Okay, here's my guy. A departure from my usual combat monsters, he depends more on versatility. I'll see how it works out. Still not completely satisfied with his background, but I'm pretty happy with the nuts and bolts part. So here's Doc:
Bull's 50+ Questions -
1. What is your characters Sex?
Male.
2. What is your characters physical size?
Medium height, thin and wiry.
3. What is the color of the characters Hair, eyes, and skin?
Slightly unkempt wavy brown hair, worn short with bold sideburns, amber eyes, and pale skin.
4. What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does he dress, etc.)?
Alex wears slightly conservative, but stylish attire, usually well-worn with travel, evoking a slightly down-at-his heels academician (although he is meticulous about his hygiene). He has a relaxed, easygoing manner and a warm easy smile most of the time, although he seems more alert, and dangerous, in tenser situations.
5. Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?
Alex was born in the Seattle sprawl, in the Redmond Second Regional Med Center, a wretched public facility that abandoned in 2046.
6. What is the characters date of birth?
November 24th, 2041.
7. What was the character's family life like?
His parents struggled to keep their run-down corner store afloat. He and his two older brothers ran a bit wild, although they still helped out at the store. Alex grew to resent all of the punks and street scum who would shoplift or rob the place. He hated the Yak thugs, who came by in their fancy suits, sneering at the people they extorted money from. He swore he would never end up like his folks, working his fingers to the bone and at the mercy of any bully with a gun or a knife.
8. Has the character begun his own family?
No. He has a decent social life, but he won't think of settling down until he is financially secure and out of his current dangerous line of work.
9. Where or how was the character educated?
Alex went to the sprawling Southeastern High School, a dump of a public school terrorized by gang punks and jocks hoping to break out into the pro urban brawl leagues, with a dumbed-down curriculum. Fortunately, his parents supplemented this with enough home-schooling that he actually got a semi-decent education.
He wanted to join Lone Star, but they were lukewarm to his applications - until he showed signs of awakening. Suddenly, they were busting down his door with a long-term contract to sign.
10. Has the character ever done anything else for a living?
Alex helped out at the store some, like all of his siblings, but his dad was afraid to let him work the till, because he was too hot-headed, and his dad was worried he would get shot by some shoplifting punk over a few lousy groceries. He jumped at the chance to join Lone Star, seeing it as a way out of his dead-end life, and envisioning happy fantasies of beating some of the neighborhood punks upside the head.
11. What are the characters political and religious beliefs?
Alex has become disillusioned with the system. He favors firebrand activism, as opposed to his dad who prefered awareness-building groups like MOM and otherwise working within the system. Alex could best be described as a budding neo-anarchist.
Alex is Episcolpalian like his dad, although he is very lapsed.
12. Describe the character's Moral code. Include how mercenary he is, whether or not he'll kill innocents, etc.
Alex has been brought up to try to do the right thing. But suddenly there are no rules that he can respect. So the right thing to do is something that he has to decide on a case-by-case basis. He will almost never get involved in wetwork. He also avoids jobs such as arson, evicting squatters, intimidating witnesses, and such. He sees "real" shadowrunning as freelance inter-corporate espionage, and sees "shadowrunners" who do such things as simple thugs. Although he's in it for the money, it is not the be all and end all for him - it would not be out of character for him to hand a credstick to a shop owner whose store just got burned down, or to help a group of squatters being preyed upon by a vicious gang.
13. Does the character have any goals?
Alex doesn't see any big changes on the immediate horizon. Some day he would like to be able to take down one of the big boys - just to show the others that they aren't untouchable. He tentatively plans to retire someday, when he is too burnt out to continue, but that day is hard to imagine at this point.
14. Why does the character run the shadows? (Why does he run the shadows still, rather than getting a "real" job?)
To be honest, running the shadows has spoiled him. He is used to setting his own hours, working unsupervised, and taking time off to do something else whenever he feels like it (while in-between jobs, that is). But with his disdain for the system, combined with his old hatred for criminal organizations, being a freelancer who works under the table is the only option left to him.
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 colour or add mood to the history.
Alex is amoral and frivolous on the surface, but he still retains a fiercely personal code of honor. He tends to side with the underdog. While capable of some moral flexibility, there are still some lines that he absolutely will not cross.
16. What special qualities does the character posess? This does not refer to skills, but rather at other things, such as How he gets along with people, does he plan ahead, etc.
Alex is good at "reading" people and ferreting out information. He can be very patient when waiting for the right moment to take someone down.
17. Are their certain things the character can't or won't do? Why?
Alex is hesitant to use lethal force against people who are not involved in any shady dealings. He is not quite a "toecutter" (a criminal who will only commit violence against other criminals), but he comes close.
18. What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?
Alex hates criminals, not in the sense of people outside of the law, like shadowrunners, but in the sense of people who are parasites feeding off the sweat and effort of others - he hates casino owners, slum lords, and a lot of corporate types just as much as he hates thrill gangs and BTL dealers. Note that this is refined from a previous blanket disdain of all criminals. But working with criminals, seeing the corruption of the "legitimate" authorities, and then becoming a criminal himself, have changed his formerly black and white views.
He has more of an almost amused contempt for racists, an attitude of "How stupid can you BE to think that way?" Once someone has revealed themselves as a racist, Alex will think of him or her as an utter imbecile, no matter how intelligent that person might seem in other matters.
19. What things people, or ideas does the character love?
Alex loves people who shake up the status quo and give the finger to the establishment, even when he disagrees with them. He likes the intellectual ferment of the neo-anarchist philosophy.
20. What is the character's name? Give both full birth name, as well as nicknames, street names, etc.
His name is Alexander Darton Smith, and his shadowrunning alias is Doc.
21. Determine what your character used to do, before becoming a shadowrunner (very important).
Alex was previously a Lone Star mage, eventually working undercover.
22. Decide why your character left his or her old job, if he had one (also important).
Alex became increasingly disillusioned, seeing the corruption in the ranks, the deals cut with the major players, and the cold, callous corporate manner in which Lone Star was run. This wasn't what he signed up for.
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?)
Once he decided to leave, he slowly and meticulously eased himself off of the system. He arranged things so that it was easier for them to let him go and recall his SIN, than to bring him in and have him take some higher ups down with him. As a mage, he had few difficulties finding shadowy work, but there were too many people who knew him in Seattle. He decided he would do better in another sprawl.
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.
Anton Reeds (Arms Dealer, Level: 1) is a stout, overweight man who smokes smelly cigars and wears tacky Hawaiian shirts. He is short-tempered, especially when hung over, but he can be a valuable source of illicit weaponry. Alex let him walk away from a bust - this was near the end of Alex's run with Lone Star, when cynicism and frustration were closing in on him. But he hears Anton is in Chicago now. Maybe that old favor will let him get a foot in the door with this guy.
Molly Finn (Fixer, Level: 1) is a short elven woman with close-cropped black hair and designer violet cybereyes. She talks a mile a minute and seems scatter-brained, although Alex suspects that it's an act. She was recommended to him by several people he trusted. He has only talked to her on the trid once or twice, but has the impression that there is a keen mind behind her facade. Hopefully she can get him some work.
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 character's previous employment.
Alex has had his SIN revoked.
26. Is the character a full-time shadowrunner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?
Alex is a full-time shadowrunner.
27. Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?
Alex has a soft spot for MOM, even though he prefers more radical activism.
28. Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?
He despises the Yaks the most of the criminal cartels, mainly because of all of their pious protestations of honor, which turn his stomach.
29. Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?
He deeply respects activists, protesters, and muckraking journalists, and will help to protect such people whenever he can.
30. Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?
Tamanous. Dead is dead, but the thought of some sickos carving his corpse up for spare parts afterwards, and tossing the leftovers to ghouls, gives him the creeps.
31. What is your favourite colour?
Brown.
32. What is your favourite food and/or drink?
He likes steaks and old school pub grub, and coffee - the real thing, not that soykaf swill.
33. What place would you most like to visit?
He's always wanted to visit Chicago - he's looking forward to getting there.
34. Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
His primary loyalty is to himself at the moment. He also feels a responsibility to protect the good name of shadowrunning by avoiding bad, noisy press or excessive violence.
35. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment? (Warning: Answering Sex for this question can and will result in penalties to your character!)
Alex puts a lot of energy into his work, and honing his skills, so he unwinds by doing lazy things like walking around Pike Place or the Seattle Aquarium, lurking on a few of the livelier discussion boards, or settling down with a good book to listen to some music. He still hits the night spots occasionally, usually when looking to hook up with someone.
36. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
Even as a freelancer, able to pick and choose his work, he still sometimes has to do jobs that he really doesn't like.
37. What annoys you the most?
Alex despises people who embrace a cause and seem to turn their brain off.
38. What (if any) is your favorite form of art?
Alex likes reading, and also likes listening to classical music.
39. What is your greatest goal?
Alex would like to be part of some word-saving event, but it's a pipe dream - he knows that simply retiring some day would be beating the odds in his new profession.
40. What do you think is your characters best quality?
Alex is a very adaptable person, good at dealing with a variety of situations.
41. What do you think is your characters worst quality?
Alex is still bitter, and a bit directionless at the moment.
42. What is the most important thing you have ever done?
Helped take down a nasty child-abducting ring. His superiors were not helpful, until the group abducted the kid of someone influential, but hey, at least it was one of the times he GOT the bastards.
43. Which religion (if any) do you follow?
Lapsed Episcopalian, really leaning more towards deist or even agnostic these days.
44. What is your most treasured possession (and why)?
He had a locket, a memento from a girl he knew once, but he lost it.
45. What are your three most common dreams?
> Going on a killing spree, one that resembles a first-person shooter more than his own, more realistic experiences in actual combat. Generally the targets are generic thugs and Yak suits. Despite the appalling level of blood and carnage, he isn't disturbed at all, which disturbs him a bit.
> floating among strange-shaped clouds, sometimes over a bizarre cityscape, feeling strangely at peace.
> A porno dream starring Ursela Andover, the prim but attractive girl from the trid who does "Book Talk". She seems quite the proper lady, he doesn't know why he keeps picturing her in these depraved fantasies. Whether his alarm or a ringing trid call, this is the dream he seems to be likeliest to be woken up from.
46. What is the Characters current relationship with his family?
Keeps in touch with his brothers, but that is about it.
47. If the characters family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?
His dad tragically died - Alex is convinced that the man worked himself to death - and Alex was a mess for about a month afterwards. His mom runs the store now, with Alex's two younger sisters to help her, and with Alex and his three brothers all occasionally pitching in to help with the finances. His brothers are doing all right, and he visits them as well. He keeps his business away from them, though, because he does not want to ever bring any heat down on them.
48. Where did the character learn his Skills?
His public education complemented with home schooling, his time with Lone Star, and a few things picked up on the streets or the school of hard knocks.
49. Does the character have a good luck charm? What is it, and why?
No. He has a few pieces of junk (an old bullet casing, a brass key chain, etc.) that hold memories for him, but they are just mementos, not good luck charms.
50. What type of music does the character like?
He likes classical music with little or no vocals. He likes Celtic music as well, but prefers the traditional style.
51. List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.
He has dated, but no serious relationships.
52. Where does your character live? Why does he live there?
Right now, he is headed towards Chicago, to make a fresh start.
53. Remember, your Gamemaster likes detail, so if you can think of any other little details, quirks, or whatever that you think might please the almighty 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...
Alex has his share of flaws, but tries to be fairly decent. He is not the type to do something he doesn't want to and then angst about it - he just won't do it in the first place. He will do SOME things he feels bad about afterwards, but not stuff like shooting an innocent person for money then being an alcoholic mess for a week afterwards. He is a pro, but will refuse to do the dirtier jobs. He has his gentle side when he meets street kids or people in trouble, as well as a nasty side when he encounters some of the scummier criminals. The basic concept of Alex is an bitter ex-cop who got burned, but still has some tattered shreds of honor.
I can live with that, though.