GURPS/Snowcrash: Character Ideas
This is not an exhaustive list, by
any means. It is just a list of ideas to get you
started.
Last updated: 21-Mar-99.
Different Ages
Starting characters can either be young and inexperianced, or
older and more experianced. Young characters are classic GURPS
100/30/5 constructs. Older characters are still limited to 100
points, but will have more disadvantages; often enimies, physical
or mental deformaties, or other baggage.
Backgrounds for Young Characters
To get started, you might want to take a look at different
ideas for what a character did before they started adventuring.
Below are some ideas. They are slightly specific to The
Flats, but are adaptable:
HQ Brat
The children of the rich, or at least the upper middle class.
Take lots of skills in university type subjects, some money
and material items. Relationships with parents are always interesting
for this group; adventurers have probably already been kicked out of
home. Parents might be good for one more begging session, of course!
Major franchises HQed in the flats include: Stafnord (University),
Jamba Juice (Shake Drinks), Loud Sterios (Sterio Equipment for Teenagers),
USMetaverse (Metaverse development), etc.
Low End Refus
You are a poor third worlder, who has somehow managed to make it
to the flats. These characters tend to be more tword the thugs,
drivers, and other relatively low skill characters. These characters
usually start out poor, and with an undocumented alien type
disadvantage.
As a player, you should first determine how the character got to the
flats. (Why is simple: money, standard of living, the American dream (tm).)
The character may have been suggled overland through Mexico, or packed on a
boat, or come across with forged paperwork.
High End Refus
You are the children of the upper crust of some third world country.
Your parents have arranged for you to come to The Flats,
probably for schooling or a work internship. What you do once you
get here has more to do with your (their) money supply, and what
you think of the land of excesses. Sex, drugs, money, ideas,
freedom. There is a lot more of these things here, than there.
Average Crew
You could be just an average burger flipper, in need of some extra
excitement in your life. Or, you might work in something which
gives you some useful skills. Some examples include:
Any security firm, a metaverse development shop, any news
organization, etc.
Student
Students will be studying at one of the many technical schools,
colleges, and universities in the flats They can be studying
anything, of course, but these degrees represent some interesting
possiblities:
Documentery Film Making
Aircraft Mechanic
Anything Technical (like Metaverse Design/Implementation)
Anything Scientific (ChemEng, BioEng, etc.)
Law Enforcement
(Activist, described below, makes a great mix-in with this character.)
Backgrounds for Older Characters
These are generally people who are either burnt out, blackballed
or used up, by the franchised world.
Doctors
(Example: David Dov..'s character from the movie Playing God.)
A doctor just finishing residency, at the end of a 36 hour shift,
might have made a small mistake, which got an important person
killed. Such a doctor would be blackballed.
(Example: ____ ____ from the movie Aliens Three.
This could be expanded to any other proffessional who goes through
an apprentaceship program, although it works better for gruelling
(hazing type) apprentaceships.
Media Creatures, Software Engineers, etc.
These proffessions are all subject to burn out after 5-10 years.
(Other professions: like frachise short order cook can burn out
much quicker, but these employees are not valued enough to warrent
the term "burn out".)
The Scape Goat
Sometimes the Franchise has to blame someone, and the character
might be that person. Such characters will have a high skill
level in something professional, but will be blacklisted from
actually working in that field.
Mix-Ins
The ideas here, could be fleshed out into a character, but are
better suited to being a "mix-in": part of a character. They
can provide some depth, modivation, and hooks for both the player
and GM.
Terrorist or Activist
A terrorist uses force and violance. An activist uses the media.
There is an interesction, where activists stage violent protests,
but for the most part, you can think of terrorist as being a
special type of solder, and an activist as being a special type
of media.
Characters which were more on the terrorist side of things, are
likely to be either retired or "in hiding" as they adventure.
In either case, they should have powerful enemies who are
actively searching for them, and possibly wounds from the
conflict (mental or physical). But, they are unlikely to do
terrorist things while adventuring.
Characters which were more on the activist side of things, are
likely to still be active even as they adventure. However, their
enimies will be less vicious, and they are unlikely to have
wounds or psychologica scars. Minor arrest warrents is more like
it.
Ecology, Big corporations, genetic engineering, etc.
Mostly Lands: Palastinian, Kurd, Basque, American Indian,
Canadian Indian, Austrailian Indian, etc.
Mostly People: Mayan, Hutu, Tutsi, etc.
Francophone (vs. English, in the metaverse and industry)
Steal These characters (Samples and Examples)
This section contains some sample and example characters for you
to steal. Usually they are taken from books or movies that you
can read or watch to get details.
From the book, Snowcrash
CIS Stringer/Gargoyle
Example: Lagos
Courier
Example: Y.T.
Franchise Worker
Franchise Manager
Examples: Jason 'The Iron Pumper' Breckenridge
Franchise Owner
Executive
Examples: Ng, Mr. Lee, Rife
Refus
Examples: Tranny
Rock Star
Examples: Sushi K, Vitaly Chernobyl
Producer
Metaverse Developers
Examples: Juanita, Da5id.
