Shadowrun

Shadowrun is a fun kind of game. Take your average kind of fantasy pastiche elements - elves, dwarves, orcs, trolls, dragons, magic - and throw them into a futuristic setting with cybernetics, high-grade firearms, wireless supercomputer networks with AIs...it's a cool idea, nd a cool game. I can't say that I've ever really played it, but I do own a number of the books, and as usual, I do tend towards a combat-centered character. So, if you are hoping for a top-of-the-line combat mage or a smooth-talking, computer-hacking decker, sorry. Like Mutants & Masterminds, Shadowrun works on a point buy system; you pay more points to play, say, a troll character than a human. You can allocate a certain amount of your points to statistics, a certain amount to skills (which are divided up into two groups, Practical and Knowledge), a certain amount to gear (including all sorts of cool cybergadgetry), and then add it all up before you go on your first run - with the inevitable betrayal by Mr. Johnson, of course. So, without further ado, here's my elven street samurai, a former member of the elven special forces group the Tir Tairngire Ghosts:

Jonas Arkiel, 'Phantom'

Body 3, Agility 5 (7), Reaction 4 (5), Strength 2 (4), Charisma 4, Intuition 4, Logic 4, Willpower 3

Edge 1, Initiative 9, Essence 2.725

Practical Skills: Climbing 3, Gymnastics 3, Running 3, Swimming 3, Automatics 4, Longarms 4, Pistols 4, Disguise 3, Infiltration 3, Palming 3, Shadowing 3, Blades 2, Clubs 2, Unarmed Combat 2, Perception 5, Etiquette 1, Demolitions 3, Dodge 4

Knowledge Skills: English (Native), Sperethiel 3, Military (Special Forces) 3, Security Procedures (Military) 2, Elven Society 3, Poison Antidotes 1, Firearm Design 3, Bars 2, Black Markets 2, Mercenary Hangouts 2

Qualities: Martial Arts 1, Guts, Addiction (Mild), SINner, Spirit bane, Wanted

Cybernetics: Cybereyes Basic System (Rating 2) with Flare Compensation, Lowlight Vision, Thermographic Vision, and Smartlink, Wired Reflexes (Rating 1)

Bioware: Muscle Augmentation 2, Muscle Toner 2, Orthoskin 1, Echolocation

Equipment: Ceramic Knife, Victorinox Memory Blade, 2 Extendable Batons, 2 Ares Predator IVs, Defiance EX Shocker, Morrissey Elan, HK Urban Combat, Colt M22A3, 2 Concealable Holsters, Hidden Gun Arm Slide, 2 Silencers, Sound Suppressor, 5 Flash-Bangs, 5 Smoke Grenades, 12 clips APDS rounds, 12 clips Explosive rounds, 12 clips Regular ammo, 6 clips Gel rounds, SWAT Armor, Lined Coat, Commlink: Sony Emperor, Skinlink, Subvocal Microphone, Tag Eraser, Fake License (Rating 4), RFID Sensor, 10 Plastic Restraints, Lockpick set, Gecko Tape gloves, Survival Kit, Grapple Gun, 200m Stealth Rope, Medkit (Rating 4), DocWagon Contract (Basic, 1 Year), 5 Stim Patches, 5 Tranq Patches, Fake SIN (Rating 4), Tool Kit, Flashlight, Catalyst Stick, 5 Trauma Patches, 2 months of low-rent housing.

Contacts: Morgue Tech, Fixer

Yeah, about half of that equipment list is weaponry of various types. What can I say? I like options. The cyberware and bioware increases his physical abilities - the statistics in parentheses above are the ratings after the cyberware; Orthoskin makes him slightly bulletproof, and his eyes are adjusted to see in low-light, to see heat signatures, to compensation for flares and flashes of light, and to link automatically with his guns. The references to a SIN (or System Identification Number) are essentially about having, or not having a national ID; the quality SINner means he has a real one, unlike many criminals, which could make him easier to track, but he has a high-quality fake SIN for use on illegal jobs. His mild addiction is to alcohol, and some spirits dislike him on sight, and he is wanted by his former boss for having information he shouldn't. He's laying low, waiting for his buddy in the morgue or his recent acquaintance the fixer to find him something to do - and waiting for other runners to group up with.