REVOLUCION

GENCON DRAFT

A GAME BY SAGE LATORRA

Revolucion is a game by Sage LaTorra - sage@latorra.org Playtesters Seattle, WA - Adam Chevrier, Shannon East, John Harper, Paul Riddle Las Cruces, NM - Ben Glickler, Daniel Loon, Isaac Milner All images used here are taken from the public domain. is Beta Dra of Revolucion is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

REVOLUCION
e total ruin of institutions and morals is an act of creation. A religious act. Murder and mayhem are the life and soul of revolution. I imagine you wont laugh when I tell you that. ere are plenty of fools who would. - John Gardner, Grendel

SETUP
Play begins, like most things, with creation. As a group you'll decide what the Regime looks like, what they stand for, who your characters are, and what they can do.

THE REGIME
e Regime is the government, institution, or organization that opposes the players over the course of the game. e Regime is played by one player, the Gamemaster or GM. e GM is responsible for everything except the characters played by everyone else at the table, referred to as the players. e GM's job is to play the Regime to the hilt, making them an enemy that is memorable and fun to scheme against. In the beginning the Regime is mighty, but by the end of the game the Regime will have fallen to the Movement, led by the players. Create the Movement later, start by creating the Regime using these steps. First brainstorm the general idea of the Regime as a group. Everyone should oer suggestions, but keep it general. Try to narrow down the general genre of the game: will the players be animals ghting for control of a waterhole from the hippos that hold it, or maybe steampunk anarchists plotting the downfall of a ying machine empire?

Once you have a general idea of the Regime, decide what it has that's important. A Regime always has control of some important resource that gives it relative power. Secrets, natural resources, artifacts: whatever the Regime has, it's important. For examples, see the sample settings. e most important part of a Regime is its Mottos. Each player creates one Motto for the Regime. e Mottos will help imply where the game takes place, who's opposing the Regime, and what's going to be important to the game. A Motto is a single sentence that states something the Regime stands for. Make sure that every Motto allows for an opposite, the player characters will be de ned by the inverse of the Mottos. A good Motto is both reasonable and fun to oppose. "Wealth should be shared" is a good Motto: it's easy to imagine a Regime dedicated to such a Motto, but there's also a clear opposite that will be fun to play. Some examples from history or literature might include "We have always been at war with Oceania," "Everyone is equal," and "Only enemies of the state are held in the Bastille." Once you have a Motto for each player, write each one on its own notecard and place them in front of the GM. Make sure you have one Motto from each player. On another notecard write the Regime's Force and Strength. Regime Force represents how powerful the Regime is, the higher the number the less likely players are to Succeed. Regime Force is chosen by the GM, but a good value is usually 10. Regime Strength represents how stable the Regime is, the game ends when the Opposition score is equal or greater than the Regime Strength. e higher the Regime Strength the longer the game, 7 points per game session is a good guideline. Finish up Regime creation by thinking about any important members of the Regime, how the Regime holds power, and what the average member of the Regime is like. Don't go on to Movement creation until you have a good idea of the Regime.

THE MOVEMENT
e player characters represent the Movement, the force that opposes the Regime. e players are always important members or leaders of the Movement: over the course of play they will recruit new people into the Movement and make important decisions for it. Create the Movement starting with the player characters, then ll in any other details. e player characters should stand for the Movement, as long as you know the player characters the other parts of the Movement are just details. Each character is based on a Rhetoric. e character's Rhetoric is always the opposite of the Motto created by that player. For example, if John created the Motto "All worlds are better under our rule" for the Regime, his Rhetoric might be "No one has the right to rule over others, freedom for all." ere's always a number of ways to create a Rhetoric from a Motto, John could just as

easily have chosen "e Empire's rule is corrupt, I am the only rightful ruler of this region." When you have options, just chose the Rhetoric that makes for the character you most want to play. Write each Rhetoric on the same notecard as the Motto it opposes, as well as on the character sheet of the player that created it. Characters are also de ned by what they can do. Each character has three skills, one in each category: Physical, Mental and Social. A skill is just a way that the character gets something done in that category: an elderly professor might have "Peaceful Resistance" as their Physical skill, but a mad anarchist might have "Sabotage" as a Physical skill instead. Choose whatever skills re ect your characters. Each player divides 10 points between their skills. Higher scores are better, they mean more dice to roll. Each skill must get at least one point. Aer the characters have been created, discuss as a group what the Movement around them looks like. e characters don't have to even know they're working together, they could be working towards the same goals but hate each other. If the Movement is organized enough to have a name, give it one.

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCs)

e player's characters aren't the only people working against the Regime, and the Regime has many agents. Any character besides the player characters is controlled by the GM, these characters are referred to as NPCs. NPCs in Revolucion fall into three categories: Stooges, Conspirators, or Independents. Stooges are the nameless masses that support the Regime and the Movement. Conspirators are the important people within the Regime and the lieutenants of the players within the Movement. Independents have their own agendas. Stooges are usually referred to as groups, like "e Aer-hours Economics Study Group" or "Atu's Hyena Pack." Play starts with no Stooges, when Stooges are added write the number of Stooges along with who they are as a group on the Rhetoric or Motto they support. Conspirators are more important to the story, they have names and dreams of their own. Each Conspirator should be tracked on their own notecard. On the notecard, write the Conspirator's name, a quick note on who they are, what Motto or Rhetoric they support, and what skills they have. A Conspirator can only have skills that are on some player character's list. At the beginning of the game, the GM should create one Conspirator that Supports each Rhetoric. Each player should have some input into who the Conspirator for their Rhetoric is, but the decision is ultimately the GM's. Independents are the rare people who don't chose sides. An Independent is created just like a player character, though their Rhetoric need not oppose a Motto. An Independent is always a free agent, never entirely for the Regime or the Movement. Examples of Independent NPCs include merchants looking to pro t from the con ict or members of a religious order looking to stem the suering. Independent NPCs come into play at the GM's discretion, some games may not have any.

PLAY
A game of Revolucion is made up of a series of scenes, telling the story of the rise of the Movement and the fall of the Regime.

CONDITIONS
As events unfold player characters may take conditions to succeed where they would otherwise fail. e eect of taking a condition is described below, under Scene Resolution, but the Conditions themselves are described here, since conditions change what goals are available in certain scenes. Conditions fall into three categories: Minor, Major, and Critical. Generally a Minor Condition has only a small eect on the Character whereas a Critical Condition has serious eects, with Major falling somewhere in between. A character may only have one condition from each category at a time.

MINOR CONDITIONS

SNITCH One of the Stooges is talking to someone they shouldn't. If a player with the Snitch condition rolls a one, don't count that dice. MUTINY Conspirators who support the character's Rhetoric start to have their own ideas. is condition can only be taken if their is at least one Conspirator supporting the character's Rhetoric. Choose a Conspirator that supports the character's Rhetoric, each time that Conspirator is helps a dice roll the person rolling must allocate dice to the mutinying Conspirator that add up to the number of skills the Conspirator has. If not enough dice are allocated, the Conspirator is disowned (but does not grant bonus dice for disowning).

MAJOR CONDITIONS

HUNTED e Regime has singled out this character for their actions. During Regime Scenes the GM gets one extra dice to use against this character. PREDICTABLE ere's a pattern to the actions of this character and the Regime exploits it. Add three to the Regime Force for this character only.

CRITICAL CONDITIONS

COMPROMISED A Compromised character has been coerced by the Regime into taking minor actions against the Movement. A player character's dedication to their Rhetoric is unwavering, but e Regime has threatened or put at risk something the character values, and the character has to do what the Regime says to avoid losing it. Any time the player rolls dice the GM may take one dice (before they are assigned to check total or successes) and keep it. Keep the same number facing up, the GM may add this dice (with the same number facing up) to any future roll. Once a compromised dice is used it is lost, only one compromised dice may be used per GM roll. DESPAIR Sometimes it seems like the Movement will never triumph, like the Regime isn't worth ghting. In Movement Scenes the character does not get any dice form the skill they choose. Regime Scenes are unaected. HESITATION e character's dedication to their Rhetoric wavers. Raise the Regime Force by 2 for each character with this condition. e bonus to Regime Force goes away when this condition is removed.

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SCENE STRUCTURE
Scenes in Revolucion are like scenes in a movie: sometimes a scene is just a few lines with intense implications, sometimes a scene is a series of quick shots that establishes a series of events. Scenes are grouped into Rounds. A Round is made up of one Regime Scene and one Movement Scene per player. A Round begins with the GM framing one Regime Scene for each player. Once each player has had a Regime Scene, each player gets a Movement Scene. Once all the Movement Scenes are done, the next Round begins.

REGIME SCENES

A Regime Scene is always about the Regime doing something against the player. e GM's job in these scenes is to make the players hate the Regime, but without oending the player. If the Regime never does anything bad the Movement feels pointless, but be careful not to go too far and spoil the fun for anyone. e GM should decide on a goal for the Regime Scene from the list later on. Once the GM knows what kind of scene it's going to be, describe to the players the setup: who's there, where the scene is, what it looks like, and what's going on. e character of the player who's scene it is should always be there, other characters may be there. Any other NPCs are played by the GM or a player who doesn't have another character in the scene. If the scene involves a crowd, riot, or rabble everyone should help give voice to the mob. Keep on playing out what the characters do until there's a clear point where the action could go either way, in favor of the player or the Regime. When that happens, resolve the scene using the rules described later. Regime scenes are the rst scenes of the game, so it's important that the GM use them to kick o the action. Regime Scenes are always about making the Regime a credible threat, but the rst Regime scenes really have to provoke a response. Go aer what the players care about and try to burn it to the ground.

REGIME SCENE GOALS

For a Regime Scene the GM may choose any of these Goals. COUNTER INSURGENCY e Regime tries to win back members of the Movement. For each Success the GM may take one Stooge from the target player's Rhetoric. Alternatively, the GM may spend a number of Successes equal to the number of skills a Conspirator has to make that Conspirator support the Motto opposite their current Rhetoric. e Conspirator being converted may not help either side in the Regime scene. DEFENSES Based on intelligence about the Movement, the Regime puts plans into motion to stymie the Movement. For each Success, the GM gets a bonus dice.

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ENFORCEMENT Without worrying about who they oend along the way, the Regime cracks down on the Movement and makes a show of strength. If the GM has at least one Success, subtract one from the Opposition score.

MOVEMENT SCENES

Movement Scenes are when the player characters get to stick it to the Regime. e player states the goal of the scene (from the list later on) and may also suggest how the scene should be framed. Act out the action just like a Regime scene: the players of any characters present play their characters, any NPCs are played by the GM or the other characters, everyone plays any mobs. When the point when it could go either way happens, roll the dice.

MOVEMENT SCENE GOALS

For a Movement Scene the Player may choose any of these Goals. Each type of Goal (except Rally) is tied to a type of skill, using that type of skill makes it easier to achieve that goal. RECRUIT STOOGES (SOCIAL) e player tries to nd new members for the Movement. Each Success adds one Stooge to the player's Rhetoric. RECRUIT CONSPIRATOR (SOCIAL) e player tries to nd someone with a particular skill or ability. Each success allows the player to add one skill for the Conspirator. e Conspirator always Supports the player's Rhetoric. IMPROVE CONSPIRATOR (SOCIAL/MENTAL) Every Conspirator has room to grow, the player teaches or develops a new skill for the Conspirator. Each success adds one skill to a Conspirator. SITUATION BONUS (MENTAL) rough preparations, planning, spying, or sheer smarts the player sets up a later success. Each success grants the player a bonus dice. ACT (PHYSICAL) An Act scene actually strikes against the Regime. Each success adds one to the Opposition score. RALLY A Rally scene is special, any skill can be used equally well for a rally. Each success in a rally scene can be used to either remove one Taxed skill penalty from one player or to remove a condition from one player.

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SKILLS AND SCENES

Each player can only use each skill once per Round. e skill used in the Regime Scene can't be used again until the next Round, it cannot be used in the Movement Scene or to help another player.

SCENE RESOLUTION

When the time comes to resolve a scene use this section to determine which side prevails. Con ict is always between a player and the Regime (GM), con ict between player characters can be roleplayed but never goes to dice. Scenes are resolved by picking up a number of dice, rolling them, and looking at the result to determine success. During Regime Scenes only the GM counts successes, during Movement Scenes only the player counts successes.

e rst step is deciding what skill the player is using. Skill choice may give a bonus during Movement Scenes (see below) but each skill can only be used once per round (see above). e player picks up a number of dice equal to the rating of the skill they chose. If the type of skill chosen matches the skill types of the scene, the player gets one more dice. In Regime scenes the GM has a number of dice equal to the current Opposition score plus two dice per player to secretly split between the players. Each player must get at least one dice. ese dice are rolled against the player to determine the result.

SKILL CHOICE

HELPING CONSPIRATORS

Any Conspirators that participated in the scene may help. Conspirators that support the player's Rhetoric always help, Conspirators that support another Rhetoric only help if the player that created that Rhetoric allows it. Each Conspirator can only help once per round. Each Conspirator grants the player a single dice. If the Conspirator has the same skill the player is using, they grant a second dice. e GM may use any Conspirator that supports a Motto during a Regime Scene to grant one dice, regardless of the skills the Conspirator has.

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HELPING PLAYERS

A player may use any skill they haven't already used this round to aid another player's roll. ey grant a number of dice equal to half the skill they use to help, rounded down.

CHECK

Once the player has their dice pool, roll all the dice. Add them up to get a total. Compare the total to the target number. If the scene is a Movement Scene the Regime Force is the target number. If the scene is a Regime Scene, the player's check total is the target number for the GM.

RESPONSE

Both the GM and all players have a chance to respond to the roll. Any player may spend bonus dice on the roll. If a bonus dice rolls a 6, grab another dice, roll it, and add it in. Conspirators that provided dice to the scene may be disowned. Disowning a Conspirator allows the player to pick up new dice equal to the number of skills the Conspirator has, roll them, and add them to the total. e rolling player is always the one who chooses which Conspirators to disown, even if those conspirators support another Rhetoric. A Conspirator disowned by a player leaves play unless the GM has a Regime Scene with the goal of Counter Insurgency on that Conspirator during the next Round. A disowned conspirator is always converted, just play out the scene without rolling dice. A Conspirator disowned by the GM always leaves play. Stooges may be disowned as well. Each disowned Stooge adds three to the check total. If the roll would otherwise be a failure, the player may take a condition to make it a success instead. e type of condition taken determines the degree of success. A Minor Condition is good for one success, a Major Condition gives two, and a Critical Condition provides three. During Movement scenes the GM's options change slightly. e GM spend bonus dice to add the result of the roll to the Regime Force for that scene only. e GM may Disown Conspirator to roll a number of dice equal to the Conspirator's skills and add the total to the Regime Force for that scene only. Each Stooge disowned by the GM adds three to the Regime Force for that scene only.

RESULTS

Once all responses have been made, the check total is compared to the target number. If the check total is greater than or equal to the target number, the roll succeeds. If the target number is not met, the roll fails.

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If a player fails a Movement Scene roll the skill they used for the roll is Taxed. A Taxed skill is halved (minimum 1). A skill may be Taxed more than once, keep track of the number of Taxes, each must be removed separately. If a player succeeds in a Movement scene, they have a number of successes equal to the number of helping Conspirators (including those that were disowned) plus the number of helping players plus the number of disowned Stooges. Successes are spent based on the type of scene, see Movement Scene types above. If the GM succeeds in a Regime scene, they get a number of successes equal to the dierence between the GMs roll and the players roll.

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THE END
When the opposition becomes equal or greater than the Regime Strength the Regime falls. Each player character gets a nal scene. is nal scene should take place either in the climactic nal moments of the Regime's rule or shortly aerwards, as the power void le by the Regime is lled. Each player chooses what skill to use for their nal scene. ere is no bonus for using a particular skill. Resolve the roll as a Movement Scene, but add one half the Opposition to the target number. Conspirators and Stooges can be disowned as usual, but bonus dice from Situation Bonus scenes cannot be used. e GM may not respond to these scenes. If the player succeeds, they narrate the place of their character and their Rhetoric in the time aer the Regime falls. e only restriction is that they may not determine the fate of any other player character or Rhetoric. If the player fails either their character ourishes aer the Regime falls or their Rhetoric is a key part of the new landscape, but not both. e player chooses between the character or the Rhetoric and narrates accordingly. e narration may not determine the fate of any other player character or Rhetoric.

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SETTINGS
"The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from all the oligarchies of the past, in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. - George Orwell, 1984

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HIPPO-OCRACY
Water is life on the African Savanna, and the hippos are the water. For more generations than even the elephants remember the hippos have lived in the watering hole, digging it deeper as they wallow, so that even in droughts there is still a pool. e hippos control the water, so the hippos control the land. e next nearest place with substantial water is miles away, into the territory of even ercer beasts. With no other choice but to pay for water by way of food and gis, the other local creatures live under the rule of the lazy hippopotami, but not for much longer.

THE REGIME
e hippos are the Regime. eyre slow, lazy, and petty, but also big and tough enough to keep their stranglehold on the watering hole. Everyone needs water, so everyone gives tribute to the hippos. e rst-class citizens of the hippo regime are the sandpipers, small birds that earn their share by grooming the hippos, going to far as to eat scraps from the hippos mouths. When playing the hippos, make them annoyingly slow, with deep ponderous voices that threaten violence through sheer girth.

TENANTS

MIGHT MAKES RIGHT To be able to throw your weight around, you must have a lot of weight to throw. - Hippo Proverb e hippos hold that their place in the world is derived from their intrinsic power. e servitude of the sandpipers, the control of the water, the tributes of food: its all because most powerful creatures rule, and the hippos are the most powerful creatures. WATER BELONGS TO US Hippos werent made for the water, water was made for the hippos. - Hippo Proverb Being some of the most amphibious creatures on the savanna, the hippos claim that water is their domain. Any other creature that wishes to use the water is doing so by the grace of the hippo. Taking food or favors for access to water is only a fair trade.

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SANDPIPERS ARE SECOND ONLY TO HIPPOS e rst hippo was oered his choice of boons: claws, a trunk, or the companionship of the sandpiper. His choice lead the gods to give the rst compliment. - Hippo Proverb Sandpipers provide services that few other creatures can, making them uniquely well regarded in hippo culture. while other creatures must bring tribute every day for access to the water, the sandpipers are granted the privilege of living among the hippos.

THE MOVEMENT
When the hippos raised the required tribute for access to the water, several creatures nally took up claws and beaks against the hippos. ere is no clear organization, as each creature mostly associates with its own kind, but a common enemy has lead to come cooperation.

WADI THE MEERKAT

RHETORIC: EVEN THE WEAK CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Being a small creature, the hippos demands for food bear even heavier on Wadi. Only able to provide enough tribute to get water at the cost of his own hunger, Wadis family has slowly been starving away since the price of water increased. With the survival of his burrow on the line, Wadi has made friends with a sandpiper and prepared to prove the worth of even the meekest creature to the mighty hippos. Suggested Skills: Sneaky (Mental), Fast Talk (Social), Hard to catch (Physical), Family Man (Social), Devious (Mental)

SIPHO THE CRANE

RHETORIC: SANDPIPERS ARENT WORTHY OF THEIR WINGS

e elevated status of the sandpipers has made enemies of many of the other birds that would like a place in the watering hole. Sipho, like most of the other cranes, was content to pay a daily tribute for the honor of standing in the water, shing out bugs. It took the laughter of a monkey, watching the ritual tribute from the trees, that drove Sipho to act against the hippos. A state of aairs that leaves a creature of the sky to be mocked by a earth-bound monkey requires action. Suggested Skills: Flight (Physical), Observant (Mental), Gossip (Social), Bird Droppings (Physical)

ATU THE HYENA

RHETORIC: WATER BELONGS TO EVERYONE

Lack of water has taken a toll on Atus pack. e pack leader has been passing his share of the food and water to the pups, but at the cost of his own health. With the pack nearly leaderless and no clear successor, Atu has stepped up to take control of the pack, the water, and whatever else he can get. Suggested Skills: Pack Hunting (Physical), Hunters Bond (Social), Tactician (Mental), Laughing Howl (Social)

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THE CRIMSON SKY

Based on John Harpers Lady Blackbird e Empires ying ships have been stepping up patrols since reports of a smuggling ship escaping from e Hand of Sorrow reached Ilysium. eyve even pulled in ships from the Imperial Expansion to keep the peace on the capital. at was their rst mistake. e Crimson Sky nally have a chance to topple Ilysium, and maybe the entire Empire. e I.S.S. Hollis arrived at the capital yesterday. Her captain, Lieutenant Tomas Grzesczak, is a Crimson Sky sympathizer. With any luck by the end of the week well have a sympathetic crew, a full armament, and enough information to hit the key targets, throw Ilysium into chaos, and begin the fall of the Empire. ats if the law and the Stone Judges dont catch us rst.

THE REGIME
e Empire is ocially rules by Empress Sadhana Serra, but the day-to-day governance is handled by the House of Lords. e Empires power comes from the Navy and the Blooded noble houses, as well as control of the small rocks of land that oat throughout the Wild Blue. Ilysium is the capital rock of the Empire, with smaller outposts spread throughout the Blue. e Empire lays claim to all stable rocks oating within its territory and regularly sends ying ships out to investigate new rocks that have dropped from the upper Blue or surfaced from the depths. Law within the Empire is an artifact of an unknown, older civilization. e discovery of ancient, living stone gures that had complete knowledge of some long-lost law helped transform the early chaotic Empire into the stable government that now holds sway over half of the Blue. Adopting the ancient law, perfectly applied by the Stone Judges, gave the stability needed for the Empire to expand to its current boundaries. New stone judges are occasionally found when excavating older rocks, and their recovery always a matter of importance since each Judge has some speci c knowledge of the Five Fold Law (as the Judges refer to it) that others do not.

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TENANTS

MAGIC BELONGS IN THE HANDS OF THE FEW It is unlawful for any person not bestowed the dispensation of the Royal Head to wield, research, obtain, or claim to posses the powers of the blood (here aer referred to as magic). - Magincarnum Rex, part of the Five Fold Law, as recorded from the rulings of Judge Meritus Imperial law holds that magic is the privilege of the nobility. Since magic is primarily passed down through bloodlines few have the opportunity to challenge the noble chokehold on magic. It is only the odd bastard or noble who has forsaken their title that even has potential to wield magic without royal dispensation. PEACE COMES FROM THE CAPITAL Authority to rule, levy taxes, raise armies, and otherwise administer the Empire is granted to colonies and cities only by the grace of the Royal Head and their government. ey serve at their Majestys whim. - On Cities, part of the Five Fold Law, as recorded in the ruling of Judge Neblis e outlying areas, from the smallest rock to Olympia, have self-governance only by the kindness of the royal government in Ilysium. Local laws and actions are always subject to review by anyone up to the Empress herself. ALL WORLDS ARE BETTER OFF UNDER OUR RULE By the right and good power vested in the Royal Head, this law is set forth to make upon these lands a better civilization, such that those so ruled may prosper and pursue their just interests. Purported to be the rst words spoken by the rst Judge discovered. e Empires tule is not deliberately or systematically cruel. Most ocials act at least claim to be working for the best interest of those they rule, any many believe it. NAVAL TECHNOLOGY IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF THE EMPIRE On the matter of ship hulls, fuel, and sails, and the design thereof: these items, being the product of knowledge held by the people in general, shall always be the property of the Royal Head, so that no man may falsely lay claim to devices that would bene t all. - Judge Meritus, deciding the case of Ilysium Trading Co. v. e Royal Navy Imperial ships are out tted with the most advanced aeronautical technology of anything in the Wild Blue, at least as much as politics allows. A well-out tted Imperial ship travels faster, cleaner, and safer than anything else in the air, and the Empire likes to keep it that way.

THE MOVEMENT
e Crimson Sky is a loosely organized rebellion with isolated cells on just about every rock this side of the Blue. Most rocks just have a handful of people in a bar, but Ilysium and Olympia have multiple, well-organized cells dedicated to bringing down the Empire. e Illysium cell is nominally lead by Prof. Lee Perkins, but Perkins has no real control over the other members. Instead they meet fortnightly at a seedy bar in the dock district to plan actions against the Empire. Most recently, theyve come into contact with Lieutenant Grzesczak, who has decided to defect his ship to the Crimson Sky.
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JEFFERSON PICKETT, ANARCHIST

RHETORIC: NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO RULE ANYONE ELSE

Jeerson joined the Crimson Sky as a necessary evil. While he hates having anyone ruling over him, Jeerson respects the other Crimson Sky revolutionaries for the common goal of bringing down the Empire. He dreams of one day living in a world with no authority. Suggested Skills: Mad Bomber (Physical), Raving Mad (Social), Sabotage (Mental), Rioting (Social)

PROFESSOR LEE PERKINS

RHETORIC: SELF RULE IS THE ONLY JUST RULE

As he gets older and more ornery, Professor Perkins has moved from yelling at the kids to get o his lawn to yelling at the Empire to get o his campus. A true academic, Lee is best at plotting the downfall of Imperial Rule, but less useful when the time comes to act. Acting as the leader of his cell of the Crimson Sky, he has arranged a meeting between the cell and Lieutenant Tomas to gure out how to best go about taking the I.S.S. Hollis from the Empire. Prof. Perkins dreams of a day when he can teach without the meddling of those who think they know better. Suggested Skills: Lecture (Social), Academic (Mental), Professor (Social), Peaceful Resistance (Physical)

HAZEL WINTER

RHETORIC: MAGIC IS A GIFT TO EVERYONE

e bastard daughter of a rich noble, Hazel is a Wind Blood. Unlike her fathers Storm Blood, Hazels magic is more subdued, but she looks upon it as a gi: a gi she feels everyone should be allowed to have. Hazel dislikes the Empire only is so much as it stops her from sharing her love for magic and the world. She dreams of a world where she, her love, and her magic are all free. Suggested Skills: Hugs (Social), Wind Blooded (Physical), Connected (Mental), Noble Blood (Social)

LIEUTENANT TOMAS GRZESCZAK

RHETORIC: NAVEL TECHNOLOGY CAN DO MORE GOOD IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE

Not being of noble birth, Tomass career in the navy has peaked. With little chance of promotion beyond his current rank and command, the Lieutenant has become disillusioned with his post, and with the Empire as a whole. Aer years of rescuing travelers from Sky Squids and pirates, Tomas is ready to see the technology that keeps his men safe spread to everyone, and he plans to do that by defecting his ship, the I.S.S. Hollis, to the Crimson Sky. He dreams of ying the Wild Blue without orders for ever. Suggested Skills: Combat Training (Physical), Naval Tactics (Mental), Command (Social), Decorated Serviceman (Social), Combat Flying (Physical)

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PENULTIMATE CATASTROPHE
e heroes of Universe 52632-Tangent B have lost their greatest battle. e fate of whats le of the world is in the hands of a few remaining superbeings. What will the world be like when they defeat the evil thats taken over? From the beginning the heroes were overpowered. Negatheus villainous scheme caught the entire planet entirely o guard when e Anti-Being used a fragment of a plane from Flight 19, long lost in the Bermuda Triangle, to teleport the Earth itself into the despair well of Ome, the living black hole. With the populace subdued along with many superhumans, Negatheus proceeded to conquer the Earth in a matter of days. With an army of villains, joined superheroes swayed by Omes despair well, Negatheus defeated every active superteam and laid claim to the entire Earth as his domain. Only a few heroes remain. As their hope is leached away by the encompassing despair of Ome, will the heroes be able to defeat Negatheus and make a better Earth? Play on!

THE REGIME
Negatheus is literally a being of pure evil. Until recently he existed only abstractly, able to in uence only the thoughts of others if they wandered too close to his metaphysical realm. Somehow he gained physical form and immediately put into action a plan to take over the Earth as a rst step to drawing the entire universe into his hideous rule. Supporting Negatheus are a legion of thugs, villains and bad guys. Evil Janitor swept the oor with the good guys, heroes are still missing within the thousand pitch-black rooms of Darkhome, the living building, and Dial Tone brought down the entire telecommunications network. e slime of the Earth now have complete control, with the iron st of Negatheus leading them. Negatheus rule is cemented with the help of Prescriptions chemical bonding powers. Under the guidance of Negatheus, Prescription uses his power to produce mood altering drugs that give temporary relief from the depressing eects of Omes presence. e controlled distribution of

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these drugs keeps Negatheus in control of even the most powerful villains and some of the more weak-willed heroes.

TENANTS

FREEDOM IS DEAD Look around you, Professor Arcane! No one is cheering for you to win, they just want to avoid the pain for a while. Freedom died when Negatheus won, now there is only despair now. - e Imp, in battle with Professor Arcane aer the fall of New York Obedience to Negatheus is absolute. To disobey is to condemn yourself to eternal suering in Omes presence. No one would be foolish enough to disobey Negatheus. HUMANITY DESERVES DEFEAT How easy this fragile little husks and the ideas they contain are bent to me will. Someday I will regret having not savored their defeat for longer. - Negatheus, observing the wreckage from the balcony of Darkhome while visiting Paris Negatheus rule is founded on the principle that humanity does not deserve to exist. To gain support he tells his followers that they are of enough value to be kept, but Negatheus ultimate goal is to reduce humanity to an idea by wiping out every human being in the universe. SUFFERING IS LIFE eres nothing le for you, no friends, no family, no heroes. Were it. Were your new family. Bwahhahahaha. - Stab, before decapitating Fallback in the St. Petersburg Crater. ere is no promise of a better world in Negatheus regime. Suering is the default state, only those that please Negatheus or earn their place get to escape the never-ending pull of Omes emotional pit. THE HEROES LOST Where are your heroes now? - Negatheus, touring the Reeducation Center (formerly Brazil). e villains believe their victory to be absolute. e heroes have been beaten, killed, converted, or driven away. All that remains is evil.

THE MOVEMENT
Despite Negatheus triumph, a few heroes have survived and have started to plan a way to win Earth back. Meeting in deserted hideouts to avoid detection, a resistance has formed. With no clear leaders and only a few members of considerable power, their chances are slim, but they ght on anyway. How to beat Negatheus is a topic of much discussion. A few heroes hold out hope that Meta will return from the outside with the foreshadowing machine and set Negatheus demise in motion, but e Woman at No Page Could Contain has not been heard from and is presumed dead. Others advocate in ltration, and a few heroes are ready to leave Earth behind until theyre more sure of victory. No plan has been put into action yet for lack of a leader.

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In addition to the heroes, a few hardy humans have been saved. Mostly the husbands , wives, and family of the remaining heroes, they eek out a meager in the dank caves and arctic retreats of the heros.

PERSPECTIVE, THE 2D MAN

RHETORIC: PEOPLE CAN STILL BE FREE

Squeezed in between universes during an expedition to Dimension X, Lawrence Bucker found himself stripped of one of his dimensions. Now completely at, Bucker explores the strange edges of the world and defeats the forces that would make life at as Perspective, the 2D Man. Buckers lack of a 3rd dimension seems to have given him some resistance to Omes eld. Being naturally stealthy, Perspective has been able to explore more than other heroes. Suggested Skills: Two Dimensional (Physical), 2D inking (Mental), Witty Banter (Social), Explorer (Mental)

THE MANTIS

RHETORIC: HUMANS ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO SURVIVE ANYTHING

When Wilson Strum found treasure in his back yard while digging for worms he viewed it as a very strange gi, one that required him to make the most of it. Aer years of philanthropic investment, Wilson retreated from public life, faking his own death so that he could make the world better as a masked vigilante. With no powers beyond his wealth, Strum trained himself to the peak of human perfection. Taking on a symbol he thought sure to disguise his identity, he set out to prove that good people still exist. Hes been able to resist the black depths of emotion that have eected the rest of the planet through sheer training and force of will. While other heroes y above the ght, e Mantis is on the ground, with the people. Suggested Skills: Olympic-Level Athlete (Physical), Preparations (Mental), Man of Mystery (Social), Gadgets (Physical)

DEAD HEAD

RHETORIC: NO ONE DESERVES TO SUFFER

Aer a car accident in the dead of winter, Olivia Dean had the misfortune on arriving on the operating table of Doctor Tobias Finch, who would later be known as e Mad Doctor. Already beginning his decent into insanity, Dr. Finch saved Olivia by transferring all her mental activity into the rest of her body, letting her head die. Days later Olivia found that this had the strange side eect of trapping those that died nearby inside her head, until her head lled and some of the spirits passed on. Using the memories and skills of the dead to solve crimes, Olivia Dean became Dead Head. Since her brain is not actually alive, Dead Head is unaected by Omes despair well. Suggested Skills: e Memories of 256 Dead People (Mental), Empathy (Social), Strange Physiology (Physical), Dead Personalities (Social)

UNOCTIUM, THE NOBLE GAS

RHETORIC: THE HEROES ALWAYS WIN

e only survivor of a heavier universe where all molecular motion stopped, Unoctium came to Earth as his people tried to escape their doomed world. Made entirely of a super-dense gas,
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Unoctium is the only source of element 118 in the known universe. Taking it upon himself to defend his adopted home, Unoctium works ceaselessly to keep Earth safe. Since he has no human physiology, Unoctium is not eected by Omes emotions. Suggested Skills: Superdense Gas (Physical), Inspirational (Social), Elemental Knowledge (Mental)

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REVOLUCION
NAME RHETORIC

PHYSICAL MENTAL SOCIAL CONDITIONS

MINOR MAJOR CRITICAL
SNITCH HUNTED COMPROMISED MUTINY PREDICTABLE DESPAIR HESITATION

SCENE TYPES
RECRUIT STOOGES - RECRUIT CONSPIRATORS IMPROVE CONSPIRATOR - SITUATION BONUS ACT - RALLY

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