{"id":2063,"date":"2013-10-14T05:00:44","date_gmt":"2013-10-14T12:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/?p=2063"},"modified":"2013-10-11T11:56:28","modified_gmt":"2013-10-11T18:56:28","slug":"better-angels-story-seed-the-bad-penny-turns-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcdream.com\/home\/2013\/10\/better-angels-story-seed-the-bad-penny-turns-up\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2019Better Angels\u2019 Story Seed: The Bad Penny Turns Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Better-Angels-cover-v4-front-612px\"<\/a>Written by Greg Stolze, \u00a9 2013<\/i><\/p>\n

A sinister story seed lays the groundwork\u2014genesis, exodus, and a shocking revelation\u2014for an evening of fun and corruption in\u00a0Better Angels<\/a>. The GM should draw up stats for one or two crucial NPCs as needed based on the abilities and attitudes of the player characters. Put the Hellbinders and their Screwtapes into the mix and watch what happens.<\/i><\/p>\n

The Bad Penny Turns Up<\/h1>\n

\u201cYou got to keep the Devil, you gotta keep him down in the hole.\u201d \u2014 Tom Waits, \u201cWay Down In the Hole\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Genesis<\/h2>\n

Lieutenant Jean Broadus is an absolute nightmare. She\u2019s been on the force for decades, stolidly grunt-working her way through both street-beats and sexism within the department. She\u2019s a watch commander now, sensible without cynicism, pleased with her successes and philosophical about her failures. She\u2019s got two kids in college and a husband who thinks she hung the moon. With that kind of backstop, she can affect some real, positive change on the streets.<\/p>\n

She has decided that the PCs are her top priority. If they prefer to work by night, she handles the night shift for the station closest to their favored neighborhoods for mischief. If they\u2019re more into daring daylight robberies, then that\u2019s when she works.<\/p>\n

At first, the PCs may not know her name, but they should gradually become aware of growing police pressure. When they\u2019re starting out, the response consists of a squad car (unless they\u2019re obviously Aspecting-out) that gets there fairly quickly and then has to call for backup. As Jean begins targeting them, however, they find that it\u2019s always at least three prowl cars and that the police are going to heavier weaponry sooner. Perhaps a copycat, or just a criminal whose clothes happen to resemble a supervillain costume, gets taken down hard, cluing them in that they\u2019ve been very specifically targeted. Maybe they have contacts on the force who tip them wise about Broadus\u2019 targeted briefings. Or maybe they see posters hung up with sketches or photographs, offering rewards for information, while Broadus goes on the news and encourages citizens to come forward and not be intimidated.<\/p>\n

Exodus<\/h2>\n

Police Lieutenant Penny Greco is angling for a captaincy when George LaGrange retires later this year. She knows the mayor thinks putting a woman in charge of a precinct will gin up some votes during the next electoral cycle, and the only women qualified are herself and Broadus.<\/p>\n

Penny Greco is, in many ways, Broadus\u2019 photographic negative. Where Jean just ignored the sexism and plowed through, Greco played the gender card when she could, even getting an unpopular watch commander demoted with a harassment complaint. (How legit was it? Legit enough in an election year that the commander volunteered for early retirement under serious pressure from the powerful police union.) Greco works as a vice division coordinator and prides herself on playing the long game. She never sweeps up a whore if she can get a pimp, and never takes a pimp if watching him might net her the mob guy who comes to collect the skim. She\u2019s like an alligator: Ninety percent of the time, she\u2019s motionless and drifting along. Then, suddenly, the teeth and frenzied movement drag down some criminal antelope.<\/p>\n

Penny is extremely<\/i> cynical, to the point of being loyal to the cops because they\u2019re the winning side\u2014none of this \u2018serve and protect\u2019 or \u2018justice for all\u2019 crap. It\u2019s better for the strong if they can exercise their strength, and it\u2019s better for the weak if they know their place and keep their noses clean. Good policing, therefore, is better for everyone.<\/p>\n

Especially her, since she\u2019s crooked. Her gray morality makes it very easy for her to offer concessions to arrestees in exchange for information\u2026 or sacks of cash. Corruption started out as a necessary (and, frankly, kind of pleasant) price for keeping her ear to the street. Now it\u2019s just her thing she does.<\/p>\n

Lieutenant Greco wants to talk to the PCs after Broadus starts her crusade against them. She thinks costumed ding-dongs are far less corrosive to public order than the entrenched and subtle threats of organized crime, and she\u2019s willing to help them if they help her. Are they curious about the location of a stash house full of drug dough? Hey, she can share that with them. The guys in the DEA are dicks to her, why should she hand them a bust?<\/p>\n

Revelation<\/h2>\n

The final act of this sordid drama comes when Broadus intuits that someone among her 5-0 fellows is striking against her in a thousand subtle ways. The captaincy is coming up soon and, while she doesn\u2019t want to believe a \u2018sister\u2019 would stab her in the back, she\u2019s far too much of a realist to discount the possibility. Moreover, while she\u2019d like<\/i> the promotion, she doesn\u2019t covet<\/i> it\u2014she just thinks it would be a better platform from which to launch her anti-crime strategies.<\/p>\n

The possibilities here are myriad, but some of the more exciting or dramatic options include\u2026<\/p>\n

The PCs bring Broadus around.<\/b> If they can show her they\u2019re, at worst, very conflicted and, at best, human toxic waste dumps for evil spirits, she might give them a break. Even better, she might maintain the masquerade of an eager police pursuit, while (in reality) giving them some breathing room with which to battle their Screwtapes. But would the price of her understanding be that Greco, the bent cop, gets promoted?<\/p>\n

The PCs and Greco team up on Broadus.<\/b> Hey, maybe they just want revenge. They can get it, Greco can hand Broadus over on a silver platter\u2026 and then betray them once she\u2019s Captain Greco, using everything she\u2019s learned about them to her advantage while publicly stating that she\u2019s doing it to get revenge for her \u2018sister cop\u2019 Broadus.<\/p>\n

The Screwtapes bring Broadus around.<\/b> If the Hellbinders prefer Corruption<\/i> to Nurture<\/i>, they might just demonstrate to Jean what a tight spot she\u2019s in. She can\u2019t overcome the PCs when they\u2019ve got both hell and<\/i> another lieutenant on their side, and isn\u2019t Greco the bigger threat? After all, the PCs have<\/i> to deal with demons, but Greco chose<\/i> to. If they can flip their influence and put Broadus in the Captains\u2019 position, is that a victory\u2026 or have they tarnished and corroded a genuinely good cop?<\/p>\n

Order <\/em>Better Angels in full-color hardback and get the PDF free.<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Greg Stolze, \u00a9 2013 A sinister story seed lays the groundwork\u2014genesis, exodus, and a shocking revelation\u2014for an evening of fun<\/p>\n

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