Amnesiac 2 Options

[Glyph]

Here is the second amnesiac, posted for feedback and suggestions. Once I have five of them, I will collect them in a thread in the Community Projects subforum. Right now, I know it looks like these are all metavariant hyperspecialists, but the next two are going to be ordinary humans with skills: A.

Without further ado, here is Big Ben:

PC material:

[ Spoiler ]

Waking Up -
(GM: run this part rather than making it part of player handout).

Big Ben wakes up in a trash-strewn alley, stirring with a wave of dizziness and disorientation, then waking fully as a cautiously approaching devil rat scurries away. He seems, a bit suprisingly, to be unharmed, other than a slight headache and his missing memories. He abruptly hears a scream from nearby. If he investigates, he will see five humanis goons menacing either a cowering young ork girl wearing an O.R.C. t-shirt, or someone who will turn out to be a contact or dependent of another one of the PC's (a quick way to introduce the new PC to the group). They will turn and taunt him, seeing him as nothing but an overweight trog.

He will possibly find out that his gun has no ammunition at this point, but fortunately he should be able to deal with this problem with just his fists. For the humanis goons, use the thug stats from the Grunt section of the rules. They are armed with clubs and wear synthleather jackets (4 armor). They should not present any problems for Big Ben. This is also an opportunity to convey some of his mental negative qualities to the player. Say things like. "The fight hasn't even started yet, and already you feel a pang of disappointment. These plodding, obviously unaugmented meatbags will prove no challenge".

If the player ignores the scream (wuss!), then he will have enough resources to get by for awhile (fake ID, money, etc.), so he can meet the rest of the group either when looking for work, or you can find a reason for the team to be at the fight with Monstro.

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Taking Stock (Player Handout) -
You are a massive ogre - broadly-built with a pot belly and thick, tubby arms and legs. But you must have some muscles, under that fat, you can feel it. Your huge body moves with an effortless grace and precision.

You have a brutal but somewhat handsome face (or is that wishful thinking?), with cold grey eyes and pale blonde hair that is worn in a buzz cut.

You are wearing a black armored jacket, well-worn combat boots, black jeans, and a black t-shirt which may be the most offensive t-shirt in existence - it has the words "The line starts here", then below that, an arrow pointing down.

A shoulder hoster holds a Colt Government 2066 heavy pistol with a laser sight. It is an accurate gun reknowned for its reliability - although it would be more reliable if it had any AMMO in it...

You have a decent Erika Elite commlink, with trodes, a sim module, and a thumbprint scanner to access it. You have a SIN that is probably fake, but is a decent fake if it is (assuming it is not compromised). It includes a gun license, driver's license, a concealed carry permit, and a bodyguard license, as well as a permit for titanium bone lacing. Your commlink doesn't show any bank accounts. All you have is a certified credstick with...80 Nuyen? Crap. No keys or key cards, but wait, an inner pocket has another certified credstick, with a gold band, for 5,000 Nuyen. Now that's more like it.

Finally, folded up in another pocket, you find a Paper flimsy advertising "Unsanctioned death match at Brawl for All! Big Ben and Monstro the Mauler battle it out to settle their childish disagreement that two normal people would have just calmly talked out! Two men enter, one man leaves!" It looks like this happens in a few days. That Monstro is one fugly-looking troll. But wait, that pic of the other guy, Big Ben, looks like...you! Huh.
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Breakdown and stats:

[ Spoiler ]

GM Material:
Big Ben, male ogre close Combat specialist

BREAKDOWN (Sum to Ten)
A (4): Attributes (24)
B (3): Resources (275,000 Nuyen)
B (3): Metatype (Ogre/4)
E (0): Skills (18)
E (0): Magic (0)
--------
10

Free Karma: 25
Positive Qualities: 3
Negative Qualities: <25>
Skills: 12 (Influence skill group: 1, stealth skill group: 1, , and pilot ground craft: 1)
Attributes: 20 (Charisma: 1 to 2, Logic: 1 to 2)
Other: 8 (Ogre), 7 (martial art)
-------------
0 remaining Karma

Designer Notes: This build is a martial artist build (close combat specialist and tank), limited but functional outside of a combat role. Suited for moderately high-powered campaigns (normal creation rules, but built with the assumption of a runner team who are pros rather than average Joes). Partly inspired by the concept of a "fat samurai" (which has been done before), and partly inspired by the anime/manga One Punch Man - a jaded fighter who pursues that lost rush of adrenaline.


Stats:

=Attributes=
Body: 8
Agility: 5 [8]
Reaction: 4 [7]
Strength: 8 [11]
Willpower: 6
Logic: 2
Intuition: 5
Charisma: 2
Edge: 5
Magic: 0

Essence: 0.05
Initiative: 12 + 1d6

=Limits=
Mental: 5
Physical: 13
Social: 4

=Positive Qualities=
Quick Healer

=Negative Qualities=
Allergy: Silver, Moderate
Amnesia (Full - 8 point)
Dead Emotion: Fear
Superhuman Psychosis

=Martial Arts=
Jeet Kun Do
with: Randori (Vitals)

=Active Skills=
Influence Skill Group: 1
Intimidation: 2
Perception: 2
Pilot Ground Craft: 1
Pistols/Semi-Automatics: 6/+2
Stealth Skill Group: 1
Unarmed Combat/Jeet Kun Do (Striking): 6(7)/+2

=Knowledge Skills=
Languages>
English: N
Or'zet: 3

Other>
Fitness Training: 4
Martial Arts Styles: 4
Pit Fighting: 3

=Contacts=
N/A


=Augmentations=
Damage Compensators: 3 [Alphaware]
Muscle Augmentation: 3 [Used]
Muscle Toner: 3 [Used]
Orthoskin: 3
+ Penguin Blubber
Reaction Enhancers: 3 [Used]
Reflex Recorder: Unarmed
Striking Callus (x 4) [Alphaware]
Synch
Titanium Bone Lacing [Used]
(FREE: minor cosmetic biomods to change his face)


27,100 Nuyen for gear.
=Lifestyle=
Street.
Starting Money: Standard Certified Credstick with (1d6 x 20 = 80) Nuyen, gold Certified Credstick with 5,000 Nuyen.

=Equipment=
ID/Credsticks:
Fake ID (Rating: 4) with Fake Gun, Concealed Carry, Driver's, Bodyguard, and Titanium Bone Lacing Licenses (Rating: 4); 1 standard and 1 gold Certified Credstick (see Starting Money).

Weapons:
> Colt Government 2066 heavy pistol with laser sight, in concealable quick-draw holster, Unloaded.

Armor/Clothing:
Armor Jacket with Chemical Protection: 6 and Nonconductive: 6; well-worn but durable casual street clothing (100 Nuyen).

Commlink/Software:
Erika Elite Commlink with biometric reader, sim module, trodes, and 2 mapsofts (Seattle and L.A. sprawls).

Other:
Paper flimsy advertising "Unsanctioned death match at Brawl for All! Big Ben and Monstro the Mauler battle it out to settle their childish disagreement that two normal people would have just calmly talked out! Two men enter, one man leaves!" It looks like this happens in a few days. Also, the mug shot of Big Ben looks like him.

Description and Background:

[ Spoiler ]

Description -
Big Ben is a massive ogre - a broadly-built and heavily muscled build to start with, then the usual ogre pot belly combined with the tubby look that the penguin blubber orthoskin upgrade gives. The latter two things make him look overweight and out of shape, when he is actually monstrously strong and fit.

He has a brutal but somewhat handsome face, with cold grey eyes and pale blonde hair that is worn in a buzz cut.


Background -
1) Give a brief overview of the character's life and vocation before the amnesia happened, leading up to the event(s) preceding/causing the amnesia itself.

Rick James was a tough as nails brawler who was always striving to improve himself, with both hard training and augmentations. He got too good for a small CAS town, though, and became bored and jaded. He came to the Seattle sprawl looking for challenges, hoping to feel the rush of true battle again.


2) How did the amnesia happen?

Big Ben was also a fighter, of sorts, an out-of-shape (but augmented) brawler who mostly faced inexperienced fighters. He was good at talking tough, though... until he shot his mouth off at the wrong person, Monstro the Mauler, a bullying troll street fighter with a nasty reputation. Ben knew he couldn't win, so he and his equally weasely manager made their plans to ditch Seattle and start over in Vegas. The thought of Monstro bragging about running him off really stuck in his craw, though.

Then Ben and his manager happened to watch one of Rick's fights, where the other ogre destroyed his opponent in the first round. Noticing the similarity between their two builds, a plan began to form. A honey trap involving two call girls and a drugged bottle of Hurlg nabbed Rick. They hustled him over to a street doc of their acquaintance to get his face sculpted to match Ben's, and do a procedure to muddle up his memories. They got the hacker setting up their new fake ID's to transfer Ben's old one over to Rick. Then they dropped him off in an alley, making sure to plant the flyer for the match on him.


3) Describe the plots and/or consequences of the amnesia.

The intent of Big Ben is for Rick to wake up mad, assuming that Monstro tried some funny business to take him out before their match. Then, hopefully he will show up for the match and destroy Monstro.

The superficial face swap will not pass long-term scrutiny. Rick has similar augmentions, but is actually in shape, and a much better fighter, with a very different fighting style to boot. Even at the match with Monstro (assuming it happens), some perceptive individuals will begin to be suspicious.

In the meantime, though, Rick will be dealing with all of Big Ben's problems - vengeful ex-lovers, people he has scammed, and others he has offended. Not to mention some cringy Matrix blog posts, a couple of offensive rap vids, and even a gay-for-pay porno that Ben did once when he was low on funds. ("You see yourself on the cover case, a couple of young men draped againt you suggestively. The title blurb says 'Budapest Bad Boys II: the Czech is in the Male'").

Even after Ben's perfidy becomes apparent, there will still be some people who remain convinced that Rick is Ben, or that he was a willing participant in the switch.


4) Describe the people who know (or will claim to know) the character.

Big Ben (overhyped pit fighter):
A mediocre fighter but, aided by his manager, very good at self-promotion. The pair are now in Vegas, Ben with a different name and a face change of his own. They can show up (or be hunted down for vengeance) later, but for right now they are out of the picture.


Monstro the Mauler (troll street fighter):
A nasty piece of work, vicious and a bully. He is good enough as a fighter, but not quite in Rick's league. He is unlikely to survive past the first encounter, but is good enough that he could get lucky. Use the ganger lieutenant stats, with Body and Strength increased for being a troll (but lower Charisma and Logic to 2). Raise his base unarmed skill to 4, and add muscle replacement: 1 and reaction enhancers: 2 to his augmentations. He will be wearing an armored jacket, be hopped up on Nitro, and will use his cyberspur.


Nikki (vengeful ex-girlfriend of Ben):
A petite blonde with a slightly deranged smile who is driven by rage. It takes a lot to top being caught having sex with Nikki's sister, but responding to being caught with "Hey, babe, wanna make this a threesome?" (to the horror of both women) did it. Now, she spends a lot of her time stalking Rick to make trouble for him in various petty or annoying ways. Not the only bitter ex of Ben's, just the most persistent one.


5) Describe any other potential complications from the character's past.
Rick's own past is relatively free of baggage. It is Ben's past that will make things interesting for Rick, as detailed above.

[Savar]

Vary cool, remind me to never play a char with amnesia!

[KCKitsune]

Glyph, is this SR4 or 5?

[Tecumseh]

@KCKitsune This is SR5.

@Glyph I like it. It reminds me of Roy "Big Country" Nelson.

I'm going to call him Rick for the purposes of this post to avoid confusion with the real Big Ben. Let me know if you want me to spoiler tag that, or any of the below.

Some thoughts:

1) I'd get rid of the ¥5,000 credstick. Why would the real Big Ben leave that behind? Same with the nice commlink, and even the armored jacket. Leave Rick with the ¥80 and a crappy commlink so that he feels like he needs the Monstro fight in order to make some cred.

2) Have the character be hungry when he wakes up, or have him work up an appetite with the Humanis goons. The trash in the alley could be appetizing and a good introduction to the Ogre Stomach. Rick is low on funds (see above) and he's not afraid of getting sick (see below).

3) I personally find the Dead Emotion: Fear quality to be damnably difficult to RP, especially as a negative quality. Players often try to treat it as a positive quality, like a super-powered version of Guts, but really to play it as a negative quality you need to use it to make suboptimal decisions, which can be difficult OOCly (for me, at least).

4) Give the Humanis goons pistols. They're working over the O.R.C. girl with baseball bats because the prefer the hands-on approach, but will switch to guns when they feel threatened by Rick. It doesn't matter. Between his Superhuman Psychosis and his 12+ dice to dodge (and his "negative" quality), Rick ain't scurred.

5) I'd turn a point of Intimidation and Perception into specializations (Physical and Visual, respectively).

6) I'd make Willpower 5 and Intuition 6.

7) Budapest is in Hungary, not the Czech Republic, even in 2080. I love the title though.

[Glyph]

Sorry, forgot to add the SR5 icon to the topic.

@Tecumseh: thanks for all of the feedback. Don't worry about the spoiler tags, they are mainly just to organize things.

1) OOC, I tend to give the character the full amount of their resources, and he had a decent amount left to spend. Plus, the character can hit the ground running and be able to get into places with his bone lacing.

IC (and I probably need to spell it out more), most of the stuff is Rick's, and they were more worried about making the switch than looting him - they might not have even seen the hidden credstick.

You're right, though. It would be better if he didn't have quite as much in the way of resources. Maybe say they switched out Ben's basic DocWagon contract along with the ID (instead of all of that Nuyen). I want the armored jacket so he can have some basic, decent armor against Monstro, but maybe some useless bling instead of the armor mods. The commlink I might leave alone, because a cheap model would be suspicious for someone who is supposed to be Ben. The gun, also, just so he will be tempted to try to use it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

2) Not sure it would fit this particular character. Ogres can eat garbage if they have to, but I imagine they would still have to be pretty badly off to be tempted to do so. It might fit someone with more of a squatter background.

3) The dead emotion: fear complements the superhuman psychosis quality, and for an amnesiac character, will primarily be conveyed by GM descriptions. I should probably have a "possible changes" section like I did for the first amnesiac, for GM's uncomfortable running these flaws.

4) Humanis goons have generally been portrayed more as bullies than gangers. The thug stats don't even have firearm skills. But maybe I will give one of them a light pistol. Like you said, it will be no threat to Rick.

5) That would be more karma-efficient, but I just like getting the core skill up a bit higher before taking a specialization.

6) Unfortunately, he already has one Attribute hard-maxed.

7) Yeah, I know, but I liked the alliteration. Think of it as more all-around East European porn.

[Tecumseh]

1) I like it when players are naked and afraid and have to use their wits to be resourceful. As such, I'd be inclined to start Rick off with no nuyen and no armor. Make him scavenge some ill-fitting armor off one of the Humanis goons. Maybe he can try to upgrade to something that fits before the fight.

2) He has amnesia; the player can decide if he's a garbage-eater or not. That said, this was more of an opportunity to remind the player about some of the unique characteristics of being an ogre. The fact that lifestyle costs are automatically reduced by 20% for Ogre Stomach suggests to me that most ogres do indeed eat things that would make a billygoat puke.

4) The idea of giving a ganger a pistol wasn't to threaten Rick but to show him how little of a threat the pistol was, and to have an opportunity to play up the Superhuman Psychosis. "The smooth monkey has a boomstick? That's precious." Rick needs the ammo anyway.

6) You are correct. I had forgotten that Ogre Willpower maxes out at 7.

[Stingray]

1) I like it when players are naked and afraid and have to use their wits to be resourceful. As such, I'd be inclined to start Rick off with no nuyen and no armor. Make him scavenge some ill-fitting armor off one of the Humanis goons. Maybe he can try to upgrade to something that fits before the fight.

2) He has amnesia; the player can decide if he's a garbage-eater or not. That said, this was more of an opportunity to remind the player about some of the unique characteristics of being an ogre. The fact that lifestyle costs are automatically reduced by 20% for Ogre Stomach suggests to me that most ogres do indeed eat things that would make a billygoat puke.

4) The idea of giving a ganger a pistol wasn't to threaten Rick but to show him how little of a threat the pistol was, and to have an opportunity to play up the Superhuman Psychosis. "The smooth monkey has a boomstick? That's precious." Rick needs the ammo anyway.

6) You are correct. I had forgotten that Ogre Willpower maxes out at 7.

..better to him to have a empty Light Pistol as BUG ..maybe Colt America ( or equivalent in 5ed).. ..( but he can use light pistol a while to get ammo for his Heavy Pistol..)