Versus Nature
Adaptation of the role playing game Shooting the Moon, by Emily Care Boss.
Part of the Romance Trilogy Hacks & Mods publication.
Versus Nature pits two Seekers against the majesty and mortal danger of the natural world. Racing to be the first to scale a suicidal peak. A quest through the underdeep of urban ruins after the fall of an ancient or future civilization. A chase across fen mire and pool.
A trek, a climb, a journey across a pock-marked frozen karst.
A desperate race to bring a message to the front lines in time.
Searching ancestral land for the mortal cure.
Instead of a Beloved and two Suitors, you represent Nature and two Seekers crossing the face of the land. Additional players may take roles of others such as a Guide, Companions, Traces of People who inhabit the land, and signs of Death itself that haunt the Seekers.
Some stories with a similar struggle and tone:
“Old Man and the Sea” (short story by Ernest Hemingway)
Track of the Cat (novel by Walter Van Tilburg Clark)
Into Thin Air (autobiographical novel by Jon Krakauer)
“To Build a Fire”, or “Race for Number Three” (short story by Jack London)
Gravity (film directed by Alfonso Cuarón)
The Wolf Border (novel by Sarah Hall)
This is an opportunity to examine what individuals do under life-threatening stress, as well as to revel in the callous beauty of the natural world.
Setup
Begin by choosing a type of Terrain the contest will cover.
Terrain:
Mountain — steep trails through dark forest give way to rocky crags and cold, unforgiving ice and snow at the peak.
Ocean — traversing the rolling deep, through storm, reef and becalmed sea
Air — racing across the ocean of air, battered by icy rain, baffled by fog and re-fueling mid-air
Caves — darkness and the weight of all the earth above you, endless, chaining chambers pillared with ice or salt
River — serpentine, ever-changing channel flowing over tumbled stone, fallen trunk and waterfall plunge
Forest — twining shadows, green-leaved deliverance, sun-dappled home and den of claw and fang
Glacier — cold, harsh icy face of the world, stony and frozen karst tunnels, crevasse and brutal sheer face to climb
Tundra — rocky, frozen home to endless caribou herd, howling wind and white-furred wolf, sloggy marsh in sudden spring
Arctic — broken landscape, scrambling across icebergs to avoid the icy plunge, evading greedy predators of land and sea
Swamps — sweltering climes, befogged by biting insects and dazzled by a threnody of color, life and swift death
Desert — dry, grinding heat by day and core-destroying cold by night, pricked and tested by an unforgiving land
Attributes
Omit Opportunity, Obstacle and Dream.
Nature gives and takes uncaring of human hopes and desires. It is as you find it, and as you make it.
Choose six attributes which characterize the natural feature the Seekers will venture across.
Example:
Mountain: Tall, Snowy, Treacherous, Full of Animals, Beautiful, Unexplored
Instead of Antonyms & Synonyms, give Seekers traits that are Strong or Weak with relation to the Nature attributes.
Example:
Tall: powerful climber/afraid of heights
Full of Animals: great tracker/wounded by wolves
Unexplored: sees in the dark/lost compass
Modify the Traits as in the base game.
For The Prize, choose what it is that the Seekers compete for.
Examples:
The title of first to conquer the unconquerable
A coveted research position in the University
A purse of thousands of dollars offered by popular Energy Drink company Silver Dog.
In Play:
Seeker Turns
The player of Nature describes the setting. Guide, if present, will add details.
The Seeker, and Companion if present, describe the Seeker’s camp or progress upon the trail.
Free Play ensues, with the Seeker and company describing their interaction with the land, and Nature responding with details about what is seen, heard and felt.
The Opponent introduces a Hurdle. Nature describes how the peril manifests itself.
Seeker’s party provides Responses (see below for how haveing additional players modifies this process)
Nature and Opponent work together to provide a Suggestion to the Seeker and their party.
Adding Traits: If Opponent wins, they add trait to Nature and to the Seeker. Nature adds Trait to other with Seeker (if any). If Seeker wins, players in that party add Trait to their own self, and Nature adds another Trait.
Nature Turns
Assign Level 1 to first Nature Turn, 2 to second, and 3 to Third.
Nature describes setting and Obstacle according to Level description in base game.
Each Seeker or party makes Three Responses.
Use this menu of options for Responses:
DICE GAINED:
2 dice = Response involves own Seeker’s Trait, Trait of Nature, Companion, Guide or People
3 dice = Response involves own Seeker’s Trait and a related new complicating Trait is added to their character sheet
3 dice = Response involves Companion or Guide’s Trait (from your Seeker’s party) and a related new complicating Trait is added to their character sheet
3 dice = Response involves creating complication for the other Seeker and is approved by Nature’s Player
3 dice = Response involves Bonding between Suitor and Companion
4 dice = Response involves Unrelated Trait for Guide or Companion in your Seeker’s party
4 dice = Response involves Seeker letting down, disappointing or betraying a Guide or Seeker
4 dice = Accept a suggestion given by the other Seeker’s player or Nature. Add related trait chosen by them.
4 dice = Accept a vision of death by the Seeker given by Death’s player. Add a related trait chosen by them.
4 dice = Accept a description of how others how live in this landscape or use this land aid or hinder the Seeker.
5 dice = Sacrifice: Trait or Attribute is crossed off Seeker’s sheet and replaced with one that substantially changes character as agreed to by all players (eg best friend turns to bitter ally, jaded character becomes touched by wonder, magic sword becomes inhabited by wild demon, etc.) One Sacrifice per turn per Suitor Player. Nature’s Traits may not be Sacrificed.
6 dice = Die. Third Nature’s turn only. If Guide or Companion in party. Seeker, Guide or Companion sacrifices their life to allow the party to move forward.
7 dice = Nature’s price. Third Nature’s turn only. If Guide or Companion in party. Nature describes how land or gear takes the life of one member of the party. Nature chooses, unless Death is in play in which case Death chooses and incorporates Symbol into events of the death.
Additional players
Guides — contribute toward exploration and finding the way
One or two players take the role of Guides for the Seekers. One who lends their knowledge to the seeker. A Seeker my have a Guide or Companion, but not both.
Creating a Guide:
When creating the Seekers, do not Modify their Traits.
After creation of Nature and the Seekers, think on who lives in this land, knows it deeply and well.
Choose two of Nature’s Attributes. They may be ones that were used for the creation of the Seekers.
Taking turns, all players create Related Traits that pertain to the attributes of Nature. Make these specific and personal details from a person’s life. Use this as an opportunity to flesh out the place and setting. As with the Antonyms and Synonyms, the Traits contrast. One provides advantage, the other a drawback.
Create two Unrelated Traits that reflect the Guide’s personal interests or background.
Then, discuss and choose a Reward. The compensation they will receive for guiding the Seeker.
Also, choose a Hope, something the journey help them achieve.
For example:
Related Traits:
Tall — grew up in the shadow of the mountain/nearly fell from Cougar Peak
Unexplored — knows a litany of tales warning one off the Iron Face/got lost and wandered into terrifying place on mountain as a child
Unrelated Traits
Personal Interest: studying to guide environmental conservation
Background: Family lost their ownership of this land long ago.
Reward: A portion of the purse offered for climbing the mountain first.
Hope: First hand knowledge of the mountain for history and future legacy
In play:
During Seeker Turns, the Guide adds details to the description given by the Opponent.
Their character is present with the Seeker. Participate in Free Play.
When Seeker is making Responses with a Guide in play, gain dice for the following instead of the that described in Versus Nature:
Seekers Trait (first time) — 3 dice
Seekers Trait (second or more times) — 2 dice
Guide’s Contribution (first or second time) — 3 dice
Guide’s Contribution (third time) — 2 dice
The Guide’s Contribution is to describe some aspect of the land or take some timely action that can help the party overcome the Hurdle.
Companions — contribute toward morale and good humor
One or two people take the role of Companions for the Seeker. One who keeps the Seeker’s spirits up and gives them the strength to carry on. A Seeker may have a Guide or Companion, but not both.
Creating a Companion:
When creating the Seekers, do not Modify their Traits.
After Creation of Nature and the Seekers, think on who the Seeker or Seekers know well and depend on.
For each Seeker who will have a Companion, choose two Traits spun off from Nature’s Attributes — one that is Strong, one that is Weak. Create Traits for the Companion based on them.
Take this pair, and create two Traits for the Companion that intensify the effect of the Seeker’s Traits.
Create two Unrelated Traits that provide traits and skills for leisure, healing or service.
Then, choose a Reason. What makes them support and aid the Seeker.
Also, choose a Prospect. Something promising for them to pursue on their own if they return from this journey.
For Example:
Related Traits
Powerful Climber — bouldering companion
Wounded by wolves — lost her rifle in attack by wolves
Unrelated Traits
Leisure: plays the violin
Healing: was a medic in the war
Reason: owe their life to the Seeker
Prospect: offer of fellowship at South American medical research university
In play:
During Seeker Turns, the Companion adds details to the description of camp and the Seeker’s travels as given by the Seeker.
Their character is present with the Seeker. Participate in Free Play.
When Seeker is making Responses with a Companion in play, gain dice for the following instead of the that described in Versus Nature:
Seekers Trait (first time) — 3 dice
Seekers Trait (second or more times) — 2 dice
Companion’s Contribution (first time) — 3 dice
Companion’s Contribution (second or third time) — 2 dice
Bonding (once only) — 3 dice
The Companion’s Contribution is to describe some action taken by the Companion that can supports the Seeker in mind, body or spirit.
Bonding is shared description by Seeker and Companion showing the trust and reliance between them.
People — add aspects of journey that show evidence of human habitation, presently or past, and interaction with inhabitants along the way.
One person may represent human communities and their presence on the land.
During character creation.
Past: describe a group or community who has built, made trails, lived or harvested from this landscape
Present: describe community, group or groups of people who comes to this landscape now. If it is the same as the group from the Past, what has changed for them. Are the Seeker, Companion or Guide members of this Present group?
During Seeker Turns:
Work with Nature and Death to describe the location for each scene. Describe evidence of past or present human habitation. May add character of the Present to the scene.
May offer Suggestion for Second Pool involving Past or Present that hinders Seeker and adds Trait to Nature that reflects presence of Past or Present group.
During Nature Turns:
Trait — Seeker gains 2 Dice when they involve some artifact or character portrayed by People
Disappoint — Seeker gains 3 Dice when they let down, destroy or betray evidence of or character of People. People player adds Trait to Seeker.
Flashback — Describe a flashback that shows how others use the land crossed by the Seekers and that provides aid or obstacle to the Seeker who requested the Flashback. Whether it aids or Hinders is chosen by the People player. Add Trait to Nature.
Death — a glimpse and foreshadowing of death that stalks the Seekers
One person may play the role of the specter of death, looming over all who seek to test Nature.
During character creation.
Symbol: Choose an image that will become a recurring motif. Choose something with a haunting aspect that could be expected to be found in this Terrain Type.
Example:
Mountain — the prints of a cougar
Ocean — shrieking cry of a great silver gull
Air — a plume of smoke
Caves — a glistening stalagmite
Death needs no traits and is not embodied by a character in the events of play. However, Death may add things during anyone’s turn, images, visions, allusions, dangers
During each Round (Two Seeker Turns followed by Nature’s Turn), have the symbol figure prominently at least once.
During Seeker Turns:
Death consults with Nature and People to create the description of the location of each Scene. The Symbol may be present, or some other element reminiscent of or related to it. Or describe other elements of the setting. Offer suggestions that evoke the emotions of fear, confusion or madness. Offer elements that sap the Seeker and their party’s morale, resolve and will to go on.
Example:
Seeker 1 Scene. Nature describes a tent shelter strapped to a narrow ledge on the cliff face.
Death describes the sound of cougar’s cry sounding strangely near.
Offer a suggestion of some danger or work with Nature to offer a suggestion during the Second Pool. Things offered may include optical illusions, dreams or nightmares, strange hallucinatory images, or moments of strong emotional conviction for one member of the Seeker’s party. Add a Trait as usual if the Suggestion is accepted, or work with Nature if it is their Suggestion.
Example:
The Seeker and Companion have given their three responses to the great wind that shook their tent and sent their pots falling to the base of the cliff. Death suggests that all night the Companion dreams that he falls down, down, down…
During Nature’s Turn.
Vision of Death — if requested, have the Symbol appear in full evidence, appearing at the moment of death, or posing a threat to the Seeker or party member.
Nature’s Price — if chosen by a party, choose whom Death will claim. Incorporate Symbol into this death.
Ending the Game
Outcomes
After the third Nature’s Turns, determine the outcome of the game by rolling all dice garnered by each side. Roll as in the base game. Surviving Seekers and Nature roll. If a Seeker has died, their Companion or Guide rolls instead.
If Nature wins, they narrate how the land defeats both Seekers, neither of whom gains the Prize.
If a Seeker wins, they narrate how their party gains the Prize.
If a Companion or Guide wins, they narrate how they gain the Prize and begin the Epilogue round with a story of their character accomplishing something that relates to their Unrelated or Related traits.
Ties:
If Nature and a Seeker tie, the Seeker narrates how they gain the Prize, and together the Seeker and Nature describe how this the Seeker comes to have a life long relationship with this landscape.
If two Seekers tie, they describe how they work together to jointly win the Prize.
If a Seeker ties with a Companion or Guide, they describe how the Companion or Guide makes a crucial contribution that allows them and the Seeker’s party to jointly win the Prize.
If a Companion or Guide ties with another Companion or Guide, they may choose to abandon the quest, and each narrates how they accomplish something connected to one of their Related or Unrelated Traits.
If there is a three way tie, a disaster occurs and Past or Present people come to the rescue of all. This may be through present action, or artifacts left behind that save the day.
Epilogues
After the Outcomes are determined and narrated, each player gives an Epilogue. Death, if in play, always goes last. Nature goes last, or second to last if Death is in play. All else go in any order.
For surviving Seekers, Companions and Guides, describe something they do when they go back to their lives.
For non-surviving Seekers, Companions and Guides, describe someone remembering them.
For People, describe how the events of play affect the lives of those who live there, how someone changes some trace of the events of the story, or describe some detail of what is left behind on the land that was unseen by the Seekers.
For Nature, describe the land and some vignette of its rhythms going on.
For Death, Describe the Symbol one last time, appearing in or near what Nature described.
