Masters of Mind-Chess (shortened to MoMC throughout this booklet) is a player-versus-player

tabletop role playing game. One player takes the role of the Judge, who arbitrates the rules and
breaks ties in a Vote (explained later), and every other player takes on the role of a Mastermind, a
genius competing with other Masterminds to achieve their goals.

You don’t need to be a genius to play a Mastermind, and if anything ‘imaginative idiot’ is the ideal
mental state with which to approach this game.

As you play, Masterminds will engage in mental clashes called Matches, where they invent opposing
narratives called Moves in an attempt to achieve the outcomes they desire.

You will need:

♟ A deck of cards.
♟ At least 3 players. MoMC is ideally played with 5 players.
♟ Paper and writing implements, including three strips of paper per player.
♟ Six-sided dice. One per player.
Designed for One-Shots
MoMC is designed for ‘one-shot’ games, where the players begin and end a story in a single session,
and do not return to that same narrative again.

However, this booklet comes with a number of different ‘Scenarios’ the players
can play, and fans of MoMC can return to play different storylines as
different characters.

Playing the Game 4

The Match 5
Check 9
Winning the Match 10
Conditions 11
Setting up the Game 3. Choose Edges &
To set up a session of MoMC, first gather a
Objectives
Based on the chosen Scenario, each
group of players, then go through the following
Mastermind then designs three Edges, and
steps:
gets given one Objective. Edges are secret
advantages each Mastermind holds, and
1. Choose the Judge
Objectives provide the background and goal of
One member of the group must be the Judge,
each Mastermind for the session. What kind of
who acts as narrator, adjudicator of the rules,
Edges and Objectives are available is defined
and tie-breaker. The rest will play Masterminds,
by the Scenario. Example Scenarios and their
characters of genius-level intellect competing to
Objectives and Edges are on page 14-16.
outsmart one another.

2. Choose the Scenario 4. Create your

The players then choose a Scenario, which Mastermind
is the narrative frame in which the session Each player then creates their Mastermind,
of MoMC will be played. An example of a choosing a name, appearance, personality and
Scenario might be a police interrogation, or background that corresponds to the Scenario
a dinner party between competing family and the Objective they have been given.
members. MoMC comes with pre-made
Scenarios, but the players can also invent their 5. Set Mind Points to 6
own Scenario. Each player then sets their Mind Points to 6.
Mind Points can be tracked with a six-sided die
Some Scenarios come with Rules of or counters. Mind Points are fully explained on
Engagement, which are narrative constraints page 13.
that all Masterminds must abide by.
6. Give out voting cards
Lastly, the Judge gives each Mastermind two
playing cards, one red and one black, which
players use for voting.

Once all of this is set up, you’re ready to play!

It is suggested that each player has a means to

take notes before the game begins.

Edge 11
Checkmate 12
Winning the Game 12
Mind Points 13
Scenarios 14
 Playing the Game Actions
On each of their turns, a Mastermind must
Once the session has been set up, the game commit an Action, where they simply narrate
begins! The Judge may first deliver an opening what their Mastermind is doing at that
narration to set the scene for the Scenario, as moment. An Action can be any personal act
well as going over any Rules of Engagement the Mastermind could perform, provided
that come with it. it doesn’t have any negative effect on
another Mastermind (including the people
Play is broken down into turns in MoMC,
and resources under their control). An Action
much like a board game.
can be something as innocuous as drinking tea
Which Mastermind has their turn first is to something as drastic as making a bomb.
randomly determined by the Judge at the
The Judge has final say whether an
start of each round. This can be done by the
Action would have an effect on any other
Judge rolling a die and counting clockwise
Masterminds, and can veto Actions they
from themselves, re-rolling the dice if the
think will have an effect, requiring the vetoed
number rolled is higher than the number of
Mastermind to devise a new Action.
Masterminds.
To interfere with a Mastermind in any way,
After the first player’s turn is over, each other
from tripping up their assistant to carpet
Mastermind takes their turn in clockwise order.
bombing their headquarters, a player must start
Once every Mastermind has taken their turn, a
a Match against them.
round has ended, and the process repeats with
the Judge again randomly determining which Anything narratively established previously in
Mastermind takes the first turn for the new Actions can potentially be used in a Match.
round. If you used an Action to add some element to
the narrative, the Match is the point where you
At the end of each round, the Judge may go
actually put it to use against your opponents.
over what has happened so far in the narrative.
In some Scenarios, at the start of each round a
new narrative development has been prepared
Communicating Outside
for the Judge to read out. of Turns
Masterminds can communicate with each other
In each round, a Mastermind can start a and other characters in the narrative freely
Match, and on their turn, each Mastermind (unless something has been done to prevent
must commit an Action. communications), but must wait for their turn
before they can do anything more than talk.

Thinking like a Mastermind

MoMC is a game of subterfuge, with every Mastermind lying, cheating and stealing to get what they
want. Sometimes it may feel the easiest way to win will just be to cry foul and expose the underhanded
things other Masterminds are doing in the narrative, but the game can be more fun if you embrace that
everyone is playing a rogue, and try to be the best one.
In playing the role of a Mastermind, remember that your character is a complete egotist, utterly
convinced of their intellectual superiority. Sure, crying foul might help you beat your opponent, but it
won’t prove you’re smarter than them.

4
The Match Moves
Most of a Match is made up of a series of
A Match is a ‘battle of the minds’ between two what are called Moves, with each Mastermind
Masterminds, where each narrates their plans, responding to the previous Move of their
counter-plans, counter-counter-plans and so on opponent with a Move of their own.
as they attempt to manipulate events.
A ‘Move’ is a sentence or two of narration that
A Match is made up of a series of Moves a Mastermind delivers, explaining how they use
followed by a Check, at the end of which one their genius and resources to work around the
Mastermind’s plan wins out over the other. Move just narrated by their opponent.
Once each round, each Mastermind can Moves are limited only by their plausibility.
initiate a Match. This can happen whenever the A Move can invent objects and people under
Mastermind chooses. A Mastermind can either the Mastermind’s command, provided the
initiate their Match proactively, or in response player narrates how those resources are used to
to another Mastermind’s Action. achieve their ends.
For example, if a Mastermind narrates for their Action
that they drink a cup of tea, another Mastermind might examples of moves:
react to that by starting a Match with the declaration ♟ The phone call is actually a recording I
that they have laced the tea with poison. made, and I used my genius intellect to
perfectly predict how the conversation went.
Each Match begins with an Opening Move,
which then is followed by a series of Moves, ♟ I already activated it 30 minutes ago, well
until one player declares Check. These concepts before you set your counter-plan in motion.
are explained further on the follow pages. ♟ The human head has a similar weight to a
bowling ball - by completely relaxing my
The Mastermind who makes the Opening neck muscles, my head drops so fast it avoids
Move and begins the Match is referred to as the the horizontal slash!
Aggressor. Their opponent is referred to as the
Defender. Each Move must respond to the Move
proceeding it. A Move can’t respond to
something said several Moves ago, or in a
previous Match, although past acts can be
incorporated into your narration of how you
respond to the previous Move.

When a Mastermind thinks their opponent

has just made a flawed Move, they declare
“Check!” instead of making a new Move.
Check is fully explained on page 9.

A Mastermind can’t use the same Move

more than once in a Match. If you think it
would be advantageous to use the same Move
again, consider instead declaring Check. If you
have to repeat yourself, it could be that your
opponent has just used a Move that contradicts
something you’ve already established, and
therefore has a fatal flaw.

5
 The Opening Move Moves & Narrative
The first Move of any Match is called the Each Move becomes something that the
Opening Move, in which the goal of the Mastermind has actually done within
Aggressor is established. the narrative, except the Losing Move.

The Opening Move is important and unique The Losing Move

as it establishes what is being fought over in the The Losing Move is the Move that must
Match. In a Match, the Aggressor is attempting become untrue after Check for the winning
to make their Opening Move come to fruition, Mastermind to have succeeded. The Losing
while the Defender is attempting to thwart it. Move will always be the last Move the losing
player made in a Match.
An Opening Move must establish not just
what the effect will be, but also how it will be
Failing to make a Move
achieved in the narrative.
If a player takes too long to make a Move,
For example, for an Opening Move you couldn’t just
the Judge can force things to go to Check to
say “I cut them off from their financial assets.” as that
prevent the game from stalling. If a Forced
lacks any narrative context as to how. If you wanted to
Check happens, the Move the player failed to
achieve that effect, the Opening Move could be “I signal
make is discarded, and anything they did say is
my agents within the National Bank to fabricate an
discounted from the narrative.
unresolvable ‘suspicious trading’ notice on my opponent’s
bank account, causing it to be frozen indefinitely.” When Forced Check happens, it is treated as if
the player who failed to make a Move has had
example of opening moves:
Check declared against them, meaning their
♟ (In response to another Mastermind describing their
opponent is the first to speak during Check. As
Action as “I go over to one of my agents and tell
such, when forced into Check the player who
them to prepare for phase two of my plan”) The
failed to make a Move is at a disadvantage. It’s
person they think they’ve just gone over
often better to make a bad Move than no Move.
to talk to is actually one of my agents in
disguise, meaning the order for ‘phase two’
doesn’t go out and I have an idea of what
they’re up to.
♟ (Having just described their Action as “I invite the
class president to sit down and play a game of chess The Three Fillers Rule
with me”) I switch the place of two pieces to Judging whether a player has taken too long
give myself a decisive advantage in the game to add another Move and the Match should
while the president is distracted. moved to Check can be difficult. A good trick
♟ I walk up to Yagami, pull out my gun, aim it for the Judge to use is the ‘three fillers rule’,
at their chest and pull the trigger. where if a player says three filler words such as
“er”, “um”, “uhh”, or “hmm”, the Judge forces
the Match to go to Check.

6
 Match Steps:
1. A Mastermind makes an Opening Move, either on their Turn or in response to another player’s
Action.
2. The Defender makes a Move in response to their opponent’s previous Move.
3. The Aggressor makes a Move in response to their opponent’s previous Move.
4. Steps 2 and 3 repeat until, instead of making a Move, a player decides to declare Check.
5. The players go through the process of Check, with the player who declared the Check being the first
to make the case as to why they have won the Match.
6. If the Aggressor wins the Check, the Judge may give the Defender a Condition based on the narrative
of the Match.
7. The winner of the Match may then declare Checkmate.
8. The players go through the process of Checkmate, with the player who declared the Checkmate
being the first to make the case as to why they have defeated their opponent.
9. If the player who declared the Checkmate wins the Checkmate, their opponent is removed from the
game. If the player who declared the Checkmate loses, their opponent may give them a Condition
based on the narrative of the Checkmate.

Example of a Match
The following is an example of a Match held in an interrogation chamber, including the Action it starts
in response to, between Adam the aggressor and Dasha the defender.
Dasha: For my Action, I’m going to make and drink a cup of tea.
Adam: I have slipped ingestible truth serum into their tea!
Dasha: Ah, but I’ve made my own tea from the set in this room just now - at no point did I take my eyes
off of it, so there was no opportunity to slip any poison in.
Adam: Actually, I broke into the cupboard last night, and switched the tea bags to ones that contain my
truth serum.
Dasha:To ward against the possibility of such poisoning, I bring my own tea bags with me.
Adam: Check! (Adam flips over their red voting card) This is an interrogation chamber and we’ve already
established everyone was thoroughly searched before they entered, with any foreign objects taken by the
guards - a smuggled-in tea bag would have been found and disposed of.
Dasha: (Dasha flips over their black voting card, the opposing colour) Security here is lax enough that
you could break in last night - you think I can’t smuggle in this little tea bag?
Adam: Aha, but I have an Edge. (Adam reveals one of their Edges, ‘A spy within security’). I have a spy
working for me - I would have messaged them to thoroughly search you, finding the tea bag.
The other two Masterminds vote on who they think has won this Match. It is a tie, with Adam and
Dasha getting one vote each.The Judge thinks it over, and decides that Adam’s use of an Edge would
cinch it. Adam wins the Match, and Dasha gets the Condition ‘dosed with truth serum’. Dasha’s last
move, smuggling their tea bag past security, becomes the Losing Move, meaning it didn’t succeed: they
attempt to smuggle the tea bag, but it was caught and confiscated by security.
 Awareness of Moves Factoid Moves
Thanks to their superior abilities of prediction, For a Move, you can introduce a ‘factoid’, an
each Mastermind is always aware of the obscure piece of information that if true would
Moves their opponent is making, even if help you to succeed.
those Moves aren’t visible to them.
The information in a Factoid Move doesn’t
This awareness, however, stops short of the have to actually be true, but what matters is
Move that proceeds a Losing Move. The how true it sounds. If a player declares Check
Losing Move represents a Mastermind either against a Factoid Move, they may argue that
overestimating their abilities and failing to the factoid presented is too implausible to be
counter something they anticipated, or failing true.
to account for it in the first place.

Example of a Factoid
Getting Creative with Move
Moves In the narrative, two competing Masterminds
are playing poker.
The only constraints on what kind of Move you
Adam: I read the movements of my opponent’s
can make are:
eyes to tell if they have any winning sets, giving
♟ It must respond to the previous Move. me an advantage in the game.
♟ The more logical and possible a Move is, the Dasha: Aha, but I anticipate this, and fake my
more likely it is to win if taken to Check. eye movements to trick them.
There are many creative ways by which a Adam: Rapid eye patterns are an involuntary
Mastermind can make a Move. The following reflex, based on the ‘camera’ of the eye
are just some examples of how a player can get registering patterns - even if you perform fake
creative. ones, they’ll come after genuine movements!
The last Move is a Factoid Move.
Moves and Time
When narrating them, Moves can be described
to have happened in the past, present, or even
the future. Most commonly Moves will be
narrated to have happened in the past, often
explaining plans and counter-plans to assure
their victory in the present.

Moves narrated to be happening in the present

will often be physical actions.

Moves narrated to be happening in the future

are rare, and you cannot use a Move set in
the future to make your victory in the present
inevitable, but they can be used to explain your
or someone’s actions in the present.
For example, for a Move you might explain that you are
convincingly appearing as terrified not because you’re
at the mercy of your opponent (as you want them to
believe so they’ll lower their guard), but because you have
dosed yourself with a poison that will kill you in a few
minutes if you don’t get the antidote.

8
Fighting as a Mastermind Check
A Match can encompass a physical altercation
between two Masterminds. As beings with Check is the moment where a fatal flaw is
superior intellect, they are able to achieve revealed in one of the Mastermind’s plans.
superhuman levels of physical precision and During Check, each competing player is trying
preparation. In a fight, a player could use to argue why their plans are superior to their
Moves like: opponent’s plans.
♟ I use my knowledge of this Walther pistol to When a Mastermind thinks the Move their
precisely aim so that, with recoil, the bullet opponent made had a flaw in it, instead of
will be aimed at my opponent’s dead centre, making a Move they can instead declare
giving me the optimal chance of hitting “Check!”.
them.
♟ I target my strike to hit the nerve cluster at When a Match goes to Check, the player
the base of the spine, which will cause brief who declared the Check first flips over one of
paralysis, meaning I’ll be able to win the their voting cards as part of declaring Check.
fight with ease. They then state how they think they’ve won
the Match by pointing out a flaw in their
The Discouraged ‘OP opponent’s last Move, such as it contradicting
one or several previous Moves, its logically
Move’ impossibility, or the huge improbability of it
An OP Move (short for OverPowered) attempts
succeeding. Their opponent must remain
to defeat the previous Move by saying that one
silent during this.
already-introduced element in the narrative
turns out to simply be ‘stronger’ than another The opponent then flips over their voting card
element that negated it. of the alternate colour. They then can argue
their case against the supposed flaw in their
An example of an OP Move would be to
last Move. The player who declared the
say ‘actually my poison is stronger than your
Check must remain silent during this.
immunity to poison’.
After both cases have been made, either
An OP Move can be undone simply by the
player may reveal an Edge and explain how
player it is being used on given the same retort
it gives an advantage to their narrative.
in reverse: ‘actually my immunity to poison is
Edges are explained fully on page 11.
stronger than your very strong poison’.
Otherwise, neither player can reveal new
Given no Move can be made twice in one information during Check.
Match, players can’t fall into a loop of saying
All remaining players (excluding the Judge) then
X is stronger than Y and Y is stronger than X,
submit one of their voting cards to the Judge
so OP Moves resolve themselves by the above
to vote on which player’s narrative is the most
process and there is no need for the Judge to
sound. Which colour card they submit is based
interfere if they are used.
on the colour of the face-up voting card of the
OP Moves are not ‘banned’ - no one has player they wish to vote for. If the vote is a tie,
‘broken the rules’ by using them, but they waste the Judge decides the winner.
time and cheapen the narrative in pursuit of
Winning Check cannot directly result in
an easy and unimaginative victory, and as such
the defeat of another Mastermind. If
players are discouraged from using them.
you believe the consequences of your victory
mean your opponent is bested once and for all,
you must declare “Checkmate!” after Check.
Checkmate is explained on page 12.

9
 Check Steps:
1. Rather than make a Move, declare “Check!”.
2. Flip one of your voting cards over.
3. Make your case as to why the previous Move was flawed and you should win the Match.
4. Your opponent flips their voting card over with the alternate colour.
5. Your opponent makes their case defending their Move, and why instead they should win.
6. All other players then vote on the winner of the Check.
7. If there is a tie in the vote, the Judge determines the winner.
8. The last Move of the losing player becomes the Losing Move and is counted as having failed in its
goal in the narrative.
9. The losing player may gain a Condition dictated by the winning player, based on narrative of the
Match.The Condition is usually determined by the Opening Move.
10. The Match ends.

Forced Check Winning the Match

As explained in Failing To Make A Move on
page 6, if a player can’t think up a Move, If the Aggressor won the Match, a Condition
the Judge can force the Match to go to Check. will be imposed upon the Defender, likely
based on the Opening Move. Conditions are
When this happens, the Mastermind who failed explained on the next page.
to think of a Move is counted as having the
Check declared against them, and the other If the Defender won the Match, the threat is
player will be the first to flip over one of their dealt with but nothing else happens.
voting cards and make their case for why they
However, if they sense an opportunity for
have won the Match.
a counterattack in the series of Moves just
described, the Defender may choose to use their
Mind Points to Riposte their opponent. Riposte
is explained fully on page 13.
Conditions Each Scenario provides categories that each of
your three Edges must fulfil, but beyond that
Conditions are the narrative effects forced upon what each Edge is will be determined by the
a Mastermind when they lose a Match in which player.
they were the Defender. A Condition is usually For example, for a Scenario where the Edges are ‘a
determined by the Opening Move, but it is personal skill’, ‘a personal aide’, and ‘an object’, at
possible during the Moves of a Match that the the start of a game a player might write ‘mastery of
nature of the Condition will change. At the end the martial arts’, ‘a world-class surgical team’, and ‘a
of a Match, if a Condition is being applied, the skeleton key’.
Judge has final word on what that Condition is.
Removing Revealed Edges
Conditions remain throughout the session and Once an Edge has been revealed, it can be
can only be removed by using Mind Points to used repeatedly. However, as a resource under
Recover. your control, any Mastermind may attempt to
remove it with a Match.
examples of conditions:
♟ Under the effects of truth serum What kind of Opening Move would remove an
♟ Broken wrist Edge depends on the narrative context. If the
♟ Personal bank vault is sealed shut Edge is a person or group of people, murder,
kidnapping or blackmail might be used. If it is
an object, theft or destruction could work. For
Edge more abstract Edges, more creative methods
An Edge is a secret asset belonging to a may need to be devised.
Mastermind. It might be a skill they hold, a
If a player with a revealed Edge loses a Match
person or team in their employ, an object,
where they were protecting that Edge, instead
something unique about their physiology, or
of gaining a Condition, the Edge is removed
anything else that provides a hidden advantage.
from the game and can no longer be used.
Unless you want to deliberately weaken your
position (which can be fun!) Edges are always
assumed to be a rare, highest quality version of
whatever they are.

At the start of a game, each player secretly

writes down three Edges on three separate
slips of paper, and keeps them face down or
otherwise concealed from the other players.

Edges are used during Check. After each player

has made their case that they have won the
Match, either can reveal one of their Edges and
explain how it would have made their Moves
more effective. Edges don’t directly affect how
a Match will go down, but using them can help
sway voting players (and the Judge in the event
of a tie) to agree with your narrative over that
of your opponent.

You can choose to reveal your Edges outside of

Check, but generally it is disadvantageous to
do so.

11
 Checkmate Losing a Checkmate you
After you win a Match, you can choose to
declared
If the Mastermind who declared the
immediately declare “Checkmate!” against
Checkmate loses, their opponent can give
the Mastermind you just had a Match with.
them a Condition, representing their opponent
This is the only point at which you can
striking the Mastermind while their guard is
declare Checkmate.
lowered due to being convinced of their victory.
When you declare Checkmate, you make the The Condition must reflect the nature of the
case that your opponent has been completely Checkmate.
defeated, referring to their Conditions and For example, if Checkmate was declared because a
other events in the narrative to justify your Mastermind thought they had physically bested their
points. The Defender must stay silent while you opponent, the opponent could give them the Condition of
make your case. “a slashed tendon” as they make a surprise attack before
escaping.
What ‘defeat’ will look like will depend on the
Scenario and your Objective. A Condition given this way can be vetoed by
the Judge if the Condition seems overreaching
For example, you might argue that: in the context. Remember that generally, no
♟ You now have enough proof and leverage single Condition should be enough to put a
that your opponent has no choice but to Mastermind on the cusp of defeat.
confess to their crimes and surrender to the
police. Acting out defeat
Masterminds are supreme egotists, utterly
♟ You’ve successfully cut off your opponent
convinced of their intellectual superiority and
from all of their financial, military, and
the certainty of victory. When that conviction is
political assets, and so can launch an assault
broken, a Mastermind’s great ego is shattered,
on their headquarters with no risk of failure.
and their defeats should be proportionally
After you have made your case, the Defender dramatic.
then can make any counters against the points
When a Mastermind is defeated, their player
the Aggressor has argued. The Aggressor must
narrates their own downfall. Let losing be fun!
stay silent while you make your counterpoints.
Perhaps their Mastermind makes a deranged
Like voting during Check, each Mastermind speech about how society will collapse if they
in the Checkmate flips over a voting card of are locked away, or the player describes how
opposing colour, and the remaining players they were so convinced of victory that they lose
(excluding the Judge) submit one of their voting their grip on reality and begin to hallucinate.
cards to the Judge to vote on which player’s Your downfall shouldn’t negatively
narrative is the most sound. If the vote is a tie, impact other Masterminds.
the Judge decides the winner.

Winning the Game

How a session of MoMC ends depends on the Scenario, but will involve at least one Mastermind
being defeated in Checkmate. A ‘battle royale’-style Scenario would likely end with a single
Mastermind remaining, with all others defeated, while a ‘whodunit’-style Scenario could end with a
single Mastermind defeated.

Ultimately the Judge decides when the session is over based on the narrative context. With the
winning Mastermind(s) input, the Judge should narrate how the story comes to a close.
12
Mind Points The following are all the ways
you can use Mind Points:
Masterminds are beings of superhuman
intellect, which affords them a level of control Rally
over their physiology and neurology beyond If you have already held your one Match of a
normal people. Mind Points represent a round, you can Rally and start another Match.
Mastermind using this control to ‘overclock’
their body and brain to achieve greater results. Recover
When you would take your Action, you can
The standard narrative explanation for what Recover, removing a Condition you are
happens when a Mastermind uses their currently under.
Mind Points is that they briefly use 100% of
their brain, but you can narrate your own Beware! When you Recover, you are still
explanation such as controlling your body’s performing an Action, meaning another
release of adrenaline to briefly achieve player may initiate a Match in response, just
superhuman strength. as they could to a normal Action. Based on
the narrative outcome of such Matches, it
Each Mastermind starts each session with is possible you may end up retaining the
6 Mind Points, which they can track with a Condition you wanted to remove, and/or
six-sided die. Whenever you use a Mind Point gaining a new one.
ability, first roll a six-sided dice and compare
the number rolled to your remaining Mind
Riposte
Points. If the number rolled is equal to or lower
At the end of a Match where you were the
than your current Mind Points, reduce your
Defender, you can Riposte, starting a Match
Mind Points by 1 then use the ability.
against the Mastermind who just attacked you.
If the number rolled is higher than your
For a Riposte, your Opening Move must be
remaining Mind Points, you lose the game as
responding to one of the Moves your opponent
your Mastermind burns out, causing them to
made in the Match just held, except for the
suffer irreparable damage that renders them
Losing Move.
incapacitated for the remainder of the story.
Riposting starts a new Match where you are
This system means that each player can use
the Aggressor, meaning it is possible for a
their first Mind Point with no risk, but once
Mastermind to Riposte a Riposte.
their amount of Mind Points is lowered to 5, it
becomes increasingly dangerous to use a Mind
Point again.

Ignoring Mind Points

The Mind Point system works as an additional
layer of complexity on top of MoMC’s core
system of the Match, and it can be removed
without affecting the rest of the game.
If they are short on time for a MoMC session,
or want the game to be simpler, the players
can elect to discard the Mind Point system.

13
 Scenarios
The follow three pages each contain a pre-made Scenario that you play for a session of MoMC. Or
you can use them as inspiration to create your own!

Ascendant Fist of Mars

Introduction: Rules of Engagement:
It is the year 2345. Your glorious nation has ♟ Currently there is no communication back
been the first to make human footfall on the red to Earth, but at the end of the sixth Round,
planet, and yours shall be the foot with which communication will be re-established. When
they mark their supremacy. Or at least, that is that happens, any surviving Masterminds
the plan. must have cleaned up their messes and
cemented any alliances. The Judge can track
To make the trip, Earth’s most powerful nations the Rounds with a six-sided die.
have had to combine their resources, and each
♟ There are no weapons on Ares 1. A
has sent a single astronaut to travel in the space
Mastermind who wants to be armed will
vessel Ares 1. This presents a problem: your
need to create them.
nation alone is truly deserving of winning this
millennium’s space race. ♟ With no oversight or legal constraints,
Masterminds can be as direct as they want
Ares 1’s communication system has been when trying to eliminate one another,
sabotaged (you believe by your own nation), including fighting with their bare hands.
and won’t finish self-repair for six Martian days. ♟ However, you are all living on the same
That’s six days to remove all your rivals, and vessel, Ares 1. Openly trying to kill your
establish yourself as the ‘sole survivor’ of this rivals in front of everyone else may see them
expedition. gang up and eliminate you first.
Fortunately, your nation sent the best of the ♟ Outside Ares 1, Mars is a poisonous
best. You are a genius, a master of the martial wasteland with little atmosphere. Leaving
arts, and a genetically augmented supersoldier. Ares 1 without a space suit or other life
Unfortunately, every other nation did too. support is a death sentence.

Quietly eliminate your rivals one by one in Edges:

the halls and chambers of Ares 1 while they A martial arts technique. A secret
attempt to do the same. Be the victor who technique or physique achieved through martial
makes the call back to Earth announcing that arts, such as the ability to move your organs
only you survived the trip. around inside your body, or innately knowing
where someone’s pressure points are.
Objectives:
Every Mastermind has the same Objective in The special ability of an animal. You
this Scenario: prevent all other Masterminds have been genetically enhanced to have the
from being able to claim they made it to Mars, special ability of any animal you choose, such
by any means necessary: murder, sabotage, as the speed of a mantis shrimp or fangs of a
coercion, you name it. There are no laws on the venomous snake. This can be a made-up ability.
red planet.
A technologically-advanced device. A
small device that can create an effect from
science fiction, such as a teleporter. It cannot be
a weapon.

14
Jet-Black Wedding Feast: Heirs to Ixilon
Introduction: Rules of Engagement:
Your grotesque father, King Ixilon VII, is dying. ♟ If the King dies before any one of you is in
Only yesterday he revealed the secret to you position to seize power, the throne will pass
and your step-siblings that he will not live to see to his nitwit firstborn son Shaddaham, who
the sunrise. will immediately use the royal guards to
expel you from the country.
Ixilon is little more than an animal, and it is
♟ Getting caught for a criminal or immoral
high time someone with dignity and ambition
act will be punished with your title being
leads the country: that someone is you. The
revoked and the loss of your ability to win
only thing standing in your way are the siblings
the throne. The King has no intention of
gifted with similar intellect but lacking your
allowing someone who can’t keep their plots
vision and moral centre.
secret to inherit.
You are Heirs to Ixilon, gathered here at ♟ Mere accusations of criminal or immoral
the royal palace for his wedding to his 32nd acts won’t be counted. Direct proof will
concubine. The marriage is a sham: Ixilon is need to be presented in the middle of the
too decrepit to consummate and the woman is wedding feast.
just a confused scullery maid. This entire thing ♟ Only other Heirs who are Masterminds (i.e.
has been arranged so that Ixilon can watch his players) need to be defeated to ascend the
‘rightful’ Heir seize power before he croaks. throne - the ungifted heirs are not a threat.
Each Mastermind will play an Heir who has led ♟ Checkmate for an Heir is anything that
a storied life of warfare, arts, politics, and any removes them from being an inheritor:
other endeavours you wish to mention. Each dying, surrendering their right to the throne,
Heir’s goal is the same: to topple their similarly disappearing, exile, and so on.
gifted siblings and take power before sunrise.
Edges:
Each of you has your own private army ready A personal skill. A personal skill or quality
to seize the capital - the only problem is each of you have cultivated, such as a perfect physique,
you has your own private army, so no one a gut immune to poison, or a beautiful face.
has a military advantage over the other. You’ll
need to use your powers of genius intellect to A specialist aide. A trusted person or small
take out the other Heirs before you order the group who has a special skill, such as a master
attack and take the throne. of poisons, an expert team of surgeons, or a
sniper.
Objectives: A magical protection. Ixilon has had you all
Every Mastermind has
make you put a drop of blood into a magical
the same Objective in
urn, which has in exchange given you a magical
this Scenario: prevent
gift. It must be magic that can’t directly be used
every other Heir from
offensively, and protects you in some way while
being able to inherit
being inconspicuous (ordinary people don’t
or seize power, so that
know magic exists). You cannot directly control
you can do so.
this magic, meaning you cannot turn it off. It
could be an invisible beast that attacks anyone
who harms you, or immunity to being burned
by flames.

15
Serial Killers Anonymous
Introduction: Objectives:
Every Thursday evening from 7pm to Each Mastermind is randomly and secretly
10pm, the serial killers gather at the Sidcup assigned their role by the Judge. One
Community Centre for the weekly meeting of Mastermind must be The Baptist, one must be
Serial Killers Anonymous (SKA). The energy The Bloodhound, then each additional player
is high tonight: rumour is that The Baptist, the is either a Copycat Killer or Outsider Detective
Mozart of mass-murder, is secretly attending. (randomly determined by the Judge). Each role
determines a Mastermind’s Objective. Every
The Bloodhound is a relentless detective who Mastermind also has the Objective of keeping
has pursued The Baptist across the globe, and their identity secret.
has slipped in amongst the killers in a desperate
attempt to catch their foe. The Baptist’s Objective is to eliminate The
Bloodhound.
Meanwhile, Outsider Detectives from different
The Bloodhound’s Objective is to uncover
departments and agencies have similarly snuck
who The Baptist is, and force a confession out
into SKA hoping for a bust, along with Copycat
of them.
Killers aiming to take The Baptist’s crown.
Any Copycat Killer’s Objective is to
Rules of Engagement: eliminate The Baptist and assume their identity.
♟ This Scenario requires at least 3 players. Any Outsider Detective’s Objective is to
♟ SKA has a strict rule that everyone must force a confession out of a Mastermind killer.
remain anonymous and non-confessional.
Discussion of killing must be done through Edges:
coded language and false (but normal) first A personal skill. A personal skill or quality
names like Steve or Janet must be used. you have cultivated, such as a perfect physique,
a gut immune to poison, or a beautiful face.
♟ Being outed as a detective (even falsely) will
result in the attendees murdering you for A personal skill. Another personal skill or
their own protection. quality you have cultivated.
♟ Similarly, if convincing proof is displayed
that you are a serial killer, you will get killed Outside specialist help. A person or group
and disappeared by the attendees, as you that can provide a special service, such as drug
represent a risk to their organisation. dealer on call or a national database.

Credits
Masters of Mind-Chess is a Dice Kapital publication.
Its illustration was funded by Shape Art’s Transforming
Leadership fund.
Writing, layout editing and design by Liam Hevey.
Editing by Harry Robertson.
Illustration by Casper Pham
Playtesting by Daniel Clarke, Shannon Kelly, and Sam
Stafford
Printed in the UK by Mixam on recycled paper.