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{\LARGE\bf Murder on the Starlight Express} \\

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{\Large\bf A One Night Murder-Mystery Assassin Game} \\

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{\LARGE\bf Basic Rules} \\
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{\bf Murder on the Starlight Express} is an {\em experimental} assassin
game.  That means that these are very non standard rules, so even
experienced players should read them carefully.  As usual, you are
responsible for knowing these rules.  Please note that many of them are
impossible to enforce, so the game relies heavily upon the honor system.
Playing loopholes in these rules is not permitted.  Many of these rules
have never been tried before, so there are doubtlessly some mistakes in
them.  In the end, the GM is the one who decides whether or not you are
playing fair, and we reserve the right to violate the letter of the
rules in order to preserve their spirit.  Above all, the gamesmasters
wish to remind you that this is only a game.  Remember, it's supposed to
be fun.  If you have any doubts about our interpretation, talk it over
with us in advance.  {\bf ALL GM RULINGS ARE FINAL, REGARDLESS OF WHAT
THE RULES SAY.} We reserve the right to expel from the game anyone whom
we believe to be violating the spirit of the rules or the game.

This game is copyright (c) 1991 by Jennifer Catelli, Charles Hope,
David Oh, and Francis Zane and is written under the auspices of the
MIT Assassins' Guild with all the commitments that entails.  All
rights reserved.

\mbox{ } \hrulefill \mbox{ }

\section{Character Packet} You should have received the following
things in your packet.  If you are missing anything or find something
which doesn't seem to belong to you, see a GM.  In general, if you are
confused about anything, see a GM.

\begin{itemize}

\item {\bf Character Profile} This tells you who you are.  This may
never be shown to anyone.

\item {\bf Scenario} This tells you what is generally going on around
here.  It also may never be shown to anyone.

\item {\bf Map} This is a map of the ship.  This represents your
character's knowledge of the layout of the ship, and is not an in-game
item.  Different people may have different maps, so it may never be
shown to anyone.

\item {\bf Button} A colored button shows that you are playing in the game.
You must wear it visibly at all times.

\item {\bf Ability Cards} These are 4x6 index cards explaining the mechanics
of an ability.  Those mechanics may supersede these rules.  Ability
cards are only meant to be a reminder of what skills you have.  {\bf YOU
MAY NEVER ACTUALLY SHOW THEM TO ANOTHER PLAYER.} To use them, do what it
says to do on the card. 

\item {\bf Items} These may be physical items, or 3x5 index cards with a
description of the object.  An index card with a colored dot on it
symbolizes a bulky item that cannot be concealed.  You cannot carry more
than one bulky item at a time.

\item {\bf Manila Envelopes} These are memory packets.  They have
instructions on when to open them.  If you see/hear a number/description
that is on one of these small envelopes, then open the envelope.  {\bf
Manila envelopes are not game items.} You may not take any action based
on the knowledge that you have these envelopes.

\end{itemize}

\section{Non-Players and Ghosts} 

\subsection{Non-Players} {\bf Don't piss them off!} The Guild has
reserved some of the relevant rooms in buildings 34, 36, and 24, but
others are not reservable.  Players should be careful, because there may
be non-players around.  Non-players should not see anything, such as a
gun or an item card, which would allow them to guess that you are
anything more than a regular person.  If you have a gun out, {\bf put it
away}.  If someone asks you what you are doing, tell them you are
playing a game with the MIT Assassin's Guild. If they persist, direct
them to a GM in 34-101.

If you are alone, or in a small group of normal looking people (no guns
out or anything like that) and you see a non-player, just act normal and
walk past him.  Don't stop; if you're standing still, someone who
doesn't realize that the non-player is there may jump out and try to
shoot you.  Just try and clear the area at a walking pace.

If you see a non-player while in combat, or if there are other players
nearby who don't realize that an NPC is there, you should immediately
call ``Non Player Halt!''  loud enough for everyone nearby to hear it.
This will halt all game action in the area.  During a halt {\bf NO}
action may take place in the area of the halt.  No one can shoot or be
shot, move, talk, or reload.  No action outside the area of the halt can
affect anything within the area of the halt.

Once the non-player has left the area, play may begin again.  Someone
who sees the non-player leave should call ``Resume'' loudly enough for
everyone in the area to hear it.  Play should not resume until all
players are ready.  If things are crowded it is a good idea to have one
player count down, calling ``3, 2, 1, Resume'' so that everyone knows
exactly when play starts.

Use common sense.  This is an experiment, and people around here may not
be used to seeing assassin players.  We want to be able to do this
again, so be careful.

\subsection{Ghosts} When you are unsure whether someone is a non-player
or a ghost, assume they are a non-player.  All GM-recognized ghosts will
be required to wear a colored headband when in the area.  Anyone who
wants to be a ghost should contact the GMs first, and learn the rules.

\section{Items and Information} Remember the difference between reality
and game reality. This game does {\bf not} give you the right to
actually do anything normally prohibited.  If you are caught doing
something illegal, the Guild is not responsible and will not protect
you.  You have been warned.

Items can be carried with you or hidden anywhere in the playing area.
If you find an item or item card sitting around, you can take it.  It's
yours.

If you want to steal a real item which probably exists in game, put a
small sign on it saying ``STOLEN'' and contact a GM, who will give you a
game item to represent the real item.

Searching a body takes as long as it takes for the victim to pull the
stuff out of his pockets and hand it to you.  Victims, be good sports
and do this as quickly as possible.  If you are interrupted by an NPC,
call an NPC halt, put away guns, and wait for them to leave.

\section{Weapons} Several restrictions apply to {\bf any} weapon.  It
must be fairly small, no bigger than a handgun.  It must not look
excessively realistic.  It must actually simulate what it does; all guns
must shoot something, poisons must taste bad, and so on.  It must cause
no real damage, either to people or property. Any accidental damage must
be repaired at the victim's convenience and the offender's expense.

In this game, the following weapons are simulated by the following
items:

\begin{itemize}

\item {\bf Guns} are simulated by toy dart and disk guns.  Water guns
and guns shooting hard pellets are not legal.  Soft pellet guns are.
All guns can have at most {\bf 10 shots}.  Do not load more than 10
shots into your gun at any time.

\item {\bf Poisons} are simulated by anything that makes food taste
wrong (salt, for example) or items feel wrong (vaseline).  The poison
must be noticed by the victim (subject to GM override) for it to take
effect.  All poisons are assumed to kill instantaneously.  Contact
poisons are only effective against bare skin.  You are immune to
accidently poisoning yourself with your own poison while setting a trap,
but this doesn't mean you can smear vaseline all over your bare palm and
shake hands with the intended victim.  Be reasonable.

\item {\bf Bombs} have two components the explosive and a trigger.  You
must have an item card for the explosive.  The explosive itself is
represented by play dough, or a box labeled ``BOMB'' in big letters.
The triggering device can be anything real that makes a noise or lights
up to signify the explosion.  If it doesn't go off for some reason, then
the bomb didn't go off.  The blast radius of a bomb is variable
depending on how much explosive is used and the topography of the room.
Those who need to know about explosives will.  Please note that
explosives are {\bf loud} and draw attention.  Anyone can put a bomb
together, but {\bf safely} taking one apart requires the ``Defuse Bomb''
ability.  An armed bomb will explode if you try to move it.  You may not
turn off a bomb simply by turning off the real world timer.

\item {\bf Knives and Other Melee Weapons} should be made out something
soft (boffers are available from the Guild), and should be used gently.
All weapons have a martial combat rating; see ``martial combat'' below for
more details.  Knives are simulated by rubber knives or boffers with
tape wrapped around one end.  The tape must be visible; if you are
hiding the tape with your hand, you are hitting them with the hilt (a
club) and not the blade!  Talk to a gm if you wish to improvise a weapon
of some sort.

\item {\bf Thrown Knives} are simulated by ping pong balls.  If someone hits
you with one, the effect is basically the same as if you have been hit
in the same location by a bullet.
\end{itemize}

All weapons require items cards before they can be used.  If you think
you should have a weapon and don't, contact a GM.

\section{Combat} Combat may occur anywhere in the playing area any time
during game action when NPC's are not present.  The only exceptions are
the bathrooms.  You can not be shot in a bathroom, and you can {\bf not}
stash items there, take shelter there, take a short ``breather'' there, or
even enter one unless you are using it.  Being killed going in or out of
one is ok, so be on your guard.  Do not, under any circumstances, enter
a bathroom for the opposite sex.  There are three types of combat.

\subsection{Ranged combat} is simple.  Take out your gun or throwing
knife, and fire or throw it.  The damage caused by a hit roughly
simulates reality.  A hit in the arm or leg destroys the functionality
of the location hit.  If hit in the arm, you must drop anything you are
holding {\em in either arm}.  You may no longer carry anything with that
arm.  Note that this means that you cannot carry bulky objects.  If hit
in the leg, you have to hop or crawl.  If hit in the head or torso, you
are down and unconscious, and {\bf must} fall down, and drop any items
you are holding.  {\bf Head and torso shots are always equivalent.} If
you are shot once in the head or torso, you immediately fall unconscious
and will die ten minutes later unless you receive some form of medical
help.  If you are shot multiple times in the head or torso, you die
immediately.  Being hit in a limb will not kill you or knock you
unconscious.

\subsection{Martial Combat} All martial combat weapons have a single
digit rating of some type.  Some commonly known ratings are:

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|}
\hline
Bare handed/Gun: 1 & Club: 2 & Knife or Dagger: 3 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

Clubs can be improvised from many things, like chairs and table legs.
Talk to a GM {\bf before} combat breaks out to see about picking one up.
Once you are in combat, it's too late.

Note that some special abilities may modify martial combat ratings.

To attack someone with a weapon, you must have it drawn.  To draw it,
pull it out of your pocket, belt, or backpack and make a ``wishhhit'' or
``whoosh'' shound.  You may keep a weapon drawn all the time, but you can
have only {\bf one} weapon drawn at a time, including your gun, and
other players are expected to role play accordingly.

Attacks are done by coming within someone's ``zone of control'' and
saying ``Martial Attack [rating].''  Zone of control is defined as
follows: if you and the other person can reach out your hands and touch
each other, you are within martial attack range.  If the other player
says ``Martial Defense [rating]'' within 2 seconds of the attack, he
gets his normal rating; otherwise, his rating is 0.  The person with the
lower number is knocked unconscious for {\em ten minutes}.  If the
numbers are equal, both sides are unharmed and are free to run away or
draw bigger weapons and attack again.  Once the attacker has finished
saying ``Martial Attack [rating]'', neither the attacker nor the
defender can draw any weapons, including guns, nor may they fire guns,
until the attack is over.  The defender may draw a weapon and/or shoot
the attacker while the attacker is saying ``Martial Attack [rating].''
The attacker may not draw a weapon while saying ``Martial Attack
[rating]'' (if for no other reason than that it is physically impossible
to say ``whoosh'' while saying ``Martial Attack [rating].'')

In the two seconds after the attacker says ``Martial Attack [rating]''
the only thing the defender may do is respond with ``Martial Defense
[rating].''  If the defender doesn't reply within 2 seconds, he is knocked
unconscious, and the attacker can feel free to move on to another target
or to dodge bullets or to leave the area, or to take any other game
action he cares to.

Several players may attack as a single person at once, so long as they
are all within the same zone of control.  When one person says,
``martial attack [rating]'', anyone who says ``martial attack [rating]''
before the defender says, ``martial defense [rating]'' can add their rating
to the attack.  Anyone who doesn't say it in time cannot join that round
of martial attack.

\subsection{Disarming Opponents} If you notice someone attacking you
with a ranged weapon and standing in your zone of control, you may
disarm him by immediately declaring ``Disarm.''  You cannot disarm
someone who is directly behind you.  Otherwise, disarming works
automatically, but if the attacker gets off a shot before you start to
say ``Disarm'' then you have been shot.

\subsection{Killing Helpless Victims} You may perform a Killing Blow on
anyone who is within your Zone of Control and completely at your mercy.
The person must be helpless; unconsciousness is preferable but being
totally tied up will do.  You must be within Zone of Control and free to
hit them.  Say "Killing Blow" towards them.  Anyone who is withing Zone
of Control of you {\em or} Zone of Control of your victim may stop you
by saying "No" or "I stop you" or anything indicating resistance within
two seconds.  If nothing stops you, you have killed the person.  You are
assumed to have broken their neck unless you say otherwise, eg "Killing
Blow --- I cut your throat to the spine" (if you are holding a blade).

\subsection{Death and Inactivity} If you are dead or unconscious, {\bf
please note the time of death}, sit still and wait for someone to find
you.  When a player walks up, tell them that you an unconscious body and
list any obvious wounds.  Dead (and inactive) men tell no tales.  Don't
give them anything but a description of the obvious, and your items if
they think to search you.

\subsection{Kidnapping and Moving Bodies} If the character you are
moving is conscious, role-play accordingly.  If they are unconscious or
dead, you must carry them.  Make 8.5x11 signs, one per kidnapper,
that say in large colorful letters, ``WE ARE CARRYING AN UNCONSCIOUS
PERSON.''  The kidnappers and the victim must then walk along the intended 
route, {\bf openly} displaying the signs.  If a
player notices you, role-play accordingly.  If an NPC notices you, put
away the sign and call a halt.  Once you have a prisoner, to make sure
he stays there, explain to the GM how you are doing this.

\subsection{Drugs} Drugs are sometimes simulated by envelopes with a
description written on the outside (i.e. ``a clear liquid'').  If you give
yourself a drug or have it forced upon you, open the envelope and carry
out the instructions inside.

\subsection{Locks} Locked doors are simulated by doors with index cards
or pieces of paper on them.  {\bf Do not actually lock any classroom
doors.} All lockable doors should have a sign saying ``locked'' or
``unlocked'' on them, and should have three digit number on them.  If you
have a key that matches the number, you can unlock the door and enter
freely.  If not, you'll have to try something else.  In general, the
higher the number of the lock, the harder it is to get around.  Doors
can be locked and unlocked by anyone, but only while they are open.
Most doors are ``locked'' from one side only; those that lock from both
should have a piece of paper on both sides of them.  Note that if you
are not careful, you can actually lock yourself in a room with no way
out.

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