Runner's Companion.pdf - Free

Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9starting out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Shadowrunner EssentialsWhile each role on a shadowrun team has differentpriorities and functions to fulfill, and characters’will likely adapt their choices in skills and gear accordingly,there are a few essentials every shadowrunnershould possess to make it through his first few jobs.Some skills and items of gear are so important torunners that they are virtually indispensable in theshadows. While characters can get by without these,survival and success are much more likely if you possessone or all of them.SkillsIn a profession where stealth and going unnoticedcan be the difference between a smooth milk run anda lethal gunfight, the Infiltration skill, even with alow rating, is a vital addition to a runner’s repertoire.Just as Infiltration allows you to pass through physicalspaces unnoticed, the Etiquette skill allows you topass through social spaces unnoticed and maneuverin social situations. In the dangerous world shadowrunnersinhabit, knowledge is power. The awarenessof your environment or the ability to spot a crucialclue or a potential foe make the Perception skill amust-have for runners. Finally, it is a truism thatthe best way to not get hurt is to avoid being hit.Armor will only protect you so much, making Dodgeor Gymnastics important survival skills.GearThe one essential item almost no shadowrunnercan afford to be without is a commlink, even ifhe does not use it on the job or very often. A commlinkof any rating allows you to communicate andcoordinate effectively as well as opening the globalinformation resource that is the Matrix up to everyone(and it even makes table-talk among playersan in-game feature). As professional criminals anddeniable assets, fake SINs, IDs, and licenses, whilenot usually enough for to pass you off as an ordinarycitizen indefinitely, can mollify, or at least stall,whatever security forces may become interested inyour presence.The Sixth World is a violent place and even alittle armor can mean the difference between lifeand death. Remember to keep an eye on the rating,though, unless you don’t expect your Agility,Reaction, or Initiative attributes to come into play.Likewise, packing a weapon or two for personal protectionis a necessity in the character’s line of work.Last, but not least, for those inevitable occasionswhen a runner will get hurt, a medkit and traumapatch will not only prove a boon to your teammates,but if you keep it somewhere accessible on your person,your companions can use it to save you, too.The TEAMNo man is an island, and this is doubly true in the shadows,where no one can afford to stand alone. In the dangerous streetsof 2070, even for the most competent runner it’s impossible tocover all the angles, and it’s essential to have someone you can trustwatching your back (regardless of whether he’s motivated by selfinterestor friendship).Whether they have worked together for years or are assembledby a fixer or Johnson for a single job, the essential componentfor a successful operation is a shadowrunning team. And the keyto a successful team is versatility: building on members’ strengths,covering each others’ weaknesses, and complementing one another’sskill sets.The simplest way to achieve this is for members of a teamto possess complementary roles. Typically, each team member isthe “go-to guy” for particular duties, although it is not unusual forindividual skills to overlap and have people that act as a fallbackfor teammates in certain roles. A team composed exclusively ofspecialist gunbunnies or faces might will be stymied by a magicalor purely Matrix-based threat. By the same token, a team ofinvestigators or matrix specialists would be handicapped if theyhave to face a heavily-armed SWAT unit.TEAM RolesShadowrun teams can encounter a bewildering variety ofchallenges, obstacles, and opponents in the course of doing business,and, while it’s impossible to cover all angles, competency ina number of key areas is the best way of overcoming them. Theseareas are called team roles, or simply, roles, and some are more essentialto the average shadowrun team than others (depending onthe type of campaign some may be indispensable). This is not tosay that every shadowrunning team must cover all roles. However,there are roles that are more critical than others.Keep in mind that some roles implicitly require more characterspecialization than others. A runner need not specialize inone and only one role. A character’s role on a team can be morefluid if he diversifies his abilities and skill set, though, the morespecialized the character is in his field of choice, the less variedhis skillset is likely to be. A Street Samurai (p. 101, SR4), forexample, covers both the Close-Quarters Combatant and FireSupport roles. The Occult Investigator (p. 97, SR4) can handlethe Magical Support and Investigator roles. On the other hand,hyperspecialized adepts or technomancers are unlikely to accomplishmore than one role.In fact, the Shadowrun, Fourth Edition system is flexibleenough to allow a number of different approaches one can taketo fulfill a role. This being the case, roles are best viewed as essentialareas of expertise, rather than character exclusive vocationsor specializations: a Close Quarters Combat specialist might be aspecialized adept, a cybered street samurai, a magician using selfpossession,or even a drone rigger.Note that fixers, principal employers (such as Mr. Johnson),and others who hire or fund shadowrunners are usually aware ofthe capabilities of a team before the job is offered, and so a groupwill rarely be asked to do something of which they are incapable.For example, a team with no magical support will generally notbe hired to investigate a coven of toxic shamans. Gamemasters areRunner’s Companion