StraighttoVHSv0 2 9

Version 0.2.
2014 Ryan M.M.
All rights reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT IS STRAIGHT TO VHS?
.
................................................3
Wait, Is This One of Those Nerd Games?

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4
The Bad Movie Mind-Set
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......................4
HOW TO PLAY
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.......................... 5
The Central Mechanic
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.....................5
Epic Dice
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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....................7
Your Character, Over Time
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.................... 7
Action Sequences
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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.....................8
Cinematic Actions
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Script Changes
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CHARACTER CREATION
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Stats
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.......
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Health Points
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Speed
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Epics and Bloopers
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14
Making Characters in 5 Steps

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14
Tropes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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....................
15
Perks
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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24
ITEMS
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28
Example Items
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Weapon Workshop
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GRID RULES
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.........................
34
DIRECTING 101
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Creating and Ruling Challenges
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Dramatic Effects
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.......
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Typical Character Actions
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37
Setting Up the Movie

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39
Welcome to Vickers Creek!

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40
Bad Guys
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41
Villains
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Creative Prompts
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CHARACTER SHEET
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.......
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
ANOTEFROMTHEAUTHOR
This is not a finished game. When it is finished, I intend to sell a complete version of Straight to
VHS. However, I will continue to also provide a free version of the game in perpetuity.
For now, I give you everything Straight to VHS has to offer in the hopes that folks will enjoy,
spread the word, and provide me with their thoughts on what theyd like to see in the final
game.
You can leave anonymous feedback at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S75NJR6
.
Or, if you want to get more deeply involved, check out the community at
www.reddit.com/r/straighttovhs
.
Please feel free to contact me via email at
VHSgame@gmail.com
.
For the latest updates, visit
www.straighttovhs.wix.com/home
.
Thank you for reading, and may you make it to the credits!
-Ryan M. M.
This document includes artwork for which I have absolutely no claim or ownership. It will all be removed before any
action is taken toward releasing a commercial version of Straight to VHS. Basically, its all art from old movie posters
that I thought made for great inspiration.
Page 3: Promotional art for the film Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time
Page 6: Promotional art for the film Bury Me an Angel
Page 10: Promotional art for the film Equalizer 2000
Page 13: Promotional art for the film Thunder II
Page 23: Promotional art for the film Eliminators
Page 32: Promotional art for the film Raiders of Atlantis
Page 41: Promotional art for the film The Ninja Mission
The fist icon used in this document was created by Andrew Shatz, from the Noun Project
The gun icon used in this document was created by Evan Travelstead, from the Noun Project
You can check out The Noun Project at thenounproject.com
Get pumped.
A werewolf stalks the streets...but not for much longer.

Not if a nun (and former prostitute) named Gloria
Vendetta has anything to say about it. Her cybernetically
enhanced buddy in the precinct suspects the werewolf is
being protected by Yakuza, but why? If only the retired
heavyweight champion Tucker Smash could regain his
memories. He was the only one who knew the antidote to
lycanism, and now the plague is spreading
You and your friends can now indulge in your own
asinine
bitchin story with Straight to VHS, an easy-to-learn and
fast-paced tabletop RPG inspired by ridiculous and
terrible movies of the VHS era. The very heart of the
game might very well be the
trope
-based character
creation which lets you mix and match options informed
by countless awful films. Do you wanna be a vampire cop,
or maybe a skateboarding ninja from the future? Straight
to VHS will let you. The Director (or game master) will
narrate the action and provide challenges and something
resembling a plot for the characters to smash and seduce
their way through. Players also get opportunities to
tweak the Directors script for their gain and amusement.
Straight to VHS is a work in progress, but is already
sure-fire fun!
SOUNDS BADASS! WHAT DO I NEED?
-Thats
what you say.
Youll need character sheets printed from this rulebook,

pencils, some twenty-sided dice and a few friends,
including one who will be the Director. That's it! Straight
to VHS
can be played with a grid (see the "Grid Rules"
section).
Playing Straight to VHS takes at least a few hours, and
your group might choose to have an epic, ongoing game
that you come back to again and again. Straight to VHS is
best with two to four players plus the Director, but any
number is fine as long as the Director feels he or she can
deal with it. The Director will have to get familiar with the
rules and might want to do some preparation, so treat
the Director real nice-like.
Im a discerning RPG veteran. Why should I play

this game in particular?
The Bad Movie theme is a blank check that says,
No pressure. Just have fun. Players will cash that
check. This goes double for the Director.
The use of d20s raises some eyebrows at first, but
the wild swing of the d20 is tamed by the players
earning rerolls called
epic dice
. Also, the
differences between attacking and defending d20s
are used as the amount of damage dealt, creating
quick combat in which rolling a 19 is really almost
as exciting as rolling a 20.
Straight to VHS is a grounded rules-light game
(maybe rules-medium) that gives the players clear
gameplay tools and direction. The players arent
forced to drive the story-telling, but are allowed to
get hugely creative if they choose!
Basically, Straight to VHS is way kick-ass.
Wait, Is This One of Those Nerd Games?
Yo, flat out, homebro. Its what us nerds call an RPG (or role-playing game), you dig? RPGs
share much with their video game counterparts, but brosauce, instead of interacting with a
computer and some code, youre going to be interacting with your friends and the human
brain. If you dont think thats baller and dope, youre straight trippin. In a video game, youre
limited to the sorts of actions and decisions that the game creators coded into the game. Check
it, peeps: with Straight to VHS and other RPGs, youre given a level of freedom that no video
game or traditional board game can really replicate. Thats hella fly
and jiggy. Straight to VHS is
intended to be a good introduction to the format, thanks to having easy and straightforward
game mechanics that define your character and how you interact with the games world. In
short, yeah its nerdy, and its also really fun. I mean, its, uh, the sickest! It has...typhus or
something.
The Bad Movie Mind-Set
Lets imagine a horror movie. Our heroine stands in the woods at the edge of a dark cave. A
trail of blood leads into the caves mouth. If she has any survival instincts or awareness of her
existence in a horror movie, shes gonna turn around, go home and read a book. Thats great
for her, but its not very interesting.
It might be tempting to make your characters survival your highest priority, but if you do so,
youll probably bore yourself. In the end, the goal of Straight to VHS isnt to win. The goal is to
share in some belly laughs and come away with a stupid, kick-ass story!
You should strive to
move things forward and keep things interesting, even if you know your character isnt
making the smartest decisions. The Director will
reward you for doing so, by giving you
something called epic dice tokens (which well learn about on page 7).
In general, act like
someone in a horror movie. They arent suicidal, but their sense of self-preservation is trumped
by the desire to tell an entertaining story. Now go. Go explore that spooky cave! Take up the
quarterbacks challenge to a drag race! Decide you have to learn more about the aliens! Go
skinny dipping in the lake! The audience demands it!
Oh! And to really get in the right mind-set, you should watch some fine cinema. May I
recommend the following: 2019: After the Fall of New York, Avalanche Sharks, Big Trouble in
Little China
*
, Dead Heat, Deadly Prey, Eliminators, Future War, Gymkata, Hard Ticket to Hawaii,
Hell Comes to Frogtown, Independence Day, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Krull, Latitude
Zero, Leprechaun 4, Masters of the Universe, Miami Connection, Mortal Kombat 1 and 2,
Samurai Cop, Sharknado, Star Crash, Thankskilling, Tremors 2, Troll 2, Wolfcop and for more,
check out
reddit.com/r/badmovies
.
*
Actually,youreallycantcallthisabadmovie.Itmightbethebestmovieevermade.
Using the options in this document, youll create a B movie character with various strengths and
weaknesses. The Director narrates the action and provides challenges for you and your fellow
players. Hilarity and awesomeness ensues. Dont worry about memorizing every rule. There will
be reminders on your character sheet, and your Director will carry a lot of the weight (sorry,
Director). The game has some rules that can be kinda loose. When there is any doubt about
how a rule ought to be interpreted, the Director makes the final call.
Anytime you see red text in a grey box like this, its text that only the Director needs to
read. Skip it if you like so you can get started sooner. Theres also a section towards the
end called Directing 101, which only demands the attention of the Director.
The Central Mechanic

When you want your character to attempt something that has a reasonable chance of failing
(like rock climbing or punching someone in the mouth), you roll a twenty-sided die (called a
d20). The higher you roll, the better your character does. Your d20 rolls get added to by your
characters most relevant stat + any bonuses and/or penalties.
Also, a character that is being attacked rolls a defensive d20 (+ their Defense stat + any bonuses
and/or penalties). If the attack roll is higher than the defense roll, the defending character takes
damage. The amount of damage they take is the difference between the two rolls. If a
character takes too much damage, they die.
One more thing: rolling a 20 causes something really good for your character to happen (aka a
critical success
). Rolling a 1 causes something really bad for your character to happen (aka a
critical failure
).
A
critical success should cause something big to happen, like landing a three-way or causing
the enemy to lose a hand. A
critical failure should be more than a typical miss. It should be an
embarrassing mistake that backfires on the roller, like shooting their own foot or having their
pants fall off. You can then apply bonuses, penalties or extra damage accordingly.
What if someone rolls a 20 on an attack, but his/her overall attack was still lower than the
defense roll? They didnt deal any damage, but something big still occurs. Maybe they
disarmed the bad guy. Or perhaps they psyched out the bad guy, thus giving them a penalty
to future defensive rolls. Asking the player can be a good idea too!
Lets see a step-by-step example!

Lets say you made a shotgun-toting character named
Lexi. The Director tells you that a deadly chupacabra
is about to leap at Lexi, and its your turn. You might
choose to have Lexi shoot the beast with her
shotgun. Tell the Director and
Roll a d20! Lets say you rolled an
8
.
Now add your most relevant stat. Youre gonna learn
about stats in a bit, but the relevant stat for shooting
is ACC (Accuracy). Youll look at your character
sheet to see Lexis ACC. Lets say Lexis ACC is +6.
8
(from the d20)
+ 6
(from Lexis stat)
= 14
Now add any bonuses and penalties. Penalties are
rare, and the Director will let you know if there is
one. A common way of getting a bonus is by using an
item
. Lets say Lexis shotgun gives a +5 bonus.
Thats
8
+ 6
+ 5
. Lexis total attack roll was

19
.
As Lexis player, youre done.
The Director handles
the rest
. The Director rolls a defensive d20 for the
chupacabra and will add its DEF (defense) stat and
any bonuses and penalties.
If the chupacabras total defense roll is equal to or
higher than 19, Lexis attack missed.
But lets say the chupacabras total defense roll was
12. Because that is lower than Lexis 19, the
chupacabra is gonna take damage from Lexis attack.
How much damage, exactly? It takes the difference
between the two rolls.
19 - 12 = 7, so the chupacabra takes 7 damage. The
Director will narrate this result and let you know that
7 damage was dealt to the chupacabra.
This all works the same way if the chupacabra is
attacking Lexi. The Director rolls an ATTACK d20 +
stat + bonuses/penalties for the chupacabra. You roll
a DEFENSIVE d20 + DEF + bonuses/penalties for Lexi.
If Lexi rolls higher, the chupacabra missed. If Lexi rolls
lower, she takes damage equal to the difference
between the two rolls.
Pro tip: Theres a spot on your character sheet for

you to take notes. So if Lexi is always shooting
things with her shotgun, write down something
like Shotgun Attack: +11 so that instead of
checking what her ACC is (+6) and her shotgun
bonus is (+5) every time, you can just glance at
that single number (+11). It seems like a small
thing, but youll be glad you did it.
Dont just say, You do 7 damage to the
chupacabra. Its still alive. Try something like,
Lexi gets off the shot as the chupacabra starts
to leap toward her, sending it flailing
backward. It hisses in pain and looks very
pissed off. That was 7 damage. Describe
slow-mo shots, mention the crappy special
effects in the movie, have the bad guys talk
some serious crap, make something explode!
Craft the ultimate cheesy action scene.
Epic Dice
Rolling a d20 leaves an awful lot to chance. Wouldnt it be nice if you could roll it more than
once and choose the roll you like? Well, you can...sometimes.
When you use an
epic die, just
roll an extra d20 and then choose the roll you like. There are a few ways you can earn
epic
dice.
For now, lets learn about one. The Director can award you an
epic dice
token
when your
character has done something that fits any of the criteria below.
1. That was true to your character and it was likely tempting to do otherwise.
2. That was true to the spirit of bad movies and it was likely tempting to do otherwise.
3. That was truly badass and creative!
You can have up to three
epic dice tokens
stored at a time for later use. At any time you can
turn in an
epic dice token to get an
epic die on a roll (do this before you roll, not after), or you
can turn in an
epic dice token
to get an additional 1 AP on your current turn (more about AP on
the next page). And yes, you can use more than one at a single time.
Your Character, Over Time
Level ups are called

montages
in Straight to VHS.
During a
montage
, your character gains a
perk, and three different stats of your choice get raised by 1 (HP is the exception: it gets
raised by 3 if chosen). Some character options give you things depending on how many
montages youve had, for this purpose you start the game with 0 montages.
If youre running a long movie (or campaign), have the characters earn a
perk every
other
montage
. Otherwise, the characters end up quite complicated. The frequency of
montages is
up to the Director, as there is no XP to keep track of. A rough rule-of-thumb is that montages
should occur after every 10
scenes
, give or take 5. Basically, just figure out good timing for
your players. If it seems like a good time to beef up the characters, do it!
Play is broken up into
scenes
. The Director determines when a
scene is over, but its usually just
the duration that the characters stay in a general location or strive towards a particular goal.
Expect scenes to usually last between 20 and 90 minutes. Certain character abilities will
recharge when a new
scene
begins, and
montages
usually occur between
scenes
.
Similarly, HP and some abilities recharge at the start of a new "

day." Usually this is a new
in-game day, but depending on the nature of the story (for example, if everything happens in
one day), the Director may use a different method, like once per
montage or once per real-life
day. The important bit is that
days
are comprised of multiple
scenes
.
NOT DIGGIN A rule?

GET RID OF IT!
Action Sequences
In high-stakes situations (like combat), characters take turns. To figure out the order, all
participants roll a d20 and add their ATH (or athletics stat). The highest roller goes first,
followed by the second-highest and so on. After the lowest roller, the highest goes again.
You can only do so much on a single turn before its the next characters turn. On your turn, you
have 5 action points (which Ill shorten to AP from now on).
Making an attack uses 3 AP.
(Note:
You can actually attack more than one target with those 3 AP, but doing so gives a penalty to
those attacks. This is allowed because spraying bullets all over the room or spinning your axe in
a circle is AWESOME! You cant use this to attack the same target more than once, though.)
Moving around uses 2 AP, unless you only move 5ft (or 1 square), which is called a Scoot and
only costs 1 AP.
When you arent taking turns, you dont have to consider AP costs.
Take a look at some examples of actions and their AP costs:
3 AP
2 AP
1 AP
0 AP
Attack
To walk, run, drive,

swing, ski, pilot...
Push it to the limit

(see next page)
One-Liners
(see next page)
Disarm a goon
Stand up
Scan surroundings
Script changes
Hack a computer
Conceal yourself or
an object
Try to recall any

crucial knowledge
Sense the obvious

(is there a window?)
Pick a lock
Reload
Pick up an item
Banter
Barricade a door
Persuade
Drop an item
Wink
Start a fire
Intimidate
Scoot 5ft (or 1sq)
Flick your ponytail
All sorts of stuff!
All sorts of stuff!
All sorts of stuff!
Yup. All sorts of stuff!
These examples ought to cover most character actions, but you should also find yourself doing
all sorts of stuff that isnt on this list. So, if you want to cut the chandeliers rope, just ask the
director how much AP itll take. For some, it might be tempting to try to talk the Director down
to a lower AP cost. Resist that temptation. Its generally more fun for the group to go with the
flow. If you really think the Director is making something cost too much or too little, chat them
up with your thoughts after the game or at least in between
scenes
.
Theres also a list of typical character actions and how to rule them on page 37 in the
Directing 101 section further in. This can be a really handy list to print and reference,
especially when playing for the first time.
Dont worry if this all seems overwhelming, because all you really need to do is
just
describe
what your character wants to do, and the Director will adjudicate accordingly. What do I
mean by just describing what your character wants to do? Let's look at some examples: "I go for
a headshot on the yeti," or "I grab the curtain and try to climb up, or "I swing my sword as I
spin around, trying to get all three assassins at once," or "I try to rip the wires right out of the
computer," or "I line up my shot so the Olympic torch is right between me and the mecha
crocodile, hopefully hitting the croc and setting him on fire," or "I try to stay perfectly still in the
hopes that they don't notice me" or "I give her the most intimidating stare I can muster."
You
can do that, right? Let the Director worry about the complicated stuff.
OK, so theres one complicated bit you oughta know about. Attacks that are aimed at more
than one enemy get penalties.
For each additional target, add a -2 to melee attacks and -4 to
ranged attacks. So if Chip Human has three enemies surrounding him and he does a melee
attack in the hopes of hitting all three, Chip Human rolls a single attack roll and takes a -4
penalty. Each enemy makes their own defensive roll.
Also, if you describe a really brutal or ambitious attack, you can decide to make your attack a
gamble
. The target of your
gamble gets an
epic die on their defense roll. If you still manage to
hit, the Director treats your attack just as though you rolled a 20.
Cinematic Actions
Cinematic actions are limited-use abilities that allow you to do helpful and amazing things.
There are three
cinematic actions
that are on everyones character sheet:
Once per
scene
, you can
Push It to the Limit
by spending 1 AP and turning in an
epic dice
token
. This heals you by half your total HP.
Once per
scene
, you can use a
Bad Edit
,
which gives you a single extra action (thats any
one thing with an AP cost) that can occur at anytime on anybody's turn, including your
own. So, if Mummy Abe Lincoln is about to place his curse on you, you can use a
Bad
Edit
to sneak in one action before he completes his dire proclamation!
Once per
scene
, you can gain an e
pic die token
when you use a relevant
One-Liner
. You
know, like saying ice to know you after shoving someone into a glacier crevasse. It
doesnt have to a pun, it just has to feel like an awesome/terrible movie line.
Most
tropes
and
perks grant you additional
cinematic actions if you pick them, and there is a
handy spot on your character sheet to write them down. What are
tropes and
perks
? you may
be asking. Those are the character options that build your character. Well get to them soon.
Need a rule that's not in here?

MAKE IT UP like the renegade you are!
Script Changes
Script changes are a way for you to get a moment in the Directors chair. Youll get an
opportunity to make a change to the story. Keep in mind that
script changes should make at
least a little bit of sense. If you say theres a time machine in the room, you ought to have a
reason. With that in mind, the Director is within their holy gaming rights to ask you to come up
with something else.
Mostly, let your players go wild with
script changes
. They can be silly, amazing,
coincidental, surprising and wholly game-changing. But if its just total nonsense
and/or the other players arent feeling it, you can veto a
script change
or
perhaps suggest a compromise.
You might find that sometimes a players
script change doesnt really change
things because of something the player wasnt aware of. Avoid making a
script
change pointless. Find a way to ensure it does something interesting. Even a
backfire can be better than being completely pointless. In short,
script changes
should always make a difference. This is the players chance to mix things up.
Players start without a
script change, but they pick a
type
of
script change
when they roll (and
use) either a 1 or a 20 (note: this doesnt count the automatic 20s from
gambles as described
on page 9). The
script change is not yet ready to use, though. Just choose a
script change
type
from the list on the next page and mark it on your sheet; the actual details will be up to you
when its time to use it.
The next time you roll either a 1 or 20, your
script change is ready to use. You can now use it at
any time; it doesnt have to be right away. After you use it, you can once again gain a
script
change
type from rolling a 1 or 20, which will again be ready when you roll another 1 or 20. So,
youre surely wondering what
script changes actually do, so lets see the
script change types
and some examples of use on the next page.
TYPES OF SCRIPT CHANGES:

1: A
MISHAP
or force of nature intrudes (but doesnt directly take anyone out).
Examples: Actually, the security camera DIDNT see us. Im using my script change. The
security system accidentally got unplugged. When the alien goes to shoot Timmy, the
gun just sparks and starts smoking.
2: A
CHARACTER
arrives (in a non-lethal location).
Examples: Ah, OK! Hot Kevin walks in just in time to see my courageous act! We
suddenly see Officer Friendly sneaking up behind the Anti-Easter Bunny.
3: A
THING
is at hand (that isnt an uber weapon).
Examples: Script change time! There IS a helicopter on the roof. I find a scroll with a
translation of the Egyptian hieroglyphics.
4: An
EMOTION
is felt (but dont dictate the feelings of another players character).
Examples: Oh, thisll be good! OK, suddenly the sasquatch looks at me with my hairy
legs and everything and its love at first sight. The prison guard is filled with deep
remorse. He suddenly feels that this isnt the right thing to do.
5: A secret
TRUTH
is revealed (that wont change a characters game mechanics).
Examples: I pull from my pocket a crumpled photo of a woman and I show it to Dracula.
I say to him, I bet she looks familiar. Your old flame and my mother! Dont you
see...Dad!? As the Mafia goons point their guns at us, I pull out my gun and walk over
to them, keeping it aimed at you guys. The mob boss explains that Ive been reporting
back to them and that youve all been double crossed. But you notice that I sneak a little
wink to you guys.
6: Just about
ANYTHING
(but the Director shall charge a terrible price).
Examples: ? Maybe if you dont go crazy, the Director will have a gentler price.
So, lets say your original vision was a simple tale of the players being terrorized
by a sasquatch out in the woods. Now lets say a players
script change has
resulted in the sasquatch falling in love with one of the players. This will require
a serious rethink of your plans. If youre not sure how to work with a players
script change
, you could call for a ten minute break so that you can figure out
how to move forward. Maybe poachers come for the sasquatch or maybe its
time to meet the squatchs parents. Maybe the sasquatch comes to trust the
players and reveals his secret alter ego: Santa Claus. If you really cant think of
anything satisfactory for your situation, you could veto the
script change or
suggest some sort of compromise.
Characters get two

tropes and a single
perk
, but before you choose them, youll want to know
about the character features they affect. Lets take a look.
Stats
(ACC)
ACCURACY: Ranged attacks, dexterity, delicate procedures.
(ATH)
ATHLETICS: Athleticism, reflexes, speed and initiative
.
(CHA)
CHARISMA: Allure and strength of personality...Resistance to despair.
(DEF)
DEFENSE: Ability to dodge attacks and mitigate damage.
(INT)
INTELLIGENCE: Problem solving and knowledge...Resistance to coercion.
(SPY)
SPYING: Perception, deceit, sneaking, lock-picking.
(STR)
STRENGTH: Melee attacks, body strength, intimidation...Resistance to fear.
Stat Tweaks
When you create
your character,
follow the directions
for s
tat tweaks
Give one stat a +3,

one gets a +2,
one gets a +1,
one of them gets nothing,
one gets a -1,
one gets a -2,
and one gets a -3.
Your
tropes
,
perks and
items will make additional changes to your stat values. For example, let's
say you chose SPY to give +3 and you chose a
trope that gives you +4 SPY. Just add them up.
Your SPY is 7. So what do stats do again? They add to your d20 rolls. So let's say you have +7 on
SPY and youre trying to read someones lips; roll a d20 and add 7 to the result, as well as any
other bonuses or penalties.
Not all actions fit neatly into a single stat. In these situations, the players choose a stat
that they feel is relevant, though they need to explain how it's going to help the character.
Driving is a good example. Depending on the specifics, ATH, INT or ACC could be used. "I
use INT to pull off some maneuvers to ditch the cops," or "I'll roll with ACC cause I'm
trying to drift right between the two semi trucks," and so on.
Health Points
Characters also have Health Points. Lets learn, shall we?
(HP)
HEALTH POINTS: How much damage you can take. (HP starts with a value of 20.)
This is the number that you subtract from when you take damage.
It is restored by 5 + your
number of montages at the end of each
scene
. It goes back to its full value at the start of a
new
day
. HP starts at 20, but some
tropes and
perks will make it so that your maximum HP is
higher or lower than 20. Player-characters are knocked unconscious when they are brought
down to 0 HP, and they die at -10 HP. If your character dies, make the most of it! Give them
some good last words and make a new character for the Director to add to the movie.
Bad guys have HP too, though sometimes its a lot less or a lot more than 20. Also, if you
knock a bad guy down to 0 HP, its usually assumed theyre dead unless you specify that you
merely knocked them unconscious.
Speed
ATH
SPEED
-8 or less
10ft or 2sq
-7, -6
15ft or 3sq
-5, -4
20ft or 4sq
-3, -2
25ft or 5sq
-1, 0
30ft or 6sq
1, 2
35ft or 7sq
3, 4
40ft or 8sq
5, 6
45ft or 9sq
7, 8
50ft or 10sq
9, 10
55ft or 11sq
11, 12
60ft or 12sq
13, 14
65ft or 13sq
15, 16
70ft or 14sq
and so on
...
Characters'
speed is dictated by their ATH stat.
Speed tells
you how many feet (without a grid) or squares (with a grid)
you can move at a time. Remember, moving uses 2 AP, so
you can move twice in a single turn (effectively doubling
your
speed
), but youll only have 1AP left over. Movement
can occur diagonally when playing on a grid.
Epics and Bloopers
Your
tropes and
perks will sometimes give you
epics
.
Epics are specific subjects that your
character has skill or knowledge with, like Sneaking, Intimidation or Animals. When
youre rolling for something relevant to one of your
epics
, you get an
epic die
, meaning you roll
twice and use the die you prefer.
You might come up with a clever reason that an
epic ought to help with
all your attack rolls
because of the item or technique youre using. Quit it!
Epics aren't meant to be a constant
bonus to combat prowess. Your Director might let you use it once for your clever thinking
though.
There are also negative counterpoints to
epics, which are called
bloopers
.
When you roll for
something that you have a
blooper in, you roll an extra d20 and use the lower roll. Be cool and
remind everyone when you have a
blooper that should affect you. Otherwise, the
blooper will
call for ANOTHER d20 for the rest of the movie!
Blooper dice and
epic dice sometimes end up in
the same roll. In this case, they just cancel each other out, die for die.
Making Characters in 5 Steps

1
Pick two
tropes.
They start on the next page. Get excited!
2
Pick a
perk
.
Youll get another one every time you get a
montage
(unless the Director says otherwise).
3
Pick out some
items
.
Characters (usually) start with $200. And remember, you dont have to
spend all of it. It might be nice to have some cash later.
Allocate the
stat tweaks
as described on page 12. Then add up those numbers with the stat
changes made by your

tropes
,
perks
and
items
. Voila! Final stats!
5
Give your character some personality!
For a lot of players, this might be the first step. Give
them a backstory, goals and compulsions. Do they have a catchphrase or play in a rock band?
Don't worry about being hammy; this is in the spirit of bad movies. Talk to the Director and
other players and see if you want to weave your characters histories together, though some
movies may start with everyone being strangers.
Tropes
Pick two tropes. If need be, work with the Director to adjust a trope to fit the movie or your
character idea. Your character isnt exclusively defined by the tropes you pick. For example, if
you pick Mad Scientist and Paid Sponsor as your tropes, your character could also be a robot.
However, you wont get in-game benefits for being a robot.
Batshit Crazy:
At some point in each scene, the director rolls a d20 and keeps the result
hidden. If the Director rolls 9 or less, they tell you a lie about the in-game world or situation. If
the Director rolls 10 or higher, they tell you a truth about the in-game world or situation.
inematic Action: Once per
C
scene
, spend 4 AP to describe your characters crazy antics
and roll with a bonus equal to your CHA penalty (if you have -4 CHA, get a +4 bonus. Positive
CHA gets you +0) + your number of
montages
. Your target defends with INT and on a hit the
target is gobsmacked and loses their next turn.
C
scene
, you may spend 2 AP to gain an
epic dice token by
responding to an emotional moment inappropriately.
+3 to any two stats // -2 CHA // Blooper: Composure
Batteries Included:
You are a robot, android, automaton, or golem. You are unharmed by
poison, radiation and asphyxiation. You can see in the dark and in infrared (so if you have line of
sight on something warm-blooded, youll likely notice it).
C
scene
, spend 1 AP to drain the electro-energy from a nearby
electrical device. The device is either permanently fried by the process or just temporarily
drained (Director discretion). This heals you by 5 + your number of montages.
C
day
, spend 3 AP to activate a built-in magnet which can pull
one metal object (less than 500lbs) to you from up to 25ft away.
+4 STR or DEF // -4 to CHA, INT or SPY // Epic: Mathematics // Blooper: Love
Beastmaster:
You have a pet animal (any kind the Director approves). It cant speak or use
items.During your turn, you can spend up to 7 AP on your turn, as long as both you and your
pet use at least 2 AP on your turn, otherwise its just the regular 5 AP. The pet gets a
montage
whenever you do (but never earns
perks
). It starts out with 20 HP and the following stat
bonuses; you choose which stats they go to: -5, -3, -1, 0, +1, +3, +5. If your pet is killed, the
Director may eventually supply you with an opportunity to get a new one with effort.
+3 to any stat // +2 to another stat // Epic: Animals
Blind Master:
You are blind and take a
blooper die on all rolls that would benefit from sight,
including nearly all attack rolls.

C
scene
, spend 2 AP to focus on your surroundings. You wont
take any
blooper dice
for being blind until the end of your next turn.
+7 to any stat // +3 to another stat // Epics: Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch
The BraveOne:
You always seem like the first to rush into danger, but you are terrified of
something; choose what it is and get Director approval. While confronted with your fear, you
only get 3 AP on your turn.
C
scene
, if you succeed on an action that hurts both you and an
enemy (like pulling the enemy through a second-story window), your enemy takes 10 extra
damage.
C
scene
, if you are within your
speed distance from an ally that
has just taken damage, you can immediately move to their position and take the damage for
them instead.
+4 DEF // +2 to any two other stats
Bumbling Sidekick:
You dont seem like a helpful member of the party. If anything, it
seems like the others keep you around so that they know what
not to do. Despite your general
ineptitude, you tend to avoid serious injury. Anytime you attempt and fail at something that
isnt an attack, the next person to try the same task gets a +5 bonus. Also, every time you roll
(and use) a 1, you can award an
epic dice token
to another player.
C
day
, turn a CHA failure into a success thanks to your bumbling
charm. You succeed by the amount you had originally failed.
+6 DEF // -1 to four stats // Epics: Children, Animals
ChestofWonders:
Its pretty clear why your characters actor/actress was cast...
CinematicAction: Once per
day,
take off your shirt by using 2 AP to get an
epic die to CHA
rolls for the rest of the
scene.
Cinematic Action: Once per
day,
take off your shirt by using 2 AP to get an
epic die to STR
rolls for the rest of the
scene.
CinematicAction:
Once per
day
you get an
epic dice token
when you get your top wet.
+2 to any two stats // -2 to any stat // Epics: Seduction, Intimidation
Coward:
You can attempt to hide by only using 1 AP. You get an
epic die against enemies that
are unaware of your presence.

C
day
, when you take damage, you can make an adjacent
person (who isnt the attacker) take the damage instead.
inematicAction: Once per
C
day you can cower until the start of your next turn by spending
3 AP. While you are cowering in this way, nobody will attack you.
+5 to SPY // +4 to ATH, CHA, DEF or INT // -3 to STR and ACC // -6 HP
Crime Robber: Add $400 to starting amount. Roll a d20 when seen by a police officer; on a
15+, they will attempt to apprehend you. You can attempt to pick-pocket by spending only 2
AP, rather than 3. Most importantly, youre skilled in all things crime.
+4 SPY or ATH // +2 to another stat // Epic: Crime
(see?)
Cyborg: You are part human, part machine. If you get wet or electrocuted, add a
blooper die
to every roll for the remainder of the scene.

C
scene you can spend 2 AP to see through walls until the start
of your next turn
C
scene you can spend 2 AP to launch a 25ft arm extension
(your hand still functions and can be retracted for 1 AP).
+4 to ACC or STR // +2 to ATH or SPY // Epics: (Pick two senses)
Die Hardly: A shark bite and a gunshot wound? Big deal! At the end of each scene you heal
10 + your number of montages (instead of the normal 5 + montages). Upon reaching 0 HP or
less, immediately roll a d20. You only fall unconscious if you roll an odd number. You still die if
you reach -10, however.
inematicAction:
C
Once per
scene,
get an
epic dice token
when you drop to 10 HP or less.
C
scene
, spend 1 AP to act totally nonchalant and earn an
epic
dice token
. The rest of this turns AP is deferred to your next turn.
+8 HP // +3 to a stat of your choice // -4 to a stat of your choice
Doctor:
You carry around a bag filled with all sorts of doctor stuff. At the end of each
scene
,
you can allow yourself or a present ally to double their normal end-of-scene healing.
C
scene
, spend 2 AP to administer first-aid on yourself or an ally,
healing your target by 5 + your number of montages.
inematic Action: Once per day, spend 2 AP to administer an adrenaline shot. The
C
recipient gets 3
epic dice tokens and no token limit until the end of the
scene (if the recipient
has more than 3 tokens at the end of the scene, they lose the surplus).
+3 to any two stats // -2 to any two stats // Epic: Doctoring
Dual Wielding: You can get into a defensive posture for only 1 AP, giving you an
epic die to
one DEF roll before the start of your next turn.

C
scene, you can make a 1 AP attack with a weapon, but only if
you already used another weapon on your current turn.
C
day, make a special 3 AP attack. If this attack hits, you get to
make a free attack (with a -1 penalty) with a second weapon. If that attack hits, you can make
another free attack (with a -2 penalty) with the original weapon. Continue switching weapons
and increasing the penalty until you miss or no longer have a target you can hit.
+3 ACC or STR // +2 to ACC or STR (whichever you didnt choose to give +3)
Famous: Add $700 to your starting amount. Anytime you meet a new person, you can roll a
d20. On a 1-5, the person loathes you and you get a -5 penalty to CHA rolls with them. 6-10
means they dont know you. 11-15 gives you a +5 bonus to CHA rolls with them. 16-20 gives you
+10. Your experience with the paparazzi has also left you skilled at concealing your identity and
avoiding notice and capture. You can escape grabs by only spending 2 AP.
+2 to any two stats // Epics: Disguise, Stealth // Blooper: Common Society

Gangster:
Roll a d20 when seen by police; on a 15+, they will try to apprehend you. You are
accompanied by a two-person entourage. They both have 1 HP, and all their other stats are
equal to your number of
montages
. Their weapons give an attack bonus of +3 for both ranged
and melee attacks. They mostly never do anything of consequence. If a member of your
entourage dies, the Director may eventually provide you with an opportunity to enlist a new
member with some effort.
C
day
, you can spend 2 AP to command your entourage to jump
into the action right before your next turn; you then control them until the scene ends.
C
scene
, and at any time, a member of your entourage can take
a single action.
+2 to any two stats // Epics: Street Smarts, Intimidation // Blooper: Polite Society
Haunted: You are aided by a ghost who kinda comes and goes. Who they are and why they
help you is up to you. The ghost has its own character sheet, with starting stats and two
perks
(no items
or
tropes)
. It gets a
montage when you do, but no further
perks
. If it reaches 0 HP or
less, the ghost retreats until the end of the scene.
C
scene use 1 AP to summon the ghost anywhere within 100 ft
of you, then direct the ghost to take an immediate single action that isnt an attack.
C
day
, use 1 AP to summon the ghost anywhere within 100 ft of
you, then direct the ghost to take an immediate 5 AP turn with the ability to attack.
+2 to any two stats // Epic: Ghosts
Hobo: Subtract $170 from your starting amount. Start with a bindle on a stick containing a
knife (has a +2 bonus, and can be thrown short range), two gauze, a lighter, lighter fluid, a can
opener, a flask and a flashlight.
C
scene, you can throw a can of beans (a short-range weapon
with a +2 bonus) for 2 AP.
inematic Action: You suffer from halitosis, and once per
C
scene
, you can breathe on an
adjacent enemy by spending 2 AP. This automatically succeeds in giving them a
blooper die
to
their next roll.
+2 to any three stats // Epics: Trains, Street smarts // Blooper: High Society
Jack Burtonesque: Get a

blooper die on all rolls, but get an automatic
critical success if
you ever roll doubles. You can spend 2 AP to make your enemies not really pay attention to you
until the start of your next turn, so long as they have someone or something else to focus on
instead (also you should say or do something cocky).
inematicAction:
C
Once per
day
, you can choose to have an automatic
critical success
.
C
day
, when you are hit, you can take zero damage and give the
damage you would have taken to your attacker but you must be able to explain this as being
the result of good reflexes.
+3 DEF // +2 to any other two stats // Epic: Reflexes
Know-It-All:
And knowing is half the battle.
Cinematic Action:
Once per
day,
spend 1 AP to dramatically remove your glasses to have
an epiphany (the Director reveals something).
C
scene spend 4 AP to get a read on a target, after doing so,
youll receive an
epic die
to all rolls against the target until the end of the
scene
.
+5 to INT // -2 to STR or CHA // Epic: Recalling Any Knowledge!
Mad Scientist: Your intensity and your zest for experimentation can be off-putting to
others, but no one can doubt your ingenuity. After you or anyone else attempts something and
fails, you gain a one-time +2 bonus to attempting the same thing as long as you describe a more
elaborate solution to the problem.
C
scene
, you may spend 2 AP to gain an
epic dice token
by
laughing maniacally after youve succeeded at something.
+5 INT // +2 ACC or SPY // -2 CHA or STR // Epic: Science, Technology
Man/Woman of Action: You believe in the power of doing. Get an extra

bad edit each
day.Anytime you attack multiple targets with a single attack, reduce your total attack penalty
by 2.
Cinematic Action: Once per
scene
, when you break something, gain 1 AP to use on your
current or next turn.
+4 to ACC or STR // -2 INT or SPY // Epic: Initiative
Man/Woman of the Cloth: You are some sort of religious authority. Years of sermons
and/or ceremonies have made you a gifted speaker; you can persuade others using only 1 AP.
inematic Action: Once per scene,
C
whether through the divine or the mundane, you can
use 2 AP to heal yourself or an ally by 5 + your number of montages.
+3 CHA // +2 to another stat // Epics: Speaking, Religion // Blooper: Romance
Martial Artist: You get +5 to STR if you are unarmed and +2 to DEF if you aren't using any
sort of armor. If you succeed in defending against a melee attack, you can move yourself or
your opponent a number of feet equal to the amount you succeeded by.
inematic Action: Once per scene, spend 3 AP to put on an intimidating martial arts
C
display that works as an
intimidate
action with an
epic die
.
+2 ATH // Epic: Acrobatics // Blooper: Firearms
Monkey Man: Theres something wild about you. Anytime youd like something to climb or
swing on, it's conveniently there! Be it a chandelier, rope, cable or vine, itll be the length you
need and will never break on you. You have a monkey companion who follows you and mostly
doesnt do much of consequence. It has 10 HP, and its stats are 0 except for ACC, ATH and SPY
which are equal to your number of montages. Each
scene, the monkey gets 5 AP total and can
act during anyones turn. The monkey get a blooper die when using items. If your monkey dies,
the Director may eventually provide you with an opportunity to befriend a new monkey with
some effort.
+4 to ATH // -1 CHA or INT // Epics: Animals, Climbing, Parkour
Net Hacker: The digital webs are your playground. Computer systems are your play blocks.
It's...playtime, or something. You have some sort of portable device that apparently allows you
to spend 2 AP to wirelessly access all sorts of electronic systems that you have line-of-sight to.
Note: hacking isnt automatically successful, as you must make an INT roll to beat a
difficulty
level
set by the director.
C
scene
, earn an
epic dice token by spending 2 AP to do
something that supports the hollywood idea that hackers are nerdy, awkward and/or weird.
+3 INT // +3 SPY or DEF // -2 to STR or CHA // Epic: Electronics, Research // Blooper: Nature
Paid Sponsor: Add $200 to your starting amount. You seem to solve a lot of your problems
with one particular product.
C
scene
, use 1 AP to have a refreshing and/or relieving [INSERT
PRODUCT] which can either heal HP by 5 + your number of montages or give you an
epic dice
token
.
C
scene
, use 1 AP to use an [INSERT PRODUCT] on an ally within
25 feet (5 squares).
+2 to any two stats
PoliceCop: You start with a weapon with a +4 bonus, a cop car and of course, a badge! But
remember, the police chief and populace might not always be on your side.
C
day
, spend 2 AP to call for backup. Two cops will enter combat
right before your next turn. Each cop has 1 HP, and all their stats are equal to your number of
montages
. Their weapons give an attack bonus of +3 to ranged attacks. The backup cops exit at
the end of the scene
. If the story disallows the arrival of backup, you can instead spend 2 AP
once per
day
to have 8 AP on your turn (starting on your next turn) for the rest of the
scene
.
+2 to any stat // Epic: Police Work, Persuasion // Blooper: Criminal Society
Protagonist:
You're the star, so nothing bad will happen to you, right?
CinematicAction:
Once per
day,
ask for a rewrite that turns a roll into a
critical success
.
CinematicAction:
Once per
day,
ask for a rewrite that turns a roll into a
critical failure.
Cinematic Action: Once per day,
spend 3 AP to make a character waste their next turn

monologuing instead of actually doing anything.
+3 DEF // +2 to another stat // Epic: Passionate Speeches
Psychic Mindfreaker: You have the power to move things under 10 pounds with your
mind, no problem, even using them to attack using INT. Moving heavier objects requires an INT
roll with the
difficulty level
set by the Director.
inematicAction:
C
Once per
day
, spend 2 AP to read someone's mind.
C
scene
, spend 2 AP to freak someones mind, giving them a
blooper die
to their next roll.
+3 INT
Road Rash: Anytime youd like a motorcycle with keys in the ignition to be nearby, spend 2
AP to spot one. Get a +2 bonus to all rolls while on a speeding motorcycle, except INT and SPY
rolls. Note that sometimes being on a motorcycle can still net you a penalty (while attempting
stealth, for example). Getting on or off vehicles doesnt cost you any AP and you look cool doing
it.
+2 to any two stats // -2 to any stat // Epic: Motorcycling
Sentimentalist: You carry something with you, like a flask, locket, shrapnel in your chest,
lucky coin, etc. When you receive damage that would take you to 0 HP or less, give the damage
to your trinket instead. Its destroyed after taking a total of 30 damage since the start of the
movie.
C
scene
, spend 2 AP to gaze upon your trinket and gain an epic
dice
token.
+3 to any two stats
Skating Ninja: Subtract $100 from your starting amount, but you have a +4 katana, an
unending supply of +2 shurikens and a skateboard. You get a +2 to melee attacks made from
above or below your target. Youre also very acrobatic and stealthy!
+3 to SPY and ATH // -3 to any stat // Epics: Acrobatics, Stealth
Sniper: Start with a +6 sniper rifle in your possession which must

reload (for 2 AP) after every
shot. Youre a damn fine shot and also skilled at concealing yourself and your weapon. You can
spend 5 AP on an attack with a sniper rifle in order to gain a +2 bonus. Hopefully you dont ever
have to fight in close quarters combat.
+3 ACC // +2 SPY // Epic: Stealth // Blooper: Melee defense, Melee offense
Stoner: You have the munchies, but you never think to bring snacks with you. If you eat a
snack during a scene, heal an extra 5 HP at the end of the scene, which is pretty sweet. Less
sweet is the fact that you get critical failures on rolls of 3 or less.
C
scene
, earn an
epic dice token by perpetuating stoner
stereotypes.
C
scene
, dispense some stoner wisdom to an ally, who then
earns an
epic dice token
.
+4 to any stat // +3 to another stat // Bloopers: Authority Figures, Fear (paranoia)
Street Tough: You carry a boombox with you wherever you go and always seem to be
wearing sunglasses. Some people seem to think this makes you look tough.
C
scene
, you can use 2 AP to blast some tunes. You and your
nearby allies get pumped up and you all get +2 to your next roll.
C
day
, you can use 2 AP to use your boombox to sonically
assault an opponent, causing them to miss their next turn.
+2 to any two stats // Epics: Youth Culture, Dancing, Intimidation // Blooper: Polite Society
Talking Dog: You are a relatively intelligent canine (or similar) who can freely communicate
with his friends. For some reason, other people dont seem to acknowledge this. You lack
opposable thumbs and take a -3 to any rolls that would benefit from them. You can also talk to
animals. You can grab enemies by spending only 2 AP instead of 3 AP (grab rules on page 37).
+5 ATH or CHA // +2 to DEF or STR // Epics: Smell, Digging
Thou Art from the Past: You are a warrior from the relative past who has been
transported to... whatever time your game takes place. You have no money but start with a
melee +4 weapon (or a custom melee weapon worth $150 or less) and armor with +2 DEF.
C
day you can spend 2 AP to unexpectedly phase in and out of
time, making yourself untouchable until the start of your next turn.
C
scene you can allow the forces of time to tug on you, dealing 2
damage to you, but slowing your surroundings and granting you an extra 2 AP on your current
turn.
+3 STR // +2 to another stat // -2 ACC // Bloopers: Current Events, Pop Culture, Technology
Though Art from the Future: You are a warrior from the relative future who has been
transported to... whatever time your game takes place. You have no money but start with a
ranged +4 weapon (or a custom ranged weapon worth $230 or less) and armor with +2 DEF.
C
day you can spend 2 AP to unexpectedly phase in and out of
time, making yourself untouchable until the start of your next turn.
C
day
, you can allow the forces of time to tug on you, revealing a
possible vision of the near future (the Director reveals something).
+3 ACC // +2 to another stat // -2 STR // Bloopers: Current Events, Nature, Etiquette
TroubledAthlete: Coach always said you could become one of the greats, if only you could
find your confidence. After you roll and use a 20 you gain "the touch", which lasts until you roll
and use a 1, shattering your confidence. While you have the touch you are brimming with
confidence and get an
epic die
on all ATH and STR rolls.
C
scene
, use 2 AP to compare a challenge you face to a sport;
youll get an
epic die
to the next relevant roll in the same scene.
+4 ATH // +2 CHA or STR // -3 INT or SPY // Epic: The Sporting Life
Vampire: You take 5 damage each round in which your skin is exposed to direct sunlight. For
that reason, you own a full-body cloak, but you have
Blooper: Charisma while wearing it. You
get a special melee attack called
Blood Sucking
. Though
Blood Sucking gets no weapon bonus,
you add STR
and ACC to your
Blood Sucking attack rolls. If the
Blood Sucking attack hits, you
heal the amount of damage you dealt.
inematic Action:
C
Once per
day
, you can use 2 AP to turn into a bat until the end of the
scene
. While you are a bat, the only attack you can make is
Blood Sucking
. As a bat you can fly,
and have
Epic: Stealth
.
+2 to three stats // Epic: Persuasion, (Stealth as a bat) // Blooper: Animals, Wooden Stakes
VoodooMaster:
You have a voodoo doll, some glue and a pair of scissors.
inematic Action: If you collect some hair from someone and attach it to the doll: Once
C
per
day for 2 AP, roll a d20 and the hair donor will take damage equal to the amount shown on
the d20 plus your number of montages.
C
day for 3 AP, you can try to hypnotize someone who can see
you. Roll INT or CHA, your target defends with INT. On a success you manage to hypnotize your
target into immediately doing a single action.
C
scene, you can spend 1 AP to place a hex on someone, causing
them to take a -2 penalty to all rolls for the rest of the
scene
.
+3 INT or CHA // +1 to another stat // Epic: The Supernatural
Werewolf:
In the moonlight (full or otherwise), you turn into a werewolf with the following
bonuses and penalties: (+8 HP. Epic: All STR and ATH rolls! Blooper: All CHA and INT rolls!)
Turning into a werewolf heals 8 HP and destroys normal-fitting clothing. As a werewolf, you can
not attack with weapons. You only stop being a werewolf after spending a few hours out of the
moonlight (meaning the sun has risen or youve been indoors).
inematic Action: As a werewolf, you can earn an
C
epic dice token
once per
scene
, by
spending 2 AP to howl.
+2 to any stat // Epic: Intimidation, Smell // Blooper: Animals
What a Scoop!:
You are employed at a newspaper, news magazine or TV news show. You
have a press pass and a camera. Spend 2 AP to take a photo.
inematicAction:
C
Once per
scene
, spend 2 AP to blind someone with your cameras flash,
giving them a
blooper die
to all rolls until the start of your next turn.
+3 to two of the following: INT, CHA, SPY // Epics: Interviewing, Public Affairs.
Wheelman: You start with a 1969 Dodge Charger. While in a car, spend 5AP to use the car as
a melee weapon with a +7 bonus. You never take damage from a vehicle crash. You can
automatically hotwire any vehicle. You also seem to have a special touch with machines; you
can use STR or ACC instead of INT when trying to fix machinery.
+2 CHA // +2 to STR or ACC // Epic: Vehicles (but not to attack)
Perks
Pick one perk when creating a character, and gain more when you earn montages. You can take
most perks twice; exemptions have an asterisk next to their names. When you take a perk a
second time, double the value of the
underlined
words and/or numbers.
When you choose a
perk twice and it has underlined epics or bloopers, they will all call for a second epic/blooper die!
AdrenalineRush:
CinematicAction:
Once per
scene,
you get
one
epic die
on a STR roll.
Aspiring Script Writer*:
When its time to pick a
script change type
, pick two instead.
When its time to use your
script change you can choose either, not both. You dont keep the
one you didnt use.
Calmly Walk Away: You get

one
epic die on DEF rolls against explosions if you are not
looking at the explosion. You get a
+1
to all explosive attacks.
Crunch Time: As long as you aren't in a high-pressure situation, you are good at figuring
things out.
+2
INT when you aren't taking turns (such as in combat).
Deceitful:
You are skilled at misleading others.
(
Epics: Lying, Sleight of Hand
)
DramaticReveal*:
Choose a third
trope
. However, you no longer heal between scenes.
Druid, orPossiblyFarmer: In any case, you've been getting in touch with nature.
(
Epics:
Plants & Animals, Living off the Land, Weather Prediction
)
Duct Tapeand Solder*: In 10 minutes, you can combine any two weapons together. The
resulting weapon has the properties of one of the weapons (your choice) and gets an additional
+1. If you combine a melee weapon and a ranged weapon, the resulting weapon can switch
between melee and ranged by spending 1 AP. And no, you cant keep combining
already-combined weapons to get bigger and bigger bonuses. Nice try, though.
Eagle-Eyed:
For whatever reason, you seem to have great vision.
(
+1 ACC, Epic: Sight
)
Elite Shooter:
Drop your weapons
reload numbers by
2 (so if a weapon has to
reload after
a 3 or less, you only have to
reload
it after a 1).
(
+1 ACC
)
Evil Eye:
CinematicAction:
Once per
scene, you can spend 1 AP to give someone the evil
eye. Roll a d20. On a 1-5, the target focuses on you. On a 6-10, the target avoids you. On an
11-15, the target takes a -2 to all rolls in this
scene
. On a 16-20, they lose their next turn,
paralyzed with fear.
ExplosivesExpert:
Get a
+2
bonus to attacks with explosives.
Fight Me Like a Man: While fighting unarmed, you disarm your opponent if you roll an
18+ on your attack roll, placing the weapon anywhere on the ground within
10
feet.
(
+1 STR
)
Float Like a Butterfly:

Cinematic Action:
Once per
day
, you can tap into a heightened
level of self-preservation. For the rest of the
scene,
get a
+2
to DEF.
GlancingBlows: If you miss with an attack, deal

2 damage anyway. If you attacked multiple
targets with your attack, you only deal
2
damage total.
Good Judge of Character: You've been around the block and tend to know a shady
character when you see one.
(
Epics: Sense Motives, Lie Detection
)
Hell ofan Arm: You can throw with great strength, gaining
+2 on attacks with throwables.
You can throw normal throwables at long range
High Five ofLife:

Cinematic Action:
Once per
Scene, for 1 AP
, g
iving an ally a high five
heals
2
HP for you and the ally.
Im NotSupposed to Die Like This: Choose one of the following categories. You get
+2
to DEF rolls against that category.
Projectiles (bullets, arrows, thrown bricks and so on)

Melee weapons and explosives (swords, chainsaws, grenades, rockets and so on)
Natural weapons (fists, feet, teeth, claws, elbows and so on)
John Woo:
Cinematic Action:
Once per
scene
, you get a +4
bonus to ACC if you are
jumping into or out of cover this turn. You seem to attract and then startle doves, giving you
Blooper: Stealth
LaserFocused:
CinematicAction:
Once per
scene,
you get
one
epic die
on an ACC roll.
Leap ofFaith:
CinematicAction:
Once per
day,
when you would take damage from a fall,
something really lucky happens and you end up not taking damage. Jump away!
(
+1 ATH
)
Masochistic:
+2 to your next roll after taking damage. Receiving damage more than once
does not cause the bonus to increase.
Mass Destruction: When you attack multiple targets in the same action, reduce your total
attack penalty by
1
.
Master of Disguise: Youre skilled at changing your mannerisms, voice and appearance to
seem like a different person.
(
Epic: Disguises & Mimickry
)
Mr. Roy Rogers*: Your bullets tend to ricochet to exactly where you want them, negating
any cover your enemies might be using.
MyBodyIsaWeapon:
All of your unarmed attacks get a
+2
.
My Body is Literally a Weapon:
Youve attached
a weapon onto your body in place of
one
of your
hands or feet. The weapon gets a +2 bonus, but you receive penalties on actions
that the Director believes would be aided by having the hand or foot instead. It takes 3 AP to
remove the weapon from your stub, and 3 AP to mount a new weapon or artificial limb.
Payday:
Get paid. $500 (this perk can be taken as many times as you like).
Photographic Memory:
Once per
scene you can make a perception check on an area or
object you have seen in the past, just as though you were looking at it now. (
+1 SPY
)
PointBlank*:
You can used ranged weapons at melee range with no penalty.
PushIt Real Good: Your "Push It to the Limit" heals an extra

2
HP, and you can choose to
use the ability on an ally that can see or hear you, instead of on yourself.
Quick to Act: You have

Epic: Initiative
. This means anytime you roll to determine the
order everyone acts in, you can roll twice and choose either result.
Sexual Tyrannosaurus: You get

+2 to CHA with anyone attracted to your gender. Also,
no matter what hell you go through, you always look great.
Sexy Nerd:
You wear glasses, which means youre smart and a nerd. If you take off your
glasses, you get a blooper die
to all rolls that would be aided by sight. However, you gain
+3
to
CHA while your glasses are off. Putting on and removing your glasses costs 3 AP (because you
always make such a big deal about it).
(
+1 INT, -1 CHA
)
Sleeper Hold:
Cinematic Action:
Once
per
scene
, if you can get behind an opponent, you
can make a melee attack with a -3 penalty. If successful, the opponent falls unconscious. Each
round, the opponent rolls a d20, and they wake up on a 17+.
Smack-Talkin':
Cinematic Action:
Once per
scene, you can smack-talk to someone for 1
AP, giving them a
-2 to the rest of their rolls in the
scene,
unless those rolls would directly deal
damage to you. The penalty goes away if you are knocked unconscious.
Speed ofPlot:
CinematicAction:
Once per
day
, an event or action of your choice takes
three times longer than it ought to. (Examples: someone falling from a building, a bomb about
to explode, a door shutting, a particular combat action. Some Director discretion required.)
Suppressing Fire:
CinematicAction:
Once per
scene, you can spend 2 AP to wildly fire a
ranged weapon, suppressing enemy action. Enemies within your weapons range take a
-3
to all
rolls on their next turn.
The MoretheMerrier: When you have 2 or more active enemies adjacent to you, you get
a
+2
bonus to all rolls.
Trenchcoat*: You wear a trenchcoat in which you can visually conceal anything smaller than
you.
CinematicAction:
Once per
day
pop the collar to gain an
epic die
on a CHA roll.
Under theRadar: If you didn't attack anyone on your last turn, you have a
+2
to DEF until
the start of your next turn.
Warrior Training: You dodged the rocks the sensei was throwing at you as you ran up the
stairs while lifting buckets of water. You are ready.
+1 ATH, +1 STR, +1 DEF
, but the experience
made you kinda bitter, giving you
Blooper: Charm
Wheres My Mark?: You get a

+1 to all rolls made by using a
Bad Edit.
Each
day
, you
receive
one
additional
Bad Edit.
Why Didn't You Say So?:

Cinematic Action:
Once per Scene
, when any other
character mentions the need for an item that isn't a weapon or extremely rare, you can roll a
d20. If you rolled 10+, that item is within arms reach.
Wildcard*: It seems like things tend to either go amazingly or horribly for you. You get a
critical success when you roll an 18, 19 or 20. You get a
critical failure w
hen you roll a 1 or 2.
[Not compatible with the Stoner trope].
WinningSmile:
+2
CHA against targets that arent hostile towards you.

You Never Know: Choose 2 of the following
Epics
: Animal Calls, Astronomy, Balance,
Bartering, Chemicals, Cuisine, Current Affairs, Dancing, Dinosaurs, Diseases, Drugs,

Eavesdropping, The Forest, Forgery, Gambling, Geopolitics, Hacking, History, Hunting, Jumping,
Lock-picking, Lying, Music, Nuclear Energy, The Ocean, Parkour, Pop Culture, Religion, Reptiles,
Ropes, Seduction, Singing, Stealing, Surgery, or something else that your Director approves.
(When taken a second time, simply pick two new epics, or double down on the ones you
already picked.)
You Sick Sonovabitch: Any time you deal damage to somebody or mentally mess with
them enough that they start taking penalties, you heal
1
HP.
You ThoughtIWasDown*: Upon reaching 0 HP, you pass out just like anybody else and
you miss your next turn, but on the turn afterward, you act normally, and receive a +1 to all
rolls. At the end of that turn you pass out for good until healed.
A Note About Melee Combat VS. Ranged Combat
With a ranged weapon, you can attack people who are far away from you and keep yourself
relatively out of harms way. This is a huge advantage. However, ranged weapons cost a little
morethanmeleeweaponsandtheytypicallysufferfromfourdrawbacks.
1. After rolling a 3 or less when attacking, ranged weapons jam or need to be reloaded.
Youmustspend2APtofixitbeforeyoucanuseitagain.
2. When attacking someone who is within 5ft (1sq) of you, ranged weapon attacks get a
blooperdie
.
3. If you choose to attack more than one target inasinglerangedattackroll,youtakea4
penalty for each additional target. By comparison, melee weapons take a 2 penalty for
eachadditionaltarget.
4. Mostrangedweaponsareloud,whichisntidealwhentryingtokeepalowprofile.
In the end, both options are just about equal, and you shouldnt worry too much about the
choice. Simply pick the
tropes and
perks
(some of which favor ranged or melee)thatappealto
youandbuildthecharacterthatsoundsfuntoplay.
Example Items
Want an item that's not on the lists below? Ask your Director. Also, feel free to add some
personal flair to your items. "Brass Knuckles" could just as well be "Ring of Power" or "False
Fingernails." Be aware, depending on how the movie starts out, the Director might ask you to
wait on items.
The following are just examples. In your game, the players might need to get scuba gear,
potions of anti-fairy, wooden stakes or a trampoline. Just create any relevant stats and costs
and go wild! Starting with $200 is just a suggestion, and depending on the plot, you might go
with something very different. Just be sure to adjust relevant
tropes
and
perks
appropriately.
You'll likely want to give players options for getting new items, either through finding them
and/or purchasing them. If your players have the option of buying items, provide
opportunities for characters to get money. Money could be earned from Director-controlled
characters for completing tasks, it could be found on defeated enemies or it could even be
stolen or extorted from Director-controlled characters. Money could be a central goal for the
characters.
Characters can have their items taken or broken, but items are a way for players to customize
their characters. As such, only smite a players item when the characters actions really call
for it, and give the character a chance to avoid it, repair it or replace it.
Melee:
You have to be next to an enemy to use a melee weapon on them. However, some melee
weapons allow you to attack from up to 10ft away. When attacking more than one target in a
single action, melee attacks take a -2 penalty per additional target.
Bonus
Name
Special
Price
+1
Brass Knuckles
counts as unarmed
$15
+1
Zapper
On a hit: blooper die to target's next roll
$50
+2
Baseball Bat
+2
Knife or Dagger
+3
Machete
+3
Scimitar
Reduce total penalty for attacking multiple

targets by 2
$120
+3
Whip
10ft melee range
$120
+4
Sledgehammer
+4
Axe
+5
Sword
+5
Chainsaw
+6
Katana
+6
Cyber Halberd
+7
Battleaxe
$1,300
+8
Lasersword
$2,200
+9
Poseidons Trident
$3,300
$20
can be thrown short range
$45
$60
$150
Reduce total penalty for attacking multiple
targets by 1
$225
$340
Loud!
$290
$700
10ft melee range
$1,400
Ranged:
Ranged weapons can attack from afar, but they get a blooper die when attacking an
adjacent enemy. Also, after you roll a 3 or lower on an attack, you must reload. Reloading uses 2
AP.
When attacking more than one target in a single action, take a -4 penalty per additional target.
Some of these weapons attack a large target area (theyll say something like 20x20ft target).
This means you attack an entire area of the that size and everyone in it, with no penalty for
multiple targets (unless you then attack a separate 20x20ft area).
There are three different ranges on ranged weapons. If you dont want to worry about the
numbers too much, you can simply understand the ranges like this: Short range is like a
sawed-off shotgun, normal range is like a handgun, and long range is like a sniper rifle. If
you wanna know the exact distances involved, check out the Grid Rules section.
Bonus
Name
Range
Special
Price
+1
Rock
short
thrown, must be retrieved to reuse
free
+1
BB Gun
normal
bear wolf
$10
+2
Shuriken
normal
thrown, must be retrieved to reuse
$15
+2
Blowdart
normal
quiet
$35
+2
Laser Blaster
normal
never needs to reload
$45
+3
Molotov Cocktail
short
thrown, one-time-use, 10ft x 10ft target
$25
+3
Handgun
normal
+3
Magic wand
short
Costs 4 AP to use. Get a free attack on a

different target within 25ft if your die rolled
a 15 or higher, and repeat...
$195
+4
Revolver
normal
reload after rolling a 5 or lower
$195
+4
Bow and Arrow
normal
quiet
$300
+4
Hunting Rifle
long
+5
Hand Grenade
short
+5
Uzi
normal
+5
Sawed-off Shotgun
short
no melee-range penalty
$690
+5
Grenade Launcher
normal
15ft x 15ft target
$2,040
+6
Sniper Rifle
long
must reload after every shot
$945
+6
Combat Rifle
normal
$1,050
+7
Flamethrower
short
$1,755
+8
Gattling Gun
normal
$3,300
+9
Zanrethi Alliance
Vectorgun
normal
$4,950
+10
Rocket Launcher
normal
$90
$345
thrown, one-time-use, 15ft x 15ft target
$185
$510
one-time-use, 20ft x 20ft target
$3,450
Other:
Name
About
Price
Armor (poor)
+1 to DEF, -1 ATH
$100
Armor (average)
+2 to DEF, -1 ATH
$300
Armor (good)
+3 to DEF, -1 ATH
$750
Climbing Gear
3 AP to set up and retrieve. While using, gain

Epic: Climbing
$80
Clothing (nice)
+1 CHA
$70
Clothing (stylish)
+2 CHA
$210
Clothing (stunning)
+3 CHA
$525
Defib Paddles
Revive someone who has negative HP (unless

theyre at -20 HP or less). They now have 1 HP.
$1,000
Fine Fragrance
Epic: Seduction
$150
Mace Spray
Very Short Range: 10ft, no melee penalty.

3 AP attack: On a hit, the target gets a blooper
die on all rolls until the end of their next turn
$80
Night Vision Goggles
No penalties from darkness
$80
Protein Pills
+1 to all STR rolls for the rest of the

day
$80
Safe-Crackers Tools
Epics: Lockpicking, Listening through walls
$100
Silky Short Shorts
Only spend 1 AP to stand up
$50
Skateboard
1 AP to mount or dismount.
While riding gain +15ft (or +3sq) of
speed
.
Bloopers
while riding: Defending, Stealth.
$80
Study Pills
+1 to all ACC rolls for the rest of the

day
$80
Super Duper Glue
Spend 2 AP to make something super sticky
$25
Weapon Workshop
Perhaps youd like to make your own weapon. Its a simple process, but youll probablywanta
calculator to add up the items final price tag (round to the nearest 5). Pick the Melee or
Ranged column on the next page and just follow the instructions. You can then describe the
weaponasanythingthatreasonablyfitsthefeaturesyouvechosen.
You can augment your existing weapon, but you need to have the knowledge and materials
needed to do so (this might be as simple as buying a Frankenweapon magazine and a
screwdriver. Or it might require breaking into the Pentagon). Alternatively, you can takeittoan
expert,thoughyoulllikelybeaskedtopayfortheupgrade.
Detaileddirections:
Soifwewanttomakealaserwhipwellpickanattackbonusinthe
Meleecolumn.Letssaywegowith+3,whichhasapriceof$60.
Thatsafinishedweaponrightthere.Butletssaywewannagetfancywithitandwewantthe
laserwhiptobea10ftmeleeweapon.The10ftmeleeoptionhasthisnexttoit:[x2].Thatsthe
pricemultiplier.Soournewpriceis$120($60x2).
Andletssaywewannalowerthatpriceabit.Wecouldaddasuckyfeaturetotheweapon.
Letssaythatthelaserwhipconstantlyhumsandmakeslaserysounds.Wecangiveitthe
Loudfeaturewhichhasamultiplierof[x0.85](althoughitbehardertobesneakynow).
So,$120x0.85=$102
Wellroundtothenearest5forafinalpriceof$100.
Thatsashardasitgets.
MELEE
RANGED
Pick an attack bonus:

+1: [$5]
+6: [$700]
+2: [$20]
+7: [$1,300]
+3: [$60]
+8: [$2,200]
+4: [$150]
+9: [$3,300]
+5: [$340]
+10: [$4,600]
Pick an attack bonus:

+1: [$10]
+6: [$1,050]
+2: [$30]
+7: [$1,950]
+3: [$90]
+8: [$3,300]
+4: [$230]
+9: [$4,950]
+5: [$510]
+10: [$6,900]
Pick one:
Regular melee [free]
10ft melee [x2]
Pick one:
Short range [x0.9]
Normal range [free]
Long range [x1.5]
BADASS FEATURES
(pick any or none)
- Can be thrown short range [x1.5]
BADASS FEATURES
(pick any or none)
- Reduce total penalty for attacking multiple

targets by 1 [x1.5]
- Quiet [x1.3]

targets by 2 [x2]
- Never needs to
reload
[x1.5]
- Counts as unarmed [x3]

- You can move your enemy a number of feet
equal to the amount of damage dealt [x2.5]
- Arc: Free attack on a different target within

25ft if your die rolled a 15 or higher on your
attack roll, and repeat... [x3]
- Blooper die to targets next roll if you hit.

[x5]

targets by 1 [x1.5]
SUCKY FEATURES
(pick any or none)

targets by 2 [x2]
- Only reload after a 1 [x1.3]

- No melee range penalty [x1.5]
- Penalty for attacking multiple targets goes

up by 1 [x0.9]
-Explosive ammunition attacks a 10x10ft area

[x3]
- Penalty for attacking multiple targets goes

up by 2 [x0.8]

[x4]
- Loud [x0.85]

[x5]
- Uses an extra 1 AP [x0.8]

- One-time-use [x0.1]
SUCKY FEATURES
(pick any or none)
- Must
reload
after 5 or lower (x0.85)
- Must
reload
after 10 or lower (x0.75)
- Must
reload
after every shot (x0.6)
- Uses an extra 1 AP [x0.8]
- One-time-use [x0.1]
- Must be retrieved to use again [x0.5]
.
This section is focused on providing rules to allow play on a grid. This is entirely optional, but
will help groups who want to have a firmer grasp on what's happening on the battlefield.
Whats a grid? Its simply a grid of squares that you use to map out the physical location the
characters are in. You can use something to represent the characters, like a coin or a miniature
figure. It just needs to be small enough that it doesnt take up more than one square on the
grid.
Flanking:
When two allied characters are on opposite sides of a bad guy and are both in melee range,
they get a +2 bonus to their attack rolls against that bad guy. Of course, bad guys can use this
strategy too.
Range:
You'll notice that ranged weapons give a general range (short, normal, long). For grid battle,
we'll want a tighter explanation. For that, take a look below.
Short range: 5/10

Normal range: 10/20
Long range: 20/40
The first number displayed is how many squares away the weapon can attack with no problem.
The weapon
can attack up to the second number, but will take a -2 penalty for being farther
away than the ideal range.
When characters are in touching squares (including ones that just touch corners), ranged
weapons used by those characters get a -5 penalty.
If you are drawing out the layout of a location, make sure to tell your players that there may
be details present that you havent included. This might sound unnecessary, but I highly
recommend it. Why? Because a creative player might ask if theres a ventilation shaft she can
crawl in, and you might think something like yeah, you know what? There totally is! You
want to always leave room for unexpected player creativity.
This entire section only needs to be read by the director. However, its not a bad idea for
players to read through in order to gain a more complete understanding of the game.
Creating and Ruling Challenges
Weve already learned about how attack rolls go up against defense rolls, but what about when
a character is trying to do something like karate chop a door open or do a backflip on their
motorcycle? Theres no need to roll a defensive roll for this sort of thing. Instead, just choose a
number that the characters roll needs to match or exceed. Its as simple as that. We call this
number the
difficulty level
. How high should you set the
difficulty level
? Here are some
guidelines:
0-4 = Automatic success, unless the relevant stat is negative.
5-9 = Success is
almost
a sure thing.
10-14 = Likely success for most
(with 0 montages)
.
15-19 = Uncertain. Likely success for many experts
(with 0 montages)
.
20-24 = Likely failure. Uncertain for many experts (with 0 montages).
25-29 = Requires a bit of skill, and luck
(with 0 montages)
.
30-34 = Requires considerable skill and luck
(with 0 montages)
.
35-39 = Almost impossible
(with 0 montages)
.
40-44 = Almost impossible
(after a few montages)
.
45-49 = Almost impossible (after several montages).
and so on...
(By expert, I mean anyone with a high relevant stat and/or
Epic
.)
When they do fail at something, avoid results where nothing happens like No, you failed to
unlock the door, but you can just try again. Instead, have them fail and have things get
worse:
The cops show up, something breaks, an alarm goes off or they get ridiculed by another
character. Similarly, if they succeed by a lot, give them a little extra for the huge success. In
short, make stuff happen.
Some actions might take a while, like computer hacking, chopping down a tree, or taming a
unicorn. For these actions you can require a certain amount of
success points
. Lets say you set
a
difficulty level of 20 for defusing a bomb and you require 10
success points
. If a character rolls
a 26, they overshot the
difficulty level by 6, thus earning 6
success points
. Now only 4 more
success points are needed. This is a very handy trick for when you want to create a
beat-the-clock sort of scenario, or if the player-characters are trying to do something important
while being attacked.
Dramatic Effects
Movies, even bad ones, usually involve the characters facing emotional and psychological trials,
not just physical ones. They can get scared, tempted, conflicted and much else. Thats where
dramatic effects come into play. As Director, you can imagine any penalizing effect that could
befall a player character due to the in-game situation. Create a
difficulty level and have the
player/s roll against it, using whatever stat you think is appropriate (usually CHA, INT or STR,
which grant resistance to despair, coercion, and fear respectively.).
Lets say the bad guy just revealed that he is a player characters father. Now lets say your
desired
dramatic effect is to make the player character take a penalty to attacking the bad guy
because of their conflicted emotions. This is a top-notch psych-out, so well set the
difficulty
level up at 25. The player rolls a 16, thus failing by 9. The penalizing effect affects them by the
amount they failed. So, the player character will take a -9 penalty to attacks against that bad
guy. If they had rolled 25 or higher, they wouldve taken no penalty.
Keep in mind, that this doesnt and shouldnt force the character to act a certain way. If the
player still wants to attack, they can, but if they fail, it should be narrated that they failed
because of the
dramatic effect
: Bucky swings half-heartedly. He misses badly, unable to fully
commit to killing his father.
Dramatic effects help steer the characters actions towards
cinematic motivations and drama without dictating what your players do. Still, its best to use a
light touch with them in order to keep things moving speedily and smoothly. Most
scenes will
work just fine without them.
Lets have some more examples:
Take a penalty to any actions taken before going to sleep,
because you've been on the run for 28 hours now. Take a penalty to balance because the rickety
rope bridge is freaking you out. Take a penalty to any action that isnt taking the diamond skull
because its mystical power calls to you. Take a penalty to anything that isnt some sort of action
against the duke because he insulted you for your lack of propriety.
You may be wondering how the characters can overcome
dramatic effects
. There are a lot of
options: Another character might make a rousing speech, the bad guy father might do
something to cheapen his own words, the affected character might spend an action to
strengthen their own resolve. If the action seems like it might break the
dramatic effect
, have
the acting character roll and add any relevant stat and bonuses/penalties. So, if the
dramatic
effect is giving a -10 penalty and they rolled a 16, the penalty is reduced by the amount the
attacking roll succeeded by (in this case 6). Some
dramatic effects can be overcome more
directly. If youre being penalized because you havent slept, simply sleep. If you get past the
rickety bridge, it is no longer freaking you out.
Typical Character Actions

Characters can do all sorts of stuff! So much stuff, in fact, that it would be foolish to make a list.
After all, its the high degree of freedom and infinite possibilities that draw us to tabletop RPGs.
On that note, Im about to give you a list.
Its not a complete list, and you probably shouldnt pay it much attention. Skim it. Maybe keep
it around for reference. Otherwise, lets just forget about it, shall we?
Remember what we told the players before: describe what your character wants to do and the
Director will adjudicate accordingly. This list doesnt include using the power of child-like
imagination to embolden yourself in the face of adversity, but that doesnt mean a character
shouldnt try and do exactly that, and it doesnt mean the Director shouldnt make up some
numbers or mechanics to go along with it.
ASSIST (3 AP)
As long as you have a positive relevant stat and can explain how youre assisting,
you can assist another character with a specific task. They will receive a +2 bonus on their next
relevant roll. If you have a relevant
epic
, you grant a +4 bonus instead.
ATTACK
melee (3 AP)
Roll STR. Your target rolls DEF. If you rolled higher, you do damage equal
to the difference between the attack roll and the defense roll. Take a -2 penalty for each
additional target you include in your attack.
ATTACK
ranged (3 AP)
Roll ACC Your target rolls DEF. If you rolled higher, you do damage equal
to the difference between the attack roll and the defense roll. Take a -4 penalty for each
additional target you include in your attack. If you rolled a 3 or less on your attack, you must
use 2 AP to
reload
before you can attack with that weapon again.
DEFEND (2 AP)
Get an
epic die
to one DEF roll before the start of your next turn.
DISARM (3 AP) Roll ACC. Your target rolls DEF or STR and gets an
epic die
. On a success you
have taken their weapon. If your hands are full, the weapon travels up to a number of feet
equal to the amount you succeeded by.
DISTRACT (2 AP) Roll CHA. Your target rolls INT. If you succeed, your target gets a
blooper die
on their next roll.
ESCAPE GRAB (3 AP) Roll DEF or ATH. Your target rolls STR. If you succeed, you have escaped
the grab and are now adjacent to the target in the direction of your choosing.
GRAB (3 AP)
Roll STR. Your target rolls DEF or ATH. If you succeed, you have grabbed your
target. While grabbed, the target takes a
blooper die to attack rolls and defense rolls. Both the
grabber and the grabbed can only move half their normal
speed
.
HIDE (2 AP) To hide, you must utilize darkness or cover. Roll SPY. Anyone you want to hide from
now rolls SPY as well. If a target rolls lower than you did, they can not see you until you move,
attack or something else happens to draw attention to you. You get a +2 bonus to attacks
against targets you are hidden from.
INTIMIDATE* (2 AP) Roll STR or CHA. Your target rolls STR. (Large bonuses or penalties may
apply depending on the target and the goal of the intimidation. Also see PERSUADE.)
MOVE (2 AP) Move a number of feet (or squares) equal to your speed (or the
speed of your
vehicle.)
MOVE
difficult
(2 AP)
When climbing, balancing, swimming or doing something similar, the
Director might reduce your speed
. The Director will ask for an ATH roll against a
difficulty level
.
Rolling under the
difficulty level
results in a lack of progress or significant failure.
PERSUADE* (2 AP) Roll CHA. Your target rolls INT. (large bonuses or penalties may apply
depending on the target and the goal of the persuasion.)
PICK-POCKET (3 AP)
Roll SPY against an adjacent target. The target defends with SPY. On a
success, take an item from them (large bonuses or penalties may apply depending on the item
and how it is or isnt secured.)
PUSH (2 AP)
Roll STR. Your target rolls STR or ATH. On a success, the difference between the
rolls is the number of feet you pushed the target. (also see TACKLE)
SCOOT (1 AP)
Use this to move 5 feet (or 1 square).
TACKLE (3 AP)
Must be preceded by at least 10ft (2sq) of movement. Roll STR or ATH. Your
target rolls STR or ATH. On a success, the difference between the rolls is the number of feet you
pushed the target and the amount of damage dealt to the target. Both you and the target end
up prone on the floor.
TAUNT (2 AP) Roll CHA. Your target rolls INT. On a success, your target takes a penalty (the
amount you succeeded by) to all rolls that dont deal with you. The penalty goes away at the
end of your next turn.
*
Note that when an Intimidate or Persuade succeeds against a player character, a suitable
dramatic effect is used, rather than directly forcing the actions of the player character.
Setting up the Movie

There are no rules about how you plan or set-up the story and the characters...But that doesnt
mean I dont have some suggestions for you!
While it may be a fools errand to try to plan out the whole story before play, its best to come
up with a core concept and how youll set it up. Then you can share the set-up with the players
to consider before they make their characters. For example: Youve all won tickets to a
brand-new amusement park on a secluded island or Well be starting off in the distant future.
The year is 1998. The place: Alcatraz.
So, what sort of things should you plan out as part of your core concept? Thats totally up to
you! Its a good idea to have a central conflict in mind like aliens are silently invading the
school dean is looking for any excuse to expel the members of Kappa Omega or The playercharacters are indebted to the mob. Having a secondary conflict is great too, but these can
often develop naturally as the game is played (like when the cops chase after the playercharacters because they robbed the bank to pay back the mob.)
The other thing I personally like to do before starting a game is to create a few characters to
insert into the game world. Locations and items can go a long way too. You dont have to know
exactly how youll use these things, but having a few details ready to go can do a lot to put
some meat on your storys bones. When the players hear about something detailed and
unique, theyll become much more interested in it and you might be surprised at what becomes
important to them and the story.
Once the players finish up their characters, take a nice long look at their sheets. Take notice of
their character concept and ask yourself how the concept might fit into the larger picture. If you
have a plot about invading aliens and a player made a psychic werewolf, ask yourself how they
fit into the larger story. Maybe werewolves are part of an ancient alien breeding program!
Remember, this is a bad movie, so feel free to get pretty wild with the story. I also like to write
down notes for myself, including any
epics and
bloopers they might have. That way, I can try to
work them into the game whenever possible.
If youre strapped for time, you could check out the StVHS random plot generator at
http://tools.libove.org/generators/r/70/
. Alternatively, take a look at the next page. Its a
single-page setting idea with related character concepts for the players to consider (or ignore).
The details are left up to you, but may I humbly suggest the combination of a hurricane,
scheming swamp people and mythological swamp creatures?
Welcome to Vickers Creek!

Vickers Creek is a sleepy little Georgia town, populated by charming locals with quaint
customs. Make no mistake, though: excitement is never far away! Come see the wildlife and
natural beauty of the mangrove swamps and Kwapoo Forest State Park. And while youre out
there, keep an eye out for the mysterious Yaliqwe! Some still claim to catch glimpses of the
elusive swamp creatures from Kwapoo legend.
Vickers Creek Resort features all the latest amenities (color TVs, mini fridges, an ice machine,
and an on-site storm shelter). The resort has its own bar and lounge and is adjacent to the
brand-new Greens in the Mangroves golf course.
Dont forget the neighboring Kwapoo reservation, home of the Kwapoo Lodge Casino, where
good times go hand in hand with good fortune.
CHARACTER CONCEPTS TO CONSIDER/TWEAK/COMBINE:
Park ranger
Hillbilly/swamp dweller
Yaliqwe believer hunting for the truth
Yaliqwe skeptic hunting for the truth
Game hunter/taxidermist
Card shark
Casino employee
Criminal planning a casino heist
Local police officer
Federal agent investigating a missing person case
Professional golfer paid to promote the new golf course
Environmental advocate concerned about the golf course
Resort guest/tourist
Resort employee
SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY!
Remember, this is all just a suggested starting point. Throw in cursed pirate treasure, include a
carnival, add time travel, set it in the Canadian Rockies, put the focus on prom! However, dont
plan out the whole plot before looking at your players characters. Take special note of things
like their backgrounds,
tropes
,
epics and
bloopers
. Find ways that you might weave these things
into the movies plot. Youll probably want to keep the characters more or less together
throughout the story. Doing so can seem tricky, but the players ought to put forth the effort to
meet you halfway on this point. There can be well-executed exceptions, though.
Bad Guys
Below, youll find some premade bad guys to throw at the player-characters. Players might
surprise you with the trouble they get into, though, and you might need to come up with some
quick stats for a new bad guy. If youre in a rush, make numbers for their attack bonus, HP and
DEF. The other stats you can wing if need be. Feel free to get creative with enemy abilities; they
can be as wild or wilder than the player-characters
cinematic actions
. You could also make use
of
tropes and/or
perks when creating bad guys. And dont forget to give your baddies some
style and personality. Nobody likes fighting numbers. Give them an enemy! If you want to make
a fight really interesting, have something else occurring at the same time. Youll see this a lot in
movies too. Perhaps a missile is about to be fired and some codes must be entered into the
command console, maybe there are hostages in the mix or everyone is in a burning building. Go
nuts!
So, how do you tell if the enemies you have prepared are too strong or too weak to go up
against your players characters? The answer is
threat
. Every bad guy has a
threat
number;
higher numbers mean a greater challenge.
A player-character who hasnt had any montages

has about 40
threat
, so theyd be evenly matched against 40
threat
. Thus, a party of three new
player-characters will meet their match at about 120
threat
. When a character raises their stats
and gains a perk from a montage, their
threat
goes up by about 5.
For most fights, Id recommend putting the players up against something like 75% of their total
threat, but ramping up to 100% for epic showdowns (even at 100%, the players have a slight
upper hand). Youll want to make considerations for player-characters that arent
combat-focused, or for characters that are solely focused on combat. Individual characters can
vary in combat prowess quite a bit. Its usually best to make the first tussle with the bad guys a
bit on the easy side so you can judge the capabilities of the player-characters.
The
symbol indicates a ranged attack.
The
symbol indicates a melee attack.
Sometimes, they will be preceded with special

information about the range of the attack.
HENCHPERSON
We used to call these henchmen, but thats pretty
sexist. Ladies can hench too. This is your typical
henchperson, but they come in all flavors (ex:
Henchmerperson).
12 Threat
HP: 10
DEF: 0
Uzi:
Speed: 30ft or 6sq
ACC: 2
INT: -2
ATH: 0
SPY: -2
CHA: -2
STR: 3
+5
Fist Punch:
+3
GHOST
Ghosts can go through stuff, and they think its pretty
funny that the living cant. Sometimes they go away
when you burn their teddy bear or whatever.
14 Threat
HP: 8
DEF: 4
Ghost Slap:
FOOTBALL TEAM CAPTAIN

Not so bad on his own, but beware the never-ending
supply of goons! Never eats in the cafeteria.
17 Threat
Speed: 40ft or 8sq
HP: 14
DEF: 0
ACC: 2
INT: -2
Fist Punch:
+3
ATH: 4
SPY: -4
CHA: 4
STR: 3
Spend 2 AP to call teammates. Roll a d20. On 5 or

less, nobody comes. On 6-14, one teammate is on
their way. On 15+, two teammates are on their way.
Roll initiative for the teammate/s and have them
show up next round. The teammates have 0 in all
stats and 5 HP. Their speed is 30ft or 6sq.
Epic: Throwing Stuff
Speed: 25ft or 5sq
ACC: -2
INT: 0
ATH: -1
SPY: 4
CHA: -3
STR: 3
+4
RUSSIAN
Russians are like your typical Henchperson, but with
better training facilities. Fact: Russians are born with
cool scars.
21 Threat
Yeah, ghosts can go through stuff, but they dont

like to stay inside things for too long Theyre a bit
claustrophobic.
HP: 14
DEF: 0
Epics: Intimidation, History
AK-47:
Knife:
ACC: 2
INT: 0
Speed: 30ft or 6sq

ATH: 0
SPY: 1
CHA: 0
STR: 3
+7
+5
Speaks Russian and English. Russians like to check

on each other, so they carry walkie talkies.
Epic: Resisting Interrogation.
WEREWOLF
These guys can be pretty cool and sometimes they
make great basketball players. This one is just a jerk.
23 Threat
HP: 20
DEF: 1
Attack:
NINJA
Ninjas like being sneaky and will use any excuse to do
flips and climb stuff, because that's just how ninjas are.
Also, they rarely enter buildings through the front door.
Speed: 50ft or 10sq
ACC: 0
INT: -4
ATH: 7
SPY: 0
CHA: -4
STR: 7
27 Threat
HP: 16
DEF: 5
Speed: 45ft or 9sq
ACC: 2
INT: 0
ATH: 5
SPY: 6
CHA: 0
STR: 2
+7
Katana:
This werewolf turns into a typical henchperson after

spending a couple hours out of the moonlight.
Epics: Intimidation, Smell
Blooper: Animals
+7
Shuriken:
Short
+4
Ninjas get a +2 to any attacks made from above or

below their target.
Epics: Acrobatics, Stealth
JUNGLE CAT
Mature and solitary jungle cat. No fleas. Tired of the
same old boars. Hunting for something new. Maybe
youre the one?
25 Threat
HP: 16
DEF: 0
Tooth & Nail:
Speed: 50ft or 10sq
ACC: 0
INT: -5
ATH: 8
SPY: 5
CHA: 0
STR: 4
+6
Jungle Meow: (1 AP, once per

scene
, targets
everyone nearby) +5 attack versus STR (no
multi-target penalty). If hit, a target takes no
damage, but get a
blooper die
on their next roll.)
Epics: Perception, Stealth, Climbing
LASER HAWK
Take a hawk, strap a laser onto it and fill it with
unbridled hatred. Now youve got a laser hawk.
Youre probably also dead.
30 Threat
HP: 6
DEF: 5
ACC: 5
INT: -5
Laser Blast:
Talons:
Speed: 50ft or 10sq

ATH: 8
SPY: 8
CHA: 0
STR: 0
+8
+3
Like laserless hawks, laser hawks are expert flyers.

Epics: Eyesight
VAMPIRE
I dunno what to tell ya. Youll probably come up with
your own take on these guys. No one knows what their
deal is anymore. Hopefully you go with capes.
32 Threat
P: 26
H
DEF: 2
Speed: 40ft or 8sq
ACC: 2
INT: 3
Goth Pistol:
ATH: 3
SPY: 3
CHA: 5
STR: 3
+7 (needs a reload after

rolls of 5 or less)
Blood Sucking:
+5 (the vampire heals by the
amount of damage dealt)
Bat Form (1 AP, Once per
day
): Turn into a bat.
While you are a bat, the only attack you can make is
Blood Sucking
.
Take 5 damage each turn in direct sunlight. Double
damage from wooden stakes.
Epic: Persuasion // Blooper: Animals
YETI
This guy is so big, yeti has managed to stay hidden.
36 Threat
HP: 34
DEF: 0
Tooth & Nail:
Speed: 45ft or 9sq
ACC: 0
INT: -4
ATH: 5
SPY: 3
CHA: -5
STR: 6
CONJOINED MUMMY
When you have a conjoined twin you never have to be
alone when you murderously stalk the living.
38 Threat
Speed: 25ft or 5sq
HP: 34
ACC: 2
DEF: 0
INT: -2
Mummy Claws:
+6
Bile Blast:
Short
+2
Spend 4 AP to be
too spooky
. Roll d20+5 against a
characters d20+STR. On a success, the difference is
a penalty that the target takes on all rolls, unless
the target has already moved away from the
Conjoined Mummy in the current round.
The Conjoined Mummy has 8 AP on each turn (only
4 AP can be used to move though).
ENGLISHMAN
Englishmen drink tea and they act all friendly and
charming, but the fact is that Americans dont drink tea
because theyre pretty sure Englishmen poisoned theirs.
40 Threat
HP: 28
DEF: 5
Speed: 30ft or 6sq
ACC: 1
INT: 6
Tommy Gun:
ATH: 0
SPY: 4
CHA: 4
STR: 0
+7
+9
Cane/Secret sword:
So long as the temperature is below freezing, the

yeti has 6 AP on its turn. The yeti is also unaffected
by any hampering from deep snow. (only 4 AP can
be used to move though)
Epic: Stealth
ATH: -2
CHA: -5
SPY: 5
STR: 6
+5
Once per scene: Administer first-aid on self or ally,

healing total HP.
Epics: Sense Motive, Hide Motive, Surprised
Enemies
GIANT KILLER ROBOT

Rumor has it that these guys dont survive exposure to
paradoxes, but violence just seems more reliable.
44 Threat
HP: 40
DEF: 10
Speed: 30ft or 6sq
ACC: 4
INT: -2
Rocket Fist:
10ft
Laser Blast:
ATH: 0
SPY: -4
CHA: -4
STR: 6
TYRANNOSAURUS REX
You are so lucky this thing has stupid arms. Still, you
better have a plan if youre gonna take this guy on!
50 Threat
HP: 50
DEF: 0
Speed: 50ft or 10sq
ACC: 0
INT: -5
Tooth & Nail:

10ft
+6
+4
Giant Killer Robots have a panel on the back of their

heads (12 feet high). If the panel door has been
opened/removed, attacks on this spot go against a DEF
of 0.
Once per
scene for 1 AP, drain a nearby electrical
device. The device is either permanently fried by the
process or just temporarily drained. This heals 5hp.
Once per
day for 3 AP, activate a built-in magnet to pull
one metal object (less than 500lbs) from up to 25ft
away.
Giant Killer Robots arent subject to hazards that would
only affect biological creatures.
46 Threat
P: 50
H
DEF: 2
Speed: 50ft or 10sq
ACC: 0
INT: 0
Ramming Attack:
ATH: 8
SPY: -5
CHA: -3
STR: 8
Epics: Intimidation, Destroying stuff

Blooper: Arms
APACHE HELICOPTER
Thupthupthupthupthupthupthupthupthupthup...
68 Threat
P: 50
H
DEF: 5
Speed: 75ft or 15sq
ACC: 0
INT: 0
Mini Gun:
+4
The Monster Truck has side and rearview mirrors, so is

difficult to sneak up on.
Epics: Perception, Destroying stuff
Blooper: Stealth
ATH: 17
SPY: 0
CHA: 0
STR: 0
+6
+10
(up to four times a day)
Crashsplosion:
30ft
+6
(no multi-target penalty)
This kills the Apache Helicopter
If its in the air when its HP (or its pilots HP) reaches
zero, it will crash in the most awesome way possible,
unleashing a Crashsplosion.
Inside is a fleshy henchperson (or similar). If there were
some way to circumvent the bulletproof glass...
+8
Doorcheck (1 AP, twice per

scene
):
+10
Pants-Destroying Roar (1 AP, once per

scene
, targets
everyone nearby): +5 attack versus STR (no multi-target
penalty). If hit, take no damage but poop your pants
instead and get a
blooper die
on your next roll.
Missile:
Long
POSSESSED MONSTER TRUCK
Youre gonna die on SUNDAY
SUNDAY
SUNDAY!!!
ATH: 8
CHA: 0
SPY: -5
STR: 8
The apache will typically be flying well out of melee

range. That said, movie helicopter pilots are usually a
bit cocky and often fly much closer than they should.
Has night vision imaging.
Blooper: Stealth
MECHA-DRAGON
Apparently regular dragons werent bad enough. To be
fair, it does look pretty rad. Lots of chrome and a
bitchin rear spoiler.
VEXIUS
Just look at the name. Whether Vexius is a demon, alien
or sorcerer, we all know what Vexius is all about:
seething confidence.
77 Threat
70 Threat
HP: 70
DEF: 3
Speed: 50ft or 10sq
ACC: 5
INT: 0
Tooth, Nail & Tail:

10ft
Laser Cannon:
ATH: 8
SPY: 4
HP: 66
DEF: 6
CHA: 0
STR: 7
Speed: 45ft or 9sq
ACC: 6
INT: 6
Vexing Strike:
ATH: 6
SPY: 6
CHA: 6
STR: 6
+6
+7
Missile of Vexation:
+5
Flame Jet:
Short
+5 (Once per scene. This attack
gets no multi-target penalty, but targets should all
be in the same general direction.)
Mecha-dragons can fly and arent subject to hazards
that would only affect biological creatures.
+6
Spend 2 AP to create an illusory duplicate of Vexius.

The duplicate acts convincingly but cant physically
interact with anything. It disappears the next time
the real Vexius takes damage.
Spend 2 AP to go invisible until the end of your next
turn. While invisible, your attack and defense rolls
get an epic die. Plus, youre frickin invisible!
Vexius has a Bad Edit and a Push it to the Limit (with
no need to turn in an epic dice token).
Blooper: The power of love
Villains
So, this next section is brand new in this version of Straight to VHS. Consequentially, its far too
short, for now. Even in its finished form, this will be a deeply optional section. That said, a good
main villain goes a long way towards capturing the attention of the players. Take a look over
the next few pages, and maybe youll want to use (and possibly tweak) one of these ideas, or
you might just get inspired to create your own show-stealing villain!
With each of the villains presented below, Ive left a fair amount of wiggle room so that you can
customize them to suit your nefarious plans. I hope youll look forward to lots more villains in
future updates.
THE INVADER
is a large, nightmarish creature
from parts unknown! It is highly aggressive and seems to
enjoy eating people. The invader can be described any
way you like, but it should be rather alien in design.
The invader is drawn to a particular source of energy that
it needs in order to replicate. Lets have a list of some
possible energy sources for you to use:
Electricity
Radiation
Blood
Alcohol
Dreams
Exposure to its energy source allows The invader to create
invaderlings which quickly gestate in some sort of egg (or
inside of people if you wanna get grisly). You might
choose for the invader to have a nesting area, and
perhaps it saves some live prey there to be savored later
(for itself or its progeny). This way, you could have a
character who needs rescuing.
Crucially, The invader and its kin are weakened when
exposed to something. It shouldnt be so common that
The invaders are easily rendered useless (like water) or so
rare that the characters will never figure it out (like
radiation). Here are some possibilities:
Freezing temperatures
Rock & roll music
Camera flashes and other bright lights
Spicy foods
Alcohol (this one just fits either way)
True Love
When exposed to its weakness, The invaders DEF drops
to zero (same for the Invaderlings). Before the invader is
weakened, it is nearly untouchable. Before its weakened,
always give your players escape routes and things to focus
on aside from directly confronting the invader (such as
convincing and evacuating locals, enlisting weapons and
personnel, cutting off the invaders power source,
discovering and collecting its weakness).
THE INVADER
It is unknowable, unimaginable and nigh unstoppable!
145 Threat
(73 Threat
when weakened)
HP: 80
DEF: 20
ACC: 0
INT: 0
Tentacle:
20ft
ATH: 2
SPY: 0
CHA: 0
STR: 9
+9
The invader has 7 AP on its turn.

The invaders long tentacles can worm their way
through tight spaces and can sense movement.
1 Bad Edit per
scene
Epics: Jumping, Destroying stuff
Depending on the strength of the player-characters,
consider starting the invader off with a weaker attack
bonus which builds as the invader sucks down humans
and/or its energy source.
INVADERLING
Smaller and weaker, but still plenty horrifying.
11 Threat
HP: 12
DEF: 2
Tendril:
Speed: 25ft or 5sq
ACC: 0
INT: 0
ATH: -2
SPY: 0
CHA: 0
STR: 3
+3
Epics: Climbing
Invaderlings seem to find their way through tight spaces
and have a tendency to travel along walls and ceilings.
MATURING INVADERLING
Less smaller and less weaker. Surprisingly, its almost
cute in this stage in a weird sorta way.
46 Threat
To add a layer of complexity, add a group of shadowy
government agents who will stop at nothing to capture
(recapture?) the creature alive. Naturally, they should be
doomed to fail. They may decide that the playercharacters know too much. Or worse yet, they might call
in a bomb strike to wipe out the whole area!
Speed: 35ft or 7sq
HP: 40
DEF: 10
Speed: 30ft or 6sq
ACC: 0
INT: 0
Tendracle:
10ft
ATH: 0
SPY: 0
+6
Epics: Climbing, Jumping, Destroying Stuff
CHA: 0
STR: 6
TOMMY SNIZ
is a clever and charismatic
criminal with lots of cash and connections.
Tommy practically has the whole damn city in his

pocket. How? By subjugating one important person at
a time. That might not sound easy, but for a clever
dirtbag like Tommy Sniz its as simple as utilizing some
hired muscle, some blackmail, the occasional
charitable donations with strings attached and by
having no problems with doing the wrong thing.
When the player-characters are at odds with Tommy
Sniz, theres always a chance that theyre being
watched by one of his agents, or that a supposed ally
has actually been working for Tommy all along.
Instead of being a potential main villain, Tommy could
be a rival who is working towards the same general
goal as the players of course Tommy probably has a
more nefarious purpose and wont hesitate to directly
take out his competition. Then again, he might let the
players do all the hard work, keeping tabs on them all
the while so that he can get what he wants with
minimal effort.
Tommy is never really alone. His men are just a signal
away and he usually has options available for a quick
getaway.
If things start looking grim for himself, Tommy will
attempt to bargain with the player-characters.
Interactions with Tommy should be pleasant on the

surface. He offers drinks, gives compliments, jokes
around and generally tries to ingratiate himself.
If any of the player-characters seem to be remotely
falling for it, consider rolling CHA for Tommy (with an
epic die from his Charm epic) against the characters
INT. If Tommy succeeds, the player character takes a
dramatic effect
penalty (the size of Tommys success)
to actions meant to hurt Tommy. To read more about
dramatic effects
(including how players overcome
them), see page 36.
TOMMY SNIZ
Tommy Sniz wants a piece of everything, and everybody
wants a piece of Tommy Sniz.
70 Threat
HP: 40
DEF: 6
ACC: 6
INT: 8
Speed: 35ft or 7sq

ATH: 3
SPY: 6
CHA: 8
STR: 3
Brass Knuckles:
+4
Magnum Revolver:
+9 (must reload after
rolling 5 or less)
Hand Grenade:
Short
+6 on a 30x30ft target
(once per
day
)
1 Bad Edit per
scene
1 Push it to the Limit per
day
(with no token cost)
Once per
day
, when you take damage, you can make an
adjacent person (who isnt the attacker) take the
damage instead.
You can attempt to hide by only using 1 AP. You get an
epic die against enemies that are unaware of your
presence.
Epics: Crime, Business, Deceit, Charm
Assets:
A few million bucks to throw around.
His own personal helicopter
A sizable crew of henchmen and specialists
Eyes and ears in the police department
Private investigators, skilled at gathering
material for blackmail.
Blackmailed officials on whom he can call for a
favor.
Likes:
Memorabilia from Hollywoods golden age

Blondes in glasses
Information
Cocaine
Dislikes:
Competition
Peanuts (allergic)
Being touched
TORFF, THE WARLOCK

has traveled
through centuries, and possibly dimensions. Hes not

about to let a ragtag group of misfits stop him now.
Torff seeks some relic that was lost to him in his own
time. Lets see some possibilities:
The Jade Eye of Destiny (allows the wielder to
change fate once per day, with a cost paid
proportional to the change in fate.)
The Staff of Iknus (a powerful and sentient
weapon. The thing doesnt shut up!)
The Nightkey. An onyx crystal, which will allow
Torff to free his eldritch master!
In his own time, this relic is guarded by sacred warriors or

some such. However, by scrying the future, Torff has
discovered the relic under comparably pitiful security in a
modern museum or private collection.
Alternatively, Torff has discovered that there is a
prophesied warrior in this time (probably one of the
player-characters). If Torff can defeat them in battle, he
shall grow even more powerful.
In either case, traveling through time has left Torff
weakened and disoriented. Mechanically speaking, hes
getting a blooper die to all rolls.
He also might find himself
unprepared for the challenges of the modern world. This

ought to result in Torff not quite accomplishing his goals
on his first try, giving the player- characters a chance to
encounter him early and drive him off (he can get himself
out of a losing situation thanks to his high HP and
teleportation ability). At this point, the players might
prepare for his return, or try to hunt him down before he
has time to recuperate.
Torff might have arrived with buddies, but he might also
attempt to enlist modern help with the aid of his genuine
gold coins and impressive powers. One method of
recruitment would be his necromancy, with which he can
raise the dead as loyal servants.
Players could have their character/s be the last of the

protectors of the relic (or keepers of the prophecy). Other
characters could be the owner or discoverer of the relic,
or the figure in the prophecy.
Or do something totally different: Maybe Torff is a
vengeful hippie with a spell book. I mean, what am I? The
boss of you? Get weird with it.
TORFF, THE WARLOCK

Check the freakazoid in the cape! Hey! Weirdo! Who
let you in h-AAAAAUGGGGHHH!!! Ribbit.
80 Threat
HP: 80
DEF: 5
Speed: 30ft or 6sq
ACC: 3
INT: 5
Staff Thwack:
10ft
Magic Staff Bolt:
Long
Transmogrify:
Short
ATH: 0
SPY: 5
CHA: 0
STR: 2
+4
+7
+5
(Once per
scene.
On a
success, deal no damage, but the target turns into

a woodland critter until the end of the scene.
Woodland critters cant use items and have -5 STR.)
Feargasm:
+5
(Once per
scene
. On a success, deal
no damage, but the target is overcome with terrible

visions. For the rest of the
scene
, they take a penalty
the size of Torffs success to any action that isnt
running away or hiding.)
Once per
scene
, spend 2 AP to teleport to any
unoccupied spot within 50ft.
Once per
scene,
spend 3 AP to turn an adjacent corpse
into an undead servant. The undead servant has the
same stats they had in life except their HP is halved and
they take a blooper die on all rolls.
Once per
scene
, spend 3 AP to charge up an attack.
Doing so gives him two epic dice on his next attack. If
he doesnt attack before the end of his next turn, he
loses the epic dice.
Once per
scene Torff can regain an expended Once per
scene
ability.
None of Torffs attacks can cause the need for a
reload.
Epics: Mysticism,
Blooper: Current Events, Pop Culture, Technology
Each scene, after the party has run afoul of Torff, the
Director rolls a d20. On an 18 or higher, Torff has
witnessed the scene in his crystal ball.
Creative Prompts
This section is here to provide optional prompts for character personalities and backgrounds as
well as elements for the Director to use. Basically, these are just here to get you thinking.
Character Traits:
1. You are/used to be a priest or nun. Lately your faith has been challenged.
2. Youre smoking that reefer any chance you can get.
3. Youve come from another planet to learn about this love.
4. You served in Nam and saw some shit, man.
5. You are an Indian shaman, supposedly.
6. You don't let people get close to you. People who do always end up getting hurt.
7. You are/were working for the Kremlin, but the tides are changing.
8. You are a hot tub salesperson always looking for clients.
9. You are/were a crooked cop with conflicting loyalties.
10. You are a carnie. No one just stops being a carnie.
11. You are a virgin and lie about it.
12. You are a disgraced former member of the Secret Service seeking redemption.
13. You are a chainsmoker trying to kick the habit.
14. You are an Olympic athlete, cheated out of the gold.
15. You are an incorrigible pervert, looking for love.
16. Youve come from the future, but you cant remember why or much of anything.
17. You have face cancer and time is running out.
18. You are in the witness protection program, but your old life has come knocking.
19. You have a child somewhere out there, but you couldnt be there for them.
20. You are/used to be a prostitute. You, of course, have a heart of gold.
21. You aint got time for these damn kids.
22. You have just woken from a coma and are suffering from amnesia.
23. No one knows that youre...The Shadow.
24. You make drinking look fun and wholesome.
25. Youre the only one that gets it. Theyre already here, man! They are among us!
26. You have/are an evil twin, raised in Quebec by gypsies.
27. You are suffering from a recurring nightmare; bits are coming true.
28. You are a bounty hunter. Your latest target: Your sister.
29. You have given up a life of crime...or have you?
30. You have multiple personalities and one speaks only Spanish.
31. Youve been married four times. They all had the same name.
32. You are in a rock band, but are looking to go solo.
33. Your sensei was murdered. He was going to teach you the ultimate technique.
34. Youve fallen on hard times. But you know the gold is buried somewhere round here!
35. You never knew your real parents. You wonder if they too had the gift.
Bad Movie Plot Points:

1. Aliens
2. Alternate histories
3. Androids
4. Antichrist
5. Apocalyptic wastelands
6. Assassination
7. Asteroids
8. Bank robberies
9. Bioweapons
10. Casinos
11. Circuses
12. Crooked cops
13. Cults
14. Curses
15. Dance competitions
16. Demons and/or the devil
17. Digital worlds
18. Dinosaurs
19. Drug lords
20. Evil communists
21. Federal agents
22. Giant animals
23. Goblins
24. Heists
25. Hypnotists
26. Indian burial grounds
27. International spies
28. Jazz clubs
29. Hybrid creatures
30. Kung fu
31. Lost islands
32. Mafia
33. Military occupation
34. Monsters
35. Mutant anything!
36. Natural disasters
37. Nuclear launch codes
38. Planetary colonization
39. Prophecy
40. Psychic powers
41. Road Trips
42. Robots
43. Saving the holidays
44. School dances
45. Scientific experiments
46. Sewer mutants
47. Square school deans
48. Street gangs
49. Time travelers
50. Totalitarianism
51. Unlocking 100% of your brain
52. Vampires
53. Werewolves
54. Wild West
55. Witchcraft
56. Worldwide conspiracies
57. Zombies
58. Gah! Almost made it without mentioning
zombies.
The following two pages are extremely important! Theyre the Straight to VHS character
sheet.
Print out a sheet for each player and have them fill in the values as indicated by the
tropes
,
perks
and
items
theyve picked for their character. And dont forget to include the
stat tweaks
(pg. 11)! Thats it. You know it all.
- Ryan M. M.
You may copy, print, edit or distribute the next two pages in any way you like.
Stat Totals
=
Tropes
+
Perks
+
Items
Tweak
Other
ACC
CURRENTHP
TOTALHP
ATH
CHA
Heal5+#ofmontagesattheendofeach
scene
.
DEF
Pick a
script change type
when you roll a 1 or 20.
Its ready the next time
you roll a 1 or 20.
INT
SPY
STR
USED?
CINEMATICACTIONS
Script Change Types
Put/draw something
in the circle when your
script change
is ready.
PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT

(once per scene, 1 AP)
Turn in an
epic dice token to h
eal your total HP
BAD EDIT
(once per scene, at any time, 0 AP)
Get an extra action at any time, on anyones turn
ONE-LINER
(once per scene, at any time, 0 AP)
Say something cool/lame and gain an

epic die token
WRITE DOWN
CINEMATIC ACTIONS
EPICS:
__________________ B
LOOPERS:
_____________
___________________________
____________________________
___________________________
____________________________
___________________________
____________________________
___________________________
____________________________
TROPE&PERKNOTES:
__________________________
__________________________________________________________
IN HERE
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
STRAIGHT to VHS
CharacterName:
_____________________________________
Items:
________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Backstory:
______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Personality:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Description:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
OtherNotes:
___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Wait, Is This One of Those Nerd Games?

Making Characters in 5 Steps

Setting Up the Movie

Welcome to Vickers Creek!

A werewolf stalks the streets...but not for much longer.

Youll need character sheets printed from this rulebook,

Im a discerning RPG veteran. Why should I play

Wait, Is This One of Those Nerd Games?

The Bad Movie Mind-Set

The Central Mechanic

Lets see a step-by-step example!

. Lexis total attack roll was

Pro tip: Theres a spot on your character sheet for

Your Character, Over Time

Level ups are called

Similarly, HP and some abilities recharge at the start of a new "

NOT DIGGIN A rule?

To walk, run, drive,

Push it to the limit

Try to recall any

Sense the obvious

Scoot 5ft (or 1sq)

Flick your ponytail

All sorts of stuff!

All sorts of stuff!

All sorts of stuff!

Yup. All sorts of stuff!

Need a rule that's not in here?

TYPES OF SCRIPT CHANGES:

Characters get two

Give one stat a +3,

Characters also have Health Points. Lets learn, shall we?

Epics and Bloopers

Making Characters in 5 Steps

changes made by your

including nearly all attack rolls.

are unaware of your presence.

to every roll for the remainder of the scene.

one DEF roll before the start of your next turn.

Jack Burtonesque: Get a

Man/Woman of Action: You believe in the power of doing. Get an extra

spend 3 AP to make a character waste their next turn

Sniper: Start with a +6 sniper rifle in your possession which must

Calmly Walk Away: You get

Float Like a Butterfly:

GlancingBlows: If you miss with an attack, deal

High Five ofLife:

HP for you and the ally.

Projectiles (bullets, arrows, thrown bricks and so on)

PushIt Real Good: Your "Push It to the Limit" heals an extra

Quick to Act: You have

Sexual Tyrannosaurus: You get

Wheres My Mark?: You get a

Why Didn't You Say So?:

CHA against targets that arent hostile towards you.

Bartering, Chemicals, Cuisine, Current Affairs, Dancing, Dinosaurs, Diseases, Drugs,

A Note About Melee Combat VS. Ranged Combat

On a hit: blooper die to target's next roll

Reduce total penalty for attacking multiple

10ft melee range