Necreviews: Leverage: The Quickstart Job, Part 2

Last time on Necreviews: Leverage: The Quickstart Job, Part 1...

"Traits? Assets? Complications? WTF are you talking about? That'll be in Part 2."


Traits are defining characteristics of a character that are used to encourage the player to roleplay the character. You gain additional dice to your rolls for roleplaying those traits into the situation you are rolling for. Additionally, the GM can tell you that your Traits might be problematic for the situation you are in and you gain a lesser die to your pool and gain a Plot Point for every Trait used and roleplayed to the detriment of your character. I'm still not certain why you are gaining any additional dice to your die pool when your traits are a problem. If the situation is harder for the PC then it would make sense that the GM gets the bonus dice and the player still gets the Plot Points for the RP. But this is a demo, maybe the full rules will make that clearer.

We'll continue using Eliot the Hitter as our example. His Traits are Bad Boy, Mysterious History, and Smarter Than He Looks. Let's say he needs to get passed a receptionist in order to get into a backroom to steal a security uniform. The receptionist is an attractive young woman who's obviously attracted to him. He's gonna try to sweet-talk his way past her. He'll roll his Intelligence + Grifter but wants to bring Bad Boy into the roll so he'll mention his Harley Davidson, which will grant him an extra d8, bringing his total dice pool to 2d6+d8.

Let's take that same situation only the receptionist is an older, no-nonsense woman. She is not impressed with his Harley. In fact she dislikes his whole Bad Boy routine. Eliot's dice pool is now 2d6 + d4 and he gets a Plot Point. Again, why he's getting the bonus d4 and not the taciturn receptionist, I do not know.

Complications arise when wins a roll but one of his dice came up a "1". At this point a new element is introduced to the Job that...complicates the situation for the crew. These manifest mechanically as en extra die for the GM in any instance that the complication can be attributed. Complications always start as a d6 bonus for the GM, but they can escalate if more Complications are rolled. This also grants the PC a Plot Point, which we'll get to later.

Again with Eliot. he smooth talks the receptionist but rolls that "1". Not only does she let him through, but she's smitten and every time she sees him she makes him obvious by trying to get his attention. This will add a d6 to the GM's dice pool in every situation applicable. If he rolls another Complication it can escalate to a d8 and can do so up to d12.

Assets work very similarly to Complications but where Complications earn the player Plot Points, Assets will cost the player Plot Points. Assets are player-created exploits in the scene. They add a d6 to the player's dice pool for as long as that Asset is relevant. Standard Assets only last until the part of the Job in which they are created is over.

It is possible for a player to create a permanent Asset by spending the Plot Point right after the GM rolls a "1" in a player's scene. Like Complications, these Assets can be escalated through play to provide a greater benefit to the player.

Plot Points are the game's currency, earned through Complications. Assets are only one of the benefits they can buy. Plot points also allow players to add additional dice to the number of dice counted for their roll. If we continue with the example of Eliot and the attractive receptionist, his dice pool was was 2d6 + d8. Eliot's player decides he doesn't want to mess this up. The player gets a 2, 4, and 5. Typically Eliot would have had a total of 9 for that roll, but because he spent the Plot Point he was allowed to add the third die to come up with a total of 11. In cases where the PC is rolling more than three dice that Plot Point will allow you to include the next highest die into your total.

Talents are the final character mechanic presented in The Quickstart Job. These are more specific in function than Traits. For instance one of Nate Ford's talents, Archangel, allows any member of the team to spend Plot Points to give dice to any other team member assuming Ford is in contact with the team. Sophie's Talent, Slip of the Tongue, allows her player to ask the GM a question concerning the NPC that the GM was rolling for if the GM rolls a "1". This question must be answered even if that answer is vague.

In the third and final installment I'll go over timing and combat. It's pretty sweet.