The Oddness: Scarecrow Ninjas

Scarecrow Ninjas 

The Occult World has had animated scarecrows and their ilk for centuries. Once mocked for being a poor wizards's golem and mere protector of crops, recent events both random and meditated have raised their standings. In the past two decades their have been enough spontaneous eruptions of scarecrows that a phrase has been coined for a group of two or more: a murder of scarecrows.

Only recently has there been an effort to catalog the variety of these scarecrows. One of the more unusual scarecrows that have been witnessed is what has been called the Scarecrow Ninja. Inhabited by the spirits of ninja summoned by a powerful necromancer, these scarecrows are a blend of jerky stumbling and terrifying grace. The pliable bodies filled with straw can bend and flex in ways a mortal body cannot. The only way to stop them is to burn them to ash, or for a mortal ninja to defeat them with the Ancient Arts of the Ninja.

Scarecrow Ninja (Stats for Risus the Anything RPG)

Cliches:
Animated Scarecrow Ninja [4]
Inhumanly Flexible Destroyer of Crows...and People (3)

Hook: Weaknesses to Fire and Ninja Combat: When fighting a fellow ninja, a scarecrow ninja loses the Inhumanly Flexible Destroyer of Crows...and People cliche, and the double pump on the Animated Scarecrow Ninja cliche. It can still pump the Animated Scarecrow Ninja as per the normal Risus rules.

*The Scarecrow Ninjas were inspired by the Fighting Fantasy gamebook cover above that I saw on the fuckyeahbritisholdschoolgaming tumblr page. You have to check this tumblr out--its full of old school British gaming goodness!

About The Oddness:

The Oddness is a new recurring feature on the Amazing Fun Pad.
The Oddness is pictures and words that describe something, usually of a science fantasy or urban fantasy bent but not always. Sometime there will be RPG or miniature game stats, sometimes not. I want to do this for two reasons:

• The Oddness is a way to present monsters, npcs, and other ideas on a one to one basis as they popp in my head. 
• The Oddness is also a way to get myself to produce more content for the blog. Enjoy. 

[Risus] Baron Andre von Darke, Sorcerous Possessor Spirit

Baron Andre von Darke 
Sorcerous Possessor Spirit

A rare picture of Baron Andre von Darke

 The possessing entity who assumed the mantle of Andre von Darke was once a good man seduced by power and survival. A minor baron dying of a strange disease, he began to dabble in strange and arcane magics ultimately learning how to take over another’s body. Before Von Darke could take over the Kingdom of Slivonia by possessing the king he was bound into the Cube of Shadows, a spirit prison. When the Cube was split in the 1990s, Baron von Darke escaped the Cube with the other prisoners, and remains free to this day.
 
When not in a body, Baron von Darke appears as a handsome man in nobleman’s clothes. the Baron cannot influence the physical world directly, but he can still talk to people. His brown hair and beard are short and neatly trimmed. He usually has a friendly smile which turns quickly to rage when he is thwarted. When the Baron is possessing someone, their eyes glow red when angry or using magical ability.

Cliches:

• Corrupted  Possessor Spirit From A Bygone Era [5d10]
• Manipulative Sorcerer With Remaining Shreds of Honor [4d8]
• Arrogant Brooding Nobleman (4)
• University Taught Fencer (3)

Hooks:

Trapped in Spirit Form: Baron von Darke cannot physically affect the real world unless possessing someone and he has a susceptibility to exorcisms and banishments.

I'm Backing The Risus Kickstarter!

"The tower of power, too sweet to be sour, ohhhh yeahh!" [7]

I've never backed a Kickstarter for anything, RPG related or otherwise. But when I heard from the Risus Monkey that diabolical Risus Guru S. John Ross was doing one for a Free Adventure Project, I was intrigued. Long story short, I decided to throw in some funds to back this project to spread the love of Risus, my favorite free rpg ever.  As of today the Kickstarter is funded over 300% of the $500 original goal. That's some Risus love!

If you're a Risus fan you've probably seen the information about the RISUS Free Adventure Project 2012. If not check out the information page here!

[RISUS] Pyotr Derevenko and Sara Bannister

Here are two characters more urban fantasy characters I created for Risus. They use Options I, II, III, and IV from the Risus rules. Also used are the Lucky Shots & Questing Dice, Sidekicks and Shieldmates, Eye of the Tiger, and Boxcars & Breakthroughs Options from the Risus Companion. 

PYOTR "PETE" DEREVENKO

A former law student who dropped out of law school when strange incidents began to happen to him. Pyotr is a descendant of one of the mythical Bogatyri, the mythical hero knights of Russian legend. He often times has dealings with creatures of that myth cycle. Wherever he goes, his ancient heritage has a tendency to seek him out. Recently Pyotr has been spending more time with a fey maiden he saved from a mad alchemist.

Cliches:

Descendant of the Bogatyri (4d10)

Construction Worker (4)

Ex-Law School Student [3]

Hook:Myth Magnet: As a descendant of the Bogatyri, Pyotr is a magnet to mythological beings, especially faeries. While sometimes this is useful, this can also cause problems in GM-decided situations. Ex.: die penalty when sneaking because a nymph in the park your hiding in likes you; penalty sneaking in abuild because the house fey doesn’t like him.

Natasha (Real Name Unknown)

A Russian fey who has become close to Pyotr. Most people consider them a couple, but both of them deny it.

Cliches: Drop Dead Gorgeous Vila Fey (3), Mistress of the Crossbow (3)

Hook: Impulsiveness

SARA BANNISTER

The game is all that matters to Sara Bannister. She comes from a long line of con folk and grifters that have traversed the US and Europe. Sara is currently “retired” from the business. After a situation that she refuses to discuss, she was pardoned by the federal government and “directed” towards various private interests that could do more good with less bureaucracy .

Her skills are quite useful in investigators, but she is also used in delicate “retrieval” scenarios. Sara is carefully watched around the valuables.

Cliches:

Silver Tongued Ex-Grifter (4d8)

Gorgeous Actress (4)

Well Connected Player [3]

Vicious Dirty Fighter (3)

Lucky Shots: [ ] [ ] [ ]

Hook: Hard to Resist the Con: Sara’s greed sometimes overwhelms her more altruistic aspirations. 1 die penalty in situation where she can get away with conning someone.

[Risus] Dirk Bogart, Diablosaur Hunter

Just a quick Risus character for today. Take some weird dinosaur theories and add a twist of Valiant's version of Turok, Son of Stone and you get...

Dirk Bogart, Diablosaur Hunter

Dirk Bogart is the first Diablosaur Hunter. Once Dirk was a forest ranger until he stumbled onto a dimensional rift deep in Central Wisconsin. A gaping hole in an ancient burial mound opened into , the hideous realm of the Diablosaurs. At first Dirk used his wits, artifacts from the mound, and a smattering of occult knowledge from his grandmother, Dirk soon was able to get a hold of some technomantic weaponry to aid in his attempts to stop the Diablosaur invasion. His was a lonely battle until survivors of Diablosaur attacks began to her stories of a lone hunter foiling unholy plots. Other groups began to hunt the demonic dinosaurs and Dirk found himself a reluctant mentor to a new generation of Diablosaur Hunters. Most of the time you can find him deep in the woods hunting alone.

Grizzled Diablosaur Hunter [5d8]

Conversationalist Ex-Forest Ranger [4]

Reluctant Mentor To The Next Generation (3)

Grandson of A Wise Woman (3)

Bonus Item: Betsy: Technomantic Diablosaur Hunting Rifle (4)

Questing Dice (Destroy The Diablosaurs): [][][][][]

Hook: Guilt Complex. Dirk has always been a loner, dealing with people only when he has to, This tendency towards being a loner was only intensified by the hunt he finds himself in. Deep down Dirk is afraid that every death caused by Diablosaurs is his responsibility. He avoids crowds whenever possible, and keeps conversation to a minimum. This can hinder him in his Diablosaur hunting activities, even when he finds allies to his cause.

The Diablosaurs were inspired by this article.

Turok (Valiant era) on Wikipedia.

[RISUS] Reginald Blake and Alyson Ford, Paranormal Investigators

After a busy couple of weeks, it's time for more meaty fare for the Amazing RPG Fun Pad. Submitted for your approval, here are two more Risus characters for a modern-era “weird” campaign.

Reginald Blake
Absent Minded Paranormal Investigator

Reginald Blake (Reggie to his friends) is an incredibly rich but absent-minded paranormal investigator. When he is absorbed into a 13th century text about the Slivonian Vampire Dynasty he can rattle off facts and figures with blinking. In the real world, Reggie had been known to forget to pay the electric bill or try to water his car. If he had his choice, Reggie would prefer to stay in his mansion and research the occult and the Fortean, corresponding to clients via phone and Internet. But Sonia, his older sister and best friend, insisted on hiring someone to join him. At first he was cool to the “intruder”, but Alyson Ford won him over.

His reputation leads outside agencies to call upon his services in a variety of cases. To this end he travels the world with his aide Alyson, fighting the strange and the bizarre. These investigations, and the influences of Sonia and Alyson, have opened Reggie to a world he ignored for years. His natural charisma often times will smooth over hard feelings he may cause with his forgetfulness. Though not the most social of people, he is becoming to come out his shell. While he leaves the fighting to Alyson most of the time, Reggie has proven to not be a pushover when backed into a corner.

Eccentric Well Known Paranormal Researcher (4)
Amiable Charmer Who Doesn’t Realize His Own Gift (3)
Wealthy Man Who Can Afford This (3)
Surprisingly Effective Improvisational Brawler [1]


Hook: Absent Minded Professor: While Reggie is an expert in the Paranormal, his mind can wander when confronted with most things outside of his field. This can sometimes lead to interesting situations.

Alyson Ford
Bodyguard Bound To The Wild

A former corporate security agent, Alyson Ford parted ways with her former employers when the CEO’s son got a little to “hands-on” for her taste. She beat him within an inch of his life. After a nice financial settlement to prevent a lawsuit, she settled down for a long vacation. She was on the phone with her travel agent when Sonia Blake, an old high school friend called her. Sonia needed an aide for her eccentric brother Reginald. Expenses and lodging would be provided for her. She said yes, and joined Reggie in his paranormal investigations.

Tough, cynical and beautiful, Alyson is a dangerous woman to cross. She acts as a safeguard against some of Reggie’s more awkward interactions with people. Part of her is fond of Reggie because he treats Alyson as a person, the other part is driven to distraction by his eccentricities. Alyson is trained in the martial arts and marksmanship. But there is another side to Alyson, and it goes back to her childhood.

Alyson was abducted for an arcane ritual on her seventh birthday. She was meant to be the vessel for a beast spirit, which her abductors hoped to use as enforcers and assassins. The spirit that was bound to Alyson grew fond of her fighting spirit, and the bonded far beyond what their captors had imagined. Alyson and her “sister” Ally (what Alyson calls the spirit) escaped their kidnappers causing much damage in this process. Alyson shares many of the abilities of her beast spirit (a feline spirit) and uses them. These abilities include increased strength and stamina, claws, and running. Ally can take control of Alyson in dangerous situations.

Seductive and Deadly Former Corporate Security Agent (4)
Feline Spirit Host (3)
Cynical Fast Talking Former Street Kid (3)
Sculptress Who Dabbles in a Little Painting (2)

Hook: Sister Takes Control. When Alyson is in danger, Ally will take control of her body. Ally manifests more bestial features than Alyson does, and is much more primal in her actions. When Ally is in control, replace the dice in Cynical Fast Talking Former Street Kid (3) and Sculptress Who Dabbles in a Little Painting (2) with Protector of Her Pride (3) and raise Feline Spirit Host to (5). Ally will protect anyone Alyson is protecting, and considers Sonia and especially Reggie as “hers”.

When Ally is in control

[Risus] Der Kommissar, Deranged Vampire Hunter

Hey Kids! Here’s a vampire hunter that is obsessed with destroying Baron Falco. It’s another reference that will probably get me a stern talking to.

Der Kommissar

Obsessed Vampire Hunter

To vampires across the world, the name Der Kommissar strikes as much fear as the name Van Helsing. His cruelty is legendary, and the things that he does to vampires when he does find them, is best not described here. Some say he made a deal with the Devil himself to wipe vampires from the face of the earth. They may be right.

Der Kommissar’s name is lost to the years, and even the oldest vampire hunter cannot recall where he came from. What is surmised is that he comes from a moneyed background, he can speak several languages, and is familiar with high and criminal society. Der Kommissar’s main obsession is slaying vampires, even the ones seeking redemption. Even other vampire hunters avoid the man if at all possible, because to Der Kommissar there is no such thing as “unacceptable collateral damage”.

For some reason he intensely hates Baron Amadeus Falco. When Der Kommissar has a lead on the Baron, he will actually kill a vampire quickly to go after him.

Obsessively Cruel Vampire Hunter With No Conscience [5]

Obscenely Wealthy World Traveler (4)

Social Chameleon Criminal (4)

Self-Trained Weaponsmith [3]

Questing Dice (Destroying Baron Falco): [][][][][]

Hook: If You Gaze Into the Abyss

Der Kommissar is utterly obsessed with killing vampires. He has done and will do things, legal and illegal, that make him maybe more of a monster than the things he hunts.

[Risus] Baron Amadeus Falco, Ruritanian Vampire Lord

I'm probably going to a dark, dark place for this one:

Baron Amadeus Falco

Talented Vampire Lord

Baron Amadeus Christoph Wilheim Falco, a nobleman from the small Balkan nation of Ruritania, was turned in the late 17oos by a Bride of Dracula. He soon learned how to control his blood hunger and grew powerful enough to be simply left alone. The Baron left Ruritania a century later and traveled Europe and beyond. While he pays respect to the Lord of the Undead when he has too, Baron Falco eschews most of the trapping of vampire politics. You can find him anywhere where there is good music and entertaining company (both high and low born). Oh, a word of warning: NEVER interrupt the show he is enjoying without a real good reason.

Ruritanian Vampire Nobleman Who Wants To Be Left Alone [5d10]

Dedicated Singer and Musician (4)

Seductive Carouser with Friends Everywhere He Goes [3]

Protector of Humanity When He Has To Be One (3)

Hook: Enemies Galore. Baron Falco has made powerful enemies in his undead existance who seek to embarass , inconvience, or destroy him. Being a Grandchild of Dracula only goes so far.

And here was the inspiration:

[Risus] CIZR Cryptozoologists

Submitted for your approval, some Risus characters for a modern-era “weird” campaign.

The Chambers Institute for Zoological Research

The Chambers Institute for Zoological Research (CIZR for short) is one of the premiere clearing houses of zoological data and theory in North America. Less well known is CIZR’s secondary mission: quantifiable proof of crypto zoological beasts and other anomalies. These expeditions are funded through a trust fund set up by CIZR founder Alistair Chambers at the turn of the century. Below are five of the agents who investigate these paranormal mysteries.

William Chambers



For most of his adult life William Chambers had no contact with the Institute that his great grandfather had founded. Making his fortune early in life, William retired and began the life of an avid hunter and conservationist. If you meet him in the woods you would have no idea that he was a wealthy and very shrewd businessman. William came back to CIZR when his father Trevor Chambers (below) was attack at his cabin by rival crypto zoologists. Most people who meet William think he likes his dog more than most of humanity. They’re right.

Brooding Avid Hunter who Lives in the Woods (4), Bare Knuckles Brawler (3), Wealthy and Shrewd Businessman (3), Reluctant Cryptozoologist (2)

Hook: Not much for other people.

Cassilda Albright



Cassilda was once a highly paid corporate attorney until her firm took a case defending a firm accused of toxic dumping. A cliché, yes, but the dealing she witnessed touched her conscience and she left the firm she helped build up. Soon after her exit, CIZR hired Cassilda to act as legal counsel for the Institute. She has found herself on several “unofficial” expeditions not covered by her initial job guidelines. She gets along with most people, although William has the tendency to draw out Cassilda’s more argumentative side. She also babies William’s dog way too much.

Beautiful Legal Counsel for CIZR (4), Extremely Limber Self Defense Junkie (3), Realistic Environmentalist (2), Uncontrolled Lucid Dreamer (2)

Hook: Argumentative

Dr. Trevor Chambers



Dr. Trevor Chambers was once one of the premiere biogeniticists in the Northern Hemisphere. That was the case until Trevor published several pages on subjects as Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, and the possible origins of the changeling myth. (He was never the same after his wife, William’s mother, had died.) Soon afterward Trevor was allowed to quietly dwell in the corner of the university he taught at so he wouldn’t hurt anybody. His brother soon contacted him in his retirement, asking Trevor to come and claim his birthright at CIZR.

Hyper Intelligent Biogenticist with No Social Skills (4), Animated Fortean Cryptozoologist (3), Ex Government Employee (2), Budding Master of Beasts (1)

Hook: Absent Minded

Jackson Napier

Trevor made some friends during his time with the government. The best friend he made was a cheerful young CIA assassin named Jackson Napier. When Mr. Napier tired of the assassin lifestyle, he retired from the Company and disappeared. A man like Napier grows bored rather quickly, and he was almost tempted to seek his old job back. Ennui was dispersed when his old friend Trevor Chambers called him with a job offer. Jackson is the pleasant face of any CIZR Expedition, whose easygoing charm soothes feathers rustled by the others. His past job as an assassin, though, does come back to haunt him.

Whimsical Ex CIA Assassin with a Conscience (4), Handsome Gentleman of Means (3), Collector of Interesting Gadgets (2), Amused Cryptozoologist (2)

Hook: His past comes back to bite him

Rex the Wonder Lab

To the world, Rex appears as an average black Labrador retriever who loves dog treats and chasing after birds who get to close to his porch. And this is all true. Rex is also more intelligent than an average dog, coming from a canine bloodline bred to hunt down monsters. He is protective of everybody at CIZR, but he has a definite love for his master William and Cassilda (who always sneaks him doggy treats). Any attacks or threats to either of them will result in an angry, angry dog who is a lot smarter than people imagine.

Unnervingly Intelligent Black Labrador (4), Hunter of Game on Land, Sea and Air (3), Tracker of the Unnatural (3)

Hook: Still a Dog

Buffy Characters Using Risus

I have been thinking about Risus lately. This is particularly inspired by blogs such as Greywulf and his recent Risus Supers posts , Dr. Rotwang's recent Swashbuckling characters, and the fun that is Risus Monkey. The flexibility of the system and the ease of character creation means I have a bunch of characters laying in notebooks and scratch paper waiting to come out.

Here are some Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters I created about five years ago. The time of these characters is set after the Buffy finale “Chosen”. Melissa Rickow was once of the hundreds of girls and women awakened by the Slayer empowerment. As she was taking classes at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, this was problematic. Her life became more complicated when her older brother came back from his college and old family friends reappeared. And when a handsome man becomes interested in her, Melissa may be forced to kill the ritualist if the magic he wields overwhelms him.

Melissa Rickow

A recent Activated Slayer, Melissa is a reluctant but deadly foe of the demons that haunt the Fox Valley of Central Wisconsin.

Reluctant But Ready Vampire Slayer [4], Beautiful Chemistry Whiz (3), Buddhism Enthusiast (2), Calm Surveyor of the Situation (1)

Hook: Still Unsure of Her Strength and Prowess

Christopher Rickow

Christopher was a promising college athlete until he suddenly dropped out to help his sister. He has no other monster slaying abilities other than a strong right hook and a collection of odd knowledge.

All Around Charismatic Athlete (4), Overprotective Older Brother of the Slayer (3), Master of Odd Jobs That Help Pay the Bills (2), Closet Sci-Fi Movie Fan (1)

Hook: Risks Himself Unnecessarily for Others

Leland Rickow (L’Lor of Tarn)

When Melissa and Chris’ parents died mysteriously, a demon clan repaid a debt to the Rickow family. A Tarnian Master of Arms was sent to protect the Rickow children. Fighting vampires and demons regularly is a bonus.

Tarnian Master of Arms Sworn to Protect the Rickow Children (4), Silent But Deadly Bodyguard (3), Stone and Mineral Collector (2), Master of Mirth (1)

Hook: Makes Normal People Uneasy Even When Appearing Human

Megan Reynolds

Megan followed Chris when he left college, hoping to score a great human-interest story (and maybe more). What she stumbled upon was the secret war of the Slayers, and her curiosity was set afire.

Plucky College Reporter (4), Reluctant Scion of Old, Old Money (3), and Ex-Cheerleader Whose Flexibility is Surprising (2), Fencing Club Captain (1)

Hook: Ridiculous Curiosity

Philip Wentforth-Smythe IV

Philip is the youngest member of the Wentforth-Smythe family on sabbatical in the United States. He comes from a long line of magicians who touched both white and dark magic. He interest in the Slayer is part professional, part personal.

Brooding Aristocrat Far Away From Home (4), Master of Esoteric Ritual Magic (3), Cultural Adept Traveler (2), Emotional Recluse (1)

Hook: Rigid Code of Personal Conduct

Torg. Powered by Risus. Some Thoughts.

Had this thought at work: Running Torg using Risus as an engine.

Some ideas:

*Character creation would use 10 to 15 dice for picking cliches.

*Each players get 2 dice in a named home reality cliche. If you're from the cosm (reality) of the Nile Empire you would have Reality [Nile Empire] (2). A player could use dice given in character creation to raise the dice in the Reality cliche. A Reality cliche can be used in a fight to represent a Storm Knight using his home reality's rules to his/her's advantage. The GM can devise other uses.

*"Storm Knight" is added to one of the cliche descriptors.

*Cosms themselves can be rated like a character. Each Cliche can be used for or against a player, or to add flavor to an encounter. I got this idea from High Octane, a Risus supplement by Vin Diakuw. (Link below)

Sample Reality I Made Up:

Orrore Romano, the Italian Horror Movie Reality

Description: This reality is a brightly colored but deadly place. On the surface it appears to be similiar to Earth circa 1980. Underneath the normalcy is a nightmarish world of demons, zombies, witches, psychotic killers, and mad scientists. Over them all rule the Three Mothers, the Ladies of Sorrow who seek to bring their dark dominion over the earth. But there are those who fight the darkness, and each victory keeps the darkness at bay.

Cliches: Italian Horror Movie Reality (3), Monster Infested (3), Dark Undercurrent of Nightmare (2), Fighters Against the Darkness (2)

*Possibilities could be represented as a pool of extra dice that can be spent to add to rolls or other Risus tricks from the main rules or the Risus Companion (all up to the DMs discretion, of course.)

This is just a collection of thoughts. I may do something with this idea someday.

Torg on Wikipedia

Risus the Anything RPG: The current version of the rules onling.

Storm Knights: Jasyn Jones' Torg website. Chock full of great material for the Torg game. I wish I could come up with stuff like this.

High Octane: The inspiration of the Reality Cliches idea by Vin Diakuw.

Random City: Three Characters for Risus

I loves me some Risus, written by the diabolical S. John Ross. I believe that it is one of the best free RPGs of all time. Risus is a deceptively simple 6 pages of solid RPG power that can run anything imaginable. I also like to use Risus as roleplaying shorthand to describe characters. You can find more about Risus and download a copy of the rules on this handy dandy Risus home page here.

The characters below are from one of those projects I never really got off the ground. It was to be a collection of characters for Modern Dark Science Fantasy type settings using Risus as the game crunch. Think Disney's Gargoyles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Army of Darkness, etc. I didn’t have a definitive setting in mind, so in the initial notes I used the name Random City as a setting reference. The name stuck in my mind, so I’m using it here.

Detective Jack Chaykin, Random City Police Department

Description: While many of Random City’s police force try to avoid the strangeness of the city, Detective Jack Chaykin relishes it. His unfasability has made him the Random City Police Department’s unofficial liaison with the Supernormal community. It is a role Jack has come to love. Yet he is troubled by recent events that may make him chose between his friends and the force.

Clichés: Unfazable Police Detective (4), Cheerful Weirdness Magnet (3), A Friend to All (3), Gourmet Cook (2)

Hook: Torn Between Duty and Friends. Jack takes a penalty in situations where he must chose between friends and duty.

Sofia Eastman, Robot Huntress

Description: A refugee from an alternate earth controlled by a benevolent robotic empire. Sofia Eastman is a hunter of rogue robots who threaten both humans and robot. In her world she was charged to eliminate mechanoids who had gone “crazy”. An Interdimensional Crisis that ravaged the multiverse 2 years before brought Sofia to this world. In Random City, Sofia has found a niche as a police consultant dealing with rogue robots and psychotic AIs.

Clichés: Obsessively Focused Robot Huntress (4), Urban Survivalist From Another Earth (3), Borderline Psychotic Driver (2), Police Consultant Because She Has Nothing Better to Do (2)

Hook: No Social Skills Whatever: Sofia takes a penalty in most social situations due to her lifetime dedication to being a robot hunter.

Dr. Daniel Straub, Genetic Scientist

Description: The upswing in the appearance of Supernormals of all stripes had led many scientists to try to crack the secrets of their powers and abilities. Dr. Daniel Straub, a former government employee, has set up shop in Random City to study such powers. His intentions are to discover and codify the sources of these abilities, and explore the strange one he has developed. Dr. Straub has found himself drawn into the conflicts in Random City; he is no longer merely an observer anymore.

Clichés: Ex-Government Genetic Scientist (4), Surprisingly Efficient Street Brawler (3). Collector of Strange Fortean Facts (3), Remote Viewing Novice (2)

Hooks: His Past. Dr. Straub’s past has a habit of bursting back into his life at the most inopportune times.

I got the pictures above through Google Images. They are Neal McDonough, Lisa Ann Russell, and Andrew Divoff, respectively. I'm also thinking of doing stats for these character in other rules. Maybe, maybe not. Hope you enjoy.