Before we tackle the main topic, I need to confess: I haven't actually played Shadowrun yet. I'm on pg 63 of the core rulebook, and I hope to run a campaign for my friends in about a month or so. The first tabletop game I've played (and the one I play the most) is Pathfinder; I'm actually running a PF campaign these days. I've also played a bit of 3.5 and Dungeon World, so you can understand how I want to try something other then High Fantasy.
Anyway, I was looking at the GM screen wallpaper (
http://www.shadowruntabletop.com/site-art/wallpapers/) when I had a concept for a unique villain. Basically, this guy named Johan Sinter runs an establishment called the Inferno Club, based in Los Angeles or whatever city your campaign is set. He is a powerful and charismatic businessman with a wide-ranging network of contacts: be they gang leaders, megacorp officials, or bureaucrats in national governments. He also has extensive ties to the black market, so he's able to acquire narcotics, bootlegged cyberware, and other contraband.
However, Sinter is not all that he seems. He is actually an ancient devil-like entity associated with fire and contracts. If injured (god help the person stupid enough to attack him) his body spouts wisps of fire and smoke instead of blood. Also, when angered (which isn't very often, oddly enough) his human flesh melts off to reveal a fiery, skeletal visage. He is an infernal being who wields formidable powers and is willing to share them with others...for a price.
One of the deals he might make with the PCs involves the ornate golden jar he keeps in his possession. He offers to sign a contract with a runner to bring him or her back to life if he/she dies on a mission. But, every time this happens...the runner makes a deposit in the jar, consisting of one essence.
The jar is the means by which he's managed to survive for this long, by drinking the essence of living beings over the centuries. With the advent of the Sixth World, Sinter has found new opportunities to increase his influence and slake his thirst for essence. In this regard, he is similar to both a D&d Lich and a devil.
The idea is that he's a calculating Lawful Evil villain the PCs are forced to rely upon despite the fact that they despise him. And for those ensnared in his contracts, escaping his clutches might be a campaign in of itself. If you're reading this and your reaction is something like, "What the $%&^, Axial! There aren't any lich-devils in Shadowrun!" then you've hit the nail right on the head: Johan Sinter should feel like a freakish anomaly by the standards of the setting. Nobody knows what he is, where his magic comes from, or how to kill him.
Thoughts?
