Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: xalleyviperx on <12-23-15/0301:01>

Title: New mage build advice
Post by: xalleyviperx on <12-23-15/0301:01>
Looking for some thoughts, ideas, suggestions, etc to build a new character. Long time rigger /decker but I've never delved into the realms of a caster before, so let's assume I don't know anything about magic, cause I don't. I also haven't played since 2nd Ed, so let's assume I don't know anything about 5E, cause I don't.

The basic concept is a druggie who has no idea he has any sort of magical abilities whatsoever. Things just seem to happen when he is around and he thinks it's just the drug hallucinations. That spirit who he just summoned unknowingly isn't really there..  right maaaan? After reading through the books and kind of understanding the Traditions part, I think the Psionic tradition has the closest feel to what I'm looking for, but still not quite it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks guys!

Title: Re: New mage build advice
Post by: Senko on <12-23-15/0447:22>
Have you considered chaos magic it might work for your druggie. Most people agree all the alchemy skills, banishing and astral combat aren't worth spending points on. Reagents are good and you'll need a lodge of course 4-6 for that. Ritual is a character dependant skill most don't use it I believe.
Title: Re: New mage build advice
Post by: Whiskeyjack on <12-23-15/0850:33>
This is, hmm.

The fluff is sort of hard to reconcile with the baseline game conceit of a paid shadow operative who brings a known quantity of skill to a team. It raises some weird metagame issues of "what actions have to be deliberately taken" in the game.
Title: Re: New mage build advice
Post by: Facemage on <12-23-15/0929:43>
The priorities could be:
A: Magic
B: Attributes
C: Skills
D: Metatype
E: Resources.

I Think that druggie is more suitable setup to street level campaign. I mean that it feels that you get too good character to be a druggie. A in magic means 10 spells, how a druggie can have so many spells? 20 in attributes means powerful stats, which are too good? Aren't they?
Title: Re: New mage build advice
Post by: bdyer on <12-23-15/0930:15>
Also to make the concept work, you only have 2 options:

1: have a rank 1 skill only in spellcasting and conjuring.  This limits your starting spells to 2 and hurts your characters extremely mechanically

2: Take the amnesia 2 trait (from drugs?) and with gm approval build the character yourself.  However once your character learns he can do something... it wont be by accident anymore.
Title: Re: New mage build advice
Post by: Marcus on <12-23-15/1614:49>
Amnesia seems like the wisest move to me. Ether way it gonna raise issue at the table, but if ya get another player who knew the character before he lost his shit, then I could see it working out.