Recruiting [SR3]: Let's Return to the Stuffer Shack Options

[thearistocrat]

September in Seattle, 2059, is an exciting time to be alive if you're a mover and shaker in the Sixth World, but unfortunately, you are neither a mover nor a shaker. In fact, the only moving that anyone wants to do right now is shuffling off to the 24-7 Stuffer Shack to get some Aztechology soy-burritos.

For those out-of-towners, the Stuffer Shack is the home of synth-alcohol, soykaf, porno-simchips, Holohayo 3D greeting cards, pneumatic fluid for your bike, cheap fetish trinkets for the magical wannabes, soygrits, and a full line of stuffers with no redeeming nutritional or social value. Yep, the good 01' Stuffer Shack, home to a smell you can't recognize (and probably don't want to) and thousands of nuyen worth of stomach-rotting chow.

While the campaign will be somewhat non-linear, I pretty much intend to go through 2-3 old adventure books (First Run, Mercurial, Renraku Shutdown) mixing plots, Johnsons and runs so that experienced players won't see all of the twists coming. This campaign is designed for new, wanna-be runners who might survive to be actual runners if they are lucky. Player Characters should be young people who think that running the shadows will solve their personal and financial problems in a nice & tidy bundle. I like to see characters who might actually, exist, with friends, goals, contacts, lifestyles and such. Each character, in addition to the 2 freebie level 1 contacts, gets a free level 2 contact. The level 2 contact is someone/thing connected to the shadows, and will more or less be the runner's mentor or sponsor.

Subtle, GM Reminder: This is not Shadowrun: The Teen Years and at no point will I entertain any collective "school during the day, running at night" gameplay. That's not to say that a character can't be a book-worm in the day and a decker by night, I just can't really see a street-level runner team all going to the same school together. Also, if your character has a reasonable home, family or prospects, you ought to have a good reason for why your guy is running the streets, dodging bullets for a few hundred nuyen a night.

Build Rules:
100 BP - Somewhere between default creation & a low level campaign
No Ghouls
No Edges / Flaws (hmmm, flaws that never come up but edges that always do, how odd)
No Gear (I'll give you a care package at the beginning of the game; Deckers/Riggers can buy decking & rigging stuff)
No Cyberware above Alpha; no cultured bioware
Books Allowed: All of them, but ask if you want to use a netbook

Firearms Skill groupings are different.

Pistols (holdout, light, heavy) -Really short range
SMG (machine pistol, submachine guns) -Short range
Assault Weapons (Assault Rifles / Shotguns) -Medium range
Rifles (Sport / Sniper) -Long range

Since characters won't be able to start with their favorite AK-97 modded with Smartlink-II and such, I broadened the groupings a bit so that you can pick the firearm skill that corresponds, kinda, to the range you want to fight from. Specializations can be a specific as desired, as broad as the categories in parentheses. Heavy Weapons are going to be rare at first, so I would suggest waiting to find a heavy weapon (and an ammo source) before investing karma.

Game Stuff:
I'll be starting the game July, 11th (Saturday).
I will probably take around 5 characters.
I will be updating about once a day with significant plot points every few days.

So roll them characters up, and we'll head down to the Stuffer Shack to get some Soykaf.

[Mister Juan]

Hey there!
Is it me, or is SR3 coming back in force! I keep seeing those games, and it brings back gooood memories.

Anyways; I would be really interested in taking part in this game.
I'm mostly thinking about bringing in my young overconfident decker. I'll have a character background/concept up probably tonight.

I just have a quick question about character generation: you said that decker "can buy decking stuff". Does that mean that if we don't, well get something out of said "care package"?

[thearistocrat]

Hey there!
Is it me, or is SR3 coming back in force! I keep seeing those games, and it brings back gooood memories.

Anyways; I would be really interested in taking part in this game.
I'm mostly thinking about bringing in my young overconfident decker. I'll have a character background/concept up probably tonight.

I just have a quick question about character generation: you said that decker "can buy decking stuff". Does that mean that if we don't, well get something out of said "care package"?

If your rigger/decker doesn't want to buy a vehicle/drones or a deck , he will get appropriate items in the care package, but the drones or deck will be mediocre at best.

The gear rules were put in so that characters will be forced to use sub-optimal equipment (hold-out pistols, light pistols & machine pistols) until they get good weapons contacts. As much as I want every street urchin to be rolling with a smartlinked HK227 or PredatorIV, I think that should wait until at least the 3rd or 4th run.

Yes, enemies will drop sweet weapons if you are able to get them away from said enemy in once piece.

[Mister Juan]

Alright!
I'll try to roll a character up as soon as I can.

[Mister Juan]

Here's something of a background for my decker.

[ Spoiler ]

Christophe “Gabe� Leblanc
Decker / Con Artist
Christophe should have turned out "better" than what he is today. Born to a father working as an executive manager in the local CATCo division, and a grade school teacher mother, Christophe should have had it easy. But it wasn't the case. Very mature, and a bit to clever for his own age, it wasn't long before young Christophe was hanging with the rough crowds. Being a generally likable person it wasn't hard at all for him to fit in. Even if he was, technically, one of the rich kids, that didn't stop him from doing his share of petty crimes. Already part of a street gang at the age of 15, Christophe was running different scams with his friends, putting his abilities in computer work, as well as people skills, to good use. Acting so was for him a way to rebel against not only is parents, but the whole world. He hated the big corporations; the inhuman machines who were sucking the life force out of every single individuals. Society was polluted, disgusting. Everything to him seemed gray and dead. He had the usual outlook on life that your average teenager has. Running the streets with his friends, making fast money at such a young age gave him a purpose in life.
But that didn't last forever.

One of their little cons turned bad when the marked turned out to be the son of one of Montreal's leading biker gang. Although they got their pockets filled with more New Francs that they had ever counted in their whole life, the basically got the biggest crime syndicate in Quebec after them. When Christophe's friends started turning up face down in the St-Lawrence, he knew things finally had gotten very serious. He had, all his life, coned people out of their nuyens... which seemed to him like a harmless crime. He had also seen his share of brawls... but now, people weren't just getting hurt, they were getting murdered. Christophe packed his bags, said goodbye to the city he loved so much and left without looking back. Matter of fact is, he ran away.

Not knowing where to go, the now 16 year old teenager (traveling under a false 19 year old ID) decided he wanted to visit Asia. And so, he hitchhiked all the way to Seattle, with the intention of sneaking aboard the first boat for mainland China. Young Christophe arrived in Seattle only with what he could carry in his backpack. His plan might have worked if he hadn't blown most of his nuyens on partying.

Recently, Christophe has started what he calls “a little side business�. He sees it as selling a way to escape daily routines. In fact, Christophe is pushing various drugs. At first, it was only a new venue of money; a new thrill. But slowly, Christophe has started to experiment slightly too much with different mix, and even though he’d never admit it, he has started to grow addicted to all forms of "recreation"; from narcotics to BTLs. It wouldn’t be such an issue if it was Christophe’s only addiction. Being the social type, the one who will try anything while having a good time, Christophe has grown accustomed to consuming novacoke on his outing. Because of those few vices, even with the rather large chunk of nuyen Christophe should have amassed, he’s still rather broke. Money never stays in his hands… there’s always something new to buy. A new program to get, a new gadget to bargain for, a new piece of ware.

Word of the Street
The first and foremost striking thing about Christophe is the fact that he looks very young. The reality is that he doesn’t hold his youthful appearance from some genetic manipulation, or elaborate surgery. Christophe is indeed very young. Nineteen, truth be told. His general appearance also cuts rather harshly with the usual “professional� look of others in his line of work. Bright electric blue hair, very fair skin, and clothes up to speed with the current teenage crowd. Generally sporting a friendly demeanor and mighty gregarious outlook on things, his joking attitude can easily get on the nerves of what he might call “stuck up grownups�. Nevertheless, when on the job, Christophe is spot on and good at what he does. What he might lack in experience, the young hacker makes up for in pure raw talent. A very young runner, many hold great hopes for him… that is, if he can survive long enough in the shadows.

How exactly Christophe got to Seattle, it’s hard to say. His English sound more than good enough and locals know him... which suggest he’s been in town for some time. When asked about his presence in the megaplexe, all Christophe usually answers is: “it’s cheaper than backpacking through Europe.�


1. What is your characters sex?
Male

2. What is your characters physical size?
Christophe is of smaller stature than most North American. His build would actually suggest he’s more of European stock. Standing at about 5’7�, the young hacker can’t weight more than 120/125lbs. He’s definitely of the skinny kind, something he usually hides under slightly baggy clothes.

3. What is the color of the characters hair, eyes, and skin?
Being 19, he still looks very young, which plays in his favor most of the time. People underestimate young people, which always gives him an edge when playing a mark. He keeps his hair short, and dyes them bright blue most the time. He also has a Fleur de Lys (symbol of Québec) tattooed, as well as large feathered wings on his back. His eyes are of a deep green, and he has a very fair complexion... hinting to some irish blood somewhere along his family's line.

4. What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does he dress, etc.)?
Usually, he dresses in a slightly flashy way: with fluo or bright colors. But knows when to dress properly, or how to. He seems to have a particular affection for hoodies, and he almost always has a pair of light yellow tinted glasses resting on his nose. He's Québécois and francophone. Although French is his mother tongue, Christophe speaks English perfectly, without a trace of accent... and could easily pass for an anglophone.

5. Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?
Montréal, République du Québec

6. What is the characters date of birth?
January 12th, 2040

7. What was the character's family life like?
The best way to describe it would be “quiet�. With both parents working full-time, his dad being a tried and true workaholic, Christophe had a very casual relationship with his family. Even his relationship with his older sister wasn’t all that warm. Left to himself, Christophe was educated by himself, the trid and the Matrix. Both his parents are still alive and well... and probably wondering where there son has been for the past 4 years. Christophe also has an older sister (4 years older) to whom he hasn't spoken since he left Montreal.

8. Has the character begun his own family?
He hasn’t. At least, not in his own opinion. He has started to see, on a semi regular basis a Chinese girl, who goes by the handle “Pixie�. A big computer aficionado like himself, she tends to hang out with the local go ganger crowd. Christophe wouldn't admit it outright, but he has grown attached to the girl.

9. Where or how was the character educated?
Having literally ran away from home at the age of 16, Christophe formal schooling stopped at that level… even though he was light years ahead of his classmates. Rather hungry about information in general, Christophe has “kept up to date� with the miracles of the net.

10. Has the character ever done anything else for a living?
Beside con people out of their cash? No. Christophe has never made a single nuyen the honest way. Where would the fun be in that!

11. What are the characters beliefs on church and state?
Being from a catholic family, Christophe does hold some belief in religion... although he probably wouldn't admit it openly. Having already lived more than most people, he has a very different outlook on things, and is trying to make his mind up

12. Describe the characters Moral code. Include how mercenary he is, whether or not he'll kill innocents, etc.
No matter how much you might like someone, never forget that he can be a mark. Never forget that you can also be a mark. Killing and physically hurting people is never necessary: you can always talk or con your way in and out. Until now, Christophe has never actually killed anyone, preferring none lethal way of disposing of people… when he needs to.

13. What are the character have any goals?
Yes: to find one. Kiddings aside, Christophe is a greedy little bastard all in all, and so, he’s looking at making the max nuyens as fast as possible. Still being young, he also has a pretty hedonistic outlooks on things; he wants to party, see thing and meet people… and rip them off.

14. Why does the character run the shadows (rather than getting a "real" life?)
For the thrill; for the giggles; to meet people; because he is, after all, lost.


15. What kind of personality does your character have?
Christophe is usual a happy and optimistic person, yet he wouldn’t be considered a bubbly person. He’s a jokester and trickster before anything else.

16. What special qualities does the character possess?


17. Are their certain things the character can't or won't do? Why?
Christophe is very reluctant about killing people. He sees it as uncivilized and most of the time unnecessary.

18. What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?
For a reason known only to him, Christophe has something against corporations in general... and authority.

19. What things people, or ideas does the character love?
In general, he likes people: their stories, their opinions, likes, etc... He's still a very curious kid.

20. What is the character's name? Give both full birth name, as well as nicknames, street names, etc.
Christophe Leblanc. On the ‘Trix, Christophe goes by the name of Gabriel… mainly because his icon is a stylized and techno version of an angel. Because of that, numerous people in the meat world have a tendency to call him Gabriel, or Gabe.

21. Determine what your character used to do?
Well… he was and still sort of is a kid.

22. Decide why your character left his or her old life.
He left Québec to avoid getting his ass capped… and ran away as far as possible.

23. Come up with a reason for why the character became a runner. (This very often will tie in with #22. This is not the same as #14, but rather why he started running the shadows originally. What led him to it?)
Truth be told, Christophe is somewhat of a coward. Things got too dangerous back home, and the young hacker opted to abandon his friends and go on the run rather than face the consequences of his actions. It is one thing is does not like to think about, even less talk about. Christophe became a shadowrunner out of necessity. There isn’t much else he can do. That and he is used to fast money.

24. How did your character come to know his or her contacts? Contacts are an important part of Shadowrun, decide how and why you know them.
Pixie, which is her matrix handle, is a fellow hacker Christophe met in the Seattle club scene. Slightly older than him, it hasn’t stopped him from initiating something of an on/off relationship with the cute Chinese girl. Something of a college dropout, Pixie could be considered an activist. She spends most of her time working for an unofficial overwatch group that keeps tabs on all the big corporations in Seattle and the surrounding area.


25. Does the character have a SIN? Does the character actually use it?
Or is the character one of the SINless masses? This may be affected by the characters previous employment. Christophe still has a valid SIN in Quebec… but he’s probably listed in the Missing Persons files.

26. Is the character a full-time runner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?
Christophe doesn’t really consider himself a runner par se. But indeed, that is pretty much what he does beside burn all his nuyens in nightclubs.

27. Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?.
At the moment… Christophe doesn’t hold any group in particular in very high account.

28. Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?
Christophe has a rather important dislike of corporations in general. The bigger they are, the more he hates them. He might explain it in a very Robin Hood manner… that they are using the poor common man to do their evil deeds. But fact is, he’s bitter because of the way it ruined his family… how he never saw his parents because “the corp� came first. Still pretty much a teenager, Christophe also has a hard time with authority in general. He doesn’t like being told what to do.

29. Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?
Any big wig hackers. They’re the real deal!

30. Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?
Beside the biker gang he seriously pissed off back home… no one. Not yet.

31. What is your favorite color?
Blue. Just like his hair.

32. What is your favorite food and/or drink?
Christophe is a serious beer amateur. Brunettes being his favorites. Beer that is.

33. What place would you most like to visit?
There isn’t really a place Christophe would like to visit. He would much rather just go home.

34. Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
For the time being; only to himself.

35. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment?
Christophe is very big on partying. He knows life can be short… so he tries to have as much fun as possible. He’s big on simply socializing and chatting up with people.

36. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
Keeping up with the SOTA. Like they say; SOTA’s a bitch.

37. What annoys you the most?
People who take themselves too seriously. People who can’t let loose.

38. What (if any) is your favorite form of art?
Literature. Real literature.

39. What is your greatest goal?
To be able to go back home.

40. What do you think is your characters best quality?.
His optimism.

41. What do you think is your characters worst quality?.
Might not know when to shut the hell up.

42. What is the most important thing you have ever done?
Get out of Dodge.

43. Which religion (if any) do you follow?
Christophe is a very “loose� catholic. Not someone you might call a practitioner.

44. What is your most treasured possession (and why)?
His head (not only all the ware inside… but because he needs it for pretty much everything!)

45. What are your three most common dreams?


46. What is the character's current relationship with his family?
He hasn’t had a single contact with them since he ran away. He prays every day that they are still well.

47. If the character's family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?
They are probably all still in Montreal.

48. Where did the character learn his Skills?
Christophe is mostly auto didactic. He learns best by himself… and that is how he has learned most of his technical skills.

49. Does the character have a good luck charm? What is it, and why?
Nope.

50. What type of music does the character like?
Everything that is currently trendy.

51. List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.
Christophe hasn’t had any “real� relationship yet. A few flings here and there with some local girls but nothing serious… and nothing that has lasted more than a single night.

52. Where does your character live? Why does he live there?
Christophe is renting a terribly small apartment in a rather run down part of Renton.

[Mickle5125]

hmm... if things keep pushing towards sr3, I'm going to have to find a copy of the sr3 rules sometime...

[thearistocrat]

Here's something of a background for my decker.

[ Spoiler ]

Christophe “Gabe� Leblanc
Decker / Con Artist
Christophe should have turned out "better" than what he is today. Born to a father working as an executive manager in the local CATCo division, and a grade school teacher mother, Christophe should have had it easy. But it wasn't the case. Very mature, and a bit to clever for his own age, it wasn't long before young Christophe was hanging with the rough crowds. Being a generally likable person it wasn't hard at all for him to fit in. Even if he was, technically, one of the rich kids, that didn't stop him from doing his share of petty crimes. Already part of a street gang at the age of 15, Christophe was running different scams with his friends, putting his abilities in computer work, as well as people skills, to good use. Acting so was for him a way to rebel against not only is parents, but the whole world. He hated the big corporations; the inhuman machines who were sucking the life force out of every single individuals. Society was polluted, disgusting. Everything to him seemed gray and dead. He had the usual outlook on life that your average teenager has. Running the streets with his friends, making fast money at such a young age gave him a purpose in life.
But that didn't last forever.

One of their little cons turned bad when the marked turned out to be the son of one of Montreal's leading biker gang. Although they got their pockets filled with more New Francs that they had ever counted in their whole life, the basically got the biggest crime syndicate in Quebec after them. When Christophe's friends started turning up face down in the St-Lawrence, he knew things finally had gotten very serious. He had, all his life, coned people out of their nuyens... which seemed to him like a harmless crime. He had also seen his share of brawls... but now, people weren't just getting hurt, they were getting murdered. Christophe packed his bags, said goodbye to the city he loved so much and left without looking back. Matter of fact is, he ran away.

Not knowing where to go, the now 16 year old teenager (traveling under a false 19 year old ID) decided he wanted to visit Asia. And so, he hitchhiked all the way to Seattle, with the intention of sneaking aboard the first boat for mainland China. Young Christophe arrived in Seattle only with what he could carry in his backpack. His plan might have worked if he hadn't blown most of his nuyens on partying.

Recently, Christophe has started what he calls “a little side business�. He sees it as selling a way to escape daily routines. In fact, Christophe is pushing various drugs. At first, it was only a new venue of money; a new thrill. But slowly, Christophe has started to experiment slightly too much with different mix, and even though he’d never admit it, he has started to grow addicted to all forms of "recreation"; from narcotics to BTLs. It wouldn’t be such an issue if it was Christophe’s only addiction. Being the social type, the one who will try anything while having a good time, Christophe has grown accustomed to consuming novacoke on his outing. Because of those few vices, even with the rather large chunk of nuyen Christophe should have amassed, he’s still rather broke. Money never stays in his hands… there’s always something new to buy. A new program to get, a new gadget to bargain for, a new piece of ware.

Word of the Street
The first and foremost striking thing about Christophe is the fact that he looks very young. The reality is that he doesn’t hold his youthful appearance from some genetic manipulation, or elaborate surgery. Christophe is indeed very young. Nineteen, truth be told. His general appearance also cuts rather harshly with the usual “professional� look of others in his line of work. Bright electric blue hair, very fair skin, and clothes up to speed with the current teenage crowd. Generally sporting a friendly demeanor and mighty gregarious outlook on things, his joking attitude can easily get on the nerves of what he might call “stuck up grownups�. Nevertheless, when on the job, Christophe is spot on and good at what he does. What he might lack in experience, the young hacker makes up for in pure raw talent. A very young runner, many hold great hopes for him… that is, if he can survive long enough in the shadows.

How exactly Christophe got to Seattle, it’s hard to say. His English sound more than good enough and locals know him... which suggest he’s been in town for some time. When asked about his presence in the megaplexe, all Christophe usually answers is: “it’s cheaper than backpacking through Europe.�


1. What is your characters sex?
Male

2. What is your characters physical size?
Christophe is of smaller stature than most North American. His build would actually suggest he’s more of European stock. Standing at about 5’7�, the young hacker can’t weight more than 120/125lbs. He’s definitely of the skinny kind, something he usually hides under slightly baggy clothes.

3. What is the color of the characters hair, eyes, and skin?
Being 19, he still looks very young, which plays in his favor most of the time. People underestimate young people, which always gives him an edge when playing a mark. He keeps his hair short, and dyes them bright blue most the time. He also has a Fleur de Lys (symbol of Québec) tattooed, as well as large feathered wings on his back. His eyes are of a deep green, and he has a very fair complexion... hinting to some irish blood somewhere along his family's line.

4. What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does he dress, etc.)?
Usually, he dresses in a slightly flashy way: with fluo or bright colors. But knows when to dress properly, or how to. He seems to have a particular affection for hoodies, and he almost always has a pair of light yellow tinted glasses resting on his nose. He's Québécois and francophone. Although French is his mother tongue, Christophe speaks English perfectly, without a trace of accent... and could easily pass for an anglophone.

5. Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?
Montréal, République du Québec

6. What is the characters date of birth?
January 12th, 2040

7. What was the character's family life like?
The best way to describe it would be “quiet�. With both parents working full-time, his dad being a tried and true workaholic, Christophe had a very casual relationship with his family. Even his relationship with his older sister wasn’t all that warm. Left to himself, Christophe was educated by himself, the trid and the Matrix. Both his parents are still alive and well... and probably wondering where there son has been for the past 4 years. Christophe also has an older sister (4 years older) to whom he hasn't spoken since he left Montreal.

8. Has the character begun his own family?
He hasn’t. At least, not in his own opinion. He has started to see, on a semi regular basis a Chinese girl, who goes by the handle “Pixie�. A big computer aficionado like himself, she tends to hang out with the local go ganger crowd. Christophe wouldn't admit it outright, but he has grown attached to the girl.

9. Where or how was the character educated?
Having literally ran away from home at the age of 16, Christophe formal schooling stopped at that level… even though he was light years ahead of his classmates. Rather hungry about information in general, Christophe has “kept up to date� with the miracles of the net.

10. Has the character ever done anything else for a living?
Beside con people out of their cash? No. Christophe has never made a single nuyen the honest way. Where would the fun be in that!

11. What are the characters beliefs on church and state?
Being from a catholic family, Christophe does hold some belief in religion... although he probably wouldn't admit it openly. Having already lived more than most people, he has a very different outlook on things, and is trying to make his mind up

12. Describe the characters Moral code. Include how mercenary he is, whether or not he'll kill innocents, etc.
No matter how much you might like someone, never forget that he can be a mark. Never forget that you can also be a mark. Killing and physically hurting people is never necessary: you can always talk or con your way in and out. Until now, Christophe has never actually killed anyone, preferring none lethal way of disposing of people… when he needs to.

13. What are the character have any goals?
Yes: to find one. Kiddings aside, Christophe is a greedy little bastard all in all, and so, he’s looking at making the max nuyens as fast as possible. Still being young, he also has a pretty hedonistic outlooks on things; he wants to party, see thing and meet people… and rip them off.

14. Why does the character run the shadows (rather than getting a "real" life?)
For the thrill; for the giggles; to meet people; because he is, after all, lost.


15. What kind of personality does your character have?
Christophe is usual a happy and optimistic person, yet he wouldn’t be considered a bubbly person. He’s a jokester and trickster before anything else.

16. What special qualities does the character possess?


17. Are their certain things the character can't or won't do? Why?
Christophe is very reluctant about killing people. He sees it as uncivilized and most of the time unnecessary.

18. What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?
For a reason known only to him, Christophe has something against corporations in general... and authority.

19. What things people, or ideas does the character love?
In general, he likes people: their stories, their opinions, likes, etc... He's still a very curious kid.

20. What is the character's name? Give both full birth name, as well as nicknames, street names, etc.
Christophe Leblanc. On the ‘Trix, Christophe goes by the name of Gabriel… mainly because his icon is a stylized and techno version of an angel. Because of that, numerous people in the meat world have a tendency to call him Gabriel, or Gabe.

21. Determine what your character used to do?
Well… he was and still sort of is a kid.

22. Decide why your character left his or her old life.
He left Québec to avoid getting his ass capped… and ran away as far as possible.

23. Come up with a reason for why the character became a runner. (This very often will tie in with #22. This is not the same as #14, but rather why he started running the shadows originally. What led him to it?)
Truth be told, Christophe is somewhat of a coward. Things got too dangerous back home, and the young hacker opted to abandon his friends and go on the run rather than face the consequences of his actions. It is one thing is does not like to think about, even less talk about. Christophe became a shadowrunner out of necessity. There isn’t much else he can do. That and he is used to fast money.

24. How did your character come to know his or her contacts? Contacts are an important part of Shadowrun, decide how and why you know them.
Not surprisingly enough, Christophe two closests friends in Hong-Kong are both rather close to his age, and have a slightly similar outlook on life.

Pixie, which is her matrix handle, is a fellow hacker Christophe met in the Seattle club scene. Slightly older than him, it hasn’t stopped him from initiating something of an on/off relationship with the cute Chinese girl. Something of a college dropout, Pixie could be considered an activist. She spends most of her time working for an unofficial overwatch group that keeps tabs on all the big corporations in Seattle and the surrounding area.


25. Does the character have a SIN? Does the character actually use it?
Or is the character one of the SINless masses? This may be affected by the characters previous employment. Christophe still has a valid SIN in Quebec… but he’s probably listed in the Missing Persons files.

26. Is the character a full-time runner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?
Christophe doesn’t really consider himself a runner par se. But indeed, that is pretty much what he does beside burn all his nuyens in nightclubs.

27. Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?.
At the moment… Christophe doesn’t hold any group in particular in very high account.

28. Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?
Christophe has a rather important dislike of corporations in general. The bigger they are, the more he hates them. He might explain it in a very Robin Hood manner… that they are using the poor common man to do their evil deeds. But fact is, he’s bitter because of the way it ruined his family… how he never saw his parents because “the corp� came first. Still pretty much a teenager, Christophe also has a hard time with authority in general. He doesn’t like being told what to do.

29. Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?
Any big wig hackers. They’re the real deal!

30. Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?
Beside the biker gang he seriously pissed off back home… no one. Not yet.

31. What is your favorite color?
Blue. Just like his hair.

32. What is your favorite food and/or drink?
Christophe is a serious beer amateur. Brunettes being his favorites. Beer that is.

33. What place would you most like to visit?
There isn’t really a place Christophe would like to visit. He would much rather just go home.

34. Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
For the time being; only to himself.

35. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment?
Christophe is very big on partying. He knows life can be short… so he tries to have as much fun as possible. He’s big on simply socializing and chatting up with people.

36. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
Keeping up with the SOTA. Like they say; SOTA’s a bitch.

37. What annoys you the most?
People who take themselves too seriously. People who can’t let loose.

38. What (if any) is your favorite form of art?
Literature. Real literature.

39. What is your greatest goal?
To be able to go back home.

40. What do you think is your characters best quality?.
His optimism.

41. What do you think is your characters worst quality?.
Might not know when to shut the hell up.

42. What is the most important thing you have ever done?
Get out of Dodge.

43. Which religion (if any) do you follow?
Christophe is a very “loose� catholic. Not someone you might call a practitioner.

44. What is your most treasured possession (and why)?
His head (not only all the ware inside… but because he needs it for pretty much everything!)

45. What are your three most common dreams?


46. What is the character's current relationship with his family?
He hasn’t had a single contact with them since he ran away. He prays every day that they are still well.

47. If the character's family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?
They are probably all still in Montreal.

48. Where did the character learn his Skills?
Christophe is mostly auto didactic. He learns best by himself… and that is how he has learned most of his technical skills.

49. Does the character have a good luck charm? What is it, and why?
Nope.

50. What type of music does the character like?
Everything that is currently trendy.

51. List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.
Christophe hasn’t had any “real� relationship yet. A few flings here and there with some local girls but nothing serious… and nothing that has lasted more than a single night.

52. Where does your character live? Why does he live there?
Christophe is renting a terribly small apartment in a rather run down part of Renton.

This guy will fit pretty well in the general story arc & his lifestyle will be an asset during a significant story arc.

You're in, so post a character sheet, contacts and lifestyle when you find the time. As for decking gear, you can spend up to half of your starting nuyen on decks and programs.

[Mister Juan]

Thank you!
Out of curiosity, what would the starting package be for a decker? Just so I have an idea where I'm going.

[thearistocrat]

Thank you!
Out of curiosity, what would the starting package be for a decker? Just so I have an idea where I'm going.

Your character sheet, contacts & lifestyle will all determine what kind of toys you come to the party with. Your level 2 mentor/sponsor contact will also be a particular giver of boons, if you are a good contact back.

[Mister Juan]

Alright!

[Chance359]

Give me a day or so to throw something together.

[Hudson]

I'd like to throw my hat into the ring with a Street Samurai wannabe. Still working on the exact specs, but I've already got a somewhat important question: Does he need as much background detail as Mister Juan's example gives?

Because that would certainly take a good bit of time for me.

[thearistocrat]

I'd like to throw my hat into the ring with a Street Samurai wannabe. Still working on the exact specs, but I've already got a somewhat important question: Does he need as much background detail as Mister Juan's example gives?

Because that would certainly take a good bit of time for me.

You have a good bit of time between now and Saturday. Why not try and give your street samurai a reasonable amount of background story? While Mister Juan certainly went beyond the call with his character background, I would imagine that player characters in the game will have enough detail in their background to explain how they got the plan to run the Seattle Shadows and why.

[Hudson]

You have a good bit of time between now and Saturday.

My professors beg to differ on that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Why not try and give your street samurai a reasonable amount of background story?

Never planned on doing anything else but I simply wanted to ask whether the background has to be as extensive as Mr. J's example. (As background writing usually tends to be a somewhat long-ish process for me due to nearly obsessive detail-research and fact-checking.)

[thearistocrat]

(As background writing usually tends to be a somewhat long-ish process for me due to nearly obsessive detail-research and fact-checking.)

Null perspiration, chummer. I jacked onto the news-net and pulled most of the significant news stories for the past two years to help your research. From the headlines, it looks like the big news event for the past year or two has been the Corp War. Though the crash of Flight 1118 in the Redmond barrens is still fresh in Seattle's collective memory because of the ensuing ground damage and loss of life.

Timeline part1

Timeline part2

[Mister Juan]

Here we go!
Spoilered just for space.
I'll have a description of all three contacts up soon. Christophe Leblanc

[ Spoiler ]

Metatype: Human

Lifestyle: Crummy basement flat in Renton
Com:Low
Ent:Mid (Christophe parties more than he should...)
Fur:Low
Sec:Low
Spc:Low
1650/month

Attributes
Body: 2
Quickness: 3
Strength: 2
Charisma: 4
Intelligence: 5
Willpower: 3

Essence: 5.80
Magic: 0
Reaction: 4
Initiative: 1d6

Pool
Combat: 5

Skills
Pistols: 2
Computer / Decking : 5/7
Electronics: 5
Etiquette: 4
Negotiation / Bargain : 5/7
Bike: 3
Computer B/R: 4
Electronics B/R: 4
Bike B/R : 3
Athletics / Escape Artist : 4/6
Forgery: 5
Biotech / First Aid : 3/5




French: 4
English: 3
BTL Production: 4
Seattle Club Scene: 4
Data Brokerage: 3
Jackpoint Location: 4
Fences: 4
Gang Identification: 3
Current Events: 3

Cyberware
Datajack

Gear
10x Dose of Novacoke
15x Dose of Bliss

[Mister Juan]

And here are the contacts.
Contacts

[ Spoiler ]

Pixie (Lv 2 Contact), Decker Archetype

Pixie, which is her matrix handle, is a fellow hacker Christophe met in the Seattle club scene. Slightly older than him, it hasn’t stopped him from initiating something of an on/off relationship with the cute Chinese girl. Something of a college dropout, Pixie could be considered an activist. She spends most of her time working for an unofficial overwatch group that keeps tabs on all the big corporations in Seattle and the surrounding area.


Turn (Lv 1 Contact), Troll Street Dealer Archetype

Turn is one of the grumpiest person Christophe has ever met. Apparently, everything that happens to Turn is twice as bad as anything that ever happened to anyone else. Beside his flair for negativity, the troll is a stand up man... at least, in Christophe's mind. Originally, the young decker met Turn through Pixie, when he was looking to score a little dose of “party entertainment�.


Marla (Lv 1 Contact), Joygirl Archetype

Marla entered Christophe's life in a very straightforward manner: he was looking for a good time, and he found her. As a matter of fact, Christophe didn't know Marla was a joygirl when he first bumped into her, at Dante's. He discovered it, the next morning, when she left with some of his nuyens but left her comm number. That was a few months ago. Now a day, Christophe tends to go back to her whenever he's in one of his “down� phases. Not what one might call a “beauty�, Marla has an edge and a quirkiness that Christophe finds attractive. Unlike Pixie, Marla doesn't concern herself with much but her own survival... something Christophe finds refreshing from times to times.

I put Pixie down as the Lv2 contact, not so much because of her skills or connections, but rather because I felt it represented her relation with Christophe rather well.

[thearistocrat]

And here are the contacts.
Contacts

[ Spoiler ]

Pixie (Lv 2 Contact), Decker Archetype

<a href="http://" target="_blank"></a>Pixie, which is her matrix handle, is a fellow hacker Christophe met in the Seattle club scene. Slightly older than him, it hasn’t stopped him from initiating something of an on/off relationship with the cute Chinese girl. Something of a college dropout, Pixie could be considered an activist. She spends most of her time working for an unofficial overwatch group that keeps tabs on all the big corporations in Seattle and the surrounding area.


Turn (Lv 1 Contact), Troll Street Dealer Archetype

Turn is one of the grumpiest person Christophe has ever met. Apparently, everything that happens to Turn is twice as bad as anything that ever happened to anyone else. Beside his flair for negativity, the troll is a stand up man... at least, in Christophe's mind. Originally, the young decker met Turn through Pixie, when he was looking to score a little dose of “party entertainment�.


Marla (Lv 1 Contact), Joygirl Archetype

Marla entered Christophe's life in a very straightforward manner: he was looking for a good time, and he found her. As a matter of fact, Christophe didn't know Marla was a joygirl when he first bumped into her, at Dante's. He discovered it, the next morning, when she left with some of his nuyens but left her comm number. That was a few months ago. Now a day, Christophe tends to go back to her whenever he's in one of his “down� phases. Not what one might call a “beauty�, Marla has an edge and a quirkiness that Christophe finds attractive. Unlike Pixie, Marla doesn't concern herself with much but her own survival... something Christophe finds refreshing from times to times.

I put Pixie down as the Lv2 contact, not so much because of her skills or connections, but rather because I felt it represented her relation with Christophe rather well.

This guy's backstory just keeps getting better & better. I had a couple of questions though.

Does Christophe Leblanc have a street name that he goes by?

How does he slot the BTLs that he experiments with?

What type of BTLs does he slot? (persona fixes, trip chips, mood chips, fantasy chips)

Does he ever modify BTLs to play longer or allow walking & talking?

I'm assuming he uses a Dreamdeck when its around, but would also use direct chip input (chip ->datajack) as described in page 65 of Cannon Companion.

[Toptomcat]

I had a low level concept, started to design my character, and felt like I wasn't low level at all. After some puzzlement, I found the reason why: if we're not buying any gear at the start, that saves up to thirty Build Points on some concepts, which brings this right back up to a game that's about average or slightly below-average starting runners that just happen not to start with any 'ware or gear.
Is a gentlemen's agreement that we are have lower-powered but well-rounded characters in place?
Are we intended to drop a certain number of points in Resources anyway, to influence the size of the 'care package?'
Or is this something that you're going to change now that it's been brought to your attention?

[Mickle5125]

Do you mind having someone completely new to SR3? I'm currently working on acquiring a copy of the source book...

[Mister Juan]

Does Christophe Leblanc have a street name that he goes by?

Well, he uses a sort of "techno-angel" looking icon while on the web, so his Matrix handle is "Gabriel". But, since he's a beginning runner, I thought it would be interesting if he actually didn't have a street name yet. Maybe his teammates can give him one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

How does he slot the BTLs that he experiments with?

Direct chip input.

What type of BTLs does he slot? (persona fixes, trip chips, mood chips, fantasy chips)

Mostly mood chips and trip chips

Does he ever modify BTLs to play longer or allow walking & talking?

Well, I assume that mood chips already let you walk and talk. If not, then yes, he would modify them so he could trip up on BTL AND club at the same time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I'm assuming he uses a Dreamdeck when its around, but would also use direct chip input (chip ->datajack) as described in page 65 of Cannon Companion.

Yep.

[Hudson]

Null perspiration, chummer. I jacked onto the news-net and pulled most of the significant news stories for the past two years to help your research. From the headlines, it looks like the big news event for the past year or two has been the Corp War. Though the crash of Flight 1118 in the Redmond barrens is still fresh in Seattle's collective memory because of the ensuing ground damage and loss of life.

Timeline part1

Timeline part2

Thanks!


Pieced together a fitting and hopefully suitable background for Achill.

I'll write up into a more presentable form tomorrow.

[thearistocrat]

I had a low level concept, started to design my character, and felt like I wasn't low level at all. After some puzzlement, I found the reason why: if we're not buying any gear at the start, that saves up to thirty Build Points on some concepts, which brings this right back up to a game that's about average or slightly below-average starting runners that just happen not to start with any 'ware or gear.
Is a gentlemen's agreement that we are have lower-powered but well-rounded characters in place?
Are we intended to drop a certain number of points in Resources anyway, to influence the size of the 'care package?'
Or is this something that you're going to change now that it's been brought to your attention?

Character creation is a magical process with a lot of different ways to use Nuyen. The only characters who get a significant leg-up are those that cannot use or do not want to use cyber, but cannot buy force points with nuyen. These characters can still buy lifestyles, contacts & vehicles...

More importantly, why does it matter if the guy next to you is a bit more powerful than yourself in a particular area? The "no gear" rule only gives an advantage to Martial art PhysADs and Otaku, both archetypes that tend to fall on the squishier side of things. The dermal plating (2) you bought your mundane samurai is something an Adept could never use despite his desire, and that otaku, he'll never be useful in a meat space fight anyway.

While I don't know if a gentlemen's agreement is quite in effect, 16 strength bow trolls are going to find an assault cannon before they find a composite bow capable of holding that much tension.

Can I play; I'm new to SR3?

Sure, if you roll a background & sheet, your guy will probably be in the game.

[Mickle5125]

I'm gonna take a couple days to familiarize myself with the rules, and I should have something percolating into existence by sunday evening, monday latest. Is that quick enough?

[thearistocrat]

I'm gonna take a couple days to familiarize myself with the rules, and I should have something percolating into existence by sunday evening, monday latest. Is that quick enough?

Unless we have a sudden rush of people who are dying to play SR3 who also post bios & sheets, Sunday evening will be fine. I'll probably write the IC Monday and post it sometime that night.

Also, good dodge on the persona fix use, Mister Juan. It would have been bad. I re-checked mood chips and most of then are altered to be "walkie-talkies." I would imagine a 2059 mood chip without this feature would be akin to cocaine heavily cut with fillers.