Copyright 2001 by Brandon Cope
 

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Janno the blade, psionic starport gang leader

ST: 11 [10] -- Swing 1d+1; Thrust 1d-2
DX: 12 [20] -- Basic Speed 5.5, Move 5, Dodge 5
IQ: 12 [20]
HT: 10 [0]

Total Points: 61

Advantages: Charisma +1 [5]; Telepathy power 6 [30]

Disadvantages: Berserker [-15]; Overconfidence [-10]; Semi-Literate [-5]; Status -1 [-5]; Wealth (Struggling) [-10]

Quirks: Points at people when he talks to them; Keeps his psi abilities secret; Talks and acts like the star of the current 3-D vid action hit (whatever it may be)

Skills: Acting-10 [0.5]; Beam Weapons (Laser)-13 [0.5]; Brawling-12 [2]; First Aid-11 [0.5]; Intimidation-12 [2]; Knife-13 [2]; Leadership-13 [2]; Shadowing-12 [2]; Stealth-12 [2]; Streetwise-12 [2]; Survival (Urban)-12 [2]; Tactics-9 [0.5]

Psi Skills: Psi Sense-11 [2]; Emotion Sense-12 [4]

(All /TL skills are TL 9)

Languages: Anglic-12 [0]

Equipment

Small vibroknife (concealed), cheap laser pistol (concealed), 'punk' clothing, 20-30 credits in pocket

Appearance

Janno is 5'11", 160 lbs and is 20 years old. He has tanned skin and wears his brown hair in a rather bad mohawk. His clothing is a motley assortment of punk-style attire.

Biography

Janno heads the Razors, a small and brutal starport gang. He considers himself to be an excellent leader and tactician, and his gang to be the best on the planet. Unfortunately, his overconfidence gets his troops killed often, and there is a growing plot amongst his lieutenants to kill him and have someone else take over. Janno tries not to get into fights himself, not because he is cowardly, but because he tends to lose control in combat situations.

Little is known of Janno's past, even by Janno. He remembers little earlier than twelve years ago, when he found himself in an alley in startown, other than some vague memories of two adults (who he assumes were his parents) and a room with scientific equipment. Fortunately, with his special gifts (see below), he was able to survive much better than any other child would have, moving from beggar to gang-banger to, eventually, gang leader.

Despite his uncertain past, Janno makes it obvious what he wants in the future: to control all of the crime in the area of the starport. Fortunately, the powerful crime bosses in the startown consider him no more than an arrogant thug, and thus have taken no steps to eliminate him -- yet. In truth, his gang is really not much more of a nuisance, numbering less than twenty (mostly) teen-aged punks with fairly minimal skills.

Unknown to most of his gang and no one outside of it, Janno has minor psi ability, limited to sensing emotions and detecting other psis. However, these powers have proved to be useful at times, and Janno is always looking to finding creative ways to use them.

Encountered

Characters encountering Janno will find him surrounded by a half-dozen of his (mostly) loyal thugs. Regardless of how many of his gang members are present, he will act with an unhealthy amount of bravado and tactlessness.

Canonically

Other than an extra -5 points in disadvantages, Janno was built using normal GURPS rules. Some GMs may wish to turn his concealment of his psi ability into the Secret disadvantage, depending on the campaign (eg, GURPS Traveller).

What if?

Janno will fit in virtually any campaign, with some changes for modern day or cyberpunk (downplay telepathy power slightly) and fantasy (some different skills, drop Semi-Literate).

Janno's exact background has been left vague, for the GM to fill in according to campaign needs. Some possibilities:

Campaign Uses

Janno (and his gang) could be used as an annoyance subplot in an adventure, or perhaps the focus of a brief adventure by himself.

Janno's Thugs

Use the following for Janno's gang (adapted from the Bravo/Thug template elsewhere on this website):

ST: 13 -- Swing 1d+3, Cut 1d
DX: 13 -- Basic Speed 6 , Move 6
IQ: 9
HT: 11

Point total: 60

Advantages: Toughness [10]; Combat Reflexes [15]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Rapid Healing [5]; Alertness +1 [5]

Disadvantages: Poverty: Struggling*; Bloodlust [-10]; Bully [-10]; Odious Personal Habit [-5)]; Impulsiveness [-10]; Lecherousness [-15]; Overconfidence [-10]

Skills: Beam Weapons (lasers)-15 [4]; Brawling-15 [4]; Knife-14 [2]; Stealth-13 [2]

Equipment: cheap laser pistol, cheap vibroknife

Notes: Take 15 points of advantages, 30 points of disadvantages (Poverty is already included) and 9 points in skills. Optionally, lower ST by 2 and take another 20 points in Advantages and skills.

More details on the Thug template are here.