Shadowrun Returns: starting characters, builds and every skill line

Shadowrun Returns: starting characters, builds and every skill line PlayStation trilogy edition and original PC campaign. Mechanics researched from game reference pages; recommendations are editorial, not claimed firsthand testing. Your first real decision is who you want to be when the conversation ends and the shooting starts. Shadowrun Returns lets you choose Street Samurai, Mage, Shaman, Decker, Rigger or Physical Adept, or distribute a custom runner's points. These are presets, not classes. Karma can buy any attribute and skill later, provided you meet its prerequisites. Your character's race sets ceilings and an opening bonus, but it does not lock an archetype. Character creation: https://t.co/E7ISVTUHDW, races: https://t.co/Bqzps2cW9E. The rule to understand before spending Karma The tree runs attribute → skill → specialization. For example, Quickness holds Ranged Combat, which holds Rifle. To buy Rifle 5, you first need Ranged Combat 5 and Quickness 5. Raising a rating to 5 costs 5 Karma for that step; buying ranks 1 through 5 from zero costs 15 in that line alone. Temporary item boosts do not normally let you raise the underlying tree beyond its natural prerequisite. That is why a runner with modest Body and one coherent attack line usually feels stronger than one with a point in every system. Skill hierarchy and cost: https://t.co/iFF0ytrU18. Pick a main combat action, then fill the holes that stop you using it: accuracy, survivability, positioning, or equipment. Your party can cover secondary roles, but it cannot make an underdeveloped protagonist's turns useful. The build milestones below are targets, not a fixed character creation allocation; creation points and later Karma availability vary with race and preset. Which race suits the build? - Human starts with 3 extra Karma and a maximum of 9 in each attribute. It is the flexible choice if you want a hybrid or have not settled on one tree. - Elf starts with +1 Charisma and can reach Quickness 11 and Charisma 12. A social Shaman or ranged specialist fits naturally. Its Body and Strength caps remain 9. - Dwarf starts with +1 Willpower, can reach Willpower 11, Body 11 and Strength 12. It supports a durable Mage or close runner; its Quickness cap is 9. - Ork starts with +1 Body and can reach Body 14 and Strength 12. It is forgiving for a melee or gunfighter who expects to take hits. Charisma and Intelligence cap at 8. - Troll starts with +1 Body and +1 Strength and can reach Body 17 and Strength 15. The tradeoff is Quickness 8 and Charisma/Intelligence 6, limiting late extreme gun, social, deck or drone investment. A troll can still shoot or cast; the ceiling becomes relevant when you push those lines hard. These are the Returns racial bonuses and caps (https://t.co/Bqzps2cW9E), not tabletop Shadowrun's separate creation rules. An elf is not required for a Shaman, nor a troll for an Adept. Pick the race you want to look at for the campaign, then build within its limits. Six starting archetypes and what to do next Street Samurai: the direct first run Invest in Quickness → Ranged Combat → one weapon specialty. Rifle is an easy first main weapon because its range keeps you in cover. Body raises HP by ten per point; add it before a difficult fight exposes your thin health bar. Dodge is useful after your accuracy line is doing its job. Ranged Combat 3 opens a weapon slot and 4 opens Overwatch. For rifles, rank 1 gives Aimed Shot, 2 allows Burst Fire on suitable weapons, 3 allows Full Auto, and 7 gives Headshot. A sniper or assault rifle still has to support the firing mode. Quickness unlocks: https://t.co/pyegMamfI5. A concrete progression is Quickness/Ranged/Rifle toward 3, Body to a comfortable survival level, then Ranged 4 and Rifle 5 for stronger aimed attacks. Do not buy Pistol 4, SMG 3 and Shotgun 5 at the same time unless you deliberately want a multi weapon build; every specialty has its own Karma bill. For a shotgun version, raise Shotgun to 1 for Kneecap and 5 for Wide Load. An SMG version needs SMG 1 for Spray & Pray but gives up the rifle's range. Quickness unlocks: https://t.co/pyegMamfI5. Mage: spells as the main weapon Invest in Willpower → Spellcasting and keep Body high enough to survive a stray burst. Spellcasting 2, 4 and 6 add spellbook slots; 3 reveals ley lines and 7 can reveal them through fog of war. Those are practical milestones: a spellcaster who cannot carry the heal, damage and support spells they want will feel cramped. Ley line positioning can be worth a move, but only if you do not leave yourself open. Willpower unlocks: https://t.co/h7VCmkum5N. Spend money on spells and healing before casually installing cyberware. Lower Essence cuts available magic capacity, and a cheap implant's Essence cost can be a worse trade than its nuyen price suggests. If you want a Mage with a gun, buy a modest backup firearm rather than trying to max both Spellcasting and a firearm tree immediately. Willpower also reduces your chance of being hit by magical attacks. Willpower: https://t.co/h7VCmkum5N, skills: https://t.co/iFF0ytrU18. Shaman: spirits and team support Invest in Charisma → Spirit Summoning, then Spirit Control so summoned help stays helpful. Summoning 1 reveals environmental spirit points, 3 unlocks a totem, and 5 permits two summons from one point. Conjuring is the Shaman spell accuracy line; at 2, 4, 6 and 8 it unlocks Air, Lightning, Fire and Hellstorm Barriers respectively. Conjuring 8 is a large late investment, not a starter requirement. Charisma unlocks: https://t.co/6vWugKMfCc. Charisma also awards an Etiquette at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, within your racial cap. Etiquettes are contextual conversation options, so choose one whose setting you expect to meet rather than taking a label for its flavor alone. A Shaman can also buy a cheap backup firearm or let the crew provide direct damage. Summoned spirits can break control, which is why raising only Spirit Summoning is risky. Charisma unlocks: https://t.co/6vWugKMfCc. The five Returns totems unlock at Spirit Summoning 3. Bear heals allies' most recent wounds in a short area; Cat adds Dodge; Coyote adds Quickness; Eagle boosts hit chance; Raccoon adds movement. Bear is a forgiving support pick, Eagle helps a gun heavy crew, and Raccoon helps a close runner reach targets. These are team effects, so check positioning before activating one. Totem effects: https://t.co/gWd1w1n15Y. Decker: own the Matrix route Invest in Intelligence → Decking, and budget for a cyberdeck and datajack. Decking 1 supports the Sony CTY-360; 3 the Renraku Kraftwork-1; 5 the Fuchi VirtuaX; 7 the Fairlight Excalibur. Even ranks 2, 4 and 6 give Mark Target I–III in physical combat, making the Decker useful when there is no jackpoint. ESP Control strengthens your Matrix expert programs. Intelligence unlocks: https://t.co/iZlTuZOYYO. A sensible early target is enough Intelligence/Decking for the deck you can actually afford, then Body and a cheap gun line so you can contribute during normal fights. Do not buy Decking 7 before you can afford the Excalibur and still keep your runner alive. A datajack consumes an implant slot and Essence; plan it into the build. Decking is particularly attractive if you want to personally take Matrix and technical options rather than hiring that role. Rigger: fight through drones Invest in Intelligence → Drone Control → Drone Combat and buy drones that match the control rank. Drone Control 1/3/5/7 opens class C/B/A/S drones; 4 permits two equipped drones. Drone Combat 1 adds armor, 2 accuracy, 3 Dodge, 4 damage and 6 an AP upgrade according to the reference table. Those bonuses matter more than buying a more expensive drone while leaving Drone Combat at one. Intelligence unlocks: https://t.co/iZlTuZOYYO. The tradeoff is cash and action economy. A drone is another body and another attack angle, but controlling drones can consume the runner's own options. Buy one capable drone first and keep your protagonist's Body from lagging behind. If you want the class S drone trophy, Drone Control 7 is the explicit late target; it is not a reason to rush that rank before you own a class A drone. A Rigger also needs a datajack. Physical Adept: make melee worth the approach Invest in Strength → Close Combat → Unarmed or Melee Weapons, then Willpower → Chi Casting for the powers you intend to use. Strength helps melee hit, melee damage and grenade throw distance. Close Combat 4 unlocks Overwatch and 6 a defense bonus against non magical close attacks. Strength unlocks: https://t.co/eLPDcPGpNv. For an Unarmed route, Unarmed 4 grants Roundhouse Kick, the multi target attack used for Killing Hands. For a weapon route, Melee Weapons 3 grants Pommel Strike for AP damage and 5 grants Cleave, useful for Wetwork. Chi Casting 1 opens Killing Hands, 2 Magic Resistance I, 4 Stride, 5 Counterstrike, and higher ranks bring more resistance and armor. Chi powers supplement your strikes; they do not replace the Strength/Close Combat accuracy line. Strength: https://t.co/eLPDcPGpNv, Willpower: https://t.co/h7VCmkum5N. The issue is reaching targets without spending the whole turn exposed. Use cover, movement powers and teammates to draw fire. Buy Body before trying to be a glass cannon with fists. A melee weapon route is simpler for crowd damage; Unarmed fits if you want its control and Roundhouse Kick. Every attribute and skill: quick reference - Body: ten HP per point and better resistance to physical damage. It has no child skill in Returns. Raising Body is a direct survival purchase. Body: https://t.co/I4aAUhY4vK. - Quickness: ranged hit chance and avoidance of physical attacks. Ranged Combat is the gun accuracy parent; Dodge reduces incoming hit chance. Pistol gives Aimed Shot 1, free reload 4, Double-Tap 6 and Chainshot 7. SMG gives Spray & Pray 1. Shotgun gives Kneecap 1 and Wide Load 5. Rifle gives Burst Fire 2, Full Auto 3 and Headshot 7, subject to the equipped weapon. Quickness: https://t.co/pyegMamfI5. - Strength: melee and throwing accuracy, plus grenade distance. Close Combat is the parent for Melee Weapons and Unarmed. Melee Weapons opens Thrust 1, Pommel Strike 3 and Cleave 5. Unarmed opens Wound 1 and Roundhouse Kick 4. Throwing Weapons 5 reduces grenade use to one AP. Strength: https://t.co/eLPDcPGpNv. - Intelligence: Matrix and drone accuracy and Matrix defense. Biotech 2 reveals enemy HP and higher Biotech improves medkits. Decking gates decks and Mark Target; ESP Control strengthens Matrix programs. Drone Control gates drone classes and the second drone; Drone Combat gives their combat bonuses. Intelligence: https://t.co/iZlTuZOYYO. - Willpower: magical attack and defense. Spellcasting gates spellbook capacity and ley line sight. Chi Casting gates Adept abilities such as Killing Hands, Stride, Counterstrike and Mystic Armor. A physical Adept still needs the Strength melee line. Willpower: https://t.co/h7VCmkum5N. - Charisma: spirit control, Conjuring accuracy and Etiquettes. Spirit Summoning sets available spirits and unlocks a totem at 3; Spirit Control helps keep the summon loyal. Conjuring gates Shaman barrier spells. Charisma: https://t.co/6vWugKMfCc. The practical choice If you want an uncomplicated first Seattle run, choose a rifle Street Samurai with Body and later Dodge. If you want the protagonist to handle the Matrix, choose Decker and give them a viable physical combat fallback. If you want magic to define every encounter, choose Mage for direct spells or Shaman for spirits and party support. Choose Rigger when you are happy to spend nuyen on drones, and Physical Adept when you enjoy solving the positioning problem that melee creates. None is a permanent class; the real limitation is how much Karma and money the campaign gives you. The original PC release and PlayStation version share the underlying skill system. Trophy availability does not: the 41 trophy list belongs to PlayStation; the original Steam release has no Steam achievements. This guide covers character mechanics, while the separate achievement guide handles the console trophy route.