I am re-reading my SR4 book from cover-to-cover. I think I have a character in mind.

I'm finding I like this system, in theory. It's a lot cleaner so far.

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I think I have a character in mind.

Right, I need to figure out what I want as far as that. Whats the premise of SR4? I would think a basic character would be easier to start with, ya? Kinda like the meatshield I have in Sean's DnD. Advice always welcome.

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I think I have a character in mind.

Sweet!

Whats the premise of SR4?

It's a cyberpunk setting -- near future (still this century) where humans have integrated technology directly into their brains and bodies, and even learned to sculpt their genetic coding. It's a semi-dystopia, in that much of the world is in a pretty constant state of fucked-up-ness, but megacorporations bring opulence to those who can afford it.

Add to this that magic and all its trappings have returned to the world -- elves, dwarves, orcs, and dragons (along with multitudes of other stuff).

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Whats the premise of SR4?

The premise of SR4 is cyberpunk meets D and D.

Basically in the early 21st century magic came back. Dwarves and elves were being born all over the place, amateur mystics were finding out their shit really worked. Dragons showed up.

Later, some folk begans spontaneously turning into orcs and trolls.

At the same time society as we know it was falling towards dystopia. Large megacorporations were able to declare their territories no longer subject to governmental law. The United States fractured into disparate areas as the Native Americans used some Whoa Fuck Mojo to take back the West and divide it amongst themselves. California seceded from the U.S., then tried to come back, but the remaining U.S. was "No, you wanted out, sack up." So the Japanese invaded Cal Free State. The southern states finally managed to secede and created the Confederated American States. In desperation the remaining U.S. (the midwest and northern east coast states) joined with parts of Canada and formed the United Canadian American States.

Elves took over Oregon (Tir Tairngire) and Ireland (Tir Nan Og). They're spooky and have their own agenda.

Technology exploded all over the place and people began jacking into the Matrix, linking directly with the Internet via a neural connection. Just like in Neuromancer and other William Gibson works. They also managed to link directly to cars and other vehicles and even weapons.

Later, that all changed with edition four, the one we're working with now, and it all went wireless.

You have some basic archetypes to work with:

Street Samurai: Cybered up badass motherfucker.

Mage: Pretty self-explanatory.

Shaman: Like mage but all hippie.

Hacker: A person who interfaces with machines directly, either computers and hacking the Matrix or machines and vehicles or both.

Adepts: Magic users who channel their magic in ways different from the standard mage or shaman. Most common are Physical Adepts who use magic to become bad ass motherfuckers.

You can choose to be a human, orc, troll, dwarf or elf. They each have their own peculiar benefits and drawbacks.

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Huh - there's a James Alan Gardner book with almost that exact premise.

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I give up, what's the SR short for?

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Shadowrun

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You have some basic archetypes to work with:

And even within the basic archetypes, there is a LOT of room for personality and individuality.

Street Samurai can be big and tough -- a super strong troll with cyber muscles, bones and skin, to make you strong and hard to damage -- or you can be super fast, agile and sneaky, with jacked up reflexes and cyber eyes.

And that's without adding flavor.

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oh, SR isn't d20?

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Adepts is calling to me from your description. Too advance of a character for a newbie?

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