Note: This was made using the Pregenerator Speadsheet available on the Dumpshock Forums, and I use OpenOffice.Org, so there might be a few issues. I also had the devil's own time copy/pasting this, so more might be off.

His storyline starts in early in 2060, when he was 25, and an up-and-coming accountant for a major firm that dealt with AA-Level Corporations and double-checking their finances for errors and embezzlement. One day, he gets home, and his door won't recognize him. He starts shouting at his door, "Come on, House, let me in, I've been leasing you for two years now! You know me!" and is jumped from behind by someone with a garrote.

Long story short, the best he can figure out is that he's seen something that he shouldn't have. Something so dangerous that not only does it require that he be killed for knowing it, but his entire history be erased. Needless to say, he survived the assassin through a mixture of luck and pragmatic combat moves that they just don't have counters to in Karate 4.0. (Such as using a car door to break the guy's arm.), and had to move to the fringes of society in a hurry.

Pawning his Registered Credstick for a Certified Credstick with half the amount on it, he moved to the Barrens, where he moved from being a homeless, almost helpless bum on the streets into a respectable Shadowrunner over the next decade, starting out with a few runs headed up by the infamous pacifist Shadowrunner, "Twist".

Over the years, he's honed his body and mind to give him the ability to actively partake in Shadowruns. His role varies from team to team, being a generalist, but is often used as a "Soft Infiltrator", due to his upbringing in "The System" allowing him to know how to behave around average Wageslaves, a valuable asset that is sorely lacking in the Shadows. He's also so generic and bland that he is easily forgotten by people, and often underestimated as a threat. His favourite technique is to pose as a deliveryman, as they are everywhere, and have access to almost anywhere. His only "Abnormal" skill is training in "Parkour", the French-Vietnamese Martial Art designed for rapid and unusual movement techniques in an urban terrain, which he uses to extract himself from situations, as well as a combat multiplier. (One story that gets told about him often in the Redmond Barrens is the time he was standing in front of an aggressive Troll, and then kicked him in the back of the head twice before hitting the ground, breaking both horns.).

Whatever system that was put into place to erase all traces of him somehow survived Crash 2.0, which means that all records connected to him are removed from the Matrix constantly, and are often corrupted even as they're stored, making him next to impossible to find in person (Due to his ability to blend in) or online (As everything is erased, including his CommCodes from his friend's CommLinks). He has taken to using online newspaper classified ads in code to contact his Fixer and other contacts that he doesn't see in person/online. He tried to get out of the Barrens, but the rental companies kept evicting him, forcing him to stay in the areas where rent is collected in person, and often pays in advance. How he's able to keep a MSP ongoing is a mystery even to himself.

He often has nightmares of being attacked from random places and people, and has, on occasion, had assassination attempts made against him. Every time he's interrogated the survivors of the attempts, however, they have all been a case of mistaken identity. A downside to having "That kind of face".

A strong case of "Parents should have a license to name their children", his real name actually is "John Quincey Public", but he's often referred to as "The Suit" on the street, having once been one of the faceless masses of Wageslaves (And the repeated attempt to give him the handle of "Wageslave" often ended with a fight.). He dresses appropriately for the situation to best blend in, but always meets with Mr. Johnsons wearing a Three-Peice black Actioneer Business Suit with a spotless white shirt and blood red tie (Which is a clip-on.).

Name: John Quincy Public (The Suit)
RACE: Human
CONCEPT: Wageslave whose life and SIN was stolen from him.
ATTRIBUTES
Body: 3
Agility: 4
Reaction: 4
Strength: 3
Charisma: 4
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 2
EDGE: 4
Phys Init[P] 7
Passes 1
Essence: 5.53
Walk/Run 10/25
Phys Boxes 10
Stun Boxes 9

ARMOR
Mortimer Greatcoat Suit
Bal/Impact 6/5 [6]
Mods RFID Tag Eraser,Concealed Holster,Fire Resistant (4-6) 5

Urban Explorer Jumpsuit
Bal/Impact 6/6 [6]
Mods

Urban Explorer Helmet
Bal/Impact 0/2 [2]
Mods

Forearm Guards
Bal/Impact 0/1 [1]
Mods

Actioneer Business Clothes
Bal/Impact 5/3 [5]
Mods RFID Tag Eraser,Fire Resistant (4-6) 5

COMMLINK
Type Hermes Ikon
Resp 4
Signal 6
OS Type Custom
Firewall 6
System 4
Programs:
Decrypt 4
Spoof 4
Analyze 4
Browse 4
Edit 4
Encrypt 4
Scan 4

ACTIVE SKILLS
Gymnastics (Parkour) 2 (+2)
First Aid 1
Close Combat (Group) 2
Firearms (Group) 3
Influence (Group) 3
Stealth (Group) 2
Armorer 1
Dodge (Ranged Combat) 2 (+2)
Pilot Ground Craft 2
Running (Urban) 2 (+2)
Tracking (Urban) 1 (+2)

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Hangouts (Safehouses) 2
Economics 4
Law (Accounting Laws) 2 (+2)
Physics 2
Number Running 2
Accounting (Z-OG Banking) 4 (+2)

Languages
English N
Japanese 3

Standard Qualities
Blandness 10
Erased (7 days) 5
Guts 5
Obscure 5
Photographic Memory 10

Nano Intolerance -5
Prejudiced (Specific, Biased) -5 (IRS Agents)
Compulsive - Moderate -10 (Neat Freak to OCD level.).
Allergy (Common, Mild) -10 (Soycaff)
Weak Immune System -5

Cyber/Bioware:
Datajack
Math SPU
Sound Damper
Troll's Eyes
Sleep Regulator

CONTACTS
Fixer (Loy. 2 Con. 4) ("Felix the Fixer" from my stories and the example of a Shadowrun I did.).
ID Manufacturer (Loy. 2 Con. 2) (As soon as the program connects him to a SIN, it can go bye-bye. He's a good customer for this guy.).
Shark Lawyer (Loy. 2 Con. 3) (Mr. Underbridge, the Troll Lawyer that's willing to work for Shadowrunners and the SINless.)
Street Doc (Loy. 3 Con. 1) (Doctor Steinback, who lost his SIN in Crash 2.0. The character helped him get back on his feet, but his operation is only small-time, in a back alley office.).

GEAR 5¥
Low Lifestyle for 3 months. (Custom made with the RC Rulebook. Small apartment in the Redmond Barrens.).
Squatter Lifestyle for 12 months (Bolt hole made out of a container crate in a "U-Store It" location used by Squatters)
2 x Fake SIN (1-6) Rtg 4
175 x Regular Ammo (10mm Caseless for Colt Manhunter Pistol and Beretta M70 SMG)
30 x Regular Ammo (12 Gauge for Shotgun)
5 x Shock Lock Rounds (12 Gauge for Shotgun)
200 x Regular Ammo (7.62mm Caseless for Customized AK-97)
3 x Medkit R (1-6) Rtg 6 (In different places)
11 x Spare Clips (Various types for Manhunter, M70, and AK-97)
24 x EX-Explosive Rounds (For Colt Asp)
3 x Speed Loader (For Colt Asp)
5 x Nanopaste DisguiseSmall (Various places)
2 x Maglock R (1-6) Rtg 6 (One on apartment, one on Bolthole)
Morphing License Plate (For car)
Spoof Chip (For car)
10 x Datachip (Keep it off the Matrix, keep it from being deleted.)
10 x C-Squared (Stored in various places)

MELEE WEAPONS
Name Unarmed
Reach 0
Ap 0
DV 2S

Name Shock Gloves
Reach 0
Ap -half
DV 5S(e)

Name Cougar Fine Longblade
Reach 0
Ap -1
DV 4P

Name AZ-150 Stun Baton
Reach 1
Ap -half
DV 7S(e)

Ranged Weapons
Name Defiance T-250
Type Shotgun
Mode SA
Armor Piercing -1
Damage Value 7P
Recoil Comp 0
Short Range 0 - 10
Medium Range 11 - 40
Long Range 41 - 80
Extended 81 - 150
Concealability +6
Ammo 5(m)

Name Beretta Model 70
Type SMG
Mode BF/FA
Armor Piercing 0
Damage Value 5P
Recoil Comp 0
Short Range 0 - 10
Medium Range 11 - 40
Long Range 41 - 80
Extended 81 - 150
Concealability +4
Ammo 35©

Name Colt Asp
Type Light Pistol
Mode SA
Armor Piercing 0
Damage Value 4P
Recoil Comp 0
Short Range 0 - 5
Medium Range 6 - 15
Long Range 16 - 30
Extended 31 - 50
Concealability --2
Ammo 6(cy)

Name Colt Manhunter (Customized)
Type Heavy Pistol
Mode SA
Armor Piercing -1
Damage Value 5P
Recoil Comp 1
Short Range 0 - 4
Medium Range 5 - 16
Long Range 17 - 32
Extended 33 - 48
Concealability -1
Ammo 16c

Name The Great Balancer (Heavily Customized AK-97)
Type #N/A
Mode SA/BF/FA
Armor Piercing -1
Damage Value 6P
Recoil Comp 5
Short Range 0 - 50
Medium Range 51 - 150
Long Range 151 - 350
Extended 351 - 550
Concealability +7
Ammo 38c

Ok, like the concept, especially no ware or magic, which is rare but makes the runner feel really human. However, while I'm pretty confident this isn't going to be a very high-powered game, I still don't see any dice pool that would reach above 9. I would recommend dropping First Aid, Pilot Groundcraft, Armorer, and Urban Tracking for an additional 2 Edge. None of those seem like things that you'd use every session so when they come up, you can drop an edge on the roll and probably do better than you would with all these different skills. Also, if you're infiltrating and you need to con a guard, 13 exploding is a lot nicer than 7.

rule of thumb for sr4:
a useful char has either ware, magic or edge (and they all cost between 40 and 60 BP )
a powerful char has two of these

@Canray.....

I really like the backstory. Seems like a fuun character to play... Let me know how it plays out.

He's got a few pieces of 'ware. Nothing major. I'll take the skill suggestions under advisement, but will keep Pilot Groundcraft. Too many games have gone bad for me over the years because of having to default piloting skills.

As for usefulness, I'm aiming for Quality usefulness with Role Playing as opposed to the more traditional means. I'm sure other folks in the group will make Gun Bunny Supershooters and Mages Galore. Also, he has quite a bit of gear, which is useful in and of itself. (Not all of it fit on the copy/paste.).

I'll let you know how it goes.

Personally I like the generalist characters. It feels more real than the optimized Sam laying down deadly accurate fire, while the mage with Einstein level brains summons force 7 spirits. I know that Player Characters are supposed to be better than everyone else, and Shadowrun does a better job of making these badasses more 'real' than some systems, *cough*d20*cough* I just like seeing people with more average skillsets. Also, Keep Pilot Groundcraft. it always helps to know how to drive.

I just realized that the copy/paste didn't include the car. Which is the reason for Pilot: Groundcraft. It's a really nice Mercury Comet (Part of the character's background is that his Father was an engineer for Ford, and he refuses to buy any other brand of automobile. Steal, on the other hand...). It's a very nice tricked out car for a Shadowrunner that needs to get from Point A to Point B through Point "Deepest Darkest Barrens".

Yeah, i also like that character. Feels much more REAL than the 2/2/2/2/4/6/4/6 mages with maximum edge and no nonmagical skill, or the 0.01 Essence dudes who throw 18 dice to MURDER, 8 times a CT or the INVISBLE NINJA.

This is someone who is REALLY (i mean ingame world) out there, having problems keeping up, crashing and falling, getting bashed. Also he seems fun to play... and his name is John Q. Public...

Reminds me. We once, years back SR3 had one player who was a bit bored with the usual characters and made a dude: mundane, no real cyberware and ALL attributes on 3 and had nearly all skills on 3 too, and bought middle lifestyle. Called him "the moderate man". He was in the shadows pretty much for FUN.

"What's your name?" "John Quincy Public." "Who the hell is named John Q. Public?" "Someone who learns to fight dirty by the second grade."

This is his theme song: Johnny Q by The Crazy 8s

*Blinks* I have no words.

Thank you folks for the help. I'll play around with it a bit more, and see what I can do. Another point of Edge (Pushing the character build close to a Mr. Lucky), and maybe a few other odds and ends.

IMHO, name the Manhunter "Income Statement".

You know I think that I might finally get my character up on this board. I'm just afraid of being laughed at/getting my character idea torn to shit.

Stolen.


Bah! Mine is a generic character of the ultimate bland person, in a board that advocates Munchkin-Making, and look at how little I got made fun of.

OK, I finished working on the character with your suggestions, and will put up the Mk. II later on.

OK. As soon as I type up the character then I'll post it.

I had a starting character that was similar, though he's going face/hacker and no so much sam.

Rick Noland
Human
Karma Total:5
Unspent Karma: 5
Total Nuyen: 5205
Unspent: 1455
Stats:
Body 2/9
Agility 2/9
Reaction 3/9
Strength 2/9
Charisma 4(5)/9
Intuition 3/9
Logic 5(7)/9
Willpower 4/9
Edge 3/7
Essence 3.310

Skills:
Influence group 3
Intimidation 2
Computer: 2
Data Search 4
Hacking: 2
Electronic Warfare: 1
Perception 3
Pistols 2
Unarmed Combat 2
Cybertechnology 2


Languages:
English N
Japanese 4
Sperethiel 3

Knowledge Skills:
Economics 4
Business 4
Computer Theory 2
Law 3
Corp (Renraku) 2
Cyberware 2


Qualities:
Analytical Mind +2 datasearch, software, pattern recog, analysis
Biocompatibility (Cyberware)
College Education
Linguist
SINner (Criminal) Renkaru
Records on File (Renkaru)

Cyberware/Bioware:
Attention CoProcessor 3
Datajack
Math SPU
Encephalon I
Biomonitor
Skillwire 3
Dietware
Clean Metabolism
Sleep Regulator
Mnemonir Enhancer 2
Cerebral Booster 2

Commlink:
Erika Elite Response 5 / Signal 4 / Firewall 6 ; System 5
Software: Analyze 6 / Browse 6 / Edit 6 / Encrypt 6 / Reality Filter 6 /
Exploit 3 / Stealth 3 / Decrypt 5 / Track 2 / Sniffer 4 / Biofeedback 2 / ECCM 2
Agents: Pocket Hacker 3
Mapsoft: Denver 4 / Seattle 6 / Pueblo Council 2
Linguasoft: Spanish 2 / Pueblo Council 2 / Dakota 3


Gear:
Executive Suite Short Jacket 3/1
Executive Suite Trousers 1/1
Executive Suite Plain Shirt 1/0
A suitcase with clothes

100 Rounds Reg Ammo
100 Rounds Gel Rounds
Contact Lenses R3
Image Link, Vision Enhancement 3, Vision Mag
Earbuds R3 Audio Enhancements, Select Sound Filter
subvoc microphone

Weapons:
Defiance Ex Shocker
Fichetti Security 600
Ares Light Fire 70 (silenced) loaded with gel rounds
Colt Manhunter

Vehicle

Nissan Jackrabbit

Squatter Lifestyle

Contacts:
Mark Longfeather: 2/1
Erik: 2/3


He has a bit of spent exp, but not much, and some spent money, but again not much.

I'd suggest a bit more Electronic Warfare, especially if you work as the team's Communications Expert. The longer you can keep your lines of communication secure, the better.