Killer: live role playing game

[festergrump]

I got an e-mail which reminded me of a role playing game college folk used to play when I was a young teen. I used to have a small booklet on this game which gave scenario possibilities and attack methods relating to this game. Digging thru my old box of Dungeons and Dragons and Gamma World junk revealed I no longer have this booklet in my possession.

Anyone have a copy? The cover is B+W with bold red lettering reading "KILLER" across the top, IIRC.

Numerous google searches reveal nothing of the booklet, but of some games still in progress in various parts of the world.

The best scenario described in the booklet is Assassination:

Every player submits information on their home address, their workplace, their make/color/model/license# of their car, a personal description and a clear picture of themselves to a game-master (I like the idea of a $20 fee to play to be taken from each player and the whole pot awarded to the last standing assassin).

The game-master, issues a folder to all players which has all of the above info on one other player. This is your first mark. Upon killing your mark you then take his folder from him and this is your next mark. All play is ended when one last "living" assassin is standing.

"Killing" is described with a dart gun (this is an old booklet, people. Airsoft or other non lethal projectile weapon is the way to go now), some vaseline or other "poison" smeared on a door knob or other item and touched by the mark, bombing (an envelope with a note of your demise via mail-bomb in it would suffice), ect. Rules of killing would, of course, be outined by your game-master. A bulletin board (internet or physical) would be a good idea, also, for confirmed kills and new info on the game play.

If anyone has a copy and would be willing to either e-mail me a copy or send it upstairs, I sure would appreciate it. I'd also be interested in some other members thoughts, ideas, and/or expiriences with this type of live role playing game. I've never had the opportunity to play such a game to date, but it would be a blast to get a local game up and running with no boundaries and 24/7 play(vs. paintball's soldier play and defintite boundaries). I can only see what airsoft might bring to the play of this game. :D

Any comments are most welcome (except those comments about how great it would be to get a RS member game up. You can forget that for too many reasons, though I just know the thought will cross several minds. And also, NO I did not get an airsoft gun from Santa Claus...the cheap bastard :p ).

[megalomania]

There was a movie made maybe 12-15 years ago with this very game as the plot. It started out on campus with the assasin winning. I forget what happens, but I think some nut starts killing for real. I suppose walking around on a campus with any type of gun is a no-no in this post 9/11 era.

[festergrump]

Now that you mention it, Mega, I do vaguely remember a movie about this game. I never did get to see it but I wish I could remember what it was entitled. I didn't hear of any real assassinations going on but IIRC it was banned from most college campus' by threat of expulsion due to the uprising of paintball gun use and the threat to innocent bystanders. I did also hear that several auto accidents were related to high-speed chases and such stupidity on the players parts.

No need for people to get crazy with a game. Stealth and outsmarting your opponent would be the key here, not blatant pursuit and carelessness.

Anyone remember the name of this movie? I would buy the movie AND the booklet to add to my box of nostalgia.

[SweNMFan]

Your thinking of Gotcha! ?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089222/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj 0wfHE9Z290Y2hhfGh0bWw9MXxubT1vbg__;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1

or maybe Tag: The Assassination Game
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084756/

[nbk2000]

I would make it a little more realistic.

Rather than vaseline on a doorknob or something like that, require the use of UV marking powder/cream and that the assassin has to cover X square inches of skin with it, and has "call the shot", having it verified by the gamemaster with a UV lamp.

Letter bomb would have to be a mechanical contraption that'd perform a function upon opening, like playing a recorded message. There's no letter bomb in the world that constitutes a single piece of paper in an envelope, unless it's anthrax loaded, and that's not happening.

Shooting each other would consist of a single harmless projectile shot into the back of the head when the subject is alone. Reason being that, since this is a training exercise, if you shot from the front or side, you could accidently shot an eye out. Plus, assassins approach from behind if they have any sense, to prevent the target from evading/defending.

Alone is because a suicidal assassin is unstoppable anyways, but most try to live another day (and another job), so witnesses aren't compatible with such work.

PLUS...there could be a cop around who sees you do this and, not realizing it's a game, blows you away. Not good.

This could be good for training recruits though, both as defense and to sharpen attack.

Me and a couple of guys in prison used to play what we called "Stick 'em". That is, we'd try to catch each other unawares and 'stick' (stab) each other in the kidneys with a rolled up magazine or such. Anytime and anywhere was permitted...showers/toilets/cell/chow line...as an enemy could attack you anywhere/anytime.

After a while, it became nearly impossible for any of us to 'stick' each other, as we'd already been 'killed' dozens of times before, so our awareness level was very high. Went from killing each other a half-dozen times a day to once a month.

'Course, the problem with this was that we knew who we were playing against. In reality, unless it was a personal beef with a single unconnected indiviual, you could be attacked by anyone in an enemies car (group/race), or even by one of the torpedos (hired hitter) resident in every prison, meaning anyone could attack you, necessitating perpetual vigilance.