. He's put 20,000 towards the ship.
Ziptide (Drake Morgan), Male Human Shamanic Sorcerer (Sea Totem)
Here is the breakdown:
Human: 0
Edges: 3
Flaws: -3
Resources: 10 (90,000 Nuyen)
Attributes: 54
Skills: 34
Magic (Sorcerer): 25
TOTAL: 123
*NOTE* 20,000 Nuyen towards the ship
Attributes -
Body: 5
Quickness: 4
Strength: 3
Charisma: 3
Intelligence: 6
Willpower: 6
Essence: 6
Magic: 6
Reaction: 5
Initiative: 5 + 1d6
Combat Pool: 8
Spell Pool: 6
Total Karma: 0
Good Karma: 0
Karma Pool: 1
Active Skills -
Athletics/Swimming: 3/5
Bike: 5
Etiquette: 3
Motorboat: 3
Negotiation: 3
Pistols/Morrissey Elite: 3/5
Ship: 3
Sorcery: 6
Stealth: 3
Knowledge Skills -
(Languages)
English: 6 R/W: 3
Japanese: 4 R/W: 21
(Other)
Bike Racing: 4
Corporate Security: 4
Ecoterrorist Groups: 5
Gang Identification/Go-Gangs: 2/4
Magical Background: 6
Marine Biology/Paranormal Critters: 2/4
Spells -
Stun Ball: 6
Stun Bolt: 6
Improved Invisibility: 6
Heal (E): 6
Oxygenate: 5
Levitate: 3
Freeze Water: 5
Edges -
Bravery
Vehicle Empathy
Flaws -
Bio-rejection
Distinctive Style
Contacts -
Fixer (Level 1)
Go-Ganger (Level 1)
Smuggler (Level 1)
Lifestyles: 1 Low (1 Month prepaid) and 1 High (1 Month prepaid).
Credstick Balance: 3d6 x 100 Nuyen.
Gear -
>DocWagon Contract: Basic (1 Year prepaid).
>Magic: Shamanic Lodge (Rating 6).
>Fake ID: Fake Silver Credstick (Rating 3).
>Vehicles: Yamaha Rapier Racing Bike.
>Weapons: Morrissey Elite Heavy Pistol with Concealable Quick-Draw Holster, 100 Rounds of EX Explosive Ammo, and 9 spare Clips.
>Armor/Clothing: Mortimer Greatcoat, FFBA (full suit), Rapid Transit Line Helmet and Heavy Jumpsuit with Fire Resistance (4) (for riding bike), Ordinary Clothing (x 10), Fine Clothing (x 4).
>Diving Gear: Diving Armor ,Drysuit with Nonconductive (2), Fins, and OXSYS Artificial Gill.
Other Gear: 2 Sea Bags (of 100 Nuyen cost each), Wrist Phone with Flip-up Screen, Pager, Micro-Transceiver (Rating 2 with 2 ECCM) with Subvocal Mic, Wire Clippers, Pocket Flashlight, Medkit(Rating: 6) with 2 Refills, 1 Trauma and 2 Antidote(6) Slap Patches, Survival Kit, Ration Bars(10 Days),Nav-Dat GPS, Optical Binoculars, Music Player with Quad Speakers and 25 Disks,Telecom(5 Mp) with Vidscreen and 1 disposable Printer.
Bull's 50+ Questions -
1. What is your character's Sex?
Male.
2. What is your character's physical size?
Tall but thin, long-limbed.
3. What is the color of the character's hair, eyes, and skin?
Medium-length, slightly curly hair dyed a multi-toned sea green - sometimes tied back with a red ribbon, sometimes slightly unkempt; cold grey eyes, and a light tan. He has a tattoo of an anchor on the back of his left hand.
4. What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does he dress, etc.)?
Drake dresses conservatively - not in a stodgy way, but with an old-style elegance. He would rather wear fine clothing, but if he is wearing everyday clothing, it will tend to be dark and utilitarian, and he favors black mock turtleneck shirts. He tends to look rakishly elegant and a bit arrogant, with a daredevil grin. A slight facial tic appears when he is dangerously close to initiating sudden violence.
5. Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?
Drake was born on a small nameless island just off the Seattle coast, home to the high, foreboding walls of an extraterritorial Renraku facility.
6. What is the character's date of birth?
January 7th, 2039.
7. What was the character's family life like?
Drake was a bored, cynical corp kid, rebelling against his domineering father, who was a beefy, potbellied security shift assistant supervisor. Drake has dark memories of his childhood, and seeing someone raise a hand to a child is likely to provoke a response from him that is far out of proportion to the actual incident. Drake began hanging around with a bad crowd at an early age - delinquents, go-gangers, and small-time smugglers.
8. Has the character begun his own family?
Drake has no intention of starting a family; he is secretly worried that he would be like his dad.
9. Where or how was the character educated?
Drake got a decent formal education from the Renraku facility, although he learned early on to take any history or politics from them with a big grain of salt. His magical studies, under the tutelage of a sharp-faced old man who didn't even tell Drake his name, were conducted in secret and paid for by his adventures in smuggling and small-time crime.
10. Has the character ever done anything else for a living?
Drake has never done any legitimate work, and wouldn't want to. He was involved in smuggling, mischief with his fellow thrill-seeking corp kid buddies, and small-time criminal activity with the go-gangers he hung out with. Then he had what he calls his "social activist phase", where he got involved in metahuman rights, protest movements, and eco-terrorism. The close-minded rhetoric and callous violence of the latter turned him away from the cause, leaving him more bitter and cynical than before.
11. What are the character's political and religious beliefs?
Drake is cynical politically, in that he thinks that voting and activism will never change anything. The corporations run things, and always will. If you try too hard to fight them, you will become just as brutal and monstrous as they are. The best you can do is be a freelancer, where you may be doing dangerous and clandestine things, but at least you have some say in what kind of jobs you will do... or won't.
Drake is in awe of his intensely spiritual experiences with his magic, but doesn't follow any organized religion - he thinks there IS an afterlife, but doesn't derive much comfort from it. He thinks that the afterlife is such a transformation that you might as well not exist any more - the new existence will have no memories or desires from this life, any more than a butterfly looks back on when it was a caterpillar. So he doesn't care enough to argue with atheists - whether you cease to exist, or evolve into something unimaginable, it's effectively the same thing in the end.
12. Describe the characters Moral Code. Include how mercenary he is, whether or not he'll kill innocents, etc.
Drake is cheerfully mercenary, even though money does not actually mean that much to him. He will refuse the nastier jobs, although he will excuse it by saying it is "vulgar work" or "beneath him" or "Get a bloody squatter with a street sweeper if you want some little git whacked. I'm a professional." He is extremely cynical, although like most cynics he has a desperate, inarticulate desire for some kind of moral code to believe in again. He is always protective of children, and if someone wants a child harmed, he will not only refuse the job, but is likely to attempt to geek the Johnson then and there, regardless of the complications that it may cause.
13. What are the character's goals? Does he have any?
Drake has no goals at the moment. He has what is very nearly a death wish, and certainly is not thinking about the future. He lives for the rush of danger, and the heady joy that he still feels when he uses his magic.
14. Why does the character run the shadows? (Why does he run the shadows still, rather than getting a "real" job?)
Drake disdains legitimate work, and he has moved up from the small-time criminal endeavors that he did before. He likes the big paychecks, with the freedom to choose his own jobs and set his own hours. The danger, which would be a downside to most people, is just another plus as far as he is concerned.
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.
Drake is a thrill-seeker given to impulsive behavior and almost manic-depressive mood swings. He tries to do things with a certain elegance. He has a lively sense of humor that ranges from sardonic to callous, and he likes hanging out with dangerous people.
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, whether he plans ahead, etc.
Drake is insanely calm in the face of danger. He has a surprisingly gentle way with children.
17. Are there certain things the character can't or won't do? Why?
Drake absolutely disdains drugs. He won't even get drunk, although he will drink socially. "Drugs are a crutch for weaklings. They take the edge off. They blur the sharp corners of reality. I live on the edge, in real time. The only high I need is my mojo and that sweet rush of danger."
18. What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?
Drake despises bullies, and overbearing people in general. He doesn't like corporations or eco-terrorists, but he can put it aside when they offer him work or information.
19. What things, people, or ideas does the character love?
Drake is an adrenaline addict. He rides his bike at insane speeds, hangs out in dangerous places, and is attracted to the kind of women who scare away most other people.
20. What is the character's name? Give both full birth name, as well as nicknames, street names, etc.
His full name is Drake Nicholas Morgan, and his shadowrunning handle is Ziptide, with some people shortening it to Zip.
21. Determine what your character used to do, before becoming a shadowrunner (very important).
Drake was a bored corp kid drifting towards a life of crime, then he became a social activist for awhile.
22. Decide why your character left his or her old job, if he had one (also important).
The dark realities of the eco-terrorists and other fanatics turned him away from the movement.
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?)
Bitterly cynical, with the rush of danger as the only thing left to him, he became a shadowrunner, almost flaunting that he was just in it for money and kicks now.
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.
>Brass, Fixer (Level 1): Brass is a peg-legged dwarf who wears the finest fashions. There are various rumors about the peg leg, the two most common ones being that it is a weapon focus with an extendable blade, and that it has a hidden one-shot shotgun with a fireball shell. Brass has his fingers in a lot of things, but sometimes takes a bit extra to get hold of enough bankroll for a major purchase because of this. Dirk appreciates his versatility, though, and has stuck with him for most of his 'running career.
>Soupbone, Go-ganger (Level 1): A rank-and-file member of the Cutters who shares Dirk's love of bikes and daredevil stunts. Soupbone is a useful person to know when you are looking for something at street level, and he is a halfway decent mechanic - not able to fix your bike, maybe, but he can patch it up to semi-work for a few more days. Dirk has known him the longest, since his days hanging with go-gangers, although Soupbone can be hard to find sometimes.
>Putter, Smuggler (Level 1): A small-time operator with a crappy-looking boat that is actually very fast. He is good for emergency transportation and the occasional bit of contraband - not nearly as much of an inventory as Brass, but occasionally something either useful and cheap, or rare and pricey.
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 characters previous employment.
Drake's corporate SIN is long gone.
26. Is the character a full-time shadowrunner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?
Drake is a full-time shadowrunner.
27. Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?
He is still fond of some of the metahuman rights and other activist groups, the ones that use peaceful means to try and change the system. They may not get anything accomplished in the end, but at least they haven't compromised their principles like the violent groups have. Drake loves hanging with go-gangers and others who share his love of racing bikes.
28. Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?
He hates his dad, and hasn't spoken to him in years. He is most bitter against Terra Reign, the eco-terrorist cell he worked with for awhile, and dislikes all eco-terrorists. He is not that fond of the NAN. As far as he is concerned, they and the corporations are the same, only the NAN are a bunch of hypocrites, who drove people from their homes into the barrens to starve so they could wallow around in their spacious wilderness paradise. He doesn't dislike corporations and criminals as much, mainly because they are more open about being scum. CEOs who pimp their charitable contributions and Yak bosses who make a pious show of honor earn his contempt, though.
29. Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?
He respects the founder of MOM, a few small entrepreneurs who escaped being gobbled up by the big companies - basically anyone who has actually managed to succeed at something without selling out.
30. Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?
He fears and loathes cults, because he knows how hard it can be to break out of something when you have been indoctrinated into it, and some of them use some pretty nasty methods to brainwash their victims. Getting killed is not a scary prospect, but losing his personality and having this shell that used to be him still walking around... THAT frightens him. He hates insect spirits for the same reason.
31. What is your favourite colour?
Navy blue.
32. What is your favourite food and/or drink?
He likes seafood, especially when he can get it fresh at Pike Place. He likes batter-fried fish and prawns and chowder, though - he doesn't like sushi very much. He eats real meat ("real" meaning vat-grown as opposed to soy, not actually coming from a cow), and likes good microbrewery beer, whether it is dark or lager.
33. What place would you most like to visit?
He would love to go reefing in Hawaii one of these days.
34. Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
Sadly, himself, although he is protective of children when they are threatened.
35. What pastime (that you particiapate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment? (Warning: Answering Sex for this question can and will result in penalties to your character!)
Riding his bike gives him the most pleasure. Swimming and diving are also enjoyable, but they don't give him the same RUSH.
36. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
Drake really doesn't like some of the people and groups he has to deal with, but he is realistic enough to know that 'runners depend on knowing people to get jobs, so he grits his teeth and acts professionally at times when he would rather stunbolt the bastards.
37. What annoys you the most?
When people try to B.S. him, especially if it seems they have been doing it so long that they half-believe it themselves.
38. What (if any) is your favourite form of art?
He thinks that some of the new 3-D laser-holographic art is phenomenal.
39. What is your greatest goal?
To see how fast his bike can go.
40. What do you think is your characters best quality?
His fearless poise.
41. What do you think is your characters worst quality?
His recklessness and cynicism.
42. What is the most important thing you have ever done?
He was part of a sit-in at a university that led to an emergency city council meeting to give the sprawl's poverty-stricken orks a fairer allocation of the utility ration times. That was before it went sour on him...
43. Which religion (if any) do you follow?
No organized religion, although he was raised Buddhist. He meditates to calm himself, but does not really practice the philosophy any more.
44. What is your most treasured possession (and why)?
He loves his bike, and if it got trashed, he would want it fixed even if it cost twice as much as getting a new one would.
45. What are your three most common dreams?
> Starts out riding his bike very, very fast, then goes into strange environments, such as flying through the cityscape, riding over the ocean, or soaring above the clouds.
> Nightmare, strapped to a table while an insanely grinning doctor in blood-spattered whites prepares to cut Dirk's head open with a buzzsaw. He holds a mass of squirming wires in his hand, and Dirk wakes up screaming at the thought of him putting those wires in his head. He doesn't have this nightmare often, usually when he first sleeps in a new place or something very traumatic has just happened to him the day before.
> Walking through the Seattle Aquarium, notices that the hallway is underwater too, although he can still breathe just fine, and the fish are all talking to him. The peaceful and mellow feelings seem strange upon awakening.
46. What is the Characters current relationship with his family?
Alienated from his dad - his mom died four years ago, and he has no siblings.
47. If the characters family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?
He doesn't even know where his dad is, although it is probably either still with Renraku at a mid-level security job, or retired.
48. Where did the character learn his Skills?
Informal training and the school of hard knocks, although he had some actual clandestine formal instruction in magic.
49. Does the character have a good luck charm? What is it, and why?
No, just a few mementos (like a tail light from the beat-up Dodge scoot that was his first set of wheels, etc.).
50. What type of music does the character like?
He likes new age or neo-classical music to sit and listen to, but he likes hard thrash and gearhead music when he is at a club.
51. List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.
None, although he has had some very wild dates. He likes the dangerous and exotic types of women.
52. Where does your character live? Why does he live there?
His main apartment is by the docks, an upscale building with a shed that he keeps his bike in. He likes living by the sea. His bolthole is on the outskirts of the Redmond barrens, though. It is a grungier building by far, although his own apartment is Spartan and clean. As well as a bolthole, it is a good place to crash, especially if he is with people he doesn't trust with his main address yet.
53. Remember, your Gamemaster like detail, so if you can think of any other little details, quirks, or whatever that you think might please the almight 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...
For Drake, I wanted to play someone "on edge" without making him a TOTAL psycho. I also wanted to be sure that he COULD function as a professional runner. He is still messed up, but he won't be doing things that will hose up the run for everyone. Although he has some marine skills and abilities, he has no problems functioning out of the water. His stun spells reflect a light touch rather than pacifism. He considers a pistol a weapon of emergency for a spell-slinger, thus the concealable pistol with a small clip.
I'll adjust his lifestyles to a more nautical one once we've settled up who's in which cabin. Ziptide started out as a delinquent corp kid hanging out with other thrill-seeking corp kids, go-gangers, and small-time smugglers. After that he had a more idealistic eco-activist phase, but after becoming disillusioned, he returned to the shadows more bitter than ever. So there are a number of ways that the other runners could have first met him.