The Stationary Traveler & the Consciousness Transfer Machine

the Stationary Traveler and the Consciousness Transfer Machine is an easy to pick solo writing/role playing game designed for the Colin's Fortune Telling Cards deck. The player embodies a character who explores different places, and tells the story of his adventure. As the game progresses, cards determine the course of the story and the events that will punctuate the adventure. The game can be played in one session if the player choose to write small descriptions, or in small daily sessions for further writing.

To play the game, you need to print one Colin's Fortune Telling Cards deck. An exclusive version of the deck is provided in the file below, featuring original illustrations. The game can also be played with the original edition, as well as the carbone-tv special edition. The rules can be found here or in the PDF files below (English, Français). A browser version of the game is planned in the future, so that no printer would be required 🙂

Material

• Pen and paper
• A full deck of Colin's Fortune Telling Cards (30 cards)

Summary  The story takes place in a distant future, where a multitude of civilizations coexist in different worlds.Our character is an explorer who travels without moving thanks to an advanced technology device. This equipment allows him to transfer his consciousness to other worlds in the form of an avatar, and to interact with its inhabitants. Unfortunately this technology is not without risk, and the machine has been corrupted by malicious pirates. Each trip they make allows them to take a little more control of the machine, and if they succeed, they could trap the explorer's consciousness in one of the worlds he visits. But our character is too eager for experience to worry about the risks and is determined to find out what those worlds have in store for him. Perhaps the experience gained during these journeys will allow him to avoid the pirates and regain control of his machine?  Setting up

Shuffle the deck of cards, then turn it over, so that the last card of the deck is face up, and note the two keywords that are written on it, they will represent the attributes of your character. Then turn the deck over again so that the first card in the deck is face down.

Course of the turn

1. Pick a card from the deck, then by looking at its illustration and using the lists below, describe your character's journey (see Read the cards).
2. Once the tale is done, count the number of 10-sided dice on the card (bottom left), then remove the same number of cards from the draw pile and place them in the discard pile, face down without looking at them. If the card you drew for this round has at least one keyword that matches your character's attributes, count only the white 10-sided dice. 
3. Keep the card you drew for this round and add it to the cards your previously drawn.
4. Check if any of the end-game conditions are met, and if so, resolve its effects (see End-game conditions). If not, continue your game with a new turn.

Read the cards

• Weather (combinaison of 2) in the sky indicate the nature of the events awaiting your character.
  • Cloud : He/she faces a difficult choice
  • Sun : Someone needs his/her help.
  • Sun ray : He/she witnesses something that moves him/her
  • Rain : He/she participates in the resolution of a conflict
  • Birds : He/she is saved by someone
• Landscapes in the background indicate the personality of the inhabitants your character is going to meet.
  • The inhabitants of the plains worlds are wise and good advisors, but they can also be teasing and mischievous.
  • The inhabitants of the mountains worlds are rough but warm, their customs can surprise but one gets very often attached to them.
  • The inhabitants of the oceans worlds are often very busy and always find new occupations to get into.
  
  
• Keywords indicate the skills that will be tested during this event.
  • If a keyword matches one of your character's abilities :
    The character performs an impressive action thanks to this skill

Finally, you are free to use any other elements on the card to find inspiration for your story (title of the card, dice on the ground, position of the character, number of fingers pointed, number of petals on the flower ... )

End-game conditions

• Your cards have 5 times 1 same weather element :
  Tell how the experience your character gained from previous trips - especially those produced by the weather element that intervened 5 times (see Read the cards) - allowed him/her to stop using the Consciousness Transfer Machine before getting trapped.
• Your cards have 3 times 3 different weather elements :
  Tell how your character comes face to face with the prirates during his/her journey, and how the experience gained by your character - especially during the events produced by the weather elements that occurred 3 times (see Read the cards) - allowed him/her to escape from them.
• The draw pile is empty and you haven't met any other conditions. :
  Tell how your character was trapped by the pirates, and how they trapped him/her in the world he/she was visiting. Next, write down the number of the last card you drew. In future games, if you draw the card with that number on it, your new character will be able to meet this one again and choose to free him/her.

This game was designed by Colin Thil for the the Last Rpg Jam.

Concept inspired by Le voyageur immobile du palais de marbre

Illustrations by Colin Thil & Julie Chane-Hive.

This project uses the Colin's Fortune Telling Cards.

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