Forgotten Futures IV

to FF4 worldbook

to main index

This is a story-telling card game based (extremely loosely) on William Hope Hodgson's 'Carnacki The Ghost Finder'. It is distributed as part of Forgotten Futures 4: The Carnacki Cylinders, a sourcebook and role playing game based on these stories. It is best played with three to six players.

See the worldbook for suggestions on ways of using these cards to add story-telling elements to the game or generate plots for adventures.

You will need two packs of playing cards, with different coloured backs and two jokers (or a joker and a blank card) per pack. For convenience the remainder of this file refers to the packs as "the blue pack" and "the red pack", and to cards within these packs as blue (B) or red (R); for example:

B A H	Ace of hearts in the blue pack
R 3 D	3 of diamonds in the red pack
B J	Blue joker

Naturally any colour or design of pack may be used, provided that the backs of the two packs are not the same.

At the end of this file is a list of 108 phrases, which can be written or printed onto the cards. The best method is probably to use a label printing program and stick a label onto each card, making sure that the value of the card isn't obscured. Alternatively, print them directly onto card, adding an extra line showing the value of the card, using different coloured card for the two packs.

There is also a grid of "cards" which can be printed out and stuck to playing cards; a proper label program will give a neater result...

CARDGAME.CSV contains the phrases in comma separated format, which can be read by most database and label programs. To allow the use of large type, some of the phrases are split into two or three lines of text. Each line is preceded by the card value, eg B A H, which needn't be printed if the text is stuck onto playing cards. Each pack will fit neatly onto three pages at eighteen cards per page.

Players will also need a pencil and paper for keeping score.

The idea of this game is simply to tell an enjoyable story about Carnacki and the Ab-natural, or in the style of the Carnacki stories, incorporating the phrases printed on the cards. The game can be played with or without a scoring system; scoring is useful if players feel that it is important to win the game, but can interfere with the flow of the story. If they prefer to concentrate on telling an enjoyable story, points need not be used.

Shuffle the two packs together (face down) and deal each player five cards. Leave the remainder of the pack as a pile on the table, face down.

Each player chooses a card (but NOT a joker) from their hand. This is the phrase or word with which the player hopes to end the story; it is placed on the table in front of the player, face up, and may not be used until the end of the game.

Each player in turn selects one to four cards from their hand and uses the phrases or words on them to tell or continue the story. The first card played IN THE GAME scores two points; thereafter each card played earns points as follows:

From the same pack as the previous card	1 point
The same suite as the previous card	2 points
The same value as the previous card	3 points
The same suite and value as the previous card	4 points
Any joker	1 point
Any card played immediately after a joker	1 point

Use the highest scoring condition only! Cards that don't meet any of these conditions may not be played. A card played after a joker can be of any suite, value, or pack, but is only worth 1 point.

Each card must be used to carry on the story in a logical manner. Any other player may raise a challenge under any of the following circumstances:

• If it doesn't seem to fit what has gone before.
• If it contradicts something that has already been said.
• If more than two or three sentences are needed to bridge the gap between successive cards.

If a majority of the players feel that the story has not been continued properly, the card should be disallowed and discarded. The player forfeits the remainder of his turn and loses one point.

If a majority of the players feel that the story was successfully continued, the challenging player forfeits one point, and play continues.

Players with no card that they feel can be used to continue the story and/or no card that is allowed by the rules should pass, and may optionally discard one card, shuffle it into the deck, and take another from the top of the pile.

After each card is used it is placed on the table face up. Players replace the cards used or discarded at the end of their hand.

Play continues until there are no cards left to be picked up; thereafter, any player may use an "ending" card if it will finish the story AND leave no cards in their hand. If this isn't possible, any card(s) EXCEPT the ending card may be played. If no cards can be played the player must pass.

The player that finally finishes the story receives DOUBLE the normal points for the "end" card. The other players lose one point for each card remaining in their hands, including "end" cards.

The player with the highest total score wins.

Fred, George, and Arthur are playing. Fred is to begin the story. He has the cards:

Card	Legend
B 3 H	Inhumanly dreary
R J H	The blood was running
R J	Ab-natural
B 7 C	Falling
R 2 H	The bang of a door

He decides that R J H is the best to keep to end the story; it can fit into almost any plot. He (and the other players) put their ending cards out.

To start the game he decides to play safe with two easy cards, as follows:

"The first time that I saw Birmingham I felt that the city was INHUMANLY DREARY [first card - 2 points]. I did not then know of the AB-NATURAL [joker - 1 point] horrors that awaited me there."

Each player in turn carries on the story. George plays next and has the following cards in his hand:

Card	Legend
B 2 D	After nightfall
B 5 H	My revolver
R Q D	A clock
R J	Carnacki

Neither "Carnacki" or "My revolver" seem to fit with the opening phrase, so he uses the others as follows:

"I first felt a frisson of fear AFTER NIGHTFALL [played after joker - 1 point], when A CLOCK [same suite - 2 points] on a nearby church struck ten, and I realised that my companions had not returned from their shopping trip to the city centre."

This fits reasonably well, and scores three points. He could have scored four by making the first words "Carnacki and I"!

Later, when the stack is finally used up, Fred has two cards left:

Card	Legend
R J H	The blood was running (on the table as "ending")
R A H	The Butler

Arthur knows Fred's ending, and wants to make it impossible to use. He still holds several cards and can't end, and he suspects that Fred's other card will also be a heart and knows that it's from the red pack, so plays:

B A S

The old legend

as follows:

"Despite the evil that had occurred, I was still convinced that THE OLD LEGEND was false, and that there were no ghosts."

Fred thinks quickly, and says:

"I returned to Carnacki's room, sure that someone in the house, probably a servant, was faking the Ab-natural manifestations, but it was already too late. THE BUTLER [Same value - 3 points] already had a knife at his throat, and THE BLOOD WAS RUNNING. [same suite - 2 points, x2 since ends game = 4 points]

As above, but there are two simple changes in the way the game is played:

Any card may be played if it fits into the story, regardless of its suite, value, etc.

"End" cards are played after all other cards have been taken from the pile, but need not be played to finish the story, provided that they are played to empty a player's hand. The first player to use one wins the game, the second comes second, and so forth.

The phrases used in this game come from three Carnacki stories; The Thing Invisible, The Gateway of the Monster, and The Horse of the Invisible.

The idea of this game was largely suggested by the series of story-telling games written by Ken and Jo Walton and others, and published by The Magellanica Company; see the rules for details of this company's range of games.

Blue Pack

A H   An extraordinarily pretty girl  A C   The suicides

2 H   A striking case                 2 C   Strangled

3 H   Inhumanly dreary                3 C   Waked suddenly

4 H   Come out, sir, quick!           4 C   Power to destroy

5 H   My revolver                     5 C   Extraordinary jerky movements

6 H   A monster                       6 C   Malign determination

7 H   Dangerous and ugly              7 C   Falling

8 H   The candles                     8 C   Invisible

9 H   A frightened child              9 C   Sickening blows

10 H  A vast, wanton Force            10 C  I watched my every movement

J H   The cat                         J C   Brutality

Q H   I jerked back                   Q C   The world-hedge

K H   Haunting                        K C   Changing the subject



A D   Inexplicable manifestations     A S   The old legend

2 D   After nightfall                 2 S   Wait until morning

3 D   A very queer picture            3 S   His sweetheart's bedroom

4 D   Simply beastly                  4 S   Among the shadows

5 D   The photographs                 5 S   The door was opening

6 D   Something was there             6 S   A haze of sick fright

7 D   Spiritual sickness              7 S   A curious ring

8 D   The first touch of dawn         8 S   A knuckle-duster

9 D   The cold, queer wind            9 S   A lamp

10 D  Chained                         10 S  Shots

J D   Demure and ordinary             J S   Greater danger

Q D   A tremendous blow               Q S   A piece of silly superstition

K D   A new gun                       K S   The pleasant occupation of dining



Joker Electric Pentacle               Joker The Saaamaaa Ritual

Red Pack

A H   The Butler                      A C   Thud! Thud! Thud!

2 H   The bang of a door              2 C   A horrible funk

3 H   Unholy                          3 C   Camera and flashlight

4 H   His wife                        4 C   Extraordinary quietness

5 H   The 'Defense'                   5 C   Beastliness

6 H   Devils                          6 C   Garlic

7 H   Intertwining vacuum tubes       7 C   An overstrung condition

8 H   Sense of weirdness              8 C   Screaming

9 H   A hideous business              9 C   A battle-axe

10 H  The mask                        10 C  The bell

J H   The blood was running           J C   A bogus errand

Q H   French windows                  Q C   Ghost-tales

K H   A very old place                K C   The Grey Room



A D   Shivering with fright           A S   Listening

2 D   The 'creeps'                    2 S   It never comes outside

3 D   The Black Veil case             3 S   Probe, hammer and magnifying glass

4 D   Something inhuman               4 S   The negative

5 D   The Sigsand Ms.                 5 S   Secretive

6 D   Dark and indistinct             6 S   Death

7 D   Ponderous                       7 S   Vengeance

8 D   A drawn sword                   8 S   The Chapel

9 D   Shouting                        9 S   A pentacle

10 D  Sealing-wax                     10 S  The pistol

J D   A cold wind                     J S   About midnight

Q D   A clock                         Q S   Baby ribbon

K D   Hurled in a heap                K S   Sleep was impossible



Joker Carnacki                        Joker Ab-natural