You are Lucius Fox, newly appointed by Bruce Wayne to help rebuild his crumbling corporation. Unbeknownst to you, though, he's also the vigilante Batman, and wants you to be his armorer.
Balance running a company, building the batsuit, and creating new projects to help the world - while trying not to get caught.
Decades ago the name Wayne meant something. When a Gothamite thought the name Wayne, they thought of cutting edge technologies, industry and plentiful jobs, of urban renewal and charity. Then Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered, their young son Bruce went missing (presumed dead) not long after turning 18, and the Wayne legacy withered. Devoid of leadership with vision, Wayne Enterprises began to die, piece by piece being sold off by ruthless corporate raiders as its charitable and urban renewal initiatives were starved of funds and quietly axed. As Gotham declined and became a crime-ridden wreck, vultures circled over the decaying company that had once defined it.
Then Bruce Wayne returned. But this isn't his story - it's yours.
You are Lucius Fox. Veteran, family man, loving husband and a genius level intellect with an ambition to rebuild Gotham and change the world forever. Bruce Wayne just personally hired you to be the head of one of Wayne Enterprise's divisions and bring it back into the black. You intend to do much more than that.
As the elevator rises up the floors of Wayne Tower, the massive architectural wonder that once signified Wayne Enterprises' dominance over the city, you gaze out at the city of your birth - decaying, but still standing. Memories start to take hold of you, and you find your gaze drifting towards:
Choose Three:
[] The Narrows: The slum neighborhood you grew up in is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden in the city, but you're not ashamed of that fact, nor afraid of your old home. You never forgot your roots, and the people there still think of you as one of their own. Gain Trait - Man of the People (Bonus to charity and urban renewal rolls, increase to Public Relations with Gothamites)
[] The Recruiting Office: Your time in the military was certainly a mixed bag, but you can't deny it was invaluable to your escape from poverty. Military service gave you an opportunity to get a college degree you never could have afforded yourself, and you rose from a grunt, to an officer and a vital part of military research and development. Even if you're no longer in, the military has left its mark on you. Gain Trait - Soldier Boy (Bonus to weapons/armor development, easier time getting military contracts)
[] Gotham University: You think upon your days at your old alma mater with fondness. You had a blast there back in the day, learning and building friendships with your fellow students. Plenty of your buddies from back then are now accomplished academics, researchers and inventors, and you keep in touch as much as your busy schedule allows. Gain Trait - Alma Mater (Bonus to recruitment rolls, Bonus to research rolls)
[] Gotham Financial District: You prefer inventing to shuffling money around, but you can't deny that without financial skills, it's hard to get even the best invention off the ground. After getting out of the military you bounced around various jobs working the Gotham Stock Exchange. You gained useful contacts, and learned how to move money, even if you felt a little dirty coming home at the end of the day. Gain Trait - Money Ball (Bonus to financial rolls, easier time finding investors)
[] LexCorp Gotham Branch Tower: Your job at LexCorp was one of the most challenging roles you've ever taken, but also one of the most rewarding. At LexCorp there was no time for office politics, just hard science. Lex Luthor was a demanding boss and worked you all hard, but you couldn't argue with the results, nor he with yours. Gain Trait - LexCorp Veteran (Bonus to invention rolls, good starting relationship with Lex Luthor)
[] Gotham City Hall: Your various jobs have seen you butting heads with City Hall again and again over the years. Grant funding, city planning, tax rebates, etc. You know how to play the game of local politics. Gain Trait - Political Animal (Bonus to contruction rolls, bonus to rolls involving local politics)
A loud ding forces you to focus on the present once more. You turn around as the elevator doors open, and step out into a large, spacious office situated at the top floor of Wayne Tower. A feminine giggle draws your attention to the center of the room, where a heavily muscled young man in an elegant suit flirts with a secretary. He sees her off with a playful swat, and you can't hide your displeasure at the lack of professionalism. I know the kid's a playboy, but can he at least keep it out of the office? The man spots your disapproval, giving you a charming smile. "Oh, don't worry - she works here, but she doesn't work here, if you know what I mean." He grins conspiratorially, and you fight the urge to roll your eyes. So this is Bruce Wayne... You think to yourself.
"Mr Wayne, it's an honor to meet you." You lie, and he shakes your hand. "Likewise, Mr Fox. What's that you've got there?" He's looking down to your hand, where you clasp a folder.
Here goes nothing. "I've been developing several projects I think might be a real benefit to Wayne Enterprises. This one, I think, is the best. Now, obviously the company's more immediate needs come first, but if we were to contribute small amounts of resources over time, we could have something revolutionary on our hands." You open the folder, laying down diagrams and drawings. Wayne looks over the papers with a blank expression. "What is it?" He asks, and you answer. "Well, Mr Wayne, this is the plan for..."
Choose Lucius' first pet project:
(Pet projects are ideas of Lucius' own design. Generally they're quite revolutionary, major ideas that take good rolls, good planning and many turns to turn into something concrete - due to Lucius' responsibilities, he'll generally have to prioritise short term projects over this one. Writing in with your own ideas is highly encouraged. Don't be afraid to get creative.)
[] A Railgun
[] A prototype for power armor
[] A vastly improved Maglev train system
[] A Cure for several genetic diseases
[] Low-Cost Social Housing
[] A biorestorative fertilizer capable of increasing crop yields without impacting soil quality
Wayne stares at your plans for a moment, surprisingly seeming to understand a lot of the technical stuff. Then he hands the files back to you. "I really appreciate all the work you've put into this, Mr Fox, but I'm afraid I don't think we can justify a project like this." Your heart drops.
"I see." You try not to betray your disappointment too clearly.
"There's something more important than this I'd rather have you work on." Wayne says a little cautiously. "A...special project, if you will."
"Special project?" You raise an eyebrow at that, noticing that something about Wayne has changed. The playboy persona is gone, and his expression has gone from vapid to deadly serious. He seems to notice that you've noticed, and gives you an empty headed grin.
"But we can talk about that later. I'm late for polo." He moves from the desk to grab his jacket. "Why don't you invite your charming wife to dinner tonight at the manor? I'll have my butler put on something special. Ask my secretary and she'll sort out the details. My actual secretary, I mean." He seems carefree as ever, but you know what you saw. Wayne's mask slipped for a moment. You're not sure what was underneath, but the mask slipped.
"I'll see you later, Fox. Oh, and before I forget, welcome to..."
Choose which division of Wayne Enterprises Lucius is in charge of:
[] WayneTech: The largest division of Wayne Enterprises. Wayne Tech is responsible for the research and development of numerous technologies, from household appliances to weapons. Wayne Aerospace and Wayne Electronics, though once independent divisions, have been folded into the WayneTech envelope due to budget cuts.
[] Wayne Biotech: A broad tent division focused primarily on healthcare and food production. Wayne Biotech is responsible for developing new medicines and treatments, as well as administering and distributing crops. Wayne Pharmaceuticals, Wayne Medical, Wayne Chemicals and Wayne Food were all once independent, but now all are under the Wayne Biotech umbrella due to budget cuts.
[] Wayne Industrial: Where WayneTech is responsible for inventing and upgrading technologies, Wayne Industrial is in charge of manufacturing and distributing it. Wayne Industrial now bears the responsibilities of both Wayne Steel and Wayne Shipping due to budget cuts.
[] The Wayne Foundation: The Wayne Foundation was once a major charitable organisation responsible for most of Gotham's orphanages, hospitals, scholarly and artistic grants, etc. It hasn't existed for years, but rebuilding it was one of the first actions undertaken by Bruce Wayne upon his return. The Foundation's goals are broad, but simply put, it exists to provide housing, food and education to Gotham's citizens.
Success and failure of actions is based on dice rolls, with a base dice of d100 being added to positive or negative modifiers given by Lucius' traits or by specific contextual conditions. A roll of 95+ is considered a critical roll, which will either explode (result in a second roll with the results stacking on top of the first) or lead immediately to a benefit above and beyond a regular success, depending on context. Inversely, a roll of 5 or below is a critical failure, which will lead to potentially dire consequences.
Turns:
The quest will be divided into four turns per year, other than when a special event is taking place. During turns, Lucius will have a number of actions available to choose. Some will be free actions that can be chosen without cost, but most will deplete Lucius' action points (AP). When AP reaches zero, Lucius will be unable to do anything else. AP regenerates each turn, and the amount you receive can be increased throughout the quest through acquiring certain traits.
Design Turns:
Design Turns take place when Lucius is planning to embark on a project - whether a legitimate project, or designing a piece of Batman's gear. The overall description of the project, as well as the primary and secondary design goals will be decided on. Afterwards, the actual construction of the project will take place during the turns. The complexity of the project will determine how much progress must be made to see it through to completion.
Progress:
Many of the projects and investments Lucius will undertake will not be feasible to accomplish in a single turn. Actions have a minimum threshold of progress needed to be acquired in order to be successfully completed. The amount of progress made in a turn is dependent on dice rolls - a natural 100 will often complete a project in a single turn, while getting several low rolls could drag the action's completion out over multiple turns. For example:
Expand the Gotham Steelworks - (500/1000)
The (500/1000) reveals that the action has half the progress required to be completed - it's half way done.
Sway:
Sway represents Lucius' reputation and influence over Wayne Enterprises. Increasing Lucius' sway will result in higher monthly resources, grants the opportunity for Lucius to gain leadership over other Wayne Enterprises divisions, impact the running of the overall company, and potentially convince Bruce Wayne to hand over the CEO position to Lucius. Sway is gained through having positive relations with Bruce, successful power plays within the company, and above all - financial success.
Resources:
Each turn, Wayne Industrial will receive funds and resources needed for it to carry out its regular operations and expansions. Depending on Lucius' sway and the overall financial health of Wayne Enterprises, this sum will increase.
Illicit Resources:
Bruce Wayne is an obscenely rich man, but to get that money into the hands of Batman without anyone asking questions will require some financial trickery. Resources for Batman related ventures is tracked separately - to increase it, Lucius will need to funnel his legitimate resources, or find other sources of funds.
Bruce Wayne Relationship:
Circumstances have forced Lucius and Bruce to work together, but the two men don't trust each other or have much of a working relationship yet. Over time, the relationship between Bruce and Lucius will wane or grow stronger, bringing problems or benefits. Though Bruce begins the quest as a moody, paranoid person, Lucius' interactions with Wayne and Wayne's other allies can cause Bruce's personality to shift, inspiring him to act differently, and giving him various traits.
Current Position: President of Wayne Industrial
Current Sway: 10/100
Genius Inventor (Able to design and build gadgets and megaprojects) Man of the People (Bonus to charity and urban renewal rolls, increase to Public Relations with Gothamites) Money Ball (Bonus to financial rolls, easier time finding investors) Political Animal (Bonus to contruction rolls, bonus to rolls involving local politics)
Employees: 9,500
Credit Rating BBB-
Stock Price: Declining
Company Morale: Low
CEO: Bruce Wayne (Owner)
In the years since the Wayne murders, their eponymous company has languished, with corporate raiders selling off assets and shrinking the multinational's power base. The return of Bruce Wayne, long thought to be either dead or in permanent exile, has proven to be the sole bright spot for the company's future - but his playboy antics inspires little hopes in his leadership abilities.
Divisions:
(A detailed overview of the divisions and their assets is only available for those that Lucius is in charge of, for simplicity's sake.)
WayneTech:
Employees: 1000
President: Jack Drake
Productivity: Low
Wayne Tech, the premier R&D arm of the corporation, has been languishing for years for than most. The company's leadership has been more interested for years in selling off assets rather than creating something new, meaning that much of the technical talent that once worked for Wayne Enterprises has moved on to other companies more willing to use their talents. With a lack of facilities and staff, it's going to be a while before WayneTech is designing new technologies for the rest of the company to produce. Division President Jack Drake is an effective leader, but there's only so much he's capable with such limited resources.
Wayne Biotech:
Employees: 3000
President: Alexandra DeWitte
Productivity: Mid
Wayne Enterprises' secondary bread winner, Wayne Biotech operates mainly as an agricorp, and a pharmaceutical company. WB's products sell well, but face heavy competition from Ace Chemicals and LexCorp.
Wayne Foundation:
Employees: 500
President: Quincy Sharpe
Effectiveness: Very Low
A charitable institution founded by the Waynes to give back to the city that made their fortune, the Wayne Foundation was once a heavy investor in Gotham's school system, police force, utilities and other aspects of the city. In recent years, though, Wayne Foundation schools have been shutting down and Gotham utilities have been falling apart. The police are still well equipped, though this doesn't seem to be the doing of the foundation anymore. Quincy Sharpe has come under fire during his tenure for these failures, but any attempt to launch an investigation against him has been met with failure, due to missing evidence and occasionally missing witnesses.
Wayne Industrial:
Employees: 5000 (5000 Core, 1500 Specialist)
Optimum Employee Numbers (For this number of businesses): 5000 Core, 2000 Specialist
President: Lucius Fox
Productivity: Mid
Security Rating: Low
Corporate Upkeep: $350 per turn
Wayne Steel Mill - Gotham
The Wayne Steel Mill has employed Gothamites since the Great War, and produces plentiful steel used both in Wayne Industries' other plants, and sold on the open market.
While operational: Profit: + $105 per turn
+10 to Manufacturing
Wayne Automotives Plant - Gotham
Slightly technologically outdated, but still highly productive, the Wayne Automotives Plant produces plentiful consumer automobiles, as well as light military vehicles.
While operational: Profit: + $120 per turn
Wayne Aerospace Production Plant - Gotham
Wayne Aerospace is largely responsible for the creation of passenger jets and is a major profit driver.
While operational: Profit: + $330 per turn
Wayne Aerospace Design/Test Facility - Nevada
One of the few R&D facets of Wayne Industries. Deep in the Nevada desert, the Wayne Facility is home to a number of aircraft designers and test pilots whose role it is to design new, in-house aircraft for Wayne Aerospace to produce.
While operational: Ability to design new aircraft
Wayne Shipping 2 fleets of cargo ships - Multinational
While operational: Profit: + $150 per turn
Wayne Shipping Private docks - Multinational
While operational: Profit: + $50 per turn Discount to price of setting up business in other countries
1: LexCorp - The largest and most profitable company on Earth. Currently a market leader in several industries, notably aerospace, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications.
2: Queen Industries - The largest weapons manufacturer on Earth, beating out even LexCorp in this field, though no others. Queen Industries has contracts with the US military, but also sells weapons to clients across the globe.
3: Ace Chemicals - As the name implies, a company that produces chemicals, both for industrial, cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses. Ace Chemical products are generally known for being low quality, but cheap.
4: GothCorp - A Gotham based technology company, GothCorp is the brainchild of billionaire Ferris Boyle. GothCorp has a hand in several industries, but is most famously an industry leader in cryogenic research - with Boyle confident that cryogenics will prove an immensely profitable venture in the future.
5: Star Labs - A nation wide tech company, Star Labs operates laboratories across the United States and internationally, each location focused on research in a different field. Star Labs employs many of the most brilliant scientific minds on the planet, but its focus on scientific progress above profit means that it's not a match in market size for companies like LexCorp.
Bruce is superficially charming, but to those he's not trying to deceive can be incredibly cold an callous in his demeanor
- Paranoid
Bruce has major trust issues and is quick to assume those around him, excluding Alfred, have betrayed him
- Obsessed
Bruce is focused almost entirely on his crusade against crime. He largely neglects his company and the social crises Gotham faces, believing them to be less important than his physical struggle against criminals.
Awareness (Public knowledge that Batman exists): 10/100
Perception (Public support/disdain for Batman): 5/100
Batman Enemies:
- Black Mask Gang
- Falcone Damily
Notable Fights/Displays:
After a successful attack on a Falcone Family brothel, gang members working for noted criminal Black Mask began executing Falcone employees. Bruce Wayne, disguised as a disabled veteran, intervened and incapacitated the Black Mask men, before being shot by the GCPD upon their arrival on the scene and fleeing back to Wayne Manor. There's been some debate on the identity of the 'good samaritan', with some believing him to be a vigilante, while others think he's a Falcone enforcer. With no leads, however, the story has largely been forgotten by all but the Black Mask Gang, who have posted a bounty for information on the identity of the samaritan.
At the Gotham Opera House, with Carmine Falcone in attendance, Batman announced his presence, personally assaulting the don of the Falcones, before brawling with his men on stage. The fight that followed left several Falcone men hospitalised, including his seven foot bodyguard Bruno. Batman is thought to have escaped with minor injuries. The Falcones are currently using their influence to suppress news about the attack, and various versions of the incident have sprung up. Many believe it was the rival Black Mask gang, not the Batman, who attacked Falcone.
Batsuit V 1.0:
Traits:
Stealth Color Pattern - A specially designed pattern of grey and black blends into shadows, with a yellow symbol on the chest made of non-reflective materials that won't be visible in darkness, but will attract attention in the light - making it a more prominent target than less well armored areas of the suit. Mobility - Made of lightweight materials, the suit presents effectively no hinderance to Wayne's ability to move, letting him dodge quickly and perform feats of acrobatics. Armor - The suit is made of a mix of kinetic-resistant materials designed to make it stab and bullet resistant, at least to some extent.
Batclaw and Batarangs V1.0:
Traits: Strong Cable - Capable of holding the weight of an above-average sized male, designed to Bruce Wayne's specifications Slow Pull - Has an automated mechanism to pull the user upwards. Faster than physically climbing a rope, but still quite slow.
Traits: Well balanced - The Batarangs have a razor sharp edge capable of cutting things like rope, but also have a heavy flat edge. With Bruce Wayne's training, he can use the sharp edge as a tool, or hit enemies with the flat to stun them without killing.
"Batsuit" V.0
A set of black clothing with a mask - protects the wearer's identity, but little else. The dark colors help the wearer blend into darkness, but not more than your average dark clothing.
Kunai:
A set of throwing stars that wouldn't look out of place on the set of a '70s ninja flick. Sharp and somewhat aerodynamic, but short range and cause limited damage.
Grappling Hook Mk 1:
As it looks like - a sturdy iron hook that can be thrown to catch on a ledge and allow the user to climb up a rope. Totally rudimentary, and requires the user to slowly clamber up the rope by their own power.
[X] Plan: Prevent Mr freeze
-[X] The Narrows
-[X] Gotham University
-[X] Gotham City Hall
-[X] A Cure for several genetic diseases
-[X] The Wayne Foundation
[X] Plan: the prototype superman buster armor
[X] The Narrows:
[X] Gotham University
[X] The Recruiting Office: [X] A prototype for power armor
[X] WayneTech
[X] Plan: scientific progress to rebuild a better Gotham
[X] The Narrows
[X] Gotham University
[X] The Recruiting Office [X] Low-Cost Social Housing
[X] WayneTech
[X] Plan: Bringing the future to the world
-[X] The Narrows
-[X] Gotham University
-[X] LexCorp Gotham Branch Tower
-[X] A Cure for several genetic diseases
-[X] Wayne Biotech
[X] Plan: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!
-[X] The Narrows: Gain Trait - Man of the People (Bonus to charity and urban renewal rolls, increase to Public Relations with Gothamites)
-[X] Gotham Financial District: Gain Trait - Money Ball (Bonus to financial rolls, easier time finding investors)
-[X] Gotham City Hall: Gain Trait - Political Animal (Bonus to contruction rolls, bonus to rolls involving local politics)
-[X] A vastly improved Maglev train system
-[X] Wayne Industrial: Where WayneTech is responsible for inventing and upgrading technologies, Wayne Industrial is in charge of manufacturing and distributing it. Wayne Industrial now bears the responsibilities of both Wayne Steel and Wayne Shipping due to budget cuts.
[X] Plan: I'M WITH THE SCIENCE TEAM!
-[X] The Recruiting Office: Your time in the military was certainly a mixed bag, but you can't deny it was invaluable to your escape from poverty. Military service gave you an opportunity to get a college degree you never could have afforded yourself, and you rose from a grunt, to an officer and a vital part of military research and development. Even if you're no longer in, the military has left its mark on you. Gain Trait - Soldier Boy (Bonus to weapons/armor development, easier time getting military contracts)
-[X] Gotham University: You think upon your days at your old alma mater with fondness. You had a blast there back in the day, learning and building friendships with your fellow students. Plenty of your buddies from back then are now accomplished academics, researchers and inventors, and you keep in touch as much as your busy schedule allows. Gain Trait - Alma Mater (Bonus to recruitment rolls, Bonus to research rolls)
-[X] LexCorp Gotham Branch Tower: Your job at LexCorp was one of the most challenging roles you've ever taken, but also one of the most rewarding. At LexCorp there was no time for office politics, just hard science. Lex Luthor was a demanding boss and worked you all hard, but you couldn't argue with the results, nor he with yours. Gain Trait - LexCorp Veteran (Bonus to invention rolls, good starting relationship with Lex Luthor)
-[X] A biorestorative fertilizer capable of increasing crop yields without impacting soil quality
-[X] Wayne Biotech: A broad tent division focused primarily on healthcare and food production. Wayne Biotech is responsible for developing new medicines and treatments, as well as administering and distributing crops. Wayne Pharmaceuticals, Wayne Medical, Wayne Chemicals and Wayne Food were all once independent, but now all are under the Wayne Biotech umbrella due to budget cuts.
[X] Plan: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!
-[X] The Narrows: Gain Trait - Man of the People (Bonus to charity and urban renewal rolls, increase to Public Relations with Gothamites)
-[X] Gotham Financial District: Gain Trait - Money Ball (Bonus to financial rolls, easier time finding investors)
-[X] Gotham City Hall: Gain Trait - Political Animal (Bonus to contruction rolls, bonus to rolls involving local politics)
-[X] A vastly improved Maglev train system
-[X] Wayne Industrial: Where WayneTech is responsible for inventing and upgrading technologies, Wayne Industrial is in charge of manufacturing and distributing it. Wayne Industrial now bears the responsibilities of both Wayne Steel and Wayne Shipping due to budget cuts.
[X] Plan: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!
-[X] The Narrows: Gain Trait - Man of the People (Bonus to charity and urban renewal rolls, increase to Public Relations with Gothamites)
-[X] Gotham Financial District: Gain Trait - Money Ball (Bonus to financial rolls, easier time finding investors)
-[X] Gotham City Hall: Gain Trait - Political Animal (Bonus to contruction rolls, bonus to rolls involving local politics)
-[X] A vastly improved Maglev train system
-[X] Wayne Industrial: Where WayneTech is responsible for inventing and upgrading technologies, Wayne Industrial is in charge of manufacturing and distributing it. Wayne Industrial now bears the responsibilities of both Wayne Steel and Wayne Shipping due to budget cuts.
