By Ray Chou & Vincenzo Ferriero

Mythopoeia™ Story RPG

The Love Balloon

Written By
Ray Chou & Vincenzo Ferriero

Concept, Editing, and Layout

Ray Chou & Vincenzo Ferriero

Art By
Pablo Peppino & Alex Bucur

Vector Art Provided By

Verteezy.com

Inspired By
Blades in the Dark, Fiasco,
The Love Boat, & Ainori Love Bus

© 2020 Mythopoeia
www.mythopoeia.us
 WELCOME ABOARD! STYLE
The Love Balloon is a light roleplaying story FANTASY - ROMANCE - QUIRKY
game inspired by the wholesome yet in- EPISODIC - SILLY - WHOLESOME
nuendo-laden sitcoms of the late 70’s and
The game is a mix between acting and con-
early 80’s - shows like The Love Boat, Fantasy
versation. You might hop into your charac-
Island, and Three’s Company.
ter to address another character directly,
only to later hop out and describe their
In order to play, you will need the following:
actions. That’s okay! That’s how we play.
♥ 2-6 players.
♥ 1-2 hours.
♥ A handful of six-sided dice. THE ENSEMBLE
♥ A Benny, which can be anything (think
dealer chip). The Love Balloon is played with an Ensemble
♥ Some notecards and pencils. cast of six characters. Ideally, there will be
♥ Your imaginations! one player for each character, but if not,
players may have to embody multiple
characters.
THE GAME
Everyone can discuss and pitch in ideas on
In The Love Balloon, you collaborate with the
where the story should go, but it’s up to the
other players to create a story. Each of you
players acting in the scene to determine
invents a different character informed by
what happens.
a backstory and motivation. You then play
through a set number of scenes prompted
Sometimes you may bring in more char-
by story beats that will generate conflict.
acters, either in a love triangle, or just as a
presence in the scene. That’s okay, but try to
Each of the bolded terms is generated by
key the scene around two characters for best
the game* while the players fill in the rest of
results.
the details.
* tables located in the back.

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 RATING THE CHARACTERS
The Love Balloon is strictly a PG-13 The Ensemble consists of six characters:
fantasy. The game is about love - any char- one Crew Member, a pair of Guests in a
acter can fall in love with any other charac- Relationship, and a trio of Guests who are
ter. We as players have some say over who strangers.
the characters fall in love with, but so does
the roll of the dice! If compelled, love cannot be Crew Members are typecast and are a little
denied. more one-dimensional.

If a child falls for an adult, it’s an innocent Guests have both a backstory and motiva-
type of puppey love. If an adult falls for a tion that drives their involvement in the
child, it’s a platonic type of love fueled by story.
admiration, mentorship, or sympathy. Oth-
erwise, all love in the game is romantic love.

A kiss is the ultimate expression of love in

the game. Anything further is implied.

As with all roleplaying games, playing The

Love Balloon implies a social contract be-
tween all participants to respect each other
and embody the principles and spirit of the
game.

You may want to implement some sort of

safety system to abide by, especially when
playing with strangers or acquaintances.

Always remember that The Love

Balloon is about matters of the heart.
Hate has no place here.
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 HOW TO PLAY
Each game of The Love Balloon follows the same structure of play.

1. Casting
The Ensemble consists of one Crew Member, a pair of Guests in a Relationship, and three
Guests who are strangers. Players flesh out the details of their characters after picking a
crew role or backstory and motivation. Spend a couple of minutes thinking about who you
are and how you got here. Guests who are a Couple should craft their characters together.

Casting is also a good place to take a look at the Hijinks and discuss which look appealing.
After all characters are created, the Ensemble may want to introduce their characters in
conversation before moving on to Embarkment.

11. Embarkment
The characters embark on The Love Balloon by playing three scenes that explore backstories and
motivation:

1. The Crew introduces a Stranger to the ship. One shows interest in the other.
2. The Guest Couple settles in.
3. A pair of Strangers meet.

Though the order is fixed, the acting players determine where the scene takes place. Re-
member that it’s okay to talk about the scene before it happens and to hop between acting
and conversation when needed.

Afterwards, one player grabs the Benny and begins the next phase of play.

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 111. Day in the Clouds
The Cycle of Play Time to float! Characters scope out prospects
1. PLAYER WITH THE BENNY... while playing into their role, backstory, or
2. PICKS ANOTHER CHARACTER motivation. Use the Cycle of Play to enact
to enact a scene with. That player three scenes with two characters each. Each
gets to... character must feature in a scene.
3. CHOOSE THE LOCATION.
4. ROLL FOR A STORY BEAT to
determine the premise of the 1V. Port of Call
scene.
5. APPLY KARMA to determine The ship stops at an exotic locale* as roman-
how it ends. tic intentions are made known while others come
6. PLAY THE SCENE until it comes into conflict with others.
to a natural conclusion .
7. PASS THE BENNY to the next Use the Cycle of Play to enact different
nearest player who was not in the scenes on or off the ship featuring at least
scene. two characters each. Build plotlines using
story beats and karma as prompts! Develop
the story together using “Yes, and...”
improvisational principles.
* Port of Call table located in the back.
V. Night with the Stars
Each Cycle of Play corresponds with one day on the Float. Play as many cycles as you need to
develop a rich and intriguing story. Then when all players are ready, the characters gather
for one last soiree where they confront each other and make hard choices: the Night with
the Stars.The Night with the Stars is an additive scene that begins with two characters and
expands to include the entire ensemble.

During the scene, all characters confront each other and face the consequences.

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V 1. Under the Moonlight
After the Night with the Stars, the characters break off with each other and
confess their feelings under the moonlight, perhaps sharing in a first or final kiss. The
scene order and location should be foregone conclusions at this point
in the game.

V1 1. Disembarkment
The game ends with the characters
The Benny ™ leaving The Love Balloon and saying goodbye
to the Crew Member one by one or in pairs.
Before Disembarkment, the players vote on
who takes home the Benny™, the player they When the last Guest leaves, we fade to black
feel contributed most to the story. The winner as the winner of the Benny™ codifies the
of the Benny™ has the privilege of encom- theme of the episode and sings us out.
passing the message of the episode at the end
of the game and singing us out.

ENDING THE GAME

At a certain point it should become obvious to the players where the story is
going. When this happens don’t fight it! That means the rules have done their job. If you ha-
ven’t reached this point after Port of Call, add another Cycle of Play! Keep the story moving
and perhaps suggest some Hijinks to create interesting scenarios.

If your ensemble knows how to bring it home, just bring it home. If you think you have an
idea, pause and pitch your solution to others when appropriate. Usually this point happens
around the Night with the Stars. Use that scene’s story beat as a guide to come to a satisfying
ending.
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 SETTING THE SHIP
The Love Balloon takes place in a world No other airship has sailed the winds more
where airships have become the dominant than the magnificent Cloud Nine. Welcome
means of transport, commerce, and war. at any port, its guests - from Kings and
Nevermind all that though! Come embark Presidents to Celebrities and Commoners -
on the finest and most magical love balloon have attested to the ship’s magical voyages
in all of Aventine! of the heart.

LOCATIONS
LOUNGE - CASINO - BAR - BALLROOM - POOL - DECK - QUARTERS - DINING ROOM
BUFFET - THEATER - HANGAR - GYM - LIBRARY - CABINS
HALLWAY - STAIRS - CARGO - PLANES

“Come float in the clouds!”

Guests and Crew Members choose the location of a scene.

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STORY BEATS
The Story Beat helps set a premise and pur- Story Beats
pose for scenes. Roll a die randomly for a 1. ROMANCE - one character woos
Story Beat using the table to the right when another.
prompted to find out what a scene is about. 2. CROSSING - two characters come
into conflict over motivation or
Story Beats are not suggestions but backgrounds.
3. HELPING - one character tries
compulsions for the characters. Before act-
to help another with romance or
ing, the players in the scene should discuss
motivations.
how they are interpreting the Scene Beat to 4. MYSTERY - two characters
set up the scene. investigate something.
5. BACKSTORY - the backstory
If the characters are lost on how to setup of the characters guide the scene.
a scene they can ask observing players or 6. MOTIVATION - one character’s
reroll. motivation guides the scene.

KARMA
Karma helps indicate to the players when and how to end a scene. Before a scene is played,
the observing player to the left of the Benny chooses someone in the scene to either succeed
or fail.

Note that the rule explicitly denotes just one character. Karma is not zero sum: in order for
someone to succeed, the other person does not need to fail, and vice versa. It can play out like that
sometimes, but shouldn’t always.

When players are working out a scene, they should use karma to drive towards a conclusion
that advances the story. When a scene ends, one or more players may indicate so with their
hands or calling “scene!”

10
 HIJINKS
Hijinks* are powerful ways to heighten or hijack the drama in an episode of The Love Balloon.
Some are presented as scene suggestions, others modify motivations, while many more are
entire shark jumping premises. Use hijinks to spice up your game in fun and flavorful ways.

All players have to agree to enact a hijink. Hjinks work best during Day in the Clouds and Port
of Call. The presence of a hijink may warrant an additional Cycle of Plays before the Night
with the Stars to reach a satisfying ending.

Use Hijinks sparingly: we recommend 0-2 per episode.

* Hijinks table located in the back.

THE CREW MEMBER

When playing as the Crew Member, roll 1d6
and use the table to the right. That’s your
motivation. The rest of the character is up Introducing...
to you!
1. THE CAPTAIN - mentors others.
Play into the typecast as much as possible. 2. THE BARTENDER - acts silly.
3. THE ENTERTAINER - plays hard
to get.
4. THE DIRECTOR - brings people
together.
5. THE GOPHER - misreads situations.
6. THE MCLOVIN - always shoots their
shot.

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 RELATIONSHIP
Two Guests start out in a Relationship. Roll 2d6. Use the first die for the first number and
the second die for the second. For example, a die roll of 6 and 5 would result in 65. Twins!

11. COUPLE 21. REUNITED 31. TEAMMATES

12. SIBLINGS 22. FORMER 32. RELIGIOUS
13. RIVALS 23. HONEYMOONERS 33. CLUB
14. FRIENDS 24. ACQUAINTANCES 34. CULTISTS
15. COLLEAGUES 25. RETIREES 35. CRIMINALS
16. EXES 26. UNHAPPY 36. CODEPENDENTS

41. BIG / LITTLE 51. BACHELORS 61. LIFELONG

42. BRASH / QUIET 52. SPRINGBREAKERS 62. BEDBUDDIES
43. YOUNG / OLD 53. ANNIVERSARY 63. LONG DISTANCE
44. BOLD / MEEK 54. REVOLUTIONARIES 64. SWINGERS
45. MENTOR / MENTEE 55 ESTRANGED 65. TWINS
46. CRUSH / CLUELESS 56. CARETAKER 66. ON A WHIM

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 BACKSTORY
Every Guest has a backstory. Roll 2d6. se the first die for the first number and the second die
for the second. For example, a roll of 1 and 2 would mean you are a 12. Stowaway!

11. A SALESPERSON 21. A CELEBRITY 31. A SOCIALITE

12. A STOWAWAY 22. A CHILD 32. A WIDOWER
13. A CELEBRITY 23. A HOLY PERSON 33. A WRITER
14. A JOKER 24. A GAZILLIONAIRE 34. A DETECTIVE
15. A THIEF 25. A DENTIST 35. A MUSICIAN
16. A CHEERLEADER 26. A DEBUTANTE 36. A BOMBSHELL

41. A BOOKWORM 51. A MOGUL 61. A SCION

42. A HITMAN 52. A NERD 62. A NIGHTMARE
43. A WORRYWART 53. A SLIMEBALL 63. NEWLY RICH
44. A BACHELOR 54. AN ATHLETE 64. DIVORCEE
45. A MATCHMAKER 55. A PERFORMER 65. A CURMUDGEON
46. A PETOWNER 56. A DIPLOMAT 66. AN ARTIST

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 MOTIVATION
Every Guest starts with a motivation. Roll 2d6. Use the first die for the first number and
the second die for the second. For example, a roll of 5 and 4 would mean you are 54. ...secretly
inspecting the ship!

11. ...dealing with a divorce. 21. ...avoiding commitment. 31. ...a chronic liar.
12.… running away from home. 22. ...not who they say they are. 32. ...losing their memory.
13. … out for a grand old time. 23. ...consumed by jealousy. 33. ...living a double life.
14. …. wants to be alone. 24. ...with a heart of gold. 34. ...looking for romance.
15....madly in love with someone. 25. ...looking for commitment. 35. ...has an addiction.
16. ...afraid of their true feelings. 26. ...is dying. 36. ...is terrified of strangers.

41. ...has lost passion. 51. ...holding on to old grudges. 61. ...a hard time getting up.
42. ... just wants to be accepted. 52. ...looking for revenge. 62. ...oblivious to someone else.
43. ...has no respect. 53. ...infatuated with someone. 63. ...wants to break free.
44. ...is looking for someone. 54. ...secretly inspecting the ship. 64. ...feels destined by fate.
45. ...feels misunderstood. 55. ...pretending to be someone else. 65. ...has a terrible secret.
46. ...needs a break. 56. ...invited by the crew. 66. ...wants open relationships.

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 PORT OF CALLS
Characters can also choose to stay on the ship during Port of Call. Choose from below or use
the first die for the first number and the second die for the second. This phase can be played
any time of the day. For example, a roll of 4 and 3 would set the scene on a 43. Boardwalk.

11. WONDER 21. BAZAAR 31. BEACH

12. PLANE RIDE 22. SOUVENIR SHOP 32. SNOW
13. WATER 23. EXPENSIVE 33. DESERT
14. MOUNTAINS 24. LEISURE 34. FOREST
15. SKY 25. CULTURAL 35. VALLEY
16. CITY 26. BACCHANAL 36. CAVE

41. MUSEUM 51. CONCERT 61. ZOO

42. MAIN STREET 52. MARKET 62. RUINS
43. BOARDWALK 53. SPORT 63. OASIS
44. PARK 54. TEMPLE 64. JUNGLE
45. CAFE 55. CASTLE 65. GEYSER
46. RESTAURANT 56. DUNGEON 66. GLACIER

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 HIJINKS
All players must agree before enacting a Hijink. They are best used early in the game. You
may want to add another Cycle of Play when in effect. Arranged in order of absurdity. Pick
your flavor and don’t overseason!

11. TRIANGLE - Uh oh, it’s a love triangle!

12. SECRET - Compel a character to roll or pick a secret motivation.
13. INEBRIATED - One or more characters feels looser than normal.
14. SONG - The scene must feature song.
15. DANCE - The scene must feature dance.
16. FIGHT - The characters must fight.

21. CRIMINALS - bad guys come on board the ship.

22. CASTAWAY - a castaway with a secret motivation is found.
23. MURDER - someone on board is murdered and everyone is a suspect.
24. DISASTER - an iceberg appears in the clouds.
25. CHEKOV - plant an object in the scene.
26. SUPERNATURAL - something weird happens on the ship.

31. MISTAKEN IDENTITY - the scene must have a case of mistaken identity.
32. ACCIDENT - the scene features an accident
33. BOTTLE - two characters get stranded with only a bottle between them.
34. CELEBRITY - invoke a real life celebrity to guest star in your episode.
35. CLIPS - the characters all know each other and every scene invokes a flashback.
36. ABED - one of the players plays themselves and provides commentary.

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 JUMP THE SHARK!
The following page contains more powerful hijinks that will jump the shark and take over
the entire premise of your game. For fans of genre silliness. You have been warned!

41. BABY - a baby must be handed off between characters at the beginning or end of each
scene.
42. MASKS - one of the characters decides to don a mask to express themselves.
43. FREAKY FRIDAY - two of the characters swap bodies!
44. STAR KILLER- one of the characters reveals they are secret relatives to another.
45. HALLUCINATIONS - one of the characters starts seeing things.

51. GENIE - someone finds a strange bottle.

52. MONKEY PAW - a wish is twisted into something dark.
53. DREAM - one of the characters is convinced they’re in a dream.
54. UNDERCOVER - one of the characters has actually been undercover this whole time.
55. EXOTIC ANIMAL - use it like a prop darling.
56. JADE BAMBOOZLE- a mesmer on board hypnotizes the guests.

61. MIRROR MIRROR - the ship enters a strange place that inverts personalities, darkly.
62. LIAR LIAR - a character is compelled to tell the truth.
63. MIMES & RHYMES - the scene features silent mimes and rhyming bards.
64. SPIN THE BOTTLE - the cast of characters reverts to teenagers.
65. GROUNDHOG - the day repeats itself for one character.
66. THE PLAGUE - it boards the ship!

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 B O A R D I N G P A S S
WELCOME ABOARD THE LOVE BALLOON

NAME: PRONOUNS:
AGE: WEIGHT: HEIGHT:

BACKSTORY:
I Should...
♥ Lean into backstory or motivation.
♥ Connect or express feelings.
♥ Help others or ask for help.
♥ Try a zinger to make people laugh.
MOTIVATION: ♥ Try to or resist change.
♥ Experience heartache or romance.
♥ Resolve or come to a revelation.
♥ Confess my true feelings.

DESCRIPTION:
 REFERENCE SHEET
Game Structure
I. CASTING - One Crew Member, A Couple, 3 Strangers
II. EMBARKMENT - Crew Member + Stranger / Couple / Strangers Meet
III. DAY IN THE CLOUDS - Pairs: Cycle of Play on Ship.
IV. PORT OF CALLS - Pairs+: Cycle of Play on Ship or Shore. Play as many as
cycle of plays as needed to develop story.
V. NIGHT WITH THE STARS - When Ready, Everyone: Confronts One Another.
VI. UNDER THE MOONLIGHT - Pairs: Confess Feelings to Revelations
VII. DISEMBARKMENT - Crew Member bids adieu to Guests: Benny™ winner last.

The Cycle of Play Story Beats

1. PLAYER WITH THE BENNY... 1. ROMANCE - one character woos
2. PICKS ANOTHER CHARACTER another.
to enact a scene with. That player 2. CROSSING - two character’s come
gets to... into conflict over motivation or
3. CHOOSE THE LOCATION. backgrounds.
4. ROLL FOR A STORY BEAT to 3. HELPING - one character tries
determine the premise of the to help another with romance or
scene. motivations.
5. APPLY KARMA to determine 4. MYSTERY - two characters
how it ends. investigate something.
6. PLAY THE SCENE until it comes 5. BACKSTORY - the backstory of the
to a natural conclusion . characters guides the scene.
7. PASS THE BENNY to the next 6. MOTIVATION - one character’s
nearest player not in the scene. motivation guides the scene.
 OH THE LOVE BALLOON...
ON THE SKIES YOU SOON WILL SWOON,

TALES OF HEART AND ROMANCE LOOM,

SO COME AND FLOAT ON THE LOVE
BALLOON!

LOVE, LOVE, BALLOON!

RPG
2-6 Players
1-2 Hours
Ages 15+

© 2020 Mythopoeia US: $9.99

www.mythopoeia.us UK: £ 9.99