Sundar

Sundar

Former Horizon-Bollywood Starlet
Faceless Hindu Face Adept
Metatype	Human
Street Cred	0
Notoriety	0
Public Awareness	0
Titles and Awards	0
D.O.B.	November 12, 2056
Drive Link	G-Drive
Approved?	No
Priority	Metatype - E Attributes - A Magic/Resonance - B Skills - B Resources - E
# Initiations	1
CDP	0

Character Information

Summary

Sundar (सुंदर, Hindi-Urdu for "Beautiful") is a Hindu social adept who, since her life and career at Horizon-Bollywood crashed and burned after the crash she lost her identical twin in, fears seeing her own face in the mirror. She's starting over in Seattle now, hoping her social and disguise skills can help keep others alive.

Goals

• Survive.

• Learn to thrive.

• Make friends she could trust and call her second family.

• Not succumb to hereditary addictions running in her family.

• Master her magic with numerous initiations, paying her respect to the Hindu gods that way.

Personality

Friendly, polite, minding her looks - she feels the need for cleanliness and a tidy appearance. Very curious about other cultures and wanting to be respectful. An extrovert, she makes friends easily, but hates seeing her own face in the mirror as it painfully reminds her of her deceased identical twin. Dislikes violence and prefers to talk things out. Likes the outdoors - outdoors don't like her.

• Favorite animals: orangutan, Asian elephant, white Bengal tiger.
• Favorite color: green.
• Favorite food: spicy curry followed by mango lassi filling pralines and mango sherbet.
• Favorite drink: Assam tea.
• Pants or skirts: pants.
• Best friend: Biggie Beefcake.

Appearance

Depending on what face she's wearing at any given time, Parvati can appear as a woman, a man, a nonbinary person. Any ethnicity is fair game. She can play a human or a shorter than average elf or ork (within 10% of her natural height and weight, up or down). She tends toward Indian humans, however, particularly women. This matches her real appearance of a tanned, brown-eyed black-haired woman on the slightly taller side, with a slim body shape.

Clothing

Comfortable at a high society party or on the streets, she favors green if she can choose. Pants and blouses, women's business suits, traditional clothes like saris. She almost always wears jewelry, because you can hide a microcam in a pendant or bangle bracelet. Other accessories are gloves, scarves, glasses, earbuds and discreetly hidden trodes. See, people frequently remember things like glasses, scarves, the bright color of a camisole and forget the person behind them. Almost always, she wears contacts with another microcam to let the team see what she sees.

Matrix Persona

Different personas for different occasions. She uses them as part of disguises. For example, you could see her as the elven bombshell protagonist from Pathfinder Multimedia's "Infrared" SF flick, a bulky armored intergalactic trooper when acting as an ork or a dancing stylized nartaki. She likes variety in personas: she could be a cartoon Asian elephant from Horizon-Disney, a hanuman in a pinstripe suit, a dwarf-sized Horizon Flying Eye drone.

Background

Sundar was born as Parvati Kalaakaar, a Horizon SINner, the third generation of their citizens. The Kalaakaars worked different jobs around the megacorporation: her dad Devansh dealt with finances as part of Colbert Group, her mom Shakti held a junior manager post in one of Wanderlust tourism offices, her identical twin Durga made fashion consumer electronics for Common Denominator before trading designer commlinks for simsense as part of Columbia Industries, whereas Parvati herself quickly found herself prepared for work for Horizon-Bollywood. Her extrovert personality and the early Awakening as an adept with a decidedly social bent guaranteed that. She adored acting, dancing and making people smile watching her, so she applied herself to her studies from the very start.

However, instead of following her bright-looking future, her life was plagued by tragedies. Devansh and Shakti loved to live to the fullest. Too much. After one of the corporate parties, they perished when, tipsy, they failed to maneuver their sports car and crashed. Parvati and Durga were of age already, but the loss hit them hard. They suddenly had only each other. Their parents were… gone. Parvati found some solace in her magic and Hindu spirituality, which had always been close to her heart, but Durga instead threw herself into numbing herself with hedonism. Parties, raves, extreme sports, assorted short-lived affairs. Alcohol, drugs, BTLs. They had very different ways of coping, but their sisterly bond held strong. How could it be different when you're the mirror image of one another?

Years went by. Parvati acted. Durga was slipping deeper into the spiral of vices. And yet, they had each other. Parvati wanted to support her sister best she could. One fateful night when visiting Seattle, Durga wished to go driving around Snohomish River. She took her twin - and a cocktail of drugs like Novacoke and Cram. Ending up driving into the river. Trying her best, Parvati stood no chance - Durga was instantly dead, Parvati herself only managing to stumble out, heavily injured and traumatized.

Because of the trauma, injuries and the fact she's always been abysmal at navigation, instead of finding help, she wandered into Everett and collapsed of her wounds, her powers of Maintain Warmth and Sustenance letting her survive until…

Right. The next few months were a blur. When recuperating better, she learned of what happened from Biggie Beefcake, a currently retired street samurai making ends meet as an Uber driver. The man found her comatose when traveling and nursed her to health.

Yet, by that time, Horizon had already assumed Parvati to have been lost to the currents of Snohomish River. Her SIN was flagged as deceased, the apartment she shared with Durga belonging to another SINner family. She had nothing to return to.

The only direction was forward, with her new friend, his hamster and the magic in her. New street name, fake papers, a multitude of new faces. Into the shadows.

Positive

• First Impression. Parvati has always been friendly, outgoing and mindful of how others feel. This manifests in +2 to any social test when she first meets someone.

• Exceptional Attribute: Magic. She Awakened as a young girl and took to magical classes like a fish to water, nurturing her talent and doing everything to make her family proud of her through this. Parvati is very concerned about the risk of harm which would force her to get invasive implants like cyberlimbs or wired reflexes, because her Hindu tradition understanding of magic teaches her that it's a gift from the Hindu pantheon of many gods - to willingly hamper it instead of studying it would be a great offense. The deities she worships the most are Radha, the love goddess, Krishna, her husband and fun-loving trickster, and Ganesha, the god of wisdom, luck and assorted arts.

• Seer. Her first powers when she Awakened were Astral Perception, Eidetic Sense Memory and Enthralling Performance. The slow, scholarly approach to magic typical of the Hindu tradition manifested in being slower to open the astral eye, but seeing more. Astral Perception is a complex action, but she has access to Psychometry (SG 145) and Sensing (SG 155) at IG0 - no bonus until she has runs and can initiate (into Masking, CRB 326, first). In addition, as seers cannot use any skills which are linked to MAG, she can never use Adept Spell as this power requires Spellcasting, which she's banned from.

Negative

• Faceless. She is haunted by the trauma and shame from the deadly accident where her twin sister Durga and only surviving family perished in. She does not really wear her own face anymore - looking in the mirror and seeing Durga without the ability to talk and laugh together would be too much to bear. She suffers -2 to all social tests unless wearing a disguise, for example looking different through her adept powers. This penalty only vanishes when facing people she trusts, such as Biggie Beefcake - she would have perished without her best friend in Seattle. Thankfully, she's a bodysnatcher adept with the past of a career on the stage, meaning she is rather skilled at disguises. An assortment of typical looks is available here. Her fake SIN for Kala Sanjay uses the following looks.

• Family Curse and Lightweight. In her family, becoming addicted was always a serious threat. Whatever causes this, Parvati herself also takes -2 to addiction tests and they are treated as two levels higher (mild becomes severe etc.). She's aware of this and intentionally shuns anything which could be addictive, in no small part due to the fact Durga was evidently under the influence of a BTL during the fateful car drive.

• Force of Chaos. It's not that she can't follow orders. It's that she can't parse the commands flying in combat. Any Small Unit or Mixed Unit Tactics bonuses from combat maneuvers are cut in half (rounded up).

• Incompetent: Outdoors. She's a dedicated urbanite and virtually helpless in the sticks. She can't fend for herself in the great outdoors. This is a problem as she's always loved to travel. She gets lost easily, mosquito bites are a serious life problem and she honestly believes there are mountain lions in Puyallup. Without Biggie Beefcake rescuing her, she would have probably starved in Pinehurst, because she would have never found her way back to civilization. She can never have any ranks of skills in the Outdoors group: that's Navigation, Survival and Tracking.

In Character-Information

Matrix Search Table

Threshold	Result
1	Depending on the face worn and identity assumed, assorted (fake) results. For example, her SIN for Kala Sanjay links to a number of small articles for different smaller news outlets, usually about magic or acting. If looking Parvati Kalaakaar up, her acting career in Horizon-Bollywood and being deceased.
3	Depending on the face worn and identity assumed, assorted (fake) results. If looking Parvati Kalaakaar up, more information about the entire family and the status as Horizon SINners.
6	Depending on the face worn and identity assumed, assorted (fake) results. If looking Parvati Kalaakaar up, the grisly details of the car crash and that her body was never found, only of her identical twin sister Durga.

Shadow Community Table

Threshold	Result
1	One of the numerous new kids on the block. A face. Let's see how long she lasts.
3	She's a social adept, the kind that can look differently for any occasion. Besties with Biggie Beefcake - after his pet hamster, of course.
5	Hindu, pure, assumed dead by Horizon after a nasty crash. Fears her own face after it. Used to have a career at Horizon-Bollywood.

Assensing Results

Hits	Information Gained
1	Awakened, healthy (short of fluctuations related to the scene). The general mood fluctuates depending on the run.
2	She's an adept. If you've assensed her before, you'll probably recognize her.
3	Alphaware: on the scalp (fiberoptic hair), on her skin (cosmetic surgery). Whether or not her remaining essence and magic on Dumas's Scale (the in-character name for MAG value after Prof. Étienne Dumas) are lower or greater than yours. The general diagnosis, if relevant, same for astral signatures (for example if a magician sustains Increase Charisma on her and doesn't scrub the signature before it fades away naturally).
4	Alphaware bioware: on her skin (silky skin, cosmetic alterations), in her meat eyes (perfect eyes), in the stomach (cleaner leech, lactose tolerance, dietware). Exact ESS (6) and MAG (7).
5+	Everything plus an accurate diagnosis. Not a technomancer!

SINs

• Kala Sanjay (UCAS, R4). Licenses: Firearms and Freelance Adept Reporter. Looks here.

Affiliations

Contacts

Contact	Connection	Loyalty	Archetype	Profession	Aspects	Chips
Harold J. Rutherford	6	1	Networking	Pathfinder Multimedia Manager	Race Traitor, Working Hours, Broad Horizons, Networking in Places High and Low, Corporate Rumors, Media Grip, Entertainment Insider, Setting the Stage, Fashionista, Wife's Wares, Wheeling and Dealing	Even
Niamh O'Sullivan	3	1	Custom(A,K,N,G)	Crimson Crush Matrix Support	Race Traitor, Genuine Ganger, Rambling Study, Iterative Collaboration, Cracks Computers, Daring Decker, Crushing on Crimson Crush, Info-Gatherer, Sleaze Sensei, Gamer Girl, Mathemagics, Trog Historian	Even
Biggie Beefcake	1	6	Fixer(A,N,K,G)	Ex-Runner-Turned-Uber & Wannabe Fixer	Iterative Collaboration, Berserk Button, Swoonworthy Sammie, Shockingly Fine Fixer, Ever a Hand on the Pulse of Everett, My Hamster and I	Even

In Play

Knowledge Skills & Matrix

Sundar should be treasuring her CDP earned by immediately investing in new ranks and knowledge skills. This is highly important for any PC, but especially for a face. CA 153-154 lists social maneuvers, which can be very helpful as you develop larger social pools. For knowledge skills, Informed Opinion can be quite useful, because faces frequently need to milk every modifier they can get:

• • • "All that reading paid off! Nothing wins over a crowd like knowing what you're talking about. If you have a knowledge skill applicable to the subject at hand in any social situation, you can roll that skill and add a dice pool modifier equal to your hits to your social limit for the encounter. There's a lot more room to get it right when you know the topic inside and out." CA 154

For languages, ranks limit the number of ranks you can use, translating into most likely fewer dice. However, Sundar possesses six ranks of Hindi-Urdu, the language of the Indian Union also used in many neighboring countries, rolling 11 dice there. Moreover, the Linguistics power helps you learn new languages like no one else. Now go impress that Renraku Madras Johnson.

Her knowledge of magic can be highly useful, because she can help analyze plans from this angle with it. Horizon, Law Enforcement Procedures, Underworld and News should also aid the team, especially if getting lucky with the dice. Sundar's mental limit is six, meaning six hits at most kept unless using edge actions to blow the limit. The sheet lists the relevant pools (including the +2 when specs apply).

In addition, she currently lacks Computer ranks, but Matrix Search can be defaulted (INT -1). This may still be worthwhile for threshold 1 searches (her commlinks have Data Processing of 1 anyway). Don't be afraid to ask the hacker if you can still try to help them. You never know if you don't get lucky.

Social Skills

Sundar is a face, which means she excels in avoiding combat - or anyone noticing there's even been a run. Social maneuvers and blackmail information are from CA. The limit defining hits you can keep without resorting to blowing the limit EDG action is social. The base social limit is 9 (wwith Voice Control factored in).

• Animal Handling. Pacifying and commanding animals. At the moment, Sundar defaults on CHA here (6 - 1 = 5 dice). Situational modifiers can further like from powers, gear or armor increase this. The book with critters and tricks they can be taught is HS. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Animal Empathy (SG 169), Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kinesics (CRB 310), Black Panther (CA 143), pet food (RF 254), pet treats (RF 254), Tanake Tiger (CA 143), Winter Wolf (CA 143), Animal Empathy (RF 145), First Impression (CRB 74), Rabble Rouser (BTB 161), Trustworthy (RF 151). Social maneuvers: Wooden Gun. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 9.
• Con. Lying, fasttalking, seduction and resisting the above. A key face skill. What shadowrunner struggles not to admit to a random beat cop there's an Ares Alpha in the trunk? Sundar rolls 12 base dice there. Authoritative Tone 3 when initiating the test gives a further +3, Kinesics 3 do the same if resisting, First Impression gives +2 during the first encounter, Ace of Hearts gives +1, Black Panther gives +1. Situational modifiers can further increase this. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kinesics (CRB 310), Aztec Fly (CA 143), Black Panther (CA 143), Alibi (CA 150), First Impression (CRB 74), Rabble Rouser (BTB 161), Trustworthy (RF 151). Social maneuvers: Hustling the Mark, Misdirection, Shake It, Wooden Gun. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 19.
• Etiquette. Fitting in socially, avoiding committing a faux pas talking to important people, social stealth. A key face skill. Sundar rolls 12 base dice there. Authoritative Tone 3 when initiating the test gives a further +3, Kinesics 3 do the same if resisting, First Impression gives +2 during the first encounter, Ace of Hearts gives +1, Black Panther gives +1. Situational modifiers can further increase this. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kinesics (CRB 310), Black Panther (CA 143), First Impression (CRB 74), Rabble Rouser (BTB 161), Social Chameleon (BTB 161), Trog Networker (TCT 189), Trustworthy (RF 151). Social maneuvers: Faux Pas, Pressing Flesh, Saving Face. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 19.
• Impersonation. Acting like a specific person different from yourself. You can add hits from Disguise (mental limit) and Impersonation (social limit) to set the total threshold to recognize you. Sundar rolls 12 base dice there. Voice Control adds +1 (also to the social limit), Authoritative Tone 3 when initiating the test gives a further +3, Kinesics 3 do the same if resisting, First Impression gives +2 during the first encounter, Ace of Hearts gives +1, Black Panther gives +1. Situational modifiers can further increase this. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kinesics (CRB 310), Voice Control (CRB 311), Black Panther (CA 143), First Impression (CRB 74), Rabble Rouser (BTB 161). Social maneuvers: Informed Opinion. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 20.
• Intimidation. Coercing people to do what you want in not-nice ways. At the moment, Sundar defaults on CHA here (6 - 1 = 5 dice). Situational modifiers can further like from powers, gear or armor increase this. The book detailing ways to put on the pressure is CA. Check out RG for certain martial techniques like Tricking. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Commanding Voice (SG 199), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kiai (HT 190), Kinesics (CRB 310), Black Panther (CA 143), Lion's Roar (CA 143), Winter Wolf (CA 143), Alibi (CA 150), First Impression (CRB 74), Nasty Trog (TCT 188). Social maneuvers: Wooden Gun. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 9.
• Instruction. Teaching people. Regrettably, ShadowHaven makes it obsolete in nearly every situation. At the moment, Sundar defaults on CHA here (6 - 1 = 5 dice). Situational modifiers can further like from powers, gear or armor increase this. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kinesics (CRB 310), Black Panther (CA 143), First Impression (CRB 74), Rabble Rouser (BTB 161), Trustworthy (RF 151). Social maneuvers: Motivational Teacher, Peer Tutoring. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 9.
• Leadership. Leading people to perform better in combat and outside of it. Switch from a nasty drill sergeant to a charming cheerleader, but ask for OOC consent around the table before you do it. This is probably the best thing you can do in combat as you aren't a combat character, so take cover and peptalk teammates. Others can choose to fail to resist you, turning every hit of yours into a net hit. Sundar rolls 7 base dice there. Authoritative Tone 3 when initiating the test gives a further +3, Kinesics 3 do the same if resisting, First Impression gives +2 during the first encounter, Ace of Hearts gives +1, Black Panther gives +1. Situational modifiers can further increase this. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Commanding Voice (SG 199), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kinesics (CRB 310), Black Panther (CA 143), First Impression (CRB 74), Rabble Rouser (BTB 161), Trog Leader (TCT 188), Trustworthy (RF 151). Social maneuvers: Drill Sergeant. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 11.
• Negotiation. Persuading people to do what you want, especially when it comes to contracts - like with Mr Johnson (not necessarily asking for money - they can offer a beneficial deal if you buy gear they can procure at a steep discount!). A key face skill. Also a potential lifesaver when you talk a desperate suicide bomber down. Sundar rolls 12 base dice there. Authoritative Tone 3 when initiating the test gives a further +3, Kinesics 3 do the same if resisting, First Impression gives +2 during the first encounter, Ace of Hearts gives +1, Black Panther gives +1. Situational modifiers can further increase this. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kinesics (CRB 310), Black Panther (CA 143), Closer (CA 150), First Impression (CRB 74), Rabble Rouser (BTB 161), Trustworthy (RF 151). Social maneuvers: Hustling the Mark, Rub It In. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 19.
• Performance. Wowing (and distracting) people with acting, dancing, singing, playing an instrument. This character is a dedicated performer. Sundar rolls 12 base dice there. Authoritative Tone 3 when initiating the test gives a further +3, Kinesics 3 do the same if resisting, First Impression gives +2 during the first encounter, Ace of Hearts gives +1, Black Panther gives +1. Situational modifiers can further increase this. Enthralling Performance is a power all about being the ultimate distraction. Powers, gear and qualities which can be helpful: Authoritative Tone (SG 170), Cool Resolve (SG 199), Enthralling Performance (SSP 23), Improved Ability (CRB 309), Kinesics (CRB 310), Black Panther (CA 143), First Impression (CRB 74), Rabble Rouser (BTB 161). Social maneuvers: Charming Performance. First time meeting the target pool (subsequent is 2 dice less), with Black Panther, Ace of Hearts and social powers: 19.

Moreover, at gen, Sundar possesses First Impression, which gives a powerful +2 to meeting someone the first time (any social tests accept this), an Ace of Hearts suit for +1 and the Black Panther cologne for another +1. Ask the GM if wearing a different disguise actually triggers First Impression again.

Bodysnatching

Two skills - Disguise and Impersonation - and a number of adept powers are crucial here.

• Disguise uses INT and the mental limit to look differently. The Disguise toolkit she's got grants her an additional +1, same with the Facial Sculpt power. Body Sculpt grants a cumulative flat +2. If used in conjunction with Impersonation, add hits to determine the threshold for recognizing you.
• Impersonation uses CHA and the social limit to act differently. The Ace of Hearts suit and the Black Panther cologne can both grant +1 each, same with the Voice Control power. If used in conjunction with Disguise, add hits to determine the threshold for recognizing you.
• Adept powers:
  • Body Sculpt to make the entire body look different - within 10% more or less than Sundar's normal size. You can change your physical sex as well. Additionally, +2 to Disguise while it's in effect.
  • Facial Sculpt to change the face, ears, nose etc. In addition, +1 to Disguise tests.
  • Keratin Control to change your hair, including facial hair. Fiberoptic hair can also aid you here.
  • Melanin Control to change your complexion and skin in general, for example to fake the rougher skin of orks.
  • Mimic to steal people's retinal and fingerprint patterns.

With the powers and the disguise toolkit, Sundar rolls 14 dice, whose hits are added to the Impersonation hits for determining the final threshold. Think about other ways to steal someone's looks and behavior, for example by getting clothes which match your mark's style, asking the hacker for help with compiling a dossier about them. People often focus on characteristic elements of how someone looks and acts: a stammer, some catchphrase, limping, glasses, outrageous headwear or memorable clothing. Need to be a little taller than 10% of her natural height? Sundar wears high heels or combat boots. Should look shorter? Flat shoes.

Assensing & Seer Perks

Assensing is the skill of reading people's auras for their health state, mood and more - highly useful for a face. The details of what you receive are present in the table in CRB 313. Adepts require the Astral Perception power, which Sundar possesses from the very start. With INT + Assensing ranks (astral - 9), she rolls 11 dice there and becomes dual-natured when assensing. Only initiates with Masking can oppose you with MAG + IG (as they're defending, they win ties). Normally, shifting perception is a simple action. As Sundar is a seer, it takes a complex action for her. The benefit of this trade is access to two metamagics at IG0 (for now):

• Psychometry (SG 145): INT + Assensing ranks (+ IG, + modifiers from the table from CRB 146, if applicable, for example the boost from analyzing items which aroused strong emotions), hits kept capped by the astral limit, to read psychic impressions of objects. For example, you could see the flashbacks of the mark whose engagement ring you're reading proposing to their partner. The GM says how long you're distracted (-2 to doing anything else).
• Sensing (SG 155): without having to astrally perceive (without having to become dual-natured), you can sense negative background counts and assorted astral phenomena: alchera, mana storms, surges and warps, but not astral forms like projecting magicians, spirits, foci, spells or mana barriers. Useful for sensing something is odd in the basement of a corporation without giving away you're aware of it.

Adept Powers

Sundar is a Hindu adept, which means channeling mana inward to enhance her abilities. Any drain is dealt with through BOD + WIL. This is the flavor necessary to roleplay her path respectfully to real-life Hinduist practitioners.

• • • "The Hindu tradition is based on the Hindu religious system, and it is designed to provide a path for the enlightened to reach transcendence. The path is one of ritual devotion, asceticism, and karmic purity. While the exact strictures followed by each school vary, most accept the precepts from the Vedas, texts originally written in Ancient India. Those followers who are Awakened believe following the precepts of their faith assist them along the path. The Hindu believes the soul is in a constant cycle of death and rebirth, governed by a relationship with karma. Those who follow their particular school of thought (dasarnas) and caste's rules are reincarnated into a higher caste, eventually reaching moksha, or transcendence. Those who refuse to follow their destined path are reincarnated as a lesser being." SG 46

Sundar's family was part of the Vaishya caste of businessmen, merchants and artisans. Radha, Krishna and Ganesha are the deities she feels the closest bond to. She doesn't have a mentor spirit yet and can only initiate after commencing running. As a pure adept (ESS 6), she multiplies her starting power points (normally equal to MAG) by 1.5 - as she increases magic in play, she will receive a single PP every time MAG rises. Her powers fall into the following categories and none incur drain - as per the Awakened houserules, they leave astral signatures when you activate them which require scrubbing:

• Bodysnatching:
  • Body Sculpt (as per the Awakened houserules, 1 minute to start, 60 to finish). Within 10% of her natural height and weight, Sundar can change her physical looks, including metatype (human, elf or ork) and sex. The effect lasts for MAG h; multiple changes require MAG + BOD where one additional change per hit can be done.
  • Facial Sculpt 1 (complex, 1 minute). You can change the face, ears, nose, grow tusks etc., crucial when disguising yourself (especially as a human acting as an elf or ork). In addition, +1 to Disguise tests. The effect lasts for MAG h and like with Body Sculpt, MAG + BOD can introduce more changes at the same time.
  • Keratin Control (complex). You can change your hair etc., retaining the changes for MAG h.
  • Melanin Control (complex). You can change your skin color etc., retaining the changes for MAG h.
  • Mimic 6 (1-6 minutes). +6 to fool a print scanner by stealing the mark's retinal and fingerprint patterns when you spend 1-6 minutes in contact with them. Each minute spent increases the quality, up to 6. The changes last for MAG h, during which you can fool the relevant technology into believing you really are Dr. Smith.
  • Voice Control 1. You can mimic other metahuman voices by rolling CHA + Impersonation ranks + 1 from this power (social limit, which on the sheet includes +1 from this power) vs INT + Perception (mental limit) or voice recognition system rating x2. Ties go to the defenders - people or systems you're fooling.
• Social:
  • Authoritative Tone 3. +3 to any social tests you initiate. You're that convincing.
  • Kinesics 3. +3 to resisting social tests, for example when being interrogated, judge intentions etc. as you learn to control your body language, obscuring your emotional state.
• Utility:
  • Astral Perception (complex). You become dual-natured and can interact with the astral. This means scrubbing astral signatures - extremely important for a face - assensing and possibly attacking other dual-natured forms (which is determined by the extensive houserules). Seriously though: don't do that. You'll only harm yourself. You're the best at avoiding escalation.
  • Demara. After working with the material documenting the use of a skill you don't have for at least an hour, you can use it as if you had a single rank of it for MAG h - for example, you can learn how to shoot that pistol you currently have just to avoid looking like a magician (the guy they geek first). Possibly crucial if, say, playing an intern at a hospital, a chemist in a drug lab or that exec's replacement secretary.
  • Eidetic Sense Memory. You can recall everything you've seen, heard, felt, smelled, tasted. You also photo-read. Very convenient for detailing the layout of the building you visited as a pizza delivery person.
  • Enthralling Performance. MAG + Performance ranks (social) lets you play the ultimate distraction - your hits become a threshold of Perception checks of people watching your show. Start busking, for example, and let your teammates pass unbothered by the mesmerized guards.
  • Linguistics. You pick up new languages fast. After 12 - MAG h of exposure to a new language, roll LOG + INT. Common languages need 1 hit, uncommon - 2, obscure - 3. If successful, you get a single rank of it with no karma expenditure.
  • Maintain Warmth. You can shrug off hypothermia etc, ignoring weather modifiers to Survival tests.
  • Motion Sense (free). In MAG m from you, you can sense living organisms through making a MAG + Perception ranks (mental) test. The hits necessary to detect them are available in the table below power descriptions. Useful to map out even stationary guards in another room.
  • Sustenance. You can function with a single meal a day just fine. In game terms, the intervals for hunger and thirst are increased to seven days for hunger and three days for thirst.
  • Three-Dimensional Memory (free). You can roll MAG + Perception ranks (mental) to examine your surroundings in detail and be able to recall it later. You can record up to MAG areas, each MAG x MAG cubic m tops. The hits necessary to recall them with a memory test are available in the table below power descriptions.
  • Ventriloquism. You can throw your voice for MAG m, making it appear to originate from any point within MAG m and LoS. Excellent for distractions ("Fire!") and messing with people ("You called me what?!").

Motion Sense (SG)
Creature size	Hits required
Smaller than a dog	3
Kids and dwarves	2
Average adult (human, elf, ork)	1
Troll and larger	Automatic

Three-Dimensional Memory (SG)
Time lapsed	Hits required
24 h	1
Week	2
Month	3
Year	4
Longer	5

Stealth & Perception Skills

In addition, Sundar brings secondary skills to the table. The base mental limit is 6, physical - 4.

• Palming. Hiding objects on your person or pilfering them. The limit used is physical, the stat - AGI. Small items, for instance her concealable surveillance gear jewelry, imposes penalties for others trying to spot them (-6 for the bugs and tags, for example). Moreover, onlookers are attackers rather than defenders, so on ties, they lose. She rolls 10 dice.
• Perception. Noticing all kinds of things as well as the skill whose ranks are used for several of her utility powers. The limit used is mental, the stat - INT. In addition, her R3 vision and audio enhancements, when run wireless, grant not just the limit increase, but the pool boost when seeing or hearing. She rolls 10 dice base, 13 for vision and audio tests when the contacts and earbuds are wireless (mental limit 9 there even if not, doesn't apply to tests other than vision or audio).
• Sneaking. Evading notice as opposed to social stealth. The limit used is physical, the stat - AGI. She rolls 10 dice.

Networking

Even starting out, Sundar knows helpful people. Consult individual contact pages for the best ways to ask for help. Every run, you earn at least 2 CDP, usually able to spend RVP on more, including contacts at discounted prices. Faces make excellent networkers, so think about every situation where the team is stumped and you can go "I know a guy…"

Gear

• Trodes create the DNI (direct neural interface) to communicate with your team with a thought. The microtransceiver also helps here.
• Two prepaid commlinks allow you to have one dedicated to Biggie Beefcake and another for work with people you don't trust much yet - Mr Johnson, new teammates etc.
• Your concealable surveillance gear jewelry can stream what goes on around you to the team, the hacker slaving it to their deck to conceal it on the Matrix.
• The bug promotional pen can likewise record things while being all innocuous with a bunch of other, normal, pens in an office.
• The data is to be stored on your datachips.
• R3 vision and audio enhancements provide their ratings in mental limit boosts for the relevant Perception checks and, while wireless, also to the pool for seeing and hearing.
• The cheap bicycle allows you to travel around, though you should probably embark on the journeys faster than people who have cars.
• The R6 medkit rolls double its rating to operate autonomously, helping you patch teammates up. It also increases the mental limit for First Aid (LOG -1) and Medicine (LOG, can't be defaulted on) by 6.
• The Hinduist magical lodge creates a mana barrier at your flat for added protection.
• The Black Panther cologne adds +1 to social tests, same with the Ace of Hearts suit.
• The fashion gasmask makes for excellent innocuous facial recognition fullstop. With the houserules, even when out of air, it works as an R6 fashion respirator, so you never incur penalties for improper attire.
• The backpack is full of little odds and ends for taking innocuous notes while observing someone. For example, you can use the crayons to draw. Or bribe kids, I won't judge.
• The survival kit, flashlight, climbing gear etc., while best in the hands of, say, a sammie, offer additional utility. They're small bits and pieces many players overlook in favor of big guns and flashy ware, but can help the entire team out in a pinch.

Combat Options

That's the kicker. As a budding face, your best bet in combat is to take cover and, after obtaining consent from other players, buff their PCs up with Leadership. You're not a combat character, Sundar can have a single rank of Pistols through Demara for a few hours (+1 from the red dot sight when in short range), but in most cases, you won't have a chance to prepare like this. Her light pistol and gel rounds aren't going to help much - they're there just to avoid looking like a magician, so the guy they geek first - and her starter armor rating is lowish. Taking aim actions are basically a necessity if you absolutely have to fire it and you still can't compare to a street samurai… while they're blackout drunk.

However, your skillset is the best for avoiding combat. You can carry runs to the point not a single bullet needs firing. You can be anyone, let yourself in bringing wageslaves pizza, phish passwords for the hacker from the IT specialist over lunch, get the sam passkeys by pilfering them from the guard you dance at the bar after work with and much, much more. Be a good team player and share the spotlight!

Play Aid: Social Maneuvers Cheatsheet

• • • "All social maneuvers incur a -4 dice pool modifier on the listed test unless otherwise indicated and cost a free action in addition to any listed action. Most social maneuvers require making one test with the negative modifier to gain a bonus on a second test, while others require making a test with the negative modifier to gain a special effect." CA 153-154

Social Maneuvers Cheatsheet (CA)
Maneuver	Penalty	Test	Effect
Charming Performance	-4	CHA + Performance	1 net hit minimum improves NPC attitude by 1.
Drill Sergeant	-4	CHA + Intimidation	Target takes -2 on next WIL + Leadership to oppose your CHA + Leadership.
Faux Pas	-4	CHA + Etiquette	Target takes -2 on next social test.
Hustling the Mark	-6	CHA + Con	Gain +2 on next Con/Negotiation.
Informed Opinion	-4	INT/LOG + Knowledge	Hits increase encounter's social limit.
Misdirection	-4	CHA + Con	1 net hit makes target take -4 Perception on next action.
Motivational Teacher	-4	CHA + Leadership	Gain +2 on next Instruction.
Peer Tutoring	-4	CHA + Instruction, all must have 1-3 ranks of skill being trained	Scoring hits equal to rank being trained reduces training time for all.
Pressing Flesh	-4	CHA + Etiquette	Gain +2 next Palming.
Rub It In	-4	CHA + Negotiation (w/ leverage on target)	Gain +4 Negotiation mod (blackmail/bargaining chip).
Saving Face	-4	CHA + Etiquette	Retake failed social test.
Shake It	-4	CHA + Con (Seduction)	Target gets +2 Perception at you, others -2.
Wooden Gun	-4	AGI + Palming vs INT + Perception	Gain +2 Con/Intimidation.
Zanshin	-2	Judge Intentions	1 net: having Close Combat skill(s); 2: which is highest; 3: amateur (1-2), well-trained (3-5), highly trained (6+).

Sample Run

Setup & Meet

Mr Johnson hires Sundar (face), Biggie Beefcake (street samurai) and Niamh O'Sullivan (decker) to retrieve a new blockbuster script from Truman Distribution Network, a subsidiary of Horizon Group. They have to gain access to the cyberdeck of the exec in charge of it, which is treated as offline storage and thus requires physical access. Niamh needs to be gotten to the very office and given time to let her do her thing.

In preparation, Sundar deals with the following:

• She rolls 9 dice of Horizon Media & Entertainment Ventures to learn more about the upcoming blockbuster and the people involved in its production as well as hiring habits. She's the most interested in the exec, his secretary and a couple of other close workers (including corpsec, receptionist desk clerks, the firm responsible for janitorial staff outsourced and the delivery equivalent).
  • This will show the Johnson the team is prepared and be useful for the next step.
• She offers the entire team different looks for the meet: BB and Niamh have their disguises created with 11 dice, she uses adept powers she cannot bestow on anyone else with 14. In her case, hits are then added to those from 20 Impersonation dice (powers, qualities and gear) for the final threshold to connect her to her real appearance. Every time she activates a power, she immediately goes to scrub the astral signature.

When it comes to negotiations, she roleplays looking to network with the Johnson and who he represents later, earning the "advantageous outcome" +1 situational modifier, and scores 3 net hits on the opposed Negotiation roll where she uses 16 Negotiation dice (she doesn't want to disrespect him by trying to use Authoritative Tone 3 since it's possible for him to notice and be offended). She asks for the team being provided burner SINs showing them to be a janitor (BB), technician (Niamh) and temporary secretary (Sundar); burner SINs for use as tourists touring the studio; relevant uniforms and two borrowed EVO Proletarian drones with hidden compartments; fitting clearances. The Johnson is pleased about this as it increases the team's chances and promises a bonus if they can handle the job without being caught in the crossfire of suspicions. Trodes (Sundar) and datajacks (BB and Niamh) give the team DNI for immediate communication.

Legwork

Expanding upon the first-minute legwork for the meet, she does additional things:

• She compiles a list of who in the building the team is hitting is a human, elf or ork similar to her body build within 10%.
• Discovering a few names, she browses the P2.1 profiles to see what hobbies they have and asks Harold J. Rutherford about the same.
• In contact with BB and Niamh, who are doing their own legwork (BB drives around and shows people his hamster, Niamh researches on the Matrix), she spends 5 (12 - 7) h learning Japanese just in case, then takes notes of what eateries different workers frequent after work.

Preparation Stage 1

She disguises herself as part of one of the tours which walk around much of the studio with Disguise (14 dice) and Impersonation (20 dice), hits added. The tour allows her to use Three-Dimensional Memory, Eidetic Sense Memory and Motion Sense when people are distracted or special effects magic is shown, together with the microcams in her contacts and necklace (concealable surveillance gear), to map everything they are being shown and report it to the team later. Her tech is slaved to Niamh's deck for Matrix protection. Only gear which would raise suspicion runs silent (-2 to Matrix uses, but not immediately visible on the Matrix) - trodes, earbuds, contacts, pistol and commlink in use in the disguise do not since the absence of such items is more suspicious than seeing them.

Next, she disguises herself differently (see above) and uses Enthralling Performance to busk on the street near the office to keep the workers occupied while BB snatches a maglock passcard, hands it to Niamh to quickly copy and drops the original near the owner before the performance is over.

Afterwards, she creates another disguise and visits the office as a delivery person bringing the workers pizza. This allows her to observe the general attitude of the exec's secretary, discovering she's a party animal with a tendency to drink too much on the weekend, and of the IT specialist, who enjoys evenings dancing, but can't handle spicy food well. Moreover, she takes note of water cooler gossip, names and the building layout the tour didn't let her see with the same approach in terms of powers and gear. That's how she learns the exec has the early onset of Type B Diabetes while having a sweet tooth. She uses a jogging app to estimate how long it takes to walk from the entrance to the restrooms the inner workers use. All the information is given to the team so they know about possible escape routes, patrols, stationary guards and more. Sundar's player asks the other players for consent to use Leadership to help them on the run, which they both give. The exec's diabetes issue is remarked on, with Niamh researching if it's possible to fake fainting after eating too much sugar.

Preparation Stage 2

There are two weak elements in the office's security: the secretary and the IT specialist. The third one is the exec, although he'll be a tougher nut to crack. Niamh collates dossiers on their personalities, after-hours habits and hobbies from their Matrix footprints, which she gives Sundar to study. The adept disguises the entire team again, as other people, and they hit the bar the Horizon workers frequent. There, led by Sundar, they steadily make themselves fit party companions of theirs, discussing hobbies, complaining about work and recent troubles with bugs and other forms of nasty mojo which makes the news (which Sundar uses her knowledge skills for, paired with the Informed Opinion social maneuver from CA). Close to the early morning hours when she's been using Demara, learning Computer from the IT specialist, when he and the secretary are distracted, BB uses Palming to spike their drinks with prescription-free eyedrops - a powerful laxative. Niamh hacks to swap the DJ's repertoire of songs to a lengthy track - over six minutes - during which Sundar dances with the man and uses the Mimic power to copy his retinal and fingerprint patterns, they start being indisposed. To the point where they have to call in sick to work.

It's all the team needs.

Go-Time

On the very early Monday morning, Niamh, who successfully added the burner SIN names of the team to the relevant databases, relies the information to the team that she and Sundar will have a busy day. The adept prepares her disguise, still with the benefits of Mimic, and disguises the team in accordance with the SINs. She then goes to the office, meets the exec, drops her bug pen together with the other pens on the desk (slaved to Niamh's deck to run silent) and uses his single rank of Computer to stand in for the real secretary praying to the porcelain gods at home. Quickly, she sabotages the private bathroom of the exec with excessive amounts of toilet paper and the chemical mixture Niamh prepared for her. Then, when the exec tells her to bring him coffee, she does, but not before using prescription-free eyedrops on it again, swiftly sending him to the bathroom. Which is, of course, clogged, so she's ordered to bring a janitor to fix it.

That's when BB, disguised as a janitor, including the Horizon version of the Ares Industrious armored uniform, comes in. Remember that Niamh put the team's fake names at the top of the list of people who can temporarily replace stationary workers. Sundar just has to dial the first name on the list because of it. BB comes in fast, together with one of the two EVO Proletarian drones with hidden compartments the Johnson provided the team with. That's where he hides disassembled weapons, just in case, the chloroform, which is quickly used to put the exec to sleep with his pants literally down while he "fixes" the appliances there, and the small area jammer. He pilfers the DocWagon biomonitor bracelet from him while Niamh squelches the distress cry so DocWagon doesn't arrive too soon. It's supposed to fall to the side near the foot of the - currently unconscious - exec to believably be accidentally stepped on when losing consciousness. On the desk, empty candy wrappers are left.

This jammer is used to fake a minor issue in the office, which, with the real IT specialist out, summons Niamh, who comes in with her own deck hidden in the other EVO Proletarian drone. In this fashion, the hacker gains direct connection access to the cyberdeck of the exec, able to connect and hack the blockbuster script out of it, bolstered by Sundar with Leadership rooting for her with the Direct function of it (12 dice because of the Black Panther cologne, the suit and Authoritative Tone 3, but without First Impression, since Niamh knows Sundar). The Mimi-provided biometrics of the IT specialist prove unnecessary. The janitorial gear of BB includes C-Squared, a powerful industrial cleaner, which is used to get rid of any biosamples they may have left as well as the remainder sips of eyedrop coffee. The team reboots their devices (slaved to Niamh's deck) and BB innocuously leaves. After a short time, Sundar calls DocWagon, saying her boss has been in the bathroom for long and isn't responding. Right after, Niamh releases the DocWagon biomonitor bracelet from her squelching, which leads to the distress call, and leaves, taking the bug pen and the jammer - hidden in the other EVO Proletarian - with her. When DocWagon arrives, Sundar is the face of concerned innocence as the exec is taken away with the suspicion of fainting after eating candy. She's out of the office that day.

Reuniting with BB and Niamh loitering at the office cafeteria, all that remains is exfiltration. For this, they're prepared: BB idly remarks about a strange smell, Sundar uses Ventriloquism and Voice Control to fake a person across the room shouting "Fire!" and Niamh triggers the fire safety system to stage an alarm, complete with sprinklers going off. In the commotion caused, the runners rush out of the building, unbothered.

Aftermath

The team is out in safety, reboots devices and drives away - separately, but in constant DNI communication if necessary. They reunite in one of the squats of Pinehurst, Everett, BB using Area Knowledge: Seattle to find a safe spot. There, they drop disguises, swap into those the Johnson knows and call him. The exchange of the blockbuster script and money - with a bonus as they didn't arouse any suspicions about themselves - goes smoothly.

The run is completed without a single bullet fired.

Run History

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