Interview - John Rogers

For fans of the show, John Rogers needs no introduction. In addition to creating LEVERAGE, he has written for DC Comics and Dungeons & Dragons. John is also an avid gamer and exposed our blog to fans of the show on his Twitter feed.

He graciously agreed to answer a few questions for the blog.

1.8 The Kickoff Job

The catwalk above the shark tank collapses
Mac disarms the bomb with an ice sculpture
Nash slides across the roof of the building into the stolen bus and blows a kiss
Maddie slow motion walking into the Paris club
Mac in a bikini on a beach
Nash drops the Sisi Star from his hand on the roof of the Sydney Opera House
Maddie drops the sandbag onto Dawn Montana
Mac hands out a ton of of fake Sisi Stars
Luke kissing Danya
Danya directing Nash with her hands on proper tough guy etiquette
Nash and Ninotchka going through the bus window
Mac hands off the dossier out of nowhere to Raphael
Maddie shoves Cormac in the portable fridge
Nash and Maddie zip up the elevator shaft
Danya and Luke face off in the hotel room
Maddie crawling through the air-ducts
Danya and Luke teaming up on some suckers
Luke picks up the Scotch as it arrives in the VIP room
Nash getting hit on by Katherine Hanratty while wearing a priest outfit
Maddie gets Raphael's necklace
Luke brutally taking out his competition
Mac clones the cell phone on the tray
Luke having a drink with Julia
Danya dances a jig with the archbishop
Nash handcuffed to the bed
Maddie holding a gun in a swimsuit
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle
Luke on stage with Loretta
Nash ziplines into the thugs
Maddie giving her leadership speech
The door shuts on Danya and Sterling
Luke takes out the SWAT guy
Nash making his exit with the girls
Maddie's Quick Change
Danya drops Poston
Mac and Nash kiss to dodge the guards
Langley badass walk

Mark - Laura Poston

"Who am I? I'll tell you if you tell me why you were in the vault of the Venice Antiquities Ministry last year."

Body of Work -d8- Laura has hidden in plain sight when it comes to searching for her background on the Internet. She either had or created a career as a fitness model. A search for her name turns up several swimsuit, lingerie and tasteful-yet-nude photos from about ten years ago.

Double Agent -d4- Nobody's really sure where her loyalty lies. Is she a government operative trying to bring down the competition from the inside? Is she the reason no heat comes down on the contestants? There are plenty of powerful people who would be quite happy to know her operations are not what they seem.

Highest Bidder -d4- Laura plays the game for one person - herself. If she can get away with a triple cross to come out on top, she'll do it. Even if she gets cornered she'll do whatever it takes to make sure she lives to run away again another day. She feels there is always a place for people of dubious loyalty like her.

The Green Initiative -d12- When a crew proves to be too dangerous to be let go but too useful to be eliminated, Laura is sent to recruit them into a program called "The Green Initiative". All is forgiven - if you steal for the government. Some of the best criminals in existence trading in a new life for their unique skill sets. This also means she has their expertise to draw upon when you try to run a con on her.

No Such Agency -d12- Is she CIA? FBI? NSA? GSA? Some agency so top secret they haven't even invented the letters for it yet? Nobody knows. She has powerful friends inside the US government that are willing to clean her operational history with a toothbrush. She has access to records and resources people can't even imagine and carries herself with the demeanor of someone who knows that they can have you on a flight to an undisclosed location before you finish ordering your coffee.

1.7 The Ancient History Job

No cold open this week. Just the classic credits set to Beastie Boys' "Sabotage".

The catwalk above the shark tank collapses
Mac disarms the bomb with an ice sculpture
Nash slides across the roof of the building into the stolen bus and blows a kiss
Maddie slow motion walking into the Paris club
Mac in a bikini on a beach
Nash drops the Sisi Star from his hand on the roof of the Sydney Opera House
Maddie drops the sandbag onto Dawn Montana
Mac hands out a ton of of fake Sisi Stars
Danya directing Nash with her hands on proper tough guy etiquette
Nash and Ninotchka going through the bus window
Mac hands off the dossier out of nowhere to Raphael
Maddie shoves Cormac in the portable fridge
Danya and Luke face off in the hotel room
Luke picks up the Scotch as it arrives in the VIP room
Nash getting hit on by Katherine Hanratty while wearing a priest outfit
Maddie gets Raphael's necklace
Luke brutally taking out his competition
Luke having a drink with Julia
Danya dances a jig with the archbishop
Nash handcuffed to the bed
Maddie holding a gun in a swimsuit
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle
Luke on stage with Loretta
Nash ziplines into the thugs
Maddie giving her leadership speech
The door shuts on Danya and Sterling 

Mark - Skylar Koss

"Why kill someone when you can ruin their credit?"

Big Brother's Little Brother -d12- Skylar is the COO of KossWare and the power behind their software development throne. KossWare develops the code for on-line transactions ranging from the worldwide stock exchanges to downloading music legitimately. It knows who you are, what you are buying and how much of it.
Skylar himself is a virtuoso programmer.

Caffeine-Free -d8- Skylar isn't a health nut but he doesn't drink any caffeinated beverages. No soda, no coffee, no tea. He has no qualms partaking in other chemicals and mind-altering substances.

Corporate Patricide -d12- Skylar seized the throne from his father, Leonard Koss, two years ago. Koss Industrial Technologies was already a powerhouse in the industry but got tripped up in some shady dealings and lost the company a ton of money. Skylar pulled the company back from the brink of collapse. He has the loyalty of his top executives and shareholders firmly in his grasp.

Overprotective -d4- Regan Koss is Skylar's twin sister. Despite being involved in the sort of behavior that would make the editors of Maxim blush, Skylar eyes any guys hanging out with his sister as bad news. More than one potential suitor has ended up with their name synonymous with search engine queries of "hepatitis", "Dr. Who erotic fan fiction author", or worse.

Spoiled Punk -d4- Even when his father was on the downward spiral, Skylar partied like there was no tomorrow. He likes all the best toys and all the new gadgets. If someone gets something, he has to have the digitally enhanced version of it.

1.6 The Isla Diablo Job

Oooh! A cold open. Danya and Luke are arguing in a penthouse in Buenos Aires. Snide comments turn to shouts, shouts turn to blows, but before anything is settled (even though Danya comes out on top), police bust in to arrest the two of them.

FEDERALE: Mr. Charles, you will come with us.
(DANYA shoots a glance at LUKE, on the floor)
DANYA: Why does everyone know you?

Mark - Generalissimo Alejandro Cortez

"It is unfortunate you refused my offer and have the loyalty of a dog. Now let's see if you have the lives of a cat."

His Own Private Island -d12- Cortez is the CEO of ORO, a private detention logistics firm. He holds several contracts with multiple governments to handle the transport and processing of prison inmates. He recently expanded into his own detention facility off the coast of Argentina. He hopes to entice his government contacts to send their most troublesome prisoners to his private facility.

Let Them Eat Cake -d4- Cortez runs his island like he were a petty dictator. His workers are paid in company scrip and he grossly overinflates prices at the stores he owns. While the prison is state of the art and secure, the towns surrounding it are rat-infested slums that visiting dignitaries never get to see.

Leones y Tigres y Osos, Aye Carumba! -d8- A lifelong fascination with exotic animals has turned Cortez's expansive estate into a large private zoo. A few of these animals were captured illegally but Cortex donates to animal rights charities to offset his guilt.


Military Obsession -d4- Records show Cortez has never been enlisted in a standing army. However, he runs the prison side of the complex like a military operation complete with uniforms, drills and inmate discipline programs. Cortez wears a uniform during the day.The title of Generalissimo is one he gave himself.

The Best of the Worst -d12- Most of the guards in Cortez's prison are disciplinary washouts from proper militaries and mercenaries looking for a regular salary. They are brutal, amoral and highly trained. As if that wasn't bad enough, rumors abound that Cortez has a secret band of prisoners he sets upon troublemakers and whistleblowers amongst the townsfolk and employees.

Thief - Max Lebed

"Jesus, hearing you talk makes me wish I was trapped under the Wall again."

Attributes:
Agility -d10-
Alertness -d10-
Intelligence -d8-
Strength -d6-
Vitality -d8-
Willpower -d6-

Roles:
Grifter -d8-
Hacker -d6-
Hitter -d4-
Mastermind -d4-
Thief -d10-

Distinctions:
That Ain't The Kind I Got: All those years dangling from high wires and breaking into secure installation and Max has cancer. She's not going out that way and has gotten a bit reckless during the competition.Berlin Ingenuity: Max has a knack for coming up with technical solutions with whatever's at hand. She claims she was a technical adviser for MacGyver.


Talents:
Master of Disguise: Gain an extra d6 to your roll to pass as someone you’re not when wearing a
disguise. The Fixer may not invoke any Complications or other bonuses against you to see through the disguise the second time.



Steady Hands: Reroll any dice for every Opportunity on the opposing roll.

Grifter - Archie Kensington

"I wish I could have told you my nature as an agent of the crown before this mess."

Attributes:
Agility -d6-
Alertness -d10-
Intelligence -d10-
Strength -d6-
Vitality -d8-
Willpower -d8-

Roles:
Grifter -d10-
Hacker -d6-
Hitter -d4-
Mastermind -d4-
Thief -d8-

Distinctions:
Unflappable -Archie is incapable of showing nerves. He's lied to queens, kings, presidents and even more powerful people than that.
Drunk - Archie always works best with a drink in his hand. He also can identify most liquor by taste. Even when he's wrong, he'll convince you he's right.

Talents:
How YOU Doin':Add an extra d10 to your roll when dealing with someone that finds you attractive. If you do, you must also add a d4.

Perfect Timing: Gain an extra d8 to your roll when doing something involving precise timing.

Hacker - Duke Morrison

"This reminds me of the time I busted out of a county jail using a pound of bacon, a coffee cup and Ms. America's phone number."

Attributes:
Agility -d8-
Alertness -d10-
Intelligence -d10-
Strength -d6-
Vitality -d6-
Willpower -d8-

Roles:
Grifter -d6-
Hacker -d10-
Hitter -d4-
Mastermind -d4-
Thief -d8-

Distinctions:
Southern Gentleman - Duke projects a laid-back persona that puts everyone at ease. He takes Marks out for a drink, calls women "Darling", and tells tall tales just this side of believable.
Need for Speed - Duke likes to tell the story about how he learned to drive running moonshine in rural Tennessee. He has a love of cars of all kinds and drives like he should be on the NASCAR circuit.

Talents:
Over-the-shoulder Hacker: Automatically access any system you watch anyone use.

I Just Work Here: The Mark won't recognize you if you pose as a faceless background person.

Hitter - Mace Mason

"Win if you can. Lose if you must. But always, always cheat."

Attributes:
Agility -d8-
Alertness -d6-
Intelligence -d6-
Strength -d10-
Vitality -d10-
Willpower -d8-

Roles:
Grifter -d8-
Hacker -d4-
Hitter -d10-
Mastermind -d6-
Thief -d4-

Distinctions:
Showstopper - Mace spent a lot of years on the road as a championship wrestler. He's been put through tables, hit with chairs and lit on fire. Not only is he tough, but he knows how to roll with the punches.
Trash Talker - Mace made a career of knowing how to rile up audiences. He knows just what to say to push people's buttons. Angry opponents make mistakes.



Talents:
Haymaker - During a Fight Action roll, step down Hiter and add a d4. If successful, you achieve an Extraordinary Success.

Only Suckers Fight Fair - Spend a Plot Point. Add a d8 to your Hitter roll. If your opposition rolls an Opportunity when raising the stakes, add a d10 to your next roll. Otherwise step the d8 down to d6.

1.4 - The Broken Leg Job

'Sabotage' by the Beastie Boys kicks off and we get a rapid fire credits montage of highlights from the season:



The catwalk above the shark tank collapses
Mac disarms the bomb with an ice sculpture
Nash slides across the roof of the building into the stolen bus and blows a kiss
Maddie slow motion walking into the Paris club
Danya directing Nash with her hands on proper tough guy etiquette
Nash and Ninotchka going through the bus window
Mac hands off the dossier out of nowhere to Raphael
Maddie shoves Cormac in the portable fridge
Luke picks up the Scotch as it arrives in the VIP room
Nash getting hit on by Katherine Hanratty while wearing a priest outfit
Maddie gets Raphael's necklace
Danya dances a jig with the archbishop
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle
Luke on stage with Loretta


A penthouse hotel in Sydney, Australia. I like how the production design redesigns the same set for every location. It also opens up on a view of the Sydney Opera House, which, like the Eiffel Tower, is cheap visual shorthand for "exotic locale."

We join the phone call from Mr. X already in progress. He's giving the Crew a hard time about the state of Cormac's Black Book and that they fell in the standings because of it. Luke doesn't really care. We've gotten the feeling that he's not in this for the Con of the Century before but judging from his and a few others reactions, it seems like he is bringing around the other members to the idea.

Today's competition involves stealing a diamond from the Sydney Opera House. The diamond in question is the Sisi Star. It was connected to Austrian royalty and just recently returned to Austria after being missing for years. Luke nods and picks up an Asset during his analysis of the situation. There will be No Security on Stage.

LUKE: So we have to hit it during the opera.
MADDIE:It's actually an operetta.

Nash and Maddie high-five. And just like that, Maddie starts running down the details of the con. Luke seems to enjoy quietly enjoying his scotch for once.

MADDIE: What would he do with the diamond anyway?
NASH: He shows it off to all the other supervillains at his volcano lair?
LUKE: I thought it was an island.
NASH: It could be both.


It also puts them in direct competition with one of the other teams. Mac sets up a tracking device on their Red Smartphone to detect where the rival team's smartphone is. The bad news is that she picks up a Complication, Earbuds Compromised. The good news? The phone is right downstairs. But their Hacker knows Mac tried to hack them.

Luke breaks out the rival team dossier. There are four of them, run by mastermind Julia Pryce. They are all gorgeous. The team immediately starts placing bets on which one will be sent to seduce Nash.

MADDIE: Are we going to have to put a leash on Nash?
NASH: I'm right here.

Two of the rivals have some history with our crew. Julia is Diana's sister. She left Julia's crew to join Luke in his old crew. Tina Sweeney, their Hacker, runs sweetheart cons just like Maddie with a cyberstalker twist. She got the best of Maddie the last time they met.

NASH: Oh, she's cute.

The hits keep coming. The Sisi Star was missing for years because of a daring con. A quick search of local papers turns up who is in charge of security. Three words strike fear into the crew's heart. James. Foster. Sterling. The Hitter reluctantly reveals that Danya Broke Sterling's Nose.

NASH: Anyone want to explain to me why everyone is scared of this guy?

Luke quickly realizes he needs to cut a deal with the other team for them to have a chance against Sterling. Looks like they are getting Luke's Face-Off scene out of the way early. Julia and Luke banter about nicely and they agree on a plan. They work together until they have the stone. Then all bets are off.


LUKE: So let's introduce the kids to each other.

We cut to dinner and drinks in the hotel. Julia and Luke are catching up. Nash and Mac are hanging out with Tina and Charlene. Danya is bonding with Dawn, their hitter. Mac tosses a quick message Danya's way when they get too chummy.

MAC:You can't have her, she's mine.

Maddie and Tina have sometime together. Maddie lets Tina do all the talking. Tina got the better of their last con and also shows a casual disregard for the fate of her Marks. Luke enjoys taking their marks down like the bastards they are, but Tina barely registers them. A great scene showing the differences between the crews.

The con comes together in three parts. Luke uses his Direct approach on Sterling. Julia runs coms from her private box. Nash and Charlene head out to the bank vault where the Star is held. They can't steal it, but they can scan it for a fake. The rest of the crews concentrate on getting access to the opera house.

Nash and Charlene up first. Charlie lifts and brush passes a vault access card to him. She also manages to whisper something filthy in his ear, taking advantage of him Sleeping With The Enemy. This is why Nash is in the DANGER ZONE. He gets inside the vault and pulls out the device Mac whipped up to scan the Star. She generates a Complication due to being too Focused which gets used right away. The scanner doesn't work because Mac forgot to put batteries in. The vault door opens...

At the opera house, Danya takes a direct approach to getting on stage. She hugs an extra and takes them down. Mac tips off the authorities to one of the other actresses recreational drug habits and offers herself as a replacement. Maddie blusters her way berating one of the poor backstage crewmembers. The target of her ire is Dawn. Despite Maddie's apologies, Dawn pauses to tell Danya something.

DAWN: I am going to hit that bitch.

Back at the vault, Mac is the one entering the vault. Nash has wedged himself into the vault ceiling out of sight. Mac slides in a safety deposit box for an account she apparently just opened. Nash drops down after she leaves and cracks open the safety deposit box. Batteries. He installs the scanner - it takes time for quality work -  and sneaks back out.

We cut to Nash relating the entire story to Charlene, who looks duly impressed. They've got a few hours to kill before the show. What to do...

The rich and well-dressed swoop in to the Opera Gala. The show is The Pirates of Penzance. All about pirates who are actually pretty good guys. Luke and Julia look stunning together in the foyer. But what to do with two Masterminds in the kitchen? The solution presents itself with Jim Sterling sitting at the bar. Luke gets two Face-Off scenes this week I guess. Julia will be running comms for the heist.

Sterling and Luke spend the first act in the bar. Some good tense exchanges. Of course, Sterling knows all about Luke's Crew, Julia's Crew, and the competition. He makes an offer to sell out Julia's crew.

STERLING: What is it that you want out of this, Mr. Charles?

On stage, we get a fun little scene involving Danya, Mac, and Maddie pulling off an intricate switch of the Sisi Star from it's place on top of the pirate's chest. They replace it with a fake, give it to Maddie, who attaches it to a sandbag which flies up the rails. Nash picks up the Star and we're off.

Except Nash isn't at the top of the rope. Charlene is. Nash plays out his complication - Why Does The Cuffed Nash Sing?

NASH: Guys, I have a little bit of a problem here...
We cut to a shot of Nash cuffed to a bed, Sherlock Holmes style. Cut to Maddie looking up as the Sisi Star sails away. Before she can do anything, a vicious cheap shot from Dawn Takes her Down.

DAWN: I told you.

After the commercial, we're back with Luke and Sterling.

Out come Danya and Mac with huge boxes. Seems everyone at the show tonight gets a souvenir. Thoughout the evening, the Crew has been building up the Asset Multiple Duplicates. When it hit a d12, it pays off. Everyone at the show gets a spot-on replica of the Sisi Star. Sterling looks around, stunned. The copies are flawless because Our Jewel Expert is Bestest.

Luke decides it's time to wrap up Julia's Crew. He starts at the top, with Julia. she patches in his earbud to the chaos from Nash with a smirk. Of course, when she opens the door to the private box, her second husband is standing there. The one she first stole all the money from.

Down in the prop room, Maddie comes to. Dawn knows she's on comms and tells her to call Danya down. The Hitters knew it was always going to come down to them. Security rushes in and rescues Maddie. One guard remains, takes off her cap, and Danya uses her Master of Disguise to get the drop on Dawn. The battle rages for some hard hits on both sides. Danya gets rocked. Dawn takes a few solid shots. Dawn uses One-on-One. Danya uses Competitive. The Hacker is even able to help out Hitter. Mac Edited the Files that the other team got and played up non-existent injuries.

The fight ends when it moves to the backstage area. Danya wasn't fighting to win. She was fighting to get Dawn in position. She gives the signal and Maddie cuts loose with a sandbag of her own. Down goes Montana! Down goes Montana!

Charlene dashes across the Opera House roof. Nash appears out of nowhere to give chase. She threatens to throw the Star off the edge of the building. Nash quietly pulls out the real Star from his pocket.

CHARLENE: You suck!

Most of the other Crew is wrapped up, so there's no wrap-up, right? There is still the matter of seeing whether Sterling Never Loses.

The flashback scenes come as Tina tries to flee the opera house.

Mac's flashback involves her attempting to hack the other team's Red Smartphone. She gave Tina the earbuds to distract her from the real reason for the hack. She turns the rival team's Red Smartphone into a brick.

Maddie's flashback involves her old pal Tina. She sets up a dashing gentleman caller ready to play. She succeeds and Tina gets into his waiting car. The old man is gracious, charming, and she barely notices Mac driving the car to deposit her with Sterling.

Nash's flashback takes us back to Mac's nick-of-time save of Nash in the vault. Her safety deposit box? All Part of the Plan. The batteries were a ruse. Nash deposited the real Star in the box, which was the actual scanning unit. When he arrives back the room, Luke and Nash have a discussion about turning [B]Sleeping With The Enemy[/B] into something that they can use.

Luke's flashback brings us back to his time with Sterling. He has an answer to Sterling's question.

LUKE: I just want everyone to win. Including you.

Everybody wins when they get the real Star, keep it long enough to verify the win and then give it back.

And how does Sterling get the Star back? Seems when Danya broke Sterling's nose, it wasn't because of a fight. She arrives at his hotel room with a million dollar stone in one hand, a bottle of champagne in the other, and the rest of the night off.

Danya returns to the hotel room with a big smile on her face and an envelope from Sterling. Luke opens it and finds a photo. Seems Sterling left a tip for being fed the rival crew.

Luke's old Mastermind, the one that he thought was dead, that he feels he was responsible for killing, is alive.

Credits.

Fixer's Commentary

Everyone was riveted during Danya's fight with Dawn. We raised the stakes three or four times with Plot Points and assists. It was a dramatic and awesome contest. And it was set during "A Modern Major General".

Multiple Duplicates was one of those assets that came up as a joke originally. But then it turned into the backbone of the plan.

I love how everyone uses their d4 Distinctions to rack up Plot Points in the beginning. The tension amps up when people start using them as d8s instead. It's a sign that things are getting real.

Next episode is our second rival crew episode. We had a lot of fun casting the roles after this session.

The Crew also started buying up Trust. Not only that, they started explaining who and why they were buying up trust with. Watching them go from individual badasses to weaving threads with each other is fascinating. Who trusts who and why was a great post-game discussion.

Assets:
Our Jewel Expert is Bestest
No Security on Stage
Mac Edited The Files
Multiple Duplicates
Multiple Multiple Duplicates 
Multiple Multiple Multiple Duplicates
Multiple Multiple Multiple Multiple Duplicates

Complications:
Danya Broke Sterling's Nose
Nash is in the DANGER ZONE
Why does the cuffed Nash sing?
Compromised Earbuds

Hacker - Tina Sweeney

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to get an account number from someone asking what kind of panties you are wearing."

Attributes:
Agility -d8-
Alertness -d10-
Intelligence -d10-
Strength -d6-
Vitality -d8-
Willpower -d6-

Roles:
Grifter -d8-
Hacker -d10-
Hitter -d4-
Mastermind -d6-
Thief -d4-

Distinctions:
Jailbait19 -Tina uses an updated variant of the Sweetheart Scam. She finds Marks on-line, pretends to be an willing underage conquest, then accesses the Mark's accounts and bleeds them dry.
Simply the Best - Her smartphone is state-of-the-art, why not her shoes, outfit and car to match?

???

Talents:
Over-the-shoulder Hacker: Automatically access any system you watch anyone use.

Slip of the Tongue: You may discern a piece of information about an opponent if they roll an Opportunity during a Grifter roll.

Hitter - Dawn Montana

"You're about to learn the difference between being beaten by a girl and being beaten. By a girl."

Attributes:
Agility -d8-
Alertness -d10-
Intelligence -d6-
Strength -d10-
Vitality -d8-
Willpower -d6-

Roles:
Grifter -d4-
Hacker -d6-
Hitter -d10-
Mastermind -d4-
Thief -d8-

Distinctions:
Disgraced Athlete - Dawn was a talented women's basketball player that lost her eligibility her senior year thanks to some overzealous backers.
One-on-One - When it comes time to throw down, Dawn loves to challenge the strongest Hitter to a one-on-one fight in the middle of the chaos
???

Talents:
Haymaker: Step back your Hitter dice and add a d4. If this roll raises the stakes, it counts as an Extraordinary Success.

Opportunist: Gain a d6 whenever provided an Opportunity in a Hitter roll.

Grifter - Charlene Cho

"The art of seduction is getting what you want while convincing the mark he wants what you're willing to give."

Attributes:
Agility -d6-
Alertness -d8-
Intelligence -d10-
Strength -d6-
Vitality -d10-
Willpower -d8-

Roles:
Grifter -d10-
Hacker -d4-
Hitter -d6-
Mastermind -d4-
Thief -d8-

Distinctions:
Ancient Chinese Secret -Charlene's cons usually involve playing on Asian stereotypes. She doesn't know kung fu, only speaks English and she's terrible at math, but she can convince you otherwise.

Gorgeous -Even part of a crew of sexy thieves, Charlene turns heads wherever she goes. Any cons that involve seducing a Mark have her on point.
???

Talents:
Pickpocket: Add a d8 on any Thief role involving picking someone's pocket

Takes One to Know One: Add a d8 to a Notice Action to see if someone is lying to you.

Mastermind - Julia Pryce

"Darling, take consolation in knowing you were taken by the best."

Attributes:
Agility -d8-
Alertness -d10-
Intelligence -d10-
Strength -d6-
Vitality -d6-
Willpower -d8-

Roles:
Grifter -d6-
Hacker -d4-
Hitter -d4-
Mastermind -d10-
Thief -d8-

Distinctions:
Friends in High Places - Julia knows how to make her way through high society. She's classy enough to get invited to big events but scandalous enough to be fun.
Take Him To The Cleaners - Julia ended up in Crime World when her husband cleaned out their accounts and fled to Rio. Julia prefers to clean out rich male Marks.
???

Talents:
Master Plan: In a roll involving Mastermind, if given an Opportunity, turn any 1 rolled into a 2.

Perfect Timing: Gain an extra d8 to your roll when doing something involving precise timing.

1.3 The Archbishop Job

'Sabotage' by the Beastie Boys kicks off and we get a rapid fire credits montage of highlights from the season:

Nash slides across the roof of the building into the stolen bus and blows a kiss
Maddie slow motion walking into the Paris club
Danya directing Nash with her hands on proper tough guy etiquette
Nash and Ninotchka going through the bus window
Mac hands off the dossier out of nowhere to Raphael
Luke picks up the Scotch as it arrives in the VIP room
Maddie gets Raphael's necklace
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle



Breakfast in Chicago. Luke apparently has an apartment here and the crew receives a call from Mr. X on the Red Smartphone. He lays out the this week's competition. A wedding involving the Hanrattys, Chicago's top Irish mob family, is going down. The wedding is bringing out Cormac Hanratty, aka Trash Can Han, the semi-retired head of the family. He keeps a little Black Book that has a ton of dirty laundry inside and Mr. X wants it. Of course, after the phone call, Luke reveals he has other plans. He's not comfortable giving Mr. X such leverage and, at the very least, wants a copy for himself.

He sets his plan in motion. He sends Maddie to go swap out as the wedding planner. She needs to get close to the family and some invites for the crew. Mac makes her job easier.

MAC: It wouldn't be crashing. I'm invited.

Seems our favorite hacker used to date one of the Hanratty boys and Trash Can Han is the man that brought her into Crime World. Maddie slides in as a Southern Belle wedding planner, but she gives us the first Complication of the night. Good Help is Hard to Find because the Hanratty's have spared no expense, so sneaking in as catering staff will be a bit difficult.

LUKE:You'll need a date.
MAC: I need someone that looks good in a tux. (beat) Danya?

Luke has different plans for Nash. He wants someone close to the bride and groom at all times. The priest 'called in sick' and everyone gives Luke a wary eye as he hands Nash Catholic priest garb.

We cut to the reception, a lavish affair being held at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. The crew is in place, though Luke has not revealed himself in the con yet.

NASH: That would have been so much easier if I had been Anglican.

Mac bringing Dayna as her date has another agenda. She used to date Cillian Hanratty, the youngest of Trash Can's three kids. Katherine is helping Maddie run the reception, Elias is dead and Cillian, called Uncle Silly by almost everyone, is getting razzed by the various thugs at the wedding. So of course, she shows up with a girl as her date to rub his nose in it a bit.

Danya introduces herself as Tanya, but someone overhears it as Danya, and the voice makes Danya freeze. Her sister Alexia is at the wedding. Alexia is a Federal Agent, and Danya wonders Why is Alexia here?

Nash keeps an eye of things from the bar. Luke directs him to back up Danya, but Katherine stops him to buy him a drink. It's a hilarious combination of her being a Cougar and Nash picking up some Plot Points for Sleeping With The Enemy. The scene ends with a line that triggers a great reaction from Nash.

KATHERINE: Have I mentioned one of my favorite books is the Thorn Birds?

Danya and Alexia head to where every wedding day crisis is solved - the women's bathroom. Alexia is suspicious of Danya but doesn't accuse her of anything. She thinks its far too convenient that she showed up with Mac and she's up to something. Alexia is - the Feds know Cormac is there and want to move against the family. During the exchange, Danya admits Mac is not her girlfriend. Mac gets in some snark over the headset.


MAC: You're breaking up with me?

Maddie decides to get the band to play the Father/Bride/Mother/Groom dance to peel Katharine away from Nash. She is shocked to discover Luke's role in the con - he's playing lead guitar for the wedding band. He obliges and during the song someone cracks wise about his guitar.

LUKE: Her name is Loretta and I am going to ignore that you said that.

Maddie also discovers one of the presents is not where it should be in the huge pile . With Nash newly freed, he tucks over to the gift and Luke advises him to crack it open. It could be The Black Book they are looking for. It it really that easy? Of course not. It's a bomb.

Mac and Maddie head over to to take care of the gift. Mac needs some wire clippers and some ice to disarm the bomb. Maddie rolls over the Melting Ice Sculpture and breaks off a piece for Mac's use. Mac handles the bomb and recognized the make - IRA.

DANYA: That's not Cupid's arm.

Nash ducks out the nearby fire exit to see if he can find the culprit. Sure enough, he does - he overhears Katherine talking to someone on her cell phone. A quick hack from Mac and he overhears her complain the bomb didn't go off. She tells whoever it is on the other end to send some hitters down to the reception to take care of business. She'll make sure her and Cillian are not in harm's way.

Luke tells Mac to pull up security footage to see if they can get any more incriminating video of Katherine or if she's left any other surprises lying around. But Mac proves human for once - trying to multi-task while dancing and trying to show up her old boyfriend means she can't quite pull up the security feed.

MAC: I'm...distracted by breasts.

During his performance, Luke manages to get Cormac's Respect. He takes five to talk to the old man and tell him what's going on. Cormac sits back and listens and when Luke offers to take care of things for him, he agrees. Just like that, one of the Clients is the Mark, and the Mark is the Client.

The party is really beginning to amp up, with both Strong Mixed Drinks and a Drunk Archbishop coming into play. Luke comes up with a plan in three parts. Make sure the bride and groom leave. Make sure Katherine and Cillian don't. He and Danya will take out the hitters. Nash is fine with this plan.

LUKE: I'm much more worried about Nash getting shot.
NASH: Yeah, me too.

Of course, in discussing their plans for the hit teams, Luke and Danya ratchet up their sexual tension. Luke wins this round, though Danya gets in the final shot.

DANYA:Do you know what it's like to be punched through the radio?

Meanwhile, Alexia comes over to talk about Mac and Danya as a couple.

MAC: I'm kind of here with a date.
ALEXIA: No, no. I wanted to talk about your relationship with my sister.
MAC: There had been thought of twins.

Once they move out of Cillian's earshot, the discussion gets more earnest. Alexia doesn't disapprove, she's just stunned Danya never told her about it. They aren;t as close as they used to be and Alexia has some pangs of genuine regret buried down underneath the sibling rivalry. Alexia is a Sympathetic Sister, so maybe they should tip off the Feds about the hit team. Mac lets Alexia know that Danya feels the same way, but also gets in a quick dig on two teammates at once.


MAC: I get the feeling she still has the hots for her old boyfriend.

Danya has been drinking with the boys hard and fast and despite what their opinions of her might be, her strong liver has won over the family. Even the Archbishop offers to marry her and Mac should they ever want to. When someone points out they are in Chicago and not Boston, the bishop makes a startling proclamation.

ARCHBISHOP: This hall is now Massachusetts!

Maddie slips over to the bridge and groom and between the Archbishop and Uncle Silly falling off the bar, convinces them to leave early. Danya tells her sister about the hitters and The Feds Are On Their Way. Nash locks down the other entrances to the aquarium, meaning the only way the hitters can approach is though the Hall of Sharks.

Eamon Driscoll and his crew show up toting automatic weapons. It's going to be a massacre if they slip by Luke and Danya. He meets Luke on a catwalk over one of the tanks. Luke blows the catwalk Eamon is standing on with his own bomb, but not before offering a lovely Callback.


LUKE: Except this time, I didn't bring a tiger.

Danya shows up with the rowdy Irish cavaly and handles four heavily armed hitters with her Badass Talent. With Eamon in the drink, the bride and groom safely away, it looks like it's time for the Wrap-Up.

Once again the stakes are two-fold. If they win the wrap-up, not only do they stay in the lead, they also make sure Cormac gets away while Katherine and Cillian take the fall.

Danya is up first. She flashes back to when she tried to convince her sister to let Cormac walk. She fails to do so and is met with a stony glare as her only reply.

DANYA: You always look at me like this.

Mac is up next. She wants to play the audio she recorded of Katherine's phone call to Driscoll over the stereo system to make sure that even if she wriggles out of the bust, her family knows she's a traitor. She fails as well. Alexia catches her fiddling with the stereo and confiscates

Maddie's turn. She shows how she was a royal terror as the wedding planner and pushes the crew to blow through their reserves.

MADDIE: Is this pate for a wedding or a PTA meeting?

She succeed and smuggles Cormac into the parking lot in one of the rolling freezers.

Nash flashes back to collecting the guns the IRA hitters left lying around. He succeeds and those guns end up in Katherine and Cillian's trunk as they get stopped by Federal agents.

Luke pulls it all together...and fails. Alexia discovers Cormac in the catering truck. He tells her he'll go peacefully but he wants five minutes with Mr. Charles. They have a heart to heart. Luke convinces him that if he really wants Danny out of their world with his new bride, he needs to give the book to someone else. Cormac agrees and asks Luke how he got Nash in as a priest. The flashback is all too similar to the New Year's Eve Job, except this time, the priest wakes up in a motel room handcuffed to the bed a bag full of cash within reach. A key is taped to the none on the bag which reads: "Sorry, Father. My act of contrition are two Hail Marys and 250,000 George Washingtons"

We cut back and Cormac is shaking his head.

CORMAC: Jesus Christ. (beat) In my day, it was $50,000.

Cormac gives up his Little Black Book, which Luke makes a copy of before he drops it off for Mr. X. Oops, he seems to have dropped it in the shark tank first...

Credits.

Fixer's Commentary after the jump.

Mark - Katherine Hanratty

"My gift will be unforgettable."

Cougar -d4- Katherine has never wanted for lovers. A pretty girl connected to a powerful family has her pick of the handsome soldiers serving in her father's name. She was always faithful to her husband and anyone that suggested otherwise usually got a visit from Trash Man Han. The pretty girl is now a beautiful widow, and she takes what she wants, especially if it's young, blond, and Catholic.

Lady MacBeth -d12- She's the oldest of Cormac's children but has never been in an official position of power. Her younger brother Elias became head of the family when Cormac went into seclusion. Her husband Robert became her proxy when Elias was killed shortly before he was to go to prison. Rumors believe Katherine has struck up an alliance with her remaining brother Cillian to continue her control of Hanratty interests if he takes over as the head of the family.

Gaelic Bling -d8- The color green always seems to make its into Katherine's wardrobe. But she's a sucker for jewelry with an Irish theme. The bigger the better. Her choice for the wedding day is a shamrock broach featuring real emeralds in each of the shamrock leaves.

IRA Ties -d12- Hanratty spent her summers abroad in the home country from first grade all the way to high school. She likes to believe she was sent away to learn about her heritage but the truth is a bit more grim. While she went away to Ireland, a boy named Eamon Driscoll was sent to America. These trips were a classic hostage exchange between the Cormac Hanratty and Eamon's father, ordered because of a feud between them. Katherine and Eamon bonded because of it and Eamon is now in control of his father's interests.

Just A Girl -d4- There is a fair amount of macho bullshit posturing inside an Irish crime family. Katherine has seen it all. She mostly suffers in silence out of respect for her father, but the quickest way to set off her smoldering temper is to imply she can't do something because she's a woman.

Client - The Wedding Party

Katherine Hanratty

Gaelic Bling - d8-
Mother of the Groom -d6-
Cougar -d4-

Cillian Hanratty

Oldest Living Son -d8-
Poor Uncle Silly -d4-

Daniel Hanratty

 Squeaky Clean Groom -d6-

Alexia Vibeke

Undercover Federal Marshal -d8-
Sibling Rivalry -d4-

Mark - Cormac Hanratty

 "There's no reason we can't settle this like civilized adults. Because if we can't, you'll be dead."

Cheap Sunglasses -d8- It doesn't matter if it's in church, at the hospital, or bar time. Cormac never takes off his sunglasses. One of his cousins mocked him about it at the pub once. Cormac mails him one of his teeth back every year the anniversary.

Danny Boy -d4- Cormac thinks the world of his grandson. He's spoiled the boy every chance he's got and he's taking a big risk showing up for the wedding. But he gave his word to look after the boy after his son Elias was killed. He paid for Danny's college and set up a trust fund all without him knowing it. He wants the boy to get out from underneath the Hanratty name and make a new life for himself and his family.

Elephant Man -d12- This is the nickname nobody uses in Cormac's presence. He never forgets. Ever. He remembers everyone's name, what they drink and the names of their spouses. He remembers every joke you've told, every waitress you've hit on and every favor you've asked. If things get heated, he stays calm and watches how things play out. He never yells, he never acts out of anger, but if you've crossed him, you will get yours.

For Tomorrow We May Die -d4- Years of doing business in dingy taverns and foggy docks have taken their toll. Despite his doctor's wishes, Cormac continues to smoke and drink like a man forty years his junior. He especially likes to sit at tables near no smoking signs and light up.

Trash Man Han -d12- Everybody knows a different story for how Cormac got this nickname. Most of the stories involve similar elements, such as a disappearing rival, an aluminum trash can and a variety of cutting tools purchased from a variety of hardware stores.Trash Man Han works like a ghost. He comes to your neighborhood, takes away the garbage, and leaves before you wake up in the morning.

1.2 The Bootstraps Job

Scenes from the pilot I now recognize from the pilot in the credits:
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle

Man, "Sabotage" is an awesome theme song.

For most people, waking up naked in a cargo container might make things challenging. Luke Charles is not most people.

Luke already has a plan - Nash gets clothes, Danya gets wheels, Maddie handles anyone snooping around the container, and Mac uses the Red Smartphone to find a rich asshole with a private plane.

Danya uses the time-honored "naked lady by the roadside" technique to score the team an SUV. She also notes they are in Paris. The poor bastard she sleeper holds ends up naked in the container himself, but if I'm going to get carjacked, being choked out by a hot, wet, naked lady is probably one of the ways I want to go.

Nash finds Maddie a jumpsuit and a clipboard, which comes in handy when a dock guard comes up acting suspicious. She grifts up a modelling shoot at the drop of the hat and everybody gets into it. Even Mac -

MAC: Lori, I can't work in this light! 

 Mac finds a Mark quickly. Oleg Kuryakin deals in human traffic, selling girls to businessmen in bulk. They track him to a Parisian sidewalk cafe, where he has a meeting with Raphael Al-Fahid. As an Oil Baron's Scion with an Ivy-League Education, Raphael also fall into the "rich asshole with a private plane" category. He's meeting with Oleg to find some girls for one of his rigs. Between Oleg's intimidating presence and his naivite, Maddie quickly pegs Raphael as Nervous. Nash and Luke sum up the rest of the episode while watching them from across the street.

NASH: We're going to ruin this guy's life, right?
LUKE: Oh. Oh yeah.

 Oleg leaves Raphael a flash drive catalog of his 'merchandise'. When Raphael uploads it to his phone, Mac hacks it and clones Raphael's phone. Luke approaches Raphael and makes a counter-offer, playing up the superiority of his product. Luke reveals his Grifting speciality - Heroically Sleazy. Elba reminds me a lot of Jim Garner in The Rockford Files here - this guy does a good job of making you think he'll sell his own mother for a buck and give back change, but in the end he makes the right choice.

He gives Raphael a smartphone with his contact info and own catalog, with pictures of Danya and Maddie mixed in with random girls off the Internet. During his sales pitch, Raphael is clearly smitten by Maddie, and she easily aids Luke via earbud into making sure Raphael is Just That Into Her. They agree to meet at a club that evening and make sure that Oleg is watching as Luke steals his client.

That evening, Oleg is partying it up in the disco with a pair of Bullethead Russians guarding the entrance to the VIP. Danya and Maddie are dancing to some ABBA. Mac, who has been playing Luke's uber-efficient assistant - Seriously, she makes Kato look like a bumbling intern - grumbles about her role in the con.

MAC: Someday I'm going to get to dance.

Nash is brought in to play Luke's enforcer, and there's a great bit of business here where Danya uses subtle hand signals to help him stand where he looks the most intimidating. She also has a little fun with him over the comms.

DANYA: That chick across the bar is totally checking you out.
NASH: Really? (beat) I can't look over there, can I?

Of course, she gets a little payback from Mac when Luke sells her skills in 'playing rough' to Raphael.

DANYA: I'll show you playing rough.
MAC: You already have.

Luke calls the girls over and Maddie, taking the name Zahra, plays poor Raphael like a fiddle. He shows her his dorky love of travel by taking pictures of every airport he's even been to. Between telling Raphael she's always wanted to see Lebanon, her specialty in Religions, and Raphael's Nervous trait coughing up Complications, he barely notices the spiked drink he sips.

While "Zahra" works her magic, Luke decides to have a talk with Oleg. He takes the Direct approach, naturally, and leaves the goons on the floor. It's not a perfect run - he spills his Scotch. Luckily, Mac has one at Oleg's table just as he sits down. Oleg and Luke have a fun little confrontation. I really like how Luke doesn't need to work the grift here - he confronts the Mark and figures he can take the heat while the rest of his crew handle fleecing the Mark. It's a dangerous way to run, but who doesn't like a good "Badasses talking smack to each other scene"? It sets up Luke's crew as the Distinguished Competition.

Luke sends Danya and Maddie off with Raphael and waits for Oleg's inevitable counter-attack.Sizing up the thugs that Oleg has been surrounded by, he knows that there's An Element of Surprise because Oleg has a better class of thug somewhere. He knows Oleg has some girls in town, so it's Danya's turn to take a dive so she can get brought back to Oleg's HQ. Except there's a problem - during the brawl where Danya leaves one thug standing to overpower her, a thug gives her a Crushed Earbud. Without her in radio contact, Luke sends Nash to follow Danya.

Nash tracks Danya to a stockyard. Oleg has the girls stashed inside the refrigeration units and Danya spends some time in one herself. Oleg and her have a bit of a conversation. Before he can do anything too sleazy to her, Luke crashed through the doors in his car and directly challenges the thugs hanging out. Luke brings out a Baseball Bat to help him in the fight. But once Danya puts her hands on their boss (and his belt around his throat), two of the thugs peel off, pull out guns and Empty the Clip. Even using Oleg as a shield, Danya Got Hit, and the thugs take a moment to reload.

Nash uses the battle to sneak in and let the girls out. He's boosted one of those party bus type vehicles and ushers the girls inside. But something is wrong. One of the girls wasn't bound at the hands. Nash realizes a moment too late that Oleg's top enforcer isn't a goon - it's a girl. Ninotchka, Oleg's blond enforcer, kicks Nash in the face and takes off with the bus. Of course, he tries to cover by being Overconfident.

NASH: SOME of the girls are plants!

Meanwhile, Raphael recovers from his drugging. It doesn't take much convincing from Maddie that they should flee Paris on his private jet.

RAPHAEL:Yes, yes my darling! We'll have breakfast in Lebanon!

Mac arrives as Raphel's driver and we get a flashback about how she's been working her hack magic while she's been shuttling rich folks around Paris and racking up a nice set of tips. As she, Maddie and Raphael head for the airport, they notice a pair of Oleg's thugs peel off to follow them.

Even though there is Cow's Blood On The Floor, Luke handles the other thugs easily. He realizes the thugs are using Cheap Russian Guns so he is able to take out one thug while the other one's gun jams. They dash outside to help Nash.

Mac weaves through the streets of Paris. It's clear that Oleg's men aren't just going to follow them, so Maddie offers some guidance through Paris's twisting street. Except she makes a mistake and a Complication springs up. Maddie says "I Meant Right" and they end up in a dead-end alleyway with Oleg's thugs boxing them in.

Nash had enough foresight to set up a spike strip thanks to his Speciality in Contingencies, which causes Ninotchka to crash the bus. She hops out to survey the damage, Nash jumps onto the bus and wins the Chinese fire drill. Except Ninotchka isn't stopped. She jumps onto the back of the moving van and busts in through the back window. Nash sees her coming and comes up with a clever plan. He'll hit the brakes and she'll go through the front bus window. Except he gets a Complication and she grabs him as he dives forward. They both go through the window. Looks like a tough fight for Danya and Luke, since Nash has been Taken Out and Ninotchka has "She Hit You With the Bus Window?" as a Complication.

Mac lets Luke know they have a situation. But he's got his Hacker's back. He knew the thugs were going to come after her. He deploys their final Asset, Luke's Lemon.

LUKE: Is it a black sedan with an air freshener?
(CUT TO: A flashback. The thugs are arguing with each other over who goes to get lunch. The camera pans down past the car door to see Luke underneath, pulling something out of the underbody.)
MAC: Yeah. Hod did you...
LUKE: It's already done.
MAC: (cuts a sharp smirk) Good job, Padawan.

Mac hacks the sedan's doors to lock shut. The thugs shirt gears and floor it. Except Luke's preperations mean the car slips gears and the thugs go full speed...into reverse. The sedan hits the street and a bakery truck takes care of the problem.

Dany runs at Ninotchka full charge. But before she gets drop some pain on the enforcer, Luke uses The Bigger They Are and turns Ninotchka from a Complication into an Asset. He says four words that stops both Danya and Ninotchka in their tracks.

LUKE: What happened little bird?

Cue a flashback featuring a little blond Russian girl being rescued by a special forces team. She gets scooped up in a soldiers arms and once she's pulled to safety, the solider pulls his mask. It's Luke and he tells the girl 

LUKE:You're safe now, little bird.

They share a Meaningful Glance and a nod. Ninotchka gets her only line of dialog in Russian before she walks away.

NINOTCHKA: Your friend is cute...but stupid.

The police pick up Oleg and we hit the Wrap-Up.Danya left Oleg in the freezer in a semi-nude state.

Danya plants the thumb drive back on Oleg. But he realizes it when he comes to and disposes it the only way he knows how - by swallowing it.

Maddie takes Raphael for as much as she can, including her mother's diamond necklace. He's no match for all three of her Distinctions. He gives her his mother's necklace which she immediately puts on so she can send a picture of her wearing it to Raphael's father the oil baron.

Mac is left alone with Raphael's computer and she easily cleans him out. She does it while she busily prepares the private jet for takeoff.

As she does, she flashes back to Nash asking her to send Oleg's financials and his catalog to Agent Poston, who shows up to taunt poor Oleg in the interrigation room.

The Plan Comes Together in a bittersweet scene. Raphael is taking a picture of the airport sign and looks confused. We see what he sees soon enough - his own private plane is taking off over the sign as the chorus of "All By Myself" surges.

We then cut to the interrogation room. The door opens. Oleg reacts with surprise. A pair of silenced gunshots flash through the window. The door opens again and Ninotchka walks out of the room, dropping the pistol in the doorway.

The final scene sees Nash holding an icepack to his jaw, Maddie inspecting her new necklace, and Luke patching Danya up for once. Suddenly there's a scream from the cockpit. Mac's Fear of Heights kicked in.

MAC: Someone needs to get in here. I didn't realize how high we were!

Credits. Post-game after the jump.

Mark - Oleg Kuryakin

"You have already cost me fifty-thousand American. If you ruin my suit with your blood you'll be worth even less to me."

Ex-KGB -d12- Oleg spent most of the 1980's as a recruiter for the KGB. He turned other agents, tortured the ones that wouldn't flip, got people in compromising positions, and looked for the worst people in the world to work for the Soviet government. The haircut is a dead giveaway.

Money is No Object -d4- Perhaps because of the sparse years of his youth, Oleg lives lavishly. He makes a lot of money for his bratvas, but he spends a lot of money as well. Criminal organizations aren't known for their 401k programs. Oleg always figured that he would be killed before he had a chance to retire.

Sharp Dressed Man -d8- It doesn't matter if he's in a boardroom or showing his goons how they used to extract info in the old days. Oleg dresses in three piece suits and hand-crafted Italian shoes. Even if someone has just cost him a ship full of talent, he will take time out of pulling fingernails out to compliment someone on their taste in clothes.

Thieves in Law -d12- After the fall of the Soviet Union, Oleg brought his talents to the various criminal organizations that sprung up in the provinces. He's not connected to a specific gang, preferring to bring in talent wherever young, pretty girls are needed to whoever is willing to pay top dollar. But as long as he has the girls, he has the backing of the Vory.

Primae Noctis -d4- The girls Oleg acquires for his clients run all races and tastes. He likes the young ones and prefers to "sample the goods for quality". He is smart enough to leave the looking untouched. That doesn't account for starvation, forced drug addiction, or hauling out some of the KGB's Greatest Hits to break the girl's will to escape.

Hacker - Alexandra MacGregor

"Of course I pulled the info."

Attributes:
Agility -d10-
Alertness -d10-
Intelligence -d8-
Strength -d8-
Vitality -d6-
Willpower -d6-

Roles:
Grifter -d6- Supporting Actress
Hacker -d10- Driving
Hitter -d4-
Mastermind -d4-
Thief -d8-

Distinctions:
Afraid of Heights
Focused
"It's already done"

Talents:
Jenny-on-the-spot: You must spend a Plot Point to use this talent. You can place yourself in any scene that didn’t already have you there, and you give an extra d6 to the next roll a Crewmember makes.

Can You Hear Me Now? Gain an extra d8 to your roll that involves hacking the Mark’s
communications: eavesdropping on phone calls and encrypted radio traffic, intercepting emails, etc.

Episode 1.1 - The NYE Job

We open on a posh penthouse in New York City. Luke Charles has assembled a crew for a job. He's his own Client - one of the Marks has a history with him. Also, so does Danya, by the way they keep trading barbs. Nash asks if they want the room to themselves.

Did I say one of the Marks? Yup. There's a deal going down on New Years Eve. Two million in cash for two million in blood diamonds.

The cash belongs to K-Rome, an obnoxious rap mogul throwing a lavish Roman themed New Years Eve party.  He's surrounded by hangers-on and by his henchmen Little Boots and Nero Negro.

The diamonds belong to Issac Adeniji, a displaced Nigerian Warlord. Issac was responsible for the deaths of two members of Luke's last crew.

The crew discusses their various roles. Nash is in charge of switching out both cases. Danya backs up Luke as a Hitter. Mac monitors from the DJ tables.

MAC: What happened to the other DJ?
Flashback: We see a DJ loading equipment into the back of a van. Luke Charles approached, clocks the DJ, and chucks him into the back of the van without breaking a sweat.
LUKE: He called in sick.

This gives us the first Distinction of the night. Luke is Direct.

As for Maddie, Luke asks if she can get next to K-Rome as his diamond expert.

LUKE: You think you can pull that off?
Flashback: A series of quick cuts of different men each putting a different jewelled necklace around Maddie's neck.

And that's how Maddie gets her Distinction, Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Maddie makes her move at K-Rome's office. She shows off her Grifter skills by talking about the diamonds on the gun in K-Rome's pants.

Danya and Mac set up in the party. Mac draws the attention of Nero Negro who is abusing his underlings like K-Rome abuses him. She tries to calm down Nero and see what kind of a Grifter she is.

She rolls Vitality + Grifter for a 10. Nero rolls his d6 and d4 for a 7. Mac is a decent Grifter when she has to be. She also gets an Opportunity, which she pays a Plot Point to get the Asset Spray-Painted Tiger.

Nash tries to schmooze his way into the party as part of K-Rome's entourage. He rolls his Grifter as well, but he fails. He makes it into the party, but a few of K-Rome's boys peel off and take him into a service hallway to show him what they do to party crashers.

This lets us setup two moments. Is Nash a decent Hitter? Sadly, no. But Danya is, and we soon find out she's Badass. She takes out the thugs and picks up an Alpha Female Asset off of an Opportunity. K-Rome's Boys are far too macho to tell anyone they got their asses kicked by a girl, so there's no disturbance at the party...yet.

Enter Luke Charles. Luke brushes past some of the Nigerian's men just long enough for them to recognize him. He lures them into the bathroom for an ambush.

He rolls Strength d10 + Hitter d10 + Direct d8 vs. Nigerian Thug d8 and Bathroom d6 + 2d6 for being Outnumbered. The Thugs get a ten. Luke gets...a 4. He's Taken Out. Maddie makes a move to try and rescue him but Luke waves her off. All part of the plan - even the Complication Beaten Up By Nigerian Thugs.

Luke is taken in front of K-Rome and Issac Adeniji. Issac and Luke share some pleasantries about their past, something he didn't tell the rest of the crew. Luke goads him into pulling K-Rome's pistol and pulls the trigger on Luke.

K-ROME: You really think I keep a loaded gun pointed at my dick? What kind of fool you take me for?

The gun clicks. K-Rome sends Little Boots out for some bullets.

Things start happening quickly. Luke takes a run at Issac and missed. K-Rome draws a loaded gun and points it at Maddie. Danya takes out Little Boots at the safe. Nash takes advantage of the chaos to pull both cases. Thanks to his Perfect Timing, he's able to extract Luke and Maddie before unleashing a very pissed off Spray-Painted Tiger to the room.

The crew adjourns in the penthouse to split up the goods. But there's a bonus -  an unmarked red smartphone that Mac discovers. The phone rings and the crew gets an invitation to a villa in France.

At the masquerade, they meet with the various other Crews they are competing with. Maddie shows she's a Little Devil by ruining Nash's chances with one of the all-girl Crew dressed as sexy musketeers.

Mac eavesdrops on another Crew talking to one of his friends in Russian. The man on the other line doesn't sound well.

Danya is approached by Special Agent Laura Poston, an undercover officer on one of the other crews. She knows about Danya through her sister and wants her to give information on Luke's Crew. Danya agrees to this Dangerous Game for now.

Luke meets up with Guy St. Croix, a surviving member of an old crew. Guy throws some pointed barbs, but none so pointed as that he has No Friends Left.

Finally, the mysterious host arrives in a wheelchair, oxygen mask, and Louis the XIV mask. Through an interpreter he explains the competition. Six cons, one on each continent. The first crew to complete them in the fastest time, wins. He holds a toast.

And then the interpreter collapses.

One by one, the rest of the Crewmembers do from the odorless knockout gas. Luke at least gets to finish his Scotch first...

The crew awakens in a container. They are all naked. The only other thing inside is the red smartphone. It rings.

"Your first challenge. You must get out of the continent we have shipped you to. The first team to do it, wins. The game...is afoot!

Assets:
Alpha Female
Spray-Painted Tiger
"You Got Any Allergies?"
Beaten Up By Nigerian Thugs
"Where my diamonds, bitch?"
Complications:
Messed Up Keyboard
24-Hour Window
Nash is in Lurrrrve

Grifter - Maddy O'Hara

"Of course I know what I'm talking about. Would I lie to you?"

Attributes:
Agility -d8-
Alertness -d8-
Intelligence -d10-
Strength -d6-
Vitality -d8-
Willpower -d8-

Roles:
Grifter -d10-
Hacker -d4-
Hitter -d4-
Mastermind -d6- Religions
Thief -d8- Jewelry

Distinctions:
Angel Face
Little Devil
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Talents:
How YOU Doin':Add an extra d10 to your roll when dealing with someone that finds you attractive. If you do, you must also add a d4.

Takes One to Know One:Add a d8 to your Notice Action to sense a lie.

Hitter - Danya Vibeke

"I never get sick of that part."

Attributes:
Agility -d6-
Alertness -d8-
Intelligence -d8-
Strength -d10-
Vitality -d8-
Willpower -d8-

Roles:
Grifter -d8- Linguist
Hacker -d4-
Hitter -d10-
Mastermind -d4-
Thief -d6-

Distinctions:
Competitive
"I do my best work in the dark"
Dangerous Game

Talents:
Badass: When you’re in a fight, you’re outnumbered, and the Fixer gives you an Opportunity (rolls a 1 on his dice) you may remove one of the dice the Fixer gains from outnumbering you.

Master of Disguise: Gain an extra d6 to your roll to pass as someone you’re not when wearing a
disguise. The Fixer may not invoke any Complications or other bonuses against you to see through the disguise the second time.

Thief - Nash Stackpool

"Most of my friends dyed their hair or started listening to awful music to get back at their parents. I busted into my parent's friends houses while they were at the country club and gave the money to Greenpeace."

Attributes:
Agility -d10-
Alertness -d8-
Intelligence -d10-
Strength -d6-
Vitality -d8-
Willpower -d6-

Roles:
Grifter -d4-
Hacker -d6-
Hitter -d4-
Mastermind -d8- Contingency Plans
Thief -d10-

Distinctions:
Silver Spoon Rebel
Overconfident
Sleeping With The Enemy

Talents:
Archangel:Any Crewmember you’re in contact with (including yourself) can spend Plot Points to give a die to any other member of the Crew you’re in contact with (also including yourself).

Perfect Timing: Gain an extra d8 to your roll when doing something involving precise timing.

Mastermind - Luke Charles

"The thing you don't realize is, I've already stolen your diamonds."

Attributes:
Agility -d8-
Alertness -d6-
Intelligence -d10-
Strength -d8-
Vitality -d8-
Willpower -d8-

Roles:
Grifter -d4-
Hacker -d4-
Hitter -d8-
Mastermind -d10-
Thief -d6-

Distinctions:
Mysterious Past
Direct
No Friends Left

Talents:
 I Can Kill You With My Mind: You must spend a Plot Point to activate this Talent. Add your Intelligence die to your roll, and include a third die in your result in a Fight Action.

The Bigger They Are: You must spend a Plot Point to activate this Talent. You take that Complication die and add it to your own roll as an Asset. Step it up by one if your description
of how it helps you rather than hurts you involves a quick flashback scene.