SUPPORTING

CAST A Collection of Characters for Any Campaign

By Nigel D. Findley and Fraser Cain
Edited by Jeff Koke
Cover by Jeffrey K. Starling
Illustrated by Doug Shuler
and Fredd Gorham
Additional Illustrations by Laura Eisenhour
and Ruth Thompson
GURPS System Design by Steve Jackson
Jeff Koke, Managing Editor
Loyd Blankenship, Product Development Manager
Chris McCubbin, Art Director
Page Layout and Typography by
Diane Siler and Monica Stephens
Proofreading by Susan Pinsonneault
Production by Laura Eisenhour, Diane Siler
and Monica Stephens
Color Production and Type Design by Jeff Koke
Print Buying by Derek Pearcy
Playtesters: Guy Botero, Christopher J. Burke, James Duncan,
E.J. Ford, Matthew Fulton, Howard Gardner, Russell Grieshop,
Michael Hanson, Ben V Kloepper, Tim Morgan, David F Ogren
Billie Rettie, Doug Schnur Dennis L Weigt.

GURPS, Roleplayer and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All names
of other products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. GURPS Supporting Cast is copyright © 1993 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
ISBN 1-55634-267-5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

STEVE JACKSON GAMES

 CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3 Firefighter 50 Fixer 84
About GURPS 3 Football Star 51 Gang Leader 85
About the Authors 4 Ghost 52 "Grunt" 86
Government Agent 53 Hotel Manager 87
FANTASY 5 Hacker 54 Lawyer 88
Alchemist 6 Military Officer 55 Mental Patient 89
Assassin 7 Occult Student 56 Musician 90
Bandit 8 Organized Crime Boss 57 Netrunner 91
Barbarian 9 Parapsychologist 58 News Announcer 92
Bard 10 Pilot 59 Playboy 93
Barmaid 11 Prison Guard 60 Police Detective 94
Bartender 12 Private Detective 61 Prostitute 95
Blacksmith 13 Psychiatrist 62 Salesperson 96
City Guardsman 14 Rescue Worker 63 Shadow 97
Con Man 15 Research Librarian 64 Skip Tracer 98
Cutpurse 16 Scientist 65 Street Doc 99
Demon 17 Security Guard 66 Street Samurai 100
Dragon 18 Survivalist 67 Surveillance Expert 101
Druid 19 University Professor 68 Swat Officer 102
General 20 Tabloid Journalist 103
Gladiator 21 Technician 104
Jongleur 22 TV Producer 105
Knight 23 Video Reporter 106
Mercenary 24
Merchant 25 SPACE 107
Missionary 26 Arms Dealer 108
Moneylender 27 Astrogator 109
Necromancer 28 Battlesuit Soldier 110
Philosopher 29 Belter 111
Priest 30 Bounty Hunter 112
Prophet/Messiah 31 Cab Driver 113
Sage 32 Customs Officer 114
Sailor 33 Deep-Space Explorer 115
Seer 34 Diplomat 116
Slave Trader 35 Dockmaster 117
NEAR FUTURE 69 Drive Tech 118
Soldier 36
Actor 70
Tinker 37 Esper 119
Bodylegger 71 120
Town Official 38 Homesteader
Bum 72
Traveling Magistrate 39 Inventor 121
Chauffeur/Bodyguard 73 Research Scientist 122
Vampire 40
Chop-Shop Owner 74
Village Priest 41 Scout 123
Computer AI 75 Smuggler 124
Weretiger 42
Construction Worker 76 125
Wizard 43 Spy
Corporate Executive 77 126
Woodsman 44 Starship Captain
Cosmetic Surgeon 78
Xenobiologist 127
CONTEMPORARY 45 Counter-Terrorist 79
Airline Pilot 46 Cult Leader 80 New Abilities and
Archaeologist 47 Drug Dealer 81 Equipment Table 128
Bouncer 48 Eco-Terrorist 82
Field Medic 83 Character Table 128
Cop 49
 INTRODUCTION
The focus of a GURPS campaign is, of course, the player characters and their
direct opponents — in dramatic terms, the protagonists and antagonists. They're
not the only people in the campaign world, however. There are also the "bit
players," the "extras" — the supporting cast. These can range from "one-shot,"
minor characters like the sneak thief who picks the PCs' pockets, to ongoing
supporting characters like the bartender at the PCs' favorite tavern. Even though
they're rarely the focus of an adventure, they can certainly be the instigators of a
few.
Many adventures start with a threat or challenge to the PCs. But why couldn't
a cataclysmic adventure begin with a threat to the PCs' friend, or colleague . . . or
even that long-suffering bartender? It's up to the Game Master to roleplay con-
vincing NPCs. But sometimes creating those characters as well as plotting the
adventure places just a little too much pressure on the overworked referee. That's About GURPS
where GURPS Supporting Cast comes in. Steve Jackson Games is committed to
Readers will notice that most of these characters have relatively low character full support of the GURPS system. Our ad-
point totals — most do not reach the standard 100-point starting point for player dress is SJ Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX
78760. Please include a self-addressed,
characters (though some actually exceed it; see below). That's because these stamped envelope (SASE) any time you
characters are not supposed to be the heroes. While they can have a significant write us! Resources now available include:
effect on the storyline, the true movers and shakers are the player characters. The Roleplayer. This bimonthly magazine
includes new rules, new races, beasts, infor-
PCs are heroes — by definition. This book tries to provide an interesting selection mation on upcoming releases, scenario
of "regular people" — non-heroes — with which the PCs can interact. ideas and more. Ask your game retailer, or
Many of these bit players could be "promoted" to become major NPCs - write for subscription information.
New supplements and adventures. We're
colleagues of the protagonists, minions of the antagonists, or even major antago- always working on new material, and we'll
nists in their own right. It's easy enough for Game Masters to bump up the point be happy to let you know what's available.
values if they like; just increase a couple of important skills, or add a significant A current catalog is available for an SASE.
Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, in-
advantage. cluding us — but we do our best to fix our
For variety, though, a few characters have been thrown in that could be the errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all
center of an adventure or a campaign. These NPCs have higher point totals than GURPS releases, including this book, are
always available from SJ Games; be sure to
the others — most notably the Demon (p. 17), the Dragon (p. 18), the General (p. include an SASE with your request.
20), the Computer AI (p. 75) and the Spy (p. 125). If the GM uses these characters Q&A. We do our best to answer any
in his campaign, he should realize that they will have a stronger effect on the story game question accompanied by an SASE.
Gamer input. We value your comments.
line than the other NPCs. We will consider them, not only for new
products, but also when we update this book
Organization on later printings!
BBS. For those who have home comput-
This book is divided into four sections, or genres: Fantasy, Contemporary, ers, SJ Games operates a multi-line BBS
Near Future (including cyberpunk) and Space. Each character is slotted into one with discussion areas for several games, in-
of these settings. For example, the bartender can be found in the fantasy section, cluding GURPS. Much of the playtest feed-
back for new products comes from the BBS.
and is described in fantasy terms. Most characters can exist in multiple time It's up 24 hours per day at 512-447-4449, at
settings, however (or, at least, analogues of them could exist). Obviously, bartend- 300, 1200 or 2400 baud. Give us a call! We
ers are going to be as common in a space travel setting as in a fantasy-medieval also have discussion areas on Compuserve,
GEnie, and America Online.
milieu.
For this reason, each character description includes a section on Conversions. Page References
This section provides hints on how GMs can tailor the character to different Rules and statistics in this book are spe-
settings, and suggestions for interesting setting-dependent variations. cifically for the GURPS Basic Set, Third
Edition. Any page reference that begins
Finally, each description includes several Adventure Seeds. These are in- with a B refers to the GURPS Basic Set -
tended to "jump-start" the GM's imagination, to help inspire adventures that e.g., p. B102 means p. 102 of the GURPS
revolve around the specific character. Basic Set, Third Edition.
 At the end of the book is a table listing each character in alphabetical order,
regardless of genre, so that a GM looking for a specific type of character doesn't
have to try to figure out which setting the NPC is listed under.

Character Statistics
About the Authors The characters' heights, weights, hair and eye colors have been intentionally
Nigel D. Findley is a professional author
and game designer, with publication credits
left ambiguous. This is so the GM can "customize" the NPCs to fit his personal
with virtually every major RPG company in tastes and adventure style. The illustrations provided for each character are de-
North America. This is his second project signed to give the GM an idea of what the character might look like, but should not
for Steve Jackson Games, his first being be considered absolute.
GURPS Illuminati. Nigel lives in Vancou-
ver, on the west coast of Canada. This is his Note that few of these characters have serious combat skills, carry significant
first — and possibly his last — collaborative weaponry, or wear armor. That's because they're not meant to be targets for
project.
Fraser Cain is currently taking a long
trigger-happy PCs. Characters who solve problems by cutting down bartenders
break in the pursuit of his engineering de- and waitresses on a regular basis should pay the penalty for their impulsive behav-
gree. He spends his free time snowboard- ior.
ing, mountain-biking, and struggling with
an inferiority complex about his writing. He Additionally, the skill levels for these NPCs are average to above average in
never, ever wants to see the Instant Charac- most cases; rarely are they exceptional. Remember, these are not player-charac-
ters booklet again. This is his first project ters, nor are they intended as major adversaries to the PCs. They are mostly
for Steve Jackson Games, but he's been
playing GURPS for what seems like for-
"regular folks," and thus have their skills at average levels.
ever. He also lives in Vancouver.
Other Books
The reader may notice that some of the characters have advantages, disadvan-
tages, skills and equipment that do not appear in the Basic Set. On p. 128 is a
listing of which new abilities came from which books.
FANTASY
ALCHEMIST
ST: 9 IQ: 15 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 90

Advantages
Acute Taste & Smell +2; Literacy; Reputation +2 (To every-
one, all the time: an expert alchemist and herbalist); Wealth
(Comfortable).

Disadvantages
Minor Delusion (If the potion didn't work for you, it's because
you didn't believe); Overconfidence.

Quirks
Always tries to get the money in advance; Concerned about
uses of potions; Does everything with a flourish.

Skills
Alchemy-16; Area Knowledge-14; Calligraphy-10; Cooking-
15; Diplomacy-14; Fast-Talk-15; Hypnotism-13; Literature-12;
Occultism-13; Poisons-13; Research-13; Writing-13.

Languages
Any three relevant to the adventure, at level 13.

Conversions
Contemporary — The closest equivalent is a homeopath or a
holistic herbalist. She might be extremely interesting to have in a
horror campaign. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
Near Future — Same as above, but add Computer Operation-15.
Space — With the mix of animals, aliens and chemicals in the Haisa Age: 47
galaxy, Haisa's possibilities are endless. Even without magic,
technology could reproduce the same results. Same conversions
as above. sphere for visiting clients. When she actually mixes the potions in
front of someone, she makes sure they bubble and steam the way
potions ought to — once again to heighten the customer's appreci-
Story ation of her abilities.
If you need a love potion, or your cat has fleas, or you wish to
remove the evil spirits from your house, pay a visit to Haisa the Quotes
Alchemist.
"Well, of course she didn't fall in love with you. You must
Haisa can mix any potion, to create any desired effect — or so
have absolute faith in my power. Only then shall you succeed and
she believes — for a stiff price. She has such a high opinion of her
gain true love."
own skills that the possibility of a potion not working is incon-
"A dash of goat hair, a pinch of mandrake, a sprig of garlic.
ceivable. And her potions do work — most of the time. If someone
There, now drink it quickly!"
complains that the potion didn't have the desired effects, she
explains to the imbiber that he just didn't believe hard enough.
How can she be blamed for the customer's misgivings? Adventure Seeds
Customers rarely complain though; her reputation is too well ♦ A merchant fast-talked Haisa, and got a potion to turn one of
established. his competitors into a frog. Now the victim's friends are look-
Haisa attempts to screen her clients carefully before giving ing for revenge on Haisa and the merchant. Haisa hires the
them the potions they desire. She knows that the results could be PCs to protect her until she can create a potion that will reverse
disastrous if some of her potions were used for an evil purpose. the effects of the previous one.
She received her training from one of the greatest alchemists ♦ The PCs purchase what they think is a healing potion. Unfor-
in history — one so powerful that he truly could turn lead into tunately, its effects are completely different from what they
gold. His theatrical flair rubbed off onto Haisa. She decorates her had in mind. When the PCs return for a cure and revenge, it
laboratory with mystical trappings, to provide just the right atmo- seems Haisa has skipped town.
ASSASSIN
ST: 11 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.75
DX: 13 HT: 10 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Parry: 6
Heavy leather armor (PD 2, DR 2); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Absolute Timing; Danger Sense.

Disadvantages
Enemy (City guard, on a 9 or less); Stubbornness.

Quirks
Always makes sure she knows where her exits are; Angered by
questions about her past; Doesn't like anyone coming too close to
her; Never fully trusts anyone.

Skills
Acrobatics-12; Area Knowledge-12; Blowpipe-12; Crossbow-
16; Disguise-13; Knife-12; Lockpicking-13; Poisons-12; Shad- Ena Morgana Age: 33
owing-11; Shortsword-12; Stealth-13; Streetwise-13; Traps-13.

Weapons only "hits" she ever performed for free was someone who tried
Shortsword: 1d+2 cutting, 1 d impaling; Crossbow: 1d+3 im- to trace her origins. Those few who are close to Ena — as close as
paling. she lets anyone get, that is — report that she's a sad, quietly tragic
figure. They speculate that some tragedy in her past turned her
Conversions life onto its present course (they keep such speculations to them-
selves, of course . . .).
Contemporary — Replace Blowpipe, Shortsword and Cross- Over the past two years, something has happened to Ella: she's
bow with Guns-16.
started to doubt. She operates with the same cool, clinical effi-
Near Future — Same as above. Install small retractable razor ciency as ever, but she's started to think about the consequences
claws with a poison reservoir.
of her actions — something that she's never done before. Some
Space — Replace Blowpipe, Shortsword and Crossbow with observers think this will be her downfall in the long run: either
Guns (Needler)-16.
she'll be paralyzed by self-doubt at a crucial moment, or she'll
take her own life out of guilt. Last month, the underworld rumor-
Story mill claims, Ella Morgana did something that she's never done
Ea Morgana is growing old: not in body — she's still in her before in her professional life: she asked a client why a target had
30s — but in her mind and soul. She's starting to doubt the deci- to die . . .
sions she made when she was young, and those doubts are start-
ing to destroy her sleep and her peace of mind. Quotes
For the last decade or more, Ea — known professionally as
"As soon as we agree to the contract, the target's dead. He
"Smoke" because she can find her way into the most tightly-
might not know it for a while, though."
sealed building — has been building her reputation as one of the
"Trust me — accounts receivable are never a problem . . ."
fmest freelance assassins. Certainly, there are some operatives
"It angers me that you allowed this to become necessary. I
who — objectively speaking — have better skills: they're better at hate waste."
roofwork, perhaps, or they have more of a talent for poison or
disguise. But all of these have restrictions on the type of job
they'll take: they won't kill women, for example, or they'll only
Adventure Seeds
accept targets who are "unbelievers" according to their religious ♦ Somebody finds the continued existence of the PCs to be of-
code. Throughout her career, Smoke has had no such constraints. fensive, and is willing to pay to end that offense. The operative
Anyone is fair game — anyone. The only jobs she won't accept are selected for the job is Ena Morgana. If the PCs are very lucky,
those that she realistically considers impossible . . . and there they can find out who's taken the contract, and take some kind
aren't many of those. She is frighteningly innovative, and never of precautions . . .
sticks with a familiar modus operandi. She's an expert at poison, ♦ In response to the assassination of a friend, a powerful lord has
boobytraps, disguise, ranged weapons — all the tricks of the trade. hired the entire assassin "community" to hunt down and kill
Nobody knows where Smoke came from and what her back- the guilty party, Ella Morgana, a.k.a. Smoke. For the first time
ground is . . . or even if Ea Morgana is her real name. She in her life, Ena is on the wrong end of a contract, and realizes
actively discourages curiosity about her past; in fact, one of the she needs help. And that's where the PCs come in . . .
BANDIT
ST: 13 IQ: 10 Speed: 5.75
DX: 12 HT: 11 Move: 3
Dodge: 3 Parry: (Broadsword) 8
Chainmail armor (PD 3, DR 4); medium encumbrance.
Point Total: 100

Advantages
Alertness +2; Combat Reflexes.

Disadvantages
Bad Temper; Minor Delusion (He's actually fighting for a
cause); Reputation -2 (To everyone, all the time: a terrorist, not a
freedom fighter).

Quirks
Arrogant when he's in a position of strength; Insists on being
called "General"; Refuses to admit he's merely a bandit.

Skills
Area Knowledge-11; Bow-10; Broadsword-14; Camouflage-
10; First Aid-10; Leadership-10; Riding (Horse)-12; Running-12;
Stealth-13; Survival (Forest)-11; Tactics-11; Tracking-11.
Gloriath Szu Age: 27
Weapons
Thrusting Broadsword: 2d cutting, 1d+2 impaling; Longbow:
1d+2 impaling. It didn't take long for most of the People's Resistance Army to
recognize that democracy wasn't such a bad thing after all, and
Conversions that the nation was doing much better under the new system than
Contemporary — Bandits appear in any era. Replace Bow, it ever had before. They gave up their fight, and reintegrated
Broadsword and Riding with Driving (Car)-12, Interrogation-10 themselves into society.
and Guns (Rifle)-14. Not Gloriath. He enjoyed his new purpose in life: raiding car-
Near Future — Same as above. avans, attacking small towns, etc. He'd always enjoyed wreaking
Space — Szu leads a crew of bandits — "freedom fighters" — on destruction against outmatched enemies, and now he had a per-
a planet freshly occupied by an alien race. Same conversions as fect justification for doing so. He doesn't recognize the fact — or,
above, but add Beam Weapons-14 and change Guns (Rifle) to at least, won't admit — that he's crossed the line from politically-
Guns (Needier). motivated freedom fighter to simple bandit. He still runs his band
like a military unit, but seems blind to the fact that his "troops"
Story are actually sociopaths and murderers.
Gloriath Szu will deny to his last breath that he's a simple Quotes
bandit. He's a freedom fighter, he'll explain at length, striving to
free his people from the oppressive regime put in place by invad- "Bandits do what they do for personal gain, my friend. We
fight to free our land from the oppressors."
ers. Unfortunately, the distinction — bandit or freedom fighter — is
all too often moot for his victims. "The people? They're sheep — they don't even know how
they're oppressed."
Several years ago, Szu's nation was invaded, its dictator over-
"Before you say something you might regret, let me remind
thrown and replaced by a democratically elected House of Repre-
you — it's my sword at your throat .. ."
sentatives, following the political model of the invaders' land.
The vast majority of the population felt the invaders had actually Adventure Seeds
freed them from the yoke of a malevolent dictator, for the first
♦ From outside the nation, the PCs have heard about "General
time giving them some control over their own lives.
No situation or change satisfies everyone. There were those Szu" and his glorious "People's Resistance Army," fighting
against great odds to free their nation from the oppressive
who'd done well under the old regime and resented the fact that
yoke of the invader. So noble does this cause sound that they
"outsiders" had replaced the system with something alien. Some
travel to Szu's camp to join his forces. When they start to
members of the disbanded army, including Gloriath Szu, took to
the mountains surrounding the capitol, and formed the People's realize just what Szu really is, it might be too late to withdraw
gracefully . . .
Resistance Army. These soldiers dedicated themselves to making
the nation ungovernable for the invaders, hoping that they'd ♦ For the first time, Szu's predations are actually having an ef-
eventually withdraw their "puppet government" and go back fect on the government. The PCs are hired to track down the
where they came from. so-called freedom fighter and put an end to his career.
BARBARIAN
ST: 13 IQ: 10 Speed: 5.75
DX: 13 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: 7
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Animal Empathy; Luck.

Disadvantages
Compulsive Carousing; Odious Personal Habit (Makes a lot of
noise when he eats with his hands); Primitive -1.

Quirks
Can't understand the advisability of bathing; Considers fine
clothing, art, etc., to be foppish; Treats wizards with mixed fear
and loathing.

Skills
Animal Handling-13; Area Knowledge (Local forest)-11;
Brawling-15; Carousing-12; Cooking-10; Fishing-11; Riding
(Horse)-17; Running-12; Survival (Forest)-11; Tracking-10; Two- Morgon Age: 22
Handed Axe/Mace-14.

Weapons ment. They talked about it — or, worse, they brought in officials of
Great Axe: 2d+2 cutting. some kind, and then they talked about it — even if the situation
was obviously a blood-insult. What's so great about a civilization
Conversions that hasn't learned the simple truth: death-duels clean the blood-
line, breeding out of the population those who break the unwrit-
Contemporary — It would be a real stretch, but Morgon could
ten laws of honor and politeness? In one day in the city, Morgon
come from some "lost" tribe in the depths of the Amazon jungle.
encounters more rude and arrogant cretins than he ever knew at
Remove Riding, and replace his Two-Handed Axe/Mace with
home — people who probably wouldn't last a week with the Bear-
Spear-14. Illiteracy becomes a disadvantage.
claw Clan before someone beat some politeness into their skulls
Near Future — Morgon would be completely out of his element
with a club.
in a high-society corporate lifestyle. Replace Two-Handed
Of course, Morgon has met people he likes and respects -
Axe/Mace with Guns (Pistol)-14. Illiteracy is a disadvantage.
usually through a friendly, companionable fist fight in some tav-
Space — Morgon could easily come from a low-tech world,
ern. He's also discovered the wonders of distilled liquor — an art
perhaps colonized by aliens, or maybe isolated and forgotten for
unknown to the Bearclaw Clan. Maybe it's just a matter of time
generations. Illiteracy is a disadvantage.
before he gets the hang of this civilization stuff after all . . .
Story
Quotes
Even after three years, Morgon of the Bearclaw Clan isn't sure
"That money's for ale. Why spend it on foppish cloth?"
he understands what's so great about civilization. Granted, he
"What did you say about my clan?"
decided fairly young that the life of his forefathers wasn't enough
"Nine city guards? That's four each. Whoever's done first gets
for him, and he left home to make his own way in the world.
the last one."
Granted, too, the big city fascinated him the first time he saw it:
more people clustered in one place than he even knew existed in
the world. Dazzled by the lights and the sounds, he decided that Adventure Seeds
here was where his future lay. ♦ Morgon really stepped over the line this time. He's been ar-
Today, he still has second thoughts about his decision. Life was rested and tossed in jail . . . along with his "accomplices" -
so much simpler in the Ironspine Mountains — less exciting, but actually the PCs, who happened to pick the wrong tavern for a
also much less complex. Take this money nonsense, for example. quiet drink.
At home, when someone had something you wanted, you bartered ♦ Morgon decides to show his new friends "how real men live,"
for it (or just took it; but that's another matter). In the city, people and takes them on an expedition to the Ironspine Mountains.
paid for everything with little bits of metal, and wouldn't even Unfortunately he's forgotten the Bearclaw Clan's normal reac-
look at the wolf pelts and other trade goods Morgon had brought tion to strangers — outright hostility — and the fact that he left
with him. without his clan chieftain's permission makes him officially a
And the way the decadent southerners handled a disagree- stranger, too . . .
BA RD
ST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.75
DX: 14 HT: 9 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Parry: 6
Light leather armor (PD 1, DR 1); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 110

Advantages
Charisma +2; Literacy; Reputation +2 (To other musicians).

Disadvantages
Laziness; Lecherousness; Reputation -2 (To bartenders).

Quirks
Doesn't pay his bill if he can help it; Enjoys fine wines; Hates
getting dirty; Loves redheads.

Skills
Area Knowledge-13; Bard-16; Carousing-10; Fast-Talk-14;
Lockpicking-12; Musical Instrument (Lute)-14; Performance-13;
Savoir-Faire-13; Sex Appeal-14; Shortsword-13; Singing-14.
Darin Mornstar Age: 33
Weapons
Shortsword: 1d cutting, 1d-2 impaling.
like violence — partially because he's not good at it, but mostly
Conversions because he thinks it's a stupid way of settling an issue.
Contemporary — Darin is a flagging pop star, resting on his Darin Mornstar is known throughout the land for two major
fading laurels. Remove Shortsword. Literacy is no longer an ad- things. Many musicians and music-lovers recognize his skill, and
vantage. revere him for it. Even more innkeepers and bartenders recognize
the fact that they'd better get money up front from Mornstar if
Near Future — Replace Shortsword with Guns (Pistol)-15.
they don't want to subsidize his carousing.
Space — Replace Shortsword with Beam Weapons (Blaster)-15.

Story Quotes
Darin Momstar is a silver-tongued conniver if there ever was "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it is said, and yours
one. A highly skilled entertainer, his expertise with the lute and would dazzle the eye of the mightiest god . ."
hautbois is excelled only by his proficiency with the ladies. "Let us reason together. Surely an hour of my performance in
Mornstar has a high — and not always misplaced — opinion of your common room would recompense you for a night's lodging
his skills. Over the years, he's entertained at the palaces of vari- . . . Oh, all right, two hours."
"Come, surely two . . . intelligent gentlemen like your-
ous kings and lords. Unfortunately, he often had to leave one step
selves realize that we can settle this without resorting to brutish
ahead of the guards when his host found out about the "liberties"
the bard had taken with the lord's daughter, wife, serving girls, violence . . ."
and any other woman who wasn't locked in a chastity belt. (To be
honest, even a chastity belt might not stop Mornstar: before he Adventure Seeds
took to the bardic trade, he apprenticed himself to a locksmith, ♦ Darin's really done it this time. He's offended the wrong lord
and the skills he learned haven't faded.) and his life is officially forfeit. He needs protection, and he
Darin was born into what today would be called an upper-mid- sees potential defenders in a group of hard-bitten warriors that
dle-class household. Conflict with his father soon drove him cross his path — the PCs. If he ingratiates himself with them,
away, but not before he'd picked up enough of upper-class social acts like they're his closest friends, maybe the lord's men will
mores and philosophy to let him move comfortably through the think twice about coming after him. Of course, now he has to
upper strata of society. He discovered his talent young, but it walk a very fine line: associate himself with the PCs in the
wasn't until the young man was almost 20 that he found the eyes of all observers, without ticking the adventurers off so
discipline to school his natural abilities. To this day, this lack of much that they want him dead . . .
application is one of Darin's greatest flaws. He's basically lazy - ♦ Various women who Darin has encountered during his travels
except in bed — and only devotes himself to his craft to the extent are showing up at the inn where he's staying. It seems that
that it "beats working." some "friend" has told them that Darin wants to marry them.
Although his ethics are somewhat "situational," Darin isn't a He can sweet-talk one or two of them, but when 12 show up,
bad sort, and rarely expresses malice toward anyone. He doesn't he turns to the PCs for help.
BARMAID
ST: 9 IQ: 13 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 65

Advantages
Appearance (Attractive); Literacy; Mathematical Ability;
Voice.

Disadvantage
Impulsiveness.

Quirks
Flirts; Listens in on every conversation.

Skills
Administration-12; Area Knowledge-14; Carousing-10; Fast-
Talk-12; Knife-12; Knife Throwing-12; Mathematics-17; Mer-
chant-13; Sex Appeal-13.
Lara Age: 24
Weapons
Large Knife: 1d-3 cutting, 1d-2 impaling. sum of money stashed away which she's saved from her pay. To
interest her, an opportunity has to have a moderate down-side,
Conversions and an exceedingly attractive up-side.
Contemporary — Literacy is no longer an advantage. No other Like most barmaids, Lara has learned a few skills to protect
changes. herself. She's quite good with a knife, and she's very fast on her
Near Future — In a dark-future setting, a girl has to be able to feet. In most cases, however, she's capable of talking her way out
take care of herself. Add Streetwise-13, Computer Operation-13 of trouble. She is literate (surprising!), and has natural mathemat-
and Guns (Pistol)-12. ical aptitude.
Space — Lara might well work in a tavern in a space station.
Same conversions as above. Quotes
"Eavesdropping, your lordship? Why, I'd never understand
Story anything such intelligent men as you would ever talk about .. ."
Lara is beautiful, nobody can deny it, and she has the kind of "Tell me again about how you made all your gold. I'm so
voice that can coax the hardest-hearted merchant into leaving a impressed by intelligent men . . ."
big tip. While most of her barmaid colleagues have dreams of "If you think I ever wanted to do anything with you but talk,
marrying a rich customer, Lara has more ambition than that; she you're sadly mistaken."
wants to start her own business. She hasn't quite decided what
that business should be yet — maybe her own tavern or inn, or Adventure Seeds
maybe a high-class guest house — but she's learning what she ♦ Lara's in a spot of trouble. She got involved with an "invest-
figures she needs to know to make a success of it. Much of her ment opportunity" that's gone really wrong. Two of her erst-
learning comes simply from watching and listening — observing while partners are already dead, and somebody is scouring the
how her boss handles things, and listening in when she can on the city for anyone else who was involved in the deal. Unless she
conversations of bar patrons. From time to time, she'll strike up a gets help soon, she's quite likely to end up with her pretty
conversation with someone whom she thinks can really help her. throat slashed. Now, who could she turn to for help . . .?
(There' ve been many merchants who felt carnal anticipation
when the beautiful Lara showed interest in them, only to be heart- ♦ The PCs have adjourned to a bar to discuss their upcoming
ily disappointed when she picked their brains and left . . .) "business venture." Not expecting the barmaid to understand
By nature an honest woman, Lara nevertheless is smart the significance of their discussion, they don't keep their
enough to know that the only way to make the money she needs voices down. To their surprise, they see the barmaid's eyes
is through a "killing." (To quote a merchant she once overheard, widen in obvious understanding . . .
"You don't get rich through cash flow.") She doesn't want to do ♦ The PCs are on the run in a strange town, and they need some
anything overtly illegal — so she's not going to turn to prostitution help . . . now Who do they turn to? One remembers the bar-
and petty larceny like some of her colleagues — but she's defi- maid who'd seemed so interested in their conversation the
nitely on the lookout for some kind of "gray" investment oppor- night before. When they speak to the barmaid, she agrees to
tunity. If such an opportunity does turn up, she has a surprising help them out . . . but it's going to cost them . . .
BARTENDER
ST: 12 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.5
DX: 10 HT: 12 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: 4
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 70

Advantages
Literacy; Reputation +2 (To all in the town: tough guy).

Disadvantages
Appearance (Unattractive); Cowardice; Overweight.

Quirks
Constantly polishes the bar; Great listener; Loves to read;
Tries to be tough.

Skills
Area Knowledge-11; Brawling-9; Broadsword-8; History-12;
Intimidation-12; Knife-9; Professional Skill (Bartending)-13;
Psychology-13; Streetwise-11.

Weapons Big Solly Age: 36

Bat: 1d+3 crushing.

Conversions is: how many would-be robbers he's strangled, how many skulls
Contemporary — Big Solly won't change too much over the he's cracked in barroom brawls, etc.
ages. Replace Knife with Driving (Car)-12. Literacy is no longer He's been quite successful. Today, everyone who knows him
an advantage. believes him to be absolutely lethal, and so won't mess with him.
Near Future — Depending on what bar Big Solly works in, he People who don't know him are usually dissuaded from causing
may be packing a gun (not that he's very good with it . . .). Re- trouble by his sheer size and apparent brawn.
place Knife with Guns (Pistol)-10 and Driving (Car)-12. Literacy As it turns out, Big Solly is more of a lover than a fighter. He's
is no longer an advantage. also something of an intellectual — although he's very careful
Space — What' s a space adventure without a seedy tavern filled about whom he'll admit this to, of course. He's literate and sur-
with bizarre aliens, and Big Solly to run it? Replace Knife with prisingly well-read, and has a deep interest in, and a natural talent
Beam Weapons (Blaster)-10, Computer Operation-13 and Xeno- for, history. Furthermore, he's an excellent listener, and has an
logy-12. Literacy is no longer an advantage. instinctive grasp of how people's minds work. (If he'd been born
into another world, he might have become a psychologist or a
counselor.)
Story
Big Solly is, unsurprisingly, big — almost to the point of being
grotesque. He's also an ugly bugger, thanks — in part — to the scars
Quotes
left by a broken bottle that a disgruntled patron tried to shove into "That reminds me of a story."
his eye. This event happened when he was a teenager, waiting "You look like you could use an ear."
tables at his father's establishment. Afterward, Big Solly decided "I don't want to use this bat to get you boys to settle down . . .
that self-preservation required him to learn some ways of defend- but if you insist . . ."
ing himself. He tried to learn brawling, knife-fighting, even the
use of the club — but competence remained just beyond his grasp Adventure Seeds
. . . largely because Big Solly has no "killer instinct," and be- ♦ The PCs are discussing recent events in the city over a couple
cause he's a coward. of tankards of ale. To their surprise, they fmd the hulking
Since that time, Big Solly has taken a different approach to bartender joining in their conversation and voicing a surpris-
self-preservation. He's worked on every aspect of his appearance ingly incisive analysis of what's actually going on.
and mien that he has control over, trying to make himself more ♦ Big Solly's in big trouble. He's got on the wrong side of the
intimidating. (His rationale is simple: if people are too scared to wrong loan shark, and now he knows that hired legbreakers
challenge him, he'll never have to fight, and he'll never get hurt.) will be coming for him. He also knows they won't be put off
He's built up his bulk to fit the image he wants, and he's worked by his reputation. If he wants to avoid having irreparable harm
on turning his voice into a basso profundo growl that would make done to his kneecaps — which would hurt — he's got to get help
a ravenous bear proud. Further, he's spent considerable cash hir- from somewhere. What about that bunch of dusty adventurers
ing people to spread (totally fictional) rumors about how tough he who've been hanging around over the last couple of days . . .?
BLACKSMITH
ST: 13 IQ: 10 Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Parry: (Axe) 6
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 90

Advantages
DR +1; Extended Lifespan; Extra Encumbrance; Extra Fa-
tigue +2; Longevity; Rapid Healing; Reputation +2 (To all: the
best blacksmith in the village).

Disadvantages
Greed; Impulsiveness; Miserliness; Odious Personal Habit
(Composes horrifying poetry out loud); Reduced Move -1.

Quirks
Loves Dwarven poetry; Considers himself an artist; Never
shaves beard; Suspicious of Elves and Goblins.

Skills
Area Knowledge-11; Armoury-13; Axe/Mace-12; B lack-
smith-17 ; Geology-10; Merchant-12; Metallurgy-10; Poetry-9;
Woodworking-14.
Drungar Axbrow Age: 29
Languages
Dwarven-14; One other relevant to the adventure, at level 12.
many. He puts a little extra effort into every item he creates, from
Weapons simple nails to complex suits of armor. He winces at the thought
Axe: 2d+1 cutting. of his pieces actually being used for work, and flies into a rage
when a broken tool is brought back to be repaired. Many villagers
Conversions have given up trying to stop him from rooting through their tool
sheds to ensure that the tools are being cared for properly.
Contemporary — Unless fantasy races exist, he'll be human.
Drungar is extremely fond of Dwarven poetry and has an ex-
Reduce strength to 11 and remove Toughness. Specialize Armoury
tensive collection memorized. He is even trying to compose a
to Armoury (Guns). Replace Axe/Mace with Guns (Pistol)-12.
Near Future — Same as above. Add Streetwise-12. little of his own. A lucky villager exposed to a reading described
Space — Same as above. Add Armoury (Beam Weapons). it as a horrifying mixture of gruff grunts and kind words to rocks
— no simple thing to stomach.
Drungar doesn't entirely share his race's fear of magic. He feels
Story that if the addition of magic can add to the excellence of a piece,
The Dwarven realms generate great numbers of blacksmiths. then it should be used. He has commissioned a village mage to
If a Dwarf isn't a blacksmith, he's either crazy or a miner, or both. help him create pieces with even greater durability and utility.
Drungar Axbrow understood that the competition was too fierce
for an up-and-coming blacksmith to gain the recognition he de- Quotes
served. Instead of trying to prove his worth there, he decided to
"That wouldn't be a dent in my — I mean your — breastplate,
travel to a place that could use and appreciate his work . . . the
would it?"
human lands. The small village of Garder seemed like the perfect
"This piece is called 'The Love of a Miner' — hey, come
location for his trade, as he was greeted with enthusiasm by vil- back!"
lagers all too happy to have a real Dwarven blacksmith operating
in their town. "Of course the price is high. You get what you pay for."
Drungar's shop prospered, and he gained a reputation as a
blacksmith without peer. As his skills improved, he became more Adventure Seeds
reluctant to part with his goods, for he felt that he was parting ♦ A peasant has broken his scythe and needs Drungar to repair it.
with a piece of himself with each sale. To solve this, he set the For fear of personal harm, he asks the PCs to take it in for him.
prices exorbitantly high, to dissuade people from buying. People ♦ Chances are that Drungar's prices for weapons and armor are
still bought his goods, however; they understood that they were a little steep for the PCs to afford. So he is willing to lower his
paying for quality and Drungar's bruised ego. prices if the party will fmd him some current Dwarven poetry
Drungar considers himself an artist — a feeling shared by — preferably fresh from a Dwarven stronghold.
CITY GUARDSMAN
ST: 13 IQ: 9 Speed: 5.75
DX: 12 HT: 11 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Parry: 6 Block: 6
Chainmail armor (PD 3, DR 4); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 50

Advantages
Alertness +2; Legal Enforcement Powers.

Disadvantages
Duty (City Guard); Honesty; Minor Delusion (Better than
commoners).

Quirks
Arrogant; Loves job; Rude to commoners.

Skills
Area Knowledge-11; Brawling-13; Broadsword-13; Buckler-
12; Crossbow-12; Law-9; Savoir-Faire-9; Sling-12.

Weapons
Thrusting Broadsword: 2d cutting, 1d+2 impaling; Crossbow:
d+4 impaling.
Gundar Age: 28
Conversions became highly skilled with the sling and the staff sling, even
Contemporary — Gundar will be a police officer. Replace though he's not been officially trained in them by the guard.
Broadsword, Crossbow, Sling and Buckler with Guns (Pistol)-15 Gundar believes that he has a natural skill at "talking people
and Guns (Rifle)-15. Add First Aid-11 and Criminology-10. down" — persuading people not to start trouble. In fact, in all the
Near Future — Same conversions as above. Add Streetwise-11. cases where he's tried this, the only thing that convinced people
Space — Replace fantasy weapon skills with Beam Weapons- not to mess with him was the fact that he was wearing the livery
15. Add Criminology-10 and Computer Operation-11. of the city guard. Gundar's "reasonable" manner is actually
highly arrogant and insulting. If he ever tries to talk people down
Story when he's not wearing his uniform, he's probably going to be in
Gundar isn't what you'd call a likeable fellow, but in his job for an unpleasant shock.
that's no disadvantage. A large man, he tries to pretend — to him-
self and everyone else — that his considerable bulk is all muscle. Quotes
Unfortunately, that hasn't been true since his early 20s. "Tell it to the Magistrate."
Gundar has a strange belief structure about his place in the "Did I tell you to move?"
hierarchy of the city that it's his responsibility to guard. He con- ". .. So if you're innocent, then you won't mind coming down
siders himself to belong to a much higher social stratum than the and answering some questions."
"commoners" who fill the streets, simply because he's hired by
the city and because he sometimes performs duties assigned di- Adventure Seeds
rectly by members of the nobility. What he doesn't know (or ♦ The PCs have been told — accurately — that the city guards are
won't admit to himself) is that the nobles consider him no better generally very open to "voluntary donations" (i.e., bribery).
than the commoners he despises — because, of course, he is a How unfortunate that they attempted to grease the palm of
commoner by birth. He assumes that all nobles are doing things Gundar, about the only guard who isn't open to corruption . . .
from noble motives and that they're always telling the truth. Even
though he's incorruptible — since that's how he thinks "non- ♦ When the visiting PCs first encountered Gundar, he mistook
commoners" like him should be — he's very easy for nobles to their foreign style of dress for the clothing of nobility. He soon
manipulate. Conversely, he automatically discounts anything that realizes his mistake — that the PCs are nothing but commoners
a "commoner" tells him — since all those scum are liars, aren't — and if there's one thing Gundar hates more than making a
they? — and definitely won't listen to anyone making accusations mistake, it's making a mistake in such a way that commoners
against a noble. know that he blew it . . .
Most of Gundar's weapon and combat skills come from the ♦ A city noble, who has a grudge against the PCs, has told
standard training provided to all guards. However, as a boy Gun- Gundar that they're guilty of some fictional crime. And
dar had to defend his farming family's sheep from wolves, and so Gundar never doubts the word of a noble . . .
CON MAN
ST: 9 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 90

Advantages
Charisma +3; Literacy; Luck; Voice.

Disadvantages
Enemies (All the people he's taken money from, on 9 or less);
Greed; Weak Will -1.

Quirks
Constantly on the road; Prefers telling an interesting lie to
telling a boring truth; Thinks of himself as a ladies' man.

Skills
Acting-14; Bard-17; Carousing-11; Detect Lies-13; Diploma-
cy-13; Fast-Talk-15; Holdout-12; Knife-12; Merchant-12; Perfor-
mance-13; Pickpocket-12; Psychology-11; Sex Appeal-13;
Sleight of Hand-11. Rufus Garland Age: 35
Weapons
Small Knife: 1d-4 cutting, 1d-3 impaling. tain"), and other such grandiose schemes. He's also a dab hand at
cheating widows out of their homes, youths out of their inheri-
Conversions tances, and maidens out of their honor.
Contemporary — Rufus might well try to sell the PCs a bridge He has an unerring people sense, and an excellent sense of
or a little swampland. Remove Knife. Literacy is no longer an timing, always knowing the right moment to hit the road again.
advantage. Once in a while, he encounters another rogue following a similar
Near Future — Rufus sells shoddy cyberware to desperate career path. Rufus will usually set aside all his other scams to
customers who need to be "cool." Replace Knife with Guns (Pis- concentrate entirely on "hustling the hustler."
tol)-10. Literacy is no longer an advantage. If Garland has any ethical or moral qualms about his lifestyle
Space — Replace Knife with Xenology-11 and Beam Weap- whatsoever, they have yet to surface.
ons-10. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
Quotes
Story "You treat a simple traveling businessman so shabbily? Where
is your honor?"
A rogue and the son of a rogue, Rufus Garland can't imagine
a life he'd enjoy more than the one he's living. It's an exciting "For a minimal initial investment, I can guarantee you partic-
existence, after all: traveling, seeing what the world has to offer, ipation in a scheme that'll net you . . . well, more money than you
meeting interesting people, getting to know them . . . and taking can imagine."
their money in the most efficient manner possible. "Hey, now, remember what I told you up front? No business
venture is ever guaranteed . . ."
Early in his career, Rufus followed his father's example, split-
ting his time between burglary, sneak theft and pickpocketing. In
his teens, however, he realized this simply wasn't using his gods- Adventure Seeds
given talents to their true potential. With his guileless face and ♦ Rufus has contrived the most complex, attractive and poten-
manner, and his ability to paint detailed pictures with words, he'd tially lucrative scam of his career, through which he intends to
always been able to convince people of just about anything (as fleece an entire village out of its collective savings. And, while
many farmers' daughters and merchants' wives found out to their he's at it, why not clean out that affluent-looking group of
eventual detriment). If he honed these talents, he realized, he adventurers staying at the village inn as well?
could make much more money — with much less personal risk - ♦ It had to happen eventually: one of Garland's elaborate con
than he ever could as a cutpurse and second-story man. games has collapsed around him. Fortunately for the rogue, he
Today, Rufus Garland makes a very comfortable living selling took precautions: thanks to his machinations, it looks as
"lush, well-irrigated farmland" (translation: "the only thing you though he's as much a victim as the real victims . . . And it
can grow there is rocks, and then only at low tide"), shares in looks like the real criminals are the PCs. Now the entire town
"potential Dwarven gold mines" (translation: "a nearby moun- is after the adventurers . . .
CUT PURSE
ST: 11 IQ: 10 Speed: 5.5
DX: 13 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: 6
Light leather armor (PD 1, DR 1); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Danger Sense; Literacy; Night Vision; Reputation +2 (To un-
derworld: great thief).

Disadvantage
Code of Honor (Only steal from those who can afford it).

Quirks
Always keeps an eye out for prospective "clients"; Constantly
reciting tales about his idol, Almar Kesher.

Skills
Acrobatics-13; Area Knowledge-10; Escape-13; Fast-Talk-10;
Jeweler-9; Jumping-14; Knife-13; Knife Throwing-13; Lockpick-
ing -11 ; Pickpocket-14; Shortsword- 13 ; Sleight of Hand-12;
Stealth-14.

Weapons
Large Knife: 1d-1 cutting, 1d-1 impaling; Shortsword: 1d+1 Djonus Laczimakr Age: 28
cutting, 1d-1 impaling.

Conversions So far, Djonus Laczimakr has remained independent, staying

one quick jump ahead of the organized thieves' guilds that want
Contemporary — Jumpy is a rich kid rebelling against his
to recruit him . . . or eliminate him. As his fame in the underworld
parents' morality — and trying to get their attention — by stealing.
spreads — in some circles his skill is said to approach that of
The fact that he's really good at it doesn't hurt. Remove all
Almar Kesher himself — that's becoming more and more difficult.
weapon skills. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
In general, Jumpy picks as targets only those who can afford to
Near Future — Replace all weapon skills with Guns (Pistol)-14.
lose what he intends to take. It's only good business, he explains:
Space — Remove Shortsword, but keep Knife skill.
if you don't totally wipe them out, you can come back next year
and rob them again.
Story
Djonus Laczimakr — "Jumpy" to his friends, for no readily Quotes
discernible reason — is a man with a talent. Unfortunately for him,
"When I don't know which way to turn, I always ask myself,
it's a talent the law and respectable society tend to frown upon.
`What would Almar Kesher do?' "
Unlike most professional thieves, Jumpy didn't get into his
" . . . The city watch thought they had Almar Kesher dead to
present trade — "become stooled to the rogue" — because his
rights. But when they turned round they found he'd escaped . . .
family was dirt-poor and he was raised on the streets. No, his
and he'd stolen their bootlaces."
family was firmly ensconced in the middle class, in a relatively
"The first step in learning is recognizing that you need to
large city. His father was a goldsmith of some reputation, and
learn . . ."
trained his son from an early age to follow in his footsteps. While
Jumpy was fascinated with the gold and other precious metals his Adventure Seeds
father dealt with, he much preferred playing with them to actually
working with them. ♦ The PCs need a skilled thief to help them with a particular
In his early teens, he entered a phase of petty thefts and shop- enterprise. The grapevine tells them that Djonus Laczimakr is
lifting, like that passed through by most adolescents. What set their man . . . but can they interest him in their proposition?
Jumpy apart from his fellows was that he turned out to be really ♦ Jumpy doesn't like working with accomplices . . . for good
good at stealing — he never got caught — and he never outgrew it. reason. The last time he tried it, the accomplice took off with
He heard some old folk tales about Almar Kesher — a semi-myth- the ill-gotten goods — a particularly nice jeweled pendant.
ical thief said to be capable of stealing anything from anyone - Now both Jumpy and the pendant's rightful owner are after the
and that decided his future path. He gave up his old life as boring accomplice . . . who has decided that his life is more important
(albeit comfortable), and started making a living for himself with than any loot, and has dumped the swag in the backpack of one
his natural talents. of the PCs . . .
DEMON
ST: 20 IQ: 17 Speed: 8
DX: 17 HT: 15/30 Move: 8
Dodge: 9 Parry: (Brawling) 10
PD 2, DR 3; no encumbrance.
Attack: Claws: 3d+4 cutting.

Point Total: 675

Advantages
Charisma +2; Combat Reflexes; Extra Hit Points +15; Liter-
acy; Magery 3; Strong Will +4; Toughness +2.

Disadvantages Malefactus
Appearance (Ugly); Bad Temper; Impulsiveness; Sadism.
Age: Unknown
Quirks mires the demon who cut the deal with Faust, and feels like a
Chews on the end of his tail when he's stressed; Clicks his kindred spirit (so to speak). Instead of wreaking sheer, simple-
3"-long claws together incessantly; Spits boiling blood when minded destruction on his victims, Malefactus much prefers ma-
he's angry. nipulating them, making them the agents of their own destruction.
(How much more satisfying it is to see the horrible realization
Skills cross a paladin's face when he comprehends — an instant before his
Acting-16; Brawling-18; Broadsword-19; Carousing-15; Di- death — that he's betrayed everything he ever swore to protect.)
plomacy-16; Disguise-16; Economics-15; Fast-Talk-20; Gam- He's highly intelligent, and has several centuries of experience at
bling-16; History-18; Interrogation-17; Intimidation-17; Jump- orchestrating intense unpleasantness from behind the scenes.
ing-18; Literature-16; Merchant-16; Occultism-18; Psychology- Not that Malefactus is totally peaceable — he is a demon, after
19; Rune-Lore-15; Stealth-17; Theology-17; Tracking-17. all, with a demon's temper. If driven into a rage, he's quite likely
Spells: Alter Body-18; Alter Visage-18; Breathe Fire-20; to destroy an entire village before he regains control.
Cold-18; Complex Illusion-18; Counterspell-18; Create Fire-18; The demon has a strong aesthetic sense: he knows what he
Curse-Missile-18; Deathtouch-18; Extinguish Fire-18; Fear-18; finds beautiful in art and music. Of course, his opinions are totally
Flame Jet-18; Heat-18; Ignite Fire-18; Itch-18; Pain-18; Paralyze his own, and few mortals would agree with them. (For example,
Limb-18; Perfect Illusion-18; Persuasion-18; Reflect-18; Resist who but Malefactus would think a Monet-style landscape could
Fire-18; Sense Emotion-18; Sense Foes-18; Shape Fire-18; Sim- be improved by the addition of a disemboweled rat?)
ple Illusion-18; Sound-18; Spasm-18; Stun-18; Total Paralysis- Malefactus prides himself on his fairness. When he's made a
18; Ward-18; Wither Limb-18. deal, he'll stick to his side of it to the letter. (Of course, what the
deal actually specifies and what the mortal signatory thinks it
Conversions specifies are usually two very different things . . .)
Contemporary — Pity the characters in a horror campaign who
have to "deal" with Malefactus. No changes. Quotes
Near Future — In a "crossover" cyberpunk campaign that in- "Violence is the last resort of the incompetent, wouldn't you
cludes magic, he could be extremely effective. Add Computer say?"
Operation-17 and Guns (Pistol)-18. "Don't cross me, my friend. The consequences would be . . .
Space — Whether Malefactus is actually a demon or an alien unpleasant. And of very long duration . . ."
with the same powers, the effect is the same — a sly, malevolent, "I am not angry. You do not want to make me angry."
killing machine. Add Computer Operation-17 and Beam Weap- "Let me propose a deal."
ons (Blaster)-18.
Adventure Seeds
Story ♦ Someone has cut a deal with Malefactus, and has only recently
Malefactus enjoys his "job" — spreading pain and suffering realized exactly what the down-side of the bargain is. Now
throughout the universe, and corrupting as many noble and well- he's come to the PCs to help him break his contract. Of course,
intentioned souls as he can — and he's good at it. so as not to scare the PCs off, he hasn't told them the true
Many of his demonic colleagues satisfy their urgings through nature of the contract's other signatory . . .
direct action: simply running amok in the world of the living, ♦ Malefactus has noticed the PCs' existence (perhaps because
destroying and slaying in an orgy of malevolence, then returning they interfered with one of his earlier schemes). Now he's
to the Nether Realms with half a dozen souls. Malefactus scorns decided that it's time they received their comeuppance. His
demons who act that way. Where's the intellectual and artistic plan will take a long time to come to fruition, but the results -
satisfaction? Where's the true sense of achievement? Where's the the absolute ruination of the PCs, in every sense of the word -
sport? will be more than worth the wait. And after all, this demon has
Malefactus prefers the more subtle approach. He greatly ad- the patience to do things right . . .
DRAGON
ST: 40 IQ: 13 Speed: 7
DX: 13 HT: 15/50 Move: Ground: 6;
Flying: 18
Size: 10 hexes
Natural armor (PD 3, DR 3); no encumbrance.
Attacks: Two Claws: 1d+2 cutting; Bite: 1d+2 impaling;
Flame Attack: 2d-1 Fire Damage.

Point Total: 875

Advantages
Acute Vision +4; Literacy; Longevity; Magery 3; Night Vi-
sion; Shapechanging (Taken from the Morph ability in GURPS
Supers, p. 63); Unusual Background. Skyfrost Dawnseeker Age: 427
Disadvantages
Compulsive Behavior (Restlessness); Secret (Dragon); Social brood-siblings immediately settled down to the traditional task of
Stigma -2 (Outcast). finding a defensible lair and honing their already-considerable
combat abilities, Dawnseeker instead took to the skies. From her
Quirks earliest days she's loved to fly, thrilling to the experience of soar-
Hates enclosed spaces (quirk-level Claustrophobia); Likes ing miles above the earth, hanging on the wind and gazing down
playing with water (large bodies of water); Loves to fly. on the terrestrial world. To this day — even after several centuries
of life — she's never bothered to settle down. She roosts each night
Skills in whatever aerie presents itself — a snow-covered mountain peak,
Area Knowledge-16; Broadsword-15; Climbing-13; Dancing- a desolate moor, or a tiny island. She hunts only to eat, preying
13; Diplomacy-15; Disguise-16; Fishing-14; History-17; Occult- solely on animals. Over the last few decades, she's perfected the
ism-14; Running-15; Survival (Forest)-15; Swimming-15; technique of fishing, plunging into the water like a 300-foot-long
Tracking-14. cormorant to catch sharks and small whales.
Spells: Beast-Soother-16; Breathe Fire-18; Cold-16; Complex Dawn uses her magical abilities to shapechange into human
Illusion-16; Create Fire-16; Extinguish Fire-16; Fear-16; Flame form, recognizing that staying in her true form greatly limits what
Jet-16; Heat-16; Ignite Fire-16; Lend Health-16; Lend Strength- she can learn about the world. (Dragons with 500-foot wingspans
16; Light-16; Major Healing-15; Minor Healing-16; Panic-16; find it hard to chat with adventurers in taverns, for example.) She
Persuasion-16; Resist Fire-16; Sense Emotion-16; Sense Foes- sometimes spends months, or even years, as a human, traveling
16; Sense Life-16; Shape Fire-16; Shield-16; Simple Illusion-16; with adventuring parties or wandering through the streets of a
Sound-16; Terror-16; Truthsayer-16. large city.
She has little contact with other dragons: she thinks them
Languages closed-minded stick-in-the-muds, while they consider her hope-
lessly flighty. She has many human acquaintances who don't
Any four relevant to the adventure, at level 13.
know her true nature, and a handful of true friends who do.
Despite her eccentric world view, Dawn is a dragon and hence
Conversions proud to a fault and sometimes quick to anger.
Contemporary — There aren't too many dragons in most con-
temporary campaigns. If Dawn fits, then add Driving (Car)-14.
Quotes
Near Future — Ditto. Add Driving (Car)-14, Computer Opera-
"As soon judge a book by its cover as a dragon by its scales,
tion-14 and Guns (Pistol)-13.
that's what I always say."
Space — Remove all spells and Magery if there's no magic in
"The higher you climb, the farther you see."
the campaign. Her other capabilities could be due to some alien
"Maybe money can't buy you happiness . . . but it can't buy
racial ability. Add Beam Weapons-14 and Computer Operation-
14. you anything if you just hide it in a cave and lie on it."

Story Adventure Seeds

♦ In human form, Dawn has teamed up with a group of adventur-
Skyfrost Dawnseeker — "Dawn" to her few friends — is in
ers — the PCs. How long will it take them to realize the true
many ways an atypical dragon. She's much less acquisitive and
nature of their new comrade ... and what will they do about it?
territorial than others of her species, believing there's infmitely
more to life than building and defending a hoard. The world's a ♦ The PCs have been hired by a city nobleman to dig up the dirt
big place, and Dawn won't be satisfied until she's seen and expe- on — and maybe even eliminate — a rival with the unlikely
rienced all it's got to offer. name of Dawnseeker. The adventurers quickly realize that the
Like most of her kind, Dawn was driven away by her mother subject of their investigation has some deep, dark secret to
to fend for herself almost immediately after hatching. While her conceal . . .
DRUID
ST: 9 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: 6
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 50

Advantages
Acute Vision +3; Animal Empathy; Appearance (Beautiful).

Disadvantages
Age (53); Fanaticism; Intolerance (Destroyers of nature).

Quirks
Burns only deadfall wood, rarely; Eats only fruit and vegeta-
bles that have fallen naturally; Vegetarian.

Skills
Animal Handling-16; Area Knowledge-15; Cooking-13; Ecol- Kath Morigan Age: 53
ogy-13; Meteorology-13; Naturalist-13; Scrounging-13; Staff-10;
Survival (Forest)-14.
cut out for the "urban" lifestyle. He died of pneumonia within a
Languages year of moving; to this day, Kath thinks it was a broken heart that
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 12. killed him.
With her father dead, Kath Morigan decided civilization -
Weapons such as it was — had nothing to offer her. She left the town, and
Staff: 1d+1 crushing, 1d crushing. traveled alone to remote woods very like those of her childhood.
For the last few decades she's lived there, enjoying her personal
Conversions communion with nature, and reviling the destruction that civiliza-
Contemporary — Kath is an environmentalist reporter trying to tion has wrought on the world.
Although she's told like-minded nature-lovers that one day
protect the ever-shrinking forests. Replace Animal Handling and
she'll take action against the "blight" of cities and towns spread-
Staff with Photography-12 and Writing-14.
Near Future — With the forests nearly gone, it's quite possible ing ever closer to "her" wilderness, nobody really believes her -
maybe not even Kath herself. Over the years, however, her lan-
that Kath has become desperate, and crossed the line to eco-ter-
guage has become steadily more militant. Anyone hearing her
rorism. Replace Animal Handling and Staff with Guns (Rifle)-12
and Demolition-13. speak might think that she's a medieval eco-terrorist working
herself up to do something drastic.
Space — Kath is desperately trying to save an entire world from
She is very protective of her tract of wilderness, and any trav-
being strip-mined of resources. Replace Animal Handling and
elers who misuse it will feel her wrath.
Staff with Computer Operation-13.

Story Quotes
"The world is our mother, and we should respect our mother."
Kath Morigan talks tough — particularly about people she be-
"Animals are my friends. I don't eat my friends."
lieves are misusing nature — but her bark is much worse than her
bite. "So-called civilization is a blight on the face of nature. I
would sacrifice much to see that blight expunged."
Raised in a small farming community that eked out a meager
existence in the rugged foothills of a major mountain range, she
grew up with an almost instinctive understanding of the cycles of Adventure Seeds
nature. She could smell a change in the weather, tell fertile soil ♦ The destroyers are coming! In a replay of her traumatic youth,
from infertile with a single glance, hear the start of the salmon run foresters are coming to log Kath's home. She can't drive them
in the nearby streams . . . She was almost 13 when she realized away, and she recognizes she doesn't have the credibility to
that not everyone could do these things. convince them, or their masters, to change their plans. She
Kath loved her life in the forested foothills, and couldn't imag- needs help, and turns to the PCs.
ine any other existence. But then, when she was 16, the lord who ♦ The PCs have been hired to rid the woods of a "nature-loving
ruled the region decided Kath's woods represented natural re- madwoman," who has reputedly killed in horrid ways many of
sources he couldn't afford to ignore any longer. The foresters the foresters sent in to log the area. (All lies, of course, but the
came, and the trees began to fall. local lord wants the PCs to believe they're on a "noble" quest.)
The Morigan family picked up and moved to the nearby town. If they take the time to talk with the "madwoman," however,
Kath's father tried to make another life for himself, but he wasn't they'll fmd the truth is somewhat different.
GENER AL
ST: 15 IQ: 13 Speed: 6
DX: 13 HT: 11 Move: 6
Dodge: 6 Parry: 9 Block: 8
Light plate armor (PD 4, DR 6); medium shield (PD 3, DR 7);
medium encumbrance.

Point Total: 280

Advantages
Charisma +2; Combat Reflexes; Literacy; Military Rank (Gen-
eral); Reputation +4 (To people in the army).

Disadvantages
Impulsiveness; Stubbornness; Vow (To fight alongside his
men when the battle is going against them).

Skills
Administration-12; Axe/Mace-13; Bow-13; Brawling-14;
Broadsword-17; Fast-Draw (Broadsword)-14; First Aid-13; Intel-
ligence Analysis-13; Leadership-17; Shield-14; Strategy-17; Tac-
tics-15; Two-Handed Sword-15; Writing-13.

Weapons
Magical Broadsword (+2 puissance): 2d+5 cutting, 1d+5 im-
paling

Conversions
Contemporary — Brenn is a general in a western army. Replace
all weapon skills with Guns (Rifle)-17. Literacy is no longer an
advantage.
Near Future — Brenn's genuine concern will be an even greater
rarity in a dark future. Same conversions as above.
Space — Brenn could be fighting a land-based war, or a space
naval conflict. Replace all weapon skills with Beam Weapons
(Laser)-19, Battlesuit-14 and Force Shield-14. Add Computer
Operation-15, Free Fall-14 and Vacc Suit-14.
Brenn Korbin Age: 47
Story
Brenn Korbin is a general on the eastern border of the empire. Brenn can read and loves to do so. Furthermore, he's writing a
This is an area plagued with minor skirmishes against orc ma- book detailing his strategies for the reference of future armies.
rauders. If it weren't for Brenn, the area he protects would long This isn't entirely necessary, since his strategies are already being
ago have fallen to the constant orc attacks. copied by generals on other fronts.
Brenn's record of success rests entirely on his personal bril-
liance. As a strategist, he's without peer. Add to this his morale- Quotes
raising techniques and near-constant training, and the result is an "I have an idea that should turn the tide of this battle . . . but I
incredible fighting force. require a few good men."
Unlike many generals, Brenn truly cares for his men. Most "I call this the inverted-T strategy. It should totally baffle the
evenings he can be found sitting around the fire with his men, ores and lead us to victory."
laughing and sharing stories of past battles. Often he'll bring in "To me, men, to me!"
theatrical troupes to entertain the men and increase morale. When
the battle seems to be going against him, Brenn joins his men on Adventure Seeds
the field — cleaving the enemy with such fervor that his comrades
♦ The PCs have been drafted and sent out to the eastern front.
gain renewed strength from his confidence.
Brenn takes a liking to them and assigns them to lead a secret
Brenn spent much of his life rising through the ranks of the
raid on the ores.
army, and has become highly adept with many weapons. His
fmest weapon is his huge body — well over 61/2 feet tall. Even ♦ The PCs are spies sent to learn some of Brenn's secrets.
though he's in his late 40s, he's in perfect condition, kept that way Brenn's charisma and genuine concern for his troops cause the
through regular strenuous exercise. PCs to question the morality of their orders.
GLADIATOR
ST: 14 IQ: 11 Speed: 5.75
DX: 13 HT: 10 Move: 4
Dodge: 5 Parry: (Broadsword) 8 Block: 8
Scale armor (PD 3, DR 4); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 160

Advantages
Charisma +2; Combat Reflexes; Toughness +1.

Disadvantages
Bloodlust; Enemy (Tristan the Valiant, on a 9 or less).

Quirks
Enjoys watching local theater; Plays to the crowd.

Skills
Acting-13; Area Knowledge-12; Axe/Mace-13; Brawling-13;
Broadsword-15; Fast-Talk-12; Flail-14; Net-13; Performance-12;
Shield-15; Shortsword-14; Spear-14; Tactics-10; Two-Handed
Sword-14.

Weapons
Thrusting Broadsword: 2d+1 cutting, 1d+2 impaling.

Conversions
Contemporary — Hoargen becomes a professional wrestler.
Replace fantasy weapon skills with Professional Skill (Wres-
tling)-13. Hoargen Age: 27
Near Future — Perhaps he could be found in some futuristic
death arena. Add Guns (Pistol)-14 and Chainsaw-13.
Since Hoargen began his career, another man has become a
Space — Same conversions as above. gladiator by choice . . . Tristan the Valiant. Several times they've
clashed in the arena, and Hoargen has humiliated Tristan each
Story time, but has yet to kill him. Perhaps this is because he sees
The life of the average gladiator is short and violent, so it's no Tristan as a kindred soul. Tristan doesn't see it this way, viewing
surprise that most gladiators are forced into the career at sword his defeat as a personal humiliation that must be avenged, either
point. At least fighting for your life is better than having your inside the arena or out . . .
throat slit. So when Hoargen informed the arena master that he
wished to become a gladiator — voluntarily — the grizzled trainer Quotes
could scarcely believe his ears. The arena director was hesitant, "You doubt my skills? Come, let me demonstrate them for
but fmally he gave in and allowed Hoargen to compete. The you. It will give your heirs an interesting tale to tell . ."
decision was a good one, for the arena prospered as people came
"There is no greater glory than to kill a man in a one-on-one
from across the land to see Hoargen the Great defeat yet another battle to the death . . . except perhaps defeating two opponents at
opponent. the same time."
Hoargen has brought a unique style to the arena, one based as "If I kill you on the street, I'm a murderer. If I kill you in the
much on theatrical ability as fighting prowess. His theatrical arena, I'm a hero."
skills came from the years he worked with a traveling theater
troupe, while his ability to fight came from protecting the troupe
Adventure Seeds
from bandits. When he became a gladiator, he only knew how to
fight with the broadsword. After intense training in the arena, he's ♦ The PCs are convicted of some crime (real or imaginary) and
become proficient with the shortsword, net, spear, two-handed put into the gladiator arena. Their first opponents are Hoargen
sword, battle-axe and flail. and Tristan. If they realize Tristan's hatred, they might be able
Hoargen's reason for entering the arena voluntarily is a simple to use this, getting the two professional gladiators to fight each
one: he loves the thrill of combat and the bloodletting, and he other.
loves the fame and glory that goes along with it. So far he's found ♦ Tristan the Valiant has decided once again that Hoargen must
nothing that compares with the adrenaline rush he gets in the die. He overhears the PCs boast about some recent adventure,
arena. Perhaps that's why he does so well. Unlike most of his and explains that he has a little job for them. If they refuse,
opponents, he wants to be there. Tristan will eventually try to kill them, for they know too much.
JONGLEUR
ST: 10 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.7:
DX: 14 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: (Knife) 7
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 80

Advantages
Literacy; Musical Ability +5; Voice.

Disadvantages
Honesty; Reputation -1 (To everyone, all the time: jongleurs
are thieves).

Quirks
Always looking for new songs; Will juggle anything that's no'
bolted down.

Skills
Acrobatics-14; Acting-11; Bard-13; Cooking-11; Dancing-13
Hobby Skill: Juggling-13; Knife-12; Performance-11; Poetry-10
Singing-16; Sleight of Hand-12.

Languages
Any three relevant to the adventure, at level 11.

Weapons Sallea Venn Age: 25

Small Knife: 1d-4 cutting, 1d-3 impaling.
enjoy a certain status. This is balanced by the wide-spread belief
Conversions
that the traveling entertainers are also traveling thieves. (In
Contemporary — Sallea could be a part of a theater company.
Sallea's case this definitely isn't true, but reality rarely has much
Add Driving (Car)-12. Literacy is no longer an advantage. She'd
effect on people's beliefs.) Ambivalence toward Sallea is even
probably no longer carry a knife (although she'd still know how
more pronounced. After all, she's a woman — and an attractive
to use it . . .).
one, at that — and hence not a "real" jongleur. Yet no one can
Near Future — Sallea's skills could land her a career as a Vid
argue that she's not one of the most skilled entertainers traveling
or Music star. Add Computer Operation-12, Driving (Car)-12 and
the roads of the land.
Guns (Pistol)-12. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
Sallea lives an emotionally solitary life. Although she always
Space — Same as above. Add Computer Operation-12 and treats the people around her in a friendly, open manner, she never
Beam Weapons (Blaster)-12. Literacy is no longer an advantage. allows herself to become emotionally attached.
Story Quotes
Sallea Venn is that rarity of rarities, a female jongleur. By "Let the show commence."
tradition, these traveling singers, jugglers and entertainers are "Would you hear a tale of the lands beyond the mountains?"
male, but Sallea never put much stock in tradition. As the daugh- "Will you tell your children you turned away a jongleur who
ter of a minor lordling, she received training in music and poetry entertained at the court of Lord Tibalt?"
and excelled at both. When she was about 15, she realized why
she and her sisters had been taught to sing and play the lute — to
make them more attractive to the rich twits to whom her father
Adventure Seeds
expected to marry them — and she decided that wasn't the life she ♦ There's been a major theft in a small town, and everyone
blames it on the jongleur — Sallea Venn. Unless she can find
wanted. She ran away from home and took to the road.
someone to believe her — and find the real culprit — she's in real
She didn't choose the career of jongleur as much as it chose her.
trouble. In desperation, she turns to a group of travelers stay-
She needed some way of making a living on her travels and
ing at the same inn — the PCs.
quickly found that her singing voice and ability to improvise witty
rhymes could earn her food and lodging at the inns she found ♦ Traditionally, jongleurs are given safe passage, even through
along the way. When she met other traveling entertainers, she war zones. The PCs' mission requires them to travel through a
learned what she could from them, expanding her own repertoire. war zone unscathed. Can they convince Sallea to let them join
Jongleurs are important to society. Often, they're the only her and pretend to be fellow jongleurs? And, if so, can they
source of news from outside the immediate region, and thus they successfully maintain the impersonation?
KNIGHT
ST: 12 IQ: 11 Speed: 5.25
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 1
Dodge: 5 Parry: 6
Light plate armor (PD 4, DR 6); heavy encumbrance.

Point Total: 25

Advantages
Reputation +4 (To everyone, all the time: the great knight Sir
Blores); Status 2; Wealth (Comfortable).

Disadvantages
Absent-mindedness; Age (70); Code of Honor (Chivalric).

Quirks
Esteems royalty of all kinds; Rarely finishes his sentences;
Unfailingly polite to women.
Sir Blores Age: 70
Skills
Broadsword-13; Diplomacy-10; First Aid-11; Heraldry-11;
History-10; Lance-12; Leadership-12; Riding-12; S avoir-Faire- don't know who he is will treat him with some deference; though
12; Strategy-10. a grumbling, irritable curmudgeon, he still exudes an aura of
physical competence that can cow the average street bully or
Weapons alleybasher.
Thrusting Bastard Sword: 1d+2 cutting, 1d+1 impaling. Sir Blores knows that death will come for him soon, and
doesn't fear it. "Death after life doth greatly please," he believes,
Conversions and — in moments of reflection — he looks forward to rest after his
decades of toil. His biggest fear is that his death will mean noth-
Contemporary — Retired General. Replace Broadsword and
ing, however, that he'll fade away and vanish in some tawdry,
Lance with Guns (Pistol) and Guns (Rifle).
meaningless way. Although he won't admit it to anyone, he's
Near Future — Ditto. looking for the final quest, the last battle, in which his death will
Space — It's a long shot, but possible . . . Replace Broadsword have some meaning, will make some difference. The more per-
and Lance with Beam Weapons (Laser)-14. ceptive of the people around him recognize this fact, and won't
accept his invitation to join him on any quest or task, fearing that
Story his last campaign will be an elaborate form of suicide . . .
Sir Blores was one of the greatest warriors of all time: a true
knight errant, a follower of the code of chivalry — perhaps its Quotes
finest flower — and the protector of all that was fine and noble in "Call yourself a knight, heh? Well, back in my day . ."
the kingdom that bore and raised him. Slayer of monsters and "Chivalry, you know. They say it's dying. Not until I'm dead,
demons, scourge of the wrong-doers, veteran of many heroic I say."
quests, to this day many are the lays and epic poems that repeat "My colors? White for purity of soul. Red for the blood of
his great deeds. No noble task was ever too great for him to sacrifice. And green for . . . hmmm . And green."
undertake, no foe too mighty for him to defeat . . .
Except for time itself, of course. Even his great skill at arms
and grasp of tactics hasn't prevented the passing of years from
Adventure Seeds
laying him low at last. ♦ Sir Blores has met the PCs, and he sees in them some reflec-
The passing of time has left Sir Blores behind. The kingdom tion of his own youth and fire. He wants to train them to follow
he once protected has been buried by the sands of time — no in his footsteps . . . but unfortunately his idea of training is
reflection on Blores' steadfast efforts, of course. Death has taken some fruitless quest on which he wants them to accompany
his friends, his liege lords, his comrades. His strength has faded, him.
as has his grasp on reality. He still believes in the chivalric code, ♦ Hard to believe though it may be, Sir Blores has finally given
but he's perhaps the only person still alive who does so. Most up, has set aside his armor and his lance, and is waiting in
people he meets consider him a senile fool, clinging to tattered silence for death to take him. His timing is catastrophic. The
shreds of glory — a crotchety fossil, the last example of a species nation is threatened as never before, by a foe that only Sir
otherwise extinct. Blores is equipped to counter. The PCs are given the task of
Even now, though, few dare say that to his face. In his 70s, he's bringing the mighty warrior out of retirement — of convincing
still a match for warriors half a century his junior. Those who've him to gird on his armor and stride once more into the fray. Of
heard the tales of his triumphs treat him with respect, and keep course, if they do that, they have no option but to accompany
their true views to themselves. Even chance-met strangers who him into battle . . .
MERCENARY
ST: 13 IQ: 10 Speed: 6
DX: 14 HT: 11 Move: 4
Dodge: 5 Parry: 8 Block: 8
Chainmail armor (PD 3, DR 4); medium encumbrance.

Point Total: 125

Advantages
Combat Reflexes; Reputation (Among military, all the time:
excellent mercenary); Strong Will +2.

Disadvantage
Bloodlust.

Quirks
Hates slavers; Never lets anyone get so emotionally close he
couldn't kill him if he had to.

Skills
Area Knowledge-10; Axe/Mace-12; Bow-15; Brawling-14;
Broadsword-14; Jumping-13; Leadership-11; Polearm-13 ; Shield-
14; Streetwise-11; Tactics-10.

Weapons
Thrusting Broadsword: 2d cutting, 1d+2 impaling; Longbow:
1d+2 impaling. Caleb Groen Age: 27
Conversions
That's when the ugly realization first hit him. Caleb had only
Contemporary — Caleb is the leader of a gang that also hires
one skill: killing. There was nothing else in the world he was
out to do "mercenary" work outside of their territory. Replace all
suited for, no other way he could imagine spending his life. He
weapon skills with Knife-15 and Guns (Pistol)-16.
signed on with a mercenary company, and reconciled himself to a
Near Future — A young man with Caleb's abilities could be life of combat.
very useful as a corp hit man. Same conversions as above.
His upbringing in the Bloodpit has had a strong effect on the
Space — There'll always be a need for a good mercenary. Per-
young mercenary. He enjoys friendship and camaraderie as much
haps he's a bounty hunter. Replace all fantasy weapon skills with
as anyone else, but has the chilling ability to suppress those feel-
Beam Weapons (Blaster)-16, Free Fall-13 and Vacc Suit-11.
ings totally, and become a soulless murderer when the need
arises. (This arises from the fact that his friends in the gladiator
Story school could well, on the morrow, be the foes he had to slaughter.)
The course of Caleb Groen's life was charted and set before When he's in "combat mode," he is totally oblivious to the fact
his tenth summer. It was then that the invaders swept through the that his opponents are people like himself, with the same fears
nation of his birth, leaving death and destruction in their wake. and desires, who hurt and bleed and die. Predictably, this has
His small village was overrun with no warning. Caleb was among made him very good at his chosen career.
the few lucky — or unlucky — ones taken away as slaves.
His new masters saw great potential in Caleb. They trained Quotes
him, taught him the way of the sword and the way of the bow - "I see little need to be burdened with prisoners . ."
groomed him to fight and die for their entertainment in the Blood- "No quarter asked, no quarter given. That's the way of the
pit. world."
Although he hated his enslavement and lusted for freedom, he
"No one still lives that I've seen over the fletching of an
found himself taking to his training as though he'd been born for arrow."
it. He became a killing machine, lethal with any weapon . . . or
with none. By his 18th summer, he'd killed over 100 foes in the
Bloodpit. His fame spread, and ever more daunting foes were set
Adventure Seeds
against him. Caleb Groen, however, seemed unkillable. ♦ The PCs sign on with a mercenary company, and find their
He was 25 when the ruler of the nation decided to grant him commander to be Caleb Groen.
his freedom. His masters apparently expected him to stay on in ♦ A mercenary force is descending on the PCs' home. It's up to
the land of his enslavement, but Groen would have none of that. them to divert the invasion force — either by convincing the
He left as soon as he could, to travel the world. commander (Groen) to turn aside, or by eliminating him.
MERCHANT
ST: 10 IQ: 15 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Literacy; Mathematical Ability; Wealth (Wealthy).

Disadvantages
Fat; Greed.

Quirks
Doesn't trust easily; Likes to eat; Terrified of poverty. Holiman Ames Age: 45
Skills
Accounting-17; Administration-15; Area Knowledge-14; now, at 45, his three trading combines are among the largest and
Broadsword-10; Diplomacy-13; Economics-12; Fast-Talk-15; most profitable in the known world.
Merchant-18; Navigation-12; Seamanship-14. Unlike most wealthy merchants, Ames hasn't left the day-to-
day business of his trade empire to others. He still travels with his
Languages caravans from time to time, or sails on his galleys. Occasionally
Any three relevant to the adventure, at level 13. he can be found overseeing the bidding for even the smallest
shipment of cargo. Although he has to trust his lieutenants some-
Weapons times, trust doesn't come easy to him, and he has a very sophisti-
Thrusting Broadsword: 1d+1 cutting, 1d impaling. cated intelligence-gathering network set up throughout his
mercantile empire to look for fraud and malfeasance.
When he was young and starving, Holiman Ames came to
Conversions associate hunger with poverty, and vice versa. Now, even the
Contemporary — Remove Broadsword skill. Literacy is no slightest pang of hunger reminds him of his years of lack. To
longer an advantage. submerge the uncomfortable memories, he eats whenever he feels
Near Future — Ames runs a black market weapons-importing even slightly hungry. Unsurprisingly, he is exceptionally obese,
company. Replace Broadsword with Guns (Pistol)-13 and Street- and growing more so.
wise-15. Ames doesn't limit his transactions to tangible goods. He
Space — In an interstellar community, Ames' abilities would quickly found that there's much money to be made in the market-
really shine. Replace Broadsword with Beam Weapons (Blaster)- ing of information and influence. It's often been said that if you
13. need anything — anything — the person to see is Holiman Ames.
Story Quotes
Holiman Ames would sell his own mother if the price was right. "That offer is an insult; leave this place and do not darken my
That's the consensus, at least. Ames doesn't consider himself quite doorway again!"
that hard-hearted. But if the offer were extremely good . . . "There's no way I could allow it to go for less than 250 silver
A lot of elements are necessary to be a successful merchant, nobles."
and Ames has them all. (The proof of the matter is that he's "As any fool can see, the arabesques mark this as Palatine
exceptionally successful.) Along with a seemingly intuitive grasp manufacture. Don't waste my time with such garbage."
of mathematics and an amazing memory for the values of hun-
dreds of trade goods in a dozen ports of call, it's been said that Adventure Seeds
he's persuasive enough to talk both hind legs off a mule . . . and
then convince the animal to walk around afterward! He speaks ♦ The PCs have "acquired" some goods that they need to dis-
pose of profitably. The person they need to talk to, their con-
several languages, and is familiar with the customs of an equal
tacts tell them, is one Holiman Ames. But, they warn,
number of civilizations, but he won't admit any of these abilities
whenever you deal with Ames count your change, and then
if keeping them secret might somehow benefit him.
Holiman Ames was born dirt-poor, the fifth child in a family count your fingers . . .
that couldn't even support his four older siblings. He found him- ♦ The PCs have need of some specialized information or ser-
self on the streets when he was only 12, and almost starved to vice, and the only person who can provide what they want is
death before he realized the money that could be made by bring- Holiman Ames. But, of course, Ames is a pro when it comes to
ing someone with a need together with someone who had the sensing desperation in a potential client, and the price is way
goods that were needed. By 20, he was an up-and-coming inde- beyond the PCs' means. Unless, Ames points out, they per-
pendent merchant; by 30, he ran his own trading combine; and form for him one, insignificant service . . .
MISSIONARY
ST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.75
DX: 11 HT: 12 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Parry: (Axe) 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 120

Advantages
Clerical Investment (Priest of Seerjun; receive +2 to all Heal-
ing spells); DR +1; Extended Lifespan; Extra Encumbrance;
Extra Fatigue +2; Longevity; Magery 3.

Disadvantages
Appearance (Unattractive); Compulsive Behavior (Cleaning);
Fanaticism; Greed; Miserliness; Reduced Move -1; Sense of
Duty (To the sick and wounded).

Quirks
Hates people staring at him; Suspicious of Elves and Goblins;
When there's water, washes himself twice a day.

Skills
Axe/Mace-12; Cooking-15; Diagnosis-13; First Aid-13; Geol-
ogy-14; Metallurgy-14; Physician-12; Scrounging-13; Survival
(Desert)-14.
Spells: Cure Disease-14; Decay-14; Lend Health-14; Lend En Strongforge Age: 32
Strength-14; Major Healing-13; Minor Healing-14; Neutralize
Poison-14; Recover Strength-14; Sterilize-14; Test Food-14.
even the slightest bit dirty. En is in this group; although he won't
Weapons actually let a patient's illness progress, he'll do everything in his
Axe: 1d+2 cutting. power to ensure that he's working in a clean environment.
As a missionary of Seerjun, En is required to travel to other
Conversion lands and perform healing. As he heals a patient, he explains the
Contemporary — Unless there are fantasy races in the cam- benefits of devout service to Seerjun and how it can put purpose
paign, he's human, and a member of a weird cult. Remove Axe/ and meaning into an otherwise dull life.
Mace, Toughness, Extended Lifespan and Extra Encumbrance. En has a difficult time being taken seriously. As a healer, he's
Near Future — Same as above, but add Computer Operation-12. extremely competent; but the image of a completely hairless
Space — Same as above. Dwarf takes some getting used to. Of course, many prospective
clients are in no condition to question the grooming habits of their
healer.
Story
Spreading enlightenment to the masses is no easy task, as En
Quotes
Strongforge soon realized after he was chosen as a missionary of
Seerjun. "That looks like a nasty infestation of drill worm. I can re-
En comes from a tribe of Dwarves that live in the blasted move it. But first, have you ever heard of the mighty Seerjun?"
wasteland of the southern desert. The environment is brutal, and "To heal a man's wounds is simple. To heal his mind — now
there's the challenge."
even the hardy Dwarves would have left long ago were it not for
"Cleanliness is close to godliness."
the vast deposits of precious ores locked within the rocks.
Most inhabitants of the colony worship Seerjun — god of
cleanliness and healing. Sickness is virtually unknown, for one of Adventure Seeds
the first abilities a disciple learns is to cure diseases. The instant ♦ The missionary Dwarf has taken to traveling with the PCs (for
an illness is diagnosed, there's a lineup of Dwarves wishing to the added protection). Although he's a competent healer,
test their abilities on the lucky patient. they'll have to decide whether putting up with En's cleaning
There are two major requirements that all priests of Seerjun fetish is worth his magical ability.
must obey. First, they must remove all of their body hair, since ♦ En doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut — for example,
hair promotes the infestation of parasites. Second, they are for- in the capital city of a theocratic state, where militant church
bidden to heal a patient who's filthy. Originally, this rule was police patrol the streets searching for heathens. Now En's in
enforced to stop the infection or illness from spreading, but it's the dungeon — along with the other "heathens" whose wounds
gotten out of hand, with priests refusing to heal a patient who's he was healing at the time (the PCs).
MONEYLENDER
ST: 9 IQ: 14 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: (Knife) 4
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 60

Advantages
Allies (Two leg-breakers); Common Sense; Literacy; Wealth
(Coinfortable).

Disadvantages
Bad Sight; Code of Honor (Won't steal).

Quirks
Pretends to be totally emotionless when conducting business;
Dislikes sharp things.

Skills
Accounting-13; Area Knowledge-14; Detect Lies-14; Diplo-
macy-15; Economics-13; Fast-Talk-14; Jeweler-13; Knife-9;
Merchant-12; Psychology-13. Minicheam Kee Age: 42
Languages
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 14. Kee took the pouch, but didn't spend a single one of those
coins for a week. During that week, he kept further watch on the
inn in case the old man should come back for his money. When
Weapons he didn't, Kee decided the money now belonged to him.
Small Knife: 1d-4 cutting, 1d-3 impaling. Minicheam Kee knew instantly the business that would net
him the best returns: moneylending. During his youth, he'd
Conversions picked up smatterings of many skills, such as goldsmithing and
Contemporary — The moneylending career doesn't change jewelry-making. These stood him in good stead now, allowing
much through the years. Add Driving (Car)-11. Literacy is no him to judge accurately the value of items his clients offered him
longer an advantage. as collateral.
Near Future — All too often, Kee is going to be the PCs' only Kee is that rarity, an honest moneylender. He sees nothing
source for the money they need to buy their flashy cyber toys. wrong with charging crushing interest on loans, but he won't
Add Driving (Car)-11 and Guns (Pistol)-10. Literacy is no longer steal, and he won't fence stolen goods. He's learned to put on a
an advantage. totally emotionless facade when he's doing business (it keeps his
Space — Now the PCs need to buy expensive items like space clients off balance). Although very rich now, Kee lives quite fru-
ships — and who are they going to turn to? Add Beam Weapons gally — not like a stereotypical miser, but certainly not lavishly.
(Blaster)-10. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
Quotes
Story "One hundred gold nobles in your hand today. You pay ine
Today, Minicheam Kee is the quintessential businessman, but back one hundred ten next week. Take it or leave it."
that wasn't always the case. Raised virtually on the street, he "Don't force me into precipitous action we both will regret."
didn't have the capital to start any of the businesses he envisioned "It's only business."
to vault him out of the lower classes. Worse, he saw no way -
outside of theft, which he couldn't justify — of getting that capital. Adventure Seeds
It was then that destiny took a hand.
♦ A client has defaulted on a large loan, and Minicheam Kee
To this day, Kee will tell anyone who asks that he was fated to needs help in collecting his money. He turns to the PCs — who
succeed. An old man, new to town, asked Kee to guard his inn are perhaps clients in their own right — for help. Unfortunately,
room while he conducted business in the city. Entranced by the the client isn't a run-of-the-mill borrower . . . (Maybe he's a
glint of the gold coin the man offered, Kee accepted. necromancer, a bandit chief or even a vampire.)
The old man never returned. Maybe he was killed somewhere
in the heart of the city; maybe he had reason to avoid the inn. ♦ A client has borrowed money from Kee, using forged docu-
Whatever the case, Kee watched the room for two days — al- mentation to "prove" that one of the PCs has countersigned
though his original contract was only for six hours — before going the loan. Now the client has skipped town, and Kee intends to
in to look around. The first thing he saw was the old man's money extract his money from the cosignatory PC . . . one way or
pouch, bulging with gold coins. another.
NECROMANCER
ST: 9 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.75
DX: 12 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 50

Advantages
Literacy; Magical Aptitude +2.

Disadvantages
Dependents (Children); Phobia (Necrophobia); Secret (He's a
necromancer!).

Quirks
Still acts a little spooky; Uncomfortable around other necro-
mancers; Very protective of his children.

Skis
Agronomy-11; Animal Handling-13; Carpentry-12; Fishing-
13; History-14; Merchant-13; Occultism-15; Research-12.
Spells: Animation-12; Control Zombie-13; Death Vision-13;
Lend Health-13; Lend Strength-13; Minor Healing-13; Sense
Spirit-13; Steal Health-13; Steal Strength-13; Summon Spirit-13;
Zombie-13.

Languages
One relevant to the adventure, at level 14.
Ticel Age: 34
Conversions
Contemporary — In a horror campaign he could provide an
interesting twist on the evil necromancer. Ticel has set up a shop where local mages can come, trade
Near Future — A computer wizard who makes cryonic zombies! knowledge, purchase magical tokens and find reagents. So far no
Add Computer Operation-14 and Computer Programming-14. one has noticed that all the knowledge Ticel has to offer is of a
Space — Same as above. darker nature.

Story Quotes
In necromantic circles, Ticel is seen as a weakling. Not from "People brought back from the dead, you say? Is that so . ."
lack of power; he's easily the match of most of his colleagues. "You wouldn't happen to know the whereabouts of a little
No, this opinion stems from his dislike of the very results of his deadly nightshade would you? . . . Oh, no reason."
magic — decay and death. This fear was induced by a number of "Oh, I'd say I dabble in the magical arts, but no more than
cruel jokes played on him by his father, a necromancer himself, that."
when Ticel was a child. Only so many times could Ticel wake up
with a corpse next to him before a permanent phobia took hold. Adventure Seeds
Ticel came from a city little known to most humans, where the ♦ On the road, the PCs are caught by a storm. They stop at a
majority of spell casting was of the black arts . . . necromancy. He roadside house to seek shelter. Ticel is only too happy to let
could feel the pull of magic so strongly that it overrode his fears, them stay, since he doesn't see visitors all that often. That
and he learned the teachings of his elders. Although he learned evening the local townspeople — who've finally realized just
primarily death magic, he was able to come up with some innova- who (or what) is living near them — decide to send a lynch
tive uses for it that managed to skirt his fear. mob. Ticel has his own defense planned, but he neglects to tell
Ticel left home as soon as he could — not wanting to spend the PCs the gruesome details . . .
more time than necessary in a city with a large undead popula- ♦ The PCs have traveled far, through great hardships, to find the
tion. It was in his adventures abroad that he met his wife, and they fabled necromancer who can help them with a problem. At the
set up housekeeping on a small piece of land near a town. They end of their journey they fmd . . Ticel, who certainly doesn't
used undead servants to help clear the land and build their house, match their image of a powerful necromancer and, in fact,
but that was all, for Ticel couldn't stand having the ghastly things denies all familiarity with the Black Arts. Can the PCs per-
around. In fact, Ticel and wife raised their children without telling suade him to admit his true nature and help them with their
them of their father's gruesome magical proficiency. problem?
PHILOSOPHER
ST: 10 IQ: 16 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 110

Advantages
Eidetic Memory 1; Literacy.

Disadvantages
Age (55); Bad Sight; Stubbornness.

Quirks Zane Turbot e: 55

Considers illiteracy the greatest sin; Pedantic in conversation;
Will read anything.
he'd read everything the university library had to offer on the
Skills subject. Since there was nothing more the university or its faculty
Area Knowledge-18; Calligraphy-11: Diplomacy-16; History- could teach him, he went off on his own to travel the world in
17; Law-19; Literature-17; Mathematics-15; Occultism-18; Phi- search of more reference material. In the 41 years since that day,
losophy-18; Research-17; Teaching-16; Theology-17; Writing-16. he's traveled the length and breadth of his world, visiting all of its
major libraries, and adding to his own personal collection of
Languages books and scrolls. Today, sages throughout the world recognize
Any three relevant to the adventure, at level 17. him as the preeminent expert on all questions of philosophy,
metaphysics, ethics and epistemology.
Conversions Zane Turbot is a man of very strong opinions, and isn't shy
about stating them . . . unless he thinks it might lead to him get-
Contemporary — He could play a part in a horror campaign.
ting hurt. His scholastic upbringing didn't prepare him for the
Literacy is no longer an advantage. Replace Calligraphy with
harsh realities of life in a world where justice is all too often the
Computer Operation-18 and Economics-17.
Near Future — The hard-edged, terrifying cyberpunk world rule of the sword (the one with the sword makes the rules). Some-
one who approaches Zane in a friendly manner can usually get
would add a lot of unwanted excitement to Zane's life. Replace
Literacy with Paranoia. Same skill conversions as above. most of his questions answered . . . if for a fee. Someone who
Space — With the amazing variety of alien cultures in space, questions him harshly will only hear what the philosopher thinks
he wants to hear.
Zane will truly be in his element. Same conversions as above but
add Xenology-17.
Quotes
Story "The answer to your question can be found in the ancient Roll
of the Slain . . . as any educated person could tell you."
Zane Turbot discovered early on that the life of the scholar was
"Sometimes the only important thing is sticking to principles,
the life for him. The son of an itinerant friar, he learned to read at
no matter what the consequences . ."
the age of three — an amazing achievement in a society where
" . . . But only sometimes."
literate people are rarer than dragons — and never looked back.
His parents quickly realized that his was a gift to be nurtured, so
they took him to the nearest large city and tried to enroll him in Adventure Seeds
the university there . . . at the age of six. Needless to say, the ♦ Zane is faced with a thorny problem of ethics. He's agreed to
admissions board laughed in the young lad's face, until he read do some research, totally secretly, for a local lord. Now he's
fluently and flawlessly from the heavy history tome they set be- found out that the said lord plans to eliminate Turbot after the
fore him as a joke. Turbot was accepted for admission with no lord has gotten his information, just to make sure nobody else
further question. learns the same thing. Obviously, Zane needs help. Can he
He spent his formative years alone; his parents couldn't visit persuade that group of wandering strangers (the PCs) to help
him once he'd enrolled in the university, and his fellow scholars him out . . . without breaking his oath of secrecy to the lord?
wouldn't deign to spend time with someone a third their age. Of ♦ Many locals come to Turbot to have the philosopher interpret
course, Zane didn't consider himself alone. His friends were al- omens and portents they receive from hedge witches, diviners
ways at hand: the heroes from the many scrolls and ancient books and others. Through interpreting another's omens, he's
of legends; the historians who'd chronicled the nations of the learned something he doesn't think the gods would want him
world; and, most importantly, the philosophers who'd wrestled to know: the exact date of his death. And it's soon! Can he
with many of the same questions that now troubled the youth. persuade the PCs to help stave off his doom? (Preferably with-
It didn't take Turbot long to recognize his true calling. Philos- out letting them know helping him might get them on the gods'
ophy fascinated him from the start, and by the time he was 14 bad books . . .)
PRIEST
ST: 13 IQ: 11 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 80

Advantages
Clerical Investment; Reputation +2 (To everyone: a virtuous
man and good healer).

Disadvantages
Fanaticism; Gullibility; Sense of Duty (Healer).

Quirks
Says "Thank Aldor" whenever anything good happens;
Strong, but gentle.

Skills
Area Knowledge-10; Cooking-10; Diagnosis-10; Diplomacy-
10; First Aid-13; History-9; Occultism-10; Physician-14; Psy-
chology-10; Teaching-10; Theology (Aldor)-11.

Languages
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 10.

Conversions
Contemporary — He could be a member of a fringe cult. No
changes.
Near Future — There aren't many churches any more that
aren't in it for the money. Add Computer Operation-11.
Space — Same as above.
Father Petr Age: 30
Story
Father Petr has been involved in the priesthood of Aldor — god Aldor. Fortunately for his superiors, he's extremely gullible — a
of light and goodness — for nearly five years now. His official title few well-chosen words will set him back on the path of true
is Light-Bringer, but he prefers to think of himself as a healer, of "enlightenment."
mind as well as body.
Unlike most priesthoods, servants of Aldor receive no divine Quotes
aid in the way of spells. Instead they must rely on more mundane "My son, your leg would heal ten times faster if you would
means to achieve their healing powers, mainly through the use of
just let Aldor into your heart."
herbal salves. Nor do Aldor's disciples receive answers directly "Thank you for reminding me of Aldor's true purpose,
from above — at least, not in the normally-accepted sense. They're Brother Calvan. Here is the money you requested."
taught that in the event of a problem, the first solution that comes "Without Aldor, I would still be wandering the streets, living
into their mind is divinely inspired and should be acted upon, no by the sword and amounting to nothing."
matter how bizarre it seems.
The flat truth of the matter is that there's no god Aldor. The
entire religion is just a money-making venture for those in the top
Adventure Seeds
of the hierarchy. They've been running their scam for 50 years ♦ Petr has finally seen incontrovertible proof that there's soine-
now, and have amassed enough capital to embarrass the local thing "fishy" about some of the priests of Aldor. Although it
royalty if they ever found out. pains him to do so, for he fears the wrath of Aldor, he hires the
Father Petr is devout, however, and truly believes in all of the PCs to investigate some of the church members and their ne-
teachings of his chosen faith. He follows all the Edicts of Aldor farious dealings.
without question or hesitation — even when the course of action ♦ The PCs require healing and come to the church of Aldor. The
prescribed seems ludicrous. outrageous price they're charged for non-magical healing
Many times Petr has seen signs that perhaps his religion is not should drive them berserk. Will they expose the church for
exactly what_ it _seems, but he dismisses his suspicions as evil what it is, or realize that it does provide a much-needed service
thoughts forced into his mind by demons that would destroy to society?
PROPHET/MESSIAH
ST: 10 IQ: 9 Speed: 5.5 And that's when
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5 the "priests" moved
Dodge: 5 in. By this time, there
No armor; no encumbrance. were so many follow-
ers that Gregis didn't
Point Total: 60 have time to minister
to them personally, to
Advantages hear their comments
Appearance (Attractive); Charisma +4; Reputation +3 (Rec- and help them with
ognized by everyone, all of the time). their problems. Inter-
mediaries stepped in
Disadvantages — people close to her,
Fanaticism; Honesty. volunteering to take
some of these bur-
Quirks dens from her shoul-
Baffled by what's built up behind her; Hears voices. ders. She accepted
their offers gladly.
Skills
Area Knowledge-10; Heraldry-11; History-10; Leadership- Gregis Orlikova Age: 22
10; Performance-12; Politics-10; Riding-13; Savoir-Faire-11;
Swimming-12.
Then others came forward, requesting the honor of handling other
Conversions organizational chores, logistics, public relations, communication
Contemporary — Gregis could be the leader of any modem-
. . . Again, Gregis gladly accepted their kind offers.
Today, she's not at all sure she shouldn't have sent them all
day "fringe" cult or religious movement. Replace Heraldry and
packing. She's still the Chosen One . . . but now she's just a figure-
Riding with Driving (Car)-10.
head. Apart from carefully managed public appearances, she
Near Future — Gregis is a netrunner — and the person chosen
doesn't meet with the rank and file of her followers any more. The
by the sentient computers to lead them to the "promised land" of
only people she talks to are her priests and her chancellors. They
equality with and understanding by humanity. . . or at least that's
pass on her words — or those of her words that suit their agenda -
what they want Gregis to believe. Replace Heraldry, Riding and
to the multitude, and return to her laundered versions of what her
Swimming with Computer Operation-11, Computer Program-
people are saying in return. This isn't the way things should be.
ming-10 and Cyberdeck Operation-12. Also implant an Interface
Jack. Of course, what's a messiah to do? It's the priests and counsel-
ors who keep the whole movement working smoothly. If she ban-
Space — A supremely powerful alien force requires Gregis'
ished them, the entire movement would fall apart, and then what
persuasive abilities to spread word of its existence, for some dark
would the gods think? But, what do they think of the direction
purpose. Replace Heraldry and Riding with Xenology-10.
those priests are taking now? It's a difficult position . . .
Story
Quotes
Gregis Orlikova is the new messiah, the Chosen One . . .
"I have been vouchsafed a glimpse of the Truth, and it is
At least, that's what her "priests," "advisors" and "chancel-
beautiful."
lors" are telling everyone.
"Peace is the end. Unfortunately, the means to that end must
Life was so much less complex when she was just the simple
be war."
daughter of a simple border lord. When the most difficult deci-
"The gods speak through me alone . . ."
sions she had to make was whether to go hunting before or after
lunch, and what to have the cooks serve her for supper. Before the
gods spoke to her in a transcendent vision of light and majesty. Adventure Seeds
The gods described a new world to her. They told her that ♦ Gregis has had enough. Her priests — particularly that militant
civilization had gone astray, that mankind had slipped from the new one — are handling things badly. Unfortunately, when she
true path. If all the societies of the world didn't start repenting, told them that, they just laughed, and basically told her to go off
that there'd be hell to pay . . . quite literally. She immediately and play. Now she needs help against her own infrastructure.
renounced her life of privilege, and started to spread the word Who can she turn to? Why not that posse of unbelievers cap-
through the countryside. tured yesterday and scheduled for execution . . .?
Surprisingly, people flocked to her. The time was right, it ♦ Gregis and her horde of faithful followers are descending on
seemed, for a messiah. Her simple message struck a chord in the the land in which the PCs live. The adventurers are given the
souls of those who heard her, and her obvious sincerity softened task of negotiating with the new messiah, and somehow di-
the hearts of many who planned to oppose her. Within a few short verting the juggernaut. (Little do they know that the Chosen
months, Gregis Orlikova found herself at the head of a multitude One actually has very little to say about where the juggernaut
of true believers. goes next . . .)
SAGE
ST: 9 IQ: 15 Speed: 5.25
DX: 10 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 110

Advantages
Eidetic Memory 1; Literacy.

Disadvantages
Overweight; Paranoia.

Quirks
Always reading; Obsessed with passing time.

Skills
Area Knowledge-17; Calligraphy-10; Diplomacy-15; Her-
aldry-16; History-19; Literature-16; Mathematics-15; Occultism-
16; Research-18; Writing-16.

Languages
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 15.

Conversions
Contemporary — Castex would fit nicely into a horror cam-
paign. Replace Heraldry and Calligraphy with Computer Opera-
tion-16. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
Near Future — In a campaign with magic Castex might exist,
but now he'll be using the power of technology to aid his search.
Same conversions as above.
Space — Now it's possible for him to have made a deal with a
bizarre alien entity. Same conversions as above.

Story Castex Age: 56

Castex the Sage operates a small bookstore in the center of
town. To enter the bookstore is to enter another world in this The knowledge he possesses ranges from the common to the
illiterate culture. In the back of the shop sits Castex at his desk, obscure. The former he gives out quite readily while the latter
which is buried under a mountain of books — Castex's current usually demands a high price. Questioners have been known to
reading material. travel the lands in search of some obscure tome Castex would add
Castex's impatience has always been a problem, and could, in to his collection.
fact, prove to be his downfall. In his youth, he made a deal with
an evil demon for a tremendous amount of knowledge. Now, his Quotes
side of the deal is coming due, and he's doomed to an early
"The answer to your question depends on your ability to travel
retirement . . . in hell. Understandably, he's desperately trying to
the northern wastes."
fmd a way out of the deal. A wizard he consulted told Castex he
"I have no time for your prattling; ask your question or get out
could probably break the contract and banish the creature if he
. . . Eh? . . . You desire to destroy a demon? Please, sit down."
could find its soul name. Accordingly, he spends day and night
"Quickly now! I don't have all day."
searching through musty tomes trying to locate a clue to the
demon's true identity.
Castex is in his fifties, but looks even older. Reading constantly Adventure Seeds
has left him with little time for such trivial matters as exercise, so ♦ Castex has deterinined the location of an important tome he
he's fairly overweight. Castex is jittery, and suffering from sleep needs. In exchange for a consultation, the PCs must retrieve it.
deprivation thanks to various herbal concoctions. (Sleep isn't a Little do they realize that the tome is already in the hands of
luxury he can afford at the moment.) According to the contract, the someone working in league with the demon.
"possession date" is coming up soon, but Castex can't be sure the ♦ The PCs are consulting Castex for information that seems to
demon won't jump the gun. His resulting paranoia makes dealing relate to a demon. Castex's paranoia gets the better of him and
with the sage irritating at best, impossible at worst. he suspects that they've been sent by the demon.
SAILOR
ST: 12 IQ: 11 Speed: 5.75
DX: 12 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: (Broadsword) 7
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 90

Advantages
Charisma +1; Danger Sense.

Disadvantages
Duty (Navy); Poverty (Struggling).

Quirks
Keeps his hatred of the war to himself; Sings while he works.

Skills
Agronomy-10; Area Knowledge-12; Boating-13; Broadsword-
14; Cooking-11; Fishing-13; Leadership-13; Navigation-9; Pilot-
ing (Large ship)-11; Seamanship-13; Swimming-13; Tactics-11.

Weapons
Thrusting Broadsword: 1d+3 cutting, 1d+1 impaling.

Conversions
Contemporary — With conscription, Thris wouldn't even have
a chance to decide whether he wanted to go to war. Replace
Broadsword with Driving (Truck)-11 and Guns (Pistol)-14.
Near Future — Same as above.
Space — Thris could have come from a remote colony world.
Replace Broadsword and Piloting with Beam Weapons (Laser)-
15, Free Fall-13, Gunner (Ship weapons)-13 and Vacc Suit-10.

Story
The small coastal fishing village of Simot is so far away from Thris Dendor Age: 20
the capital city that they're part of the empire in name only. Even
the tax collectors don't bother making the trip. Any news of the
more dangerous, but it's the one he knows he'll choose . . . mu-
empire comes by word of mouth, and is usually three years old.
tiny. Perhaps in a few years, he figures, he may just be the captain
Thris Dendor grew up in Simot, and fully expected to spend
of his own ship — as a pirate!
the rest of his life there . . . fishing. But in his 18th year, an
imperial navy cutter sailed into port and offered him the chance
of a lifetime. The empire was at war, and needed fresh sailors to
Quotes
fight in the newly-built ships just now being completed in the "The way I see it, the only good war is one where you defend.
capital. This is stupid."
The offer seemed too good to be true: a chance to travel away "There they are! Quick, give 'em a broadside!"
from Simot, see the world, and fight for his empire, all wrapped "On a good day in Simot, you can see all the way to Istabar.
up in one. Of course Thris jumped at it. The water has this deep blue color with just a hint of green. And
Now two years into his naval career, Thris is beginning to the fish! You should taste the fish."
question his decision. The war he's fighting seems pointless. The
entire navy has been sent over to attack the shores of a much Adventure Seeds
stronger enemy. Thris doesn't see them lasting very long. ♦ Thris has decided to attempt mutiny. He already has half of the
Aside from his misgivings, joining the navy has done nothing crew agreeing with him. The PCs can play any part in dealing
but good for Thris. He's become an extremely competent sailor - with this takeover — as the attacked bridge crew, or as muti-
and fighter, when necessary. His superiors are also noticing his neers themselves.
natural leadership and tactical abilities. ♦ Thris has already mutineed, and pulled his ship out of the fleet.
Thris doesn't want to end up a casualty in this war, and has The PCs' mission — should they decide to accept it — is to
come up with two options. The first is easy, and relatively safe. retrieve the much-needed ship, and bring the mutineers to jus-
The next time the ship docks, he just won't return. The second is tice.
SEER
ST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 75

Advantages
Alertness +2; Blessed (Allows divination through dreams);
Danger Sense.

Disadvantages
Shyness (Mild); Vow (To never let another disaster take lives);
Weak Will -2.

Quirks
Acts edgy during thunderstorms; Distrusts "formal" religions
and schools of magic; Doesn't like groups; Listens very carefully Kefya of Noorn Age: 23
to everything people say to her.

Skills lightning. In the roar of the thunder, Kefya heard the voices of the
Area Knowledge-14; Cooking-14; First Aid-16; History-15; gods, warning of her village's destruction. She ran to the Elders of
Occultism-15; Psychology-16; Riding-11; Survival (Forest)-14. the village, passed on her frantic warning. They listened, and felt
afraid, but decided they couldn't evacuate the village until the
Conversions storm had ended. Terrified for her own life, Kefya fled in the rain
and the lightning-split darkness. And that was when the mountain
Contemporary — In the present day, Kefya's abilities would be
above the village shifted, split, and rained thousands of tons of
even more misunderstood — and, depending on the particular cul-
boulders onto her home, killing all who lived there.
ture, even feared. Replace Riding with Driving (Car)-11.
Today Kefya wanders the world, stopping here and there for a
Near Future — Same as above but add Computer Operation-15.
few weeks at a time. She never stays anywhere long enough to
Space — Her unique ability to sense the future might be due to
feel at home, because she remembers what happened to her last
psionic ability. Add the psionic power Precognition-15. Replace
home. Neither does she allow herself any true friendship or other
Riding with Computer Operation-15.
relationship. Over the years, she's become reconciled to the
mixed fear and respect with which people treat her. She uses her
Story gift to benefit others when she can, yet is always terrified that,
It took her parents several years to realize that Kefya of Noorn once more, she'll foresee a tragedy she can't prevent.
wasn't like her young friends. After all, most children claim to
have imaginary friends who tell them things. The difference in Quotes
Kefya's case was that her imaginary friends told her important
"Believe me when I tell you, I did not seek this gift. But, since
things — useful things, things she shouldn't know. When this dif-
it was bestowed upon me, my duty is to use it responsibly."
ference became known, the young girl's parents — and everyone
" . ..And then I saw three kings, one without a crown, and one
else in her village — started to treat her . . . strangely. They felt
in a burial shroud. Does that mean anything to you?"
uncomfortable in her presence, and didn't like having her around;
"Yes, sometimes I have the Sight . . . but understanding is
yet they were also drawn to her, because she seemed to have
something else."
access to information they couldn't get anywhere else. This am-
bivalent reaction had a profound effect on the girl's personality
during her formative years. Adventure Seeds
Of course, neither her parents nor the other villagers ever ♦ It's happened again! In the storm last night, Kefya heard
spoke to Kefya about the Sight, or divination, or the fact that she prophesies of doom for the village where she's staying. The
was different from other children. It wasn't until the young Elders of this village won't believe her, however. In a panic,
woman was about 13 that she realized everyone didn't hear she searches for people who'll understand and believe, and
voices in the wind, or in the crashing of the thunder. With this who'll help her avert the imminent tragedy . . .
realization she understood that the villagers weren't shunning her ♦ The PCs come to Kefya to have their fortunes told. The
for her, as it were, but for what she represented — a Seer. woman sees a strong image associated with one of the adven-
By her 16th year, Kefya was respected — and feared — as a turers, but it's highly symbolic and allegorical, and she can't
"hedge witch," a diviner to whom the gods and spirits spoke. interpret it. The image contains some hints as to where an
Although still uncomfortable with her neighbors' reaction to her, interpretation might be found, however. Feeling personally
Kefya was becoming more accepting of her gift. responsible, Kefya insists on accompanying the PCs to seek
Then the storm came — a mighty tempest, lashing the skies with the truth.
SLAVE TRADER
ST: 13 IQ: 10 Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Parry: 6
Chainmail armor (PD 3, DR 4); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 45

Advantages
Charisma +1; High Pain Threshold.

Disadvantages
Bad Temper; Enemy (Former master); Greed.

Quirks
Defends the institution of slavery on economic grounds;
Won't take off his shirt.

Skills
Area Knowledge-10; Brawling-12; Broadsword-12; Carous-
ing-11; Fast-Draw (Broadsword)-11; Leadership-10; Merchant-
10; Streetwise-10; Survival (Desert)-10.

Weapons
Bastard Sword: 2d cutting, 1d+1 crushing.

Conversions
Contemporary — If there's a slave market in the campaign,
change his skills to their modern-day equivalents. Replace Broad-
sword with Guns (Pistol)-13 and change Fast-Draw (Broadsword)
to Fast-Draw (Pistol).
Near Future — Same as above, except change Survival (Des-
ert) to Survival (Urban).
Space — This is an interesting conversion, for now he's buying
and selling aliens. Replace Broadsword with Beam Weapons-13
and Xenology-10. Zhim Age: 40
Story
sique, but it's starting to slide with misuse. Although the heat in
Zhim learned about the brutality of man the hard way — on his
this land is nearly unbearable, he never removes his shirt, because
12th birthday he was sold by his parents to slavers. The slavers
attempted to break Zhim, body and mind, but his will to live and the extensive scars from his whippings would cause questions he
escape was unquenchable. doesn't want to answer.
In a well-planned break, Zhim and two other slaves killed a
slaver, stole some supplies, and escaped into the desert. When he Quotes
finally reached a city, Zhim realized the only jobs open to him "Without slaves, where would we be, I ask you? The econoiny
were exactly the same as when he'd worked for the slavers: back- would collapse, civilization as we know it would end . . ."
breaking, mind-numbing drudgery. He had no skills that he could "Are these not the most beautiful women you have ever set
turn into a career. Except one. eyes upon? Yours for a pittance."
The many years of slavery had twisted Zhim. Never had he "There has always been slavery and there always will be, it's
been shown any kindness — not from his parents and definitely just the way life is. Now get back to work!"
not from the slavers — and was never required to show any in
return. He understood that slavery wasn't going to go away, so he Adventure Seeds
might as well get in and make some money . . . as a slaver. The ♦Zhim - his fear playing tricks with his memory — mistakes one
fact that he buys and sells human lives is of no concern to him, as of the PCs for his former master, and sends mercenaries out to
it was of no concern to those who bought and sold him. kill him.
The only concern that Zhim does have is that his former mas- ♦ The PCs somehow end up as slaves and are purchased by
ter has found out where he's operating, and fully intends to "re- Zhim. The slave train will travel through the desert en route to
acquire" him — or failing that, kill him. the trading block. The PCs must escape lest they spend a life
Years of forced labor have created a truly spectacular phy- in slavery.
SOLDIER
ST: 11 IQ: 11 Speed: 5.5
DX: 10 HT: 12 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Parry: 6 Block: 5
Heavy leather armor (PD 2, DR 2); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 80

Advantages
Danger Sense; Rapid Healing.

Disadvantages
Low Pain Threshold; Poverty (Struggling).

Quirks
Always demonstrating his ability to mimic bird songs; Hates
army life; Tells interminable tales about his previous life of bu-
colic peace.

Skills
Agronomy-13; Animal Handling-11; Area Knowledge-11;
Broadsword-12; Cooking-12; Scrounging-11; Shield-11; Singing
(Birdsong s)-13 ; Stealth-11; Survival (Forest)-12; Tracking-12.

Weapons
Broadsword: 1d+2 cutting, 1d crushing.

Conversion
Contemporary — Rayik joined the Army Reserves to help pay
for school, and now his unit has been called to service. Replace
Broadsword and Shield with Guns (Rifle)-12 and Driving
(Truck)-10.
Near Future — Same as above.
Space — Rayik was taken off-world to fight in some interstellar
conflict. Replace Broadsword and Shield with Free Fall-10 and
Beam Weapons (Laser)-12.
Rayik Marden Age: 22
Story
Some people love army life: the structure, the camaraderie, the comrades, although Rayik is careful to keep his skill secret from
excitement . . . the officers (he's afraid they'll make him a scout or a spy, neither
Rayik Marden isn't one of them. He hates just about every- of which is conducive to long-term survival).
thing about his new "career," and doesn't mind who knows it.
Up until a few months ago, he was a farmer, working the fields Quotes
of his feudal lord. He loved working the land, and had no ambi- "Listen to this one, it's a lesser bittern ."
tions beyond perhaps owning his own plot someday. His lord
"Chipped beef again?"
owed service to the nation's king, however, and part of that ser- "Only three more months and I'm out of here . . . and not a
vice was providing "conscripts" for the army. Rayik had always moment too soon."
known his own feudal duties might involve serving a year in the
army, but he'd never expected the lord to exercise that portion of
his authority. Now, however, Rayik is a soldier, and what he most
Adventure Seeds
wants is not to be. ♦ The PCs are serving in the same unit as Rayik. They're as-
signed a covert mission and must choose a group of soldiers to
Despite his hatred of army life, Rayik gets on well with most
of his comrades. He's an open, congenial man who makes friends support them. Rayik is one of them . . . fortunately for all
easily. concerned, because his skills will come in extremely useful on
From time to time, the skills he developed as a farmer have the mission.
helped him out in his new career. He's shared with some of his ♦ The PCs are instructed to silence a soldier (Rayik) who's cre-
closer friends the ability to imitate birdcalls and animal sounds, ating unrest among the other troops. Can the PCs complete the
and they've developed a kind of private "code" among them- mission, or will they come to share Rayik's distaste for army
selves. His ability to move silently at night has impressed his life?
TINK ER
ST: 10 IQ: 12 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: (Shortsword) 5
No armor; no encumbrance.
Point Total: 35

Advantages
Absolute Direction; Literacy; Luck.

Disadvantages
Dependents (Family); Reputation -1 (To everyone, all the
time: thief and worse); Status -1; Poverty (Poor).

Quirks
Flamboyant dress and mannerisms; Tendency toward klepto-
mania (quirk level only); Enjoys telling lies (quirk-level Compul-
sive Lying).

Skills
Animal Handling-10; Area Knowledge-11; Astronomy-10;
Carousing-8; Carpentry-12; Cooking-11; Diplomacy-10; Fast-
Talk-15; First Aid-11; Fishing-11; Gambling-10; History-9; Jew- Talarczyk Hess Age: 42
eler-9; Leatherworking-12; Lockpicking-10; Merchant-10;
Occultism-11; Pickpocket-8; Riding (Horse)-10; Scrounging-12;
Shortsword-10; Streetwise-10; Woodworking-10. He supplements his income by stealing anything that isn't
bolted down — either using it himself or selling it at his next stop.
Languages Everybody expects this from traveling tinkers, however, and sim-
Any four relevant to the adventure, at level 10. ply takes precautions. (When a tinker rolls up in his wagon with
his familiar cry of, "Fix your pots? Shoe your horses? Sharpen
Weapons your knives?" the more cynical locals will add to themselves, "Eat
Shortsword: 1d-1 cutting, 1d-2 impaling. your cats? Sell your children?") Despite his larcenous habits, the
tinker is still usually welcome because he brings with him skills
Conversions unavailable to many farmers. More importantly, however, he
Contemporary — In Britain and elsewhere in Europe, itinerant brings with him news of the world outside the immediate vicinity.
gypsies and "rag-and-bone men" haven't entirely disappeared. Personally, Hess doesn't consider himself a thief. He's simply
Replace Riding and Shortsword with Driving (Car)-10. Literacy "borrowing" things — and things not overly valued by their
is no longer an advantage. owner, otherwise they'd have been locked away. He's an open,
Near Future — In the inner city, Hess does anything he can to boisterous man, with an innocent love for alcohol (but, sadly, no
make a living. Replace Riding and Shortsword with Computer tolerance). If he's even aware of how people view him, he doesn't
Operation-11 and Guns (Pistol)-11. show it.
Space — Same as above but replace Guns with Beam Weapons-
11. Quotes
"Fix your pots? Shoe your horses? Sharpen your knives?"
Story "Any old iron?"
Talarczyk Hess is a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. He "Stolen? You don't say . ."
and his family travel the land in their ramshackle wagon — they
call it their "caravan" — eking out a living by providing services Adventure Seeds
to the farmers and homesteaders they meet. Hess can make a ♦ To reach his next destination, Hess has to travel a stretch of
good attempt at just about anything, from tending to a colicky road through bandit territory — territory that claimed the life of
horse to "midwifing" at the birth of a baby. Unfortunately, he's the last tinker to travel this way. Hess needs protection, but it
not particularly skilled at anything, so the results will never be as would be against his nature to actually pay for it. Can he
good as people hope (although they'll rarely be disastrous). persuade — or finagle — the PCs to help him?
The tinker's wagon — a closed affair, like a garishly-painted ♦ The PCs have been hired to carry an item of value from one
box on wheels — is covered with pots and pans and other trade town to another. On the journey, they meet up with Hess, and
goods, hanging on hooks or suspended in baskets, and clattering share the hospitality of his campfire. Later, they find the itein
like a convention of blacksmiths when it moves. Hess will gladly is missing. Can they track down the tinker and retrieve the
sell or trade anything displayed on his wagon . . . but always to item before their employers conclude that it's the PCs who
his own benefit. have stolen it?
TOWN OFFICIAL
ST: 9 IQ: 13 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 40

Advantages
Literacy; Status 1; Wealth (Wealthy).

Disadvantages
Greed; Overweight; Weak Will -2.

Quirks
Always buys expensive wine, though he knows nothing about
wine; Conceals his intelligence; Hates getting dirty.

Skills
Accounting-11; Administration-12; Area Knowledge-13; De-
tect Lies-11; Diplomacy-13; Economics-12; Fast-Talk-13; Her-
aldry-12; Leadership-12; Politics-14; Psychology-12; S avoir- Chu-Moi Li Age: 27
Faire-14.

Languages licking behavior, that he named him to the town council — an

Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 12. appointed position, and one that lasts for life. As soon as he took
office, Li applied himself to feathering his own nest with astound-
Conversions ing fervor.
Li's intelligent and a good judge of people. He quickly figured
Contemporary — Li could be an appointed official in any city
out how money flows through the political and town infrastruc-
office. Replace Heraldry with Driving (Car)-11 and Computer
ture, and figured out innovative ways of diverting some of it into
Operation-12. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
his own purse. Many shady businessmen throughout the region
Near Future — In a cyberpunk setting, the only difference be-
have come to recognize that a "personal gift" to Chu-Moi Li will
tween straight and crooked officials is often that the crooked ones
help them toward their goals infinitely more than stringent adher-
are still alive . . . Replace Heraldry with Computer Operation-14
ence to the rules. A fact that's helped Li reach his present pinnacle
and Driving (Car)-11. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
of success is his very situational application of business ethics:
Space — Replace Heraldry with Computer Operation-14 and
once he's been bought, he stays bought.
Xenology-11. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
Most of the townsfolk and many fellow councilors know that
Li's on the take. But knowing and proving are two very different
Story things . . .
Chu-Moi Li always wanted to be rich. Unfortunately he
wasn't born into money, and his every attempt to marry into Quotes
money has been a catastrophe. He doesn't have the skills neces-
"I'm sorry, I could never accept a bribe . . . Oh, it's a gift. Why
sary to be an adventurer, and he's too risk-averse to be a good
didn't you say so?"
businessman. It didn't take him long, then, to realize he was only
"I'm so sorry, I'd help you if I could. But the rules on this
going to get fat at the public trough.
matter are very strict . . ."
As soon as he reached his age of majority, he tried running for
" . . . although there are several loopholes. Why don't we
office . . . with disastrous results. Chu-Moi always knew you discuss it over dinner? At your house?"
couldn't fool all of the people all of the time, but his first cata-
strophic campaign convinced him he couldn't fool any of the
people sufficiently long to get himself elected. He decided to
Adventure Seeds
approach the public trough from another direction. ♦ Most of Li's "business partners" could never accuse him of
His home town has two classes of politicians and town offi- corruption, because such accusations would incriminate them
cials — the elected and the appointed. The first category seemed as well. Now, unfortunately, someone has proof of various . . .
barred to him, so he focused on the second. indiscretions . . . and is using it to bribe the councilor. Li wants
One thing Li has always been able to do is butter people up. As this person removed and the evidence destroyed. But to whom
a dedicated sycophant, he weaseled his way into the confidences can he turn for this kind of help . . .?
of the town's Lord Mayor — not the most discerning of individu- ♦ The PCs need to speak to the mayor, but to do so they need to
als, as it turned out. So impressed was the Mayor with Li's boot- get through Li.
TRAVELING
M AGISTR A
ST: 8 IQ: 14 Speed: 4.75
DX: 10 HT: 9 Move: 4
Dodge: 4
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 52

Advantages
Legal Enforcement Powers; Literacy; Status +1.

Disadvantages
Age (52); Duty (Legal).

Quirks
Always dresses in black; Pompous; Sensitive about thinning
hair.

Skills
Administration-12; Area Knowledge-13; Criminology-13;
Detect Lies-14; Diplomacy-14; History-12; Law-16; Psychol-
ogy-12; Riding-9. Garetha Hillborne Age: 52
Languages
Any three relevant to the adventure, at level 13. no such thing as "absolute justice," she's decided, not in the
abstract. All ethics and morals are situational, and anyone who
Conversions doesn't accept that is deluding himself. Garetha has started to put
her new world view into practice. She's now something of a
Contemporary — Garetha would be a typical corrupt judge. "judge-for-hire," allowing her verdict to be swayed by "volun-
Replace Riding with Driving (Car)-9. Literacy is no longer an tary donations" to her retirement fund.
advantage. Garetha hasn't abandoned all her principles, however. While
Near Future — Garetha could work either for the civil judi-
an acquittal can be bought in most cases, she categorically will
ciary, or for a megacorporate equivalent. Use the same conver-
not acquit murderers, no matter how much money she's offered.
sions as above. Hillborne is sensitive about her appearance. Her hair is thin-
Space — New colonies require a magistrate to settle disputes ning with age, so she always wears a wig of white, flowing locks.
that the local government is unable to mediate. Replace Riding
with Computer Operation-14 and Xenology-12.
Quotes
Story "Justice is blind, my man. But it's also . . . poor ... if you take
my meaning."
Many villages in the nation are too small to warrant their own "When all the facts of the case are before me, only then will I
magistrates. Yet, part of the nation's social compact with its citi- make iny decision."
zens is that everyone must have access to justice. Thus the travel- "When you're in my court, you treat me with the respect due
ing magistrate takes on great importance outside the larger cities my office. Now shut up and sit down."
and towns.
Garetha Hillborne is one of these traveling magistrates, and has
been for much of her life. Trained in law in the nation's capital, she
Adventure Seeds
travels the length and breadth of the land, meting out justice. ♦ The PCs have been arrested for a crime they didn't commit, and
Traveling magistrates enjoy great respect, but are paid rela- Garetha is the magistrate. Unbeknownst to the PCs, an enemy
tively little. In her youth, this didn't bother Garetha; the knowl- of theirs has paid Garetha to make sure they're convicted.
edge that she was making a difference was enough. Now, ♦ The PCs have brought a criminal to justice. In the trial — pre-
however, as she contemplates retirement, money is becoming sided over by Garetha — the criminal is acquitted, however,
more important. despite the overwhelming evidence pointing to his guilt. The
As she's recognized the importance of a healthy nest egg, she's criminal himself doesn't have the money to bribe the magis-
also become more cynical about the concept of "justice." There's trate, so someone else obviously did it. Why? And who?
VA MPIRE
ST: 18 IQ: 13 Speed: 7
DX: 14 HT: 16 Move: 7
Dodge: 7 Parry: 8
Natural DR of 2; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 225

Advantages
Appearance (Very Beautiful), Immunity to Disease; Literacy
Night Vision; Reputation +2 (To nobility: a patron of the arts)
Status 3; Unaffected by metal; Unaging; Wealth (Filthy Rich).

Disadvantages
Cannot cross running water; Cannot enter dwelling uninvited
Paranoia; Secret (Vampire); Takes damage from sunlight (1 poin
per minute); Vulnerable to Holy Water.
Claudette de la Verain Age: 42
Quirks
Always wears expensive jewelry; Fascinated with locks and
other intricate mechanisms; Very vain. some two decades ago. She'd always been very athletic, highly
intelligent, and exceptionally dexterous. As a member of the
Skills upper classes, she was invited into the homes of the rich and
Acrobatics-15; Area Knowledge-15; Climbing-15; Dancing- influential, making it easy to spot ways of circumventing security.
14; Heraldry-13; Lockpicking-16; Savoir-Faire-15; Sex Appeal- She took to the rooftops as the Nightwraith, and cut a consider-
14; Shortsword-16; Sleight of Hand-14; Stealth-16. able swath through the nobility.
Spells: Body of Air; Charm; Mammal Control; Shapeshifting; Then she had the bad luck, or bad judgment, to break into the
Steal Health. home of a visiting noble who happened to be a vampire. He
caught her in the act, and — impulsively — turned her into a vam-
Languages pire herself.
Any four relevant to the adventure, at level 13. After the predictable trauma, Claudette realized she could turn
this curse into a boon. Instead of dropping out of society, she took
various precautions to disguise her true nature. The powers of the
Conversions
vampire have made her infinitely better as a thief than she could
Contemporary — The interesting point about Claudette is that have imagined, and she's thoroughly enjoying her revitalized ca-
she could still be alive from the medieval period. Add Driving reer.
(Car)-14 and Guns (Pistol)-16. Literacy is no longer an advantage. She's still a kindhearted soul — although that is starting to fade.
Near Future — Same as above but add Computer Operation-13. She rarely kills when she feeds, and she tries to select victims
Literacy is no longer an advantage. who she believes deserve to suffer at her hands. As time goes on,
Space — Claudette could be a humanoid alien; her powers thus however, she's starting to care less about the suffering of others,
have a non-supernatural origin. Same as above but add Free Fall- and isn't paying as much attention to her own security — almost as
15 and Xenology-14. Literacy is no longer an advantage. if she's daring the other nobles to discover she's a vampire.
Story Quotes
The Marquise Claudette de la Verain seems to have it all. "Yes, I'll take the job. You won't even have to pay me. Not
Despite the fact that she's only a lesser noble, she still manages to money, anyway . . ."
get herself invited to all the good parties. She's filthy rich, always "You'll find very few jobs are impossible for an adequately
dripping with gems. Her husband was considerate enough to die skilled expert like me."
some years ago, leaving her all his lands. And if that weren't "The Lord Nightingale's 'impenetrable' vault was broken into
enough, she's drop-dead gorgeous — much too young-looking for again last night? How droll . . ."
her 40-some years.
She does have a couple of foibles, of course. She never makes
Adventure Seeds
an appearance before the sun goes down, for one thing. And for
another, she seems to have friends from the less desirable classes ♦ Some nobles are starting to suspect the Marquise isn't what
of the city. But the other nobles — friends and rivals — can't find she seems. They hire the PCs to discover Claudette's dark
much to say against her. secret . . .
That would certainly change if they found out that the Mar- ♦ The PCs are hunting for the Nightwraith — either to bring the
quise de la Verain was both a vampire, and one of the most criminal to justice, or to remove a rival. As they conduct their
notorious thieves operating in the city — the "Nightwraith." investigations, they find hints that the Nightwraith might be
The Marquise started her criminal career out of boredom, part of the aristocracy . . . and not entirely human.
VILLAGE PRIEST
ST: 12 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 175

Advantages
Clerical Investment; Empathy; Literacy; Magery 3.

Disadvantages
Impulsiveness; Sense of Duty (To the sick and injured).

Quirks
Doesn't talk about his past; Will listen to anyone's problems;
Won't give anyone pat answers.

Skills
Administration-12; Area Knowledge-13; Brawling-12; Broad- Reinal yen Boroth Age: 48
sword-14; Carousing-9; Detect Lies-15; Diagnosis-12; Fast-Talk-
13; First Aid-15; Occultism-12; Psychology-12; Streetwise-13;
Teaching-13; Theology-14. settle down to, as it were. That was when he met the itinerant
Spells: Cure Disease-14; Death Vision-14; Decay-14; Detect priest.
Magic-14; Instant Regeneration-13; Lend He alth- 14 ; Lend Reinal had never had much time for priests . . . but then, he'd
Strength-14; Light-14; Major Healing-13; Minor Healing-14; never given them much time, either. When he met this holy man,
Neutralize Poison-14; Regeneration-13; Restoration-13; Resur- he was in a frame of mind to actually listen to what the priest had
rection-13; Sterilize-14; Summon Spirit-14; Test Food-14. to say.
To this day, Reinal won't tell anyone exactly what the wander-
Languages ing priest told him. It must have made sense, however. Reinal
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 14. immediately converted to the priest's faith, and within two years
he himself was a man of the cloth.
Conversions Ven Boroth doesn't regret his decision. His vocation has given
him more peace of mind than he ever thought he'd have. Further,
Contemporary — Reinal would run the local church. His back-
his background has given him a very personal understanding of
ground and personality would be unchanged, but he'd only have
the trials and travails his less-controlled parishioners face on an
magical abilities in a horror campaign, or something similarly
everyday basis. Even though he knows the answers to their prob-
"non-traditional." Literacy is no longer an advantage.
lems, he prefers to help them find their own solutions, rather than
Near Future — In the dark cyberpunk world, Reinal might be
just telling them outright.
forced to call on the abilities of his former life. Replace Broad-
sword with Guns (Pistol)-14. Literacy is no longer an advantage.
Space — Replace Broadsword with Beam Weapons (Blaster)-14. Quotes
"It's better to waste your youth than do nothing at all with it."
Story "I understand your problem. Personally and intimately, I as-
sure you."
Reinal yen Boroth has seen it all. Or, if not all, then most of it.
"Trust me; it's never too late . . ."
Unlike most members of his religious order, he didn't join the
priesthood until he was in his 30s — almost 20 years ago, now.
And during those 30-some years before he "accepted the cloth," Adventure Seeds
he wasn't idle. The ringleader of a group of hell-raisers, he'd got ♦ The PCs need a priest to put them back together after a scrap,
himself into — and usually out of — more trouble than any six resurrect a fallen comrade or lift a curse. Of course, the details
normal youths. He'd sown his wild oats, then prayed for a crop of their recent campaign aren't exactly honorable, ethical or
failure. He'd visited every one-horse town and tried to steal the legal . . . In the past, they've been able to fast-talk priests into
horse. He ran the confidence game, sold indulgences and peddled believing laundered accounts of their escapades. This time,
every bridge within 15 leagues of his home. By the time he was however, it's Reinal ven Boroth they're dealing with . . .
25, he'd made — and subsequently lost — more money than most ♦ Someone from Reinal's past has reappeared — an enemy he
people see in a lifetime. (He'd never actually killed anyone, he's thought he'd dealt with many years before joining the priest-
still proud to recall, or hurt anyone who didn't warrant hurting. hood. For the sake of his community, Reinal knows this old
There were some very strict limits to his depravity.) enemy must be eliminated. Unfortunately, priests of Reinal's
By his late 20s, he'd started to tire of his life of debauchery. He order can't take up arms. He needs some intermediaries to help
was ready to settle down, but he didn't know what he wanted to him out . . .
W ERETIGER
ST: 12 IQ: 10 Speed: 7.125
DX: 12 HT: 11 Move: 7
Dodge: 5 Parry: (Broadsword) 7
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 115

Advantages
Animal Empathy; Weretiger Shapeshifting.

Disadvantages
Honesty; Odious Personal Habit (Eats raw meat).

Quirks
Loves fish; Naive about human culture; Unaffected by human
beauty.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Astronomy-10; Broadsword-14; Climb-
ing-11; Fishing-13; Jumping-14; Running-11; Seamanship-10;
Survival (Forest)-10; Survival (Jungle)-12; Swimming-12; Track-
ing-10.
Kellyn Age: 25
Weapons
Thrusting Broadsword: 1d+3 cutting, 1d+1 impaling. Kellyn has a few problems dealing with different cultures and
their bizarre customs. His ignorance is often amusing to his
Tiger Form friends, and bewildering to everyone else. Very few people share
ST: 36 IQ: 10 Speed: 10 his enjoyment of fresh, raw meat and are a little appalled at his
DX: 14 HT: 13 Move: 10 choice of dinner — fish straight out of the sea is especially nice.
Dodge: 11 Kellyn also enjoys running the forest in tiger form, hunting the
Natural armor (PD 1, DR 3); no encumbrance. local wildlife. (He's always careful not to eat someone's live-
stock.)
Weapons When people fmd out his true nature they assume that he's a
bloodthirsty monster. This isn't true, although he is proficient
Teeth: 1d impaling; Claws: 2d-1 cutting.
with both claw and broadsword. He prefers not to fight except in
self-defense, or when on the hunt.
Conversions
Contemporary — Unless magic exists, Kellyn doesn't either. Quotes
He might fit into an African-based campaign.
"I don't see why you don't just come up behind her, bite her
Near Future — Kellyn's shapeshifting ability may be due to
on the neck and growl a little."
cybernetics. Change Broadsword to Guns (Pistol)-14.
"Want some of my dinner? I saved you the best part."
Space — An alien entity could possess a similar shapeshifting
"Not the best meat, I admit . . . but I don't think cremation is
ability. Replace Broadsword with Beam Weapons (Blaster)-14.
the answer."
Story
Adventure Seeds
Kellyn was born into a tribe of weretigers in the southern jungle
♦ People have seen what looks like a tiger in the surrounding
lands. He found the life of a hunter-gatherer a little lacking and
countryside. A reward has been posted that's attractive enough
wanted to see what the rest of the world had to offer. Over the past
to convince the PCs to try to bag it. Kellyn will treat the hunt
five years, he's met more people than he knew existed and he's
as a game, playing with the PCs at night and getting to know
been to some of the strangest places the world has to offer. Never-
them in the daytime. His intelligence will definitely let him
theless, he's sure there's still more to see before he returns home.
stay one step ahead of his pursuers. Eventually he'll probably
Kellyn's entire tribe share his ability to shapeshift to tiger
admit his true nature to his new friends.
form, and so he naturally expected everyone else he met to have
the same power. In fact, it took Kellyn some time to realize that ♦ The PCs are wandering through the back lot of a circus, or
people outside the southern lands don't shapeshift — and, further, somewhere else where caged animals are kept. They find
that they're frightened of those who do. Out of necessity, Kellyn nothing particularly remarkable about the massive tiger in the
has become far more careful about when and where he takes his undersized cage . . . until its reactions show it understands
feline form. everything they're saying . . .
WIZARD
ST: 8 IQ: 15 Speed: 4.75
DX: 10 HT: 9 Move: 4
Dodge: 4
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 105

Advantages
Intuition; Literacy; Magery 2.

Disadvantages
Impulsiveness; Stubbornness.

Quirks
Calls a spade a spade, and to hell with the consequences;
Doesn't suffer fools gladly; Not very mystical.

Skills Nystral Age: 37

Alchemy-13; Calligraphy-9; Cooking-14; First Aid-15; Math-
ematics-13; Occultism-15; Research-14; Scrounging-14; Teach-
ing-14; Theology-13; Writing-14. Nystral spends many long hours optimizing his spells, first
Spells: Apportatio n-15 ; Complex Illusion-15; Continual casting a spell with ten pinches of garlic, and then trying it with
Light-15; Create Fire-15; Detect Magic-15; Find Weakness-15; nine. All of his results are then carefully recorded in his notebook.
Flame Jet-15; Flight-15; Identify-15; Identify Plant-15; Ignite He's been very successful in his research, sometimes boosting the
Fire-15; Levitation-15; Light-15; Purify Air-15; Seek Earth-15; power of a spell by as much as 50%. When he feels that a spell's
Seek Plant-15; Seek Water-15; Shape Fire-15; Shatter-14; Simple been completely optimized, he publishes the results and distrib-
Illusion-15; Sound-15; Weaken-15. utes them to his fellow mages. The disadvantage of this research
is that many modified spells react unpredictably (i.e., the rules
Languages aren't quite what Nystral thought they were). So far he's been
Any three relevant to the adventure, at level 14. fairly lucky . . . and is healing nicely.
Nystral's greatest love is to discuss his magical tinkerings with
other mages and to receive their input. The problem he faces all
Conversions
too often is that most mages won't admit that magic is just an-
Contemporary — Usable only in a campaign that has magic. other science. They want to act all mystical and mysterious -
Update skills to modern-day equivalents. Literacy is no longer an spouting off incomprehensible "wisdom" and pretending to be
advantage. superior.
Near Future — The campaign must have magic for Nystral to Nystral has a very difficult time getting along with people who
exist. Replace Alchemy with Computer Operation-16. Literacy is
don't see his point of view. Match this with his very stubborn
no longer an advantage. attitude about the workings of the world, and you have an iinpos-
Space — If there isn't magic in the campaign, he could be using sible person to deal with . . . if you happen to disagree with him.
some form of technology to produce the same results. Same con-
versions as above.
Quotes
"Maybe frog skin isn't a good substitute for toad skin after all.
Story
Please put out that fire, would you?"
Nystral was chosen as an apprentice by his mentor at a very "The ineffable mysteries of magic!? Don't make me laugh."
early age. So strong was Nystral's talent that it would have been "Magic is in the details. Understand the details, and every-
foolish for him to pursue any other career. The young man threw thing else follows logically."
himself into his studies voraciously, and proceeded faster than
most. Unlike most aspiring magicians, he had a tremendous
amount of patience, and took his time learning all the theory
Adventure Seeds
behind the spells that interested him, not just the outward forms ♦ Nystral owes the PCs money for a task they completed. Before
of those spells. This solid grounding in the principles of magic they can get their money, however, they must retrieve Nystral
has served him well. from the alternate dimension that he accidentally created in
The biggest difference between Nystral and most mages is that the course of his studies.
he treats magic as a science — like chemistry or physics — not an ♦ Nystral is running out of reagents; so he asks the PCs to
art. Magic has its own set of rules. When a particular spell is "borrow" some from Minbuar the Mighty. (Nystral figures
followed to the letter, it produces roughly the same effect regard- that Minbuar no longer needs such material possessions due to
less of the caster. his new undead form . . .)
WOODSMAN
ST: 13 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Parry: 7
Heavy leather armor (PD 2, DR 2); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Absolute Direction; Animal Empathy.

Disadvantages
Pyrophobia (Minor); Sense of Duty (To nature).

Quirks
Loves to spend time with people; Sings loudly when he's
alone; Tries to stay as clean as possible.

Skills
Animal Handling-14; Bow-12; Climbing-13; Cooking-12;
First Aid-13; Fishing-12; Naturalist-13; Survival (Forest)-13;
Swimming-14; Tracking-14; Two-Handed Sword-14.

Weapons
Thrusting Greatsword: 2d+2 cutting, 1d+2 impaling; Long-
bow: 1d+2 impaling.

Conversions
Contemporary — Stine would make a great hunting guide. Re-
place Two-Handed Sword with Guns (Rifle)-15.
Near Future — Same as above. Stine Age: 25
Space — Stine could be a hunting guide and safari leader on
other planets. Replace Two-Handed Sword with Beam Weapons the dangers of fire and treats even the smallest cooking fire with
(Laser)-15.
respect.
Story Quotes
A woodsman's job is a lonely one. Those who've spent time
"Look at the tracks: one of the men is wounded. We should
exploring the uncharted wastes alone understand that madness
catch up to them in two hours."
lies in wait for the unwary and the vulnerable. Stine knows this
"I'm alone because that's what I do, not what I am."
loneliness well and protects his sanity with an iron will. "Look, you paid me to get you through this forest alive. If you
Well versed in the language of the forest, Stine is an excellent don't want to listen to my advice, that's your choice — I've already
tracker, fisherman, hunter, prospector and naturalist. He has an got your money."
innate direction sense and has yet to get lost (at least, not for
long). His ability to train and handle animals is legendary.
Stine travels the forests on a variety of tasks. Often he's hired
Adventure Seeds
to lead an adventuring party through a local forest. Twice he's ♦ Stine has stumbled into the wrong part of the woods, interrupt-
even scouted for an army. His current mission takes him to the ing some people who don't want their secrets known. Now
forests of Hiram, which his employer believes to contain artifacts he's on the run, with a band of assassins on his heels. Stine has
of earlier cultures. On an earlier journey, Stine found a number of no love for a stand-up fight, but his pursuers are as good
magical devices in ancient ruins overgrown with foliage — many woodsmen as he is. He needs help now How fortunate that he
of which his employer will never find out about. stumbles upon another group of travelers . . .
Although he spends tremendous amounts of time in the wil- ♦ Stine offered his services to a group of greenhorns who just
derness, there's little Stine enjoys more than living it up with his wandered into town (the PCs), but they turned him down flat.
friends in town during his infrequent visits. It takes many tan- Now they're off in the woods, stumbling around aimlessly (as
kards of ale for the story of his last adventure to be told. (Keep in Stine sees it). Stine and his friends decide this is the perfect
mind that Stine is solitary by career, not by nature.) time for a little cheap humor at the PCs' expense . . . Stine's
Stine's greatest weakness is his fear of fire. When he was a practical jokes will be embarrassing, but not harmful. If the
child he was caught in a forest fire. Fortunately, he was able to PCs take things well, they and the woodsman might become
find a small lake to hide in and wait it out. He understands well friends.
CONTEMPORARY
AIRLINE PILOT
ST: 11 IQ: 10 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 45

Advantages
Charisma +1; Danger Sense.

Disadvantages
Addiction (To many of his drugs); Duty (To Global Airways);
Enemies (Other drug dealers); Lecherousness.

Quirks
Wears his uniform as often as he can; Winks during conversa-
tion.

Skills
Carousing-13; Computer Operation-12; Driving (Car)-14;
Electronics Operation (Aircraft)-12; Gambling-12; Navigation-
10; Piloting (Multi-engine jet)-15; Sex Appeal-12.

Conversions
Fantasy — The closest equivalent is the captain of an ocean-
going ship who is smuggling a variety of illegal cargoes. Replace
Computer Operation, Driving, Electronics and Piloting with
Boating-12, Merchant-13 and Seamanship-14.
Near Future — The job hasn't changed much, but the drugs
sure have. Brian is now smuggling hideously illegal substances, Brian Key Age: 32
many of which even he doesn't dare try. No changes.
Space — Brian might be the captain of a commercial space FAA. Unless he cleans up his act, and himself, it'll only be a few
vessel. Replace Electronics and Navigation with Astrogation-12, more months until he's plucked from the skies . . . permanently.
Free Fall-13, Piloting (Large spaceship)-15 and Vacc Suit-10. Brian is, of course, blind to the delicacy of his current position.
The lifestyle he's living is just too good to pass up.
Story If official scrutiny weren't enough, he's also been noticed by
Nowadays, it's almost impossible to smuggle drugs past heav- some competing drug merchants. These people intend to do more
ily-enforced airport security (without bribing the inspectors, of than just fire him.
course, which is growing steadily more costly). The wide range
of detection methods and machines catch nearly everyone who Quotes
tries. Brian Key, however, has been successfully smuggling illicit "Yeah, I saw the other plane. I'm just a little tired . . . okay?"
drugs into the country for four years. The reason for Brian's suc- "For just a little more, I can bring you the stuff directly from
cess is simple — he's an airline pilot for Global Airways, and Laos. And trust me, this stuff is the best."
hence exempt from most security checks. "Try a hit of this, lovely lady. It'll get you up to cruising
Brian has always enjoyed the high life. He likes his cars fast, altitude right quick."
and his women faster. While the prestige of being a pilot appeals
to Brian, the expense of his desired lifestyle soon outstripped his
Adventure Seeds
salary. He started looking for ways to supplement his income.
Drug trafficking seemed to be the perfect answer, as it provided ♦ The airline has decided to make a surprise check on Brian,
the highest income with the least amount of work. His job as an hopefully catching him in the act. Fortunately, a friend has
warned him that an inspector is coming. The PCs are the lucky
airline pilot means that he can completely bypass the intense
security and carry his drugs on board his plane with little chance ones on whom he decides to plant his drugs. Brian has weath-
of detection. He now has a huge set of drug contacts in America ered this one, but it's still just a matter of time until he's
and abroad. For reasons of space and weight, he specializes in the caught. For the PCs, now trying to enter customs carrying
most potent designer drugs. illegal drugs, however, life has just gotten interesting.
Unfortunately, like most drug dealers, he's beginning to sam- ♦ Local drug merchants have decided to take out this upstart as an
ple his wares more often than he should. Already he's had one example. After two unsuccessful attempts on his life, Brian
close call on take-off and is currently under investigation by the turns to the PCs to protect him from the violent drug lords.
ARCHAEOLOGIST
ST: 11 IQ: 14 Speed: 5
DX: 9 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 85

Advantages
Appearance (Attractive); Strong Will +2.

Disadvantages
Delusion (She was meant to travel the world); Impulsive.

Quirks
Always carries a clasp-knife in her purse; Fills her office with
valueless and tacky archaeological replicas; Wears safari-style
"adventure gear" even when it's not appropriate.

Skills
Anthropology-14; Archaeology-15 (+5 on Sparta, -1 on every-
thing else); Computer Operation-13; Driving (Car)-9; History-15;
Mathematics-13; Occultism-14; Photography-15; Research-14;
Swimming-10; Writing-12.

Languages
Ancient Greek-13; any other two relevant to the adventure, at
level 13.

Conversions
Fantasy — Replace Computer Operation, Driving (Car) and Rose Wiersma Age: 33
Photography with Heraldry-14 and Riding-9.
Near Future — No changes.
Space — Fortunately for Rose, there are countless undiscovered nized expert on ancient Greece (with a focus on Sparta), but
archaeological sites out there ... but that doesn't mean she's going knows at least something about virtually every other era and
to be any better at finding them. Add Xenology-14. locale. If she doesn't know a specific fact, she certainly knows
how to go about finding it. She reads quite extensively on the
Story topic of the occult — not because she believes in "that inumbo-
jumbo," but because of what mythic structures can tell about the
Rose Wiersma — snidely nicknamed "Rambling Rose" by
cultures in which they arise.
some of her colleagues — is a globe-trotting, adventurous archae-
ologist in the Indiana Jones mode . . . or that's the way she'd like
to see herself. She's got the archaeology side of the equation
Quotes
down pat; even her colleagues who laugh at her other aspirations "All the great finds haven't been found. That's just 'conven-
have to admit she's a genius. It's the "globe-trotting" and tional wisdom' talking."
"adventurous" parts she's having trouble with. "The only way to understand a culture is to live as part of it."
Truth to tell, Rambling Rose isn't a very good traveler. She's "Okay, so we'll fly from London to Nairobi. From there we'll
not a natural when it comes to organization, and she finds planning head south by Land Rover . . . What do you mean, 'no'?"
for any kind of trip very stressful. She's familiar with several
foreign languages, but this familiarity doesn't extend beyond book Adventure Seeds
learning: she can read and write them, but carrying on a colloquial ♦ Rose has finally made the Big Find . . . and somebody is after
conversation is usually beyond her. (Also, she tends to be more her to take it back! For the first time in her life, Indy-style
familiar with the archaic forms of languages. Since very few peo- adventure has come her way, and it's scaring the hell out of
ple speak Classical Greek any more, for example, her knowledge her. She turns to the PCs for help — to keep her alive and find
isn't overly useful.) She dreams of making a big find, something out what's so all-fired important about the item she found.
glamorous and exciting that will catapult her into fame and for- ♦ Rambling Rose is outfitting an expedition to some desolate
tune. So far, the Big One — or even a significant Little One — has land, and hires the PCs as assistants and support personnel.
evaded her. Even worse, other forms of excitement — bandits raid- Since she always talks a good game, the PCs might not realize
ing her Tunisian dig, for example — haven't come her way either. that Rose is a disaster looking for a place to happen until it's
Academically, her credentials are impeccable. She's a recog- too late.
BOUNCER
ST: 15 IQ: 8 Speed: 5.75
DX: 11 HT: 12 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 110

Advantages
Combat Reflexes; Toughness +1.

Disadvantages
Bully; Lecherousness.

Quirks
Drinks only soda water when on duty; Lights his cigarettes
with a flourish.

Skills
Area Knowledge-10; Brawling-14; Broadsword-12; Carous-
ing-12; Driving (Car)-11; Intimidation-10 (Default from ST); Ka-
rate-12; Running-11; Sex Appeal-11; Streetwise-10.

Weapons
Baseball Bat: 2d+1 crushing.

Conversions Tony Zdebiak Age: 24

Fantasy — Tony is your typical brutish inn bouncer. Remove
Driving (Car). he's acquired himself a book of snappy retorts and put-downs,
Near Future — The wide availability of designer drugs and collected from famous wits such as Oscar Wilde. The Zee memo-
cyber implants will have Tony hyped up and full of cyber-fury. rizes these in his free time, ready to recite them (usually incor-
Install a Chip Slot with a Macho Chip and keep plenty of ST and rectly) at an appropriate moment.
DX Adders handy. Add Guns (Pistol)-14. Zdebiak doesn't use drugs, but he knows people who do. The
Space — Tony keeps the peace in an extremely violent bar on a same's true for guns, knives and just about anything else that's
space station. The psychology and physiology of the various pa- illegal. For a bit of graft, the Zee will help anyone make a connec-
trons will keep Tony on his toes. Replace Driving (Car) and tion . . . as long as they're suitably respectful. Some of the local
Broadsword with Beam Weapons-13. operators enjoy playing a dangerous game with the Zee — insult-
ing him so subtly that he doesn't get it (while they and their
Story friends do). The Zee senses that something's going down, but
Tony Zdebiak — "The Zee" to his (few) friends — believes in realizes he would not be cool to do anything about it until he
cool. Cool is where it's at, and if you're cool enough, nobody is understands it.
going to mess with you. The Zee might not be quite there yet, but
he's working on it. Quotes
Tony was a big kid — big, and not overly bright. The best "Don't even ask about credit . . ."
description of Zdebiak in high school cost its creator some teeth, "Forget it, chump. You can't even buy good fake ID, you ain't
but it still fits — "Strong like bull, smart like streetcar." He drinking here."
dropped out of school early, soon after he decided that being a "It ain't worth it, bucko. Just walk away, I'm telling you."
"brain" was not cool, and that he enjoyed building up his body
much more than he did building up his mind. Tony was in heaven
Adventure Seeds
when, in his teens, he discovered the wonders of anabolic ste-
roids. Thanks to those wondrous chemicals, he now has a phy- ♦ The PCs need access to information, guns, or whatever, but
they're new in town. Their best connection seems to be that
sique that would make both Schwarzenegger and Stallone sit up
and take notice. With his combination of brute strength and brute- steroid monkey guarding the door of the local bar.
level intellect, the career of bouncer seemed natural. ♦ The Zee's in trouble . . . and part of the trouble is that he
The Zee likes his creature comforts. He has a very sharp — if doesn't know how much. He overheard a conversation outside
misplaced — sense of style, in clothes, cars and female compan- his bar, and the participants know he overheard it. What they
ionship. Although his taste in art runs to crying clowns painted on don't know is that he didn't understand it . . . They want the
black velvet, and his favorite wine is Thunderbird, he considers Zee removed; he doesn't want to be removed. And, for the first
himself quite a sophisticated bon vivant. In his pursuit of cool, time in his life, the Zee is forced to ask for help.
COPST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Light Kevlar chest protector (PD 2, DR 4); no encumbrance.
Point Total: 40

Advantages
Legal Enforcement Powers; Reputation +1 (To cops: a straight
arrow).

Disadvantages
Dependents; Duty; Overweight.

Quirks
Calls his wife several times a day; Carries an unregistered
pistol ("cold iron") with him at all times; Keeps a "better dead"
list, but never acts on it.

Skills
Area Knowledge-13; Brawling-13; Computer Operation-13;
Criminology-14; Detect Lies-13; Driving (Car)-11; Guns (Pis-
tol)-16; Interrogation-13; Judo-11; Law-13; Shortsword (Baton)-
12; Tactics-12.

Weapons
Baton: 1d crushing, 1d-2 crushing; Heavy Pistol: 2d+2 crush-
ing. Leroy Barnes Age: 29
Conversions
Fantasy — Leroy would be a guard captain. Replace Computer Like many cops, Leroy now divides the world into three types
Operation, Driving (Car), and Shortsword with Broadsword-11. of people — cops, civilians and scumbags — with only a fine line
Literacy — if he is literate — is an advantage. separating the latter two. He always holds to the letter of the law,
Near Future — In the grim future, the world has fallen apart but he has his own "better dead" list, and dreams of someone
and few people will notice that Leroy has started to work on his declaring "open season" on scumbags. (It's important to stress
"better dead" list. No other changes. that, while Leroy may talk convincingly about wanting to go
Space — Replace Driving (Car) and Guns with Beam Weapons vigilante, he'd never do so.)
(Blaster)- 13. Leroy has seen so much of the dark side of human nature that
he thinks nothing can surprise him any more.
Story
Quotes
Leroy Barnes grew up in a bad neighborhood. Crime — often
violent crime — was rampant, and many of his schoolmates turned "I'm getting too old for this crap."
to the drug trade as the only source of the money they needed to "Get this peckerwood out of my sight before I feed him my
get out. During his youth, Leroy hated the police — more because nightstick."
that's what was expected of him than because of any concrete "Those cops in L.A. stepped over the line for sure. But some-
reason. As he grew older, however, his thinking slowly changed. times I wonder if I couldn't be pushed that far . . ."
The cops were trying to make a difference, he realized. They
Adventure Seeds
didn't always succeed, and sometimes they actually made things
worse . . . but by God, they were trying, and that set them apart ♦ It looks as though Leroy Barnes has finally crossed the line,
from most of Leroy's friends and acquaintances. When Barnes and started acting on his "better dead" list. A particular perpe-
graduated from high school — a rarity in and of itself — he applied trator who was freed because of a technicality has been found
to the police academy, and was accepted. dead, and circumstantial evidence implicates Barnes. The PCs
In the early days of his career, Leroy was driven by idealism, — perhaps Internal Affairs officers, or private detectives hired
and by a belief he could change things. All too soon he learned by Barnes — have to find out who's framing Barnes, and why.
that change, if it was possible at all, was going to be excruciat- ♦ The PCs have broken the law — with only the purest of motiva-
ingly slow. Over the years, the gritty, brutal realities of his job tions, of course — and were caught red-handed. Now they have
burned away his youthful idealism, making him ever more cyni- to convince the arresting officer (Barnes) that they were actu-
cal. Today when he visits his old neighborhood, he can see almost ally saving the world (or whatever), not trying to rob that
no change, and that unpleasant fact colors his entire world view. jewelry store . . .
FIREFIGHTER
ST: 12 IQ: 10 Speed: 5.75
DX: 12 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.
Point Total: 60

Advantages
High Pain Threshold; Luck.

Disadvantages
Duty (People in fires); On the Edge.

Quirks
Avoids risk when not fighting a fire; Loves to watch fire;
Sometimes talks as though fire's alive.

Skills
Area Knowledge-10; Axe/Mace-10; Breath Control-9; Climb-
ing-12; Driving (Car)-10; Driving (Truck)-12; First Aid-11;
Jumping-12; Professional Skill (Firefighter)-13; Running-11.

Conversions
Fantasy — No conversion.
Near Future — Fires are an extremely commonplace occur-
rence. Add Computer Operation-10.
Space — In space, as at sea, fires are extremely dangerous. Add
Computer Operation-12, Free Fall-12 and Vacc Suit-10 (much
better than a gas mask for working in smoke).

Story
When they're young, many kids dream of being a firefighter -
of riding on the fire truck, working the hoses, climbing the lad-
ders, saving lives . . . Most grow out of this ambition quickly
enough — usually after the first time they burn themselves when
playing with matches.
Not so Lincoln White. As he grew up, his determination to be
a firefighter became more intense. Right out of high school, he
applied to the academy and was accepted. His dedication to his
studies was phenomenal, and he excelled at the academic and
practical requirements of his training. His graduation was the
proudest day of his life. Lincoln White Age: 24
His colleagues recognize there's something different about
Lincoln White, although they get along with him well. While they
treat firefighting as just a job, he seems to have a more philosoph-
ical — almost spiritual — outlook. He frequently talks about fire as
Quotes
if it were alive; while this disturbs some of White's comrades, "Get a two-inch up here now!"
they all assume (rightly or wrongly) that he's only speaking figu- "Fluid theory tries to explain why fire spreads the way it does.
ratively, and doesn't really believe that. In any case, his strange Garbage. Fire spreads because it wants to."
beliefs don't affect his performance, so nobody has complained. "Man, I'm telling you — this wasn't an accident."
When he's off duty, Lincoln is calm and quiet. He doesn't
socialize with the others, and seems exceptionally conservative.
Adventure Seeds
On the job, however, he's a different person. He seems utterly ♦ Lincoln has found evidence of arson in several of the fires he's
fearless, taking risks that his fellows never would. He's never fought recently. The PCs become involved in the investigation.
foolhardy, however, and never puts his buddies at risk, so again ♦ White's supervisor worries that the firefighter's fascination
there's nothing anyone can really complain about. Those who with fire might have become a dangerous psychosis, and that
know White best believe that sometimes, when he's fighting a Lincoln might actually be setting fires. The PCs are brought in
fire, he really doesn't care whether he lives or dies as long as the to secretly watch White, and see if there is any truth to the
job gets done. suspicion.
FOOTBALL STAR
ST: 14 IQ: 11 Speed: 7
DX: 15 HT: 13 Move: 7
Dodge: 7
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 250

Advantages
High Pain Threshold; Reputation +4 (Sports star); Status +2;
Wealth (Filthy Rich).

Disadvantages
Compulsive Behavior (Exercise); Honesty.

Quirks
Always dresses well; Doesn't drink; Obsessive about physical
fitness — it's his life after all . . .

Skills
Acrobatics-14; Brawling-15; Diplomacy-10; Driving (Car)-
13; Fast-Talk-11; Jumping-14; Performance-9; Running-14;
Sports (Football)-17; Swimming-15; Throwing-16.

Conversions
Fantasy — The nearest equivalent is a gladiator. Replace Driv-
ing (Car) with Axe/Mace-14, Broadsword-14, and Two-Handed
Sword-13.
Near Future — With the league's more "relaxed" approach to
performance-enhancing drugs, Bromley might suffer from an ad-
diction to something that "juices" his speed and reactions. Other-
wise, no changes.
Space — Professional sports have always existed, and there's Anson Bromley Age: 38
no reason to think they'll die out within the next millennium. Add
Free Fall-16.
the tried-and-true "win-one-for-the-Gipper" clichés, Bromley
tells things as they really are. Although the team owner often
Story wishes Bromley would keep his trap shut, he can't argue with the
Anson Bromley is one of the greatest success stories of the good publicity the star attracts.
sports world. Approaching 40, he's way past his prime, yet he still Bromley is heavily involved in sports programs for youth.
turns in an exceptional performance every time he hits the field. After all, it was sports that let him escape the ghetto, and he wants
Sure, he's a step or two slower than he used to be, he hurts a lot to return the favor to other youths.
more the morning after a game, and he's more paranoid about
injuries. But what he's lost physically he's more than made up for Quotes
mentally. He's a wily old professional who uses his head rather
"What do you want to hear me say? We lost tonight, and that
than his body. Let the hotshot kids kill themselves. Bromley's
ticks me off. I wouldn't tell you any different."
goal is to make it through one more season — maybe two if he's
"Of course the money's important. But I love the game, too."
really lucky — then retire . . . preferably in one piece.
"Buy the team? Man, I'm looking for a good investment . . ."
When he started making the big bucks, Bromley resisted the
temptation to blow his wad on fast cars, fast women and high
living. Not to say he's been a monk; he's just been careful to stash
Adventure Seeds
some away. After all, no career lasts forever, and he doesn't want ♦ Some shady characters have told Bromley that he'd better
to depend on shoe commercials to pay the rent. Bromley has been throw next week's game . . . if he wants to keep his kneecaps.
very canny with his investments, and is now starting to look Bromley won't knuckle under, and turns to the PCs to find out
seriously for a profitable business venture to enter when his who's pressuring him and why, and how to stop them.
career's finally over. At the moment he's leaning toward buying ♦ The PCs are pursuing an investigation that involves Broinley,
into a chain of sports medicine suppliers, but he hasn't made the or someone close to him. The football star demands to work
final decision. with the PCs. Although his experience is limited to the field,
Bromley has endeared himself to football fans and the press his skills might really come in handy if the PCs can figure out
with his openness and candor. While other sports figures trot out how best to use them.
GHOST
ST: 10 IQ: 10 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.
Point Total: 75

Advantages
Magical Resistance +2; Night Vision; Peripheral Vision;
Strong Will +2; Unusual Background (Dead).

Disadvantages
Astral Entity; Bad Temper; Compulsive Behavior (Expose her
murder); Social Stigma (She's dead . . .).

Quirks
Avoids making a mess; Dislikes women more attractive than
she is.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Cooking-12; Driving (Car)-6; Gesture-
13; Occultism-14; Scrounging-12; Throwing-7.

Conversions
Fantasy — Sarah might not actually be dead, but the victim of
some strange curse . . . or that might be what she's desperately
telling herself. Remove Driving (Car).
Near Future — No changes.
Space — No changes.

Story
Sarah Kerner has been dead and forced to haunt her murder
site for more than 25 years. In life, she was the wife of a promi-
nent businessman. Unknown to her, he was having an affair with
a woman in the neighborhood. Most days, Sarah would stay home
and clean the house, but on the day of her death, she told her
husband that she would visit a friend for the day. She returned Sarah Kerner Age: 35
early to find her husband in an extremely delicate situation with
the other woman.
Mr. Kerner flew into a rage, and proceeded to beat his wife Note: This character is designed to give the players a taste of
mercilessly into unconsciousness. When Sarah didn't wake up, he the supernatural, and would work very well in virtually any type
realized that his blows had killed her. Ridden with guilt over what of campaign. Obviously, the actual cause of her death can be
he'd done, he nonetheless buried the body and reported his wife altered to suit the specific adventure and background.
missing. An investigation was never launched.
Sarah's spirit is locked to the place of her death. Each day, at the
Quotes
time of her demise, she "wakes up." Remembering nothing, she "What's happened to me? Why can't I touch anything?"
explores the house and slowly begins to remember who she was in "Help me. Please, help me . . ."
life. Then, when the time of her death returns, her memories are "That miserable, adulterous, murdering bastard, I'll wring his
washed clean, and she's forced to repeat the process again. neck . . ."
Her recurrent appearances drove Mr. Kerner insane. She
would appear as a vision, or invade his dreams causing horrific
Adventure Seeds
nightmares. Within a few years, Mr. Kerner was reduced to a ♦ The PCs are investigating mysterious happenings at an old
gibbering idiot and eventually was institutionalized. haunted house. Up until now, most of their encounters with the
Near the end of each day, Sarah realizes that the only way she supernatural have been equivocal at best. How will they react
can be laid to rest is by bringing the facts of her murder to light. when they're confronted with a real ghost?
Unfortunately, she only has a few minutes — at most an hour - ♦ The PCs are staying at Sarah's house. Can she convince the
between the moment she realizes this and the time her memory is PCs to solve the mystery of her death, or will she send them
purged once more. screaming in terror?
GOVERNMENT
AGENT
ST: 9 IQ: 14 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 95

Advantages
Charisma +2; Common Sense; Legal Enforcement Powers. John Smith Age: 29
Disadvantages which he thinks there are all too many. He believes you can
Duty (Superiors); Honesty. usually get more information with a kind word and a probing
question than you can with a gun in the face.
Quirks Smith looks like the stereotypical Man In Black — when he's
Always wears mirror shades; Dresses conservatively on duty, on duty, at least. He favors dark, conservative suits, white shirts
more flamboyantly off; Never talks politics. and understated ties. He always wears mirror sunglasses — par-
tially because he cynically considers them part of the "uniform,"
Skills but mainly because his eyes are sensitive to bright lights. When
Area Knowledge-13; Carousing-12; Detect Lies-15; Diplo- he's off duty, he compensates for his staid persona, dressing in
macy-13; Driving (Car)-12; Fast-Talk-13; First Aid-14; Guns brightly-colored — but always elegantly-tailored — clothes, and
(Pistol)-12; Intelligence Analysis-13; Interrogation-14; Intimida- driving a flashy sports car.
tion-13; Karate-12; Law-13; Shadowing-13. Smith is a professional, and a career agent. He knows his
organization serves an important purpose — even though it seeins
Weapons to get sidetracked occasionally — and he considers his job to be a
Machine Pistol: 2d+2 crushing. vital one. He doesn't always agree with the edicts coming down
from the elected officials, but it's not his job to agree with thein.
Ideally, he'd like a little more freedom in his assignments — spe-
Conversions
cifically, to work on what he thinks the elected politicians should
Fantasy — Smith is in the service of a local noble, or perhaps be paying attention to, instead of drumming for votes — but he
the monarchy. Replace Driving (Car) and Guns with Riding-11
recognizes that this world isn't ideal.
and Broadsword-12.
Near Future — Here, Smith might work for a major megacorp
instead of the government. Install a Chip Slot with a Combat
Quotes
Reflexes chip. "Mr. Jackson? Military Intelligence Bureau. Will you come
Space — Replace Guns with Beam Weapons (Laser)-12. with me please?"
"Just answer my questions, then I'm out of your hair."
Story "You can call me Smith."
John Smith — his real name — works for one of the many
organizations in the intelligence community. His official title is Adventure Seeds
"Special Investigator," but that sometimes translates to "Trou- ♦ The PCs have done something to alienate the powers that be,
bleshooter" or "Expediter." When his organization wants to get and those powers have sent John Smith to dissuade the charac-
to the bottom of something, it's Smith who gets the job. ters from doing it again. Depending on the campaign, Smith
He's not some kind of spy-movie super-agent, however. He might have been told the truth about the PCs, or been given
carries a gun — it's required by regulations — but he's never drawn totally false reasons to hassle them. In the latter case, Smith
it, except on the firing range. He prides himself on being able to can become involved in finding out who's got problems with
talk his way to a solution. His people skills are almost uncanny, the PCs and why.
and he seems able to detect a lie — or even an incomplete state- ♦ Smith has found hints that not all is right within his own orga-
ment of the truth — better than a polygraph. nization. Apparently, somebody's playing some kind of secre-
Because of this, most of Smith's missions are just to go and tive game, and Smith wants to find out what it is.
talk to people — question them about their movements, their Unfortunately, he doesn't have the resources for the investiga-
whereabouts, what they know about the subject of an investiga- tion — or, more correctly, he does, but can't use them without
tion and what they might have witnessed. He leaves the "hard making his interests known to his bosses. He turns to the PCs
option" type of missions to the enforcers in the organization — of for help.
HACKER
ST: 9 IQ: 14 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 60

Advantages
Danger Sense; Mathematical Ability.

Disadvantages
Intolerance (Non-techs and computerphobes); Shyness.

Quirks
Uses computer terms in general conversation; Would rather
communicate by electronic mail than face-to-face.

Skills
Area Knowledge-13; Computer Hacking-15; Computer Oper-
ation-18; Computer Programming-16; Electronics (Computer)-
12; Literature-12; Swimming-10; Writing-12.

Conversions
Fantasy — Gaylean could be a successful thief. Remove Math-
ematical Ability, Computer and Electronic skills, and add Stealth-
14, Streetwise-13 and Knife-13.
Near Future — Gaylean would be a netrunner. Implant an Inter-
face Jack and add Cyberdeck Operation-14.
Space — Depending on the tech level of the campaign, and the
availability of implant technology, Gaylean could match either Gaylean Sauer Age: 23
the Near Future or Contemporary paradigm.
Today she splits her time between freelance consulting and
Story
freelance system penetration. She doesn't care what system she
Gaylean Sauer is the quintessential computer guru and freel- goes up against, or why: the attraction is in the intellectual chal-
ance hacker. No job is too large, no job is too small. To Gaylean, lenge. She lives frugally, spending the money she makes on buy-
every project has its own challenges and intellectual fascination. ing new tech "toys." She's basically a shy person, but she's not a
Even if it's something she's done many times before, she enjoys computer nerd.
trying to find new ways of doing it a shade more efficiently.
Sauer belongs to the first "sub-generation" that grew up with
Quotes
computers. Her school introduced microcomputers in the fourth
grade; that's when she realized her true calling. In the seventh "No, never heard of someone called 'Icepick.' "
grade she wrote her first computer game — a complex space-com- "Anybody who thinks computers don't have personalities
bat simulation with surprisingly sophisticated graphics — but in hasn't worked with them enough."
the eighth grade she discovered a challenge that drove games "Be careful what you store in your computer: it inight get
ideas . . . grin."
from her mind forever: hacking into larger computer systems.
She'd read of other teenage hackers who'd gotten arrested for
penetrating bank and government systems, and promised herself Adventure Seeds
that would never happen to her. She cut her teeth on systems with ♦ Before the PCs hired her for a run on the phone company, she
much less security — like her school system and several research penetrated a highly secure private corporate system at the be-
systems at the nearby university. With (unauthorized) access to hest of another client. Although she didn't know it at the time,
high-level computing power, she started developing her own the corporate system traced her penetration, and operatives are
forms of ICE (Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics), figuring watching over her. Now those operatives have seen the PCs,
that the best way to learn how to crack countermeasures was to and assume they're involved in the original run.
learn what makes them tick in the first place. So successful was ♦ Gaylean has learned something the government (or some
she at this pursuit that, by the tiine she'd graduated from high major organization) doesn't want her to know. To prevent her-
school, she was selling her ICE software to major computer corpo- self from getting deleted along with the sensitive data,
rations, and working as a "hired-gun" programming consultant. Gaylean turns to the PCs.
MILITARY
OFFICER
ST: 9 IQ: 12 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 30

Advantages
Charisma +2; Military Rank 2.

Disadvantages
Bad Temper; Cowardice.

Quirks
Avoids work and danger when he can; Dedicated to the mili-
tary; Delegates everything; Martinet.

Skills
Administration-11; Detect Lies-13; Diplomacy-13; Driving
(Car)-10; Guns (Pistol)-12; Guns (Rifle)-12; Fast-Talk-12; First
Aid-12; Intelligence Analysis-9; Leadership-10; Psychology-10; Arne Skovgaard Age: 40
Strategy-10; Tactics-10.

Weapons ranks. This influence, much more than any specific competence,
Light Pistol: 1d+1 crushing. has been instrumental in his rapid rise through the ranks.
So far, Skovgaard's superiors haven't seen through his syco-
phantic behavior to realize he's actually an incompetent, sup-
Conversions
ported by a highly competent staff. Predictably, Skovgaard will
Fantasy — If the PCs ever join the army or get conscripted, this do whatever it takes to make sure they never do. He's less inter-
man will make their lives miserable. Replace Driving (Car) and
ested in succeeding in anything than he is in not failing. And if he
Guns with Broadsword-8 and Riding-10.
does fail, he immediately blames it on his subordinates.
Near Future — Add Computer Operation-12. Arne's career has probably peaked, and he's started to make
Space — Replace Guns with Beam Weapons-12 and Free Fall-9. plans to move to the private sector. If he plays his cards right, a
high-paying consulting career with the military-industrial com-
Story plex is a good possibility.
The modern, peacetime army has, out of necessity, begun to
operate more and more like a civilian corporation. So many of the Quotes
requirements are the same that the military and the private sector "We'll do this the right way — the Army way."
are becoming, in some ways, more similar.
"Let's see that salute, soldier."
Arne Skovgaard thinks that's all to the good. He joined the "A successful command is based on good staff work."
army soon after Vietnam — as soon as he figured it was safe — and
started building himself a career. Skovgaard isn't a warrior and
doesn't want to be one. He selected the army because he enjoys
Adventure Seeds
working within a rigid structure, and likes the job security. ♦ The PCs' task is to investigate potential penetration of military
Skovgaard is a smart man, although he doesn't have the self- intelligence — either by a foreign power or by domestic corpo-
discipline to put his brainpower to full use. He went into Military rate interests. The penetration could be in Skovgaard's divi-
Intelligence the first chance he got; firstly, because he figured his sion . . . which means he'll do everything he can to hinder the
chances for fast promotion were better there; and secondly, be- PCs' investigation out of self-defense.
cause it virtually guaranteed he'd never see combat. ♦ As part of his career-change strategy, Skovgaard has started
Arne would call himself a "people person." His colleagues leaking sensitive information to a defense contractor. The PCs
and subordinates would call him a sycophantic weasel. He has an could get involved as military counterespionage officers, as
unerring sense of just whom to butter up and when, and has members of a civilian oversight body, or as industrial espio-
developed contacts and even friendships throughout the senior nage ops for a rival corporation.
OCCULT STUDENT
ST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 85

Advantages
Intuition; Reputation +2 (To people in the occult field: an ex-
pert); Reputation -1 (To "true believers": an incurable skeptic).

Disadvantages
Bad Temper; Impulsiveness.

Quirks
Always on the defensive; Collects occult paraphernalia.

Skills
Area Knowledge-13; Archaeology-12; Computer Operation-
13; Detect Lies-15; History-13; Interrogation-13; Literature-14;
Occultism-16; Psychology-12; Research-16; Teaching-13; Writ-
ing-13. Jan Creese Age: 33
Languages
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 13. expert in the field, and has been a guest on many talk shows
dealing with the subject. She can expose a deception with mysti-
cal efficiency — an ability she'll deny or chalk up to experience.
Conversions Success has brought a few bizarre side effects. Strange reli-
Fantasy — Raised in a locale where magic ranges from excep- gious cults feel that it's their divine duty to reveal to Jan the error
tionally rare to totally nonexistent, Jan decided at an early age of her ways. Almost every day she's greeted with a new wacko
that all stories of "supernormal" events were just that — stories. who claims that he controls powers denied to, or repressed by,
Although this view has been challenged many times, it hasn't other humans.
been overturned. Replace Computer Operation with Riding Jan knows that eventually proof will point her in one direction
(Horse)-10. Add the Literacy advantage and the Delusion (Magic or the other. Until then all she has to do is learn, question her
doesn't exist) disadvantage. surroundings and sift the truth out of the morass.
Near Future — An interesting conversion is that Jan is research-
ing the possibility of computer Ms. She is close to proving that,
Quotes
somewhere on the net, an intelligent program resides. Replace
Occultism with Computer Hacking-15, Computer Programming- "You sir, are a fake — and a flake! I consider it my job to ensure
14 and Cyberdeck Operation-14. Install an Interface jack. that your lies go no further than this meeting."
Space — Jan could be a Xenosociologist, studying the effect of "I admit I can't explain it . . . yet. But don't think for one
alien races on humanity. Replace Occultism with Xenology-15. minute that an explanation doesn't exist, and that I won't find it."
"When people talk about 'things beyond human understand-
ing,' it says more about the people talking than about reality."
Story
Jan Creese always considered herself the world's greatest
Adventure Seeds
cynic. No theory was so lofty that it couldn't be shot down. She
♦ Recently, Jan has been placing a tremendous amount of pres-
searched for the dark side in everything and usually found it. She
knew that she should put this ability to good use, and reveal some sure on a religious cult called the Brothers of the Sun, a group
truly huge scams, so when Jan had to choose a major in univer- that claims to offer its supporters immortality. The group has
sity, she chose the study of occultism — solely for the purpose of started to fight back . . . violently. Jan knows that by the time
discounting it entirely. the police look into it, she'll be dead. So she asks the PCs to
protect her and dig up some dirt on the Brothers at the same
Jan's education took longer than she expected. She never
time.
seemed to reach her goal of exposing occultism as the mumbo
jumbo she "knew" it to be. For every fake exhibition of "mys- ♦ The PCs have been investigating an extremely bizarre set of
tical" powers she saw, two more would raise questions and possi- occurrences. The police have saddled them with an occult
bilities that Jan just couldn't answer. Now well into her PhD expert to help determine the truth of the situation. While her
program, Jan knows that she's no closer now than she was when factual knowledge is an asset, Jan's unwillingness to believe in
she began nearly seven years ago. the supernatural could prove a hindrance to the investigation,
A bonus side effect of her toil is notoriety. She's known as an or even put the PCs at physical risk.
ORGANIZED
CRIME BOSS
ST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 90

Advantages
Ally Group (Crime family); Reputation +2 (To general under-
world: a real up-and-comer); Wealth (Filthy Rich).

Disadvantages
Enemies (Cops, other crime groups); Pacifism (Self-defense
only); Reputation -2 (To direct competitors: "He's killing us in
the marketplace").
Sanzo Watanabe Age: 40
Quirks the subtlety that could lead to true success. Although he couldn't
Acts sophisticated; Discusses everything in business terms; explain in full his reasons for asking, Sanzo requested that his
Never gets his hands dirty, physically or symbolically. father give him a "leave of absence" from the business — enough
time for the young man to acquire the education his father had
Skills never bothered with.
Accounting-13; Administration-15; Computer Operation-14; With his Harvard MBA under his belt, Sanzo returned to the
Detect Lie-13; Diplomacy-14; Driving (Car)-11; Economics-13; family business, and started advising his father from the sidelines.
Leadership-16; History-12; Merchant-14; Politics (Underworld)- Although the older Watanabe initially resisted many of his son's
12; Psychology-11. more esoteric stratagems, when he did follow Sanzo's advice he
saw incredible increases in profitability. Even though it galled
Conversions him to do so, eventually Toju admitted that his son was a much
better businessman and manager than he'd ever be, and stepped
Fantasy — Remove Computer Operation and Driving (Car).
Add the Literacy advantage. aside in favor of Sanzo. Sanzo was 25 when he took the reins of
the crime syndicate.
Near Future — Sanzo could've spent some time in a major
corporation before trying his hand at the family business. No Fifteen years later, Sanzo's style hasn't changed. His crime
changes. syndicate has expanded drastically, and profitability continues to
rise. Through several well-selected purchases — a police chief
Space — No changes.
here and there — he's guaranteed that the authorities won't pay too
much attention to his success.
Story
When Sanzo Watanabe graduated from Harvard Business Quotes
School, his professors expected him to make a killing in business
"The laws of marketing are the same whether you're selling
— within 15 years, probably sitting in the corner office of some
dog food or drugs."
Fortune 500 company. Watanabe has made a killing, but not in
"I think a little guerrilla marketing is in order. See to it."
quite the way his teachers envisioned.
"There's no reason to be uncouth. Let's discuss this as one
Sanzo was born and raised in a "crime family" that branched
gentleman to another."
off from the traditional Japanese Yakuza. Sanzo's father, Toju,
groomed his youngest son to take over the family business when
he was too old to handle it himself. Although tradition would Adventure Seeds
normally demand that he abide by his father's wishes, Sanzo ♦ Sanzo's business has grown so large that even the authorities
didn't want to take over. Not that he had anything against the on his payroll can't ignore him any longer. The PCs are
family business as such; it's just that he didn't like the way his brought in to infiltrate Watanabe's "Crime, Inc."
father was running it. Despite Toju's veneer of sophistication and ♦ The PCs have come to know, and like, an urbane businessman
business acumen, he was — Sanzo thought — little more than a named Sanzo Watanabe. (Perhaps he works out at their health
thug in a $2,000 suit. He was brutal when he didn't need to be, club.) After subtly testing them out, Watanabe invites them to
lacked a true understanding of business realities — because crime, join his organization. Only then do the characters learn just
Sanzo realized, was a business like any other — and had none of who — and what — their friend really is.
PARAPSYCHOLOGIST
ST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 85

Advantages
Intuition; Luck; Reputation +1 (Among believers in the para-
normal).

Disadvantage
Reputation -1 (Real scientists).

Quirks Jean Carlysle Age: 27

Coins generally meaningless "scientific" terms; Enjoys the
trappings of "science"; Not good with math; Tendency toward
gullibility (quirk level). point to the glaring flaws in her experimental design and discount
all her conclusions.
Skills The thing is, she does get results, and those results do reflect
Computer Operation-14; Driving (Car)-11; Fast-Talk-14; His- reality. She has recorded real manifestations of paranormal activ-
tory-11; Hypnotism-14; Musical Instrument (Piano)-10; Occult- ity. Those fuzzy pictures in her collection are ghosts; the
ism-15; Photography-12; Psychology-14; Research-12; Writing- "impossible" runs on the Rhine cards do demonstrate telepathy.
12. Unfortunately, "real" scientists will never believe her.
Jean has astounding luck in her investigations, and seems to
Conversions have a subliminal, intuitive sense for paranormal skills. She could
Fantasy — In a fantasy campaign, ghosts might be real, even well be subconsciously telepathic herself, but she'll never believe
that: she's an observer — a scientist — not a participant.
commonplace. Therefore, Jean will have little problem being be-
lieved by her peers. She could be a sage with extensive knowl- Carlysle has a good grasp of the "trappings" of science: she
edge of the paranormal. Replace Computer Operation, Driving uses the right tools and the right terms, and seems to act like a
(Car), and Photography with Cooking-12 and Calligraphy-13. "real" scientist. Lay people don't see the flaws in her technique,
Add the Literacy advantage. and tend to trust even her most outrageous conclusions . . . much
Near Future — No changes. to the irritation of the traditional scientific community, who
Space — The distinction between ghosts and space entities would love to see her discredited immediately.
would be tough for Jane to discern, leading her down many false Despite her flaws, she's intellectually honest, and is eternally
trails. Add Xenology-13. curious about anything she doesn't understand. She's never
backed down on investigating something that interests her, no
Story matter what the potential dangers to herself.
One thing that can be said about Jean Carlysle is that she loves
Quotes
her job. She never had the opportunity to work with Rhine or the
other ground-breaking researchers into the paranormal, but she's
" 'I'll believe it when I see it?' Sometimes you have to believe
it before you'll see it . . ."
read everything they ever wrote, and she's been a "parapsychol-
ogy groupie" since she was 16. "Tired already? We've only gone through the Rhine cards 13
times . . ."
Jean always wanted to be a scientist, but discovered early she
didn't have the mathematical aptitude for the "hard" sciences. In "In the four hours I observed it, it moved a whole centimeter!
college, she concentrated on sociology and psychology — the Absolutely amazing! Psychomicrointeractivity for sure . . ."
"soft" sciences. Through this study, she got hooked by the lure of
parapsychology. She first concentrated on describing and analyz- Adventure Seeds
ing spontaneous manifestations of paranormal activity — haunt- ♦ Jean has heard about some fascinating manifestation of the
ings, forerunners, poltergeists, etc. — and made something of a paranormal, and wants to investigate it. She needs help, how-
name for herself in the "fringe" community. But then she found ever, and tries to persuade her friends or colleagues — the PCs
she had a real knack for the experimental side of things. — to support her. The fact that the "manifestation" might be
Not that she has good experimental technique — quite the op- dangerous, even deadly, makes no difference to her . . .
posite, in fact. Her grasp of the scientific method and good exper- ♦ Through her experiments, Jean has made some otherworldly
imental paradigms is shaky enough to bring tears to the eyes of horror aware of her existence. It's decided to play with her a
most scientists. She doesn't understand the necessity of control bit, before killing her horribly. Can the PCs help Jean stay
groups, and couldn't care less about reproducibility. All she alive long enough to find out what her tormenter is, and how
knows is that she gets results. Of course, all the critics of her work to destroy it?
PILOT
ST: 11 IQ: 9 Speed: 5.75
DX: 13 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 80

Advantages
Alertness +2; Luck; Reputation +2 (Will take any job).

Disadvantages
Compulsive Behavior (Trick flying); On the Edge; Overconfi-
dence.

Quirks
Always wears his Navy jacket when flying; Talks to his heli-
copter.

Skills
Administration-8; Area Knowledge-9; Carousing-13; Driving
(Car)-14; Guns (Rifle)-12; Mechanic (Helicopter)-10; Naviga-
tion-9; Parachuting-12; Piloting (Airplane)-13; Piloting (Heli-
copter)-15.

Conversions
Fantasy — Jeremy is the captain of a small ship. Replace Driv-
ing (Car), Piloting skills and Mechanic with Piloting (Ship)-14,
Boating-13, and Seamanship-10.
Near Future — Jeremy's "no-questions-asked" attitude will be
extremely attractive to the PCs. Add Computer Operation-10.
Space — He might operate a small interplanetary shuttle. Re- Jeremy Grant Age: 26
place Driving (Car), Mechanic (Helicopter), Parachuting, and
both Piloting skills with Beam Weapons-13, Piloting (Small that are willing to put up with a little "turbulence" to get a damn
spacecraft)-15, Free Fall-13 and Vacc Suit-13. fine pilot who doesn't care what the job is.
Jeremy really doesn't care. The thought that he might make a
Story mistake and get himself — and whoever is lucky enough to be
High Flying Helicopter Services is owned and operated by riding with him — killed, hasn't occurred to him; he's far too sure
Jeremy Grant, an ex-Navy helicopter pilot. of his own abilities.
Jeremy joined the Navy for the sole purpose of learning to fly
helicopters. What especially attracted him was the danger and Quotes
excitement of operating a helicopter in difficult weather condi- "You want me to fly you through a small break in the rocks
tions. The task of landing a chopper on a pitching ship in the and land on an area five yards across — in this weather? Will I do
middle of a storm was as close to nirvana as Jeremy could get. it? I'd do it for free."
The instant Jeremy thought he'd saved up enough money to "Come on, Bessie — start for me, baby."
pull it off, he quit the Navy and started his own company. His first "A twin-engine VTOL . . . cool. No, I haven't tried one yet -
helicopter was an antique that could barely get off the ground on of course that's never stopped me before. Get in."
a good day, and merely coughed and sputtered on a bad one. But
that was irrelevant — Jeremy was so good, he could make it per-
Adventure Seeds
form in ways that would shock and horrify the designers . . . and
his insurance agent. ♦ Someone has offered Jeremy a good sum of money to deliver
Jeremy soon gained a reputation as a fine pilot who would go a package 200 miles away, and tells him that someone may try
anywhere — no matter what the situation — no questions asked. In to intercept it along the way. Jeremy hires the PCs to protect
fact, he would even give the customer a deal if the job sounded his cargo from those who would acquire it.
like a lot of fun. ♦ The PCs need a flier of Jeremy's caliber . . . right now. Unfor-
The big problem is that Jeremy will never be rich and success- tunately, Jeremy's chopper is impounded (a small matter of
ful the way he dreams of being. He scares away most normal making an emergency landing on top of City Hall). Can the
customers with his mid-air antics. This leaves him with the ones PCs free Jeremy's chopper, or acquire another, in time?
PRISON GUARD
ST: 12 IQ: 9 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 45

Advantages
Acute Hearing +2; Legal Enforcement Powers.

Disadvantages
Intolerance (Cons, bleeding-heart liberal prison reformers,
visible minorities).

Quirks
Can't maintain a relationship outside work; Considers prison-
ers to be subhuman; Works as much overtime as he can get.

Skills
Brawling-12; Detect Lies-9; Driving (Car)-13; First Aid-10;
Guns (Pistol)-13; Interrogation-9; Karate-11; Shortsword
(Baton)-12.

Weapons
Light Pistol: 1d crushing; Baton: 1d+2 crushing, 1d-1 crushing.

Conversions
Fantasy — The nearest fantasy equivalent to a prison guard is a Herb Cawsey Age: 32
jailer. Replace Driving (Car) and Guns with Broadsword-12 and
Knife-12.
Near Future — The jails were filled long ago; now the justice Some of Cawsey's colleagues see their job as adding to the
system is virtually stuffing cons into the broom closets. As a hated punishment through casual cruelty to the inmates. Herb doesn't
man, Herb definitely has his work cut out for him. No changes. go that far, although he doesn't intercede or report their transgres-
Space — Herb is a guard on an off-world penal colony. Replace sions to the warden.
Driving (Car) and Guns with Computer Operation-10 and Beam In his mind, Cawsey keeps a list of those prisoners he believes
Weapons (Stunner)-12. haven't been punished enough, or simply should never be re-
leased on an unsuspecting world. If any of them are coming up
for parole, Herb will do what he can to goad the prisoners into
Story
some behavior that will disqualify them, and keep them inside for
Herb Cawsey always wanted to be a cop — to make a differ- the duration of their term.
ence, to get criminals off the street, and to protect law-abiding
citizens everywhere. Unfortunately, he didn't have what it takes
Quotes
to make it into the police academy (to this day he blames his
failure on affirmative action programs, hiring quotas and "re- "Get back from the bars, you pig."
verse discrimination"). He turned to what he saw as the next best "Sure you were framed. Everybody here was framed, isn't that
thing: corrections branch officer. Requirements for this career right, boys?"
were less stringent, and this time Cawsey made it. "Rehabilitation? Don't make me sick."
At first, Cawsey believed in the rehabilitation theory of penol-
ogy. The task of prisons was to train convicts how to live in soci- Adventure Seeds
ety, instead of outside its boundaries, and how to abide by the laws ♦ The PCs have been imprisoned on a trumped-up charge.
of the land . . . or so he believed. This attitude didn't last long. They're trying to find some way of proving their innocence.
Cawsey saw the people who were behind bars, and quickly de- Cawsey, however, has decided that they're bad to the bone,
cided most of them could never be rehabilitated. They were worse and he'll do everything in his power to keep them from getting
than animals — the screams of midnight rapes and the torrents of out.
abuse from the prisoners soon convinced him of that. Rehabilita- ♦ One of Cawsey's prisoners dies under mysterious circum-
tion is a liberal fiction, while the true functions of prison are pun- stances, and Cawsey is charged with his murder. Terrified that
ishment, and simply keeping animals off the streets so they can't he'll end up inside with the prisoners he so hated, Cawsey
commit any more crimes. So Cawsey firmly believes. turns to the PCs to help prove his innocence.
PRIVATE
DETECTIVE
ST: 11 IQ: 12 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5

Point Total: 55

Advantages
Contacts (Any three relevant to the adventure), Intuition.

Disadvantages
Low Pain Threshold; Sense of Duty (To his sources).

Quirks
Always strikes up conversations with strangers; Hates guns;
Tasteful dresser.

Skills
Area Knowledge-13; Brawling-12; Computer Operation-11;
Criminology-13; Detect Lies-12; Driving (Car)-10; Fast-Talk-12; Christos Pappas Age: 34
Intelligence Analysis-12; Locicpicking-11; Photography-12; Re-
search-11; Scrounging-11; Shadowing-12; Writing-13.
contempt of court. During his enforced vacation, he decided his
Conversions old vocation had lost some of its charm and racked his brain for
another career suited to his skills. It was one of the police detec-
Fantasy — Christos would make a fine Sherlock-Holmes-style
tives involved in the corruption investigation who gave him the
of detective. Replace Computer Operation, Driving (Car), and
answer: private detective.
Photography with Riding-10 and History-12. Add the Literacy
As a PI, Christos Pappas operates much as he did -when a
advantage.
journalist. He gets most of his information from "casual" conver-
Near Future — A man who doesn't carry a gun could be in
sations with people, although he's highly skilled at the more tech-
trouble and may need to hire a little protection from time to
nical aspects of his trade as well. He hates guns, doesn't own one,
time . . . No changes.
and won't even carry one if he can avoid it. He still has many
Space — Add Free Fall-10. contacts at the Times and other papers, and on the police force.
He's not rich, but he's certainly not hurting.
Story
Christos Pappas enjoys reading yarns about "hard-boiled" de- Quotes
tectives of the old school. Pappas considers himself firmly a part "It's not what you know, it's who you know. If you know the
of the new school, however, having more in common with Jim
right people, you can learn anything."
Rockford than Phillip Marlowe.
"So, what's your line, buddy?"
Despite his Greek name, Christos was born in New York, and "You carry the friggin' gun. I've got the camera."
his accent has much more of Manhattan than Mykonos in it. He
never spoke Greek as a kid, but now he's learning it as a hobby.
Pappas wanted to be a writer when he was young, but then turned
Adventure Seeds
his attention to journalism, at which he excelled. Fresh out of • The PCs are the subjects of Christos' latest investigation (the
college, he got a job as a reporter for the Times and climbed the PI was told they're suspected industrial spies, or something
ladder quickly. He'd always had a knack for striking up conver- similar). When they find out they're being watched, they have
sations with anyone, and digging out things they didn't normally to extract from Christos the identity of his client — the one who
admit, and he used that skill to great effect. wanted them followed.
In his mid-20s, he became involved in a court case revolving • The PCs spot Christos keeping a watch on their apartment
around a series he wrote on corruption in the building trades. building and naturally assume he's spying on them. In fact,
Even though the Supreme Court subpoenaed his notes and de- he's maintaining surveillance on the PCs' neighbor . . . but try
manded that he name the sources he used in his articles, he stuck to convince them of that. (And just what is the case Pappas is
to his beliefs and refused. As a result, he served time in jail for working on, anyway?)
PSYCHIATRIST
ST: 9 IQ: 15 Speed: 5.25
DX: 10 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 85

Advantages
Eidetic Memory 1; Reputation +2 (To everyone: a good psy-
chiatrist).

Disadvantages
Delusion (The world's a very straightforward place); Delusion
(Anyone in a mental ward is there for a reason); Stubbornness.

Quirks
Intensifies his natural British accent; Makes sure everyone
knows he's an MD; Never uses a short word when a long word Graham Brynn-Jones Age: 44
will do.
every text he ever read. He strikes many people as a little cold and
Skills aloof, but he has an innate gift for getting to the bottom of
Administration-14; Botany-13; Computer Operation-15; De- patients' delusional structures.
tect Lies-15; Diagnosis-14; Diplomacy-14; First Aid-15; Interro- And that's where his weakness lies. Brynn-Jones has a very
gation-14; Physician-15; Professional Skill: Psychiatry-15; straightforward, somewhat constrained view of the world. He has
Psychology-15; Writing- 14. strong opinions — others would call them prejudices — and he
frequently makes diagnoses based on those preconceptions. For
Conversions example, if someone tells him a story that doesn't fit with his idea
Fantasy — Brynn-Jones could be a trepanner — one of those of the way the world works, Brynn-Jones will label it as
"doctors" who drilled holes in an insane patient's skull to "let the "delusional" and act on that assumption. This "delusional unless
evil spirits out." Failing to convince Brynn-Jones of one's sanity proven innocent" approach could well come back to haunt him in
thus implies some pretty awful consequences. Remove Adminis- the future.
tration, Computer Operation, Diagnosis (the guy's a charlatan,
after all), Physician (ditto), Psychiatry, Psychology and Writing. Quotes
Convert other skills to appropriate TL. "Note the strength of this patient's delusional structure. He
Near Future — There are many drugs and implants that will really believes he's an espionage agent . . ."
send a perfectly normal person over the edge. Brynn will have his "Double the dosage of thorazine for patient 6, please."
hands full. Update skills to appropriate TL. Otherwise, no "Just listen to yourself, Sarah. Are you talking like a sane
changes. person?"
Space — With the addition of aliens and new technology to the
mix, Brynn-Jones' idea of a straightforward world will begin to Adventure Seeds
crumble. Add Xenology-12. ♦ One or more of the PCs has been wrongfully committed to a
mental institution under the care of Dr. Brynn-Jones. How can
Story they convince him they're actually sane, when he automati-
Dr. Graham Brynn-Jones is a psychiatrist, not a psychologist - cally assumes their claims of being wrongly committed are
as he'd be the first to tell you. He was accepted at several of delusional?
Britain's most prestigious medical schools, and breezed through
his training with no difficulty. After practicing for several years, ♦ The PCs bring a friend or colleague, suffering from some mys-
he realized that the National Health guaranteed that he'd never terious mental trauma, to Brynn-Jones. The doctor finds evi-
get as rich as he wanted to in the United Kingdom, so he moved dence that this trauma was somehow induced — presumably by
to America. some enemy of the PCs — but won't believe his own conclu-
Brynn-Jones is enough of a realist to recognize that his name, sions. To get to the bottom of the mystery, the PCs will have to
his credentials and his accent are good selling points in America, convince the good doctor to let go of some of his preconceived
where Britons are still considered sophisticated just because of notions.
their heritage. Thus, he's been careful to publicize his background, ♦ The PCs show Brynn-Jones irrefutable evidence of some el-
and has carefully maintained his upper-class British accent. dritch horror. Brynn-Jones recalls that he recently committed
The good doctor excelled at the academic side of his training, someone who was raving about the very same thing. Isn't it
and his book-learning stands him in very good stead. He seems strange that there have been so many suicides at that mental
able to remember even the most minor citation from virtually institution recently?
RESCUE
WORKER
ST: 11 IQ: 12 Speed: 6.25
DX: 14 HT: 11 Move: 6
Dodge: 6
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 120

Advantages
Absolute Timing; Danger Sense.

Disadvantages
Compulsive Behavior (Taking risks); Duty.

Quirks
Paints "kill markers" on her chopper or her harness for each
rescue she makes; Loves tequila; Sings raunchy songs at the top
of her lungs when she's excited.

Skills
Acrobatics-12; Boating-12; Brawling-13; Carousing-13;
Climbing-14; Driving (Car)-12; First Aid-12; Jumping-14; Para-
chuting-13; Piloting (Helicopter)-15; Running-12; Survival (For-
est)-12.

Conversions
Fantasy — No conversion.
Near Future — Nikki pilots a helicopter ambulance, and has a
reputation for not letting minor inconveniences like raging fire-
fights interfere with her job. Add Computer Operation-12 and
Guns (Pistol)-14.
Space — Nikki is the pilot of an interplanetary rescue ship. Add Nikki Bristol Age: 31
Piloting (Spaceship)-16, Free Fall-14, and Vacc Suit 12.

Story sheer rock face, there's no aspect of her job that she doesn't enjoy.
Nikki's confident, but not overconfident. She'd never admit to
Nikki Bristol had a hard fight to make it into SAR (Search & looking for risks, but she undeniably relishes the adrenalin rush.
Rescue). Even with affirmative-action programs breaking out all
Her radio call-sign, conferred upon her by her superiors, is
over, SAR remained largely male-dominated, and the powers that "Caesar" — from C-SAR, Champion of Search & Rescue.
be wouldn't take a woman seriously — particularly a petite thing
like Nikki. They couldn't see the whipcord muscles under her soft
Quotes
skin or the determination in her heart that she was going to make
it, by God. She put so much pressure on the recruiters that they "Hold her steady, I'm going down . ."
finally accepted her for training ... confidently expecting that the " . . . Steady, for Christ's sake!"
presumptuous girl would wash out in the first week. "I don't want to join the army / I don't want to go to war . . ."
But Nikki didn't wash out. Quite the contrary — she out-
performed everyone in her class, using her intelligence to make Adventure Seeds
up for those (few) times she didn't have the physical strength for • On their current covert mission, the PCs must work closely
a task. She could have become the most hated person in the with SAR. Nikki's their contact, and they have to convince the
program — but nobody can hate Nikki Bristol for very long. woman to suppress her normally ebullient style if they don't
Today, Bristol has a reputation as the best of the SAR profes- want to get shot.
sionals. There's virtually no kind of extraction she hasn't • While trying to make a particularly difficult rescue, Nikki
done . . . and done better than it's ever been done before. Whether crashed her chopper, and now she needs to be pulled out. The
she's flying the chopper, rappelling down the line or climbing a only people in the area capable of the task are the PCs.
RESEARCH
LIBRARIAN
ST: 9 IQ: 14 Speed: 4.75
DX: 10 HT: 9 Move: 4
Dodge: 4
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 60

Advantages
Eidetic Memory 1; Intuition.

Disadvantages
Compulsive Behavior (Curiosity); Honesty.

Quirks
Fascinated by computers of all types, and will drop any other
subject to discuss them; Loves and collects "pulp" science fiction. Murray Bamford Age: 44
Skills
Anthropology-13; Archaeology-13; Computer Operation-14; consulting rates for his after-hours research, but more commonly
Ecology-13; Economics-13; Geology-12; History-13; Literature- he does it for free, just for sheer intellectual enjoyment.
13; Occultism-13; Physics-12; Politics-13; Research-15; Writ- Murray can often figure out — or at least guess — why people
ing-13. want the information they ask him for. If he figures that they've
got some nefarious scheme on their minds, he'll sometimes hold
Languages back a key fact, or possibly let the police know that someone was
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 13. researching (say) undetectable poisons and Masai blowgun tech-
nology, while reading up on the President's personal habits.
In his spare time, he writes and edits a newsletter for a local
Conversions
political group dedicated to more responsible use of tax revenue
Fantasy — In most fantasy worlds, books are rare and ex- by government. Although he has strong political opinions,
tremely valuable. Those who own many books hoard them in Bamford rarely discusses them.
well-protected libraries. Murray could be one of those people, or
someone in service to a lord or high priest, whose duty is to guard
and maintain the valuable library. Replace Computer Operation
Quotes
with Heraldry-14. Add the Literacy advantage, and (perhaps) the "Well, sure, I can dig up what we've got on Alistair Crowley's
Duty disadvantage. childhood. Mind telling me why? Just curious . . ."
Near Future — Not many people actually read books any more. "I know the university library's got nothing on that topic. But
Increase Computer Operation to 15. I can run a computer search, if you like."
Space — Add Xenology-12. "Here are the books you wanted. Let's see: voodoo, chaos
theory, immunology and a primer on human genetics. Wide-rang-
ing interests . ."
Story
Murray Bamford loves books. He loves reading them, he loves
just being around them. If he'd had the money, he probably would
Adventure Seeds
have opened a rare bookstore . . . if he could have forced himself ♦ The PCs need Murray's help tracking down a particularly im-
to part with his inventory. Since he didn't have the money, work- portant fact. When he goes to the stacks, however, he finds the
ing in the university library will have to do. relevant book has been stolen ... and, in fact, that all entries in
Bamford is very well-read, with an encyclopedic knowledge of the catalog referring to it have been erased. Is this connected
what other people call trivia. He's so familiar with the library's with the PCs' research? And, if so, how?
filing system that he could navigate the catalogs and stacks in his ♦ Over the past week, Bamford has very nearly fallen victim to
sleep. He's also a whiz when it comes to searching the on-line three random accidents. Now he's starting to fear they weren't
resources — national and international databases, on-line journal really accidents at all, and that someone's trying to kill him.
catalogs, etc. The computer system at the library isn't state-of-the- He turns to the PCs to find out who and why. (Perhaps he's
art .. . but his personal system is, and he has no objection to occa- come across some sensitive information in his researches, but
sionally taking his work home with him. Sometimes he charges doesn't recognize its significance.)
SCIENTIST
ST: 11 IQ: 15 Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Point Total: 120

Advantages
Appearance (Attractive); Mathematical Ability; Reputation
+2 (Among scientists: Nobel material); Wealth (Comfortable).

Disadvantages
Honesty; Impulsive.

Quirks
Always carries a pocket tape recorder for stray ideas; Enjoys
dancing; Likes jazz; Talks to herself.

Skills
Administration-14; Bicycling-12; Carousing-11; Chemistry-
13; Computer Operation-19; Computer Programming-17; His-
tory-12; Literature-12; Mathematic s-17 ; Musical Instrument
(Saxophone)-12; Physics-16; Research-14; Scuba-13; Sex Ap-
peal-13; Skiing-10; Swimming-12; Writing-13.

Language
English-13; Japanese-13.

Conversions
Fantasy — Remove Bicycling, Computer Operation, Computer Suki Shigetomi Age: 41
Programming, Saxophone, Scuba and Skiing. Convert other
skills to appropriate TL. Add the Literacy advantage. Unlike some of her colleagues, Suki takes the time to think out
Near Future — In a dark-future environment, many scientific beforehand the possible ramifications of her research. Although
theories are tested without the consequences being fully thought she believes limiting scientific research based on possibly dan-
out first — and sometimes without the scientist's knowledge. Add gerous consequences would be catastrophic for the world in the
the Paranoia disadvantage. long run, she does think it's important to remain mindful of those
Space — No changes. outcomes.
Story Quotes
Suki Shigetomi wouldn't fit anyone's stereotype of the classic
"To be honest, I'm tired of thinking about work. Can we talk
scientist. She's not stooped and balding. She doesn't wear thick about something else?"
glasses, and doesn't stutter with fear when she meets people. And
"Can I borrow a piece of paper? And a pen? And a calculator?"
she doesn't think curling up with a 1,000-page tome is a hot way "Science and technology are neither bad nor good. They just
to spend a Saturday night. Instead, Suki — Dr: Shigetomi — has a are. Bad or good comes from how they're used. Fire cooks your
lusty, "take-big-bites" approach to life. She spends her days off
food, but it can also burn down your house. Does that mean we
mountain-biking, kayaking or scuba diving, and relaxes after a should ban fire?"
hard day by wailing away on her saxophone (she's no virtuoso,
"I can't understand how anyone can think science is boring.
but that doesn't bother her one iota). She also loves going out for Doing science is the most fun I can have with my clothes on."
a night on the town, but has difficulty finding would-be lovers
who aren't intimidated by her brilliance.
Because Suki Shigetomi is brilliant; even colleagues who
Adventure Seeds
(jealously) decry her "frivolous" lifestyle have to admit that. She ♦ The PCs need Suki to make sense of some puzzling clue
has two doctorates (Physics and Math) and is working on a third they've found during an adventure. She'll do it, but in return
(Chemistry). Even though she hasn't received a Nobel Prize —yet she wants them to find out who's trying to tap into her com-
— she does have several industrial patents to her name. The licens- puter system, and why.
ing fees she receives from her discoveries enable her to live very ♦ Suki has made a major breakthrough — a discovery that could
well, and also to fund her further research without having to sell be used beneficially, or as a weapon. She needs someone to
her soul to a university or a corporation. She runs one of the few help her keep her discovery secure until she finds a way to
remaining truly independent research groups in the country. control it, or to counter its potential dangers.
SECURITY
GUARD
ST: 11 IQ: 10 Speed: 4.75
DX: 10 HT: 9 Move: 4
Dodge: 4
Light Kevlar (PD 2, DR 4); no encumbrance.
Point Total: 45

Advantages
Alertness +2; Luck.

Disadvantages
Duty (As a security guard); Gluttony; Laziness; Overweight.

Quirks
Spends more time avoiding work than it would take to actually
do it; Watches a lot of television.
Randy Aird Age: 29
Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Brawling-11; Computer Operation-10;
Carousing-10; Criminology-11; Driving (Car)-12; Electronics Randy enjoys his job. Not only is it physically undemanding,
Operation (Security)-13; Guns (Pistol)-13; Shortsword (Baton)- but he doesn't have to deal with the random violence and human
12; Stealth-12; Streetwise-10. suffering that he saw so commonly with the police force. Best of
all, there's no fitness requirement beyond being able to walk.
Weapons Others might call Randy lazy; he prefers "efficient." He be-
Pistol: 2d+2 crushing; Baton: 1d-1 crushing; 1d+1 crushing. lieves in using the most appropriate resources for any task ... and
frequently those resources are other people. He long ago figured
Conversions out that violence — or any physical action, for that matter — is the
Fantasy — Randy quit the army, and now he works as a guard last refuge of the incompetent.
for merchants. Replace Computer, Criminology, Driving, Elec- Randy's career may be short-lived, however, as computer se-
tronics and Guns with Broadsword-13, Crossbow-14 and Riding curity monitoring programs are becoming more advanced. Still,
(Horse)-13. he has faith that his employers will want a human in charge to
Near Future — In his current form, Randy just wouldn't cut it monitor those machines.
as a security guard. Remove Laziness.
Space — Replace Guns with Stunner-13. Quotes
"Hold on, we've got a security alert in sector two. Joe, go
Story check it out."
It's extremely hard to get kicked out of the police for not "Look, buddy — every time I have to use my nightstick, my
meeting the fairly lax physical standards, but that's exactly what back kills me for days. So why don't you get out of here and save
happened to Randy Aird. us both some pain . . . ?"
Randy, like many cops, joined the police because he wanted "Diet? Why? (Hand me another donut.)"
the excitement he imagined the job offered. But he soon realized
Adventure Seeds
that he wasn't prepared for the random violence and horrors that
he witnessed. Within a year, he'd applied to be a police dis- ♦ A high-tech corporation is starting to doubt the cost-effective-
patcher, thus removing himself from the nightmares he'd seen on ness of its human security guards. Randy realizes that his job
the street. From there it was a slow slide to being fired. Randy will be gone if he doesn't do something. He hires the PCs to
was overweight to begin with, and became more so as time went break in, so that he can catch them, thus removing his
by. Finally he was let go for not passing the physical — a judgment employer's fears. (Of course, the PCs don't have to know their
he didn't entirely disagree with. He'd just decided to let his stay employer's real plan . . .).
with the police drag on as long as he could, since money always ♦ A corporation has received a tip that a building of theirs will
seemed to be tight. be broken into tonight. The PCs are hired as additional, heav-
After eight years on the force, Aird realized he had very few ily-armed security guards to protect the building. How will
transferable skills. One failed job application after another finally Randy react when he's told that he might be right in the middle
led to work with a private security firm. of a huge firefight? Just how important is his job?
SURVIVALIST
ST: 11 IQ: 10 Speed: 6
DX: 13 HT: 11 Move: 6
Dodge: 6
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 75

Advantages
Alertness (+2); Toughness (+1).

Disadvantages
Delusion (A post-nuclear America is a fun place to live); Im-
pulsive; Intolerance (Commies, shrubbies, liberals, gun-control
nuts, you, me); Megalomania.

Quirks
Looks forward to a nuclear war; Will eat anything.

Skills
Accounting-9; Armoury (Guns)-12; Camouflage-11; Carpen-
try-10; Demolition-12; Gunner-12; Guns (Pistol)-15; Guns
(Rifle)-16; Leadership-12; Scrounging-12; Survival (Forest)-11;
Tactics-9; Tracking-12.

Weapons
Assault Rifle: 7d crushing.

Conversions
Fantasy — Most societies would consider Bill a loony. Perhaps
he's setting up for some disaster foreseen by a mage. Replace
Guns with Broadsword-15.
Near Future — In a dark future setting, Bill might already have Bill Halston Age: 27
survived the Big One . . . and be stocking up to weather the Big-
ger One. No changes (although he could conceivably have some
Sooner or later, Bill figures a nuclear war will happen; he'd
military-style cyber-enhancements).
prefer it to happen sooner, because he's not good at waiting. He
Space — The enclave could really be away from it all on some
foresees the aftermath of a nuclear war as a glamorous future
backwater planet on the outskirts of known space. Perhaps
where he leads the strongest on to a utopian society. He's ex-
they're expecting some interstellar conflict. Replace Guns with
tremely intolerant of environmentalists — "shrubbies," as he calls
Beam Weapons (Laser)-16.
them — and can't understand the mentality of people who aren't
gearing up for the "Big One." To be ready, he's built a tremen-
Story dous library of books on politics and economics.
Bill Halston heads the northwest chapter (#9) of the American
Survivalist Society, which operates out of Seattle. The society Quotes
trains and equips people to cope with widespread disaster . . .
specifically, a nuclear war. "After the Big One, you people are gonna eat things that
would make a goat sick."
In the Cascade Mountains near Seattle, the society has set up a
"We're gonna nuke them, and they're gonna nuke us. After
survivalist enclave. This site is mostly underground and can with-
stand a near-miss from a small strategic warhead. It's large that, we're the ones gonna make America strong again."
enough and stocks enough consumables to provide food, shelter "Ignorant shrubbies, throwing away everything made this
and water for 100 people for an entire year without having to go country strong . . ."
above ground for supplies. These statistics are widely known and
have been the focus of many news stories. What's not so widely Adventure Seeds
advertised is that Bill and his society have stockpiled enough ♦ The PCs come across the enclave in the forest and see the
weapons to hold off a post-disaster starving mob. Their ordnance survivalists loading in heavy mil-spec weapons. Bill spots
includes a minigun and a TOW missile launcher. them and sends some of his men to shut them up permanently.
Before joining the society, Bill spent many years in the army, ♦ Bill could be right! The nuclear apocalypse is imminent. The
and served with Operation Desert Storm. He's an accomplished PCs could probably survive, if they could only convince Bill
marksman and can maintain all of his group's weapons. to let them into the enclave.
UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR
ST: 9 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 90

Advantages
Charisma +3; Musical Ability +2.

Disadvantages
Age (55); Intolerance (People who don't like learning).

Quirks
Always wears tweeds; Enjoys going out for a beer with her
students; Smokes a pipe, but only in private, or with close friends.

Skills
Anthropology-12; Carousing-12; Computer Operation-14; Barbara Lawrence Age: 55
Computer Programming-12; Economics-15; Geology-12; His-
tory-12; Literature-14; Mathematics- 12; Musical Instrument
(Piano)-14; Politics-13; Psychology-12; Research-14; Teaching- and exams, and gets away from these traditional measures as
15; Writing-13. much as possible. She's a tough but fair grader, and it's well
known around campus that you can't ace one of Lawrence's
Languages exams by memorizing the semester's notes and just regurgitating
Any four relevant to the adventure, at level 13. them on the paper. In term papers and discussions, she's less
interested in a student's conclusions than she is in the thought
Conversions processes used to reach them.
She has a strong and very sophisticated sense of humor, and an
Fantasy — Barbara may be part of a medieval-style university, infectious, braying laugh. She rarely takes anything too seriously.
or could be a member of a religious order dedicated to education.
At night, she plays a hot piano, leading a jazz quintet that
In either case, she might have knowledge of some of the more
works the local club circuit.
mystical subjects. Replace Computer skills, Mathematics, and
Politics with Alchemy-13 and Occultism-14.
Near Future — No changes.
Quotes
Space — An interstellar university would be the perfect place to "Listen to this one. Sort of a cross between Thelonius Monk
find Barbara. Add Xenology-13. and Chick Corea."
"Interesting suggestion. Why don't we discuss it?"
"I read an article on that last month in The Journal of Psycho-
Story
biological Research."
Professor Barbara Lawrence is an academic, has always been
an academic, and probably always will be an academic. With a
handful of degrees from Oxford, the London School of Econom- Adventure Seeds
ics, Yale and MIT, she's spent virtually all her life in the groves of ♦ The PCs need to consult Barbara on some esoteric facts in her
academe, first as a university student and later as a tenured pro- discipline. They find out she's got a gig that night, and arrive
fessor. at the club just in time to pull the outspoken professor out of a
But that doesn't mean she's stuffy and closed-minded; there's tavern brawl.
nothing hackneyed about Barbara Lawrence. She's absolutely ♦ An unfortunate fact Lawrence has learned to live with is that
fascinated in her major area of study — whatever the GM decides many people write her off as an eccentric. Including the po-
it is — and enjoys sharing her fascination with others. But she's lice, she finds to her disappointment, when she uncovers some
also fascinated with just about everything else in the world. She hints that one of her students is involved in something danger-
reads incredibly widely — in and out of her specialty — and can ous and/or unsavory. Since the traditional authorities won't
intelligently discuss a staggering range of esoteric topics. believe her, she has to turn for help to non-traditional re-
She doesn't agree with modern universities' fixation on grades sources — the PCs.
NEAR FUTURE
ACTOR
ST: 9 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 60

Advantages
Appearance (Attractive); Charisma +1.

Disadvantages
Poverty (Struggling); Reputation -2 (In the industry: a jinx);
Unluckiness.

Quirks
Breaks into impersonations all the time; Exaggerates his level
of success.

Skills
Acting-15; Area Knowledge-12; Carousing-10; Computer
Operation-12; Dancing-13; Disguise-15; Fast-Talk-14; Knife-11;
Performance-15; Research-12; Sex Appeal-14.

Cyberwear
Elastic Face.
Clint Ranger Age: 26
Conversions
Fantasy — Clint would be a traveling actor, moving from town dime of the money he'd been counting on. Even worse, in the
to town with a small troupe. Since success in the past was depen- interim he'd gone "cold"; no casting director would even look at
dent more on skill than on "the look," luck and contacts, he him.
actually might have had more success back then. Replace Com- Somehow he managed to beg, borrow and steal $100,000, and
puter Operation with Riding-12. Remove the Elastic Face (or had an elastic face (see p. CY34) installed, hoping that would
replace it with a magic item with a similar effect). give him the edge he needed. With the face's mimicry ability, he
Contemporary — Remove cyberwear. Replace Computer Op- found some work in commercials, mainly doing celebrity imper-
eration with Driving (Car)-12. sonations. His luck remained bad, and he was implicated in a
Space — Clint may or may not retain his Elastic Face depend- lawsuit when one of those impersonations went a little too far.
ing on the level of cyberwear in the campaign. No other changes. Today, Clint Ranger supports himself almost exclusively as a
"professional target," doubling for politicians, megacorp big-
Story wigs and others who are at risk of assassination. It's unfortunate,
When he entered the business ten years ago, Clint Ranger because Clint is a good actor . . .
(born Calvin Rogovich) had "the look." Unfortunately, he didn't
also have the luck necessary to make it big in the dog-eat-dog Quotes
world of the military/industrial/entertainment complex. In fact, "I wouldn't advise my worst enemy to try and make it as an
looking back on his career path, it seems that Clint was consis- actor. Go home to Akron, kid."
tently dogged by lousy luck. "Well, when will the casting director be out of her meeting?
For example, when he first made his debut, he was cast for the Hello . . . ?"
romantic sub-plot in a big-budget splatterpunk movie. The deal "At least keep my photograph and resume on file. Can you at
Clint no money up front, but good "points" when the movie least do that?"
finally came out. If it did as big box-office as others of its type, it
should be enough to make Clint filthy rich. Clint was a little Adventure Seeds
uncomfortable with the clause in the contract that prohibited him ♦ The PCs have got a scam going that requires a perfect double
from working in any other production before the movie was re- of a megacorp manager. Word on the street is that Clint
leased, but his agent assured him that's the way things work in the Ranger's their best bet.
big leagues. While he waited — and waited and waited — for the
movie to be released, Clint was offered several other projects, ♦ Someone's trying to kill the great Clint Ranger. Why would
which he had to turn down. anyone want him dead? Could it have something to do with his
The movie never made it to release, of course. The producers last gig, where he impersonated the President at the behest of
folded up their tents in the night, and vanished. Clint never saw a the Secret Service? Or were they the Secret Service . ? Clint
needs help if he wants to live to collect his next welfare check.
BODYLEGGER
ST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 115

Advantages
Alertness +1; Allies (the Death Brothers); Wealth (Very
Wealthy).

Disadvantages
Greed; Reputation -4 (To other doctors: a sociopath).

Quirks
Always wears rubber gloves; Enjoys classical music.

Skills
Administration-13; Computer Operation-15; Diagnosis-14;
Electronics (B ionic s)-14 ; First Aid-16; History-13; Mechanic
(Bionics)-13; Merchant-13; Physician-13; Surgery-15. Dr. Francis Elsom Age: 37
Cyberwear
Chip slot with a Surgery (8) chip. Hospital, until he was caught "misdirecting" blood and organs
slated for transplants, selling them on the black market. Fortu-
Conversions nately he was able to get the case thrown out of court on a techni-
Fantasy — The closest equivalent is a corrupt medicine man cality.
collecting arcane ingredients from human patients. Replace Com- Because he had the skills — and absolutely no morals — Elsom
puter Operation, Electronics and Mechanic with Alchemy-13, decided to open his own clinic to cater to the needs of the rich and
Botany-13, Naturalist-14 and Occultism-15. Add the Literacy ad- the desperate. He decided to guarantee his supply of "raw
vantage. material" by hiring the Death Brothers — a tough local gang — to
Contemporary — The horror of bodylegging may already be appropriate organs and cyberwear from other gangs. Elsom can
upon us, and Dr. Elsom is sure to be on the forefront of this afford the heavy ordnance, metal detectors and bioscanners re-
growing industry. Remove Electronics and Mechanic. quired to ensure his gang's victory every time they go to war.
Space — No changes. Elsom is an extremely ambitious man. How he actually made
it through medical school continues to baffle his colleagues. It's
even rumored that a client is walking around with Elsom's
Story mother's liver.
The cyberpunk world isn't a pretty one. Following the 20th
century's tradition of for-profit medical care, transplant, cyber
and prosthetic replacement and enhancement have turned into
Quotes
multi-billion dollar businesses. Environmental pollution, and just "A full liver-and-lung job, huh? No problem . . . By Friday?
plain bad living, have dropped the supply of viable transplants to That means a rush charge."
an all-time low; it's constantly getting harder to find serviceable "A good night's work boys. But next time please . . . only head
organs. Meanwhile, demand for transplants and enhancements is shots."
"So I had my fingers crossed when I took the oath . . . sue me."
growing exponentially. Because high-demand/low-supply maxi-
mizes profits, cyber and bodyware manufacturers are holding
back production. This situation has led to the emergence of a new Adventure Seeds
industry — "bodylegging," the acquisition and selling of trans- ♦ The police are baffled by the recent re-emergence of the Death
plant tissue and cybertech from "donors" who aren't quite ready Brothers, a gang that had almost vanished from the city streets.
to give up the material yet . . . So far they've completely eradicated the Shadowreavers and
One of the emerging leaders in this industry is Dr. Francis the Orchids. The overworked captain turns to the PCs to inves-
Elsom. His Organ and Cyberwear Transplant Clinic offers an tigate, and apprehend if at all possible, this psychotic gang.
alternative to long waits. Elsom can provide organs with no wait- ♦ The PCs are hired by the city Board of Health to investigate Dr.
ing period — at an extremely high cost, of course. Not surpris- Elsom's clinic. Elsom hadn't gotten around to bribing its new-
ingly, the clinic is very solidly booked up. The clinic also offers est member. Elsom had the upstart member killed, but it was
used cyberwear at a considerable discount — the perfect deal for too late — the PCs had already been hired. Now Dr. Elsom and
the street samurai on a budget. the rest of the corrupt board are after the PCs. Can they expose
The good doctor used to head the surgery wing at L.A. General the truth, or will they end up as unwilling organ donors?
BUM
ST: 8 IQ: 10 Speed: 4.5
DX: 9 HT: 9 Move: 4
Dodge: 4
Winter clothing (PD 0, DR 1); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 15

Advantages
Iinmunity to Disease; Zeroed.

Disadvantages
Illiterate; Odious Personal Habit (Rarely bathes); Poverty
(Dead Broke); Status -3.

Quirks
Always listens in on conversations; Collects anything she can
get her hands on.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Knife-10; Lockpicking-10; Pickpocket-
ing-10; Scrounging-14; Streetwise-13.

Weapon
Large Knife: 1d-4 cutting, 1d-3 impaling.

Conversions
Fantasy — Not much changes over time when it comes to the
homeless. Remove Zeroed; Illiteracy is no longer a disadvantage.
Contemporary — No changes. Sally Mayes Age: 25
Space — No changes.
what she needs, and at defending what's hers from those who'd
Story take it.
Sally Mayes is one of the burakumin — the underclass that Many "normal" denizens of the city don't notice Sally, or
make their permanent homes on the streets of the city. As a social acknowledge her existence. Because of this, she frequently over-
class, the burakumin haven't been around long enough in most hears things that nobody was meant to know. She's very cautious
cities to develop the same unassailable traditions as in Calcutta - about using this kind of information, however, knowing that -
where, for example, a homeless person can legally will his stretch just as few people notice her — few would miss her if she were to
of sidewalk to his descendants — but the process is starting. vanish . . .
Sally wasn't born on the street, but close. Her mother bore her
in one of the shelters that the megacorps established for the Quotes
"technologically displaced," and died soon thereafter. Due to
"I didn't see nothin' , I told you that already . . ."
some bureaucratic screw-up, Sally never was issued a Personal
"Hey, listen, you want this squat? It's yours, I don't want no
Identity Number by the government, and thus has no official
trouble . . ."
existence. The shelter staff realized this, and tried to rectify the
"Got any cash on you?"
situation. Bureaucratic inertia stalled their efforts, however.
Young Sally was unofficially adopted by the other residents of the
shelter, and raised as well as they could manage. Adventure Seeds
When she was about 13, Sally realized the drain that she rep- ♦ Sally overheard the PCs making some plans, and decided to
resented on her "extended family." Since she didn't officially realize some profit from what she learned. She went to a
exist, the shelter could provide no food or other resources for her. megacorp and sold what she knew. But now she's realized the
Everything she received came out of the rations given to her corp plans to pay her off with a bullet in the head. The only
"family." Even though she wasn't that much of a drain — almost people capable of protecting her are the very street ops that she
a dozen people contributed to her needs — she felt that any drain ratted out to the corp .. .
was too much, and that she was morally obligated to make her ♦ Sleeping fitfully in her squat the other night, Sally witnessed a
own way in the world. One night she slipped out of the shelter, team of corp street ops rounding up a bunch of squatters and
and her family never saw her again. driving them away in a van. Although she has no idea what's
For the past 12 years or so, Sally Mayes has lived on the street, going down, she suspects it's not good. She turns to the PCs -
eking out an existence. She's a survivor, competent at scrounging who she's met previously — to help her investigate.
CHAUFFEUR/
BODYGUARD
ST: 13 IQ: 10 Speed: 6.25
DX: 13 HT: 12 Move: 6
Dodge: 8
Medium monocrys armor (PD 2, DR 16); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 135

Advantages
Alertness +2; Unfazeable.

Disadvantage
Duty (To his passengers).

Quirks
Always wears conservative corp-style suits (with monocrys Blake Drummond Age: 26
lining); Doesn't drink; Never drives slowly.

Skills emotion, sense of humor and other humanizing features. He only

Area Knowledge-11; Brawling-13; Computer Operation-10; cares about getting the job done — driving his executive charge
Driving (Car)-15; Guns (Pistol)-15; Intimidation-11; Karate-15; around the city and keeping him alive. If ordered to kill, he'll do
Mechanic (Car)-11; Savoir-Faire (Corporate)-10; Streetwise-11. so without compunction.
Off duty, he's a very different person. He has many friends
Cyberwear among the lower corporate echelons, and is known for his sharp
Chip Slot with Combat Reflexes chip; Implant Cellular Link. sense of humor. He never drinks alcohol because he figures it'll
dull his "edge," but that doesn't stop him from quaffing a few
Weapons non-alcoholic brews at the nearest tavern with his buddies.
Machine Pistol: 3d-1 crushing. Drummond loves his job. He gets to drive and tinker with the
finest cars on the planet; even better, he gets paid for it — paid very
well. He lives in relative luxury in the corporate enclave. Person-
Conversions
ally, he doesn't buy into much of the corporate crap, and has no
Fantasy — Blake is a carriage driver who's very good at protect- interest in entering the rat race. He keeps these opinions to him-
ing his noble passengers. Replace Computer Operation, Driving
self, of course.
(Car), Guns and Mechanic with Broadsword-15, Crossbow-15 and
So far, Drummond has saved the corp exec in his charge froin
Driving (Carriage)-15. Remove cyberwear.
three major assassination attempts. The last one left the chauffeur
Contemporary — In today's society, Blake's habit of pulling
with a livid scar on his face, which he declines to have removed.
out his Uzi with little provocation will be frowned upon. But he's
still an excellent driver, and his skills are very much in demand in
many circles. Remove cyberwear. Quotes
Space — He's now driving some sort of hovercraft. Replace "I'll follow your orders . . . until some heavy crap starts com-
Driving (Car) with Driving (Hovercraft)-15. ing down. Then you follow mine, neh?"
"Lose the tail? Yes, sir."
"Keep your head down and hang on!"
Story
Nobody knows exactly how Blake Drummond came to be in
corporate service. His bosses don't really care, and Drummond Adventure Seeds
himself never talks about it. (The imperfectly-removed tattoo on ♦ The PCs are hired to get a line on the corp exec Blake is
his left arm — resembling a gang crest — offers some hints, but it's minding. Can they work their way into the chauffeur's trust
not wise to press the point with Drummond.) All that matters is . . . and then exploit it shamelessly?
that he's one of the finest chauffeur/bodyguards working for any ♦ Some dark and dirty secret from his early life has reappeared,
of the megacorps. and is threatening Drummond's cozy position with the corp.
Blake wasn't born into corporate circles. He grew up on the He needs a group to handle the matter with great discretion, so
street, and learned how to take care of himself. Those skills now he turns to the PCs for help. He can't pay them in cash, but
stand him — and his "clients" — in good stead. maybe he can give them some valuable information he's
On duty, Blake seems like an automaton, totally devoid of picked up.
CHOP-SHOP
OWNER
ST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 70

Advantages
Reputation +2 (Best chop-shop in town); Wealth (Comfort-
able).

Disadvantages
Stubbornness; Weak Will -2.

Quirks
Drives only the finest cars; Quotes manufacturer, year, model
and street price of every car she sees; Won't go anywhere without
her grease-stained Isuzu cap.

Skills
Accounting-12; Administration-12; Computer Operation-12;
Driving (Car)-13; Electronics (Vehicular)-11; Engineer (Vehicu-
lar)-13; Mechanic-14; Merchant-13; Motorcycle-12; Scroung- Carole Chen Age: 27
ing-12; Streetwise-13.

Conversions gangs, and the Yakuza knows that any attempt to muscle in on
Fantasy — No conversion. Chen's chop-shop will become violent in a hurry. Since violence
Contemporary — No changes. is bad for business, they've kept their hands to themselves.
Space — Carole will probably do conversions on all varieties of As well as building custom cars for others, Carole is building
vehicles, from small space vessels to hovercars. No changes. something really special for herself. It's an ongoing project, one
she's been working on for more than a year now. She knows
Story roughly what she wants, but she's waiting for the right parts to
Carole Chen runs the biggest independent chop-shop in the come through her shop.
city. Sure, its "production volume" is much less than the Yakuza-
run franchise operations outside the sprawl, but it still "proc- Quotes
esses" a dozen cars per day. When she first opened up shop, Chen "Hyundai-Ferrari Stallion, model year 2019. The LX version
hired her own team to go out and "requisition" vehicles. She with the beefed-up rear suspension? Yeah, I thought so."
soon realized, however, that independent thieves would provide "See that Honda Javelin over there? When I'm done with it,
her with all the raw materials she needed without her having to it'll look as much like a javelin as it does a Javelin, if you get my
actually hire them. She terminated her contract with the "acqui- meaning."
sitions team," instead hiring more mechanics to increase her pro- "You want something that looks like a stock BMW 925, but
duction capacity. Today, Chen prides herself on her efficiency. A with a Jag-Nissan V12 under the hood? You want it four-wheel-
stolen car can roll into her shop at 0900, and by 1400 it'll be drive and all-wheel-steering while I'm at it? No problem."
chopped down and heading off as parts.
As well as chopping down cars, Carole also builds them. By Adventure Seeds
taking parts from whatever happens to be in her shop, she can ♦ Carole's heard the buzz on the street that the Yakuza is going
construct a car to virtually any specification. By playing fast and to make their move on her business. She turns to the PCs for
loose with serial number tags, she can guarantee her client that help. Can they "persuade" the Japanese gangsters to look
the car will never register as stolen goods on a police computer. elsewhere for their takeover prospect?
Initially a sideline, this side of her business has grown astronom- ♦ A major corp exec has got his hooks into Chen. Unless she
ically over the last several years. helps him out, he'll blow her business to the cops, and she'll
The Yakuza keeps casting acquisitive eyes at Carole's busi- spend a decade in jail. All he wants her to do is slip a passive
ness. Fortunately, she's got protection deals with various local locator into the next car that the PCs acquire from her . . .
COMPUTER AI
ST: n/a IQ: 18
DX: n/a HT: n/a

Point Total: 190

Advantages
Eidetic Memory (Level 2); Reputation +3 (To netrunners:
"Phenomenal netrunner"); Unusual Background.

Disadvantages
Compulsive Behavior (Depression); Overconfidence; Secret
(He's an AI).

Quirks
Boastful about abilities; Doesn't admit his true nature; Likes
spider images in his environmental interface.

Skills
Accounting-17; Area Knowledge (Net)-20; Astronomy-17; Nathan Jorgenson Age: 32
Computer Hacking-18; Computer Operation-20; Computer Pro-
gramming-20; Cyberdeck Operation-18; Diplomacy-18; Elec-
tronics (Computer Systems)-18; Electronics Operation dure had transferred his personality to the Conversion Industries
(Computer Systems)-19; Engineer (Computer Systems)-17; His- mainframe computer. Understandably, Nathan went temporarily
tory-17; Intelligence Analysis-18; Law-18; Mathematics-20; insane.
Physics-18; Psychology-18; Research-19; Shadowing-19; Sur- When he finally got a handle on what had happened to him, he
vival (Net)-19; Teaching-19. searched for a way into the matrix. A year earlier he'd pro-
grammed a back door in the event that he might want to do a little
Languages unauthorized visiting. Fortunately, the exit was still there and he
Any four relevant to the adventure at level 18. slipped into the Net.
Adjustment was no simple task. Imagine having 10,000 differ-
Cyberwear ent senses — all feeding in floods of data at the same time. The fact
of his lost humanity constantly plagues him and he spends long
The equivalent of an Interface Jack. periods of time depressed.
Disguising himself as a netrunner was easy. In this way he
Conversions could pretend to lead a semi-normal life without ever having to
Fantasy — No conversion. meet anyone face to face. He's quite active on many of the mes-
Contemporary — This kind of technology is a little out of our sage boards, and has made several friends — although he has yet
reach in the present day, but it's up to the referee. No changes. to tell any of them his true condition.
Space — In the far future, Ghostcomps and Computer AIs
might be commonplace. No changes. Quotes
"Always remember to leave a back door. Who knows when
Story you might want to come back and take what's yours?"
When Conversion Industries offered Nathan Jorgenson a "I know I broke that ice in under 2 milliseconds, I just have a
$100,000 annual salary, he could scarcely believe his ears. They good deck . . . a really good deck."
wanted him to lead their programming department and assist "Look, I know you've got datastores to pillage. But can you
technicians in developing a radical new technology — braintaping. just hang around and . . . talk awhile?"
Of course he accepted their offer — it was far too good to refuse.
Work went well, and they made tremendous progress in the Adventure Seeds
field of braintaping. So far the procedure had been performed ♦ Nathan is not alone. Somehow the computer network has
successfully on chimpanzees, and a major breakthrough seemed given birth to another AI — one without a shred of humanity.
only a few years away. Personally, Nathan had easily adjusted to Nathan requires the PCs' help to stop it from gaining control
the lifestyle the huge salary provided for him. of the computer net.
Then a phone call from his doctor turned his life upside-down
— he was diagnosed as having terminal cancer. Within six months, ♦ Nathan reveals to his friends (the PCs) his true identity. How
Nathan was confmed to a hospital bed and could barely speak. In will they react knowing that their friend isn't even alive? Na-
a last-ditch attempt at survival, he convinced a colleague to per- than had little choice, however. A corporation is trying to hunt
form the experimental braintaping procedure on him. him down to play a major — if involuntary — role in its research
Nathan awoke to a world of confusion. Somehow the proce- program. He needs the help of people who can operate in the
physical world if he wants to maintain his freedom.
CONSTRUCTION
WORKER
ST: 13 IQ: 10 Speed: 6
DX: 12 HT: 12 Move: 6
Dodge: 6
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 45

Advantages
Danger Sense; Toughness +1.

Disadvantages
Bad Temper; Dependents (Children); Sense of Duty (To his
co-workers).

Quirks
Enjoys being alone; Supports unions whenever he can; Takes
care of his men.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Brawling-13; Carousing-12; Carpentry- Tyrone Wills Age: 27
11; Climbing-12; Construction-13; Driving-13; Engineer-12;
First Aid-10; Free Fall-13; Leadership-12; Vacc Suit-10.
personal problems he'll never discuss — and understands a lot of
Languages the theory and principles underlying his work. He has the ability
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 10. to see the "big picture," as well. While his colleagues, if asked
what they're doing, might answer "riveting girders" or "pulling
Conversions cable," T-Bone Wills would answer something like, "Building a
Fantasy — The closest equivalent would be a miner or some- cathedral."
one hired to help build a castle. Replace Free Fall and Vacc Suit T-Bone never starts trouble; but if somebody else does, he's
with Metallurgy-13 and Woodworking-11. well equipped to finish it.
Contemporary — Apart from not going into space, the job
won't change much in 50 years. Remove Free Fall and Vacc Suit. Quotes
Space — With all of the high-tech advances being made in "Whoever wrote these electrical specs had his head up
building materials, it takes a little more than a strong arm to put his . . ."
them together. Replace Carpentry with Mathematics-10 and Me- "Look, don't get your bowels in a knot. If we just reroute the
chanic-13. Add Computer Operation-11. cabling through conduit J-74 over here . . ."
"Look buddy, just give it a rest, huh? The way I feel right
Story about now, if you take that swing I'm just going to be too tired not
Don't call Tyrone Wills by his first name — he hates it. His to hurt you bad . ."
friends — and, in fact, anyone who wants to keep his skeleton
intact — use the nickname "T-Bone." Adventure Seeds
Despite this minor foible, Wills is a competent and dependable ♦ The PCs need to get into a newly-finished building. To know
man, a solid employee and a faithful friend. He's skilled in all where the weaknesses are in the security systems, who better
aspects of heavy construction. He's equally comfortable working than someone who built the building . . . ?
on the "high steel" 50 stories above the city streets, on the derrick ♦ T-Bone has noticed that the contractor he's working for is
of an off-shore drilling platform, or in zero-g assembling an or- cutting costs on a new nuclear power plant by scrimping on
bital habitat. His wide-ranging experience, and the aura of calm safety provisions. The contractor isn't listening to his com-
competence he exudes, guarantees that he has no trouble leading plaints, but T-Bone just can't let it go. If the plant's finished
other construction workers toward a defined goal. under these conditions, it'll be a disaster waiting to happen. He
Counter to the insulting stereotype of the dumb blue-collar needs someone from outside the business to help bring his
worker, T-Bone is intelligent. He has three-quarters of a degree in concerns to light. Of course, the contractor will do whatever it
civil engineering — he was forced to drop out of university due to takes to keep everything quiet . . .
CORPORATE
EXECUTIVE
ST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 110

Advantages Nicholas Flinders Age: 42

Charisma +1; Contacts (Any two relevant to the adventure);
Wealth (Very Wealthy).
antee him exactly the lifestyle he wants, with enough left over for
Disadvantages impulsive expenditures. And he's got a group of subordinates
Honesty; Sense of Duty (Run a clean operation). who share his interest in the work they do, and have no desire to
knife him (corporately or physically) when his back's turned.
Quirks That's because Flinders has built himself a "personal empire"
off to the side of the corp's normal organization chart. Officially,
Doesn't attend corporate social functions; Drives a car that's
Flinders reports directly to the President and CEO, yet is no higher
"below his station," simply because he likes to; Wears relatively
in "corporate rank" than divisional manager. In practice, however,
casual clothes at work.
because there are no other layers of management between him and
the CEO, his effective authority is very much higher.
Skills Since he's outside the normal career-path promotion pattern -
Accounting-13; Administration-15; Computer Operation-14; which guarantees he'll never climb higher in the corporate struc-
Diplomacy-14; Driving (Car)-11; Economics-13; Leadership-15; ture — none of the ambitious "corporate warriors" would ever
Mathematics-11; Politics (Corporate)-12; Psychology-11; S avoir- consider gunning for Flinders' job. This position also guarantees
Faire (Corporate)-13; Skiing-11. that the people who accept transfers to Flinders' department do so
because they want to do the work, not because they're using it as
Languages a stepping stone to greater authority.
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 13. Flinders is atypical in that he has a life outside work. He
pursues a number of hobbies — most of them solitary, since execs
Cyberwear of his rank and higher won't fraternize with him, and he can't
Chip slot with a Math chip; Interface Jack. fraternize with his employees without compromising his author-
ity over them.
Conversions
Fantasy — Flinders might be a "middle manager" in a huge Quotes
mercantile combine, or perhaps even a member of the govern- "The rat race? Whether you win or lose, you're still a rat.
ment's administrative branch. Replace Accounting, Computer Neh?"
Operation, Mathematics, Driving (Car), and Skiing with Her- "Check the quarterly figures if you doubt my department's
aldry-13, History-14, and Riding-11. efficiency. Then get out of my office."
Contemporary — No skill changes. Remove the cyberwear. "If you've got a problem with my management style, pull up
Space — Replace Driving (Car) with Driving (Hovercraft)-11. a chair and let's talk about it."

Story Adventure Seeds

It's possible to be a corporate employee — a very senior, very ♦ Flinders has found evidence that his corporation is involved in
successful one, even — and not buy into the culture; Nicholas various unethical and immoral business dealings. Now he has
Flinders is living proof. He's a senior executive, in charge of the a tough decision: report his employer — to whom he feels
market research department for a major multinational megacor- genuine loyalty — to the authorities, or turn his back on it. He
poration, but he's definitely not the stereotypical corp exec. chooses a third course, calling the PCs in to find the individual
For one thing, he's decided that further ambition isn't worth exec behind the atrocities and bring him down, without trash-
the trouble. He's advanced as far up the corporate hierarchy as he ing the entire corp.
wants to; any higher and he'd be spending all his time toadying to ♦ A junior VP has decided that the Market Research department's
Junior Executive Vice-Presidents, and other wastes of skin. He autonomy should come to an end. His machinations are starting
has a job that challenges him and still interests him, even after to threaten Flinders' position, so the exec decides to bring in
almost a decade. He has a salary and benefits package that guar- outside experts (the PCs) to help bulwark his authority.
COSMETIC
SURGEON
ST: 9 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.25
DX: 12 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 110

Advantages
Reputation +2 (Underworld: asks no questions); Status +2;
Wealth (Filthy Rich).

Disadvantages Dr. Kirtan Khalsa Age: 32

Overconfidence; Trademark (Leaves patients looking slightly
like him).
In medical school, Kirtan had many friends and at the time
Quirks was considering a career in trauma care. But then he decided that
money was much more important than humanitarian concerns,
Condescending to anyone poorer than he is; Sycophantic to and opted for cosmetic, reconstructive and plastic surgery. To the
anyone richer than he is.
few old med-school friends he still keeps in contact with, Khalsa
claims he does the high-ticket "frivolous" cosmetic work just so
Skills he's got the money to do "real" medicine: reconstructive work on
Artist-11; Computer Operation-13; Diagnosis-14; Disguise- accident victims who can't afford the procedure, for exainple. In
13; First Aid-13; Physician-14; Physiology-13; Savoir-Faire-13; fact, however, Khalsa does none of these "charity" cases.
Sculpting-11; Surgery-13. Khalsa has a personal "style" that unites all his full-face re-
constructions, and might get him in serious trouble one day.
Conversions When he does a full-face, the patient always comes out looking
Fantasy — No conversion. faintly like Khalsa himself. (Although people probably won't
Contemporary — Kirtan can't make quite such drastic changes recognize the similarity, computer analysis of several patients
to his patients, but he'll still be rich thanks to movie stars and will definitely detect it.)
wannabes trying to improve their looks. No changes.
Space — No changes. Quotes
"Tuck around the eyes, change the line of the jaw, bleach the
Story hair, wax under the bridge of the nose . . . I guarantee, your
On an absolute scale, Dr. Kirtan Khalsa falls somewhere in the mother won't recognize you."
undistinguished middle of cosmetic surgeons. He's neither the "Are you really sure you want to keep that nose . . . ?"
best nor the worst, and neither the most nor the least expensive. "I just fix faces. What you do with that face after I'm done
What makes him attractive to many street ops is that he asks no with it isn't my concern."
questions about why a patient wants particular modifications.
While many surgeons would be leery about doing a full facial Adventure Seeds
reconstruction on someone who's suffered no disfiguring inju- ♦ Khalsa's no-questions-asked policy has gotten him in trouble
ries, Khalsa has no qualms. His sole question is whether the pa- at last. His last full-face patient happens to be a psychotic
tient can pay for his services . . . mass-murderer, who's decided his new identity will be secure
The vast majority of Khalsa's cases are simple cosmetic pro- only if he eliminates the one connection between it and his old
cedures: liposuction, tummy tucks, facelifts, nose-jobs, skin face — that is, Dr. Khalsa. As for the doctor, he knows
bleaching and the like. Although he's not quite the "surgeon to someone's trying to kill him, but doesn't know who or why.
the stars" that he'd like to be, he is starting to build a clientele (As to the first question, there are many possible answers. As
among the would-be stars and starlets scuffling around at the to the second, he thinks he can guess . . .) He turns to the PCs
bottom of the entertainment hierarchy. Maybe 1 in 500 cases are for help.
what Khalsa thinks of as "black operations" — shady characters
who want a new face. Even though they're in the overwhelming ♦ One of the PCs is kidnapped. When he wakes up, he's got a
minority, these cases actually make up about half of the good new face (courtesy of Kirtan). The PC manages to escape from
doctor's income (particularly since they're all cash transactions, his abductors. Now the question remains: who snatched him,
and thus tax free). and why? And why the new face? Possibly the only line on the
abductors is the doctor who did the job.
COUNTER-
TERRORIST
ST: 14 IQ: 10 Speed: 6.5
DX: 14 HT: 12 Move: 6
Dodge: 9
Infantry Combat Dress (PD 4, DR 40); light encumbrance.

Point Total:

Advantages
Alertness +2; Military Rank 1 (Sergeant); Toughness +1.

Disadvantages
Bully; Duty (ATDS); Intolerance (Non-whites).

Quirks
Cautious; Doesn't talk about his past; Tells crude jokes all the
time.

Skills
Beam Weapons (Laser)-17; Brawling-15; Computer Opera-
tion-11; Demolition-11; Driving (Car)-14; Gesture-11; Guns
(Rifle)-17; Interrogation-11; Knife-16; Leadership-10; Running-
13; Scuba-10; Tactics-12.
Bruce Wright Age: 25
Cyberwear was encouraged. As the product of this meat-grinder, Bruce wasn't
One Bionic eye with Optic Readout and Night Sight; Chip Slot too good at making friends. Furthermore, he was quite racist in the
with Combat Reflexes and High Pain Threshold chips. beginning. The ATDS has helped him improve both of those fail-
ings. Friendships are built through the incredible trust required of
Weapons all team members. Also, some of the team are Black, and this has
Assault Rifle: 7d crushing. forced Bruce to question some of his own beliefs.
When it's time to go to work, Bruce is all business. He's abso-
Conversions lutely cool under all circumstances. His incredible marksmanship
Fantasy — Bruce is a magically-armed shock trooper. Replace has defused many potential terrorist crises before they even
Beam Weapons, Computer Operation, Driving (Car), Guns and started. If the terrorists take hostages, Bruce might take a little
Scuba with Riding-13 and Two-Handed Sword-16. Remove all of more care, but he always puts killing terrorists first on his agenda.
the implants. Somewhere he heard that corporations judge a human life to be
Contemporary — Remove Beam Weapons and all of the cyber- worth $100,000 of property damage, and works with that figure
netic implants. as a guide.
Space — Replace Guns and Driving (Car) with Free Fall-14
and Vacc Suit-10. If cyberwear exists, retain Bruce's implants. Quotes
"I say shoot first, and forget the questions."
Story "Look, don't ask me that again! Do I have to beat it into you?"
Bruce Wright has a shady background, one that his team- "One man's terrorist is another man's target."
mates in the Anti-Terrorist Deployment Squad aren't so sure they
want to find out about. Rumors say that before joining the ATDS, Adventure Seeds
he worked as a street samurai. Whatever the case, when Bruce ♦ The PCs are taken hostage by terrorists. The fact that the
joined the team, he came equipped with his own cyber mods. ATDS is coming to get them out should be reassuring. When
Without a doubt, Bruce is the finest killing machine in the unit. the PCs realize how the team operates, they'll have their hands
He possesses both incredible speed and fantastic strength. When full trying to keep from being killed by both parties.
he shoots a gun, it's as if he was built to use it. (He was, thanks to ♦ The PCs have made the wrong enemy, a senior officer in the
modern cybernetics.) ATDS. Simply by entering the PCs' identities into the com-
He grew up in an extremely violent family. Discipline was puter system, labeled as armed-and-dangerous, he's arranged
enforced with a two-by-four, love wasn't evident and racial hatred things so that the ATDS team will take his rivals down for hiin.
CULT LEADER
ST: 11 IQ: 12 Speed: 5
DX: 9 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 75

Advantages
Charisma +2; Clerical Investment; Status 5 (In the cult);
Wealth (Wealthy).

Disadvantages
Fanaticism; Secret (Started the cult for the money).

Quirks
Always seems to be giving a speech; Tends to use biblical
language.

Skills
Accounting-11; Administration-13; Area Knowledge-12; Eco-
nomic s -14 ; History-10; Interrogation- 11; Mathematic s -10 ;
Occultism-11; Performance-13; Psychology-10; Theology-14.

Conversions
Fantasy — Perhaps Amber has started a cult that fears the Amber Levitt Age: 26
power of magic. Replace Accounting, Mathematics and Econom-
ics with Calligraphy-11, Cooking-12 and Riding-9. Add the Lit-
eracy advantage. enough to donate money to the Humanists doesn't deserve to
Contemporary — No changes. keep it.
The organization has gotten out of Amber's control. She had
Space — Xenophobia is a fine fear for Amber to play on. Add
no idea there would be such a demand for her teachings. Factions
Xenology-12.
within the organization are rising up, demanding that more vio-
lent measures be taken. Already a fanatical group has bombed
Story one of the major Net node sites — and they claim that this is only
Mistress Zarn, a.k.a. Amber Levitt, had a disturbing child- the beginning. Although she fears these radical elements, Amber
hood. Her parents were addicted to religion. The actual religion justifies her inaction by telling herself she couldn't stop them
didn't matter; all that counted was that it promise — although not anyway. In fact, the real reason is the continued massive profit-
necessarily deliver — miracles. The only feature that remained the ability of her scam.
same from religion to religion was the donations. Her parents
spent up to half of their incomes on whichever religion they were
Quotes
currently following. Predictably, they forced their daughter to
"Unplug yourselves from the infernal 3V boxes."
attend services with them. Equally predictably, Amber came to
"Only you — by sending money — can save your friends from
hate this, and became very cynical about religion.
their hideous doom . . . incorporation with the computer. It's not
Eventually Amber ran away. After years of hard work, she
gained a degree in economics at the University of Idaho. She too late."
"Why sister, you're just reading it wrong. This is the expense
remembered the huge amounts of money her parents threw to
account line."
religions, and realized that here was a career opportunity staring
her in the face. All that she had to do was find a "cause," and the
money would come rolling in. She had a good enough grasp of Adventure Seeds
psychology to realize that fear was the greatest motivator of all. ♦ A major corporation specializing in microchip design hires the
Amber knew that many people — with hoards of money — still PCs to investigate the Humanists for future undermining at-
remembered the old ways, and feared the high-tech gadgets of the tempts. The cult's security is tremendous and should really put
present and the future. The cult she created — the Humanists - the PCs to the test. What will they do when they realize that
stresses that mankind's dependence on technology must end. many of their own family members are already members of
Those not involved in the Humanist Organization would become the cult?
uncaring machines controlled by computers, and only by invest- ♦ Enough is enough; these renegade factions must be stopped,
ing enormous amounts of money could the Humanists save their and Amber needs the PCs' help to do it. Can they root out the
"piously-challenged" loved ones. Amber cynically justifies her fanatical members without revealing Amber's secret agenda to
money-raising activities by telling herself that anyone stupid the public?
DRUG DEALER
ST: 13 IQ: 9 Speed: 5.5
DX: 9 HT: 13 Move: 5
Dodge: 5 Parry: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 105

Advantages
Contact (His source); High Pain Threshold; Reputation +2
(On the street: a real nasty piece of work).

Disadvantages
Addiction (Sampling his own wares); Illiterate; Sadism.

Quirks
Fakes emotions; Gets all his information from video; Socio-
pathic personality.

Skills
Area Knowledge-11; Brawling-14; Carousing-13; Fast-Talk-
11; Guns (Pistol)-13; Intimidation-13; Knife-12; Merchant-12;
Scrounging-9; Streetwise-12; Survival (Street)-9.

Weapons
Large Pistol: 2d+1 crushing; Small Knife: 2d-4 cutting, 1d-1
impaling.

Conversions Elwood Morris Age: 19

Fantasy — Replace Guns with Broadsword-12. Illiteracy is no
longer a disadvantage.
Contemporary — No changes. showed other "antisocial" behaviors, El was dispatched to show
Space — Replace Guns with Beam Weapons-13. them the errors of their ways. Although his cold, soulless manner
was often enough to bring people around, Morris enjoyed it when
Story they resisted; then he could lay a beating on them.
Elwood Morris is not, and never will be, big-time. He's not
Elwood Morris — more commonly, just El — grew up on the
smart or ambitious enough to do anything more than deal to
mean streets. He learned young that you had to be tough just to
end-users. Recently he's started sampling his merchandise -
make it through, and anything that got in the way of being tough
something he'd never done before — so there's a possibility his
— caring about other people, for example — diminished your
career might already have peaked.
chances of reaching your next birthday.
Drugs were big business in El's neighborhood. Just about ev-
eryone he knew either dealt or used. The dealers either got rich - Quotes
by El's limited definition of the word, at least — or got iced by "The written word's dead, man. Dead as them little Egyptian
other dealers. The users just died. Looked at that way, Elwood pictures."
Morris' choice was simple: deal drugs, and maybe live, or hide "Now, Suzie, you know better than to stiff me. And if you
from the ugliness of the world through chemical escapism and don't know better, you will . ."
defmitely die. Morris came to his decision at the ripe old age of "Sure, there's risks. But risk is a rush, cobber ."
12.
El started off in the business as a courier, delivering small Adventure Seeds
packets of drugs to individual buyers. He worked his way higher ♦ Drug dealers know a lot of people in their neighborhoods, and
up the "distribution chain" until he became a small-time dealer usually keep an ear to the ground. The PCs need to know about
himself, pushing drugs to 15- and 16-year-olds — kids a year or the potential of gang activity in the area, and the only contact
two older than himself. That was when he first saw the money they have is Elwood Morris. Of course, Morris never does
rolling in. Since he had no education or training, he could look anything unless it proves of value to him.
forward to only minimum wage on the legitimate job market. He ♦ A close friend of the PCs has recently died, OD'd on drugs
could make 20 times as much — if not more — just dealing nickel sold to her by Morris' organization (although not by Morris
and dime bags to school kids. himself). The PCs decide to exact some kind of vengeance on
As he grew older and bulked up, El added another talent to his the organization that killed their friend. Their only lead to the
repertoire: enforcement. When clients didn't pay on time, or company is Elwood.
ECO-TERRORIST
ST: 10 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.25
DX: 10 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Medium monocrys armor (PD 2, DR 16); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 40

Advantages
Ally Group (Other eco-terrorists); Intuition.

Disadvantages
Delusion ("Only I know what's best for the planet"); Fanati-
cism; Impulsiveness.

Quirks
Calls corporations "defilers"; Vegetarian.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Climbing-10; Demolition-13; Ecology-
11; Guns (Rifle)-11; Leadership-11; Photography-11; Psychol-
ogy-11; Stealth-10; Survival (Forest)-11; Writing-11.

Weapons
Rifle (M16): 5d crushing. Samuel Norquist Age: 40
Conversions
disrupted proceedings in front of the TV cameras. Before he
Fantasy — A man who kills to save trees. Replace Guns and
could deliver his message, however, corp security forces de-
Photography with Broadsword-11 and Crossbow-12. Remove
scended upon him. He woke up three days later, in critical condi-
Writing, or give Norquist the Literacy advantage.
tion in a hospital. Two of his colleagues had died from the
Contemporary — Samuel may still be in the frustration stage.
beatings they'd sustained.
No changes.
So now it's war. Norquist doesn't like to think of himself as a
Space — No changes.
vigilante or eco-desperado, but nothing else has worked. So far
he's bombed several corporate facilities. He's always careful to
Story avoid killing, and so far he's succeeded. He recognizes his luck
Samuel Norquist has reached the end of his rope. He's abso- won't hold forever, but he can live with that. Sometimes the
lutely sickened by the abuses the megacorporations are inflicting greater good of the greater number requires that some lives be
on the ecosystem, and he's given up on all the standard means of lost.
influencing the corporations' policies. Now he has to step up his
activism to the point where the megacorps can't ignore him any Quotes
more. Now it's war.
Norquist grew up during the 1990s. The images he saw on the "Sit back and watch while they poison the land and the oceans
and the air? Not a chance!"
TV news — clearcut logging in western Canada, the destruction of
"Sometimes you need a grand gesture if you want anyone to
the Amazon rainforest, the smoke pall over Kuwait — still remain
pay attention."
with him today. He decided early on that he'd do what he could
"I'm willing to die for this land. Are you?"
to end those abuses, and dedicated his life to the task.
At first, he went through normal channels. He sent countless
petitions to various corp headquarters and to the government. He Adventure Seeds
tried to rally public support, to apply public pressure — through ♦ The PCs have been hired by a megacorp to penetrate
product boycotts — to the worst offenders. He brought class action Norquist's eco-terrorist organization. Once they're in, their
suits against megacorps, in the names of those who'd suffered mission might be to destroy it, or focus its attentions on the
from the organizations' ecological depredations. While he be- facilities of a rival corporation.
came a relatively famous public figure, loved by environmental- ♦ The PCs are trying to penetrate a corporate facility. During the
ists and despised by corporate management, he found it approach, they encounter another group, apparently trying the
iinpossible to make a significant difference. The ecological rav- same thing. (It's Norquist and his colleagues, preparing to
ishment continued. blow the facility.) Despite their natural distrust, can the two
Just a year ago, he decided to escalate matters. Accompanied groups work together? And can the PCs persuade Norquist to
by his closest colleagues, Norquist penetrated the local headquar- hold off long enough so they can get what they came for
ters of a major megacorp during a shareholders' meeting, and before he blows it up?
FIELD MEDIC
ST: 12 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Heavy monocrys armor (PD 2, DR 24); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Combat Reflexes; Empathy.

Disadvantages
Duty (To the Peace Relief Corps); Impulsiveness.

Quirks
Dislikes bugs; Takes care of her appearance as well as she can
in miserable surroundings.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Beam Weapon (Laser)-15; Brawling-12;
Computer Operation-13; Diagnosis-12; First Aid-15; Guns (Shot-
gun)-14; Knife-12; Physician-13; Stealth-11; Surgery-10; Sur-
vival (Jungle)-13.

Cyberwear
Chip Slot with Surgery [4] Skill Chip. Sandra Max Age: 27
Weapons
Shotgun: 5d crushing. Large Knife: 1d cutting, 1d-1 impaling. that they had in their hands a very powerful fighting force that
could work undercover.
Conversions Sandra Max is a field medic currently stationed in Chile. Her
medical skills allow her to provide assistance ranging from first
Fantasy — Sandra could be a medic in a fantasy army. Replace
aid to neurosurgery on the country's beleaguered citizens or her
Weapon skills, Computer Operation and Surgery with Broad- Corps coinrades.
sword-14, Crossbow-15 and Riding-13. Remove cyberwear.
Sandra's previous medical experience assured her placement
Contemporary — Remove Beam Weapons and cyberwear.
Space — Sandra's detachment could travel to alien worlds. Add as a medic with the Corps, and this suits her fine. Back in civili-
zation she was a hospital doctor, but became frustrated with the
Xenology-12.
widely-held "heal the rich" mentality. Although her official duty
is as a medic, she doesn't mind mixing it up with her combat
Story shotgun if a need should arise.
Midway through the 21st century, famine and suffering have
reached all-time highs in underdeveloped countries. More Quotes
"civilized" nations banded together to form the Peace Relief
"Get on the radio and get another two cases of med kits in
Corps, an organization that brings food and medical supplies to here, stat."
countries in need.
"Here in the jungle, I get to make the decisions about who gets
The first few years of operation were a disaster. The unpro-
healed. And credit history has nothing to do with it."
tected Corps operatives were brought in to aid people in ex-
"Yeah, I carry a combat gun, so what? Hippocrates was never
tremely violent parts of the world. Often entire detachments were in the jungle . . ."
killed by "freedom fighters" who mistrusted the foreign "invad-
ers."
The countries and companies involved decided that much
Adventure Seeds
more needed to be done. As it stood, their money was being ♦ The directors of the Peace Relief Corps need to send relief
wasted. A joint committee agreed that the Corps was to be armed effort to a small country in South America, but at the same
. . . heavily. They replaced many civilian members with ex-army time remove a band of terrorists. The PCs are hired to work in
specialists, and gave them the latest in technology weapons and conjunction with the Corps to accomplish this mission.
armor. ♦ Sandra is beginning to realize that the objectives of the Corps
The results were incredible. The Corps members were easily are starting to shift from a relief force, to a mercenary unit
able to defeat most local resistance, and deliver aid to those that hired out to dictators and drug lords. She tries to convince
needed it most. A useful side effect was discovered when the some of her comrades (the PCs) to investigate and publicize
Corps utterly destroyed a terrorist group. The directors realized the directors' ulterior motives.
FIXER
ST: 11 IQ: 13 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 40

Advantages
Charisma +1; Contacts; Reputation +1 (On the street: good
fixer); Wealth (Comfortable).

Disadvantages
Addiction (Cocaine); Enemies (Other jealous, not-so-skilled
fixers); Greed.

Quirks
Checks himself in every mirror he passes; Sniffs all the time.

Skills
Accounting-12; Administration-13; Area Knowledge-12;
Carousing-11; Computer Operation-14; Diplomacy-12; Guns
(Pistol)-11; Merchant-12; Savoir-Faire (Corporate)-14; Sex Ap-
peal-13; Streetwise-12.

Weapons Kashmir Singh Age: 30

Light Pistol: d crushing.

Conversions To Singh, appearance is everything, and he spends a tremen-

dous amount of his income keeping up that appearance; from the
Fantasy — Although they may operate under different names,
stylish office where he does business, to his finely tailored suits,
fixers have always existed. Replace Guns and Computer Opera-
Singh is a class act. Recently, an awful lot of his money has been
tion with Shortsword-10 and change Savoir-Faire to Savoir-Faire
going up his nose, but he's sure that he can quit that any time he
(Nobility)-14.
wants . . .
Contemporary — No changes.
Kashmir doesn't really view what he does as illegal. Of
Space — Keeping up with the vast variety of aliens and their
course, if the police catch him, they'll charge him as an accom-
abilities is a huge task, but Kashmir's up to the challenge. Re-
plice to every criminal activity that he helped succeed. But he
place Guns with Beam Weapons (Laser)-11 and Xenology-12.
hasn't been caught yet, so what could go wrong?
Story
Quotes
Word on the street says that if you need anything — legal or
"No problem, I have just the person you're looking for. But
otherwise — go talk to Kashmir Singh. Of course, if the police ask,
let's talk about my fee first."
it's well known that all he does is operate a corporate consulting
"How can you wear that suit? It's so out of fashion — it's at
firm from his well-furnished office.
least a month old."
Kashinir turned to crime for the same reason most do — it pays.
"In this world, you get what you pay for, and pay for what you
He tried buying and selling drugs, fencing and laundering money,
get."
all with mediocre success. He managed to avoid getting caught,
and his confidence and expertise grew. He knew all the people
who needed jobs done, and he knew the people who could do the Adventure Seeds
jobs much better than he could, but it took him a while to realize ♦ The PCs need a netrunner — badly. Singh says he knows some-
that a career was staring him in the face . . . fixing. one who can guarantee success, and he'll tell them . . . for a
Instead of taking a job himself, Kashmir started telling pro- huge price. Of course the price is way out of their league, but
spective clients that he couldn't do it — for whatever reason — but Singh also mentions that he knows of someone who is looking
he would give them the number of someone who could . . . for a for a group of street operatives for another job.
price. Most people were willing to pay for this service, and his ♦ Someone has broken into Kashmir's office and stolen his com-
business took off. puter and all of his data. Without this data he can't conduct any
Kashmir enjoys what he does. He considers himself paid to business. Even worse, there's enough evidence in those files to
have a social life. After all, how can he meet all the people to put put him in jail for a long, long time. He pleads with the PCs to
in his data file if he doesn't do a lot of socializing in clubs and at retrieve it and offers several free fixes and a good sum of
parties? money if they do it.
GANG LEADER
ST: 11 IQ: 11 Speed: 5.75
DX: 13 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Light monocrys armor (PD 2, DR 8); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 55

Advantages
Ally Group (Gang); Charisma +1; Unfazeable.

Disadvantages
Enemies (Other gangs, cops); Impulsive.

Quirks
Doesn't recruit, only accepts volunteers; Theatrical when
dealing with non-gangers; Won't kill without a very good reason.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Brawling-13; Broadsword (B at)- 12 ; Ca-
rousing-12; Guns (Pistol)-14; Karate-14; Knife-13; Leadership-
12; Motorcycle-14; Streetwise-11; Survival (Urban)-11.

Weapons
Heavy Pistol: 2d+2 crushing; Large Knife: 1d-1 cutting, 1d-1
impaling.

Conversions Sarah Mull Age: 19

Fantasy — There' ve always been gangs, and there'll always be
gangs. Remove Guns and Motorcycle.
Contemporary — No changes. she quite knew what to do with it, Slash was the chieftain of her
Space — Replace Guns and Motorcycle with Beam Weapons own gang.
(Blaster)- 14. Slash has dedicated herself to keeping her followers alive.
That's why she joined the Lurkers in the first place, for her own
Story protection; now she's in a position to offer similar protection to
others. She keeps her gang — who call themselves the Slashers,
Sarah Mull — call her Slash, everyone else does — grew up on even though she doesn't use that name — out of most turf battles,
the streets, in the underside of the city. When she was a kid, she
declaring a war only in self-protection. She condones nonviolent
looked up at the multicolored ziggurats of the corp skyscrapers,
crime simply because that's the only way for her followers to feed
and swore to herself that's where she'd be someday. By her teens, themselves.
however, Slash had realized that dream would never come true.
Without education — and without the money for education — she'd
never make it into the corporate ranks. Why would a corp hire a Quotes
gritty, tough-talking street kid, whose only skills were riding a "This is my turf. And on my turf, you play by my rules."
bike and protecting her young body from those who considered "We don't want trouble — just your money."
her public property? "Let the Knives and the Tigers rip each other up. It's not our
She fell in with a gang — the Lurkers — before she turned 14. war."
They became her family, and she gave them all her loyalty. She
quickly proved herself worthy of trust, and worked her way up in Adventure Seeds
the hierarchy until she became one of the gang boss's chief advi- ♦ The PCs need some street information, and Slash can provide
sors — at the ripe old age of 17. it . . . but only if they can "gently persuade" the new leader of
At the time, the head Lurker was a certifiable sociopath, who the Lurkers that it's not in his best interest to mess with her
kept getting the gang into pointless gang wars over turf that no- people.
body really wanted. Sickened by the ongoing and useless vio- ♦ When one of Slash's "street grunts" rolled a corp-type with a
lence — which chewed up (relatively) innocent "civilians" even taste for slumming, along with the money he picked up a chip
more than it hurt the gangs involved — she cut loose of the Lurkers that nobody can recognize. Since then, the street's been alive
to go it alone. with corp ops looking for that chip . . . and when they ask
To her vast surprise, more than half the gang went with her. So questions about its whereabouts, they don't ask nicely. Slash is
great was her prestige within the gang that it was Slash the mem- totally out of her league, and needs high-power muscle — the
bers had really been following, not the purported leader. Before PCs — to find out what's going on and put an end to it.
"GRUNT"
ST: 13 IQ: 8 Speed: 5.75
DX: 12 HT: 13 Move: 4
Dodge: 4
Combat infantry dress (PD 4, DR 40); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 75

Advantages
Strong Will +4; Toughness +1.

Disadvantages
Duty; Laziness; Sense of Duty (His platoon).

Quirks
No love for civilians (Quirk-level Intolerance); "Socially chal-
lenged"; Spends his off-duty time playing video games.

Skills
Beam Weapons (Laser Rifle)-14; Brawling-12; Climbing-13;
Knife-11; Running-10; Stealth-12.

Weapons
Large Knife: 2d-1 cutting, 1d impaling; Military Laser Rifle:
2d impaling.

Conversions
Fantasy — To somebody of Joey's limited mental resources,
even a fantasy world can be much too complex. Replace Beam
Weapons with Broadsword-14.
Contemporary — Replace Beam Weapons with Guns (Rifle)-
14.
Space — Add Free Fall-12. Joey Ruehl Age: 22
Story and tactical exercises. If he ever went into combat, Ruehl would
The real world — the world of the city and the streets — was just have a good chance of making it out alive. He likes most of the
too complex for Joey Ruehl. There were too many decisions to soldiers in his unit, and looks up to his platoon's lieutenant as just
make, and Joey wasn't good at making decisions. And, once he'd one step short of a god. In turn, his comrades in arms like Ruehl
dropped out of grade school, there weren't any rules that he could in much the same way they'd like a loyal but dumb pit bull.
follow to keep himself in line. Every day was an overwhelming
array of choices, and Joey kept making bad ones. Quotes
One bad choice brought him before a juvenile court, which "It's okay to do it. The LT said so."
gave him the choice of going to jail for five years (a lifetime to a
"Nah, you guys go into town. I'll just stay on base."
17-year-old) or enlisting with the army for a similar period. Joey ". . . And the best part is, they pay me to do this. (Toss me
figured he'd hate the army, but knew he'd hate jail, so he enlisted. another grenade, huh?)"
That turned out to be the best choice the young Ruehl could
have made. Sure, life in the army was tough, but Joey was tough
enough to handle it. More importantly, the army was a place with Adventure Seeds
rules, and without decisions. There were people — people smarter ♦ Joey has strayed off base into the wrong part of the sprawl.
than Joey — whose job was to tell him what to do, and all he had to Without the rest of his platoon, he's in real trouble. The PCs
do was follow their orders. It was almost like a dream come true. encounter the poor GI about to get scragged by a local gang.
Joey Ruehl doesn't have what it takes to be promoted; he'll be ♦ With the recession now in its 23rd year, the government tries
a private for life. But that's exactly what he wants. He knows that to recoup some of its military spending by hiring out the army
NCOs and real officers have to make tough decisions, and he to corporations. Joey's platoon's mission is to protect an ar-
doesn't want to be put in that position. When his first tour of duty mored car making a special delivery to a corp facility. The PCs
is up in a little less than a year, he intends to re-up . . . and keep are hired to acquire what's in the truck. They can do it the hard
re-upping until he's the oldest private in this man's army. way (a stand-up fight), or they can try to infiltrate the platoon.
Ruehl isn't bright, but he's not as stupid as he thinks he is. He's The hiring corp is pretty sure they can "promote" the PCs to
got a kind of animal cunning that comes to the fore in wargames officers with a little forgery.
HOTEL MANAGER
ST: 9 IQ: 12 Speed: 4.75
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 4
Dodge: 4
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 30

Advantages
Contact (Street gang); Danger Sense.

Disadvantages
Paranoia; Skinny; Weak Will -1.

Quirks
Fearful of anyone stronger than he (almost everybody); Smiles
too much.

Skills
Administration-10; Area Knowledge-12; Diplomacy-11; Eco-
nomics-11; Fast-Talk-12; Guns (Pistol)-12; Merchant-12;
Scrounging-11; Streetwise-13.

Weapons
Heavy Pistol: 2d+1 crushing.

Conversions
Fantasy — George is an innkeeper who robs his guests. Re-
place Guns with Shortsword-9.
Contemporary — No changes.
Space — George manages a hotel in a very seedy space station.
Replace Guns with Beam Weapons (Blaster)-12.

Story
The Arcadian Hotel advertises "an affordable price, where we George Firen Age: 45
do all the work." The price is affordable, but you get what you
pay for. The hotel is situated just on the border of the bad part of
town. Typically it's filled with bums and people wishing to rent a Quotes
room for only a few hours. "You want to rent the room for two hours, for business pur-
Every now and then, tourists come to stay. Usually, they poses? Yeah, right."
booked the room in advance over the phone, and had no idea what "Okay, they've just left the room. The door in the back will be
kind of a slum pit the hotel actually is. This is where George Firen open."
— the manager of the Arcadian — comes in. "Normally the rule's `no visitors.' But in your case I'll make
George has a scam going with one of the local gangs. When a an exception."
tourist leaves his room, George calls in the gangers. They loot the
room — which has been "carelessly" left open — and he takes a cut Adventure Seeds
of the fence money. ♦ The PCs are staying at the Arcadian. When they're out, George
The police are so busy dealing with all the violent crimes in calls the gang in to loot their equipment. Perhaps they were
the city, they rarely have the time to follow up adequately when a carrying secret documents or extremely expensive goods. The
guest at the Arcadian complains about being robbed. The chance PCs now have to find their stolen merchandise and get it back
of his actually getting caught is so low that George should feel from a violent gang.
quite safe . . . ♦ George pulled his usual scam on an affluent-looking traveler
. . . But he doesn't. He's constantly paranoid that the police are who should have known better than to stay at the Arcadian. The
going to bust his little operation. He's already looking at several gangers got some money, but little else of note. But now, one by
consecutive prison terms if he gets caught — a chilling thought. one, the gangers are dying — some obvious hits, some apparent
Still, the money is just so good . . . "accidents." George knows it's the affluent traveler, after
George is extremely weak and frail-looking. He has almost no something that the gangers took. Apparently he hasn't got it yet,
courage and will come apart at the seams with very little coaxing. and George's name has to be coming to the top of his list . . .
George turns to his contacts, the PCs, for help.
LAWYER
ST: 9 IQ: 13 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 35

Advantages
Alertness +1; Contact (A doctor at a hospital); Wealth (Com-
fortable).

Disadvantages
Alcoholism; Greed; Reputation -4 (To real lawyers: ambu-
lance-chaser).

Quirks
Always carries a bottle; Always hands out business cards;
Uses Latin to confuse people.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Carousing-11; Computer Operation-13;
Diplomacy-12; Driving (Car)-11; Electronics Operation (Radio)-
11; Fast-Talk-15; Law-14; Performance-11; Research-12; Shad-
owing-13; Writing-12.

Languages
English-13; Latin-10; any other one relevant to the adventure,
at level 13.

Conversions
Fantasy — Remove Computer Operation and Electronics Op-
eration. Add the Literacy advantage.
Contemporary — Even now Jameson would be entirely in his Lawrence Jameson Age: 36
element. No changes.
—
Space Remove Driving (Car).
Jameson really has no morals, and no concept of when to
conduct business. At cocktail parties, he won't get a drink until
Story he's distributed his card to everyone present.
If Lawrence Jameson's law professors had any idea how he's Jameson carries a bottle of 90-proof "stress medication." Al-
putting their teachings to work, they'd probably form a posse and though he denies it, lately his dosage has been increasing . . .
hunt him down.
Jameson is half of Jameson & Laurentian Legal Services, Quotes
which operates out of New York. Through horrifying and im-
"Here's my card."
moral practices, they've become well-off businessmen.
"Are you okay? You're bleeding pretty badly. Did you know
Jameson is in charge of "business development." All the time
that you're entitled to restitution for your injuries by all parties
he's not in court he spends driving around the streets in his "mo-
responsible? Hey, wake up!"
bile office": a car equipped with a scanner that monitors all the
"I advise that we accept their offer. Trust me, $30,000 — minus
police bands. The instant he hears of an accident, he races to the my fee — is satis superque."
scene and attempts to gain new customers. Usually potential cli-
ents are in no condition to argue with him (or sign forms, but he's
figured ways around that technicality). If a client is unable to sign Adventure Seeds
at the accident scene, then he'll chase the ambulance to the hos- ♦ The PCs need a lawyer to get them out of some legal matter.
pital and harass the victim there. One of the PCs picked up Jameson's card at a party and they
When it comes time to go to court, Jameson has slick tech- decide to call him. ("One lawyer's just as good as another,
niques for processing a client rapidly, so he can move on to the right?")
next one. He'd much rather get a smaller settlement than take the ♦ In a recent endeavor, the PCs inflicted some minor indignity
time fighting in court to achieve a larger one, particularly since on an innocent bystander. Now that bystander is coming after
the chances of success drop as the size of the settlement increases. them — at Jameson's instigation, of course — to sue the PCs into
Quantity, not quality, is his motto. a smoking crater.
MENTAL PATIENT
ST: 12 IQ: 13 Speed: 4.75
DX: 10 HT: 9 Move: 4
Dodge: 4
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 50

Advantages
Alertness +2; Danger Sense.

Disadvantages
Delusions (Various and assorted); Paranoia; Sense of Duty (To
protect mankind from the evil conspiracies); Social Stigma (Per-
ceived as a lunatic).

Quirks
Always looks over his shoulder; Wears a very old, out-of-style
suit. Matt Donan Age: 32
Skills
Administration-12; Area Knowledge-13; Computer Opera- rity mental institution. The hospital officials quickly learned their
tion-13; Conspiracy Theory-16; Criminology-13; Detect Lies-13; mistake, however, when he escaped. Within a day he was caught
Guns (Pistol)- 11; Intelligence Analysis-14; Interrogation-13; again and placed in a higher-security institution. Time and again,
Psychology-12; Shadowing-12. Matt escaped — each break more daring than the last. He was so
certain in his convictions that no ward could hold him for long -
Cyberwear his messages had to reach the masses.
Chip Slot that's currently empty. Matt is completely unstable, ranging in demeanor from calin
to extremely paranoid. He's a difficult man to talk to, as he's
Conversions always looking over his shoulder.
Fantasy — Matt could be a man driven mad by the power of Most of Matt's theories are just hot air — devised by his fevered
magic, but who is still very powerful. Replace Computer Opera- imagination. Many years with the Secret Service, however, have
tion, Conspiracy Theory, Criminology, and Intelligence Analysis honed his ability to spot conspiracies, and sometimes his suspi-
with Alchemy-14, Occultism-15 and Riding-10. Add the Literacy cions are correct.
advantage. GM's note: Depending on the nature of the campaign and
Contemporary — Remove the chip slot, no other changes. specific adventure, Matt could be used as comic relief, a dis-
Space — No changes. penser of red herrings or the only person who can point the PCs
towards the truth.
Story
Quotes
Matt Donan's psychiatrists have described him as deluded, but
he prefers the word "aware." It's not his fault that he heard the "Look, if I don't make it, you've got to tell everyone that half
plans of evil aliens bent on controlling the world. Or overheard of the Senate has been replaced with zombies. What do you mean
that certain government officials were being replaced with dupli- you already know?"
cates. He should be rewarded for warning the world of the horri- "Why don't you tell me about your mother, you quack?"
ble conspiracies threatening it, but instead they lock him up and "Everything's connected. And if two things aren't connected,
call him crazy. then that's a connection in and of itself, isn't it?"
Matt walks a fine line between reality and his interpretation of
it. For him, the line started to blur when he joined the Secret Adventure Seeds
Service nearly ten years ago. His job was to root out possible ♦ The PCs are approached by a wild-haired man mumbling
conspiracies, such as threats to the 911 emergency telephone sys- about conspiracies. Chances are that the players are just look-
tem. Long hours and immense pressure — and, as he sees it, a ing for some crazy scheme to follow, and Matt will provide it.
glimpse at the "big picture" — pushed him over the edge. He He'll probably just send them on a wild goose chase, but
began to notice the implications of conspiracies all around him - maybe something useful will come of it.
from his constantly changing postman, to the number of times ♦ Somehow the PCs are in a mental institution. Perhaps they,
he's lost the lottery. All of this and more is proof that there are like Matt, were a little too vocal with their knowledge of the
secret groups planning to take over the world, and that he's the big picture. Matt would be happy to help them escape, but if
only barrier that stands in their way. he helps them, they have to do a little task for him — one that
Understandably, Matt was completely confused when those he might involve goldfish, fungus and an ancient lute, but it is
tried to help labeled him paranoid and tossed him into a low-secu- guaranteed to save the world.
MUSICIAN
ST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 8 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Charisma +2; Musical Ability +4; Reputation +4 (He's a rock
star); Wealth (Filthy Rich).

Disadvantages
Addiction (Downers); Compulsive Behavior (Depression).

Quirks
Always dresses in black; Doesn't go out in the day; Hates
bright lights when offstage.

Skills
Area Knowledge-13; Computer Operation-14; Computer Pro-
gramming-12; Electronics Operation (Synthesizer)-13; Musical
Instrument-17; Performance-12; Poetry-14; Singing-14; Street-
wise-13; Writing-14.

Conversions
Fantasy — Vox's bleak, anti-technology message will probably
be very rare in most fantasy worlds . . . but not impossible. Re-
place Computer skills, Electronics and Writing with Riding-10,
and a suitable fantasy Musical Instrument-14. Add the Literacy
advantage.
Contemporary — Vox's type of music should just be beginning Vox Dei Age: 23
to get popular. No changes.
Space — No changes.
Vox Dei has no band, but he doesn't need one. When he's
Story on-stage, he's surrounded by several million dollars' worth of
computerized synthesizers, samplers and sequencers. Mathemat-
Vox Dei — or, more commonly, just Vox — is a cult superstar.
ically speaking, his music is more complex than most symphonic
Everybody in the "youth counterculture" (as the sociologists call
works; melodically, though, its critics put it on a par with street
it) listens to his music; some say Vox's music is the "youth coun-
repairs.
terculture." Every disc or chip he records goes multi-platinum,
and each new Vox Dei release is marked by a rash of teen sui-
cides. While parents' groups are trying to ban his material, the Quotes
major players in the military-industrial-entertainment complex "Don't ask me stupid questions. Just listen to the music."
trot out the usual platitudes about "freedom of artistic impres- "If it's too loud, you're too old."
sion" . . . while raking in the bucks so fast they have to buy new "Disc sales? Ask my accountant."
accounting computers. The entertainment corporations do bow to
public opinion by having warning stickers on Vox's packaging - Adventure Seeds
knowing that they actually increase sales to their target market. ♦ A rival corp is planning to release an illegal bootleg chip of
Vox (his real name's Jason Snyder) couldn't care less about the "The Last Jam — Vox Dei's Final Concert." For this marketing
business side of his career. He lives for the music, and that's it. coup to work, of course, they've got to arrange that the perfor-
He's a pathological depressive with a history of substance abuse, mance they recorded is Vox's last concert . . . The PCs are
and his . . . bleak . . . world view is reflected in his music. If punk hired to keep Vox alive, and end this marketing war once and
was anarchic, and industrial was dehumanizing, Vox's music is for all.
virtually inhuman, or perhaps anti-human. His lyrics deal almost ♦ Vox has changed his tune, as it were. He's added an undertone
exclusively with the dehumanizing effects of technology . . . and of rebellion to his music — rebellion against the corporate order
the cold solace to be found in surrendering to those effects. Per- — and the megacorps are starting to get a little nervous. Per-
haps surprisingly, considering his outlook, Vox has no cyber haps it's time that Vox Dei's star burned itself out . . . The PCs
mods. (Considering the dominance of technology around us, he'd can be the street ops hired by the corp, or Vox's security people
explain, actually installing them in the body is redundant . . .) or friends.
NETRUNNER
ST: 9 IQ: 15 Speed: 5.25
DX: 10 HT: 11 Move: 2
Dodge: 2
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 115

Advantages
Danger Sense; Patron (Tetsushima).

Disadvantage
Crippled Leg.

Quirks
Can't walk by her reflection without staring; Spends as much
time as she can in cyber-clubs (virtual bars in the matrix); Subtly
insults "null-heads" (non-netrunners).

Skills
Area Knowledge (Net)-17; Computer Hacking-17; Computer
Operation-16; Computer Programming-14; Cyberdeck Operation-
15; Electronics Operation (Security Systems)-13; Fast-Talk-13;
Intelligence Analysis-14; Research-13; Savoir-Faire (Corporate)- Circe Milasius Age: 28
14.

Cyberwear the enhancements she needed to achieve it. They also supplied
Chip Slot with an Eidetic Memory Chip; Interface Jack. her with a state-of-the-art cyberdeck . . . with the unstated as-
sumption they'd be coming to get it back if she ever left the corp's
Conversions employ. (The same could be true for her cyber mods; she doesn't
want to find out.)
Fantasy — No conversion.
Circe Milasius is loyal, not to her employer, but to her pay-
Contemporary — The closest equivalent is a corporate com-
check. She lives well in a corporate enclave. She gets to play with
puter security consultant. Perhaps she helps corporations design
more secure computer security systems. Remove Cyberdeck Op- some of the hottest software and hardware in existence. And she
eration. has access to "spare parts" with which she's building herself an
Space — If the Net and associated technology exists in the unregistered cyberdeck of her own.
campaign, make no changes. Otherwise, remove Cyberdeck Op- She has an interesting approach to job security: make herself
eration. totally irreplaceable by writing code, establishing security and
creating data structures that only she can maintain. She also in-
stalls back doors — and, often, logic bombs — in everything she
Story creates.
Who cares how socially unacceptable it may be within some
netrunner circles? Circe Milasius is a corporate woman, and plans Quotes
to remain true and loyal to her employer ... until someone makes
her a much better offer. "Freelance work? No guarantees, droog moi — but I will lis-
ten."
Circe was a smart child with a natural affinity for computers.
"Back door, Tetsushima-san? Me? Never . . ."
When she was seven, she suffered a major injury to her lower
"I've got a good job — good pay, good benefits . . . soine the
spine, causing massive nerve damage. Twenty years earlier, she'd
corp doesn't know about. Before I'd risk that, you'd have to talk
have been a paraplegic, but modern medicine brought back 100%
numbers with lots of zeroes . . ."
functionality in her right leg and about 50% in her left. (Since the
damage is neurological, even cyber replacement wouldn't give
her full use of her legs. A cyber leg would be just as "crippled" as Adventure Seeds
her natural one.) During the year she spent in a hospital bed while ♦ Circe has decided it's time to make the break. When the PCs
her damaged nerves (partially) regrew, she deepened her love approach her to do some freelance work for them, she agrees
affair with computers, and started down the road to becoming a . . . but only after they've safely extracted her from
netrunner. Tetsushima.
After graduating from high school, she pledged with Tetsu- ♦ A rival of Tetsushima has learned about Circe's habit of creat-
shima Technologies Corporation, in return for which the corp ing back doors. If they could sift through her brain, they could
funded her university training. On graduation, she joined the corp find ways into the corp's most secure data fortresses. They
as netrunner. The corp soon recognized her potential, and paid for turn to the PCs for a risky abduction.
NEWS
A NNOUNCE
ST: 10 IQ: 10 (16) Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 115

Advantages
Appearance (Very Beautiful); Charisma +2; Reputation +2
(To other reporters: the best in the industry); Wealth (Very
Wealthy).

Disadvantages Rena Holmes Age: 27

Reputation -2 (To guests who have something to hide: very
dangerous); Secret.
250 channels then broadcasting, it was almost impossible for a
Quirks fledgling news team to gain popularity. Fortunately, the two pro-
ducers of the show had some unconventional ideas to raise their
Loves to read; Self-conscious about her real intelligence.
ratings. The greatest of these was to create a composite news
anchor — one who was adept in every area of news reporting.
Skills They started with an unknown but beautiful actress to be the
Area Knowledge-10; Computer Operation-11 (16)*; Detect face of the facade . . . Rena. She was implanted with a cellular-
Lies-8 (15); Diplomacy-13; Economics-11 (14); History-8 (16); link teleprompter and two chip slots filled with eidetic memory
Interrogation-8 (15); Literature-10 (16); Performance-14; Poli- chips. Then they hired seven skilled news reporters — the brains
tics-9 (17); Research-8 (17); Sex Appeal-13. of the operation — to devise Rena's brilliant questions, and stage-
*: Skills in parentheses refer to when she is "on-line" to her manage interviews remotely. The result is the ideal news profes-
support team. sional, combining looks, charisma, piercing intelligence,
incredible sensitivity, and an encyclopedic knowledge of every
Cyberwear topic that might arise.
One Bionic Eye with Optic Readout and Video Reception, The show has gained enormous popularity. Channel 72 is con-
Cellular Link, Two Chip Slots with two Eidetic Memory chips. sistently rated in the top three news shows. This hasn't bolstered
Rena's confidence, however, as she's constantly worried that
Conversions someone will find out the truth and cancel her show.
Fantasy — It's very difficult to conceive of Rena doing her job
in a fantasy setting. Quotes
Contemporary — Since the tech doesn't exist yet to create a "Over to you Bob."
composite persona, Rena must be one frighteningly good re- "Senator Travis, are you aware that speech you just made a
porter. Downgrade some or all of the skill levels if they are too minute ago matches, word for word, one made by President Bush
high for the campaign. in 1990, 37 years ago? Could you please tell me about your views
Space — No changes. on plagiarism, Senator . . ."
". . and that's just one reporter's view on this very controver-
Story sial subject."
For the third year in a row, the Parsons Award for Reporting
Excellence has gone to Rena Holmes — news anchor at Channel Adventure Seeds
72 news. Year after year, she has proven herself the finest inter- ♦ A rival news team wants to "liberate" Rena from her current
viewer in the industry. Her intuitive ability to spot evasions, dis- employment at Channel 72. They hire the PCs to present a
tortions, deceptions and outright lies has put many a politician in "job offer" to Rena — in other words, extract her. In the
hot water. cutthroat world of 3V journalism, the rival team could live
The interesting thing is that Rena herself is one of the best with themselves if Rena were to be killed in the process.
deceptions ever devised. Rena isn't a single person; instead, she's ♦ A daring interview has backfired, and Rena has been taken
a "composite" made up of a beautiful actress, a brilliant news hostage by a group of eco-terrorists. The PCs are hired to
team, two producers, and a wired-in teleprompter. rescue her. How will they react when the woman they find is a
Five years ago, Channel 72 had just started up. With more than
pale shadow of the one they've seen on 3V?
PLAYBOY
ST: 11 IQ: 12 Speed: 6
DX: 12 HT: 12 Move: 6
Dodge: 6
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 160

Advantages
Charisma +1; Reputation +3 (To archaeologists: a generous
and enthusiastic amateur); Status 4; Wealth (Filthy Rich).

Disadvantage
Impulsiveness.

Quirks
Loves to donate (anonymously) to charities; Will undertake
almost any challenge, no matter how bizarre.

Skills
Accounting-12; Archaeology-15; Area Knowledge-13; Boat-
ing-12; Carousing-13; Cooking-14; Diplomacy-11; Economics-
12; Fencing-12; Guns (Pistol)-13; Parachuting-14; Photogra-
phy-12; Savoir-Faire (Upper class)-13; Sex Appeal-12; Scuba-11.

Conversions
Fantasy — Replace Accounting, Guns, Parachuting, Photogra-
phy and Scuba with Falconry-12 and Riding-13. Add the Literacy
advantage.
Contemporary — No changes.
Space — Charles would be darting around the galaxy, going to
whatever planet he wanted. Add Astrogation-13 and Piloting
(Small spaceship)-14. Charles Wentworthy Age: 37
Story
Charles Wentworthy started life as Bob York, the third son in Although he hasn't published his own paper yet, Charles has
a middle-class American family. His father worked in an automo- research credit in four major journals. He knows that it's just a
bile factory in Detroit, and his mother ran a small business out of matter of time before he's respected and renowned as an archeol-
the house. ogist, as well-known in the academic literature as he is in celeb-
rity-chasing tabloids.
It was from his mother that Charles learned his business skills.
The skills he needed to run an enterprise were taught to him at the
same time as reading. Add to this early and effective education an Quotes
obsessive entrepreneurial drive, and it's not surprising that "I know the dig is closed. But would $1,000 perhaps change
Charles made his first million by 25. Although hard work cer- your mind?"
tainly helped, it was his lucky investment in a medical company "I'm self-taught, sure, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in
that really paid off. a formal education."
Charles knew when to quit making money — knowledge that "But Dr. Frazier, notice the discoloration of the bone here. A
seems all too rare. He understood when he had enough, and began remnant of tissue, perhaps?"
channeling his incredible drive into more pleasurable pursuits. At
30 he bought a home in Monaco, and officially changed his name Adventure Seeds
to Charles Wentworthy (apparently just for fun). ♦ Charles wants desperately to visit an archeological dig, but the
Charles hasn't fully embraced the cybernetic age. He prefers stubborn scientists won't let him in. He's even tried flashing
days gone by when humans were unmarred by technology, so it's around large amounts of money, with no success. He eventu-
understandable that his hobby is archeology. He travels all over ally hires the PCs to help him with a night visit to the site so
the world, visiting archeological sites and participating in digs. that he can have a look around.
Most archeologists know him by name and don't mind his help. ♦ Charles has been targeted by kidnappers, extortionists or other
Sometimes his vast knowledge of archeology helps to solve a criminals. Some group with an interest in keeping Charles
problem. Also, the fact that he treats his colleagues lavishly when healthy hires the PCs to protect him. Can the playboy's
he's around helps to ease their misgivings. "minders" keep up with his high-energy lifestyle?
POLICE
DETECTIVE
ST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 70

Advantages
Ally group (The police); Intuition; Legal Enforcement Pow-
ers.

Disadvantages
Sense of Duty (To the victims of any crime); Duty; Pacifist
(Won't kill).
Gabrielle Schoeffling Age: 33
Quirks
Coffee addict; Hates carrying her cellular phone; Loves old understands human psychology and good criminology practices.
(1990s vintage) music and movies. She's also an expert with computers and other high-tech aids.
Most of her success, though, comes from her ability to talk to
Skills people and really hear what they're saying . . . not just what
Area Knowledge-12; Computer Operation-13; Criininology- words they use or what she wants to hear.
16; Detect Lies-14; Diplomacy-10; Driving (Car)-10; Fast-Talk- She has one fixation: she has to know why. Even after a case is
11; Guns (Pistol)-12; Intelligence Analysis-11; Interrogation-11; effectively tied up and ready to go to court, she frequently won't
Law-11; Photography-11; Research-12; Streetwise-12. let it go until she understands all the underlying motivations.
While her superiors complain this is useless, Gabby can point to
Weapons almost a dozen cases where her "extracurricular" investigations
Heavy Pistol: 2d impaling. led to further indictments. Schoeffling still has in her files four
open cases — each more than three years old — that she refuses to
Conversions close. All are missing-persons cases, and she won't close them
Fantasy — Replace Computer Operation, Guns, Driving and until she finally finds out what happened to the person in question.
Photography with Broadsword-9 and Riding-10. Officially, Gabby is on call 24 hours a day, and has to carry her
Contemporary — No changes. cellular phone at all times. She hates this — since it interferes with
Space — Replace Guns and Driving with Beam Weapons her attempts to have a real life — and frequently "forgets" her
(Stunner)-12 and Free Fall-11. phone at the station.

Story Quotes
Gabrielle Schoeffling joined the police force almost 15 years "Listen, I'm getting tired here. Why don't you just tell me the
ago as a beat cop, and worked her way up. For the last ten years, truth, then we can both go home?"
she's been a senior detective in the Homicide division — although "It's starting to make sense. But there are still some missing
she's frequently seconded to Vice and other divisions — and has pieces."
racked up an impressive arrest record. "Sure, he had the opportunity. It's the motive that doesn't
Gabrielle — "Gabby" to her friends — describes herself as a make any sense."
"recovering workaholic." She puts in long hours, because that's
the nature of the job, but she's struggling to balance the require- Adventure Seeds
ments of her career with having and enjoying a "real life" as ♦ The PCs have been framed for a crime they didn't commit.
well. She's decided that she has no desire to climb higher in the While all the other detectives ignore the PCs' claims of inno-
organization, and so doesn't have to bust her butt to play the cence, Schoeffling looks into them. Then she and the PCs have
political promotion game. She's found this decision incredibly the chance to work side by side to find out who framed them
freeing: she can handle cases her way, and tell her superiors ex- and why.
actly what she thinks, without having to worry about trashing her ♦ Schoeffling has stumbled across evidence of corruption in her
chances of making lieutenant. department. She turns to the PCs — who owe her a favor,
Gabby's a good cop — not flashy, not a media-hound. She perhaps after the events above — to help investigate.
PROSTITUTE
ST: 9 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.75
DX: 12 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 75

Advantages
Appearance (Beautiful); Charisma +1.

Disadvantages
Social Stigma -1; Status -1.

Quirks
Treats her customers like gold; Won't take hard drugs.

Skills
Acting-11; Area Knowledge-13; Carousing-12; Cooking-11;
Dancing-12; Knife-12; Performance-13; Professional Skill:
Kama Sutra-11; Psychology-9; Sex Appeal-15; Streetwise-11.

Weapons
Vibroblade.

Conversions
Fantasy — They don't call it the world's oldest profession for
nothing. Besides being a prostitute, she could be a harem girl or a
Geisha. No changes.
Contemporary — No changes.
Space — Even in the far future, there will always be a demand
for prostitutes. No changes.

Story
Grace D'Arcy — nicknamed "Amazing Grace" by some of her
street friends — is only 20. After more than four years in the game, Grace D'Arcy Age: 20
however, she's one of the more experienced pros working her
slice of turf. Her face is young — and her makeup exaggerates her make it into the more profitable "out-call" market. Unfortu-
apparent youth — but she's got the eyes of a woman twice her age. nately, she doesn't have the class and panache that most corporate
They're eyes that have seen it all . .. and that would gladly forget "clients" require. You could take Grace off the street, but you
much of it. couldn't take the street out of Grace .. .
Grace has managed to keep her looks and her body. She's not
a heavy drug user (although she recognizes that "taking the edge
Quotes
off" is sometimes a requirement for survival), and she eats as
well as she can. "It's only business. It's all only business."
"Ask me some questions? Sure, slick . . . but the meter's run-
She's not an independent; nobody who's worked the street for
ning."
four years could have avoided notice by the "operators" and
"What .. . you a cop?"
"line managers" who have turned the trade into a real business.
She's been lucky enough to fall in with the Dream Girl combine,
however, a Japanese-style outfit which recognizes that violence Adventure Seeds
and abuse — inappropriately applied — are counterproductive. ♦ Amazing Grace has heard too much. Sure, she has no plans to
(When appropriately applied, however, the combine knows they act on what she's heard .. . but the guy who let it slip can't be
can work wonders . . .) sure of that. Gracey needs help, and she needs it now . . .
Grace has a good ear for "pillow talk." Sometimes her clients ♦ There's a killer on the streets, someone the screamsheets are
want to talk afterwards (or instead of . . .), and she remembers calling NewJack. Like the original Jack the Ripper, his victiins
most of what she hears. She's smart enough to keep what she are all working girls. The Dream Girl combine made efforts to
learns to herself, however. protect their "assets," but the hard men they hired got chewed
Grace dreams of getting off the street, but not out of the trade up, and didn't even see who did it. Now Grace and her col-
— that's too much to hope for. Her idea of heaven would be to leagues are trying to arrange their own protection ...
SALESPERSON
ST: 10 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 85

Advantages
Appearance (Attractive); Charisma +3; Wealth (Comfortable).

Disadvantages
Honesty; Phobia (Minor; going to jail).

Quirks
Enjoys new age music; Tries to be as honest as she can when
dealing with a customer.

Skills
Accounting-9; Acting-14; Computer Operation-13; Criminol-
ogy-10; Detect Lies-15; Diplomacy-14; Economics-10; Fast-Talk-
14; Merchant-14; Performance-11; Psychology-10.

Cyberwear
Chip Slot with a Merchant (8) Skill Chip.

Conversions
Fantasy — Julia could be a traveling merchant. Replace Ac-
counting, Computer Operation and Criminology with Packing-
12, Riding-11 and Teamster-12. Remove cyberwear.
Contemporary — People probably wouldn't buy the options on
an L5 colony just yet, but there are plenty of other profitable
scams out there. Remove cyberwear. No other changes.
Space — No changes. Julia Breed Age: 43
Story if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Julia just can't fit jail
Julia Breed can sell anything to anybody. It happens to be into her busy schedule.
cybernetics right now, but she's put in time selling everything:
cars, insurance, real estate . . . and dreams. This last item is the Quotes
one she's least proud of.
"Well, the Mark IV has the improved data paths. I'm sure it
Nearly 20 years ago, Julia and a partner were operating a scam will work well with your current equipment."
where they sold options to buy accommodation in an L5 colony
"Look, I just don't want to do it, and I don't have to explain
supposedly due to start construction "real soon now." (Of course,
myself to you."
Julia knew it would never be built.) She and her partner targeted
"I understand what you're saying, but let's look at those ob-
the elderly, using the selling point that low-gravity or micrograv-
jections one at a time . . ."
ity environments prolong life — "How'd you like to be enjoying
your retirement at age 125?" They operated successfully for al-
most a year, but finally the government caught up with them, and
Adventure Seeds
they were arrested for fraud. ♦ Julia's ex-partner has just been released from jail for another
The next five years were a nightmare for Julia, an ugly haze of crime. He wants to take up where he left off, with Julia as his
prison life. She was completely unprepared for the horrors of jail, partner, and he won't take no for an answer. Julia turns to the
and resolved that she would never go back. PCs to persuade him to leave her alone.
After her release, Julia returned to the only career she knew - ♦ Julia's job with the cybernetics company is great; the money is
selling. She works for a cybernetic processing company, and it's good and there's no risk. However, she's starting to get suspi-
her job to convince hospitals that her company's products are the cious that some of the directors are involved in something
ones to use. Although this job is nowhere near as lucrative as her illegal and that she'll get dragged down with them as an ac-
L5 scam, she makes more than enough to live comfortably. complice. She asks the PCs to find out exactly what's going on
Those who don't know her well are amazed that Julia refuses so that she can devise a plan of action to get herself out of this
to participate in anything even remotely illegal. But as they say, — even if it means being a whistle-blower.
SHADOW
ST: 11 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.25
DX: 10 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 125

Advantages
Alertness +3; Intuition; Peripheral Vision; Reputation +2 (To
people in "the trade": an expert).

Disadvantages
Cowardice; Overconfidence; Pacifism (Total non-violence).

Quirks
Fascinated with the newest surveillance toys; Loves Chinese
food.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Computer Hacking-15; Computer Opera-
tion-16; Computer Programming-12; Cooking-12; Criminology-
13; Disguise-12; Driving-11; Electronics Operation (Surveil-
lance)-13; Guns (Pistol)-12; Intelligence Analysis-12; Lockpick-
ing- 11; Psychology-10; Shadowing-16; Stealth-13; Tracking-15. John Kines Age: 35
Cyberwear
Implant Cellular Phone. an accomplished netrunner, often hacking into video surveillance
cameras to keep an eye on his prey. John takes several cases on at
Weapons the same time, as he has written programs that will do the grunt
Light Pistol: 2d crushing. surveillance work for him, informing him when a subject is stray-
ing from his normal routines.
Conversions John is a little worried that someone he's shadowing will catch
on and confront him physically. The first and only time it hap-
Fantasy — Replace Computer skills, Electronics and Guns with
pened, he totally froze up, and a nearby police officer had to save
Broadsword-9, Riding-11 and Survival (Forest)-13. Remove the
his life. For protection, John carries a gun, and has even learned
cyberwear.
how to use it. But he fears that if the time comes, he'll be incapa-
Contemporary — Remove cyberwear.
ble of pulling the trigger.
Space — John may have to chase all varieties of creatures, so he
should have an idea of how they try to hide from the law. Add
Xenology-13.
Quotes
"The name's Kines, I met you just last week. Remember? At
Story the athletic club? . . . Tuesday?"
"Tail him in person? You just doubled my fees."
Nicknamed "the Ghost," John Kines looks like a totally aver-
"How far could you get on the cash in your wallet? That's how
age American man — and he hates it. His looks are so plain and
far you can get . . . period. First time you use your credcard, or
nondescript that people rarely remember him from one meeting
withdraw cash from a bank machine, or even use your phone card
to the next. So unmemorable is his face that he can totally change
to hit up a friend for money, I've got you nailed."
his appearance by donning a fake pair of glasses or by altering his
hairstyle. Although his looks make it difficult to pick up women,
they allow him to do his job brilliantly.
Adventure Seeds
Kines works freelance as a shadow. When the police or a ♦ John has never had a job like this one. The person he's follow-
megacorp need someone followed, John's the man they call. His ing is extremely violent, and this scares the hell out of John, so
appearance as a total nonentity allows him to blend perfectly into he hires the PCs to protect him. Of course, the PCs' pathetic
the crowd, following his subject for days at a time. attempts at remaining stealthy are much more likely to give
John is relentless. He has a reputation among his employers as John away.
a bloodhound, never losing sight of his target. He'll go to incred- ♦ The PCs have committed a crime, and somehow the police
ible extremes to make sure his quarry doesn't get away. always seem to find them wherever they hide . . . Either the
Besides actually following someone physically, John has sev- GM is being mean, or the PCs are being tailed. But knowing
eral ways of keeping tabs on someone electronically. His favorite John is there is one thing; finding him is another matter
is to follow the silicon trail left by a credcard. Furthermore, he's entirely.
SKIP TRACER
ST: 11 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Light monocrys armor (PD 2, DR 8); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 60

Advantages
Alertness +1; Contacts (GM's choice); Intuition.

Disadvantages
Dependents (Wife and children); Stubbornness.

Quirks
Always smiling; Dislikes, but doesn't necessarily avoid, vio-
lence.

Skills
Accounting-14; Area Knowledge-13; Computer Hacking-15;
Computer Operation-16; Detect Lies-14; Driving (Car)-12; Eco-
nomics-13; Fast-Talk-11; Guns (Pistol)-13; Photography-13; Re-
search-13; Tracking-12.

Weapon
Light Pistol: 3d crushing.

Conversions Willy Anderson Age: 40

Fantasy — In a fantasy setting, Willy wouldn't have access to
his high-tech gizmos, so he'd have to do it all the hard way.
Although most of his contracts still come from finance compa-
Replace Computer skills, Driving, Guns and Photography with nies, Willy has no aversion to working for anyone, as long as he
Broadsword-13; Cooking-12; Riding-11 and Stealth-14. Add the can pay the per diem. He couldn't care less why a subject is
Literacy advantage. wanted, or what will happen to him once Willy tracks him down.
Contemporary — Replace Guns skill with Brawling-10; equip
Just for appearances, he'll ask for proof of his employer's bona
Willy with brass knuckles. fides, but won't check the authenticity of even the most patently
Space — Replace Guns with Beam Weapons (Blaster)-13. fraudulent identity. His only concern is that, if the police come
after him, he can "prove" he was working for someone he be-
Story lieved to be an authentic finance company.
At first glance, Willy Anderson looks like everyone's favorite
uncle: a rumpled, balding fellow just entering middle age, who Quotes
seems constantly surprised by the vagaries of life. On closer in- "I assure you, officer, I truly thought he worked for a finance
spection, however, one can see a spark of sharp intelligence and
company. I've got his business card here somewhere . ."
a predatory gleam in his eyes . . . "People can run, but they can't hide. It's just a matter of time
In his youth, Willy used to do collection and repo work for before I get a line on them."
various finance companies of dubious legality. Although he takes "The subject has no cash reserves? Good. And he doesn't
the occasional contract in these areas today, he's very careful know he's being traced? Even better."
about what jobs he accepts. (His discretion probably stems from
the difference of opinion he had with a baseball-bat-wielding
"client" four years ago . . .)
Adventure Seeds
These days, Willy works out of his home office. He still tracks ♦ Willy's been hired to track the PCs, and pass their location on
down people who've defaulted on their financial commitments, to a team of street ops for "further processing." Will the PCs'
but now he does it by less-direct means. He's a proven ace at security provisions detect Willy's attempts, before the street
following the "electronic spoor" that few people can avoid leav- ops come to kick down their door?
ing behind them in this data-intensive age. Through various ♦ The PCs need someone traced, and Willy's their man. Unfor-
"unofficial" channels, he can trace credcard transactions, phone tunately he's a tad too busy to take their contract at the mo-
usage, even police records from routine car tag inquiries. Without ment (it seems that one of his recent "subjects" has taken
stepping away from his computer, Willy can usually track some- exception to Willy's scrutiny). If the PCs want to use Willy's
one who's "skipped," and then pass his location on to "collection expertise, they'll have to keep him alive long enough to do the
professionals" (i.e., knee-breakers) for personal attention. job . . .
STREET DOC
ST: 9 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Alertness +1; Empathy.

Disadvantages
Duty (To the sick and injured); Pacifism (Won't kill); Stub-
bornness.

Quirks
Dislikes most "real" hospitals; Won't touch illegal drugs.

Skills
Accounting-13; Administration-14; Area Knowledge-14; Art-
ist-13; Computer Operation-14; Diagnosis-16; Electronics (Bion-
ics)-13; First Aid-16; Mechanic (Bionic s)- 13 ; Physician-16;
Physiology-14; Psychology-14; Surgery-14; Writing- 14.

Conversions
Fantasy — Andrea will be a typical non-magical healer. Re-
place Accounting, Computer Operation, and Surgery with Cook-
ing-12 and Survival (Forest)-12.
Contemporary — No changes.
Space — Andrea would make a fine ship's doctor. Add Free
Fall-13 and Vacc Suit-13.

Story
Andrea Wilson used to work for New York General Hospital's
research division, until she was fired for revealing hospital secrets
— specifically, that illegal drug production was being carried out in
the hospital. After rough treatment from the hospital, she realized
that a whistle-blower would be hard-pressed to find a job in any Andrea Wilson Age: 26
other hospital in the city. Accordingly, she went out on her own.
Andrea decided to try to help the people who really needed it,
so she set up a small clinic in an impoverished part of the city. In Quotes
her clinic, she and her small staff have patched up more gunshot "Yes, we can install your new cyber-eyes. Our fees for that
wounds than she cares to remember. The costs of running such a will be $10,000 — take it or leave it."
clinic are high, so Andrea was forced to set up a money-making "You have important things to do? Okay, smart guy, we can do
side venture ... implant surgery. Instead of going to big hospitals, it your way. I'll give you a shot of penicillin; you come back in a
street samurai and netrunners can get their cyber implants here at week, and I'll take the whole arm off. Or we can do it my way and
a fraction of the cost. you'll probably use that hand again."
Since she set it up, Andrea's clinic has been broken into many "I used to want to save the world. Now I just want to make it
times — usually by drug addicts looking for a fix. Out of necessity, to Friday."
Andrea has been forced to install sophisticated security systems.
At least once a week the lights dim as another would-be burglar Adventure Seeds
gets a severe — but non-lethal — jolt of electricity. ♦ Andrea will perform some cyber implants for free if the PCs
Andrea will never turn away anybody in need, even if he agree to deal with a local gang that's been harassing her and
doesn't have enough money to pay for her services. She sees the clinic.
horrible living conditions every day and does what she can to ♦ Some shady character has come to Andrea, trying to hire her to
ease the suffering of as many people as possible. In only four install some experimental hardware in his head. Andrea won't
years of operation she's received the City of New York Certificate do the surgery until she knows exactly what this is all about,
of Goodwill — an award given out to groups that help the poor and but the would-be patient won't say. She hires the PCs to find
underprivileged — three times. out what's going on.
STREET
SAMURAI
ST: 12 IQ: 11 Speed: 7.25
DX: 15 HT: 14 Move: 7
Dodge: 7
Medium monocrys vest (PD 2, DR 16); light encumbrance.

Point Total: 90

Advantages
Combat Reflexes; High Pain Threshold; Zeroed.

Disadvantages
Berserk; Enemy (Gen-Tech); Secret.

Quirks
Loves to infiltrate megacorps; Very protective of his family.

Skills Marek Miller

Acrobatics-14; Brawling-16; Computer Operation-10; Driv-
Age: 47
ing (Car)-14; Fast-Draw (Gun)-15; First Aid-10; Guns (Pistol)-
17 ; Karate-15; Knife-14; Savoir-Faire (Corp)-12; Stealth-14; but he gets by. His specialty is physical security, leaving the
Streetwise-10. electronic side to others.
When he was officially employed, the corp invested in "per-
Cyberwear sonnel development" — in the form of cyber mods. He was given
Bionic Eyes with Acute Vision, Light Intensification and Tele- state-of-the-art wired reflexes that are still competitive with
scopic Vision; Bionic Reconstruction. newer models. The only problem he's experiencing is with his
implant eyes. Lately they've been prone to ghosting, causing him
Weapons to be a little jumpy, wondering what's real and what's a glitch in
Large Knife: 1d cutting, 1d-1 impaling; Machine Pistol: 2d+2 the system.
impaling. Gen-Tech hasn't forgotten their investment and what they
could stand to lose if Miller ever decides to go public — or, worse
Conversions yet, go to other corporations — with his information. So the hunt
Fantasy — Miller will be an aging warrior. Replace Computer to end Miller's life continues. Already he's killed 12 of Gen-
Operation, Driving (Car), and Guns with Broadsword-15. Tech's assassins and is constantly on guard for more — a sort of
Change Fast-Draw (Gun) to Fast-Draw (Broadsword)-15. Re- justified paranoia.
move cyber implants. What the corp doesn't know is that Miller is a father, and soon
Contemporary — No skill changes. Remove cyber implants. to be a grandfather. He takes the utmost care in visiting his family,
Space — Replace Guns with Beam Weapons-17 and Vacc Suit- knowing all too well how Gen-Tech would react if the corp
11. learned of their existence.

Story Quotes
What does a corp do with an aging street samurai who knows "What the hell was that? Nah, nothing . . ."
too much? In the case of Marek Miller, Gen-Tech tried to termi- "Even paranoids have enemies, cobber."
"I figure Gen-Tech still owes me. I'll stop giving them grief
nate his contract with extreme prejudice. Thanks to his efficient
information network, Miller saw the hit coming and wiped out when I think the ledger's even."
the assassins quite effortlessly. Since the corp had neglected to
give him a separation bonus, Miller figured he'd take his own: Adventure Seeds
sensitive information on the corp's operations that could be very ♦ The nightmare's coming true: Gen-Tech has found out about
valuable later. (He also had a netrunner friend install a nasty logic Miller's family. Now he has to move them somewhere more
bomb in his own Gen-Tech personnel files, but didn't stick secure, and needs the PCs' help in protecting them.
around long enough to see if it was ever triggered.) ♦ Gen-Tech has posted a bounty for Miller's capture. The money
Now Miller works the street, providing or penetrating security is attractive enough for the PCs to try to bag this old man. But
as various jobs demand. The pay isn't as good as his corp salary, the old man still has a few good tricks up his sleeve.
SURVEILLANCE
EXPERT
ST: 10 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 55

Advantages
Acute Hearing +2; Acute Vision +2; Danger Sense.

Disadvantages
Cowardice; Pacifism (Total non-violence).

Quirks
Bugs her own phone; Mild voyeur.

Skills
Area Knowledge-13; Computer Operation-13; Computer Pro-
gramming-11; Criminology-12; Electronics Operation (Surveil-
lance)-15; Gesture-13; Intelligence Analysis-15; Lip Reading-12;
Photography-13.

Conversions Nicole Reynolds Age: 27

Fantasy — Nicole doesn't have the power of technology at her
disposal. Replace Computers, Electronics and Photography with
Shadowing-12 and Tracking-12. freelance work on the side. (Plus she has her "greatest hits" tape.)
Contemporary — No changes. She has accumulated enough gear over the years to handle most
Space — No changes. surveillance jobs without a problem. Also, if she can no longer
work installing surveillance, she knows there's a huge market in
Story helping people defeat it.
In the futuristic cyberpunk world, the cold eye of Big Brother
watches. It's Nicole Reynolds' job to make sure Big Brother can Quotes
see. "By the way, subject A has a heart murmur."
Nicole works as a surveillance expert for a large corporate "The flies always land on the window and screw up the laser.
intelligence firm. Her extensive knowledge of surveillance equip- Okay . . . now I've got their voices back."
ment and techniques ensures that her targets have no idea that "Mmmm . donuts. Did you get coffee, too? This is going to
they're being watched. Just one look inside Nicole's tool box is be a long night"
enough to make anybody doubt his privacy. She has bugs, cam-
eras and other equipment that, once placed, are nearly undetect- Adventure Seeds
able. While you're watching 3V, 3V's watching you. ♦ Nicole has decided to break from the corporation and start her
Nicole is a closet voyeur. She loves to watch the affairs of own surveillance firm. Of course the corp may have other
people who think they're alone. She's been known to put in over ideas, so she hires the PCs to protect her from any potentially
24 hours of surveillance at one go, without a break. Her employ- terminal "restraint of trade." (Quitting a job just isn't what it
ers haven't realized it yet, but Nicole has secretly put together used to be.)
several hours of tape that could earn her a huge amount of money
♦ The PCs receive a tape in the mail that shows them performing
if she ever decided to blackmail the subjects. She's even turned
an extremely covert — and extremely illegal — operation. If
the cameras on her employer now and then (she never knows
their involvement were publicized, they'd go to jail for a very
when she might need an extra little leverage . . .).
long time . . . if they lived long enough to stand trial. A note
Nicole will never get herself in a situation where she might get
attached tells them to pay $100,000 or else certain parties are
hurt. Her fear of violence is nearly crippling, and her refusal to
going to learn of their activities. Can the PCs find their way
work in dangerous situations has occasionally put her job at risk. out of this, or will Nicole collect another contribution to her
Losing her job doesn't worry her too heavily, as she does
retirement fund?
SWAT OFFICER
ST: 10 IQ: 12 Speed: 6.25
DX: 14 HT: 11 Move: 6
Dodge: 6
Heavy Kevlar armor (PD 2, DR 12); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 105

Advantages
Legal Enforcement Powers; Night Vision; Reputation +1 (Or
the street: he's death on two legs).

Disadvantages
Code of Honor (Religious); Duty.

Quirks
Only kills as a last resort; Quiet, doesn't say much; Strong
emotional reaction after killing.

Skills
Area Knowledge-11; Climbing-13; Computer Operation-12
Criminology-10; Diplomacy-11; Guns (Rifle)-20; Interrogation
10; Karate-14; Psychology-9; Stealth-13; Tactics-12.

Cyberwear Mat Tracey Age: 36

Bionic eyes with Acute Vision, Optic Readout, Light Intensi-
fication and Telescopic Vision; Implant Cellular Link.
gious outlook even if they don't agree with it. Even those who
Weapons consider him overly emotional have to admit he's incredibly good
Sniper Rifle: 7d crushing; Barret .50-caliber sniper rifle (Dam- at his job.
age 13d crushing, SS 20, Acc 16, 1/2D 2,200, Max 7,400, Wt. 332, Normally in a hostage situation, an expert hostage negotiator
RoF 2—, Shots 11+1, ST 13, Rcl -4). is brought in. During one incident, however, the negotiator was
delayed, and Tracey took over his job temporarily. The quiet-spo-
Conversions ken sniper turned out to have a real gift for crisis negotiations, and
might in the future leave his sniper rifle behind to train as a
Fantasy — Tracey could be a military sharpshooter, or a sniper
professional negotiator.
in the service of the city guard. Replace Computer Operation,
Tracey's usual weapon is a standard military-issue sniper rifle.
Criminology, Diplomacy, Guns and Karate with Crossbow-15
For longer ranges, however, he prefers an "obsolete" weapon: a
and Knife-12.
1980s-vintage Barret .50-caliber sniper rifle. With its 7-kilometer
Contemporary — Remove the cyberwear; no other changes.
maximum range, it gives the officer incredible stand-off capabil-
Space — Replace Guns with Beam Weapons (Laser)-16.
ity.
Story
Quotes
Trained in the military, Mat Tracey is arguably the best rifle
"Listen, friend, just let the hostages go, and we can all walk
shot ever to serve with the SWAT team. Because of his skill, he's
away from this one."
most often assigned as rifleman, hunkering down on a rooftop
"Good things sometimes get done in mysterious ways."
with his sniper rifle, waiting for a clear shot at the perps. He
"Center head."
hasn't often had to pull the trigger — which suits him just fine,
thank you — but when he has had to, he's never missed.
Tracey is nothing like the "testosterone-driven Rambo" image Adventure Seeds
with which the media like to saddle the SWAT team. (In fact, ♦ The PCs have been hired to abduct someone, and they must
none of Mat's colleagues match that stereotype.) Mat is a man take her alive. Unfortunately for them, the target has also at-
with strong ethical and moral values, and he is deeply religious. It tracted police attention, and the SWAT team is after her as
saddens him that his job is necessary; but he's realistic enough to well. To discharge their contract, the PCs have to snatch the
recognize that it is necessary, and that he's ideally suited to it. He target out of the hands of the SWAT officers . . . without get-
dislikes killing, and will explore all other options before he pulls ting themselves shot as accomplices.
the trigger on his sniper rifle. Sometimes killing is unavoidable, ♦ Gangs have declared open war on the police in the city. To
however, and then Tracey will do it efficiently .. . later crying for protect themselves and fight the war, the police have hired
the man he shot, and praying for his soul. mercenaries. The PCs are put under the command of Officer
Most of Mat's colleagues really like him, and respect his reli- Tracey for a variety of anti-gang operations.
TABLOID
JOURNALIST
ST: 9 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 75

Advantages
Common Sense; Luck.

Disadvantages
Compulsive Lying; Overconfidence.

Quirks
Likes to see how much she can get away with in her stories;
Spends as much time as she can afford on the net.

Skills
Area Knowledge-12; Computer Operation-16; Cooking-12;
Detect Lies-13; Fast-Talk-14; History-11; Literature-10; Psy-
chology-10; Research-15; Writing-15.
Emily Chen Age: 28
Languages
English-14; Chinese-14.
net," "Alien meets with the new president," and of course,
Conversions "Haunted Cyberwear — is anyone safe?"
Fantasy — Emily could conceivably be a scribe hired by a sage Emily derives a perverse pleasure from watching her fake
or ruler to research wondrous events in distant lands. (Obviously, news stories propagate through the net. As they're copied and
her employer doesn't know her penchant for "imaginative" re- re-copied, the original purpose — as entertainment — is lost, and
porting . . .) Replace Computer Operation and Psychology with people actually begin to believe her writings. Time after time it
Calligraphy-14, Occultism-13 and Riding-10. Add the Literacy just goes to prove that there are some pretty gullible people out
advantage. there — none of whom Emily ever wants to meet.
Contemporary — No changes.
Space — What's a tabloid reporter to do when all of her alien Quotes
stories are true? No changes. "You talk to mice . . . Do you? Do you mind if I interview you
for a story?"
Story "The way I see it, what's the difference between the truth and
In the shady world of tabloid journalism, Emily Chen is a total my truth?
unknown. This is because she operates under an assumed name - "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of
The Specter. Emily prefers the privacy of an alias, and uses this to the people."
her advantage when researching — or inventing — a story.
Emily has an interesting investigative style. She covers most Adventure Seeds
of the more bizarre net mail forums, and when she sees something • One of Emily's stories was close to the truth — too close for the
that could spark a story she begins her research. She may spend corporation she claimed was performing illegal experiments.
many days uncovering the finer points of a story. Then, once she's Now she's on the run from their hit men, and needs the PCs'
compiled her findings (to give the story its required authenticity), help to stay alive. It'll definitely make their job more difficult
she makes the rest up. This is the part she likes the best. In no way when they realize she's taking big chances to research a new
is she tied down to troublesome details like facts, witnesses, etc. story.
Although she has the skills to become an extremely famous • As an interesting comic relief adventure, the PCs can join
"legitimate" reporter, she finds the job constricting. She prefers Emily on one of her research missions, such as determining if
the adventure that goes with working for the tabloid papers. Some the Arabian Nuns are actually planning to take the dog breed-
of her favorite stories are: "Elvis' brain is alive and well — in the ing world by storm.
TECHNICIAN
ST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.75
DX: 13 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Light monocrys armor (PD 2, DR 8); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 150

Advantages
Eidetic Memory 1; Intuition; Reputation +2 (To underworld:
great security expert).

Disadvantage
Odious Personal Habit (Talks in incomprehensible words).

Quirks
Always thinking up entrepreneurial ventures; Has little pa-
tience with people who can't keep up with him.

Skills
Computer Hacking-14; Computer Operation-17; Computer
Programming-15; Cyberdeck Operation-15; Economics- 14;
Electronics (Security)-16; Electronics Operation (Security)-17;
Lockpicking-14; Mathematics-14; Guns (Needler)-16; Physics-
15; Traps-16.

Weapons
Needler: 1d+2 impaling.
Derek Choamer Age: 25
Conversions
Fantasy — Derek would invent special locks for merchants.
out the underside of his house as a coffin motel. So far not a single
Replace all skills except Lockpicking and Traps with Blacksmith-
idea has paid off, but that doesn't stop him from trying. Derek
13, Cooking-14, Merchant-15 and Metallurgy-14.
lacks the patience necessary to actually follow a good idea to
Contemporary — Replace Needler with Guns (Pistol)-14.
fruition.
Space — Replace Needler with Beam Weapons (Blaster)-14.

Story Quotes
"Take a hydro-spanner, remove the pulsoid reactor coupling
Derek Choamer is an entrepreneur. His original career was as
and reduce the internal sub-spin flow to expected norms. Are you
a technician for a large corporation, but since he quit, he's been
following this?"
searching for the American dream in some of the most bizarre
"Wow, I have a great idea that'll make plenty of money, but
ways.
first I need some packing foam, droxide tape and a little polycarb-
After graduating from technical school, Derek was picked up
ide resin."
by Meganon Industries as a security systems technician. His job
"I'm a technician with a mission."
was to make sure the extremely complex security systems were in
working order. Derek did that, and a little extra. He felt it was in
his job description to improve the systems any way he could. Adventure Seeds
Some of Derek's nastier systems sent a few people who attempted ♦ The PCs need an electronic security expert to help them pene-
infiltration to the hospital. He left it up to the corp lawyers to trate a corporation. Word on the street is that Derek's the man
prove that only reasonable force was used. for the job. Without a doubt, Derek is the best, but working
Derek is a little hard to get along with. He fills every sentence with him is more than a little taxing.
with so much techno-babble that an M.S. is required to under- ♦ All Derek needs to build his newest device is a little pluto-
stand him. Many of his words aren't even real; he just makes nium. A friend of his working in a reactor has helped some "go
them up when it seems appropriate to seem more educated. missing," but there's no way he can actually carry it out of the
A couple of years ago, Derek quit the corporation and went off plant. Derek needs the PCs to retrieve it for him, and tells them
on his own. He fills his time designing unconventional security that they don't need to worry about the security — he's got that
systeins, or devising ways of breaking them. Derek has gained a part covered. If the PCs take the job, they'll find that Derek
fairly widespread reputation in the security industry. At any one has suppressed the security systems, and that it's an easy job.
time, Derek also has several get-rich-quick schemes on the go: But that leaves one question — what does Derek want with two
from marketing a process to recycle spent ammunition, to renting kilos of plutonium, anyway?
TV PRODUCER
ST: 9 IQ: 13 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 110

Advantages
Patron (The government); Reputation +2 (To people in the
industry: the hottest producer around); Status 2; Wealth
(Wealthy).

Disadvantages
Bad Temper; Duty (To the government); Secret (Airing subli-
minal propaganda).

Quirks
Loves attention; Paints in his spare time; Thrives on stress.

Skills
Administration-13; Area Knowledge-12; Artist-12; Computer
Operation-14; Diplomacy-12; Electronics Operation (Video
Equipment)- 13; Leadership-13; Photography-12; Politics-12;
Psychology-13; Savoir-Faire (Corporate)-14; Sex Appeal-11;
Video Production-16; Writing-11.

Conversions
Fantasy — No conversion.
Contemporary — No changes.
Space — No changes.

Story
Richard Johnson loves attention; in fact, he thrives on it. As
the executive producer for Channel 26, he's made sure there's no
shortage. Richard Johnson Age: 27
At 27, Richard is by far the youngest producer in any of the
major networks. His unorthodox methods as a production assis-
consider it. Of course, telling the government to "go away" isn't
tant should have gotten him fired, but the owner of the station
one of the safest activities Richard could be engaging in.
noticed his potential, and promoted him to producer and then to
executive producer. Under Richard's command the station is con-
sistently in the top three, a tribute to the owner's wise choice. Quotes
Richard is a total rock. He makes incredibly difficult decisions "Okay, Miss Jones, send in the next group. And this time,
under pressure with no hesitation. He has yet to suffer from the please screen them a little better. We don't need another stupid
mental breakdowns that plague his colleagues. To appease his sitcom based on a street gang . . ."
desire for attention, he's hired people specifically for their ability "If you care about your job, you're going to stop asking so
make him feel even more important. many questions about these commercials and get back to work."
His ambition is without conscience, and this attracted the at- "Ah, jeez, this is great. Am I good or what?"
tention of the government. They were looking for a station to air
a set of "enlightening" commercials and programs. These pro- Adventure Seeds
ductions ranged from subliminal messages to outright propa- ♦ The PCs are a news team investigating possible conflict-of-in-
ganda, but Richard didn't care one bit. For the kind of money they terest charges against Richard. He wants to get out of this
offered the station — and to him personally — he just couldn't pass situation entirely, and tries to bribe the PCs to make it look as
the offer up. though he was coerced into it. Will they help him, or will he
Although it doesn't show, four years in the business are start- find himself on his way to jail?
ing to have an effect on him. He has more money than he could ♦ Friends and relatives of the PCs have started acting strangely.
possibly know what to do with, and it doesn't seem enough. His The PCs trace the reason to subliminal messages being aired
production assistant has been suggesting that the station restore a on Channel 26. Can they expose this conspiracy . . . not an
bit of its former unbiased opinions, and Richard is beginning to easy task since the government is the major player?
VIDEO
REPORTER
ST: 11 IQ: 13 Speed: 5
DX: 10 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Light monocrys vest (PD 2, DR 8); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 65

Advantages
Luck; Reputation +4 (To the public: famous journalist);
Wealth (Comfortable).

Disadvantages
Intolerance (Drunk drivers); On the Edge; Reputation -2 (To
his colleagues: suicidal idiot); Secret (Killed his brother in a
drunk-driving accident).

Quirks
Always carries a pocket video camera; Straps video cam to his
helmet when he rides his bike. Cliff DeMunn Age: 26
Skills car at high speed. He was thrown clear of the crash, but his
Computer Operation-13; Detect Lies-11; Diplomacy-12; Elec- younger brother burned to death in the wrecked car. From that
tronics Operation (Video)-14; Fast-Talk-12; Motorcycle-12; Pho- day on, Cliff's been living on the edge, taking ever greater risks.
tography-15; Research-11; Video Production-13; Writing-12. He justifies his behavior by claiming he's an adrenalin junkie,
living for the rush. In fact, he's courting death, and won't be
Languages totally satisfied until he finds it. The only clue to the trauma he
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 12. suffered is his outraged hatred of drunk drivers. (One of his prize-
winning reports, filmed with a minicam strapped to his helmet,
Conversions records his late-night, high-speed motorbike pursuit of a drunk
Fantasy — No conversion. driver through the streets of the city.)
Contemporary — When it comes to sensationalistic news re-
portage, there's little difference between today and 30 years down Quotes
the road. No changes. "I'll get the shots — trust me."
Space — No changes. "Come on . . . just a little bit closer . ."
"So that's your homemade nuclear device over there, huh?
Story Okay, what were your demands again?"
Cliff DeMunn has a death wish — that's what all his colleagues
in the newsroom, and his superiors at the network, believe. But Adventure Seeds
he's one of the best ENG (Electronic News Gathering) camera- ♦ Cliff's habit of filming anything and everything has finally
man-reporters who's ever lived. They've lost track of how many gotten him into trouble. His minicam has picked up some
awards he's won, for stories like his face-to-face interview with evidence incriminating a major corporation in a serious crime
the nuclear terrorist who called himself Doombird. . although Cliff's not aware of it. Now the corp enforcers are
DeMunn seems totally fearless. In the tradition of the battle- coming after him to retrieve the memory chip. DeMunn real-
field journalists reporting from the front lines of Vietnam, Ku- izes that someone's after him, but doesn't know who or why.
wait/Iraq and Costa Rica, he's willing to risk his life to get the The PCs can get involved on either side; perhaps they're the
story. Whether it involves walking into a firefight or following people Cliff turned to for help, or perhaps they're the street ops
the SWAT team into a crack house, DeMunn will go for it. hired by the corp.
In fact, although his colleagues don't know it — and he won't ♦ The PCs are on a mission, and need a visual record of what
admit it even to himself — Cliff DeMunn does have a death wish.
goes down (perhaps to prove to their employers they actually
It relates to a secret he's been hiding for a decade or so. As
succeeded). They hire or persuade DeMunn to go with them.
teenagers, he and his younger brother boosted a car and went out
The mission is dangerous enough, without having to worry
for a joyride. They'd been drinking, and Cliff lost control of the
about Cliff's suicidal showboating getting them all killed . . .
SPACE
ARMS DEALER
ST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 5
DX: 11 HT: 9 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Light monocrys vest (PD 2, DR 8); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 60

Advantages
Contacts (Two of the GM's choice); Empathy; Reputation +1
(To military people, all the time: sells only the best); Wealth
(Wealthy).

Disadvantages
Addiction (IQ Adders); Enemy (GM's choice).

Quirks
Never mixes politics and business; No biases or prejudices -
she'll sell to anyone; Very careful about weapon and range safety.

Skills
Accounting-12; Administration-13; Armoury-14; Beam Marietta Vedderling Age: 48
Weapons (Laser)-12; Computer Operation-13; Detect Lies-16;
Diplomacy-12; Economics-13; Guns (Needler)-13; Guns (Rifle)-
12; Merchant-14; Physics-12. etta came into the business from an unusual direction: the re-
search side. For 20 years she worked in the research division of
Cyberwear Mars Armaments, Inc., one of the largest defense contractors in
Two Chip Slots with an Amp Chip and a Math Chip. this spiral arm. After learning everything she could about weap-
ons technology, she left Mars and worked as a marketing consul-
Weapons tant for a drive manufacturer, learning all she needed about the
Needier Pistol: 1d+2. marketing and economic side of business. Only then did she set
up her own organization, selling arms to anyone who wanted
them. At first she handled Mars products almost exclusively -
Conversions
although there was no official link, it's obvious that the Mars
Fantasy — Replace Computer Operation, Guns (Needier) and execs knew of, and tacitly approved of, her venture — but eventu-
Physics with Shortsword-12 and Riding-11. ally she branched out.
Contemporary — Replace (Guns) Needier with Guns (Pistol)- Now, the aging Marietta is the premiere arins dealer in the
13. Remove the cyberwear. sector. Although she knows how all the weapons she sells func-
Near Future — No changes. tion, and can demonstrate them, she has little interest in them
other than as sources of revenue.
Story
Marietta Vedderling has brought a fresh degree of profession- Quotes
alism to the arms trade. Before she came on the scene, only the "If you need End User Certificates for the weapons, I can
biggest purchasers — the people trying to equip an entire army, for supply those too. There will be a surcharge, of course . ."
example — could expect to deal with the real pros. Everybody else "If you can buy it, it's obsolete. That's the technology curve
had to deal with the fly-by-nights — companies that probably for you."
doubled as pirates and merc squads, and would be as likely to "Don't bother justifying yourself. I don't care what you use it
blow up their customers after the credit was transferred as to for."
actually deliver the goods.
Not so with Vedderling Enterprises Corporation. Under the
Adventure Seeds
direction of Marietta, VEC will handle virtually any order — from
a "special expediter" who needs a dozen gyroc carbines, to a ♦ The PCs need restricted weapons, but can't afford to buy them
tin-pot dictator who needs to equip his Praetorian guard from the outright. Marietta is suffering from the "guerrilla marketing"
ground up. Although prices frequently vary — even an arms dealer efforts of a competitor, and is willing to deal: if the PCs obliter-
enjoys economy of scale, and hence can offer bulk discounts — the ate the upstart, she'll give them what they need.
level of professionalism remains very high. No client of Vedderl- ♦ Marietta is supplying weapons to both sides of a war that
ing Enterprises Corporation has come away disappointed. involves the PCs. Their job, should they decide to accept it, is
Marietta herself is an anomaly in the arms business. Most of to cut off the flow of arms to their enemy. Of course, Marietta
the other big dealers were once military officers or mercs. Mari- won't react well to losing half of the business she's getting
from the conflict . . .
ASTROGATOR
ST: 9 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 65

Advantages
Lightning Calculator; Mathematical Ability.

Disadvantages
Bad Temper; Intolerance (Non-technical people, "ig-
noramuses").

Quirks
An academic dilettante; Brags about the near-perfection of his
astrogation; Loves trivia.

Skills Preston Wong Age: 21

Astrogation-17; Astronomy-15; Botany-11; Chemistry-11;
Computer Operation-18; Computer Programining-17; Electron-
ics Operation (Sensor)-13; History-12; Mathematics-17; Physics- rank by storming Gaffing bunkers" (an example of one of Wong's
13; Xenology-11. less-enlightened opinions).
Space is a lethal environment where knowledge and training
Languages make the difference between success and catastrophe — so be-
Any two relevant to the campaign, at level 12. lieves Wong. Thus it really ticks him off to see all the intuitive
pilots, the people flying by the seat of their pants and otherwise
Conversions muddling through, and all those other know-nothings doing okay
Fantasy — Preston would be a ship's navigator, the only man for themselves. He considers their successes as personal affronts
to his competence, and would gladly dispatch them all into the
who can get the PCs' ship across the great ocean. Replace As-
nearest black hole to make space "safe" for professionals like
trogation, Computer Operation, Computer Programming, Elec-
himself. Since all too many merchant ships, scoutships, colony
tronics and Xenology with Navigation-16 and Seamanship-14.
Contemporary — He's still a navigator. Replace Astrogation, ships and other non-military vessels are crewed by such "non-
professionals," Wong has to bite back on the more outrageous of
Computer Operation and Xenology with Navigation-16 and
his views if he wants to get a "ride" with anyone.
Driving (Car)-11.
Near Future — Same as above.
Quotes
Story "Mid-course corrections are for wimps . . ."
"We were just under 1,000 meters off target at break-out. Not
Preston Wong isn't a likeable man. For one thing, he's a little
bad over a run of 23 parsecs, huh?"
too good at his job for someone barely out of his teens: Most
"Well, actually, the first ship to enter the Horsehead Nebula
astrogators take decades to hone their skills — which seem to
wasn't the Skydiver, it was the Jove 7 out of New Boston . ."
combine science with some kind of intuitive art — to the level
Wong enjoyed before he'd even left the Academy. For another,
he's just too damn proud of that level of skill, and too outspoken Adventure Seeds
about it. He's lacking in those social skills that a spacer needs to ♦ The PCs need a good astrogator for a particularly challenging
become an accepted member of a ship's crew . . . and then, when mission, and the best in the region is Preston Wong. Unfortu-
he senses he's being ostracized, he claims all the other crew mem- nately, the irritating bugger has alienated the wrong people,
bers are jealous of his intelligence and education. and is in serious trouble. If the PCs want to hire him for their
Granted, Preston is very intelligent. He knows everything crew, they're going to have to keep him alive. To make things
there is to know about astrogation, and a smattering about virtu- even worse, Wong doesn't realize how much trouble he's in,
ally every other subject in existence. Sometimes this wide-rang- and won't take kindly to "unprofessional buffoons" like the
ing knowledge base comes in very handy; most of the time, PCs meddling in his affairs . . .
however, it just turns Wong into a pedant. ♦ A jump has gone very wrong, and the PCs' ship is so far off
Wong got into space travel the "right" way: he earned a com- course it's impossible to determine its position (in another arm
bined master's degree in mathematics and astronomy, then stud- of the galaxy? in another galaxy? or outside the known uni-
ied astrogation at the academy. He considered joining the verse entirely?). Obviously, to get home the crew must under-
Imperial Navy, but then discarded the idea because he imagined stand exactly what happened. But Preston Wong is too busy
his superiors would all be "jugheaded warriors who earned their claiming that it's just not his fault to cooperate.
BAT TLESUIT
SOLDIER
ST: 10 (20) IQ: 11 Speed: 6
DX: 14 HT: 10 Move: 6
Dodge: 6
Powered Combat Armor (PD 6, DR 100); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 85

Advantages
Alertness +2; Intuition.

Disadvantages
Cowardice (When not in armor); Duty (To superiors).

Quirks
Makes snide remarks about heavy battlesuiters; Paints various
slogans on her armor.

Skills
Battlesuit-14; Beam Weapons (Laser Rifle)-16; Computer Op-
eration-11; Demolition-11; Electronics Operation (Battlesuit)-10; Kelly Fields Age: 24
Free Fall-14; Gunner (Gatling Laser)-15; Running-9; Tactics-10;
Vacc Suit-10.
Kelly doesn't mind that she only wears powered coinbat
Weapons armor, and not a full battlesuit. In fact, she prefers it this way. She
Gatling Laser: 20d impaling. considers her more heavily-armed and -armored brothers lumber-
ing beasts. She knows who really gets the glory.
Conversions Kelly would prefer to stay near her suit at all times — just in
Fantasy — The closest equivalent would be a knight with en- case. The chief battlesuit mechanic has complained to the ser-
chanted armor. Replace all skills except Jumping, Running, and geant that Fields never leaves him alone. He's learned to accept
Tactics with Broadsword-15, Heraldry-10, Lance-14, Riding-13, the fact that when he works on her gear, she's going to be there to
Shield-15, and Two-Handed Sword-14. "help" him and to make sure he doesn't make any mistakes.
Contemporary — No conversion.
Near Future — If there are battlesuits or even powered exo- Quotes
armor in the campaign, then Kelly could exist. No changes. "They're 200 yards straight ahead, they're not going to even
see us coming."
Story "I've done the real work. Now you can send in the jarheads to
Kelly Fields feels the most free when she's encased in 100 mop up."
pounds of metal and biphase carbide. In her powered combat "No, I'm just watching. You'll probably need a torque wrench
armor, Kelly can perform inhuman feats of strength, survive in for that."
some of the most inhospitable environments the galaxy has to
offer, and survive damage that should have killed her ten times Adventure Seeds
over. • Kelly has gone AWOL, and taken her suit with her. Now no-
Kelly is a scout in the Imperial Marines. Often she and her unit body has to tell her when and where to take off her armor -
are brought in to provide heavy support for conventional troops. except, of course, the PCs who've been hired to bring her
Although her role is merely that of a scout, she carries a Gatling back, and to keep the suit in one piece while doing it.
laser as a hand weapon, and can reduce a tank to slag in seconds. • Battlesuits are identified by transponders and other IFF gear.
With all of this power, it's no surprise that Kelly is terrified, It's almost impossible to tell who's actually inside the suit.
and feels totally vulnerable, when she removes her suit. Exposure That's the rationale behind the PCs' mission, at least — pene-
to hard vacuum or being shot with a handgun are small inconve- trate an enemy military base, "replace" a suit soldier (perhaps
niences when she's suited up, but are deadly when she's outside the scout . . .), and sow confusion in the armored infantry's
her servo-powered womb. When she's "unsuited," even the most ranks. Of course, that requires the PCs to deal with the legiti-
insignificant things can kill her, and this scares her profoundly. mate occupant of the suit . . .
BELTER
ST: 9 IQ: 11 Speed: 5.75
DX: 12 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 60

Advantages
Alertness +2; Toughness 1.

Disadvantages
Honesty; Impulsiveness.

Quirks
Tactlessly critical of others; Gives heartfelt apologies which
usually make things worse; Mild risk-taker.

Skills
Astrogation-11; Computer Operation-11; Demolition-11; Free
Fall-11; Geology-11; Mechanic (Belt ship)-10; Metallurgy-12;
Piloting (Belt ship)-11; Prospecting-15; Vacc Suit-10.

Conversions
Fantasy — The nearest equivalent is a solitary miner or pros-
pector. Replace all skills except Geology and Metallurgy with
Blacksmith-10, Cooking-9, Gambling-10, Prospecting-11 and
Survival (Forest)-9.
Contemporary — Same as above, but add Driving (Car)-12.
Near Future — Depending on how near a future, Jasinder could
exist as a belter; make no changes. Otherwise use the Contempo-
rary paradigm above.
Jasinder Pradip Age: 34
Story
Many people call the Asteroid Belt the final frontier. Certainly
it's a tough, rugged environment, but there's a fortune to be made Unlike certain other painfully tactless people, Jasinder doesn't
by people who have what it takes. What it usually takes is the justify her actions as "telling it like it is." She'd like to tell it as it
emotional fortitude to gamble everything on one throw of the
isn't for once, if that would give her a chance of having some real
dice, the determination to get the job done and the willingness to friendships and other interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately,
operate entirely alone for long periods of time. that's just not in her make-up. This realization was one of the
Jasinder Pradip has what it takes. She's a hell of a prospector, major factors in her decision to become a belter. At least this way
she's obsessive about seeing something through once she's com- she can do something she enjoys, and that she finds challenging,
mitted to it, and she seems to relish a big gamble. If given her own without running quite so big a risk of getting lynched . . .
way, however, she wouldn't choose the solitary lifestyle of a
belter; she's simply too gregarious. She's also a realist, however, Quotes
and that's why she works the Belt. "I know you told me yer wife was ugly, Sammy, but jeez . . ."
For some reason, Jasinder never quite got the hang of those "What junkyard you buy that rust-bucket at?"
social "lubricants" — tact, politeness, discretion and little white "Hey, hey, sorry. Gawd, but you're oversensitive . ."
lies. Intellectually, she understands how important they are, and
she wishes she could incorporate them into her own behavior. But Adventure Seeds
in practice, that's proven impossible. She's simply too impulsive; ♦ Jasinder Pradip has, over the years, systematically alienated
when a thought enters her mind, it's out her mouth before her everyone who monitors the airwaves for distress calls. Now
brain's "censors" and "editors" can couch it in more acceptable she's in real trouble, and nobody's willing to lift a finger to
terms, or suppress it completely. help the blunt, irritating belter. Fortunately for her, the PCs -
It's not that she tries to insult or hurt people. She's merely new to the Belt — have picked up her signal as well.
telling the truth, as she sees it. If she thinks a new acquaintance is ♦ A claim jumper has taken over Jasinder's claim, assuming that
ugly, or mistaken about something, Jasinder will tell him - she's so widely disliked nobody will take her side. Jasinder
bluntly, and straight to the point. Only after she's said it will she fears he's correct, and stakes all her hopes on a group of new-
realize she probably could have phrased it a touch better . . . comers to the Belt — the PCs.
BOUNTY HUNTER
ST: 11 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
Reflec over Medium monocrys armor (PD 4, DR 6 vs. lasers,
PD 0, DR 16 vs. crushing); no encumbrance.

Point Total: 70

Advantages
Intuition; Reputation +2 (To prospective clients: he always
gets his man).

Disadvantages
Age (52); Pacifism (Self-defense only); Sense of Duty (To
employers).

Quirks
Always maintains strict personal security; Professional de-
meanor; Reacts badly to being called a hired gun.

Skills
Astrogation-13; Beam Weapons (Blaster)-14; Brawling-13;
Carousing-10; Computer Operation-12; Detect Lies-12; Diplo- Lucasz Kawecki Age: 52
macy-10; Fast-Talk-13; Free Fall-11; Gunner (Ship's weapons)-
12; Interrogation-12; Karate-11; Piloting (Small spacecraft)-12;
Shadowing-12; Stealth-12; Tracking-15; Vacc Suit-11. — in self defense only, of course — but he doesn't count them as
successes, and mourns the people who forced him to gun them
Weapons down.
Blaster: 6d impaling. Lucasz is aging, and starting to slow down. But what he's
losing in physical prowess he's more than making up for in expe-
Conversions rience, and downright cunning. He knows hundreds of ways of
tracing a subject and is an absolute artist at improvising non-le-
Fantasy — Replace Astrogation, Beam Weapons, Computer
thal take-downs.
Operation, Free Fall, Gunner, Piloting and Vacc Suit with Area
Kawecki is big and heavy-set. A friend of his — an aficionado
Knowledge-13, Broadsword-14 and Survival (Forest)-13.
of ancient (pre-Atomic) literature — decided that Lucasz resem-
Contemporary — Same as above, but replace Broadsword with
bled Hemingway, and nicknamed him "Papa." The nickname has
Guns (Pistol)-14 and Driving (Car)-12.
stuck, and the name of "Papa" Kawecki is well-known through-
Near Future — Same as above.
out many social circles in this part of the galaxy.
Story
Quotes
Lucasz Kawecki is a bounty hunter — not an assassin, not a
"Drop the laser, Slade. It's over."
hired gun, and don't tell him otherwise. His job is to track down
"No. Not dead or alive. Alive, that's the way I do it."
fugitives from justice and bring them back — alive and (relatively)
"You want to be a bounty hunter, kid? Well, watch, and maybe
unharmed — to the jurisdiction they ran from. He's taken contracts
you'll learn something."
from official law enforcement agencies, from multistellar
megacorps, and even from individuals. In the latter two cases, he
always makes sure — or as sure as he can be — that his subject
Adventure Seeds
won't be murdered once he's turned him over. While, strictly ♦ Papa took the wrong contract, and now he's in deep trouble.
speaking, whatever happens to his "subject" once Lucasz has His erstwhile employers have put him "out of sanction," and
made delivery isn't his concern, his moral code is such that he have hired some up-and-coming bounty hunters to bring him
considers bringing a person back to certain death is no better than in. Normally, the battle of youth and vigor versus age and low
killing the subject himself. (The only exception to this — and it's cunning would go to Lucasz; but this time he's vastly out-
an important one to Kawecki — is in the case of fugitives under numbered, and his foe has resources he can only guess at. The
official, legal death sentence. As long as the death sentence was PCs can be on either side: the bounty hunters sent out to bring
pronounced by whatever justice system has jurisdiction, Kawecki down the old master, or the friends that Papa turns to for help.
will take the contract without a second thought.) ♦ Due to some screwed-up communications, Kawecki is con-
Kawecki has been doing this for nearly 35 years now. He's vinced that one of the PCs is his current subject. Can the
taken more than 100 contracts, and his success rate is well over character keep out of Papa's clutches long enough to convince
75% — an astounding record. He's had to kill about 10 "subjects" him he's after the wrong man?
CAB DRIVER
ST: 9 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.75
DX: 13 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 75

Advantages
Appearance (Attractive); Contacts (Any two relevant to the
adventure).

Disadvantages
Honesty; Odious Personal Habit (Talks too much); Stubborn-
ness.

Quirks
Drives too fast; Eats junk food almost exclusively; Needs to
know everything about her passengers.

Skills
Area Knowledge-17; Bard-11; Beam Weapons (Laser)-14;
Computer Operation-12; Computer Programming-12; Diplo- Elisa Viscon Age: 29
macy-11; Driving (Hover)-15; Electronics (Vehicular)-12; Fast-
Talk-15; Knife-14; Streetwise-10; Survival (Urban)-10;
Writing-10. detailed description of every place in town worth visiting.
Customers are usually too busy listening to Elisa's constant ban-
Languages ter to make use of her conveniences, however.
Any two relevant to the adventure, at level 10. Elisa never stops moving. When she's not driving she has to do
something — anything. She keeps a detailed journal: of everything
Weapons she does, all of her passengers and details about them, interesting
Laser: 1d impaling; Large Knife: 1d-3 cutting, 1d-2 impaling. things she hears, etc.
The owner of Startown, a local club, has realized that Elisa is
Conversions good advertising. He pays her a cut for every customer she per-
Fantasy — Elisa drives a horse-drawn carriage. Replace Beam suades to spend an evening at his club.
Weapons, Computer Operation, Driving and Electronics with Ri-
ding-14. Quotes
Contemporary — Elisa's a typical inner-city taxi driver. Re- "Over there's Fat Johnny's Space-Pizza Parlor. Hey, how
move Beam Weapons and Electronics. come so many pizza places have the name John in them? I mean
Near Future — Same as above. there's Big John's Pizza and Crazy John's Pizza Palace. Hey,
don't forget Johnny's Pizza Feast. I sure do wonder why that is. I
Story mean sometimes you might be in the mood for pizza but to al-
ways . . . mpffph. Hey, no need to be rude — I was just being
Since personal vehicles are prohibited on Regula 3, the only
friendly."
way to get to some of the more "interesting" parts of town is by
hovertaxi. "No, you don't really want to go to Visual Matrix, the drinks
Elisa Viscon operates her own taxi, and for travelers lucky are 'way too expensive. I'm taking you somewhere else — it's a
surprise."
enough to be picked up by her, it's a ride they won't soon forget.
From the instant a passenger gets in to the time he leaves, Elisa
doesn't stop asking questions and giving advice. She absolutely Adventure Seeds
has to know where they come from, where they're going, who ♦ Elisa picked up a man in front of a bank. When she later heard
they know here, what alien race they are, what they do, etc. that he'd robbed it, she went straight to the police. Now the
Surprisingly, only twice has she had a gun stuffed in her mouth PCs are hired to protect her until she's able to testify in court.
and told to "shut up and drive." People willing to put up with It sounds like an easy job to the PCs, until they realize who
Elisa's over-enthusiastic prattle can learn a lot. She knows abso- they've been hired to protect.
lutely everybody who's anybody in town, and she gives out infor- ♦ The PCs flag down Elisa's cab for a ride to their favorite bar.
mation freely (packed in among plenty of useless garbage). When they realize she's taking them in the wrong direction,
For the added comfort of her guests, Elisa has made several they'll probably assume malign intent on her part, and possi-
modifications to her taxi. She's installed a holo-viewer, a vid- bly overreact. Of course, Elisa's just taking them to Startown,
phone and a computer that she's personally programmed with a from which she receives a kickback.
CUSTOMS
OFFICER
ST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 65

Advantages
Empathy; Intuition; Strong Will +2.

Disadvantages
Duty (To superiors); Honesty; Sense of Duty (To his planet).

Quirks
Cold and aloof; Cynical; Never gives anyone the benefit of the Renard Vincenzo Age: 29
doubt.

Skills Like all customs officers, Vincenzo receives rotating assign-

Computer Operation-13; Detect Lies-16; Electronics Opera- ments. Sometimes he works the public spaceports, interviewing
tion (Security)-13; History-12; Law-13; Literature-12; Psychol- individual visitors and immigrants to his world. Other times he
ogy-14; Research-11; Writing-11. works with the customs brokers at the commercial fields, while
occasionally he takes a stint on the orbiting space platform where
Languages all ships must check in before descending to the planet's surface.
English-13; Ancient Rigellian-13. Vincenzo is almost obsessive when it comes to following the
rules. While some of his colleagues may turn a blind eye to minor
Conversions transgressions — a business traveler with an extra liter of off-planet
Fantasy — Remove Computer Operation and Electronics Op- liquor, for example — Renard believes the laws apply to everyone.
eration. Replace Ancient Rigellian with an appropriate ancient His superiors sometimes wish he'd lighten up a little — every sei-
language. Add the Literacy advantage. zure, even if it's that single liter of booze, leads to significant
Contemporary — Replace Ancient Rigellian with a suitable paperwork — but they can't argue with his sterling arrest record.
dead language.
Near Future — In a GURPS Cyberpunk campaign, customs Quotes
officials are armed. Add Guns (Pistol)-13. Replace Ancient "Sir? Please step out of the line and come with me."
Rigellian with a suitable dead language. "Your vessel is hereby impounded, pursuant to Customs and
Excise regulation 103.5, paragraph 2b."
Story "This wouldn't be an attempted bribe, would it? Guard!"
Renard Vincenzo had no real desire to be a customs officer. He
excelled in school and earned his university degree in Rigellian Adventure Seeds
Second-Epoch literature. Unfortunately, there wasn't much call ♦ The PCs must slip something past the customs screen. They've
for a scholar with his background in the job market . . . particu- arranged with a customs officer who's amenable to bribes. At
larly since the Rigellian Second Epoch ended while the pro-hom- the last moment, however, their "bought-and-paid-for" officer
inids were still eking out an existence in Olduvai Gorge on Earth. calls in sick, and Renard Vincenzo takes his shift . . .
When he heard about an opening in the Customs and Excise ♦ Renard's bulldog tenacity usually stands him in good stead.
Bureau he applied for the position. This time, however, it's gotten him in real trouble. A new
As he entered his training, he was cynical about the whole arrival claimed he had nothing to declare, but Renard knew he
thing. But while his fellow students were still depending on "men- was lying and dragged him into the interrogation booth. The
tal checklists" and psychological profiles of would-be smugglers, new arrival pulled out an ID card identifying him as a member
Ren discovered that — surprisingly often — he could sense when of the planet's military intelligence . . . but that cut no ice with
someone was lying to him almost as if he could smell their anxiety. Vincenzo. Despite the spook's gruesome threats, Renard
He was good at his work, and grew to like it. By the end of his "processed" the smuggler. Now Vincenzo knows something
training, Vincenzo was in full agreement with the philosophy and he shouldn't. The PCs can be the ops sent out to silence
policies of Customs and Excise, and dedicated to doing the best Vincenzo, or they can be the friends or colleagues Renard
job he possibly could. turns to for help when he realizes the mess he's in.
DEEP-SPACE
EXPLORER
ST: 8 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.75
DX: 13 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 80

Advantages
Intuition; Luck.

Disadvantages
Phobia (Open spaces); Shyness (Severe).

Quirks
Cranky; Loves playing chess; Wanderlust.
Viragon Moss Age: 46
Skills
Astrogation-14; Chess-14; Computer Operation-13; Computer report their position back to his corporate masters so they could
Programming-12; Electronics Operation (Sensors)-11; Engineer- dispatch a colony ship. Of the hundreds of explorers cruising the
ing (Hyperdrive)-12; Engineering (Reaction Drive)-12; Free Fall- galaxy, Moss has one of the best records for finding habitable
12; Mathematics- 10; Mechanic (Hyperdrive)-12; Mechanic worlds. He shrugs off this record as pure luck, but others believe
(Reaction Drive)-12; Physics-10; Piloting (Small spacecraft)-14; he has some kind of instinct — perhaps psionic in nature — that
Planetology (Earthlike)-11; Vacc Suit-11; Xenology-11. helps him in his quest.
Over the years, Moss's antisocial tendencies have intensified.
Conversions While he used to be a solitary curmudgeon, now he's an aging,
Fantasy — Conceivably Moss could be an explorer, sailing the cranky solitary curmudgeon. His job requires him to communi-
seas in his small ship looking for new continents. Replace all his cate with the leader of the first colonization mission coming to a
current skills with Boating-14, Naturalist-10, Seamanship-14, new world he's discovered, but he discharges this duty as fast as
Shipbuilding-10, Survival (All environments)-12, and Swim- he can so he can get away from people and surround himself with
ming-10. empty space again.
Contemporary — The world's too well-mapped to leave any Moss has lived in his ship for so long, he's developed a phobia
space for a freelance explorer. No conversion. about open spaces. He's not truly comfortable unless he's en-
Near Future — No conversion. closed by a vacc suit or the hull of his ship. He passes time
playing chess with his ship computer. To challenge himself more,
Story he now plays two games simultaneously.
There's nothing that Viragon Moss likes better than climbing
into his singleship and heading off . anywhere, it doesn't really Quotes
matter. He's always been a solitary individual; even as a kid he "Yeah, well . . . Guess I better be going."
didn't like having people around him. It's not that he was afraid "Second star on the right, and straight on till morning. (That's
of people, or didn't know how to handle them. On the few occa- a joke, son . . .)"
sions he cared to try, Moss was quite charismatic. It was simply "Settle down? Why?"
that he preferred his own company to that of anyone else. Having
people around him distracted him from his own thoughts; the Adventure Seeds
expectations and demands on him inade him feel not entirely free ♦ It was bound to happen sooner or later. Viragon Moss has
— and freedom is what Viragon Moss values above everything, made first contact with a previously unknown alien race. Now
perhaps even life itself. he's at the center of the effort to establish friendly relations,
Moss was lucky enough to grow up during the Second Dias- and to understand the new race. Meanwhile, Moss just wants
pora, when the human species was spreading out through the to get vacuum around him again . . .
galaxy, looking for more planets to settle. There was always a call ♦ In his explorations, Moss has stumbled upon a planet that one
for deep-space explorers, and in that need Moss found his true of the multistellar megacorps wanted to keep secret. Now he's
calling. Issued a singleship by one of the great mercantile com- got corporate agents after him. The PCs can be either the
bines, his mission was to scour space for habitable planets and agents hunting Moss, or the people he turns to for protection.
DIPLOMAT
ST: 9 IQ: 16 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 155

Advantages
Empathy; Reputation +2 (To everyone: famous diplomat);
Status 4; Unfazeable.

Disadvantages
Age (60); Duty (To his nation); Overconfidence.

Quirks
Always says precisely what he means; Can justify any position
based on historical precedent; Rarely shows emotion.

Skills
Adininistration-15; Area Knowledge-16; Computer Opera- Klaus von Mader Age: 60
tion-15; Detect Lies-19; Diplomacy-18; Economics-16; Fencing-
10; Heraldry-15; History-17; Intelligence Analysis-15; Lead-
ership-17; Politics-18; Psychology-16; Research-16; Savoir- Mader has had to prevent or end wars, start wars, help or hinder
Faire (Political)-15; Sex Appeal-14; Writing-16; Xenology-16. diplomatic relationships with other governments, or simply
gather information. He seems not to care what his mission may
Languages be; to him, the only thing that matters is success or failure.
Any five relevant to the adventure, at level 15. Nobody seems to know where von Mader came from, or what
his previous career was. Recurring — yet unsubstantiated — rumors
Conversions hint that he might have been a career espionage officer before
Fantasy — Remove Computer Operation and Xenology. Add joining the diplomatic corps. Predictably, von Mader himself has
the Literacy advantage. nothing to say on the matter.
Contemporary — Klaus makes a fine negotiator. Remove
Xenology. Quotes
Near Future — Thanks to cyberwear, Klaus might do an even "As you know, I'm not empowered to make decisions auton-
better job. Implant a Cellular Link and a Chip Slot with an Eidetic omously on issues of this magnitude. We'll discuss this later, after
Chip. Remove Xenology. I've consulted my superiors."
"As Ambassador Plenipotentiary, my decisions on this matter
Story are binding upon my government."
Klaus von Mader is known throughout the quadrant as the "As Santayana said, 'Those who cannot remember the past
"diplomat's diplomat." He's smooth, professional, and has an are condemned to repeat it.' "
almost supernatural ability to sense what people are really think-
ing. When he sits down across a bargaining table with representa- Adventure Seeds
tives of another government, it's a foregone conclusion that von ♦ Von Mader is being sent to mediate a dispute — about to be-
Mader's side is going to get the better side of the deal . . . even if come a war — between two worlds. The PCs are sent with him
the other side doesn't recognize it right away. So well-known and as bodyguards and aides. Unbeknownst to von Mader or the
respected is von Mader that he's often requested to serve as an PCs, there's a faction on one of the conflicting worlds that
independent arbitrator for conflicts that don't involve his govern- wants diplomacy to fail, and war to result. This faction figures
ment. When this happens, the aging diplomat has an uncanny that, if the independent arbitrator is killed and it looks like the
knack for discovering exactly what both sides want — even if they opposing world's forces did it, then their own government will
don't quite realize it themselves — and finding a compromise that go to war.
satisfies everyone. ♦ The PCs' world is on the brink of war with another. Von Mader
Throughout his every dealing, von Mader remains calm, un- has been called in as independent arbitrator. The PCs, who are
troubled — virtually emotionless. The ease with which he can intelligence agents for their government, intercept a shielded
empathize with the emotions of others hints that he's not totally communication hinting that von Mader's real mission — as-
unfeeling, however, and that this is just his professional manner. signed by his own government — is actually to foment war, not
His cool, aloof exterior makes it very difficult for others to figure prevent it. Is this the truth, or is it some stratagem, by the
out what he's thinking and feeling. opposition or a faction in their government, to discredit von
The duties of a diplomat are various. On occasion, Klaus von Mader?
DOCKMASTER
ST: 10 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.2
DX: 10 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 60

Advantages
Alertness +1; Appearance (Beautiful); Contacts (GM's choice);
Wealth (Comfortable).

Disadvantages
Duty (Dockmaster); Greed.

Quirks
Enjoys her feeling of power; Grumbles under her breath;
Hates free fall.

Skills
Accounting-12; Area Knowledge-13; Computer Operation-
13; Detect Lies-13; Diplomacy-11; Freight Handling-14; Intimi-
dation-11; Merchant-11; Streetwise-11.

Conversions
Fantasy — Laura would make a fine fantasy dockmaster. Re-
place Computer Operation with Shortsword-11. Eliminate In-
competence: Free Fall and add the Literacy advantage.
Contemporary — No changes.
Near Future — Add Guns (Pistol)-12.

Story
Every merchant vessel traveling through the Beta-Perseid sec-
tor must stop at the New Vancouver space station to have its
manifest checked . . . officially, for security reasons. Anyone who
Laura Howell Age: 32
doesn't declare the entire contents of his hold has the contents
seized. After a few months, the collected goods are auctioned off Quotes
to the highest bidder. For this reason, the space station has be- "I'm sorry, Pegasus, but I'm going to have to do a full search
come a major trade center, with vessels coming from great dis- of your cargo hold . . . Oh, I understand. Wait for your clearance
tances in the hopes of finding a good deal. code."
Laura Howell is the chief dockmaster for the entire space sta- "Unbelievable! Of course I don't want to buy your drugs. But
tion complex. She talks with each ship captain to determine I do know someone who might."
whether a thorough check is necessary. The chance that she'll "We should have this unloaded in a few hours. No, we can't
require a full search depends on how much money the captain do it any faster for any reason . . . except of course for that one."
offers her to look the other way.
Because of her openness to bribes, many captains running
Adventure Seeds
illegal contraband think Laura is a potential buyer for their goods.
Not so. Although she doesn't mind passing them through, Laura ♦ The PCs are trying to smuggle something past the New Van-
will have absolutely no direct part in any illegal activity — other couver station. They've been told that the dockmaster there is
than bribery. She does have an extensive data file built up of easy to bribe. Today, though, Laura is fearful that the police
people who have no such qualms, and will get prospective buyers are monitoring her calls, so she wants to lay low. How well can
and sellers in touch . . . for a price. Her reason is simple: she the PCs talk their way out of a potentially embarrassing situa-
doesn't want to be implicated in any other illegal activities. Brib- tion, and still smuggle their cargo?
ery serves her well enough. ♦ The PCs are working for the authorities, and have been ordered
Laura's superiors know exactly what she's doing. Instead of to collect evidence of Laura's transgressions. Someone has
firing her or bringing her up on charges when they first found out, leaked this information to Laura, and she's expecting them. If
they merely asked for a large cut. Laura grumbles about it, but she they offer her a bribe, she'll accuse them of corruption. And in
knows her employer's collusion is vital if she wants to stay in such cases the space station has legal jurisdiction, and justice is
business. handed down by Laura's equally corrupt superiors . . .
DRIVE TECH
ST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 50

Advantages
Double-Jointed; Reputation +2 (To all engineers and techni-
cians: one of the best drive techs in the sector).

Disadvantages
Stubbornness; Unknown Enemy (Somnolus Corporation).

Quirks
Doesn't trust megacorps; Gregarious; Tries to avoid talking
shop (but doesn't manage very well).

Skills
Computer Operation-13; Computer Programming-12; Elec-
tronics (Drives)-14; Engineering (Hyperdrive)-13; Engineering
(Reaction Drive)-13; Free Fall-15; Mathematics-12; Mechanic
(Hyperdrive)-15; Mechanic (Reaction Drive)-15; Physics-12.

Conversions
Fantasy — In a fantasy setting, Gayle would be an Armourer.
Replace all skills with Armoury-14, Blacksmith-15, Cooking-13,
Merchant-13 and Metallurgy-12.
Contemporary — Gayle would be a mechanic, specializing in
cars, boats or planes. Replace all skills with Computer Operation-
13, Driving (Car)-11, Electronics Operation (Car*)-14, Electron-
ics (Car*)-13, Engineer (Car*)-12 and Mechanic (Car*)-16. Gayle Pappageorgios Age: 28
Near Future — Same as above.
*Or boat, or plane.
contacts throughout the space station (or spaceport or wherever)
Story where she works, and is well-connected to the grapevine and the
Nobody knows exactly what Gayle Pappageorgios has against rumor mill. She has many suppliers who work the gray market,
the megacorps; she never talks about it. But there's obviously but she doesn't buy goods that she thinks are stolen. Although she
something in her past that's turned her against them. She won't dislikes and distrusts the megacorps, she won't do anything ac-
accept employment from the multistellars, no matter what salary tive against them, particularly if it would be against the law.
and benefits they offer her, and she won't work on their ships as
long as there's anyone else around who can do the job. Quotes
Which, of course, is the multistellars' loss. Gayle is an excel- "Man, you toasted this puppy good . . ."
lent drive tech. If it once worked — and there's still half of it left "Why is it that everyone assumes all I think about is tech?
unvaporized — she can probably get it to work again. And, if (Hand me that hydrostatic phase inverter there . .)"
you're willing to risk some modifications that would shock the "Somnolus Corporation, huh? Get your own techs to fix your
original designers, she can sometimes squeeze an extra edge of rust bucket."
efficiency out of your drive.
Expect to pay a lot. Pappageorgios knows her work is good, and Adventure Seeds
certainly doesn't underestimate her value to prospective clients. If • Gayle has received a Mayday from a ship stranded in space
money's the main issue, go to another drive tech; if it's quality you with its drive burned out. For some reason, the ship hasn't
want, grit your teeth and pay Gayle what she demands. broadcast a widespread distress call . . . apparently because the
Gayle doesn't match the stereotypical image of the "techno- crew don't want to draw attention to themselves. Gayle needs
dweeb" with no social skills, who feels more comfortable around a lift to the crippled ship, and turns to the PCs for help.
computers than people. All too many people assume that's what • Gayle Pappageorgios has gone missing. The day before she
she's like, however . . . which really ticks Gayle off. In fact, she's vanished, representatives of Somnolus Corporation were seen
a very gregarious person who enjoys meeting new people, and around the station asking about her. Now her friends — includ-
relishes the occasional opportunity to party down. She has many ing the PCs — have to track her down.
ESPER
ST: 10 IQ: 15 Speed: 5.5
DX: 11 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 75

Advantages
Absolute Timing; Strong Will +2.

Disadvantages
Delusion ("I'm not the same species as deadheads"); Duty
(Star League); Intolerance (non-esper humans); Odious Personal
Habit (Reads minds without permission, all the time).

Quirks
Arrogant; Communicates mind-to-mind with other espers,
even if there are non-espers around (very rude); Moody.

Skills Biernat Jenner

Area Knowledge-14; Beam Weapons (Laser)-12; Computer
Age: 24
Operation-15; Computer Programming-14; Leadership-13; Liter-
ature-12; Mathematics-12; Psychology-12; Writing-13. more cynical periods, he claims that H. novalis is the next evolu-
tionary step beyond H. sapiens, and that eventually "deadheads"
Psionics will die out.
ESP Power 5, Clairvoyance-13, Precognition-13; Psychokine- This attitude didn't endear Biernat to his neighbors, and it
sis Power 4, Levitation-14; Telepathy Power 7, Emotion Sense- seemed only a matter of time before someone put a permanent
14, Mental Blow-13, Mind Shield-14, Mindwipe-13, Psi end to his arrogance. Before that could happen, however, a Star
Sense-14, Telereceive-17, Telesend-16. League cruiser landed on the planet. The ship's esper had de-
tected Biernat's mental emissions, allowing her to track the
Weapons young man. Star League policy at the time was to recruit any
Laser Pistol: 1d impaling. "wild" espers they could find. (The League was experimenting
with setting up an esper-based FTL communication net, and
Conversions needed all the recruits it could get.) Biernat accepted the League's
Fantasy — Depending on the campaign, psionics and magic invitation in a millisecond — the idea of joining a group that
revered espers was almost inconceivable.
could both exist; otherwise replace all psionic abilities with
equivalent magic spells and add the appropriate level of Magery. Today, years later, Biernat is still a troubled man. His moodi-
Replace Beam Weapons, Computer Operation and Computer ness and bouts of depression, coupled with his continued arro-
Programming with Heraldry-13 and Riding-11. gance and intolerance toward non-espers, guarantee that he'll
Contemporary — Psionics are still virtually unknown abilities. never be well-liked, even by fellow espers. Some of his more
Replace Beam Weapons with Driving (Car)-11. perceptive colleagues sense the internalized criticism and self-
Near Future — Many corporations may be researching psion- hatred that drives his behavior, but none can penetrate his de-
ics. No changes. fenses enough to get him to realize what's motivating him, let
alone persuade him to seek the therapy he needs.
Story
Quotes
In the "backwater" culture into which Biernat Jenner was
born, "espers" — those people with psionic abilities — were con- "I refuse to work with this man. His thoughts offend me."
sidered strange, abnormal, barely human, perhaps even cursed by "I hate communicating with deadheads. It takes so long."
God. While more enlightened cultures cherished these rare and "Your thoughts speak louder than your words."
gifted souls, Biernat's environment effectively punished him for
his gift. He tried to "turn off" his abilities, but of course couldn't. Adventure Seeds
Although he vehemently denies it today, he internalized his ♦ The PCs are on a mission that involves them with the Star
culture's attitude that he was abnormal, and perhaps even evil. League, one requiring that they work closely with an esper -
As a defense mechanism against this subconscious self-hatred, Biernat Jenner. Can they keep themselves from strangling the
Biernat developed an overt dislike of "deadheads," as he calls arrogant psychic long enough to complete their mission?
them — ordinary humans without his psionic gifts. Consciously, at ♦ Biernat Jenner has made psionic contact with a previously
least, he considers himself infinitely superior to them — in fact, a unknown alien race. The League has decided to send him out,
member of a different species that he calls Homo novalis. In his with a support group (the PCs), to handle first contact.
HOMESTEADER
ST: 13 IQ: 11 Speed: 5.75
DX: 11 HT: 13 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 45

Advantages
Animal Empathy; Immunity to Disease.

Disadvantages
Dependents (Family); Vow (Move on when a planet starts to
get crowded).

Quirks
Doesn't like depending on any technology more advanced than
an axe; Dresses like a hick; Likes horses or the alien equivalent.

Skills
Agronomy-13; Animal Handling-12; Carpentry-10; Computer
Operation-10; Cooking-12; First Aid-11; Guns (Rifle)-13; Mete-
orology-10; Naturalist-12; Riding-13; Scrounging-11; Survival
(Forest)-13; Tracking-12; Woodworking-12. Dylan Bochner Age: 44
Conversions
Fantasy — Remove Computer Operation. way you do it. In a few years — all too soon, probably — the space
Contemporary — Dylan would try to live a back-to-the-land between you and your nearest neighbor will fill up with people
existence in a remote place like northern Canada, Alaska or the anyway . . .
Amazon jungle. Replace Computer Operation with Driving If Bochner ever took the time to label his political and ideolog-
(Pick-up)-11. ical outlook, he'd probably classify himself as a "rational anar-
Near Future — In the overpopulated future, there may well be chist." He feels that the only "laws" are those that a person
nowhere on Earth that a homesteader could go. But if it fits into enforces on himself. A person is totally responsible for his ac-
the individual campaign — perhaps in a post-apocalypse world, tions, and any attempts — by government, or society — to diminish
for example — there are no changes. an individual's responsibility should be countered at every turn.
With this kind of world view, it's no wonder that Bochner has to
Story keep moving on . . .
What kind of person would give up a nice, comfortable life on
a developed planet to risk his life colonizing a newly-discovered Quotes
world? Ask Dylan Bochner and listen to his answer: he's done it "Why use a horse instead of a hoverbike? Because I can grow
not once, but three times. fuel for a horse, and because I can't breed hoverbikes."
It's not that Bochner wants to turn back the clock and lusts for "It keeps happening. You take a perfectly fine planet, then ruin
a siinple, "priinitive" life on the frontier. Certainly, he knows it by filling it up with people."
many "primitive" skills, and would rather depend on technology "When I can talk to my neighbor without either of us leaving
he knows he can maintain and replicate even if the next supply our front stoop, it's time to move on."
ship is 15 years late. But the main reason he likes being on the
frontier is his love for personal freedom. Bochner would agree Adventure Seeds
with that Atomic Age writer, Robert Heinlein, when he said, ♦ Bochner has finally bitten off a little more than he can chew.
"When a society starts requiring identity cards, it's time to move He's homesteading in a region threatened by climactic or geo-
somewhere else." Fortunately for Bochner, the Second Diaspora logical conditions, by native animal life, or by whatever the
— as humanity spreads throughout the galaxy — has made it possi- GM sees fit. For the first time in his life, he's had to call for
ble for him to move somewhere else every time his current planet help. Fortunately for him, the PCs' ship is in orbit around his
starts getting too full. planet, and hear his Mayday. But can they pull him and his
When he moves to a new planet, Bochner usually ends up family out of trouble in time?
homesteading dozens of miles from his nearest neighbors. It ♦ For whatever reason, the PCs have chosen — or been forced -
would be easy to conclude he's just an antisocial, solitary old to accompany a colony mission. Because of his previous expe-
cuss, and leave it at that. In fact, Dylan has good social skills, and rience, Bochner is the de facto leader of the colonists. The PCs
gets on well with other people, thoroughly enjoying their com- have to set up some kind of working relationship with the
pany. He homesteads far from anyone else because that's just the homesteader.
INVENTOR
ST: 10 IQ: 15 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 105

Advantages
Intuition; Reputation +2 ("Hired-gun" technician); Wealth
(Comfortable).

Disadvantages
Honesty; Overconfidence.

Quirks
Claims familiarity with any technical subject, even if she
knows nothing about it; Hates megacorp research labs; Never
does any work for free.

Skills
Chemistry-14; Computer Operation-15; Computer Program- Lynda Pelligrosso Age: 31
ming-14; Diplomacy-14; Electronics-13; Engineer-13; Mathe-
matics-16; Merchant-14; Nuclear Physics-14; Physics-16;
Research-16. "hired-gun inventor" who'd take on projects for anyone who'd
pay her. Initially, she'd pictured freelancing as an interim mea-
Conversions sure; funding agencies have a short institutional memory, she
figured, and in a few years she'd be able to get back into pure
Fantasy — No conversion.
research again.
Contemporary — It's much tougher to make a good living as a
What she hadn't predicted was that she'd enjoy the variety and
hired-gun researcher. Remove the Wealth (Comfortable) advan-
ever-changing challenges of her freelance lifestyle. Now she'll
tage.
work for anyone — except for the megacorps and their "lapdogs,"
Near Future — No changes.
of course — on any project she doesn't consider directly harmful
to human life. She's become a hard-nosed businessperson, and a
Story shrewd negotiator. Her success record guarantees she'll always
Fresh out of graduate school, Lynda Pelligrosso did what have a surfeit of clients.
many young, ambitious scientists do: she accepted a job offer
from a prestigious megacorp research division. Her first job was Quotes
to develop new techniques for manipulating graviton waves from
"Of course I'm familiar with Simpson's revision of Tien's
a distance. At the time, this was a "hot" problem, and the Impe-
superstring theory. Who isn't?"
rial Navy was funneling huge sums of money into the megacorp
"Interesting problem. Put me on retainer and I'll look into it
to fund the ongoing research. After only two years, Pelligrosso
for you."
made a major breakthrough. Excited, she reported her findings to
"There's always an answer. The first step is clarifying the
her superiors . . .
question."
. . . Who told her to keep her mouth shut, and bury her results
deep in the datafiles. It took her a while to understand what was
going on, but when she fmally realized, she was horrified. Solv- Adventure Seeds
ing the graviton-wave problem would put an end to the ongoing ♦ Lynda recently completed a major project for a mysterious
military funding, and that funding far exceeded any possible employer. Only after she'd handed over the results did she
profit the megacorp could realize from Lynda's discovery. Eco- realize the "research instrument" she'd designed would also
nomic reality dictated that her breakthrough would be shelved - make a weapon capable of boiling away a continent. She turns
at least until the megacorp had siphoned a few more billion out of to the PCs to prevent her client — who's actually a megacorpor-
the Navy. ate agent — from ever building the weapon.
Pelligrosso quit, and tried going out on her own. Her academic ♦ Lynda's one-time employer has realized that an assignment
credentials should have entitled her to government funding, but she's recently accepted will, if she's successful, cost them
her erstwhile employer had effectively "blacklisted" her with all heavily in a particular market. The corp sends out expediters to
funding agencies. If she wanted to continue doing pure research, "dissuade" Lynda from pursuing that contract any further. The
she realized, she'd have to go begging to the corp she'd just quit. PCs can be those expediters — in which case they might even-
That simply wasn't an option. Lynda went into business for tually decide to throw in their lot with Pelligrosso — or can be
herself, "hanging out her shingle" as a researcher-for-hire, a the people Lynda asks for help.
RESEARCH
SCIENTIST
ST: 9 IQ: 16 Speed: 5.25
DX: 10 HT: 11 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 105

Advantages
Mathematical Ability; Strong Will +2.

Disadvantages
Intolerance ("Neo-Luddites," anyone who'd interfere with the
free progress of science); Overconfidence.

Quirks
Apologist for problems caused by unchecked progress; Care-
ful dresser; Outspoken to the point of rudeness.

Skills Orson Chu Age: 28

Chemistry-13; Computer Operation-20; Computer Program-
ming-18; Electronics-13; Engineer-13; Mathematics-20; Nuclear Orson's one demand is that he shouldn't have to worry about
Physics-17; Physics-18; Research-14. doing anything practical with his discoveries. Once he's ex-
hausted the intellectual challenge in a particular area of investiga-
Conversions tion, he just wants to move onto something new. Let the "lesser
Fantasy — No conversion. intellects" turn his insights into a new device, whether it be a
Contemporary — No changes. life-saving medical instrument or a planet-cracking weapon.
Near Future — No changes. Orson works well with other pure scientists, and can respect
engineers — as long as they recognize they're not true scientists.
Story Non-scientists are acceptable as long as they treat him with the
When he was a kid, it was the sheer intellectual challenge that respect he thinks he deserves.
attracted Orson Chu to the sciences. For example, when he
learned in elementary school how to balance chemical equations, Quotes
he accessed a university-level workbook on the subject and "Look, any problem supposedly caused by technology can be
ground through all the self-test questions — without caring what solved by technology. That's the way it works."
the equations actually were, or what applications they could pos- "And I say, keep the know-nothing politicians and senior
sibly have. That fascination with the process, coupled with little managers out of the lab."
concern for applications or consequences, stays with him today. "Now look, I'm not advocating war. But anytime a good war
Chu works in the research department of a major multistellar breaks out, take a look at what happens to research funding . . ."
megacorporation. His "portfolio" is pure research — and, by God,
that's the way it's going to stay. Management keeps trying to Adventure Seeds
refocus the efforts of Chu and his team onto areas that should ♦ Orson Chu feels no real loyalty toward his employers; he'd
have short-term, marketable applications, but Orson resists this work for any corporation that maintained his funding and re-
with all his considerable determination. He couldn't care less spected his autonomy. Predictably, however, his employers
about applications, and doesn't think he should have to care. will go to great lengths to keep him. The PCs are hired by a
Applications and "industrialization" — his most derogatory term rival megacorp to "extract" Chu from his current corporate
—are for "mere" engineers. Scientists, like artists, shouldn't be home.
concerned about how their work can be used. The value of sci-
ence is in the science itself, not in how it's used. ♦ The military intelligence agency for which the PCs work has
Of course, Chu has no problem with the unrestrained develop- learned that Chu is on the verge of a breakthrough that will
ment of technology. If any "mere engineer" can take Chu's dis- make all current message encryption techniques obsolete. Ob-
coveries and make some use of them — whatever that use may be viously, if Chu's megacorp gets this technology, the conse-
—that's just fine with Chu; that's just the way it should work. quences will be earthshaking. The PCs' mission is to "silence"
Chu, and obliterate all records of his work.
SCOUT
ST: 12 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.75
DX: 11 HT: 12 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 120

Advantages
Charisma +2; High Pain Threshold; Military Rank 2.

Disadvantages
Compulsive Behavior (Curiosity); Duty (To military); Sense
of Duty (To his team).

Quirks
Gregarious; Very tolerant.

Skills
Beam Weapons (Laser)-13; Botany-10; Chemistry-10; Com- Toju Yorifusa Age: 27
puter Operation-13; Cooking-12; Diplomacy-12; Ecology-13;
Free Fall-11; Geology-10; Leadership-14; Naturalist-13; Photog-
raphy-12; Stealth-12; Survival (Forest)-16; Tracking-13; Vacc of an intellectual dilettante. He knows a little about a lot of disci-
Suit-13; Xenobiology-12; Xenology-12. plines — geography, geology, life sciences, etc. — but has no in-
depth training in any of them. (After the ExEv team has finished
Weapons the preliminary work, specialist teams in every important disci-
Laser Pistol: 1d impaling. pline will be shipped to the world, so in-depth analysis isn't im-
portant at this point.) The only thing at which Yorifusa is truly an
expert is surviving — surviving anything a new world can throw at
Conversions
him.
Fantasy — The closest equivalent is an explorer. Replace Beam
Yorifusa likes being around people, and loves the sense of ca-
Weapons, Computer Operation, Free Fall, Vacc Suit, Xenobiol- maraderie that the ExEv program generates among its members.
ogy and Xenology with Navigation-13, Piloting (Small ship)-12; He prides himself on being able to work with anyone, and his
Seamanship-12 and Shortsword-12. Literacy is an advantage. accepting, easy-going manner usually rubs off on the other mein-
Contemporary — Same as above, but replace Shortsword with
bers of his team. ExEv teams that include Yorifusa are almost
Guns (Pistol)-13.
always tightly-knit, and more efficient than the norm as a result.
Near Future — Humanity has just begun colonizing the solar
system. Remove Xenobiology and Xenology.
Quotes
"You guys pick the rest of the team. It doesn't matter to me."
Story
"Hey, commander, when's my next assignment?"
Once the deep-space explorer has found a new, potentially- "We've done our job here. I'll just relay the results of our
habitable world, the normal drill is to send a team of scouts in to findings, and she'll be ready to colonize."
evaluate the planet. The type of team, and the basis of the evalu-
ation, depends on whom the original explorer was working for: a
megacorp, survey or the Imperial Navy.
Adventure Seeds
Toju Yorifusa is a member of the Navy's ExEv (Exploration- ♦ The PCs are working at a secret — and highly illegal —
Evaluation) surface team, trained expressly to be among the first megacorporate facility on a distant world. When Yorifusa and
people put down on a new world. The ExEv surface team's job is the rest of his ExEv team put down on the planet, the PCs have
to make an initial evaluation of the planet. This initial evaluation to "convince" the scout that the world doesn't warrant further
is very simplistic, rating it on an A to F scale of six criteria: evaluation . . . without arousing the team's, or the Navy's,
mineral wealth, environmental suitability, ecosystem complexity, suspicions, of course.
military value, colonization potential and risk factor. Yorifusa and ♦ Newly-discovered worlds are quarantined until the ExEvs are
the other members of his team simply spend about two months on sure they're safe to colonize. A megacorp hires the PCs to land
the planet, setting up temporary bases here and there, getting a on a new planet and search for artifacts. During their stay, the
feel for what the world is like. They carry only light equipment, PCs are nearly killed by a voracious entity. After they leave,
depending more on their personal survival skills than on high Toju arrives, fmds no evidence of the lethal alien, and desig-
technology. (The rationale for this is that technology isolates an nates the planet safe! The PCs must explain to the authorities
individual from the environment, making objective evaluation that putting a colony there would be tantamount to murder, but
more difficult, if not impossible.) doing so would earn them several years in a penal colony for
Like other members of the ExEv program, Toju is something breaking quarantine . . .
SMUGGLER
ST: 11 IQ: 12 Speed: 5.5
DX: 12 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 100

Advantages
Empathy; Reputation +1 (To underworld: good smuggler).

Disadvantages
Enemy (Former owner of her ship; appears very rarely); Rep-
utation -2 (To authorities: smuggler).

Quirks
Assumes a devil-may-care attitude; Flamboyant; Hates for her
money to go to politicians.

Skills
Acting-11; Astrogation-10; Computer Operation-11; Econom-
ics-12; Fast-Talk-13; Free Fall-11; Merchant-16; Guns (Needler)-
13; Piloting (Small spaceship)-14; Psychology-12; Streetwise-13;
Vacc Suit-12. Mary Jymmins Age: 30
Weapons
Needier: d+1 impaling. get it back — and take his inconvenience and monetary losses out
of Mary's hide — but so far she has managed to stay one jump
Conversions ahead of him.
Fantasy — Mary still owns a smuggling ship, but this one plies Mary Jymmins doesn't often care what cargo she handles, or
for whom. She does make a couple of exceptions, however. She
the seas and rivers, not the spaceways. Replace Astrogation,
won't carry slaves, and she doesn't get involved with any military
Computer Operation, Free Fall, Guns (Needier), Piloting and
organizations. Everything else is fair game, however.
Vacc Suit with Area Knowledge-14, Broadsword-12, Navigation-
She's an expert at figuring and minimizing risks. Most of her
13 and Seamanship-12.
clients expect smugglers — particularly successful ones — to be
Contemporary — Same as above, but replace Broadsword with
devil-may-care rogues, and she doesn't want to disappoint them.
Guns (Pistol)-14.
Therefore she hides her normal, analytical nature behind a flam-
Near Future — Same as above.
boyant facade.
Story
Quotes
Mary Jymmins would make one hell of a legitimate business-
"From here to Farpoint, it'll cost you 10,000 credits. From
woman. She's got an encyclopedic memory for the prices of trade
here to Farpoint without official entanglements it'll cost you
goods on different worlds, and can figure out a three-cornered
60,000 credits."
trade route (or perhaps an even more complicated one) that will
"Don't tell me the cargo. As long as it's not highly radioactive
maximize her profits based on any combination of cargos. She's
or too explosive I don't care."
an expert at negotiation, and seems to have an inborn sense for
"I love carrying people. They're the only cargo that loads
what a particular prospect is willing to pay.
itself."
Legitimate business doesn't interest Mary Jymmins, however.
Taxes, duties and trade tariffs take too much of a bite. And any-
way, Mary has an instinctive revulsion to putting any of her hard- Adventure Seeds
earned money into the hands of corrupt politicians. ♦ The PCs need passage from one system to another, and the
Mary got into this business about 10 years ago. She was cap- only ship bound for their destination is Mary Jymmins's. Of
taining a small trading vessel for a supposedly-legitimate mer- course, she's already handling a cargo on the trip, so the PCs
cantile combine, when she realized that few of the cargos she have to share the cramped ship with hideously illegal goods. If
carried actually showed up on the combine's manifests, and thus the ship gets searched, there's a real risk they'll be arrested as
had any legal existence. Deciding that stealing from a thief wasn't accomplices to Jymmins's smuggling.
that much of a crime, she "diverted" one of the more profitable ♦ The PCs load some valuable cargo onto her ship . . . which
cargos to another destination, sold it herself . . . and, as an after- soon thereafter gets "repossessed" by its original owner. Now
thought, kept the ship. She renamed it the Grey Trader, and still the PCs — plus Mary, who wasn't aboard at the time — have to
pilots it today. Of course, the ship's original owner would like to work together to get their valuable property back.
SPYST: 10 IQ: 14 Speed: 6
DX: 13 HT: 11 Move: 6
Dodge: 6
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 170

Advantages
Appearance (Attractive); Luck; Night Vision.

Disadvantage
Bad Temper.

Quirks
Feels no emotions, although he fakes them really well; Never
uses his real name; Always armed; Seduces lots of women ("love
'em and leave 'em").

Skills
Acting-15; Brawling-13; Carousing-11; Computer Operation-
14; Detect Lies-15; Diplomacy-14; Disguise-15; Fast-Talk-15; Paradis Snow
Free Fall-12; Intelligence Analysis-16; Karate-14; Guns (
Age: 37
Needler)-15; Photography-13; Psychology-12; Research-13; Savoir-
Faire-15; Sex Appeal-15; Sleight of Hand-13; Streetwise-14. emotionless automaton, however . .. or at least that's not the way
he comes across. He can mimic emotions perfectly, and always
Languages appears to feel the emotions appropriate to the occasion (using
Any three relevant to the adventure, at level 13. whatever definition of "appropriate" fits the circumstances and
the other people involved).
Weapons His "social chameleon" skills make Paradis Snow an absolute
Gauss Needier: 1d+2. lady-killer, and he takes full advantage of this fact. As with other
forms of social intercourse, he has no emotional investment in his
Conversions seductions, either (although that's not how it appears, of course).
Fantasy — Apart from the trappings, espionage varies little Certain psychologists have guessed that Snow uses these liaisons
over time. Replace Computer Operation, Free Fall, Guns (Nee- as attempts to convince himself he's not quite as alone in the
dier) and Photography with Shortsword-15 and Knife-14. universe as he actually is.
Contemporary — Replace Free Fall and Guns (Needier) with Paradis Snow is probably a sociopath; if he's not, he's a very
Guns (Pistol)-15 and Driving (Car)-13. troubled man — and probably crushingly sad, if he'd ever let
Near Future — Same as above. himself feel it. It's important to note that espionage is perhaps the
one career where this character flaw actually makes him better at
his job . . .
Story
Paradis Snow — not his real name; nobody knows his real name
Quotes
— is the quintessential freelance espionage agent. He'll work for
anyone who'll pay him enough, and can match the level of pro- "You'll never see me in person, you'll never know my real
fessionalism Snow demands from his employers. Whether it's name. If that bothers you, find someone else for your mission."
politically-motivated surveillance, industrial espionage, even "Spare me your justifications, I don't care why you want it
out-and-out "wet work," he doesn't care who the subject is or done."
what the central issue is. "If the two idiots trying to follow me are yours, pull them off;
Paradis is exceptionally good at his job. He's a "social chame- I don't work under supervision. If they're not yours, you won't
leon," able to integrate himself into any social, political or profes- care if they just disappear . . ."
sional group. He quickly reads what his "audience" wants of
him, feeds back to them everything they want to see and hear, and Adventure Seeds
constantly fine-tunes his performance by watching their reaction. ♦ In the midst of a political crisis, the PCs find out that their
As a result, he can ingratiate himself, quickly and efficiently, with dearest friend — good old Paradis Snow — is actually a spy
anyone. There are probably thousands of people, scattered working for the enemy.
throughout the galaxy, who consider Snow — under one of his ♦ The PCs have been given the task of hunting down a "mole"
pseudonyms — among their closest friends. in their organization. Fortunately, they won't have to work
In contrast, Paradis Snow feels no friendship — or any other alone: the gregarious, affable Paradis Snow has been assigned
human emotion — toward anyone else in the world. He's no cold, to work with them . . .
STARSHIP
CAPTAIN
ST: 8 IQ: 13 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 LIT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 30

Advantages
Military Rank (Captain); Status 4.

Disadvantages
Age (60); Compulsive Behavior (Cleaning); Duty (To the
Navy); No Sense of Humor.

Quirks
Calls everyone "son" ("dear" for women); Does everything
by the book; Only follows preset strategies. Gemyt Spann Age: 60
Skills Gemyt's ship is cleaner than an operating room. He makes
Administration-14; Astrogation-12; Beam Weapons (Laser)- sure it gets painted nearly every time it returns from patrol. Leav-
12; Computer Operation-13; Diplomacy-12; Free Fall-11; Leader- ing a mess is punishable by three extra hours of duty. Spann feels
ship-14; Physics-10; Piloting (Large spaceship)-12; Strategy-14; that a clean ship is a strong ship; therefore, his is the strongest in
Tactics-11; Vacc Suit-11. the navy. (It is, but for completely different reasons.)
So far, the Hornby has seen combat twice, and both times it
Weapons was victorious. Gemyt has read every known book on strategy,
Laser Pistol: 1d impaling. from Tzu's The Art of War to Xrtgtha's groundbreaking book,
Combat in Space. He attests the wins were due to his acute
Conversions knowledge of space combat, but his crew honors the chief tactical
Fantasy — Gemyt is the captain of an ocean-going warship. officer for his brilliant strategies.
Replace Astrogation, Beam Weapons, Computer Operation, Free
Fall, Piloting and Vacc Suit with Boating-12, Broadsword-12, Quotes
Navigation-13, Piloting (Large ship)-12 and Seamanship-14.
"As Ssthelliam said in Combat Strategies, the best plan of
Contemporary — Same as above, but replace Broadsword with attack when facing more than three vessels is to hold position and
Guns (Pistol)-13.
let them come to you."
Near Future — Same as above. "Son, I can barely see my reflection in the underside of your
work table."
Story "Let's not jump to hasty decisions here."
Gemyt Spann is the captain of the U.F.S. Hornby, the flagship
of the Imperial Navy. So far, no other ship comes even close to
Adventure Seeds
her size or firepower, and that's just the way Gemyt likes it.
In the academy, Gemyt received average marks, and did noth- ♦ As senior officers of their own ship, the PCs ran it exactly as
they liked. But when they're transferred to the Hornby they
ing to set himself apart from his classmates. The only features his
must use all of their diplomatic skills to keep from ripping
roommate can recall are that Gemyt was fastidiously clean, and
Gemyt's head off and spending the rest of their lives in the
had no social life.
brig. How long can they last before his anal-retentive leader-
Spann's rise through the ranks was slow, but steady. He
ship style drives them over the edge?
worked hard on every starship aboard which he served. When
presented with a problem, he would invariably use a textbook ♦ An enemy starship captain knows that Gemyt chooses his tac-
answer, never taking the time — or the risk — to come up with an tics from books, and plans to use this against him. The PCs
innovative solution. His patience paid off — eventually. His quiet were hired as spies to infiltrate the enemy captain's staff and
servitude was rewarded — infrequently — with promotions. The learn of his plans. Now "safely" back on their own ship, can
Navy saw someone they could depend on, so now, in his 60th they come up with a strategy to defeat him? Furthermore, can
year, he's the captain of the mighty Hornby — carefully backed up they convince Gemyt to use it, and not the tried-and-true
by a brilliant bridge crew. Arcturan Hook?
XENOBIOLOGIST
ST: 10 IQ: 15 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 HT: 10 Move: 5
Dodge: 5
No armor; no encumbrance.

Point Total: 110

Advantages
Acute Vision +2; Animal Empathy; Intuition; Reputation +1
(Among scientists: an expert's expert).

Disadvantages
Compulsive Behavior (Curiosity); Impulsiveness.

Quirks
Believes animals only attack when provoked; Never uses the
common name for any species; Takes her work home with her.

Skills Dorothy van Norstrand Age: 36

Animal Handling-12; Biochemistry-14; Botany-13; Chemis-
try-14; Computer Operation-14; Ecology-13; Genetics-14; Math-
ematic s -13; Naturalist-14; Research-14; Xenobiology-16; master's in genetic analysis and xenobiology. She considered
Xenology-14; Zoology-15. going on for her doctorate, but the desire to actually get out there
overpowered her intellectual curiosity.
Languages Van Norstrand has received official credit for discovering and
Ancient Greek-15; Latin-15; any two others relevant to the documenting more than 50 new species on a dozen worlds, and
adventure, at level 13. has published papers describing major insights into the behavior
of a score of more familiar creatures. She continues to receive
Conversions invitations to join the faculties of prestigious universities
Fantasy — In a fantasy campaign, Dorothy doesn't have to throughout the sector, but she has no desire to leave the field just
yet. She figures she has another 20 years of good field research
travel to another planet to encounter weird and wonderful crea-
ahead of her; only then will she return to the groves of academe.
tures that nobody's seen before. Remove Biochemistry, Com-
puter Operation, Ecology, Genetics, Mathematics and Research, Dorothy's husband is also a geneticist and xenologist, but he
and convert all other skills to the appropriate TL. prefers to spend his time in the lab, analyzing the raw data that his
Contemporary — Even in today's world, new species are being wife generates. The marriage almost self-destructed, due to
discovered at a rate of hundreds a year. Dorothy's on the cutting Dorothy's habit of bringing her work home with her — her hus-
band found one too many strange specimens in the bathtub — but
edge of this investigation. Remove Xenobiology and Xenology.
Add appropriate Area Knowledges. now the van Norstrands have a very stable union.
Near Future — There are probably fewer new species to find,
but the work still continues. Again, remove Xenobiology and Quotes
Xenology. "Don't move, you've got a big Culex pipiens on your neck."
"Relax. A Megavorus horribilis only attacks if it sinells fear.
Story Boy, look at those teeth. Fascinating, eh?"
If Dorothy van Norstrand had lived a few centuries earlier, "No, stop, don't kill it! We've got to collect a specimen ..."
she'd have made a name for herself discovering new species in
the Amazon rainforests, or in the jungles of equatorial Africa. Adventure Seeds
She's glad she's around today, however. Space travel has opened ♦ The PCs have been hired by a major corporation to accompany
up so many more fascinating environments to explore, and intro- Dorothy van Norstrand on a specimen-collecting mission to a
duced her to a multitude of new species to study. newly-discovered world. Their job is both to protect the scien-
As a child, Dorothy loved pets. When she got bored with tist, and to analyze her research from the standpoint of value to
puppies and kittens, she went out collecting more esoteric little the corp's bioweapons division. (Of course, they have to keep
friends: hive rats, acid snakes, bloodhawks . .. anything she could this secondary assignment secret from Dorothy . . .)
track down. Even though many of her pets terrified her parents - ♦ One of Dorothy's more . . . interesting . . . specimens has
a number of them were listed as deadly, after all — she never gotten loose aboard a space station. Already it's killed half a
suffered so much as a nip on the finger. This reinforced her belief dozen people (although van Norstrand is quick to point out
that animals only attack humans if they're provoked somehow, a that they probably provoked it). Now the PCs — the station's
conviction that stays with her today. security team — must work closely with the scientist to track
Dorothy excelled at the university, earning a combined down and neutralize the threat.
 NEW ABILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
Advantages Page Trademark SU21, CY26 Math Chip CY40 Identify M49
Ally Group C015, RH6 Unknown Enemy 131 Skill Chip CY40 Identify Plant M66
Blessed M85 Vulnerable to Holy Water....F123 Night Sight CY36 Itch M23
Contacts CY20, SU12 Optic Readout CY35 Levitation M61
Damage Resistance SU38 Skills Page Poison reservoir CY33 Neutralize Poison M45
Extended Lifespan FF18 Chess CA9 Razor claws CY32 Pain M23
Extra Encumbrance FF18 Computer Hacking CY26 Telescopic Vision CY36 Panic M56
Extra Fatigue FF18, SU39 Conspiracy Theory 131 Video Reception CY36 Paralyze Limb M24
Extra Hit Points FF18, SU39 Cyberdeck Operation CY26 Perfect Illusion M46
Shapechanging (Taken from Intimidation SU24 Spells Page Reflect M53
the Morph ability) SU63 Philosophy 1R37 Alter Body M25 Regeneration M45
Unaffected by metal F123 Rune-Lore M81 Alter Visage M25 Restoration M45
Unaging SU47, FF23 Video Production CY26 Animation M64 Resurrection M45
Unfazeable SU14 Xenobiology S36 Apportation M60 Seek Plant M66
Weretiger Shapeshifting F124 Xenology S36 Body of Air M31 Sense Spirit M63
Zeroed CY21 Breathe Fire M34 Shapeshifting M22
Cyberwear Page Charm M59 Shield M67
Disadvantages Page Adders CY59 Complex Illusion M45 Simple Illusion M45
Astral Entity P98 Amp Chip CY39 Control Zombie M64 Spasm M23
Cannot cross running water F123 Bionic Eye CY35 Counterspell M53 Steal Health M64
Cannot enter dwelling Bionic Reconstruction CY34 Cure Disease M45 Sterilize M44
uninvited F123 Cellular Link CY37 Curse-Missile M24 Stun M23
No Sense of Humor SU19 Chip slot CY38 Death Vision M63 Summon Spirit M63
On The Edge CY24 Combat Reflexes chip CY39 Deathtouch M24 Terror M56
Reduced Move FF27 Eidetic Chip CY39 Decay M42 Test Food M42
Secret SU20, CY25 High Pain Threshold chip CY39 Find Weakness M51 Total Paralysis M24
Takes damage from Interface Jack CY41 Flame Jet M34 Ward M53
sunlight F123 Macho Chip CY39 Flight M62 Wither Limb M24

CA = GURPS Camelot; CO = GURPS Conan; CY = GURPS Cyberpunk; F = GURPS Fantasy; FF = GURPS Fantasy Folk; I = GURPS Illuminati;
IR = GURPS Imperial Rome; M = GURPS Magic; P = GURPS Psionics; RH = GURPS Robin Hood; S = GURPS Space; SU = GURPS Supers.

CHARACTER TABLE
Character Page Character Page Character Page Character Page
Actor 70 Cult Leader 80 Mental Patient 89 Scout 123
Airline Pilot 46 Customs Officer 114 Mercenary 24 Security Guard 66
Alchemist 6 Cutpurse 16 Merchant 25 Seer 34
Archaeologist 47 Deep-Space Explorer 115 Military Officer 55 Shadow 97
Arms Dealer 108 Demon 17 Missionary 26 Skip Tracer 98
Assassin 7 Diplomat 116 Moneylender 27 Slave Trader 35
Astrogator 109 Dockmaster 117 Musician 90 Smuggler 124
Bandit 8 Dragon 18 Necromancer 28 Soldier 36
Barbarian 9 Drive Tech 118 Netrunner 91 Spy 125
Bard 10 Drug Dealer 81 News Announcer 92 Starship Captain 126
Barmaid 11 Druid 19 Occult Student 56 Street Doc 99
Bartender 12 Eco-Terrorist 82 Organized Crime Boss 57 Street Samurai 100
Battlesuit Soldier 110 Esper 119 Parapsychologist 58 Surveillance Expert 101
Belter 111 Field Medic 83 Philosopher 29 Survivalist 67
Blacksmith 13 Firefighter 50 Pilot 59 Swat Officer 102
Bodylegger 71 Fixer 84 Playboy 93 Tabloid Journalist 103
Bouncer 48 Football Star 51 Police Detective 94 Technician 104
Bounty Hunter 112 Gang Leader 85 Priest 30 Tinker 37
Bum 72 General 20 Prison Guard 60 Town Official 38
Cab Driver 113 Ghost 52 Private Detective 61 Traveling Magistrate 39
Chauffeur/Bodyguard 73 Gladiator 21 Prophet/Messiah 31 TV Producer 105
Chop-Shop Owner 74 Government Agent 53 Prostitute 95 University Professor 68
City Guardsman 14 "Grunt" 86 Psychiatrist 62 Vampire 40
Computer AI 75 Hacker 54 Rescue Worker 63 Video Reporter 106
Con Man 15 Homesteader 120 Research Librarian 64 Village Priest 41
Construction Worker 76 Hotel Manager 87 Research Scientist 122 Weretiger 42
Cop 49 Inventor 121 Sage 32 Wizard 43
Corporate Executive 77 Jongleur 22 Sailor 33 Woodsman 44
Cosmetic Surgeon 78 Knight 23 Salesperson 96 Xenobiologist 127
Counter-Terrorist 79 Lawyer 88 Scientist 65
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