Well it seemed like a good idea...

Hey everyone, just wanted to go ahead and put up my final report. I would have liked to put up the report from my other players, but after much harassment, I just decided to go ahead and post my findings anyways.

I heart compels. My players got REAL conservative about spending points REAL fast once I started putting the thumb-screws to them. It may take a little bit to explain to new GMs how to run compels. I do like the idea of the rule of thumb being "say yes, roll dice, or compel".

Likes:

I absolutely love City Creation. The addition of players' input makes it theirs and it gives GMs some source material to start developing stories right off the bat. It's a good system, the only issue I might take with it is that city creation does take a while, almost a whole session. I do firmly believe though that you get out what you put in.

Character creation is good stuff also, it really requires you to put some thought behind your character. I like the concept that your character is actually a story-backed character, not a stat-line to be played.

I like the refresh rate deductions and felt they were mostly appropriate for the costs. If I ever get my players' input I know for a fact they want varying levels of the supernatural stunts and costs. I'm torn on that part. I can make a case either way.

Dislikes:

I'm not sure I like the idea of magical might being tied to mundane skill-sets. My opinion is that magical power should be on its own scale irrespective of your other attributes. I think a seperate scale would falls in with the idea that world is normal, but it has the supernatural twist.

Some of the resources and contacts skills seem a little out of whack, in our experience, we had a character with a combined high contacts and high resources skill set. As a GM, I had a hard time justifying a character built like that taking the field. He would send a minion or something.

Cut out the 2nd Story requirement at Char-gen. It feels unnecessary and feels difficult to fulfill. I'd much prefer tossing an aspect of choice in there for the PCs to play with.

Other notes: This game is not for new role players! Its a lot easier for people to play a statline than it is to play these characters. People have to interpret character background and take that into account when planning actions. Personally, I like it.

We had quite a busy weekend as we went ahead and ran two sessions on back-to-back nights. One of our players dropped out for reasons that shall remain unmentioned, and another totally swapped out his character concept. In the interests of ease of writing, I'm going to jettison the narrative style as I just plain old can't remember what happened for both nights when it comes to little things like dialogue. At the end of the post I'll have a couple of notes that we discussed during the game.

Story note: There is a bit of a jump since the last post. Nothing really truly essential happened, and we had a player drop out so I'm hand waiving and restarting where we started Friday night.

Our illustrious protagonists are left standing in a hallway of the Natural History Museum in the Smithsonian. Edwin Taylor had just conjured a horrible-meat eating plant monster to deal with the armed attackers that had busted into the hall, guns blazing. Though the weapons were suppressed, it did attract some attention.  A set of museum guards busted into the hall at the other end and were immediately attacked by the plant monster. Seeing a good chance to escape, the group turned tail when the Warden Anderson and Taylor decided to save the guards rather than leave them to their fate. Jennifer on the other hand, decided this was the perfect time to beat feet and took off to get the car. The wizard and professor fought the plant monster, eventually getting the guards free from the thing. At this point, there was a rampaging plant monster left in a hallway, so Anderson decided that it would be a good idea to get rid of it: by grounding out the magic. He smacked an overhead sprinkler head causing the system to activate. The fire alarm went off and people started streaming out of the building. Meantime, Jennifer grabbed the car and parked right out front. She saw the stream of people and hoped that nothing was too terribly wrong. Turns out that the distraction served just fine as the wizard and teacher joined the throng.

After safely escaping the building they retreated to Anderson's warded apartment. They figured there was no safer place after being threatened by both queens of Faerie, and a nice set of mortal thugs. That night, Jennifer got a call from her boss at the Arboretum. She was told to come in to the park and take a look at something strange. The something strange was a man encased in a perfectly clear block of ice... in the middle of Fall... in the middle of a park. Further investigation revealed there were no footprints leading up to the scene, nevermind any heavy equipment that could potentially make such a thing. A tow truck was called to drag the block from the pond and thaw the poor stiff out. Jennifer scouted out further, looking for signs when she found a strange clearing and some footprints. The group reconvened there and the Wizard detected the presence of something anchored there. THe something turned out to be Kif the Air Spirit. He said that a man had come to visit him and asked him about the history and ley lines of the area. The two had a lengthy conversation, and the man thanked him for his time, and was on his way. Following the footprints revealed that the man was calmly walking, then started sprinting, and then suddenly his prints stopped. It only occured later to look up as there was a nice hole through the trees in an arc trajectory leading to the pond.

After the ice cube had a chance to melt under the hot-lamps, they noticed a strange brand on the man in the shape of a burnt tree. This drew a serious emotional reaction from the Professor, but he managed to keep his composure. Jennifer managed to secure the guy's wallet when a group of men in black showed up. The Federal agents showed DHS credentials and commandeered the scene from the locals. They immediately moved everyone away from the ice block and set some sort of device. Seconds later, the ice block hissed, fizzled, and popped into a massive white-hot fireball. The ice block and body were totally vaporized.

More to come later.

We had one of our players have a change in heart. He's decided to change the character from the Knight of the Cross to the following. There isn't going to be much impact on the story, but it should be interesting to see how it plays out.

When we last left our illustrious protagonists (I dare not call them heroes), they were travelling to the NeverNever through a rent in the fabric of both space and time. We pick up from there:

The black fog that had descended on the streets started to recede as the hyper-steroidal steak passed through the hole to the NeverNever. The party reluctantly followed, some knowing what lay beyond, some for amazement, some for curiosity. The Nevernever version of Washington was drastically different from the real world. It was as if the buildings had all been turned inside out. Their structures laid bare, you could see the goings on of the denizens of NeverWashington. More than a few ghosts lingered, the city being so old, and countless beings had lived and died in this town. The streets were thick with people garbed in clothing from every era. This didn't count the usual fae creatures running about. It was safe to guess that Washington had been in the possesion of the court of Summer, as the "sun" was bright in the sky. It was warm, but not unpleasantly so. The crowds parted for the hormonal hamburger creating a void behind him that the group was soon sucked into. They travelled east, towards the center of town and where the form of the Washington Monument stood tall. The trek dragged on for miles, or rather what felt like miles. Either way, it was much longer than the trip should have taken. The crowd never ceased as the denizens both weird and wonderful passed. The group came upon another island in the sea of things. A proud summer noble blocked the path, astride a massive white charger. He dismounted and approached the minotaur, who bowed as he approached. "Hmmmh, yes lord? How may I serve you?" 
"Relax old friend, I have business with one in your midst." The man turned to the group, "So John, you came back... What did I tell you about coming back?" 
The Warden grumbled "You said not to come back unless I was official business, which I am. Now go find some other poor mortal to enslave."
"Oh? like this one?" He grinned and swayed his way to Jennifer. "This one is interesting."
"Oh... well hello there." Taylor smiled, her eyes going all a flutter. "Never seen anyone like you before..." 
The noble smiled "And nor will you ever, again. Come, let me show you around." He moved to take her by the hand, when the Minotaur grabbed the Noble's wrist.
"My Lord, I cannot allow this. They are under the protection of the Queen. They are assisting me in bringing this prisoner to her." He pointed to the victim who had resigned himself to his fate.
In an instant, the Noble's face turned to an almost feral rage. "You incompentent peon!" He backhanded the minotaur, no small feat for someone 6' against a 9' cow. He turned, "They talked you into protection?! Are you really that stupid?!" The cow shrugged (an interesting sight for those of you that have never seen a cow shrug) "The Queen trusts you to be her striking arm and you can't even bring a prisoner in without screwing it up... Oh very well, be gone Anderson, but be warned, come back to this place at your own peril. I. will. hunt. you. down. As for you, you bovine buffoon. Get out of my sight." The Noble remounted his charger and stormed off.
Anderson smiled, "I love pissing him off." 
Clamp raised an eyebrow, "Friend of yours?" 
"Heh," the young wizard grinned, "relative. My father I'm afraid. Never really pleased with the Choice I made. He would much rather have had me as one of his vassals and even now tries to ensnare me in his doings. Every time I come here, which isn't often, we go through this."
Clamp looked disappointed. "You know, one of these days, he's going to catch you, and this time I won't be able to bail you out..." Anderson shrugged. 
The Minotaur looked back "Hmmh, Come, the Queen awaits. I want you out of here."  The beast started walking again.
A few minutes later, and the group arrived at what would be the National Mall, except it wasn't. At least, not that you would recognize. The entire Lincoln Memorial was covered in raging ivy and growth. A small rainforest had sprouted around the borders of the Mall, with lush plants and amazing flowers that shifted color as you changed your viewpoint. Massive cascading fountains had sprung from the Reflecting Pool, yet the surface of the water was undisturbed. In the center of all this activity, was a field where a party was taking place. Small pavilion tents were set up, along with tables of food and drink. Anderson surveyed the festivities and mumbled "Eat nothing, drink nothing, accept nothing from anyone. In fact, its probably better if you just don't talk." 

"View it like this, it's a credit card, only your soul is the balance, and there is no spending limit." Clamp added. Almost immediately as the group approached the party, Jennifer started to wander off. She was tempted by the sights, but stopped, remembering the Warden's and Dragon's warning. Almost as quietly as she left, she stalked back to the group. The Minotaur climbed the stairs to the Lincoln Memorial, and approached the massive stone chair where old Abe should have been sitting. Instead, a young, lithe woman, certainly no older than 25 sat, lounging in the massive throne. The Minotaur knelt before her. "My lady, my mission is accomplished. I bring the mortal you asked for." 
She smiled, then looked behind at the party. "Thank you, you have done well... what else have you brought with you?" 
"Hmmh, My lady, these mortals brought the subject to me, and wanted to bring the subject to you."
"Very well," she looked up, "I thank you for your service. I will take care of this matter."
Clamp stepped forward, "Ah, my lady, what is to be done with him?" 
The Queen smiled, with a hint of viciousness to it, "He is to be punished, it is an internal court matter, nothing the White Council, nor the Holy Knight, nor the mortal world need be concerned with." 
"All are under the word of God madam." Orlando, resident Knight of the Cross remarked, "He has asked for protection, and I see no reason why I should not grant it." 
The woman's face soured, and her cat-like eyes narrowed. "As I said Knight, this is an internal matter, this traitor will be dealt with." She stood up on the throne, and thrust her hand forward. As she did so, a massive bolt of lightning shot forth from her arm. It struck the gibbering prisoner and cooked him quite thoroughly. The smell of roasted meat and death began to pervade the area, and the party went silent. All looked upon the body, as it turned to a pile of ash. "There." The Queen sighed, "it is done. You have no further business here. Leave." The group turned and quickly retreated, however as he was passing, something caught Roy Peterson's eye. He saw a glint of metal in the pile of ash and bent down to pick it up. He looked it over and quickly slipped it into his pocket as he caught up with the group. As they walked he looked it over and kept analysing it, trying to figure out what it was.
Anderson cut a hole back to reality, and the group found themselves on the other side of Washington. Clamp picked up the phone and summoned his limo.
At Clamp's apartment in DC, Clamp, Anderson and Peterson adjourned into the library to find out about the artifact. They searched high and low when Peterson found a massive dusty old tome that looked like it had been neglected for years. The Wizard flipped through the pages when came to a mention of the Faerie Courts.... all four of them.

End chapter 1.

Last Friday we took the opportunity to finish character creation and run a mini-session of the game to get everyone acquainted with the set up and generally how the system is going to work. It allowed me to set up the story and the players to figure out how aspects were designed to be used. It also was a chance to poke holes in the characters and see where the strengths and weaknesses lied. Anyways, I'll tell the story, and then post my notes below. Mind, I'm going to be telling the story in prose form and attempt to remain in the 3rd person. For my players, I'm sorry if I butcher your character's thought processes! :)

The night started off simple enough. A group of friends, walking together on a warm late summer eve. The streets of Georgetown were their usual mingle of college students, ex-college students, those who wished they still were college students, and drunks. It was a little after midnight, the high moon was starting to set, and a few blocks down on M-street, the crowd greatly thinned as the small party left the party area. The group was motley, to say the least. A dragon, a Knight of the Cross, a Warden fresh out of basic, a Were-cougar, and a scientist. Sounds like the beginning of a bad bar-joke, yet fate conspired to bring them together in the past and here they were again.
To Jennifer Taylor, the group was the only weirdness she knew. The entire idea of a world beyond this one was new to her, but finding out how to change her shape to that of a mountain lion was new too. Fortunately for her, the beast provided once again. "Hey, I hear something, someone running... coming fast." She turned to see a man in a trenchcoat, shirt and tie sprinting down the street. Showing no signs of stopping, he bowled into John Anderson, the Warden.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" John shouted at the man. The runner shook off the stars and birds, then saw John's staff.
"Thank god... you're White Council right?! You've got to protect me! They're coming to kill me!" He panted. His claim was met with a mix of skeptical gazes and raised eyebrows. "Why are you still standing here?!" and he got up and started to take off running.
"Uh, a moment please." Victor Clamp, resident power-player and dragon pulled his cell phone out of his coat pocket. He looked down at it, shook it, hit it a couple of times against his palm, and looked up at Anderson. "Excuse me."
"Oh, uh, right." Anderson walked about 10 feet down the street.
"Yes, Driver, corner of 26th and M. With dispatch please." Clamp turned to the man "Now, who are you running from and why?"
At this point, the man had started to catch his breath, "I don't know what they are, alls I know is that I'm being followed and I don't think they have my best interests at heart." 
"Wait a minute, what do you mean by "What" they are?" Jennifer asked. "Wait... something else is coming." She turned her head to the alley. "Sounds like... hooves?" The second she finished the word, reality itself seemed to bend. The world got smaller, as a thick black fog slowly shuttered in the group. The world shrunk to the size of a square city block, and the streetlamps dimmed. A group of large cow creatures lumbered out from the alleys and surrounded the party. Then, a massive 9 ft tall walking cow with an broad axe the size of a small car stomped into view. The circle parted for him, then promptly closed behind as he approached. 
The massive Minotaur snuffled, and raised his eyebrow ridge in curiosity. His voice was rumbled like thunder "Hmmmh, mortals... and... " He looks at Clamp and narrows his eyes, "...an elder one. Hmmmh mortals keep interesting company these days... Stand aside mortals, we have no quarrel with you. The one we seek," he points a ham-hock sized finger at the gibbering mass of meat, "is all we are here for." 
Clamp stepped up to the uber-steroidal cow "Why do you seek him? What is your business here?"
"Hmmmh, our business is for our queen and is an internal matter, you need not be concerned elder one. Step aside, leave the coward and we will be on our way." 
Clamp smiled that million dollar smile, "Of course we would never dream of getting in the way of the work of the Summer Queen. In fact, we were just on our way to deliver him to her. Quickly, off we go..." The minotaur looked confused, then appeared to give up in his mind, and with a "hmmmh" turned and rent a hole in the fabric of space to the Nevernever...

To Be continued.     

John Anderson

High Concept: Hard-nosed Warden with a heart of gold

Theme:Shades of Grey

Early Life:

Mother died in child birth, dad was a Summer Noble. Talk about a screwed up childhood. Grew up in foster care and learned early in life that no one is going to watch out for you, so you had better do it yourself. Made the Choice at 19 and decided to follow his mother's bloodline, who happened to have the power. Moved away from LA at 18, and caught the attention of the White Council at 21
Aspect: Born of two worlds

Middle History:
Most of his teenage friends were changelings or full fey. These same friends were also his worst enemies, like normal high school. During his senior year however, a rival of his father's used his friends and class mates as cats paws to try to destroy him. Through some quick thinking, good luck and simple stubbornness he managed to get clear, but not without a few scars. He has developed a twisted sense of the world and is very mistrusting.
Aspect: Always looking for the lie

First Novel: By Fire Be Purged!
After walking into a fire fight (in some cases, literally) between the Red Court and White Council he is taken in as a wizard in training. His teacher believes in the theory of trial by fire and after basic instruction, sends John to the front lines. He accepts that monsters exist and should be fought. But what to do about the monsters on this side of the line?
Aspect: "Allies" on the White Council

Guest Appearance #1:  First Night

TBD
Aspect: This can't be good

Guest Appearance #2: Beware the Cougar's Claws

TBD
Aspect: Favors owed
 

Superb:
Lore
Dicipline

Great:
Guns
Conviction

Good:
Alertness
Investigation

Fair:
Might
Craftsmanship

Average:
Driving
Resources

Stunts:
Evocation
Thaumaturgy
Sight/Soulgaze
Wizard's Constitution

Orlando Cesar Ramone

High Concept: Avenging Knight of the Cross

Theme:Lone Knight seeking to free those enslaved by evil

Early Life:

His mother's faith bled through despite being a thrall of his father, a dark wizard and cult leader. His mother's sacrifice broke the hold and God answered his prayer by sending an angle to place Caliburnus in the sacrificial altar. Orlando took up the blade and ended his father's reign of terror upon his small village.
Aspect: Women and Children first

Middle History:
To be filled in
Aspect: Martyr's lifestyle

First Novel: First Knight
Orlando's first mission as a Knight. Sent by the Vatican to investigate a town where the newly dead are not content to stay that way. Orlando must not only deal with his sister, who has taken up his father's mantel, but also learn to walk on his own after his master's death.
Aspect: "The Church needs me, I need the Church."

Guest Appearance #1:  Will get.
Aspect: Weird Coincidences

Guest Appearance #2: 

Will get
Aspect: Willing to go to the mat
 

Skills:

Superb:
Weapons
Conviction

Great:
Dicipline
Endurance

Good:
Alertness
Athletics
Dicipline
Survival
Alertness

Fair:
Fists
Investigation

Stunts:

Guide my hand
Holy Touch
Righteousness
Item of Power- Sword of the Cross

Jennifer Taylor

High Concept: Were-cougar on the prowl

Theme:Loney Loner

Early Life:

Jennifer's mother was a single parent. Dad left the family when she was 11 years old for another woman and moved across the country. Mother struggled to keep a home and food supplied. Jennifer was mostly self-sufficient in her upbringing due to mother having to work several jobs. She inherited a strong distrust for men. Grew up in the outskirts of D.C. and worked her way through college, focusing on the sciences and taking part in a Law Enforcement scholar program. She never keeps friends long, usually ending up finding some aspect and relentlessly picking until it's destroyed. Started to develop her interest in Paganism and Wiccan beliefs.
Aspect: At arms' length

Middle History:
Her mother passed away two years ago, causing her to question her personal beliefs. An episode of one her favorite shows on Lifetime featured some elements of Wicca, Pagan and other ancient beliefs. This drove her to investigate at the library ancient and alternative religions. There she met Harriet Mackie who has been teaching her about interesting things through meditation.
Aspect: I'm one of a kind

First Novel: Beware the Cougar's Claws
30 year old Jennifer Taylor can not seem to get any relationship to last. Growing up an only child in a single parent home was tough. Now with her mom gone, she has too much time to think while working as a park ranger in the National Arboretum. After a chance encounter with an aging woman involved in the Wiccan circle, Jennifer has been discovering that shape changing is not just in comic books. But with change comes adversity. Her newfound ability to become a cougar may have helped her become stronger physically and heightened her senses, but it has also brought some extra attention from those around her.
Aspect: A whole new world

Guest Appearance #1:  Never Doublecross a Dragon

While conducting her duties as a park ranger, she has witnessed a large man meeting several strange individuals in the Arboretum. The charming, while suspicious indiviudal, has piqued her curiousity, and she may wind up in the path of the dragon.
Aspect: This place just keeps getting weirder

Guest Appearance #2: 

Taylor has witnessed several strange situations. This last time, and experienced the strangest sight on the battlefields of the Civil War.
Aspect: Always land on my feet.
 

Skills:

Good:
Fists
Athletics
Stealth
Survival
Alertness

Fair:
Empathy
Investigation
Might
Driving
Endurance

Average: 
Craftsmanship
Burglary
Guns
Weapons
Intimidation

Stunts:

Were-Form
Beast Change
Echoes of the Beast
Mundane Form

Victor Clamp (Vermythrax)

Dragon Hatchling Power Broker

“You say ‘rebellious,’ I say ‘progressive.’”

 

Early Life:

Vermythrax was hatched nearly 200 years ago in Eastern Europe.   His “family” dwelt in a great cavern deep within a remote mountainside, under the protection of their mother, the Great Dragon Glessartheran.  His father, Horngolt, a Great Dragon of immense wealth and an equally large temper, was frequently absent.  It was presumed, but never questioned, that he had other families and hoards to attend.

 

As only the strongest are expected to survive, sibling rivalry was intense.  Siblings meant competition for food and wealth.  The smallest of his clutch, he knew that if he was to prosper – let alone survive – he would have to rely on his wits.  He deftly manipulated his larger brethren into partaking of their father’s hoard.  He reminded them that their father rarely visited, and suggested that, as large as the hoard was, Honrgolt could not remember it all.  Their father would never notice if some of it went missing.

 

Vermythrax knew that when their father did visit, his first order of business was to inspect his hoard.  And of course, when Horngolt returned, he knew instantly that he had been robbed.

 

Horngolt devoured the offending hatchlings, leaving Vermythrax his sole heir.

 

However, Vermythrax had made one mistake.  His brethren had passed some of their stolen wealth in the mortal world.  As dull-witted as they were, they possessed even less understanding of the ways of man.  Their conspicuous behavior and great wealth drew the attention of a Knight by the name of Valence.

 

After months of searching, Valence and his men discovered the lair.  Horngolt put up a terrific fight, but the cavern was simply too small for him to make the full use of his powers.  In the end, Valence was victorious, although it cost him his life and the lives of most of his men.

 

Glessartheran escaped with Vermythrax and whatever treasure she could recover.

 

ASPECT:  Hoard

 

Middle History:

Vermythrax discovered, much to his surprise, that his was a dying species.  Humans were a force with which he would have to contend.  Vermythrax realized that he would have to adapt to the mortal world if he wished to survive – an idea that confused and repulsed Glessartheran.

 

Acting through well-paid agents and trusted tutors, Vermythrax learned about the world of man.  He discovered that, even in the mortal world, money was power.  He hid in plain sight by crafting identities for himself and investing his fortune.  A ruthless businessman, he grew his fortune at the expense of competitors, earning many enemies (and wealthy investors) along the way.  During the Industrial Revolution, he drank with Carnegie and mingled with Rockefellers…while squeezing his employees for every bit of profit he could get.

 

Glessartheran kept an eye from a distance.  It seemed only natural to her that a dragon would become powerful and successful in the world of man.  She was also relieved that his ruse had worked to keep him safe, but wished he hadn’t gone so… native.  Furthermore, she could not comprehend what he had done with his fortune. She simply could not grasp the idea of spending money to make money.

 

Eventually, he grew to realize that such ruthless tactics would eventually turn against him – if he was not investigated first.  He needed friends and allies to protect him and help grow his wealth.  Fearful of what had happened in Russia, he took a new stance – rewarding loyalty.  An angry servant will not serve to the best of their ability, and worse, will betray their master whenever it is convenient.  A loyal & capable servant, however, is worth their weight in gold.

 

ASPECT:  Under a watchful eye

 

Story:  “Never Double-Cross a Dragon”

Now, a well-established financial player in two worlds, Clamp enjoys the balance of power in the supernatural political scene of Washington D.C.  However, a descendant of the House of Valance has set his sights on the Clamp Empire.  Caught between a bad deal with the Mafia and a band of modern knights, Clamp will have to choose his allies carefully if he hopes to preserve his fortune… and his neck.  But as the saying goes, he’s got friends he hasn’t used yet.

 

ASPECT:  An ace in the hole

 

Guest Appearance #1:  “By a Fire Purged”

Using contacts in the NeverNever, Victor Clamp must work against the White Council to get an inexperienced but promising young wizard named John Anderson off the front lines of the war.

 

ASPECT:  Air of superiority

 

Guest Appearance #2:  “First Knight”

Hired by a restless spirit looking for a way out of a necromantic binding, Victor Clamp must travel outside his usual sphere of influence to a mid-western town.  His taste in women leads him into trouble as he falls for a beautiful woman – who happens to be an evil necromancer and the sworn enemy – and sister – of a Knight of the Cross.

 

ASPECT:  A taste for the ladies

 

Physical:           OOOOOX (Armor 1)

Mental:             OOXXXX

Social:              OOOOXX

 

 

SKILLS:

Resources – Superb (arcane library +3)

Contacts – Superb

Presence – Great

Rapport – Great

Lore – Good

Might – Good

Discipline – Fair

Endurance – Fair

Athletics – Average

Guns – Average

 

 

STUNTS:

Mundane Form +1

            Claws -1

            Wings -1

Inhuman Strength -2

Inhuman Toughness -2

Marked by Power (Glessartheran) -1

 

Refresh:  2

 

POSSESSIONS OF NOTE:

• .45 handgun
• Limo
• Walking stick with silver lion head
• Bulletproof vest
• Secure cell phone
• PDA
• Designer sunglasses
• Silk power suit (black, of course)
• Fine cigars
• Large diamond ring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APARTMENT:

• Larger apt. in Arlington – smaller apartment in DC (both penthouses)
• Gold bedspread
• Chains on bedroom wall
• Well-stocked humidor
• Big fireplace
• Tastefully designed in a classical style
• Intimidating & expensive office
• Arcane library

 

 

Legendary        +8

Epic                 +7

Fantastic           +6

Superb             +5

Great                +4

Good               +3

Fair                  +2

Average           +1

Mediocre         +0

Poor                 -1

Terrible            -2

 

Since we don't have the character rules yet, (Damn you GenCon!), we're probably going to take this weekend to run city creation again. This time I'm changing the set up. This time, everyone has to come up with a place, a person, and its respective aspects, and back story. This way, the players can set locations that they want to work with. I feel that my role is merely to link the items together, but its their world, they have to play in it and live with their creation, so hopefully this will cause them to go a little above and beyond when it comes to materials. The more they give me to work with, the better game I can give them. Depending on the results, I'm thinking thats how city creation should work. Give the players the whole say as to a location and let them come up with as many as they want. You don't have to use them all. Anyways, Ill post those results Saturday.

Okay! I think I've finally finished with the City. I admit I took a few liberties with the information I was given by the group, but there was just too much that I wanted to see.  Please, take a look, and I'd appreciate your comments.

I spoke to one of my play testers yesterday and he brought up the fact that we should attempt to "break the system" and that I should allow characters that stretch the gaming rules to see what works and what doesn't. I'm not sure I entirely agree with this statement. The balancing factor in this game appears to be the number of fate points you possess. The more you have, the more currency you have to  control your surroundings. The less you have, the more individual power you posess, but aren't able to call that favor in when its most needed. I think for the first time out though, we will start with some fairly vanilla characters. Call me a stickler for order, but I appreciate characters that make sense in the environ given more than the random enter ninja here, or the small dragon character, or the story-transplanted Knight of the Cross. I think that may be one of the additional benefits from building the city first, then the characters. With the city you built, you almost feel a need to have something that fits in it. I really do not condone making characters that just don't fit in, especially in the supernatural community. But I would like to put this to other GMs, would you prefer having characters that fit in the setting or would you let anything fly?

City Aspects:

Gilded- The city for all its rich appearances, it uses its glamour to hide its true nature.

Multi-cultural- So often do tourists and other foreigners pass through here, that the weird is mostly passed off as "the customs of strange tourists"

Seat of power- DC is considered one of the most powerful cities in the world, in which decisions that affect millions are made daily. Lives are made, and broken in this town and it happens in the span of a news-cycle.

Terrorists!: To the residents of DC, everyone knows they are either #1 or #2 on a terrorist hit list. After the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on 9/11, the city grew a small scent of fear, knowing that the next time, it could be nuclear.

Location-
Old Town Alexandria- Aspect: Diverse enterprise
Alexandria is a quaint, brick and mortar town that is well, suffice to say... old. Alexandria used to be the main port town of Washington, and so had all the salt and grime of a port town, without the salt. Since then, Alexandria has exploded into a fairly large and diverse city. The Old Town section though remains the central commercial district as most of the old houses have been converted to shopping. The old munitions plant down town known as the Torpedo Factory, has been turned into an eclectic art gallery. Here you can find just about anything you'd want to buy, including the Randomporium, a strange shop where you can find such oddities as "Bat liver" and "Thread of Unicorn hair". Most dismiss his shop as a gimmicky tourist trap, but those that are clued in know that Artemis can get just about anything... 

People: Shopkeeper Artemis McGee- Shopkeeper able to find anything you didn’t know you needed. Shop Name: Randomporium 

Civil War Battlefields- Aspect: Haunting 
The first rule in real estate is location, location, location. DC knows this all too well. Being located almost dead center in the US it commands a good location to fortify and seal off half of the country. As such, it has been subject to every campaign conducted on U.S soil. In and around the city are hundreds of battlefields and memorial sites. The battle of Manassas/Bull Run was conducted just 20 minutes away from the city center. As such, the ghosts of the Civil War roam free in the area. Their effects have not been light. Some of the ghosts have even possessed some of the locals. The constant possession leaves a taint on their soul, eventually fooling them into believing the South will rise again (see Manassas Redneck).
 
People: Thomas Stonewall Jackson- Dead General – The Stonewall Jackson. No one really knows why he continues to wander the battlefield, but on most dark nights, you can see him pacing over the hills and fields near the old Stone House.

Crystal City- Aspect: “Lil wizards” of government 
Just a stone's throw away from the Pentagon is the area known as Crystal City. Large high-rise buildings were banned in the center of DC in the mid 60's, meaning there was limited space to build since you couldn't build out, and you couldn't build up. In the interests of efficiencies, the massive defense industrial complex built their high-rises across the river in nearby Rossalyn and Crystal City. These buildings house the local lobbying headquarters of major names such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman and other industries fighting tooth and nail to get a piece of the government pie.

People: General Andrew Mansfield – General – General Mansfield was hunting in the woods during the night of the Wyld Hunt. The Erlking, leader of the Hunt, sensed the presence of a fellow hunter and was intrigued. He ran down the General, the hunter becoming the hunted, and held him captive for his amusement. The Erlking tormented Mansfield for five days, exposing him to unspeakable horrors. The General lost his mind somewhere on Day 4, when the Erlking grew bored with his prey. Seeing that the military officer was no longer a toy, he cast him back into society to let the herd deal with him. Mansfield spent months in recovery from his ordeal. Now he has vowed revenge on the Erlking, and is now spending his energy quietly trying to get the U.S. Government to declare war on the supernatural

National Mall- Aspect: multi-faceted regions of intellectual content
The idea for the National Mall was originally conceived by Peter (Pierre) Charles L'Enfant in his plans for the city of Washington, D.C., created in 1791. However, his ideas were not realized until the beginning of the 20th century, with the McMillan Commission plan, which was also inspired by the City Beautiful Movement. The National Mall has been witness to historic events, such as Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, protests against the Vietnam War, and tourists from all corners of the Earth. Bordering the mall are most of the Smithsonian Institutions largest museums. 

People: Bernard Oglethorpe – Asst. Curator – Possesses the 3^rd eye but minimal magical ability, anthropologist, dabbler in the occult. Works in the "back room" of the museum. Prepares and assembles exhibits, currently working on an exhibit on the Salem Witch Trials, and the art of 15th C. Japan.

Georgetown- Aspect: Partay!

Georgetown is a posh shopping area built around the Georgetown University. The area is known for the bars, designer stores, and general party atmosphere. There are a number of clubs and bars centered around Georgetown, each caters to the local college student clientele, but people come in from the suburbs to visit the clubs and bars associated. One of the most popular clubs is Club D'Artagne, owned by local White Court vampire Ghassan Gubbi. He frequently visits his purchase to "partake" of the local "flavor". The Leaky Cask is the local "weird" bar. Here you can find all sorts of people that want to escape the norms or be "non-conformists". The tavern is built in the old world style, and the proprietor, John McMillen did NOT intend for his bar to become what it is, but it keeps him in business, and so long as it doesn't get rowdy, he doesn't complain.

            Ghassan Gubbi – White Court vampire -  Middle Eastern well known in the club scene, passes himself off as a dot com mogul – think Tony Stark as a vampire.

            John McMillen – Barkeeper – proprietor of the Leaky Cask

Chinatown- Aspect: Triads, Finger Traps and my dog is missing… 

DC's Chinatown isn't nearly as famous as the NY or San Francisco, but its there, and strangely, its the worst place to get Chinese food. The world's largest single-span Chinese arch forms the gateway to DC's Chinatown. Its an otherwise unremarkable place, for a reason.

Johnny “The Hatchet” Chen – human – Johnny Chen is a Triad, just ask him.  He roams the streets of Chinatown, staking out his territory, doing the usual extortion, racketeering and gambling schemes. There's just one problem, he isn't really Triad. All of the Triad Bosses seem to let him exist, and attempts on his life usually end up in dismal failure and the few soldiers that return have their sanity shattered, gibbering on about horrors heard of only in myth and legend. No one really knows why he's called the Hatchet, most think its just because it sounds cool.

National Arboretum- Aspect: Sacred place of meditation
The Arboretum is a massive complex that basically takes up most of the Northwestern part of the city. You can find trees from almost all of the 50 states in a single Grove here. Additionally, there is an extensive bonsai section located near the center of the Arboretum. Spirits run free here, as the natural world is kept in perfect order. The unfortunate (and highly-paid) caretakers of the Arboretum fight an almost daily battle against the natural spirits to preserve the precious order.

            Kif the mischievous air spirit - Not much can really be said about Kif, other than that he's a troublemaker. Plays havoc in the Arboretum, causing wild, overabundant growth, or changing the weather patterns and generally futzing with the natural order of things.

Universities- Aspect: Dabblers and those that definitely know they aren’t 
The major universities of D.C include Georgetown, George Washington University and American University. Georgetown and GW are well known for their legendary medical centers, while American is known for cranking out policy geeks. As with any University, there are the folks who just don't fit in with the rest of the crowd.

People:

Prof. Cathy Ortega – Officially Lady Caterina Savilla De Leon Ortega, she is the local representative and Duchess of the Red Court. Even though her day job as a renouned psychologist is disproving the supernatural she uses her position as a base of operations for recruiting, research and safe haven against the other factions that would attempt to remove her from her position. *margin* Damn tenure... I bet she cheats and uses Red Court venom to "cure" her paitents

               Asst. Prof. Alexandra Snyder- Your typical stuck up type A personality, she really is highly knowledgeable. Its just in things that seem important at inconvenient moments. Alexandra generally teaches medieval history with side tailings of the occult. I mean, how can you not teach the Crusades without dabbling in the Occult? A few of her theories are shockingly accurate towards the super-natural world.

Arlington National Cemetery: Aspect: On hallowed ground 
More than 290,000 people are buried in an area of 624 acres. Veterans and military casualties from every one of the nation's wars are interred in the cemetery, from the American Revolution through the military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Pre-Civil War dead were reinterred after 1900. This is one of the only cemeteries in the world that has remained perfectly secure. There are no recorded successes by Necromancers to raise any from this location since its inception. Though the ectomancers can summon the spirits of the interred quite readily, the dead remain firmly in their graves.  

People: SFC Nick Antoine: Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Infantryman, combat veteran, military historian. He swears he sees strange things during his post at the tomb at night. Doesn't speak of it, mostly because the VA would put him down as another PTSD case. Just because he sees things, doesn't mean they don't exist.

Embassy Row: Aspect: A more... diplomatic solution
As if the politics couldn't get more complicated, this area holds the sovereign territory of nearly 65 different countries. Most of them are marked by the country they represent. There are a few that aren't...  

People: Niklaus Malstavros - Consular employee of the Greek Embassy and the Embassy for the Hellenic States. Very wise in the art of statecraft and diplomacy. Extremely knowledgeable about the city and Embassy Row itself. People swear he's been around forever.

Other Supernatural:

White Council presence: Regional Commander of the East Coast based here.
Chester "Chase" Bennington - Regional Commander East Coast Warden detachment. Specialist in evocations and thaumaturgy. Takes the field as often as possible, much to Morgan's chagrin. Looking for new applicants locally to join the White Council. Rumor has it he keeps a collection of trophies from all the Necromancers he's killed, its quite extensive.

Necromancer Playground: Always a threat of necromancers with all the graveyards, battlefields and memorials. *margin* Always some new hot-shot dead-raiser on the block, looking to make a name for himself by raising an army of the dead to march on DC. Last time that happened they called it the Million Man March. Oh, you mean those weren't dead people? 
 
Who cares about the city? Everyone, so many factions to name

Who keeps the peace? Washington is a center of enormous power, god-like power, and everybody knows it. Now, what does that mean? That means that every 3rd rate, two-bit, half-wit with an eye for power has his sights set on DC. The wise know to stay well away because the flows of energy in DC are so finely tuned that its the only way it could exist without annihilating itself. Yet every so often, theres some nut-job that comes in with a deathwish and tries to throw a monkey wrench in the works. When that happens, almost everyone pitches in to make sure the worst doesn't happen.

DHS SPD: It wouldn't be DC without some federal involvement. After World War II, with the Nazis and Soviets deeply involved in occult research, the U.S decided to undertake its own Occult research program. Since then, its' been passed from agency to agency, never seeming to really die, but never appearing on any official books. It's one of the blackest of the black projects in the government, but the Special Projects Directorate is the long-arm of the federal government when it comes to occult. Mind you, SPD doesn't really do research anymore, they're just more into the... cleanup. They’re a group of highly trained, highly competent people who were routed out due to office politics.

The Venatori Umbrorum: The history of DC is gushing with Masonic involvement. Most of the founding fathers, including Washington, and the designer of DC Pierre L'Enfant were Masons. The Masons are now known as the Venatori Umbrorum. The Masonic Temple in Alexandria, VA serves as the headquarters for the Venatori, hidden in plain sight from the Reds.

How do mortals cope? Most are oblivious, they're so self-absorbed into their own politics, they can't understand the strange things around them. Couple of cops, older folks understand there’s weird stuff afoot in DC. Senior members of govt (1 or 2)

What kind of supernatural community is there? White court heavy in Georgetown, White Council meets in the Masonic Temple, Reds have a a delegation and are potentially building up force.

Leaky Cask- Freak bar, done in the old world style, not “Accorded neutral territory”, but all respect the neutrality and the balance of power.

Artemis’ shop- Occult hangout, lots of random supplies you wouldn’t find elsewhere  

Small detachment of friends that get into supernatural trouble

What interests a supernatural tourist?

            Memorials – places of power

            Ley line nexus - Most of the ley lines in the U.S end in D.C.

            Diplomatic zone (think post WWII Berlin)  

I think I have a fairly good working draft of DC. I tried to avoid the supernatural as much as humanly possible when it came to the locations themselves. I'm taking the approach that the supernatural aspects of areas need to be found out, rather than given freely. I suppose it depends on the characters and what we have available to us. Tonight I'm meeting with the test group and I'll throw them the reins and see where they take it. I will be very interested to see what they come up with and will post the results of the deck as soon as I get home.

Truth be told, I think I got off easy. DC has so much history, rumors, culture, and just stuff that could be given a supernatural twist its not even funny. I think that my game will probably have a much bigger political run than some other cities, but I think thats just the nature of the setting. The good news is, in the books, they don't even mention who the East Coast Warden Commander is, so I can make him up! Also, I'm glad Jim wrote me a good excuse for feds to be involved with the FBI agents in Fool Moon. Their placement and the fact that they came from Washington can also provide a good plot run for me. One of my concerns is that we don't have character creation rules yet. I have to admit, developing the setting before characters feels a little alien to me. I tried to get an idea as to what everyone wanted to play, and the results were all over the map, so much so that I have no idea if these character types are even playable according to the rules. Hopefully we can see some character creation stuff soon so I can give some answers to my test group.

So, we have our first round of information and playtesting begins tomorrow. I have sent out the first chapters to the group so they can peruse it and begin to conjure ideas. I figure I am going to go about the City creation testing in two ways: First, I will create a DC that I like, complete with aspects, people, etc. I will stick that in an envelope for tomorrow once I have finished. Second, I'll put it to the group. Each of them will have a stack of index cards in which to write down information about their people, places and things that they would like to see in DC. Once we have our "deck" we go through and pick items that I like. I'll shuffle the deck to make sure its non attributed, that way they feel free to write whatever they like. 

Here are my current thoughts for DC:

1) Place of excessive power: DC is considered one of the most powerful cities in the world, in which decisions that affect millions are made daily. Lives are made, and broken in this town and it happens in the span of a news-cycle.

Notes: This one's a gimme, the question is, what kind of power? Based on what I think of Dresden's world, Magic is powered by emotion and age, which DC has in spades. I'm also thinking of changing this to "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" because lets face it, there is an underlying culture of corruption. Lobbyists, special interests, power players, corporations, there's all sorts of things out there that can overwhelm a person new to the beltway. 
    
Locations:

K-street: The wheels of government grind ever slowly, and the residents of K-street attempt to grease them from time to time with the oil of campaign donations and pledges of support. It is said that more political events happen on this street, than do in the Capitol Building. 

People: Marcus Kane: Lobbyist, gentleman, former corporate exec, the Kane in Kane, Lynch and Preston Associates, White Court vampire. (auth. note: you expected anything else?). Listed as one of the premier lobbying shops in all of DC. Kane wields enough influence in town to swing practically anything. Though he tries to keep a low profile, people wonder whether the source of his power is money, friends, or enough dirt to fill the Grand Canyon.

White House: The house of the Man himself. History is made, and contained in this building. It's been burned to the ground, besieged by protesters, targeted by war, surrounded in scandal and enrobed in victory. It is not just the house, its a symbol of American power. 
Theme: "Opinion polls" - At any given moment, decisions made in this house are determined by the whim of the people. When people are genuinely angry, or happy, there is always a vortex of emotions swirling. 

National Cathedral: The source of religious inspiration in the city. Presidents are honored here, the Pope himself recently came and held mass here. This fortress of religion stands as a massive reminder that the church still wields power here. 

Embassy Row: As if the politics couldn't get more complicated, this area holds the sovereign territory of nearly 65 different countries. Most of them are marked by the country they represent. There are a few that aren't...  (I couldn't resist the suggestion)

2) A tense peace: For its size, Washington has one of the highest security personnel per capita in the world. Between the military, the federal government, the Metropolitan PD and others, the authorities try to keep the violence in DC down to a minimum, but recently, new and different gangs have been encroaching. Also, the recent strike down of the DC Gun ban has caused a great number of the population to arm themselves.

Anacostia: This area is widely known to residents as the place you just don't go at night. The MPD has tried for years to get Anacostia under control, with varying degrees of limited success. Recently, the PD has attempted to set up blockades in the area to prevent non-residents from entering the most violent neighborhoods. This maneuver was struck down as unconstitutional, but that didn't stop the police from trying. 
People:

Southeast: In DC, Southeast used to be synonymous with its former title "Murder capital of the world". However, recent gentrification and especially construction of the new baseball stadium in Southeast has made remarkable inroads against the darkness. 
People:

Northeast: Even though Southeast has been gentrifying, Northeast has not enjoyed the same benefits. Bordering the land-line between Maryland and the District, NE has its fair share of seedy warehouses, but its also become more "residental" as the rents go up and people get forced out of their homes by developers looking to reclaim areas. 

Terrorists!: To the residents of DC, everyone knows they are either #1 or #2 on a terrorist hit list. After the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on 9/11, the city grew a small scent of fear, knowing that the next time, it could be nuclear.

Notes: I like this one because I like the irony of having the most secured city in the world having a very, very dark underbelly. Also, it adds a bit of that paranoia out there.

3) "Mommy, iz that where da pwezident lives?": Tourism is one of the biggest industries in DC, street vendors, hotels, bus tours, all of it cater to the visiting crowd. What does this mean? Millions of people come in and out of the city to see some of its most impressive sites and watch the gears of government grind on.

Smithsonian Institution: You can find some of the most amazing artifacts ever found in this series of museums. The Archives contains the original copies of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, both documents of monumental importance. These are the true pride of America, its history. 
People: Turner Watkins: Staff Curator, American Museum of Natural History, anthropologist, dabbler in the occult. Works in the "back room" of the museum. Prepares and assembles exihbits. Recently prepared a set up on the Salem Witch Trials when half the artifacts were stolen. He was accused of the theft, and arrested for it, but later exonerated due to lack of evidence. According to the cops, the story he told was so ridiculous, he was the laughing stock of the station for weeks.

Arlington National Cemetery: America buries its heroes here. A strange aura exists over the cemetary, where almost all sounds are drowned out, even that of the airplanes passing overhead, or the highway nearby. 
People: SFC Nick Antoine: Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Infantryman, combat veteran, military historian. He swears he sees strange things during his post at the tomb at night. Doesn't speak of it, mostly because the VA would put him down as another PTSD case. Just because he sees things, doesn't mean they don't exist. 

Other important groups:

The Masons: The history of DC is gushing with Masonic involvement. Most of the founding fathers, including Washington, and the designer of DC Pierre L'Enfant were Masons. The Masons as an organization still exist, but no one really understands what they do or what their involvement is anymore. The Masonic Temple in Alexandria, VA stands as one of the taller monuments in the area, and people wonder why. 

DHS SPD: Ah yes, it wouldn't be DC without some federal involvement. After World War II, with the Nazis and Soviets deeply involved in occult research, the U.S decided to undertake its own Occult research program. Since then, its' been passed from agency to agency, never seeming to really die, but never appearing on any official books. It's one of the blackest of the black projects in the government, but the Special Projects Directorate is the long-arm of the federal government when it comes to occult. Mind you, SPD doesn't really do research anymore, they're just more into the... cleanup. Which usually involves flame, copious amounts of flame. Okay, so they're kind of a hammer. A sledge hammer... applied liberally to anything thats not understood. Bottom line: don't get them involved.

I think this covers it for now. I don't want to give up the storyline I have in play just yet. Especially since my test group will be able to see this.