A Killer Whale Fixer and Dream Sequences
Cyberpunk NPC, an Interview, The Screening Room, News, and So Much More...
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The Admiral - Cyberpunk NPC Fixer
A while back, I created some setting notes for Cyberpunk RED. I was reading about Africa at the time, so I set it in Lagos. Here’s a link. It’s free.
When I ran some sessions set in it, I created a fixer for the campaign. He was an uplifted killer whale who called himself The Admiral. I thought I’d share a bit about him.
Handle: The Admiral
Real Name: Brutus (U.S. Navy designation)
Species: Orcinus orca superius
Cyber Enhancements: Intelligence boosted, cyber eyes, skin armor, improved reflexes
Education: Advanced planning and strategy, mine detection, covert operations, recovery operations, demolitions, hacking
Experience: Participated in many missions, including combat, assassination, mine location and defusing, and rescue and recovery
Appearance: A large killer whale with various cyber implants. The right eye and the right side of the tail are missing
Personality: Cool and calculating, he has great patience but acts swiftly and without mercy. The job is all that matters, but he won’t cross the U.S. Navy
Current Occupation: A fixer who has many operatives throughout the city that he uses to accomplish tasks for high-profile clients
Background: The Admiral was captured young and trained and enhanced by the U.S. Navy. He was discharged from Navy service after being injured on a mission. Now he lives in a huge water tank housed in a secure warehouse and guarded by a loyal security force headed by a woman who calls herself Bowyer. He speaks through a voice synthesizer that has a South African accent. He only allows trusted associates to know the location of his headquarters.
Another Interview!
I was interviewed by Indie Comic Empire. We discuss how and why I started Dicegeeks and the issues with self-publishing.
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The Screening Room
Game Masters can draw inspiration from movies to create better, more engaging sessions.
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Sidekicks (1992)
Yeah, yeah, I’m still watching Chuck Norris movies. I am sure I had seen Sidekicks (1992) before, but I didn’t remember much about it. I recalled liking it and that Norris played himself, but not much else.
I had certainly forgotten that it starred not one but two of my early teen crushes: Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) and Julia Nickson (Rambo 2, Star Trek: TNG “The Arsenal of Freedom”). Both would appear in guest roles on Babylon 5 as well.
I had also forgotten that Jonathan Brandis, who played the main character in Sidekicks, took his life in 2003. Science fiction fans will remember him from SeaQuest DSV, where he played the genius Lucas Wolenczak.
This movie is ridiculous, over the top, and totally awesome (to me, at least). It is a strange mix of hero worship, homages, slapstick comedy, and The Karate Kid. The young hero imagines that he is Chuck Norris’s sidekick and that they are always rescuing his beautiful teacher. This is played out in elaborate sequences referencing other Norris movies.
It doesn’t have the character development or a real sense of the character learning martial arts like The Karate Kid, but what other movie does? I probably like it because I imagined myself in nearly all of Norris’s movies, just like the main character does.
RPG Takeaway
Dream sequences and possibly flashbacks can be used to enhance character depth or reveal information.
Flashbacks or character vignettes can be role-played at the beginning of a session for a few minutes to develop backstory. One character can be featured each session.
When characters are sleeping by the campfire in the wilderness, the GM can give them a dream, or at the worst time possible, like during combat. This can be fun and really give players a jolt.
The dream doesn’t have to be about the future or the quest, but it certainly can be. It can also be something from the character’s past or backstory, such as a vision of a lost loved one or family member calling out to be rescued.
Use your imagination.
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