Player's Strange Background Options

[DnDer]

One of the players at our table, a first time runner (in fact, I think I'm the only one who's not) came to me with a strange background request, and my Sixth World knowledge is failing me.

He's a heavily-chromed, heavy weapons kind of character. Machines guns and cannons, etc. He has zero actual backstory - something that comes from not knowing the setting, I think - and said he wants to be a vat-grown person. Someone bred to be a living weapon. He's managed to pick up an Forger of False Identities for one of his contacts, so it wouldn't be hard to write in that she was one of the first people he stumbled across on his escape and set him up with his first identity. But what about before that?

I'm familiar, to an extent, with SR3, and the timeline. But I can't remember or think of any corp or organization who'd grow soldiers out of vats. We're starting up in Seattle, but I suppose it doesn't make a difference as he could have escaped whatever facility in a number of ways. Who would do something like that, so I could give him a brief rundown of what his backstory should entail?

[Fatum]

Well, minding the existence of the Escaped Clone negative quality, I'd say a few SR power players are likely to engage in such things (just to produce enough runners with that background you see :3 ).
Obviously, biotech powerhouses are likely to be the ones leading the research; from Universal Omnitech to Aztechnology. If you wonder which corps are good at that to let the player choose the one he comes from, you can use any of the supplements on the megacorps.

[Yerameyahu]

HA! Sure never heard the old 'escaped human weapon experiment' background before. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Yeah, you should make him take Escaped Clone.

[kzt]

He may well think he's vat-grown. But he doesn't really KNOW. Nobody remember anything before they are at least two, and many people have a first childhood event that they can remember as an adult significantly older then age 2. It's quite possible that someone has lied to him for his whole life.

I can think of more then few organizations that might want to "obtain" children to indoctrinate and train for their purposes, which are likely to be nefarious. However anyone raised like this is likely to have a rather peculiar understanding of how the world works and their role in it.

[DnDer]

HA! Sure never heard the old 'escaped human weapon experiment' background before. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Yeah, you should make him take Escaped Clone.

I know. It's just trope-alicious. But it's one I hadn't heard from the SR setting before (seems more in place for Star Wars or a really bad Judge Dredd plot [but who would do something like that?]) - qualities are a new option that I didn't get to see or use in SR3.

I'll see about hooking him up with one of the appropriate ones, now that I know it's out there.

[bannockburn]

Well, it's a really really cheesy background, too. But you can't expect every player to be a literary genius, so if it's fun, go for it.
I'd also suggest uncouth or other social negative qualities or something like that, to make him a force grown clone with chip experiences only (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Marwynn]

For potential qualities I'd say:

Biocompatibility (Cyberware)
Hung Out to Dry
Uncouth
Poor Self Control (Vindictive or Combat Monster)
High Maintenance Implant or Mysterious Implant

Then there'd be stuff like Records on File or Enemy to consider too.


Could be interesting to play... as for the corps, any mega for sure. I'd think of MCT, Renraku, Evo, and Ares off the top of my head.

[Glyph]

I would stay away from the Uncouth and Vindictive negative qualities.

Uncouth is one of those trap options. Obviously, by looking at the sample characters they gave it to, they intended it to represent aspergerin' nerds and muscle types with bad tempers. But as actually implemented, in a rules set where social skills are used to resist social skills, they result in characters who will believe any lie to be true, who will blindly obey anyone else's orders, and who will cower in the corner any time a street punk tries to bully them.

Vindictive, I would be leery of, too. Properly played, with the other players on board, it could be okay. But it seems a bit too much of an "I get to be an asshole to the other players, and claim it's just 'roleplaying' my character" flaw.


If the character really is vat-grown (because honestly, I prefer kzt's take on it), then another flaw to consider would be Evil Twin - to represent all of the corporate soldiers who were grown in the same batch as him, who look just like him. "Look out! It's another one of those Clyde 712's!"

[Snow_Fox]

Ifyour in Seattle it could be Renraku- someone brought on to deal with the Arcology crisis who wandered off. just because he thinks he's vat grow doens't mean he is-I mean a corp soldier who gets his mind wiped might not know he has awife, kids, outstanding debt to a massage parlor etc. think of the original robocop movie.

For back story I'd did up one of the old 20 querstinos pages from the earlier editions.

[Neraph]

If the character really is vat-grown (because honestly, I prefer kzt's take on it), then another flaw to consider would be Evil Twin - to represent all of the corporate soldiers who were grown in the same batch as him, who look just like him. "Look out! It's another one of those Clyde 712's!"

You mean Gary, right?