The scientist, like the professor is an acedemic, but directed towards different topics. The scientist researches things, which to him at least, have practical applications.
| Typical Goals and Motivations: | The urge to make that great break-through that's going to change the world and make your reputation, and who knows, you might even get paid. |
| Typical Abilities: | High INT, Scientific skills, and contacts with some source of money are needed. Also useful are eidetic memory and lightning calculator if you want to wow the guys in the lab. |
| Suggested Disadvantages: | The true genius tends to run a fine line between sane and not, psych lims to reflect this work well. Also rivalries and reputations. |
| Roleplaying Tips: | The mad scientist is the most fun for the demented player, but the serious scientist can also be useful. Also fun is the inventor. The sponsoring agent is probably going to be a University, Government Agency, or Private Industry; if the scientist is self funded replace the contact with something else. |
Skills and Talents |
Cost |
| Scientist | 3 |
| SS: Mathematics (INT Roll) | 2 |
| SS: General scientific field (INT Roll) | 2 |
| SS: Specific scientific field (INT Roll) | 2 |
| SS: Specific scientific field (INT Roll) | 2 |
| PS: Research / Acedemic 11- | 2 |
| Contact (sponsoring agent) (11-) | 2 |
| Choose two: Inventor, Computer Programming (if appropriate for time period), Bureaucratics, Deduction, Systems Operation, Forensic Medicine, Paramedic | 6 |
| Package Bonus | -3 |
| Rivalry (other scientist) | -5 |
| Reputation in field(8-) | -5 |
Package Cost |
5 |
This archetype represents a standard career/job that can be found in a
modern setting. It was deliberately made slightly generic so that it can be easily
modified to cover a wide range of times, from Victorian to near future.
Modern and semi-modern settings games can take many forms from Horror to Pulp Science
Fiction to Mysteries to Spy-vs-Spy (thank you Mad Magazine). The old Danger
International and Justice Inc. games from Hero Games covered these genres very
well, as well as games like Chaosium Inc's Call of Cthulhu and several of Steve
Jackson Game's GURPs supplements.