Kickstarter - Girls' Heist Out

I've been a part of several Kickstarters over the past few years. It is a roller coaster ride to be part of one as a stretch goal or as a team member. But, ultimately, if things don't work out, it's okay because you weren't the maniac who thought it was a good idea to ask the internet for money. Now it's my turn to be the maniac. Girls' Heist Out is a comic project featuring my words and Manuela Soriani's art. It's a crime caper comic inspired by a lot of the research and work I did for this game. Girls' Heist Out features witty banter, exotic locales and four kickass leads looking to get their revenge the best way they know how - by stealing it.

I've gotten great feedback on my script and Manuela's art. I've got coverage lined up from other websites. I have some awesome stretch goal artists lined up. But this is completely out of my comfort zone. I've built my career as a writer carefully picking out handholds and footholds as I climb. Girls' Heist Out is me taking a running jump to land on an entirely different mountain.

If you enjoy reading this blog, please check out Girls' Heist Out, You already know how much I enjoy telling stories. I hope you will help me take the first step into telling them in a different medium.

Mark - Minerva

"What price can you put on enlightenment of a weary soul?"

Cult Following -d4- Minerva can count on her followers to buy her albums and DVDs. But lately she can't get much traction outside her devoted fans.  Her artistic nature struggles with the thought of Harmonious Humanity as the most devious gilded cage ever.

Dominant Diva -d12- Minerva rose to fame thirty years ago as a huge force in entertainment. Her pop music career fed into her acting career which fed into her fashion career and so on. Her artistic endeavors camouflage a ruthless businesswoman who knows how to pry every last cent from her adoring public.

Harmonious Humanity Hears Everything -d12- Minerva turned Harmonious Humanity from a collection of upper middle class hippies going through their mid-life crisis collectively into a billion dollar organization. Harmonious Humanity encourages its members to clean their chakras by revealing secrets to higher ranking members. The organization carefully documents these confessions for blackmail and use against external enemies.

Roman Appetites -d4- One of the allures of Harmonious Humanity is its open policy on relationships. Minerva is notorious for taking advantage of anyone she finds desirable. Those who express jealousy or who rebuff her advances often find themselves kicked out of the sect...after their bank account has been drained.

Wigged Out -d8- It seems like she never wears the same hairstyle or hair color twice.

Mark - Governor Julian Newton

"America is progress. Why should I cry about the bumps in the road that get paved over?"

Ambition -d4- Newton moved quickly up the political chain. He is expected to announce a bid for the presidency after his term is complete. Every move he makes in public is calculated to put him one step closer to Washington.

Barbarians at the Gate -d4- Newton is well protected by his political contacts. But he's made plenty of enemies in his climb in every newspaper and amongst the power players in DC. He's safe in the nest he's built for himself through a combination of obligation and fear. The forces outside his control, however, would love to see him fall.

Dot Governor -d12- Newton embraced technology in his home state. While government turns slowly, he's quickly adapted to new technologies ranging from free wireless in every city park to an app that displays how much time left on the parking meter. This mastery of tech also gives him plenty of ways to monitor enemies, hack political rival's emails and blackmail anyone who messes with him.

Patron of the Arts -d8- The Governor always has his press conferences at a gallery or museum. His personal collection is also extensive.
  
You Scratch My Back, I'll Stab Yours -d12- Newton comes from an old money family. Money means connections, and old money means many connections. He's got old friends in every office and stacks of favors ready to get him out of any scandal. Anyone that crosses him  finds themselves under extreme pressure to leave the state.

Shameless Blog Promotion - Legacy of Marvels

I have a new game starting up using MWP's Marvel Heroic Roleplaying. The world is one where the events of the Marvel Universe happen in real time. So Spider-Man is retirement age, Jubilee is in her early 30's, and so on.

The address is:
legacyofmarvels.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

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.