Those are the fundamental rules for surviving in the Shadowrun world. Beyond that, individuals have their own rules—codes, or lack thereof. There are people who steal from the rich and give to the poor, and people who steal from the rich and laugh at the poor. People who are flamboyant, pulling off capers in grand style, and people who are never seen, not for a second, by those they don’t want to see them.

 

The point is, there are all types of people out there, and it is time now to create one and take to the streets of 2075. Take your best shot, fight the odds, hope for the best, and show everyone you have the guts and the skills to do the impossible. You may never be accepted in “civilized” society, but you can take pride in the fact that you’ve earned everything you own—including your freedom.

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This is just a starting point—there are characters in the shadows that don’t conform to any list. The one you create will be uniquely yours. You may start with an idea of what sort of character you want to play and some basic background concepts. The character may be an ex-soldier from a national government looking to use her combat skills on the streets. Or a former corporate headhunter forced out of the Megacorporation by an ambitious rival and now using his negotiating savvy and deal-making skills to survive the shadows.

 

There are second-generation runners, born to the life and learning the skills of the trade from their SINless parents. It’s not unusual for a bounty hunter who collects pelts of paranormal critters or tracks down fugitives to engage in a little shadowrunning to supplement his income. The character may have grown up in a street gang, and he sees shadowrunning as a way to get out of the gutter. Or the character may have just gotten out of jail and be eager to see what she can do with the skills she learned and the connections she made on the inside.

 

You do not need to understand all the nuances of character creation and character statistics to get started. That will come with time. To start, have a concept in mind and dive in. Your character will quickly become unique—and all yours.