Thursday, February 20, 2014

CYBER-PULP FANTASY CORE-NPC Associates Continued

CYBER-PULP FANTASY CORE
© Jerry Harris 2013
(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)
Overview Index 

NPC's and Monsters Index

Samantha the Half-Elf Techno-Bard
Sam runs the B-Board, the premier Net sites for the Shadow World.  Here’s where people find you to purchase your services.  It’s Sam’s reporting on events in the Shadows that gives you and your Crew your reputation there.  Think of her site as the future, underground version of the Drudge Report.  There’s no point in trying to butter her up or get on her good side.  What Sam wants is information.  If you uncover a juicy tidbit about the inner workings of Corporate world or various national secrets and can back them up, she’ll pay well for it (in XP, of course).  So now you know where to file your Crew’s reports about your jobs.  If Sam doesn’t play favorites, at least she doesn’t hold grudges either.  From her point of view, there’s no telling when somebody will have something worthwhile for her.

The B-Board is all-virtual and not connected to a physical Salon, unlike many other social websites.  (The Black Hole salon is the closest thing to an official Zero hangout.)  Sam is officially a persona non grata to the Corporate world for publishing their secrets, but on some level, she’s also a tool for them.  Her reports might destroy one Corporation, thus benefiting several others.  Also, all the Suits kinda hope to someday be famous or infamous enough to end up on the B-Board.  It’s a status symbol for that clique as well. 

Sam, herself along with her editors, stringers, and reporters, are all deeply undercover.  If you need to physically meet her to pass something along, she’ll give you the time and place.  Samantha’s well connected enough in the Shadows and in the Corporate world that she should never really fear arrest or attack, but she has to keep up appearances.  Speaking of which, every so often, Sam will show up at a public event perhaps with an escort, just to give the gossip sites something to chat about.  She’s also one of the most beautiful, and eligible, celebrities in Corp-America.  

HD 7 (d6), Hp 22, AC 11 (none, +1 Dex bonus)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Wis +7
Melee: You’re kidding right?
Ranged: No, none of that either.
(Sam never goes anywhere without a security escort of Urban Rangers and others, some in plain sight, some hidden.  Who knows, maybe your Crew might get a call?)

Skills
Hacking +1 (She doesn’t even have a Data Jack)
Intimidate (Psychologically) +8
Charm +8 (Her Cha Bonus is +5, by the way, thanks to some really good, magically enhanced cosmetic surgery and natural good looks)
Knowledge (virtually anything) +6 off the top of her head (DC 12 general, DC 18 exact), but she can find out anything non-secret in a turn, DC 18 to find out a secret in one day, if it can be found out.
In spite of the Bard tag, Sam can’t sing or play an instrument, but she can certainly Charm people in person and Rally them via her website.


Little Man Nate the Gnome Artificer/Engineer. 
Nate specializes in enchanting mechanical and cyber devices.  He’s unpleasant and expensive, but he’s the best.  His workshop and large estate are well protected by various custom defensive devices.  Don’t even bother trying to hack his system, you might get something magical coming at you over the Net.  Nate’s pretty paranoid, even for a Gnome who’s survived the Extinction event.  He will leave his estate for an interesting magical find, and he’ll need some escort for the trip (ahem, characters).  Like most Gnomes, he deeply despises any Humanoid.  Just a warning for any Half-Orcs in the group.   

He can permanently enchant weapons for 5 XP.  Nate’s also your source for magical knowledge and item identification.  He’ll do the minor stuff in return for running an errand for him.  Being nearly a shut-in, he always has stuff that he needs done. 

HD 7 (d6), Hp 28, AC 16 (+4 Magic Shirt-Faithful, +2 Dex bonus)
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +4
Melee: +2 Magic Dagger (Hurt) +10 to hit, 1d4+3 + Full Humanoids must make a DC 12 Fort Sv or die, everyone else KO 1 turn
Ranged: +2 Magic Repeating Crossbow (Remember) +10 to hit, 1d8+2 + Full Humanoids must make a DC 12 Fort Sv or die, everyone else KO 1 turn, 6 shots, S
(Yes, he’s very Old School.)
Software +6
Hardware/Artifice (enchanting) +8, This guy can basically craft anything given time and materials.  Only roll if working on some item in the field. 
Identify +6 if in a rush, can eventually identify any magical item in a day.

Gargoyle
Nate maintains several statue guards at his estate.  They will raise an alarm and attack any intruders.  Any attack on Nate there will bring them within 2 rds.  He has been known to lend them out to help with various errands.  All of the Gargoyles are permanently telepathically bonded to Nate and only accept his orders.

HD 4 (d8+19), Hp 37, AC 16* (Only vulnerable to magic, plasma, lasers)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4
Melee: Up to 3 att/rd, +6 to hit, 2 Claws, 1d4+2 and Bite +4 to hit, 1d6+1
Or Gore Charge +4 melee 2d6+1 + Stun 1 rd

Freeze in statue form, does have a magical aura

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