(Shadowrun) Embercap - Molotov Gnome - #CharacterCreationChallenge

For Day 22 of the #CharacterCreationChallenge I fully admit going down the digital rabbit hole with this one.  

I'm not afraid to use AI in my games. I have a full ChatGPT conversation going during my online  Gamma World game, plugging in plot and data, and generating potential shops, NPCs, and wasteland encounters.  Beside betting odds and parlays for a post-apocalyptic jousts and a random Charcuterie Item Generation Table for our Illuminati University multiverse game, and I've gotten the most joy from a Random Grenade Generation Table with everything everything from frag grenades to the "Boomfruit Bomb" that the character ultimately rolled (and detonated).  

But this guy made me go further.... 

I'm a blog that has a particular focus on gnomes, so this picture is perfect.  I originally used it for my burn-the-world post at the beginning of the year, when everything in the world, plus my personal and family life felt desolate.  

Since then I really wanted this Anarchist Gnome to be a character.  So I plugged in the simple question. 

"What TTRPG system would best be used for a Molotov throwing Garden Gnome?"

ChatGPT gave me SEVEN options:

1. Savage Worlds (for Cinematic Action)
2. Fate (Narrative Mayhem)
3. Dungeon Crawl Classics (Old-School Chaos Dungeon Crawl)
4. MÖRK BORG (Grim & Stylish) 
5. Troika! (Surreal Absurdity)
6. Goblin Quest (Lighthearted Anarchy)
7. Shadowrun (Cyberpunk Ridiculousness) 

MÖRK BORG and Shadowrun both intrigued me, but I hadn't ventured too far into either system.    MÖRK BORG  is waaaaay to grim for me.  Shadowrun was a bit too gritty, but learning that gnomes are essentially Turkish Dwarves, and I could have them dress up in cyberpunk Garden Gnome cosplay made me go download as much free stuff as possible, and perhaps visit a few questionable avenues for further reference materials.  

I plugged in what I had, I further refined the results, and even had some of my friends who are fanatical Shadowrun players since 1st Edition to review and critique.  

It's obviously not completely "accurate," but I had a special microchipped part of my heart when AI feigns enthusiasm, so I let it ride with this one...

Zinthel Norkles  "Embercap"  - Gnome Anarchist.

• Alias: Embercap

• Real Name: Zinthel "Zin" Norkles

• Metatype: Gnome (Variant Dwarf)

• Role: Anarchist Demolitions Expert

• Archetype: Street Scum / Saboteur

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Appearance & Vibe

Embercap leans hard into his "garden gnome" aesthetic—bright red conical hat, shaggy fake beard (over his actual beard), patched overalls, and a battered trowel strapped to his belt like a sidearm. His backpack is stuffed with homemade incendiaries, wire cutters, and spray paint. He smells faintly of kerosene and revolution.

He speaks with a theatrical tone, almost like a cartoon character, but his eyes gleam with calculated rage. He’s both a joke and a threat, and he likes it that way.

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Attributes

• Body: 4  Agility: 6  Reaction: 5  Strength: 3

• Willpower: 5  Logic: 4  Intuition: 5  Charisma: 3

• Edge: 3  Essence: 6

Condition Monitors:

• Physical: 10  Stun: 11

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Skills

• Athletics (Throwing Weapons): 5 (7)

• Demolitions: 6

• Engineering: 4

• Stealth: 5

• Con: 3

• Chemistry: 4

• Survival: 3

• Firearms (Pistols): 2 (3)

• Close Combat (Improvised Weapons): 3 (5)

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Qualities

• Toughness

• Instigator

• Mad Bomber: Gains Edge when using improvised explosives or fire-based attacks in dramatic situations.

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Weapons & Gear

• Molotov Cocktails (Rating 4 Improvised Incendiary Grenades)

• Spray paint (used for tagging)

• Armored Overalls (Armor Rating 5, disguised as gnome clothing)

• Concealed Hold-out Pistol

• Remote-detonated Petrol Bombs

• Trowel-shaped Shiv

• AR Goggles with Demolitions Overlay

• Urban Explorer Commlink (Rating 4)

• Burner Commlink with encrypted data and anarchist zines

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Tactics & Behavior

• Prefers chaos and disruption over lethal violence

• Ambush specialist in narrow alleys and urban ruins

• Fights to confuse, not kill; escapes in fire and smoke

• Leaves slogans like:

• “PROPERTY IS THEFT”

• “GARDEN GNOMES UNITE”

• “I'M SMALL BUT THE SYSTEM'S FALLING”

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Quote

“The system’s a weed, chummer. And I’m the fire. Tee-hee!”