Normality
is a tabletop roleplaying game by Hugh Dingwall and Vishãla Jekic.
It is unique among roleplaying games in that, instead of trying to describe its setting, it presents itself as an artifact from said setting. (One edition of Tribe 8 was written in-character, but it wasn't actually assembled from scraps and oddities as Normality was.) In this, it has more in common with ergodic literature (like House of Leaves) than with traditional roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons and The World of Darkness.
This "ergodic" tendency is also borne out in the fact that:
- The character sheets are more or less total gibberish, requiring players to interpret them to understand their characters.
- There is no resolution mechanic, in fact the GM is encouraged to actively lie to the players about their characters' perceptions and capabilities.
IOWA WE CASK NIACIN WE IX APOGEE IOWA
Normal mode of table ROM role-playing game, Hugh Dingwall and Vishal Jekic.
He has a unique role playing games instead of trying to describe the expansion, it presents itself as artifact in determining said. It is, he has more in common Ergodic literature (such as the House leaves) than in the traditional games such as Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying and the World of Darkness.
Behavior that is "Ergodic" is born in that:
- Make discs are more or less gibberish, ask the players to interpret them to understand their properties.
- No mechanical resolution, self-GM players actively encouraged to lie about their perceptions of character and skills.
USE YOUR LIGHT, BUT AWFUL CHAINS
Cheong Rai Hospital, a private game. The study of dark wood, like the basement of the various International organizations and medium to send important).
To crazy for the three countries solutions include:
- General Motors, General Motors Institute, and his Skills are called
- and raise their level of Playing.
This game embodies the following tropes:
- Alternate Universe: The setting takes place in an alternate universe where America completely SNAPS after 9/11. Things happen in the worst way possible from then on.
- Apocalyptic Log: Part of the... erm... narrative describes the downfall of the world's ecosystem and government. A rather disturbing page seems to chronicle someone attempting to write an instruction manual for a sound system as the psycho-nukes utterly destroy his mind.
- Bilingual Bonus: Several pages are entirely in upside-down Chinese.
- Japan Takes Over the World: Or at least most of Asia.
- Jesus Was Way Cool: The Maori Jesus was a real person... and his lobotomization fucked up the world.
- Madness Mantra: "IOWA WE CASK NIACIN, WE IX APOGEE IOWA"; "Use your light, but awful chains".
- The Magic Comes Back: ... But it's become corrupted, and is basically the new nuclear weapon of Normality's world.
- Mind Rape: As a result of the alleged "Psychic/Psychedelic Warfare", pretty much everyone in America has been subject to this, and judging by the GM guide, the Player Characters are no exception...
- Mind Screw: Where to even begin? It doesn't help that everyone is an Unreliable Narrator. From a practical perspective, the game is pretty much impossible to actually play in any literal way. Sessions are more bouts of mindgames than anything close to traditional roleplaying. The scenarios suggested by the authors range from capturing a psychic and using her crucified body as a psychic radio tower of sorts, to other... out-there ideas.
- Mushroom Samba: For the players, in the least pleasant way possible...
- Shout-Out:
- One of the in-universe players recites the Litany Against Fear.
- Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn
- Take That!: "Bush Empire" anyone?
- Unusual Chapter Numbers: The Game Master's Guide, which only manages to be a little less weird and disturbing than the other book (which is very, very weird and disturbing). Its chapters are titled "Part Juan," "Past Dues," "Parrot Tree," "Parched Fief," and "Park Sex."
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: "KLEEN!"
