Sandman: Very fancy jack-of-all-trades.

[Llyarden]

Description

A handsome man in his late twenties (though he looks a good few years younger) with what one might consider a traditionally willowy elven build, in his day-to-day life Juan dresses in the way that only someone who's confident in his good looks - and personal security - would, changing his fashion almost daily with expensive clothes and appropriately costly AR jewellery, with a smartwig and polychromic contacts to round out the look - and an aura around him that leaves onlookers feeling as though there's something special about him. He drives a car that's even flashier than he is, a car in a classic refit that he regularly paints and decorates on a whim. For the few lucky enough to ride along with him, it's like stepping into a world far removed from shadowrunning.

Of course, he isn't stupid enough to dress like that in the shadows. He still dresses in the latest fashions, because even if you want to avoid attention there's nothing wrong with style, but they're more muted in colour and a little harder to identify as being expensive, and his gaudy Phoenix is consigned to the garage while he rides a jet-black bike with a drone prominently attached to the back seat where a trunk would normally be. To cover his face, he uses a big face mask, the visor of which is loaded with visual processing enhancements, and over the whole ensemble he wears fetishes and tokens to appeal to his mentor spirit, the Spider, and spirits of man.

Mechanics

BASICS

Alias: Sandman	Age: 29
Name: Juan Rodruigez	Height: 6'2"
Metatype: Dryad	Weight: 150lbs

PRIORITY

METATYPE	ATTRIBUTES	MAGIC/RESONANCE	SKILLS	RESOURCES
D (Dryad; 3 special)	E (12 attribute points)	B (Magician; 4 Magic + 7 Spells)	D (28 Skills / 2 Skill Groups)	A (450000)

ATTRIBUTES (10 KARMA)

PHYSICAL	Body 210 KARMA	Agility 3 (+1 Muscle Toner)	Reaction 3	Strength 1 (+1 Muscle Augmentation)
MENTAL	Willpower 3	Logic 4	Intuition 2	Charisma 6
SPECIAL	Essence 5.10	Magic 4-1 = 3	Initiative 1d6+5	Edge 1

SKILLS (13 KARMA)

Group Skills Stealth 2 Disguise 2 (6dIncludes +2d from Spider) Palming 2 (8dIncludes +2d from Spider) Sneaking 2 (8dIncludes +2d from Spider) Acting 15 KARMA Con 1 (8dIncludes +1d from Glamour) Impersonation 1 (8dIncludes +1d from Glamour) Performance 1 (8dIncludes +1d from Glamour) Combat Skills Automatics 5 (9d) Throwing Weapons 1 (5d) Unarmed Combat 1 (5d) Magical Active Skills Alchemy 1 (4d) Assensing 4 (6d) Astral Combat 1 (4d) Spellcasting 4From Magic B Priority (7d) Summoning 4From Magic B Priority (7d) Physical Active Skills Gymnastics 1 (5d) Perception 1 (3d) Running 1 (3d) Swimming 12 KARMA (3d+2d when Cyberfins are engaged)   Social Active Skills Etiquette 2 (9dIncludes +1d from Glamour) Negotiation 2 (9dIncludes +1d from Glamour)   Technical Skills Artisan 1 (3d) Automotive Mechanic 1 (5d) Biotechnology 12 KARMA (5d) Computer 1 (5d) Electronic Warfare 1 (5d) First Aid 1 (5d) Hacking 1 (5d) Locksmith 12 KARMA (5d) Medicine 12 KARMA (5d) Vehicle Skills Pilot Ground Craft 1 (4d) Pilot Water Craft 1 (4d)

Knowledge Skills x18 Interests Fashion [Interest] 1 (3d) Language English (N) Spanish 3 (5d) Street Knowledge Area Knowledge [Miami] 3 (5d) Mafia 2 (4d) Academic Skills (half cost due to College Education) Biology 4 (8d) Chemistry 2 (6d) Medicine 4 (8d) Physical 2 (6d) Therapy 6 (10d)

POSITIVE QUALITIES (50 KARMA)

Candle in the Darkness (5)As long as he obeys his Code, all contacts have +2 Loyalty. If he ever breaks it, all contacts have -1 Loyalty.	College Education (4)Academic Knowledge skills are half price at character creation. After character creation, Academic Knowledge skills at rating 3+ have a 1-point Karma cost reduction.	Friends in High Places (8)Has an extra pool of Cha x 4 contact points at character creation, but contacts purchased with these points must have Connection 8 or more.	Glamour (Dryad)+2 to Social Limit and +1d to all Social Skills except Intimidation Automatically has Distinctive Style.	Low-Light Vision (Dryad)Can see normally in light levels as dim as starlight.
Made Man (5)Gains a Group Contact with Connection 1 / Loyalty 3. Can use the Family to fence goods (they get 30% of the sale value) and access the black market at 10% price discount and with +1d for Availability. Must spend 20 hours per week working for the Family.	Mentor Spirit [Spider] (5)He has Spider as his Mentor Spirit, granting +2d to all Stealth skills and +2d to all Manipulation spells. As a Traditionalist Shaman, the spellcasting bonus is increased by a further 1d	Networker (5)Cost of all Contacts is reduced by 1.	Trust Fund III (10)Has a High Lifestyle for free with 1000ny/month left over.	Watch The Suit (3)Stun damage will never affect his appearance, negating penalties for looking roughed up in a fight and avoiding suspicion that he was recently involved in a fight so long as he doesn't take Physical damage.

NEGATIVE QUALITIES (-50 KARMA)

Big Baby (-4)If he takes Physical damage, he takes -1d to combat pools until whatever did the damage is overcome/destroyed.	Code(s) of Honour (-15)The Assassin's Code: Never kill anyone you are not paid to kill. Avoid collateral damage and be invisible. Harmony With Nature: May only Bind spirits after agreeing to a fair exchange of services. Must always treat spirits with respect and honour deals with them.	Consummate Professional (-3)+2d to social rolls when interacting with employers. Karma only contributes half what it normally does to Street Cred.	Creature of Comfort [High] (-17)Expects to live in a High lifestyle; when he has to live in a lower one, he suffers -1 to all social and healing tests per category below High
Distinctive Style [Dryad's Glamour] (Dryad)Anyone trying to trace him gets +2d, and anyone trying to remember him has one lower threshold than normal.	Poor Self Control [Compulsive II, Personal] (-6)He always arranges his personal belongings perfectly (unless he makes a Composure (2) test).	SINner [National] (-5)Is a legal resident of Sovereign South Florida.	Symbiosis (Dryad)+1d to Outdoors skills within 510 metres of his house, and social interactions with anyone who lives in that area. Has an intuitive grasp of events going on in the area. If the area is peaceful he has +1d to Healing tests, but environmental/social problems inflict him with a Mild Allergy.

MAGIC

Tradition: Shamanic Traditional; Drain Resistance Willpower + Charisma (9)
Must have Mentor Spirit. Gains Code of Honour (Harmony with Nature), +1d to cast spells appropriate to the Mentor, may only summon spirits native to the local environment. May not bind spirits.

Mentor's Mask: All Drain reduced by 1 (already included below). Threshold to notice him using magic is reduced by 3.

Spirits:

Combat:	Detection:	Health:	Illusion:	Manipulation:
Spirit of Beasts	Spirit of Water	Spirit of Earth	Spirit of Air	Spirit of Man

SPELLS

Spell	Category	Range	Dice	Type	Damage	Drain	Duration	Effect
Bind	Manipulation	LoS	12d	Physical	N/A	F-3	Sustained	EffectEvery net hit reduces the target's Agility and dodge by 1. If Agi is reduced to 0, target is bound and unable to move their limbs (they can hop and wriggle at 1/4 normal speed.) Bound targets can attempt to break free by rolling Strength + Body vs Force x 2
Deflection	Manipulation	LoS	12d	Physical	N/A	F-2	Sustained	EffectEvery hit grants the target +1d to defend against ranged physical attacks.
Fashion	Manipulation	Touch	12d	Physical	N/A	F-2	Permanent	EffectNet hits over the target item's object resistance allows changes to the touched clothing: - 1 net hit: Slight changes in tint (dark blue to light blue), minor adjustments like mending bullet holes. - 2 net hits: Slight change in colour (blue to green), can make adjustments to the fit of the clothing. - 3 net hits: Any colour change, simple patterns (but not as complex as corp logos), repairs and cleaning, changes in form (adding pockets, trousers to skirt). - 4 net hits: Can mimic uniforms, colour changes can mimic accessories but not actually create them.
Ice Sheet	Manipulation	LoS (Area)	12d	Physical	N/A	F-1	Instant	EffectAnyone crossing the ice must make an Agility + Reaction test with a threshold equal to the successes on the spellcasting roll or fall prone; vehicles crossing the ice immediately make a crash test. The ice melts at 1 square metre per minute at room temperature.
Intoxication	Manipulation	Touch	12d	Mana	N/A	F-4	Permanent	EffectTarget resists with Counterspelling + Body (+ any defences against ingestion toxins). Each net hit inflicts 1 box of Fatigue damage. This spell can be countered by Antidote and Detox.
Sterilise	Manipulation	LoS (Area)	12d	Physical	N/A	F-4	Instant	EffectSterilises (Magic) cubic metres to kill bacteria and destroy organic reside; every hit imposes -1 to future attempts to collect and use sterilised material for forensics or material links.

RESOURCES (449562.5ny; 2 KARMA)

Devices Transys AvalonBase Price: 5000 - Hotsim module: 250 - Rating 4 Stealth Dongle: 48000 - Device Modification (Add Attack Rating) Device Stats: DR 6; Attack 1, Sleaze 4, Data Processing 6, Firewall 6 (53250) Meta LinkBase Price: 100 - Sim module: 100 (200) Weapons Ultimax Rain Forest CarbineHis primary combat weapon. Loaded with DMSO/Narcojet capsule rounds in one clip and APDS rounds in the other. Base Price: 2800 - Folding Stock (STOCK): Automatic - Detachable Imaging Scope (TOP): Automatic. - - Micro Camera: Automatic. - - Vision Magnification: Automatic. - - Low-Light Vision: Automatic - - Flare Compensation: Automatic - - Image Link: Automatic - Electronic Firing (BARREL): 1000 - Additional Clip (SIDE): 2800 - Bipod (UNDER): 200 - Internal Smartgun Retrofit: 2800 - Powered Easy Breakdown: 1250 - Trigger Removal: 50 (10900) Remington SuppressorHis backup/subtle weapon. Loaded with Looper rounds in one clip and Subsonic rounds in the other (and occasionally DMSO/Leal capsule rounds). Base Price: 700 - Suppressor (BARREL): Automatic - Additional Clip (SIDE): 700 - Guncam (TOP): 350 - Powered Easy Breakdown: 1250 - Personalised Grip: 100 (3100) Steyr TMPLoaded with Power rounds and used purely to cause an ungodly racket. Base Price: 350 - Laser Sight (TOP): Automatic - Krime Loudener (BARREL): 250 - Hip Pad Bracing System (STOCK): 250 - Internal Smartgun Retrofit: 350 (1200) Winchester Model 201Legitimately purchased and licenced to his real identity and used for home defence; loaded with Splash rounds Base Price: 1300 - Long Barrel (BARREL): 1300 - Folding Stock (STOCK): 30 - Internal Smartgun Retrofit: 1300 - Custom Look: 300 - Melee Hardening: 500 - Basic Advanced Safety System: 600 (5330) Vehicles GMC PhoenixHis personal, real-life vehicle, designed to be as glitzy as possible so nobody would ever consider the possibility that he might have driven somewhere without it. HANDLING 4/2 |ACCEL 3 |SPEED 6 |PILOT 2 |BODY 10 |ARMOR 6 |SENSOR 3 |SEATS 4 Base Price: 32000 Equipment: - Amenities (High): 1000 Body Mods (4/10) - Valkyrie Module: 2000 Electromagnetic Mods (3/10) - Gridlink (2): 750 - Gridlink Override (1): 1000 Power Train Mods (2/10) - Improved Economy (2): 7500 Protection Mods (8/10) - Rating 3 Anti-theft System (4): 2500 - Rating 4 Passenger Protection System (2): 8000 - Rating 10 Personal Armour (2): 5000 Cosmetic Mods: - Maquina Conversion: 5000 - Metahuman Adjustment: 500 - Yerzed Out IV: 4000 (69250) Yamaha KabuyaraHis main shadowrunning vehicle. HANDLING 5/3 |ACCEL 3 |SPEED 6 |PILOT 1 |BODY 5 |ARMOR 5 |SENSOR 2 |SEATS 1 Base Price: 17000 Equipment: - Morphing Licence Plate: 1000 - Spoof Chips: 500 Body Mods (4/5) - Chameleon Coating (2): 5000 - Assembly/Disassembly (2): 1000 Electromagnetic Mods (5/5) - Gridlink (2): 750 - Gridlink Override (1): 1000 - Suncell (2): 2500 Power Train Mods (3/5) - Improved Economy (1): 200 - Removed Manual Controls (2): 7500 Protection Mods (5/5) - Rating 2 Anti-theft System (2): 1000 - Rating 1 Concealed Armour (3): 3000 Weapon Mods (4/5): - Landing Drone Rack (Medium): 10000 Cosmetic Mods: - Metahuman Adjustment: 500 - Vehicle Tag Eraser: 750 (51700) MCT-Nissan Roto-DroneAttached to his bike (when his bike isn't in pieces). The Carpet is loaded with 3 thermal smoke grenades and 3 gas grenades containing Neurostun VIII. HANDLING 4 |ACCEL 2 |SPEED 4r |PILOT 4 |BODY 4 |ARMOR 4 |SENSOR 3 |SEATS 0 Base Price: 5000 Equipment (5/7): - Pop-Out Large Weapon Mount (5): 500+3200 - - Krime Carpet: 2000 - Spoof Chips: 500 - Rating 4 Pilot Program: 3200 - Rating 4 Krime Carpet Targeting Autosoft: 2000 (16400) Mitsubishi WaterbugHANDLING 6 |ACCEL 2 |SPEED 3w |PILOT 3 |BODY 8 |ARMOR 4 |SENSOR 0 |SEATS 1 Base Price: 8000 Equipment: - Spoof Chips: 500 Body Mods (7/8) - Assembly/Disassembly (2): 1000 - Chameleon Coating (2): 8000 - Smuggling Compartment (3): 1500 - Smuggling Compartment Shielding (vs MAD scanners): 3000 Electromagnetic Mods (5/8) - Rating 3 Pilot Enhancement (3): 6000 Cosmetic Mods: - Metahuman Adjustment: 500 (28500) Ammunition Assault Rifle AmmunitionSpare Clip x8: 40 APDS x90: 1080 Capsule Rounds x90: 45 (1165) Machine Pistol AmmunitionSpare Clip x9 (for Remington): 45 Rating 6 Looper x60: 1200 Subsonic x60: 240 Capsule Rounds x15: 7.5 Spare Clip (for Steyr): 5 Krime Power Rounds x60: 450 (1947.5) Shotgun AmmunitionKrime Splash Self-Defence Ammunition x20: 200 (200) CoS Grenade x4 (2000) Gas GrenadeLoaded with Neurostun VIII x3 (120) Thermal Smoke Grenade x3 (180) DMSO x2118 doses are mixed with Narcojet and loaded into 90 Assault Rifle Capsule rounds. 3 doses are mixed with Leal and loaded into 15 Machine Pistol Capsule rounds. (1050) Narcojet x18Mixed with 18 doses of DMSO and loaded into 90 Assault Rifle Capsule rounds. (900) Leal x3Mixed with 3 doses of DMSO and loaded into 15 Machine Pistol Capsule rounds. (1200) Neurostun VIII x3Loaded into 3 Gas Grenades (180)

Cyberware (0.64e) CyberfinsAlpha Grade x4 (2400ny; 0.32e) Implanted SmartlinkStandard Grade (4000ny; 0.20e) Rating 3 Datajack PlusAlpha Grade Installed with Baby Monitor, Paintjob and Wrapper (+750ny) (13350; 0.12e) Bioware (0.52e; 0.26e rebate) Rating 1 Muscle AugmentationAlpha Grade (37200ny; 0.16e) Rating 1 Muscle TonerAlpha Grade (38400ny; 0.16e) Vocal Range ExpanderStandard Grade (30000ny; 0.20e) Armour Sleeping TigerBase Price: 13500; 10 Capacity - AR Fashion: 50 - Electrochromic Clothing: 500 - Rating 6 Thermal Damping (6): 3000 (17050) Synergist Business Line LongcoatBase Price: 2300; Capacity 6 - AR Fashion: 50 - Rating 6 Autopicker (1): 3000 - Concealed Pocket (1): 40 - Electrochromic Modification: 500 - Rating 4 Sequencer (2): 1000 (6890) Rating 6 CloakBase Price: 300; Capacity 6 - AR Fashion: 50 - Designer Fashion: 300 - Electrochromic Modification: 500 - Rating 6 Nonconductivity (6): 1500 (2950) Full Face Mask Base Price: 300; Capacity 4 - Single Sensor (1): - - Rating 8 Ultrasound: 800 - Thermographic Vision (1): 500 - Rating 1 Vision Enhancement (1): 500 - Rating 1 Vision Magnification (1): 250 (2350) Misc Gear Biometric Reader (400) Booster Cloud [Hack on the Fly] x3 (750) Rating 4 Cellular Glove Moulder (2000) Rating 1 ContactsBase Price: 200 - Polychromic Lens (1): 100 (300) Rating 6 Faceless [Blurred Face] (3000) Gecko Tape Gloves (250) Rating 4 Maglock Passkey (8000) Rating 6 Medkit (1500) Reloading Slide (300) Shaman Tuxedo [Spirit of Man] (1000) Smart Wig (1200) Spellcasting FocusForce 2 Manipulation Focus Completely Individualised; -2 Karma (8000; 2 KARMA) Rating 6 Synthskin Face Mask (600) Tool Kit [Disguise] (500) Trauma Patches x4 (2000)

SINs and Licenses Real SIN (From SINner) Rating 4 Fake SIN (10000) Lifestyle Lifestyle: HighComfort 4+1 Security 4+2 Neighbourhood 5 Qualities (3 + 100ny/month): - Obscure (-1) - Bat Cave (2) - Cleaning Service [Mage Sensitive] (1) - Drone Maids (1) - Garage [Body 5+] (0; 100ny/month) (Mostly paid for by Trust Fund; 100/month) Formal AR Fashion Subscription (500/month) Tool Shop [Mechanic] (5000) Tool Kit [Therapy] (500) Tool Kit [Medicine] (500)

Combat

Initiative: 5+1d6

Dodge: 5d

Armor: 16

Condition Monitor Boxes

Physical: [_][_][_] [_][_][_] [_][_] [D] [O][O] [X]

Stun: [_][_][_] [_][_][_] [_][_] [D]

Inherent Limits

Physical: 3

Mental: 5

Social: 9Includes +2 from Glamour

Astral: 9

Movement

Walk: 8

Run: 16

Sprint: +2m/hit

Combat Gear

Gear	Active Effects
Sleeping Tiger	Armour 13, can change colour as a Simple Action, can project AR overlays of clothes, imposes -2 (?) to Perception tests to notice him, -1 Concealability to the weapon stored in the holster (usually his Steyr). Wireless: +1 Social Limit, colour changing is a Free Action and it can display commlink files
Longcoat	Armour +3, can change colour as a Simple Action, can project AR overlays of clothes, -2 Concealability to an item stored in the concealed pocket, has a Rating 6 autopicker built into one sleeve and a Rating 4 sequencer built into the other. Wireless: +1 Social Limit, colour changing is a Free Action and it can display commlink files
Cloak	+6 Armour vs Electric damage (only), can change colour as a Simple Action, can project AR overlays of clothes. No impact on Social Limit. Wireless: Colour changing is a Free Action and it can display commlink files
Mask	Counts as a gas mask. +1 to limit for Perception tests, can zoom in up to 50 times, can see in infrared and ultrasound. Wireless: +1d to Perception tests.

Weapons

Melee

Weapon Name	Dice (Acc)	Reach	Damage	AP	Special Rules
Unarmed	5d (3)	-	2S	-	Can't be disarmed

Firearms

Ammunition Type

Dice (Acc)

Range

Damage

AP

Mode

RC

Ammo

Special Rules

 

Ultimax Rain Forest Carbine

APDS	9d +2d when wireless (7/10)	0-25/ 26-150/ 151-350/ 351-550	14P	-8	SA	5 (6)	18c	SpecialCan only be fired wirelessly or with a fiberoptic cable connected. When aiming, glare conditions are reduced by two categories. With smartlink, wind conditions are reduced by one category With mask on, range, visibility and light conditions are reduced by one category. Switch between clips as a Simple Action (Free Action with wireless)
Capsule		0-5/ 6-15/ 16-30/ 31-50	10P	-4				SpecialApplies contact toxin on any hit (including Grazing).

Remington Suppressor

Subsonic	9d +2d when wireless (6/7)	0-5/ 6-15/ 16-30/ 31-50	6P	-1	SA/BF	2	12c	SpecialWith silencer attached, imposes -4d to Perception tests to notice the weapon's use or locate the shooter. With smartlink, wind conditions are reduced by one category With mask on, range, visibility and light conditions are reduced by one category. Switch between clips as a Simple Action (Free Action with wireless)
Looper	As above (2)	0-5/ 6-15/ 16-30/ 31-50	N/A	N/A				SpecialAny successful hit on a camera or other recording system causes a loop in the footage that lasts for about a minute.
Capsule		0-5/ 6-15/ 16-30/ 31-50	3P	+3				SpecialApplies contact toxin on any hit (including Grazing).

Steyr TMP

Krime Power

9d +2d when wireless (4/6)

0-5/ 6-15/ 16-30/ 31-50

7P

0

SA/BF/FA

5

30c

SpecialThe Loudener increases the sound of a weapon by one 'level' (eg rifle -> shotgun, light pistol -> heavy pistol, etc). The Power Rounds increase the sound and muzzle flash of a weapon by one 'level' again. What this means in play I have no idea. With smartlink, wind conditions are reduced by one category With mask on, range, visibility and light conditions are reduced by one category.

Winchester Model 201

Krime Splash

3d +2d when wireless (8/11)

0-10/ 11-40/ 41-80/ 81-150

11S

0

SA

2 (3)

2b

SpecialCoats targets in hard-to-remove liquid (he usually buys them in hot pink) and RFID 'glitter.' With smartlink, wind conditions are reduced by one category With mask on, range, visibility and light conditions are reduced by one category. Can only be fired with biometric authentication.

Background

Juan Rodruigez never knew his real name. Abandoned - or, possibly, hidden for safety - on a ship that left the UCAS, he was discovered near-starved as the vessel reached port. And even the Sixth World isn't entirely heartless when it comes to a helpless child; he was given the medical care he needed to survive, and once he was old enough he was put into an orphanage that was of course far from luxurious, but which had enough to feed the children it protected.

He was adopted at the age of five, plucked from the streets by a high-ranking corporate executive, Oliver Rodriguez. Nowadays, Juan has a sneaking suspicion that Rodriguez had recognised the young Juan's dryad heritage and planned to essentially use him as an intelligent guard dog, capable of detecting threats even if asleep. At the time, though, Mr Rodriguez (never 'dad' or 'daddy,' sometimes 'Father' was permitted in polite company but 'Mr Rodriguez' preferred) seemed like a god to Juan, a god that showered him in gifts that people back on the streets had spoken about like they were mythical objects (most notably, of course, his SIN).

Juan attended the finest school, then the finest college, graduating with a good degree. Never once was he treated like a son. At best he was treated as an asset...or a pet. The cyberfins he has on his arms and legs were something he wheedled out of Mr Rodriguez at the age of fourteen to impress a girl on the school's swim team who said she liked guys with cybernetics, a decision he's often regretted since and cursed Rodriguez for caring so little about him that he was willing to damage his son's Essence for the whim of a teenager. Nonetheless, he fulfilled his 'father's desire, becoming a therapist - a good, upright position with a lot of potential for a corporation. He was on track for a successful, miserable life.

Then he met Spider.

Juan had developed the art in his late teens, but his father had no time for magic - it was something to be used by contractors and subordinates, not something a Rodriguez should themselves wield. He was taught the bare minimum to survive his new abilities (don't wander off in the Astral and forget where you put your body, etc) and nothing more, and even that was done discreetly, as if Juan's magic were somehow unclean.

Spider was different, both to the tutor that had taught him how to control the art and to all his father's colleagues he knew. The words it chose to speak of Mr Rodriguez made it seem as though it were impressed, maybe even proud, but its dismissive tone told the true story.

"You are more alike than you think," Spider said. "That hunger to be in control...you share it with Rodriguez - and with me. Haven't you ever wondered what life would be like if you could just...control it? If your surroundings progressed according to your design?

"I can show you, if you want."

Juan wanted to lie to Spider and tell it that he was fine with life as it was - controlled, not in control. But its words tugged at his mind. What would life be like if he lived for himself instead of his father's bidding?

Rodriguez was surprisingly calm with Juan's declaration that he wanted to move out. Looking back, Juan sometimes wonders if he had only been 'acquired' by Rodriguez for a potential that might come to pass, one that never had.

Whatever the case, Rodriguez bought and transferred to him a property in Miami Shores and arranged for a stipend to be transferred to him every month to cover his living expenses. The conditions: that he never again try to interact with the Rodriguez family, never again use the Rodriguez name, and never be convicted of a crime.

And at first, fulfilling all three of those conditions was easy. Juan - now calling himself Juan Flores - was even able to start a business as an independent, non-corporate therapist for those wealthy enough to afford his pricey but not exorbitant fees, and soon expanded his business to simple medical treatments as well (of course, anything serious he would pass on to more skilled individuals, practically speaking his talent at non-psychiatric medicine extended to turning on the medkit's automatic systems and knowing when he was dealing with something that was out of his league.)

But as he put down roots in his new home, finding for the first time somewhere he truly wanted to live, he started to find...problems. Some were easily dealt with with Spider's guidance; a drug dealer loitering near his house had the misfortune to try to foolishly sell his wares to a company exec who'd come for therapy - all completely coincidental, of course, and Juan was appropriately shocked when he was told about the incident, and promised to double check the security contract in the area.

Some problems, though, were beyond Juan's limits to fix. And for those problems, he turned to the Gambione family.

His father had never told him not to get involved in crime. Merely to never get caught.

And Juan had no intention of getting caught.

Some dozen years passed. Juan was never fully accepted as a member of the family, but he was on the periphery enough that he would sometimes receive a terse message on his commlink to bring himself and his medical bag to an unimpressive location somewhere in the city. As the years passed, occasionally it wasn't his medical bag but his firearm collection that was required. Whatever the requirement, he fulfilled it with a calm discretion that earned him a reputation - not one to be bandied about casually the way some runners gleefully announced their deeds, but one that made its way through the underworld in knowing nods and glances. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, he was still relatively untrained - but he had enough skill that it mattered. Perhaps what boosted his reputation further, though, was his code.

Once upon a time, Juan had wanted to be a doctor - not a psychiatrist as he had eventually become, but a surgeon or paramedic, someone who could save lives with their bare hands. Perhaps it was considering the weight of responsibility that holding a life in your hands brought. Or perhaps it was the fact that he could quickly bring to mind a half dozen times or more where his own life could've been casually cut short through no fault of his own. Whatever the case, Juan developed his battle style to avoid taking lives unless there was no alternative, using chemical concoctions and occasionally magic to send his opponents to sleep, earning himself the name Sandman. A few mistook his apparent kindness for weakness. After they returned from their plan to crush the 'rich boy wannabe' without the faintest idea what had happened to them in the intervening timespan, only to find a friendly message from him on their commlinks telling them that he appreciated the information they'd given him, they didn't try again.

Contacts

Colt Jiminez (Connection 10, Loyalty 2 → 4) - If you ask Colt what his job is - even if you know he's got some importance to the Gambione Family or another organised crime group, most likely he'd say he was just a gopher. And while that is, technically speaking, true...the reality is that he is in the unique position of having connections almost to the highest level of most of the organised crime groups in Sovereign South Florida, maybe even beyond, carefully cultivated over many years to make himself indispensable despite the obvious risks associated with someone having such power. When the big groups want a parlay, or a trade, it goes through Colt. And he uses it for his own benefit, of course, it would be more suspicious if he didn't - but only to a tiny extent, arranging for a few luxuries for himself and his favoured few or the like. If he ever tried to misuse the pull he has, it would disappear very quickly, and most likely his life would follow shortly thereafter. Colt didn't originally meet Sandman through the shadows at all - by contrast, he sought Dr Juan Flores out as a therapist to treat his daughter (not wanting to let a corp doctor get at her). Of course, he very quickly uncovered Juan's true nature, but saw some potential in him and cultivated Juan just as he would any other asset - and the knowledge that Juan has connections to Colt has given Juan himself a certain level of the 'neutrality' Colt is protected by.

Marita Koch (Connection 8, Loyalty 3 → 5) - Before the fall of Gunderson, Koch was one of the most powerful corp execs in Miami. She had herself extracted by a runner team (creating a false identity for herself as a low-rank wageslave from the inside to make it possible) when she saw which way the wind was blowing, but didn't quite manage it quickly enough to entirely evade danger. Once they learned the truth, most of the other runners quit - a couple of them raised the prospect of ransoming her (in her real identity as Marita Koch rather than wageslave Jennifer Shaw), but Juan was firmly against breaking their contract and the other runners sided with him, predominantly because getting on the wrong side of the team mage and medic was generally not a good idea. Nonetheless, Juan was the only one who actually agreed to continue with the job, and let 'Shaw' stay with him for a couple of weeks while everything blew over. Since then, though Koch hasn't got even a fraction of the former prominence she had in her heyday, she's made enough of a name for herself as a fixer for the rich and famous, putting all her old contacts and knowledge to good use. Normally her prices would be way too much for Juan to afford (comparatively wealthy as he is), but she makes an exception for him and charges him a fraction of what she would other people.

Danette Giovanni (Connection 6, Loyalty 1 → 3) - A courier who takes jobs both in and out of the Carib League with enough criminal connections that she's (usually) safe from piracy, Juan has found Danette to be a very convenient ally for sourcing items he can't get on the island - predominantly the leal he uses for its memory-erasing function. Aside from being a way of leaving no trail when he has to engage guards, he's also used it once or twice on himself after being brought into a particularly sensitive aspect of Family business, as a condition for them accepting his help (and his willingness to use it is probably in large part why he is treated so well by the Family). Of course the Family has lightly questioned him about where he gets it from, but so far he's politely refused to answer and they haven't asked him seriously enough that that hasn't been an option. He's fully aware that if the Family got their hands on some serious leal supplies his worth to them would probably take a bit of a dip.

Ilia Sokov (Connection 4, Loyalty 1 → 3) - Officially a seller of rare and collectible firearms (and the source from which Juan got his fully licenced and very nice-looking Winchester), Ilia's real income comes from selling and maintaining slightly less legitimately sourced weapons. Unsurprisingly, he and Juan have done a fair bit of business over the years.

Julian Gambione (Connection 5, Loyalty 2 → 4) - The fact that Julian survived Bianca's takeover of the family and retained his position is perhaps a very good testimony to his connections and how darn good he is at his job. He was the first person to hire Juan to the Family and the main one putting forward Juan to be accepted as more than a mere contractor. For the most part it's just business, but he does have a little more attachment to Juan than he does most of the Family members he's found.

Marianna Orlando (Connection 5, Loyalty 1 → 3) - Practically speaking, Juan doesn't actually need the services of an ID manufacturer that often; he lives in a house legitimately owned by him with a genuine SIN that he'd gotten as a child thanks to Rodriguez. And, of course, he's not going to go around broadcasting any SIN when he's on a run. Nonetheless, just to be cautious, he has made contact with an ID manufacturer and purchased a fairly decent fake SIN from her (predominantly so that the line of communication is there if he needs another one in a hurry.)

Nova O'Hearn (Connection 1, Loyalty 5 → 6) - When Juan's commlink contacts look a bit like a who's who of Miami's shadows, Nova is something of an outlier. There's nothing particularly interesting about them - they don't have massive wealth, or political power, or an important position in a corp (they're a janitor in one of Montclair's side offices, without enough access to be worth taking advantage of.) But Nova is one of the few genuine people that Juan has, rather than just contacts. They met at a club (it was Nova's birthday and they were splashing out going to a fancier joint than normal), hit it off, they invited Juan back to their place...at first it was just a casual relationship, but over time they grew closer. From a certain, logical standpoint, the somewhat random expenditures that Juan makes to buy Nova presents (something they grumble about a little but never refuse) probably go some way to disguising the actual occasional expenditures Juan has to do for shadowrunning business (of course it wouldn't be that easy to track the payments directly, but the money leaving his account would be obvious enough if anyone looked), and to an extent Juan lets other people believe that's what he's doing...but the truth is he actually really likes Nova. They do know he's a runner, but they haven't asked any questions.

Gambione Family Splinter (Group Contact from Made Man; Connection 1, Loyalty 3 → 5) - The Gambione Family has gone through a few changes of late. Juan - thanks to Colt's neutrality and probably a word or two from Julian - escaped any of the violence caused by Bianca's takeover of the family and has remained an ally and unofficial member of the family, but with most of his former allies fled or dead (or just laying low) his actual pull with the family has diminished somewhat.

Edited April 4 by Llyarden (see edit history)

[Llyarden]

Well the PDF sheet is pretty bad, I carefully wrote a whole bunch of notes but they don't get printed apparently, so I've attached both the Chummer sheet and the PDF (EDIT: Got rid of the PDF as the sheet above contains everything it does and then some). I might just try to dig up some old formatting for a Shadowrun sheet and manually do it. A couple of mechanics points:

- His armour is showing up as 15 even though it's 13+3.
- Chummer apparently decided that Networker doesn't apply to contacts gained from Friends in High Places. In the absence of a proper ruling I've just rolled with it, but if it does apply Jiminez and Koch will each have one Loyalty more than they do.
- - Candle In The Darkness's effects haven't been applied either, although I can kind of understand that one a bit more since it may be +2 Loyalty or -1 Loyalty depending on the situation.
- It also wouldn't let me increase the ratings of his Made Man group contact and I'm not really sure why; I've basically tried to justify it as like 'he's only really accepted by a tiny part of the Gambione Family' but if allowed I would definitely want to increase their Connection.
- He's a Traditionalist Shaman (FA74), which Chummer just straight up doesn't have at all for some reason. The main effect of this is that his Manipulation spells are all at an extra die, and he has Code of Honour (Shaman's Code). Assassin's Code was mostly a stand-in for that although to be fair IC he probably follows both.
- He has the Mentor's Mask (FA182), which similarly I couldn't find in Chummer.

(He was originally supposed to be an Apprentice magician, but having to pay Karma for spells instead of starting out with them made that impractical, so instead he's just a full magician who only knows Manipulation spells.)

 

 

Sandman.chum5

Edited April 4 by Llyarden (see edit history)

[Llyarden]

Well that took a ridiculous amount of time, but he now has a non-Chummer character sheet because my Chummer crashed four times trying to re-open his sheet. Will probably mess with the looks of it a bit (it's all very cramped right now) and I guess I need to do a physical description and stuff as well, but for the most part I think Sandman is done.

[saithor]

@Llyarden Everything looks good mechanics wise. There's some issue with skills on my chummer but I'll do the math by hand tonight. Otherwise everything looks good.