In Media Res...

Hi all,

I like to start games with something a little interesting but I also want to help you tell the story of your character. As a result I like to start off in media res and let a player exercise their storytelling skills. Below are some sample scenarios. You are welcome to pick one directly, riff off one or develop your own.

I make several promises -

1: Your character will not die. This is not Traveller character creation.
2: You cannot fail a roll. That doesn't mean you can turn a toaster into an MP5 but whatever reasonably realistic series of events you dictate will happen as you describe.
3: You have 15 minutes of real time to explain what happened.
4: Whatever you do must give an example of why your character is a bad ass.
5: If the tale you weave is going somewhere interesting there's a good chance I will refer back to it at a later date. Make notes!

Sample Scenarios

You wake in a hospital bed.

You are groggy, as if you have been drugged.

You are unarmed and have only the clothing in the nearby wardrobe.

You must save a friend from assassination.

You are behind the wheel of an expensive car.

You are carrying a wallet with a fake ID.

There is someone in the passenger seat next to you.

The person next to you is an enemy and it is your life on the line.

You are in an underground tunnel.

You hear voices in a foreign tongue echoing in the near distance.

You are cold and soaking wet.

You must escape and reach the capital.

You are in a thick forest at night.

Dogs are barking nearby and the noise of trampling feet is getting closer.

You have a handgun and one extra magazine of ammunition.

You must reach the border and safety.

You are behind the wheel of a cheap, unreliable car.

There is a person bound and drugged in the trunk.

You are carrying fake ID and are 2 miles from the border.

You must make it across the border with the package.

You are in an empty warehouse, it is dark and raining heavily.

You feel a presence but cannot see them.

You are wearing the clothing of a foreign armed service.

You must escape from the location and make your way to the safe house.

You are on the building's rooftop and have gained access to the skylight.

You have prepared for weeks to enter this building and secure your target.

Your team look on with nervous energy awaiting the go signal. One is a traitor.

What are you there to extract and how do you deal with the traitor?

You are on stakeout near the docks at night.

You are dressed in black.

One of the cargo containers has something you need.

You must breach security, access the container and get away with it.

You are in the subway of a busy European capital.

There are two men following you, they look rough but official.

You pocket weighs heavy with it's contents.

You must make it to the end of the line alive and without being followed.

You glance out of the windows with the lights in the room behind you turned off.

A van with darkened windows is parked opposite, it's suspension sags as if heavily loaded.

You have a rucksack with stolen property in it. People would kill to get it back.

You have only one hour to get to the airport 20 miles away. There is a knock at the door.

You are in the mountains.

A helicopter flies overhead.

You have a USB stick in your pocket with vital information.

You must reach the train station and meet your contact.

You are in a four door sedan, bullet holes pepper the doors and windows.

You are bleeding from a wound.

Your foe approaches the rear doors slowly with weapon drawn.

Your backup is five minutes away.

You suspect that your immediate boss is a traitor to your organisation.

He has seniority and the respect of his peers.

You are way out on a limb, with no evidence to show but everything indicates you are correct.

What action are going to take to stop him from bringing the organisation to it's knees?

Your ears ring from a nearby explosion.

A group of men in the room are dazed and confused.

You are unarmed but fully aware.

You must make your way past these men and escape the building.

You are in an expensive club or bar.

Your target is in the VIP area, roped off at the rear.

They have many hangers on and a severe looking bodyguard.

What is your mission and how will you complete it?

You are in an opulent hotel in a major European city.

You are meeting a client.

Your reputation or life is at stake but you have not yet completed the task.

You must convince him that he should trust you and that you will finish the job.

You are in the bank's safety deposit vault.

You open the box and there are stacks on stacks of bundled banknotes.

This money is not yours and the person it  belongs to will want it back.

Where did it come from, who wants it back and what will you do with it?

You are in a dirty flophouse in the inner city.

There is a dead body in the room, because of you.

Loud music plays next door and it is unlikely that your neighbours are aware of the body.

Who are they and what it your next move?

You are staring at a wall covered in news articles, photographs and documents.

If you fail to solve the puzzle, many innocent people could die.

There is a phone ringing next to you. Time is running out and your decision must be made now.

What happened when you made this decision?

A special callout to the the cheesy Plot Generator app for Android for it's assistance and the many movies and books that I have likely stolen from whilst generating these.

Pick one and run with it!

Cheers,

Paul