Items

Arete 4, Quintessence 20, Background Cost 7 pts.

In the age of industrialization and the increasingly fast-paced life of the cities, many aspects of modern life have become about doing more with less. In fact, many trends have been about enabling one person to do every­ thing. Behold, the one-man band! No longer are musical performances restricted to full orchestras, military bands, or even phonograph parlors. Instead, a single performer is all that’s needed to bring drums, cymbals, brass, guitars, and wind instruments to life.

Although the artistry required to play multiple instru­ ments simultaneously well is rare, most spectators accept the occasional error as the sheer spectacle and novelty of experiencing live music overwhelms most other misgiv­ ings they might have. Otto first encountered a one-man band on the streets of London where he was told that he would never be able to have one, as his friends told him that they were called “one-man bands,” remarking on his feminine features. In response, Otto reinvented himself, moved to New York City, got new friends, and became a regular fixture on the streets as a performer.

Now, as Otto nears retirement, he’s eager to pass his instruments on to another young lad struggling to be accepted as a man.

System

When played by anyone with at least two dots in Expression, the musician gains a +2 bonus to any social roll to influence a group of people. All actions against the musician to deny his identity — such as attempting to remove him from an all-male space — suffer a –2 penalty. The musician can activate the one-man band to refine his ability to influence crowds. Doing so costs 1 Quintessence and imposes a –2 penalty on all aggressive acts directed at him. The One-Man Band’s Effects are elegant. Addition­ ally, he can switch between the following Effects at will: • Ballad: The musician sings the praises of one lis­ tener, causing the crowd to take notice of them and respond favorably. The listener receives a +4 bonus to all social rolls made in or near the crowd. • Captivation: UnAwakened listeners automatically fail all rolls to notice anything but the musician. Awakened listeners suffer a –4 penalty to rolls made to notice anyone else in the scene or those people’s actions. • Irate Crowd: A designated person or a uniformed group suffers the crowd’s anger. Their movement is reduced by 1 yard per turn for each member of the crowd, effectively immobilizing most targets. If the targets use violence, they may find themselves on the wrong side of a riot. • Popularity: The musician attracts attention, drawing bystanders from the area, gaining dozens of listeners in all but the most remote and isolated areas. • Single Out: One listener becomes a focal point for the rest of the listeners, imposing a –4 penalty to any rolls that person makes to conceal themselves or their actions. If the target is unAwakened, they automatically fail those rolls instead.

• Skullduggery & Society •