800 Point Characters...want to make one?, Pregens for a potential submission... Options

[Ryu]

Any change to the availability limitations? Or should we just use the new Restricted Gear quality to go past the usual 12?

See the opening post: "No restrictions on Availability or License ratings...which yes, this means you can walk into the scenario with a 40F piece of gear."

[Draco18s]

Oh god this looks fun.
I'll have to get around to it later I have a D&D 3.5 character level 14 to build by Sunday.

[Bobson]

See the opening post: "No restrictions on Availability or License ratings...which yes, this means you can walk into the scenario with a 40F piece of gear."

I missed that. Thanks for pointing it out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lick.gif)

[pbangarth]

Uncle Zola edited above.

Peter

EDIT: re-editing and story below.

Yes, I know the meaning of spaghetti code.

[Coldhand Jake]

Okay, kids. As a treat, here's Snowman and Belladonna, the two who became major issues in the first Passport to Pain. Note that these are not final drafts, but you should get an idea of what you're working against in general.

"Judas Frost" (aka The IC-Man, Black IC, Snowman)
Judas is a legendary wreck. After over two decades of running, including dying and being recreated in Mitsuhama's Project Phoenix, he's so close to Essence death that his mind is slipping, a tragedy, as he is, for all intents and purposes, one of the smartest men on the planet. His grip on reality is fading fast, and he spends all his time hardwired into a network in his compound, racing at breakneck speeds through the Matrix in hot sim, his body being nursed by the only two women in the world he can recognize as non-targets...the proto-AI Belladonna, an agent based on his dead girlfriend, and Hekate, his ex-lover and team Awakened healer. Should either be harmed or destroyed, he will return to the physical world, just long enough to kill anyone responsible (or in his path, or nearby...), then return to his digital oblivion. He has a daughter with Hekate, but he is so far gone, he cannot even recognize her as a person, much less his scion.

CODE

B A R S C I L W EDG ESS Init IP Matrix IP
6 6 9 6 6 6 10 6   7   0.05 15   4       5

Active Skills: Software (Operational Utilites) 7(9); Computer (commlinks) 6(8); Data Search (data havens) 6(8); Hardware (Matrix) 6(8); Cybercombat (Persona Icons) 6(8); Cybertechnology (Headware) 4(6); Hacking (nexus) 6(8); Electronic Warfare (Communications) 6(8); Perception (Hearing) 6(8); Dodge(Ranged Combat) 6(8); Cybershotguns 6; Joint Spurs 6; Pilot Ground Craft(Wheeled) 6(8); Pilot Transport Truck 6
Skill Groups: Athletics 6, Close Combat 6, Firearms 6, Influence 6, Stealth 6
Knowledge Skills: Denver Gangs (Dragon Slayers) 6(8); Mitsuhama Secrets(Project Phoenix) 5(7); Corporate Security Tactics(Mitsuhama) 4(6); Computer Background 6;
Corporate Matrix Security Procedures(Mitsuhama): 5(7); Matrix Chat Rooms: 3; Operating Systems(Mitsuhama): 5(7); Local Area Knowledge Denver: 5; Data Havens: 5; IC Identification(Mitsuhama): 5(7); Matrix Theory: 5; Megacorp Interests(Mitsuhama) 4(6)
Cyberware(All delta grade considered a kit):
· cyberarms(finger razors, forearm spurs, cybershotguns);
· cyberskull(custom 6/6 commlink w/hot sim; datajack; cybereyes 4; cyberears 4 (Audio Enhancement 3, Balance Augmenter, Damper, Ear Recording Unit, Select Sound Filter 6, Sound Link, Spatial Recognizer); data filter, encephalon 2; math SPU; simsense booster), olfactory booster 6, taste booster 6
· cybertorso (multiple redundant commlinks and datajacks)
· cyberlegs (multiple redundant commlinks and datajacks)
· touch link; skillwires 5 w/expert system, biomonitor
Bioware:
Cerebral Booster 3, Mnemonic Enhancer 3, Synaptic Booster 3, Sleep Regulator
Qualities:
Positive: Biocompatibility(cyber), Climate Adaptation (arctic), Exceptional Logic, Software Aptitude, Home Ground (The Slayers' Network)
Negative: Augmentation Addict, Berzerker, Cyberpsychosis, Chronic Dissociation Syndrome (CDS), Enemies, Escaped Clone, Hot Sim Addiction, Scorched, Wanted, Virtual Personality 3

"Belladonna"
"Belladonna" is an ARE Agent that Snowman wrote after the death of his first lover, to remind him of her. Over time, he fine-tuned her into a near-perfect representation, interacting with her constantly in ARE and VR, losing himself in her 'touch', which with his extensive mods, he could actually feel, smell, taste her... Judas is unaware, but Belladonna has long since awakened as a AI, but loves him so, that she spends all her time helping him, both with the vicious Matrix situations he gets in, as well as his loneliness and withdrawl from society. He loves her too, and has written masterpiece programs for her, but doesn't realize she is more than an echo of his memories...

CODE

Sys Fir Cha Int Log Wil EDG ESS Init IP
6   6   6   6   6   6   6   -   12    3

Inherent Programs: Analyze 7, Browse 6, Command 6, Edit 6, Empathy 7, Scan 6, Spoof 6, Reality Filter 6, Track 6, Virtual Person (Belladonna);
Idle Programs: Adaptability 3, Homeground 6, Expert Defense 3
Accessible Programs: All Common Use and Hacking at 9

Active Skills: Cracking Group 7, Electronics Group 7, Perception 6, Con 6
Qualities: Authority, Code Flux, Designer, First Impression, Redundancy, Rootkit, Sapper

CODE

                   Response Signal System Firewall Persona Limit Processor Limit
Home Nexus     6(11)    6(11)     6(9)     6(9)          10                  50

If anyone's points-juggling or CSS-fu is stronger than mine, you're welcome to tell me Black IC's proper Essence, and fix those stat blocks.

[ElFenrir]

Is this still going? I have a fun idea myself for a heavily-cybered fellow.

EDIT: Yes, I saw it was still going a few posts ago. I'll have this guy for you tonight. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[ElFenrir]

Double-post, but ahh well. Ok, here's my go at a(sort of half literal) monster. Keep in mind; i have 15 more points of - qualities to pick for him, I'm perusing them to see which will fit him the best. I'll fill them in when I'm done.

The Numbers:

[ Spoiler ]

Name: Sachiel Kisev
Alias: Azael
Height: 2.5m
Weight: 200kg
Race: Elf(Changeling)
Sex: Male
Age: 27
Hair: Long, reddish-black(well past shoulders)
Eyes: Orange-red(lava-colored)
Skin: Stark White


+ Qualities: 70

Surge Lv. 2(10)
Exceptional Attribute-Strength[20]
Horns[5]
Claws[5]
Satyr Legs[10]-+2 Strength of kicking attacks, running mod x 1.5, +2 dice Gymnastics Tests(including Gymnastics Dodge)
Savate Lv. 2[10]-+2 Dv Unarmed
Tae Kwan Do Lv. 1[5]-+1 DV Unarmed(For max +3 Total)
Metahuman Traits[5]-size(troll-height)

- Qualities: 60

Combat Monster[10]
Mild Allergy/Sun[10]
Scorched[5]
Flashbacks[5]
Nano Intolerance[5]
Sensitive Neural Structure[5]
Signature[10]
Critter Spook[5]
Mood Hair[5]

Surge Qualities:

+: Metagenic Improvement(Strength)
-: Extravagant Eyes
Striking Skin(Stark White)

The Numbers:

Attributes(375)

Body: 5[6, +3 dmg]
Agility: 6[10]
Reaction: 5[9]
Strength: 9[13]
Charisma: 6
Intuition: 5
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5
Edge: 5
Initative: 9/1[13/4]
Essence: 1.2

Active Skills: (224)

Unarmed Combat(Kicking): 6(+2)
Athletics Skill Group: 4
Intimidation(Mental): 5(+2)
Exotic Melee Weapon(Claws): 6
Infiltration(Urban): 4(+2)
Perception: 4
Shadowing(Tailing): 3(+2)
Etiquette(Street): 4(+2)
Longarms(Shotguns): 3(+2)
Blades: 5
Armorer(Melee Weapons): 1(+2)
Heavy Weapons: 2
Survival: 1
Pistols: 1

Knowledge/Language Skills: (24 Free)

AK: Seattle: 4
Safehouse Locations: 4
Shadowrunner Haunts: 4
Techno-Metal Music: 2
Gory Fighting Techniques: 4
Corporate Hosts: 3

English: N
Sperethiel: 3

Maneuvers(12)

Kick Attack
Riposte
Finishing Blow
Watchful Guard
Herding
Set Up

Contacts(28):

Jaina(Mage/Enchanter, 24 year old elf): C3 L6
Hampton(22 year old troll hacker): C3 L4
Fixer: C5 L4
Bartender: C2 L1

Resources: 620,000-124 BP

Implants(522,250)

Muscle Augmentation Lv. 3
Muscle Toner Lv. 3
Suprathyroid Gland
Synaptic Boosters Lv. 3
Synthacardium Lv. 3
Reflex Recorder(Unarmed Combat)
Thermographic Vision/Flare Compensation/Smartlink/Vision Enhance 3 Eye Mods
Titanium Bone Lacing(Alphaware)
Genetic Optimization(Strength)

Gear:

High Lifestyle(1 month prepaid)
Fake ID Rating 6
2x Fake Licences, Rating 6

No-Dachi(Personalized Grip, Meta Custom Large, Custom Look 1): 2800 11P, +2 Reach
Unarmed: 13P(Kick 14P, +1 Reach)
Claws: 8P(hands), 9P(feet, +1 reach)
Franchi-SPAS 22 Shotgun(Personalized Grip, Gas Vent 2, Meta Custom Large, Custom Look 1), w/ 100 rounds regular, fletchette, APDS rounds, 50 AV rounds-4500
Ares Predator IV(Pers. Grip, Meta Custom Large): 1405, w/ 12 clips, 60 rounds each regular, gel, APDS ammo, concealable holster

Armor:

Armor Jacket(900), 8/6-w/ Fire Resist/NonConductivity 3, Insulation,Chem Protection and Thermal Dampening 2
Forearm Guards: 0/1, 250
Shin Guards: 0/1, 150
Vitals Protector, 1/1-200
Titanium Bone Lacing: 1/1
Form-Fitting Body Armor: 4/1-900


Armorer Tools Kit(500)
Survival Kit(100)
Medkit(6)/4 refills(800)
Climbing Gear(200)
100m. rope(50)
Sony Emperor Commlink/Redcap Nix OS, Skinlink, Subvocal mic(1200)
Earbuds w/ Audio Enhancement 3, Spatial Recognizer, Select Sound Filter 3: 1010

More Gear As Appropriate.

Full Heavy Military Body Armor(Heavily Customized) with Helmet: 58,000 nuyen

-Hydraulic Jacks Lv. 6
-Mobility Upgrade Lv. 2
-Strength Upgrade Lv. 3
-Quick Release

Total Armor(w/bone lacing and helmet) : 19/17


(Shadowtalk)

-Let me say, this one's pretty...hardcore. You don't want to fight him head to head. Trust me.
<Vergil>

-Heh, I might be bigger than he is.
<Gutz>

-I doubt it. I've seen you, and I've seen him. He's probably stronger than you, too. As they said almost a century ago, this is the guy that Chuck Norris checks under his bed and in his closet for at night before he goes to sleep.
<Vergil>

-Chuck Norris? You mean the governor of Philadelphia?
<0ICU812>

-He's still in office?
<Gutz>

Background:

[ Spoiler ]

Sachiel, named due to his slightly flaky parents, had the chance at a normal life...but a few things sort of sent his world spinning upside down. He lost a beloved younger brother to a random car accident, sending him into blacker moods, and this made him a bit more sullen and withdrawn. He could had paid more attention in school, but he didn't-after his parents were laid off due to a few problems, they ended up in a lower part of town, where he began to run with, needless to say, the wrong crowd-which led him to the world of petty organized crime. The young, tough, and attractive charasmatic elf found his way into acceptance somehow, and became quite the...thug, to put it nicely. However, worse did eventually come to worse, it was down to kill or be killed one day-and he killed...and was caught, going away to prison. However, since a fairly decent lawyer managed to convince them of a somewhat self-defense situation, he managed to get manslaughter(on the grounds of excessive force being used in the situation).

In prison, he became known for his violent temper which had only gotten worse over the years, and eventually he was put into solitary confinement-if anything, to protect both himself so he could sleep, and the other prisoners, several of whom were seriously injured.

Just when things looked like they couldn't get worse, he SURGED. Not terribly minor, either. He resembled something out of Hell. In the prison infirmary, he grew almost half a meter taller than he was; his legs painfully transforming to that of more beastlike-large, clawed feet, with short, white fur covering them; his skin near bleached stark-white, his eyes turning the color of molten lava. If that weren't enough, the ram's horns that grew on his head, and the long, spikelike horns on his shoulders cemented him as a sort of demon-man...and his natural strength increased greatly, as well. He survived his changes, but releasing him to genpop was not a good idea, as he was even more dangerous, now.

He got out, though...but not the way he wanted. Some people heard about him, who passed things down the line, and down the line...and after a few greased palms and turned heads, he found his way down to the fighting pits of Aztlan. His demonic-like appearance(surprisingly, he did not resemble a monster, per se...his face looked exactly the same as before, but...well, when your body looks like that of a two and a half meter tall devil...)made him popular, as did his extreme strength and brutal fighting style; after he started winning, he became cybered, won more, had more cyberware added, until he was immensely powerful; trolls even bowed before his great strength. His fighting was swift and bloody-or as swift as they wanted it, his legs able to throw kicks which could shatter a skull on contact.

However, they started sending more armed people after him...and more after that. Sachiel, now going under the more appropriate name of Azael, was smart, and he knew he wasn't invulnerable, by far. He wanted freedom. Bit by bit, meeting with the right people, he managed to plan his escape; and somehow, he managed himself back to the underground of Seattle, after a long spell.

However, three years in prison, SURGing into a sort of devil, and being forced to kill in a blood-pit for another year had taken it's toll on the young elf's mental health. Unable to fit back into normal society very well due to his appearance, he did find some solace in the more changeling-friendly underground. Enjoying things like women(he had no problem picking them up there-they were more than happy to go with the fellow, who, through everything, did not lose his good looks), BTLs, and other street drugs, once again his life began to spiral down, as he tried to shut out some of the things he had to experience in the blood pits. Naturally, this led to a different spiral of sorts. He ended up fighting again in more underground street-pits, this time more local; he new little else at this point, and due to his usually heavily BTL-addled mind it was all he cared to know. He knew in the back of his head, that drugs or his lifestyle might well kill him, or he could end up once again in prison...and this time, not on self-defense charges.

During all of this, however, he met with a young troll, Harper E.''Hampton'' Wallace, a self-proclaimed genius hacker, at one of the quieter, smaller places he would go on his more ''down-days.'' Hampton wasn't any sort of changeling, but they managed to get along, somehow. Through him, he was introduced to Jaina-the magical scientist. A young woman, also a genius, and not much for combat-mage stuff, she loved the world of enchanting, and was actually taken by the giant, changeling elf, when she got to speak to him the times he was more straight.

As they became closer, she worried of his lifestyle, that he could start out all over again, or end up worse. He finally decided enough was enough, and that he wasn't going to die young; that he had some more that he could do with his life. He managed to get off of everything, going through a period of somewhat painful withdrawl; his mental state left a bit shaky afterward. Some of her pain-resisting spells helped him through this. She stuck with him the entire time; friends coming into his life began to sort of piece the young changeling elf's mind back together again. He also found something else in Jaina.

Months later, Azael was clean, oiled, and...ready for something. But he was escaped from Aztlan, though he figured any sort of parole was waived, as he had a feeling the prison had ''sold'' him in a rather under the table kind of fashion. His only skills involved taking people apart in varied, bloody ways. But thanks to Jaina and Hampton, he began running the underground in a different manner. He developed more skills-stealth, survival, cunning-he always was cunning, but now, besides being an extremely efficient fighter, he was a stalker, knowing a lot about the streets, and very keen-sensed. He was good at anything involving heavy lifting, and was very charismatic; he found acceptance in this underground, and began to develop more of a professional attitude toward everything. Bit by bit, he worked his way up the rung, hitting bigger and bigger jobs.

--

A few years later, he is now a figure to be feared...and respected. He's known for being one of the strongest elves in the shadows...if not the strongest-he's also extremely cunning and skilled, so he is no one-trick pony. Trolls joke that he could probably beat about ninety percent of them in arm-wrestling. He's well-adjusted these days and quite professional-acting, though he still has the same appearance he always does-he began to kind of like it. He's still got a girlfriend of sorts in Jaina...while they never said anything technical about their relationship over the past three years...it's sort of unspoken between them, though they do not live together. He very much enjoys his high lifestyle, having lived a long, long time without a lot of comforts.

Needless to say, he's got good Street Cred and is very good at the jobs he's specialized in. He's not an ''I Can Do Anything'' runner...but what he can do, he's damned good at it.

Personality and Appearance:

[ Spoiler ]

Azael these days is actually rather laid back; unless someone tries to get on his, or one of his friend's, bad sides, that is. Especially Jaina. If any runner even thinks about, say, trying to rob her enchanting shop and harming her, they are in for a world of hurt.

Appearance wise, Azael stands around 2.5 meters tall; he's very, very tall, and strongly built; his reddish black-hair is straight and worn well past his shoulders. His skin is stark white, and eyes the color of molten metal. His legs, as said, are satyr-like, ending in clawed, beastlike feet instead of hooves; his claws are long, kept sharp, and would be white if they weren't slightly stained reddish from blood over the years; this is rather subtle, however. The claws on his hands are the same, though those are kept a BIT more trim-they can still be used as weapons, however. The fur on his legs is short and white like his skin-tone. His ears are pointed like an elf, his head holds curved, ramlike horns, and he has straight horns coming from his shoulders, several inches long and angled back slightly. He has modified his jackets and clothing for these. He is usually seen wearing a black, armored jacket that's well-fitted to him, fingerless gloves, a tank top and a pair of cargos-these are cinched at his ankle(his ''third knee'' in his type of leg), he cannot wear traditional footwear, but he had made a set of protective, kevlar-style wrappings to protect his more vulnerable lower legs if he needs to; looking a bit like the ankle-wraps a ring-fighter would wear, these allow his claws to stay out since he uses them in fighting. They are treated with chemical protection, just like his armor. There is no hiding this guy, in any way. He is still very handsome, looking a couple years younger than he is; he is, according to some, even slightly angelic looking, in a way-hence his old street-pit nickname of the Fallen Angel(which he tends to frown upon, as it makes him sound as if he is some angsty teenager.) On runs, he supplements his armor with some shin and forearm guards, vitals protection, and a half-suit of form-fitting body armor. He actually takes quite good care of his looks-while he's not vain, he sort of has some of that...elven pride still in him.

He is very stealthy, however; at first glance he might not look it, but he can sneak up and neutralize an opponent very quickly. He's skilled in blades and extremely skilled in unarmed combat, relying mainly on his legs to attack, using his natural strength and reach to his advantage.

He's not a bad guy, in the end. He could even be made friends with; people just have to make sure they don't cross him in any way.

-That's the truth. Someone tried to pop the troll kid that he hangs out with in the back of the head-with a heavy-calibur handgun-and then went after the mage...the one who's kind of his girl, from what I understand. They managed to escape without being hurt. He showed up. Dunno what that was all about, but he did. I think the hacker had some paydata he wanted, and the mage had some sorta formula. They found the guy, apparently, later on. Well, dunno who they is, but I think some gangers or somethin'. They was apparently something along the lines of a ''red stain on the ground.'' Rumor has it Azael...trampled the guy to death. After tearing his arm off. From his legs to his head. Very, very nasty.
>Vergil

-That reminds me, I just got Billy Boy's new soy-salsa recipe, if anyone wants to try some.
>Chili Joe

-Anyone wants a copy of that, you know how to contact me. I have that and many, many others...
>Ripper Jack

-...you're just sick.
>Vergil

He acts quite the professional, as said; and his appearance these days doesn't keep him out of meets. He knows quite well how to behave himself, and is even quite socially saavy; he's also amazingly intimidating. He is a very good shot with a shotgun, and is even starting to learn pistols; his natural talent makes him a good shot with about any gun he picks up. Teammates have suggested he get into heavy weapons; his sheer size and strength would make them not a problem for him. He tends to prefer things up close and personal. He has taken to enjoying tinkering with his weapons and armor; while he's by no means a pro, it's something he enjoys in his spare time. He does, through everything, have a sense of humor; Jaina's little brother, who is but ten years old(and she swears is showing signs of being an Adept) likes him a lot; thinking him much like one of the guys in the games he plays. Azael, having fond memories of his old little sibling, has sort of a friendship with the little guy, but sometimes wrestles with himself, hoping that the guy can develop his powers, if he indeed has them, in a healthier way-sportsmanship, athletics, tournaments-so his hands don't end up as stained as his. One day, he might decide to finally pull out all the way, and maybe actually settle down. He's often disturbed in which the ease he can do certain things, and he hopes he doesn't leave himself behind; so he does take careful care to take part in many more ''normal'' things in life, as much as he can...which isn't all the time, sadly. But he's so far into the shadows now-as a sort of ''known man'', he is called upon often for the heavy lifting that some of the bigger names even have trouble handling. He knows he's good, he knows what he can and can't do, and he's seen so much of some out-there stuff that it's kind of hard to ever forget it.

His ''signature'' is more or less just...whatever he leaves behind in a particular wetwork situation. Which usually involves rather nasty things, given his sheer power. He doesn't go out of his way for this, but when the combat-rage hits, he tends to take things too far. On less violent times, he usually leaves behind large claw-marks wherever he was; if it was a more fatal situation, in the body somewhere, or just around in a wall, floor, or whatnot on the times where he just manages to scare the people off(which he tries to do). Wetwork jobs he handles with professionalism, however, on those times he loses control, he tends to be a bit melancholy afterward. Fighting for protection/for a job is one thing, but losing it with a bunch of gangers is another. He sometimes swears his old life left two sides to him; the side that's trying to act the pro and take care of biz in a clean kind of manner(as clean as the shadows can be), and the old, blood-pit fighter.

He does have a lighter side to his personality; he enjoys clubs which play some strange mix of heavy metal and techno-music, he has a taste for imported beer(German in particular, though the average personal akins this to eating a loaf of bread), and he's even started to get into varied games, thanks to Jaina's little brother. While he is a force to be feared on the streets, the 10 year old still schools him rather consistently in the fighting game world. He has a particular little bar he likes to hang out at, and he's oftentimes there with his friends and ''girlfriend''. [They aren't ''prime runners'' per se, but think of them as like a good 750 Karma build, hence their 3 Connection Ratings.] On problematic nights, the higher-ups in the bar/club don't mind when he takes things into his own hands, as he is a bit more intimidating than their bouncers. He smokes cigarettes occasionally, but doesn't have any of his really bad addictions anymore.

He might be only 27 years old, but since he started even running in the underground as mob muscle at 17, he's had a decade of experience between that, living through prison, living through the blood pits of Aztlan, and then more years of running on top of that. So he's certainly not to be trifled with; what's even scarier is that he can still expand things.

His heavy military armor is highly customized. It's appearance is...befitting of him; the dark red and black motif that fits his hair. It is very sleekly designed and not as bulky-looking; he paid a fair amount of nuyen to have this done. He also had to get the legs redone; for him to take full advantage of the strange shape and the power the provide, the legs of the armor are very well-customized to them. Instead of regular boots, plates of the armor are used interlocking so they can move more smoothly, still providing very good protection, but allowing him to run comfortably and for his natural, sharp ''weapons'' to be able to be utilized. The shoulders, also, had to be customized to allow the horns on his back out; the helmet as well for the horns on his head.

He doesn't wear this on the stealthy runs, preferring the soft armor mentioned above; but on heavy-hitting missions, this is broken out-it's significant protection and very significant intimidation factor and power-his legs, with the hydraulic jacks, and natural and augmented Strength and Agility allow him to do utterly amazing jumps.

-Oh, I've heard some stories here, as well. But I'll spare the details.
>Vergil

-Aww, c'mon. We're all adults, here! I wanna hear the good stuff! Did he make the guys go splat again? Did he? Was it worse than the last time?
>Ripper Jack

-I'm not supporting your ultraviolent snuff BTL biz. Take it somewhere else.
>Vergil

-Damn.
>Ripper Jack

-I don't think he'd be too happy if he knew what you were doing, either, by the way. Just a heads up. Unless you want to end up on one of your own little ''creations.'' You don't know him like I do...those ''crazy times'' usually involve something...else happening with him. He's not always like that. It's usually one strike, one down with him. He just can't help it when it gets a bit...messy.
>Vergil

-...
>Ripper Jack

-Thought that might change your mind.
>Vergil

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long background, I could probably cut it down to a couple of paragraphs + one for appearance and personality. Or less, even.

Well, he's not, like, invincible. But he's preeety twinky in some ways. He could have been worse; but since there was an adept up, I wanted to go straight cyberware with this guy[though I did have a rough adept/cyber build. It was...how do I put it...sick.] I apologize for the slightly videogame esque edge to him. I just had that...urge. I'm an avid gamer, and I thought ''what kind of character would I like to play in a game?' and this guy came out. I hope he keeps enough of the...Shadowrunny-type of edge to him. He's actually a sort of blend of two other characters I made in the past, and I had been sitting on and tweaking this idea for a long time. I wanted him...strong. That was the original idea, so yeah, I tweaked it pretty extensively.

He's a killer, for sure, though. After all is said and done, 20 dice for kicking attacks with 14P damage(15 in the armor), you don't want to face him. Plenty of dodging dice are available; his legs give him a +2 to Gymnastics, including Gymnastics Dodge. 14/11 armor, just plain soft armor. With his connections now, getting a set of mil-spec powered armor wouldn't be out of the way. His Body isn't Troll-like, but a 6 augmented with an additional 3 to damage soak certainly isn't *bad* in any way. 5 Edge is pretty nice, too. I think I could consider him fairly prime. 16 dice for urban infiltration is pretty keen. I mean, he might look strange, but given a good track record and the like, I don't see why he couldn't be a kind of ''well-known'' guy. I even wanted to give him a kind of girlfriend and friends and the like, to try to make him a bit more alive. He's only 27 years old; he's still got time left to even improve after this. Again, he's not a mindless killing machine; while wetwork and the like he's almost used to, he won't just attack unprovoked, though he still holds onto some of his mental flaws from his somewhat traumatic experiences. These could eventually be bought off, though.

Socially he's quite good(a hell of an intimidator, no doubt), and he's got a smattering of other skills about. He certainly is no slouch with firearms; shooting his Franchi-Spas with 17 dice linked and his pistol with 13.

His ware isn't uber-delta-grade, though. I sort of wanted him to have a bit of his...old edge(but it certainly isn't bad, IMO.)

BTW: I knew the Attributes had the normal limits-but is it the same 1 6 skill, rest 4 or less? If it is, I can adjust a few of his skills, but since these were prime guys I was guessing that didn't run this time.

It is amusing that his claws do a few points less damage than his unarmed blow, but that's how it works.

I hope he's not TOO out there. Oh, I also apologize for the goofy-shadow talk. I just thought of some random stuff to put in that may or may not be humorous and maybe a bit tasteless. I liked it, anyway. :o (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

EDIT: I am thinking Signature as a possible negative quality. He is an ex-Aztlan pit-fighter, and he knows the combat techniques to...end fights in rather spectacular ways. I'm wondering if he sort of has this still as a calling card-he might still have some of the old ways in him. Could make for a cool little plot hook for the PCs or something ''we find what?'' And oh yeah-i'm toying a bit with his cash...screw it, he is getting a set of souped-up military body armor. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) And now he has it. His Jumping Pool(Gymnastics) is very high, and his jump distance is increased by 20%. (I think his jumping die pool in the armor is 23 dice.) His unarmed attacks also do one more point of damage in the armor(14P punches, 15P kicks), and his claw damage is likewise increased(9P hands, 10P feet, though his gloves do cover his hands, and they are made large enough so they are comfortable.)

I also realized he didn't need the Reaction Enhancer-Suprathyroid + SB 3 gave him his 9 Reaction. So he's got...20,000 nuyen left to spend again. I might choose another neat piece of 'ware for him....or trade it in for BP, and fumble up a few more BPs to get him a Heavy Weapons of 2-3, for those ''Just In Case'' times. You did mention large, angry metacritters, I believe. He's big and strong enough to wield the damn things. [Did this. No longer has 20,000 nuyen.]

Bah. Edited again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[pbangarth]

Rather than point back to the earlier entry, here is the re-revised and backgrounded Uncle Zola.

STATS:

[ Spoiler ]

Uncle Zola

Voodoo Tradition Magician, Follower of Damballa, Knower of Secrets

800 points BP and Karma

Elf: 30 BP
Attributes: 250 BP, 105 Karma
Qualities: -45 BP
Skills: 134 BP, 38 Karma
Knowledge Skills: 24 Karma
Spells: 24 BP 30 Karma
Initiations: 48 Karma
Contacts: 54 BP
Foci: 17 BP (binding costs)
Bound Spirit: 2 BP
Equipment/lifestyle costs: 89 BP

Given name at birth: Emile Solante

ATTRIBUTES

BOD 3
AGI 3
REA 3
STR 2
CHA 6 (up to 12 with sustained spell in focus)
INT 4
LOG 4
WIL 6 (up to 9 with sustained spell)

EDG 4
ESS 6
MAG 8

INI 7 / 1 pass (up to 10 / 4 passes with sustained spell)

Drain Resistance: CHA + WIL


QUALITIES



Magician -- Voodoo Tradition (possession) 15 BP
Mentor Spirit (Damballah the Great Serpent) (+2 Binding, +2 Detection, -1 Combat) 5BP
Astral Beacon -5 BP
Spirit Bane (Shedim)* -10 BP
Compulsive* -5 BP
(figure out how things work, even in the middle of a run)
Prejudiced* -5 BP
(Roman Catholic Church)
Distinctive Style* -5 BP
(Serpent motif, especially eyes, in his clothing)
Moderate Addiction (tobacco)* -10 BP
Low Pain Tolerance* -10 BP
Sensitive System* - 15 BP

* - see character description for details

ACTIVE SKILLS

Spellcasting 5
Counterspelling 4

Summoning 6
Binding 6
Banishing 3

Enchanting 3
(vessel preparation) (+2)

Arcana 1

Assensing 3
Perception 3

Pistol 1

Influence GRP 1

(con, etiquette, leadership, negotiation)





KNOWLEDGE / LANGUAGE SKILLS

French N
Spanish 1
English 2

New Orleans Magic Hangouts 2
Seattle Magic Hangouts 1
New York Magic Hangouts 1

Cuban Cigars 1
Reggae Music 1

Caribbean Smuggling Routes 1

Atlantean Foundation 2
Metaplanar Geography 2
Shedim Behaviour 2

Zoology 2
Botany 2
Metallurgy 2
Geology 2

INITIATIONS

Grade 1: Centering
Grade 2: Channelling
Grade 3: Invoking

SPELLS

Mind Probe
Mind Net (extended)
Spatial Sense (extended)
Analyze Device
Translate

Heal
Resist Pain
Increase CHA
Increase WIL
Increase Reflexes

Stunbolt

Fashion

Reinforce
Levitate

BOUND SPIRITS

Water F5 -- 2 services; Optional Power: Guard


CONTACTS
Connections / Loyalty

Fixer (based in New Orleans): 6 / 3
Jimmi the Latt
- “All business, nothing but business, best in the business�

Talismonger (New Orleans): 5 / 4
Marie LeDuc
- talented Enchanter herself
- connections in the magical community throughout North America

Roman Catholic Cardinal of New Orleans: 5 / 4
Anton Cardinal Moreau
- sees Emile as still saveable, despite his “lifestyle choice� of Voodoo

New Orleans Port Authority Official 2 / 2
Thomas Nash
- bought and buyable

C.A.S. Senator (Louisiana) 5 / 2
Harlon Eddies
- a politician, need we say more?

Police Lt. (New Orleans) 3 / 1
Lt. Guillaume McDonald
- a dear friend of Emile’s deceased brother, once close to Emile
- now will barely speak to Emile

Caribbean League Customs Official 3 / 2
Alonso Gutierrez
- bought and buyable

Atlantean Foundation Librarian 3 / 4
Joanna Cassidy
- extensive knowledge of mystic artifacts
- hermit, shy, infatuated with Uncle Zola


GEAR

Sustaining Focus F6 (health)
Centering Focus F6
Power Focus F5



1 month high lifestyle
Fake ID Rating 6
Fake ID Rating 4



Magical Lodge F9
Binding Materials F5 X 1
Binding Materials F6 X 5
Binding Materials F8 X 2
Binding Materials F12 X 1
Enchanting Shop

Ares Predator IV + 40 rounds ammo
Lined Coat (6/4)
Urban Explorer (6/6)
Clothing various styles

Novatech Airware commlink (3/3)
Novatech Navi OS (3/4)
Earbuds
- audio enhancement (3),
- select sound filter (3)
- spatial recognizer

Microtransceiver (6)
- subvocal mic and earbud

Medkit (6) + supplies X 3
Stimulant Patch (6) X 5
Survival Kit

Myomeric Rope X 10 m
Backpack
GPS
Lightstick
Flashlight
Lucifer Lamp
- bulbs 10 hours
Pocket Magic Library (3)

Rover 2068 SUV
- Amenities (High), Off-road suspension,
Passenger Protection 2, Anti-theft system 2
Off-road Tires X 4
Amphibious Operation 1
Additional fuel tank X 2

30 Nuyen remaining

STORY:

[ Spoiler ]

Uncle Zola was born as Emile Solante in 2022 in New Orleans, to middle-class parents active in the Roman Catholic Church. He was born an elf, unlike his human brother Martin, elder by two years. The strain of this genetic expression on his parents’ beliefs was nothing compared to the shock of discovering that both their sons were Awakened.



Martin’s magic expressed in physical form, and his development of Adept powers, particularly applicable to sports, went a long way to allay his parents’ and his parish’s fears about his immortal soul. Emile, however, was another story.



Soon after discovery of his latent talents, Emile began to hear the call of Damballa, the Great Serpent. Not only was Voodoo anathema to the precepts of the Church, but this particular Totem appeared to be the incarnation of one of the greatest of images of evil in Christian mythology. The Church moved swiftly to save Emile’s soul and eliminate this influence of the Evil One.



Emile was subjected to intense periods of indoctrination, to multiple attempts at exorcism, even to attempts to destroy his talent by painful introduction of mechanical devices into his body. Better to destroy his power, it was thought, than to allow Evil to control it. Only Emile’s youth and surprisingly powerful will prevented the Church from succeeding. To the present day, the psychological and physical effects of this battery of treatments continue. Emile’s body is scarred internally, and weakened. He cannot stand the feel of mechanical intrusions into his body �" even injections are painful to him to the extreme. Furthermore, Emile developed a hatred for those who hurt and manipulated him. He bears a deep prejudice against the Catholic Church, which could have developed into active antagonism except for the ministrations of one priest, Monsigneur Moreau, who would go on to become a major figure in the Church. This man’s kindness to Emile is all that kept him from waging war against the Church in later years. To this day the Monsigneur, now a Cardinal in the Church, hopes to help Emile find himself and his faith again. He is one of the few who know that Emile still exists.



In his teens Emile estranged himself from his parents, who seemed cold and foreign to him after what he saw as their betrayal of him to the Church. He moved away from home and found work, finishing high school part-time. He maintained a relationship with his brother, and through him some of Martin’s friends, though the differing rates of aging made them seem ever more different over the years. Age difference didn’t seem to bother Emile when it came to the fairer sex, and over the years he has continued to sing the praises of older women.



And always there was the call of Damballa. With the help of other houngans in and around New Orleans, Emile developed his talents and committed fully to his Mentor. He took the name Uncle Zola to keep his mundane existence separate from his magical persona, and earned respect for his talents, for his natural charm and for his quick learning. In particular he shone as a Conjuror, and his talents in that field are most developed, though he excels in Spellcasting and Enchanting as well. Whether Damballa chose Uncle Zola for his natural curiosity and desire to learn hidden things, or this desire came from the Mentor is unclear, but the match of houngan to mait-tete was very close. Spells, studies and active work are all focussed on seeking hidden knowledge and artifacts. At times Uncle Zola seems compulsive in his desire to know how things work, and where they came from.



Uncle Zola soon was able to earn much more in the shadows than Emile ever could in a day job, and he submerged himself into the underworld of the Big Easy, taking jobs of many descriptions, but preferring runs that required the unearthing of secrets, particularly of a magical nature. He developed ties with smugglers working the Gulf and the Caribbean League, particularly seeking restricted magical materials from the Islands. Cuban cigars became a vice he could not resist. Zobop, the underworld organization that promoted Voodoo sought his entrance into its fold, but Uncle Zola resisted the temptation, not liking the political and too mundane focus of this criminal group. He was on his own quest and preferred to work with small teams, and his summoned spirits. This desire for autonomy is reason in part for his never joining a magical group, despite the obvious benefits. There have been young houngans and mambos who have sought to be his apprentices, but he has refused all.



Two societal factors remained thorns in Uncle Zola’s side. His mundane persona, Emile, was still known, and the appearance of the Shedim made life for Voodoo practitioners in New Orleans very difficult. The Crash of ’64 solved the first. A commitment to hunt Shedim and indirect cooperation with the authorities in this matter took their paranoiac heat off of him. To Uncle Zola the Shedim are travesties of the natural way of Voodoo, and he has no trouble hunting these spirits. They instinctively know him at first sight, and seek to destroy as soon as they see him.



The Crash of ’64 not only removed his legitimate SIN, but also helped erase the troubles that ensued from a terrible confrontation with his brother. A middle-aged Martin, disillusioned with the prejudices against adepts in professional sport, also chose to use his skills in the shadows, but semi-legitimately in cooperation with New Orleans police forces. In a fateful run on a cabal of magicians suspected of seeking ties with the Shedim, a run planned and organized by Uncle Zola and his team on their own rather than with the knowledge of the police, Uncle Zola’s team collided with a team including Martin. Each team thought the other was working for the cabal. Uncle Zola lost many of his bound spirits, but Martin and his team died. The pain of this loss was twisted even more when Uncle Zola learned it was all a mistake, and his alienation from his past grew deeper. Many who knew him grew distant, and many contacts dissolved. A police Lt., Guillaume MacDonald, a good friend of Martin’s and a useful contact in the police now barely talks to Uncle Zola, though he recognizes that the death of his friend was not deliberate murder. The Crash destroyed information and evidence and turned the case cold for the police as a whole.



Uncle Zola over the years has developed a reputation in the shadows for efficiency and success. He is a powerful houngan and can summon and control spirits of high Force. When possessed and Channelling a spirit, Uncle Zola is a terrible opponent in combat, despite his natural physical weakness and dearth of combat spells. He is intimately aware of the skills and powers of the spirits he summons, and uses them to great effect. Uncle Zola has developed a set of spells that allow him to learn and garner secrets from humans and objects with equal ease. With great charisma, increased further by magic, he has developed contacts in government, in the magical community and among smugglers that help him maintain a good life and help him further his long-term goals: seek hidden knowledge wherever it hides in this world or elsewhere, hunt the Shedim, and perhaps someday find their home metaplane. This last would cement his reputation as one of the greats and provide a powerful weapon for the campaign against these terrible invaders.





TACTICAL AND ROLE-PLAY POINTS



Uncle Zola has a Spell Focus that maintains Health spells on him at all times. As Uncle Zola’s ability to resist drain is high even without magical augmentation, he has no trouble keeping the Focus charged at its full Force. The Focus maintains Increase Reflexes except when Uncle Zola wishes to Summon or Bind a more powerful spirit, or when he needs to be at his most charismatic, in which case the Focus maintains Increase CHA or Increase WIL (he likes variety).



A Force 8 spirit is not difficult for Uncle Zola to Summon, and he will walk Possessed with a spirit and Channelling whenever he thinks it wise. Current events have left him again with a dearth of bound spirits, and Uncle Zola will probably in the near future Bind a lesser Force spirit, say Force 6, and Invoke it. This would be his spirit of choice for walking with him. He is considering Invoking a Force 8 spirit during a re-Binding, which should not cause him permanent harm.



Sample Binding Drain Resistance Pool: 12 (CHA) + 9 (WIL) + 6 (Centering Focus) + 2 (Mentor Bonus) + 3 (Centering) = 32 dice ==> approximately 10 hits without use of EDGE



Uncle Zola long ago discovered the power of his charisma in social situations, and is quite willing to use it where necessary. He exerts influence over others naturally, he uses magic to make himself fit into social conditions appropriately, and he is never alone on those occasions when he wants ‘company’. All this despite the fact that over the years Uncle Zola has developed an increasingly evident Shamanic Mask which combines with his distinctive choices in clothing to make him look a touch unearthly. Of course, in 2070 that can be an advantage.



His spell selection makes Uncle Zola very effective as a data gatherer and disseminator, and this is his preferred role. When trouble does hit the fan, he is fast and powerful, and acts efficiently rather than emotionally. (Initiative of 13 to 15, four F15 Stunbolts per Turn with drain resisted each time. Immunity to Normal Weapons equivalent to hardened armour of usually 12 to 16, with regular armour of 6 and a BOD of, what, 9 to 11 to …???)



The only impediment to that efficiency is his obsession with figuring things out. Whenever a new device or strange object/entity appears he will tend to want to suspend activities for a moment or two to find out as much as he can about it. His Composure is such that he can resist the obsession when it will kill him to indulge it, but if not in danger, he will indulge it. Conversely, with the Analyze Device spell, he can operate just about anything and with the Translate spell he can talk to just about anything. He is not averse to tearing into a mind to find what he needs to know, and is happy to share with his team anything he learns there. Well, except maybe for that clue about that artifact the Atlantean Foundation is looking for.



In the near future he would like to build a Homunculus to house spirits, and with the long view to housing an Ally Spirit.



Yes, he has summoned a spirit to possess that opposing Troll and use that honking big machine gun to mow down the opposing team from behind its own cover.



Yes, he has summoned a spirit to possess the mark they were sent to recover for the Mafia, so that once his team was free and clear and alibi-ed, the spirit could make the mark’s escape good and then bring him to the rendezvous from whence he was delivered into anonymity �" for a second fee.

Enjoy!

Peter

EDIT: The latest, more popular understanding of possession restricts physical stats to the host's augmented maximum. This limits Uncle Zola somewhat but not unduly.
[Last edit 13 Feb 2011]

[Glyph]

Okay, I was just looking at Basher, when I realized that I messed up on his bioware - I had synaptic booster: 2 instead of 3, and didn't have his bone density augmentation listed. So here's the corrected version:

Stats:

[ Spoiler ]

Name: Basher
Gender: Male
Race: Ork

Rundown of Unarmed Combat Abilities:
Attack: 21
(If right after blocking, add 1 + net blocking successes to dice pool)
Block: 30
Full Block: 40
Base Unarmed Damage: 17P
Armor: 14 Ballistic, 11 Impact
Body dice for damage resistance: 13

BREAKDOWN (800 Points)
Core Attributes: 260
Special Attributes: 105
Race: 20
Active Skills: 158
Qualities: 0
Contacts: 10
Resources: 124
Initiate 4 Times: 69
Raise Magic from 2 back to 6: 54

=Attributes=
Body: 8(9)
Agility: 5(9)
Reaction: 5(9)
Strength: 7(11)
Charisma: 3
Intuition: 5
Logic: 2
Willpower: 5
Magic: 6 (6, reduced to 2 by Bioware, then raised with Karma)
Edge: 5

Essence: 2.02
Initiative: 14
Initiative Passes: 4
Physical Damage Track: 13
Stun Track: 11

=Qualities=
Adept
Allergy: Silver, Moderate
Aptitude/Unarmed Combat
Martial Arts:
>Kenpo: 10 (+2 on melee block)
>Kung Fu: 5 (+1 on melee block)
>Muay Thai: 5 (+1 DV on unarmed attacks)
>Tai Kwon Do: 5 (+1 DV on unarmed attacks)
Nano-Intolerance
Scorched
Sensitive System
Weak Immune System

=Active Skills=
Dodge/Ranged: 4/+2
Heavy Weapons/Machine Guns: 4/+2
Influence Skill Group: 1
Infiltration: 3
Intimidation/Physical: 4/+2
Perception/Visual: 4/+2
Pistols/Semi-Automatic: 4/+2
Unarmed Combat/Martial Arts: 7/+2

Martial Arts Maneuvers:
>Blind Fighting
>Disarm
>Finishing Move
>Herding
>Kick Attack
>Riposte

=Knowledge Skills=
Languages>
English: N
Orzet: 5

Other Knowledge Skills>
Magical Background: 4
Martial Arts Blood Sports: 4
Ork Underground: 5
Seattle Night Life: 3

=Bioware=
Bone Density Augmentation: 4 [Alphaware]
Muscle Augmentation: 3 [Alphaware]
Muscle Toner: 3 [Alphaware]
Suprathyroid Gland [Alphaware]
Synaptic Booster: 3

=Adept Abilities=
(4 additional Power Points from Initiations)
Combat Sense: 6
Counterstrike: 1
Critical Strike: 6
Distance Strike
Elemental Strike/Blast
Improved Ability -
>Unarmed Combat: 3
Killing Hands
Penetrating Strike: 2

=Contacts=
Fixer (Connection: 4/Loyalty: 2)
Hacker (Connection: 2/Loyalty: 2)

=Lifestyle=
High (1 Month at +10% cost)
Starting Money: 4d6 x 500 Nuyen plus 6,000 Nuyen.

=Equipment=
ID/Credsticks:
Fake ID (Rating: 6), Fake Gun Registration (Rating: 6), Fake Concealed Carry Permit (Rating: 6), Fake Bioware License (Rating: 6) x 2; 4 certified credsticks.

DocWagon Contract:
Basic (1 Year).

Weapons:
>Colt Government 2066 Heavy Pistol with internal smartlink, skinlink modification, concealable holster, 140 AV rounds of ammo, and 9 spare clips.

>MGL-6 Grenade Launcher with internal smartlink, airburst link, skinlink modification, concealable holster,60 White Phosphorus and 60 High Explosive mini-grenades, and 9 spare clips.

>Ingram White Knight Light Machine Gun with internal smartlink, skinlink modification, Foregrip, 500 Rounds of belted regular ammo, 5 ammo boxes (100-round capacity), Gyro Stabilization.

Armor/Clothing:
Armor Jacket, FFBA half suit with Nonconductive: 4; PPP forearm guards, shin guards, vitals protector, and arm/leg casings (the discreet protection version); Camo Suit with Ruthenium Polymer coating, skinlink mod, and Thermal Dampening: 6; 3,000 Nuyen worth of assorted clothing.

Commlink/Software/Simsense:
Novatech Airware Commlink with ISIS Orb OS, sim module, skinlink, trodes, and subvocal mic; browse program (Rating: 3), Linguasoft (Chinese, Rating: 3), 5 Datachips, Virtual Surround Music, Wall Space, 3 VR Games.

Other:
Glasses with skinlink modification and - image link, smartlink, Vision Magnification, and flare compensation; duffel bag (100 Nuyen), Medkit (Rating: 6) with 5 refills, Operations Cleanup toolkit.

Background:

[ Spoiler ]

Description -
Basher is a tall ork, wide-shouldered with lean, whip-cord muscle. His black hair is cropped in a buzzcut that reveals the bullet-like shape of his head, an affect which is not flattering, but which does make him seem more imposing. He has a lean, angular face with a thin, cruel smile. He also has a long, jagged scar along the left side of his face, which he has not had fixed because it adds to his presense. He claims that he got it in a brutal steetfight that he won, but actually it happened when a stair railing gave way and he took a nasty spill. He has worn fancy dress enough to be comfortable in it, but prefers plain, black utilitarian clothing (grungy goth all the way!). He has that almost preternatural calm that some big guys have. Since getting his suprathyroid gland, though, he will start pacing like a caged tiger if he is stuck somewhere too long.

Background -
Basher started out on the streets, and despite the polish that his skills have attained since then, at the core his fighting style is one of brutal, ruthless pragmatism. He doesn't fight to show off, or to bully other people, or to blow off steam (although he does like a good spar). He fights when he needs to, and he fights to win as quickly and decisively as he can.

Bull's 50+ Questions -

1. What is your character's sex?

Male.

2. What is your character's physical size?

Very tall, big-boned, leanly muscled.

3. What is the color of the character's hair, eyes, and skin?

Black hair in an unflattering buzzcut, cold grey eyes, skin that has been roughened and bronzed by the elements.

4. What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does he dress, etc.)?

Basher dresses in an understated grungy goth, with a few military-surplus items of apparel, such as camo sleeveless tees or combat boots, for variety. His magic and augmentations make him disdain tattoos, body piercings, and other, lesser bodily modifications. He has a relaxed, easygoing manner, but with a crackling, underlying energy, and he can seem terrifying when he looms over someone with that cruel grin twitching his face.

5. Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?

Basher was born in the Seattle sprawl, in the East Redmond General Med Center, a wretched public facility where dispirited medical personnel treated BTL burnouts, druggies, and smelly squatters.

6. What is the character's date of birth?

August 14th, 2048.

7. What was the character's family life like?

Basher's dad was a ganger with a big mouth who usually couldn't back it up, and his mom was a BTL whore who spent most of her time in a daze. He and his older brother, Silo, grew up as wild street kids, and were soon recruited into a gang, which became their REAL family.

8. Has the character begun his own family?

No. He doesn't want to have a kid until he is damn sure he actually wants to have one. He can't see himself as a father yet, but if he ever becomes one, he'll do a damn sight better than HIS parents did. He sure hopes so, anyway.

9. Where or how was the character educated?

Basher learned most of his lessons on the unforgiving streets, and as a member of the gang. One of the senior gang members, a troll named Bloodhorn (for his pair of horns, which he was vain about and had painted red), was an adept, so he helped guide Basher through the process when he began awakening himself.

10. Has the character ever done anything else for a living?

No. It was a very straight progression from street kid to ganger, to a variety of small-time solo criminal activities, eventually culminating in reaching the top rungs of shadowrunning.

11. What are the character's political and religious beliefs?

Basher sneers at the laws that the sheep of the barrens still follow, even though it is obvious that the powers that be have completely written off their very existences. He sees Lone Star and the Corporations as nothing but bigger, more entrenched gangs - they just aren't as open about it. He is too cynical and self-centered to be much of an activist, although he will be quick to use his poverty or orkishness to manipulate any bleeding hearts that he meets.

Basher is agnostic, although he has picked up a bit of (atrociously misunderstood) Budhist philosophy in his martial arts studies.

12. Describe the character's Moral code. Include how mercenary he is, whether or not he'll kill innocents, etc.

Basher is amoral, looking out mainly for himself. He has few qualms about criminal activity or violence, although he shies away from the really "sick" stuff. He stays away from drugs, worried that they could mess up his magic, but doesn't despise drug addicts the way he despises BTL users.

13. Does the character have any goals?

Not really. Just the usual desire for wealth and success.

14. Why does the character run the shadows? (Why does he run the shadows still, rather than getting a "real" job?)

He wouldn't want a "real" job if it was offered to him. Why work, when he can take what he wants? And he doesn't see anything wrong with that, either - it's a dog-eat-dog world.

15. What kind of personality does your character have? This should not necessarily be obviously stated in the background, as it is more important for actually playing the character, but it may color or add mood to the history.

Basher is a laconic pro who may have a few scruples, but admits that the main reason he's in it is for the (relatively) easy money. He tends to be easygoing unless provoked, but when he does decide that violence is called for, he can unleash it with startling suddenness.

16. What special qualities does the character possess? This does not refer to skills, but rather to other things, such as how he gets along with people, does he plan ahead, etc.

Basher is good at dealing with things on a personal level. He eventually left his gang, and tends to disdain other institutions, because they can too easily become a way for people to cop out of their capacity to make their own decisions.

17. Are their certain things the character can't or won't do? Why?

Basher, despite his amorality, would never hit a child (unless it was something like a feral street kid trying to kill him).

18. What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?

He hates BTL users. Surprisingly, this doesn't translate into a hatred of the BTL dealers. After all, they're only catering to the demand. Nothing wrong with hustling stupid people. But BTL users are the lowest, most pathetic slugs imaginable. Hell, normal sim is bad enough - they have to have someone ELSE get their kicks for them? But BTL users have just given up, period. He will violently deny that his contempt of BTL dealers has anything to do with his BTL-head mom.

19. What things people, or ideas does the character love?

Basher loves the ladies. He will get into fights over women, run headlong into situations that are none of his business when a woman is in trouble, and a woman can get away with saying things to him that he would brutally pummel a guy for saying.

20. What is the character's name? Give both full birth name, as well as nicknames, street names, etc.

His real name (rarely used now) is Jerod James, and his street handle is Basher.

21. Determine what your character used to do, before becoming a shadowrunner (very important).

Basher was a street kid, before the gang snatched him up. He eventually left them to pursue a solo career.

22. Decide why your character left his or her old job, if he had one (also important).

The gang didn't exactly have to twist his arm to get him to join - he saw the benefits immediately. Sure, his initiation was painful and humiliating, but afterwards he was part of a group that was feared and respected, who watched each other's backs. But eventually, it felt like the gang was holding him back, and internal squabbles were getting worse, so he moved on, starting out as cheap muscle and eventually becoming top-tier muscle.

23. Come up with a reason for why the character became a shadowrunner. (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?)

Growing up with crime, vice, and lawlessness, he welcomed a chance to move up the food chain.

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.

Molly Finn (Fixer) is a short elven woman with close-cropped black hair and designer violet cybereyes. She talks a mile a minute and seems scatter-brained, although Basher has known her long enough to know that it's an act. She has decent connections and knows lots of gossip about the business. Just be careful what you tell her, because she can't keep a secret. He was recruited by her for his first job, when a team's sammie got hospitalized and they needed some replacement muscle, quick. Since then, he has used her as his regular fixer.

Billie James (Hacker), a skinny, chain-smoking youth with long blonde hair, perpetual 5-O'clock shadow, and several tattoos. A freelance news snoop and blogger, Billie is always looking for some dirt, and has a good handle on the Seattle rumormill, corporate shennanigans, and latest shakeups among the movers and shakers.

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 character's previous employment.

Basher has never had a SIN.

26. Is the character a full-time shadowrunner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?

Basher is a shadowrunner, mainly muscle.

27. Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?

Basher disdains most groups by default. He generally only likes or dislikes people when he knows them personally, since he doesn't trust the media that much.

28. Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?

Basher despises the NAN, who are a bunch of hypocritical scumbags, all frolicing about in their fruity little woodsy paradise, never mind all of the starving people packed like sardines in the barrens. And people romanticize these bastards! The Tir, he's more understanding of, since he figures racism probably played a big role in their decision to band together, just like the Ork Underground.

29. Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?

He respects the big boys who know how to party. He has less respect for corporate or Yakuza types who try to have a veneer of respectability.

30. Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?

The big boys (major corps, Mafia, etc.) are not people to annoy, but they don't take it personally, like gangs do. Except for some of them - the Triads, the Azzies, and Tamanous are all bad news, because if you frag with them, they will go way out of their way to mess you up in the sickest way they can. Still, he doesn't fear them - fear is for lesser men. He prefers to think he is... cautious... about crossing them.

31. What is your favorite color?

Red. But only in moderation. A red bandana is cool, while a red shirt is not.

32. What is your favorite food and/or drink?

He has a shameful addiction to Saigon Tim's barbecue meat skewers, even though he knows that the smiling street vendor gets his meat by killing rats. He likes the food at the Big Rhino (okay, and the strippers, too). He is mostly a beer man, but he likes cheap wine coolers too.

33. What place would you most like to visit?

He likes going into bars that are Humanis hangouts, ordering something like a glass of milk or one of those drinks with the umbrella in it, and then kicking all of their asses in the ensuing brawl.

34. Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?

He looks out mainly for himself, although he looks out for his friends and contacts, and is a sucker for a damsel in distress.

35. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment? (Warning: Answering Sex for this question can and will result in penalties to your character!)

He likes freeloading, especially when it's someone he doesn't like who is too intimidated to do anything about it. He likes flirting, and he likes hanging out in the seedier parts of Seattle.

36. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?

He normally likes fighting, but sometimes defending his near-top-dog position against the umpteenth cocky challenger can get wearisome.

37. What annoys you the most?

People who disrespect him, especially if it's to his face.

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

Basher likes popular culture - things like strippers, daytime talk trids, and so on. If they call it "art", it's usually just B.S.

39. What is your greatest goal?

Basher wants to become a legend, to take on something like a cyberzombie or a great dragon. He punches out nearly any mime that he sees, but so far, none of them have been Harlequin.

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

His laid-back confidence.

41. What do you think is your characters worst quality?

His general amorality and selfishness, ameliorated only slightly be a few tattered scruples.

42. What is the most important thing you have ever done?

He once saved a group of meta rights activists being attacked by the Night Hunters. He waded in and more or less attacked the whole group of gangers, sending them all running (those that still could, anyways).

43. Which religion (if any) do you follow?

Agnostic, with a bit of mangled Budhist philosophy thrown in.

44. What is your most treasured possession (and why)?

A Brittany Sparkle poster. It is his secret shame. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

45. What are your three most common dreams?

> He's about to fight this huge sumo wrestler, when suddenly he shrinks down to kid size! So he still kicks the guy's ass - he's that damn badass!

> A sleazy honeymoom hotel (heart-shaped waterbed, etc.) with Brittany Sparkle. With some of her songs playing in the background, even!

> Floating on a pond, with a voice softly saying "Loogie is your bud. You wanna buy Loogie some beer." Since finding the audio player under his bed and beating the hell out of Loogie, he hasn't had this dream as much.

46. What is the Characters current relationship with his family?

Contemptuous of his dad. He will give him a bottle of booze or a few cred, but usually with a gruff "Here, old man," not even acknowledging him as his dad. To be honest, Bloodhorn was the closest thing he had to a real father figure.

47. If the characters family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?

His mom died a few years ago, and he didn't shed a tear. His dad is a pathetic figure now, halfway between a thug and a squatter, and is usually bumming cred or booze when he sees his son. Basher will usually give it to him, but he holds his dad mostly in contempt. His brother, Silo, who never got out of the gang, died in a recent gang war, and it hit Basher hard - he was the only family member that he really cared about. Bloodhorn got hurt bad in the fighting, and is somewhere recuperating. Basher visits him occasionally, but the big troll is not even coherent at this point in time, and they say he might have permanent brain damage.

48. Where did the character learn his Skills?

He learned most things on the streets or the school of hard knocks, although he got some informal and eclectic, but still extensive, schooling in the art of fighting. Both from underworld instructors, and from sparring with other hardcases like him. His other skills come from a similar mix of informal instruction and brutal experience.

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

No. He had a few pieces of junk (an old thrash band poster, etc.) that held memories for him, but they got lost when one of his old squats got torched.

50. What type of music does the character like?

He likes hardcore thrash and punk, like any good street thug should. He also secretly likes Brittany Sparkle's songs, even though she is a mainstream, bubble-gum pop singer (and last year's bubble-gum pop singer, at that). He has one of her posters, which he keeps hidden.

51. List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.

He has dated, but no serious relationships. He likes picking up wide-eyed slumming corp girls.

52. Where does your character live? Why does he live there?

Right now, he is in a fancy condoplex in Ballard, definitely a step up from his previous haunts.

53. Remember, your Gamemaster likes detail, so if you can think of any other little details, quirks, or whatever that you think might please the almighty GM, then add them in as well. Oh, and your GM won't use any of these details against you at a later date. trust me...(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Basher is straightforward muscle, specializing in close combat. I tried to lighten up his personality a bit, so he wouldn't be nothing but a grim combat machine.

[pbangarth]

If this thing flies, and a scenario develops using some or all of these characters, wouldn't it be cool if the creators got together and played their own PCs?

Peter

[ElFenrir]

That would be pretty awesome, especially if they all got to team up. I do hope these guys go over well(I'm aware mine is a little...freakish, but...hey, Kid Stealh made it in and he has wonky legs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ). Basher's really cool(seems like he'd be an awesome teammate with my guy; you guy having an advantage in some areas with his magic, my guy having the advantage when there is say, a background count or bigger weapons are needed.) They'd be scary, in any case. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Zola's really badass, too. I don't know how you pictured him totally in your head, but I can't get this one image of him out of mine.

I'm still debating if I should juggle a couple points to get the Heavy Weapons of 2, to show he did indeed take his team's advice on that. He doesn't prefer it, but sometimes kicking a hole in a blast bunker can take awhile. (this is what I mean when I say I can keep retooling a character a bit.)

[pbangarth]

Zola's really badass, too. I don't know how you pictured him totally in your head, but I can't get this one image of him out of mine.

Oh yeah, character physical description!

Well, I envision Zola looking like sort of a cross between Barack Obama ( tall, slender, nice smile) and Thulsa Doom in the first Conan movie, right when he is beginning to change into the snake ( shamanic mask, compelling eyes and voice, mysterious). Maybe a touch of the hair in my icon.

Clearly in his background is that New Orleans African/French mix that works so well.

At this point in his career I am assuming he can afford the Zoe Heritage Line kind of armour. Whether it is that particular brand and style I don't know, but you get the idea. It goes well with his charismatic persona, and he can't wear a lot of armour with BOD 3 anyway. He relies on spirit possession to make him tough in combat. Of course, he can make his clothing look like anything he wants, so it's kind of moot.

Peter

[ElFenrir]

You know, that description is kind of how I could sort of picture him, even in your first writeup. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Ok, did some edits on my guy. Yeah, I'm good at this, like I joked in the main forums. But i had forgotten a few things.

Took off the 20,000 nuyen that he had left, converted it to 4 BP. Shifted a skill, and bought him Heavy Weapons 2. Didn't buy him any said weapons, but I assume that he'll be able to get ahold of one without too much issue if he needs.

Adjusted his Martial Arts qualities. He now throws a 14P kick(15P in armor). Also finished adding his negative qualities. The list looks kinda long, but, well, with a limit of 70/70 it's bound to. I thought Signature is kinda fitting of him, and Critter Spook can sort of play into his thing, too. Mood Hair is pretty cool as well; him trying to hide his rage as his hair turns red-or his...mood to his girlfriend when it turns green, is rather fun.)

So, hopefully I won't want to change him too much more. I always end up doing this for some reason. Well, he's not changed, per se, really at all; but more like tweaked.

[Mickle5125]

so that second set of 400 is usable as BP or karma? can we split the set (IE 150 karma and 250 BP)?

[pbangarth]

Mickle5125, that's how I did Uncle Zola, splitting the last 400 between BP and Karma.

Wasabi, I haven't seen an answer to your question:

How do you want players to handle Registered Sprites, Invoked Spirits, and Ally Spirits?

I avoided Invoked Spirits and Allies for the build of Uncle Zola. He is prepared, however, to Summon, Bind and Invoke approximately 17.2 seconds into the first scene. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/twirl.gif)

Peter

[ElFenrir]

It seems that, given our two magical folks above us, a majority is the BP, and a lot of the magical-dealies(initiating, etc), is done with the Karma. I went pure BP on this incarnation of Azael; since he was totally mundane it just seemed to work well, so I wasn't keeping track of two sets of numbers(though, in general, when we play, we use the 750 Karma method.) His original incarnation, however, did do the same thing(since he was the adept combo, I saved a couple hundred as karma to initiate and reraise magic.)

Mixing and matching them with ALL stats and skills might be more math than I prefer(keeping track of only magic isn't so bad), but if you want to, it seems kosher.

[pbangarth]

Hmmmm...

So, I see four potential PCs here, Azael, Basher, Celestial Servant and Uncle Zola (where did characters D to T go?), none of whom appears to have vehicle or Matrix skills.

The sample opponents presented possess both Matrix and vehicle skills.

Hmmmmmmmmmm.....

Peter

[Mickle5125]

hmm... good point. *ponders* well, screw my current plan! Go Go Tecnomancer of absolute pwnage! hmm... where did I leave that copy of Unwired? *wanders off to find it*

[ElFenrir]

Actually, Count Blacula on the first page has some decent ground craft/mechanic skills, but seems to be more of a firearm specialist. Or was the Count a sample?

But true enough, we have the combat and the magic part pretty well covered with these guys.

[pbangarth]

Oh Wow, Alieth. Sorry for missing Count Blacula! I didn't go back far enough in the thread.

And with Pimped Ride (2) even!

Peter

[ElFenrir]

Actually, are there any updates here? Haven't seen Jake around here in a week or so in the thread. How is this little project going?

[Coldhand Jake]

Slow but coming.

[ElFenrir]

Well, good to hear it's coming at least. Sounds like work, but it also sounds like it could be really cool when it's all done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Coldhand Jake]

Honestly, the real obstacles are my perfectionism, ADD, and trying to feed myself. Anyone got any commentary on the NPC I posted?

[ElFenrir]

Oh, the psycho-hacker? He's pretty badass; I like him a lot. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) In my head, I almost picture him looking like the Terminator without his skin, hooked into some chair with dozens and dozens of wires, eyes staring rather blankly. Almost in some kind of strange-computer room with screens everywhere and dark lights. But wait, are his cyber-parts obvious or synthetic? If synthetic, I can sort of get in my mind a half-normal but half....machine looking guy with said wires sticking out of him everywhere. Possibly one from his eye or something. I can see his house with all kinds of security things, naturally, taken care of on the inside.

As for the electronics...I admit I'm not really in the know about programs. I know how they work on a very, veryt, basic level(enough to run an NPC hacker sort of on the fly), but I don't know all the cool stuffs. The AI sounds cool; just some thing that keeps him from being completely and totally disassociated.



BTW: is the fellow I put up too weird, or would he wash? I figured, in a world that has seen a free spirit CEO, a dragon president, a dragon CEO and countless other weird things, a changeling prime runner might not be that out there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)