Shadowrun core books and supplements always leave some mysteries open to GM interpretation, there’s certainly room for something like that if you want it.

There’s probably several different ways you could explain such a story device too; here’s one method and what you’d need:

• Characters with skillwires (which most chipped laborers have since they’re required for activesofts); they override neuromuscular signals and could potentially be turned against the owner for puppetry.
• Activating the skillwires, whether it’s done by hacking a character’s PAN, or “direct” access via a malicious skillsoft the character slots.

You can decide whether the possession is the work of a powerful hacker/technomancer, either hacking in and issuing commands, or granted access to do so through a connection to their virus-like skillsoft that slipped past most of the character’s defenses when they slotted it.

Or if you want to go for the fantasy angle make it an AI or free sprite, perhaps one that has a certain connection to the chip… or just to the skillsoft program if you want it to be more mobile.

Unwired also has rules for networking skillsofts, basically one character borrows chipped skills from another via a wireless connection. Perhaps networking skillsofts or just hacking and transferring the program (with attached malicious entity) could be the way to body-jump, if you want it to be faster and more fluid than getting the host to cram a chip into another’s chipjack.

(I’ve only played Shadowrun once, so I’m a little iffy on how far the fantasy elements really go.)

1. I am certainly a fan of low-level characters, and this sounds like an interesting twist. A group of characters might even be given different but complementary skillwares – you can’t confer use of magic, but combat skills, hacking, driving or piloting drones, and so on should be doable.

I especially like the set up for the characters; one peak is the point for each where he or she learns what new skill they’ve been given in place of their boring corp chip. Perhaps in a surprising way, they’re in a dangerous and stressful situation and intuitively exercise their newfound talent.

Then of course the question of why they’ve been given these things…

2. This takes some game concepts a bit far but, assuming you can explain or gloss over some of the details, could probably be pretty cool.

They do mention in Unwired that, probably because it’s related to short term memory, the skill fades from mind about 30 seconds after removing the chip.

If you allow some form of control for a brief period while the chip is removed, you’ve got potential for forced possession-by-chip. Ambush a guard and drag him into the janitor’s closet. Yank the chip, cram it into his head, and enjoy your new host.

You can almost accomplish something a bit like the body jumping in Fallen, depending on how far you’re willing to take it.

Thanks a lot for the feedback and ideas!

In fact, it inspired some ideas for me:

1. A game where the PCs are wage slaves, and some sort of mix-up happens. One day, they show up for work, and their “Assembly Line Efficiency & Company Loyalty” chip has been replaced with a “Urbo-Anarchist Badassery” chip. Or just a Martial Arts chip. You’re playing ordinary people who suddenly have a single maxed out skill, which was no doubt slipped to them by someone for some reason. Cue the clues, interspersed with Matrixy fight-scenes. You have to break out of work, with company property still in your head, and the pursue the mystery.

2. A game where you don’t play the meatbag, you play the AI. I’m a super-spy that only exists as a skill chip. Plug me into a person, and I immediately over-ride their personality as well as tacking on a couple of very important skills. If things go south and I need to lay low, I just convince someone else to try this awesome skill chip instead. You’d play the same character, but have new character sheets and background every time you swapped your plugging. There’s some logistics to work out about the couple seconds between unplugging from your current body and getting plugged in to the other, but I’m confident it could be explained in a way that would at least diminish the risks and plot holes. If the persona lingers for a few minutes after the chip is pulled out, for example, or if the last thing you do before unplugging is auto-hypnosis. Every NPC you meet that has a visible chip socket becomes a potential bodysnatching.