Character Backgrounds

(Sorry Paul, I had to steal this!)

Character backgrounds aid in creating a story for your character and fitting them into the campaign world. Backgrounds come in two types:

Abandoned Background: These backgrounds represent a life you used to life, but have thus abandoned for some reason. You gain the perks of this background before character creation, so you get some free points, but can't exceed starting maximums at all. (Though some give benefits that can't be bought with build points). You gain the benefit of starting wealth but not continuous wealth (as by a day job). Depending on the background and story, you might end up being hunted by the old background. Any starting wealth gained must be spent during character creation.

The flaws given are "free" as well, and do not provide extra build points.

Current Background: This represents an occupation or background that you are currently involved in. The perks go over and above the starting maximums, assuming you "just got them" after character creation. They may include obligations to the organization you are involved with. Starting wealth may be carried past character creation if you wish.

Edge: Complicated Past (3): Gain an extra abandoned background at character creation.
Edge: Spread Thin (6): Gain an extra current background at character creation.

Hometown: You may also choose an area (a city, or a part of a city for large cities- like seattle. Redmond Barrens might be appropriate) that represents where you grew up. Gain +1 to gather information and knowledge checks relating to the home area.

Background Lists
Below are a list of some backgrounds. O: obligation, something the company may require of you to upkeep. Some have no upkeep. A: Abandoned, a penalty you have for leaving the organization behind. Some have no penalties. UA: Un-abandonable. Some backgrounds are things that must be abandoned, or represent something from your past you just don't get rid of. They must be taken as current.

Citizen: You are a mild mannered citizen.
Must have a SIN. Day Job (-3). -1 TN bonus to any social or knowledge checks made in your home area. O: Maintain the day job. A: Lose the day job and social skill bonus, keep the knowledge check bonus.

Student: You are in school.
Must have a SIN. Gain College OR Tech school education perk for free. Gain +3 free knowledge skills at character creation. Have a free "expert" low level contact who can help you with knowledge skills or lab work (a professor). O: Spend 10 hours/week attending classes. A: Lose the professor as a contact. Abandoned may involve graduation.

Chemist: You are a pharmacist, drug maker, alchemist, etc.
Gain +1 rank in Biotech B/R and knowlege (chemistry). Day Job (-3). Reduce the availability of poisions, drugs, and chemicals by 2 and ignore street index on such items. O: Maintain the day job. A: Lose the day job and availability/street index modifier.

Cop: You work for lone star or some other police force, including in the crime lab.
Must have a SIN. +1 rank in pistols and one other firearm skill. +1 rank in investigation skill. Have access to a crime lab and computer where you can run blood samples, fingerprints, and DNA searches. Day Job (-3). O: Maintain the day job. A: lose access to the crime lab/computer and day job.

Escort: You are a stripper, call girl(boy), prostitute, or other such person of the night.
+1 rank in dance, +1 charisma, +1 rank etiquette. Must have a CHA of 4+. Day Job (-1). Gain low level bonus contacts = to 1/2 your charisma. Get a free squatter level lifestyle (as you can always stay with "a friend"). O: Maintain the day job. A: Lose the day job.

Private Eye: You have experience in the field of investigations. (UA)
+1 rank search, +1 rank investiagions, +1 rank disguise. +1 intelligence. Double bonuses for hometown area. O: Nothing- you may take a day job for this if you want. A: Can't be abandoned, once you know this stuff, you don't unlearn it.

Wise Guy: You are involved in some kind of criminal sydicate (Yakuza/Mafia, etc). Must have a race that allows you to be a part of that syndicate (japanese for yakuza). Some organizations have marks or tatoos you must get. You cannot be involved in more than one syndicate.
+1 rank any weapon skill. +1 rank stealth. Free safehouses in every major city that you can stay at for free. Reduce availability ratings of illegal items by 1 and street index by 1 (min 1). O: You are a part of this organization and must do jobs for it and never betray it. A: lose availability/street index bonus. Become hunted by organization.

Ganger: You are involved in a gang not big enough to be considered a syndicate. Cannot combine with wise guy unless one is abandoned.
+1 rank any weapon skill. + 1 rank stealth. Free safehouse in home area. Free low lifestyle in home area. Home area provides bonus to stealth. Reduce availability (not street index) by 0.5 (min 1) for purchases. O: You are a member of the gang, must stay at their lifestyle, wear their colors, and spend time with the gang promoting gang lifestyle. A: may be hunted by the gang, minimum hunted as the gang will have limited resources. Lose availability bonus, low lifestyle, and free safe houses, as well as home area bonus to stealth.

Professional Mage: You work for a shamanistic lodge or hermetic circle. You must be awakened and of a tradition that matches where you work.
+1 rank to any 2 magical skills. Have a group to initiate with at all times. Reduce availability of magical gear and spells by 1. Ignore street index on buying foci. Free squatter lifestyle at lodge/circle. O: must share learned spells and metamagic techniques with circle/lodge. Follow group's tenants. A: Lose lifestyle, magical gear purchasing bonuses, initiation group, squatter lifestyle.

Hedge Wizard: You manifested magic at a very early age and are somewhat of a savant with it. (UA). Must be awakened mage or aspected mage (not adept).
+1 rank to sorcery and conjuration. +1 initiate grade (with any metamagic technique). Reduce multiplyer of initiating alone by 0.5 (does not affect group initiations).

Celebrity: You are a celebrity- an actor, a politician, or the daughter of a millionaire with leaked sex tapes. (UA)
+1 TN penalty to diguise rolls. +100k starting wealth. +1 charisma. +2 rank etiquette. +2k/month bonus income. +2 fame. Distinctive features. Considered "always in pictures" and "public figure" for tracing attempts.

Slut: You get around. (UA)
Free lifestyle, each month roll 1d6 for the quality of the lifestyle. It's never "yours". +1 Karma Pool. +1 charisma. +1 etiqutte.

Military: You were once a part of a military. (UA)
+3 ranks to be divided as you wish on any 3 firearm skills. (Can put all 3 in one skill if you wish). +1 die to combat pool. +1 Rank to B/R any firearm you got a bonus rank for. Must have a SIN. -20% to the cost of health care (VA benefit). +1 rank to any one intelligence based active skill.

Shadowrunner: This isn't your first run. You have been a shadowrunner for a while now. (UA)
+5% personal bonus to all mission pay. +2 fame. +1 reputation of your choice (Though it may go away based on future actions). +20k starting wealth. +1 die to either hacking pool, combat pool, or spell pool.

Criminal: You have a rap sheet a mile long. (UA)
Gain either hunted(police), or criminal SIN. +1 rank stealth. +1 rank any one firearm skill. +1 rank electronics. +1 rank B/R electronics. +1 rank computers.

Drifter: You wander from town to town, or are a street rat.
Gain +1 rank stealth, gain either Home Turf or Friendly face edge for free. Gain +3 dice on any attempt to lay low, avoid pursuit, or avoid detection by hiding (but not when breaking and entering). O: May not have more than a squatter lifestyle. A: Lose the +3 dice bonus.

Daredevil: You live for thrill!
Gain daredevil edge. Gain +1 body and +2 ranks athletics. O: Either Maintain a dangerous day job, or use your daredevil edge bonus every session. A: lose the daredevil edge.

Assassin: You are a professional hitman. (UA)
Gain +2 ranks to one weapon skill. Gain +1 rank to stealth. Gain +2 to the concealability of all your carried weapons and armor. Cannot have any pacifict or similar flaws. Gain +1 rank intimidate.

Marine Biologist: You have skill in dealing with marine life and swimming. (UA)
Gain +3 dice on all attempts to build secret underwater facilities. Before taking a mission that does not involve water or ocean-based travel, make a willpower(6) test or you must decline the mission. Even if you succeed, you get a -1 penalty on all social skill rolls during the mission. Gain the water sprite edge 4 times for free.

Doctor: You are a health care professional.
Day Job (-3). +2 rank biotech. Decrease availability of stim patches and similar medicines by 2. Gain +2 dice on all knowledge checks relating to medicine or doctors or health. O: mantain the day job. A: lose availability bonus and day job.

Pilot: You are a pilot, either corporate or with an airline.
Day Job (-3) +3 ranks to divide against any kind of aircrafts. Free flight tickets and can bypass basic airport security (within reason). O: maintain day job. A: lose security clearance and free airline tickets.

Banker: You work at some kind of financial institution.
Day Job (-3). Can convert any currency to any other for free. (Still pay exchange rate). Can launder money for free. +3 dice to laundering skills. Access to bank computers. +1 intelligence. +3 ranks to divvy amongst relevant knowledge skills O: maintain day job. A: lose bank conputer access, free currency conversion, and free laundering.