Goncharov: The RPG

"The trouble is you think you have time."

"You will have to tell them I am sorry, for I have no sorrow left."

"I am Goncharov."

This is a GM-less rpg for 3-7 players written to emulate the 1973
mafia film Goncharov (which may or may not exist.)

To play you need some pen and paper, coins to flip, and some kind
of tokens.

Introduction

Naples. Winter of 1972. A stranger has arrived, shrouded in rumors

and cigarette smoke. A Russian. An assassin. An enigma. He carries
a broken pocket watch and a reliable Soviet-make hand pistol. A
lost love, not his wife, weighs heavy in his memory like concrete
tied to a sinking corpse. His name is Goncharov and he brings with
him upheaval like the city has never seen.
 Principles of the game

- High opacity. You may discuss what your character is really

feeling, but you cannot in a scene let them voice what they really
want, until it is too late.

- Violence is a fact of the setting. It is everpresent and

incidental. We don't need to linger on it but it touches
everything.

- Strike at the heart. Pay attention to the choices made by the

other players so that you can hit the other characters where it is
the most impactful.

- Characters are competent but under a lot of stress. When they

fail it is because the deck is stacked against them, but they do
frequently fail and fall far when they do.

- Play slow. The characters' time is running out, but the

narrative's is not. The story is not in a hurry to claim what it
is owed.

- Play cinematic. Give descriptions at least as much room as

dialogue. Let the camera cut and zoom. Take in the background
music. Use recurring imagery.

- Consensus. If the text doesn't expressly call for someone

(usually The Director of the scene) to make a choice, a choice is
made by table consensus. If none can be reached, the person most
affected by the decision or last person to be The Director has
final say.

Before you start

Make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to the
content of the game. Set down clear hard lines, especially with
regards to sex and violence: two themes which are bound to come
up. Other themes of Goncharov you can decide to emphasize or omit
are nationalism, power, identity, coercion and betrayal.
Character creation

Only one player can choose to play Goncharov. If no one chooses to

play Goncharov, he is still part of the story and will be relevant
as a figure in the story, but the game plays around him.

Each player decides the following for their character

● What's your reputation in the city?

● Who or what are you ultimately loyal to?
● Why do you feel like you are running out of time?
● What do you hope to gain?
● What is a line you will not cross?
● What comes to your mind when you hear the word "violence" and
how do you usually choose to talk about violence and killing?

Give yourself a name, a gender if applicable, and a nationality.

For the people sitting to your left and right, let them each
choose one question to ask you from this list. Answer them
secretly.

● What can't you tell me even though it would keep me safe?

● Why are you acting so cold toward me?
● Do you think I would hurt you?
● Would you kill me given the chance?
● Why do you pity me?
● What do you imagine Naples would be like without me?
● How do I, or my influence, control you?
● Whose death do you blame me for?
 Clocks

Finally, make a clock for each character. A clock is a circle

split into eight1 segments tied to a future event in the story
(often tragic). Each time the game prompts you, you fill in one of
the segments. When the clock is full, time has run out and the
next scene either includes the event the clock was ticking toward,
or deals with the fallout of it. If several clocks are filled
simultaneously, choose which order you want to address them or
include all of them as best fits the story.

If no one is playing Goncharov, make a clock for him to be filled

in as for any other character. Goncharov's clock doesn't have to
be tied to a specific event. You can discover the dark end he is
hurtling toward over the course of the game and fill it out then,
or even make a decision once it has run out.

Example clocks

● I finally snap and lash out against my circumstances

● I no longer tolerate [character] and try to kill them
● I betray the one I love
● The tension between me and [character] boils over
● The situation I've tried to control becomes ungovernable
● My past catches up with me
● I put aside my compassion for good
● My plan comes to fruition
● My darkest secret is revealed
● Certain death

Character Death

Characters die in Goncharov. If your character dies, you can still

continue playing them through flashbacks and discovered messages.
Your clocks can still tick on, though the consequence might
primarily affect the survivors. If your clock doesn't make sense
posthumously, change it upon your death.

1
For a longer game use 12-segment character clocks.
 Playing the game

Take turns choosing scenes from the list below and playing them.
They can be played in any order. The player who chose the scene is
referred to as "the Director" in the text of the game. The
Director can always choose their own character for a scene, and a
player can always decline to be part of a scene. Scenes don't need
to be played out in chronological order, and any scene can be a
flashback a character is having.

Feel free to add prompts to the scenes, or change things to better

suit your story. If you have a scene in mind that doesn't fit the
list, the Director can always simply decide where the next scene
should be set and who is in it and let the players take it from
there. If so, fill up one segment of any of the character's clocks
after the scene.

Some scenes will ask you to set up clocks with four or six
segments. These don't remain after the end of the scene.

The game ends when everyone has Directed at least two scenes, when
the character clocks have been completely filled, when Goncharov
dies, or at any time that suits the story the table is telling.

If you are unsure about where to start, choose the Train Station
scene.

Non-player characters

The Director can nominate anyone to play an NPC to fill out a

scene, including themselves. If you need to generate an NPC on the
fly, use the following steps

1. Decide if the character is lower or higher status than the

player characters in the scene. Flip a coin if you are unsure
(heads: higher, tails: lower.)

2. Pick a defining drive for the NPC: machismo, sex, a temper,

nationalist pride, ambition, loyalty, fear, or something
else.
 Scenes

1.A Conversation (drinks, negotiations)

2.Alone (introspection on unbecoming)
3.Chase (a desperate getaway, arresting a
fugitive)
4.Cigarettes (brief intimacy, heart-to-heart,
private)
5.Cold-Blooded Violence (the killer in his
element)
6.Crossing a Bridge (progression, change, point
of no return)
7.Illicit Affairs (crime, conspiracy, infidelity)
8.In a Boat (decision point, making a
terrible choice, survival)
9.Showing Off (dance, a party, deliberate
performance)
10. Sudden and Terrible Violence (things go
wrong, desperate measures)
11. The Train Station (arrival or departure in
Naples)
12. Tragedy Comes for a Character (dying)
1 A Conversation (drinks, negotiations)
The Director chooses two or more characters to be present in a
conversation. Set the scene where is this taking place? Who is
listening in? Have the characters been drinking?

● Who has the most power out of the characters? That character
gets a token.
● What character is most unknown to the other characters? That
character gets a token.
● What character feels most at ease in the environment? That
character gets a token.

Finally, each player in the scene chooses a character to receive a

token. They should choose a character who will be likely to get
under their own character's skin.

Each character decides something they want to get out of the

scene. They will maneuver around each other until they get what
they want by choosing and playing out moves from the list below.

Example Desired Outcomes

● Get another character to confess to a secret or crime

● Find out another character’s true loyalty or motivation
● Change another character’s mind about something
important
● Find out the truth about what really happened to
someone
● Strike a favorable deal
● Get an audience or a moment alone with someone
● Get another character to like you despite themselves
● Deliver a threat or instruction covertly

Moves

● Monologue on a topic (alcohol, Italy, women, guns, God, what

money does to a man, etc) When you are done, everyone who
listened gets a token. You get a token for every character in
the conversation who feels compelled to voice their
disagreement.
● Interrogate. Ask someone up to three questions. You get a
token for each question they refuse to answer. They get a
token if they answer every question convincingly
 (meaning your character cannot spot any lies. The Director
has final say in judging this.)
● Tease another character. Flip a coin. Heads, they have an
emotional reaction and you get a token from them.
● Vouch for another character. Give them one of your tokens.
● Threaten. Take two tokens from another character, if their
player agrees that you have threatened them successfully.
● Smooth things over. Flip as many coins as you have tokens.
For each result showing heads, take a token from the
character with the most tokens and give to the character with
the fewest.
● Press an issue. Flip a coin for each character who you
confront on this particular issue. Heads, they give you a
token. Tails, you give them a token.
● Play dumb. Get a token. Anyone who should be able to see
through your act flips a coin. Heads, they also get a
token.

Once a character has five tokens, they get their desired outcome.
They can then choose to end the scene or leave the scene to
continue between the other characters. If the character you wanted
information from is no longer in the game, you find the
information some other way.

2 Alone (introspection on unbecoming)

The Director chooses one character for the scene. Describe why the
character is intentionally alone or who has just left them. The
scene is set somewhere that is either cramped and isolating, or
vast and empty. Where is the scene initially set?

The scene has no dialogue, though words may appear on letters,

newspapers, or street signs.

Starting with the player of the focus character and going around
the table, take turns answering questions from the list in the
form of actor close ups, vignettes, imagery, soundtrack, lingering
shots, and whatever else you prefer. The player of the focus
character gets the final say and answers one final question once
you have made your way around the table.
"You" here refers to the focus player.

QUESTIONS

● What is your anchor? What grounds you?

● Who are you missing the most right now?
● What keeps you up at night?
● Why are you running out of time?
● What do you regret?
● Who knows you best? Who do they think you are?
● What debts do you owe?
● What past do you long for? What past do you run for?
● What is your hope?
● What are you most proud of?
● What role are you expected to play next in the great drama of
Naples?

3 Chase (a desperate getaway, arresting a

fugitive)

The Director chooses one or more characters who are either chasing
after someone or being chased. Where is this taking place? What
time of day is it? What kinds of vehicles are involved?

Make two six-segment clock marked CAPTURE and ESCAPE.

ESCAPING CHARACTERS' TURN

The characters who are being chased (or The Director if these are
non-player characters) start by describing what they are doing to
get away, what that looks like, and what the camera pays special
attention to. Fill one segment of the ESCAPE clock.

Choose the category this action most falls under:

● Sprinting or stepping on the gas. Flip a coin. Heads, fill one

segment of the ESCAPE clock. Tails, there is a sudden, hard
to maneuver obstacle. The pursuers get to choose two actions
when they respond.
● Trying to disappear or hide. Flip a coin. Heads, fill two
segments of the ESCAPE clock. Tails, fill two segments of the
CAPTURE clock.
● Trying to sabotage the pursuers. Take a token. Flip a coin.
Heads, fill one segment of the ESCAPE clock and take another
action while the pursuers are occupied. Tails, fill one
segment of the CAPTURE clock.

PURSUING CHARACTERS' TURN

The chasing party responds by describing their actions and what

indication they chased characters have that they are on their
tail. They fill one segment of the CAPTURE clock.

They then flip coins equal to the number of unfilled segments of

the CAPTURE clock. They may push ruthlessly forward and take a
token to redo the flip once, but must use the second result. They
then fill one segment of the CAPTURE clock for each heads they
flipped.

Take turns until either clock is filled and the characters have
either been captured or escaped. Characters with tokens at this
stage must fill up segments of their own clocks equal to the
number of tokens they have (divided between them in any way they
like).
 4.Cigarettes (brief intimacy, heart-to-heart)

The Director chooses two or more characters to have an intimate

conversation in private. They also choose: where is this scene
taking place? How much time do they have?

Make two four-segment clocks for this scene. One should be marked
TENSION and the other MOMENT.

If the TENSION clock fills up, the scene flares up, fades to
black, or transitions to a different scene as appropriate. Fill up
one segment on any character's clock and end this scene.

If the MOMENT clock fills up, the scene ends quietly. Fill up one
segment on either character's clock and end this scene.

A character may start by asking a question from the list,

preferably paraphrased. One of the other character responds as
they like. If they think their response fits any of the answers
from the list they follow the instructions listed by that answer.
Explore the topic until you are satisfied then have the same
character who just answered ask a question.

QUESTIONS

● Do you think I am making a mistake?

● Are you afraid of something?
● Do I have reason to be afraid?
● Where would you run to if you could get out?
● Do you ever think about [a memory you both share]?
● Do you hold me responsible for something in your life you
wish were different?
● Have you heard what they say about [you/me/us] on the street?
● Who are you working for currently?
● Do you think I've changed?
● What does [this job/our relationship/the past/a person] mean
to you?
● Will you do me a favor?
ANSWERS

● Truthfully, sharing as much as you are allowed. Fill one

segment of the TENSION clock.
● Avoiding, half truths. Fill one segment of the MOMENT clock.
● Stalling. Fill one segment of the MOMENT clock.
● Intentionally aggravating lies or non-answers. Fill one
segment of the TENSION clock.
● The lies they want to hear. Fill one segment of EITHER clock
(your choice).
● Silence, meaningful. Fill one segment of EITHER or NEITHER
clock (your choice).
● Leaving, or asking them to leave. End scene.

5. Cold-Blooded Violence (the killer in his

element)

The Director chooses a character to be the focus of the scene.

This is a spotlight scene which showcases the calculated ruthless
expertise of the focus character. That character's player chooses
what the character is doing from this list:

● Breaking a heart
● Ridding themselves of a rival or enemy
● Intimidating a target
● Introducing themselves
● Proving a point
● Solving a convoluted problem with a simple solution
● Doling out justice
● Getting revenge
● Carrying out a betrayal
● Their job, nothing personal

The Director sets the scene where is this taking place and who is
present to witness this (if anyone)?
Describe how impressive the character looks. Ask the table to
provide extra details about the scene that are extra striking to
their characters (in the moment or when news reach them).

Flip a number of coins equal to the number of filled segments in

the focus character's clock (or 1 if no segments are filled).
Choose a number of consequences from the list below up to the
number of heads flipped. You always choose at least one
consequence. With each consequence fill one segment of any
character's clock that would be affected by the consequence. You
can choose the same consequence several times.

CONSEQUENCES

● You become more monstrous in the eyes of a person you love

● You are given more power or influence as a result of your
actions
● You are permanently marked by this action
● You reveal something about the situation with your action,
such as learning another character's secret
● You spare someone who is now in your debt
● You intimidate someone into giving you information or
carrying out a mission for you
● You destroy something valuable or highly symbolic as part of
this action
● Your action gets you an audience with someone you want to
talk to
● Your action makes someone decide you have gone too far
● Your action creates an upheaval, a revelation, or a twist.
● Choose something established about the plot or a character
and change it dramatically.

Choose one character and ask them to describe how they regard you
in the aftermath of this action. End the scene.
 6. Crossing a bridge (progression, change, point
of no return)

Director chooses one character as the focus character, and one of

the following scene themes.

THEMES

● A makeover, a fake identity, the shedding of a mask.

● Crossing the line that renders you unrecognizable.
● Growing, training, or inheriting.
● Destruction of the past or the self.
● On the run, escape, betrayal of your home.

The focus character's player narrates the scene and explains how
it relates to the theme (using as much or as little of the theme
as they prefer). They may add any characters to the scene to serve
as catalysts for the change their character will undergo. Anyone
else can add images and details. If possible, use a motif that has
already appeared in the story and remark on how it has changed.

The focus character's player strikes out or rewrites one part of

their character description and fills two segments of their clock.
End the scene.

7. Illicit affairs (crime, conspiracy,

infidelity)

The Director chooses two or more characters to be in the middle of

an ongoing crime or compromising situation. Decide the following:
how well have the characters prepared for what they are carrying out
and getting away with it? What are the consequences of being
discovered?

Make a six-segment clock titled DISCOVERY.

The character who is most worried about being caught starts by
picking an obstacle or choice from the list. The same option can
be chosen several times. Describe what happens.

Take turns making choices. Any character who gains three tokens is
in the clear and will not be caught even if the plan goes south.
When half the characters in the scene (rounded up) are in the
clear, end the scene.

If the clock is filled, any characters not in the clear are

caught. They fill out their clocks one segment. Play out the
fall-out and end the scene.

OBSTACLES AND CHOICES

● One of us leaves evidence behind. Flip a coin. Heads, you come

up with a good lie and both you and the person the evidence
points toward get a token. Tails, fill one segment of the
DISCOVERY clock.
● We are spotted but might be able to bargain our way out. Flip
a coin. Heads you get a token. Tails, fill one segment of the
DISCOVERY clock or return a token you have (your choice).
● I make a desperate gamble. Flip as many coins as you have
tokens. Take as many tokens as you have results showing heads
and distribute as you wish between characters. Then fill the
DISCOVERY clock as many segments as you have results showing
tails.
● My arrogance get in the way of caution. Flip a coin. Heads,
you get a to decide another character who gets a token.
Tails, fill one segment of the DISCOVERY clock or return a
token you have (your choice).
● I choose a loud but direct solution to a problem. Flip a coin.
Heads, you get a to decide another character who gets a
token. Tails, fill one segment of the DISCOVERY clock.
● I know who to pin this on if things go south. Take a token
from another character. If they know about your plan, they
fill in one segment on their character clock.
● My alibi is tenuous at best. Flip a coin. Heads you get a to
decide another character who gets a token. Tails, fill one
segment of the DISCOVERY clock or return a token you have
(your choice).
● Someone who knows me well threatens to see through me. Flip a
coin. Heads you get a to decide another character who gets a
 token. Tails, fill the DISCOVERY clock or your own character
clock (your choice).
● I lie to someone about why we are here together. Flip a coin.
Heads you get a to decide another character who gets a token.
Tails, fill the DISCOVERY clock or your own character clock
(your choice).
● We lose track of time. Flip as many coins as there are
unfilled segments of the DISCOVERY clock. For each heads you
flip, give a token to someone. Then for each result showing
tails, fill one segment of the DISCOVERY clock.
● I betray the others and get away. The DISCOVERY clock is
filled completely and only you get away regardless of token.
You or everyone but you (your choice) fills a segment on
their character clock.

8. In a boat (Decision point, making a terrible

choice, survival)
The Director sets a scene that is isolated, desperate, and
dangerous. Choose no more than four characters to be in the scene.
Create a four-segment clock with the most pressing immediate
danger (eg: BLEEDING OUT, GUN GOES OFF, WE ARE DISCOVERED). There
is a way for the characters to tell time in this scene but it is
not working. Set this scene.

Characters play out the scene and describe their actions.

At any time The Director can have a coin flip determine the
outcome of an action. If so ask the player the following questions

● Have you done this before?

● Are you calm and controlled in this moment?
● Are you putting yourself at risk?

Take four coins, then put one back for each question you answered
with YES. For every coin that shows tails, fill one segment of the
scene clock. If every coin shows heads, your action succeeds,
though it probably doesn't completely defuse the situation.
A character can choose to fill one segment on their character
clock in order to flip one of the coins they just flipped again.
If they do, they must use the second result. They can do this any
number of times in the scene, but only once per action.

The Director may decide to end the scene at any point for an
ambiguous ending, or when the characters are mostly in the clear.
If the clock is filled something terrible must happen.

9. Showing Off (dance, a party, deliberate

performance)

The Director chooses which characters are in the scene, and what
kind of gathering this is. What kind of music is playing? Who is
hosting? What is the purpose of the gathering?

Each character gets a turn to describe what they are doing in this
space.

Characters who are Dancing or Chatting are taken out of this scene
to play a scene of Cigarettes or A Conversation directly after this
scene has ended, on the same turn and with the same Director as
this scene.

Any character who is Performing (showing off in some way), Spying

(gathering information) or Socializing (tending to their reputation
or contacts) is still in the scene and describe a vignette of their
actions in this scene. They and The Director can each choose to
invoke one of the following:

● Another character asks “What are you doing here?”

● A scene with a mirror or framed by a window
● A character who has had too much to drink
● A significant choice of music
● A small fight, won effortlessly
● A rival, throwing looks
● Outrageous flirtation
● A perfectly set-up one-liner
After each character in the scene has had their spotlight moment,
every player around the table gets a token. Take turns voting on
the most impacting, successful, suave spotlight moment using your
tokens. You cannot vote for yourself. The Director goes last and
if needed serves as tie-breaker.

Whoever wins the vote chooses two of the following:

● Fill two segments of any clock

● Add or reveal a twist of the story
● Impact another character’s reputation significantly
● Revisit the questions asked during character creation and
change one of the answers (with the players consent)

10. Sudden and terrible violence (things go

wrong, desperate measures)

The Director sets the scene and decides which characters are
present. Where is this taking place? Who is at risk? What incites
the violence?

Each character in the scene describes their actions and reactions.

Then each character answers the following questions:

● Do you participate?
● In your eyes, is this violence unnecessary?
● In your eyes, is this scene more desperate than triumphant?

(For each yes, fill one segment of your clock)

● What part of this scene do you carry with you?

The Director describes the aftermath of the scene and then asks
the table to decide.

● Does this change the balance of power in the city?

● Does this change the reputation of those involved?
● What irreplaceable thing was lost or broken beyond repair?
 12. The Train Station (arrival or departure)

The Director sets the scene. Who is arriving or departing in this

scene? Who is here? How long has it been snowing?

The arriving character describes the mood, or chooses two words

from the categories below to describe it.

● Apathetic Loneliness
● Anxious Nostalgia
● Complex Hope
● Romantic Mystery
● Morose Terror
● Bitter Yearning
● Sentimental Grandeur
● Subtle Regret

Go around the table and let anyone not in the scene each describe
something about the train, the station, or Naples. The Director
goes last.

Before the scene ends, words are exchanged by two people on the
platform. Play this out and fill one segment on any clock related
to the conversation.

13. Tragedy Comes for a Character (dying)

The Director chooses one character to be the focus on this scene.

Anyone else can be in the scene if it makes sense for them to be
there. Set the scene. Ask the focus character What did you think
was going to kill you? Is this it? What do you wish was different?

Untangle the chain of events and personal decision that led the
character to this point. Describe the act of dying.

Each other character gets a chance to describe their reaction to

getting the news of the death.

Fill 4 segments divided between any number of clocks. End the

scene.
Roll credits.

Game poster credit to tumblr user beelzeebub.

A game by tumblr user shoulderfins.
Based on the Firebrands game engine by Meguey Baker & D. Vincent
Baker and For The Honor by Quinn Vega.

November 2022