As
a role player, I often find myself mentally translating characters from
fiction into RPG settings - either those who have memorable
personalities or just a clearly defined set of traits that make
them versatile, interesting, and playable as PCs or NPCs.
Recently I finished the first season of the Swedish TV Show Wallander,
and I immediately wanted to put the character Stefan Lindman in an
RPG. An interesting and non-cliched character who adds a lot of depth to
the show, I thought he would make the perfect NPC write up!
In
the spirit of GMGenie, I have constructed this character write up in terms
of "story impacting traits" instead of the typical "description,
traits, roleplaying notes" structure common elsewhere. I think it helps
focus you exclusively on how the NPC interacts with the story instead of
an artificial structure that you have to translate back and forth when
running a scenario.
Stefan Lindman - Characteristics
Tall,
Dark, and Handsome. Stefan has
dark hair just past his ears which he keeps slicked back and a sparse, but
well-kept goatee. Stefan is suave and flirtatious. This can be both an asset (easily influencing women to give up information they might not otherwise) and a liability (he flirts with any woman he finds attractive, and gets into trouble for sleeping with coworkers). He has yet to establish a steady relationship.
Rarely in uniform, Stefan wears casual but stylish clothes in dark colors; when he has to put on an official appearance he just wears his police jacket.
Let’s get these *******s! Hot
headed and fiercely committed to his view of justice; often jumps at the
first lead or assumes the first suspect's guilt. Seeing a breach of justice makes Stefan surly and impetuous. He swears frequently. He does not handle personal conflict well, quickly becoming hostile. He is not a fool, and will listen to better advice, but he finds it hard to follow if continually under provocation.
Always the first
to act. Stefan served in the Special Forces before his Police career, so he often prefers an aggressive response to a legal
one. He takes initiative when
others hesitate; sometimes he acts wrongly. He
is a capable and skilled officer, but can overestimate his abilities.
In any situation where a risky
action would help, Stefan must pass a will check (modified by the
danger of inaction) to resist taking action. Stefan often exposes himself to significant personal danger, almost to the point of
lacking a sense of self preservation; he
once spontaneously walked, unarmed, into a bank where a bomber had taken hostages
to negotiate the release of innocent bystanders.
Good with
Children. Stefan likes and is liked by children; he provides a bonus to influence a child. He quickly establishes rapport
with young witnesses, and easily
adopts the figure of a role model with older children.
Sniper. While skilled with a handgun, Stefan is an expert with a sniper rifle. He holds the current accuracy record in his police precinct. On several occasions he has brought down a violent, fleeing suspect or provide protective fire for coworkers.
Bad Cop. Despite his lean
build, he can easily intimidate criminals or unsavory types. He
is an aggressive - almost violent - interrogator, and does not hesitate
to threaten anyone to get the information he needs.
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