Neo Shinobi Vendetta: Fate Pre-Gens

I ran two sessions of my anime-ninja-sci fi mash up Neo Shinobi Vendetta online last month. That’s the game I talk about on this week’s Gauntlet Roundup podcast episode. We had a great conversation and I recommend listening to it. I discuss the purpose of the setting, shifting tone in play, and the challenges of action in a story environment. Plus sweet ninjas chopping off heads.

I’ve posted NSV material before. I have entries covering the overall setting as well as a shorter version. I also wrote up the game’s shinobi powers. Originally I wrote NSV for Action Cards, our Fate-influenced homebrew. I’ve run it that way f2f and a half dozen times at Origins and Gen Con. Because I hadn’t yet worked out cards in Roll20, I went with Fate Core for our Gauntlet sessions. If you compare the AC and Fate versions, you’ll see how easy conversion is. You can find the AP videos here and here. 

Our characters have sixteen skills, some powers, and a few stunts. It’s a larger pool of options than standard Fate, so it’s probably closer to Atomic Robo in power level. Each character has a "corruption"-- some of these trigger if they roll ++++ or ----. Others give a cost. I decoupled the stunt/refresh connection in making these characters; they’re crafted particularly for one-shots+. I also opted to go with a stress pool rather than check boxes. That’s purely about keeping things simple and easy to teach online.

CONCEPT Master of Guile 

TROUBLE Don't Stop Deceiving 

REFRESH 1                        STRESS 13

SKILLS

AIM +3                                 PHYSIQUE ---

ATHLETICS +2                    SCIENCE ---

DECEPTION +4                   SOCIETY +3

DEXTERITY +5                    STEALTH +2

FIGHT +3                             TECHNOLOGY +1

INVESTIGATE +2                UNDERWORLD +4

KNOWLEDGE +1                WILL +1

STUNTS & POWERS

• Compensation (Memetic Base): You may use Deception for Fight tests.  
• Hijack (Ghost Set): You can see through the vision of others. Distance and barriers determine the difficulty of the test required.  
• Mirrors (Wizard Set): You can generate a host of duplicates by spending 2 stress. These can distract, help evasion, or other effects. They wear out quickly.  
• Spider (Wizard Set): You can cling to walls and other surfaces with perfect control as if walking normally on the ground. This includes ceilings, sides of moving cars, and even sword blades. This does not give perfect balance and you can be knocked down or off.  
• Always a Way Out: +2 on checks made to create an advantage whenever you’re trying to escape from a location.  
• Clever Disguise: You may assume disguises as an action. Your skill and technology allow you to resist scrutiny where it might otherwise fail.  
• Memetic Overlay Corruption: atavistic reactions, possession, reversion of other states, or disorientation.

CONCEPT Voice of the Nano-Kami 

TROUBLE Echoes in My Head 

REFRESH 2                        STRESS 12

SKILLS

AIM +4                                 PHYSIQUE ---

ATHLETICS +1                    SCIENCE +3

DECEPTION +3                   SOCIETY +1

DEXTERITY +2                    STEALTH +2

FIGHT +2                             TECHNOLOGY +4

INVESTIGATE +3                 UNDERWORLD +1

KNOWLEDGE +5                 WILL ---

STUNTS & POWERS

• Disintegration (Nanoswarm Base): You can deal stress to hardened structures: walls, structural supports, vehicles. This can be used for an attack or to set up other effects.  
• Flight (Nanoswarm Base): Spend 2 stress to become capable of flight for a scene. Pick two when you fly: Agile, Fast, Carry Others, Hi-Attitude, Long Distance, or Super Silent.  
• Rebuilder (Nanoswarm Base): You can reshape existing material into new forms, duplicate objects, or even create a new item. States and types of matter can be changed.  
• Subdual (Invoker Set): You can declare any attack nonlethal. Additionally as an action you can put to sleep any grouped noncombatants or bystanders.  
• Data Surveyor: You have an acute eye for accounts. You can easily pick out patterns and problems in a fraction of the normal time. You're also an expert at using bits and pieces to track people. You can test to locate someone at a particular time or guess behavior based on the past and get quick results.  
• Fast Friend: On entering a new social situation (party, meeting) you may spend a fate point to rapidly make a good friend or contact.  
• Nanoswarm Corruption: collateral stress, brief independence, misread commands, or even visible scarring and marks.  

CONCEPT Lumbering Mountain of Poison 

TROUBLE Painless

REFRESH 2                        STRESS 12

SKILLS

AIM ---                                 PHYSIQUE +4

ATHLETICS +2                   SCIENCE +5

DECEPTION +2                  SOCIETY +1

DEXTERITY ---                   STEALTH +2

FIGHT +3                            TECHNOLOGY +3

INVESTIGATE +4               UNDERWORLD +1

KNOWLEDGE +3               WILL +1

STUNTS & POWERS

• Armor of God (Demon Set): You add +2 physical stress for each condition taken.  
• Body Shaping (Genocolony Base): You can reshape your body. Extend limbs, grow bigger, shrink to half size, perform contortions, or slip into tight gaps or containers  
• Reweaver (Genocolony Base): You may also take an additional 4 point condition.  
• Bend Bars/Lift Gates: You may spend a fate point to perform an absurd lift, pull, or other feat of strength.  
• Mad Science: You may use Science tests to do a major attack or effect if you have access to materials. You mix chemicals, rewire systems, etc. quickly. Limit 1 crazy plan per scene.  
• Retag: When being individually hunted or pursued, you can spend a fate point to re-center the hunt on another target you come into contact with. This creates an additional obstacle for your pursuers.  
• Genocolony Corruption: DNA absorption, rampant consumption, bizarre growths, and uncontrolled tentacles and the like.  

CONCEPT Whispers of the Coiled Serpent 

TROUBLE Some Call it Cowardice 

REFRESH 2                        STRESS 13

SKILLS

AIM +5                                 PHYSIQUE ---

ATHLETICS +1                    SCIENCE +1

DECEPTION +3                  SOCIETY +2

DEXTERITY +1                   STEALTH +4

FIGHT +3                             TECHNOLOGY ---

INVESTIGATE +2                UNDERWORLD +2

KNOWLEDGE +3                WILL +4

STUNTS & POWERS

• Deathcloud (Sorcerer Set): You may perform an electrical attack hitting a tight group. This targets everyone close by. Add +1 stress per target and divided it evenly among the targets.  
• Id Insinuation (Psychic Base): You may slightly cloud the minds of targets in an area within sight for effect. You can also spend a fate point to edit short term memories on a target.  
• Savior (Saint Set): You may heal an ally in combat as an action. Roll against a difficulty of 0. By spending a fate point you may affect two targets.  
• Alarmist: You have an instinct for avoiding traps, sensors, and alarms. You gain +2 to checks to spot and circumvent them.  
• Precise: You can hit absurdly small and precise targets with ranged attack. If you need to roll, reduce the difficulties for size and environment,
• Wicked Edge: You do +2 stress using Fight.    
• Psychic Drawback: You do not suffer corruption, but using talents takes a toll on your body. Each use costs stress to activate. Pay for ongoing talents when first turning them on. This stress cannot be healed via other effect in combat, but does heal naturally with rest.  

CONCEPT Meticulous Planner

TROUBLE Mercy for the Innocent

REFRESH 2                        STRESS 12

SKILLS

AIM +2                                 PHYSIQUE +1

ATHLETICS +4                    SCIENCE ---

DECEPTION ---                   SOCIETY +2

DEXTERITY +4                    STEALTH +5

FIGHT +3                             TECHNOLOGY +3

INVESTIGATE +3                UNDERWORLD +2

KNOWLEDGE ---                WILL +1

STUNTS & POWERS  

• Hurdle (Dragon Set): Shinobi can ordinarily make high jumps and leaps, at least twice normal distance. When you use this power, you may make insane leaps and jumps.  
• Lull (Chimera Set): By concentrating you can create an area nearby that, when scanned, causes most devices to read most common & expected results.  
• Soul Sense (Chi Field Base): You sense lifeforms in a short radius, even through barriers. You may tag targets (up to 3). You know direction of tagged targets and do +2 stress to them.  
• Cleaner: You’re an expert at removing evidence from a scene. You gain a +2 to all tests for this. You can also clean a scene after the fact.  
• From the Darkness: You do +2 stress when attacking a surprised opponent.  
• Scoundrel’s Reflexes: You may make a stealth check to hide yourself even when surprised, without penalty.  
• Chi Field Drawback: You do not suffer corruption, but using talents takes a toll on your body. Each use costs stress to activate. Pay for ongoing talents when first turning them on. This stress cannot be healed via other effect in combat, but does heal naturally with rest.   

CONCEPT Body of Metal 

TROUBLE More Machine than Human 

REFRESH 2                        STRESS 12

SKILLS

AIM +1                                 PHYSIQUE +1

ATHLETICS +3                    SCIENCE +4

DECEPTION +3                  SOCIETY ---

DEXTERITY +2                   STEALTH +3

FIGHT +4                             TECHNOLOGY +5

INVESTIGATE +2                UNDERWORLD ---

KNOWLEDGE +2                WILL +1

STUNTS & POWERS  

• Instinct (Serpent Set): When struck in melee, you do 1 stress back to your attacker.  
• Sensory Array (Cybernetics base): You can see in absolute darkness, aware 360 degrees, perceive microscopically & telescopically, and are protected from blinding/deafening.  
• SubDermal Plating (Cybernetics Base): Reduce any physical stress done to you by 2.  
• Sinuous (Serpent Base): You do +2 stress in grapples. If you've grappled a target, they take the first 2  stress done to you outside of the grapple. 
• Grappler: +2 to tests made to create advantages on an enemy by wrestling or grappling with them.  
• Mastercrafted: Twice per session you can reroll a result if you explain how your personalized advanced equipment helped you out.  
• Cybernetics Drawback: The most obvious source of powers; can only be concealed with difficulty. While you do not suffer corruption, your implants render you vulnerable to humanity-based effects. Take +2 stress from mental or psychological attacks. 

If you have any questions, hit me up.