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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 7968946" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Following on from this, we played the Score and Downtime of the above last session.THE SCOREThe Sparkwright (engineer's guild who manages the infrastructure that keeps the supernatural apocalypse outside from encroaching upon Duskvol) chief administrator of the Lightning Pillar barrier needed the primary module changed out of the Barrowcleft tower (Western wall of the city).  He missed an all-important QC check and its failing; reaching critical mass actually (and all hell will break loose if it goes).  However, he can't have it done on the books because his negligence will cost him his job and reputation bare minimum.So the PCs (Smuggler crew) take the job.  They're high status with the Sparkwrights (their primary ally chosen at Crew/PC creation is a Sparkwright engineer), but this is going to be a tough job for the low level crew.Its a big Payout (8 Coins) and Rep gain (due to the differential of Crew and Sparkwright Tier), but that also comes with significantly enhanced difficulty.  The Racing Clocks (8 ticks for PC success and 4 ticks for "Critical Mass or The Jig is Up") would be tough and the position of the bulk of Action Rolls would be Desperate (meaning major consequences on complications and failures).They convince the administrator to arrange for a shindig for the Engineers at the support site while the op goes down, devoting 2 of their 8 Coin Payout to the effort.  This throttles back their own Clock from 8 ticks to 6 ticks and will throttle back the bulk of their Action Rolls from Desperate to Risky (normal consequence paradigm).1)  Engagement Roll goes south (grapnel up to a garbage chute on the 3rd floor of the outside of the masonry exterior wall of the U-shaped support structure that surrounds the building) with a pair of 1s (they also got a 2nd Engagement Roll for their Coin investment as the support staff would mostly be serving the shindig).  One tick of the Loss Condition Clock.2)  Support staff member opens the door to the Utility Room they emerge in right as they enter from the chute.  She opens the door to fetch the Ectoplasmic lantern just inside and sees a few flitting shadows (so close to the wall, these could actually be phantoms/demons).  The Whisper (Warlock type who actually looks like a borderline wraith) distracts her with a portrayal of a phantasm (takes 1 Stress but gives the Lurk +1d to their Action Roll) while the Lurk carefully knocks her unconscious (they don't want a body count).  6 on Prowl = Success.3)  The key highlights beyond that I can think of were as follows:a)  The Warlock's Score loadout included a Spirit Mask and other devices for dealing with the supernatural.  When they were on the wood-framed breezeway leading over to the pillar, they were greeted by a Sparkwright engineer who was surveying some framing issues.  The Lurk fell back while the Whisper engaged, wearing his Spirit Mask and posing as a Spirit Warden (this masked group collects the bodies of the dead to get them to the crematorium when Duskvol's bells toll...if they fail to recover and creamate the body in time, its spirit is unleashed upon Duskvol).  I (the engineer) asked if he was the Spec Op Warden who was here for an abjure or capture the spirit of the volatile poltergeist child ("Little Petey") that forced them to close down one of the wings of the Lightning Pillar.  This plays into the Whisper's vice (which he earns xp for complicating his life with).   This was a Devil's Bargain (accept this sidetrack complication that could totally eff up the job) for a bonus die on the social exchange between the Whisper and the engineer NPC (this was their way into the Lightning Pillar...either that or the courtyard...which was now crawling with people coming back from the shindig - a complication from a prior 4/5 roll).Whisper accepted.  This led to a pretty great poltergeist side scene in the R&D/conference wing.  Ultimately, the Whisper (i) Attuned with Petey (assuaging him and carrying the little boy out...but earning a complication due to a Desperate Position Roll result 4, throttled back with a Resistance Roll from Haunted Trauma, of a "spook tag-along" for the foreseeable future...one that is now the centerpiece of a Longterm Downtime Project), (ii) bewildered the engineer with his prowess (a critical success, 6 result * 2 on Command Action Roll) such that he brought all of the Spirit Wardens that were on-site and most of the nonessential crew to an alternate wing of the Pillar to tell them the great news of the liberated wing.b)  Because of the above, Skeleton Crew at the beating heart of the Lightning Pillar (where the module that is reaching critical mass is housed).  When they arrived, there were 3 NPC engineers in the infrastructure heart working on various tasks.  The module was acting funny and the Pillar (which should normally be like a Tesla Coil and constantly on) was blinking in and out at random intervals...sometimes long intervals.  Two of them were working on the far end in the corner while the other was sitting on a wood stool, with special goggles, an ectoplasmic bullseye lantern on his head, and tools examining the module through the glass hatch (power of the pillar in the on position..it has to be powered down to remove the bracket, unplug it, plug the new one in).  The PCs decided to wait to see if he would leave.  We were at 5 vs 2 on the Clocks (6 ticks vs 4 for win:lose).  I conveyed to them the nature of the situation (they already knew due to the mechanics), but I reinforced the fiction with a power down of the pillar.  So waiting here, equals Disclaimed Fortune roll to see what happens.  1d6; 1-3 and a major complication for the players, 4-5 some good and some bad, 6 and things go well).  17 % chance was in their favor and a 6 was rolled.  When the Pillar powered down (due to the module failing), the examining engineer went to discuss with his other fellow engineers in the corner...something major was happening.  This place is ridiculously loud so conversation is at a yell when you're just a few feet away from a person.  The Lurk scurried in with module (he was carrying it so +2 Load for him; 10-15 lbs) and the Whisper's Tinker Tools.  The Whisper gave the Lurk his Tinkering Tools he brought as part of his Loadout, Assisted (1 Stress but +1d) by using the Ghost Field to make the engineers conversation more difficult by making them struggle further to perceive each other's words (belaboring their conversation to give ample time).  The Lurk Pushed himself (2 Stress and +1d).  So the Tinker Action Roll had +1 Position or Effect from the Tools (Lurk chose Risky Position to Controlled) +3d.  The Lurk got a 5 max which meant very minor complication.  It was going to be a minor Spook manifestation while the Pillar was powered down for the module swap.  However, the Lurk didn't want any further issues to deal with (he's allies with the Sparkwrights and the op went well) and wanted a quick and clean getaway, so he Resisted.  His Resistance Roll was crap so he ate a bunch of Stress (he's in a bad way...his Downtime effort to Indulge his Vice didn't do enough work to Clear Stress either), but Complication was muted to nothing.[HR][/HR]Mission accomplished.6 Coins, 4 Rep, a bunch of Stress to both PCs, some minor Heat, the fallout of a volatile poltergeist boy in tow as an ongoing complication (but not Haunted Trauma) + now having to deal with his illicit Spirit Mask being renowned after the successful abjure...and he's not an actual Spirit Warden, and some minor Heat.They didn't pay the "crime boss" of Barrowcleft with their Score take-home of 6 Coin (a matriarch of an ancient farm family...this is the farming and market district who runs in illicit Moonshine operation and has a longstanding Protection Racket to keep crime out of the market), so now they have a ticking Clock with that faction that will inevitably toll at some point.I don't have time to go over the Downtime phase.</blockquote>

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