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\begin{center}
{\Large {\sc Orient Express}} \\
{\large {\sc Basic Rules}}
\end{center}

\begin{singlespace}

These are the official rules for {\sc Orient Express.}  You are
responsible for knowing these rules, so please read them carefully,
even if you've played before.  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.

\vspace{1pt}
\centerline{\vbox{\hrule width 7.5in}}
\vspace{4pt}

\fbox{\large {\sc 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.

In your packet you should have the following:

\vspace{-7pt}

\begin{itemize}
\item {\bf Badge:} You must wear this visibly at all times.

\item {\bf Character Sheet:}  This tells you who you are, and may 
never be shown to anyone.  It contains a list of items, abilities, and
other sheets you should have at the end.  Please double check this
with the contents of your packets to see if you are missing anything.

\item {\bf Greensheets:} These sheets inform you about things you know
how to do.  This doesn't mean that you have to do them, or that they
are a good idea.  They may not be shown to anyone.

\item {\bf Bluesheets:}  These sheets tell you about groups you know about.
Bluesheets may not be shown to anyone either.  Noticing a trend yet?

\item {\bf Statcard:} This card lists all of your vital statistics.  Some of
them, notably nationality and virginity, you may talk about if you
want.  The rest you cannot talk about, although you could say, for
instance, ``I'm pretty pumped'' if you had a high MA.  As you may have
guessed, you can't show your stat card to anyone.

\item {\bf Items:} Items will be represented as little cards with
descriptions on them.  Thankfully, you can show these to anyone you
want.  Some items may have props associated with them, such as plastic
guns, tarot cards, or stuffed fish, in which case they should have an
item card kept with them as much as possible.

\end{itemize}

\vspace{-7pt}

In addition, you may also have:

\vspace{-7pt}

\begin{itemize}
\item {\bf Ability Cards:} These are big cards explaining the 
mechanics of an ability.  The front of an ability card will tell you
how to use it; the back of the ability will describe the effect.
Other players may only look at the back of a card; show someone the
back of the card when you are using the ability on them.  They will be
listed at the end of your character sheet.

\item {\bf Memory Packets:} These are plain manila packets which have
instructions written on them describing when to open them.  If you
see/hear a number/description/word that is on one of these small
envelopes, then open the envelope and read what's inside.  {\em Memory
Packets are not game items}.  This means: You may not take any action
based on the knowledge that you have these envelopes.  No one can
steal them from you.  You may {\bf NOT} call a halt or otherwise
interrupt the game to read a memory packet.  You {\bf can} be shot,
attacked, pickpocketed, etc. while reading a memory packet.
Unsurprisingly, these may not be shown to anyone.

\end{itemize}

\vspace{4pt}

\fbox{\large {\sc Colored Headbands}} 

\begin{itemize}
\item {\bf White:} This indicates the person is observing the game, and
is not actually a participant.  (See below under {\sc Observers} for
more details.)

\item {\bf Blue:} If you see someone wearing a blue headband, your
character gets a weird, creepy feeling while they are in the area, but
you can not actually see, hear or follow the person wearing the headbanded.

\item {\bf Red:} If you see a red headband, our advice is not to spend
too long wondering why.  This indicates something really nasty and scary.

\end{itemize}

\fbox{\large {\sc Non-Players and Observers}}  

{\sc Non-Players:} {\bf DON'T ANNOY NON-PLAYERS!}
Although the Guild has tried to reserve all the relevant rooms that
the game takes place in, there may still be non-players around.  Many
of them may be trying to do work, so voices should be kept down, and
peculiar behaviors should not take place in front of non-players.  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
the GM room.

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 {\em walk past}. 

If you see a non-player while in combat, or if there are other players
nearby who don't realize that a non-player 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.

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.  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.

{\sc Observers:} A observer is someone who is observing the game, but
not participating in any way.  If you are unsure whether someone is a
non-player or an observer, assume they are a non-player.  All
GM-recognized observers will be required to wear a white headband when
in the playing area.  If an observer is getting in the way or
otherwise annoying you as a player, you may ask them to leave and they
are required to comply.  See a GM if this does not happen.  Observers
may also be used by the GMs to do helpful things, so if one tells you
something, you should believe it.

\fbox{\large {\sc Game Area}}

The game will take place on the second floor of 5, 7, 3, 10, and 4,
and the first floor of 4.  Don't worry, you'll get a map.  There's
also the roof, up on the third floor above game area.  You can't go on
the roof unless you know you can --- it's just too scary.  Bathrooms
are not in game area, but don't retreat there to be safe.

\fbox{\large {\sc 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 or against
Institute Policy, the Guild is not responsible and will not protect you.
You have been warned.

{\sc Bulky vs. Normal Items:} Bulkyness is represented in units of
bodies, thus avoiding the annoying question, ``How bulky is a body?''
It's one body bulky, of course.  N people may drag an N-body bulky
item.  2N people may carry the same item.  Bulky items may not be hidden:
they're big!

{\sc Theft:} 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.

{\sc Searches:} 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.

{\sc Searching, Stashing, and Rooms:} Every room and hallway
representing an area of the train has a large manilla envelope taped
up marked ``stash''.  When you hide something in a room, you should
place a folded piece of paper in the stash envelope.  On the outside,
write the item number.  On the inside, a short description of where
you hid the item, such that a moderately clueless GM could follow the
instructions and find the item.

In order to search an area, you should just search it.  If you find
something, you should look through the envelope for the piece of paper
with a matching item number, and remove it.  You may not look through
the envelope for any other reason, and you should not use the instance
of removing a stash sheet to determine what other things are in the
car.

\fbox{\large {\sc Doors and Locks}}  

The only door which can be locked on the Express (well, locked so that
a determined person couldn't enter) is the door of the baggage
compartment.  Thus, any key in the game is a key to the baggage
compartment.  This door may not be left unlocked.  Containers (which
are items with envelopes attached) can be opened by their owners, or
broken open with some work by other people (in which case they should
be marked as such).
 
\fbox{\large {\sc Sanity}}

There is one statistic which deserves special mention, and that is
{\bf Sanity}.  Your Sanity represents just what it says.  Completely
stable people have a Sanity of 30.  Eccentrics have a 15.  If you have
a zero, you are a complete loon.  We expect your sanity to go down.
And your character's Sanity, as well.

There are two ways for your Sanity to go down.  The first is if you
are told to {\bf drop} Sanity.  Whenever you repeat the experience
that caused the drop, you will drop more sanity.  The other is to be
told to {\bf lose} Sanity.  Losing Sanity only happens the first time
to see or experience something.  Afterwards, it's still pretty nasty,
but you are inured to it.

Here's an example.  I zap you with a mind ray, and tell you ``Drop one
sanity.''  You do.  I zap you again.  You drop another.

I show you a nasty bug, which says in its description, ``Lose one
sanity.''  You reduce your sanity by one.  I show it to you again.
You say, ``Eew,'' but you've seen it before.

Sanity can never go below zero --- that's as nutty as you get.  You
can never tell anyone your sanity, although if you're losing it, it
should be apparent from your actions.  You probably have some memory
packets marked with Sanity numbers.  Open them when you reach or pass
that number on your way down.

\fbox{\large {\sc Colored Dots}}
If a colored dot ever appears on you or your possessions, something
has been taken from you.  See a GM as soon as you can.  If you noticed
the dot being placed, you noticed the whatever-it-was being stolen.  

\fbox{\large {\sc Appearance}}

One more annoying specific thing, and then we can get on to hurting
each other.  Your badge contains a brief description of you, and the
first digit of your badge number corresponds to your age in decades.
But you also have an {\bf Appearance B}, which is only apparent if
someone examines you.  If you spend ten minutes observing (speaking
with, near, walking with) someone, you may ask to see their Appearance
B.

\fbox{\large {\sc Weapons}} 

In this game, weapons are simulated as follows:

\vspace{-7pt}

\begin{itemize}
\item  {\bf Guns:} These are simulated by toy disk guns. 
If you are hit by a gun you fall down and drop anything you are
carrying.  If you are hit in a limb, you lose functionality in that
limb (cannot carry anything with it, use it to fire a gun, must walk
slowly if it's your leg, etc.)  If you are hit in the torso or head
(head and torso shots are equivalent, so never aim for the head), fall
down; you are now unconscious and bleeding to death.  If hit in a
limb, you will die in an hour unless you are given medical attention.
If hit in the torso, you will die in twenty minutes.  Further gunfire
to the torso means you will die in ten minutes or in five minutes ---
you can always hang on that long.

\item {\bf Melee Weapons:}  These aren't represented at all.  We encourage
you to flail away at each other with knives, furniture, or fish
because we think it looks cool, but it doesn't have any effect other
than style.

\end{itemize}

\vspace{-5pt}

\fbox{\large {\sc Combat}} 

Combat may occur anywhere in the playing area any time during game
action when non-players are not present.

There are two types of combat, ranged combat and hand-to-hand
(martial) combat.

{\sc Ranged combat:} Discussed above under guns.

{\sc Disarm:} There is {\bf no} automatic disarm.

{\sc Martial Combat:} Martial combat uses two statistics to
represent your fighting ability. They are:

\vspace{-7pt}

\begin{itemize}
\item Martial (MA): How much damage you tend to do. 
\item Hit Points: How much damage you take before going unconscious.
\item Normal people have the stats MA: 2 Hit Points: 5
\end{itemize}

\vspace{-7pt}

To initiate combat with someone, walk up to them and say ``Martial
Attack.''  If they do not reply with ``Martial Defense'' within 2
seconds, they are surprised and lose the first round of combat.  If
they respond with ``Martial Defense'', normal combat ensues.

Combat proceeds as follows.  You play rock, paper, scissors (we think
you should do this one, two, three, show) and the winner does her MA
in hit points to the loser.  Ties mean that both lose one hit point.
There is one more symbol, called a special, which beats any other
symbol.  Specials are likely to have different effects as well --- the
person using one will tell you.

Note that if you have your gun out and someone declares ``Martial
Attack'' on you, shooting them is a legitimate response.  However if
for whatever reason your shot fails to down them, you are considered
to have lost the first round of combat.  It is impossible to draw a
gun during combat.

To break off from martial combat, say ``Break'' before doing RPS.  If
you win the round, you do no damage, but instead go ten feet away and
the combat is (for now) over.

{\sc Killing Blow:} To kill an unconscious or otherwise helpless
person, simply touch them and say ``Killing blow.''  If no one with in
arms reach says ``I prevent you,'' the unconscious character is now
dead.

In the case of group combats, each person designates a target for
their attack.  You defend against all attacks with whatever symbol you
have chosen, but your symbol only attacks one person.

Note that martial combat occurs in real time.  If someone walks in on
a group of people engaged in martial combat, they are free to pull out
their gun and start shooting.  Additionally, if someone walks with in
arm's reach of your combat, you are free to start attacking them at
your earliest convenience.

\fbox{\large {\sc Death and Inactivity}} 

If you are dead or unconscious, sit still and wait for someone to find
you.  When a player walks up, tell them that you are a dead or
unconscious body and list any obvious wounds, then go see a GM(if you
are dead).  Don't give them anything but a description of the obvious,
and your items if they think to search you.  Do not tell anyone still
playing {\em anything} about the game and try not to hang around
players ``Not Here.''  Once your death becomes widely known, you may
become an observer.  (See a GM.)

{\sc Regaining Lost Hit Points:} If you reach zero hit points, you are
unconscious and (barring anything unusual happening) will remain so
for five minutes, at which point you wake up with 1 hit point.
Additional hit points return at a rate of one per 10 minutes.  If you
are unconcious for any other reason, you will wake up in five minutes
unless told otherwise.  This specifically includes being shot --- if
they leave you bleeding and dying, you will wake up and be able to
limp for help.  You cannot go under zero hit points for any reason.
Negative numbers are confusing, so we've left them out.

{\sc Sacrificing Hit Points:} There are a number of things which will
cause you to lose hit points {\bf permanently}.  Having your blood
drawn out so someone can paint with it, or in general having your
blood drawn out at all, is done in units of hit points, and these hit
points cannot be recovered in game time.  Additionally, doctors are
known to be able to patch up bullet wounds\ldots but each wound
patched costs one permanent hit point.  If for some reason you end up
at zero hit points permanently, you are dead.

\fbox{\large {\sc Final Notes}}  

If you are listed as having a gun, we assume you will supply your own.
New players may borrow them from the GMs if they need to.  Paper and a
writing implement are also a good idea.  Additionally, as you will not
be allowed to leave the playing area while you are still playing, you
may want to bring a snack with you.  The game will start promptly at 2
PM, run until dinner at 6, and then run again from 7 until 12 PM, when
it will end.
 
\fbox{\large {\sc Credits}}  

This game has been brought to you by Laura Baldwin and Andy Shultz,
with kibbitzing from Tom Giordano.  This game was written under the
auspices of the MIT Assassin's guild.

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\end{document}






