The Game at Carousel: A Horror Movie LitRPG

Arc II, Chapter 85: The Remainder

Isaac got two stat tickets and three tropes, along with a few coins. His low level meant that even an… uninspired performance netted him some gains.

After obtaining them, he kept calling himself a Cynic even though he had not chosen his aspect yet. I didn’t argue. I liked that he was contemplating his role in the party finally, even if he was a little preachy.

Hindsight is 20/20

Type: Insight

Archetype: Comedian

Aspect: Cynic

Stat Used: Savvy

The skill most horror movie victims fail to learn is the ability to learn from their mistakes. That is a shame because, in horror, history always repeats itself.

The user will be alerted to mistakes they have made on the red wallpaper after they have made them. While it may be too late to use this information once they receive it, it may be useful later or useful for allies. Either way, commenting on their mistakes will boost the success of any future plan that involves the lesson learned.

The audience loves a character who never makes the same mistake twice. Of course, then they have the opportunity to make all new ones.

Lights Gone Out

Type: Perk/Action

Archetype: Comedian

Aspect: Cynic

Stat Used: Moxie

A character who has had every drop of happiness stolen from them can turn bitter and cold, but when the lights go out, there is nothing for the darkness to feed on.

The user will be given a tragic backstory that has impacted them completely and turned them cynical—literally dead inside. Being dead inside has perks, however, as most mental manipulations from tropes or even some magic have trouble manipulating a truly hopeless person. Acting dead inside will provide a general barrier against all things that are designed to work upon a normal person.

It can be hard to give false hope to someone with dead dopamine receptors.

How is this normal?

Type: Insight

Archetype: Comedian

Aspect: Cynic

Stat Used: Savvy

A Cynic is often the one to say what the audience is thinking. Don’t go into the basement, don’t let that thing in, don’t read the Latin. All of these warnings will be unheeded, but the audience appreciates it anyway.

If the user sees something they believe to be an Omen or trap (inside a storyline), the oddness they picked up on will become more apparent to comedically accentuate their point, if only for a moment. If used in a storyline, there is no guarantee the result will be On-Screen.

If used to find Omens outside a storyline, the user will then receive limited information about the Omen and its storyline.

You probably won’t have time to say I told you so.

Dina didn’t get her aspect. I thought she would. Perhaps her untimely death stole it from her.

The Atlas said that if you have too many members in your party in a storyline, that Outsiders will get Stranger roles and Stranger tropes. We would have to change that. Criminal and Newcomer had some good utility tropes that she needed to stock up on before choosing her aspect.

She agreed, but her embarrassment over what might have been an infatuation with Gale Zaragoza left her acting even more distant for a time. When we got her to talk about it (after a round at the restaurant’s bar downstairs), she claimed he must have had a trope to make players inclined to work with him.

Isaac said that his tropes were honey-colored eyes and a chiseled jaw.

Dina didn’t correct him.

She got two tropes and a good chunk of change. Even if she had died, she still helped defeat the Die Cast. She even had a big part in it.

No Return Address

Type: Insight/Perk

Archetype: Outsider

Aspect: Stranger

Stat Used: --

Anonymous guardians would be much more effective if they didn’t act so suspiciously all the time. It's no wonder they often get confused for the bad guy. Maybe it is better to just drop off an anonymous letter.

The user will get helpful clues in the form of letters with no return address. This could happen On-Screen or Off-Screen and will usually provide warnings or calls to action for the player. The user is then able to create messages for their allies in character. These will appear in the ally’s mailbox or similar. At higher levels, they can send packages too.

Either this person didn’t want to be identified, or they couldn’t afford a stamp.

Out-of-Town Cousin

Type: Rule/Insight/Perk

Archetype: Outsider

Aspect: Newcomer

Stat Used: Moxie

A quick way to inject a character into a new situation is to have them visit distant relatives.

The user’s character will be related to important NPCs. This will help with information gathering and give the players some instant allies and perhaps a place to stay. This trope is always useful, but it works differently in every story.

All is fun and games until you find your real cousins buried in the backyard.

Carousel must have loved Kimberly’s performance. She got three stat tickets, three tropes, and a handful of money in big denominations, totaling 85 dollars in Carousel’s currency. According to Isaac, that was enough money to buy a couch, though he might not have accounted for inflation since 1984.

Just Ask Sal

Type: Insight

Archetype: Eye Candy

Aspect: Celebrity

Stat Used: Moxie

Once you start getting some nice flicks under your belt as an actor, your talent agent will be fielding calls left and right. When the nice offers start rolling in, you’ll be fielding calls from them.

The user can call their talent agent, Sal, and inquire about any potential storyline under the pretense that they are asking about a potential “acting job.” Sal will give you lots of details, some of which are useful for determining whether you want to “take the role.”

Be warned: Sal has a bit too much personality.

Come one, pal, trust your old buddy Sal

The Penthouse

Type: Perk

Archetype: Eye Candy

Aspect: Socialite

Stat Used: Grit

There is no better way to show a character is rich than to show their accommodations.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The user will receive the best possible lodging in a storyline, though the quality varies greatly from story to story. The lodging will be safe for you to rest in, though that might change during work hours. Expect to shoot scenes there.

“This is where you’re staying? This must cost a fortune.”

“Yes, well, the motel was fully booked.”

Contract Negotiations

Type: Rule

Archetype: Eye Candy

Aspect: Celebrity

Stat Used: --

Some movies change things to accommodate a big-name actor. They have to keep the talent happy.

The user will have an easier time altering the story through Improvisation by speaking their desires directly to Carousel itself while Off-Screen. This trope eliminates the requirement that improvised changes be better than Carousel’s plan or that they be built up in the narrative previously. The bad results are on you.

Be warned: Carousel will have its own terms for the change.

I can’t have people thinking my character would do that.

Antoine didn’t fare as well as I expected. He had some solid moments in the story, but he was high-level, and an explanation that none of us wanted to talk about was that Carousel took him off the board for longer than it might have wanted because of his condition. Still, he got one stat ticket and two tropes. Only a few coins fell down the slot for him.

In Bed By Nine

Type: Healing

Archetype: Athlete

Aspect: Health Nut

Stat Used: Savvy

A good night’s sleep can do more than help you get a great start to your day. It provides a barrier between scenes during which the character can process their situation. It allows tension to lower, tempers to cool, and for characters to think with a clear mind.

This allows the character to cause “the end of the day” in the story so that they can sleep. The story will pick up the next day. Rest dulls injuries from the storyline thus far, both physical and mental. Plans made during the night and relayed in the morning get a slight boost in effectiveness.

If I don’t get my seven hours I’ll be cranky for this entire apocalypse.

Arm Candy

Type: Buff

Archetype: Athlete

Aspect: Stud

Stat Used: Moxie+

Your date could be with anyone, and they chose you. That has to say something good about you, right?

The player’s Moxie is buffed based on their romantic partner’s Moxie, desirability, wealth, fame, or success. This works best in social settings, such as workplaces, parties, and weddings.

How rich/endowed/successful/charming/cool/funny must that guy be to get a girl like that?

Ramona got one stat ticket and one trope. She got to keep the money her band made at the Centennial, however, so she didn’t walk away empty-handed.

She was silent and cold, and… she didn't trust us or anything she saw in Carousel. I didn’t know what to do about it. We were the only people she knew anymore. Carousel Proper was different enough from Silas’ Throughline version that she felt lost, more lost than us in some ways. This wasn’t her home anymore.

The Foil

Type: Rule

Archetype: Hysteric

Aspect: Defiant

Stat Used: --

Sometimes for a character to obtain their full potential in a story, there needs to be another character to compare them to.

A complex trope, the foil will face similar struggles as the protagonist but with a different approach. Where the foil makes mistakes, the protagonist will be led to avoid them. Where the foil’s philosophy will lead them to destruction, the protagonists can lead them to redemption.

The Foil leads a cursed life so that the protagonist can lead a blessed one.

Bobby did well, but it was hard for me to judge his performance. He played a background character who helped out a ton… for no established reason.

He got three tropes and two stat tickets. He was paid pretty well and received a small note about where his dogs were. They were in the big, fenced-in yard back at the farm where he left them.

He contemplated bringing them to Kimberly’s loft. We… needed a better solution. We were allowed to build, so Isaac suggested the roof. Isaac thought he was making a joke, but Bobby took it seriously. Within a day at our new place, he was searching through the Atlas for a storyline at a hardware store so he could build an enclosure.

Not in the Budget

Type: Rule

Archetype: Wallflower

Aspect: Extra

Stat Used: Hustle

“No one can tell who the blood-covered bodies are in the background. Just go back to wardrobe, and we’ll find somewhere else for you.”

Extras never get enough screen time for the audience to pick you out from the background. When equipped, a player will be revived once the extra they are playing is killed. They can then go play another character. Only works if the initial character won’t be recognized.

All of the female victims in this movie were played by Trish in different wigs.

Act Like You Belong

Type: Rule

Archetype: Wallflower

Aspect: Recast

Stat Used: Moxie

Background characters are usually not filled out. There’s plenty of wiggle room.

The user may quickly incorporate helpful, seemingly innocuous elements into their character to fit in with the scene. Grab a clipboard or a hard hat, and you’re good to go. However, all collective background elements added have to work together, so use wisely.

“I’m only a construction worker on the weekends. My true passion is working at this military base.”

The Good Seats

Type: Insight/Perk

Archetype: Wallflower

Aspect: Extra

Stat Used: Hustle

It’s weird how the out of focus characters in the background never hear anything.

The user will be given directions to scenes that need background actors. Listening in to those scenes can lend some powerful insights.

Why is no one in this cafeteria talking except for those two dramatic people over there?

Cassie did well. Her character was in the background a lot, but she helped us as best she could and even stole the show at least once. Her lower level, combined with her commendable showing, resulted in four stat tickets and three tropes, along with her money.

I think she was happiest about not having to wear the flamboyant outfits her character owned anymore. She was back to dressing like a grunge hippie and connecting to the bar’s jukebox on her cellphone, which must have been magic because there was no way Carousel used the same wifi as Earth.

Like Isaac, she mostly kept her head up because there was hope that they would be able to rescue their big brother, Andrew.

It’s nice to have hope.

Curios and Trinkets

Type: Rule/Insight

Archetype: Psychic

Aspect: Occultist

Stat Used: --

An occultist’s power in movies is measured by the number of trinkets in their home that you shouldn’t touch.

The user can collect a magical or occult artifact from this storyline. In future storylines, they will be able to ascertain similarities and differences between the object they are examining in a storyline and the objects they have collected. Once their collection is robust, they will have some very good lore insights about any given magical object in a story.

Collectible occult objects will be listed on the red wallpaper after The End. Collectible objects will not harm anyone outside of the story unless acted on by another trope. The objects do not need to be brought into a storyline. Building a collection is important for many Occultist tropes.

This reminds me of the haunted painting of the little girl but with a touch of the vase of screams.

I’m Blocked

Type: Insight

Archetype: Psychic

Aspect: Seer

Stat Used: Moxie

It sure would be easy if the psychics in movies were actually able to identify things from the get-go. Unfortunately, they usually only get headaches.

Using this trope, the player can scout out information about potential storylines. They will receive some scant information at first, always leading to some kind of blocking. The nature of this blockage is useful for discerning what the storyline involves, however.

I see… a creature. It doesn’t like me. I cannot look any further.

Clarity of Purpose

Type: Rule

Archetype: Psychic

Aspect: Exorcist

Stat Used: Moxie

Sometimes strength does not come from the body but from the spirit.

The user of this trope can use Moxie instead of Grit when tackling a problem that inflicts constant pain, such as grabbing something in acid or that is on fire, etc. All that matters is that their spiritual prowess has been established and their purpose is clear to the audience.

Either way, this is going to hurt.

I didn’t do too shabby. I only got one stat ticket, but I got three tropes and a handful of coins. Not bad for a character who started with no redeeming qualities and accidentally electrocuted himself.

I got a room with a view of the street below. It had one of those beds that folded up into the wall. I half expected it to be some kind of Omen. It wasn’t, but it was wise for me to check first.

At night, I would look out my window at the life below and ask myself where all of the NPCs came from. Did they all have stories of defeat? Had Silas or one of the other Narrators invited them without mentioning the state of the world they were entering?

Were their smiles real? Were any of ours?

All other questions aside, what I would ask myself as I went to sleep was what our purpose could be. Silas was a liar but he had a purpose for us, whether it was the one he claimed or otherwise. Maybe the Geists held clues about the origin of Carousel. Only time would tell.

The Throughline Tracker held so many promises. We had things to do now. Secret Lore was finally something I felt safe thinking about. Project Rewind was behind us and a success. We had not yet entered Carousel's Throughline, which gave me a strange sense of freedom.

Then there was Silas' old Throughline. At first, I stared at it like a black mark on the red wallpaper. Why did we have to be reminded of our abject failure? But the more I stared at it, the more I started to question things. Why would Carousel even track it? Why had the name of the Throughline been crossed out? The messages "For when you need to go back" and "Carousel Loves to Recycle" stuck in my mind.

Silas said that Throughlines were like magic, a magic spell unto themselves. What if that was true? What if that was exactly what it sounded like?

What if everything we had done in the tutorial wasn't a waste? The Geist Throughline was like a meta time machine that could eventually show us past versions of Carousel. "For when you need to go back" carried with is a clear message if I were willing to open my mind a little. It said we would one day need to go back, but now we had a way. One day, we might just need to go back to where it all started.

And a part of me, a part I was ashamed to show the others, was absolutely thrilled.

Cut!

Type: Action

Archetype: Film Buff

Aspect: Filmmaker

Stat Used: Savvy

This scene just isn’t working. Let’s cut it short.

While on Deathwatch, the user can yell “Cut!” and the scene will go Off-Screen. The scene will resume after a short break. This is best used when there is something else for the camera to follow and when the transition is seamless. Repeated use during fights will anger enemies. Cutting during climactic moments will disable the power.

Be warned: everyone can do better on the second try. Even the enemies.

Pair with From the Top!

Show that you can be trusted.

The Dailies

Type: Insight

Archetype: Film Buff

Aspect: Filmmaker

Stat Used: Savvy

Every day, the film shot of a movie is collected and analyzed by the filmmakers. These dailies can greatly affect the direction of the shoot.

The user will be able to review raw footage on the red wallpaper from the day’s filming. This only works in multiday films where the character has downtime. The footage will never give away a whole mystery, but it will always have leads and clues. It can be used on Deathwatch and previous storylines.

Sometimes, tedious work pays off.

He has a tell

Type: Rule/Insight

Archetype: Detective

Aspect: --

Stat Used: Savvy

A seasoned detective is a master of observation. Everyone has a tell, a subconscious sign that they are stressed or that they are trying to deceive. The question is, will you catch it in time?

All characters in this story who might be lying or otherwise stressed about a subject will give some subconscious tick that can be picked up on when talking about that subject. They might be lying or simply scared. Either way, an observant player will know to inquire further.

Detecting a lie is only half the job. Then you have to find the truth.

We set out a coin jar, and each of us put in sixty percent of our earnings: twenty percent for rent and forty percent to fix up the place.

Sometimes we sat back and listened to the screams at night and when we looked at each other, we weren't scared. I always wondered how the Vets back at Camp Dyer could hear the banshee screaming in the woods near the lake and be so relaxed.

As we settled into this new, safe place, we were more comfortable than we ever felt during the supposed tutorial, and I finally understood how the Vets could take the horror of this place in stride.

It’s because humans do what we do better than Carousel does what it does.

And I still don't know what that is.