Chatter/Box

Chatter/Box is built around the idea that it's fun for friends to sit around and tell each other wild scenes of adventure and mayhem! Roll some dice or flip some playing cards to decide what happens next, and how your characters feel about it! 

You could play cats and mice, but it's also OK to play private eyes, jewel thieves, amateur sleuths, nosey neighbors, or any kind of person who likes to do some troubleshooting! 

While this game is mostly about talking through problems, and uncovering the story, there are rules for dispute resolution that encourage describing the sort of cartoonish violence often found in action adventure movies. The game's only mechanic uses dice or playing cards to determine the outcomes of this. 

The thing about this game I like best is the idea that conflict resolution leads to changes in the relationships between the characters. 

Here's a quote: 

Character Relationship Statuses consist of Characteristics and Tones. The  characteristics are Buddies or Antagonists, and the tones are Enthusiastic or  Lukewarm. Buddies share jokes, team up to play out scenes, have each other’s backs  in a fight, and so on. Antagonists might snark at each other, pick one another’s  pockets, let slip some minor secret, or be stingy with supplies. Remember, underneath it all, the characters are fond of each other. Being antagonists for a while does not mean the characters become enemies.

Here's another one: 

Example of Play: The players have determined that the story has led the characters to a semi-private club, locally known as a cover for an outlaw biker gang. One character  is a hot head, and has a bad history with lots of people in town.

Table Discussion:

Player 1: This bar, though not dark, is dimmer than the daylight outside.

Player 2: Maybe we can’t see everyone in all the booths.

Player 1: Yeah. 

Player 3: My character recognizes the bartender from previous bad interactions

elsewhere.

Player 2: Like what?

Player 3: Umm… I have had various odd jobs, under the table pay, sometimes I’ve run into this woman.

Player 1: Maybe she owes you money?

Player 3: Sure! I’m still pissed about that, and storm over…

Player with hot headed character: “I grab the bartender by the shirt, and say...

How about one more?

Character Design 

There are no stats, ability scores, or skill checks, none of that crunchy stuff. Characters pretty much have what they need--or they do not--depending on the needs of the story in the moment. 

Players create their characters by describing them. Write about five sentences or so. Create a bit of background, describe their appearance, and note their current situation, for example. Cover the important parts. Important parts might be: career, hobbies, specific combat skills, family connections, or anything you think will be fun to play, and use to solve problems. Players do not need to know everything about their character’s background at the start of play. 

Last one!

Dispute Resolution 

There are two options for the Dispute Resolution Mechanic: rolling lots and lots of dice, or the card game War (modified). 

Rolling Lots and Lots of Dice 
Roll handfuls of d6. Use any number of dice, as long as each player has the same number. Roll the dice simultaneously. There are no modifiers. Each dispute means the group dynamic can change at pretty much any time. How the players role play the characteristic and tone of the new relationship statuses is up to them, and the Character Relationship Statuses persist until the next dispute resolution.

In a two character dispute, each player adds up their dice. Highest overall score wins that dispute. That player rolls a die, and on an even number result, the new relationship characteristic is buddies; on an odd number result, it is antagonists. The loser rolls a die. On an even result, the tone of the relationship is enthusiastic; odd, the relationship is lukewarm. 

Chatter/Box... ideal for talking it out, and for rolling lots & lots of dice!

If you can't swing the cost, grab a Community Copy, added on a 2:1 basis on sales.