Character Generation Guidelines
Full character creation rules can be found in the Missions FAQ. However, a short summary is provided here.
Creating a character is done as per the rules found in Shadowrun, Twentieth Anniversary Edition (SR4A). Make sure you have the latest printing of SR4A. If you do not, please download the errata. Shadowrun Missions uses the standard system for generating characters.
You’ll want to create some kind of background story for your character. It doesn’t have to be a novel, but you should be able to define what your character did before entering the shadows, how he became a shadowrunner, what his motivations are and how he feels about things like wetwork, et cetera.
Players are strongly encouraged to carefully consider the contacts they choose and the false identities they purchase for their character. A few contacts that play a prominent role in Season 4 of Missions are outlined in the Season 4 Contacts list.
When creating a character, keep in mind that in Shadowrun Missions you can never be quite sure what other archetypes will be available for play at the table. Nor can you be certain that a given adventure will focus on a particular aspect of game play. Because of this, it may not be in a player’s best interest to create a highly specialized character.
We enforce the rules for addiction to various substances such as BTLs and drugs. Should your character use such substances and become addicted, they will suffer the consequences of the addiction negative qualities. That is the price for the thin line they have chosen to walk.
If you are pressed for time, you can certainly select one of the pre-generated sample characters found in the core rules for your first Shadowrun Missions event. If, after playing that character, you realize that you’d prefer to create your own, you may transfer the debriefing log to a new character of your own creation. This is a one time allowance for new players. If a player plays a character in two events, they may no longer perform this debriefing log transfer.
Tracking Your Character
After completing each scenario, you will receive a Mission Debriefing Log which will show the progress of your character and any special items, abilities, contacts, or other things which your character may have garnered during the scenario. Keep these logs with your character to ensure that future gamemasters will be able to see how your character has progressed and what you have done in the past.
You will also want to track your character’s adventure history and down time activity on a Shadowrun Missions Calendar (players can also down load a ready-to-fill-out PDF here). Characters are allowed to make one ‘run per week in game time. Tracking adventures and down time activities becomes critical for keeping tracking of when monthly lifestyle expenses are due.
Most players who participated in the previous Shadowrun Missions campaign have the opportunity to transfer their character over to the new season. Characters can either simply transfer the new character over, or they can choose to transfer their karma over to a new character.
However, to help balance out the game a little better, more powerful characters (Those with 150 or more Karma) are being promoted to Prime Runner status, and are no longer eligible for regular Seasonal Missions games (SRMs) or the Convention Missions (CMPs). They can be used in the special Prime Missions designed for higher level play, and in all special Missions events.
Full rules for transferring and promotion can be found in the FAQ, and you will also need to fill out a Season 4 Karma Rollover Log.
The gamemaster at an event may review your character prior to running the event and ask about any questionable issues with your character. You may be asked to not use a certain item, ability, or skill during the scenario – not because it is not “legal”, but because the GM may not feel comfortable with the item or may need you to play along in order to advance the storyline.
