When I glanced through Running Wild and saw Warform and Chimeric critters, it got me to thinking about a character concept I had a while back but was unable to implement (that being long before Running Wild came out). The concept, in essence, was of an animal trainer who ran the shadows with his pets. However, I'm not sure what the best way would be to go about building such a character, especially with regards to ideal pet choices. Any suggestions?

I use Karmagen, if it matters.

The best way would be either to go with possession spirits on your animals, the stirrups cyberware in Running Wild, or finding a GM who house rules starting training costs because the actual costs they list in the book for starting play with trained animals is ridiculous and unusable. As for which animals to go with, barghests have decent stats and Paralyzing Howl, Nimue's Salamander has counterspelling, Merlin Hawks are highly intelligent and can learn a few spells, Pegasi can fly and carry a rider (as can Perrytons ), a Cerberus Hound has some of the best physical stats and can become a decent main fighter for your collection if you're willing to spend the time and nuyen on it, a Fenrir Wolf has even higher Body and Strength than a Cerberus Hound and is significantly cheaper and easier to obtain as well as coming with self counterspelling. For non-para critters nothing beats a good old attack dog, except a warform cheetah with an Infiltration Task spirit possessing it that has Concentrated Cobra Venom in its fangs for 12 Injection damage and boosted Agility and Reaction.

What about 'wares for the critters? I'm thinking of an Adept with Animal Empathy and a pack of Fenrir Wolves.

Patrick has identified two key approaches to making this be effective - implants and possession spirits. I would personally recommend the implant route for a number of reasons, but chiefly that whilst magic has a higher potential ceiling, it also introduces a number of weaknesses, inconsistency of power, sustainability (those services run out) and high maintenance costs (you have too keep spending all your earnings on binding materials). Whilst the implant route lets you pay a decent amount admittedly, but you then have reliable allies.

Other than that, a lot of this is going to depend on how the GM runs her game. Unless the game is set in the wilderness or the GM is generous with letting you get away with things, you're going to be in trouble having a pack of Fenrir Wolves. Animal Empathy isn't actually that great as an adept power. You might be better off going full magician and getting spells like Eyes of the Pack. Though personally, I think the image of a Samurai with some beefy cyberhounds is a better image. Actually, scrap that. A hacker is a better image. Remember that your pets will be wireless and you can hack through them. I have an NPC in an unpublished adventure who has two wolves (not Fenrir) that have agents running on their commlinks. The agents open doors for them, get them through Hotel reception, etc. It's actually pretty cool imagining a hotel at 3am, nobody around and a pair of wolves quietly stepping out of the lift and padding down the carpeted corridor to their target's room.

Warforms are great. They'll get blown away by people with automatic weapons at range, so think about tactics in advance. Smoke grenades are your friends. In answer to your original question about wares, some armour would be good, although pretty obvious to observers. Reflex enhancers are a cheap(ish) way to get them an edge in combat - you'll want your critters to get as many first strikes in as possible. Strength boosts will be good for getting their damage up - animals suffer against armoured targets. Oh, and check what sort of vision your pets have - it might pay to get them some cybereyes.

In fact, the PCs in my game have earned some retribution. I think I'll send someone like this after them next session.

K.

I made a beast master type character. He was mundane because I needed the extra points to put skills in other areas and the cyber was good enough. Basically when fighting more open area threats it would go like this.

Step 1: thermal smoke

Step 2: Sick em (remember to use pack animals so they get the bonus dice)

Step 3: ??? (Basically waiting for smoke to clear)

Step 4: Strip the bodies of all goods and just have your pets eat em.

While attacking buildings I used smaller animals, especially bio drones, as scouts and I had a bear which would ride in the back of the van and acted as a mobile weapon platform with a smart turret grenade launcher being controlled by an agent. Nothing says area control like a bear shooting grenades.

@Tyro .
I made one such Character (but wasn't yet able to play him)
its an Elf Adept with Surge (all Merits and Flaws of a male Dryad & Astral Gaze)
a very Social Char with the Animal Group at lvl 2 (Pool for Con 16 Dice/Animal Handling & Training 12 D /Rifles 14D)
he's got a Horse for Transportation(lives in the NAN) 2 Wolfhounds,an Eagle for Arial observation and Pidgeons for Communication.
but as soon as He's got a decent Car he'll be working with 3 Pitbulls
Warforms are toooo expensive (ImO)

Merits:
Adept
Animal Empathy
Social Chamaleon
Surge II
Adept Powers:
Improved Rifles 2
Improved Con 2
Mystic Sense 3

he who dances with Animals
Medicineman

Ever since starship troopers I've wanted to play a neo-dog handler. I may try and work that concept into the next game I play even if it is sub optimal.

Think super villain 'Zookeeper' from Futurama

What's unusual about this type of character... first character I ever did, way back in first ed was a meta_animal trainer "former company man" from MCT that turned to the shadows

Oracle owls are incredibly good.
Like merlin hawks with Gestalt Consciousness. Scary.

it doesn't seem like a particularly useful skillset for a shadowrunner. who is going to hire someone who leaves animal hair and other forms of ritual links at every job they go to?

my Char won't take his Animals to every Job.Sometimes Animal Companions aren't suitable.Thats why he's also a Face/Social char and a Sniper/Rifleman too.
The Animals are only a big Add-On to his Abilities

HokaHey
Medicineman

That's why I use rabid attack chihuahuas.
http://ihasahotdog.files.wordpress.com/200...-management.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/314463..._a3cd153d1a.jpg

That rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail? That was one of my little doggies, disguised -- I used a physical Mask spell.