluster
 

 Progress
 

 Scene,
 

 and
 

 in
 

 an
 

 effort
 

 to
 

 alleviate
 


some
 

pressure,
 

John
 

declares
 

that
 

39
 

Dark
 

will
 

abandon
 


62 its
 

A genda
 

relating
 

to
 

worker
 

rights.
 

A lthough
 

John
 

loses
 


all
 

Change
 

Points
 

in
 

the
 

A genda,
 

he
 

does
 

get
 

to
 

move
 

a
 


token
 

from
 

Treasonous
 

back
 

to
 

Loyal.

After
 

the
 

Savior
 

abandons
 

an
 

Agenda,
 

he
 

crosses
 

it
 

off
 

the
 

Character
 


Worksheet.
 

All
 

Change
 

and
 

Hope
 

Points
 

are
 

lost,
 

and
 

the
 

players
 

do
 


not
 

replace
 

the
 

abandoned
 

Agenda
 

with
 

a
 

new
 

one.
 

The
 

abandoned
 


Agenda
 

still
 

counts
 

towards
 

the
 

maximum
 

of
 

five,
 

and
 

the
 

players
 

only
 


create
 

a
 

new
 

Agenda
 

when
 

the
 

Savior
 

makes
 

Significant
 

Progress
 

on
 


another.
 

For
 

this
 

reason,
 

the
 

Savior
 

may
 

never
 

abandon
 

the
 

current
 


Agenda
 

if
 

it
 

is
 

the
 

only
 

active
 

one
 

on
 

the
 

Character
 

Worksheet
 

below
 


40
 

points.
 CONSEQUENCES

64 Failure
 

 has
 

 certain
 

 consequences,
 

 some
 

 of
 

 which
 

 can
 

 be
 

 avoided
 

 or
 


delayed,
 

and
 

some
 

of
 

which
 

cannot.

TREASON

Whenever
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 rolls
 

 a
 

 failure,
 

 he
 

 must
 

 move
 

 one
 

 token
 

 from
 


Loyal
 

to
 

Treasonous.
 

The
 

only
 

way
 

to
 

avoid
 

this
 

loss
 

of
 

reputation
 

is
 

to
 


make
 

a
 

Sacrifice
 

or
 

to
 

rely
 

on
 

Hope
 

(see
 

below).
As
 

Lane
 

moves
 

more
 

tokens
 

into
 

the
 

Treasonous
 

circle,
 

the
 

people
 


of
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

will
 

begin
 

to
 

rally
 

for
 

Lane’s
 

capture
 

and
 

punishment.
 


If
 

there
 

are
 

ever
 

five
 

tokens
 

in
 

the
 

Treasonous
 

circle,
 

the
 

government
 


will
 

immediately
 

take
 

Lane
 

into
 

custody,
 

thus
 

ending
 

her
 

stint
 

as
 

leader
 


of
 

39
 

Dark.
 

Lane’s
 

capture
 

triggers
 

endgame.
SACRIFICE

Any
 

 time
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 is
 

 required
 

 to
 

 move
 

 a
 

 token
 

 from
 

 Loyal
 

 to
 

 the
 


65
Treasonous
 

or
 

Hope
 

circles,
 

he
 

may
 

instead
 

Sacrifice
 

one
 

of
 

Lane’s
 


three
 

Followers.
 

In
 

order
 

to
 

Sacrifice
 

a
 

Follower,
 

the
 

chosen
 

Follower
 


must
 

have
 

appeared
 

in
 

at
 

least
 

one
 

scene
 

prior
 

to
 

the
 

Sacrifice,
 

and
 


in
 

some
 

way
 

relate
 

to
 

the
 

current
 

scene.
 

Framing
 

Personal
 

Scenes
 

can
 


be
 

an
 

effective
 

way
 

for
 

the
 

Savior
 

to
 

make
 

Lane’s
 

Followers
 

available
 


for
 

 Sacrifice.
 

 Once
 

 chosen,
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 describes
 

 how
 

 the
 

 Follower
 

 is
 


lost,
 

and
 

crosses
 

his
 

or
 

her
 

name
 

off
 

of
 

the
 

Character
 

Worksheet.
A
 

Sacrifice
 

means
 

different
 

things
 

depending
 

on
 

the
 

current
 

Ac-
tion
 

Level:
Sacrifice
 

at
 

the
 

Violent
 

Uprising
 

level
 

means
 

that
 

one
 

of
 

Lane’s
 


Followers
 

 is
 

 killed
 

 during
 

 the
 

 current
 

 Progress
 

 Scene.
 

 The
 

 loss
 

 is
 

 per-
manent;
 

Lane
 

does
 

not
 

receive
 

a
 

replacement
 

Follower.
Sacrifice
 

at
 

the
 

Civil
 

Protest
 

or
 

Civil
 

Disobedience
 

levels
 

means
 


that
 

 one
 

 of
 

 Lane’s
 

 Followers
 

 is
 

 jailed,
 

 exiled,
 

 or
 

 held
 

 for
 

 interroga-
 tion
 

for
 

the
 

remainder
 

of
 

the
 

game
 

unless
 

freed
 

as
 

a
 

result
 

of
 

mak-
ing
 

Significant
 

Progress
 

towards
 

an
 

Agenda
 

 in
 

a
 

future
 

scene.
 

Even
 


66 if
 

a
 

Follower
 

is
 

freed
 

later
 

in
 

the
 

game,
 

Lane
 

may
 

not
 

Sacrifice
 

that
 


person
 

 again,
 

 and
 

 should
 

 still
 

 cross
 

 his
 

 or
 

 her
 

 name
 

 off
 

 of
 

 the
 

 Char-
acter
 

Worksheet.
 

The
 

character
 

may
 

still
 

appear
 

in
 

the
 

story,
 

but
 

is
 

no
 


longer
 

as
 

close
 

to
 

Lane
 

as
 

he
 

once
 

was.
 

Thus
 

at
 

most
 

the
 

Savior
 

can
 


make
 

three
 

Sacrifices
 

over
 

the
 

course
 

of
 

the
 

game.

Example:
 

 John
 

 is
 

 back
 

 up
 

 to
 

 four
 

 tokens
 

 in
 

 Lane’s
 

 Treasonous
 


circle.
 

 He
 

 cannot
 

 afford
 

 another,
 

 but
 

 desperately
 

 wants
 


39
 

 Dark
 

 to
 

 succeed
 

 in
 

 winning
 

 better
 

 water
 

 rationing
 

 for
 


the
 

 people.
 

 While
 

 protesting
 

 at
 

 the
 

 Civil
 

 Disobedience
 


Action
 

Level,
 

Lane
 

rolls
 

a
 

1.
 

Rather
 

than
 

take
 

the
 

failure,
 


John
 

chooses
 

to
 

ignore
 

the
 

1.
 

Because
 

he
 

cannot
 

move
 


another
 

 token
 

 into
 

 Treasonous,
 

 he
 

 instead
 

 Sacrifices
 


Lane’s
 

brother,
 

Ian.
 

John
 

narrates
 

how
 

Ian
 

is
 

beaten
 

and
 


 arrested
 

 by
 

 the
 

 Peacekeepers
 

 during
 

 the
 

 protest,
 

 but
 

 be-
comes
 

a
 

sort
 

of
 

martyr
 

to
 

the
 

cause.
67
Keep
 

 in
 

 mind
 

 that
 

 random
 

 citizens
 

 and
 

 other
 

 members
 

 of
 

 39
 

 Dark
 


may
 

 be
 

 subject
 

 to
 

 all
 

 manner
 

 of
 

 incarceration,
 

 abuse,
 

 or
 

 death
 

 as
 

 a
 


part
 

 of
 

 the
 

 normal
 

 narration
 

 of
 

 a
 

 Progress
 

 Scene.
 

 Sacrifices
 

 are
 

 dra-
matic,
 

but
 

the
 

loss
 

of
 

39
 

Dark
 

members
 

can
 

and
 

probably
 

should
 

be
 


a
 

regular
 

part
 

of
 

many
 

Progress
 

Scenes.

HUMILIATION

When
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 rolls
 

 two
 

 or
 

 more
 

 1s
 

 on
 

 a
 

 single
 

 roll,
 

 the
 

 conse-
quences
 

of
 

failure
 

are
 

exacerbated.
 

Lane’s
 

plan
 

is
 

not
 

only
 

a
 

complete
 


failure,
 

but
 

it
 

is
 

also
 

a
 

public
 

Humiliation
 

for
 

Lane
 

and
 

39
 

Dark.
 

In
 


addition,
 

the
 

Savior
 

may
 

never
 

use
 

Hope
 

to
 

avoid
 

Humiliation.
The
 

players
 

narrate
 

a
 

Humiliation
 

like
 

any
 

other
 

failure,
 

but
 

must
 


also
 

include
 

details
 

about
 

how
 

Lane
 

is
 

forced
 

to
 

take
 

public
 

responsi-
 bility
 

for
 

the
 

failure.
 

39
 

Dark
 

should
 

be
 

portrayed
 

as
 

amateurish
 

and
 


incompetent.
68 Note
 

 that
 

 even
 

 if
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 rolls
 

 multiple
 

 1s,
 

 he
 

 may
 

 be
 

 able
 


to
 

ignore
 

some
 

or
 

all
 

of
 

them
 

depending
 

on
 

the
 

Action
 

Level
 

—
 

and
 


therefore
 

avoid
 

Humiliation.
 

The
 

Savior
 

can
 

even
 

upgrade
 

the
 

Action
 


Level
 

 mid-scene
 

 to
 

 avoid
 

 Humiliation.
 

 However,
 

 a
 

 Humiliation
 

 still
 


occurs
 

if,
 

for
 

example,
 

the
 

Savior
 

rolls
 

three
 

1s
 

and
 

can
 

only
 

ignore
 


one
 

of
 

them.

Example
 

:
 

 The
 

 Action
 

 Level
 

 is
 

 set
 

 to
 

 Civil
 

 Disobedience,
 

 which
 

 al-
lows
 

 John
 

 to
 

 ignore
 

 a
 

 single
 

 1.
 

 On
 

 his
 

 first
 

 roll
 

 of
 

 four
 


dice,
 

 John
 

 generates
 

 12
 

 Change
 

 Points
 

 and
 

 no
 

 1s.
 

 Un-
fortunately,
 

 on
 

 his
 

 second
 

 try,
 

 John
 

 rolls
 

 [4,1,6,1].
 

 John
 


chooses
 

 not
 

 to
 

 upgrade
 

 the
 

 Action
 

 Level,
 

 which
 

 means
 


that
 

 the
 

 series
 

 is
 

 a
 

 failure.
 

 Because
 

 he
 

 rolled
 

 two
 

 1s,
 

 it
 


would
 

also
 

be
 

a
 

Humiliation
 

for
 

Lane.
 

However,
 

the
 

Civil
 


 Disobedience
 

Action
 

Level
 

allows
 

John
 

to
 

ignore
 

the
 

first
 


1,
 

and
 

therefore
 

avoid
 

Humiliation.
69
Example
 

:
 

 In
 

 the
 

 example
 

 above,
 

 let’s
 

 say
 

 that
 

 John
 

 had
 

 instead
 


rolled
 

[1,1,6,1].
 

In
 

this
 

case,
 

the
 

only
 

way
 

to
 

avoid
 

Humili-
ation
 

 is
 

 to
 

 upgrade
 

 the
 

 Action
 

 Level
 

 from
 

 Civil
 

 Disobedi-
ence
 

 to
 

 Violent
 

 Uprising.
 

 This
 

 would
 

 be
 

 advantageous
 

 if
 


John
 

wanted
 

to
 

make
 

use
 

of
 

Hope.
 

John
 

could
 

ignore
 

t wo
 


out
 

 of
 

 the
 

 three
 

 1s.
 

 A lthough
 

 the
 

 roll
 

 would
 

 still
 

 be
 

 a
 

 fail-
ure,
 

it
 

would
 

be
 

a
 

normal
 

failure
 

instead
 

of
 

a
 

Humiliation.
 


John
 

could
 

then
 

accept
 

the
 

failure
 

or
 

use
 

Hope
 

to
 

further
 


manipulate
 

the
 

result.

HOPE

As
 

 long
 

 as
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 avoids
 

 Humiliation
 

 or
 

 Disillusionment,
 

 he
 

 may
 


turn
 

any
 

failure
 

into
 

 an
 

 apparent
 

 success
 

 by
 

 relying
 

 on
 

 the
 

 citizenry’s
 


desire
 

for
 

Hope.
 

Hope
 

represents
 

39
 

Dark’s
 

optimism
 

and
 

confidence
 


 in
 

its
 

mission.
 

Hope
 

is
 

a
 

white
 

lie
 

told
 

by
 

Lane
 

to
 

her
 

followers
 

and
 

the
 


citizens
 

of
 

Mars
 

Colony.
70 When
 

the
 

Savior
 

chooses
 

to
 

use
 

Hope,
 

he
 

ignores
 

all
 

of
 

the
 

nor-
mal
 

consequences
 

of
 

failure.
 

Instead,
 

he
 

adds
 

the
 

Change
 

Points
 

he
 


would
 

have
 

kept
 

had
 

he
 

not
 

made
 

the
 

roll
 

that
 

included
 

the
 

1
 

to
 

the
 


Agenda
 

 under
 

 the
 

 column
 

 marked
 

 “Hope.”
 

 The Savior gains no
points from the roll that included the 1.
The
 

Savior
 

first
 

moves
 

one
 

token
 

from
 

Loyal
 

to
 

Hope.
 

Alternatively,
 


he
 

 may
 

 avoid
 

 moving
 

 the
 

 token
 

 by
 

 making
 

 a
 

 Sacrifice
 

 (i.e.,
 

 by
 

 creat-
ing
 

a
 

martyr).
 

The
 

players
 

then
 

narrate
 

how
 

Lane
 

inspires
 

the
 

people
 


into
 

believing
 

that
 

her
 

failed
 

plan
 

is
 

cause
 

for
 

celebration
 

despite
 

any
 


setbacks.

Example
 

:
 

 After
 

 a
 

 particularly
 

 fortunate
 

 series
 

 of
 

 rolls,
 

 John
 

 has
 


managed
 

 to
 

 accumulate
 

 51
 

 Change
 

 Points
 

 in
 

 39
 

 Dark’s
 


Agenda
 

 related
 

 to
 

 government
 

 transparency.
 

 However,
 


when
 

John
 

rolls
 

again,
 

he
 

rolls
 

a
 

1.
 

Because
 

he
 

is
 

already
 


 at
 

the
 

Violent
 

Uprising
 

Action
 

Level,
 

and
 

has
 

already
 

ig-
nored
 

 t wo
 

 previous
 

 1s,
 

 he
 

 must
 

 either
 

 accept
 

 the
 

 failure
 


or
 

 rely
 

 on
 

 Hope.
 

 John
 

 chooses
 

 Hope.
 

 He
 

 keeps
 

 his
 

 51
 

 71
points,
 

but
 

records
 

them
 

under
 

Hope
 

instead
 

of
 

Change
 


on
 

 the
 

 Character
 

 Worksheet.
 

 John
 

 then
 

 narrates
 

 how
 


Lane
 

manages
 

to
 

spin
 

a
 

disastrous
 

failure
 

into
 

an
 

event
 


around
 

which
 

the
 

people
 

of
 

Mars
 

can
 

rally.

Mechanically,
 

 Hope
 

 is
 

 no
 

 different
 

 than
 

 actual
 

 Change.
 

 When
 

 the
 


total
 

Change
 

plus
 

Hope
 

reaches
 

80
 

points,
 

the
 

Agenda
 

is
 

still
 

consid-
ered
 

 “accomplished”
 

 (at
 

 least
 

 publicly),
 

 and
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 still
 

 moves
 

 a
 


token
 

from
 

Treasonous
 

back
 

to
 

Loyal.
Note
 

that
 

if
 

the
 

Savior
 

rolls
 

double
 

1s,
 

and
 

manages
 

to
 

ignore
 

a
 


single
 

1
 

because
 

of
 

the
 

Action
 

Level,
 

but
 

not
 

the
 

other,
 

Hope
 

is
 

still
 


available
 

to
 

him.
 

Only
 

when
 

he
 

rolls
 

multiple
 

1s
 

that
 

he
 

cannot
 

ignore
 


is
 

Hope
 

unavailable
 

to
 

the
 

Savior.
 DISILLUSIONMENT

After
 

the
 

Savior
 

uses
 

Hope
 

for
 

the
 

first
 

time,
 

the
 

possibility
 

for
 

Disil-
72
lusionment
 

 arises.
 

 Disillusionment
 

 represents
 

 a
 

 sudden
 

 loss
 

 of
 

 faith
 


within
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 

 after
 

 a
 

 failure,
 

 and
 

 a
 

 dramatic
 

 backlash
 

 against
 


Lane
 

 Novak.
 

 The
 

 more
 

 Hope
 

 tokens
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 accumulates,
 

 the
 


easier
 

it
 

is
 

for
 

him
 

to
 

trigger
 

Disillusionment.
With
 

a
 

single
 

Hope
 

token,
 

Disillusionment
 

occurs
 

whenever
 

the
 


Savior
 

rolls
 

two
 

or
 

more
 

1s.
 

With
 

two
 

Hope
 

tokens,
 

Disillusionment
 


occurs
 

 when
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 rolls
 

 [1,1]
 

 or
 

 [1,2].
 

 This
 

 pattern
 

 continues
 

 all
 


the
 

way
 

to
 

six
 

Hope
 

tokens,
 

when
 

Disillusionment
 

occurs
 

on
 

any
 

of
 

the
 


following
 

rolls:
 

[1,1],
 

[1,2],
 

[1,3],
 

[1,4],
 

[1,5],
 

or
 

[1,6].
 

When
 

rolling
 


more
 

than
 

t wo
 

dice,
 

Disillusionment
 

is
 

even
 

easier
 

to
 

trigger
 

because
 


it
 

occurs
 

when
 

any
 

t wo
 

dice
 

match
 

an
 

offending
 

pattern.

Example
 

:
 

 At
 

Civil
 

Disobedience,
 

John
 

is
 

rolling
 

four
 

dice.
 

He
 

also
 


has
 

three
 

tokens
 

in
 

the
 

Hope
 

circle,
 

which
 

means
 

that
 

any
 


roll
 

of
 

[1,1],
 

[1,2],
 

or
 

[1,3]
 

will
 

cause
 

Disillusionment.
 

He
 


 rolls
 

[3,6,1,5],
 

which
 

is
 

not
 

only
 

a
 

failure,
 

but
 

also
 

a
 

Disil-
lusionment
 

because
 

the
 

1
 

and
 

the
 

3
 

match
 

an
 

offending
 


pattern.
 

 Unless
 

 John
 

 can
 

 ignore
 

 the
 

 1,
 

 the
 

 people
 

 of
 

 39
 

 73
Dark
 

and
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

will
 

lose
 

faith
 

in
 

Lane
 

Novak.

When
 

 Disillusionment
 

 occurs,
 

 as
 

 with
 

 any
 

 other
 

 failure,
 

 the
 

 Savior
 


moves
 

one
 

token
 

from
 

Loyal
 

to
 

Treasonous.
 

Lane
 

then
 

loses
 

all
 

Hope
 


Points
 

 from
 

 all
 

 Agendas.
 

 In
 

 addition,
 

 Lane
 

 becomes
 

 the
 

 whipping
 


boy
 

for
 

the
 

Colony
 

government.
 

The
 

Savior
 

moves
 

all
 

of
 

his
 

current
 


Hope
 

tokens
 

to
 

the
 

Treasonous
 

circle.
 

The
 

players
 

narrate
 

Disillusion-
ment
 

as
 

an
 

intense
 

failure.
 

They
 

should
 

reference
 

past
 

failures,
 

empty
 


promises,
 

or
 

notable
 

acts
 

of
 

violence.
 

The
 

government
 

makes
 

Lane
 


into
 

the
 

Colony
 

pariah
 

for
 

as
 

much
 

political
 

advantage
 

as
 

possible.
 


In
 

 other
 

 words,
 

 Disillusionment
 

 can
 

 cripple
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 and
 

 ruin
 

 Lane’s
 


career.
 ENDGAME

74 The
 

 game
 

 ends
 

 after
 

 one
 

 of
 

 two
 

 events.
 

 First,
 

 the
 

 game
 

 ends,
 

 and
 


Lane
 

Novak
 

will
 

be
 

arrested
 

or
 

killed
 

by
 

the
 

Colony
 

government,
 

if
 


there
 

are
 

ever
 

five
 

or
 

more
 

tokens
 

in
 

the
 

Treasonous
 

circle.
 

Second,
 


the
 

game
 

ends
 

normally
 

after
 

the
 

players
 

have
 

completed
 

the
 

ninth
 


Progress
 

 Scene.
 

 After
 

 nine
 

 Progress
 

 Scenes,
 

 a
 

 new
 

 leader
 

 will
 

 rise
 

 to
 


power
 

in
 

39
 

 Dark.
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

may
 

describe
 

why
 

Lane
 

 is
 

no
 

 longer
 


wanted
 

or
 

needed,
 

or
 

leave
 

her
 

fate
 

open-ended.
The
 

players
 

do
 

not
 

narrate
 

an
 

extended
 

epilogue.
 

Instead,
 

they
 


each
 

narrate
 

a
 

brief
 

closing
 

vignette.
The
 

 Governor
 

 describes
 

 the
 

 state
 

 of
 

 the
 

 Colony
 

 at
 

 the
 

 end
 

 of
 


Lane’s
 

turn
 

as
 

39
 

Dark’s
 

leader.
 

The
 

Governor
 

should
 

decide
 

whether
 


the
 

 citizens
 

 enjoy
 

 a
 

 greater
 

 amount
 

 of
 

 freedom
 

 or
 

 an
 

 increased
 

 abil-
ity
 

to
 

self-govern.
 

Are
 

entrenched
 

interests
 

still
 

the
 

dominant
 

force,
 

or
 


has
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 succeeded
 

 in
 

 effecting
 

 long-term
 

 change?
 

 Even
 

 if
 

 39
 


Dark
 

 has
 

 fundamentally
 

 changed
 

 or
 

 eliminated
 

 the
 

 government,
 

 has
 


 anyone
 

created
 

a
 

replacement,
 

or
 

has
 

the
 

Colony
 

fallen
 

into
 

anarchy?
 


The
 

 Savior
 

 narrates
 

 a
 

 similar
 

 picture,
 

 but
 

 from
 

 Lane’s
 

 point
 

 of
 

 view.
 


76 What
 

does
 

39
 

Dark
 

look
 

like
 

after
 

Lane
 

steps
 

down?
 

Is
 

the
 

organi-
zation
 

 stronger
 

 than
 

 ever,
 

 tearing
 

 itself
 

 apart,
 

 or
 

 on
 

 the
 

 run
 

 from
 

 an
 


oppressive
 

government
 

force?
 

The
 

Savior
 

may
 

also
 

describe
 

whether
 


Lane
 

 steps
 

 down
 

 as
 

 a
 

 hero
 

 or
 

 traitor,
 

 both
 

 within
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 and
 

 the
 


Colony
 

as
 

a
 

whole.
When
 

 narrating
 

 your
 

 final
 

 vignette,
 

 you
 

 are
 

 free
 

 to
 

 improvise
 

 as
 


you
 

see
 

fit.
 

You
 

are
 

only
 

constrained
 

by
 

the
 

following.

For the Governor:

 

 If
 

 Lane
 

 accomplished
 

 at
 

 least
 

 three
 

 Agendas
 


(80+
 

points
 

each),
 

then
 

the
 

Colony
 

and
 

its
 

government
 

have
 

been
 


affected
 

 in
 

 the
 

 long-term
 

 by
 

 Lane’s
 

 and
 

 39
 

 Dark’s
 

 actions.
 

 If
 

 Lane
 


failed
 

to
 

achieve
 

any
 

Agendas,
 

then
 

the
 

Colony
 

government
 

has
 

reas-
serted
 

its
 

grip
 

on
 

the
 

citizenry,
 

dooming
 

the
 

people
 

to
 

live
 

under
 

ever
 


stricter
 

regulations.
 

Everything
 

in
 

between
 

is
 

left
 

to
 

you.
 

You
 

may
 

also
 


consider
 

 the
 

 extent
 

 to
 

 which
 

 Lane
 

 has
 

 relied
 

 on
 

 Hope,
 

 violence,
 

 and
 


other
 

questionable
 

tactics;
 

however,
 

you
 

should
 

not
 

narrate
 

the
 

long-
term
 

effects
 

of
 

such
 

things.
77
For the Savior:
 

 If
 

 Lane
 

 has
 

 made
 

 Significant
 

 Progress
 

 (40+
 

 points)
 


in
 

at
 

least
 

three
 

Agendas,
 

and
 

she
 

has
 

not
 

been
 

arrested
 

because
 

of
 


treason,
 

then
 

the
 

citizens
 

will
 

tend
 

to
 

view
 

her
 

as
 

a
 

hero,
 

and
 

perhaps
 


even
 

a
 

martyr.
 

You
 

should
 

consider
 

the
 

number
 

of
 

tokens
 

in
 

Lane’s
 


Loyal
 

circle
 

when
 

deciding
 

how
 

the
 

citizens
 

view
 

her.
 

The
 

state
 

of
 

the
 


39
 

Dark
 

movement
 

is
 

left
 

to
 

you
 

to
 

decide.
 ADVICE

78 My
 

 attitude
 

 towards
 

 roleplaying
 

 games
 

 is
 

 that
 

 the
 

 rules
 

 are
 

 a
 

 tool
 


that
 

the
 

players
 

wield
 

to
 

tell
 

a
 

successful
 

story.
 

The
 

rules
 

provide
 

a
 


framework.
 

The
 

players
 

provide
 

the
 

thematic
 

content.
 

To
 

that
 

end,
 

I
 


have
 

some
 

advice
 

for
 

both
 

players,
 

the
 

Savior
 

and
 

the
 

Governor,
 

for
 


making
 

the
 

most
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.

F O R T H E S AV I O R

Keeping
 

the
 

overall
 

goal
 

of
 

the
 

game
 

in
 

mind
 

(i.e.,
 

to
 

tell
 

a
 

meaningful
 


story
 

about
 

protest,
 

responsibility,
 

and
 

sacrifice),
 

it
 

is
 

also
 

your
 

job
 

as
 


the
 

Savior
 

to
 

try
 

to
 

accumulate
 

80
 

Change
 

Points
 

( 240
 

total)
 

in
 

three
 


separate
 

Agendas.
 

It
 

is
 

a
 

goal
 

not
 

easily
 

accomplished,
 

but
 

the
 

drive
 


to
 

save
 

the
 

Colony
 

and
 

enact
 

Lane
 

Novak’s
 

vision
 

of
 

a
 

free
 

people
 

on
 


Mars
 

is
 

what
 

drives
 

all
 

of
 

the
 

action
 

of
 

the
 

game.
 

You
 

cannot
 

“phone
 


it
 

in.”
 

You
 

must
 

play
 

Lane
 

as
 

the
 

type
 

of
 

person
 

who
 

believes
 

in
 

the
 


mission
 

 of
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 even
 

 if
 

 she
 

 questions
 

 its
 

 methods
 

 along
 

 the
 

 way.
 


In
 

the
 

end,
 

Lane
 

wants
 

to
 

change
 

Mars
 

for
 

the
 

better.
 

A s
 

the
 

player
 

in
 


charge
 

of
 

Lane,
 

you
 

need
 

to
 

keep
 

her
 

underlying
 

attitude
 

in
 

mind. 79
On
 

 the
 

 other
 

 hand,
 

 you
 

 need
 

 to
 

 recognize
 

 that
 

 generating
 


Change
 

 Points
 

 is
 

 not
 

 the
 

 only
 

 measure
 

 of
 

 success.
 

 Whether
 

 you
 

 feel
 


that
 

 Lane
 

 is
 

 accomplishing
 

 something
 

 worthwhile,
 

 and
 

 whether
 

 the
 


cost
 

she
 

has
 

to
 

pay
 

is
 

worth
 

it,
 

is
 

the
 

other
 

equally
 

important
 

measure
 


of
 

 success.
 

 Earning
 

 Change
 

 Points
 

 may
 

 sometimes
 

 feel
 

 backwards
 


or
 

 wrong
 

 depending
 

 on
 

 the
 

 things
 

 Lane
 

 will
 

 say
 

 or
 

 do
 

 to
 

 get
 

 them.
 


You
 

need
 

to
 

pay
 

attention
 

to
 

the
 

moral
 

principles
 

at
 

stake
 

on
 

Mars.
 


You
 

 may
 

 play
 

 Lane
 

 as
 

 a
 

 true
 

 believer,
 

 unwilling
 

 to
 

 compromise
 

 her
 


principles.
 

Or
 

you
 

may
 

play
 

her
 

as
 

the
 

type
 

of
 

person
 

who
 

believes
 


that
 

 the
 

 end
 

 justifies
 

 the
 

 means.
 

 More
 

 likely,
 

 you
 

 will
 

 play
 

 Lane
 

 as
 


somewhere
 

in
 

between.
 

 That
 

 grey
 

 area
 

 is
 

 where
 

 the
 

 core
 

 of
 

39
 

Dark
 


lies
 

thematically.
While
 

 there
 

 are
 

 no
 

 point
 

 totals
 

 to
 

 tell
 

 you
 

 whether
 

 Lane
 

 is
 

 aban-
doning
 

her
 

morals,
 

or
 

losing
 

touch
 

with
 

her
 

sense
 

of
 

humanity,
 

you
 


 can
 

pay
 

attention
 

to
 

the
 

odds
 

of
 

accomplishing
 

a
 

particular
 

Agenda.
 


When
 

the
 

odds
 

are
 

against
 

you,
 

Lane
 

will
 

have
 

to
 

push
 

harder,
 

sac-
80 rifice
 

 more,
 

 employ
 

 violence,
 

 and
 

 feed
 

 the
 

 people
 

 false
 

 hope
 

 to
 

 get
 


what
 

 she
 

 wants.
 

 It
 

 is
 

 precisely
 

 when
 

 the
 

 dice
 

 are
 

 against
 

 you
 

 that
 


Lane’s
 

job
 

is
 

most
 

difficult.
 

It
 

is
 

also
 

the
 

time
 

for
 

making
 

difficult
 

deci-
sions.
 

Keep
 

in
 

mind
 

the
 

primary
 

goal
 

of
 

the
 

game.
 

Decide
 

whether
 


“success”
 

means
 

keeping
 

Lane’s
 

principles
 

intact
 

(even
 

if
 

Mars
 

Colony
 


falls
 

 further
 

 into
 

 the
 

 hands
 

 of
 

 the
 

 powers
 

 that
 

 be)
 

 or
 

 if
 

 accomplish-
ing
 

the
 

goals
 

of
 

the
 

39
 

Dark
 

movement
 

are
 

more
 

important
 

than
 

the
 


moral
 

high
 

ground
 

(however
 

you
 

define
 

that
 

high
 

ground).
 

As
 

long
 


as
 

you
 

are
 

contemplating
 

the
 

balance
 

between
 

“success”
 

in
 

terms
 

of
 


principled
 

change
 

and
 

“success”
 

in
 

terms
 

of
 

practical
 

change,
 

you
 

are
 


bound
 

to
 

generate
 

a
 

satisfying
 

play
 

experience.
FOR THE GOVERNOR

As
 

 the
 

 Governor,
 

 your
 

 role
 

 is
 

 more
 

 varied
 

 than
 

 the
 

 Savior’s.
 

 You
 

 are
 


81
not
 

 responsible
 

 for
 

 just
 

 one
 

 character,
 

 but
 

 rather
 

 for
 

 every
 

 character
 


except
 

 Lane
 

 Novak.
 

 That
 

 may
 

 sound
 

 like
 

 a
 

 daunting
 

 task.
 

 In
 

 some
 


ways,
 

it
 

is.
 

However,
 

when
 

you
 

focus
 

your
 

energy
 

around
 

the
 

primary
 


goal
 

of
 

the
 

game,
 

you
 

can
 

tailor
 

your
 

decisions
 

so
 

that
 

they
 

are
 

man-
ageable
 

as
 

well
 

as
 

inspiring.
 

You
 

must
 

recognize
 

that
 

your
 

role
 

will
 


change
 

 depending
 

 on
 

 the
 

 scene
 

 t ype,
 

 and
 

 that
 

 it
 

 is
 

 perfectly
 

 accept-
able
 

to
 

change
 

your
 

approach
 

as
 

the
 

scene
 

t ype
 

changes.
During
 

an
 

Opposition
 

Scene,
 

for
 

example,
 

you
 

will
 

want
 

to
 

frame
 


an
 

 antagonistic
 

 set
 

 of
 

 circumstances
 

 that
 

 push
 

 Lane
 

 to
 

 make
 

 uncom-
fortable
 

 choices.
 

 You
 

 will
 

 want
 

 to
 

 introduce
 

 allies
 

 and
 

 enemies
 

 alike
 


so
 

 that
 

 Lane
 

 will
 

 need
 

 to
 

 navigate
 

 the
 

 difficult
 

 space
 

 between.
 

 On
 


the
 

other
 

hand,
 

you
 

will
 

also
 

want
 

to
 

give
 

Lane
 

(and
 

the
 

Savior)
 

room
 


within
 

the
 

Opposition
 

Scene
 

to
 

make
 

her
 

own
 

decisions.
 

All
 

scenes
 


should
 

be
 

a
 

type
 

of
 

negotiation
 

between
 

the
 

players.
 

No
 

one
 

voice
 


 should
 

 dominate
 

 the
 

 conversation.
 

 An
 

 Opposition
 

 Scene
 

 is
 

 just
 

 as
 


much
 

 about
 

 your
 

 ability
 

 to
 

 push
 

 back
 

 against
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 as
 

 it
 

 is
 

 about
 


82 Lane
 

 Novak’s
 

 reaction
 

 to
 

 adversity.
 

 Narrate
 

 confidently
 

—
 

neither
 


player
 

needs
 

to
 

ask
 

the
 

other
 

for
 

permission
 

to
 

introduce
 

someone
 

or
 


something
 

into
 

a
 

scene
 

—
 

but
 

then
 

allow
 

the
 

Savior
 

to
 

contribute
 

with
 


an
 

equal
 

level
 

of
 

confidence.
It
 

 is
 

 also
 

 important
 

 to
 

 remember
 

 that
 

 both
 

 players
 

 are
 

 equally
 


responsible
 

for
 

directing
 

the
 

overall
 

plot
 

of
 

the
 

game.
 

As
 

Governor,
 


your
 

contributions
 

are
 

on
 

level
 

with
 

those
 

of
 

the
 

Savior,
 

who
 

is
 

free
 


to
 

redirect
 

the
 

action
 

as
 

he
 

sees
 

fit.
 

For
 

example,
 

new
 

players
 

often
 


think
 

 that
 

 the
 

 Savior
 

 is
 

 required
 

 to
 

 frame
 

 a
 

 related
 

 Progress
 

 Scene
 


after
 

every
 

Opposition
 

Scene.
 

Not
 

so.
 

The
 

Savior
 

is
 

free
 

to
 

frame
 

a
 


Progress
 

Scene
 

or
 

a
 

Personal
 

Scene,
 

and
 

those
 

scenes
 

can
 

be
 

about
 


whatever
 

the
 

Savior
 

wants.
 

Sometimes
 

a
 

Progress
 

Scene
 

will
 

naturally
 


follow
 

 on
 

 the
 

 heels
 

 of
 

 a
 

 heated
 

 Opposition
 

 Scene,
 

 but
 

 not
 

 always.
 


Both
 

players
 

should
 

feel
 

free
 

to
 

take
 

the
 

narrative
 

in
 

a
 

different
 

direc-
tion
 

 as
 

 they
 

 see
 

 fit.
 

 The
 

 choice
 

 is
 

 up
 

 to
 

 each
 

 individual
 

 when
 

 it
 

 is
 

 his
 


turn
 

to
 

frame.
During
 

a
 

Personal
 

Scene,
 

your
 

role
 

as
 

the
 

Governor
 

shifts
 

slightly
 

 83
away
 

 from
 

 the
 

 antagonistic
 

 goading
 

 of
 

 an
 

 Opposition
 

 Scene.
 

 While
 


you
 

 may
 

 still
 

 find
 

 ways
 

 to
 

 complicate
 

 Lane’s
 

 situation,
 

 you
 

 will
 

 be
 


called
 

 upon
 

 to
 

 play
 

 a
 

 character
 

 who
 

 is
 

 close
 

 to
 

 Lane
 

 and
 

 often
 

 sym-
pathetic
 

to
 

her
 

cause.
 

For
 

example,
 

if
 

the
 

Savior
 

frames
 

a
 

Personal
 


Scene
 

 involving
 

 one
 

 of
 

 her
 

 Followers,
 

 a
 

 relative
 

 perhaps,
 

 then
 

 you
 


need
 

 to
 

 consider
 

 that
 

 character’s
 

 motivations
 

 and
 

 position
 

 towards
 


Lane.
 

If
 

it
 

is
 

Lane’s
 

brother,
 

for
 

example,
 

what
 

is
 

his
 

relationship
 

to
 

39
 


Dark?
 

How
 

does
 

he
 

feel
 

about
 

Lane
 

leading
 

the
 

movement?
 

What
 


are
 

 his
 

 personal
 

 goals
 

 apart
 

 from
 

 Lane
 

 and
 

 the
 

 government?
 

 Con-
sider
 

these
 

questions,
 

and
 

others,
 

and
 

then
 

play
 

the
 

brother
 

as
 

a
 

fully
 


independent
 

 character.
 

 By
 

 doing
 

 so,
 

 you
 

 will
 

 allow
 

 the
 

 relationship
 


between
 

Lane
 

and
 

her
 

brother
 

to
 

develop
 

naturally
 

over
 

the
 

course
 

of
 


the
 

game,
 

which
 

will
 

in
 

turn
 

lead
 

to
 

a
 

story
 

that
 

feels
 

more
 

satisfying
 


and
 

 less
 

 one-dimensional.
 

 That
 

 relationship
 

 may
 

 become
 

 antagonis-
 tic,
 

but
 

antagonism
 

does
 

not
 

need
 

to
 

be
 

your
 

default
 

choice
 

during
 

a
 


Personal
 

Scene.
84
PAC I N G

When
 

people
 

report
 

major
 

variations
 

in
 

the
 

way
 

they
 

experience
 

Mars
 


Colony
 

and
 

Mars
 

Colony:
 

39
 

Dark,
 

it
 

usually
 

comes
 

down
 

to
 

play-time.
 


As
 

an
 

experienced
 

player
 

who
 

prefers
 

to
 

move
 

quickly,
 

I
 

can
 

knock
 


out
 

a
 

game
 

in
 

t wo
 

to
 

three
 

hours.
 

Others
 

take
 

upwards
 

of
 

six.
 

Neither
 


is
 

incorrect;
 

rather,
 

it
 

is
 

a
 

matter
 

of
 

getting
 

what
 

you
 

want
 

from
 

the
 


game.
 

The
 

key
 

to
 

managing
 

time,
 

and
 

creating
 

a
 

play
 

experience
 

that
 


matches
 

your
 

expectations,
 

is
 

understanding
 

game
 

pace.
Typically,
 

 there
 

 will
 

 be
 

 18–20
 

 scenes
 

 in
 

 a
 

 game
 

 of
 

 39
 

 Dark.
 

 If
 


your
 

scenes
 

average
 

five
 

minutes,
 

then
 

the
 

entire
 

game
 

will
 

last
 

for
 

at
 


least
 

t wo
 

hours
 

of
 

actual
 

play.
 

If
 

you
 

are
 

the
 

t ype
 

of
 

person
 

who
 

likes
 


to
 

take
 

his
 

time
 

and
 

let
 

scenes
 

develop
 

more
 

slowly,
 

then
 

your
 

game
 


time
 

will
 

increase.
 

Also
 

be
 

sure
 

to
 

account
 

for
 

preparation,
 

which
 

can
 


add
 

another
 

30–60
 

minutes
 

unless
 

you
 

use
 

a
 

set
 

of
 

pre-generated
 


record
 

sheets.
During
 

 play,
 

 I
 

 encourage
 

 you
 

 to
 

 take
 

 the
 

 time
 

 to
 

 set
 

 up
 

 a
 

 scene
 

 85
properly
 

 and
 

 play
 

 through
 

 it
 

 without
 

 immediately
 

 looking
 

 to
 

 the
 

 dice
 


for
 

guidance.
 

If
 

the
 

first
 

thing
 

you
 

are
 

doing
 

during
 

a
 

Progress
 

Scene
 


is
 

rolling
 

dice,
 

you
 

may
 

be
 

relying
 

too
 

much
 

on
 

the
 

hard
 

game
 

me-
chanics,
 

 and
 

 not
 

 enough
 

 on
 

 your
 

 own
 

 ability
 

 as
 

 a
 

 story-teller.
 

 Yes,
 


using
 

the
 

dice
 

right
 

away
 

might
 

make
 

sense
 

in
 

certain
 

scenes,
 

and
 

yes,
 


it
 

can
 

speed
 

up
 

the
 

game,
 

but
 

it
 

will
 

come
 

at
 

a
 

cost.
 

Your
 

games
 

will
 


tend
 

to
 

feel
 

more
 

mechanical
 

and
 

less
 

organic.
 

A
 

better
 

way
 

to
 

speed
 


up
 

play
 

is
 

to
 

cut
 

down
 

on
 

your
 

efforts
 

to
 

be
 

explicitly
 

collaborative
 

with
 


the
 

other
 

player.
 

If
 

you
 

have
 

an
 

idea
 

about
 

how
 

the
 

action
 

should
 

un-
fold,
 

narrate
 

it!
 

Don’t
 

worry
 

about
 

offending
 

the
 

other
 

player.
 

Trust
 

in
 


the
 

game
 

system.
 

If
 

something
 

truly
 

isn’t
 

working
 

for
 

the
 

other
 

player,
 


he
 

can
 

tell
 

you
 

and
 

then
 

unwind
 

the
 

action.
 

But
 

this
 

should
 

be
 

a
 

rela-
tively
 

rare
 

occurrence.
 

In
 

all
 

other
 

situations,
 

keep
 

the
 

action
 

moving
 


forward
 

without
 

regret.
 Another
 

way
 

to
 

manage
 

game
 

pace
 

it
 

to
 

pay
 

attention
 

to
 

the
 

t ype
 


and
 

goal
 

of
 

each
 

scene.
 

It
 

may
 

happen
 

that
 

certain
 

scenes
 

need
 

only
 


86 a
 

few
 

moments
 

of
 

real
 

time
 

to
 

accomplish
 

what
 

they
 

set
 

out
 

to
 

do.
 

If
 

a
 


particular
 

Opposition
 

Scene,
 

for
 

example,
 

is
 

all
 

about
 

the
 

Peacekeep-
ers
 

enforcing
 

curfew,
 

you
 

can
 

choose
 

whether
 

to
 

narrate
 

that
 

scene
 


as
 

a
 

brief
 

montage
 

of
 

the
 

police
 

breaking
 

up
 

groups
 

of
 

people
 

on
 

the
 


street,
 

followed
 

by,
 

perhaps,
 

a
 

few
 

choice
 

words
 

delivered
 

by
 

Lane
 

to
 


her
 

followers.
 

That
 

may
 

be
 

enough
 

to
 

get
 

the
 

job
 

done,
 

and
 

will
 

result
 


in
 

a
 

satisfyingly
 

snappy
 

pace.
 

Other
 

times,
 

you
 

may
 

want
 

to
 

take
 

your
 


time
 

and
 

really
 

develop
 

a
 

scene
 

in
 

detail.
 

That
 

sort
 

of
 

attention
 

slows
 


the
 

game
 

pace
 

and
 

takes
 

longer
 

to
 

play
 

out
 

in
 

real
 

time.
 

Some
 

scenes
 


warrant
 

this
 

sort
 

of
 

attention,
 

but,
 

depending
 

on
 

the
 

t ype
 

of
 

tone
 

you
 


want
 

for
 

your
 

game,
 

you
 

should
 

save
 

these
 

detailed
 

scenes
 

for
 

mo-
ments
 

that
 

warrant
 

more
 

time
 

and
 

more
 

development.
 

In
 

other
 

words,
 


default
 

to
 

quick-paced
 

scenes,
 

but
 

allow
 

yourself
 

the
 

luxury
 

of
 

slowing
 


down
 

when
 

appropriate.
 By
 

 simply
 

 making
 

 yourself
 

 aware
 

 of
 

 the
 

 game
 

 pace,
 

 and
 

 modify-
ing
 

your
 

narration
 

to
 

best
 

fit
 

the
 

t ype
 

of
 

action
 

at
 

hand,
 

you
 

can
 

gain
 


control
 

over
 

the
 

feel
 

of
 

your
 

story
 

as
 

well
 

as
 

the
 

length
 

of
 

time
 

it
 

takes
 

 87
to
 

complete
 

a
 

game
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.
SEQUEL

The
 

following
 

rules
 

are
 

optional.
 

They
 

provide
 

guidance
 

for
 

players
 

of
 

 89
the
 

original
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

to
 

link
 

the
 

events
 

of
 

their
 

previous
 

game
 

to
 


those
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.

If
 

 you
 

 have
 

 played
 

 a
 

 game
 

 of
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 

 before
 

 beginning
 

 your
 


game
 

of
 

39
 

Dark,
 

then
 

you
 

may
 

decide
 

to
 

use
 

that
 

previous
 

game
 

as
 

a
 


prequel.
 

Referring
 

back
 

to
 

the
 

player-aids
 

created
 

during
 

your
 

game
 


of
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

can
 

be
 

useful;
 

however,
 

there
 

is
 

no
 

need
 

to
 

have
 

any
 


detailed
 

notes
 

from
 

the
 

previous
 

game.
 

In
 

fact,
 

it
 

may
 

be
 

preferable
 

if
 


you
 

don’t,
 

because
 

the
 

version
 

of
 

events
 

that
 

took
 

place
 

during
 

Mars
 


Colony
 

is
 

about
 

to
 

be
 

called
 

into
 

question.
 

The
 

events
 

of
 

the
 

previous
 


game
 

may
 

not
 

match
 

the
 

way
 

in
 

which
 

the
 

members
 

of
 

39
 

Dark,
 

and
 


Lane
 

 Novak
 

 in
 

 particular,
 

 experienced
 

 them.
 

 You
 

 should
 

 consider
 


Mars
 

 Colony
 

 to
 

 be
 

 a
 

 story
 

 told
 

 from
 

 the
 

 government’s
 

 perspective,
 


and
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 to
 

 be
 

 a
 

 story
 

 told
 

 from
 

 the
 

 movement’s
 

 perspective.
 


 Where
 

the
 

objective
 

truth
 

lies
 

is
 

unclear.
 

Memory
 

and
 

the
 

narrators
 


are
 

unreliable.
90 To
 

transform
 

39
 

Dark
 

into
 

a
 

sequel
 

to
 

your
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

game,
 


you
 

will
 

overlap
 

the
 

first
 

three
 

Progress
 

Scenes
 

of
 

your
 

39
 

Dark
 

game
 


with
 

 the
 

 last
 

 three
 

 scenes
 

 of
 

 your
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 

 game.
 

 Please
 

 note
 


that
 

the
 

following
 

rules
 

assume
 

that
 

your
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

game
 

lasted
 


a
 

full
 

nine
 

Progress
 

Scenes.
 

If
 

Kelly
 

Perkins
 

was
 

removed
 

early,
 

you
 


will
 

need
 

to
 

adjust
 

the
 

rules
 

accordingly
 

so
 

that
 

the
 

last
 

three
 

Progress
 


Scenes
 

of
 

Mars
 

Colony,
 

whenever
 

they
 

occurred,
 

overlap
 

with
 

the
 

first
 


three
 

of
 

39
 

Dark.
 

No
 

other
 

changes
 

should
 

be
 

necessary.

SC E N E 1: BAC KG ROU N D

Using
 

his
 

best
 

memory
 

of
 

what
 

happened
 

in
 

Scene
 

7
 

of
 

Mars
 

Colony,
 


the
 

 Savior
 

 sets
 

 Progress
 

 Scene
 

 1
 

 of
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 in
 

 the
 

 midst
 

 of
 

 events
 


taking
 

 place
 

 in
 

 the
 

 previous
 

 game.
 

 The
 

 players
 

 discuss
 

 the
 

 major
 


problem
 

 plaguing
 

 the
 

 Colony
 

 at
 

 the
 

 time.
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

 makes
 

 specific
 


mention
 

of
 

whatever
 

plan
 

Kelly
 

Perkins
 

was
 

implementing
 

to
 

try
 

to
 

al-
leviate
 

the
 

problem,
 

noting
 

any
 

effects,
 

if
 

any,
 

that
 

Kelly
 

Perkins’
 

plan
 


has
 

on
 

Lane
 

Novak,
 

the
 

general
 

populace,
 

and
 

39
 

Dark. 91
For
 

this
 

scene,
 

and
 

any
 

that
 

follow,
 

the
 

Savior
 

need
 

not
 

use
 

the
 


events
 

of
 

the
 

previous
 

game
 

directly.
 

He
 

may
 

instead
 

use
 

the
 

previous
 


scene
 

as
 

inspiration
 

for
 

new,
 

parallel
 

events
 

involving
 

39
 

Dark.
 

For
 


example,
 

 if
 

 Kelly
 

 Perkins
 

 was
 

 implementing
 

 a
 

 plan
 

 to
 

 crack
 

 down
 

 on
 


an
 

illegal
 

drug
 

trade,
 

39
 

Dark
 

need
 

not
 

be
 

directly
 

involved
 

in
 

Kelly’s
 


plan
 

or
 

the
 

drug
 

trade.
 

On
 

the
 

other
 

hand,
 

the
 

events
 

that
 

took
 

place
 


during
 

the
 

drug
 

trade
 

scene
 

may
 

have
 

had
 

repercussions
 

that
 

rippled
 


through
 

the
 

Colony.
 

Perhaps,
 

for
 

example,
 

Kelly
 

Perkins’
 

enforcement
 


efforts
 

shut
 

down
 

local
 

markets
 

and
 

limited
 

the
 

sale
 

of
 

goods
 

to
 

those
 


coming
 

exclusively
 

from
 

Earth.
 

How
 

would
 

39
 

Dark
 

react,
 

and
 

how
 


would
 

those
 

events
 

affect
 

the
 

group’s
 

opinion
 

of
 

the
 

government?
 

Of
 


course
 

if
 

they
 

prefer,
 

the
 

players
 

may
 

opt
 

for
 

a
 

more
 

direct
 

overlap
 


between
 

the
 

events
 

of
 

one
 

game
 

and
 

the
 

next.
 Once
 

 introduced,
 

 the
 

 events
 

 from
 

 the
 

 previous
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 


game
 

 become
 

 part
 

 of
 

 the
 

 setting
 

 of
 

 the
 

 new
 

 39
 

 Dark
 

 game.
 

 If
 

 the
 


92 player-aids
 

from
 

the
 

previous
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

game
 

are
 

available,
 

the
 


players
 

are
 

free
 

to
 

use
 

things
 

like
 

the
 

old
 

political
 

parties
 

to
 

inform
 


their
 

 narration,
 

 especially
 

 for
 

 characters
 

 that
 

 appear
 

 on
 

 the
 

 player
 


aids
 

 for
 

 39
 

 Dark.
 

 Keep
 

 in
 

 mind
 

 that,
 

 to
 

 the
 

 members
 

 of
 

 39
 

 Dark,
 


political
 

 parties
 

 are
 

 more
 

 alike
 

 than
 

 different:
 

 they
 

 all
 

 represent
 

 “the
 


government.”
 

Nevertheless,
 

the
 

political
 

parties
 

may
 

help
 

you
 

to
 

more
 


fully
 

flesh
 

out
 

certain
 

personalities,
 

alliances,
 

and
 

conflicts
 

in
 

the
 

cur-
rent
 

game.

S C E N E 2 : R A L LY

During
 

the
 

second
 

Progress
 

Scene
 

of
 

 39
 

Dark,
 

the
 

players
 

should
 

re-
address
 

 the
 

 events
 

 that
 

 took
 

 place
 

 during
 

 Progress
 

 Scene
 

 8
 

 of
 

 Mars
 


Colony.
 

Again,
 

the
 

players
 

discuss
 

what
 

they
 

believe
 

took
 

place
 

in
 

the
 


previous
 

 game.
 

 The
 

 Savior
 

 then
 

 frames
 

 the
 

 current
 

 Progress
 

 Scene
 


as
 

 a
 

 rally
 

 against
 

 Kelly
 

 Perkins
 

 and/or
 

 the
 

 Colony
 

 government.
 

 Even
 


if
 

you
 

believe
 

that
 

Scene
 

8
 

of
 

your
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

game
 

was
 

a
 

positive
 


scene
 

that
 

saw
 

real
 

progress
 

for
 

the
 

Colony,
 

the
 

Savior
 

should
 

re-cast
 

 93
the
 

events
 

in
 

another,
 

less
 

forgiving
 

light.
 

Once
 

the
 

scene
 

is
 

set,
 

play
 


proceeds
 

as
 

normal.

S C E N E 3 : G A LVA N I Z AT I O N

During
 

 the
 

 third
 

 Progress
 

 Scene
 

 of
 

39
 

 Dark,
 

 make
 

 use
 

 of
 

 the
 

 events
 


of
 

Progress
 

Scene
 

9
 

of
 

Mars
 

 Colony.
 

After
 

another
 

discussion
 

about
 


what
 

the
 

players
 

believe
 

happened
 

in
 

their
 

previous
 

game,
 

the
 

Savior
 


sets
 

the
 

Progress
 

Scene.
 

At
 

this
 

point,
 

the
 

Savior
 

should
 

use
 

the
 

events
 


that
 

took
 

place
 

during
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

as
 

a
 

way
 

to
 

illustrate
 

the
 

grow-
ing
 

undercurrent
 

of
 

support
 

for
 

39
 

Dark
 

among
 

the
 

Martian
 

citizenry.
 


Even
 

if
 

Kelly
 

was
 

viewed
 

as
 

a
 

hero
 

by
 

most,
 

a
 

significant
 

portion
 

of
 

the
 


population
 

should
 

be
 

portrayed
 

as
 

anti-government.
 

Remember
 

that
 


the
 

events
 

of
 

39
 

Dark
 

are
 

being
 

told
 

from
 

the
 

group’s
 

own
 

perspec-
 tive.
 

The
 

support
 

of
 

the
 

population
 

is
 

a
 

galvanizing
 

effect
 

that
 

should
 


convince
 

many
 

within
 

the
 

movement
 

of
 

their
 

own
 

self-righteousness.
94
In
 

 the
 

 scenes
 

 to
 

 come,
 

 you
 

 should
 

 address
 

 Kelly’s
 

 departure
 


from
 

 the
 

 Mars
 

 Colony
 

 government.
 

 It
 

 is
 

 unnecessary
 

 to
 

 fully
 

 develop
 


Kelly’s
 

 future;
 

 however,
 

 you
 

 are
 

 free
 

 to
 

 narrate
 

 Kelly
 

 as
 

 a
 

 continuing
 


background
 

presence,
 

or
 

even
 

as
 

a
 

full-fledged
 

character
 

in
 

your
 

39
 


Dark
 

game.
 INFLUENCES

96 I
 

usually
 

design
 

games
 

“theme
 

first.”
 

In
 

other
 

words,
 

I
 

like
 

to
 

start
 

with
 


an
 

issue
 

and
 

then
 

design
 

a
 

game
 

up
 

around
 

that
 

issue
 

in
 

a
 

way
 

that
 


helps
 

me
 

to
 

explore
 

the
 

topic
 

and
 

what
 

I
 

think
 

about
 

its
 

thematic
 

impli-
cations.
 

When
 

I
 

designed
 

the
 

original
 

Mars
 

Colony,
 

I
 

was
 

dealing
 

with
 


personal
 

feelings
 

of
 

anxiety
 

and
 

failure.
 

I
 

was
 

also
 

deeply
 

unhappy
 


about
 

the
 

state
 

of
 

politics
 

in
 

the
 

United
 

States.
 

The
 

game
 

evolved
 

from
 


that
 

core
 

of
 

personal
 

angst.
For
 

 39
 

 Dark,
 

 my
 

 process
 

 was
 

 slightly
 

 different.
 

 I
 

 was
 

 designing
 


a
 

sequel,
 

and
 

so
 

I
 

already
 

 had
 

 limitations
 

 of
 

 setting
 

and
 

mechanics.
 


That’s
 

not
 

to
 

say
 

I
 

wasn’t
 

ready
 

to
 

throw
 

out
 

certain
 

assumptions,
 

or
 


even
 

abandon
 

the
 

game
 

altogether
 

if
 

my
 

ideas
 

did
 

not
 

gel.
 

But
 

truth
 


be
 

 told,
 

 I
 

 was
 

 very
 

 optimistic
 

 about
 

 my
 

 ability
 

 to
 

 adapt
 

 the
 

 existing
 


Mars
 

Colony
 

mechanics
 

to
 

39
 

Dark.
 

That
 

assumption
 

proved
 

naïve.
 

In
 


the
 

end,
 

I
 

cut,
 

redesigned,
 

or,
 

at
 

a
 

minimum,
 

reexamined
 

every
 

aspect
 


of
 

the
 

original
 

Mars
 

Colony
 

rules.
 

A
 

lot
 

remains
 

the
 

same,
 

but
 

only
 


after
 

experimenting
 

with
 

alternative
 

techniques.
 

What
 

I
 

discovered
 

was
 


that
 

“re-skinning”
 

a
 

game
 

to
 

fit
 

a
 

different
 

theme
 

is
 

nearly
 

impossible.
 


If
 

game
 

mechanics
 

reinforce
 

theme,
 

then
 

those
 

mechanics
 

must
 

be
 

 97
custom-tailored.
 

Fans
 

of
 

the
 

original
 

game
 

will
 

find
 

many
 

similarities,
 


but
 

underneath,
 

39
 

Dark
 

is
 

built
 

to
 

focus
 

on
 

something
 

different.
Thematically,
 

I
 

knew
 

there
 

was
 

more
 

to
 

the
 

story
 

of
 

political
 

unrest
 


represented
 

in
 

Mars
 

Colony.
 

I
 

wanted
 

to
 

flip
 

the
 

perspective
 

around
 


and
 

 tell
 

 the
 

 story
 

 of
 

 everyday
 

 citizens
 

 affected
 

 by
 

 their
 

 government’s
 


unilateral
 

 plans.
 

 Yet
 

 I
 

 also
 

 wanted
 

 to
 

 keep
 

 the
 

 story
 

 personal
 

 by
 


centering
 

 it
 

 around
 

 one
 

 character.
 

 For
 

 me,
 

 a
 

 roleplaying
 

 game
 

 is
 


powerful
 

 because
 

 it
 

 is
 

 about
 

 individuals
 

 with
 

 individual
 

 problems,
 


responsibilities,
 

and
 

emotions.
 

Lane
 

Novak,
 

I
 

hope,
 

is
 

interesting
 

not
 


because
 

she
 

is
 

the
 

leader
 

of
 

a
 

resistance
 

movement,
 

but
 

because
 

she
 


is
 

struggling
 

on
 

a
 

personal
 

level
 

to
 

come
 

to
 

grips
 

with
 

the
 

world
 

and
 


political
 

 upheaval
 

 around
 

 her.
 

 When
 

 I
 

 play
 

 39
 

 Dark,
 

 I
 

 can
 

 bring
 

 my
 


own
 

 feelings
 

 of
 

 unease
 

 to
 

 the
 

 character.
 

 These
 

 feelings
 

 are
 

 based
 


on
 

my
 

politics,
 

but
 

also
 

on
 

my
 

desire
 

for
 

personal
 

accomplishment.
 


 While
 

playing,
 

I
 

ask
 

myself:
 

When
 

I
 

am
 

trapped
 

in
 

a
 

situation
 

that
 

feels
 


too
 

daunting
 

to
 

change,
 

how
 

can
 

I
 

find
 

the
 

will
 

to
 

make
 

that
 

change
 


98 happen
 

 regardless?
 

 Whether
 

 I’m
 

 talking
 

 about
 

 political
 

 change
 

 or
 


personal
 

change
 

on
 

the
 

level
 

of,
 

for
 

example,
 

a
 

major
 

career
 

change,
 


the
 

impact
 

on
 

a
 

personal
 

level
 

is
 

similar.
 

The
 

thematic
 

resonance
 

is
 


based
 

on
 

personal
 

experience.
 

My
 

hope
 

is
 

that
 

you
 

can
 

find
 

similar
 


personal
 

connections
 

when
 

you
 

play
 

39
 

Dark.
Many
 

current
 

events
 

and
 

creative
 

influences
 

helped
 

me
 

to
 

shape
 


39
 

Dark;
 

however,
 

the
 

following
 

list
 

contains
 

a
 

few
 

notables:
•
 

 The
 

 events,
 

 news
 

 coverage,
 

 methods,
 

 and
 

 outcomes
 

 of
 

 the
 


Occupy
 

Wall
 

Street
 

protests.
•
 

 The
 

developing
 

political
 

situations
 

in
 

Egypt,
 

Libya,
 

and
 

Ukraine.
•
 

 The
 

 revelations
 

 and
 

 subsequent
 

 media
 

 coverage
 

 of
 

 Chelsea
 


Manning
 

and
 

Edward
 

Snowden.
•
 

 Continuum
 

T V
 

series,
 

created
 

by
 

Simon
 

Barry.
•
 

 The
 

Dispossessed
 

by
 

Ursula
 

K
 

Le
 

Guin.
•
 

 Red
 

Mars
 

by
 

Kim
 

Stanley
 

Robinson.
P R E PA R E D M AT E R I A L S

If
 

you
 

are
 

having
 

trouble
 

thinking
 

of
 

fringe
 

political
 

movements
 

to
 

use
 

 99
in
 

your
 

game,
 

or
 

simply
 

want
 

to
 

jump
 

directly
 

into
 

play,
 

you
 

can
 

make
 


use
 

of
 

the
 

following
 

pre-generated
 

worksheets.
 

Feel
 

free
 

to
 

use
 

them
 


as
 

 is
 

 or
 

 modify
 

 them
 

 to
 

 suit
 

 your
 

 needs
 

 according
 

 to
 

 the
 

 rules
 

 con-
tained
 

 in
 

 the
 

 chapter
 

 on
 

 Preparation.
 

 Look
 

 for
 

 additional
 

 prepared
 


materials
 

on
 

the
 

TCK
 

Roleplaying
 

website.
The
 

descriptions
 

accompanying
 

the
 

political
 

groups
 

are
 

brief
 

and
 


written
 

from
 

my
 

perspective
 

as
 

an
 

American.
 

You
 

should
 

by
 

no
 

means
 


think
 

of
 

them
 

as
 

limiting
 

or
 

complete.
 

I
 

hope
 

this
 

material
 

encourages
 


you
 

to
 

research
 

additional
 

groups
 

on
 

your
 

own.
Fringe Group Fringe Group
Occupy Wall Street WikiLeaks
Agenda & Methodology Agenda & Methodology
Grassroots m ovement t hat i nspired Led by J ulian Assange, i t is a web-‐
similar p rotests a round t he based o rganization t hat

STEEL
world a gainst e conomic p ublishes c lassified i nfo
disparity. leaked by a nonymous
s ources.

MIDNIGHT
SCARLET
39 DARK

Fringe Group Fringe Group

GOLD

P ussy R iot U kraine Revolution

Agenda & Methodology Agenda & Methodology
Russian feminist p unk rock p rotest Responsible for t he v iolent
group t hat stages u nauthorized ousting of U kraine’s former
public p erformances. president. Seeking to sever ties
with R ussia, a nd fighting a gainst
Russian-‐backed s oldiers.
Fringe Group Fringe Group
Tea Party A nonymous
Agenda & Methodology Agenda & Methodology
Conservative U.S. p olitical g roup Decentralized “ hacktivist” g roup
dedicated to s mall g overnment that opposes c ensorship

STEEL
and “zero c ompromise” a nd big b usiness. Uses
political t actics. DDoS attacks o n c orp.
a nd g ov’t servers.

MIDNIGHT
SCARLET
39 DARK

Fringe Group Fringe Group

GOLD

G reenpeace Hamas
Agenda & Methodology Agenda & Methodology
Environmental a ctivist g roup t hat Pro-‐Palestinian l iberation. Won a
employs direct p rotests a s well a s majority of Palestinian Parliament
governmental l obbying to advance seats i n 2006, b ut k nown for i ts
its a gendas. militant a ctions a gainst I srael.
 O r gani z at i o n M a p
[ Peacekeepers ] [ United Workers of Mars ]

Chief Commander Rep. Niles Brun Trustee Sophie

Zaki Jau Thomas

Investigator Hajek Media Liason Faqiri Organizer Aldo Council Member

Prins Jiang Li
STEEL

Deputy Chief Tandy President Ushi

Smith
MIDNIGHT

[ News Network Corp. ] [ Colony Government ]

Coalition President
Arnold Fletcher
Network Chief Feed Writer
Serena Panin Silje Asp
SCARLET Colony Mayor Coalition Rep.
Iara Dias Ela Verma
GOLD
Lead Anchor Beat Reporter
Theo Meyer Sydney Fane
Council Member Council Member
Gartee Ba Tanya Koch
 O r gani z at i o n M a p
[ Peacekeepers ] [ United Workers of Mars ]

Chief Commander Rep. Niles Brun Trustee Sophie

Zaki Jau Thomas
SCARLET

Investigator Hajek Media Liason Faqiri Organizer Aldo Council Member

Prins Jiang Li
MIDNIGHT

Deputy Chief Tandy President Ushi

Smith

[ News Network Corp. ] [ Colony Government ]

Coalition President
Arnold Fletcher
Network Chief Feed Writer
Serena Panin Silje Asp
Colony Mayor Coalition Rep.
Iara Dias Ela Verma
STEEL
Lead Anchor Beat Reporter
Theo Meyer Sydney Fane
Council Member Council Member
MIDNIGHT
Gartee Ba Tanya Koch
 Lane Novak Faction : GOLD
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Timeline
Aunt a nd p ro-‐government m edia darling, STACEY (Midnight); G irlfriend
Followers : and advisor, A NA (Gold); Former 39 D ark m ember, KUMI (Scarlet)

L oya l

Ho p e Trea so no us

MARS COLONY
F 39 DARK F

Agenda & Call to Action Hope Change Total

Recognition of I ndependent Nation of
1
Outer-‐Dome Settlements
2

5
 Lane Novak Faction : STEEL
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Timeline
Brother a nd h acker, I AN (Midnight); H usband, PETER (Scarlet); C hildhood
Followers : friend a nd 39 D ark m ember, KATE (Gold)

L oya l

Ho p e Trea so no us

MARS COLONY
F 39 DARK F

Agenda & Call to Action Hope Change Total

1 Legalize U nionization
2

5
Fringe Group Fringe Group

Agenda & Methodology Agenda & Methodology

STEEL MIDNIGHT
SCARLET
39 DARK

Fringe Group Fringe Group

GOLD

Agenda & Methodology Agenda & Methodology

 O r gani z at i o n M a p
[ Peacekeepers ] [ United Workers of Mars ]

Chief Commander Rep. Niles Brun Trustee Sophie

Zaki Jau Thomas

Investigator Hajek Media Liason Faqiri Organizer Aldo Council Member

Prins Jiang Li

Deputy Chief Tandy President Ushi

Smith

[ News Network Corp. ] [ Colony Government ]

Coalition President
Arnold Fletcher
Network Chief Feed Writer
Serena Panin Silje Asp
Colony Mayor Coalition Rep.
Iara Dias Ela Verma

Lead Anchor Beat Reporter

Theo Meyer Sydney Fane
Council Member Council Member
Gartee Ba Tanya Koch
 Lane Novak Faction :
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Timeline

Followers :

L oya l

Ho p e Trea so no us

MARS COLONY
F 39 DARK F

Agenda & Call to Action Hope Change Total