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GM Toolkit: Contacts and NPCs

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Crunch

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« on: <08-13-13/1221:58> »
So it's friday night you've sat down to run a game and the players walk straight past your plot hooks, dodge the plot hammer and say no thanks to the damsel in distress. You can either call the game, or make the best of the situation and make stuff up to fill three hours of game time on the fly. It's for situations like this that I like to keep a stash of interesting characters and oddballs ready to people a sandbox section where a PC might do anything or go anywhere.

But even the most experienced and creative GM can hit a block or use a boost sometimes so I decided I'd make a place where the creative, energetic and occasionally bug nuts crazy GMs of the Shadowrun Forums could post NPCs for use by other GMs looking for story seeds, time fillers or fodder for the adventure mill.

So ground rules.

1) All ideas posted here are free for use in your home game, but that doesn't mean you should put them in your novel or screen play. If in doubt on a use check with the poster who introduced the NPC in the first place. Posting a character here should not be viewed as a surrendering of the rights to that character for anything but home game use. Likewise don't post anyone elses stuff as your own work.

2) Entries can be a biographical brief, a sketch (verbal or otherwise), a completely fleshed NPC or anything in between. Entries don't have to be statted, although if they are statted any house rules used should be mentioned as should the edition used. 

3) Write the NPCs any way you want. "Generic" figures that could be in any city could be more useful, but there's a place for cite specific NPCs as well. Have fun and be creative. The more hooks the better.

4) Feel free to present groups or types of NPCs.

5) Feel free to discuss the characters listed, offer feedback and suggest additional hooks or usage. Be polite and respectful. Lets keep this thread friendly.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Crunch

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« Reply #1 on: <08-13-13/1222:08> »
Sample Entry

[Human Forger/Hotel Owner/Hong kong Expatriot]
Sergei Simon "S.S." Tso
Bio: Sergei is Hong Kong born and still officially holds a Hong Kong SIN, although he is listed as a person of interest in an investigation into the terror group 9x9. His father was a Vory connected Russian in the import/Export business, his mother a half British half Chinese Hong Kong Law Enforcement Officer. Sergei speaks at least five languages fluently and justly considers himself a citizen of the world. Once an active player on the Hong Kong scene, Sergei has gone into partial retirement and now runs a small hotel as a cover for his income forging documents and arranging the data trails that are part and parcel to IDs. While he works with organized crime frequently he has never been a member of any syndicate.
Description: Sergei is in his 60s waspish and rail thin. He is perfectly groomed with a full head of white hair and largely European features except around the eyes where his mother's Chinese heritage shows and his skin which can pass for Chinese. He favors light colors, mostly whites, blues and grays and summerweight suits if weather permits. His bearing is good and his ettiquete beyond reproach.
Stats and Abilities: Sergei can be used with a connection rating anywhere between 5 and 7 depending on how active he is in the game in question. He does not drive. He's a world class forger, a veteran shot with a pistol and noted for his abilities in negotiation.
Hooks: The 9x9 or the Hong kong government could be interesting in extracting or eliminating Sergei.
A syndicate could be interested in rubbing out Sergei, or a client could want him killed to break the data trail on a job.
The hotel Sergei runs is a convenience for runners. In a low security part of town it neither asks for, nor records SIN information and accepts cash payment. Despite it's shabbiness the hotel has better than average communications infrastructure and physical security.
Sergei often deals with clients with more muscle than he can easily muster. He could easily need to hire the runners to protect his interests.

Magnaric

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« Reply #2 on: <08-13-13/1629:22> »
I'm currently in a 4E game, can I post a contact I made for that or is this more geared towards 5E specifically?
"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything."
-Wyatt Earp

Crunch

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« Reply #3 on: <08-13-13/1631:19> »
Whatever you want. :) If you include stats make sure to mention it's in 4E.

Swizzler

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« Reply #4 on: <08-13-13/2252:17> »
I am completely new to shadowrun so any contacts/npcs like this would be extremely useful. In addition, even generic NPC templates for HARM teams and other corporate/thug npcs that fight would be helpful!

Perhaps some of that stuff already exists?

Magnaric

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« Reply #5 on: <08-14-13/0934:23> »
Posting this in it's entirety. Obviously the background can be changed, I just included it to add some perspective into why I designed her this way. Points of note are that Obsidian is a now-defunct paramilitary black ops group, and the "subject" was my character, whereas the Manhattan Incident was an op gone horribly, horribly wrong. Also is the fact that this contact has more attributes at 5 than are usually permitted, but that was a flavour backstory thing with my GM to represent her time focused on her mental abilities after she became a paraplegic.

4E Contact, Roughly 300ish BP.

Natalya Irenka Maksimov - “QuantumRazor”

Connection: 5

Loyalty: 4

Metatype: Elf

Uses: Information, additional contacts, hacking, Matrix rumors, data removal

Places to Meet: Matrix

Whereabouts: Seattle(rumoured)

Similar Contacts: Hacker, information broker

 Natalya, better known in online circles by her handle QuantumRazor, is a consummate hacker, information broker, and virtual wizard of the wireless Matrix of 2073. Recruited by Obsidian as an electronic espionage specialist, her elite level of training is only augmented further by her powerful natural abilities as a Technomancer. Born in Russia, her childhood is a mystery. She spent much of her adult life in Obsidian, until the Manhattan Incident where she and the subject escaped and subsequently dropped off the grid.

 The loss of her leg-use due to injuries sustained in the incident has only cemented her focus on her mental abilities further, turning her into something of a well-known Matrix hacker. She has exhibited an insatiable curiosity for knowledge, particularly that which belongs to someone else. However, her array of impressive skills and experience has kept her multiple steps ahead of the authorities. True to her moniker, she is often in and out of a system in the blink of an eye, leaving with her targeted data before anyone knows she was ever there.

Qualities

Technomancer        Resonance, abilities

Analytical Mind    +2 dice to any logic tests for patterns, evidence and clue analysis, data search and software tests

Paragon        Conbtact made with “Black Hat” matrix entity

Bilingual        Start with second native language(Russian and English)

Reality Impaired    -1 social tests when in physical world

Paraplegic        Paralyzed from waist down, no leg movement

Bioluminescence    Hair glows in low-light/darkness, negates visibility modifiers, can see in low-light as well as daylight

Mood Hair        Hair changes colour with mood, +2 to judge intentions if aware

Extravagant Eyes
    Eyes change as with Mood Hair

Sinner(5)        Russian citizen, legal SIN, though goes to great lengths to bury/scrub existing data

Paragon: Black Hat    Matrix entity of hacking, exploiting systems, +2 dice to Exploit tests, +1 for Fault Sprites, difficult to resist hacking interesting nodes/info, Wil+Cha(3) test to resist, given opportunity

Stream: E-Scapists    Fading = Wil+Resm, has access to Courier, Crack, Data, Fault, and Tank Sprites

Attributes

Body        1        Resonance    5        Lifestyle: Mid(custom, hacked)

Agility        2        Essence    6

Reaction    2        Edge        1

Strength    1

Charisma    5

Intuition    5

Logic        5

Willpower    5

Skills        Rating    Ability    DP                Rating    Ability    DP

Pistols              1    2    3    Street Rumours    1    5    6

Cybercombat                Matrix Rumours    2    5    7

 Electronic Warfare            Matrix Sites        5    5    10

 Hacking                Matrix Security    5    5    10

Electronics    3    5    8    Resonance Theory    2    5    7

 Computer                Mensa            3    5    8

 Data Search                Neo-Synth Techno    1    5    6

 Hardware                Cutting-Edge Science    1    5    6

 Software                Data Havens        4    5    9

Influence    2    5    7    Local Shadowrunners    2    5    7

 Con                    Seattle Mr Johnsons    2    5    7

 Leadership                Military(General)    2    5    7

 Etiquette

 Negotioation

Tasking    2    5    7

 Compiling

 Decompiling

 Registering

Complex Forms

Analyze    Computer        Medic        Computer

Browse    Data Search        Sniffer        Electronic Warfare/Hacking

Edit        Computer        Spoof        Hacking

Attack        Cybercombat/Hacking    Stealth        Hacking

Exploit        Hacking        Track        Computer
« Last Edit: <08-14-13/1122:35> by Magnaric »
"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything."
-Wyatt Earp

Crunch

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« Reply #6 on: <08-14-13/0936:17> »
Cool!

Crunch

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« Reply #7 on: <08-17-13/1610:22> »
A brief NPC seed for today.

Choi, Jonny – Movie Star
Ork Male. 43. Korean National SIN. CON 6.
   Jonny Choi was one of the biggest star of '50s Orksploitation. Known for his boyish charm and good looks Choi dominated box offices around the Pacific Rim. He hasn't aged well, and is a senior citizen by Ork standards.