SHELTER:Simon Jordan

Simon Jordan

Background

Name: Simon Jordan

Codename: TIMES

Player: Phantom Stranger

Origin: Shrewd Journalist

Class: Sleuth 6

Reputation: 45

XP: 14379 XP

Age: 35

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 143 lbs

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Black

Backstory:

Born 1973, Simon's education took place in the state sector and was solid if unremarkable. He enrolled in the Royal Army scholarship program to fund his way through university, majoring in psychology and sociology at Keele with an eye to fast-tracking through to officer qualifications and a role in the strategic branch, fighting wars from behind a desk. This plan derailed on graduation as Army Intelligence exchanged his scholarship obligations with MI6 as part of some deal, the details of which Simon was never informed of.

He joined MI6 as an analyst, but became the nearest agent to a 1996 crisis in Paris while on honeymoon, where he succeeded admirably and acquired a taste for fieldwork - a taste he was not often able to indulge, remaining an analyst for much of the next five years with occasional forays when his growing list of specialist subjects became key to one operation or another.

In 2002 his combination of analysis and field work made him an obvious candidate to be relocated to Washington as an aide and friendly observer to the NSA. Over the next two years he found a wider latitude with regard to freedom to act as a field operative, while also finding that the methodology and goals of the NSA section to which he was assigned were more in line with his personal philosophies and political beliefs than those of MI6.

In mid-2005 Simon resigned his commission with MI6 in a move that caused not a small degree of friction between US and UK intelligence communities which would take most of the following year to resolve and applied for US citizenship, gaining it on an accelerated timetable due to his new contacts.

Simon's particular specialty in field operations is the application of talents typically considered part of the analysis branch; he takes in information and processes it at a remarkable rate, reaching conclusions based on new data and information picked up over years behind a desk studying dossiers - essentially detective work. He's at his best when an operation involves a significant degree of fact finding and deduction.

Subplots:

Nemesis (Personal Mission (Root out Jonathan Roberts' replacement in the Cartel hierarchy and bring him down) Preferred objective types: (Identification, Incrimination, Neutralisation)

Attributes

STR 10 (+0)

DEX 12 (+1)

CON 10 (+0)

INT: 16 (+3)

WIS 17 (+3)

CHA 14 (+2)

Derived Values

Action Dice: 3d4

Vitality Points: 46

Wound Points: 12

Fortitude: +2

Reflex: +4

Will: +7

Subdual Threshold: 10

Stress Threshold: 17

Knowledge Check: +8

Request Check: +7

Gear Check: +8

Defense: 15

Initiative: +5

Base Attack Bonus: +4

Unarmed: +4

Melee: +4

Ranged: +5

Weapon Proficiencies: Handgun (Forte), Edged, Submachine Gun, Unarmed

Primary Weapon: Walther PPK .380 ACP, Damage 2d4 Error/Threat 1–2/20, Ammo 7M8, Recoil 13, Range 15 ft., Size D/1h, Qualities DST, Weight 1.3 lbs

Secondary Weapon:

Armor and Protective Gear:

Speed: 30 ft.

Skills

Skills

Analysis +8/+8 (5 ranks, cap 30)

Blend* +5/+6 (4 ranks, cap 20)

Bluff +13 (8 ranks, threat 19-20, cap 40)

Cultures* (Western Europe, Northern America, Eastern Europe) +5 (2 ranks, cap 20)

Drive (Standard Ground Vehicles, Rotary-Wing Aircraft) +3 (2 ranks, cap 20)

Impress +13 (8 ranks, threat 19-20, cap 40)

Intimidate +3/+6 (3 ranks, cap 20)

Investigation +14/+13 (8 ranks, cap 30)

Networking +9/+8 (6 ranks, cap 30)

Notice +15 (9 ranks, 19-20 Threat Range, cap 40)

Profession* (Agent) +2 (0 ranks, cap 15)

Resolve +10/+7 (7 ranks, cap 30)

Science* (Chemistry) +3 (0 ranks, cap 15)

Search + 14 (9 ranks, 19-20 threat range, cap 40)

Sense Motive +13/+14 (7 ranks, 18-20 threat range, cap 40)

Sneak +6/+7 (5 ranks, cap 30)

Streetwise +9/+8 (6 ranks, cap 30)

Tactics* +8/+7 (5 ranks, cap 30)

- Cross-class skills

Interests: Politics, Food & Drink, Automobiles, Literature

Abilities

Origin Benefits: +2 Investigation, +2 Sense Motive, +2 Sense Motive threat range

Class Abilities:

Sympathetic: Each time you spend 1 action die to boost a Charisma- or Wisdom-based skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. a Level 1 Sleuth’s bonus of 1d4 becomes 2d4).

Human Nature: At Level 1, each time you fail an Investigation or Sense Motive check and don’t suffer an error, you still succeed as long as the check DC (or your opponent’s check result) is equal to or less than your class level + 20. If several grades of success are possible, you achieve only the lowest possible positive result.

Sources I (Dossier): At Level 2, you may spend 1 hour consulting these sources — in person or by phone — to make a Request check for a dossier without spending action dice. Further, your class level is added to the roll instead of your career level. This Request check takes place outside Faction channels and ignores all Faction restrictions, such as the organization’s Tools Rating (see page 394). You may use this ability a number of times per session equal to your starting action dice.

Little Details 1/Session: At Level 3, once per session, you may make an Athletics/Smash check, or a Disarm, Feint, or Tire action, as a free action.

It's Elementary (Inner Drive) - Your maximum vitality points increase by an amount equal to your class level, and your maximum wound points increase by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1)

Perceptive +1 - At level 6, your Wisdom score rises by 1.

Feats:

Actor: You gain a +2 insight bonus with all skill and Knowledge checks made with Bluff and Impress. Further, your base threat range with these skills becomes 19–20.

Observer: You gain a +2 insight bonus with all skill and Knowledge checks made with Notice and Search. Further, your base threat range with these skills becomes 19–20.

Tactical Advantage: You and each of your teammates count as if you were exactly 2 characters when determining numerical advantage (see page 172). This effect does not stack when multiple characters in a team possess this feat, and has no effect when a character already counts as 2 or more characters due to another feat or ability. Further, the DC of any Joint Action in which you participate decreases by 10 (minimum 0). Finally, you may lead a Joint Action as a half action.

Talented (Actor): Choose 1 Basic Skill feat (whether you possess it or not). Each skill covered by the chosen feat is always a class skill for you, and each time you purchase 1 rank with one of them, you also gain 1 rank with the other (not to exceed your maximum skill rank for either skill). Further, your result cap with each skill covered by the chosen feat increases by 5.

Unfair Advantage: Each time you gain an insight bonus with a skill check, the bonus increases by +1.

Resources

Contacts:

Royce Owen (NSA administrator; Simon was originally assigned to him during his liaison time.)

Acquaintance: Bookworm I: You have unparalleled research skills and can just ‘walk up to the right part of a library’ or ‘flip open a book to the right page’ with spooky accuracy. At Level 2, you may reduce the amount of time required to make an Investigation/Research check to 1/2 standard (minimum 5 minutes).

Associate: Friends in Low Places: You can quickly plug into any local network, scouting the lay of the land. Soon, it’s as if you’ve been operating there forever. At Level 1, the time and money required for you to perform any Canvass Area check are reduced to 1/2 standard (rounded down, minimum 10 minutes and $10). Further, at any time during the same mission after you’ve made a successful Canvass Area check, the time required for you to make a Black Market check in the same area is reduced to 1/2 standard (rounded down, minimum 1 hour).

Confederate: All the Right Answers: At Level 6, when you undertake a Complex Task for which Analysis, Investigation, or Search is the key skill, the starting number of Challenges decreases by your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).

Partner: Diplomatic Solution: Your powers of persuasion are so great you can talk people out of anything, including open hostility. At Level 8, once per scene, you may choose a number of standard NPCs equal to your career level × your Charisma modifier. As a full action, you may target these NPCs with an Impress check (DC 10 + the highest Will save among the targets). With success, a number of targets equal to twice the amount by which you beat the DC immediately halt all hostile action towards you, your teammates, and one another, and take no new hostile action against these people for a number of minutes equal to your class level, so long as you continue to speak calmly and no one makes hostile or threatening actions toward them (e.g. drawing or raising a weapon).

Captain Mackenzie Ryan, British Armed Forces (Now running security for the British Embassy, studied alongside Simon)

Acquaintance: Backup I: You maintain contact with diverse friends who can help out in a pinch. At Level 5, once per session, you may call upon a friend to assist you. This friend’s disposition toward you is Supportive. He shows up 1d6 hours after he’s summoned and helps with 1 task that may be completed by the end of the current scene. The friend is a Tier I standard NPC of any type, chosen when you summon him (see page 453). He possesses a Grade VIII skill of your choice (see page 443), as well as 1 Caliber I gear pick of your choice. This item leaves with the friend at the end of the current scene.

Associate: Deep Cover I: You take extra precautions every time you go undercover. At Level 1, the Power Rating of each cover identity you create or request increases by 1 (maximum 10).

Confederate: Backup II

Partner: Security Detail

Wealth: 5

Lifestyle: 2 (-1 Appearance modifier)

Spending Cash: 3 ($900)

Possessions 5 (Forensics Kit II, Feat Training II (Tracking Basics), Walther PPK I (Holster, Holdout) Parabolic Microphone I, Skill Training I (Survival), Commercial Grade Video Camera III)

Currently Carrying

Walther PPK I (Holster, Holdout) Parabolic Microphone I

Current Condition

-14 vitality points

-4 .380 ACP rounds

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Agent Evaluation

Physical

Simon has average physical power and musculature. He has slightly above average hand-eye coordination, reflexes, agility, and balance. He has average health and toughness.

Mental

Simon has excellent ability to learn and reason. He has excellent willpower, common sense, intuition, and perception. He has above average attractiveness, personality, persuasiveness, and guile.

Combat

Simon is trained in unarmed combat, handguns, and edged weapons. He is particularly focused on handguns. His skill with handguns is comparable to that of a professional soldier.

Skills

Simon is a professional analyst. He can estimate the value of goods and services, authenticate documents or objects, crack codes, glean clues from media, and piece together a picture of recent events at a location.

Simon is a talented liar. He can deceive others into believing that false statements or actions are legitimate.

Simon has had basic linguistics and cultural training. His area of focus is in Western Europe, but he knows a bit about other regions.

Simon is familiar with the operation of standard ground vehicles such as cars and SUVs. He has not had any particular training in maneuvering.

Simon is talented in influencing others. He can engender loyalty, perform for an audience, and persuade others to do something.

Simon is a professional investigator. He can canvass an area for information, look for signs of recent searches, and do research. He rarely fails at common investigation tasks.

Simon is a professional networker. He has a close friend in the NSA he can regularly call upon for a range of favors, can endorse individuals or groups, and can mediate meetings.

Simon is a professional observer. He is very aware and has a keen, intuitive sense of his surroundings.

Simon is familiar with the profession of being an agent. He is not particularly skilled at navigating agent-related work environments or improving his professional reputation.

Simon has professional levels of resolve. He can focus under duress, keep his cool during chaos, make the most of freetime, and resist social pressure.

Simon is familiar with chemistry. He is not particularly skilled at making explosives.

Simon is a professional searcher. He is very perceptive when it comes to small-scale inspections.

Simon has professional ability in sensing motives. He can detect lies, convey and understand hidden signals and brief messages, and resist manipulation. He rarely fails at understanding human behavior.

Simon has professional street smarts. He can access the black market, bribe people outside organizations, gamble, and haggle.

Simon is a professional tactician. He can prepare ambushes, improve team actions, command crewed vehicles, and rally troops suffering from adverse morale effects.

Simon's interests lie in politics, food and drink, and automobiles.

Special Qualifications

Simon is particularly skilled or lucky when it comes to willpower, common sense, intuition, perception, attraction, personality, persuasiveness and guile. He has a large network of information sources who can provide him with information on individuals. He has an uncanny awareness of his surroundings in combat and can use it to his advantage.

Simon is very observant and often picks up on details other might miss. He can use his tactical knowledge to give his side an advantage and make joint actions simpler. He is a talented actor and is good at lying and impressing others.

Performance Review

"For a British field analyst, this guy sure likes to play it rough. Lucky for him, so far his cowboy tactics haven't blown an op. I can say I've been impressed with the fieldwork he's turned in, and its apparent that he's been critical to achieving some objectives. I just can't shake the feeling that he's going to get somebody killed sooner or later. Well, we'll see if Y's trust in him is worth it. Sometime soon, we should discuss what do about his links to Roberts. I have a few things in mind, but none are pleasant."

-X

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