From the opening: "In Providence, you are among of the growing hordes of the dislocated, the dispossessed, the disowned. You and the other players have temporarially banded together. Call it what you like: A posse, a gang, a caravan, a road trip of unusual duration, those looking for work, whatever floats your boat. "Providence is a semi-narrative roleplaying game. As a semi-narritave game, roleplaying and description are the orders of the day, but the abilities of characters is paramount in determining the resolution."