Description

Broken Hearts is a story roleplaying game set in Deadlands: The Weird West™. Two star-crossed spirits have started to haunt the town of Briar Gulch and it’s only a matter of time before they tear the town — and perhaps everyone in it — apart.

The spirits have brought a storm down upon Briar Gulch that threatens to level it. Every night the winds grow stronger and the town’s structures grow weaker. Signs are ripped off buildings, tombstones fall in Boot Hill, and grown men can barely walk down the tempest-tossed streets.

Where did these spirits come from? Do they have something to do with a pair of lovers who died there a year ago? Can they be laid to rest before the town is destroyed by their vengeful force?

The heroes who must survive the spirits’ rage are lightning-fast gunfighters, card-slinging hucksters, mad scientists, or even common townsfolk. And they’d best be quick—this storm threatens to break bones as well as hearts.

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Tall Tales is a narrative roleplaying game for three or more players. This zero-preparation game features enough structure to move the action along with plenty of room for creative and cooperative storytellers to spin rich and engaging yarns.

Tall Tales is based on the Protocol game series. Players take on the roles of directors outside the action and characters inside the action, using the ebb and flow of four different scene-framing styles to tell meaningful stories about characters in crisis: Vignettes, Interrogations, Interludes, and Ensembles. Each story explores unique player characters dealing with the adversity of the particular situation and their own personal issues in the best dramatic fashion.

Tall Tales requires a deck of cards (with Jokers) as well as tokens to track Drama Points and Grit. It presumes some understanding of GMless game protocol: scene-framing, shared authority, and so on. If you’ve never played a GMless game, try one of the GMZero games like Dying Memoryes, Forget-Me-Not, or Monogatari. There is also a free PDF online at drivethrurpg.com.

If you like this free look at the first Tall Tale, please check out our others.