Wasteland Blues Recruitment Options

[Mulcarn]

I'm starting a Chicago based campaign soon. I'm going to do a few weeks of recruitment and then start the game sometime at the start of July. However, I have few house rules and stipulations in regards to chargen. I'm looking for professional mercenaries and similar types. That mean no Special Snowflakes and no Mary Sues. Mentally ill or otherwise psychotic characters are welcome. So too are sadists and sociopaths. Shadowrunning tends to attract talented yet deeply disturbed individuals. Fairy Princess characters get eaten alive.

What this means is - No Drakes, Ghouls, Vampires, Shifters, Changelings, Metavariants or Metasapients.

My House Rules

[ Spoiler ]

Training and Learning House Rule

Raising Skills and Attributes has no training time anymore. If you have the Karma you can make the purchase.

Learning Spells and Bonding Foci does not require any downtime. If you have the Karma you can make the purchase.

Instruction House Rule

Instructors lower the cost of raising your Skills by 25% (Rounded Down) of the Karma cost of the desired rating

Instructors charge 1000 X Desired Skill Rating Nuyen for their services.


Dark Magic House Rule

The use of Dark Magic is allowed but you cannot learn any at chargen.

Initiation House Rule

You can Initiate at Chargen but you are not allowed to pick an ordeal or any similar Karma reduction option.

Initiation no longer raises the Maximum Magic Cap.

Fixation House Rule

Fixated alchemical preparation now last for 1 month before they start to lose potency.

The number of preparations you can fixate is equal to your initiate grade.

Quickening House Rule

The number of spells you can quicken is equal to your initiate grade.

Invocation House Rule

A magician can use this metamagical technique to instill more power into a bound spirit. The net hits at the completion of this ritual determines the actual effect is has on the spirit. This ritual takes one hour per Force of the spirit and requires (Force x 25) drams of reagents to be used up in the invocation. The test is an Opposed Binding + Magic [Force] v. spirit’s Force x 2, and it inflicts Drain equal to twice the hits (not net hits) on the spirit’s defense test, minimum 2. If the spirit’s Force is greater than your Magic rating, the Drain is Physical; otherwise it’s Stun.

A magician that knows the Art of Sacrifice and Invocation may create a truly frightening entity—a great form blood spirit. During the ritual, a metahuman victim must be killed; this is required to fuel the “ascension” of the Blood Spirit.

Great Form Spirit

HITS/RESULTS
1. Increase Force by 1.
2. Gain Banishing Resistance power (p. 194, SG)
3. Gain an additional optional power (see powers listed by spirit type p. 394, SR5)
4. Gain greater spirit power appropriate to the spirit type (p. 137, SG)
5. Gain Astral Gateway power (p. 194, SG)
6. Gain Endowment power (p. 195, SG)

Spirit House Rule

All spirits gain the following bonus powers Immunity (Age, Pathogens, Toxins). All spirits gain Immunity to their respective element. All non-toxic spirits gain the weaknesses Allergy (Pollutants, Severe) and Allergy (Radiation, Severe).

Air - Electricity
Earth - Acid
Fire - Fire
Water - Cold
Barren - Pollutants
Noxious - Pollutants
Nuclear - Radiation
Sludge - Pollutants

Alright, now that's out of the way let me describe what i'm trying to create. I'm going for a darker, grittier, much more depressing kind of game. The game takes place on January 4th 2075. Barely a year has passed since Project Takeback was launched by Lone Star in 2074. Knight Errant lost their contractual rights to police the city and more importantly, the CZ, and were kicked out. Now the more incompetent, more corrupt Lone Star protects and serves Chicago. The bulk of Lone Star Security Services are placed in checkpoints monitoring the wall separating the Containment Zone from the rest of Chicago. Their orders are to maintain vigilance and to reclaim as much of the wasteland as humanly possible.

Shadowrunners left and right are hired to escort high-valued individuals to explore the dangers of the wasteland. Or, to put down potential threats that may lurk in the shadows. You and your team are among those who would brave the hazardous wastes. Warring bands of gangers and criminals vie for control in the CZ. Commodities such as food, shelter, clean water, guns and ammo have become scarce since supply drops are few and far in between. No one would think twice about knifing you for a warm bottle of piss if it meant survival. However, if word got out that a bunch of mercs were seen carrying expensive high-grade weapons and armor, you might see a collaborative effort from all kinds of lowlifes to try and take you out.

[Jack_Spade]

Interested.

I'll start working on an Ex-Firewatch member, now unfit for duty anywhere else... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Edit:

Raphael "Harbinger" Meyers
A Attributes
C Skills
B Race: Ork
D Magic
E Money

BOD 7
AGI 5
REA 5
STR 7
WIL 5
LOG 2
INT 6
CHA 2
EDG 1
MAG 6
ESS 6
INI 11

Physical 9
Mental 5
Social 5

Qualities:
Dedicated Spell Slinger
Mentor Spirit (Shark)
Focused Concentration (3)
Radiation Tolerance
Favored I (Fire Watch)
Impassive
Did you just call me dumb?
Spirit Bane (Insect)
Sinner (National)

Spells:
Increase Reflexes (Fetish)
Detox
Heal
Lightning Bolt (Fetish)
Analyse Device (Fetish)
Mana Barrier (Fetish)
Stun Ball (Fetish)

Skills:
Perception 3
Unarmed 6 [Kicks]
Gymnastics 6 [Dodge]
Survival 1
Spellcasting 6 [Combat]
Assensing 3
Sneaking 2
Palming 2
Disguise 2


Knowledge:
English N
Magical Theory 3
Area Knowledge CZ 3
Small Unit Tactics 6
Underworld 3
Corporate Culture 1

Money: 16000
Fetish -2000
Big Game Hunter -5000
+Electrical Insulation 6 -1500
+Radiation Shielding 6 -1200
+Gel Pads -1500
+Shock Frills -250
R3 Commlink -1000
+Trodes -70
Lifestyle Low (Cramped, Dangerous) -1400
Plasteel Boots -200
Helmet -200
Ballistic Mask -150
+Gasmask -200
Forearm Guards -300
+Miniwelder -250
Reagents x15 -300
Survival Pack -200
MedKit R1 -250

[Mercy]

Interested. Thinking Troll with an attitude.

[Mulcarn]

Glad to have you.

Priority, Sum2Ten and Point-Buy are all welcomed methods of chargen. No life modules though.

If you need any help or have any questions, just ask.

[Gilga]

Interested, playing a burnout ex-military dwarf with superhuman psychosis, bad attitude and massive debt which he'll do anything to cover and his 'anything' usually means keeping people alive in the CZ.

[Mercy]

I changed back to a human. I found the troll choice a bit limiting in too many ways for me.

[Gilga]

My backstory:

Dan Knight was born in 2037 for a happy and proud military family, as second generation special government agent he was bred for this job and received security training along with his mother's milk. Things progressed smoothly and at the age of 18, he was nearing the end of his expensive education when a day before graduation they were unexpectedly called into a rescue mission.

Matias, their commander approached his platoon and said “Initiates, this is your chance to show if you managed to learn anything. We got a rescue mission but I can only take four volunteers?” Instinctively, all of them raised their hands to the air - volunteering was just an emotional manipulation there was no choice in that. There was never a choice - they had a single purpose, to serve and protect.

Dan was proud to be selected to this mission, clearly he was one of the best in his platoon. He packed his equipment and entered the helicopter that arrived shortly after. The helicopter ride was short and took them into downtown Chicago. Some rampage spirits were spotted and they needed to get some VIPs out before it was too late. Well... it was too late.

The entire hospital crew was inhibited by some abominations which he later learned were bug spirits, or simply bugs. The vips were dead and their weapons were ineffective, overwhelmed almost upon arrival Dan got separated from his team

Dan fortified himself in a room and called for evacuation, he held his own until bullets were out, and as these pesky bugs kept attempting to break in he had two choices - fight and die or do something crazy and Dan did something crazy indeed, he jumped into the garbage disposal peer, dropping 8 floors until the floor. Whatever it was, his attackers were unlikely to follow. He was banged up, but he survived. Dan had the latest word in augmentations, things that were top secret military only at the time.

So he managed to leave the hospital, but what then? He needed to get out of there - but was there anywhere to go? What stopped these monsters from overwhelming the entire city. No - the army will rescue him... He just needed to survive long enough. The next hours spent finding shelter, scouring for food and supplies. Did I say hours? Scratch that, the first months were like that. I was wounded few times and the medic kit run out of supplies. Ammo became a problem, medicine was as well and food was difficult. Every raid had dangers and rescue was not coming, the darn link did not work - or perhaps there really was nobody out there.

Eventually, everything has rules - the bugs were more active in certain places and certain times and chaos became order. What one would consider end of the world became a tiresome reality of scavenging, fortifying until supplies are low and then scavenging again. Months passed, even years. Dan felt as if he was losing his mind, seeing things, imagining things he awakened and it felt bad terrible. Astral sight distracted him, obscured his senses and made him vulnerable to things that he did not knew was there - hostile spirits or whatever.

Clearly, his first training was to control that world and block it away. He finally managed to do it after few dangerous weeks where it nearly killed him. However, suppressing astral sight did not suppress all the voices. “Why hide? Runaway? Kill them make them fear you.”

“Oh shut up, I only killed like three of them and there are so many... it is useless.”

“I can teach you how to kill hundreds of them, if you trust me.”

“Trust a voice in my head? Never!”

Yes, Dan’s relationship with the Shark did not go well. Spirits where terrible things and he just became much more aware of them. The astral was a terrible and tainted place and just looking into it made him sick. Nothing good could ever come up from magic.

Yet the Shark chose him and the next time he had to fight bugs they died at his hands. Something changed, the hands had a magic aura to them, but it was not his own magic.

“Leave me alone spirit, I do not need you. I can survive on my own.”

“Do you think that your unit is coming? I am all you have stupid, with my magic and your augmentations we can get far. Survive... thrive even. Why scavenge when you can have your own territory, protect it and slay anyone that crosses the line. Your own building... filled with supplies. “

“Well... food is kind of low. “

“Come I will show you the way”


And so Dan followed the spirit that showed him into an underground discount supermarket. Dan planted the vegetables to see what grew in florescent lights, few trips to electronic stores got some UV lights which means he had food. He also had a supply of hunting gear, not his first choice but plenty of arrows, tents sleeping bags.

He built his underground kingdom, butchered any spirit that dared approaching. Rigged it with video cameras, traps, generators for electricity. Whatever he could, and as the years passed few bugs entered his domain. Deciding that it was better to ignore the lone crazy dwarf. Dan kept training and as the bugs left him alone, he started hunting them for practice.

Not full assault over a swarm of them but when his cameras spotted isolated bugs he tackled them. In a way, he decided to become predator rather than pray. To settle in and fight rather than run. To thrive rather than survive.

At the scale of things he was insignificant, there were always enough bugs. No reinforcement came until his link stop functioning and without the technical skills he ditched it. He stopped waiting, he had his underground lair which was less dangerous than the rest of the city and whomever wandered in died horribly.

He managed to grow food inside, and there were enough supplies for a single dwarf for eternity. Well nearly ethernity. Dan spent a total of 20 years in the CZ and survived.


He recently discovered, a year too late that the world did not end and that the bugs were purged from the entire city. It was by accident, he has given up hope of being saved long ago. It was just that whatever wandered in his shop was not bugs, but people. They were running away from a toxic spirit. Dan killed the spirit and nearly killed the people when he was done with it.

“Wait... what?” said a confused man as Dan pushed him strongly toward the wall.


“Die BUG! Die!” he said and snapped his head.


“We are not bugs please, said a woman and shot him with a pistol right in the chest.

Dan laughed “Oh really, how can that be?” he completely ignored the pistol, his titanium bones and armor made it a toy gun.

“The city was cleared a some months ago, we were looking to make some fortune fetching a lost prototype weapon when that spirit came.”

That did not sound like a bug spirit but they were sneaky bastards. On the other hand, he did not look at them much.

Alright, I’ll look at you but if something jumps me as I open my eyes I will butcher all of you. He said and opened his third eye. They were human, terrified but plain.

“M... but how? How can weaklings like you survive? You cannot even fight you just let me kill your leader. Your guns are too small, how can you be alive?”


“I am Fiona, and these two are Don E and Emily.” We heard that there was this prototype nearby something of historical value. Paying us a bunch if we could find it.”

So bored Dan decided to help them, if only so he can hear actual voices for a change. Eventually, one thing led to another and Dan started adjusting to new life - people needed to enter the CZ and they needed to survive the trip. Fragile people, with little guns and little chrome and there were many of them. At first he killed them as they approached, appearing as no more than a beast. Dan felt that he could not do it for long, they were changing first came scavengers to seek tresure but then criminals and gangers to claim their own territories. In the future even police and cooperations - he needed to change.

The loner dwarf became a guide, a security - a shadowrunner... He made a deal with the Mafia. They would forigive him for butchering 15 of their men if he would pay them and do favors for them. He had a way out and needed money, they needed a guide in the CZ to make sure that their buildings were clear. The debit did not seem to shrink and Dan felt cheated, but more work found him - and it brought him hope of losing the debit. Being his own master again - and perhaps one day there will be a place in society for him. Dwarfs lived for a very long time and at 38 he was still young, he could still have a life.

[Gilga]

== Personal Data ==
Name: Jaws Alias:
Dwarf Movement: 18/36 (1m/hit) Swim: 14 (1m/hit)
Composure: 7
Street Cred: 0 Judge Intentions: 6
Notoriety: 0 Lift/Carry: 17 (150 kg/100 kg)
Public Awareness: 0 Memory: 8
Karma: 0 Nuyen: 655¥
Age: Skin:
Eyes: Hair:
Primary Arm: Right

== Priorities ==
Metatype: C,2
Attributes: A,4
Special: D,1
Skills: E,0
Resources: B,3
Bonus Skill: Aeronautics Mechanic
Bonus Skill: Arcana

== Attributes ==
BOD: 7 CHA: 1
AGI: 6 (9) INT: 5
REA: 4 (7) LOG: 2
STR: 7 (10) WIL: 6
EDG: 2 MAG: 2 (0)

== Derived Attributes
Essence: Initiative: 12 +1d6
Physical Damage Track: 12 Rigger Initiative: 12 +1d6
Stun Damage Track: 11 Astral Initiative: 10 +3d6
Physical: 12 Matrix AR: 12 +1d6
Mental: 5 Matrix Cold: 5 + DP +3d6
Medkit [+5] (Only for First Aid and Medicine)
Vision Enhancement [+3] (Only for visual Perception)
Social: 4 Matrix Hot: 5 + DP +4d6
Impassive [-1] (Does not include Intimidation.)
Securetech PPP: Arms Kit [-1] (Must be visible)
Securetech PPP: Legs Kit [-1] (Must be visible)
Securetech PPP: Vitals Kit [-1] (Must be visible)
Astral: 5

== Active Skills ==
Gunnery Base: 0 + Karma: 1 = 1 Pool: 10
Longarms (Sniper Rifles) Base: 6 + Karma: 0 = 6 Pool: 15 (17)
Perception Base: 4 + Karma: 0 = 4 Pool: 10
Pilot Ground Craft Base: 0 + Karma: 1 = 1 Pool: 8
Unarmed Combat (Striking Callus) Base: 6 + Karma: 0 = 6 Pool: 18 (20)

== Knowledge Skills ==
Or'zet Base: 1 + Karma: 0 = 1 Pool: 6
Area Knowledge: Chicago (Containment Zone) Base: 4 + Karma: 0 = 4 Pool: 9 (11)
Magical Threats (Insect Spirits) Base: 4 + Karma: 0 = 4 Pool: 6 ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)
Underworld Base: 3 + Karma: 0 = 3 Pool: 8

== Qualities ==
Adept
Astral Beacon
Biocompatability (Cyberware)
Impassive
In Debt VI
Mentor Spirit (Shark)
Prototype Transhuman
Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins
Superhuman Psychosis
Thermographic Vision
Wanted (Knight Errant)

== Powers ==
Adrenaline BoostRating: 2
Astral Perception
Combat SenseRating: 1
Critical Strike (Unarmed)
Killing Hands
Mystic ArmorRating: 1

== Lifestyle ==
Abandoned Subway (Low)1 Months

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Bone Lacing (Titanium)
Double Elastin
Muscle AugmentationRating 3
Muscle TonerRating 3
OrthoskinRating 1
Platelet Factories
Reaction EnhancersRating 3
Sleep Regulator
Smartlink
Striking CallusRating 4
Synch

== Armor ==
Armor Jacket 14
+ Gel Packs
Forearm Guards 1
Securetech PPP: Arms Kit 1
Securetech PPP: Legs Kit 1
Securetech PPP: Vitals Kit 1
SWAT Helmet 3

== Weapons ==
Enfield AS-7
+ Personalized Grip
+ Smartgun System, External
Pool: 15 Accuracy: 7 DV: 13P AP: -1 RC: 5
Ranger Arms SM-3 (2050)
+ Imaging Scope (2050)
+ Personalized Grip
+ Silencer
+ Smartgun System, External
Pool: 15 (17)Accuracy: 11 DV: 14P AP: -5 RC: 5
Unarmed Attack
Pool: 18 Accuracy: 12 DV: 16P AP: - RC: 5

== Commlink ==
MCT Blue Defender (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 1, FWL: 5)

== Gear ==
Ammo: APDS (Sniper Rifles) x50
Ammo: Flechette Rounds (Shotguns) x50
Contacts Rating 3
+ Vision Enhancement Rating 3
Medkit Rating 5

== Vehicles ==
Thundercloud Morgan
+ Handling EnhancementRating 1
+ Increased Seating
+ Manual Control Override
+ Off-Road Suspension
+ Valkyrie Module
+ Weapon Mount Control (Manual)
+ Weapon Mount Flexibility (Fixed)
+ Weapon Mount Type (Standard)
+ Weapon Mount Visibility (External)
+ Ammo: Regular Ammo (Assault Rifles) x250 x250
+ Grenade: Flash-Bang x4 x4
+ Grenade: Fragmentation x4 x4

== Contacts ==
Fancy Derek (Coyote), Near CZ (Connection: 1, Loyalty: 1)

[Mulcarn]

Looks pretty good. One thing i'd like to point out though. Is he meant to be a Buddhist Adept or was that a mistake in chummer?

[Jack_Spade]

Adepts always use BOD+WIL for drain, independent of their Tradition.

My character is suffering a slight delay as I had to retool him completely

[Gilga]

I did not know that adepts had traditions. No he has no tradition.

[Jack_Spade]

The

== Tradition ==
Buddhism, Resist Drain with WIL + INT (10)

part on your sheet indicated otherwise (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Edit:

I've added my character sheet - Psionic Tradition (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Mulcarn]

Psionists appear to lack mentor spirits, as they refuse to believe an outside force can provide any useful power or guidance for their abilities - Shadow Spells pg 5.

I don't mind a Psionic Mystic Adept but not one following a Mentor. Wouldn't seem reasonable if I did.

[Jack_Spade]

Never understood why a psionic that can call possession spirits and calls them constructs wouldn't also have mentor construct.
But never mind, I'll just make him a psionic flavored chaos mage (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Mulcarn]

Them not having Mentor Spirits (Totems) hearkens back 3rd Edition when they were first introduced (I think). I don't believe they could even conjure elementals or nature spirits for that matter. They had their own unique spirit type called Thought Forms. Which were like super watcher spirits if I remember correctly (Probably not). I'm surprised the Thought Form spirit didn't make a return in Shadow Spells or Forbidden Arcana.

But yeah that's the spirit! A chaos mystic that was heavily inspired by Psionists teachings and trid talkshows.

[Gilga]

Jack, one question is how can you be a mystic adept with magic D though?

[Jack_Spade]

Why do you think its a mystic adept?
It's a Magic D sorcery aspected mage

[Gilga]

my confusion - because you referred to him as a mystic. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
I see that the dedicated spellslinger made them reasonable to play.

[Jack_Spade]

That was Mulcarn (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I've got enough CHA for one Con 3 / Loy 1 contact, likely my fixer. Are there any in this game that are already established that would fit the bill? (Usually easier to get into play if the PCs share a contact)

[Mulcarn]

Whoops... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) When I was looking at him I kept thinking to myself - "Okay he made a mystic adept. Cool I guess." I kept wondering why I didn't see any adept powers listed but then I thought "Alright maybe he forgot to post them." My bad.

[Mulcarn]

I'm in the works of creating a team fixer for the group to receive jobs and purchase gear from. If you wanted to use you finite contact points on a talismonger or arms dealers then go ahead.

[Derfmancher]

Interested. Just put up a post in the players looking for GMs thread. Ill copy that bit here below. Any particular archetype need filling? I see a mage and a adept so far. Any requests? Part of me is thinking a rigger, or perhaps a face/medic. Post from the players thread: New to dumpshock. Long time RL RPG gamer/gm with a more recent discovery of SR. Currently playing in two IRL SR 5e games. Id prefer to keep with that rules set. Familiar with chummer and willing to play most character archtypes. I do tend to be a party leader/organizer at times, but this would be my first pbp game, so also able/willing to take a more back sest role. I would hopefully be able to post semi-daily with some days having higher levels of response than others (I sit at a computer for work, but some days a damn busy while others are very slow). I love the gear side of the system, and im still very much learning the setting. id love to play with a group just starting out and be along for a ride to explore the shadows more!

[Jack_Spade]

Welcome,

a socially well adjusted person might just be what this team needs... OOC and IC (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Derfmancher]

Now I just have to sort out if he should be mundane with some cyber.. or an adept (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Jack_Spade]

If it helps, we are going to walk into an area where bug spirits just wait for someone to use magic to wake up and wreak havoc (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)