NOTE: This is the text of what I posted on the Forge yesterday. I'll add notes for this audience, who may not be as familiar with the rules of InSpectres. I don't normally do things this way, but this keyboard is really giving me the irrits.

I'm back in my home town for a week to attend a funeral, of a guy who was a true believer when it came to roleplaying. So tonight, a few days after the funeral and the wake, four of us gathered to do a bit of roleplaying in his memory.

We weren't sure what we were playing, but Colin brought along some RQ stuff and I, being without my RPG books, had printed out the InSpectres startup edition.

NOTE: The InSpectres startup edition can be found at http://www.memento-mori.com/inspectres/

We just sat around and talked for ages. Nobody seemed that keen to get into playing the existing games, though we talked about them and our absent friend's part in them. Then Ian had an altercation with his neighbour over a parking space and everybody got stressed, so I suggested we try InSpectres ("It takes about four minutes to make up characters!")

I've played IS before, but not GMed it, so I read out the rules as we made up characters. The guys were all receptive--Colin had previously run Dust Devils with the other two playing. Confessionals were received with slightly apprehensive mirth; I think they can be a bit intimidating.

NOTE: Confessionals are a game conceit where you may turn and address the players (not characters) as if you were in the Big Brother hot seat. You can foreshadow events--essentially you're talking as if the adventure were over and you're looking back.

I read out this bit:

QuoteClient Interview
This will usually consist of some (or all) of the characters asking a prospective client about their particular problem. Such an interview is usually meant to "kick off" the story. In most cases, the client will contact the InSpectres and set up a meeting with them.

...paused a second, and did a phone ringing. The others looked at each other and laughed, and we were off.

To cut a short story short, we had an excellent and humorous time, and the guys really took to the shared narration. There was such a profusion of ideas pouring out that at times I had to call for a summary of what had actually happened. Colin (who usually GMs) did a Confessional, and Zane (who doesn't) might have been playing such games all his life. I laid on more Stress as I realised the importance of it, and the game got only more hilarious.

The actual story involved an amusement park that had been built on the site of an old institution for children convicted of crimes, a death there ten years ago, and an energy-draining electric ghost that came out of the lights. The process of play got us laughing and having a good time while we remembered our friend and the good times we've all had together roleplaying. I, and I think all the others, felt distinctly more cheerful about roleplaying in the future.

Thanks to Jared for a funny game.

NOTE: Zane gave me a lift home afterwards and was musing about the game. "I guess we've usually been like the sort of players who ask the GM what's happening and react to that. That Dust Devils game didn't work so well, but this one flowed really smoothly. I guess we all know the sort of Ghostbusters thing and we can all like make up stuff easily."

I bought InSpectres because of my little brother.  We were running the Troll Lord Games booth at Origins '06 and we kept checking out the IPR booth, and they were checking out our stuff, too.

He bought InSpectres because he Brennan Taylor mentioned it was a cross between Ghostbusters and Reno 911.

My brother read that book that night (Saturday) and I heard him laughing the whole time he read it.

Anything that makes a 15-year-old laugh that hard, for that long, is worth checking out.

Both of us run it quite a bit, and it's one of my all-time faves.

Definitely a winner. And we were up and playing in about ten minutes.

Cool stories, guys. Thanks for sharing!

Ah, Inspectres... I always carry it with me on conventions. It's a good way to spontanously kill one or two hours of idling time.

Quote from: Jared A. SorensenCool stories, guys. Thanks for sharing!

I told you the better version of my story before, when I emailed you to ask for the PDF.  It's seriously one of my favorite games.

Quote from: SkyrockAh, Inspectres... I always carry it with me on conventions. It's a good way to spontanously kill one or two hours of idling time.

Indeed.

Man, reminds me of some of our old Ghostbusters games.  I think its fantastic when RPGs have that power to get us through rough times, reminisce with friends, and just enjoy life.  I think Inspectres is a great game to do just that.