A game of passion, madness and horror in La Belle Epoque Paris
Paris, 1895
The King in Yellow is a theatre play – a dangerous, Decadent work of literary art with truths so profound it threatens to drive the reader insane. As the text spreads through the cultural elite in Belle Epoque Paris, it leaves sedition, madness and chaos in its wake.
Players are art students from all over the world, converging in Paris – the Center of the World – to practice their craft and find inspiration. But new ideas are dangerous, and may end the world as we know it.
Most players take on the role as unknown Art Students, struggling artists trying to find some inspiration in a world of mundane ugliness. These Art Students do not start the game belonging to any particular faction. Instead, it will be up to them to choose how great risks they choose to take in their quest for greatness. Each Art Student wins or loses the game individually, and not as a group. Sacrificing yourself for the good of your faction is not an option - only your own survival is important.
Aside from the Art Students, three peculiar individuals, able to shift the flow of destiny, take the stage. This is the Muse, who inspire those she has chosen to greatness but is the downfall of Empires, the Alienist, whose ceaseless hunt for mental aberration conflicts directly with those who seek deeper truths, and the recently released asylum patient Hildred Castaigne, a dangerous lunatic hell-bent on realizing his destiny as the Emperor of America.
Mechanics
At the center of this game is the strange theatre play known as "The King in Yellow". It appeared out of nowhere a few months ago and the effects of those who claim to have read it is madness, passion, despair and wild inspiration. Copies of this book will start to circulate among the players, but it is ultimately up to each player if they want to risk reading this dangerous text, or if they'd rather try to find inspiration in the arms of their many lovers, which carries a risk of its own.
Receiving the Play from another player does not reveal the identity of the player who gifted the copy.
Having a copy of the Play stolen from you does not reval the identity of the thief.
Stealing Plays takes place before Destroying Plays at Night. If a Play is targeted for both Stealing and Destruction on the same Night, it is Stolen and not Destroyed. If several thieves target the same player but the target does not have enough Copies to go around, Copies are distributed randomly among the thieves.
All players are individually either Sane or Insane. Some roles even start Insane. Once you go Insane, you can’t come back to Sanity – but you can still win the game while Insane if you manage to stay away from the Asylum.
Additionally, Art Students may be Inspired or Uninspired. Art Students start the game Sane, and Uninspired.
The game starts with Night. The game ends when all copies of the Play are destroyed, or when all Art Students are Insane, Murdered or Committed to an Asylum.
Committed players have all their Copies of the Play destroyed, if they still hold any.
Committed players cannot hold Copies of the Play. Committed players cannot be given Copies of the Play.
Murdered players cannot be given Copies of the Play.
If a player is Committed to the Asylum or Murdered, their Role is revealed to all players.
Day
As madness begins to spread throughout Paris and rumors of a dangerous book called “The King in Yellow” reach the authorities, the police begin a program of mass searches and detainments.
Each Day, players must vote to Search a players’ home, using the “accuse” tag. When a majority is reached, all copies of the Play that the accused player owns are destroyed. If the player had a copy of the play in his possession, he is additionally revealed to be either Sane or Insane. If the player is revealed to be Insane, he is Committed to the Asylum and removed from the game.
Night
The following actions are available to each role during the Night. There is no time limit to the Night, but players wishing to forfeit actions marked as Optional must message the Moderator that they wish to do so.
Art Student without the Play: Will you Steal or Seduce? (Optional)
Sane Art Student with the Play: Will you Read or Destroy?
Insane Art Student with the Play: Who will recieve a copy of the Play?
Muse: Will you Write someone? (Optional)
Muse with at least two Lovers: Will you drive a Lover insane? (Optional)
Alienist: Will you Analyze someone? (Optional)
Hildred Castaigne: Will you a copy the Play to someone, or will you Murder someone? (Optional)
Dawn
Public:
Was someone Murdered?
Was someone Committed to the Asylum?
How many Sane Art Students remain?
How many Copies of the Play are in circulation?
Added: Each Dawn, show a tally of the number of Copies of the Play currently in circulation.
Private:
Have you become Insane from Reading the Play?
Have you become Inspired from Reading the Play?
Did you receive copies of the Play?
Did you lose copies of the Play?
Did you receive a letter from the Muse?
Have you become Inspired by seducing the Muse?
Were you driven insane by the Muse?
(Muse) Did you drive your Lover insane?
(Alienist) Have you destroyed copies of the Play?
(Alienist) What did your Analysis reveal?
(Hildred Castaigne) Did you Murder someone?
Last edited by Lagom Lite on Sat Nov 11, 2023 7:06 pm, edited 8 times in total.
But you've seen who's in heaven
Is there anyone in hell?
"Lagom you are a smooth tongued devil, and an opportunistic monster" - OOWW Game Club
Art Students (5)
You are a struggling artist, trying to make it in the big world. You seek recognition and fame, to be hailed as a creative genius, your vision unparallelled and your skill unmatched.
Win condition
Art Students start the game Uninspired. To win, you must both become Inspired, survive any plots to Murder you and keep out of the Asylum by the time the game ends. If you are Committed to the Asylum or Murdered, you lose the game. If the game ends when you are still Uninspired, you lose the game.
Please note that Art Students always win individually, and not as a group. It is very likely for some Art Students to win the game, and for other Art Students to lose the game.
The only way to become Inspired is to procure and Read a copy of the Play, or to successfully Seduce the Muse.
Sanity
Art Students start the game Sane.
Night Actions
Each Night, each Art Student who is NOT in possession of a copy of the Play MAY choose one of the following actions:
- SEDUCE THE MUSE
The player targets another player with the phrase “Seduce (player name)”. If the player they target is indeed the Muse, they become Inspired and a Lover to the Muse.
- STEAL THE PLAY
The player targets another player with the phrase “Steal from (player name)”. If the player they target owns one or more copies of the Play, he loses one of them and the stealing player gains one.
Each Night, SANE Art Students who ARE in possession of a copy of the Play MUST choose from the following:
- READ THE PLAY, or:
- DESTROY THE PLAY.
Reading the Play renders the player Insane, but also Inspired.
Destroying the Play removes all copies of the Play from their inventory.
Each Night, INSANE Art Students in possession of a copy of the Play MUST:
- COPY THE PLAY, creating a new copy and giving it to another player of their choice.
The Muse (1)
A modern-day Helen of Troy, the Muse is a woman of great beauty, capable of toppling Empires, stirring the very blackest hearts of Men and inspiring those around her to great deeds – as well as great evil.
Win condition
The Muse wins the game by having exactly ONE Lover at the end of the game. If the Muse has no Lover or more than one Lover, she instead loses the game.
The only way for the Muse to get rid of Lovers is to have them Committed to the Asylum or Murdered.
Sanity
The Muse is Sane.
The Muse may own copies of the Play, but she may never Read, Copy nor Destroy them.
Night Actions
Each Night, the Muse may choose to Write to any player by PM:ing a message to the Moderator and naming the recipient. The Moderator will then relay the message in a PM to the recieving player at dawn. The Muse is NOT allowed to directly PM players.
Each Night, if the Muse has at least two Lovers, she may choose to drive one of her Lovers Insane. The target will be notified that the Muse has driven him Insane.
Alienist (1)
In the 1800’s, psychoanalysis was still in its infancy and mental health institutions were barbaric and ineffectual. At government run asylums, professionals known as Alienists worked to determine whether someone was sound of mind or not. Methods for treatment of mental illness were cruel and experimental, resembling torture more than therapy.
Win condition
The Alienist wins if all Insane Art Students are Murdered or Committed to the Asylum when the game ends.
Sanity
The Alienist is Insane.
Night Actions
Each Night, the Alienist may choose to Analyze a player to determine whether they are Sane or Insane. An Analyzed player who reads as Insane is also immediately Committed to the Asylum.
The Alienist may be sent copies of the Play and will keep them for one Day, but he may never Read or Copy them. Additionally, all copies of the Play in the Alienists possession are destroyed the following Night.
Hildred Castaigne (1)
Released from the Asylum and given a clean bill of health, Hildred Castaigne has been promised power and glory as the new Emperor of Imperial America by pledging his undying support for the King in Yellow. He is not insane, regardless of what his idiot brother claims, and his crown is made of glorious gold and wondrous jewels, certainly not papier-maché colored with cheap golden paint. He must gather his followers, find a ship and sail westward!
Win condition
Hildred Castaigne wins if at least one Art Student is Insane and not Murdered or Committed at the end of the game – he will break Hildred out from the Asylum if need be and help him gather his Great Navy.
Sanity
Hildred Castaigne is utterly Insane, but shows as Sane for the Alienist’s scan. He’s been given a clean bill of health, after all.
Night Actions
Hildred Castaigne owns a copy of the Play at the start of the game, but may not Read or Destroy the Play.
Each Night, if he owns a copy of the Play, Hildred Castaigne may create a copy of the Play and give it to another player of his choice.
Each Night, Hildred Castaigne may INSTEAD choose a player to Murder. Murdered players are removed from the game just as if they were Committed to the Asylum. If he Murders a player owning a copy of the Play, he steals all copies of the Play that player had in his possession. He will never kill a woman, however – that is beneath his Imperial dignity. Should he happen to target the Muse, he learns her identity and the Murder fails. If she owns any copies of the Play she keeps them.
Last edited by Lagom Lite on Wed Nov 01, 2023 12:48 pm, edited 6 times in total.
But you've seen who's in heaven
Is there anyone in hell?
"Lagom you are a smooth tongued devil, and an opportunistic monster" - OOWW Game Club
"The world is suffering more today from the good people who want to mind other men's business than it is from the bad people who are willing to let everybody look after their own individual affairs." - Clarence Darrow
Im still trying to figure out the rules but thats more of a me issue than a game issue.
One thing i would like is if day and night rounds had a fixed timeframe and not a first to 4 votes kind of thing.
Besides helping the people that work. I was having a bad day and had to lay down for several hours and then woke up dead. No idea if i could have talked my way back from death or not but i would have liked to at least try.
Obviously if the majority of people think I'm nuts i have no problem with not changing this.
Finished going over tules. They are even more complicated then our current game so i will probably screw up and be out of the game early. Im still in because I can still try learning through failure. Will probably have a ton more questions after the game starts.
Punisher wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 5:59 pm
Im still trying to figure out the rules but thats more of a me issue than a game issue.
One thing i would like is if day and night rounds had a fixed timeframe and not a first to 4 votes kind of thing.
Besides helping the people that work. I was having a bad day and had to lay down for several hours and then woke up dead. No idea if i could have talked my way back from death or not but i would have liked to at least try.
Obviously if the majority of people think I'm nuts i have no problem with not changing this.
I think the last game we played (Fight for the Future) was extraordinarily fast-paced, but not because of lynches happening when a majority was reached but because of how the faction roles were set up. Most games don't rush by that quickly, in fact on these forums the problem has often been the inverse. That's why we started with time limits iirc.
This ruleset should be considerably slower. Everyone should have plenty of time and majority votes during the Day are much less dramatic.
But you've seen who's in heaven
Is there anyone in hell?
"Lagom you are a smooth tongued devil, and an opportunistic monster" - OOWW Game Club
Punisher wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 6:45 pm
Question about day home search.
What if the accused house is search and they don't have any copies in their possession?
In that case, the nice policemen mumble an apology and leave that player alone.
(Nothing happens, the game proceeds into Night).
To be clear, in order for the Lynch to actually kill someone, the target has to:
- Own a copy of the Play, AND
- Be Insane
Therefore, it should take a few days (probably) for the lynches to start "killing" players.
But you've seen who's in heaven
Is there anyone in hell?
"Lagom you are a smooth tongued devil, and an opportunistic monster" - OOWW Game Club
Punisher wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 7:04 pm
Finished going over tules. They are even more complicated then our current game so i will probably screw up and be out of the game early. Im still in because I can still try learning through failure. Will probably have a ton more questions after the game starts.
Figuring out how to play the game IS the game - that's how I like to think of it anyway.
You'll be fine, just focus on your role and your win condition. This ww game is less about traditional "gotcha wolf" werewolf mechanics and more about emergent narrative and personal horror.
Like I said, it's experimental. It's very possible that I will end up having more fun than the players.
But you've seen who's in heaven
Is there anyone in hell?
"Lagom you are a smooth tongued devil, and an opportunistic monster" - OOWW Game Club
Btw, if anyone is curious about the lore and world-building: This setting is based on Robert W Chambers King in Yellow short stories from the late 1800's and NOT on HP Lovecraft's later takes on the character. The youtube channel Tale Foundry has a few really good videos on the King in Yellow.
If you're into Tabletop RPGs I'm about to start a campaign with my IRL friends using the "Yellow King RPG" from Pelgrane Press, which I also recommend if you're looking for a personal horror TTRPG that is rules-light, world building-heavy and weird as hell.
But you've seen who's in heaven
Is there anyone in hell?
"Lagom you are a smooth tongued devil, and an opportunistic monster" - OOWW Game Club
Lassr wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 9:06 am
Before someone asks, I'm out on this one. I have a cruise coming up and I'll be away from the internet for 10 days.
Lassr wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 9:06 am
Before someone asks, I'm out on this one. I have a cruise coming up and I'll be away from the internet for 10 days.
You know they do have satelite phones right? Am sure you can get something so you can check in nightly between the buffet hits and the karaoke serenading. Just being helpful is all. have a fantastic trip!
You could also cancel the cruise and stay on the internet.
Or get a REALLY long fiberoptic cable and tell the captain to stay nnear the sure.
Or purchase and lauch uou own satellite internet.
Or twice a day swim to sure and check in
The options are endless!
Lassr wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 9:06 am
Before someone asks, I'm out on this one. I have a cruise coming up and I'll be away from the internet for 10 days.
Sign up when you return.
And, sounds like fun. Where ya headed ?
Mexico 2 stops and Belize 2 stops
Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
For anyone interested, The King in Yellow (a collection of loosely-connected horror stories by Robert Chambers) is available for free online here. This original edition is in the public domain.
Chambers is said to be the best horror writer working after Poe and before Lovecraft. (He certainly indulges in HPL-style racism.)
I've just started reading the book. The first story (written in the 1890s) is set in a near-future 1920s, so of course now it reads like alternate history.
Holman wrote: ↑Sun Sep 17, 2023 3:22 pm
For anyone interested, The King in Yellow (a collection of loosely-connected horror stories by Robert Chambers) is available for free online here. This original edition is in the public domain.
Chambers is said to be the best horror writer working after Poe and before Lovecraft. (He certainly indulges in HPL-style racism.)
I've just started reading the book. The first story (written in the 1890s) is set in a near-future 1920s, so of course now it reads like alternate history.
Yes - the character of Hildred Castaigne figures in the short story The Repairer of Reputations. This game takes some inspiration from The Yellow Sign, too.
Chambers' stories are not really about Lovecraftian alien monsters coming to doom humanity. While the play and its influence might be alien in nature (although it's more likely a jab at the Decadent art movement of the late 1800's, which Chambers didn't like), the stories are more about people doing horrible things to each other, and struggling to find meaning. It's pretty telling that Chambers wrote these early in his career.
They're a pretty neat read if you're into Lovecraft but is looking for something else than tentacle monster gallery.
Fun fact: The "suicide booth" trope (featured for example in the first episodes of Futurama) is from one of these stories. I forget which one.
But you've seen who's in heaven
Is there anyone in hell?
"Lagom you are a smooth tongued devil, and an opportunistic monster" - OOWW Game Club
Holman wrote: ↑Sun Sep 17, 2023 3:22 pm
For anyone interested, The King in Yellow (a collection of loosely-connected horror stories by Robert Chambers) is available for free online here. This original edition is in the public domain.
Chambers is said to be the best horror writer working after Poe and before Lovecraft. (He certainly indulges in HPL-style racism.)
I've just started reading the book. The first story (written in the 1890s) is set in a near-future 1920s, so of course now it reads like alternate history.
We need at least two more players (8 total bare minimum) before we can run this. If anyone wants to try to recruit a friend or whatever, now is the time.
But you've seen who's in heaven
Is there anyone in hell?
"Lagom you are a smooth tongued devil, and an opportunistic monster" - OOWW Game Club
Lagom Lite wrote: ↑Sun Sep 17, 2023 3:55 pm
Fun fact: The "suicide booth" trope (featured for example in the first episodes of Futurama) is from one of these stories. I forget which one.
It's in the first story. But I always figured Futurama was drawing on Soylent Green there.
"The world is suffering more today from the good people who want to mind other men's business than it is from the bad people who are willing to let everybody look after their own individual affairs." - Clarence Darrow
Ok, I am really reading the rules now and .... there really is alot here and it seems absolutely bloodthirsty.
One question about timing. If a player has a copy of the play at night and chooses to read/destroy it/them and another player tries to steal the play from them which comes first? The theft and then they player read/destroy order is cancelled OR lets say the player destroys the play then does the steal player not get the play?
)
