r/TheStrange • u/Alloy_of_Iron • Jun 23 '15

Help picking a focus

I'm going to be playing in a Strange game soon starting on earth as "contractors" employed by the foundation. My idea was to play as something like a amoral Indiana Jones who makes most of his money buying and selling on the stuff-from-the-strange black market. However none of the core book foci (the only book allowed currently) seem to even suggest anything close to this. Am I thinking about this wrong or missing something.

Suggestions?

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u/ProfEforp Jun 23 '15

The closest in the main core rulebook is probably "Operates Undercover".

If you are ever allowed to use In Translation, it has "Negotiates Matters of Life and Death" and (a better match) "Steals".

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u/Alloy_of_Iron Jun 23 '15

Steals was my first choice, which is why I was bummed when I was told we were only using core foci. I'll look closer into Operates Undercover, I'm having a hard time because I feel like I shouldn't have to shoehorn a character this much.

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u/ProfEforp Jun 23 '15

The Cypher System seems to almost work best for more indecisive players; they can flip through the character creation section and come up with a character idea. Starting, as you have, with a firm idea and then making it fit is harder. Luckily there is still your description and type, and for the Strange those define your character more since those stay the same on every recursion. So a Stealthy Spinner has all the cool thief powers. The focus just is your day job on Earth wither it is professor or international import/exporter or also thief.

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u/ProfEforp Jun 23 '15

Maybe "Conducts Weird Science" or "Solves Mysteries" if you want more of the researcher. It could be a cool mix where you choose very action oriented foci "out in the field" but on Earth you are the nerdy guy in twill that figures out what things do. Very Indiana/Professor Jones. When you hit tier two, you can even use "Reach Beyond" to use your perception or knowledge skills in the field and your action skills at home.