TEXT: The  Very
     ! mportant 
  Task
  a micro-rpg of
  office drudgery  
  & pandemonium
  the company
  Welcome to                                  , the world's 
  number one provider of                                . 
  It's our pleasure to welcome you as our newest 
  employee to join one of our 892 offices. As we 
  always say here,                                          .
  employee manual
  Employees will take turns to play out a month 
  of their working life. At the beginning of the 
  month, roll the move Manager Supervision,  
  and enact a manager-employee scene 
  accordingly. Continue playing out your month 
  until you roll 1 more move. Play out any scenes 
  that result, then it’s the next player’s turn.  
  Each scene should take about as long as 
  booting up your corporate computer (or a 
  moment more if you’re having fun).
  Exception: When you Get in Trouble, or  
  Help Out?, these do not count as your monthly 
  move. Perform these actions in addition to any 
  other actions you take during your turn.
  Use a die to mark the passage of time. Start on 
  0, and after all players have taken a turn add 
  +1 to it. Another month has passed.
  You and your fellow players are employees in different departments of a multi-national company.  
  Each of your managers have given you a Very Important Task. 
  Your goal is to finish this task as quickly as possible. Or is it?
  your Manager
  As well as their employee, each player will 
  also take on the role of another employee’s 
  manager. Make them weird, wonderful, and 
  wacky. Fill them with endless requirements: 
  nonsense processes, obscure permissions, and 
  ancient computer systems. Equip them with 
  indecipherable acronyms, bizarre requests, and 
  stresses from the “higher ups.”  
  A person’s manager may change as they are 
  promoted.
  Any player not in a scene may also jump in to 
  play other department members.
  Suspicion
  Failure to follow mandated company processes 
  will result in you arousing HR's Suspicion. 
  Clear your suspicion when you make progress 
  on the Very Important Task through any 
  legitimate means.
  Problems
  You may not work on the Very Important Task 
  if you have any Problems.
  Promotion
  When a stat reaches 4, you are Promoted. 
  Reset that stat to 1 and advance your position 
  according to the below. 
  When a stat reaches 0, you are demoted. Reset 
  that stat to 3 and lower your position according 
  to the below. If you cannot be demoted, lose 
  3 points from any combination of stats. If you 
  cannot lose 3 points, you are fired.
  Promotions:
  0: Entry Level (start here) 
  1: Analyst 
  2: Manager 
  3: Executive
  Roll all moves with +1 per promotion.
  At any time you may reveal your true 
  incompetence and take a demotion to erase up 
  to 4 problems.
  Corporate Triumph
  You win the game if:
  • 
  You are the first person to complete the 
  Very Important Task.
  • 
  You are the first person to reach the 
  position of Executive.
  • 
  All other players are fired.
  Storybrewers Roleplaying 
  www.storybrewersroleplaying.com 
  !
  !
  !
  
  the moves
  • 
  manager supervision
  Roll 1d6 + Performance + Task Ticked – Time
  1-3
  Get in Trouble
  4-5
  Avoid Attention. Nothing Happens. This time.
  6+
  Doing great. Commendation. Add +1 to any stat.
  • 
  Get in trouble
  When you get in trouble: 
  Blame someone, or something, else.  
  Take -1 to any stat, and add that person or thing to your list of problems.
  • 
  get shit done
  When you roll up your sleeves and try to get a task done yourself:
  Roll 1d6 
  1-2
  You must first obtain system access, receive permission, or fill 
  out form AZQ-91/M. Add this to your problems list.
  3-4
  As above, but you find out which (PC) employee will be able to 
  help you with this problem. Decide who randomly.
  5+
  You make progress. Tick off two boxes of the Very Important 
  Task, remove up to two problems, or add +1 to any stat.
  • 
  find a "workaround"
  When you optimistically ignore process to try and get shit done:
  Roll 1d6 + Sanity – (2x Suspicion)
  1-3
  Your manager catches you. Get in Trouble.
  4-5
  Another (PC) employee catches you. Decide who randomly. You 
  must do something for them to keep your rule-bending hidden. 
  Move one of their problems to your list. If the chosen PC has no 
  problems, tick off one box of their Very Important Task instead.
  6+
  Life without red tape is peachy. Remove a problem AND tick off 
  two boxes of the Very Important Task, remove up to 3 problems, 
  or add +1 to any stat. Somewhere, someone in employee 
  management raises an eyebrow. Add +1 to suspicion.
  • 
  call for help
  When you put the call out for help:
  Roll 1d6 + Connections. Add 2 if you know which employee 
  will be able to help you.
  If you don’t know which employee is able to help you, decide which (PC) 
  employee you reach randomly. 
  When you finally reach a human being:
  1-3
  They are in the wrong department.
  4-5
  It’s not their job, but they know how to help you.
  6+
  It is their job. Progress! Remove one problem, or tick off one box 
  of the Very Important Task.
  After you have used this move, the player you have reached must resolve the 
  move help out?
  • 
  help out?
  When you are asked for help, either:
  Do it: Either
  1. 
  It’s hard to resolve. Move one of that player’s problems to your list 
  instead. (You cannot choose this option if the employee asking has no 
  problems.) OR;
  2. 
  It takes up your resources. Take -1 to any stat & give + 1 to the other 
  player 
  Try to Fob it Off:
  Roll 1d6 + Apathy -2 if it is your job +1 if it isn’t your 
  department.
  1-3
  Get in Trouble AND move one of that player’s problems to your 
  list.
  4-5
  Fob it off. You worm your way out of it.
  6+
  Turn it around. Move one of your problems to that player’s 
  problem list instead.
  !
  !
  !
  !
  !
  !
  
         id
  Name:
  Department:
  Position:
  Entry Level
  +0
  Analyst
  +1
  Manager
  +2
  Executive
  +3
         stats
  Allocate 6 points, minimum 1.
  Connections 
  Sanity
  Performance
  Apathy
         id
  Name:
  Department:
  Position:
  Entry Level
  +0
  Analyst
  +1
  Manager
  +2
  Executive
  +3
         stats
  Allocate 6 points, minimum 1.
  Connections 
  Sanity
  Performance
  Apathy
  !
  !
         suspicion
         problems
  !
  !
         suspicion
         problems
  !
  !
  the very  
       mportant 
  task
  the very  
       mportant 
  task
  !
  !
  !
  !
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Any (Any System Generic)/Storybrewers/Storybrewers Mini-Games - The Very Important Task.pdf