Without you, they're hopeless.
Caretaker Agents have a deep bond with a Dependent who travels with them, learning and growing as they work. Fragile and precious, their fresh eyes and strong hearts fill Caretakers with resilience, resourcefulness, and patience. One day, when the Caretaker is gone, their Dependent will be a living testament to their morals, their guidance, and their capacity for great love. For now, they are mostly making a mess.
Extensive internal testing has demonstrated that love has essentially zero tactical application. Dependents care little for the success of the mission, and it seems almost weekly we must remind Agents that “Baby’s Day Out” was a critical failure. Even when not in the field, we find that leisure time, personal connections, and internal monologues tend to be dominated by their Dependent, leaving them a shallow husk of memorized rhymes and “that’s nice, sweetie”s.
Without their Dependent, though, we’ve seen these Agents lose their joie de work. If nothing else, managers can be confident the pressure of setting a good example motivates them to avoid failure in the field.
Dependent
Decide what your Dependent is by rolling on the list below or creating your own. Your Dependent is a shared character: when it is in a scene, it may be portrayed by you or your GM. As long as your Life Insurance Policy is active, your Dependent enjoys its benefits.
- Baby
- Animal
- Nascent A.I.
- Alien
Reality Trigger: Needy
The GM may use Reality Trigger to put your Dependent in need of attention. If you ignore it, your Dependent will throw a fit now and take your time later: the Relationship who has the least camaraderie with your Dependent loses one Connection.
If you make your Dependent fix something on their own, hurt them, or place them under anyone else’s supervision, your relationship with them suffers. Mark the next empty box in a four-box "Independent" track. When this happens while all boxes are marked, or they mature beyond your control, your Dependent no longer depends on you. You must choose another Reality.
Burnout Release: It's Your Favorite!
When you are doing something that will entertain your Dependent, ignore all Burnout.Onboarding Questions
What is your favorite memory?What quality of yours do you hope to never teach your Dependent?
Where is your dream vacation destination?
Relationship Matrix
You have three core Relationships that are your anchors to society. Identify them by answering the questions in your Relationship Matrix.
Give the Relationship you’re closest to 6 Connection. Give the other two 3 Connection .
Who would gain custody of your dependent if you were gone?Examples: Romantic Partner, Parent, Weapons Manufacture
Who misses the freedom you used to have?
Examples:College Friend, Your Child, Bowling Team
Who is you Dependent always excited to spend time with?
Examples: Ex-Husband, Teen Heartthrob, Zookeeper