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Thal'aen
**WARNING** This post is very long and convoluted.


Hey all,

I've been eyeing Shadowrun since 3rd edition and read a few of the novels, but never had a chance to actually play until now. I found a group in my area, and we're gearing up to start a game. House rules are very abundant, and we're starting out with PRETTY powerful characters. We're also supposed to all be security employees of the same corporation to fit into the game storyline.

So, here's a couple of questions I have so that I can make sure I understand the mentality, and develop my character accordingly.

I'm playing a Troll, he's a custom job with a pretty high Body score and can really take the damage - but (for a Troll) he's pretty personable as well. My idea for him is to be able to get right into the middle of the opposition before they realize that he's actually a threat to them. I know MAD scanners would be a serious barrier to this if he has to pass through them, but I'm wondering more about point security at locations.

I know it'd be dependent upon the importance of the items/location they were guarding, but as a general rule, how do run-of-the-mill security guards react to people they don't know? As in, is it generally acceptable in the world of Shadowrun to shoot on sight? Or would one be able to walk up to a guard and bum a smoke off of him? I haven't been able to find anything in the source books that deals at all with the general mindsets and what's considered 'acceptable policy' in the world.

In regards to bumming a smoke, are cigarettes and the like still around in this world? If not, what's the replacement?

And, finally, a question regarding meta-humans and metamorphosis. I stumbled upon this entry in the Runner's Companion, p.46.

"Similar to geographic or ethnic races, metatype divergence appears to be the result of hereditary metagenetics, triggered—if current thaumaturgic theory is correct—by ambient mana levels. Metagenes, otherwise dormant in the genome, express as phenotypic and metabolic traits unique to each metatype. Generally, this trigger occurs prenatally during embryonic development. Instances of expression during puberty and early adulthood still occur but are increasingly rare (and then exclusively among orks and trolls)."

I understood that to mean that occasionally, there are still people born who appear to be perfectly normal and human until, at some point in the first third of their lives, they undergo a dramatic transformation and end up as one of the different metatypes. Am I correct in thinking this way?

I'm trying to figure out if the character concept I came up with is doable in the Shadowrun world... here is what I have in mind so far:

Viktor Mandrake, a human Russian national, was intrigued by the military life as a child. He spent hours pouring over trids of wars and battle, as well as sims and games - in short, he was obsessed with a life of battle. It was his life-long aspiration to make a career in the military, so he acquired a fake SIN and ran away at 17 to join up. Excelling during his military training, he was placed in a covert operations unit where he honed his skills further... until a few months before his 19th birthday. Dormant metagenes in his body were awakened, causing him to metamorphosis into a Troll.

Unable to cope with the changes his body had undergone, and the dramatic toll it took upon how he was treated by those around him, Viktor took to substance abuse as a form of relief. When his stimulant addiction was discovered, he was summarily discharged from the military, further shattering his dreams. As a fallback, he went to work in the private sector, working corporate security. His increasing dependence upon stimulants (not to mention showing up jacked for a shift a few too many times) led to his being fired from multiple firms.

After his last failure, Viktor decided to clean up his act. Still using from time to time, he managed to tone his addiction down to a manageable level and got yet another job in corporate security. His military training, combined with the experience of the various firms he had worked for previously served him well, for he was able to make a name for himself as a capable (albeit headstrong) 'trouble-shooter.'

(This will hopefully be enough to incorporate his knowledge groups of Military, Security Procedures, and Security Design, as well as his High Pain Tolerance, Guts, and Addiction, Moderate (Stimulants) qualities)
kzt
Anyone who does this stuff for a living and is any good develops a sense about people. Just like cops do. If you are the size of a mountain and just try to walk up to a guard, it's unlikely to work. It's like trying to bum a smoke from the guys guarding the B52. You walk across the yellow line and flight line gets very noisy.
Rasumichin
QUOTE (Thal'aen @ Sep 7 2008, 08:20 PM) *
I know it'd be dependent upon the importance of the items/location they were guarding, but as a general rule, how do run-of-the-mill security guards react to people they don't know? As in, is it generally acceptable in the world of Shadowrun to shoot on sight? Or would one be able to walk up to a guard and bum a smoke off of him?


As you suggested, it depends on what you're guarding and where it is.
Every megacorp has so-called zero zones (zero gets in, zero gets out, at least that's the theory)- if you don't have a viable ID, you get shot on sight.

If, on the other hand, you are assigned to a public area of your corp's arcology, you will have to act more like today's police officers (remember that on corporate territory, you are the law, not just watchmen in a shopping mall).

If you are outside of your corporations territory, but on that of a sovereign state -let alone on another corporations territory-, you'll have to work like members of foreign law enforcement, requiring the cooperation of the local authorities.

QUOTE
In regards to bumming a smoke, are cigarettes and the like still around in this world? If not, what's the replacement?


Cigarettes are still around.
Marijuana is legal, too and you can get a lot of drugs on prescription, especially if you work in security.
Many armies and corporations use stimulants to beef up their employees against heavily cybered opposition.

If it gets out of hand, though, it could get you in trouble.
Like getting caught stealing a pack of Jazz inhalators because the ration you get assigned isn't sufficient for you anymore.

QUOTE
And, finally, a question regarding meta-humans and metamorphosis. I stumbled upon this entry in the Runner's Companion, p.46.

"Similar to geographic or ethnic races, metatype divergence appears to be the result of hereditary metagenetics, triggered—if current thaumaturgic theory is correct—by ambient mana levels. Metagenes, otherwise dormant in the genome, express as phenotypic and metabolic traits unique to each metatype. Generally, this trigger occurs prenatally during embryonic development. Instances of expression during puberty and early adulthood still occur but are increasingly rare (and then exclusively among orks and trolls)."

I understood that to mean that occasionally, there are still people born who appear to be perfectly normal and human until, at some point in the first third of their lives, they undergo a dramatic transformation and end up as one of the different metatypes. Am I correct in thinking this way?


Yes, sometimes humans still goblinize (transform into trolls and orks or their metavariants).
Unlike elves and dwarves, the first orks and trolls wheren't born this way, they...changed.
It's a horribly painful and often traumatizing process.
It has become rare, but still happens from time to time.
Usually with orks- sometimes, ork parents give birth to a human child and most of the time, this child goblinizes somewhere during puberty.

It is less common, but entirely possible with trolls.
However, it will usually happen before the person turns nineteen.
But this, too, would be possible, especially residence in an area with low mana might explain that.
Thal'aen
Rasumichin, thanks for the detailed answers. I think I pretty much have all the pieces of the puzzle now from which I can assemble my character's history and personality. Thanks again!
sunnyside
Couple things.

First I believe that many people in SR times smoke "nicosticks". I don't think it was ever elaborated on. But my guess is that cigarette can only be applied to products using real tobacco. So the nicostick could be something more like synthetic nicotine in a soy/polymer matrix that is cheaper than the real thing.

I believe when people change race later it occurs before 17. But some flexibility could be allowed.

Finally I'll second that guards personality depends wildly on what you look like and where you are. Stick your troll in a cardigan and slacks and you may be able to get close to all sorts of guards in malls, universities, and front desks.



Rasumichin
QUOTE (Thal'aen @ Sep 8 2008, 07:12 AM) *
Rasumichin, thanks for the detailed answers. I think I pretty much have all the pieces of the puzzle now from which I can assemble my character's history and personality. Thanks again!


You'r welcome.

QUOTE (sunnyside @ Sep 8 2008, 08:07 AM) *
First I believe that many people in SR times smoke "nicosticks". I don't think it was ever elaborated on. But my guess is that cigarette can only be applied to products using real tobacco. So the nicostick could be something more like synthetic nicotine in a soy/polymer matrix that is cheaper than the real thing.


Hm, the nicosticks have been mentioned in one older source, i think.
It could either be what you suggested (According to Arsenal, snuff usually contains synthetic nicotine and THC instead of tobacco and marijuana) or one of those inhalator things that produce vapor instead of smoke to minimize condensates.
Both would be entirely possible as an option in the 70s, but i think some people will still smoke real tobacco.

It would fit the setting if it was a luxury item, though, given how upper-class real food is portrayed as.
Ravor
In my campaign one of the NPC mages rolls his own cigars from home grown tobbac...
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