Martin J. Reid, wealthy occultist
ST: 10 [0] -- Swing 1d, Thrust 1d-2
DX: 10 [0] -- Move 5, Speed 5, Dodge 5
IQ: 14 [45]
HT: 11 [10]
Point Total: 250
Advantages: Ally Group (6-20 people, 15-) [60]; Cool [1]; Empathy [15 ]; Filthy Rich [50]; Initiation Level 2 [15]; Intuition [10 ]; Serendipity [15]; Status +4 [15]
Disadvantages: Duty (to Foundation, 15-) [-15], Enemy (Cabal, 6-) [-15]; Obsession (Destroy Cabal) [-10]
Quirks: Slightly aloof; Very conservative dresser
Skills: Adminstration-16 [6]; Driving (Car)-9 [1]; Economics-19 [14]; Exorcism-11 [1]; Guns (Pistol)-13* [2]; Guns (Rifle)-13* [2]; History: Esoteric-13 [2]; Intelligence Analysis-13 [2]; Merchant-14 [2]; Mind Block-16 [6]; Occultism-15 [4]; Psionics-12 [2]; Ritual Magic (Witchcraft)-12 [2]; Rune Lore (Futhark)-12 [2]; Thanatology-12 [1]; Thaumatology-12 [2]
* Includes +2 IQ bonus
Languages: English-14 [0]; French-13 [1]; German-13 [1]; Latin-14 [2]; Hebrew-13 [1]
Equipment:
Reid normally carries little equipment on him, since he can quickly have staff bring he whatever he needs. He always carries a cellphone and pager and frequently will carry a handgun (.38 Special revolver, with alternating silver and wooden tipped rounds) even if he has escort.
Appearance:
Martin Reid is a nondescript man in his late forties. He has brown eyes and short brown hair slightly graying at the sides. He is roughly 5'8" tall and 160 lbs. He normally wears black or gray suits with white shirts -- if he's feeling daring, he'll wear a turtleneck sweater.
Biography
Born during the Korean War, Martin Reid never knew a true home as a child. Every few months his parents would move without explanation; more than once he arrived home after school to find the family car packed and his parents ready to leave. Eventually, they stopped enrolling him in schools. What Reid didn't find out until much later was that his parents were on the run from the Cabal.
Nearly a decade before he was born, his parents had been drawn into a war against this secret organization when his father (an archaeologist) and his mother (a journalist) had stumbled onto a conspiracy involving the Cabal in Florida and somehow managed to completely fouled up the Cabal's planned operation. Unfortunately, as far as the Cabal was concerned, they were as good as dead.
Shortly before he turned twelve, Martin was dropped off with an uncle in Chicago; it was the last time he ever saw his parents. Less than a month later, he was informed that both his parents had been killed in a car crash. For the next ten years, Martin's life was fairly routine. He showed a certain talent for business and received a collage degree in finance. It was shortly after he graduated that his past revisited him.
A lawyer contacted him, saying that his parent's wills had been recently discovered and verified. Perhaps of more note was that they had left behind a minor fortune. None of the newly found wealth was in banks; it had been found in the basement of an old family friend's house after he passed away, in the form of obscure but valuable antiques. Martin, quickly seeing this as a way to gain capital for playing the stock market promptly began selling off many of the items. Fortunately, his economic skill, with the addition of some good luck, allowed him to keep most of the collection.
Nearly another ten years passed when he got around to reading books that had been found along with the antiques. Many were very old books, written in French, German or Latin, which he sat aside, but most were personal journals written by his parents during his childhood. As he began to read them, he quickly realized that things were not as he had believed. By this time, he was fairly wealthy and could devote quite a bit of time to the task.
When he finished four years later, including learning several new languages so he could study the old books, his view of the world had completely changed. He now realized the menace that the Cabal was and that something had to be done about it. He quickly created a foundation (the rather imaginatively named Martin J. Reid Foundation) and began transferring money it; it's cover was that it was engaged in paranormal research, but it primarily serves two purposes -- to protect people with paranormal gifts from the Cabal and (unknown to others in the organization) to eventually take the war to the Cabal.
He began tracking down many of his parent's friends listed in their journals, though after nearly twenty five years many were no longer alive. Those that were still alive generally had some special power or skill that had helped them evade the Cabal (one or two had turned to the other side, but were quickly discovered and 'removed' without much damage being done). All of the family friends were offered safety at the Foundation, as well as the ability to teach other how to resist the Cabal; most accepted.
Today, eighteen years after it's creation, there are nearly eighty people associated with the Foundation, though about twenty of these are 'normals' who do routine administrative/legal work and are unaware of the true nature of the Foundation. Of the rest, perhaps a dozen are highly experienced in magic or psionics, with another two dozen or so engaged in pure research and testing. The rest (around 30 people) are largely inexperienced paranormals who are being tested by the scientists and trained by the veterans. Roughly half the people are at the offices in Chicago; the rest are fairly evenly split between Boston and San Francisco. Aside from research, the Foundation has recently begun investigating supernatural occurances, while trying to keep a low public profile. Funding for the Foundation primarily comes from Reid's financial success, though he has obtained donations from several wealthy individuals over the years. So far, the Foundation has been attacked by the Cabal twice; both were beaten back, but that the cost of over a dozen Foundation members dead. Reid plans to strike back within the next few months.
Few members of the Foundation are aware of Reid's abilities (indeed, it was not until after he started reading the journals that he realized he had any paranormal abilities). Unfortunately, his Telepathic (Empaty) and ESP (Intuition) powers seem to only be latent -- no amount of training has yet to improve either. His talent with ritual magic does seem to be better, though he lacks the free time to improve very much.
Encountered
Martin Reid is constantly busy, either overseeing operation of his Foundation or keeping it running financially. He can be found in any of the offices (Chicago, San Francisco or Boston)
What If?
Like Emily Ross, Martin Reid can easily be moved to time periods other than modern day, such as the 1950's, 1920's or 1890's.
Note that in the author's campaigns, the Cabal is not as organized (and therefore not as formidable) as presented in GURPS Horror or the upcoming GURPS Cabal.
Reid has not been given skill in an specific Paths or Rituals, since he is really a dabbler. However, if the campaign is especially high powered (Reid should be about 100 points more than starting PCs), GMs should feel free to put up to 100 more points in Initiation levels, specific Paths and Rituals and to change his Empathy and Intuition advantages into their psi equivalents (perhaps as high as Power 10 each).
Some GMs may prefer to move points from his Economics skill to Finance and/or Market Analysis (both in GURPS Traveller: Far Trader, p.103); Reid should probably also add Mathematical Ability [10] in such a case.
Campaign Uses
Reid can make a useful (and powerful) Patron and/or employer. PCs can work for his Foundation full time or work for another agency that sometimes cross paths with it.