Morpho Londinium: Rules
The game is about the eight guests at Lord Clayton Wyndham’s home in London just off the Strand. It is not very large but richly furnished and well stocked with amenities. Each of the guests is an exaggerated fictional character based on historical figures of the time, and each is identified with an insect. The game will primarily be conversation, but it will be thick with subtext since discussing insects is a subtext for talking about the characters themselves.
Your character is represented by up to three things:
- A set of two or three cards representing powers based on the character’s personality and the insect which symbolizes them.
- A single sheet of paper representing a potential secret: Treason, Crime, or Affair. These are the goals of the game, and there are three distributed randomly among the players at the start of the game (along with five blanks).
Other than the cards and secret, there are no game traits distinguishing the characters, so there is no need for individual character sheets per se. All character backgrounds should be open — i.e. all players can see the complete backgrounds for all characters, though obviously not the secrets once distributed. In addition, all players should have the following:
- A name tag. This should have your character name, the symbolic insect, and Intoxication Level.
- A supply of six Social Confidence points. This is the currency of the game, and may be lost through conflicts. These may be represented by six slips of colored paper, which are torn if the point is lost.
- A set of ten chits marked 1 through 1, which can be kept in a pocket. These are used to generate a random number from 1 to 1 in contests. You draw one chit from your pocket, and your opponent draws another chit randomly from their pocket. Sum the two drawn numbers, and numbers from 11 to 2 count as 1 to 1.
Powers are represented by the cards. To use a power, you simply hold up the card itself. In-character dialogue should immediately pause while you show the power card and explain its use. Powers will always succeed when used. The effect is explained on the card, along with a listed power level (see below). After any use, an opposing player may elect to spend a Social Confidence point to attempt to eliminate the power. The player must mention this immediately after you use the power. If the drawn sum is less than the level of the power, the power is eliminated. You should put the card away onto a central discard pile.
Intoxication Level is represented by 1 to 1 dots on your nametag. Each character begins at Intoxication 1. These can be easily self-reported, as level of intoxication is largely voluntary and is a trade-off of ambiguous advantage. Being more intoxicated insulates you from adverse social effects — both by being personally less sensitive to slights, and by having the excuse of being drunk for your behavior. However, it also makes it easier to interrogate you. Ideally, the host should have a several actually alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and rate them as in-game intoxication points. A full glass of wine should typically be two intoxication points, a smaller drink or beer as one.
Secrets are represented by sheets of paper handed out folded and/or in envelopes at the start of the game. There are three secrets: Treason, Crime, and Affair. One character has the secret. One other character (the “informer”) knows the secret, and wants it revealed but without it being known that they are the one who revealed it.
Intoxication is represented by dots on the nametag. These can be easily self-reported, as level of intoxication is largely voluntary and is a trade-off of ambiguous advantage. Being more intoxicated insulates you from adverse social effects — both by being personally less sensitive to slights, and by having the excuse of being drunk for your behavior.
Actions
Besides individual powers, there are four actions which you may attempt. Except for “Accuse”, these do not have any cost.
- Detect Lie: By holding up two fingers angled towards someone, you indicate that you are trying to detect if someone’s last statement (say three sentences) was a lie. Draw chits, and if the sum is less than or equal to the target’s intoxication level, the player must report what of that statement was a lie. There is no cost for this except that you cannot attempt to detect lie on the same person for 15 minutes following an attempt (successful or not).
- Snub: By making a pushing motion with the palm facing outwards towards another player, you may indicate an attempt to snub the character. Draw chits, and if the sum is greater than or equal to the target’s intoxication level, they are forced away. The player must move out of earshot of a quiet conversation (i.e. the other side of a large room) for at least five minutes.
- Insult: By making a chopping motion with your hand, you may indicate that the current dialogue is a forceful put-down or insult to the other party. Draw chits, and if the result is greater than the target’s intoxication level, they lose 1 Social Confidence point. Only one such attempt may be made on any given target within 15 minutes.
- Accuse: By touching or almost touching another player with a pointed index finger, you may indicate that you are accusing them of a particular secret. At the same time, you should also name who you think was the informer. If you are incorrect about the secret, then you lose two Social Confidence points. If you are correct about the secret but incorrect about the informer, then you get 4 points towards victory and the informer also gets 4 points. If you are also correct about both, then you get six points and the informer gets none.
Goals
At the end of the game, there are scores totalled. You get one victory point for each point of Social Confidence you have remaining. You also get either 4 or 6 points for successful accusations.
Tags: John Kim, Morpho Londinium
