Character Creation is the first step of a new Shadowrun campaign. Through a series of choices outlined below, it allows the player to create and customize the character that they will play within the world.
Gender
First off, a new player will be asked to select their characters gender. There are no statistical advantages or changes to the gameplay from choosing either male or female, therefore this is merely a cosmetic decision.
Race
Next the player will be asked to choose the race of their character. Since the awakening of 2012, five races have come to be considered Meta-Human and make up the world of Shadowrun. Each race possesses a unique look as well as its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
- Human - The most well rounded of the races, they gain an extra three skill points during creation.
- Elf - Swifter than the other races they also gain a bonus to charisma.
- Dwarf - While moderately strong and durable, the dwarfs greatest strength is their willpower.
- Ork - Strong and tough; second only to the trolls in this regard, the orcs still remain reasonably well rounded in other capabilities.
- Troll - Capable of strength and toughness that exceeds all others, they are tempered by the fact that their with charisma and intelligence is heavily limited.
Archetype
After selecting their race, players will be asked to choose an Archetype. Archetypes in Shadowrun serve as a pre defined set of skills that help the player begin their journey playing a style of character that suits them. Ultimately however the game is designed to allow to player to develop their skills in any way they see fit.
Project lead and Shadowrun creator Jordan Weisman spoke to Game Informer to help explain. “Shadowrun is a classless system, meaning that players are not restricted to a single character development path,” explains creative director Jordan Weisman, also one of the original architects of the Shadowrun universe. “Rather, players start with a representative Shadowrun character archetype and are then free to grow their character as they wish, spending Karma points to choose any skill or ability available in the game.”
Players are given a choice between six premade archetypes and the ability to create their own.
- The Mage - A spellwielder who can weaken enemies and strengthen friends as well as deal damage and heal.
- The Street Samurai - A modern warrior, typically the first into the fight and the last out.
- The Shaman - A magic wielder in tune with the natural world, they focus on buffing their allies and summoning spirits into the world.
- The Rigger - who augment their brains to achieve control over vehicles and drones.
- The Decker - Master computer hackers who utilize cyberdecks to jack into their enemies systems and open up opportunities not available to others.
- The Physical Adept - Masters of hand to hand combat they also wield magic designed to give them an edge.