Recreating a narrative like Leinster's Gateway to Elsewhere in a game

Question

Murray Leinster wrote a number of fascinating short stories. One that has caught my interest is Gateway to Elsewhere(Baen) being a story about the nature of dimension travel through what amounts to probability.

The central narrative conflict comes from the choices and shaping of environment around the protagonist by two supporting pseudo-characters: a coin manufactured in an alternate dimension and the protagonist's quite vocal conscience imparted by a "maiden aunt who raised him."

From a RPG perspective, the conflict is between the ability of these two forces to manipulate the protagonist's environment such that he (in the coin's view) can return the coin to its native dimension and (in the conscience's view) behave like a proper young executive in the 1950's milieu.

This question in many ways inverts the traditional RPG, providing a requirement of multiple GM-conflict with a sole PC. Therefore, is there a system that allows for players to act as world-shaping entities like a coin or conscience that impact the GM's narration of a protagonist or a system that more directly provides for multiple conflicting GMs and a single PC?

Answer 1

The game is probably too ensconced in its own wonky steampunk context to be exactly what you're looking for, but this game with the absurdly long title has, essentially, between 2 and N GMs (or at least something similar to a GM) and 1 PC. The rules are just a page or so long.

The description I linked to basically gives a paragraph-long summary of the rules; "the essential rule is that statements made are true, except in rare cases. They are particularly true when made by Beatrice Henriette Bristol-Smythe, DBE, since she is an Experienced Adventuress; however, she may make Assertions only three times during play. She may, however, respond to Questions from her Gentleman Companion. The Gentleman Companion may make observations, but establishes fact mainly by questioning Beatrice Henriette Bristol-Smythe, DBE. The Natives have control over their own customs, actions, etc., unless contradicted by Beatrice Henriette Bristol-Smythe, DBE, who as an Experienced Adventuress is always right. In the case of a conflict, the Natives must be Mistaken."

It seems to me like a re-skinned Polaris might also fit the bill, with the two players to the right and left of the PC advocating for the coin or conscience respectively (and possibly having phrase-based conflict with each other) and the player opposite the PC taking the more traditional antagonist/GM role.

Answer 2

There are several systems that could do it well. The key point is the social combat mechanics need to provide the shades of influence provided.

The system that, for me, hits closest would be Burning Wheel, since the social combat is a Rich Decision Making Environment (RDME). And RDME's are fun. The rest of BW, tho' is likely a liability, as BW is pretty strongly gamist in many ways.

Which leads to second choice for me, namely, Ron Edwards' Sorcerer. Both the conscience and the Coin are, in Sorcerer terms, demons in possession of the poor boy. Sorcerer is aimed at playing those with the power to summon demons (and usually, but not always, to also bind them), but it can be played from the other side just as well.

Another game with good possession rules is In Nomine. Make the conscience a Kyriotate, and the coin fallen kyriotate, and you've got your inherent conflict going from the get go.... but then it's literally agents from Heaven and Hell arguing over his soul....