So by now I’m thinking – “How many characters am I going to roll up for this T2K solo sandbox campaign?” – and the answer is: I’m not sure, but somewhere between 4 and 8 I think. 4 is about the minimum number of PCs I’d like to go with, and of course they would need several sidekicks in the long run in order to survive and go toe to toe with some of the bigger encounters. 8 is about the maximum number of heads that I want to be hopping in and out of as I solo the campaign. Any more than that and I think I’d be overheating my brain.
So this is character number 4 in the #FebGameWriMo #charactercreationchallenge run that I am currently on. In many ways, I’m just impressed with myself that I’ve done something for four days on the trot. It would be typically me to do a few days and then get distracted for weeks before returning. I think I can attribute some stickability here to my embracing the Cult of Done approach – just get it done and win ugly. By putting everything on here – finished / unfinished; pretty / unpretty; etc. I am feeling like this is a place where I can be creative on the daily. Like this really is my daily ‘commonplace book’ where I can jot down my thoughts and notes and play in the sandbox. OK, digression complete.
Character number 4 then could potentially be my final one, if they turn out to be a bit of a hero type who can hold their own a bit more. The first three are all OK and interesting, but nobody is standing out as a lone warrior sort as yet – they all feel as if they need each other in order to survive. Maybe #4 will turn out to be more of a Chuck Norris? Let’s find out.
Demarcus Underwood is a 29 year old Infantryman, enlisted 1LT in the 2-156 Infantry of the US 256th Brigade. He was born in Chicago and raised in Northfield, Minnesota. Demarcus worked as a tester in a video games company before enlisting when war broke out.
Using UNE (Universal NPC Emulator) by Zach Best to roll up some of Demarcus’ backstory and character, we generate the following descriptors: “An insensitive traveler who communicates justice, conquers freedom, and abuses affluence.“
“Insensitive traveler” is a great one, I’m chuckling. Is this about how Demarcus is culturally insensitive to the places that he visits and travels through? I feel like he is constantly critical of most places for not being like home, almost as if he blames the region for its war. This might manifest in him offending local customs and traditions, and being a bit boorish at times.
“Communicates justice” Demarcus can tell you what should be happening if things were done fairly. He can point out that this is biased, unfair, arbitrary. He speaks up to point these things out. But does he live up to what he says? Does he conduct his life by those values that he espouses? Watch him closely and you’ll see that he might not.
“Conquers freedom” is a very challenging descriptor, and reeks of opposition to ‘communicates justice’. This descriptor sounds like Demarcus can project his power in order to overcome and imprison others when he decides to, removing their liberty. Alternatively, ‘conquers freedom’ could refer to his mastery of being free, and how nobody does being free like Demarcus Underwood. If you want lessons in how to make the most of freedom, Demarcus is your guy.
“Abuses affluence” sounds like Demarcus is prone to taking advantage of any wealth or abundance that comes his way, past the point of what might be considered reasonable and acceptable. This might also extend to how he regards and treats others who are affluent – Demarcus seeing them as bountiful cash cows to be milked dry.
So once again UNE gave me some pretty interesting character aspects for Demarcus too, and it will be really dynamic getting him involved with the other characters in solo play. These apparently contradictory descriptors will certainly make life interesting around him…
Interesting too that I started out by saying that I wanted a bolder, tougher character that could hold their own, and Demarcus comes along with a bunch of random dice rolls that almost fit that bill. He feels like just the sort of crazy maverick that makes you wince as he gets into a theatre of war and realises that there isn’t much apart from the enemy to stop him doing whatever he likes.
Next up I’m going to use SOLO by Paul Elliott to generate some background for Demarcus. Let’s see if his three Life Events will raise the bar or the roof:
- In the past, Demarcus had to create a new identity for himself. But why? Ok so this is quite a doozy. Is Demarcus his real name, or his new identity? What’s the secret about what made him do this? What could he have done that made a new identity desirable or necessary?
- Demarcus was never told about his origins. What surprises will this throw up? It gets even better! Maybe creating new identities every so often is something that he just does? But I’m going to go with that he was adopted, and the records of his birth parents have never been traced. Demarcus Underwood is just a name that he was assigned, and once he turned 18 and discovered the truth, he felt simultaneously cut down and liberated. He wasn’t anybody – but he could be anybody!
- Demarcus turned an old enemy into a close friend and ally. For this one, I’m going out on a limb and I’m going to say that the next (5th) character that I create here will be a Russian who was once a hated enemy after killing Demarcus’ buddies in an engagement, but who defected after Demarcus and others raided a Russian compound looking to spring some US POWs, only to interrupt this Russian enemy’s court martial by firing squad. Demarcus shot up the firing squad (‘because they had the guns’) and spared the victim (‘he was pretty harmless all tied up and blindfold’). The Russian begged them to take him too along with the POWs, and Demarcus did (figuring that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’.)
Ok so some of those Life Events fit with the Conquers Freedom descriptor to suggest that Demarcus lives a little bit more on the edge of the shadows than most. Fun times are ahead.
Stat development:
- Fitness 17
- Agility 4
- Constitution 6
- Stature 10
- Intelligence 12
- Education 14
- TOTAL: 63
- Strength 13
- HITS: Head 6 Chest 36 Others 16
- Weight 80kg (about 176lbs)
- Load 36kg
- Throw Range 26m
- Military Experience 8
- Time In Combat 28 months
- Coolness Under Fire 3
- RADS 30
- Age 29
- Rank 1LT INFANTRY (failed to enlist as either an Intelligence Analyst or a Combat Medic)
- Army US ARMY
- Nationality American
- Native Language LNG(English)100
- Military Skill Points 320
- Education Skill Points 280
- Background Skill Points 300
Skills: