Hana Academy: Relationships

In the introduction to Hana Academy, relationships were discussed as an important part of the game. They represent one of the foundations of the game and an element which underpins many of the core mechanics.

Relationships have a special place in Hana Academy. They are one of the primary sources players draw their power, but also one of their greatest weaknesses. Instead of a pool of skill points, characters start with a pool of relationship points. These are spent on other characters (PCs and NPCs) to define how important the relationship is to the PC. Importance doesn't mean friend; rivals are just as important.

Each of these relationships has a skill associated with it based on what drives the relationship. A relationship with a teammate could be associated with Athletics, while a crush who is in your history class could be Academics. Naturally, the skill gets the rating of the relationship: the more important the relationship, the more the character is driven to excel at the skill. You can only assign each skill once.

The dark side to any relationship is how it can be used against you. Those who are closest to know the easiest ways to hurt us. Our most bitter rivals have a certain knack for always getting the best of us. If they didn't, the rivalry certainly wouldn't be so bitter. Whenever the character you have a relationship with acts against you, they gain a bonus equal to your relationship. This doesn't have to be related to the skill, simply any action at all. This is a one-way street - their importance to you is already represented by the skill itself.

There is some good news to this as well. Those closest to you know how best to help you: they gain it as a bonus when working directly to help you. This typically manifests through creating advantages for you to use. Friends also serve another important purpose: they are the best instruments for revenge.

Since your rivals gain an inherent bonus against you, it is always best to recruit friends. Since your enemies don't necessarily have the same importance to your friends, they can provide significant assistance as you plan the downfall of your continual tormentor. It's always good to have friends. Especially the kind who will help you hide bodies.

As you grow and change, your relationship values wax and wane. The people who were once so important to you drift away, only to be replaced by others. Your best friend may have once been your partner in crime, but now you are more interested in flower arranging together. People change and so will your relationships.

Relationships are found in other pieces of the game as well, such as Aspects, but those will be topics for another entry.

Hana Academy: Introduction

Welcome to Hana Academy, a Fate-based game about relationships and growing up in a school with mystery, magic, and flowers.

As one of the Gifted, you stand apart from the rest of their classmates as special. As a symbol of this status, all gifted bear a garland. These garlands hold many secrets for those able to decipher the language of flowers. The Gifted are able to travel to strange, beautiful, and often dangerous vistas through arbors - gates between our world and the garden.

The Garden is how the Gifted refer to places beyond our world. Curiosity is a powerful motivator and there is nothing quite like the Garden anywhere else. Sensations are more intense and there is the promise of adventure beyond every corner. Some of the Gifted try to avoid these familiar yet alien places, but are drawn to them by some machination - normally of their friends!

Gifts make the impossible a reality, but they don't seem to actually solve any of the most important problems: your childhood friend who is growing away from you, the bully who keeps picking on you, and why won't Alex pay attention to you? Nor do they make the looming questions of finding yourself any easier to answer. They do manage to make conflict more intense and the stakes always seem higher higher. A scuffle on the lacrosse field takes on new proportions when one of them can conjure flames and the other summons a sword from a plane of chaos.

The good news is you have your club to help you with the real problems. No matter what, you know they will be there for you. Through these bonds of friendship the gifted learn themselves and one another. You help each other grow into these new powers, sharing in victories, and easing failures.

As much as your relationships can cause you problems, they are what you derive your sense of self from. They are a very real part in determining what you are good at; either the relationship defines the skill, or the skill defines the relationship. As you grow and change, so will your interests and relationships. 

Hana Academy is a place to grow and learn. You will blossom into who you are meant to be and give you everything you need. Even if it doesn't seem so at the time. 

The Demolished Ones

The Demolished Ones, by Brian Engard and Rite Publishing, is a game of memories and mystery set in a fictional Victorian setting known as the City.

This game's basic premise is that the characters wake up with no memories to something terrible, something vaguely familiar, but also something out of place. That sense of unease follows through the story as they unravel the mystery. They will experience the power of knowledge, as well as the price and horror that comes with it.

In this game is a setting, a story and all of the system that you will need to play. It is a Fate-based game, but even people familiar with Fate should go over this variation of the system to cover some of the subtle differences. In addition to the minor changes, there are some significant additions to the basic Fate foundation that give this game a great deal of it's flavor.

This is your official spoiler warning. If you are going to be a player in this game, you would do yourself a service by not reading any further. If this sounds pretty good so far (hopefully it does, because this is a good game) and you want to play, find a kindly GM and direct them here in hopes that they will be inspired to acquire and run this game for you.

To really discuss this game, secrets are going to have to be divulged. As mentioned previously, this is a game of memories and mysteries. Even more than that, this is a game of truth and lies. I've already lied to you: the setting is only known as the City to those within that don't know the truth; to everyone else, which is a small group, it is known as the Dome.

Have you seen Dark City? If the answer is "no", do yourself a favor and watch that movie. Now that everyone has seen it, if you liked that it and thought that there was some amazing ideas that would be great in a game, then this game has been written for you. While it isn't just Dark City, the game, it has certainly been heavily influenced by that work with some changes, such as the inclusion of horror elements and the price of power and knowledge. I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

There are changes to the basic Fate formula in The Demolished Ones. To begin with, your character is a blank slate, no Aspects, no skills, no stunts. Nothing. These, along with your memories are developed during play. Characters will have flashbacks that initially give some insight into who they think they are, along with an associated Persona Aspect and related skill.

Eventually, they will get more sinister memories about who they really are, which is a terrible individual. Unlike the previous suggestions, these come from the GM, not the player, and reveal truths about the setting and the character. Nearly everyone in the Dome is living as a part of some inhuman experiment towards unknown ends. Those that start to learn the truth, of which the players will be some, gain power because of that.

They will gain Aspects and skills like the previous memories, but these Aspects can be used to fundamentally change the world within the Dome. Through these True Aspects, these characters can perform superhuman feats, influence and bend the will of those around them who do not have True Aspects, or even shape their surroundings. All of these come at a cost - mental consequences are just the beginning. These powers rely on embracing their darker nature and utilizing the power that it gives them. Eventually there will only be the darkness and they will simply be a monster.

True Aspects are also more difficult to resist when compelled. Doing so is resisting a fundamental part of your nature; it is one of the only truths to your existence to rely on. However, by doing so for long enough, you can change your stars. You can become a different person. In this noir setting, it may not rain every day after all.

The story itself is presented as three acts, with the first two acts being a relatively well scripted mystery with enough hook to get the players moving in the right direction. In the first act the groundwork of the mystery is laid as the players regain their "memories", though there is the unshakable feeling that nothing quite adds up. Act 2 introduces their actual memories and begins to fill in the blanks. The players will ultimately be caught in the middle of a struggle for the fate of the Dome. Finally, Act 3 will has the players doing whatever it is they want. They will have the information and the tools to profoundly affect the setting. For better, or worse.

There is a lot to like about this game and it definitely uses the basic framework of Fate to its advantage as the story unfolds. The way that memories, Aspects and skills work together is elegant. It is worth mentioning that mental stress and consequences are going to be a headache as the game proceeds and the more monstrous elements appear.

The layout of the book is clean and easy to follow, though with one small, but at times glaring, issue: the font used for titles has virtually indistinguishable capital "C" and "G". While a minor distraction and easy to sort out, it's distracting from an otherwise very pleasant flow of the text. All of the art maintains the moodiness of the setting. It tends towards high contrast use of dark and light, and has a Victorian noir sense about it. There are a few pieces that are distinctly not Victorian, which gives a feeling that they do not fit. Naturally, this supports the concept of the story and the setting of it being amiss and out of place.

One thing to be wary of is that this may not be a great fit for all players. Not everyone is willing to cede so much control of their character, nor will everyone be pleased about what could be termed a bait-and-switch. On the other hand, this can be a great introduction to Fate. It introduces the core concepts slowly and shows how the various pieces (character background, Aspects and skills) can all be linked together.

The Demolished Ones offers a unique game and premise that is certainly worth looking into for those interested in Fate, and those looking to do some new things with Fate.

Dresden Files RPG: Part 3 - Review

This is the third part in a series about the Dresden Files Role Playing Game. Part 1 and Part 2.

The final part of this series is going to be about the session and some thoughts about the game itself, though not a full blown review - this is hardly a lesser known setting and/or system.

What I Could Have Done Better

My biggest struggle with the single session format is simply that my planning does not work that way. Previously I have been able to carve off enough extraneous plot to really hone in on a particular experience and story. That didn't happen so much during this session. The plot itself was rather complicated, weaving multiple, disparate stories and events together into a single event. From there the repercussions of actions would unfold.

This is all nice academically and the players were interested in the plot and the various threads. However, there were a lot of threads with complexity, depth and nuance, flavor pieces that weren't strictly necessary, and interesting characters to interact with. All good, but simply too much for the purpose of the session.

All of this lead to some uneven pacing at times, even though things never slowed down. It would have unfolded better as a slower burn game with more time getting involved in the city and the factions, themes and threats therein. Part of my feelings on uneven pacing (you would have to ask the players how they felt) reflect cutting a number of scenes and events that would have given more depth to what was happening, including most of the action scenes and the building tension surrounding the initial catalyst for action.

The end of the session was particularly rushed as I tried to provide the essential framework from which to hang all of the events and make some sense from them. I don't generally care for that level of exposition; I specifically do not like having some NPC faction with all of the answers (which is what I tragically had to introduce at the 11th hour to move that along).

My sincere hope is that the players realize I never intended that, but it was a sacrifice for the sake of some level of closure. To their credit, I had no doubt they would put all of the pieces together and come to all of the realizations on their own. It's always great to play with players that can synthesize all of the information provided from various contacts and events and be the group that has the answers. This group was on the ball and made effective choices at every turn - it was pretty awesome from my perspective. If any of you are reading this, thanks, it was an excellent game that you gave to me.

Mechanics

FATE, with Dresden Files in particular, is all about the Fate Point/Aspects interaction. The essential premise is that players are rewarded for portraying flawed individuals and being in character. This has some particular requirements, however. Specifically, you must be interested in that metagame - creating Aspects that aren't just fitting, but are useful. Where Tags and Compels will come when you want them, not when they will irritate you. Also, a strong sense of character going into the game is a must. You simply cannot create a semi-generic character with a few notable details going into the game to get very much out of it.

I know a lot of players (and sometimes am one of them) that has a general concept and wants to see what emerges from play. This system does not support that well, or even at all. It does provide some of the finest game play for those looking at a non-traditional character (perhaps the most useful characters in my session were the reporter and the aging loremaster) and those with some distinct frailties in the nature.

All of this points to investment in that character. Dresden Files also has investment in the city. Both of these things I love in running a game and in playing. The thrillers that I adore running generally thrive on a large cast of characters, players with a strong sense of who they are portraying, and some rigorous depth to the setting. For a one shot, none of this is particularly practical.


Again, to my players' credit, they quickly adapted to the implied backgrounds. Building some vague ties with each other, creating a sense of self from the Aspects, and generally running with things. That being said, the Aspects that I created wouldn't necessarily be what they would create. This is my own fault. Since they weren't their Aspects, it could be tricky at times to figure out what was implied there, how it was supposed to work, etc.

I like to think that all of the Aspects I wrote were flavorful (it's also worth noting that I think 8-tracks are going to make a come back). However, sometimes flavor comes at the cost of use, and nowhere was that more true than most of the characters' Trouble. (For those who don't know, Trouble is specifically an Aspect that is used to compel and make you do something stupid - it should generate a lot of Fate Points for you.) While they all said something about the character, and indeed represented possibly their greatest obstacle, there wasn't a lot done with them. Again, my fault here.

All of this demonstrates the importance of sitting down for a session and creating characters that everyone is invested in, not just you. That first session will make you care about all of the PCs at the table because you know about them, you played a hand in bringing them to life. They won't just be playing their own game, but you can be helping to create fun for each other. That's a helluva thing.

What I (Think) Went Well

The most important thing went well, way more than all of the other things listed above: everyone had fun. No matter what else goes on, that is what really counts.

Everyone was involved, contributed, and had things to do. No one character could resolve everything on their own. The strong niche protection that I engaged in when making characters certainly helped in that - as well no one was stuck with anything truly useless. Though some of the action characters had less to do than originally intended due to scenes (entire plots) that were cut (which I feel bad about, really bad).

Despite my issues with Aspects, I think that everyone quite liked their character (though I could be wrong). With some minor (or major) overhaul, they would have been set. Everyone worked well together, and even the characters that had similarities in skills used those to synergize rather than work at counter purposes. That last one may be more of a testament to the players than me, however.

I was honestly a little surprised by how well received the low power level I used was received. There were a few reasons I made the decision to go with Feet in the Water (20 skill points, 6 refresh). First, I wanted to cut down on the number of powers and stunts so that referencing the book was minimal. It would give each character a distinct focus and the low skills force everyone to rely on each other more than they may have to in a higher powered game. Another reason is that the lower power level makes Aspects more important - there are less bonuses and Fate Points going around. This may have worked against me a little. What it did do was give the mortal characters a more prominent role - the ability to have control over your success was pretty huge.

Note cards! Man, I love note cards. For a game like FATE and a setting where keeping notes on people, places, events, threats, etc, they are perhaps the most useful play aid out there (Fate Points might beat them out, but barely). I have generally had a positive response when you provide something tangible to use. Whether it is to record Aspects that you have discovered, or just some general notes.

A stack of people and places also directs attention from wondering about all of the things that might be relevant, directing it to specific people and places that are relevant. This does create a downside: it can also limit the scope of thought from what else might be relevant to solely what is at hand. I try to nip that one in the bud early by introducing more locations as they become relevant, clearly indicating that they do not have the whole story yet.

Red cards are generally used to indicate a mystery or immediate threat. This is something going on that demands attention. For games where there is a lot going on and multiple plots unfolding, these are useful to remind everyone what they are dealing with, keeping the details in a central place, and more easily allowing for potential relationships between these threats to be established.

My general impressions were that the players enjoyed the plot and the local color that they met during the session. The entire affair would have benefited from editing it down and cutting the extraneous material. While that would have created a neater package, I don't know if that would have improved the experience at all. This is definitely a story that would have played best as a three to five session mini-campaign. That would have given all of the plots a chance to breathe and all of the characters time to shine. Above all else though, everyone had fun. I cannot go back to that point enough, because it really is all that matters. People got together, had some drinks, some food, and had fun. Awesome.

Dresden Files RPG: Part 2 - Characters and Setting

This is the second part in a series about the Dresden Files Role Playing Game. Part 1 and Part 3.

Here are the last of the characters, along with some information on the city and the setting. After the game, I will provide a recap along with some thoughts (maybe even some from the players).

Characters

High Concept: Unseelie Changeling Lorekeeper
Trouble: Time is a Thief to All Things
Background: The Family Business
Rising Conflict: Insatiable Thirst for Knowledge
Your Story: A Fine Line Between Old Friends and Enemies
Guest Star: "I Call them Silver and Cold."
Guest Star: "Where I Haven't Been is a Shorter List, Sir."
Average: Alertness, Discipline, Endurance, Investigation
Fair: Craftsmanship, Guns, Scholarship
Good: Contacts, Resources
Great: Lore
Powers/Stunts: The Sight (-1), Soulgaze (0), Inhuman Speed (-2), Filthy Lucre (-1)

The request for this character was frighteningly similar to a mortal that appeared in a previous Dresden Files game I ran. Learning what I did from that experience, I tried to apply that and make something that should work in a wide variety of circumstances. The high Lore without any magic is always problematic, but with the changes I am making to the Nevernever (anyone with Lore can get there), it will be more useful. 

On the whole, this is broadly a dark Indiana Jones character well past his prime, but still in it. As usual, I tried to give an implied background that has a lot of empty spaces to fill. He's wealthy, urbane, and there is a hint of violence and skullduggery about him.

High Concept: Winter Court Squire
Trouble: If Violence isn't the Answer, We Need a New Question
Background: Semper Fi
Rising Conflict: Nine Frozen Laments to Give
Your Story: Never Trust a Spy, and This City is Full of 'Em
Guest Star: Cloak and Dagger, but Mostly Dagger
Guest Star: Fast and Terrifying as a Hurricane
Average: Driving, Fists, Might, Stealth
Fair: Alertness, Guns, Intimidation
Good: Athletics, Endurance
Great: Weapons
Powers/Stunts: Marked by Power (-1), Item of Power (+1, Frozen Lament), Claws (-1), Inhuman Speed (-2), Supernatural Recovery (-4), The Catch (Fire), No Pain, No Gain (-1)

The request for this character was a dishonorably discharged soldier that has no clue what is going on. Also, a badass. As a part of the setting, the city is neutral ground which means that no official representatives of any faction can act there - thus, no Knights. So a special position, the Squires, were created. They have the backing of their Court, but have no officially been imbued with the trappings. Just an Item of Power to help them along. Frozen Lament is a brace of shards of ice/throwing knives.

This character's implied background is significantly more sparse. She's a badass and in a completely new situation that she mostly copes with through violence. It's simple and brutal - if this were a long-term campaign, I would not expect her to live long (except for that amazing recovery).

High Concept: Changeling Journalist
Trouble: Revenge is a Dish Best Served... Period
Background: St. Louise de Marillac School for Troubled Children
Rising Conflict: Nothing Can Keep Me From the Answers
Your Story: Knows People that Know People, and They Are Bad People
Guest Star: In Way Over His Head, but He Can Swim
Guest Star: Ear to the Ground, Nose for the Truth, Eyes on the Prize... You Get the Idea
Average: Burglary, Performance, Scholarship, Stealth
Fair: Alertness, Deceit, Empathy
Good: Contacts, Rapport
Great: Investigation
Powers/Stunts: Capable Researcher, Hairpin Maestro, Quick Eye

This character was a late addition and the concept played with many of the areas that other characters had already explored. Which was something of an issue for niche protection. They also wanted to be unaware of their powers. Despite being labeled as a changeling, I used the Pure Mortal template. That would make their powers active through Aspects for the time being and give a greater mystery to their parentage. The implication here is that they are supernatural, just no indications in what way. I think that should be an interesting way to handle things and will encourage some supernatural implications to the Aspects.

The implied background here is a very troubled orphan who has made some ugly friends over the years. Currently he is a driven journalist, though has an unsavory past and connections. Hopefully there isn't too much mechanical and thematic overlap with some of the other characters.

The City

Given the nature of the game, a one shot, I'm not going to invest quite the level of time in creating this setting that I normally would. This includes removing the cooperative elements which can help to bring everything to life and give significant player investment in the setting from the word "Go".

I had previously mentioned that there are parts of the setting that I will be changing. From the standard Dresden Files, things are going to be significantly darker and more broken. The various supernatural factions will have more sway over humanity and the White Council is hopelessly out of touch and entrenched in bureaucracy and politics that move glacially. There very natures encourage a "wait and see" attitude. Which is what I am using to explain in part why they aren't involved in these happenings.

The supernatural factions have greater investment in this world because the Nevernever is less it's own thing and more echoes of our world. The layers closest to the "real" world are a little stranger, layers on top of what we would normally see, but containing memories of what used to be, crowded in the landscape. Particularly strong emotions or events may still live in these layers and can cause them to wear thin. This tends to have an affect on everyone in the area. The deeper you go, the stranger and more abstract it becomes. The dark Nevernever is a place of dreams and the subconscious. Many of the supernatural factions that don't fit in (particularly the fae) call these places home as they struggle to fit in the world unnoticed. The changing of society trickles to them and they find nothing more fascinating than our world. Our world where the eddies and ripples fundamentally change the landscape of their own over time. It is our dreams, hopes, fears, love and darkness that give them strength and power, and there is nothing more that they want than to continue being a part of that. Which, of course, means controlling it as best they can.

Portland is something of a mecca for this. An amazing triumph with such power and promise that the dangerous battles from long ago made it a terrifying place to be. Since the Accords were drawn up and it declared a place of neutrality, it has flourished and all parties have benefited (perhaps the fae more than others, but still). They distance between our world and the dream is very thin there, and the dream extends further than most imagine. There are depths that even the "native" denizens do not realize, in their own hubris.

Theme: A city of bridges, physical and meta-physical.

• Aspect: Crossing Over
• Face: Ed, The Troll Union - Post 205
• Face: Mugsy, Street Roots - Homeless Newspaper
• Location: The Troll Union and Street Roots, Burnside Bridge (Worlds Collide)
• Location: Diablo's Pizza (Dangerous Questions)
• Location: Charles Mortimer Thannet, The Pi Shoppe (To Die for Pies, All Slices $3.14)

Theme: While everything seems great on the surface, underneath it is rotten, also a play on the City of Roses

• Aspect: American Beauty
• Face: Tsing Tsong, Clenched Fist Tong
• Face: Sergei Desnova, The Boyars
• Face: Nicodemus Whatley, The Whatley Family
• Location: Donny A, The Acropolis ("Harmless" Fun)
• Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square (Filthy Heart)
• Location: International Rose Test Garden (Unfettered Vision)
• Location: Mistress Bodica, Spartacus (Unchained Appetites)

Threat: A neutral meeting ground, a city of spies

• Aspect: Spark in a Tinder Box
• Face: Kincaid Thomas, Supernatural Fixer
• Face: Leslie Allen, Summer Court Squire
• Location: Oolong, Chinese Garden (Eye of the Storm)
• Location: Jet Black, La Luna (Darkness Growing)
• Location: Larry, Pier 451 (Port of Ill Repute)
• Location: Thomas Peasemill, Powell's Books (Knowledge is Cheap, Wisdom is Pricey)

Dresden Files RPG: Part 1 - Characters

This is the first part in a series about the Dresden Files Role Playing Game. Part 2 and Part 3.

A good friend is in the area to visit family and friends. To celebrate his return, I offered to run a game for him, his wife, and other local friends. Any game he wanted. Well, there are a lot of options, but he has never played a FATE game. So a one shot using the Dresden Files RPG was the winner.

In my planning for this game, I decided to do all of the prep work myself. This includes making the city and the characters. While this decision can take a lot of what is great about the collaborative city and character creation out of the picture, given the time constraint (one session), there couldn't be the time devoted to that activity to make it worth it, nor would there be the same payoff in the end from that investment. Additionally, I could ensure that the characters presented show some different aspects (hah!) of FATE, provide niche protection, and not run afoul of anything that would slow game play to a crawl (magic, I am looking at you).

The city is Portland, Oregon, March 2010, in a setting that is loosely inspired by the Dresden Files. My intended audience isn't incredibly familiar with the novels, so relying on the details from that would have little payoff and more likely prove frustrating for those not as familiar with the source material. This is good because it also allows me to change some of the underlying assumptions and ultimately remove the magic system. While wizards are integral to the Dresden Files setting and one of the more innovative pieces to the system, they require a significant degree of system mastery to make work and I would rather keep the game moving than continually stop to address how to use the powers.

Beyond just magic, there are a number of setting elements I intend to play around with, and will likely address them in a future post. For example the Nevernever. While I like it as presented, I'm going to try it more as a reflection of the cognitive memory of humanity and the world with different levels. At the layer closest to the world, it is a reflection of the world that remembers what once was. Perhaps old buildings that are no more still exist, you just have to shift a little deeper. The further you get, the stranger things are and the more primal the expressions are. Hopefully more on that later.

Each of the players was asked for a summary of what kind of character they would like to play. From there, I did all of the heavy lifting and putting the pieces together. While putting a character together may be a snap for some, I've seen players struggle with the options and particularly Aspects. Writing good Aspects is not an easy task and I will make no claims at being good at it. As I mentioned above, making each of the characters means that I can tailor certain events to bring them together and ensure that they will have something to do.

The first two characters that I got proposals for were a gargoyle and a Kenzi-expy. For the former we chatted a little bit and used the idea of a gargoyle timelessly perched on and guarding a building for inspiration. The latter was pretty straight-forward and well supported with the system.

High Concept: Gargoyle Guardian
Trouble: Man Out of Time
Background: Faded Memories of Another Life
Rising Conflict: Bound to the City
Your Story: "There is only one way this can end - I will find them."
Guest Star: Body of Stone, Heart of Flesh
Guest Star: When a Door Closes, Just Go Through the Wall
Average: Athletics, Intimidation, Lore, Scholarship
Fair: Alertness, Discipline, Investigation
Good: Endurance, Fists
Great: Might
Powers/Stunts: Psychometry (-1), Human Form (+1), Inhuman Strength (-2), Supernatural Recovery (-2), Supernatural Toughness (-2), The Catch (Magic, +2)

I'm trying to give an implied background that the player can fill in the details from. The goal here was to create a supernatural investigator that has been pulled through time and moved from city to city. Whatever city he would call home, he would be a part of it and unable to leave. Waking when needed and returning to sleep. Over time their number dwindling. He would also be a powerhouse, able to change into a stone wrecking machine when needed.

High Concept: Fast-Talking Street Rat
Trouble: "It seemed like a good idea at the time!"
Background: Hidden Talents
Rising Conflict: Old Debts, Repaid with Interest
Your Story: Sharp Eyes, Sharp Tongue
Guest Star: "I've never been in a tight spot I couldn't get out of."
Guest Star: Semi-Charmed Life
Average: Empathy, Investigation, Presence, Weaponry
Fair: Alertness, Burglary, Stealth
Good: Contacts, Rapport
Great: Deceit
Powers/Stunts: Ear to the Ground, I Know Just the Guy, Pick-Pocket, Takes One to Know One

Again, I was trying to give an implied background and letting the player decide what this all actually means. My biggest goal here was to give some very useful Aspects since that is a mortal's primary advantage - Fate Points. She has some good stunts and maintains a reasonable Refresh of 4.