Wil Wheaton Plays Misspent Youth

At some point in our species, history, someone stood up and said: I’m the boss of you shortly after that someone else stood up and said ho. You are not the boss of me and shortly after that, we had our very first power struggle and ever since then, whoever has power has fought like hell to keep it, and this happens at all levels of our society from the playground to the boardroom, to the Halls of government buildings all over the world, the rich and powerful, take what they want by any means necessary, and if you try to put a stop to it, the goon squad shows up anyone who has dealt with a homeowner’s association knows exactly what I’m talking about Today, on tabletop Amy, Dallen, Matt Fraction, Kelly sue Taconic, and I will use a role-playing game to imagine a dystopian world where power has been totally concentrated into the hands or claws or circuits of one horrible. Centralized Authority and a small group of rebels has decided that they have finally had enough. They are going to stand up to the authority and take back their dental plan, or maybe they’ll do something a little more extreme, because these are no ordinary rebels. These rebels are teenagers, they have nothing to lose everything to gain and their story will be told in this spent youth, [, Music, ], [ Applause, ], [, Music, ], misspent youth is an indie RPG about friendship, rebellion and kicking ass, designed by Robert bull.

I want this pair of episodes to give you an experience that is similar to our sister show Titans grave. That means that the focus will be on the characters and their narrative. I don’t want to overwhelm you with a lot of mechanics and crunchy system, details that remind you that we’re playing a game. I want this to be about the story, but there are a few things you need to know before we get started in misspent youth. One of us will be the authority that player will represent the force, that’s making life miserable for the other players.

Who will be the youthful offenders? The authority is our version of a game master in as much as the authority player will handle adversaries and challenge the other players. Unlike a traditional RPG, where the game master needs to be a neutral arbiter of rules and a narrative facilitator, the authority and misspent youth openly works in opposition to the other players, and both sides are going to fight like hell against each other to achieve their goals. Before we get into the story, we will all work together to set up the world we’re going to play in it’s usually a dystopian science fiction world, like The Hunger Games, Logan’s Run or the 2016 presidential election in America, but it could just as easily be something More grounded in reality, like the world of pump up the volume or repo man or even dazed and confused each session of a game, is divided into seven different narrative sections at the heart of each section is something called the struggle. The struggle is the primary conflict resolution mechanic of misspent youth, and it is the only time we will use dice in this game.

One side will win each struggle and both sides will deal with the consequences. We’Ll explain the specifics of the struggle and how it works. The first time it happens, this is a game that lets us focus on the story and makes it possible for old guys like me to imagine that we’re still young and fighting every day for something more important than a parking space, and I am incredibly excited, and So honored to be playing today with some phenomenally creative people, dig out your Rage Against the Machine Records and lace up your steel toed boots, because we are about to visit our misspent youth, [ Music ], I’m Amy Dallen, you’ve seen me around on geek and sundry. I got to be on the first season of tabletop, which was amazing. I’Ve been on omnibus, definite, onyx weekly, my own cat atomic vlogs.

I do a show called future girl on my youtube channel. My name is Kelly food iconic, I’m a connoisseur and television writer. I’M best known probably for my work on Captain Marvel, I’m also the writer of planet and pretty deadly. My name is Matt Fraction. Our comic books and TV looks like sex criminals and Odyssey Casanova, recidivist adventure, man and I’m really good friends with Eliza fantastic.

Welcome to misspent youth thanks for being here guys, so let’s go ahead and get started. We choose who’s going to set the first scene as the authority. I want to be able to set scene number five, which is where things really go bad. One two wait! Six!

Five four three, two one: I set the first season, so the first thing is called: what’s up so here’s here’s where I would like to set this okay, this is actually we’re in where it were on earth and but we’re definitely in a dystopian future. Okay. This is the world where we’re citizens united, has just completely gone. It’S gone, global, okay and and helping hand is an extraordinarily powerful industry right because help again takes advantage of a helping hand, has its hooks in religion and helping out Runaways and and working with government and getting laws passed and all of that stuff. And you are all in a helping hand, facility right and this facility is kind of removed from from a city.

It’S far enough away from the city that it would be difficult for you to hop out and disappear into the city. But it’s close enough to the city that people who live in it know it’s there and at a point in the not-too not-too-distant past, you killed a guy and you helped get the body put away in the foot, walker and a closet in a place where the, Where the pod mother goes so our first scene is actually going to happen two days after that body was taken care of all right. It is morning you are all at breakfast in the cafeteria and let’s say you hear from a nearby table a group of POD mothers discussing the missing helper. One of the pod mothers makes eye contact with with you, okay, she, like scoot, your chair back and is coming across the room toward you. What happens?

I would probably uh sort straighten myself up and she we can’t have been knowing immediately she was coming over. I was sort of button up and tie up and and sort of stand up to shake hands or fist bump or whatever we do, okay in the future and sort of like how am I help you what’s? What’S hmm? Well, mr

Willoughby we’re all very concerned that someone knows something they’re not telling someone is not being very helpful. Mr.

Willoughby, and we know that you hear things, have you heard anything about someone missing absolutely and you didn’t hear it from me. I hear it’s been about two days and they have no idea where the guy wailed Oh, what was a guy well, the word is to help her, so the assumption that they’re men – I guess your PDA, chimes and it is the coach on the screen and I Think we’re going to start a struggle, [, Music ]. The coach can tell that you’re withholding information. It’S in all of your sensors. The coach wants the truth to the complete truth to come out, because that is.

That is what the authority wants, so that you’re using for our group, is that your that we will send the pod mother to the next table, yeah sure all right. Well, let me let me I’ll stand up great all right. You stand up, go ahead and roll just a rolling one, yeah, just one to two right yep. If you rolled eight all right, it’s a good number for you. So what I H of your convictions are going to use I’m going to go with fast.

Okay, you know what coach you are absolutely right and it drives me crazy that this kind of thing can happen here and it’s been keeping. I would if I could just be a part I feel like I have a lot. I have a lot to offer and I feel like I’m not with these defects. There’S a lot of things. I could be doing that.

I can’t because I’m not supposed to be here and I feel and I’m frustrated yes, I was withholding and I’m sorry I’m just it just gets me so mad that these things can happen when all of us who can be productive and can be helpful and can Be a part of this system to be helping everyone help hands, I’m not my hands are tied, okay and help me help us help. You find this guy. Where should we look? Where can I go okay? So you put that on eight all right and now the authority claims seven just automatically and what you feel happening is the coaches.

Biofeedback sensors are really going like they’re there they’ve been confused at the moment. You also notice that at that nearby table of POD mothers, one they’ve all looked over now and and one of them, sir, seems to be like leaning in, and I’m going to take three for her as well. So now she stood up and she started to walk over and she’s leans in to the other other pod mother, and she says that well. Coach is certainly very excitable this morning and she and she looks at at the to review. Would one of you like to stand up?

You can stand up again or one of you can stand up. I said up: okay, hmm! You rolled a 700 now way to go. Octavia now. Call me cash, you can.

You can sell out a conviction right now and this will not fail ah or you take the failure. Take really is really we can take it it’s early. I hope you got your reading points. Um yeah, let’s, let’s take the failure. Okay, all right, so I turned it up and I was like my plan was go so, which was to sort of be like you always do this you’re such a suck-up, to make it seem to reinforce your plan of being like just seem like you want to Be helpful but don’t actually know anything um.

It looks like I was less successful at that than I thought and I actually look like I got up and got really mad because you always do this. You always want to ingratiate yourself by telling them everything. You know you see, this is the kind of thing they feel like if I had a bit of authority and a position of where I would be respected by my peers, you know because I’m about really one of them. You know I say peers and not really peers, but I feel like this kind of noise. I could do a lot of good like a sieve like helping sort out things coach, chimes coach, says honesty is the best policy and you feel your wrist strap begin to tighten and the pod mother leans down and says.

Is there something you’d like to share mr

Willoughby would you like to be helpful and when she says that hands come down on all of your shoulders from the six helpers that have just arrived and have clamped down on your shoulders? That’S the end of our first scene, okay, so we clear off the schedule, like my struggle board alright, and now we move on to sing fighting yeah. I want to set scene, we need to put in a beat. I like the idea of discovery, but I’m not sure how us getting caught like how to set up something where we fight back. Could we do?

Could we run a scene where we try to convince them? That’S surely there’s no way that we Amy we sweet Octavia pupae that will be playing early right right right. I could have look at the damage done. Bells are so frames like. Are we going to try to work it like?

Yes, you’ve discovered, we know something, but we know what happened. The pot matter killed that dude we’re going to accuse the pot. I think that’s enough. I mean, I think, what and we’ll discover it in the storytelling. So we have, you have to pick and a shorty figure or a friendship, question: okay, pertinent!

So yeah, that’s one more easy, yeah, but I mean this scene. I guess is about the pod mother. That were great, don’t go in this on her. She have a name. Her name is mama Nana.

Every pod mother is called mama, but just she I’m, like a yeah II, didn’t think it’s like she watches mama Jean mama, Jean okay, yeah they’re, all called mama, with the name uh she’s, the mother of my pod, or she, oh, where you hear the body. So we could make it about that friendship question. Actually that makes a lot more sense. This scene is about that friendship question. Where did you hide the body?

And the answer goes in that person’s mom and closet? Oh, my god, and little others: okay, alright, alright, uh! So setting the scene they’ve now taken the three of us out of the lunchroom. It’S maybe been a couple hours that they just like. Let us sit in cooler heels as they search like, probably starting at our quarters and going outwards, and they you know fairly quickly.

They they must have gotten to a certain pod mother’s room, because we are sitting. I like that. We’Re sitting in that room and we hear a scream and I bar the door, nice, and we know that there aren’t cameras in this one room because of they usually be interrogation room, but our PDAs are probably recording. Probably I really hope the stories about mom and Jeanne losing aren’t true yeah Willoughby. I really I would be devastated if anyone were to find out.

I mean mom and Jean is my pod mother. You know we have a very special relationship and I I don’t want her supervisors to know how stressed and volatile she really is. I am worried about her kids. Just try not to say anything again what you trying to help me act Octavia. I think we all have to hwacha mama Jean to get the help she so clearly needs mama Jean has helped the help is with mama Jean.

Are you following me? Octavia, I’m going to start a struggle, the door some door tries to open and I can’t – and there is a and there’s a banging on the door, children, children, let your mama, I immediately leap up and like on both the door and let you in and we’re Gon na struggle enough, I guess there’s no struggle Bob, we’ll just for going to keep the door in or the struggle of that door was the hand of the handle with shaking you just let okay, so it is okay, okay, great and so so in comes, and It’S mama G children, I’m very disappointed in you. Do you know why I’m disappointed in you? I think you do mama Jean. It breaks my heart to think that you could ever be disappointed in me.

Well, I am child and I think you need to tell me why it’s important to always tell the truth. That’S how we help others mom is starting a struggle she’s going to get you to confess. I think our hope is to stall. Mama Jean doesn’t know the body is in her room, but we do. All we have to do is hold out until helpers come from mama, Jean okay, so mama Jean comes over and she puts her puts her arms around you and she strokes your strokes, your hair and she says Claire you’re, always you’ve always been such a good girl.

You’Re, oh you’re, so helpful. You set such a good example for all the other children who need help. I know you can help me child and, and she reaches into her pocket and and she leans back and she’s got a small syringe and she starts to unscrew. The cover on the syringe, okay, all right – yes, okay, okay, great, so go ahead and roll okay, all right! So uh you roll the ten all right, so you’re going to claim ten right, and what are you using is your things?

Are you using so I’m gon na I’m gon na use trusted okay, great, you trusted. How does trust it work? I’M gon na make me vomit I’m going to offered to inject myself. Oh mom and Jean you. You know I would never.

I mean you’re, my pod mother, I do try other I I will you know G. Is this what you want me to do? Mama Gina. I absolutely will for you. Let me help you and she starts rolling up so she’s not giving it up right, but she starts rolling up you’re rolling up her sleeve.

She claims seven canoeing at a seven and then she’s also going to claim three on on this side. Okay, I’m gon na ruin our whole game, but but I can’t ending up okay. What do you do? I don’t know write out your role. Okay, I didn’t know again.

New role deserve a new role. Seven now you can go ruin and you really do. Are you? Okay, alright, you can sell out please leave for half an hour yeah that one something I’m gon na show up what a bad, because it was perfect tonight. Cal confer a bread note if you sell out to perverse offer to do it.

You do the injection! Please you’ve always wanted to try it, and this this would mean that we get our hope right this way for the rest of this game, because yeah this means we win the scene yeah, so yep, okay, um, I’m I’m selling out okay, which one you’re selling out Ahead and sell out bad too perverse. Okay, you tell me how you now, you narrate how you use bad to stop this from happening. Go thanks and exit out of her hand and digging her own arm. Oh that’s great!

Okay, okay right! So you you come in and beat them before. Mama Jean even knows what’s happening right, it’s on her hand and she looks as it comes out and it goes right right into her. Her pupils dialate and she leaves then – and she goes. I hate you you’re a filthy little and you knew King insubordinate worthless and her voice gets louder and louder and louder.

And now a couple of other mothers come in and and mama Jean what’s wrong and she starts just spouting out all of the terrible things about all of the different mamas and all the different things that they do and while she’s and everyone is kind of just Paralyzed by this right and and and while, while this happens, the one of the the helpers comes in right and and through the mask you just hear we found the body. The body is in mama Jean that doesn’t it’s about. It was in mama, Jean’s closet, all along yeah. You guys, I think, we’re going to win and right and I’m the only hopeful characters in America. They are, and they all look and they all all of everyone gasps so that they’ll guess and they’ll look at the mama Jean and the helpers descend on mama, Jean and sort of like drag her out out out of the room not seeing in the senior senator.

Yes, my dad is blacked out forever. Now, I’m just learning it a watch. Madness is that I just destroyed that woman’s life and it was awesome. Yeah yeah, that’s great, that’s great [, Music ]! So alright!

So the question: do you take down the system from inside or do you get outside of this facility and work to take it down from another location, [, Music, ]? So now we’re in scene three scene: three is when things are heating up, tension mounts and the stakes get higher. Matt you get to set this scene, so you need a friendship question or an authority figure all right. Let’S do what was your question to me? Why did you let me do it?

Why am i killing you? Let’S, let’s talk about that question? Let’S do that question. Let’S say it’s a little bit later: okay and let’s say: there’s a new George Thorogood and destroy it bad to the bone side to Octavia’s. It sort of freaks us all out a little bit: okay and there’s a new mama who’s, real bad mama.

New mama’s name is mama bella Jennings mama June, okay, great okay, mama tree, and your notion is there’s this. This is the start of the scene. You say we should kill her great go. I don’t know what you guys think is a better idea. Literally, anything is a better idea.

Two dead bodies out of the same pod in the same month is going to look real bad, I’m not comfortable with murder. As a strategy, we need an alternative. I don’t know if you’ve noticed what they’re doing to it know if you’ve noticed what happened to you you, this was an accident that has now become your go to solution. While you are having this conversation, the TV that is in every room, flickers up right on the screen, it’s the daily shame. It comes up, and it’s like this happy looking like sort of little hand right and it’s like helping hand, helps you help people to better know something better than that yeah like who’s off the top of your head.

Wow, that’s like pushy, but but you know more proactive so and and it’s the it’s the host well good evening, good evening helpers and helped. Today we discovered something shocking one of our own needs additional help. Yes, one of our pod mothers, mana gene was not very helpful at all. Let’S meet mama June and in comes mama, mama June walks onto the thing, and this is mama that you see before and she has with her sort of a brand new recruit and and the brand new crude is a kid who clearly has just been taken off Off of the street right and – and he says he says, mama June – you shall show us just exactly what skills you’ve brought. How are you going to nurture these poor children back into life and she says by showing them examples and she grabs this kid right, and you hear the sound of footsteps in the hallway outside and now the shot switches to handheld and the handheld shot comes in, And it follows mama tuning the kid down this hallway and the door to the living, like you guys, took the room to the door to the room that you guys are in like just slides, open and there’s mama June with this sort of like nameless searchin, and She throws the kid into the room and she says you’re so good and strong and helpful help help this child learn how he can be helpful and I am starting a struggle.

She wants you guys to subjugate and and and humiliate and beat this kid because she wants you to know where you stand in this thing, because you’ve forgotten what your place is. What’S your hope, our hope is we get the kid out of the room without hurting him? What happens if we don’t? Can we get no you’re jumping in yeah, okay, good, you stand up stand up 11 and I’m going to go with, I suspect, sneaky. Okay, mama Jane and I’m trying to make this sort of so that the cameras can’t hear.

But absolutely so the cameras can hear I know you’re fairly new to the facility, but we’re both defectors and all three of us are defective rated, and that means we’re not allowed to implement court martial punishments, the violation and sections a baby budgeted yada. Yes – and I would hate if your first act of mother dumb to this pot would be happening, result in a televised violation of rules in the river tiber, so I’m trying to so she she was. You know you’ve managed to like she was pushing you in to go and then beat up on this kid right. So she turns to you – and she says your best respect your mama and then the kid on the floor looks up and says, help me please, and one of the helpers starts to reach for something in its pocket. Who will stand up, go you’re, standing up?

Okay, so I have rolled a 9 okay, all right which of your convictions. Will you use? I will use. I have no idea, I am. I am a teenager, yes um, but like I have to have a way to play one of these things and I can’t think of a way to play cool with an adult.

You know what I mean like I’m going to help you. I help you. Okay, it’s not it’s not a helper! Okay, it’s another kid and that kid is like what is get is getting ready to go. Okay, alright!

Alright, then Claire is going to swoop in yeah, I’m like, oh really, oh you’re, gon na you’re gon na. Do the stun gun now yeah, I mean it’s kind of early in a bit you’re new right you’re, like I don’t think I’ve seen your hair before usually we’re worth like. You, don’t really kind of jump like that. Like that, that’s a little, he looks a recce super blushes yeah like majorly blushes and then just looks around you just get up yeah and then just and then just just looks around like. Doesn’T he kind of doesn’t know what to do?

You can sense that he’s kind of stuck kind of in between things and and you’ve managed to hold him off now. These cameras come around and there’s like so there’s one sort of being handheld and the other one’s kind of like on drone. Now it’s circling around and you can tell that it is really getting close like close shots on all of you guys, and you can hear like it’s winding up. Something is winding up in this camera. Who’S going to stand out.

Okay go come on seven. That is not a seven right, that’s good for you! That’S a nice so who had a nine year old, a nine cool you’re, not cool all right yeah. So I to my own incredible shock. I grabbed one of the cameras and just smoothly say we are proud to take on this mission on behalf of the the mothers and we are now taking this kid into our custody.

Thank you very much for tuning in and I turn them off. Oh, that is cool. That’S super cool! Okay, I’m out of body like I don’t even know what I just said. I got into a sociopath, so you guys you guys get him and what and as as their mama June is, is looking at this and the kid who had the the kid who’s now in skipped, the kids, a kick-ass security, kid who’s got the Taser in his Hand look looks at you guys and and just zaps mama June, with the with the days urgh.

Ah, and he looks you guys and he goes run right on kid and that’s the end of scene. Three