InSpectres
Encyclopedia
InSpectres is a paranormal investigation-themed role-playing game
by Jared Sorensen, independently published
by Memento Mori Theatricks.
in which the player describes what happens if the result is good and the game master if the roll is bad. If the player succeeds, they earn "franchise dice", and when enough are collected the current case is solved. Players can at any time use confessionals, in the style of reality television
, to add traits to other players' characters or steer events their way.
InSpectres was written as a solution to the whodunit
problem in role-playing games. In any kind of investigative adventure, the players follow a series of clue
s provided by the game master, which eventually enables them to find out what happened and "who done it". Managing the injection of clues into such a game can be quite difficult; if they come too fast or easy, the players will get bored or simply sit back and enjoy the game master unrolling the plot for them, if the clues are too hard to find, the players will become frustrated and spend their energy following dead ends. InSpectres deals with this problem, by allowing the players to invent their own clues, while the game mechanics regulate the flow of clues to give the players time to develop them and come up with an interesting story.
s have just started a franchise
in the supernatural investigation and elimination company InSpectres. They investigate paranormal phenomena, hunt ghosts, and kill vampires, depending on their company's niche.
What do little kids want to be when they grow up? Police officers? Firefighters? How about InSpectres?
With this supplement, you'll be able to run In-Speckers: a series of
adventures where grade-schoolers across the country fight the Forces of Darkness in
their homes, schools and neighborhoods.
An InSpectres micro-supplement of Lovecraftian horror, madness and mystery. This microsupplement is written to accommodate weird tales of horror,
madness and woe in the vein of H.P. Lovecraft (and his admirers).
The basic play structure is that of InSpectres, except flavored with a 1920s setting.
Rather than agents working out of a company, the characters are people who have
been called together to investigate the Unknown.
Beyond man's small blue world a vast cosmos awaits. What wonders of the universe are yet to be discovered? Is space more grand or terrible than we even imagine? Are we alone?
This supplement lets you explore the mysteries of space and play games in the style of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris
, Contact
, Ringworld
, or Forbidden Planet
.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
by Jared Sorensen, independently published
Indie role-playing game
An indie role-playing game is a role-playing game published outside of traditional, "mainstream" means. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside of a corporate...
by Memento Mori Theatricks.
System
Like most roleplaying games, InSpectres has a method of conflict resolution using dice. However, InSpectres uses an adversarial systemAdversarial system
The adversarial system is a legal system where two advocates represent their parties' positions before an impartial person or group of people, usually a jury or judge, who attempt to determine the truth of the case...
in which the player describes what happens if the result is good and the game master if the roll is bad. If the player succeeds, they earn "franchise dice", and when enough are collected the current case is solved. Players can at any time use confessionals, in the style of reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
, to add traits to other players' characters or steer events their way.
InSpectres was written as a solution to the whodunit
Whodunit
A whodunit or whodunnit is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is the main feature of interest. The reader or viewer is provided with clues from which the identity of the perpetrator of the crime may be deduced before the solution is revealed in the final...
problem in role-playing games. In any kind of investigative adventure, the players follow a series of clue
Clue
Clue may refer to:* Cluedo , a crime fiction board game** Clue , based on the board game** Clue , based on the board game** Clue , based on the board game...
s provided by the game master, which eventually enables them to find out what happened and "who done it". Managing the injection of clues into such a game can be quite difficult; if they come too fast or easy, the players will get bored or simply sit back and enjoy the game master unrolling the plot for them, if the clues are too hard to find, the players will become frustrated and spend their energy following dead ends. InSpectres deals with this problem, by allowing the players to invent their own clues, while the game mechanics regulate the flow of clues to give the players time to develop them and come up with an interesting story.
Setting
The player characterPlayer character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s have just started a franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
in the supernatural investigation and elimination company InSpectres. They investigate paranormal phenomena, hunt ghosts, and kill vampires, depending on their company's niche.
Supplements
Three pdf supplements (termed 'micro-supplements') have been released which present alternative settings for the InSpectres game. All three microsupplements are available for free download.What do little kids want to be when they grow up? Police officers? Firefighters? How about InSpectres?
With this supplement, you'll be able to run In-Speckers: a series of
adventures where grade-schoolers across the country fight the Forces of Darkness in
their homes, schools and neighborhoods.
An InSpectres micro-supplement of Lovecraftian horror, madness and mystery. This microsupplement is written to accommodate weird tales of horror,
madness and woe in the vein of H.P. Lovecraft (and his admirers).
The basic play structure is that of InSpectres, except flavored with a 1920s setting.
Rather than agents working out of a company, the characters are people who have
been called together to investigate the Unknown.
Beyond man's small blue world a vast cosmos awaits. What wonders of the universe are yet to be discovered? Is space more grand or terrible than we even imagine? Are we alone?
This supplement lets you explore the mysteries of space and play games in the style of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris
Solaris (novel)
Solaris is a 1961 Polish science fiction novel by Stanisław Lem. It is about the ultimate inadequacy of communication between human and non-human species....
, Contact
Contact (novel)
Contact is a science fiction novel written by Carl Sagan and published in 1985. It deals with the theme of contact between humanity and a more technologically advanced, extraterrestrial life form. It ranked No. 7 on the 1985 U.S. bestseller list....
, Ringworld
Ringworld
Ringworld is a Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning 1970 science fiction novel by Larry Niven, set in his Known Space universe and considered a classic of science fiction literature. It is followed by three sequels, and preceded by four prequels, and ties into numerous other books set in Known Space...
, or Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
.
Other Media
InSpectres is currently in production as a feature-length film from Reactor 88 Studios.External links
- InSpectres homepage
- InSpectres movie site
- IMDB page