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From the creators of TV Tropes: The Website!, TV Tropes: The Webcomic!, TV Tropes: The Flamethrower! and TV Tropes: The Drinking Game!, comes a whole new opiate of the masses!

Make friends, spam enemies, be the first to reach The Forbidden Zone!

TV Tropes: The Tabletop Game is a very simple tabletop RPG: every player character is a troper, while the GM is called the Administrator (or just Admin). While every PC is a Troper, there are numerous classes of Tropers. These are just a few:

Every Troper has a standard Wiki Power, "Edit" (which, in fights between Tropers, could lead to Edit Wars) but each class has its own specialized Wiki Powers. For example, the Grammar Nazi comes with the "Strunk & White Surprise," the Lurker has his "Shield of Anonymity," and the Troll has his "Personal Attack!"

An example of playing the game:

Admin: Alright, you're all in the Desert of the Data Vampires. Alice, you're up first
Alice: [rolls] Thirty-two percent.
Admin: You only encounter some small fancruft.
Bob: [rolls] Forty percent.
Admin: You, hmmm, trip over some wicks.
Report: [rolls] Ah crap. Ninety-eight percent.
Admin: Suddenly, you encounter a huge Cliché Storm! Yeah, the Random Number God is not kind to you.

Da Rules!

There are two ways to win TV Tropes: The Tabletop Game, one is to be the first player to get ten Made of Win points, the other is to be the first to "write" their way across the web of tropes into the Forbidden Zone, the black trope at the center of the game. Gameplay is both competitive and cooperative, and turn based. Each player is a "Troper" with a specific troper template.

Tropers take turns, each is divided into two phases, Move and Play. During the Move phase, Tropers can move up to their Move value, each page has a different Surf value depending on description (each paragraph counts as 1) and number of examples (examples divided by 3).

During the Play phase, tropers can do one of these three basic actions: Attack, Build, and Edit. Attacking Tropers use Attack cards or template special abilities to hinder an opponent in the same hex as them. Building allows a troper to create a new hex/Trope Page. Editing can be done to pages to increase or decrease description and examples (to alter the Surf value) or to create a connection to an adjoining hex (wiki linking). Editing can also alter the base trope/hex to make certain actions easy, difficult or impossible, as well as to trap other players.

Turns!

Before the game starts, all players put their Trope cards in a big pile, mix them, and arrange them in a circle around the Forbidden Zone, flipped over so no one can see what they are. Afterwards, players place any Item or Equipment cards they have under these tropes.

At the beginning of their turn, the Troper draws a card from their Magical Library. This pile contains Attack, Defend, and Edit cards. They then use their Move to go from one hex to another. If a hex has more Surf than a Troper's move, they must wait as many turns as necessary to "accumulate" enough Move to cross (for example, a Trope with Surf 14 and a Troper with Move 6 would need three turns to leave the trope, and have 4 move left over in Trope they move into.

After that, they must choose whether to Attack, Build, or Edit.

Attacking and Defending

An attacking Troper uses their base attack value plus the value of their Attack Card against their targets Defend score. Tropers can only attack using cards unless their template has a Special ability allowing it. Defending players can use Defense cards if they have any. An attack connects if it has more points than the targets Defense. The effects of an attack are the fun part. A successful attack allows the attacker to do one of the following: Steal a Made of Win, return the target to the starting Hex, or force them to skip either their Move or Play action next turn. Cards allow for other options, only one can be chosen unless the card says otherwise.

If the attack fails, the Defender can counterattack with an Attack Card or ability. And yes, this can escalate into a chain of counterattacks. If there is a third Troper present in the Hex, they can engage in a Mêlée à Trois and use an Attack card against either defender or attacker— or both!— if they have the ability/card.

Building!

Tropers can build pages adjacent to an existing one. To build a page, tropers must have an Edit score equal to or higher than the location and activate it. Once "written", the Troper can immediately move to the page, regardless of Surf value. If the tropers Edit value is higher than the trope's cost, the excess point are added to the Surf value.

Special! Two tropers in a same location can choose to collaborate and build a trope page together, adding their Edit values to give the new trope page a higher Surf value or special effect. Both move immediately to it once created. However, the troper with the highest Edit value is the one who keeps the Items under the location.

Editing!

Editing can be used to change the qualities of a trope page; either by adding text, examples, or Special Effects. Adding text increases the Surf value, as do examples. Or, the troper can attach an Edit card to the location. Again, two or more adjacent Tropers can add their Edit value to create very powerful Special Effects or truly long tropes with such high Surf values it takes two or more turns to leave the trope.

Example Trope: Kneel Before Zod
Surf value: 7 (1 paragraph + 18 examples/3 = 7)
Special: All successful attacks here cause the defending player to Kneel Before Troper, and hand over a card randomly to the attacker.

Made Of Wins

A troper can get a Made Of Win doing any of these actions: By successfully attacking they can force the defender to give them a MOW point, or by Building a page (collaborative constructions give each participant a MOW).

Special! The Dark Hex at the center of the board can only be activated when all adjoining Tropes are flipped over. Whosoever flip it win the game. And yes, two or more Tropers flipping it off together can win together.

Tropers

Each template has the following attributes: Attack, Move, Defend, and Edit. Each is added to the appropriate action in conjunction with any cards.

Example Template:
Unknown Troper
Move: 10
Attack: 1
Defend: 6
Edit: 3
Special: Unknown Troper may not be the target of any Ban cards, spend a Move action to go to any hex (adjacent or not) that's two or less hex's away.

The Grammar Nazi
Move: 6
Attack: 3
Defend: 5
Edit: 5
Special: The Grammar Nazi has perfect spelling, so when other tropers attempt to Edit any location he is at or adjacent to, they lose 2 to their Edit score.

The Troll
Move: 4
Attack: 5
Defend: 6
Edit: 4
Special: The Troll may make a Personal Attack against any troper who comes into, or passes through, the same hex as himself. A Personal Attack must be declared immediately after the troper enters the hex, or else the opportunity is lost. Resolve the Personal Attack as a normal attack. The Troll may only make one Personal Attack per round.

The Shepherd
Move: 6
Attack: 4
Defend: 4
Edit: 6
Special: If another troper is attacked, The Shepherd may offer the troper a defense card from his hand. If the other troper accepts, then the card is put in play exactly as if that troper played it from his hand, and The Shepherd gains a marker against that troper. The Shepherd may cash the marker in at any time; if he does, then the troper who The Shepherd gained the marker from must show The Shepherd his hand, and The Shepherd may take one card from the troper's hand and either add it to his own, or put it directly in play (if it would be playable at that moment). The Shepherd may also cash in 3 markers to get a free Made of Win point; if he takes this option, none of the players whom the markers are against need to show their hands or give up any cards.

The Lurker
Move: 8
Attack: 3
Defend: 7
Edit: 1
Special: The Lurker holds the Shield of Anonymity, and thus has a 50% chance to evade any initial attack, rendering it completely ineffective. This does not apply to counter-attacks.

The Entry Pimp
Move: 6
Attack: 4
Defend: 3
Edit: 7
Special: The Entry Pimp can link any hex to his home trope (the one he started on), regardless of whether they're adjacent or not. He may also attach up to 2 Edit cards to a trope with a single Edit action.

Equipment and Items!

BFS Attack 3
If the attack succeeds, the defender must discard a card at random.
—Ooh, sharp!

TimeyWimeyBall Edit 3
You may ignore or allow a do-over on one action performed by a player this turn. SPECIAL: This ability can be played any time a Time Travel Trope is used if you have more Edit points than the person who used it.

Power Crystal
Pick one of the following: Attack 2, Edit 2, or Move 4.
—Who needs guns when you have crystals?

Soul Jar
The next time you get attacked, you can either steal two MOWs, or if you lose yours can not be stolen. Discard after use.

Attack Cards!

No One Could Survive That!! Attack 5
If the Defender survives the attack, you lose an Attack Card.

Mooks Attack 1
If this attack does not succeed, you may try again with a different card. The defender only gets a counterattack if this second attack fails.
— If at first you don't succeeds, send in more canon fodder!

Macross Missile Massacre Attack 2
Player may give up any number of move points when playing this card. The card gains +1 Attack for each point.

Hope Spot Attack 2
If the Defender survives the attack, you may add your Edit Points to this card's Attack power before the defender gets a counterattack.
— Oh, you thought you were going to win?

Improvised Weapon
Attack (Surf value of trope you are on / 2, rounded down)

Defend Cards!

Beehive Barrier Defend 4
If the attack fails, this card turns into an Item Card and gives you a permanent +2 to Defend while equipped.
— Hey, you smudged my hexagons!

Made of Iron Defend 2
If you lose, draw a card.
— That the best ya got?

Punch! Punch! Punch! Uh Oh... Defend 3
If the attack fails, you may steal a Made of Win from the attacker.
— Stop, that tickles.

Determinator Defend 2
You receive a counter-attack regardless of the success or failure of the attack.
— You think a sucking chest wound is enough to stop me?

Edit Cards!

Split Edit 3
Pick one: Each turn, one Troper is moved to a random adjoining flipped over location. OR, this locations Surf value is doubled.

Lump Edit 3
This and an adjoining location are now Lumped. Their Surf values are added, but all adjoining hexes are equally accessible.

Natter Edit 4
The next Troper to enter this location must skip his next turn cleaning it up. Once this is done, discard Natter.

Justifying Edit Edit 1
Other tropers attempting to move across this location add a third again its move value, rounded down.


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