Deviant: The Renegades - a tabletop roleplaying game
Created by Onyx Path Publishing - Deviant The Renegades
Pre-order Deviant: The Renegades, the newest game line for the Chronicles of Darkness.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
10 Day Countdown...
over 4 years ago
– Mon, Oct 07, 2019 at 07:07:00 AM
Hello Renegades!
We are about to enter our Final 10 Days of the Campaign. This means we'll be coming out of the quiet middle section, and hopefully building on our success so far and gaining momentum and finishing strong!
It's actually a PhD in Conciergology.
We had our back-and-forth hesitant funding dance over the weekend that usually comes mid-way through, but hopefully we can rally and start knocking down Stretch Goals once again!
Right now, we're SO CLOSE to completing this experiment:
At $68,000 in funding – SUPPLEMENT EXPANSION: The Clades Companion PDF. Invasives maximize the effectiveness of every tool that passes into their hands, and so The Clades Companion PDF will be expanded to include more equipment, as well rules for high-tech prototypes and shoddy goods and services.
That's right! We're *almost* ready to add a 4th section to the Claves Companion PDF supplement for Deviant: The Renegades! What comes after that? A 5th expansion for the final Clave? A 6th expansion? Is there a secret, unknown Clave that hasn't been revealed yet?*
(*No. There isn't. That's just the kind of talk that the Conspiracy wants you to engage in!)
We'll be revealing the next batch of Stretch Goals - Experiments! - as soon as we lock down that Invasives expansion!
So, please, let's start to rally as we begin our final lap towards the finish line! Remember to tell your friends and fellow gamers about this project! It's such an amazing toolbox of options and ideas, and I've seen so many backers and Kickstarter curious talking about characters and stories they want to tell with this game - AS WELL AS parts of this book revealed so far that they want to incorporate into their existing Chronicles of Darkness stories! The conspiracy bits alone that we previewed over the weekend plant some very interesting seeds that could be harvested in many of the game lines!
But enough hearing about all of this from me, let's listen again to the developer, Eric Zawadzki, as he's interviewed in the latest episode of the Onyx Pathcast: Episode 72, in which Dixie, Eddy, and developer Eric Zawadzki do a deep dive into the latest Chronicles of Darkness game, Deviant: The Renegades! (And a lot of pop culture references.)
So, let's listen to Eric! Let's invite more backers to join! Let's unlock another Stretch Goal and reveal the next batch!
And let's get back here tomorrow for the next installment of the Backers Only Manuscript Preview posts!
#Renegades!
#ElectricFishDreams
Preview: Projects
over 4 years ago
– Sun, Oct 06, 2019 at 05:58:15 AM
Hello Renegades,
Let's pause this project for a moment to talk about... projects.
OK, that sounds weird. I'll let Eric take over and talk about projects...
Projects
Eric here. While Renegades may feel that the conspiracies chasing them have nothing better to do with their time than engage in elaborate acts of surveillance, abduction, and extermination against the Broken, in fact, conspiracies do so much more than that. Most of their day-to-day operation focuses on the design and implementation of Projects, which is what we’re presenting to you today.
Downtime Action
Unlike the individual Deviants who oppose them, a conspiracy has the luxury of being in more than one place at once. While tracking down a Renegade that has escaped their clutches may occupy some members of the conspiracy, others may continue the great work of the conspiracy: expanding their influence, gaining more power, or shattering more lives in the name of progress.
As a chronicle develops, a conspiracy naturally grows more powerful and influential if it isn’t stopped. Downtime actions reflect this constant process of self-improvement.
Anatomy of Downtime Actions
Downtime resolves according to the following steps.
Step 1: Plan Projects
The Storyteller determines any long-term plans that the conspiracy is pursuing, such as the creation of new Icons, the pursuit of their own shadowy goals, or the subversion of the Renegade’s allies to their own side of the war. If the conspiracy does not start a Project or invest their Effort into an ongoing Project, that Effort is lost.
Step 2: Generate Effort
The conspiracy generates Effort for each conspiracy action not taken this chapter. The conspiracy may suffer 1 lethal damage to their Association (p. XX) to generate additional Effort.
The Storyteller decides which Projects the conspiracy is currently working on. There is no limit on how many ongoing Projects the conspiracy may have, though they are limited in which they may complete by the amount of Effort they can reasonably generate.
Step 3: Resolve Crisis Points
If the actions or the Renegades (or the conspiracy exceeding its maximum number of conspiracy actions) challenged any of the conspiracy’s Principles, this chapter, these are resolved now.
Step 4: Set the Stage (Optional)
Conspiracies are complex ecosystems of individuals with their own reasons for joining and who have very different views of their founding Principles. They are also, for the most part, objectively more reprehensible people than are the Renegades who oppose them. This optional rule gives the game a more cinematic television experience seeing the interior lives of the potentially large cast of human monsters who all consider themselves the protagonists of their own stories.
At the end of each chapter, each player takes on limited control of a single character in the service of the conspiracy. The Storyteller may choose to provide as wide or narrow a selection as she wishes. Linchpins and Conviction Touchstones are a good choice, but it could also include a member of the capture crew the Renegades gave the slip, a friend whom the conspiracy has convinced to betray one of the Remade, or even a witness to the Deviants’ actions whom conspiracy members are interviewing.
The players then play out a brief conversation or scene involving these characters. This can highlight schisms in Principles, determine conspiracy strategy for the future, and show conspirator (and bystander) reactions to the exploits of the Renegades.
Projects
The pursuit and capture of Renegades is but one minor function of the greater founding principles of a conspiracy. When not trying to claim their wayward creations, most conspiracies have their own missions to accomplish, from acquiring a rival corporation to digging up the remains of their founder sealed beneath the governor’s mansion.
Downtime actions further the long-term Projects the conspiracy is carrying out. The core of downtime actions is the generation of Effort, which is used to generate new influences and narrative effects for the conspiracy. Effort is the difference between an organization growing smoothly, and everything the conspiracy has worked for being pulled apart by their own vengeful creations.
Effort
A conspiracy generates Effort when it is not actively opposing or pursuing Renegades. For each conspiracy action unused by the conspiracy at the end of a chapter they generate 1 point of Effort. Effort can’t be stockpiled to be spent later. They’re either used for an ongoing Project immediately, or the excess labor is squandered by the conspiracy.
Once the conspiracy has put forth enough Effort, they may complete the Project.
Complexity
The Complexity of a Project indicates just how much Effort the conspiracy will need to put into the Project to bring it to fruition. Small Projects that barely affect the local population or only in small, esoteric ways may only merit a single point of Effort, while Projects that bring entire populations around to a conspiracy’s way of thinking may require as many as 10. Once a conspiracy has spent enough Effort to complete the Project, the results of the Project go into effect at the beginning of the next chapter.
Complexity Example
1 Gain the temporary obedience of a group of people unrelated to the Renegades or a single member of their social network. Create or recruit a Manticore or Deviant appropriate to the conspiracy’s Standing. Cause minor changes in the status quo, such as getting a symbol included in city iconography. Grant a Linchpin character access to three dots of Social Merit(s) appropriate to the relevant Node until the end of the chapter. Move an existing Icon from one of the conspiracy’s Nodes to another. Assimilate a Node another conspiracy has abandoned.
3 Demand the loyalty of a large group of people unrelated to the Renegades or a single member of the players’ characters’ inner circle. Gain access to a new Icon. Cause substantial changes to the status quo, such as making a portion of conspiracy lore or belief a beloved character or saying.
5 Subsume a smaller organization or political entity into the conspiracy. Replace a previously lost Temporal, Exploitative, or Structural Node, complete with Linchpin (must be in some way connected to the conspiracy’s current holdings). Cause significant alterations to the status quo, such as making a Principle a publicly tenable belief.
7 Subvert operatives in an organization that operates on a national scale. Replace a previously lost Hierarchal Node (complete with Linchpin). Cause serious changes to the status quo, such as normalizing open recruitment by the conspiracy.
10 Seize citywide control of local governance, operating freely and openly. Deploy an Icon with world-shaking properties. Cause major changes to the status quo, such as gaining the adoration and loyalty of the public or seizing control of a place of occult power from the supernatural creatures that laid claim to it. Create a new Node (complete with Linchpin) or increase an Attribute by one.
Projects and Nodes
Each Project is connected to a Node that narratively represents the group within the conspiracy finishing, guarding, or stewarding the Project until it comes to fruition. Once the conspiracy begins a Project, but before it comes into play, anything that destroys its connected Node disrupts the Project. This causes the loss of any Effort the conspiracy has already invested in the Project.
Discovering the Conspiracy
The difficulty of pursuing revenge against a conspiracy is finding its independent parts. Except for the most hierarchically driven conspiracies, most are secretive and autonomous, operating in the shadows to avoid discovery. Renegades looking to dismantle their tormentors must first discover exactly how the organization is put together before they can fully strike back.
Deviants looking for a target to hit must attempt to discover a vulnerable or exposed portion of the conspiracy’s Nodes. This process adheres to the normal rules for investigations (see p. XX), but special modifiers often apply to research a conspiracy or one of its Nodes.
Suggested Modifiers (total bonus/penalty cannot exceed +/-5): The Node’s Linchpin is the Progenitor of a member of the cohort (+3). Cohort has the aid of a whistleblower (+3). The cohort was the target of a recent conspiracy action originating from the Node (+2). Node operates in public view (+1). Target is a Hierarchal Node (-1). Conspiracy has never been targeted by a conspiracy action originating from the Node (-1) or its conspiracy (-2). Conspiracy takes special care to conceal the Node’s existence from the public (-2). The lead is years old (-3).
Node Destruction and Subversion
A Deviant looking to put some capability of a conspiracy on hold for the immediate future is attempting to destroy a Node. While the concept is simple in theory, in practice, it may require radical action. For many sorts of Nodes, such as research labs, libraries, or front businesses, this may require vandalism, arson, or even violence. Against infiltrators and planted double agents in other organizations, it may demand public exposure, blackmail, or forcing them out with scandal.
A Node is considered destroyed when it is no longer accessible to the conspiracy or no longer able to serve its intended application. Alternatively, if the Linchpin of a Node is taken out of action (whether killed, abducted, or convinced to abandon the conspiracy), the Node is similarly destroyed, unable to function without their supervision. When a Node is destroyed, the conspiracy takes 1 lethal damage to its Association and loses access to that Node for all actions, as well as control of any Icons or Projects attached to it. This may permanently stall downtime actions if the conspiracy has no sort of specialized abilities to replace it.
Instead of destroying a Node, a Deviant may try to subvert it. If a Deviant gains leverage over a Linchpin, whether with blackmail or threats, they may take partial control of the Node. A subverted Node functions as normal for the conspiracy but also provides any benefits of the location to the Deviant, allowing them to make use of the Node’s resources, administrative access, or position to help their own lonely crusade.
Project Discovery and Prevention
Merely thwarting a conspiracy’s attempts to capture, control, or neutralize the cohort may consume much of a Renegade’s time, but these little victories do nothing to stop the enemy from achieving its goals. The cohort may uncover one of the conspiracy’s Projects entirely by accident or after careful investigation:
• Inquiry: Using the Investigation system (p. XX) to uncover a potential lead on the conspiracy’s current actions.
• Serendipity: A lead is discovered from a failed conspiracy action (p. XX), giving some clue of what the conspiracy is up to.
• Informant: The cohort becomes aware of any Projects that are connected to or rely on a subverted Node to function.
Every Project within a conspiracy is connected to a specific Node until its completion and implementation. This may represent the team of technicians putting the finishing touches on the newest invention, the kennels newly bred Manticores are stored in until they’re let loose, or even a marketing firm in charge of the memetic plague the conspiracy is about to unleash. Destroying this Node before the Project’s completion can set back the plan or even permanently stop it. When a Node connected with a conspiracy Project is destroyed, the conspiracy loses all Effort they have invested in it.
#Renegades
#StartingToSeeTheConspiracy
Free Money
over 4 years ago
– Sat, Oct 05, 2019 at 04:33:25 AM
Free Money
Two weeks ago.
The graffiti-covered door slammed behind Spider as he stormed out of the warehouse, pulling the hood of his hoodie over his head to hide his face. The three of them had met every night for two weeks, but it never got anywhere. Niamh refused to tell Spider where his wife was, Dom didn’t trust Spider to not go off on his own and get all three of them killed, and Spider didn’t give a damn what either of them thought.
After a few days, they collectively agreed that something needed to be done against WBI, and that the three of them would do it together. But that’s about as much progress as they made. The actual plan seemed difficult to pin down, particularly because Niamh wasn’t willing to commit to details and Dom was too jittery to stay still for too long.
And Spider couldn’t afford self-doubt, because Niamh would pick up on it. After the first meeting, he discovered the only way he could keep his mind to himself was when he was utterly furious — the angrier he got, the more Niamh has to resort to lip-reading over mind-reading. Luckily, the possible betrayal of his wife made it really easy to stay angry, but fury didn’t help with making plans. And so the merry-go-round spun, the horses bounced up and down, and nobody got anywhere.
He kicked a half-crushed beer can down the alley, trying to vent some of his frustration. He planned to do what he did every night so far — walk aimlessly for a while so Niamh couldn’t figure out where he was heading, and then find a place to crash once he was out of her range. He punched the walls and kicked garbage bins all the way down the alley, keeping himself angry until he hit the street.
“Hey now. That’s destruction of public property. You could get in trouble for that.”
Spider turned at the sound of the familiar voice, and Jones stepped forward. He had been leaning against a storefront, like he was waiting for Spider to come out of the alley. His badge was gone, but the immaculate suit remained.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.” Spider flexed his fists, and he could hear the metal knuckles crack.
Jones brushed some imaginary link off his lapel. “Let’s assume for the moment that I’m not an idiot, and that I can either defend myself or I didn’t come here alone. I could tell you that I had snipers on the roofs, or that I have your friends held hostage, or even that I’ve injected myself with super-soldier serum, but the details are irrelevant. I’m just here to talk, if you’re willing to listen.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “There’s a coffee house still open down the street. Good stuff, too. Not that Seattle crap.” Jones turned and started walking down the sidewalk, expecting Spider to follow.
Spider glanced around the street. Everything around became suspicious. Was the beggar across the street staring at him? Were there two people sitting in that car parked down the street? Did a flash of metal just wink from that third-story window? If Jones was right, he was well and truly fucked. If Jones was bluffing, Spider could deal with him at any time. He shoved his hands in the hoodie’s pockets. “You’re buying,” he muttered, and fell in step next to Jones.
The coffee shop looked comfortable and worn — the kind of place where only locals go, but often enough to keep the place in business. Spider found a table in the corner, away from the doors and windows, while Jones ordered for both of them and slid a featureless black card into the credit card reader before bringing two steaming cardboard cups and a handful of sugar packets to the table.
Spider blew on the cup. “You have until I finish this coffee.”
Jones shook two sugar packets between his fingers before ripping the paper off and dumping the white crystals into his coffee. “Then I’ll be brief. We want Niamh back into the fold. You can help make that happen. Sell her and her boyfriend out, and we’ll make it worth your while.”
“What do you have that I could possible want?” Spider sipped the coffee, surprised at how good it was.
“What don’t I have? I can make your criminal record disappear. I can erase every trace of you ever being in prison. And….” He took a long sip from the cup, sighing in delight before setting it down. “Well, we can make you human again.”
Spider crushed the cup in his hand, spraying hot coffee all over himself and the counter. He didn’t feel it. “I am human.”
“Sure, sure,” Jones said, unphased by the display. “And I’m sure you think you’re complete in control.”
“I am in control.” He threw the cup aside and stood up. “We’re done here.”
“If you’re in control,” Jones said, setting the cup down on the table, “just tell me one thing. What’s your wife’s name?”
Jones suddenly found himself yanked out of his seat. Spider’s metal-covered hands held him firm, and Jones saw his own face reflected in Spider’s sunglasses. The Deviant snarled. “I said, we’re done here.”
“You can’t, can you? Of course not. Because that mass in your brain is destroying your mind. You’re losing memories, skills, bits and pieces of your soul. Given enough time, you’ll be nothing more than a rampaging beast, some metal-encrusted animal that needs to be put down.”
Jones, seemingly unconcerned about being held by his lapels, reached up and pulled the sunglasses off Spider’s face. He could see the mesh of brass cogs clicking and ticking in Spider’s eyes. Jones casually tossed the sunglasses away, and smirked. “So, think about it. Besides, Perez, you can’t just punch your way through all your problems.”
Spider punched him.
#Renegades
Preview: Traits
over 4 years ago
– Fri, Oct 04, 2019 at 05:14:35 AM
Hello Renegades!
Let's jump in with our next preview! Eric's already way ahead, and knows exactly what you're looking for now that the first three kickstarter manuscript previews have been posted!
Traits
Eric here. Today, we’re going to be spoiling Mental, Physical, and Social Attributes and Skills, which have appeared in every Chronicles of Darkness game since 1st Edition.
Just kidding.
Today we’re going to show you the traits we use when building the conspiracies that serve as the main antagonists in Deviant: The Renegades.
Conspiracy Traits
In Deviant: The Renegades, conspiracies as organizations play a large role in pursuing the Remade, not just as individual agents but also an organization wielding wealth and influence to bring home their prodigal creations. In game terms, each conspiracy has Traits like a character.
Standing
All conspiracies have an advantage called Standing which is representative of the material and supernatural power of those subordinate to the conspiracy’s leadership, as well as their prominence within the Web of Pain. As Standing increases, the conspiracy wields greater power to achieve its goals, including bringing Renegades to heel.
Standing ranges from 1 to 10 dots. Those rare conspiracies with more than five dots of Standing are difficult to discover and dangerous when threatened. They have far more resources to burn through to cover up a problem and have almost always progressed further in their own mysterious goals.
Standing determines the starting number of Nodes(areas of influence) and Icons (special capabilities) a conspiracy has, as well as the number of Attribute dots it has, its maximum rating in its Attributes, and the number of conspiracy actions it can take each chapter. A conspiracy can increase its Attributes and numbers of Nodes and Icons by completing Projects through downtime actions.
Standing and Scale
Standing often indicates how large and powerful a conspiracy is, as well as how far its reach extends beyond its base of operations. As a general rule:
Standing 1-2: Locally influential or regional but diffuse.
Standing 3-5: Regionally influential, or global but diffuse, or local but ubiquitous.
Standing 6-8: Globally influential, or regional but ubiquitous, or having a small presence in otherworldly places.
Standing 9-10: Global and ubiquitous or influential in otherworldly places.
Nodes
Conspiracies can range in size from a few individual researchers to government entities employing thousands. This is represented by the conspiracy’s Nodes, which are the specific capabilities and organizations that make up the conspiracy. Nodes are further divided by their function within the conspiracy into four categories: Hierarchical, Temporal, Exploitative, and Structural. The various Nodes of a conspiracy are connected by Linchpins, the individual character who represents the authority and effectiveness of their respective Nodes.
Hierarchical Nodesare the beating heart at the center of the conspiracy and include some of the most secretive members. These Nodes are the central nervous system of the organization, keeping their subordinate Nodes running according to conspiracy principles and choosing the best course of action for their future. The Linchpins of Hierarchical Nodes are the face of the Remade’s suffering: charismatic CEOs, zealous demagogues, shadowy boards of directors, or even Devoted who have taken the conspiracy for their own.
Temporal Nodes are the conspiracy’s material holdings and power in the world. These temporal holdings can be as varied as the conspiracy’s themselves, such as ownership of all local news media, extreme financial wealth, trained combat personnel, or esoteric libraries. Linchpins of temporal Nodes could be Devoted, hunters of the most dangerous game, demagogue politicians, or publicly loathed financiers.
Exploitative Nodesare a conspiracy’s ability to exploit and derive resources from the wider world. These Nodes are representative of their resources for manipulating the outside world as well as organizations that the conspiracy has sway in. This may be a ring of agents used for corporate espionage, the surgical teams that process test subjects, a relentless legal team, sleeper agents in law enforcement, or the blackmail held above a Deviant’s family that prevents them from asking questions. Linchpins of exploitative Nodes may be the Progenitor responsible for the Remade’s transformation, a barely controlled Feral infiltrator, a highly placed agent in law enforcement, or the ritual master of the conspiracy.
Structural Nodes are the logistical portions of the conspiracy, responsible for keeping it running. These Nodes represent the bureaucracy and diplomats that keep the conspiracy efficient internally as well as externally connected to the Web of Pain. This may be the human resources department of a corporation, crime scene cleaners, the accounting department performing financial fraud in the conspiracy’s favor, underworld fixers that unite interested parties, a fleet of unmarked black vans, or unpaid graduate students. Structural Linchpins may be the administrator in charge of volunteer harvesting, a lead researcher for the conspiracy, a political officer responsible for weeding out dissent, a zealous loyalist looking to please their keeper, or a young ideologue responsible for internet recruiting.
Linchpin
Each Node has a Linchpin character who is the face for that part of the organization. Linchpins can be leaders of their particular sections of the conspiracy, memorable characters, or even just weak links in the conspiracy’s hierarchy. These may be targets the cohort has yet to discover or some of the people the Renegades most vividly remember from their torturous time in captivity.
Icons
As conspiracies continue their experimentation into the unnatural and strange, they work tirelessly to expand their power and influence. Some make breakthroughs or discover objects that allow them to harness strange powers. Others use mundane means to wield undue influence over the institutions and populations that surround their centers of power. Mechanically, an Icon represents objects or individuals under the sway of the conspiracy that give them access to unique abilities or powers. Each Icon is attached to a specific Node in the conspiracy, and if that Node is destroyed or subverted the conspiracy loses access to that Icon.
Some examples of appropriate Icon abilities include:
• Harmonious Community Interaction Algorithm: Members of the Moderation Team offer specialized management training to all members of the conspiracy, teaching them how to direct the collective behavior of the common people. The conspiracy enjoys the 8-Again quality on relevant Finesse rolls, and its members gain one dot in the Fast-Talking Merit.
• Unquestioning Populace: The people of Providence do not talk about the conspiracy for fear of the Local Mafia. Attempts to interrogate witnesses regarding the conspiracy’s activity within the city limits suffer a -2 penalty. The conspiracy’s next surveillance roll enjoys a +2 bonus after any chapter during which the characters attempted to research the conspiracy by talking to local Baselines.
• Pillars of the Community: Members of the conspiracy’s Community Outreach Team are active in local charities and other philanthropic endeavors — from fundraisers for first responders, to priceless gifts to local museums, to college scholarships for local students. This helps them appear to be good corporate citizens even during terrible scandals. Members of the Node add one dot to their effective Status whenever their past philanthropy might influence their audience. Once per chapter, as a conspiracy action, the Node can downgrade one point of lethal damage to the conspiracy’s Association to bashing damage or heal a point of bashing damage.
• Mnemonic Therapy Chamber: Members of the conspiracy who work in the Dynamic Problem-Solving Department benefit from a Scar-free version of the Precognition 2 Variation. The Node’s chief researcher benefits from Precognition 3, instead.
• Stone Guardians: If these strange Devoted have a name other than the one given to them by The Lumure Study Group, they have not yet found a way to express it to the conspiracy in their quiet language of enamel scraping enamel. Increase the effective bond rating of any Devoted associated with this Node by one step (Acquainted to Personal, or Personal to Obsessive). If already Obsessive, add a further 1 Attribute point, 4 dots of Skills, and 2 Magnitude of Variations.
Attributes
Conspiracies use a simplified set of the Power, Finesse, and Resistance categories instead of the usual nine Attributes.
Power describes the conspiracy’s ability to get things done by itself or in the shortest amount of time possible. When a conspiracy uses Power, its actions are based on the Temporal Nodes that it has available to it. When a conspiracy wants to start a manhunt, needs to make a breakthrough and consequences be damned, wants a local ordinance passed now, or just needs somebody dead, it’s utilizing Power.
Finesse describes the conspiracy’s ability to leverage resources at its disposal and others’. When a conspiracy uses Finesse, its actions are based on the Exploitative Nodes that it has available to it. When a conspiracy wants to manipulate others, synthesize the work of its researchers, or play other conspiracies against each other, it’s utilizing Finesse.
Resistance describes the conspiracy’s resolve in their actions, loyalty, and willingness to do whatever it takes to complete their goals. When a conspiracy uses Resistance, its actions are based on the Structural Nodes that it has available to it. When a conspiracy needs to purge the organization of whistleblowers, safely absorb new discoveries into their worldview, or perform experiments far in excess of anything they’ve attempted before it’s utilizing Resistance.
Conspiracies begin with 8 dots of Attributes to place in Power, Finesse, and Resistance. They then add bonus Attributes for Threat Response, gaining two dots for each Standing and two dots for each additional player Deviant associated with the conspiracy. No Attribute can be raised higher than the maximum rating for a conspiracy of its Standing. Each Attribute starts at zero before dots are applied but must be raised to at least 1. Conspiracies do not have Skills, but also don’t suffer unskilled penalties.
Conspiracy Actions
The amount of force a conspiracy can bring to bear on the Remade changes with its Standing. Minor conspiracies are forced to focus on one or two avenues of retrieval, while influential ones can make the Broken’s life a living hell. Mechanically, a conspiracy has a limited number of conspiracy actions they may take against the Deviants in a chapter based on their Standing. This trait also informs the number of downtime actions (p. XX) the conspiracy is able to take.
A conspiracy action creates a short-term narrative complication for the cohort. This could be sending a capture or elimination team against the Deviants, but could just as easily involve blackmail against their loved ones, psychological warfare, or exposing the Renegades to public scrutiny. See page XX for more detail on the mechanics of conspiracy actions.
Anchors
Conspiracies have a Virtue and Vice, which represent the conflicting drives within the organization. Virtues represent the defining attitude towards sacrifice to further their goals such as Zealous or Remorseless. A conspiracy with the Virtue of Zealous follows the Principles of their group, believing the benefits of the sacrifices far outstrip the harm. Vices represent what the organization considers permissible indulgences in thought or action that could be actively harmful to the conspiracy’s goals. Vices are often expressed as things like Truthful or Compassionate. A conspiracy with Truthful is an open and sharing community that genuinely believes in the conspiracy’s beliefs, and its members find it difficult to keep their work secret from their loved ones — for good or ill.
Principles
Each conspiracy has three defining statements of founding philosophy called Principles, which are the guiding mission statements of the conspiracy. All are long-term goals and are rarely challenged as long as the conspiracy feels safe in its current status quo. Only aggressive action by Renegades or rival conspiracies is likely to force the Principles into conflict. Familiarity with a conspiracy’s Principles can provide the Broken with the leverage they need to fight it.
Characters may discover Principles through play and narrative. As the cohort begins to map and dismantle the conspiracy, they gain an understanding of the desires and drives of their tormentors. The Storyteller may choose to reveal Principles after the successful cooption or destruction of a conspiracy’s Node.
Challenging Principles
Conspiracies are comfortable predators by nature, content to remain at the center of their webs of influence, waiting to exploit, torture, and destroy those who stumble onto them. Both the machinations of other conspiracies and the actions of Renegades in pursuit of revenge can challenge the very Principles a conspiracy is founded on.
Each of the following can challenge a conspiracy’s Principles:
• Stress:The conspiracy begins a new action past their action limit.
• Loss:The opposition destroys a Node with accompanying major loss of human life or by eliminating its Linchpin.
• Exposure:The conspiracy has been exposed to the larger world either through one of the covert agents being weeded out or a former member of the organization blowing the whistle.
• Conflict:The conspiracy is brought into active war with another conspiracy in the Web of Pain.
When a Principle is challenged it creates a crisis point within the conspiracy that is resolved as a downtime action.
#Renegades
The Story Told Interview with Eric Zawadzki
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Oct 03, 2019 at 06:53:34 AM
Hello Renegades!
We're officially at the half-way mark of this campaign, finishing our first two weeks strong, and setting out on our final two weeks and seeing how many more stretch goal experiments we can unlock in this project! Remember to share your excitement and enthusiasm for this campaign, and invite other potential renegades to join in! The more backers we have and the larger we build this community, the more we'll be able to offer as part of this new line!
It's podcast time!
And speaking of enthusiasm and excitement, there's nobody who's more enthusiastic or excited about this game than the developer, Eric Zawadzki. He's been absolutely amazing, prepping the previews for me (look for some Traits tomorrow!), and answering questions and collecting feedback in the kickstarter comments and on the Onyx Path message boards.
I was already interested in this game, but Eric's participation has taken that interest and increased it by an order of magnitude. You can tell he loves to tinker and build, and this ruleset is like an amazing toolbox for playing out these themes in the Chronicles of Darkness.
But, Eric isn't just typing responses to our kickstarter questions - he's also been out talking about the game! And now, I'm happy to share the latest episode from our friends at The Story Told... podcast, where they get a chance to learn more about Deviant: The Renegades from the developer himself!
