There was a time when Retrocity was supposed to use the same system than my other game, GODS. But a lot has changed since then, and the game has been powered by very different mechanics for a while. So it's time for an update here.
In Retrocity, each character is associated and defined by a Profile. Each of the following profiles come with a general description of the personality type associated with it, as well as with examples of Inclinations.
During the character generation, a character gets two Inclinations: one from their Profile, and one chosen randomly by the player.
The Inclinations are the things that can trigger the use of a City Die.
They are the type of actions that are expected from a character of a specific profile and that can potentially call for the City to subtly intervene, trading additional chances of success against a bit of Corruption.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of profiles. Players should feel free to create their own.
The Entertainer
The Brute
The Leader
The Pessimist
The Collective
The Individualist
The Weirdo
The Analyst
The Diplomat
The Opportunist
THE ENTERTAINER
Personality: Entertainers are social animals. They exist through the eyes of others and their days are full of many interactions. As cops, entertainers are the ones to crack the appropriate (or not) joke at the right moment, do lighten the atmosphere. They are the ones who will decide to take another road just for the sake of distraction. Entertainers are routine breakers. But they can also be obnoxious, whether they are omnipresent, or simply refusing to face the seriousness of a situation and dismissing it with jokes. The show that the Entertainer tend to put on 24/7 may very well be some kind of copping mechanism.
Inclinations: Group interaction, distracting or entertaining an audience, craving attention.
What the Squad says about them:
“Oh yes, I’ll show up just because I know he will be here … I don’t want to miss that!”
“Shut the fuck up, seriously! The body is not even cold!”
What the boss says about them:
“Call Mike, we will need a load positive vibes for the meeting.”
“Is he for real???”
THE BRUTE
Personality: Brutes are hot. They are radical and violent. Always ready to explode. They can think, they could reflect and temperate, but most of the time they don’t. Whether they chose to, or simply can not help themselves, their initial reactions to any issue is often violent. They have a physical relationship to the world and the people in it. They are loud, they shake hands too hard, they break things, they drive too fast and they slam their fists on the table. Pissing them off is a mistake. Brutes often tame their violent tendances by working out or practicing some violent sport or martial art, which usually keeps them strong and fit, but there are exceptions to that. Brutes can be shrimps and napoleon-syndrome individuals, with their own way to compensate and stay dangerous. Everybody hate brutes until they need them. And when they are needed, nobody does the job better than they do.
Inclinations: Using force, breaking or destroying things, acting on impulse.
What the Squad says about them:
“Hide your things, here he comes!”
“I think I know who we need on that one…”
“HELP!!!”
What the boss says about them:
“Does he even need a gun?”
“I wonder how much would crime drop if we had a couple more like her on the streets…”
“Yes you need a warrant for that!!!”
THE LEADER
Personality: Leaders don’t give up, the don’t let go. They have a sense of priorities that allow them to make quick decisions, and most of the time the right ones. That helps them to build a reputation of trustable, reliable and efficient individuals that will never shy when facing responsibilities. Leaders do not hesitate, get straight to the point and are excellent at leading a team of men when trouble arises. On the other side, leaders have a hard time with hierarchy (when they are not at the top of it) and struggle taking orders. Their confidence can make them cocky, and it’s better to have only one of those in a squad.
Inclinations: Leading a group, taking responsibilities for others, making heavy decisions..
What the Squad says about them:
“Born to lead, born to bleed…”
“Ask James, you know he will do it!”
“I don’t have to take orders from you, you know that right?”
What the boss says about them:
“Why we call him Orpheus? He would lead his own men back from death if we asked him to!”
“John? Who told him to do that???”
THE PESSIMIST
Personality: Pessimists have seen it all, and they know it’s bad. Morning is only the beginning of another row of insignificant events that will obviously lead to something terrible, at one point or another. Losing partners, getting cancer, taking a bullet, failing to catch a dangerous killer, no matter what, darkness wins and they know that. They don’t always complain about how fucked up things are, but even when they are quiet, people around them know what they think. They rarely smile, and when they do, it usually feels like someone opened a window to let the sun shine inside a barn that has not see the light for a decade.
Inclinations: Letting go, giving up, losing, careless.
What the Squad says about them:
“Great, I can’t wait to work with him again (heavy sarcasm)”
“Did she smile? Someone died?”
What the boss says about them:
“Nah, she is just having a hard day, it will pass!”
“Smile Cynthia!”
THE COLLECTIVE
Personality: Collectives work with others. They think “collective”. They consider that the best things police can achieve is always accomplished by dedicated team work. They know their place, they understand their role and they are committed to fulfill it. It takes several pillars to support the temple, and they are one of them. Collectives individuals are perfect to work with, as they don’t ever step on someone’s foot. But they tend to be lost when comes the time to take initiatives, or when they are isolated from the group.
Inclinations: Interacting, organizing, sharing, assisting.
What the Squad says about them:
“She is always there when you need her!”
“You sure you can’t do that on your own?”
What the boss says about them:
“You can count on her 100%, she will be there. In fact, she will be even if you don’t want her to be.”
“With Ron we don’t even have to ask.”
THE INDIVIDUALIST
Personality: Individualists are lone wolves. They tend to do most things on their own. And when they don’t, they usually wish they do. They have many reasons to be this way. Maybe they consider that the job is going to be done better if they take care of it themselves from start to finish. Maybe they enjoy silence, or the sound of their own pace. Being perfectly fine on their own and with themselves is something that comes naturally to individualists and that many people fail to understand. Individualists will do things their way, and forget to include their partners into the equation. They will find their way to stay ahead, or behind, as long as they can get their own space. This is a blessing and a curse for the team, as individualists struggle to work within the group, but tend to be quite efficient if they are free to operate as they intend to.
Inclinations: Acting alone, acting for your own interest.
What the Squad says about them:
“Maybe someone need to call her?”
“He left early this morning, he said not to worry, he says he has an intuition …”
“YOU ARE WELCOME!!!”
What the boss says about them:
“Also, when you have the time to g… where the fuck is he?!”
“Just point her in the right direction and let her do her job!”
THE WEIRDO
Personality: Weirdos have so many faces. So many things make people weird. But the weirdos have enough of that to deserve the title. There is something in their behavior, things they do, that triggers questioning looks from others at best, or straight up repulsion sometime. They can also be attractive for their originality and their different ways of being. They might be totally socially unable and awkward, but excessively skilled at what they do. Or they might be eccentric and obnoxious. They might have some habits that turned into bad reputation, or maybe they are truly crazy and barely succeeding at hiding it. Whatever is a bit abnormal within most people, weirdos take it to the next level!
Inclinations: Doing really unexpected things, acting weird, thinking outside the box, disturbing things and people.
What the Squad says about them:
“Don’t pay attention, it’s just his thing. Look, he is done already.”
“Don’t leave me alone with her again. Seriously.”
“Hey, he does his job, and he does it well. And if you ask me, what he does with his eyes is kind of hot!”
What the boss says about them:
“Yes you have to work with your partner.”
“If you pay attention, I am sure you can learn things from her.”
“Isn’t he hilarious?”
THE ANALYST
Personality: Analysts read things, and they analyse it.They are thinkers, processors. They feed on informations, they reflect on them, they compare them and they make conclusions. They do that on the job, whether they investigate a case or read the facial expressions of the suspect they are interrogating. They tend to do that at home too, or even on vacations. This is how their brains are tuned. It doesn’t mean they can’t take action or patrol the streets, but they will have a tendency to over think things. That makes them sharp investigators, intelligent needed cops. As long as their partners have their back when things muscle up.
Inclinations: Facing an intellectual problem, obsessing about something, stoping everything in order to reflect.
What the Squad says about them:
“You might want to wait in the car Bob!”
“Hey, I really need your opinion on that one.”
“Wow, I totally didn’t not think of that!”
What the boss says about them:
“Ask Pam, she will explain everything. I can’t”
“Please stop starting your sentences by “to put it simply””
“wut?”
THE DIPLOMAT
Personality: Diplomats will find a way to make it work. They know how to do that. They discuss, they propose, they compromise, they come back, they offer, they bargain. And they do all that while making other people comfortable and willing to follow them through the conversational process. Most of the time, diplomats find their way, and when they don’t they have no hesitation to call an ally. This is also part of their diplomatic process. When their words fail, they know to try new button to push. Diplomats won’t always obtain the best from a situation, but they will actively try, and it always leads somewhere. Most of the time, “somewhere” is a fair compromise, advantaging the work of the police. Sometime, it can be a total disaster.
Inclinations: Arguing or negotiating, de-escalating, connecting people or with people.
What the Squad says about them:
“Before we go in, maybe we could try to have her talk to him?”
“Oh yeah, great idea, let’s see how those negotiations go, the dude only killed 7 women after all …”
What the boss says about them:
“I think we need Mister Blabla on that one!”
“Let him talk first, if he is still in there in one hour we will try your method.”
THE OPPORTUNIST
Personality: Opportunists take their chances. If they see a breach, they jump in it. If anything can benefit them, one way or another, they are on it. It doesn’t matter if they take it from a warm or a cold body, or straight from someones desk if they have to. If they want it, they will take it. It works on the cases they are working, as well as with their colleagues. When it comes to their own career, they will not hesitate to step on someone else’s toes. Opportunists can be great to work with: they don’t miss a beat, jump on any opportunity that is within their reach. Their team mates just need to remember to watch their own back, because opportunists see weaknesses as invitations!
Inclinations: Going first, serving your own benefits at the expense of others, claiming ownership, taking advantage of a situation or other people.
What the Squad says about them:
“He just stepped in, for no reason, and asked for this damn case that nobody wanted!”
“Here he comes, the future captain!”
What the boss says about them:
“She is great! Always here and around when we need her!”
“My ass is starting to shine!”
