Love, Career & Magic
Love, Career & Magic Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What's Included
- 25 Character Cards
- 90 Character Trait Cards (3 different types)
- 150 Direction Cards (1, 2, and 3 points)
- 50 Episode Cards
- 20 reversible Point Tokens (1 point & 5 points)
- 1 R.E.M.O.T.E. Card
- 6 plastic Character Stands
The Most Important Rule
Everything in this game is flexible, including the rules and the Character Card details. Feel free to add your own house rules to change things up as you see fit. This is your party after all. Don't let a book tell you what to do.
Game Setup
Takes less than five minutes!
Step 1
- Place the Direction Cards, Episode Cards, and Point Tokens in the center of the table so that everyone can reach them.
- Place a phone on the table with a timer set to three minutes so that everyone can see it.
- Draw two cards from each of the Direction Decks and place them face-up below their respective decks.
- Draw one card from the Episode Deck and place it face-up for all to see. This will be episode one.
Step 2
- Each player chooses a Character Card to play as.
- It doesn't matter which character you choose, pick whoever appeals to you.
- Place the card into your stand for all to see.
- Each player draws three random Character Trait Cards.
- Draw one from each of the three different Character Trait Decks.
- Keep these cards face-up for all to see.
- This is your Character Arc. It is worth ten points if you can complete it.
- All players introduce themselves.
- Feel free to change any of the character details.
The goal: achieve high ratings
You have three minutes per episode to complete as many Direction Cards as you can as a group. Fulfilled Character Arcs are worth ten points each.
Game Rules
Each round is only three minutes!
Step 1
- Draw an Episode Card and place it face-up for all to see.
- Set a timer on a phone for three minutes.
- Time starts as soon as someone says something.
Step 2
Complete as many Direction Cards as you can before the timer runs out!
- To "complete" a Direction Card, you must narrate what your character is doing.
- Example: "my character eats the soup" / "I shoot my bow."
- Place completed cards next to the current Episode Card.
- Draw a new card as soon as you complete one.
- There is no turn order. You are playing in real-time.
Step 3
- When the timer rings, collect all the completed cards into a single pile and place it to the side.
- Repeat from step one until you've played four episodes. Feel free to discard any Direction Cards at the beginning of each episode.
Direction Cards FAQ
- Director's cards are worth one point, Producer's are worth two points, and the Showrunner's are worth three points.
- Direction Cards from the Producer need two different players to participate. A second player must answer, "What happens?"
- If another player completes the card you were eyeing before you could say something, place a Point Token on the card and say what you were going to anyway.
Callbacks
- Starting from episode two, you can do Callbacks.
- Anytime a player makes a reference to something that happened in a previous episode, place a Point Token on that Episode Card for an extra point!
- There is no limit to the number of Callbacks you can make.
- The tokens are double sided—one point and five points. Flip a token to the five side should you run out.
- Feel free to use the tokens for any other house rules you may add.
Character Arcs
- Each completed Character Arc is worth ten points.
- You may complete your cards in any order you wish.
- You may only complete one Character Trait Card per episode.
- Flip the Character Trait Card over to show that you've done it.
Two Golden Rules
1. Everything must make sense.
It doesn't matter how convoluted your story gets—it must somehow make sense. You shouldn't just be reading the cards out loud.
2. The rule of "Yes, and..."
If something is said, it is true unless it directly contradicts something else that was already said.
Final Scoring
Add up all the points and divide by the total number of players.
| Score | Result |
|---|---|
| 36+ | Six seasons and a movie! |
| 31 - 35 | Binge-worthy. |
| 26 - 30 | Decent mealtime show. |
| 21 - 25 | If nothing else is on. |
| 16 - 20 | Shows to fall asleep to. |
| 11 - 15 | STR8-2-DVD clearance bin. |
| 6 - 10 | Guilty pleasure trash TV. |
| 0-5 | So bad, it's good. Cult classic. |
An Example Round
Player one selects Bizz Hagglefeet to play as and draws the following Character Trait Cards. Episode one is drawn and the timer is set for three minutes.
Episode location: A workshop for procrastinators.
Player one introduces themselves:
"Bizz Hagglefeet here. Master of numbers, memory whiz, unashamedly selfish, and a haggler extraordinaire. They don't make 'em like me anymore."
Everyone else introduces themselves. The timer starts when Player two picks up one of the Direction Cards and asks Player one:
"Hey Bizz, you seem knowledgable about dating. Can I ask you for some advice since the next workshop has been delayed?"
Since it's a Producer's Direction Card, both Players have to speak. Player one (Bizz) answers with:
"Dating is like venture capitalism – you invest in many prospects at the same time hoping one of them turns out to be a unicorn."
With that, the card is placed next to the Episode Card. A new card is drawn from the deck and placed face-up on the table.
Player one and Player two flip their Character Trait Cards face-down to show that they've completed them.
Another player, the unicorn, then completes two cards at once:
"Hearing Bizz talk about unicorns has triggered me to get black-out drunk and commit atrocity."
Notice how there was no Character Trait Card used. This is fine. Also, notice how Player three didn't elaborate on how they "committed atrocity" and just simply said "I was triggered and committed atrocity." This is also fine. (Or not, you decide!)
The two Direction Cards are placed next to the current Episode Card and replenished from the deck.
Another player places a Point Token on the "get drunk" card and says:
"Your drinking and ranting on stage has triggered my cringe-phobia and I start drinking too."
Notice how the player took the "cringey" Character Trait and turned it into "cringe-phobia"—a fake word. Who cares! It was interesting so just roll with it.
Play continues until the timer ends. Player three, the unicorn, asks the group: "Was I any of these Character Traits?"
Another player says: "You were definitely dramatic when drunk."
If everyone at the table agrees with you, flip over the Character Trait Card to show that it has been completed.
Reset the timer and draw a new Episode Card. Take a moment to collect your thoughts before starting the timer. Discussing what just happened in this episode before starting the next one can be a good way to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Repeat this process until you have played four episodes. Discard any Direction Cards that you want to get rid of in between rounds.
After the final episode, add up the total points of the cards. Remember, Director's cards are worth one point, Producer's are worth two points, and the Showrunner's are worth three points.
Then add ten points for each player who completed their Character Arc. Divide by the number of players to calculate your final score. Finally, refer to the chart on page nine to see how you did as a group! Were you canceled or will you be renewed for a second season?
The R.E.M.O.T.E. (Optional)
Reality Editing Module of Tranquil Entertainment
R.E.M.O.T.E. is a consent and safety tool designed to help navigate uncomfortable situations that might arise during gameplay, particularly for people who don't know each other.
It might not be necessary for every game, but it is included to help ensure that everyone at the table is having a good time.
To use the card, gently tap it and clearly announce your chosen button or action. Everyone at the table must abide by and adhere to your request without fuss.
Script Change
R.E.M.O.T.E. is a simplified tool based on another safety tool called "Script Change" designed by Beau Jágr Sheldon. For more in-depth details on Script Change and exactly how it can help, please visit briebeau.com/thoughty/script-change or just look up "script change rpg toolbox" in your favorite search engine.
Advanced Play (Optional)
Here are some ways to change up the game for those who want to spice things up or play something even wackier.
Roleplay Focused
- Instead of rushing to complete as many Direction Cards as possible in three minutes, draw three random cards and create the most detailed story you can in the same amount of time. All characters must appear in the episode.
- All players must do the same Direction Card but with different interpretations in order to complete it.
- Play without the timer, but every single Direction Card must have a irrefutable connection to the current narrative.
Themed Reality TV
- Add a "commentary" round in between episodes where you analyze what happened as a third-party commentator.
- Pick an overarching theme:
- Cooking competition.
- Dating show.
- Survive on an island.
- Compete for money.
- Live in the same house.
- Fashion competition.
Change the Mechanics
- Play competitively to see who can score the highest.
- Take turns instead of playing in real-time.
- Introduce a voting mechanic where judges can vote players off the show. Swap in new players for those who leave.
- Play as a new character in each episode.
- Play more than four episodes or play more than one season.
Miscellaneous
- Create your own homebrew RPG campaign using the lore and character backgrounds from this game.
- Play a different tabletop roleplaying game using the characters from this game.
- Play this game using characters from a different tabletop roleplaying game.
The designer's invitation to share interesting ways to play, and the designer's contact details, have been omitted as non-rules text.
Tips
- You are playing to laugh and have fun with friends, not to win.
- If you notice someone struggling to talk, try to involve them with a Producer's Direction Card.
- Treat the game as if you are sitting around a campfire sharing stories. Use your imagination to connect the various plot lines.
- Don't feel as if you have to talk all the time. It's okay to sit back and listen to the chaos.
- Build on each other's ideas and keep referring back to them.
- The Showrunner's Direction Card is worth the most points, followed by the Producer's, and the Director's is worth the least.