Plot-N-Play: Story Concept: Financial Collapse

[bibliophile20]

A scenario/campaign idea, taken from the headlines and a favorite book:

Right now, the finances of most of the First World nations are something of a joke, and a bad joke at that.  It'll just take a little nudge to push them over, and there are all sorts of entities in the Dresdenverse who would do that for money, for sport, for a cause, or even just for the lolz. 

The basic idea comes from the Spider-man: Secrets of the Sinister Six trilogy: In this rather excellent but sadly hard to find trilogy, a villain named the Gentleman has a plan:

(click to show/hide)

attack the foundations of the economic system, using an EMP to wipe out all financial computer records in NYC, and using a plot device Catalyst to destroy all of the written records (the Catalyst would bleach any ink within about 20 miles of the airburst point).  Doing this in NYC would make a bit of a mess.   

Thinking on it, this general concept could be adapted for a campaign arc or a scenario in the Dresdenverse very easily, depending on where you set the opposition's preparations and power level. 

For preparations, a thaumaturgical ritual would need links to every kind of ink used within the target area--including the very hard-to-acquire U.S. Mint ink (which could be a scenario in-and-of itself).  Additionally, a method of powering a city-wide hex-blast would need to be done.

For antagonists, everyone from the Denarians to the Reds to a warlock cult are options, although this feels more like something the Denarians would try and pull.

And if the PCs don't manage to stop (or manage to pull it off, depending on personal tastes) this?  Financial collapse.  NYC would be in city-wide anarchy.  The dollar would likely fail, and possibly pull down other economies with it. 

So.  There's the idea.  Feel free to use it, abuse it and detail it as you will; as I've already said, it's not original to me.

[Sanctaphrax]

I like it.

It occurs to me that the Masquerade would likely not last long after such an incident.

[Mindflayer94]

Can we post our own Plot-N-Play concepts here, or would you like us to start a new thread?

[bibliophile20]

@Sanctaphrax: glad you approve.  any thoughts on how you might use this or flesh it out?

@Mindflayer94: I think a new thread, titled in the same format, might be best; to mitigate confusion, if nothing else.

[Sanctaphrax]

This seems like a completely crazy act, the sort that would shake up the world completely.

So I don't think an intelligent and sane being would actually do it.

One way to get around that stumbling block is to use Tessa or some other nut.

But I'd rather try something more complex.

This would strike me as a great threat for someone who wanted to blackmail the White Council or some other power player. A disenfranchised wizard or sorcerer, probably, with a semi-sympathetic goal. Basically just a terrorist, but with magic.

He threats to hex New York and publicly reveal the existence of magic unless the White Council does X. The Council responds by putting a bounty on his head. The players go after him, either for the bounty or for the good of the world.

[Masurao]

For preparations, a thaumaturgical ritual would need links to every kind of ink used within the target area--including the very hard-to-acquire U.S. Mint ink (which could be a scenario in-and-of itself).  Additionally, a method of powering a city-wide hex-blast would need to be done.

Even if you are a very powerful wizard, or have a group of powerful wizards (or creatures with the same kind of abilities), I think it would always be far more easy to procure an EMP device, instead of hexing a large part of a city.

[sinker]

I'm remembering the magic for profit thread we had on here a while back. Really tempted to put: Step 3:Profit?

[bibliophile20]

I'm remembering the magic for profit thread we had on here a while back. Really tempted to put: Step 3:Profit?

That part is easy: stealing from the original books, you buy up all of the art, precious metals, gems, jewelry, rare furs and such as you can, using your existing financial resources (which will soon be worthless anyway), and then press the button, destroying the world economy... and your recent acquisitions suddenly go up in value by an order of magnitude.