---
# System prepended metadata

title: ':black_circle: :game_die: SHADOWS OF VHALCIA: TWO-GROUP FIASCO :game_die: :white_circle:'

---

# :black_circle: :game_die: SHADOWS OF VHALCIA: TWO-GROUP FIASCO :game_die: :white_circle:

**Session:** Fiasco (2 Groups) | **Night 1:** Setup + Act 1 + Tilt | **Night 2:** Act 2 + Aftermath  
**Started:** 7 Nov 2025 | **Current Phase:** [`SETUP`/ACT1-G1/ACT1-G2/ACT2-G1/ACT2-G2/AFTERMATH]

:::info
**Quick Navigation**
[TOC]
:::


## :performing_arts: GROUP 1 CHARACTERS

| Player | Name | Initial Dice | Key Bond | Final Score |
|:------:|:----:|:------------:|:--------:|:-----------:|
| James   | Rov | :black_circle: 1 - :white_circle: 6,3 | Factions - Hollow Thrones - Warlord and Soldier with Conrad | — |
| Shane   | Caelith | :black_circle: 4, 1 - :white_circle: 1,3 | Blood & Oath - Former Lovers with Rov | — |
| Shawn   | Dregoth | :black_circle: 5,5 - :white_circle: 2,3 | Survival Bonds - Shared a cell in a dungeon with Josh | — |
| Josh   | Gio | :black_circle: 4,5 - :white_circle: 1,3 | Blood & Oath - Siblings separated by Fate with John | — |
| McCabe   | Conrad | :black_circle: 6,3 - :white_circle: 3,4 | - | — |

Location: Lowtide - Above the Brine - Von Baur trade office
Need: To Acquire - Information that could destroy an enemy
Need: Escape - From Von Baur "hospitality" (debt slavery)
Need: To Prove - My loyalty to someone who doubts me
Object: WEAPONS OF CONSEQUENCE - An ancient magical sword (broken)
Object: PERSONAL ITEMS - A soldier's war medal


**Status:** [`SETUP` / `ACT ONE` / TILT / ACT TWO / COMPLETE]  
**Dice Pool:** [X] :black_circle: | [X] :white_circle:

## :performing_arts: GROUP 2 CHARACTERS

| Player | Name | Initial Dice | Key Bond | Final Score |
|:------:|:----:|:------------:|:--------:|:-----------:|
| Ben   | Linus | :black_circle: 3,5 - :white_circle: 2,2 | Survival Bonds - Fought same monster with Rook | — |
| Chris  | Zilver | :black_circle: 3,3 - :white_circle: 1,4 | Professional - Former employer and employee with Tinhul | — |
| Devon  | Tinhul | :black_circle: 5,2 - :white_circle: 4,4 | Professional - Master and Failed Apprentice with Nate | — |
| Nate   | Kritch | :black_circle: 5,5 - :white_circle: 5,3 | Survival Bond - Shared Cell in Dungeon with Wagner | — |
| Wagner | Rook | :black_circle: 6 - :white_circle: 2 | - | — |

Object: Documents and Secrets - Confession written in Blood
Location: LOWTIDE - THE WARRENS - Madame Corvid's curiosity shop
Object: WEAPONS OF CONSEQUENCE - A poisoned dagger (Syndicate signature)
Need: TO ACQUIRE - Blackmail material on someone powerful
Object: DANGEROUS CARGO - A bottle of deadly poison
Location: PLACES OF POWER - The Priory cathedral tower

**Status:** [`SETUP` / `ACT ONE` / TILT / ACT TWO / COMPLETE]  
**Dice Pool:** [X] :black_circle: | [X] :white_circle:


## :book: NIGHT 1: ACT ONE - SCENES

### Group 1 - Act One Progress

**Scenes Completed:** [0/8]

8 black, 8 white

| # | Player | Brief Scene | Outcome |    Next?     |
|:-:|:------:|:------------|:-------:|:------------:|
| 1 | James  | Resolve: Rov walks into the office to meet with Conrad. Gio is in a cell along with Dregoth. Caelith is in there with them. Rov seeks information on an enemy that could destory them and the Von Baur's have it. He asks Conrad for it. | good result; on to get more information; +1 white die to Conrad (McCabe 1w)      |  |
| 2 | Shane      | Establish: Fight in the pits; before previous scene. Gio demands Caelith take a fall in the third round. Caelith decides she's going to not take the fall. | Bad result; went against the demands of he debtors; +1 black die to Gio (Josh 1b) ||
| 3 | Shawn      | Establish: Two guards and dock workers at the Trade Office, Dregoth locked in a cell by himself. Dregoth breathes acid starting the escape.     | Bad outcome, made escape, but enemy of Von Baur. +1 Black Die to Conrad (McCabe 1w1b) ||
| 4 | Josh      | Establish: Asking Caelith nicely for the keys. Conrad agrees to pay the debt to Tiny Tim through the Van Baur's. Medal goes to Caelith. | Good outcome: Debt paid. Ally of Von Baurs. +1 White Die to Caelith (Shane 1w) ||
| 5 | McCabe      | Resolve: Conrad is going to pay the debt to Tiny Tim for Gio. Conrad offers to pay the debt with a bounty. Tiny Tim demands coin though, 600gp. Conrad paid with gold from the Von Baurs. | Good outcome; solved a problem. +1 White die to Gio (Josh 1w1b) ||
| 6 | James      | Resolve: Rov is at Caelith's fight, ends up sitting next to Tiny Tim who knows some shit. | good outcome; got the information; +1 white die to Gio (Josh 2w1b)||
| 7 | Shane      | Establish: Rov is getting an old friend out of there. Gets his paladin code form the old guide. | poor results; doesn't complete the missions, becomes endebted van baors. +1 black die to Conrad ( Mccabe1w2b)||
| 8 | Shawn      | —           | —       |              |
| 9 | Josh      | Relsove: Gio meets with tiny tim to discuss how tiny tim gets his money from caelith not throwing the fight. | poor result; +1 black die to  Caelith (shane 1w1b)||
| 0 | McCabe      | Estabish: Conrad gets turned into a vampire, Helena in the keep. | good results; survives, doesn't die, after witnessing a massacre  +1 white die to Gio (Josh 2w1b) |:arrow_left:|

:::warning
**:warning: Act One Dice Pass Rule**  
After each scene, the outcome die **must be given to another player in the same group**.  
Dice circulate between players during Act One.
:::

### Group 2 - Act One Progress

**Scenes Completed:** [0/8]

| # | Player | Brief Scene | Outcome |    Next?     |
|:-:|:------:|:------------|:-------:|:------------:|
| 1 | Ben | Establish: band of bugbears break in, one gets in through the window. Shopkeep runs out. Bugbear attacks Rook. Linus kills the bugbear and tell Rook "you didn't see shit". Went well for Linus. Rook +1 white doll.          | Good outcome; remained unnotices. +1 White die to Rook (Wager 1w)      |  |
| 2 | Chris | Establish: Zilver goes to the office of the others to dispose of a poison dagger in a discoverable place (make sure it can be found). Rook, Kritch, Tinul.| good outcome; Zilver gets the job hired; +1 white die to Tinhul (Devon 1w)       ||
| 3 | Devon | Establish: do the job with kritch and rook. Dagger is hidden the dead body of rat that was ceremoniously burried.           | Poor outcome. Dagger is hidden, but not necessarily discoverable; Poor result. +1 black die to Nate (Nate 1b)||
| 4 | Nate | Resolve: Kritch is in the Priory and stumbles into a conversation between Zilver and an Acolyte to "excommunicate" a rival church cleric. Kritch was looking for the high inquisitor. | Poor outcome; ends up in prison and meets rook; +1 black die to Linus (Ben 1b)       ||
| 5 | Wagner |Resolve: Prison transport, Rook and Kritch are in a dog kennel in the back of the cart. In transfer to "prison" (execution)| Good outcome: got away with golden eye. +1 white die to Kritch (Nate 1w)||
| 6 | Ben |Resolve; Linus is brought to life by the Archivist. Immortal killer but Linus is an early thought.| Poor resolution; +1 black die to Zilver (chris 1b)||
| 7 | Chris | Establish: Linus and Zilver. Paired together by the priory to deliver confession written in blood.| Good outcome: Confession written in blood pinned on target; 1 white die to Kritch (Nate 2w1b)||
| 8 | Devon | Establish: Conversation with Zilver after hiring, how do i go about getting blackmail on... Avil Rivenmore| good outcome: got the "information about information" she needed; +1 white die to Zilver (chris 1w1b) ||
| 9 | Nate | establish; kritch and rook go to steal something simple: bottle of deady poison from a curiousity shop.| good outcome; stole the thing; +1 white die to Rook (Wagner 2w)||
| 0 | Wagner | resolve: scene is in the tavern, confession fell off the body, rook is there and sees it happen, picks up the confession. Shows confession to Tinhul. creates forged confession in red ink, pockets blooded confession.| good outcome; +1 white die to Tinhul (devon 2w)||

## :zap: THE TILT (After Act One)

:::danger
**The Tilt introduces chaos and complications that force characters together or tear them apart.**
:::

### Group 1 Tilt

**Category:** [Not Selected]  
**Specific Tilt:** [Not Selected]  
**Impact on Story:** [How this changes the narrative]

Josh +4 white
McCabe +1 white
Shane +3 White
James shit to roll

tilt: Run now or stand and probably die

### Group 2 Tilt

**Category:** [Not Selected]  
**Specific Tilt:** [Not Selected]  
**Impact on Story:** [How this changes the narrative]

Ben +1 Black
Chris +1 Black
Wagner +7 White
Devon +11 White
Nate +5 white

tilt: 4:1 What was theft becomes murder

## :clapper: NIGHT 2: ACT TWO - SCENES

### Group 1 - Act Two Progress

**Scenes Completed:** [0/8]

| # | Player | Brief Scene | Outcome | Kept? |
|:-:|:------:|:------------|:-------:|:-----:|
| 1 | James | skip; | —       | —     |
| 2 | Shane | Resolve; gio and caelith on roof | goes well, Shane 1w | - |
| 3 | Shawn | skip; | —       | —     |
| 4 | Josh  | Establish; Gio and caelith have to face the wrath of Avil. Avil sent goons to van boer trade office. Conrad kills a goon, molotov cocktail burns the trade office | went well for gio, didn't die, 1w Josh| —     |
| 5 | McCabe  | Establish; escort the escape of the trade house. | went well, got out with new allies, +1w McCabe | —     |
| 6 | James  | ship  | - | —     |
| 7 | Shane | Resolve; during the escape conrad is trapped and caelith helps dig conrad out | poor result, aided an ally of the enemy, +1 b Shane (1w1b) | —     |
| 8 | Shawn | skip | —       | —     |
| 8 | Josh | establish; gets to the underground port of the city where smugglers bring items into the city to reset.| good result for gio, found a good place to lay low, +1 w to Josh (2w)| —     |
| 8 | McCabe | resolve; basement of mccabe's place, get up into the crypt of a church , | had a plan, has a next place, +1 w McCabe (2w)| —     |

:::success
**:white_check_mark: Act Two Dice Keep Rule**  
After each scene, the outcome die **is kept by the spotlight player**.  
These dice determine your character's fate in the Aftermath.
:::

### Group 2 - Act Two Progress

**Scenes Completed:** [0/8]

| # | Player | Brief Scene | Outcome | Kept? |
|:-:|:------:|:------------|:-------:|:-----:|
| 1 | Ben     | Establish: cathedral tower, kritch and rook are there to steal a thing, linus is there for work, kritch interacts with linus's mind... | poor result, linus ends up killing priory ally; the acolyte that hired zilver; Ben 1b      | |
| 2 | Chris | Resolve: Zilver confronts the trio about the dagger not being discovered yet. | poor result, ends up needing to rehide the dagger, Chris 1b| |
| 3 | Devon | Establish: conversation, rook and kritch telling tinhul about the tilt. | good result; updated situation, has an idea of what to do next, Devon 1w| |
| 4 | Nate | Resolve: Kritch and Rook take the confession written in blood to Tiny Tim cuz the confession says he setup a fall for Caelith's fight.| good results; came out of the situation with coin. 1w Nate| |
| 5 | Wagner | Establish: Rook and Kritch scurry back to hideout with coins. They go back to tell Tinhul about all the shinies from the confession, to find her talking to Zilver. The guy killed in the tavern is Brock. | poor result; news met with confusion and frustation, Wagner 1b| |
| 6 | Ben | Establish: Linus is answering for the death of the acolyte. Archivist comes to aid Linus. | linus gets paired with zilver; good outcome; 1w1b Ben| |
| 7 | Chris | Establish: figure out how to get the body for kritch and rook debacle; paired with linus; needs to break into the evidence room to get the body from the town guard. The body and the correct note need to be together. The body is a Van Baor plant for fixing fights. | good result, found body; +1 w, chris 1b1w| |
| 8 | Devon | Establish: bringing body to medium tim. whole table 2. | got the body and the note in the same place; went well; +1 white to devon 2w | |
| 9 | Nate | Resolve good; Kritch goes back to chandelier, overhears how the priory is trying to turn the von bauers against avil| +1 white to nate, 2w| |
| 0 | Wagner | Resolve; Rook brings dagger to Tiny Tim to try to get paid for it. | went well, got paid, +1 white for 1w1b| |

## :checkered_flag: AFTERMATH (Both Groups Together)

:::info
**Score Calculation**  
Count your Black and White dice. Subtract the smaller from the larger.  
The result determines your character's fate tier.
:::

### Group 1 Final Outcomes

| Character | :black_circle: Black | :white_circle: White | Final Score | Result Tier | Character Fate |
|:---------:|:--------------------:|:--------------------:|:-----------:|:-----------:|:--------------|
| [C1]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |
| [C2]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |
| [C3]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |
| [C4]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |
| [C4]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |

### Group 2 Final Outcomes

| Character | :black_circle: Black | :white_circle: White | Final Score | Result Tier | Character Fate |
|:---------:|:--------------------:|:--------------------:|:-----------:|:-----------:|:--------------|
| [C1]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |
| [C2]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |
| [C3]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |
| [C4]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |
| [C4]      | —                    | —                    | —           | —           | —             |

**Score Legend:**  
- **10-13** :sparkles: High Positive - Character emerges intact, chooses adventure
- **6-9** :warning: Middling - Changed, needs the party
- **2-5** :broken_heart: Negative - Broken, clings to party
- **0-1** :skull: Terrible - Needs intervention/resurrection


## :link: PARTY FORMATION (Post-Game)

### How Both Groups Unite
- [ ] Shared threat/event that brings all 8 together
- [ ] Common goal or destination (Lowtide?)
- [ ] Overlapping faction entanglements

### Trust Dynamics
- **Within Groups:** [HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW / COMPLEX]
- **Between Groups:** [HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW / COMPLEX]

### Shared Secrets & Bonds
- [What binds all 8 characters together]
- [What tensions remain unresolved]

## :memo: CROSS-GROUP NOTES

### NPCs Created Across Both Groups

| NPC Name | Group | Faction/Role | Status | Connection |
|----------|:-----:|--------------|--------|------------|
| [Name]   | G1    | [Role]       | [Status] | [Notes] |
| [Name]   | G2    | [Role]       | [Status] | [Notes] |
| [Name]   | Both  | [Role]       | [Status] | [Appears in both groups] |

### Faction Entanglements

- **Von Baur Dynasty:** [Group involvement and consequences]
- **Ashen Priory:** [Group involvement and consequences]
- **Hollow Thrones:** [Group involvement and consequences]
- **Ironclad Syndicate:** [Group involvement and consequences]
- **Verdant Empire:** [Group involvement and consequences]

### Key Plot Threads for D&D Campaign

1. **[Thread Title]** - [Description from Group 1]
2. **[Thread Title]** - [Description from Group 2]
3. **[Thread Title]** - [Cross-group connection/conflict]

## :dart: SESSION FLOW REMINDER

### Night 1 Schedule (Setup + Act One + Tilt)

1. **Group 1 Setup** *(30-45 min)* - Build relationships and character web
2. **Group 2 Setup** *(30-45 min)* - Build relationships and character web
3. **Group 1 Act One + Tilt** *(75-90 min)* - 8 scenes, then reveal Tilt
4. **Group 2 Act One + Tilt** *(75-90 min)* - 8 scenes, then reveal Tilt

### Night 2 Schedule (Act Two + Aftermath)

1. **Group 1 Act Two** *(60-75 min)* - 8 scenes, keep dice
2. **Group 2 Act Two** *(60-75 min)* - 8 scenes, keep dice
3. **Both Groups: Aftermath** *(60 min)* - Calculate scores, narrate fates, unite party

### Cross-Group Participation Tips

:::success
**When your group isn't playing:**
- Play NPCs for the active group
- Suggest complications or Tilt elements
- Help narrate background events
- Ask questions to deepen scenes
:::

## :bulb: FIASCO MECHANICS QUICK REFERENCE

### Scene Options (Every Player Gets 2 Per Act)

**Option 1: ESTABLISH the Scene**
- You decide: Who's there? Where? What's happening?
- Others roleplay the scene with you
- After scene: Others decide outcome (white or black die)
- Act One: Pass die to another player in your group
- Act Two: Keep the die

**Option 2: RESOLVE the Scene**
- Others decide scene setup (who, where, what)
- You choose outcome die color (white or black)
- Act One: Pass die to another player in your group
- Act Two: Keep the die

### Dice Timing

- **Before the scene:** No dice decisions yet
- **During the scene:** Roleplay/narrate what happens
- **After the scene:** Outcome die is determined and distributed

## :star: HELPFUL TIPS

- Use the checkboxes (- [ ]) in the Party Formation section to track completed discussion points
- Update "Current Phase" at the top as you progress
- Use comments (💬) in HackMD to discuss specific scenes without cluttering the main document
- Export to GitHub or download as Markdown backup after each session

---

# CUSTOM FIASCO PLAYSET: SHADOWS OF VHALCIA
## A Fiasco Playset for Character Backstory Development

### SETTING
The dark continent of Vhalcia - a land of perpetual gloom where survival requires cunning, ambition, and poor impulse control. Your characters are about to make terrible decisions that will bind them together as an adventuring party... if they survive.

### CAMPAIGN INTEGRATION
This playset is designed to create interconnected backstories for D&D characters before the main campaign begins. The goal: characters emerge from this fiasco as a newly-formed adventuring party in the port city of Lowtide.

---

## RELATIONSHIPS

### 1. FACTION TIES
1. Von Baur Dynasty - Noble and servant
2. Ashen Priory - Priest and penitent
3. Hollow Thrones - Warlord and soldier
4. Ironclad Syndicate - Smuggler and fence
5. Verdant Empire - Scout and handler  
6. Independent - Two survivors of faction violence

### 2. CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE
1. Partners in a failed heist
2. Debtor and debt collector
3. Con artist and mark (who figured it out)
4. Thieves who stole from each other
5. Black market traders
6. Escaped prisoners - chained together

### 3. BLOOD & OATH
1. Siblings separated by fate
2. Parent searching for lost child
3. Blood oath companions
4. Former lovers from rival factions
5. Cousins on opposite sides of a conflict
6. Bound by a terrible shared secret

### 4. PROFESSIONAL
1. Mercenaries in the same company
2. Ship crew members
3. Former employer and employee
4. Rival merchants
5. Master and failed apprentice
6. Bodyguard and ward

### 5. SURVIVAL BONDS
1. Only survivors of a massacre
2. Fought together against a monster
3. Shared a cell in a dungeon
4. Refugees from the same destroyed village
5. Rescued and rescuer
6. Traveling companions thrown together by chance

### 6. DARK CONNECTIONS
1. Cultist and defector
2. Corrupt official and blackmailer
3. Assassin and target who survived
4. Witness and killer
5. Poisoner and intended victim
6. Betrayer and betrayed

---

## NEEDS

### 1. TO ESCAPE
1. From Von Baur "hospitality" (debt slavery)
2. From Ashen Priory penance
3. From a Hollow Thrones war band
4. From Syndicate obligations
5. From a monster hunting you
6. From your own dark reputation

### 2. TO ACQUIRE
1. Passage on a ship leaving Lowtide
2. Enough coin to start over
3. A forged identity
4. Blackmail material on someone powerful
5. A dangerous magical artifact
6. Information that could destroy an enemy

### 3. TO PROTECT
1. A hidden child from a powerful family
2. Your true identity
3. A witness who knows too much
4. Stolen goods you can't fence yet
5. A secret about a faction's weakness
6. Someone innocent you've endangered

### 4. TO REVENGE
1. Against the noble who destroyed your family
2. Against the priest who betrayed you
3. Against the warlord who scarred you
4. Against the syndicate boss who used you
5. Against the monster that took everything
6. Against yourself for what you've become

### 5. TO PROVE
1. You're not the coward they think you are
2. Your loyalty to someone who doubts you
3. You didn't commit the crime you're accused of
4. You're worthy of a faction's trust
5. You can survive anything Vhalcia throws at you
6. You're more than just a survivor

### 6. TO DISCOVER
1. Who really killed your family
2. Where the stolen artifact is hidden
3. The truth about your bloodline
4. What happened during the nights you can't remember
5. Who's been hunting you and why
6. Whether the person you trust is lying

---

## LOCATIONS

### 1. LOWTIDE - THE DOCKS
1. The Rusty Anchor tavern (Syndicate front)
2. Bloodstone Pier where corpses wash up
3. The smuggler's warehouse
4. Captain Vex's ship - The Misfortune
5. The fish market (information hub)
6. Drowned Man's Alley

### 2. LOWTIDE - THE WARRENS  
1. The Broken Compass inn
2. The underground fighting pits
3. Madame Corvid's curiosity shop
4. The abandoned church (cultist hideout)
5. The narcotics den in the cellar
6. Beggar King's territory

### 3. LOWTIDE - ABOVE THE BRINE
1. The Syndicate guildhouse
2. Magistrate's office (corrupt)
3. The auction house
4. Von Baur trade office
5. The gallows square
6. The locked vault under the bank

### 4. OUTSIDE LOWTIDE
1. The wrecked ship on the black rocks
2. The fishing village (3 hours north)
3. The old battlefield with restless dead
4. The cave system beneath the cliffs
5. The crossroads shrine (Ashen Priory)
6. The burned-out manor

### 5. PLACES OF DESPERATION
1. The debtor's prison
2. The plague house
3. The pauper's graveyard
4. The execution dock
5. The asylum
6. The leper colony outside town

### 6. PLACES OF POWER
1. Von Baur's merchant mansion
2. The Priory cathedral tower
3. The Syndicate's secret meeting room
4. The warlord's fortified compound
5. The sorcerer's tower (abandoned?)
6. The ancient ruins beneath the city

---

## OBJECTS

### 1. WEAPONS OF CONSEQUENCE
1. A Von Baur dueling pistol (stolen)
2. An Ashen Priory executioner's blade
3. A warlord's war axe (blood-cursed)
4. A poisoned dagger (Syndicate signature)
5. An ancient magical sword (broken)
6. A crossbow that never misses (allegedly)

### 2. DOCUMENTS & SECRETS
1. A ledger proving Syndicate/noble collusion
2. A map to pre-fall treasure
3. Letters proving someone's true identity
4. A confession written in blood
5. A contract with a devil
6. Ship manifests showing illegal cargo

### 3. CURSED ITEMS
1. A locket containing a trapped soul
2. A mirror that shows terrible truths
3. A box that whispers dark promises
4. Jewelry that belonged to someone murdered
5. A book that drives readers mad
6. A child's toy that predicts death

### 4. VALUABLES
1. A chest of pre-war gold coins
2. A noble's signet ring
3. A shipment of rare spices
4. A religious relic (possibly fake)
5. A bag of uncut gemstones
6. The deed to valuable property

### 5. DANGEROUS CARGO
1. A crate of unstable alchemical bombs
2. A sealed jar containing a disease
3. A cage with an unknown creature
4. Stolen magical components
5. A bottle of deadly poison
6. Forbidden texts on dark magic

### 6. PERSONAL ITEMS
1. A love letter to someone forbidden
2. A locket with a baby's hair
3. A soldier's war medal
4. A wedding ring (but whose?)
5. A journal detailing crimes
6. A key to something important

---

## SETUP GUIDE FOR D&D CAMPAIGN

### BEFORE YOU PLAY:
1. Each player should have a general concept of their D&D character (class, race, general personality)
2. Don't create full character sheets yet - let Fiasco inform your choices
3. Remember: Fiasco characters are flawed people making bad decisions. That's perfect for D&D backstories!

### DURING SETUP:
1. When establishing relationships, think about how they connect to your character concept
2. Feel free to adjust race/class ideas based on the relationships that emerge
3. Embrace the dark tone - Vhalcia is not a heroic setting (yet)

### FRAMING SCENES:
- **Act One**: Focus on the events that bring characters together and create conflict
- **The Tilt**: This represents the incident that forces characters to flee/band together
- **Act Two**: Characters must decide whether to work together or betray each other
- **Aftermath**: Individual outcomes, but frame them toward arriving in Lowtide or being forced to team up

### AFTER YOU PLAY:
1. Discuss how the Fiasco informs each character's backstory
2. Identify the key relationships between characters
3. Determine what shared secret/trauma binds the party together
4. Decide if characters trust each other, or if trust must be earned
5. Create your D&D character sheets with this context in mind

### CONNECTING TO THE CAMPAIGN:
The DM should note:
- Which factions were involved
- What crimes/debts characters might have
- What secrets could emerge during play
- Which NPCs from the Fiasco might reappear
- What unresolved tensions exist between PCs

---

## CUSTOM TILT TABLE (Optional - use standard Fiasco tilts or these)

### VHALCIA-SPECIFIC TILTS:

**1. FACTION INTERFERENCE**
1. Von Baur agents arrive seeking "their property"
2. Ashen Priory priests declare someone heretical
3. Hollow Thrones raiders attack the area
4. Syndicate calls in old debts immediately
5. Verdant Empire scouts surround the location
6. Two factions clash and you're caught between them

**2. SUPERNATURAL HORROR**
1. The monster you thought was legend appears
2. A curse activates at the worst moment
3. The dead rise with specific purpose
4. Dark magic backfires catastrophically  
5. Something fey enters the situation
6. A prophetic vision shows terrible futures

**3. BETRAYAL & REVELATION**
1. Someone's true identity is exposed
2. A supposed ally was working against you all along
3. The item you have is more dangerous than you knew
4. Someone you thought dead is very much alive
5. Your own dark secret is revealed publicly
6. The person you're protecting is the real villain

**4. ESCALATION**
1. What was theft becomes murder
2. A local problem becomes faction-level
3. One death leads to many
4. Private shame becomes public scandal
5. A small lie spirals into catastrophe
6. Desperation leads to dark bargains

**5. FORCED CHOICES**
1. Save one person or many
2. Your freedom or someone else's life
3. Betray a friend or lose everything
4. Run now or stand and probably die
5. Tell the truth or preserve the lie
6. Take the fall or condemn another

**6. CHAOS & CATASTROPHE**
1. Fire spreads through the location
2. A ship sinks with everyone aboard
3. The tide comes in, cutting off escape
4. A building collapses during confrontation
5. A storm traps everyone together
6. Multiple disasters strike at once

---

## AFTERMATH GUIDANCE FOR D&D CHARACTERS

**HIGH POSITIVE OUTCOMES (10-13):**
Character emerges relatively intact and chooses to adventure. They see the party as their best option for survival or success.

**MIDDLING OUTCOMES (6-9):**
Character survives but is changed. They need the party because they have nowhere else to go, or because they owe the others.

**NEGATIVE OUTCOMES (2-5):**
Character is broken, scarred, or damaged but survives. They cling to the party out of desperation, revenge, or because they literally cannot survive alone.

**TERRIBLE OUTCOMES (0-1):**
Work with your DM to determine if:
- Character barely survived and is severely compromised (great for character development!)
- Character "died" but was resurrected/saved (owing a debt to party member?)
- Character disappeared and will reappear later in the campaign with a different role

Remember: Fiasco is about failure. Even "bad" outcomes create compelling D&D character motivations!

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## EXAMPLE CHARACTER CONNECTIONS

**After Fiasco, you might have:**
- A rogue and fighter who were prison cellmates
- A cleric who lost faith after the Ashen Priory betrayed them, now protected by a paladin
- A wizard and warlock who both sought the same forbidden knowledge
- A ranger and bard who survived a massacre together  
- A barbarian seeking revenge and a monk seeking redemption for the same incident

**The Party Bond:**
By the end of Act Two, the party should be:
- Fleeing something together
- Bound by shared crime/secret
- Owing each other life debts
- United against a common enemy
- All heading to Lowtide as the only option
- Realizing they're stronger together than apart

---

## TIPS FOR THE FACILITATOR

1. **Pace the Revelation**: Don't rush to define characters fully. Let them emerge through scenes.

2. **Embrace the Darkness**: Vhalcia is grim. Don't shy away from hard choices and moral ambiguity.

3. **Connect to Factions**: Reference the faction document when it makes sense. Use established NPCs and locations.

4. **Build Toward Partnership**: In Act Two, push toward situations where cooperation is the only option.

5. **Leave Threads**: Not everything needs resolution. Loose ends become plot hooks for the campaign.

6. **Trust the Chaos**: The best backstories emerge from unexpected Fiasco moments.

---

## SAMPLE OPENING SCENES

**Scene 1: The Job Gone Wrong**
The party attempted to steal something valuable from a faction stronghold. Establish who hired them, what went wrong, and why they can't go back.

**Scene 2: The Massacre Survivors**
The party's village/unit/crew was destroyed. Establish what happened, who did it, and what the survivors now carry.

**Scene 3: The Prison Break**
The party escaped from captivity together. Establish where they were held, why, and what they did to escape.

**Scene 4: The Shared Secret**
The party witnessed something they shouldn't have. Establish what they saw, who wants them dead for it, and why they must stick together.

---

*This playset is designed to create dark, compelling backstories for D&D characters in the Vhalcia campaign setting. The goal is not heroism, but survival - and the realization that together, these flawed individuals might become something more.*

**Recommended play time: 2.5-3 hours**
**Recommended players: 3-5 (matching your D&D party size)**
**Tone: Dark, desperate, morally ambiguous - perfect for Vhalcia**

