Monday, March 30, 2015

Moves and NPCs from the Climbers

We are currently most of the way through my long running Apocalypse World game, the Climbers, and in the middle of a 6 week break in play thanks to other commitments and my move to my first house. So I've decided to share some of the custom moves and characters from that game, specifically the henchmen of White, leader of one of the major fronts. Each minion had some interesting tools and moves. Also each of them succumbed to the violence of my players so their secrets are no longer relevant to the game..

Rue Wakemen

Rue Wakeman
Threat Type: Grotesque – Disease Vector

Impulse: to contact intimate and/or anonymous

This tall black man paints his face with a white skull everyday. Dressed in a ragged suit and top hat, he knows much of the Voodoo religion and the psychic maelstrom. Thin and sickly, his eyes are covered in a mottled green due to 'the spots'.

Through his connection to the “loa” or “gods”, he somehow survived a terminal case of the climbers. Working for White, he worked on destroying or infecting the few holdings that resisted his master.

During play, he managed to shut down the Autodoc and tried to turn November Orleans (Skinner) to his cause. In the aftermath of the Autodoc shutdown, he was called by her into an ambush. Though he disabled the critically injured gunlugger, Gator, his compatriots knocked him out. Then they burned him.

Custom Move

  • Receiver of the Loa: when you open your brain to the psychic maelstrom (in regards to him) or contact his mind psychically, he gets to ask a single question from Read a person. Answer truthfully.

Cougar

couger
Threat (Cougar's siege): Affliction - Barrier

Impulse: to impoverish people

Cougar stands over 7 feet tall, her face covered in a mask of bone, silver and leather. Beneath her leather armor, her body is scarred and heavily muscled. With a powerful but high pitch voice, few know what to make of Cougar, except to fear her.

Cougar serves as White’s war leader, leading his men to destroy those who oppose him. She seems to like this status and has never turned on her master.

When she led White’s men against the Music Bowl, she was defeated by November Orleans and her unnatural charms. Later the dangerous beauty lured the giant to her secret sacrificial chamber. Then she slit Cougar's throat.

Custom Move

  • Giant: Cougar possesses 4 health and acts like a small gang at all times (+1 damage and -1 harm when facing single opponents).

Gear:

  • Machete [3-harm hand messy]
  • Autoloading shotgun [3-harm close messy]
  • Leather clothes [1-armor]

Winona

Winnona
This techno-psychonaut possess inhuman yellow eyes and a fierce gaze. Dressed in a dark cloak and keeping a collection of strange weapons, she is more interested in her own experiments than power over others.

Winona along with Rue Wakemen served as advisers to White. Her own goals seemed to require a powerful patron. What those goals were however are unclear. Winona kept to herself, living in the irradiated depths of the Big ship grounded off the coast of Miami.

Her technical skills were impressive and she managed to subvert the Autodoc's AI. In the end, Violet Jefferson (Touchstone) killed her in the main computer room with a well placed shot to the head.

Custom Move

  • Eyes of the Maelstrom: Winona can see anything in the vicinity of her psychic surveillance devices.

Gear:

  • Implant darts [0-harm far hi-tech reload]: a device the size and shape of a rifle that fires darts filled with a solution. In this case the solution is the same as an implant syringe (as the brainer gear).
  • Pain wave projector: as the brainer gear.
  • Psychic mine: by mentally attuning two rod-like devices, Winona can set up a psychic trap for whoever passes between them. Those who pass between the two rods suffer 2-harm ap and are momentarily stunned (s-harm). After discharging their psychic blast, the rods must be recharged.
  • Psychic surveillance devices: these physically attuned hydroponically cultured fungi sit suspended in metal cages. They sense any mind that passes by them.
  • Kevlar reinforced cloak [1-armor]

Monday, March 23, 2015

Worlds in Peril: Superheroes

With the supervillains behind us, let's look at the heroes of my Worlds in Peril game. Three wildly different superheroes work together to protect Steelside from evil, even as they hide secrets from each other.
WIP

Red Tempest

Origin: What I Carry. Red Tempest owes her powers to a substance in her blood. It was put there by her mother, the super villainess called the Tempest. Her powers mirror her mother's.

Drive: Reconcile My Past

Maneuver +2, Investigate +0, Protect -1, Influence +1, Smash +1

Powers: Telekinesis
  • Simple: Deflect bullets, maintain momentum of moving objects
  • Difficult: Keep control of objects when out of sight
  • Borderline: Pulling things apart
  • Possible: Return a bullet with deadly force
  • Impossible: Manipulate biological objects and beings
Bonds: The City +2, Law Enforcement +1, Chameleon +2, The Gravedigger +1, The Mayor +1, Tina (roommate and subway mechanic) +1, Sasha Sivinski (her boss at the Tattler) +1

Secret ID: Miranda Avon, a blogger for the internet zine the Tattler. The game setting runs on TV logic so somehow the Tattler actually pays its bloggers and maintains an actual office.

Miranda's real name is Miranda Prospera. Her mother, Catherine Prospera, former CEO of Prospera Industries and billionaire capitalist, was secretly a super villain known as the Tempest. She (under her alias) was banished from the city 4 years ago.

Miranda, donning a red wig and the name Red Tempest, seeks to make up for her mother's evil deeds. Meanwhile she is hunted by a group interested in her powers, the shadowy government agency known as L.O.T.U.S.
Kravmagaagentsarmycardmasterside

The Gravedigger

Origin: Back From the Dead. The Gravedigger died over 20 years ago. In the afterlife he discovered that evil men did not get the punishment due to them. For that he returned to the world of the living to mete out justice.

Drive: See Justice Done

Maneuver -1, Investigate +1, Protect +1, Influence +0, Smash +2

Powers: Undead, power over life and death
  • Simple: Regrow a new body part (new part seems rotten and putrefied), rot someone's face off, see in the dark
  • Difficult: Create a life ward or a circle that the living can't cross, use his abilities in places of high life energy, sense life
  • Borderline: Rot or corrupt unliving matter, see how someone will die
  • Possible: speak with the dead
  • Impossible: raise the dead including as zombies
Bonds: City +1, Law Enforcement +0, Chameleon +0, Red Tempest +1, Jack (a boy he saved) +1

Secret ID: The Gravedigger's true name hasn't been revealed but one secret is known to the Editor and readers: he is Miranda Prospera's father and former lover of the Tempest. He sought Red Tempest out when she began her career as a super heroine to keep an eye on her.

The Gravedigger hides his disfigurements under a long coat and hat, wielding a shovel with deadly skill. He has a lair beneath Steelside cemetery complete with a private prison. Though he has been active as a superheroes for two decades, he has few connections to other heroes. They don't like him.

Obsessive about hunting evil doers, his current hang up is the spectral woman known as Banshee.

Chameleon

Origin: I'm a Freak. A genetic abnormality, Chameleon is unique in that she can control her appearance while other Freaks must suffer their disfigurements. In fact she can shapeshift into almost anything.

Drive: Die Trying. Chameleon lives fast and loves hard, leaving a string of ex-boy and girl friends behind her.

Maneuver +2, Investigate +1, Protect +0, Influence +1, Smash -1

Powers: Shapeshifting
  • Simple: Become other living things, replicate anything of the same size
  • Difficult: Turn into large inanimate objects, fly
  • Borderline: Split into two parts
  • Possible: React almost immediately by shapeshifting (such as forming a hole to let a bullet pass through without harm)
  • Impossible: Mimic someone she has touched recently or who share her genetic code
Bonds: The City +1, Law Enforcement +0, The Gravedigger +1, Red Tempest +1, Rebecca (sister) +1, Josh (friend (just a friend) who works at Prospera Industries) +2

Secret ID: By day the Chameleon uses the name Rachel and workers as a part-time tattoo artist and bartender at a series of dives near the Scar. Chameleon si estranged from most of her family and left her home town years ago.

Among her ex-lovers, she has dated another Freak: Donny, a would be crime lord. She also found that she isn't unique, at least anymore. Another Freak, Iteration X replicated her powers during a battle by the pier.

Friday, March 20, 2015

The Climbers Recap: Talking It Out

creepersbanner
Now onto the eighth session of my Apocalypse World game, the Climbers. Last session Gator gained a gang. Violet sent her followers out to find allies in taking down White and his zombies. It was revealed that her rival A.T., the leader of the Militia, was here and allied with Barnum. While Jarhead and Gator cleared out the East Wing, November was approached by White's agent, a mysterious man in a top hat, who wants her to stay out of his business. She turned him down.

There’s a lot of talk about Violet’s next move and I don’t think anything has been decided.

“I've been trying to decide it but I have not been doing a very good job,” Violet admits.


We are now a third of the way through my planned 20+ session run for this campaign. The world is getting more developed but major questions remain about the psychic maelstrom, the 'gods', the Militia and other forces working towards remaking this world. This session is my long-planned ‘talkie’ session where everyone has Hot and/or Sharp highlighted. My players very much delivered despite the large amount of babbling by my infant son.

As in my earlier actual play reports, small green text indicates out of character talk, mechanics and other game aspects outside of the fiction.

Our main characters are:
  • Gator (the Gunlugger) is an assassin and part-time bodyguard who wears customized scrounged armor made from Kevlar and ceramic inserts. Camouflaged for the jungle, his face was ruined in a fight with an alligator. His eyes are always sizing things up and his brutal life has left his body a hard sheet of muscle. He recently save a little girl named Memo and obtained a gang of mercenaries.
  • Jarhead (the Savvyhead) is a thing African-American man with a short goatee, long dreads, and clothes covered in pockets and gear. Travelling around in an old news van, he repairs items for a living. He is investigating a device that can bend space and time. He has also obtained employees in the form of a young woman Allison and her brother Waters.
  • November Orleans (the Skinner) is descended from a family which left New Orleans before it sank. She is a beautiful woman of mixed heritage with dark eyes and skin, a sweet face and lush body. She dresses herself in a mix of scavenged clothing that somehow works together and wears a necklace made from rows of antique coins which jingle and shine as she moves. Her main profession is as a dancer, especially belly dancing, but she has a sideline business in cooking and animal training.
  • Violet Jefferson (the Touchstone) is descended by survivalists and her clothing and gear reflects her origins. Plain looking but fit, she carries a pocket copy of the Federalist papers and founding documents of the United States of America, an idea she hopes to revive. Her followers are demanding her help putting on a mission to liberate Miami from a tyrant.

Start of Session

November asks how she could use her new skill of animal training on an alligator. I explain it would take time, a few fingers, and an Acting under fire roll (vs. alligator). Plus there are limits to what you could train it to do.

“What are the brightest animals around?” she asks.

We decide that most common smart animal are freaky ass rodents. She says she is looking for a sexy exotic pet. Violet suggests a tropical bird.


We start with highlighting:
  • Violet gets Hard (by November) and Hot.
  • Jarhead gets Hot (by November) and Sharp.
  • November gets Hot (by Violet) and Sharp.
  • Gator (when he shows up towards the end of the session) gets Sharp (by Jarhead) and Cool.
Next Violet rolls Fortunes and gets snake eyes (2). So things are going to suck with her followers: they are deserting, arguing with her, and sick.

“I’m going to have to make a show of strength,” she says.

“I’m going to bring in a couple new followers of yours but they might not stick around long,” I tell her.


Next I decide that Waters is out of surgery. Since his mental wounds required the Autodoc's AI to operate on him, there is a roll to make:

Custom Move: Elective Surgery: when you allow the Hospital to operate on you, it fixes whatever ailment you have. Roll +weird. On a 10+ choose 1, on a 7-9 choose 2. On a miss all three.
  • You are set to 2-harm (regardless of your previous harm level).
  • The hospital adds something (a limb, an organ, a modification).
  • The hospital removes something (a limb, an organ, a part of who you are).

I let Violet roll for Waters at +1 due to the fact she spend extra barter to get him mundane surgery first. She gets an 8 and after some die rolling chooses the harm and something removed options.

“They are both equally bad options,” she says before rolling a die to decide between something added or removed. Then she rolls. “Crap, well I would have said crap anyway.”

I remind the group that they still have hold left over from two sessions ago for declaring friends in Miami. Then we start.

Talking It Out

We start with Jarhead heading to his workshop after rescuing Memo.

Jarhead pulls the pale little girl behind him. She bows her head, letting her long black hair hide the crowds and bright lights as she pads after him in hospital slippers and a gown. They slip through loading bay doors and out of the hospital proper.

As they reach the inventor’s van, she lets her shoulders relax. Jarhead indicates for her to sit in the back of the van amid the blinking lights and displays. She clambers up into the workshop and settles in front of repurposed tablet. As she slowly pushes a screen with a thin finger, Jarhead pulls out a piece of jerky and offers it to her.

Jarhead rolls Manipulate a person with food as leverage. He marks experience and gets an 11.

She takes it from him cautiously. As she nibbles at the salty meat, Jarhead says, “Let’s just see what you've got here.”

Gently he brushes the hair away from the right side of her face. Her eyes follow his as he traces the pattern of surgical scars across her brow to her temple. A pair of black data ports protrude from her skin. Gently he touches the side of her head, feeling where bone gives way to metal beneath the skin.

“That’s interesting,” he says. “What are these for?”

The girl flinches away from his touch suddenly, pulling her hair back over her face.

“Okay, Okay,” Jarhead says calmly. “Just asking.”

“The computer,” she says. “It does things to people. My mom brought me here because I was very sick. It tried to fix me but-.” She chokes off her reply.

The silence stretches out before she blurts, “I can feel them all.”

“Feel who?” he asks.

“So many," she says her eyes racing around the room. She fixes on Jarhead. “Your friend.”

“Which friend? All of a sudden I have whole lot more.”

“Sir Fredricks?” she sounds out.

Jarhead leans in. “Interesting. You feel him?”

“Yes, he’s close.”

“What do you mean close?” Jarhead looks around. “He’s alive in this room here?”

Memo shakes her head, her face twisting in pain. ”He keeps screaming. He keeps screaming.”

“Do you hear him not with your ears but your head?” the tinkerer says with dawning realization.

“Yes. I can’t not hear them,” she explains, clutching her ears. “They just keep talking. Some of them scream and scream and scream.”

”How many of them are there?”

“So many, so many. Most of them are quiet now.”

“Hold on a second,” he says. He reaches out with one hand and touches Memo while his other fiddles with the Tesla device. The device hums and suddenly Jarhead feels they are not alone.

Jarhead decides to reach through psychic maelstrom to Sir Fredricks. He rolls weird for Augury and gets a 9. He chooses to reach broadly for where his old friend is.

Cut to November.


November slips past a knot of nurses. Patients and nurses walk back and forth along the long white hall. Bright fluorescent lights clearly illuminate the room numbers.

She stops at Room 233 and pokes her head in. Inside the elderly Heron lies back on the hospital bed as several members of the Music Bowl play a low relaxing song. The man seems younger somehow, his infirmity lifted.

November steps inside and pays her compliments to the rejuvenated patient. He smiles weakly back. Leaving him to his recovery, she turns to Pandora.

November decides to Read a person on Pandora. She uses her +1 with her which gives her a 7. She marks experience.

“What are your plans once Heron recovers?” she asks.

“The doctors say it will be a few weeks,” the priestess says. “But we plan to return to the Music Bowl. Though if his progress is good, perhaps we can take him back sooner and he can finished his convalescence there. What about you?”

“Well my comrades are currently concerned by the rising power of White,” the dancer explains. “It’s not clear exactly what we would be doing.”

What does she want me to do? November asks.

Pandora smiles. “I hope Heron will be able to make a partial recovery soon and we can return to the Music Bowl. Perhaps in your company?”

“Perhaps,” November says.

“The festival is fairly soon. I’d like to make you a more integral part of it.”

“I’m flattered,” the dancer says smiling. “Please seek me out if you are planning to leave and I will do the same.”

Pandora nods. “I certainly will.”

November excuses herself and makes her way to the lobby.

She intends to speak to Violet to see if she has a plan. “And if she doesn’t I’m going to seduce A.T.,” she threatens.

Violet looks out the darkened window. The clouds that drifted in over the day released a torrent of rain that afternoon, one that shows no signs of ending. Growing winds whip the overgrown palm trees out front. She wonders if Boo and the others are alright.

Glancing at the crowds, everyone seems to be settling in for a long wait. A couple nearby argue about how bad it will be.

“It’s just a big storm,” the old woman says.

“Nah, nah it’s hurricane season,” her partner says.

A commotion draws her attention back to the front door. A group of waterlogged travelers spill out into the lobby. She recognizes Boo and Garber as well as other members of her circle.

We quickly establish the new characters: AOL, Scarlet and Joshua. AOL a tough traveler undeterred by inclimate weather and whose plan for a renewed Union is better communication. “There’s a whole movie about it,” she would say, referencing the Postman. “We just have to follow the plan.”

“Does she have a tendency to go postal?” Violet asks.


AOL steps out of the rain more concern with some disagreement with Boo than the weather. Scarlet busies herself drying out her long red dreadlocks while her boyfriend Joshua makes sure none of the optics on his ornate helmet are damaged.

Violet walks over to greet them but they immediately fall into an argument.

Joshua puts down his helmet. “What kind of idiocy are you up to?” he yells at Boo.

Boo coughs and slumps down on a bench, shivering slightly.

“Let my dad out of this, you can see how he is,” his son Garber shouts back.

AOL shakes her head. “I don’t know what you two were thinking going out there alone. You almost got hit by those raiders. It’s a good thing we came around. You would have end up dead and looted. And what’s this about getting people to join us piecemeal? That’s sounds like crazy talk.”

Joshua nods. “What we need is...how many of us are around? Four or five? If you are going to drum up support, sure but do it together. There’s the 7-11, those guys ought to want to be free of White. Assuming he hasn't hit them yet. And what about the Autodoc? I know these guys aren't going to want freaking voodoo climber victims around." He smiles to himself. "Then again maybe they do, It would be good for business.”

Violet uses Towering presence and gets an 11. She also earns experience.

“What’s done is done!” Violet shouts. “If you have something constructive to add to this strategy do it. Otherwise stop arguing.”

November slips up beside her. “We have a strategy now?”

“We are working on it,” the survivalist says, clenching her jaw.

Boo staggers to his feet. “Me and Garber,” he coughs out. “We went over to some of the smaller holds: Tatters and MarketStore. Neither of them is willing to help. Taters is scared stiff by White while MarketStore says that he offered them a better deal.

We establish MarketStore is a repurposed supermarket while Tatters farms potatoes.

He steadies himself on his son. “Since this is the first time you’ve asked for my strategy, here it is. I think that we are not going to get people on our side until we take out White. You’ve already paid for Gator. Get him on the ship somehow and let him shoot White. That will take care of it.”

“Not a bad plan,” Violet says.

I point out that she could have used Insight if she asked earlier.

This next bit happened while I prepared dinner.


November offers her own advice. “I know it’s not quite how you had it in mind, but isn’t A.T. interested in taking out White?”

“Yeah,” she says. “My concern is that he will also take out anyone who raises a finger against him.”

“You think will install himself as a new warlord?”

“He tends to be less tolerant of dissent than I am,” Violet says.

“So we need somebody to control him?” November asks, batting her eyelashes. “I could see if he might be amenable to a reasonable approach.”

Violet leans back against a wall. “We can give it a try. I just need him to wait for a while.”

November frowns. “I thought what you wanted was fair elections?”

“Yes but if he goes in guns blazing then we are going to have a lot of casualties and chaos. We need to make it so he’s no longer part of the problem.”

November looks down for moment before focusing on Violet. “You need to think what your end game is and then work towards it. If you want free elections here then you need to decide who is going to run it. Are you going to establish yourself as the body to protect that? What will be the qualifications for candidates? It sounds like you wouldn't mind White as a possible president or something but that he must respect the will of the people.”

“We need to establish a constitution before the election,” Violet says, fishing out her pocket copy of the Federalist papers.

“I can approach A.T and see if he’d be interested in supporting these election,” November says. “As for White I’m not sure what we could do to pressure him. I suppose we could tell him to support elections or else.”

“I doubt he’s going to go for it,” Violet says. “Given that he uses zombies.”

“Well it’s your vision,” the dancer says dubiously. “It sounded great but I thought he deserved a fair chance. But if you are saying we decide who doesn’t get to join the new republic then that’s cool too I guess. You’ve read the papers more than I have.“

“I find most people can be persuaded if you approach them the right way,” she adds. “I understand fully that some people need to be killed, That’s why my knives are not just for cooking.”

I come back to get a recap.

Violet is still thinking. She wants free election but points out that White can control minds and that both he and A.T. might not respect the free part.


AOL interjects. “Well if we are going to do something like that, we need to know what he wants. That way we can convince him to our way of thinking.”

“We can always start with not dying,” November says. “Most people want that.”

“Yes, but eventually he will be free to do what he wants. That could be a problem.”

Violet says, “yes, if what he wants to do is have a bunch of zombie mind slaves to do his bidding, then that’s not going to fly. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” She turns to Joshua and Scarlet. “What are your ideas?”

The scrawny man looks up. “I think we should infiltrate the ship and instigate a popular revolt.”

“Yes,” Scarlet adds. “We need to get on board and convince the people.”

“Hmm,” Violet says, considering her options.

Cut back to Jarhead.

Jarhead looks at the readout. Two pings register from the device. One distant and faint. The other far too close. Sir Fredricks’s body might still be in distant Orlando but his mind is here.

Or as I tell him, “you have your hand on it.”

Then there is contact and the concept of screaming rips through the tinkerer’s mind. Ah where am I am? the presence intones. The experiment went horribly wrong! Jarhead, I blame you for this!

Shut up! Jarhead thinks back. Calm down. Tell me what you see.

Jarhead tries to Manipulate a person. He earns experience but unfortunately only gets a 4.

He feels the angry mind lock with his, freezing him in place. As he struggles to regain control he senses hands on his neck, gasping and choking. His vision blurs and suddenly the psychic connection breaks.

The pressure grows on his throat and chest. He blinks. A swimming vision of Memo stares down at him with empty eyes, her arms reaching for his neck.

Jarhead rolls Seize by force to save himself. He gets a 7 and takes definite hold and suffers little harm.

He takes no damage (1-harm -1 for little harm)


“Hey Memo!” he gasps. “Wake. The fuck. Up!”

He flips her off of him and onto the ground. Gasping for breath, he watches as her eyes refocus.

“What happened?” she says glancing about as she picks herself up.

“An interesting result that we will explore further under contained conditions,” he says rubbing his neck.

Jarhead considers strapping her down. “He prefers not being strangled.”

“Wait here,” he says after a moment. He then heads into the Autodoc to steal a hospital bed.

Then we cut back to Violet and November.

”Just how bad is it on the ship?” Violet asks.

”No one is really sure. Boo was the last one there and his brother got shot for espousing democracy.”

”What do you mean you’re hardholder?” November quips. “I didn’t vote for you.”

”You don’t vote for hardholder,” Violet answers.

”Bang,” November adds, giving the real Apocalypse World answer.


Violet’s followers pitch camp a short distance away to dry out and rest. Garber goes looking for warm food for his ailing father. Meanwhile November and Violet continue their conversation.

November Reads a person on Violet (who decides not to help or hinder). She earns experience and gets an 8. She earns an advance and picks up Hypnotic.

“How could I get you to join forces with A.T.?” November asks.

“Convince him not lynch anybody who has a different opinion from him,” Violet says.

“Okay,” the dancer says, getting up . “I guess I’ll go talk to A.T.”

As she exits the lobby she runs into Jarhead.

“What’s the problem?” she asks.

“No problem,” he says quickly. The man’s dark eyes search the hallway before settling on a gurney equipped with leather straps.

November Reads a person on Jarhead. She gets a soft success. ”What does Jarhead intend to do?” she asks.

As the inventor grabs the gurney and starts turning it around, she asks, “who are you trying to tie down? Where’s Gator?”

“I haven’t seen him around,” Jarhead says. “It isn't for him.”

”It’s okay,” she says with a laugh. “He once told me he liked them.”

Cue group groans.

Jarhead wheels the gurney towards the loading dock, looking around for anyone else paying attention. “I think he’s in the cafeteria.”

“Who are you strapping down?” November asks.

“Uh, Memo.”

November looks at him for a little bit before smiling and walking away.

“What’s with the 21 questions here?” Jarhead says wheeling the gurney quickly back to his workshop.

Jarhead stops the gurney short of the half unloaded van. Standing near Memo is a man in white robes. Jarhead recognizes his long black hair from the group of Music Bowl cultists they traveled with.

“Can I help you?” he asks.

Jarhead Reads a person on the NPC (Wisher). He gets a 12.

”What do you intend to do?” he asks first.


“Maybe or maybe we can help each other. I’m looking to hire you make a gift for someone. I’m not sure what would be the best gift. But you know her better so perhaps you would have an idea.”

“Her?”

“November.”

Are you telling the truth (about the gift)?

Jarhead senses the stranger’s sincerity. “She was talking about buying a trained animal. But I’m not good on the whole animal thing.”

The stranger nods. “That does seem to be outside your expertise as far as I can see. My name is Wisher.” Wisher walks around the gurney toward him, his hand playing with one of the straps.

“Ah Wisher, I’m Jarhead,” he says offering his hand.

Jarhead Opens his brain and gets a 9 to get a vision of what November might want.

As they shake, he feels a flash. A vehicle, small but nimble, not a motorcycle but like one. “November wanted something like a motorcycle,” Jarhead muses. “But that’s a lot of time that perhaps you don’t have. Unless you have something pretty much intact.”

Wisher seems unfazed. “I’m sure I can come up with raw materials if that’s what you need.”

I tell Jarhead he can build one with his workshop in the time it will take Waters to recover. Perhaps quicker with the right parts. We also establish some base prices for vehicles: 2-barter for crap, 3-barter for fully functional, higher for anything nicer.

“Sure, it would cost you two barter,” Jarhead informs him, “but if you want something fancy on there, the price goes up.”

“How fancy are we talking?” the taller man says setting his hands on the gurney.

“Well there’s a bicycle seat and then there is a really nice seat. There are well-worn mufflers and then there are polished ones.”

“Well this should be very attractive,” Wisher says seriously.

“Then we are talking something like four barter.”

Wisher strokes his chin. “Well I’d be providing raw materials. That should knock down the price.”

“Which I don’t get to keep,” Jarhead counters.

“But then you don’t have to provide them,” Wisher says.

“Okay three barter then.”

Wisher smiles widely. “I’ll give you two barter now and arrange the parts to be here soon. I’ll get the remaining barter along once I’m able.”

“Okay that’s good.”

We cut back to Violet. This bit is pretty close to a soliloquy.

Outside the storm grows in strength. Inside Violet sits apart, lost in her thoughts.

We review her plan.

The first thing to remove White, she thinks. But we also need to make sure that stability in the holding isn’t shot to hell.

We establish that the Big Ship has roughly three hundred people on board. Violet is interested in how many people are needed just to keep things functioning.

Her mind runs over her experiences on the Big Ship. Three hundred souls, men, women, and children, packed onto the surface of a rusty hulk. But only few are needed to keep the power running and to maintain food and security. Boo told her that White's men were afraid of him, afraid that they would be infected with the climbers and zombified. Some of them might be turned to the cause once White is removed. But which ones were afraid? And which are really loyal?

Violet asks how she might learn who is loyal or not on the Big Ship.

“That’s a hard one. There you’d have to talk to people on the ship."

“Go undercover,” November suggests.

”We need to find out what the situation is on the holding,” Violet says.

“So it sounds like somebody is going to have to go over there,” I say.

“First we want to find out that A.T. doesn’t do anything stupid," she says. "Then we want to put someone in place to do recon on the ship.”

"Those sound like decisions," I comment. "Now just to decide who does what."

"It sounds like November is already dealing with A.T.”

"Who is going to go on the ship?"

"Who is best suited to recon?" she asks.

“Not Jarhead", I tell her.

”Hell no,” Jarhead adds.

"I guess I’m decent at that," Violet says. "I wouldn't ask someone to do it if I wasn’t willing to.”


The rain hits the glass ceiling of the lobby in large wet drops. Somebody is going to get aboard and find out. But who? I'll do it if I must.

Violet continues to plan. At one point she mentions, “though if White is killing anyone who stands in his way, we may need to eliminate him.”

I point out, "that’s what you paid Gator for."

November adds, “if you paid Gator to kill someone, he’s going to get killed either way.”

After some discussion she decides to Open her brain to the psychic maelstrom, hoping for a vision of the Big Ship.

"What is it like when Violet opens her mind to the psychic maelstrom?"

She relates it to hunting, watching and listening for her quarry with small details coming into focus.

I remark that the psychic maelstrom “is very sensie heavy.”

Unfortunately, she gets a 6 on her roll.


Violet casts her thoughts outward, opening her mind to the swirl chaos of the psychic maelstrom. Instantly everything is thrown in sharp relief: the thousands of raindrops hitting the glass enclosure, the paleness of Boo's skin, the subtle sniffing of Garber, and the whirling clouds overhead. Her thoughts stray for moment. I should make them an herbal tea later.

She then tries to focus on the south and the Big Ship. But instead of sensing the ship, she feels someone watching her.

In the gloom outside a phantom outline forms, someone looking back at her. Now I know, the figure's mind lets slip.

Oh crap, she thinks slamming the connection closed.

I was trying to decide if White knew about Violet or if he only knew about November. But now I don’t have to wonder.

November looks into her compact, applying her precious makeup carefully. She adjusts her outfit, adding a bit more modesty, a little less youth, and a touch more respectability. As a final touch she openly sheaths a knife at her waist. A.T. is a man of means and power and respects a woman who has both.

She smiles to herself, thinking back to when she spotted him in the hall. The soldier on the left, the hulking black man, had to be Mox. Mox might be weak on people skills but he was dependable. She knew he'd fall for her charms again.

November uses another of her hold to make Mox a friend.

Finished, she slipped out of the unoccupied hospital room and into the hall. Now just to find where he's staying, she thought to herself.

She spies Iris down the hall and intercepts her. “Hello Iris. How are you?"

As the two dark woman exchange pleasantries, November moves in close. "Where is the Militia? I saw them around here.”

Iris's smile vanishes. “Well I guess Barnum gave them space over in the West Wing,” she says quietly.

"You alright?" November asks. "You seem spooked."

A fragile smile reappears. “It's just we don’t like to get involved in the affairs of other holdings. Bringing the Militia in goes against that."

"Why do you think he did?"

“Well because of White I guess,” she says glancing away.

"Is the Autodoc going to support the Militia?" November asks.

November also rolls Read a person, earning experience and getting an 8.

"I guess so, we’ve set aside a number of beds for them." The nurse whispers, "I’ve heard rumors we’ve had some beds set aside for them for a while now."

"Are they here at your invitation?" November asks suspiciously.

"I don’t know."

"Is she telling the truth?" November asks.

"Yes."


November walks towards the two men guarding a checkpoint in the West Wing. The faded and patch camo clothing on the left guard at least was real. The right one's outfit was an odd lime green and made of a patchwork of denim.

The left soldier gestures to her to stop. “Hey what’s your business.”

The elegant woman stops and smiles. "Oh I’m looking for Mox. Last time he was here we spent some time together."

“Zuk go check that out," he says to the man on his right. He turns back to November. "Just wait here miss.”

As Zuk turns to go, she calls out, "let him know November is here."

A few minutes later Zuk returns with Mox. The large man's clothes are less faded and the big rifle strapped to his back shines from a diligent cleaning.

Mox smiles broadly. “November it's good to see you again.”

"You too, Mox," she says. "I passed you in the hall around lunch. It took me a while to recognize you. You are taking good care of yourself.”

"Thanks," he says flexing a bicep.

“I was hoping we could catch up, is there someplace we can talk privately?”

"Sure we’ve got plenty of space at the moment." Mox gestures down the hall and turns to the soldier, “She’s okay.”

Mox leads her into an empty hospital room that's been prepared as a bunk room.

November has time alone with Mox so she uses Hypnotic on him. With the +1 from her hold she easily gets a 10+ and earns experience as well. He is now captivated by her and will do what he can to help her. Or at least for the 3 hold she has over him.

November and Mox chat about recent events, each word placing him further and further under her charms. Mox happily fills her in on the Militia's plans.

And uses 1 of her hold.

“We plan to take down White, undoing the tyranny in Miami,” he says with a grin. "A.T. has got this all set up. We’re bringing guys down from the north. We’re bringing the big truck on the train. We are going to move in and take control of White's empire holding by holding. The train should be here in two days, unless there’s flooding. Once it gets here we'll start moving in. Nothing is going to stop this truck. It's a vintage piece, an armored personnel carrier."

November initially thinks about getting Mox to bring her A.T. but decides to use Lost instead. She gets a hard hit and calls A.T. to her.

As Mox finishes with his speech, November lets her mind connect to the maelstrom. Softly she calls into it: A.T. Then she waits as Mox prattles on.

Several minutes later, the white-haired man walks.

“Mox what are you doing here?" the Militia leader asks. "Who is she?”

“This is November Orleans," Mox says, "she’s a woman of refinement.”

November curtsies. “I dance a little, I cook, and I've even been learning to train animals. Mox was just telling me about your plans. I am grateful that you are standing up for the people of Miami. A.T. was it?"

November motions to Mox to leave them alone. The big man exits with a wistful look.

And uses another hold.

“Yeah A.T.,” he says unsteadily. He quickly regains his momentum however adding, “that’s nice of you say. It's too long that raiders and despots have been picking at the wreck of our fine country. My men and I intend to bring order to this lawless land.”

"Law and order are very important," she says sweetly. "There are some people who feel you should kill anyone who disagree with you. What do you think about that?"

November Reads a person, gets a hard success and experience.

A.T. scratches his beard. "Killing is a bit of unfortunate business in this world. It shouldn't be done lightly but sometimes it’s just necessary."

As an aside, I see Violet's followers as 'freedom first', especially the freedom of expression. The Militia on the other hand is 'the government stays out of our business'. There's an important distinction there.

“You wouldn't kill someone just because they disagree with you?" she asks. "Once you've established your law and order?”

"As long as they not acting against that order we don’t have a problem," he says with a practiced air. "If they are undermining that order, bringing weakness back to the Union, then that’s not going to sit well with me."

"Back in the day, didn't they used to have things like courts?”

He nods. "Yup. We‘re bringing those back."

“Then wouldn't you hold true to the findings of those courts?” she asks.

In game terms, "how could I get you to hold by their decisions?"

"Damn it now I have a deep political question to answer," I tell her.

I tell her, "As far as citizens, people within the Union, he would be willing to follow the outcome of a fair trial if the people involved were not a threat. He would be willing to compromise if it brought more holdings into the Union."


"Citizens of course have a right to a fair trial," he says as he begins to lecture about legal codes and individual rights. November listens to the spaces between his words. She decides he doesn't really care about the laws but does care about public opinion. Like any politicians, he would sacrifice his principles (or prejudices) to bring more people under his sway.

As he finishes, she says, “there are other people here fighting for the Union. Have you thought about joining forces with them? A young woman named Violet?”

A.T. snorts. "Violet, yeah I heard about her. Her heart might be in the right place but she’s never going to get anything accomplished."

“What are you going to do about her?”

In game terms "What do you intend to do?"

"She and I have talked before. I don’t see that I’m going to get her to agree with me anytime soon. But I think her Republicans might see things a little bit more rationally. I think I can bring them around."

Violet's followers get a name and now we know he intends to recruit them. I hope she doesn't get +desertion soon...oh wait, she already has.

November moves closer to him, letting him talk longer. She places a hand on his arm and turns on her charm. A.T. falters, smiles and closes the door to the hallway.

November decides to Seduce him. With the +1 from her cosmetics she gets a 9 and marks experience. So she has to put out.

“And so we fade to black.”

With her sex move, November decides to Hypnotize him for free. For her manipulation, she sets up a meeting with Violet.


Light streams under the door and into the dark bunk room. A.T. sits up and pulls on his pants. November leans over his shoulder. As she finishes her pillow talk, she softly suggests, "hey baby, let me set up a meeting, just you and Violet and me.”

The older man smiles in the dark. "Yup, maybe we can win her around."

And that's where we will end it for now. See you in two weeks.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Worlds in Peril: Issue #1

Recently I ran a short game of Worlds in Peril for my local group. It was pretty fun, even if we were limited to 2 hour sessions. Here is an abbreviated example of the gameplay for the four sessions of the first issue.

Session 1: Character Creation

First we decided on the rough nature of the world the characters lived in. In an earlier vote on what to play, The Sprawl lost out to Worlds in Peril, so to make it up to the player who voted for it, we set the game in a cyberpunk near-future world.

The time: 2025. The place: the City.

The players quickly outlined their characters and then I got down to helping them through character creation.

Grace decided to make a pure telekinetic, no telepathy or anything else. Calling her Red Tempest, she decided that the heroine was the child and "successor" to a super villainess called the Tempest. The Tempest experimented on her as child granting her super powers through blood transfusions. Now she is hunted by a secret government agency (L.O.T.U.S.) who wants her secret. Her mother was banished from the city 4 years ago.

David created the Gravedigger, a hero back from dead. This ghoulish figure enacts vengeance on criminals so they can't escape justice in the afterlife. We also worked out that before he died (20 years ago), he and the Tempest were lovers. Red Tempest is his daughter, though only he knows that.

Karen took a bit longer to finished her character. Chameleon, a freak of nature from another city, can shapeshift into almost anything. With a vice of falling into and out of love, she has left a menagerie of ex's behind her. We also establish she has one true friend, Josh, who she hasn't slept with.

As the players finish their characters, I whip up some villains. I jot down a small gang (size 2) of minions: six burly men with picks, shovels and pistols. They are being led by an undead super villainess named Banshee. I put down some powers: turn intangible and chilling touch.

Eager to get started and with only a half hour to play, I drop the heroes in the subway system. Tina (a subway mechanic and roommate of Red Tempest) had put them on the trail of some mysterious noises and people in a section of the tunnels.

They hear someone pulling aside stone up ahead. After a quick reconnaissance by Chameleon, Gravedigger charges forward. He rolls Take down and easily bests the minions while Red Tempest yanks their weapons from their hands. Then the rotten superhero pushes Banshee through the gap her men uncovered.

As they battle in an abandoned lab, the fight begins to drag on. Banshee escapes a telekinetic grapple by turning into a mist. Gravedigger gets his eyes frozen shut while Chameleon messes with the lab equipment. Red Tempest seals Banshee in a tube but after several failed rolls, Banshee blasts her way out with a sonic scream. In the end Chameleon frees the lone test subject in one of the tubes and threatens to kill him unless the villain surrenders. Banshee flees instead.

Session 2: World Creation, Investigation and Downtime

With a week to prepare, I set to work on a set of questions about the world the heroes live in. Where did they work? Who were their friends? What are their surroundings like? I also worked on rough outlines for several villains including agents of L.O.T.U.S. and a dangerous ex-lover of Chameleon.
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My crude rendering of the City.
We picked up right after they defeated Banshee. Gravedigger recognizes the man they pulled from the tube in the lab as the Herald, a henchman of the Eater. The Eater was a living singularity that plagued the city decades ago. The Herald himself hasn't been seen for 14 years.

Unfortunately the Herald, cowed by the presence of so many heroes, doesn't have many answers to give. He was captured and experimented on by scientists. They never told him anything. He still thinks it is 2011.

Red Tempest pushes her powers and by vibrating her surroundings finds a secret compartment. She also gets a migraine. Inside they find transmission equipment stamped with the L.O.T.U.S. logo. Red Tempest seems worried but refuses to talk about it. When they turn the transmitter on, Chameleon is surprised to find her ex-boyfriend (and would be crime lord) Donny on the line. Donny invites her to the docks but she refuses knowing of his criminal activities. He claims to be organizing fellow freaks.

The heroes split up. Gravedigger takes the Herald to his secret cemetery lair in the middle of Steelside (the neighborhood they defend). He throws him in a cell and then looks for his friend and sole human contact Jack.

Red Tempest meanwhile get some rest and goes to her job (Fit in) as an internet blogger employed by the Tattler. She gets an email from her editor Sasha Sivinski to cover a protest by the freaks at the park. She does so hoping that her headache subsides. When she arrives, she notices some fires in the distance. She decides to investigate.

While Gravedigger tries to fit in by talking with the child there is a crash from the prison. Gravedigger finds a smoldering hole where Herald,who can now turn into a blazing inferno, has escaped.

Chameleon spends the day Investigating L.O.T.U.S. After striking out on her own, she talks to her friend Josh and gets him to check a possible connection between Prospera Industries and L.O.T.U.S.. He gets back to her later in the day. Nervously he relays that they've been sending mysterious deliveries of high-tech equipment starting 6 months ago. Someone on the board of directors authorized the shipments.

Chameleon hears a nearby commotion on her way to work that afternoon. As she arrives she finds the rest of the team in combat with a burning man.

Chameleon envelopes the Herald as a fire proof sheet (Take down) and puts him out (negating his advantage of a flame barrier). Meanwhile Gravedigger seals everyone in a life ward so the Herald can't escape. Red Tempest helps contain the fire and then helps with subduing the burning man.

As Gravedigger drags the Herald (who has no idea how he did that) back to his private prison, Chameleon flies after Red Tempest to ask about L.O.T.U.S. Red Tempest flies away leaving Chameleon in the dust.

Session 3: Investigating

Compiling the notes from the previous two sessions took some time. By this point we had a fairly complicated relationship map and I still wasn't sure who the bad guy was. I came up with several options and decided to let the specifics come out in play.
relationships
We pick up the day after the Herald's defeat. Red Tempest gets an assignment to cover her friend the Mayor's speech at City Hall. The Mayor hopes to rebuild "the Scar", wreckage left over from the Tempest's battles. It will mean relocating the freaks squatting there. I had a concept for an attack on the mayor if she missed her Fit in roll. But that was one of the few dice rolls that worked out for her.

Chameleon meanwhile does some work at the tattoo parlor with plans to meet Red Tempest after her meeting with the Mayor. She still hopes to learn about L.O.T.U.S. While at work, she talks to a freak named Rainbow Jack. The color changing mutant is worried about a friend of his who is missing. After he leaves she sees him get tranquilized and thrown into a van by a group of men in silver sunglasses and dark suits.

They try to grab her too but she escapes. But before she disappears into an alley they wing her with an electrical blast from one of their guns. Chameleon collapses in alley, safe, at least from them.

Gravedigger meanwhile maps what he knows of the underground tunnels and discovers a couple likely locations for more L.O.T.U.S. bases. He also becomes obsessed with Banshee. When his research into her comes up empty, he tries another tactic. Working off of Chameleon's findings, he stakes out Prospera Industries. After hours he grabs Dr. Vulmar, their chief supers researcher. From him, he learns that the scientist is investigating the source of supers powers. In fact he had a sample from Banshee. It was worthless, as she gets her powers from a non-genetic source, much like the Gravedigger. Vulmar does cough up contact info on the person they hired to get the sample: Agent 00111.

Red Tempest begins to worry when Chameleon misses her meeting. She does some research and learns of the attack by L.O.T.U.S. A cyborg journalist captured the incident on video. She visits him and gets a first person account. Chameleon comes to and finds Red Tempest. They discuss the incident.

The two women arrive at the cemetery lair as Gravedigger calls Agent 00111, hoping to hire him to catch Banshee for him. Red Tempest helps out by supplying the million dollar down payment (she has a trust fund).

That dealt with the team heads to docks where Donny is lurking and another L.O.T.U.S. base might be found. They find Donny and a mysterious individual putting freaks in shipping containers in a warehouse. Then L.O.T.U.S. agents arrive with another freak.

Red Tempest acts impulsively and drops a warehouse on them, crushing the agents. As Donny's goons fill the Gravedigger full of bullets, Red Tempest begins to whirl debris around and around, slicing everything to ribbons.

Gravedigger nearly decapitates Donny with his shovel while Chameleon tries to impersonate the stranger. The stranger, a freak known as Iteration X, emerges behind her (after she blew her Influence roll to get the goons to flee) and replicates her powers.

Gravedigger drags off Donny to finish him off. Chameleon slices Iteration X mostly in half by turning into a giant saw blade. It barely slows him down. It seems he also possess's Donny's regenerative powers. He then tries to grab Red Tempest. She chooses to flee straight up, leaving Chameleon alone.

As Gravedigger beats up Donny and his men, he hears Chameleon call for help. He grumbles and lets the thug escape. By the time he arrives however the others have fled. Gravedigger melts X's face off and the regenerating shapeshifter lops off his arm in retaliation. As Gravedigger arms himself with his own arm, Chameleon turns her arm into a heat seeking missile and blasts X.

X, bloody, burnt and angry, gets back up. Elsewhere Red Tempest spots the fleeing Donny and traps him in a dumpster. She drags him back to the others to finish X.

Then we have to stop for two weeks.

Session 4: Conclusion

Our final session was short. I already knew how things would end, other than the specifics of the battle. I wanted to leave the final session on a bit of cliffhanger but still resolve the current arc.

We join our heroes as they regroup to defeat Iteration X. Gravedigger smacks X around with his detached arm, causing a befuddled X to wildly claw into an exposed power cable. As the freak gets shocked, power goes down for this side of the city (resolving a burnt bond).

Chameleon spends her actions freeing the captured freaks from shipping containers. She blows some rolls to rally them to her cause and gets spun around and exhausted for her efforts.

Red Tempest arrives and telekinetically lifts Donny's goons guns from the rubble. They form a circle around X and fire. Following some more missed rolls, X uses a freak-based magnetic ability to crush the guns and extract the bullets from his battered body.

Gravedigger decides to rot the floor from under X, causing both of them to spill into the level below. Gravedigger finds his leg impaled on a sharp bit of wood while X takes some rebar to the chest.

Then Red Tempest drops the L.O.T.U.S. truck on top of him. With six conditions, he is defeated.

After interrogating him, they learn he was hired by Prospera Industries via Dr. Vulmar. L.O.T.U.S. was allied with them. The plan was to feed X powers so he could take on the Tempest. She is coming back.

Red Tempest suffers a flashback of the experiment where she gained her powers. We see her as a young girl getting a blood transfusion from her mother. This allows her to use the move Painful Catharsis.

We then have another cut scene, jumping to the Board of Directors at Prospera. Dr. Vulmar gives them the bad news about Iteration X. A new plan is formed: bring in AEGIS, the government's team for dealing with supers. This will mean a hunt for all super-powered beings though.

As a final note, Agent 00111 drops off Banshee to Gravedigger in exchange for his payment.

And that's it. Thanks for reading!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Super Villains III

Here are our last batch of villains from the Worlds in Peril game I ran for my local group. One formed the backbone of the story while the other turned out very different than expected in play.

L.O.T.U.S. agents

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Description: the bogeymen for superheroes and supervillains alike, these dark suited men and women claim to work for a secret government agency but are never clear on which one. Their silver glasses conceal computer interfaces, relaying orders and information from their hidden masters. Armed with the latest high-tech weaponry, L.O.T.U.S. has been known to hunt down and kidnap people with superpowers. Many are never seen again. Others come back changed.

Motives: to capture supers, to minimize exposure

Size: 2 (each point of size includes 2 agents)

Powers: All agents are equipped with needler guns [A], capable of firing hundreds of thin carbon fiber darts into opponents, and electrolaser pistols [A], which use lasers to create an ionized channel of gas to deliver powerful electric shocks. Needlers are used to take down weaker foes, deliver special tranquilizer rounds [A], and to immobilize regenerating superbeings. Working in teams of two or more they use focused zapping and highly skilled hand to hand attacks to incapacitate foes.

If that fails they call in backup.

In Play: L.O.T.U.S. (and the next villain) demonstrate the cyberpunk motif we gave our city.

L.O.T.U.S. came up as the bad guys hunting one of the PCs, Red Tempest. They wanted her for the powers in her blood. I diversified them by having them seek out other supers, specifically "freaks" who are genetic abnormalities with strange (and generally weak) powers. They were sending the freaks they grabbed to Iteration X, a freak with the ability to absorb the powers of others.

They managed to knock out one of the PCs, a freak named Chameleon, during downtime (though not before she managed to run to safety). In the final end battle however all four agents were taken out instantly when Red Tempest dropped a building on them (and opened a move in her drive book).

Agent 00111

Agent 00111
Description: this cyberpunk samurai works for L.O.T.U.S. but freelances on the side. Rebuilt with the latest cybernetics, he (or she?) wears a faceless mask adorned with only a glowing circle. Equipped with several vibroswords, blades capable of slicing steel, he helps defeat particularly tough super powered beings.

Motives: to complete the mission, to maintain honor

Condition Threshold: 3

Powers: Thanks to his cybernetic muscles and other enhancements, Agent 00111 possess super-human levels of strength and speed. He is capable of punching through brick walls and outrunning speeding cars. His helmet [A] provides him enhanced vision via a HUD, allowing him to see in low light conditions, into the infrared spectrum, and even via echolocation.

A master swordsman, he can use his blades [A] to cut through steel and flesh with equal ease.

As an insurance on his continued loyalty, L.O.T.U.S. has surgically placed a bomb in his cerebral cortex.

In Play: The joke in Agent 00111's name was picked up quickly (think binary) and in a surprise twist, one of the PCs, the Gravedigger, hired him to capture another villain by the name of Banshee using another PC's, Red Tempest, trust fund money (super villains make the best parents).

Monday, March 9, 2015

Super Villains II

Another week of material from the Worlds in Peril game I ran for my local group. The villains here were not initially planned for the final fight but that is what they became.

Donny, Would Be Crime Lord

Description: People always notice the horns first. Long and curled, Donny keeps them exposed as much as possible. The young freak styles himself an up-and-coming crime lord. He dresses in fine suits, keeps gangs of thugs around him at all times, and claims to be connected. Truth is, no one really likes him except his boys and his gang are not much tougher than riffraff.

Motive: to control Chameleon (fellow freak and PC), to expand his power base

Condition Threshold: 3

Powers: Donny is a freak, a genetic abnormality, who possesses superhuman strength and speed as well as an inhuman level of regeneration. He can outrun slow cars and overturn pickups.

Added to those unnatural talents he has trained heavily in the martial arts and possesses a black belt in several styles.

In Play: Donny was designed as an ex-boyfriend of the Chameleon, another genetically mutated super who could turn into anything. Like all freaks, he suffered a change that he was unable to control (Chameleon is unique in that she can).

I planned for Donny to be mid tier villain, the lieutenant in charge of implementation of the main villain's plot. They learned about him early and interrupted his scheme. The fact that his boss was around helped keep him in the fight longer than I expected (as half of the group was distracted).

Donny's goons

Description: These hoodlums would be nothing but a pasty street gang if it wasn't for a shipment of old MP5s their boss scored.

Motives: to protect the boss, loyalty first

Size: 6 (each point of size corresponds to 5 people)

Powers: Donny's goons have no powers but possess MP5s (A) and knives (A). Their tactics are still rudimentary and limited to encircling foes and brawl with them in 1s and 2s. alternatively if they get a height advantage on their opponents they like to spray bullets down from above.

In Play: Donny's goons somehow survived the initial destruction of Donny's lair only to be pounded into the floor by the Gravedigger. They did manage to double the undead superhero's weight in lead.

Iteration X

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Description: Rumors move in the freak circles about those of their kind with unusually powerful abilities. One of those individuals is Chameleon. Another is Iteration X. Deformed like all of their kind, X stands tall with unnaturally thin limbs. He or she chooses to obscure their features with a black jumpsuit and a white skull mask with red X on it.

X's powers change with every telling but all agree he or she is not one to cross.

Motives: to obtain new powers and evolve, to gain control of Steelside

Condition Threshold: 6

Powers: As the heroes of Steelside learned, Iteration X can absorb superpowers that have a basis in the victims' DNA. These abilities are added to those X already possesses including regeneration, super strength, super speed, and the ability to adapt to repeated forms of attack [1].

Recently X added the Chameleon's potent shapeshifting to their skill set.

In Play: I wasn't sure when I made X if he was a main villain or just the lead in for his or her entrance. But as time constraints came into play, I ditched my more ambitious plans and ran with what I had. Through some bad rolls and tactical blunders, X obtained Chameleon's powers and then proceeded to brutalize the team.

In the end they cut him up, hit him with a heat seeking missile and rotted off his face. and he still kept coming.

Friday, March 6, 2015

The Climbers Recap: The East Wing

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So we reach the seventh session of my Apocalypse World game, the Climbers. While the boy Waters undergoes surgery, Jarhead has to get the lights on in the East Wing. Meanwhile Violet's plan to liberate Miami moves along slowly.

We are now a third of the way through my planned 20+ session run for this campaign. The world is getting more developed but major questions remain about the psychic maelstrom, the 'gods', the Militia and other forces working towards remaking this world. So this session will focus on the weird aspects of the game.

As in my earlier actual play reports, small green text indicates out of character talk, mechanics and other game aspects outside of the fiction.

Our main characters are:
  • Gator (the Gunlugger) is an assassin and part-time bodyguard who wears customized scrounged armor made from Kevlar and ceramic inserts. Camouflaged for the jungle, his face was ruined in a fight with an alligator. His eyes are always sizing things up and his brutal life has left his body a hard sheet of muscle.
  • Jarhead (the Savvyhead) is a thing African-American man with a short goatee, long dreads, and clothes covered in pockets and gear. Travelling around in an old news van, he repairs items for a living. Recently obtained a strange device from a man named Dustwich, it can bend time and space. He is intrigued to say the least. He has also obtained employees in the form of a young woman Allison and her brother Waters.
  • November Orleans (the Skinner) is descended from a family which left New Orleans before it sank. She is a beautiful woman of mixed heritage with dark eyes and skin, a sweet face and lush body. She dresses herself in a mix of scavenged clothing that somehow works together and wears a necklace made from rows of antique coins which jingle and shine as she moves. Her main profession is as a dancer, especially belly dancing, but she has a sideline business in cooking and animal training.
  • Violet Jefferson (the Touchstone) is descended by survivalists and her clothing and gear reflects her origins. Plain looking but fit, she carries a pocket copy of the Federalist papers and founding documents of the United States of America, an idea she hopes to revive. Her followers are demanding her help putting on a mission to liberate Miami from a tyrant.

This session started off poorly. We were playing just after Daylight Savings Time, my wife had been sick, my son was sick, and I wasn't sleeping well (and thought I was sick). So basically I was frustrated and tired. Luckily I was able to push past it.

This was a short session as well so no two parter.

Start of Session:

We start with highlighting:
  • Gator: Cool (by Jarhead: “A Cool gunlugger, not that a gunlugger isn’t cool already.”) and Weird.
“This is the weird session,” I tell him. “I’m going to be a little bit mean and highlight Gator’s weird.” Gator's weird is -1.
  • Jarhead: Hot (by Gator) and Weird.
  • Violet: Sharp (by Gator: “I want you looking out for things.”) and Weird.
  • November: Cool (by Gator) and Weird.
I note Gator knows everyone well.

Gator comments he highlighted everything but Hard.

”It’s an incentive not to kill people this session,” I say.


Next Violet rolls Fortunes and gets an 11. She gains 2-barter as donations from her followers to the cause and +insight.

“Should you ever choose to ever ask your followers for advice. I mean it's never happened.”

“It could happen!” she says.

Spoiler: it doesn't.


I start with a question for Jarhead. “Way way back, you said that Jarhead had once worked on a device to access the psychic maelstrom electronically. How did that go?”

“Well I’m still here and I didn't exactly get full access to it.” He explains that the scientist he was working with, a Sir Fredricks, “touched something he probably shouldn't and is no longer with us.”

“Is he dead?”

“Physically he’s with us. Mentally he’s somewhere else. It half worked. He might have gotten into it.”

I note with a name like Sir Fredricks, the Society for Creative Anachronisms must have taken over the University of Florida.

Much reference to Dies the Fire is made.

Then I recap. They are at the Autodoc with the boy Waters in surgery. The East Wing needs the lights to be turned on. Violet needs to decide her next step to liberating Miami.

The East Wing

Jarhead approaches Gator and his travelling companions in the large cafeteria of the Autodoc. “Well I’m going to deal with the East Wing. If you want to come along, come along. Gator do you want to come along? I might find something interesting to play with.”

Gator sighs. The others glance up from their food.

”Normally you get paid for a gig like this,” I point out.

”I know. That’s why I sighed,” he says.

“That’s why I mentioned I might find something to play with, something you don’t want me to play with,” Jarhead adds.

”That’s not going to work because I could just shoot you.”


After moment, the mercenary looks up from his food. “What are you going to do for me? If I’m to stop you from getting killed, you are going to do something for me.”

“Dude, I fixed your gun,” the tinkerer says. He thinks for a moment. “I’ll make something cool for you later.”

Gator dropped part way through the previous scene and I switched focus. So this is not strictly chronological.

”Do you bring Allison?” I ask.

”She probably wants to stay with her brother,” Violet says.


Jarhead turns to Allison. “You stay here. Watch what they do to your brother and take good notes.”

”Right because that’s exactly what this naive young girl wants to see is her brother being operated on and take notes,” I say.

“Okay,” she says softly.

“Define cool,” Gator interrupts.

“Explosive?” Jarhead offers.

“I've got a rocket launcher.”

Jarhead shrugs. “If that all you are looking for. That’s pretty boring.”

Gator cocks his head for a moment. “Alright, you owe me a favor.”

”Oooh a favor,” I say, thinking back to my recent games of Mage and Changeling and just how much Gator’s player has extracted via ‘favors’.

Jarhead nods unfazed. “I’ll build you something.”

”What’s in the East Wing?” November asks.

”It’s part of the hospital that was closed off because the lights are out. Nobody’s asked exactly why yet,” I explain.

”I do.”


Across the room, November corners a familiar nurse on her way into the cafeteria.

The thin dark woman, Iris, stops. “Yes?”

“I've been hearing things about the East Wing and I was wondering what’s going on?” the dancer asks.

“Oh, the East Wing. We don’t go over there anymore.”

“Why not?”

“It’s dangerous,” she says, her eyes darting past November. “The lights are out.”

“I don’t understand.”

Iris bites her lip. “I don’t think it’s my place to speak about it. Sorry. The East Wing is off-limits to all visitors.”

“That’s not true,” November says. “I have a good friend who is going in there to fix it and I’d really like to know what is in there.”

“She said we were good friends,” Jarhead says cheerfully.

“Everyone is November’s good friend, sweetie,” she clarifies.

I have November roll Read a person. She gets an 11 and asks, “how can I get her to tell me what is in the East Wing?”

”You notice she is very thin, malnourished even. You could tempt her with food.”

”What is she feeling?” she asks next.

”Nervous and scared about being punished but even more scared about the damage to the Hospital’s reputation.”


November goes on to explain Jarhead’s deal with the head nurse. “We just came from Stumpland where they make this really great jerky,” she adds, pulling out a sample and nibbling on it.

November rolls a Manipulate a person roll and gets an 8.

The painfully thin woman looks around and whispers, “look I really shouldn't tell you this, we could lose a lot of business.”

“I understand, it must be hard. It looks like you are hungry.” She holds out some of the jerky. “Here would you like a pack of jerky?”

Iris bites her lip for a long moment before snatching the jerky from November’s hand. As she scarfs it down, she explains, “the East Wing is where we dealt with people with issues, whose damage was on the inside, in their minds.”

“But they are not there anymore?” November asks.

“We’re not sure. The lights went out one night. There was a lot of screaming. Most of them came out.”

“So some of them are still inside,” the dancer says quietly.

“That was five years ago,” Iris says slowly. “They should all be gone, but some people say they still hear things in there.”

As Iris devours the last of the jerky, November says, “thank you for telling me the truth.”

Gator and Jarhead shake on their deal as November walks up.

“Are you planning on going into the East Wing?” the sultry woman asks.

“Yes,” Jarhead replies. “Gotta to turn on the light. Need to keep my employees healthy.”

“You should be aware that some of the old patients with mental problems are still there in the dark. The nurses are pretty spooked about it.”

“Okay,” Gator says.

“People said I had those,” Jarhead mumbles.

”Weren't you saying something about night vision,” Gator asks Jarhead.

”Give me a moment to look into it,” he replies.

I decide it will take a week of work and be either unreliable or cost a lot of barter.

“We don’t have the time,” he tells Gator.

We establish instead that they have their flashlights readied.

“And they are charged, I always make sure they are charged,” Jarhead says.


In the lobby Violet ponders her next step. Nearby her followers quietly discuss possibilities for retaking Miami waiting for their leader to ask for their opinion.

“We need to see who will stand with us,” Violet says after much thought. “Boo visit the people you know here and see if they will help us. Lily go talk to the Miami clan, they can’t be happy about this situation.”

The small gang grumbles but begin to disperse.

“Alright,” Boo says. “I’ll see who is still alive and still around.”

“I’ll go talk to my family,” Lily says through gritted teeth.

I ask Violet about the Miami family. She explains they are based out of the Big Ship but the more distant branches are spread out of the whole of Miami.

Violet then goes to find her own allies among the nurses and patients of Autodoc. She recalls that a friend of hers on the Big Ship, Patridge, has an aunt, Madame, who lives here. She asks around and is soon directed to the cafeteria.

We also establish she has been to the Autodoc before when she brought a wounded comrade from the Big Ship. As she explains it he/she had an encounter with the local wildlife.

“Apparently they got mauled or something,” she says.

”Right. Attacked by giant radioactive boars,” I add.


She spots the woman from the entrance way. The older woman’s scrubs have been patched with denim and she’s let her long white hair down during her break.

Violet approaches. “Would you happen to be Madame?”

“That’s me,” she says, looking up.

“I’m Violet, I heard about you from your niece Patridge over on the ship. Have you heard anything from her lately? I understand they are having some troubles.”

Madame shakes her head slowly. “Not many travelers going back and forth from the ship these days. Or not so many coming back. At least not here.”

“That’s what I understand,” the plain woman says, sitting down.

“It worries me a bit,” the older woman confides. “I suppose things are going to get a little bit heated soon.”

The next bit of dialog included the phrase ‘darn tootin’. I've edited it out.

“You bet. What have you heard?”

Madame leans back limply. “I know not everyone is happy about the situation. I guess you already know that people are moving in the rectify things. I don’t know if I buy their talk about democracy though.”

“What don’t you buy about it?” Violet inquires.

“Do you really trust people to kick out one guy and not take their place?”

“Nobody can trust one guy,” she says. “Even if he does a good job, how can you tell if the next one won’t be terrible.”

“Exactly,” Madame says.

“If it’s established that everyone gets a say,” Violet continues, “at least there is some balance there.”

Violet rolls Manipulate a person, getting a 7.

“Well I suppose,” the woman says, “it’s not exactly how we do it around here. It might be fairer, give us a choice. I’d have to see it work first though. Something to believe in. Maybe if I knew Patridge was okay I might give it a chance. I suppose Barnum must think there is something to it. That or he is getting something out of his deal with the Militia.”

”Oh dear,” Violet says.

“I’ll find out what I can about Patridge,” Violet promises.

Violet initially plans to search around some more for potential allies and then leave for the Big Ship once her followers return. But first I ask, “Do you tell anyone else that the Militia might be involved here?”

Violet finds November in lobby. “I just heard the Militia are active here,” she says. “We need to keep an eye out for them.”

“What do you mean are they are active here?” the dancer asks, glancing about.

“I heard that head nurse might have some involvement with them,” the taller woman says.

November arches an eyebrow. “So did you want to get their help with dealing with White? Or did you want to stop them from stopping White? What’s your plan Violet?”

Violet looks out the large windows at the ruined city.“We might be able to make use of them,” she says slowly. “But I want to avoid any open warfare. I want to limit the amount of bloodshed. I think I want to get some more information before I decide to work with or against the Militia.”

“So you want to talk to the head nurse?” November asks.

Violet shuffles her feet. “Possibly.”

“Would you like some help with that?”

“Sure.”

Our Touchstone is rather indecisive.

Before jumping to the East Wing, I check on Gator’s advancements. He decided after last session to take his final advancement: Pack Alpha and a gang. The player explains that Gator is reluctant to become a leader but that this group of mercs start coming to him anyway in ones and twos.

”They want to learn the ways of the mercenary,” Violet says.

”From the feet of the master,” I joke.


Scavenged safety tape decorates the big metal door at the end of the hallway. Jarhead slips under the yellow ribbons reading “Danger” or “Wet Floor” to get at the keypad next to the door. He looks down at the code Barnum and takes a deep breath.

”What is it wet with? I don’t know and I don’t think you want to know,” Jarhead says.

Jarhead Opens his brain. He gets a 7 and experience.

I ask what it is like when he opens his mind to the psychic maelstrom. He describes it as electric flashes of different ideas and memories that link together into a flash of inspiration.


His hand grazes the metal surface of the left door. He feels a tingle. His mind jumps from memories of abandoned technology and imaginings of crazed inmates. Flash. He gets a sense of something familiar, something he’s encounter before.

“Is it a good familiar?” he asks.

”Whatever it is is something that has come up or been discussed before in-game,” I answer.


He jumps back from the doorway, tearing down one strand of tape in the process. He turns to Gator. “Yes, there are definitely, I don’t know if I want to call them people, but people in there. What are you packing again?”

”What isn't he packing?” I ask.

Gator informs us he isn't bringing the rocket launcher.

We flashback to him giving it to Violet. “Be careful,” he tells her.

“Ooh,” she says.

“I don’t want to bring down the building and if I have to run I don’t want to leave it behind. So just watch it. And if any tanks come by you can use it.”


Gator taps the sniper rifle on his back and hoists his MP5.

”Yeah you are going to need what you got,” the scrawny man says.

Gator Opens his brain as well. He gets a 9.

The warrior closes his eyes for a moment and breathes slowly. He feels the smell of antiseptic give way to brackish water as he connect to the psychic maelstrom. As he projects his thoughts forward, he hears the sounds of the swamp: crickets, creaking trees, and something moving in the water. He feels the dark and the hairs on his neck stand up. He feels things living in the dark beyond the door, things that are no longer natural.

The mercenary pulls on his military surplus gas mask and takes a deep breath. “There is something in there that might cause us some trouble. I suggest putting on a mask. Though you are in the right place if you get the spots.”

“Yeah,” Jarhead laughs nervously as he puts on his own homemade mask. The tinkerer leans in and types out the code. A small beep accompanies each press of a button.

The doors slowly open. The right hand door jams halfway, partially obscuring their view of the shadowy hallway.

A high-pitched giggle floats up from the darkness.

“Well that’s ominous,” Jarhead says.

We cut to the others.

First I outline the organization of the hospital. Under head nurse Barnum is his secretary. Below them are several cells, each dedicated to a specific function. One thing they all have in common is that they all eat at the cafeteria along with the more mobile patients. Even Barnum occasionally eats there.


November returns a wave from Wisher as she sits down with Violet. The survivalist watches the door to the cafeteria for Barnum. Meanwhile, the dark-haired man goes back to some discussion with his fellow cultists. Violet’s eyes flick to the only group that looks out-of-place: a knot of mercenaries hanging out in a corner. They seem uninterested in the nurses or patients, listening to what one of them, a well armed woman, has to say.

November nudges Violet. Barnum and Millions enter the large chamber. As he gets his food, his plastic looking secretary fills him in on the status of Autodoc’s patients. Violet tries to decide Millions gender but is left wondering if he or she is even human anymore.

”It gave itself over to the computer too many times,” she says.

Barnum and Millions sit down a couple of tables away from them.

“Do you want me to take the lead on this?” November asks.

“Let’s watch and see for now,” Violet says.

I have Violet Acting under fire to overhear them for this next part. She fails.

A minute later, Millions glances at zher’s watch. The secretary stands up suddenly and grabs Barnum’s arm. Violet strains to hear whatever zhe tells him over the babble of the crowd. Barnum gets up quickly, his food half-finished. The two rush out of the cafeteria.

Violet notes that the mercenaries pay close attention to this interaction as well. Just as they return to their meal however, one of them points. Violet’s eyes flick to the doorway into the hall. Two men in green camo walk past leading an older man with a white mustache and beard, his hair in ponytail.

“A.T.,” Violet whispers, recognizing the leader of the Militia.

The survivalist motions to November. They slip out of the cafeteria after them.

Both roll Acting under fire to sneak after them. Violet gets a 10 while November rolls an 8. November also marks experience.

Coming up with a complication for November stumps me for a bit so I get dinner ready instead. Unlike previous times when I stepped out my group sat in silence while I was gone. “That’s sad,” I told them afterwards.


Violet pads silently after the uniformed men. As November follows, a raspy voice calls to her from a patient room.

“November, I would have a word with you,” says a tall ebony stranger, his face obscured by the brim of his top hat.

November pauses and enters the room. The man tilts his head up from a half bow, his eyes closed, revealing a face painted white like a skull.

“My master has an interest in you," the figure asks. "He would have me ask what your purpose is here.”

"Who is your master?" she asks the houngan.

“I serve White,” he says, opening his eyelids to reveal eyes entirely mottled in green.

November steps lightly around him. "As in most cases I’m trying to bring a measure of culture to this place."

The main smiles. “I am glad to hear that. You must understand we have an interest when a member of the Orleans clan comes to town.”

"I suppose I can understand that yes."

“Your family has a powerful reputation,” he tells her.

November Opens her brain to him.

”Sounds awesome,” I say, deciding on a custom move.

She gets a 10 and marks experience.


November opens her mind to the maelstrom, allowing it to flow through her and reveal the truth about this man. The smell of antiseptic mixes with the babble from cafeteria down the hall. A pattern emerges: a greenness that pervades the entirety of this stranger. The taint of the climbers fills him.

This man should be dead, she thought.

As she let the thought fly, she felt the maelstrom probe her back. In the raspy tone of the stranger’s voice, she heard, How could I get you to stay out of White’s business?

November was a bit peeved at having to answer truthfully to him...

She feels the truth slide free from her mind. A desire for the people of Miami to live better and for culture to flourish here escapes her. That will be a hard sell, she sends after it.

“You are a most demanding woman,” the figure says. He bows gracefully. “I’ll have to see what I can conjure up.”

“How is it that you are still walking?” November asks.

“The loa preserve me,” he rasps.

“Well aren't you fortunate.”

The man croaks a laugh. “That is perhaps one way of looking at it. Thank you for your time and I hope we meet again.”

He bows again and offers a single rose to November. She accepts it and he stiffly walks away.

Violet arrives outside Barnum’s office just as A.T. and his men arrive. Carefully she creeps up to the door and listens.

The door muffles the conversation but she makes out snippets about Barnum asking about shipments and fuel.

“The train will be here in two days,” A.T. says before asking about events in Miami. The conversation veers to plans for the Militia to move men into the area. She can’t make out when, but it sounds soon.

”So probably the least bad way to handle it would be to-,” Violet starts off.

”-kill them all,” Gator interjects.

”Sorry Gator I had to use the rocket launcher,” I joke.

”-a coup,” she finishes.

”To take out White?” I ask. “Totally.”


Violet lingers by the door. A.T. talks about needing room for a few dozen men and mentions something about a truck.

She hears Barnum move around the room. He mentions the mercenaries in the cafeteria. “Somehow they've caught wind that there is some action coming up. Maybe they are hoping I’ll have something to hire them with. Oh and there is another group here. Violet, do you know her? She seems able to handle herself.”

“So that little rabble-rouser is around,” A.T. says. “What is she up to?”

“I don’t know. I just know she came in with an injured boy. The surgeons will be done with him later today and then we will put him in the hospital care.”

“So who is with her?”

“A bunch of riff raff for the most part,” Barnum says, rattling off a few names. “But she does have Gator. He’s a tough customer, the best merc I know. And Boo is with her. He’s that scavenger from the Big Ship. He probably brought her here. That’s it as far as dangerous people are concerned.”

”Jarhead does not appear dangerous,” I say.

“Only to myself,” he adds.

”And November never appears dangerous until she has too,” I finish.


November creeps up beside Violet as they finish their discussion. She cocks an eyebrow at the survivalist. Violet mouths, ‘I’ll explain later.’

They slip off before they are discovered.

Jarhead pans his flashlight across the floor of the East Wing looking for anything interesting. Old blood stains stand out against the otherwise white walls. Off the hall, he spies rooms littered with overturned beds and bits of hospital gown. Ashes streak the walls and ceiling of one room surrounding a long torched mattress.

Jarhead grabs a scalpel off the floor and looks further down the hall.

His flashlight hits a doll made out of hospital gown, sitting up and looking towards them. “Now that’s creepy,” he says.

“It’s just a doll,” Gator says through his gas mask.

Jarhead adjusts the dented plastic of his own mask. “Imagine that someone thought that was cute? Like a kid?”

Another spat of giggling echoes down the hall. Jarhead grips his taser in his sweaty hands.

Jarhead and Gator both Read a sitch and both gets 10s.

”What should I be on the lookout for?” Gator asks.

”Someone is living here. Crazy people, former inmates.”

”What’s my enemy’s true position?” Jarhead ask.

”Behind you!” I tell him.

”Oh come on!” he protests.


Jarhead turns around before he hears it, the sound of the metal doors sliding shut. Something man-sized moves in the darkness between him and safety.

”Which enemy is the biggest threat?” Gator continues.

”The one behind you.”

”What is my best escape route?” Jarhead asks.


As Gator points his gun towards the thing, Jarhead looks back, deeper into the East Wing. His light chances upon thin girl in a hospital gown as she slips silently through a cracked open elevator door. She turns once, her face obscured by her long black hair, to wave at him to follow. Then she is gone.

”Who is in control here?” Gator asks.

”The computer.”


“Oh crap,” Gator says as sees the thing inch toward them on broken wheels. The Hospital closed that door, he thinks.

”Which enemy is most vulnerable to me?” Jarhead finishes.

”Well I suppose you can take the little girl. She’s a potential enemy.”


“That door wasn't supposed to close like that and I think we should go this way,” Jarhead says tugging on Gator’s sleeve to follow.

“I’ll cover you,” he replies, shining his light on the emerging horror.

A metal box stick partially out of its side like a permanent purse. Support struts sprout from the man’s midsection, balancing him on small black wheels. As the person walks towards them he hold up his hands, revealing copper wires threaded through the skin of his palms.

Jarhead looks back from the elevator door. “Here’s a thought,” he calls back. “Don’t get touched by wires. Let’s go!”

Both of them roll Acting under fire. Both get over 10. Gator marks experience.

Gator turns and runs to the elevator. Jarhead slips inside, grabbing the door at the last moment to avoid the sheer drop. Below he sees the girl climbing down a ladder on the side of the shaft. Jarhead scrambles for the rungs, following the child down.

They descend three floors before the creature manages to reach the shaft. As it strains in vain to squeeze through the doorway, the little girl hops off the ladder and through a door to the first floor. Jarhead watches as she vanishes into the room across the hall.

The men follow her, leaving the monster to wail in impotent rage. The room they enter is covered in padding, except for the corner where someone ripped it out to reveal a grate. They spot the girl’s pale feet disappear into the hidden space.

“Can you even fit in there?” Jarhead asks Gator. “Should we go after her?”

We establish that Gator is stripped down to his weapons and moonshine.

“You never know when you need a Molotov,” I say.

”Or a friend,” Jarhead adds.


“I don’t know,” the gunlugger says. “Where do we need to go to fix the lights?”

“We need to find the main power panel,” Jarhead says, looking about.

Gator think back to upstairs. “It looks like the Computer here is still running things...”

“Yeah making cyborgs,” the tinkerer mutters.

“How do we stop that?” Gator asks.

“I don’t know. The basement?”

“You tell me man,” Gator says. “I don’t know these things!”

“You’re the safety guy,” Jarhead retorts. “Fuck it, I’m going in.”

The tinkerer scrambles through the duct. The narrow passage opens up ten feet in, revealing a low-ceiling chamber littered with wrappers and cloth. The girl crouches in the far corner, brandishing a sharpened piece of plastic.

”She looks about ten but she could be older and just malnourished,” I tell them.

”Five years of hospital food,” Jarhead mutters.

Jarhead pauses by the entrance and Gator pulls himself inside beside him.

“Hey little girl,” the scarred warrior says. “You talk?”

Her one revealed eye darts between the two men, latching onto Jarhead.

”Hi,” Jarhead says gently. “What is going on?”

Jarhead chooses to Opens his brain. He earns experience and gets a 10.

She twitches, her eye fluttering for a moment. “620.693...12.268...307.195...175.615”

Jarhead’s confusion deepens. Those are the numbers from test batch 12. That was the output just before Sir Fredricks flicked the switch.

“...697.102...,” she says finishing the file. Then she screams.

Jarhead hurriedly tries to repeat the numbers from the middle of test going backwards to no effect. The girl keeps screaming.

“Put this in your mouth, stop screaming,” Gator says holding out some alligator jerky.

Gator rolls Manipulate a person (using cool due to Easy to Trust). He marks experience and gets an 8.

The child snatches it from his hand and gobbles it up. She subsides into rocking back and forth.

“Where are we going?” Gator asks Jarhead. “That screaming might attract whatever is around here.”

“We need to go down one more floor,” Jarhead says. “Probably back the way we came through the elevator.”

“It lives in the basement,” the girl whispers.

“What?” Jarhead asks.

“It lives in the basement.”

“What lives in the basement?”

She just shakes and curls into a ball.

“Okay...is it like what was up there?” Jarhead asks.

She shakes her head from behind her knees.

“Okay...is it bigger than the thing up there?” he asks.

After a moment she nods.

“Okay,” he trails off.

“Well?” Gator asks.

“We need to go down there,” the tinkerer says slowly.

Gator looks over the scrawny man. “Alright let’s do it.”

Jarhead turns to the girl. “Is there anything you can tell us about this guy?”

“It...it...it,” she stammers, “she...the computer..changed her.”

“Who?”

“M-mommy,” she says.

“Did the computer do anything to you?” he asks.

She turns away from him completely shielding her face with her long black hair.

“Okay thanks for helping us,” he says weakly. “We are going to go now.”

She half turns to him. “Be careful Jarhead.”

“What?” he says confused.

“You didn’t tell her your name, did you?” Gator says.

“Nope. How does she know my name?”

“She’s weird, that’s how she knows your name,” he says gruffly.

“I guess that’s a pretty good reason.” Jarhead turns to the girl. “I will try. When we leave do you want to come with us?”

Gator blinks at Jarhead’s sensitivity. The girl nods.

“Okay we will swing by,” Jarhead says. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Memo.”

I point out this is also the nicest Gator’s been.

”I’m turning over a new leaf,” he explains.


“Well just don’t make any noise,” Gator says, “and we will be back in a bit.”

“I hope so,” Memo says.

“You and me both,” Jarhead replies.

Gator’s boots hit the bottom of the elevator shaft. The bottom edge of the metal doorway stands at about chest height.

Jarhead pulls out his pistol and trains it on the door as Gator wedges his fingers in the seam.

“Just don’t shoot me,” the mercenary calls back before he forces the left door open.

Gator rolls Acting under fire to open the doors without exposing himself. He marks experience and rolls an 8.

The sound of metal scraping against metal echoes through the basement. As Gator gets the door open, he can hear it coming, charging full tilt.

I give him the choice to either let it hit him or let Jarhead take it.

”You did pay me to come down here,” Gator says sadly.


The thing that emerges into Jarhead’s light scrambles on eight legs, five of flesh and three metallic prosthetics. As its distorted human jaw opens to reveal fangs of steel, Gator puts himself in its path.

The pale creature slams into the armored warrior, its six-inch incisors slicing through his Kevlar and into his shoulder as Jarhead’s shots spark off internal plating and synthetic organs.

Gator takes a total of 1-harm (3-harm -2 for his armor). Jarhead inflicts 1-harm (2-harm -1 for its ‘armor’).

The tinkerer continues to fire as it screeches in pain. Gator grabs a tuft of dark hair and pulls its head from his shoulder. He inserts his MP5 under its throat and squeezes the trigger.

Gator Seizes by force. He rolls a 12 choosing to inflict terrible harm, suffer little harm, and take definite hold.

It punches him five or six times before its brains decorate the ceiling.

It shudders once and collapses beside him.

Gator inflicts 2-harm +1 for Blood crazed +1 terrible harm. It dies badly.

In return it deals no harm (2-harm for fists -2 for his armor -1 little harm).


Jarhead slows his breathing and looks down at the mess of cybernetics and cruel surgery. Sad human eyes look up from its shattered skull.

“Cool,” he says picking at one of the mechanical limbs. Fishing out a scalpel he starts cutting into the creature, digging out the wires and circuits that connect the thing’s nervous system to the synthetic portions.

Gator ignores the field surgery and gets to the task of recovering what he can of his bullets. He tests the weight of one of the limbs. “Aluminum,” he says tossing it aside.

Jarhead sits up with red stains spreading out from several of his pockets. “Okay that was fun, time for some work I guess.”

He shines the light into the ruined basement. Gouges cover the cement floor and something tore the internal walls down to the support pillars. A few piles of wreckage decorate the expanse. Jarhead and Gator hoist themselves up to investigate.

Gator finds the stairwell blocked off by rubble while Jarhead discovers the torn up remains of the main junction box.

It takes the tinkerer an hour to turn the nest of shredded wires into something functional again. “There,” he says as a series of spark play across the ceiling.

A pair of intact fluorescent lights turn on at the far end of the basement.

“I did my job, the lights are on,” he says. “Let’s get the hell out of here before anything else notices us.”

“Maybe we should trap it, in case something decides to turn the lights off again.,”Gator says.

Jarhead nods and gets to work. A half hour later they climb back into the elevator. The junction box hums from the electricity running through its exposed surface while Gator blocks off the elevator door as best he can.

I point out, “this might make it harder if you ever have to work on it later.”

”Well that’s when they start paying,” Jarhead says.


They climb back up to the first floor, now well-lit. This level now resembles the rest of the hospital other than the streaks of blood and overturned beds. The men start to the exit on this level.

“Memo!” Jarhead calls and the little girl emerges from her hideout. She clings close to them as they make their escape.

In the interest of ending early I let them get out without further issue.

Violet finishes her description of Barnum and A.T.’s discussion to November.

November nods and says, “an agent of White’s sought me out to see if I would help him.”

“What happened?” Violet asks evenly.

“Not much,” she shrugs, “he gave me a rose. I didn't make any deal with him. He seem completely infected with the climbers yet he could control himself. He said the spirits were protecting him. Well, so what do we do now? Did the Militia seem interested in allying with you?”

“A.T. doesn't think much of me,” November says.

“Why not?”

“He thinks I’m too soft.”

“Do you want him to respect you?” the dancer asks. “Or do you want to make a move before they do?”

This continues for a while. Violet does not make a decision.

“Personally I couldn't care less about his respect,” she says. She looks away for a long moment then turns to November. “I have a task for you. If you don’t want to do it because it is too dangerous, I understand.”

“You want me to go to the ship?” November guesses.

November nods. “We need to separate White from his gang.”

“Are you hoping to assassinate him?” she asks.

“Capture him,” she clarifies. “If it comes down to killing him, well that’s the way its got to be. We need to find out his weaknesses and methods.”

“That takes time,” November says. “You need to either make friends with the Militia or slow them down so we have the time to find that out.”

“I guess I’ll have to talk to him,” the tall woman says uneasily.

“I thought he was a man of action who didn’t respect you,” November points out. “But then I know your words sometimes carry more force than mine.”

There is then even more talk about how to convince A.T. to work with them or slow his plans.

“You know how you talk to somebody and after a little bit you know what they want and then you just offer them that,” November advises. “Doesn't that naturally happen for most people?”

Gator says, “remember Violet is pretty badass.”

”I know,” she says. “It’s that she sometimes forgets that.”


The women hash out a plan of action. November suggests calling him to them where Violet can display her prowess. Then with his respect, they can make an offer of an alliance.

“Then again its your revolution,” she concludes.

I recap with the guys. We establish that Gator has leather sack for his bloody bullets.

”Your clothing is ruined I must point out,” I tell Jarhead.

”Sacrifices must be made for the sake of interesting things...”

We end with a final scene for Gator.


Gator settles down for a meal in the cafeteria. His sharp eyes pick out the armed men and women in the corner. The four mercenaries avidly talk to each other while stealing glances in his direction.

The warrior picks up his food tray and walks over. “What?” he asks.

“No, no, you,” one of them says to a rugged woman, ”it was your idea, you talk to him.”

“What like my pretty face?” Gator asks.

“You’re Gator right?” she asks.

“Last I checked.”

“Aren't you the one that killed the Colonel?” she continues.

“Colonel,” he says recalling the job. “Maybe. Sounds like something I could have done.”

”For me it was Tuesday,” Violet says.

”Pretty much,” he agrees.

She grins and looks to her fellows. “We've heard about you. We've heard you’re really good at what you do.”

“I’m the best,” he says. “So you are looking to hire?”

“No, we are actually here to look for work,” she explains. “I was thinking. There is going to be some real need for defense around here, what with the Big Ship and all. Me and the guys were talking about crewing up. The less we do this piecemeal, the bigger a slice of pie we can get out whoever is paying. I don’t know if you are involved in this already or not but I don’t want to go up against you.”

“What do you mean by doing things piecemeal?” he says sitting down.

“I mean if I go selling my services I might get paid a barter and if Wire here does his thing he might have to work a couple of weeks more for the same pay. But if we work together there is less, whatchamacallit, supply. That way you’ve got to hire us as a group. We get enough people in on this, we control supply. I think there is demand.”

“You are talking business,” he says. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Morgana,” she says. “So I’m thinking the four of us can handle ourselves, but if we crew up with you there’s some real supply there.”

“Okay. So how do I know you are not useless?” he asks.

“Useless?” she laughs. “We can handle ourselves.”

“A lot of people say that,” he says.

Her eyes size him up. “Right, well I’d tell you the jobs I've done but talk is talk.”

As she ponders a better response, Gator says, “I generally work alone but if I am going to work with someone I need to know they got my back.”

“How about this,” she proposes. “You've got something you need doing or covering, we do it and then we are a team, at least as long as this trouble in Miami continues.”

Gator Reads a person and gets a hard success.

”What does she intend to do?” he asks.

I explain it, “she wants to form a mercenary gang and thereby extract a better price for her services (and the others as well).”


Gator considers it. “We do a job together and see how you do. If I do this, then you do what I say, because looking around it looks like I have the most experience here.”

She rubs her square jaw. “You just came out of the East Wing right? If you went into that crazy house and come out alive, I guess we should listen to you.”

”What does she wish I’d do?” he asks.

She wants you to join the team but she’s not a 100% sold on underling role. Basically she’s the person to keep an eye on.

”How can I get her to follow me?”

Strong leadership, she respects strength.


“We can do this, I think,” he decides. “I kind of got something going already but we will see what comes up. We got two hardholds that don’t want to be taken over by White’s zombies. They should be willing to pay.”

She smiles. “Yeah, and then there is the little holdouts. I know White’s been moving on them but some of them have to be yearning to be free, as I keep hearing them talk about here.”

“There’s a lot to talk about but I liked the Big Ship as it was. People could do business in peace.”

“Alright, sounds good,” she says.

So the kernel of Gator’s gang is formed. Next session they should be assembled and ready for him to use.

End of Session

We finish by raising Hx:
  • Jarhead gives +1 Hx to Gator.
  • Gator gives +1 Hx to Jarhead which resets to +1. Gator decides to share a secret: he had a daughter once but lost her! We are all quite stunned. Jarhead earns an advance and takes Deep Insights (+1 weird).
  • November gives +1 Hx to Violet.
  • Violet gives +1 Hx to November.