Results from Previous round votes:

One Vote

Plan TalonofAnathrax, on SV forum

One Vote

Plan CCC on my blog

Randomizer -> TalonofAnathrax (I feel for ya CCC!  One day…)

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Winning Plan:

[X] Investigate Acquaintance:

-[X] Smasher, (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 2, refunds 1 on success, 2 if we become allies)

[X] Invite Ally into Posse:

-[X] [Builder], (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 3, refunds 3 on success) 

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Day 10  Log:

10 AP at start of day

+0 for 6 hour sleep, due to already full AP (10 AP)

-2 for [Morning] Investigate Acquaintance, Smasher (8 AP)

Investigate roll 3, Failure

+0 for Failure (8 AP)

-3 for [Afternoon] Invite Builder into Posse (5 AP)

Invitation roll 3, Initial Failure

+0 for Failure (5 AP)

End of day, (5 AP).

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Investigate Acquaintance, Smasher

“She won’t be meeting me?” I asked, incredulously.

The girl who’d answered Smasher’s door was basically a mini version of her, almost certainly a younger sister, cousin, or the like.

“I’m so sorry,” she repeated.  “Something came up at the last second and there was just nothing that could be done.”

I reached up and took a hold of the doorframe, buying time to think.

This girl might be too young, or too dumb to realize it, but she was taking her life into her hands here.  I had enough of a reputation problem with the whole assassination attempt thing.  I couldn’t have this kind of thing happen in a public place.

“The last second,” I repeated back to her.  “Exactly what came up?”

I punctuated the question by reaching out and taking hold of her jaw, pulling it down a few inches to make her stoop uncomfortably.

Her eyes widened, as the actual stakes of this interaction seemed to finally hit her.

“She had to…”

Her voice trailed off, eyes darting from side to side as her mind worked overtime to come up with something.

I simply stepped forward, walking her back into the dwelling by my grip on her neck.  I kicked the door closed behind me.

She made a sort of strangled squealing noise, but I was already letting my hand drop and stepping back from her, I’d started the instant we were out of view of the public.

“She…” she tried again, trailed off again.

I took a look around, noting that her tension seemed to increase as I could closer to a certain door.  I ignored her protestations and thrust it open.

I was unsurprised to see Smasher’s figure, collapsed in a heap on the floor, vomit and piss pooling around her.

“She’s just, she needs some time to get it together,” said the girl out in the hall, finally managing to string a sentence together.

I’d sent them the message last night.

“She knew I was coming?” I asked.  “And she still couldn’t get herself in any condition to meet me?”

I looked back to her henchgirl, but she wouldn’t meet my gaze.

“She didn’t, know I was coming,” I said, as I realized the situation.  “She was already out last night.  She hasn’t been up since.”

She nodded mutely.

“What the hell is she on?” I asked, but I barely cared for the answer.

Blisser’s wake could be bottled.  Drugger had some effusions that could affect someone who was Ultra Tough, or maybe she’d just taken a truly heroic amount of human intoxicants.  Regardless of the means, the result was clear enough.  Someone who couldn’t be trusted to answer a social call couldn’t be trusted to have my back in a fight.

I’d been wondering why someone with Ultra Strength Three was wasting their time working in the Ultra Fights, instead of striving for my position, or one of similar provenance, and here was my answer.

“She’s been getting better,” lied her ward.  “I think she’s getting it under control.”

“Sure,” I said.

I turned towards the door.

“Should I tell her you were here?” she asked.

I left without giving her any answer.

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Invite Builder into Posse

Builder smiled as I handed her the roll of cookies.

“You remembered!” she said.  “I love the ones with black outsides and white middles!”

“They are some of the best,” I said.  “But they leave your mouth all gunkie afterwards.”

She smiled, the cookie dust already coating her teeth.  During my response she’d tossed a few double stuffs in her mouth and bit down on them.

“Do you remember what we talked about, the last time we were together?” I asked, taking advantage of her mouth being full to push the conversation  the way that I wanted it to go.

She smiled enthusiastically and nodded.  Her mouth opened a bit and I thought she was going try and say something, but she just stuffed another cookie in.

I chuckled as I looked away, out across the street.

People were hurrying along, their Ultras no doubt having sent them out on various errands.  I didn’t see any Ultras to mar the scene, no Knights stomping about.  It could have been one form my childhood, if I’d grown up in some sort of post apoc wasteland.

“You said you could work with me,” I said, when it became clear that she wasn’t going to be using her mouth for talking until all of the food was gone, “that you’d stay back and support us with your gift.”

She nodded again, rapidly.

“How about it?” I asked.  “I think there’s a place for you in my Posse!”

Her smile about swallowed her face, and she swallowed the last of my cookies.  I honestly thought she’d agree instantly, but then her face fell.

“Well,” she temporized, “I know I said that, but, um…”

“But?” I asked, a bit bummed that she was having second thoughts now.

She made a gun out of her fingers, and mimed shooting herself in the head, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes when it ‘shot’.

“Getting shot?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said.  “I hear that there are lots of guns out there.  That would be dangerous for me, right?”

“Sure,” I said.

I could already tell that the usual tack I’d take with a Regime Ultra in this sort of situation, implicitly threatening her with a reputation for cowardice, wasn’t going to get me anywhere.  Builder didn’t seem to think that far ahead.

“Did someone warn you?” I asked.  “About the guns I mean?”

“Suzy said it would be very dangerous.  She says real wars aren’t like the Ultra fights that happen in my arenas.  She says everyone is always getting shot all the time forever!”

“Hmm,” I said.

It was on the tip of my tongue to offer her a protective Blend, but I didn’t want to rush into that.  The idea of beginning my purge of Regime Ultras by augmenting a second one, this time deliberately, didn’t really appeal, even before I thought about what KEM would think if the news got out.

And it would get out.  Blender didn’t seem like the type who could keep a secret.  Grower had been one thing, but if I augmented Blender and she told someone, in the same careless way she’d given Suzy up to me as the source of her misgivings, it might get around that I could augment Ultras in a more lasting way.  That road might very well end with me in Snitcher’s situation, locked down and used to augment the Regime’s soldiers instead of allowed independent action.

I’d rather die.

“I’ll look into some solutions for that,” I said.  “But that’s the only problem, right?  If I could find a way to shield you from bullets, you will join me!”

She gave a broad smile.

“As long as there’s food!”

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Day 11:

Days remaining: 20

AP available: (5 end of last day + 1 for half night’s sleep = 6/10

Prestige: 3 (word of attack may reduce this if I don’t take public vengeance soon,2 days left)

Timeslots available: 2 (morning, afternoon)

Posse: 0 out of 3 slots filled

Force size: 0

Condition: Healthy

 

(Ultra format: Role, Ultra Strength/Speed/Toughness, other gift description)

Ultra Allies:

Maker- Friend, and protégé of Snitcher, 0/0/1, can summon the spirit of things

Clawer – Ultra fighter 2/0/1, melee combatant, deadly hooks for hands

Stopper – partner of Clawer, 0/0/0, steals form’s velocity by looking at them

Sticker – Did dentistry for her brother, 0/0/2, Creates slime, can choose its stickiness

Builder —  0/0/0, a woman who can alter objects for miles around into other things

Grower –  0/*0/1, an outside Ultra I sponsored into the Lair, has a bullet blend from me, can rapidly increase the size and mass of objects

 

Ultra Enemies:

Masher- Enemy, and fellow protégé of Subtracter, 3*/0/3*, trades off strength and durability as she moves or stays still

Ultra Acquaintances:

Owner – housemate, 0/0/1 operates an imaginary firm, with real effects on the world,

Picker – First Fist protégé, 0/1/0, ‘selects the outcome of things’

Tracker – Running buddy, 1/0/1, Creates tracks, and can move things on them

Shower – Adder’s protégé, 1*/0/1*, gains strength and durability from witnesses

Echoer – Singer I am a fan of, 1/1/1, can duplicate any action that she sees

Bubbler – Operates Ultra clinic 0/0/?, traps things in bubbles that heal and move them

Sucker — Ultra entertainer, ?/?/?, pulls objects/people towards her at incredible rate

Gunner — 0/0/1, she shoots tracking Ultra Blasts at roughly Ultra Strength One

Chiller —  1/0/1, can freeze any object she touches, leaving them brittle and easily broken

Cutter —  1/1/1, she is a brutal front line combatant

Joker —  0/2/0, a woman who can change what other people/herself look like

Smasher —  3/0/1, a woman who is billed as the strongest Ultra fighter of all time

Swimmer —  1/0/1, she can ‘swim’ through solid surfaces

Burner —  0/0/1, she can summon Ultra fire from anywhere that she can see

Maxxer —  0/0/0, she can augment the gifts of other Ultras, pushing their gifts

Puncher —  1/0/1, her strength and speed both go up when she repeats her movements

Replayer —  1/2/0, she can ‘step back in time’ to undo damage that she takes

 

Faction Rankings:

Regime 7

KEM 8

Pantheon 2

Union 4

Resistance 9

Prevailer 3

Knights 3

 

Actions:

[ ] Assuage Builder’s fear of firearms (Timeslot cost: varies by attempt; AP cost 1, refunds 3 on success, adds Builder to Posse)

-[ ] Write In (use a Blend, figure out a way to get Knight equipment for her, get her conventional bullet proof equipment, find Suzy and ‘convince’ her to stop worrying Builder, etc)

 

[ ] Confront Picker (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 2, returns variable on result)

-[ ] Write in (Should I ambush her, accuse her publicly, reach out privately? This is a complicated situation, so if you have any questions about what is appropriate, what Mia would expect to follow from a given course of action feel free to ask)

  

[ ] Contact Knights (Timeslot cost: 1, AP cost 2, returns 1 on success)

Motive: My recent actions have opened up the possibility of collaboration with the Knights of Purity.  Their assistance could be valuable, insofar as they don’t count towards the Regime’s ridiculous rule against outnumbering our enemies, and I might be able to acquire some of their blessed equipment if I play my cards right.

Concerns: I don’t know if I really want to be associating with such a group.  KEM wouldn’t mind, but the Resistance would pull away from me, and I might end up coming into contact with Second Fist or their sponsored Ultras.  It is likely that anything they might want from me would be rather evil.

 

[ ] Seek Transportation

-[ ] Scavenge (Timeslot cost: 2; AP cost 4, refunds 3 on success)

Motive: My current transportation sufficed for me in my troubleshooter role, but I will likely require a larger vehicle, or several vehicles, in order to bring everyone to Ar Harbor. I can seek to find something in the suburbs and surrounding towns.

Concerns: Leaving Shington could be dangerous, and I am far from guaranteed to find a bus or truck suitable to my needs, as the area has already been heavily scavenged.

-[ ] Trade with existing owners (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 2, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: As above, but instead of fixing up ruined vehicles I’ll negotiate to get them from their current owners.

Concerns: Snitcher may disapprove of a warlord being civil

-[ ] Seize by force (Timeslot cost: 2; AP cost 4, refunds 3 on success)

Motive: As above, but instead of asking my contacts for vehicles I’ll just take what I want. My role as warlord and my Tally should minimize resistance

Concerns: People like their vehicles, and won’t like the one who takes them. I will make enemies.

-[ ] Seek Transportation [Adder + Company] (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 2, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: As above, but Adder can use his gift to make something for my purposes, and the Company can duplicate it and make it permanent.

Concerns: Adder and I are not close, he may decline to aid me, owing to his rivalry with my sponsor, Subtracter.

 

[ ] Seek Target Information

-[ ] Company (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 2, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: The Company logs every Ultra they create. Their Ar Harbor records would be useful information

Concerns: Ultras migrate and conceal their gifts, this information would be incomplete

-[ ] Subtracter (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 3, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: Subtracter is the military leader of the Regime, she will have information on this target

Concerns: Subtracter is stupid and violent, I don’t like to be around her

-[ ] Survivors (Timeslot cost:1; AP cost 2, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: There have been 2 other attempts at Ar Harbor. I can seek out and question survivors in the outer city.

Concerns: I may be unable to find any survivors, and I may be misled by liars.

 

[ ] Seek Posse Members

-[ ] wander & gossip, (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 1, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: There are dozens of powerful Ultras in the Lair. I know only the barest fraction of them. I can learn the basics on 1-6 of them in a few hours of socializing and gossiping, opening up in depth investigation options on them and adding them to my list of acquaintances.

Concerns: None

-[ ] At Ultra Fights, (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 1, refunds 1 on success)

Constraint: Only available in the afternoon or night on days divisible by 4 (day 4, 8, etc)

Motive: There are dozens of powerful Ultras in the Lair. I know only the barest fraction of them. I can learn the basics on 3-12 of them in a few hours of socializing and gossiping at this kind of event.

Concerns: Ultras associated with the Fights are more likely than most to be melee combatants.

 

[ ] Seek Warband Members

-[ ] At the Yard, (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 2, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: The Lair is surrounded by hundreds of Regime Ultras.  The strongest come to the Yard to show their power and appeal to those like me, who would give them purpose.  I should be able to gather between 5 and 20 Ultras of such caliber.

Concerns: I will need to provide housing and direction to these Ultras, or risk them wandering off.  I can expect to spend at least an action a day on them, and training them might well eat up more.  Ideally a Posse member will be tasked with this.

-[ ] [Gang name] From a Gang, (Timeslot cost: 2; AP cost 5, refunds 3 on success)

Motive: The Ultras that surround Shington are organized into Gangs dozens strong.  If I can recruit such a force I might have my whole Warband right there.

Concerns: These Ultras likely already have patrons in the Lair, who I would need to negotiate with.  Their leader would also likely want a place in my Posse, and she would be the primary locus of their loyalty until I’d had time to win them over.

 

[ ] Investigate Acquaintance:

-[ ] [Name], (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 2, refunds 1 on success, 2 if we become allies)

Motive: I can spend some serious one on one time with an Ultra I’ve chosen, evaluating the capability of their gift, the alignment of their values with mine, and their basic ccompetence. If all checks out, I might move them into my Ultra Allies column.

Concerns: None

 

[ ] Invite Ally into Posse:

-[ ] [Name], (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 3, refunds 3 on success)

Motive: If I want to bring an ally into my posse, get them to take actions on my behalf and rise or fall with me, this is the way to do it. I will only take this action on those I’ve already made allies, and once this has been taken it is difficult to undo.

Concerns: Posse members are most of the way into my circle of trust, and will operate on my behalf, representing me to stranger. A mistake here would be dangerous and damaging. I should be careful before taking this step, potentially investigating a prospect several times.

 

[ ] Seek Information on Snitcher’s patterns

-[ ] Passive listening (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 1, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: Snitcher can ride my senses at any moment, and bring Her along. If I am ever to contact my KEM allies, my resistance allies, or show any kindness or weakness whatsoever, I need to understand when this is likely to take place. Gossip can hint at this, particularly if I carefully steer conversations. This action would be mostly undetectable, even if he was riding me when I took it.

Concerns: None

-[ ] Active interrogation of Snitches (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 3, refunds 2 on success)

Motive: As above, but rather than listen for random gossip I will seek out other linked individuals and directly ask them how often he rides their senses, and what actions he has reacted to in the past.

Concerns: More likely Snitcher notices this, unknown consequences of that.

-[ ] Confront Snitcher Directly (Timeslot cost:1; AP cost 4, refunds 3 on success)

Motive: As above, but take the simplest possible route. Go to Snitcher and ask him for the deal.

Concerns: I am sponsored by Subtracter, not Snitcher, he may not wish to aid me. He may demand favors or other services in exchange for the information.

 

[ ] Seek Information on Regime military operations

-[ ] Ask Subtracter (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 3, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: My life depends on doing this right. I need to get a basic understanding of what She is expecting from my attack on Ar Harbor. Do I need to seize the Company Facility? Kill all the enemies? Are there any constraints on how I go about it? Subtracter is the leader of the Regime’s military, and my sponsor, she will know these answers.

Concerns: Subtracter is stupid and brutal, and she killed my neighbors, I hate spending time with her.

-[ ] Ask Around (Timeslot cost: 1; AP cost 2, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: As above, but ask survivors of previous missions instead of my evil boss.

Concerns: My predecessors may not have told them everything, their views of their missions may omit certain command level details that I need to worry about.

 

[ ] Relax and Recuperate

-[ ] By visiting Blisser (Timeslot cost: X (slots spent until AP reaches max), AP cost 0, returns 3 per time period.  DANGER, this action may cause addiction)

-[ ]By lounging around, (Timeslot cost: 1, AP cost 0, refunds 1 on success)

Motive: I could do with some rest.

Concerns: None

-[ ]By patronizing entertainment ares (Timeslot cost: 1, AP cost 1, refunds 3 on success)

Motive: I could do with some rest, and I might learn some things by socializing

Concerns: None

-[ ]By using my gift to repair the city (Timeslot cost: 1, AP cost 2, refunds 5 on success)

Motive: It needs to be done.

Concerns: This is not becoming behavior of a warlord, Snitcher may take notice, and people may talk

-[ ]By using my gift to heal people (Timeslot cost: 1, AP cost 1, refunds 5 on success)

Motive: This is why I have my gift.

Concerns: This is not becoming behavior of a warlord, Snitcher may take notice, and people may talk

 

[ ] Organize Armory [Timeslot cost: 1, AP cost 2, returns 2 on success)

Motive: I carry, in my backpack and on my person, various items to blend with if the need arises. I am overdue to look through my setup and take an inventory, once that is done I could seek out new objects if I am missing anything useful.

Concerns: None

 

[ ] Seek new residence [ Timeslot cost: 3, returns 1 if successful ]

Motive: I could get a lot more done if I got a full night’s sleep

Concerns: Owner and I have guarded one another’s rest for a long time. I wouldn’t necessarily be able to trust a new person to the same extent.

 

KEM Actions: (Sealed until I figure out how to deal with Snitcher’s surveillance, or resolve to defy him)

Resistance Actions: (Sealed until I figure out how to deal with Snitcher’s surveillance, or resolve to defy him)

 

[ ] Action: Other (Timeslot cost: x, returns x if successful)

Motive [Write in]

Concerns: [Write in]