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The People of Campaign City


Hermit

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The Lawyer

Arthur C. Wickard was pretty unexceptional until about three months ago. Before that, he was an overworked defense attorney who seemed somewhat beaten down by the system that handed him too many cases and not enough time to really give his best to each. He often told his clients their best bet would be to plead guilty and hope for a reduced sentence.

 

Then came the car wreck, and that all changed. Three and a half months ago, he swerved to avoid a drunk driver, only to careen hard into a wall. He awoke in the hospital, and spent weeks in therapy. He came out of that hospital in record time, and now he seems a new man as well. Where before he was defeatist about his chances, suddenly he's become a fighter, encouraging a small portion of his clients to fight tooth and nail! And he's winning, catching some witnesses (even cops) in lies of omission, and even willing to go head to head with judges at risk to his own career.  He's become pickier about his clients too, and while he'll defend the guilty as his duties require, he won't tolerate being lied to by them, and as with the witnesses, he seems to know when they're doing just that!

 

Heck, he's even having more luck with the ladies... yes, things are looking up for Arthur Wickard. 

 

 

The Brain is a funny thing, especially in a comic book universe. Arthur's headbump in that car wreck has given him the ability to read minds. Mostly he plucks up surface thoughts, but with a bit of time and concentration, he can go deeper. Faced with "proof" of his clients' innocence (Those that are innocent), and with that head bump having shifted his brain chemistry a bit, Arthur now fights with conviction he never had before. He can also read those who take the stand and begin to question them more intensely if he catches them in a lie that would hinder his client. Of course, if folks knew he had telepathy, he'd be disbarred for how he's used it and it might force investigations of recent cases. 

 
He's also got another problem coming up. His newfound success rate is attracting some attention, not all of it good. It is entirely possible than some less than savory individual with power and influence will want him as their personal mouthpiece. VIPER or Caspar Brown are both candiates for wanting him on their side, but within a day, poor Arthur might be the very definition of the man "who knew too much" to live. He may learn a hero's secret ID just so he can track them down and beg for help...

 
QUOTE: "Officer Jenkins, you say you'd seen the client 'always making trouble' near that market. Yet, you only started patrolling that area for two days before the incident. Your old beat, and your work place, are both miles away. So...why would you go to this market plaza 'always'?"
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The Martial Arts Master

Aoko Chado (He puts his family name Aoko first) appears to be a Japanese dealer in antiquities from South East Asia. Most of it is junk, but some of it is quite beautiful. It's the sort of store one half way expects to find a mogwai in a box, though Aoko will give an unamused look at that reference if it is made (Perhaps because the guy in that movie was Chinese, not Japanese, thank you very much). While extremely fit for his age of nearly seventy years, Chado (He responds better to Mr. Aoko) seems a man of few words and reluctant to share too much of his past, merely stating he left Japan "Many years ago." 
 
His business is also his residence, and should anyone sneak in after hours they may find him practicing martial arts with the speed and skill of a man half his age with moves that switch from the graceful to the devastating. Yes, Aoko Chado maybe one of the most learned Martial artists in the city, and few even know about it. Unless caught in the act, should anyone inquire about if he knows Karate or the like, he will politely inform him that, contrary to Hollywood's films, not every Asian knows Martial Arts. If caught in the act, he may show irritation at being snuck up on (With a mutter in Japanese about how that would never have happened in the old days) but admit that yes, he is a "adept" (Which is putting it mildly). 
 
From here on, it's up to whoever to pester him to teach them until he gives in or boots them out of his store/home.
 

Aoko Chaddo was once the supervillain ninja "Crow Eye". It was said when his glance fell on you, bad things happened. He stole, and sometimes even took jobs as an assassin. He was rarely spotted, but when he was, he was deadly against those that fought to oppose him. He had infiltrated a party of rich fools, and was robbing them blind when a costumed party goer stumbled upon him. Rather than retreat, the idiot sought to subdue Crow Eye, and fought him well. But the reckless youth made a lunge for him, and Crow Eye, finding it amusingly poetic and the would be hero's 'own fault' redirected his motion to send the young man out the window plummeting to his death. It was only the next day he had just killed his only son who had attended the party in defiance of his father. Chaddo was deeply shaken, and when his wife learned the truth, she killed herself from grief (Or perhaps in some attempt to cleanse her husband's dishonor on his behalf). Chaddo was tempted to follow her, but instead, he left everything in Japan, and came here. He has come to realize that every life he took caused a father's heart to break somewhere, or a mother's  tears. He now hates the man he was, and feels he is too old for redemption.

 
QUOTE: "If you say 'Wax off' to me in that tone again, I will most assuredly assist your egress from this place. You will not enjoy the journey"
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The Mayor

​Margret F. Brannon is the city's first female mayor in the city's history and has held onto the position for the last ten years. At the time of her first campaign, the city was caught between choices of corrupt or incompetent and so when Margret came on the scene as a third party candidate it was the beginning of the end for the status quo that had existed twenty years prior. Underestimated by both sides that continued to pick at each other, she won the election by a slim margin. it wasn't by much, but it was enough to bring the former High School teacher to her first term.
 
While it was a rough start, and some early mistakes were made, Mayor Brannon did a fairly decent job of cleaning house and prioritizing the budget, but was forced to compromise on some wins that made her appear weak in the eyes of some. Then, one day, a lunatic with a gun managed to rush the stage, and pointed a gun in her face. With great calm, she put her finger against it, and told everyone else to leave quietly, while informing the man that if he pulled the trigger, it would surely backfire and kill him "Ever watch Bugs Bunny?" She warned.
 
The stand off took enough time for the police sniper to take out the gun man, but the city had seen. It became even more impressive when the Mayor later confessed that the gun backfiring because of her hand was complete bullpuckey. "I'd like to think of that is the biggest lie I ever told in my political career and I hope the voters will forgive me for it." 
 
Her popularity swelled after that, and then died down again after a year or two, but no one has called Mayor Brannon weak since.
 
The mayor is, understandably, very pro education, and is also very pro tech. This has been a boon to the city in many ways, but has also allowed certain corporations, particularly those dealing in computers, high technology and so on to gain some influence on the local politics.  Crime, and Supercrime, have become her biggest headache. Facing a  movement demanding more strict registration on the local level on one side, and heated resistance to same from the 'pro-hero' crowd, she's done her best to walk a middle path, but worries the issue can't be avoided forever. 
 

The Mayor is portrayed as nebulously moderate for now, but when a new generation of superheroes (The PCs) show up, she will not be able to avoid commenting on them forever. While she will be reluctant to give them direct support, if they should prove to be decent and trying to work with the system, they may find her willing to direct authorities to handle them with kid gloves as an unspoken policy. If they show a strong disregard for the system?  She will eventually be forced to take action and hope it doesn't fan into full anti super hysteria as some elements would love to see.

 
QUOTE: "I swear, if some supervillain ever breaks into this office and threatens to take over, I'm going to show him the paperwork on the city budget and watch him flee in terror."
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The Martial Arts Master

Aoko Chado (He puts his family name Aoko first) appears to be a Japanese dealer in antiquities from South East Asia. Most of it is junk, but some of it is quite beautiful. It's the sort of store one half way expects to find a mogwai in a box, though Aoko will give an unamused look at that reference if it is made (Perhaps because the guy in that movie was Chinese, not Japanese, thank you very much). While extremely fit for his age of nearly seventy years, Chado (He responds better to Mr. Aoko) seems a man of few words and reluctant to share too much of his past, merely stating he left Japan "Many years ago." 
 
His business is also his residence, and should anyone sneak in after hours they may find him practicing martial arts with the speed and skill of a man half his age with moves that switch from the graceful to the devastating. Yes, Aoko Chado maybe one of the most learned Martial artists in the city, and few even know about it. Unless caught in the act, should anyone inquire about if he knows Karate or the like, he will politely inform him that, contrary to Hollywood's films, not every Asian knows Martial Arts. If caught in the act, he may show irritation at being snuck up on (With a mutter in Japanese about how that would never have happened in the old days) but admit that yes, he is a "adept" (Which is putting it mildly). 
 
From here on, it's up to whoever to pester him to teach them until he gives in or boots them out of his store/home.
 

Aoko Chaddo was once the supervillain ninja "Crow Eye". It was said when his glance fell on you, bad things happened. He stole, and sometimes even took jobs as an assassin. He was rarely spotted, but when he was, he was deadly against those that fought to oppose him. He had infiltrated a party of rich fools, and was robbing them blind when a costumed party goer stumbled upon him. Rather than retreat, the idiot sought to subdue Crow Eye, and fought him well. But the reckless youth made a lunge for him, and Crow Eye, finding it amusingly poetic and the would be hero's 'own fault' redirected his motion to send the young man out the window plummeting to his death. It was only the next day he had just killed his only son who had attended the party in defiance of his father. Chaddo was deeply shaken, and when his wife learned the truth, she killed herself from grief (Or perhaps in some attempt to cleanse her husband's dishonor on his behalf). Chaddo was tempted to follow her, but instead, he left everything in Japan, and came here. He has come to realize that every life he took caused a father's heart to break somewhere, or a mother's  tears. He now hates the man he was, and feels he is too old for redemption.

 
QUOTE: "If you say 'Wax off' to me in that tone again, I will most assuredly assist your egress from this place. You will not enjoy the journey"

 

maybe he gets his redemption by teaching others to defend themselves

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The Mechanic

Benito Esparza finds himself in the job of Mechanic, just like his father was before he died, and his father before him. This wouldn't be a bad thing, per se, as Benito loves working on cars but that's not his dream. His dream, since he was a boy, was to become a superhero! He got caught microwaving spiders when he was very young, not to be cruel, but in hopes that one of them would come out alive "just radioactive enough". He tried to train in martial arts, but his teacher was so slow and he wanted to beat bad guys up right now. 

 

And he couldn't afford the classes anyway. *Sigh*

 

Then at age 16, as he tore up the notice from the engineering college that he had been accepted because someone had to keep the family business running, destiny came knocking. A truck carrying scrap metal tipped over in his neighborhood, parts scattering everywhere, and one large crate nearly took his legs out from under him before it bust open against a wall. Dragging it into the garage covertly, he found numerous parts to some sort of power armor, and a blue print marked T.U.R.T.L.E. MARK II

 

The defunct power armor was by super standards, decades out of date, but still, hadn't at least one hero built powered armor out of a box of scraps?

 

Benito has gotten to work, and working with those plans and parts over the last few months, combined with intellect and a natural knack, has actually put taught him almost as much as he learned all the other years previously. He can fix almost anything.

 

Now, the armor is taking form, and with his own personal touches and attempts at 'improvements'. He has even custom painted the armor with a Luchador like design on the helmet! Soon, he hopes, very soon, the city will be under the watchful eye of El Poderoso Tortuga!

 

 

Sadly for Benito, while he's got just about everything online, the helmet inferface tech upon which the suit relies still eludes him. The plans only help so much,  some parts are missing, and if he can't lick the neuro-kinetic interface problem, the armor is just dead weight. His only hope is to find some powered armor hero or villain and 'borrow' his helmet to see what a working model might teach him. Obviously, there are loads of dangers involved in this plan even if it does work. You don't just 'borrow' armor, and many groups would love to get their hands on even last century's model of super armor. Should a kindly superhero genius take pity on him, the kid could hit the hero circuit up and running, but he's not really trained for the combat part. His best chance is being taken in by a super team or hero as some sort of side-kick or hero in training. Which will still be hard for the impatient young man. He really does want to start booting heads right away

 

 

QUOTE: "Okay, the goodnews is it's not the transmission. We can get it up and running in... what? How old am I? Uh... 18 or so. Now, you need this when?"

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maybe he gets his redemption by teaching others to defend themselves

Could be...

I find NPC concepts meeting PCs are like Battleplans meeting the enemy. They just don't come out how you intended so you better be ready to adapt. It's my hope that not only will this shape the city I'm working on, but if I should get my players involved in another F2F game (Its been forever) they'll get to interact with  and help me grow those same NPCs even if it's not in ways I expected.

 

Folks, if you have some you think you would enjoy best as a player, let me know which and why. Obviously, opinions vary, but it might give me a clue on how my own players might respond.

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The Medium

Ezrana Lothrop certainly looks mystical. Her complexion causes few to doubt her claims of "the blood of the Rom", and she knows how to dress depending on where she's at, either with carnival corniness, or more sophisticated gowns. She almost always has a gem stone on her that seems to catch the light at odd times, and occasionally she out stretches her hand as if she can feel something, see something before her that the rest of us can't. Ezrana is a medium, she claims, one with the ability to move aside the veil and see into the spiritual world. For the right price, she can tell if your house is haunted, perhaps tune you in with a lost loved one, or ask for advice from a famous former soul; Ezrana assures her clients.

 

It's all hookum, bunkum, but people keep falling for it. Ezrana Lothrop (She has over a half dozen names) is a con artist. The way she sees it, she puts on a good show and folks get entertained. Of course, she doesn't label it as entertainment, and a lot of times she keeps her richer and more gullible clients "on the hook" for months. For a big con, she's not afraid to use accomplices, but she favors working with as tight a group as possible. Because of this, Ezrana's gotten quite a few contacts in the world of swindlers and the like. And that is probably her real value to the superhero set. She's the go  to informant if a superhero should need advice about the art of the Con. 

 

While greedy and selfish, Ezrana does have her code: You leave the marks enough to get by on. No violence. You play straight with your partners, save the lies for the marks. Don't scam charities. And a few more. Heroes may scoff at the idea this somehow makes her 'better' than an average criminal, but it does make her easier to work with.

 

 

Ezrana is starting out with a simple code of rather dubious honor, but the right heroes might be able to eventually help her find her conscience again. She sees herself as jaded and looking out for number one, but in truth there's a lot of horrors and bad things in this world she can't even begin to imagine. If she should encounter them, she may find herself fleeing to the side of the angels in spite of herself.

 

 

 

 

QUOTE: (Wailing)"The veil parts! I see beyond! I see beyond! There, amid the shadows, one who can aid..."

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The Military Commander

Orville "Hardline" Hardin is the newly assigned PRIMUS Commander in the area? How new? The HQ isn't even fully operational yet. The growing supervillain problem in the city caught many by surprise, and they're playing catch up. The 'base' is currently understaffed, under equipped, and whole wings are empty, and frankly, Commander Hardin is beginning to wonder if he ticked someone off because his requests for resources are taking forever to process. 

 

Because of this, the Commander has taken a lead from the  front approach. If his men are understaffed and out numbered against some Super Terrorist attack, then they'll at least have their superior officer with them. If he dies? Well, at least then maybe PRIMUS Central Command will see fit to give the next guy a bit more of what he needs. Fortunately, Commander Hardin is a certifiable badass. While no Silver Avenger, he's got Cyberline in his system, a multipurpose blaster at his side, and the fighting skills necessary to introduce most people to a field test in discovering their pain threshold. 

 

A divorcee in his forties, Orville looks younger than he is with just a touch of dignified grey in his hair. He has two fraternal twin offspring (one boy, one girl) and he has done his best to discourage them from following in his footsteps. He is well aware of how dangerous a life it is. One of them likes to get his goat by wondering aloud if UNTIL is hiring. He hates to see PRIMUS outdone by UNTIL, though he can work with them if he has to.

 

Earlier in his career, when he was younger, Orville disliked superheroes. He saw them as reckless overpowered amateurs, but time has changed his views. He's known one too many PRIMUS agent saved by superheroes to resent them any more. He's gotten to talk to more than one in other areas, and realized, in their way, that they too have a calling. This will not stop him from chewing a superhero up one side and down the other if he feels they are endangering innocents or his agents.  For now, being so understaffed, he is willing to work with any superhero until they prove they cannot be relied upon. It's not what his superiors would like, but if they have a problem with it, they can come down here and grab a gun.

 

 

There's a lot going on with Commander Hardin. For one thing, someone in PRIMUS bureaucracy doesn't like him, and yes his requests and requisitions are being slowed down by this someone. I leave it vague as to just who for now. His exwife, unknown to many, is a superhero (Possibly retired), who afraid he'd not approve of her masked career (Remember, he used to have a much more sour attitude) didn't tell him for years. When he found out, he felt somewhat understandably betrayed and divorced her. It's a move he's regretted for some time as his own attitudes have changed. He's not even sure where she is now. Hardin's leading from the front has made him popular with his men, but certain organizations on the opposing side see him as a rather large target. We won't even get started on what Hardon's kids might be up to.

 

 

QUOTE: "I want to simulate a slow withdrawal, force these bastards out of position, and once they've extended enough, we close snap back on the exposed flanks hard."

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The Occult/Paranormal Investigator

Joseph Thundercatcher isn't the only mystically aware guy in the city, and he's not the only person to make his living as an independent Investigator. He is however the real deal when it comes to combining to two as the most successful Occult Detective in the area. A scion of the influential pan-tribal Thundercatcher family, the young American Indian didn't keep the taste of a silverspoon in his mouth long. Always a bit of a black sheep, he broke ties completely with his grandfather at age 21 over an unknown incident, dropped out of college, and went semi-public moving to the city offering his expertise in shamanism to those in need (and who could help him pay his bills).

 

At first, many thought he was a entitled trust fund brat capitlizing on steortypes on his heritage to run a scam, but there are always desperate people who feel in over their head with events and happenings they don't understand. His first few cases were successful and soon Joe's business took off enough for him to make his own way. Joe's hardly famous, but he's got his own website and his own office in a slightly shady neighborhood. 

 

Joe wears blue jeans, and a jacket complete with tassels, the latter because "It really pisses my granfather off". There is both an owl and raven feather interwoven in his long black hair, and a rather inticrate back tattoo. In classic gumshoe mode, Joe has a weakness for leggy ladies with a sad story.

 

Joe has good reason to be angry with his relations. Around age 19, Joe met Anita, and the two fell head over heels in love with each other. Then, as the wedding plans were being cemented, Anita dumped him, claiming she'd fallen in love with another. JOe was devastated, but only later did he learn his grandfather had worked some medicine on both of them; one to dull his senses towards magic and the other to push Anita towards another. By the time Joe realized what had happened, Anita had already married the wrong man.


 

Furious, Joe confronted his grandfather accusing him of being a racist son of a @@@@! His grandfather explained it wasn't that, well, not just that. Anita had no magical talent in her blood, none whatsoever. Her children might be weak at the medicine work upon which the Clan relied. It wasn't that she was blonde, it was that she was mundane. As if that excused it!


 

His career as an occult investigator may have started as rebellion, but more importantly, Joe now offers his services in order to help the "Mundane" against forces that would manipulate, endanger, and abuse them. He does what he does to keep those like his grandather from deciding what's 'best' for people like Anita.


 

QUOTE: "Congratulations, buddy! It's not everyone who sees a Two Face's second visage and lives. It'll be back, and we need to get ready."

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The Patriarch

Randolph Thundercatcher's hair has gone silver over the years, but he still carries himself with a strength that belies his age. As the head of the wealthy Thundercatcher family, Randolph is often seen wearing tailor made business suits with a small token to his Native American heritage of which he is very proud. The Thundercatchers are something of a success story. They are not so much a member of any specific tribe, but rather a family that has taken wives and husbands from many differing Amerind tribes. With business savvy, legal cunning, and no small part bit of ruthlessness, they've managed to seize more than one casino operation or other business on various reservations through takeovers, and the like. As they only go after businesses held by non Native Americans, they've actually gotten a lot of support from many Amerinds who see it as belated payback on all their behalves. 

 

Mr. Thundercatcher may not be in the Forbes top 100, but he's not far off. He has a penthouse in the city which is opulent, but actually prefers his home on the nearby Reservation. Randolph is stern and aloof to outsiders, insisting that if he must deal with them, they meet on his terms. When it is just he and his family, he grows less aloof, but he still guides the dynasty with a firm hand and expects compliance. 

 

Most people are unaware that he is a potent medicine worker in his own right, and that most of his family has some talent and training as well. Some stick to strictly traditional methods born in North America, others, such as his grandson, study the magics born of other continents. Randolph himself maybe the most powerful of them all. His life up until now has been served best by masking his talents, so some of his magic is quite subtle. He has used it to aid his fortunes and the fortunes of his family; sometimes at great cost.

 

Unfortunately for the Thundercatchers, at least among those with occult knowledge, the cat is out of the bag thanks to Joseph's coming out of the closet to start his new business. Randolph loves his grandson, but the young man's actions have dragged the family out of the mystic world closet and possibly alerted their foes to their ability. That's not something the old man is liable to forgive lightly.

 

Those familiar with the mystic world know names like Vandeleur, Sylvestri, Warwick, and De Morphant as powerful mystic families that started in Europe. The Thundercatchers are similar, but indigenous to North American lands instead. Indeed, it was a rival family from the Western world (GM's pick) that cast a spell upon their blood long ago that weakened their medicine and kept them from saving the great tribes. In response, to work against the curse, the Thundercatchers have always chosen their spouses from the strongest medicine workers of any Native American tribe that would have them.  


 

When Magic returned in full force in the late 30s, so too did the Thundercatcher line's power. But this time, they chose to hide their gifts, using them to build up material wealth and influence. "Beating the white man at his own game" some called it. The family itself has many heroic sorts, able to overlook the bitterness they may feel towards being mystically gelded for such a long time, some are even superheroes. A few, however, have become outright villains. Most now a days seek not to do evil, but they look after their family, their personal interests, and finally other Native American causes- Usually in about that order.


 

Now, they are outed, and the likes of DEMON, the Circle of the Scarlet Moon, and the remaining mystic families realize there are old players returned to the board. They'd be fools to take Randolph or his kin lightly, after all, the blood of Hiawatha is said to be in their veins.



QUOTE: "If you come after my business, well, that's business. You come after me? Well, I'm old, but there are some fangs in this old wolf's mouth yet. But if you even hint at threatening my family again? I swear to you, you will become the most intense focus of my most unpleasant interest, and it will not be for the purpose of counting coup. Choose your next steps wisely; your current path is very close to a long drop."

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The Performers

Sniffing Strangers! is now performing! 

 

For three years now, Sniffing Strangers has been climbing up the charts, making such memorable hits as "Pet my Mastodon" , "Do you accept Plastic?", and "Give Peace a Chance (Or I'll hurt you!)". Despite all odds, they've rocketed up in the alternative heavy metal scene. They've performed in Munich, Naples, Cape Town, Kyoto, and Des Moines (Okay, their bus broke there) and, of course, the city here that they call home. Someday their stars will fall, and fall hard, but for now they're famous.

 

The band has been surprisingly solid over its short career, with no member changes.  You've got Retched Toot, the keyboard and vocalist with the voice of a screaming angel. Red Elf Poppy, the twitchy ginger who plays bass guitar and has a voice just as deep. Ice, the only woman on the team, the naughty Norwegian with ice blue eyes and hair dyed to match, says little but when she takes vocals its almost ethereal. Veg, so named because he almost seems in a coma until he's on stage with the drumsticks in his hand and then he's pure energy. Sniffing Strangers crafts music with elements of sex, defiance, passion, alienation, sex, rage and ... well, more sex ("What can we say? Sex doesn't just sell, it's the crack of the music industry,"- Retched Toot interview 2014). 

 

 

Ice does not dye her hair. That's its natural color. Nor is she Norwegian. She is actually Princess in Exile Janfer Shor of a dimension two planes over that has been conquered by the forces of V'han. Veg is her guard bot, appearing to be human, and utterly loyal to her. Toot and Poppy are truly natives of the area, and have been entrusted with her secret and are well aware of the risks of playing with hunted royalty that's hiding in plain sight. Toot believes that the very spirit of rock and roll requires them to aid the princess in her quest against tyranny! Red Elf Poppy isn't as fearless, but Toot is his best friend, and you do not desert your best friend even if he's willing to get himself killed just to get in some other world girl's pants. While neither human has powers, they do have access to some sweet tech that they've incorporated into their instruments should they ever be attacked.

 

 

QUOTE: "....Your hand is gripping its ivory tusk! Your nostrils are flaring: Smell that musk! Pet My Mastodon! Yaaaa! Pet my Mastodon!....YAAAAAAAAA!!!"

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Probably what I'll do, but I have to decide who in the hierarchy stands where. A corrupt cop is bad, but not nearly as bad as a corrupt police captain or detective, frex.

Their, I suggest a crooked cop that has enough rank to operate though...maybe only " half bad" so he or she takes payoffs, but runs the toys for tots drive. Then a burned out veteran, that could be saved. And last a young crusader out to redeem the department.

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The Police Captain

Captain Eugene Butz  is having trouble adapting to a changing world. Every time he turns around lately, there seems to be something new to cope with. Goons with blasters instead of regular guns were bad enough, but in his time they've had more and more criminals with superpowers hitting the town and trying old crimes with abilities he can barely comprehend, and new crimes he never imagined possible. Old  tactics are failing, and yet, old tactics are what Captain Butz relies on again and again. 

 

He doesn't know anything else. Superhuman task forces would require training and upgrades in tech that he fears would end up firing regular cops to make room in the budget, and would cost him a great deal of authority as well as whatever hotshot was put in charge of the program would be calling shots not just on the field, but in prep and fall out. It's bad enough PRIMUS takes charge whenever they show up.  

 

Eugene is a decent fellow in many ways, but his refusal to adapt with the times is endangering both the people under his command and his career. Commander Hardin of PRIMUS has tried to assist in matters of small unit tactics and so on, as he needs the manpower the Force can provide as support, but Cpt. Butz just sees this as an attempt to take command from him.  The Mayor, unknown to him, is feeling pressure from more than one source to replace him. 

 

 

As indicated, Eugene is a bit too possessive over his authority, and stuck in the past to boot. At one time, he won medals for holding his forces to the highest standards and keeping corruption out of the Police Department. Unbeknownst to him, some organized crime figures are actually upping the pressure on his police and thus him by hiring superhumans to come into the city, sew a little chaos, and leave. By revealing his lack of aptitude, the non powered crime bosses can have him replaced by a less scrupulous man they can work with. True, the results will make it harder for superhuman criminals, but really that's a perk for most crimelords who don't have powers of their own.

 

 

QUOTE: "What do you mean the blockade won't stop this guy? No, no, my men can handle it."

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The Police Investigator

Detective Jimmy Knebal is often tasked with Robbery/Burglary cases. If something goes missing, the good looking detective takes the less than glorious position in stride. Normally, once something is stolen, your chances of getting it back are pretty slim, and the police will tell you that, but Knebal has proven to have a knack for finding and returning stolen goods. He's played it up with charm, and his humility already has some folks talk about how he might make a pretty good department head, or even Captain (When Butz retires). 

 

Superheroes will find him cautious, and he'll explain he's a bit nervous about pissing off his superiors by working with them, but sure, he's not above a little tit for tat information wise. Some of his leads will be quite handy! He's happy to appear at High Schools, and charity events if the police need a spokesperson, so he might also be encountered there.

 

 

The Captain has made it hard for corruption to spread in the police departments, but Robbery/Burglary isn't given a lot of oversight. That's the main reason Knebal went into it. He's deep in the pocket of Mr. Ghost, and that's how he gets those big grand theft cases busted just often enough to make the detective look really good. For every 'big recovery' he makes, Jimmy skims a little off the top of lost goods here or there, either by taking his share from the crooks to let them continue, or by returning 90% of the goods. This may not sound dangerous, but if what was stolen includes supertech or the like, suddenly you have a problem. Obviously he's got more than one Fence in his own pocket. The Detective is being groomed to replace the Captain if possible, and once that happens, Jimmy will go from one rotten apple to deadly poison to the local law enforcement. Any heroes who fall for his act will have a file opened on them, and it won't be a file for the police to go over, but rather Mr. Ghost.

 

 

QUOTE: "I know to a lot of folks, finding one hundred stolen bicycles and dozens of skateboards seems like small potatoes, but to the boys and girls they were stolen from? It's not small. Their return is proof to the next generation that the law cares, that the community cares. And that's why we do it, for them, for the seeds of hope we plant everyday."

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 I had the blues clothes guy started when browser freaked out on me and lost it. I'll probably do him tomorrow.

 

I hope you like where I'm going so far, Pinecone. Not exactly what you suggested, but it came to me this way so I thought I'd roll with it.

 

So, folks? Any favorites ?

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The Police Investigator

Detective Jimmy Knebal is often tasked with Robbery/Burglary cases. If something goes missing, the good looking detective takes the less than glorious position in stride. Normally, once something is stolen, your chances of getting it back are pretty slim, and the police will tell you that, but Knebal has proven to have a knack for finding and returning stolen goods. He's played it up with charm, and his humility already has some folks talk about how he might make a pretty good department head, or even Captain (When Butz retires). 

 

Superheroes will find him cautious, and he'll explain he's a bit nervous about pissing off his superiors by working with them, but sure, he's not above a little tit for tat information wise. Some of his leads will be quite handy! He's happy to appear at High Schools, and charity events if the police need a spokesperson, so he might also be encountered there.

 

 

The Captain has made it hard for corruption to spread in the police departments, but Robbery/Burglary isn't given a lot of oversight. That's the main reason Knebal went into it. He's deep in the pocket of Mr. Ghost, and that's how he gets those big grand theft cases busted just often enough to make the detective look really good. For every 'big recovery' he makes, Jimmy skims a little off the top of lost goods here or there, either by taking his share from the crooks to let them continue, or by returning 90% of the goods. This may not sound dangerous, but if what was stolen includes supertech or the like, suddenly you have a problem. Obviously he's got more than one Fence in his own pocket. The Detective is being groomed to replace the Captain if possible, and once that happens, Jimmy will go from one rotten apple to deadly poison to the local law enforcement. Any heroes who fall for his act will have a file opened on them, and it won't be a file for the police to go over, but rather Mr. Ghost.

 

 

QUOTE: "I know to a lot of folks, finding one hundred stolen bicycles and dozens of skateboards seems like small potatoes, but to the boys and girls they were stolen from? It's not small. Their return is proof to the next generation that the law cares, that the community cares. And that's why we do it, for them, for the seeds of hope we plant everyday."

EDIT wrong post quoted

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The Police Captain

Captain Eugene Butz  is having trouble adapting to a changing world. Every time he turns around lately, there seems to be something new to cope with. Goons with blasters instead of regular guns were bad enough, but in his time they've had more and more criminals with superpowers hitting the town and trying old crimes with abilities he can barely comprehend, and new crimes he never imagined possible. Old  tactics are failing, and yet, old tactics are what Captain Butz relies on again and again. 

 

He doesn't know anything else. Superhuman task forces would require training and upgrades in tech that he fears would end up firing regular cops to make room in the budget, and would cost him a great deal of authority as well as whatever hotshot was put in charge of the program would be calling shots not just on the field, but in prep and fall out. It's bad enough PRIMUS takes charge whenever they show up.  

 

Eugene is a decent fellow in many ways, but his refusal to adapt with the times is endangering both the people under his command and his career. Commander Hardin of PRIMUS has tried to assist in matters of small unit tactics and so on, as he needs the manpower the Force can provide as support, but Cpt. Butz just sees this as an attempt to take command from him.  The Mayor, unknown to him, is feeling pressure from more than one source to replace him. 

 

 

As indicated, Eugene is a bit too possessive over his authority, and stuck in the past to boot. At one time, he won medals for holding his forces to the highest standards and keeping corruption out of the Police Department. Unbeknownst to him, some organized crime figures are actually upping the pressure on his police and thus him by hiring superhumans to come into the city, sew a little chaos, and leave. By revealing his lack of aptitude, the non powered crime bosses can have him replaced by a less scrupulous man they can work with. True, the results will make it harder for superhuman criminals, but really that's a perk for most crimelords who don't have powers of their own.

 

 

QUOTE: "What do you mean the blockade won't stop this guy? No, no, my men can handle it."

maybe he should call It a day

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Excellent characterizations pretty much across the board.  I've copied all to date into a Word document, and plan to look for photos of people online to put next to each one, give me a simple visual to show the players when they run into them.  Because yes, I plan to use many of them.

 

As a GM, I appreciate characters who are unique and memorable; who could regularly interact with at least one and possibly more PCs; and have growth potential (in that their interactions with the PCs will cause them to subtly change over time, and ideally cause the PCs to similarly grow as characters).

 

That said, my favorites thus far are... well, I'm tempted to list all of them, but that wouldn't be very helpful.  I'll start with the Bail Bondsman, the Bartender, the Charity Worker, the Gambler, and the Military Commander.  All have good long-term possibilities for interaction with the heroes.

 

I think it would probably be more instructive to list one I'm not as fond of, and the reason why.  I like the character of the Artist, but other than as background I don't see a lot of potential uses for her.  Sure, she could maybe witness a criminal act and then, instead of reporting it to the police normally she paints it on the street or a wall, leading the heroes to seek her out for information they need to nab the perps.  But that would really only work once.

 

I hope all of that helps a bit.  Keep up the great work, Hermit.  A very worthy project.

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Since Hermit skipped over it, I think I'll try to tackle:

 

The Boyfriend / Girlfriend

 

Chris Armitage has known [the PC in secret ID] since they were both toddlers.  Of course, growing up next door to each other helped ensure they would be best friends.  The two of them were inseparable, often taking the fall for each other when their parents found out what trouble one or the other had gotten into.  Sure, when they started elementary school they had to endure the childhood taunts -- "Chris and [PC] sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G" -- but neither one really cared.   They were best buds, and everybody else could go hang if they didn't like it.

 

And then, as they entered middle school / junior high and were just starting to notice the fascinating ways that boys and girls differed, Chris's dad got transferred across the country.  The two of them were heartbroken, and swore to keep in touch.  They succeeded for a while, with letters and phone calls back and forth and making plans for their families to vacation in each other's states, but then Mr. Armitage's work took him overseas.  Within a year, they had fallen completely out of touch and each reluctantly moved on with their lives.

 

However, everybody grows up and moves out on their own eventually, and that's what Chris has done, moving to Campaign City with a new job as a clerk in the local courthouse.  A chance encounter at a coffee house brought [PC] and Chris back together, and the years apart seemed to melt away.  Maybe it was just meant to be...

 

 

 

What [PC] doesn't know, and Chris is terrified will eventually come out, is that Chris is working undercover for the local VIPER Nest.  Mr. Armitage is secretly a moderately high-ranking member of the Goons in Green, and had recruited his child into the organization several years ago.  Chris isn't exactly overjoyed at the prospect of a life with VIPER, but with Dad a big shot in the organization it doesn't appear that there are many options for Chris.

 

 

QUOTE:  "Remember when we snuck into the old abandoned mental hospital, the summer before I moved away?  Man, was that creepy!  (wicked grin)  But now I wish we had ditched Pete and Sarah.  Coulda been fun..."

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I had the blues clothes guy started when browser freaked out on me and lost it. I'll probably do him tomorrow.

 

I hope you like where I'm going so far, Pinecone. Not exactly what you suggested, but it came to me this way so I thought I'd roll with it.

 

So, folks? Any favorites ?

Very nice! The corrupt weasel is extra evil. :)
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