La Tarea SQA

Personality/Motivation: Caber isn’t just a brute by appearance, he’s a brute by nature. He cares little about most other people, focusing only on what he wants or the assignments given him by his boss.

The only thing he’s ever really been good at in his life is hurting people, and he enjoys doing so; he gets a perverse thrill out of snapping someone’s leg in two or beating a man to a pulp.

The only thing Caber enjoys as much as hurt-ing people is soccer. He’s a die-hard soccer fan;

it’s hard to roust him away from the TV if one of his favorite teams is playing (though he’ll jump to obey any order of Charlemagne’s; the man scares even him). He has a hatred of smoking (as several of Charlemagne’s other flunkies quickly found out after he was hired), and will force anyone in his presence to snuff out a lit cigarette or cigar imme-diately. On more than one occasion he’s put out a stubborn smoker’s cigarette by ramming it into the smoker’s eye and then shoving the now-extin-guished butt down the smoker’s throat.

Quote: ::cracks knuckles:: “I’m gonna have to ask y’

again to pay the money y’owe Mr. Charlemagne. I won’t be askin’ a third time.”

Powers/Tactics: Caber is a big, enormously strong brute of a man. One punch from him is often enough to knock a man out, and if he gets his hands on one of his foes, broken bones are a likely result.

But Caber’s got more to use in a fight than just a punch. For one thing, he’s picked up some dirty fighting maneuvers on the streets, so he doesn’t just have to slug it out Phase after Phase if that’s not working. For times when fisticuffs won’t get the job done, he carries a .45 pistol in a shoul-der holster, a .38 in an ankle holster, and a knife mounted horizontally on the back of his belt so his suit jacket hides it; he can get other weapons from Charlemagne if necessary. He has a sentimental attachment to the .45, which he took from first man he ever killed; he’d go to considerable lengths to get it back if he lost it.

Campaign Use: Caber is pretty much a garden-vari-ety thug, enforcer, and legbreaker (and thus a good

“template” for many such Heroic bricks), with a few background and personality twists to make him interesting. His role is to provide muscle for Char-lemagne, which means he’s someone a group of PCs pursuing Charlemagne will encounter frequently.

Caber usually doesn’t Hunt people unless Charlemagne orders him to. But he’s got a long memory for “wrongs” done to him, and if he encounters someone who hurt or inconvenienced him in the past, he’ll make sure to take it out on them now.

To make Caber tougher, give him more “brick tricks” appropriate to his character type (includ-ing beefing up his Damage Reduction to 50%). To

weaken him, reduce his STR to 20 and his other Charac-teristics proportionately.

Appearance: Caber’s an enormous bear of a man, standing over six and a half feet tall with a bodybuilder’s muscles and thick black hair and beard. His boss makes him dress in dark men’s suits, but he finds a way to loosen his tie and unbutton the first button on his shirt as soon as possible. He speaks with a distinctive Scottish accent that makes him stand out in the Hudson City underworld.

CABER PLOT SEEDS

While attending an exhibition soccer match in Hudson City, Caber gets drunk and starts a brawl... which turns into a riot that engulfs sev-eral neighborhoods. The police have announced a reward for anyone who brings in the man who started the riot. All the PCs have to do is find and catch Caber....

During a bar brawl, Caber hurts a promi-nent politican’s son so badly that the son ends up partly crippled for life. The word’s out on the street that the poli-tician’s offering a gener-ous bounty to whoever brings him Caber’s head.

But is this true, or a lie spread by one of Char-lemagne’s rivals?

A group of Scottish crooks whom Caber used to work for, and betrayed, comes to Hudson City seeking vengeance. But they’re so violent and uncon-trolled that they may hurt a lot of innocent civilians while they look for him... unless the PCs stop them.

BURGIDA Movement: Running: 12”/24”

Cost Powers END

Martial Arts: Weapons Combat Maneuver OCV DCV Notes

4 Forceful Smash: Does Knockback (+¼) for 30 STR; Requires A DEX Roll (-¾) 1 1 Sturdy: Damage Resistance (1 PD/1 ED) 0 12 Long Legs: Running +6” (12” total) 1 4 Reach: Stretching 1”, Reduced Endurance

(0 END; +½); Always Direct (-¼), No Noncombat Stretching (-¼), No Velocity

Damage (-¼) 0

8-1 AK: Northern Mitharia 8-2 AK: The Westerlands 11-2 KS: Giants And Giant Culture 11-2 KS: Orcs And Their Kin

11-2 Language: Kuldrar (fluent conversation; Ves-trian is Native)

2 Language: Trade-Tongue (fluent conversa-tion)

3 Stealth 13-3 Tactics 12-1 Tracking 8-1 Trading

8-4 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons

Total Powers & Skills Cost: 91 Total Cost: 252

75+ Disadvantages

10 Enraged: if insulted or taunted (Common), go 8-, recover

14-15 Hunted: Skarill 11- (Mo Pow, Limited Geo-graphical Area [Greyward Mountains], Kill) 15 Hunted: Brotherhood Of Shadow 11- (Mo

Pow, Limited Geographical Area [Aarn], Kill) 5 Physical Limitation: Large, up to twice

human size and/or mass (4m, or 2”) (Burgida is at -2 DCV, and others receive +2 on their PER Rolls to perceive her) (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing)

15 Psychological Limitation: Heroic (Common, Strong)

117 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 252 EQUIPMENT

Weapon OCV/RMod Damage STUN STR Min Shots

Great Mace 0/— 2d6 0 15 —

Greatsword +1/— 2d6 0 17 —

Dagger# 0/— 1d6-1 0 6 —

Armor: Chainmail (DEF 6)

Gear: Tent and bedroll, flint and tinder, hunting horn, lantern, one flask of oil, one week’s rations, heavy warhorse

Clothing: When adventuring, a sturdy tunic and trews suitable to the climate, with a robe or cloak in cold weather; when not adventuring, fine (but not ostentatious or rich) clothing appropriate to the place and occasion

Background/History: Burgida is a half-giantess; her father was a warrior and adventurer from Vestria, her mother a stone giantess from the Greyward Mountains. She lived with her mother’s people for a time, but was scorned as too small and puny. So she went to live with her father’s people, preferring to be regarded as large and “clumsy” instead.

Given her strength and size, it was natural that she’d take an interest in the arts of war. Her father tutored her as best he could, imparting all his skill and warrior’s wisdom, but eventually she had to develop her own style of fighting to take advantage of her size and strength.

After she completed her training, Burgida chose to become an adventurer; the discipline and regimentation required of soldiers and city guards just wasn’t for her. After adventuring with many dif-ferent companions for a year or two, she fell in with an adventuring company called the Vestrian Fire-Eaters (since most of them came from Vestria or lands nearby), and has been with them ever since.

They’ve had many thrilling adventures, includ-ing several clashes with the Orcs and Ogres of the Greyward Mountains, and an escapade in which they beat the Brotherhood of Shadow (an Aarnese thieves’ guild) to a fabulous treasure.

Personality/Motivation: Burgida is a kind-hearted and heroic warrior who thinks nothing of putting her life and property on the line to save innocent folk from harm, or to destroy evil beings and mon-sters. Not only does she genuinely enjoy helping people, but she loves the excitement of battle and risk-taking for a good cause. When not adventur-ing, she usually finds some worthy way to spend her time, such as using her enormous strength to help a poor farmer build a new barn.

Burgida remembers being picked on as a child, and the memories still hurt. She doesn’t take well to being teased or insulted, even by people she likes, and may react violently to any taunting. (The GM may increase her chance of becoming Enraged if the person insulting her is someone she dislikes or hates.)

Quote: “Are you just full of talk, little man? Or can you actually fight?”

Powers/Tactics: As a half-giantess, Burgida is much taller and stronger than even the biggest human or orcish warriors, and she puts her strength to good use in battle. She’s developed a style of weapons combat that takes advantage of her abilities, and favors weapons like great maces and greatswords that allow her to inflict tremendous wounds at a single blow. Her size gives her an extra game inch of reach, and she’s not averse to using it to hit her foes with her large weapons before they’re within range to hit her back. And if she really “puts her shoulder into it” (as she says), she can deliver a punch that often sends her foes flying (i.e., which does Knockback).

Burgida usually fights with two-handed weap-ons and doesn’t bother with a shield, since her size makes her so easy to hit anyway; she relies on her natural resilience to shrug off the effects of attacks.

But if necessary, she can wield her weapon in one hand and carry a tower shield in the other.

Campaign Use: Burgida is an unusual NPC hero who would make an enjoyable encounter for most groups of PCs. Given her height, she might seem threatening or dangerous at first, but anyone who treats her fairly and gets to know her soon discov-ers what a good pdiscov-erson she is. She might even become a romantic interest for a male PC, assum-ing he’s man enough to fall in love with a woman who’s so much stronger than he.

Burgida doesn’t really Hunt people. If she’s on the trail of an evildoer as part of an adventure, she won’t rest until she’s caught him, but she doesn’t make a point of tracking down people who’ve harmed her. She just waits until they meet again and takes her revenge then.

To make Burgida tougher, give her a few “brick tricks,” such as some Damage Reduction or the like.

To weaken her, reduce her STR and other Charac-teristics appropriately, emphasizing her “human”

half instead of her “giant” blood.

Appearance: Burgida stands nearly twelve feet tall, and has long, flowing red hair that would make her stand out in a crowd even if her height did not. When adventuring, she usually wears a chain-mail hauberk over leather garb; at other times she dresses appropriately for the occasion. Her favored weapon is a great mace scaled to her size, but she usually carries a similarly-sized greatsword in a back sheath as well.

BURGIDA PLOT SEEDS

Burgida finds herself getting weaker and weaker for some reason.

Unable to figure out what’s going on, she turns to the PCs for help.

Burgida approaches the PCs with a proposi-tion. In some old giant lore-books she’s found information about a fabulous treasure, but it’s too well-guarded for her to obtain herself. She wants to team up with them to complete the adventure and split the profits equally.

The PCs (who know and like Burgida) receive a message from the Broth-erhood of Shadow. It claims to have captured her, and threatens to kill her if the PCs don’t undertake a mission for it. Is the note real, or just an attempt to trick the PCs into doing the Brotherhood’s dirty work?

SYGYL Movement: Running: 7”/14”

Leaping: 6”/12”

Cost Powers END

40 Thaumaturgic Tattoos: Multipower, 100-point reserve; all Costs Endurance (-½), Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires A Thaumaturgy Roll (-½)

3u 1) Tattoo Of Might: Aid STR and PD 5d6, two Characteristics at once (+½), Delayed Return Rate (points fade at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +½); Costs Endurance (-½), Ges-tures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires A Thaumaturgy Roll (-½), 8 Charges

(-½) [8]

2u 2) Tattoo Of The Swallow’s Flight: Aid DEX 5d6, Delayed Return Rate (points fade at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +½);

Costs Endurance (-½), Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires A

Thaumaturgy Roll (-½), 4 Charges (-1) [4]

2u 3) Wildform Tattoos: Multiform (32 animals built on up to 300 Character Points); Costs Endurance (to change forms; -½), Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires A Thaumaturgy Roll (-½), Visible (-¼), 4 Charges (-1) [4]

Martial Arts: Staff-Fighting

Maneuver OCV DCV Damage/Effect

4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 3 Breakfall 13-3 Climbing 13-3 AK: Mhorecia

12-2 KS: Arcane And Occult Lore 11-2 KS: Thaumaturgy

11-3 Stealth 13-27 Thaumaturgy

24-6 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Staffs, Slings

Total Powers & Skills Cost: 146 Total Cost: 237

75+ Disadvantages 10 Destitute

15 Hunted: evil wizard who wants to steal the secret and powers of his tattoos 8- (Mo Pow, Capture/Kill)

15 Hunted: wicked noble whom he defeated and humiliated 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Limited Geographical Area, Kill)

15 Psychological Limitation: Code Of Honor (must help those in need) (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Vow Of Poverty

And Asceticism (Common, Moderate) 10 Vulnerable: 2 x Effect from Thaumaturgy

attacks (Uncommon) 87 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 237 EQUIPMENT

Weapon OCV/RMod Damage STUN STR Min Shots Quarterstaff +1/— 5d6 N — 15 —

Dagger# 0/— 1d6-1 0 6 —

Sling 0/-1 1d6+1 +1 8 20

Armor: None

Gear: As an impoverished ascetic, Sygyl carries little in the way of personal possessions — usually no more than a bedroll, flint and tinder, and a few days’ worth of food. He may have more gear if he’s heading out on an adventure or expecting to need a specific item.

Clothing: Loincloth or kilt-like garment

Background/History: Sygyl is an unusual sort of wizard. A practitioner of the Art of Thaumaturgy, he belongs to a small group of Mhorecian thauma-turges who don’t cast spells in the usual fashion.

Instead, they tattoo certain thaumaturgic runes and mystic symbols on their bodies, and can then call on the power of those tattoos a certain number of times per day.

Since completing his training with the order and receiving the last of his tattoos, Sygyl has wan-dered the length and breadth of Mhorecia, helping others and having adventures. He’s never worked

with the same group of adventurers for more than a few months, preferring to walk his own path.

Personality/Motivation: Sygyl’s order requires that its members take vows of poverty and asceticism, so Sygyl eschews all worldly possessions and dis-play. He owns almost nothing and doesn’t draw attention to himself if he can avoid it; in fact, he rarely speaks. He subjects himself to all sorts of suffering — hunger, cold weather, sleeping on hard ground or floors — that other people go to great lengths to avoid. If he gains any treasure or money during his adventures, he gives it away to deserving people (the poor, temples that serve the commu-nity, paladins in need of gold to fund an expedition against evil, and so forth).

Sygyl’s order also requires him to take an oath to help people in need. This is a fairly broad code of honor; it ranges from fighting to protect inno-cent peasants from exploitation by an evil noble or attacks by raiding Orc-bands, to helping a worthy priest build a new temple for his congregation, to finding a way to alleviate the drought and famine afflicting a particular region. Each member of the order is free to fulfill the oath as he wishes; for Sygyl, that usually means standing up to evil and fighting it, or going on an adventure to find the money or magic needed to save people from harm.

Quote: “Sometimes those who speak the least speak the loudest.”

Powers/Tactics: Sygyl may not look like a typical Fantasy Hero brick, but with his Tattoo Of Might active, he typically fights with 30 STR or more

— definitely a brick-class combatant! However, he doesn’t just use his enhanced STR to punch his enemies; he fights with grace, speed, and intelli-gence. He favors the quarterstaff as a weapon — but his quarterstaff is thicker and heavier than normal, with iron studs set into it for about the length of a hand on either end, so it does more damage than a standard staff and can withstand the strength of the blows he delivers.

But enhanced STR isn’t Sygyl’s only thauma-turgic power. By activating other tattoos, he can augment his agility (i.e., his DEX), or even trans-form into the shape of various animals. However, whereas he can activate his increased STR and PD eight times a day, he can only use the other tattoos four times per day each, so he chooses when to call on their power carefully.

When Sygyl activates a tattoo, it glows briefly in a noticeable way. While the Wildform tattoos have a stylistic resemblance to the animal whose shape he assumes, the appearance of the Aid-based ones doesn’t provide any clue as to their function...

but someone who sees him activate one of them one time may remember what it does if they meet again.

Unfortunately, Sygyl’s tattoos have one side effect: by attuning his body so thoroughly to Thau-maturgy, they render it Vulnerable to thaumaturgic attacks by other wizards. For example, it’s much easier for a Thaumaturge to affect him with The Bestial Curse of Phogorath Taam or Vandicar’s Spell of Stony Doom than it would otherwise be.

Campaign Use: Sygyl is an NPC hero who might help the PCs (or oppose them, if he thinks they’re harming people in some way). Given the limited nature of his magic, he should be able to contribute to the group’s success without overshadowing the PCs. He might even lead them into adventure, per-haps by persuading them to help him destroy some evil.

Sygyl doesn’t Hunt heroes, but he might start Hunting an evil person (or a misunderstood PC) if he fought that person but failed to defeat him. As a Hunter, he simply follows his quarry’s trail until he finds him, then attacks using all the powers at his command.

To make Sygyl stronger, give him more tattoos, or let the ones he has remain in effect longer (i.e., increase their Delayed Return Rate). To weaken him, reduce the Active Points in his tattoo powers, and/or the number of Charges they have.

Appearance: Sygyl typically wears nothing but a loincloth or kilt, leaving the rest of his body on display. He looks like an odd cross between a strong-thewed warrior and a lean ascetic; he’s thin and wiry, with the corded muscles on his arms and legs showing through the skin. He has mystic runes, symbols, and pictograms tattooed all over his arms, chest, and legs. He’s completely bald and clean-shaven.

SYGYL PLOT SEEDS

A small, strange animal

— a squirrel or fox, for example, perhaps with slightly unusual color-ation — helps the PCs, then seems to try to communicate with them or lead them some-where. It’s Sygyl, who’s somehow been forced to remain in animal form and wants the PCs to help restore him to his normal shape.

Sygyl’s thaumaturgic tattoos stop working properly — sometimes they fail to function, sometimes they func-tion in unpredictable ways. He asks the PCs to help him find out what’s happened to him.

Sygyl decides to get a powerful new thau-maturgic tattoo. This requires certain rare and valuable substances for the tattoo ink, and he asks the PCs to help him

Sygyl decides to get a powerful new thau-maturgic tattoo. This requires certain rare and valuable substances for the tattoo ink, and he asks the PCs to help him