[Ravensoracle]

I like the idea of providing Extra Knowledge skill points only to be used on interest skills so they don't take away from mission critical Knowledge skills. I am just trying to figure out how to determine how many to give. I am giving the potential players a chance to offer up suggestions as to how to determine the amount of points given.

[Jack_Spade]

For fairness sake give everyone 12 bonus points, because otherwise age would be an appropriate measurement for bonus knowledge.

[Kuirem]

There was a good list on knowledge skills posted recently : http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=25063.0

If we take the average skill to be 3 that make 3x7 = 21 skill points for the "what every runner should know".

[Ravensoracle]

The bonus points would only be used for Hobby skills. Like Music for someone that likes to listen to or play music as a hobby. These are so the other skill points can be dedicated to skills that are for running but still allowing the charcter to have some depth.

[HydroRaven]

I wanted to play an Ethan Hawk in Training Day type of character but I guess the Prime Runner thing kind of makes it mutually exclusive. Seems you have a lot of quality applications anyways, so i will bow out. Good luck to everyone, sounds like an interesting concept!

[Ravensoracle]

@ Hydroraven

I'd have no problem if you were willing to go with a lower level so to speak. IF all the players were fine with it. I would love to see your write-up. That concept sounds interesting.

To be fair I will not guarantee any spots but I will say the idea has caught my attention.

[Ravensoracle]

@Ennui

two things stand out to me with the sheet.

First is you Agent rig. It won't work

pg 243 Sr5 Core

You can’t run more than one program of the
same type on your deck at once (and no, changing the
name of one copy of a program to run two copies doesn’t
work, chummer). You get the benefit of a program while
it is running on your deck; as soon as you end it or swap it
out for another program, it stops providing those benefits

Second the In Debt quality.

You are first and foremost a KE Detective. If you owe shady characters money that will get you nailed by Internal Affairs. And Undercover Officers are under a microscope for that kind of stuff.

[HydroRaven]

Here is the character's bio. If it looks like something you would be interested in working with, let me know and I can flesh out the remainder of the character. I was thinking about a street sam to go along with this backstory.



[spoiler]Andrew Weber grew up in the typical middle-class family. He was always watching the old good cop, bad cop trids growing up and had an uncle in the LS force, so one could say he was pretty much groomed to be in the service. After graduating the academy in the top percentile of his class, he started to quickly make a name for himself. Things were easy it seemed for Andrew: follow the book and do what you can to make the streets safer. His partners (multiple because they somehow always seemed to request transfers) grew impatient of his moralizing and his “do-gooder” attitude. One day, while in the locker room after practice, Andrew was attacked by his colleagues and told to take his attitude down a notch or three. The attackers were all masked, but even if Andrew recognized a few of them, he decided that further alienating his coworkers was not the best course of action.

That taught Andrew to keep his attitude in check, but he still was strongly convicted that KE (he was quickly hired by them since he was relatively new to LS at the time the contract changed and thus had been judged fresh enough not to have any loyalty to the old regime) ought to serve and protect the city, just like the heroes of the trids he used to watch.

One day, Andrew busted a young troll for murder. This was a textbook open-and-shut case, with the young troll having been found on the scene of the crime with the murder weapon in hand (a long knife) and the victim’s blood smeared all over his clothes. The case not only drew the community’s attention, it got Andrew promoted to detective. KE took Andrew as their poster boy to get increased funding from the city, citing detective Weber’s dedication to his work as the last bastion of resistance between the people and the increased violence from the inner cities (code word for metahumanity).

It was 3 months into his new promotion that Andrew found undeniable evidence that the real murderer was not the troll but the poor girl’s jealous ex-boyfriend. Bringing this to the attention of his superiors, he was completely shut down as this was contract renegotiation time and his case was being used for an increase in the district’s budget. Brushed under the rug and ordered to keep his findings a secret, Andrew grew disillusioned with his career choice.

With the insistence he showed in trying to expose his new findings, his superiors decided it was best to get Andrew away and quieted. He was thus approached for undercover work, which he decided to jump feet first into. This, he reasoned, would be the perfect way to make a real difference in the community. And with this, there would be virtually no way he could be overruled: after all, Johnsons were known to be bad and always acting out of greed.
[/spoiler]

[Jack_Spade]

Gear portion still missing, but here is my character overview:

Maximilian "Gladius" Minièr
Age: 34; Height: 184
Eyes: Blue; Hair: Bald (brown)

Karma: 5/5
Money: 4000 (Retained) + Starting Money: 5d6*500 9000

Priorities:
A: Magic
A: Attributes
C: Skills
E: Money
E: Human

Attributes: (Spend Karma: -10)
BOD: 3
AGI: 5
REA: 5
STR: 2

CHA: 4
INT: 6
LOG: 3
WIL: 5

EDG: 2
ESS: 6
MAG: 7
INI: 11+1d6

Limits:
PHY: 4
MEN: 6
SOC: 7 (6 except for Intimidation)

Positive Qualities: (-27 Karma)
Spirit Whisperer (-8)
Exceptional Attribute (MAG) (-14)
Quick Healer (-3)
Jack Of All Trades (-2)
Rank (5) (Bonus)

Negative Qualities: (35 Karma)
So Jacked Up (10)
Impassive (7)
Dead Emotion (Joy) (5)
Vendetta (Vory Hitman) (7)
Records on File (Ares) (1)
Driven (Find his son) (2)
Did you just call me dumb? (3)

Magic Tradition:
Psionic

Spells: (-10 Karma)
Manabarrier (Limited)
Increased Reflexes
Increased Intuition
Reinforce
Improved Invisibility
Punch (Limited)
Heal
Combat Sense
Detox
Fling (Limited)
Levitate (Limited)
Stunbolt

Initiation: (-13 Karma)
Channeling

Skillgroups: (-5 Karma)
Stealth           2
- Sneak
- Palming
- Disguise
Influence         1
- Etiquette
- Leadership
- Negotiation

Skills: (-5 Karma)
Perception:       1 (3 Visual)
Pistols:          3 (5 Heavy)
Spell casting:    6 (8 Manipulation)
Summoning:        6 (8 Spirit of Man)
Intimidate:       6 (8 Mental)
Gymnastics:       6 (8 Dodge)
Unarmed:          3 (5 Touch)

Arcana:           1 (1 Karma)
Assenssing:       1 (1 Karma)
Piloting (Ground) 1 (1 Karma)
Con               1 (1 Karma)
Alchemy           1 (1 Karma)

Knowledge Skills:
German             (N)
English            6
Magic Theory       3
Vory               3
Area (Seattle)     2
Underworld         1 (3 Seattle)
Small Unit Tactics 1 (3 Urban)

Bonus:
History            3 (5 Military)
Philosophy         3 (5 Nietzsche)
Music              1 (3 Classic)
Chemistry          1 (3 Narcotics)

Contacts:

Ivan Solchet (C5/L2)
Fence (Specialized on weapons and armor) - My primary go to guy for hardware and information on the Vory. Gets most of his stock from some Russian military base, but has pretty much everything to sell if I give him time to look. You’ll recognize him if you meet him. The guy is enormous. Not just fat, although he has some to spare, but just huge at about 2,30. And no, he is a human, at least as far as I know. If not, he probably went a bit too far on that Troll reduction surgery. Keeps a beard like Rasputin and could probably wrestle a hippogriff.

Glisting Pete (C2/L5)
Ghoul Talismonger - Pete buys and sells all things magic. His being a ghoul hasn’t slowed him down. Just got himself a pair of cyber eyes and a meat dryer in the basement. Quite a likable guy, likes to play cello and collects funny facts bottle caps. And he is a mage – if not a particular good one. But if need be, he can manage a preparation or two

Kurt Brown: (C1/L3)
Anarchist Bombmaker - Kurt is a hopeless revolutionary. Every week he has a new scheme to get rid of our corporation overlords. But he is a very clever bomb maker. Luckily so far he is also to cowardly to really go through with them. Usually he just blows them up somewhere in the wilds or sells his explosives to whoever finds his business address. He is a dwarf and quite short even for that. Always wears a beret like old Che but can’t get the beard right.

Sam Whats (C3/L3)
Barkeeper/Irish pub owner. She has a great taste in music and knows quite lot of people in Seattle. Sam is an Elf from old Ireland before it became the Elf-Nation. As far as I know she even was in the IRA before she changed. Red hair, great figure and green eyes.

Bonus Contacts:

Lt. Audrey Murphy (C4/L1)
Lt. Murphy is the handler for the team. Her word is law, just don't mention that to her or you'll be working a week as a metter maid in a Z-zone.
She's often meets with the team at a coffee or food truck. She changes up the meet location and times to avoid patterns and tails. She's a very no nonsense orc. She's often dressed to blend in with the neighborhood. She's always carrying and she can handle herself well. She is definitely from the field and is no bean counter.

Desk Sergeant Jack Eltor (C3/L1)
Sgt Eltor is you backup contact if you ever need to get to official channels and you can't get in contact with Lt. Murphy. He definitely is a bean counting office lackey. Many people loath the aged human man. He's also the man you file all your reports and expenses with. Talking to him will often be a labor of hate as he will remind you of that one time you forgot to file that one report that would make or break a case.

Jerry Mack (C4/L1)
Jerry Mack is a Confidential Informant for KE. He's a fixer that was busted 6 months ago for dealing in drugs and weapons. The elf is a bit twitchy and is a Novacoke fiend. He claims he's been clean since his bust but that's highly doubtful.

Gear:

Lifestyle:
High (Dangerous, Special Work Area)   9.000 (Magic Lodge)
Medium (Cramped)                      4.500

Magic Equipment:
Magic Lodge R7                        3.500
Reagents x50                          1.000
Fetisch                               2.000

Electronics:
Commlink Transsys Avalon              6.000
 -Receiver                              400
 -Vectored Signal Filter (Hard Wired) 1.300
 -Trode net                              70
 -SIN R4                             10.000
 -SIN R2                              5.000

Glasses R4                              400
 -Low-light Vision                      500
 -Flare Compensation                    250
 -Smartlink                           2.000
 -Vision magnification                  250

Contacts R3                             600
 -Vision enhancement R3               1.500

Ear buds R3                             300
 -Audio Enhancement R3                1.500

Vehicles:
Mirage Racing Bike                    8.500
 -Spoof Chip                            500
 -Morphing Licence Plate              1.000

Misc:
Miniwelder                              250
Miniwelder fuel canister                 80
Lockpick set                            250
Glue Sprayer                            150
Survival Kit                            200
Rappeling Gloves                         50
Microwire 100m                           50
Stim Patch R6 x2                        300
Psyche x10                            2.000
Plastic Restrains (per 10)                5
Metal Restraints                         20
Hardware Kit                            500
Advanced Medkit R6                    3.600
Roll of duct tape                         5
Luggage (nice)                          500

Weapons:
Savalette Guardian                      870
 -Gas-vent system R3                    600
 -Electronic Firing                   1.000
 -Personalized Grip                     100
 -Extended Clip x2                       70
 -Custom look                           300
 -Concealed quick-draw holster          275
 -APDS x24                              288
 -Custom Regular Ammo +1 DV x48         108
 -Regular Ammo x32                       64
 -Spare Clip x3                          15

Defiance EX Shocker                     250
 -Personalized Grip                     100
 -Laser Sight                           125
 -Quick-draw holster                    175
 -Taser Darts x20                       100
Shock Glove                             550

Pepperpunch Grenade x4                  180
Flashbang x4                            400
HE Grenades x4                          400

Armor:
Executive Suite YNT                   4.000 Armor: 19
 -Nonconductivity 6                   1.500
Synergist Business Line Longcoat      2.300
 -Electrochromic modification           500
 -Chemical Protection 6               1.500
Helmet                                  200
Custom Balistic Mask                    300
 -Gas Mask                              200

Full body armor                       2.000 Armor: 20
 -Nonconductivity 6                   1.500
 -Gel Packs                           1.500
 -Chemical Seal                       6.000
Full helmet                             500


Backstory:
Maximilian "Gladius" Minièr, Psionic Mage

Max used to be a model officer: Disciplined, correct to a fault and highly reliable. As one of the few mages of the psionic tradition the department could even forgo the expenses of magical paraphernalia that came along with shamans and hermetics that KE usually employed. If there was any criticism it was his tendency not to participate in any after work activities with his fellow officers, spending instead all his free time with his wife Maria and his six year old son Markus.
All that changed on December the 24th 2074. It was meant as a message to the KE department Munich North: 27 officers were hit simultaneously with drive by shootings, molotov cocktails through windows, poisoned sodas, exploding fruit baskets and home invasions. The message came from the Vory and it said: Stay out of our business.
Colleagues said Max was one of the lucky ones - after all the attackers didn't kill him. They didn't even destroy much of his possessions. They merely gassed his flat with Neurostun... and abducted his son.

Afterwards, nothing made sense anymore. After his sick leave was used up he returned to work where he functioned - barely, mostly thanks to the KE sponsored mood chips and over the counter anti-depression medication. His performance deteriorated. Maria likewise became grief struck, refusing to leave the house, slowly wasting away.

This could have ended badly for both if not after two months of no news about who was behind the hit, KE UCAS finally found a solid lead: An informant in Seattle had caught a piece of a conversation indicating that a Russian ex-Spetznaz had been responsible for the attack and also was the one who abducted the children of two KE officers. The informant was found out shortly afterwards and executed, but not before he could at least give some identifying elements on the hitman: A large human with a tattoo of a weeping Madonna on his back, pierced by two crossed Cossack sabers.

This was the moment Max found a new purpose: Find the man and bring him to justice - or if that wasn't possible - avenge his son. Max asked for a transfer to KE Seattle. It took him nearly a year and all the contacts and favors he had accumulated in 10 years of service and then some, but he got his transfer. Again his prodigious talents tipped the balance for his transfer. Maria was less then thrilled at the prospect of moving to Seattle, but at the same time relished the chance to leave their home and the painful memories associated with it.

Now Max and Maria have found a small flat, subsidized by KE and started to rebuild a life, finding new friends and integrating with the new colleagues.
All that is a facade on Max' part. Appearing sane and stable is the only way he could get admitted to the Undercover Programm. A few uppers here, a few downers there and he doesn't stand out... provided he can keep his schedule. But at least now his confidence is back: Once again he can create mental constructs that can comb the city for any trace of his son and the Russian.
Max worries a bit about Maria though, she is once again showing signs of depression and it more and more looks like she is blaming him for all that happened. Not an ideal situation for an undercover cop, but then nothing will be ideal until Max has found what he is looking for...

[Ennui]

Wu-Jen 2.0  (finished more or less)

[spoiler]Jennifer Wu (wu-jen) Human Chinese ethnicity female
-- Priorities --
Metatype 0
Attributes 3
Magic 0
Skills 3
Resources 4

-- Karma Expenditure --
35 Starting Karma
-5 biocompatability (Cyberware)
-10 Codeslinger (Bruteforce)
-7 Fade to black
-6 Go Big or Go Home
-5 Analytic mind
+5 Spheksophobia (fear of wasps)
+15 Limited Corporate SIN (KE)
+15 Code of Honor White Hats
-6 for clubs 0->2
-20 for con 0->4
-3 for contacts
-2 karma 4,000 Y
-6 karma automatics 0->2


-- Attributes --
Body 3
Agility 2 (9)
Reaction 2
Strength 2(9)
Willpower 5
Logic 6 (9)
Intuition 6
Charisma 2
Edge 3
Essence 1   (3.3 Cyberware-10%  from adapsin 2.97 -10% rounded down from biocompatable -2.6) (-2.15 bioware)  1.25


Initiative - 2d6+8 (3D6+10 cram)
matrix VR initiative 10 4d6(hot sim 5d6) (12+4d6 with psyche)
Physical Condition Monitor - 10
Stun Condition Monitor - 11
Overflow Boxes - 3
Physical Limit - 3 (6)
Mental Limit - 10
Social Limit - 4

-- Qualities --
Biocompatable Cyber
Codeslinger (Bruteforce)
Fade to Black
Analytic Mind
Go Big or Go Home

Phobia (wasps)
Code of Honor white hats
Coroportate SIN (KE)


-- Skills --
CyberCombat: 6 (bruteforce) (10)= 12 (16)
Hacking: 5 = 11
Electronic Warfare: 5 (hide) 7 =11 (13)
Locksmith: 4 = (13)(19 autopicker)
Demolitions: 2=11
Clubs: 2=11
Automatics 2 = 11 (13) pool
Pistols: 4=13 (15)
Perception 4 Urban(6) +2 for visual and audio per gear = 10(12) (14)
Ettiquette 2 (street)4 = 4(6) pool
Con 4 =6 pool

--Skill Group--
Electronics: 5
Computers: 5
Software: 5
Hardware 5


-- Knowledge/Language Skills --
English: N
Lip-Reading 4=10                   
Tactical Sign Language 3 =10
Word On The Street     3  =10                 
Current Events   3 =12                                                                       
Local Area Knowledge  2 = 11
Small Group Tactics 5 = 6
Shadow Community  2=6
Sprawl Life 2 =11
Fences 2 = 8
Matrix Security Design 4 =13

-- Augmentations/Magic/Adept Powers --
Adapsin .2
Cerebral Booster (3) used .75
Boosted Reflexes 1
Narco .2
Datajack (3) .3
Cyber ears (2) 3 antennae dampening audio enhancement (3) .3
Cybereyes (2) flarecomp, thermographic, smartlink vision enhancement (2) .3
Right obvious cyberarm 6str 6 agi +lvl 3 agi enhancement and gyro stabilizer used 1.25
Left obvious cyberarm 6str 6 agi +lvl 3 agi enhancement and large smuggling compartment used 1.25


-- Gear --
500,000 +25,000
Radioshack PCD 2/1/1/2
   +Rating 5 agent
   +Virtual Machine
   +Hammer
Microtrónica Azteca 200 4/2/3/5
   +Program Carrier Virtual Machine
   +rating 5 agent
   +Browse
   +config
   +Edit
   +encrypt
   +signal scrub
   +Tool Box
   +Exploit
   +Decrypt
   +Stealth
   +Baby Monitor
   +Hammer
   +Fork
Transys Avalon w attack dongle Program carrier rating 5 agent
20 stealth tags
bug scanner (6)
Tag eraser
5 standard credsticks
50 plastic restraints
autopicker (6)
Monofilament chainsaw
Chemsuit (6)
flashlight
respirator (6)
Ford Americar
10 spare clips 5 HP 5 AR
gel rounds 75 HP 75 AR
reg rounds 75 HP 75 AR
large duffel bag
backpack
Cram 10 doses
psyche 10 doses pharma grade

Weapons:
stun baton acc 4 9s -5
Salvette Guardian 5(7) 8P -1 SA/BF R-1 12(c)
FN Har w/ integral smartlink 5(7) 10P -2 SA/BF/FA R-2 35 (c)


Armor total 12+2  =14
wild hunt, ballistic mask
Wild hunt Armor 12 Chemical protection 6 non conductive 4, white noise generator 6
ballistic mask

Money left 3,475

-- Contacts –
Loyalty/Connection
Lt. Audrey Murphy 3/4
Fixer 2/4:  Jerry Mack
Street doc 2/4: Vikki white market Organlegger/morgue tech/street doc
Armorer: 2/4  Ivan Lasker Vory Enforcer turned arms dealer

(I'm stealing some of Stuttr's stock NPC's =P)

Bio:Jennifer Wu is part of the KE cybercrimes division.  She hasn't been at the undercover gig for long but has managed to get an inroad into the vory via Ivan Lasker who also supplies her with everyday runner necessities.  Jennifer is a VR Otaku she would spend all of her time there if she could.  She loves the virtual world coding, building virtual reality architecture but she also loves her job.  She gets a thrill from playing the part of bad guy while maintaining her ethics.  Her parents are still alive but they don't know that she's undercover, the official story was she was "fired" from the force for excessive drug use.  Most everyone uses cram or jazz on the job when dealing with cybered terrorists and she uses psyche on important ops so it wasn't really a hard sell.  Unfortunately her parents have distanced themselves from her because of it.  She would like to rekindle that relationship but she also understands how they feel.  She hopes one day she can let them in on the secret.

Jennifer is a big science fiction fan she loves sci-fi trids and books.  She's a huge nerd who gets into the fandom and will even go so far as to cosplay and attend conventions.  She never had many friends though she's not unfriendly or even shy but they always felt more like acquaintances than friends.  Maybe the closest she's come to an actual friendship is her Lt.  Murphy was the one who convinced her to join her little task force after all.  Though she has seemed to hit it off with Jerry, though she thinks he just wants into her pants and obviously their work relationship.  She is an unabashed optimist and does her best to live for the day because she never knows when it will be her last.[/spoiler]

Let me know what you think.  I hope you pick me!

[rednblack]

Updated my initial post with a starter char sheet for Abran.  Still need to do Contacts, Knowledge Skills, and I have some nuyen and karma to spend.

Before finishing that up, I'd like some GM guidance.  I'm considering taking the Criminal SIN Quality, with the idea that Abran did a Billy Costigan, and just got out of the joint as per his initiation into this particular undercover assignment.  As such, all KE employees not affiliated with his team will treat him as a criminal, and criminals will know about his Ares past.  Could be interesting, but it could also fly in the face of what you've got planned, so let me know how to best proceed there.  He could also be a convenient in for bringing in the team for some shadow work.  This would also have some interesting implications for Abran's family life, as his mom is likely to be extremely disappointed, but his brother and sister may inadvertently incriminate themselves, which would be hard to handle.

Contacts will be largely dependent on the above point. 

Are we doing 12 bonus points for Knowledge Skills?  I think that sounds fair, and I've got a lot of ideas on how I'd like to proceed there.

Police Procedures, Law, Counter-surveillance all seem like KE Knowledge Skills.  Anything else that you feel is a must have?

This weekend is going to have my lunch, but I can realistically have the sheet finished on Monday.   

[Ravensoracle]

I haven't seen The Departed....Yet. SO I am not quite sure what you are wanting to do. Feel free to reply here or PM me if you ant to keep it a secret. I'll think about it.

[Jack_Spade]

Alright, finalized my character. Spending 100.000 is really time consuming   

[Ravensoracle]

Alright, I think I have decided who I want to be in the game.

Congrats to Jack_Spade, Rednblack, and Hydroraven.

To all the others, thanks for your interest.

I'll start going over character's crunch if you have it up. I'll look at the other sheets once they get put up.

Bonus Knowldege points for hobby skills will be 12 points.

[rednblack]

First, thank you for having me.  I'm excited about this game.

Second, you really ought to watch The Departed.  I mean, it's a really great addition to the cops and robbers genre.

Third, the basic idea for the Criminal SIN is that Abran was pulled into a superior's office and told that there is no way he's going to cut it as a KE officer.  No respect from fellow officers, no real chance for advancement,and basically having him on the force is more of a PITA than it's worth.  But, if he really wants to prove himself and his loyalties to the greatest megacorporation in the world, he will go to work for Audry Murphy directly.  No other KE officer or department will know that he's still KE, and Abran goes about the business of getting himself into trouble.  Maybe it's assault on a superior officer.  Maybe he follows in his dad's footsteps and sells off some Ares gear out of the evidence locker or something.  He gets himself locked up, loses his Corporate SIN, and has that replaced with a Criminal SIN.  He does his time like any other crook, and upon getting released he starts trying to do some dirt with whoever will do dirt with him.  When the time is right, Lt. Murphy contacts him and says she's got a whole undercover team ready to pose as shadowrunners, and they go to work.

Pros: it could be fun to play a char that's on the outs with both KE and the criminal underworld, especially when his loyalties are really with the corp.  Could be a believable "in" for a group of relative unknowns as well.

Cons: this sidesteps a lot of the tension I've built into the char with being generally distrusted by KE for no good reason.  Also, depending on what ideas you have for the intro, this might not fly.

Just an idea that isn't even worked into the char sheet as it is, but I thought it might be fun.