ChaosTheoryRPG.github.io

Chaos Theory RPG

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE AMONG THE FIRST people in the world to take part in a new kind of theme park attraction: a guided vehicle tour featuring real, live, cloned dinosaurs! Some of you may be Over-Qualified Experts, others, Businesslike Professionals; some of you may even be Literal Children, or else Underpaid Park Staff. Whoever you are, we are looking for your honest opinion about our park, and… if we’ve earned it, a glowing endorsement!

Welcome… to Dinosaur Island Park!

CHAOS THEORY RPG (v1.0) by Ender Smith, Aubrey Dangel, & Julia Rutledge is a Jurassic Park-inspired homebrew for LASERS & FEELINGS: THE DOUBLECLICKS TRIBUTE RPG (v1.2) by John Harper, whom you can support on Patreon. Both games are licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

Downloads

• Chaos Theory RPG - One-Page, Printable (PDF)
• Chaos Theory RPG - Pagified, Mobile-Friendly (PDF)
• Chaos Theory RPG - Pagified Images, Social-Media-Friendly (PNG)
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Rules

(The core ruleset is taken pretty directly from LASERS & FEELINGS (v1.2) by John Harper, whom you should seriously consider supporting on Patreon.)

PLAYERS: CREATE CHARACTERS

1. Choose a style for your character:
   • Enthusiastic
   • Rock-Star
   • Greedy
   • Adventurous
   • Nerdy
   • Jaded
   • Skeptical
2. Choose a role for your character:
   • Park Staff
   • Lab Technician
   • Big Game Hunter
   • Paleo-Expert
   • Philosophiser
   • Suit
   • Kid
3. Choose your number, from 2 to 5. A low number means you’re better at CHAOS (intuition; survival; speeches; quick thinking; wild, passionate action). A high number means you’re better at THEORY (science; technology; rationality; planning; calm, precise action).
4. Give your character a cool dinosaur adventure name.

You have:

• a radio, that works most of the time
• a park map, whose accuracy is in doubt
• an instant camera, with limited film
• a park badge, which should let you through some doors
• a flashlight, with new-ish batteries

Player goal:

Get your character involved in some crazy dino survival adventures and try to make the best of them.

Character goal:

Choose one or create your own:

• See Dinos Up Close
• Kill Dinos
• Enjoy Your Vacation
• Finish Your Research
• Prove You Were Right
• Find a Way to Market This

PLAYERS: CREATE THE TOUR VEHICLE

As a group, pick two strengths for your Tour Vehicle:

• Fast
• Tight Turns
• Strong
• Well-Stocked
• Well-Armed
• All-Terrain
• Amphibious

Also pick one problem:

• Fuel Hog (always runs out of gas)
• Used First-Aid Kit (just like, a few bandaids and a tongue-depressor)
• Faulty Ignition (doesn’t always start up the first time)

ROLLING THE DICE

When you do something risky, roll 1d6 to find out how it goes. Roll +1d if you’re prepared and +1d if you’re an expert. (The GM tells you how many dice to roll based on your character and the situation.) Roll your dice and compare each die result to your number.

⤊ - If you’re using CHAOS (survival, passion), you want to roll above your number.

⤋ - If you’re using THEORY (planning, reason), you want to roll below your number.

0 - If none of your dice succeed, it goes wrong. The GM says how things get worse somehow.

1 - If one die succeeds, you barely manage it. The GM inflicts a complication, harm, or cost.

2 - If two dice succeed, you do it well. Good job!

3 - If three dice succeed, you get a critical success! The GM tells you some extra effect you get.

! - If you roll your number exactly, you get CHAOS THEORY! You get a special insight into what’s going on. Ask the GM a question, and they’ll answer you honestly. Some good questions:

• What should I be on the lookout for?
• What’s the best way to ____?
• What/who caused this?

You can change your action if you want to, then roll again.

Helping:

If you want to help someone else who’s rolling, say how you try to help them, and make a roll. If you succeed, give them +1d.

GM: CREATE A DINO ADVENTURE

Roll or choose from the following story points:

A BAD ACTOR…

1. Dr. Elm, lead geneticist
2. Lee Lewis, CEO’s sibling
3. Lane Geyek, programmer
4. Billie Guin, dino wrangler
5. Jordan Teague, janitor
6. Chef LeSar, head chef

SECRETLY WANTS TO…

1. Steal Dino Embryos
2. Cover Up a Security Flaw
3. Make the Tour Interesting
4. Rescue the Dinos
5. Win a Bet
6. Get the Day Off

BUT THEY ACCIDENTALLY…

1. Turn Off the Power
2. Open the T-Rex’s Pen
3. Teach the Raptors to Open Cages, Doors, & Jars
4. Create Super Hybrid Dinos
5. Kidnap a Baby T-Rex
6. Cause a Stampede of Brontosauruses

WHICH WILL GET EVERYONE KILLED UNLESS YOU…

1. Escape Via the Helipad
2. Escape Via the Boats
3. Get the Dinos to Fight
4. Signal from Radio Tower
5. Stay Hidden Till Daylight
6. Bring Down Their Leader

GM: RUN THE GAME

Play to find out how they survive. Introduce the danger first with evidence that something has gone wrong, then at a distance, and then right up close. Before a threat attacks the characters, show signs that it’s about to happen, then ask them what they do. “The Tyranosaurus Rex turns when it sees the flashlight moving, putting its eye level with the Tour Vehicle. What do you do?”

Call for a roll when the situation is uncertain. Use failures to move action forward. The situation always changes after a roll, for good or ill.

Ask questions and build on the answers.

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