THREADBARE STITCHPUNK RPG

PLUSHIE OR PLASTIC, MATE?

With careful stitches and meticulous work, a ragdoll carefully sews back a torn
limb on a panda who is crying out his troubles (girl troubles… isn’t it always a
girl?) while he sips from a daintily painted teacup filled with brandy. S T I T C H P U N K R P G
In another room in the shoebox house she calls home, the ragdoll’s other patients
wait patiently for her craft. A Mekka bulldozer, metal with chipping yellow paint,
is missing his front left wheel. He holds a vinyl doll’s head, waiting for it to be
glued into the empty wheel well. It won’t roll quite the same, he knows, but he
can live with the handicap until he scavenges a better part.

The ragdoll finishes with her panda patient and wishes him a cheery
farewell, tucking his payment (2 buttons and a tiny watch gear) into her skirt
pocket. She quickly schools her face to hide her sly, greedy smile when she steps
across the threshold to the waiting bulldozer. His repair is going to need glue, and
glue is a costly resource, my friend….

Threadbare RPG is a role-playing game in which you play a jury-rigged toy in a

broken world. Caught in a world where Entropy is a constant danger, you’ll patch
yourself up, invent new devices, and maybe make new friends along the way.

Threadbare is a Powered-by-the-Apocalypse
role-playing game by Stephanie Bryant. You’ll
need two 6-sided dice and a group of 2-5

STEPHANIE BRYANT
friends to play.

http://www.threadbarerpg.com

$25.00
ISBN 978-0-9822810-5-5
52500>

9 780982 281055

PLAY A BROKEN TOY IN A BROKEN WORLD

 S T I T C H P U N K R P G

WRITING: Stephanie Bryant COVER ART: Eric Quigley

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS: LOGO: Christian Svalander
Elizabeth (Liz) Chaipraditkul, Brian Dirk,
INTERIOR ART: Emily Block, Emily
Bryanna Hitchcock, Josh Jordan, Alex
Griggs, Juan Ochoa, Eric Quigley, Evan
Roberts, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Toby
Rowland
Strauss
LAYOUT: Bill “teh ebil bunneh” Keyes
EDITING: Vivian Abraham

PLAY A BROKEN TOY IN A BROKEN WORLD

Threadbare RPG
ISBNs:
978-0-9822810-4-8 Hardcover
978-0-9822810-5-5 Color Softcover
978-0-9822810-6-2 Black and White Softcover
978-0-9822810-7-9 PDF

Published by Stephanie Bryant

http://www.threadbarerpg.com

Threadbare RPG is published by Stephanie Bryant and is copyright (c) 2017. All rights reserved. The characters
and events depicted herin are fictional; any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to any actual events is
coincidental and unintentional.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to Threadbare ................................................. 1 Adventures ..................................................................... 60
How to Play ..................................................................... 4 Furry Road ................................................................... 62
Basic Moves.................................................................... 8 Flight of the Bumblebee ............................................. 64
Characters and What They Can Do .......................... 11 Off to See the Clockmaker ......................................... 68
Making a Character .................................................... 11 Electric Avenue ............................................................ 72
Character Types ............................................................ 14 Boogie Shoes ................................................................ 81
Mekka ........................................................................... 14 Senate of Toys .............................................................. 85
Socks ............................................................................. 17 Mini-Game: Grab Bag .................................................. 87
Softies ............................................................................ 19 Tutorials ......................................................................... 89
For the Game Master .................................................... 22 Doll’s Head Dice Bag Tutorial.................................... 89
Running an Adventure ............................................... 26 Mekka Tutorial ............................................................ 94
Upgrade and Device Moves ....................................... 30 Appendices .................................................................. 105
Creating New Moves................................................... 38 List of Moves .............................................................. 105
The World of Threadbare ............................................. 43 List of Adversaries and Allies .................................. 106
The Caverns ................................................................. 44 Credits and Thanks ................................................... 107
The Zephyr Express..................................................... 46 Contributor Biographies .......................................... 109
AmuseFunLand ........................................................... 48 Kickstarter Heroes .................................................... 111
The Deep Blue.............................................................. 50 Basic Moves Reference Sheet ................................... 117
Wetlands ....................................................................... 52 Character Playbook: Mekka..................................... 120
The Tin Barn ................................................................ 54 Character Playbook: Sock ........................................ 122
The Candy Land .......................................................... 56 Character Playbook: Softie....................................... 124
A Brief History of Threadbare ................................... 58 Index ........................................................................... 126
 WELCOME TO
THREADBARE
“PLUSHIE OR PLASTIC, MATE?”

T
hreadbare RPG is a role-playing game
in which you play a jury-rigged toy in a
hazardous world. In the world of Softies
and Mekka, you’ll try to rescue yourself, patch your-
self up, invent new devices, and maybe, just maybe,
build a better world out of the broken one you’ve
inherited.
WHAT IS THREADBARE?
Threadbare is a stitchpunk role-playing game set in a broken world populated by broken toys.
Your character starts out as a Mekka (a hard-shelled, plastic or metal toy), a Sock (a single sock,
often thought to have been lost in the laundry), or a Softie (a soft-filled toy).
The rules mechanics are lightweight and err on the side of simplicity. When you take an
action, called a Move, you roll two six-sided dice (2d6) and add a modifier based on your char-
acter’s abilities or other resources. If the result is 10 or higher, you succeed at whatever you were
doing. If the result is 7-9, you succeed, but there’s some kind of complication. If the result is 6 or
less, your character gets damaged: the gamemaster (GM) decides what happens, and whatever
it is, it’ll make the adventure more challenging. There’s a benefit to failure though: you will also
gain a Hold, a bonus that you can use in the game later
In the world of Threadbare, on.
there are no humans—although As you progress in Threadbare, your character
they once existed, long ago and changes. Every time you are damaged and repaired, you
perhaps in another place. No one change your character’s description and, in some cases,
really knows where they went, and their personality!
few toys wonder about their fate. For more about this setting, see The World of
Threadbare on page 43.
WHAT IS STITCHPUNK?
Stitchpunk is a loose term for a modge-podge aesthetic of stitching and fabrication that is
exemplified in the excellent movie 9 and in the video game Little Big Planet. It borrows from
the steampunk aesthetic of openly displaying analog mechanisms, but has a more sewn-together
feel.
WHAT IS THIS GAME ABOUT?
This game is about repairing things that are broken. From the characters, their stuff, their
vehicles, even the world itself—everything is damaged in some way. The players’ job is to fix it.
Unlike many RPGs, this game is not about breaking and killing things, and characters in
Threadbare do not die. They have body parts that can be damaged, but those Parts can then be
repaired and upgraded indefinitely. Lose an arm? Sure, you’re going to be a little hindered. But
you won’t be incapacitated, and it’s really an opportunity to make a new arm. Better. Stronger.
Faster. With more glitter.
This game is also not about owning stuff. Stuff (with a capital S) is ephemeral—you either
have some or you don’t, and when you don’t, you can go look for some pretty easily. That said,
sometimes objects are important for the story, and those Things (as opposed to Stuff ) aren’t so
easy to find. We’ll get to the difference between Stuff, Things, and Devices on page 5.
A not-uncommon story in Threadbare is fixing something that’s broken, using it, and then
fixing something else that got broken because you used the first item.
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 IS THERE COMBAT IN THREADBARE?
Threadbare’s focus is on building, making, repairing, and friendship, so the Moves drive the
game towards those actions.
Threadbare stays low-combat by removing combat Moves mechanically from the game,
putting them entirely into a quick, narrative “montage” that the players control.
WHAT IS A ROLE-PLAYING GAME?
A role-playing game, or RPG,
A role-playing game is Make Believe, but with rules. is a game in which you pretend
you are a character in a fictional
story that you make up during the
game. It’s like playing Make Believe, but with rules. You take on the voice and mannerisms of
your character, and when you want to do something that might be risky or especially interesting,
you might roll dice or use some other method (cards, Jenga towers, rock-paper-scissors, etc) to
determine if you succeed, and how well.
Because this is a game of Make Believe, you are not the same person as your character, and
vice versa. So you can play a character who is not like you, and try out what it might be like to be
them.
BOUNDARIES AND CONTENT NOTES
Although this is a game about toys, it ventures through some pretty weird areas. Dismember-
ment, body horror, and “cannibalism” are parts of daily life for Threadbare characters. That can
lead to some very uncomfortable themes, and those themes are hard to completely eliminate,
given the damage-repair cycle of the game.
If dismemberment, cannibalism, and body horror are uncomfortable or “squicky” for you,
you should not play this game without alteration.
Because Threadbare characters do not have genitals, sex as a physical act doesn’t exist and
gender is entirely manufactured. A fashion doll can easily be male, female, agender, genderqueer,
or non-binary, as the player sees fit. Only the Dented tone level introduces physical intimacy
as an off-screen option, though love (platonic, romantic, fraternal, etc) between characters is
certainly an important part of the Threadbare story.
Ableism and disability are also different concepts in a world where everybody has adapta-
tions. A character with no eyes can still perceive the world, and not every toy chooses to repair
damaged Parts. A toy might leave a Part forever broken. Others create new Parts with different
functionality, instead of repairing a damaged one.
“Race” is limited to the differences between
In Threadbare, -isms and -phobias Mekka, Softies, and Socks, and their various
do not exist as they do in the real Forms. There is no inherent difference in their
world. Don’t bring them to the table. social class or innate abilities beyond the Type and
Form Moves, and “racism” is a concept invented by
humans.
The concept of “Them” and “Us,” of “Insiders” and “Outsiders” can certainly be a theme in
Threadbare, but it doesn’t have to be.

2
CROSSING THE LINE
If something is uncomfortable, stop! It’s important to remember that you are playing with
friends, whom you care about. If anyone is uncomfortable with a particular theme or action,
stop immediately and correct the story. That thing didn’t happen, something else did, and the
story will move in a different direction.
Role-playing groups use various tools for this, and you’re encouraged to try them out at the
table to see which ones work best for you and your group.
 X-CARDS BY JOHN STAVROPOLOUS: http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg
 LINES AND VEILS: http://blog.ukg.co.uk/anonymous-lines-veils/
 SCRIPT CHANGE BY BRIE SHELDON: http://www.briecs.com/p/script-change-rpg-
tool.html
It is possible to play Threadbare with children, teens,
Threadbare works just fine and adults, and the game will have very different bound-
when you rewind and change aries with each group. For example, you could decide in a
an action to be better for all the group of adult players that physical intimacy can and does
players (including the GM). happen, or you can decide it doesn’t; the toys in Threadbare
may or may not have the Parts or sensation for that activity.

3
 HOW TO PLAY
T
he rhythm of a Threadbare game is that the adventure starts out with some peril that
needs to be addressed. You take actions to resolve the peril, and it either resolves, or
something breaks, or some new peril shows up! Things break more or less constantly,
and you spend a lot of time fixing them, yourselves, and each other.
PLAYING TOGETHER
The most important thing to remember when you play this game is that you’re trying to tell
an interesting story together. Your character is not the only hero. Characters will change during
the story. They may change bodies as well as personalities, and the story will get better with each
new aspect of your characters.
SET THE STAGE
Before you create characters, set the stage by talking about what “tone” you want to use in the
game. The tone will determine what kinds of stories are available to you, and might influence
character Ties and starting questions for your adventures.
 FLUFFY: There is no combat and the GM should never present a conflict that can only
be resolved with violence. This is like a G-rated movie. When taking damage, players decide
which Part is damaged.
 SCRUFFY: Just a little bit darker than Fluffy, conflicts may resolve with violence. This is
more like a PG-13 movie rating. When taking damage, players decide which Part is damaged.
 DENTED: Combat is a frequent option in conflicts, and there may be threats that are
hostile and cannot be reasoned with. There might be interparty conflict as well. This is like an
R-rated movie. When characters take damage, the GM determines which Part is damaged.
Threadbare works best in the Scruffy tone, with the possibility for violence, but the characters
generally want to cooperate with each other. The Fluffy tone is excellent for a more friendship-
oriented game, while Dented can be fun when you want to explore a dark story with disturbing
dangers.
After you talk about the level of violence you want
in your game, also talk about how much love, intimacy,
In all Threadbare games, you are
and sex you want to present in the game. Is this a game
easily broken, and so is the world.
where love is represented platonically, or is intimate
The story you want to tell in that
love available, though “off-screen”? On-screen explicit
setting determines the tone.
sex doesn’t really have a place in Threadbare as written;
this game more deals with emotions and affection.
TELLING THE STORY
The game starts out with a series of questions that will establish if you have any damage at the
beginning of the game, whether you have Stuff, what your quest or mission is, and so forth.
As you and your fellow players tell the story, the GM will give you choices and scenarios
and ask you “What do you do?” when something happens. Don’t look at your playbook for the
answer! Just answer with what you think your character would do.
Most of the time, you will just do it, and the GM will either ask you more questions, or ask
another player some questions. You auto-succeed at whatever you are doing until something you
do triggers a Move.

IMPROV TIP: When something happens, unless it is icky or uncomfortable for you or
another player (see Boundaries on page 2), try to accept it. Say “yes, and” a lot, whether you
are a player or the GM.

4
MAKING MOVES
You trigger a Move when you do something specified in the Move description on the Basic
Moves Reference Sheet or in your character’s playbook. The trigger is usually phrased as “when
you....”
FOR EXAMPLE:
When you trigger a Move, the
MAKE FRIENDS description of that Move will say
When you approach a GM character with an open “roll+Score” where the “Score” is one
and earnest heart, roll+Smile. On a 10+, they of your character’s numbered ability
regard you as friendly and you may form a Tie with scores listed in your playbook, such
them. On a 7-9, choose one from the following list: as Scrounge, Smile, or Strongarm. For
 You have to give them something (the GM all dice rolls, you roll two 6-sided dice
will tell you what it is). (2d6) and add the modifier specified in
 They don’t like your friends. that Move.
 They want you to go somewhere (the GM
You might have a bonus for your
will tell you where). ability score or a special Move from
an Upgrade. If you’ve been sufficiently
NOTE: This Move cannot be used on player charac- damaged, the GM may say that you are
ters, or on hostile and non-thinking characters. See hindered in some way (for example,
your Friendship Move for building ties with other you might have a -1 penalty on your
player characters. roll to move fast if you don’t have any
legs or wheels left).
If you roll a 10 or higher (after modifications), you succeed at what you were doing in the way
you wanted to succeed. Congratulations!
If you roll 7-9, you succeed at what you were doing, but there’s some kind of cost or complica-
tion involved. Sometimes, you’ll have to choose a consequence to your success.
If you roll a 6 or less, you take some damage to one of your Parts. Mark it in your playbook
so you know which Part to fix later! You also gain a “Hold” which you can spend in some way
that is specific to what kind of toy you are. You can hang onto this Hold until later. Holds
expire at the end of the game session.
Some Moves are special and don’t require a roll. For example, there are two repair Moves
that you can trigger “once per session” under the right circumstances. You only need to say “I’m
doing this now” and describe how you’re doing it, in order to make it happen.
STUFF, THINGS, AND DEVICES
Everything in Threadbare is made of various materials and junk: hacked, glued, and stitched
together to make a whole.
Stuff refers to the bits and pieces of flotsam that characters pick up in their journeys. Stuff
is very abstract in Threadbare. It can be used in a Jury-Rig Move, to repair Parts, to barter with
other characters, to build something, or whatever is needed. Stuff is usually used up during a
relevant Move, but more Stuff is easy to come by—the world is full of junk, after all.
There is no need to keep track of how much Stuff you have. Player characters either have
some Stuff they’ve scrounged, or they don’t. That’s it. You can use poker chips that you pass back
to the GM, a token or coin you flip over, or checkmarks in your playbook or any kind of “toggle”
to show that you do or do not have Stuff. When you have Stuff, there’s no need to identify what
it is until you need it, and you can use it in a Jury-Rig Move to repair a damaged Part back to its
full functionality.

5
 When you name your Stuff, it becomes a Thing. You remove the checkbox or toggle that says
you have Stuff, and write down the name of the Thing you now have.
Sometimes, characters need something specific, usually because there’s a need in their story,
or they’ve determined that they are questing for a particular Thing. In this case, the Thing is
already identified by the players or the GM. For example: “A Pill Bottle with No Child Safety
Cap.” You can’t make your Stuff into a Thing that has already been named by someone else.
Instead, you must go and find the already named Thing if you want it. There’s no theoretical limit
to the number of Things a character can have, but Things can be broken or lost through GM
moves, and you need to be able to explain where you keep your Things.
The cost of naming a Thing on your own is that you can’t use it to repair yourself. However,
Things can be used when Upgrading.
Finally, there are a group of items called Devices. Devices are Things which have specific
Moves associated with them. They can be tools, structures, or vehicles. Read more about Devices
on page 32.

Stuff is little bits and pieces that you either have or you don’t, and can be used to repair
your Parts to normal functionality. Things are specific items you need to complete a task,
quest, mission, or make an Upgrade or a Device.

YOUR BODY: PARTS, DAMAGE, REPAIR, AND UPGRADES

You start every session with all your Parts undamaged. That means your arms and legs are
fully stitched on. Your battery is as charged as it’s going to be. Everything is where it should be,
and you are ready to roll!
When the GM asks the adventure starter questions, you might take some damage. That’s
great! Damage is an opportunity to make changes to your character. Now it’s time to repair. You
may even Upgrade yourself in the process!
DAMAGE
As toys, you are very easily damaged. You can damage
a Part from fighting or failing,, from a GM Move, or from When a consequence is to
rolling a 6 or lower on your dice. Stitching and gluing “Damage one Part,” cross out one
yourself back together is a more or less constant process of your Parts in your playbook.
for all characters in Threadbare. You might repair it later, or you
If you are sufficiently damaged—for example, both might replace it with an entirely
of your legs or all your wheels or treads have been new Part. Role play as though
broken—the GM might tell you that you are hindered. that Part is gone or unavailable.
A hindrance applies to one specific Move: Run Away, in
the example of losing all your wheels. You can have more
than one hindrance if you have a lot of damage (both arms and both legs? Might be time to ask
for some help!)

Hindrances give a -1 to a specific Move.

PERSONALITY PARTS
When you select your Parts, you have the option of including aspects of your personality as
Parts that can be damaged. When damage to a Part that affects your personality, you’ll need to
role play “forgetting” that bit of yourself for a while. Repairing something as nebulous as “my
favorite color” could be a little bit vague, but don’t worry about it. Successfully doing the Jury Rig
Move restores that bit of yourself. It “brings you back around,” or de-stresses you, or helps you
reset. And if you want, that bit of your personality might change a little bit during the repair.

6
 If you don’t like the possibility of damaging a particular aspect of your personality and having
to repair it, you can avoid it entirely by saying that certain aspects of your personality simply
aren’t “Parts” that can be damaged. Try to only use this for parts of your personality that are
central to your identity. Having your character be able to change and grow is a big part of the
game!
SPECIAL REPAIR MOVES
There are a few ways to repair yourself in Threadbare. The most common is the Jury Rig
Move, which lets you repair yourself or someone else.
However, there are two special once-per-session repair Moves that automatically succeed:
Minor Fix-Up, which you can do on yourself or someone else, and which you do at the same
time you attempt a Jury-Rig, and Take a
You can automatically repair two damaged Breather, which you do on yourself with
Parts each session with Minor Fix-Up and no other Move required. Note that Minor
Take a Breather. Fix-Up succeeds even if you roll a 6 or less
on the Jury-Rig Move (see page 10).
SHAPELESSNESS
When you have no more Parts left, you become “shapeless” and are incoherent or uncon-
scious. You remain that way until you are repaired, until the next scene, or until the GM says you
wake up.
Because you can regain consciousness before you get repaired, this might mean that you are
like the barrel without any monkeys, a pile of fluff waiting to be stuffed into a body, the rusted
hull of an RC boat that may never float again.
As you regain Parts, you might start to resemble quite the Frankenstein’s toy—a teddy bear
with headlights for eyes, a jumble of toy soldiers from every regiment through history, or even a
ball of fluff that has picked up stuff and stuck it to itself in random, almost magical ways.
In the rare event that there is a character death, it
Barring an extreme event, must drive the story forward and must be decided on by
Threadbare characters do not die. both the person playing that character and the GM.
INFLUENCING OTHERS
There are very few ways to “force” someone else to act the way you want them to in Thread-
bare. For the most part, you can influence other characters through role playing and talking to
them to try and convince them.
 Bossy is a specific Move that Softies have. It allows them to coerce a character into doing
something they want. Bossy cannot be used to force other player characters into doing
something, but if the target of the Bossy Move cooperates, they gain a benefit.
 Make Friends is a Basic Move that anyone can use to diplomatically encourage a GM
character into being helpful.
 Bribe is a Basic Move that anyone can use to trade Stuff for cooperation from GM
characters.
 When Wool Socks (a type of Sock character) roll a 6 or less, they gain a Hold that allows
them to deceive another character.
 When Ragdolls (a type of Softie character) roll a 6 or less, they gain a Hold that allows
them to ask a question from another character and receive a truthful answer.
Keep good improv impulses in mind: try to say “yes” or “yes, and” as your group tells the
story, keeping within the tone boundaries you set up at the start of the game.

7
 LEVELING UP: UPGRADES
There are no experience point or levels in Threadbare. Instead, you Upgrade by creating new
Parts and using the Jury-Rig Move to apply them.
Your starting maximum number of Parts is not a hard limit! Later Upgrades to your body
might add a Part beyond your starting maximum. That’s okay!
BASIC MOVES
When you begin play, you have all the Moves on the Basic Moves list, plus your Type Moves
and the Hold you get from your Form. Holds that you get from your Form automatically
succeed.
HELP SOMEONE
When you help someone do something, roll+Ties with that character. On a 10+, choose
three from the following list. On a 7-9, choose one:
 Grant a +1 on their next Move (+2 for Socks helping Socks).
 Take the consequences of a failure on their next Move for yourself.
 Nothing breaks as a result of your help!
 Someone else can help, too! Point to the next Helper.

NOTE: In one-shot games, all player characters begin with one Tie with each other. You can use
this move even if you have no Ties with a character, just add +0 to your dice roll.
MAKE FRIENDS
When you approach a GM character with an open and earnest heart, roll+Smile. On a
10+, they regard you as friendly and you may form a Tie with them. On a 7-9, they regard you as
friendly, but are wary. Choose one from the following list:
 You have to give them something (the GM will tell you what it is).
 They don’t like your friends.
 They want you to go somewhere (the GM will tell you where).

NOTE: This Move cannot be used on player characters, or on hostile and non-thinking charac-
ters. See your Friendship Move for building ties with other player characters.
LOOK FIERCE!
When you stand up to a bully, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+, you are fierce! The bully backs
down and gives you something to make you go away (their player or the GM decides). On a 7-9,
they back down, but are still wary of you.
NOTE: Players can only bully each other in Dented campaigns, so you can only use Look Fierce!
against another player in those campaigns. You can use Look Fierce! against GM characters in
any campaign.
BRIBE
When you try to buy an unfriendly character’s cooperation, roll+Smile and give up some-
thing of value. On a 10+, they take an action to help you out. On a 7-9, they begrudgingly help
you; choose one from the following list:
 They also demand a valuable secret. Reveal it now.
 You owe them a favor in addition to the thing you gave them. The GM will tell you what it
is now.
 They don’t trust you to keep your side of the deal.

NOTE: Bribe is for when you want a GM character to do something, not when you want them to
give you a material thing. Use Make a Bargain for that.

8
LEAD A CHEER!
When you try to change someone’s mood, tell them a good story and roll+Smile. On a hit,
you change their mood in the way you hoped. On a 7-9, choose one from the following list:
 They need you to listen to their complaints for a very long time.
 They don’t want you to leave.
 They don’t believe your story is true.

NOTE: This can be used on player characters and GM characters. Players must consent before
having this move used on their characters.
PLAY A GAME
When you play a game with someone, describe or play the game and determine if you won
or lost it, then roll+Smile. On a 10+, choose three from the following list. On a 7-9, choose one:
 You won a wager! Describe what was on the line and what you won.
 Your opponent respects your skill and treats you with respect from here on out.
 You discovered something new about this game. What is it?
 You feel really good about yourself. Nothing can tear you down! The next time you roll a
6-, you do not damage a Part.
NOTE: If you played out a nano-game, such as Grab Bag (page 87), to perform this Move, treat
any success as a 10+.
MAKE A BARGAIN
When you engage in trade with a GM character, roll+Scrounge and give up something of
value (such as a Thing, a Device, or something intangible that you or the GM character values).
On a 10+, you get all of the following. On a 7-9, choose two:
 They give you what you want.
 What you want is not already broken.
 They are willing to trade with you again in the future.

CANNIBALIZE
When you break something to get Stuff out of it, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+, you get the
Stuff easily. On a 7-9, you get the Stuff, but... choose one from the following list:
 It already belonged to someone (the GM will tell you who)!
 You break something else as well (the GM will tell you what).
 It’s rude to break things! Take -1 on your next Smile roll.

FIND SOMETHING
When you search for useful Stuff or Things, roll+Scrounge. If you succeed, you gain Stuff.
On a 10+, pick two. On a 7-9, pick one.
 It’s exactly what you were looking for.
 It isn’t dangerous.
 Nobody else wants it.

THINK IT THROUGH
When you reveal to the GM a fact about a problem or mystery, roll+Strongarm. On a
10+, you are completely accurate. On a 7-9, the GM will tell you one thing that is false in your
statement.

9
 JURY-RIG
When you use Stuff or Things to repair or Upgrade a Part, including your own,
roll+Scrounge. On a 10+, choose three from the following list. On a 7-9, choose one:
 You successfully repair or modify the Part.
 The target gains a Move (the GM will tell you what it is).
 It doesn’t use up your Stuff.
 It doesn’t draw unwanted attention.

NOTE: You can use this Move on an unbroken Part to Upgrade it (for adding a useful Move on a
7-9). You can also choose to gain a Move on a still-broken Part. Most likely, this will result in an
undesirable Move, known as a Glitch (see page 37).
MINOR FIX-UP
Once per session, while you perform a Jury-Rig Move, if you are not also Running Away, you
can describe yourself doing an additional minor repair on a different Part than the Jury-Rig’s
target. The target’s Part is restored to its normal functionality.
TAKE A BREATHER
Once per session, when you are not Running Away, you can describe yourself doing a minor
repair on yourself. One of your Parts is restored to its normal functionality.
MAKE A DEVICE
When you build a new Device, if you have all the Stuff, Things, and Helpers needed to make
it according to the GM, name it and roll + Helpers (the number of characters helping you make
it). On a 10+, it uses up any Things you needed to make it and gains one Move, choose three
from the following list. On a 7-9, it uses up your Things, and choose one:
 It doesn’t use up your Stuff.
 It gains a second Move.
 It can be made again in the future.
 Nobody knows you made it.

PUSH OR PULL
When you try to move something that is bigger than you, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+, you
move it where you want to. On a 7-9, it moves, but you fall down and choose one from the
following list:
 Take damage to a Part.
 Drop whatever you’re carrying.
 Get lost and separated from the rest of the player characters.

RUN AWAY!
When you act to avoid getting physically damaged, (which could mean running away,
dodging, or otherwise acting to avoid a danger) roll+Scrounge. On a 10+, you avoid the danger
completely. On a 7-9, you escape but the GM will give you either a minor consequence or tough
choice.
FIGHT SONG
When you engage in a contest of violence (combat), performance, or sport, all characters
damage one Part. The players describe what “winning” means and how they successfully won the
contest. For Fluffy games, the contest must be performance or sport, such as a kickball game or
dance-off.

10
 CHARACTERS AND WHAT
THEY CAN DO
Y
ou’re an animated, sentient creature that resembles a toy—a soft-filled creature of fabric
and thread (“Softies”), a hard-shelled plastic, metal, or rubber toy (“Mekka”), or an
unpaired Sock.
At the beginning of the game, every player character has some basic ability scores that they
use when making one of the Basic Moves. They also have a character “type,” like Mekka, Sock,
or Softie, a form-- like “Ragdoll” and some special moves that are specific to their character type
and form. Every character has a number of Parts, as discussed on page 6. And finally, every
character has some connections, or Ties, to other characters played by other players and the GM.
When you’re ready to make a character, print out the Character Playbooks at the back of this
book, or from the PDFs available at http://www.threadbarerpg.com.
MAKING A CHARACTER
STEP ONE: CHOOSE A TYPE OF CHARACTER
Look through the Mekka, Sock, and Softie playbooks and the Character Types section to
decide which Type and Form you’d like to play. Your group doesn’t need to have one of each
type, and it’s okay for more than one player to choose the same Character Type and even Char-
acter Form.
 MEKKA are made of hardened materials, such as plastic, metal, or rubber, but sometimes
even papier mache. Toy trucks, fashion dolls, and action figures fall into the “Mekka”
category.
 SOCKS are the lost gym socks, the stockings, the stray nylons of the world. They some-
times appear like an unfilled Softie, but might also appear to have an illusionary “hand”
inside, moving them about and forming a mouth for them.
 SOFTIES are made of fabric, thread, and soft stuffing. Teddy bears and ragdolls fall into
the “Softie” category.
If you aren’t immediately sure what Type to choose, feel free to read the sections on Basic
Moves, Your Body: Parts, Damage, Repair, and Upgrades, and Influencing Others to see how the
character options work in Threadbare.
STEP TWO: SELECT ABILITY SCORES
All characters have the following ability scores:
 SCROUNGE: Your ability to find and use materials, such as yarn, cloth, metal, plastic, and
glue, to repair, Upgrade, or craft stuff.
 SMILES: Your friendliness and ability to influence others.
 STRONGARM: Your ability to push the world around.
Assign the following modifiers to each ability score as you wish: +2 (you are very good at
this), +1 (you are pretty good at this), -1 (you are not so good at this).

STEP THREE: PICK A FORM AND DESCRIBE YOURSELF

Pick a Form from the list in your character’s playbook. This describes what Parts you have,
what “damage” means to you, and what special ability you have because of your Form.
Each Form has a special ability that triggers when you roll a 6 or less on the dice. You gain
a “Hold” that you can spend later to take an action. The action doesn’t require a dice roll—it
succeeds automatically. You can save your Holds until you need them, and you can have more
than one Hold, although you can only spend one at a time. At the end of the session, your Holds
expire and do not carry over to the next session.

11
 Select and describe your Parts. Each Form has a list of suggested Parts, and a maximum
number of starting Parts. You don’t have to have the maximum number of Parts. You cannot die,
so even if you lose all your Parts, the part of you that is “you” remains connected to whatever
tattered and broken Parts are left.
You are not limited to the suggestions for your Form or Type—if you want one of your Parts
to be the cuff of a sock, even though you are a Mekka Toy Truck, go with it.
PERSONALITY PARTS: You may include aspects of your personality in your Parts if you wish,
and each Form has at least one example of such a Part you could choose. For example, you might
have a catch phrase that’s stored on a sound chip in your body.
UNBREAKABLE PARTS: You can also decide that you
Parts are the bits of you have a sound chip that isn’t specifically a Part, if you
that can specifically be targeted, want to have it without it being breakable; in this case,
damaged, lost, upgraded, and put it in your character’s Description, but do not write
changed. If it’s really super impor- it in your Parts list. It cannot be lost or damaged, but it
tant to what makes you “you,” is also of limited impact on the world; for example, if
don’t add it in the playbook as a you say “I have a shotgun,” it is an entirely decorative
Part. Write it in your Description item that cannot fire bullets. Unbreakable Parts are
instead. best for quirks of your personality and descriptive bits
that you really want to maintain.
BE DESCRIPTIVE: Include the color of your fur or plastic, what condition you’re in, what you
use to perceive the world around you (headlamps? a speaker that lets you hear? ping pong balls
that you glued into place where your eyes used to be? no parts needed, you just can?)
Your starting maximum number of Parts is not a hard limit. Later Upgrades to your body
might add a Part beyond your maximum. That’s okay. In addition, each limb can be a sepa-
rate Part, or you can group them together.
What you look like is a big part of who you are in Threadbare. Write out a brief description
of your Form and any modifications that have already been applied to your body (these descrip-
tions don’t add Moves, but future modifications may). If you wish, you can draw a picture or use
a physical toy to represent your character.
As you take damage, make a note of which Part was damaged. When you repair, note what
you did to fix yourself.
For example, a teddy bear that has been through a few adventures might describe them-
selves as “A medium-sized stuffed bear with brown fur, withan eye patch, and one arm has been
replaced with a knotted rope.”
OPTIONAL AVATAR RULE: In ongoing campaigns, if you bring a toy that represents your
character, including having been modified as the character changes over time, you gain one Hold
at the start of the session. You may spend that Hold as if you had rolled a six, or to give yourself a
+1 to any Move after you roll the dice.
PICK A PRONOUN: Threadbare characters don’t really have gender or sexes. You can use any
pronoun you like.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF: Using an index card or scrap paper, make a name tag or tent card
with your character’s name, a short description, and your pronouns. Put it in front of you so
the other players and GM can see it. It’ll make it easier for them to talk to you or about you in
character.

12
STEP FOUR: MAKE TIES WITH OTHER CHARACTERS
After everyone has been introduced, if you plan to play an ongoing campaign (or if you
aren’t sure), pick some Ties or connections to the other characters. At least one tie must be with
another player character. At least one tie must be with a GM character. You get to name this GM
character whatever you want, so make it evocative! There’s a list of GM character names you can
put together in the List of GM Characters found on page 108.
TIES FOR ONE-SHOTS: In a single-session game, you start with one Tie with each other
player character, unless the adventure starter says otherwise. You can create Ties during the
game session using your Friendship Move.
TIES IN A CAMPAIGN: Each level of Tone changes the types of inter-personal connections
you might have with the other characters. Pick some Ties from the list for the Tone of your
campaign, or write your own. At least one of your ties must be with another player character. At
least one of your ties must be with a GM character. Name the GM character.
During the game, you will have opportunities to create new Ties with both player characters
and GM characters. You don’t need to choose these from the ones listed below. Instead, write
them out freeform, based on what’s happening in the story. Any player you make a Tie with
must agree to the Tie (or else you have to rewrite it) and the GM must agree to Ties with GM
characters.

FLUFFY TIES
________________ and I used to be really close friends.
I learned about a cool machine from _______________. I hope someday to build it!
I admire ______________________’s _______________________.
I love to play with ______________. They’re such a good sport!

SCRUFFY TIES
I owe __________________ a huge debt!
_______________ has never really shown me much respect.
_______________ doesn’t understand the world. It’s my responsibility to teach them.
I will never forget what _______________ did for me.

DENTED TIES
I’m envious of ________________ because they have ______________.
I wish ________________ cared about me.
I owe ___________________ a debt, all right. They aren’t going to like how I repay it.
I told ___________________ an important secret. I wonder if I can trust them.

13
 MEKKA
Mekka are made of hardened materials, such as plastic, metal, or rubber, but sometimes even
papier maché. Toy trucks, fashion dolls, and action figures fall into the “Mekka” category.
MEKKA MOVE: SALVAGE PARTS.
When you are the target of a Jury-Rig Move, you can use up Stuff (in addition to any
needed for the Move) to gain a new Move, even if you didn't choose that result. You can only
gain one new Move from any successful Jury-Rig. Note that, in general, you either have Stuff or
you don't, so you will need another character to give you their Stuff to use this Move.
MEKKA FRIENDSHIP MOVE
Once per session, when you play a game or playfight (for example, headbutting without
intending any damage) with someone else, they learn something new about their own capabili-
ties (this may result in a Move), and you create a Tie with them.

BUNCHA LITTLE GUYS: You are a DOLLFACE: You’re a hard-plastic doll

swarm of tiny plastic toys. You’re a crack with an array of exciting accessories! When
team of green army men, more fun than you roll a 6-, you lose or sacrifice one of
a barrel of monkeys, or an entire farm’s your accessories to the cause. Damage one
worth of barnyard animals. When you roll Part and gain +1 Hold which you can spend
a 6-, one of your “guys” becomes separated. to trigger a Jury-Rig move, even if you don’t
Damage one Part and gain +1 Hold which have any Stuff. You can have up to seven
you can spend to ask the GM a question starting Parts.
when you’re seeking information about the
SUGGESTIONS: Head, arms, legs, body,
world around you. They must answer you
outfit, hair, accessories (name them!), list of
honestly. You can have up to twelve starting
things I collect.
Parts.
SUGGESTIONS: Tiny individual but
similar toys (one for each part), a central
leader, hive mind.

14
YOUR FORM
Pick one of the Forms from the boxes below. Your Form determines the maximum number of
Parts you can start with, as well as the Hold you gain when you roll a 6 or less (after modifiers)
on the dice.

BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED: You’re NO STRINGS ATTACHED: Once upon

a battery-operated machine that moves, a time, there was a puppetmaker who made
talks, or lights up. When you roll a 6-, you out of wood, ceramics, and clothed you
your batteries start to run low and you go in tiny stitched clothing. You had carefully-
into power save mode. Damage one Part articulated joints, strings, and a series of
and gain +1 Hold which you can spend to beams for easily making you move and
appear silent and motionless for a short dance! Even before the Awakening, you had
time, even if moving slowly. You can have personality, although it was enslaved to the
up to six starting Parts. wishes of whomever pulled your strings!
When you roll a 6-, another string is cut
NOTE: You can be a battery-powered toy
from your past. Damage one Part and gain
that is awake and alive through the mystical
+1 Hold which you can spend to escape
energy that has awakened other toys and
something that is trapping you. You can
does not need batteries as a Part. You might
have up to seven starting Parts.
still have batteries as a Part, or even as a
power source if you wish. SUGGESTIONS: Head, arms, legs, body,
outfit, strings, control bar, a dramatic script.
SUGGESTIONS: Wheels, treads, cargo,
lights, speaker, windshield, window, steering
wheel, pulley mechanism, antenna, catch
phrase chip.

15
 VROOOM!: You go fast! You’re a MORE THAN MEETS THE EYES!:
wheeled vehicle that’s built for speed! Are you a truck? Are you a human-looking
When you roll a 6-, you fall behind! scientist? Maybe you’re both! You have
Damage one Part and gain +1 Hold which two faces you show the world-- what are
you can use to notice something that was they? When you roll a 6-, you involuntarily
overlooked in others’ haste. You can have transform too fast! Damage one Part and
up to six Starting Parts. gain +1 Hold which you can use to pretend
SUGGESTIONS: Wheels, windshield,
to be someone you’re not. You can have up
doors, headlights, bumpers, fenders, a to six Starting Parts:
favorite surface to roll on. SUGGESTIONS: Wheels, headlights, a face,
NOTE: There might be some overlap
a second face, claws, bumpers, an outfit, a
between a Vrooom! toy and a Buncha Little song.
Guys if the Buncha Little Guys are a collec-
tion of small cars. If you’re more than one
car, pick Buncha Little Guys. If you’re just
one, pick Vrooom!

ROCK SOLID: You’re a solid friend with no

moving parts, at all. You might be a solid plastic
dinosaur, a pet rock, or even a logo’ed tchotchke
from a long-past trade show. When you roll a 6-,
damage one Part or Device that isn’t your starting
part (if you have one) and gain +1 Hold which you
can use to resist someone trying to force you to do
something or go somewhere. You can have only
one starting part, which cannot be damaged.
SUGGESTIONS: A hard plastic dinosaur, a pet
rock, a child’s pottery sculpture, a character from pop
culture, a chew toy.
NOTE: If you don’t have additional parts, you do
not damage anything, but still gain the Hold; the GM
makes a move as usual.

16
 SOCKS
Socks are the lost gym socks, the stockings, the stray nylons of the world. They sometimes
appear like an unfilled Softie, but might also appear to have an illusionary "hand" inside, moving
them about and forming a mouth for them.
SOCK MOVE: PAIRED UP
When you Help Someone, treat a 7-9 partial success as a 10+. If the target is another Sock,
they get to roll 3d6 and pick the highest two dice.
SOCK FRIENDSHIP MOVE
Once per session, when you ask for help from someone else for something you can't do by
yourself, if they help you, they feel better about themselves. They may repair a Part, and you also
may create a Tie with them.
YOUR FORM
Pick one of the Forms from the list below. Your Form determines the maximum number of
Parts you can start with, as well as the type of bonus you gain when you roll a 6 or less (after
modifiers) on the dice.

ATHLETIC SOCK: Hup hup, soldier! CHRISTMAS STOCKING: You are

You’re a sturdy, pragmatic sock with a the sentinel. The sparkly guardian of cold
solidity to you that belies your floppy winter nights. You are the stocking hung
nature. When you roll a 6-, the starch by the chimney, ever vigilant, expectant
weakens and you fold like a nylon. of a bounty you will disgorge at dawn
Damage one Part and gain +1 Hold, like a mockery of sockness. You have no
which you can use to get into a spot or mate. When you roll 6-, a bit of the jingle
space that you normally wouldn’t be able goes out of your bells. Damage one Part
to reach or fit inside. You can have up to and gain +1 Hold which you can use to
five starting Parts. inspire, cheer, or encourage another char-
SUGGESTIONS: Toe, cuff, stripes, heel,
acter. You can have up to seven starting
reinforced athletic sole, patches, cheer Parts.
slogan. SUGGESTIONS: Toe, cuff, jingle bells,
tinsel, felt applique, beads, embroidery, a
child’s name, quilting, favorite song.

17
 WOOL SOCK: Sturdy, well-built, you SOCK PUPPET: All it took were
are a sock to be reckoned with! You’re some googley eyes and a felt tongue, and
also deceptively unfashionable. When suddenly you’re a whole new Sock! When
you roll a 6-, you felt a little bit more. you roll a 6-, you lose a little bit of your
Damage one Part and gain oneHold personal style. Damage one Part and gain
which you may use to deceive a GM char- +1 Hold which you can use to blend into
acter (they don’t call it “pulling the wool a crowd and be overlooked by someone
over his eyes” for nothing!) You can have trying to single you out. You can have up
up to six starting Parts. to seven Starting Parts.
SUGGESTIONS: Toe, SUGGESTIONS: Face,
cuff, heel, instep, cuff, eyes, tongue,
gusset, lace, outfit, floppy
patterning, limbs, hair,
patches, a political
a “tell.” agenda.

FINGER PUPPETS: Like a Buncha TIGHTS: Joined at the hip, literally,

Little Guys, you are a group of tiny you’re a two-headed character is some-
“socks,” each with its own personality and times at odds with itself. But you are also
look! When you roll a 6-, one of your your own best friend! When you roll
puppets finds a new home! Damage one a 6-, you get all tangled up in yourself!
Part and gain +1 Hold which you can use Damage one Part and gain +1 Hold
to establish a minor fact about someone which you can spend to catch something
you just met. You can have up to ten and hold onto it. You can have up to four
starting Parts. Starting Parts.
SUGGESTIONS: An ensemble of various SUGGESTIONS: Right leg, left leg, torso,
finger puppets of different appearances run, toes, haughty
(describe them!), a bandana demeanor.
backdrop, a
theme song.

18
 SOFTIES
Softies are made of fabric, thread, and soft stuffing. Teddy bears and ragdolls fall into the
“Softie” category.
SOFTIE MOVE: BOSSY
When you try to convince someone that your way is best, roll+Smile. If they are a GM char-
acter: on a 10+, they are convinced! They do what you want. On a 7-9, they do what you want,
but you must give them something (similar to the Bribe move). If they are a player character,
on a 10+, if they do what you want, they gain a Hold as if they'd rolled a 6- (but without the
damage). On a 7-9, if they do what you want, you owe them a favor.
SOFTIE FRIENDSHIP MOVE
Once per session, when you put someone else's needs before your own, they tell you how
they are weak, afraid, or vulnerable, and you tell them a secret of your own. You also may create
a Tie with them.
YOUR FORM
Pick one of the Forms from the list of Softie Forms. Your Form determines the maximum
number of Parts you can start with, as well as the bonus you gain when you roll a 6 or less (after
modifiers) on the dice.

RAGDOLL: Stitches can be witches... BUILT LIKE A BEAR: You’re an

you’re the enigmatic, always-smiling artisan-crafted heirloom stuffed animal.
secret-keeper. When you roll a 6-, you Yeah, you might have a few scuffs and
unravel a secret. Damage one Part, but surgical scars, but you’re custom-made
gain +1 Hold which you can spend to ask and built to last. You have a lifetime guar-
a character one question. GM characters antee! When you roll a 6-, you doubt your
must answer truthfully. Player characters origins and wonder if you really are “all
may deceive you, but you will know they new materials.” Damage one Part, but gain
are not telling the truth. You can have up +1 Hold which you can spend to divine
to seven starting Parts. the history or origin of a person or item.
SUGGESTIONS: Head,
You can have up to eight starting Parts.
arms, legs, body, SUGGESTIONS: Head, arms, legs, tail,
outfit, stuffing, body, outfit,
hair, favorite stuffing, ears,
color. the books
you want
to read.

19
 CARNIVAL PRIZE: You’re awesome! UNHAND ME!: Don’t let the soft fur
You’re BIG! And WEIRD! Your seams and big eyes fool anyone-- you’re one
are hot-glued together! You’ve got pellets smart cookie-eating monster! When you
for stuffing! You might not even look roll a 6-, you become nostalgic for the
like a real creature! When you roll a 6-, days when you told stories instead of
your stuffing comes loose and leaves a living them. Damage one Part and gain
trail. Damage one Part and gain oneHold +1 Hold which you can spend to enter-
which you can spend to find your way if tain a group of Toys by telling a short,
you are lost. You can start with up to nine amusing story with heroes they identify
Parts. with. You can start with up to eight Parts.
SUGGESTIONS: Head, arms, legs, tail, SUGGESTIONS: Head, body, eyes, arms,
body, eyes, antennae, ears, stuffing, weird ears, mouth, outfit, weird things (describe
things (describe it!), carnival barking them!), a bad habit.
phrase (“Step right up!” etc.)

20
 I’M “REAL.”: Whether you SOFT SCULPTURE: You are a work of
remember or not (and many choose to art! Felted or stitched together, you might
forget!), you were deeply, unfathomably be too “abstract” for others to appreciate,
loved, once upon a time. You were so but you know you’re a valuable piece of
beloved, you Awoke before the humans culture. When you roll a 6-, you sense
were gone. Your fur is worn bare, you the line between “art” and “kitch” is a
have been restitched by a mother’s hands, little too close for comfort. Damage one
and you’ve absorbed a child’s tears and Part and gain +1 Hold which you can use
laughter in great measure. When you to know the original value of something
roll a 6-, you remember something from you can hold. You can start with up to six
the long-ago past that makes you sad. Parts.
Damage one Part and gain +1 Hold which SUGGESTIONS: Bobbles, spirals, wings,
you can use to apply “real world” logic or eyes, mouth, lumps, woobly bits, mushed
science to solve a problem. You can start face, a french accent.
with up to six Parts.
SUGGESTIONS: Head,
limbs, tail, body, stuffing,
eyes, a child’s name.

CONTENT NOTE: I’m Real can be a

disturbing form to play, due to its memo-
ries of humans and having lived through
whatever ended human life on Earth. Not
recommended for games with younger
players.
This form dances in the pathos of the
end of The Velveteen Rabbit, and applies
“meta” knowledge to the game. Using this
form’s Hold requires the player to use the
science and logic of the real world, not the
Threadbare world (problems in Threadbare
can use illogical solutions with the Think it
Through move).

21
 FOR THE GAME MASTER
T
he world of Threadbare is cluttered, needlessly so, but everything is junk. It’s hard to
find something that works or can be repaired, or can even be used for repair. And
all that junk is dirty, broken, and stuck to other junk. Entropy is more than a law of
physics—it’s a hostile entity in Threadbare.
As the Game Master, or GM, it’s your job to represent that world to the players and give them
plenty of room and material for them explore, interact with, and change the world around them.
GM PRINCIPLES
The “GM Principles” for Threadbare are based on other Powered by the Apocalypse games.
Principles are the guiding concepts behind the game. They help you understand the “why”
behind the mechanics, so you can let those shine through in the story.
 Be a fan of the characters.
 Provide spotlight time to all players.
 Complicate the character’s lives.
 Players can change the way the world works.
 Give the players opportunities and reasons to work together.
 GM characters never blame one character for the actions of another in Fluffy and Scruffy
tones.

Use Moves that focus on breaking and losing stuff, adding to confusion and chaos, and
generally creating the feeling of a world where being careful means you only trip and fall on
your face once or twice a day.

BE A FAN OF THE CHARACTERS

As the GM, you are telling a story with the players about their characters. Their characters
are the protagonists of the tale—you are playing all the side characters, antagonists, allies, and
the environment. Because the story is about the protagonists, you want to be a fan of them and
encourage them to have goals and try to achieve them.
How does “being a fan of the characters” look when you’re running a game of Threadbare?
For starters, it means that when you ask the players what happens, you listen to their answers
and describe the world reacting accordingly. It means that the players drive the action. If they
want to go off in a new direction, you let them.
Don’t take their successes away from them, or negate them with your hard choices and
consequences. If a player rolls a 10 to befriend the Big Bad Guy, who you have been building up
as a really big threat to the entire way of Threadbare life... then the Big Bad Guy becomes their
friend. He’s still Big and Bad... but now he’s on that character’s side (even though he might not
like the other toys.) This might take all the “teeth” out of your adventure, and that’s fine. Ask the
players what they want to do now, with their new friend. Perhaps they’d like to help Big Bad do
something productive or useful? Or make amends for his past? Or maybe now that he’s seen the
light, maybe he reveals that he’d been working on something really dangerous—and they’d better
act to stop it before it’s too late!
On a 7-9, where there’s a qualified success, it’s important not to let the hard choices you offer
be so hard that the player might as well have rolled a 6. Sometimes the choices listed in the Move
are exactly what the player wanted in the first place, so they’ll take those choices. That’s fine.
There is nothing wrong with easy choices once in a while!
What you don’t want to do is present a choice between actually failing to do what they wanted
to do, or kinda-failing. A 7-9 is a success! It’s just a success at a minor cost or one which makes
life more difficult for them.

22
GIVE EACH PLAYER THE SPOTLIGHT
Character “spotlight” refers to the time when a character
Encourage all players to has the GM’s and the other player’s attention and is most
share and enjoy the spotlight. able to influence the story. They might be making a Move,
describing something new, or asking a bunch of questions
of the GM.
One of the most important things a GM can do is keep the “spotlight” rotating around the
table. There will be players who are less energetic about telling the story, and that’s okay. It’s
important for them to have the opportunity, even if they choose not to do much with it. Some
players will tell a more internal story, thinking about the thoughts and feelings of their character.
If they don’t want to take a direct action, encourage them to share that story with the players and
tell how their character is feeling.
You can shift the spotlight from one player to another by asking a direct question of the next
player.
Be aware of players who interrupt, talk over, or jump in when quiet players pause or don’t
speak up right away. Feel free to ask the quiet player for confirmation that that’s what they want
to happen, and then follow up by asking them a clarification question.
COMPLICATE CHARACTERS’ LIVES
You make GM Moves when the players roll a 6 or less on the dice (modified), or when the
action has stalled. In other Powered by the Apocalypse games, you make Moves when “the
players look at you for guidance,” but Threadbare gives the players a bit more scenery to chew
on. Give them enough “down time” to feel like they can catch their breath and interact with each
other, but not enough to let them be bored.
When the players roll a 6 or less, pick the most interesting thing from this list and describe it
happening. If it makes for a good progression of the story, whatever they were attempting to do
also succeeds.
 They fall (on their face, down a hole, down the mountain of junk, onto something sharp,
or under something dangerous).
 They lose something (temporarily, not valuable, permanent, valuable). The “something”
could be tangible, such as a Thing, or it could be intangible, such as a friend, a memory, or
a secret.
 Something breaks (the thing you were holding, a device the group owns, the bridge you
were about to cross, an ally’s trust, or something else important).
 They get lost (it’s too dark and scary, there’s a maze of garbage, there are no signs, they
have no map, the map was wrong, or the scout lied).
 They have an opportunity to use up their Form Holds.
 Their Move backfires.
 Danger approaches (If playing with the Dented option: the danger might only be solvable
with violence).
 The environment endangers them (use an environment Move).
A 6- roll is a good time to set up a cliffhanger and then shift the character spotlight. For
example, losing the tool you were using to jury rig a repair could be a great setup to shift focus to
someone else, who can now spring into action and save the day!
Any 6- roll also means the character has damaged their body. That means something
broke! In the Fluffy and Scruffy tones, ask the player to describe what Part has broken and
how. In the Dented tone, you (as the GM) decide what Part broke. Because every 6- roll already
damages a Part, it’s a little mean to use “something breaks” on the character’s Parts as well. Use
sparingly.

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 When players roll a 6 or less, they gain a Hold, which they can spend later. Be aware of
your players’ Holds. When a player has a Hold, see if you can give them a chance to use it!

TRACKING CHARACTERS’ HOLDS

You might find it challenging as a GM to keep track of whether a character has Stuff, how
many Holds they have, what they can or cannot do, and whether they have had enough time
in the spotlight.
During character creation, jot down on a piece of paper or worksheet the characters’
names, something the players tell you about them that seems important or unusual, and
what their Holds mean. Leave plenty of space around each character’s name and description
(four to a page isn’t unreasonable), and then lay the page flat on the table.
Use two types of tokens or markers. You’ll need one token to track spotlight for each
player, and two to four tokens per player to track Holds. As you play, put a token on the
character tracker to note when something happens.
When a player rolls a 6-, place a “hold” token on top of that character’s tracker space.
When a player has the spotlight, place a “spotlight” token on top of that character’s
tracker space. When all the characters have a spotlight token, remove the spotlight tokens so
they can be placed again.
If a character already has a spotlight token on the tracker, either hold off on giving them
the spotlight again, or keep their spotlight short, and look for any characters who haven’t
had the spotlight yet. Give those characters the spotlight focus next, and clear the tokens as
normal.

LET PLAYERS CHANGE THE WORLD

One of the three ability scores characters have is called “Strongarm”, but it has little to do with
physical strength. Although it can be used for pushing and pulling things around, its real value is
metaphysical.
Players have plenty of ways to influence
Strongarm is the ability score that says how GM characters or each other, and to change
much a character, and therefore the player, themselves through Parts and Upgrades.
can directly change how the world works. But they also have some very strong ways to
change how the world functions.
At the beginning of any game session or
adventure, you will ask the players a series of questions. These questions highlight what they’re
doing, where they are, what they want to get out of the adventure. They help you establish the
players’ goals and build background characters that might show up later in the adventure.
At some point, a player will tell you something about the world that isn’t already written
down. For example: “And the island is made up of candy.” And you may pause for a second and
tilt your head, and be tempted to look in this book and see if, in fact, the island really is made of
candy.
Don’t do that!
Unless there’s a compelling reason why Candy Island is a bad idea, just nod and say “yes. It is
made of candy!” And think of things that complicate matters if the characters are on an island
made of candy. Does it melt in the sun? What happens if it rains? Are there insects that want this
island for themselves?

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 What if there is a compelling reason not to simply accept the player’s world-making state-
ment? Here’s an example from a game I ran:
The toys are in The Machine, hurtling towards a deep chasm that will surely damage them
when they fall into it. Buzzsaw Lightyear is dangerously close to throwing his Panic Mode
switch and starting a rampage. Alice the China Doll is trembling, afraid that she will shatter
on impact.
Fluffy the Sock ponders the situation and then declares “Hey, everyone! If we all take a deep
breath and hold it, we’ll lift The Machine and float across the chasm safely!”
This is assuredly a type of avoiding danger, but it’s avoiding danger by rewriting the laws of
physics! I tell Fluffy she needs to roll Think it Through—she’s revealing something about a
problem that we didn’t know before.
She rolls an 11. It is now factual—perhaps holding our collective breath is like magic. Perhaps
there’s a higher amount of helium in the air, now that the humans are gone. Whatever the
rationale, for purposes of the world as it stands now, this is now a fact—holding our breath
can make us float. If we work together.
Now, once the fact has been established, it need not stay true forever. Threadbare is a world
of entropy, after all. Perhaps a storm blows all the lighter-than-air gasses out of the nearby area.
Perhaps the characters’ toy “lungs” cease to work. Breaking a fact of the world is a possible
consequence of the players rolling a 6 or less, and counts as a GM Move.
GIVE CHARACTERS OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONS TO WORK TOGETHER
All GM characters want things from the player characters. Even adversaries have things they
want or need, and can be talked to, reasoned with, or learned about to find out what those needs
are. These needs are leverage that the players can use to work for or with the GM characters.
They essentially form “quest seeds” that the players can choose to pick up or ignore, at their
discretion.
NOTE: This principle applies in the Fluffy and Scruffy tones of Threadbare. In Dented, a GM
character can be unreasonably hostile, unintelligent, or inscrutably alien to the point where its
motives and desires are unknown and unknowable. Such threats should be few and far between,
even in Dented, and they should form a threat that player characters might team up with
otherwise-adversarial GM characters to defeat.
DON’T BLAME ONE CHARACTER FOR ANOTHER’S ACTIONS
The toys that make up “the rest of the world” in Threadbare can be standoffish, threatening,
even hostile, to the player characters, but they have an innate sense of “fair” when it comes
to dealing with individuals. As a result, if one player does something that would upset a GM
character, the GM character will not take it out on a different player’s character. Similarly, if one
player befriends a GM character, that friendship does not automatically extend to the other
player characters.
For example, Billo decides that he’s had enough talking with the Queen of Scrap Heap. He’s
desperate to stitch up his Sock buddy, Jay. He’s just going to head in and start digging around
for the Stuff he needs to stop Jay’s toe from continuing
to fray. He rolls to stealthily Look for Stuff, and rolls a
Even though player characters
6. The Queen sees Billo and gets really mad! She has
work together and cooperate
Billo arrested by her ragdoll guards. The Queen does
often, GM characters always
not, however, threaten Jay or otherwise punish Jay for
view them as individuals.
what Billo has done. To Jay, she’s neutral. Jay might even
convince the Queen to stitch up her toe... for a price.
NOTE: This principle applies in the Fluffy and Scruffy tones of Threadbare. In Dented, a GM
character can shift blame from one character to another if it complicates things for the players.
Doing so is considered a GM Move, especially if the consequences are severe enough.

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 RUNNING AN ADVENTURE
A
t the start of every one-shot adventure or campaign session, the toys are already
in trouble. After you have asked the starting questions, they’re probably already
damaged. Since you don’t want the first scene to be a round of “I repair myself,” start
by presenting an immediate threat or problem that they must deal with first.
Ask the players the adventure starter questions, or use these guidelines to make up your own:
 BUILD SOMETHING TOGETHER: A good Threadbare adventure starts out with a coop-
erative exercise where the players create something together that the characters will use. In
Furry Road, it’s a conveyance called The Machine, but it could be a home, a town, a Device,
a library of knowledge—any shared resource. Ask each player a specific question about the
resource.
 ACTIVITY: You might have an idea for an activity already, or you can present some
activity options to the players and ask them which one they’re doing. For example, Furry
Road’s activity is “we are carrying something important from one place to another.”
 MOTIVATION: Threadbare characters tend to be motivated by one of a small handful of
drives. They might be mercenary, humanitarian, or political. Present concrete choices related
to the Activity that helps the players to identify why they are doing what they’re doing.
 ADVERSARY: Someone or something is a distant adversary, someone they may fear, or
simply need to deal with before the end of the adventure. Ask the players who the Adversary
is!
 SETBACK: Threadbare adventures always start with something broken. Offer the players
a choice of what’s broken, and ask them how it broke.
 IMMINENT DANGER: It’s never just a flat tire. It’s a flat tire during a dust storm! Ask one
of the players what the imminent danger is to the party. This should be different from both
the Setback and the Adversary.
FIRST SCENE: The adventure opens with the Imminent Danger bearing down on the PCs and
they must act now! The first scene gives them a chance to deal with or escape the immediate
danger. Try to give them an opportunity to end this scene with some Stuff they can use for their
repairs or Upgrades in the next scene.
SECOND SCENE: When the players hit a lull, give them a second to talk and catch their collec-
tive breath. This is usually a good time to remind them about the repair and Upgrade Moves.
CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE: Then, ask them
what they do next. If they don’t choose an action, When a GM character
suggest something that might move them towards their demands a price, the best options
motivation (for example, if they are motivated by trade are ones that rely on the player
and aren’t doing much, suggest that they could explore characters building something or
somewhere unknown (and possibly dangerous) for Stuff fixing something that was broken.
and Things.
PRESENTING CONFLICTS: When the players roll a 6 or less on the dice, in addition to the
character taking some damage and gaining a Hold, look at the list of GM Moves and pick the
most interesting one that ties into the Setback, the Motivation, or the Adversary.
FINISHING THE STORY: The story ends when the characters achieve their goal or abandon it.
Ideally, they’ve had a chance to engage their Adversary in a way that satisfies their motivation.

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COMBAT AND CHALLENGE MONTAGES There is no Player-vs-Player
In the Scruffy and Dented tones, combat is an option conflict in Threadbare Fluffy
that your players might choose. In this case, the Fight Song and Scruffy tones. Player char-
Move can be a combat montage where the player charac- acters can’t hurt each other. In
ters physically harm GM characters. Dented, players can include
In a Fight Song montage, the players decide how the harming other player charac-
fight or contest goes, how they win it, and how each char- ters in their descriptions.
acter engaged in the contest, what they did, and how they
sustained damage.
INITIATING A FIGHT SONG MONTAGE
When a player says “I hit him” or “I hurt him” or “I kick him” or stab, or shoot, or really
anything that would result in harm to another character, look at the other players and ask them
if they would like to do a combat montage.
If more than half of the other players agree, then the Montage is on.
If anyone is still talking or negotiating, they complete their conversation. This might resolve
the cause of the montage without incident. More likely, the conversation ends up as a side
conversation that occurs moments before, or even during, the montage itself.
Going in turns and starting with the player who initiated the montage, each player takes
a moment to describe what “winning” means to them as a player. Each player gets to deter-
mine how involved in the conflict their character is, what they do, and what happens to them.
Frequently, “winning” means getting out of the way of the brawl.
In some circumstances, the players’ definition of “winning” might be something that moves
the story forward, but the characters would think of it as a loss. For example, if a group of char-
acters are in a fight where winning means they embarrass someone important, they might want
to lose the fight instead!
At the end of the Fight Song Montage, all players
“Winning” a fight montage damage one Part. Each player describes how their char-
could technically mean losing acter got damaged.
the fight, if the players think that Players are free to describe their characters as not
is the most desirable outcome. participating in the combat. They are still damaged, but
The players decide what is a the damage occurs when they run away, hide, or do some-
victory and how it happens. thing other than fighting. The montage doesn’t have to be
a physical conflict for everyone in the party.

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 In a Montage:
 At least half the players agree to participate.
 Anyone still talking or negotiating completes their conversation.
 Everyone damages one Part.
 Each player describes what “winning” means to them.
 Each player describes what their character did during the conflict or challenge.

NON-COMBAT MONTAGES
A Fight Song Montage can be a physical combat, but it doesn’t have to be! Especially if you
are playing a Fluffy game, think of all the other ways a large-scale conflict can be resolved.
Here are some ideas for non-combat Fight Song Montages you can use to resolve a conflict:
 A dance-off.
 A baseball game (or any team sport).
 A foot race (or car race, or any chase sequence).
 A tea party with elaborate etiquette rules.
 A singing competition.
 A Senate debate.
 A wrestling match.

PLAYBOOK CHOICE WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOUR PLAYERS WANT

Players have very few choices when they pick their playbooks, so the choices they make
should help you understand what kind of game they want to play.
 BUNCHA LITTLE GUYS (MEKKA): Wants to be a swarm of characters with scouting
abilities and able to take a very large amount of “damage.” Give them lots of opportunities to
Find Something. Sometimes, the “something” will be a threat!
 BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED (MEKKA): Wants to have both a super-stealth mode
and (most likely) some kind of super-annoying electronic effect. Give them opportunities to
Avoid a Threat and let them role play their annoying electronics!
 DOLLFACE (MEKKA): Wants to mimic human-like dolls and be really good at repair.
Give them plenty of opportunities to use up their accessories fixing other characters and
Devices.
 NO STRINGS ATTACHED (MEKKA): Wants to tread a line between freedom and
slavery. Give them opportunities to escape.
 VROOM! (MEKKA): Wants to be fast and clever. Give them opportunities to notice
something amiss.
 MORE THAN MEETS THE EYES (MEKKA): Wants to be a master of disguise. Give
them opportunities to deceive someone.
 ROCK SOLID (MEKKA): Wants to be solid and reliable. Give them opportunities to be
unyielding or to resist being bullied around.
 ATHLETIC SOCK (SOCK): Wants to be the acrobat, able to stretch and compress and
twist and tie. Make “it’s hard to reach” a frequent complication.
 CHRISTMAS STOCKING (SOCK): Wants to be the cheerleader or boost character. If
you have a Christmas Stocking in your game, have at least one GM character who is perpetu-
ally sad or moody, or make sadness part of the impending dangers the characters face.
 WOOL SOCK (SOCK): Wants to be able to lie, very effectively, to other characters.
When this character tells a believable lie to a GM character, have the GM character and
anyone they have authority over, believe them.
 SOCK PUPPET (SOCK): Wants to be a rabble rouser in a crowd: unnoticed, but influ-
encing others to act. Give them opportunities to gather a squad together and direct them.
 FINGER PUPPETS (SOCK): Wants to have a lot of narrative control over GM charac-
ters’ backstories. Give them opportunities to meet new people.
 TIGHTS (SOCK): Wants to have two “faces” they show the world, perhaps even two
distinct personalities. Give them opportunities to catch something that’s about to get away
from them (falling, escape, etc.)
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  RAGDOLL (SOFTIE): Wants to be involved in interpersonal intrigue and secrets. This
character will talk to GM characters a lot.
 BUILT LIKE A BEAR (SOFTIE): Wants to be more like an academic or sage, with
knowledge about places and things, rather than secrets about individuals. Be prepared to
provide or ask for lots of lore, and let them drive the narration in the Think About It Move.
 CARNIVAL PRIZE (SOFTIE): Wants to be a weird, seer-like character who can find
their way, but more a sage fool rather than a competent scout. Use “Get Lost” a lot as a GM
Move.
 UNHAND ME (SOFTIE): Wants to be a storyteller. Have them meet crowds of GM
characters who are hungry for entertainment.
 I’M REAL (SOFTIE): Wants to tread the line between the game and the real world a
bit more than usual. Give them opportunities to say “actually....” and provide a real-world fact
or solution, even if it contradicts the fiction of the Threadbare world.
 SOFT SCULPTURE (SOFTIE): Wants to be materialistic, even a bit snobby or classist.
Give them opportunities to lord over someone else (preferably a GM character).

Players will also surprise you with their playbook choices! A lot of players really want to
visit a nostalgic character from their childhood. LET THEM!

GIVING HINDRANCES
It is possible for a Threadbare character to take a bunch of damage to their Parts and become
unable to continue to function as originally manufactured. In that case, you might apply a
hindrance to the character to reflect that disability.
Be generous about hindrances. Threadbare characters are resourceful, and they can “make
do” with very little. But if someone is missing more than half of their Parts, it should be harder
for them to do some things.
Here are some examples of Hindrances a character might get:
 Erased face: -1 to Smile when trying to sweet-talk a GM character.
 No legs or wheels: -1 to Scrounge when running from danger.
 Lost stuffing: -1 to Strongarm when Thinking It Through.
The Hindrance might be related to a single missing Part, but be triggered after the character
loses other Parts. It’s simply that, at a certain point, it became too hard to “hold themselves
together.”
For Mekka with “Bunch a Guys” and Socks in general, it might be hard to figure out when
someone has more than half of something and what the result might be. Be creative. Hindrances
should be circumstantial—they affect one type of
A Hindrance happens when action, not the whole range of what that ability score
a character loses more than half does. Because Rock Solid toys start with one Part which
their Parts, and only affects one cannot be lost, they are not susceptible to Hindrances.
Move. In Scruffy or Dented tones, if a character loses more
Parts, you can apply another Hindrance. Again, don’t
hand these out too much—even in Dented, a character
shouldn’t end up with more than a couple of Hindrances, even if they lose everything except the
bit of stuffing that contains what’s left of “them.”
Repairing a Part or adding a new Part removes the Hindrance, even if the Part repaired or
added doesn’t directly apply. Think of it as the character tightened up the rest of their Parts
while they were at it, or they quickly learned to use the new Part to compensate for a weakness
elsewhere.

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 UPGRADE AND DEVICE MOVES
D
uring gameplay, you might find, build, or Upgrade with Things, Parts, and Stuff. These
Upgrades will give you additional Moves. This is also how you increase your abilities
and can increase the number of Parts you have.
These example Upgrades, Devices, and Glitches are not meant to be an exhaustive list. Rather,
they are suggestions for looking at what the players want to do, and what the GM can do to help
them achieve it.
UPGRADES
In general, a Threadbare character has a certain number of Parts with some basic function-
ality. They can perceive the world around them through “sight” and “sound.” They can move
themselves from one place to another. They can speak. They can manipulate objects well enough
to use tools and repair themselves.
In other role-playing games, characters use experience to gain new abilities. In Threadbare,
they use Upgrades and Devices.
Upgrades take a Part of a toy and make it a little bit “better.” When a toy uses the Jury-Rig
Move, they can opt to add a Move to a Part. Doing so is considered an Upgrade, and adds func-
tionality to the toy. There’s no need to be stingy with Upgrades. Note that Mekka have an easier
time gaining Upgrades than other Types of toys.
If the upgraded Part breaks for any reason
Upgrades are the core “advancement” (usually due to rolling a 6 or less), the Upgrade
mechanic in Threadbare. They are always is no longer functional. If the toy repairs that
connected to a Part. Part (with the Jury-Rig, Minor Fix-Up, or Take
a Breather Moves), the Upgrade returns to its
functionality.
You can’t have two of the same Upgrade functioning at the same time; they don’t “stack.” For
example, if you have Speedster Wheels, more Speedster Wheels won’t give you a +2 when you
Run Away. If you have Speedster Wheels on your front wheels and you put Speedster Wheels
on your back wheels, you’ll only get the +1. In that case, however, you will have a backup set of
Speedster Wheels, in case one set breaks.
AUDIO CHIP: You have an audio recording that triggers when you want it to (and sometimes
when you don’t!) What does it say? When you use your audio to endear yourself to others,
roll+Smile. On a 10+, pick two. On a 7-9, pick one.
• You have a +1 on your next roll to Lead a Cheer.
• Someone friendly hears it and comes over to join you.
• You don’t annoy anyone around you.
NOTE: If you took an audio chip as a Starting Part, you can use this Upgrade to give it a less
irritating recording, or make it more controllable.
BUILT-IN RANDOMIZER: When you Play a Game, roll 3d6 and pick the best two for your
result.
BUZZSAW: When you cut through something too tough to tear, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+,
you slice through it like butter. On a 7-9, you cut through it, but the noise attracts unwanted
attention; the GM will tell you who is annoyed and how they react.
CALCULATOR BRAIN: You have learned the ways of commerce and trade. Gain the Trade
ability score. You start with +1 Trade, and can add it to your Scrounge ability when Making a
Bargain, or use it in commerce Moves. (The players and GM can work together to make a whole

30
system of Commerce Moves specific to your campaign, if you are interested in this aspect of the
world!)
CHARMING FACE: +1 to Smile.

COMPASS: You’ve installed a working compass, which always points to the squiggly line. You
don’t have to roll Think it Through to understand where you are in relation to your home.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE HUMAN WAYS: You have studied the ways of the creatures that once
dominated the world, and you know a few things about them. When you Think it Through, you
as a player may use “meta knowledge” to understand things from a real-world perspective.
GLIDER WINGS: You can glide by yourself for short distances, and not very high. If you want
to glide for a long time, very high, or carry something weighing more than a little bit of Stuff, use
the Push or Pull Move.
GOOGLY EYES: Your eyes go in several directions, often all at once. When you look around,
you cannot be surprised.
THE HEROIC WORKS OF STUPENDOUS GUY: You have memorized a small library of thin,
flimsy, colorful illustrated booklets which tell the stories of the great heroes of the past, such as
the bat man, the marvelous girl, a Buncha Little Guys who are all blue, and so forth. When you
Lead a Cheer, if you include elements from your comic books, that heroism bleeds through. If
the target is another player character, they also gain a +1 to their next action. If the target is a
GM character, the next action they take is in your best interest.
INFLUENTIAL SPIRIT: +1 to Strongarm.

INSIDE OUT: You can turn yourself inside out to get a new perspective on things! When you
turn yourself inside out, roll+Scrounge. On a hit, you find something you didn’t realize you had
inside. What is it? On a 7-9, the GM will tell you how what you found is troubling.
LITERACY: You’ve not only studied the relics of the past—you’ve read them! You have an
elementary reading ability and are capable of reading signs; you can use that knowledge to avoid
danger.
MAGNETIZED PARTS: Your Parts are magnetized to be easier to disassemble and re-assemble!
Once per session, you ignore the Part damage from a 6- roll (all other consequences of a
6- apply.)
NEW PAINT: +1 to Smile when you Lead a Cheer.

POCKET: There are no hard rules for how many Things you can carry in Threadbare, but by
default, you can only either have or not have Stuff. With this Upgrade, you have secured a pocket
where you can keep an extra complement of Stuff, which is handy if you do a lot of repairs! Add
a checkbox to your “I have Stuff ” section in your character’s playbook.
RESOURCEFUL ATTITUDE: +1 to Scrounge.

SILLY PUTTY: You can make a faithful copy of a two-dimensional image, such as a picture,
newsprint, advertisement, or sign.
SPEEDSTER WHEELS: Gain a +1 when you Run Away.

TOOLBOX: You have one or more useful tools you might need for making and repairing
things. You can substitute or ignore one of the ingredients of a recipe when making a Device.
For example, if you need three “Things that can serve as cross beams,” you can use your tools to
make one of them work as two.

31
 TUTORIALS: You have knowledge about how to make things. Describe how you gained this
knowledge (such as ancient recordings, diagrams, or reading if you have Literacy). When you
try to understand how to make a Device, roll+Scrounge. On a hit, the GM will tell you the
recipe needed to make the Device. On a 7-9, the recipe will be harder than you expected.
WATERPROOF COATING: Thanks to a superior Aquaphobic Coating, you are as comfortable
underwater as you are on land, although you might move a little more slowly through water or
other fluids. Any Parts that might be susceptible to damage from moisture (such as rust, decay,
or disintegration) are protected due to your amphibious Upgrade.
DEVICES
A Device is a Thing that you can use as a temporary Upgrade, but it can be easily dropped,
lost, given away, or traded. Devices might be tools, which can help when performing other
Moves. They can be structures, which leave a permanent useful item in the landscape. Or they
can be Vehicles, which transport characters over the landscape and obstacles with less effort than
walking.
To craft a Device, you’ll need to follow a special “recipe” of materials to craft and use the
Make a Device move.
The suggested recipes for each of these Devices is listed with the device. In general, recipes
include a number of Helpers, some required Stuff, and one or more Things:
 A Helper is one character using the Help Someone move to assist the character who is
using the Make a Device move.
 Stuff is, well, Stuff—if the recipe calls for “two Stuff,” then two characters (or one character
with a pocket) must have Stuff and contribute it in order to complete the Device.
 Things are named items that a character might have found along the way. If a Thing’s
description doesn’t match the recipe, it can’t be used to make that Device.
When the players Think It Through to determine how to make a Device, the GM reveals
the recipe to them and may modify the recipe based on the results of Think it Through. These
recipes aren’t set in stone; the GM might make a recipe harder or easier, depending on the
campaign.
After the Device is made, the Things that were required to make the Device become its Parts.
Note that, when rolling a 6- while using a Device’s Move, the Device is what breaks, and its
Parts are what get damaged. Devices do not gain or grant Holds for 6- results.
TOOLS
Tool Devices help you accomplish some other task. They are similar to Upgrades, but they are
not attached to a Part.
BLOWTORCH
RECIPE: one Helper, one Stuff, one Thing that can serve as a fire-safe canister, and one
Thing that can serve as fuel.
A blowtorch starts with +1 Hold of expendable fuel. When you light something on fire, spend
the blowtorch’s Hold to make it go up in flames. You can replenish the Blowtorch with a Jury-
Rig or Minor Fix-Up repair.

CATAPULT
RECIPE: three Helpers, two Stuff, and three Things that can form the base, arm, and
bucket. When complete, the Catapult has two ability scores: Velocity and Accuracy. Assign a
+1 to one of these, and a 0 to the other.
When you use the catapult to throw a payload to land safely on a target, roll +Accuracy.
On a 10+, the payload lands directly on the target with no consequences. On a 7-9, the
payload lands off-target; this may cause a complication if the target was small or high up!
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 When you use the catapult to throw a payload to knock something down, roll+Velocity.
On 10+, the payload hits with enough force to knock the target down. On a 7-9, choose one-
 The payload hits the target but doesn’t knock it down.
 The payload hits something else and knocks that down (the GM will offer some alternate
targets, and you pick which).
 The payload safely and harmlessly lands beyond the target.

GRAPPLING HOOK
RECIPE: one Helper, one Stuff, and one Thing that can serve as the hook.
When you traverse a distance or height that you normally cannot cross, deploy your grap-
pling hook and roll+2. On a hit (7+), you reach where you were heading and there is now
a rope connecting your departure spot to your landing, so others may traverse it without
rolling. On a 7-9, the GM will tell you what complication or danger is there when you land.

HELPER-BOT
RECIPE: two Helpers, three Stuff, one Thing that can serve as the torso, one Thing that can
serve as the head, two Things that can serve as arms, and any Device that helps when making
or repairing something.
When you Make a Device, you need one fewer Helpers to assist you.

KNIFE
RECIPE: one Stuff, and one Thing that can serve as a sharp edge.
This cutting instrument is a sword, razor, or other sharp, simple bladed device. When you cut
through something too tough to tear, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+, you cut your way through
it with some work. On a 7-9, you cut through it, but it’s very tiring.
NOTE: This is similar to the Buzzsaw Upgrade, but doesn’t risk drawing unwanted attention
and can be given to other characters.
MUSIC BOX
RECIPE: one Helper, two Stuff,and two Things that can be used for the music drum and
the combs. This Device can be upgraded with a third Thing to add a windable crank so it can
play unattended.
The music box is a small Device that, when activated, plays a little melody, looping over and
over. When you play the music, roll+Smile. On a hit, everybody in listening range can dance
along to the music. If they do so, they gain a +1 to helping each other, as if everyone had a
Tie with each other. On a 7-9, however, something unfortunate happens while everyone is
distracted by the dancing.
STRUCTURES
A Structure is a special type of Device that does not move, but is helpful to the world at large.
It might be a quest to craft or repair one, as Structures can be very hard to create if you want
them to withstand the strong winds of entropy in the world of Threadbare.
Because Structures add to the setting, they may have Environment Moves attached to them.
These are Moves that the players or GM can make to move the story along.
BRIDGE
RECIPE: three Helpers, one Stuff, and three Things that can form the walkway and two side
supports.
When complete, a bridge allows characters to cross from one side of a chasm, gap, or
waterway to the other side.

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 DOCK
RECIPE: one Helper, one Stuff, and two Things that can serve as a dock and pylon.
A dock is a stable Structure where a boat can be tied up without requiring an anchor. Docks
are usually attached to dry land so passengers can get on and off the boat without getting wet.

HAMMOCK
RECIPE: one Helper, and one Thing that can form a soft sling. This Structure must be
attached to a stationary object (like a post, building, rock, wall, etc.)
A hammock provides a nice place for a toy to rest. At the end of a long day, isn’t it nice to just
swing in the breeze and relax? When you rest in a hammock, you may Take a Breather, even
if you have already done so this session.

HOUSE
RECIPE: one Helper and two Things that can form a roof and a wall.
Houses give shelter from the elements, a place to store their owners’ Things, and a private
space to meet friends.

RAILS
RECIPE: three Helpers, three Stuff, two metal Things that can serve as rails, and four Things
that can serve as ties.
Rails provide a “road” for vehicles with rail wheels, such as trains, carts, locomotives, cargo
cars, and bogies.

ROAD
RECIPE: three Helpers, three Stuff.
A road gives wheeled vehicles and characters somewhere to roll with fewer obstacles than an
open space. When operating a wheeled, non-train vehicle on a road, that vehicle has a +1
to Speed.

VEHICLES
Vehicles are a special type of Device that can hold characters, and sometimes cargo, and
transport them from place to place. Depending on the type, your Vehicle might be able to fly,
roll, walk, tread, or float. Vehicles are never “alive” and must always have some kind of pilot or
driver directing them, or they will crash.
Unless otherwise noted, Vehicles start with a number of Parts equal to the number of Things
used to create them, though the Parts do not have to match the Things (for example, a boat’s
Parts could be rigging and a hull, even though the Things used to make it were a bucket and
laundry bag to be used as a sail).
NOTE: Some characters are toy vehicles in their own right. It is not unheard of for a “Vroom”
toy to hitch a ride in another vehicle.
AEROPLANE
RECIPE: three Helpers, two Stuff, one Thing that can be used as the fuselage, and two
Things that can be used as wings.
An aeroplane uses aerodynamic principles to glide through the air, either using the environ-
ment, such as a glider’s wings, or through a self-propelled mechanism, such as a propeller.
An aeroplane has three ability scores: Lift, Maneuverability, and Visibility. Assign a -1,
0, and +1 to these scores. It has up to four Parts, such as wings, body, tail, landing wheels,
control stick, etc.

34
 When you fly high, roll+Lift. On a 10+, you soar! On a 7-9, you get high enough, but it’s
dizzying and everyone inside the aeroplane is a little disoriented.
When you fly acrobatically, roll+Maneuverability. On a 10+, you are an acrobatic angel of
the sky! On a 7-9, you maneuver well enough, but you aren’t impressive and anything that
goes wrong will be very dangerous!
When you fly fast, roll+Visibility. On a 10+, you can see everything. On a 7-9, you fly fast
enough, but you didn’t see something until it was too late! The GM will tell you what it is.

BALLOON
RECIPE: two Helpers, one Stuff, one Thing that can be used as the basket, one Thing that
can be used as the balloon, and one Thing that grants lift (helium tank, hot air, etc.).
A balloon is a simple floating device that lets you slowly fly from one place to another,
without much maneuverability.
A balloon has two ability scores: Lift and Maneuverability. Assign a +1 and -1 to these
scores. It has up to three Parts, such as a balloon, basket, tethers, sandbags, heat source, etc.
When you float in a particular direction, roll+Maneuverability. On a 10+, you fly towards
your target! On a 7-9, you drift a little aimlessly, but you’ll get there. Eventually.
When you scout the area around you, roll+Lift. On a 10+, you can see the land around you
as clear as day. On a 7-9, you spot something unwelcome.

BIKE
RECIPE: one Helper, one Stuff, one Thing that can be used as a frame, and one Thing that
can be used for wheels.
You have a lightweight Vehicle! It has two or three wheels, but only enough capacity for one
or two characters. It doesn’t require any fuel. It is tiring to operate. It doesn’t go very fast.
When you ride a bike, you move faster than you can run normally, and it’s a lot of fun! You
gain a Hold as if you had rolled a 6- (but without damaging a Part), if you don’t already have
one.

BOAT
RECIPE: two Helpers, two Stuff, one Thing that can be used as a hull, and one Thing that
can be used as a sail or motor.
The boat has two ability scores: Seaworthiness and Speed. Assign a +1 and -1 to these
abilities. The boat has up to three Parts, such as a hull, motor, sail, hold, prow, stern, rudder,
steering wheel, anchor, rigging, etc.
You have a charming vessel that floats on water or other liquids (but not lava). You can use
this vessel to traverse lakes, rivers, ponds, and so forth.
When you encounter rough seas, roll+Seaworthiness. On a 10+, you sail through without
incident. On a 7-9, the GM will tell you something dramatic that happens. Describe how you
and your crew act quickly to fix the problem!
When you need to get across the water quickly, roll+Speed. On a 10+, you make it there in
time! On a 7-9, you make it just in time, but something on the boat just broke and needs to
be fixed. You can sail on until you run out of Parts.

BUS
RECIPE: three Helpers, two Stuff, and three Things that can serve as the body, wheels, and
seats.
The bus has two ability scores: Capacity, and Power. Assign a +1 and 0 to these abilities.
A bus transports many characters, well beyond the number that can cram into a car or boat!

35
 When you take on more passengers, roll+Capacity. On a hit, they all fit. On a 7-9, some of
your passengers will have to stand—drive carefully or they might get hurt!
When you drive through an obstacle, roll+Power. On a 10+, you barrel through it with no
problem, destroying it in your wake. On a 7-9, you do so, but your passengers are shaken up!

CAR
RECIPE: two Helpers, two Stuff, and two Things that can serve as the body and wheels.
A car has two ability scores: Speed and Fuel. Assign a +1 and 0 to these abilities.
A car zooms around, sometimes fast, sometimes slowly, with one or more drivers and
passengers.
When you drive fast, roll+Speed. On a hit, you drive as fast as you want! On a 7-9, you take
a -1 to Fuel.
When Fuel is at -1, you stop. Refueling requires a successful repair.

TRAIN
RECIPE: three Helpers, three Stuff, and four Things that can serve as cars. The train has up
to four Parts, which are generally the cars and wheels.
A train has three ability scores: Fuel, Speed, and Power. Put a +1, 0, and 0 in these scores.
A train is made of several connecting smaller vehicles, or cars. Trains can run on Rails, but
many trains made by and of toys can also run on open ground and roads. If a toy can run
only on Rails, it gains a +1 to Speed but will not move if it is derailed.
When you want to go the distance, roll+Fuel. On a hit, you keep going without spending
any Fuel. On a 7-9, it takes a long time.
When you want to ride the express train, roll+Speed. On a hit, you go very fast! On a 7-9,
you lose 1 Fuel.
NOTE: You can refuel through a Jury-Rig or Minor Fix-Up move.
When you want to barrel through an obstacle, roll+Power. On a hit, you blow right through
it without damage! On a 7-9, one of the train’s Parts is damaged.

TRUCK
RECIPE: three Helpers, two Stuff, one Thing that can serve as the cab, two Things that can
serve as axles, and one Thing that can serve as the payload area.
A truck has three ability scores: Fuel, Handling, and Horsepower. Assign a +1, 0, and -1 to
these scores as you see fit.
A truck is a powerful vehicle with extra room to carry its cargo. Speed isn’t as important to a
truck as its ability to carry non-alive cargo from one place to another. In general, unless the
truck is very small, or its cargo is ridiculously large, a truck can be assumed to carry whatever
cargo is put into it.
Trucks don’t have a lot of passenger capacity, though. A truck can only carry two characters
comfortably. Any extra passengers give the truck a -1 to all Moves.
When you carry cargo through an obstacle or over a steep incline, roll+Horsepower. On a
10+, you make it through with no consequences! On a 7-9, you spend 1 Fuel to make it.
When you try to outmaneuver something or move quickly, roll+Handling. On a 10+, you
perform the stunt effortlessly; describe how! On a 7-9, you make it, but spend 1 Fuel to do so.
When Fuel is at -1, you stop. Refueling requires a successful repair move.

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GLITCHES
A Glitch is an undesirable Move chosen when a character Jury-Rigs a broken Part and
chooses to gain a Move, but does not choose the “successful repair” option. Glitches may have
partial functionality, but they always have some kind of flaw.
This list of suggested Glitches is not comprehensive; GMs and players should feel free to
come up with new Glitches that fit their characters and campaign.
As a GM, you should always want the Glitches to be far less desirable for the character to
choose than a successful repair. However, sometimes a Glitch is darned fun to play, and they
often lend themselves to interesting plotlines for the players.
Like Upgrades, Glitches are always attached to a Part. When that Part is broken, the Glitch
stops functioning (unless otherwise noted). Always try to match the Glitch to an appropriate
Part. For example, “Whee!” only makes sense if a player character has buttons (whether mechan-
ical or sewing buttons).
A single Part can have both an Upgrade and a Glitch.
AHEM!: You sometimes cough up lint.

BAWLER: Your eyes produce liquid “tears” that roll down your face, especially when you are
very sad.
COLOR SURPRISE: The Part affected by this Glitch changes color when wet.

FUNGUS AMONG US: A few small, glowing mushrooms grow on your Part.

HOLIDAY CHEER: When something passes by very close to you, you automatically wave and
say “Merry Christmas!”
LED: Your eyes glow, which makes it difficult to see anything, and makes you more visible. You
cannot turn the lights off.
MARBLING: There’s a marble hidden inside your Part. It rattles.

OVERCLOCKED: When you need a burst of heat, you can sacrifice battery power to make
yourself very, very hot. Immediately after, you must take action to cool down, or automatically
break one Part.
PLUMP UP: When you get wet, you greatly expand in size.

PULL MY FINGER: You can emit a puff of blue smoke with a nasty smell. When you are scared,
you cannot control this effect.
SCOREBOARD: When you are idle, you announce the score of an unknown game, which
randomly rises and lowers.
SQUEAKER: When you squeeze this Part, it squeaks unpleasantly.

STICKY SITUATION: You have a spot on your body that stuff sticks to. If it’s a magnet, only
metal sticks to it.
WHEE!: When you are excited, the buttons on your body spin freely, but you cannot control
them.
WHERE’D THAT COME FROM?: You can produce seemingly endless amounts of rusty safety
pins.
ZOOM ZOOM: When you spin your wheels, you make a high-pitch “vmmm” sound.

37
 CREATING NEW MOVES
A
s a GM, you’ll often be called on to make new Moves on the spot. Sometimes, you’ll
need to make a new Move for a Device or Upgrade, or you might have a strange new
environment that the players are exploring, and you want to give it something unique.
This section has some advice for making up new Moves and Upgrades for your players. Most
of these pertain to when a player Upgrades themselves, but there are two sections specific to
making new Device Moves and making environment Moves.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GMS: Moves gained from Parts, Devices, and repairs
are tied to those Parts or Devices. Make sure to note on the Move that it’s from that Part or
Device. When that Part or Device breaks, the Move also breaks and can no longer be used.

GET PLAYER BUY-IN

One of the best pieces of advice you can follow is to talk to your players about what they want
out of the Move. Moves change the game—they change what players can do, what they can’t do,
and how they interact with the world.
So, the first thing you want to do is figure out what the players are trying to do with an
Upgrade. As with everything in Threadbare, that means asking a few questions:
 What does this look like? Describe it to me.
 Is that functional, or cosmetic? Which parts move?
 What do you think would limit that function?
 When do you think you’ll use this Move?
 What is an example of something this Move could not be used for?
If the answers sound reasonable to your game, have
New Moves are like Chekov’s the player write down the Move using the format in
gun—try to give players an Formatting Moves.
opportunity to use them in the Remember that Upgrade Moves are tied to Parts.
same session they were gained. They are almost always lost when the Part is damaged or
destroyed (exceptions exist, but are rare).
ABILITY SCORE UPGRADES: BASIC AND BORING
Probably one of the most basic type of Upgrade is something that gives a bonus to an existing
ability score . Here are some examples from the Upgrade list:
 INFLUENTIAL SPIRIT: +1 to Strongarm.
 RESOURCEFUL ATTITUDE: +1 to Scrounge.
 CHARMING FACE: +1 to Smile.
These are really basic Upgrades that a character might pursue. They’re easy to give out, and
they don’t require much thought. The problem with these Upgrades is that while they reflect a
“power creep” advancement mechanic that many role players cherish (and therefore, they’re not
bad for some groups of players), they are immensely powerful in a game where a +2 shifts the
chances of success significantly.
They’re also a little boring to play. A lot of players find that, while there’s a thrill at first in
“nearly always succeeding” at a task, it’s a little boring if you really can’t fail at something. When
players have a +3 in an ability score, two things happen: first, they no longer rely on other players
to use the Help Someone Move. Second, they only use Moves that rely on that ability score.

38
 That said, sometimes players want to increase a weak ability score, and if a player is really
aiming to improve, that’s not a bad idea. Boosting a -1 to a 0 is a good way to encourage a player
to use Moves relying on that “weaker” ability more often.
You can also give a bonus that is limited to an existing A good guideline is to limit
Move, usually a Basic Move. In this case, you can expect “ability score increase” Upgrades
the player to do that Move more often. But consider how to once every three sessions of
much more interesting (and less game-breaking) a Move play, and always to a maximum
like “New Paint: +1 to Smile when you Lead a Cheer” is. of +2. Instead, consider “condi-
Now the player is more invested in doing that specific tional bonuses” that only apply
Move, but will still be likely to use Moves from other on specific Moves.
ability scores.
MOVES THAT CASCADE
Some Moves can trigger other Moves, or are triggered by them. The Minor Fix-Up Move
in the Basic Moves is an example of a Move that triggers off of another Move—you have to be
performing a Jury Rig Move to do the Minor Fix-Up.
A cascading Move is helpful when you want to encourage players to do something in partic-
ular. A Move that triggers off of “when you Make a Bargain” will encourage the game to become
more about trade and barter. If that’s something you and your players enjoy exploring, then that’s
a good trigger.
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Some Moves completely change the rules of the game—and that is OK, as long as everyone is
having fun and interested in the new rules!
Calculator Brain is an example of an Upgrade that adds new rules to the game. When you
introduce this to a player, you open up a new ability score, Trade, and the ability for players to
engage in more than the simple “barter economy” that is Threadbare. Perhaps now the players
could set up an economy, a currency system, even a stock market! At this point, it’s up to you
and the players to explore what kind of commerce rules make sense for your world. You might
need a Move called “Teach Currency” where someone in the party successfully convinces
another character or community to start using the Trade score. This would be another Upgrade
Move, and that economic system would need to evolve over several sessions and Upgrades from
your players.
Threadbare is a setting with a lot of “gaps” and areas where the toys have something of a blind
spot. In any Threadbare campaign, you’ll find players fill in a lot of those gaps themselves, but if
you find that something is important enough, you can give it a unique ability score and let the
players explore it.
Here are some examples of new ability scores and the ways you could use them:
 TRADE: Set up and manage a commerce system.
 MAGIC: What if the weird, semi-magical world of Threadbare had more precise magic
rules?
 FAITH: Set up a religious belief system and convert followers.
 READING/LORE: Toys who learn to read the languages of the past may gain lots of
useful knowledge.
 COMBAT: Get into physical fights with other characters. This Move would mean the
Fight Song would no longer exclusively be used to resolve physical fights.
 LIFE: Do you want to be a “real boy”? Perhaps this ability score tracks a toy’s transfor-
mation into a biological creature, with all the associated benefits and pitfalls.

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 CREATING DEVICES
Devices are separate from character Parts, and are usually built
for a specific purpose. For example, the characters might need Devices should
to cross a deep gorge. Going around might not be possible, but require multiple steps,
they decide they can float across in some kind of hot air balloon. perhaps even a quest, to
That’s going to require some materials, a few characters working create.
together to make the hot air balloon, and of course, they might
need to learn how to make it.
The Make a Device Move calls on the GM to know what Stuff, Things, and Helpers the
characters need to make the device. If you don’t know, ask the players to give you a sketch, and
decide from there.
A complicated Device should really require the players to go on a mini-quest for materials.
For example, to build a hot air balloon, they might need at least two Things (a balloon or bladder
of some kind and a basket to ride in), some Stuff (for the rigging), and some way to cause the
balloon to rise up—perhaps a Thing such as a helium canister, or a heater, or maybe the laughter
of children, depending on how your Threadbare world works.
Devices should also always require more than one character to make, and players will need
to Help Another to help make a Device. If you have four players, two or three Helpers is ideal—
leave enough room for someone to fail to help or to opt out of the Help Another roll. Note that
a player who rolls a 7 or more on Help Another can allow someone else to help. The player who
rolled a 7 doesn’t give an extra bonus to the Make a Device roll, but they do count towards the
number of Helpers working on the Device!
Finally, a successful Device starts with at least one or two Moves. The starting Move should
be the core of the Device—in the hot air balloon example, this Move would allow the balloon to
carry some toys through the air for a short distance. If the players want to work on Upgrading
their hot air balloon, they can do so with the Jury Rig Move, working to add more Parts to the
hot air balloon: perhaps a larger basket, or a fuel tank, or some kind of braking system. If enough
time is spent working on a Device, and it has a sufficient number of Parts, it may become a new
character in your Threadbare game!
New Devices have their own ability scores, used by their starting Moves. Fuel is an excellent
ability score for vehicles. Each starting Move for the Device should use a separate ability score.
In our hot air balloon example, the ability scores might be Fuel and Capacity, and our starting
Moves might have something to do with its ability to go aloft and how crowded the basket is. The
GM will decide what the appropriate Moves and ability scores are.
Here are some ability scores that may be interesting for your Device:
 FUEL: The Device moves!
 SPEED: The Device moves quickly!
 AGILITY: The Device can dodge, maneuver, and climb.
 POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE: The Device is visually impressive to others.
 STEALTH: The Device is hard to detect.
 SHARP: The Device does damage.
 COMFORT: The Device makes characters in or around it feel good.

When creating the Device, the players decide which modifier goes to which ability score:
 If the Device has one ability score, it gets a +1.
 If it has two ability scores, it gets a -1 and a +2
 If it has three ability scores, it gets a -1, a 0, and a +2.
 If it has four ability scores, it gets a -1, a 0, a +1, and +1

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ENVIRONMENT MOVES
An environment Move is a Move attached to a specific location, or to a feature of that loca-
tion, which GMs can use when players roll a 6 or less on the dice. For example, the Tar Sea in
Amusefunland is a thick, treacherous ocean of black tar. If a player character is knocked into the
Tar Sea, they automatically damage a Part and are considered “stuck” in the tar—if they are not
rescued, they are unlikely to ever get free.
It’s a good idea to telegraph an environment move. You can do this when you introduce the
location: “there’s a thick black sea of tar around you—looks really sticky! If you fall in it, you’ll
probably get stuck.” But you can also show the environment move with more “set dressing,” like
encountering long-ago stuck characters who are now hopelessly embedded into the sea.
Environment Moves can also be triggered by the player characters. They aren’t on anyone’s
side—they just exist. For example, if the toys are outrunning a rampaging die-cast truck, they
might take a boat or other vehicle into or over the Tar Sea, using the sea to halt the truck’s
rampage and buy the toys time to reason with it or escape. An environment Move doesn’t
need to be written in the standard format calling for a roll. It can simply have a property that is
hazardous or helpful or otherwise interesting to the players. For example, the lava floor in Studio
45 (see page 73) might be considered lethal if touched.
Structures also have environment Moves, and you’ll see that some of these are more like
properties of the location than anything else.
WRITING UP A NEW MOVE
At its core, a Move in Threadbare should state what Part it’s associated with, its trigger (if
any), and what it does.
A typical “triggered Move” in Threadbare is phrased as “When you _____, roll+_____. On a
10+______. On a 7-9 _____.” Some Moves will also indicate what happens when you roll a 6 or
less. The blanks are filled in with the trigger, the ability score or other modifier to the roll, what
happens on a success, and what happens on a partial success. For this kind of Move, you need to
come up with all four of those options:
 TRIGGER: This is what happens in the story that means the player needs to roll. The
trigger can include requirements that the character has to meet for the Move to work. For
example: “when you use up your Stuff....” or “when you give someone something they really
want...” In some cases, you might have to ask the player, “Hey, are you trying to do this
Move?” You might find sometimes that a player is trying to do the Move, but they don’t
want to roll for it. Give them the opportunity to decide whether they really want to take that
action, but make it clear that they have to roll if they want to succeed.
 MODIFIER: This is the ability score, such as Scrounge, Smile, or Strongarm, that the
player adds to their 2d6 dice roll. You can use modifiers other than a basic ability scores, too!
Some Moves use the number of ties you have with a character, for example. ability scores are
not limited to the basic three that characters begin with. For example, a Device could have
a non-character ability score, like “Speed,” which you might roll to escape someone. A char-
acter could gain a new ability score through an Upgrade as well.
 SUCCESS: What happens when a player rolls a 10 or better. Sometimes, they will get
to pick multiple choices from a list of options. Sometimes, they simply succeed at what they
were doing, and that’s it. The important thing in a success is that the player got what they
wanted without having to give up a lot.
 PARTIAL SUCCESS: When a player rolls a 7-9 (including modifiers), they are
successful in what they wanted to do, but there’s an additional cost. This cost is in addition to
whatever the Move required in the first place.

41
 In some cases, you might want to provide a list of success options, and the player can pick
only a few from that list. There are two ways to phrase the success options. One way is to provide
a list of 3-4 items that are all positive things the player would want. The player may get to pick
one or two options on a 7-9, and more options if they rolled a 10 or better. However, the implica-
tion is always that, if the player doesn’t pick this option, that good thing doesn’t happen. For
example, the Find Something Move has three options, and a success always results in finding
something, usually Stuff. On a 10+, the player picks two, and on a 7-9, they pick one.
 It’s exactly what you were looking for.
 It isn’t dangerous.
 Nobody else wants it.
If the player rolled a 7 and they pick “It isn’t dangerous,” by implication, it means what they
found isn’t exactly what they were looking for, and maybe someone else wants it. As a GM, you
now have a hook if you need it—there’s someone out there that wants what they just picked up.
That could be a good thing or a bad thing. When someone in the group rolls a 6 or less, maybe
that character shows up to demand or steal it. When someone is trying to Make a Bargain,
perhaps the character they’re dealing with is the one who really wants what they got earlier!
In this way, Moves can be structured to push the story forward and give you, as the GM,
plenty of material to work with to make an interesting game!
Sometimes, success options are phrased negatively. Push or Pull works this way: On a 10+,
you move it where you want to. On a 7-9, you fall down. Pick one:
 Take damage to a Part.
 Drop whatever you’re carrying.
 Get lost and separated from the rest of your team.
It’s important to note that the player gets to pick in this case. Taking damage to a Part is pretty
serious, but the characters might be in the kind of situation where dropping their Stuff or getting
separated would be disastrous! And the negative effect only happens when they roll a partial
success. When they roll a 10 or better, the character has a great success!
There are other ways to format a Move, though! Moves don’t have to trigger a dice roll. Some-
times, they are always active (such as a bonus to an ability score), or they can be an additional
functionality that the characters don’t normally have to start out, or they can give the character a
new ability score. Sometimes a Move has a limit, and you want to address what happens when a
player tries to exceed the limit. Here are some examples:
 NEW PAINT: +1 to Smile when you Lead a Cheer.
 RESOURCEFUL: +1 to Scrounge.
 SILLY PUTTY: You can make a faithful copy of a two-dimensional image, such as a
picture, newsprint, advertisement, or even a sign.
 GLIDER WINGS: You can glide by yourself for short distances, and not very high. If you
want to glide for a long time, very high, or carry something weighing more than a little bit of
Stuff, use the Push or Pull Move.
 CALCULATOR BRAIN: You have learned the ways of commerce and trade. Gain the
Trade ability score. You start with +1 Trade, and can add it to your Scrounge ability when
Making a Bargain, or use it in commerce Moves. (Now, you as the GM can make a whole
world of Commerce Moves specific to your campaign, if your players are interested in this
aspect of the world!)

42
 THE WORLD OF THREADBARE
T
he world of Threadbare is so broken. How do you live in a place where things have
been falling apart for as long as anyone can remember?
Long ago, the skies burned. Today, streaks of pink and chartreuse still scale the sky.
The once-blue skies are often green, yellow, or a deep, rich purple leaning towards crimson. Toys
often find old photographs and advertisements from magazines with faded colors and they nod.
Some wonder if the human-dolls had some special device to make the sky blue like that.
The world is inhospitable to human and animal life, but the toys thrive within it. In the more
distant natural places, the world is less toxic, and in those places, one might encounter stray
animals: birds, fish, and even mammals.

43
 THE CAVERNS
“Heyooo!” Billo’s voice echoes along the dim, concrete tunnel. An answering splash tells
them—they are not alone.
“Heyo!” a short, sharp call sounds back. “Got any scratch to swap?”
Cherry grins, their toe stitching stretching wider than usual. “A 3-pack of duckie tape, if you’ve
got some dry stuffing?”
A short chuckle. “Nothin’ dry down here, mate. But we maybe have something of interest.”
There’s a soft splashing and a tiny, dim light dangling from the front of a small boat appears
from deep in the tunnel.
A nudge from Mary causes Billo to turn to the bossy leader of their crew. “Be wary. I think I
recognize that voice.”
Billo nods and motions to Squadron 7-B to do a little recon. Seven soldiers dive soundlessly
into the dark water, disappearing before reappearing along the sides of the tunnel, scouting
ahead, and reporting back to Fred who is still watching carefully from the boat.

44
WHAT IS IT?
The Caverns are an extensive series of tunnels beneath what was once a great city. Today, the
“Topside” is toxic waste and garbage: maybe even too dangerous for the Toys to explore!
The tunnels of the Caverns are half-filled with water, giving rise to a thriving society that
lives on the “rivers” in small boats, flotillas, gondolas, and anything they can use to float along
in the slow-moving waters. The current is rarely very strong, with only a gentle pull that is easily
pushed against or resisted.
An adventurous toy following the tunnel to the very end will find that it opens onto a wide,
equally slow-moving river. Upstream is similar, though there is more turbulence as one gets
closer to the opening, as rubble and debris hide beneath the shallower waters here. Some time
long ago, a tributary of the river cut through a long-sealed opening into the tunnels, flooding it,
and now it continues its path underground until it returns to its originating waterway.
WHAT’S HERE?
Those wishing to stay dry, or at least rest in dryer circumstances, have built small platforms
and homes on stilts. Some of the first to arrive in the tunnels attached their homes to structures
and features that already existed there, such as defunct alarm boxes, ladders leading up to the
surface, and old utility doors.
Ancient underground warehouses store artifacts from the old days, before the toys awoke.
Several of these warehouses have already been opened and raided for their Stuff. Unfortunately,
most of the stored materials were important papers, now illegible and rotting as discovering the
warehouses resulted in their subsequent flooding.
However, at least one warehouse, known as the Picture Place, stored ancient images on plastic
and cellophane films.
Many of the toys living near the Picture Place have repurposed these films, weaving the long
strips into clothing and basket-like boats, and hammering the sturdy metal tins they were stored
in until they will hold passengers and float along the tunnels without capsizing.
WHO DO WE MEET?
 ANGULA: She started as a measuring device and eventually grafted enough to her for
legs and something like a face. An unusual “toy” to begin with, Angula takes her job of
measuring everything very seriously.
 PERCY THE TRAIN: Percy came to the Caverns to avoid a dark past on the Topside.
Now, they’re a valued member of the Caverns community, building and repairing broken
toys or simply helping those who are lost. They don’t like to talk about their past.
 KEENAN, THE ELDEST: He looks like an ancient, filthy sock. He talks like a Mekka. He
is ancient: possibly the first toy to awaken, in the beginning. No one knows what he’s seen or
really where he is. He’s reclusive and hides out in the deepest of the caverns. Some say he’s
secretly a Mekka hiding inside a Sock, and when he wants to check up on the other toys, he
moves among them, but no one knows what, exactly, he looks like if he does.

45
 THE ZEPHYR EXPRESS
Called “Zeph Ex” by those who live there, the Zephyr Express is a series of long passenger
and cargo vehicles precariously perched on a railway. The vehicles are long defunct, their rusted
wheels digging into the ancient steel, and the rails themselves are surely in disrepair. Nonethe-
less, Zeph Ex is host to a thriving community of toys.
WHERE IS IT?
Zeph Ex is a place between regions, neither “here” nor “there.” It’s in between populated
areas, situated somewhere in the countryside outside the City center, but long before coming
to the strange lands that lie beyond the Countryside: where Candyland and the Clockmaker’s
realms promise adventure and reward to those who seek it.
The Zephyr Express was abandoned outside the main city limits, now serving as a haven in
the “wilderness.” Long steel rails, somewhat degraded, lead from Zeph Ex back to the city, with
occasional offshoots to smaller towns, suburbs, and junctions on the way.
WHAT’S HERE?
There are six main cars that serve as neighborhoods in Zeph Ex:
 ENGINE: At one end of Zeph Ex, this cramped car holds the main, non-functional
engine of the former train. It’s also the palatial home of the Conductor, the “mayor” of Zeph
Ex, who has ruled over it for as long as most of Zeph Ex’s residents can remember.
 SLEEPER CAR: The largest population of Socks lives here, most of whom awoke inside
luggage. They are nonetheless only about half the population of even this car, with small
zooming Mekka filling in the rest. Each “family” of toys and socks has taken over one of the
sleeper berths, making comfy homes out of fold-out bunks, closets, and window-facing seats.
A few Mekka and Socks have even formed blended families.
 DINING CAR: After this car’s roof corroded and collapsed, a group of enterprising
Mekka covered the dinettes with bedding, turning them into elaborate blanket forts. Because
the blankets are prone to leaking, the car is used as a marketplace and meeting area, rather
than a full time residence. Trade with a passing group brought strands of low-power lights,
which have been strung between the booths, forming a festive street market.
 PASSENGER CAR: Decades ago, trees and vines grew through the open windows, so
this car is now a jungle of plants twining through the steel frames that once held cushioned
seats, and anchoring themselves to the interior. Long ago, one particularly crafty toy, known
now only as The Gardener, wove living vines and tree branches together into permanent
hammocks, seats, even walkways, which are still maintained to this day. Which is good,
because the floor of this car has long since rotted away, revealing only the immobile rails
below.
 CARGO CARS: Early in the days of the Awakenings, the cargo cars of Zeph Ex were a
hotbed of newly-awakened toys, Parts, and Stuff. Today, they’ve been picked over fairly thor-
oughly, and serve more as a “refuse pile of broken Parts.” Toys often come here to scrounge
Parts that they’ll need to repair before using, but there’s still some good, if broken, Stuff
around.
 CABOOSE: Home to most of the Softies of Zeph Ex, the Caboose is crowded with Softie
nests and piles.

46
WHO DO WE MEET?
The majority of inhabitants of Zeph Ex are vehicular Mekka, although there’s a handful of
Softies that live in the caboose car. Breaking out of a shipping container, the Mekka settled in
droves from one of the cargo cars early in the days after the first Awakenings. Despite domi-
nating the locale, they are not particularly hostile to Softies or Socks. They simply outnumber
them.
Nonetheless, there are factions of Softies and Socks that feel as though their voices are not
well heard by the Conductor, the titular head of Zeph Ex. This alienation is exacerbated by the
fact the Conductor has recently secluded himself in the Engine, surrounding himself with a
legion of loyal green tractors. He has not emerged in several months, and no one has been able
to speak with him besides his guards and Kilroy, his trusted advisor.
 THE CONDUCTOR: The Conductor is a silver locomotive wearing a sharp, billed cap.
He knows everybody in Zeph Ex, which he ostensibly leads. A short time ago, something
happened and he locked himself away in the Engine.
 KILROY: A light green Softie, Kilroy is the Conductor’s right-hand toy. She’s tough-
minded, but fair, and personally loyal to the Conductor. She is also the only Softie the
Conductor seems to completely trust.
 THE GARDENER’S WORKS: A trio of Softies: a cat, bird, and dog: who all live in the
Passenger Car and who consider themselves the caretakers of the plants and vines there.
They understand the plight of the Softies and Socks in Zeph Ex but don’t want to get
involved in “politicking.”

47
 AMUSEFUNLAND
Amusefunland confounds many of the toys who live there. It’s chock-full of Carnival Toys,
and appears to originally have contained multiple large train-like devices that went in large
circles. Some of these were impossibly configured, such as the Upside Down Twister and the Big
Spinning Silo.
Today, the region is home to hundreds of toys, primarily Carnival Toys, Softies from the gift
shops, several bands of Buncha Little Guys who awoke in the Skee Cade, and a dozen Socks who
awoke in the Lost and Found.
Perhaps one of the most amazing aspects of Amuse-
funland is that, due to several on-site generators and an
Visiting Amusefunland is especially crafty army of Softie cats, most of the region
a good opportunity to make has electricity, including working lights and a functional
a 2-song playlist and set it on PA system.
repeat. Feel free to turn it down Unfortunately, no matter what the cats do, the PA
or mute it entirely after 10 or 20 continuously plays two songs on repeat, alternating
minutes. Or never. between them. Nonetheless, the PA can still broadcast
Bonus points if one of the songs from a sound booth, though the songs do continue
is by Rick Astley. You know to play in the background. To date, those in charge at
which one. Amusefunland have chosen not to clip the PA wires
entirely, choosing maddening music over the loss of rapid
communication with the entire region.
WHERE IS IT?
Amusefunland is on the outskirts of the City, and beyond the Tar Sea. Due to the fumes from
the Tar Sea and the constantly running generators, there’s a permanent haze over the entire
region. At night, the lights give a diffuse glow to all the features of the land, from the sign above
Skee Cade to the twinkling circle of the Great Wheel.
To those still approaching by sea, the lights are a welcome beacon in the inky darkness.
Although the frequent posts throughout the sea have obvious bulbs in them, none has worked
since Before.
WHAT’S HERE?
When describing Amusefunland, you are at full liberty to add entire “lands” and “worlds,”
as well as sites, rides, and communities, to represent the regions of your favorite Amusefunland
inspirations. Here are a few suggested locales within the park.
 SPINNING SILO: It no longer spins reliably, but this cylindrical machine sometimes
powers up, spins for several minutes, and then powers down again. The toys use it as a refuse
pile, and years of debris have accumulated along the walls in dense layers, pushed there
through centrifugal force and then left to sit forever.
 UPSIDE DOWN TWISTER: One of the many track-and-car machines in Amusefunland,
the Engineering Cats once repaired this device enough to send a car through it. With wide-
eyed horror, they watched the car as it was pulled up a steep hill, jostled back and forth, sent
careening down a hill, flipped upside down, and eventually came to a stop where it started.
The Cats immediately removed several components that made the system functional, took
them to their workshop, and locked them in a strong metal box, which they buried.
 GREAT WHEEL: The Great Wheel dominates the Amusefunland skyline, especially
when lit up at night. Although the wheel can spin to bring carriages down to the surface or
back up again, the residents of the Wheel have largely nested in the bottom five carriages.
The wheel does spin twice a day, however, to change shifts for the guards posted as lookouts
on the very topmost carriage.

48
  MIRROR HOUSE: This confounding maze of mirrors is dark, befuddling, and spattered
with various glow-in-the-dark paints and signs. Wandering through it is likely to find you
lost and separated, but necessary for those who seek an appointment with the enigmatic and
reclusive Mekka known as Nightmare.
 PAPER HOUSE: The main office and headquarters, this is where most of the “lost and
found” toys awoke and where the PA system resides. Most of the council in charge of Amuse-
funland spend much of their time here, overseeing their domain and making important
decisions about their communities.
 SKEE CADE: In one single day, nearly two hundred Little Guys awoke all at once inside
the plastic bins and boxes behind the long glass structure known as “the ticket taker.” They
swarmed over the Skee Cade, exploring their world and forming into small groups. Eventu-
ally, they breached the front door and began to explore outside. The Skee Cade remains, to
this day, a storehouse of unawakened toys, electronics, paper strips of tickets, and one lone
functional video game, its title long since forgotten and unreadable, but with a high score still
blinking in the upper center of the screen.
 THE TAR SEA: A great sea of black, molten tar with regularly-spaced signposts
segmenting the Tar Sea into the “pink kangaroo,” or the “purple monkey,” and weary travelers
have set up small moorings in these sections to rest and repair. In some cases, these moor-
ings have grown into small, floating communities of enterprising traders and exiles from
Amusefunland, trying to make their way in the world. Crossing the open Tar Sea is treach-
erous due to hidden obstacles of rock and concrete below the surface of the murky fluid.

WHO DO WE MEET?
 THE ENGINEERING CATS: This crew of mechanical cat mekka spend their days fixing
up parts of Amusefunland whenever they break down or need to be upgraded. They are very
clever, but they often seem to have an agenda that is all their own.
 KING POLAR BEAR: King Polar Bear wandered into the Skee Cade one afternoon
before the Little Guys made it outside. As the largest and greatest creature in the room, he
was soon made King and given a shiny cardboard crown. King Polar Bear likes to play the
video game in the Skee Cade and knows how to juggle.
 LOSTEN AND FOND: This pair of long-ago beloved toys awoke at the same time. One is
a ragdoll with milky white eyes, and the other is a transforming toy that makes an annoying
sound like a siren.
 NIGHTMARE: Nightmare lurks deep in the Mirror House and is never directly seen.
They speak to visitors from the other side of a one-way mirror, if at all. If a toy catches a
glimpse of them, they appear as something hulking and massive with several pairs of glowing
eyes. Nightmare knows a great deal of information and will readily share it, but always at a
price. Nightmare’s goals are unknown, and the price demanded often seems capricious.

49
 THE DEEP BLUE
Cherry gazed out over the blue-green expanse. The water seemed to go on forever, though of
course that was ridiculous. They all knew the Sponge-Witch lived in the center of the lagoon. It
was merely a matter of... getting there.
Gingerly, they dipped their toe into the water, backing out quickly. “It’s cold. And slimy.”
“Nothing for it!” cried Eere cheerfully. “Vroom vroom” he called out; his engine had long since
deteriorated, but old habits die hard. His lights flicked once and he charged forward into the
murky waters. “Not like anything down here can really hurt us!”
Mary rolled her eyes, then put them back into her head. She turned to Cherry. “Wait for it.”
A silent spark shuddered through the waters of the Deep Blue, and Eere shrieked. “My lights! It
broke my freaking lights!”
Jay limped into the water last, carrying what was left of Billo—his long, beautiful neck, a few
scorched scraps of denim, and three feet of carefully-salvaged thread. “I just hope the Witch
can bring him back,” she muttered as the cold water seeped all the way up to her cotton-rein-
forced cuff.
The Deep Blue is a vast expanse of water. Perhaps it’s a lake, a wide river, or an ocean. Or
the tide pool at a water slide park. It’s called the Deep Blue even though the water is sometimes
green and sometimes purple—on very hot summer days, it seems to glow orange.

50
WHERE IS IT?
The Deep Blue is itself a wild land, somewhere beyond the City. It may be adjacent to the
Wetlands, or at the end of the rusted rails where the Zephyr Express rests. If it’s man-made, it
may be quite close to the City indeed, though perhaps a bit away from the hustle and bustle.
Getting to The Deep Blue is rarely a surprise—large bodies of water don’t sneak up on you,
after all. Rather, a group might scout ahead, seeing the thin reflective surface far in the distance.
Eventually, they will crest a hill or come around a bend and there it is, a wide expanse with the
promise of something beyond its horizon, waiting for them!
It is perhaps important to note that Threadbare characters do not breathe. Liquid holds
no fear of drowning for them, and many toys were once swim toys, bath toys, or were simply
washed regularly. Nonetheless, some toys find entering the Deep Blue directly very dangerous.
Those with functional electronics, paper labels, and dry-clean-only materials must be especially
cautious.
WHAT’S HERE?
 THE OPEN: The open waters beckon, and ships answer the call! Whether a well-crafted
boat or a barely-seaworthy inflatable kiddie pool, the Open is dotted with numerous vessels
and watercraft traveling the Deep Blue, doing business, trading, and exploring.
 THE ISLAND: The Island, far off in the middle of the Deep Blue, is shrouded in legend
and mystery. Rumors abound about the creatures that live on the Island: squabbling factions
of toys long cut off from the mainland and left to their own devices.
 SPONGE LAGOON: The Sponge Lagoon is a mossy, squishy, dank, and dark overgrown
area on the edge of the Deep Blue. It is home to the Sponge Witch, but also home to the
witch’s many strange and twisted creations and re-creations. The Lagoon is traversable by
shallow-bottomed boats or on slow, soggy footsteps, though wheels tend to get mired down
in the soft moss.
 THE DERELICT: Out in the Deep Blue, floating without a crew or master, is a broken
boat. Its rudder is snapped. Its sails are shredded. Its location is unfixed and uncertain. And
yet marooned travelers seem to find it when they need it the most. Rumors say it cannot
sink. Legends suggest it is haunted, though whether by unkind spirits or kind ones remains
subject to debate.
 THE DOCKS: That point between land and sea, between the edge of terra firma and
launching into the unknown, is known as the Docks. The Docks are also the meeting place
for traders and travelers, and many small business dot the shoreline to cater to those who
work at the Docks or depart from there. A pile of discarded junk: broken, but perhaps
reclaimable: lies at the far end of one of the piers, scavenging toys pick over it for anything of
interest or use.

WHO DO WE MEET?
 THE SPONGE WITCH: Made of cork and twine, the Sponge Witch lives inside an
ancient crate filled with various sponges, both natural and synthetic. She sits upon a loofa
cushion and tells the fortunes of anyone who comes to see her . . . whether they wanted to
hear her or not.
 CAPTAIN WREN: A bird Softie with an eyepatch and a beak made of steel, Captain
Wren is a fun-loving rascal. He’s especially friendly and has a tremendous ego about what a
great pirate he is. He has never actually stolen anything.
 THE LOADERS: A crew of nine “little guys” who work on the Docks helping characters
load and unload cargo from their vessels. They sing, badly but enthusiastically, when they
work

51
 WETLANDS
A dank humidity hangs over pools of thick, green murky water. A creature slides through
the waters effortlessly, more at home than any air-dwelling thing could be. Thick reeds and trees
crowd over the wooden walkways, built long ago as paths over the waterways.
Amidst this far-away land, one by one, the Naturals awoke. Stiffly they moved their once-alive
limbs. Birds spread wings that had once soared against blue skies. Otters twisted spines that
had been bolted in place for centuries. Alligators—the ferocious apex predators of the swamp—
clawed at jaws that were held permanently open with stiff steel wire.
From the Gift Shop, the Softies watched with large eyes and growing trepidation. The number
of Awakened Naturals increased, and those with wits and tools began to snip away at the wires
and bolts holding them all in their stiff, eternal poses.
It took no time for the Naturals to decide to break the big window in the front of the building,
and they slipped out into the dark swampland beyond. For the first time since the Before, birds
flew, fish swam, and alligators lounged along a muddy bank.
WHERE IS IT?
The Wetlands was always far beyond the sprawling urban City, past the Zephyr Express, out
in the wilderness. However, the world changed after the Awakening, and even distances between
places have changed. Today, the trek out to the wilderness might be a matter of several days, or
perhaps just one.

52
WHAT’S HERE?
The Wetlands was once a rich ecosystem, bounded by fences and concrete parking lots for
human visitors.
 NATURE CENTER AND GIFT SHOP: The bulk of the toys awoke in the Gift Shop, with
a small handful hailing from the Nature Center’s Lost and Found box. Mostly Softies, they
bear an uncomfortable resemblance to their Natural namesakes. Some are more comfortable
with the association than others.
 WALKWAYS: The wooden walkways are in a state of severe disrepair, but they have held
up quite well, considering. Mudpack and a lack of use have helped in this regard, but many of
the wooden boards are rotten and in dire need of repair. Periodic signs include images of the
local fauna, which some of the Naturals have interpreted as being sacred, if not magical.
 SWAMPS: Populated by the Naturals, the Swamps are a mysterious and dangerous place.
Few Softies or Mekka from the Nature Center dare to venture out to them, and those who do
rarely speak of what they encountered.
 THE BOATHOUSE: On the far edge of the swamps, past a walkway crossing the swamp,
the Boathouse holds many secrets. What’s inside? Are there still boats in there? Will they
float? Have the Naturals taken it over, or is it a refuge in this wilderness?

WHO DO WE MEET?
The Wetlands is home to many smaller educational toys from the nearby Nature Center
and Gift Shop. It is also one of the few places where one will find an abundance of animals. Not
plushie stuffed animals, but rather a collection of unnerving creatures of taxidermy. Brought to
life during the Awakening, they have stiffly freed themselves from their museum prisons and
returned to their former homes in the nearby waters, trees, and scrublands.
These “Naturals” are a non-playable Type of character. Although largely adversarial towards
the Softies in particular, it is possible for individual Naturals to ally themselves with the toys,
particularly to face up against larger threats and their own political groups.
The Naturals do not have names, per se. They will refer to one another with their species
names, and so several Naturals may share the name of “Duck,” though once in that group, one
might discover that these are further referred to as Mallard, Shetland, Crested, and Cayuga. In
rare cases, Naturals who spend a large amount of time interacting with toys will take on a unique
identifier, usually something from the tag that had been attached to their taxidermy mount.
 24 ELBEE: a wild turkey of rather large proportions, 24 Elbee has a certain “gravitas”
that makes him one of the factional leaders.
 ROADRUNNER: a stiff, elderly specimen whose favorite pastime is complaining about
“the youngsters.” Roadrunner was among the very first of the Naturals to awaken.
 LIZARD (GECKO): Quick-footed for a Natural, Lizard has a mischievous streak a mile
wide. They’re best known for hanging upside down and dropping unexpectedly on a passer-
by. Lizard Gecko is well known to the local toys, though not always in a positive light.
 ALLIGATOR: In the Before times, this predator ruled the swamps for millions of years.
This particular specimen, however, is quite broody, having originally been hunted shortly
after she laid eggs. As a result, she is fiercely protective of anyone she considers her “family,”
which includes most of the Naturals, all of the remaining wetlands, and a solitary Green
Army Man who was captured a long time ago and considers himself a permanent prisoner of
war.

53
 THE TIN BARN
Long, long ago, someone liked to collect things. Lots of things. Some of them were toys—he
especially loved the old metal toy robots and cars. He would go to sales every weekend and come
home with new “treasures” to put away.
He lived on an old farm that wasn’t used for crops anymore. First he filled up his house with
treasures. Then he filled up a garage. Then an old barn, rusty and pock-marked. The treasures
overflowed into rusted-out trucks and sheds.
One day, he was gone and nobody touched the treasures for a long time.
And then. One day. A beep and whirr announced to the overgrown farm around them that
some of them, at least, had awoken.
WHERE IS IT?
The Tin Barn is the only building still standing from those long-ago days. It’s in the middle of
an overgrown field. Somewhere beneath the tall grasses are the ruins of the house, the decayed
trucks, and even the long-lost fence posts and what used to be a road. But mostly, it’s a sea of
grass and sickly corn cobs and vigorously exploding dandelions.
It is far away, beyond the Zephyr Express and the Wetlands, well away from the City. Few
would seek it out unless they knew what a trove of Stuff the Barn holds. But lost travelers often
come to this place, finding it as a beacon against the ceaseless fields.

54
WHAT’S HERE?
So much stuff—much of it junk—it’s explored in layers. The strata of the Collector’s treasures
are a convoluted mix of machinery, collectable toys, ancient board games, sporting goods, elec-
tronics, television sets, and appliances to feed and comfort a species that is long since gone.
When exploring the Tin Barn, it is not uncommon to encounter a toy that Awoke but was
trapped a long time beneath several pounds of stuff, unable to signal its presence. When it is
quiet out, toys that serve as sentries over the Barn often hear their voices in the murky jumble
below. In kindness, some of the newer sentries call out to the toys to let them know they are not
alone. Veterans, though, are kinder in their silence. It may be years before an awakened toy will
finally surface. Why offer false hope?
WHO DO WE MEET?
The Sentries are the toys who live above the junk of the Tin Barn. They have made their
homes in the rafters and the loft of this ancient structure. Periodically, they send expeditions into
the junk to find supplies or look for lost or newly awakened toys.
There is a reason the Sentries are watchmen, though, and it is not because they like to
look over the junk below. There are things within the junk piles that are dangerous. Weapons,
perhaps. Chemicals that, as they have degraded, have become unstable. Sometimes, these things
are passive threats, only dangerous when found. Sometimes, they are not.
Things have awakened in the junk that are not toys, and the Sentries know how to handle
them.
 AGNES BULLPENNY: A Sentry specializing in cataloguing and registering the toys that
have Awakened in the Barn. She records each new arrival with a sketch portrait and a series
of hashmarks estimating the number of days they were awake before they were unburied.
 CORPORAL POUPEE: (Pronounced Poo-pay, but his subordinates call him “poopy”
behind his back). An ancient doll and leader of the Sentries. He appears to be a Mekka doll
in the form of what might have once been a Canadian Mountie. Indeed, his signature red
shirt and wide-brimmed hat are a familiar sight among the Sentries. He is respected, but not
loved, by the other Sentries.
 PINKIE: A bright pink car with all-terrain tires, Pinkie is one of the scouts who regularly
ventures into the wilds of the Tin Barn. She’s often one of the first to find something new,
interesting, or dangerous, and she’s a good source of information about the layout of the
junk. She won’t give this up for free, though; there’s value in her knowledge, and she knows it!

55
 THE CANDY LAND
The Candy Land is a domain made entirely of candy! The streets are paved with gold-covered
chocolate coins. A river of corn syrup flows lazily nearby, and spires of delicate spun sugar tower
into the sky.
And yet... because the toys do not eat, the Candy Land is mainly a place where everything is
sticky and a little dirty and grimey. It holds no particular sweet caloric attraction to toys with
no taste buds. Nonetheless, many of the toys have an almost racial memory of candy as a special
treat, something delightful, an everyday holiday.
WHERE IS IT?
The Candy Land is far away, beyond even the Deep Blue, perhaps even in a domain all of its
own. It lies between the regular world of Threadbare and that of the Clockmaker, and one might
need to cross it to come to the Clockmaker’s domains.
There is magic in the world of the Candy Land—so much magic, it’s possible that the Before
never truly ended, that the humans who once lived in the world had never been in the Candy
Land and so never left it. Or even, perhaps, they still touch the Candy Land today, the ripples of
their influence stirring the batter-like chocolate swamps and upending Candy Cane Lane.

56
WHAT’S HERE?
 GINGERBREAD CASTLE: Spires of spun sugar tower over this sturdy confection of solid
gingerbread and fossilized icing. Gumdrops form minarets high above the battlements, and
the waffle cone drawbridge still sometimes lowers over a moat made entirely of corn syrup.
 THE CRYSTAL CAVERN: Beneath the castle is a sprawling oubliette of ribbon candies
and natural rock candy formations. A dim glow suffuses the entire labyrinth, its source
unknown.
 CHOCOLATE SWAMP: A dense swamp of chocolate syrup, broken up by stands of
wafer cookies and licorice twists, the Chocolate Swamp can be a fun place, as long as you
avoid the treacherously uneven gaps and drop-offs at the bottom of the swamp.
 CANDY CANE LANE: Paved with gold foil covered chocolate coins, the main thorough-
fare of Candyland is bordered with striped peppermint canes from which hang tiny lanterns
to illuminate the street.
 THE BALL PIT: On the outskirts of town, the Ball Pit is a strange neighborhood. Inhab-
ited by a number of stray softies, the Ball Pit is a large open trough, filled with little round
hard-shelled candies of every color, many of them marked with a letter. The softies who live
here are a little down on their luck, since their diving board broke not too long ago.

WHO DO WE MEET?
 LOLLY POPS: Once a marionette, Lolly is a fully articulated mekka with a sizeable belly
and overalls. He doesn’t have much of a sense of humor, and considers any intruder into
Candy Land a priority to be addressed, and quickly.
 GUMM EARNEST BEAR: A large, solid-bodied translucent version of the many tiny, but
candied, bears that seem to be ubiquitous in Candy Land. Gumm loves to play games, and
never turns someone down to engage in a little friendly competition.
 THE NUT CRACKERS: The Nut Crackers are a squadron of like-minded soldiers tasked
with keeping order within Candy Land. They appear to be grimacing, bearded soldiers with
powerful jaws.
 JOLLY RANCHO: A striped sock in many bold colors, Jolly slithers through Candy
Land, always looking for something he’s lost. Unfortunately, he can never remember exactly
what it was, and so he keeps looking and asking for help.
 HER HEY: A softie in the shape of a large candy bar, Her Hey is big and a little weird.
Unfailingly friendly, she loves nothing more than to share music with her friends, both new
and old!

57
 A BRIEF HISTORY OF
THREADBARE
T
hreadbare’s history is relatively brief and filled with gaps. With an almost entirely
oral tradition of history, the toys recount their past and that of their world in stories,
song, and through interpretive dance and theater. Sequential art drawn by especially
talented creators also serves to give the toys a sense of history and instruct them in the world as
it changes around them.
THE BEFORE AND THE BREAKING OF THE WORLD
Once, there were people. Human beings who wore socks and Socks, children who played
with Mekka and told stories to their Softies. Their images persist, in the faces of dolls, in the
tattered billboards that dot the landscape, and in the places and spaces that were built for crea-
tures much, much bigger than the toys.
Their fingerprints are everywhere. It is abundantly clear to any toy that the scale of the world
was not built for creatures that vary from one inch to several feet in height. It was not made for
or by toys who may get around on legs, arms, wheels, treads, or pontoons. Indeed, the rotting
vehicles that line the roads tell a story of a world dominated by wheeled transport, yet the abun-
dance of Socks shows the importance of feet to those who inhabited the world Before.
And yet. Today, they are are gone. There are no humans left. Few toys even wonder what
happened to them. Some think they remember—but are those memories real, or do they simply
wish they remembered?
At some point, the world broke. All the humans and most of the animals disappeared. Things
decayed. There are still plants, but the world is inhospitable to life as the humans would recog-
nize it.
What happened when the world broke? Did the humans leave Earth for someplace new?
Were they ever really here, or do they exist in a parallel universe? Did they die?
As players and GMs, you don’t have to answer these questions, although you might. Your
campaign might take a turn towards discovering the Big Answers. Who are we? Where did we
come from? Why did the toys wake up, and when? Are there any humans left, anywhere?
Or, your campaign might stay in the smaller picture, sticking to personal questions about
individual needs and drives, interpersonal relationships, individual problems that need to be
solved.
After whatever disaster took the humans away, a philosophical toy might wonder what
happened. Or they might suggest that what happened matters less than what we do about it now,
and how to prevent such an apocalypse from happening again.
A toy could take Philosophical curiosity about humans as a Part to reflect their drive for
knowledge about these esoteric questions. Upgrading this Part might involve acquiring certain
artifacts of the Before, reading books, or speaking with the very oldest of the elders, ancient toys
who were there when we all first awoke.
There are rumors that the eldest of all is a Sock named Keenan. Some say he is actually a
sock-like Softie who lost his stuffing. Others claim he’s a small Mekka living inside a sock. What-
ever the truth, his whereabouts are unknown and what he has to say about the past remains a
perpetual mystery.

58
THE WAKING UP
At some point, the toys
began to wake up.
For most communi-
ties, the process has been
gradual. One day, a long-
abandoned toy will simply
begin to think and feel, and
even move. They will pick
themselves up, encounter
other toys, and eventually
begin to understand some-
thing of their world.
Most toys will go easy
on other newly awakened
toys, often giving them a gift
of Stuff to welcome them
to the world, or making a
minor repair to help them
get a leg up. Every toy
remembers how rough their
first day was, after all.
Some toys develop
parental feelings towards
other toys, and toys might build a kind of family structure around taking care of each other. Toys
often adopt family language for each other, calling one another siblings, or mother, or father,
depending on how they relate to each other. Softies are known to co-habitate in large, soft piles,
and will frequently call everyone in the pile their “cousin.” Socks never call someone other than
their matched pair their “mate.”
THE BUILDING AND BREAKING
This is the time we live in now, a time where there are many adventures to be had, many
communities to interact with—and every place you go, someone is trying to break something, or
trying to fix something—or sometimes both!
This era has particular dangers, as some areas are better organized than others. In some
places, there is no formal structure, while others became populated so quickly, the toys had to
self organize and establish rules to keep order in what is normally a chaotic world. Nonethe-
less, Threadbare is a very old world with very young characters living in it. No community is
terribly old or well developed, and some actively undermine efforts to become more civilized or
sophisticated.

59
 ADVENTURES
Adventures in Threadbare set out with a problem to be solved or a place to be explored.
The players know at the beginning of the adventure what the adventure will be about, and can
participate in setting up the story.
The basic structure of a Threadbare adventure is as follows:
 Build the Adventure.

 Know the Ending.

 Begin with Action.

 Develop the Story.

 Conclude the Adventure.

BUILD YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

Before you start the adventure, the GM and the players will spend a few minutes creating
some part of the adventure. In many cases, this will be a shared resource that the players will
create at the table, such as a vehicle or a community.
Most Threadbare adventures have a “Mad Libs” style format—the GM asks the players to
answer to some questions, and their answers become the adventure.
The players might tell the GM the name of an adversary that isn’t detailed in this book, or a
detail about them that contradicts what’s in the book. That’s okay! The GM and the players are
empowered to change the adversary to fit their own story, for example, substituting the informa-
tion from a different adversary for one they have named. No one knows your Threadbare World
better than you.
KNOW THE ENDING
All adventures in Threadbare have an “end condition” which the GM decides before the
adventure starts. This is a short description of how you know when this particular story is over.
The GM may or may not share the “end condition” with the players, and the end condition might
change if the story veers away from its original path.
Sometimes, the ending is a goal that needs to be achieved, or a place that the player charac-
ters need to reach. The end condition should include an option for failure—the toys might give
up on trying to find a safe place, or they might simply fail to convince someone to join their
community. As long as they have done everything they can, and something about them and
what they know about the world has changed, the story can end.
BEGIN WITH ACTION!
Threadbare stories, like most good stories, start with some kind of action happening. Some-
thing has already broken, the characters have an immediate problem to deal with, and time is
running out! The adventure setup questions should help the GM figure out what those things
are. Once the GM has described them to the players, they should ask the most important and
common question asked when running Threadbare:

60
WHAT DO YOU DO? (DEVELOPING THE STORY)
The story evolves as players describe what their characters do, exploring and learning about
who they are based on their actions and consequences. If a player says that their character does
something, and there is no Move that fits that action, then they automatically succeed. If that
action fits an existing Move, then the player needs to roll for the outcome. Most actions that
develop and change the story should be Moves, while actions that are incidental to the story may
not be Moves, but merely a character expressing themselves. These actions are still important,
because they let a player establish who their character is.
Whenever a player rolls a 6 or less, in addition to the consequences for the character, the GM
complicate the current story, using the suggestions in the GM Principles section.
This is the “meat” of the adventure, where all the crazy stuff happens, and where the players
will be the most creative in trying to solve problems and get themselves out of a jam (sometimes
literally). Although some adventures have a “scene structure” to focus the story’s development,
many adventures will just organically progress as the players take actions which succeed and fail.
When an adventure is written with scenes, each scene is developed like a micro-adventure. In a
more structured adventure, the outcome of one scene might make the next scene impossible. If
this happens, it is fine! Skip or change the next scene and ask the players what happens next. The
players should drive the action of the story, not the prewritten adventure.
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END (ENDING THE GAME)
When the end condition is met, there may still be a lot of unfinished business with the char-
acters, including side stories, individual goals they didn’t achieve, etc. That’s okay. You can leave
the story with some unfinished endings—”That’s a story for another day.” This is excellent for
episodic games, or ongoing campaigns, where you have players who will come back to play the
same characters again.
Alternately, you can let the players describe an epilogue for their characters—a freeform
description of what they do, where they go, what goal they achieve, after this story is over. This
method is great for shorter adventures and one-shots, where you won’t have the same players
coming back to play the same characters in the future.
During the epilogue, the players have full narrative control. If they decide they want an
adversary or ally to do something, even if you think “that character wouldn’t do that,” it happens.
Perhaps it happens because the character was convinced by someone else, or maybe after a long
time, the toys wore them down. At some point, that adversary changed their mind, and you are
free to invent a reason why they did so.
You can mix them up, too—some characters might have so much more to add to the story,
the player doesn’t want to finish their tale yet. Some might have an epilogue that introduces a
future story or location they want to explore in a later campaign.
Try to leave about 10-15 minutes at the end of the game session for players to give their
epilogues, or decide what story they want to pursue next time.

61
 FURRY ROAD
T
he toys are on a high-speed journey through dangerous terrain, with a cargo that they
must deliver safely to their destination! But something has gone terribly wrong, and
now their Machine is half-broken and in imminent danger—What do you do?
BUILD THE MACHINE
Your group is on a vehicle, called affectionately “the Machine.” As a group, fill in the Machine’s
reference sheet, below.
You had four days to get from your settlement to your destination. It should have been just
enough time, but something went terribly wrong, and you are now stranded in unfamiliar
territory.
 Where are you going?
 What’s dangerous about your mission? This adventure ends when the
 Who will die if you fail? group has delivered its cargo or
 Which Part of the Machine is broken?
abandoned its mission.
 What is the current imminent threat?
The questions on the Machine’s reference sheet answer who is the Adversary (the Machine is
coveted by...) and Motivation (the precious cargo: groups who choose batteries and stuffing want
to play mercenary/merchant types interested in material wealth. Groups choosing “high-status
Softies and Mekka” want a political game—be ready with some GM characters! And groups who
choose refugees are looking to play big ol’ heroes, out to save people.)

START THE ADVENTURE

The Machine’s Parts are: the cars, the wheels/treads/rails, the engine, any additional Parts that
the players define during its creation or add during play, and the precious cargo.
When the Machine’s Fuel is at -1 or less, it stops.
At the start, the player characters have just discovered that the Machine is broken or possibly
out of fuel. There is an imminent threat to the group. Perhaps whatever broke the Machine is still
around, or it might mean there is an additional, new threat to the party: a storm, a chasm under-
neath the Machine, someone chasing them, or something unstable about the cargo.

62
 THE MACHINE
Assign the following ability scores: +1, +1, 0, -1
SPEED MANEUVER- FUEL DURABILITY
ABILITY

THE MACHINE HAS (PICK ONE): THE MACHINE IS (PICK TWO):

 One “car”  Dirty
 Multiple connected “cars”  Ugly
 Several unconnected cars (a convoy)  Smelly
 Rusted
 Noisy
THE MACHINE’S ENGINE RUNS ON THE MACHINE USES (PICK ONE):
(PICK ONE):  Wheels on a road
 Flammable gasoline  Treads
 Wood  A railway
 Batteries (bigger than the cargo)  Water
 Laughter

THE MACHINE IS COVETED BY THE MACHINE CARRIES PRECIOUS

(PICK ONE): CARGO OF (PICK ONE):
 Bettie the Bloody  Batteries for mekka
 Mayor Murderbaby  High-status softies and mekka
 Bob the Dump Truck  Refugees
 Raggedy Lynn, the Secret-Keeper  Clean stuffing for softies

MACHINE MOVES (WRITE

NEW MOVES ON THE
BACK OF THE SHEET)
 When you try to outrun someone and
everyone is in the Machine, roll+Speed.
On a 7-9, you succeed, but take a -1 to Fuel
after you outrun them.
 When the Machine must navigate a
tricky path, roll+Maneuverability. On a
7-9, you succeed without damage, but do
not end up where you thought you were
going.
 When your Fuel is at -1 or less, you
stop moving.
 When the Machine takes an impact,
roll+Durability. On a 7-9, everyone in the
Machine falls down or out of the Machine.

63
 FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE
Flying far above the ground, you and your friends are on a mission to scout the land ahead, so
the Hive, trundling along behind you, can traverse it!

I
n this adventure, the toys are a scouting team for a community on the move, known as The
Hive. This adventure has a set sequence of scenes that the GM will set up for the players,
who can then role play them out. Each scene has a defined end, but if the players are
having a lot of fun, feel free to keep going until a more natural conclusion of the scene.
BUILD THE BUMBLEBEE AND HIVE: You work in a flying device known as the Bumblebee.
As a group, fill in its sheet. Read the next paragraph aloud to your players:
You are scouts for the Hive, which is a community that is currently moving, en masse, from one
place to another. So many toys are involved, the Hive cannot make quick movements, like changing
course or stopping. At nightfall, the Hive groups together to rest for the evening, make those course
corrections, and allow stragglers to catch up. As a result, you must return by midnight to make your
report, or the Hive will consider you lost and will change course to avoid your last known position.
Go around and ask each player to select a checkbox from the Bumblebee reference sheet.
Have them decide as a group the Bumblebee’s ability scores.
QUESTIONS FOR THE PLAYERS:
 How many days has the Hive been traveling? The adventure ends when
 Why are you associated with the Hive? the players no longer feel that
 Is your job considered dangerous? the Hive is in danger.
 What will you get in exchange for scouting?
 Which part of the Bumblebee is currently broken?
 Who is chasing you? Do you know what they want?
Some events and challenges that the toys might come across in their scouting:
 A SMALLISH SETTLEMENT: They have heard of the Hive and do not want them to
come through the area. Can the toys convince the settlement to allow safe passage?
 A WINDSTORM ENDANGERS THE BUMBLEBEE: Can they ride out the storm safely?
 THEY REACH A THICK RIVER OF OIL: It’s not safe to settle here. How will the Hive
get across? Can the scouts help?
 THE CHASE IS BACK ON: With reinforcements!

Some adversaries and NPCs you can use in this scenario (also take player suggestions):
CORPORAL HOOK: A Halloween pirate with a bent-up marshmallow stick for a hand, they are
not from the Hive. They have a personal problem with one of the characters. Ask the character
why Corporal Hook dislikes them.
MAYOR MURDERBABY: A leader among the Hive (either mayor, a senator, or a gang leader,
depending on the players’ choices). Mayor Murderbaby is a sleek politician with a dishonest
streak. He’s a baby doll with a top hat glued to a Wall-e chassis with tentacles.
GORDON THE ICHTHYOSAURUS: Once a pseudo-dinosaur softie, Gordon has been through
a lot and is now a ball of stuffing inside a glass Christmas ornament, then wrapped in red and
gold felt. His body is fragile, but his mind is still sharp. He serves the leadership of the Hive
without being in command. Gordon may resent the Hive leaders for not taking his advice-- to go
towards the sea, where they might find a port and perhaps other communities.

64
 THE BUMBLEBEE
A single flying vehicle used to scout
LIFT MANEUVERABLE SPEED FUEL (STARTING: 2) SCORES
DEFAULT
TO 0. SEE
QUESTIONS
STAY IN THE AIR MOVE AROUND OUTRUN KEEP FLYING BELOW.

THE BUMBLEBEE CAN (PICK THREE): THE BUMBLEBEE BELONGS

 Fly really high (+1 to Lift) TO (PICK ONE):
 Ride the wind when Fuel is at 0 (+1 to  The Hive
Lift)  One of us
 Move sideways (+1 to Maneuverable)  All of us
 Hover (+1 to Maneuverable)  Happy Joker, a tough guy in the Hive
 Outrun a fast bird (+1 to Speed)  Penelope Punch, an independent busi-
 Outrun a storm (+1 to Speed) ness person, not from the Hive.

THE BUMBLEBEE USES FOR FUEL: THE HIVE IS BEST KNOWN

 Butterfly wings FOR (PICK ONE):
 Vegetable oil  Generosity
 Candles  Greed
 Sugar  Beautiful Art
 Crime (robberies, vandalism, etc.)
THE HIVE NEEDS:  Literacy
 Room to grow  Fantacism
 Fuel
 Answers to a Question THE HIVE IS LED BY (PICK ONE)
 A New Leader  A single, competent, leader
 Supplies for Making Things  A council or senate
 More Population  A few big gangs
 Neighborhood watch groups

THE BUMBLEBEE’S PARTS: (up to 5. Suggested: wings, legs, striped body, stinger-rudder,
antennae, telescoping eyes)

 When you try to stay aloft in the face of a challenge, roll+Lift. On a 7-9, you
succeed, but take -1 to Speed while gliding.
 When you try to dodge an obstacle or remain in place,roll+Maneuverable. On a
7-9, you succeed, but take -1 to Fuel.
 When you try to outrun someone or something, roll+Speed. On a 7-9, you
outrun it, but take -1 to Fuel.
 When your Fuel reaches -1, roll Lift to glide to a landing. On a 7-9, you land
without immediate damage to the passengers, but the craft becomes a danger (on fire,
smoking, shrapnel, etc.)
 When you are not in a chase, in danger, or crashing and you wish to land,
roll+Lift or Maneuverable. On a 7-9, you land safely but take -1 to Fuel.

65
 SCENE ONE: The adventure starts with a chase sequence with a menacing (but not lethal) bully!
The bully wants something from the players. At the start of the adventure, you have asked an
important question: Who is chasing you? Do you know what they want? That question sets up
this scene. Role-play the scene out.
THIS SCENE ENDS WHEN: the players either escape the bully, defeat them, make a deal, or
come to some agreement.
SCENE TWO: After the chase ends, players might be on the ground or in the air, depending on
if they landed. On the ground, they have an opportunity to find some Stuff and do some repairs.
This will cost some time, however, and that time is a perfect opportunity for the toys to talk to
each other, tell stories, and play games. Toys can also repair the Bumblebee in the air, though
they might not have Stuff (unless salvaged during the chase sequence).
THIS SCENE ENDS WHEN: two or more of the players have demonstrated a friendship or
bond, or have created a new one.
SCENE THREE: It is now early evening. The toys are at the Hive, discussing with the leaders
which course they will be scouting tomorrow. The goal of this scene is to define what the Hive
wants, and explains the risks to the Toys. Various personalities in the Hive may lobby for one
direction or another. There is urgency-- whatever has them on the move is becoming an immi-
nent danger. At most, the players can scout two, maybe three locations (depending on how much
time you have to play).
 HILLS: There’s a low range of hills to the north. There could be protection in the hills,
more defensible, and natural resources we could use.
 RIVER: There’s a river known to meander through the plains. directly ahead. It may be a
source of flotsam and trade.
 SEA: If we turn back, we can head towards the ocean. Will we find a port and other
settlers?
 BADLANDS: A tangled “badlands” of rubble, buildings, asphalt, and garbage. Do you
want to explore there?
THIS SCENE ENDS WHEN: The players have decided which location or locations are their
priority, and have convinced the Hive leaders.
SCENE FOUR: In the morning, the toys go back out. Here are specific challenges for each loca-
tion they can scout:
 HILLS: The hills are treacherous to climb, but there’s an abandoned mine halfway up. Is
this a safe place to stop? How will the less resilient toys get up there? Can you build some-
thing to help them?
 RIVER: The river has, unbeknown to the players, carved a canyon into the earth (how
long has it been?!?) How will the Hive cross it?
 SEA: There is a marooned ship about 100 yards from shore with many resources that
could make a fitting home for now. Far enough to be safe, but how can the Hive get there?
 BADLANDS: The badlands are occupied by dangerous bullies, but there’s a lot of “Stuff ”
to be had. Is it worth the risk to the Hive? Can the bullies be dealt with?
If and when the players decide on a location, they need to invent a way to overcome the
obstacle facing them and report back to their grateful leaders.

66
THIS SCENE ENDS WHEN: the toys
have scouted the obstacles in their scouted
locations and returned to the Hive to
report. Optionally: the toys may decide
to solve the problem before they return to
the Hive. If so, switch scenes five and six.
SCENE FIVE: The toys report to the
leaders and decide on their best chances.
Ask each player to describe what their
“home camp” looks like in the Hive:
 Do you live alone?

 Do you sleep outside, under the

stars? In a shelter? How long does it
take you to set this up?
 Do you socialize with others after
hours? Who’s your best friend?
 Are you an early riser?

Role play out a little spotlight on each

player’s toy interacting with the rest of the
Hive. Even “loner” toys will have other
toys bugging them to socialize, or trying
to befriend them.
THIS SCENE ENDS WHEN: Each player
has had a mini-scene showing their home
and life.
SCENE SIX: The toys need to overcome
the obstacle and secure safe passage to the
Hive’s new home. What will they do to
achieve this?
THIS SCENE ENDS WHEN: The toys
build a device, solve the problem, or resolve a conflict to secure passage for the Hive. They return
victorious to the Hive and are hailed as heroes. If they are unsuccessful, they can return to the
Hive that night and reroute towards another of the locations. This will cost time and result in the
Looming Threat bearing down on them.
SCENE SEVEN (OPTIONAL): The threat that has the Hive on the move comes to bear. What
will the toys do to face it down? What will they do if they succeed or fail?
THIS SCENE ENDS WHEN: the threat has resolved, for good or bad.

EPILOGUE: Whether the toys succeed or fail in finding a new home for the Hive, if the story is
over, allow each player a minute or two to describe what their character does now. Do they stay
with the Hive? Become traders or ambassadors? Strike out for new lands? Scout ahead for the
next place the Hive may need to settle? Take up leadership roles in the Hive?

67
 OFF TO SEE THE CLOCKMAKER
A THREADBARE ADVENTURE STARTER
by BRYANNA HITCHCOCK

A
group of toys embarks upon a great journey to make a request of the Clockmaker, an
elusive engineer who rules the fabulous Wind-up City.

HOW TO USE THIS ADVENTURE

Off to See the Clockmaker supports a variety of play constraints, from short demos to full-
length campaigns.
For a very short game (2 hours), pick a single region. After character generation, start with
the PCs already together and play through crossing the region your group chooses in the Startup
Questions below. If you have time, play through the Conclusion. Otherwise, go to the Epilogue.
For a typical convention slot (4 hours), choose two regions in the Startup Questions. After
character creation, begin play with the PCs in a group already. When you finish the first region,
decide if you have time for another region, or if it would be better to jump to the Conclusion:
arrival at Wind-up City and meeting the Clockmaker.
For play over multiple game sessions, consider the following:
 Start the journey with one PC, and let the group come together over successive scenes.
 Let each player pick a region the group must traverse, setting up a much longer journey to
Wind-up City.

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  Create a map of your journey, letting the players choose or create the region in which the
PCs begin. Note that the world of the Clockmaker is not necessarily linear or straightfor-
ward in any way. The journey might be a spiral or a board game.
 Perhaps the Clockmaker isn’t so eager to see the PCs. She may have gatekeepers or require
tribute, forcing the PCs to scrounge around in Wind-up City or even another region.
 Once the players reach the Conclusion, the Clockmaker may require the PCs to travel
to their Nemesis’s region to either defeat or win them over. If so, let the players choose a
region they haven’t been to yet.

STARTUP QUESTIONS
Every PC will need to answer the first question. You and the players should take turns
choosing answers to the remaining questions that will help you invent your adventure.
You need to find or regain something. Only the Clockmaker can give it to you. What is it: a
Part, a Thing, or even a personality trait? Be specific.
 Something you’ve lost.
 Something you’ve never had.

How are you finding your way?

 A map with amazing landmarks
 A river of blue paint
 A strangely colored road
 Signs in the clouds

How are you getting there? No matter which you choose, you need to provide your conveyance
with Stuff for food/fuel/maintenance whenever you arrive in a new region.
 A rainbow-winged hot air balloon
 A sailboat requiring neither wind nor water
 An expanding bicycle of many seats
 A very large toy dinosaur named Edie

How many regions must you cross on your journey? Pick one or more depending on game
length. The mode of travel you have chosen will work in any. The Frog Fairy Sea, for example,
might have a chain of islands with a strangely colored highway, or it might be a sea of something
other than water!
 The Card Nation
 The Empire of Dreams
 The Forest of Mechanical Bees
 The Frog Fairy Sea
 The Great Kingdom of Chess

What do the toys you encounter in each region need? Pick one for each region chosen above.
 Competitors for the toy Olympics
 Contestants in a line dancing event
 Friends to help them get home
 Repairs to an important doorway
 Someone to help them make decisions

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 Who is your Nemesis, the toy that will do anything to stop you? Which PC do they have a
particular dislike of and why?
 Fang the Die-cast
 Magistrate Monkey Head
 Pythos the Serpent
 Seesaw the Sorcerer
 Zordo the Alien

THE JOURNEY
This adventure starter is purposefully vague and evocative to allow greater creativity and
freedom. The responsibility to fill in the blanks does not rest on you alone! Collaborate with
your players. Defer decision-making. Turn their questions back to them. In short, build the
details of the world together.
When the PCs begin their adventure, they are crossing a border between their home region
and the region they chose above. Describe the border crossing and the new region, keeping in
mind the mode of travel they chose.
Soon they find some toys in need, as described in the Startup Questions.
Once the PCs have decided whether to help the toys or move on, their Nemesis will attempt
to interfere with them. In a shorter game, their Nemesis may interfere personally. In a longer
game, their Nemesis will send minions at first, only making a personal appearance when the PCs
are close to the Wind-up City.
In addition, when the PCs attempt to leave a region, they find the way blocked in some way. If
the PCs have explored the region and talked with its inhabitants, they may have an idea of what
the obstacle is before they reach it, giving them a chance to prepare. Let the players choose one
PC to make the appropriate move below. Be sure to provide the text of the move, so the players
know what is at stake. If the PCs helped the people in the region in some way, they gain +1 on
this roll.
Note: These situations and the moves they trigger may be bypassed by clever PCs who ask the
right questions and plan ahead.
When leaving the Card Nation, the guards require traveling papers. Roll+Scrounge.
 On a 10+, you easily produce the papers.
 On a 7-9, one PC must bribe the guards with a Part or Stuff.
 On a miss, each PC must give the guards a Part or Stuff.

When leaving the Empire of Dreams, the toys there require a story before they will let the PCs
pass. Roll+Smile.
 On a 10+, the local toys are inspired by your tale and give you some Stuff to help you.
 On a 7-9, you must reveal a secret to satisfy the story-hungry toys.
 On a miss, each PC must reveal a secret to satisfy the story-hungry toys.

When leaving the Forest of Mechanical Bees, the Queen Bee demands a flowery Thing as
tribute. Roll+Scrounge.
 On a 10+, you saw just the right Thing earlier and remember right where it is. This infor-
mation satisfies the Queen.
 On a 7-9, you saw just the right Thing earlier, but it belongs to someone else, with whom
you must barter or bargain.
 On a miss, your group is going to have to Scrounge something up. Back into the forest
with you!

70
When leaving the Frog Fairy Sea, the frog-fairies ask for something to help make them beautiful
again. Roll+Smiles.
 On a 10+, you make them feel beautiful just the way they are and they happily reveal the
way forward.
 On a 7-9, someone in your group must give them Stuff to help them test your advice.
 On a miss, everyone is going to need to provide a Part or Stuff. The frog-fairies are very
needy!
When you attempt to leave the Great Kingdom of Chess, a team of boisterous toys demand you
beat them in a game of full-contact chess. Roll+Strongarm.
 On a 10+, your group easily defeats the challenging toys. You win some Stuff !
 On a 7-9, you lose a Part, but narrowly defeat the opposing team.
 On a miss, your team is defeated and everyone loses a Part. However, the boisterous toys
are happy to guide you to the next stage of your journey.

CONCLUSION
When it’s time to conclude your adventure, the PCs arrive at Wind-up City, a wonderful
place full of bustling toys and fantastic machinery serving every imaginable purpose. The city is
colorful and exciting, but also in constant need of repair. An army of toy soldiers patrols the city
making repairs or bringing broken toys to the tower of the Clockmaker.
The Clockmaker loves visitors from afar (unless you’re playing a campaign, in which case it
may be harder to meet with her), so she will welcome the PCs. She is likely to be very grumpy
from the constant work it takes to keep the city going. Give the characters a chance to interact
with her, making moves as usual, before she asks them exactly why they have come to her. Then,
each PC should make their request, triggering the following move:
When you ask the Clockmaker for something magical, impossible, or lost, roll + the number
of regions you passed through to see her.
ON A 10+, CHOOSE ONE:
 She gives you an appropriate Thing with one move.
 She gifts you with an exact replica of your missing Part.
ON A 7-9, THE GM CHOOSES ONE (BE KIND):
 She explains how you’ve always had it and provides documents to prove it (certificates,
diplomas, etc.)
 She gives you a Part that works fine, but looks a little off.
 She admits she can’t help you, but offers a map to your goal.
On a miss, she explains how you don’t really need it, underestimating you and your journey.
Allow kind players to find a loophole, befriend someone who can help, or stumble right into a
second chance.
FOR A CAMPAIGN: On a miss, she demands proof you have defeated your Nemesis. Also, lose
a Part in one of the strange machines lining the chamber. Once you deliver proof of victory over
your Nemesis, use the 10+ result.
EPILOGUE
Once the adventure comes to an end, give players a turn to briefly describe an epilogue for
their characters. This is an opportunity for closure and to let the other players know where they
see their character going from here.
Be sure to thank your players.

the end!
71
 ELECTRIC AVENUE
by TOBY STRAUSS

E
lectric Avenue is a mysterious place—it is never daytime in there, but always night; all
conflicts are resolved with dancing; and there is electricity that does not come from a
battery. Leaders in the world of Threadbare once sent a group of toys out to investigate
this mysterious source of power. Sadly, these brave toys never returned. It is likely they were
more interested in playing and started a local dance troupe!
WHERE IS IT?
Electric Avenue is a small stretch of road in the City. The central attraction of Electric Avenue
is Studio 45, a massive discotheque that plays host to all the showdowns between local gangs of
toys and socks and has the best dance floor in the City. Other locations of interest include:
 Murray Arthur’s Dance Studio, a dance school.
 The Streethome, a rough and tumble honky-tonk with lots of line dancing.
 The Theater, a more refined locale of tutus and toe shoes,
 The Marrakesh, an exotic place where exotic dances are done.
 The Streets, an alley between Studio 45 and Murray Arthur’s that is inhabited by street
toughs who snap their fingers (or whatever part of them snaps).
Electric Avenue is governed by delegates from each of these locations. While their tourism
brochures advertise “No rules, just dance!” this is not exactly true. Electric Avenue has two types
of ordinances: rules and decrees.

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RULES
There are only four rules in Electric Avenue, and violating any of them is punishable by
banishment. They are the framework upon which all activity in Electric Avenue takes place and
are the basis of the decrees. The rules are:
1. No physically harming another toy. If you knock a toy’s leg off, you have taken away its
ability to do fancy footwork. This must never happen in Electric Avenue. But what if a toy
doesn’t have legs? It will still have arms, or hair, or a bouncy ball, or something that it uses
to boogie down. This cannot be impeded. The boogie must go on.
2. Drama . . . is mandated! Dance requires inspiration, passion, and transformation (see
Dance Moves below). Drama is a necessary ingredient to good dance and is highly
encouraged.
3. The music can never stop. Every location of Electric Avenue has a means of playing
records. They must never stop playing. If the music stops anywhere for any reason, a state
of emergency is declared. Electric Avenue law states that the Engineering Corp of Army
Guys must be immediately dispatched to fix the problem. The Electric Avenue Emergency
Squad are equipped with blankies and juice boxes to comfort all victims until the music is
restored.
4. A dance-off can never be refused and it is the final arbiter of any and all disputes. It
does not matter how big or small the conflict is. If a dance-off is called, it must take place
and the results are recorded as an Electric Avenue decree. This has resulted in some . . .
unusual alterations in reality.

DECREES
In Electric Avenue, all conflicts are decided on the dance floor. The result of a dance-off is
codified in a numbered decree. For example, Electric Avenue Decree 32 (EA32 for short) guar-
antees safe passage for all toys through the Streets.
Often, however, toys get into disputes over questions of fact, such as “Is Otis wearing pants?”
or “does gravity reverse itself in the bathrooms of Studio 45?” Just like questions of morality or
opinion, questions of fact are arbitrated by the dance-off. The Decrees of the dance-off cannot be
denied, even by “facts” or “logic.”
The decrees have made Electric Avenue an increasingly dangerous place to traverse. It helps
to ask local residents for survival-critical decrees before traveling so a wandering toy can locate
all of the “invisible fire” (EA57) or which crack breaks your mother’s back (EA17).
And for the curious, yes, Otis is wearing pants, and yes, gravity always reverses itself in the
bathrooms of Studio 45 (EA62 and EA12, respectively).
WHAT’S HERE?
STUDIO 45: This large European-style dance hall is a multi-headed beast of dance and music, a
temple to the beat, a . . . big place to dance.
THE DANCE FLOOR: There is only one dance floor at Studio 45 and it is the best dance
floor in all of Electric Avenue. Electric lights shine from the sides, the ceiling, and even the
floor (when it isn’t lava—see EA33 for a periodic table of dance floor lava). This is where
all conflicts in Electric Avenue are settled—in a dance-off. There is a massive stage near the
dance floor covered in DJ equipment. No rule or decree requires that toys play on the spin-
ning turntables and swing off of the disco balls. Local custom, however, calls for horseplay
around all swinging and spinning things.
THE BARS: It is unclear what the former inhabitants of this temple to dance did with all of
the bottles by the big chairs. What is clear is that the chairs are cozy and fun to jump on. Also,

73
 the bottles contain a marvelous chemical compound. Toys in lab coats have determined that
this compound is either a super awesome rocket fuel or reckless fire starter.
The Bars are populated by a group of polyester toys called the Lounge Lizards. They are
more interested in John Travolta impersonations than in pushing other toys around, but they
are not to be taken lightly.
THE AH-FI-SHES: There are dank, dingy rooms behind the bars and the dance floor. These
are called “ah-fi-shes”, which in gibberish means “boring places.” Only the most corrupt of
toys venture back through these dangerous halls (filled with many perils made up by the
other toys, and then made real by dance offs!) to seek out the Meowfia. The Meowfia are kitty
dolls with hair bows and rubber cigars. They are the true power of Studio 45, and possibly
even all of Electric Avenue!
THE CATWALKS: There is a set of hanging walkways over the dance floor and the bars
called the catwalks. These walkways are strange in that they shift forms, never staying the
same after being successfully traversed. They provide the setting of many a tale of derring-
do, but did Travis the Flame Dancer really do the Viennese Waltz across the pass without a
stumble? None but Travis can say.
It is also rumored that Summer Donna, the hidden disco grandmaster of dance is hidden
in the Catwalks, waiting for a successor to prove their mettle. Watching the dance floor for
generations, she has been disappointed with the talent (or lack of talent) she has seen… so
far. Maybe you are the chosen disco master?
THE STREETHOME: This ramshackle honky-tonk is the best place in town to wear a big belt
buckle and line dance. The floors are wood and are covered in saw dust (also, regular dust). The
Cattle Prodders run the Streethome. Some say their bouncer, Malton, is a secret dance master.
But he’s never confirmed nor denied it. He’s called a bouncer because he rides around on a
bouncy ball with a handle.
THE MARRAKESH: This is part restaurant, part dance location, all fun. Tassles and elaborate
fabrics abound in this shimmery temple to the dance. The Marrakesh is home to the Guts, a
group of power players in the politics of Electric Avenue. While the Guts lack the rubber cigars
and whiskers of the Meowfia, they possess the incredible power of belly dancing. It is said that
the reason The Marrakesh is the capital of Electric Avenue is a brutal belly dance attack during
a dance off with the Lounge Lizards and the Meowfia, at the same time, rendering all viewers
bedazzled by the shimmery spectacle. Sadly, the Marrakesh is closed to outsiders. Those who
seek Sadda, the grand dance master of belly dancing, must find a hidden entrance.
THE STREETS: This is less a location and more of an alleyway. It is dark but colorful, filled with
metal trash drums, cardboard for breakdancing, and anything else the local denizens have seen
in their massive collection of “street dance” films. The Streets are ruled by the Spinz. They can
be found in one of two uniforms: either a completely mismatched collection of t-shirts, baggy
pants, and bandanas, or identical hoodies, jeans, and chucks—the latter especially for dance-offs.
The Spinz may not have a lot of Stuff, but they have a lot of heart. They know they do because in
all of the movies, if you dance in the street and wear dance-off clothes, you have heart—tons of
it. And heart how they plan on winning the next dance-off. It is rumored that Homarion is the
local hip-hop dance master. Legend has it that they’ll teach you their fly moves… but first you
need to prove you got game. Expect to be served, and served HARD. Homarion has to know . . .
are you tough enough?
THE THEATER: This is a classy joint. All toys in the Theater wear some combination of top
hats, monocles, evening gowns, high-heeled shoes, pearl necklaces, tuxedos, and stoles. This is,
of course, when not dancing. When dancing, a combination of tutus, toe shoes, tights, and swan
feathered costuming is the soupe du jour. The Theater is run by a strange dance gang named ‘A

74
Grant by the Bryant Trust.’ While there has been much speculation on the source of this name,
a recent clue was discovered by the great dance scholar Alfred the Wise. By listening to classical
music on the stereos, he once heard that the music was brought to him by A Grant by the Bryant
Trust. They published their findings and concluded that the “Trust” (as they are colloquially
known) must have named themselves after a very classy gang from days of yore. The Theater
is both a safe haven and a death trap (if, indeed, death were a thing). In the seats, there is little
risk—save being bored by a Trust member talking about high society. Elsewhere, however,
danger abounds. In the lobby, the floor is lava (due to decree EA72 from the great dance-off
between the Spinz and the Trust), making entry virtually impossible. Toys who find a way in
often swing across chandeliers and slide down banisters to avoid the searing heat of the pretty
marble sinister lava below. On the stage, the lanterns burn with a fire that never goes out and
trap doors and props abound. Above the stage, a catwalk exists second only to that of Studio 45’s.
And of course, there is the dreaded “backstage.” No toy has cared enough to wander through the
old costumes in storage to plumb its depths. But maybe they should have. For it is all but certain
that Agrippa Vaganovavich, the prima ballerina of the Trust and ballet grandmaster spends her
time back here in her dressing room. Waiting for one that is worthy of her training. One that is
worthy of her time. Yeshche raz!
MURRAY ARTHUR’S DANCE STUDIO: This former dance school has been reclaimed by
the Instructors, a gang of toys dedicated to “teaching toys without rhythm how to waltz at a
wedding.” At least, this is what they put in their brochures. This small, unimpressive building
might go unnoticed—the Instructors rarely win dance offs—but rumor has it they own the
largest collection of dance music in all of Electric Avenue. This alone gives Murray Arthur’s
considerable wealth. But more so, the Instructors keep with the old ways and have day jobs
keeping the electricity on. This makes crossing them dangerous, since they can turn the elec-
tricity—and thus, the music—--off.
Les Goodtoy spends his time here. The other gangs watch him closely, believing him to be the
ballroom grandmaster. If he is, he is hiding in plain sight, offering waltz and foxtrot lessons to
flat footed toys. Perhaps he could be cajoled into revealing his true gift?
WHO DO WE MEET?
 THE LOUNGE LIZARDS: A gang of misfits hanging out in the bars of Studio 45. They
enjoy polyester, slick hair, and wild disco nights.
 THE MEOWFIA: The power brokers of Studio 45 and the scariest Hello Kitties in the
land. The wise kiss up to them. The foolish get the kiss . . . of death.
 THE CATTLE PRODDERS: These rooten-tooten cowhands may never have actually seen
a cow, but they can line dance and scoot their boots with the best of them. Easily underesti-
mated, they’ve been known cause a ruckus if the wrong steel guitar band shows up for dance
night.
 THE GUTS: The Marrakhesh was lifeless when colonized, so the Guts: named after the
part they wiggle when they dance: absorbed the local color. More enamored of the magic of
dance than of politics, it is rumored that they learned the bellydance from the tassled outfits
they found.
 THE INSTRUCTORS: This group of toys loves teaching dance . . . but they have respon-
sibilities. The players might find them more than willing to teach, but only if it isn’t working
hours. After all, the power must stay on.
 SADDA: “Dance? You want to learn to dance? All of you silly visitors are the same. Just a
little belly wiggle and some pretty tassels, yes? No, my friend. You must immerse yourself in
the dance. Let’s begin . . .”

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  HOMARION: “You think you can roll with us? Sorry dawg, but you be tripping. Unless
you prove yourself . . . you ready to get served?” Homarion turns to the teddy bear at the
turntable. “DJ, drop it like it’s hot!”
 MALTON: “Mmhmm. Y’all wanna dance, huh? Yep. I’ll show ya how ta dance. But if ’n
you think it’s easy, hah!” A bouncer leans over and whispers in Malton’s ear. He nods slowly,
then whispers back. “Sorry, Streethouse business. Like I’s sayin’, it ain’t easy. First you need to
prove you gots what it takes. Well? Do ya?”
 AGRIPPA VAGANOVAVICH: “Hello, yes? You are the, how you say, student? Da. I have
heard of you. Dey say you vant to learn de vay of ze, how you say, fancy toeshoedancing!”
Agrippa paces slowly, her cane clicking on the floor. “Ja. I vill teach you. But be varned, I am
ze, how you say,” she leans in, “harsh instructor.”
 LES GOODTOY: “You found me! Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle, it’s been an age, it ‘as.
I’d love to teach you to dance. Cripes, has it been so long? Lucky thing my dancin’ shoes and
swingin’ hips don’t go out of style, eh? But first, there’s just a small task I need ya’ to do. So...
do you think you can boogie?”

LEARNING A DANCE MOVE

Since the dawn of time, dancing has been an integral part of toy society. It can communicate
when injection molded plastic renders you expressionless. It can bolster the will of toy comrades.
It can weaken the resolve of foes.
WHAT IS A DANCE MOVE?
Dance Moves are unique. They are not Basic Moves, Upgrades, or Devices¬—it is best to
think of them as being in their own category. The following traits define Dance Moves:
 Like Basic Moves, Dance Moves are not tied to a physical thing. If a Part is lost (like a
limb), that does not eliminate the functionality of a Dance Move. Dance lives in the heart,
not the feet!
 Like Upgrades, Dance Moves belong to a single toy. A group of toys may learn to do a
choreographed dance, but this is mechanically a collection of individual Dance Moves that
complement one another. There is no external Device for Dance Moves.
 Like Devices, Dance Moves are constructed of smaller bits. These are not Parts, but rather
the wiggles and gyrations that comprise the Dance Move (see Learning a Dance Move).
 Dance Moves are powerful and limited. A Dance Move can only be used once per
session, but the results are usually impressive.
 Dance Moves cannot be permanently lost—only temporarily. Your toy might have to
work to get its groove back!
 Dance Moves can only be learned from a quest.

HOW TO GAIN A DANCE MOVE

Gaining a Dance Move always requires a quest. Some toys follow the path of a grandmaster.
This quest involves finding the grandmaster, paying for their services, training in a grueling
montage, and finally performing a recital. For those unable to find a grandmaster, Dance Moves
may also be crafted. The ingredients for a Dance Move are as follows (the GM is final arbiter on
the appropriateness of an ingredient):
INSPIRATION: You must find a muse. This could be a scenic vista. A shocking victory. A
deeply personal cause (like toys without batteries).
PASSION: It is said that until you experience pathos, you cannot create true art. Maybe your
passion comes from falling in love. Maybe it is a new friendship. Perhaps it is painful loss. You
must experience passion to share passion.

76
TRANSFORMATION: Dance represents change. It thus follows that you cannot dance effectively
without knowing change yourself. Did you resolve a major bond? Have you learned a life lesson
from your travels? Will you ever be the same toy again?
There are thousands of cultures in our world and each has its own dance styles. The dance
styles and elements below are distinctly Western. If you would like to make a Native American
Grass Dance, use the elements below that fit best, or make up your own. That said, please be
respectful of the cultures that own the dances you use!

DANCE MOVE TABLE

FOOTWORK:
Two Step You are respected. When using Think it Through, you do not have to roll. What
you say is completely accurate.
You are steady. When you Help Someone, you may roll +Smile instead of +Ties.
Swing You are trendy. You may roll +Smile instead of +Strongarm for Look Fierce!-
-but you must call it “Look Trendy!”
You are cool. On a Make Friends move following this dance, a 7-9 is treated as
a hit.
Waltz You are graceful. Once per session, you may dance to avoid taking 1 part
damage in a Fight Song contest.
You are fast. You treat a 7-9 as a 10+ on your next Run Away! move.
HIPS:
Prim and You are competitive. If you celebrate a successful Play a Game move, you may
proper pick two from the list on a 7-9, and all 4 on a 10+.
You have inner pride. You may roll +Smiles instead of +Strongarm for your
next Look Fierce! move.
Sway You are sultry (?). Create the following bond with your partner/ opponent:
“Character likes me but doesn’t know why.”
You are into it! When you Lead a Cheer!, you get +1 to your roll.
SHAKE You are wild. Your next Cannibalize move always breaks something else on the
DAT donor, but you do not need to roll for success.
BOOTY You are fun loving and use physical prowess to charm! You may roll
+Strongarm instead of +Smile for a Make Friends move.
TORSO/ ARMS:
The You don’t take yourself too seriously. You may reroll your dice once per
cabbage session.
patch It’s all in the footwork. When using Push or Pull, roll +Smiles.
Put your You are the life of the party. You may uplift another toy, enabling them to Take
hands in a Breather (Repair) twice in a session.
the air You are creative. Once after this dance, you may change the required move for
(like you something else--but you have to creatively explain why it makes sense (logic not
just don’t required).
care)
Tightly You have fine motor skills. You get +1 forward on a Jury-Rig.
controlled You are solid and unshakeable. When you Barter, you may treat a 7-9 as a 10+.

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 WRITING A DANCE MOVE
Once you have completed the quest to learn a Dance Move, you and your GM must decide
what that Dance Move does. There are three paths to writing a Dance Move:
 CONVENTIONAL: Conventional Dance Moves involve picking motions from charts.
These Dance Moves are not the most powerful, but are predictable.
 FREESTYLE: Freestyle Dance Moves are invented when a toy cuts loose and feels the
music. If the toy is lucky, a freestyle Dance Move is the most powerful thing in Electric
Avenue. If the toy is unlucky, the Dance Move might stink.
 CONVERSATIONAL: Toys have parts they can wiggle that human beings can’t even
fathom. If a player and their GM decide that the conventional and freestyle methods of
crafting a Dance Move don’t fit, they may use the conversational method to craft a Dance
Move.

CONVENTIONAL DANCE MOVES

Conventional Dance Moves should be collaborative between the player and the GM. They
involve several decisions:
 What is the name of your new sweet dance move?
 What footwork are you doing? This is the frame, the basis, of your dance. Choose one
from the list below.
 What are you doing with your hips? This is the heart and soul of your dance. Choose one
from the list below.
 What are your arms doing? This is the emotion and expression of your dance. Choose one
from the list below.
 Which attribute does this dance call on? Is it forceful (+Strongarm)? Is it charming
(+Smile)? Is it crafty (+Scrounge)?
To use your dance move, roll 2D6 + the attribute you chose. On a 10+, select two from the
list you’ve created. On a 7-9, select one. You may use the attached dance move sheet to make this
process easy.
NOTE: Depending on your selections, you might be called upon to either dance immediately
preceding an action, or immediately following an action. This might seem odd, but remember,
toys are capricious and can’t resist a solid beat. These things happen all the time in Threadbare.

DANCE MOVE WORKSHEET

DANCE NAME:

LEG MOVE:

HIP MOVE:

UPPER BODY MOVE:

WHEN YOU DO THE ____________________________, ROLL +_______.

ON A 10+, SELECT TWO OF THE FOLLOWING. ON A 7-9, SELECT ONE:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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 “BUT I DON’T HAVE ARMS!”
This is a common human concern. How can my toy do the cabbage patch if it doesn’t
have arms? Toys have an amazing gift for imagination, however. It has been scientifically
confirmed that the following armless toys can, in fact, cabbage patch: Lego, Lincoln logs,
bouncy balls, remote controlled boats, and trucks.
In other words, don’t sweat the small stuff ! If your toy really wants to do the two-step
without any feet, it will.

EXAMPLE DANCE MOVES

A sample conventional dance move might look something like this:

THE PRISMATIC OCTOPUS

NAME OF THE DANCE: Prismatic Octopus

LEGS: Swing

HIPS: Sway

ARMS: Put your hands in the air (like you just don’t care)

When you do the Prismatic Octopus, roll +Smile. On a 10+, select two of the following. On a
7-9, select one:
 You are trendy. You may roll +Smile instead of +Strongarm for Look Fierce!--but you
must call it “Look Trendy!”
 You are cool. On a Make Friends move following this dance, a 7-9 is treated as a hit.
 You are sultry (?). Create the following bond with your partner/ opponent, “Character
likes me but doesn’t know why.”
 You are into it! If you Lead a Cheer!, you get +1 to your roll.
 You are the life of the party. You may uplift another toy, enabling them to Take a Breather
(Repair) twice in a session.
 You are creative. Once after this dance, you may change the required move for something
else--but you have to creatively explain why it makes sense (logic not required).

FREESTYLE
Planning out a dance is for chumps. You have the music in you! After your quest, you cockily
saunter onto the dancefloor and just do what feels right. Roll 2D6 against the table below.
Whichever move you roll is your dance move. Note that this is permanent. You must engage in a
new quest to learn a new dance move. You still get to name it and decide which attribute is your
modifier.
CONVERSATIONAL
Don’t like any of the above options? That’s ok. Your dance should represent you. Using the
tables as suggestions, discuss with the other players and the GM. What does your dance move
look like? What are you doing with your various bits and bops? What does the dance do?
The GM may not suggest any move ideas. The GM may only veto a dance move that would
violate the feel or balance of the campaign. The other players may only offer suggestions to the
player. They do not get a vote in the dance the player chooses. No worksheet is provided for this
move. Instead, this dance move should be documented on your playbook at the bottom.

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 ROLL NEW FREESTYLE MOVE
2 Your moves are so funky fresh, all of your friends are encouraged! The party takes +1
hold for their next Fight Song.
3 Your moves are so touching that they heal the soul. You may uplift another toy,
enabling them to Take a Breather (Repair) twice in a session.
4 Your moves are so dazzling that you get +1 to Lead a Cheer!
5 Your moves are so so shocking that if you use them to celebrate a successful Play a
Game move, you may pick two from the list on a 7-9, and all 4 on a 10+.
6 Your moves are so smooth that, once per game, you may dance to avoid taking 1
part damage in a Fight Song contest.
7 Your moves are so hypnotic that on a Make Friends move following this dance, a 7-9
is treated like a 10+.
8 Your moves are so graceful that you get +1 forward on a Jury-Rig move.
9 Your moves are so wild, your next Cannibalize move always breaks something else
on the donor, but you do not need to roll for success.
10 Your moves are so regal that you may roll +Smile instead of +Strongarm for your
next Look Fierce! move.

11 Your moves are so dashing that you get +1 hold for your next Run Away! move.
12 Your moves are so saucy that you create the following bond with your partner/
opponent: “Character likes me but doesn’t know why.”

FREESTYLE MOVE WORKSHEET

DANCE NAME:

YOUR MOVES ARE SO __________ THAT ________________________

______________________________________________________.
______________________________________________________.

ROLL +____. ON A 10+, ____________. ON A 7-9, ______________.

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 BOOGIE SHOES
A THREADBARE ADVENTURE
by ALEX ROBERTS

W
elcome to Boogie Shoes! This document is a series of connected prompts that will
help inspire and focus your next game of Threadbare. Remember that this is only a
guide; there will be a number of suggestions for characters, motivations, and scenes,
but how everything plays out will be up to you, your players, and the dice. Because we all know
that the stories we tell together are better than what we could come up with alone, right?
Boogie Shoes is a musical adventure for fans of movies like Dirty Dancing, Shall We Dance,
Footloose, How She Move, and more. It centers around a climactic dance competition, and the
steps the player characters take to get there. Get to know the Threadbare system before you play
this adventure, and reference the Electric Avenue setting (see page 72) for more information
on where this contest is held, and some of the toys that might frequent it. A dance-themed film
night before playing is optional, but highly recommended. Start with Dirty Dancing.
When you and your players are deciding on a tone for your game, think about what dance
movies you’d like to use as inspiration. For example, the Step Up series or some old Fred &
Ginger classics might inspire a Fluffy game. Scruffy games could draw from Save the Last Dance
or The Red Shoes. Saturday Night Fever is the ultimate (and possibly the only) Dented dance
competition movie.
THE SET UP
Read this to your players:
In the world of Threadbare, there are toys who dedicate their lives to movement and spec-
tacle. Once a year, the smoothest moves and the most incredible choreography go on display
at the Avenue of Champions, the world’s premiere dance competition. Toys from all over the
world come to the musical paradise known as Electric Avenue to strut their stuff, let the music
flow through them, and compete to see who has the talent and dedication to wow the judges
and take home the Electric Cup—a symbol of artistic mastery like no other.
This is a story about dancing. You will play characters who are dedicated to the point of
obsession, who find true bliss on the dance floor. Dancing is how they come alive. Competing
is how they share that vitality with the world. You will strive, you will compete, and you
might even win. But the prize will mean nothing compared to the voyage of self-discovery,
friendship, and perhaps even love, that will happen along the way.
CHARACTER CREATION
Your players will create their characters using the Threadbare rules. Encourage them to think
about music and movement when forming and describing their characters. How do they move?
What music do they love? Don’t be afraid to use tropes! The classically trained ballerina and
the self-taught break-dancer from the wrong side of the tracks are both totally up for grabs as
character concepts.
When deciding on Ability Scores, let players know that Scrounge will be used for assembling
costumes, sets, and music for their routine. Smile will help them charm the crowd, and sync up
with their team or partner. Their Strongarm ability score will be useful for executing complicated
or athletic moves.
This is an adventure that can be played with a single player, a duo, or a whole troupe,
although you might want to limit it to 4 or 5 players at most, to make sure everyone gets a good

81
 share of the spotlight. During character creation, ask your players about how their characters
came together, what experience they have with dancing, and how they work as a team. Are they
a dedicated duo that only works together? A reluctant couple brought together by fate? Are
they a travelling troupe that’s been together for years? Are there tensions, history, old wounds,
regrets? Or are they one big happy family? Encourage flashy, eye-catching, and over-the top
characters. Players may want to start thinking about why their character is competing in the
contest. Encourage them to think of ideas, even write them down, but not to reveal them just
yet! This revelation will be a dramatic moment for each of them, later in the story.
MOTIVATIONS
Once you have your player characters set up, and the premise of the adventure established,
you’ll need to ask two questions of your players: First, what do your characters need to dance
their best? Second, what’s standing between them and those things? The answers to these ques-
tions will determine what makes up the bulk of this adventure.
All of the player characters must have something they need before they can enter and win
the dance contest. It might be an object, like a snazzy outfit or a particular body part. It might be
something more intangible, like inspiration. There should be one thing for each character in a
3–5 player game, and at least three things in a one or two player game.
Here are some suggestions for things your player characters might be seeking:
MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT:
 A beautiful instrument
 A skilled crafter to make or repair an instrument
 A renowned musician
 A recording of a particular song (on cassette tape, of course)
 A sweet boom box to play it on
CONCEPTS:
 Self-confidence
 Artistic inspiration
 Chemistry with their partner/troupe
 Trust in their partner/troupe
PARTS:
 Dazzling eyes that will entrance the judges
 Jelly stuffing for a Softie that will help them bounce and jiggle
 Spring-loaded legs for those acrobatic leaps!
 A mane of long, silky hair to fly behind them like a banner
 Literal, actual, boogie shoes
Remember, in Threadbare, new Parts sometimes have Moves associated with them. Ask your
players: how might they change? Will they be ok with who they are? Is winning worth the sacri-
fice? Or will they become more truly themselves than ever?
For players that have chosen concepts, figure out how they can be made tangible in the world.
Perhaps there is a famous teacher that can help the team sync up, or an ascetic quest that will
build confidence and trust. Having their goals be ephemeral is fine, but attaching them to people
or places will help give the characters some direction.
Remember that whatever the players come up with, it should be unique, powerful, and abso-
lutely vital. “Some music to dance to, I guess” isn’t going to generate drama. You want “the only
known recording of the ballad they would play in my village when I was young, each year at the
spring festival—if I could hear it, just one more time, I would feel youthful and optimistic again,
and a carefree spirit would carry me like the first warm breeze of spring.” Amp up the drama!

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OBSTACLES
Now that our player characters have some solid goals to attain, we need to figure out what’s
going to come between them and reaching those goals. For this, we will use an old, reliable trope
for dance, sports, and martial arts movies alike: the Adversary Team!
The Adversary Team should be the antithesis of everything the player characters stand for
and want. Cheating, rules-lawyering, and outright bullying of other teams are all in their toolkit.
They should mistrust each other, and show no team spirit. Rather than supporting and encour-
aging each other, they should judge each other harshly and show no tolerance for failure. Having
them be from a snooty exclusive dance school is a great angle; be sure to contrast their polished,
uniform look with the player characters’ scruffy, rag-tag ensemble. If playing with a solo player,
the Adversary Team becomes a Rival. For two players, you can have the Adversary Team be a
couple.
The player characters should be really attached to showing up the Adversary Team, or at least
proving that they are not like them. To really get your players going, compose the team of dark
counterparts to each of their characters. Emphasize the similarities between them, and contrast
the differences. Beyond that, you just have to make the Adversary Team be total jerks. Show
them harassing the wise teacher the player characters spent a week in the wastelands seeking.
Show them scratching up the vinyl record the player characters were hoping to play for their
performance. Show them tossing aside a sacred musical instrument like trash. Whatever gets
your players’ blood boiling.
Also, remember that it’s totally ok for the Adversary Team to triumph from time to time! If a
PC is prevented from reaching their goal, they can still compete in the contest. They just need to
learn that the music was inside them all along. You can have an GM character tell them this, but
their fellow player characters will probably rush in to assure them first.
THE REVEAL
Throughout their adventure, one question will be sitting in the back of all players’ minds: just
why are they competing in this contest? Why is it so important to them? What do they expect to
happen if they compete, and win? Encourage your players to consider these questions right from
character creation, and guess at some possible answers as the story develops. They can drop hints
of what they’re thinking, but the reveal should wait for a dramatically appropriate moment.
You as the GM will prompt them with this question. It might come from the mouth of an
NPC, or you might ask them directly, player to player. Wait for a moment when their char-
acter is making an important decision or facing a difficult challenge, and where the outcome
is uncertain. When they reveal their motivation for entering the contest, they treat the results
of their next roll as an automatic 10+. Knowing this, they may want to be strategic about when
they reveal. That’s ok! But all players have to reveal their motivation before they can begin the
competition.
Here are some possible motivations a character might reveal:
 They want to connect with their partner; they respect and admire them.
 They want to connect with their partner; they are in love with them.
 They want to connect with their troupe; it’s the one place they feel they belong.
 They’re a former champion who wants One Last Dance.
 They want revenge on a dancing rival.
 Their teacher/school has fallen into disgrace, and want to restore their reputation.
 They have fallen into disgrace, and want to restore their reputation.

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 THE CLIMAX
When the players have reached their goals and revealed their motivations, it’s time for the
climactic dance number. Always start by describing the Adversary Team’s performance. It should
be technically impressive, but lack passion. One of the judges should be much more generous
with scoring their routine than the other judges; imply that they may be cheating. But, empha-
size that it is the best performance of the evening—before yours.
When it is the player characters’ time to perform, don’t let their moment in the spotlight be
decided by a few dice rolls. Have them describe their routine in lavish, dramatic detail. Ask them
about every aspect of their performance. What are they wearing? What does that symbolize?
What music is playing? What emotions do they draw from the crowd? What are their moves
like? How do the goals they reached on their adventure influence their performance? Get input
from as many of the players as possible; don’t let one or two dominate the description. Ask them
what the finale of their number is, and tell them to make it extra dramatic.
So, do the player characters win or not? It depends. Since you’re a fan of the characters, you
want them to have an ending that feels satisfying. If they’ve been focused on obtaining physical
objects and beating the Adversary Team, then yes. Let some tension build while the judges are
tabulating their scores, and reveal the verdict as slowly as possible. Then cheer and celebrate! If
the player characters have shown more interest in intangible goals like personal growth and rela-
tionships, and if they’ve shown any inclination to help the Adversary Team, or even just make
sure they do not make the same mistakes as them, then consider giving the win to someone else.
It should still be someone deserving—a first-time competitor who shows talent, promise, and
gratitude. Your player characters will appreciate knowing that the competition was not the all-
important symbol they made it out to be—in other words, the music was inside them all along.
THE EPILOGUE
When the climactic scene is done, ask your players some questions about what happens to
their characters after the contest. Keep asking questions until everyone seems satisfied. You
don’t need to go around in turns, and not every player needs to answer every question, but try to
make sure everyone gets to be heard and acknowledged. That might mean asking some players
directly.
Some questions you might ask:
 How does your character celebrate about their victory/loss?
 Does the pair or troupe keep dancing together?
 How is the pair or troupe’s dynamic different, now?
 Will your character participate in the contest next year?
 Have your character’s new Parts affected their personality?
 If so, how do they feel about that? Do they like who they are now?

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 SENATE OF TOYS
by ELSA SJUNNESON-HENRY

T
he Senate of Toys is the governing body for a Threadbare community. You can use the
Senate for any community in your Threadbare campaign, or you can make it a model
for a community that the players are trying to build. The Senate of Toys might remain
part of the background of your game until the player characters need to interact with it, some-
thing that influences the story of your campaign, or something that the players encounter as part
of their journey. You could even run an entire game with the player characters as Senators! Here
are some guidelines for doing just that, as well as some ideas for how the Senate might be a part
of your Threadbare game.
WHO ARE THE SENATORS?
The Senate of Toys is a handed-down oral tradition in the community. The Senate is popu-
lated by toys who can vote (in different ways described below) for the benefit of the community
as a whole. Some Senators were chosen by their families and friends as being best suited for the
job, but other toys want to make sure that there’s personal preferences have representation. For
example, some toys will find other toys that haven’t awoken yet, and then take them away and
sit by them, waiting for them to wake up. Typically, in those cases, they are looking for a toy that
looks exactly like them, or is likely to represent their interests in the same way. (A Malibu Barbie
and an Astronaut Barbie, for example, may not share the same values.) Warehousing toys until
they wake up is technically considered cheating the system, as a Senator would be expected to
pick their future replacement when they are given their position. Some Senators choose to pick
their replacements just as they awaken, and train them to hold their values, voting in the same
way that the previous Senator did. Other Senators may have less of a choice in who they elect to
take their seat.
Who gets represented in the Senate of Toys? Much like the United States Senate, it is done
by subgroups. In the case of a toy community, these may be different kinds of toys. Porcelain
Dolls, mekka, stuffies, everyone who can be differentiated, if they can vocalize their opinion, has
representation within the Senate.
HOW DOES VOTING WORK?
For most Senators, voting is a simple aye or nay process, individual votes for individual
senators. However, in the case of a Buncha Little Guys, there are too many of them to vote this
way. In these cases, often a vote by acclamation (a unanimous vote by a group) is taken, with a
detachment unit representing the whole.
In order to make a good story, the GM might choose to have pre-decided how all the GM
character Senators will vote, leaving the choice up the player characters at the table, in a vote
with high stakes. When it comes down to the players themselves to determine the legislative
fate of their community, it becomes more important to everyone at the table. On the other
hand, the GM characters might have to be swayed to vote the way that the players want. In that
case, players could argue for their sides, debate on the Senate Floor, and if things get intense,
the grand tradition of the Senatorial Floor Fistfight or Cane Battle (using the Fight Song Move)
might ensue. While not recognized by the leader of the Senate, other Senators may see fighting
as a valid adjudication of the issue.
Which brings us to the leader of the Senate. Of course, every community is different, but
the general consensus with regard to the leader of the community is the first toy ever to have
awoken there. In some instances, that means a ratty old teddy bear with a sheer green ribbon
tied around his neck, in others, a Raggedy Ann doll who can’t quite sit up on her own without

85
 help. If for some reason that toy is unable to perform their duties, then it will be up to a vote by
the entire community to determine who can stand in as the leader of the Senate. Imagine the
power struggles!
HOW DO YOU PLAY SENATE OF TOYS?
You might be wondering, how exactly do you play the Senate of Toys? Well, first, the Senate
of Toys is essentially based upon Roberts Rules of Order, so a passing familiarity with it might
be useful. But you can always make it up along the way. If you are running the game with the
player characters as Senators, you might want a few referendums and issues on the table to guide
your way. Here are a few sample issues that your Senate of Toys might debate and vote upon.
THE HAUNTED DOLL QUESTION
A new doll has been brought into the community. She’s made of beautiful porcelain, and
dressed in a white and blue gown. Her hair is braided and she has bright rosy cheeks. She’s
perfect. Except behind her sparkling green eyes, there’s something almost too alive in there.
Because dolly Em isn’t just a doll. She’s haunted. The ghost inside of her speaks too, and the
ghost–and the doll herself–want representation within the Senate. Precedent says that dolls like
Em are already represented by the Honorable Representative for Porcelain Dollies, but Em (and
her, ah, guest) insist that a Haunted Doll is different from a Porcelain Doll, and they won’t be
represented properly.
Does the Senate agree?
THE MOUTHS QUESTION
In some Senates there is a tradition of modification is under review. Any prospective Senator
whose original form does not include a mouth is put under the knife for a modification proce-
dure. This procedure is meant to give the chosen successor the mouth they require to serve.
(In the wider Threadbare universe, even toys without mouths can communicate, but in some
Senates this may not be considered sufficient!) Some kinds of toys have determined that this is a
form of prejudice, designed to force them either to submit to a severe modification surgery, or to
not be represented by the Senate. Does the Senate vote to remove the blockade of non-mouthed
toys from serving their communities?
Will the Senate reach a majority vote?
THE STRIKE ON PLAYTIME
Some toys believe that a Child will someday return. It has been years since the interference
of a human was felt in the playroom, and the toys now live in the attic, where they are free to
pursue their own agendas without any fear of interference from someone larger. This belief has
resulted in a referendum on the floor, the question of if a Child were to rejoin them, would they
suspend their control and the governance of the attic to the Child.
Will the believers in the Return prevail?
A NEW LEADER
The leader of the Senate has been removed from power. With the power vacuum in the
community, the characters must figure out who is best suited to the position of Senate Leader.
Who will break ties in the event of one? Who will stand before the whole community and
pronounce the judgments? Can the Senate come together to protect itself, or will it fall into
chaos as power struggles ensue?

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 MINI-GAME: GRAB BAG
by JOSH JORDAN
a game for 2-5 players in 5-20 minutes

G
rab Bag is a betting game that happens inside of Threadbare. Rather than money, charac-
ters bet favors and secrets. Then, they take turns drawing tokens out of a bag. Depending
on your bet, you may owe someone a favor or you may need to tell them one of your
secrets.
SUPPLIES
 One bag or a willing Sock
 Nine rocks, buttons, or other tokens per character. Each character needs a different kind
or color of token.
The materials required to play Grab Bag could be represented by Stuff, or they could be
named “Grab Bag of tokens” as a Thing.

87
 HOW TO PLAY
At the beginning of each round of play, characters place all nine of their tokens in the Bag.
Make sure everyone knows which tokens belongs to which character. Now, quickly vote which
character is the noisiest. That character goes first. Play then proceeds to the right.
Each character, beginning with the noisiest, chooses whether to bet on their Grab or on the
Bag. You may not bet on both.
If you bet on your Grab and you lose, you owe the winner of the Grab a favor. (A favor is
any small task that the winner asks you to do. It can be inconvenient, but should not be very
dangerous. It shouldn’t take more than an hour to complete, unless you owe the winner multiple
favors.)
If you bet on the Bag and you lose, you owe the winner of the Bag a secret. (A secret is some-
thing that you haven’t told the winner, but it should be something that is both important to you
AND that they might be interested to know.)
Once each character has said aloud whether they will bet on their Grab or on the Bag, the
first character begins to draw tokens out of the Bag, keeping all the tokens they draw, until they
have drawn three of their own tokens. All the tokens they have drawn, including their own three,
are now their Grab for this round.
Play proceeds to the right. The next character draws tokens from the Bag until they have
drawn three of their own tokens, or there are no more tokens in the Bag. Continue taking turns
until there are no more tokens in the Bag, or until each character has a Grab, i.e., three tokens of
their own and however many other tokens they drew on the way.
DETERMINING THE GRAB WINNER
Each character counts the total number of tokens in their Grab, both tokens of their own and
any others they drew this round. The character with the highest total number of tokens in their
Grab wins the Grab this round. Anyone who chose to bet on their Grab at the beginning of the
round now owes this winner a favor.
If two or more characters are tied for the highest Grab, each of them is a winner. Anyone who
bet on their Grab now owes each winner a favor. If no one bet on their Grab, no one owes the
winner a favor. If only the Grab winner bet on their Grab, they do not get any favors.
DETERMINING THE BAG WINNER
The noisiest character now dumps out the Bag into the middle of the play area. Together,
characters look at the pile of tokens that were not part of anyone’s Grab this round. Count to see
which character had the most tokens left in the Bag after everyone took their Grab. That char-
acter wins the Bag this round. Any character that bet on the Bag at the beginning of this round
now owes this winner a secret.
If there are no tokens left in the Bag, because characters drew all of them for their Grab, no
one wins the Bag, and no one owes a secret this round. If two or more characters are tied for
the highest number of tokens remaining in the Bag, each of them is a winner. Anyone who bet
on the Bag now owes each winner a secret. If no one bet on the Bag, no one owes the winner a
secret. If only the Bag winner bet on the Bag, they do not get any secrets.
CONTINUING THE GAME
Play continues for at least three rounds, although any character can quit at any time. Future
rounds are played the same way, except a different character draws first and dumps the Bag out
at the end. Usually, this job passes to the right.

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 DOLL’S HEAD DICE
BAG TUTORIAL
by LIZ CHAIPRADITKUL
Greetings, my name is Liz, I’m a long time
crafter and gamer. Today I’ll show you how to
make a doll’s head dice bag! You can use your
doll’s head bag for your Threadbare dice, or
you could also use it to play the game Grab
Bag (page 87)! First, I’ll explain how to make
a functional bag from a doll’s head and then
we’ll talk a bit about personalizing your bag.
Every doll is unique, so the most important
thing about this tutorial is for you to feel free
to be creative.
To build your doll’s head dice bag, you’ll
need:

MATERIALS
 A rubber doll’s head, slightly larger than an  Measuring tape
adult’s fist  Scissors
 Fabric (cotton, about 40x40 cm square)  Stanley knife (X-Acto knife or box cutter)
 Matching thread  Pencil
 Small sewing needle  Iron and ironing board
 Large sewing needle  Optional: Cord stopper (a plastic bead
 A handful of straight pins and 1 safety pin with a spring and button, which will hold
 Cord (about 50 cm long, roughly the width the bag closed)
of a shoelace)  Optional: Sewing machine
I recommend cleaning your doll’s head before you start this tutorial with warm soap, a
sponge, and laundry detergent. Some doll’s paint can be fragile, so it is best to do this carefully.

89
 When you apply pressure and pull, the doll’s head should pop right off. If it is firmly attached,
use your scissors to carefully cut the head off around the base of the neck. And don’t throw the
body away! You could use it for one of the other Threadbare Tutorials, like the Mekka Crafting
Tutorial (page 94)! Or you could make more dice bags out of the other body parts using the
same technique used in this tutorial.
NOTE: If you don’t have an old baby doll lying around that you want to cut up, try getting one
from a thrift store. They are inexpensive and you get to rescue and reuse a doll. Get a doll with a
hollow rubber head; you can check this by squeezing the head. If it squishes and bounces back,
it’s pliable enough to use.

1 PREPPING
THE HEAD
1. First, we need to remove
the neck from the head
to allow for the dice
to come out of the
bag easily. Draw a line
around the neck right
underneath the doll’s
chin.

Using the Stanley knife and cutting away from yourself, make small, shallow cuts over the
line you have just drawn. Do this slowly and carefully. Once you have broken through the
rubber, slowly cut along the line using a sawing movement.

2. Once the head and neck are

separated, mark small dots with
your pencil on the neckline
roughly 1/4” (5 mm) apart and
2
1/8” (3 mm) from the edge of the
neck. Then, take your large needle
and poke through the rubber on
each mark you’ve made. This is
an important step, it will make
sewing much easier when it comes
to assembling your dice bag.
Now, time to make your bag!

SEWING THE DICE BAG

3 3. Measure your doll’s head from its
chin to the back of its head.
Add 8” (20 cm) to your measure-
ment and that should be your
fabric length. The width of your
fabric should be approximately half
the circumference of your doll’s
head, plus 3/4” (2 cm). Honestly,
you can guesstimate the width of
your fabric; it won’t matter too
much.

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 4

4. Fold your fabric in half lengthwise the

5 right side up. Measure 1.5” (4 cm) on

one side and mark it with a pen. Do
not sew this part when creating the
French seam below—this will be the
opening for the cord of your dice bag.
5. Now, we’ll create a French seam on
the sides of your dice bag. A French
seam is great for a dice bag, because
it hides the messy edges of the fabric
when you don’t have a serger sewing
machine to finish them off profes-

6
sionally. Leaving the top open, sew
the left and right edges closed 1/8”
(3 mm) from the edge. You can use
a needle and thread, or a sewing
machine.
6. Then, flip your bag so the wrong side
is outside and iron it flat. Now, sew
the seams (the parts you’ve just sewn)
again, but this time 1/4” (5 mm) from
the edge. Heading to your ironing
board, open the gap you left at the top
of one side of your dice bag. Fold the

7
fabric back and iron it down. If you’d
like you can also sew down these two
small flaps for extra security in your
cord opening.
7. Let’s create the cord tunnel! On the
open edge of your dice bag, fold
down the top 1/4” (5 mm) of your
fabric and iron it. Then, fold it over
again, this time folding it 1” (2.5 cm)
down, and iron flat.

91
 8 9

8. Sew around the edge of the fold you’ve made to close the cord tunnel. Make sure you don’t
sew your bag completely shut!
9. Turn it rightside out and violá! Your dice bag is done.

ASSEMBLING THE DICE BAG

10. Place your dice bag inside your doll’s
head. You’ll notice that pleats form on
the inside of the dice bag so it can fit.
That is no problem; we will sew them
down later. Make sure the bottom of
your dice bag hits the bottom of the
doll’s head. Fold the edge of your dice
bag over the outer edge of the doll’s
head. The idea is that the edge of the
doll’s neck is sandwiched between two
layers of fabric.
11. Now, start sewing. Start from the inside
of your doll’s head to hide the knot of
your thread. Poke through the first hole

10
you made in the doll’s head, and then
through the fabric, your needle coming
out on the right side of the fabric.
12. Check where you placed your next hole,
puncture through your fabric, through

11
the hole, through the fabric, and pull
your thread through. Continue like this
with the subsequent holes until you’ve
sewn all the way around. As you sew,
catch the pleats with your needle so they
are sewn down nice and flat.

92
13. When you’re done,

12
knot your thread
and then hide the
tail between the
fabric and doll’s
head by placing the
needle right next to
your knot, punc-
turing through the
fabric, and pulling
the tail out a bit
down, cutting it
shorter to hide it.
Tie a knot in the
cord and attach a

13
safety pin to it and
close the safety pin.
Using the safety
pin to help pull
the cord, thread it
through the cord
tunnel. You’ll be
doing this by feel,
since the safety pin
will also be inside
the cord tunnel
while you work.
If you are not familiar with this method of threading a cord through the cord tunnel, check
out this YouTube video (https://youtu.be/NvF1T0MLObI), or search for “how to thread a draw-
string” on the Internet. When both ends of the cord are sticking out of the cord tunnel, apply the
cord stopper if you are using one.
DONE?
You could stop here—you have a functional dice bag! However, half the fun of creating
is giving your work personality. I suggest decorating your doll’s head to suit its personality. I
thought mine looked like Marilyn Monroe, so I gave her cute red lipstick (using nail polish as
paint). I had some scrap fabric left over from the dice bag and I made her bandana and I cut up
the cute pink socks she came with for a bow! Finally, I gave her a button eye, because this is a
Threadbare tutorial after all, and I thought it gave her an edge.
I hope you have a great time making your dice bag!

93
 MEKKA CREATION TUTORIAL
By Brian Dirk
The world of Threadbare is a strange place, where the objects of joy and wonder that formed
our childhoods take life. However their existence is clouded by the universal constant of entropy.
Things fall apart. The characters find themselves broken. The characters also rebuild themselves
from the castoff and broken down remnants of their peers.
One of the most fun ways to engage with this world that exists purely in our shared imagina-
tion, is to build a real-world avatar of your character. Unlike role-playing games that use “minis,”
small plastic or metal miniatures, to represent
A NOTE ABOUT SAFETY characters, in Threadbare you can actually have “life-
sized” models of your character that you can keep
All tools and many materials are with you to inspire your stories.
dangerous. Misuse or failure to Since your character has probably had to repair
wear protective gear while using themselves at some point; obtaining a pristine toy
tools could be very dangerous. Be and leaving it unmodified may not match your
smart and safe about using any tool, character in Threadbare. This tutorial will help you
even something as innocuous as a create a physical model that reflects a character that
screwdriver. This tutorial is not for has cannibalized other toys to rebuild itself. You can
children. build your own toy characters using simple, cheap
mufti-purpose tools and easy-to-access materials.
STEP 1: CHOOSING YOUR CHARACTER CONCEPT
If you already have a character made for Threadbare, determining what you are building will
be fairly straight-forward. You should use your character’s current state as a template for your
real-world creation.
If you do not have a predefined character, building one can help inspire your Threadbare
character creation. Begin with a base toy. This is the original form your character had when they
“awakened”. Unless you have a highly specific vision, your base toy should be a general “type” of
toy: a dump truck, a fashion doll, a baby doll, or a transforming robot. These are easier and less
expensive to find. Once you have your base toy, think about how it has changed. In Threadbare,
each modification should be a story about something that happened to your character. Had it
been damaged, and needed to replace a leg? Did it want a Part that it felt it was missing? Think
about how your character modified itself and why it felt like it was important to do so.
What if you don’t have a clue what you want to do? You can create your character on the fly,
while looking at the Parts that will make them up. Get hands-on with the materials you have to
work with, and see how they inspire you! Just keep in the back of your head these questions:
what is this character’s story? Why did it change itself? What was broken, and how does this
new Part fix it? With these ideas firmly in the back of your mind, head to the store and browse.
Inspiration will definitely find you!
STEP 2: OBTAINING YOUR CHARACTER’S PARTS
I prefer to get toys for Parts from a thrift store or similar location. Toys at thrift stores are
generally inexpensive, and you can often get new ideas while browsing the shelves. All characters
made in this tutorial were sourced from a thrift store. Regardless of where you get them, the
Parts need to work well together and fit your concept. The big thing to consider here is propor-
tionality: you want the Parts from your base toy and the Parts from your add-on toys to feel like
they could naturally be a part of the same character.

94
 To help understand proportionality, I intro-
duce my good friend Diggerpillar!
Diggerpillar is a friendly looking mekka
based off a construction back-hoe and a musical
caterpillar toy. The construction truck provides
a good sturdy base to connect to, and the
caterpillar head adds charm and personality. The
head looks almost as if it belongs there from a
size perspective. This “looking the right size” is
the concept of proportionality. A head such as
that from a fashion doll would be too small, and
a baby doll head might be too large. An advan-
tage of shopping at a thrift store, where toys are
not in their packaging, is that you can hold the
Parts up to see how well they will fit onto the
base toy.
Once you have your parts, and they look Diggerpillar! Says Hello
good, proportionally speaking, consider how
you will fasten the Parts together. Sometimes you may need to start disassembling the toys
before you can really figure out how to connect them up. With Diggerpillar, I knew I wanted
to combine a head with the construction toy’s scoop, but, I was unsure exactly how this would
happen. It wasn’t until I had partially disassembled the caterpillar toy that I found my solution.
STEP 3: PLANNING YOUR BUILD
The first part of making a solid plan for your build is figuring out what your toy is made out
of. This will determine what tools you need to disassemble and combine your toys.
HARD PLASTICS
Hard plastic is very common and is what many toys are made from. One of the more
common plastics used in toys is “ABS.” This style of plastic is what snap-together building blocks
are made out of, and it can be fairly strong. Hard plastic is capable of being cut with saws, drilled,
or shaped. Plastic will give way even under thin saws, it can be drilled easily with an electric
drill, and it can be sanded. Plastic can
be susceptible to bending after gently
applying some heat. Hard plastics are
easily cleaned and glued. Additionally,
most hard plastic toys are held together
with small course-threaded screws,
making their disassembly a relatively
easy task. However, hard plastic doesn’t
flex well, and it can’t stand up to too
much pressure when its walls are thin.
It does not cut easily with a knife or
scissors, so it can be tough to trim off a
small amount of it. Additionally, coarse
thread wood screws can break thin
plastic walls. A machine screw can be
used through a drilled hole, however
a nut and washer or similar hardware
will be needed on one side of the hole.
Checking Diggerpillar’s proportions. Looks good!

95
 PLIABLE PLASTICS (INCLUDING VINYL AND RUBBER)
Pliable plastics can be many different chemical compositions, but generally share some simi-
larities. They are easily cut with knives or scissors. Trimming this material is very easy. You can
work methodically, cutting only what you need to cut. Pliable plastics are also forgiving: bending
or flexing around imperfect fits. Pliable plastics can take a course-threaded wood screw and hold
relatively securely. However, pliable plastics can be hard to glue. The chemicals that make them
pliable, also inhibit the glue from adhering. Also be wary of burning: attempting to heat pliable
plastic, or any form of shaping that may cause friction, should be avoided. As most pliable plas-
tics give off harmful fumes.
METAL
Metal pieces or parts are not common on modern toys, but they do exist. Metal rods usually
act as axles for wheels. Metal car bodies can be found on toy cars. Springs, pins, and other
mechanical pieces can be found inside mechanically complex toys.
Metal pieces generally resist gluing, but some specific glues can bond metal. Metal can be
heated and pressed into hard plastics for a tight fit. Metal pieces can be bent and formed, or sawn
through with a metal hacksaw. Metal pieces can also be filed down.
Metal pieces can pick up thin films of oils, dust and debris, making it important to clean
them, using a lint-free cloth, before gluing. Also sand or file down thin scratches to help glue
adhere. Cutting metal generally requires hand tools outside of the normal craft tools you might
have around. Bent metal parts are unforgiving: they can be hard to bend, and then hard to
correct once bent.
WOOD, CLOTH, AND PAPER
Materials such as wood, cloth, and paper are rare in thrift shop toys. But they are much
easier to work with. Suffice to say that most glues and fastening methods that work on plastics
and metal will work on these materials as well.
STEP 4: GATHERING YOUR TOOLS
Its not enough to understand the materials toys are made of, but the tools you can use to
disassemble and modify them as well. Let’s talk about the different types of tools that may be
found useful
TOOLS TO DRIVE SCREWS
Screwdrivers are a fairly common and well-
known item. However, you may need some non
standard screwdrivers. Specifically, you will want
a precision screwdriver set: the kind without bits,
so that your tool can fit into small hole in manu-
factured toys.
TOOLS FOR CUTTING MATERIALS
When you need to separate an object into two
pieces, a knife is the simplest tool. X-Acto knives
and utility knives, are common examples of This fancy precision screw driver uses bits, and
knives that are useful for this purpose. These are can’t fit into the holes.
mostly useful on softer materials: pliable plastics
and some thinner “hard plastics.”
When the parts you need to separate are too thick, or too hard to cut with a knife, a saw is
your best bet. Saws come in various thicknesses and number of “teeth per inch.” The higher the
number of teeth per inch, the less efficiently the saw will cut away material, but the more control

96
and a less gruesome finish is achieved. The
interchangeability of saw blades may also be a
factor in your decision when buying a saw.
For the purposes of modifying toys, I recom-
mend a simple hacksaw with the ability to
change out saw blades, and to include a “metal
cutting” blade. This will allow you to make thin
precise cuts and gives you an option for when
A utility knife was used to cut the wheels away on
you may need to cut a metal rod. It also works
this Toy ATV
for the few metal pieces may be included in
modern toys.
A more expensive option that has some
advantages and disadvantages compared to
a traditionasaw is a rotary tool: sometimes
incorrectly called a “Dremel,” since Dremel is
a very popular company that makes this sort
of tool. A rotary tool has the ability to use a
“cut-off wheel,” a small abrasive disc, that when
spinning at high speeds cuts away material. A The Author’s Personal Hacksaw with changeable
rotary tool can be very precise and versatile. blades feature.
But it comes with the trade-off of being some-
what pricey. Rotary tools, along with traditional
hand-held electric drills, can also be used to cut
circular holes in an item using drill bits, which
may be useful when trying to use screws in
your materials.
TOOLS FOR COMBINING: ADHESIVES
You can combine Parts of your character
together with either hardware, or with glues
and other adhesives. Different glues work for
different materials. If you can, try to test a glue
using scrap pieces of the same toys you are A Hacksaw was used to cut these metal rods to
working with. Here are some other tips to help take the wheels off.
you in choosing the correct adhesive.
SUPER GLUE (ALSO CALLED CA GLUE,
OR CYANOACRYLATE GLUE): Super Glue is
popular in the hobby market, because it bonds
well with a lot of hard plastics. However, it may
not bond some metal pieces, and may not bond
at all to soft plastics and rubbers.
HOT GLUE: Hot glue can be used to bond most
Parts you encounter, but with the downfall of
having a flexible and possible flimsy bond. It also
means your Part is highly susceptible to heat. I
A rotary tool was used to make these precise cuts
have had hot glue become semi-solid, and then
on a flimsy part, that would have been hard to do
stop holding when the Part was left in a car for
with a saw.
ten minutes on an 80-degree temperature day.
You should handle your characters carefully once finished with hot glue.

97
 EPOXY: Simple two-part epoxy is both cheap and easy to work with. It bonds well with most
materials, with the exception of rubbers and some very oily soft plastics. Two-part epoxy
generally comes in two separate tubes. The procedure is simple: mix equal parts of them on a
non-porous surface, and then apply to your parts. The mixture will swiftly harden into a hard
plastic-like surface. I recommend you use rubber gloves and popsicle sticks for mixing to keep
it off of your skin. Also remember to keep the epoxy off anything you cherish, and have a supply
of paper towels or rags readily available to swiftly clean up an unintended mess. Two-part epoxy
smells bad too. But it makes great bonds!
E6000: E6000 is a popular craft adhesive. It bonds well and is very durable.

DUCT TAPE: It is a cliché for a reason: duct tape generally adheres to almost all materials, and
is a go-to product for quick and dirty “make this stick to that” situations. It can get bulky and
unsightly, though, so use it with care.
TOOLS FOR COMBINING: HARDWARE
Hardware, such as screws and bolts can be used in several ways when modifying toys. Wood
screws have pointy tips and sharp threads that are coarse, or far-apart from one another. They
do not usually need a “nut” or other hardware to help them hold tight. Wood screws work by
piercing what they are screwed into, and cutting their threads into that material. This generally
works only in thick, hard plastic or in soft plastics and rubbers. It is helpful to drill a small “pilot
hole” roughly the size of the “shaft” or center of the screw to help in driving this screw into the
material.
Machine screws are blunt tipped, fine-threaded, screws that generally require a nut or a
similar fastener to hold tight. Machine screws do not cut into the material they hold together.
Toggle bolts are very useful in modifying toys, as sometimes it is difficult or impossible to get
a nut into a toy piece without destroying your Part. Toggle Bolts are a special type of machine
screw with spring-loaded “wings” that fold down, as they go through a hole, and open up to
allow you to screw your machine screw to fasten.

A toggle Bolt, taped into place to show Diggerpillar’s head is about to be fastened using a
how it enters a hole, and another in toggle bolt. Due to the angle of the scoop, this would
it’s open state to show how it opens up have been a very difficult “glue-up” to attempt. A
inside a hole. toggle bolt was chosen as a simpler operation.

98
 STEP 5: PUTTING IT
ALL TOGETHER
If you have been following the directions
of this guide, you have done a lot of planning.
Maybe you have taken apart some pieces, but
you have always been thinking about what
materials you are working with, and how you
are going to open, cut, or connect your parts.
Now you just have to follow your plan.
Have fun! Just remember: be flexible. Your
initial plan may not work. You may have to go
down a different path—use hardware, instead
of adhesive, or maybe even rethink your
design. Improvise, adapt, and keep at it: pretty
soon you will have a physical version of your
very own Threadbare character.

Diggerpillar from the

back - a fine connection
with a Togglebolt!

Building Princess Rasta Spider

To help you see how this can be done from start to finish, here’s how I made my Threadbare
character: Princess Rasta Spider. For this character, I had the following goals:
 Keep as many “working” or articulating parts on the character as possible.

 Have each new Part hint at a story of the character’s past.

 Have something resembling a face or a place for eyes.

 Have an easily understood means of locomotion.

 Have at least one non-functional embellishment for the character (clothes, armor, hair
style, etc.)
 Create a character that can
stand or sit on their own
without being propped up
or taped down.
Here is Princess Rasta Spider
in her completed state:

Princess Rasta Spider defines fashion

99
 The unmodified toys that makeup
Princess Rasta Spider. A baby Doll,
a Fashion Doll Head, and a “Space
walker?” make up Princess Rasta
Spider. Notice there is a general
sense of proportion between the
Baby doll head and the Fashion
Doll’s head?

Checking fit and proportion on

the baby doll body and the space
crawler.

A hack saw cuts off this hard

plastic piece holding the cockpit in.

A Utility knife shaved this back

piece smooth after sawing.

100
Marking off the line where the baby
doll body will be cut.

Cosmetic surgery?

Checking the fit: not tight enough!

Fitting the pieces together. A lot of

shaving off small bits, and minute
adjustments gets me to a nice fit.
This is not glued, yet.

101
 Marking off where to cut on the
fashion doll head.

Post cut. A rotary tool with a cut off

wheel was used to achieve this cut.

Testing the fit of the fashion doll

“body” to the baby doll head. I
removed the doll’s head to make it
easier.

I decided to use wood screws to

connect the Hard plastic of the
fashion doll bust to the soft plastic
of the baby doll body. Holes were
drilled in the hard plastic. These
holes are bigger than the screw
threads I used which allowed them
to pass through the hard plastic, and
“bite” into the softer baby doll body.

102
 Head re-attached, and fastened to
the baby doll body.

Off to the Salon!

I decided to give her dreadlocks, so
I grouped clumps of hair together.
Of course, this was after I spent an
hour detangling and combing her
hair straight!

I mixed 3 parts glue to 1-part water,

to perform my next trick.

Dreadlocks!
Wearing rubber gloves, I massaged
the glue mixture into each group of
hair: ensuring it thoroughly soaked
into each group. Keeping groups of
hair separate, and allowing each to
dry individually, creates a reason-
able approximation of fairy-tale
style dreadlocks.

103
 Securing the base.
Hot glue was used to secure the baby
doll body to the base. NO picture
exists of this process, as I had to work
quickly. Copious amounts of hot
glue were used. I used a high-temp
hot glue gun so I could make small
adjustments

Accessorizing!
With a few pony beads, a random
Christmas bell found in my craft
area and some old bead ear rings
from my wife, Princess Rasta Spider
is complete, and deigns not to look
on the terribly unfashionable in
attendance.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Have fun making your own Threadbare characters and
playing them in your games!

104
 APPENDICES
LIST of MOVES
Aeroplane (Device) 34 Influential Spirit (Upgrade) 31
Ahem! (Glitch) 37 Inside Out (Upgrade) 31
Audio Chip (Upgrade) 30 Jury-Rig (Basic) 10
Balloon (Device) 35 Knife (Device) 33
Bike (Device) 35 Knowledge of the Human Ways (Upgrade) 31
Blowtorch (Device) 32 Lead a Cheer! (Basic) 9
Boat (Device) 35 LED (Glitch) 37
Bossy (Softie) 19 Literacy (Upgrade) 31
Bribe (Basic) 8 Look Fierce! (Basic) 8
Bridge (Device) 33 Magnetized Parts (Upgrade) 31
Built-in Randomizer (Upgrade) 30 Make a Bargain (Basic) 9
Bus (Device) 35 Make a Device (Basic) 10
Buzzsaw (Upgrade) 30 Make Friends (Basic) 8
Calculator Brain (Upgrade) 30 Marbling (Glitch) 37
Cannibalize (Basic) 9 Minor Fix-Up (Basic) 10
Car (Device) 36 Music Box (Device) 33
Catapult (Device) 32 New Paint (Upgrade) 31
Charming Face (Upgrade) 31 Overclocked (Glitch) 37
Color Surprise (Glitch) 37 Paired Up (Socks) 17
Compass (Upgrade) 31 Play a Game (Basic) 9
Conversational (Electric Avenue) 78-79 Plump Up (Glitch) 37
Cry Baby (Glitch) 37 Pocket (Upgrade) 31
Dock (Device) 34 Prim and proper (Electric Avenue) 77
Fight Song (Basic) 10, 16, 27 Pull My Finger (Glitch) 37
Find Something (Basic) 9 Push or Pull (Basic) 10
Freestyle (Electric Avenue) 79-80 Put your hands in the air (like you just don’t
Friendship (Mekka) 14 care) (Electric Avenue) 77
Friendship (Socks) 17 Rails (Device) 34
Friendship (Softie) 19 Resourceful Attitude (Upgrade) 31
Fungus Among Us (Glitch) 37 Road (Device) 34
Glider Wings (Upgrade) 31 Run Away! (Basic) 10
Googly Eyes (Upgrade) 31 Salvage Parts (Mekka) 14
Grappling Hook (Device) 33 Scoreboard (Glitch) 37
Hammock (Device) 34 SHAKE DAT BOOTY (Electric Avenue) 77
Help Someone (Basic) 8 Silly Putty (Upgrade) 31
Helper-Bot (Device) 33 Speedster Wheels (Upgrade) 31
Holiday Cheer (Glitch) 37 Squeaker (Glitch) 37
House (Device) 34 Sticky Situation (Glitch) 37

105
 Sway (Electric Avenue) 77 Train (Device) 36
Swing (Electric Avenue) 77 Truck (Device) 36
Take a Breather (Basic) 10 Tutorials (Upgrade) 32
The cabbage patch (Electric Avenue) 77 Two-Step (Electric Avenue) 77
The Heroic Works of Stupendous Guy Waltz (Electric Avenue) 77
(Upgrade) 31 Waterproof Coating (Upgrade) 32
Think It Through (Basic) 9 Whee! (Glitch) 37
Tightly Controlled (Electric Avenue) 77 Where’d That Come From? (Glitch) 37
Toolbox (Upgrade) 31 Zoom Zoom (Glitch) 37

LIST of ADVERSARIES & ALLIES

24 Elbee 53 King Polar Bear 49
Agnes Bullpenny 55 Les Goodtoy 75
Agrippa Vaganovavich 75 Lizard (Gecko) 53
Alfred the Wise 75 Loaders, the 51
Alligator 53 Lolly Pops 57
Angula 45 Losten 49
Bettie the Bloody 63 Lounge Lizards, the 75
Bob the Dump Truck 63 Magistrate Monkey Head 70
Bryant Trust, The 75 Malton 74
Captain Wren 51 Mayor Murderbaby 63, 64
Cattle Prodders, the 75 Meowfia, the 75
Clockmaker 71 Naturals 52
Conductor 47 Nightmare 49
Corporal Hook 64 Nut Crackers, the 57
Corporal Poupee 55 Otis 73
Engineering Cats 49 Penelope Punch 65
Fang the Die-Cast 70 Percy the Train 45
Fond 49 Pinkie 55
Gardener’s Works 47 Pythos the Serpent 70
Gordon the Ichthyosaurus 64 Raggedy Lynn, the Secret-Keeper 63
Gumm Earnest Bear 57 Roadrunner 53
Guts, the 75 Sadda 75
Happy Joker 65 Seesaw the Sorcerer 70
Her Hey 57 Sentries, the 55
Homarion 74 Spinz, the 74
Instructors, the 75 Sponge Witch 51
Jolly Rancho 57 Summer Donna 74
Keenan, the Eldest 45 Zordo the Alien 70
Kilroy 47

106
 CREDITS AND THANKS
SPECIAL THANKS Arlene Medder
Meera Barry
& DEDICATIONS Josh Roby
Whitney Delaglio
John Bryant
Bryanna Hitchcock
Suzanne Bergfalk
Joe Beason
Tobias Strauss
David Schirduan
Jennifer Cottrell-Cutler
James Boldock
Elizabeth Stamper
Sarah Richardson
Austin Stamper
Joshua Ramsey
CONTRIBUTORS Jennifer Wolff
Kimberly Lam
Vivian Abraham, editor Ryan Good
Bill Keyes, layout editor Eva Schiffer
Eric Quigley, cover art Jeromy French
Evan Rowland, setting art Marshall Miller
Emily Griggs, tutorial and “chibi” art Steven Warzeha
Juan Ochoa, character form portrait art Darren Watts
Bryanna Hitchcock, Off to See the Kevin Farnworth
Clockmaker Cheyenne Wall-Grimes
Toby Strauss, Electric Avenue Mischa Krilov
Alex Roberts, Boogie Shoes Eric Swanson
Elsa S. Henry, The Senate of Toys Darren Watts
Josh Jordan, Grab Bag Kevin Farnworth
Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, Doll’s Head Dice Bag Christopher Amherst
Brian Dirk, Mekka Tutorial Devin Parker
Emily Block, Kickstarter and interior art Neal Tanner
PLAYTESTERS Alex Rowland
Brandes Stoddard
Cody Killebrew Jesse “Double Playtest” Fowler
Shimon Klein—Bob the Truck Jonny “Double Playtest” Fowler
Janelle Klein—Raggedy Lynn Kurt Hanna
William Lowell Máire Bourke
James Wight Dan Brethauer
Matt Smith Bill Carson
Tomer Gurantz Nick Butler
Justin Scott—Mits Tori Butler
Brian Dirk—Mayor Murderbaby Lizzy “the Bomb” Stamper
Tobias Strauss—Left, the Christmas Sock Michelle Short
Mike Ma Y Nguyen
Caias Ward Emma Quigley
Whitney Delaglio—Princess Fangs Jennifer “Jen” Cottrell-Cutler
Paul Stefko Socks4Pres
Alex Trepanier Nichole “Toodles” Oh
Mark Richardson Ian Leong
Rob Donoghue Judson Lester
Kate Beaman-Martinez Josh “Crochet” Roby
DeWitt Davis Brittany Oliphant

107
 Joel Kimme Richard Kelly
Patti Burkans Steven Owens
Jeff Foster Taylor John Hummon (Sr)
Taylor Ann Hummon (Jr)
OTHER REVIEWERS
& HELPERS INSPIRATIONS
David Kizzia Apocalypse World by Vincent Baker
Mark Diaz Truman Argyle and Crew
Vivian Abraham Doll (RPG)
John Stavropolous Puppetland
Mo Holkar Golden Sky Stories
Brie Sheldon Whispering Road
Avonelle Wing Jim Henson—The Christmas Toy
Vincent Salzillo The movie 9
Teresa Wisely Toy Story movies
Casey Carter Little Big Planet
Gabriel Buchanan Handknit Heroes
Trisha Kirk Mad Max: Fury Road
Steve Owens Robin’s Friends (a Nordic larp)
Brie Sheldon Under the Bed
The Jank Cast crew Amberville (Tim Davys)
Beth Rimmels

THANKS TO THE UNKNOWN PLAYTESTERS

When I started this process, I was just hacking a dice pool game for a setting that I thought
was unique. Unfortunately, I didn’t take great notes during the early playtests, especially at
conventions. For instance, I know a certain panda puppet whose player I missed completely
in these credits! So, if I missed you, please accept both my apologies and my deepest thanks.
Contact me and I’ll make sure you get into the next revision of the game.

108
 CONTRIBUTOR BIOGRAPHIES
STEPHANIE BRYANT: (Core rules and game design) is a 40-something writer, knitter, and
gamer who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She’s previously written computer books, including
Videoblogging for Dummies, several unpublished novels, and Handknit Heroes, a superhero
comic book for knitters.
http://www.mortaine.com/blog/
VIVIAN ABRAHAM: (Editor) has been writing, running, and playing games for almost forty
years. In her day job she is an attorney and legal editor. To remain sane in law school, Vivian
mapped out, square for square, every location in Ultima IV. Twice. She also ran over 100 hours
of Third Edition D&D. In her spare time, Vivian enjoys painting miniatures, making buildings
out of paper, catching Pokemon, and cooking with her husband in Iron Chef competitions.
EMILY BLOCK: (Interior and Kickstarter illustration) is an artist from the Pacific Northwest,
currently living and working in Beijing, China.
http://eblocky.tumblr.com/
LIZ CHAIPRADITKUL: is a game developer who lives and works in the Netherlands. She is the
owner of Angry Hamster Publishing and has worked with companies such as John Wick Pres-
ents, Wizards of the Coast, Gallant Knight Games, and many more. Most recently she is working
on the second game to be released by Angry Hamster Publishing called Familiars of Terra. She
is also busy with work as the lead developer for the Crescent Empire book for 7th Sea. You can
follow her on Twitter @angryhamsterrpg or read more about her company at
http://www.angryhamsterpublishing.com
BRIAN DIRK: never grew up, his toys just got more powerful, creepy, and unique. His alter-ego
is a mild-mannered Network Guru by day, and a Maker, Artist, Storyteller, and general weirdo:
also by day. He forgets what he does at night.
EMILY GRIGGS: (Interior illustration) is a freelance writer, illustrator, and general profes-
sional nerd. When she’s not working on games of all sorts, she’s running her Etsy shop full of
geeky greeting cards, or producing her webcomic, Heartless. You can find her in Ottawa, Canada
surrounded by dice, toys, and far too many dragons.
http://www.sweetingenuity.com/
BRYANNA HITCHCOCK: (Off to See the Clockmaker) gets really nerdy about RPGs, fandom,
and guitar. Having hatched from a heavy metal egg, she now travels the world for work, rocking
out to a wide variety of music and occasionally working on RPG projects. Bryanna lives in
California with her equally nerdy wife and Harley, the demon kitty. Her previous RPG projects
include Kaiser’s Gate for Savage Worlds and several super hero projects for Fate with Fainting
Goat games, including the upcoming Empire City Adventures, a complete toolkit for running
cinematic pickup games. You can find Bryanna at many RPG cons in northern California, on
G+, or on Twitter as @bryhitchcock.
BILL “TEH EBIL BUNNEH” KEYES: (Layout) Bill has been gaming for over 30 years, and
people keep coming back to play... so he must be doing something right. Bill wa the layout
designer and art director for Hero Games, Silverback Games, and Blackwyrm Publishing. His
first book, The Widening Gyre, is a world of steampunk and sorcery for Savage Worlds and the
HERO System. Known as “The Bunny” (for reasons we are unable to explain), Bill claims to
have been elected President in an rigged election, conquered the Midwest, been shot and killed
at least once, sworn (and achieved!) vengeance on the gods themselves, crowned himself King of
the World, become the arch-enemy of a llama, deposed the Pope, and had torrid love affairs with

109
 several well-known movie starlets. It is unlikely that any of these things are actually true, but it’s
best to just humor him when he gets like this.
ERIC QUIGLEY: (Cover and border illustration) is a 30-year-old freelance illustrator in the
G+ indie pen and paper industry for the past four-ish years. Originally a graduate of VCU’s
Communication Arts (Illustration) department he moved around for a while before settling in
Portland, Oregon where he has resided for the past two years. While always a fantasy nerd at
heart he has begun working in a variety of genres, even getting into children’s illustration on the
occasion. Eric’s clients include the likes of the Monte Cook Games, Evil Hat Productions, and
the Alderac Entertainment group as well as many other smaller indie studios.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/0h9A_
JOSH T. JORDAN: (Grab Bag) is a teacher and game designer in North Texas. He has
published games like Singularity, Doll, and The Sky Is Gray and You Are Distressed.
http://ginger-goat.blogspot.com/
JUAN OCHOA: (Interior illustration) Gumshoe whistleblower reporter hero? A narcissistic
antagonist out for blood? Fall-guy for a horrifying nanite invasion? Sleeper agent for extraplanar
feline intelligence? Juan lives in Colombia, South America with two cats and a very patient
partner.
http://www.juanochoa.co
ALEX ROBERTS: (Boogie Shoes) is a writer, podcaster, and roleplayer of boundless enthu-
siasm. She hosts the interview show BACKSTORY on the ONE SHOT podcast network, and
freelances for publishers like Burning Wheel HQ, Pelgrane Press, and Bully Pulpit Games. You
can follow her adventures at http://helloalexroberts.com - and if you play Boogie Shoes, be sure
to tell her all about it!
EVAN ROWLAND: (Interior illustration) is a co-owner and co-founder of Make Big Things, a
three-person worker-owned game design and publishing cooperative based out of western Mass
and Chicago. He has been the lead artist and designer for Noirlandia, and is developing several
independent video game projects - Goblin Diplomat and Sad Mouse.
http://makebigthings.com, http://smallflygames.com
ELSA SJUNNESON-HENRY: (The Senate of Toys) is a half-blind, half-deaf writer of disabled
feminist words. She’s written games like Dead Scare, short stories like “A Place Out of Time”
and “Seeking Truth,” and nonfiction essays including her guest post on Terribleminds “So You
Wanna Write a Blind Character?” She teaches writing disabled characters in fiction with Writing
the Other, and speaks frequently on the topic at gaming and science fiction conferences. In her
“spare” time, she’s actually Daredevil. You can find her on twitter @snarkbat, and at her website.
http://feministsonar.com
TOBY STRAUSS: (Electric Avenue) is a gamer, musician, and cartoon enthusiast. When he
isn’t shredding on his ax or watching Scooby Doo reruns, Toby enjoys spending time with his
daughter and hitting the dance floor.

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 KICKSTARTER HEROES
In May of 2016, we raised over $11,000 on Kickstarter thanks to the generous support of
these fine people. You are all the very BEST, and I can’t thank you enough for helping make this
game a reality!
@ManBearGeek Bri
@symatt Brian Allred
_ch_ase Brian Dirk
A Load of Wasps in a Man Suit Brian M. Gray
Aakin brian peters
Aaron Berger Bryan ‘Darnivar’ Bailey
Aaron Friesen Bryanna Hitchcock
Aaron Griffin Buddy Check Show
Abbey Lawson Buster Zlug Mølborg Erlingsøn
Ailish Brundage Cam Lewis
‘Alex Blue’ Candi & Chris Norwood
Alex Roberts Candi Norwood
Alex Siu Caoimhe Ora Snow
Alexander Gent Carl Desforges (Aleae Warlock)
Alvin Yue Carl Rigney
Alyssa Dailey Carsten ‘semiomancer’ Husek
Amber Day Chad A Bale
Ameryll Chapmage
Andrew Medeiros Charles Chapman
Andrew Rawlings Charlie Etheridge-Nunn
Andrew Whelan Chris Ainsworth
Anestis Kozakis Chris Constantin
Angeyja Winter Chris Fee
Angus Abranson Chris Huddleston
Ann & Jason D’Angelo Chris Langland
Anonymous Chris Vogler
Anonymous Chris ‘Warcabbit’ Hare
Anthony Kurkowski Christian Lindke
Antoine PEMPIE Christian Svalander
Anton Cox Christo Meid
Arlene Medder Christopher Allen
Ashley Jamie Martin Christopher M. Sniezak
Asta Anna C Jersø Christopher Weeks
Avril DeBat Claes
AYUKATA Taka’aki Claude Weaver
bastkitty Cody Landis
Bebo @ GameWire CommissarDoA
Ben Balder Cooper Braun
Ben McCabe Corwyn
Benjamin Bailey Cowmage
Beth Rimmels Craig Campbell
Bill “teh ebil bunneh” Keyes Craig Maloney
Bill Phillips D. Lybarger
Biohazard Jeff Dallas Hetrick
Brandon Lighter Damon Wilson

111
 Dan & Elex Feeny Eadwin “the most powerful toy in the
Dan & Moon & Stella & Henry Joseph universe”
Dan Cetorelli Ed from MOLDS2
Dan Jacobs Edvard Blumentanz
Dana Bayer Elizabeth Lovegrove
Dana Kubilus Eloy Lasanta
Daniel Jones Emily Morgan
Daniel Lofton Enesthi
Daniel T. Kulhanek Eric M. Paquette
Daniel Wilks Eric Rossing
Daniel Wong Sung Peng Eric Simon
Daniele Di Rubbo Erica “Vulpinfox” Schmitt
Danielle Lauzon ericvulgaris
Danny Godin Erik Ingersen
Danny Wood Erin Goss
DannyK Eris Lord Freedom
Darcy “Danger” Ross Eva S.
Darren Buckley Evan Saft
Darren Watts Evil Hat Productions
Dave Fin Aeros
Dave Connell Olsher Fiona Wilson
Dave from Monkeyfun Studios! Fran Thomson
dave ring Frank Emanuel
David D Franz Keim
David ‘Doc Blue’ Wendt Fraser Simons
David Miller Frost Holliman
David Quick Gabriel de los Angeles
David Rothfeder Gabriel Stohr
David Schirduan Game-O-Gami
David Starner Gareth H. Graham
David ‘Zankabo’ Kohler Gareth Hodges
Davis McNevin Garrett Kunkel
Dean Keith Geoffrey M Allen
Death Kitten  Glenn Amspaugh
Declan Feeney Glenn McMath
Delaney McShane Glenn Seiler
Demonnic Graeme Comyn
Dennis Muldoon Gray Detrick
Derek A. Kamal GremlinLegions
Detective Clayton Griffin D. Morgan
Devon Apple Gusty737
DeWitt Davis Hamish Cameron
Dirk Keienburg haneway
Dominic Quach Harpal Khalsa
Doogie Trouser, M.D. Harry French
Doyce Testerman Herman Duyker
Dr. Donald A. Turner Hervé Chabanne
Drew Gold Hitherfetcher
Duane Padilla Hsieh, Wei-Hua
Dustin DePenning Ian Leong
Dynamite Express Ian McFarlin

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 Isa Wills John Desmarais
J Moore John Kramer
J W Binns John Massie
J. Ashley Odell John Rogers
J. Peters John WS Marvin
J.M.Squire John-Michael Warkentin
Jack Gulick Jonas Richter
Jackson Tegu Jonathan Barron
Jacob DC Ross Jonathan Beverley
Jacob Densford Jonathan Edwards
Jacob L. Jonathan Lavallee
Jacob Smith’s Jordan Bodewell
Jake Stotler Jordan White
Jamas Enright Jordan Wilson
James “pandaman” Forest Joseph “Zorglemeister” Richards
James Boldock Joseph and Crystal Neher
Jamie Leitner Joseph Le May
Jan “Crowen” Rosa Josh
Janelle & Shimon Klein Josh Grauberger
Jasn Painter Josh Medin
Jason Andrew Josh Ohmer
Jason Cox Josh T. Jordan
Jason Giardino Joshua Hillerup
Jason Leisemann Joshua Nyeste
Jason Pitre Joshua Ramsey
Jason Skavlebo June and Mike Garcia
Javier Joaquin Palenzuela Justin “Mitts” Scott
Javier Soto Justin A Bird
Jay Mudle Justin Barnard
Jeff Dieterle Justin Ecock
Jeff Miller Justin Koopmans
Jeff Stormer Justin McDaniel
Jenn Chant Justin W.
Jenn Martin Kat Miller
Jenn Young Kate Bullock
Jennifer Beam Katie Harwood
Jennifer Fuss Keiran Sparksman
Jennifer M. Wolff Keith Lim
Jeremy Mahr CSz Kelley Vanda
Jeromy French Kelly Mayo
Jerry D. Grayson Kelly Wilkins
Jesse Kenneth Seward
Jesse and Jonny Fowler Kevin Flynn
Jesse Burneko Kielo Maria Maja
JeTSpice Kim Riek
Jim Krawarik-Graham Kimberly R. Burgess
Joe Beason King Froboz
Joel Thurston Kirsten and Sophie Kowalewski
John “Night Moves” Merrick Kraken
John Ball Kristian Haapa-aho
John Daniels Kristin Firth

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 Kydell Postels, The Fast Hero Mike Quintanilla
Kyle “Grin” Greiner Mike Teuscher
Kyle Ayres Mike Williams
Kyle Simons Misha B
Lakas Shimizu’s Plushie Pals Mock
Lakshman Godbole Mofibby
Late Knight Games Moyra Turkington
Lester Ward Mr Silva
Liz and Jen Myriam Lepage Lamazzi
Lovey & Wheep Nathan Mitchell
Lucy McGuigan Nathan Reese Maher
Luke Wayland Nathan Ryder
Lynx Firenze Neal Tanner
Maddzapper Ned Leffingwell
Made in DNA Nick Bate
Magus Nick Colombo
Majo Espinosa Nick Golding
Malcolm “Tiamat” Haddow Nick Hopkins
Mandy Tonks Nick ‘Sungrowler’ Levy
Manuel Suarez NickTheDM
Mark Caldwell Nicola Urbinati
Mark Edwards Nicolai Østergaard
Mark Fenlon Nicole Mezzasalma
Mark R. Lesniewski Nigs Phillips
Mark Richardson Occam Aldanis
Martin Greening Oliver Scholes
Mary Emme Olivia G
Matt “9littlebees” Kay Patrick & Samantha Harris
Matt Harrop Patrick Bingham
Matt Hoadley Patrick Birtles
Matt Leitzen Patrick House
Matt Smith (not The Dr. ) Patty Kirsch
Matt Walsh Paul & Tiggy
Matt Weber Paul Ooshun
Matthew “elegantzombie” Molumby Penda Tomlinson
Matthew McFarland Pepper Darcy
Matthew Swetnam Pete Woodworth
Max O Peter Cobcroft
Max Von Puppet Peter Rooney
Meera “The Fierce” Barry Philip “xipehuz” Espi
Meguey Baker Philip Gibson
Melinda Runyan & Ed Rodemeyer Phillip A. Wessels
Menachem Cohen Phillip Bailey
Mendel Schmiedekamp Phillip R Chalker
Merl Gray Philo Pharynx
Michael Bond Phredd Groves
MICHAEL MA Pickle The Cat
Michael Phillips PK Sullivan
Mike “Shack” Shackelford plexsoup
Mike DeZarn pookie
Mike J. Carlson QT Games

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 QuillHound Studios Stephan Szabo
Quirky Grrrl Stephen Crawford
Rach Shelkey Stephen Dewey
Rachael Storey Steve “Slipperboy” Donohue
Rachel “Nausicaä” Tougas Steve Dulson
Raggedy Android Steve Lord
Ralf “Sandfox” Sandfuchs Steve Radabaugh
Randy Milholland Steve Sick
Raul De La Garza III Steve Swanger
Rich DiTullio Steven Cleek
Rich K Steven K. Watkins
Richard J. Rogers Steven Owens
Richard Ruane Steven Robert
Richard Stephens Steven Warzeha
Richard ‘Vidiian’ Greene Strawberry Sandwich the Y2K orphan
Rick Harrelson Swordnut Paul
Rico Gilbert Szabadi Dávid
Riley TadK
Riley Hentschel TastyMusic
Ringo Taylor “The Snarky Avenger” Kent
RJ Ruthven Taylor LaBresh
Rob Abrazado Tevel Drinkwater
robdog The Adventure Game Store & Dragon’s Lair
Robert Bersch The Freelancing Roleplayer
Robert C Kim The Gauntlet Podcast
Robin Buchalter-Wolfe The Mordak
Robin MacAllister The Turk Family
Rod Woodhouse The Vickers Family
Ryan Good Theodore Perry
Ryan H. Thomas Stewart
Ryan McSwain Three dogs wearing a trenchcoat and a hat
Sam Zeitlin Tim Hewitt
Sandy Jacobs-Tolle, friend to all amigurumi Tim Luttermoser
Scott J. Wilson Tim Partridge
Sean M Smith Tobias White
Sean Sherman Toby Strauss
Seth Spurlock Todd Agthe
Shane Liebling Todd Nicholas
Shauna Forrister Todd Zircher
Shawn Hauk Tomer Gurantz
Shawn Shultz Tor Teigen
Sherman Sheftall Tracy Barnett
Shervyn Tree
She’s A Super Geek Podcast Tresi Arvizo
Shoshana Kessock Trip Space-Parasite
Simon Proctor Twisted Gnome
Siobhan Henderson Tyree Parkin
Sophie Lagacé Vagabond Metalworks
Star Eagle Victor Wyatt
Stefano Borri Vincent Arebalo
Stentor Danielson Vincent Baker

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 Vindexus william john hummel
Walter Soto Woolwaulker
Wansum Beats Worst DM
Warren Spector Yoshi Creelman
Weston Williams Zac Angel
Wiggy Zinphad
Will Nabors

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 BASIC MOVES REFERENCE SHEET
Don't forget your Mekka, Sock, and Softie Moves, your Friendship Move, and your Holds!

HELP SOMEONE
When you help someone do something, roll+Ties with that character. On a 10+, choose three
from the following list. On a 7-9, choose one:
 Grant a +1 on their next Move (+2 for Socks helping Socks).
 Take the consequences of a failure on their next Move for yourself.
 Nothing breaks as a result of your help!
 Someone else can help, too! Point to the next Helper.

NOTE: In one-shot games, all player characters begin with one Tie with each other. You can use
this move even if you have no Ties with a character, just add +0 to your dice roll.
MAKE FRIENDS
When you approach a GM character with an open and earnest heart, roll+Smile. On a 10+,
they regard you as friendly and you may form a Tie with them. On a 7-9, choose one from the
following list:
 You have to give them something (the GM will tell you what it is).
 They don't like your friends.
 They want you to go somewhere (the GM will tell you where).

NOTE: This Move cannot be used on player characters, or on hostile and non-thinking charac-
ters. See your Friendship Move for building ties with other player characters.
LOOK FIERCE!
When you stand up to a bully, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+, you are fierce! The bully backs
down and gives you something to make you go away (their player or the GM decides). On a 7-9,
they back down, but are still wary of you.
NOTE: Players can only bully each other in Dented campaigns, so you can only use Look Fierce!
against another player in those campaigns. You can use Look Fierce! against GM characters in
any campaign.
BRIBE
When you try to buy an unfriendly character's cooperation, roll+Smile and give up some-
thing of value. On a 10+, they take an action to help you out. On a 7-9, they begrudgingly help
you; choose one from the following list:
 They also demand a valuable secret. Reveal it now.
 You owe them a favor in addition to the thing you gave them. The GM will tell you what it
is now.
 They don't trust you to keep your side of the deal.

NOTE: Bribe is for when you want a GM character to do something, not when you want them to
give you a material thing. Use Make a Bargain for that.

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 LEAD A CHEER!
When you try to change someone's mood, tell them a good story and roll+Smile. On a hit,
you change their mood in the way you hoped. On a 7-9, choose one from the following list:
 They need you to listen to their complaints for a very long time.
 They don't want you to leave.
 They don't believe your story is true.

NOTE: This can be used on player characters and GM characters. Players must consent before
having this move used on their characters.
PLAY A GAME
When you play a game with someone, describe or play the game and determine if you won or
lost it, then roll+Smile. On a 10+, choose three from the following list. On a 7-9, choose one:
 You won a wager! Describe what was on the line and what you won.
 Your opponent respects your skill and treats you with respect from here on out.
 You discovered something new about this game. What is it?
 You feel really good about yourself. Nothing can tear you down! The next time you roll a
6-, you do not damage a Part.

NOTE: If you played out a nano-game to perform this Move, treat any success as a 10+.

MAKE A BARGAIN
When you engage in trade with a GM character, roll+Scrounge and give up something of
value (such as a Thing, a Device, or something intangible that you or the GM character values).
On a 10+, you get all of the following. On a 7-9, choose two:
 They give you what you want.
 What you want is not already broken.
 They are willing to trade with you again in the future.

CANNIBALIZE
When you break something to get Stuff out of it, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+, you get the Stuff
easily. On a 7-9, you get the Stuff, but... choose one from the following list:
 It already belonged to someone (the GM will tell you who)!
 You break something else as well (the GM will tell you what).
 It's rude to break things! Take -1 on your next Smile roll.

FIND SOMETHING
When you search for useful Stuff or Things, roll+Scrounge. If you succeed, you gain Stuff. On
a 10+, pick two. On a 7-9, pick one.
 It's exactly what you were looking for.
 It isn't dangerous.
 Nobody else wants it.

THINK IT THROUGH
When you reveal to the GM a fact about a problem or mystery, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+,
you are completely accurate. On a 7-9, the GM will tell you one thing that is false in your
statement.

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JURY-RIG
When you use Stuff or Things to repair or Upgrade a Part, including your own,
roll+Scrounge. On a 10+, choose three from the following list. On a 7-9, choose one:
 You successfully repair or modify the Part.
 The target gains a Move (the GM will tell you what it is).
 It doesn't use up your Stuff.
 It doesn't draw unwanted attention.

NOTE: You can use this Move on an unbroken Part to Upgrade it (for adding a useful Move on a
7-9). You can also choose to gain a Move on a still-broken Part. Most likely, this will result in an
undesirable Move, known as a Glitch (see page 37).
MINOR FIX-UP
Once per session, while you perform a Jury-Rig Move, if you are not also Running Away, you
can describe yourself doing an additional minor repair on a different Part than the Jury-Rig's
target. The target's Part is restored to its normal functionality.
TAKE A BREATHER
Once per session, when you are not Running Away, you can describe yourself doing a minor
repair on yourself. One of your Parts is restored to its normal functionality.
MAKE A DEVICE
When you build a new Device, if you have all the Stuff, Things, and Helpers needed to make
it according to the GM, name it and roll + Helpers (the number of characters helping you make
it). On a 10+, it uses up any Things you needed to make it and gains one Move, choose three
from the following list. On a 7-9, it uses up your Things and choose one:
 It doesn't use up your Stuff.
 It gains a second Move.
 It can be made again in the future.
 Nobody knows you made it.

PUSH OR PULL
When you try to move something that is bigger than you, roll+Strongarm. On a 10+, you
move it where you want to. On a 7-9, it moves, but you fall down and choose one from the
following list:
 Take damage to a Part.
 Drop whatever you’re carrying.
 Get lost and separated from the rest of the player characters.

RUN AWAY!
When you act to avoid getting physically damaged, (which could mean running away,
dodging, or otherwise acting to avoid a danger) roll+Scrounge. On a 10+, you avoid the danger
completely. On a 7-9, you escape, but the GM will give you either a minor consequence or tough
choice.
FIGHT SONG
When you engage in a contest of violence (combat), performance, or sport, all characters
damage one Part. The players describe what "winning" means and how they successfully won the
contest. For Fluffy games, the contest must be performance or sport, such as a kickball game or
dance-off.

119
 MEKKA PLAYBOOK
NAME: _______________________________________ I HAVE STUFF!:
PRONOUN: ____________________________________ HOLDS:

Assign the following ability scores: +2, +1, -1

DESCRIPTION & FORM
SCROUNGE SMILE STRONGARM List each of your Parts

Making Friends,
Influence the
Crafting, Trade Influencing
World
People

MOVES
SALVAGE PARTS: When you are the target of a Jury-Rig Move, you can use up Stuff
(in addition to any needed for the Move) to gain a new Move, even if you didn't choose
that result. You can only gain one new Move from any successful Jury-Rig. Note that, in
general, you either have Stuff or you don't, so you will need another character to give you
their Stuff to use this Move.
FRIENDSHIP: Once per session, when you play a game or playfight (for example, head-
butting without intending any damage) with someone else, they learn something new
about their own capabilities (this may result in a Move), and you create a Tie with them.

YOUR FORM (PICK ONE, SEE NEXT PAGE)

BUNCHA LITTLE GUYS: On a 6-, Damage 1 Part, Gain 1 Hold that you can
spend to ask the GM a question when you're seeking information about the world
around you. They must answer you honestly.
BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED: On a 6-, Damage 1 Part and gain 1 Hold that you
can spend to appear silent and motionless for a short time, even if moving slowly.
DOLLFACE: On a 6-, Damage 1 Part and gain 1 Hold which you can spend to
trigger a Jury-Rig Move, even if you don't have any Stuff.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED: On a 6-, Damage 1 Part and gain 1 Hold that you can
spend to escape something that is trapping you.
VROOOM!: On a 6-, Damage 1 Part and gain 1 Hold that you can use to notice
something that was overlooked in others' haste.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYES!: On a 6-, Damage 1 Part and gain 1 Hold that
you can use to pretend to be someone you're not.
ROCK SOLID: On a 6-, damage 1 Part or Device that you didn't start with (if you
have one) and gain 1 Hold which you can use to resist someone trying to force you
to do something or go somewhere. If you don't have additional parts, you do not
damage anything, but still gain the Hold; the GM makes a move as usual.

120
 YOUR FORM (PICK ONE)
BUNCHA LITTLE GUYS: You are a swarm of
tiny plastic toys. You're a crack team of green
army men, more fun than a barrel of monkeys, or an
entire farm's worth of barnyard animals. When you roll
a 6-, one of your "guys" becomes separated. Damage
one Part and gain one Hold that you can spend to ask
the GM a question when you're seeking information
about the world around you. They must answer you
honestly. You can have up to twelve starting Parts.
Suggestions: tiny individual (but similar) toys, a central
leader, hive mind.
BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED: You are a battery-operated machine that moves, talks,
or lights up. When you roll a 6-, your power source starts to run low and you go into
power save mode. Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can spend to appear silent
and motionless for a short time, even if moving slowly. You can have up to six starting Parts.
Suggestions: wheels, treads, cargo, lights, speaker, windshield, window, steering wheel, pulley
mechanism, antenna, battery, catch phrase chip.
DOLLFACE: You are a hard-plastic doll with an array of exciting accessories! When
you roll a 6-, you sacrifice one of your accessories to the cause. Damage one Part and
gain one Hold which you can spend to trigger a Jury-Rig Move, even if you don't have any
Stuff. You can have up to seven starting Parts. Suggestions: head, arms, legs, body, outfit, hair,
accessories (name them!), a list of “things I collect.”
NO STRINGS ATTACHED: Once upon a time, there was a puppetmaker who made
you out of wood, ceramics, and clothed you in tiny stitched clothing. You had care-
fully-articulated joints, strings, and a series of beams for easily making you move and dance!
Even before the Awakening, you had personality, although it was enslaved to the wishes
of whomever pulled your strings. When you roll a 6-, another string is cut from your past.
Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can spend to escape something that is trapping
you. You can have up to seven starting Parts. Suggestions: head, arms, legs, body, an outfit,
strings, control bar, a dramatic script.
VROOOM!: You go fast! You're a wheeled vehicle that's built for speed! When you roll
a 6-, you fall behind! Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can use to notice
something that was overlooked in others' haste. You can have up to six starting Parts. Sugges-
tions: wheels, windshield, doors, headlights, bumpers, fenders, a favorite surface to roll on.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYES!: Are you a truck? Are you a human-looking
scientist? Maybe you're both! You have two faces you show the world—what are they?
When you roll a 6-, you involuntarily transform too fast! Damage one Part and gain one
Hold that you can use to pretend to be someone you're not. You can have up to six starting
Parts: Suggestions: wheels, headlights, a face, a second face, claws, bumpers, an outfit, a
themesong.
ROCK SOLID: You're a solid friend with no moving parts, at all. You might be a solid
plastic dinosaur, a pet rock, or even a logo'ed tchotchke from a long-past trade show.
When you roll a 6-, damage one Part or Device that you didn't start with (if you have one)
and gain one Hold which you can use to resist someone trying to force you to do something
or go somewhere. If you don't have additional parts, you do not damage anything, but still
gain the Hold; the GM makes a move as usual. You can have only one starting Part, which
cannot be damaged. Suggestions: a hard plastic dinosaur, a pet rock, a child's pottery sculp-
ture, a character from pop culture, a chew toy.
121
 SOCK PLAYBOOK
NAME: _______________________________________ I HAVE STUFF!:
PRONOUN: ____________________________________ HOLDS:

Assign the following ability scores: +2, +1, -1

DESCRIPTION & FORM
SCROUNGE SMILE STRONGARM List each of your Parts

Making Friends,
Influence the
Crafting, Trade Influencing
World
People

MOVES
PAIRED UP: When you Help Someone, treat a 7-9 partial success as a 10+. If the target
is another Sock, they get to roll 3d6 and pick the highest two dice.
FRIENDSHIP: Once per session, when you ask for help from someone else for some-
thing you can’t do by yourself, if they help you, they feel better about themselves. They
may repair a Part, and you also may create a Tie with them.

YOUR FORM (PICK ONE, SEE NEXT PAGE)

ATHLETIC SOCK: On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold, which you can
use to get into a spot or space that you normally wouldn't be able to reach or fit
inside.
CHRISTMAS STOCKING: On a 6-, Damage 1 Part and gain 1 Hold which you
can use to inspire, cheer, or encourage another character.
WOOL SOCK: On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you may use
to deceive a GM character (they don't call it "pulling the wool over his eyes" for
nothing!)
SOCK PUPPET: On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold which you can use
to blend into a crowd and be overlooked by someone trying to single you out.
FINGER PUPPETS: On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can use
to establish a minor fact about someone you just met.
TIGHTS: On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can spend to
catch something and hold onto it.

122
 YOUR FORM (PICK ONE)
ATHLETIC SOCK: Hup hup,
soldier! You're a sturdy, pragmatic
Sock with a solidity to you that belies your
floppy nature. When you roll a 6-, the
starch weakens and you fold like a nylon.
Damage one Part and gain one Hold, which
you can use to get into a spot or space that
you normally wouldn't be able to reach or
fit inside. You can have up to five starting
Parts. Suggestions: toe, cuff, stripes, heel,
reinforced athletic sole, patches, cheer
slogan.
CHRISTMAS STOCKING: You are
the sentinel. The sparkly guardian
of cold winter nights. You are the stocking
hung by the chimney, ever vigilant,
expectant of a bounty you will disgorge
at dawn like a mockery of Sockness. You
have no mate. When you roll 6-, a bit of
the jingle goes out of your bells. Damage one Part and gain one Hold which you can use
to inspire, cheer, or encourage another character. You can have up to seven starting Parts.
Suggestions: toe, cuff, jingle bells, tinsel, felt applique, beads, embroidery, a child's name,
quilting, favorite song.
WOOL SOCK: Sturdy, well-built, you are a Sock to be reckoned with! You're also
deceptively unfashionable. When you roll a 6-, you felt a little bit more. Damage
one Part and gain one Hold that you may use to deceive a GM character (they don't call it
"pulling the wool over his eyes" for nothing!) You can have up to six starting Parts. Sugges-
tions: toe, cuff, heel, instep, gusset, lace, patterning, patches, a "tell."
SOCK PUPPET: All it took were some googley eyes and a felt tongue, and suddenly
you're a whole new Sock! When you roll a 6-, you lose a little bit of your personal
style. Damage one Part and gain one Hold which you can use to blend into a crowd and be
overlooked by someone trying to single you out. You can have up to seven starting Parts.
Suggestions: face, cuff, eyes, tongue, an outfit, floppy limbs, hair, a political agenda.
FINGER PUPPETS: Like a Buncha Little Guys, you are a group of tiny "Socks," each
with its own personality and look! When you roll a 6-, one of your puppets finds a
new home! Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can use to establish a minor fact
about someone you just met. You can have up to ten starting Parts . Suggestions: an ensemble
of various finger puppets of different appearances (describe them!), a bandana backdrop, a
theme song.
TIGHTS: Joined at the hip, literally, you're a two-headed character who is sometimes
at odds with itself. But you are also your own best friend! When you roll a 6-, you get
all tangled up in yourself! Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can spend to catch
something and hold onto it. You can have up to four Starting Parts. Suggestions: right leg, left
leg, torso, run, toes, haughty demeanor.

123
 SOFTIE PLAYBOOK
NAME: _______________________________________ I HAVE STUFF!:
PRONOUN: ____________________________________ HOLDS:

Assign the following ability scores: +2, +1, -1

DESCRIPTION & FORM
SCROUNGE SMILE STRONGARM List each of your Parts

Making Friends,
Influence the
Crafting, Trade Influencing
World
People

MOVES
BOSSY: When you try to convince someone that your way is best, roll+Smile. If they
are a GM character: on a 10+, they are convinced! They do what you want. On a 7-9,
they do what you want, but you must give them something (similar to the Bribe move).
If they are a player character, on a 10+, if they do what you want, they gain a Hold as if
they’d rolled a 6- (but without the damage). On a 7-9, if they do what you want, you owe
them a favor.
FRIENDSHIP: Once per session, when you put someone else’s needs before your own,
they tell you how they are weak, afraid, or vulnerable, and you tell them a secret of your
own. You also may create a Tie with them.

YOUR FORM (PICK ONE, SEE NEXT PAGE)

RAGDOLL: On a 6-, Damage one Part, but gain one Hold that you can spend to
ask a character one question. GM characters must answer truthfully. Player char-
acters may deceive you, but you will know they are not telling the truth.
BUILT LIKE A BEAR: On a 6-, Damage one Part, but gain one Hold that you
can spend to divine the history or origin of a person or item.
CARNIVAL PRIZE: On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can
spend to find your way if you are lost.
UNHAND ME!: On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can spend
to entertain a group of Toys by telling a short, amusing story with heroes they
identify with.
I'M "REAL": On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can use to
apply "real world" logic or science to solve a problem.
SOFT SCULPTURE: On a 6-, Damage one Part and gain one Hold which you can
use to know the original value of something you can hold.

124
 YOUR FORM (PICK ONE):
RAGDOLL: Stitches can be witches...
you're the enigmatic, always-smiling
secret-keeper. When you roll a 6-, you unravel
a secret. Damage one Part, but gain one Hold
that you can spend to ask a character one
question. GM characters must answer truth-
fully. Player characters may deceive you, but
you will know they are not telling the truth.
You can have up to seven starting Parts.
Suggestions: head, arms, legs, body, an outfit,
stuffing, hair, favorite color.
BUILT LIKE A BEAR: You're an
artisan-crafted heirloom stuffed animal.
Yeah, you might have a few scuffs and surgical
scars, but you're custom-made and built to
last. You have a lifetime guarantee! When you
roll a 6-, you doubt your origins and wonder if you really are "all new materials." Damage
one Part, but gain one Hold that you can spend to divine the history or origin of a person
or item. You can have up to eight starting Parts. Suggestions: head, arms, legs, tail, body, an
outfit, stuffing, ears, the books you like to read.
CARNIVAL PRIZE: You're awesome! You're BIG! And WEIRD! Your seams are
hot-glued together! You've got pellets for stuffing! You might not even look like a real
creature! When you roll a 6-, your stuffing comes loose and leaves a trail. Damage one Part
and gain one Hold that you can spend to find your way if you are lost. You can have up to
nine starting Parts. Suggestions: head, arms, legs, tail, body, eyes, antennae, ears, stuffing,
weird thing (describe it!), carnival barking phrase ("Step right up!" etc.)
UNHAND ME!: Don't let the soft fur and big eyes fool anyone—you're one smart
cookie-eating monster! When you roll a 6-, you become nostalgic for the days when
you told stories instead of living them. Damage one Part and gain one Hold that you can
spend to entertain a group of Toys by telling a short, amusing story with heroes they identify
with. You can have up to eight starting Parts. Suggestions: head, body, eyes, arms, ears,
mouth, an outfit, weird things (describe them!), a bad habit.
I'M "REAL": Whether you remember or not (and many choose to forget!), you were
deeply, unfathomably loved, once upon a time. You were so beloved, you Awoke before
the humans were gone. Your fur is worn bare, you have been restitched by a mother's hands,
and you've absorbed a child's tears and laughter in great measure. When you roll a 6-, you
remember something from the long-ago past that makes you sad. Damage one Part and
gain one Hold that you can use to apply "real world" logic or science to solve a problem. You
can have up to six starting Parts. Suggestions: head, limbs, tail, body, stuffing, eyes, a child's
name.
SOFT SCULPTURE: You are a work of art! Felted or stitched together, you might
be too "abstract" for others to appreciate, but you know you're a valuable piece of
culture. When you roll a 6-, you sense the line between "art" and "kitch" is a little too close
for comfort. Damage one Part and gain one Hold which you can use to know the original
value of something you can hold. You can have up to six starting Parts. Suggestions: bobbles,
spirals, wings, eyes, mouth, lumps, woobly bits, mushed face, a French accent.

125
 INDEX
Ability Score 11, 38, 40, 82 Moves
Adventures Basic Move 8
Boogie Shoes 81 Creating new Moves 38
Electric Avenue 72 Dance Moves 78-80
Flight of the Bumblebee 64 Environment Move 41
Furry Road 62 Friendship Moves 14, 17, 19
Off to See the Clockmaker 68 Glitch 37
Running an adventure 26, 60 Making Moves 5
Senate of Toys 85 Moves list 8, 119
Amusefunland 48 Upgrades 30
Basic Move 8 Off to See the Clockmaker 68
Before, the 52, 56, 58 One-shot 26, 61
Breaking of the world, the 58 Part 6, 11, 12
Campaign 13, 26 Personality Part 6
Candy Land, the 56 Repair 7
Caverns, the 44 Roleplaying 2
Character form 11 Scruffy 4
Character type 11 Senate of Toys 85
Combat 2, 27, 39 Shapelessness 7
Damage 6 Sock 17
Hindrance 29 Softie 19
Shapelessness 7 Spotlight 23, 24
Death 7 Stitchpunk 1
Deep Blue, the 50 Storytelling 4
Dented 4 Structure 33
Device 5, 6, 10, 32, 40 Stuff 5
Structure 33 Things 6
Tool 32 Ties 13
Vehicle 34 Tin Barn, the 54
Dice 1, 5 Tone
Electric Avenue 72 Dented 4, 13
Environment Move 41 Fluffy 4, 13
Epilogue 61, 67, 71, 84 Scruffy 4, 13
Flight of the Bumblebee, the 64 Tool 32
Fluffy 4 Trigger 5, 41
Form 11 Type 11, 28, 29
Furry Road 62 Upgrade 30
Game Master 22 Vehicle 34
Glitch 10, 37 Waking up 59
GM character list 107 Wetlands 52
Grab Bag 87 World of Threadbare, the
Hindrance 29 History 58
History 58 Setting 1, 43
Hold 1, 5, 7, 11, 12, 24 Zephyr Express, the 46
Humans 1, 21, 58
Mekka 14
Montage 27

126
 THREADBARE STITCHPUNK RPG
PLUSHIE OR PLASTIC, MATE?
With careful stitches and meticulous work, a ragdoll carefully sews back a torn
limb on a panda who is crying out his troubles (girl troubles… isn’t it always a
girl?) while he sips from a daintily painted teacup filled with brandy. S T I T C H P U N K R P G
In another room in the shoebox house she calls home, the ragdoll’s other patients
wait patiently for her craft. A Mekka bulldozer, metal with chipping yellow paint,
is missing his front left wheel. He holds a vinyl doll’s head, waiting for it to be
glued into the empty wheel well. It won’t roll quite the same, he knows, but he
can live with the handicap until he scavenges a better part.

The ragdoll finishes with her panda patient and wishes him a cheery
farewell, tucking his payment (2 buttons and a tiny watch gear) into her skirt
pocket. She quickly schools her face to hide her sly, greedy smile when she steps
across the threshold to the waiting bulldozer. His repair is going to need glue, and
glue is a costly resource, my friend….

Threadbare RPG is a role-playing game in which you play a jury-rigged toy in a

broken world. Caught in a world where Entropy is a constant danger, you’ll patch
yourself up, invent new devices, and maybe make new friends along the way.

Threadbare is a Powered-by-the-Apocalypse
role-playing game by Stephanie Bryant. You’ll
need two 6-sided dice and a group of 2-5

STEPHANIE BRYANT
friends to play.

http://www.threadbarerpg.com

ISBN: 978-0-9822810-7-9

PLAY A BROKEN TOY IN A BROKEN WORLD