From: daniel.macch@mms.raleigh.nc.us Reply to: The masterbook mailing list Subject: JOKE POCOSM Alright folks. My Transformers cosm has hit a little delay so I thought I would give you a little light entertainment. To this end I give you the pocket cosm of Winn Dixie. (For those of you who don't know, Winn Dixie is a supermarket chain in the southern half of the U.S. The one really good thing about it is that it employs me.:) You thought you just went to the store? How wrong you are. When you passed through those slow-responding automatic doors you entered another reality. Thats why those doors are so slow, they have to surpress the reality storms. You have entered: WINN DIXIE! Axioms: Tech 22 At tech 23 supermarket scanners work perfectly and efficently. They don't in Winn Dixie. Also electric pallet jacks and other conveinences that make working and shopping easier are not supported. Magic: 3 Magic is not a part of Winn Dixie, but there is still enough to allow "weird" feelings, de ja vu etc. Spirit: 6 Again, religion is not important to Winn Dixie. The effects of so many people with faith, (the stores are mainly in the Bible Belt) walking through so often cause it to be this high. Social: 19 This one was a toughie. I estimate that at social 20 many different portions of one organization can mesh into one effective machine. This does not happen often at Winn Dixie. It is also for this reason that modern politics can not be effectively discussed in a Winn Dixie store, except by p-rateds. WORLD LAWS: The Law of Willing Transformations In order to transform to Winn Dixie reality, one must willingly accept it. This does not hold true if someone loses a reality storm to a stormer with Winn Dixie reality. If a Stormer accepts WD reality, they do not lose any Ps or any reality adds. The Law of Incompetence In Winn Dixie Land (they actually do call it this!) the most incompetent person tends to rise to the top. In a contest between two people using the same skill, such as unarmed combat vs. unarmed combat, the one with the lower skill value will temporarily have their skill raised to one above their opponent. This is a passive world law and works only in the stores. This law also actively surpresses the actions of those who are competent. In any skill in which a person has a value greater than 13, they will suffer a +2 to the DN. This does not effect those who have had their values raised by the first half of the world law. Note that the incompetent are rewarded for their failures. Someone who ruins a large number of fried chickens and nearly destroys a deep frier will be considered as a good candidate for the job of Deli/Bakery manager. The Law of Backstock Every Winn Dixie store has a stock room, known to employees as the "back room", which has a chance of having any item not in stock in the main store. Should a character look for something in the back room roll a 20 sided die. On a 1 or a 20 it is in stock. Then roll again, rerolling on 10s and 20s. This second roll is the difficulty number for the Find roll to find the item. If a truck arrived earlier that day (they come 3 days a week) the odds change. On any roll that is not a 1 or 20 the item is in stock. The difficulty to find it though is now set at 20 + a die roll, rolling again on 10s and 20s. The Law of the Pointless 4th World Law This law exists soley to annoy one person. The effect of it is that this one person will be extremely agitated if he ever enters a Winn Dixie store Other notes: Winn Dixie stores are dominant zones. Several in conquered areas are thought to be hard points. The above is my interpretation of the place I work and other stores I have visited. I have not, and will not, accept that reality. Dan "She has all the patience of a boiling tea pot!"