Leathers

By blark

Tom of Finland

What is Leathers?
A casual game depicting the slice of life activities of people in a rough and tumble queer community. It is played somewhere between a roleplaying game and a simulation game. It is primarily a social game, with conflict and situations arising from social tensions. Despite being based off the HD system, it is not a dungeon crawler or similar such combat forward game, though there are chances of getting into scuffles. You will not find expansive gear lists for accessories or accoutrements, it is assumed that characters possess these aesthetics already.

The fiction concerns itself with finding comfort in your community, and so it is recommended to be comfortable at your own table with your friends. One player may have to take up the mantle of referee, but this role can be swapped every session or even week by week in game. Materials needed are simple, some six sided dice, note paper and writing utensil.

Making a Leather
Use a sheet of note paper as well as pencil to record your character. Every character begins with a motorcycle, a memento and a starting Leather stat of 1. Choose your Leather type: Vest, Motorcycle, or Studded. Additionally, start with 1d6x2 Cash. Finally, choose a name and pronouns for your character.

• Vest Leathers add a +1 to sneak rolls.

• Motorcycle Leathers add a +1 to rolls to escape cops.

• Studded Leathers add a +1 to stonewall rolls.

Leather is a catch all term. It is both your Stat and HD. It determines how well you are at stonewalling according to the table below. Leather represents your vigor, reputation, and standing in the community. Should you reach 0 Leather, you retire from the lifestyle.

A major goal of this game is to raise your Leather. You must accomplish a number of successes equal to double the next Leather value within a given week. So to advance from 2 to 3, you need 6 successes. Keep track of any successes you have during a week.

Leather	Stonewall
1	9+
2	8+
3	7+
4	6+
5	5+

Testing Leather

The fiction will at times ask you to pass a test to accomplish an action. Roll 2d6+Leather vs 8 or higher to overcome the challenge. Double 6s is always a success with the added bonus of instantly gaining 1 Leather. Doubles 1s is an embarrassing failure, losing 1 Leather on the spot.

Testing Leather is used whenever you’re fighting or flirting. Your equipped Leather (Vest, Motorcycle or Studded) determines the result needed to-hit or hit-on someone. It is both your weapon and your armor. You must roll equal to or higher than the hit number listed to affect someone according to their disposition (see Rivals & Crushes).

↓Leather Type→	Soft	Switch	Stone
Vest	9+	8+	7+
Motorcycle	8+	7+	9+
Studded	7+	9+	8+

Stonewall

When someone is trying to mess with your head or heart, stonewall them. Roll a 2d6 equal to or higher than the stonewall value listed alongside your Leather level. Success means you are not phased by their antagonistic behavior. Stonewalling is used whenever someone is trying to get under your skin. Use a stonewall roll against cops to shake off their harassment.

Turns

Turns are measured as seven days to make a single week. At the end of this week, if you have surpassed the requirement needed to advance in Leather, you do so before the beginning of the next week. Typically the players can do one action each day. This could be going to a clubhouse and meeting someone, cruising around the streets, sneaking into a off limit area, picking a fight with a rival, fucking someone, or going on a date with a new crush. These actions can take place anytime during day or night and with any other number of player characters or all by your lonesome. Players may go in any sequence, planning actions ahead or in tandem with each other.

Clubhouse

Places to mingle and meet new people as well as make bets and generally revel. You can be a member of a number of clubhouses equal to your Leather score. You can bring in a number of non-members as guests equal to your Leather. As a member of the club you can safely keep mementos or cash here. You can also tell your bootlickers to hang around in a clubhouse for when you need to find them, so long as you are a member of it.

When you want to carouse in the clubhouse you must spend an amount of cash equal to your Leather, ensuring your and your friends have a good time while visiting. This counts as a success towards leveling up your Leather and gives you +2 to any rolls attempted while at the clubhouse (except betting).

As a group, come up with the names of at least 8-10 clubs in your fiction.

Betting

Each club has a max limit for their betting. Roll 3d6 for this limit. You place a bet up to this max limit. Next, the clubhouse rolls 1d6. Seeing this result for each individual bet, you may choose to cut or try to roll 1d6 over the house result. If you cut, you receive half of your bet back, with the house receiving any leftover odd coin. Rolling over the house bet nets you double your bet back and counts as a success towards leveling up your Leather.

Cruising

Ride your bike into the purple night to find what you seek, whether the encounter is casual or otherwise. While cruising you can choose any of the options below or create your own. There is always a 1in6 chance cops will interrupt your cruising efforts (see cops).

• Chance to gain Cash. Be creative (Test Leather for 2d6 cash).

• Race people (Losers become bootlickers).

• Get into a fight (Take 1d6+2 cash or gain new memento).

• Pick someone up (Fulfill companionship requirement for the week).

• Run into a rival (Tango with words or fists).

• Escape the cops (Avoid cops for the rest of the week).

• Take a crush on a date (+2 to Crush roll).

• Do favor for someone (see referee tips below).

Mementos

A memento is an item special to you. In a sense, it’s the only item worth a damn. An item should have a story to it, be it joyous, wistful or painful. You can always give up a memento to avoid losing 1 Leather. Mementos are given for doing favors around the community, but can be taken from fights, given to crushes or confiscated by cops.

Roll 1d6 on the table below or create any item yourself.

1. Switchblade

2. Cap

3. Gloves

4. Photograph

5. Ring

6. Handkerchief

Calling Card

You are distinguished by your Calling Card, a behavior that is associated with your character. Sly winks, devilish smile, a low growl. These small ticks make you you. When performing your calling card, roll a 1d6. If the result is equal to or lower than your Leather score, the person is familiar with you within the community.

Bootlickers

A bootlicker is your moist puppet. Your pup on a leash. You can designate a favorite bootlicker to inherit your possessions when you retire, playing them as your next character. You have a number of bootlickers equal to double your Leather score. Should you lose a leather and therefore lose bootlickers, choose which ones depart from your company.

Bootlickers always follow you around unless otherwise told so. At your behest, they can stay at clubhouses you are a member of. Their loyalty is kept with fair treatment and steady rewards. A show of love now and then through praises, memento gifts, or a treat to a tussle. Every bootlicker in your circle kicks up 1 cash to you at the end of each week.

Bootlickers who are lost from losing Leather will be at the clubhouse they last frequented. They might even be sniffing at the heels of a rival.

Defeated rivals can be made into bootlickers. Otherwise, meeting new people at the clubhouse, or cruising around to meet other riders. Test Leathers against them to persuade them into becoming a bootlicker.

Rivals & Crushes

Each participating player should roll up both a rival and a crush that exists within the fiction to interact with. These need not be tied to a single player character; you are not crafting your own specific rival or crush, but are making an NPC that exists out in the world for anyone to interact with. Choose a name and pronouns for each of them.

Rivals & crushes have types of Soft, Switch or Stone, which determine their traits and approach to situations. Roll 2d6+Leather to affect your Rival or Crush. Likewise, they must roll equal or above the hit number on the table to affect you back (see table under Testing Leather).

Roll 1d3 for a rival and crush’s disposition:

1. Soft. The coy approach. Touching arms. Caring. Fun loving. Singing. Wigs. Face Powder. Laughter. Silence. Flat liquor. Party tinsel and hangovers.

2. Switch. Enigmas.

3. Stone. The direct method. Let’s get right to it. Caring eyes. Close-guarded. Conviction. Rough hands. Privacy. Empty bottle. The smell of pomade on pillows.

Additionally, roll for their general attitude.

1. Cold

2. Casual

3. Catty

4. Cordial

5. Confrontational

6. Concerned

When encountering someone of interest you can declare them to be your rival or your crush. There is no reason the two can’t go hand in hand.

Rivals are people in the community who you butt heads with, whether it’s playful or blood boiling. Rivals will have their own Leather score (1d6 max of 5) and belong to a number of Clubhouses equal to that score where there is always a 2in6 chance of bumping into them. Rivals always carry 2d6 Cash, this value remains static, replenishing the next week if ever depleted.

When rolling against rivals, add their own Leather score onto the target number needed to succeed on the roll (see testing Leather). Any challenge you pose and win against a Rival nets you an extra success for the purposes of increasing your Leather. Defeated Rivals can be made into bootlickers, otherwise you can take up to half of their cash and they still remain your rival. Whenever a rival would beat you or otherwise thwart you, pass a stonewall test or else lose 1 Leather.

Rival Challenges

• Betting (this specifically uses the Rival’s cash, with them acting in place of the house).

• Picking someone up (find your type, roll to pick them up. Failure means Rival picks them up instead. This could even be your crush).

• Out ride them (best 2 out of 3 tests win, 1in6 chance cops interrupt the race. Both the player and their Rival roll 7+ to escape the cops by bike before being pulled over).

Crushes are someone special. You just can’t keep your cool around them, leaving you weak in the knees at the mere sight of them. They are someone with the chances of long term romance or heart ache.

Crushes can either be Well-Known, Wealthy or Jealous. Roll 1d6 for each aspect respectively, if the result is 1 or 2, they possess that aspect.

Crushes get to you like no one else. Someone who is your crush is harder to affect, there’s more at stake than blowing it with strangers. A crush’s level always starts at 1. When rolling for a crush, apply their crush value as a negative to the roll. If crushes are won over they become your beloved, gaining a Leather value equal to their crush value. Crush value is increased by 1 every time you fail to woo them. The max value for a crush is 5. Keeping a beloved crush requires an amount of cash spent every week equal to your Leather score. If this cannot be met, they break up with you for the time being until they can be won again.

Taking a crush on a date while cruising gives you a +2 to your roll to woo them to becoming your beloved. Additionally, giving them a memento gives a +1 to this roll too. However, dates always cost an amount of cash equal to double your Leather score.

• Well-known crushes nets you an extra 1 Leather when you win them over. This extra Leather is also lost should they break up with you.

• Wealthy crushes give you 1d6 cash a week. They also require no cash for upkeep.

• Jealous crushes won’t take kindly to you pursuing others. While you can have many crushes and pursue them all at once, jealous crushes will leave you should you make another crush your beloved. Likewise, whenever courting someone else, there is always a 1in6 chance that gossip will reach a jealous crush.

Companionship

You must seek companionship each week or lose 1 Leather. This means spending at least one day out of the week fulfilling this pursuit. This can be coupled with cruising or by visiting a clubhouse. Likewise, simply spending the entire day with a beloved crush or a bootlicker with no other actions fulfills this requirement.

Sneak

Determine the difficulty of the scenario by rolling 1d3+1. Record this result as it is the “awareness” of the people in the scenario. To sneak past, players simply roll 1d6 with a result higher than the result rolled. Don’t forget that Vests add a +1 result to this roll.

Cops

While cruising there is a 1in6 chance for cops to interrupt and hassle everyone involved in the scenario. While cruising, roll a flat 7+ to escape the cops and avoid being pulled over.

If pulled over, pass a stonewall test, otherwise cops will shut down your endeavors and arrest you. Every friend or bootlicker with you during this scenario adds +1 to this test. You can bribe cops to leave you alone by paying an amount of cash equal to double your Leather score.

If stonewalling fails, you are arrested and locked up for the remainder of the week, as well as having all your cash taken and a memento permanently confiscated. You can take no other actions until next week. However, word spreads around about your arrest, you gain 1 Leather once released.

Characters or bootlickers arrested as well as cash or mementos confiscated are taken into their headquarters. Plan breakouts of heists to retrieve them back accordingly over one night, usually by setting distractions elsewhere in the fiction. If a heist is successful, everyone involved (even those rescued) gain 1 Leather instantly.

Retirement

You can choose to retire whenever, walking away from the lifestyle towards a new road. Sometimes this is not your choice. Reaching 0 Leather is considered retired for all purposes.

A retired character bequeaths all their possessions to their heir. If they have no heir, their possessions are distributed between their friends among the player characters.

Referee Tips

The Leash and its Length

Know your table and the people at it. Understand each other and your expectations. This is a game where communication is required and check-ins should be periodic to assess participant comfort. Have a way to communicate when you have a misunderstanding. Have a way to express hurt or harm. There are a plethora of safety tools in table top games to accompany these safety measures, please seek one at your preference.

Location Generation

To help cement your fiction in relation to your characters, you should have some identifiable locations. Create these locations as a table and write them down on a blank or grid piece of paper.

• Two to three major streets that intersect with each other.

• Eight to ten minor streets placed on top of the major streets.

• A river running through with one to three bridges.

• A circular monument section.

• A large park.

• Two to three small parks.

• One cemetery.

• Two to three residential neighborhoods.

• One to two commercial neighborhoods.

• One industrial neighborhood.

• Supplement neighborhoods with libraries, food banks, farmer markets, cafes, etc.

Another method is to choose a random city and map your own fiction on top of it, modifying where you see fit. Look at local events in your town, city or one nearby. Write down community events to generate ideas at your table.

Character based favors

A list of ideas to help generate favors for players to help others. These can be asked for by new people they meet, with the potential of a 1d6 cash reward or by them becoming a bootlicker.

• Pick up something for someone.

• Beat up someone.

• Steal something back.

• Find a missing friend for someone.

• Get someone to stop doing something.

• Give someone a ride.

• Spy on someone.

• Get dirt on someone.

Appendix L

The Warriors, Cruising, Streets of Fire, The Loveless, Crybaby, Point Break, Heat, Stone Butch Blues, Orlando, Well of Loneliness, Songbirds, En Garde, Meatheads.

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