9/30/2014

Camp Fate-zzly Part 2

As Flynn returned to the camp, a chorus of screams rang out from the girls showers.  Several of the counselors ran to see what was happening, while Flynn beelined back to Lacy.  Flynn and Lacy discussed the idea of slipping off for a little alone time, and Flynn suggested a trip into the woods he'd just visited.  They made it out to a secluded spot and were ready to get more intimate when Morris' voice came over the PA demanding Flynn come to his office.  It turned out the screams had been from Johnny spying on the girls.  The pair briefly debated skipping out on the summons and leaving the camp, but Flynn's better urges won out and he headed back.

Lacy followed along, not wanting to be apart from Flynn but Morris was none too happy with Flynn, threatening the slacker with being sent away and bad reports relayed to his school and parents.  Flynn, growing increasingly angry at Morris, decided to lie and lie big.  He pointed out that Johnny had been off his watch since Flynn had been out on the nature hike.  He said outright that he hadn't told Johnny he could go off on his own and that he'd been focused on his other campers, which Lacy backed up on.  Morris decided to let Flynn off with a warning.

Morris explained that the counselors needed to secure the barn and that there were reports of a storm rolling in.  Beyond that, he mentioned that Shelly and Dawn still hadn't returned, nor had a few others that had gone out.  Morris intended to go out and get supplies for the storm and left Wes in charge.

It was lunch, so Flynn went to supervise while Lacy went to do her assigned task doing arts and crafts with the campers and making decorated pinecones.  Down at the lake, Roger was serving as lifeguard.  One of the campers, cruelly named Lunchbox, was pushed "accidentally" into the water by Kevin, who was showing off a bit in front of Tracey.  Roger jumped in and saved the chubby kid  Roger's list of people he didn't like was steadily growing.  Bubba the Lady met Steve's other lady-friend, Saffron and became fast friends with her, as well.

Once those tasks were complete, the counselors were assigned storm-prep tasks by Wes.  Roger and Tracey were to tie up the canoes, Chet and Jason were to supervise campers, Karen and Lacy were to secure the girls cabins, Kevin and Flynn were to check the boys cabins, and CJ and Bubba would lock up the sports equipment.  The others would help as needed and keep looking for the missing campers and Shelley.

Flynn and Lacy only finished a portion of their task, then made excuses to go and find one another.  They planned to find a place to be intimate, starting with the barn, which gave them both a bad feeling.  Eventually, they came up with the idea of asking Chet, whose family owned the camp, for the key to Morris' office.  After a little bribery and a bit more lying, they managed to snag the keys from Chet and made off to the office.

Bubba the Lady, in the meantime, had been helping CJ get the campers rounded up before heading down to get the equipment stowed.  She saw Herbert McSherbet, the camp's cook, being quite mean to the kids, including Lunchbox, who'd missed dinner.  The two began to argue and a full blown fight came close to breaking out, before Wes dragged Herbert off to Morris' office for some discipline.

Which meant, of course, that they walked in on Flynn and Lacy.  Herbert used the distraction to take off, as Wes tried to focus on the teens.  He stepped away to let them get themselves decent, and instead Flynn blocked the door and they continued.  Eventually they stopped and Wes had a chance to blow a gasket.  He walked them back to the kitchen, where Herbert had gotten involved in throwing away the kids' dessert.

Roger and Tracey took the arrival of more counselors as a chance to head down to the dock and tie up the canoes.  Jason and Chet had confided in him their plan to head back over to the girl's camp again and Roger was intent on getting his revenge.  He left one canoe free for them, with a little bit of sabotage.  In the meantime, Chet and Lunchbox went missing, leaving Jason to plan alone.

Tracey pulled Lacy aside and informed her twin that Flynn had never had a relationship with Tracey.  This enraged the nerdy teen, who planned to confront Flynn.  Bubba and CJ rather uneventfully cleaned up the sporting equipment as the storm began to roll in.  Angry at the management of the camp, and maybe trying to distract Lacy from her anger, Flynn began to put together a plan to steal Kevin's van and head back to town.

While making a last sweep, CJ and Bubba found blood and followed it to find Chet stabbed near the barn.  They hurried back to the dining hall to warn the others.  Roger checked the clubhouse quickly to see if Lunchbox was there, but he wasn't and the outdoorsman was ready to head back and check in.

In the dining hall, Herbert started to tell a horror story with the intent of scaring the kids.  Flynn, still annoyed, decided to flicker the lights to add to the effect, but when he flipped them, the power went out.  Flynn, was ready to use that as his cue to leave, but was convinced by Lacy to stay and look after the kids.  Wes decided to head out to fix it just as first Bubba and CJ, then Roger, got back with the bad news about Chet.

Meanwhile Roger formed a second search party with Bubba and Herbert to go out searching.  Roger found Karen where Lacy had left her and she returned safely to the dining hall.  The search party turned theur efforts to rescuing Lunchbox.  Tracey tried to continue her reconciliation with Lacy.

With the news of Chet's murder, Flynn returned to his idea of leaving.   He gathered Lacy, Kevin, and Tracey, organizing them to take a group of kids, head back to town, and send the police back.  The others agreed and gathered a large group of campers.  Lacy expressed concern about a lack of seatbelts in the van, but Flynn glibly replied "Don't worry about it, it's the 80's!"  She didn't think that was much of a justification, but was too concerned with leaving to argue much.

The van had sunk into the mud from the heavy rain, so the group planned to have Lacy drive while Kevin and Flynn pushed.  As they braced to push, Otis struck, dragging Kevin under the van and stabbing him.  At almost the same time Roger and Herbert arrived, having left Bubba to search for Steve and Saffron who'd gone off to get high.

The two extra men helped force Otis to retreat and the group went to a shed to try and find something to help the van out of the mud.  Roger and Herbert began to argue, which almost came to blows until Tracey, stamding by the window, was grabbed from outside by Otis.

Roger dove to try and save her, but was pushed away and left with a concussion.   Meanwhile, Bubba found Steve and Saffron.  The hippie girl was dead, causing much weeping by Bubba the Lady and Electric Steve.  They determined to honor her by stopping the murders.

Herbert, Flynn, and Roger rushed back to the van where Lacy was waiting with the kids.  Otis beat them there, though, throwing Tracey's head st the windshield of the van.  Their arrival and Flynn's bravado seemed to scare Otis away.  Quickly, the pushed planks under the vsn's wheels and pushed it out of the mud.  With Lacy at the wheel, they headed out.

Not too much later Bubba the Lady and Steve got back to the dining hall, informing CJ and the other surviving counselors that Saffron was dead.  The kids remaining began to cry in fear.  Steve wanted to abandon them with Bubba, but she refused and when he got hysterical knocked him out and hid him so she could protect them.

In the van, Lacy had gotten her group to the bridge away from camp, but the rushing river has knocked it out.  Roger spotted a narrow service road, so they turned down that with Lacy carefully navigating the dirt path.  That is, unitl a giant redwood blocked the path...

9/29/2014

Camp Fate-zzly Part 1

A few weeks ago, one of our regular players decided he wanted to run a Fate session based on the board game Camp Grizzly (itself based on 80's horror movies).  We pretty quickly made characters along that theme and jumped in.  This should be a two or three part recap of the play.  Because the game leans on horror movie tropes, it gets pretty gory at some points and there are adult situations, so be warned.

I played Flynn Kaden, Mosh Pit Skacker.  Despite all his bravado, he secretly Wanted To Be A Better Guy.  His other starting aspects were Rude And Crude and Secretly Smart.  Joining Flynn as new counselors at Camp Grizzly were Roger, the outdoorsman; Lacy, nerdy sister of Camp Grizzly's Tracey; and Bubba the Lady, new handyperson at the camp.  The cast of the board game were represented as NPCs.

The game began with the kids (and Bubba the Lady) hopping on a bus up to the camp, where they'd take roles as counselors.  At a gas stop, Roger and Flynn, who had already become somewhat antagonistic towards one another, got off the bus to stretch.  Bubba the Lady went inside the small diner and got some pie while hitting on a waitress and patron.

Lacey was content to stay on the bus until Flynn tapped on her window and began to pester her into coming out.  Eventually she did, just to see what the slacker wanted so badly.  It turned out, of course, that he mostly wanted to see if he could get her off the bus.  Around that time, an old man drove by yelling at them that there was a madman at the camp, who'd kill them all.  The kids shrugged him off and were back on the bus in short order.

They arrived at the camp and met CJ, who led them down to meet with Head Counselor Morris.  He introduced them to the other present counselors and assigned them tasks, including which campers in their cabins to watch out for.  Flynn, who'd already taken a dislike to Roger, purposefully chose the nature hike so that the hillbilly couldn't.  Lacey ended up doing arts and crafts and Roger was left with swimming.  Bubba the Lady was off to help get the camp buildings and generator squared away.

The more experienced counselors told the newcomers about tonight being the last night of freedom before the campers arrived, and began inviting them on the activities of the night during dinner.  Flynn ended up talking to Jason and Chet, who invited him on a panty raid over to the cheerleader camp.  Meanwhile, Roger chatted with CJ and Shelly and Lacy stared daggers at Kevin and her sister Tracey.

After a bit, Flynn offered to get Lacy a beer and she agreed; he also bragged about having a relationship with Tracey, which may or may not have been true.  Chet tried to move in on her as she got increasingly tipsy, but Flynn scared him off.  Lacy was greatful to him and seemed to have developed an infatuation from the fact that Flynn was paying attention to her.  Jason and Chet brought up the panty raid again and Roger overheard, managing to get himself invited.  He headed down to the docks early to wait for them, so that he wouldn't be left behind.

Flynn ultimately turned Jason and Chet down for the panty raid, which left them one person short of being able to fully man two canoes.  They ganged up on Roger, telling him none of the canoes would fit three and left him to struggle alone.  Ultimately, Roger had to turn back as Jason and Chet continued on their escapades.  He began plotting his revenge.

Meanwhile, Bubba was getting to know Electric Steve, who was equally interested in Bubba and getting a little high.  He showed Bubba the Lady back to a private area, where they got intimate.  Lacy and Flynn headed back to the cabins, and when they got to Lacy's she invited him inside.  In the terms of the game, they tempted fate then and Lacy changed her aspect from "Horny Virgin" to "Horny for Flynn."

Everyone fell asleep for the night and when the camp wake up call sounded early in the morning, the counselors tried to adjust to their new life.  For Flynn, this meant sneaking out of Lacy's cabin.  He managed to do it unseen, and everyone headed down to meet the campers as they arrived.  Flynn met Johnny, who had a reputation as a peeping tom, but pretty much immediately turned the little brat loose on the camp, far more interested in what he wanted to do than keeping the kids in line.  Almost everyone settled in or breakfast, except Johnny, who was already up to no good.

Lacy met Dawn, who tugged at the teen's heartstrings with her asthma and weakness.  As luck would have it, Dawn was on the nature hike with Flynn.  Flynn, whose urges to be a better guy were kicked into overdrive by his budding relationship with Lacy, ended up watching out for Dawn most of the trip, until Shelly came back and relieved him of that duty.  The group, minus Dawn and Shelly, made it back to camp with no major incidents.

9/26/2014

Fate of SHIELD: Part 6 - Roxxon


The activities of the Roxxon Corporation don't have the splashy headlines of Stark Industries, Hammer Technology or even SHIELD.  They have become quietly ubiquitous, though.  They are great proponents of the Keystone Pipeline and maintain logging camps throughout Canada and the United States.  Their agribusiness has focused heavily on GMO foods throughout Kansas and Nebraska.  Their technology department has been at the forefront of efforts to recreate past super solider programs for the US Armed Forces.  Their Chairman, Hugh Jones, moves with the most powerful politicians on the world stage.

Opponents of Roxxon can list a litany of offenses.  They claim much of Roxxon's logging occurs at the edges, and within, protected wildlife sanctuaries.  Roxxon has been accused of manipulating oil prices to increase their own profits, even as they accept sizable tax subsidies from several governments.  Others point out that former Roxxon executives serve on the FDA panels which oversaw the approval of Roxxon's GMO foods.  The Brand Corporation, Cybertek, and Metrobank have all been question for their ties to Roxxon, especially in the wake of explosions at several Cybertek facilities.

Recent reports out of Canada speak of a devastated logging camp torn to pieces by a mysterious figure.  While a few news organizations are claiming it is international terrorism, most have attributed the destruction to disgruntled eco-activists.

Part 6 - Roxxon
Part 7 - The Armory

9/20/2014

Fate of SHIELD: Part 5 - The Drones


Zorya's drones have minimal programming and nearly non-existent decision making ability.  The AI serves as their brain and often can seem to treat them maternally.  She is not, however, afraid to sacrifice them in a time of need.  By far, Zorya's Camera Drones are the most common, with easily a dozen of the tiny robots hovering throughout the compound.  Maintenance Drones are the next most plentiful with a half-dozen managing the day to day repairs of The Observatory.  There are three Service Drones, each dedicated to one of the three crew areas within The Observatory.  Only two Defense Drones regularly patrol the entrance area of The Observatory.

Name: Maintenance Drone
High Concept: Fixer of Things
Trouble: Brainless
Phase 1: Work, Work
Skills
Good+3: Crafts
Fair+2: Investigate, Notice
Stunts 
Mechanical Focus: +2 to Crafts to repair Observatory systems
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: -
Refresh: -

Zorya's Maintenance Drones are about 16 inches by 12 inches and essentially rectangular.  A multitude of arms can fold out of their box-like structure.  They have a single repulsor engine in their base which allows them their locomotion.  A single camera lens allows them to identify necessary repairs.

Name: Camera Drone
High Concept: Eye Spy
Trouble: Brainless and Brawnless
Phase 1: Always Watching
Skills
Good+3: Notice
Fair+2: Investigate, Stealth
Stunts 
Sensor Suite: +2 to Notice while inside The Observatory
Physical Stress: O
Mental Stress: -
Refresh: -

Camera Drones are the smallest of Zorya's apparatus.  They are essentially baseball-sized and covered in cameras.  They have repulsor drives on six different points on their bodies, allowing them quick multi-directional movement.


Name: Service Drone
High Concept: Your Wish, My Command
Trouble: Directionless
Phase 1: Information, Food, or Weather?
Skills
Good+3: Rapport
Fair+2: Lore, Notice
Stunts 
Zorya's Mouthpiece: +2 Lore when interfacing with Zorya
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: -
Refresh: -

Service Drones are the largest of the drones at The Observatory.  They are essentially mobile laptops on an adjustable boom above a base with treads.  Two arms may fold out of them so that they can complete tasks, such as cooking, to aid the human occupants of The Observatory.  They are the least complex of the systems within the facility, but they have the strongest connection to Zorya.


Name: Defense Drone
High Concept: Zorya's Lightning
Trouble: Only a Gun
Phase 1: Fire at Will
Skills
Good+3: Shoot
Fair+2: Provoke, Athletics
Stunts 
Coordinated Assault: +2 to Shoot when working in concert with other Defense Drones
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: -
Refresh: -

Defense Drones are essentially a pair of machine guns atop a repulsor array.  A globular camera housing sits in the middle of body of the drone, giving them a strong range of visibility.  When they are attacked (which has only happened in tests, thusfar), Camera Drones will swarm the area and share targeting data in order to get the best accuracy.

9/16/2014

Fate of SHIELD: Part 4 - The Show


My goal is to keep Coulson's team well away from my players, (and hopefully they'll be too busy to try to get in touch) but they do exist in the same universe.  And it's a fun activity for me to come up with aspects for them.  Plus when I went looking for them, I couldn't find anyone having statted them up.  So I went ahead and did so.  I'm trying to keep spoilers mild, but...

WARNING: SPOILERS!!! (especially for Ward)

Name: Phil Coulson
High Concept: The SHIELD Agent
Trouble: Tahiti Is a Magical Place
Phase 1: This Is My Team
Phase 2: Don't Touch Lola
Phase 3: They're Worth Saving
Skills
Great +4: Rapport
Good +3: Shoot, Fight
Fair +2: Will, Physique, Athletics
Average +1: Deceive, Drive, Contacts, Investigate
Stunts 
Well-traveled: +2 to Contacts when in a place where he's had past missions
Back From The Dead: Once per session may spend a Fate point to downgrade a physical consequence
Lola: Honest to goodness flying car.
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Leopold Fitz
High Concept: Youngest SHIELD Academy Graduate
Trouble: Just a Bit Awkward
Phase 1: I'm Fitz, She's Simmons
Phase 2: Hi-Ho, It's Off to Work We Go
Phase 3: A Trained Monkey Could Do This
Skills
Great +4: Lore
Good +3: Craft, Contacts
Fair +2: Notice, Investigate, Drive
Average +1: Resources, Will, Empathy, Deceive
Stunts
Best Mobile Lab Around: +2 to Craft and Investigate when working in his lab
DWARF Drones: May at the beginning of a scene declare that his drones are there in his place, alternately may pay a Fate point to have them join him
Lateral Thinking: +2 to Investigate when following up on a wild theory
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Jemma Simmons
High Concept: Ace SHIELD Scientist
Trouble: I Just Have To Get My Hands On It
Phase 1: I'm Simmons, He's Fitz
Phase 2: There's the Soliton Hypothesis...
Phase 3: It's Science! I Have to Dissect Something!
Skills
Great +4
Lore
Good +3: Crafts, Investigate
Fair +2: Empathy, Will, Rapport
Average +1: Contacts, Deceive, Drive, Notice
Stunts
Simmons, Bio-Chem: +2 to Craft and Investigate when working in her lab
Analytical Mind: May use Investigate instead of Notice
Academic All-Star: +2 to Rapport with other scientists
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3


Name: Grant Ward
High Concept: Once SHIELD, Now HYDRA Killer
Trouble: Is It A Weakness?
Phase 1: I Try to Mask My Pain in Front of a Beautiful Woman
Phase 2: You Brought Me on for Risk Assessment
Phase 3: Yeah, It's Kick Ass, All the Violence
Skills
Great +4: Shoot
Good +3: Fight, Will
Fair +2: Physique, Athletics, Deceive
Average +1: Stealth, Drive, Notice, Investigate
Stunts 
Bolt Holes and Drop Boxes: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Deep Cover: +2 to Deceive about his true intentions
Uncanny Accuracy: Extra free invoke on aiming related advantages
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOOO
Refresh: 3


Name: Skye
High Concept: New-to-SHIELD Hacker
Trouble: Who Am I?
Phase 1: Can't Stop the Signal
Phase 2: I Prefer the Term Hacktivist
Phase 3: 100 People with 1% of the Solution
Skills
Great +4: Rapport
Good +3: Lore, Craft
Fair +2: Empathy, Will, Investigate
Average +1: Contacts, Shoot, Fight, Notice
Stunts
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Crowdsourcing: May use Rapport for Contacts when trying to solve a problwm through teamwork
White Hat: +2 to Investigate when using digital media

Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Melinda May
High Concept: SHIELD Bus Driver
Trouble: The Cavalry
Phase 1: Zen Warrior
Phase 2: I'm Ready to Kick Some Butt
Phase 3: You Guys Talk a Lot
Skills
Great +4: Fight
Good +3: Physique, Will
Fair +2: Stealth, Athletics, Shoot
Average +1: Deceive, Drive, Notice, Investigate
Stunts 
I Am a Weapon: Unarmed Weapon 2
Mind Over Matter: May spend a Fate point to convert one physical consequence to a mental consequence
Berserker Staff: May spend a Fate point once per scene to gain +2 to Fight
Physical Stress: OOOO
Mental Stress: OOOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Antoine Triplett
High Concept: SHIELD Specialist
Trouble: I've Been Betrayed
Phase 1: Grandson of a Howling Commando
Phase 2: Brains and Brawn
Phase 3: I Bring the Noise and the Funk
Skills
Great +4: Fight
Good +3: Shoot, Athletics
Fair +2: Will, Physique, Rapport
Average +1: Lore, Drive, Contacts, Investigate
Stunts 
SSR Gear: May spend a Fate point once per scene to produce an item handed down from his grandfather
SHIELD Legacy: +2 to Lore about SHIELD or its enemies
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Deathlok (Mike Peterson
High Concept: Cyborg Superhero
Trouble: Let Me See My Son
Phase 1: This is My Origin Story
Phase 2: I'm Ready to Kick Some Butt
Phase 3: You Guys Talk a Lot
Skills
Great +4: Fight
Good +3: Physique, Will
Fair +2: Notice, Athletics, Shoot
Average +1: Deceive, Drive, Resources, Investigate
Stunts 
Trample: Once per scene, when you succeed with style on a create advantage roll with Physique and place an aspect on an opponent, you may exchange one of your free invocations for a 2-shift hit on that opponent
Super Computer: Free second invoke of any advantages referencing his computer
Backscatter Device: +2 to Notice if performing no other actions
Physical Stress: OOOO
Mental Stress: OOOO

Fate of Shield: Part 3 - Sample Characters

Getting this out there to potentially help my players get some ideas for themselves.  Used a different group of friends as inspirations.

Part 1 - The Observatory
Part 2 - The Mission

Name: Generic OPS Agent
High Concept: SHIELD Field Operative
Trouble: Hunted by Hydra
Phase 1: World Class Combatant
Phase 2: Super Spy in a Super World
Phase 3: All the Best Toys
Skills
Great +4: Fight
Good +3: Shoot, Rapport
Fair +2: Will, Physique, Athletics
Average +1: Deceive, Drive, Contacts, Investigate
Stunts 
Blend in Anywhere: +2 to Deceive when carrying out a planned operation
Iron Will: +2 to Will defense to resist torture
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Generic SCI Agent
High Concept: SHIELD Super Scientist
Trouble: Never Been in the Field
Phase 1: Biggest Brain Around
Phase 2: Gadgets a Specialty
Phase 3: Just Have to Do the Math
Skills
Great +4: Lore
Good +3: Craft, Contacts
Fair +2: Notice, Investigate, Drive
Average +1: Resources, Will, Empathy, Deceive
Stunts 
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
I Have Just the Thing!: May spend a Fate point to use Craft to overcome physical blocks once per scene
I've Seen this Before!: May use Lore in place of Investigate once per scene
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3
Name: Generic COMMS Agent
High Concept: SHIELD Dispatch
Trouble: It's Just a Desk Job
Phase 1: I Prefer the Term "Hacktivist"
Phase 2Collating Data
Phase 3: This is SHIELD, How May I Help?
Skills
Great +4: Rapport
Good +3: Lore, Investigate
Fair +2: Empathy, Will, Contacts
Average +1: Resources, Deceive, Drive, Notice
Stunts 
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Just a Small Transfer: May use Lore instead of Burglary when taking digital goods
Enhance...: +2 to Investigate when using digital media
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Generic Specialist Agent
High Concept: SHIELD Problem-Solver
Trouble: Trust No One
Phase 1: License to Kill
Phase 2: Efficient and Deadly
Phase 3: Like a Ghost
Skills
Great +4: Shoot
Good +3: Fight, Will
Fair +2: Physique, Athletics, Deceive
Average +1: Stealth, Drive, Notice, Investigate
Stunts 
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Mind Over Matter: May spend a Fate point to convert one physical consequence to a mental consequence
Improvised Weapons Specialized: No penalty for using improvised weapons of similar size to standard weaponry
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Chaz
High Concept: SHIELD COMMS Wiz
Trouble: Old Field Injury
Phase 1: Have You Tried Turning It Off and On?
Phase 2: My Partner's a Badass
Phase 3: I've Beaten This Game
Skills
Great +4: Rapport
Good +3: Lore, Investigate
Fair +2: Empathy, Will, Contacts
Average +1: Resources, Shoot, Drive, Notice
Stunts
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Just Like Mario 2: May spend a Fate point once per scene to substitue Lore for any other roll
Web Guru: +2 to Investigate when using digital media

Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Erika
High Concept: SHIELD Butt Kicker
Trouble: Terrifying Reputation
Phase 1: My Backup's On Comms
Phase 2: ...And I Did It All In Heels
Phase 3: Silent as the Night
Skills
Great +4: Fight
Good +3: Shoot, Will
Fair +2: Stealth, Athletics, Deceive
Average +1: Physique, Drive, Notice, Investigate
Stunts 
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Mind Over Matter: May spend a Fate point to convert one physical consequence to a mental consequence
Always Armed: May spend a Fate point once per scene to produce a weaponthat was previously overlooked.
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Gray
High Concept: Artist of SHIELD
Trouble: Guns Aren't Art
Phase 1: Now THAT'S What I Call Beautiful
Phase 2: The Eye of the Beholder
Phase 3: The Finest of Motor Controls
Skills
Great +4: Craft
Good +3: Investigate, Rapport
Fair +2: Empathy, Will, Contacts
Average +1: Resources, Lore, Drive, Notice
Stunts
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Worth 1000 Words: May use Craft in place of Lore when dealing with art or technical drawings
An Eye For Detail: +2 to Investigate when using digital media

Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Quinn
High Concept: SHIELD Recon Operative
Trouble: Outside The Lines
Phase 1: Competent Combatant
Phase 2: First to the Fight
Phase 3: Stamina in Spades
Skills
Great +4: Fight
Good +3: Shoot, Athletics
Fair +2: Will, Physique, Rapport
Average +1: Stealth, Drive, Contacts, Investigate
Stunts 
Tireless: +2 to Physique to overcome exhaustion or sleep deprivation
Highly Mobile: May move two zones instead of one
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3


Name: Agent Young
High Concept: SHIELD Infiltration Operative
Trouble: It's a Crude World
Phase 1: Best Dressed by Far
Phase 2: Insider Info
Phase 3: All the Best Toys
Skills
Great +4Shoot
Good +3: Fight, Rapport
Fair +2: Will, Physique, Athletics
Average +1: Deceive, Drive, Contacts, Investigate
Stunts 
Brookz: +2 to Deceive while dressed to impress
Negotiator: +2 to Rapport when trying to broker an agreement
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Part 4 - The Show
Part 5 - The Drones
Part 6 - Roxxon
Part 7 - The Armory

9/15/2014

Fate of SHIELD: Part 2 - The Mission

Part 1 - The Observatory

THREE WEEKS AGO

Agent Stevenson, Eyes Only
Intercepted radio transmissions from a Roxxon logging camp (52.287498, -122.301170), sir.  They speak of something that may be within our purview.  When the relief shift arrived to the camp they found a scene, as they described it, "out of a nightmare."  Bodies strewn about the camp, missing chunks of flesh.  Blood on every surface.  Most of the men fled immediately, those who stayed have not been heard from since.  A few reported that during their mad scramble they saw a figure, bone white and huge, but man-shaped.  They claimed it's eyes glowed in the darkness.  Beginning standard data retrieval and review process, with secondary protocols.  Beyond the standard intelligence gathering at the scene, I suggest trying to place an agent within Roxxon to see what they are withholding.  It is possible they have run afoul of an eco-terrorism group using this description as a cover.  I am forwarding the situation report to the other regional facilities.

EIGHTEEN DAYS AGO

Agent Stevenson, Eyes Only
The reports have recurred, sir.  San Jose Logging Company camp (52.187996, -122.226850).  The camp was torn apart.  The reports are even more intriguing than before.  Again they speak of a humanoid figure, larger than most men, bone white, with glowing eyes.  This time, there was a survivor, a trucker who had just pulled into the camp when the potential 0-8-4 struck.  He had heard of the Roxxon camp and immediately fled.  He claims the creature was screaming in an unearthly language as it struck.  There has been no identifiable exo-activity in the last month, so if this is an 0-8-4 of non-terrestrial origin, it has been in wait for some time.  It is more plausible that it is terrestrial.  I have attached a roster of appropriate local agents to begin tracking procedures.  Situation report forwarded.

FOURTEEN DAYS AGO

Agent Stevenson, SHIELD Regional Commanders
Sirs, the situation has escalated.  The town of Clinton, BC has been attacked.  Local law is mobilizing heavily and there is talk of involving Canadian Armed Forces.  Our agents attempting to track this 0-8-4 have been unable to pin it down, it is outpacing our projected radius of its movement.  It seems likely that the city of Kamloomps may be attacked next, therefore it is advisable that CANWEST be deployed there in preparation.  I advise that at least one other response team be assembled.  Agents should be stationed at the towns of Ashcroft, Logan Lake, and Merritt, in case the 0-8-4 bypasses expected movement again.

Agent Stevenson, Eyes Only
Be advised, sir, that the other facilities in the region are reporting that they do not have the forces to spare between the search for Deathlok, activity at the Science and Technology Academy, and their own facility missions.  I've asked each to send at least two agents to us in hopes that we can put together a secondary response team and reinforce CANWEST.  It is unlikely that we will be able to place agents at every potentially endangered town.

EIGHT DAYS AGO

Agent Stevenson, CANWEST Response Team, Response Team Bravo
The 0-8-4 has bypassed all expected targets.  It was spotted outside the town of Hope.  Several local farmers have gone missing.  This is a priority one order for all agents to redeploy.  CANWEST should report to Hope, Bravo to Agassiz.  SHIELD command notified.

THREE DAYS AGO

Agent Stevenson, CANWEST Response Team, Response Team Bravo
The 0-8-4 appears to be headed to the Harrison Hot Springs Resort.  Pursue and engage.

Part 3 - Sample Characters
Part 4 - The Show
Part 5 - The Drones
Part 6 - Roxxon
Part 7 - The Armory

9/14/2014

The Fate of SHIELD: Part 1 - The Observatory

Place:
Name: The Observatory
Issue/Aspect: A Remote SHIELD Facility, A View of the Stars

The Observatory
Located underneath Blaney Lake, about an hour from Vancouver, BC, the Observatory is patched into the University of British Columbia's liquid mirror telescope. The Observatory was originally built in the 80's as part of SHIELD's gradual adoption of Reagan's proposed "Star Wars" defense system. It was later used to watch for incoming dangerous objects, such as meteors, asteroids, and falling satellites. It has tracked SHIELD upper atmospheric missions over western North America and Russian test flights. The Observatory also serves as home base for SHIELD's CANWEST 6-member response team and has enough space to house up to three different response teams and science laboratories.

Face:
Name: Agent  Michael Stevenson
Issue/Aspect: Watching from the Sidelines, Agent of SHIELD, Balancing OPS and SCI

Michael Stevenson
Current head of The Observatory, chosen for past training completed with NASA, Agent Stevenson is a serious and taciturn individual.  Stevenson, oddly, does allow a great deal of freedom to the agents under his command, given their status as a tactical response team requiring agents to have already cleared level 6, barring special exceptions.  He is a combat expert, but his position as head of the facility often keeps him at the facility rather than in the field.  He has expressed no displeasure at this situation, but it is clear he feels he could be an asset in many of the situations CANWEST responds to.

Face:
Name: Zorya
High Concept: SHIELD AI of the Observatory
Trouble: Trapped in Cyberspace
Phase 1All That's Fit to Know
Skills
Great +4: Lore
Good +3: Investigate, Notice
Stunts 
I Can See You...: +2 to Notice anything within The Observatory
The Night's Mirror: +2 to Investigate any stellar activity
Physical Stress: -
Mental Stress: OO
Refresh: 2

Zorya
Zorya has no physical body to speak of (unless you count the mainframes within The Observatory). Instead, she is present as the voice of a young woman with a very slight Russian accent. While there have been several information-gathering algorithms working in The Observatory's systems since as early as 1990, Zorya was installed not long after the Battle of New York. She bears clear relation to Tony Stark's JARVIS AI. She is somewhat less independent than JARVIS appears to be, instead staying very close to her directives to maintain The Observatory and assess all incoming stellar data. There are a few lines in her code which dub this main operating protocol for Zorya the "Utrennyaya Protocol."
Despite frequently trying to be upbeat, Zorya has a somewhat sarcastic personality, probably thanks to Stark. Rumors have circulated that Stark chose, before releasing Zorya to SHIELD, to give the bare bones version of the AI the Russian theme as a nod to Natasha Romanov. Whatever the case, Zorya is fiercely protective of The Observatory and the agents stationed there. She has a series of drones which can act as her manipulation apparatus within The Observatory, but which have a limited range in which she can maintain control outside of those premises. Zorya is also highly curious, keeping tabs on every bit of information that she can, which not all agents find pleasant.

Part 2 - The Mission
Part 3 - Sample Characters
Part 4 - The Show
Part 5 - The Drones
Part 6 - Roxxon
Part 7 - The Armory

9/03/2014

Depression and Gaming, For Me

I generally try and keep things positive on this blog.  Gaming, be it boardgames, videogames, or roleplaying games, is a refuge for me and focusing on the negative aspects of these hobbies makes them less so.  So generally, when I start to feel depressed, I just get quiet rather than letting that depression color what I'm saying about things I love.

And it's been pretty quiet here.

So maybe I should talk about the depression a bit and my journey in my hobbies, since they sort of parallel each other.

My depression really starts at the end of my preteen years and the start of my teenage ones.  My parents were first separating, then divorcing, during this period.  My dog ran away three separate times, before finally never coming back.  I had to leave all my friends and go to a different school for the second time in my life.  My pet turtle died.  I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and then depression.  And in eighth grade I had a major surgery to correct the fact that my left leg grew faster than my right.

Until that point I wasn't always an enthusiastic athlete, but I was athletic and in excellent shape.  I played sports and dreamed of playing organized, maybe even professional, basketball.  I didn't realize that dream would die with the surgery, and I didn't realize how much it'd hurt.  But I'm not sure I've ever recovered from it.  A little over a year after the first surgery, I had a second for a fractured kneecap.  By the time that had healed, I'd spent almost two full years out of three in casts.  And I'd gained a large portion of the weight I've yet to manage to put back off.

I have been socially awkward since I told my kindergarten class I wanted to be a paleontologist and they all laughed at me.  It got a little worse each year until I found myself a high school freshman eating alone in a dark classroom with older kids hurling trash (including a battery which hit me in the head) at me.  I was suicidal at that point.

It was roleplaying, and writing, that saved me.

I first played videogames at three years old.  My parents bought a NES with Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt.  By the time Mega Man 3 came out, I was trying to come up with my own bosses and levels, and telling the kids at school how to act them out.

My third grade teacher gave us an assignment to write a story.  Mine was "The Futuristic Dinosaur."  The teacher took my writing (and illustrations!) and bound it into cloth and cardboard binding and entered it into a contest.  I don't recall winning anything, but I was more proud of my silly little book than anything.  I still have it.

My only older cousin introduced me to first DnD and then BattleTech shortly thereafter.  Between recording KASS (kickass radio, naturally) tapes, playing Final Fantasy while pulling all-nighters, and playing tag with our friends, we came up with the Stanley's Callers, a BattleTech mercenary team whose colors were purple and gold.  We even had shirts.  And I was writing about the characters we'd come up with.

In sixth grade, I submitted a story I'd written about them to a writing contest.  Again, no victory, but at 12 pages, it was the longest thing I'd ever written.  It had four characters, loosely based on myself, my cousin, my sister, and a character from GI Joe.

And then the writing stopped.  For three years.

But the ideas didn't.  In this period the seeds of some of my oldest characters had their roots.  Kayle, swordsman and defender.  Originally a Saturday morning cartoon style hero complete with transformation sequence.  Legaius, shamanistic speaker-to-wolves.  Originally Legacy, child of heroes, fighting to find his way.  Lancer, high-soaring spearman.  Originally a paladin in service of justice.

They were the ticket to my solution.  I made friends with a couple of other freshmen not long after the battery incident.  Eventually we'd be called "Loners in a Group."  One of them told me about online, play by post roleplaying he was doing.  I took the plunge.

My depression had begun to lift and with it the block to my writing.

By the time I hit college, I was writing a page a day of my own fiction on top of assignments for class.  My depression was at its nadir; I was happy, had a robust group of friends, and I had confidence that I could make my new dream of being a published author work. I played videogames daily, boardgames frequently, and roleplaying games weekly.

Short, intense bouts of depression have come and gone over the last ten years.  But for about the last 10 months, I've been fighting a particularly intense swing.  It got a lot worse when I started having to work more over the summer, not because of the work but because I was pushing myself beyond my physical limits while fighting depression-born anxiety about every facet of my job.

I managed to stick to my writing, and healthy eating/living, goals for the first few months, but over the last six, I've struggled to accomplish anything beyond putting one foot in front of the other. Worse, I didn't even realize what was happening until about three months ago at a concert.  The artist was discussing her own low points and suddenly I was outside myself in a moment of clarity.  I used the brief momentum I had from that to try and get help.  I've been seeing doctors and taking supplements.

My games have never stopped during this time, but keeping notes has been a struggle.  Turning those notes into posts, more so.  I have three WoW sessions waiting to be finished.  But as the darkness is slowly receding, I'm starting to write more.  I'm hoping I'll have something to show for it, soon.

Until then I leave this encouragement.  We all get lost in the dark sometimes, but those of us who build a community out of interacting through games have a light in the dark if we choose to look.