Seth Mackling (UberJew)

8/9/2012

Setting and Character Creation

Overview

                Dis?Unity is a game about argument. In most situations in most of our lives we avoid real argument with each other. There’s etiquette, institutions and rules to govern our interactions at work, on the street, on the internet, casually chatting with acquaintances. Most of the time when something is important enough to warrant argument it’s just simpler for one party to force the others to agree. Dis?Unity is about situations where you can’t avoid it. Where force is unacceptable and ignoring each other is impossible.

                Dis?Unity is both a competitive and cooperative game. Each player has their own agenda and objectives but must to work together to avoid deadlock and mutual disaster.

A game of Dis?Unity begins with deciding on a setting for the game, then the players create their characters, choose their personal agendas and loyalties and ideally start to develop some prejudices against each other before the game even begins.

Example Setting: ‘Chimerica’

                Chimerica (a name originating in the PC game Hidden Agenda) is a fictional nation somewhere on earth that just suffered a violent revolution that deposed a tyrannical monarchy during the height of the Cold War. A revolutionary cabinet has been formed under the inspiring figurehead of the revolution made up of a collection of partisan politicians from the various factions involved in the revolution’s success. The PCs are those politicians. The President is not a PC; he is reliant on his advisors and their resources to put the country back together.

                The game uses a standard deck of playing cards (with jokers) and each suit is associated with one of the Factions responsible for the success of the revolution:

1) Labor (Spades): The factory workers, field hands, tenant farmers and cottage craftsmen and women who were the heart and hands of the revolution.

2) Military (Clubs): The police, security forces and military that turned against the old monarch once the revolution was in full force.

3) America (Diamonds): The revolution would have failed without American money and the capitalist west intends to recoup its investment.

4) The Soviet Union (Hearts): The revolution would have failed without Soviet arms and the communist east intends to recoup its investment.

                The course of the Chimerica game will see the players handle crises and disasters on the road towards free and open elections. Or rather, towards free and open elections that elect the individuals they consider to be the objectively best choice for the country.

                Themselves, for instance.

Chimerica Character Creation

                Each Character in Dis?Unity consists of 3 traits, 2 of which they determine themselves and 1 which will be assigned to them by another player. In the Chimerica playset the traits are as follows:

1) Background: Where did the character come from, what did they do before the revolution? Note it down as a short phrase (Labor Agitator, or Religious Firebrand) and discuss it with the other players for a bit to get a solid picture of their background together. Everybody needs to have a decent idea where you came from because actions during the game that your Background would provide you with familiarity or competence get a mechanical bonus (don’t worry, it’ll be described later!). Don’t forget that your character needs a name!

2) Political Party: This is where you choose your affiliation to one of the four factions (Labor, the Military, America and the Soviet Union) and pick a name and platform (you can be as concise or verbose as you’d like, the platform is mostly so you know what you’re going to be arguing for!) for your party. If multiple people want the same affiliation draw one card each, the high card gets it. Like the Background, the political party gives a mechanical bonus. It bears mentioning that any background can go with any party; a Labor Agitator whose loyalty is to the USA is an interesting roleplaying opportunity and not penalized in any way relative to one whose loyalty is with the People.

3) Cabinet Post: Starting with the person who picked affiliation last and going in reverse order each player assigns one of the Cabinet posts (the Ministries of Agriculture, Defense, Foreign Affairs, and the Treasury) to another player, represented the political horse trading between factions in setting up the cabinet. During the course of the game each Cabinet position will grant the option during one specific event to force a consensus, even in the face of the entire rest of the cabinet’s opposition, though doing is extremely likely to be disastrous.

Alternate Character Creation

                If you’d prefer a random character, you can create a character by drawing a single card from the deck. The suit will determine your affiliation (if another player already has that suit draw until you get an unclaimed suit) and the value will determine the kernel of a background:

                Ace: Wealthy Landowner

                King: Military Officer

                Queen: ‘Legitimate Businessman’ (hint: not legitimate at all)

                Jack: Revolutionary Intellectual

                10: CIA Asset

                9: The New Soviet Man

                8: Ex-Guerilla

                7: War Profiteer

                6: Impassioned Teacher

                5: Labor Agitator

                4: Street Anarchist

                3: Religious Firebrand

                2: Neoliberal Economist

                Cabinet Posts are then assigned first by the last person to select a card and then continuing in reverse. Once you name your character and his or her political party, you're ready to go.