Dresden Files meets Supernatural

[Fedifensor]

So, the title of my post pretty much sums things up. I'm fiddling with ideas for an Urban Fantasy Hero game to run as a one-shot (potentially as a convention scenario) with the option of turning it into a home campaign if I find enough interested people. After playing a game of Urban Fantasy Hero in the Dresden Files universe at GenCon, I'm definitely looking at using that world as the setting (though it would be set somewhere in Colorado instead of Chicago).

 

My second inspiration is another similar source - the TV show Supernatural. I don't know if I'll follow the monster of the week formula, but the show has a lot of interesting ideas to mine for plot hooks.

 

The next step is to come up with some pregenerated characters. So, here's the ideas I have so far (mild spoilers for the Dresden Files books):

• Wizard - Not exactly a surprise, considering the main character of the Dresden Files. What is different is I was looking at an Electromancer who has drawn the attention of the White Council because his powers don't mess up technology (unless he makes a deliberate effort to do so). This becomes an interesting plot point, and lets me bypass a power that's a bit wonky to writeup in HERO (the always-on AoE technology dispel that breaks technological items).
  
• Werewolf - I was looking at one of two options. The first is one of the Alphas from Chicago that has moved to Denver. The second is a wolfwere (a wolf that uses magic to take on human form) like Tera. Or I could use both, with the wolfwere teaching the Alpha how to function in wolf form.
  
• Person of Faith - Someone similar to Michael Carpenter, but less combat-capable. However, this individual may have a religious artifact of his (or her) own that helps keep the character alive in encounters with the supernatural.
  
• Changeling - A half-mortal, half-fey who has yet to choose which part of their nature to embrace.
  
• Mundane - Not sure where to go with this one, but I definitely want someone who relies on combat training and skills rather than magic or faith. I don't want a law enforcement officer, because that invites comparisons with Murphy. I also want this person to be better equipped to handle supernatural occurrences than Murphy was at the start of the novels. One option was to steal an idea from a short story I read a long time ago, that had a character that was unable to feel fear. The character understood danger on an intellectual level, but didn't feel the emotion.
  

Has anyone else looked into the possibility of a Dresden Files game in HERO, or have ideas on how to put such a game together?

[Tasha]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

So, the title of my post pretty much sums things up. I'm fiddling with ideas for an Urban Fantasy Hero game to run as a one-shot (potentially as a convention scenario) with the option of turning it into a home campaign if I find enough interested people. After playing a game of Urban Fantasy Hero in the Dresden Files universe at GenCon, I'm definitely looking at using that world as the setting (though it would be set somewhere in Colorado instead of Chicago).

 

My second inspiration is another similar source - the TV show Supernatural. I don't know if I'll follow the monster of the week formula, but the show has a lot of interesting ideas to mine for plot hooks.

 

The next step is to come up with some pregenerated characters. So, here's the ideas I have so far (mild spoilers for the Dresden Files books):

• Wizard - Not exactly a surprise, considering the main character of the Dresden Files. What is different is I was looking at an Electromancer who has drawn the attention of the White Council because his powers don't mess up technology (unless he makes a deliberate effort to do so). This becomes an interesting plot point, and lets me bypass a power that's a bit wonky to writeup in HERO (the always-on AoE technology dispel that breaks technological items).
  
• Werewolf - I was looking at one of two options. The first is one of the Alphas from Chicago that has moved to Denver. The second is a wolfwere (a wolf that uses magic to take on human form) like Tera. Or I could use both, with the wolfwere teaching the Alpha how to function in wolf form.
  
• Person of Faith - Someone similar to Michael Carpenter, but less combat-capable. However, this individual may have a religious artifact of his (or her) own that helps keep the character alive in encounters with the supernatural.
  
• Changeling - A half-mortal, half-fey who has yet to choose which part of their nature to embrace.
  
• Mundane - Not sure where to go with this one, but I definitely want someone who relies on combat training and skills rather than magic or faith. I don't want a law enforcement officer, because that invites comparisons with Murphy. I also want this person to be better equipped to handle supernatural occurrences than Murphy was at the start of the novels. One option was to steal an idea from a short story I read a long time ago, that had a character that was unable to feel fear. The character understood danger on an intellectual level, but didn't feel the emotion.
  

Has anyone else looked into the possibility of a Dresden Files game in HERO, or have ideas on how to put such a game together?

 

Actually I would do Dresden's "Kills tech" as Unluck, and have the conscious "Kills Tech" thing be a real power. Mostly because the shorts out tech seems to either happen at the worst possible moment, or when Harry wills it.

 

I totally recommend a mundane. I found that having a person who doesn't know about magic grounded the rest of the characters.

 

Be careful with adding too many supes to a team in Harry's universe. They can really unbalance the team or require that everyone be somewhat powerful to fit in. This can kill some of the feel of the Dresden Universe.

[Fedifensor]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

Actually I would do Dresden's "Kills tech" as Unluck' date=' and have the conscious "Kills Tech" thing be a real power. Mostly because the shorts out tech seems to either happen at the worst possible moment, or when Harry wills it.[/quote']

That was my thought as well. But for a one-shot, I didn't want to spend a bunch of time making Unluck rolls to find out if cell phones, cars, and all the other tech carried by characters survive contact with the wizard.

 

I totally recommend a mundane. I found that having a person who doesn't know about magic grounded the rest of the characters.

 

Be careful with adding too many supes to a team in Harry's universe. They can really unbalance the team or require that everyone be somewhat powerful to fit in. This can kill some of the feel of the Dresden Universe.

I'm not 100% sure that's the case. A lot of Dresden's allies are supernatural. One of the earlier books had Dresden teamed up with all of the Alphas, two changelings, and an army of tiny fey led by Toot-Toot for the finale. In other books, you have Thomas, Michael (faith can do amazing things in the Dresdenverse), Elaine, Susan (after her change)...the list goes on and on.

 

However, I agree that you do need a mundane to keep the other characters grounded. The mundanes also tend to be the most saavy with tech and mundane skills (Murphy, Butters, etc).

[Tasha]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

That was my thought as well. But for a one-shot, I didn't want to spend a bunch of time making Unluck rolls to find out if cell phones, cars, and all the other tech carried by characters survive contact with the wizard.

 

 

I'm not 100% sure that's the case. A lot of Dresden's allies are supernatural. One of the earlier books had Dresden teamed up with all of the Alphas, two changelings, and an army of tiny fey led by Toot-Toot for the finale. In other books, you have Thomas, Michael (faith can do amazing things in the Dresdenverse), Elaine, Susan (after her change)...the list goes on and on.

 

However, I agree that you do need a mundane to keep the other characters grounded. The mundanes also tend to be the most saavy with tech and mundane skills (Murphy, Butters, etc).

 

You only make unluck rolls, when the players are getting complacent, or when the tech NEEDS to work. So if the wizard gets into the new Hummer H2 and is being chased by the super undead T-rex, you make the roll to see if the stress makes the magic short out the vehicle's electrics. You don't have to make rolls every time the mage makes contact with tech. Just when they are starting to rely on or need said tech.

 

Also the recent Dresden books are at a much higher powerlevel than the early books. Harry currently is scary powerful, more powerful than the council knows. In the first books, he had trouble controlling his magic without foci.

 

If you are doing something closer to the current time Dresdenverse, then go all out with the weirdos. A normal with enough points to balance against the supes can be pretty awesome, even if they are a bit naive about magic etc.

 

My Urban Fantasy game had:

Mica - A Pixie who was a small friendly thing, that could melt you with her pixie dust if you annoyed her.

 

Lilac - A male Dryad. Yeah a male dryad, unfortunately with the same powers for seducing men as a regular Female Dryad. He was also painfully Straight. He had friends with all of the animals of the city.

 

Brilt - A house Brownie, who has been trained in the Wizardly Arts. So he has the heart of a butler. With the powers of a Wizard. He had actually turned himself into a new kind of Faerie, but we didn't get to develop that yet.

 

Renee - A Midgard born (as opposed to Faerie lands born) Werewolf. She has the powers/abilities of a Faerieland born Werewolf. Though her Alpha has her fooled into not challenging him for leadership of the pack. She has 3 forms (Human, Wolfgirl, and Large Wolf). She is one of the most frightening of the PCs in Combat.

 

"Jack" - A mundane FBI agent attached to the PCs to help them navigate though the strangeness of US laws. He was great with guns and really gave the group the grounding it needed.

 

The PCs were part of a Law Enforcement/Ambassador mashup organization trying to keep Supes and Mundanes from killing on another. Also to smooth over any misunderstandings that come from the culture clash of the Faerieland refugees meeting the Normal mundane people of our earth.

 

They met some NPCs too. Abigail, a "human" firemage in trouble who turned out to be the missing princess of Dragonkind. Who is friends with the Kidnapped Princess Miranda of the Seelie court. Miranda is the only Sidhe noble on our earth, and all of the fae host (both seelie and unseelie)on earth has pledged fealty to her. She in turn has promised that her people would stop hunting humans for sport and to not do the nasty things that many of the faerie love to do. That they would only fight humans if attacked first. etc. She is missing and the PCs need to find her alive. If she dies then the promises she made die with her. Which would mean open hunting on humans and a war that he Fae would lose.

 

Also they saved a Female Dwarf Rosemarie, who's talents run to mechanics. She runs a vehicle repair shop with 4 Gremlins who wish to reform (they want to learn to fix stuff and not be destructive).

[bubba smith]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

you could have the mundane drive the pcs nuts by asking what its like to have powers enventhough the mundanes scared to death of them

dumb idea maybe but if i knew someone with super-powers i'd ask them what its like

[Fedifensor]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

You only make unluck rolls' date=' when the players are getting complacent, or when the tech NEEDS to work. So if the wizard gets into the new Hummer H2 and is being chased by the super undead T-rex, you make the roll to see if the stress makes the magic short out the vehicle's electrics. You don't have to make rolls every time the mage makes contact with tech. Just when they are starting to rely on or need said tech.[/quote']

Well, PC's end up relying on tech a lot, in my experience. Especially cell phones. If I use the wizard anti-tech aura, I'm going to have to figure out how often it comes up.

 

Also the recent Dresden books are at a much higher power level than the early books. Harry currently is scary powerful, more powerful than the council knows. In the first books, he had trouble controlling his magic without foci.

Actually, it's not that he has more raw power...he was pretty powerful from the beginning. What has changed (according to interviews with Jim Butcher) is that he's more efficient, and smarter about how he uses what he has. Though I will agree that in a HERO system sense, his point total has definitely increased.

 

If you are doing something closer to the current time Dresdenverse, then go all out with the weirdos. A normal with enough points to balance against the supes can be pretty awesome, even if they are a bit naive about magic etc.

My example earlier about Harry teamed up with the Alphas, the changelings, and Toot's fae...that was book 4. So there were a lot of supernaturals even early on. As for normals in the Dresden Files that have the points to balance against the supernatural characters, I can name three off the top of my head: Murphy, Marcone, and Hendricks. I would have said Kincaid as well, though recent revelations have taken him off my list.

 

The PCs were part of a Law Enforcement/Ambassador mashup organization trying to keep Supes and Mundanes from killing on another. Also to smooth over any misunderstandings that come from the culture clash of the Faerieland refugees meeting the Normal mundane people of our earth.

Sounds pretty cool. The characters seem a bit more focused on the supernatural world than the mundane one, which is a difference from the Dresden Files. Even many of Harry's supernatural allies are grounded in the real world (the Alphas, the changelings, Michael, and even Thomas).

 

I expect most of the characters will have supernatural capabilities, but I want to keep them grounded in the mundane world as much as possible.

[Makiaveli]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

Well, PC's end up relying on tech a lot, in my experience. Especially cell phones. If I use the wizard anti-tech aura, I'm going to have to figure out how often it comes up.

 

 

If it comes up too often, then it will annoy you as well as the PCs. I mean from a standpoint of stopping whatever is happening, combat or RP, and rolling to see if the gadget in question works or not.

 

I would say it's a GM thing, not a die roll thing. Especially since the lower tech stuff is less effected than high tech. IE, an old rotary phone is almost reliable, but a Blackberry is almost always toast.

 

I come at this from the point that is seems more like a plot device than something to slap the wizard around with.

[Tasha]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

If it comes up too often, then it will annoy you as well as the PCs. I mean from a standpoint of stopping whatever is happening, combat or RP, and rolling to see if the gadget in question works or not.

 

I would say it's a GM thing, not a die roll thing. Especially since the lower tech stuff is less effected than high tech. IE, an old rotary phone is almost reliable, but a Blackberry is almost always toast.

 

I come at this from the point that is seems more like a plot device than something to slap the wizard around with.

 

Right which is how unluck works. Stuff will work just fine just as long as it doesn't HAVE to work. Have to work meaning that if the phone has to work to say bring the PC's allies together, then roll unluck. If you roll multiple 6's then tech destroyed. One 6 I would rule is either damage or temporary malfunction with no damage. Also if the Wizard is getting complacent in using tech. Make him roll his unluck. This shouldn't be something that is constantly being rolled on, just when things are going really well.

 

Of course have an evolved Wizard that has figured out how to work with Tech can be interesting as well. esp if the last wizard who could use tech was a Black Wizard and the Tech Link is therefore seedy because of that history. Perhaps that wizard used black charms to tamp down on the power leakage that destroys tech.

[Makiaveli]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

Right which is how unluck works. Stuff will work just fine just as long as it doesn't HAVE to work. Have to work meaning that if the phone has to work to say bring the PC's allies together, then roll unluck. If you roll multiple 6's then tech destroyed. One 6 I would rule is either damage or temporary malfunction with no damage. Also if the Wizard is getting complacent in using tech. Make him roll his unluck. This shouldn't be something that is constantly being rolled on, just when things are going really well.

 

Of course have an evolved Wizard that has figured out how to work with Tech can be interesting as well. esp if the last wizard who could use tech was a Black Wizard and the Tech Link is therefore seedy because of that history. Perhaps that wizard used black charms to tamp down on the power leakage that destroys tech.

 

I was focusing more on how the GM would use it and the effects, both in and out of game, it would have rather than the mechanics.

 

I do like the idea of the "evolved" wizard tho...

[Karmakaze]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

Well' date=' PC's end up relying on tech a lot, in my experience. Especially cell phones. If I use the wizard anti-tech aura, I'm going to have to figure out how often it comes up.[/quote']

 

Remember, he also tends to be rough on modern automobiles. That's about as likely to come up as cell phones.

[Tasha]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

Yeah, I would guess that he would be safe in vehicles that are older than the mid 70s. That was when they started to add all of the Smog systems and simple electronics into the cars. So Harry COULD be driving a decent Muscle Car and still have a reliable car. Arguably more reliable than a 70's aircooled VW Beetle.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

Yeah' date=' I would guess that he would be safe in vehicles that are older than the mid 70s. That was when they started to add all of the Smog systems and simple electronics into the cars. So Harry COULD be driving a decent Muscle Car and still have a reliable car. Arguably more reliable than a 70's aircooled VW Beetle.[/quote']

 

He's been known to jam firearms, and the boiler in his apartment, too, so it's not just electronics, apparently. I seem to recall he has the Beetle rather than a muscle car because it's easier to get parts for a beetle, more than a matter of complexity. As long as he stays away from, say, Saabs, there are probably a number of older cars that are relatively mechanically simple.

[Makiaveli]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

He's been known to jam firearms' date=' and the boiler in his apartment, too, so it's not just electronics, apparently. I seem to recall he has the Beetle rather than a muscle car because it's easier to get parts for a beetle, more than a matter of complexity. As long as he stays away from, say, Saabs, there are probably a number of older cars that are relatively mechanically simple.[/quote']

 

This and Beetle's were designed to be as simple as possible. As in using the spare tire's air pressure to run the windshield wipers for example.

[Tasha]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

He's been known to jam firearms' date=' and the boiler in his apartment, too, so it's not just electronics, apparently. I seem to recall he has the Beetle rather than a muscle car because it's easier to get parts for a beetle, more than a matter of complexity. As long as he stays away from, say, Saabs, there are probably a number of older cars that are relatively mechanically simple.[/quote']

 

I think that "reality" is more of the Author's lack of Car Knowledge than anything. The early 70's Camero is an extremely easy car to get parts for. It uses much of the same parts as any other Chevy Vehicle from the same era. Hell, a Chevy Nova from that era would be a great choice too, as would a Ford Falcon (Bolt Compatable with many Mustang and Ford Truck engine parts). The parts are extremely generic and a decent mechanic could get bits from anywhere. Also since the muscle cars of the 70s are still a very collectible thing, aftermarket parts are still available in easy to find quantities.

 

Just saying that the VW's air/oil cooled engine is actually a bit more fiddly than many Japaneese and American cars produced during the same time.

 

None of the cars above are complicated. Most are the Coil/Distributor/Sparkplug electrical system and use Carbonation (mechanical pumps) to supply fuel to the cylinders.

[Fedifensor]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

I think that "reality" is more of the Author's lack of Car Knowledge than anything. The early 70's Camero is an extremely easy car to get parts for.

Until recently they were producing new Beetles in Mexico (ending in 2003, if Wikipedia is accurate). So there should be a larger supply of parts, and a VW is a cheaper car than a Camaro.

 

Regardless, I was hoping to focus more on the campaign as a whole, rather than just the anti-tech aura (which there have been other threads on in the past).

[Tasha]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

Until recently they were producing new Beetles in Mexico (ending in 2003, if Wikipedia is accurate). So there should be a larger supply of parts, and a VW is a cheaper car than a Camaro.

 

Regardless, I was hoping to focus more on the campaign as a whole, rather than just the anti-tech aura (which there have been other threads on in the past).

 

Which was why I did mention Novas, Falcons and other 70's cars that use many of the same parts.

---

 

So by meeting up with Supernatural you will be doing more ghost stories and the setting will be a bit more grim and the Supernatural enemies will be pretty nasty?

[Fedifensor]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

So by meeting up with Supernatural you will be doing more ghost stories and the setting will be a bit more grim and the Supernatural enemies will be pretty nasty?

Supernatural has a mix of moods, often in the same episode. Ghostfacers, for example, had a lot of humor, but there was a serious threat as well. I would also point out that Supernatural has more demon stories than ghost stories. But yes, the enemies will be pretty nasty. Minor foes will be dealt with the same way Jim Butcher deals with them in the Dresden books...off-camera. In Grave Peril, for example, Harry briefly mentions the things he and Michael have dealt with over the past few weeks, but he doesn't go into a lot of detail.

 

There are several elements I want to take from Supernatural. One that is common to both Dresden Files and Supernatural is the "find out what it is" portion of the adventure. The main characters look at the clues and consult their knowledge sources to figure out what they're up against. Harry does this with Bob, Sam and Dean do this with their Dad's journal, Bobby, internet searches, and libraries. It's a lot easier to go up against something more powerful than you if you know enough about it to find a weak spot.

 

Second, the characters are actively going after evil, and they're very good at what they do. I don't like traditional horror, where the protagonists are normal people desperately trying to survive. The PCs will have chosen this lifestyle, and actively go after the bad guys. While they may not be as powerful as the creatures they face, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that they do this and survive week after week.

 

Third, Supernatural is going to be an source of inspiration when it comes to what I throw at the PCs. With four full seasons of source material to dig through, I shouldn't have a problem coming up with plots. There are a lot of ghosts and demons in Supernatural, but there are several other creatures as well.

 

Fourth, Supernatural has a good team dynamic. The two brothers work together to take out evil, and they often get help from others (their Dad, Bobby, Ruby, Castiel, and various hunters). Dresden does this as well, though he tends to treat his allies more like subordinates than full partners.

 

Finally, I'm a fan of the music they draw from in Supernatural, and I may go as far as playing a tune related to the adventure at the beginning of the session. Supernatural does a great job of picking music for the situation.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

One of the big differences (and possibly a contributing factor to the discussion about cars) is that the setting of Supernatural is "the road", rather than a city base like Dresden Files. The Winchesters are deliberately traveling to track down trouble, whereas Harry Dresden stays put and lets trouble come to him.

 

I gather that this is meant to be a campaign built around a city with only occasional field trips?

[Fedifensor]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

(Posted from my G1 phone)

 

The campaign is going to have a base of operations, but the characters will be hunting down bad guys. Take a look at the Roadhouse (the bar that was used for a while in Supernatural) for an example of this. The base of operations will be in Denver or Boulder, but the PCs will operate throughout the state (and possibly adjacent states, like Kansas).

[Fedifensor]

Re: Dresden Files meets Supernatural

 

Okay, I've got a rough draft of the first pregenerated character. I wanted to start with a mundane character, to see how effective he would be compared to a wizard or werewolf.

 

Leonard Harding

 

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

15 STR 5 12- Lift 200.0kg; 3d6 [1]

13 DEX 6 12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5

15 CON 5 12-

15 BODY 5

13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12-

13 EGO 3 12- OECV: 3/DECV: 4

18 PRE 8 13- PRE Attack: 3 ½d6

 

6 PD 4 Total: 9 PD (3 rPD)

4 ED 2 Total: 7 ED (3 rED)

4 SPD 20 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12

8 REC 4

35 END 3

36 STUN 8

 

Total Characteristic Cost: 99

 

Movement: Running: 12m/24m

Leaping: 4m/8m

Swimming: 4m/8m

 

Cost Powers END

5 Unshakable: +11 PRE (11 Active Points); Only versus Presence attacks (-1)

3 Can't Scare Me: Mental Defense (7 points total) (7 Active Points); Only versus fear-based attacks (-1)

3 I'm Not Afraid: +3 with EGO rolls (6 Active Points); Only versus fear-based attacks (-1)

 

Martial Arts: Dirty Infighting

Maneuver OCV DCV Notes

4 Punch +0 +2 5d6 Strike

5 Roundhouse -2 +1 7d6 Strike

4 Eye Gouge -1 -1 Flash 4d6

4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort

1 Weapon Element: Clubs

 

Perks

10 Money: Wealthy

1 Fringe Benefit: Weapon Permit (where appropriate)

 

Talents

6 Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)

3 Lightning Reflexes (+3 DEX to act first with All Actions)

 

Skills

12 +1 Overall

10 +1 with All Attacks

3 Acting 13-

3 Bribery 13-

3 Bureaucratics 13-

3 Charm 13-

3 Combat Driving 12-

3 Computer Programming 12-

3 Conversation 13-

2 Forgery (Documents) 12-

2 Gambling (Card Games) 12-

3 High Society 13-

3 Oratory 13-

3 Persuasion 13-

3 Streetwise 13-

3 Scholar

1 1) KS: Arcane and Occult Lore (2 Active Points) 11-

2 2) KS: Business and Finance (3 Active Points) 12-

1 3) KS: Civil Law (2 Active Points) 11-

1 4) KS: Criminal Law (2 Active Points) 11-

1 5) KS: The Mystic World (2 Active Points) 11-

2 AK: Colorado 11-

3 PS: Stockbroker 12-

0 TF: Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehicles

4 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Small Arms

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 126

Total Cost: 225

 

175+ Disadvantages

15 Psychological Complication: Unable to feel fear (Common; Strong)

10 Psychological Complication: Loyal to his friends (Common; Moderate)

5 Dependent NPC: Assistant manager of the bar Frequently (Slightly Less Powerful than the PC; Useful Noncombat Position or Skills)

10 Hunted: Mystery Hunted Infrequently (As Pow; Harshly Punish)

5 Hunted: Random bar patron (rowdy, drunk, or looking for trouble) Frequently (Less Pow; Mildly Punish)

5 Negative Reputation: Accused of insider trading, Frequently (Known Only To A Small Group)

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 225

 

 

Background/History:

Leonard Harding's background was normal in every way - with one important exception. Born to working-class parents in Denver, Leonard's life was shaped by an event that occurred when he was only two years old. An encounter with a supernatural being caused Leonard's mother to die of fright. Leonard survived, but was changed by the experience - he lost the ability to fear. While he can understand threats on an intellectual level, he does not feel a "fight or flight" response when in danger. Leonard's father did the best he could as a single parent, but his long hours at work left him with little time to supervise his son. As a result, Leonard drifted towards gangs and petty crime. His inability to feel fear earned him several beatings when he didn't back down from fights, and it was only the intervention of a kindly economics teacher in high school that turned his life around.

 

Once Leonard realized that he needed to make something of himself, he spent a lot more time studying. With that change in attitude, Leonard aced his SATs, and received a partial scholarship to the University of Colorado. He worked part-time as a bouncer in a biker bar while going to college, eventually earning a Master's Degree in Business Administration. Leonard managed to get a job at a national financial firm, and within a few years became a stockbroker renowned for picking the right stocks. Leonard became very wealthy...until the SEC opened an investigation into his trading practices. Though nothing was ever proven, the stigma from the investigation caused his employer to lay him off the first time one of his stock picks didn't pay off.

 

Now unemployed, Leonard turned his attention to something that had troubled him for his entire life - the mystery of what happened to his mother. For a year, he followed every lead, every rational explaination...and when those efforts failed, he turned his research to the occult, making inquiries in both prestigious social gatherings and dark alleys. He narrowed the possibilities down to roughly a half-dozen different creatures that could be responsible, before realizing that he wouldn't get any further without help. Going back to the same biker bar he used to work at in college, he bought the bar and renovated the place to be much more friendly to those dealing with the mystical arts. The stage was pushed back from the rest of the bar, speakers and lights were placed near the ceiling, and delicate electronic equipment was hidden in areas unaccessible to the customers. Aside from those features, the bar wouldn't look out of place in the 1930s, and even has an old-fashioned cash register. After a few well-placed words among the magical community, the bar is now a popular hangout for many practitioners of the arts and those with ties to the fey.

 

Personality/Motivation:

Leonard knows that his encounter with the supernatural at such a young age took something important from him, and he wants it back...or at least wants the satisfaction of killing the creature that killed his mother. His time in the stock market has made him very wealthy, and he is willing to spend extravagent amounts to fund a crusade against supernatural creatures that prey upon humanity.

 

Leonard sometimes has trouble relating to other people because of his inability to feel fear. However, this same trait made him incredibly effective in the business world. It is believed that Leonard's encounter with supernatural fear at such an early age burned out whatever part of the brain (or spirit) is affected by fear.

 

Quote:

"Am I supposed to be scared by that?"

 

Equipment:

.45 revolver (+0 OCV, +0 RMod, 2d6-1 K, +1 STUNx, 6 shots)

12-gauge shotgun (+0 OCV, +0 RMod, 2 1/2d6 K, +1 STUNx, 5 shots)

Baseball Bat (+0 OCV, 5d6 N, Medium length)