Ten Questions For Any Shadowrunner, For building richer characters Options

[Trillinon]

I was inspired by the "Shadowrunner by Night, ? by Day" thread, and would like to come up with a list of ten or so questions I can put on a character sheet that will help players better tie their character to the setting without being overwhelming.

Possible questions I have so far:

1. How did you wind up in the Shadows?
2. What was your first run?
3. What do you do when you are not running the shadows?
4. Describe your greatest sacrifice.
5. What were the circumstances of your awakening or emergence?
6. From whom did you learn your best skills?
7. What is your least favorite metatype and why?
8. Name your favorite brands.
9. When will you leave the shadows?
10. Who depends on you?

These questions are just a start. I'd like more ideas that I can parse into as optimal a list as possible.

[SpellBinder]

Copied from Damien Knight's old Excel character generator (might be some duplicates to the OP):

1: We are shaped by out heritage. Facial features, skin tone, height, build, metatype, even aptitudes are influenced by the genes passed from parent to child. Attitude, too, is taught by parents, informed by their own lives and their cultural heritage. Where does your character come from, what is her lineage, who were her parents, and what did she inherit from them?

2: Parents can be proud of their children or regret ever bringing them into the world. Some are loving, and some are indifferent. All of them are only metahuman and have their own opinions of their children. Assuming they could speak, what would each of your character's parents say about her?

3: Many people remember certain historical events for the rest of their lives. For those alive in the first decade of the 21st century, it could be the assassination of John F. Kennedy, or the Tienanmen Square protests, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, or the attack of 11 September 2001. People remember where they were, and what they were doing when they first heard of these events. Shadowrun history has significant events as well, such as the assassination of President Dunkelzahn, the Crash 2.0, and the emergence of technomancers and artificial intelligences. Pick a few events from recent Shadowrun history and ask where the character was at the time, what does he remember about about event, and what was he doing at the time?

4: Very few people choose to become shadowrunners. More likely, they are thrown into the life by a chaotic and uncaring world. Even if she made a conscious decision to enter the shadows, her decision is influenced by the world around her. How did your character get into shadowrunning, and why did she take that path?

5: People have control over their own living arrangements. From the child young enough to use crayons and tape all the way up to the elderly shut-in who plasters her walls with family photos and cat pictures, everyone makes their living spaces more personally pleasing. What is your character's living space like, and what has he added or changed to make it his own?

6: Everyone has beliefs, and many beliefs strong enough to be convictions. Some are religious, some are political, some are social, and some are just about why people are here. What does your character believe in, what are her convictions (if any), and why does she hold them?

7: Everyone has aspects of their personality that grate on someone. Even the best of friends annoy one another from time to time. The flaws in a person’s character are as important as the qualities. What do you dislike most about your character’s personality?

8: The Sixth World is considered by many to be spinning out of control. If anyone could exert control over it, it would be the “Big Ten” triple-A megacorps. These transnationals exert a lot of influence on everyday life in the 2070's. Which of the Big Ten does your character hold in the highest (or least low) regard, which does he like the least, and why?

9: People make acquaintances and friends; we’re hardwired for it. Humans are social animals. This is especially true in the shadows, where often it is not the power you have, but the power you can borrow, and not who you, are but who you know. There’s a story behind each and every one of these relationships. What is the story with your character and her contacts?

10: It’s Sunday morning, and your character has no commitments until tomorrow afternoon. What does she do for the day?

11: Your character has a specific skill set, a list of Active and Knowledge skills that define what she knows and her areas of expertise. How did she come to learn those skills, and how did she develop them to those levels?

12: Everyone has their limits. People can be dark, but most people’s instinct is to draw the line at certain actions and thoughts, and they keep to their own moral convictions. Is there a moral limit that your character enforces on the jobs she takes, and in what shadow work would she refuse to engage?

13: If you have an Awakened or technomancer character, consider your character’s tradition and streams. Even within the major established magical traditions and the recently emerged technomantic streams, there is room for personalization. Ask yourself what drew her to that particular paradigm, how does it effect the way she views the world and her magic, how does it translate into choice of mentor spirit or paragon, and how does it affect the appearance of the spirits or sprites you conjure or compile?

14: While acceptance and bias vary from place to place, augmentations— be they bio-, cyber-, gene-, or nanoware—are increasingly common and available in the Sixth World. However, personal technological enhancement is rarely cheap, and many implants that runners possess are restricted. How did your character come to have the enhancements she has, how were they paid for, and what motivated the choices she made (if she did make the choices)?

15: Life as a shadowrunner is by definition outside the bounds of “normal” life. Shadowrunners do not truly fit into the lives of ordinary people, whether they live in slums or mansions. What does your character think of ordinary life, mainstream culture, and those who abide by it?

16: Everyone has nightmares. Sometimes, we forget the dream completely on waking. Sometimes, the nightmare haunts us or even recurs. If your character had a lingering nightmare or a deep-rooted fear, what would it be, and why does he find it so terrifying?

17: People tend to attach sentimental value to items in their possession or people they are close to. They make an effort to keep these close by and safe. What is your character’s “sacred object” or “close one,” and how did they come to be so important to him?

18: One of metahumanity’s greatest assets is its ability to look toward the future and imagine a better life. Even small children have dreams about what they want to be when they grow up. What did your character want to become when he was a child, and what are his goals now?

19 :A person’s appearance can say volumes about him. From fashion sense, to the colors he prefers, to the way he walks and speaks. Sometimes, his personality determines his appearance, and, sometimes, the appearance he chooses to present the world effects his personality. What does your character look like, and what inspired his choices?

20: Everyone has a name, but a runner’s street name is a representation of his connection to the shadows. Sometimes runners choose their own moniker, but more often it is given to them as a nickname or earned through some (mis)adventure. How did your character come to be known by his street name?

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I have a Shadowrun questionnaire that has something like 52 Questions. Not sure where I found it, but I use it a lot. Tend to add some and subtract some, dependant upon character, too. Sometimes you just have to lighten up/drill down a bit more.

Mine is missing a few from Spellbinder's and Trillinon's above lists. I will have to add them in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

EDIT: Looks like Bull has taken responsibility for the origination of the Questionnaire that I use. Kudos Bull.

[Sendaz]

Spellbinder's list is pretty comprehensive and can spice this with the ones from Trillion that were missing from it.

At 52 questions though, that's not a questionnaire, that's a profile report by Horizon. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

At 52 questions though, that's not a questionnaire, that's a profile report by Horizon. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Well, yeah, that is true...
Tend to fill mine out in the first person, with lots of exposition... They are entertaining reads. Well, at least to me, anyways. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Tanegar]

I mainly improvise the Q&A with my players, starting with the basics (family, early life, etc.) and following up on anything that seems interesting. Occasionally, I'll have one or more prepared questions; I've already alerted my players that when we transition to SR5 and they create new characters, the big question will be, "Why are you a criminal?" At the next session, we'll be creating characters for a short L5R game, and I'll probably use the "Twenty Questions" out of that book.

[Angelone]

I use Blackjack's sheet.

[SpellBinder]

Quite general, but I do like. I'm snagging a copy for my own use. Thanks.

[Angelone]

He has many other sheets/tables as well.

[Trillinon]

I appreciate these examples. I'll have to take some time to parse them.

I like Blackjack's sheet, though for high levels of detail, I have a set of system neutral sheets(pdf) for the purpose.

For this, I'm looking for a concise list of questions that really tie into Shadowrun. Perhaps I'll rephrase the question: If you could only ask three questions of a character, what would they be?

[Sendaz]

Perhaps I'll rephrase the question: If you could only ask three questions of a character, what would they be?

1) Why do you Run? Avenging Nature or just hiding from the law, we all have a reason for being here.

2) How do you Run? Pink Mohawk, Black Trenchcoat, Frilly White Polka Dot Tutu (Don't ask). How do you handle things, especially when they get hot.

3)Where do you Run? From Seattle to the Caribbean, most Runners have some place they call home. The Job or other circumstances may take them away from time to time, but like a bad penny they always turn back up here eventually.

[Tanegar]

I like Blackjack's sheet, though for high levels of detail, I have a set of system neutral sheets(pdf) for the purpose.

Wow. That's damned impressive, but I think my players would revolt if I handed each of them a six-page personality/personal history questionnaire.

[Sendaz]

Especially when they get blown up by a hacked wireless enabled grenade 10 minutes later and have to do it all over again for the new character sheet. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I like Blackjack's sheet, though for high levels of detail, I have a set of system neutral sheets(pdf) for the purpose.

Very Impressive... I like a lot of the detail. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[grid.samurai]

1. Lifestyle

Describe the last real home your character had? Where did your character sleep? What did the pad look like? Was it a pad at all? What luxuries were they used to?
Bonus: Describe the place that makes your character feel most nostalgic in a warm way. A place of safety and serenity.

2. Education

How smart is your character? Book or street smarts? Where did they attend grammar, middle, and high school? Public or private? What about college education? If so, what were these phases of your character's life like? Were they the bully or the bullied? The popular clique or the rejects? Nerds or Jocks?
Bonus: Name one person that shaped who your character is today that they met at some point in school. This can be a teacher, fellow classmate, the high school janitor.

3. Family

Family. We all came from one. What was your character's family like? Father? Mother? Any siblings? Kids or dependents now? What kind of relationships does your character have with their family?
Bonus: Name every member of your family that is alive, their age, status, and where they live.
Bonus: What is your families darkest secret?

4. Fear

They say that most people fear five things to varying levels: extinction, mutilation, loss of autonomy, separation, and ego death. All chummers fear something - even the most badass. What does your character fear? These can be natural fears or range to the debilitating, cowering, piss-your-pants type of fear. Since magic has made a big comeback, there are all manner of very real bogeymen in the world - and many more things that the 6th world doesn't even know about.
Write the name of your fear and a short reason why your character has this fear. List what type of fear this is (Extinction, Mutilation, etc.) in parenthesis after the name of the fear.
Bonus: Repeat up to four different fears in the same manner above.

5. Belief

Whether one believes in a deity or not, the 6th world is full of those looking upward and inward. Some believe in the steel at their hips or the spells they can sling. Everyone has a belief system. What's yours? What does your character subscribe to? Spiritualism? Catholicism? Druidism? Judaism? Islam? Buddhism? Wicca? the I Ching? Or does your character roll as an Agnostic or Atheist? Is your character a practicing member or do they hold these beliefs in the back of their mind and actions?
Bonus: Relay a story of a time in which your character came into contact or conflict with a religious group in their life? This should be a story that shaped how your character sees religions and faith in general - something that motivated your character to think a certain way about religious groups, for the better or worse.

6. Morals/Code

Good and bad. Abstract concepts for sure - and somewhat alien to the idea of shadowrunning. But something that guides every man and woman. What are your character's morals? Where do they draw the line? What does your character hate in the world from a good/evil perspective?
Does your character live by a code or system of rules instead? What are those rules?
Bonus: Describe a time that your character failed their own moral/code guidelines. What was the situation and what did it do to them internally?

_____________________________________________________________

I give 1 Karma for each of the six questions answered and 1 additional Karma for each bonus question answered. I find these questions typically help me GM a more engaging game for my players.

[Trillinon]

Wow. That's damned impressive, but I think my players would revolt if I handed each of them a six-page personality/personal history questionnaire.

I've only ever offered the sheet, I've never asked that it actually be filled out. Some players love filling out all of the detail. Others fill it out over time or not at all. If I ask for anything, it's that they write a few significant details in each category.

[Trillinon]

1. Lifestyle

Describe the last real home your character had? Where did your character sleep? What did the pad look like? Was it a pad at all? What luxuries were they used to?
Bonus: Describe the place that makes your character feel most nostalgic in a warm way. A place of safety and serenity.

2. Education

How smart is your character? Book or street smarts? Where did they attend grammar, middle, and high school? Public or private? What about college education? If so, what were these phases of your character's life like? Were they the bully or the bullied? The popular clique or the rejects? Nerds or Jocks?
Bonus: Name one person that shaped who your character is today that they met at some point in school. This can be a teacher, fellow classmate, the high school janitor.

3. Family

Family. We all came from one. What was your character's family like? Father? Mother? Any siblings? Kids or dependents now? What kind of relationships does your character have with their family?
Bonus: Name every member of your family that is alive, their age, status, and where they live.
Bonus: What is your families darkest secret?

4. Fear

They say that most people fear five things to varying levels: extinction, mutilation, loss of autonomy, separation, and ego death. All chummers fear something - even the most badass. What does your character fear? These can be natural fears or range to the debilitating, cowering, piss-your-pants type of fear. Since magic has made a big comeback, there are all manner of very real bogeymen in the world - and many more things that the 6th world doesn't even know about.
Write the name of your fear and a short reason why your character has this fear. List what type of fear this is (Extinction, Mutilation, etc.) in parenthesis after the name of the fear.
Bonus: Repeat up to four different fears in the same manner above.

5. Belief

Whether one believes in a deity or not, the 6th world is full of those looking upward and inward. Some believe in the steel at their hips or the spells they can sling. Everyone has a belief system. What's yours? What does your character subscribe to? Spiritualism? Catholicism? Druidism? Judaism? Islam? Buddhism? Wicca? the I Ching? Or does your character roll as an Agnostic or Atheist? Is your character a practicing member or do they hold these beliefs in the back of their mind and actions?
Bonus: Relay a story of a time in which your character came into contact or conflict with a religious group in their life? This should be a story that shaped how your character sees religions and faith in general - something that motivated your character to think a certain way about religious groups, for the better or worse.

6. Morals/Code

Good and bad. Abstract concepts for sure - and somewhat alien to the idea of shadowrunning. But something that guides every man and woman. What are your character's morals? Where do they draw the line? What does your character hate in the world from a good/evil perspective?
Does your character live by a code or system of rules instead? What are those rules?
Bonus: Describe a time that your character failed their own moral/code guidelines. What was the situation and what did it do to them internally?

_____________________________________________________________

I give 1 Karma for each of the six questions answered and 1 additional Karma for each bonus question answered. I find these questions typically help me GM a more engaging game for my players.

These are pretty good. Six broad questions that can be answered over time.

I've been thinking about a question like:

Rank the following character priorities from A to E:

• Smash the system!
• Achieve fame and fortune.
• Survive.
• Help your fellow man.
• Be free from the powers that be.

[Tanegar]

I give 1 Karma for each of the six questions answered and 1 additional Karma for each bonus question answered. I find these questions typically help me GM a more engaging game for my players.

That's an idea, but I'm afraid that if I combine it with Trillinon's sheets, new characters will catapult straight to "prime runner" status. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

I was inspired by the "Shadowrunner by Night, ? by Day" thread, and would like to come up with a list of ten or so questions I can put on a character sheet that will help players better tie their character to the setting without being overwhelming.

Heh. I once made a large questionnaire for characters for their players to fill out for bonus XP. It was optional, but... Enlightening. Let me just fill this out as my last character.

1. How did you wind up in the Shadows?
   Personal choice. I was elderly and reached the conclusion that while I had lived a long, safe life, it had only been a fun life for the second two decades or so, when I was doing things that could get me killed. So I thanked Ghost my parents were futurists and had a genetic sample of me frozen when I was seventeen, Léonized myself, and slipped away into the shadows, a fresh teenager again.
2. What was your first run?
   Well... That depends. Do you mean the first time I took a massive risk for little reward? That would be the time I was working at Echo Mirage as a backup technician, the team in the tanks started taking losses, and I slipped into a sensory deprivation tank to do battle with the Crash Virus that killed the old internet.
   
   Do you mean the first time I did what could inarguably be termed a "Shadowrun?" I was seventeen again, for the first time (I'm on my second run,) in a city I'm not telling you the name of. I was new in town, making some contacts, and a guy I'd met put me in touch with a guy he knew who had been called on short notice by some guys that knew him who needed some Matrix skill that wasn't afraid to get their hands dirty, and knew old systems. I took the job for a straight-up cut of the proceeds, got onsite with them - it turned out they were poking around some forgotten facility forgotten about in the 2040s. After I groused at them for not warning me beforehand that I'd be dealing with ancient history, I bought (at their expense) the appropriate translation programs and got to enjoy my brand-new cyberdeck tearing through old hardware.
   
   Yes, that was long enough ago that I was actually using a real cyberdeck. Nowadays the fake commlink I use has more power than that thing had, heh.
3. What do you do when you are not running the shadows?
   Various things, seducing women being probably at the top of my list, followed by clubgoing (which often segues nicely into seducing other women,) enjoying usic or a good book, playing games, etcetera.
   
   Mainly the seduction thing. Let me tell you, after going through the uncomfortable realization that you're old and your sex drive isn't what it once was and your parts don't work the way they used to, having it back again makes you feel like a combination of Freya and Aphrodite.
4. Describe your greatest sacrifice.
   Well, I had a very good job at one of the megacorps, having carefully dug my way into a position which was as boring, mundane, and tertiary as possible so as not to be the target of any runs, but which had enough job security that I could, and did, fire my own boss when he started making waves about making me redundant. I sacrificed all of that for the freedom to do my own thing in life again, to really live.
5. What were the circumstances of your awakening or emergence?
   When they happen, I'll let you know. I'm past eighty, but you still never know.
6. From whom did you learn your best skills?
   I've literally forgotten more than young whippersnappers these days actually know. My matrix skills are probably my hottest skills at present. I was part of the team that pioneered "Matrix" skills, though.
7. What is your least favorite metatype and why?
   Trolls. Even the ones with pretty faces still have all those dermal deposits that make things just... Awkward. Uncomfortable, and unsightly. Sorry, trolls, it's not your fault, I just feel bad inside looking at you.
   
   Now, metavariants... Hobgoblins. Vindictive, spiteful bastards every last one of them. Sure, they're a victim of their genes, but that doesn't make you want to kill them any less when they talk about selling the children of technomancers to megacorps to have their brains dissected. If anything, it makes me want to shoot them more. If any metahuman in this world can be said to be Always Chaotic Evil, Hobgoblins are closest to it.
8. Name your favorite brands.
   For what?
   
   Guns? Ares (If you don't own a Predator, you don't own a handgun, you own either an overpriced piece of crap, or an amusingly handgun-shaped toy,) and Shiawase (The Tactical Model 71, with the right mods, can fire all goddamn day.)
   Food? I hate to give my money to the Azzies... That's why when I go to Stuffer Shack for munchies, I help myself without paying, or have it "fall off the back of the truck." Other than that, though, good food comes from a good restaurant. I'm new in my new town and still finding new places, but I had a very memorable date with a woman I met at a club in a restaurant actually under the Sound.
   
   'Ware? Evo. Evo makes the best stuff; UO provides the best performance, Horizon provides the best style and ergonomics. Evo is as good as both of them, though if it's something that's strictly pleasure, like dietware, or a skin treatment, or some creative genitalia alterations, Horizon is just as good as Evo. But if it's something that my life might depend on, I look to Evo first and foremost.
9. When will you leave the shadows?
   Given that entering them was entirely optional for me, and a life choice to boot, the answer to that question is probably "when I'm dead." Or maybe if I wind up in a position to take a controlling interest in a megacorp. Maybe I'll find someone and settle down, but I doubt it. I've had enough "settled" for one lifetime, so that's not likely unless I survive long enough to be into a second one.
   
   I might also take a position with Horizon, maybe... But not until I get to the bottom of what went down in Vegas. It looks terrible, but I've also heard rumors that it was a false-flag operation or otherwise hostile action. If that's the case, I'll fucking volunteer to geek the sons-of-bitches responsible. Horizon actually looked like they were coming close to being a force of good in this world.
10. Who depends on you?
    At present? Nobody, and that's the way I like it... At least, in the terms of "absolute dependency." I've been pregnant four times, and all four times I terminated as soon as I figured it out. I don't want that kind of responsibility. I'm selfish. In more abstract terms, I suppose you could say my team depends on me in much the way I depend on them.

These questions are just a start. I'd like more ideas that I can parse into as optimal a list as possible.

They're good questions, but I'd also think about asking more slice-of-life questions, too. Things like where you sleep, where you'd like to sleep if you had the money, how you feel about various political and megacorporate agendas/goings-on, what they look for in companionship, etcetera.

[grid.samurai]

That's an idea, but I'm afraid that if I combine it with Trillinon's sheets, new characters will catapult straight to "prime runner" status. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

No kidding. I like the Karma reward as it gives everyone a boost out of the gate, we've got some stories for everyone (and everyone feels all the more inspired for some reason.. I wonder why), and I have a lot of hooks to add to the adventures. Win:Win (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

I have a Shadowrun questionnaire that has something like 52 Questions. Not sure where I found it, but I use it a lot. Tend to add some and subtract some, dependant upon character, too. Sometimes you just have to lighten up/drill down a bit more.

Mine is missing a few from Spellbinder's and Trillinon's above lists. I will have to add them in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Could you link us to that questionnaire? I want to see it now.

[Sendaz]

Karma awards are not so odd.

I knew one GM who awarded a small weekly Karma bonus to those who kept In Character Journal/Diaries of the runs.

What became funny was how your perception crept in as obviously it was from your POV, so it didn't have to be totally factual, but rather how you told it.

[FuelDrop]

Thanks for the links guys. you're lifesavers.

[ShadowDragon8685]

I still want a link to TJ's questionnaire! >_<

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Could you link us to that questionnaire? I want to see it now.

I can always try... Still not good at linking stuff here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif) If not, I can always type (Copy/Paste) it into the forums. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)