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PC Cops

by Gurth, with help from Sascha Pabst and Erik Jameson

Playing a police officer in Shadowrun can be an interesting alternative to the standard shadowrunner campaign. This article provides guidelines for creating and playing police characters in the Shadowrun universe.

Campaign Considerations

Before starting a police-based campaign, the GM should consider several factors:

Tone: Police campaigns tend to be more structured than shadowrunner campaigns. Officers have superiors, procedures to follow, and legal constraints. This can create interesting roleplaying opportunities but may feel restrictive to some players.

Morality: Police characters generally operate on the legal side of the law (though corruption is always a possibility). This creates different moral dilemmas than shadowrunning.

Resources: Police officers have access to department resources but are accountable for their use. They can’t just shoot up the streets without consequences.

Opposition: The enemies in a police campaign are often the same types of characters players are used to playing—shadowrunners, criminals, and corporate operatives.

Character Creation

Police characters can be created using the standard Shadowrun character creation rules with the following modifications:

Required Skills:

  • At least one Firearms skill at rating 3+
  • Law (Police Procedures) at rating 2+
  • One of: Interrogation 2+, Negotiation 2+, or Etiquette (Street) 2+

Restricted Resources:

  • Police characters begin with department-issued equipment
  • Personal weapons and equipment must be purchased normally
  • Police characters receive a monthly salary instead of shadowrun payments

Legal Status:

  • All police characters must have valid SINs
  • Criminal records will result in dismissal from the force
  • Police characters are subject to internal affairs investigations

Wages and Benefits

Police officers receive regular salaries based on their rank and years of service. The following table shows typical monthly wages for Seattle Lone Star officers:

Rank Starting Salary Maximum Salary
Police Officer I 2,500¥ 3,500¥
Police Officer II 3,000¥ 4,200¥
Police Officer III 3,500¥ 5,000¥
Corporal 4,000¥ 5,500¥
Sergeant 4,500¥ 6,500¥
Lieutenant 6,000¥ 8,500¥
Captain 8,000¥ 12,000¥

Benefits:

  • Full medical coverage
  • Department-issued equipment
  • Access to department facilities and resources
  • Retirement plan
  • Life insurance

Advancement: Promotion is based on time in service, performance reviews, and successful completion of required training. Typical time requirements:

  • Officer I to Officer II: 2 years
  • Officer II to Officer III: 3 years
  • Officer III to Corporal: 4 years
  • Corporal to Sergeant: 5 years

Department Resources

Police characters have access to various department resources:

Standard Issue Equipment:

  • Lone Star Badge and ID
  • Service weapon (usually Ares Predator or similar)
  • 2-3 spare magazines
  • Armor vest (Armor 4-6 depending on assignment)
  • Radio communicator
  • Handcuffs (2 pairs)
  • Flashlight
  • Trauma patch

Vehicle Access:

  • Patrol officers: Shared patrol cruiser
  • Detectives: Unmarked vehicle (often personal vehicle with mileage reimbursement)
  • Specialists: Specialized vehicles as needed

Facility Access:

  • Station house
  • Firing range
  • Evidence storage
  • Computer databases
  • Holding cells

Police Careers

The following are common career paths for police officers in Shadowrun:

Patrol Officer

The most common police position. Patrol officers respond to calls, conduct traffic stops, and maintain a visible presence in their assigned area.

Required Skills: Firearms 3, Law (Police Procedures) 2, Etiquette (Street) 2 Typical Equipment: Standard issue plus patrol cruiser Typical Assignments: Traffic patrol, foot patrol, first response

Detective

Detectives investigate crimes, interview witnesses, and build cases for prosecution.

Required Skills: Firearms 3, Law (Police Procedures) 3, Interrogation 3, Investigation 3 Typical Equipment: Standard issue plus forensics kit Typical Assignments: Homicide, robbery, fraud, vice

SWAT Officer

Special Weapons and Tactics officers handle high-risk situations including hostage rescue, riot control, and arrests of dangerous suspects.

Required Skills: Firearms 4, Athletics 3, Tactics 3 Typical Equipment: Heavy armor, assault rifles, specialized gear Typical Assignments: High-risk warrants, hostage situations, riot control

Airborne Patrol

Officers assigned to helicopter or VTOL patrol duties.

Required Skills: Firearms 3, Gunnery 3, Aircraft B/R 2, appropriate Pilot skill 4 Typical Equipment: Flight suit, aircraft-mounted weapons Typical Assignments: Aerial surveillance, pursuit, rapid response

DED Trooper (Dimensional Enforcement Division)

Specialized officers who handle magical threats and dimensional anomalies.

Required Skills: Magical Theory 3, Magical Background 2, Firearms 3 Requirements: Must be Awakened or have Astral Perception Typical Equipment: Anti-magical gear, specialized sensors Typical Assignments: Magical crimes, spirit disturbances, dimensional breaches

Bomb Squad

Specialists in explosive ordnance disposal.

Required Skills: Demolitions 4, Electronics 3, Biotech 2 Typical Equipment: Bomb suit, remote manipulation equipment, containment vessels Typical Assignments: Bomb threats, explosives disposal, threat assessment

Cybercrime Specialist

Officers who investigate Matrix crimes and computer-related offenses.

Required Skills: Computer 4, Electronics 3, Data Brokerage 3 Typical Equipment: Cyberdeck, analysis software, electronic surveillance gear Typical Assignments: Hacking investigations, financial crimes, identity theft

Undercover Officer

Officers who work undercover to infiltrate criminal organizations.

Required Skills: Etiquette (Street) 4, Con 4, Firearms 3 Typical Equipment: Varies by assignment, usually minimal Typical Assignments: Drug operations, gang infiltration, organized crime

K-9 Officer

Officers who work with police dogs.

Required Skills: Animal Handling 4, Firearms 3, Tracking 3 Typical Equipment: Standard issue plus trained dog Typical Assignments: Drug detection, tracking, crowd control

Traffic Enforcement

Officers who focus on traffic laws and vehicle-related violations.

Required Skills: Appropriate Vehicle skills 4, Firearms 3, Law (Traffic Code) 3 Typical Equipment: Motorcycle or patrol car, radar gun, breath analyzer Typical Assignments: Traffic stops, accident investigation, DUI enforcement

Internal Affairs

Officers who investigate complaints and misconduct by other officers.

Required Skills: Interrogation 4, Investigation 4, Law (Police Procedures) 4 Typical Equipment: Standard issue plus recording equipment Typical Assignments: Misconduct investigations, corruption cases, shooting reviews

Gang Task Force

Specialized unit focused on gang-related crime.

Required Skills: Etiquette (Street) 4, Firearms 3, Intimidation 3 Typical Equipment: Standard issue plus gang intelligence database access Typical Assignments: Gang investigations, witness protection, gang violence prevention

Forensics Specialist

Scientific investigators who analyze crime scene evidence.

Required Skills: Biotech 4, Chemistry 3, Investigation 4 Typical Equipment: Forensics kit, lab equipment, specialized sensors Typical Assignments: Crime scene processing, evidence analysis, expert testimony

Hostage Negotiator

Officers trained in crisis negotiation and conflict resolution.

Required Skills: Negotiation 5, Psychology 4, Leadership 3 Typical Equipment: Communication gear, crisis management protocols Typical Assignments: Hostage situations, suicide interventions, crisis management

Marine Patrol

Officers who patrol waterways and handle water-based crimes.

Required Skills: Watercraft 4, Firearms 3, Diving 3 Typical Equipment: Patrol boat, diving gear Typical Assignments: Smuggling prevention, rescue operations, waterway security

Roleplaying Police Characters

Police characters face unique challenges:

Chain of Command: Officers must follow orders from superiors and cannot simply do whatever they want.

Legal Constraints: Police must follow proper procedures or risk having cases thrown out and facing disciplinary action.

Public Relations: Police are public servants and must consider how their actions reflect on the department.

Corruption: The temptation to take bribes, overlook crimes for payment, or abuse power is ever-present.

Stress: Police work is stressful, dealing with violence, death, and humanity’s worst regularly.

Campaign Ideas

Beat Cops: A traditional police campaign following patrol officers as they handle calls and investigate crimes in their district.

Special Unit: Players are part of an elite unit (SWAT, DED, etc.) handling specialized cases.

Corruption Investigation: Players are internal affairs officers investigating department corruption.

Task Force: A mixed unit of specialists assembled to tackle a major threat (organized crime, serial killer, terrorist cell, etc.).

Border Town: Police in a border area dealing with smuggling, illegal immigration, and jurisdictional issues.