Runner's Companion.pdf - Free

Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9However, each metavariant does possesses its own unique innateabilities and BP cost. A player wishing to play such a characterbuys the metavariant rather than the base metatype.The following section describes each metavariant succinctlyand lists its innate abilities—for definitions of those abilities notpreviously addressed in Shadowrun, Fourth Edition refer to theappropriate quality in the Metagenetic Qualities section (p. 110).HUMAN METAVARIANTSThe single known human metavariant, the Nartaki, emergedabout a decade ago following the mana level spike due to the passingof Halley’s Comet that activated the dormant metagenes in asmall group of humans, sparking a partial Goblinization event.NartakiMetavariant Cost: 25 BPOtherwise human-looking, Nartaki possess blue, red, orgolden skin colors and two Shiva-style pairs of arms (for a totalof four arms). These extra limbs are symmetrical, fully articulated,and hinged below the usual human shoulder joint.Troubled by the sudden and unexpected transformation thatplaced them in the public eye, and the restrictive Brahmin lifestylefoisted on them by India’s caste system, a rare few Nartaki haveescaped their dharma into the shadows of India’s megacities andeven beyond.Abilities: Shiva Arms, Striking Skin PigmentationDWARF METAVARIANTSWhile all dwarf metavariants share the same short staturesand robust constitutions, they are quite distinct from another interms of their abilities and appearance.GnomesMetavariant Cost: 25 BPGnomes are the smallest of all dwarf metavariants and therarest. They are most common in Central and Eastern Europewith smaller populations in Asia Minor. Social exclusion, due totheir small size and immature features, means gnomes often findthemselves outcasts of mainstream society. Their resistance tomagic and their inconspicuous stature (often mistaken as children)often lead them to work as negotiators, informants, or spies forEuropean powerbrokers or among the shadows.Abilities: Arcane Arrester, Neoteny, Thermographic VisionHarumenMetavariant Cost: 50 BPNative to the Indian subcontinent, harumen are a monkeylikedwarf variant with a prehensile tail and short, downy fur.Although harumen favor rural and wilderness areas over the concretejungles of India’s overcrowded sprawls, a fair number wereborn or driven to the cities by poverty and misguided hope. Theirunique traits make them imminently employable as infiltrators,thieves, and cat burglars in the shadows.Abilities: Low-Light Vision, Metagenetic Improvement (Agility),Monkey Paws, Prehensile Tail, Unusual Hair (Body Hair)Runner’s CompanionKoborokuruMetavariant Cost: 35 BPThis Japanese dwarf metavariant is about the same height asthe basic metatype and shares most of its metatraits, but possessesprofuse body hair and a dexterity uncommon in its sister species.Koborokuru are highly uncommon outside Japan, Korea, andparts of Indonesia. Though discrimination is still rampant, mostkoborokuru consider themselves Japanese first and foremost andface considerable culture shock outside the archipelago.Abilities: Celerity, Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins (2),Thermographic Vision, Unusual HairMenehuneMetavariant Cost: 25 BPThis subspecies is the dominant dwarf variant in the SouthPacific and the Kingdom of Hawai’i. Short in stature but morewiry than the common dwarf, menehune have luxurious body hair,a blunt nose, and strong, ropy muscles. They are also particularlysuited to their ocean-locked habitat and are generally excellentswimmers. Micro-populations can be found in many sprawlsaround the Pacific Rim.Abilities: Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins (2), ThermographicVision, Underwater VisionELF METAVARIANTAlthough elves are the third most common metatype afterhumans and orks, metavariants of the nobilis species are relativelyrare and often unfamiliar to the common man.DryadsMetavariant Cost: 45 BPThe dryad is the most uncommon variant of the elf and isn’tnative to any particular region or environment. Originally thoughtto be somehow related to Faeries given their symbiotic relationshipwith their environment and preternatural charisma, it appearsthat these abilities are metagenetic in nature. Dryads occur in allbaseline elf populations, but only as offspring of two elf parents.Abilities: Glamour, Low-Light Vision, SymbiosisNight OnesMetavariant Cost: 35 BPAn oddity even in the sprawls of its native Europe, this elvenmetavariant is characterized by acute senses, a vibrant dark coloredvellum, sensitivity to light, and nocturnal biocycle. Findingit difficult to keep “office hours,” night ones are often marginalizedbecoming entrepreneurs, freelance talents for hire, or carving outtheir niche among the local nightlife and criminal underworld.Abilities: Allergy (Sunlight, mild), Low-Light Vision, Keen-eared,Nocturnal, Unusual Hair (Colored Fur)WakyambiMetavariant Cost: 35 BPWakyambi are black-skinned elves native to Southern Africa,known for their long slender limbs and great height (comparablewith a troll). Though rarely found outside their close knit tribalculture, they have been seen farther afield, in African sprawls andtribal lands, in recent years. Of course, some wakyambi do travel71alternative character concepts . . . . . . . . . . .