Pod 43, by Tory Root
Launch sequence initiated in pod 43. Hatch sealed. Please prepare for gravitational disturbances during transfer to zero G. Minimum safe distance from ISS Pegasus estimated in three minutes. Closest possible rescue vessel estimated in forty-nine minutes. Closest possible planetary landing estimated in one hundred twenty six hours. Do not attempt to exit the pod until it has come to a complete stop in breathable atmosphere.
Warning: excess passenger weight detected. Safety guarantees voided.
Those who serve the Empire of Earth, we salute thee.
Pod 43 is a one-hour four-person game of life and death decisions, nasty surprises, unexpected consequences, and interstellar war, all in the confines of a tiny escape pod.
Tory wrote this game in a few days both because she was intrigued by the concept of mini-larps and because the game she was planning to kick off the Chickadee larp series with didn't fill, so she wanted something else smaller. And then the larp series itself fizzled. But this tiny little escape pod is still floating around out there somewhere. Whee.
Tory thought of some things she wanted to edit after the first runs, but then forget them. And still can't remember what they were supposed to be after the next few runs, so hopefully they're not important? Also this is the first of our games to ever achieve a TPK. Yay? Yay!
Two runs on May 28, 2016, at a private residence in Watertown, MA.
December 28, 2019, at a private residence in Watertown, MA.
April 15, 2023, at a private event in Canton, MA.
July 15, 2023, at a private event in Canton, MA.
December 16, 2023, at a private event in Canton, MA.
Pod 43 is currently a game for four players (characters have player-defined genders) which runs for about one hour, in one small room, under the direction of one GM. Average character sheet length is about two thousand words. It could probably be cast at the door in a longer time slot.
The game is runnable as is. It does not have much GM information written at the moment. Still, it wouldn't take much work to box it.