| From: | "Damion Milliken" <dam01@***.edu.au> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | SR Character Backgrounds |
| Date: | Mon, 7 Oct 1996 21:23:37 +1000 (EST) |
think anybody actualy recieved it. Anyway, that was over a month ago.
I was starting a new SR campaign about then (which has had a couple of
sessions since), and was generating a few handouts and players guides. This
was one of them:
Guide to Shadowrun Character Background Creation
1. Read the 20 Questions. Although not exhaustive, nor always appropriate,
these points at least give a good idea of what to include in your characters
background. Try to cover at least half of the points when you create the
character history.
2. Determine what your character used to do, before becoming a shadowrunner
(very important).
3. Decide why your character left his or her old job (also important).
4. Come up with a reason for why the character became a shadowrunner.
(This very often will tie in with (3).)
5. How did your character come to know his or her contacts? Contacts are
an important part of Shadowrun, decide how and why you know them.
6. (Optional) What are the characters contacts like? How do they act, what
do they really do, why are they involved in the shadows?
7. Does the character have a SIN? Does the character actually use it? Or
is the character one of the SINless masses? This may be affected by the
characters previous employment.
8. Is the character a full-time shadowrunner? Or does the character lead a
Batman-like double existence?
9. What kind of personality does your character have? This should not
necessarily be obviously stated in the background, as it is more important
for actually playing the character, but it may colour or add mood to the
history.
10. The format of the background. A character background does not
necessarily have to be a verbatim description of your character, his or her
past, attitudes, contacts and so forth. Make it different - a corporate
security file on the character, a contacts notes, a police record, two
street types discussing the character. A short story is appropriate.
Perhaps the history is the characters journal entry for one day, or a letter
to a friend.
11. Dont forget that GMs love to have things included in a characters
background that can be used as launch points for future adventures. Suck up
to your GM and put things like this in your background.
What do you all think? Any additions you can think of that would be handy?
Comments?
--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong E-mail: dam01@***.edu.au
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