Need some assistance here..., Needs ya'lls exp and knowledge... Options

[woodenbullfrog]

Greetings !!

Been a bit since I was here last, so lets jump right in...

I am running a new campaign with some totally new players...

As such I got two razors who are a little obsessed with a pair of video games....

I got these two wanting to play as Salem and Rios from Army of Two...

Now I figured your bog standard SpecOps.. No muss no fuss, however, for the sake of argument...

Lets see what you folks come up with...

Also the masks...

I want to see what the common consensus would be on those as well...

Any and all help is welcome, and if this has already been addressed please point me in the right direction....

Thanks a ton !!

[Saint Sithney]

So, what you're looking for is help designing the characters and the gear, their place in the 6th world, or just ideas for hardcore merc runs?

Also, 4th ed?

[woodenbullfrog]

Yeah, I built up some archetypes I thought were pretty close.. I figured seeing the brainstorm from folks here could only help...

Gear wise, I have no clue where too start for some of the items. Since in the games most of the stuff they use is mil spec, or upon SSC its all custom..

As for cyber I went with basic packages. Wired, muscle aug, smart links etc.. I just want to see how you guys would build these two. As base starting toons..

Hell one of the fellas want to play the PhysAd angle...

The masks, for example.. I have some rough ideas but nothing solid.. I figured it could save me time and energy in asking here..

I got ideas a plenty for these two.. Runs, scenarios, etc...

I figure they will have the same place in SR that the other mercs do...

3rd edition is what we are running with.. Since I dont have the new books..

[Mooncrow]

I would normally love to help; I really enjoy building characters from other fiction, but I never ended up playing Army of Two =/ So, I'm unfamiliar with the characters.

[lowendz113]

Definition - Shadowrun filter - overlaying the concept of the setting, including but not limited to gear, races, powers, roles, and polotics

I think you are making this way to hard on yourself. Army of 2 is played in a modern setting, with mostly modern, realistic-sih equipment. The masks, are just masks. These would be helmets. As far as their armor goes, just give them some military grade armor from Arsenal. Pack on some custom made weapons from arsenal, and you now have created Salem and Rios. Well geared them anyway. Now just put this gear through the SR filter and your choices should be pretty clear (vision enhancements, audio enhancements, environmental protection etc.)

Skills are pretty obvious: Firearms skill group, Shadowing, and infiltration. Anything else would be your choice. Heavy weapons and demolitions would be pretty good choices. I don't recall these guys ever messing with electronic key pads or anything electronic.

Stats are really your call.

Personally I would apply a pretty substantial shadowrun filter to these guys. A couple are BAs with guns in SR are nice, but they are really going to get slaughtered if that is all they have to offer. Make one of them a rigger/hacker and the other a mage, adept, or mystic adept. You can do this without too much fuss and without completely walking away from Salem and Rios.

[Critias]

There's not a whole lot of work that needs to be done -- they're just your standard street sammy/merc types, when you get right down to it.

Any old helmet will do. You could even build their thermo/low-light/smartlink/whatever into the helmet if you want to (to more closely associated, on a symbolic level, their professionalism and combat ability with their fearsome headgear, and save some Essence). It's all just cosmetic, really -- pick a suit of armor you think works for them, slap on a helmet, and go.

There are rules a-plenty for firearm modifications, which should keep them happy. What's the preferred weapon of each of them (when they're playing the game)? Post what those are, and someone around here can certainly tell you what the closest Shadowrun equivalent is...buy 'em that, a sidearm (again, what's their favorite one from Army of Two?), and set aside some money for them to play with the customization rules in Arsenal and the core book.

EDIT: The harder part will be getting them to work as a team (just like they, in theory, do in the game). Obviously neither of them has to be a big thinker or an expert with social skills, but you'll want them to have some sort of Tactics skill, and -- more importantly -- to understand the benefits of using cover (and flanking others) within the Shadowrun combat rules. The attitude of either guy from Army of Two is just fine in shadowrun, but if they're both big fans of the game they'll probably be a little more combat-hungry than your average team. Make sure that's the route you want your campaign to go on, before you let them loose. They're gonna be unfriendly guys in obvious armor toting big guns; not terribly appropriate for more subtle work, most of the time.

[woodenbullfrog]

Thanks for the replies and comments folks... Appreciate your time..