4 November 2106: Pasion de las Pasiones

4 November 2016: 4pm: Pasion de los Pasiones

This was an early playtest of the game. It's a PbtA game, and we chose playbooks for the telenovela stereotypes we were playing.

• GM: Brendan: He also played La Abuela: Amalia. La Abuela is the grandmother.
• Joe Zantek: Pirate: Felisia, aka Captain Ventura, who had dark green eyes.
• Joshua Kronengold: El Caballero: Miguel Domingo. El Caballero is he dashing, heroic type. In this case, an honest cop.
• Jeff: El Jefe: Generalisimo Federico. My notes mention wide shadows, unsurprisingly, as El Jefe is the heavy, the boss, as like as not to be the villain.
• Jason: La Dona: Graciela: The Matriarch. She had a cheetah named Scar (or perhaps a scar and a cheetah).
• Me: El Vivador: Diego Rafael Sebastian: The Playboy. Also, El Caballero's twin.
• ???: La Empleada: Reine Pobre Mosteantonio: The maid or other employee. A small, shrunken woman with streaked hair and sunglasses.

GM: There's a surprising amount of pirates in telenovelas, regardless of when they're set. (Felisia's player chooses the submarine option for the pirate.) You'd be surprised how many pirates suddenly turn out to have submarines.

The game was statless. Each playbook had questions, I think, and my notes say: "each move 2 questions & playbook".

We created a relationship map of the characters.

• Generalisimo Federico was married to Dona Garcia.
• Felisia was their daughter.
• Reine Pobre worked for Felisia Ventura (and her parents).
• Amalia was the abuela of Diego and Miguel

The conceit was that these were all characters on a telenovela with an audience played collectively by all of us. The show had been running for 2 years without any breaks and we were about to play out the season finale. Just but just looking at the most recent episode or 2:

• Amalia & Miguel had a heart to heart talk which brought them closer together. He mentioned a girl he was interested in, but didn't say her name.
• Generalisimo Federico put Miguel into a coma and Miguel had just woken up.
• Felisia tricked Miguel into thinking she was in love with him -- and maybe she was starting to be.
• Reina Pobre (which means "poor queen") had a flush of romance with Amalia.
• It was finally revealed to Felisia that Graciela had her lover killed; i.e., Reina Pobre overheard.
• Someone (I can't tell whom from my notes) was screwing with Diego and almost caught the playboy dead to rights while committing a crime.
• Generalisimo Federico killed the mayor and took control.
• Graciela took advantage of Amalia's trust and advised her that the woman Diego was engaged to was no good for him (I'm wondering if that should be Miguel instead of Diego).
• Miguel got into a big fight with Diego over his dealings with "the bad family" -- Diablo / de los Santos.
• Miguel was convinced Felisia was in love with him and revealed that he knows she's a pirate.

Diego woke up surprised, confused, and half dressed on Felisia's submarine.

My notes say, I think about Generalissimo Federico's shooting of the mayor:

Did anyone see you?

Did we see the Mayor's dead body?

....no.... just the smoking gun.

Miguel was on Amalia's sailboat, as it was obviously too dangerous for Miguel in the hospital. The actress playing Amalia was definitely not old enough to be playing La Abuela.

A masked Felisia flirted with Diego, who was happy to flirt back. They kissed passionately as Felisia stole Diego's cell phone, which, of course, had all of his appointments in it. Reina Pobre held a compress to Diego's head so he didn't bleed out while kissing Felisia.

We figured that the Generalisimo's boys had been trying to get Miguel, but Amalia got him out of the hospital -- so they got Diego instead, which was how he wound up rescued / kidnapped by Felisia. Diego had been on his way to visit Miguel -- the one time he was being a good boy...

Obviously, then, the generalissimo's next move was to kill both brothers, preferably when they were together. He discussed this with Graciela.

Graciela put on power sunglasses and _looked_ at the camera.

Graciela: Don't worry -- I've got this under control.

One of the Generalissimo's Men (seeing the cheetah): Gato Grande!

Graciela: Oh don't worry. Princess isn't going to hurt you. He's used to more fine dining.

Graciela arranged to plant something on Felisia to make her think that Miguel had betrayed her deeply. Say, a VHS tape of Miguel in flagrante with someone Felisia was jealous of. (Mind, it might have actually been a tape of Diego. I'm not sure.)

Amalia visited Diablo Mansion in order to meet with Graciela. Naturally, La Abuela was wearing a nice little grandma dressup dress. Graciela greeted the older woman with a hug, and we briefly played the audience reaction.

Audience Abuela: You see -- she hugs her abuela.

Audience Daughter-of-Abuela: Mama, that's not even _her_ abuela!

Audience Abuela: It doesn't matter -- she hugs her abuela!

PCs, you see, get experience when the audience reacts in certain ways to them, ways that are specific and different for each playbook.

Amalia: Miguel has taken quite an interest in your Felisia.

Graciela: Why would he do that?

Amalia: I'm sure I don't know.

The two women were in agreement that this was an undesirable situation.

Felisia blindfolded Diego to let him go. We had a quick flashback of Diego playing round in Felisia's submarine, seeing the tape. He took it, unaware that Felisia was watching him.

On his release, Diego went to Amalia's yacht, where he spoke with Miguel.

Diego: Capitan Ventura obviously kidnapped me out of love!

Cut to --

Generalissimo Federico: They're in the same place? Kill them!

Cut back to the brothers on the yacht.

Miguel: But Diego! _I_ sent Capitan Ventura to save you!

Diego: Oh! (pause) Maybe she loves me anyway!

Audience Teenage Girl: _I_ love you!

Reina Pobre warned Graciela that Diego had taken the tape she'd planted on Felisia.

Graciela (taking down Reina's hair and removing her glasses): Reina -- you're a beautiful girl. And it would be a shame if anything happened to your face. I don't like it when people fail me. Get me the tape back.

Audience Mother: See -- she _is_ beautiful! Graciela's right!

Audience Teenage Girl: Mom, she's [i.e., Graciela] straight up evil!

Graciela and Federico were reminiscing. I forget who said which line:

And I threw her off balcony.

That was when I knew I loved you! Don't worry, my love -- the problem will be solved soon -- with blood!

Cortez, who worked for the generalissimo, led the attack. Miguel and Diego each tried to get the other to take the life raft.

Diego: You are still wounded!

Miguel: A man must do what a man must do!

Diego: I could never look Abuela in the eye again!

Teenage Girl Contingent of the Audience (about Diego): You see -- he's good at heart! He's so brave! He's going to get himself killed!

Josh: I think he [i.e., Miguel] conks Diego on the head and gets him out of the boat.

Miguel was using a move called Taking a Stand, and the important variables there were:

• He was being honest and straightforward.
• He was breaking the law.
• He was saving Diego.

So, Miguel got his brother out of the boat and onto a raft, and he also survived the attack.

Either Graciela or Generalissimo Federico: I understand, Cortez. He is a difficult opponent.

<BAM>

I believe that was the sound of Cortez being shot.

Meanwhile, the boating community got together. Why yes, everyone had yachts. Why on earth do you ask? Why wouldn't they?

Miguel confronted Felisia.

Miguel: It's time to come clean -- and time for _you_ to make a choice!

And her player decided that Felisia was not evil after all. She did love Miguel!

Miguel: I must tell you I know you are -- (dramatic pause) -- Ventura -- and thank you for saving my brother's life! I do not care which of us you love -- but know that I love you!

And Josh rolled a 9 on the Move: Express Desire. Miguel and Felisia kissed!

And I think Felisia stole the keys to the jail cells so that she could get her gang out of jail. (This may have been 5 weeks ago, or it may have been 5 weeks ago that they got arrested.)

Reina Pobre swam behind Diego's raft, pulled herself aboard, and cradled Diego's head. Eventually, the two made it to the shore.

GM: So Diego's definitely soaking wet -- even though he never got into the water.

Reina changed out of wet dress into a surprisingly slinky underdress. She tried to impress upon Diego the importance of the VHS tape.

Reina: But if it does not go to Felisia, all is lost!

Diego: I do not understand -- but you are beautiful!

Reina got shy and demure.

Diego: Would it make you happy if I were to give it back to Graciela?

Reina: Oh yes!

Diego: Then I will do this!

He caressed her cheek. She fainted.

Meanwhile, Graciela and Federico came to a realization: We will have to kill our daughter!

Amalia and Graciela met at the club. What club? Oh, The Club, you know. Amalia had a flask.

Graciela: Give me some of that -- it's been that sort of day.

Amalia did. Graciela explained the problem Felisia had, specifically, that there would be an attempt on her life.

Graciela: Do I tell her? She does not known what is coming for her.

Amalia (in full Abeula mode): There is politics and there is family -- and we must take care of our family.

Graciela: I think it is time for Felisia to sail far, far away. To safer shores.

Amalia found Reina Pobre, who, as you might recall, was secretly in love with her.

Amalia (to Reina): I need you to do something for me.

Reina: Anything.

Amalia: Bring Federico behind the restaurant and I will bring Miguel.

Reina did, and Amalia presided over the table as Miguel and Federico sat down to talk it out.

Miguel protested vociferously. After all, Federico had killed the mayor!

Amalia: I do not care if the mayor is killed! I care about my family!

The two men agreed, grudgingly, to a truce. However, Miguel was disgusted by this and went to Felisia.

Miguel: Come with me to somewhere else!

Felisia agreed. I asked about cutting to the B Problem / Plot, and Felisia's player agreed. So, Felisia and Miguel sailed away together, which represented Miguel's climax -- El Caballero deciding it's time to leave.

I was trying to aim for my own, El Vivador turning out to be not so shallow. I figured he was plotting to help his family, but we didn't quite get there. Instead, Generalissimo Federico's showed up at Diego's home, pointing a gun at him.

At this point, we were out of time, so we agreed that there were several ways that scene could go, but that would have to wait for Next Week on...

We discussed the game, and the GM / Author said that it was currently intended as a one shot. Since then, I've played the game two more times and bought the ashcan, which focuses on single episode play as well, though I think he's working on serial / campaign play for the full game. It's loosening up PbtA, paring down the already not complicated rules. I'm very much looking forward to the full version of this.