Tabletop Tales: Going down with SOS Titantic

I knew how this story would end and, even then, I couldn't rewrite history; the Titanic was going down, twas only a matter of how many people I could save before the massive ship was lying on the ocean floor.

This, is SOS Titanic.

My name was Reginald Lee and I was the lookout. I had my strengths--I could draw up to six passenger cards and started with more action cards than anyone else--but I also had my weaknesses--if I ever failed to rescue a passenger, I was not allowed to take an Action card like everyone else. I thought I was ready, but one look at my face--eyes angled downwards, half covered in shadow under my brown flat hat--and it's almost as if I had already given up before it even started.

Twas 11:40pm when I first saw the iceberg and, already, I knew it wasn't about prevention, but rescue. I started out feeling ok--I knew I had a few chances before the first deck was completely flooded--but that soon changed when I drew three passengers and couldn't save any of them--goodbye one chance--and then, a minute later, I depleted the passenger pile--another chance lost. Just like that, I lost two chances and one more would cause the first deck to flood. It only took fifteen seconds for that last chance to disappear as I found myself with another group of passengers I couldn't save. And then the first deck was gone.

With one deck lost, the clock sitting at 00:55am, I still had hope, but my hope was misplaced. Two straight turns drawing passengers with not a single one I could save left me immediately on the brink of flooding the second deck; it didn't happen a third time, but I quickly depleted the rest of the pile and lost the second deck. Twas 02:18am now and I was ready to give up, but then hope was restored.

I found a lifeboat! And then another lifeboat! I couldn't believe it; I went so long without any chance of rescuing a soul, but then two chances fell into my lap like little wooden miracles; though, they were both 2nd class lifeboats and, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't persuade the 1st class passengers to use them, even though it was potentially the difference between life and death--no, it was the difference. I was feeling great despite already losing two decks--I had two lifeboats now, meaning I actually had a way off the boat--but, as to be expected, my restored hope was soon lost, my good mood destroyed, as I couldn't help but deplete the deck over and over and over again with not a single passenger I could put in either life boat.

Time started to move slowly, almost as if I was being forced to watch everyone I was trying to save die in slow motion; the clock was frozen at 02:29am and the once massive ship was now almost fully submerged. I had saved a few children with sullen faces--two girls and two boys--and one woman dressed in a dark brown gown that matched her hair; for someone who almost died and witnessed countless deaths, she had an eerie smile on her face, a subtle upward curve in her lips that said, "As long as I'm safe, that's all that matters." I knew I only had one chance left, but I wanted to try and save as many people as I could before the end, so I drew only one passenger; I couldn't save them--I wanted to save them, but it just wasn't in the cards...literally--and that's when it happened. The clock hit 02:30am and the Titanic was completely lost.

In the end, I saved two girls, two boys, and one woman. Eight points was all I had to my name.

This, was SOS Titanic.

(This little post was a bit of an experiment, something different, and I don't know if it's something people would be interested in, so, if you enjoyed this little take on recording a playthrough of a game, please let me know. Thanks and I do hope you enjoyed my first trip with SOS Titanic.)