Exquisite Polycule

About the adventure

This is a gmless game for telling a love story, or multiple intersecting love stories, between three or more characters, including non-monogamous relationships. Characters are created collaboratively, and their story is played out in a five-act structure while their relationships are tracked on a web.

Additional Details

How to prepare

• Zoom • Paper • A pencil and eraser • An imagination • Mutual respect • Snacks (optional)

What I provide

• Copy of Script Change safety tool • Exquisite Polycule experience • Google Doc for theater of the mind

Gameplay details

We decide together on a setting for your story, an age range for your characters, and any other preconceived ideas about the story you want to tell. In Zoom I will send you a Google Doc for character creation. During play when it is your turn, you will be asked to frame a scene involving your own character. This means deciding who else is in the scene, where you are, and what you are doing. During rounds two and four, you may choose to frame a scene in which your character is alone or only interacts with NPCs. In other rounds, at least one other player’s character must be present. Once you’ve framed the scene, it’s time to play it out through narration and dialogue. Any player involved in a scene may narrate. During a scene, it might be necessary to include a minor character besides those created at the beginning of the game. For example, if your characters meet at a library, a librarian might be present. These types of characters are called NPCs. Anyone may play an NPC during a scene as long as one of the people already involved in the scene has asked for the NPC to be included. If an NPC becomes recurring, the responsibility of playing them may change hands from scene to scene, or it might stay with one player for the entire game. If an NPC becomes romantically involved with one or more of the players’ characters, they are added to the Relationship Web. Over the course of the game, your characters will become romantically entangled. The purpose of the Relationship Web is to track those entanglements. You will start Round One with a blank Web. Whenever a relationship is established or changes, record it on the Web. A relationship on the Web looks like two names connected by a line or an arrow. If one character has unrequited feelings for another, draw an arrow between their names. If two characters are in a relationship, draw a line between them. You may also write down any relevant notes on the Web. Safety tools used are the January 2021 update of Script Change (https://thoughty.itch.io/script-change) and Content/Rating will be determined by players before character creation.

Content warnings

(none)

Safety tools used

(none)

How will character creation work

In Zoom I will send you a Google Doc for character creation. Each player chooses a different type of attribute that a character might have (name, gender, talent, job, species, vibe, etc.) and makes a 6 item/cell column of options for that attribute. For each item/cell on the list, write down two options (for example, under the gender attribute, a single item might be “genderpunk or catgirl.” Make sure your options are appropriate for the setting and age range your group has chosen. If you want an option to be available for multiple characters, you can repeat it on more than one line. The Google Doc will auto-roll your character options for you to choose. Once your choices are made write a few first-person sentences describing your character. This description could be a summary of the attributes, or contain some completely new information, your choice. INCLUDE in your description something that they WANT, and an OBSTACLE which stands in the way of this. Once everyone is satisfied with their characters, the story begins.

Players can expect

• Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.
• Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.
• If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.