Vanguard: Secrets of D.I.S.N.E.Y.

Hello Director,

If you are receiving this letter, then you have been chosen to lead the newly established Division of Intelligence and Strategy: Naval Enforcement Yard. An above top secret organization operating at the highest levels of discretion, backed by important figures in the Monarchies of the world, but not under the command of any nation's government. There are powers beyond man's ken in this world, and if you are reading, they're emergence is accelerating. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to lead this initiative, and direct the men and women on the front lines of this secret war, to protect the world itself from threats it does not understand.

We will be watching. Good luck. Director.
-The Council of Five.

Starting Agent
[ ] The Darling (Strength: Charming. Weakness: Mortal. )
[ ] The Soldier out of Time (Strength: Skilled. Weakness: Unfamiliar. )
[ ] The Mysterious Markswoman (Strength: Precise. Weakness: Abrasive.)
[ ] The Nature Elemental (Strength: Powerful. Weakness: Dangerous. )
[ ] The Sailor (Strength: Chosen. Weakness: Grieving. )
[ ] The Inventive Artist (Strength: Creative. Weakness: Inattentive.)

Starting Tech
[ ] Collapsible Crossbows
Some genius in London combined the modular technology of (classified) and an ordinary weapon to create a concealable device which means an agent can be armed at all times without arousing suspicion or security. They're lacking some of the stopping power of larger models though.
[ ] Communication Mirrors
Direct from Madrid, a couple of dabblers from RND have figured out how to link two mirrors together, instantly conveying image and sound across vast distances. They're neither compact nor sturdy however.
[ ] Slumber Serum
Deep in the Irish countryside, young talent managed to reverse engineer a legend, a sickly green liquid that absorbs instantly into any fruit or vegetable, after which one bite will render the victim unconscious for eight hours. Unfortunately the ingredients are somewhat rare, making new production slow.
[ ] Fluidity Improvement Shell Hardsuit
Ancient technology reactivated by ardent students of history, these incredible devices greatly reduce the users mass, allowing for dramatically increased acrobatics. The maneuvering armatures don't hurt either. Be advised that this is ancient technology that may be temperamental in the field, and if it breaks, you won't be getting more.
[ ] Transformation Potion
Brought back by operatives from the New World, this curious solution will transmute its drinker into an animal. According to reports it originally required a separate antidote, but a capable brewer was able to apply a time limit of four hours. At the same time, with the changes made, other aspects were modified and the transformation is now … random.

Starting Mission
[ ] Numerous Monster sightings from the French Highland, including reports of an entire town destroyed.
[ ] Strange missing persons incidents from the heart of London, multiple reports of people vanishing from locked rooms.
[ ] Very alarming readings centered on a small island nation just off the shores of Poland.
[ ] Distress signals received from deep cover agents in the Tzar's court.


[ ]Choose a Name
-[ ]And a Gender


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Boys, Gals and Non-Binary Pals, welcome to Vanguard. Those of you joining us from Hornet Quest Redux be assured that that quest is still my first Priority, so updates for Vanguard might be a little more sporadic. Still I have a lot of background detail and pre-written content for this (curse you rogue plot bunnies) and I hope you enjoy.

What is Vanguard(Secrets of D.I.S.N.E.Y.)
Vanguard is a narrative quest loosely based on the FATE role playing system. Furthermore it is also a quest built in an alternate universe built around Disney's classic fairy tales, but what if things were a little more Marvel. The players take on two roles, the first as the mysterious Director of the D.I.S.N.E.Y. organization, leading the men and women of ambiguous 1800s Europe against the supernatural threats that emerge. The second is more generally controlling the protagonists of each movie/adventure, as they struggle to succeed.

This setting is very heavily inspired by The Avengers: Disney Princess Edition. That story deserves some more love too.

Aspects and Dice Rolls
Aspects are the core mechanic of Vanguard: Secrets of D.I.S.N.E.Y.. Everything in the quest has aspects, from the characters, to the settings, to each individual scene. Aspects come with dice pools and are Invoked to use for an action. To perform an action, one first Invokes an aspect they believe will assist, and adding in any circumstantial bonuses. Then, roll all of those six sided dice. For each die, a result of 1-2 subtracts one from the final total, a result of 3-4 adds one, and a result of 5-6 adds two. Add them all up and compare that final total to the challenge presented. If it's below, you've failed, if it's tied, then you've succeeded at cost, if it's above, you succeed. If it's significantly below, or significantly above, you might call that a critical failure or success.
Here is a ranking scale for Aspects and challenge thresholds:

+8 Divine
+7 Epic
+6 Titanic
+5 Legendary
+4 Mythic
+3 Great
+2 Fair
+1 Average
+0 Mediocre
-1 Poor
-2 Terrible
-3 Abysmal
-4 Cataclysmic

A Cinematic Universe
Every Adventure/Film in TITLE can be broadly divided into eight different sections where different elements are used and the narrative applies sway over different events.

Setting the Stage
Introducing the Players
The First Clash
Learning More
Road of Trials
Darkness Rises
Final Battle
Falling Action

Let's go into more detail

Setting the Stage: The stage is set when DISNEY arrives on scene, the background elements are in place and the call to action is received. During this stage the goal is to gather information about the setting and backstory. This stage comes to an end when the main characters are met.
Introducing the players: This is where DISNEY meets the main protagonist(s) of the adventure/movie, along with any supporting characters they bring to the table. You might also meet the main antagonist here if they're a more personable type. This is where the trio/five man band will be formed, DISNEY resources and background actions will be allocated and the overall goal will often be revealed here. This stage will end when the antagonist makes their first move.
The First Clash: This is where the antagonists will make their first move against the heroes personally. How exactly they'll do that depends on the antagonist and the story, but often there will be an ambush or a surprise attack of some kind that knocks the heroes off balance or cuts them off from greater resources. Regardless of if the Heroes win or lose their first encounter with the antagonists, the story continues.
Learning More: This is where the heroes try to understand the causes of the conflict, dig into that shady company that the antagonist was protecting, the mysterious backstory of that masked man, etc. This is the part where the heroes try and understand the breadth of the antagonists plans or find a trail to that secret artifact they're looking for. This stage ends when the Heroes find a path forward.
The Road of Trials: this is the longest and loosest stage, because it comprises the latter half of the rising action. The protagonists have a team and a goal, it's time to go to work. If there's a training montage where the heroes have to master a special power, it'll go here. Seeking out a hidden mentor or coming to terms with a rival? Also here. If there's a second fight with the Antagonists it will happen here. Basically everything up until the antagonist's final plan begins falls into the road of trials. Conversely this stage ends when the antagonists make their move
Darkness Rises: This is where the Antagonists enact their plans. The evil ritual begins, or the army launches their invasion, or the secret weapon is activated. Whatever it is, the bad guys are doing it and the heroes are on the clock. This is the darkest hour, and where the heroes will take losses (although not necessarily physical losses) and the antagonists are at their strongest. This stage ends when the cavalry arrives.
The Final Battle: The Antagonists appear unstoppable and all hope is lost. But suddenly, the secret is revealed. DISNEY rides to the rescue, or the hero realizes that the special power was inside them all along, or the Hero and Rival lock eyes. This is the stage where all that preparation and work finally come to fruition and the heroes bring an end to the Antagonist's scheme … most of the time. Of course, the antagonists won't give up without a fight. This stage ends when a clear victor has emerged, either the heroes have stopped the antagonists plan or the plan has succeeded.
The Falling Action: This is the cleanup, the heroes have won (probably) now they need to rebuild. This is where you decide how DISNEY gets involved, establish permanent relationships with the Heroes, and find out/decide what DISNEY gets access to for future missions. It's also where major characters who are permanent members of DISNEY improve their skills/gear/aspects.

After each Mission/Movie, there will be one phase of Downtime. This is where DISNEY as an organization can improve, upgrading gear, recruiting more agents, even sometimes upgrading characters and their abilities. Actions taken during downtime never fail, however given that they happen offscreen, their effect isn't as pronounced as an upgrade acquired during a movie.

Trios and Five Man Bands
Trios and Five Man Bands will be the primary group of characters at any point in time, and the focal point of a given movie. They are distinct however. A Trio is a smaller, more character focused group. A Trio is generally composed of The Hero(The Primary protagonist of a movie), The Rival(The Hero's main foil among the protagonists), and The Heart (The one who keeps Hero and Rival from being at each other's throats) but more combinations exist. In a trio, each character may invoke any of their personal aspects to face challenges, and each earns progression at the end of a movie. A Five Man Band is a trio's larger, more streamlined brother. Five Man Bands are composed of A Hero, Lancer(The Hero's second in command, sometimes a rival), Heart (Most emotionally composed member of the team, rallies the others), Big One(More skilled in direct combat or some equivalent than the Hero, limited utility outside their skillset) and a Smart One(Most technical/broad skill set, generally the worst in a straight fight). Other than the Hero, members of a Five man band pick a specific aspect when it's formed, and may only invoke that aspect during their journey (outside truly dire/dramatic circumstances). To make up for this, they also receive a +1 circumstance die when acting in accordance with their "Party Role"

Taking Damage
No hero is invincible, and neither are antagonists (good thing too) when a character is "damaged" in some way, be it by a blast of magic, a crossbow bolt, a stress-inducing illusion or hunger from a long stretch in the desert, there are two ways to deal with that. Each character has a certain number of "stress resistance" which allows them to ignore some level of damage on an adventure (An average human has two stress resistance, most heroes have at least three). Beyond that each character has three "Consequences" Mild, Moderate, and Severe. Consequences can absorb more stress, but have a lasting impact on a character, usually providing a new aspect for opponents to invoke, and requiring a successful action and time to cure completely. After being healed through an action, a Mild consequence lasts through one stage, a Medium consequence lasts through an entire movie and a Severe Consequence can last as long as an entire "Phase" (Should one be acquired and then healed, you'll be informed of how long it shall linger.)

Omake Policy
Fanart and omakes are welcomed with open arms! Contributions will result in one of three possible bonuses, to be doled out. The first and most common bonus is a +1 circumstance modifier to be applied to any action. Only one person can add this bonus to a given roll. The second bonus is a temporary Setting Aspect being added to a scene. This can last only the duration of the scene, or even last out through the entire movie on a case by case basis. The last and most rare possible bonus is the creation of a Stunt/Skill for a character, These are normally acquired through progression but it's possible that a contribution could result in one as well.

D.I.S.N.E.Y. Agents: