Kickstarter (12 hours to go! Ends at 12:12 EST Saturday! 908% Funded!) Pink Cloud: The world's first 12-Step Roleplaying Game

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Two more Bogeymen...or rather, Bogeywomen, from our Pink Cloud RPG (kickstarter link).

In the Big Book of 1939, Dr. Bob metaphorically encounters the ancient monsters known as Scylla and Charybdis; who, according to Greek myth, harass either side of the Strait of Messina which separates the toe of Italy's "boot" from the isle of Sicily. In Dr. Bob's case, these inner Bogeys tormented his stomach and nerves. In the New Land, your Fellowship can scuffle with them directly!

"I was between Scylla and Charybdis now, because if I did not drink my stomach tortured me, and if I did my nerves did the same thing."

—The Big Book, Doctor Bob's Nightmare, p.175 (link)​

Here's an illustration from the Pink Cloud big book:

 

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The cover of Pink Cloud is closely modeled on the 1939 first edition "circus cover" of the Big Book.

 

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Another undead Bogeyman from the Pink Cloud kickstarter...the Bleeding Deacon:

“Let's turn again to the deposed founder and his friends? What becomes of them? As their grief and anxiety wear away, a subtle change begins. Ultimately, they divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as ‘elder statesmen’ and ‘bleeding deacons.’ [...] The bleeding deacon is one who is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him, who constantly connives for reelection to office, and who continues to be consumed with self-pity.”

—The 12&12, Tradition Two, p.135​

 

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A cutaway side-view of the New Land, from the Pink Cloud kickstarter:

 

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Today our Pink Cloud (kickstarter link) is spotlighted in the ENWorld podcast! Here's a link to the show. The Pink Cloud segment is from 52min20sec to 55min56sec. The podcast takes the form of a gameshow, where the participants try to guess what the featured games are about, from only hearing the title!

Here's transcript:

(About the podcast participants: Russ Morrissey is the founder of the British gaming news and publishing company ENWorld, Peter Coffey is co-host, and Shane Stacks, the founder of ShanePlays.com, is the guest. Thanks to Morrus, Peter, and Shane for the fun podcast!)


RUSS MORRISSEY: So, we are now back to: Mr. Shane Stacks, the Crab. [Shane's superhero character.]

SHANE STACKS: The Crab, who scuttles for justice.

RUSS: So, Shane, what is…Pink Cloud?

SHANE: Okay, I have to…I'm going to pass this one to Peter, if that's okay. Because I got an email about this one from either the creator or a marketing person.

RUSS: Oh okay. You want to take this one Peter? And then Shane can do the next one. Okay. Pink. Cloud.

PETER COFFEY: I…I am sort of hoping it is a…erm…an off-brand knock-off of the "Monkey Magic" tv show…er…where you got a Monkey, Sandy, Pigsy, Tripitaka, and all the rest, like, just chilling around, in sort of a bad 70s or 80s tv show. And the Pink Cloud is what Monkey uses to go…scootin' around on.

[Explanatory wikipedia articles!]:

"Monkey Magic" tv series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_(TV_series)

Monkey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_King

Sandy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sha_Wujing

Pigsy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Bajie

Tripitaka: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Sanzang


RUSS: Okay. No.

SHANE: Yeah, this one's hard. Because it's…

RUSS: Yeah, I'd be amazed if you got this because it's…

PETER: Yeah, I'd be pretty lucky.

RUSS: This is a gameable version of the Twelve Step Program.

PETER: As in…Alcoholics Anonymous?

RUSS: Yeah, that's not the only 12-Step program; but yeah, that is an example of what…yeah. So, it's set in a fantasy world. You're part of the Fellowship of the Pink Cloud. Yeah…I'm reading this as I'm trying to understand this as I do it:

"You're invited to grab a Recovery buddy and step into the New Land, a new world of fascinating adventure!"

(Huh!)

SHANE: Yeah, it's a…like the email I got on it is from Travis Henry, from Twelve…fold Works Publishing. And the subject was: "Pink Cloud: The World's First 12-Step Recovery Roleplaying Game."

(Hmm!)

SHANE: And it's…it's pretty interesting because in the email it lists ENWorld's Spotlight.

(Hmm!)

SHANE: And ENWorld said: "This game promises an experience which I think will be unique for many: an RPG based around a gameable version of the 12-Step program."

SHANE: So, I think this is actually pretty smart. Because I keep hearing how therapy and different types of programs are using tabletop roleplaying.

(Huh!)

SHANE: So, to actually put an experience around a proven program…the 12-Step Recovery program has helped a lot of people.

(Hmm.)

SHANE: To put a roleplaying experience around it, I think is pretty smart. So, very interesting.

RUSS: Hmm! Okay!

SHANE: If you guys would be interested in…I don't know if you're…I could put you in touch with the creator if y'all wanted to talk to him. But I don't know if y'all would even have time, before the Kickstarter ended.

RUSS: Yeah, we're usually booked up for like a month in advance. It's too late for that now.

(Yeah.)

RUSS: So, that leaves one to go, and this is for Shane then. So this one is called…are you ready?

SHANE: Yeah, what was Peter's score on that one?

RUSS: Oh sorry. Peter's score on that one…well I can't remember what he said now! What'd he say? (laughter) He definitely didn’t say that though! (laughter)

SHANE: He said NOT what the game was!

RUSS: He didn't say that. So I don't think he scored anythin'. (laughter)

PETER: Hey, hey look. I…I got the spirit of it. Because if you look at Journey to the West, it's all someone who has a real "oppositional defiance disorder."

Journey to the West - Wikipedia

(Yeah.)

PETER: And how they're constantly acting out. And how they're helped with…to…Recovery, with the aid of someone else. So, it may work. Spiritually, I was bang on.

RUSS: Yeeeaaaah.

(laughter)

SHANE: hmm…er…hmm…

RUSS: Wow. That was some blagging there. I don't think so.

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Blagging

PETER: This is why I can't play narrative games. (laughter) This reflexive blagging…it just…just…yeah. (laughter)

 

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I set out to map a fantastic world shaped entirely from 12-Step Recovery motifs. The result: the New Land Poster Map, available through the Pink Cloud kickstarter:

 

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The Character Concept

In Pink Cloud (link to Kickstarter), instead of D&D's "race" and "class," each Character has a Character Concept, composed of an Adjective and a Noun. (See the Character Sheet earlier in this thread.)

For example, these are Character Concepts which players have made for Pink Cloud playtests:

Gallant Bohemian
Longtime Cook
Creative Instigator
Positive Therapist
Confused Bear (Customarily, a player plays their ordinary self. Yet this player chose to represent themselves as a talking bear, and we ran with it. No problem.)
Gentle Rebel
Friendly Painter

If you describe, in a feasible or entertaining way, how you're going to attempt to use your Adjective or Noun during a Resolution Roll, you gain a +1 Boon on the roll; or +2 if you use both your Adjective and your Noun.

 

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The Higher-Powered Artifact

Like in the 1980s Cartoon Show of yore, in Pink Cloud (link to Kickstarter), the players are themselves spiritually catapulted to another dimension. In Pink Cloud, players play themselves...an alter ego of their earthly self.

Each Player Character finds themselves in the New Land with an Artifact: an object which has a thematic power, and which glows with an energy color, and which is gifted to them by a Higher Power of their own conception. The Artifact is a Character's primary, first Asset. When used, it grants Advantage (roll two D12 and take the highest).

The players design their own Artifact. Here are some examples from the Pink Cloud playtests:

Spatula of Iron Will. Energy Glow: Green. "A gift of my Higher Power, who I choose to call Jacques Pépin, Master Chef."
Rod of Enabling. Energy Glow: Violet. "A gift of my Higher Power, who I choose to call Tabaldak, Abenaki Creator."
Book of Infinite Wisdom. Energy Glow: Blue Mist. "A gift of my Higher Power, who I choose to call Love."
Tree of Neverending Tasty Chocolate. Energy Glow: Honey Gold. "A gift of my Higher Power, who I choose to call Rodney, Circus Zoo Master."
Flying Carpet. Energy Glow: Turquoise. "A gift of my Higher Power, who I choose to call Universal Spirit of Love."

 

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The Playtest Report from last night: Update 7: Playtest Report + Sample Character Concepts + Higher-Powered Artifacts · Pink Cloud: An Adventure Game for Friends of Bill

 

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An illustration of the blue world sphere of the New Land floating in the vortex of the Fourth Dimension, from the Pink Cloud Kickstarter. The Fourth Dimension is kind of like hyperspace, warp speed, and a time vortex all rolled into one. That's how Player Characters get from Earth to the New Land.

"I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence."​

—The Big Book (1939), Bill's Story, p.8​