You can purchase Kids on Bikes here.
You can purchase the Plot Unfolding Machine here.
Read our previous session setting up our game here.
Before jumping into our story, I want to talk about the tool I will use to make Kids on Bikes solo. I have chosen to go with Jeansen Vars’s Plot Unfolding Machine. I genuinely love the structures and tools Mythic GM Emulator and Mythic Magazine provide. However, they are more about creating frameworks but don’t prompt the story beyond a general direction. The Plot Unfolding Machine delivers a bit more guidance, and for the purposes of this game, I thought that would be a fun change of pace.
The Plot Unfolding Machine relies on scenes as the core unit of play. Each scene is subject to a Modified Proposal or Random Proposal. Modified Proposals come from going to a known place or into a known situation. You roll a modification that provides a change to your expectations. That might be “add some trouble or bad news,” “Make the location more favorable,” or “add some reward or good news.” How these are applied to your game is open to interpretation, but it gives the player a clear direction of how things should go for the protagonist before you engage with the roleplaying game system of choice you are using.
Random Proposals happen when you enter a scene or setting where you aren’t sure what should happen or how it will be tied into the plot. This part of the game ties into lists the player will make at the start and continue to develop. You might roll “Meet or recall a notable character,” leading you to reference a list of important people you have determined will play a role in the story or have met already. The same goes for findings, questions, encounters, or other game elements.
Random Proposals might also lead the player to trigger one of four categories – Complication, Catalyst, Challenge, or Situation. A roll on Complication might lead to “Accident or disaster occurs.” Catalyst could give you “Feel impact of a remote event.” A Challenge roll might be “Something fails, or breaks.” Finally, Situation can come up with “Sudden change in the place.” Each of these is a d10 list, but the prompts are open enough to interact with other things in your story, and they are fantastic all-purpose plot propulsion.
Several plot structure sheets provided with the Plot Unfolding Machine provide different experiences. Each sheet has a plot node track, with the Standard comprising 3 boxes for Exposition, 8 for Confrontation, and 4 for Resolution. The “rules” are that players can freeform roleplay all they want, but plot nodes are not filled in unless they choose a Modified or Random Proposal. This means that not every scene has to progress the story in a big way if you prefer. The hope is that these tracks keep your game moving and not turn into mindless meandering with no story emerging.
A double-sided oracle sheet includes the standard Yes/No functions but has three methods: Deterministic, Subjective, and Interaction. Each provides more complexity to getting those answers. There are oracles for every plot aspect you could think of that give an even deeper definition of what should be present in a scene or the conflict at the center of that moment.
For my game, I will use the Focused sheet, which doesn’t use random scenes but relies on the plot information and hooks you start with. The Plot Node track here consists of three Exposition, eight Rising, four Climax, five Falling, and three Resolution boxes, the five-act structure.
Waldo T. Holman drives home past midnight on a brisk mid-May evening. He’s just finished with cleaning up after prom in the Westgrove High School gymnasium. He’s whistling a song (“She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain”) as his dog Bopper, a beagle, sticks his head out the passenger side window, enjoying the air. The streets are empty and quiet. The Missing poster flutters in the breeze. It shows a photocopied picture of Amy Lane (12), who went missing a week ago. She’s one of several children from what we see on this electric pole.
Waldo rounds a corner, taking a shortcut through the main square to get to his ranch-style house on the other side of town. He slams the brakes suddenly, sending poor Bopper onto the floorboard. The dog pokes his head up with a curious whimper. Waldo’s eyes are large, and we see a figure slowly moving reflected in the windshield. Cut around to behind Waldo & Bopper. We see a tall bronze statue stomping down the sidewalk with an unconscious boy slung over his shoulder.
Waldo drops his trademark catchphrase, albeit in a frightened tone, “Ain’t that sumthin’?” After a beat, he seems to collect himself. The statue rounds the corner. Waldo slams the gas pedal and hurtles around in pursuit…only to find no statue. Creepy & lively music begins to play. The logo, like ectoplasm, slams against the screen with a “plop.” The title emerges as it slides down the screen – “Waldo Gets Spooked.”
Scene 1 – Exposition 1 of 3 – Westgrove PD
Random proposal – Locate or trace a useful finding – Challenge a perspective
The following day, Waldo rushes over to the Westgrove PD, where his old buddy from high school, Deputy Reid Wheeler, is just about to head out on patrol.
Scene opener: Describe the current location, what the PC sees
Westgrove PD is across the street from Paolo’s Ice Creamery, just a few blocks from the town square. Stores are opening up. A group of old men gather for coffee at the diner. Rosco & his brother Russell open up the Rose Brothers Barbershop. Waldo pulls his car in with a screech on the brakes, forcing Deputy Wheeler to do the same.
“Dammit, Waldo. I almost hit ya,” he says as he exits the patrol car.
Waldo is a little manic. “Reid! Reid! I couldn’t sleep all night! I think I saw who was kidnapping the kids!”
Wheeler perks up a little at this. “Tell me what you saw. Don’t spare a detail.”
Waldo relates his encounter with the statue to Reid. He embellishes a tad. *in an exaggerated, brave, deep voice* “And I, Waldo T. Henson, pursued that statue like a cobra in striking position. He just happened to evade me with his wiley tactics.”
Wheeler looks incredulous after hearing the story: “Well, Waldo, we’ll put out an APB on the statue of Enoch Varney ASAP. I want you to keep an eye open in case he pops up on your radar again.” As he says all of this, he gently guides Waldo to the sidewalk, where the statue is within view. “Oh, wait, the culprit is right there.”
Waldo stammers. “But he had a little boy over his shoulder. I swear it was true.”
Wheeler: “Waldo, maybe you were up way past your bedtime, and your imagination got the better of you. It’s a trick of the light or something.”
Wheeler returns to his car, continuing to humor Waldo but showing signs of annoyance. The radio crackles. Wheeler answers. Call just came in from the Sargent home. Their son, Cooper, wasn’t in his bed this morning. They have no idea where he could be. Wheeler gives Waldo a puzzled look but then excuses himself to check on this.
Waldo shouts after him. “I’m going to camp in the square tonight with my camera, Reid. I’ll get it all on film!” Waldo checks his watch. “I’m late for work!” He and Bopper rush for the old truck and barrel toward the high school.
Scene 2 – Exposition 2 of 3 – Westgrove High School
Random proposal – deal with a plot-relevant encounter – Consider the idea of something hiding or secret
Who: A very famous figure or leader – Rita Hyde, chairwoman of Concerned Moms for Decency
Mood of curiosity, interest
Principal Buck Meyers is dealing with Rita Hyde, who is in his office complaining for the nth time this school year. This time, it is about reports she heard of “bump n’ grind” music being played at the prom the night before. Principal Meyers is forcing a smile and telling Rita he will look into it but that the event was thoroughly chaperoned. He glances out his office window and sees Waldo just pulling in. Meyers checks the clock on the wall: “8:00”. Waldo is late.
Meyers stands up and guides Rita to his office door, continually assuring her he’s just as concerned as she is. “This is our children’s souls, after all, Principal Meyers. Nothing is of a higher value.”
Waldo enters the front office and greets the kindly secretary, Mrs. Larson.
“Good morning, Waldo. Good morning, Bopper.” The dog responds with a happy bark. Waldo notices Principal Meyers and attempts to greet Mrs. Larson while zipping out to clean up in the cafeteria for breakfast service.
How hard is it? As expected
(Flight check – DR 11 vs. 19 – Success)
“Um, Waldo…” Meyers gets out just as the custodian and Bopper slip back into the hall. The principal mutters powerlessly, “Your dog isn’t allowed in the building.”
Rita excuses herself and checks her hair in the mirror. Waldo is in the supply closet, filling a bucket for mopping. He drops the mop into the bucket. Bopper barks and paces from the bucket to a jug of cleaning solution.
“Oh, thanks, Bopper. I completely forgot.” Waldo pulls the mop out and slings it over his shoulder. We hear a wet plop. Waldo’s eyebrow arches, and he swings around to find Rita’s face dripping with mop water. Waldo laughs nervously.
“Let me just…” He reaches into the closet, grabs some dirty rags, and starts dabbing them on Rita’s stony, rage-filled face.
(Charm – 13 vs. nat 1. Profound failure)
“You…” Rita is apoplectic with rage, her face fiery red. Waldo notices the Celtic cross on her necklace; it catches in the light, sparkling in an unusual way. She stomps back into the front office, and Waldo can hear her ranting.
Hardcut to Waldo and Bopper walking back out to his truck, his head hung low. Waldo carries a box with a few cleaning supplies in it. Bopper carries a tiny dog-sized feather duster by the handle in his mouth.
“Well, I didn’t like that job anyway, Bopper,” Waldo consoles himself aloud. “Guess we got the day off, huh?”
Scene 3 – Exposition 3 of 3 – The Sargent Home
Random proposal – Locate or trace a useful finding – Cooper Sargent’s Kidnapping.
Explain what’s currently happening, activities around
Notice: See a shadow/ghost/vision
Discovery: Get ahead of their plans
Danger: Lose or break an object
On his drive home, Waldo passes the Sargent home where Deputy Reid Wheeler has gone in response to young Cooper going missing.
As he passes, Waldo sees a figure walking through the woods behind the Sargent home. He slams on his brakes and goes into reverse. It’s someone in a long black cape and hood walking away. Waldo can see Wheeler sitting in the living room through the front window. He’s got his notepad out as the Sargents detail the events of the night before and that morning. Waldo decides to see if he can sneak up on the figure and get an idea of who it is.
(Grit check DR9 vs. 5+1 = 6 + 3 Adversity tokens = 9 – Success)
Waldo manages to creep close enough to glimpse the figure in the hood.
They appear to be…Very neutral, strive for harmony, or avoid any conflict
Plot Contribution: Doesn’t contribute a lot; tries to be of help, though
“Ah ha!” Waldo says as he grabs the hood from behind and pulls it off. It’s Old Lady Gilliam, the woman everyone in town thinks is a witch who lives in the woods.
“Waldo!” Gilliam shrieks in her high-pitched witchy voice. Then again, as a whisper, “Waldo! What are you doing here?”
Waldo recognizes his old friend. “I thought you might be the one who took Cooper Sargent.” A beat. “Were you?”
“Of course not,” she replies. “But I believe I might be able to find who did it.” She produces a pair of goggles. “I spent the last few weeks perfecting the lenses. They pick up traces of magic, and we can follow the trail to wherever Cooper was taken.”
“Ain’t that sumthin’!” exclaims Waldo. He snatches the goggles away to get a better look.
“Oh, be careful, Waldo,” Gilliam implores. Bopper lets out a concerned bark as if agreeing with the old witch.
“No need to worry,” Waldo says in his pompous, assured voice. “Waldo T. Henson is a gadget expert. I have stayed up to date with the most advanced pre-consumer tech. You might say I am an expert-level hacker among my peers. Oh yes, Waldo knows his stuff, they will remark. I remember just the other day at the Ice Creamery…” Waldo gestures wildly, and the goggles go flying, striking a tree, and lenses shatter. He laughs nervously.
“Waldo!” Gilliam is frustrated. She sighs.
Waldo starts picking the shattered lens pieces up off the ground. “Just get me some gorilla glue…and uh, duct…and we should have these tip-top in no time. Eh hehehe.”
Gilliam collects the pieces in a pouch on her belt. “I will figure it out.” She begins to head back into the woods.
Waldo remembers. “Oh, Old Lady Gilliam, I saw the statue of Enoch Varney walking around last night. He was carrying something. I think it might have been Cooper. Bopper and me are gonna camp out in the town square tonight, see if we can catch him.”
She perks up at hearing this.”That sounds interesting. I may have to join you for that.” She continues off. Waldo heads back to his truck with Bopper, and they drive home.
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