Rules

The Faculty and Staff of Transylvania Polygnostic University, and the Department of Historionics and Temporal Dramatics would like to welcome you to this production of:

Agatha Heterodyne and the Perfect Construct

Before we begin, we would like to remind you of a few basic policies of TPU:

• Please remember that some of the visitors are not Faculty, Staff, or Students of the University, and may not be familiar with the study of Historionics. Please refrain from alarming them with your antics.

• The University has very strict codes of behavior regarding interaction between Students. Real physical violence will not be permitted during this production, and all security clanks have been tuned to very low tolerance for such behavior.

• The word of the Faculty shall be taken as University policy in all things, and will take precedence over any written materials you may encounter.

• If, at any time, you feel there is a matter of excessive import that must be dealt with, or you are simply not enjoying the production, for whatever reason, please speak to a member of the Faculty. We exist to instruct, guide, and insure your continued tuition payments, so your happiness is of utmost importance to us.

We would also like to remind you that today's production is a Heterodyne story. It is not THE Heterodyne Story. It may not be consistent with any other versions of the lives of those august personages you may have encountered in your studies. This should not surprise you, as it is well known that even Bill and Barry couldn't keep their own stories straight.

Please note also that this dramatic performance is semi-improvisational in nature, and as is so commonly the case, the comedic elements are largely intended to be improvised. Despite the sometimes dramatic subject matter, students are encouraged to add comedy as appropriate. No Heterodyne performance has ever been entirely serious. (At least, not since the infamous school production of The Bronze Weasel of Hamburg, and we all know how that turned out.)

Now, some basic instruction on some of the specific methodologies you may encounter in today's production...

Points

Each Character in this Heterodyne story has some number of Points. Points may be spent to power special abilities, the Spark, or to aid in combat. The number required will be noted in the rules or descriptions for the particular action. When you run out of Points, you are simply worn out, and no longer able to reach the heights of performance they represent.

Members of the Faculty may, at their discretion, award one or more extra Style Points for conduct that exemplifies deep understanding of Historionics and Temporal Dramatics. But don't count on it, for the Faculty does not grade on a curve...

Combat

Heterodyne stories are laden with passionate conflict. On occasion, characters are so full of passion that they will release it in a violent manner – typically by braining someone with a pneumatic spanner or other handy object.

To initiate a combat, indicate the person you wish to brain with a spanner or other handy object and clearly say “Combat!”

To resolve a round of Combat, each character will:

• Roll 1 six-sided die
• Add the result to their listed Combat Value
• Add or subtract any bonus(es) they have from an applicable Special Ability or Equipment (see below).
• For particularly dramatic combat actions, you may be required to spend a Point. In addition to your dramatics, you will gain a +3 modifier on your roll. You may do this at most twice during the game.

The two characters then compare values. The character with the highest result wins the round.

• If you win by 1 or 2, your opponent is at -1 on all rolls for the rest of the fight, and a few minutes after.
• If you win by 3 or 4, your opponent is at -2 on all rolls until they receive medical attention.
• If you win by 5 or more, your opponent is rendered unconscious or otherwise subdued or helpless.

If you are attacked in a round and cannot defend yourself (for instance, if you are already in combat with someone else), you automatically dodge a bit but get hit for minor damage – you get -1 on all rolls for the remainder of all current fights. If this happens four times in a fight (or collection of overlapping fights), you are automatically subdued.

Once you have determined the result, roleplay that round of combat appropriately. This is a theatrical production, after all, and everyone wants to see the process, not merely the result.

At the end of any round of combat, any character may announce a Free Escape. You may not re-initiate combat with them for 10 minutes.

You will notice that while well brained with a spanner or other handy object, your opponent is not dead. Your victim is at your mercy – you may drag them off, tie them up, bring 'em to your boss, toss them in a deathtrap, leave them for dead someplace where no one will find them, or whatever. But completely dispatching them to the netherworld requires a bit more work.

In such moments of passion, it is well known that those in a Heterodyne story will gloat, rant, or otherwise commit soliloquies before killing an unconscious foe. You must do so, with vigor. Yes, this will ruin all hope of secrecy, and give others nearby the chance to intervene before you strike your final blow. We are sorry for the inconvenience, and the disturbance to your nefarious schemes. Such are the vicissitudes of Historionics.

Note: There is no “group combat”, “ganging up” or the like. All combats are one-on-one, unless a Special Ability or a member of the Faculty says otherwise.

Equipment

• Guns: May be used at range. Roll a d10 instead of a d6. If a d10 is not available, roll a d6 and add 2 to the roll.
• Spark Equipment: Combat gear made by Sparks can have varying effects which may include, but are not limited to: flat bonuses, special actions, contingency envelopes, a different die type, or a Faculty Member accompanying the student and trying not to giggle.

Recovery: A character may shake off a -1 in a few minutes. Anything worse requires medical attention or a special ability to aid recovery. That is, if you survived at all...

 

The Spark

Sparks and their creations are at the heart of Heterodyne stories. Those characters with the Spark may spend Points to create... creations during the story. You may spend more Points to create more impressive effects: one Point may get you an Intelligent Toaster, and 3 may enable you to build the Giant Rampaging Chicken Clank of Doom. Creations of greater than 3 Points generally cannot be completed before the end of the Story. But it takes more than Points...

• There will be a variety of construction materials within the area. You must construct some sort of representation of your intended result. Extra Style Points may be awarded for constructions that amuse the Faculty.

• The creation of mighty works is not quick: you should spend an amount of time on the process reasonably proportional to the scale and utility of the device you are inventing. A Hamster-Powered Waffle Iron might take only two minutes, but a Stone-Boring Three-Headed Squirrel would take at least ten.

• Sparks are known for their intensity during the creation process. They are known to espouse the quality of their designs, plans, and generally rant while building. Do so, vigorously. The better your rant, the more impressive your results will be.

• Sparks may have a special talent for a particular kind of work. While any Spark can work on almost any invention, those within the scope of their talent will be more impressive.

• Lab Assistants may also aid the creation process, so long as they are actually assisting and following the Spark's directions. If the Lab Assistant is also a Spark, or an experienced non-Spark Lab Assistant, he or she may also contribute Points to the invention, but rarely on a one-for-one basis. Most Sparks work alone.

Take your Construction, Rant, Points, Assistant, and applicable Talent to a member of the Faculty. They will inform you of what happens. Please note that the Spark is... an inconsistent thing. Inventions often do not operate exactly as intended.

The Castle

There is a castle that may be explored. Here's how:

Go to the first Castle area – there you will find many envelopes with pictures of doors. Pick a door. Within the envelope will be a basic description of the room. If you wish to look more closely, take the envelope labeled “Explore” into the second Castle area. Open the envelope, and read the directions within. If the Explore envelope calls for it, or you wish to interact with a room beyond the scope of the envelope, you will need a member of the Faculty to assist you.

When you are done Exploring, please return the Exploration envelope to its door.