Neil Plattner wants very, very much to be a fish…

Neil Plattner in His Own Words:
I’ve always been fascinated by fish. They simply fascinate me. How they organize themselves, the incredibly rich oceanic ecology, even the way they move in the water-so graceful, not like us clumsy bipeds. They are really incredible creatures.
When I was 14, I read Lovecraft’s Shadow Over Innsmouth. I thought it was a beautiful tale, not horrific. I wanted to be the narrator-to shed this transient human nature and dwell in the depths forever.
I suppose it was because of how I grew up. My mom died when I was young-or she moved away, I’m not really sure. Dad was nice, but he worked on the fishing boats so he couldn’t really be there all the time. And kids… Well, kids are kids, and they can sense a vulnerable soul a mile away. Piscatology was my escape.
I wanted to go to college to become a marine biologist, but I didn’t have the money. So I settled for reading every book on marine science I could find. I had read every book on the subject in the library by the time I was 16. By the time I was 22, I had polished off every library in the local interlibrary loan network. These days I subscribe to all the marine science journals, I belong to half a dozen e-mail lists, I subscribe to the blogs. I probably know more about fish and the oceans than anyone who is not a professional.
I have enormous respect for marine scientists. It is just incredible, the things they do. I mean, just amazing. Can you imagine what it would be like to discover a whole new species? Or go down into the Marianas Trench? It must be just incredible.
I work at a fried seafood place down on the coast, catering to tourists. The job mostly sucks, but it pulls down enough for me to live off of, which is the important thing. When I’m not working or sleeping or catching up on the latest marine news, I like to swim. I even made myself a sort of fish suit-I cut up a wetsuit, sealed the legs together into a fin, painted it with waterproof paint. It’s kind of silly, I guess, but I really feel like a fish when I’m wearing it in the water.

Personality: Quiet, nerdy, kind of pathetic. He largely sticks to himself. A nice guy when he says anything.
Obsession: Speaking metaphorically, transformation and escape. Speaking practically, fish and the oceans. Neil’s life is centered around an escapist fantasy where he turns into a fish.
Fear Passion: (Violence) Dogs. It is a long story.
Rage Passion: People who make fun of him. He is more likely to go off and sulk then start punching, but it really makes him mad.
Noble Passion: Marine Science. He is more than a little bit in awe of his scientist-heros-any well-known marine science PCs are likely to be asked for their autographs.

Wound Points: 40

BODY: 40 Nebbish
General Athletics 30%, Hold His Breath 50%, Struggle 15%, Swim 60%
SPEED: 50 Squirrely
Dodge 20%, Driving 20%, Initiative 35%, Squirrely Reflexes 30%
MIND: 80 Smart
Conceal 30%, Notice 15%, Self-Taught Piscatology 60%, Underwater Photography 30%
SOUL: 50 Nerdy
Charm 15%, Lying 15%, Mageekian 50%

Mageekian : Neil is an unconscious mageekian. The paradox of his escape fantasy-he wants to escape into a form where he would be unable to fantasize at all, and would no longer even really be him-is enough to produce some very slight magical effects. Usually this just takes the form of some fish lining up just right for an underwater photo. However, over time the magickal energy is slowly changing him in accordance with his desires: his toes are becoming webbed, his skin sleaker (he no longer has body hair), his eyes developing a water-resistant coating. None of this is externally apparent, even to him, nor would they be found in an ordinary doctor’s checkup. However, a detailed medical examination (or an autopsy) would spot anomalies-most notably the small sac between his lungs that allows him to store extra oxygen and the peculiar chemistry of his circulatory system.
In game terms, roll Mageekian twice every week. Ordinary and matched successes give him a really nice photo of fish or something similarly mundane. On a critical success, his piscine development proceeds slightly further: add +5% to his Hold His Breath or Swimming skills. Note that this is why those two skills are able to exceed his body score.

Violence 0H 0F
Unnatural 0H 0F
Helplessness 0H 0F
Isolation 1H 1F
Self 0H 0F

Inventory: Ordinarily, a pair of shorts, a T-shirt with a Woods Hole logo, a wallet with $20, house keys, and a driver’s license. In the water he can usually be found with an underwater camera and a snorkel; he cannot afford to buy SCUBA gear although he rents it whenever he can.
Possessions: A crummy rented house, a few hundred dollars, an enormous stack of marine science clippings, journals, and souveniers. He does not own a car.
This is noteworthy enough that it deserves its own section. This is a heavily-modified wetsuit Neil purchased third-hand. The legs have been cut open and stitched together to form a single seam, with a plastic fin attached. The head has been replaced with a sort of ski mask made out of wetsuit material, with only eyes and mouth open. Finally, the entire thing has been painted to look like a parrot fish. Although colorful, it is extremely awkward to swim in; Neil suffers a -20% penalty to Swimming actions in it, and anyone who is unfamiliar with it would suffer -40%.
Neil keeps the Fish Suit in the otherwise unoccupied garage of his rental house. He takes it out only at night when the beach is deserted-he averages one or two times a week during the tourist off season, much less during the on season. Although he is not unwilling to explain the whole matter to a sympathetic ear, he has tried to keep it somewhat secret for fear of embarrassment.

Notes on Running Neil Plattner:
Here are a couple of ways Neil Plattner could be used:

As a discoverer: Despite being self-taught, Neil knows a lot about marine science. It is unlikely that there are any new species to be found on the Florida coastline, but if anyone could do it, it would be him. This would be especially amusing if it is a weird species, maybe some sort of mutation produced by toxic waste. And something like that would be enough to get his Mageekianness really going-growing gills is certainly a possibility.
As a witness: Neil only swims in his fish suit at night, to avoid discovery and embarrassment. Maybe one day he stumbles on a smuggling op-drugs, illegal immigrants, or something weirder.
As a dead body: Neil’s fish suit is rather awkward and just generally unsafe, and it is more than possible he will end up getting killed in it. Since it is an unnatural, albeit accidental, death, there will be an autopsy-at which point someone will probably notice his body’s extra pieces. For added fun, combine this with one of the other two options.

One thing should be noted: Neil is not a hippie, nor is he particularly ecologically or environmentally conscious. He takes issue with obvious sorts of pollution, but he is not really interested in environmentalism otherwise. Also, he is not a vegan-fish eat fish, so he eats fish too.

Inspired by:

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-05.html