Dom Cobb
Context
Inception is a particularly successful — critically and commercially — 2010 action/sci fi movie. It depicts a team of specialists who can infiltrate and manipulate dreams, chiefly for espionage purposes. Their leader is Dominick Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
The sophisticated scenario and direction were by Christopher Nolan. Nolan cited “rigged realities” movies circa the year 2000 (The Matrix, The 13th Floor, Dark City, Memento…) as influences.
Background
- Real Name: Dominick Cobb.
- Marital Status: Widower.
- Known Relatives: Mal (wife-deceased), Prof. Stephen Miles (father-in-law), James (20 months old son), Phillipa (3 yr old daughter).
- Group Affiliation:
- Base Of Operations:
- Height: 6’ Weight: 180 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Dark blond
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Powers and Abilities
Dom Cobb is an experienced field agent with a military background. He possesses a variety of skills, such as:
- Covert intrusion methods (both intelligence and assault).
- Weapons training.
- Close quarter combat fighting.
- Interrogation and persuasion techniques.
A dream within a dream
While navigating within the dreamscape, perceptual time is slowed down. Thus the participants experience A LOT mentally during a very brief period of normal time.
During this time they do not need to eat, drink, sleep or anything else. They could basically experience 10 years of mental time in an hour or so of real time (on the last level before limbo). How is this simulated? One could say that on the deepest levels they have the equivalent of Life Support (No need to Eat, Drink or Sleep) for their adventuring.
Eames: “I’m sorry, uh, maths was never my strong subject. How much time is that?”
Cobb: “It’s a week the first level down. Six months the second level down, and… the third level…”
Ariadne: “…is ten years! Who would wanna be stuck in a dream for ten years?”
Yusuf: “Depends on the dream.”
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Another power that we saw being used was hypnosis. A highly skilled extractor could implant a thought into a target, but also after a lot of mental adventuring (Limitation). That was indeed, the point of inception.
My take on all that would be like hacking into a person’s mind similar to hacking into a computer mainframe. The stronger a person’s Mental Attributes (and if the person has been trained in defensive techniques to prevent hacking) then the more difficult the task for the Extractor(s).
Reality check
How to check for reality as the adventurers cannot determine that easily (is this the real world or a dream?). They need to carry an object from the waking world which has a carefully determined weight and other properties that is known only to the owner.
During a check, if these differ from what they know the properties of that item to be then they are still in the dream world.
Ariadne: “What, like a coin?”
Arthur: “No, it has to be more unique than that, like – this is a loaded die.”
[Ariadne reaches out to take the die]
Arthur: “Nah, I can’t let you touch it, that would defeat the purpose. See only I know the balance and weight of this particular loaded die. That way when you look at your totem, you know beyond a doubt you’re not in someone else’s dream.”
Kicks like a mule
It’s important to mention how they wake up. The Extractor(s), and possibly others they take along with them, require a shock to the system to wake up. If they are several layers down within the Dreamscape it takes a simultaneous, timed shock on all the levels to bring them back up to reality.
Ariadne: “What’s a kick?”
Eames: “This, Ariadne, would be a kick.”
[kicks the leg of the chair Arthur’s swinging at]
Arthur: [finds his balance and glares at Eames]
Combat in the Dreamscape, part 1
Combat in the realm known as the Dreamscape is engaged by entering a target’s dream realm through the use of the Extractor Kit (Mind Probe).
Extractor(s) and others (more effectively telepaths) can engage in mental combat in the Dreamscape. That allows them to use the powers of the Extractor Kit to hack into a person’s subconscious mind while they dream. All of this while being immune to all physical attacks (only Mental and Mystical attacks can be initiated).
The combat will visually appear, to the combatants and any onlooker, as if the Force Manipulation Power was being used. But in DC Heroes terms that’s Hypnotism, Mind Probe, and Charisma-related Skills, etc. are really being used.
Being killed in the Dreamscape can also mean being killed in real life as well. The character’s mind gets trapped in an eternal limbo, and the physical body is left behind dead.
All participants (including the person whose mind is being hacked) will appear just as they normally do in the real world. It is the mental projection of their physical self complete with any style of clothing, hairstyle, etc. they normally wear.
Combat in the Dreamscape, part 2
However, the environment of the dreamscape can be altered/ Buildings, streets, vehicles, etc. can be changed to suit the person(s) making the alterations. If someone other than the dreamer is making these changes, the dreamer’s subconscious will become aware of these alterations. It will then attack the other person(s), like immune system antibodies attacking a foreign substance.
These attacks can take the form of the regular denizens that populate the dreamer’s Dreamscape. Or if there are militarized, they can take the form of commando squads trained to hunt down and exterminate the invaders.
My impression is that the person could possibly be using the Security Rating equal to their Mental Attributes plus an appropriate number of points, Advantages and/or Bonuses to adequately simulate creating mental defenses in the Dreamscape.
Description
Dom Cobb is a medium-height Caucasian male with dark blond hair, blue eyes, and slender build.
He usually wears whatever best suits the circumstances, be it formal wear, casual clothing, or military gear. While off-duty, Dom tends to wear high-quality casual attire.
Personality
Dom tends to act independently. That trait became his dominant one after his time as a fugitive. He is capable of planning and undertaking very intricate schemes, particularly covert intrusions. He prefers misdirection to confrontation, as can be expected from a covert agent, and will do his best not to endanger his team and/or innocent bystanders.
Quotes
“I can access your mind through your dreams.”
“The seed that we planted in this man’s mind may change everything.”
“You’re asking me for inception. I hope you do understand the gravity of that request.”
“I know how to find secrets from your mind, I know all the tricks !”
“I think positive emotion trumps negative emotion every time.”
“What is the most resilient parasite ? Bacteria ? A virus ? An intestinal worm ? An idea. Resilient… highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed – fully understood – that sticks; right in there somewhere.”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Dom Cobb
| Dex: 04 | Str: 03 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Get his life back |
| Int: 06 | Wil: 07 | Min: 07 | Occupation: Contract Extractor |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 06 | Resources {or Wealth}: 005 |
| Init: 019 | HP: ?? |
Skills:
Acrobatics*: 04, Artist (Actor, Sleight of hand)*: 06, Charisma: 06, Detective*: 06, Martial Artist*: 04, Military Science*: 05, Thief*: 06, Vehicles (Land)*: 05, Weaponry (Firearms, melee)*: 06
Advantages:
Expertise (Firearms, explosives), Intensive Training, Iron Nerves, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Scholar (Dreamscape navigation, Covert Intrusions), Sharp Eye.
Connections:
Arthur (High), Eames (High), Prof. Stephen Miles (Low), Ariadne (Low), Saito (Low), Yusuf (Low), Nash (Low).
Drawbacks:
Forced Exile: Dom is a fugitive from his home country and a suspect in the death of his wife, SPI retains the mental residue of his deceased wife who persistently attempts to sabotage any mission Dom is on in the Dreamscape, SIA to getting his life back (going home and being w/ his children).
Equipment:
- 9x19mm Beretta Px4 Storm (x2) [BODY 03, Projectile weapons: 04, Ammo: 17, R#2].
- Extractor (dream-linking device) Kit [BODY: 04, Hypnosis: 10, Mental Illusion: 10, Mind Probe: 08, R#02, Advantage – Life Support (Full — see below) ; Bonuses – Useable on others: the Extractor Device can link multiple persons. In the film, we see up to 7 people can be linked together (possibly more) ; Limitations – extractors have to navigate through the mind of the probed character properly (i.e. adventure in it) before being allowed to roll for Mind Probe at all. Alternatively, as it often seemed to play out, Character Interaction, such as Interrogation or Persuasion, was seemingly used to extract the information instead of a simple Mind Probe, although Mind Probe seems also to have been used.
Source of Character: Inception 2010 science fiction film played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Helper(s): Peter Piispanen, IMDB, wikipedia. Much thanks to Peter Piispanen who provided A LOT of insights and suggestions. Most of these can be found in the write-up exactly as Peter had written them.