Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Dealing with Player Curveballs

This week I ran my first session of Night's Black Agents (and GUMSHOE in general). My players seem to have found it to be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to next week's session but things went seriously off track. Here is how I dealt with the player curveballs and some lessons learned.

The Setup

Warning Spoilers ahead!!
NBA-Cover
Since this was just a filler for the 2 month break in our Apocalypse World game, I decided to run the introductory adventure (S)Entries with some alterations to limit the work I needed to do. Of course this being me, I then built a website, two possible vampire conspiracies, a second city for further action and lots of twists and excitement.

That was probably my mistake.

(S)Entries starts off slow with the PCs getting hired for a black bag job, working out how to steal an item and then getting to the real action.

Boring.

I added a chase scene and started the game in media res with them racing through the Serbian mountains hunted by a motorcycle gang.

Why a motorcycle gang? Well...I made some changes to the target, Lennart, so that he isn't as innocent as written. The theft trips some alarm bells and the conspiracy mobilizes the bikers (the wonderfully named Night Wolves) to retrieve it.

Anyway this caused the players to decide the meet site wasn't safe (which it wasn't but for different reasons). They call the Belgrade number with an alternate pickup location.

Well there went the main antagonist's (Anton) plan and mucks up the Paymaster's schemes (who in my story is betraying part of the conspiracy to enrich themselves).

Action/Reaction

So what now? Well at this point my excess prep came in handy. I know for instance from my work (and material in the adventure) that the Paymaster will clean up his/her handiwork once the job is completed, using supernatural resources if need be. Since the PCs called, they know about the trouble and would logically try to wipe everyone out to cover their own tracks.

Meanwhile there is no reason not have Anton be at the scene as well since it just makes clean up quicker. so they send him the details and he tries to put his ambush into play there.

Of course the players use Preparedness to set up a safehouse with surveillance equipment near the new meet site. This plus their surveillance expert helps them spot Anton, his thugs, and his sniper. A quick Infiltration and Chokehold later and the PCs have the only sniper in town. The team leader sneaks into Anton's BMW and catches him unawares. They uncover his double cross and seem to have everything tied up. Anton mentions the vampires and they laugh.

We are now 30 minutes to the end of the session so I unleash the werewolf minions of the Paymaster. The laughter dies quick. A brutal battle later we have two members of the team racing through Belgrade in a stolen convertible while the heavily injured analyst keeps a gun trained on Anton.

Lessons

So what can we learn from this?

First use your prep. I try to keep my NPCs' motivations and resources clear. I knew what the characters wanted and the connections between them so when things went sideways, I just looked at what would logically follow. Anton wants the laptop because he needs it to make his deal and not die of liver disease. He will go to whatever lengths to grab it. He has to move quick and hope the PCs are dumb. His attempt to set up the ambush wasn't terrible, it was just that he didn't have the home turf advantage

I also knew the paymaster intended to cut off all ties to the theft once they had the laptop; thus wiping out Anton and the PCs in one go made sense, especially with the rest of the conspiracy on the hunt.

Second, don't be afraid to take breaks. This is straight from Apocalypse World. Sometimes you just have to pause while you work through the implications of what just happened. You have to trust that players won't be bored while you react to their awesome plan. Actually I think my players love seeing me thrown for a loop. Or at least my wife does.

Third, be willing to use what your players give you. Don't shut down their ideas but trust them to add to the game. They want to jump on a pursuing motorcycle, kick off the rider and commandeer the bike? Awesome. They want to have a past with the villain including an incident with a dislocated thumb? Cool.

I already have a host of ideas for the next session. Putting the wounded (and relatively weak) analyst in charge of Anton gives him another chance at betrayal. The team leader left burner cell number with their ditched Jeep Cherokee for their pursuers. Someone is going to give her a call.

The lesson is to be flexible and use the best of what you and your players can bring to the table.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Sample Sanctum: Elizabeth Theater

Elizabeth Theater
In a once prosperous downtown area, the Elizabeth theater sits seemingly abandoned. Every night however it plays for a very special crowd, a group of renegade mages. These apostates, known as the Dragon's Teeth, have befriended the spirit of the theater and turned the structure into their sanctum. Here they work their magics and gather their strength. Their private showings keep the spirit of the theater fed and happy and in return it protects them from threats from those in power both Pentacle and Seer.

Sanctum Stats

Attributes: Size 4, Security 2 (or Safe Place 2), Hallow 3
Gauntlet Strength: 5 (-3 penalty to manifest)
Computer Security: basic security software (5 successes to overcome)

Constructed during a boom in the 1920s, the theater went out of business with the decline in local industry. A rebellious mage, known as Djinn, bought the empty structure in 1995, sensing the weakened Hallow within. Over time he brought more and more neophyte mages under his wing. Some live within the theater, sleeping in the subdivided basement.

The Mana that collects on the stage, tinged with a silvery sadness. The Dragons' Teeth have devised a ritual of watching a certain movie (The Warriors) to extract the Mana each evening from the glow of the screen.

Despite its rundown appearance, the theater is heavily defended. Hidden alarms have been installed on the doors as well as new locks and magical wards. The theater's spirit defends building, specifically focused on the back entrance. The front lobby has other guardians, the ghosts of local addicts and victims of gang violence who the cabal's necromancer has bound here.

Spirit of the Elizabeth Theater

The spirit of the theater had slumber for decades before Mad dog roused it. Starved and weak, it took the mystic months to restore its strength. Now the spirit has grown in strength and stature, fed richly by the nightly showings. Its allies, the Dragon's Teeth have even subdued and fed it the spirits of other theaters, increasing its rank. In return it protects them and its home.

Resembling a brightly lit marquee that slides along walls or stands atop free-floating doors, the Elizabeth Theater tends to focus on confusing or tricking those who cross it using its powers of illusion. It saves its telekinetic strength for when it can do the most damage.

Rank 2
Attributes: Power: 3, Finesse: 5, Resistance: 4

Corpus: 24          Essence: typically 10
Initiative: 9         Defense: 5
Speed: 8              Size: 20
Willpower: 8

Ban: Cannot harm an actor or employee of the theater

Numina: Fetter, Gauntlet Breach, Phantasm, Telekinesis
Influence: Theaters 2

Mad Dog

Concept: Spiritual Madman

Background: Before he Awakened Mad Dog worked as a programmer in New Jersey. He had a beautiful wife and three charming children. Then he found a secret hidden within the code he was working on. As he pulled apart its secrets, he discovered deeper horrors. His struggle with the entity behind the code ended with his house in flames, his family buried or mentally devoured, and his mind forcefully Awakened.

After that he wandered into the wilds, seeking solace from the things of man. A decade later he returned to civilization. He fell in with the Dragon's Teeth. He has yet to explain why. All he says is he is needed here.

Description: Many are put off by this wild-looking African-American man. He lets his rough gray hair grow long and tangled, barely pulled back by a green bandanna. With his mismatched clothes of purple and orange and thick beard, most take him for a vagrant.

GM notes: Mad Dog knows all about the spirits of technology and the future. He fears them. Sometimes he explains that this world is simple another part of the program, something that must be stopped at all costs. Few listen.

Mad Dog rarely holds back magically, using the full range of his prowess in the Arcanum of Spirit. Often he employs spirits to do his work, while he lurks on the other side of the Guantlet.

Dedicated Magical Tools: A copper wand made from coiled electrical cable
Nimbus: Streams of binary wrap around Mad Dog when he performs powerful magic.
Real Name: Herbert Porter  Age: 30
Path: Thyrsus                       Order: Aposate

Mental Attributes: Intelligence 4, Wits 2, Resolve 2
Physical Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3
Social Attributes: Presence 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 3

Mental Skills: Academics 1, Computer (programming) 4, Investigation 2, Occult (technology) 2, Science 2
Physical Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Firearms 1, Stealth 1, Survival (urban) 2
Social Skills: Empathy 2, Persuasion 1, Streetwise 1

Merits: Dreams 1, High Speech 1, Resources 2

Willpower: 5          Wisdom: 4 (Schizophrenia)
Virtue: Faith           Vice: Pride
Initiative: 5             Defense: 2 (Armor 4)
Speed: 9                  Health: 8

Gnosis: 3
Arcana: Forces 2, Life 1, Mind 1, Spirit 4
Rotes: Forces: Tune In, Spirit: Rouse Spirit, Spirit Road, Spirit Guardian

Gear: heavy revolver (3L, range 20, capacity 6)

Monday, April 20, 2015

Sample Sanctum: Unwanted Guests of the Fowles House

Following on last week's post, here are some unwanted guests, mundane and otherwise, that haunt the Fowles house.

The Cat That Stayed

Azathoth, the Mage who lived in the Fowles house, kept dozens of cats and lived to the ripe old age of a hundred and two. These facts are connected. She sustained herself with the stolen life force of hundreds of her neighbors captured for her by her pets.

Without their owner, these cats have died or moved on. Their descendants have declined into mongrels without a flicker of the supernatural. But one survivor remains.

A tough old tomcat, his gray striped coat marred by a single white spot over his right eye, still hunts for the life forces of others, waiting for a new master to bestow his "gifts".

Unfortunately, he chooses one of the new owners (one with the most talent for magic) for this honor, breathing stolen life force into them each night. While those around him or her sicken or die, they find their healing accelerated and health improved.

The Neighbors

The Fowles house sits in a lower class neighborhood. Most of the homes are small, poorly kept, and owned by the elderly or distant renters.

An old couple, the Smiths, live in the house across the street. Doris Smith's mother, Ariel, stays with them. The ancient African american woman lies bedridden most of the time.

On the left side of the house a couple is starting a family. Bob Jones's wife, Eliza, hobbles about at nine months pregnant.

A For Sale sign sits outside the house on the right. Its owner, Mr. Evans, wants to move to New Jersey where his grandchildren live.

All are prime targets for the cat.

Attack of the Floorboards

One of the early rooms or hallways the new owners unpack suffered severe damage to its floor due to the weight of boxes pressing down on it for the last few decades. After being cleared, anyone who walks on it hears some ominous creaking. A Dexterity + Composure roll is required to avoid falling in as the floor gives way (-2 if for some reason the character can't hear). A fall inflicts 4 bashing damage as their legs get wedged under rotten boards.

Odd Discoveries

Here is a selection of unusual items to be discovered in the Fowles house:
  • Nine oscilloscopes in the garage
  • A children's book filled with complex physics equations
  • Twelve lawnmowers in the garage
  • A cataloged and reviewed collection of over 600 craft magazines
  • 8 boxes of pornographic magazines from the 50's
  • A Ford Model A engine block sitting in 4 inches of heating oil
  • A mummified infant
  • A suitcase full of stuffed rats
  • A hundred washers made out of detergent bottle plastic
  • Four dead possums
  • A case for a Wurlitzer jukebox
  • Ten containers of dried plasma
  • An anatomically correct tin man
  • A printing press
  • Classified government documents, circa 1941
  • A sealed paint bucket filled with rusty cut locks
  • Two gallons of mercury in a jar
  • Two rusty meat cleavers attached by wire
  • A drill press

The Pictures

Numerous paintings and drawings lie beneath piles of papers, behind stacks of boxes, or thrust into Twilight. Some examples include:
  • A series of children's drawings floating in Twilight: The eyes of the crayon figures follow those who can see them. The drawings represent the ghost of a child, its spirit trapped in a space vortex.
  • A painting of the Empty Room: Those who see it might be drawn in.
  • The Beach: Those who stare too long at this image sometimes find themselves on a beach in New Jersey with no clear route back.

The Manikin

Within the labyrinth of the house, the new owners find a shop manikin. As time passes, they find it moves about the house when no one is looking. Even if removed from the house it returns, appearing in odd places again and again.

Though seemingly made of simple wood, the manikin possesses a life force of its own. Having resided within the house for decades, Linda (as it calls itself) uses the unique geometry of the house to travel unseen. When a person is present to observe, it stays stationary, even in the face of physical harm. It can repair such damage over time, even if dismembered, unless completely destroyed.

After observing the inhabitants for some time Linda will disguise itself as one of the new owners (if one is female) or their close associates while they are away, living their life. It can perfectly mimic them (gaining a +5 bonus to any rolls related to its disguise). Unfortunately it has no sense of morality or human norms of behavior and so will likely cause much mischief as it explores the wider world.

Background: Carved from fey wood, this old manikin came to life, like in a childhood story. Naive about the human world and lacking compassion of any sort, Linda possesses an intense curiosity about the world outside the house and people in general.

Description: This female manikin consists of a code of elm wood lacquered with paint. The manikin stands about 5'6” in a threadbare dress. The features of its face are clearly painted on.

Attributes: Power: 4 Finesse: 3 Resistance: 2

Willpower: 4
Initiative: 5  Defense: 3
Speed: 12     Health: 7
Dweller

Dweller in the Walls

This house possesses another tenant, a hostile magath or spiritual hybrid. None of the usual spiritual guardians in the region know of it as it has yet to venture from the house. Instead it works its influence to poison the minds of all who dwell here.

The spirit calling itself Dweller in the Walls began as a humble cockroach spirit. Exposure to powerful insect killing magic awoke it and simultaneously deprived it of essence (Azathoth was fumigating). Though the roaches soon returned, the Dweller had to subsist on other sources of essence for a while. The most plentiful source was Azathoth's own madness and paranoia.

This diet tainted and poisoned the spirit. In its pain and confusion it devoured the weak spirits of wood and brick as well as more paranoia spirits. Once its feast was over, it had become the most powerful spirit in the house. Now it seeks to perpetuate the paranoia that birthed it.

Description: This man-sized cockroach appears constructed of broken bricks and wood on closer examination. Its multifaceted eyes seem to look everywhere at once.

GM notes: The Dweller provides no straight fights. Instead it attacks from the darkness or seeds mistrust in its foes, turning them against each other. If it is confronted, it flees. But it remembers those who sought to harm it.

Rank: 3

Attributes: Power: 4 Finesse: 6 Resistance: 5

Ban: Dweller can't abide being in the open. It must flee an open well-lit space. If it is unable, it freezes in place.

Influence: Buildings 1, Roaches 1, Paranoia 1
Numina: Control the Base Form, Fetter, Gauntlet Breach, Harrow, Innocuous, Possession, Speed, Verminous Metamorphosis

Willpower: 9      Essence: 8 (max 20)
Initiative: 11       Defense: 6
Speed: 15            Corpus: 10

Friday, April 17, 2015

The Climbers Recap: Lockdown

creepersbanner
Now for the ninth session of my Apocalypse World game, the Climbers. Violet has devised a plan but White knows some of it, thanks to November the Militia (and specifically the smitten A.T.) is going to give Violet time to enact it, and Jarhead managed to learn about Memo as well as begin a large number of projects in his workshop. November is also romantically involved with Shadow and Mox.

We are now over 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.

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.
This was another session hampered by Gator running late. On top of this my infant son was sick again. In the end however, we had a really exciting game.

As we begin I point out that November is playing with a lot of hearts.

“That’s not how I see it,” she says.

"How do you see it?"

"I’m convincing people to do the right thing."

Start of Session Moves

We start with highlighting:
  • Jarhead gets Hot (by November since Gator is late) and Weird highlighted.
November reminds people she has Radiant so Manipulate a person is advanced for everyone.
  • Violet gets Hard (by November) and Sharp highlighted.
I tell her, "Sharp and Hard. I want people stabbing.”
  • November gets Sharp (by Violet) and Cool highlighted.
  • When Gator arrives much later in the game, he gets Hard (by November) and Cool highlighted.
"Because I feel generous.”

Next Violet rolls Fortunes roll (at +1) and gets an 8. For her want, she picks +diseased rather than +judgmental.

“They are not blaming me that way,” she explains.

So the flu spreads but she gets 2-barter and +insight.

Lockdown

The clouds begin to break as Lily and Starbuck return from their recruitment mission. On top of coming back alone, Violet grimly notes their sniffles and coughs. Lily approaches her.

"My family isn't going to help," the slender woman says. "They want to be seen getting involved." She pulls her thin lips into a scowl. "Plus none of them want to risk their own skins." Lily coughs and digs into the leather sack slung over her shoulder. "However even they see the trouble White is bringing. They gave me some funds to pay for some mercs."

We review Violet's plan to contact her friend Kim on the Big Ship and use her to find out who she can trust once White is taken out of the picture. "The only question is who gets sent there?" I ask.

"Probably someone they don’t know," she tells me.

Shelving that for a moment, I say, "here's another question, what are you going to do about the potential traitors?"

“The less White knows I know the better. Have we confirmed that they have turned traitor?”

"There’s no hard evidence. But they haven’t been forthcoming about dealing with White’s agent."

Violet then decides to use the Insight move for the first time.


Violet takes the barter as Starbuck joins them. She tells them, "Boo and the others are resting by the back corner. I'll bring some herbal tea over in moment."

Starbuck smiles wanly and guides Lily over there.

A few minutes later Violet joins the majority of her followers with a hot pot of tea. Joshua and Scarlet, the healthy ones remain absent. As the others sip their tea, Violet clears her throat, “we have a couple of people in the movement that I’m a little concerned about. I have evidence that casts doubt on their allegiances. I have an idea to ensure their loyalty and I would like your opinion on it."

Boo looks up from his cup of tea and looks where Joshua and Scarlet were sitting earlier. The older man shivers under his blanket. “Okay what’s the idea?” he asks.

“It's not fair to assume someone is guilty without due process," she explains. "But we are war and we need find out. My idea is we send them on a mission to test their loyalty.”

The gathering falls into an agitated discussion of how best to test them. Amid the coughs and sniffles, AOL's voice says, “If they are agents of White, we want to make sure whatever they let slip won’t harm our side.”

"We don’t want it to be an obvious trap either,” Violet adds.

A few mummer about sending them to the Big Ship. Boo coughs and shoots it down. "Besides if they make contact, we need to have someone to watch them do so.”

AOL sniffles. “The best way to handle it? There’s no place we can send them where they actually can hurt White. So we should give them a way to seemingly betray us that doesn’t actually harm us. You’ve got a deal going with A.T. right?”

"Yes," Violet says. "He’ll hold back and let us do our thing."

“So what do we know about what A.T. is bringing in? We can send them to a holding, not too far away, telling them to scout it out cause A.T. is going to move his men in there. Then we see what happens. If White’s forces scatter or mass for a counter attack, then we know that the information is not secure.”

"I like it. If we are watching, then we can also get a count of what their forces are like."

AOL sips more tea. “Of course we’ll need somebody to go scout it.”

Violet strokes her chin. "Perhaps somebody who is well."

"Yeah that seems to be in short supply at the moment. I mean you seem to be in good health. And it’s not like you’d have to get very close.”

"Alright," Violet says.

She now has +1 ongoing to follow the plan. I tell her, “and if it goes badly you earn experience.”

We cut to November

“What are you up do what are you doing with your time?” I ask.

"Not much. I do realize I’ve got three guys kind of on strings. That takes some juggling. So I’m juggling. I don’t want them to get too upset or possessive."

"Okay. A.T. is pretty busy with his men so it's not hard to keep him distracted. So you have Shadow who is spending more time at the Hospital, Wisher who hasn’t been around but you suspect is up to something with Jarhead, and then there is Mox. Mox has been sending a lot of glances your way."

"I'll spend some time with him."

I have her roll Acting under fire for her balancing act. She gets a 7.


November slips out of another Militia planning session when she spots Mox giving her another glance. The big man's eyes flick back toward the meeting room.

"Hey Mox what's wrong?" she asks with a sweet smile.

“Nothing," the soldier says. "It's just I was hoping you’d spend more time with me than with the boss. That’s all.”

"We’re together now," she explains, her lithe form drawing close to his. "What were you expecting?"

“I don’t know," he says letting his massive shoulders relax. "I got a nice allotment from the ration cards. Maybe we can have dinner together?”

"Sure." Her smile flattens slightly. "You know me from before Mox. You know I’m pretty open about things. I don’t want you to feel bad but I also don’t want you to feel possessive.”

"Yeah, I know you are your own woman." Mox points with one brown figure outside. "But what about that other guy?”

"Shadow?"

Mox nods. “I know don’t be possessive but he’s been throwing a lot of glances at me lately.”

November pauses a moment. "I can talk to him. He’s concerned that we’ve got somebody betraying us," she explains. "He doesn’t know you like I do. I’ll talk to him about it.”

"Alright," he says. "A lot of people have got that possessive thing. I’ll try to keep it down. I’ll see you for dinner."

As November seeks out Shadow, I turn to Jarhead. "You have a nice crew going. What do you put your emphasis on?"

Jarhead says he is working on the motorcycle for November. Waters is on the night vision goggles, Allison on the taser.

"The taser will take a week, the goggles will take longer. Waters is still healing and you still need parts for it. Oh and we'll be doing a time skip soon so you'll need to pay for food."

Jarhead decides to use Wasteland Survival to obtain food. He gets an 11 on his roll. He chooses that it is accomplished quickly, is good quality and can supply up to a small gang (i.e. his followers). The downside is it is perishable.

"I didn’t can it or anything," he explains. "I just want to feed my workers, keep them hardy and healthy."


Jarhead checks his traps in the drizzling rain. He pulls a cage from the collapsed sewer line. Inside he finds a massive rat, still twitching from the spike thrust through its head.

The tinkerer finishes it off.

Shadow helps him carry the haul back to the Autodoc. On the way his guardian says, “have you made any progress on your mission?”

"Yes," the wiry man says. "I do have one or two leads that the child has helped me look into.”

"Good. The village is looking forward to the message," savage replies.

As the pair return to the Autodoc, November intercepts them. “Looks like you guys did well.”

"It's not a bad haul," Jarhead says.

Shadow's mohawk glistens in the lobby's lights. "We caught what we were after."

"Want rat?" Jarhead asks hefting a five-pound beast.

"No thank you," she says.

"Suit yourself," the tinkerer says continuing to his workshop. He stops. "I seem to remember you had an Epad? Ipad?"

"A tablet, yes."

"If you want, for a barter I can charge it up and keep it charged for a week."

Shadow waits impatiently by the door into the loading dock.

"Are you going to have time to work on it now?" November asks.

"I think I can fit it in," he says.

"I don’t know what's on it because I can’t charge it up." She opens a flap on her pack. "But I can give you this music box in trade."

"Alright sure," he says taking a wooden box from her hand. As he cracks it open, a porcelain figurine turns in time with a piece of classical music. "That’s pretty neat. You hand over the tablet and I’ll get it charged up. Is tomorrow night alright?”

November gently takes the box back and hands him the tablet. "Okay I’ll give you the music box then."

We then suffer a slight slow down as I deal with the fact that Jarhead lost his character sheet. I keep records of everything so I fill him in.

November decides to Read a person on Jarhead and fails. She earns an experience.


“What are you intending to do with it?" she asks him as they enter the loading dock. "Why are you building up barter?”

Jarhead ignores her prying tone. “I don't know. Listen to it? Maybe I can hook it up some speakers, make it worth a little bit more. Do you think that would work?”

Shadow steps between them. "He has a mission to do. He doesn’t have time to deal with your trivialities.”

"What do you mean?" November says. "He asked me.”

"The mission costs money,” Jarhead tells the warrior.

"Are you okay Shadow?" the dancer asks.

"He will take care of it," Shadow tells her. "You don’t need to question him about it.”

November Reads a person on Shadow as does Jarhead. November gets a 10 and experience and Jarhead gets an 8.

November starts with how are you really feeling?


“Are you okay Shadow?” she repeats.

The hide-clad man frowns and grips his spear. "It's just that we’ve been spending so long here rather than on the mission.”

He’s frustrated.

November slowly says, “my friend Mox says you’ve been looking at him oddly. I know you see things that I miss sometimes as far as dangers.”

"I don’t trust him," the warrior admits, loosening his posture.

“Why not?”

"I don’t know these strangers, these Militia," he says as Jarhead puts the rats and traps into their respective places. Memo gets to work on gutting the food. "I don’t know this tribe."

“But he’s my friend, you know me,” she says softly.

How is he really feeling? she asks.

"That maybe he doesn’t know you."


"I suppose," he sighs.

“What do you want me to do?" she says, stepping closer to him. "I’m not part your mission but I haven’t been trying to hurt it.”

"I need to help your mystic to complete his mission," he says quickly, turning to Jarhead. "The safety of my tribe depends on it."

"I see what’s the next step?”

"We must find the messenger," he says.

Behind them Jarhead loses himself in repairing an engine.

“And where’s the messenger?” she asks, taking another step.

"Somewhere here I presume," he says with a shrug.

November turns to Jarhead. “Jarhead? Who’s the Messenger Jarhead?”

Jarhead looks up from his work. "What? Oh the Messenger."

The player also snaps out of a fugue.

November comments that Shadow wants the time jump too.

"Yes all the MC characters want the time jump," I say.

Jarhead uses his question. How could I get Shadow to be satisfied by our progress?


“If we at least had some sort of lead on where the Messenger was,” Shadow says as he stomps over to Memo and slashes open a rat.

November says, "lie to him, say you had a vision."

"Yes, he wants some sort of hope," I say. "There may be a hot roll in that though."

Then I get dinner.

Jarhead rolls Manipulate a person helped by November. November gets a soft hit giving him a +1 to Jarhead's roll but exposing herself to fall out. Jarhead gets an 8 and earns experience. He suggests telling Shadow he will use his Augury. November adds that he should invite Shadow when he uses it.

I return.


“I’m going to scry on the matter tonight," Jarhead tells Shadow. "If you to come around here at 8 o’clock tonight you can be a part of it.”

Shadow slows his cutting, turns and nods.

We switch to Violet.

Violet wanders the halls of the Autodoc, searching for Joshua and Scarlet. After an hour, she finds the traitorous pair in a recently cleaned room in the East Wing.

“What is up?” Joshua asks.

“I have a mission for you,” she says.

“A mission?”

“How much do you know about A.T.?” Violet asks watching them carefully.

Joshua looks to Scarlet. The woman scratches her dreadlocks. “Well there’s been talk about that bunch of Militia guys that came in this morning. He’s not going to cause trouble is he?”

“He’s moving in on Taters,” she tells them. “He’s going to try to secure it.”

We decided that Taters is the nearest holding with few civilians: consisting of potato patches atop a strip mall.

”It would also be the easier one to watch,” Violet says.


“I didn't realize we were working with him,” Joshua says slowly.

Violet continues, “we need you to watch what they do.”

I debate having her make a roll and decide against it. Mainly because none of the failure options are interesting.

“So we need to keep an eye on them.” he says. “When do we need to be out there?”

“First thing tomorrow. We don’t know exactly when they are moving.”

Joshua and Scarlet glance at each other for a moment. “Alright first light then.”

“Thank you.”

Then after that meeting:

A woman with an automatic rifle accosts Violet on her way into the lobby. “So you are friends with Gator right?”

Violet recalls the tough looking figure. Relaxing her shoulders, the survivalist nods to Gator’s lieutenant.

“I get the sense that you and Gator have some sort of gig going," the woman continues. "My name’s Morgana by the way.”

"Nice to meet you," Violet says.

“Yeah same here," she says, her eyes flicking to the exits. "So I don’t know what your deal is but I figure you must have some sort of work you need doing. The boss is busy with something or another but I was wondering if maybe I could take care of something for you." Morgana focuses her attention on Violet’s posture. "We've got a nice little Free Company that can take care of general violence needs, bodyguarding, security" Violet shifts. "Recon?"

"How about courier work?" Violet offers.

Morgana's dark eyes flash. “Not our usual thing but I’m going to guess there’s a bit of danger involved.”

"Something like that."

“Where to?” the mercenary asks.

"The ship," Violet says.

“Ah." Morgana nods. "I think I can find somebody to handle that for you. For a price. Who is the message for?”

"A lady by the name of Kim," Violet says evenly. "I’ll give the courier a description."

"Fair enough," she shrugs. Tapping her nose she says, "I’ll get Wire to do that for me. He’s a smart one. He’ll take care of it. So is this going to be a one time thing?”

"One time for now but with a possibility for more."

Morgana grins. “Here’s my offer, one barter for the job there and back, message delivered and if you do need a second message we’ll cover that. Beyond that we’ll have to talk again.”

"If she sends anything back will that also be covered?" Violet asks.

“Yeah, unless it's like a car or something.”

"Obviously."

“Okay I’ll send Wire along." She pauses. "Though because of the danger involved I’ll have to take payment upfront.”

"Understandable." Violet pulls out some barter.

“Well I’m a woman of my word, let’s shake on it, and get this job started.”

Violet takes Morgana's hand. "Okay we’ve got ourselves a deal."

Morgana takes the barter. "She’ll share some of it with Wire. She’s got to take some off the top because she’s wheeling and dealing on the side."

“Right," Violet says. "Well I think if he does a good job, I might give him a little bit of tip.”


A few minutes later a bushy haired man approaches Violet. The mercenary’s battered rifle clatters against the man’s banged up armor. Shots of gray pepper the man’s beard.

Jarhead comments, "that’s how you he’s good."

"Yes that's how you know he’s a good mercenary, he’s still alive and he’s like 30."

Violet adds, "and he’s not missing any limbs or anything."


“I'm Wire,"he says extending a calloused hand. "So Morgana says you’ve got a message to send to the Big Ship."

"Yes your contact is a lady by the name of Kim." Violet quickly describes her and where she can be found. Then she hands him a sealed envelope.

“So in case things go south,” Wire says.

"It is very possible," she comments.

The mercenary continues, “should I spend any time tossing this in the bay or something?”

"Just come back," she tells him.

Wire stows the letter under his battered armor. “Okay I like that, coming back alive. See you soon. I hope.”

Violet nods. "No one else can see that message so if you have to destroy it, destroy it."

Skip to that night.

A digital display on the wall ticks to 7:58. Jarhead points Shadow to a makeshift stool near the back of the van as he fiddles with the sphere, trying to zero in on the frequency of the Messenger. The savage sets his spear down and waits. With Jarhead's workers sent away, the hiss of Jarhead's screens compete with the sound of the vents for Shadow’s attention.

Jarhead rolls Augury and gets a 12. He chooses to reach through the psychic maelstrom to the Messenger both broadly and deeply. There will however be bleeding and it won't last long.

"What does bleeding mean?" Jarhead asks.

"Basically it means that it may do other things you didn't intend it to do. Like maybe other people start seeing your vision."


Jarhead scans the mental wavelengths, searching broadly for a signature that might be the Messenger. Then he gets a hit as he zeroes in a strange peak. The individual is nearby, inside the Autodoc!

The device vibrates in tune with this mental frequency. A horrible psychic whine echoes through the hospital. Jarhead feels it in his molars as a dull ache that grows as he moves away from the device. Shadow, ten feet away, grabs his ears.

"What is that noise?” the warrior cries.

"That’s what he gets for not trusting me," Jarhead says.

A moment later Jarhead turns the dial to the far end of the spectrum, killing the reverberations.

Elsewhere...

Violet checks her guns and gear one last time as she readies for her recon mission. A high pitch whine hits her out of nowhere, like a bee flying past her ear. A moment later it vanishes.

November bites into a bright red apple as it hits. The feedback whine turns the sweet smell of fruit into stabbing pain. Mox grips his head as the sound tears into his mind.

November Opens her brain but gets a 6.

I start with some questions. "Why did November leave home?"

"There were too many pressures on me to settle down. If I stayed much longer I’d never get to explore. There was a guy who wanted to marry me and people were assuming I would. My parents had pretty big ties to the community so I knew I just had to leave. I had a great opportunity when a travelling circus moved through the area. I left with them."

"Where was home?"

"My geography is not great, sort of on the eastern end of Oklahoma. New Orleans is where the family is from originally-"

"But it's under water," I interrupt.

“It's a middling sized holding called Tin Mountain,” she says.

"Sounds like a big old pile of scrap."

“If that’s what you want to believe.”

We then discuss how many questions I can actually ask. The text says I can ask "a question or two" so I drop it.


November opens her mind to the sound. What is its source?

The sound floods into her mind, crashing against her thoughts before shattering something inside of her. She glances around in the ensuing silence. Mox continues to grab his head and she hears cries of pain throughout the hospital.

She also realizes she feels screaming and mumbling within the maelstrom. The voices seem close and anguished. November turns her head, seeking the source. A scream of I’m dying, dying echoes in her mind. Somewhere nearby two familiar voices babble to each other.

Then it all stops. The whine, the pain, the screams, and the voices.

November Reads a sitch and earns an experience. She gets an 8. What should I be on the lookout for?

"Me," Jarhead jokes.

"That would be an accurate answer," I add.


November looks at the clock on the wall. The display read 8:04.

There was a bit of back and forth here on how much information was enough to reveal.

Jarhead, she thinks with a spark of irritation. But what was the other thing? It felt like something beyond the psychic maelstrom, that whatever Jarhead did resonated with me and let me see past it.

"But what you need to on the lookout for is-" I start.

Then my infant son starts crying.

"-a crying baby," I finish.

"Found it," Jarhead chimes.

"Your character sheet?" I ask.

"A crying baby?" November asks.

"Both," he says.


Then she realizes something more pressing. Those voices belonged to Joshua and Scarlet. Voices that sounded like someone drugged or brainwashed.

Mox rights his chair. “What, what was that?”

"I don’t know," November says, steadying herself. "I think we've got to check out two people. You want to come with me?"

“Sure,” he says without hesitation.

November leads Mox to where Violet's followers have gathered. The two turncoats are absent. Heading down a hallway, she reaches out again with her mind and calls Joshua.

Since he is the most easily manipulated.

She uses Lost and gets a 12. This also grants her a +1 forward with him.


Three minutes later, Joshua stumbles down the hallway towards them.

“Why am I here?” he says sleepily.

"Did you sense anything weird recently, that weird noise?" November asks.

It is at this point I decide the bleeding from the augury has messed up Joshua and Scarlet more than the rest.

November rolls Read a person and gets a 10 thanks to the +1. She also earns an experience, gets an advancement and raises her Hot to +3.


“I felt something,” he says. His eyes slide off of hers.

"I’m sensing something really off about you," she says. "What’s going on?"

"Is that a question?" I ask.

"Nope."


"I don’t know what you mean," he says looking away. "I just felt really strange like I had to come here."

She gestures for him to move along.“Yeah, yeah, we’re getting past that. What do you intend to do tomorrow for Violet?"

That's a question.

"We have a mission we've got to do," he says glancing at Mox. "We have to go spy on some maneuver that A.T.’s going to do." Joshua's eyes glaze slightly and he mumbles, "but White will want us to tell him about that."

November looks at Mox and jerks her head at the corner. Mox nods pulling a pistol before moving out of sight.

The dancer turns back to Joshua. "How could I get you come clean to Violet about what’s happening?"

"I can’t," he mumbles, "can’t do that, no I can’t."

November continues to press him, drawing close to him and lightly touching his arm.

So she can use Hypnotic on him.

Gator arrives at this point and let him know I'll recap once we finish this tense scene of cornered betrayers and social mind raping.


"I can’t resist White," Joshua says as she gently removes the magnifying glasses from his helmet. "White’s control, White’s powers. Rue Wakeman, he infected us with something."

November stops for moment before pressing on.

She guesses that Rue is the emissary she dealt with before. Using An arresting skinner she paralyzes him by removing his clothes. Then she rolls Hypnotize and gets a hard hit (and 3 hold over him).

As she removes his helmet she asks, "What are your current orders?"

"That is really really helpful," I tell her.

Joshua stares at her entranced. "White wants us to infect the air supply. Scarlet and I were finding a way into the air system. Scarlet had just climbed in. Then I felt a need to come this way."

November calls to Mox, “there’s an infected person in the air supply. Go get Gator and alert security. I got this.”

As Mox's heavy footfalls fade down the hall, she turns to Joshua. “How can I defend against it?”

“You need to get away," he yawns. "Away from us. My head hurts.”

"Come with me," she says, leading him deeper into the Autodoc, following signs to the isolation ward.

She also looks for a gas mask in vain.

And that's it for this week. Come back in two weeks for the explosive finale.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Make a Game Feel New

Role_playing_gamers
How do we catch that feeling when we first got started? That excitement when everything felt possible, every encounter exotic and new? How do we make a game feel like that first time?

Some of that, for me at least, comes down to exploring a new campaign setting. A new world to explore, fresh situations to deal with, something original, something to be surprised by.

Creating a Setting that Surprises the Creator?

In my normal games, I am the gamemaster. I map out every world, every NPC, and every tweak of the rules. Even if I run someone else's world (something I hate to do), by the time we begin play, I am far more familiar than any of the players. How can I get at that freshness?

For the game to seem new to me, I need to channel that aspect of the game I can't control: the players. Their characters provide me with new challenges, their backgrounds breathe life into the game, and their unique take on the rules and setting provides me a bounty of surprises.

I can leverage this further by providing them more say over the narrative: input on what is and isn't true about the setting. On one hand this costs me some of the focus of the game as I compromise my vision. I also potentially create a setting that lacks logical consistency. But by adding these other ideas, I can push back any complacency I have with the game and keep it fresh and exciting.

Previous Experience

I've found that the Apocalypse World powered games, with their collaborative world building, really helps here. In my first ever game, Into Darkness, the MC and players created many flavorful descriptions for the world. We had custom mechanics for being exposed to the Darkness, strange new gear and locations, and even personalized lingo (like 'bacon' for an attractive person).

In our space apocalypse game, which we co-GM'ed, a unique cosmology developed. We learned the secret origin of the Reavers, born of some unholy Event Horizon scenario, who destroyed our world. We also forged a common history, learned about the wolves of the maelstrom and their aversion to music.

In my recent game, The Climbers, I tried to push this farther. While I've delved into the PCs' pasts and run with their setting ideas, I'm not sure it worked out as well as I intended. Some ideas seemed too good not to follow-up on, causing things to snowball, solidifying and freezing the setting in place. This left some ideas lost in the shuffle and caused us to be caught up in larger events than I intended. I feel like we missed some possible of the cool little things because of that.

An example of one of those "cool little things" showed up recently in another of my games. In my Worlds in Peril game, we learned about the "Eater". As we were building a history for a minion just out of cryogenic storage, we needed a supervillain for him to have worked for. From the uninspiring name of the Eater came the living singularity that once plagued the city.

I think I have been most successful in building a flavorful world with my Hunter: the Vigil Chronicle, Corrupted Transmission. Here again the PCs made the difference. As their characters began to lose their sanity, they constructed unique displays of madness, rituals to deal with the horrors which with they were faced. One character took to using a digital camera to take pictures to verify if someone was who they said they were. Another character began to fly off the handle whenever faced with danger. For my part, I focused on staying out of their way and providing them threats that never perfectly fit the traditional Gothic monsters. Their 'vampires' fed on memories, they faced psychics not witches, and even their most horrific of foes had sympathetic faces.

Letting players control their gear is another good place to create a more colorful world. In The Price, my Changeling: the Lost chronicle, I let the PCs create several tokens for their own use. The results were surprisingly interesting from a wooden laptop that uploaded anything on a matching bookshelf to a pocket watch with three faces which told time in the mundane world, the Hedge and Arcadia.

Best Spots for PC involvement

So to bring this ramble to some sort of conclusion, how can we best use player involvement to improve the creation of a setting?

The key I think is to focus on things that their characters know and are experts in. For locations, ask them about where they grew up, where they live and work, and what their favorite hangouts are like. If they mention a favorite bar, a personal sanctum, or other bit of local color, dig deeper. Ask what it looks like, what posters or pictures are on the walls, what sounds are heard in the distance.

The same can be done for player created items. Whether is just part of their signature look or something special they built-in game, let them define how it looks. How does it feel in your hand? Does it have a distinctive smell?

Let players create NPCs as well, people they care about and have an interest in helping or pursuing. What is their shared past? How do they know the other PCs? What distinctive feature do they have? What do the PC and the NPC disagree about?

The place to be careful I think is what I call "cosmology questions". These are the big questions about the setting as a whole: its history, geography, and magical rules. The difficulty is keeping the mystery about the setting (both for yourself and the players) and not to paint yourself into a corner (by saying too much).

Again going for what the characters know is best. Questions about the recent past, questions directed at the occult/scientific/religion expert, and rumors and hearsay work best. What happens to people who encounter werewolves? How do people protect themselves against the mists? What do the holy texts say about the god of fire?

But keep your questions few. Too many answers and you risk either losing focus (opening up too many avenues at once) or closing too many doors. Move to specifics if you find yourself down that road. Details are where the color comes from.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Sample Sanctum: The Fowles House

This week as a bit of filler as I unpack my own home, I'll present a modern-day wizard's sanctum from my first Mage: the Awakening game. The previous owner has gone missing but she's left many dangers behind.

The Fowles House

This turn of the century building sits nestled in a bad area of town. Once a manor house in an exclusive neighborhood but its former neighbors lie demolished and replaced with smaller homes and decaying apartments.

A small yard surrounds the towering structure, barely containing its detached garage. The rusty link fence can be made out through the weeds and bushes. A path of crumbling cement leads around back where a small shed has collapsed into a pile of debris. An odd collection of bird baths and houses fill the tiny backyard, most cracked and discolored.

Those venturing into the house find it crammed full of boxes, chests, and other objects making movement almost impossible. The three floors hold a wide range of rooms from tiny closets to a large dining room. The junk crowds against the windows, leaving the interior shrouded in darkness. Electric lights lurk within masses of debris, casting odd shadows across the ceiling.

The stench of cat urine permeates the house along with the odor of decaying wood. In places thick odors of oil or noxious chemicals fill the air inducing retching. Elsewhere the air is thick with dust or perhaps the tang of long rotten fruit.

The few things living inside keep to themselves. Occasionally the sound of footsteps (human or animal) echoes through the building. At night the house creaks ominously and much of the wood protests when in use. Sometimes strange noises waft from seldom used doors: music, laughter, machinery, even screams.

Those with magical sense detect a resonance of distance and paranoia. Somewhere nearby lies a Hallow, somewhere maddeningly out of reach. Halls twist in on themselves and the interior dimensions exceed those of the building as a whole.
library

Background

The house was built for the Fowles family in 1902 where they lived until 1943. Rumors to the contrary, nothing of interest happened during that time.

In 1946, the house was purchased by a Mrs. Aza Thoth. Azathoth, as the mage referred to herself, was an up and coming member of the Silver Ladder. Ambitious and powerful she was provost to one of the Consilium in the late 50s when the Silver Ladder decided to summon a powerful spirit. Thew spell backfired, the disaster destroying many mages outright while driving many of the rest mad.

By 1960, Azathoth retreated fully to her home. She would not stray from its grounds for more than 30 years. In this time her sanctum became a mass of interconnected Space spells as the fabric of the world frayed under her insanity. As she grew older, her paranoia and delusions grew. She feared her neighbors were plotting against her and crafted spells and creatures to strike at them first, resulting a rash of deaths. Slowly she contributed to the malaise that afflicted the neighborhood.

In mid 90s, the Consilium intervened. They subdued her and took her away. Since then the house has remained empty with the Silver Ladder and the Consilium split on its ownership. It remains in legal limbo. Meanwhile the utilities remain on and the sanctum slowly decays.

Thoth is presumed dead by the neighborhood and most involved in the case assume her madness consumed her completely.

Layout

Each floor contains between 5 and 8 rooms, not including the hallways or the numerous closets and crawlspaces. Additionally several rooms exist untethered to a specific floor. The notable rooms are listed below.

First Floor:

  • The Downstairs Bathroom: A narrow corridor winds between the pillars of boxes to the toilet. Roaches climb brazenly up and down the "walls" under light streaming from a small shuttered window.
  • The Boiler Room: Choked by cabinets full of moth-eaten clothing, clothes lines of dirty laundry further clog passage. Grit covers the bare concrete floor while the water heater pours out oppressive amounts of heat.
  • The Kitchen: A horrible stench greets visitors. From the movement along the counter, this is the center of the cockroach infestation. The cabinets remain brimming with canned goods, now long past their expiration date. The refrigerator, still humming with power, leaks rancid oils from its base. A grimy slime lubricates the floor.
  • The Living Room: Boxes and crates stack to the ceiling, turning what should be the largest room into a miniature labyrinth. Those who defeat this puzzle find a chair facing an ancient television set in the center. The babble of daytime TV distracts one momentarily from the smell of urine and a plastic tray covered with mold.
kitchen

Second Floor:

  • The Bedroom: Piles of books and photographs litter this room, surrounding a soiled bed covered by dirty clothes. A shotgun sits next to the bed and knife hides beneath the pillow.
  • The Filled Room: Boxes, trunks, and other junk fill this room from top to bottom. It is impossible to get the door opened without first crushing the interior contents.
  • The Upstairs Bathroom: Discolored porcelain tiles cover the floor and walls of this room. A decaying rug breaks up the pattern as does a rusty claw foot bathtub. A grimy shower curtain obscures the waterlogged mass of plastic dinosaurs and lizards filling the tub as well as the thick scum growing up around them. Piles of medicine bottles surround the sink, its surface caked in shades of red, yellow and white paste. A cracked toilet leaking into the room below completes the scene.

Third Floor:

  • The Library: Largely looted, piles of open books cover the floor spilling out into the hall. Though the lacking in magical texts, explorers can find a diverse collection ranging from children's books to treatises on general relativity. Due to time and neglect, the yellowing pages are slipping free of their bindings on many of the texts.
  • The Office: Entering this room requires pushing the filing cabinets within out of the way. Once inside visitors can dimly spot a desk in a room filled with 5 foot high filing cabinets. A poorly built chair sits behind the unfinished desk. Thousands of files on the people throughout the area fill the cabinets, the result of Azathoth's madness.
  • The Rug Room: Over a dozen rugs cover the floor of this room, creating a foot high step into the chamber. Stacked furniture further hinders movement into and out of the room, as well as hiding the buried door set into the floor. That door leads to nowhere within the house but instead to the farmhouse.
The Inner Sanctum: Gaining access to this room is a challenge. Thanks to a potent spell, simply finding it requires 5 successes on an extended Intelligence + Investigation roll. Each roll requires 30 minutes and any failure forces one to start over.

Searching winding (yet straight) hallways and checking the numerous doors, eventually yields up a room on the third floor where one can directly access the Hallow.

The room itself is filled with ancient juice boxes filled with toxic vinegar and moldy fruit preserves. A few crusty plants curl in ceramic pots. An ivy made a desperate bid for freedom, its remains decorate the cracked window that looks out over the neighborhood. A few crates of old records sit in the corner with some old Christmas decorations. Behind one crate, an explorer finds an old jukebox filled with tunes from the 60s.

Untethered or Unattached:

  • The Storm Room: A closet door leads instead to the basement of a retreat somewhere in the Appalachian mountains. The room (a closet really) is an oubliette with only a small high window to allow light in. A thunderstorm rages outside.
  • The Farmhouse: the entrance to this room lies beneath the 23 carpets in the Rug room. Entered through a normal door set into the floor, it exits into a crumbling wooden room. A simple door on the opposite wall opens into a mostly collapsed farmhouse surrounded by overgrown fields. The building lies in Ohio and is haunted. The corpses of several murder victims lie within a pile of rotten wood that was once a barn. They awaken on the night of a new moon, digging themselves free and wandering into the barn seeking revenge on their forgotten killer.
  • Garage: Completely stuff with boxes, the detached garage can only be accessed via the car door. Entombed beneath the debris is a long deceased 1959 Chevrolet Impala.

Shadow & Twilight

In Shadow, the neighborhood around the house remains blighted by dying flora and slouching buildings huddled together in a dense mass. Within its spiritual reflections, the house becomes even less accessible. Hallways lead nowhere, windows are merely painted facades, and rancid liquids fill several rooms from top to bottom. Several minor spirits lurk here including Urban Ferals, Door spirits, Roach spirits, and spirits of fear and pain. Most are weak (Rank 1) except for a powerful cockroach spirit known as the Dweller in the Walls.

Those travelling via Twilight find it easier to traverse the house though some of the objects have Twilight equivalents cluttering hallways and creating hazards. No ghosts haunt this house as spacial vortices devour ephemeral beings who lurk too long in its confines. Those spending more than an hour in Twilight must roll Resolve + Composure or become 'stuck' unable to move out of the house as long as they remain in Twilight.

Wards and Effects

A lingering ward (potency 5) shrouds the entire house. Several permanent portals remain in place as noted in the room descriptions. Lastly the Inner Sanctum has been hidden by the Hide Space spell.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Material from the Climbers: Speaker for the gods

As I wrestle with house related issues (like no grounded plugs in my 'office'), here is something I cooked up for my Apocalypse World game, the Climbers. I put together a universal playbook expansion due to the actions of some of my players. I don't think anything in it is too original but feel free to use it in your games.

Speaker for the gods

In my games the Speaker is called the Messenger.

When you accept the role of Speaker for the gods gain the following:

Servant of the Gods: when you ask the gods for advice roll +weird. On a hit they will demand a sacrifice and give you advice. If you act on that advice gain +1ongoing. On a 10+ mark experience if you commit the sacrifice. On a 7-9, act under fire if you don't commit the sacrifice. On a miss, the gods give cryptic advice. Act under fire if you don't follow it.

Occasionally the gods will request a sacrifice without you asking for advice. If you do it, mark experience.


Additionally you may choose the following moves as additional moves from your current playbook or another playbook:

Legendary: when you meet someone important (your call), roll+weird. On a hit, they somehow know about you. A feeling, a vision, or other manifestation of the psychic maelstrom has proceeded you. You say what they know; the MC will have them respond accordingly. On a 10+, you take +1forward for dealing with them as well. On a miss, they know of you, but the MC will decide what the gods have told them (and how they have interpreted that).

The Revelation: When you have a crowd's attention, choose a truth that you want to convey to them. Roll +weird. On a hit, they accept it and go do something about it, right now. On a 7-9, the truth only occurs to some people, and some people come away with a lie.

Cultural Uplift: When you wish to return a form of culture or art to the world and you have established a place of influence in a community, you can consult the psychic maelstrom. You can work on the community the way a saavyhead works on tech (+workspace).

The gods may bestow other boons as appropriate to their Front and/or Threat. These do not count as moves for the purposes of advancement.

Attention any players of mine: SPOILERS!!

In my game, the gods are the disembodied minds of victims of a fungal disease called the climbers. They feed off psychic energy and blood. Hence the need for sacrifices. They can shield people exposed to the climbers rendering them immune. They also possess most of the lore from before the apocalypse (since most of them lived back then). Their goal is to rebuild society such that it will feed them power and blood (and thus let them become 'true' gods). The Messenger's role is to bring about this society.

Friday, April 3, 2015

The Climbers Recap: Talking It Out, Part II

creepersbanner
Finally the conclusion of the eighth session of my Apocalypse World game, the Climbers. Violet's followers are in disarray, November just slept with the leader of the Militia, Jarhead took on a job, and Gator is about to join the game.

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.

Highlighting is as follows:
  • Violet (Hard, Hot)
  • Jarhead (Hot, Sharp)
  • November (Hot, Sharp)
  • Gator (Cool, Sharp)

Talking It Out, Part II

We start with Jarhead

Jarhead tells the woman in white, "no, we need a different one."

The Music Bowl cultist heads off to find something more appropriate, while he slips the part, a display for luxury car, into the pile of bits that just won't work for this project.

Basically he's skimming off the top.

The tinkerer goes back to working on the two-wheeled vehicle. With the latest haul, he had half an engine, two wheels, and a pile of bling.

Slowly he becomes aware that someone is watching him.

He turns to find Allison standing nearby looking at him and ringing a rag in her hands.

“Grab me that wrench,” he tells her.

She grabs it quickly, thrusting it in his face. He takes it and starts loosening the bolts on some of the parts.

“Where have you been?” he asks.

Her mouth opens slightly. "I've been watching my brother."

“Oh how has he been?” Jarhead says absently.

"He’s better," she chokes out. "I guess."

“Good, I need him.”

Her mouth clamps shut as she stares at the hyper little man.

"Did you take notes like I asked?" he asks oblivious to her expression.

"I took notes," she says her soft voice hardening.

“You can leave them over there," he says pointing by Memo. He catches Allison's gaze and adds, “Oh that’s Memo.”

The girl waves, her naked feet kicking back and forth as she sits on the gurney. Allison drops the notes and leaves the loading dock.

A quarter-hour later she returns with her brother Waters. The young boy totters behind her, bandages covering his head and shoulders.

“Waters, we are here,” the fair-haired woman says.

Jarhead looks up from the suspension system he is rigging. Other than the bandages, the boy looks fine. Jarhead puts his tools down and grabs a helmet fitted with an array of magnifying glasses.

The tinkerer looks the boy over while Waters stares at him blankly. “You look to be alright," Jarhead says. "Not that I’d know. Can you hear me?”

Jarhead taps on Waters's head.

"My head hurts," the boy says calmly.

Jarhead stops poking him. “Well good to have you back.”

"They took out parts of his brain didn't they?" Violet asks.

"Something was removed."


“So your head hurts? That’s it? How is the rest of you?”

"My back hurts but they say that the medication will reduce the pain," Waters says flatly. Allison hovers behind him, wringing her hands.

"Good," Jarhead says. "Better living through chemistry."

“They say I should rest a bit before I do any heavy work.”

"Go over there for now," he directs the boy, pointing to the back of the van. He hands him a set of goggles. "Here. Fiddle with that for now. Don’t break it.”

This would be the night vision goggles he's promised Gator.

Jarhead turns to Allison. “What you are still standing here? Shouldn’t you be doing-” He looks around frantically, grabbing his makeshift taser. “Here.”

Allison taking the device in both hands, her eyes fixed on Jarhead. “Didn’t you see that he’s changed? He’s...so cold.”

Jarhead touches the boy’s skin. “Feels warm to me.” He shrugs to Allison. “A lot of meds will do that to you. He’s still healing.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t understand,” she says sourly.

Jarhead steps away from his work stiffly. “You are going to be stuck on this all night aren’t you?”

The woman’s reserved demeanor vanishes as she says, “you don’t care about us at all. We are just tools to you!”

As she storms off, Jarhead sighs and puts down his tools. He walks over to Waters, tilting the boy’s head and letting his mind open to the psychic maelstrom.

Jarhead Opens his brain and gets a 10.

I start with some questions. “Where did you learn to do all of this? Your general techie skills?”

Jarhead explains it started with him learning to build cars from his uncle. After that he moved to next town to learn another skill. He just kept doing that, eventually learning to access the psychic maelstrom via a process of trial and error. He admits he probably wasn't as spacey and unemphatic before he did that. “You poke at the Maelstrom, the Maelstrom pokes back”.

”Who does Jarhead care about?”

”At the moment Memo. He loves the tech but it’s not used right with her. It wasn't done right and he feels bad about it.” Basically it bothers him that she wasn't a willing participant in what happened to her.

”Isn't that what you did to Waters?” Gator (recently joining us) comments.

”No I left him in the care of the hospital.”


Jarhead’s mind skips through his memories: working on a rusty pickup back home, his first time on the road, learning to solder. He thinks of Memo, of what happened to her, and how wrong it was. Feelings of resentment and bitterness well up. As he struggles with his emotions, he realizes the truth.

None of this is true of Waters. The boy lacks any feelings, positive or negative.

”He is now a Vulcan,” I joke.

”I’m going to have to teach him the neck pinch,” Jarhead says.

I quickly bring Gator up to speed. I spend a bit of extra time on Jarhead’s ‘requisitions’. “I just want to point out that November saw Jarhead take that gurney with the straps to Memo and she was totally okay with that.”

”That’s creepy,” he says. “It probably wouldn't even occur to me until way later. Ew.”

”I thought you found a girlfriend,” November says.

Also we establish that Gator’s gang is fully formed:

15 violent bastards with scavenged and makeshift weapons and armor (2-harm gang small +rich 2-armor). They are well-armored, self-sufficient, and loose-knit, with members coming and going as they choose.

As he describes them, “they are a loose knit bunch of mercenaries flocking to the most stable power around. Morgana is my first lieutenant and I rely on her to do the day-to-day managing of the unit. Her business sense really appeals me and is my main point of respect for her. They are currently a wandering service for hire and as such have no home base. The nomadic lifestyle makes it difficult to keep members and some may find the grass is greener right where they are at that moment. One of the requisites for joining up is an inspection of arms and armor. If the recruit doesn't gear up to keep themselves alive they are just a liability to the squad.”

He adds, “they can take care of themselves with minimal overhead from me.”

I also point out that with his moves he can take out his gang by himself.

“That was actually one of the things I considered.”


Gator spends the day inspecting the new recruits of the Free Company, tossing out anyone without a credible weapon or real functional armor. That just leaves skills, he considers.

Around midday, he approaches Barnum. He finds the head nurse organizing a group of nurses to retake the East Wing. The green combatants are checking their few firearms and readying a firehose.

“Oh, Gator,” Barnum greets him as Millions leads the scarred warrior over.

“Howdy,” Gator says, looking over the ‘troops’.

“I heard you were involved in getting the lights on in the East Wing,” Barnum comments. “It sounds like it was a bit of a challenge.”

“Eh, it wasn’t too bad,” he says ignoring the ache in his shoulder. “There’s some interesting things in there made by the computer.”

The nurse nods. “That’s why we like to keep it from acting on its own as much as possible.”

“It seems like a wise decision,” Gator says. “We got the lights on but there is stuff still in there.”

“Yes I expect as much.” Barnum turns to look at him. “Any particulars you know of?”

“There’s a wheelchair monster with wires in his hands,” he says conversationally. “He seemed pretty tough. Metal stuff sticking out of him. I did take out the spider lady.”

“Alright,” Barnum says nodding slightly.

”He has no idea what you mean by that," Jarhead comments.

”Right,” I add. “He’s like ‘I believe you. Why would I doubt you fought a spider lady? What do I gain from that?’”


“It may be tough,” Gator says. “I could offer the services of the local mercenaries.”

“So you’ve become their spokesperson?”

“Of a sort.” Gator gestures to the crowd of nurses. “You could lose some people, it’s up to you.”

Barnum follows his gaze. “I suppose it would be better outsource this to trained professionals. So what are these mercenaries’ rates?”

“Well this will allow you to access a whole wing,” Gator says thinking quickly. “I’m going to tell you there is a monster in there that would probably kill at least half of the nurses you send in.”

Gator rolls Manipulate a person and gets a 7.

Barnum rubs his chin. “We can come up with a deal here. Let’s say you take care of whatever left alive in the East Wing and I pay you and your mercenaries three barter for your foray. But these things are going to get acclimated to the lights on in there pretty soon. They might learn to open the door. So I’d appreciate you getting these mercs to work pretty soon.”

Gator replies, “How about this? One service per man. Not including recovering from the job.”

“Alright but get that place cleared out.”

To the gang.

The noise and laughter of the Free Company fills the corner of the cafeteria. Over a dozen dangerous looking men and woman sit playing cards, eating, or joking. Gator approaches Morgana.

“How’s it going?” his lieutenant asks.

“Pretty good,” he says. “I think I’ve got us a gig. There’s some nasty things over in the East Wing.”

She finishes his sentence, “and they want us to take them out?”

“Yes, I worked out a service for each man that goes in,” he tells her. “It’s worth at least a barter for each of us.”

“That will be handy later on,” she says. “Unless we play it really smart.”

He nods. “It’s a good security blanket.”

“Alright when do they need it done?”

“Nowish.”

The woman climbs up on her chair. “Alright guys stop with the game! We’ve got work to do.”

Grumbling, the crowd gathers their gear and quit what they were doing.

“I was winning too,” Wire says.

“No you weren’t,” the woman across from him tells him, throwing down a winning hand.

To the East Wing.

The fighting in the East Wing is quick and messy. In the bright white halls, the few horrors left have little room to hide. Gator’s gang sweeps it room by room, while he watches and evaluates them.

I have him roll Acting under fire to manage the gang. Nothing in there does more than 3-harm or works as a gang, so his gang can’t actually take any significant harm. He earns experience and gets a 9.

The wheelchair freak manages get its electrified hands on Wire, leaving the warrior twitchy for the next hour. Another inmate bashes Morgana into a wall before dropping from a dozen rounds to the head. They find his bones have been replaced with surgical steel. The only real damage happens to Road. The soldier sloppily forgets to check the air ducts. A little old lady with knives for hands divebombs him and cuts him up pretty bad.

“Hopefully he learns his lesson,” Gator says to Morgana outside the wing as Wire helps the wounded man back to get some stitches.

The East Wing is now resolved as a threat.

Gator’s eyes pick out Allison standing a short distance away. Her mouth keeps curling down into a frown as she looks to him.

“Say your peace,” Gator tells her.

“My brother, the hospital is done with him.”

“Excellent,” Gator says hesitantly. “He’s not dead is he?”

“No,” she says quivering. “But he’s not the same.anymore. It did something to him. He doesn’t smile or even seem to care about me anymore. Jarhead doesn’t seem to care either.”

“Jarhead doesn’t care about you?”

“He doesn’t seem to care that Waters doesn’t get sad or angry,” she says loudly.

“Well Jarhead not really good on the person stuff,” Gator explains. “Look on the bright side, he’s not dead. Maybe he’ll snap out of it.”

“I hope.”

Gator nods to her. “I guess that’s all you can do right now. Sorry to hear that.”

Allison nods and turns to go. She stops and adds, “Jarhead’s focusing mainly on that weird girl. He’s got a bed with straps for her.”

”It’s really not that weird of an assumption that I made,” November says.

Gator blinks. “Thanks for letting me know.”

He heads for the loading bay.

”I’d probably have killed somebody,” Violet says.

Mox enters the lobby. The large man looks over the heads of the nurses and patients before settling on the woman scribbling notes between glances into a tiny book.

November sends Mox to deliver the message to Violet that A.T. will be ready to meet her in an hour in gardens. I figure this uses up the last of her hold over him.

He walks over. “You are Violet?”

“Yes that would be me,” she says looking up.

“I’m Mox, November wanted me to let you know she and A.T. will meet you in the garden in an hour.”

“Alright I’ll be there.”

Mox shrugs and wanders off, thinking about the dark-skinned dancer.

Later.

November and A.T. enter an isolated part of the gardens. Overhead, the storm continues to pelt the glass enclosure. Violet is waiting for them in the gloom.

“So Violet have you made any more plans since I spoke to you last?” November asks. “I really think you two should join forces.”

“She’s probably right,” A.T. says.

Violet nods. “Here what I’ve been able to determine so far.” She fills them in on her plan to gain intelligence on the Big Ship. Someone will sneak aboard and learn who within White’s gang is truly loyal to him. “After we neutralize White, we use those we can to keep things stable until we can arrange a town charter to be drawn up and conduct a proper election.”

Violet rolls Manipulate a person assisted by November (who gets a 10 on her help roll). Violet gets a 12 with the extra +1.

November says that if she had the move Radiant (which she plans to get soon), Violet would have turned A.T. into a permanent ally.

Gator states he has an advance now. He still has to decide it though.


The older man nods at the appropriate places during her speech. “That sounds like a good idea. From what I’ve heard they have some heavy ordnance on board. Regardless of whether you find supporters, that intel could be crucial to taking the Big Ship. I’ll let you have your shot.”

”Now A.T. is not a direct threat to you,” I tell her. “Not until the election!”

We switch to the loading dock.


Gator steps into the loading dock. Jarhead’s workshop has sprawled out to fill twice its normal area. Beside the van, Memo lounges on a gurney, watching Jarhead work on a vehicle of some sort. Waters lays in the van, tinkering on a set of complicated goggles. Jarhead whistles to himself as he bolts together an engine.

“Jarhead,” Gator calls out to the oblivious mechanic.

“Hey what’s up?” the thin man says, looking over. “Your goggles are not ready yet.”

“That’s okay.” Gator gestures to him. “Come over here I want to talk you for a sec.”

Jarhead sighs, picks up a piece that needs polishing and follows Gator away from the others.

“What’s up?” the mechanic says as he scrubs off some tarnish.

“I just want to make sure we are clear,” Gator says, tipping his hat up. “You are not to harm that girl in any way.”

Jarhead raises his eyebrows. Gator stares at him like a piece of granite.

”What’s with the gurney?” the gunlugger asks.

“Ooh that, her mind is connected to the psychic maelstrom and not in a good way. And oh yeah it wasn’t my fault. Hey look at this.” Jarhead takes Gator over to Memo. “Memo remember Gator. Friend right?”

She nods.

“He wants to see how your smile is,” he tells her. “Show him your smile.”

As she forces a smile, Jarhead shifts her hair back, exposing the two data ports. “See she’s got a really lovely smile. Thanks Memo.”

Jarhead then takes Gator a short distance away. “Yeah that was weird,” he rabbles. “I guess the computer did it to her. It’s cool but not so cool that it was done to her. I don’t know how to get it out of her so we are going to leave it in there for now. Oh and she is connected to the psychic maelstrom.”

“We are all connected to it,” Gator says.

“There’s a difference. See you hear it when you force your way into it. I hear it kind of sliding into it. She hears it yelling at her all the time.”

“That’s not good,” the mercenary says.

“Yeah that’s not good. The gurney thing is because last time I tried to stop it she tried to kill me. So it is so she doesn’t try to kill me. So yeah, ew. Don’t be gross on me.”

Gator Reads a person and gets a 9 plus experience.

“What do you intend to do with Memo?” Gator asks bluntly.

“I intend to stop the voices from bothering her,” Jarhead says. “Specifically one voice.”

“So not experiment on her?”

“Nah,”he tells Gator. “Though if I see anything interesting I’m going to pay attention. It’s all incidental.”

“Just as long as you don’t hurt that girl we are okay,” he warns him.

“Jeez Gator, you are caring dude,” the mechanic jokes, putting down the polished part. “Chill. You know what’s cool? Well not cool at all but interesting? Come here, take a look.”

Jarhead leads him back to the van to the boy. “Waters sit up.”

The mechanic unwraps some of the bandages. Red scars crisscross his forehead. “They removed some of his brain. He doesn't feel emotions anymore. It’s neat but not so neat.”

“Allison is a little worried about that,” Gator says.

“I don’t think I can fix it,” Jarhead says.

“I’d ask you a health question but I don’t think you could help.”

“I’m not so good on the health thing but I’m working on it.”

Jarhead wants to add life support to his workshop.

He decides to Read a person on Gator. He gets an 11 and an experience.


“Why do you care about Memo so much?” the mechanic asks.

What are you really feeling?

“She’s a little girl,” the gruff warrior says. “She needs to be protected.”

“What you want me to do?” he asks.

“Just don’t cause her any harm or distress.”

November says, “it’s almost like he’s saying what he feels. Craziness.”

”That’s cause he’s Easy to trust,” I quip.

”Wow you are not holding anything back,” Jarhead says.


“What do you intend to do with Memo?” Jarhead asks, surprised at Gator’s openness.

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” the scarred man says. “I guess I want to get her help.”

Switch to November and some bad stuff.

As evening settles on the Autodoc, Shadow approaches November. The dancer turns from her conversation with one of the cultists of the Music Bowl.

“Where have you been?” the bare-chested warrior asks, his hair slick from the rain.

“I have been helping Violet recruiting the Militia to her cause,” she explains. “What have you been up to?”

“I’ve been scouting around outside, exploring this new land.”

“Any more signs of zombies?” she asks.

“I did see something,” he tells her glancing about the lobby. “There were some strangers who arrived a little while ago. One of them had an eye piece like your mystic Jarhead. The other was a woman with red hair.”

“Yes, those are people who have been working with Violet,” she tells him.

“I saw them come from the South,” he says in a low voice. “It was suspicious so I crept closer. I saw them talking with a strange individual. He was wearing an unusual crown.” He mimes the shape of a brimmed hat with a high flat top.

November describes White’s emissary, the black man with a painted face and top hat. Shadow nods.

“That is interesting,” she says. “Let’s tell the others.”

November and Shadow find Gator in the loading dock, watching as Jarhead and his crew work on sort of device.

“Hey!” November calls out. “How’s your recovery coming?”

Gator grins. “It’s just a scratch.”

November draws close to him. “Shadow saw something that I haven’t told Violet yet, which might complicate your deal with her. Scarlet and Joshua, who have been working with her, came from the South. They didn’t say that they had been to the Big Ship. They also didn’t mention that they spoke with the voodoo priest whose working with White.”

“Voodoo priest?” he asks. “I know about the zombies but not any priest.”

November Reads a person. Gator rolls to hinder and gets a 10. Despite the -2 penalty, November gets an 11, marks experience, gains an advancement and picks up Radiant. Now everyone’s Manipulate a person moves have been advanced, with a special effect on a 12+.

Gator Reads a person back. November also hinders and gets an 8. After the -2 penalty, Gator gets an 8. He marks experience and picks out his earlier advancement: Indomitable.


“You haven’t seen him but he’s been here almost as long as we have,” November tells him. She briefly describes the odd figure. “It’s possible that Scarlet and Joshua have made a deal with him. He approached me to make a deal not to interfere with White’s plans here. And now we find these two. Frankly it’s hard to tell because some of the people who work with Violet don’t seem very helpful. But they could be plants.”

Or fungi, I think to myself. Looking forward to springing that on them.

Gator says, “oh really.”

“I wasn’t too concerned with what the thin man was doing here,” She continues. “But now it does bother me. How could I get you to intercede with the thin man in your own special way?”

Using one of her hold from Read a person.

“You could pay me.”

”But you love me”, she says.

”You have not reciprocated my love,” he tells her. “It’s been a while. I am a consummate business man.”

”Haven’t reciprocated! I gave you a rocket launcher.”

”I did try to give you a pretty gun and you turn me down.”

”Never hurt the murderous psychopath’s feelings,” Jarhead says.

Violet adds, “sometimes they have some sensitivity under all of that murderous intent.”

”That’s about the nicest gift I could give somebody,” Gator says. “A weapon.”


November takes a half step back. “I guess I misjudged you.”

“I guess so,” he says, ice leaking into his voice.

“What do I think I should do Gator?”

”That’s a tough question,” he says. “This is very personal for Gator.”

”Yeah with all of these squishy feelings and things,” I say.

”I wish you would show me some attention," he says. “I did love you in the beginning.”

”He tried to give you a nice shiny gun too!”

”It hurt.”


“Maybe you should pay attention to those close to you,” he says, his scar twisting painfully. He turns away. “What you think about Violet and her revolution?”

“I believe in the cause,” she says. “But I’ve had to do a lot to help Violet move on this issue. It’s forced me to neglect those close to me.”

”This is truth stuff,” he admonishes.

”It is true,” she tells him.


Gator looks back her way. “So you think these two are plants from White? We’ve got to make sure they don’t report back.”

“I’m concerned because one of them was espousing the point of view that we should put someone on the Big Ship,” she says. “It sounded like a good time at the time but now I know that they might be reporting to White I’m worried. I think Violet was thinking of taking them up on that suggestion. She could be walking into a trap.”

“That would make sense,” he says, looking around for Violet.

November continues, “since I’ve convinced the Militia to stand down and let her infiltrate, it’s now important that that part of the mission be successful.”

Gator’s gaze snaps back to her. “We’ve convinced the Militia to stand down?”

“Yes, I’ve made friends with A.T., the Militia leader,” she explains.

Gator considers it. “He’s reasonable.”

”What do you really think?” November asks, “about being friends with A.T.”

”I’m jealous,” Gator replies.

I point out so is Mox.

”Shadow is jealous,” she adds.

”No it hasn’t dawned on him yet.”

Jarhead comments, “November is playing with a lot hearts here.”


November sees the tightness in his face. I’m losing him.

Gator comments, “it definitely makes it more difficult if White does know the plan.”

“They were still debating the plan when I left,” she says. “I don’t know if Violet was planning to go herself.”

“Let’s go find her.”

This scene occurred mostly out of character but is needed to make the in-character stuff make sense.

The trio spot Violet in the hall outside the loading bay.

November asks, “Violet could you come over here for a moment?”

“Sure,” she says, following them into the loading dock.

“We need to know if you are planning to go on the Big Ship yourself and who else knows about it?”

“I’m not intending to go myself unless I have to,” she says. “A good leader must be delegate. Anyway I just finished my plan. I haven’t told anyone except you and A.T.”

“Who knows that you hired me?” Gator asks.

I explain, “There is an assumption that Violet hired him but not for what. The only important person who knows Gator is here to help and that Violet is trying to take out White is A.T. And he’s signed off on it.”

“I don’t think anyone besides the people we came with know that,” she says. “However I think White knows why we are here.”

“Why are we here?” Jarhead interjects.

Gator looks around their group of five to the kids by the van and the nurses walking past the entrance. “How about we move off to the side a bit?”

”Hey Jarhead do you have any loud machinery you can turn on?” November asks,

Jarhead pushes the button on a nearby circular saw. As the roar of the machine drowns out all but the closest conversation, November asks Shadow to step away a bit.

“What does White know?” Gator asks.

“After everybody left, I was doing some thinking about how we should proceed,” Violet says over the sound of spinning metal. “I also opened my brain to try to see what I could figure out about the ship. I don’t think I did a very good job because I’m pretty sure White was doing the same thing. He saw me. I don’t know how much he learned from that but he said something like ‘now I know.’”

”And knowing is half the battle,” I add.

”The other half is Gator,” Gator says.


“That’s rather ominous,” November says.

“So how much did you know at the time you looked?” Jarhead asks.

“I hadn't really decided anything,” Violet says. “I just decided to look.”

“But it was just a few hours ago so you had already made your deal Gator,” November says.

“Though I hadn't decided how it was going to be carried out. I have a plan now though.”

“What’s the plan?” Gator asks.

“We need know what the situation is on that ship,” she explains. “We need intelligence on who is loyal to White and who is simply working with him to save their own skin.”

“Who did you get that idea from?” he asks.

“No one specific person suggested it. AOL suggested learning more about White. Joshua and Scarlet suggested going aboard the ship. The reality is we do need to know what is going on in there. We need somebody we can trust and who White won’t recognize.”

Gator nods. “I happen to know a mercenary group that is available for recon.”

“We could do that for the time being,” Violet says. “I have a friend named Kim on the ship I trust. If we can get in contact with her we might have a chance. Perhaps we can set up a network.”

Violet decides to use her hold to establish a friend on the Big Ship, Kim was the one who was mauled by a boar and she brought to the Autodoc to save her life.

”You saved her from a giant radioactive boar,” I state.

November says, “I dated a few of those.”
”What kind of network?” Gator asks.

”A spy network!” I say.

”Get out here Shadow, it’s a sensitive situation.”

Violet continues, “once we know the situation, we can isolate and recruit people while we get a charter drawn up. Once the infrastructure is in place, we setup the means to take out White.”

“What infrastructure?” the mercenary asks.

“We need to keep things from getting crazy. When we take out White we need to make sure there isn’t somebody waiting around to take his place. We need people to keep things calm while we conduct the election.”

“Alright. I see what you are getting at,” Gator says.

“We don’t want any riots, we don’t want anybody getting hurt, We don’t want a new dictator.”

“So you need to get some friends in there,” Gator says. “I happen to know a mercenary group who would be willing to provide some peacekeeping.”

And that’s where we ended it.

End of Session

Then we raise Hx:
  • Violet gives +1 Hx to November (“Apparently I get goofy after opening my brain,” Violet adds)
  • Gator gives +1 Hx to November.
  • November gives +1 Hx to Gator (“I don’t know that Violet even knows what I did for her cost,” she says after debating between her and Gator.)
  • Jarhead gives +1 Hx to Gator. The Hx resets to +1 and Jarhead reveals a secret.
Jarhead reveals that he has qualms about mixing kids and tech. He loves knowledge and dislikes seeing it misused. What it boils down to is a lack of consent.

He first touched the psychic maelstrom without any training as a teenager early in his journey. That experience is what made him weird/spooky intense. He’s okay with what happened but resents never being given the choice.

So now we have an origin story for Jarhead.

November then reveals she has an involved origin story. “She left home at 12.”

Of course she never told me about any of it so now I need probe deeper.