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Ol' Scratch
post Sep 10 2007, 09:19 PM
Post #1


Immortal Elf
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Member No.: 1,890



The Premise

Maybe you were a beat cop who got caught behind enemy lines in Chicago when the events of Bug City unfolded. Maybe you were a mortician who discovered the corpse you were about to open up was possessed by a shedim. Maybe you were a big game hunter on safari in Africa when you stumbled upon a hereunto unknown species of jungle gryphon. Or perhaps it was something else entirely.

Regardless of the circumstance, you were approached for recruitment by the Dunkelzahn Institute of Magical Research soon after that fateful encounter with the paranormal. Or, more correctly, for how you handled that encounter. The psychological evaluation you took which determined you were one of those rare few who could be trusted to do the right thing regardless of morality or legality certainly didn't hurt either.

As far as the books are concerned, you are an occult investigator and paranormal consultant working for the DIMR. The truth, however, is that you are part of a team of troubleshooters that the institute calls upon in order to attend to matters that are often of a rather questionable legal status. The acquisition of protected flora or fauna specimens, recovery of magical treasures belonging to "private collectors," the investigation of paranormal reports and the oversight and protection of important archaelogical digs are all examples of the types of things you may be called upon to do. Occasionally you have even been sent to work with an attaché from the institute's parent company, the Draco Foundation, to attend to some of the more unusual bequests in Dunkelzahn's will.

In exchange for your services, the DIMR pays you a lush six-figure salary and grants access to their world-famous resources. Fat wallets, a copious amount of free time, state of the art toys, challenging and diverse experiences, and your every need catered too — it's the dream job of any thrillseeking professional. The only drawback is that you can't tell anyone what you really do for a living...



Character Submissions

At this stage, I do not want to see any character sheets. None whatsoever. Not a single attribute score or skill rating. If you throw any stats my way, you will be cruely mocked and taunted for not reading this paragraph. If you do it again, we shall be forced to taunt you a second time. Do it once more and I'm pulling out the elderberries, bitch.

That said, what I do want to see are character concepts. "What the frag is a character concept," you ask? A character concept is a brief outline of your character's premise, history, and the experience that lead to his or her recruitment by the DIMR. What a character concept is not is a detailed account of the character's life since birth or any other superfluous aspects of his life beyond the requested information.

Here are the key points I'm looking for in submissions:
  • Character's Name
  • Character's Profession (Race and Archetype)
  • Background Summary: A brief synopsis of who and what the character is.
  • Reason for Recruitment: Why did the DIMR recruit him?
  • Background Quality: Any quality of your choosing that relates to the character's professional or social life.
  • Random Quality: A single quality chosen at random that has nothing to do with the character's professional or social life, but is instead just a curious quirk they have.
Feel free to be original and spontaneous when selecting the aforementioned qualities. The following is an example of what I'm hoping to see.
    Oliver Sinclair
    Former Secret Service Agent (Dwarf Bodyguard)

    Background Summary: Born and raised in the slums of the DeeCee sprawl, Oliver Sinclair dreamt of following in his grandfather's shoes and becoming a fabled Secret Service agent. His grim determination to change his lot in life allowed him to resist the temptation of joining the thrill gangs of his neighborhood and to otherwise avoid any temptations that would have surely doomed his chances of obtaining his dream. All of his hard work eventually paid off and, by 2049, Oliver had earned a master's degree in Criminal Justice at Radford University thanks to a track-and-field scholarship. Soon thereafter, the young dwarf was amongst the first metahumans accepted into the UCAS Secret Service.

    In the years that followed, Oliver proved himself several times over. It was thus no surprise that when Dunkelzahn declared his intentions to run for president, he was one of the first agents assigned to the high-profile candidate. When the President-Elect was later assassinated in 2057, Oliver was the only bodyguard on duty that night to have survived the blast. His failure to protect the First Wyrm really his the dwarf hard, and when he was finally released from the hospital six months later, he submitted his resignation to his superiors.

    Reason for Recruitment: Beyond his first-hand experiences with all kinds of weird drek he experienced while safeguarding Dunkelzahn, Oliver survived the blast that claimed the First Wyrm's life and created the DeeCee Rift. His training and professionalism were also key points for his recruitment.

    Background Quality (Compulsion): Even to this day, Oliver is devestated by the fact that he was unable to do anything to save Dunkelzahn from his assassination. He has sworn on the frosted breath of his forefathers that he will not allow another person under his care to come to harm, and he is more than willing to risk both life and limb to see that personal oath carried out.

    Random Flaw (Mild Coulrophobia): On Oliver's sixth birthday, his parents hired a clown for the celebration. Unfortunately, that was also the day the clown spontaneously goblinzed into a troll, traumatizing little Oliver and his friends. Ever since then, he gets the creeps whenever he sees a clown.
In a nutshell, have fun with the setting and don't be afraid to explore all of your options. Recruitment will occur from all walks of life from around the world, so don't feel compelled to limit your options to the UCAS or even North America. It is very unlikely that former shadowrunners will have been recruited, however, so try to focus more on concepts revolving around SINners rather than SINless.



Things to Keep in Mind...

Just so you're not left completely out in the cold as far as what to expect, here are a few tidbits to help guide you in crafting your concept. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate in the least to ask them here so that everyone can benefit from the answer!

Concepts: It is highly encouraged that you submit more than one character concept for the game. Why? It's simple, really: It gives me, as the gamemaster, more control in creating a group of characters who will be compatible and capable of working together as a team. Players often have different ideas of what works and what doesn't, and this is just one small safeguard to help solve that potential problem. If you simply can't think of more than one concept, that's perfectly fine, too. But I would really like for everyone to at least try.

First Come, First Serve: There's not even a longshot of a chance that this will be the case. Submissions will be open until I state otherwise. So while there is no rush to get your concepts posted, don't dally too long in doing so!

Dateline & Base of Operations: The game will begin early in 2070 and will be based in the Boston Sprawl in the UCAS, though many of your missions will often take you all over the globe. Likewise, you have probably been working for the DIMR for at least two years, so you will not only be intimately familiar with the organization but also with one another. We'll discuss this in more detail in the near future, however.

The Setting: Consider canon material (at least as far as the more mysterious storylines and metaplots go) regarding the Sixth World to be little more than conspiracy theories or Matrix rumors, even aspects that are known to be rock-solid facts in most games. Obviously, things that are well-known — such as Lowfyr being the CEO of Saeder-Krupp or Chicago's invasion by insect spirits — are excluded from this, while more esoteric "facts" such as the existance of immortal elves or the truth behind Aztechnology are not. Likewise, events such as the riots that occured during the initial days of goblinization or the witch hunts detailed in Emergence were isolated incidents rather than global phenomena. If there is, however, a specific event that you want to revolve your character around, do not hesitate to do so! If the concept is great and the character is accepted, bam, that conspiracy theory just became fact... even if only to your character.

Recruitment: You and your fellow troubleshooters will be recruited from all walks of life and from all over the Sixth World. Don't feel obligated to be from the UCAS or even North America. Feel free to incorporate any metahuman or metahuman variant race into your concept (even if there are no official rules for them in SR4 yet); racism is much more tame in this setting than the canonical one. Just keep in mind that you were all legitimate — or at least semi-legimate — professionals before your recruitment into the organizations. Shadowrunners and street thugs aren't exactly the caliber of people the DIMR was looking for.

Salary: Your character will receive the equivalence of a High Lifestyle in the Boston area in addition to 5,000Â¥ per month. This lifestyle includes a gold Nightingale medical contract and one or two vehicles of choice (up to a luxury sports car or motorboat). Don't worry about the exact details, however, as that will be covered in later steps of the character creation process once characters and players are accepted. Just know that you're very well off and have very little to worry about regarding your personal life.

Family: As regular joes, there's no need to avoid having a spouse, children, or a social life in general. Sure, you can't tell any of them what you really do for a living and sometimes things can be dangerous, but when you're off the clock you're free to live life to the fullest. You're not constantly being hounded by the police, megacorporations aren't out trying to squash you, and mob bosses aren't out looking for revenge. Not usually at any rate. ;)

Resources: Cutting-edge technology and magic are readily available through the DIMR and their relationship with MIT&T and other similar institutes. Any supplies relating to these two fields will be available at significant discounts, and your characters will have ready access to the equivalence of a beta clinic. Expendable supplies such as ritual and conjuring materials, target ammunition, and Matrix access will be free of charge in most cases. The same goes for mission-specific equipment including fake SINs and passports, standard vehicles, airline tickets, communications and spy gear, and (usually) a hefty expense account via certified credsticks or local currency on top of that. If getting the equipment across borders is risky, you will instead be supplied with a name or two and some additional cash in order to get the gear after you arrive. In other words; don't sweat the details in this regard either.



Final Comments

All right, I think I covered all the basics. I would like to see all character concepts posted here (not in PMs, not in IMs, and not in email). I will only be accepting four players and thus four characters for this game, though if I see one or two other concepts that really jump out at me, I might consider stretching that to six. But six will be the absolute maximum.

I'm also looking for players who are not only open-minded and creative, but who can also post on a very regular basis (meaining you can read and post multiple times a day, including weekends). If you don't expect to be able to live up to that, please don't submit any character concepts. Nothing slows down and breaks a game faster than having to find replacement players.

Oh, one final note! If you are accepted into the game, you need to have a good sense of humor and you must be able to take friendly abuse and insults not only from me, but from the other players. Likewise, you must be able to dish it out as good as you get it. I hate playing with people with whom I have to be all skittish and reserved around, so I'm going to try and avoid that in this game. You got that, jerkwad? Good.

That said, show me what you got!
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fistandantilus4....
post Sep 10 2007, 10:05 PM
Post #2


Uncle Fisty
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Posts: 13,891
Joined: 3-January 05
From: Next To Her
Member No.: 6,928



So, can I play a vampire? :D

I'll put up my first pitch tonight.
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Trigger
post Sep 10 2007, 10:22 PM
Post #3


Running Target
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From: Somewhere in the Flooding, CalFree
Member No.: 10,215



Oh my sweet Buddha, this looks amazing. I will have a character concept or four coming to you ASAP.
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Fortune
post Sep 10 2007, 10:53 PM
Post #4


Immoral Elf
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From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat
Member No.: 2,486



Lemme get this straight. Not only do you want good and decent character concepts, but you want us to submit multiples?!?!?

Damn man. My brain hurts! :P :D
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Ol' Scratch
post Sep 10 2007, 11:06 PM
Post #5


Immortal Elf
**********

Group: Validating
Posts: 7,999
Joined: 26-February 02
Member No.: 1,890



I'm a slave driver, what can I say? And upon request, here's a compilation of all the guidelines.


CHARACTER CREATION GUIDELINES

[ RACE ]

You're free to play any standard or variant metahuman race you like in this game and all of your available options "cost" exactly the same; absolutely nothing. If you detailed a specific race in your original submission, that choice is final. You can, however, pick an appropriate metahuman variant if you haven't already. If you haven't specified a race at all, now is the time to do so.

Metahuman variants will need to be custom designed as they don't exist in SR4 yet. If there's one you're interested in, please contact me either here or via an instant messenger (Neurotic Cupcake on AIM or Necrotic_Penguin on Yahoo!) and we'll discuss it and hash out something we both can agree on. Ghouls and Shapeshifters are not a valid option, but I will allow one (1) player to create a Drake if anyone is interested in playing one. They'll be a bit weaker than the versions found in SR3 but still a bit more potent than normal metahumans. If you'd like to give one a shot, discuss it with the other players then get in touch with me and we'll see what we can do.

Finally, Human characters have an additional trait as detailed below.

Versatility: Players with a Human character may select one Physical or Mental Attribute (as well as Edge, Magic or Resonance) with which their maximum rating is increased by one point. Players may also treat a single Active Skill of choice in the same manner. This is in addition to their current Edge modifier and is compatible with the Aptitude, Enhanced Attribute, and Lucky qualities.

Example: Donovan Fairchild is a Human Black Magician with Versatility (Magic and Spellcasting). Both scores have their initial limitations improved to 1/7(10). If he instead chose to apply his attribute modifier to Edge instead of Magic, and if had the Lucky quality, his Edge limitation would be 2/9(13).



[ QUALITIES ]

You may select a single Positive Quality of equal or lesser value for every Negative Quality you take, with a maximum of three Negative Qualities available. Likewise, you must take the qualities you specified in your original submission. If either were the equivalence of a Positive Quality, you must select a Negative one of equal or greater cost to accompany it. If it is absolutely vital to your concept to have more than three qualities of each type, talk with me about it and we'll see what we can do.

If your original quality or qualities do not conform to any currently available in the game, please contact me so we can figure out how much it's worth and whether or not any specific rules need to be applied towards it.

If you're having trouble thinking of appropriate qualities, don't hesitate to ask me or the other players for suggestions or help.

Special Exception: If you are a magician with the Mentor Spirit quality, combine the two into a single quality. In other words, if you choose to have a Mentor Spirit it simply increases your base magical quality by 5 points for determining what kind of a Negative Quality you need to take, rather than counting as a second quality.

The following qualities are not available as currently written: Cyberpsychosis, Incompetent, SINner, SINner: Criminal.



[ ATTRIBUTES ]

EDIT: Apparently this wasn't as straight forward as I intended (and I miscalculated myself!).

Everyone has 30 points with which to add to their minimum attribute scores. Maxing out an attribute costs 2 points instead of 1 for the final point.



[ SKILLS ]

This is where we being to truly diverge from the normal rules and as such it's also the part where you'll need to work with me the most in order to get it just right. Do note that these restrictions only apply during character creation.

SR4 pp. 108-109 has a list of what each skill rating represents and examples of how those scores relate to individual skills. This is the table you'll need to use and reference for determining all of your skill ratings. Have at it, but keep in mind that you still need the Aptitude attribute or Versatility in order to hit a natural score of 7. There are a few limitations and restrictions, however.

Active Skills: You may have no more than one skill per unmodified attribute point in that skill's linked attribute. For example, if you have a base Agility score of 3, you may have a maximum of three Agility-linked skills. Only one of these skills per linked attribute may exceed the linked attribute's rating. This means that using the same example, you could only have one Agility-linked skill at a score of 4 or higher.

Knowledge/Language Skills: You may have a total of unmodified (Logic + Intuition) Knowledge Skills, and one additional Language Skill for every two points of Logic. Knowledge Skills are not limited by their linked attribute for purposes of determining their rating, but Language Skills are.

Skill Groups: Skill groups count as two skills for purposes of determining how many you may have. If a group consists of skills with more than one linked attribute, use the most appropriate attribute in your opinion for determining your limit. You may also split skill groups up as you see fit, though each skill you split from the group counts as an individual skill.

What's more, you are allowed to create up to two unique skill groups as long as it's directly related to your concept. Each such group should consist of three or four unique skills appropriate to the concept.

Example: Rebecca is creating a former KSAF reporter and is interested in making an Investigation skill group. She decides this group consists of Data Search, Infiltration, Perception and Shadowing and labels it as such on her character sheet. She then decides her group counts as an Intuition skill for purposes of determining how many skills she may have.

Specializations: You may have a total number of specializations equal to your unmodified Logic attribute x 1.5 (round up). This limit only applies to Active Skills; specializations are highly encouraged with Knowledge and Language Skills if appropriate. Skill Groups may not have a specialization, but you can split a single skill from a group to specialize in.



[ MAGIC ]

If you are playing a non-magician, you can skip this section.

Initiation: Dedicated magicians may start the game with an initiation grade as high as Grade 5, while secondary magicians may begin as high as Grade 3. Each grade grants two abilities, each with two options as seen below.
  1. One metamagic technique OR a +1 to your maximum Magic rating.
  2. One metamagic technique OR a +1 to your Magic rating.
You can mix these abilities up however you want for each grade you decide to take. For example, you could gain two metamagic techniques on your first grade, a metamagic technique and +1 to your base Magic rating on your second grade, and then +1 to your base and maximum Magic ratings for your third grade. The choice is yours, just make sure you tell me what you chose to do somewhere on your submission.

Also remember that your maximum initiatory grade is equal to your current Magic attribute. So if you only have a Magic of 2, you'll need to raise it before you can initiate to grade 3.

Ordeals: For each grade of initiation you underwent, you had the option to take an ordeal. Since Karma isn't an issue during character creation, each initiation ordeal instead grants you your choice of either two additional spells (see below) or 0.5 points worth of adept powers. The spells or adept powers you select must be related in some way to the ordeal you undertook, however. If you take this option, be sure to list which ordeal you took and what benefit you gained by doing so. If the ordeal required some sort of price, such as the lowering of an attribute rating, you must pay that price normally.

Magical Groups: You are free to join a magical group of your choosing or even of your own creation. Both the DIMR and MIT&T should have one or two groups that your character would have little problem getting into, though you can just as easily join some other group as you see fit. Just make sure it's either well-referenced or detailed on your character sheet as per the rules in Street Magic.

If you do decide to create your own magical group, and it's one sponsored by the DIMR or MIT&T, please post it here so that everyone who might be interested in joining it can participate in its creation and/or join themselves.

Note that groups with an Exclusive Membership restriction would probably be frowned upon as they limit your ability to infiltrate other groups. It's not a requirement, of course, but it is something you might want to keep in mind as you look around or create your own group.

Spells: You may begin the game with a number of spells equal to twice your unmodified (Spellcasting + Magic) ratings. If you chose to take an ordeal as part of your initiations (see above), you receive two additional spells per ordeal. Additional spells cost 30,000Â¥ from your personal savings account (see Equipment below).

Adept Powers: Follow the normal rules for determining how many adept powers you have and their maximum ratings. If you chose to take an ordeal as part of your initiations (see above), you gain an addition 0.5 Power Points to spend per ordeal.

Ally Spirits: If you are capable of conjuring an ally spirit, you may begin the game with one... at a cost. You must purchase the Ally Conjuration metamagic and sacrifice one additional metamagic technique in order to do so (two metamagic techniques total). See the Equipment section below for more limitations. You will also need to have the Binding and Arcana active skills in addition to everything else.

The maximum Force of the ally spirit is limited by your unmodified Magic attribute. You will then receive the equivalence of four times your unmodified Binding + Arcana skills in virtual Karma with which you may purchase any additional forms, attributes, skills, spells, or powers for your ally spirit. If any of the forms you give your ally spirit are unusual (such as a motorcycle or katana), your ally spirit will take up both of your signature items instead of just one. See Equipment below for more information.

For example, if you a Magic of 4, Binding 5, and Arcana 5, you could begin with game with up to a Force 4 ally spirit that has 40 Karma worth of additional abilities.

Formulas: It is assumed you own all the associated formulae for any spells, ally spirits, and foci you begin the game with. These can be in any format you like, but are typically digital.

Tweaking the Rules: The following optional rules found in Street Magic (p. 31) will be used in this game: Arcana, Adepts and Geasa, Magic Loss, and Ritual Magic.



[ IMPLANTS ]

Dedicated Magicians: Dedicated magicians may begin with the game with only Alpha or Standard grade implants as appropriate. More than one or two points of implants will be frowned upon, but this is not an actual restriction.

Secondary Magicians: Secondary magicians may begin with up to two Beta grade implants whose total value do not exceed 400,000 nuyen each (which includes any accessories or upgrades the implant may have). Any other implants must be of Alpha or Standard grade as appropriate.

Non-Magicians: Non-magicians may begin with up to four Delta grade implants whose total value do not exceed 1,000,000 nuyen each and up to four Beta grade implants up to 600,000 nuyen each. These values include any accessories or upgrades the implant may have. All other implants are limited to Alpha or Standard grade as appropriate.

If you are having trouble rationalizing how or why your character might have such valuable or high-grade implants, assume they were special rewards and/or compensations granted to you by the DIMR for exemplary service in the past.

Brand Names: Recently, I've found myself thoroughly enjoying the act of giving my implants a unique brand name. It's an easy way to add a lot of color and style to a character, and it's something I'd like to see everyone do for this game as well. This isn't to say that you have to cook up a name for every little accessory, but I would like to see one for any major implants you have. Some examples follow.
  • Ares OpenThrottle II (Move-By-Wire 2) [Delta; 1.50c]
  • Evo Mind Lynx (Datajack) [Delta; 0.05c]
  • Genetique Chrome-a-Zomes (Adapsin Enhanced Protein) [Genetech; 0.20b]
  • Spinrad Industries Clearview v.306 (Image Link) [Beta; 0.07c]
Please note that you do not have to list any financial costs on your character sheet, only the grade and total Essence cost for the implant and its accessories. Regarding notation, append a lowercase "b" to the end of the Essence cost of bioware/genetech implants and a lowercase "c" to end of the Essence cost of cyberware/nanocybernetic implants. See above for examples of how I'd like to see them noted. Additionally, round all Essence costs up to the nearest two decimal places (a modified implant costing 0.125 Essence would instead cost 0.13 Essence).

Tweaking the Rules: The following options rules found in Augmentation (pp. 22-23) will be used in this game: Second-Hand Implants, Limiting Nanoware, Limiting Nanocybernetics, Symbionts for Everyone (one only), and Injecting Enhanced Proteins. Note that the optional rule for Cosmetic Surgery found here is not an option.



[ CONTACTS ]

The DIMR will often have you traveling abroad and, as such, will often supply you with a name or two of local contacts who will assist you in your missions. These contacts typically assist you by putting you in touch with "friends of a friend" type contacts with whom you can choose to foster a closer relationship with as time goes on or forget about them as soon as the job is complete. In other words, like most important aspects of your job, the DIMR will be taking care of all the little details for you.

However, there will be times in which having your own network of contacts will be invaluable.

Personal Contacts: Everyone may begin the game with up to five free contacts of choice ("up to" not "must have"). These contacts should include immediate family, spouses, children, or partners with which you've had a very close and intimate relationship with over the years. They should be in the Loyalty 4-6 range, though their Connections rating will probably be low if not non-existant altogether. If you have an ally spirit and/or magical group, they count as one of these contacts (give them a Loyalty of 4-6 and Connection rating equal to their Force or Resources as appropriate).

Professional Contacts: Beyond that, you will have also likely fostered more professional relationships over the years. These contacts will be purchased using a point-based system. You have two pools of points; your Loyalty Pool is equal to your unmodified (Charisma + Etiquette) x 3 and your Connections Pool is equal to your unmodified (Charisma + Negotiations) x 3. For example, if you have a Charisma of 4, an Etiquette of 3, and a Negotiations of 4 you will have a Loyalty Pool of 21 and a Connection Pool of 24 with which to purchase these contacts. Any unspent points are lost. You can buy additional points on a 1:5,000Â¥ ratio from your personal savings account (see Equipment below for details).

Who's the Boss?: Additionally, everyone receives a free contact named Antonio Roccamora at Connections 5 and Loyalty 5. I'll be writing more up on him eventually, but for the most part he's your main boss at the DIMR and middleman to the council. He's a half-black and half-Samoan troll, rumor has it he was a drek-hot decker back in the day, and he is pretty much the "real life" representation of every police chief you've ever seen in an action movie as far as his modern personality goes. :D

Reputation: The rules for Street Cred, Infamy, and Publicity all revolve around SINless criminals and thus will not be used in this game. I considered creating my own house rules for non-Shadowrunner use, but it was too much work for too little gain. Thus I'm simply not going to use them at all, even for any shadowrunners you may come across.



[ EQUIPMENT ]

Free Shit: As previously mentioned, your monthly salary with the DIMR includes a free High Lifestyle. This lifestyle includes up to two luxury vehicles of choice (up to a sports car or motorboat), a gold Nightingale (DocWagon) contract, plus an expense account for entertainment, food, clothing, and things of that nature. In addition, you also receive 5,000Â¥ per month to do with as you see fit and also have a personal savings account valued at 250,000Â¥.

Most of your standard work gear will be supplied to you on an as-needed basis and will almost always be top-of-the-line. This includes such things as communications, fake SINs and licenses, standard firearms and armor, transportation, surveillance gear, medical gear, and consumables (such as ammunition and binding materials). Basically if it's not vital to your character, don't worry about listing it on your sheet. You'll be well taken care of.

Signature Items: Each character begins play with two (2) signature items of choice. These can be nearly anything you desire as long as it's appropriate to your character's theme. A stacked focus, a custom spell, a sniper rifle, a biodrone, or even something as expensive as a thunderbird are all within your grasp. If the item has a rating limit, your maximum limit for that item is equal to your unmodified attribute rating that most closely matches it (foci, for instance, are limited by your Magic rating).

Ally Spirits: If you begin the game with an ally spirit, your spirit counts as one of your signature items. If they can assume one or more inanimate objects such as a motorcycle or sword, the spirit counts as both of your signature items.

Commlinks: Everyone also begins the game with a tricked-out commlink (Firewall 6/Response 6/Signal 6/System 6). This commlink comes with every Common Use program, one Agent and one IC, and up to three Hacking programs of choice all at a rating of 6 for free. If you are a professional Hacker or Technomancer you receive all of the Hacking programs at the same rating as well. Be sure to give the commlink and its operating system a brand name of your choosing and describe it however you wish.

PANs: I really hate how the Matrix rules work in SR4. For all intents and purposes, ignore the various loopholes that exist in the rules regarding them. Your commlink is -the- central hub for your PAN and anyone who wants to affect your equipment via hacking will have to punch past your commlink first. To combat them, all you have to do is turn the wireless connectivity off. No worries, no hassles, no fuss. Also, assume all electronic gear comes with a Skinlink by default.

Additional Gear: If there's any other special equipment or gear you'd be interested in, you need to spend the nuyen in your personal savings account to buy it. Ignore Availabilities if you have the appropriate contact for the item (they should have Connection 3 for Restricted or Beta-grade gear and Connection 5 for Forbidden or Delta-grade gear). If you don't, you are limited to an Availability of 12 and it cannot be Restricted or Forbidden. If the item requires Karma to bind with it, you must "spend" the equivalence of 10,000Â¥ per Karma on top of the normal cost.

Licenses: If any of your items or implants require a license, assume you have one associated with your legal SIN. If you'd like to have any personal fake SINs that are separate from the DIMR, you'll need to purchase them as well as any fake licenses for it.
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fistandantilus4....
post Sep 10 2007, 11:08 PM
Post #6


Uncle Fisty
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Posts: 13,891
Joined: 3-January 05
From: Next To Her
Member No.: 6,928



careful Trigger. Apparently, Doc doesn't like abbreviations. IIRC ;)

:P
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Lady Door
post Sep 10 2007, 11:15 PM
Post #7


Dumpshock Widow aka Mrs Fisty
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Posts: 2,443
Joined: 3-January 05
From: Next to Him
Member No.: 6,929



*elbows everyone aside*

I'm in. Give me a moment and I'll have the character concepts up for perusal.
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Ol' Scratch
post Sep 10 2007, 11:30 PM
Post #8


Immortal Elf
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Joined: 26-February 02
Member No.: 1,890



QUOTE (fistandantilus3.0)
careful Trigger. Apparently, Doc doesn't like abbreviations. IIRC ;)

I'll have you know that I used quite a few abbreviations in my original post! However, that lack of capitalization on "Careful" just earned you -50 Karma. Take that! (Whee, now I get to say that!)
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SinN
post Sep 10 2007, 11:32 PM
Post #9


Shooting Target
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Group: Members
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From: Payson, Utah
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Mind if I join up? I have a new char I wanna introduce to dumpshock?
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Ol' Scratch
post Sep 10 2007, 11:49 PM
Post #10


Immortal Elf
**********

Group: Validating
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Member No.: 1,890



Everyone's welcome to submit a few concepts, though I can't guarantee anyone's approval. As I said in my first post, I'm aiming for a team consisting of four characters but I might expand that up to six if there's some really phenomenal submissions.

I should reiterate that shadowrunner-type characters probably won't be accepted. This game sort of dictates brand new concepts and character ideas due to the alternate nature of it. But if you think your idea works, don't hold back on submitting him or her. :)
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Fortune
post Sep 11 2007, 12:18 AM
Post #11


Immoral Elf
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But you stole my character concept and used it as one of your examples in the opening post, and now I stuck. :(
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Redjack
post Sep 11 2007, 01:41 AM
Post #12


Man Behind the Curtain
**********

Group: Admin
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From: End of the Yellow-Brick Road
Member No.: 3



QUOTE (fistandantilus3.0)
So, can I play a vampire? :D

I'll put up my first pitch tonight.

An initiate mage, vampire, technomancer dragon-kin....
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fistandantilus4....
post Sep 11 2007, 02:03 AM
Post #13


Uncle Fisty
**********

Group: Admin
Posts: 13,891
Joined: 3-January 05
From: Next To Her
Member No.: 6,928



QUOTE
Character's Name
Character's Profession (Race and Archetype)

Background Summary: A brief synopsis of who and what the character is.
Reason for Recruitment: Why did the DIMR recruit him?
Background Quality: Any quality of your choosing that relates to the character's professional or social life.
Random Quality: A single quality chosen at random that has nothing to do with the character's professional or social life, but is instead just a curious quirk they have.


QUOTE
Character's Name

Gabriel Michael Vaughn

QUOTE
Character's Profession (Race and Archetype)

Human Ex - Lone Star Detective

QUOTE
Background Summary: A brief synopsis of who and what the character is.

Using spoiler because it's long. Based off a previosuly played character's backgruond and game play.
[ Spoiler ]


QUOTE
Reason for Recruitment: Why did the DIMR recruit him?

Vaughn has a long history of investigating magical quandries, and has proven very resourceful in the past. He's also used to working within 'official" and non-offiial parameters, and is most certainly not a shadowrunner.

QUOTE
Background Quality: Any quality of your choosing that relates to the character's professional or social life.

Closet idealist, outward cynic. He's seen it all, and become a bit jaided, but still hopeful. He just doesn't set his hopes very high. He's also extremely determined, and often doesn't know when to quit. 'Stubborn' would be a good word to describe him.

QUOTE
Random Quality: A single quality chosen at random that has nothing to do with the character's professional or social life, but is instead just a curious quirk they have

He smokes heavily , and drinks a lot to coover u p the taste of the cigarettes. He prefers seedy strip clubs to any place with a beat. He'd rather go to a dive bar than a restaurant, and have a pizza and a beer than a real steak. He's the type to wear a plain gray t-shirt and jeans from Kong-Wal-mart along with his leather boots and wyvern hide black loncoat.
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DuckEggBlue Omeg...
post Sep 11 2007, 03:33 AM
Post #14


Moving Target
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QUOTE (Doctor Funkenstein @ Sep 11 2007, 06:49 AM)
you were one of those rare few who could be trusted to do the right thing regardless of morality

... that's an ... interesting statement.

Mores the pity I can't post often enough to meet your stringent criteria (I would've liked to play something unusual like a plucky janitor whose encyclopedic knowledgeof cleaning equipment and insecticides allowed him to save an underpriviledged high school from a bug shaman whilst teaching a group of wayward students some real lessons about life).
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Galedeep
post Sep 11 2007, 03:37 AM
Post #15


Moving Target
**

Group: Members
Posts: 121
Joined: 21-July 07
Member No.: 12,325



Jarred Butler
Former Big Game Hunter/Marksman, Bug Hunter (Elven Sharpshooter)

Background Summary:
Born in the middle of Chicago, circa 2022, Jarred was the only child of a prosperous fixer and his dedicated wife, a pair of true southerners displaced when his activities came to light and the local law took grievance with him. Though his father was heavily involved in the shadow community, his mother, a naïve, tenderhearted Southern Belle, had nothing to do with the shadows, and kept him out of trouble in his early childhood. He went to school, got a good education, or at least as good as tax dollars provided, and was well fed. He was active in sports, and over time, grew to a fine young man. By the age of 23, he was managing a local gun store, giving shooting lessons on the side, and helping pay for the extensive medical bills his father was racking up, as his activities had finally caught up to him. His father spent the last few years of his life in a hospice, run by the Universal Brotherhood, which helped take care of much of the expense; Jarred was grateful, and spent a good deal of his time volunteering at the organization.
After his fathers death, and his mothers soon thereafter, he remained in the city, refining his talents with weapons of all sorts. He had expressed some magical traits, mostly only improving that which he was already quite talented at, though he did invest in some cyberspurs, each of which he had enchanted and bonded. When the Universal Brotherhood was revealed to be a bug hive, they proved quite useful. He spent the next year and a half of his life roaming the city, loaded down with guns from the shop he had once managed, slaughtering every bug he could find. Eventually, he gave it up as hopeless; slipping through the walls, he left the country behind, determined to start over elsewhere.
He made it to Africa, where he spent over a decade learning about the paranormal, how to hunt the bigger, more dangerous critters, and how to survive in the wild. He made a career out of it, though it was relatively meager, until he found something better.

Reason for Recruitment: His talents lie in the outdoors, and in his skill with firearms, a skill that, besides considerable natural talent and a great deal of training, is enhanced by his magical traits. He is a staunchly pragmatic man, with a hint of a hero-complex, and he knows how to deal with a variety of paranormal entities. When word got out of his work inside Chicago, he was a perfect candidate for the kinds of missions the DIMR.

Background Quality (Need for Action): Jarred was molded in his time in Chicago, working on his own, for himself, as a vigilante, taking out the bug spirits that had infested his home. He despises the fact that he once gave up his time and money to further the organization that destroyed his home, and is sickened at the thought of his father having been in their care. To this day, if he sees someone in need, he rushes in, determined to make sure that there is a selfless, caring force in the world, that will take care of others for the simple sake of caring, even if that force has to be him. This has led him to search out action, no matter where he goes, and always support the little guy, along with the fact that he is deeply suspicious of large groups, no matter their cause.


Random Flaw (Brash Nature): Jarred is a good man, intensely moral in his own way, but he has no problem whatsoever with taking life. Be it a spirit, a metahuman, a paranormal critter, a horse…he’ll shoot it dead in an instant, if he thinks it needs doing. He doesn’t wait around, he just fires. If it’s sentient, he’ll wait to see if it deserves it, or if he thinks it’s a danger to him or his allies. It it’s not, he’ll gun it down to get it out of his way. Years of hunting dangerous creatures have given him a hair trigger, and he’s not ashamed of it; after all, it’s kept him alive.
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Fortune
post Sep 11 2007, 06:25 AM
Post #16


Immoral Elf
**********

Group: Members
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Joined: 29-March 02
From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat
Member No.: 2,486



So, you asked for it ... :D

[ Spoiler ]


This post has been edited by Fortune: Sep 12 2007, 01:40 AM
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Lady Door
post Sep 11 2007, 06:31 AM
Post #17


Dumpshock Widow aka Mrs Fisty
*****

Group: Members
Posts: 2,443
Joined: 3-January 05
From: Next to Him
Member No.: 6,929



Character's Name

Irisa Carter Rosselini


Character's Profession (Race and Archetype)
Elven Ancient Languages Professor/Scholar - Al-Azhar Universite in Cairo



Background Summary
: A brief synopsis of who and what the character is.

[ Spoiler ]



Reason for Recruitment
: Why did the DIMR recruit him?

Besides the obvious reasons listed above, Irisa's yearn for knowledge and vast knowledge of esoteric arcana makes her a valuable asset to a foundation built around the accumulation and preservation of magical lore and artifacts.
Plus, she gave them a dragon's lair. You gotta give a girl props for that.


Background Quality
: Any quality of your choosing that relates to the character's professional or social life.

Irisa, due to her scholarly nature, is a very pragmatic individual. She oftentimes appears withdrawn and solitary when in fact she's simply deep in thought. She's the type of person that prefers her books to people and woe be unto anyone who would treat her books without the utmost care.


Random Quality: A single quality chosen at random that has nothing to do with the character's professional or social life, but is instead just a curious quirk they have

Per above, she is deathly afraid of thorns and by association, roses. She's been in therapy for the last 8 years but it doesn't seem to be helping.
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Ophis
post Sep 11 2007, 05:38 PM
Post #18


Mystery Archaeologist
******

Group: Members
Posts: 2,906
Joined: 19-September 05
From: The apple tree
Member No.: 7,760



I have to pitch at this one...
Character's Name

William "Critical Bill" Barnes

Character's Profession (Race and Archetype)

Troll Ex Mercenary/Tank



Background Summary: A brief synopsis of who and what the character is.

This will grow.
Mercenary operative working for I.M.S. a small mercenary compant based in Lisbon. His unit was sent on a contract protecting an archaeological dig somewhere in the Ukraine. The archaeologists dug up something best left undisturbed (Bill can't quite remember) the Mercs tried to take it out but it almost killed them all, but in a moment of desperation Bill being the last soldier standing managed to throw a satchel charge into the creatures mouth and then shot it with a stinger missile... The records show this Bill just shrugs, he survived and was found covered in gore with a spent launch tube.


Reason for Recruitment: Why did the DIMR recruit him?

He face that which man was not meant to know, and shot it in the face, he's tough as nails physically and psychologically and has made a career at winning situations by a combination of luck and nerve.


Background Quality: Any quality of your choosing that relates to the character's professional or social life.

Lucky - Bill's amazing luck combined with his nerve gets him through life.

Random Quality: A single quality chosen at random that has nothing to do with the character's professional or social life, but is instead just a curious quirk they have

Bill loves animals, he's always feeding local strays and helping wounded animals. He's still a carnivore but pays through the nose for organically/humanely raised meat.
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Ol' Scratch
post Sep 11 2007, 07:32 PM
Post #19


Immortal Elf
**********

Group: Validating
Posts: 7,999
Joined: 26-February 02
Member No.: 1,890



I'm really digging most of the submissions so far! I was planning on keeping this thread up for at least a week, however, so don't be shy in submitting any other ideas you may have (or even adding on to or editing ones you already have). :)
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NerfHerder
post Sep 11 2007, 07:45 PM
Post #20


Target
*

Group: Members
Posts: 56
Joined: 23-June 07
Member No.: 11,990



I'll be getting one in a little later tonight. But I am throwing my hat in the ring!
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Meriss
post Sep 11 2007, 08:50 PM
Post #21


Shooting Target
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1,696
Joined: 17-February 07
From: Middle Sized City, Ontario, Canada
Member No.: 11,025



Very, very, tempted. *Looks at potential company* Extremly tempted. What the heck. I'm in! Concept to follow, *blinks* Mandy! :evil:
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HeySparky
post Sep 12 2007, 12:26 AM
Post #22


Neophyte Runner
*****

Group: Members
Posts: 2,077
Joined: 14-September 04
Member No.: 6,658



<this space for rent>

(Can't resist anything to do with Big D)


EDIT: BAH... saw recruitment closing tomorrow afternoon (time of post edit, 11:51 CST September 12) I was hoping for more time. Curse you quicker-on-the-draw-than-I-types!

Have fun!
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Trigger
post Sep 12 2007, 01:39 AM
Post #23


Running Target
***

Group: Members
Posts: 1,468
Joined: 5-December 06
From: Somewhere in the Flooding, CalFree
Member No.: 10,215



Character's Name:

Kyle "Lantern" Jordan

Character's Profession/ Archetype:

Field Operative for DIMR/ Doctorate Student at MIT&T

Background Summary: A Brief Synopsis of His Life:

[ Spoiler ]


Reason for Recruitment:

Kyle is the DIMR's personally trained agent and the Institute's surrogate child in some aspects. He has been with them for over 13 years now and the DIMR is his family, his life.

Background Quality:

Loyalty. Kyle is fiercely loyal to the DIMR and its employees. They are his family, his parents, his brothers and sisters.

Random Quality:

Despite his loyalty, Kyle is still an independent and rebellious teenager. He often sneaks out at night and slums it in the more urban sectors of Boston, and despite his corporate life he is in love with the street look. He has bright green hair and tattoos up and down his arms and chest.

(more to come later I believe, as well as other concepts.)
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Fortune
post Sep 12 2007, 01:40 AM
Post #24


Immoral Elf
**********

Group: Members
Posts: 15,247
Joined: 29-March 02
From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat
Member No.: 2,486



Edited Doc! ;)
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fistandantilus4....
post Sep 12 2007, 01:47 AM
Post #25


Uncle Fisty
**********

Group: Admin
Posts: 13,891
Joined: 3-January 05
From: Next To Her
Member No.: 6,928



QUOTE (NerfHerder)
I'll be getting one in a little later tonight. But I am throwing my hat in the ring!

Damn, this is getting to be a big 'ring'. Doc, maybe you should run two groups.
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