Instead of doing my usual rambling explanation of my creations I'm going to cut straight to the characters. They're built from charts in the Gamesmaster's Guide, so no great complexities there. The only thing to note is that they are all level 1 and their default attribute score is 9 rather than the 11 I usually use for NPCs. Otherwise the rules are the same; average rolls for random bonuses. I'm also going to give skill scores since I noted them during creation. Said rules can be found here.
Here we go.
"Lucky" Strickland found his grandfather and all the customers of OSTERIA DEI MASCALZONI feeding a beautiful woman when he arrived for his dinner. After his parent's had married and settled on Ennor his mother had brought her parents over and they'd opened the restaurant as a legit front for the family's criminal activities. It had been years since, since his grandmother's death, that he'd heard nonno speak his native Italian, yet here he was "Belladonna, bella donna"; pretty woman. She smiled as she made eye contact with him. A smile that made his heart race and his loins clench. He had to remind himself that his Janessa would not take any infidelity kindly.
Hours later, after they'd closed up shop for the night, he challenged this "Belladonna".
"What's the con, lady?" he said, trying his best to sound like a TV mafioso.
"No deceptions," she said in her strange accent. "I just want to reclaim what was taken from me."
"We don't have nothing of yours here,"he said, thinking for a moment. "I might be able to help you find it, for a price. What is it you've lost?"
"Power, glory, worship, godhood."
"I got some of that," his grandfather interjected.
"Nonno, no!"
"What? It's just sitting in a bank vault gathering dust. You're too scared of it to use it Lucky, and I'm too old. So why not give the Hand of Glory to the Belladonna?" Lucky sat for a moment, metaphorical wheels spinning in his head. Suddenly he smiled as an idea condensed in his mind. He grabbed up his phone and hit speed dial.
"Essa!" he said when his girlfriend picked up. "Call in the girls for tomorrow! I've got an idea for a job!"
Fortunato "Lucky" Strickland.
Height: 5' 11", Weight: 160 lbs. Age: 28.
Class: Con Artist.
Alignment: Aberrant.
Disposition: Schemer; gambler. Likes to take chances. Distrustful of reliance on magic or superpowers.
IQ 13, ME 9, MA 9, PS 14, PP 11, PE 9, PB 16, Spd 12.
Hit Points: 12, S.D.C.: 30, P.P.E.: 5.
Skills:
Charm/Intimidate 30%
Art 40%, Athletics, Basic Electronics 45%, Basic Maths 77%, Business & Finance 40%, Computer Operation 60%, Concealment 44%, Disguise 40%, Forgery 45%, Hand-to-Hand Basic, Literacy 98%, Palming 40%, Pick Pocket 45%, Pilot Automobile 62%, Prowl 30%, Seduction 23%, W.P. Knife.
Saves:
Coma/Death: +0%
Harmful Drugs/Toxins (15+): +0
Horror Factor: +0
Magic (Spells 12+, Circles/Wards 13+, Ritual 16+): +0
Poison (Lethal 14+, Non-Lethal 16+): +0
Psionics (15+): +0
Possession: +0
Combat:
Initiative: +0
Attacks per Round: 2+2
Strike: +0; +1 (Knife)
Damage: +0
1d4+0 punch
1d6+0 knife
2d4+0 baseball bat
Parry: +1
Dodge: +1
Roll with Punch: +3
Pull Punch: +2
Benchmarks:
Normal Carry Capacity: 140 lbs; Lifting: 280 lbs.
Normal Stamina: Carry Max 36 minutes, 18 minutes while running or fighting. Lifting for 9 rounds (135 seconds; 2.25 minutes).
Ground Speed: 8.4 mph for 9 minutes.
Swimming Speed: 42 yards (126 ft.) per round for 9 minutes/36 rounds.
Leaping Distance: 3.5 ft. high; 7 ft. broad, from a running start. 2.1 ft. high; 4.2 ft. broad, from a standing start.
"So she can make people want do what she says." Janessa Quincy eyed Lucky over the kitchen table of the flat they shared together. Belladonna was in the bathroom having a cleansing soak.
"I don't know how I feel about that."
"Sorry babe. I could hardly leave her to take advantage of my Nonno, like that."
"So we bought her here to take advantage of us instead."
Belladonna hadn't wanted to sleep in the bed in the guest room but instead share the bed in the master bedroom. And share the occupants. Sleep and sex, it seemed, was something new and exciting to her.
"Sorry," Lucky repeated, lowering his head,
"It won't happen again." said Essa.
"It will," Lucky said sadly, "Whenever she wants it to." Essa sighed.
"I guess," she said. "It's not like it wasn't fun. I would have just rather have had a choice in it."
They sat quietly for a minute.
"You realise she's a Mask, right?" Essa said. Lucky nodded.
"In more ways than one," he smiled at her.
"It's just that I thought you didn't like them."
"I don't like people with powers, its true. They're cheating; living life on easy mode. And I don't like people who are dependent on other people with powers. People like my dad. But Belladonna." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "She might have power but she's dependent on us. We'll let her play at leading our gang, but she's our Mask. She's our henchman. We'll get rich and pay her off with trinkets of power."
"No way we can lose?"
"None at all."
Janessa "Essa" Quincy
Height: 5' 9", Weight: . Age: 24.
Class: Getaway Driver.
Alignment: Aberrant.
Disposition: Shy and timid. Only trusts a small circle of friends and family.
IQ 9, ME 9, MA 9, PS 16, PP 13, PE 10, PB 17, Spd 22.
Hit Points: 13, S.D.C.: 48, P.P.E: 4
Skills:
Charm/Impress 35%
Athletics, Automotive Mechanics 50%, Basic Maths 50%, Body Building, Concealment 24%, Hand-to-Hand Basic, Literacy 55%, Pilot Automobile 82%, Pilot Motor Boat 60%, Pilot Motorcycle 76%, Pilot Race Car 73%, Prowl 30%, Running, Streetwise 24%, W.P. Blunt, W.P. Knife.
Saves:
Coma/Death: +0%
Harmful Drugs/Toxins (15+): +0
Horror Factor: +0
Magic (Spells 12+, Circles/Wards 13+, Ritual 16+): +0
Poison (Lethal 14+, Non-Lethal 16+): +0
Psionics (15+): +0
Possession: +0
Combat:
Initiative: +0
Attacks per Round: 2+2
Strike: +0; +1 (Blunt, Knife)
Damage: +1
1d4+1 punch
1d6+1 knife
2d4+1 baseball bat
Parry: +1
Dodge: +1
Roll with Punch: +3
Pull Punch: +2
Benchmarks:
Normal Carry Capacity: 160 lbs; Lifting: 320 lbs.
Normal Stamina: Carry Max 40 minutes, 20 minutes while running or fighting. Lifting for 10 rounds (150 seconds; 2.5 minutes).
Ground Speed: 15.4 mph for 10 minutes
Swimming Speed: 48 yards (144 ft.) per round for 10 minutes/40 rounds.
Leaping Distance: 4 ft. high; 8 ft. broad, from a running start. 2.4 ft. high; 4.8 ft. broad, from a standing start.
They had just finished breakfast when there came a pounding on the front door. Peering though the security peephole revealed only darkness.
"Topaz!" Essa smiled as she threw open the door.
Topaz Davis loomed in the hallway, her six-two frame casting a shadow against her smaller, yet older, cousin. It was hard to believe that Topaz was only 17; the school uniform looked odd on her.
"Topaz this is Belladonna," Lucky made introductions, "Belladonna, this is Topaz. Essa's second cousin. Despite her size and mature appearance she is only a child. Do not fuck her."
"I'd break her," Topaz grinned.
"I am stronger than I look, child." Belladonna smiled demurely. The pause before the word child being insultingly long.
Lucky looked between the two and realised that despite Topaz being the taller of the two, it wasn't by much.
"Big words pretty lady," Topaz growled, her eyes narrowed, "Prove it."
Topaz and Belladonna sat across the kitchen table from each other, elbows on the table and right hands clasped. Arm wrestling. For a long moment they sat in deadlock. Topaz's arm muscles bulging like corded ropes as Belladonna quietly pushed against it. Then slowly, almost imperceptibly, Topaz's arm began to creep back. Topaz gritted her teeth and groaned, the table creaked. But the creeping did not halt. Belladonna looked almost bored as the back of Topaz's hand crashed to the tabletop.
"Jeebus Crust lady! How much do you lift?" Topaz had jumped from her chair the moment her hand was released, flexing her fingers as if checking that they still worked. Belladonna hadn't moved.
"One of those stink belching wagon's you travel around in," she said.
"A car?" Essa looked from Belladonna to Topaz and then Lucky."
"Jeebus Crust!" Topaz repeated.
"Topaz!" Essa smiled as she threw open the door.
Topaz Davis loomed in the hallway, her six-two frame casting a shadow against her smaller, yet older, cousin. It was hard to believe that Topaz was only 17; the school uniform looked odd on her.
"Topaz this is Belladonna," Lucky made introductions, "Belladonna, this is Topaz. Essa's second cousin. Despite her size and mature appearance she is only a child. Do not fuck her."
"I'd break her," Topaz grinned.
"I am stronger than I look, child." Belladonna smiled demurely. The pause before the word child being insultingly long.
Lucky looked between the two and realised that despite Topaz being the taller of the two, it wasn't by much.
"Big words pretty lady," Topaz growled, her eyes narrowed, "Prove it."
Topaz and Belladonna sat across the kitchen table from each other, elbows on the table and right hands clasped. Arm wrestling. For a long moment they sat in deadlock. Topaz's arm muscles bulging like corded ropes as Belladonna quietly pushed against it. Then slowly, almost imperceptibly, Topaz's arm began to creep back. Topaz gritted her teeth and groaned, the table creaked. But the creeping did not halt. Belladonna looked almost bored as the back of Topaz's hand crashed to the tabletop.
"Jeebus Crust lady! How much do you lift?" Topaz had jumped from her chair the moment her hand was released, flexing her fingers as if checking that they still worked. Belladonna hadn't moved.
"One of those stink belching wagon's you travel around in," she said.
"A car?" Essa looked from Belladonna to Topaz and then Lucky."
"Jeebus Crust!" Topaz repeated.
Topaz Davis
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 180 lbs. Age: 17
Class: Enforcer
Alignment: Anarchist
Disposition: Hot headed, quick tempered, emotional but essentially nice.
IQ 9, ME 9, MA 9, PS 27, PP 11, PE 11, PB 17, Spd 22.
Hit Points: 14, S.D.C.: 91, P.P.E.: 10.
Skills:
Charm/Impress 35%
Athletics, Basic Maths 60%, Body Building, Boxing, Cooking 40%, Dancing 35%, Hand-to-Hand Martial Arts, Literacy 55%, Pilot Automobile 72%, Pilot Truck 54%, Prowl 35%, Running, Streetwise 29%, W.P. Blunt, W.P. Revolver, W.P. Targeting, Wrestling.
Saves:
Coma/Death: +0%Harmful Drugs/Toxins (15+): +0
Horror Factor: +0
Magic (Spells 12+, Circles/Wards 13+, Ritual 16+): +0
Poison (Lethal 14+, Non-Lethal 16+): +0
Psionics (15+): +0
Possession: +0
Combat:
Initiative: +2
Attacks per Round: 2+3
Strike: +0; +1 (Blunt, Throwing)
Damage: +12
1d4+12 punch
1d6+12 knife
2d4+12 baseball bat
3d6 revolver
Parry: +2
Dodge: +2
Roll with Punch: +5
Pull Punch: +3
Benchmarks:
Normal Carry Capacity: 540 lbs; Lifting: 1080 lbs.
Normal Stamina: Carry Max 44 minutes, 22 minutes while running or fighting. Lifting for 11 rounds (165 seconds; 2.75 minutes).
Ground Speed: 15.4 mph for 11 minutes
Swimming Speed: 42 yards (126 ft.) per round for 72 rounds.
Leaping Distance: 3.5 ft. high; 7 ft. broad, from a running start. 2.1 ft. high; 4.2 ft. broad, from a standing start.
They were still standing there when Tammie arrived. She was a tiny bit above average height and on the slim side of average build. She looked like she'd missed more than a few meals in her life. She was in many ways medium brown. Brown skin and wild brown hair. Her youthful beauty only marred by the scattering of early-onset vitiligo spots up the left side of her face. She too wore a school uniform; the same school as Topaz.
Tammie Keys
Height: 5'7", Weights: 125 lbs. Age: 17.
Class: Thief.
Alignment: Anarchist.
Disposition: Nervous and fidgety. A bit of a worry wart.
IQ 9, ME 9, MA 9, PS 13, PP 15, PE 9, PB 14, Spd 9.
Hit Points: 12, S.D.C.: 35, P.P.E.: 7
Hit Points: 12, S.D.C.: 35, P.P.E.: 7
Skills:
Basic Electronics 50%, Basic Maths 60%, Basic Mechanics 45%, Card Sharp 32%, Climbing 60% (Rappelling 50%), Hand-to-Hand Basic, Literacy 65%, Palming 30%, Pick Locks 60%, Pick Pockets 55%, Pilot Automobile 72%, Prowl 45%, Safe Cracking 29%, Streetwise 29%, W.P. Blunt, W.P. Knife, W.P. Targeting (Knife).
Saves:
Coma/Death: +0%
Harmful Drugs/Toxins (15+): +0
Horror Factor: +0
Magic (Spells 12+, Circles/Wards 13+, Ritual 16+): +0
Poison (Lethal 14+, Non-Lethal 16+): +0
Psionics (15+): +0
Possession: +0
Combat:
Initiative: +0
Attacks per Round: 2+2
Strike: +0; +1 (Knife, Blunt)
Damage: +0
1d4+0 punch
1d6+0 knife
2d4+0 baseball bat
Parry: +1
Dodge: +1
Roll with Punch: +3
Pull Punch: +2
Benchmarks:
Normal Carry Capacity: 130 lbs; Lifting: 260 lbs.
Normal Stamina: Carry Max 36 minutes, 18 minutes while running or fighting. Lifting for 9 rounds (135 seconds; 2.25 minutes).
Ground Speed: 6.3 mph for 9 minutes
Swimming Speed: 39 yards (117 ft.) per round for 9 minutes/36 rounds.
Leaping Distance: 3.25 ft. high; 6.5 ft. broad, from a running start. 1.95 ft. high; 3.9 ft. broad, from a standing start.
Basic Electronics 50%, Basic Maths 60%, Basic Mechanics 45%, Card Sharp 32%, Climbing 60% (Rappelling 50%), Hand-to-Hand Basic, Literacy 65%, Palming 30%, Pick Locks 60%, Pick Pockets 55%, Pilot Automobile 72%, Prowl 45%, Safe Cracking 29%, Streetwise 29%, W.P. Blunt, W.P. Knife, W.P. Targeting (Knife).
Saves:
Coma/Death: +0%
Harmful Drugs/Toxins (15+): +0
Horror Factor: +0
Magic (Spells 12+, Circles/Wards 13+, Ritual 16+): +0
Poison (Lethal 14+, Non-Lethal 16+): +0
Psionics (15+): +0
Possession: +0
Combat:
Initiative: +0
Attacks per Round: 2+2
Strike: +0; +1 (Knife, Blunt)
Damage: +0
1d4+0 punch
1d6+0 knife
2d4+0 baseball bat
Parry: +1
Dodge: +1
Roll with Punch: +3
Pull Punch: +2
Benchmarks:
Normal Carry Capacity: 130 lbs; Lifting: 260 lbs.
Normal Stamina: Carry Max 36 minutes, 18 minutes while running or fighting. Lifting for 9 rounds (135 seconds; 2.25 minutes).
Ground Speed: 6.3 mph for 9 minutes
Swimming Speed: 39 yards (117 ft.) per round for 9 minutes/36 rounds.
Leaping Distance: 3.25 ft. high; 6.5 ft. broad, from a running start. 1.95 ft. high; 3.9 ft. broad, from a standing start.
"No masks?" Tammie fidgeted as they all sat together in the living room. Her hands played with her keys.
"No masks. It looks premeditated," Lucky confirmed.
"So people can recognise us?" Topaz looked unsure.
"Belladonna is our mask," Lucky repeated. "People do what she tells them, whether they want to or not. If any of us are caught we just claim that she made us do it. As far as the law is concerned we're her victims."
"Oh yeah. You can't be held responsible for your actions if you're mind controlled." Essa smiled.
"That's right. But you have to be able to show that you were controlled. So we go into the bank, Belladonna uses her power on the cashiers and customers to get cash and valuables. Then we 'steal' the Hand of Glory from Nonno's deposit box. Essa will be parked out back of the bank.
"If what Nonno says is true we can use the hand to exit out through the back wall. But before we go Belladonna will use it to look for more magic in the bank. We leave as soon as we have as much as she wants."
"I want it all." Belladonna sat cross-legged on an armchair, regarding them all hungrily.
"Which brings me to another thing. Belladonna is boss but you all go through me..."
"You are high priest" Belladonna purred. "Until I tire of you."
"So any questions?" Lucky sighed.
"What do we do afterwards?" Topaz asked. "The pigs will be after us, mind control or not."
"She made me do it" Essa quoted.
"I was thinking a summer long crime spree," Lucky said. "If you want." Topaz shrugged and looked over a Tammie, who nodded.
"Yeah. Whatever," she said.
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