Richard Private

Origin:

Robert Karsin, better known to the public as Richard Private, is a conventional human being. He lacks special powers of any stripe, whether physical, mental, or spiritual. However, he has a keen wit and a knack for transforming his experiences into compelling prose.

Known Powers:

(none)

Limitations / Enhancements:

(none)

Equipment:

Knife: because they're so useful in the field, Robert always carries a blade with him while on the job. Made from Remarkable (30) MS materials, Robert can use this implement to cut through items of up to like MS, or he may wield it to inflict Edged Attack damage in melee combat.

Smartphone: helping him interview sources and do quick research while on the job, Robert always has this portable supercomputer handy. It can transmit and receive digital radio signals with Poor (4) ability, which gives it a maximum possible transception range of five miles.

Stun Gun: Robert doesn't utilize a firearm while working. Instead, he carries a stun gun, a device which incapacitates targets with a high-voltage, low-amperage blast of electricity for 1d10 turns, if they fail an Endurance (res) ACTION roll against Remarkable (30) rank.

Quirks:

Loner: Robert isn't a people person, and he can't stand crowds. He can manage being around a few people at maximum, any more forcing a Psyche (will) ACTION at -2 CS to avoid leaving. Remaining in place after failing this applies that penalty to all other ACTIONs.

Strong Bones: oddly enough, Robert has a highly dense bone structure. His bones benefit from a +1 CS to their usual MS of Typical (6), an unusual trait which grants him 1 CS of Damage Reduction when subjected to Blunt Attack damage, greatly helping him to take a punch.

Talents:

Artist: in addition to writing compelling accounts of real-world events, Robert excels at all kinds of writing, fictional or factual. It takes Robert 1d10 weeks to complete each of his long-form writing projects, which yields him that amount of Karma times ten upon finishing.

Journalism 2: his true calling, Robert is an acclaimed journalist. While people mainly know him by his pen name of Richard Private, Robert doesn't care as long as his reporting gets out to the world. He should receive a +2 CS on any ACTION called for related to documenting events.

Martial Arts type B: having no special powers, unlike several of the people in his professional life, Robert has opted to learn how to defend himself should he need to. He may attempt any unarmed melee attack, whether punching, kicking, or even biting a foe, with a +1 CS bonus.

Contacts:

As a member of the Galileian Dispatch, Robert can rely upon that group of researchers as a reliable contact, since he documents their many expeditions. Over the years, though, Robert has cultivated dozens of additional sources and peers he considers contacts as well.

Costume:

Robert generally utilizes a consistent ensemble while working, one that consists of black cargo pants, shiny black leather boots, a black leather belt, a white T-shirt beneath a black leather biker jacket, and a small black leather hip holster that contains his stun gun.

Personality:

Robert is a curmudgeon that mostly hates other humans. He does his best to avoid crowds at all costs, and definitely isn't a public speaker of any kind. On the other hand, he finds that he can communicate best through the written word, which is why he became a journalist.

He couldn't stand conventional beats, however, which is why Robert ultimately wound up at the Dispatch. He loves telling the tales of its many exploits, providing photographs and evidence to back up his descriptive texts, the better to excite the world with the Galileians' work.

Real Name: Robert Karsin
Occupation: journalist
Legal Status: citizen of the United States with a minor criminal record in several countries
Marital Status: divorced
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: the Galileian Dispatch

Height: 6'
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Weight: 200 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: none

Story:

An antisocial sourpuss ever since he was a child, Robert never got on well with others. He quickly retreated into his own personal world, one full of the stories that books and television and ultimately the Internet had to offer. Embracing fiction, he quickly became a very good writer.

Not sure he could make his fortunes writing books featuring characters all his own, Robert decided to follow a career path that led to journalism, instead. Writing under the pseudonym of Richard Private, he got plenty of work out of college, doing so for various newspapers and magazines.

While many of his employers loved his work, Richard sure didn't. Hating the banality of the subjects he was assigned to cover, Robert nonetheless gave his work all he had, which ultimately earned him several professional awards. And this is what led him to the greatest job of his life.

Attracting the attention of the Galileian Dispatch, a minor newsletter dedicated to scientific expeditions into the bizarre corners of the world, Robert was offered a position with the group. It didn't pay very well, but the Dispatch at least offered Robert the opportunity he craved.

As it involved joining the Galileians on their various excursions around the world, documenting the inexplicable weirdness they inevitably stumbled onto, Robert savored every moment he was on the job. After all, he got to travel around the world - and write about it!

While few take the Dispatch's documentation seriously, Robert doesn't care. He has yearned to write about things he felt were important all his life, and the Galileians let him do so. But, as stated, they don't pay very well, so Robert has to occasionally get other work to pay his bills.

One recurring side hustle of Robert's involves ghost-writing crime fiction for Vivian Victor, a SWAT officer and crime trivia expert who is great at plotting stories, but sucks at putting them to pen. Since Robert hates writing his own characters, this arrangement worked out well for him.

As such, his work reaches millions of people around the world on a regular basis, even if nobody knows what is his and what isn't. And he's fine with that, because in the end, Robert knows what he's done - as well as the critical acclaim his work has earned in the end.

Legal Hoopajoob:

I offer my Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine work under the Creative Commons Attribution license. You may use this material as you see fit in your own, derivative texts or products, whether copying, distributing, or displaying it, as long as you credit me within said works.

If you would like more information about me for attribution, you can contact me via e mail (DashApostrophe@gmail.com).

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