Entertainer
By Bryant Durrell.
"Sure, I have an obligation to my fans -- but I
have an equal obligation to their children. And if we let that
thing live, they aren't going to have any."
You are the classical Chinese entertainer; a multi-talented
mix of actor, acrobat, singer, and dancer. You have been
trained nearly since birth in the ways of the theater, and
whether or not it was your first choice of jobs, you became
very good at what you do. You may also be a more modern version
of the same -- a rock star, a movie actor, or a pop star. No
matter which, however, you've had a successful career keeping
the masses entertained. Your fans adore you, and your critics
are undoubtedly just jealous. You know you're the best because
people keep telling you so.
Lately, however, you've begun to wonder if there isn't
something more to life than endless adulation and the grind of
daily performances. Maybe one of your more outre fans sent you
a letter that told you things you didn't want to know about the
world. Maybe one of your few friends was caught up in a dark
conspiracy. Regardless, you've had to admit that the world is
not a clean and simple place laid out for your enjoyment -- and
you've had to decide what to do about it.
Juncture: any
Attributes: Bod 5, Chi 3 (Fu =5), Mnd 5
(Chr 6), Ref 5
Divide 4 points among your primary attributes. Add 1 to any
one secondary attribute.
- Skills:
- Deceit +3 (9) [Max 12]
Entertainment +9 (=15)
Martial Arts +5 (10) [Max 13]
Medicine +3 (8)
Seduction +7 (13) [Max 15]
Add a total of +6 in Skill Bonuses to these skills and/or
additional skills of your choice. You may trade Guns +6 [Max
14] for Martial Arts if you desire, although this diverges from
the traditional entertainer considerably.
- Schticks:
- 2 Fu schticks;
or, if you have taken Guns instead of Martial Arts, 1 Gun
schtick.
Weapons: 1 weapon of appropriate
juncture.
- Unique Schtick:
- Your performances are of such quality and grace as to be
distracting to onlookers. Unnamed characters will pay
attention to you exclusive of almost anything else for the
duration of your performance; although loud explosions,
gunfire, and unusual noises or obvious actions will distract
them, this schtick is ideal for keeping guards busy while
your comrades sneak around. If you attempt to distract named
characters, make an
Entertainment roll against their Perception. The Outcome
is subtracted from any Perception rolls they make while you
perform.
- Quick Schtick Pick:
-
- weapon:
- sword
- fu schticks
- Prodigious Leap
Abundant Leap
Wealth Level: rich
- Notes:
- The Medicine skill is predicated on the belief that
anyone who dances professionally will learn how to tie an Ace
bandage, and the relatively high Chi is based on the
traditional ties actors and actresses have to all sorts of
weird things. GMs may wish to modify this.
Entertainment
Base Attribute: Charisma
- Physical Ability:
- You can act, dance, sing, and if you are so inclined,
even mime. You are an expert at the various forms of physical
entertainment. You have some skill at applying makeup and
disguise, although you are not as good at pretending to be a
specific person as someone with the Deceit skill. You may
also, if you like, be able to play musical instruments.
- Knowledge:
- You know the history of your craft, the best places to
perform, and which agents can get you the best deals. You
also know where the bad audiences are, where to look for the
good ones, and how to recognize them when you find them.
- Contacts:
- You know other performers, agents, and groupies. You can
also find a fan in most locales, although a rock star in Hong
Kong will have an easier time of this than will a rock star
in Mongolia circa 69 AD. Some fans will be willing to serve
your every whim, and some will be very upset when you don't
turn out to be their best buddy.
Last modified: June 27, 1996; please send comments to
durrell@innocence.com.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.