Wasteland Blues Recruitment Options

[Mulcarn]

I'm starting a Chicago based campaign soon. I'm going to do a few weeks of recruitment and then start the game sometime at the start of July. However, I have few house rules and stipulations in regards to chargen. I'm looking for professional mercenaries and similar types. That mean no Special Snowflakes and no Mary Sues. Mentally ill or otherwise psychotic characters are welcome. So too are sadists and sociopaths. Shadowrunning tends to attract talented yet deeply disturbed individuals. Fairy Princess characters get eaten alive.

What this means is - No Drakes, Ghouls, Vampires, Shifters, Changelings, Metavariants or Metasapients.

My House Rules

[ Spoiler ]

Training and Learning House Rule

Raising Skills and Attributes has no training time anymore. If you have the Karma you can make the purchase.

Learning Spells and Bonding Foci does not require any downtime. If you have the Karma you can make the purchase.

Instruction House Rule

Instructors lower the cost of raising your Skills by 25% (Rounded Down) of the Karma cost of the desired rating

Instructors charge 1000 X Desired Skill Rating Nuyen for their services.


Dark Magic House Rule

The use of Dark Magic is allowed but you cannot learn any at chargen.

Initiation House Rule

You can Initiate at Chargen but you are not allowed to pick an ordeal or any similar Karma reduction option.

Initiation no longer raises the Maximum Magic Cap.

Fixation House Rule

Fixated alchemical preparation now last for 1 month before they start to lose potency.

The number of preparations you can fixate is equal to your initiate grade.

Quickening House Rule

The number of spells you can quicken is equal to your initiate grade.

Invocation House Rule

A magician can use this metamagical technique to instill more power into a bound spirit. The net hits at the completion of this ritual determines the actual effect is has on the spirit. This ritual takes one hour per Force of the spirit and requires (Force x 25) drams of reagents to be used up in the invocation. The test is an Opposed Binding + Magic [Force] v. spirit’s Force x 2, and it inflicts Drain equal to twice the hits (not net hits) on the spirit’s defense test, minimum 2. If the spirit’s Force is greater than your Magic rating, the Drain is Physical; otherwise it’s Stun.

A magician that knows the Art of Sacrifice and Invocation may create a truly frightening entity—a great form blood spirit. During the ritual, a metahuman victim must be killed; this is required to fuel the “ascension” of the Blood Spirit.

Great Form Spirit

HITS/RESULTS
1. Increase Force by 1.
2. Gain Banishing Resistance power (p. 194, SG)
3. Gain an additional optional power (see powers listed by spirit type p. 394, SR5)
4. Gain greater spirit power appropriate to the spirit type (p. 137, SG)
5. Gain Astral Gateway power (p. 194, SG)
6. Gain Endowment power (p. 195, SG)

Spirit House Rule

All spirits gain the following bonus powers Immunity (Age, Pathogens, Toxins). All spirits gain Immunity to their respective element. All non-toxic spirits gain the weaknesses Allergy (Pollutants, Severe) and Allergy (Radiation, Severe).

Air - Electricity
Earth - Acid
Fire - Fire
Water - Cold
Barren - Pollutants
Noxious - Pollutants
Nuclear - Radiation
Sludge - Pollutants

Alright, now that's out of the way let me describe what i'm trying to create. I'm going for a darker, grittier, much more depressing kind of game. The game takes place on January 4th 2075. Barely a year has passed since Project Takeback was launched by Lone Star in 2074. Knight Errant lost their contractual rights to police the city and more importantly, the CZ, and were kicked out. Now the more incompetent, more corrupt Lone Star protects and serves Chicago. The bulk of Lone Star Security Services are placed in checkpoints monitoring the wall separating the Containment Zone from the rest of Chicago. Their orders are to maintain vigilance and to reclaim as much of the wasteland as humanly possible.

Shadowrunners left and right are hired to escort high-valued individuals to explore the dangers of the wasteland. Or, to put down potential threats that may lurk in the shadows. You and your team are among those who would brave the hazardous wastes. Warring bands of gangers and criminals vie for control in the CZ. Commodities such as food, shelter, clean water, guns and ammo have become scarce since supply drops are few and far in between. No one would think twice about knifing you for a warm bottle of piss if it meant survival. However, if word got out that a bunch of mercs were seen carrying expensive high-grade weapons and armor, you might see a collaborative effort from all kinds of lowlifes to try and take you out.