but they were not alone

by BJK White
v0.3

This is not a place of total despair, and it is not a place of common hope.
It is neither the best
nor the worst
of all possible worlds.
What it is, is all you've got.
Make the most of it.
 theory
But They Were Not Alone is a diceless GMless TTRPG. It follows a day in
the life of a social worker in a post-singularity world. The social worker visits
clients, dealing with their problems and getting to the heart of what they want
and need. Between clients the social worker travels through this changed place,
reflecting on the nature of the world, and themselves.
This game can be played by yourself or with others. You can take turns playing
the social worker and clients, or one person could be the social worker while the
others play their clients and other aspects of the world. This is a conversational
game; however things play out, everyone is involved.

necessities
Something to write on and something to write with is useful, and printing out
the materials in the Handouts document could be helpful. You'll also need
some sort of timer. If you like, you can use a Spindlewheel deck. Rules for
incorporating Spindlewheel into the game are provided in each section. This is
completely optional. You don't need a Spindlewheel deck, or to be familiar with
Spindlewheel, to play this game.

origin stories
This game is based on concepts found in the sixth book of the Charlotte
Powers series, One Girl Army. It was made for the Beyond The Super Jam,
hosted by riley rethal (https://metagame.itch.io/) on itch.io.
Spindlewheel was created by Sasha Reneau (https://www.sashareneau.com/)
and can be found at https://22to22.itch.io/spindlewheel-microgames. If you
want to make your own Spindlewheel deck, you can find the necessary files at
https://tinyurl.com/spindledecks.
 your world
This is a game about helping people adjust to a dramatic, irreversible change in
the world. It's important to establish where it takes place. The only restricting
factor about your world is that there can be no escape. Whether it's an entire
planet, a single region, a space station, a biodome, a city or a ship, there's
nothing else, or at least nothing reachable. You either make this place work or
that's it. There's nowhere else to go.
So, what is this place? It could be our world. It could be elsewhere. What
differences are there between this place and the world you know? What
similarities exist? Is the setting contemporary, futuristic, historic, fantastic?
If it helps, pick from the lists of examples provided, or use them as inspiration.
Along with form and setting there's also a list of images to help decorate your
world. Pick three, or five, or none, or whatever helps you build this place into
something true.
At this point you shouldn't worry about expanding on the concepts you come
up with. You'll be exploring your world later, during play. If you can
comfortably answer the question "Where does this take place?" then you're
ready to move on.
If you're having trouble establishing your world, skip ahead to the singularity or
social threats sections then come back to world creation. Nothing's set in stone.
You can always change things. Make your world the most interesting place for
you to explore.
choose a form
planet, moon, continent, region, city, ship, space station, biodome, underground
complex, regular island, sky island, archipelago, volcano, underwater colony, the
last forest, ice station, secluded mountain, generation ship

choose a setting
contemporary, yesterday, tomorrow, zeerustian, dark future, dystopia, far-future,
retro, vintage, edwardian, duels and muskets, dark ages, alternate history, cloaks
and daggers, utopia, blood and sacrifice, war and roses, fantastic, dawn of
history, blade and glove, mirrorshades, like but unalike, neon and spandex,
elsewhere

choose 3 images
a single tree, a broken statue, the remains of a parade, a displaced vehicle, wild
growth, stairs leading down, abandoned construction, the gears beneath,
farmland, a tattered flag, crowds of people, graffiti, market stalls, a narrow
passage, balloons, faded posters, eerie gaps, cracked concrete, dirt paths, insects,
fizzing lights, stairways, colour amidst greyness, flowing water, towers, books,
light in the dark, incongruent beauty, organic structures, crimes unpunished,
fallen fruit, untended graves, guerilla science, hasty repairs, ash, solid walls,
failed optimism, gardens, animals, overflowing containers, scaffolding, morbid
symbols, tunnels, flowers, a taller building, cliffs, children, irrational
architecture, a glimpse of the sky, weapons, underground buildings, half-
finished projects, rain, workshops, justice delivered, misjudged pessimism,
hidden faces, long wide streets, alien constructs, twisty-turny passages all alike,
chrome, marble, repurposed buildings, cobblestones, so much green, birds,
washing lines, endless blue, evidence of others, tables and chairs, musicians,
signs of life, a fountain, glittering light, reflective surfaces, masks, barrels,
natural barriers, everyday miracles, missing pieces, uninvited guests, still water,
warning signs
 Spindlewheel & Your World
Draw a card to represent the world's form.
Draw a card to represent the setting.
Draw cards to represent imagery within your world, if you like. Perhaps
you'd also like to draw cards for geography and culture, or past, present,
and future.
When you feel that you know where this story takes place, move on.
 social threats
Once you've established your world, decide on three social threats. These are
the big issues, the things that threaten the fabric of society, the factors that
make people's lives worse for their presence.
You can pick from the list below, use it as inspiration, or come up with your
own threats.

social threat examples

dwindling resources, insane greed, economic collapse, fracturing social
structure, wealth gap, ignorance, overpopulation, global pandemic, man-made
threats, environmental disasters, underpopulation, corruption, artificial
catastrophes, revolutionary uprising, cults, sexism, conspiracy, colonialism,
private equity, supervillains, incompetently evil leaders, imperialism, racism,
metaphorical monsters, actual monsters, ageing population, rampant hedonism,
pollution, giant insects, violence, war, disgusting elite class, infertility, climate
change, billionaires, nazis

Spindlewheel & Social Threats

Draw three cards, one to represent each threat. If you're having trouble
interpreting them, or feel they're incomplete on their own, draw another
card and either replace an existing card or cross it with the new card.
Once you've established three social threats, move on.
 the singularity
Everything is different now. Things can never go back to the way they were.
Singularities represent a divide; before the singularity, and after the singularity.
Presented here are several examples. Choose one, take them as a basis for
inspiration, smash a few together, pinch the best bits from a piece of fiction you
enjoy, or make the singularity entirely your own.
At this point you don't have to explore the singularity in depth. You'll be doing
that soon enough through the social worker and their clients. If you can
comfortably answer the question, "How is the world different now?" then
you're ready to move on.

Spindlewheel & The Singularity

Draw a card to represent the nature of the singularity, then cross it with a
card to represent the desire or motivation or conflict of the singularity.
Feel free to draw more cards to expand on aspects of the singularity you're
interested in.
Once you know how this world has changed, dramatically and
permanently, move on.
 singularity examples
 Superpowers become commonplace. Every person either has a power or is
close to someone with a power. They're an inescapable fact of life in this
new world.
 People begin to mutate. The nature of these mutations could vary wildly.
Is it a physical change, or a mental change, or both? Are the mutations
largely beneficial, or debilitating, or a mixture of both? Does it lead to
persecution, socially destructive othering, cultural shifts?
 Psychic abilities begin to manifest within people. They might be natural
talents belonging only to those who are 'gifted', or they could be learnt by
anyone with time and practice.
 Magic comes (or returns) to the world. Rituals that previously did
nothing now have actual power. Certain individuals find themselves
channelling magical energy, whether they want it or not.
 Previously non-sapient creatures become sapient. Maybe it's just one
species. Maybe it's all animals, or every plant, or certain bacteria. Maybe a
hyperintelligent virus begins to spread. Maybe every fish can now
communicate telepathically. Maybe a giant ant shows up and wants to be
real good friends with you. It might be that the human companions of
sapient animals have an advantage in this new world. It could be that it is
now humans who are the 'pets' to something else.
 Elemental forces arise in the world, with both intelligence and desires.
Fire, water, earth, air, but perhaps also (or instead) more exotic elements;
pollution, flowers, oxidisation, entropy. Maybe some of these elemental
forces bond with humans, or inhabit their bodies as avatars, or force them
to pick an allegiance.
 All around the world, thousands of girls between the ages of 10 and 18
gain the ability to transform into extravagantly costumed ridiculously
powerful magical girls. Probably it's not quite like the popular fiction
showed; less bubbly than the lighter takes and less unbelievably heavy
than the subversive takes. However it actually goes there's probably a high
burn-out rate and a lot of trauma to deal with.
 Something alien comes to our world. Maybe they're beings from another
planet or another dimension, now living amongst us, conferring
advantages and powers to those they choose. Maybe it's an otherworldly
energy or parasite that binds to a human host, giving them both abilities
and a connection to something other. What is their interest in our world?
What do they want? What do they offer? What do they expect in return?
 Spirits and spiritual creatures manifest within the world. Maybe they
align with the world's mythologies. Maybe they're something entirely
new. Do they bond with the households that observe the traditions of
respect? Do they make mischief, give blessings, wreck havoc, offer
salvation? Why do certain humans attract the attention of these spiritual
beings? How do the spiritual beings choose their companions?
 The Old Ones begin to wake, but so very slowly. It'll be millennia before
they crack open their many eyes, but before that their dreams begin to
influence the world. Those who open their minds to the dreams of the
Old Ones, either by choice or by chance, might gain the tiniest fraction of
their power, but at what cost? What is the effect upon the natural world?
How does society adapt to these ancient unknowable presences?
 There's a technological breakthrough that changes everything. Maybe
true AI now exists, or world-changing nanotech, or humanlike robots are
suddenly common. Perhaps it's now possible to upload your brain to a
cloud and achieve a form of immortality.
 It becomes apparent that supernatural creatures such as vampires and
werewolves exist, but perhaps not as popular media showed them.
 Anime becomes real. Interpret that as you may.
 what we lose and what we gain
Now that you have your world, and the threats to society, and the singularity
that changes everything, there's one last thing to do.
Destroy one of the social threats.
The singularity might be related to the social threat that was lost. Maybe the
rise of the singularity caused the destruction of that thing. Maybe the loss of
the social threat triggered the rise of this singularity. Maybe a sacrifice was
made. Maybe there were unforeseen consequences.
Or maybe it had nothing to do with the singularity. Maybe a solution was
found and effectively implemented. Maybe one of the other threats destroyed
this one; sometimes you need a monster to fight a monster.
However it happens, that social threat is no longer an issue. One less thing, I
suppose, although you've still got the other two to worry about. Keep in mind
also that the destroyed social threat is not erased from history. It still existed in
the past, and although it no longer actively threatens society its effects may still
be felt. Some wounds take a long time to heal.

Spindlewheel & Destruction

Choose one of your social threats to destroy. Leave any cards associated
with that threat in place, but turn them upside down.
 the social worker
You'll explore the social worker through their interactions with clients, and
through their experiences and reflections as they travel between visits. If you
like you can establish them more firmly at this point, give them a name, an
appearance, but all you have to do, as they prepare for their first client visit of
the day, is answer these two simple questions:
First, what did the social worker eat for their morning meal, if anything?
Second, what single word would you choose to describe the social worker's
feelings right now?
With this done, proceed to the next section and create your first client.
 the clients
'Client' is a term of convenience. It's used to identify those the social worker
meets during their day. Those they talk with. Those they try to help. Maybe it's
a very formalised thing, run by an official organisation, with appointments and
paperwork. Maybe it's more casual, the social worker popping in for a chat with
people they know. Maybe it's just the random encounters this travelling 'social
worker' has throughout their day.
In any case two things are set. We have a helper, and we have the people they
help. Starting from there, pick choices from the following lists to create each
client. You can decide on other things too, a name, a personality, an appearance,
likes and dislikes. How firmly you establish each client before the visit begins is
up to you.
Choose two past echoes; things that happened to the client that continue to
affect them. These may or may not be referenced during the visit. In any case
they shaped the client into who they are.
Choose two domestic elements; aspects of the client's living situation. Where
do they live? How do they live?
Choose two family elements; aspects of the client's family situation. Families
are not just biological. The people around your client are their family.
Decide on the client's feelings towards the singularity.
Decide on the details of the client's power. Included are suggestions on the
power's influence and nature.
Choose two wants or needs; things that will help your client heal and grow.
Choose two problems; stressful and damaging obstacles in your client's path.
Feel free to add your own choices, or modify those presented. These are all only
suggestions.
choose 2 past echoes
tragic loss, unexpected triumph, guilty secret, lasting trauma, exciting discovery,
lost faith, lingering regret, hope discovered, shaken core, new belief, shocking
message, sudden violence, deep heartbreak, precious memory

choose 2 domestic elements

cramped quarters, sheltered, old but loved, cosy, no privacy, cold and damp,
colourful, constant tension, simmering violence, too hot, complete mess, lonely,
dangerous area, sunny, unstable, busy busy busy, so noisy, odd smell, low and
narrow, part of a shop, peaceful

choose 2 family elements

close-knit, cold, fiercely protective, proud, wary of outsiders, used to
disappointment, warmly welcoming, scarred, calculating, calm, mercenary,
tough love, accepting, tolerant, celebratory, over the top, low-key, sensible, strict,
overbearing, hostile, smothering, old, absent, well meaning, useless, desired,
lacking

regarding the singularity

they hate it, they're obsessed with it, they don't know, they're scared of it, they
try to ignore it, they love it, they think it's pretty cool, they're sick of it, it makes
them nervous, they're in denial about it, they still can't believe it's real, they're
optimistic, they're trying to deal with it, it's just normal to them, they want to
go back to how things were, they're angry about it, they're excited about it, they
have a lot of opinions, they're shaken by it, they're not sure what to believe,
they're blasé about it

their power's influence

animal, elemental, nature, physical, themselves, aura, others, emotion, thought,
shape, mythical, fantastical, illusion, material, colour, sensory, instinct, space,
time, object, force, chance, intelligence, spiritual
their power's nature
manipulation, empathy, control, enhancement, transmission, divination,
creation, destruction, understanding, domination, transformation

choose 2 wants or needs

the answer to a burning question, acceptance, reassurance, to share a new
discovery, confidence, hope, trust, understanding, a vision for the future,
forgiveness, solidarity, something real, blunt honesty, a wake up call, the truth,
someone to listen, something to fight for, a weapon, a tool, focus, discipline, a
reality check, patient correction, kindness, human connection, practical advice,
excitement, fun, something more than survival

choose 2 problems or obstacles

embarrassing personal issue, destructive urges, domestic issue, abusive
relationship, threat of harm, crippling anxiety, so much anger, compulsive lying,
blinding hatred, self-punishing behaviour, shyness, delusions, lack of control,
overbearing authority, oppositional defiant disorder, trapped in the system,
boredom, ignorance, arrogance, prejudice, bullying, dangerous environment, low
self-esteem, impatience, cultural differences, pride, takes nothing seriously,
misplaced faith, can't let go, frustration, illness, communication problems, poor
diet, lack of sleep, stressful environment, exhaustion, distractions, resentment,
immaturity, stubbornness, fear
 Spindlewheel & Your Client
Draw a card to represent the client; who they are at their core. Cross this
card with another to represent how the singularity affected them.
Draw a card to represent the client's family. Place it to their right. Draw
and place another card between the client and their family; is it a bond? Is
it a barrier? Does it block them, or connect them?
Draw a card to represent something the client wants or needs; something
that will help them heal and grow. Maybe it's an issue with their power or
situation, or a question, or something exciting that happened to them.
Place this card above the client, then cross it with another card. This
represents a problem the client faces, something overwhelming and
immediate. It might be a family issue, a personal issue, a lack of necessities
or comfort, a threat to their safety or to their family's safety, or even to the
area as a whole. It's something that the client neither chose nor wants, but
it's in their life and it's coming between them and the things they actually
want to talk about.
Create more wants and problems, if you like. Draw and interpret cards to
represent other aspects of the client or their life.
When you feel like you know who you're dealing with, begin the visit.
 the visit
Begin the visit by answering two questions. First, how is the social worker
welcomed? Second, what is their first impression of the client today?
Once these questions have been answered, the visit can begin. Client visits have
a time limit. You have a lot to do each day. Too much, really. And of course your
clients have their own priorities, their own pressures, their own lives. So, start a
timer for twenty minutes. This is all the time you have with them. Once twenty
minutes is up you can finish your current move, but after that no further actions
or moves can be taken. It's time to say goodbye and continue your journey
through this place, perhaps to visit another client, perhaps to return home and
end the game session.
While the timer ticks down during a visit there are four actions that can be
taken; Listen, Connect, Teach, and Deal. When an action is taken either the
social worker or client begin by making one of the moves listed under that
action.
In a Listen action the client always makes the first move.
In a Teach action the social worker always makes the first move.
In a Deal action only the social worker has moves.
After a move has been completed another move can be made or another action
can be taken. Moves don't have to alternate between the social worker and the
client. Either one can take as many consecutive moves as the scene needs.
Other people or aspects of the world can be involved in a visit, but only the
social worker and the client make moves.
An action ends when another action is taken, or the visit's time runs out.
Listen
The client talks and the social worker listens.
The client makes the first move.
Social Worker Moves
offer guidance
ask a question
misunderstand
Client Moves
open up
ask for help
rant about a problem
try to say something but fail
Connect
The social worker and the client try to find common ground.
Social Worker Moves
tell a story
reveal your past
be real; be true
overreach and stumble
Client Moves
lower your guard
share a secret
express your feelings
flinch and withdraw
Teach
The social worker gives practical guidance to the client.
The social worker makes the first move.
Social Worker Moves
give a practical demonstration
improvise a lesson
spout theory
Client Moves
follow instructions
go off book
fail and get frustrated
lose control
Deal
The social worker attempts to help with one of the client's problems.
Only the social worker has moves here.
Social Worker Moves
take a risk and show your strength
drop your guard completely
go too far
don't go far enough
 Spindlewheel & Client Visits
Take actions and make moves as normal, but draw a card for each move.
Interpret each card as it's drawn, flavouring the move and influencing its
mood. Lay the cards out as you like, perhaps grouping moves together
within their actions, perhaps creating a pattern on one side for the social
worker and another on the other side for the client. Maybe you'd like to
place the cards closer together when you feel the social worker and the
client are connecting. Maybe you'd like to draw multiple cards for a single
move, interpreting each as they come. You might like to relate the cards to
those already laid out for the client, positioning move cards relative to past
echoes, wants, problems, or other aspects of the client.
When your time is up and the visit is complete, tidy the cards you drew
and shuffle them back into the deck.
 extended time
There may be situations where you feel so close to getting somewhere but that
timer goes off just before you reach that breakthrough. It might be possible to
extend a visit, but not without cost. What are you sacrificing, in order to give
more time to this client? Pick from the examples below, or think of your own
sacrifice. After making the sacrifice, you may take one more action with the
client. This action may consist of multiple moves, but once it's done that's it. If
you want to extend the visit again another sacrifice must be made.
Sacrif ice Another Client Visit
Create a new client, or use an established client you haven't visited today.
Contact them to tell them you have to cancel today's session.
Sacrif ice Your Own Needs
Pick one from a meal, a treat, a sight you wanted to see, an encounter you were
looking forward to, a person you were hoping to meet. Reflect on this thing,
and how missing out on it affects the social worker.

Spindlewheel & Sacrifice

Draw a card to represent the cost of extending this visit. Cross it with
another card to represent how paying this cost affects the social worker.
 travelling between visits
After leaving each client, the social worker travels through their world. They
reflect, they observe, maybe they run into an obstacle or some sort of trouble. It
is in these times that we learn about the social worker.
First, think about the place they're travelling through. Do they walk, or use
some form of conveyance? Is it safe? Is it difficult? Do they face any danger?
What beautiful and interesting and sad and lonely things do they see? What
are their thoughts, as they travel?
Next, consider the social worker as a person. Take this quiet reflective time
between clients to think about who they are, what they want, where they came
from and where they're going. Do they have any kind of power? What
memories are stirred by this place, and by the visit they just completed? What
are their hopes? What are their dreams?
After reflecting and travelling, decide where the social worker was going. Is it
another client? Or have they returned home?
If it's another client, either create someone new or visit an established client
you haven't yet seen today. In the case of revisiting an old client choose a new
want or need, and a new problem or obstacle. If you like, you could also change
or add a domestic or family element. Think about how their situation has
changed, what's different between now and the last time you saw them.
If your day is done, take a long weary breath then proceed to the returning
home section.
 Spindlewheel & Travelling
Draw a card to represent the physical space the social worker is moving
through. If you like, cross it with a card to represent an obstacle or
encounter they have while travelling.
Draw a card and place it above the physical card. This represents
something the social worker sees or experiences while travelling.
Draw a card and place it below the physical card. This represents a
memory or realisation the social worker has, perhaps related to the client
they just visited.
After reflecting on the cards you drew, tidy them away, shuffle them back
into the deck, and decide where the social worker was going. Is it another
client? Or have they returned home, ending their day and this game
session?
 returning home
To close out the game session, the social worker returns to their home. What is
their living situation? Do they have a family of their own? What is their
evening meal? Do they share the meal with anyone or do they eat alone?
Reflect, as you eat, on your day. Did you help? Did you make a difference? Are
you looking forward to tomorrow? Think about your clients. What are they
doing now? What are their evening meals like? What will their thoughts be, as
another day draws to a close?
Reflect also on yourself, and your past. Think about your relationship with the
singularity. Perhaps you fought against it. Perhaps you helped to bring it about.
Perhaps you were instrumental in its manifestation. Perhaps you were caught
up in the chaos and confusion surrounding the singularity. Perhaps you were
just another innocent bystander.
Finish your meal. Clear the dishes. Tidy up a bit, or leave things as they are.
Relax. The day is over, but another will come. Another will come.

Spindlewheel & Returning Home

Draw a card to represent your evening meal, and another to represent the
mood in your home.
After that, relax. Draw cards as you like, to help make sense of your day
and your life.
When you're finished tidy the cards and put them neatly away, or leave
them scattered.
 the story continues
This game can be played as a one-shot, a day in the life of the social worker and
their clients, in this world you've created. It can also be continued over multiple
sessions, with the social worker visiting new clients and revisiting those they've
met before.
You might like to spend some time after the session thinking about how things
could continue, for the social worker, and their clients, and this world. When I
play we often end up talking about the session as the pilot episode of a TV
show, speculating on how the first season might go, who becomes a recurring
character, what the themes of the show are, what happens in the dramatic
finale, and even what might happen in subsequent seasons.
 appendix a: playing the game
Included here are explorations of various aspects of the game; your focus as the
social worker; the role of 'powers' within this game; some examples of how
moves might be made while playing; and an extended example of social threats,
with a focus on the effects of destroying one.
 the social worker's focus
As a social worker your job is to make people's lives better. You have a limited
time with each client and a specific task, which is to help them (and their
families) deal with the effects of the singularity. How this looks depends on the
nature of your singularity. If it's superpowers then you might be teaching clients
how to control their powers, helping them learn about their limits and practical
uses, and so on. If the singularity is about spirits showing up everywhere then
you might be acting as an intermediary between a household spirit and the
client, perhaps even an interpreter. Maybe you're helping them establish a bond
of trust with the fire elemental that's hanging around their right elbow. Maybe
you're talking about the side effects of having an alien parasite in their liver,
offering practical advice about distinguishing between hallucinations and
otherworld visions. You might also be helping your client find a future in this
strange new world, looking at ways they can help others and feel useful.
Of course, life isn't as simple as all that. There will be obstacles and problems
standing between you and your task, and dealing with them might be a big part
of your visit. Maybe there's a superpowered threat in the area. Maybe the
breakdown of society is affecting your client in a specific way. Maybe they're a
bit embarassed about something. Maybe you need to go have a chat with the
gang of goblins that's causing mischief in your client's neighbourhood. It could
also be that you're not the person to help a particular client. Sometimes your
best choice might be to refer them to a professional such as a therapist.
At times it'll feel like you're only dealing with problems and spending too little
time actually doing the thing you're supposed to be there for. So remember
your focus and your task. Do what you can. Help if you're able. Refer your
clients to experts and specialists if you encounter something beyond your
capabilities. Then move on to the next person.
 'powers'
The story being told through this game is that of a social worker visiting
various clients and attempting to help them deal with a new world. It is about
how the singularity affects people on a mundane day-to-day level. These are
not stories about superheroes or good guys vs bad guys or high stakes
dramatics. These are stories about people doing their best to live their lives in a
world that has suddenly and drastically changed.
Often your clients will have powers (or 'powers') of some variety. Superpowers,
psychic abilities, shared gifts from the alien parasite living in their spleen,
blessings from the kappa that occupies their bathtub. How strong and
potentially harmful these powers are depends entirely on the type of story you
want to create. Maybe they're relatively low level; super-strength puts you at
peak human performance, but you couldn't lift a car above your head or punch
a rhinoceros to death (and why would you even want to). Maybe they're
dangerously powerful; someone with super-strength can rip the door off a car
and throw a rock with the same force as a cannonball. Maybe they come with
commensurate downsides; that super-strength guy has to eat ten times his own
bodyweight every day, or needs an exotic material or expensive medicine to stay
healthy, or maybe his lifespan is greatly shortened; the flame that burns
brightest burns shortest.
However incredible these powers are, and however dramatic the downsides,
think about the reality of possessing them. How often is super-strength useful,
in your daily life? If you're not spending your days fighting, how does it actually
help you? Does it open up any opportunities? Can it be useful in situations
other than ones where punching something really hard might be useful? Does
being different affect how you see the world? Does it affect how others see you?
What unforeseen consequences might you suffer? What unintentional damage
might you cause? What problems do you have?
 using moves
Moves could involve talking about how things happen, a tell-don't-show
approach. You could have an in-character conversation. Or you could mix it up,
switching between character dialogue and descriptions of actions, condensing
or just skipping the bits you don't want to play.
For example, if the action is Listen and the client makes the move 'open up'
then the player could say, "The client isn't sure about you yet, but starts to talk
about her daily life. You notice that she avoids talking about her power."
If the action is Teach and the social worker makes the move 'improvise a lesson'
then the player could say, in character as the social worker, "Okay, I've got
something for you. You said about how you could almost read the thoughts of
the wind? I want you to puff out a breath and try to read that. It's all air, right?"
If the action is Connect and the social worker makes the move 'reveal your past'
then the player could say something like, "There's an awkward silence, which
the social worker breaks by clearing his throat, then he's like, 'I was in the war. I
didn't tell you this before, right? I was there when it all went down. Ground
zero.' He stops talking after that, maybe just pausing to collect his thoughts,
but there's an opening for the client to say or do something."
If the action is Deal and the social worker makes the move 'take a risk and
show your strength' then the player could say something like, "Okay, that's it,
I've had it with this kid, I'm releasing my fire spirit. 'So we're different, huh? So
I can't ever understand what you're going through? I've been living with this
since the barriers came down!' Their problem is 'takes nothing seriously', well
they'd better take this seriously! The fire spirit swirls around me, it's hot and
scary but nothing actually lights on fire or anything. It's getting hotter and
moving more violently though. Like I'm losing control. So how does he deal
with that, huh?"
 destroying social threats
Included here is an example of choosing social threats, with a focus on the
potential effects of destroying each. For the sake of general applicability and
simplicity, we won't involve a specific singularity or world.
So, for your three threats you might choose, just to pick a few things entirely at
random, Climate Change, Wealth Gap, and Incompetently Evil Leaders. This
world seems to be headed towards ecological collapse, with the gap between
rich and poor growing intolerably wide, and those in charge (and even the
systems themselves) corrupt and selfish, at best useless, at worst actively
harmful. It's hard to imagine such a terrible and outlandish set of
circumstances, I know, but come along with me here as we explore the effects of
destroying each social threat in turn.
First, climate change. Perhaps the singularity mitigates the issue of climate
change, but how? Does everyone now live in giant bubbles? Did somebody
release superinsects that are rapidly reversing the effects of climate change? Are
there people with pollution-busting powers? Did aliens use mysterious
technology to solve all climate-related problems literally overnight? Are
magical girls battling anthropomorphic manifestations of climate change and
somehow that actually solves the problem?
Of course it could be that the singularity has nothing to do with climate
change being destroyed as a social threat. Maybe there was dramatic systemic
reform or revolution. Maybe an effective technological solution was found.
Maybe there was a green movement that swept through the world. The
important thing to remember is that even if climate change is no longer an
issue those other two things are. You've still got that wealth gap and you've still
got those incompetently evil leaders. So maybe whatever mitigated climate
change has further increased the wealth gap and put even more power into the
hands of those soulless ghouls; maybe the technology is in their hands and
they're putting people into what amounts to indentured servitude in exchange
for allowing them to live in the 'nice' places.
Let's look at the second social threat now. Wealth gap. Seems like a good thing
to destroy. But you've still got those evil idiots in charge, and you've still got
climate change as a factor. Maybe something happens to destroy old concepts
of wealth and property, such as the oceans drying up, or rainfall stopping, or all
the insects dying, or an invasion by aliens or spirits or elemental forces. Maybe
money and even wealth just doesn't matter now, because international trade
and travel has completely stopped, and all that matters is what you have to
barter with the people around you.
Moving on to the third social threat. Taking out those incompetently evil
leaders. Maybe there was a coup, whether violent or bloodless, or maybe the
system actually worked, surprising everyone, and they got voted out. Maybe the
singularity solved the problem, perhaps subtly and silently, perhaps publicly and
messily. However it happened, hurray, those evil idiots aren't in charge any
more! And yet boo, because climate change and that pesky wealth gap are still
such looming and seemingly intractable threats. Maybe nothing much changes,
even with the best-intentioned and most competent people in charge; the
world is too far gone and it's all they can do to slow its collapse. Maybe the
singularity means that there's no leadership at all, the world descending into
rudderless anarchy, the lack of regulations and oversight causing the gap
between the wealthy and the wealthless to grow wider than ever, and nobody at
all around to effectively lead the fight against climate change.
Whichever threat you end up destroying, it's gone. Maybe its effects are still
felt, but you don't have to fight it. All you've got to worry about is that ever-
loving singularity and those two remaining huge impossible threats, or at least
how they affect your clients. Good luck.
 appendix b: session progression
1) Establish your world; choose a form and setting, decorate with images.
2) Choose three social threats.
3) Choose your singularity.
4) Destroy one social threat, perhaps related to the singularity.
5) Begin the social worker's day:
• What did they eat for their morning meal?
• In one word, describe their feelings before this first visit.
6) Create a client:
• Choose two past echoes; things that still affect them.
• Choose two domestic elements and two family elements.
• Decide how they feel about the singularity, and how it affected them.
• Decide on the form and nature of their power.
• Choose two wants or needs; things that will help them heal and grow.
• Choose two problems; stressful and harmful obstacles in their path.
7) Play out the client visit:
• How is the social worker welcomed?
• What is the social worker's first impression of the client today?
• Start a timer for 20 minutes.
• Take actions and make moves to play out the visit.
• When your time is up, finish the current move then end the visit.
8) Travel through your world:
• Reflect on the world; a sensory experience, an echo, an encounter.
• Reflect on the social worker; a memory, an ability, a realisation.
9) Visit another client, or return home to finish the game session.