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the farm
 A Modest Proposal
the farm is a horror roleplaying game about the lives and deaths of people trapped in a mysterious place called “the Farm.” Players start the game knowing precious little of their environment or their fellow captives. Over the course of the game, they'll learn more about the dire situation in which they now find themselves. They'll make hard choices, see horrific things and maybe, just maybe, they'll make their escape.
Eventually, everyone leaves the Farm.
Survival of the Fittest
the farm is a game about survival against all odds and at all costs. The player characters in this game are average human beings from all walks of life. The one thing they all share in common is that they have all been brought to a secret location for unknown reasons. This location is called the Farm.
Awareness
The Heart of the Matter …
… is that the residents of the Farm have been captured and brought here so they may be slaughtered and eaten by a mysterious group of people called the Headmasters.
Game Mechanics
the farm uses six-sided dice and each player needs a minimum of four dice. As these dice can be gathered into a shared pool, it helps if each player's dice are unique in some way (this distinction is not necessary if one person is supplying the dice for the entire group).
The GM should keep a separate group of between six and ten dice.
Skills
Skills fall under headings of either Stamina (for physically-oriented skills) or Psyche (for mentally-oriented skills). The Stamina or Psyche score is the number of dice rolled when attempting any skill under that heading. A rating of 0 in either Psyche or Stamina prevents the player from rolling any dice when attempting certain skills.
Each skill is listed with a number between 1 and 6. Rather than represent a measure of ability in the skill, this number acts as the target needed to score a success. For instance, if your Athletics skill number is 4, then whenever you roll the dice for an Athletics test, you need at least one die to come up 4. Multiple 4's (in this cast) would net multiple successes.
The skills (grouped by heading) are:
Stamina
Athletics: physical fitness and agility.
Combat: fighting ability.
Stealth: ability to conceal oneself or to conceal other things.
Psyche
Knowledge: general education and/or intelligence.
Perception: ability to notice details.
Willpower: ability to resist mental fatigue or even stronger wills.
Leaders, Loners & Followers
The Leader holds a unique position in the players' social group. Whenever a test is declared, players may choose not to roll the dice themselves. Instead, they may hand their dice to the Leader who then rolls them as a large pool of dice (those who contribute to the Leader's die pool are called Followers. Those that choose not to contribute are called Loners).
After the Leader rolls the dice he should sort them all out according to number (all the 1's are sorted together, all the 2's are sorted together, etc.). He then asks each player what number they need. The Leader hands-out a number of successes to each player, usually based on that player's request.
Players cannot receive more than one number (if the Leader rolls four 3's, four 5's and two 6's, the Leader may only give successes that count as either 3 or 5 or 6). The Leader is in no way obligated to give the players what they request. The Leader gets whatever successes are left at the end of the hand-out (but may only use one of the numbers depending on the skill he wants to use).
The Leader is voted into office by the group during any of the three feeding times. The Leader can be recalled (and a new one elected) at any subsequent feeding time. Other forms of election may take place should the players decide to abandon democratic concepts. If there is no Leader chosen for the group, then the group cannot use the shared die pool rules.
The Pig
One complication that can interfere with the Leader's die pool is “the Pig.” At any time during the hand-out (but before they themselves receive successes), a player can announce to the group, “I am a pig. Give me all the ____” where the blank space is a number. The player then receives all the successes rolled for that number. The other players cannot interrupt this process. The current Leader can never be the Pig.
Skill Debt
It's possible to “loan” successes to other players in order to help them out. This act of charity will cause you to go into Skill Debt.
If you roll the dice and receive three 5's and another player needs 5's to make their roll, you may give them any or all of those successes in order to help them out. Unfortunately, this means that you are “down” that many successes on that particular skill. So if I give the player those 5's and my number 5 skill is Knowledge, I'll be at -3 when making a Knowledge roll.
You may not pay back another player's Skill Debt. Nor may a Leader give you dice to pay back Skill Debt. You must either roll that number during a test (each successes removes a point of Skill Debt) or you must be the Pig during the hand-out from the Leader's die pool. Until the Skill Debt is paid, you will be unable to score any successes using that skill.
Strain
Strain represents the mental trauma and exhaustion that plagues characters. Strain can be gained from several sources: exertion, torture, prolonged periods without food or sleep and other kinds of stress. Each point of Strain reduces the character's Psyche by one point. Characters may not fall below 0 Psyche.
The GM can call for a simple Strain test any time a character experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. In a simple Strain test, the player must roll Psyche and score at least one Willpower success. If the roll fails, reduce the character's Psyche by one point.
If a player involved in a die pool is ordered to do something traumatic by a Leader, there is no Strain test.
Torture
Even the strongest character cannot hold out forever. Torturers use either Knowledge or Combat (depending on their methods). Victims resist using their Willpower.
If a character is tortured, roll Psyche and score at least one Willpower success to keep from breaking under the strain. This success is necessary even if the torturer scores no successes. Reduce the torturer's successes by the victim's success. The victim gains this amount of Strain.
If the torturer scores no successes, the victim suffers a Wound (see below) – even if the victim did roll successes. Like I said, no one can hold out forever.
Wounds
Physical trauma is dealt in “Wounds.” Each Wound you receive drops your Stamina by one point. If your Stamina is ever reduced to 0, make a Psyche roll. You need to score one Willpower success to remain conscious.
If your Stamina drops below 0, your character falls unconscious and is at risk of dying. Make a Psyche roll, looking for a number of Willpower successes equal to the negative Stamina. If you fail this roll, your character dies. Success on this roll enables your character to remain alive, albeit unconscious.
Combat
The Combat skill is used to fight and to kill. Roll Stamina dice against your opponent. Your opponent resists with either his Athletics skill (to dodge) or Combat skill (to try and kill you before he kills you).
For dodging: roll Stamina. Each Athletics success reduces the number of Wounds suffered by one. If you roll as many Athletics success (or more) than your opponent's Combat successes, you avoid taking any Wounds.
For counter-attacking: roll Stamina. Each Combat success results in a Wound for the other combatant. If these Wounds would reduce your opponent's Stamina to -1 or lower, you suffer Strain instead of Wounds. If both combatants would be reduced to Stamina -1 or lower, both combatants suffer the full number of Wounds.
If the fight is non-lethal in nature (GM's call), those involved by choose to suffer Strain instead of Wounds. Any Strain sustained in a lethal or non-lethal fight that would reduce your Psyche to -1 or below results in Wounds instead.
Weapons & Equipment
The weapons and equipment rules are quite simple: a character or NPC that uses weapons or equipment gains an automatic success when performing relevant actions.
Recovery
Characters recover from Strain at a rate of three Psyche points per day (once at breakfast, once at lunch and once at dinner). Leaders regain Psyche at a rate of once/day (player's choice as to when the recovery takes place).
Stamina points are re-gained at a rate of once per day provided the character is able to eat, rest and (if the character is seriously injured) have access to medical care (i.e.: Hospital).
Characters at Stamina 0 or lower can be aided by another person using the Knowledge skill. A single Knowledge success is required to heal a character from Stamina 0 to Stamina 1. To heal someone with negative Stamina by one point, the healer must score that many Knowledge successes (e.g. to heal someone with Stamina -3, three Knowledge successes must be rolled). Failing this roll puts the patient in jeopardy and forces that player to make a Psyche roll to stay alive.
If feeding time is missed for some reason, Recovery cannot take place.
Hide & Seek
The skills of Stealth and Perception always oppose one another. If one character uses Stealth to hide, another character can use Perception to try and spot him. Stealth can also be used to hide things (extra rations, escape equipment or a trap of some kind).
Character Creation
The Farm uses a fairly simple character creation system. Characters in this game are average people from all walks of life and the system is meant to be an abstract appraisal of their overall physical and mental health. There are no “experts” in any particular skill, merely men and women who are either more physically or mentally capable. Although this is not a “play yourself” roleplaying game, players should use their own names and ages when playing the game.
Establishing Psyche and Stamina
It's always assumed that six people are playing this game. You may play with less than six but never more than six. There are 48 points for the entire group to use for their Psyche and Stamina scores. It is highly suggested that each player puts four points into both their Psyche and their Stamina scores. Some players may wish to start with more or less but the group total cannot exceed 48.
Psyche and Stamina are used to determine how many dice a player rolls when performing an action.
Establishing Skills
There are three Stamina (physical) skills and three Psyche (mental) skills. You should number each of these skills from 1 to 6. No one skill may share the same number as another skill.
This number represents the target number needed when rolling the dice. If my skills are laid out like this:
Stamina 4 |
Psyche 4 |
Athletics 1 |
Knowledge 4 |
Combat 2 |
Perception 5 |
Stealth 3 |
Willpower 6 |
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…then this means that when I roll my Athletics skill, I want to roll as many 1's as possible on four dice. If I need to make a Perception roll, I want to roll as many 5's as possible on four dice.
Starting the Game
When residents of the Farm first arrive, they are members of Group 6. As time progresses, they change groups (Group 6 becomes Group 5 ... all the way to Group 1). Each time the game is played, the players move to the next group. Groups share sleeping space in the Dormitory and eat together at one table. If the group survives to reach Group 1, they will be killed and served to the Headmasters as food at the end of the game.
Besides Group Numbers, each character also has a Personal Number (also a number between 1 and 6) used to designate the position of the characters place at the group's table (among other things). Players should sit in order of their characters' personal numbers.
At the start of the game, the players should (as a group) decide how long they've been at the Farm. This translates into the maximum number of game sessions that the group will play. Normally, the players start as members of Group 6. If the group chooses to start at another number, the group gets one “Token” for each step closer to Group 1 (Group 5 members receive one Token, Group 1 members receive five Tokens). These Tokens are shared by the group and are usually held by the Leader.
Tokens may also be spent to “buy” extra meals (and heal Strain) or to purchase other material goods or favors from the Tenders. When the group moves up a step, unused Tokens are lost and new Tokens are given out.
Identification
Residents of the Farm are free to use one another's real names but are addressed by the Headmasters, Minders and Tenders by number. Because there is quite a turnover in the number of the Farm's residents, this numbering system aids in administrative and organizational tasks.
This number is acquired at the time of processing and is composed of the resident's Group number, followed by a dash, and ending with the resident's Personal Number. For example, a resident in the fourth seat of Table 5 would be identified as 5-4. Residents frequently refer to one another by both name and number (e.g. “Carlos 5-5”).
New Characters
New residents may sometimes replace characters that have died. As long as there is an empty place within the group (i.e. there are less than six active characters), a new character may join. This new character is assumed to come from a higher-numbered Group and is given a new number to reflect the change in position (a new Personal Number is also given to the replacement character).
NPC's
Non-player characters include residents of the Farm, guards (called Minders), people who run the Farm's daily operations (Tenders) and those who rule over the Farm, the Headmasters. For purposes of die rolling, treat all NPC's as having these skills:
Athletics 1 |
Knowledge 4 |
Combat 2 |
Perception 5 |
Stealth 3 |
Willpower 6 |
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Only Psyche and Stamina scores will change from NPC to NPC.
Residents
The euphemism for “prisoner” or “captive” in the Farm is “resident.” The other residents are typical people with similar background as the player characters. They dress in the same gray, black-striped clothing and tennis shoes (no laces) and must follow the same rules and regulations. They will also meet the same fate as the PC's once they've reached Group 1. They have Psyche and Stamina scores of 4. Some of them may be Strained or Wounded and thus will have decreased scores.
All residents' numbers are sewn to their shirts.
Tenders
Tenders are among the most frequently encountered residents of the Farm (other than residents). They serve as cafeteria workers, custodians, nurses, groundskeepers and in other menial capacities. They are easily recognized by the different-colored stripes on their uniforms:
Green/Blue : C-Class. Maintenance workers (electricians, landscapers, and mechanics) that help keep the Farm running in an efficient manner (Stamina 4 Psyche 4).
Red/White : B-Class. Doctors and non-professional medical workers (nurses, technicians, orderlies, and janitors) assigned to Hospital (Stamina 3 Psyche 5).
Gold : A-Class. So-called “Counselors” wear the golden stripe and act as guides for newcomers to the Farm (Stamina 2 Psyche 6). They're also sometimes enlisted as interrogators and are usually accompanied by other Tenders or by the Minders.
Tenders are addressed by a title (Mister, Miss or Doctor) followed by a short word starting with either the letter “A,” the letter “B” or the letter “C.” So C-Class Tender might be called Mister Carp while an A-Class Counselor might be referred to as Miss Apple. Tender names are also sewn onto their shirts.
Minders
Minders make up the security force of the Farm and are selected for their size, strength and brutality. Minders wear a stark and imposing uniform: white coveralls, black boots, black gloves and a black apron-like leather garment. Each Minder also wears a helmet equipped with a visor, respirator and two-way radio communicator. Although more than capable at hand-to-hand combat, Minders may carry one or more of the following weapons:
• Hard rubber truncheon
• Hand/foot restraints
• 12-guage shotgun
• Assault rifle or submachine gun
• Cattleprod (Strain damage only)
• Bullwhip
The psychological profile for a Minder is fairly straightforward: loyal, brutal, and sadistic. Minders have Stamina 6 and Psyche 2.
Minders patrol the Farm on foot in pairs or in four-man electric carts. Minders assigned to general guard duty are always found in and around buildings such as Dormitory, Hospital, the three Stations and Bell Tower . The Armory (where the Minders reside) is the most heavily guarded building and its location has been kept secret. An accepted rumor is that the Armory is located somewhere outside the Farm itself.
Residents of the Farm often call Minders “Butcher Boys” but other than that the Minders simply refer to one another by their alpha-numeric designation codes. Names are never used and faces are never seen. A Minder's designation code is affixed to both his helmet and to his chest.
Headmasters
It is infrequent but not uncommon for one of the Headmasters to take a more active role in operations of the Farm. Some Headmasters are sadistic and cruel. Others are cool and detached. A precious few seem to almost care for their charges and will speak with them at length about their feelings.
Headmasters are almost always accompanied by two to four Minders whose sole purpose is both to protect the Headmaster and to make sure that charges are observing the Rules of Conduct. It's a rare occasion when a captive meets one-on-one with a Headmaster. It is rumored some Headmasters masquerade as residents.
Headmasters have unlisted Stamina and Psyche scores and never come into conflict with residents. That's what the Minders and Tenders are for.
The Rules of Conduct
The Farm has several rules that must be followed at all times.
• Residents may not eat meat. Although there are animals on the Farm and in the surrounding areas, any resident caught consuming flesh shall be executed.
• Residents may not have personal belongings other than those given to them by the Tenders. Extraneous items shall be confiscated.
• Residents in need of fresh clothing are to report to Laundry Station so that their clothing may be cleaned, mended or replaced as necessary. Failure to do so will result in mandatory work detail on the Farm.
• Residents must bathe daily every morning in Shower Station. Failure to do so will result in removal of meal privileges.
• Loss of more than 20% of body weight from self-imposed hunger strikes shall result in mandatory treatment at Hospital and summary execution of a random resident.
• Residents may not engage in sexual activity at any time. If this is discovered, all members of the guilty parties' respective Groups shall be publicly disrobed, restrained and flogged by the Minders.
• Escape attempts shall be dealt with harshly. If an escape attempt is made, the guilty party and another resident chosen by the guilty party shall be executed. If the guilty party refuses to comply then that resident's entire group shall be executed.
• Striking a Tender will result in loss of meal privileges and public flogging.
• Suicide attempts shall be met with the same punishment as engaging in a self-imposed hunger strike.
• Failure to follow the instructions of a Tender will result in loss of meal privileges.
New rules and regulations may be implemented or modified as the need arises.
The Farm
the farm can take place anywhere that you like: a bombed-out, abandoned city in a foreign no-man's land, a mysterious island off the coast of Portugal , a remote area in the heart of the Pacific Northwest ... even another planet. There are several factors that remain constant:
• The Farm's location is a closely-guarded secret
• The Farm's location exists in a remote place far away from civilization
• The Farm's Headmasters have somehow been allowed to continue operations or have simply never been discovered
• Escape from the Farm, while not impossible, is highly unlikely and (despite rumors to the contrary) has never been accomplished
• There is no television or radio available to the residents
Physical Geography
The default setting for the farm is a forested island in a temperate zone. The size of the Farm is equivalent to a small city.
Dormitory
Dormitory is composed of six squat, concrete bunkers with room for a total of 216 residents. Each bunker is designed to hold thirty-six captives (six rooms per bunker, six persons per room) and placement is decided by Group and Personal numbers. The beds are steel double bunks and are securely bolted to the walls and floor. There are no blankets. Recessed fluorescents in the ceiling flicker on and off automatically, depending on time of day or night and the whims of the Masters. Each room also contains a stainless steel toilet and a small sink. There are no mirrors and both the sink and the toilet operate via motion sensors. The room has been specifically designed to ensure safe living and there is precious little in the room that can be scavenged for use as a weapon or in a suicide attempt.
Male and female showers are housed in two adjacent buildings called Shower Stations #1 and #2, and meals are prepared and served in Feeding Station. Laundry and sanitation are located off-site, as is the hospital, gymnasium and administrative buildings.
Feeding Station
Feeding Station is where all 216 residents eat their meals, three times a day. The food is unexciting but nutritious fare made from corn, soybeans, wheat flour, fresh vegetables (raised in the Greenhouse), lentils and other organically-grown items. No meat or dairy is served on the farm. Residents must eat with their hands (utensils are neither provided nor allowed) and vitamin supplements are a part of every meal.
Recreation
Residents engage in forced daily exercise and other activities (board games, books, art supplies) are available for the residents' use during their stay at the Farm.
Bell Tower
Bell Tower is an old church compound that has been converted into a base of operations for the Headmasters.
Building Ten
Building Ten is the processing facility for outgoing residents. Rumor has it that members of Group 1 are taken to Building Ten and give a choice of two doors: one leads to freedom, the other leads to the slaughterhouse.
Escape
The point of the game is to band together as a group and escape.
But is that even possible? I don't know the answer to that question. But if I had to make a guess, I'd say no. No, it's not possible.
But maybe one person can make it to freedom.
Maybe.
End.
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