OK....Allow me to explain my situation.

I'm building my character. I get the concepts behind chargen, but I'm having a hell of a time trying to turn the background in my head into stats.

And now the background. Character name is left a variable because I haven't thought on it. This is for a MU* environment, so presuming there'll be a team is ill-advised.

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<Charname> was born to a middle-class family along the Jersey Shore (in NJ, UCAS) in 2039. Had a fairly normal childhood, parents were a civil servant and a realtor respectively, and he had an older brother to provide adversity. He had rather good grades, and being a more-or-less observant Catholic, applied to Boston College among other places. It was initially just to make his grandparents happy, that he might be going to school near them, but then the school came back with a better financial aid package than he figured likely.

4 years later, he graduated with a double-major in Political Science and Criminal Justice, and a 3.8 GPA; To keep his options open, he'd reply with a grin when asked why he'd picked them. When it came time to figure out what to do with himself, he had almost too many options. Diplomacy or law weren't his pick; He was too much an adrenaline junkie, though he had found he had a gift for languages. The military, honestly, had never occurred to him. But law enforcement? Yeah, it had. Knight Errant won out; They paid better and just seemed more professional, compared to Lone Star or many of the other choices. It had a really restrictive non-compete clause in the contract, but everything else seemed to outweigh that, and how likely was he to be changing jobs?

So it was to Knight Errant; After finishing training, he was posted to a patrol unit working a low-class residential suburb of Boston. His language skills came in handy here, and he developed a rapport with neighborhood kids that proved very useful, besides generating good PR for his unit (and Knight Errant).

His life settled into a routine for the next while, then, until a notice in his precinct's muster room appeared, advertising openings in the SWAT division in the New York metro area. The chance to head home appealed to <char>, and the difficult training and action-packed nature of the job was even more of an inducement. So he applied, not expecting he'd be accepted (he tends to be self-deprecating about his abilities, see). So, 2 weeks later, on a train from South St. Station, he left Boston.

SWAT training, in the Adirondacks Mountains, in New York, Newark, Trenton, and even on the Jersey Shore where <char> had grown up, was difficult. No, perhaps difficult is the wrong word. It was hell. But it was good training. At the end of 3 months, <char> graduated in the top 20% of the class, and wound up posted to a SWAT team in Newark.

Not exactly a plum assignment, but he was okay with that. His career was promising, skillful saving had enabled him to pay off the cyberware he'd gotten in training 2 years early, and he found friends in his fellow officers, and mentors in his Sergeant and his Lieutenant. Of course, that would be what would end his career, as well.

He'd been in SWAT for 3 years. He'd just turned 30. Unfortunately, while his Lieutenant was a good boss, he was also a maverick, who'd rubbed some people the wrong way and who'd stepped on a few toes. One of those people, unfortunately, had come into a position of minor influence. The Lieutenant, in securing funding and gear for their unit, had bent (but not broken) minor acquisition and funding regulations. When Auditing came by, they'd normally smack him on the wrist and move on; everybody did it, corporate profits weren't hurt, and their operational effectiveness was superb, which reflected well on the chain of command. This time, unfortunately, was abnormal. Lieutenant Marks found his career ended, informed he would be retired with his pension when he reached his 20-year-mark in 3 months. Sergeant Vasquez and much of the unit found themselves shuffled about, using what influence they had to save themselves.

That left <char> in the lurch. He was informed that he was going to be separated in the next round of attrition; he'd done well, but his number just happened to be up, they said. In reality, he had no real influence to call on to keep his job. He was given an honorable discharge and severance, but when he filed his paperwork and turned in his gear, the personnel sergeant noted his contract's non-compete clause. A surprise to everybody, including the lawyer they called over with a "this has gotta be a misprint, right?" question. It was exceptionally broad, essentially barring him from work in the security industry *worldwide* for 5 years. Apparently, it was a contract KE's recruiters had only used for a very short time (during which time recruitment dropped like a rock) before the language was changed back to a more normal non-compete clause. The lawyer made a few checks, and found that, regardless, Detroit was holding to it. Depressing, indeed. However, he was lucky. Sergeant Vasquez, as they met for lunch that afternoon, recalled a friend of his who might be able to give <char> some work, regardless of any contract language, so long as he was willing to move out to Seattle.

And so he's arrived in Seattle.
---

What I have thusfar in terms of CG:

<char name>
Human Mundane

After that, nothing.

What kind of cyberware were you thinking of?
A lot, a little?

Not much. I'm kinda wondering: What kinda cyber would be at all likely?

Depends on who paid for it. I doubt the Corp would have turned him loose if they spent a lot of money on implants for him.

It was sorta like "Corp implants the stuff, you pay for it in installments".

well smartlink is a must. Swat hostage situations require you to know friend or foe not to shot hostages.

Defineately look at the lone star and security hand books. They should be awesome resources. MMM plain clothes and undercover cops should be the template but overall X-star and other SR mentionables are the prototypes.

Well, as I noted in another thread...All my books are a few hours away, CF, so looking at books is not really an option.

lol, my fault. Thats why I cant wait to get a PDA, just carry all my books with me through PDF's

I would think the Corp would be more likely to offer Cyberware than Bioware. Its cheaper, and they probably aren't as worried about the essence penalties and easy detectibility associated with Cyberware. An undercover officer on the other hand would be a better candidate for Bioware.

Smed: I'd think Alpha would be offered, though, with the implantee playing the difference.

On one hand, reaction boosters should be nice SWAT agents : they have to shoot before the bad guy kills the hostage. Even if the bad guy is hyped on some drugs. But on the other hand, there's the risk that the boosted agent shoots before he can think.

Voice modulator may be fine to be more impressive when you're shouting to the bad guys about dropping their guns.

Shoot one of your own isn't much a problem with smartlinks. But shooting a non threatening suspect or, worse, a civilian can't really be avoided with smartlinks... But if the SWAT agent is trained to control his boosted self, it can be useful when you're up against cybered or hyped opposition.

About the voice modulator, I was thinking of the ability to increase the volume of the voice and change the tone : hearing someone shouting "DROP YOUR WEAPON NOW !" with a massive and inflexible voice may get you to comply. But that can also be built-in the helmet so you don't have to get cyberware for that.

Anyway, I've got some issues with your background.
First, I have a hard time believing in such a non compete clause being accepted by any juridiction (especially since corps have their own, and can consider that clause as void.)
Then I guess that <char name> will end up as a runner in Seattle... Becoming a runner is more than a carrier change. It's deciding to become a criminal. For most of the population, it's becoming a terrorist scum, a cold-blooded bastard who could kill his own mother if he didn't already did it when he was five. I don't picture a SWAT agent deciding to become one just because he can't work in his field. He's got a family, he's got a double-major, he's 30 ! Why isn't he thinking about getting a nice new job, a stable income, a wife, two kids, a garden, a synthedog and 3 drones ? Maybe there's something you forgot to mention, because it doesn't make much sense to me this way.

Re the non-compete clause: It might not be accepted, but let's be frank: Could the average person pay for the lawyers to fight it? Not likely.

The "Why would *anybody* become a shadowrunner?" question has posed itself to me, as well. I admit, there's no *good* answer to this question, and I admit I ducked it. However, for what it's worth...He's not *intending* to become a Shadowrunner (and, fwiw, he has...his parents, his brother...that's it, for immediate family anyway. He has fairly distant relations with all of them.), he's going to be sucked into it.

In any case, I admit the background isn't great, but I'm concerned more about what sort of stats would fit the bg using the 400bp regular chargen.

He does sound a little vanilla to me as well. It's the question of why a suburban rich white guy hang out with 30 year old African american gang banger OG's? or that same suburban guy kickin it with some 30 year old felid working mexicans.

I say that because you can tell the quality of life is completely different between all 3 of them. your character is getting his world rocked and he may not be prepared to see all of the things the sinless go through.

Watching the dateline last friday on "privilege" it seemed like white makes right. Do you honestly think he is ready to slum it with orks, trolls, squatters, killers and the foulest of scum and villanry?

{EDIT}: you beat me to the punch LOL. I think some of that BP needs to go to lifestyle he seems well off enough for a little while.

maybe he has nothing to lose, maybe his superior pissed someone off enough to get his whole unit blacklisted... so <char> couldnt get a job on the east coast if he *wanted* to, double major or not, or maybe someone set him up to take a fall...if you just rearange a little bit of his career background you could leave the overall concept intact, al the while giving him an enemy and a motivation you could go as far as him being marked to get cacked and surviving, maybe his on the run...and when he gets to seatle and calls his buddy back home, they already got to him... then hes kinda got no choice as to what he can do with himself.

A little will. I grant, the "how he gets to the shadows" part is...vanilla, mm. Cheesy, yeah, probably. However, the usual is "the corp killed my family/friends/dog because...", which to me doesn't wash. Or something similarly cliche.

This is not that. I took an angle I don't think many people would think of (namely, how many people even realize that such things as non-compete clauses *exist*?) and went with it.

Like I said, because I'm writing this for a MU* environment, I don't need to have him running immediately. I can afford to build up to that point, where he finds he's crossed the line into criminal activity without really intending to do so. He's a character I don't intend as a badass, but one where I hope to at least explore the "ordinary person in unusual circumstances" motif a bit. He's a fairly observant Catholic; There are going to be moral questions he has to confront.

I'm not sure there's ever really a good answer as to why someone would head for the shadows from any remotely normal existence. But I am trying to build a 3D character.

Oh, and FWIW...He has a BA with a double major, yes. But even right now, it's not all that easy to get much work with a BA. You generally need grad school. (Speaking from experience, as I near graduation from college w/ a poli sci major.)

Whitezero: That's the thing...I don't see the corps just killing people. Not little people like the character (whom I'll call Penta, after myself, as a placeholder) in question. Why? Really simple reason...Eventually, they'll screw up, and not kill someone, or kill the wrong person.

Plus, how cost-effective would that really be? Not very.

Knollegesofts- like tactics
Languesofts
smartlink
gas of some sort (tear or smoke)
survelliance eqiupment

skills in guns of some sort (im thinking assult rifles)
althletics?
computers

Thats all I got now excuse the typos im about to leave from work so I'm in a hurry. Ill write more when I get home in like 30 to 45 minutes

if you dont like the *getting cacked* angle then you can definately still have him wind up black listed, with KE not answering his calls, and suddenly its as if his entire professional career never existed, or is marred by a false disciplinary record...

The "blacklisted" angle is basically what I did. He was the only one in his unit who didn't have influence to use to land on his feet within KE; therefore, he was separated. Admittedly, on more-or-less amicable terms (he'd get decent references out of it, for example), but that hardly mattered given his non-compete clause. (Remember, even if it would never be held up in court: 1. It's the UCAS, Ares basically has its tentacles firmly in the government, including the judiciary; 2. How the heck would he pay for a lawyer that could even hope to compete with their lawyers? Fighting the non-compete clause is not a particularly rational decision.)

If he get's hired on by Lonestar, they won't care about the non-compete clause.

A suggestion to change your backstory a bit. Have him be a suspect in misappropiration of gear, some that went missing. Not enough evidence to charge him, but enough to get him booted for conduct unbecoming. His team mates had enough connections (influence) to make sure that they didn't tarred with the same brush.
He is unofficially blacklisted. KE will give him a reference, but has already spread the word to other Law Enformcement companies.

As for Cyberware, I would suggest Eyes rating 4, Ears rating 4, Commlink, datajack with skin link, sleep regulator. Won't blow the bank, but would have taken him a while to pay it all off.

He sounds like a good guy who's fallen on hard times. A guy like him is going to get a regular job. He's not going to leave the KE offices and decide to go leave a resume with the yakuza. Maybe work the adrenaline junky angle. Use Mr. Incredible (The Incredibles) as an example. Being a superhero was what kept him going, so even though he had a stable job at the insurance company, he'd sneak out with his buddy and stake out the police frequencies for action. Maybe pointing guns and shouting at people is what makes your man feel alive. It doesn't make sense though unless he tries to be "normal" first. He needs to spend time as an office drone or something, who hates his job. Then it makes sense when he starts taking side jobs. And it totally supports your "ordinary person in unusual circumstances" bit.

So...Hmm. He polevaults, using his field experience and polisci degree (and the help of a former prof) to get a job with...The UCAS DOJ, Seattle Office. So he becomes an office drone.

Rather boring, by comparison. So he starts taking side jobs. (A shame there's no more "Day Job" flaw...)

If your going in that direction, maybe have him start to do jobs that benefit prosecution of criminals. Once on that slippery slope, he could just keep sliding deeper and deeper, or get caught at it, and have no choice but to do it full time.

You could always go the route that the background you described is your character's 'cover', and all the while he is really working the shadows for some Greater Good™, under the direction (however loosely) of a higher authority.

Hmm. The MU* of which I speak won't even open for a few months at the earliest, so that's something I'll consider, Mist.

Now, OK, you've all poked at the BG enough. Someone want to help me turn the BG (such as it is) into stats?

Here's some rough stats from me. I am assuming someone with a wide range of skills, who is not quite at the same level as a fully-augmented sammie yet, but is still skilled and has some enhancements. Also a high Edge, for an adrenaline addict who is used to surviving danger. Normally, I don't use skill groups as much, but this is a character who would be pretty well-rounded, skill-wise.


BREAKDOWN (400 Points)
Core Attributes: 200
Special Attributes: 40
Race: 0
Active Skills: 128
Qualities: NET 0
Contacts: 12
Resources: 20

=Attributes=
Body: 4
Agility: 5 (7)
Reaction: 5 (7)
Strength: 3
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 3
Edge: 6

Essence: 2.40
Initiative: 10
Initiative Passes: 3
Physical Damage Track: 10
Stun Track: 10

=Qualities=
Guts
SINNER

=Active Skills=
Athletics Group: 1
Close Combat Group: 3
Dodge: 4
Etiquette/Law Enforcement: 1 (+2)
Firearms Group: 4
Infiltration: 1
Leadership: 1
Perception: 2
Pilot Ground Vehicle/Car: 2 (+2)

=Knowledge Skills=

(One or more of following)
=Cyberware=
Cybereyes: 2 with -
>Flare Compensation
>Low-Light Vision
>Smartlink
>Vision Magnification
Datajack
Wired Reflexes: 2

=Bioware=
Muscle Toner: 2

=Contacts=
Fixer (4/1)
Hacker/DOJ co-worker (2/1)
Sergeant Vasquez (2/2)

=Other Gear=
47,000 Nuyen left to spend on lifestyles, vehicles, etc. Given his background, will probably lack things like fake IDs. Armor will probably be an armored jacket with fire resistance and a helmet. Weapons will probably be things like a Colt Manhunter with a smartlink and a mix of rounds, shock gloves and/or stun baton, survival knife, maybe a Defiance T-250 shotgun or hunting rifle. You described him at turning his gear in, so that's why I think he probably won't start out with things like SMGs or assault rifles.

Creating someone from scratch, I made a character pretty close to that one.

I'd recommend SINner, Criminal, though.

Makes it easy enough to explain. Not only was he unable to get someone to cover for him at KE, but he was actually set up to take the fall for the criminal offenses. He knows he's innocent, but he was found guilty in absentia, and now has a record. And that's why he's running the shadows, instead of just picking up at a Stuffer Shack. Also gives a built in drive to clear his name, which will be complicated by future activities....

lorechaser: If we're speaking of UCAS crimes: He cannot be tried in absentia. It violates the 6th Amendment in vicious ways.

Glyph: Hmm. Very close to many of my attempts. My only cyber (I am by nature conservative about such things) was:

Cybereye Rating 4 Alpha w/ Smartlink, Flare Comp, Low-Light, Thermographic, protective covers
Datajack (A/pha)
Touch link (alpha) (Never could figure out what this does, actually)

Reason I went for alphaware: Character was in a dangerous line of work. Chances are, before cyber install, even as a patrol cop, he would have learned that: A. Magical healing can save your life; B. Lots of cyber impedes magical healing. C. The stuff they call alphaware impedes less, though you pay a premium for the privilege.

Things which I ponder:

1. How obviously cyber are cybereyes and cyberears? To sight? What about to the touch (more applicable for ears)? For someone like him, that did work with kids, *not* being obviously cybered would be very important. The closer he could get to appearing to a mundane observer to being non-cybered, the happier he would be.

2. Smartlink has a rather low availability. It's restricted, but still. So how hard would it be to get a license with a legit SIN, some useful fibbery ("I'm between jobs, but I'm planning on working as a courier, and that may require me to be armed"), and knowledge of the system ("Yes, you're right, except when you consider 39 CFR 298, which actually implements that statute; See how it's written when you look it up on Lexis-Nexis?")?

3. My gear loadout replaced a Colt Manhunter w/ an Ares Predator IV, for obvious reasons. I'm pondering more Armor, Clothing, etc.: What the heck is the distinction between chic clothing and regular clothing? Which armors can be worn under, say, a suit?

4. Commlinks. OK, so what programs and stuff does a non-hacker need?

True. So he's not been found guilty, he's simply pending trial, and has a bench warrant issued for his arrest on failure to appear?

Glyph's done a pretty good job there. I would err on the side of less cyber, possibly with a less expensive reaction/reflex solution.
Close Combat group could be broken up into Clubs and Unarmed, possibly with subduing specialization.

Intimidation should also be represented. Even beat cops have this, and I would assume it's an important part of the T in SWAT.

In the end it's your character, but allow me to point out why I disagree with your character's skills, since I think you're trying to err on the side of what skills a real person might have:

Hmm.

Pilot Ground would seem necessary; We're not talking (for the most part) about crowded urbanscapes in much of either the Greater Boston or Metro NYC areas, despite the common conception. There are serious bits of freeway, for example, meaning the cop on the beat would need to learn every trick your average cop these days learns re driving.

Influence Group....Hmm. OK, ditching that, buying the component skills EXCEPT Con to 2. When I said char lacked 'influence', I meant in terms of favors owed, things like that. That only comes with time; no matter how charming you might be, if you're a newbie, you got no influence. That said, I took your advice, and after dropping Con, went for Intimidation (Interrogation) 1 (3)

Physical Group: OK, I looked at the descriptions of skill levels for the Athletics Group again. 2 seems better.

First Aid: See, I just disagree. He might have the medkit and patches, but I would still see it being taught; For one thing, DocWagon or similar might well say "Knight Errant has the scene, we're not going in until they're done collecting evidence". Meanwhile, civs bleed out? Bad PR for KE. Similarly, taking that position would lose good PR for KE as well. How often, for example, do you hear about cops delivering babies along the highway because someone couldn't get to the hospital in time?

That said, I also sat down and added Computer and Data Search at 2.

Computer I'm unsure about, Data Search I'm not. Why?

Computer: It seems difficult to imagine *not* having this skill, but then, a lot of the sample chars don't have it. I'm wondering what everybody here thinks it covers, I guess.

Data Search: Ohh, man. Poli Sci and Criminal Justice. Two majors where, if you had even a *1* in Data Search, you'd be lost. You really would be.

Edit: Typo'd re the influence skills.

Attributes :

Physical Attributes depend on how you picture the character, but I'd tend to see an ex-SWAT agent as someone a bit better than the average guy in raw physical qualities. Reaction may be especially useful to react quickly to threats.
I'd raise Charisma or Willpower : SWAT agents need some "Composure". Intuition may be nice too : "Judge Intention" is quite useful to judge if the bad guy is really ready to shoot the hostage.

Skills :

Infiltration may be useful.
I'd get subdual combat as a specialisation of Unarmed Combat.
Intimidation is nice for a SWAT agent.
Demolition (defusing) 1

If you drop the influence group, you may want to keep Leadership (if he was or wanted to be a unit leader)

About computer : don't forget that rating 0 skill isn't incompetence. It's "typical man on the street". Rating 0 in computer skill means you know the common uses of your commlink.

Gear :

You might consider not taking any firearm/armor : he's got not reason for keeping his work gear.

I would think that an average SWAT member would mostly have external gear and might have some combat drugs (Anything that gets them extra reaction/IP as it would be far cheaper than giving them cyber/bio.

Skillsets would be above average and most likely specialised towards what they do. I’m gonna give him/her a rather average skill level as rating 3 is professional so they would probably be slightly above or around that level – and most likely specialized in a few weapons.

Clubs (Baton) 2/4
Unarmed (Subduing) 2/4
Pistols (Semi-Automatics) 2/4
Automatics (SMG) 2/4
Longarm (Sniper Rifle) 2/4
Demolitions (Defusing) 2/4
Etiquette (Law) 3/5
Leadership (Persuation) 3/5 (Hostage Negotiation)
Negotiation (Sense Motive) 3/5 (Hostage Negotiation)
Groundcraft (Wheeled) 1/3
Athletics 3
Stealth 3

Physical Attributes: 4
Mental Attributes 3

Points: 322

Now you got 78 points for possible gear that has been aquired after he started running and/or making him magically active. Computer skills won’t be necessary as they are “man on the street” skills anyway, unless he’s specialized as a SWAT hacker (if they exist).

Improved reaction and initiative MIGHT be something useful but that depends on his role in the unit, as a sniper he would most likely have a delayed action and aimed for awhile even before the combat started. As an assault SWAT he might have it unless they use a combat drugs (lots cheaper since they might not be needing such things very often).

Hmm. Re influence: Sometimes. He'd only have been a cop for a year or two before joining SWAT, though, and he was still a junior member in that unit. While he may have had minimal seniority, would it be enough?

Re computer skill: OK. So what would a 1 and 2 mean, respectively?

Yeah...OK, given..He'd gotten out of college at 22, KE training...No idea how long that woulda taken. Let's say he spent 3-4 years on the street, then transferred to SWAT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWAT

I know its Wikipedia, but it gives you a good idea of SWAT duties and equipment.

Also
http://www.aetv.com/dallas_swat/index.jsp

I've enjoyed that site. Some very deep stuff hidden, but mostly just a general, for the consumer type overview.