Table of Contents
Front Cover Front Matter Introduction Welcome to Season Four! What You’ll Need to Play How to Read This Book The RiM: S4E Team Character Creation D.A.S.H. Design Aspects Statistics Headway D.A.S.H. Example Playing an Episode Structure of Gameplay Making Checks Advantages & Drawbacks Acting in Harmony Damage, Recovery, & Sidelining Using & Restoring Valor Ending an Episode Character Advancement Learning Lessons Experience Points Purchasing Edges Edge List Library of Edges Magic & Spellcasting Magic Is as Magic Does Creating Spells Casting Spells The Canterlot Archives Running an Episode Being the Game Master Collaborative Storytelling Getting Things Started Checks & Difficulty Targets Damage & Sidelining Lessons & Experience Variant Rules Plot Points Equestria Girls Paragon Ponies Wide, Wide World Epic Experience Encyclopedia Equestria Premade Episodes The House of Enchanted Comics Ars Unicornia Mutants and Maresterminds Whinnystrad Miscellaneous Character Sheet A Note for Developers Updates & Resources Single Page Version (for print)
The House of Enchanted Comics
An Original Three-Part Episode By Emerald Dusk
What follows is a three-part Episode (three Episodes, played back-to-back), to get your game group started with S4E, and to show you how to write Episodes for S4E. Most Episodes don't need complex charts and tables, just a well-thought-out story to follow along with and play out together! This section contains the prologue, epilogue, and opening sequences, with each distinct Episode itself in the subsequent sections of this chapter.
Prologue: The Enchanted Comic Shop
After hearing rumors about the great selection for weeks, you’ve finally managed to make it. All in all, the place seemed a lot more impressive in people’s wild descriptions. And yet, here you stand, in front of a quiet, unassuming comic shop in Canterlot’s shopping district. From the outside, you’d be forgiven for believing that the place was closed, with windows completely blocked by massive stacks of precariously balanced comic books, and blinds drawn tightly over the door. Only the occasional exit of a group of excited patrons and a small sign reading “Open: Limit 6 customers” betray the fact that the shop is open. The few guests in line before you had gone in a short while ago, leaving you some time to chat with the others in line to get in.
During this time, the PCs should get to know each other a little better. After all, they are about to embark on an adventure through several worlds which will test and strengthen their friendship, so give the group time to chat, get to know each other, or strengthen inter-character relationships. When things begin to slow down, a group of six excited ponies step out of the shop.
“That was great, you guys. We should totally come back next week!”
“I know! No wonder the place only allows six at a time.”
“It was like I was there!”
Once the group leaves, the PCs are free to enter the shop. Inside are massive stacks and piles of comic books, filling boxes, filling shelves, and threatening to overwhelm anyone who enters with the sheer volume of books. After the PCs look around a little bit, mention that the door is no longer where they thought it was, and the only path through the maze of books leads deeper into the shop.
After a bit of wandering, the PCs will invariably run across the front desk of the shop, helmed by a young Unicorn named Page Turner.
“Ah!” the Unicorn says as you shuffle into view. “The next group of customers is here already! Welcome, welcome, to the Comic Shop of Wonders! I’m Page Turner, your guide. Is there any sort of specific genre you’re looking for today? Of course, we have the classic cape capers, including this great new volume of “Mutants and Maresterminds” in just last week.” At this, she points to the wall behind you, lined with superhero comics stacked around the new feature book. “Of course, if you’re looking for something a little more grounded in reality, we have the newest “Ars Unicornia” available over here in the Magic Section. Finally, if you’re looking for something with a little more, *ahem* bite, we’ve got a great new “Whinnystrad” book here in the horror section. Is there anything you’d like to give a look?”
Once the players have decided on a book to try out, Paige leads them to the book of their choice, and sets it on a lectern. Once the book is opened, the party is pulled into the pages, to begin their first adventure.
WAIT!
Epilogue: Comings and Goings
Once the party has returned from all three adventures, Page is once again waiting for them at her counter.
"I certainly hope you’ve enjoyed your stay at my little shop. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to ask you to let the next group of ponies in now. Books can, of course, be purchased for 5 bits each, with a current 3-for-10 deal. We get new books in each week, so feel free to come back soon, and tell all your friends!"
Page remains as tight-lipped as ever when it comes to her trade secrets, but will at least offer a bit of advice. She works her way around the group, should they ask her about the magic of the books, poking and prodding them towards any lessons of friendship they might have learned while working together on their adventures. By the end of any questions, the party should know exactly what they want to write when they make their final letters to the princess, and should be close knit as a group, prepared to seek out adventures of their own.
As a special reward for completing all of the stories in this three-part Episode, the group gains an additional 15 XP.