Character Critique: Face/Bodyguard/Hybrid dood, Been awhile, but inspirations hit Options

[ElFenrir]

So, I've been wanting to do a sort of faceman/bodyguard type, a combat-face if you will; one that can be safe when socially penetrating the inside as well as out. The idea actually was inspired by the whole elf/dwarf metahuman thread, and I figured it would be kind of fun to try to run with; the discussions of eternal beauty, biosculpting, and the like inspired this a lot, as well as how things like this might inspire their own kinds of racism/judgemental attitudes. I'm not too used to playing facey type characters, so I'm hoping this guy works out. I'm perfectly good at the combat parts, going with good ol' fashioned unarmed and Pistols for his combat, but I am hoping I got his social stuff down.

Our table still uses the old SR4 750 Karma builds, with the x3 Attribute costs; since Errata about this is not out yet, we don't want to go tinkering with the system. We find the old SR4 rules work fine for us. Usual houserules that we use are in place(no Availability limits at chargen, so anything is game if we want it.)

I still lack an ailas for this guy. I sometimes have trouble with them.

His concept is a little more on the darker end of Shadowrun, with an ex-joyboy-not by choice-theme to him. Hopefully it isn't too disturbing, but I didn't go into much detail here.

Background:

[ Spoiler ]

''Rescued'' from his rather poor parents by a seemingly benevolent group of people apparently working for some adoption agency, he was promised a better life that he would be adopted out to people who could take care of him. Ethan was still human at this time, as were his parents. His parents were given a sum of nuyen to help them get back on their feet; Ethan was perhaps a year old.

Things seemed quite alright in the 'orphanage'; the children were well-fed, educated, and well cared for medically and otherwise. However, like many things that seem too good to be true, this was. The children had a bit of a dark future ahead of them-there were a lot of private people who would come to the ''mansion'' and pay a lot of nuyen for their...different tastes in things. There were no plans to adopt them out; upon reaching around thirteen years old, they were used for whatever the client wanted them to. Ones who tried to escape generally were not seen again. Ethan, with his good looks and generally nice attitude was a favorite one.

However, at fifteen, he suddenly lapsed into a near coma with an enormous fever; not too long after the teen had gained about a meter of height and was a lot bulkier; as well as developing varied shapes as a troll; one of those few who ended up expressing in life. While the end result was still a rather handsome example of a young troll, this was not good enough for his ''employers'', and as soon as he was healed up, before the boy could say anything they had taken him in for some rather harsh biosculpting, reshaping him back to more human and then some; some of their clients were very much into the ''manga'' look, and thus they began to shape him toward that. (They had actually done similar things with other kids there, of other races, too. Biosculpting the teens for particular fetishes was nothing too new for them, they would do what their clients wanted.) Bioware was implanted in some of the teens; pheremones and the like, things for their joints. He also had a bit of muscle-augmenting to make him look even more the part of 'manga hero', though he kept himself in shape in his little free time.

It took him awhile to recover again, but the result was a near manga-esque Adonis; and he was a very...popular ''pick'' amongst some of the wealthier, mid-20s women...and men.

After his 16th birthday, the place was finally raided; there were hints dropped and a sting operation was put into place. The teens were rescued; in a rage, he had gotten his hands on the human leader and brutally killed him-he was found by one of the detectives, an American Japanese man by the name of Hoshi. Hoshi, however, snuck the big teen out, not letting them know fully what happened, even going as far as to hide the blood on the fellow. Being 16, he could technically live on his own, but Hoshi saw that he had some mental issues that needed working out(he was one of the better ones, mentally.) At this point, he was withdrawn, moody, and could be very violent; his strength making him a danger to furniture, or worse, people around him when he decided to lash out. Hoshi's knowledge in psychology, as well as training in the martial arts, helped him sort of form the teen back into a functional member of society, though some scars remained(he does suffer flashbacks under certain circumstances.) He learned to control himself, if only to get back at the people who sort of turned him into this mentally. He still, even to this day, at 26, has some insecurities about him; he's had trouble forming close, romantic relationships with people(he does have an eye for human women. He thinks his size might scare them off.)

Hoshi remains his contact, though he lives on his own now, and has for the past five years. Shadowrunning was basically one of the few things left for him. Though he's fairly well-educated and decently intelligent, he can't seem to hold down a steady normal job.

Appearance and Personality:

[ Spoiler ]

Besides his great height and horns, there is virtually no hint that Ethan Harris is even a troll. Okay, so due to said size it IS fairly obvious, but he has no other of the usual Trollish attributes. Ethan had undergone quite many biosculpting modifications in his mid/late teens, turning the goblinized young man into something resembling a manga-prettyboy; from the odd-color hair, to the fine features, to the pigmented nearly white skin, to the matching eyes. He stands fully nine feet in height, clean shaven, with barely a sign of dermal deposits; these were sanded and cut away and the scars smoothed over. His hair is a dark violet and worn well past his shoulders; his eyes are a rather piercing violet. He has two smooth, kind of shorter, curving horns on his head, which kind of resemble the classic ''devil's horns'', these are a pale bone-white. He still has the slightly pointed ears as most Ingentis. His tusks are gone, his face resembling more of a perfect human. Slightly less robust than most trolls, he's still powerful looking and extremely strong, as he keeps himself in top physical condition. He's said by his friends he looks so good that even the prettiest faces would pay big nuyen to even hope to look half as good as him. He doesn't seem to mind his good looks, as he didn't try to reverse the surgery, but at the same time he doesn't find what the hell is such a big deal about them, and doesn't think it makes him better than anyone else. They're only skin-deep, after all.

All of his looks weren' t by his choice, however, as will be touched upon below.

Dress-wise,he prefers looser jeans or cargos, heavy combat boots, and sleeveless shirts; he usually wears a half-suit of form-fitting armor as choice of underwear. He tops it off with a black armored jacket if it's chilly out; sometimes a black leather longcoat. He likes things that are easy to move around in, and offer solid protection at the same time. He wears some extra protection on runs, if he needs to. He can switch up to slacks and shirts with collars, or full-out suits if need be; as well as dress down more, given his role as a faceman as well as a bodyguard. He's got a nice smile and a rather charming air about him. His hair is almost always worn down.

He's actually a laid-back, charismatic, nice fellow overall; though he has a few things that can send him on violent streaks; exploitation of children is something that he responds to with extreme violence, due to his past. A former joyboy, and not by choice, Ethan has been enjoying the freedom that he has only had for about the past nine years. Ethan reacts to questions about his past with at first an extreme guarded attitude, followed soon after by shrouded hostility, and moving onto open hostility if the questions are pressed; only one person in his life actually knows what happened to him. It is best to never mention these things around him.

His good looks and rather charismatic air sometimes work against him. His own race, as well as orks, sometimes think of him as a kind of 'traitor', since apparently their looks ''weren't good enough for him'' and he had to go make himself look like a prettyboy. Some humans and elves see him as a ''wannabe'', while others are somewhat patronizing toward him, understanding if he ''couldn't handle being how he was.'' It does somewhat hurt him, as it wasn't his choice what happened, but he doesn't seem to mind the positive responses his looks give him. He just understands that sometimes you're damned if you do, or damned if you don't. Since he had gotten the biosculpting surgery very soon after he had goblinized, he really never got to 'live as a trog' before, so he really couldn't experience it. (For the record, dwarves don't seem to think one way or the other about him, he notices. Of course, not ALL people are like this, but racists will be racists, regardless of metatype. He just seems to have more about him for them to pick on.)

He's helpful, and rather protective of people; he had naturally gravitated toward his role as a bodyguard, as well as face. He's excellent at being able to infiltrate things socially himself; not needing too much help in defending himself if he needs to. His past, and not wanting anyone to have to go through it, also brings him toward the role of a guardian of sorts. He knows he's bigger and stronger, and back when he goblinized, a lot of the smaller kids there often looked to him for protection(he was the only troll, even though they had 'fixed' his looks very quickly.) He has little patience for bullies and racists; he does still feel the sting of racism, despite his looks, as said, for several reasons. He tries not to kill, but certain kinds of people end up on the lower end of his moral list and he's been known to bend them until they break in several places and not feel too much remorse afterward. His anger management is far better than it was when he was a teenager, but still has some work needed.

He has a variety of interests and knows a fair bit about a lot of random things; he used books and knowledge programs as a means of solace. These can come in handy with his face-work. He enjoys varients of techno music; techno mixed with classical or heavy metal are favorites of his, and he also enjoys a fine, thick beer or sweet red wine. He enjoys treating himself to real food, and tends to live higher on the comforts, as a way of compensating for his youth(while the 'mansion' was nice, it was faaaar from, well, comforting.) He's not too picky on his jobs, though he needs a particularly good(for him) reason to take wetwork(given his likes and hates in life it's pretty apparent what he'll do), and he is highly unlikely to use his old seduction-skills to take advantage of people, as he has very, very bad memories of these.

The Numbers:

[ Spoiler ]

Name: Ethan Harris
Alias:
Race: Troll(Homo Sapiens Ingentis)
Gender: Male
Height: 9'1''
Weight: 525 lbs(cybered)
Hair: Long, dark purple
Eyes: Bright violet
Concept: Ex-joyboy, current sometimes face/bodyguard/hired muscle&charm

Positive Qualities(40 Karma):

First Impression
Martial Arts(Muay Thai, Lv. 2): +2 DV Unarmed
Martial Arts(Tae Kwan Do, Lv. 1): +1 DV Unarmed

Negative Qualities(40 Karma):

SINner
Flashbacks(Uncommon Stimuli, children being exploited)
Distinctive Style(Level 2)

Karma: 750

Attributes[303 Karma]

Body: 8[9, +2 dmg]
Agility: 4[7]
Reaction: 4[6]
Strength: 8[11]
Charisma: 4[+2 to all Social Tests]
Intuition: 4
Logic: 3
Willpower: 4
Edge: 4
Initative: 8/1[10/2]
Essence: 1.35

Physical Damage Track: 13
Stun Damage Track: 10

Active Skills[215 Karma]

Athletics Skill Group: 3

Unarmed Combat(Striking): 5(+2)
Pistols(Semi-Automatics): 2(+2)

Etiquette: 5
Negotations: 4
Con(Seduction): 4(+2)
Intimidation(Mental): 4(+2)

Perception: 4
Pilot Ground Craft(Wheeled): 1(+2)
Infiltration(Urban): 1(+2)

Knowledge/Language Skills[71 Karma]

AK-Denver: 3
Bodyguarding Techniques: 3
21st Century Console Games: 2
Underground Fighting Pits: 3
Corporate Fashions: 3
Strange Trivia: 3
Techno-Hybrid Music: 2
Amorous Techniques: 3
Local Clubs: 3

English: N
Japanese: 3
German: 3

Maneuvers[24 Karma]

Kick Attack
Riposte
Finishing Blow
Watchful Guard
Sweep
Disarm

Contacts[36 Karma]

Hoshi(Human Detective): 3/4
Spanky(Fixer): 3/3
Club Owner: 3/2

Resources: 250,000[100 Karma]

Implants:

Eye Modifications(Smartlink, Flare Compensation, Vision Enhancement Lv. 3)
Ear Modifications(Audio Enhancement Lv. 3)
Ceramic Bone Lacing
Wired Reflexes Lv. 1(Alphaware)
Attention Coprocessor Lv. 2

Suprathyroid Gland
Muscle Augmentation Lv. 2
Muscle Toner Lv. 2
Synthacardium Lv. 3
Tailored Pheremones Lv. 2
Moderate Biosculpting
Silky Skin
Skin Pigmentation(near white)

Lifestyle: [1 month prepaid, 9,000/month]

Comforts: 4
Necessities: 4
Entertainment: 3
Security: 4
Neighborhood: 4

Gear:

Ares Predator(Personalized Grip): 5P, SA, -1 AP, 15c, w/ 4 clips each regular, gel, APDS ammo; 2 clips AV ammow
Hardliner Gloves/Steel-Shod Boots

Armor Jacket(w/Non-Conductivity 3, Fire and Chem Resist 2, Insulation 1)-8/6
FFBA Lv. 2-4/1
Shin/Forearm Guards, Vitals Protector-1/3
Leather Jacket(longcoat style)-2/2
Mortimer of London Bertwick Line Suit(suit jacket, trousers, shirt): 5/3
Ceramic Bone Lacing: 0/2

Climbing Gear, Gecko Tape Gloves, Survival Kit
Sony Emperor Commlink, Redcap Nix OS, Skinlink and Subvocal Mic
Emotitoys, 1x Rating 3, 1x Rating 6, both non-mobile
Certified Credsticks((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) ,Fake ID(x2, 1 Lv 6, 1 Lv. 4), Fake Licences(2x Lv. 6)
VR Games + Music
Contacts w/ Vision Magnification and Low-Light Vision
Earbuds w/ Select Sound Filter Lv. 3 and Spatial Recognizer
Handheld Sensor with Atmosphere Lv. 3, Camera and Microphone
Plasteel Restraints(4 pair)
Medkit Lv. 6/4 supply refills
Antidote Patches(2x. Lv. 6)
Survival Knife

Thundercloud Contrail Motorcycle(with some enlarging.)

3,835 nuyen remaining. I might pick up a safehouse with this.

I skipped the Influence Group since I wanted to get them separate. The Seduction specialization I figure fits his background, though he might not enjoy having to rely on it too much. I didn't particularly see him with Leadership. He only has two combat skills, but throws plenty of dice in them, IMO(14 without reach for Unarmed, Kick Attack gives him a massive +2 reach bonus for 16, and with his massive DV he'll do just fine there.) I really don't like the idea of using a Furby...but I suppose I will if I have to. He doesn't have enormous Face dice, but he's not a 100%, bonafide, pure 'face', but a hybrid.

Since all of his dermal deposits are gone, I left out the normal +1 armor bonus trolls usually get.

He's got 1 Karma remaining. Nothing I can really do with it due to the odd-numbers.

I might consider giving him a different mental flaw like Sensitive Neutral Structure to sort of fill in from an old drug addiction that he may have developed that he cleaned up from, but the Distinctive Style flaw actually does fit this guy very, very well I think. (Though I don't know-how many trogs have gotten this kind of bio-sculpting that he isn't so different after all?)

So, thoughts? Critiques? Concept-wise or mechanics-wise?