Freelance TravellerNorman Nescio
This article was originally posted to Freelance Traveller's web site before October 2007, and was reprinted in the April 2011 issue of the PDF magazine.
Norman Nescio is employed by a large organization to find out things. His assignments are usually long-term with occasional reports sent back to his controllers, allowing him to establish and maintain an identity suitable for gaining the information desired. He will develop identities that allow him to be inquisitive, or to be personable and move in circles where his target information will be accessible.
He is a master of disguise and impersonation, allowing him to learn most human cultures well enough to convince non-natives that he is a native of the culture he is impersonating (though not good enough to fool a native; he will never attempt that sort of imposture. His skills in this area extend to being able to impersonate women and members of distinctive human minor races, though not some of the physically more extreme variations from the Vilani-Solomai-Zhodani norm. In both his impersonations and his 'natural' appearance, he is unremarkable - physically fit, but not noticeably beyond the norm for the society he is moving in, and most definitely not striking in appearance, either positively or negatively.
His skills are oriented toward maintaining his cover identities and gathering information - he is clumsy with most weapons, but is remarkably competent with computers, and can quickly master the organization of a hardcopy library. He is an astute observer, missing little (though not giving away that he's observing), and forgetting less. He is personable, and will generally create a borderline neutral/favorable impression on most people he comes in contact with.
While he will take on any role that he perceives as being appropriate for acquiring the information he has been sent after, his preferred roles are those of private investigator, researcher, or steward; these roles give him access to a wide range of sources without being unnecessarily prominent in society.
Referee's Notes
If a profile with specific skills is needed, generate what will fit the campaign best, taking into account the above description. Interaction-based skills should be prominent, and suit the particular role Nescio has adopted. Weapon skills should be limited to low skill (level 0 or 1 in Classic Traveller) in one or two personal concealable weapons.
There is no reason why this profile could not be changed to describe Norma Nescio, a woman capable of impersonating a man.
It should be noted that Nescio has eidetic memory. If psionics are available, he should have a basic mind-shield, plus a small set of information-gathering psi skills, such as clairvoyance or read mind.