These are just the first thoughts for the game. (This is based on Burn Notice, one of the best shows on television.)

So you’re all a bunch of people who have spent your lives outside the law, right– ex CIA maybe, or ex-FBI, or you’re in Witness Protection, or you’re a gun-smuggler wanted in a bunch of countries and now you’re laying low. Whatever the reason, you’re all stuck in the same town, and you’re making a little extra money by helping people, while trying to fend off the bad dudes who got you stuck in this town in the first place.

The town you-the-characters are stuck in is the town that you-the-players are stuck in. (Why? Mission prep and Important Details. Like, if I know my character’s going to be in a car chase, you can bet your butt that I’m taking him under the one-car bridge on Arch Street. And that Korean restaurant on main street, Manna House? It’s perfect for covert meetings because you can never see who’s in there.)

You’ve got personal skills and professional skills, and if you’ve been this kind of professional for most of your adult life, then your personal skills aren’t gonna be so hot. Likewise, if you’ve never been in this line of work and spent your time, I dunno, going on dates and visiting your family, you’re not going to be much good at improvising a sticky bomb with tile cement and a mop.

There are a couple different kinds of characters you can play.

Lifers are renaissance men and women. They’ve been at this a long time and have the skill sets to keep them alive in a job with high turnover rates. Of course, the skills it takes to be a good operative make for a lousy friend, lover, daughter or dad. (In the world of Burn Notice, Michael and Sam are lifers.)

Artists specialize in one area, and boy, do they shine. Because they haven’t been quite as consumed by their job as the lifers, they’re a little better at having friends and family, but they still have.. issues. (In the world of Burn Notice, Fiona and Barry are Artists.)

Civillians don’t know how to take apart and put back together an AK in the back of a moving vehicle that’s being chased by covert operatives, but they do have people they can ask to borrow a cup of sugar from without having to come up with a cover ID. They’re the friends and family of the Lifers and Artists, or as close to friends and family as those kids can have. As such they might have picked up a few tricks– maybe they’ve helped out with surveillance in the past, or picked up a couple tips on interrogation– but their big assets are their stability, willingness to lend an ear, and being an unexpected place to hide. (In the world of Burn Notice, Michael’s mom and brother are Civillians.)

There are some other characters that the GM makes up, too. First are Clients, the people you’re trying to help. There are a couple different types:

Dirty gone clean: These guys were in it, and now they want out. The trouble they’re in is sort of their own doing, but they’ll tell you man, they never thought it would go down like THIS. Swear.

Innocent bystander: This person saw something they shouldn’t have, or has something someone else wants. They were minding their own business, and now whoops, they’re in trouble.

Fall guy: This dude was totally set up. Probably by his boss, or her boyfriend or something.

Justice seeker: Justice seekers are dangerous. They’re not professionals, but they’re going to try to right a wrong with or without you. It’s just that without you, they’ll die. Quick.

So when you’re trying to serve your Client, you’re probably going to run into some Mooks. They’re the lower-level scumbags you have to trick, beat, or infiltrate into giving up their Boss. They come in a couple different flavors:

Club kids: Mostly drug dealers and the like, they like to pretend to be the boss in order to get free drinks and lots of sex. They talk a big game but they aren’t terribly bright, and some of them are scared of real guns.

Hired Muscle: Bodyguards, mercenaries, and the ilk. Sometimes you can just get away with paying them more than their boss does, but don’t count on it.

Suits: Ops who think they’re covert, government workers, people who are licensed to conceal but would be just as happy to bury you in paperwork or cause trouble with the local police.

And, as I said, the Mooks have Bosses:

Magnificent Bastards: These dudes don’t get their hands dirty, they’ve got people for that. Corrupt politicians, businessmen, white-collar criminals. They’re hard to get to, but once you’re up close and personal, they’re probably not armed. Or if they are, it’s not going to be with much.

Agents: These are the real deal, don’t mistake them for suits. They’ve got the power of an entire country behind them, and it’s usually not one that grants extradition. Interpol files and a band of not-so-merry men. Tread lightly.

Old Friends: In this line of work, you’re likely to piss people off now and then. Problem is, if you’ve done something bad enough to make them mad, then they’re mad enough to not stop until you’re dead or sold to the highest bidder.

Sleepers: Arguably the most dangerous Boss of all, because you don’t see them coming. They masquerade as Mooks or Clients.

Mooks and Clients can turn out to be Sleepers, and Characters can be Clients (especially if the Boss is an Old Friend.)

There’s more coming, but this is already a pretty long post. Tomorrow.

Filed under: Dissolute Games by Elizabeth