"You wake up in an alley in Brockton Bay" is a bit of a cliche by this point, but you have, indeed, done just that. You look around fuzzily, seeing the snowflakes fall and feeling the chill of winter. Something is digging into your side through your pocket. You pull it out to find a letter.
"Dear Sir/Madam,
You have been chosen by [NAME UNPRONOUNCEABLE] to be the next star of our reality show! You have been provided with one (1) Tinker power based on the world of Fallout. Will you defeat the horrors of Earth Bet and make the world a better place, or will you die ignobly? The teeming masses of the void await your fate eagerly!
Sincerely,
ROB Co. (Not to be confused with ROBCO, a separate trademark holder.)"
Well, that's unexpected. Now, who are you?:
[]David Brown, a local hobo:
Starts with skills:
Intuition: Streetsmart: 20: You have a very basic knowledge of how to live on the streets, meaning what's safe, where food and shelter can be found, etc.
Melee: Bladed: 20: You're good with a shiv or a blade, but not great.
Knowledge: Superpowers: 20: You live on Earth Bet, in the most Cape heavy city in North America. You know the basics of superpowers.
Knowledge: Local: 20: You know Brockton Bay well enough to get around.
[]Mike Williams, an isekai:
Starts with skills:
Computers: Hacking: 20: You've perused the Dark Net, but are still nothing but a script kiddie.
Profession: Chef: 20: You know how to flip burgers and not burn them.
Speech: Diplomacy: 20: You know how to keep yourself from being pummeled by bullies. Sometimes.
Knowledge: Video Games: 20: You know the basics of video gaming, including the major franchises.
You have 20 Skill points to Spend. Limit of 25 in each skill. Skill caps are all 150.
Culture
-Civilian
-Hero
-Villain
Speech
-Diplomacy: 20
-Intimidation
-Persuasion
Empathy
-Motives
-Feelings
-Interests
Perception
-People
-Objects
-Environment
Melee
-Bladed
-Blunt
-Heavy
Ranged
-Bows
-Slings
-Thrown
Knowledge
-Video Games: 20
-Superpowers
-Local
Computers
-Programming
-Hacking: 20
-Engineering
Profession
-Chef: 20
-Laborer
-Customer Service
Tactics
-Cleverness
-Preparation
-Logistics
Evasion
-Lying
-Dodging
-Trickery
Intuition
-Streetwise
-Common Sense
-Lie Detection
You will inevitably gain more skills as you proceed, this is just a foretaste. I reserve the right to modify the mechanics at any point. Advanced skills will be gained through actions.
Select 3 Tag Skills. Tag Skills Gain +15 (Does not exceed maximum Skill Cap), Gain +5 every level, and Add +50 to the relevant Skill Cap. Please vote by plan.
You sit there for a moment, stunned. You were just taking the trash out at your shitty fast food job when you tripped on some ice. You remember falling, and then pain and darkness. You gingerly reach up and feel for a bump on your head. You don't find one, so at least you aren't injured. You think; for all you know you're in a coma right now and dreaming this. Still, no need to treat this like anything other than reality, on the off chance it is.
Now, you were vaguely familiar with the name "Brockton Bay." It was the setting of that dark superhero story, right? Worm or something? You didn't know much, beyond some memes and a few fics you had read. You'd better keep that to yourself, if you don't want the secret conspiracy guys after you. Worm had that, right? You shake yourself, now is not the time to woolgather, now is the time to get out of the cold and figure out what to do.
You stand up, patting yourself down to make sure you still have your stuff. You're wearing a coat over your McDonalds uniform. You've got your phone and your wallet with ID and $27 in cash. You are absolutely fucked if you can't figure out food and lodging, but from what you remember, Brockton Bay is a Detroit level shithole with an economy to match. Now, you're not here by choice, and you have no identity in this world, so you need to figure out what to do.
[Intuition: Common Sense: 0. Required: 20. Failed!]
[]Go to the PRT-and tell them you have powers and are a dimensional refugee
[]Go to the PRT-and tell them you're a dimensional refugee
[]Try to find a homeless shelter and then a job
So, first things first: you need an identity. You need a lot of things, really, but that's the one that can get you everything else. So, you need to go to the only people who are set up for something like that: the PRT. They have to deal with those monster capes, right? They must have a procedure for this. Your mind is now made up.
You stagger to your feet and head out of the alley. You appear to be in a shopping area near the ocean. You can hear the sea from here. This place is crowded, so it must be peak hours or something. You walk over to someone sitting at a cafe. It's a young woman with blond hair, wearing clothes you'd classify as "middle-class trying to look shabby." You clear your throat and say "Excuse me, miss."
She looks up at you and searches your face. It seems she can tell you're not hostile or crazy, so she says "Yes? Can I help you?"
"I'm afraid I'm new to the city. Can you give me directions to the PRT HQ? I need to speak with them."
She looks at you again, then smiles and nods. "Sure, you go…" then she proceeds to tell you the way.
"Thank you, miss." you say and begin walking.
Your walk takes about 45 minutes, given the route she advised.
The PRT HQ is not the large oil rig structure in the bay, but rather a squat office building that even a moron can see merely looks inviting, but is clearly fortified. There is a group forming up at the entrance. Eavesdropping, it seems they are a tour group here to see the local Protectorate heroes and will soon depart for the Rig.
You politely make your way past them, and enter the building. It is a normal looking corporate lobby, in that bland, manufactured, inoffensive way. You approach the man at the desk, who looks the same way.
He looks like a football lineman. He's probably the lobbies first line of defense. Just strong enough to eject an unpowered person causing trouble, big enough to intimidate, but clearly there to be rolled over by a serious attack. He looks at you obligingly. "How can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm in a bit of a weird situation. I woke up in an alley a while ago. The last thing I remember was taking the trash out at my job. Normally, I'd go to the police if I was lost, but then I found a piece of paper in my pocket that said I'd been dumped in another dimension. I was going to ignore it as a prank or something, but the fact I didn't recognize where I was, let alone the giant fortress in the bay, clued me into things being weird. I asked some people on the street, and they said you guys deal with superheroes or something? I figured you are the most likely candidates to be able to help."
The man clearly wants to call bullshit on you, but the nature of capes means it's entirely possible. Since you don't seem crazy (beyond your story), he says "Alright, I'll make some calls. Please have a seat."
You sit and wait. 15 minutes later, a man in a suit comes out of an elevator. He approaches the front desk and speaks with the receptionist briefly, then comes over to you. "Mr. Williams?" he says.
"Yes?"
"Please follow me, I'm David Carskin, an officer of the PRT. I'll be taking you to an interrogation room where we'll speak further."
You follow, and a few minutes later are sitting with a cup of lukewarm coffee in a police style interrogation room repeating your story and providing your proof: the piece of paper and your iPhone. Your interrogator takes the piece of paper and looks at it. "You can read this?" he says.
"Yeah, why?"
"When I look at it, it's blank. Possible Stranger effect. Please read it to me." You do so.
"So you're also saying you have a Tinker power?"
"I haven't checked, honestly. I've been focusing on getting an identity and a place to sleep first. How would I know if I had one?"
"One of the signs of Tinkers is an intense urge to build things. Have you felt that?"
"No, not yet. I've only been awake for about an hour and a half since whatever happened to me. Maybe it hasn't kicked in yet?"
The man goes "Hmmm" and says "It will take a while for us to determine anything from your phone and we have Armsmaster looking into a method to detect if you're really from another dimension. Please wait here. If you need to use the restroom, knock on the door and the agent outside will escort you."
You nod and he leaves. What follows is two hours of boredom before the agent reenters alongside a man in futuristic armor. "This is Armsmaster. He examined your phone and built something to determine your origin. Armsmaster?"
Armsmaster steps forward and points a device resembling a geiger counter at you. He looks at the readout and nods. "His quantum signature doesn't match the surrounding matter. It also doesn't match Earth Aleph. That means he is from another dimension. It also means there's someone abducting people and dropping them here; claiming to give powers as well."
You all remained silent for a moment, before you were interrupted by a gurgle from your stomach. Armsmaster looked at you as you grinned sheepishly. "I believe the Rig has a better cafeteria than the PRT HQ," he says, "would you like to come get something to eat?"
After a quick ride on Armsmasters motorcycle, you find yourself in the repurposed oil rig that is Protectorate HQ. Sitting in the cafeteria, you eat, feeling a little sheepish about the domino mask they put on you. Armsmaster consumes something out of a tube for some reason. Finishing at the same time as Armsmaster, you bus your tray.
"You claim to be a Tinker. Would you like to undergo power testing? It would demonstrate your abilities and allow us to determine your needs, should you wish to join the Protectorate."
[Intuition: Common Sense: 0. Required: 20. Failed!]
You acquiesce, and are led to a room filled with mechanical junk. Your mind is soon awhirl with ideas of things to build. You dive in.
When you finish, you have built a laser rifle and some microfusion cells. Armsmaster leads you to a firing range, where you meet Miss Militia. She greets you warmly and asks to see the rifle, as she is the local marksman. You give it over and explain its operation. She fires off several shots at different targets: dummies, metal slabs, paper accuracy targets, etc. "The ergonomics are a bit odd, but it seems an effective weapon."
Armsmaster is clearly waiting for the opportunity to strip it down and examine it, so she hands it over and leads you to another interrogation room, letting you wait for a while. Eventually, a heavyset woman enters. She sits down heavily in the chair across from you and says "I am Emily Piggot, Director of the PRT East-Northeast. We are willing to provide you with a new identity. We are also willing to provide you with a job. If you join the Protectorate, you will receive, in addition to a sizable salary and benefits, a large budget for Tinkering, a lab, training, and a place to stay. Should you decline this, we will still provide you with an identity, however, you will not receive any other support from us, and it may take some time to establish that identity. Bureaucracy is slow as molasses at best, let alone when it comes to places like the Social Security Administration."
[]Join the Protectorate
[]Join the Protectorate-with conditions (Please include conditions)
[]Do not join the Protectorate-diplomatically
[]Do not join the Protectorate-rudely
[X]Join the Protectorate-with conditions (Please include conditions)
-[x]Some effort must be spent, to help me get back home.
-[x]I'd like a Lawyer to actually overview this, so i'm aware of any traps inside the contract itself.
-[x] I'd like to get a portion of the profits of any merchandise, or ancillary money that is gained profiting off my existence.
-[x] a Personal Assistant that can help me familiarize myself with this new world, and help me out In my duties.
-[X]I have a say in what Merchandise based on my appearance or anything I make gets made or sold.
You present your conditions to Director Piggot. She acquiesces to the lawyer, saying they have a neutral lawyer on call for such an occasion. They call them up and an hour later they are reviewing the contract with you. The lawyer is a small, weedy man named Dalton Trumbull, a contract lawyer. He reviews the document they have provided and, after some talk with Director Piggot, tells you the score.
"They cannot agree to the effort to get you back home at the moment. Interdimensional travel is strictly controlled and experimentation is banned. They'd need to talk to not only PRT leadership, but also Congress. A portion of merchandise profits is also included in the standard contract. They agree to the personal assistant, given your situation. They also agree to you having some power over merchandising, but aren't willing to give you a full veto."
You end up agreeing to the revised contract and then spend the next few hours filling out paperwork. Eventually, you finish and, after another visit to the cafeteria for dinner, you are led to temporary quarters where you bed down for the night. The next day, you dress in a jumpsuit provided by the PRT after a nice shower, and begin your new day.
First on the agenda is breakfast. You swing by the cafeteria and while eating are ambushed by Armsmaster, who begins grilling you on your laser technology. "Your lasers are very powerful, but they have the unfortunate quality of being powered by fusion cells. The public is very concerned by radioactive materials, and we might not be able to swing convincing the Tinker Review Board to allow it. In addition, there is the fact they are lethal weapons and the Protectorate is limited to non-lethal measures save for individuals with Kill Orders. What sort of non-lethal technology do you have?"
You consider. There's the Mesmetron, but that causes brain damage. You could probably whip up a Syringer with some tranq ammo, but that runs into the issue of dosage and body weights and stuff. You also could make a shock baton, which should work on unpowered people. You tell Armsmaster that. He nods. "That should suffice. What other things can you make?"
You end up spending an hour talking about your tech. At the end of the conversation, Armsmaster warns you again. "Radioactive materials are not really allowed, and neither is nuclear technology. Public relations reasons. Ever since a Tinker irradiated a small town, the PRT has had that policy. However, we could probably swing your fusion tech. I also expect your energy weapons would be very useful at the Ellisburg Containment Zone. As for your robots, I'm afraid AI is also banned, after Eagleton. You say your robots are sub-sentient, given regular memory adjustments? That should be fine, provided they aren't nuclear powered."
You take the info in and begin adjusting your plans. Time to get to work.
Turns take place over a week.
[You have 4 Training AP. You may use Training AP to train any skill by +10. Repeatable.]
[You have 4 Action AP. Action AP may be used on Social Links, Tinkering or Events/Missions.]
[] Train Skill (Write-in): Train a skill. Maye be taken multiple times for the same skill.
[]Tinker: Triggers sub-vote. May not tinker nuclear technology or sapient AI. Some tinkering projects may take multiple AP to finish.
[]Meet the Wards: The Wards are child superheroes in training. They are also colleagues. Go ahead and meet them and introduce yourself.
[]Getting up to speed: Meet with your assistant to acclimate yourself to Earth Bet.
Ok, we've got a clean sweep of votes, so let's talk tinkering. Some things will take more than 1 AP to make. Power armor, for example. Now, the 2 AP you've spent on Tinkering can be used in the following ways:
Non-powered armor (Combat) - 1 AP
Non-powered armor (Synth) - 2 AP
Melee weapon (Choose 1) - 1 AP
Syringer + tranq ammo - 1 AP
Sonic Emitter - 2 AP
Ballistic firearm w/ rubber bullets - 1 AP
There's a lot more things you can make, so feel free to ask me!
[X] Train Skill: Lying *2
[X] Train Skill: Common Sense *2
[X]Meet the Wards
[X] Tinker *2 - Sonic Emitter
[X]Getting up to speed
Masked up, you approach the Wards common room alongside Miss Militia. She presses a button and a light turns on near the door. A minute later, the door opens and you enter to meet the Wards. They are arrayed around a series of couches, some sitting, others leaning or standing. Miss Militia turns to you.
"Wards, this is our new Protectorate member, temporary codename: Fallout. They've recently joined and were interested in meeting you. Fallout, these are the Wards for Brockton Bay: Vista, Clockblocker, Gallant, Kid Win, Aegis, and Triumph. Shadow Stalker should be in her room, she's not very social."
Vista snorts at that, but follows it up by walking up to you. "Good to meet you. I'm Vista. What're your powers?"
"I'm a Tinker. You're the space warping one, right?"
She beams. "Yep, Shaker 9. Got anything to make my life easier?"
You consider. "I've got a non-lethal close combat weapon. Works like a taser."
Vista frowns. "Image department won't give me a weapon beyond pepper spray. Not even a taser."
"That's bullshit. How can you be an effective hero if you can't even take down someone unpowered?"
Vista grimaces. "I know, right?"
Clockblocker steps up and reaches out his hand. You don't take it. You point your finger at him. "I heard of your pranks. Not touching you unless I have to." Clockblocker pouts.
Kid Win is next to approach. He seems to vibrate with excitement, eager to meet another tinker. "So, what's your speciality? I haven't found mine yet.Armsmaster can't seem to make time for me very often."
"All my stuff is retro-50s themed. Like, vacuum tube computers and Robbie the Robot and laser guns. They won't let me make some stuff, cause it's nuclear powered and that's a no-no. I'd be happy to take a look at your stuff and see if I could help."
Unlocked action: Tinker with Kid Win!
Gallant politely introduces himself, but otherwise keeps quiet. Aegis introduces himself as well, and looking at him, you begin to get ideas about a steroid you could make that temporarily boosts strength. Triumph is polite, but distracted. You can understand, given he is soon to transition from the Wards to the Protectorate. You don't end up meeting Shadow Stalker, which given Vistas none too subtle hints, is a blessing.
You meet with your assistant, a young man named David Williams, and he begins by walking you through the divergent history of this world, starting with the appearance of Scion.
[Intuition: Common Sense 20. Required: 20. Pass!]
[10 XP!]
You manage not to give too much of your (negative) opinion of the state of Earth Bet and the poor decisions made by its ruling powers away. You'd prefer the PRT not think you a problem child and you'd rather not get on the bad side of that secret conspiracy whose name you can't remember. The current poor state of Earth Bet aside, somehow things haven't collapsed enough for the economy and international trade to stop working, even if some of the usual resource sources or major economic powers are different. This is a good thing, as it means you're not at "every man for himself" levels yet and things can still get done.
David excuses himself after the lecture and you bustle about your workshop some more, finishing your Sonic Emitter and loading it with some non-lethal noises. You have a weapon now, and are one step closer to your debut and locking up some supervillains.
Turns take place over a week.
[You have 4 Training AP. You may use Training AP to train any skill by +10. Repeatable.]
[You have 4 Action AP. Action AP may be used on Social Links, Tinkering or Events/Missions.]
[] Train Skill (Write-in): Train a skill. Maye be taken multiple times for the same skill.
[]Tinker: Triggers sub-vote. May not tinker nuclear technology or sapient AI. Some tinkering projects may take multiple AP to finish.
[]PR time!: You need a costume and a schtick, which means meeting with the Image Department.
[]Getting up to speed pt 2: Meet with your assistant to acclimate yourself to Earth Bet.
