I'm starting a Chicago based campaign soon. I'm going to do a few weeks of recruitment and then start the game sometime at the start of July. However, I have few house rules and stipulations in regards to chargen. I'm looking for professional mercenaries and similar types. That mean no Special Snowflakes and no Mary Sues. Mentally ill or otherwise psychotic characters are welcome. So too are sadists and sociopaths. Shadowrunning tends to attract talented yet deeply disturbed individuals. Fairy Princess characters get eaten alive.

What this means is - No Drakes, Ghouls, Vampires, Shifters, Changelings, Metavariants or Metasapients.

My House Rules



Alright, now that's out of the way let me describe what i'm trying to create. I'm going for a darker, grittier, much more depressing kind of game. The game takes place on January 4th 2075. Barely a year has passed since Project Takeback was launched by Lone Star in 2074. Knight Errant lost their contractual rights to police the city and more importantly, the CZ, and were kicked out. Now the more incompetent, more corrupt Lone Star protects and serves Chicago. The bulk of Lone Star Security Services are placed in checkpoints monitoring the wall separating the Containment Zone from the rest of Chicago. Their orders are to maintain vigilance and to reclaim as much of the wasteland as humanly possible.

Shadowrunners left and right are hired to escort high-valued individuals to explore the dangers of the wasteland. Or, to put down potential threats that may lurk in the shadows. You and your team are among those who would brave the hazardous wastes. Warring bands of gangers and criminals vie for control in the CZ. Commodities such as food, shelter, clean water, guns and ammo have become scarce since supply drops are few and far in between. No one would think twice about knifing you for a warm bottle of piss if it meant survival. However, if word got out that a bunch of mercs were seen carrying expensive high-grade weapons and armor, you might see a collaborative effort from all kinds of lowlifes to try and take you out.

Interested.

I'll start working on an Ex-Firewatch member, now unfit for duty anywhere else...

Edit:

Raphael "Harbinger" Meyers
A Attributes
C Skills
B Race: Ork
D Magic
E Money

BOD 7
AGI 5
REA 5
STR 7
WIL 5
LOG 2
INT 6
CHA 2
EDG 1
MAG 6
ESS 6
INI 11

Physical 9
Mental 5
Social 5

Qualities:
Dedicated Spell Slinger
Mentor Spirit (Shark)
Focused Concentration (3)
Radiation Tolerance
Favored I (Fire Watch)
Impassive
Did you just call me dumb?
Spirit Bane (Insect)
Sinner (National)

Spells:
Increase Reflexes (Fetish)
Detox
Heal
Lightning Bolt (Fetish)
Analyse Device (Fetish)
Mana Barrier (Fetish)
Stun Ball (Fetish)

Skills:
Perception 3
Unarmed 6 [Kicks]
Gymnastics 6 [Dodge]
Survival 1
Spellcasting 6 [Combat]
Assensing 3
Sneaking 2
Palming 2
Disguise 2


Knowledge:
English N
Magical Theory 3
Area Knowledge CZ 3
Small Unit Tactics 6
Underworld 3
Corporate Culture 1

Money: 16000
Fetish -2000
Big Game Hunter -5000
+Electrical Insulation 6 -1500
+Radiation Shielding 6 -1200
+Gel Pads -1500
+Shock Frills -250
R3 Commlink -1000
+Trodes -70
Lifestyle Low (Cramped, Dangerous) -1400
Plasteel Boots -200
Helmet -200
Ballistic Mask -150
+Gasmask -200
Forearm Guards -300
+Miniwelder -250
Reagents x15 -300
Survival Pack -200
MedKit R1 -250

Interested. Thinking Troll with an attitude.

Glad to have you.

Priority, Sum2Ten and Point-Buy are all welcomed methods of chargen. No life modules though.

If you need any help or have any questions, just ask.

Interested, playing a burnout ex-military dwarf with superhuman psychosis, bad attitude and massive debt which he'll do anything to cover and his 'anything' usually means keeping people alive in the CZ.

I changed back to a human. I found the troll choice a bit limiting in too many ways for me.

My backstory:

Dan Knight was born in 2037 for a happy and proud military family, as second generation special government agent he was bred for this job and received security training along with his mother's milk. Things progressed smoothly and at the age of 18, he was nearing the end of his expensive education when a day before graduation they were unexpectedly called into a rescue mission.

Matias, their commander approached his platoon and said “Initiates, this is your chance to show if you managed to learn anything. We got a rescue mission but I can only take four volunteers?” Instinctively, all of them raised their hands to the air - volunteering was just an emotional manipulation there was no choice in that. There was never a choice - they had a single purpose, to serve and protect.

Dan was proud to be selected to this mission, clearly he was one of the best in his platoon. He packed his equipment and entered the helicopter that arrived shortly after. The helicopter ride was short and took them into downtown Chicago. Some rampage spirits were spotted and they needed to get some VIPs out before it was too late. Well... it was too late.

The entire hospital crew was inhibited by some abominations which he later learned were bug spirits, or simply bugs. The vips were dead and their weapons were ineffective, overwhelmed almost upon arrival Dan got separated from his team

Dan fortified himself in a room and called for evacuation, he held his own until bullets were out, and as these pesky bugs kept attempting to break in he had two choices - fight and die or do something crazy and Dan did something crazy indeed, he jumped into the garbage disposal peer, dropping 8 floors until the floor. Whatever it was, his attackers were unlikely to follow. He was banged up, but he survived. Dan had the latest word in augmentations, things that were top secret military only at the time.

So he managed to leave the hospital, but what then? He needed to get out of there - but was there anywhere to go? What stopped these monsters from overwhelming the entire city. No - the army will rescue him... He just needed to survive long enough. The next hours spent finding shelter, scouring for food and supplies. Did I say hours? Scratch that, the first months were like that. I was wounded few times and the medic kit run out of supplies. Ammo became a problem, medicine was as well and food was difficult. Every raid had dangers and rescue was not coming, the darn link did not work - or perhaps there really was nobody out there.

Eventually, everything has rules - the bugs were more active in certain places and certain times and chaos became order. What one would consider end of the world became a tiresome reality of scavenging, fortifying until supplies are low and then scavenging again. Months passed, even years. Dan felt as if he was losing his mind, seeing things, imagining things he awakened and it felt bad terrible. Astral sight distracted him, obscured his senses and made him vulnerable to things that he did not knew was there - hostile spirits or whatever.

Clearly, his first training was to control that world and block it away. He finally managed to do it after few dangerous weeks where it nearly killed him. However, suppressing astral sight did not suppress all the voices. “Why hide? Runaway? Kill them make them fear you.”

“Oh shut up, I only killed like three of them and there are so many... it is useless.”

“I can teach you how to kill hundreds of them, if you trust me.”

“Trust a voice in my head? Never!”

Yes, Dan’s relationship with the Shark did not go well. Spirits where terrible things and he just became much more aware of them. The astral was a terrible and tainted place and just looking into it made him sick. Nothing good could ever come up from magic.

Yet the Shark chose him and the next time he had to fight bugs they died at his hands. Something changed, the hands had a magic aura to them, but it was not his own magic.

“Leave me alone spirit, I do not need you. I can survive on my own.”

“Do you think that your unit is coming? I am all you have stupid, with my magic and your augmentations we can get far. Survive... thrive even. Why scavenge when you can have your own territory, protect it and slay anyone that crosses the line. Your own building... filled with supplies. “

“Well... food is kind of low. “

“Come I will show you the way”


And so Dan followed the spirit that showed him into an underground discount supermarket. Dan planted the vegetables to see what grew in florescent lights, few trips to electronic stores got some UV lights which means he had food. He also had a supply of hunting gear, not his first choice but plenty of arrows, tents sleeping bags.

He built his underground kingdom, butchered any spirit that dared approaching. Rigged it with video cameras, traps, generators for electricity. Whatever he could, and as the years passed few bugs entered his domain. Deciding that it was better to ignore the lone crazy dwarf. Dan kept training and as the bugs left him alone, he started hunting them for practice.

Not full assault over a swarm of them but when his cameras spotted isolated bugs he tackled them. In a way, he decided to become predator rather than pray. To settle in and fight rather than run. To thrive rather than survive.

At the scale of things he was insignificant, there were always enough bugs. No reinforcement came until his link stop functioning and without the technical skills he ditched it. He stopped waiting, he had his underground lair which was less dangerous than the rest of the city and whomever wandered in died horribly.

He managed to grow food inside, and there were enough supplies for a single dwarf for eternity. Well nearly ethernity. Dan spent a total of 20 years in the CZ and survived.


He recently discovered, a year too late that the world did not end and that the bugs were purged from the entire city. It was by accident, he has given up hope of being saved long ago. It was just that whatever wandered in his shop was not bugs, but people. They were running away from a toxic spirit. Dan killed the spirit and nearly killed the people when he was done with it.

“Wait... what?” said a confused man as Dan pushed him strongly toward the wall.


“Die BUG! Die!” he said and snapped his head.


“We are not bugs please, said a woman and shot him with a pistol right in the chest.

Dan laughed “Oh really, how can that be?” he completely ignored the pistol, his titanium bones and armor made it a toy gun.

“The city was cleared a some months ago, we were looking to make some fortune fetching a lost prototype weapon when that spirit came.”

That did not sound like a bug spirit but they were sneaky bastards. On the other hand, he did not look at them much.

Alright, I’ll look at you but if something jumps me as I open my eyes I will butcher all of you. He said and opened his third eye. They were human, terrified but plain.

“M... but how? How can weaklings like you survive? You cannot even fight you just let me kill your leader. Your guns are too small, how can you be alive?”


“I am Fiona, and these two are Don E and Emily.” We heard that there was this prototype nearby something of historical value. Paying us a bunch if we could find it.”

So bored Dan decided to help them, if only so he can hear actual voices for a change. Eventually, one thing led to another and Dan started adjusting to new life - people needed to enter the CZ and they needed to survive the trip. Fragile people, with little guns and little chrome and there were many of them. At first he killed them as they approached, appearing as no more than a beast. Dan felt that he could not do it for long, they were changing first came scavengers to seek tresure but then criminals and gangers to claim their own territories. In the future even police and cooperations - he needed to change.

The loner dwarf became a guide, a security - a shadowrunner... He made a deal with the Mafia. They would forigive him for butchering 15 of their men if he would pay them and do favors for them. He had a way out and needed money, they needed a guide in the CZ to make sure that their buildings were clear. The debit did not seem to shrink and Dan felt cheated, but more work found him - and it brought him hope of losing the debit. Being his own master again - and perhaps one day there will be a place in society for him. Dwarfs lived for a very long time and at 38 he was still young, he could still have a life.

== Personal Data ==
Name: Jaws Alias:
Dwarf Movement: 18/36 (1m/hit) Swim: 14 (1m/hit)
Composure: 7
Street Cred: 0 Judge Intentions: 6
Notoriety: 0 Lift/Carry: 17 (150 kg/100 kg)
Public Awareness: 0 Memory: 8
Karma: 0 Nuyen: 655¥
Age: Skin:
Eyes: Hair:
Primary Arm: Right

== Priorities ==
Metatype: C,2
Attributes: A,4
Special: D,1
Skills: E,0
Resources: B,3
Bonus Skill: Aeronautics Mechanic
Bonus Skill: Arcana

== Attributes ==
BOD: 7 CHA: 1
AGI: 6 (9) INT: 5
REA: 4 (7) LOG: 2
STR: 7 (10) WIL: 6
EDG: 2 MAG: 2 (0)

== Derived Attributes
Essence: Initiative: 12 +1d6
Physical Damage Track: 12 Rigger Initiative: 12 +1d6
Stun Damage Track: 11 Astral Initiative: 10 +3d6
Physical: 12 Matrix AR: 12 +1d6
Mental: 5 Matrix Cold: 5 + DP +3d6
Medkit [+5] (Only for First Aid and Medicine)
Vision Enhancement [+3] (Only for visual Perception)
Social: 4 Matrix Hot: 5 + DP +4d6
Impassive [-1] (Does not include Intimidation.)
Securetech PPP: Arms Kit [-1] (Must be visible)
Securetech PPP: Legs Kit [-1] (Must be visible)
Securetech PPP: Vitals Kit [-1] (Must be visible)
Astral: 5

== Active Skills ==
Gunnery Base: 0 + Karma: 1 = 1 Pool: 10
Longarms (Sniper Rifles) Base: 6 + Karma: 0 = 6 Pool: 15 (17)
Perception Base: 4 + Karma: 0 = 4 Pool: 10
Pilot Ground Craft Base: 0 + Karma: 1 = 1 Pool: 8
Unarmed Combat (Striking Callus) Base: 6 + Karma: 0 = 6 Pool: 18 (20)

== Knowledge Skills ==
Or'zet Base: 1 + Karma: 0 = 1 Pool: 6
Area Knowledge: Chicago (Containment Zone) Base: 4 + Karma: 0 = 4 Pool: 9 (11)
Magical Threats (Insect Spirits) Base: 4 + Karma: 0 = 4 Pool: 6 (
Underworld Base: 3 + Karma: 0 = 3 Pool: 8

== Qualities ==
Adept
Astral Beacon
Biocompatability (Cyberware)
Impassive
In Debt VI
Mentor Spirit (Shark)
Prototype Transhuman
Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins
Superhuman Psychosis
Thermographic Vision
Wanted (Knight Errant)

== Powers ==
Adrenaline BoostRating: 2
Astral Perception
Combat SenseRating: 1
Critical Strike (Unarmed)
Killing Hands
Mystic ArmorRating: 1

== Lifestyle ==
Abandoned Subway (Low)1 Months

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Bone Lacing (Titanium)
Double Elastin
Muscle AugmentationRating 3
Muscle TonerRating 3
OrthoskinRating 1
Platelet Factories
Reaction EnhancersRating 3
Sleep Regulator
Smartlink
Striking CallusRating 4
Synch

== Armor ==
Armor Jacket 14
+ Gel Packs
Forearm Guards 1
Securetech PPP: Arms Kit 1
Securetech PPP: Legs Kit 1
Securetech PPP: Vitals Kit 1
SWAT Helmet 3

== Weapons ==
Enfield AS-7
+ Personalized Grip
+ Smartgun System, External
Pool: 15 Accuracy: 7 DV: 13P AP: -1 RC: 5
Ranger Arms SM-3 (2050)
+ Imaging Scope (2050)
+ Personalized Grip
+ Silencer
+ Smartgun System, External
Pool: 15 (17)Accuracy: 11 DV: 14P AP: -5 RC: 5
Unarmed Attack
Pool: 18 Accuracy: 12 DV: 16P AP: - RC: 5

== Commlink ==
MCT Blue Defender (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 1, FWL: 5)

== Gear ==
Ammo: APDS (Sniper Rifles) x50
Ammo: Flechette Rounds (Shotguns) x50
Contacts Rating 3
+ Vision Enhancement Rating 3
Medkit Rating 5

== Vehicles ==
Thundercloud Morgan
+ Handling EnhancementRating 1
+ Increased Seating
+ Manual Control Override
+ Off-Road Suspension
+ Valkyrie Module
+ Weapon Mount Control (Manual)
+ Weapon Mount Flexibility (Fixed)
+ Weapon Mount Type (Standard)
+ Weapon Mount Visibility (External)
+ Ammo: Regular Ammo (Assault Rifles) x250 x250
+ Grenade: Flash-Bang x4 x4
+ Grenade: Fragmentation x4 x4

== Contacts ==
Fancy Derek (Coyote), Near CZ (Connection: 1, Loyalty: 1)

Looks pretty good. One thing i'd like to point out though. Is he meant to be a Buddhist Adept or was that a mistake in chummer?

Adepts always use BOD+WIL for drain, independent of their Tradition.

My character is suffering a slight delay as I had to retool him completely

I did not know that adepts had traditions. No he has no tradition.

The


part on your sheet indicated otherwise

Edit:

I've added my character sheet - Psionic Tradition

Psionists appear to lack mentor spirits, as they refuse to believe an outside force can provide any useful power or guidance for their abilities - Shadow Spells pg 5.

I don't mind a Psionic Mystic Adept but not one following a Mentor. Wouldn't seem reasonable if I did.

Never understood why a psionic that can call possession spirits and calls them constructs wouldn't also have mentor construct.
But never mind, I'll just make him a psionic flavored chaos mage

Them not having Mentor Spirits (Totems) hearkens back 3rd Edition when they were first introduced (I think). I don't believe they could even conjure elementals or nature spirits for that matter. They had their own unique spirit type called Thought Forms. Which were like super watcher spirits if I remember correctly (Probably not). I'm surprised the Thought Form spirit didn't make a return in Shadow Spells or Forbidden Arcana.

But yeah that's the spirit! A chaos mystic that was heavily inspired by Psionists teachings and trid talkshows.

Jack, one question is how can you be a mystic adept with magic D though?

Why do you think its a mystic adept?
It's a Magic D sorcery aspected mage

my confusion - because you referred to him as a mystic.
I see that the dedicated spellslinger made them reasonable to play.

That was Mulcarn

I've got enough CHA for one Con 3 / Loy 1 contact, likely my fixer. Are there any in this game that are already established that would fit the bill? (Usually easier to get into play if the PCs share a contact)

Whoops... When I was looking at him I kept thinking to myself - "Okay he made a mystic adept. Cool I guess." I kept wondering why I didn't see any adept powers listed but then I thought "Alright maybe he forgot to post them." My bad.

I'm in the works of creating a team fixer for the group to receive jobs and purchase gear from. If you wanted to use you finite contact points on a talismonger or arms dealers then go ahead.

Interested. Just put up a post in the players looking for GMs thread. Ill copy that bit here below. Any particular archetype need filling? I see a mage and a adept so far. Any requests? Part of me is thinking a rigger, or perhaps a face/medic. Post from the players thread: New to dumpshock. Long time RL RPG gamer/gm with a more recent discovery of SR. Currently playing in two IRL SR 5e games. Id prefer to keep with that rules set. Familiar with chummer and willing to play most character archtypes. I do tend to be a party leader/organizer at times, but this would be my first pbp game, so also able/willing to take a more back sest role. I would hopefully be able to post semi-daily with some days having higher levels of response than others (I sit at a computer for work, but some days a damn busy while others are very slow). I love the gear side of the system, and im still very much learning the setting. id love to play with a group just starting out and be along for a ride to explore the shadows more!

Welcome,

a socially well adjusted person might just be what this team needs... OOC and IC

Now I just have to sort out if he should be mundane with some cyber.. or an adept

If it helps, we are going to walk into an area where bug spirits just wait for someone to use magic to wake up and wreak havoc

So.. you are saying mundane and Rad Resistant is the way to go! Hope our mage takes Bug Zapper..

Using magic will awaken nearby sleeping bugs from their torpid state but spirits are notoriously difficult to bring down with conventional and mundane weaponry. Especially my game's version of them. Also, welcome Derfmancher! I'm happy you're interested. Play whatever you feel most comfortable with. If you want to play a mage or shaman or an adept then I can easily accommodate you into the game. And that goes for everybody else.

My present chummer build is a cyber-face with a side line as a medic. Would be pretty easy for me to build a mage on the run that likes to kill bugs though. Just a warning it would be my first full up mage.. buuuut I do play Pathfinder Wizards quite a bit.. so I'm down to give it a shot. I'll play with both and sort out what sounds more fun.

Working on a mage concept. Are we talking more with spirits or other such magical silliness? If he's a wanted man, who has started making his living killing bugs and bug spirits.. what sorts of spells and such would he have? Also.. Radiation is a thing in the Chicago area, correct?

Standard Mage/Shaman Spell Loadout. Aim for ten or so of these at Chargen

Lightning Bolt/Flamethrower/Acid Stream - Single Target Indirect Combat Spell
Ball Lightning/Fireball/Toxic Wave - AOE Indirect Combat Spell
Manabolt/Stunbolt - Single Target Direct Combat Spell
Manaball/Stunball - AOE Direct Combat Spell
Combat Sense - Buff Detection Spell
Heal - Utility Health Spell
Stabilize - Utility Health Spell
Detox - Utility Health Spell
Cure Disease - Utility Health Spell
Increase Reflexes - Buff Health Spell
Increase Attribute - Buff Health Spell
Improved Invisibility - Utility Illusion Spell
Physical Mask - Utility Illusion Spell
Trid Phantasm - Crowd Control Illusion Spell
Confusion/Chaos - Single Target Debuff Illusion Spell
Mass Confusion/Chaotic World - AOE Debuff Illusion Spell
Armor - Buff Manipulation Spell
Levitate - Utility Manipulation Spell
Ice Sheet - Crowd Control Manipulation Spell
Control Thoughts - Single Target Mind Control Manipulation Spell
Mob Control - AOE Mind Control Manipulation Spell
Influence - Subtle Mind Control Manipulation Spell

Casting spell/powers and summoning spirits might awaken nearby sleeping bugs. Depends on the Force being used. Expect radiation near where the Cermak Blast took place. With it being 'hotter' the closer you get to the center.

A pretty good list. I'll be adjusting a bit. I was building for a more "battlefield control" sort, but given the personality I have in mind.. "Burn The Bugs" may just become his mantra. Adjusted to: Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Magebolt, Manaball, Combat Sense, Detox, Heal, Chaotic World, Physical Mask, and Trid Phantasm.

The basic character concept is an elf (name pending) who went into debt to buy a rather serious power focus (5) (taking forbidden gear, clearly). However he found out that the previous owner didn't part with the focus willingly, and has put a contract/price out on his head. So, Wanted/In Debt.

He has turned to being a mage for hire in Chicago to stay under the radar (going by a new name) and make ends meat. He figures being one of many targets in a place like the Zone beats being in a commercial district and getting sniped on the way home from a Stuffer Shack visit.

Alright, I think I have him figured out. Ill post the sheet, then do a post with a more detailed backstory. C&C apprecated, as this is my first mage, and my first Chicago campaign.

Derry was a fire-haired child from an early age. His mother was a healmage for Ares for years. Clearly the passion for all things magic flows in his blood, almost as thick as his Irish heritage. He earned the nickname "Aeron" before moving to Chicago, from his local block mates. One day he 1-man show-stoped a Lone Star arrest sweep of squatters in his block. From that point on, the name stuck, after the old Irish god of war. This pushed him to further explore his magic, and ultimately lead to his (rather large) loan in order to buy a heavy duty power focus from a big time tailsmonger. Apparently the drekhead hadn't come to put his paws on it in any sort of legal way.. so now the former owner has targeted Aeron, and he has fled to Chicago as a means of finding work to pay off his debt, entertain himself through the slaughter of bugs, and hide out from the price on his life.

My recommendations - Lower Arcana from 6 to 1 if you can. Its not a skill that's used very much. Drop Banishing entirely. It's a trap skill. That point in pistols is kinda wasted since you only have 3 agility. You can still carry the revolver around for show but unless you have a DP of 9+ with it then its not worth the investment. No matter how minute. I'd also recommend learning your indirect combat spells with a fetish for lower drain. Take a mentor spirit/totem if you can manage one with Mentor's Mask option enabled. Can't go wrong with less Drain and better casting potential.

Also, In debt 15 will kill you - literally

You have to pay 7500 Nuyen every month or someone takes off your kneecaps with unhealable damage - you are in for 4 points of damage in that case.
I'd highly recommend not to go beyond 5 with this quality.

Further recommendations - Lower Resource priority to an E and raises Attributes to a B. Use those extra points to increase Willpower by 1, Intuition by 2 and Reaction by 1. Trust me, attributes are too important to neglect. You'll have less money for Gear and stuff and your Power Focus will probably be F3 instead of F6. But that way you'll have some more leftover Karma to pick up a Mentor Spirit you like and maybe one other quality.

Ill drop Arcana down. I ve always been taught my character should have a "sidearm" skill point or two. Not a thing here? Droping banishing. How does one banish spirits and such then? I've never used a fetish, how do those work?




If I drop resources further, I won't be able to afford his giant power focus that is more or less the character concept. Am I better off dumping Karam into it with something like Born Rich?




As above, with resources any lower I cant afford the power focus. What I am hearing is my mcguffin is too strong and I have to put too much into it to make it work. Ill make some adjustments and see what else I can come up with and repost.

Serious revamp. Had to take born rich to avord basically anything on resources E. Chaged attribs as recommended, dropped pistols and banish, took binding and Lion mentor spirit. Swap Neg quals to Hobo w/ A Shotgun and Corp Limited Sinner. Drastic reduction in gear. Also with the gear changes, I realized how potato my initive might be, so took improved reflexes, with a fetish. Also took one for the indirect spells (manaball and fireball). Why would a mage ever learn a spell without a fetish if he had the money for on? lol. Here ya go, Force 4, 2 dice. Sold! What else? Thought about doing Armor insteand of reflexes, but his dodge rating also went up. Also, realized this forum has spoiler tags!

I'm interested.

Good news? I am capable of playing anything. Not so good news? My main concept is kind of a mash of a couple of other characters already posted. I'll post it up for perusal, and have little issue about rolling up another character if preferred.

Titan, Dwarven Bodyguard and Driver [UPDATED]


If there aren't any requests to roll another, I'll post up description / history / backstory.


I want to take a moment to post some inferences I take away from Mulcarn's game intro. It is part "sanity check my thoughts," and part "here are some things for other players to think about" if I am right.

1) Deckers and Technomancers aren't really in as high demand as typical. On the flip side, should we find ourselves needing one, we really, really need one.
- There aren't as many hosts encountered in escort runs. Each character needs to keep an eye on their own cyber security.
2) Likewise, the Face archetype isn't as stellar as you might be used to.
- That isn't to say that they aren't useful. But any character pulled from the pages of Cutting Aces, for example, probably won't find their skills in as much demand when dealing with gangs / crime families / bug spirits.
3) Subtle gear is a priority.
- Obvious Cyberware, Assault Rifles, Autocannons, and such will draw way too much attention. The same for magic, and full body armor... But those will usually cause a bit more caution from "interested parties."
4) Combat tactics are going to be in high demand. Maybe not Small Unit Tactics mechanics out of Run & Gun, but a similar spirit.
5) Unit comms are going to be nearly crucial.
- Everyone should have some form of "Image Link" ability (AR if not actual Cyber), and some way of sharing vitals, positioning and such (think RIG gear from Run & Gun) --- For the record, I don't have all that for Titan - but I am prepared to sink nuyen into it ASAP to fill the need.

Does that sound about right? Did I miss anything? Am I completely off my rocker?

Sounds about right from what I have built so far. Thus the mage is on the run just a bit.. but if you didn't detect on him you would think he was just an elf in a long coat. I am always down for playing a straight up street sam.. but something tells me combat magic may be in high demand when its needed. Otherwise ill be focusing on some more subtle tricks.

Q: Are SINs as important for your professional mercenaries as a "typical" Shadowrun game? Are real SINs as much of a hindrance as usual? Is a SIN as necessary to get by day to day?

A: That depends. Are you planning on never, ever leaving the Zone? Spending the rest of your life only associating with other criminals and SINless chumps. If yes then a real or fake SIN won't matter the slightest. But if you ever want to leave and go somewhere else, let's say, downtown. And it becomes a whole other story. Without one of those nifty SINs you don't exist in the eyes of corporate law. Meaning you have no claim to any metahuman rights and aren't even a person. More like a talking object. That gives the cops full jurisdiction to take you out behind a dumpster or a dark alley and perform their civic duty of taking out the trash. Of course that's messy and tedious. They might be more inclined to arrest you and take you to a local precinct or county jail. To later be processed and sold to a different corporate black site for some lovely experimentation or lifelong service of imprisonment and hard labor. All of this assumes you got caught though.

Q: How do you handle licenses for restricted cyberware? One license per item, or group a la Shadowrun Missions?

A: One license per group. Firearms, cyberware, vehicles, etc.

I get all that. I was asking from more of a "trying to fulfill your professional mercenary" requirement.
Some people who hire mercenaries might not do a full background check, or any for that matter. And a real SIN might not phase them at all - hell you might even get extra marks for a Criminal SIN.
(I would consider this SIN light versus a typical game.)
On the other hand, if it is a government or corp contract (such as through Lone Star), a quality SIN is likely required and real SINs could be harmful to employment prospects.
(A typical SIN game in my opinion.)

While I don't expect full details on what is required, since we are all making characters looking for work in the area it isn't too far fetched that the characters would know the kind of employment opportunities available, and the necessity - or lack there of - of a quality SIN. (In other words, I see only two of the four proposed characters with any Fake SIN. How much are the others going to be hindered in your hiring culture?)



Cool. Discount! More nuyen to spend.
I'll be updating my character and editing my previous post with the new build (I'll put an [UPDATED] tag after the name when it is ready).

As a heads up, sleeping on my inferences posted above made me realize the team does need a matrix competent character to act as a Comm's Officer of sorts. I am rolling up an alternate character, unfortunately Chummer crashed on me before I saved - so much for Matrix competent, eh?
I have another question in that regard, would you allow an AI character? I am wagering "No," besides I am not sure how useful it would be in most situations... But I want to exhaust all possibilities.

A SIN, fake or real, isn't needed so much to find work as it is to exist without being molested by corpsec and/or police for not having one if you wanted to go into a residential/commercial zone. Some jobs may have you raid a warehouse or another similar local located in an area patrolled by Lone Star. Having a quality SIN helps out in this regard in case you are stopped for 'trespassing' or for 'doing something suspicious'. I consider Fake SINs better because if you screw up and are caught for some reason then you can always ditch and burn your Fake SIN and go through the process of getting another. Having one period isn't mandatory or even necessary in some cases. But they are really, really nice and makes shadowrunning convenient in more than one sense.

Like you said not everyone is going to run a background check on every person they meet. Corporate and police types will but most civilians won't. And those that won't do it usually don't care enough to even bother with it in the first place. This goes without saying as you probably already know but shadowrunners would be hard pressed to find work if people weren't looking for professional criminal mercenaries to do their dirty work for them. Not having a SIN at all might make you more likely to get hired for the highly illegal jobs. Because in essence you are the ultimate deniable asset at that point.

An AI character falls into the 'Special Snowflake' territory. So no. Let me put it this way - You're a shadowrunner. A criminal for hire. That ranges from being a thug who breaks people's legs for protection money owed to the Mafia all the way to rescuing kidnapped orphans who are about to be sacrificed from a newly-initiated blood mage. You do dangerous often illegal work not because you want (You may but most of the time that usually isn't the case for the more sane/emotionally well-adjusted characters) but because you can and that's all that is left for you. But thanks for asking.

If it's any consolation I don't mind if you wanted to play a technomancer or decker. And the dissonance echos are on the table so to speak. Just not at chargen.

@Derfmancher: You can have multiple spells on the same fetish if you're interested in that. That'll free up 4,000 Nuyen to upgrade you're commlink or lifestyle or whatever. If not then can you please list which spells are on which fetishes. It'll help with bookkeeping for me.

Is there room for one more?

Whats the trade off? Can I have all of my spells use one fetish? Wait... if it gets jacked then I can't cast it? Hmmmmmm.

Yes! I have room for one more.


Correct. You can technically learn all of your spells using the same fetish. But if it gets lost, stolen or damaged then you can't cast until you have a new one made.

Can a spell be attached to more than one Fetish at a time? Like a backup? lol. I doubt it, but ya never know.

Okay... I will get something together

Wait, is this team Fixer free? I'll have to move my contact points around then, as I was counting on buying the group fixer (It'll let me add some more points to my bartender contact).