Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: GunDrake on <02-22-16/2124:17>

Title: Point Buy questions
Post by: GunDrake on <02-22-16/2124:17>
If I can talk my game master into the point buy system. How many points is needed to make these characters?

An AI drone rigger that steals drones, cars, and aircraft.
A Pixie mage/combat medic.
A Jaguar or fox shifter mystic adept that is a magic infiltrator.
Title: Re: Point Buy questions
Post by: Whiskeyjack on <02-22-16/2134:33>
Not sure what exactly you're asking. Everyone in the game should be using the same chargen system and same point values if not using prio.

Saying "how much is needed" - well, it depends on what you want their dice pools to look like, how experienced (narratively) their point total should reflect, etc. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer.
Title: Re: Point Buy questions
Post by: GunDrake on <02-22-16/2147:49>
Not sure what exactly you're asking. Everyone in the game should be using the same chargen system and same point values if not using prio.

Saying "how much is needed" - well, it depends on what you want their dice pools to look like, how experienced (narratively) their point total should reflect, etc. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer.

I want to know if the point buy system will work with these characters with 800 or 1,000 Karma points? And I want to know how many karma points my gamemaster group need for each of us? People on the forms are telling me that doing sum to 12 with prime runner with my characters will not work well.
Title: Re: Point Buy questions
Post by: Jack_Spade on <02-23-16/0306:57>
@GunDrake

This question is not really answerable.
Will it work? Most assuredly - all necessary components are available. Will it look like Sum-to-10? No. You'll be able to have lots more skills and attributes at low value but only a few at high.
Especially magic characters will suddenly find themselves with a lot more difficult choices about where to apply their resources.

Your AI will thrive, since it doesn't need to buy 4 of the 8 attributes and as a drone rigger can use autosofts instead of skills (one rating 6 autosoft costs 1,5 karma compared to 42 if you bought the skill up to 6)

In my personal experience, starting with 1000 karma will bring a magic character roughly on par (if not a bit better) with a sum-to-10 character.
Title: Re: Point Buy questions
Post by: Glyph on <02-23-16/2249:00>
In my personal experience, starting with 1000 karma will bring a magic character roughly on par (if not a bit better) with a sum-to-10 character.

I concur, but it would take more than that to have parity with sum to twelve combined with the prime runner rules.  Point build is typically less points, but you can put them exactly where you want them.  But sum-to-ten (or twelve) is better for any build that is heavily optimized with things such as high skills or attributes, which would be more expensive to buy after the start of the game.

@GunDrake: I think the best way to determine point build level is to make one (or more) of your builds with what you would like for them, then see how much Karma it adds up to.
Title: Re: Point Buy questions
Post by: GunDrake on <02-24-16/2324:31>
In my personal experience, starting with 1000 karma will bring a magic character roughly on par (if not a bit better) with a sum-to-10 character.

I concur, but it would take more than that to have parity with sum to twelve combined with the prime runner rules.  Point build is typically less points, but you can put them exactly where you want them.  But sum-to-ten (or twelve) is better for any build that is heavily optimized with things such as high skills or attributes, which would be more expensive to buy after the start of the game.

@GunDrake: I think the best way to determine point build level is to make one (or more) of your builds with what you would like for them, then see how much Karma it adds up to.

Will a sum to 12 or 14 build with prime runner work well with these character builds? AI drone rigger that steals cars, aircraft, and drones, a mystic adept shifter that specialise on infiltration magic or healing+combat magic mystic adept?
Title: Re: Point Buy questions
Post by: Jack_Spade on <02-25-16/0306:24>
Again: I can't answer you that for sure.
It depends heavily on your character building skills. You can have all the building options in the world and still make a totally borked character.
It does get easier with higher Sum-to numbers, that's for sure.

How about you post a detailed concept with attributes, skills and qualities? That way we can give you much more concrete answers.
Title: Re: Point Buy questions
Post by: Marcus on <02-25-16/1848:31>
The short answer is a lot, conceptually that's fairly mixed bag of oddness.
Putting hard value on it would be impossible without more details. But I'd go with double normal starting, i would guess that should get you into shouting distance, depending how ya build.   
Title: Re: Point Buy questions
Post by: Glyph on <02-25-16/2230:11>
Will a sum to 12 or 14 build with prime runner work well with these character builds? AI drone rigger that steals cars, aircraft, and drones, a mystic adept shifter that specialise on infiltration magic or healing+combat magic mystic adept?

I can't tell you about the AI, because I don't have that sourcebook.  The shifter mystic adept, you need (my recommendations) - C or better metatype to be a shifter, A Magic, A Attributes since you want high physical and mental stats, C or B skills to cover infiltration and spellcasting, and E Resources (since that is 100,000 under prime runner rules, and you don't have anything too pricey to buy).  A pixie mage with combat and healing magic would be the easiest to do - you can make one under normal sum-to-ten or point build.  The only roadblock is if you want him to have a decent first aid skill, since pixies start out with the Uneducated quality, which makes technical skills more expensive to buy.  But if you just meant some healing spells, then he's a lot easier to make (although if you make him under sum-to-12/14, you probably will be able to afford that double-priced first aid skill).