SHADOWS ANGELUS

This appeared as an article in Haymaker! issue 43.

THE GREATEST GAME I EVER PLAYED

When I first started gaming, there were no such things as "campaigns." Role-playing sessions usually consisted of rolling up characters and then getting killed messily in some dungeon or another. The idea of a long-term campaign, with distinct objectives, goals, and some sort of over-all plot, hadn't exactly caught on yet. Well, there were a few attempts, but no one seemed to be able to manage more than one session before everything fell apart and someone else tried again.

This changed a bit once I graduated from high school. I ended up in a long-running campaign titled Night Watch, which ran much like I expect many campaigns do—until people lost interest or the game group broke up. As time passed I ended up in a number of other games, some as GM, many more as a player. Most followed the open-ended model (i.e it ran until attrition said otherwise), although a few did have a set end point (such as the game that dealt with a group of teen supers and lasted for one school year). Then came a call from Ross Watson....

Ross had recently arrived in Maryland to work as an editor for Games Workshop. He'd read my Kazei 5 material some time ago and had used it to develop his own campaign world. It featured an immense floating city named "Angelus" and whereas Kazei 5 was heavily influenced by such anime as Bubblegum Crisis and Akira, Angelus borrowed mostly from Silent Möbius. Ross had run a game set in his world, and even used some of my NPCs from Kazei 5 in it (how cool is that?). So, now he was up here in Maryland, having left his old gaming group behind, and he wanted to run another session of Shadows Angelus. Would I like to play?

Ever have one of those moments where your brain just sort of shuts down? That's what happened to me. You'd have thought I'd have come to Ross with a dozen characters, but noooo.... I mean, here I was being offered a change to play in a setting tailor-made to my tastes, in a campaign using my favorite anime sub-genre: super-powered cops versus the supernatural! What was there not to like? And I had nuthin'....

After a week or more of going in circles, unable to think of an idea I was happy with, I fell on that old standby—ask the GM what everyone else was playing. I soon found out the rest of the cast consisted of an animal-human hybrid (a.k.a. a Clade) who'd been part of the first Angelus campaign, a paladin, a cybernetically augmented ex-SWAT-team member, and a scientist. And they were all guys....

Stepping back, I realized that A) any Silent Möbius-based game needed a magician, and B) how can you have an anime game and not have any fan-service? (uhm... I mean, and not have at least one female main character?) So I dug around in my website, found my archive of characters I'd created during my attempts to run my own Silent Möbius-based campaign (titled Silent Möbius Zeta), and handed Ross the one I thought would work best: Jamadigni Renuka.

Now I will admit, Jamadigni isn't exactly an original character. Back when I was working up numerous NPC officers to fill out the ranks of the Attacked Mystification Police (the police force from Silent Möbius), I freely borrowed ideas from here, there, and everywhere. Jamadigni Renuka was swiped semi-directly from Adam Warren's wonderful 1997 Elseworlds story for DC Comics' titled Titans: Scissors, Paper, Stone (but this being Adam Warren, "Jamadigni" wasn't exactly an original concept either). And now I offered the concept to Ross for his input.

Ross, probably thinking along the same lines as me (i.e. Silent Möbius + female mage = endless GM plothooks) , agreed to let "Jama" into the game. We haggled over the exact nature of her powers, I rewrote her Silent Möbius Zeta origin into something more in-line with Ross's setting, I worked up a drawing of the character (once again borrowing from Adam Warren's original work), and volia! one PC ready and raring to fight nameless horrors from beyond time and space.

THE CAMPAIGN

The Setup: As I mentioned above, Shadows Angelus is based off of Silent Möbius, which means it features a small group of uniquely-powered individuals fighting against malevolent supernatural forces. In Silent Möbius it's the oddly-named "Attacked Mystification Police." In Shadows Angelus it's Extra Special Weapons and Tactics (a.k.a. XSWAT). Both forces struggle to defend the Earth from strange Lovecraftian monsters called "Entities." In Silent Möbius the AMP consists of (at most) eight individuals, while XSWAT has roughly 5,000 officers (of which only 2,500 actually go out on patrol).

The Cast: The AMP has several magicians, a Shinto priestess, a cyborg, a cyberpunk decker, an esper (an anime telekinetic), and a human-Entity half-breed. XSWAT can have all of this and more. The initial PC group consisted of a Clade (i.e. a Blade Runner-ish replicant), a cyber-augmented police officer, a magician, a paladin, and a scientist. We lost the scientist after a few play sessions (the player dropped out for reasons that aren't entirely clear), but gained an esper and eventually a cyborg, ending the campaign with a total of 6 PCs.

Game Play: The game itself lasted 24 sessions, and as far as I know, the GM planned it that way. Perhaps not to have exactly 24 episodes, but certainly to try and present the campaign as single-season anime series (which is usually 26 episodes). We (the players) even began to consider the current session count when discussing possible future events. The closer we got to 26, the higher the tension level became. We knew things had to be coming to a head because the series was almost over!

We would play from 3 PM to around 9 or 10 PM, meaning roughly 6 hours per session (okay, more like 5). During a single session we would could expect battles against foes big and small, moral quandaries, scenes of player-induced laughter, GM-presented horror, often intense player interaction, and (usually) ended the evening on a positive note. This wasn't Call of Cthulhu, where everyone, no matter who they are, is doomed to be slowly driven insane, but an anime series—better yet, an anime magic cop series. While not everything turned up wine and roses, and while some of our battles were won at great cost, they were won. So every session would usually see us advance a little further through the metaplot, slowly learning more about the nature of the world around us and the Earth-threatening foe(s) we were up against.

I think that last sentence helps illustrate why I thought the game was so memorable (to me anyway). While Ross tended to run 3-session arcs, he also kept presenting hints and clues to a greater plot, one that would gain in importance the closer we came to the end of the campaign. Shadows Angelus really was a game where the fate of the world was at stake, and where seemingly inconsequential actions could have repercussions further down the line (some good, some bad).

Player Involvement: Although the campaign started out slow (I'm not sure everyone fully grasped the genre at the start) the players really started to take notice of what was going on after after the first three sessions or so. In order to make communication easier, Ross started a Yahoo-group, and for the first month it existed there were a total of 67 messages. The second? 216. The third: 279. And then there were 877 in June! (No, the total didn't keep going up. We didn't top 877 until over a year later, when 7 people managed to post 922 messages! Of course, that being the climatic end of the campaign might have helped....). Much of the posting came from what we call "Blue Booking," which is basically one (or more) PCs getting together to engage in role-playing sessions in story form. Invariably, the end of a session resulted in some sort of story from one or more players appearing on the mailing list before the next game. Sometimes it was simple asides and interludes, other times it was far more serious character development—and it was never boring. Between the eight of us, we wrote something like 95 stories, at least 10 of which came after the game was declared over! Oh, and recently the GM has started a new session of Shadows Angelus, titled Ten Years After. True to form, the players promptly ended up writing roughly 25 stories to help set things up before we played even one session!

THE CHARACTER

Playing Jama In The Game: When I built Jamadigni Renuka I'll admit to basing her on the Jamadigni from Adam Warren's Titans: Scissors, Paper, Stone. Both characters are young, powerful magicians, who tend to be show-offs with regards to their magic talents. But once the game started, "Jama" became her own person, and not a just a knock-off of an established concept.

Something I've noticed about myself, is that I'm a terrible person for playing pre-generated characters at a Con. I can't just "pick-up and go" when it comes to a PC I've created (or been given). I usually need a few sessions to get into the character's mind and get a feel for how the character should be. Jama was much the same. The initial concept—a fun-loving college student who happened to be able to whip-up all sorts of spells—quickly found herself in a very dirty and dangerous line of work. The first few sessions opened both her eyes and mine, giving me a feel for the horror aspect of the game and thus enabling me to rework Jama's personality as she realized the true nature of XSWAT, their job, and the threats they opposed. So while Jama might still pull such stunts as watering her house plants with localized rain showers, and calling upon the spirits of the air to straighten up her desk, she also knew that fun and games and jokes were best left at home or in the squad office—not on the street.

At the same time, I wanted to try and have Jama come across as, well, not me. I wasn't going to fall into any of the common traps one might find when playing a cross-gender character—Jama wasn't going to be a nympho, lesbian, butch, man-hating, whatever. I wanted her to be a person. So, I played her as a person first and female second. I had a set of Psychological Limitations to guide me, a paragraph or so under "Personality/Motivation", and some definite "don'ts" (such as "don't be a stereotype"). I also realized that I could occasionally have Jama be, well, "emotional." That's not to say she'd break into tears at the drop of a hat, but that Jama didn't have to be the strong-jawed silent type—there were four or five of those on the team already! So she could show apprehension, fear, sadness, nervousness, and the like. Not because she was a woman (well, that was part of it, since I felt a woman, especially an anime woman would tend to be a little more expressive of her of feelings), but because she was a person.

Curiously, playing Jama this way never had any of the other players (or PCs) regard her as "weak." (Well, maybe at the start some of the PCs did). Instead, I think it made her seem more real, more human, and made her moments of bravery (and she had many) come across as that much more heroic.

Jama And The Other Players: I'll admit, it can be a tad uncomfortable to play a female PC in an otherwise all male group. When I was doing the Kazei 5 PBEM it was easy—everything was handled by text-based stories and email. But face-to-face? What do you do if the male GM has a male NPC start flirting with you? Flirt back? Those with more confidence in themselves will say "yes!" Me? I chickened out. Jama never had a romantic relationship while the game was in progress and the one time the GM presented a possibility, I (and thus Jama) decided the would-be suitor couldn't be trusted and turned him down (I'm still not sure the guy was totally on the up-and-up....).

On the other hand, the other players seemed "go with the flow" and see Jama for what she was (a female PC) and not not see me when dealing with her. It helped I worked up some concept art early in the game, cementing her look at the start. In fact, one player commented that later, more "realistic" artwork didn't fit his mental image of Jama, which was that of the "little sister" of the team.

As the game progressed, Jama become far more than "the little sister." Her magical talents and skills proved to be very valuable at times, and once the scientist character left, she became the only real research specialist we had. As many PCs (and players) said, when Jama talked, you listened (it didn't hurt that the GM himself admitted that Jama's... err, my ability to put clues together forced him to stay on his mental toes). I also found it interesting that no one had "PC" tattooed on their forehead. No one felt the need to defend the actions of another just because they were a PC. In fact, some PC actions started some serious arguments—well, many not a heated argument, but certainly strong disagreements and the like. Jama, however, along with Nathan Carpenter (the paladin character), almost had the "PC" stamp. Messing with either of them was a sure-fire ticket to having the rest of the PCs seriously consider actions that would get them kicked off the force.

Jama And The GM: I have it on good authority (from Ross himself) that Jama was both a blessing and a curse. She was a blessing, as she made a great hook for many plots. While all of the PCs had their moments in the spot light, he needed someone to be a primary focus for final phase of the game. Someone who would be able to come up with the solution to save the world. And with the scientist out of the game, guess who he picked? Curiously, this revelation didn't cause PC resentment (as in "why her?"), but made the PCs even more protective (hence the line "Save the Sorceress, Save the World"). The GM even introduced a lecherous Internal Affairs officer who made some not-so-subtle advances to Jama and the rest of the players seriously debated how to best do away with said officer without attracting any notice.

Jama was also a curse to Ross, as he could feed her all sorts of information dealing with the metaplot of saving the world; but then Jama (meaning me) would figure out what do with it! At one point I was asked "What's Jama's INT?" "18" I replied, only to be told, "You play that INT well." Later I asked "Should I buy Jama Deduction?" only to have everyone else (GM and players included) state "Why? You're doing fine without it!" And, of course, came my crowning moment, where I checked my notes (a small spiral-bound notebook is an essential part of any game I'm in), and uttered a low "oh... sh*t...." As the GM (and other players looked on), I literally dragged the paladin's player out of the room and told him "I know what's going to happen next." That stunt resulted in the game ending an hour early as the GM had to admit, "I didn't expect you guys to figure that one out like that."

I'm now going to present three versions of Jamadigni Renuka. The first will be from the start of the game. The second will be from the end of the game, and the third will be the one I developed for the sequel to the original Shadows Angelus game.

OFFICER JAMADAGNI RENUKA

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
8	STR	-2	11-	Lift 75 kg; 1 1/2d6 HTH Damage [1]
16	DEX	18	12-	OCV:  5/DCV:  5
15	CON	10	12-
8	BODY	-4	11-
18	INT	8	13-	PER Roll 13-
18	EGO	16	13-	ECV:  6
13	PRE	3	12-	PRE Attack:  2 1/2d6
20	COM	5	13-

4	PD	2		Total:  4 PD (0 PDr)
4	ED	1		Total:  4 ED (0 EDr)
3	SPD	4		Phases:  4, 8, 12
5	REC	0
30	END	0
23	STUN	0		Total Characteristics Cost:  63

Movement:	Running:	7"/14"
		Leaping:	1"/2"
		Swimming:	3"/6"

Cost	Powers & Skills
68	Animistic/Elemental Sorcery:  Variable Power Pool, 50 base + 25 control, Powers Can Be Changed 
	As A Half-Phase Action (+1/2); Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Limited Class Of Powers 
	(magic spells; -1/2)

0	Kris:  HKA 1d6 (1d6+1 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4)

	Martial Arts:  Bhakti Negara Pentjack Silat
	Maneuver	OCV	DCV	Damage
4	Dodge		+0	+5	Dodge versus All Attacks, Abort
4	Escape		+0	+0	23 STR versus Grabs
5	Kick		-2	+1	5 1/2d6 Strike
4	Punch/Elbow Strike	
			+0	+2	3 1/2d6 Strike
1	User Art With Blades

2	Fast On Her Feet:  Running +1" (7" total), END 1
1	Loves The Water:  Swimming +1" (3" total), END 1

	Perks
2	Fringe Benefit:  Concealed Weapons Permit
3	Fringe Benefit:  XSWAT Police Powers

	Skills
15	Magical Skill: +3 with Animistic/Elemental Sorcery

3	Acrobatics 12-
2	AK:  Angelus 11-
0	AK:  Indonesia 8-
3	Breakfall 12-
1	Bureaucratics 8-
3	Criminology 13-
0	Language:  Bahasa Indonesia (native)
3	Language:  English (fluent)
15	Power (Sorcery) 19-
0	PS:  Dance 11-
4	TF:  SCUBA, Small Motorized Boats, Surfboard, Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehicles, 
	XSWAT Spinner
3	WF:  Blades, Pistol, Tonfa/Nightstick/Stunstick
3	Scholar
1	1) KS:  Criminal Law And Procedure 11-
1	2) KS:  Entities 11-
1	3) KS:  Folklore And Superstition 11-  
2	4) KS:  The Magical/Occult/Supernatural World 13-
2	5) KS:  World Religions 13-

156	Total Powers & Skills Cost
219	Total Character Cost

100+	Disadvantages
10	Distinctive Features:  Magical Aura (Not Concealable, Always Noticed, Detectable Only With 
	Unusual Senses)
5	Distinctive Features:  Mystic Sygil On Forehead (Easily Concealable)
5	Hunted:  Other Magicians/Magical Groups 8- (MoPow, Watching)
15	Hunted:  Shadow Entities 8- (MoPow)
10	Hunted:  XSWAT 8- (MoPow, NCI, Watching)
20	Normal Characteristic Maxima
15	Psychological Limitation:  Overconfident With Regard To Her Magical Skills (Common, Strong)
0	Psychological Limitation:  Like To Have Fun/Party/Enjoy Herself (Common, Moderate)
10	Psychological Limitation:  Tries To Uphold The Common Good (Common, Strong)
10	Psychological Limitation:  Unrepentant Magical Showoff (Common, Moderate)
5	Reputation:  XSWAT Officer (a.k.a. not "normal, heavily involved with bizarre cases and 
	monsters") 8-
20	Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very Frequently, Major)
5	Unluck

Total Disadvantage Points:  230

Background/History: Jamadagni Renuka (Jama to her friends) comes from a long line of Balinese sorcerers. She was trained in the traditions of magic by her grandfather, who was quick to recognize her potential as a sorceress. His teachings paid of quite handsomely and Jama is one of the most powerful and skilled magicians her family has ever produced. Her magical skills brought her to the attention of Alice Cadbury and in 2111 she let Indonesia to become part of the newly reestablished 9th Squad.

Initially, Jama was unsure of becoming an XSWAT officer, but eventually agreed after several consultations with her grandfather over the nature of XSWAT and its purpose (not to mention casting certain divination rituals). Now a fresh graduate of the XSWAT Academy (albeit an accelerated "crash course"), Jama looks forward to what promises to be an exciting adventure (as well as an place where she can practice her magic freely). Little does she know that she about to realize the true potential of that mythical Chinese curse: "may you live in interesting times."

Personality/Motivation: Jama is an interesting contradiction. On one hand, she is still retains her young, 22 year-old college student mentality; on the other, she's deeply committed to her position as family sorceress, and to the aims of XSWAT (as she understands them). She is an unrepentant showoff and often tries to use her most visually impressive spells whenever possible. She also tends to use magic to resolve even minor problems, having spells for straightening her desk, cleaning her apartment, and doing the dishes (for example). Jama also tends to rattle off far more than anyone really needs to know concerning a specific magical problem or spell, going to into very technical descriptions of even simple sorceries.

As the present clan sorceress, Jama tires her best to live up to the expectations of her family and ancestors. She feels her service with XSWAT is the perfect way for her to learn how to use her magical talents to the fullest, as well as experiencing different forms of sorcery. Jama practices her spell-casting constantly (which is why she has some many spells cooked up to handle trivial matters) and will gladly examine any sort of unknown magical artifact XSWAT comes across.

Quote: "It's simple really, all you need is sheer force of will and reality is yours to command. Here, let me show you with this trick my grandfather taught me."

Powers/Tactics: Jama's powers make her one of 9th Squad's powerhouses. Her primary magical talents are centered on animist sorcery, or the calling of various spirits to do her bidding. She knows hundreds of such spells, many of which involve manipulating the classical five elements of Taoism and Hinduism (Air, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood or Aether, Air/Wind, Earth, Fire, Water), producing direct representations of the elements at will, such as balls of light, flame blasts, or fountains of water. Other versions of these spells let her fly, breathe water, crumble metal, and so on.

Jama can also call upon the collected beliefs of people to power her spells. She considers this another form of spirit magic, with the spirit not being one of nature but instead being one of the collective imagination of a people. For example, she has cast spells based on the classic "rock-paper-scissors" game, with "paper" forming a highly effective Force Wall, since everyone knows, paper stops rock (i.e. bullets, punches, and energy blasts). She also cast a spell that tapped into the collective mythology of the movies and Hollywood, with the result she was granted certain attributes of cinematic action heroes, such as increased strength, speed, and toughness.

Other spells involve her kris, and the protective hantu within it. These spells tend to be defensive in nature and are used to protect her from harm. The kris itself is supernaturally sharp and can be used to "cut" spells and ghosts.

Appearance: Jama is of below-average height, with a slim and trim figure, warm brown skin, and bright green eyes. Her hair is a dark reddish brown and falls to her waist. On duty she keeps it tied up, knotted into ponytail on the back of her head, although numerous free strands tend to hang across her forehead and into her eyes. On Jama's forehead is a mystic sygil, which has the disturbing tendency to morph into a different symbol when you aren't paying attention. In addition, long black lines are painted under her eyes, across each cheek. Those who are attuned to such things can easily detect Jama's rather impressive mystical aura.

While on duty, Jama will wear the standard AMP uniform (which she rather likes, as she thinks it looks rather cool and impressive). Off duty, however, she will wear nearly anything, and has a tendency to dress as if she was still living in the somewhat warmer climate of Bali, Indonesia.

Comments: This was Jamadigni Renuka at the very start of play (which was March 3, 2112). She is a mere 22 years old or so, athletic, agile, and very smart. Technically a 200-point character, the XSWAT Package Deal adds in another 19 points (and helps explain her 230 points of Disadvantages). Curiously, her 50-point VPP was thought to be underpowered when compared to some other characters and at least once someone told the GM so. He replied he had a reason for keeping Jama's magical prowess restrained, and when events finally allowed me to buy up her VPP to 60 points, the general reaction wasn't one of "Whoo hoo! Bigger and better spells!" it was more like "What have I done?"

One of the nice things about the campaign was getting the chance to use just about everything on the character sheet. She did get into at least one hand-to-hand fight with her Pentjak Silat, her kris was eventually replaced with an enchanted one and become the core component of many of her spells. Even her TF with SCUBA came up in one adventure.

DIRECTOR JAMADAGNI RENUKA
circa 2113

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
8	STR	-2	11-	Lift 75.8 kg; 1 1/2d6 HTH Damage [1]
18	DEX	24	13-	OCV:  6/DCV:  6
18	CON	16	13-
8	BODY	-4	11-
18	INT	8	13-	PER Roll 13-
20	EGO	20	13-	ECV:  7
18	PRE	8	13-	PRE Attack:  3 1/2d6
20	COM	5	13-

4	PD	2		Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
4	ED	0		Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
4	SPD	12		Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
6	REC	0
50	END	7
21	STUN	0		Total Characteristic Cost:  96

Movement:	Running:	7"/14"
		Leaping:	1"/2"
		Swimming:	3"/6"

Cost	Powers & Skills
7	I Survived Omega Sector:  +15 PRE; Only To Protect Against Presence Attacks (-1)

82	Animistic/Elemental Sorcery:  Variable Power Poo, 60 base + 22 control cost, Powers Can Be 
	Changed As A Half-Phase Action (+1/2); Limited Class Of Powers Available Limited (Magic 
	Spells; -1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4)

	Martial Arts:  Bhakti Negara Pentjack Silat
	Maneuver	OCV	DCV	Damage
4	Block		+2	+2	Block, Abort
4	Dodge		--	+5	Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort
4	Escape		+0	+0	23 STR vs. Grabs
5	Kick		-2	+1	5 1/2d6 Strike
3	Legsweep	+2	-1	2 1/2d6 Strike, Target Falls
4	Punch/Elbow Strike
			+0	+2	3 1/2d6 Strike
2	Weapon Element:  Blades, Clubs

9	Enchanted Kris:  HKA 1/2d6, Required Hands (One; +0), Affects Desolidified 
	(Supernatural SFX Only; +1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), 
	Penetrating (+1/2); OAF (-1), STR Minimum 7 (-1/2)
11	My Mind Is My Own:  Mental Defense (15 points total)
2	Fast On Her Feet:  Running +1" (7" total), END 1
1	Loves The Water:  Swimming +1" (3" total), END 1

	Perks
6	Contact:  Paul "Old Paulie" Santerino, Angelus PD (Contact is slavishly loyal to character, Good 
	relationship with Contact) 11-
8	Director of XSWAT:  Fringe Benefit:  Director of XSWAT
5	Director of XSWAT Powers:  Fringe Benefit:  Concealed Weapon Permit (where appropriate), 
	Federal/National Police Powers
9	Reputation:  Defender Of Angelus—the sorceress—caller of the Digital Angel—braved the 
	deepest ocean and the darkest heart of the city—sees truly. (City Of Angelus) 14-, +3/+3d6

	Skills
16	Combat Skill:  +2 with All Combat
12	Magical Skill:  +4 Animistic/Elemental Sorcery 
3	XSWAT Combat Training:  +1 Block, Dodge, Dive For Cover

3	Acrobatics 13-
0	AK: Indonesia 8-
3	Breakfall 13-
3	Bureaucratics 13-
2	CK: Angelus 11-
3	Criminology 13-
0	Language:  Bahasa Indonesian (idiomatic; literate)
3	Language:  English (completely fluent; literate, literate is free)
1	Language:  Greek, Ancient (basic conversation; literate, Literate Only)
1	Language:  XSWAT Combat Code (basic conversation)
3	Paramedics 13-
17	Power:  Elemental Sorcery 20-
0	PS: Dance 8-
3	Teamwork 13-
7	TF:  Jetskis, SCUBA, Small Motorized Boats, Surfing, Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehicles, 
	Windsurfing, XSWAT Spinner
4	WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Handguns, Tonfa/Nightstick/Stunstick
3	Scholar
1	1)  KS: Bhakti Negara Pentjack Silat 11-
1	2)  KS: Criminal Law And Procedure 11-
1	3)  KS: Entities 11-
1	4)  KS: Folklore And Superstition 11-
2	5)  KS: The Magical/Occult/Supernatural World 13-
2	6)  KS: World Religions 13-

Total Powers & Skill Cost:  261
Total Cost:  357

100+	Disadvantages
10	Distinctive Features:  Magical Aura (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; 
	Detectable Only By Unusual Senses)
0	Distinctive Features:  Mystic Sygil On Forehead (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; 
	Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
5	Distinctive Features:  XSWAT Uniform (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By 
	Commonly-Used Senses)
20	Hunted:  Angelus City Council 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to 
	find, Watching)
5	Hunted:  Other Magicians/Magical Groups Around The World 8- (As Pow, PC has a Public ID or is 
	otherwise very easy to find, Watching)
10	Hunted:  Shadow Entities 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish)
0	Normal Characteristic Maxima
10	Psychological Limitation:  After All These Years, She's Still An Unrepentant Magical Showoff, 
	And Supremely Confident In Her Magical Skills (Common, Moderate)
20	Psychological Limitation:  Dedicated To The Goals Of XSWAT And Protecting The City Of Angleus; 
	Tries To Uphold The Common Good For All (Very Common, Strong)
0	Psychological Limitation:  Phobia—Spiders (one can never really forget Omega Sector) (Uncommon, 
	Moderate)
5	Reputation:  Director of XSWAT ("she leads that police force that fights monsters and 
	stuff!"), 8-
15	Social Limitation:  Director of XSWAT—Public ID/Famous (Frequently, Major)
20	Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders Of The City Council (Very Frequently, Major)
137	Experience Points

Total Disadvantage Points:  357

Comments: And this is Jamadigni Renuka at the end of play (which would be right around January 24, 2113). Not bad for less than a year on the force, eh? She went from rookie beat cop to Director of the whole shebang! Actually, it wasn't as easy as all that, but still, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my character in charge of the force she was serving. I recall thinking "I'd like to see her make Captain, command her own squad, or perhaps teach magical studies to new recruits." Yeah, you can see how that turned out.

Now, lets talk about what changed:

Her increased Characteristics came about for various reasons. One was simply inflation. She really needed to be faster to be able to keep up with both her fellow PCs and her foes. On the other hand, intensive combat training was stated to be part of the whole team's regimen, not to mention simple "one the job training" (We ended up in a lot of combats!). The increased Presence came about because Jama (and the rest of the team) really did enter (and survive) the fabled Omega Sector. Why is that important? Ever read or seen The Mist? Played DOOM 3? Seen In The Mouth Of Madness? Omega Sector's something like that....

Her VPP went up after certain in-game events (as I mentioned before). You can also see the build for her enchanted kris (a wavy-bladed knife carried by almost everyone in Indonesia). I also gave her Mental Defense because, in the words of one PC, "You have a strength of will that shines in you like a sun."

The Contact and Reputation were given in game by the GM. She also didn't have to pay for the "Director" Perk, it was assumed. Paulie was "slavishly loyal" to Jama for several reasons. One, she saved him being crushed to death by enveloping in a protective Force Field at just the right moment. And two, in one of those little things that made the campaign fun, Jama (and the paladin) came into a hospital at one point and found the waiting room filled with injured police officers. Since Jama's kris could cut through anything (it has Penetrating), she cut the locks on some vending machines and with the paladin's help started handing out coffee, sodas, and snacks to the injured. Needless to say, the police present never forgot that. Other elements of the Reputation refer to in-game events. I'll talk more about the Digital Angel under "Spells."

Many of Jama's new skills are a result of in game needs. The squad's leader (a PC) created a list of training objectives, which included things like +1" of Running, the Level with Block and Dodge, Combat Codes, and Teamwork. She learned to read Greek while studying a magical tome (an important plot point). The +2 with All Combat came about after I consolidated a few Combat Skill Levels.

Her Disadvantages have been radically altered. She's gained some new ones (such as the Hunted/Watched by the Angelus City Council), lost at least one Psychological Limitation, and had others re-written. Oh, and remember my comments about Omega Sector? That's why she has that 0-point Psychological Limitation dealing with spiders.

DIRECTOR JAMADAGNI RENUKA
circa 2123

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
8	STR	-2	11-	Lift 75.8 kg; 1 1/2d6 HTH Damage [1]
18	DEX	24	13-	OCV:  6/DCV:  6
16	CON	12	12-
8	BODY	-4	11-
18	INT	8	13-	PER Roll 13-
23	EGO	32	14-	ECV:  8
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack:  4d6
20	COM	5	13-

4	PD	2		Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
4	ED	1		Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
4	SPD	12		Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
5	REC	0
50	END	9
20	STUN	0		Total Characteristic Cost:  109

Movement:	Running:	7"/14"
		Leaping:	1"/2"
		Swimming:	3"/6"

Cost	Powers & Skills
7	I Survived Omega Sector:  +15 PRE; Only To Protect Against Presence 	Attacks (-1)

96	Animistic/Elemental Sorcery:  Variable Power Pool, 70 base + 26 control cost, Powers Can 
	Be Changed As A Half-Phase Action (+1/2); Limited Class Of Powers Available (Magic 
	Spells; -1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4)

	Martial Arts:  Bhakti Negara Pentjack Silat
	Maneuver	OCV	DCV	Damage
4	Block		+2	+2	Block, Abort
4	Dodge		--	+5	Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort
4	Escape		+0	+0	28 STR vs. Grabs
5	Kick		-2	+1	6 1/2d6 Strike
3	Legsweep	+2	-1	3 1/2d6 Strike, Target Falls
4	Punch/Elbow Strike	
			+0	+2	4 1/2d6 Strike
4	+1 HTH Damage Classes (alreeady added in)
2	Weapon Element:  Blades, Clubs

9	Enchanted Kris:  HKA 1/2d6, Required Hands (One; +0), Affects Desolidified 
	(Supernatural SFX Only; +1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), 
	Penetrating (+1/2); OAF (-1), STR Minimum 7 (-1/2)
8	Guardian Hantu:  Danger Sense (self only, out of combat, Function as a Sense, Intuitional); 
	OAF (kris; -1) 13-
15	My Mind Is My Own:  Mental Defense (20 points total)
2	Fast On Her Feet:  Running +1" (7" total), END 1
1	Loves The Water:  Swimming +1" (3" total), END 1

	Perks
8	Director of XSWAT:  Fringe Benefit:  Director of XSWAT
5	Director of XSWAT Powers:  Fringe Benefit:  Concealed Weapon Permit (where appropriate), 
	Federal/National Police Powers
15	Corporal Cadbury:  Follower (Corporal Cadbury the Maine Coon)
9	Reputation:  Defender Of Angelus—the sorceress—caller of the Digital Angel—braved the 
	deepest ocean and the darkest heart of the city—sees truly. (City Of Angelus) 14-, +3/+3d6
3	Well-Connected
5	1)  Contact:  Paul "Old Paulie" Santerino, Angelus PD (Contact is slavishly loyal to 
	character, Good relationship with Contact) 11-
15	Assorted Contacts throughout Angelus

	Skills
16	Ten Year XSWAT Veteran:  +2 with All Combat
12	One Of The Most Potent Sorceresses Of The Age:  +4 Animistic/Elemental Sorcery 
10	When All Else Fails, Talk To Them:  +2 with Interaction Skills

3	Pentjack Silat Is Like A Dance:  Acrobatics 13-
3	I Know Both Alpha And Omega Sectors:  AK: Angelus 13-
0	Home...:  AK: Indonesia 8-
3	First Thing I Learned Was How To Fall:  Breakfall 13-
3	Sign Here, Sign Here, And Initial Here:  Bureaucratics 13-
1	Something My Husband Taught Me:  Combat Driving 8-
2	I'm A 22nd Century Sorceress After All:  Computer Programming (Personal Computers) 13-
3	There's No Such Thing As The 'Perfect' Crime:  Criminology 13-
3	The World's Melting Pot:  CuK: Angelus 13-
3	Honor The Dead, Fight For The Living:  CuK: XSWAT Customs and Traditions 13-
3	Smile, Nod, And Smile Again:  High Society 13-
3	Magic 101:  Instructor 13-
0	Language:  Bahasa Indonesian (idiomatic; literate)
3	Language:  English (completely fluent; literate, literate is free)
1	Language:  Greek, Ancient (basic conversation; literate, Literate Only)
1	Language:  Japanese (basic conversation)
3	We Few, We Band Of Brothers...:  Oratory 13-
0	Of Course I Know How To Dance!:  PS: Dance 8-
3	And This Is Why They Call Me 'Mama Jama':  PS: Director of XSWAT 13-
3	Hold Still, You're Bleeding!:  Paramedics 13-
17	Animistic/Elemental Sorcery:  Power:  Elemental Sorcery 20-
3	Time To Visit The Vault:  Research 13-
1	Angelus Is Not All Bright And Shiny:  Streetwise 8-
7	TF:  Jetskis, SCUBA, Small Motorized Boats, Small Motorized Ground Vehicles, Surfing, 
	Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehicles, Windsurfing, XSWAT Spinner
3	Shooters Here And Shooters Here:  Tactics 13-
5	WF:  Small Arms, Blades, Tonfa/Nightstick/Stunstick, XSWAT Masers
3	Scholar
2	1)  APD On One Hand, XSWAT On The Other:  KS: The Angelus Law Enforcement World 13-
2	2)  Allah, Buddha, Jehovah, Yaweh... They Are All One To Me:  KS: World Religions 13-
2	3)  Cut Off One And Two Take Its Place:  KS: Angelus Criminal Underworld 13-
2	4)  It Doesn't Pay To Discount 'Mere Myths':  KS: Folklore, Mythology, And Superstition 13-
2	5)  Let's Talk About Something Else, Shall We?:  KS: Entities 13-
2	6)  Obey The Rules And I'll Back You Till The End:  KS: Criminal Law And Procedure 13-
2	7)  There Will Be Blood:  KS: The Yakuza 13-
2	8)  This Is My Forte:  KS: The Magical/Occult/Supernatural World 13-
1	9)  Warning—I'm Tougher Than I Look:  KS: Bhakti Negara Pentjack Silat 11-

Total Powers & Skill Cost:  366
Total Cost:  475

100+	Disadvantages
10	Distinctive Features:  Magical Aura (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; 
	Detectable Only By Unusual Senses)
0	Distinctive Features:  Mystic Sygil On Forehead (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; 
	Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
5	Distinctive Features:  XSWAT Uniform (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By 
	Commonly-Used Senses)
20	Hunted:  Angelus City Council 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to 
	find, Watching)
10	Hunted:  Entities 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish)
5	Hunted:  Other Magicians/Magical Groups Around The World 8- (As Pow, PC has a Public ID or is 
	otherwise very easy to find, Watching)
0	Hunted:  Yakuza 8- (As Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, 
	Harshly Punish)
0	Normal Characteristic Maxima
10	Psychological Limitation:  After All These Years, She's Still An Unrepentant Magical Showoff, 
	And Supremely Confident In Her Magical Skills (Common, Moderate)
20	Psychological Limitation:  Dedicated To The Goals Of XSWAT And Protecting The City Of Angleus; 
	Tries To Uphold The Common Good For All (Very Common, Strong)
0	Psychological Limitation:  In Love With Mitch Brogan (Very Common, Strong)
0	Psychological Limitation:  Phobia—Spiders (one can never really forget Omega Sector) 
	(Uncommon, Moderate)
5	Reputation:  Director of XSWAT ("she leads that police force that fights monsters and 
	stuff!"), 8-
15	Social Limitation:  Director of XSWAT—Public ID/Famous (Frequently, Major)
20	Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders Of The City Council (Very Frequently, Major)
255	Experience Points

Total Disadvantage Points:  475

Comments: And now we have Director Jamadigni Renula, 11 year veteran of XSWAT. She's now around 34 and still quite fit and active. I wrote this as a sort of "build to concept" version once the GM announced he was planning on a sequel to the first game. One may notice Jama gained a whopping 140 points in less than a year, and a "mere" 125 in the next 10. I'll attribute that to not trying to go crazy with my concept build. Many of my improvements are minor and meant to be logical progressions. Let's look at them:

I juggled her characteristics a bit to represent time spent behind a desk. Her CON went down a few points (less time to exercise) but her EGO and PRE went up (she's far more sure of herself and more used to dealing with people and being in command).

Her VPP went up (defined as more magical experience), although technically she still can't cast spells of more than 60 Active Points. In addition, the GM has stated her VPP could be a lot higher than 70 points, with 90 probably more likely by now. Much of the rest of her powers are the same, although her training in hand-to-hand combat has given her a Damage Class (she doesn't hit harder, just with more accuracy). I also took one of her spells (which was initially borrowed from The Ultimate Martial Artist), and made it a separate power. Her Danger Sense isn't a case of paranoia, because people really are out to get her!

Her Perks are pretty much the same, although I have given her an unspecified 15 points of Contacts. This is one of those things that could cost a lot more, as her Contacts would include Councilmen, influential business leaders, the Chief of Angelus Police, and so on. Corporal Cadbury is her pet cat. Twenty pounds of Maine Coon, he's her constant companion, and is far smarter than most people realize. There's a character sheet for the good Corporal at the end of this article.

The idea of assigning a Special Effect (i.e. a quote) to each Skill came about when one of the players did just that for one of his PCs. He, in turn, had been inspired by my own work on such characters as Captain Jack Sparrow (from my website), where I'd defined certain Skills with lines from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. I, in turn, decided to try and do the same for this version of Jama. One thing I liked about this was it let me explain why she had such skills and how she might use them. I then went and did the same thing for my character to be used in Shadows Angelus II, the sequel.

The skills themselves are mostly an expansion of what she already knew. In some cases I bought the Skill up to full and in others I added some Skills the GM had made part of the SAII XSWAT Package. You may notice some optional skills from The Ultimate Skill in there. As I said, this was a "build to concept." Oh, and "shooters here and shooters here" is a running joke from our campaign(s). We often use it to refer to any tactical decision. You'll need to watch Ronin to get it though.

Her Disadvantages are mostly the same, with a few alterations. The Hunted by Yakuza is in there to reflect the direction of the new game. The "In Love With Mitch Brogan" reflects events that occurred after the original game ended. You see, once the last session was played out, people were still working up what would happen over the next few years. I wrote a "Ten Years After" epilogue, and things started to snowball from there (We joked it was 'the game that will not die!'). Anyway, one of the players had introduced a backup character (Mitch), who was the son of his current character (Malachi). As Mitch was about Jama's age I said something like "Hey look! A love interest for Jama!" Together the two of us wrote some stories designed to tie-up a few loose ends (as well as provide some plot hooks for the possible sequel). Anyway, it ended up that yes, Jama did fall in love with Mitch and they are now married. And as it turns out, this is a fairly important plot point in Shadows Angelus II.

JAMADAGNI RENUKA'S BOOK OF SPELLS

JAMADAGNI RENUKA'S XSWAT EQUIPMENT

C-60 Variable Maser Gun Mark II: The C-60 Mk2 is the upgraded standard sidearm for XSWAT Officers. It has two settings: the "normal" setting fires a maser (microwave-guided laser, a.k.a. "millimeter-wave beam") powerful enough to injure or kill most normal humans. The high-power (colloquially referred to as the "creature setting" among XSWAT officers) setting drains three charges per shot instead of one and is powerful enough to damage even power armor with a lucky shot. The C-60 Mk2 has a lithium battery clip that holds 12 charges.

14	C-60 Variable Maser Pistol Mark 2:  Multipower, 53-point reserve, all slots Required Hands 
	(One; +0); all slots OAF (-1), STR Minimum 8 (STR Minimum Cannot Add/Subtract Damage; -1), 
	12 Charges (-1/4), Beam (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4)
1u	1)  Basic Setting:  RKA 1 1/2d6, Required Hands (One; +0); OAF (-1), STR Minimum 8 (STR Minimum 
	Cannot Add/Subtract Damage; -1), Beam (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4)
1u	2)  Creature Setting:  RKA 3d6, Required Hands (One; +0); Requires 3 Charges Per Use (-1 1/2), 
	OAF (-1), STR Minimum 8 (STR Minimum Cannot Add/Subtract Damage; -1), Beam (-1/4), 
	Real Weapon (-1/4)
3	C-60 Variable Maser Gun Inherent Accuracy:  +1 with OCV; OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4) plus
	Penalty Skill Levels:  +1 vs. Range Modifier with Maser; OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4)

XSWAT Stunstick: The XSWAT Stunstick is a combination nightstick and cattle prod. It can also be used as a normal nightstick. The Stunstick works quite well on humans, but is of little help against supernatural creatures.

27	XSWAT Stunstick:  HA +3d6, Required Hands (One; +0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OAF (-1), 
	Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), STR Minimum (8; -1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4) plus EB 8d6, Required 
	Hands (One; +0), NND (defense is insulated ED or non-human nervous system; +1); OAF (-1), 
	STR Minimum 8 (STR Minimum Cannot Add/Subtract Damage; -1), No Range (-1/2), 12 Charges (-1/4), 
	Real Weapon (-1/4)

Restraints: These are simple, high-quality handcuffs. Theoretically, these restraints are strong enough to confine a lightweight cyborg.

9	Restraints:  Entangle 3d6, 6 DEF (standard effect: 3 BODY, 6 DEF), Takes No Damage From 
	Attacks (+1/4); 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), Set Effect (Hands Only/Feet Only) (-1), Does Not 
	Prevent The Use Of Accessible Foci (-1), No Range (-1/2), Must Follow Grab Or Target Must Be 
	Willing (-1/2), Can Be Escaped Automatically With Modified Lockpicking Or Contortionist 
	Roll (-1/2), IIF (-1/4), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4)

XSWAT Nanofiber Bodysuit Mark II: The XSWAT bodysuit is composed of nanofiber carbon rods that stiffen upon impact to spread out the force of any blow. The suit can be worn comfortably under any clothing and may be worn inside the confines of a Power Armor cockpit.

4	XSWAT Nanofiber Bodysuit Mark 2:  Armor (3 PD/3 ED), No Mass (+0); Activation Roll 12- 
	(or Locations 7-16; -3/4), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)

XSWAT Armored Jacket Mark II: This is the standard XSWAT uniform jacket. Made from puncture and tear resistant armored fabric, the jacket has long sleeves and comes down to the wearer's knees. The jacket is of limited use against crushing impacts (1/2 DEF), and may not be worn in the confines of a Power Armor cockpit. It has an extra later of protective fabric worn as a sort of "mantle" over the shoulders and upper chest.

5	XSWAT Armored Jacket:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); Activation Roll 11- (or Locations 8-14; -1), 
	OIF (-1/2), Half Mass (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4) plus Armor (1 PD/1 ED); Activation Roll 8- 
	or locations 9-10; -2), OIF (-1/2), Half Mass (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)

XSWAT Field Boots: The boots are made from white, knee-high leather. The sole is reinforced and a rigid plate is locked over the front of the leg, providing protection from bullets, edged weapons, and clawed limbs. Used in hand-to-hand combat, these boots add +1d6 of Normal Damage to kicks and legsweeps.

7	XSWAT Field Boots:  Armor Plate:  Armor (5 PD/5 ED); Activation Roll 9- (or Locations 
	15-18; -1 1/2), OIF (-1/2), Half Mass (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4) plus Putting The Boot In:  
	HA +1d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIF (-1/2), 
	Real Weapon (-1/4)

CORPORAL CADBURY

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
-10	STR	-20	7-	Lift 6.3 kg; -2d6 HTH Damage [1]
18	DEX	24	13-	OCV:  6/DCV:  6
11	CON	2	11-
6	BODY	-8	10-
15	INT	5	12-	PER Roll 15-
8	EGO	-4	11-	ECV:  3
12	PRE	2	11-	PRE Attack:  2d6
18	COM	4	13-

3	PD	3		Total:  3 PD (0 rPD)
3	ED	1		Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
3	SPD	2		Phases:  4, 8, 12
4	REC	4
22	END	0
14	STUN	2		Total Characteristic Cost:  17

Movement:	Running:	6"/12"
		Leaping:	2"/4"
		Swimming:	2"/4"

Cost	Powers
5	Bite:  HKA 1 point, END 1
5	Claws:  HKA 1 point, END 1
2	Pounce:  Leaping +2" (2" forward, 1" upward), END 1
9	Cat's Senses:  +3 PER with All Sense Groups
5	Cat's Eyes:  Nightvision
5	Cat's Nose:  Tracking with Normal Smell

	Perks
1	Fringe Benefit:  XSWAT Corporal

	Skills
5	+1 with HTH Combat
10	Hard To Hit:  +2 with DCV

3	Breakfall 13-
3	Climbing 13-
5	Concealment 14-; Self Only (-1/2)
2	KS: A Reasonable Understanding Of XSWAT Customs 11-
3	Understanding:  Language:  English (completely fluent)
	Notes:  Corporal Cadbury understands English rather well. He can't speak English, but Jama 
	can apparently understand his trills, purrs, and meows, and swears he talks to her. Cadbury is 
	also rather adept at finding other ways to communicate.
3	Hey! Pay Attention To Me!:  Power:  Being Cute (based on COM) 13-
	Notes:  This Power Skill sort of works like Seduction and sort of like Mind Control. Basically,
	it allows Cadbury to entice people into forgetting what they are doing and start paying attention
	to him. This might range from giving him a treat to a full-body brush down. Cadbury is far too
	smart to use this Skill on Jama. Everyone else is fair game.
7	Shadowing 14-
5	Stealth 14-

Total Powers & Skill Cost:  78
Total Cost:  95

75+	Disadvantages
10	Physical Limitation:  Limited Manipulation (Frequently, Slightly Impairing)
5	Physical Limitation:  Small, down to half human size (1m, or 1/2"; +3" KB) (Infrequently, 
	Slightly Impairing)
15	Psychological Limitation:  Devoted To Jama (Common, Strong)
10	Psychological Limitation:  Likes To “Help” (Common, Moderate)

Total Disadvantage Points:  115

Background/History: When Jamadigni first was appointed Director of XSWAT she was a mere 23 years old. The stress of trying to rebuild the shattered force (XSWAT had lost roughly 1/5 of their forces resisting the final Entity assault) as well as attending countless funerals (for XSWAT officers, Angelus Police forces, and others) finally proved to be be too much, resulting in the young Director locking herself in her officer and breaking down crying. Although she thought no had noticed, the next day Jama found a small box sitting on her desk. Inside was a tiny black kitten, "all fuzz, big eyes, ears, and paws, and sharp claws." Supposedly, Jama spent the day with the kitten asleep in her lap, unwilling to move for fear of disturbing him.

Naming him Cadbury (after the former Director), Jama gave him the run of her office. He was quickly entered onto the roll of officers as a Corporal, and took to patrolling the entire administrative level, hunting dust motes, treats, and the dangling tails of canine and feline Clades.

As he grew older (and far bigger), Jama would hold conversations with Cadbury and swore the cat talked back. Her assistants initially gave a smile and nodded, and humored the Director by talking to Cadbury as well. And sometimes the cat seemed to listen, and other times would respond. To their credit, her assistants took it in stride. This was XSWAT and the Director's cat after all, weirdness comes with the badge.

Personality/Motivation: Every since he was a tiny ball of fluff, Cadbury's been Jama's constant companion, friend, and confidant. He tends to lounge about her office, napping in the sun, or curls up on her desk to watch her work. Sometimes he takes a walk around the outer offices, and has been known to bring a small ball of paper with him, drop it at a desk, wait for the desk's occupant to toss it, and then chase the ball down. He'll then drop the ball at the nearest desk, and repeat until he's made a circuit of the floor. Visitors have sometimes arrived to find the Director sitting in her chair in the middle of a hallway, reading memos and emails on a portable, while tossing a ball down the hall for her cat to fetch.

Cadbury is amazingly well-behaved for a cat, especially a Maine Coon. Like all Maine Coons, he loves to help, and will energetically assist Jama in most activities that look interesting (the IT department has learned to bring treats to keep Cadbury entertained with whenever they bring in any new equipment). Jama brings Cadbury to virtually all XSWAT functions, as well as some City Council meetings and the like. She finds Cadbury helps soothe her nerves (and in the early days gave her hands something to do), while Cadbury likes the change of venue.

Quote: "Trrrl?"

Powers/Tactics: As Cadbury is just a cat, albeit a very big cat, he tends to stick with basic "cat" tactics. Thus he likes to strike from ambush, and is rather adept at hiding himself in unlikely places. Of course, he's far smarter than any ordinary cat, and can and will pick his battles (and the place to fight them) in a way that provides him with the most advantages. When he actually does attack, he'll often bite, perform a Grab with his teeth, and then claw at his target with his front paws. If possible he'll try and rake with his back claws as well.

Campaign Use: Cadbury works best as comic relief. He isn't particularly powerful or much of a threat in combat, but he is cute and might be able to charm a PC using his feline wiles. He also works well as an ice-breaker, since 20 pounds of fuzzy Maine Coon is rather hard to ignore when he flops into your lap and demands attention. Of course, seeing as he's rather protective of Jama, Cadbury could easily make a PC's life miserable if he thinks they'd harmed, offended, or insulted her in any way. Papers, car keys, PDAs, cell phones—in other words, anything small, portable, or shreddable, may vanish when no one is looking, only to be found in small pieces at a later date. And as stuffy chauvinistic corporate executives found much to their regret, the Director's cat simply loves to get into things he really shouldn't.

As a final note, GMs who want to make Cadbury more powerful (or more important a Follower to Jama) can give him the Familiar template from the HERO System Bestiary.

Appearance: Corporal Cadbury is a full-grown male Maine Coon who weighs in at a good 20 pounds or so. His fur is a dark gray-black with silvery-gray highlights. His eyes are a faint gray color as well, while his muzzle is white. As with all Maine Coons, his fur is very thick, which helps ward of the cold and damp so typical of Angelus's weather.

If you want to see more about the Shadows Angelus campaigns, you can visit the Shadows Angelus or Shadows Angelus II: Ten Years After webapges.