Kerberos Club, Fate Edition: A Past From the Blast
Friday 16 August Noon: A Past from the Blast: Kerberos Club, Fate Edition
SPOILER WARNING -- JOSH, PLEASE SKIP THIS ONE
- GM: Mike Olson, who created the Fate Kerberos rules
- ??? (Played Ferros in Penny Dreadful): Cynthia Parikh, avatar of Durga
- Me: Bertram Brass, mistaken for Spring Heeled Jack (No, I'm not him! I'm the _other_ one!) He had boots allowing him to leap great distances, but they did have to be hand-cranked
- ???: Mr. Cogsworth, a sentient clockwork man created by Dr. Hero
- ???: Robin Hood (not the Marxist version, but still female)
- ???: Dr. Permlia Hero
There were only five players, so the sixth PC, Magnus McPhee, a Revenant, was not in play.
Mike said that he had a house rule: When a player rolls either a -4 on the dice or a +4, i.e., all the dice come up - or all the dice come up +, he gives the player a Fate Point. This is a consolation to the player rolling the -s and an extra bonus to the player rolling the +s. My home Kerberos Fate group isn't particularly interested in adopting that rule, feeling that they're getting sufficient fate points without it.
This scenario was set in 1860. In recent weeks, there had been a number of explosions in London.
Aspect: Panic in the Streets of London
The PCs were having a nice drink in the World's End pub, which is where the next explosion occurred. Dr. Hero's forehead was cut, while Cynthia's garments were torn. Mechanically, these were Minor Consequences.
GM: So, what are you doing?
Bertram Brass: Looking around for the varlet who did this, of course!
Mr. Cogsworth examined the area, and found metal fragments. This let the player set up an aspect, An Explosive Situation, which he could tag once for free, representing his success investigating.
Another interesting clue: There was a fragment of a Broadstreet Newspaper -- from 2 years ago! The headline, which they recalled having seen in its proper time, was: British East India Company Dissolved!
Dr. Hero did investigation. This was represented by an index card with: Thoroughly Investigated Scene, an aspect to tap at need. Either she or someone else then did a find job examining the pub, World's End, resulting in the aspect: No stone left unturned. This could be invoked not once, but twice.
Robin Hood invoked her Hero of the People aspect to ask if anyone had noticed anything. The player got a total of 12 on the roll.
Someone: People are -super- happy to help! You're a legend!
And we figured she had the equivalent of the Baker Street Irregulars.
Meanwhile, Cynthia helped people who had been injured by or were in danger due to the explosion.
Exchange whose context I forget:
Someone: So few pubs with one.
Someone else: Now there's one less.
Someone: It's not the end of the world...
Bertram tried to find out whose work the bomb was from its fragments. Mechanically, this meant that I was invoking Thrill Seeking Inventor for effect.
GM: You know who to ask: Professor Magnon! Le Sauvage Professeur!
Le Sauvage Professor had been a possible PC in Morgan Ellis's Kerberos Fate game last year, although he wasn't selected. He was sort of a combination of the Doctor and the Master from Doctor Who, with Kang the Conqueror thrown in for good measure. The time traveling caveman pointed out the scrollwork on the fragments to Bertram.
Mr. Cogsworth: It's magic.
It was at least partly magic, sacred magic, to be precise. Sacred magic is the magical equivalent of gadgetry, although there was, I think, also some Mad Science involved. The scrollwork said "ASTELL", like a signature or a maker's mark.
Le Sauvage Professeur took his leave, as he was going to an exposition in Paris where the newest airship would be shown off. Meanwhile Mr. Cogsworth's Keen Automagical Mind and Cynthia's network pieced together a couple of facts.
When the British East India Company was dissolved, its director was John Harvey Askell. He had a wife and five children.
Someone: We need to proceed with caution.
Cynthia: Caution will be needed -- but not by us!
Askell and his family had dropped out of sight in the last two years.
Dr. Hero: I imagine it would be difficult for him to get a reference.
Meanwhile, however, the group had to take care of a few toughs. I forget exactly what they were trying to do or how the group found out about it. There were guys with guns, and there was one really large guy. The large guy was Big Hand, of the Tower Gang, which hired out its services. Of course, the toughs with guns were also mercenaries.
My notes say: "(This is gonna be fun!)" Indeed it was, but I'm not sure why I wrote that or whether anyone said it in character.
Robin Hood took out the three most dangerous thugs, and they were not even standing near each other.
Robin Hood: You guys can take care of the rest, yes?
Mr. Cogsworth: Guys with guns? Are they attacking Dr. Hero?
GM: I'm going to say yes, just to be sporting.
If I read my notes correctly, the player had a good roll on Fisticuffs, and I think someone compelled Overconfident, though whether this was one of Mr. Cogsworth's traits or consequences or one of Big Hand's, I'm not sure. Possibly it was a compel on Mr. Cogsworth, as my notes say "smart would be to go for goon".
Regardless, Big Hand threw Mr. Cogsworth into a building. This created a Consequence which would become permanent if not erased by the end of the fight: The Building Is About to Collapse.
This was important because consequences to the world can be used in place of consequences to PCs, but the cost is that this means that the world will look less favorably on the Kerberos Club. After all, they show up, and buildings collapse!
Robin Hood: I have seen the world and all its wonders and that was an absolute great shock!
I'm not sure to what she was referring, but the GM tossed the player a fate point for the sheer coolness of the statement.
Dr. Hero did something with an umbrella, which resulted in either her or Big Hand getting the aspect Dazed. My notes are not clear on that point, but I'm guessing it was Dr. Hero.
Robin Hood aimed, waiting for the right moment. Mechanically, that meant her player had an Aspect to invoke for free when Big Hand went on to his next victim, although Big Hand wasn't yet attacking.
The GM gave Mr. Cogsworth a fate point because he chose to go to Dr. Hero, not to shore up the damaged building.
Robin Hood's moment came and she fired. Big Hand took a consequence of Arrow to the Knee.
Meanwhile, Bertram used craftsmanship and his boots to jam a lamppost to stop the building from collapsing, which erased the collateral damage.
Cynthia meanwhile became an Avatar of Durga.
Durga / Cynthia: Ask yourself: Will the day end well for you?
The player rolled a 14 to the opposition's 2. Big Hand abased himself and dropped to one knee in obeisance and supplication. The remaining thug fled, as she had intimidated the entire zone. (How big is a zone? As big or small as seems to make sense.)
Bertram: It's okay. She's the angry Indian goddess on our side.
Someone: So far. Who sent you?
Durga / Cynthia: Mr. Askell -- where is he?
Big Ben: In Herfordshire. The East India Company's military training academy.
But, Mr. Askell had set up something for Big Ben.
Big Hand: Don't hurt my sister, who's placing a bomb there.
The group headed for Big Ben at once, planning to grant Big Hand's wish if they could. The GM asked if Cynthia was traveling as herself or as Durga.
Cynthia: Durga all the way. The last time I took it down, I almost got blown up!
Bertram noted the weaknesses of his boots.
Bertram: Although -- I will fix that problem. _after_ this adventure.
Someone: That you can't leap over Big Ben in a single bound?
Bertram: Right!
I don't recall the details of dealing with the problem at Big Ben's, but I do have this exchange:
Robin Hood: You keep knocking buildings down!
Mr. Cogsworth: It's not _my_ problem!
GM: It is _exactly_ your problem!
Dr. Hero: This is coming out of your salary, Mr. Cogsworth.
The group intercepted Big Hand's sister, Little Hand, but not until after she had planted the bomb. She and her brother were perfectly willing to flee and trouble the heroes no more, and Little Hand gave some indication of where she had left the bomb.
But, what to do with it once they located it? It was a seamless elaborate sphere, due to go off nearly immediately. Well, the best bet, as I think the GM said, was to contain the effect.
GM: Say, insider Mr. Cogsworth, the toughest thing you know!
Mr. Cogsworth opened his chest to help.
Someone (I think Cynthia): Good man!
Robin Hood sent a zipline for Bertram and Mr. Cogsworth to leave Big Ben. I said that the charge on Bertram's boots would have worn off by now, and there was no time to recrank them, so he did indeed need the zip line.
The GM said that if in doubt about what target number to set, set it to 2.
Mr. Cogsworth did not sense anything actually destructive per se from the bomb in his chest.
Then, there was a <FOOOM!>
After that, Mr. Cogsworth was still intact. He had taken no damage.
GM: If anything, you feel... a little more capable? Well maintained?
GM: I'm going to go back on what I said. It's more interesting if you _don't_ contain it -- but you're not worried -- it doesn't feel destructive.
There was a big shockwave in this retcon. Once everything was over, the time on the clock of Big Ben was wrong. But, within the blast radius, which was about 50 feet?
GM: There are no clouds, and it's night time. Just in that sphere of it's-night-forever.
It was still true that Mr. Cogsworth hadn't felt so good in years. He opened his chest. The sphere was still inside, still intact. He closed his chest and went down.
GM: The damage to the stairs is gone, as if it were before you came up.
Mr. Cogsworth: Well, I was careful.
GM: I don't recall that being the case.
Bertram said something about how fascinating and scientific all of this was.
Mr. Cogsworth and Cynthia: I don't think this is science.
Cyntha: Open your chest, Mr. Cogsworth.
At the pub, the time bomb had turned back time two years ago, at least briefly, and no one had really noticed. Here, at Big Ben, how far had time been turned back?
Robin Hood: I'm just curious to find out what's happening.
Bertram: Yes, we must go back up there and do some tests!
Mr. Cogsworth: I agree with Dr. Hero.
No doubt the doctor was behaving more sensibly. Meanwhile, the GM gave Robin Hood's player a fate point for the coolness of planning at the edge of Big Ben.
The group decided that it was time to visit Askell.
Bertram: We need to talk to him rather strictly
Robin Hood: Rather strictly -- "Right, miss..."
Cynthia: We need to discuss this gently. Over a nice cup of tea.
The group traveled from London to the site of the military academy. From a distance, there was no sign of activity. The place looked run down, as one might expect of a place that had been abandoned for two years.
Cynthia: I approach brazenly.
Mr. Cogsworth: I knock politely.
Someone made a comment about a set for movies and breaking out the fotoscope, but my notes don't give any context for this.
Mr. Cogsworth: We could knock on the door.
Bertram: Knock on the wall.
Dr. Hero: Mr. Cogsworth, if you would make a _suitable_ entrance...
One or more of the group decided it was time for Justice with Panache. They broke into a big room full of guys pointing guns at them. The guys had been suiting up with the PCs broke in.
Dr. Hero (carrying a parasol, face to face with two East India company guys with guns): Could you gentlemen direct me to the nearest tea parlor?
Bertram took out several of the guys with his claws.
Bertram: I wonder if we should take their uniforms.
General consensus: ....Nah!
Meanwhile, Robin Hood ducked behind Mr. Cogsworth, using him as a shield. The two were unscathed by the initial attack.
Robin Hood: I do believe that makes it our turn! Shall we repay them in kind? (as bullets fly at them) Surrender now and we'll let you leave.
GM: I just want to see how long it takes you to mop them up.
I think there were 24 guys to begin with. Mr. Cogsworth rolled a 13 to their 9, then added his aspect of Like a Freight Train. The net result was that he waded through 16 of the enemy.
Robin Hood: I _did_ warn them.
Meanwhile, Cynthia, Bertram, and Dr. Hero confronted a disheveled guy in a room that used to be an office. It was now essentially a board room for his art. This was Mr. Askell, and the various devices around the room bore his signature, just like the original bomb had.
Mr. Askell: Who are you people?
Cynthia: Cynthia Parikh.
Mr. Askell: The celebrated actress? Never heard of you!
Bertram, I think, made a reference to jumping up towers like Big Ben.
Mr. Askell: Lovely view, isn't it?
Someone (possibly Bertram): Quite an interesting phenomenon.
Someone else (possibly Dr. Hero): That bit of black sky.
Mr. Askell: I used to be a man of --
Cynthia (I think): Wealth? Greatness?
Mr. Askell: Yes!
Someone: But Greatness isn't enough!
Someone else: Hence the wealth!
Somehow, things got onto the topic of magic.
Mr. Askell (to Cynthia) You know magic?
Cynthia: Yes.
Mr. Askell (cynically): I've known a lot of women in India who claimed they knew magic.
Cynthia: Sit back and watch. (begins to become Durga)
Mr. Askell: Sure, I'll sit back and watch while my men kill your friends -- Oh my God!
Bertram: Might I introduce the goddess Durga?
Mr. Askell was shocked back into his senses and spilled everything. Yes, he had, in his madness, wanted to turn back time to before he was in disgrace. But, he hadn't been working alone. He had an associate, a man he was working with who made all of it possible! And, that person had taken the most powerful of the devices to examine!
Mr. Askell: Why did I let it out of my sight?
Cynthia: Who is this genius -- this woman?
Mr. Askell: Professor Magnon!
Yes, The Sauvage Professeur was behind all of this, and was even now in position to menace Queen Victoria at the Paris Exposition where she was on the new airship called The Queen! The group left for Paris posthaste!
They knew that the bomb would have a forty to fifty foot blast radius and a magical timer. But, how far back would it blow? There was simply no telling -- Professeur Magnon could recalibrate it! And, indeed, it was a diabolically clever thing to do. In the current time, 1860, assassination attempts on Queen Victoria simply wouldn't work. She was too invulnerable.
Mr. Cogsworth had created an aspect, written on an index card: I Know How to Stop It!
Obviously, they would have to take an ornithoptor. Dr. Hero had the aspect of Pilot.
And the GM handed out fate points all around for a fun scene.
A created aspect of Launching Spot was used as the group arrived on the scene.
Someone: Is everyone ready?
Dr. Hero: We're going in!
Robin Hood (making herself visible and posing): Have no fear! Robin Hood is here!
The GM gave her a fate point for sheer panache -- and for tipping her hand. Professeur Magnon saw her and Put It All Together!
Dr. Here: Above all else -- Dignity. (I think that was one of her aspects) So, Dr. Hero has to get there fast.
Robin Hood: This is going to go badly!
GM: Is that your Aspect?
Robin Hood: No, that's my conviction.
GM (wondering aloud) Will Robin Hood Rob?
Professeur Magnon took off on his Rocket Glider!
GM: Well, there _is_ a second Rocket Glider.
Someone: And you _are_ a pilot.
Bertram was (mis)recognized.
Someone in crowd: Oh no! It's Spring Heeled Jack1
Mr. Cogsworth: They're scared of me? I use big booming voice to say: "There is a _bomb_ on this ship! We're all going to die unless you get out of my way!
Someone in crowd: It's Robin Hood!
Robin Hood posed.
Meanwhile, the two rocket gliders tried to maneuver around each other. Cynthia was with Dr. Hero.
Someone: Wait a minute, wait a minute -- we may have this all wrong!
Cynthia: How much do you weigh?
Dr. Hero: A lady doesn't tell!
Cynthia: But I'm a lady!
Me (returning from bathroom): Didja get 'im? Didja get 'im?
Someone: We are now cockpit to cockpit!
Cynthia made a super jump onto Professeur Magnon's ship. He tried to shake her off while she was transforming. He succeeded, but then eight more arms came out to grab his ship!
He took the ship into a dive down to ground. Durga ripped the cockpit open. The professor tried to undo his seatbelt, as he had a parachute. Cynthia rolled a 6 to hit him. He rolled four -s on the dice!
Durga wound up doing a total of 7 damage, which is a lot.
Someone: You don't want to fight a goddess in a plane.
Professor: I don't fear you, goddess!
He tried to push her off. I don't think that worked really well.
Meanwhile, Mr. Cogsworth tried to find the bomb. It was behind the curtain that was... behind Queen Victoria, who was not panicking, despite the ruckus.
Robin Hood (to the guards): God Save the Queen -- and so shall we -- if you will get out of my way.
Queen Victoria: We shall let them pass.
Various aspects were invoked, including:
- Saving the Queen
- Explosive Situation
- Running out of time
The GM decided that Mr. Cogsworth _was_ the bomb and offered the player a fate point. The player refused, paying a fate point. The offer escalated to two and then to three, the maximum it could go. I think the player only had two fate points, so couldn't refuse the second escalation.
Player: I guess I _am_ the fucking bomb.
Mr. Cogsworth jumped off the airship so that the effect, which he could absorb, given time, would not reach the people on the airship, especially the Queen. Bertram jumped off with Cogsworth, determined to find out for himself how far back in time the bomb would go.
Someone: Good show!
Mr. Cogsworth: For the Queen!
And the two started falling.
Player: Into _where_?
GM: Into _when_ is the question.
There was a roll of Supernatural vs Extraordinary tier. I forget what I was rolling about, but I was rolling at -2, which is what Mike figured rolling at -d6 boiled down to. I invoked several aspects, both mine and the game-at-large's:
- Thrill seeking Inventor
- My Genius Deserves Better Than This!
- Fighting crime with the power of Sheer Overconfidence!
- Saving the Queen!
GM: You are running out of time (I think handing me a fate point, as this was an obstacle) -- Before the plane hits the ground!
Then, there was an arrow from Robin Hood's bow, I think with magnets which caused Mr. Cogsworth's metal filings to align properly. He was now 40-50 feet away, and the GM asked if he'd cut Bertram free. The problem was that Bertram didn't want to be cut free.
Bertram: I have to know when!
GM: How old is Bertram?
Me: Er... 30 to 40?
The GM decided not to hold me to that.
GM: Mr. Cogsworth, there is a five-year-old tied to you. There's no steel cable. You're free falling. Then... there's an arrow!
Naturally, this was Robin Hood's latest zipline for the heroes.
GM: I decided you were older than 30.
I'm not sure about the math there. The bomb went back to the beginning of Queen Victoria's Reign, Mike said. But, this wasn't 50 years ago, as my notes claim. Queen Victoria's reign began in 1837, and the game year was 1860, which was a mere 23 years later. If my figures are the correct ones, a 5-year-old Bertram means that Bertram was actually 28 years old, which is also fine with me.
Mr. Cogsworth jumped to land better.
Mr. Cogsworth: That was an explosive situation, wouldn't you say?
Someone: With his luck, he's spiked on Eiffel Tower.
Someone, possibly me: It's not the Eiffel Tower yet, is it?
There was a hole through the Arch de Triumph as Mr. Cogsworth landed with Bertram, in the middle of traffic.
GM: Bertram's safe; everyone else'll be fine.
He explained that Askell had wanted the entire world covered by the radius of the bomb, and that for his test runs, he'd used dynamite to cover up what he was doing. The professor wanted a 30 year bomb. He was closer to being a villain than a hero. What he wanted was his Cro-Magnon empire back, and he thought, not unreasonably, that the first and most important thing to do was to take care of the Queen. Remove the Divine Victoria and it becomes easier, but one needs to remove her before she becomes divine.
