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Last night the governor's daughter, Cassandra Kincaid, went missing. We suspect foul play.


She was last seen at nineteen-hundred when she retired after dinner. At o two thirty a flash of light was seen in her chambers. A crash and scream were heard at the same time. Upon arriving in her chambers, the night man discovered the window open, a bookcase toppled and no sign of Cassandra.

Police investigation showed no forced entry. They discovered signs of struggle, including wood gouged by a blade. Witnesses reported no other unusual activity that evening.

As the police force is currently stretched thin by prohibition, you have been brought on to supplement the investigation.

There are no suspects at this time, though many have motive.

Mr. Kincaid has many political rivals. Chief among them is Todd Warrensburg, a wealthy businessman heavily invested in real estate. They've competed for years, but it's never been this personal.

The Gambino family is profiting from Mr. Kincaid's support of prohibition, despite his efforts to crack down on them. Perhaps they're sending a message.

The O'Donnell brothers are another matter entirely. Kidnapping is right up their alley, so we may hear from them soon. They also have ties to the Baxter Hicks gang who hold a grudge with the governor.

Really, it could be anybody. We don't have any good leads. Heck, it could even be the carpenter, though for her sake I pray that's not the case.

The governor has assured me that you'll be well compensated for your efforts. If you bring her home safe, he'll be in your debt.

Are there any questions?

You are a part of the Governor's special task force to find his missing daughter. He has brought you on because you are exceptionally competent at what you do. You have your own reasons for helping him.

What is Fate

Fate is a flexible, streamlined role-playing game. It features narrative driven mechanics, a tight skill bell curve, and encourages players driven stories. You can find the rules online at fate-srd.com.

We'll mostly be following the official Fate character creation process.

Choosing Aspects

One of the most difficult parts of character creation is coming up with your aspects. Luckily there's a guide for that.

Also take a look at our Example Characters and their aspects.

Skills and Stunts

Power Level

We're using a Gritty Noir power level, rather than the default.

  • Skills:
    • 2x Good (+3) aka Expert level, one of the best in the city.
    • 3x Fair (+2) aka Professional level.
    • 3x Average (+1) aka Hobbyist skill level.
  • Refresh: 2
  • Free Stunts: 1
  • Base Stress: 1

Skills

We'll be playing with a slightly modified version of the default skill list.

Lore has been renamed to Academia. It's still the general Know Stuff skill.

Forbidden Lore added. This skill covers That Which Man Is Not Meant To Know. Characters cannot start with points in Forbidden Lore but can earn them through normal character advancement.

Extras

Characters can choose to start with a supernatural gift / curse. This costs one stunt and requires one of your aspects to be tied to it. These aspects must be double sided, it is both a gift and a curse.

The gift allows you to use one skill to do things that wouldn't normally be possible. For example you might be able to move things with your mind, using Will instead of Physique. Or you might be able to read surface thoughts using Empathy.

You can use a second stunt to augment your power.

Be wary when using such a gift. It's never wise to dabble in the supernatural, and the consequences of misuse can be dire.

Setting Specific Stuff

Here's a few questions to consider as you build your character. You don't need to answer all of them, or even any of them. They're just here to get you thinking.

  • How do you hope to benefit by assisting Governor Kincaid?
  • Have you encountered anything in the past that you suspected was not of this world?
  • What cool things do you want your character to do?
  • Where does your character live in the world? Do you have friends, family, neighbors? A full time job? People you care about, or who care about you?

Sources of Inspiration

Here's some movies, tv shows and websites you can look at to get a better idea for the era.

Boardwalk Empire

The Roaring Twenties

The Maltese Falcon

Goodfellas

The Roaring Twenties on TV Tropes

Film Noir on TV Tropes