So far then, I’ve generated lots of ground pounders, but only one Tanker. If this solo sandbox campaign is going to go places on the map, the group will need more in the tank for, well, being in a tank. So I need to push the next couple of characters into specialisms with a bit more punch – vehicles, armour, heavy weapons, combat engineers, maybe even a Ranger or SpecFor. But if I’m capping the PCs at eight, I only have three left to play with.
John Lennon Felder is a 26 year old Tank Crew (Driver), enlisted 2LT in an armoured unit attached to the US 1-156 Armour of the 256th Brigade of the 5th Division. He was born and raised in Fresno, California. John worked as a bartender in Fresno before enlisting when war broke out.
Using UNE (Universal NPC Emulator) by Zach Best to roll up some of John’s backstory and character, we generate the following descriptors: “A docile hermit who embraces medicines, progresses allies, and damages music.“
“Docile hermit” tells me that John boy keeps himself to himself and is quite slow to emotions. He loves being a tanker as he can just get his head down and get on with his job: driving. The noise of the engines and sometimes battle mean that he can just nod and wave without having to say much, and he can always pretend not to hear anything that he doesn’t want to respond to.
“Embraces medicines” John has a tendency to rely on medication as the solution to pretty much anything and everything. He’d probably get addicted if only there was enough supply. But as far as John is concerned, you can forget positive thinking, eating healthy, or sleeping it off. Just give him a pill for whatever it is so that he can shrug it off and keep going.
“Progresses allies” shows that side of John which is loyal to the last. John will do whatever he can to help his buddies once he sees that they need it.
“Damages music” is the unfortunate truth that no matter how hard he tries, John is tone deaf and unmusical to the point where he could be used to torture enemy POWs.
I’m liking John already and his traits and foibles seem pretty much in keeping with a tanker driver.
Next up I’m going to use SOLO by Paul Elliott to generate some background for John. Let’s see if his three Life Events will confirm some of the secrets and mystery of his past:
- John realised that his parents hated him. Wowsers, that’s a heavy one to lay on anybody, and it does explain why John might be so docile and quiet as a hermit-type – his entire childhood was about retreating into his head and his own little world in order to avoid people. It also explains why he enlisted, to get away from his folks.
- John was helped in a time of terrible crisis by a friend. He/she is a contact. John was helped by his good buddy Leif when he moved out of his parents home at 18 years old. Leif is somewhere back home and John will try to find his old friend when he eventually gets back to Cali.
- John was once caught up in some political turmoil in which he was the villain. John favoured the civilian government back in America, and this has made him unpopular among his current MIL buddies who tend to support the MILGOV and not the CIVGOV.
Stat development:
- Fitness 14
- Agility 6
- Constitution 10
- Stature 7
- Intelligence 10
- Education 13
- TOTAL: 60
- Strength 10
- HITS: Head 10 Chest 27 Others 17
- Weight 68kg (about 150lbs)
- Load 27kg
- Throw Range 20m
- Military Experience 8
- Time In Combat 17 months
- Coolness Under Fire 6
- RADS 33
- Age 26
- Rank 2LT ARMOUR
- Army US
- Nationality American
- Native Language LNG(English)100
- Military Skill Points 320
- Education Skill Points 260
- Background Skill Points 300
Skills:
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