toonrules

Laws of Cartoon Physics

Illogical Logic
What you don't know can't hurt you... usually. Cartoon characters will run off a cliff and keep going, walk straight into an ocean and keep breathing, or do any other thing that defies logic. How? Because they're so stupid they don't realize they shouldn't and couldn't do these things. Anytime you need to know if you're stupid enough to perform "Illogical Logic" - like jumping through a painting as if it were a window - roll against your SMARTS. If you fail, you are stupid enough to get away with whatever Illogical Logic you were attempting. If you succeed, you're too smart for your own good and fall, drown, or otherwise get hurt.

Cause and Effect
The cartoon world is chaotic, fickle, and unpredictable. Generally, Murphey's Law is even more rampant here than in real life! Whenever you try something with an "expected" outcome, chances are the exact opposite, or even something completely random, will happen instead of what you expected. If you hail a taxi, you might get a sherman tank! If you open a door, there might be a herd of elephants stampeding toward you! Slam it shut, then open it again, and now there's an ocean in front of you; a fish swims by tips his hat to you in greeting, then hurries past.
The biggest thing to remember is the Rule of Double Occurances: no outcome will happen more than once (unless it's funny). This is especially true when a player does something successfully once, and then tries to do it again. Your chances of doing something successfully actually becomes less the moer you try it in a cartoon!

Coincidental Coincidences
If something can happen against all odds, it usually will - if it's funny. The house you hide in to escape the Slurping Horrors will be a Haunted House. The car you stop to ask for a ride will be your boss "Aren't you suppose to be working?"... and then the next one you stop will be your wife! "Aren't you suppose to be at work?" The Animator can causes coincidences to happen as much as wanted, especially if they keep the game fun or advance the plot. "The Town of Very Exciting turns out to be just as boring as Very Dull... in fact, it looks very much like the same town, down to the old man sitting under the apple tree that gave you directions."

Boggling
A Boggle is a much feared and powerful weapon in TOON. Anyone who is Boggled loses their next Action and cannot make any Attribute, Skill, or Shtick rolls! Sounds like a good time to take a shot at them or step on their toes! Boggling can be caused by many, many things, but the most common is the Pie-in-the-Face!

Takes and Double Takes
Cartoon characters are full of exaggeration, especially when surprised. Not only will a character be Boggled when completely surprised, scared, or confounded, but will often perform a "Take". Their eyes will shoot out, grow to the size of saucers, fur will turn white, feathers will fly off for a few seconds, jaws drop, tongues roll out like carpets, and heads explode. The player free to come up with whatever Take the character is doing, or the Animator may roll on the Random Take Table.
Double Takes are just like normal Takes, but the character will not notice whatever it is that will surprise him. Then he looks back once, twice (maybe more) and then perform his Take (or maybe more than one Take). This usually happens when something is so strange, bizzare, or unbelievable that it just doesn't register the first time seen.