Matt Frisbee Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 I don't know if this has been done before, but here's your opportunity to share with the rest of us some particularly helpful or useful lines of work past or present PC's have done to maintain their secret identities. I've seen it commented a few places that being rich is enough for some people, but it has never been enough in my campaigns! So here are a few examples of what I'm talking about! (As mentioned in Enforcer84's thread about his new campaign) Medical Transcriptionist Essentially takes hand-written and phone-menu logs from doctors and the like and types it up in electronic forms for insurance companies. Can be free-lanced from home using a PC and an internet connection. 1 KS: Medical Terminology 8- 2 PS: Medical Transcriptionist 11- 1 PERK: PC w/Internet Connection 1 PERK: Works from Home Locksmith These are the guys and gals who make keys and locks for various commercial and residential properties, as well as most vehicles. Most of these businesses are one-person operations requiring a commercial vehicle, a place of buisness and a business license. The good news (and the bad news) is that they can be called out at all hours of the day and night for emergency work. 3 Lockpicking xx- 2 PS: Locksmith 11- 1 PERK: Business License 1 PERK: Master Key Sets 5 PERK: Commercial Van/Truck Temp Slave What, I have to tell you what this is about? Odds are you've worked this particular line of work at least once in your life, but if a character has few social committments and doesn't mind being poor, this always leaves him or her with plenty of free time for crimefighting and recovery. 3 Jack of All Trades Skill Enhancer 1 PS: Laborer 11- 1 PS: Telemarketer 11- 1 PS: Temp Worker 11- Hope to hear from the rest of you soon! Matt Frisbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Hey, nice packaged skillsets there. I may use some of them, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Gayle Roark, aka Hells' Angel maintains her secret identity with two part-time occupations. She spends a couple of afternoons a week as the office manager for a small metalworking company. She can do everything she needs to do there in relatively few hours, leaving her plenty of time to play superhero. Additionally, she's a genre (science fiction) novelist; another job that doesn't require much in the way of specific hours. As long as the work gets done, it doesn't matter when or where or how. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Frisbee Posted November 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Well, obviously this was a good idea, but hardly anyone's running with it, so I'll kick start it again: Novelist/Free-Lance Writer A fabulous way to be poor and never have to leave the house, unless you're wildly successful! Write stories (either real or fiction) and fire them off to the editor when they're done! [File the rejection slip and repeat ad infinitum until they get sick of looking at it and finally publish the damn thing just to get you out of their mailbox...] 3 PS: Writer (INT-Based) 3 KS: Fiction genre or Subject (INT-Based) 1 PERK: Home Computer with Internet Connection -5 Disadvantage: Poor (If your character is still trying to break into the business, or) 5 PERK: Well-Off (If your character is having some success in the business.) 3 Contact 11- Your Agent (Helpful) Voice Actor With the rise Anime and computer-animated video, the demand for quality voice talent is higher than ever. The good news is that you don't work a lot (though when you are, you have no free time), but the bad news is that it is a feast or famine kind of lifestyle. 3 Acting xx- 3 Oratory xx- 3 Mimicry xx- 3 KS: Accents in chosen language (INT-based) Architect Like Charles Bronson in the Death Wish series -- this is where you earn good money, but only when you have a project to work on. Successful architects are usually very busy, but very rich, too. Great choice for those campaigns when some time can roll between adventures. 3 PS: Architect 3 KS: Drafting (or CAD-CAM Operator) 3 KS: Architecture (sp?) 3 SCI: Structural Engineering 3 PERK: Lightning Calculator 5 PERK: Well-Off Of course, the more points a player puts into their character's alter-ego, the easier the GM should make holding down that job, right? Not necessarily -- some players like adversity! Case in point: Corporate Drone This is one of those dedicate your life to the company for a few years and you'll make some money, even though you'll never have time to spend it kind of jobs! You know, middle management jobs with corporate idiocy, dimwitted bosses, boardroom politics and smiling backstabbers looking to get ahead of you! 3 PS: Corporate Management (PRE-Based because it's not how well you do it, but how well you sell it.) 3 KS: Company Policies & Proceedures 3 KS: Company Gossip 3 KS: Company Personnel & Organization Chart 5 PERK: Well-Off 5+ Contacts within the company (because it isn't what you know but who you know, you know...) 5- Rival Disadvantage: Professional, superior position, possibly your equal (may be taken multiple times if your character is really working a shark tank) Okay, hopefully we'll get this thread off the ground now! Matt Frisbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! The weirdest job a character ever took was simular to the voice actor..."So what do you do to make money?" "Phone sex operator"..." ..." The char had HRRH so she could even work while patrolling....Very weird...but creative Girl 6 the avenger of the night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Frisbee Posted November 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! The weirdest job a character ever took was simular to the voice actor..."So what do you do to make money?" "Phone sex operator"..." ..." The char had HRRH so she could even work while patrolling....Very weird...but creative Girl 6 the avenger of the night! Okay, two things -- 1) Since when did High Range Radio Hearing give a character access to the cellular phone network? I can understand listening and transmitting on those frequencies -- unless she had a phone with her? 2) I presume that this wasn't a four-color campaign with this sort of thing going on, right? Still, it was worth a laugh. So have a great day. Matt Frisbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! > 1) Since when did High Range Radio Hearing give a character access to > the cellular phone network? Since 4th edition Dark Champions, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! We need Steve to do RPG writer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Sadly I know this one all too well. Bank Operations Supervisor 2 PS: Bank Teller 11- 2 KS: Federal Banking Regulations and Acts 11- 1 KS: [bank Name] Audit proceedures and documentation 8- 2 KS: Where Stuff in the branch is at 11- 1 PERK: Peon in Charge of other Peons 3 Conversation XX -5 Watched: Bank 8- (AS PW, NCI) Notes: This should enable you to do my job fairly easily; The conversation skill represents the abiltiy to bypass jargon or anger. The Perk is that while I am in the "managerial team" I am the team's coffee boy. The 8- notice on Audit documents and proceedures represents the fact that once you think you've got everything down (sometimes even before then) they change eveything. The Bank is as Powerful because while they can fire my *** I've seen them settle with employees because the costs of fighting it is too high... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Okay, two things -- 1) Since when did High Range Radio Hearing give a character access to the cellular phone network? I can understand listening and transmitting on those frequencies -- unless she had a phone with her? Since that's the range the Cellular Network sits on... always. Though you'd need Transmit to be able to talk back. one of my characters is a waitress.. lemme see if I can remember the skills. Waiter/Waitress 2 PS: Busting Tables 3 KS: Diner jargon (for those working in diners) [iNT-Based] 3 Conversation 3 KS: The Menu [iNT-Based] 3 Eidetic Memory (Only to remember the Days Specials -2) 3 Talent: Able to balance a ludicrous amount of dishes on a tray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baphomet Jones Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! I had a guy who's secret ID was a Yakuza lieutennant in the clan that was hunting his Hero ID, so he had lots of info on his enemies. I got to play an entire session with him busting heads in his secret ID, since that adventures villains also happened to be enemies of his clan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Waiter/Waitress 2 PS: Busting Tables 3 KS: Diner jargon (for those working in diners) [iNT-Based] 3 Conversation 3 KS: The Menu [iNT-Based] 3 Eidetic Memory (Only to remember the Days Specials -2) 3 Talent: Able to balance a ludicrous amount of dishes on a tray. Hrm, that's a lot of points. Most of the stuff you listed -- remembering the special, jargon, knowing wht's on the menu, balancing dishes, etc -- I'd put in as aspects of "PS: Waitress". Conversation is its own separate skill, natch (not every waitstaff is comfortable with talking to people). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Hrm, that's a lot of points. Most of the stuff you listed -- remembering the special, jargon, knowing wht's on the menu, balancing dishes, etc -- I'd put in as aspects of "PS: Waitress". Conversation is its own separate skill, natch (not every waitstaff is comfortable with talking to people). That's how the character started ... just a PS. The talent should be 1 pt though ... not 3. and the KS could be left at Basic level of 2 pts each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EverKnight Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Professional Gambler Someone that makes a living from winning card playing tournaments. These days Texas Holdem would be the most likely card game they played. 2 PS: Tournament Gambling 11- 2 Gambling (card games) xx- 2 KS: Professional Gamblers 11- 1 Wealth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Frisbee Posted November 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! > 1) Since when did High Range Radio Hearing give a character access to > the cellular phone network? Since 4th edition Dark Champions, I think. If a person has a celphone I could see this. If we're talking about the 1980's and early 1990's I could even see this being an intrinsic power. However, all the celphone networks I know about these days are not analog (as they were back when) but digital which requires access codes (transmitted in digital binary). Now if the character has Language: Digital binary transmission and KS: Local cellular access codes and KS: Hacking cellular phone systems, then I could live with this. Otherwise, I'd say not. Also, I've rechecked my copy of 4th Ed. Dark Champions and saw no mention of this. Perhaps I missed the reference? Matt "Nitpickers-don't-make-Santa's-Naughty-List-do-they?" Frisbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! If a person has a celphone I could see this. If we're talking about the 1980's and early 1990's I could even see this being an intrinsic power. However, all the celphone networks I know about these days are not analog (as they were back when) but digital which requires access codes (transmitted in digital binary). Now if the character has Language: Digital binary transmission and KS: Local cellular access codes and KS: Hacking cellular phone systems, then I could live with this. Otherwise, I'd say not. Also, I've rechecked my copy of 4th Ed. Dark Champions and saw no mention of this. Perhaps I missed the reference? Matt "Nitpickers-don't-make-Santa's-Naughty-List-do-they?" Frisbee I think you've got a good point ... to use Cellular Systems, or more to the point to talk to someone on a cellular network you need the HRRP to find the signal (still uses airwaves...) and a Digital Decriptor to decode the cellular signal into something intelligeable. I think a simple perk or talent (if inherent) of Cellular Decription would suffice. 1-3 pts depending on the campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! I think you'd be cool useing the Perq. list under access:Cellular phone net...but in a supers game I'd consider that "bad form" ...You don't ask the Flash why he dosent burn up from his super speed 'cause its a Super-power...but dialing a cell phone can't happen?...don't seem right somehow.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Considering it doesn't take much to decrypt cellular communications, 1 pt. Perk should suffice assuming you want to force someone to pay for the decryption portion as well ... depends on just how Gritty Realistic you want to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Absolutly...for most Super heros gritty and realistic are not usable terms....like most things it all comes down to "style"....while we're on the subject does that mean that a full suite of Radio can't send TV signals either? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Depends on how their encoded. UHF, sure. Cable? no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooligan x Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! I would never make a PC buy a perk to use a power. Hell, I don't make them pay for cell phones at all. It's an everyman skill for my campaign. In my experience, being unreasonably miserly during character creation actually increases point clowning by players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooligan x Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Of course, I once told this player I didn't like that he didn't have enough points to buy a cool name and he would have to pick a dorkier one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! I would never make a PC buy a perk to use a power. Hell' date=' I don't make them pay for cell phones at all. It's an everyman skill for my campaign. In my experience, being unreasonably miserly during character creation actually increases point clowning by players.[/quote'] Well, there's a difference between a Cell Phone which has a unique identifier, and being able to decrypt any cellular signal you get since you'll need to find which one you want first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Frisbee Posted November 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Okay, okay...UNCLE ALREADY! I am now officially sorry I ever tried to nitpick the whole thing about HRRH and being able to make cellular phone calls with it, okay? Can we please get back on subject now? Thanks, and I'll post some more secret identity jobs in the near future. Matt "Think-I'd-learn-when-to-bite-my-tongue-after-40-years" Frisbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Re: Working Stiffs -- Champions Style! Sorry ... I deal with telephony all day, I know more than a person should. Of course.. I need some help with a profession ... what's a good set of skills for a Private Investigator? (Not completely mundane, but this is as good a thread as any to ask). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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