Eel
I have a character concept in mind, but I wanted to run it by everyone to see if it's something that would fit in with the tone, themes, and play style of the setting. The character's handle is Eel. Eel runs missions on behalf of the evil corps who'll hire him, like any runner, but he steers towards taking missions against other evil corps. It's best when the targets have it coming, instead of hassling the weak. But unlike most runners, he doesn't spend the mission proceeds on himself.
See, there's allegedly this place-- nobody knows where it is, or if they do, they don't say-- called "Shady Oaks". Probably a tiny community of refugees hidden in some godforsaken wasteland where no one ever goes. Far from the cities. Probably underground, and shielded, so satellites can't find it. And it's a place where people are-- well, sane? Where they vote amongst themselves on what to do, and they're not violent to each other, and there's no buying or selling or profit-taking. Democracy, socialism, all that jazz.
Now a place like that couldn't get along all by itself, if it even existed. They might be self-sufficient for a lot of needs, but they'd still require a few things from outside-- rare foodstuffs, medicines, complex machine parts, etc. They'd need someone on the outside, making money to buy all their inflows, and with the connections to smuggle it to 'em. They'd need a Sponsor. Like Eel-- if such a thing existed. Which it don't, of course.
But Eel still does something with all his money, and it ain't spent on himself, so who knows? He lives rough, hiding somewhere deep in the city where he says it's hard to track him, and there's no rent to pay. Maybe even underwater, like a fish! Haw, that'd be funny, wouldn't it? Cause his name is Eel, get it? But naw, you'd probably need special 'ware or underwater gear to do something like that. No way.
Nah, they probably just call him Eel 'cause if he gets a hold of you, you're gonna get shocked real good. REAL good. And if you're lucky, you'll even wake up the next day, and tell everybody about how ol' Eel put the squeeze on you, then slithered back wherever he came from.
Poor Eel. 'Cause if'n there even was such a thing as "Shady Oaks", he won't ever see it. People like him, they don't get to retire off to some never-neverland. No, he'll live and die right here in New Barcelona, just like the rest of us.
Welcome to Paradise, chum.
"Eel" (Real name undisclosed)
Background
Outlander
Street Name/Handle Eel
Role Stealth Tank / Nonlethal Takedowns
Stats Level: 1
Strength: 11 Dexterity: 18 (+3) [Prodigy] Constitution: 14 (+1) [Auto-14] [14 max SysStr -2 for Squatter -8 for Cyber = 4 available SysStr] Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 13 Charisma: 8
HP: 7 [Roll 6 + Con 1] Saving throws: Physical 14+, Evasion 12+, Mental 15+, Luck 15+ AC: 23 / 23
Base Attack Bonus: +0 Unarmed Attack: +4 Gas Grenade: +3
Skills Unarmed Attack - Dmg 2d8+4 (Shockfists), Range --, Shock 4 / AC 15; when Lethal, Trauma Die 1d6, Trauma Rating x2 (+2d6 when Grappling/Grappled) Gas Grenade - Dmg 1d10+3, Range 10/30, Shock None, Trauma Die --, Trauma Rating --
Skills Exert-0 (Outlander-Selected) Punch-1 (Free Bonus Skill, Unarmed Combatant) Sneak-0 (Outlander-Selected) Survive-0 (Outlander-Free)
Languages Catalan
Contacts Reba Xian, Outlander Smuggler - Both participate in the same hobby or scene (supporting Shady Oaks) General Social Circles: Badlanders, backwoodsmen, and ruralists Last Significant Interaction: Helped them with their day job a bit (sent her $1K of supplies this month to smuggle to the refuge) What Do They Get Out of This?: Their day job has a use for your skills (raising money for the refuge) How Well Do You Know Them?: You go back a long time together How Did You First Meet Them?: You shared a hobby or interest group (Shady Oaks) What Can They Do For You?: Smuggle you or objects in and out
Dr. Jill Evans, Black Market Cyberdoc - Both participate in the same hobby or scene (supporting Shady Oaks) General Social Circles: Docs, techs, hackers, or other skilled pros Last Significant Interaction: Did a favor for someone important to them (sent $1K of supplies this month to the refuge) What Do They Get Out of This?: You take care of an important task for them (raising money for the refuge) How Well Do You Know Them?: You go back a long time together How Did You First Meet Them?: You shared a hobby or interest group (Shady Oaks) What Can They Do For You?: Find you nice used cyberware
Edges Prodigy (Dexterity) Wired
Focus Unarmed Combatant Gain Punch as a bonus skill. Your Unarmed attacks become more dangerous as your Punch skill increases. [ ] At level-1, they do 1d8 damage. [ ] At Punch-1 or better, they have the Shock quality equal to your Punch skill against AC 15 or less. While you normally add your Punch skill level to any unarmed damage you inflict, don't add it twice to Shock damage. If you choose to strike lethally with unarmed attacks, they have a Trauma Die of 1d6 and a Trauma Rating of x2
Starting Gear / Enc ($500 worth / Enc 5, Readied items: 5) Squatter lifestyle (-2 maximum System Strain, $0 cost/month) Active hearing protection $250 1 Backpack or gear harness $25 1~ Clothing, ordinary $25 1~ Goggles, IR $1K 1 (Free big-ticket item; +1 Notice for heat sigs) Lockpicks $100 1 Gas grenade x2 $100 2
Cyberware ($15.05K Maintenance/month, System Strain: 8 of 12; $4K of starting budget unused) $5K - Deadman Circuit (Used- Complication rolls of 11, 8; chose 8, no effect; Sight, 0.25 SysStr) $100K - Dermal Armor III (Used- Complication rolls of 1, 5; chose 5, no effect; Sight, 3 SysStr) $30K - Poseidon Implants (Touch, 1 SysStr) $15K - Sealed Systems Implant (Medical, 1 SysStr) $20K - Sharkskin Electrodes (Touch, 1 SysStr) $15K - Sticky Pads (Touch, 0.5 SysStr) $10K - Shock Fists (Touch, 1 SysStr) $1K - Headcomm (Medical, 0.25 SysStr)
Appearance Average height and build. Bald and beardless, because he doesn't have much hair on his heavily-modded body anymore. Wears a black wetsuit with gray highlights, in or out of water. Skin is a dark, unnatural gray with a hard, armored look to it, and feels like sandpaper. Bears a clearly-displayed Deadman Circuit on his forehead and temples-- meant to discourage trouble from cyberleggers, by clearly advertising there's no profit in trying to jump him for parts. That, plus the beat down they'd get for trying, of course.
Backstory As alluded to in my first, third-person concept-pitch post.
Short-Term Goals: Get a Survival Kit, a Portable Video Camera, and any other items useful for specific missions. Live another day.
Long-Term Goals: Work off the double-cost of his Wired Edge, made as payments to his Shady Oaks-affiliated cyberdoc Contact. Add Low Maintenance Mods, in order to increase cash flow directly to the refuge, and reduce their overhead. Give worthy outsiders a shot at a new life in the refuge when possible-- Eel may never get to "retire" there, but others might.
