Sam Watts

''Now I'm asking myself - who would care if I die? Who would give a rat's ass? Better or worse, your name is at the top of the list. Maybe it's the only name *on* the list...''

Sam Watts is a character in Shadowrun Returns.

Background
Sam was a Seattle shadowrunner, who used to run with the protagonist, New Larry, Sangoma, and Dowd. Despite his penchant for drinking, he was reliable backup on a job.

Interactions
Sam Watts is the character who kicks off the Dead Man's Switch storyline in Shadowrun Returns. A former shadowrunner, not to mention friend and accomplice, Sam's death triggers a dead man's switch, sending a vid message to the player, promising a one hundred thousand nuyen reward if his killer is brought to justice. Upon arriving in Seattle, the runner discovers that Sam is the latest victim of the Emerald City Ripper, a serial killer who has been surgically removing organs from his or her victims.

After receiving help from Coyote, a female human bartender/shadowrunner who first asked for assistance in a private war against those who make "Better-Than-Life" ("BTL") chips, the runner discovers that the Ripper is a male elf named Silas Forsberg whose victims were those who had a transplanted organ from Sam's mother. After killing Silas, the player learns he was directed to commit the Ripper murders by Jessica Watts, Sam's twin sister. Sam and Jessica had lived a comfortable life before their father's passing, and despite his best efforts early on to provide a decent life for himself and his sister, Sam cracked under the pressure and spent the family savings on drugs and alcohol. He eventually became a shadowrunner to make ends meet, and to further fuel his self-destructive habits.