My hope for the game is that it would be easier to build non Shadowrunner PCs. For example, Trid reporters, fixers, stock brokers, rock stars, etc. I understand that the main focus of the game is to go on shadowruns, but I believe it adds to the game if other types of campaigns can be done.

My hope is that reporters and rockers don't use Open Tests to determine their success (bound to happen, because they removed Open Tests). Shadowbeat really needs a good clean overhaul.

How do the current chargen rules make it harder?

So you actually use the chargen system to make NPCs? I never use those types of mechanics since you usually need to tailor those types to meet campaign needs. IMO, using chargen for NPC generation only slows down the process.

I thought the new system used Build Points instead of Priority assignemnts? Also, I heard the Open Test is out with SR4 anyways.

Haven't really mastered the chargen rules quite yet. But, if my memrory is right, there is no character archtypes to show any character types outside shadowrunners. I don't have the books near me, but I believe there is none as well in the rest of the SR3 books as well. I could be wrong. Having some examples would be a help.

Skill 3 in SR3 is a hobbyist-level skill. People would typically have skills of at least 4 in areas of expertise. For example, a modern-day taxi driver would probably need Car (4) and Knowledge:Seattle Streets (6) to stay in business (with GridGuide, you might not even need a driver...).

This is the case both from the descriptions of the skills, and statistically. A skill of three is so cheap to buy (with karma) that it's hard to imagine people who use a skill a lot not having a higher skill than that just with routine practice.

Thanks for the info and insight. I didn't think of using them as archtypes for PCs. I will take a look at them again. Now to get some ideas for a game...

I really don't see what there needs to be any sort of improvement for. Building a "non Shadowrunner PC" is just like building a "Shadowrunner PC," only they've, y'know, got a different job. It's easy. You get them stats and skills and gear appropriate for being a non Shadowrunner (whatever that's supposed to really mean), as opposed to a Shadowrunner. It's not that big a deal.

You don't need an archtype. The only real difference between a runner and a reporter, is that the reporter will probably have more contacts, less weapon skills. Interrogation would be another good one (knowing how to get people to answer questions), along with the standard neogotiations and etiquette. That and I suposse some complimentary knowledge skills, and since you can just make those up as you need them, there's no problem with the book lacking those.

Rock star would be a little harder, since there's no instrument playing skill, but you can just house rule a performance, or instrument specific skill for the player to use,

And SR3 treats Artistic/Performance skills (at least, post-SOTA64) as Knowledge Skills. While there is no enumerated skill, the skills are there ready to be plucked out of the sky according to whatever you which to perform.

I mean, name a "non Shadowrunner PC" you'd like to see, give it twelve hours, and I'm sure you'll have a half dozen character sheets posted by the time you re-check your thread.

It was never difficult to create pcs beyond the usual sammie, rigger or mage background/class. I've played mundane PIs, street kids, gangers and once even a snoop (who didn't last long, caught a fireball). Heck, we even once had a professor of antic languages who spoke 6 or 7 obscure languages fluently (on rating 5) and had some fitting knowledge skills. He wasn't good at combat, but noone expected him to be. Or take the pacifistic dove shaman a player created lat session. She's a healer, working as a street doctor and going on shadowruns for the needed cash to purchase new equipment (at least, this is the concept, we'll have to wait how it wil work out).

And skills for npcs? All 3, same with attributes. If a npc is supposed to be good at something, give him 4 or 5 or 6, i see no problem here for a halfway experienced gm.

We once had a professor of arcane arts as a PC. Really fun when he always put lectures he missed due to shadowruns on his assistants, who eventually dragged him before a disciplinary commission (he remained in his job, thanks to the team 'convincing' the commission's president it was better that way).

We also had a combat biker thrill-seeker type character. Sadly, his identity was blown quite fast, as he screwed with the mob on his first run, and now he's just an ordinary runner.

Making unorthodox characters is quite easy with companion build point rules, actually.

Edit: Grinder, a friend f mine played EXACTLY that type of character. Didn't quite work out, as the character couldn't stand the brutality of shadowrunning; she's now an NPC and the group's primary magical healer. Hoppe your dove shaman fares better than poor lil' Joy. Well, she had bad luck with her teammates, anyway (two of them were quite into gore and blood, and one was an insane demolitions expert)

Why the hell would you want a rocker? Those archetypes where a waist of space. Shadowrunners are professional criminals. Read the professional part.

I actually have a character that is a rocker-turned merc. He has a high performance: guitar skill, he does have his mercish skills and cyberware...but still performs, making it tough for him to stay in the shadows nonetheless, but it's fun.

But the GM let me take a special Persuasion skill for him...needless to say it makes it easier for them to do a break in when he can persuade his fans, groupies, and the like to storm some gates and raise some hell...thus taking the attention away from the rest of the team. Raise non-violent hell, he doesn't want to get them killed, after all. In additon, loads of buddies and contacts(roadies, club owners, bar owners, booking agents) can also help out if you know how to work them right.

My current sam character works a side job as a magazine writer(again, music), and works occationaly as a bouncer for some of the bands, again making such rules useful. In addition to playing on the side for his own enjoyment, tho he has no fame or anything like that. In a more 'normal' game, music or journalism(or both) can make an excellent cover up job or whatnot. Or just a day job to flesh out the character.

I also toyed with an Ork journalist idea. Still sorta in the making but I liked the quick example given in SR3, so i tried to build on it a bit.

I loved Shadowbeat...being heavily into music myself(lisstening, occationaly performing, and writing for a 'zine about it, mixing music and journalism) it was right up my alley. Lets you either play something off the beaten path(even a straight up rocker or journalist), or you could always do the ex sam/merc/rigger/decker turned musican/journalist(an ex decker turned journalist could be hell for the people he decides to blow cover on!).

It also had the pirating rules which was mega helpful for yet another character, a tech-wiz type, but more toward rigger than decker. Pirate broadcasting is always fun and can be well utilized in a game.

the same could be said about only building shadowrunner PCs. by doing that, you're excluding yourself from all kinds of cool "newbie shadowrunner" stories.

well, yeah. i think the current rules are just fine for building non-runner PCs--i've done it myself on more than one occasion.

It wouldn´t hurt if SR4 took that perspective for starting runners. Sort of like SR1-2, but more outspoken. If rockers and reporters were presented as playable starting characters, and street sams etc. were just starting out therefor on the same level —SR4 would have a greater spectrum of choises at first glance and a greater depth than SR3 has. Characters would have a longer road to travel and would experience more changes in the course of their career.

It´s really the same discussion as in the Street Level forum. All characters and power levels are playable in SR3. Question is which ones will be the norm in SR4. I´m partial to the low powered stuff. I have geared up lately, but it´s not really my style to demand perfect behavior from my players which is a problem when they´re supposed to be professionals. I´ll do some of the stuff I´ve planned for, but when SR4 comes I´ll most likely start over with rookies again.

We'll see if they (the developers) listen to us and give some flashy not-so-comabt-masters as archetypes. Like the ork pi in sr3.

for contacts i use a 1000 point karma on the becks system with McMakie's char gen program works for me