Darren Rummel - An Unknown Armies character (first stab)

DI Darren Rummel

By way of explanation, this is an Unknown Armies character for a game I may / may not run in the future. I've used the first edition of the game rules, simply because this comes in a nice, portable softback, easy to carry on a train, rather than the weighty, three tome effort Greg Stolze has seen fit to produce for the third edition, which you probably need a trolley to wheel around!

[On a personal note, I actually think the first edition is not a bad game in itself. Some people have complained that it is hard to understand, but I think it does a good job of throwing out an alternative modern horror mythos that has nothing to do with H.P. Lovecraft (because, to be honest, I'm starting to suffer from Lovecraft overkill right now).]

I've been kicking around the idea of the team first of all. Originally this was going to form the basis of a party of characters for Hunter - The Vigil, but I've slidden (if that's a word) beyond the World of Darkness now. I wanted a group that made sense getting up to no good in contemporary London, but with a relatively high degree of impunity. I've alighted on an unofficial 'alliance of interests' within the ranks of the Metropolitan Police, coordinated by Detective Inspector Darren Rummel. This is him.

Darren is a veteran of the Met, has been a cop man and boy, and can look back to over 20 years on the force, having joined up out of school in the mid-1990s. He's courageous, powerful, straightforward, and has had to be, making his way as a black guy in a police force that has been dogged with racial politics for the bulk of the time he's been there.

Darren is a tough customer, but smart, and a little egocentric. At the end of the day, it's got to be about Darren. His obsession is toughness - as a plain clothes detective, he got results this way. As an amateur boxer, he got results this way too. His claim to fame in the pub is that he once got knocked out by Lennox Lewis in a police charity gala, but he doesn't like to talk about it. He's now in his forties (48), so doesn't spend much time in the ring, but he reckons he can still handle himself.

Fear stimulus - the unknown, and by that we mean the Unknown, in Unknown Armies speak. He's seen a few things out there on the streets, which is why he chose to form this - unofficial - group. Some stuff just doesn't add up, and he wants to get to the bottom of it. But deep down inside, he's afraid he never will.

Rage stimulus - lazy bastards. Darren has never been tolerant of colleagues who have not been able to go the extra mile. He made DI through sheer hard work. His conviction rate was achieved through sheer hard work. He cannot stand it when cops he works with drop the ball because of a lack of commitment. If they can't give him a good reason why they failed, he suggests they go work in an office.

Noble stimulus - the little guy. Ultimately, Darren feels the job of the police is to protect the little guy. Sometimes this is about protecting him from criminals, sometimes it is about protecting him from injustice. This has got Darren into trouble with his bosses in the past, as sometimes it is not just criminals in the injustice game - negligent social workers, corrupt councilors, the odd politician on the take - he's run afoul of them all.

Attributes

Body 65 (bruiser), Speed 50 (stings like a butterfly), Mind 55 (focused), Soul 50 (crusader)

Skills

Authority 30%, Charm 25%, Dodge 35%, Driving 35%, Commanding Presence 35%, Guns 10%, General Athletics 30%, General Education 25%, Hold Your Liquor 10%, Lying 20%, Struggle 55% (obsession skill), Notice 30%

I think that's pretty much it for Darren. When I get time I may flesh out the rest of his team.