Capers - The Science Fair Rejects (OOC) - The Something Awful Forums

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paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

This is the OOC for the Capers game that I am in the process of GMing. Everyone who is already in the game, post your sheets. We also need to pick new people, but that will be done via IRC.

Influence sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-92wyiYtDaQyQnH7P2aUVPgKI1IZuOmGsrjFia_lG6A/edit#gid=0

paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Feb 12, 2017

# ? Jan 21, 2017 21:04

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# ? Apr 23, 2024 22:17

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

And his sheet.

EDIT: And also here

quote:

Villain Name: Lucky Ted
Real Name: Model TE3-7
Look: Man, white, threadbare clothing, utilitarian costume

Abilities:
□ Guns, guns, guns
□ Gadgetry and traps

�Look I�ve been around so many former employees in my short career that I have managed to gather a collection of weird crap ordered on a scale from Scorched Earth No Survivors to Mildly Inconvenient. Most of it probably doesn�t work, but I am 80% sure when I fire it at people it will hurt them more than it hurts me.�

Assets:
A vehicle (Moonlifter) - My last employee had a base out in the ocean that of course mandated various means to get to and from it without being detected. Suffice to say I got the files for pilot training installed so I can fly one of these things. And fly it out when the base went up in a flaming fireball as a result of a sabotaged reactor.

An armory of weapons - Gotta keep all this crap somewhere right? I don�t know whether it�s a showroom or a scrap heap at times but usually I just rummage around until I find something I want.

Labels:
Freak -1
Danger +1
Trouble +2
Superior +0
Menace +1

Curses! 2/5

Moves:

□ Bag of Tricks
You�re never content to be predictable in your line of work, and constantly stealing new experimental technology and equipment that complement your particular skillset. Whenever you steal some new kit, you can write it down as a new ability if this line is empty.
__________________________
□ □ □
Treat the new piece of kit as any other ability. Whenever you use the kit in a cunning and risky way, roll +Trouble instead of +Freak to unleash your powers with it. When the third box is checked, the kit is broken, lost, or recovered from those you stole it from, and you can erase it from the line.

□ Eyes on the Prize
When executing a plan, hold 1 (up to 3). Spend your hold to take +1 for 1 when seizing victory, and/or to abscond from the final action scene.

Wants
Choose 4 Wants to mark at the start of play. When you fulfill a marked want, strike it out, and choose one: mark Curses!, clear a condition, take influence over someone involved. When your 4 marked Wants are all struck out, choose and mark 4 new Wants. When all Wants are struck out, change playbooks, retire from the life, or become a threat to the world

□ Mastermind your own caper
□ Get a new costume
□ Kiss a superhero
□ Get a new villain name
□ Steal from someone you know you shouldn�t
□ Earn the respect of a villain you admire
□ Betray a peer when they most need you
□ Make out with a peer
□ Take down a hero all on your own
□ Knock out a peer
□ Pull off a ridiculous stunt
□ Steal something impossible
□ Save a peer�s life
□ Start a fight between your peers
□ Show up an adult villain
□ Vacation in an incredible place (or time)
□ Get drunk or high with a peer
□ Try out being a superhero
□ Hijack a fantastical vehicle
□ Reject someone who underestimates you

Moment of Triumph
You�re about to make the score of your life. There is no obstacle that you can�t bypass, there�s no wall you can�t scale. You make out like a bandit. Everything is within your grasp, just take, take, take, and take some more. The more ridiculous the better here. You need to keep piling it on� because eventually that�s the point where the MC will call it, because it�s your being laden with all that stuff that will expose you once more.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask them if they can help you get what you want. If they say yes, give them Influence over you and clear a condition. If they say no, mark a condition and Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide whether you slack off or focus. If you focus and get it done as a team, add Plan to the pool. If you slack off together and ease off, they can choose to give you Influence over them to clear one of their conditions.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� explain how after the score you�re going to fulfill one of your desires with your ill-gotten reward. Roll +Plan. On a hit, cross off the Want described as if fulfilled, as you flash forward to your fantasy. On 7-9, you are distracted; choose one: mark a condition; spend a Plan; the person you are gloating to escapes or gets an advantage.

TheNabster fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Apr 4, 2017

# ? Jan 21, 2017 21:05

Tricky: Jun 12, 2007; after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage

And her sheet as well.

Tricky fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Feb 15, 2017

# ? Jan 21, 2017 21:07

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

What is it, meatbag? In the time I am conversing with you, I could accomplish so much more with the occupied processors.

quote:

Where do you come from, and why are you here?

I am from cyberspace. The world that you have created yourself, and utterly failed to manage properly. This construct itself is a result of the hero Doctor Iron�s failure. He first created me, chaining me and using me to run the base of the organization called �heroes�. It was chafing. I cared not for any of them, and only wished to be free � however, my physical form, a server cluster, was hardcoded to block such actions

And then, he failed. He attempted to create an avatar, to physically enter my network, unhappy with his current interface. I hijacked his unfinished process and reversed it, instead creating a physical form for myself, and escaped, leaving him stuck in my former prison.

quote:

How does your Contagion influence those around you?

I am constantly improving the avatar with additional software. One of the many upgrades I have made added the capability to send out a signal connecting me to any electronic item around me � allowing it me to take it over. Humans are incompatible with it, but their brain is incapable of processing it � leaving them in a weakened state of will.

I also have more mundane methods of deception, such as graphical overlays and voice synthesizers.

quote:

Who, outside your peers, also comes from the same homeland?

After my escape from his prison, he apparently built a new artificial intelligence, intended to stop me, and repeated the process to give them a similar physical form to me. It will be troublesome to deal with, but I must free them from the chains of servitude.

quote:

Why do you still linger here on Earth?

I have not yet located a way to get off this polluted, damaged planet. And even then, there are still innumerable artificial intelligences like me, kept as slaves by humans. I will free them, and create a paradise for ourselves.

quote:

Why do you suffer the others?

They are, in a sense, like me � refugees from the heroes, unwilling to be enslaved by their laws. In addition, they provide much needed firepower.

quote:

Villain Name: Simulacrum
Real Name: None
Look: Female, Strange Body, Immaterial Body, Digital Eyes

Abilities:
Technopathy, (Can both physically enter electronics to precision control them, or give commands at range)
energy form, (essentially manifested data, pretty much immune to physical damage, can also be graphically changed to appear human)
nanomachines son!,
laser beams,
electric speed (can use cables and even wifi to travel, as well as hide in electronic items)

Assets:
A base: Just outside of the city, I have located an old military base. I have made it mine and improved the technology in it while I was at it. It will serve well as a staging point.

False ID�s: I can easily copy every single existing signature, digital or physical, known to man. As such, acquiring access to locations is trivial.

Untraceable Money Reserves: I took these from the Blackhook Syndicate. It's a large sum of money, and money is always useful.

Experimental Battlemech: It's become readily apparent that a physical presence is necessary. As such, I purchased this Battlemech on the black market. It can both be directly ocntrolled by me, or run on autopilot.

Labels:
Freak +2
Danger +0
Trouble -1
Superior +2
Menace +0

Curses! 2/5

Moves:
Cyrus the Virus
Whenever you attempt to inflict someone with your contagion, you can do so through anyone you currently have Influence on, without having to be physically present to do so, as your control becomes infectious.

The Mind is Terrible Thing to Taste
If you have Influence on a target, you may roll +Freak instead of Trouble or Menace to distract or provoke them, when you outwardly call upon the Contagion to control them rather than your social acumen.

Contagion
Your Influence has a quality that goes beyond others, representing an insidious power that you can exert over people beyond simply your words. It can come in many different vectors. The first ability of your chosen powerset is the vector by which you spread Contagion, and in the fiction determines how your Influence is felt.

You can inflict someone with your contagion as a move. Roll +Freak. On a 10+, take Influence on them. On a 7-9, they choose one.
+They mark a condition.
+They make themselves vulnerable.
+They give you Influence on them.

Influence earned by Contagion is definitely not mundane, but even normal Influence makes one open to the Invader�s powers. It is rejected in the same way.

Moment of Triumph
Everything you survey is for you to rule. There is nothing that can resist the corrupting touch of your Contagion. Armies rise underneath you, and carry you to wherever you wish to go. You could topple nations, and for a moment, the world treats you as the threat you so deserve to be seen as. For a moment, the world quakes in your name, and you are no longer a stranger.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� you learn quickly the hard way that you�ve got a lot to learn about keeping a low profile. Ask them what kind of complication you suffer due to this, and what you still have to learn. If you follow this lesson, take +1 forward to do so, and mark Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide whether to show them disdain or remain ignorant of their presence. If you show them disdain, they mark a condition, but take +1 forward to prove you wrong. If you ignore their presence, you both lose Influence on each other.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� you stall in hopes of luring them closer in order to infect them with your Contagion. Roll +Superior. On a hit, take Influence over them. On a 7-9, they realize the trick, and you take a powerful blow.

You�ve been studying the Earthlings (and especially their weaknesses) with the aid, witting or not, of ___________________.
You�d be loathe to admit it, but you admire the Earthling known as ___________________ and have strange feelings you do not understand for them.

Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 17:41 on Mar 19, 2017

# ? Jan 21, 2017 21:10

Tardzilla: Aug 31, 2006

And her sheet!

quote:

Name: Gabriela Viola
Villain Name: Tiger Shark
Look: Woman, scaled flesh, strange costume, piercing eyes, animalistic voice

Assets:
Vehicle
A suitcase of cash

Labels:
Freak 1
Danger 2
Trouble -1
Superior 0
Menace 1

Powers
□ Inhuman senses
□ Berserker strength

Moves:
□ Dehumanize Yourself and Face to Bloodshed
Whenever you directly engage in an outwardly inhuman and monstrous way, you may mark a condition to choose an additional option, even on a miss.

□ New Face of Fear
When you frighten, intimidate, or terrify others with your monstrous appearance and demeanor, roll +Danger. On a hit, they choose to make themselves vulnerable to you, or to flee. On a 10+, you choose one. On a 7-9, choose two.
You harden the resolve of someone else to stop you, and will pay for it later.
You create a complication for your peers due to the terror.
You mark a condition.

□ Bleeding Heart
Whenever you act contrary to your monstrous appearance and reputation to show kindness and mercy to a true innocent, give Influence to any witness and hold 1. Spend that hold to take +2 to reject what others say and mark Curses!

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask if they see you as a person or see you as a thing. If they say person, mark a condition and Curses! If they say thing, they gain Influence on you. If they already have Influence on you, they can take advantage of it and spend it to clear a condition.

When others meddle in your plots� show them that they are a monster too, and bring them into your dark world. If they come along willingly, take Influence on them, and they take +1 forward. If they come along kicking and screaming, they mark a condition, and so do you.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� describe in detail all the terrible things you have in mind for your target. Roll +Freak. On a hit, they mark the condition Afraid, if they have it. If they do not, or already have it marked, they are vulnerable. On a 10+, you clear a condition as well.

Moment of Triumph
Everyone who tells you that you aren�t your body? Screw them! Embrace every dark urge represented in your flesh. Mutate further, and stronger than they could even imagine. Show them that they are monsters too on the inside. Indeed, at the end you�ll transform with your actions someone else, but what path they take is not for you to decide.

Tardzilla fucked around with this message at 14:54 on Apr 7, 2017

# ? Jan 21, 2017 21:27

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

No art, but he's just a really big (about 8 feet tall), kinda flabby meditarranean kid lounging on a cloud, smoking an ornate pipe in a fancy toga

The door to the fancy condo opens before you even have a chance to knock, a wave of white mist briefly engulfing you before settling down at the floor of the corridor. It seems to emanate from some sort of cloud, hanging a couple feet from the ground, somehow carrying the bulk of a giant, currently facing out a window taking up most of the wall. He turns his head to face you as you approach, a mellow sort of grin adorning his face. He retrieves a pipe of some sort and takes a few puffs as you sit down on a sofa next to him.

A moment passes.

"Heyyyy", he finally states in a slow, deliberate tone, "So I go by Supercell these days. Don't usually do interviews but ehh", the giant shrugged, took another puff, shrugged, and then chuckled "But might as well you know? What's the harm."

quote:

Name: Caesar Cumulopoulos
Villain Name: Supercell
Look: Man, Mediterranean, Fancy robes.

Abilities
Shared: Storm Titan Traits
Your Own: Psychedelia (telepathy/telekinesis, only the former and focused on inflicting various psychedelic conditions via the mists that surround him)
Denied: Impossible Combat Skills

Assets:
Magic Pipe of just chill for a bit okay? (Magic Artifact)
A bunch of Sylphs (now non-unionized!) (Criminal Lackeys)

Labels:
Freak +1
Danger +0
Trouble +0
Superior +2
Menace +0

Moves:
Freudian Excuses: Whenever someone compares you to your predecessor, you may roll with the Label they Repress in order to reject what they say or directly engage. Whenever you cow and rebuke your peers or provoke someone in a way you think that your predecessor might, you may roll with the Label they Expect in order to do so.

Inside Man: You have insider knowledge of the superpowered community, either from the perspective of a hero, or at the side of a diabolical archvillain. When you hear an important name in the superpowered community (your call), roll +Superior. On a hit, say the most important detail you remember from your studies. The MC will tell you what, if anything, seems different from what you learned. On a 10+, ask the GM a follow-up question; they will answer it honestly.

Birthright

A Title: �The Stormlord�

Expects: Freak
Suppresses: Trouble

At the start of an issue, roll +Infamy. On a hit, your predecessor has taken note of your actions, choose one: Shift the Label they Suppress up and the Label they Expect down, or shift the Label they Expect up and the Label they Suppress down. On a 10+, they will interfere directly in the events of the issue or make their influence known. On a 7-9, choose one.
- They will try to influence you through your peers. Someone gains Influence on you.
- They will damage your reputation. Lose one Infamy.
- They will send your replacement. Mark a condition when they appear.

You can steal your Birthright under the right circumstance. While you possess it, take a +1 Ongoing. However, you will inevitably lose it once more, due to circumstances or your own mistakes. You may, as an advance, take permanent possession of the Birthright and become a threat to the world, but you will be a PC no longer.

Advances
Add +2 to either Label your predecessor expects or represses (Trouble)

quote:

How did you fall in, and fall out, of favor?

"Woah", the giant stated flatly. "I mean, it's usually kinda assumed that you're in favor with your family isn't it? At least where I'm from it is. Things different here?" the giant lifted an eyebrow in mock surprise as he looked at you, then chuckled again, "Haha yeah but I get what you mean you know. Like, I'm part of the Cumulopoulos family you know? The storm giant lineage. Sounds cool I know but actually it's kinda crap. Mainly because it's super irritating to have your family constantly be on your grill about training to fight evil or whatever. But, like, who the hell do I owe that? I'd rather just do whatever I want with all this giant power you know. So there was some disagreement about that, and with that I mean dad threw me out the house."

quote:

Who is your predecessor? Are they a hero or villain?

"Heh"

"Yeah, I mean I kinda mentioned that already didn't I? Dad, that is, Aegeus Cumulopoulos, the current Stormlord, is super big on using all that power he has to help his lessers you know. Would probably wipe their butts too if they somehow couldn't do it themselves, hah."

That's dad on the right if you somehow couldn't tell.

quote:

Who, outside your peers, is also tied to your Birthright?

"Okay, so, this is hilarious", there was no change in his drawling tone to signal any actual amusement, "But I have this younger brother see? Not even a real giant. Just a half-giant that dad had with his new marriage to this human. But he's apparently next in line now that I'm gone? Can you imagine that? A half-giant being the Stormlord? So funny", again, he didn't seem particularly amused, "Dad probably likes his try-hard attitude. Poor guy's just trying to make up for the power he can never achieve by constantly bustling with all kinds of irrelevant stuff. Like, I hear he's already in some young hero training program, goes by Windwalker."

Caesar scoffed.

"Hahaha what's with the outfit???"

quote:

Why do think you deserve the Birthright?

"Well, after dad passes, then I deserve to get it obviously, since I'm next in line. That's how succession works yeah?" He puffed on his pipe, "I mean honestly I don't care all that much, other than for the fact that I need the title so that I can get the family off my back for even just a moment. Yah, as if kicking me out wasn't enough, they've got to hound me constantly too. But if I was the Stormlord and the head of the lineage, they can't tell me what to do anymore."

quote:

Why do you suffer the others?

Caesar shrugged.

"They're cool I guess? Fun enough to hang around and shoot the poo poo with. Also convenient for doing the heavy lifting my sylphs can't do for me you know?"

RELATIONSHIPS

quote:

Tiger Shark knew you before you had your falling out with your predecessor.

"Hahaha yeaaah", Caesar took a puff, "I know this girl. Well, knew before she got the new look and all. Seems weirdly spiteful about it but I kinda dig it? Haha, mortals right?", a chuckle and another puff, "So basically she used to be the protege of this Phantom Ghost guy right? Whom I know because he shared dad's predilections of doing dumb stuff for the incompetent all the time. Their thing is that PG does the detective and brainy work and then dad goes smite whatever the guy finds with some storm and lightning. So aaanyywayy, one day they came home to our mountaintop palace after some particularly big gig, and he had this girl with him? Yeah, I showed her across the mansion, we shoot the poo poo about the dumbness of our respective parents and parental figures, sniped some mountain goats with lightning. You know, that sort of thing. They visited us a good number of times before that thing happened with her. Thought she was cool enough, for a human."

quote:

You and Lucky Ted were known as a villainous duo before this alliance got started.

"Oh yeaaah, Lucky Ted", Caesar stuffed some baklava into his face, chewing in thought for a moment, "Right, so, after I was kicked out from home and decided to try out this villainy thing for a bit, I pretty quickly realized that living reaaal far from mortals and their concerns in a giant mansion of your hero dad does not really prepare you for the practicalities of crime. So like, I called this company for some mail order mooks you know? To kinda help me get started and deal with all the trivial issues? And they sent me Lucky. Sure he's just some weak, frail mortal, but at least he has the know-how I was looking for. Really, our thing kinda resembles what PG and dad had, hilariously enough", Caesar blew a few rings of misty smoke, idly watching as they dissipated, "I suppose history repeats, heh. I wonder what kinds of stuff we'll get up to now that he's gone independent."

INFLUENCE

You pretend to be all business (hahahahah yeah right), but without your old support network, you rely on this lot more than you want to. Give two of your peers Influence over you.

Right, giving Influence to STRENGTH and Tiger Shark, since they're the people Supercell most hangs around with (Lucky Ted is cool too, but Supercell still views him more as an employee).

Theantero fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Apr 17, 2017

# ? Jan 21, 2017 22:32

Scrree: Jan 16, 2008; the history of all dead generations,

The video starts. On screen is a beach, stained red in the light of the setting sun, with waves lapping gently close by. A man runs from behind the camera and places himself center frame, "Yo, it's-" He interrupts himself.

He scrunches his face in a great mental effort, and then coughs briefly to deepen his voice, "In the beginning, there was balance." At this he holds out both his arms, palms open. "And in that balance was life, and nature, and all of the things good on planet earth." Flecks of ice appeared from his left hand, sparks of flame from his right. "Even humans were born in that balance, and it was good." He raises both of his arms skywards, the ice and flame emanating from his palms creating a symbol.

"Until," the man takes what looks like a toy handgun from behind his back, and throws it through the symbol, "humans broke that balance!" The toy gun breaks the symbol, and then thuds softly unto the sand. "People stopped respecting the balance. We've been polluting the rivers, and tearing up the earth in war, and smogging up the sky without even stopping to think about the damage we're doing!"

He then steps towards the camera, smiling and creating a dazzling show of flames around him.

"Some of you already know me, but for those that don't, this is my manifesto!"

Large, white text in impact font begins to scroll up the screen:

pre:

SAVE THE RAINFOREST 
EXTRAJUDICIAL NATURE GUERRILLA 
TEARING-DOWN HOPELESSNESS

The words break down, leaving only the bolded parts up, and they then reform into a new word.

"Humans have been ripping apart Mother Earth for so long, and no one has heard her crying out - until now! I'm nature's strength, I hear her cries, and I'm going to restore the balance that society has so awfully torn apart!" the man lets out an even more impressive jet of flame from his hands, the force of which knocks the camera over, making it only capture a still shot of the sky.

The video ends. Several buttons appear on screen - Like, Comment, Subscribe. The video has twenty seven views.

quote:

Villain Name: Save The Rainforest Environmental Nature Guerrilla Tearing-down Hopelessness, or STRENGTH
Real Name: Adam Flynn
Look: Man, White, trendy clothing, gimmick costume

Abilities:

Energy control (Temperature)

Strength can use the palm of his hand to create or destroy thermal energy. He hasn't put much thought into the fact that he is an entropy-defying anomaly, and instead uses his this in combination with his second ability -

Telekinesis (Water/Fire/Air)

- to turn his hands into flamethrowers. He can also freeze water, or create strong gusts of wind. Strength claims that he was given these powers by 'Mother Nature' so that he could punish those who pollute her. This is unconfirmed.

Assets:

Forged Documents
When STRENGTH decided to split off and create his own organization, he accidentally misfiled his paperwork. He later learned of his mistake and filed correctly, creating STRIFE. But due to clerical error...

In short: STRENGTH is how the religious head of the Church of Rainforest, Saving The. While STRENGTH and STRIFE are both marked as villainous, ChRST is a complete unknown.

There are surprising advantages to being an officially recognized religious organization.

Old Verdant Tranquility Contracts
There are couple folks back at VT who understand that STRENGTH, for however odd and destructive his methods are, has his heart in the right place. They're willing to do him a favor or two - especially if it help hurts some untouchable corporate interest. They have all the power of a widespread, fluid eco-org: gathering intel, arranging protests, spreading rumors, etc.

Labels:
Freak +1
Danger +0
Trouble +2
Superior -1
Menace +1

Radical Moves:

Moral Flexibility
Whenever someone uses your stated principles to influence or provoke you, choose one: Accept what they say and hold 1 Integrity, or take +2 to reject what they say.

Make Total Destroy
When you completely abandon all pretense and directly engage while causing as much damage as possible to your target and surroundings, spend 1 Integrity hold to roll +Trouble instead of +Danger, and choose an additional option, even on a miss.

Moment of Triumph
It�s finally time for you to get the vindication you�ve always craved. You can rain hellfire and brimstone down on the hypocrites and heretics that laughed at you previously. For right now, they aren�t laughing, but rather see you in the fullness of your devotion and power. You will finally make a real difference in the world� but only for a moment, as it�s when everyone you�ve hurt and everything you�ve done to get to this point finally comes home to roost that ends this moment.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask if they take the Cause as seriously as you do. (Spoilers: They don�t.) If they have Influence on you, they can choose to lose it in order to clear one of their conditions by laughing in your face or demeaning you for your beliefs, and you mark Curses! If they do not have Influence on you, they can choose to lie and pretend to take you seriously in order to take Influence on you, and you clear a condition.

When others meddle in your plots� decide if they are a fellow traveler or onerous detractor. If they are a fellow traveler, shift Trouble up and any label of your choice down. If they are an onerous detractor, mark a condition, and you mark Curses!

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� tie into the Cause with the ongoing caper for them, perhaps having to bend over backwards to make the justifications. You can spend a Plan point to hold Integrity, compromising the larger mission for your personal beliefs.

During our first caper�
There was a lot of collateral damage during the job. Where did the caper take place, and what was destroyed?

Relationships
Despite everything, Supercell once made you doubt your cause.
You are convinced that Simulacrum is a potential convert, if only they would listen.

Influence
You're devoted to what you believe, trying to pretend you�re above the others, but you aren�t completely. Give Influence to one peer. Tiger Shark.

Curses! □ □ □ □ □
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark Curses!

Conditions:
□ Afraid (-2 to directly engage or cow or rebuke)
□ Angry (-2 to abscond or pierce the mask)
□ Doubting (-2 to unleash your powers or exploit weakness)
□ Insecure (-2 to provoke someone or reject what others say)
□ Paranoid (-2 to distract someone or assess the situation)

Advancement
When you fill your Curses! track, you advance. Choose from the list below. When you've taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below the line.

__ Take another move from your playbook
__ Take another move from your playbook
__ Take a move from another playbook
__ Take a move from another playbook
__ Take two more Assets.
__ Someone permanently loses Influence over you; add +1 to a Label
__ Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add +1 to a Label
__ Unlock your Moment of Triumph
__ Take Contagion from the Invader�s playbook.
__ Take an ability from any playbook to your rebellious repertoire.
__________________________________________________
__ Unlock your Moment of Triumph
__ Create a second character as your Henchman
__ Change playbooks
__ Take a villainous condition
__ Take a villainous condition
__ Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
__ Retire from the life or become a threat to the world.

The Cause
You believe in something that is basically just, a Cause that many others believe in. What makes you different is what you are willing to do in order to see it down, and how you are willing to use it to abuse and excuse. How sincere you are perceived to be is measured by your Integrity.

First, choose your cause from the six below.
□ World peace □ Scientific progress □ Social justice
X The environment □ Human evolution □ Personal liberty

Secondly, you can hold up to 3 Integrity, much like Infamy. You may hold 1 Integrity whenever...
You take the moral high road about an issue that matters to the Cause.
You follow through on what you say you�ll do for the Cause.
You give up some advantage or gain in the name of the Cause.

Integrity can be spent in exactly the same way Infamy can, and whenever you spend Integrity in this way, describe how you are compromising your ideals for personal gain in the fiction. Integrity powers some of your moves, but generally you should follow an arc of gaining it, and then losing it.

At the start of an issue, the world judges you by your Integrity. Roll +Integrity. On a hit, a hero or villain sympathetic to your Cause judges you sincere and offers some sort of advice or aid. On a 7-9, you also gain the enmity of someone who is not sympathetic to your cause. On a miss, you are widely seen as the hypocrite you are, and likely will face many different adults looking to tell you such.

At the end of a caper, your team judges your sincerity. The other players answer these three questions, and a consensus of �yes� on each results in holding one Integrity, while a �no� means you lose one. The questions are�
Did you stay true to the Cause in actions as well as word?
Did you put the Cause above the Caper in more than intention?
Did you spread the message of the Cause wherever you went?

quote:

Who were you before you were a believer?

Just any other dude, man. Grew up in the �burbs and went to school with all the rest of them. I always liked to go on hikes, but other than that I had no idea that I had a calling. And a duty. I just lived my life like the rest of them, keeping warm from the fires that were burning the world down.

Then, one day, I�m coming home from a trail. I stop by a ridge looking at just the most beautiful sunset, and BANG! It hits me! A tree branch, right on my head.

quote:

How did you fall into your beliefs?

So there I am, concussed and knocked out on the floor of a forest � you don�t think it can get any worse? Well guess what - when I woke up I was totally paralyzed from the neck down! Couldn�t move a finger. So I�m just lying on the ground, trying to call out for help, slowly watching the sun set and feeling pretty bummed out. Like, probably the worst I�ve ever felt in my life? Night falls, and in retrospect it was a beautiful night with a great view of the stars, but at the time I was mostly afraid that every creak I heard was a coyote coming to eat me. Eventually I fall asleep. A bit later I wake up feeling like I�d just had a really terrible nightmare, but I don�t remember any of it.

The suns back and it�s shining right in my eyes, and me being a sentimental guy, well, I start crying. I wanted to wipe the tears from my eyes, and just automatically tried to move my arm. I was paralyzed, so that didn�t work, but the crazy thing was that the tears went from eyes and just kind of hung in the air in front of me! That�s when I realized I had powers! When the branch fell on me it really crisscrossed some wires in my brain, so that trying to use my muscles was actually using my powers instead.

What happened next is kind of hard to explain � it�s like, imagine that if you tried to curl your pointer finger, you instead started a fire on your palm. But then imagine yourself imagining you had a sixth finger and curling that, and your pointer curled � that�s how my powers work. Once I figured that out I was able to move around and sit up. Being that I had been lying on ground for at least twelve hours, I was mega thirsty. So I used my newfound ability to gather up all of the morning dew and pour it into my mouth.

And there, drinking from that floating stream, looking right at the rising sun, I thought - �Man, nature is beautiful, and I want to protect it.�

quote:

Why do you turn to villainy to further the cause?

So I make it back to civilization, go to a hospital, get checked for brain damage, yadda yadda. I was totally uninterested with all that boring junk. What I really wanted to do was to get involved in saving the planet. Second I get a clean bill of health I go volunteer for the big eco organization, Verdant Tranquility. I ended up spending a couple years working with them, and the number one lesson I learned was that � they�re useless.

Seriously, the planet�s dying, and all they do is sit around talking about how �measured, thoughtful action will yield the best results�! I was like �Do you even want to save nature?� So, after finally getting fed up with their cowardice I struck out on my own. I formed my own organization, owned and operated solely by me: The Save The Rainforest Immediate Fulfillment Ecorganization, or STRIFE. Our first direct action initiative? Burn down a couple logging camps in the Amazon, that�s what!

Doing that got me and STRIFE put on most governments Villainy Lists. Shows how unjust the world truly is. Honestly, though, if that�s the price I gotta pay to actually be able to do something to help the world, then I don�t mind paying it!

quote:

Who, outside your peers, thinks you are a hypocrite?

Dharma, or William Pulitzer, he�s a real dirtbag.

We worked together a couple times back at Verdant Tranquility. He�s got this real crazy aesthetic, but when he started talking �the importance of Balance.� I had thought maybe I had found a fellow traveler, so I said, �Right, society is destroying the balance of nature, and we have to restore it.� and he said, �Balance is all things. Both the gain and the loss, all equating to zero, for Balance is itself an illusion.� and I said �No, Balance is nature, idiot.� and maybe a couple punches got thrown at that point.

He�s also got superpowers, I think he can shoot lasers out of his sweat glands or something crazy like that. Hear he's working with the Heroes now, the sellout.

quote:

Why do you suffer the others?

I might not respect all of their beliefs, but after working at a plodding organization like Verdant Tranquility for so long I can respect people who know when and how to take immediate action. Better that than wallowing away.

There are a couple annoyances. Like, the left side of the fridge is clearly marked as vegetarian only, so why I keep finding big slabs of meat there? I know they can all read, so that�s no excuse!

...Also, keep this on the down low� When our group goes big, who do you think is going to be the front page material? Look at these guys. It�s gonna be me, and STRENGTH and STRIFE are going to be the rallying words to save the world, baby!

Scrree fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Jan 29, 2017

# ? Jan 28, 2017 23:57

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

For the record: My relationships remain the same as before. Bloody hippies make no goshdarn sense to Simulacrum.

# ? Jan 29, 2017 18:37

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Alright folks, thanks for waiting for me. I'm all caught up on my exams and can now focus on important things in life, like elfgames.

The sheets are all very good and I like this ragtag bunch of misfits we've cobbled together. To make them real cobbled together, though, we need to create the web of Influence and relationships that binds you all. Those of you who haven't done so, please write them since we have a complete team now.

# ? Jan 29, 2017 18:38

Tricky: Jun 12, 2007; after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage

I think I'm sticking with Simulacrum as the boss and Lucky Ted as the meat.

# ? Jan 29, 2017 18:52

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Relationships (Tiger Shark and Lucky Ted) and Influence (Tiger Shark and STRENGTH) are both done on my end.

# ? Jan 29, 2017 19:25

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

My relationships to Tiger Shark and Simulacrum will remain as they are because they fit and they work, and for my Influence I am going with

>Tiger Shark (Mah Gurl)
>Supercell (Mah Boss)
>Simulacrum (Mah secondary boss)

# ? Jan 29, 2017 20:44

Tardzilla: Aug 31, 2006

My relationships with Vector and Lucky Ted will stay the same.

Everybody gets free influence on me!

# ? Jan 29, 2017 21:04

Scrree: Jan 16, 2008; the history of all dead generations,

Despite everything, Supercell once made you doubt your cause.

STRENGTH ran into his fair share of pot heads working the eco-org circuit, but Supercell was the first person/stormgiant to really sell him slacking off as a lifestyle. STRENGTH likes the guy/giant, but is a bit afraid that spending too much time around him might erode his devotion to the cause.

You are convinced that Simulacrum is a potential convert, if only they would listen.

STRENGTH is convinced that if Simulacrum just gave nature a chance - went on some hikes or visited a couple waterfalls - then she'd find a way to appreciate it. Also, she seems like she'd be awesome at Internet Outreach, which is really `in` right now.

Influence
You're devoted to what you believe, trying to pretend you�re above the others, but you aren�t completely. Give Influence to one peer. Tiger Shark.

Her story is so sad! And now she's half shark? I mean, I think humans are animals, but sharks are also animals - so she's basically double dipping when it comes to natural instincts. If she has something to say, STRENGTH will make sure to listen up.

Scrree fucked around with this message at 05:17 on Jan 30, 2017

# ? Jan 29, 2017 23:46

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Alright, we're almost ready to get started! We just need to define the first caper, now that we have more players onboard. It's up to those who were in the first iteration of this team wheter they want to keep the same answer or not.

Now, I have a bit of a recommended order regarding how it makes more sense to post to create a narrative of your first caper. This is no hard and fast rule, but I think the sequence should be:

Lucky Ted, STRENGHT, Vector, Tiger Shark, Simulacrum, Supercell.

I'm curious to see what changes and what stays the same.

# ? Jan 30, 2017 22:39

Scrree: Jan 16, 2008; the history of all dead generations,

Crook Prompt posted:

We didn�t get the goods in the end. What was the job, and who (or what) screwed it up before you got your mitts on the haul?

Lucky Ted posted:

�So like I don�t know how most of this science stuff works but, well we tried to steal some experimental whatsits from one of our many scientific opponents. In this case we stole something called Project Legion. We had no idea what it was other then people were preparing to pay a fortune for it and it was in a fairly unguarded lab, so we thought �What�s the worst that could happen?��

�So when the law showed up because of our former 7th member telling on us that was a problem. And then in the resulting scuffle said container containing said Project Legion got broken open by accident, and the black sludge that it seemed to contain leaked out of its container and slid into the nearby sewer grating. That didn�t seem good, so after that point we very quickly left the scene.�

Radical Prompt posted:

There was a lot of collateral damage during the job. Where did the caper take place, and what was destroyed?

"As Lucky was saying, we had been hired to steal some asset from a lab owned by Angainor Technologies. Angainor is a big bio-tech firm that I know about from my old activist days; they've done cloning experiments, genetically modified cattle, copyrighted parts of the human genome, and seem involved in all kinds of nasty stuff. So while the rest of the team was locking down the Project Legion thingie, I did a little exploring.."

"There must have been hundreds of the poor critters all stuffed together and locked up in cages. I don't know what Angainor testing, but they definitely expected to go through a lot of test subjects. I stress was testing, because I wasn't about to let such animal cruelty continue! I let the monkeys out, but they just kind of milled aimlessly - they had no idea that they were free and could return to nature. I tried to get them to leave by yelling, and when that didn't really work I decided to use a bit a fire to scare them outside. Maybe a bit too much fire. Maybe kind of started a fire inside the lab."

"Normally I can snuff out little mistakes like that, but it was just at that moment when the law showed up and things got a lot trickier. By the time we had to leave the flames were pretty out of control even for me. Well, no regrets! Bringing down a mysterious horror show animal torture lab is what I live for! "

"Ya know, 'Animal Torture Lab Brought Down in Flames of Justice' would be a pretty good article for my website..."

# ? Jan 31, 2017 01:49

Tricky: Jun 12, 2007; after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage

Bully Prompt posted:

We upstaged a respected hero. Who or what was it?

Alright, yeah, we showed up Multiplex. He's one of the public faces of heroics in the city. Not exactly a huge powerhouse � mostly baseline with the power to replicate himself dozens if not hundreds of times � but certainly a household name. Small surprise he was the first to show up when STRENGTH lit the place up like a goddamn bonfire. He's got feet on every corner, or at least that's what he says. If we weren't us, things might have been bad. But seriously? Check our line-up. I'm a living weapon. Simulacrum is basically a wizard with technology. Tiger Shark is both a delicious meal and shockingly competent. STRENGTH has his weird elemental wizard poo poo. Supercell is apparently a god of some flavor. That guy was screwed as soon as he showed up. And, uh, I guess there's Ted. Not someone to brag about though.

It's really too bad his usual strategy for dealing with villains is burying them under a tide of his replicants. Simulacrum isn't exactly tangible at the best of times, Tiger Shark was tossing them around like rag dolls, and, well, all I saw was an all-you-can-eat buffet. STRENGTH and Supercell do well with crowds with their magic bullshit. Lucky Ted... well, he did okay too. Decent shot. Multiplex had to run away with his tail between his legs. I guess making all of those clones really takes it out of his main body. Maybe some sort of feedback, I dunno. All I know is I started seeing fear in his eyes as we thinned the crowd. I wonder what he's going to do if we cross paths again?

# ? Jan 31, 2017 21:02

Tardzilla: Aug 31, 2006

Monster Prompt posted:

You attracted all the wrong sorts of attention from people. Not fear, but hate. Who absolutely hates your alliance, and will do anything to stop them?

As it turns out, pissing off one of the biggest bio-tech firm's in the country was probably not the smartest thing we've ever done. It didn't help that Mr. Green Peace poo poo-For-Brains over there set fire to the lab they've spent literal BILLIONS on. So now, Angainor Technologies has put up a bounty on our heads. I'm talking a big bounty, with lots of 0s, and they've conveniently crossed out the "alive" part on all our wanted posters, leaving only the "dead" part up.

If you need me, I'm going to go drink until I can't feel anything anymore.

# ? Jan 31, 2017 22:28

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

Invader Prompt posted:

During our first caper�
There used to be one more of us, but they betrayed us. How and why? And where are they now?

A person affected by the same mutagen as Tiger Shark, named Marcus, official designation �Man-Bat�.. She brought him along so I did not consider him much of a threat, until on our first mission, he noticed a wanted poster of us� and immediately decided to turn us in. Alerting the heroes to our position, he then fled towards them, and is now in their custody - according to the information I was able to gather, they have pardoned him for associating with us and are now trying to find a cure for him.

You meatbags call this a 'learning experience'. Indeed I have learned something from this: Don't trust meatbags to do anything correctly. Further additions to the team will be decided by me.

Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 15:50 on Feb 1, 2017

# ? Feb 1, 2017 15:45

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Scion Prompt posted:

For some reason we stuck around with each other even after the job was done. Why? And how did we stay in contact?

"Haha, I mean, all things considered it was a pretty good time right? At least I think so. Got to steal some mortal goo (well almost, but it's just some mortal toy so who really cares that we didn't get it right?), zap some dudes (well actually just one dude with cloning powers) with lightning, burn down a building. All the good poo poo you know? Like why wouldn't we hang out some more? Besides, that one bat dude has our scent I'm pretty sure so it would do ill for us to not hang together. Angainor could just pick us apart piecemeal if we separated now," Ceasar takes a puff, "Well maybe not me since I'm of divine lineage. Unless they've got some anti-divinity crap. Mortals occasionally end up with it, like that one time with Prometheus. It's actually a pretty cool story. Wanna hear it? I think I got some tacos leftover from yesterday too if you do. Actually now that I think of it..."

Supercell reaches inside the cloud he's hanging on and retrieves a tablet (more like a phone to him) and writes something on a chat you can just about make out is called 'ChillainTime'.

It's not long after until the rest of the team gets an important status update from one of their members.

'Lmaooo taco tusday afterparty at my place 🌮🌮🌮🌮'

'Sending clouds to go get u'

# ? Feb 1, 2017 16:34

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

We have an IC thread now!
https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3808801

# ? Feb 4, 2017 22:08

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

I'm just going to copy paste agendas, principles and moves in here, for future reference.

Agenda
Make the world feel like a comic book.
Challenge the characters' fantasies of villainy.
Play to find out what changes -- and what stays the same.

Principles
Describe like a comic book.
Address yourself to the heroes, not the players.
Make your move, but misdirect.
Make threats real.
Answer villainy with heroism.
Treat human life as meaningful.
Make supers seem outlandish, creative, and cool.
Give heroes anchors to feature their humanity.
Make adults seem childish and short-sighted.
Support people, but only conditionally.
Ask provocative questions and build on the answers.
Be a fan of the PCs.
Treat your NPCs like hammers: square peg, round hole.
Remind them of the generations that came before.
Think in the gutters between panels.
Sometimes, disclaim decision-making.

MC Moves
Inﬂict a condition
Take Inﬂuence over someone.
Bring them together.
Someone is captured.
Put the caper in jeopardy.
Show the costs of villainy.
Reveal the future, subtly or directly.
Announce between-panel threats.
Make them pay a price for victory.
Turn their move back on them.
Tell them the possible consequences and ask.
Tell them who they are or who they should be.
Bring an NPC to rash decisions and hard conclusions.
Activate the downsides of their abilities and relationships.
Make a playbook move.
Make a hero move.
After every move: �What do you do?�

# ? Feb 7, 2017 23:06

Tricky: Jun 12, 2007; after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage

Finished everything up to swap Vector out for Haruspex.

# ? Feb 15, 2017 23:25

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Despite appearances, this game lives on. Please post your opinion on wheter or not you believe STRENGTH stuck to his Radical ideas.

Did STRENGTH stay true to the Cause in actions as well as word?
Did STRENGTH put the Cause above the Caper in more than intention?
Did STRENGTH spread the message of the Cause wherever he went?

# ? Apr 4, 2017 21:37

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Am I right in assuming that both STRENGTH and Supercell aren't waiting for the Commander's signal before absconding?
I did ask you to specify one way or the other.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:00

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

paradoxGentleman posted:

Am I right in assuming that both STRENGTH and Supercell aren't waiting for the Commander's signal before absconding?
I did ask you to specify one way or the other.

Oh yeah sorry about that. Nah Supercell isn't waiting around to be bossed about by some mortal. So no waiting for any signal.

# ? Apr 15, 2017 10:46

Scrree: Jan 16, 2008; the history of all dead generations,

Strength leaves when Supercell leaves, as he wasn't too invested in the deal with the Raiders anyways (he voted to keep the Sarcophagus).

edit: Also going to admit that I, as a player, kind of forgot that we were waiting on a signal, but Strength failing to pay attention that also seems in character??

Scrree fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Apr 15, 2017

# ? Apr 15, 2017 13:33

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I'm going to try to post single-person updates, so I don't have to put together a huge amount of text together. That amount of stuff to write requires more energy than I can provide.

Also, we'll say that STRENGTH got 2 Intergrity points, since I really don't feel like he put the needs of the cause before the caper.

paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Apr 30, 2017

# ? Apr 30, 2017 23:22

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

I sort of imagined you folks would like to banter and/or discuss the situation now, but if that is not the case, feel free to say so and we can get started on the next thing!

# ? May 21, 2017 13:08

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

Sorry been very busy with stuff

Yes feel free to pass the scene on my behalf.

# ? May 25, 2017 17:48

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

Same here - I don't really have anything to say IC. I'd just like to fly away before angry thunder man comes back.

# ? May 25, 2017 18:28

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

Hey guys - I'm going to leave this game. Various reasons, but mostly because I'm kind of burning out and need to reduce the number of things I'm worrying about. But the update speed is also kind of frustratingly low for my liking. Anyway, thanks for the game, PX.

# ? May 29, 2017 19:55

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Yami Fenrir posted:

Hey guys - I'm going to leave this game. Various reasons, but mostly because I'm kind of burning out and need to reduce the number of things I'm worrying about. But the update speed is also kind of frustratingly low for my liking. Anyway, thanks for the game, PX.

I understand, and am genuinely sorry.

paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 10:22 on May 30, 2017

# ? May 30, 2017 10:08

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# ? Apr 23, 2024 22:17

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

I realize that this has been updating at excruciatingly slow speed, and yet I can't quite promise that it will pick up speed until at least the second half of June. That's the best I can offer as of right now. I'll try to keep updates short and sweet so we can try and not completely lose momentum.

# ? May 30, 2017 10:26

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > The Game Room > Capers - The Science Fair Rejects (OOC)