I’ve put together ten epic Shadowrun character backstory ideas you can feel free to use in your Shadowrun or cyberpunk tabletop RPG campaign. You can make changes as necessary. They don’t include stats or skills, but they’ll give you a good jumping-off point for creating your Shadowrun character backstory.
10 Shadowrun Character Backstory Ideas
Here’s my list of ten epic Shadowrun character backstories you can use in your game.
Olin
Male Human Mage
Backstory:
Olin’s the only child of a middle class family. He’s an adventurer at heart, but he just can’t bring himself to leave on his own. He’s always felt that he needs to defend the town that raised him. He’s got a thirst for adventure, but he’s wary of leaving his hometown.
Personality:
Olin’s got a big heart. He’s too nice to some people. He’s not selfish, and he tends to go out of his way to look out for others before himself. He’s very friendly, but he’s also very serious whenever he’s in a fight.
Appearance:
Olin’s got straight black hair which is cut short on the sides. He’s got the look of a fighter even though he sticks to mage spells. He wears simple clothing, but it still has an elegant look to it. He’s got dark skin, hazel eyes, and a strong build.
Start of Character:
Olin’s determined to get out of his hometown and see the world. His only issues are his family’s expectations and his fear that he’s not prepared for the wide, wide universe.
Deverus
Male Dwarf Street Samurai
Backstory:
Deverus was born into the Grayscale clan, a powerful family in the dwarven underground. He took to fighting at an early age, earning prestige. One day, he challenged his liege lord for leadership of the clan. The challenge was accepted. He won, and Deverus became the de facto leader of the Grayscale clan, before he was even of age.
Personality:
Deverus is often thought to be arrogant. He can be. He expects his commands to be followed. He expects people to respect him, and he knows that sometimes he himself needs to be reminded of that.
Appearance:
Deverus is a powerfully built dwarf, about four foot tall. He’s built like a mountain. He looks like a tank. In battle, he wears a shimmering crystal breastplate. He carries a long spear and a crossbow.
Start of Character:
Deverus is on a quest to bring justice to murderers. A friend of his family was brutally murdered recently, and he cannot let that pass. He refuses to let it go.
Nera
Female Elf Decker
Backstory:
Nera is a significant character in an Elven religious text. The elf is a devout follower of the cause she’s been sent to Earth to purify.
Nera is cold, calculating, and merciless. She can be a bit overconfident at times, but there’s no denying the elf’s abilities.
Appearance:
Nera is a striking elf with long, light brown hair and bright green eyes. She carries a sword
Start of Character:
Nera is in Seattle in search of a group of adventurers. While she’s a follower of a powerful god, Nera is a little uncertain in the world. Female
Numenon
Male Elf Decker
Shadowrun Character Backstory:
Numenon is an elf on the run. He escaped his corporate masters after stealing some code that they would not share with him. He’s been on the run ever since. He’s come to Seattle to look for work with the big corporations of the area. Despite his short term of service, he’s already made new friends. One of them is an attractive female elf who he has feelings for.
Personality:
Numenon is a quiet guy. He’s not an extrovert or an introvert. He’s definitely not emo, but he tends to keep himself to himself.
Appearance:
Numenon has brown hair and brown eyes. He wears old clothes. His backpack is covered with clothing items.
Start of Character:
Numenon wants to get to know the people in Seattle. He doesn’t want to join a group, but he’d like to build up a personal network of contacts who he can call on when he needs help.
Zeta
Male Ork Shaman
Backstory:
Zeta is a shaman on a mission. He is a good ork who wants to rid the world of evil spirits and creatures. To this end, he has spent his life learning how to manipulate the spirit world. He has developed a reputation as a skilled and powerful spirit caller.
Personality:
Zeta is quiet and observant. He speaks only when he feels his words are of value. He is fiercely loyal to his friends, and reluctant to trust strangers.
Appearance:
Zeta has long brown hair and blue eyes. He is a fit and lean man of average height and weight. He dresses plainly and carries a staff. He carries a satchel of tools and herbs with him on his long journeys.
Start of Character:
Exploring the Seattle metroplex, Zeta is looking for spirits and demons to fight and destroy. He wants to ensure that as many people as possible can live their lives without the constant fear of death by the clawed hands of spirits and creatures from the spirit realm.
Vengeful Serpent
Female Gnome Rigger
Backstory:
Vengeful Serpent is a gnome with a dark past. Her mother was a rigger and her father was a magician who used so much magic on his daughter that she died. A great proponent of the soulbond, she is a user of magic and psionics both. She’s worked with some of the best riggers and adepts in the world and has become a respected member of the community.
Personality:
Vengeful Serpent is unequivocally devoted to her soulbond and believes that it is the most important thing in the world. She will do whatever it takes to keep her soulbond alive and well.
Appearance:
Now in her early sixties, Vengeful Serpent has gray hair which is long and tied up in a ponytail. She wears a dark red jacket and dark blue jeans. Her ear is cut off and replaced with a cybernetic one. She’s quite short and has a very pale complexion.
Start of Character:
Now that her soulbond has died, Vengeful Serpent is on a revenge spree. She takes out the head of her soulbond’s killer and uses him to get data and information about others like him. She’s not sure how many she’s going to kill, but she’s going to take down as many as she can.
Rasten
Male Troll Physical Adept
Backstory:
Rasten was born to two very poor families in Seattle. Inspired by the rich and powerful, he’s dedicated himself to becoming famous. He began his training in martial arts at an early age. At the age of 19, he enlisted in the Army to gain some actual combat experience.
Among military personnel, his martial arts skills lead to training as a soldier. He’s also used his powers to heal the wounded during combat, making him a valuable resource. After returning to Seattle, he continues to use his physical prowess to his advantage.
Personality:
Rasten is dedicated to helping others. Though slightly cocky, he’s become a humble person who’s all about the job.
Appearance:
Rasten is a big guy. He’s over six feet tall with dark skin. His dark hair is slicked back. He wears a studded leather vest and long pants. He’s an imposing figure.
Start of Character:
As one of the most physically imposing personas in Seattle, Rasten is looking for a group that can take on the toughest of jobs. He wants to work his way up the criminal ladder.
Iola
Female Troll Street Samurai
Shadowrun Character Backstory:
Iola is a former member of Seattle’s troll gang, the Feral Trolls. Her parents were killed, along with most of her family, in a drive-by shooting. She turned to gangs for help, but soon found herself in over her head.
After her best friend was killed, she was the sole survivor of the massacre. She uses two two-handed swords in battle, preferring to work in groups.
Personality:
Iola is known for being strong-willed, yet soft-spoken. She can be stubborn at times, but she has a strong sense of justice.
Appearance:
Iola stands at slightly over six feet tall. She has light green skin, green eyes, and green hair. She is thin and muscular. She wears her green hair in a ponytail. She is attractive.
Start of Character:
Iola is looking for a group of adventurers to help her with her quest to track down the gang leaders who killed her family.
Maki
Male Human Decker
Shadowrun Character Backstory:
Maki was born in Seattle. As a child, he began to have powers. His parents were wary of him, knowing that the “police” would come for him one day. Luckily for him, that didn’t happen. Instead, he was whisked away by one of his parents’ friends to escape judgment. He was raised by an old mage who took over the role of surrogate parent. She taught him to harness his abilities for good.
Personality:
Maki is an oddity. He’s often introspective, spending hours alone in the desert to contemplate the world. He’s also quiet, though he does possess an uncanny intellect. He’s very studious in his way.
Appearance:
Maki has pale skin and dark hair. While he looks young, he looks older than he should. He wears loose-fitting robes that are dark in color. His eyes are dark, his face is long.
Start of Character:
Maki is simply looking for someone to get involved with. Maybe he’s not so different than me. Maybe I can count on him to be there when things get bad.
Roshara
Female Human Mage
Shadowrun Character Backstory:
Roshara is a passionate woman who has spent most of her life being trained by her mother in the magical arts. Roshara helped her mother in minor ways while she was growing up, however, she developed a rebellious streak over the years. For the last few years, she’s been involved in the shadow world, but she’s tired of the way it treats women. She wants to make a new life for herself among the stars.
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Personality:
Roshara is a passionate woman who has spent most of her life being trained by her mother in the magical arts. Roshara helped her mother in minor ways while she was growing up, however, she developed a rebellious streak over the years. For the last few years, she’s been involved in the shadow world, but she’s tired of the way it treats women. She wants to make a new life for herself among the stars.
Appearance:
Roshara has short, curly hair and dark eyes. She’s lean and fit, and stands almost six feet tall. She wears the robes of a mage, and carries a spellbook and staff with her.
Start of Character:
Roshara is looking for a way to avoid the authorities. The last few years as a shadowrunner have been rough on her as a woman and as a mage.
Shadowrun Character Backstory Generator
I’ve created a Shadowrun Character Backstory generator that you can access at LitRPG Adventures if you become a member. You’ll also get access to our growing library of already generated RPG content. Check it out today!
You’ll be coming up with new and unique Shadowrun character backstory examples in no time. You can also check out our growing library of pre-generated Shadowrun characters. With a little help, coming up with a Shadowrun character backstory is not difficult at all.
