ODDITY HIGH!

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Written by Derek Ehlmann
Special Thanks
Co-written by Word on the Wind

Additional Curation by Meg Ziegler, Zoey Whiting, Kyle Gosa and Mjolna To Word on the Wind, Rae, Taco, and Kyle for the very first playtest
- the penguin wizard shall never be forgotten - and the numerous tests
Cover art by Rosuuri - https://www.rosuuri.com/
beyond that.

To Michael Kong, Liz Lusk and Sarah Pauling for longer-term

The text in this book is under the Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 license: playtesting (and just being some of the best friends a guy could ask for).
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
To Roll to Breathe for recording their one-shot of Oddity High for
the Kickstarter
The Apocalypse Engine is used courtesy of Vincent Baker and Lumpley To Word, Meg, Jovian, Zoey, Bruce and Emmett for recording the ill-
Games (lumpley.com). The structure of Oddity High as both a book and an fated podcast and helping with additional testing
experience is derived from and inspired by the Powered By The Apocalypse
To the various outlets, Discord servers, and social media sites that
games that came before it: the most prominent examples of this are MASKS
helped crowd-source various small bits of information.
by Brendan Conway, Monsterhearts by Avery Alder, Pigsmoke by Chris
Longhurst and Fellowship by Vel Mini. To all of the backers and supporters of the Kickstarter in all
capacities.
The Canon mechanic is taken in part from Microscope by Ben Robbins.
To Mom, Dad, and everyone else who put up with how long this
The X-card (http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg) is a creation of John
took to get out there.
Stravopolous.

Oddity High

Version 0.x, [date]

(C) 2018-2022 Derek Ehlmann

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 CHAPTER 1 Who Are You?

WHAT IS You are a high school student, probably somewhere between

fourteen and seventeen years old, attending school in Japan. This is only a

ODDITY HIGH?
fraction of who you are, but it’s a statement that’s going to be correct more
often than not. Besides the elephant in the room that is your connection to
the supernatural, you’re a pretty normal student. You have your friends and
social circles, you’re part of a school club, you have your homework and
exams and such - school’s a lot to handle, and a lot of people don’t realize
just how taxing it can be. That won’t stop you from tackling it in whatever
way fits you the best - whether that’s giving it your all, reaching out to
Oddity High is an anime-inspired tabletop RPG for 4-6 players others, making yourself useful or just not caring what the world thinks.
about the life of a group of Japanese high school students who live in the
Of course, you’re not just human. In some form, you’re someone
space between the mundane and supernatural worlds. Whatever
that’s special - and this could be anything from being an alien to having a
strangeness is out there - which could be anything from espers to ghosts
secret society backing you up to simply being the right person in the right
to aliens and so, so much more - it’s permeated the school and your lives.
place time and time again. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re any
With a gang of other equally-unusual souls at your side, you’ll need to
better equipped to handle your high school life - in fact, all the baggage
balance the responsibilities and trials that come from the dual challenges
that comes with being aware or part of the supernatural means is almost
of a strange and often confusing world with its own quirks and systems
certainly going to get in the way of living “normally”. You’re in the middle
you’ll need to master… and whatever the otherworldly throws at you on top
of a cosmic convergence of unusual activity, with yourself and the people
of your high school life.
closest to you each representing a single slice of it. You’re part normal, part
You're playing to find out what happens next - as characters, as paranormal - and at the day, all that means is that you’re you.
writers and as the audience of an anime you’re making all your own. The
school, the students, the supernatural - all of that is created collectively by A Strange School
the table. Does the school have the stronghold of a secret society in the
basement? Is the student council president an android? Are your teachers The “High” part of Oddity High doesn’t refer to the high amounts
secretly phantom thieves when they’re not teaching? These decisions are of oddities in the setting, but rather to the setting; a high school full of
all up to you and the people you’re playing with. The reason you play is to supernatural strangeness. On the surface, your school is just one of
release your gang of oddballs into the world you create and watch the thousands of ordinary Japanese high schools. It might be bigger or smaller,
fireworks - do they survive whatever hardships their lives throw at them, or more or less prestigious or funded, but ultimately it’s not too different from
do they buckle under the stress of having two different worlds on their any other. The teachers teach, and the students learn (or don’t). The sports
shoulders? That’s what you’re here to find out. teams strive for glory, the school clubs focus on their hobbies of choice,
and the student council keeps an eye on it. It has its sports meets and its
culture festivals and its exams, and it carries on just like any other school.

All of that is true… but it’s also only the tip of the iceberg.

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 Sure, most of the students will probably go from their first day to and be considered “anime” games without technically sharing the medium.
graduation day without really being aware of anything out of the ordinary. It also serves to set it apart from Western-styled works with the same high
You’re not among that group, and there’s plenty of other people out there concept - less of the “jocks, nerds and cheerleaders” high-school trappings
that aren’t. Everyone and everything around you - the teachers, the of American media and more of the “school clubs and cultural festivals”
principal, your fellow students and even the school itself - has the potential aspects of Japanese high school life… though the fictional picture it all
to be just as strange as you are. Of course, they’re also probably keeping it paints is still fairly different from what actual Japanese schooling is like,
under wraps… but if anyone’s going to find out their secrets, it’s you. Even even before the supernatural enters the picture.
if the rest of the school is entirely normal - and that’s a very big “if” - that
The vastness of the medium means that covering all the possible
only serves to highlight the complications that come courtesy of your
genres and tropes anime can contain is a fool’s errand, so Oddity High
Other-Lives and the mark they leave on you.
doesn’t set out to do that. If you want to tell a mecha, cyberpunk or isekai
Even with all the strangeness hiding under the surface, you’re still story, this isn’t the system for it. Instead, it focuses primarily on the setting
going to a normal Japanese high school. It’s a location that’s ultimately - a strange Japanese high school with even stranger students. There are
grounded in in the Real-World. Most Japanese high schools have about many works that dial down on this particular slice of media (see
1000-1500 students in them - even if half of the students you know have Inspirations, page 12) and it’s the traits these works share that form the
connections to the supernatural, that’s still only going to be 1% of the foundation for Oddity High.
student body at best. Oddity High is about a school awash in the
paranormal, but it’s ultimately something that leaks into the cracks and
What is a
margins of an otherwise normal place. If you want to have a game set in a
tabletop rpg?
specialized school for superheroes, or a game focusing on a high school in
If you’ve found yourself a copy of Oddity High, you’re probably
the middle of Ohio filled with things that go bump in the night, or one that
already familiar with what a tabletop RPG is. But, in case that you’re
focuses on college students tackling paranormal-focused majors… well,
unfamiliar with them, here is what a tabletop RPG is as specifically
these are all fun settings, but they’re not Oddity High’s setting.
pertaining to what Oddity High is. To start, let’s break it down into each of
An Anime-inspired the component words, as they’re all important parts of what it is:
Game ● It’s a tabletop experience: whether the table is virtual or physical,
it’s an affair where you get some friends together and play the
Anime isn’t a genre - it’s a medium, covering everything from Akira
game with one another. In particular, it’s set apart from something
to Zatch Bell. It’s a wide and wondrous banner that encompasses entries
like a video game by the fact that the story is being crafted as it
from every genre, for every age and demographic; from some of the most
goes by the players, without any of the mechanics or storytelling
incredible and influential works of fiction to tasteless cash grabs that have
being handled by software.
been rightfully forgotten and everything in between. The only thing that
ties anime together is that it’s an animated work created in Japan - ● There is role-playing involved. You are taking a character that
everything else is down to the creators. you’ve created yourself, and stepping into their shoes. You act as
them and do what they would do - which can, will and should differ
Given that Oddity High is distinctly not an animated work created from what you’d do in the situation. Your main interactions are with
in Japan, you may be wondering what the anime influences actually entail others around you that are doing the exact same thing.
in practice. Primarily, it’s tropes, and lots of them - from magical girls to
● You’re playing a game. You have your objective, you have rules that
model students, delinquents to demon lords, Oddity High uses a lot of
determine what you do at various points, and - most importantly -
narrative tools and ideas first presented within Japanese works in this style,
you’re here to have a good time.
in the same way that a visual novel or a game like Persona can use them

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 The objective of Oddity High isn’t to conquer dungeons or pull of
daring heists or beat up the bad guys - it’s to tell a great collaborative story.
You create the cast, you put them in interesting situations, and you see how
YOUR TWO LIVES
they handle it. When conflict or uncertainty arises, the dice are there to tell Throughout this book, you will see references to things having to
you if things shape out well or poorly. You don’t know how things will go, do with your “Real-Life” and your “Other-Life”. They’re both equally
but that’s where the fun lies. important, so let’s take a moment to define what they are.

If you want more information about how these games work in “Real-life” and the
practice, there are several podcasts out there that play through tabletop mundane world
RPGs - things like Critical Role, The Adventure Zone, Friends at the Table and
Roll to Breathe are good ways to learn the ropes - even moreso if they’re “The Real World” is the blanket term encompassing the mundane;
playing a game in the Powered by the Apocalypse engine. the ordinary, the normal, the real. It covers everything that an ordinary
person can and would experience in their day-to-day life. Friends, cars,
Powered By The food, the internet, manga, construction, tea, home - every tangible thing in
Apocalypse the world as we know it is part of the Real World. That said, just because it’s
mundane doesn’t mean it’s any weaker or lesser than the otherworldly.
Powered by the Apocalypse is a tabletop RPG framework upon After all, a punch to the gut or a messy breakup can and will hurt you,
which many games, Oddity High included, are based. Despite the rather confuse you, scar you - regardless of whether you’re supernatural or not.
alarming name, it doesn’t inherently deal with the end of the world - rather,
it’s named after the first game to use it, Apocalypse World. Other games For a Japanese high school student, your Real-Life primarily means
that use the system include Dungeon World, Monster of the Week, Urban dealing with high school life. This comes with a number of avenues of
Shadows, MASKS, and many, many more. If you’ve played any of these fulfillment that one can pursue (such as being academically successful,
games, or another game that’s used these systems - great! You’re already being part of a good club, etc.) and just as many ways to fail and fall from
familiar with the system’s basics, though it’s recommended that you read grace. The authorities at school are generally clear: there’s the leaders of
through the rules anyway and get acquainted with Oddity High’s the clubs that you’ve been involved in, the student council, and finally the
idiosyncrasies. If not, don’t worry! You’ll become familiar with the ways it concrete authority of the teachers and the principals. Beyond that, there’s
sets itself apart from other systems - from the dice it rolls to the way its also the inscrutably arcane forces that guide the school; public opinion,
characters are built - by reading through and playing Oddity High. academics, and being ‘popular’… whatever the hell that entails.

Of course, the Real World doesn’t stop mattering the minute you
step outside of the school gates. The place you live, whether it’s a small
town or the biggest city in Japan, is almost as important. The most pressing
figures outside of the school for your average PC are your character’s
family. What this entails depends on the character and their backstory, and
could be anything from a single parent to a loving household to a distant
elder and the league of servants under them - or even nobody at all, if your
existence is particularly lonely. Beyond that, the city lives and breathes - the
police keep the peace (or so they claim), the reporters reach out to the
truth (whatever that may be), criminals (organized and not) gets up to no
good, and the politicians try to steer the system towards (their personal)
success and prosperity.

8 9
 “Other-life” and the “Real” and “other”
otherworldly characters
“Other-Life” generally talks about the otherworldly; the This book will refer to both Real-World characters and Other-World
extraordinary, the paranormal, the unreal. Simply put, it encompasses characters. A Real-World character is one whose existence is completely in
everything that one’s Real-Life doesn’t. Since it’s defined by what isn’t as the Real-World and doesn’t cross over to the Other-World. For example,
opposed to what is, defining the Other-World is a far more open your classmates are Real-World characters, but the girl who sits behind you
proposition. Depending on how the players build the setting and what they that’s secretly a robot is not. Students, parents, teachers and siblings are
do or don’t want, what the Other-World is can vary dramatically from group common examples of Real-World characters. Other-World characters are
to group, even when the mechanics of the two are the same. However, characters that originate from the Other-World and whose influence on the
despite the name, it’s just as real to those that live in it as the Real-World is Real-World is secondary at best. They aren’t bound by the Real-World’s
to “ordinary people”. obligations and will likely find the Real-World as strange and curious as a
Real-World character would find them. Aliens, demons, undead and other
To simply go down the list of what’s directly suggested by the base
supernatural beings are all Other-World characters, up to the point where
Other-Life Playbooks, a given game of Oddity High could contain any of
they successfully manage to engage with the Real-World as humans do.
the following: aliens, magical girls, robots, minor gods, espers, secret
agencies, powerful beings bound to ordinary people, ninjas, malevolent Many characters, most notably the Gang, fall in between the Real-
laboratories and their experiments, time travel, phantom thieves, yokai and World and the Other World. They are still beholden to the responsibilities
other monsters, characters from games that have been pulled into the real and roles bestowed upon them by the Real-World, but are a part of the
world, half-human half-monsters, sentient animals, mages, scions of Other-World in some capacity (even if it’s merely being aware of it). A
criminal families, and reality warpers. This is merely what’s directly implied “scam” psychic with real ESP, an alien pretending to be your gym teacher,
by the Deals of the Other-Life Playbooks - pick three to five of the above a cat who’s secretly the world’s greatest sorcerer, any number of “odd”
and you have yourself a Gang. There could be far more out there, students - all of them live in this gray area. These characters are neither
depending on if the players want to put a spin on their Playbook or the Real-World characters or Other-World characters, and cannot be targeted
Lead Writer has particularly far-reaching ideas. by moves or abilities that specifically affect one or the other.
The things that make up Other-World is depends extensively on
what everyone’s Other-Life Playbook is and the flavor they choose for it.
For example, if a player is the Displaced and they’re the scion of an angel
and a devil, this necessitates the existence of both a Heaven-analogue and
a Hell-analogue, with the player laying out the basics of how this works and
the Lead Writer filling in everything else. With each player crafting their
own slice of the setting, it could end up getting pretty strange and
disparate - good! This sort of kitchen-sink cosmology is ultimately what
defines Oddity High’s setting.

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 INSPIRATIONS ● FLCL (by Kazuya Tsurumaki): A yellow Vespa, a TV-headed robot, a
bass guitar to the skull. While it’s steeped heavily in metaphor and
only tangentially focuses on school matters, FLCL strikes a lot of the
Oddity High is shamelessly influenced from the ground up by same chords that a good (and not-entirely-serious) game of Oddity
anime, manga, and video games that take the life of Japanese high High does, particularly when it comes to getting weird.
schoolers and drive it off the deep end. If you want an example of ● Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable (by Hirohiko
something to compare your experiences and tropes with, look no further Araki): A tale of school, Stands and slug-fests in the crazy, noisy,
than the following: bizarre town of Morioh. (For the record, this is the only part of Jojo’s
● The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (created by Nagaru Bizarre Adventure that’s applicable to Oddity High, the rest touch
Tanigawa) is unquestionably the single largest inspiration for on the high school aspects for one or two episodes if at all)
Oddity High. It’s a light novel/manga/anime/etc. about a club ● Hatoful Boyfriend (by Hato Moa): Yes, the dating sim where you
consisting of an alien, a time traveler, an esper, an unaware reality romance pigeons. Premise aside, it has great characters, and the
warper, and the ordinary guy in the middle of it all who’s doing his secret final chapter is a great example of how conspiracies and
best to keep the world from ending. This kitchen-sink, “gang of supernatural happenings can encroach on an ordinary high school.
various supernatural representatives” approach that Oddity High ● Higurashi: When They Cry (by Ryukishi17): A story of mysteries,
uses takes its inspiration from this series, as do many of this game’s murder, paranoia and friendship. If you want to see how dark and
Other-Life Playbooks. bloody you can get without diverging from the bounds of Oddity
● Mob Psycho 100 (by ONE): A young esper struggles to find his High, give it a look. (And if you want to see how you can make a
place in the world, trying to balance his overwhelming psychic stand against said darkness and fight your way to a better
powers with trying to live an ordinary, fulfilling life. Despite the tomorrow, make sure to keep watching/reading through all the
protagonist and his peers being younger than the average Oddity answer arcs / the second season)
High gang, it still fits the Oddity High mold to a T, with Mob’s ● Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (by Sumito Oowara): Three overly
conflicts between his school life and his phenomenal abilities imaginative high-schoolers (okay, two overly imaginative high
exemplifying the struggle between the two sides of one’s life. schoolers and a pragmatist) form a club to make their own anime.
● The Persona series - specifically, Persona 3, Persona 4 and The otherworldly might only be present in the girls’ imaginations,
Persona 5 (by Atlus Games). A series about high school students but as far as a what an Oddity High school should look and feel like,
who have to balance saving the world from the darkness within Eizouken’s a perfect example.
humanity’s collective consciousness, and keeping on top of their ● Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun (by Izumi Tsubaki): The misadventures
mundane lives. Oddity High derives a lot of how it handles of a young, oblivious shoujo manga artist and the people
interacting with obligations and the school system from these surrounding him. Not supernatural, but if you want to see how you
games, and takes its fair share of inspiration for its Real-Life can take a Playbook and flip it on its head, give this series a look.
Playbooks from the parties of these games.
● Nichijou (by Keiichi Arai): A laid-back slice of life series, except the
While the former are the biggest influences of Oddity High, they lives in question are weird. It’s got robot girls, deer getting
are by no means the only ones. Other inspirations, to greater and lesser suplexed, aggressively bad jokes - all of which make it a great
degrees, are as follows: example of what Oddity High could be like at its strangest.

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 WHAT YOU’LL NEED CONTENT AND SAFETY
In order to play Oddity High, you will need:
● Friends, gaming buddies, or other people you’ve roped into playing UNDER CONSTRUCTION

!
this. (3-5 players, along with someone to run the show, is the Making sure that the content and safety of
optimum number for Oddity High: too few, and the game’s a game is up to task is paramount, so this
mechanics don’t quite work as they ought to; too many, and there section is going to take a bit longer to
isn’t enough spotlight to go around) create in order to make sure that it turns
● Someone to play the part of the Lead Writer - the person who sets out right.
the stage of the story, dictates how the NPCs act, and who tells the
rest of the group what happens when they roll badly at the worst

●
possible moment.
About two to four hours to spend on each session. While Oddity
THE X-CARD
High works fine with one-shot single sessions, having multiple
(The X-Card, as well as the following description of its usage, was
sessions making up a whole season really helps to make it shine.
created by John Stavropolous and is licensed via Creative Commons for
● This very book (or at least the information within). Oddity High. For more information on the X-Card as well as examples of
● Six-sided dice - three is recommended, but it works with two or how to use it, visit http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg)
even one die if you’re in a pinch. If you have a spare board game
The X-Card is an optional tool that allows anyone in your game
around that involves rolling dice, they’re almost certainly going to
(including the Lead Writer) to edit out any content anyone is
have six-sided dice in them, so you can steal from them if you don’t
uncomfortable with as you play. Since most RPGs are improvisational and
feel like buying your own.
we won't know what will happen till it happens, it's possible the game will
● A way to represent the character sheets for the Playbooks you go in a direction people don't want. An X-Card is a simple tool to fix
choose, one of each type per player. You can find them online for problems as they arise.
free at [this link], print them out, or you can use a sheet of paper or
word document and write in the information as needed. To use, at the start of your game, simply say:

● Pencils to write down notes and mark boxes with, and scrap paper “I’d like your help. Your help to make this game fun for
to write down notes on. everyone. If anything makes anyone uncomfortable in any
With the exception of the time and the people, you can use digital way… [ draw X on an index card ] …just lift this card up, or
versions of all of these. Using a smartphone, laptop or other computer, you simply tap it [ place card at the center of the table ]. You don’t
can access the PDF of the book and its supplementary materials, find digital have to explain why. It doesn't matter why. When we lift or tap
dice rollers and fill out your sheets electronically. If you’re doing this this card, we simply edit out anything X-Carded. And if there
entirely online, you’ll also need some way to communicate with the rest of is ever an issue, anyone can call for a break and we can talk
the players (such as Discord or Zoom) as well. privately. I know it sounds funny but it will help us play
amazing games together and usually I’m the one who uses
the X card to protect myself from all of you! Please help make
this game fun for everyone. Thank you!"

14 15
 CHAPTER 2 each player names something that they want to add to either category.
Entries in the “Yes” column can be argued for or against; entries in the “No”

THE BASICS
column should not be (as they’re probably there for a reason). This process
continues until someone has nothing more they want to add and the table
has nothing else they want to remove.

Step 3: Choose your playbooks

It’s time to get started on creating your characters. First, everyone
chooses two Playbooks - one Real-Life Playbook and one Other-Life
Playbook. No two players may share a Playbook - for example, there can’t
be both a Brash Vanilla and a Brash Leash, or both a Fanservice Henshin and
a Otaku Henshin.

GETTING STARTED Step 4: choose your angle and deal

Every Real-Life Playbook comes with one of three Angles, which
So, you and the rest of the players are all ready to get started with adjust your stats and dictate what Angle Moves you can take. Most Other-
Oddity High and have all gathered in the same place - now what? It’s time Life Playbooks come with one of three Deals, which may adjust your stats
to lay the story’s foundations and create the most important characters - but generally serves as an alternate ability or extra move in your toolkit.
the Gang and the school. (Okay, the school’s probably not an actual
character barring any Other-Life elements making it so, but as the main
Step 5: Decide on your Name and Appearance
setting it deserves a similar amount of care and focus during its creation.) At this point, you probably have an idea of what your character is
It’s recommended to have a “Session Zero” and take on the steps below as like. Choose from the Appearance options of your Playbooks, and come up
a group the first time that you meet up for a session. More information on with a good name. (See the section about Japanese names later in the book
the following can be found in Chapter 3 - “Your Character” and Chapter 8 - if you’re stumped in that regard.)
“The First Session”.
Step 6: choose your Moves and Powers
Step 1: discuss boundaries and decide on
your tone Unless a Playbook says otherwise, you’ll be picking one move from
your Real-Life Playbook’s Angle Moves, one from its Flexible Moves, and a
The first thing to do is make sure that everyone’s on the same page move from your Other-Life Playbook.
regarding what the story is going to be. Cartoonish and zany? Grounded
and serious? Now’s the time to discuss boundaries and lay out any Step 7: - Choose your School Club
particular things that are and aren’t okay. There are two kinds of clubs, Standard and Favored - Favored Clubs
Step 2: create the canon give you a +1 to a relevant stat, and both clubs give you a +1 to their field
of expertise. Standard Clubs increase your Obligation by 1, and Favored
With a general idea of the shape of the story starting to form, it’s Clubs increase it by 2.
time to decide as a group what should and shouldn’t be present. Make two
columns, one for “Yes” (for things that people want to see in the story) and
one for “No” (for things that should not be in the story under any
circumstances). Starting with the Lead Writer and going around the table,

16 17
 Step 8: Calculate Your Stats There are two kinds of questions. Facts are bits of information
about the school that are more-or-less true. These are details about more
Each character has a starting stat spread (as dictated by their Real- mundane aspects of the school, such as the building, its students, or its
Life Playbook). Additionally, your stats are modified by your Angle (which faculty. Rumors are the stories that the students talk about - the things,
usually adjusts one stat up and one stat down), your Other-Life Playbook mundane or fantastical, that nobody knows the exact picture of. The
(some of them do the same), your School Club (if you’ve chosen a Favored material of a rumor might be true, it might be nonsense, or there could be
Club), and some Playbook Moves. You should also write down how much a completely different explanation than the one people give.
Obligation your Playbooks and Clubs give you.

Step Seven - Pick your Comfort

Your character has things they do that help them feel better and
FACTS RUMORS
● Who among the faculty ● Tell us an urban legend
relieve the stress life throws at them. You have three options here, dictated
stands out? Is it in a good way that’s been circulating around
by your Real-Life Playbook.
or a bad way? the school
Step Eight - Decide On your Friendships ● Several Japanese schools
● If you had to describe the
Your Real-Life Playbook dictates your Friendships - each character have stories about ghosts that
student body as a whole in one
should have between one and three with the various members of the Gang. are said to haunt them. What’s
word, what would it be?
If there’s more Friendships than players, create an NPC at this time to have your school’s ghost story?
this bond with. ● Which club or team is our ● Tell us a rumor you’ve heard
Step Nine - Answer Your Backstory school renowned for? about another student
Questions ● Choose a Fact detailed by
● What happened at last year’s
another player. Tell us about
Each Playbook has you answer at least two of their Backstory culture festival that still has
what people say really
questions each - that’s four in total that should be answered at minimum. people talking?
happened.
(If you’re running a one-shot or are short on time, you may skip this part)
● What’s unique or special ● What’s rumored to be under
Step 5: Create the school about the school building itself? the school?
Each player chooses two questions to answer, one from each list. ● What notable public figure ● Who’s the most “infamous”
Depending on the number of players and how comfortable you are with has close ties to the school or student in your school? Why is
answering questions, feel free to answer more than one question, or only one of its students? that? Is it one of you?
one. The Lead Writer participating in this step is optional - after all, they’re
making the rest of the setting. Somewhere between six and ten ● What stands out about the ● Tell us a rumor about the
questions, split evenly between both categories, should be adequate for area or neighborhood around school itself or a specific place in
defining your stomping grounds. your school? or around it.
● Tell us about a place nearby
● Tell us about a popular place
that’s rumored to be cursed,
to hang out that’s close to your
haunted, or have mysterious
school
happenings associated with it

18 19
 MAKING YOUR MOVES As an example, let’s look at the Basic Move face a threat head-on:

When you intervene in a situation via direct

Oddity High’s action is driven by moves. These are the things that confrontation, roll + Guts. On a hit, you put yourself in the
truly drive the story, resolve conflicts, answer questions, and determine way and keep your target from doing what they intended. On
whether someone succeeds or fails. Not every action the characters take a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one:
results in a move - simple or non-noteworthy actions just happen as the • You frighten, surprise, or impress them
table desires. For the times when success isn’t guaranteed and failure is just
as interesting, that’s where moves come into play. • You take something from them

Moves are the main way that players exert their influence on the • You direct their attack or attention away from their target
world - while the Lead Writer has a similar mechanic (known as cuts - more and towards you
on them in their respective section of “The Lead Writer” chapter), moves are • You create an opportunity for your allies
solely a tool of the players.
• You avoid their retaliation
Every move in Oddity High has three components to it: the
circumstance, the action, and the result. For this example, “when you intervene in a situation via direct
confrontation” is the circumstance, “roll + Guts” is the action, and “on a hit,
● The circumstance of the move is what needs to happen in order to you put yourself in the way and keep your target from doing what they
trigger the move, whether that’s an action you take or a condition intended” is the result.
that needs to apply. When you see a bolded sentence in this
book that starts with “When you…” or something along those An important thing for everyone to remember is that each of the
lines, it is most likely the circumstance of a move. If a move doesn’t three parts of a move are mandatory in their own ways: if something would
have a denoted circumstance, that means that it’s either always trigger them, they will always trigger when that happens - and inversely,
active or can be activated at will. they’d never activate unless the circumstances would allow for them. This
● The action is what the move asks you to do in order to receive or means that if you want to face a threat head-on, you’re going to have to,
determine its benefit. For the majority of Oddity High’s moves, this well, face the threat head-on - say, by telling someone to shut up or by
involves rolling the dice. If there isn’t an obvious condition to using trying to fry a monster with their pyrokinesis. If you’re not doing so, you
the move (such as marking a Condition or rolling dice), it is always can’t trigger the move - you’d either activate a different move (such as talk
active and you can reap the benefits when the circumstances are it out or unleash your true power) or just not trigger a move at all. Likewise,
applicable to the situation. if you’re getting directly confrontational and it’s a situation where a move’s
results matter, you’re going to have to roll to face a threat head-on and
● The result is what happens once you do the action. These can vary deal with the results, good or bad. Also, when you trigger a move, you’re
greatly from move to move, and can be good, bad, or both. If a going to have to roll dice for it - nobody can just skip the roll and say what
move’s action asks you to roll dice, the result will depend on the the result is (not even the Lead Writer), and you can’t roll for the move
value of the dice. without having the circumstance trigger first. Finally, what ends up
happening as a result is going to be what happens next. If the dice roll
super well, the Lead Writer can’t deny the players the mechanical benefits.
If a PC uses a friendship and pays the cost, whoever’s playing the target is
obligated to deliver on their end. Ultimately, the results of moves are what
happens, whether the table likes it or not.

20 21
 Sarah: So, I want to hit the sludge monster with a magical
Hits and Misses blast.

Derek: Sure, Chiharu can absolutely do that. What does this

When a move tells you to roll, you roll two six-sided dice and take look like?
the sum of both rolls. If it tells you to roll + a stat (such as ‘+ Strangeness’
or ‘+ Obligation’ - more on these in the “Stats” section), you add that stat, Sarah: Nothing fancy, just a big ol’ laser.
positive or negative, to the total. If it simply tells you to roll (or to roll + Derek: Sounds pretty straightforward. Roll to face a threat
nothing), you simply take the unmodified sum of both dice. You can never head-on. What’s your Guts?
roll above a +4, or below a -3. Dice are only rolled when a move tells you
to roll, and the Lead Writer never rolls dice. Sarah: It’s a -1… not great…

What you do once you roll the dice depends on what the result of [Sarah rolls the dice]
your roll is. Throughout the book, moves will refer to things happening for
Derek: Alright, what did you- that’s not a happy face. What’d
various results - “on a miss”, “on a 7-9”, et cetera:
you get?
● If your total is 7 or more, the roll is a hit. On a hit, you do what you
Sarah: …I rolled a seven.
intended to do, generally. Hits are often divided into the following.
◦ A total of 7 to 9 is a partial success. On a 7-9, you often either Michael: She got a five and a two.
get what you want at cost, receive the bare minimum of Derek: Which, with your -1, makes the total a six. That’s a
information or aid, or end up with more consequences than you miss.
might have expected. That being said, you still did what you
wanted to do, and that’s good. Sarah: Alright, alright. Damn it. So, what happens to Chiharu?
◦ A total of 10 or more is a complete success. On a 10+, you do Derek: Let me think… ah, I got it.
exactly what you set out to do, get what you want without
compromise, or succeed with flying colors. In almost all Sarah: I’m already terrified.
circumstances, this is the best result you could hope for. Derek: No, no, it’s fine. We see the magic swirl around you,
● A total of 6 or less is a miss. A miss isn’t necessarily a failure - it’s and you manifest a laser that’s as wide as you are tall. We
just that what happens next is entirely in the hands of the Lead hear the screeching of the sludge monster as it gets vaporized.
Writer, and they’re allowed to twist it however they want. Things will Once everyone can see again, there’s no sign of the sludge
probably get worse for you, but it doesn’t mean you’re getting the monster. However, the laser didn’t stop there - the wall behind
worst possible outcome - it might not even mean that you’ve failed, it has also been blasted. Some of the pipes are leaking water,
though in that case you’re probably not going to like what success and some are fused together. That’s probably hundreds of
looks like. If a move doesn’t have any specific results for a miss, the thousands of yen worth of damage - and while the faculty
Lead Writer can do whatever they see fit as a result. didn’t know about the sludge monster, they do know that you
were poking around in there because Kawashiro-sensei lent
you the keys.

Michael: (singsong voice) You’re in trouble…

Sarah: We’re all in trouble!

22 23
opportunities
Some moves (such as face a threat head-on above) state that they
THE GANG (AND THE REST)
create opportunities for others. Opportunities created in such a way can Throughout this book, you’ll see references to a few different
only be used by other characters, and not whoever created the opportunity. collective nouns:
When another character makes use of an opportunity, they can do
whatever they set out to do without needing to roll. This is limited by the ● The table, which refers to everyone present and playing Oddity
character’s powers and abilities as well as the situation at hand; a good (but High.
by no means concrete) rule of thumb is that you can get the results of any ● The players, which refers to everyone except the Lead Writer.
move you have by using an opportunity. Opportunities must be used while ● The Gang, which refers to the player characters as a group or unit.
the, well, opportunity is present - if the chance to use it passes, the
When Oddity High refers to a character being a member of the
opportunity is wasted.
Gang, it means they’re a player character - “member of the Gang” and “PC”
Hold are used interchangeably throughout the book and mean the same thing.
Regardless of your social circles or walks of life, everyone at the table
Several moves involve the use of hold. Hold is a resource generated
besides the Lead Writer is part of the Gang, because that’s who the red
by a move that’s spent to get results specifically relating to that move. Hold
string of fate has tied them to. If the Gang doesn’t find themselves
is special in that it can be spent at any point after the roll is made to get the
interacting with each other more than anyone else and getting into trouble
benefit. Multiple points of Hold can be spent on the same outcome,
together, it’s up to the Lead Writer to make sure that they do.
assuming that getting the same result multiple times is possible or
productive. If the Hold is not spent until the opportunity to use it has
passed, it is lost. When exactly the Hold is lost depends on the move’s
npcs
context; for example, a move that involves spending Hold for benefits in a
fight only lasts for the length of the fight. Both your school and your story are made up of far more people
than just the Gang. NPCs are the characters played by the Lead Writer, and
advantage and Disadvantage can be anything - from students who wouldn’t be out of place as part of
When you roll with Advantage, roll three dice and take the the Gang to mindless animals, incomprehensible gods or aliens, and
highest two results. When you roll with Disadvantage, roll three dice and everything in between.
take the lowest two results. When you would roll with both Advantage and NPCs are far more simple, mechanics-wise, than PCs. Most of them
Disadvantage, you roll with neither. don’t have stats, nor do they need them for the most part. They don’t make
When a move tells you to roll with Advantage or Disadvantage moves and never roll dice for their actions - what they do is dictated by the
after having rolled, roll an additional die and take the highest or lowest of Cuts the Lead Writer makes and is manipulated by the rolls of the Gang to
the three results as if you had rolled with Advantage or Disadvantage. do so. This applies to every character that isn’t being puppeteered by the
players - while some tabletop RPGs support “GMPCs” that are otherwise
mechanically identical to the rest of the party, Oddity High is not one of
them. Any character played by the Lead Writer cannot be part of the Gang,
even if they otherwise meet all the criteria. The only time that this would
change is if control of a character is handed off to another person at the
table, whether due to events in the game or changing circumstances
outside of it.

24 25
 The gang, narratively ● You’re all capable of hanging out and doing things together:
Some people just aren’t Gang material. For some students, their
The exact sort of bonds between the Gang varies from group to obligations are so stringent that free time doesn’t exist for them.
group. You might be part of the same club; the clubs you’re in might hate For others, their capacity to socialize is nonexistent and they shut
each other. You may have been a clique of friends since kindergarten; the themselves in their rooms as a result. Others with stronger Other-
first session might be the first time you’ve all been in the same room Life ties are simply too inhuman to function in a school setting (or
together. You might all be knowledgeable enough about the supernatural Real-Life society) due to their powers or psychology making it
and each other for everyone’s deal to be public knowledge; it might come impossible to function as students. These can easily be interesting
as a shock to all of you that your particular slice of the supernatural isn’t the characters, but they’re not interesting player characters. There
only one in the world. shouldn’t be any hurdle between keeping a PC from engaging with
The nuts and bolts of how a given Gang knows each other is the rest of the table that can’t be overcome with more than a roll or
determined mostly during character creation, as many mechanics establish two.
a bond between the various members of the Gang. Regardless of the exact ● You don’t hate each other: Even if Friendships and interpersonal
nature of what the Gang is and how they know each other, a few things are relationships have put two characters severely at odds with each
going to be true about any Gang, no matter what the exact details of their other, there isn’t an insurmountable wall of animosity between
relationships are at the start of a given game of Oddity High: them. A good minimum measure is the “Karaoke Threshold” - if the
entire Gang can’t get together for a night of karaoke without
● You all go to the same school: Even if it’s mix of ages, social someone having a bad time or feeling alienated or uncomfortable
stations and cliques, everyone’s studying under the same roof. because of who else is present (regardless of what they say one way
While it’s more than possible to have strong bonds with someone or another), the table should analyze why that is and rework the
from another school, ultimately these people are a step removed relationships to tone down the animosity.
from the rest of the group. Being unable to interact with the rest of
the table during school hours and having to travel to engage with The Gang, Mechanically
the rest of the Gang is a barrier that just doesn’t need to be there. If a move targets or refers to the Gang, its effect targets all
The Mascot is the exception to this, but in that case the disconnect members of the Gang within the scene - no more and no less. Sometimes,
is intentional (and it’s not like there’s another school they’re not all of the Gang is in one place. Maybe they’ve split up, or maybe they’re
attending that’s being neglected in favor of this one). not in today’s episode due to their player being absent. In that case, they’re
● You’re all successfully hiding your Other-Lives: By and large, the out of sight and out of range.
school is going to treat you all as ordinary students - and if nothing
If a move refers to or targets other characters but does not
upsets the status quo, that isn’t going to change. An alien student
refer to them as specifically either being a member of the Gang/PC or
isn’t going to have men in black knocking on their door asking for
an NPC, its effects are the same regardless of who’s playing them or how
them, people won’t recognize the magical girl when they see her in
they’re referred to. For example, the circumstance for getting answers
the halls, and an android isn’t going to have the student council
from someone is when you try to, well, get answers from another character
testing their humanity. If the magical girl outs herself or the android
- therefore, it works just as well against the Fanservice as it does against the
can’t answer a captcha when the student council president happens
school faculty. (Granted, most of the time other members of the Gang don’t
to be watching, then they’ll have to grapple with the consequences,
qualify as being opponents, antagonists, enemies, etc. - but most doesn’t
but those aren’t things that have happened… yet.
mean all!)

26 27
 CHAPTER 3 strange. Trying to pigeonhole a character into an Angle - or worse, an entire
Playbook - that doesn’t fit them can very easily hamstring a character if

YOUR
using their moves would be out-of-character for them.

For the above reason, it’s recommended that you lean into what
your Real-Life Playbook represents. If your Playbook expects you to be

CHARACTER
sociable, then be sociable. If it expects you to take chances and make
mistakes, then don’t hold back. Of course, trying to fit someone into a neat
box is always going to be a bit of a “square peg, round hole” situation, so
feel free to diverge from the “expected” way to play the Playbook if it suits
your fancy. As long as you’re someone that can reliably activate their
Moves, Comforts and Experience triggers, go be whoever you want to be.

Your other-life
YOUR PLAYBOOKS playbook

A member of the Gang is made up of two Playbooks. Playbooks Your Other-Life Playbook represents your supernatural side and
represent the character archetype that you’re playing as, and they’re here everything that comes with it. It isn’t necessarily what type of supernatural
to ensure and interesting and diverse lineup of characters for your Gang. being you are, but rather how you interface with the it and the Real-World.
Your two Playbooks are two halves of the greater whole that is your You won’t find Playbooks such as The Alien or The Esper because those can
character - neither of your Playbooks is more or less important than the be covered by several different Playbooks each. You might even have
other, and the elements from each are equally important. multiples of the same kind of being in your Gang, if they’re being
represented by Playbooks with notably different approaches to the topic.
Your real-life There are ten Other-Life Playbooks: The Vanilla, The Displaced, The
playbook Experiment, The Henshin, The Interface, The Leash, The Plainclothes, The
Shadow, The Volatile and The Warper. There is also The Mascot, which is an
Your Real-Life Playbook is what sort of person your character is, and Other-Life Playbook that doesn’t take a Real-Life Playbook - more on that
what high-school anime character archetype they hew closest to. If the on page [xxx].
supernatural wasn’t present and you were making an anime about ordinary
high schoolers living their lives, your Real-Life Playbook would cover Whatever type of entity you end up being, you’re going to serve as
everything that sets your character apart from the rest. The eleven Real-Life its representative within the story. There can (and likely will) be other
Playbooks presented by this book are The Brash, The Bystander, The examples of your species or your organization’s membership, but none of
Fanservice, The Idol, The Model Student, The Noble, The Otaku, The them will be anywhere close to as important as you are. You’re also going
Pragmatist, The Prodigy, The Space Cadet, and The Supporter. to play a major role in defining exactly what your slice of the supernatural
is like - after all, who knows more about what you are and where you come
When you’re creating your character, working with your Real-Life from than you do? Expect the Lead Writer to have plenty of questions for
Playbook is paramount. As you go through the Playbook and subsequent you about how your powers work, who your supernatural peers are, etc. -
Angle that interests you, ask yourself this; “Would these moves be courses though you don’t have to answer all of that at once.
of action that my character would take?” Some of the moves assume that
your character would be inclined to take specific actions pertaining to the
Playbook, such as the Supporter reaching out or the Space Cadet being

28 29
 Angles and deals Abilities and powers

Each Real-Life Playbook comes with some variance in the sorts of Most Other-Life Playbooks come with their own abilities and
people it covers. For example, the Model Student is defined by the great powers. These are the basic larger-than-life abilities that your character has
amount of power they have within the school, but how they feel about the the ability to use for whatever rolls they’d be applicable for. If you choose
school themselves can vary greatly, and their options for interfacing with it to have martial prowess, you can clash blades (or fists, or whatever your
vary as a result. Each Real-Life Playbook has three Angles available to it - specialty is) with a master of the art without getting absolutely flattened;
think of them as three potential “flavors” that the Playbook can take. Your this is true whether you’re trying to stop them in their tracks, win them over,
Angle adjusts your character’s stats and gives them access to specific learn more about them by analyzing their fighting style or just have a
Angle Moves that are exclusive to that specific Angle. You can only take friendly sparring match. Someone without that martial prowess wouldn’t
one Angle, and switching from one Angle to another requires some degree be able to do so without great difficulty, if at all.
of self-reflection and growth - or in mechanical terms, an Advancement
Most of the time, your powers come from the Additional Powers
(page [xxx]).
available to your Playbook, but that’s not the only source of them. Some
Much like how Real-Life Playbooks have Angles, Other-Life Playbook Moves can grant a character powers as well. These can come
Playbooks have Deals. These help to color in the framework that the from either Real-Life Playbooks (for example, a Noble with the first option
Playbook sets, detailing what sort of entity you are or your main approach of Do You Know Who I Am? has the power of “an ungodly amount of
to the core elements that the Playbook is built off of. Unlike Angles, your money”) or Other-Life Playbooks (for example, a Volatile that takes
Deal takes the form of an additional move or a modifier to one of your Pyromancer can manifest fire even when they aren’t using the move itself
abilities. It may also involve crossing out elements of your Playbook - if you to give them the bonus and turn up the heat).
do that, then you treat the crossed-out text as if it doesn’t exist.
Regardless of what the powers do, the exact form that they take is
entirely up to you to decide. A Henshin that can shoot laser beams can be
Name and Appearance a frills-wearing superheroine with a magic staff, a sentai-styled fighter with
phaser cannons built into their armor, or a shrine maiden that invokes her
Your character’s name is the moniker they go by, whether given to attacks via cards with incantations written onto them. The gadgets of the
you by your parents (or creators) or something you’ve picked yourself. Plainclothes or the Shadow could be James Bond-styled exploding pens
You’ll find a list of names in the Lead Writer’s documentation, as well as on and laser watches, hacking tools that wouldn’t be out of place in a
page [xxx]. If you go by some sort of nickname, it goes here as well. cyberpunk heist, or an array of magical talismans and doodads that’d make
any artificer jealous. The “magic” invoked by the Displaced could be
The various elements that determine what your character looks like.
sufficiently advanced technology, psychic powers, or straight-up sorcery.
Most Playbook combinations have five elements that define how you
present and express yourself: your gender, your hair, your clothes,
something relating to your Real-Life Playbook (like the Brash’s grin or the
Pragmatist’s conduct), and something relating to your Other-Life Playbook
(like the Henshin’s transformed aesthetic or the Volatile’s special tell). There
are multiple examples of each provided, but you may also create your own.
Some options are more broad regarding what they cover - “bland clothes”,
“cute hair”, etc. In these cases, the visual differences these Playbooks impart
are substantial and varied, and thus are up to the player to determine.

30 31
 YOUR STATS Your character can never have a stat higher than +3, or lower than
-2. If something requires you to increase or decrease a stat past its cap,
or would shift a stat that cannot be changed (due to the limitations of a
Your character has six stats that influence most rolls. They are as Playbook), modify a stat that makes sense instead.
follows;
Every Real-Life Playbook has their starting stats; the stats are then
● Guts represents your passion, your force of will, and your physical influenced by your Playbook’s Angle and their Other-Life Playbook, both of
and emotional constitution. In particular, it represents the uniquely which usually add +1 to a stat and -1 to another. Some Angles and Other-
human capability to resist - to stare down the biggest threats in the Life Playbooks have you choose which stat to add to or take away from; this
cosmos and tell them to do their worst. can be the other Stat the Angle or Playbook has changed, leading to a net
● Strangeness isn’t just how odd you are - it’s how far you are from zero. Your School Club can give you +1 to a stat if you choose a Favored
the “standard” template of student. It’s shared by antisocial weirdos Club, and some moves can also increase or decrease your stats. Finally,
and outstanding idols alike, and it’s used when you’re pushing the every character has +1 to a stat of their player’s choice. Assuming that you
boundaries of the expected. For those of you that aren’t just human, don’t take any moves that modify your stats and you don’t have a Favored
embracing your Strangeness is how you make the magic happen. Club, you should start with a total of +3 across your six stats.
● Brainpower represents your intellect, learning, and your ability to
think through your problems. Complex problems and schoolwork Name and Appearance
alike are handled with Brainpower, but thinking things through can
take time - which you don’t always have. Lacking Brainpower Obligation is a pseudo-stat that’s a measure of how much your
doesn’t mean you’re dumb or stupid - it just means you’re not character’s life demands of them. For some, it’s the requirements of their
smart in the way the school and society wants you to be. home life, their jobs, their academics or their peers. For others, it’s honing
● Sense is a metric of how well you can keep your head on your the skills or pleasing the contacts that allow them to function in a
shoulders. Sometimes, keeping calm and processing things in a supernatural environment.
productive way is exactly what a situation needs. Other times, being Your base Obligation is zero, which may be increased by your
“rational” isn’t going to do you any good - after all, being grounded Playbooks. (Having an Obligation at or below zero doesn’t mean that the
in a situation that’s out of this world is only going to weigh you world never will require anything of you - after all, you don’t want to fail
down. your exams or starve to death - but it means that you’ve got it relatively
● Manipulation is your ability to convince, direct and deceive people. easy all things considered.) Taking on tasks or personal commitments will
This can take any number of forms - from charisma to cuteness to increase your Obligation score, as will neglecting a Favored Club. Likewise,
a family name worth respecting, or just a certain je ne sais quoi. resolving these same tasks and commitments will reduce your Obligation.
Regardless of your true intentions (or even if it’s intentional at all), It’s recommended to keep your Obligation low, as gaining too much of it
Manipulation means that people will do what you want them to do. can cause your character to have a public breakdown.
● Empathy is how well you can understand and help with the
problems of other people. It represents your ability to read and
understand how people are really feeling, as well as the tact and
mindfulness you’d need to act on it without making things worse.

32 33
Passing Time Conditions come in two forms, Weak and Strong. You can be
assumed to have a Weak Condition whenever you have its stronger variant.
Your obligations come to bear when time passes, but what exactly Strong Conditions are notable and debilitating enough to start being
“when time passes” means could potentially mean just about anything, concerning to those around you. The levels of emotionality and whether or
from an idle minute to an entire season going by. However, within Oddity not a response is more suited to a Weak or Strong Condition is something
High, a move triggers “when time passes” when an unspecified number you should play by ear, but a good rule of thumb is that Strong Conditions
of days pass without anything meaningful happening during that span are strong enough to warrant being taken seriously, by the audience if not
of time. Time usually passes between the end of one session and the start by the characters.
of another, unless events require picking up immediately where the last
episode left off. When using a move modified by a Weak Condition, you have a
-1 to you roll. When using a move modified by a Strong condition, you

CONDITIONS roll with Disadvantage as well.

Derek: Alright, it’s exam time. Itsushi, you’re up first. Time to

Sometimes, your emotions get in the way of your ability to handle strive for academic greatness.
the world around you. You might be too tired to focus on a test, too mad Sarah: If he doesn’t knock this out of the park, I’m gonna be
at someone to get a proper read on them, or too scared of the monster to shocked.
properly put up a fight. These strong negative emotions are represented by
Conditions. Conditions are the bad moods and lingering anxieties that are Emmett: I have a +3 in Brainpower, I’m gonna be fine.
severe enough to start getting in the way.
Derek: I’m not sure about that. You’re Exhausted, after all.
Not every negative emotion that goes through a character’s head This is why you don’t do an all-night research session on time
immediately leads to its respective Condition. An irate, cross-veins-and- travel right before your midterms. Roll three dice for me?
frowny-face reaction doesn’t immediately equate to you marking Angry, for
[Emmett rolls a 5, a 2, and a 2. Sarah starts laughing.]
instance. Conditions are the things that stick with you and simmer,
sometimes for a long time. Likewise, a member of the Gang having a Emmett: So that’s…
Condition doesn’t mean that they’re locked into acting on that emotion.
They can still be all smiles and rainbows while sitting on the verge of a Derek: With Disadvantage, that’s a four-
public breakdown, though most people won’t be able to hide it that well. Emmett: P,lus three! That’s a seven!
By default, Conditions are public knowledge to all players; whether or not
the Gang can or can’t keep their emotions hidden from each other is up to Derek: Plus two.
the table (unless a Playbook Move says otherwise). If it’s not public Emmett: What?!
knowledge to all characters, Conditions can usually be hidden from others
by keeping a level head and revealed by getting answers from someone. Sarah: Doesn’t being Exhausted give you a -1? [Derek nods]

Emmett: No, that’s being Tired, that’s the other version-

Derek: Still applies here. Strong Condition stacks on the weak

Condition.

Emmett: Grr… so, that negative puts me at… a six.

34 35
 Kyle: A miss! Haha! The almighty genius got a miss! You may only clear In Pain or Wounded when the move you’re
using explicitly says that you can or is augmented to let you do so.
Emmett: But I know this exam’s content backwards and
Depending on the source of the pain and whether it wearing off is
forwards!
reasonable or not, you may (or may not) clear In Pain when time passes.
Derek: Sure. But here’s what happens. You do the exam on
Marking and clearing conditions
autopilot, turn it in - but it’s completely illegible. It’s chicken-
scratch to the highest order. They’ve actually called in a When a move tells you to mark a Condition, mark a condition
pharmacist to try and decode your work and now they’ve that makes sense for the situation, or replace a Weak Condition with its
called up a cryptographer. Strong variant. Not every condition can be the consequence of every action
- after all, you’re wouldn’t get wounded by getting in a shouting match with
Emmett: But it’s still right, right?
your best friend, and you wouldn’t necessarily be confused as a result of
Derek: Who knows? The faculty sure doesn’t. taking an arrow to the shoulder.

The full list of conditions and the stats they modify are as follows: When the text of a move tells you to clear a Condition, you may
either clear a Weak Condition, or replace a Strong Condition with its Weak
● Worried / Terrified: used when rolling with Guts. variant. When the text of a move tells you to clear a Strong Condition, you
● Insecure / Worthless: used when rolling with Strangeness. may choose instead to clear two Weak Conditions.
● Tired / Exhausted: used when rolling with Brainpower.
● Confused / Delirious: used when rolling with Sense. COMFORTS
● Sad / In Despair: used when rolling with Manipulation.
People do a lot of things to help them feel better, and the
● Angry / Furious: used when rolling with with Empathy.
characters of Oddity High are no different. Comforts are what your
Additionally, there is another Condition, representing pain and character does to let off steam, relax, or clear their mind. Mechanically,
physical harm: they’re the main way that one clears Conditions beyond having a public
● In Pain / Wounded: used when rolling for all rolls breakdown - and since you want to avoid that, indulging your Comforts is
key.
Like with all Conditions, not every instance of physical harm
immediately warrants being In Pain or Wounded. Everyone’s pain tolerance Comforts vary based on Playbook, but share some common
is different, and In Pain represents when it starts being actively distracting. threads. Every Comfort has an active trigger - indulging a Comfort involves
(Or more so than usual, if chronic pain is baked into your character’s going out and doing the thing that soothes you. Many involve talking to
concept.) Some characters might be able to get flung thirty feet and stand other people in some way, and some might require active persuasion if
up just fine; others might get the Condition as a result of a stubbed toe. your partner has other plans. Additionally, some comforts also have a
Being Wounded, on the other hand, is similar to other Strong Conditions in passive trigger (which usually relates to how you’d actively trigger it), so it’s
that it’s severe enough to be concerning. Whether that’s “we should get good to keep an eye out for when that happens. Some Comforts may be
you some first aid and some bandages once this is over” or “we need to get triggered over the course of ordinary play if you play your cards (and roll
you to a hospital, ASAP, or else you might not make it” depends on the your dice) right, while others might require you to take a bit to actively find
source of the injury and the setting’s tone. and indulge your comfort. Finally, regardless of how common the trigger
might be, you may only indulge any given Comfort once per session.

36 37
 SCHOOL CLUBS
- since there aren’t any stats that really correspond to
dexterity, she increases her Sense by 1, since managing your
nerves and having a command on your body is just as
Whether it’s the AV Club, the track team, the school newspaper or important.
the calligraphy club, being a part of a school club is a key part of the
Japanese education system, both in reality and in fiction. Each character is A PC can be in up to two Standard Clubs or one Favored Club,
required to be part of a school club unless a move says otherwise - though being part of two clubs probably means that neither of them will
though this club can be the “Go Home” club (see below) which is roughly be happy with you splitting your attention between them. Being part of a
equivalent to “no club”. Standard Club raises your Obligation by +1, and having a Favored Club
raises it by +2. You may freely switch between Standard Clubs, though
Given that there’s as many clubs as there are hobbies, sports and people (especially your old club) are likely to question your reasons for
skills, an exhaustive list of the benefits and costs of every club would be doing so. You may increase a club’s benefit from Standard to Favored by
excessively long. The clubs at your school and your involvement with them correspondingly increasing the amount of time and energy you invest into
can take one of two forms: it: scaling your Favored Club back down to a Standard one is much harder,
as you’ll have to justify why you’re stepping away from it to whoever would
Standard Clubs are things that your character finds interesting on
care about it.
a hobbyist level. You take a +1 to your rolls when you apply your club’s
skill in your day-to-day life - such as hitting a quickly-moving target A less obvious benefit of being part of a club is the connection you
when you’re on the baseball team, operating a camera when you’re in the make with your clubmates. When you first create or introduce a club,
photography club, or jumping through a window when you spend your also introduce an NPC that’s it’s unofficial representative - it can be the
afternoons leaping hurdles. These are generally low-stress, and you can club’s president, someone that’s the face of the club, or just a mutual friend.
safely miss a club meeting without your Obligation going wild. They don’t have to be fleshed out, or even given a real name, but they
should exist.
Favored Clubs are ones that you have to throw yourself into, to the
point where it starts defining yourself as a person. The line between a Clubs Based On Stats
Standard and Favored Club is pretty blurry, and what might be a Standard
Club to one person might be an Favored Club to another. In general, if it’s If you have a specific stat that you want to have boosted by making
something that’s going to occupy every evening you have, it’s an Favored it a Favored Club but aren’t quite sure which club would fit the best, here’s
Club. In addition to the +1 to rolls made with your club’s skill, you can a few examples:
increase a related stat by one. However, you cannot safely neglect your ● Guts: Soccer team, Debate Club, kendo team, school newspaper
Favored Club; unless you can weasel your way out of it (for example, by ● Strangeness: Occult Club, Manga Club, school band, incredibly
going your own way), missing a club session will increase your held strange and specialized club
Obligation by +1. ● Brainpower: Computer Club, Mathematics Club, Literature Club,
Chess Club
Kasumi is part of the gymnastics team, and treats it seriously ● Sense: Archery team, gymnastics team, Calligraphy Club, school
orchestra
enough to make it a Favored Club. She has a +1 towards her
rolls that benefit from having a foundation in her gymnastics ● Manipulation: Drama Club, student council, Economics Club,
abilities - keeping a level head when traversing a rickety whatever sports team is the most popular
catwalk, impressing someone by recovering effortlessly when ● Empathy: Sports team manager, Art Club, Etiquette Club, class
facing a threat head-on, slipping through a vent when representative
making a break for it, and more. It also gives her +1 to a stat

38 39
 Home Economics Clubs: Like music, calligraphy and physical
Types of club education, some people like the home ec course or the things it talks about
enough to make full clubs about them. Gardening is a popular one, as is
Sports Clubs: These are “teams” more than “clubs”, but the general fashion (in both the appreciation and the clothes-making senses). The one
idea is the same. Baseball, volleyball, track & field, basketball, swimming, that’s the most likely to get traction is cooking and food - expect the
gymnastics, archery, boxing, soccer, and kendo are likely to be in your cooking club to have a very popular station during the cultural festival.
school in some capacity. Other choices include American football, rugby, Clubs for Nerds: Your school is probably going to have its share of
lacrosse, hockey, wrestling, tennis, golf - really, if you could have a league technical clubs. The computer/programming club is a given, and it’s very
for it, it’s not impossible for there to be a club for it. likely that the A/V club is present as well. Other likely candidates are more
If you’re not athletically inclined but still want to be near a sports general “science” and “mathematics” clubs, though like many types of club,
team, you can always be their manager. This involves managing equipment, bigger schools can lead to more diverse iterations of the base concepts -
keeping track of club data, and providing moral support to the team. These in this case, ones that focus on things like physics, robotics, chemistry, etc.
are usually of the opposite gender to that of the team in question. Your school might even have something like the “Academic Success Club”
for the students that are really into getting good grades.
Music and Performance Clubs: “Music” is a class, but that refers
specifically to a vocal ensemble, which means that the school’s choir is There’s also likely to be clubs for people who are fans of things.
likely to be one of the bigger ‘clubs’. Other larger musical ensembles Manga and anime clubs are common targets for hobbyists and make for
include the school band and the orchestra. Other smaller, more specialized good low-impact clubs to be a part of. (That is, assuming they’re just
musical clubs may be present as well - things like the jazz club, a capella enjoying it and not a club devoted to making their own) The literature club
club, idol music club, and the “light music” club (which is more-or-less a works the same way, though it’s likely to be mostly just people reading
school-endorsed rock band). Their musical talents can be anywhere from unless it gets hijacked by some force or other. Rhythm games, fighting
abysmal to actually quite good. games and other types of game may get a club, though don’t expect the
student council to sign off on them lightly.
The largest performance club in any school is likely to be the drama
club - expect their plays to be… interesting, if nothing else. Being part of Paranormal-Aligned Clubs: These clubs are the ones that
the drama club could mean you’re anything from its star actor to the stage encroach the closest to your Other-Lives. Your school likely has an Occult
manager to someone who helps paint scenery and make props. Besides Club, but it could go further depending on how interested people are in the
that, your school might have a film-making club, dance club, improv club, supernatural. Depending on the build of your setting and your Gang,
comedy club, or others like that. something like the SETI Club, Monster Hunting Club, or the Extrasensory
Perception Club could be a laughingstock, a close ally, or a surprisingly real
Arts and Cultural Clubs: The clubs for art itself could be just an “art threat. At other times, more normal clubs could align with your other-lives
club” for a smaller school, or it could be divided into painting, sculpture, in interesting ways - after all, the Robotics Club means something different
photography, etc. if your school has the space for it. (They’re probably if you have a Gang member made of chrome and plastic.
desperate for school funding even at the best of times) Calligraphy is a
popular choice for your quieter types for the same reason that the vocal “That’s a Club?!” Clubs: If you’re not dealing with a particularly
ensemble is; it’s a class that can easily end up speaking to some people. serious setting, you can be a part of clubs that no sane student council
Other clubs that would interest the more traditionally inclined, such as tea would ever permit. Fan clubs for the school’s most popular students?
ceremony, bonsai and etiquette clubs, can also exist if people want them Demon-summoning clubs? Clubs about being phantom thieves or stunt
to. drivers? If you’ve got a silly school, it’s only logical that silly clubs would
populate it.

40 41
 Other Clubs: There are a few clubs that don’t fit into one of the ● Student Council: You’re part of the highest authority in the school
above categories. Any language taught in the school is likely to have a club outside of the faculty, and the group that decides which clubs get
sponsored by the teacher for the die-hard fans - this is most likely English, funded. When dealing with someone who cares about what the
but could be any number of common languages as well. There’s also clubs student council thinks, you have a +1 to your rolls. Additionally,
for the more extroverted, such as the debate team, the school yearbook, you can get information on what any particular club or person at
and the model United Nations. Beyond that, there’s a few clubs that work the school is planning within 48 hours. You may also try to fight for
differently enough to warrant having specialized rules below. And (or against) another club getting fined, created, reprimanded or
remember: if you want to have a club exist, create your own! Just remember shut down; you roll with Advantage when you’re dealing with
that sufficiently obscure clubs would come with their own issues, such as members of a club which the council has just disciplined or
membership numbers. spared. The Student Council is always an Favored Club, and
increases your Manipulation by +1.
Special clubs
Your very own club
● The “Go Home” Club: You don’t have any clubs - after school, you
just go home. Your base Obligation is -1. The Go Home Club is You’re already meeting up with the rest of the Gang on a consistent
neither a Standard nor a Favored Club. (And no, it doesn’t give you basis to talk about and deal with the things that are important to you -
any benefits related to going home) establishing yourselves as a club is a reasonable next step. Whether it’s
● Jobs and Employment: Sometimes the time you’d spend with a something like “Mystery-Solvers Brigade” or “Urban Legends Club,”
school club is spent working at a side job instead. In addition to the pretending to be something ordinary or you’re just hijacking a smaller club,
+1 from applying your job’s skill, money isn’t an issue for you (so setting your game in a club devoted to the supernatural things you handle
long as you’re not trying to buy anything more expensive than a is a tried-and-true option of the genre.
diamond ring). However, when you try to escape or get out of a Your club gives you a +1 when dealing with the particular slice
shift at work, you roll to go your own way with Disadvantage of the supernatural covered by your club’s mission statement. If it’s
● Class Representative: You’re, well, the class’s representative - not anyone’s Favored Club, they get a bonus to Strangeness. Only one member
much clout, but it’s more than what most people have. You get a +1 - the club’s president - has to worry about the club’s Obligation, and even
when dealing with your teacher or NPC members of your class, that’s only worrying about keeping the club running satisfactory. It gives
and you’re also the final word on what your class does for larger them a +1 to their Obligation. (The Model Student cannot have this club be
events, such as the culture festival. the focus of their Club Prez move - after all, it doesn’t have the prestige that
● Nurse’s Assistant: You help out in the school infirmary. When you the Playbook needs - but they can still be a tertiary member of the club)
help someone treat their Conditions, you may clear In Pain or Your club has a number of requirements it needs to meet in order
Wounded, so long as you would have access to the necessary to continue existing. It requires a minimum amount of members and an
medical supplies. adult to sign off on it. The school also expects your club to actually do
● School Newspaper: Perfect for amateur snoops and reporters the something - and since your Other-Life escapades likely don’t have results
world over. You get a +1 when you are trying to get information the school would approve of, you’re going to have to come up with
about a person or situation from another student. You also get something to justify its existence. Having the Gang be its own club means
a +1 when you consult the newspaper’s archives for that the club is a central focus of the story, and thus the school’s politics
information or evidence. and procedure that threaten it becomes a major focus as a result.
●

42 43
 EXPERIENCE AND
Kasumi, Yuuto, and Satoko know each other fairly well.
Kasumi and Satoko both chose to be friends with each other

ADVANCEMENTS
during character creation, so they each have their own
Friendship that they can use. Kasumi also has a Friendship
with Yuuto, but the reverse isn’t true. Yuuto has one with
Every Oddity High character has five different ways they can earn Satoko, but Satoko recently strained their Friendship so
Experience - three of these come from your Real-Life Playbook, and two Sakoto’s Friendship with Yuuto is inactive. If they were to
come from your Other-Life Playbook. Whenever you meet the criteria for directly assist one another (since that move has a +1 to the
your sources of Experience, you mark your Experience track. You may only roll if the person helping has a Friendship with the person
get the benefits from any particular source of Experience once per scene - being helped), Kasumi and Satoko would get the +1 from
for example, if the Bystander rolls multiple misses with Sense, they’d only helping each other, but Kasumi would only get the +1 if she
mark Experience the first time. Your Experience track is four boxes long; helped Yuuto and Yuuto would only get the +1 if he was
when you mark all four boxes of your Experience track, you clear your helping Satoko until Satoko un-strains the Friendship.
Experience track and mark an Advancement.
Strained friendships
FRIENDSHIPS Sometimes, a Friendship is pushed past its limits and the bond is
temporarily severed. When a Friendship is strained, it’s effectively gone -
Your Friendships are representations of the bonds that you share you lose all benefits from it and cannot target that Friendship with moves.
with other characters, in and out of the Gang. Having Friendships with You may still adjust the nature of a Friendship when you form a friendship,
others lets you make the most of the connection between you and them - but it remains strained. You may only repair a strained Friendship with the
whether you use that to help each other or to get what you want from relevant benefit by resting after a stressful encounter, by forging an
them. Friendships can come from character creation or the result of Unbreakable Friendship in its place, or with a Playbook Move that allows
Playbook Moves, but the primary way to forge new Friendships is to have you to bridge the gap.
intimate moments with people - whatever that may mean to you. Every Unbreakable Friendships
member of the Gang starts with at least one Friendship, though the
majority start with two or more. Friendships don’t have to be positive, and Some Playbooks let you start with or acquire Unbreakable
they don’t have to look anything like your traditional friendships. A lover, a Friendships, or give others Unbreakable Friendships with you. An
sensei, an annoyance, a parent, a nemesis - these are all people you could Unbreakable Friendship is one of the strongest forces in the universe, only
have Friendships with if the bonds have been formed with the two of you. able to be shaken by the darkest turns of events. (Yes, Unbreakable
Friendships aren’t truly unbreakable, but sometimes things happen that are
An important note is that Friendships are one-way - though many truly unforgivable) When you would strain an Unbreakable Friendship,
Friendships are reciprocated and most Friendships that are formed with the nothing changes, because your bond is just that strong. You may still opt
Gang during play are formed for both parties, sometimes Friendships are to strain the Friendship as a result of a move that lets you do so, such as
unequal and one side doesn’t reap the benefits. The only Friendships that using a friendship, but the end result is that nothing changes between the
give you benefits are the ones that you have of your own. Other people can two of you. This means that you can “strain” the friendship without any
have Friendships with you, but you don’t get anything from them. negative effect, effectively meaning that you can get the effects of any
move that has straining a friendship as a consequence without cost.

44 45
 BACKSTORY CHAPTER 4
Your characters have more layers than what’s on the Playbook -
things they like, experiences they’ve had, and people that they know. Every
Playbook has three Backstory questions that ask questions that are
important to your Playbook. They don’t have any mechanical benefit on
their own, but they can introduce elements that do, such as a friend you can
YOUR MOVES
call on. Many of the Backstory questions provide hooks that the Lead
Writer can use to pull you in interesting directions. Every Playbook also asks
you about someone who isn’t in the Gang that plays an important part in
your life. There might be questions that you just don’t have an answer to,
and that’s okay - try to answer at least two of the questions from each
Playbook. If you’re pressed for time, you can answer fewer (or none of) the
questions, but it’s better for everyone at the table if you do.
BASIC MOVES
Basic Moves are the bread and butter of Oddity High. They are
available to everyone and can be used whenever they’re required. These
dictate everything from fighting to fleeing to talking to thinking, and
should be used whenever the situation requires it.

Your main Basic Moves are face a threat head-on, unleash your
true power, think a situation through, keep a level head, talk it out, get
answers from someone, make a break for it, go your own way, directly
assist or oppose, form a friendship, and use a friendship,. These will get
you through most situations you find yourself in.
Special moves
Special Moves are Basic Moves that happen infrequently
compared to the other Basic Moves, but are important enough to warrant
their own roll. They are indulge a comfort, strive for academic greatness,
and rest after a stressful encounter.

Negative moves
Negative Moves are special in that they are one of the few cases
where rolling hits is worse for the players than rolling misses. Note that
Advantage and Disadvantage still have their usual effects on Negative
Moves, thus making them the only cases where Advantage is a negative
effect and Disadvantage a positive one. Your two Negative Moves are
juggle your obligations and have a public breakdown.

46 47
 THINK A SITUATION THROUGH
UNDER CONSTRUCTION When you take a moment to stop and assess a situation, roll

!
+ Brainpower. On a 10+, ask two questions. On a 7-9, ask one. When you
Each of the Basic Moves will have more act on the answers you get from these questions, you have a +1 to your
examples and clarifications in a future roll. On a miss, you may ask one, but it’s going to take time to get that
version - for now, it will just contain the answer, and you don’t have a +1 to the relevant rolls.
moves as they are.
● What do I need to do in order to _____?
- The Management ● What isn’t adding up here, if anything?
● Who or what has the most power here?
● Who’s in the most danger?
FACE A THREAT HEAD-ON ● What’s the quickest way to resolve this situation?

When you intervene in a situation via direct confrontation, roll

+ Guts. On a hit, you put yourself in the way and keep your target from KEEP A LEVEL HEAD
doing what they intended. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one. When you attempt to keep a level head, tell the Lead Writer what
● You frighten, surprise, or impress them you’re trying to shut out or avoid and roll + Sense. On a 10+, all is well. On
● You take something from them a 7-9, the Lead Writer will tell you what it’ll cost you.

● You direct their attack or attention away from their target and
towards you TALK IT OUT
● You create an opportunity for your allies When you use your words to confront an opponent, tell the
● You avoid their retaliation Gang how you do it:
○ If you appeal to their ideals, roll +Empathy.
UNLEASH YOUR TRUE POWER ○ If you try to reason a solution with them, roll +Brainpower.

Whenever you unleash your true power to do something ○ If your approach is something else, roll +Manipulation.
exceptional, choose one from the list below and roll + Strangeness: On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one:
● Overcome a problem that can’t be solved with another move ● You weaken your opponent’s resolve
● Extend your senses, supernatural or otherwise ● You persuade them to act in line with your interests
● Alter or reshape your environment ● You confuse them for some time
● Be at the right place, at the right time ● You make them look foolish
● Take +1 forward on your next roll ● You avoid further entanglement
On a hit, you do it. On a 7-9, either mark a Condition or the Lead
Writer will tell you how the effect is flawed or temporary.

48 49
 GET ANSWERS FROM SOMEONE GO YOUR OWN WAY
When you try to get answers from another character, roll + When you ignore, refuse, or make excuses to get out of an
Empathy. On a hit, hold 2. On a 7-9, they also hold 1. During the scene, obligation, debt, or other social responsibility, tell the table how you’re
each of you may spend Hold, 1-for-1, to ask a question from the list. going about it:
Neither party is required to answer the questions truthfully, but it’s obvious ○ When you come up with a logical or sensible reason, roll +
if someone is lying. Sense.
● Who are you, really? ○ When you make up an excuse, shut them down or lie to them,
● What’s the biggest thing on your mind right now? roll + Manipulation.
● What’s your relationship with _________? ○ When you appeal to their emotions or morals, roll + Empathy. On
● What do you want from me? a hit, you get away. On a 7-9, the Lead Writer chooses one.
● You end up in a situation that’s just as bad.
● What are you hoping to get from _________?
● You mark a Condition.
● How can I get you to __________?
● Something important gets left behind.

MAKE A BREAK FOR IT ● You have to pass the issue you’re running from on to someone else.
● The fact that you ran won’t be forgotten.
When you try to leave or run from a bad situation, tell the table
how you intend to make your exit:
DIRECTLY ASSIST OR OPPOSE
○ If you’re shutting out or pushing past the danger or opposition,
roll + Guts. When you directly aid or hinder a PC’s move, roll + nothing. If
○ If you’re escaping with your powers or your inherent mystery, you have Friendship with them, you have a +1 to your roll. On a hit, they
roll + Strangeness. either get a +2 to the result of their next roll, +1 to a roll they have already
made, or they make their next roll with Friction. On a 7-9, you get caught
○ If you’re capitalizing on an opportunity, roll + Brainpower. up in the matter and expose yourself to danger, entanglement, or cost.
On a hit, you get away. On a 7-9, the Lead Writer chooses one.
● You end up in a situation that’s just as bad.
FORM A FRIENDSHIP
● You mark a Condition.
When you share an intimate moment with someone, record
● Something important gets left behind.
your new Friendship with them on your sheet, repair your Friendship if it’s
● You have to pass the issue you’re running from on to someone else. damaged, or change the Friendship you have with them to reflect your new
● The fact that you ran won’t be forgotten. relationship. You can only use this move once per scene, even if there are
multiple opportunities to do so.

50 51
 USE A FRIENDSHIP REST AFTER A STRESSFUL ENCOUNTER
When you take advantage of the Friendship you have with When you take some time to rest and recover after a taxing
someone, either mark a Condition or strain the Friendship you have with encounter with the supernatural, describe the scene where you’re
them (unless the Friendship is Unbreakable), and choose one from the list recovering. When the scene starts, roll + nothing: if you’re sharing the
below. You can only use a friendship with a specific person once per scene, scene with at least two people you have a Friendship with (even if it’s
and you can’t use a friendship that you’ve formed that scene. strained), you roll with Advantage. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose
You may use a friendship to: one. On a miss, choose one, but the Lead Writer will tell you what you need
to do in order to get the benefit:
● Have them give you something useful without cost
● Clear or scale back a Condition, including In Pain or Wounded.
● Have them answer a question as honestly as they can, without
needing a roll ● Clear a consequence from having a public breakdown (such as a
reduced stat, a lost move, or the lost benefits of a School Club)
● Get their direct help with something, whether they want to give it
or not ● Mend any strained Friendships you have with all characters in the
scene: they can also choose to mend a strained Friendship with you
● Roll with Advantage on a move targeting them (before the roll)
if they have one
● Give them a -2 to a move (after they’ve rolled) (PC only)
● Mark Experience
● Mark a Condition to inflict a Weak Condition, or strain the
Friendship to inflict a Strong Condition. (PC only)
JUGGLE YOUR OBLIGATIONS
INDULGE A COMFORT When time passes and life comes calling, roll + your total
Obligation. On a hit, something in your life - a club, your Other-Life, your
When you satisfy your character’s Comfort, you may either clear grades, family and friends, etc - hasn’t been adequately tended to. On a 7-
a Condition, or mark the relevant Experience box if it isn’t already marked. 9, it’s a mild lapse, and you get to choose what gets the short end of the
You may only indulge a particular Comfort once per session. stick. On a 10+, the Lead Writer chooses, and the consequences are serious
- expect harsh repercussions, a tough conversation, or even more
STRIVE FOR ACADEMIC GREATNESS obligations to deal with.

When you undertake an exam or compete in a club-related

competition, roll + the relevant stat - for exams this is + Brainpower, while
for club activities it varies. If you’ve spent a meaningful amount of time
preparing (studying, training, etc) for the bout, you may roll with
Advantage; if you utterly neglect your need to prepare, you roll with
Disadvantage. On a hit, you do admirably. On a 10+, choose one:
● You get +1 ongoing for social interactions with people who would
be impressed by this
● You hold 1: you may spend this hold to roll with Disadvantage the
next time you juggle your obligations
● Your success catches the interest of another club or group

52 53
 HAVE A PUBLIC BREAKDOWN ● Life weighs down on you harder than ever; your Obligation is set to
+2.
There are two ways to have a public breakdown. The first is accruing
● The unthinkable happens. Only one option from the below list may
too much stress: If any of the following are true, the Lead Writer holds
be chosen per public breakdown.
one; the Lead Writer can spend that hold at any point to force you to have
your breakdown: ◦ You lose one of your Playbook moves. You may only regain it
when you roll a 10+ when you rest after a stressful encounter.
● You are Wounded and you take another major physical blow (if the
circumstances wouldn’t directly or indirectly kill you) ◦ An NPC that’s important to you dies (or worse)

● You would take a fourth Strong Condition ◦ You edge towards catastrophe; give your character a Doom
track (if they don’t have it) and mark a box of it. Your Doom
● You have six Weak Conditions and would take another Condition
track has three boxes; if the track is filled, your character meets
● Your Obligation is at a +4 an unwelcome fate. This is up to the Lead Writer, but is always
● You just experienced something so horrible, so traumatizing, that complete and catastrophic; anything from changing Playbooks
you can’t not break down. to becoming a villain to death - or worse.
The second way to have a public breakdown is to do so on your You can only clear the consequences of a public breakdown by
own terms. If you do, describe how the current conditions are too much for successfully resting after a stressful encounter. A public breakdown must
you and how you or your body is going to react. You cannot manually either happen in a public place or have fallout that the rest of the school
trigger a public breakdown unless you are more than halfway towards will be aware of.
triggering one of the automatic causes: two or more Strong Conditions,
four or more Weak Conditions, +3 Obligation or if you’re Wounded.
When you have a public breakdown, clear all Conditions and any
lasting complications from your Obligations or Playbooks (such as
Patience). Then, roll + nothing. On a 6-, choose one from the list. On a 7-9,
you and the Lead Writer each choose one. On a 10+, the Lead Writer
chooses as many as they see fit (minimum of two) and has full control over
just how bad things go:
● It leaves you hurting; mark a Strong Condition
● A nasty rumor about it takes hold, and it’s not going away any time
soon: whenever you try to talk it out with someone that buys
into the rumor, you roll with Disadvantage
● It’s going to leave scars, physical or mental; reduce any Stat (besides
Obligation) by 1.
● You drive others away; break and erase the Friendship you have
with another character, even if it’s Unbreakable. You won’t be able
to mend that bridge or get their help until you make amends.
● People think that you need some time off; you lose the benefits of
your School Club(s)

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 it doesn’t make sense for there not to be a breakdown. (Besides, since a
Public breakdowns,
public breakdown is cathartic by nature, it might be crueler and more
broken down
interesting to almost inflict a public breakdown via Conditions and leave
A public breakdown is a major affair by necessity. They can be either them worried for when the sword finally falls!)
the sort of thing that everyone in the school talks about (at least for a day More on the various options of the public breakdown:
or two), something that fundamentally alters the dynamics between you
and the rest of the Gang, or both. They don’t need to be something that’s ● It leaves you hurting: This can be any of the seven Strong
witnessed by a large crowd - it can be something that only reaches the Conditions, including Wounded. If you’re marking a Strong
people that it affects, or it can be a completely solo affair that only reaches Condition, then the public breakdown’s catharsis missed a spot, or
the public eye because you’re sent to the hospital or to therapy afterward. you had immediate strong feelings about the actions you took, or
It can even be something that only happens between you and another the social or physical toll was paid in emotional (or physical) health.
person, if the consequences have them at the center of it. ● A nasty rumor takes hold: Since most people don’t know about your
Other-Life and the role it presumably played in your breakdown,
Ultimately, a public breakdown is a moment of catharsis. It should
they’re going to fill in the gaps with whatever sounds “right” -
be the culmination of everything that’s been building up since the moment
combine that with the damage that any public breakdown does to
things started going badly for the character that’s having one. Since all
your reputation, and something unpleasant is going to result. The
Conditions and other lasting complications are cleared, it should be
rumor’s going to be prevalent and plausible enough for just about
relatively clear skies for you going forward, with the stark exception of the
every unnamed student to buy into it as well as a lot of the named
public breakdown’s consequences themselves. The events of a past public
ones. It’ll take a fair bit of faith or understanding of the greater
breakdown shouldn’t inform what’s happening with the current one, since
picture to convince them that the rumor’s false - and this is all
they are the ends of two separate emotional “arcs”. To that end, it’s not
assuming that the nasty rumor is entirely false to begin with.
recommended to choose the same result of a public breakdown twice in a
row - or if so, the Lead Writer should make it clear that this time’s going to ● It’s going to leave scars, physical or mental: The effect the breakdown
be much worse. has on your psyche (and stats) is roughly the inverse of the
improvement from taking an Advancement. Losing a point of
On the Lead Writer’s side, this is when they should be at their most Brainpower or Sense could mean that you struggle to focus after
vicious. The consequences of a public breakdown are a Cut in the same way what happened or that you’re more willing to throw sense or smarts
that decapitating someone with a sword is also, technically, a cut. If you’re to the wind. A loss of Manipulation or Empathy could be a lack in
not making things much worse for the character with any choices the result confidence in your social skills or apathy towards what other people
of the move allows you to make, you’re not doing it right. If you, the player, think. A loss of Strangeness could be your Other-Life’s abilities
and everyone else failed to successfully avert their breakdown, and if the being harder to handle, or a subconscious shame in being so
dice gave you control of the situation, it’s your job to be the final “weird”.
punishment for what happens. That said, even though you ought to be
● You drive others away: You can only target the Friendship of
mean, you also should be giving the story and the Gang threads to follow
someone that plays a role in your breakdown in some capacity,
and places to go with whatever choices you make.
whether they’re responsible for the breakdown or just someone
It should be noted that the option for the Lead Writer to inflict a who’s in the vicinity that you take things out on. The direct, target-
public breakdown as the result of trauma or horror does not mean that able consequence of this option is the block keeping you from
they can just dump unspeakable horrors on a PC and trigger a public mending the Friendship - clearing that by resting after a stressful
breakdown on a whim. That option is to be reserved for cases where the encounter doesn’t just fix the Friendship unless it’s Unbreakable (or
narrative has taken enough dark turns, or a large enough sudden one, that you mend the Friendship as your second option on a 10+).

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 ● People think that you need some time off: You lose all benefits from
your School Club - the +1 to relevant rolls, the +1 to a stat from a
Favored Club, and any other niche benefits from clubs that give UNDER CONSTRUCTION

!
them. If you’re part of more than one Club, you lose the benefits of
You have reached the end of the materials
both. You can leave your Club if you want, but you can’t join a new
released for the existing preview build of
one until the consequence is cleared. This can target jobs and
Oddity High. You can find the Playbooks in
Playbook-provided pseudo-clubs as well.
their respective file/spreadsheets. Stay
● Life weighs down on you harder than ever: Life puts enough pressure tuned for further updates in the future!
on you as a result of your breakdown to keep your Obligation at a
+2 - your parents make you meet with a tutor or a counselor, your - The Management
club’s president tells you to shape up, your Leader is even more
unforgiving of missteps, etc. If your Obligation would already be at
a +2 due to existing circumstances, you can’t choose this option.
● The unthinkable happens: These options should be used sparingly,
particularly the one involving the death of an NPC. If you’re in a
more lighthearted game of Oddity High, it’s recommended to take
all of the options besides losing a Playbook move off the table.
If you’re unsure of what would be a public breakdown, here’s a few
examples from the various inspirations for Oddity High:

● In Persona 5, Makoto Niijima reaches her limit, gets sick of being

considered “worthless” and charges in blindly to confront a mafia
boss. This leads to her and the rest of the party getting blackmailed
by said mafia boss and saddled with a massive debt.
● The first chapter of Higurashi: When They Cry (Onikakushi-hen/
”Demoned Away Chapter”) climaxes when Keiichi Maebara, pushed
to his wit’s end, has a very destructive public breakdown where he…
well, we’re not going to get into the gory details here. Suffice to say,
his closest friends suffer greatly for it.
● In The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, the first arc culminates in
Haruhi Suzumiya nearly destroying the world as the result of her
frustrations with the boy he has a crush on being affectionate with
others. (This is a public breakdown as modified by the Warper’s God
Knows… Deal - more on that in the Warper’s Playbook.)

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