Ted Trapes's page

Personality
Ted is very curious, held back only by his sense of duty. He is dedicated to doing what he thinks is right, and can be very headstrong when challenged.

Description
Ted Trapes stands at a little over 5 and a half feet but not quite reaching 6, and brings to mind a twig. He has dark eyes and dark hair, though the hair can be hard to notice under the brown fedora he frequently wears. The hat happens to match the long trenchcoat he uses to cover himself on the rainy streets of New York City. His shoes are battered, well worn from the miles he's walked in them. He seems to have a permanent smirk on his face.

Background
Ted Trapes has lived in New York City all his life. His parents died in 1925, when he was only 10 years old. Foul play was suspected, but the police were never able to prove their case. Ted was in and out of orphanages until he turned 18 and was free to pursue his own life. He grew up with a strong sense of justice and wanted to make sure that what happened to him and his family wouldn't happen to anyone else, or that they would at least see retribution. Unfortunately, the police force wouldn't take him. He was too scrawny, they said. Sure, he was smart. But, they had joked at the time, any strenuous physical activity would probably break him. Dejected, Ted Trapes decided to form his own Private Investigation business. He was still determined to do what he could for the people who sought justice.

Ted's business has turned semi-successful, enough to hire a receptionist but not much else. He makes enough money to survive comfortably while living out of his own office. The year is 1945 now, he has just celebrated his 30th birthday. His receptionist, Gladys, knocks and tells him about a potential customer who's waiting to see him. The man who enters is distraught.

"My wife and I had a spat. Nothin' big, I didn't hit her or anything. But she left the house and I haven't seen her since. That was 5 days ago."

Ted agrees to the case. Missing person cases were common, and rarely had a happy ending. But maybe this time it was just a housewife who had tired of her husband's treatment. The first place Ted checks out is the mother's. Take a direct approach, and if she's uncooperative, we'll try something else.

"Pardon me, ma'am. I'm wondering if you've seen a miss Lucy Gardner around. I'm a friend of her husband, Jake. He's worried sick".

Ted learns that Lucy had been talking about a mysterious man recently, who had been promising that he could help with her and her husband's money problems. All she had to do was volunteer for a scientific study. He takes down the address and drives over to the building that Lucy had told her mother was the site of the study. Ted walks around the building when he sees a strange looking man with an even stranger buzzing device in his hand, trying to break down a door. Ted pulls out his gun.

"Who the hell are you?" he shouts, but his gun suddenly heats up and he throws it out of his hands. He looks up and the man suddenly has his device pointed at Ted.

"Sorry about that, but we couldn't have you doing something stupid, now could we? It'll be safe to pick up in a few seconds, but I recommend you keeping it in your pocket, eh?" The man suddenly taps the door and it swings open. "Come along, if you want."

What happened in the building was strange and bizarre and terrifying, and even after the Doctor (that's what the man called himself anyway), explained it, it was still a bit confusing. The building had been a secret cover for the Cybermen, which Ted guessed were the silver monstrosities that, as they walked into the "study" room, were trying to shove Lucy into one of their bodies. The Doctor had referred to it as conversion later on. Thankfully, they had gotten there just in time to save Lucy. Ted ran out of the building with Lucy in tow, while the Doctor stayed behind to sabotage the Cybermen's setup. Ted drove Lucy back to her house, where her and Jake had a teary, but happy, reunion. Jake tried to pay double what they had agreed upon, but Ted declined. As he left, he was surprised to see the Doctor waiting right outside, next to what looked like one of those British police boxes.

"Thanks for your help," Ted says earnestly, after asking first just what the hell had happened. "Without you, I never would've found her and that lady would've been dead as a doornail. It's nice to win one, now and again."

The Doctor goes inside the police box and motions for Ted to come inside. Confused, he enters and almost falls to the ground as soon as he does. He's never seen anything like this before! How is it bigger on the inside? It's at this point the Doctor tells him who he is and what he does, and what the silver men that they had defeated together were. The Doctor makes an offer for Ted to join him, but Ted declines. He has a life here, people need his help.

"But if you ever find yourself in trouble, look me up. I'd be more than happy to return the favor, Doctor."

Face in the Crowd: +2 to any Subterfuge skill roll to sneak and not get noticed. When trying to blend in, provides a bonus of +2 to roll.

Brave: +2 bonus to any Resolve roll when character needs to show courage.

Charming: +2 bonus to roll when trying to charm their way through an encounter. Adding bonus is at GM's discretion

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GOOD (MAJOR):

Keen Senses: +2 bonus to Awareness to notice something no matter which sense is being used.

Argumentative: Difficult to hold tongue when knowledge or opinion is challenged. -2 modifier on Ingenuity or Resolve roll to back down from argument.

Code of Conduct: Tries to do good most of the time, refuses to harm another living being unless absolutely necessary.

Insatiable Curiosity: Must investigate anything that sparks their curiosity, unless making a successful Ingenuity and Resolve roll with a -2 modifier.

Technically Inept: -2 penalty when trying to fix electronic or computer equipment. GM may decide an electronic device being used by character with this trait fails at an inopportune moment.

“We only get one shot at this.” Buy extra dice to add to your roll before you make it. The first SP spent earns 2 extra dice, each additional SP after that earns a single die. Cost: 1

“That was close, nearly didn’t make it!” Bump your Level of Success of Failure up by one for each SP spent. Levels of Failure can only be bumped up to an ordinary Success. Cost: 1/Level

“It was just a scratch.” Restore half (round up) of your Attribute levels that have been lost due to injury or losing a conflict. Cost: 1

“Like this, Doctor?” After being instructed, use a skill you don’t have for a single scene ignoring unskilled penalties and roll using your Attribute + the Skill rating of the person who instructs you. You may not score higher than a Success on this roll. Cost: 1

“What’s that you’re building?” Build a Gadget or use an existing Gadget’s Story Points to use it in non-standard ways. Variable “Hang on, I have an idea!” Make a minor change to the plot or story for your temporary advantage. Gamemaster approval required. Cost: 1

“You can do it, I know you can.” Donate some of your Story Points to another character in some manner, from a dramatic and rousing speech, to a word of encouragement or even a kiss. Cost: Variable

“Doing something remarkable.” Do the impossible, like create a beneficial paradox, bring someone back to life or reboot the universe. Gamemaster approval required. Cost: Variable