TEXT:  
  Peter Rigby: Idea Thief
  for Over The Edge
  by Shane Cubis
  "I saw it. This guy had an idea, and I saw it. It popped out on top of his head -- a light bulb! I 
  grabbed the bulb and his face went blank".
  When he is not sitting around at home or wandering the streets of his hometown, Peter Rigby 
  works as a casual laborer. He gets up every morning and waits for a phone call that tells him he 
  is needed to help clean a warehouse, shovel refuse, or perform some other mindless and menial 
  task. If there is no work that day, the middle-aged slob will usually watch a bit of TV or head out
  into the crowds of the city to pilfer a few ideas from passersby.
  Peter Rigby spontaneously developed the ability to steal ideas. He was on a crowded train one 
  evening after work when he saw a cartoonish lightbulb go on over the head of one of his fellow 
  passengers. He instinctively snatched the bulb and stuffed it into his pocket. In return he received
  a few odd looks, but no one else appeared to have seen the floating light. Since that fateful day 
  Peter has stolen hundreds of ideas, but unfortunately cannot use them.
  Peter has a form of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) that prevents him from 
  concentrating on one subject for any length of time. This stops him from making anything of the 
  ideas he has taken, and even from focusing on the bulbs long enough to understand the full 
  ramifications of those strokes of genius he possesses. He hoards them jealously, unable to use 
  them but damned if he will let anyone else gain their benefit.
  Obviously, many power groups would love to get their hands on Rigby and his bulbs. Once he 
  has plucked it from above the head of an unsuspecting victim, the bulb becomes visible and 
  useable to anyone. An interested party could make use of the large backlog of ideas Peter has 
  lying around his dingy apartment, and use him as an agent to steal the flashes of afflatus from 
  rival groups.
  Peter keeps all the bulbs in his laundry, which he rarely uses. From the outside, the room seems 
  to be permanently aglow with powerful lighting, throwing bright beams underneath the closed 
  door and around the edges of the permanently closed curtains. A person would have to wear 
  sunglasses or shield his eyes in the room, as the power of a hundred differently watted light 
  bulbs assault the senses upon entry. Most are clear, but a rare few throw off red, blue, or green 
  light. Rigby has no idea how these ideas are different to the others. The careful explorer will also
  find that some of the bulbs no longer glow, having somehow burned out.
  
  Once the party -- no doubt more curious and experimental than Peter Rigby has been -- gets their
  hands on a bulb or two, they will probably be looking for answers to the following questions:
  What happens if you put one in a socket? A bulb will provide a minor Intelligence 
  bonus (in Over The Edge, an extra die to any action involving brain power) to anyone 
  within its radiance for 1d6-2 hours. This uses up the idea inside forever.
  What if you smash one? When a bulb is smashed, the idea inside dissipates into the ether.
  It may linger on the edge of consciousness like a dream, but rapidly fades.
  What happens if you put one in your mouth like Uncle Fester? You get a cheap laugh 
  from your comrades, and may singe your lips slightly. The bulbs are hot!
  How do you get ideas out of the bulbs? Peter has no idea and, quite frankly, neither do 
  we. Looks like the characters will have to experiment.
  Game Uses
  The party may be chasing Peter for another reason, or simply stumble into his home. If 
  something should happen to Peter, the group would have a large, weird cache of ever-glowing 
  light bulbs. Even if they did not figure out the nature of the bulbs, they may be able to sell them 
  as oddities. Anyone who knows the true power of them would attempt to buy the whole lot, 
  taking advantage of the party's ignorance. Of course, if they did figure out the secret of the ideas 
  hidden within the bulbs, the party should be able to command a far higher price, assuming they 
  can protect the ideas and survive.
  Perhaps Rigby stole an idea from a character or their patron, and they want it back. Otherwise, 
  the PCs see a man snatch at the air above a person's head, and wonder he is doing. They may 
  even see the flicker of a bulb themselves after Peter steals it, as it becomes visible to the world, 
  and follow him back to his apartment.
  Peter's prize idea, the one he will often stare at before becoming distracted or fidgety, is encased 
  in a light bulb that requires two hands to hold. Multifaceted colors swirl within its depths, 
  promising the secret knowledge of the world. He stole this bulb from an ordinary looking 
  exterminator from downtown. The idea within the bulb represents a paradigm shift, along the 
  lines of heliocentric cosmology, dada or the addition of a third actor in Ancient Greek theatre. If 
  it can be somehow removed from the bulb, the idea would reshape the world. Obviously, many 
  groups would be interested in exploiting this idea, and others would probably do their best to 
  shatter the giant light bulb.
  Peter's Stats for Over the Edge
  Central Trait (Primary): Idea Thief -- 2 Dice. Peter can not only see people's ideas, he can 
  steal them. (Surrounded by the uninspired, always has lit light bulbs in pockets).
  Side Trait: Avoids Notice -- 3 Dice. Peter slips beneath the radar. He is unassuming, and most 
  people pay no attention to him. He can easily evade pursuers, and witnesses to any of his actions 
  are hard-pressed to pinpoint any details. (Looks like every other working class, middle-aged 
  man, hard to pick out of a line up).
  Side Trait: Quick-Fingered Klepto -- 3 Dice. Peter is surprisingly adept at sleight-of-hand. If he 
  had the patience to practice, he could be an excellent magician or pickpocket. As it is, he has 
  never been spotted stealing an idea -- as far as he is aware. (Long, twitching fingers, can flick 
  
  cards into a hat.)
  Flaw: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Peter cannot focus on anything for longer than a 
  few minutes. (Looks bored and fidgety all the time.)
  Motivation: To steal as many ideas as possible, and hoard them away from the world.
  Secret: Peter can't read, and would be terribly embarrassed and angry if someone found out. He 
  can sign his name, but that is about it.
  Languages: English
  Important Person: The man he stole his first idea from. Peter has never spoken to him, but still 
  sees him around town, looking depressed and deflated. He gave Rigby his first ever feeling of 
  superiority.
  Age: 38
  HP: 21 (lots of hyperactive energy)
  Past Columns
  Article publication date: March 31, 2006
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