The Other Other All Batman Game is based on the camp 1960’s television show Batman. In that show the actors portrayed the show’s characters and plots very seriously, even though the characters and plots were far-fetched and ridiculous. If you have never seen the show it is strongly advised that you watch a few episodes to understand the proper tone of the game.
The character of Batgirl was added in the second season of the show. This game is set shortly after Batgirl's first appearance--it is not yet known whether she is a hero or a villain.
This game does have additional secrets and plot twists that are not central to the show (anything not found below, under “critical secrets”). You may choose to disguise yourself as someone you normally aren’t, or might have a bit of history that most people don’t yet know about. These are secrets to be dramatically discovered or revealed! [Please note Sandy Antune’s larp Rule of Secrets here: never die or end a game with any unrevealed secrets.]
(Characters likely to be present in the game are in bold below.)
Millionaire Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed by a common thief when he was young. He has dedicated his life to fighting crime as Batman, the Caped Crusader. Dick Grayson’s parents were also killed by criminals. While investigating the crime, Batman was impressed by Dick’s innate skills, and so took him into his household. Dick now fights crime at Batman’s side as Robin the Boy Wonder. The only person to know their secret is their faithful servant, Alfred Pennyworth. Their base of operations is the Batcave, secretly located underneath Stately Wayne Manor, on the outskirts of Gotham City. Bruce Wayne’s elderly Aunt Harriet Cooper also lives at Stately Wayne Manor, but does not know of his secret identity.
Batman has numerous arch enemies. His greatest foes are The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, and The Catwoman. Each of these warped criminal masterminds has their own “theme”, which guides and colors their criminal careers. They usually hire gangs of low-life thugs to assist them in their larcenous endeavors.
Disguises are 100% effective. When wearing a disguise, no one can tell who you really are. During the course of the game you will have access to one or more “clever disguise” cards (nametags). You may only disguise yourself as the persona listed on the cards you have ready access to. Some disguises (such as Batman) can be used by anyone, others can only be used by specific individuals.
Secret lairs can range from hidden caves to discrete back rooms in public buildings. You start out only knowing those locations listed on your character sheet. You may reveal the location of a secret lair you know about to anyone at any time, allowing them to visit it at their discretion. If they are willing, you may transport people to or from a secret lair you know about without their learning where it is. If you defeat a foe in combat, you can take your captured opponent(s) to a secret lair for imprisonment, ransom, a bit of lunch, or whatever (see Combat, below). People who merely escape from secret lairs are not able to find them again on their own.
First off, there is no physical combat in this game. This is a non-contact sport!
Secondly, if you can resolve a stand-off situation through discussion and role playing, do so! Alas, if a tense situation cannot be resolved diplomatically, fisticuffs may well be called for. If you are being attacked, you will be in the fight, and anyone present when a fight breaks out may also choose to be in the fight as well. Once a fight has started, latecomers may not join in.
All combat, fights, challenges, or similar adversarial situations will be resolved through the use of the MENKS combat system. The full MENKS rules will be found elsewhere, but here is a quick recap:
| At the start of every fight, make sure you have all the cards you are entitled to |
| Every card has a name, such as “Biff”, “Pow”, or “Oof” |
| Some cards have special rules on them; if played, do what the rules say |
| Whoever initiated the fight starts by playing one of their basic cards (one with no special rules on it) |
| Their opponent must play a card, one that says that it can be played on the card just played |
| If you cannot play or choose not to play a card, you lose the combat |
| At the end of the fight, discard any unused cards and draw a fresh set (for the next fight you might be in) |
In this game, one group of characters can attack another group. We recommend that each side pick a team leader, everyone on that side gives them all their MENKS cards, and the two leads play out the fight. Any special combat abilities should be worked in as appropriate. All members of a team will win or lose with their group.
An alternative to playing out the full card game-particularly when there
are a lot of people involved-both sides can compare the total number of cards
they have. If one side has twice as many cards or more than the other, assume
that they will win and proceed accordingly. Another alternative is the
"dramatic resolution" system; if both sides agree that, for reasons of
dramatic tensions or resolution, one or the other side should win (or lose),
then assume they do so.
The winner(s) of a combat may choose one of the following options at the end of a fight:
| You may choose to leave the scene of the fight unhindered. |
| If you were trying to seize a prize piece of loot, you may take possession of it. |
| You may choose to take your opponents captive. |
If you have taken one or more captives, you may choose a different fate for each from the following list:
| If you have (any) reason to believe a captive is wearing a disguise, you may unmask them. (If they were not wearing a disguise, you may choose another action.) If they were wearing a disguise, this is all you can do with your captive-the shock and surprise of learning who was behind the mask gives them the chance they need to escape, or perhaps disappointment upon learning you caught the wrong Batman makes you walk away in disgust. Whatever, once unmasked, they are no longer captured, and they must be allowed to flee if they chose to do so. |
| If the victor is a villain, they may place their victim(s) in a deathrap (see Deathtaps, below). |
| You may take your captive(s) to a secret lair-or to Police headquarters, and jail. The player must cooperate, but is free to escape any time after five minutes of captivity. Villains captured during the last 10 or so minutes of play will not be able to escape. |
| You can always just leave your victim buried beneath a conveniently positioned pile of empty cardboard boxes and make good your escape. |
Lastly, to avoid having wave after wave of fights, we have some staging guidelines.:
| A group of people in a given location at a certain time are in a "scene" |
| The losers of a fight may not start or join in to any new fights during that scene |
| The victors of a fight may not start another fight with the people they defeated during that scene. |
| New arrivals to a scene cannot join in to an existing fight |
| If the fight is taking place over a prize piece of loot, no one can take possession of it until that fight is resolved. |
Please use fairness and common sense when following these guidelines.
Every villain can whip together a deathrap or two during the game. Deathtraps
can be located anywhere within Gotham City, but may only be located within a
secret lair within the last 15 minutes of the game. Precisely how a deathtrap
works is irrelevant, though a villain’s player should explain in colorful
detail just how it works as they stuff you into it. When placed in a deathtrap,
the victim has five minutes or so to either escape or be rescued. In addition,
anyone outside of a deathtrap can easily rescue everyone caught within a
deathtrap—only at the last minute, of course. If you can’t escape or
aren’t rescued, well…
[Historical Note: The real purpose of a deathtrap is, ultimately, to identify Batman. If you put someone dressed as Batman in the deathtrap and they escape, it probably was Batman—otherwise it was just an imposter. If you (publicly) put a helpless innocent into a deathtrap, Batman should appear to save them. As any hero or right-minded citizen should attempt to rescue anyone they find caught in a deathtrap, we’re not likely to have casualties during the game. However, if anyone should happen to get killed in a deathtrap, we’ll probably just turn them into Two-Face or some other thematically suitable villain.]
Several characters have special ability cards that allow them to change or break the rules. See a GM if there are any questions on how a special ability may be used.
