Message:Eephus, Peter Pax, Skia Ssssquires and Roho da’Cruz survived session one. Roho became the flaming knife dude. Kewl. Couple of Reboots and one Target Tracked result. No vicious injury but rest of adventure any vicious doubles-up to two.
Highlights included Big Brain Walker coming aboard and later paying our bail. Finding out our Patron is a machine (75% Implants). Delayed G/Sol tribute ship in Zeta Trianguli Australis. Later defeated same G/Sol boarding party, and G/Sol bogus charges in court. Gaining Fame as G/Sol antagonists. The A-Tech (no Overwhelm) we acquired worked and survived the ordeal into next adventure.
Campaign Poll Changes:
End Walker Cloning moved to Front, passing Orphans & Widows, with Defund Martial Bands close behind. Big Brain aboard is spreading his influence.
We also set a game precedence that any encounter that was not combat would be resolved one of three ways:
A. Make three +Total Party levels in-play Skills
B. Survive set number cards, make or break, flips of SpAT Skill tests.
C. Flip the party level in cards with any of the group attempting to make the desired Skill.
Scenario One
… Patron: Android of Jesse Liadov. A mechanoid is pretending to be the head of the Terran Assembly. It's motives are altruistic, to a degree. The android is a known duplicate of the politician; however, it may be working independently. A robot, though depending upon the model, this may not be apparent to the players. A machine operating for its own motives is a free-booter, and its destruction is by law mandated. (But when did most players care about game laws other than the ones that suit their goals?) The patron will never be a Blood Knight, since such devices do not solicit others to perform their duties. RESULT BOON Kappa
… Quirk: Patron is physically superior to the norm, possibly a eugenic bred to be super-human. RESULT BOON Iota
… Mission: Spy and report on political secrets, recent changes, discord and dissenters in an alien (non-League race). Else, thwart a foreign spy seeking such on the Tetra-League. The group must deliver voting machines to all the systems. This adventure will still officially end after three phases, but the role may continue as the squad is designated Voting Officer for the Battle Born or the polling police. RESULT BOON Gamma
… Twist: Mission will cause an event both bad or distasteful to the players, but it must be ignored in order for the primary mission to succeed. RESULT BANE Omega
… Motive: Seeks to discover a traitor and force him to action. RESULT BOON Theta
… Deviant Attitudes: Patron is starting again after a period of inactivity, caused by a wound, personal loss or failure. The machine was recently released form mothball and has not been in service since Era Seven. It has much to learn about the Tetra-League. RESULT BANE Omicron
… Clout or Hitch: Gives only a charm or strange blessing and says supernatural forces will provide the rest. This will actually be enough, though perhaps Ancient Technology not presently understood by science is remotely involved. Bestows the Robe of Office (A-Tech below).
… Cash Problems: Another source of wealth becomes available to the patron after the start of the scenario. This wealth will be awarded upon success as a bonus from a third party sympathetic to the mission. The players should share in this bonus reward. Big-Head J.W.Walker comes aboard as a foil. RESULT BOON Beta & BANE Pi
… Unforeseen Difficulties: Local government and Deputy Controller will approach to try and stop mission before it starts. To continue flaunts the man's power and begs for disaster. RESULT BANE Upsilon
… Unguessable Intersections: On the occasion of the next illegal act committed by a player, the deed will be noticeably spotted by an Immune child or other non-threatening innocent bystander. RESULT BANE Xi
… Rival: Consoler or Attorney, Adviser to Tetra-League. Old statesman, Andrew Jackson, who believes that Terran rights should trump all. He will warn, should he be defeated, that a greater sovereign is coming, there will be a reckoning. RESULT BANE Sigma
… Bonus Flesh-Out: Still Unknown!
… Enemy Forces or Threats: Name Only. The rival's forces have great reputation, but this is no longer deserved. His clout or resources may seem legendary, but they have long since become ineffective. The rival must posture and feign brilliance to discourage the players. He will use his reputation to full advantage, and other neutral parties will seldom become involved. RESULT BOON Alpha
… Ace-Hole: Personally Mesmerizing. By technological aid or mastery of skill, the rival can create phantasm and hideous images. Else he employs decoys that lead the players to attack one another. Nothing will be as it appears. RESULT BANE Psi
… Boon Alpha: This grants a free Neural Shock Opportunity Fire at the start of each encounter during the adventure.
… Boon Beta: This grants a free Extruding Nozzle at the start of each encounter during the adventure.
… Boon Gamma: This grants each player a bonus of a low-die nudge, the ability to roll again just once any die of a pair that was a one.
… Boon Delta: This grants a free Interrogate Man & Machine at the start of each encounter during the adventure.
… Boon Epsilon: This grants a free Mortar Ops at the start of each encounter during the adventure.
… Boon Kappa: This grants a bonus to ignore the first SpAT condition during the adventure.
… Boon Theta: This grants each player a bonus of +1 to all rolls during one event before the climax in the adventure.
… Boon Iota: This grants a bonus to ignore the first Breach condition encountered during the adventure.
…
… Bane Omicron: This causes a penalty of one to all rolls during one encounter before the climax in the adventure.
… Bane Sigma: Whenever anyone rolls for Executive Privilege, he must make two attempts and take the lower.
… Bane Psi: This causes a penalty of an extra Vicious wound to a random player, whenever one is suffered by some else during all encounters of the adventure.
… Bane Pi: Whenever anyone rolls for Demolitions, he must make two attempts and take the lower.
… Bane Upsilon: This starts one or more encounters with someone losing a Glory Pip.
… Bane Tau: ??? UNKNOWN ???
… Bane Xi: Whenever anyone rolls for Star Point Field Overload, he must make two attempts and take the lower.
… Bane Omega: Whenever anyone rolls for Diagnostics & Refined Gizmo, he must make two attempts and take the lower.
…
… A-Tech: Discover a device that grants a bonus to ignore the first Overwhelm condition encountered during the adventure. This artifact is bulky and may only be used during ship encounters. This artifact undergoes pass-fail test at the end of each adventure - win, lose or draw.
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… King: Important NPC; flip clarifying card and relate intervention to campaign theme. Reveal a Boon or Bane depending upon the alliance of King.
… Queen: Reveal something about the Patron. This will result in a Boon or Bane depending upon the disclosure.
… Jack: Either reveal a Bane or fight a battle. The battles should include SpAT which will escalate across the adventure.
… 10: Advance the Phase, regardless of Boons and Banes. Players option to escalate and remove SpAT or potential Bane.
… 9: Advance to Climax but only after all Boons and Banes have been revealed. Any fight here can erase one or more SpAT.
… 8: Fight and advance to Climax but only after all Banes have been revealed. The battles should include SpAT which will escalate across the adventure.
… 7: Retrograde back to Phase B, if there are still adventure Boons and Banes. Otherwise, enter Climax.
… 6: Set-back, typically with combat. Add SpAT which will escalate across the adventure. Retrograde back to Phase A, if there are still adventure Boons and Banes. Otherwise, advance to C.
… 5: Reveal Boon or Bane then resolve, often a fight; Advance to Phase C but only after all Boons and Banes have been revealed.
… 4: Reveal a Bane, typically a fight. If none remain, move to Phase C. The battles should include SpAT which will escalate across the adventure.
… 3: Reveal Boon or Bane then resolve, often a fight; regardless, Advance to Phase B.
… 2: Reveal a Bane, typically a fight. If none remain, move to Phase B. The battles should include SpAT which will escalate across the adventure.
… Ace: Reveal Boon or Bane and advance to Phase C. Players option to escalate to remove SpAT or potential Bane. But doing so will move squad only to Phase B.
Note: SpAT are accumulative. e.g., if the enemy is in your Matrix, he will not be so easily thwarted by and by.
Next week we continue Phase C of Flip-Card Battle Born following our overarching election theme. We need to learn the Rival Flash-Out before reaching the Climax set of System Endgame, World Jump & Die, Terrain Handicaps and Climax Ground Zero. Could be four battles or Skill driven encounters.
Yours,
IronRed
12-Nov-2023