Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 10 STR 0 11- Lift 100.0kg; 2d6; [2] 11 DEX 3 11- OCV 4 DCV 4 13 CON 6 12- 11 BODY 2 11- 18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13- 15 EGO 10 12- ECV: 5 18 PRE 8 13- PRE Attack: 3 1/2d6 10 COM 0 11- 4 PD 2 Total: 4 PD (0 rPD) 3 ED 0 Total: 3 ED (0 rED) 3 SPD 9 Phases: 4, 8, 12 5 REC 0 26 END 0 25 STUN 2 Total Characteristic Cost: 50 Movement: Running: 6"/12" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers & Skills Perks 3 Business Rank: Head of a minor import/export firm 3 Criminal Rank: Caid, Gang Leader 25 Followers (up to 16 Thugs, 25 Base Character Points) 10 Money: Wealthy 2 Reputation: Powerful and respected (Known Only to Marrakech residents) 11-, +2/+2d6 3 Well-Connected 20 Various Contacts and Favors Skills 4 +2 with Pistol 3 Bribery 13- 3 Bureaucratics 13- 4 CK: Marrakech 14- 5 Conversation 14- 3 High Society 13- 1 Language: English (basic conversation; Arabic is Native) 3 Language: French (completely fluent) 3 Oratory 13- 3 PS: Businessman 13- 4 PS: Smuggler 14- 3 Persuasion 13- 3 Streetwise 13- 3 Trading 13- 2 WF: Small Arms 3 Scholar 2 1) KS: Arab Literature (3 Active Points) 13- 3 2) KS: Marrakech Underworld (4 Active Points) 14- 1 3) KS: Moroccan politics (2 Active Points) 11- 2 4) KS: Sahara caravan routes (3 Active Points) 13- 1 5) KS: The Military/Mercenary/Terrorist World (2 Active Points) 11- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 125 Total Cost: 175 100+ Disadvantages 5 Enraged: When orders are not followed properly (Uncommon), go 8-, recover 14- 10 Hunted: Moroccan Police 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Limited Geographical Area, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima 10 Psychological Limitation: Greedy and ruthless (Uncommon, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Mistrusts followers (Common, Moderate) 5 Psychological Limitation: Quotes poetry at inopportune moments (Uncommon, Moderate) 5 Reputation: Gang leader, 8- (Extreme; Known Only to Marrakech Residents) 30 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 175
Background/History: Youssef M'Barek was born in Marrakech from a wealthy and influential family and enjoyed the fruits of pampered upbringing and fine education. Unfortunately, he chose to devote his considerable intelligence to crime. Running an import/export firm specializing in chemicals and engineering equipment, over years M'Barek developed a network of international contacts.
Nowadays his legitimate business hides the real source of most of his wealth: smuggling and arms dealing. M'Barek illegally imports arms from Europe. His political ties allow him to arrange for convenient distractions such as street riots when he needs to divert the police's attention from his "goods". He then proceeds to move most of the arms to Central Africa thanks to Bedouin caravans. M'Barell also deals in contraband diamonds, which follow the opposite road - from Central Africa to Marrakech and then to Europe under cover of legitimate business trips.
Personality/Motivation: Despite being a villain of the worst sort, M'Barek fancies himself literate and a poet. He loves classic Arabic poetry and will quote from it almost constantly. He knows that the police is harboring suspicion on his activities, so he will try to present a respectable facade in public and he will be cautious not to be linked to any violent criminal action. He only respects his henchmen that show some wits and charms (such as his lieutenant Basim), but he shows nothing but contempt for his thugs. He doesn't trust most of his followers and spends much time thinking about how to protect himself from his own henchmen.
Quote: "Quoth the poet: 'But I do not fear him: if he wants to wage war, I will march against him'."
Power/Tactics: M'Barek isn't much of a threat by himself. What makes him dangerous are his Followers and his Contacts. He rarely leaves his well-guarded villa. Whenever anything goes wrong, his top priority will be to cover his tracks and avoid being targeted by police investigations. That, of course, involves eliminating anyone who knows too much about his operations.
Campaign Use: While M'Barek rarely leaves Marrakech, the international scope of his dealings makes for a lot of good plot hooks. Characters might stumble into his operations while passing through Morocco, or they might travel to Africa to confront him after finding evidence of his crimes in some distant country. Also, documents in M'Barek's villa might lead PCs to other criminals in Africa or Europe. M'Barek's gang is fairly small and not terribly powerful, but they are part of a much larger smuggling ring. Anyone who messes with them is likely to become the target of a far-reaching vendetta.
M'barek will ruthlessly Hunt down anyone who endangers his operations. He likes to kills his enemies with his own hands, so he will try to have them abducted and brought to his villa if possible.
M'Barek isn't much of a combat threat. To make him more dangerous, just give him more and stronger Followers. To make him less of a threat, reduce his Followers and eliminate his international Contacts, making him a free agent.
No changes are necessary to make him suitable for a present-day campaign.
Appearance: M'Barek is a tall, thin Arabic man in his forties. He has sharp features and a piercing gaze. He keeps a short beard and usually wears well-made traditional Moroccan clothing
(M'Barek created by Roberto Raviola, character sheet created by Adriano Bompani.)
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