10/14/14
NOTE: Please use the following links for the most up-to-date information regarding Night Shift rules; the first link is a completed list of Basic Moves, the second a mostly finished Chargen/Character Sheet.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jM-rxlmwV6agBi5Va_uiORAoNGAu81Hi8LclfX5RMBg/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14pY6OlocZaYNczxyIkHid8mKJKWTrrK7TVdXpWIML50/edit
Welcome to the Night Shift
Minimum Wage, Maximum Weird
More specifically, welcome to the night shift of Stop ‘n Gas the only gas station on Route 51 to Nowhere. You will play as one of the employees in this strange work environment, trying to scrape together enough funds to move on with your life. Along the way, you’re going to need to remember to clean out the slushie machine, mop the walk-in fridge, and possibly perform an exorcism on whatever slumped through the door and is currently festering in the employee bathroom.
How To Play - Basic Rules
Night Shift World is based on the ‘Powered By The Apocalypse’ system, by Vincent Baker. It draws heavily from Dungeon World, another ‘Powered By The Apocalypse’ system.
Don’t get too attached to your character, as this is not a game about heroes or epic journeys of self-discovery. This is a game about trying to keep the bathroom clean because the toilet won’t stop overflowing with blood.
This is a rules light roleplaying system. The dice only come out when there is dramatic chance of failure, or uncertainty as to the outcome. In all other cases, common sense rules, arbitrated when necessary by the GM. Here GM means General Manager because that’s flavorful and I’m all about flavor.
When the game calls for a roll, it can be resolved in the following manner; 2d6+Attribute. Generally speaking, a 10 or above is an unqualified success. On a 7-9, it is a partial success, or success with a cost. On a 6 or below, it is a failure.
Some important terms shamelessly ripped from Dungeon World;
ongoing means that a given penalty or bonus applies for each roll, persisting until the GM says otherwise.
forward means that a given penalty or bonus applies only for the next applicable roll
hold means you’ve been given a generic currency to spend; anytime something says ‘take X hold’, it will also outline how you can spend those holds.
Playbooks
Assistant Manager
To-Do List - at the end of a shift, mark off one task completed (you may only mark off one task, even if you completed multiple tasks that shift). When you mark off a To-Do task, take +1 Paycheck.
- Any employee blames you for something they did
- All other employees marked off a To-Do task
- No other employees marked off a To-Do task
- You did not leave the Back Office for the shift’s duration
- No other employee took a break (but you did)
- You blamed your screw-up on the Day Shift, and they believed you
- You spoke with Management and kept your job
- You fired someone for a good reason
- You fired someone for a bad reason
Stock Clerk
To-Do List - at the end of a shift, mark off one task completed (you may only mark off one task, even if you completed multiple tasks that shift). When you mark off a To-Do task, take +1 Paycheck.
- You smoked indoors
- You caught a quick nap in storage
- You drank, ate, or used an item you were supposed to stock
- You didn’t lift a single box this shift
- You spent more than half the shift in storage
- You didn’t have to interact with a single customer
- You actually completed your inventory
- You spent an entire shift without ever going into storage
Gas Attendant
To-Do List - at the end of a shift, mark off one task completed (you may only mark off one task, even if you completed multiple tasks that shift). When you mark off a To-Do task, take +1 Paycheck.
- You fixed something broken, and no one thanked you for it
- You broke something that needed breaking
- You finished a whole pack of cigarettes in one shift
- You pumped a patron’s gas
- You didn’t touch the gas pumps once this shift
- You smoked next to the gas pumps
- No one/nothing exploded this shift
- No one/nothing broke this shift
- You bragged about your car and someone was actually listening
Cashier
To-Do List - at the end of a shift, mark off one task completed (you may only mark off one task, even if you completed multiple tasks that shift). When you mark off a To-Do task, take +1 Paycheck.
- You spent a whole shift behind the register
- You never once stepped behind the register this shift
- You couldn’t help someone with something important because you needed to count the register’s cash
- You got the cash-count wrong.
- You got the cash-count right
- You didn’t turn in your W-2 form
- You sold a patron something they didn’t want
- You faked a different language when speaking with a patron
Trainee
To-Do List - at the end of a shift, mark off one task completed (you may only mark off one task, even if you completed multiple tasks that shift). When you mark off a To-Do task, take +1 Paycheck.
- You didn’t die this shift!
- No one taught you anything about your job this shift
- You did not die this shift.
- You were left alive at the end of this shift
Moves
These moves are rather specific examples of things the employees of the gas station will be doing. They’ll come up during play and so they needed codification. They should not be considered the complete list of things Attendants can do. It is largely the GM’s job to arbitrate and improvise moves; just keep in mind the standard roll+Attribute vs. 10/7-9/6 or less.
It should be noted that there are no specific combat Moves, and no representation or stats for hit points. The current design thinking is that the characters are normal people trying to make it in extraordinary situations. They are not trained fighters, and the focus of the game should not be on combat. Fighting the Threats will rarely work.
There is no hit point system, but instead a single Move (“The Secret Fate Of All Life”) for use when the threat of physical fatal injury is imminent. GM’s are encouraged to use it liberally.