First, this will not be a standard shadowrun game.

How will it differ you may ask?

In a few major ways.

It will be character driven. There won't be a call from your fixer/Johnson unless you say it happens.

You can play almost any kind of being you want. Just remember the downside to playing some types because it will be a major part of your experience. Since there is no overt job/goal, your distracting condition may be the driving impetus to your game.

Deltaware and cultured bioware, gear, spell Force etc. has no false limit. What do I mean? If you want deltaware, have a good background, realistic contact and/or etiquette to have acquired it. Same with gear. I'll take your Etiquette and any modifiers and roll for it. Spells: better have the library or lodge, formula and spell design because they will be rolled to learn them.

Karma will be awarded for quality posts, for advancing the game, and for shear stubborness in sticking with the game.

No limit on edges and flaws and don't worry about making them balance. Character generation is going to be case by case and when I see what I get (if there is even any interest in this type of game) I'll try to adjust things so people are somewhat even. I will consider new edges/flaws. Say you want to play a house cat. You make your character and it is grossly underpowered compared to the fire spewing drake. 9 lives is a legitimate edge (plus a few more probably.)

If you have to have guidelines to design your character use Priority (Sum to 10), 125 Build Points, or 425 point Becks for you true sadists. Then get ready to get some cash/karma so I can balance you out with the bizarre submissions. It will probably be much easier to come up with a being, see if it is one of the few I plan on rejecting, then work on a character concept with me.

The whole point is to play a character you would love to be. Not one that is going to fit in with a team, or one suited to shadowrun (or is even a shadowrunner, so yes, you can play a corp wheeler dealer or whatever), or one that min maxes the rules so you are good at something. If you can handle it, I may let you play more than one character, but let's worry about the first one first.

People will be encouraged to find their own 'runs'. If things bog down, I will post some based on backgrounds and things I notice in other games. For example, one current game has a quarter mile wall topped with mono-wire. Some enterprising person will notice that mono-wire and suggest acquiring several meters. At 6000 nuyen/meter street value it won't take much to make it worth while.

Your character needs a background, this is where the story will probably originate (or just due to your characters nature.) I really don't want to see another orphan with no family or close friends what-so-ever.

Which reminds me about contacts. I dislike the way the rules do contacts. Think of the book way as contacts who would do something illegal for you (either through payment or threats, etc..) People you would normally know (Parents, siblings, relatives, friends, the guy who works on your car out of his garage on the side) who will do regular things for a regular price are free with background. This should help even out the power level between humans and more out there characters.

Some possible runs the character could embark upon would be getting the gear. Just like the mono-wire example. If the character wanted a particular piece of equipment, he could think about the logical ways to get it and plan a run.

Initiation: I allow initiation at chargen. You can pay with spell points or BP. You may pay 3 points and join a group. Get with me on approving the group. You may take ordeals, and most ordeals can be repeated. Meditation, astral quest, familiar.

Hunted Flaw and Enemies: You will likely start the game with an enemy or enemies based on resources as per SRComp. Or you may take the enemy flaw to gain a zero point enemy. You may take the hunted flaw and use the option to add points (depending on value of flaw) to one of these enemies.

The only enemy hunting you is the one you chose to add points to (or the enemy you added if you took that option of the hunted flaw.) Not every current and future enemy will automatically hunt you for taking this flaw. Some future enemies may hunt you, but it is not because of this flaw.

Example: You took resources at 5000. You start with no enemies. You take the extra enemy flaw. You have a 0 point (or greater if you desire) enemy. You take the 6 point Hunted flaw and choose to get a new 5 or 6 point enemy who is hunting you or add 3 points to an existing enemy. You decide to add 3 points to your 0 point enemy. You have a middle power enemy hunting you almost forever.

The nature of this game will make flaws come into play much more easily than most games. Probably more often than even tabletop games. They may be the driving force in your characters story. So please consider them carefully.

Cyberlimbs: Cut the essence and base cost in half. Base attribute is equal to characters starting attribute. Increase Strength and Quickness as printed, but the cost covers all cyberlimbs.

Suggestions are welcome, I want this to be fun.

Running Over the Edge: IC
Running Over the Edge: OoC
When your character is approved you may post.

I'm interested. Got some ideas for an awakened style critter. A few concepts should appear in your PM inbox in a while.

Saw this and had to register.

Definately interested.

How about a free spirit?

Sounds like it'd be pretty interesting but I'm definitely not up to the task I'm afraid. So why bother posting? uhhh...moral support!

Dammit tisoz. I don't have time to make another character.

Alright, alright. I might... but hell if I know what kind of kooky and fun character I can come up with. Maybe a drake.

Maybe an intelligent horned bear. Of course, we both know how that scenario ends.

Wow your gonna regret this cause man do i have a doozie of a character for ya with some pretty interesting goals.

I'd like to play a Blackberry cat. The question is, do I just play the standard cat from the critters book, or do I modify it's attributes and stuff like any character?

I don't know whether to do a storm dolphin or a drake.

ok now this one sounds like fun. I would be available every evening to play. But how do I do it? just post a sheet? email you?

Alright, I'm nuts. I want to do a... *gasp* Immortal elf.

Yep, I'm just that cheesy

Ooh, that will prevent you from dying of old age during our five century campaign.

It has other advantages. Muahahaha.

[edit] Okay, so maybe I'm being a little overly dramatic. [/edit]

Ok folks, I wasn't planning on this being the silly campaign.

"Interesting goals" is what I'm looking for, not twisted, perverted ones.

Let me look at the blackberry cat again. I'm not sure how I'm going to price powers, probably as spells.

The storm dolphin will likely be lonely.

This sounds most interesting!!! Unfortunately I'm abit short on time at the moment... do you think you will consider adding new characters during the 'campaign'? (I know, I know - no promises)

I'm sure new characters will be welcome if the game takes off.

I want to play a 'Boy and his Dog' concept.
Come here Lassie. Did you say Timmy fell down a well?

Wait, are you playing the boy or the dog? Or both?

And when you say "dog" do you mean Barghast infected with a bug spirit or a border collie?

I was thinking a little bigger


P.S. I'd play both

Bigger than which one? Because the Barghast + bug spirit is about as big as they get

Oh the Boy will be quite puny in comparison. but...

Think 40 ton puppy thats about 13 meters long, and 4 meters tall, that eats everything and anything. And doesn't seem to mind machinegun fire

You mean Clifford the big red dog?!

Seriously though, how often would we have to post? I don't have any books with me where I am but could easily come up with a few good ideas.

Do you mind if one of your players is....a chicken?

I fear this is going to degenerate rather quickly into my worst nightmare... a Furries SR campaign.....

*shudder*

What's wrong with yiffing on a fictional setting?
It's not like we're going to get Mobius as a setting and Dr Eggman as our nemesis...

Whoa, this looks sweet. Count me in Tisoz!

In stark contrast to everyone else out there, I think I'll actually play something relatively standard. Like maybe a shapeshifter that doesn't start out ridiculously pathetic in attributes or something like that. Or maybe even just a normal human being! Well, as normal as a street sam/adept/mageboy/decker/whatever is.

I'll get a character to you ASAP. A few questions though.

1. Do you want completed characters or just ideas right now?

2. Our characters do not HAVE to interact with the others, right? So if Panzer makes his blackberry cat, I'm not going to see a blackberry cat every time I turn around, correct? I can pursue my goal of X while he pursues his goal of eating mice or something, right?

3. Are we making starting characters with no 'false limits', as you say, or just making characters, and you'll tell us if we're too over the top or not? Just trying to clarify a few things; game sounds great, I'm in!

I'm too am hoping that I end up with other characters. It's just more fun.

An example of how I am looking at things. Hopefully it will help clear things up more than it muddles.

Tom wants to play a free spirit. Being a free spirit is his bonus or something extra. Tom decides it will be a great form Hearth spirit. In the background he explains who summoned him, how and when he went free, how he wound up as he is. We'll call him Homer.

Homer is magical by default. 30 BP or Priority A.
Homer's race is his bonus. 0BP or default Priority.
Homer doesn't care about beginning resources at all. -5 BP or Priority E (really less than E)
Homer needs Skill points to buy powers/skills/edges. 40 BP Priority B.
Homer has Attributes left to take. 48 BP Priority C.

Homers Attributes are based on Force. 24 points divided by 6 attributes means each attribute is a base 4. Tom can decide if he wants Homer to have Force/Spirit Energy 2/2, 3/1, 4/0. Tom decides on 3/1. Homer gets his Attributes modified by Hearth spirit racial type modifiers. Body +1, Quickness +2, Strength -2.

B 5
Q 6
S 2
C 4
I 4
W 4
E 4
M 4

The Hearth Spirit Powers are paid for as though they were his beginning spell point allotment. There are 5 powers which he can use at a force of 4, And his great form bonus. This seems balanced to the 25 points he would have gotten as a starting magician.

Homer's Free Spirit Powers are rolled as though he had just gone free. He gets 2 Free spirit Powers, and rolling for them on the table results in Aura Masking and Animal Form. Tom could go with this, or beg me to let him trade Animal Form for human form. (Maybe beg is a poor term.) I tell Tom to write a detailed account of his being summoned and going free and make it a joy to read and I'll let him. Tom tells me he sucks at writing and he'll write me a check. Either way.

Or Tom could buy Powers from his BP/skill points. He wants Human Form. This doesn't seem game breaking so I charge him a point a race and point a sex.

Tom picks skills, edges/flaws and contacts that make some sense based on his background.

I'm kind of surprised no one has asked to play a machine yet. You know like a drone or robot or Kit.

The renraku acology has taught me that AI is a very, very bad thing

Do you have room for a Sasquatch Singer/shaman? I've always liked the Sasquatch.
If not, I've got a couple more "regular" concepts I've been toying with.

There's always room for one more.

I was anticipating getting a Sasquatch with music group ties. Sasquatch will cost same as Troll/Elf, Priority C or 10 BP.

I don't know if I mentioned it so here is a good place. I dislike the seperate physical attribute costs for shapeshifters. Buy one set and modify for each form.

::Bows down repeatedly::

THANK YOU!!! At last someone who sees the sheer overwhelming stupidity of giving shapeshifters nine attributes. Argh. Playing a shapeshifter was pointless prior. You could get shot, heal, shot heal, and that's about it. Oh happy days are here again!!!

OK so with THAT addition, I'm heavily leaning towards being some kinda shapeshifter, since this is the one game they won't just automatically suck.

I think I'll play a shapeshifter rather than a drake, then. How do you do physical skills in animal form? Do I need a seperate stealth, unarmed combat, and athletics skill for my animal form?

I don't have the critters book. How does regeneration work for shapeshifters again? Can someone refresh my memory?

I also echo Beast's questions. I think most critters use reaction when they are in animal from. Are we going with that, or something different?

Also, what is the base damage for the shapeshifters in animal form? LMSD? Or does it vary per animal?

There are some rules in the Companion. Critters says the Shapeshifter get normal damage modifiers for the Combat Turn but [edit] the damage [/edit] disappears at the start of the next Combat Turn.

You no longer get the automatic default of Reaction. Instead, you have skill points to spend.

Damage varies per critter and is usually modified by a shapeshifter bonus.

[edit] I thought it was obvious what I meant.[/edit]

I don't understand you at all. I assume you don't mean that shapeshifters dissapear.

[edit]
Looked this up. Use the human attribute for any linked skills as per SR Companion.
[/edit]

Use the human attribute in animal form? Doesn't make a lot of sense, but okay. What about blackberry cats? They use attributes for physical skills too?

My question about using human form attributes did not apply to Blackberry cats. You still haven't answered my questions. Do shapeshifters a:) Use the same stealth/athletics/diving/unarmed combat skill for both forms, b:) Use the stealth skill in human form, and the attribute in animal form, or c:) use two seperate stealth skills. Do Blackberry cats a:) use stealth/unarmed combat/athletics/diving, or b:) use attributes in place of skills.

What is the damage code for a shapeshifter in astral combat?

What about languages? Can I take English so I can understand it? Is there some cat language I can take to talk to cats, or do I just automatically get the ability to convey emotions and such, like in real life, and nothing else?

Also, what kind of climbing/balance bonuses do I get? I figure cats should have the natural equivalnet of climbings claws, balance tail, and balance augmentation, since they are such great climbers and can twist in midair to land on their feet.

Lastly, what does the intelligence rating of 3/8 mean? Is the 3 the cat's intelligence, and the 8 the number of dice it gets for perception tests?

Hmm. I was tinkering around recently with an albino troll ghoul adept character, basically an escaped Aztecnology experiement. When I made him, I used 210 build points though. I could probably shrink him down a bit (he was designed as a possible villian/plot device for a game I'm GMing). He's basically got a Hunchback of Notre Dame thing going, except he hides in the sewers most of the time. All deltaware gear, most of it cybereye mods and a pair of Dikoted Spurs.

If I were to submit this guy, would you want me to try to shrink him down, or just submit the current version and let you tweak it?

JaronK

Adaptive coloration doesn't really have a scalable power. I don't see any way I could take it in "levels" like the other powers, so it needs a one-time build point cost, like low-light vision. Ditto for shadow cloak.

By the way, I'm about to go on a vacation, so I won't have my character in until tuesday or wednesday.