Two of the great successes of the current audiovisual, ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Last of Us’, start from that premise that seems blessed by massive success. Pedro Pascal has to protect an innocent creature and with powers or characteristics that make her stand out above the rest of the world, while countless enemies pursue them relentlessly.
Writer and role-playing game designer Oliver Darkshire knows we’re all familiar with that trope of the putative father, a bit of a mess due to his inexperience but willing to give his life to protect his offspring, particularly when played by Pedro Pascal. And he’s crafted an RPG with one-page instructions that closely follow the actor’s experience in two of his most famous roles.
This one-page role-playing game is the latest proposal by the author, who usually elaborates games of this type, often mixing LGBT elements and genres such as fantasy and science fiction. Other of Darkshire’s revealing titles, all hilarious, they are ‘Gay with a Pirate King’, ‘Trapped with a Cabin with Lord Byron’‘Be Gay, Solve Crime’, ‘D-List Superhero’ or ‘Space Junk Cyberpunk’.
Today’s one page rpg is an ancient literary classic retold across the centuries, best known as “Pedro Pascal On The Run With A Magical Child”
(please do not abandon your allocated magical child at the gas station as it voids their warranty) pic.twitter.com/44QW4ROxZT— Oliver Darkshire ? (@deathbybadger) February 10, 2023
how to play
It is easy to undertake this adventure in the shoes of Pedro Pascal. To do this you just have to roll a conventional six-sided die and look at the ‘Events on the trip’ table. Three things can happen: if you roll from 1 to 3, the road is open. If you roll 4 or 5, you go through a city. In both cases, you have to roll again, and according to the tables, you will score in three aspects: ‘Ooops’, ‘Pursuit’ or ‘Shelter’. If you roll a six on the first roll, you gain a ‘Shelter’ point, but argue with the creature, which flees. The time you spend searching is half the result of a new dice roll, which you add to ‘Oops’ or ‘Chasing’, your choice. When the whole process is done, start over.
The game can end in three ways: when the score for ‘Oops’, ‘Chase’ or ‘Shelter’ reaches ten. In the first case, you lose. In the second, you get a chance to roll a dice to stretch your escape a bit more. In the third, you win. And you can say, at any time “I’m fed up” and roll a dice: with a 6, you add six points to your ‘Shelter’ count. On any other result, you automatically lose. No one said the apocalypse was easy.
A concise, simple and direct idea, which affectionately parodies one of the most fashionable narrative conventions in recent years. With the success of ‘The Last of Us’ and the arrival of the imminent third season of ‘The Mandalorian’ we have guaranteed Pedro Pascal as a babysitter for a while. With this role-playing game you can rehearse for the apocalypse nursery.
