TEXT:  A minor character means well, but they’re more 
  useless than useful. Can you let them 
  down easy?  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  Adorable 
   
  Aww, you’re so sweet and innocent.  You 
  couldn’t possibly be the craven malefactor 
  what done this awful thing. Roll +sharp. On a 
  10+, convince someone you’re harmless and 
  they leave you alone. On a 7-9, convince 
  someone you’re harmless, but only for this 
  hot minute, so you better get out of here. 
  People complicate your life. At any time, the 
  Director can hand you a laugh. Someone falls 
  madly in love with your puppy-dog eyes, 
  sugary-sweetness, etc.  Deal with it or lose 
  this gimmick. 
  
   A prop that you were depending on suddenly 
  fails. (The batteries are dead, the seams crack, 
  the thing wilts or crumbles into dust, etc.)  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  Bag of Junk 
   
  You carry around a bunch of useful stuff. Roll 
  +sharp. On a 10+, you have exactly what you 
  need to deal with this situation, and you 
  make take +1 forward. On a 7-9, you have 
  something that’s inappropriate and possibly 
  dangerous. 
  Junk complicates your life. At any time, the 
  Director can hand you a laugh, and have 
  something bad happen to your bag of junk. 
  (The stuff spills out everywhere and you 
  have to gather it up; police confuse you for 
  the Garbage Thieves who plague this city; a 
  piece of junk you have is actually the missing 
  spy satellite that the CIA needs to 
  recover, etc.) 
  
   A pebble, rock, coin, or other small thing you 
  dropped earlier has bounced around and caused 
  a parade of physics-based horror.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  Bumbling 
   
  You can just fall out of any bad situation. 
  When someone tries to make you do 
  something or tries to hurt you, roll +zany. On 
  a 10+, you avoid harm completely, but 
  something strange happens. On a 7-9, 
  something strange happens, and you blunder 
  from this bad thing to a different thing. 
  At any time, you can bumble into a bad 
  situation. The Director hands you a laugh, 
  and then you stumble into a bad place. Deal 
  with it or lose this gimmick. 
  
   Someone who was knocked unconscious wakes 
  up and believes that  they’re some 
  celebrity figure.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  Calm, Cool, And Collected 
   
   Add +3 to cool, but you only roll one die. 
  Whenever you make a roll that adds +cool, you 
  never roll more than a single die. Also, raise 
  your cool by +3.  This can raise your cool to 
  as high as +6.  (Die rolling is such a drag, 
  man. Why roll two dice+ cool, when you could 
  roll one die+cool+3, you dig?) 
  Don’t forget that you’ve got this gimmick. If 
  you ever roll two or more dice and then add 
  your cool, then you’ve blown your cool.  The 
  Director takes this gimmick away, your 
  character takes a lump, and you go back to 
  the normal rules (to whatever your cool was 
  before, and now you’re rolling two dice, 
  again, like a square). 
  
   Your mouth has been zippered shut, glued, etc. 
  The player can’t speak and must mime all 
  actions until someone else can solve 
  the problem.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  Chip on Your Shoulder 
   
  Don’t like this grudge match? Re-roll! 
  Whenever you don’t like the way a grudge 
  match came out, you can demand that it be 
  re-rolled. This second result stands, even if 
  it’s worse. 
  
   Something goes wrong with the cast's mode of 
  transport. Their boat starts sinking, their plane 
  loses it's engines, the train conductor can't 
  stand the "chug chug" noise any more and 
  ditches in a field, etc.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  Disguise 
   
  You can pretend to be someone you’re not. 
  Roll +sly. On a 10+, you quick-change into 
  someone else, and you can fool someone for 
  a while. On a 7-9, you can quick change into 
  someone else, but they won’t be fooled for 
  more than a minute, so act fast. While 
  disguised, you take +1 forward to moves that 
  work with this disguise… and any move that 
  violates the disguise ends this immediately. 
  Disguises complicate your life. While you’re 
  disguised, the Director can hand you a laugh. 
  Someone or something else immediately 
  appears, mistaking you for someone else (ex-
  spouse, Queen of France, the FBI’s most 
  wanted list, their long lost twin, etc.) 
  
   One of the cast's annoying relatives shows up. 
  The rest of the cast like the relative.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  Inventor 
   
  You can make amazing stuff. Roll +zany. On 
  10+, you invent something useful. (A rocket 
  ship, a killer app, a robot bodysuit of the 
  president, etc.) and this thing really works, 
  until something messes it up. On 7-9, the 
  thing works but using it has terrible 
  side effects. 
  Inventions complicate your life. While an 
  invention is in play, at any time, the Director 
  may have outside forces show up. They may 
  be here to steal the invention… they may be 
  here to arrest the inventor for making 
  something illegal… they may have come from 
  the future to stop this invention from 
  enslaving the Earth, etc. 
  
   Why aren't you in uniform? The cast are 
  mistaken for another group (a cleaning crew, a 
  rock band, catering staff) and before they have 
  time to protest they find themselves doing that 
  crew's job.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  Jack/Jill of All Trades 
   
  You’ve worked every kind of job there is. 
  When you do something, make up a history 
  of the job you did, and roll +tough. On a 10+, 
  you do this job just like a pro, as if you’ve 
  done this for years. On a 7-9, you do this job, 
  but not in the right way. (You do this job the 
  way they did it back on the scullery ship… or 
  you accidentally use industrial cleaner on the 
  wedding dress… or you ship everything to the 
  wrong address, etc.) This partial success may 
  or may not still get you paid or get the job 
  done, but it should be funny. 
  Your career history complicates your life. At 
  any time, the Director can hand you a laugh. 
  An old co-worker or boss shows up and gives 
  you grief. 
  
   An salesman keeps popping up at random, 
  trying to get the cast to buy steak knives, 
  encyclopedias, and vacuum cleaners.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  Laugh Riot 
   
  Spend a laugh to re-roll your last roll with 
  three dice. When you spend a laugh, it works 
  different. You do not add +3 backward to the 
  last roll. Instead, you re-roll the last roll, and 
  you roll three dice this time, instead of two. 
  
   You stumble upon a crime happening, and the 
  criminals take you as a hostage.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  Magic Art 
   
  You can make art that becomes real. Roll 
  +zany. On 10+, you draw something that 
  solves your current problem. On 7-9, you 
  draw something that might help, but it looks 
  really off. It’s probably only worth +1 
  forward, at best. On a 6 or less, you draw 
  something terrible, and it makes things 
  worse (gives you a lump, breaks something 
  important, etc.) 
  Rolling doubles with magic art makes it 
  weird. If any of your two dice match, the art 
  takes a life of its own. (A hole that you draw 
  in a wall blows away on the wind, only to 
  settle on other places where it’s a hole 
  again. A thing you drew comes to life and 
  goes on its own agenda, being crazy or 
  violent or whatever it is that things do. Etc.) 
  This weirdness is inconvenient at best, and a 
  menace to everything you hold dear, at 
  worst. Either deal with it or lose 
  this gimmick. 
  
   The cast take refuge in a nearby house 
  inhabited by ghoulish, macabre, but otherwise 
  hospitable weirdos. The decor looks like a 
  Halloween store threw up. Behind every door 
  waits some kind of phantom, monster, 
  or wraith.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  Punching Bag 
   
  You can take up to six lumps, but you can’t 
  have more laughs than lumps. You can take 
  six lumps before you are out of action. 
  (Characters without this gimmick can only 
  take three.) 
  If you receive a new laugh, and adding that 
  to your total would take you over your lump 
  count, choose one: discard the laugh; or have 
  some klutzy mistake happen your character, 
  and put that point in lumps, instead. 
  
   The animation budget runs dry. Until you get 
  out of the red, you must corners by re-using old 
  animations, flashbacks, still frames, etc.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  Shake It Off 
   
  Random chance to avoid lumps. When you’re 
  supposed to take a lump, roll +lumps. (That 
  is, roll two dice and add the lumps you 
  already have, before taking this one. If you 
  have no lumps, roll two dice and add 
  nothing.)  If you roll 7+, ignore that new 
  lump you were just about to take. Walk off 
  the pain! 
  
   The cast are temporarily thrown into a parody 
  of the last movie the quietest player has seen.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  Shape Shifter 
   
  You can change into other things! You can 
  change your shape! Roll +zany. On 10+, you 
  turn into something useful; take +1 forward 
  to do things related to your shapeshifting. On 
  a 7-9, you almost turn into something useful, 
  which may give you unusual powers 
  or agency. 
  Shapeshifting complicates your life. At any 
  time, the Director can have someone wander 
  up to you, mistaking your shape-shifted form 
  for something else, and then have something 
  harmful, embarrassing, or worse 
  happen to you. 
  
   You’re splashed with vanishing cream or 
  invisible ink. No one can see you until this gets 
  washed off. You might not know when 
  this happens.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  Sharp Detail 
   
  After asking questions, take +2 forward. 
  When you successfully use +sharp to ask 
  questions, you can take +2 forward when 
  acting forward on the questions. (Characters 
  without this gimmick only take +1 forward.) 
  Details that other characters could let go 
  will seriously bother you. You must 
  straighten crooked picture frames, re-
  alphabetize books on the shelf, clean up 
  errant dust, etc. These complications could 
  delay or distract you. 
  
   In the middle of a heated brawl, everyone stops 
  for tea and biscuits.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  Sidekick 
   
  You have someone that follows you around. 
  They carry your bags, answer your mail, 
  water your plants, bury your incriminating 
  evidence, witness your mortgage signing, 
  babysit your children, and – most 
  importantly – they can take a lump for you, 
  once per scene. 
  You will have to babysit the sidekick. They 
  are frequently the targets of kidnapping, 
  violence, and blackmail. They will often do 
  stupid things and you’ll have to bail them 
  out. Deal with the problem or lose the 
  sidekick. 
  
   A photographer appears and snaps your picture 
  with a flash camera. You are temporarily blind.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  Stinking Rich 
   
  Screw the rules, you have money! Roll +sly. 
  On 10+, solve a problem by throwing money 
  at it. (Buy the rival business and fire 
  everyone; everyone gets a car, send a cash 
  advance to the game designer to edit the 
  errata in your favor, etc.) On 7-9, either you 
  don’t solve the problem, or you can throw 
  money at it to make it go away, but there 
  will be complications later. 
  Wealth complicates your life. At any time, 
  the Director can hand you a laugh, and some 
  business comes up. Deal with it or lose all 
  your money (and this gimmick). 
  
   Your doctor calls. They say you must do 
  something weird (drink a gallon of orange juice, 
  avoid nuts, etc.) or you will die. Ignore them at 
  your own risk!  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  Straight Face 
   
  Other players can take your laughs, and you 
  can stack your laugh points. Whenever the 
  Director hands you a laugh, say this phrase 
  aloud: “Anyone who has fewer laughs than 
  me can take this laugh away.” If you forget to 
  say it, you lose this gimmick. 
  At any time, if another player has fewer 
  laughs than you, they can take 1 laugh from 
  your count and add it to their own count. 
  You can spend 2 laughs to take +6 backward. 
  Or you can spend 3 laughs to take +9 
  backward. (Characters without this gimmick 
  can only spend a single laugh to take +3 
  backward.) 
  
   You’re shrinking! It could be contact with an 
  evil ray, or some formula, or what have you. 
  Your small size makes life inconvenient until 
  you can find a cure.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  Unknowable Strength 
   
  Your character is mightier than a 
  locomotive. You can lift trucks, throw anvils, 
  open pickle jars, etc. In casual situations, 
  you can just be assumed to carry around 
  giant weights and juggle boulders. Before 
  you make a move in the game, mention if 
  you’re using super-strength or not. Then 
  roll.  If you roll doubles, your super strength 
  kicks in. 
  If you succeed, it’s amazing. You don’t just 
  punch someone, you send them into next 
  week. You don’t just open a door, you lift the 
  entire wall and slide under it, etc. 
  If you fail, it’s amazing, too. They dodge 
  your punch and your punch hurtles you 
  through the air. Or you toss a building over 
  your shoulder and it collapses into rubble.  
  There’s no halfway about it. 
  
   You enter the part of town where all those 
  creepy stop-motion halloween cartoons live. 
  They spook you with their jagged movements 
  and gaunt designs.  
   
   
   
  General Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  Unpredictably Zany 
   
  Subtract 3 from your zany but roll an extra 
  die. Reduce your Zany attribute by 3. This can 
  drop your zany to as low as -5. 
  Whenever you make a roll that adds +zany, roll 
  an extra die. (So yes, that’s three dice instead of 
  two. Who knows what’s going to happen?) 
  
   All props have gone on strike. They form a 
  picket line and refuse to do any work until their 
  demands are met.  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  The Dashing Robber 
   
  They never see you coming or going. When 
  you’re not somewhere you want to be, roll 
  +sly. On a 7-9, you reveal yourself as being 
  here the whole time. (If these people are 
  hostile, this starts a grudge.) On a 10+, you 
  can show up, do a thing, and disappear 
  without starting a grudge. 
  You are wanted by the corrupt sheriff and 
  other forces of law. 
  
   You overhear something dire, like plans for a 
  robbery and a murder. It may all be a comic 
  misunderstanding.  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  The Cunning Spy 
   
  Your eyes and ears are everywhere. You can 
  eavesdrop on any conversation, past or 
  present, even if you weren’t there, because 
  your network informs you. Roll +sharp. On 
  10+, the Director reveals a scene you hadn’t 
  seen, and you may take +1 forward to deal 
  with this. On a 7-9, the Director reveals a 
  scene that’s dangerous, and if you act on it, 
  you take a lump. 
  If anyone finds out you’re a spy, you could be 
  in serious trouble. 
  
   You are transformed into a duck. If you were 
  already a duck, you are now two ducks.  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  The Crazy Magician 
   
  You can cast spells! Roll +zany. On a 10+, 
  your spell does something important, but it 
  expires one minute later unless you spend a 
  laugh. On a 7-9, your spell works but with 
  weird side effects. 
  Magic complicates your life. At any time, the 
  Director can hand you a laugh, and then 
  something bizarre and mystical happens to 
  you and/or the ones you love. It’s never good. 
  
   The orphanage is on fire!  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  The Little Big One 
   
  You block for other people. When a friend is 
  about to take a lump, roll +tough. On a 7-9, 
  you take the lump instead. On a 10+, nobody 
  takes the lump. 
  You can’t refuse requests from the weak and 
  helpless. The Director may have other 
  characters beg you for help. 
  
   The weather takes a turn for the worse: rain, 
  fog, sleet, meteors, etc.  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  The Fortune Teller 
   
  You knew this would happen. Before 
  somebody else makes a roll, roll +cool. On 
  7+, they take +1 forward on your next roll. On 
  6 or less, they take -1 forward on their next 
  roll. You can use this on people even if they 
  don’t want you to. 
  The future complicates your life. At any 
  time, the Director can hand you a laugh… 
  and a note with a spooky and secret 
  prediction of the future. If you tell anyone 
  what this note says, you lose all your laughs. 
  But if you make that prediction come true, 
  you may gloat to all the other players how 
  you knew this would happen. 
  
   A do-gooder knight keeps messing up your 
  plans, but they’re a noble so what are you 
  going to do?  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  The Knight in Shining Armor 
   
  Spend all your laughs to make a solemn 
  vow. Vow to do something on your honor. 
  Spend every single one of your current 
  laughs. For each laugh you spend, you take 
  +1 forward to all rolls to do this thing you 
  promised you’d do. 
  If you ever act dishonorably, you will be 
  shamed for it. Atone for your shame or lose 
  this gimmick. 
  
   The king and queen demand that you attend the 
  royal gala, and you’d better not 
  embarrass anyone.  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  The Heir to the Throne 
   
  Everyone else is comic relief in your story. 
  When something humiliating would happen 
  to you, roll +cool. On a 7+, it doesn’t happen 
  to you, but you earn no laughs. On a 6, it 
  happens to you even worse, but the director 
  may give you a laugh for your trouble. 
  Evil people keep trying to prevent you from 
  ascending to the throne. People keep saying 
  you look just like this one peasant they 
  saw, once. 
  
   Taxation is too high! The peasants are revolting!  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  The Put-Upon Peasant 
   
  Take a lump? Take a laugh, too! Whenever 
  you take a lump, for whatever reason, you 
  also get a laugh. 
  No one takes you seriously and they make 
  you do all the hard work. All the other 
  players’ characters out rank you. People 
  keep saying that you look just like the heir 
  to the throne, but you just don’t see it. 
  
   The Black Knight has arrived, and they are 
  wreaking havoc. So much havoc!  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  The Worldly Clergy 
   
  The divine can forgive this one little thing. 
  Roll +sly. On a 7-9, you can reveal some 
  item, money, or secret that a holy person 
  would have no business knowing, thus 
  shaming yourself in the process. On a 10+, 
  you can get away with this thing without 
  having your worldliness revealed. 
  People keep coming to you for help on 
  religious matters, as if you’re some kind of 
  authority figure. Put their minds at ease or 
  lose this gimmick. 
  
   An ogre, dragon, mermaid, kobold, or some 
  other monster is terrorizing the countryside.  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  The Fantasy Dragon 
   
  You’re a dragon. Roll +zany. On a 10+, you do 
  some awesome dragon stuff (fly, breathe 
  fire, kidnap a princess, etc.) On a 7-9, you 
  almost pull off this dragon thing, but 
  something goes awry, usually in an 
  embarrassing way. (When the other dragons 
  find out about your screw-up, it will be all 
  they talk about, at the Moot Gathering of 
  Wyrmkynyng Upon the Nigh.) 
  Adventurers keep showing up to kill you 
  and/or steal your hoard. Only people you 
  want to be nice to, are ever afraid of you. 
  
   A jester follows you around, recording all your 
  mistakes and repeating them in public.  
   
   
   
  Medieval Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  The Motley Fool 
   
  All lumps can give you laughs. Whenever you 
  or another player takes a lump, roll +laughs. 
  If you roll 9 or less, you get another laugh. 
  You have no money, no resources, and no 
  authority. But having no status means you 
  have nothing to lose, either. Feel free to 
  speak your mind. 
  
   That stupid kid from town won’t leave you 
  alone. It’s only a matter of time before they get 
  in over their head.  
   
   
   
  Wild West Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  The Spunky Kid 
   
  You meddle in places you don’t belong. You 
  can eavesdrop on any conversation, even if 
  you weren’t there, because your network 
  informs you. Roll +sharp. On 10+, the 
  Director reveals a scene you hadn’t seen, 
  and you may take +1 forward to deal with 
  this. On a 7-9, the Director reveals a scene 
  that’s dangerous, and if you act on it, you 
  take a lump. 
  No one takes you seriously. They keep 
  telling you to leave this to the adults. 
  
   That fat carpetbagger from back east has made 
  a bet that you’ll fail, so they’re trying to stop 
  you by underhanded means.  
   
   
   
  Wild West Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  The City Slicker  
   
  You can put one over on these rubes. Roll 
  +sly. On a 10+, you cheat at a poker game, 
  you produce a fake deed that says you own 
  the place, or you otherwise play a trick on 
  these rubes. On a 7-9, the trick still works, 
  but only for the next minute or so when the 
  trick is revealed. 
  Being slick complicates your life. At any 
  time, the Director can hand you a laugh, and 
  your criminal past catches up to you. Deal 
  with this or lose this gimmick. 
  
   They say that at night, when the blue moon is 
  full, a monster roams these plains. Or is that 
  every night?  
   
   
   
  Wild West Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  The Tall Tale 
   
  You are a legend come to life. Roll +tough. 
  On a 10+, you perform some ridiculous feat 
  of strength, agility, or endurance. (Lasso a 
  tornado, divert a river, chop down a forest, 
  etc.) On a 7-9, your feat works, but it adds 
  another complication we weren’t expecting. 
  (The tornado runs off with you, you flood the 
  town, a blue ox attacks you, etc.) 
  You can tell people about the awesome 
  things you did, but no one believes that you 
  did it. That’s just a myth. 
  
   The general store has been selling 
  monogrammed candles for Tony N. Taylor’s 
  surprise birthday party.  
   
   
   
  Wild West Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  The Bullet Magnet 
   
  Take lumps for other people. If someone is 
  about to take a lump, you can take that 
  lump instead. Come up with some reason, 
  the sillier the better. 
  No one believes that you just take damage 
  unfairly like this, and they’re really sick of 
  hearing you whine about it all the time. 
  
   The sheriff couldn’t be any nicer… but they’ve 
  got their eye on you.  
   
   
   
  Wild West Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  The White Hat 
   
  Spend all your laughs to make a promise. 
  Vow to do something on your honor. Spend 
  every single one of your current laughs. For 
  each laugh you spend, you take +1 forward to 
  all rolls to do this thing you promised 
  you’d do. 
  People keep coming to you for help, for 
  some reason. Help them or lose 
  this gimmick. 
  
   Grand-aunt Ethel has gone missing! Rumor has 
  it that she’s eloped with Bigfoot, but that can’t 
  be right. Bigfoot can’t be that blind.  
   
   
   
  Wild West Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  The Grizzled Prospector 
   
  You’ve been alone in the wilderness way too 
  long. Roll +zany. On 10+, tell some boring 
  story and then produce some item, map, or 
  obscure fact that aids you in your struggle. 
  On 7-9, you still produce something, but it’s 
  old and brittle and outdated, so it works but 
  with complications. (It breaks after one use, 
  it disintegrates when held up to light, that 
  friend died ages ago but their children can 
  help you, etc.) 
  Claim jumpers are after your claim. It’s 
  worthless, but they still want it. Defend your 
  claim or lose this gimmick. 
  
   The spirits of the happy hunting grounds need 
  you for a vision quest.  
   
   
   
  Wild West Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  The Undertaker 
   
  You’re not easily phased. When something 
  bad happens that might affect you, roll 
  +cool. On a 7-9, you can’t act again until 
  someone else does, first, but you are 
  immune to all this wickedness. On a 10+, tip 
  your hat, ignore this, and move on. 
  You depress people with a reminder of their 
  own mortality. No one invites you to parties. 
  
   Dirty Frank is in town. They say he once shot a 
  man for snoring too loud!  
   
   
   
  Wild West Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  The Cartoon with No Name 
   
  You are number one with a bullet. Whenever 
  you get in a gunfight, roll +tough. On a 7-9, 
  you defeat one minor character. On a 10+, 
  you defeat one major character or all the 
  minor characters in this scene. 
  Everyone’s really creeped out by you, and no 
  one trusts you, no matter how much 
  good you do. 
  
   Sick of all your crap, your superior has sent you 
  on a suicide mission.   
   
   
   
  Sci-Fi Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  The Space Captain 
   
  You uphold the prime directive. Make an 
  impassioned, hammy speech and roll +tough. 
  On a 10+, others are moved by your speech 
  and they give in to your demands. On a 7-9, 
  they have more demands before they’ll 
  listen to you. 
  Even though you’re in charge, no one does 
  what you say. Also, for some reason 
  everyone expects you to go out and solve the 
  problems yourself, instead of delegating. 
  
   That all-powerful alien is really a child! It’s 
  treating us like toys!  
   
   
   
  Sci-Fi Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  The Token Alien 
   
  You have alien powers. Make something up 
  and roll +zany. On a 10+, your alien power 
  works and you don’t have to explain how. On 
  a 7-9, your alien power doesn’t quite work 
  right (side effects, partial success, etc.), and 
  you still don’t have to explain how. 
  Being alien complicates your life. At any 
  time, the Director can hand you a laugh and 
  have something weird happen to you. They 
  don’t have to explain why. Other people are 
  freaked out by your alien ways. Also, they 
  keep saying your ways are alien, no matter 
  how normal you play your character. 
  
   This weird alien device keeps doing things. 
  (Changing our colors, fluoridating our water, 
  switching our genders, etc.)  
   
   
   
  Sci-Fi Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  The Boffin Engineer 
   
  Specifications are just guidelines, really. 
  When you work with machines, roll +sharp. 
  On a 10+, you can push it way past its specs, 
  but it can’t take much more of this. On a 7-
  9, you push it past its specs but with side 
  effects, usually involving the Director 
  shaking the table and you must fall out of 
  your chair. 
  People keep breaking your stuff, and then 
  it’s you who has to fix it. 
  
   That one officer insists on doing everything by 
  the book, even if it will get us all killed.  
   
   
   
  Sci-Fi Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  The Maverick Officer 
   
  You don’t have time for this shazbot. When 
  you’re asked to do something, say that this 
  is against all regulations and experience, 
  then roll +cool. On a 10+, say that’s not your 
  job but still succeed at doing it anyway. On a 
  9 or less, say that’s not your job, blow off 
  doing the job entirely… and if anyone else 
  succeeds at this job, they can take one laugh 
  away from you. 
  Your other crew members complain about 
  your stuck-up attitude, no matter how 
  nice you are. 
  
   A mad scientist has built a doomsday device and 
  is threatening to unleash its power.  
   
   
   
  Sci-Fi Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  The Renegade Scientist 
   
  You’ll show them, you’ll show them all! Roll 
  +sly. On a 10+, produce some gadget that will 
  solve this problem. On a 7-9, produce some 
  gadget, but it needs something else to 
  power it, which is a crime against nature (a 
  being made of living crystal, the last 
  sunflower, the tears of a child, etc.) 
  You did something in the past that was so 
  horrible, everyone thinks you’re evil. Even 
  people who just met you will think 
  you’re evil. 
  
   You have a contagious space disease. It needs a 
  space cure. From space.  
   
   
   
  Sci-Fi Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  The Medical Officer 
   
  You’re a doctor. As a move, spend 1 laugh to 
  remove all lumps from one single character. 
  You can also spend 1 laugh to do other weird 
  medical miracles, too. Make something up! 
  You keep telling people that’s not your job, 
  and that dammit, you’re a doctor… but 
  people keep asking you to do that 
  job anyway. 
  
   These aliens can’t even conceive of violence… 
  which is why they’re getting their butts kicked.  
   
   
   
  Sci-Fi Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  The Red Shirt 
   
  You’re always around to be in the line of 
  fire. When you’re not somewhere you want 
  to be, roll +lumps. On a 7+, you are revealed 
  to have been there this whole time. 
  Everyone else outranks you. Other players 
  can order you to fight their grudge matches 
  for them, to handle dangerous materials, or 
  to do anything that superioers can order 
  subordinates to do. 
  
   There’s only one kid who has the info / money / 
  resources you need, and they don’t believe a 
  word of what you say.  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  The Skeptic 
   
  You have it all figured out, and you’re just a 
  kid! When something weird or unexplainable 
  happens, roll +cool. On a 10+, you can explain 
  why the thing won’t affect you, and you can 
  find a solution to work around it. 
  (Temporary, maybe, but it’s still a work-
  around.) Other people take +1 forward to 
  deal with this weirdness. On 7-9, you can’t 
  stop whatever this is, but you are not fooled 
  one bit. Even on a miss, you are never, never 
  fooled into believing in magic, UFOs, Bigfoot, 
  and other nonsense. 
  Even if you are presented with 
  incontrovertible proof of magic, UFO, 
  Bigfoot, etc., you will never believe it. You 
  can still be afraid of it! A 7’ man in a rubber 
  suit is still scary. 
  
   Local teen is convinced that you are a robot / 
  alien / Bigfoot / etc., and they won’t stop inter-
  fering in your affairs until they have proof.  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  The Believer 
   
  You’ve been through the looking glass. Say 
  something crazy, like “aliens are stealing our 
  cheese!” or “the government is fluoridating 
  the magnetite!”. Then write this statement 
  down, and put one of your laughs on it. If 
  you can prove this crazy thing to be true, 
  everyone who says “You were right” gets a 
  laugh and loses a lump. (You just get the 
  satisfaction of being right.) 
  You say a lot of crazy things, and even if 
  you’re right, other people are getting sick of 
  your nonsense. If anyone tells you something 
  crazy, you have to spend at least one second 
  wondering if they’re right. 
  
   A victim of the town bullies has gotten strange 
  and mysterious powers and is taking revenge!  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  The Coward 
   
  They can’t keep you here if you don’t want 
  to be here. Roll +lumps. On a 7+, you can get 
  the heck out of here. You run with crazy 
  legs, you dig an escape route with your bare 
  hands, you smash a hole through the wall 
  with your silhouette, etc. 
  Your cowardice is legendary. No one trusts 
  you with authority. When another character 
  suggests that we split up, no one listens to 
  your objections and we all split up anyway. 
  
   Mysterious “fiction” book describes future 
  events. Is free will an illusion?  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  The Insider 
   
  Your knowledge of the truth has made 
  you a loner. 
  You can eavesdrop on any conversation, past 
  or present, even if you weren’t there, 
  because you have mysterious methods. Roll 
  +zany. On 10+, the Director reveals a scene 
  you hadn’t seen, and you may take +1 forward 
  to deal with this. On a 7-9, the Director 
  reveals a scene that’s dangerous, and if you 
  act on it, you take a lump. 
  Everyone is really creeped out by you. Also, 
  the Director can reveal the hint of some 
  catastrophe with portents that only you can 
  see, and you must deal with this problem or 
  lose this gimmick. 
  
   Busybody keeps trying to “protect” you from 
  danger, but they’re doing more harm than good!  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  The Protector 
   
  You have a sidekick. Make up a minor 
  character, like a kid sister, or a high-school 
  chum, or your idiot cousin, or even your 
  talking dog. When your sidekick is around, 
  and if they’re useful to the task at hand, you 
  can take +1 forward as they assist you. Your 
  sidekick is useless in violent confrontations 
  or grudge matches. 
  Your sidekick is also constantly getting into 
  trouble. They wander off, they get 
  kidnapped, they blurt secrets to your 
  parents, etc. (If your sidekick isn’t here to 
  help, you get no bonus.) Deal with these 
  problems or lose this gimmick. 
  
   Gas shortage! There’s rationing, black markets, 
  and most of all, no racing.  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  The Motorhead 
   
  Add +laughs to all vehicle rolls. If a roll 
  involves motorcycles, cars, trucks, or any 
  other kind of vehicle, you may take +laughs 
  forward as an extra bonus. You also get this 
  bonus to rolls to fix cars, to tune engines, or 
  anything else greasy, fast, and mechanical. 
  Motoring is your life. Your ride might get 
  threatened, or you may be in danger of 
  losing your license. Your motoring ways are 
  well known, and the authorities are always 
  looking for ways to give you more tickets. 
  
   Spoiled kid is throwing an awesome party. They 
  are unaware of the danger that’s coming 
  for them!  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  The Rich Brat 
   
  Spend all your laughs to demand that stuff 
  gets done. Throw a fit, yell at some adults, 
  then demand that a certain thing gets done. 
  Spend every single one of your current 
  laughs. For each laugh you spend, you take 
  +1 forward to all rolls to do this thing that 
  you said you’d do. 
  Other kids do not respect you. They may be 
  afraid of your parents, or they may want to 
  pull pranks at your expense. While adults are 
  always nice to you, most of them are 
  downright condescending. 
  
   You’ve stuck babysitting your obnoxious cousin.  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  The Little Kid 
   
   You meddle in places you don’t belong. You 
  can eavesdrop on any conversation, even if 
  you weren’t there, because your network 
  informs you. Roll +sharp. On 10+, the 
  Director reveals a scene you hadn’t seen, 
  and you may take +1 forward to deal with 
  this. On a 7-9, the Director reveals a scene 
  that’s dangerous, and if you act on it, you 
  take a lump. 
  Adults do not approve of you hanging out 
  with older kids. They don’t believe your 
  weird stories and they will punish you for 
  being outside way past your bedtime. 
  
   Oh no! It’s the ethnically-diverse non-
  denominational street gang!  
   
   
   
  Teen-Mystery Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  From the Wrong Side of 
  the Tracks 
   
  You block for other people. When a friend is 
  about to take a lump, roll +tough. On a 7-9, 
  you take the lump instead. On a 10+, nobody 
  takes the lump. 
  Everyone assumes the worst about you. 
  Authority figures blame you for crimes that 
  you didn’t do. 
  
   Rolling blackouts, that even drain batteries.  
   
   
   
  Horror Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  Practitioner of “Liberal Arts” 
   
  You can do magic! Say a bunch of fake Latin 
  words, wave your hands, call upon the 
  unknowable forces, and roll +zany. On 10+, 
  your weird thing happens, but it goes away a 
  minute later unless you spend a laugh. On 7-
  9, your weird thing happens but there’s some 
  unfortunate side effects, or maybe the forces 
  mishear you and give you something else. 
  Magic makes you weird. Complex machines 
  don’t work so great around you: cars break 
  down, computers crash, etc. People think 
  you’re weird, and they only talk to you when 
  they want help with weirdness. 
  
   This monster is actually a baby! We’d better 
  return it to its mother before something 
  bad happens!  
   
   
   
  Horror Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  “Adopted” 
   
  You have monster powers! To do a thing 
  with your monster powers, roll +zany. On 10+, 
  it gets the job done. On 7-9, there’s a compli-
  cation. (You freak out a local who attacks you 
  in horror; you exert yourself too hard and 
  take a lump; a nearby fish falls in love with 
  you, etc.) 
  No one ever takes you seriously. They’re 
  never scared by you, intimidated by you, or 
  even believe you when you say that you’re a 
  monster. Sometimes, your “real parents” 
  appear and make life difficult for you. 
  
   The grim hunter is here to stop your evil once 
  and for all. (Whether you’re evil or not.)  
   
   
   
  Horror Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  Occult Investigator 
   
  You can neutralize weirdness. If someone 
  tries to do something weird, say different 
  fake Latin words, pull some ancient tchotchke 
  out of your pocket and roll +zany. On 7-9, you 
  prevent the weird magic… this time. On 10+, 
  you might protect you and your friends. 
  No matter how hard you try to convince other 
  people that there’s some occult evil brewing, 
  the minor characters never believe you. Only 
  crazies, the desperate, and other occultists 
  ever believe you. 
  
   This journal, and that bulletin board with the 
  threads on it, is the key to everything. But what 
  does it mean?!  
   
   
   
  Horror Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  Gibbering Lunatic 
   
  You have lunatic insight. Roll +zany. On 10+, 
  ask the Director any question you want. and 
  the Director can give you any answer they 
  want, even if it’s not the correct answer. 
  Take +1 forward on all rolls to act on 
  that answer. 
  If the Director asks you to roll to avoid 
  becoming scared, frightened, bullied, or 
  otherwise mentally affected by a 
  supernatural horror, remind the Director that 
  you’re a gibbering lunatic, and then ignore 
  the mental effect. Physical effects work on 
  you just fine. 
  Other people treat you like the gibbering lunatic 
  that you are. When in character, you must 
  speak in a dissociated and manic manner. 
  
   Old college friend / drinking buddy / Craiglist 
  fling is in town, and they need your help to find 
  their missing friend or loved one.  
   
   
   
  Horror Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  The Seeker of Lost Ones 
   
  Spend all your laughs to help find your lost 
  ones. Once, during the game session, make a 
  passionate speech about your lost one. 
  (Recite a flashback to your salad days when 
  they were still in your life. Or hold up some 
  trinket and tell everyone what the memories 
  are.) The more you chew the scenery, the 
  better. The Director may award you a laugh 
  for this. 
  After your speech, spend every one of your 
  laughs. For each laugh you spend, you get +1 
  to all rolls made to recover your lost one. 
  When a clue appears to where your lost ones 
  are, you must drop everything to follow it. 
  
   You didn’t read the fine print in that end-user 
  agreement, and now it’s come back to 
  haunt you!  
   
   
   
  Cyberpunk Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  The ‘Leet Hacker 
   
  You are better with computers. Choose one: 
  • Take +3 back to a computer roll, then roll 
  +laughs, if you roll 7+, the laugh is spent, 
  otherwise it’s not.  
  • Before making a computer roll, spend a 
  laugh, and then roll two extra dice. 
  (We’re up to 4!) 
  You are on the most-wanted list. The 
  authorities are just waiting for you to slip up 
  so they can finally bust you. And other 
  hackers want to take you down a peg. 
  
   A mysterious telepath is invading your dreams! 
  They need the best help, but they’ll have to 
  settle for you.  
   
   
   
  Cyberpunk Gimmick 
  ! 
   
   
  The Esper 
   
  You knew this would happen. Before 
  somebody else makes a roll, roll +cool. On 
  7+, they take +1 forward on your next roll. On 
  6 or less, they take -1 forward on their next 
  roll. You can use this on people even if they 
  don’t want you to. 
  Psychic powers complicate your life. At any 
  time, the Director can hand you a laugh and 
  then make your life difficult. You could have 
  a dream that predicts some bad thing that 
  only you can stop. Or the mysterious 
  authorities could be trying to capture you 
  and cut out your brain. Deal with this or lose 
  this gimmick. 
  
   Death robot has faulty facial recognition 
  software, and they are targeting everyone on 
  your friend’s list.  
   
   
   
  Cyberpunk Gimmick 
  @ 
   
   
  Last Year’s Android 
   
  You’re a robot. Roll +zany. On a 10+, you do 
  some awesome robot stuff (extend your 
  arms, grab live power lines, take yourself 
  apart, etc.) On a 7-9, you almost pull off this 
  robot thing, but something goes awry, 
  usually in an embarrassing way. (Your arms 
  get stuck, you scramble your thoughts, you 
  put yourself back together wrong, etc.) 
  Being a robot complicates your life. At any 
  time, the Director can hand you a laugh and 
  bring up some robot-related problem. (Your 
  drivers need a system update; you’re treated 
  like a second-class citizen; you need an 
  expensive part, etc.) Deal with the problem 
  or lose this gimmick. 
  
   Oh no! It’s the ethnically-diverse non-
  denominational street gang of the future!  
   
   
   
  Cyberpunk Gimmick 
  # 
   
   
  The Street Hood 
   
  You’ve got connections and you’ve got stealth. 
  You can be anywhere and get audience with 
  anyone. When you’re not somewhere you 
  want to be, roll +sly. On a 7-9, you reveal 
  yourself as being here the whole time. (If 
  these people are hostile, this starts a 
  grudge.) On a 10+, you can show up, do a 
  thing, and disappear without starting 
  a grudge. 
  Being a criminal complicates your life. At any 
  time, the Director can hand you a laugh and 
  give you grief because you’re a crook. (The 
  police come looking for you; rival gang 
  members try to ice you; your loved ones beg 
  you to go straight, etc.) Deal with it or 
  lose this gimmick. 
  
   Your face is showing up in an embarrassing, 
  dank meme.  
   
   
   
  Cyberpunk Gimmick 
  $ 
   
   
  The Influencer 
   
  What, me worry? When something 
  humiliating would happen to you, roll +cool. 
  On a 7+, it doesn’t happen to you, but you 
  earn no laughs. On a 6, it happens to you, it 
  goes viral on social media, and now it’s all 
  anyone will talk about. 
  Being popular complicates your life. At any 
  time, the Director can hand you a laugh and 
  then something happens. (A company has 
  you under contract to endorse their 
  products; a crazed fan is stalking you; 
  someone is stealing your views, etc.) Deal 
  with it or lose this gimmick. 
  
   You’ve been summoned for jury duty. At the 
  worst possible time!  
   
   
   
  Cyberpunk Gimmick 
  % 
   
   
  The Private Eye 
   
  You’re hard boiled. When something bad 
  happens that might affect you, roll +cool. On 
  a 7-9, you can’t act again until someone else 
  does, first, but you are immune to all this 
  wickedness. On a 10+, tip your hat, ignore 
  this, and move on. 
  You’re a soft touch. People keep coming to 
  you for help, and you can’t turn down a good 
  sob story. 
  
   All your software updates at the same time.  
   
   
   
  Cyberpunk Gimmick 
  ^ 
   
   
  Former Company Drone 
   
  You have insider information. You can 
  eavesdrop on any conversation, past or 
  present, even if you weren’t there, because 
  you have mysterious methods. Roll +zany. On 
  10+, the Director reveals a scene you hadn’t 
  seen, and you may take +1 forward to deal 
  with this. On a 7-9, the Director reveals a 
  scene that’s dangerous, and if you act on it, 
  you take a lump. 
  Your former employers complicate your life. 
  At any time, the Director can hand you a 
  laugh and something bad happens. (Agents 
  rob your house, send thugs to rough you up, 
  smear your reputation, etc.) Deal with it or 
  lose this gimmick. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Madcap (PbtA)/Madcap - Cards.pdf