spontaneously approach the character to warn him/her of any
danger or problem that might involve him.
Note to G.M.s:
This
can be a very useful role-playing and storytelling tool. A well
developed contact could be a great regular NPC for a street cam
paign.
O.C.c. Skills:
Basic Math (+20%)
Gambling (+20%)
Gambling: Dirty Tricks (+20%)
Palming (+ I 0% )
Two Languages of Choice (+ 1 5 %)
Literacy (+ 1 0%)
Streetwise (+ 1 4%)
Pilot: Motorcycle (+ 1 0%)
W.P. Knife
W.P. One of choice.
Hand to Hand: Basic
Hand to Hand: Basic can be changed to Expert at the cost of
one "other" skill or to Martial Arts (or Assassin if any evil
alignment) at the cost of two "other" skills.
O.C.C. Related Skills:
Select 10 other skills, but at least two
must be from rogue skills. Plus select two skills at level three,
two at level six, and one at levels eight, ten, twelve and four
teen. All new skills start at level one proficiency.
Communications: Any (+5 %)
Domestic : Any (+5%)
Electrical: Basic only.
Espionage: None
Mechanical: Automotive only.
Medical: First Aid only.
Military: None
Physical: Any
Pilot: Any (+5%)
Pilot Related: Any
Rogue: Any (+4%)
Science: Any
Technical: Any (+
W.P. : Any
Wilderness: None
Secondary Skills:
The character also gets to select six Second
ary Skills from the Secondary Skills list in
Rifts@ Ultim ate
Ed ition,
page 3 00. These are additional areas of knowledge
that do not get the benefit of the bonuses listed in parenthe
ses. All Secondary Skills start at the base skill level.
Standard Equipment:
Two decks of cards (one used and prob
ably marked; the other brand new), dice, sunglasses, hand
computer, switchblade, one energy pistol (may or may not be
a hold-out weapon), D4 extra E-Clips for it, one non-energy
weapon of choice, a suit of light M.D.C. armor, four sets of
clothes, a set of good shoes, traveling or work boots, a cloak
or overcoat and a money belt.
Money:
Starts with 6D6x l 0 in credit and I D4x 1 00 credits in
salable black market items.
Cybernetics:
Starts with none; may get some enhancements
later, when/if he can afford them.
59
Wannabe Juicer O.C.C.
"You ready , fresh meat? "
"Ye . . . " I start to say when I get hit from behind. Hard. I stag
ger to my knees and somebody kicks me in the face. Something
goes crunch inside my head, and I taste blood, lots of it. They
work me over, boots and fists mostly, but along the way some
body decided a two-by-four is better. After a while, I stop feeling
anything.
Cold water splashes my face. I blink and open one eye - the
other is swollen shut. Through the red haze that seems to fill the
good eye I see them standing over me.
"Wake up, fresh meat. You took your medicine like a man. I
guess you' re in . "
I smile bloodily. I' m i n the gang. Any day now, I' ll b e a
Juicer, and nobody will ever mess with me again.
Somebody tosses me a leather jacket with the gang' s colors
on it. Despite the pain in my ribs, I put it on while they cheer me.
They offer to throw me a party, but I decline. Gotta go to a
body fixer first.
For the most part, Wannabe Juicers are young men and
women (age
who, for some reason or another, idolize the
Juicer life style. Many of them want to be Juicers one day, or at
least be as tough and feared as them. Wannabe gangs are a prob
lem in several Coalition cities, as well as such places as Ishpem
ing, Los Alamo and Kingsdale. Some of these gangs are made
up of hardened criminals involved in drug-dealing, cyber-snatch
ing, protection rackets and other illegal activities. Others are
formed to protect their neighborhood against other gangs
(Wannabe or otherwise).
Among the things that distinguish Juicer Wannabes from
other city rats is their reliance on designer drugs to (at least tem
porarily) get some of the power of their role models. At least
80% of all Wannabes will use one or more of these designer
drugs, at least when they are about to get into a fight or other
dangerous situation.
Besides the use of chemical augmentation, many Wannabes
also try to emulate the daredevil attitudes of real Juicers. Thrill
seeking kids will dare each other into all kinds of dangers, from
picking a fight with a Dog Boy patrol, to trying to jump from the
rooftop of one building to the next, to "playing chicken" with in
coming traffic. Many gang members also do their best to
toughen themselves through exercise, martial arts, and weapons
training; they realize that just relying on drugs is stupid and
counter-productive. Besides, according to many rumors, people
who over-indulge in drugs may not be able to accept the Juicer
enhancement, or may suffer more side effects or live shorter
lives (all true).
Some former Wannabes leave the slums where they lived out
their childhoods and explore the wider world beyond, becoming
adventurers, rogues and travelers. A few do actually grow up
and abandon their fascination with Juicers and the use of drugs
altogether. Many (35%) eventually get their wish and become
Juicers by hook or by crook. Their knowledge about the Juicer
life often allows them to make an easy transition from their for
mer life into their new existence as enhanced super-soldiers.
However, 35% die violently before their 2 1 st birthdays.
Some Well-Known Wannabe Gangs
The Deadheads:
The colors of this gang are red skull masks;
some Deadheads actually steal Dead Boy ' s armor (or at least the
helmet) and paint it red. Their "tag" is a skull over two crossed
daggers. There are Deadhead chapters in the
Chi-Town 'Burbs
(heavily persecuted; seven members out of ten survive - there
are hundreds of these misanthropes),
New Chillicothe
(a me
dium-sized gang with I D4x l O+50 members),
Fort EI Dorado
(3D6x l O+20 members) and
Ishpeming
(2D4x l O+ 10 members).
The Deadheads are thrill-seekers and rarely rob or molest peo
ple, except when the gang is looking for a fight. Sometimes the
gang tries to sell its services as if they were mercenaries; their
goal is for members to make enough money to undergo the
Juicer treatment. Every year, 2D6 members of each gang "make
it to the finals," the gang ' s term for becoming a Juicer; some
continue to use the gang ' s colors.
Drugs are only used when absolutely necessary; members are
expected to work out, and every few weeks they compete against
each other in all kinds of strenuous and dangerous activities.
The Juicer Disciples:
Gang colors are black and white, with
the letter JD in a white design as their main "tag." This is a
criminal gang involved in drug-dealing, body-snatching, kidnap
ping and murder-for-hire. They are big in
Ishpeming
and the
Manistique
Empire, especially the cities of Escanoba and Man
istique. The authorities are trying very hard to destroy the gang,
and to arrest or kill its leaders, but so far, they have not been
successful.
The typical gang size is 2D4x 1 0+ 1 0 members. Drug use is
widespread among its members and the JDs often fight it out
with other gangs of City Rats and Wannabes in ferocious shoo
touts that leave dozens of people dead. The Juicer Disciples have
60
contacts with the Black Market and often act as enforcers, body
guards and couriers for that underworld organization. Very few
members live long enough to become Juicers ( l D4 per gang per
year); many of those continue their criminal activities, some
times within the gang or the Black Market, and sometimes on
their own.
The Vigilantes:
This gang is concerned mainly with defend
ing its turf in the city of Kingsdale from criminal gangs, super
natural predators, and the like. About 40% of its members are
Juicer Wannabes, and every year, I D6+4 of its I D6x l O+40
members become Juicers, either by saving enough money (5 %)
or by becoming mercenaries in Donner' s Division (95 %).
Gang colors are blue and red, and their symbol is a shield.
Drug use is limited, with as many as 50% of the gang never us
ing any drugs at all; 40% under emergencies and extreme cir
cumstances, and 1 0% habitual users. Physical skills, combat
training (50% of the gang has Hand to Hand: Martial Arts) and
motorcycle driving are constantly practiced in or around the city.
The Kingsdale authorities are very tolerant of the group, because
its members rarely get in trouble and sometimes help the police
and armed forces fight bandits, monsters and other threats.
Juicer Wannabe O.C.C.
Note:
This character is best suited as a Non-Player Character
(NPC) or villain/criminal, rather than a player character.
Alignment:
Any, but most Wannabes are anarchist or miscreant.
Attribute Requirements:
P.S., P.P. and P.E. 10 or higher.
O.C.C. Abilities and Bonuses:
1. Enhancing Drugs:
All Wannabes have access to drugs. If
appropriate, the character can start with I D4 doses from any
three of the designer drugs described at the end of this section.
Players who don't want their characters to use drugs get an addi
tional 2D6x 1 00 credits instead. Most Wannabes rationalize their
use of designer drugs as only when they "need them" (such as
engaging in combat). While a huge majority tend to use drugs
regularly (and at least 30% become addicted, ironically never
becoming Juicers), a good percentage (50%) avoid becoming ad
dicted; statistics vary dramatically from gang to gang.
If the character becomes addicted to any designer drug, his
becoming a Juicer is extremely dangerous. The chances of the
operation being a failure are increased by 20% per each drug the
character is addicted to ! In other words, reduce the chance of
success by 20% per drug addiction. So, for example, if a charac
ter was addicted to two designer drugs and submits to the Juicer
process, the chances of success would be reduced by 40% ! The
best body-chop-shops (base chance of success 98%) would only
have a 58% chance of performing the operations without com
plications (brain damage, epileptic seizure, shock, stroke, heart
attack) and it goes downhill from there ! Most reputable facilities
will not accept a patient who is obviously an addict, regardless
of the money offered (or threats made) to them.
2. Special: Becoming a Juicer:
Wannabes are the only
D.C.C. that can become Juicers without freezing their skills/pre
vious D.C.C.; in effect, a 4th level Juicer Wannabe who man
ages to save enough money to undergo the Juicer augmentation
will become a 4th level Juicer! Doing so means the character
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