Stay Connectedmaking stories playing games
Bored Ghost uses tabletop roleplaying games to create stories. Each week we release half of a tale born out a play. From independently published collaborative storytelling games to traditional Role-Playing Games, we try it all to tell stories. These tales and games are experiments.
"I hate slick and pretty things. I prefer mistakes and accidents. Which is why I like things like cuts and bruises - they're like little flowers. I've always said that if you have a name for something, like 'cut' or 'bruise,' people will automatically be disturbed by it. But when you see the same thing in nature, and you don't know what it is, it can be very beautiful." ― David Lynch
A death in a remote wooded town brings darkness to the surface.
To learn more about how Tall Pines is played check out our primer episode.
The Victim for this game:Adam Wexler
The Protagonists for this game:The Local Sheriff - Anessa Felix
The Soft-Hearted Deupty - Roth P. Mayers
The Privileged Athlete - Parker Jefferies III
The Cherished Eccentric - Simon Vance
The Hardened Criminal - Elizabeth "Liza" Wexler
The Thankless Handyman - Mr. Coffin
Find Kelsey Dionne on her adventure website The Arcane Library and on Facebook.
Find John on twitter @LordJoho
Find Ken on twitter @Berlingsbeard
Go check out the Adventure Mixtape Volume 1, a collaboration anthology of four D&D 5th edition adventures w/ accompanying original music. Ken and Kelsey are among the 4 collaborators.
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworld
Our Bored Ghost theme comes from the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found some distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
"I'm always happy when I'm surrounded by water, I think I'm a Mermaid or I was a mermaid. The ocean makes me feel really small and it makes me put my whole life into perspective… it humbles you and makes you feel almost like you've been baptized. I feel born again when I get out of the ocean." ― Beyoncé Knowles
In a quiet tidal pool, by a cold dark shore, the spirits of drowned women await mortal petitioners who will accept their gifts.
Rusalka is still in progress and we were honored that the designer, Nick Wedig, allowed us to share a game with our listeners. Go check out his work at his Teapot Games site.
The Map:
To the South is the Shore. To the North East the Village. A row of scarecrows draped in the skin of flayed sailors stands between the pool and the Village. On the NW side of the pond is a pool with some jewelry sunken into the bottom. On the north bank is the entrance to a hole where women and girls leave offerings. The ocean threatens to erode the walls and open the pool to the sea to the SE.
The Characters:
Ruslana (Zelma Elm) - An aspect of mists, she wears a veil that clings to her face.
Henka (Ken Breese) - An aspect of tides, she is scaled and has a wide shark-toothed smile.
Natalka (Iris Explosion) - An aspect of reflection, she stands nude in the water, her eyes are mirrors.
Eyesh (John Holt) - An aspect of ghosts, her white hair tangles in the rotting lace of her dress.
Find Zelma on twitter @zforzelma and instagram @zforzelma and her website kelseyhercs.com for more information on her playwriting and performance work
Find out more about Iris on her website irisexplosion.com
Find John on twitter @LordJoho
Find Ken on twitter @Berlingsbeard
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworld
Our Bored Ghost theme comes from the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
The game designer Nick Wedig has a repository of his work at Teapot Games.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found some distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
"Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars." — J.R.R. Tolkien
In a quiet tidal pool, by a cold dark shore, the spirits of drowned women await mortal petitioners who will accept their gifts.
Rusalka is still in progress and we were honored that the designer, Nick Wedig, allowed us to share a game with our listeners. Go check out his work at his Teapot Games site. The Map:
To the South is the Shore. To the North East the Village. A row of scarecrows draped in the skin of flayed sailors stands between the pool and the Village. On the NW side of the pond is a pool with some jewelry sunken into the bottom. On the north bank is the entrance to a hole where women and girls leave offerings. The ocean threatens to erode the walls and open the pool to the sea to the SE.
The Characters:
Ruslana (Zelma Elm) - An aspect of mists, she wears a veil that clings to her face.
Henka (Ken Breese) - An aspect of tides, she is scaled and has a wide shark-toothed smile.
Natalka (Iris Explosion) - An aspect of reflection, she stands nude in the water, her eyes are mirrors.
Eyesh (John Holt) - An aspect of ghosts, her white hair tangles in the rotting lace of her dress.
Find Zelma on twitter @zforzelma and instagram @zforzelma and her website kelseyhercs.com for more information on her playwriting and performance work
Find out more about Iris on her website irisexplosion.com
Find John on twitter @LordJoho
Find Ken on twitter @Berlingsbeard
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworld
Our Bored Ghost theme comes from the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
The game designer Nick Wedig has a repository of his work at Teapot Games.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found some distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most." -Ozzy Osbourne
To learn more about how Dread is played check out our primer episode.
Zelma's Questionnaire:
1. What is your name? Gabby Grant
2. When people describe you to a stranger what detail do they always try to include? They always say, "She seems kind of like an @sshole, but one you get to know her I promise she's really sweet." But usually people don't get there.
3. You play the bass in a band called 'Altered Saints.' Why did you lobby so hard for the name 'Animus Brief' instead? Having come up in a Catholic school background, I didn't like the strong religious connotations and wanted to get away from that. Animus = Animosity, get it out there that that's what we're about.
4. What sport did you play in high school and what made you give it up? I was really really good at Basketball, tall, athletic with a long stride. And a split-second knee injury ended that.
5. When the world seems against you, what one thing keeps you going? It's all about the music. It's the only form of expression that seems to express anything for Gabby.
6. What item are you hiding amongst your personal possessions in the tour band? A journal filled with original songs and lyrics. Gabby's not the official songwriter of the band and doesn't want to step on any toes, but I think they're really good.
7. Why do you feel you owe your life to Ella, the band's lead singer? After my knee injury she was the only one at my school who was still my friend. She's the on that asked me to be in her first band and from that band I've discovered music.
8. Which of your family members do you miss the most? My grandmother, she's the only one who wants me to be happy whatever that form would take, doing something off the beaten path isn't wrong.
9. You like Horror movies. What horror movies can you not deal with?Demonic Possession, a little part that could be real, from her Catholic upbringing. Also not being in control if her body is really scary.
10.What unusual skill do you have that sometimes has been surprisingly handy?I can drink a trucker under the table.
11. Which of your tattoos is your favorite?An elaborate cornucopia on my chest twisting down my sternum.
12. What do you most regret failing to do for a friend? How will you make amends when the tour is over I didn't go to the funeral of Ella's grandmother. She said that it was fine, but i feel like it's not fine. I promised myself I'd make it up while on tour, but will think of something very special after tour is over.
13. [Secret] What lie have you told so often that you almost believe it? **********************************************
Ken's Questionnaire: 1. What is your name? Tiger Fiasco
2. Why did you learn drums and join a band of near-strangers for this tour? Why do you now feel fiercely protective of the bassist [Zelma's character]? I learned drums to honor a deceased ancestor's legacy and this was the only band that would have me. I fiercely protect the bassist as she has the most talent.
3. What was your favorite TV show, and why did you have to stop watching? Kung-Fu the Legend Continues, and since Caradine died I can't see him without weeping.
4. Why are you the black sheep of your family? I'm interested in following int he footsteps of a deceased ancestor's rocking chaotic life.
5. Whose crucifix is that around your neck? Belongs to the first girl I french kissed
6. Why don't you visit museums anymore, even though you had such an interest in Egyptology as a child? Museum's house the plunder of the authority, which I can't support any longer
7. What daily occurrence reminds you of your ex-girlfriend? Painting my nails different colors
8. What supplies do you regret packing into the tour van? Cured Herring
9. Your bandmates think you resent the lead singer Ella because she shot down your idea for a band name ("Set Animal.") Why are you glad they don't know the real reason? If they knew the real reason they'd know that I think Ella's singing won't ever amount to more than being a hack.
10. What do you think you are better at than you really are? Driving
11. Where did you get that scar? Major drum Solo accident
12. Which important person in your life have you resolved to reconnect with once the tour is over? My sister who always secretly supported me
13. [Secret] What lie have you told so often that you almost believe it? ****************************************
John's Questionnaire: 1. What is your name?Chance "Doubting" Thomas
2. Who do you think of every time you play guitar at a gig on this tour? My twin brother, a paraplegic - I channel his frustration and move for him.
3. What finally convinced to agree to the band being named "Altered Saints" instead of your top choice, "Praxis of Evil"? PoE was my cynical play on wanting to be a medical professional, but instead doing frivolous music stuff, Altered Saints actually fits in my morally grey world view
4. Why do you have a picture of someone you've never met in your wallet? It is a WWI soldier two-sided photo. On one side is the soldier with all their disfigurement from the war, and on the other is there face, reconstructed by early prothesis of a sculptor.
5. What game did you always beat your siblings at when you were growing up in Northern Virginia? Late night summer games of Manhunt (a tag/hide and seek variant)
6. When did you first realize how good you were with animals? Helping to train and care for my brother's assistance dog.
7. You are very vocal about your hatred of firearms. So why do you have that bullet casing necklace? It was the casing I impulsively reached out for when me and my class was huddled under our desks during a school shooting in middle school. My movement alerted the shooters to my presence.
8. You didn't expect that your immediate post-college plans would be touring with this band. What did you think you'd be doing instead? I thought I'd continue on with my medical training, either going forward on a surgery track towards reconstructive surgery, or at least nursing/hospice care and maybe some overseas medical volunteering.
9. When you have trouble sleeping, what pleasant memory do you focus on? Those late summer nights when we were pre-teens running around playing games as neighborhood kids, pretending to be murderers, monsters and ghosts.
10. When was the last time your acute claustrophobia acted up? A year back, we were the opening act, and I was at the bar after our set when the crowd got out of hand and I was nearly crushed in the press of people. I started flailing and punching, eventually kicking out a window to escape the crowd crush.
11. Why do you find the drummer [Ken's character] more annoying every day of the tour? Why haven't you discussed this with Ella, the lead singer and informal frontman? He's been doing articles and interviews, really pushing promotion and drumming (hehe) up fans - like he believes in the band. I was hoping this thing would be a over by now. If it was failing I feel like I could quit.
12. What's in your pockets? Guitar picks, wallet ($50 cash, license, expired student ID, photo, a bunch of random receipts and ticket stubs), old flip cellphone (or pager depending on time period)
13. [Secret] What experience makes you so sure that the supernatural exists, despite the skepticism of your family? ***********************************************
Find Alexi on twitter @alexisargeant and learn more about Alexi Sargeant's work on his website, alexisargeant.com.
Find Zelma on twitter @zforzelma and instagram @zforzelma and her website kelseyhercs.com for more information on her playwriting and performance work
Find John on twitter @LordJoho
Find Ken on twitter @Berlingsbeard
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworld
Our Bored Ghost theme song is by the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found some distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
This is a brief overview that lays out the rules summary of Dread by Epidiah Ravachol & Nathaniel Barmore and published by The Impossible Dream. Learn more at Tiltingatwindmills.net. Purchase a copy here.
Recommended number of players: 2-6 players, Play time around 3-4 hours.
To play you'll need: Rulebook Jenga Tower, Writing Utensils, Blank Paper.
Dread is a horror game. It is a game that requires a Game Master (or Host in the language of the game). The tension of the game is brought by the tension of the teetering of a Jenga tower.
We recommend picking the PDF on Drive Thru RPG and or Physical copy from Tiltingatwindmills.net.
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworldOur Bored Ghost theme song is by the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
"Why be boring? Have some fun. Rock shows should be like movies: I don't go to a movie hoping it'll change my life." -Alice Cooper
To learn more about how Dread is played check out our primer episode.
Zelma's Questionnaire: 1. What is your name? Gabby Grant
2. When people describe you to a stranger what detail do they always try to include? They always say, "She seems kind of like an @sshole, but one you get to know her I promise she's really sweet." But usually people don't get there.
3. You play the bass in a band called 'Altered Saints.' Why did you lobby so hard for the name 'Animus Brief' instead? Having come up in a Catholic school background, I didn't like the strong religious connotations and wanted to get away from that. Animus = Animosity, get it out there that that's what we're about.
4. What sport did you play in high school and what made you give it up? I was really really good at Basketball, tall, athletic with a long stride. And a split-second knee injury ended that.
5. When the world seems against you, what one thing keeps you going? It's all about the music. It's the only form of expression that seems to express anything for Gabby.
6. What item are you hiding amongst your personal possessions in the tour band? A journal filled with original songs and lyrics. Gabby's not the official songwriter of the band and doesn't want to step on any toes, but I think they're really good.
7. Why do you feel you owe your life to Ella, the band's lead singer? After my knee injury she was the only one at my school who was still my friend. She's the on that asked me to be in her first band and from that band I've discovered music.
8. Which of your family members do you miss the most? My grandmother, she's the only one who wants me to be happy whatever that form would take, doing something off the beaten path isn't wrong.
9. You like Horror movies. What horror movies can you not deal with?Demonic Possession, a little part that could be real, from her Catholic upbringing. Also not being in control if her body is really scary.
10.What unusual skill do you have that sometimes has been surprisingly handy?I can drink a trucker under the table.
11. Which of your tattoos is your favorite?An elaborate cornucopia on my chest twisting down my sternum.
12. What do you most regret failing to do for a friend? How will you make amends when the tour is over I didn't go to the funeral of Ella's grandmother. She said that it was fine, but i feel like it's not fine. I promised myself I'd make it up while on tour, but will think of something very special after tour is over.
13. [Secret] What lie have you told so often that you almost believe it? **********************************************
Ken's Questionnaire: 1. What is your name? Tiger Fiasco
2. Why did you learn drums and join a band of near-strangers for this tour? Why do you now feel fiercely protective of the bassist [Zelma's character]? I learned drums to honor a deceased ancestor's legacy and this was the only band that would have me. I fiercely protect the bassist as she has the most talent.
3. What was your favorite TV show, and why did you have to stop watching? Kung-Fu the Legend Continues, and since Caradine died I can't see him without weeping.
4. Why are you the black sheep of your family? I'm interested in following int he footsteps of a deceased ancestor's rocking chaotic life.
5. Whose crucifix is that around your neck? Belongs to the first girl I french kissed
6. Why don't you visit museums anymore, even though you had such an interest in Egyptology as a child? Museum's house the plunder of the authority, which I can't support any longer
7. What daily occurrence reminds you of your ex-girlfriend? Painting my nails different colors
8. What supplies do you regret packing into the tour van? Cured Herring
9. Your bandmates think you resent the lead singer Ella because she shot down your idea for a band name ("Set Animal.") Why are you glad they don't know the real reason? If they knew the real reason they'd know that I think Ella's singing won't ever amount to more than being a hack.
10. What do you think you are better at than you really are? Driving
11. Where did you get that scar? Major drum Solo accident
12. Which important person in your life have you resolved to reconnect with once the tour is over? My sister who always secretly supported me
13. [Secret] What lie have you told so often that you almost believe it? ****************************************
John's Questionnaire: 1. What is your name?Chance "Doubting" Thomas
2. Who do you think of every time you play guitar at a gig on this tour? My twin brother, a paraplegic - I channel his frustration and move for him.
3. What finally convinced to agree to the band being named "Altered Saints" instead of your top choice, "Praxis of Evil"? PoE was my cynical play on wanting to be a medical professional, but instead doing frivolous music stuff, Altered Saints actually fits in my morally grey world view
4. Why do you have a picture of someone you've never met in your wallet? It is a WWI soldier two-sided photo. On one side is the soldier with all their disfigurement from the war, and on the other is there face, reconstructed by early prothesis of a sculptor.
5. What game did you always beat your siblings at when you were growing up in Northern Virginia? Late night summer games of Manhunt (a tag/hide and seek variant)
6. When did you first realize how good you were with animals? Helping to train and care for my brother's assistance dog.
7. You are very vocal about your hatred of firearms. So why do you have that bullet casing necklace? It was the casing I impulsively reached out for when me and my class was huddled under our desks during a school shooting in middle school. My movement alerted the shooters to my presence.
8. You didn't expect that your immediate post-college plans would be touring with this band. What did you think you'd be doing instead? I thought I'd continue on with my medical training, either going forward on a surgery track towards reconstructive surgery, or at least nursing/hospice care and maybe some overseas medical volunteering.
9. When you have trouble sleeping, what pleasant memory do you focus on? Those late summer nights when we were pre-teens running around playing games as neighborhood kids, pretending to be murderers, monsters and ghosts.
10. When was the last time your acute claustrophobia acted up? A year back, we were the opening act, and I was at the bar after our set when the crowd got out of hand and I was nearly crushed in the press of people. I started flailing and punching, eventually kicking out a window to escape the crowd crush.
11. Why do you find the drummer [Ken's character] more annoying every day of the tour? Why haven't you discussed this with Ella, the lead singer and informal frontman? He's been doing articles and interviews, really pushing promotion and drumming (hehe) up fans - like he believes in the band. I was hoping this thing would be a over by now. If it was failing I feel like I could quit.
12. What's in your pockets? Guitar picks, wallet ($50 cash, license, expired student ID, photo, a bunch of random receipts and ticket stubs), old flip cellphone (or pager depending on time period)
13. [Secret] What experience makes you so sure that the supernatural exists, despite the skepticism of your family? ***********************************************
Find Alexi on twitter @alexisargeant and learn more about Alexi Sargeant's work on his website, alexisargeant.com.
Find Zelma on twitter @zforzelma and instagram @zforzelma and her website kelseyhercs.com for more information on her playwriting and performance work
Find John on twitter @LordJoho
Find Ken on twitter @Berlingsbeard
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworld
Our Bored Ghost theme song is by the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found some distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
"It's time. It's time. Time for the big giveaway. Halloween has come. All you lucky kids with Silver Shamrock masks, gather 'round your TV set, put on your masks and watch. All witches, all skeletons, all Jack-O-Lanterns, gather 'round and watch. Watch the magic pumpkin. Watch..." ― Silver Shamrock Commercial, Halloween III
A spell has been cast the world is plunged into darkness.
To learn more about how Children of the Fall is played check out our primer episode.
The Tribe:•An Unnamed group of about two dozen children, a large tribe with the Prophet, Linus, as the leader.
•6 weeks after the fall the tribe is sheltering in a church on a parkway in a southern California urban sprawl.
•They have an abundance of ammunition. There is a dearth of fuel.
•In the short-term a rival tribe has it out for them, the Bike-o-mancers have a beef. In the long-term earthquakes threaten to further weaken their haven.
•The church sits near a shopping plaza with a department store for sundries and further down the way is an overpass that serves as an observation point and place to gather supplies. The crypt beneath the church is a large safe space.
The Mission:
•Search and Rescue.
•Evan wandered off during a patrol the territory and the group wants to find and save him.
The Characters:
•Linus, the Prophet: a 14 year old who claims magical insight. (Ken Breese)
•Jessup, the Stranger: a 14 year old, who claims to know the ways of spellcraft. (John Holt)
•Benson, the Monster: A 12 year old who is cold and dangerous, even without his gun. (Tim Rodriguez)
Find Tim on twitter @dicefoodlodging and Tim's Mobile Fiasco App for iOS on iTunes, and for Android on Google Play. You can find his game company at GalileoGames.com
Find John on twitter @LordJoho
Find Ken on twitter @Berlingsbeard
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworld
Our Bored Ghost theme song is by the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found some distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
"I do love a good joke and this is the best ever: a joke on the children." ― Conal Cochran, Halloween III
A spell has been cast the world is plunged into darkness.
To learn more about how Children of the Fall is played check out our primer episode.
The Tribe:•An Unnamed group of about two dozen children, a large tribe with the Prophet, Linus, as the leader.
•6 weeks after the fall the tribe is sheltering in a church on a parkway in a southern California urban sprawl.
•They have an abundance of ammunition. There is a dearth of fuel.
•In the short-term a rival tribe has it out for them, the Bike-o-mancers have a beef. In the long-term earthquakes threaten to further weaken their haven.
•The church sits near a shopping plaza with a department store for sundries and further down the way is an overpass that serves as an observation point and place to gather supplies. The crypt beneath the church is a large safe space.
The Mission:
•Search and Rescue.
•Evan wandered off during a patrol the territory and the group wants to find and save him.
The Characters:
•Linus, the Prophet: a 14 year old who claims magical insight. (Ken Breese)
•Jessup, the Stranger: a 14 year old, who claims to know the ways of spellcraft. (John Holt)
•Benson, the Monster: A 12 year old who is cold and dangerous, even without his gun. (Tim Rodriguez)
Find Tim on twitter @dicefoodlodging and Tim's Mobile Fiasco App for iOS on iTunes, and for Android on Google Play. You can find his game company at GalileoGames.com
Find John on twitter @LordJoho
Find Ken on twitter @Berlingsbeard
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworld
Our Bored Ghost theme song is by the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found some distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
"Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift."
-Mary Oliver
In a quiet pond deep in the woods the spirits of drowned women await mortal petitioners who will accept their gifts.
Rusalka is still in progress and we were honored that the designer, Nick Wedig, allowed us to share a game with our listeners.
The Map:
To the South is the Village. To the North deeper woods. On the south side of the pond is a path, and cutting across it, a barrier between the village and the pond, is a line of crude stone spears set in the ground. Also on the south side, on a finger that juts in, sits a black stump that has been used as a sacrificial altar. On the Eastern bank a massive frog has made a burrow in the mud. In the West the pond has been diverted towards a reflecting pool, once ringed with stones and spanned by a stone bridge supporting a plinth for wedding ceremonies, the pool has fallen to ruins and the water has begun to form a marsh.
The Characters:
Olen (Zelma Elm) - An aspect of sacrifice, marked with tattoos, and bleeding black blood from a never-healing wound upon her forehead.
Yezibaba (Ken Breese) - An aspect of moonlight, she shifts in age with the phases of the moon.
Larysa (Richard Ruane) - An aspect of ghosts, semi-translucent, she is draped in an old fashioned shift and her lank damp black hair hangs down in front of her bone white face.
Eccha (John Holt) - An aspect of reflection,
Find Zelma on twitter @zforzelma and instagram @zforzelma and her website kelseyhercs.com for more information on her playwriting and performance work
Find Richard on google+ as Richard Ruane
Find John on twitter @LordJoho
Find Ken on twitter @Berlingsbeard
Follow us on twitter @boredghostworld
Our Bored Ghost theme comes from the amazing Pat Cupples, see his band website Hotels and Highways.
Bored Ghosts we hope you found some distraction from your eternity in the void this week!
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