Jason Morningstar

Dulse

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Dulse is a game about relationships, ideals, and the choices we make to preserve or destroy them.

In addition to being the name of the game, Dulse is also a character – one who is literally central. The events that inform play, and the other three characters, revolve around Dulse.

Across five life-changing events, you and your friends will explore the sacrifices and betrayals of four people who’ve known each other their entire lives, and who have deep-seated needs that they can’t fill alone. Along the way you’ll make hard choices between competing ideals, and have more choices
made for you. In the end, you will face an uncertain future guided only by a shared past.

IDEALS
Relationships in a game of Dulse are informed by, and changed by, a set of conflicting ideals.

The default conflict is between love and honor, but others are certainly possible and encouraged – this, more than anything, colors the game. Players will make decisions at the end of each event that are directly related to their appreciation of, and observations about, these ideals. In the context of the game, these two ideals are mutually exclusive.

Before play, place two sets of tokens somewhere easily accessible – in bowls, on the table, or whatever is practical. These should be divided into two easily-identifiable groups of twenty – use different colored beads or coins or playing cards. Each set represents one ideal – love or honor.

Xochitlcozamalotl

Wednesday, October 5th, 2005

Centzontotochtin, the Four Hundred Rabbits, are having a party, and many of the gods will attend. It is a time for celebration and subterfuge in equal parts. The four principal gods will seek new wives and new alliances.

Ronnies Note

Xochitlcozamalotl uses “cosmos” and “sphere” and does not include “fight” or “pain”. Sphere refers to the overlapping influence and authority of the four player character gods – each represents an elemental sphere. Cosmos refers to cosmos bipinnatus, Mexican aster, a daisy-like flower that grows in absurd abundance in the Valley of Mexico.

Dungeon Squad

Thursday, June 16th, 2005

Dungeon Squad is a role-playing game designed expressly for young players with short attention spans who demand action and fun. There is a lot of die rolling and some amusing shopping and number-crunching. Characters can be generated in 3 seconds.

The Governor’s Report Concerning the Doomed Assault on the Fire Moon

Friday, May 27th, 2005

The unmitigated disaster on the Fire Moon represents our single greatest defeat to date in the Tornado Nebula campaign. The public demands an accounting. At the Governor’s request we have assembled a Board of Inquiry, and we have called witnesses from the participating service branches, and we will get to the bottom of this matter. There may be praise, there may be heartbreak, but there will definitely be blame.

The Shab-al-Hiri Roach

Wednesday, May 25th, 2005

The Shab-al-Hiri Roach is a dark comedy of manners, lampooning academia and asking players to answer a difficult question – are you willing to swallow a soul-eating telepathic insect bent on destroying human civilization?

No?

Even if it will get you tenure?”