A Small One-Shot of Cosmic Bowling Mayhem

INTRODUCTION

A chaotic night at the kobold-run bowling alley, where goblins, trolls, ogres, and nihilists collide. The crew aims to win the tournament, avoid a ban, and escape the wrath of the ogre enforcers. But nothing in this place is ever as simple as it seems.

This isn't just about bowling. It's about fate, rugs, and the delicate dance of not giving a damn while everything catches fire.

The Ford: Your trusty 1973 Gran Torino sits in the parking lot—rusty, reliable, and full of mysterious bowling-related supplies. It's been your mobile headquarters for years, and tonight it might be your only escape route.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY

Components

2d6, pencil and paper, LLM optional.

Players

1 GM, 4 players (Small Lebowski, Walter, Donny, Zeppo).

Playtime

30–45 minutes.

TiGGR (Tiny Game for Generalized Roleplaying) Quick Rules

Components: 2d6, pencil, paper, optional LLM.Players: 2-5 (1 GM, 1-4 players).Playtime: 30-45 min per scenario.Core Mechanic: Roll 2d6 + Stat (Body, Mind, Charm) vs. Difficulty (Risky: 6, Dramatic: 8, Climactic: 10).Characters: 3 stat points, Role, Special Ability (+1 to specific rolls, 1/scene), Signature Gear (+3 to one roll/scenario), 5 HP.Confrontations: Attack (2d6 + Stat vs. 8), Defend (2d6 + Stat vs. 8 if NPC attacks), Damage (1d6, or 2d6 for vehicles).Vehicles: 3 stat points, 10 HP, Special Ability (1/scene).Gameplay: 3 scenes/scenario. Players act, GM adds complications. 0 HP = knocked out until next scene.

CORE GOALS

• Don't get banned (avoid kobold intervention).
• Win the tournament (beat Smokey & Quintana).
• Escape intact (survive ogre encounter).
• Optional Personal Goals (earn cosmic karma).

PERSONAL GOALS (Optional)

Each PC has a personal win condition. Completing it earns a Karma Token (spend 1 to reroll or narrate a surreal twist).

• Small Lebowski: Reclaim a rug that really ties the lane together.
• Walter: Convert someone to your very confusing ideology.
• Donny: Finally understand what's happening—just once.
• Zeppo: Steal something weird, shiny, and important (but unclear why).

SCENE 1: ARRIVAL AT THE ALLEY

Setting: Grimy kobold-run bowling alley, neon lights flickering. The rug smells like despair.

Goal: Claim a lane without getting banned.

Factions:

• Punters (Body 1, Mind 0, Charm 1, 3 HP, Special: +1 Charm when ganging up).
• The Gob Squad (Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 2, 3 HP, Special: +1 Charm when chanting in unison).
• Gutter Cultists (Body 0, Mind 2, Charm 1, 3 HP, Special: +1 Mind when invoking the Pin God).
• Kobold Alley Manager (Body 0, Mind 2, Charm 2, 4 HP, Special: +1 Mind when enforcing rules).
• Orc Regulars (Body 2, Mind 0, Charm 1, 3 HP, Special: +1 Body when heckling).

Actions:

• 2d6 + Charm (talk) or Body (push) vs. 6 to claim a lane.
• Fail = GM rolls 2d6 vs. 6; failure risks kobold attention.
• Complication: Orc regulars heckle (Difficulty 6 to ignore with Charm).
• Hook: Punter spills a drink—Body 6 to dodge, or explain how your rug is ruined (again).

Gear Moments:

• Ragged Rug: Perfect for dramatically unfurling to claim territory
• 1911 Pistol: Intimidate without drawing (Charm boost)
• Bowling Ball: Impressive practice throws while negotiating
• Lockpicks: "Accidentally" fix the lane's ball return

HP Reset: All characters return to full HP after this scene.

SCENE 2: TOURNAMENT HEATS

Setting: Crowded lanes. Lights strobe. Someone's dog is bowling.

Goal: Win the round against Smokey & Quintana.

Factions:

• Smokey (Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 1, 3 HP, Special: +1 Body when cheating).
• Quintana (Body 2, Mind 0, Charm 1, 4 HP, Special: +1 Charm when intimidating).
• Tournament Judge (Body 0, Mind 2, Charm 1, 3 HP, Special: +1 Mind when spotting cheaters).

Actions:

• Roll 2d6 + Body vs. 8 for each frame. Three victories win the match.
• Complication: Smokey cheats, enraging Walter (Charm 8 to calm him).
• Hook: Quintana taunts. Charm 8 to resist throwing hands—or balls.

Optional Side Event:

• Gutter Cultist offers insight into the "Infinite Strike" prophecy. Mind 8 to comprehend.

Special Ability Triggers:

• Small Lebowski: +1 Charm when chilling (staying cool under pressure)
• Walter: +1 Body when enraged (perfect for the Smokey situation)
• Donny: +1 Mind when confused (trying to understand the tournament rules)
• Zeppo: +1 Charm when sneaky (subtle sabotage or misdirection)

Gear Moments:

• Ragged Rug: Ceremonial lane blessing for luck
• 1911 Pistol: Visible deterrent against cheating
• Bowling Ball: Obviously perfect for this scene
• Lockpicks: Subtle equipment adjustment

HP Reset: All characters return to full HP after this scene.

SCENE 3: PARKING LOT PANIC

Setting: Dark lot, single flickering light. The Ford’s engine whines. The ogres are coming.

Goal: Escape without getting squished.

Factions:

• Ogres (Body 2, Mind 1, Charm 1, 5 HP, Special: +1 Body when charging).
• Stone Giant Stranger (Body 3, Mind 2, Charm 1, 6 HP, Special: Speaks only in cowboy haiku, +1 Mind when dispensing wisdom).

Actions:

• 2d6 + Body vs. 10 to dodge or run. Fail = 1d6 damage.
• Vehicle (Gran Torino) rolls 2d6 + Body vs. 10 to get away.
• Hook: Ogre throws a car. Body 10 to avoid.
• Optional Twist: Someone's stolen the rug from the trunk! Zeppo, was that you?

Stone Giant Stranger Haiku Examples:

• "Lanes of cosmic truth / The ball returns but you don't / Check the oil, young dude"
• "Strikes are just like life / Sometimes you miss completely / That's far out, man"

Gear Moments:

• Ragged Rug: Use as a distraction or emergency rope
• 1911 Pistol: Finally time to use it (maybe)
• Bowling Ball: Improvised weapon or distraction
• Lockpicks: Hot-wire the Ford or disable ogre vehicles

Final HP Note: This is the climax—characters don't reset HP, making every hit count.

CHARACTERS

Small Lebowski

• Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 1, 5 HP
• Special: +1 Charm when chilling (once per scene).
• Gear: Ragged Rug (+3 once per scenario)
• Goal: Find a rug that ties everything together.

Walter

• Body 2, Mind 0, Charm 1, 5 HP
• Special: +1 Body when enraged (once per scene).
• Gear: 1911 Pistol (+3 once per scenario)
• Goal: Convert someone to your half-baked ideology.

Donny

• Body 0, Mind 2, Charm 1, 5 HP
• Special: +1 Mind when confused (once per scene).
• Gear: Bowling Ball (+3 once per scenario)
• Goal: Understand something for once.

Zeppo

• Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 1, 5 HP
• Special: +1 Charm when sneaky (once per scene).
• Gear: Lockpicks (+3 once per scenario)
• Goal: Steal something meaningful.

The Ride: 1973 Ford Gran Torino

• Body 2, Mind 1, Charm 0, 10 HP
• Special: Emergency Boost (+1 Body when escaping, once per scene)
• Contents: Spare bowling shoes, emergency White Russians, mysterious bowling trophies, and whatever the Small Lebowski considers "essential supplies."

COSMIC CHAOS TABLE (d6)

Roll once per scene or whenever things feel too normal.

1. A tumbleweed rolls through the snack bar. No door opened.
2. The pins chant softly in Infernal. Mind 8 to notice.
3. A White Russian appears. No one ordered it.
4. The ball returns... glowing and humming.
5. A kobold splits into two kobolds arguing about rent.
6. You dream a musical number starring the Stranger. It offers a clue—Charm 8 to remember.

FAST NPC GENERATOR

Need a new weirdo fast? Roll d6 three times.

• Species: Goblin / Troll / Ogre / Kobold / Gnome / Ghost
• Attitude: Chill / Angry / Cosmic / Clingy / Confused / Zealous
• Quirk: Rhymes everything / Smells like fish / Claims to be a pin / Offers snacks / Shouts in dreams / Knows your name

Quick NPC Stats Template:

• Minor NPCs: Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 1, 3 HP, one Special ability
• Major NPCs: Body 0-2, Mind 0-2, Charm 0-2, 4-5 HP, one Special ability
• Boss NPCs: Body 2-3, Mind 1-2, Charm 1-2, 6+ HP, one Special ability

GM REMINDERS

Difficulty Progression: Scene 1 (mostly 6s), Scene 2 (mostly 8s), Scene 3 (mostly 10s)

HP Resets: Characters return to full HP between scenes 1 and 2, then between scenes 2 and 3. No reset during the final scene.

Special Abilities: Each character can use their special ability once per scene.

Signature Gear: Each piece of gear can be used once per scenario for a +3 bonus.

Vehicle Damage: NPCs need +3 gear (or another vehicle) to damage the Ford effectively.

Cosmic Bowling: When in doubt, make it weirder. The universe is trying to tell them something—probably.

CLOSING NOTES

This is a TiGGR-style scenario: weird, fast, and full of heart. Embrace chaos. Reward creative nonsense. Let the rug guide you.

The Gran Torino isn't just transportation—it's a character in its own right, full of memories and mysterious supplies. The Stone Giant Stranger might seem like a random encounter, but they're the cosmic voice of the universe, speaking in cowboy haiku because that's just how enlightenment works sometimes.

Remember: it's not about perfect bowling. It's about the friends you make, the rugs you lose, and the cosmic truth that sometimes the ball comes back, and sometimes it doesn't.

Gratitude and kudos to Robert Schultz whose image of the bowlers that he shared on the Dungeons & AI Facebook group got this ball rolling (pun intended).

License: CC-BY-SA 4.0 — Hack it, print it, love it. Just tell folks who wrote it: The Grey Ledger Society & Friends.

The Dude Abides: This is a loving fan tribute to The Big Lebowski, created for fun and distributed for free. We're not trying to profit from The Dude's cosmic wisdom—just sharing some bowling alley chaos with fellow fans. All rights to the original characters and film belong to their creators. This is just our weird little love letter to rugs, bowling, and the universe.