Jab’s Builds! (Beaker! Sam Eagle! Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Generic Prisoner

Post by Jabroniville »

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GENERIC PRISONER
Role:
Mooks
Deadly Sins: Most of them
Group Affiliations: The Aryans, The Sicilians, The Bikers, The Muslims, The Homeboys, El Norte, The Gays, The Christians, The Irish
PL 3 (34)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+5)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 1 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Gun) 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment (Shank)

Equipment:
"Shank" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical, Subtle) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Shank +3 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Power & Respect)- Prison is all about power for the inmates. The more you have, the better off you are. Even the relatively "good" gangs like the Muslims crave it.
Addicted (Various)- Heroin is the leading drug in Oz, but other inmates are addicted to pharmaceuticals (smuggled out of the hospital ward by the Latinos).

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (34)

-Smarter background characters end up here- Reggie Rawls, Supreme Allah and a few other of the less-muscular but smarter black guys are here, as is "Chico" Guerra, the guy who harassed Miguel Alvarez for five seasons straight. These guys aren't as powerful as the Thugs, but they're smarter and more likely to survive a while. Nicolai Stanislauski briefly pestered Ryan O'Reily, and rivalled him in sheer "Manipulative Bastard" tendencies, before Ryan one-upped him in a final fashion. He packed on some more Persuasion. Poor, doomed Dino Ortolani (an O'Reily rival who stars in the first episode, but doesn't live to see it's end) fits here, as does Carlo Ricardo. Ricardo was a Latino inmate who starred for one season that showcased how the family during "Visits" would progressively shrink as people had less and less time, and he eventually went nuts and got killed trying to shank Alvarez. Even Peter Schibetta, who tried to get even with Adebisi for killing his father Nino, only to suffer the... well let's just say he had trouble sitting after what Adebisi did to him.

The Following Use this template with some modifications:
Zahir Arif- PL 3 (38)

-STR 2, INT 1, PRE 1, Expertise (Religion) 4 (+5)
-Arif was Said's #2 in the Muslims for years, and I always kinda liked his character, even though it was kind of a thankless part sometimes (his job was to basically agree with Said, whine about one of his decisions, or dump on him and join the new leader). Eventually, he ended up taking charge completely, but kind of failed in the role.

Prisoner #00K251. Supreme Allah (aka Kevin Ketchum- he never legally changed his name)- PL 3 (42)
Convicted March 22, 2000 - Second degree murder. Sentence: 25 years, eligible for parole in 10.
-AWA 2, PRE 4, Expertise (Religion) 4 (+4)
-Allah is a powerful street hustler who's a part of an offshoot of the Nation of Islam- The Five Percenters (who believe that 5% of all black men are divine), a drug-dealing, street-preaching sect. He has a rivalry with Augustus Hill, and he's one of the few men over the course of the series actually KILLED by Hill, one of the more positive characters.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Mar 01, 2020 12:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Gang Leaders

Post by Jabroniville »

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GENERIC GANG LEADER
Role:
Gang Leaders
Deadly Sins: Most of them (usually Greed)
Group Affiliations: The Aryans, The Sicilians, The Bikers, The Muslims, The Homeboys, El Norte, The Gays, The Christians, The Irish
PL 3 (47)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Criminal) 9 (+10)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Gun) 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Benefit (Gang Leader), Equipment (Shank), Connected

Equipment:
"Shank" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical, Subtle) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Shank +3 (+2 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Power & Respect)- Prison is all about power for the inmates. The more you have, the better off you are. Even the relatively "good" gangs like the Muslims crave it.
Addicted (Various)- Heroin is the leading drug in Oz, but other inmates are addicted to pharmaceuticals (smuggled out of the hospital ward by the Latinos).
Responsibility (Gang)- Gang Leaders are highly-prone to changes in the prison power-struggle. Though they have a great amount of power, and four to five flunkies in Em City, they are huge targets for others. Other gang leaders will try to rub them out, Glynn & McManus will target them for punishment and reprisals from any murders, etc.
Responsibility (The Drug Trade)- The Sicilians control most of the drugs coming in & out of Oz, but they have a Triple Detente with The Latinos and The Homeboys. The balance of power constantly shifts (Adebisi takes total power in Season Four), usually with two allying against another foe.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (47)

-Gang Leaders are all over the place in Oz- usually in supporting roles, but sometimes not. They tend to be weaker fighters, but smarter manipulators and criminals- being comparatively untouchable. Miguel Alvarez notably has to deal with first El Cid, then Enrique Morales, both leaders of the Latino gang "El Norte", that try to rub him out for their own reasons. Nino Shibetta and Antonio Nappa are in charge of the Sicilians at different points, each suffering some of the most Nightmare Fuel-ish deaths in the series (one dies of internal bleeding after being fed broken glass for months, another is stabbed with an AIDS-infected needle). Both Latino leaders are a bit stronger and better at fighting. Reverend Cloutier (Luke Perry of 90210 fame in an unexpected role, that of a corrupt faith healer who actually turns into a force for good in the prison, before being walled-up inside Oz and horrifically burned) also fits, dropping some Fighting Skill for Expertise (Religion). Burr Redding, the aged violent leader of The Homeboys, also fits here- a man twisted by hate and aggression, and forced to come to terms with himself, after burying the boy who was the last person left he cared about. Redding and the Italians are much older, and drop some Strength.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Mar 01, 2020 8:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Kareem Said

Post by Jabroniville »

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Prisoner 97S444
KAREEM SAID (formerly Goodson Truman)
Convicted:
Convicted June 6, 1997 - Arson in the second degree (burned down a white-owned warehouse). Sentence: 18 years, eligible for parole in five. Later, found not guilty of one count of murder in the first degree, and pled guilty to two counts of attempted murder and sentenced to an unknown period of time
Played By: Eamonn Walker
Role: The Moral Center, Religious Leader, Rabble-Rouser, Fallen Leader
Deadly Sins: Pride, Lust, Wrath
Group Affiliations: The Muslims
PL 5 (83)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Deception 2 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Religion) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Streetwise) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Writing) 5 (+8)
Insight 5 (+9)
Intimidation 3 (+8)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 5 (+10, +12 Attractive)

Advantages:
Connected, Attractive, Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Attack, Fascinate (Persuasion), Fast Grab, Power Attack, Startle, Ultimate Persuasion Skill, Well-Informed

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power & Respect)- Though the Muslims are supposedly free from the wants and desires of other prisoners, Said craves power and respect all the same.
Responsibility (The Muslims/Allah, Black Leader)- A powerful Muslim leader, Said is still challenged frequently, with men such as Hamid Khan making power-plays in times of Said's weakness. He must hold true to the power of the Qu'ran, and he preaches non-violence and the betterment of his black brothers against the repression of the white majority.
Enemy (Vern Schillinger & The Aryan Brotherhood)- A black AND a Muslim, Said is of course the biggest target of the racist Nazis. Schillinger and his boys taunt Said's Muslims at every turn, and have murdered at least one. Said at times shrugs off their comments, but occasionally is driven to a horrifying rage by them.
Enemy (Simon Adebisi & The Homeboys)- Though Said admires Adebisi's strength and charisma, he hates the man's addictions and the hell into which he turns Em City. He also hates Adebisi's hold on the other blacks in Oz. Eventually, he forms a fake alliance with Adebisi, getting close to him so that he can topple his empire. The fall-out from which results in Adebisi's death.
Responsibility (Adebisi's Spirit)- So powerful was Adebisi's spirit and hold over others that Said felt "possessed" by him for several months- he found himself growing angrier and angrier, despite his preaching of non-violence, until finally he snapped- hissing "Adebisi LIVES!" while nearly gutting both Vern Schillinger & James Robson.
Rivalry ("The System")- Said is a devoted leader in the black community, and despises the system created by white people that holds his "brothers" down.
Rivalry (Governor Devlin)- Devlin is a thorn in the side of many prisoners, but none moreso than Said, who opposes him most of all. It is Devlin's anti-criminal platform that devastates the poor so badly.
Rivalry (Unit Manager Tim McManus)- Though both agree the modern system needs to change, Said frequently challenges McManus' authority, and frequently finds him to be an incompetent and faulty leader.
Guilt (Death of Jefferson Keane)- Though Said "saved" Jefferson Keane, aka Taziz Ali, he could not save him from a lethal injection.
Guilt ("The Devil's Maiden")- Despite being a big-time black guy and all about racial pride and the survival of his people, Said is pretty much exclusively into white women. His fiancee (before he found Allah) was white, as was Tricia Ross. Once the other Muslims and The Homeboys found out, it was all over for Said's respect for a good long while. This allowed Hamid Khan to take control of the Muslims.
Guilt (Failure to Save Poet)- Said considered saving Poet from Os to be one of his greatest achievements. When Poet returned less than a month later thanks to an inability to control his addictions, it was a personal humiliation on Said's part.
Illness (Hypertension)- Said suffers from "The Black Man's Curse", and requires medication or he may suffer from a heart attack while under great stress. This pretty much disappeared after Season One, with none of the potentially mind-altering side-effects warned about.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (83)

-Beyond a shadow of a doubt the most powerful prisoner in Oswald State, Kareem Said is a great orator, the ultimate wise master and most charismatic man around, able to not only lead his Muslim brothers, but take control of all of Em City during the riot and various other disturbances by sheer force of personality. Unfortunately, he's just as guilty as the rest of them. One of the themes with him is a hatred of violence, but willing to force someone else to commit it in order to get his own aims across (ie. the Riot, upon which he personally poured the gasoline, and was about to ignite the match when somebody else did it for him), which in effect makes him no better than many of the other men around him. But with such charisma, power, and friends on the outside (used as a MacGuffin or Hand-Wave to just get whatever the writers wanted across- ie. getting Poet published or bringing protesters to Oz), comes many enemies. Schillinger & Adebisi (and their respective gangs) both despised him and wanted him dead, and then you've got his own Muslims, who jumped between being fanatically loyal (most of the time) to questioning him every time something bad happened (Hamid Khan took them over when they found out he liked the white wimmens, and lieutenant Arif frequently openly questioned him). In all, he was probably doomed to be killed by SOMEONE in prison, but his ultimate death at the hands of some random reporter guy who was going crazy made for a dumb, idiotic death that typified what Oz had become in it's later years. ie. the "let's kill a major beloved character to shock the fans" (see Glynn, Leo)- a Murder Spotfest.

-Costing by far the most of all the Oz boys for good reason, Said is physically powerful, but truly dominates in the mental game, having massive amounts of knowledge, and his own charisma (usually a stat dump for generic 'leader' characters) is specifically pointed out SO MANY TIMES that it's clearly in the ultimate levels for 'regular' people. Despite a hatred of violence, he's able to kick ass when he needs to, easily defeating Schillinger once, and fatally stabbing Adebisi in self-defense another time. But damn, check the Complications. You though BEECHER had it bad? Said has enemies from the Aryans AND the Homeboys, Governor Devlin wanted him out of his hair constantly (in one brilliant moment, Said REJECTED Devlin's peace-offering of clemency for his crimes, because he felt Devlin was just doing it for publicity and Said felt bad about all the others stuck in prison), he was always fighting with McManus & Glynn, he hated the system, he distrusted white people, he was haunted by his own failures (His own charges dying under him, his own lust for Scott Ross' sister).
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
greycrusader
Posts: 1179
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 11:25 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Hippodrome! Mutant Fighter! HBO's OZ!)

Post by greycrusader »

Huh, posting "normal" people points up some of the limitations of M&M at the low ends of the scale-going by RAW, Said, Keller, the warden, and certainly Adebesi can all routinely lift 400 lbs above their heads (STR 3), whereas in the actual real world, that's Olympic caliber weightlifting strength. And of course, giving the nun a -1 STR means she'd need Extra Effort to pick up 50 lbs with both hands. And she didn't appear disabled, just late middle-aged and petite. Yeah, a superhero game's mechanics don't accommodate more mundane genres very well. Kind of the reverse problem GURPS had with scaling upwards.

All my best.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Adebisi

Post by Jabroniville »

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(to an investigator, studying the riot and crimes committed during it)
Adebisi: (on severe heroin withdrawal, with a hopeful, desperate look in his eye) "Have you come... to suck my balls?" (camera pan to show him furiously playing with himself)


Prisoner 93A234
SIMON ADEBISI
Convicted:
Convicted May 2, 1993 - Murder in the first degree (decapitated an undercover cop with a machete). Sentence: Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole
Played By: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Role: The Big Bad, Psychotic Rape-Monster
Deadly Sins: Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Greed, Pride, Sloth
Group Affiliations: The Homeboys
PL 5 (69)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+8)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+10)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit (Gang Leader), Daze (Intimidation), Equipment (Shank), Connected, Fast Grab, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Shank), Improved Hold, Improvised Weapon, Power Attack

Powers:
Features 1: Iconic Hat Always Stays On [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Shank +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Kareem Said)- Adebisi has a very complex relationship with the Muslim leader. While he regards the man as a rabble-rouser and an enemy who turns black men away from his charge, he respects Said deeply as a powerful leader, and desperately wants to ally with him. He also wants to kiss him, and has said so flat-out.
Addiction (Sodomy, Heroin)- Adebisi is the definition of an "eater"- if he sees something, he wants it. He spends most of the serious horribly addicted to heroin, going into profound withdrawal during Season One's riot (and later in Solitary). In situations involving drugs, his Will Save is reduced to almost nothing. He also loves sex, to the point where he nearly always has a select lover, usually a younger, slimmer black man forced into being his "Prag". He's not picky, though- any unconscious guy will do.
Resonsibility (Life in Prison)- He doesn't talk about it much, but Adebisi will be in Oz FOREVER. He will never be paroled, ever. A lot of his decisions, and his hedonistic lifestyle, come down to him wanting the most for himself while he's still alive, since he'll never see regular daylight again. One of Hill's narrations states flat-out that some lifers like him have already "given up", and have a horrible emptiness to them.
Responsibility (The Homeboy Leader)- Once Jefferson Keane converts to Islam, Adebisi is the most powerful black criminal in Oz. The drugs coming through Oz make him a lot of money, and give him great power, but makes him the target of the prison Administration, the Latinos, and especially the Sicilians. He is frequently the enemy or ally of the other Gang Leaders.
Reputation (Insane)- Everyone knows that Adebisi is volatile and nuts, even when he appears calm and serene. He could go off at a moment's notice, and nobody trusts him- not even his own allies.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 4 (69)

-Adebisi is one of Oz's two variants on "The Ultimate Evil" (the other being Schillinger). Though at first, Adebisi seems to be a more animalistic kind of evil, but eventually you figure out that he's even SMARTER than Schillinger, and maybe even more manipulative and ingenious. He is also responsible for perhaps the series' most iconic moment (for better or worse). He gets cornered in the Kitchen by would-be mob boss Peter Schibetta, and his Enforcer, Chucky Pancamo (played by the monstrous Chuck Zito). He beats up the weak Schibetta easily, but Pancamo hurts him. Fighting him off, Adebisi KOs Pancamo with a can of fruit, then locks him in the supply room, and goes to the dazed Schibetta. At this moment, you're all "oh yeah, now he's going to get some old-school revenge... beat his brains in or kill him in one of those famous Oz death-scenes... and then Adebisi pushes the smaller Peter Schibetta up against a table, yanks his pants down... and rapes him in the ass while listening to his omnipresent Walkman. NOT what I was expecting, but it's things like that which became the "Iconic Oz" for most people, especially for gag references.

-Pretty much running around Oz addicted to various substances and terrorizing everyone else, he reveals his true cleverness when he deals with the murder of his father-figure Kipkeme Jara by mobster Antonio Nappa and gangster Kenny Wangler: First, he convinces the prison heads that he's reformed (pretty easy after he has a legitimate nervous breakdown) and wants to help out in the AIDS ward. He then takes extra blood from a patient, then casually stabs Nappa (and pretending it was an accidental pencil-poke), infecting him with HIV and sending him to the AIDS ward. With Nappa out of the way, Wangler is easy prey- Adebisi sneaks up behind him, reasserts his gangster ways, and then ties Wangler to the bed (where he probably did unspeakable things with Kenny's butt- a nude Kenny once whines "Why don't you just kill me?").

-Adebisi's reign of terror (when new Em City leader Martin Querns "buys" his loyalty to keep the violence down by offering to let the drug-use go by without question) extends to the fourth season, where Kareem Said, one of the only people brave enough to stand against him, ends up killing him after a violent struggle in Adebisi's pod. The death of Adebisi (inevitable, since he had to film The Mummy 2- the actoro actually became somewhat of a recurring guy in movies, as his distinctive accent and credible physicality leant itself well to both action and comedy) ended up being a HUGE hit to Oz, taking away it's most epic villain (Schillinger was a more personal adversary), and they never quite recovered.

-Adebisi was, in all, completely awesome. On one hand the animalistic rapist and drug-addict, he was arguably the show's most clever villain after Ryan O'Reily. One of it's most evil cast members, he authentically changes when he meets a father-figure (Jara) in Oz, and there was that brilliant scene where Wangler suggests they beat up elderly Bob Rebadow and steal the money he was going to give his sick grandson for a dream vacation- "We should just take the money!" "NO." "What? Why the f*ck not?!" "sometimes it's good to be human." Even ADEBISI had standards. God help you if you screwed with him, though... he's virtually the symbol of Oz for a reason.

-Simon Adebisi is huge, strong and terrifying. Arguably the top fighter in all of Oz, he could take pretty much anyone in a fight. He's much more dangerous than a common NPC in a hero game, and that's just unarmed or with a shank (though he can fight equally well with Improvised Weapons- a can of food, a vice and a pencil have all proven deadly with him). Lethal and accurate, Adebisi is probably the best all-around combatant in the show's history. Hell, he BEAT UP CHUCK ZITO.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Mar 01, 2020 6:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Hippodrome! Mutant Fighter! HBO's OZ!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Oh shit, the Said/Rebadow scene is on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlIbD00OHUA

GREAT stuff here. Said's face when Bob tells him he was "afraid" is incredible- all that acting while only changing his expression up a little. You could tell he was infuriated but won't show the weakness of letting Bob know he's getting to him.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Kenny Wangler

Post by Jabroniville »

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Kenny: (singing to himself with a tiny cupcake with a single candle in it) "Happy Birthday to me, Happy mother-fuckin' Birthday to me... Happy Birthday--"
Adebisi: (appearing from the darkness behind him, putting his hand on Kenny's shoulder) "--to Kenn-y... Happy Birt'day, to you..." (blows out candle)
-Oz, playing into my WORST ****ING NIGHTMARES


Prisoner 97W566
KENNY WANGLER
Convicted:
July 6, 1997 - murder in the first degree (16 years old tried as an adult- killed a student he was trying to rob). Sentence: 20 years, eligible for parole in six.
Played By: J.D. Williams
Role: The Kid, The Failed Rehabilitation
Deadly Sins: Pride, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Envy
Group Affiliations: The Homeboys
PL 3 (24)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Criminal) 3 (+2)
Intimidation 1 (+1)
Perception 1 (+1)
Ranged Combat (Gun) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Equipment (Shank), Fast Grab, Taunt

Equipment:
"Shank" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical, Subtle) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Shank +2 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Power & Respect)- Prison is all about power for the inmates. The more you have, the better off you are. Kenny demands power and respect from the other inmates.
Addicted (Heroin)- Kenny spends most of the first season high on drugs, and it's clear he uses afterwards. It's unclear how addicted he is after that point, however.
Relationship (Wife & Son)- Kenny is devoted to his "prince", but has his wife and her lover murdered when he uncovers cheating (and his son being abused).
Prejudice (Baby)- Kenny is significantly younger than every other inmate in Em City, and looks very young even upon reaching legal adulthood. This prevents most of the other inmates from taking him seriously, even when he screams and yells, insisting upon being called "Brix".
Responsibility (Young Man in Prison)- Among all the inmates, Kenny has perhaps the best chance of escaping "the life", since he could be out at 21 years old with good behavior. Tim McManus holds him to this, as does Kareem Said. Both ultimately fail.
Enemy (Simon Adebisi)- First a disciple of Adebisi and The Homeboys, Kenny takes control after Adebisi's nervous breakdown (brought on by Kenny murdering the man's mentor), and tries to force Adebisi down. This backfires in the most horrible fashion possible, as Adebisi wipes out Kenny's inner circle, then takes control of The Homeboys again- forcing Kenny back into disciple-hood, which includes tying him face-down and naked on a bed at night (with implied buttsecks).

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (24)

-Wangler is one of the sadder stories in Oz, as he's amongst those who could most-likely reform and get better (McManus even teaches him to read), leaving prison life behind him, but ultimately he tries way too hard to play the "gangsta", and ends up paying for it. Nobody takes him seriously ("Oh, Kenny..." "BRIX! How many times I got to TELL YOU?! BRIX!"), his followers (Poet & Pierce) ultimately lack real power, and he parties way too hard to take real power. In the end, he is victimized (in more ways than one) by Adebisi, and ultimately set up by his mentor-figure of sorts. Wangler, always a bully preying upon the weak (the elderly Rebadow, the wussy Tarrant), beats up, pushes around, and robs the weak Frenchman Gilles Tarrant repeatedly, and Adebisi sees his moment- he's recieved a gun smuggled inside the prison, and he's looking for an excuse to prove the white leadership of McManus isn't working out- so he hands the gun to Tarrant, who responds by killing three black people, Kenny included.

-Kind of a sad end, and I think it actually had a negative impact upon the series. Kenny was fairly one-note sometimes (a generic background thug who got angry and acted-out), but there was a lot of depth still in him (his reactions to his son crying- barely 18, he had no idea how to handle a child). He was central to so many storylines, and such an iconic part of the show to me, that his death (in Season Four- he's set up by Adebisi having gotten a gun into Em City. He gives the gun to an inmate Kenny's been bullying, getting Wangler murdered in a very public scene that kills both another black inmate and a black GUARD, thus setting off the racial issues in Oswald to a breaking point) really affected the rest of the show- it felt lesser for having lost him.

-Kenny is actually less powerful than most of the Prison Thugs in Oz, which makes sense- he's fairly small, and O'Reily, about to drug Kenny so that he'd lose to Hamid Khan in a boxing match, just laughs to himself at the idea of Kenny defeating the enormous Muslim powerhouse, and keeps the drugs. He's not the good criminal the others are, either- too young and inexperienced, he's just a ball of rage and anger, desiring respect but never quite getting it.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Mar 01, 2020 6:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Poet

Post by Jabroniville »

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Augustus Hill: "Don't worry, Poet. I won't rat you out."
Arnold 'Poet' Jackson: [gives Hill a kiss] "Thanks, man. Shit, if I was a girl, you'd get tongue."
Augustus Hill: "If you was a girl, you'd be butt ugly."


Prisoner 96J352
ARNOLD JACKSON, aka "POET"
Convicted:
Convicted February 15, 1996 - Armed robbery, attempted murder, possession of a deadly weapon. Sentence: 16 years, eligible for parole in nine. Granted early release in 1998. Returned as inmate #98J448, convicted July 20, 1998, on one count of 2nd degree murder (shot a drug dealer he'd screwed over). Sentence: 26 years, eligible for parole in 19.
Played By: MuMs da Schemer, aka Craig Grant
Role: The Bard, The Failed Rehabilitation
Deadly Sins: Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath
Group Affiliations: The Homeboys
PL 3 (29)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Vocal Poetry) 6 (+8)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 1 (+1)
Ranged Combat (Gun) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Daze (Vocal Poetry), Equipment (Shank)

Equipment:
"Shank" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical, Subtle) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Shank +2 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +1

Complications:
Addicted (Heroin)- Poet's addiction to drugs hampered his stay in prison, and once he got paroled, it brought him back.
Relationship (Wangler & Pierce)- When his buddies were killed, Poet lost his last real friends in prison, and just kind of drifted afterwards.
Responsibility (The Homeboys)- Forced to take control of the Homeboys after Wangler & Adebisi were killed, Poet was hopeless in the role.
Reputation (Failure)- Poet is one of very few characters to get paroled during the course of the show, thanks to pressure from the outside to get this brilliant artist released early. Poet was mentioned with pride by both McManus (proving his education program and rehab system worked), and Said (who used his connections to put the pressure on to get Poet released) as a result. Unfortunately, he spent all the money he earned on drugs, and when he screwed over another drug dealer, he was forced to defend himself, and this resulted in another 26-year sentence. Both McManus and Said were horrified and angry, and neither would speak much to him afterwards.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (29)

-Poet was part of a great, sad story on "Oz", as he was first lionized as a fantastic case of prison meaning ACTUAL reform, only to end up back in prison after he made some bad decisions on the outside. Part of creator Tom Fontana's interest in prison was the fact that almost NOBODY was ever really "Corrected". Poet's actor MuMs was also a fantastic case of casting- he LOOKS like a guy you'd find on a street corner selling drugs. None of that never-ending storm of pretty-boys that you'd see on most T.V.- Oz used NORMAL-looking people for a lot of the important roles. The fact that he did some pretty interest oral poetry was just icing on the cake- I'm not a fan of poetry (bad School memories- they FORCED that crap on us in English class!), but his was actually pretty emotional and good.

-Poet stats up like a fairly incompetent gangster and side-character, about on the level of the Generic Thugs, but with some different Skills.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Sep 05, 2022 6:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Bob Rebadow

Post by Jabroniville »

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"Just because I talk to God doesn't mean I'm CRAZY."

Prisoner 65R814
ROBERT "BOB" REBADOW
Convicted:
Convicted September 9, 1965 - Murder in the first degree (fatally stabbed a man who was deriding his architectural designs). Sentence: Death. Commuted to life.
Played By: George Morfogen
Role: Funny Old Man, The Hidden Psychopath, The Mystic
Deadly Sins: Sloth (well, he's old, what do you expect?), Wrath (eventually)
Group Affiliations: The Others
PL 0 (17), PL 1 (17) Defenses
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 6 (+6)
Expertise (Prisoner) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Architecture) 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Talks to God"
Enhanced Skills 8: Insight 8 (+14) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Features 1: Divine Inspiration (May Ask the GM Direct Questions) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge -2 (DC 8), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude -1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (None)- Bob simply moves from one day to the next without consideration, most of the time. He's been in prison for over fourty years, and he'll never get out. He's lost most of his idealism in the process.
Relationship (Family)- Bob's mother is still alive (surprisingly), as is Alex, the son he avoided for his entire life. When he finally met his son and grandson, it was when the young boy (Alex Jr.) was dying- Bob was able to get him sent to Adventureland, but poor Alex Jr. would not survive much longer. Bob's family line will die with Alex.
Relationship (Agamemnon & Busmalis)- Agamemnon and Bob are the best of friends.
Relationship (Stella Coffo)- Bob fell for the brassy new librarian in Season Six, allowing himself to be open to the idea of new life and relationships again. Stella liked him, but maybe not in THAT way, but the series ends without a real answer between them.
Prejudice (Age)- In a world where power is everything, Bob has none. Men bully him frequently, Kenny Wangler once assaulted him and robbed him, and Enrique Morales forced him into killing a rival.
Responsibility (Talks to God)- When the electric chair failed to kill Bob, God began speaking to him. Others view him as crazy for it, but Bob has proven to know things that he couldn't possibly know ("the Warden's daughter was brutally raped...").

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 0 (17)

-Rebadow was awesome. Just this weak, unassuming old man who ends up being the "Experienced Inmate". He & Busmalis are a huge Odd Couple, and all the fans loved them. Bob claims to speak to God- a power given to him when he was the last person ever placed on Death Row- a power outage during his execution saved him, and the death penalty was removed shortly afterwards, sparing him. And ever since then, God has spoken to him. It's played for laughs, but several times, Bob knows things that he probably couldn't have found out elsewhere (the Warden's daughter's rape, Said's reaction to Keane's death, and more). And sadly, things go awry- after months of dealing with anguish over his grandson's failing health, ANOTHER power outage strikes- this one taking the boy away while he's on a hospital bed, and God's voice goes with him- Bob realizes there was a price to be paid.

-There's a great moment where Kareem Said is busy being arrogant and kind of high & mighty, and Bob simply walks up to him and they have a little chat. Said laughs off Bob talking to God ("Only two other men in history have talked to God", he says, bringing up Moses and Mohammed, "so you are in excellent COMPANY"), only for Bob to confront him over the fact that he feels great shame at his own fear of death, while his friend Jefferson Keane "embraced death like an old lover", and Said isn't sure if he could ever do the same. Cut by those remarks, Said kicks Bob out of his cell and begins to pray.

-There's another great story later when Beecher is lying around, moping after his son's death and daughter's kindapping, when one of the guards is picking on him to get in line for the daily count. Bob, the most quiet, non-troublesome prisoner ever, goes "Fuck you!", drawing audible impressed reactions from the inmates! When the guard says "Rules is rules", Rebadow just goes "Fuck you; fuck your rules!" and then lectures both the guard and Murphy, the head CO, into letting Beecher be. Even ADEBISI is clearly impressed!
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Busmalis

Post by Jabroniville »

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Prisoner 98B242
AGAMEMNON BUSMALIS
Convicted:
Convicted March 10, 1998 - Grand theft larceny, breaking and entering (bank robber via digging tunnels). Sentence: 10 years, up for parole in four.
Played By: Tom Mardirosian
Role: Hard-Luck Guy, Bullying Victim, Funny Guy
Deadly Sins: Envy, Lust (childish Lust for Miss Sally & Norma), Wrath (at the very end, he punches a judge)
Group Affiliations: The Others
PL 0 (9), PL 2 (9) Tunneller
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 1 (+1)
Expertise (Tunnelling) 12 (+12)
Expertise (Criminal) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (Norma)- Agamemnon was obsessed with the children's television show "Miss Sally's Schoolyard", and not just because of the main actress's gigantic knockers. Eventually, he and her secretary Norma fell in love in the cutest-possible way. "Aggie" eventually got married to her (with a small speedbump in her getting knocked-up by an ex-fiancee), but he wasn't allowed to artificially-inseminate her.
Motivation (Digging)- Until he met Norma, Agamemnon was obsessed only with his "Holes". They all had individual names (like "Marilyn"), and he felt dirty allowing others to "penetrate" them.
Relationship (Bob Rebadow)- Agamemnon and Bob are the best of friends.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (9)

-Busmalis was a great character introduced in Season Two of Oz- with Rebadow needing someone to pair off with, they quickly became "Those Two Wacky Guys", doing funny old man stuff while all the young men worked on killing each other. Easily-bullied and childishly weird, Busmalis nonetheless dug a series of holes leading out of the prison- he was obsessed with digging holes, all of which he gave female names. One was uncovered by the Aryans, who bullied the old guys into switching pods with them so THEY could escape- the clever Bob arranged to have the tunnel collapse on the two of them, ridding us of scumbag Mark Mack once and for all. The second one in the hospital led to Busmalis and Miguel Alvarez' escape, but Aggie was returned to Oz in a few days (he was found outside Miss Sally's house). This led to a cute moment where Busmalis arrives to a gigantic hero's welcome from every inmate, impressed that he actually escaped. They tried to close up a third (as part of a deal with Leo Glynn to let Agamemnon marry Norma), but they hit a pipe and it flooded their pod. In the end, even HE got a sad ending, as he punched out a judge who wouldn't let him artificially-inseminate his wife, and it was left unclear when he would get out of Solitary (in a Deleted Scene, Rebadow even admits he probably won't remember his best friend's name in a year or so).

-Busmalis is essentially a Bystander with some Tunnelling Expertise. He can't fight, he can't outwit, and he can't live in the dirty world of Oz. But he's hilarious- pretty much every Oz fan has their favourites and least-favourites, but EVERYONE loves the "Rebadow and Busmalis" duo.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Hippodrome! Mutant Fighter! HBO's OZ!)

Post by Jabroniville »

greycrusader wrote: Sun Mar 01, 2020 3:10 am Huh, posting "normal" people points up some of the limitations of M&M at the low ends of the scale-going by RAW, Said, Keller, the warden, and certainly Adebesi can all routinely lift 400 lbs above their heads (STR 3), whereas in the actual real world, that's Olympic caliber weightlifting strength. And of course, giving the nun a -1 STR means she'd need Extra Effort to pick up 50 lbs with both hands. And she didn't appear disabled, just late middle-aged and petite. Yeah, a superhero game's mechanics don't accommodate more mundane genres very well. Kind of the reverse problem GURPS had with scaling upwards.

All my best.
Yeah, especially for a show based outside of "Comic Book Physics", where strength tiers are a very real thing, but not superhuman. A few characters have "Powers" of a sort, but not in the comic book sense outside of Rebadow speaking to God. Poor Sister Pete having such low strength feels weird, but kind of has to happen in a world where she can be easily overpowered by even the elderly male inmates. I know in some cases, I gave child characters really low strength but also Power-Lifting to bridge the gap, or tough guys "Strength-Damage +1" instead of high ST, but it's difficult to always do that.
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Ryan O’Reily

Post by Jabroniville »

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"I'm the Lord of the fucking DANCE... I've got MOVES..."
-- O'Reily, explaining how a guy with no gang and no connections became one of five leaders during the Riot.


Prisoner 97P904
RYAN O'REILY
Convicted:
Convicted July 12, 1997 - Two counts of vehicular manslaughter, two counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon, parole violation. Sentence: Life imprisonment, up for parole in 12 years. Convicted of murder in the first degree in 1998 and parole was extended to 40 years.
Played By: Dean Winters
Role: Manipulative Bastard, Hoist By His Own Petard, Irish Hoodlum, Tertiary Drug Dealer
Deadly Sins: Greed, Pride, Lust, Wrath
Group Affiliations: The Irish
PL 4 (65), PL 5 (65) Defenses
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 7 (+11)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+6)
Insight 6 (+9)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Gun) 4 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Contacts, Daze (Deception), Equipment (Shank), Fascinate (Intimidation), Leadership, Taunt

Equipment:
"Shank" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical, Subtle) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Shank +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Power & Respect)- Prison is all about power for the inmates. The more you have, the better off you are. O'Reily spent the first season craving nothing but, and even later, he demands that "The Irish STILL MATTER!", and pushes his brother Cyril into things just to prove their strength.
Relationship (Cyril O'Reily)- Ryan's brother Cyril was injured and became mentally retarded after a gang-related fight at a funeral. Ryan took to taking care of his now-childlike brother, but still used him for outside activities. It is Ryan's fault that Cyril was convicted of First-Degree Murder, and he's also responsible for Cyril's death sentence, and a great deal of the calamity placed upon him in Oz. Despite this, Ryan loves and tries to protect Cyril, and threatening him is one of the few things to break Ryan's facade.
Reputation (The Iago)- Few people in Oz trust O'Reily very much after a point.
Relationship (Dr. Nathan)- Ryan fell in love with Gloria Nathan when she took care of him after he was diagnosed with breast cancer. Going way too far, Ryan had her estranged husband murdered, and has threatened anyone who hurts Nathan (including murdering her rapist).
Relationship (Mother & Father)- O'Reily became close and defensive of his birth-mother (who was the Activities Director of Oswald). He hated his father Sheamus with a passion (he shook Ryan's infant sister to death decades ago, and beat both boys frequently), and threatened to murder him if he ever got out of Oz. When Sheamus was finally sent to Oz himself, Ryan was about to make good on his threat, but as his family broke down around him, he had a change of heart, and had buried the hatchet by series' end.
Secret (Murderer)- Nearly every death in Oz's first season is Ryan's direct fault- he has Dino Ortolani murdered, sets up Jefferson Keane, and murders mob boss Nino Schibetta. Many, MANY other deaths are linked to him as well. News breaking out would both put him on death row, and make him the target of every other gang in Oz.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (65)

-Ryan O'Reilly was always one of the most popular Oz characters, a bullshit-artist and scum of the highest order, ALWAYS conning someone for something. He started off innocently enough, getting an old enemy murdered and having some "hacks" for friends & contacts, but eventually became a huge part of the drug trade in Em City until getting booted out by the Italian/Homeboy/El Norte triad. But by that point, they'd stuck him with a love for Dr. Nathan, and his handicapped brother Cyril, who Ryan initially used for his own gain (killing Dr. Nathan's husband, winning the prison boxing tournament). But ultimately, he underwent a change of character once Cyril's life in Oz TRULY went to hell (he got the death penalty for killing a guy Ryan sent him after). Ryan was still a schemer by that point (usually made to look smarter than anyone else in the prison- proving it helps to be brothers with one of the head writers in real life :)), but he certainly got what was coming to him, his own manipulations ending his brother's life. The episode where Ryan has to deal with Cyril's impending execution is one of the greatest moments of the entire series (especially once all the other prisoners start banging on the walls), and a shining example that the last seasons weren't total crap.

-O'Reilly's a notch above the common riff-raff of the jail, but remains lower than some others. Despite that, he's got WAY more in the realm of Skills (especially for being in prison), and his Abilities are also nothing to laugh at. He's charismatic, and excellent liar, and knows how to get on the good side of even volatile types like Adebisi & the Mafia.
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Cyril O’Reily

Post by Jabroniville »

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Cyril: (naming his sock puppet) "Jeh-wicho"
Sister Pete: "Why Jericho?"
Cyril-as-Jericho: (totally normal voice) "Because the walls came TUMBLING DOWN..."


...Flashback to 1989 when the Supreme Court first weighed in on this issue. 'Based on evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society, there is not sufficient evidence present of a national consensus against such executions.' Well, supposedly today, there is. Polls show most Americans agree that an adult with the mind of a third grader should not be on death row. But are we a maturing society with evolving standards of decency? Who's to say we're any further along than some cosmic equivalent of third grade? Who's to say we, as a whole, aren't...retarded?"
-- Augustus Hill as Narrator


Prisoner 98P284
CYRIL O'REILY
Convicted:
Convicted July 1, 1998 - Murder in the first degree (assassinated Dr. Nathan's husband). Sentence: Life imprisonment, up for parole in 60 years. Convicted in 2002- murder in the first degree (killed Li Chen believing he was going to hurt his mom), sentenced to death.
Played By: Scott William Winters
Role: The Child-Like Lovable Retard, The Hidden Bad-Ass
Deadly Sins: Wrath, Envy (of normal people)
Group Affiliations: The Irish
PL 5 (36)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+2)
Persuasion 4 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+4)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Powers:
"Berserker Rage" (All Powers have Flaws: Uncontrollable)
Enhanced Strength 1 [1]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [2]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Diehard, Great Endurance [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Raging +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 12), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3 (+5 Raging), Fortitude +5 (+7 Raging), Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (Ryan O'Reily)- Cyril is hopelessly devoted to his brother Ryan, and will always do his bidding, no matter how gruesome it is. This ultimately leads to Cyril's arrest, and later, his death.
Prejudice (Retarded)- Cyril is profoundly mentally retarded, with the mind of a child. In a place full of nothing but brutal, strong criminals with skills in manipulation, this is a horrible, horrible thing.
Relationship (Mother & Father)- Cyril is devoted to Ryan's mother (basically adopting her since his own mother died), but is afraid of their father, who hates him as a "retard".
Responsibility (Rape Victim)- Cyril was raped by Vern Schillinger on his first night in Oz. The memory still haunts him, though he doesn't talk about it much. He just gets very quiet, and admits to Dr. Nathan that he wishes HE could have gone on vacation like she did when she was raped.
Involuntary Transformation (Jericho)- Without anyone to talk to in Solitary, Cyril was given "Jericho", a sock puppet, by Sister Pete. It soon became clear that something was wrong, however- Jericho would speak through Cyril... in a normal adult's voice, not Cyril's trademark Elmuh Fudd Syndwome. He was volatile, ignorant and rude, and would convince Cyril to do terrible things.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 7 (36)

-Cyril was a very complex, yet simple character, being introduced as Ryan's mentally retarded brother on the outside. Through him, Tom Fontana discussed the nature of prisoner care, and just what you should do with mentally-incapable people who commit crimes. Fontana was aghast that it would be considered OK to execute a retarded man, when countries we would view as draconian (like Iran with it's HUGE execution rate) would be horrified at such a thing. Personally, I would view anyone who was so insane that they had no clue of right from wrong (as opposed to a childlike adult, who would presumably know that murder = bad) to be a rabid animal, which most wouldn't think twice about putting down humanely, but then I'm kind of mean that way. Call me a death penalty supporter, I guess.

-Cyril's a fairly well-known part of Oz, in that he got to be a huge part of the show. Murdering Dr. Nathan's husband on Ryan's orders, he was sent to Oz, where he was immediately victimized by Schillinger and his Aryan buddies (ie. involuntary buttsecks). He later got sent to Em City, but Ryan just couldn't stop having Cyril do things... he had Cyril beat up a reporter who once reported on the O'Reily brothers gang (Cyril used to be a common thug until he got a brain injury, see), which got Cyril sent to Solitary, where as you could imagine he got MORE crazy. They got a LOT of material out of Cyril's profound "Retard Strength" (if you're the PC type, call it "Special-Needs Enhanced Strength"- and really, it fits him perfectly- he went BALLISTIC, and became way stronger than anyone else could handle- in reality, the phenomenon jokingly called "retard strength" is more how mentally-handicapped people are incapable of telling how much strength is TOO much. Sort of an accidental version of what martial artist train for years to accomplish with their board-breaking), up to and including him beating the hell out of Wing Chun expert Jia Kenmin, and him winning a boxing tournament against the ENORMOUS Hamid Khan.

-The "O'Reily Brothers Push" got to the point where if Oz was the WWF (and don't think people haven't made the connection between these two all-male soap operas), people would be accusing Brad Winters the writer of hardcore nepotism, since his own brother's character was "going over" everyone in fights while Ryan was also proving to be smarter and wittier. Of course, Ryan was cheating to help Cyril, but still. Some people kind of over-rate Winters' performance as the disabled Cyril, since I am CONVINCED that playing a mentally retarded person is nowhere near as difficult as some would imply. Hell, every single person I ever met could at least partially imitate one of them without too much effort, especially with how Scott Winters (you've seen him in Good Will Hunting) would just do a child-like speaking voice with his "Rs" becoming "Ws". Jericho the Evil Mind-Controlling Sock Puppet was AWESOME, though, and I'm bummed they got rid of him.

-Cyril is a simple-minded fool, but vastly powerful when enraged- he goes into Savage Hulk-mode, and nobody but maybe Adebisi, Pancamo, Hamid Khan, or Enraged Said could hope to stop him. His strength becomes a titanic +5 (for a human being, he's Cap-level), and he almost NEVER runs out of energy. Even without it, he's a good boxer. As Ryan points out, his brain is shot, but his reflexes are as good as ever.
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Miguel Alvarez

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

Prisoner 97A413
MIGUEL ALVAREZ
Convicted:
Convicted February 3, 1997 - Assault with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief in the second degree (beat up and slashed the face of an elderly man who hit his parked car). Sentence: 15 years, up for parole in two.
Played By: Kirk Acevedo
Role: Lifelong Screw-Up, The Quiet One, The Crazy Guy
Deadly Sins: Pride, Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony
Group Affiliations: El Norte
PL 4 (49)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Stealth 3 (+5)
Treatment 1 (+1)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Attractive, Diehard, Fast Grab, Equipment (Shank), Improved Critical (Shank) 2, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Startle

Equipment:
"Shank" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical, Subtle) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Shank +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Power & Respect)- Like all the inmates, Miguel wants everyone to respect him.
Reputation (Unsalvageable & Crazy)- Miguel's screwed-up so many times, that only a handful of people in the prison (including the inmates) believe he has the possibility of turning it around.
Enemy (Raoul Hernandez, Enrique Morales)- Both Latino leaders hated Miguel instantly, viewing him as an embarassment for his white-looking features and the fact that they couldn't kill him. Being powerful Latinos, and Miguel having no other gang, this is a very, very troublesome situation.
Enemy (Carmen "Chico" Guerra)- Miguel's arch-nemesis was Guerra, who used to be his "vato" in El Norte, before Miguel got muscled out due to his weakness as a leader. Guerra egged on Alvarez constantly during his run of leadership, and eventually started flat-out insulting him when "El Cid" declared Miguel an enemy. Most of the crap that happens to Alvarez ends up being Guerra's fault. By the end of the series, they make peace after watching all their old allies fall around them, just in time for Guerra to nearly die of an overdose on mindscrew-drugs.
Responsibility (Crazy)- Miguel suffers from depression and a multitude of other mental issues- left for months by himself in Solitary has only made this worse.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (49)

-Alvarez kind of had a thing going on in Oz all by himself. He was first the "pet project" of Father Mukada, who was trying to reform the weird, crazed Latino (his infant son's death thanks to all the drugs Miguel and his girlfriend did during the pregnancy weren't helping his mental state), but those efforts kept going awry. Miguel tried his hand as the leader of El Norte, but he foolishly played the Homeboys & Mafia against each other, refusing to ally with either during the drug war, and thus was left out in the cold once the war was over. He was booted out of the gang once Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez came to Oswald ("you're too white", Hernandez told him), and his old buddy "Chico" Guerra kept moving against him. Alvarez killed two or three Latinos during the span of the show, usually being hunted down by a side-character or two. Despite being nutty and driven to insanity at points (smearing his own crap all over his cell and his face ranks pretty high up there on "Looney Bin" moments on Oz) and having a pretty sad ending (he finally gives it to all the crap in Oz and starts taking drugs again), he manages to live all the way to the end of the series, outliving both El Cid and his replacement, Morales. He's one of only four characters to last from Episode One to Episode Fifty-Six.

-Alvarez is PL 4, better than the usual Thug or Minion, but notably not that defensive or tough for a criminal on this show- he gets stabbed a LOT, and he's always dropped. He's still got "Diehard" since he's always SURVIVED the shankings, however- and he's killed at least two Latinos with a shank, so he's got two ranks of Improved Critical with it. He's probably the quickest and sprightliest inmate on the show, being very quick (both Latinos were killed having threatened him and jumping Miguel) and fast to rush to judgment. He also gets a rank of Treatment, since presumably he'd know how to do SOME medical stuff, being that the Latinos work in the hospital ward (where they apparently run the medicine cabinets under the Honor System).
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Chucky Pancamo

Post by Jabroniville »

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Prisoner 97P468
CHARLES "CHUCKY THE ENFORCER" PANCAMO
Convicted:
Convicted June 4, 1997 - Second degree murder (tied a woman up in a garbage bag and threw her into the ocean). Sentence: 35 years, eligible for parole in 15
Played By: Chuck Zito
Role: Mafia Boss, Big Dumb Muscle
Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Wrath
Group Affiliations: The Italians
PL 5 (55)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+6)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+9)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Perception 2 (+2)
Persuasion 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Connected, Benefit (Gang Leader), Chokehold, Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Raw Hitting Power" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Power & Respect)- The Italians are the most powerful faction in Oz as a general rule, and it's Chucky's job to maintain that. They control the majority of the drug trade, which is their key source of income.
Reputation (Dumb)- Chucky isn't as bright as the other Gang Leaders- he was just an enforcer, and was forced to move up when the last two bosses were murdered. He is easily fooled by O'Reily, who effortlessly wipes off the blame for drugging Chucky in his fight against Cyril (O'Reily blames another unrelated inmate), and again has him kill Peter Schibetta.
Enemy (Vern Schillinger)- Pancamo was paid by Beecher to set up the murder of Hank Schillinger. Once Vern finds out, he marks Pancamo for death, and the resulting stabbing nearly killed him of a staph infection.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 6 (55)

-Pancamo wasn't really a well-developed character on the show- he was just a means to an end after all the other "Smart Mafia Don" characters were eliminated. A big, strong (he's played by CHUCK ZITO, a real-life Hells Angel who once one-punched Jean-Claude Van Damme) Italian enforcer, Chucky was feared, and led the most powerful gang on Oz (the Italians control the drug trade and the kitchen during most of the show's run). He was pretty dumb, easily-fooled, and kind of just hung around in the background. His near-death is almost glossed over, as he's stabbed by the Aryans and nearly dies of a staph infection, mostly off-camera. But they can't ALL be super-developed characters- it's nice to have a flat character archetype amongst all these weirdos. His "Crime Scene" video was pretty Nightmare-Fuel-y, as he makes sure to open up the garbage bag and look the woman in the eye before he chucks her into the ocean. Seriously, 35 years for what is clearly premeditated murder?

-Pancamo is one of the biggest, toughest guys in Oz, only really losing one fight- a brutal bout against Adebisi that say Chucky's client, Tony Schibetta, anally raped in the aftermath.
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