[IW] Living Lie Detector (Homeline)

[Michele]

CAL LIGHTMAN
Living Lie Detector (Homeline)

(c) copyright 2010 Michele Armellini

Base Setting: GURPS Infinite Worlds

Total Points: 230

Age: 42 Height: 5'7" Weight: 145 lbs. Description: A short man, somewhat unkempt, with black hair and eyes, usually wearing a black suit with no tie
ST 10 [0] HP 10 [0]
DX 11 [20] Will 15 [0]
IQ 15 [100] Per 16 [5]
HT 11 [10] FP 11 [0]

Basic Speed: 5.5 Move: 5
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d-2, Swing 1d
Basic Lift: 20
[Total Attributes: 135]

DR: 0 Dodge: 8 Parry: 8 (Judo) Block: 0

Reaction Modifiers: Status (+1), Reputation (+4), Workaholic (+1/-1), Stubbornness (-1).
Fright Check: 15

ADVANTAGES AND PERKS: Charisma 1 [5]; Courtesy Rank (Intervention Service Officer) 4 [4]; Empathy [15]; Indomitable [15]; Reputation (the world's leading deception expert; all the time; law enforcement officials and other experts) [6]; Security Clearance [10]; Single-Minded [5]; Status +2 [5]*; Talent (Empath) 2 [10]; Wealth (Wealthy) [20].
Dabbler (to be customized by the GM); License (Psychologist) [2].
* Includes +1 from Wealth.
[Total Advantages and Perks: 97]

DISADVANTAGES AND QUIRKS: Curious (on 6 or less) [-10]; Dependent (daughter) (No More Than 25%; on 6 or less; Loved One) [-10]; Duty (to the Internal Affairs Division of the Intervention Service) (on 12 or less) (Nonhazardous) [-5]; Loner (on 12 or less) [-5]; Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10]; Stubbornness [-5]; Workaholic [-5].
Code of Honor (Personal); Dislikes polite conventions, political correctness and bureaucracy; Proud [-3].
[Total Disadvantages and Quirks: -53]

SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES: Administration-14 [1]; Body Language-18* [0]; Carousing-11 [1]; Computer Operation/TL9-15 [1]; Criminology/TL9-14 [1]; Detect Lies-22† [8]; Diplomacy-15§ [1]; Electronic Operation/TL9 (Scientific)-14 [1]; Electronic Operation/TL9 (Surveillance)-14 [1]; Fast-Talk-14 [1]; First Aid/TL9-15 [1]; Gambling-15 [2]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol)-11 [1]; Intelligence Analysis/TL9-13 [1]; Interrogation-16 [4]; Intimidation-14 [1]; Judo-10 [2]; Law (Local)-14 [2]; Observation-15 [1]; Psychology-18‡ [8]; Public Speaking-16** [2]; Research/TL9-15 [2]; Soldier/TL9-14 [1]; Stealth-10†† [0]; Urban Survival-15 [1].
* Default from Detect Lies.
† Includes +3 from Empathy and +2 from Empath 2.
§ Includes +2 from Empath 2.
‡ Includes +2 from Empath 2; conditional +3 from Empathy when conversing with the subject.
** includes +1 from Charisma 1.
†† Default from IQ.
[Total Skills and Techniques: 45]

TL: 5 Cultural Familiarities: Western [0].
LANGUAGES: English (native) [0]; Spanish (native) [6].
[Total Cultural Familiarities and Languages: 6]

EQUIPMENT: Lightman owns a plush home and the Lightman Research Center. Apart from those he has a nondescript car, and generally does not flaunt his wealth; but will be able to procure anything his Wealth level can afford, if necessary.

BIOGRAPHY: the only child of an abusive father, Lightman suffered a decisive stress when his mother managed to deceive her psychiatrist in order to be free to commit suicide. Already "a natural" at reading lies because of his previous family history, this event defined Lightman's life and career. When he finished his studies, he was very promising but heavily indebted, and the Intervention Service offered him a solution.
After receiving basic training and spending some time as a difficult-to-handle subordinate, he began a successful but stormy career in the Internal Affairs Division: that is, policing the I-Cops themselves. He climbed quickly in the hierarchy, but did not make many friends. His results were outstanding and welcome, but his manners were abrasive, his respect for senior officers non-existent, and his compliance with procedures sorely lacking.
He was motivated, and convinced his contribution was needed to "keep the I-Cops straight". However, he chafed at the restrictions, bureaucracy, and internal politicking.
The solution came a few years ago. He parted ways with the Service and established his own research center, quickly making a small fortune out of his own special talent: unmasking deception. He is now a successful private entrepreneur. Nevertheless he has a standing confidential agreement with the Service; when they need him, he's bound to provide his expertise.

[Michele]

MODUS OPERANDI: Dr. Lightman can and will use all the technological aids available: lie detectors, voice stress analyzers and so on. But his main tool is his personal gift for understanding people and, in particular, to understand when they lie. Given time, he can ascertain the truth without the subject even noticing it; however, he normally cuts to the chase. His procedure is to ask leading questions, provoke, bully and otherwise force a reaction from the subject. It seldom fails.

ENCOUNTERED: Playing characters will mostly meet Dr. Lightman in his professional capacity. If they are I-Cops, they might be ordered to employ him as a consultant for their own special task or mission. Or, conversely, they maybe the subjects, if they are under investigation by the IAD.
If they aren't I-Cops, then it's still possible that the Service will use the Lightman Center to screen them for some reason: as potential recruits, for instance.

CANONICALITY: The character is canonical. It is worth mentioning that the Talent: Empath can be added to Empathy. It does not provide a Reputation bonus, but an alternative advantage as per GURPS Power Ups 3: Talents: a bonus to the special IQ roll provided for by the Empathy Advantage. This means that when rolling to get an initial "reading" about a person or a basic "feeling" about whether the person is lying, Lightman rolls against IQ +2 = 17.
The Dabbler Perk needs to be customized by the GM. It could be related to social sciences and humanities; or it could be dependent on the situation in which Lightman is dropped. In that case, it would be a combination of Area Knowledge, Current Affairs, and similar things helping him in being up-to-date.

ADVENTURE SEEDS: None, but Lightman is intended as an ace in the hole for the GM, his own trump card. Sometimes, the GM has to veto some plan or course of action chosen by the players, because it will ruin the adventure, unbalance the campaign, and so on. It's a good thing if the GM explains the reasons why not to the players, out of character; but it's better if there also is a realistic, or at least credible, in-game reason – and enforcement measure to keep the characters in line. Dr. Lightman serves that purpose. If the players come up with a secret plan that is clever enough to defy ordinary supervision or verification by their commanding officers, the GM can play his trump card.
Naturally, at skill 22, this character is the lie detector equivalent of going nuclear, and as with nukes, the best use is probably as a deterrent. That is why Lightman has that Reputation amongst the law enforcement agencies (and in particular within the Intervention Service); so that, if his players are wise, the GM probably only needs to drop some hints about Lightman being called in to "interview" the PCs.

RECRUITMENT BY OUTTIMERS: Extremely unlikely. Note however that any campaign featuring "Infinity gone bad" would suffer from any contact between Lightman and the top brass; but then again this kind of scenario is probably the one case in which Lightman might choose to help outtimers against Homeline authorities.

- written by Michele Armellini (miarmel@tin.it)

[Michele]

Comments welcome. Please keep in mind that I am not trying to reproduce the character in the TV series accurately, but rather to adapt him for use in the Infinite World setting for the purpose described above.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by Michele

Description: A short man, somewhat unkempt, with black hair and eyes, usually wearing a black dress with no tie

So he wears a black dress?

[vicky_molokh]

I don't quite understand what important points the IW adaptation might include, so I'm sorry if I'm missing something.

Personally, I'm leery of stacking Empathy and Empath, both for the skill bonuses and for the IQ roll.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Personally, I'm leery of stacking Empathy and Empath, both for the skill bonuses and for the IQ roll.

Me too. I see Empath Talent as another way of doing the same thing. But according to PU3 it's okay.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Me too. I see Empath Talent as another way of doing the same thing. But according to PU3 it's okay.

Oh my. I finally saw that note.

[Anders]

It was hiding sneakily at the top of the next column.

[Michael Thayne]

I've built similar characters, and shot for a slightly less over the top characterization (lower IQ, so they're mainly just good at their narrow specialty), but sure why not.

[Michele]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I don't quite understand what important points the IW adaptation might include, so I'm sorry if I'm missing something.

Personally, I'm leery of stacking Empathy and Empath, both for the skill bonuses and for the IQ roll.

Mainly one difference. The character in the TV series, since, well, that is a TV series, has as his main skill the interpretation of visual cues: microexpressions, involuntary movements and postures etc. Since this is a character in a role-playing game, his main skill is the verbal interpretation.

Apart from that, what I wanted to point out is that I wasn't interested in reproducing every last whim, personal relation, backstory detail etc. of the TV character. I just wanted this character to be usable for the purpose stated, within an IW campaign.