Dunderklumpen is a handle I usually use. Its Frank here.
Here are some initial ideas for a character, any advice, suggested modifications, suitability, suggestions for aspects are welcome. These are the characters that will be in the adventures, I'm less interested in what they will be like in the framing setting.
The man in the hat: Whitby
Short idea: Mysterious government man with shadowy connections
Inspiration: smoking man from x-files.
This is the guy who turns up when things start to get really bad.
It's never clear who he works for, but he has access to resources, can get things done, make things disappear. Government? Military? Conspiracy within the government. Not a villain, but easily mistaken for one. His motive are a murky mixture of his own and his superiors. Most of the time he's operating on his own initiative.
Main abilities: resources, capacity for violence, access to privileged information,
SoTC Skills:
1 skill at Superb: Contacting
2 skills at Great: Guns, Burglary
3 skills at Good: Empathy, Resolve, Deceit
4 skills at Fair: Resources, Stealth, Alertness, Fists, *
5 skills at Average: Engineering, Investigation, *, *, *
Stunts
- Insider [contacting]
- Right Place, Right Time [Resolve]
- Inner Strength [Resolve]
- Still Standing [Resolve]
- Track the Soul [Empathy]
Aspects:
- Insider knowledge,
- Orders from Washington
- The man in black,
- "you never were really on the inside"
- "you scratch my back…" (Whitby is owed many favours from many people, he also owes just as many)
- They never taught this in basic combat! (Whitby's unique training, allows him to use unusual tactics to win fights)
- Standard Issue (its small, its reliable, its easily concealed, he just wouldn't feel comfortable without his Colt Detective .38)
- Control, contain or eliminate (Whitby has very distinct priorities and goals when dealing with super-normal events)
This character is a bit of a stretch, but I think it has promise. The risk is that he is actively disliked by the other characters and doesn't fit. A good foil for idealists (morally ambiguous but useful). The trick is to make sure that he can always be working for the party and not against it.
Backup Character
Magician turned parapsychologist
Short idea: He knows all the insider tricks from his stage career and his determined to use his skills to find the real supernatural. Reveal the charlatans to get to the real truth.
Inspiration: Houdini, Amazing RandiAbilities: escape artist, sleight of hand, perceptive, hard to fool.
SoTC Skills:
Primary: Sleight of hand, Alertness, Raport
Secondary: Science?, Deceit, Academics?Aspects: secrets of the magicians, stage presence, never misses a trick.
The idea here is to avoid the "Scully" type sceptic. This character wants to believe and wants the proof. He is willing to chase down the unusual and seemingly supernatural. An easy motivation for involvement. Useful in certain tight spots, and ( hopefully) an astute mystery solver.