With 2 weeks left in the Possible Worlds RPG subscription box campaign ( http://ttrpg.link/pw ) let's look at one of its most-anticipated games: SCENE THIEVES, a diceless heist RPG where players also improvise a theatre performance, illustrated by the talented @polclarissou! /1

Scene Thieves is inspired by theatre, improv, heist films, &, most importantly, the opening sequence of Final Fantasy IX—one of my favorite video games of all time. It also leans heavily on my experience as a professional dramaturg, teaching playwriting techniques throughout. /2

This is also the game's 2nd edition after an EXTREMELY limited 1st release! Scene Thieves was originally commissioned for the 2018 @bigbadcon Kickstarter's "Baba Yaga's Mystery Box"—a mystery box full of hand-picked or hand-crafted items from new & established RPG creators. /3

I loved writing it for @bigbadcon, but it was also one of my earliest games. There are a lot of elements—dice, character monogamy, a GM—that I included because I thought I HAD to. This 2nd edition drastically simplifies & streamlines the game to its most fun & unique elements. /4

The game's Pre-Show is a worldbuilding exercise that walks you through creating your troupe/gang and determining the role theatre plays in your setting. It's the same method I used to create Tramgaudry Row—the theatre district that will appear in @HardWiredIsland's gazetteer. /5

Next, you'll Set the Stage for both your heist & play by writing or drawing scenes, props, lines, characters, disguises, &tc. on notecards before folding and placing them all together in a hat. These prompts will be used to fuel the improv & plot on either side of the curtain. /6

You'll have broad strokes for your heist & performance, but the actual plot emerges through play. Each turn you'll draw a card & see if you can incorporate it into the next beat of your heist or performance for 1 point. If you can incorporate it into both, you get 2 points. /7

You're also able to earn additional points for call-backs, working previous cards back into the plot in new or familiar ways. You can only use a call-back twice, though, before the "Rule of Threes" comes into play and negates any future bonuses you could derive from that card. /8

Each round, the player with the most points decides whether the next portion of the heist, play, or both will be a comedy or a tragedy. Their choice dictates the next round's plot & improv, and impacts whether the play/heist ENDS as a comedy, a tragedy, or a mix of the two. /9

Once both play & heist have concluded, players narrate a short Epilogue detailing any fall-out & whether there will be opportunities for performances/heists in the future. From there, additional sessions can be played or the troupe/worldbuilding can be lifted for other games. /10

There are other twists to come, but that's the game's core mechanic & how its plots are created! I'm very proud how far this game has come since 2018, & if you made it to the end of this thread, please consider backing the game on Kickstarter! http://ttrpg.link/pw