Delta Green NPC: Matthew Rockyhara

Here's a useful ally NPC for Delta Green. I wrote him up for this summer's NPC contest over at Night at the Opera. I started working on some expanded acquisition rules to make him more useful, but the deadline came before I could do that, but I still plan on doing that, so sit tight because I'll post it here when I do.
 You can get the Google Docs version here.

Matthew Rockyhara

The Agents find themselves outside a shamble down prefab building in the dreary badlands on the outskirts of the city. Behind the chain link fence topped with razor wire are cars of every make and model, the lights on the prefab illuminate red letters spelling “A#1 Towing Service” with “Your Satisfaction is Our #1 Priority” underneath, with “NO CHECKS ACCEPTED” written beneath that. This is where the case officer said to meet your contact for support.  A little old lady stands nearby the entrance, looking on the verge of tears. A wall of a man emerges from the prefab, looking like some kind of parody of a modern outlaw in his cowboy boots and raybans. The old woman starts babbling about how she needs that car to get her prescriptions. He tells her if she can’t cough up the $560 she can get bent. He walks past her towards the agents, beaming with a big smile when he spots them. He hands the agents the keys “Hey there! Our friend told me you guys would be here soon, said you needed a car. I got the perfect one, you don’t even need to worry about getting it back to me.” “What about the $560” one of the agents asks sheepishly “Oh, that? That’s all bullshit fees the city lets me charge. Only cost me $15 in gas to tow it over here for ya’ll, don’t worry about it!” He extends his hand in earnest friendship  “Matthew Rockyhara, by the way. At your service.”

Matthew Rockyhara is many things. A veteran. A small business owner. A scoundrel. A patriot. A minor crime lord. A friend. It was around the time our invasion of Panama was wrapping up in 1990 that Matthew Rockyhara had his brush with the unnatural. He flew Sikorsky Seahawks as an ensign for the navy, and it was in one of those helicopters that he proved himself a reliable and heroic man. Those agents would have died deaths indescribable in that jungle had he not braved that shimmering sky and juked the things filtering down from the sky. 

He didn’t hear from Delta Green until he had returned to civilian life years later. Using the money he had saved up from the navy, Matthew first  opened up a pawnshop (he briefly was involved in the local wrestling circuit and gained a modest following as the Throwin’ Samoan ) and then bought a tow truck company, very quickly getting acquainted with the murky waters between the legal and criminal. Nothing terribly new, he grew up in East LA after all. 

With these resources at hand, Matthew has always been more than happy to help out associates of his “friends” in their struggle against what he only refers to as “that creepy bullshit” a topic he aggressively works to remain ignorant about. He’s helped provide material support to various operations in his area for roughly 30 years, a time in which he’s been able to carve out a nice little criminal enterprise for himself in his tri-state area, and will gladly provide any information he has on the criminal landscape therein. He knows everyone and they all know, and generally like, him. He’s done well not to step on any toes. 

He’s aware that there has been some sort of “split” between what he calls “the old boys” and the “tight collars,” but he doesn’t get involved in what he terms “doctrinal disputes” and has worked with both Outlaws and Program assets over the years. They’re all Americans fighting the same enemy as far as he’s concerned, and he really doesn’t care to know more. 

Matthew “Rocky”  Rockyhara, Agent of Fortune & Friendly
Owner and CEO of New Horizon Enterprises LLC, Samoan Male, 49

A reliable ally to the agents 

STR 14 CON13 DEX 10 INT 13 POW 13 CHA 14
HP 12 WP 13 SAN 62 BREAKING POINT 52

BONDS:

• Shantell Reese (on again off again girlfriend) 14
• Roger Rockyhara (elderly father) 14
• Gerald Tollmer (Tow truck driver and pawnshop manager) 14 
• His “boys” (various criminals in his employ) 14

MOTIVATIONS:

• Get yours
• Take care of your own
• Do your part for Uncle Sam
  

DISORDERS:

• Partial adaptation to violence: Matthew automatically succeed at Sanity tests for seeing and working with bodies, 
• Astrophobia: The stars were wrong over that tract of Central American jungle, and the things filtering down from them were worse. Matthew doesn’t like being under an open night sky and will avoid it when possible.

SKILLS: Accounting 50%,  Alertness 60%, Anthropology 15%, Athletics 30%, Bureaucracy 50%, Computer Science 15%,  Criminology 70%, Disguise 30%, Dodge 30%, Drive 40%, Firearms 50%, Foreign Language (Spanish) 40%, Heavy Machinery 45%, Heavy Weapons 0%, History 20%, HUMINT 65%, Law 55%, Melee Weapons 40%, Military Science (Air) 25%, Navigate 20%, Occult 18%, Persuade 70%, Pilot (helicopter) 60%, Search 20%, SIGINT 10%, Stealth 40%, Survival 30%, Swim 30%, Unarmed Combat 60%, Unnatural 1%

EQUIPMENT: 

• Green 1978 Eldorado Convertible (personal vehicle) 
• Kimber M1911 
• Cigars and jet lighter 
• Leatherman multitool

ATTACKS:

• Kimber M1911 50% damage 1d10 (personal carry)
• Illegally Modified M-16 50% damage 1d12, Lethality 10%

DESCRIPTION: 

A broad shouldered and barrel chested Polyneisan man, Matthew stands at about 6 foot, made of  slabs of fat and muscle with a shiny bald head which he covers in panama jacks or booney hats on sunny days. Wears his Ray Ban Wayfarers from dawn to dusk and is fond of rawhide vests, blue jeans, bolo ties, and cowboy boots. 

His personality and politics can be, at least partially, surmised as “grizzled boomer.” Moderately right wing, he seems to be in an endless 80s Republican mindset, and has shown neither an ability nor an interest to update that worldview. Pro-cop in theory but never in practice, except with the Agents. He’s fond of bands like Blue Oyster Cult, KISS, Kansas, et al and knows all the good John Wayne and Clint Eastwood quotes. 

Though he refuses to use non-NATO firearms personally, he has no problem providing them to others. He also has a strange fixation on looking up whenever he enters a new area. He will very genuinely consider the Agents friends until they give him very explicit reasons to feel otherwise, at which point he switches to being coldly professional in their interactions, never once showing that his feelings are very hurt.

A NOTE ON ACQUISITION AND EXPENSES: 

Matthew Rockyhara’s main utility to the Agents is his ability to help procure resources and money, as such it is important to understand the acquisition rules. Don’t view items or even money in specific dollar amounts, but rather in the roughly abstracted Expense Categories on page 84 of the Agent’s Handbook. 5 Standard Expenses make up 1 Unusual Expense. 5 Unusual Expenses make up 1 Major Expense. 1 Major Expense equals 25 Standard Expenses. The lesson to take away here is each Expense Level is worth 5 units of the Expense Level preceding it. 

THE PAWN SHOP:

In bright white and yellow neon reads "Rocky's Pawn & Jewelry" with a big "WE BUY GUNS" banner wafting lazily in the wind below and a big American flag flies over head. This is where he can most often be found, as it also functions as a green box in the  back. Has pictures of Reagan, both Bushes, and John McCain in his office, as well as a smaller one of Bill Clinton. As Matthew says, "any guy getting a spit shine from a little number with tits like that in the Oval Office can't be all that bad"

The pawn shop is 24 hours and only Matthew’s most trusted people work here, all of them are former vets (Matthew lurks around the local VA and VFW posts) and all of them know not to ask fucking questions. Chief among them is the manager Gerald Tollmer, an African American marine sniper who saw some shit in Afghanistan. His gamer tag is “th3 B1ACKD3ATH,” he only plays online war shooters. 

This is also where Rockyhara can arm the Agents, something he is happy to do to the best of his ability. Whatever state you base Rockyhara in dictates how big an ask any particular firearm request is, but using Rocky’s Pawn and Jewelry for any personal weapon (i.e. everything in the tables between and including Hand to Hand Weapons and Firearms on pages 96-97 of the Agent’s Handbook), armor, or weapon accessory acquisitions can generally be considered to lower the expense one step. A standard becomes incidental, an unusual becomes standard, etc. 

Heavy weapons and demolitions are more tricky. Rockyhara can roll a criminology to see if he can find one, and if he can, the Agents can purchase it for the listed expense in the book but do NOT have to worry about official review or the possibility of law enforcement catching wind. Bear in mind this is only for the acquisition portion, if the Agents get caught with illegal weapons they are very much on their own.

THE TOWING SERVICE:

Located on the outskirts of the city, A#1 Towing Service, this has been Rockyhara’s main source of ostensibly legal income. It has also been his main source of lawsuits, of which he’s become quite adept at winning. A#1 has a fleet of five tow trucks and averages about 1,000 cars towed a month from various commercial and apartment parking lots it has contracts with, but is not at all above poaching. 

It is from here Matthew will gladly provide totally deniable vehicles free of charge. He and his boys have stacks of licence plates they can swap out and can even get specific makes and models, though this is a little more difficult. An economy car or beater can be theirs for free, but luxury and upscale models will be considered Unusual Expenses. The Agents can also make use of the towing service itself, either as a covert means of transporting items (like leaving incriminating evidence in a trunk of a car to be towed) or as a means of fucking with a specific individual. The driver in these cases will likely either be Gerald Tollmer or Ignacio Silva. 

FURTHER USES:

Matthew Rockyhara’s primary use to the Agents is his ability to assist in the acquisition of the resources detailed above. However, he has other services he can provide. 

Rocky knows the criminal and legal makeup of his tri-state area very well, and has also kept tabs on "weird" alternative religious groups, strange goings on, and, well, anything Muslim. He's more than happy to furnish agents with what he knows and can be used to provide scenario hooks.

Rocky has a wide network of informants and associates. He can offer the Agents the services of relatively competent hi-jackers, hackers, thieves, safe crackers, and not a few skull crackers to boot. He's got informants in local law enforcement and he also has a pair of mostly functional tweakers monitoring police and emergency services radio at all times. He'd also be willing to have some of his goons create a distraction for the agents or to try and draw heat away from them.He can even offer muscle that knows what they're getting into in the form of Gerald, his most trusted employee and a former marine sniper who saw the otherside in Afghanistan (use an Expert Soldier package in the Generic NPCs tables on pg 354 of the Handler’s Guide).

Matthew can provide small amounts of narcotics for free and felony amounts for a Standard Expense. He can broker a deal to buy most industrial chemicals, or at least assist in their theft. He can also hook the Agents up with discrete medical services and access to a crematory incinerator without the need of a criminology roll, but the player will have to cough up the funds themselves. Though Matthew can help them raise the funds, as explained in the next section.

ROCKY THE TEMPTER:

Matthew Rockyhara is, at the end of the day, a greedy criminal. At some point during his interactions with the Agents, Matthew will make a simple business proposal, perhaps prompted when the Agents are in need of something they can’t quite afford. Here are some of the forms they may take.

1) “So my guy who usually does this landed himself in county lockup like the dumbass he is last night, but I’ve got some credit card skimmers at a couple of ATMs and gas stations on this side of town. Get these for me and I’ll cut you in 20%.” All together this will give the players two standard expense worth of illicit cash. Some complications could be the skimmers are being monitored by law enforcement or rival criminals.

2) “I got this motherfucker  (bookie, gang banger, or even just some guy at the payday advance) who owes me about ten Gs. Normally I’d have one of my guys do it but two of them are in the goddamn hospital and the rest are either already on an assignment or are not suited for the job. Here’s the little cocksucker’s address, and I know he has that money in a safe there. Get me that money and you can keep whatever else you snag from his place.” This can net the Agents one Unusual Expense.

3) “Now I know this is a weird request from a guy who owns a towing company, but I got a car I need you to “reposses” and bring to me. It’s across state lines and, admittedly, the owners are the types to...well let’s just say they’d do a lot more than just litigate if you catch my drift. Real beauty this one too, I’ll hold it a couple of days then it’s all yours, plus I’ll cut you in on the action.” Rockyhara’s crew will spend two days pulling the vehicle apart to get the drugs out, then hand it over to the Agents with a fresh coat of paint. This will net them one armored SUV and 1 Major Expense. However, they’re going to have to find a way to get it away from armed drug traffickers in a tight time frame. 

4)"Christ all Friday, you guys would not believe the legal hassle I get from bleeding heart lawyer types because of my legitimate business towing cars. I swear, it's even more of a hassle than my more adventurous businesses! I got this punk activist lawyer building a class action against my company that's putting me in a real bind. I don't care how you do, but if you make this go away I will make it worth your while, scout's fucking honor!" Be it by bureaucratic, legal, criminal, or esoteric means, if the Agents solve Rocky's legal woes, he rewards them with Major Expenses. 

HOME PURSUIT ASSISTANCE:

Rockyhara can also be helpful to the Agents in the more abstracted Home Pursuit: Raising Illicit Cash (pg 91 of the Agent’s Handbook). If the Agent is using Rockyhara’s services, they gain a +20 to their roll, and in the case of a fumble, rather than getting fired or in legal trouble, they insteads owe Rockyhara a favor. 

Rockyhara’s assistance also makes the Squandering Illicit Funds pursuit (pg 91 Agent’s Handbook) more useful. Success still increases a non-DG bond by 1D4, but bond damage only occurs on a fumble and authorities are only alerted on a roll of 00.

Special thanks to Tophat for his consultation on the acquisition rules and modified home pursuits, to Br1tish for help editing, and to G. Kai McGough for providing so much inspiration.