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Confidential · GM Eyes Only

Backwater Static

GM Guide
Everything past this line is spoilers

The real shape of the campaign, in the order you'll actually need it.

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01
Session Zero — Player Primer
The City, The Screen, and Marcus's call. Everything a player needs before building a character.
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Props, Handouts & Information
01
Case File LA-1147
Foundation evidence recovered after Session 1's breach - the Incident dossier, transport manifest, agent credentials, and the item requisition. Player-facing, opens in a new tab.
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02
City Map
Real streets, real coordinates - The Screen, Site-19, and Repository 23 pinned on an interactive Leaflet/OSM map. No spoilers, safe for players.
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03
The Screen, Battle Map
To scale, hex overlay (1 in = 1 m), ready to print for Session 1's breach. GM version has room labels; the player version below is map-only.
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 Player-Facing Version →
04
Repository 23, Floor Plans
Real, room-by-room ground-floor plans for all seven buildings, to scale. GM version has room contents - spoilers; each building also links to its own player-facing map.
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05
Site-19, Floor Plans
Real, room-by-room plans for both above-ground floors plus the badge-only basement, to scale with hex overlay (1 in = 1 m). A later-season target, not needed for Session 1.
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06
Scorched Napkin
Handwritten, LA-1147's own hand - points at Site-19 (Poland Ave). Optional: only hand out if the party actually searches the bar rail. They may never find it.
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07
Torn Ledger Page
Handwritten, LA-1147's own hand - points at Repository 23 (Market Street). Optional: only hand out if the party actually searches near the register. They may never find it.
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Virtual Tabletop Tools
01
20 Below Dice & 20 Below Roster
Two Owlbear Rodeo extensions built for 20 Below - a shared-room dice roller (optionally linked to a loaded character) and a GM roster for looking up players and NPCs mid-session. Install links and how-to.
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Chapters
GM Reference
01
The Truth Behind the Curtain
What's actually going on in Backwater Static, stated plainly, GM eyes only.
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03
The Inciting Incident
Running Marcus's possession and the party's first night as something other than human.
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04
Tone & Safety Tools
Lines, veils, and how dark this table is actually willing to go.
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05
The City, Behind the Map
What the players see versus what's actually there — neighborhood by neighborhood.
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06
NPC Roster
Marcus and the rest of the supporting cast — who they are before and after tonight.
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07
Threats & Adversaries
Foundation Personnel, Loose Anomalies, and Special Agents native to Backwater Static.
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08
Anomalous Objects
What's out there and what it does to whoever finds it.
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09
Campaign Arc & Threads
The long game — where this is all headed across a full season of play.
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