On the Workbench this Morning

How in the hell do you draw a car? I dunno. Just scribbling away on some Fate Accelerated material before I focus on 5e.

The Rag Doll Children

The folks who live deep in the woods are a queer, insular lot. They don't mix with regular folk and keep to themselves. Their customs are their own and speculation about their lifestyle is excellent coffee shop fodder.

     The hill folks' children are a terrifying lot. The filthy ragamuffins are rarely seen. Their eyes are sunken into their pale, bony faces and they wear tattered, soiled rags for clothes.

     On account of their extreme poverty, the "rag doll children" as they are often called are left to their own when it comes to food. They wander the woods in desperate packs, looking for anything to eat. They are not above raiding hen houses and breaking into unattended cabins. A few hunters report run ins with the children and were chilled to the bone by their feral, vicious manner.

     Perhaps the investigators in your campaign might need a little rest and relaxation to recover from damaged stress tracks and annoying Consequences. They might decide to go campaign for the weekend and when they do, they get paid a visit by the forest's darkest denizens.

RAG DOLL CHILD
creepy denizen of the holler, at home in the deepest of the hillside thickets

Great (+4) at: Being stealthy
Good (+3) at: Climbing, hunting
Fair (+2) at: Clawing your damn eyes out

Stress: [_] [_]

Conversion Experience: Sheriff Tubbs' Beatin' Stick

Southern Bastards #2; Image Comics; May 2014; $3.50

Earl Tubbs' daddy used to be the sheriff in Craw County, Alabama. According to Earl, he loved the county more than his own family. In his day Sheriff Tubbs was tough as nails.

     His signature weapon was a club that was always by his side. Some say that the stick was signed by Bear Bryant, legendary University of Alabama football coach. By all accounts, the sheriff swung a mean club and many law-breakers felt its wrath.

     Fast forward many years and now Sheriff Tubbs lays in a grave in his front yard. A massive, gnarly old tree grows out of it. The tree is every bit as unyielding and tough as the sheriff.

     On the night his aging son Earl plans to leave Craw County for good a bolt of lightning shatters the tree. Within the tree is none other than his daddy's club. How could that be? It's impossible! Whatever the cause, it's a sure sign that Earl is meant to stay in town in order to take care of the evil that has festered during his father's absence.

Sheriff Tubbs' Beatin' Stick
Consider the weapon an Extra. When used in combat it provides the wield one extra shift in combat, two if the wielder is a descendant of Sheriff Tubbs.

Conversion Experience: Dusty Tutwiler

Southern Bastards #1; Image Comics; April 2014; $3.50

A lifetime ago I was accepted to graduate school at the University of North Carolina and the University of South Carolina. Sometimes I regret not attending either school (I chose San Diego State), but things have worked out okay. Still, my interest in the South remains, so how could I pass up a title like Southern Bastards?

     In this first issue we learn of Coach Boss, a local kingpin who happens to be the high school football coach. In the South, football has a an almost religious aspect to it. The vehicle of this knowledge is Dusty Tutwiler, a terrified man with bloodshot eyes and a penchant for thievery. The fear evident in Dusty is an excellent story-telling device. The nastier the villain, the greater the terror he inspires in his victims.

     In Fate Accelerated, you can use Dusty as generic street-level rabble who has made a powerful enemy. He's desperate and scared, yet still retains a bizarre sense of honor.

Dusty Tutlwiler
Stoned and stupid; In a heap o' trouble

Good (+2) at: Stealing, football trivia
Bat (-2) at: Fightng, common sense

Stress: [_]

Notes: Dusty has a wad of stolen cash on his person.

The Restless Dead

Those who perish in the black waters of Whitaker Cove have a disturbing habit of returning to exact hate-filled vengeance upon the living. The attacks always occur at night and target lone individuals.

THE RESTLESS DEAD
They "live" to throttle the living

Good (+2) at: Spreading terror, choking the life out of lone victims
Bad (-2) at: Pretty much everything else

Stress: [_][_]

Notes: When one of the restless dead rises from its watery grave, the event can be terrifying for anyone unfortunate enough to be present. At the start of the scene, the GM should roll 6 dice. (4 dice for its attack modified by two dice more for its affinity for spreading terror.) The attack is not a physical one, but still targets the stress track of the victim as it represents emotional trauma.

A player can defend normally, or perhaps they can voluntarily  take themselves out of the scene (earning a Fate point in the process) and perhaps dictate that they flee in gibbering, wailing terror.

Video Note: Fender Squire running through a Catalinbread Belle Epoch into a Vox AC4. One of the reasons for my prolonged blogging absence was a partial tear of my right ACL I suffered while surfing. I spent nearly 18 months rehabbing and trying to get back into form, but sadly my days in the water are over. It's been a crushing blow, but to help me cope I picked up the guitar. It's not a total loss, I guess. :)

Conversion Experience: Panda-Bot Mk V

Empty Zone #1; Image Comics; June 2015; $3.50

Today's read is a William Gibson/Cyberpunk/grim future kind of thing. It was a rather decent issue and I look forward to seeing where this series goes. In this installment of Conversion Experience, I want to share an awesome looking robot that appeared briefly. No name was listed for the machine, so apologies for my rather lame moniker.

PANDA-BOT MK V
Robotic Killing Machine

Skilled (+2) at: Breaking things and killing people
Bad (-2) at: Diplomacy, creative thinking

Stunt
Because the Panda-Bot Mk. V Makes Sudden, Violent Entrances, once per session the robot can appear unexpectedly in a scene and immediately attack a foe. In the comic, the immediate attack came in the form of broken shards of a door it had kicked impaling/bludgeoning people.

Stress: [_][_]

Notes: Its attacks can be either physical (punching, kicking) or via a beam weapon that emanates from the palm of its right hand. Per the comic, the robot is capable of being reprogrammed to make it a docile servant.

Finn's Golden Sword of Battle

Available for about $25 in many comic book stores, this plastic replica of Finn's Golden Sword of Battle from the cartoon Adventure Time, is an indispensable monster slaying tool. Although it's made of plastic, in the hands of a true believer (see below) it can cause actual harm to beasties.

     In Fate, treat the weapon as an Extra and note the following text on a character sheet:

Finn's Golden Sword of Battle
     When used in melee, it can inflict damage to a monster's stress track as if it were a real sword.

     If a character does a bit of research on the topic of lethal toy swords (I suggest a Careful approach) and scores a Good (+3) result, then he or she will learn the following from a paranormal research discussion board:

     "The precedent of toy swords being able to harm malevolent creatures was set in the summer of 1979 by Joe Gibbs of Venice Beach, CA. At the time, eight-year-old Joe and other children in the area were plagued by a disturbing number of attacks and abductions targeting children. Joe and his friends armed themselves with home-made wooden swords. Joe spray painted his sword silver and tied a black bandanna around the hilt.

     Armed with their humble weapons, Joe and his friends were able to defend themselves from further predation. Joe's sword is currently in the possession of members of the "Thursday Night Fight Club", a paranormal investigating team based in Los Angeles.

     As to why the toy swords can harm monsters, it is speculated that the monsters made themselves vulnerable to attack by violating a centuries old compact regarding quotas relating to predation upon children. Because the monsters violated the "rules of warfare" so to speak, the concession was that children (and perhaps those adults who retain a child-like belief in the supernatural) could now better protect themselves."

Troubled in Their Dreams Again

When the weather turns foul, the citizens of Whitaker Cove, a quiet fishing village in the Pacific Northwest, suffer. The phenomena is well-documented in various metaphysical and paranormal journals.

     One form of torment that the residents endure are bad dreams that portend their deaths. On more than one occasion, the dreams have come true. Skeptics have dismissed such incidents as coincidence, but the wise know that it's better not to scoff.

     The next time the wind howls and the heavens open up to unleash a torrent of rain, roll appropriate dice to select one of the investigators in the campaign. Next, have that investigator roll 1d6 to determine the kind of prophetic dream he or she experiences. The nightmare depicts the character's demise, so the table below will determine the cause of death. Feel free to elaborate on the dream during play.

Bad Dream
roll 1d6
1. The character drowns in turbulent waters.
2. The poor soul is burned to a crisp in a fire.
3. A terrible car accident claims the investigator's life.
4. The PC dies from a gunshot wound.
5. A ferocious beast tears the character to pieces.
6. The investigator falls from a great height.

     The dream should factor into play at a later date. The next time the character is in a stressful situation where the key element from his or her nightmare is present, that element should be represented by an Aspect. The game master should then tag/compel that Aspect to heighten the drama.

     For example, if the investigator is having a violent encounter on a boat, the game master could add "Watery Grave" to the scene and inform the investigator that he or she is reminded of a bad dream that foretold death by drowning.

Video Notes: I found some cool footage online and recorded a guitar part over it. I think it came out okay. I'm playing a Fender Modern Player Short Scale Telecaster though a Catalinbread Belle Epoch delay pedal into a Vox AC4 tube amp.

Stuck in a Meeting Map

I'm scribbling away here in a meeting, trying to get ready for an upcoming session. My concept for a location is an observatory that looks deep into the earth instead of peering skyward. We'll see how it goes.

     Hmmm...it appears I can't spell observatory.

Ancient Observatory
Aspects: Ancient and Crumbling, Magical Telescopes

Conversion Experience: Second String Bubba

Esaw, the big 'neck in the foreground, will be detailed at a later date.

SECOND STRING BUBBA

Not Starting Material, Rebel Pride!

Good (+2) at: Football, Stomping People's Asses
Bad (-2) at: Independent Thought
Stress: [_][_]

Extras: A baseball bat provides a free shift when used in combat; A football helmet provides a free shift when the thug is resisting an attack.

     When Coach Boss needs someone to be put down, he sends out his linebackers coach, Esaw, along with a few second stringers. (He can't risk having any of his starters hurt.) The young men are big, but dumb, and do not act without Esaw's direction.

Morning Coffee Map

Someone feels that they have been wronged, so they travel to a hidden shrine to pray to a deity of vengeance. Being capricious, the deity may exact vengeance on behalf of the petitioner. Then again, he may inflict the desired punishment on the person who has been been wronged instead of the wrong-doer. The deity likes to remind people that revenge is a dangerous, unpredictable beast.

Temple of Vengeance
Aspects: Dark and deep; Revenge comes at a cost

Micah Rabinov, viola player and supernatural investigator

I am getting a chance to play Fate Accelerated this weekend. My character is Micah Rabinov, a viola player. I was asked to describe how he got interested in the occult and supernatural, so I decided to tie my character's passion for music into his background. My character will be rotten in combat, which I did by design. I appreciate the Cthulhu-esque idea of polished, academic types finding themselves in way over their heads when tentacled trouble rears its freakish head.

     Micah used to play the violin until he found a mysterious, badly decayed piece of music at an estate sale. He took it home and immediately began playing. The first movement was slow, almost dirge-like and as Micah played he was consumed by a dark, brooding mood. He even wept at one point and had to stop playing.

     The second movement was furious, violent and required all of the talent Micah could muster to play. At one dramatic flourish the unthinkable happened. Micah's left hand - the hand used on the fingerboard - broke! The hand didn't just break - the fingers literally and suddenly bent backwards as if an unseen force was snapping each one.

     Micah's recovery was long, arduous and quite painful. Eventually, he was able to play again, but he took up the viola as the slightly larger size accommodated his hand, which is slightly arthritic even though Micah is only 30 years old.

     Micah burned the mysterious piece of music, but its magical nature has haunted him for years. He hopes to someday locate its composer. If there is a composition that was capable of breaking his hand, then perhaps there is one that can restore it to full health.

MICAH RABINOV 
viola player and supernatural investigator

ASPECTS 
High Concept: Talented musician who suffers for his art
.
Trouble: I might have a painkiller problem because of my hand.
.
Other Aspects: I enjoy the finer things in life.

APPROACHES 
Careful: +3 (good), Clever: +2 (fair), Flashy: +1 (average), Forceful: +0, Quick: +2 (fair), Sneaky: +1 (average)

STUNTS 
I've Been Playing an Instrument Since I Was a Toddler
     Because I've Been Playing an Instrument Since I Was a Toddler, I get a +2 when I Carefully attempt to create advantages while playing the viola.

Private School Education
     Because I had a Private School Education, I get a +2 when I Carefully do research to learn more about a subject.

I Know a Lot of Affluent People
     Because I Know a Lot of Affluent People, once per session I can call on a colleague, relative or friend to help me with a problem.

EXTRA
Antique viola provides 1 free shift when played

STRESS: [_] [_] [_]

CONSEQUENCES 
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
Severe (6):

REFRESH: 2

Current Fate Points: 3

Get Out of the Honking Way!

This happens to me at least once a week.

Stop, Hammer time!

You can't touch this.

Conversion Experience: Val Velocity

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #4
Dark Horse; September 2013; $3.99

This mini-series is coming to an end. I am a little sad, as I think there are some great story lines that could run for quite a while. I guess that's how it goes, though. For this installment I would like to present Val Velocity.

     Val Velocity is the misguided, out of control leader of the New Killjoys. He's convinced that bravado, booze and guns are all that's needed to destroy BLI and claim Battery City as his own. No doubt, he and the poor fools he has recruited will all die screaming.

VAL VELOCITY
deranged leader of the New Killjoys who is going to get himself and everyone around him killed

ASPECTS 
High Concept: Deranged leader of the New Killjoys
.
Trouble: BLI wants to kill me and everyone I know.
.
Other Aspects: Killing is the new cool.

APPROACHES 
Careful: +0, Clever: +1 (average), Flashy: +3 (good), Forceful: +2 (fair), Quick: +2 (fair), Sneaky: +1 (average)

STUNTS 
I'm Young and Full of Juice
     Because I'm Young and Full of Juice, I get a +2 when I Flashily attempt to create advantages.

Just Blast Away Until You Hit
     Because "Just Blast Away Until You Hit" is my philosophy, I get a +2 when I Forcefully attack with my gun in combat.

     May take one more stunt without reducing refresh. 

STRESS: [_][_][_]

CONSEQUENCES 
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
Severe (6):

REFRESH: 2

Current Fate Points: 3

Minis in the Mail: Tentacle Horrors

Tentacle horrors arrived in the mail today from Dungeon Crawler. I am very excited to have these as I have been working on a few NPCs that have potent summoning abilities. These minis will be perfect representations for some of the nightmares they can conjure up. 

After I Saw Through This Door I'm Gonna Cut Ya in Half!

This miniature is a thing of beauty. He towers over other 25mm figs and looks quite deranged with his chainsaw. A child NPC in our Fate Accelerated chronicle has recurring nightmares about this beast. When he does, anti-Barnie appears in the flesh somewhere in the neighborhood and starts wreaking havoc. It can be dispelled through normal - violent - means, but little Miguel Ceballos will have to put it down himself for it to be vanquished permanently.

BIG BLUE NIGHTMARE
He'll cut ya in half!

Good (+2) at: Chainsawing things and people
Terrible (-2) at: Everything else

Extras 
His chainsaw is wicked sharp and powerful, so he gets an extra 2 shifts when he attacks with it. 

His thick, rubbery hide reduces an attack by two shifts.

Stress: [_][_][_]

Best Friends Forever Means FOREVER!

"Best Friends Forever Means FOREVER!"
     -Katie Harmon

Katie, the assistant manager at KaPow! Comics in Hollywood, has a thing for Harley Quinn cosplay. While her success in that department is open for debate, what is quite clear is that she has developed an unhealthy fixation with one of the investigators in our chronicle.

     Her obsession is particularly troublesome since Katie has a forceful personality that allows her to dominate the weak-minded and impressionable. Next session, the investigator upon whom Katie fixates (Narine) will have her sleep disturbed when Katie attempts to put a tracking device around her ankle. "If you won't return my texts or calls, then I need to at least know where you are!"

KATIE HARMON 
obsessive best friend

ASPECTS 
High Concept: She dreams of being just as powerful and beautiful as the characters in comic books.
.
Trouble: I've received a few restraining orders in the past.
.
Other Aspects: You say passive aggressive like it's a bad thing.

APPROACHES 
Careful: +2, Clever: +3, Flashy: +0, Forceful: +1, Quick: +1, Sneaky: +2

STUNTS 
Hanging Out with Me is like a Vacation to Stockholm (Syndrome)
     Because Hanging Out with Me is like a Vacation to Stockholm (Syndrome), I get a +2 when I Cleverly create advantages in social situations.

I Found the Key to Your Apartment Under the Front Mat
     Because I Found the Key to Your Apartment Under the Front Mat, I get a +2 when I Sneakily try to overcome an obstacle (locked door).

I Make This Harley Quinn Costume Look Good
     Because I Make This Harley Quinn Costume Look Good, I get a +2 when I Flashily create advantages in social situations.

EXTRA
Forceful Personality
     When attacking in social combat, Katie gets one free shift. This costs 1 refresh.

STRESS: [_] [_] [_]

CONSEQUENCES 
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
Severe (6):

REFRESH: 2

Current FATE Points: 3

Oh. My. Garage. You guys are SO dumb!

"Oh. My. Garage. You guys are SO dumb!"
     -Barbara Schwartz

Barbara Schwartz is a frequent pest in our "I want to live in Los Angeles - Not the one in Los Angeles" chronicle. She's young (twelve or thirteen-years-old), obscenely wealthy and appears to have an impressive talent for magic. She's latched on to the investigators because they are about the only people in the city willing to put up with her.

     She's never without her manny, Anthony, who drives her around and smooths over the problems she causes. Barbara is largely on her own as her parents, who recently divorced, are busy with their own lives and businesses.

BARBARA SCHWARTZ
tween sorcerer

ASPECTS 
High Concept: Every dummy in this stupid city is going to know my name.
.
Trouble: People think I'm just an annoying kid.
.
Other Aspects: My manny will shoot you in the face!; I know a lot about scary stuff.; My trust fund is crazy big.

APPROACHES 
Careful: +3, Clever: +2, Flashy: +1, Forceful: +0, Quick: +2, Sneaky: +1

STUNTS 
Summon Lesser Avatar of Shuddde Me'll
     Because I can Summon Lesser Avatar of Shuddde Me'll, once per day I can summon a frightening tentacle from the earth to do my bidding for one scene.

Summon Lesser Spawn of Shudde M'ell
     Because I can Summon Lesser Spawn of Shudde M'ell, once per day I can summon a freakish monster to do my bidding for one scene.

I'm Loaded
     Because I'm Loaded, I get a +2 when I Cleverly try to create an advantage.

STRESS: [_][_][_]

CONSEQUENCES 
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
Severe (6):

REFRESH: 3

Current FATE Points: 3


Anthony is Barbara's manny/bodyguard. He is an easy-going, good-looking guy in his mid-twenties. Anthony enjoys his work, seeing Barbara as the kid sister he never had. He and Barbara often make funny videos of all the weird stuff they encounter. Contrary to Barbara's wishes, he never shoots anyone at her request and always tries to smooth the feathers she ruffles with her angry outbursts.

     Anthony cannot talk at the moment. Barbara tried to add a magical element to the NDA she had him sign as part of his employment. Ideally, it would have prohibited him from speaking about his time with her to others. Instead, the spell didn't go so well and now he's mute for the next six months or so. It's okay, though. Barbara's dad bought him a Mercedes Benz G-Class for compensation.

ANTHONY
Easy-going manny to a tween sorcerer

Great (+4) at: Making funny Vine videos
Good (+3) at: Driving, bribery, cooking
Fair (+2) at: Shooting, hiding
Terrible (-2) at: Hand to hand combat, relationships

Extras
     Anthony carries an S&W Bodyguard 380, so he gets an extra shift when he attacks with it.

Stress: [_][_]

The Warehouse on Llewellyn Street

At least one or two scenes per session take place at this dilapidated old warehouse on Llewllyn St. near Chinatown. There have been a few pitched battles there, so I thought I'd quickly build a piece of terrain. I just need a basic model to emulate the first floor. The model is ugly and crude, but I think it might work.

     A top down view. Very few frills. Just something to add a bit of atmosphere to a recurring location.

     Coach Bob emerges from the head with bat in hand. He's always ready to lay the wood to errant robots, ghouls and other hooligans.

     Last session Dr. Parker used that desk behind her for cover when a group of ghouls rushed the warehouse.

     Narine has her back to the soda machine. She is unlikely to actually drink any of the high calorie soda as she has the "I look good in yoga pants" aspect.

     Another view. I know the model is ugly and primitive, but I just wanted to craft a little something to enhance our next session.

Thursday Night Fight Club Warehouse
Aspects: Home Court Advantage; What a Dump