fatesupersrpg

[fatesupersrpg]

View westward over proposed New Geelong business district, by Marco Metslov

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Session 6

Johanne Van Zoster invited the players into his downstairs study for a drink. It featured high energy orange wallpaper, a conversation pit, and an extensive drinks trolley.

Kitty was particularly interested in a series of three architectural concept drawings on the wall, which looked as though they had been outlined in ink, coloured with watercolours, and rendered on something like silk. Several were almost recognisable views of New Geelong, but one in particular appeared to be a version of the Chandler Building.

Van Zoster what’s the word to everyone as “Byzantium touched”. Apparently, people of extraordinary abilities are more common where Byzantium deposits are found in large quantities. Van Zoster referred to swashbucklers, who kept adventuring after the war, “those Americans“, and members of an expeditionary party in Antarctica, who surely should’ve died. Van Zoster seemed a little contemptuous of the “brawling, kinetic” type, and intimated his and Riyadh’s abilities were more subtle.

Riyadh performed a consensual reading on Dick. “ You have seen things beyond the veil. You have been touched by monsters, and are afraid of becoming one. This happened up north. You were lead there by a woman with a gun.”

“Or a woman called Gunn?” Asked Van Zoster. “We know Mrs Gunn of old.”

Van Zoster also spoke of the properties of Byzantium. He thinks it originates in another world: that when we mine and extract it, we pull more and more of it into our world. Sometimes it looks like machinery. It can also thin the barriers between this world and the next.

He had known Kitty’s brother Thomas: a collector of very large Byzantium objects, a pastime Van Zoster regarded as “competitive and dangerous”. Zoster preferred to stick to small artefacts, such as his rapier. Bigger volumes were hard to come by due to Imperial regulations that diverted much to military uses, and contraband Byzantium attracted the attention of dangerous people and Division 7.

Riyadh attempted a nonconsensual reading and saw right through Kitty. Kitty was convinced that she could see that she had burgled Van Zoster’s safe. Riyadh’s talents were depleted by the time she turned to Liana, from whom she learnt nothing.

The art on the wall was explained to be concept drawings by Marco Metslov, the key architect and town planner of New Geelong. He had project five major new skyscrapers for the city centre, but had only ever finished three: the Chandler Building, Lorre Tower and Mitchum Minerals HQ. A refurbishment of the historic Wool Exchange never got approval and the New Pacific Bank went broke before construction commenced. Metslov himself disappeared 10 years ago.

Van Zoster decided the Silver Skull would be his involuntary houseguest for a few days, and that the players were welcome to come back and speak to her another time. He leant Liana the rapier showing how could be summoned across a distance of 50 or 60 feet through using a Byzantium ring. Riyadh said to Kitty: “Don’t forget your bag.”

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Riyadh St Christie

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Session 5

The party went to hell when the sickly-looking woman in the wheelchair tore off her wig and put on a silver helmet, releasing a helmeted mandril from a compartment as well.

At this moment, Valdexia recognised Leanne from the warehouse, and tore her skirts away from concealed leather leggings and a sword belt. Van Zoster’s striking aide de camp Riyadh St Christie threw Leanne the Dieresisian sword.

While all hell broke loose, Kitty took another crack at the upstairs safe - and got into it, retrieving a cache of interesting documents.

Leanne and Riyadh engaged in a swashbuckling duel, featuring the throwing of tables and three destruction of a buffet. Fought to a standstill, Valdexia threw herself out of a window and dived over the waterfall.

While the Silver Skull made some form of mental attack on Van Zoster, Dick took her out through the unorthodox (and unappetising) means of vomiting a torrent of otherworldly darkness at her.

Kitty used the excitement to rejoin the party unnoticed.

Van Zoster used his strange power of charisma to end the party and clear the room, then surveyed the wreckage and said: “It appears I owe you a drink.”

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Johanne Van Zoster and Valdexia the Pirate

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The story so far: Sessions 3 and 4

The figure in a black suit with white hair swept back like feathers followed the grey suited men into the warehouse. Raised voices in sued, and the men in grey suits left. The white haired figure walked disconsolately to the Sailor's Rest hotel.

Eventually, the players joined them in the bar and they introduced themselves as Skeres. Skeres claimed to be a professional information broker, a “Whistler”. Through a tip off from the Silver Skull’s drunkard of a driver they’d attempted to sell news of the evening’s transaction to “Seven” the agency feared by Jill Frost.

Skeres offered information for a possible small favour later on account. (Though the player characters suspected they had already picked them as the group most likely to have intercepted the Byzantium shipment.)

Seven turned out to be Imperial Counter Espionage Bureau 7, otherwise known as the Australian Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB). Seven takes a keen interest in large illicit transactions In Byzantium and “people with special talents”.

Another name mentioned by Frost, “Van Zoster”, is a keen collector of Byzantium and a major figure in science, finance and local society. He’s also a noted collector of documents related to Marco Metslov, architect of much of New Geelong. Indeed, Joanne Van Zoster’s annual ball was only a week away. Kitty organised invitations.

Van Zoster’s mansion is a modernist edifice of glass and steel built into the old paper mill overlooking Buckley Falls. Van Zoster himself is a man of military bearing exuding such an atmosphere he is mysteriously hard to approach. (His aide Ridyah also doesn’t help.) Dick managed to approach him by sheer force of Will and learned he served in the highlands in Papua during the war.

Kitty slipped effortlessly upstairs but didn’t crack the safe on a first attempt. Much in Zoster’s desk papers about Metslov, including an upcoming auction of his drawings for various completed and never built buildings in New Geelong.

Downstairs at the party Liana noted a sword of her homeland on display; Valdexia the pirate smuggler in a evening gown (probably concealing a cutlass under her skirt); and a sickly looking blonde woman in a large old fashioned bath chair.

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The Silver Skull and Jill Frost

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The Story So Far: session two

 The players are in possession of the crates, and a surly Jill Frost. Her chilly demeanour, and determination to tough it out, melt in the face of Kitty’s charm. (“Weren’t you at Geelong Grammar?”)

Frost plainly wants to get away from the warehouse quickly. She is concerned that “they” might arrive soon. “ Especially if they had someone on the inside, someone who could tip them off that the deal was going down. You’re not from them are you? Seven?”

The crates contains three strange man sized blocks of Byzantium, covered in strange carvings. Or are they machines? if the latter, they seem part-crushed.

Frost doesn’t care much what the Players do with them: “But you’d better pick your enemies carefully. Valdexia’s out a payment and the Skull’s missing her shipment. If you’re a new crew, you need to make peace with someone. Or are you errand boys for Zoster?”

Despite assurances that the players are free agents, it is a sceptical Frost they release into the night. The mood is not improved by Dick’s efforts to strike fear in her heart.

The Byzantium is shipped down to a Harrison family coast house, and Dick stakes out the warehouse. Sure enough, within a few hours black cars without license plates draw up and men in grey suits poor out and swarm into the warehouse.

A figure in a black suit, delicate features and with white hair swept back from their head like feathers, is the last step from the car. Looking around idly, they glance up at Dick’s hiding spot and wink.

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The story so far (short version)

Session Zero: The characters first met at a warehouse dispute at Stingaree Bay. “Leanne” was there as a journalist, but also because some of the striking wharf men were DPs from Dieresis Island. Dick was there to retrieve something he’d shipped. And Kitty was there because it was a Harrison family warehouse. With Kitty’s family name, Dick’s unsettling aura, and Leanne’s local contacts they were able to refuse what could’ve turned into a riot.

Later, their paths crossed again in the Chandler Building. This is Leanne’s place of work, home to the offices of the New Geelong Argus. Kitty was coming to investigate the office of her dead brother Thomas, but was being hassled by security until Leanne intervened. Dick became swept up in their party, as he had business with Thomas as an “exotic collector”. However, they had barely gained access to the office when armed gunmen burst through the door. A rapid escape out the window was effected.

After the Characters left the Chandler Building they went for a quiet drink by the waterfront to try to figure out what the hell is going on. Unfortunately they got jumped by Jeanette Gunn’s goons who were trying to shut Richard up and battled them to a standstill, at which point they fled.

Session One: Leanne had a tip-off from a Dieresisian wharfman, Lysander (“Lee”). He was worried that those rostered on tonight been sent home with Paige and we are being set up as patsies for some sort of theft from the warehouse. There were rumours of exotic creatures in Byzantium cages. And the warehouse was again the Harrison Warehouse. This was enough to persuade Dick and Kitty to join her.

Shortly after midnight a series of strange events occurred in the warehouse. First, three women - led by one in a red lined trenchcoat who appeared to have a cutlass strap to her hip - entered from the quayside pushing three tall crates on doilies. Behind them, glinting in the Moonlight was what couldn’t, surely, be a submarine?

Soon after, from the street side of a truck pulled up and revealed the buyers in the transaction. Three extraordinary figures descended from the truck: a hulking man with a huge metal hand (Jimmy “The Fist” McGinty); a pale woman with white hair dressed in blue (Jill Frost); and their leader - a woman in a greatcoat and strange silver helmet that covered her skull and eyes (the Silver Skull). Weirdest of all was the group of ten or so gibbons clad in similar diode and antenna encrusted skull caps.

The Skull’s gibbons made a security sweep, discovered the players and a fight ensued. Long story short, the gibbons fled, the submarine captain abandoned her cargo and retreated, and after a short battle so did the Silver Skull and the Fist. But, Jill Frost lies in the wreckage of a splintered shipping crate, hurled across the warehouse by Leanne.

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Powers

We have three options for powers: super-skills (enhanced skills), super stunts (more powerful than usual stunts), and regular stunts. 

Super-skills: most powers will be able to be represented by super-skills. We should probably keep characters to a maximum of two super sills. Purchasing “super skill” for a particular skill will allow you to temporarily double its rank. It costs one Fate point to activate the super skill for a scene, but the skill depletes after each use (see below).

For example, Captain Steel wants to pick up and throw a car. She has Physique 5, and spends a Fate point to use her Super-Physique. With Physique 10 she easily lifts the vehicle.

She can keep using Physique in the same fight scene without spending additional Fate points. But her base skill depletes one rank each time. Eg after throwing the car, Captain Steel now has Physique 4. If she uses super physique again (this time for free) she temporarily has Physique 8, but after that second use her base Physique will now drop to 3 etc.

Her Physique will return to its full rank in the next scene (she caught her breath!), but we can introduce a recharge rule for fun. If a Super-Skill is depleted to 1 or zero the Super must then do something special to recharge it: meditate in their sanctum sanctorum, bathe in a sacred spring etc.

Other possible super skills include: super-rapport (so persuasive it’s hypnotism or a glamour), super-athletics (able to outrun a train), super-deceive (shape shifting), super-provoke (aura of fear), super-notice (Daredevil-like heightened senses).

Many golden age characters could be depicted just with depleting super-skills. Hourman of the Justice Society would likely have Super Athletics, Super Physique and possibly Super Fight.

Super Stunts

These are special powers that usually costs 1 Fate point to activate for a scene. Some may be free, some may deplete like super-skills.

Skin of Bronze/Armour - permanent +1 damage resistance. No activation cost.

Force field - +1 damage resistance. Costs 1 Fate point to activate but can then be extended to cover those nearby or projected to make a small wall/barrier.

Talk to the animals - use the skill Animal Handling (we’ll need to add this to character sheets) to make skill rolls equivalent to Rapport, Empathy, or Provoke against animals for Tarzan-like effects. (Costs 1 Fate point)

Blast - can you cast lightning, do you have a mysteriously inexhaustible supply of daggers, or can you stretch across the room and punch with a giant fist? The blast power allows you to use the Shoot skill without a ranged weapon - but your base Shoot skill depletes one rank with each use until you can rest or recharge.  (Costs 1 Fate to activate, depletes with further use)

Use skill at range - add range to a hand-to-hand skill (GM discretion). Most commonly used with Physique to lift objects at range (telekinesis) or grab goons in a great fist of energy (grappling/wrestling attack).  (Costs 1 Fate to activate)

Malleable - your whole body is pliable. Coupled with a Deceive roll you can assume the shape of any object or animal.  (Costs 1 Fate to activate)

Instant change or summon weapon - do you have a secret identity? No time to find a phone booth? Perhaps a magical or technological solution means you can instantly transform! Shazam! Or maybe your magic weapon is very conspicuous? Why not have it fly to your hand or appear with a thought! (Free)

Environmental modification - can you control the weather, make plants sprout from the ground, drop the temperature enough to freeze the surface of a swimming pool? Choose one themed manner in which you can change the environment. In game mechanical terms, you spend a Fate point to add an aspect to a scene and can invoke that aspect for an advantage once for free. Further invocations cost further Fate points. 

Super stunts let us simulate more Silver Age comic characters. The original Ice Man of the X-Men would probably have Super Athletics (ice slides for fast movement), Blast (ice attacks), and Force Field (his ice armour and ice walls). 

Stunts

Pulp action/adventure has plenty of classic Fate stunts short of superpowers. These will be especially appropriate for Doc Savage, The Spirit or early Batman types. Stunts allow for small plot alterations or modifications in how skills usually work. In contrast to powers, Stunts are usually free to activate because they are either one-use-per-session only or apply only in limited circumstances. The following list is indicative, we can always make up more.

Beginners luck/“I picked up this trick in Cairo”: once per session you may use this stunt to replace any un-ranked skill (ie skill 0) with +2 (Free, lasts one scene).

Useful little things: you have pockets filled with small, useful (but not too extraordinary), items and gadgets. (Usually free)

Aura of fear/Shadow of the Beast: anyone trying to strike you, hesitates. The first time you need to defend against a physical attack in a fight you use Provoke not Fight (free), the Stunt can be invoked additional times for a Fate point each.

Stillness of the Hunter/Vanish in plain sight: you can initiate a Stealth roll, and use stealth, even when there is nowhere to hide. (Free)

Friend in every port: roll Contacts entering any new town to see if there’s a friend who owes you a mid-size favour. (Free)

Carousing/Savoir Faire: +2 to Rapport in pubs, bars, etc or alternatively +2 to Rapport in high society situations (Free)

Absorb any blow: once per fight use Physique to defend against damage instead of Fight (free); can be invoked additional times if you spend fate points.

Danger sense: take no penalties to Notice rolls (eg darkness, attacked from behind) if someone intends you harm. (Free)

Always have an exit plan: +2 to Burglary rolls when creating an advantage in order to escape. (Free)

Tell me what you want: use Rapport instead of Empathy for the limited purpose of discerning their motivation. (Free)

Power of deduction: make a special Investigation roll, for every shift past the first you uncover/create a new aspect in relation to the scene or targeted person but can only invoke one for free (1 Fate point).

Backup weapon: any time you are disarmed in combat spend a Fate point to declare you have a hidden backup weapon.

Called shot: spend a Fate point to declare an aspect you wish to place on a targeted NPC: eg “shot in the hand”.

Cat-like leap/Spider’s grip/Wind-dancer: roll Athletics to be able to run up vertical surfaces or leap improbable distances for the rest of the scene (usually free).

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Atomic Noir

A pitch for the setting: welcome to New Geelong, city of the future! The time is somewhere between 1940 and 1960, the dawn of the Atomic Age - but it’s still an age of mean streets and hard boiled gumshoes.

The state of Victoria was transformed over the last 40 years by the discovery of new and rare elements vital to keeping the fading British Empire, or the emerging Commonwealth, in the world war and the space race. The major deposits west of Melbourne have created a glittering new metropolis of nearly two million souls in what was once Geelong, while gothic Melbourne crumbles neglected nearby. In fact, the two cities, different as night and day, have grown into one conurbation around Port Phillip bay.

Combined, they form one of the most important cities of the Southern Hemisphere: a magnet for spies, adventurers, and this new breed of science-heroes or “supers”. It’s an age of Atomic Noir.

(Setting and campaign design in Fate is collaborative. So we might go with this, or not. But I thought I’d set out my stall!)

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Rules and Resources

Some resources: here’s the Fate rule book for pay-what-you-want if you’re interested.

And here is a large form character sheet with explanatory text. 

This is a form fillable pdf character sheet on my Google drive (so I may disable the link later). 

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Fate RPG Character Design

Fate is a simple system that is focused on storytelling. It runs on a few key ideas: Skills, Aspects, Fate Points, Stunts.

First, all character attributes in Fate are represented by a skill and skill roll. There is no intelligence, strength, dexterity etc. If you want to lift something heavy or smash a door, you roll Physique. Solve a puzzle roll Will. Pick a lock, roll Burglary etc.

Second, character Aspects help drive the story. Every character has about 5 aspects that represent part of their backstory. This might confer an advantage in some circumstances, or compel your character to do something in another. Aspects are brief, evocative, double edged descriptions of your character’s weaknesses. They might include things such as “sucker for a pretty face“, “attracted to shiny things“, “hunted by the Scar Gang”.

An Aspect is often trouble. “It would make sense not to snatch the poorly guarded diamond necklace, but curse my luck my character is attracted to shiny things, so I guess I’m going to take it.” But sometimes it’s an advantage: “Are we being ripped off by this fence? Well, because I am attracted to shiny things I should know the black market price of diamonds.”

Aspects can also include things that seem closer to “motivations“ in other superhero RPGs. “Defender of the innocent”, “Dispenser of justice”, “never leave a man behind” or even “sucker for kids” could all work.

Fate points. If you resist something that an aspect would normally compel you to do, you spend a Fate point. If you give in to an aspect to your disadvantage you gain at Fate point. Fate points can also be used to modify the story environment, or power a Stunt.

Stunts: stunts provide a special advantage in limited circumstances. They might add a bonus to a skill roll or allow a skill to be used in an unusual way. A stunt called “Vanish in plain sight” might allow stealth to be used in an environment where there’s nowhere to hide.

Superpowers: superpowers are most easily managed as stunts that cost one Fate point to activate for a scene. Another option is we can create “Super” versions of regular skill rolls. We can discuss how this would work but it simulates Golden Age superheroes well. A character who can run faster than a train for a brief period would have Super-Athletics; a character who can bend iron bars or leap onto the roofs of small buildings would have Super-Physique.

Character creation: the first two aspects for your character are worth thinking about now. These are “high concept” and “origin story”.

High concept sums up your character in a pithy phrase; origin story does what it says on the tin. So one could have: “Fallen Valkyrie” and “Exiled from Asguard by the treacherous Loki”; or “Shadowy dispenser of justice” and “trained to cloud mens’ minds by Tibetan mystics”; or “lost heir of Atlantis” and “born to an exiled mermaid princess and a lighthouse keeper” etc

Fate characters are proactive, competent and dramatic. The game presumes character creation and setting creation should be a collaborative process and that the characters have met and worked together before. We devise a collective backstory that fills in other aspects of the characters in a “session zero”.

Setting and genre: in Fate everyone gets to throw their ideas on the table. “I really want to fight zombies”, “I’d like a tale of international intrigue and chases across continents”, “can we have airships?” etc.

For a Supers game I’d suggest a setting along the lines of Alan Moore’s Tom Strong or the 90s Batman Animated Series: the future the way it looked in the 1940s or 1950s populated with characters closer to the pulps (the Shadow, the Phantom, the Spirit, Doc Savage, the original Batman and Superman, etc) than to the modern X-Men or Justice League. But this is totally up for discussion.