Lost

So, I’ve been rewatching the TV series Lost with my brother and I also just got into Mouse Guard, and I got to thinkin how Lost would make a really cool setting for a MG hack. I’m not sure what you’d call it - Flight 815 Guard? I don’t know. I would probably not follow the show, as that would become too restrictive. Instead, the PCs will become the new main characters, where the main characters from the show take a back seat and instead serve as NPCs (friends and enemies) as well as helpers and quest givers. But the players are the ones that make all the big discoveries.

Premise: The PCs take leading roles following a plane crash on an unknown and mysterious island.

Missions: setting up shelters, managing the community, hunting for food, exploring and mapping the island, defending from smoke monster and polar bears, solve island mysteries, defend against the Others, time travel, and much more

General Hazards: I was thinking of maybe combining Weather and Wilderness into just Wilderness (since you don’t really go by seasons on the island) and so you can progress the story with a new hazard type, “island mysteries.” So the list would look more like Wilderness, Survivors, Other Island Inhabitants (The Others, Rousseau), and Island Mysteries (smoke monster, polar bears, Dharma stations, Jacob’s house, etc.). And, so, maybe it could go by Seasons in the television sense, where the season progresses by the number of Island Mystery twists encountered, or something like that. And then, at the end of each season, the winter session equivalent can happen.

Weapons: fists, knives, guns (especially after discovering the hatch), and makeshift weapons

Overarching Conflict: Surviving and getting off the island (of course this becomes a bit more complicated)

Territories: various notable places on the island, all of the dharma stations, the main beach, the cave, wherever the Others happen to be

Denizens: all the varied personalities that might exist in the show, plus the Others, the smoke monster, and Rousseau the french woman

Skills: hunter, doctor, musician, fisherman, Gatherer, Laborer, Scout, Survivalist, etc.

Traits: Man of Science, Man of Faith, plus all the usual.

Nature: This one is tough. I’m thinking the higher the Nature, the more like The Others the survivors become, eventually joining the Others if they hit Nature 7. So, Nature would be stuff that is thought of as base survival, which we no longer need so much due to technology. So, hunting, survival, deception, and maybe hiding could be aspects. I don’t know.

Recruitment: Anyone have any thoughts? This is a good way to incorporate the lives of the survivors prior to the crash. Questions would involve finding out if the survivor is more likely to try to leave the island or come to terms with living on the island and surviving. The Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits, starting out, should also relate to off-island things, so when they are used in the missions, the player can offer up some of their backstory.

Player’s Turn: I was thinking maybe the players could use some of their checks to flesh out their backstories. Spending a check to outrun the cops or perform a surgery, whatever it is they specialized in before the crash.

That’s about all I got. I hope to sit down with this idea and completely flesh it out at some point when I have time, but I’d love to hear what other people think.

That sounds really cool.

Island nature could be an Island affinity or Island connection. It makes sense too, Locke got all kinds of crazy advantages, Like Weather watcher was in his nature, but that made the others take more interest.
Maybe having high Island Affinity makes your life complicated by being Listed.

Or you could play off the tapping nature/beginners luck choice to create Man of Science (low nature), Man of Faith (high nature). Then use “listed” and “ignored” as traits for the Other’s reaction to the character.

The only trouble would be players already knowing the plot.

And of course the actual plot would kind of make it look like you were railroading. “I get on a boat and go NW” “You sail for a few days but find the island again.” Just looks like bad railroading even though it’s a genuine mystery element.

I’d really like to run a game like this.

I like the idea of higher nature bringing you closer to being listed. Man of Science/Faith should probably be kept separate though since they don’t necessarily relate to every character on the island, but as traits, they would absolutely influence the use of your nature and really be helpful in lots of decision making and hindering.

As for the railroading, I think it’s just up to the GM to make it interesting and impose the proper twists when needed. It is, of course, possible to leave the island, it’s just going to require a very high ob number and probably the right departure coordinates or a lot of luck (or fate). Also, I would prefer to play the setting without following the plot of the show so as to keep it less restrictive. We know what major sightings there are around the island, but, with your players, don’t reveal where they are and bring them in as twists wherever the characters might be at any particular time. That will allow the players to have the experience of discovering these insteresting sights around the island as well as helping to map it all out. Maybe they run into the Dharma barracks before discovering the hatch. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in a different order.

Another potential way of playing the game that might be interesting would be to play it from the perspective of a member of the Dharma initiative. This would maybe allow for a lot more freedom while still keeping the plot of the series intact. And also allowing for some cool time-travel craziness.

Playing Dharma survivors would be good. Because then you’ve pretty much got a full map of interesting places to go from the very beginning. Or else you’re really at the GM’s mercy over what feature/station you end up at. Well unless you map them out and take direction cues.

I’d never use time travel in a game as there are so many ways to ruin the narrative. It can be done as long as you establish the rules first. The rules on lost seem to say you can’t change the future but that’s all meta concept anyway. There was a good way it worked where going back split reality into another branch so that changes to character 1’s past self are nothing to do with character 1’s future self. Which is the most gameable as you risk more than one world and no one has contractual immortality.

See http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8366 for a cool approach to exploration and visiting locations you’ve visited before, etc.

This sounds fun. I love the idea of Nature being your connection to the island (as suggested). 7 is Others and 0 should be “rescued”.

“Knowing the plot” is a good thing. It allows players to move toward the conflict. Just because you know where the hatch leads doesn’t mean you have access to it. :slight_smile:

That wouldn’t work. People would just keep tapping nature until it got to zero and they were rescued.

But then they’d probably regret it. And there would be many scenes of “We have to go back!”:stuck_out_tongue:

Maybe Jackface could be a trait? But seriously, a low nature would probably make a player more likely to attempt leaving the island, sort of like Michael building the raft and Bernard making the sign before Rose’s big reveal. Tapping your nature down to zero (while still maintaining a max nature of 1 or higher), should maybe correspond to the player attempting to make an escape from the island, or at the very least having a breakdown because they’re stuck on the island. Completely depleting nature (Max 0) should get you eaten by the smoke monster.

I got together with a friend of mine and we discussed how we should define the nature used on the island. We wanted it to relate to sort of the darker side of human nature but also have descriptors that might describe the Others, so that the more you use your nature, the more like the Others you become.

We came up with the descriptors Manipulation, Savagery, Vengeance, and Zealotry.

These all seemed to describe the Others in one form or another and also obviously would describe the survivors in their darker times on the island and their lives before the crash. What do you guys think? Are these keepers? Any that absolutely don’t work? Can you think of any that would work better?

Okay, here’s a revised version of the original post for the Lost mod. We ended up retooling the rank and hometown mechanics and added Professions, which sort of combine the two. We also went through all the skills and traits, replacing some, dumping ones that didn’t really fit, and adding a couple. I also added a new ropeplaying mechanic called Secrets that will help you develop your character and backstory, as well as earn you a reward at the end of the session.

LOST

Premise: You survived the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, Sydney to LA, and are now stranded on a mysterious island. Despite your past (mis)deeds, you have banded together with a group of like-minded survivors, all with secrets of their own, to find rescue, protect the group, stay alive, and solve the mysteries of this strange place.

Missions: setting up shelters, managing the community, hunting for food, exploring and mapping the island, defending from smoke monster and polar bears, solve island mysteries, defend against the Others, time travel, and much more.

General Hazards: Wilderness, Survivors, Other Island Inhabitants (The Others, Rousseau, Widmore’s mercenaries), and Island Mysteries (smoke monster, polar bears, Dharma stations, Jacob’s house, etc.). Eight Island Mystery twists occur before time of reflection (same as winter session).

Weapons/Items: knives, explosives, guns (especially after discovering the first hatch), and makeshift weapons.

Overarching Conflict: Surviving and getting off the island, solving island mysteries

Territories: various notable places on the island, all of the dharma stations, the main beach, the cave, wherever the Others happen to be. Developed as the island is explored through twists and intention.

Denizens: The main characters from the show take a back seat, acting as NPCs that will assign quests as well as influence, help, or make problems for you. Jack, Locke, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, Hurley, Charlie, Claire, Sun and Jin, Michael and his boy Walt, Boone, Shannon, Rose and Bernard, Frogurt, Scott and Steve, etc. The tailies Ana Lucia, Mr. Eko, and Libby, and then Miles, Charlotte, and Faraday would arrive several seasons in on the Freighter. The Others Richard, Ben, Juliet, Tom, Alex, Ethan, Mikhail, Goodwin, etc. Also Danielle Rousseau, Desmond, and Jacob.

Nature:
Manipulation - getting what you want through selfishness, deceit, and using others.
Savagery - killing for good or evil, fighting viciously.
Vengeance - eye for an eye, lack of forgiveness.
Zealotry - blind faith, unquestioning of motives or reason.
A high nature brings you closer to becoming one of the Others, or “the good guys,” as they call themselves. Ending the session with a Nature rating of 7 means you have defected to the side of the Others, embracing your nature on this island. A low nature keeps you connected to your past life before the island, you are more concerned with getting rescued or escaping the island. Tapping your nature down to 0 (while still retaining a Max nature of 1 or higher) means you have had a mental breakdown and you attempt some sort of escape from the island, whether it be building a boat, putting together a large SOS sign on the beach, or looking for some sort of radio. You also receive a trait appropriate to the test that taxed your character to 0. If your Max nature drops to 0, you get eaten by the smoke monster.

Skills: Administrator, Animal Handler (replaces Insectrist), Archivist, Armorer, Artist (replaces Potter), Boatcrafter, Brewer, Carpenter, Cartographer, Cook (Baker/Cook), Deceiver, Doctor (replaces Healer), Engineer(replaces Glazier), Fighter, Gardener(replaces Harvester), Haggler, Hunter, Instructor, Gatherer (replaces Laborer and Nature Mouse Foraging), Mason (Smith/Stonemason), Militarist, Miller, Orator, Persuader, Scientist, Scout, Survivalist, Tracking (replaces Pathfinder), Trivia Master (replaces Loremouse), Weather Watcher, Weaver. Remove: Apiarist.

Traits:
Remove: Defender, Guard’s Honor, Longtail, Nocturnal, Oldfur, Sharptooth
Grunt replaces Bigpaw.
Steady Hands replaces Steady Paws
Man of Science: You believe in rational explanation and randomness.
Man of Faith: You believe in a higher purpose and a higher power.
Packrat: You’ve got a hoard. You may have obtained it through looting those who died in the crash or simply collected it little by little.
Grizzled: Your leathery skin and rough beard give you the look of a man who’s been around and not to be messed with.
Social-minded: View of morality that tends to favor the well-being of the group over the individual, including oneself.
Charismatic: physical attractiveness, having a macro-managerial style, approachability, normally easy-going nature.
Addicted: Alcohol, drugs, pills, etc.
Perceptive replaces Deep Ear and Wolf’s Snout: You have a better sense of smell, taste, touch, etc., making you better at hearing shouts and sounds from afar, but this also makes you more prone to loud noises, bad smells, or even your sense of pain.

Professions and abilities:
(during recruitment, you’ll choose a profession from one of the tiers and then pick one skill and one trait from the profession you choose)

Tier 1: 2 will 6 health - Military, Law Enforcement, Working Stiff
Tier 2: 3 will 5 health - Crime, Food Services, Art
Tier 3: 4 will 4 health - Education, Business, Law
Tier 4: 5 will 3 health - Science, Medicine, Religion

Art
Painter, musician, dancer, actor, cameraman, tv news reporter, writer, or journalist.
Skills: archivist, artist, orator
Traits: graceful, lost, addicted

Business
Business owners, bigwig tycoons, or middle-management
Skills: administrator, orator, haggler
Traits: determined, suspicious, leader

Crime
Con artist, druglord/warlord, criminal, henchman, bank robber, fugitive, mafia, thief, or drug dealer
Skills: deceiver, scout, fighter
Traits: alert, cunning, independent

Education
Elementary, high school, college teacher, or advisor
Skills: archivist, instructor, trivia master
Traits: compassionate, extrovert, inquisitive
Food Services
Waiter, food sales, chef, or pizza delivery
Skills: brewer, cook, gardener, miller
Traits: fat, fearful, innocent

Law Enforcement
Police, undercover agent, prison warden, detective, sheriff, or US Marshal
Skills: scout, persuader, hunter, fighter
Traits: brave, scarred, stoic

Law
Lawyer, paralegal, research assistant, or judge
Skills: administrator, deceiver, orator
Traits: clever, stubborn, skeptical

Medicine and Psychology
Surgeon, dentist, therapist, psychiatrist, undertaker, or nurse
Skills: persuader, instructor, doctor
Traits: man of science, driven, steady hands

Military
Navy, marines, torturer, or mercenary
Skills: fighter, militarist, tracker, survivalist
Traits: bold, fearless, sharp-eyed

Religion
Priest, miracle healer, psychic, monk, or paranormal investigator
Skills: weather watcher, orator, doctor, administrator
Traits: man of faith, generous, fiery

Science
Astrophysicist, mathematician, technologist, physicist, or cultural anthropologist
Skills: weather watcher, scientist, animal handler, engineer
Traits: man of science, rational, thoughtful

Working Stiff
Construction worker, carpenter, fisherman, handyman, or retail
Skills: weaver, mason, carpenter, gatherer
Traits: grunt, bitter, hard worker

Player’s Turn: Player’s may spend their checks to have a flashback, such as spending a check to outrun the cops or perform a surgery, whatever it is they specialized in before the crash. They can also be used to get rid of conditions (and would certainly help in winning some good rewards at the end of the session). All players start with 2 free checks, one to use for conditions on-island only and one to use for a flashback only. Anything else must use checks gained during the GM’s turn.

Secrets: Secrets are a big part of the Lost series. Your character should have plenty of secrets and reveal them bit by bit during the session. A good time to reveal a secret is with your free flashback check during the player’s turn. To come up with some good secrets for your character, consider how he came to be in Autralia, how he learned the skills outside of his profession, how he came in possession of his Gear; if your character ever killed another or comitted a crime, try to think of events that led up to that climax. You will be rewarded for revealing one of your many secrets in an entertaining way with a fate point reward at the end of a session.

That’s what we have at the moment. We also rewrote the Recruitment process to better fit Lost, if anyone’s interested. Once I get some time, I’ll put it all into a pdf with some mission ideas and so on. Anyways, any feedback is greatly appreciated. I’m a huge fan of both Lost and Mouse Guard, so I’m really looking forward to playing this.

I like it, that’s really good.

I’d limit the flashback check to one player as talking about all players individually over one player’s turn might make the others restless. Maybe players can elect themselves as having an appropriate secret and check to tell their tale, then out of those volunteers you combine it with a MVP agreement. Then the flasback happens between the the end of the player’s turn and the GM’s turn.

Great suggestion. The idea was that, in Mouse Guard, you get the free check to spend on anything you want. In the Lost mod, you have a limited check that allows you to alleviate only a condition in some way, the main free check allows more freedom, but only in a flashback, so, I feel like it would take just as long as a regular Mouse Guard player’s turn. Also, you wouldn’t have to use it, maybe you don’t feel like coming up with anything that session. And then you can use whatever other checks you gained from Traits on-island or instead further build your flashback. But, I can see it going on for a while if you have a group of 5 players, perhaps then it might be worth electing a player. But, if everyone only uses that one free check on flashbacks, then you can think of it as one of the episodes on Lost where multiple characters are introduced, like the first time Miles, Charlotte, Daniel, and Frank are introduced. I’d rather not limit the players and see what stories they can come up with, since so much of the show is devoted to developing the characters’ backstories. All that said, I haven’t actually attempted playing the Lost mod yet, so, I’m not sure if this will end up dragging or what. I’m glad you like the mod so far. I’ll post what we’ve done with the Recruitment shortly.

Here is the process for Recruitment. I’ll eventually put all this stuff into a pdf, but for anyone interested, this should be enough to get you started and, along with the other modifications and rules posted earlier in this thread, you should be able to have a pretty decent Lost campaign going. Any thoughts or suggestions are much appreciated.

–Profession and ability
*Choose one of the listed professions, then go to the professions list in an earlier post and choose one trait and one skill from those provided under your chosen profession.
Tier 1: 2 will 6 health Military, Law Enforcement, Working Stiff
Tier 2: 3 will 5 health Crime, Food Services, Art
Tier 3: 4 will 4 health Education, Business, Law
Tier 4: 5 will 3 health Science, Medicine, Religion

–Lost Nature
Tier 1 and 2: Base nature of 4
Tier 3 and 4: Base nature of 3
*The minimum starting nature is 2 and the max is 6.

Do you put the needs of others above your own?
If so, decrease Nature by 1.

Do you believe that the end justifies the means?
If so, increase Nature by 1, can’t choose Compassionate trait.

Do you prefer the hustle and bustle of the city to the cold and wild of the outdoors? Do you find comfort in coming home to your evening television shows and modern conveniences?
If yes to either, decrease Nature by 1, can’t choose Natural Bearings trait.

Are you an active member of an organized religion?
If yes, increase Nature by 1, can’t choose Independent or Man of Science traits.

Have you ever killed a man?
If yes, increase Nature by 1, can’t choose Innocent trait.

–Life Experience

Age: Anything from 16 - 60

Where do you come from?
*The following locations will more likely intercept with characters from the show in your flashbacks. However, you may choose to come from anywhere in the world!
USA - West coast(Washington, Oregon, California), Midwest (Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan), South (Tennessee, Georgia, Florida), North East (New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont)
Europe - UK (Scotland, England), France, Germany, Italy
Asia and Africa- Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, South Korea
Australia - Melbourne, Sydney

In what area are you naturally talented?
Administrator, Animal Handler, Archivist, Armorer, Artist, Boatcrafter, Brewer, Carpenter, Cartographer, Cook, Deceiver, Doctor, Engineer, Fighter, Gardener, Gatherer, Haggler, Hunter, Instructor, Mason, Militarist, Miller, Orator, Persuader, Scientist, Scout, Survivalist, Tracker, Trivia Master, Weather Watcher, Weaver

What areas did your parents specialize in?
*Place 2 checks, one for each of your parents or parental figures.
Archivist, Animal Handler, Armorer, Artist, Boatcrafter, Brewer, Carpenter, Cartographer, Cook, Doctor, Engineer, Gardener, Gatherer, Mason, Miller, Smith, Weaver

How do you convince people that you’re right or to do what you need?
Deceiver, Orator, Persuader

What was an early job you took in your youth?
Animal Handler, Archivist, Armorer, Artist, Brewer, Carpenter, Cartographer, Cook, Gardener, Gatherer, Miller, Mason, Weaver

Who was your mentor and what did you learn from them?
*Your mentor is someone other than your parents that highly affected the way in which you view life.
Doctor, Fighter, Hunter, Instructor, Scout, Survivalist, Tracker, Weather Watcher

What kind of experience do you have in life up to this point?
*You have a total of 7 checks that you may spread amongst the following skills.
Doctor, Fighter, Hunter, Instructor, Scout, Survivalist, Tracker, Weather Watcher
*Tier 1 professions may consider Armorer and Engineer part of the above list.
*Tier 2 professions may consider Haggler and Gatherer part of the above list.
*Tier 3 professions may consider Trivia Master and Instructor part of the above list.
*Tier 4 professions may consider Archivist and Gardener part of the above list.

What is your specialty?
*Each player may add one check to a skill from the list below. Each player must choose a unique specialty—no two players can choose the same skill as their specialty.
Doctor, Fighter, Hunter, Instructor, Scout, Survivalist, Tracker, Weather Watcher

What are you particularly knowledgeable about?
*Receive 3 checks and choose from the Mouse Guard list or make something up yourself. It should fit into the Lost setting, be sure to okay it with the GM.

–Lost Resources
*Resources represent how resourceful and clever you are with possessions and material goods. Think of it more as a potential for resources on the island, rather than money. However, in the real world before the crash, it will aslo represent your monetary value, which will be used in flashbacks.
*Tier 1 and 2: Base resources 2
*Tier 3 and 4: Base resources 3

In your freetime, when you’re not at work, do you still hone the skills you use in your profession? Are you a workaholic? Do you end up working a lot of overtime?
If yes to any of those, increase Resources by 1. You may not take the Leader trait to start.

Are your parents in the Medicine and Psychology, Law, Business, or Science professions?
If so, increase Resources by 1. Your parents must be of the noted profession.

Do you like to buy gifts for yourself and your friends?
If so, decrease your Resources by 1.

Are you thrifty?
If so, increase your resources by 1. You may not take the Generous trait to start.

Have you ever been in debt? Or are you generally bad with money?
If so, decrease your Resources by 1.

Do you always pack carefully for a trip, ensuring you have everything you need?
If so, increase your resources by 1, you may not take the Bold or Fiery traits to start.

Lost Circles
*represents how well-connected your character is, both on and off the island.
*Tier 1 and 2: Base Circles 2
*Tier 3 and 4: Base Circles 3

Is your castaway gregarious? Does he have lots of friends? Does he make friends easily?
If yes to 1 or more, increase Circles by 1. You may not take the Bitter or Jaded traits.

Do you have strong family ties? Do you have a lot of business contacts?
If yes to either, increase Circles by 1.

Is your character’s name widely known? Perhaps a famous artist or famous businessman?
If so, increase circles by 1.

Do you have powerful enemies back in the real world?
If so, reduce Circles by 1.

Has your character been convicted of a crime?
If so, reduce Circles by 1.

Is your character a loner?
If so, reduce circles by 1. You may not take the Extrovert trait.

–Lost Traits

Choose a quality you were born with:
Bitter, Bodyguard, Bold, Brave, Calm, Clever, Compassionate, Charismatic, Cunning, Curious, Determined, Driven, Early Riser, Extrovert, Fat, Fearful, Fearless, Fiery, Generous, Graceful, Grunt, Innocent, Jaded, Leader, Lost, Natural Bearings, Nimble, Grizzled, Perceptive, Quick-Witted, Quiet, Scarred, Sharp-Eyed, Short, Skeptical, Skinny, Steady Hands, Stoic, Stubborn, Suspicious, Tall, Thoughtful, Tough, Weather Sense, Wise, Young

Choose something you learned or inherited from your parents, parental figures, or mentor:
Addicted, Brave, Calm, Clever, Compassionate, Curious, Defender, Determined, Early Riser, Extrovert, Fearful, Fearless, Fiery, Generous, Graceful, Grunt, Lost, Man of Faith, Man of Science, Social-minded, Natural Bearings, Nimble, Packrat, Perceptive, Quick-Witted, Quiet, Scarred, Short, Skeptical, Skinny, Stubborn, Suspicious, Tall, Tough

Life in Your Chosen Profession:
*put a check next to one trait that you obtained through work in your chosen profession.
Bitter, Bodyguard, Brave, Calm, Clever, Compassionate, Cunning, Curious, Driven, Early Riser, Fearful, Fearless, Grizzled, Jaded, Leader, Natural Bearings, Quiet, Scarred, Sharp-Eyed, Skeptical, Skinny, Stoic, Thoughtful, Tough, Weather Sense, Wise

–Name
*Pick a first and last name

–Parents
*find two names for your parents or parental figures. You may initiate flashbacks with your parents.

–Mentors
*Who was particularly influential in your development? Perhaps it was a teacher, an uncle, a neighbor, or the comic shop owner. You may choose to add a second mentor of someone on the island, even another PC, after the first or second session. In the case of your original mentor, you may use them in your flashbacks.

–Friends
Invent a character who is a friend to your character someone who would help your character without hesitation. Choose a name for him, pick his profession or specialty and give him a home off the island. You may use this person in your flashbacks. After your first or second session, you may create an on-island friend. Be sure to roleplay how they became a friend of yours. Perhaps they find your character attractive or maybe you saved their life after the crash.

–Enemies
Invent someone who is an enemy to your character. Choose a name for him, pick his profession or specialty and give him a home off-island. This could be a professional rival or someone you double-crossed. After your first or second session, you may create an on-island enemy. Be sure to roleplay how they became your enemy. Perhaps you stole their luggage or let someone they loved die in the crash.

–Secrets
Secrets are a big part of the Lost series. Your character should have plenty of secrets and reveal them bit by bit during the session. A good time to reveal a secret is with your free flashback check during the player’s turn. To come up with some good secrets for your character, consider how he came to be in Autralia, how he learned the skills outside of his profession, how he came in possession of his Gear; if your character ever killed another or comitted a crime, try to think of events that led up to that climax. You will be rewarded for revealing one of your many secrets in an entertaining way with a fate point reward at the end of a session.

–First Mission
Discuss what will happen in your first mission. I recommend starting directly after the crash on the island. The GM can put a series of obstacles in your way that will give you the choice to save people, put out fires, find your bearings, or any number of things that NPCs might need help with in the direct aftermath of the crash. This is a good place to start developing how your character behaves under intense pressure. Once you’ve discussed your first mission, go ahead and come up with your character’s Belief, Goal, and Instinct.

–Gear and Starting Rewards
Select some starting gear that would likely be included in your or someone else’s luggage. All characters begin with 1 fate point and 1 persona point.

Here is the process for Recruitment. I’ll eventually put all this stuff into a pdf, but for anyone interested, this should be enough to get you started and, along with the other modifications and rules posted earlier in this thread, you should be able to have a pretty decent Lost campaign going. Any thoughts or suggestions are much appreciated.

–Profession and ability
Tier 1: 2 will 6 health Military, Law Enforcement, Working Stiff
Tier 2: 3 will 5 health Crime, Food Services, Art
Tier 3: 4 will 4 health Education, Business, Law
Tier 4: 5 will 3 health Science, Medicine, Religion

–Lost Nature
Tier 1 and 2: Base nature of 4
Tier 3 and 4: Base nature of 3
*The minimum starting nature is 2 and the max is 6.

Do you put the needs of others above your own?
If so, decrease Nature by 1.

Do you believe that the end justifies the means?
If so, increase Nature by 1, can’t choose Compassionate trait.

Do you prefer the hustle and bustle of the city to the cold and wild of the outdoors? Do you find comfort in coming home to your evening television shows and modern conveniences?
If yes to either, decrease Nature by 1, can’t choose Natural Bearings trait.

Are you an active member of an organized religion?
If yes, increase Nature by 1, can’t choose Independent or Man of Science traits.

Have you ever killed a man?
If yes, increase Nature by 1, can’t choose Innocent trait.

–Life Experience

Age: Anything from 16 - 60

Where do you come from?
*The following locations will more likely intercept with characters from the show in your flashbacks. However, you may choose to come from anywhere in the world!
USA - West coast(Washington, Oregon, California), Midwest (Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan), South (Tennessee, Georgia, Florida), North East (New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont)
Europe - UK (Scotland, England), France, Germany, Italy
Asia and Africa- Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, South Korea
Australia - Melbourne, Sydney

In what area are you naturally talented?
Administrator, Animal Handler, Archivist, Armorer, Artist, Boatcrafter, Brewer, Carpenter, Cartographer, Cook, Deceiver, Doctor, Engineer, Fighter, Gardener, Gatherer, Haggler, Hunter, Instructor, Mason, Militarist, Miller, Orator, Persuader, Scientist, Scout, Survivalist, Tracker, Trivia Master, Weather Watcher, Weaver

What areas did your parents specialize in?
*Place 2 checks, one for each of your parents or parental figures.
Archivist, Animal Handler, Armorer, Artist, Boatcrafter, Brewer, Carpenter, Cartographer, Cook, Doctor, Engineer, Gardener, Gatherer, Mason, Miller, Smith, Weaver

How do you convince people that you’re right or to do what you need?
Deceiver, Orator, Persuader

What was an early job you took in your youth?
Animal Handler, Archivist, Armorer, Artist, Brewer, Carpenter, Cartographer, Cook, Gardener, Gatherer, Miller, Mason, Weaver

Who was your mentor and what did you learn from them?
*Your mentor is someone other than your parents that highly affected the way in which you view life.
Doctor, Fighter, Hunter, Instructor, Scout, Survivalist, Tracker, Weather Watcher

What kind of experience do you have in life up to this point?
*You have a total of 7 checks that you may spread amongst the following skills.
Doctor, Fighter, Hunter, Instructor, Scout, Survivalist, Tracker, Weather Watcher
*Tier 1 professions may consider Armorer and Engineer part of the above list.
*Tier 2 professions may consider Haggler and Gatherer part of the above list.
*Tier 3 professions may consider Trivia Master and Instructor part of the above list.
*Tier 4 professions may consider Archivist and Gardener part of the above list.

What is your specialty?
*Each player may add one check to a skill from the list below. Each player must choose a unique specialty—no two players can choose the same skill as their specialty.
Doctor, Fighter, Hunter, Instructor, Scout, Survivalist, Tracker, Weather Watcher

What are you particularly knowledgeable about?
*Receive 3 checks and choose from the Mouse Guard list or make something up yourself. It should fit into the Lost setting, be sure to okay it with the GM.

–Lost Resources
*Resources represent how resourceful and clever you are with possessions and material goods. Think of it more as a potential for resources on the island, rather than money. However, in the real world before the crash, it will aslo represent your monetary value, which will be used in flashbacks.
*Tier 1 and 2: Base resources 2
*Tier 3 and 4: Base resources 3

In your freetime, when you’re not at work, do you still hone the skills you use in your profession? Are you a workaholic? Do you end up working a lot of overtime?
If yes to any of those, increase Resources by 1. You may not take the Leader trait to start.

Are your parents in the Medicine and Psychology, Law, Business, or Science professions?
If so, increase Resources by 1. Your parents must be of the noted profession.

Do you like to buy gifts for yourself and your friends?
If so, decrease your Resources by 1.

Are you thrifty?
If so, increase your resources by 1. You may not take the Generous trait to start.

Have you ever been in debt? Or are you generally bad with money?
If so, decrease your Resources by 1.

Do you always pack carefully for a trip, ensuring you have everything you need?
If so, increase your resources by 1, you may not take the Bold or Fiery traits to start.

Lost Circles
*represents how well-connected your character is, both on and off the island.
*Tier 1 and 2: Base Circles 2
*Tier 3 and 4: Base Circles 3

Is your castaway gregarious? Does he have lots of friends? Does he make friends easily?
If yes to 1 or more, increase Circles by 1. You may not take the Bitter or Jaded traits.

Do you have strong family ties? Do you have a lot of business contacts?
If yes to either, increase Circles by 1.

Is your character’s name widely known? Perhaps a famous artist or famous businessman?
If so, increase circles by 1.

Do you have powerful enemies back in the real world?
If so, reduce Circles by 1.

Has your character been convicted of a crime?
If so, reduce Circles by 1.

Is your character a loner?
If so, reduce circles by 1. You may not take the Extrovert trait.

–Lost Traits

Choose a quality you were born with:
Bitter, Bodyguard, Bold, Brave, Calm, Clever, Compassionate, Charismatic, Cunning, Curious, Determined, Driven, Early Riser, Extrovert, Fat, Fearful, Fearless, Fiery, Generous, Graceful, Grunt, Innocent, Jaded, Leader, Lost, Natural Bearings, Nimble, Grizzled, Perceptive, Quick-Witted, Quiet, Scarred, Sharp-Eyed, Short, Skeptical, Skinny, Steady Hands, Stoic, Stubborn, Suspicious, Tall, Thoughtful, Tough, Weather Sense, Wise, Young

Choose something you learned or inherited from your parents, parental figures, or mentor:
Addicted, Brave, Calm, Clever, Compassionate, Curious, Defender, Determined, Early Riser, Extrovert, Fearful, Fearless, Fiery, Generous, Graceful, Grunt, Lost, Man of Faith, Man of Science, Social-minded, Natural Bearings, Nimble, Packrat, Perceptive, Quick-Witted, Quiet, Scarred, Short, Skeptical, Skinny, Stubborn, Suspicious, Tall, Tough

Life in Your Chosen Profession:
*put a check next to one trait that you obtained through work in your chosen profession.
Bitter, Bodyguard, Brave, Calm, Clever, Compassionate, Cunning, Curious, Driven, Early Riser, Fearful, Fearless, Grizzled, Jaded, Leader, Natural Bearings, Quiet, Scarred, Sharp-Eyed, Skeptical, Skinny, Stoic, Thoughtful, Tough, Weather Sense, Wise

–Name
*Pick a first and last name

–Parents
*find two names for your parents or parental figures. You may initiate flashbacks with your parents.

–Mentors
*Who was particularly influential in your development? Perhaps it was a teacher, an uncle, a neighbor, or the comic shop owner. You may choose to add a second mentor of someone on the island, even another PC, after the first or second session. In the case of your original mentor, you may use them in your flashbacks.

–Friends
Invent a character who is a friend to your character someone who would help your character without hesitation. Choose a name for him, pick his profession or specialty and give him a home off the island. You may use this person in your flashbacks. After your first or second session, you may create an on-island friend. Be sure to roleplay how they became a friend of yours. Perhaps they find your character attractive or maybe you saved their life after the crash.

–Enemies
Invent someone who is an enemy to your character. Choose a name for him, pick his profession or specialty and give him a home off-island. This could be a professional rival or someone you double-crossed. After your first or second session, you may create an on-island enemy. Be sure to roleplay how they became your enemy. Perhaps you stole their luggage or let someone they loved die in the crash.

–Secrets
Secrets are a big part of the Lost series. Your character should have plenty of secrets and reveal them bit by bit during the session. A good time to reveal a secret is with your free flashback check during the player’s turn. To come up with some good secrets for your character, consider how he came to be in Autralia, how he learned the skills outside of his profession, how he came in possession of his Gear; if your character ever killed another or comitted a crime, try to think of events that led up to that climax. You will be rewarded for revealing one of your many secrets in an entertaining way with a fate point reward at the end of a session.

–First Mission
Discuss what will happen in your first mission. I recommend starting directly after the crash on the island. The GM can put a series of obstacles in your way that will give you the choice to save people, put out fires, find your bearings, or any number of things that NPCs might need help with in the direct aftermath of the crash. This is a good place to start developing how your character behaves under intense pressure. Once you’ve discussed your first mission, go ahead and come up with your character’s Belief, Goal, and Instinct.

–Gear and Starting Rewards
Select some starting gear that would likely be included in your or someone else’s luggage. All characters begin with 1 fate point and 1 persona point.

I just realized that I never came up with anything for Nature rating of the “Seasons.” So, this is what I came up with:

Seasons: Seasons (in the television sense) are broken up into 3 parts - Premiere, Mid-Season, and Finale, followed by the Discussion and Analysis Session, which is the equivalent of the Winter Session in Mouse Guard. For Wilderness Encounters (which combine Weather and Wilderness), the Nature rating for the 3 parts of the Season are Premiere 6, Mid-season 5, and Finale 7. In order to advance the Season, the GM must introduce Island Mysteries, which vary by what point you’re at in the Season. 3 island Mysteries for Premiere, 4 for mid-season, and 2 for Finale. This allows us to keep the structure of the seasons in mouse guard and also have a little variety in encounter difficulties as the season progresses.