Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: RowanTheFox on <07-20-16/2057:22>
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Sadly, I was forced to sell my SR books recently, so I know longer have them for reference. Google is only helping so much, so I'm asking you guys. I'm going through to process of chargen for my story's main character to help me keep details straight and avoid inconsistencies. She's an elf, and a 1st grade initiate wolf shaman (she's only 17), and woefully inexperienced as a runner. Fragging BRILLIANT, but naive. I have pretty much everything else figured out, but now I'm struggling to choose gear for her.
Another problem is that I know you can have up to seven Karma left after chargen, and she currently is sitting pretty at 17. I don't remember if there's a limit to how much karma you can convert to nuyen, and what the conversion rate is.
So, can I convert enough karma to nuyen to get her down to 7 and use that money to buy gear? If so, how much nuyen would that leave her with, and what gear should I get for her?
The more I Google my problem, the more confused I'm getting. It's been a long time since I drew up an awakened character, so I can't recall much from back then. The more detail you can give me, the better. HELP!
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Well I would go with Point Build (Karmagen), instead of Priority.
What are your current Attributes? Spells? anything...
2K Nuyen per Karma Spent.
Shaman is going to need Force 6 Magical Lodge
Some Reagents
Everyone needs a Commlink, recommend Renraku Sensei (DR3)
Fake SIN, Usually Rating 4 if you can.
License's to go with Fake SIN (Possession of Foci)
Foci
Rest kind of depends on skills/character.
I attached Quality list I like to use for when I make my characters.
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You can spend up to 10 Karma on extra money (so 20,000 Nuyen), so that's exactly what you wanted to spend.
Bushw4cker covered most of the basic gear. The two main things I would add are buy a Lifestyle, and buy some armor - maybe an armor vest for discrete protection, and an armored jacket when you are expecting trouble. A vehicle might be a good idea, so you won't be stuck with mass transit to get everywhere.
Also, you can keep up to 5,000 Nuyen to add to whatever you roll for starting money, although if you have lower starting resources you will probably spend most of it.
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Don't try to create a character without the books! Shadowrun is already tough enough without adding extra layers of difficulties. Let's just say you should be able to find the books somewhere on the internet. I'm pretty sure you can even buy PDF versions.
For the essential build I like this source : http://runnerhub.wikia.com/wiki/Runner_Essentials_Gear that even have stuff for low Nuyen character.
Finally if you have karma to spend do not forget that there are much better things than Nuyen : Contacts. Contacts can be a huge game changer and only at chargen you can convert Karma to Contact so do not hesitate to dump your remaining Karma in there. Keeping 7 Karma is useless unless you have a plan (like initiating asap). You can also spend karma on Attributes (to get rid of a 1 STR or something like that), Skills, Spells, etc.
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Ok, so here's what I got. I used Chummer for this, so it's a bit wonky, but works for my purposes.
Name: Maisie
Metatype: Elf
Sex: Female
Age: 17
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 112lbs
Hair: Dark Red
Eyes: Gold
Skin: Pale
Body: 3
Agility: 2
Reaction: 2
Strength: 2
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 5
Logic: 5
Willpower: 5
Edge: 1
Magic: 6
Positive Qualities:
Low light vision
Will to Live
Magician
Mentor Spirit (Wolf)
Negative Qualities:
Astral Beacon
Combat Paralysis
Simsense Vertigo
Skills:
Blades (Axe) - 4
Assensing - 11
Astral Combat - 9
Counterspelling - 10
Etiquette (Street) - 9
Leadership (Tactics) - 9
Negotiation (Diplomacy) - 9
Ritual Spellcasting - 10
Running (Long Distance)- 6
Spellcasting - 10
Languages:
English (Fluent)
German (Fluent)
Spells:
Flamethrower
Manabolt
Heal
Stabilize
Antidote
Light
Physical Barrier
Initiation Grade 1
Masking
Cyberware:
Commlink (Renraku Sensei)
Gear:
Clothing
Spellcasting Focus (Health) (Rating 1)
Magical Lodge Supplies (Rating 1)
She starts out with very little. Plots kicks off with her going on her very first run with her adoptive dad and his team. It was supposed to be a simple job (HA!), ad she'd been told to run if drek hit the fan. Well, of course DHTF, and Maisie never had a chance to run, even if she'd wanted to.
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5 Intuition, Logic and Charisma? That's a lot and you will barely use Logic, don't forget that Logic is 'measures the cold, calculating power of your rational mind' so you can be brilliant without having truckloads of LOG (I would lower it to 3 personally).
Right now you are not using your Elf higher maximum Agility and Charisma so you are just wasting Karma/Priority for it. Try to raise a bit your Charisma since she is a shaman or consider switching to Human (but I guess that's won't do fluff-wise).
Combat Paralysis and Astral Beacon are tough pick. Combat Paralysis can quicky lead you to death in an ambush so make sure to stay behind your Street Sam and consider picking more self-defense spells (Extended Invisibility!) It is especially tough considering that you chose Wolf Mentor Spirit that is focused on Combat spells. Astral Beacon will make it damn easy to follow your lead through the Astral World unless you spend a lot of time cleaning your signature, it all depends on how much your GM will want to focus on your runners getting followed by cops.
For Skills you are not using Summoning at all, if you are going for Karmagen you should consider switching to an Aspected to save karma if you are not planning to go for it at all. Blades (Axe) is pointless with 2 STR and AGI, Clubs and Unarmed are better skill for low STR character for Stun Baton and Shock Gloves. Con is extremely useful for a face. You do not have any Ritual Spell so is it really worth to invest in Ritual Spellcasting at chargen?
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5 Intuition, Logic and Charisma? That's a lot and you will barely use Logic, don't forget that Logic is 'measures the cold, calculating power of your rational mind' so you can be brilliant without having truckloads of LOG (I would lower it to 3 personally).
Right now you are not using your Elf higher maximum Agility and Charisma so you are just wasting Karma/Priority for it. Try to raise a bit your Charisma since she is a shaman or consider switching to Human (but I guess that's won't do fluff-wise).
Combat Paralysis and Astral Beacon are tough pick. Combat Paralysis can quicky lead you to death in an ambush so make sure to stay behind your Street Sam and consider picking more self-defense spells (Extended Invisibility!) It is especially tough considering that you chose Wolf Mentor Spirit that is focused on Combat spells. Astral Beacon will make it damn easy to follow your lead through the Astral World unless you spend a lot of time cleaning your signature, it all depends on how much your GM will want to focus on your runners getting followed by cops.
For Skills you are not using Summoning at all, if you are going for Karmagen you should consider switching to an Aspected to save karma if you are not planning to go for it at all. Blades (Axe) is pointless with 2 STR and AGI, Clubs and Unarmed are better skill for low STR character for Stun Baton and Shock Gloves. Con is extremely useful for a face. You do not have any Ritual Spell so is it really worth to invest in Ritual Spellcasting at chargen?
I justified astral beacon as a natural side effect of who she is, but also gave her Masking as an ability as a Grade 1 Initiate. She usually keeps her aura masked, but when she can't or doesn't, her aura glows like a giant pile of burning magnesium. Which is one of the many small clues that she's not entirely "normal". I didn't really want to add Combat Paralysis, but Chummer didn't have the negative quality I was looking for, so I traded it for something that I THINK has the same Karma cost.
Chummer didn't give me a choice but to choose ritual spellcasting, I'd drop it if I could, since she doesn't learn that until MUCH later, but the program won't let me. You're right about the summoning thing. I'm not sure how I managed to overlook that, since spirit summoning is a pretty major plot point.
She's not actually a character I will be playing, she exists solely in my story and would DEFINITELY be an NPC if translated into a game setting. The story doesn't even start until 2090, and the sequel picks up 57 years after that, so she has some metamagic abilities that don't technically exist yet in-game, and those that do exist are more powerful. Suffice it to say that it's an incredibly good thing that she's mostly benevolent....mostly. She doesn't have very many combat spells, but she can still leave nothing left of you but a greasy smoldering smear on the ground if you push her too far.
Not all wolf shamans have a combat focus, just like not all bear shamans are berserkers. Maisie adopted more of a "Mama Wolf" approach. She's primarily a healer, but she will blast you straight into the Netherworld if she catches you hurting innocents, or worse, a member of her pack (read: family and close friends). She gets captured by S-K security when she refuses to abandon her dad's body and flies into a rage that seems to work less like a berserk, and more like Aang's avatar state. She has little control over this, and it only happens in the most dire situations. Physical damage will bring it on more quickly, but it can also be caused by extreme emotional stress.
Long story made longer, I'm going to take your advice and adjust a few things. :)
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Weird are you using the last version of Chummer? I think it can be found here : https://github.com/chummer5a/chummer5a/releases. Make sure you have the book with your quality activated in your options.
I didn't say that Wolf Shamans all have a focus on Combat spell but the mentor spirit do : It gives +2 dice to combat spell. But to me Backstory > Min/Maxing so if your character is having a Wolf mentor without using Combat Spells much, so be it!
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Weird are you using the last version of Chummer? I think it can be found here : https://github.com/chummer5a/chummer5a/releases. Make sure you have the book with your quality activated in your options.
I didn't say that Wolf Shamans all have a focus on Combat spell but the mentor spirit do : It gives +2 dice to combat spell. But to me Backstory > Min/Maxing so if your character is having a Wolf mentor without using Combat Spells much, so be it!
I was using the old version apparently. Thanks for the link!
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You don't have Perception Skill, every character should have Perception Skill.
and you're a bloody Wolf Shaman!!
"BAD DOG!"
and being Wolf Shaman, I think you are required to take (Scent +2) Specialization.
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So, here's the fixed version using Chummer 5
Name: Maisie
Metatype: Elf
Age: 17
Sex: Female
Height: 5" 8"
Weight: 112lbs
Eyes: Gold
Hair: Dark Red
Skin: Pale
Body: 3
Agility: 5
Reaction 2
Strength: 2
Charisma: 8
Intuition: 4
Logic: 4
Willpower: 5
Edge: 3
Magic: 6
Positive Attributes:
Linguist
Low-Light Vision
Will To Live (Rating 3)
Magician
Mentor Spirit (Wolf)
Negative Attributes:
Flashbacks (Rating 1)
Astral Beacon
Social Stress
Skills -
Sorcery: 2
Assensing (Aura Reading): 6 (9)
Astral Combat (Spirits): 7 (9)
Counterspelling (Combat): 8 (10)
Leadership (Command): 11 (13)
Negotiation (Diplomacy): 10 (12)
Perception (Scent): 6 (8)
Ritual Spellcasting: 8
Spellcasting (Health): 10 (12)
Summoning (Spirits of Beasts): 8 (10)
Spells -
Combat: Blast, Flamethrower, Manabolt
Health: Heal, Cure Disease, Stabilize
Rituals: Calling Spirits of Beasts
Initiation: Grade 1 (Schooling)
Metamagic: Masking
Lifestyle: Middle
Gear:
Commlink (Renraku Sensei)
Magical Lodge Supplies (Rating 6)
Clothing
Spellcasting Focus (Health) with fake license to own
Look any better?
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Yes, but I would recommend putting Just the Skill Rating, or the Skill Rating & Dicepool, but don't put up just the Dice Pool.
Using Karmagen might be better for this Character.. From your initial posting, it doesn't look like you're trying to Min Max.
Just an Example of what Character might look like with Karma Gen...
ATTRIBUTES (535 Karma)
BOD 3 WIL 5 WLK 8
AGI 4 LOG 4 RUN 16
REA 3 INT 5 SPNT (+2)
STR 3 CHA 5 COM 10
ESS 6 EDGE 2 JUD 10
MAG 6 LIFT 6 MEM 9
Init: 8 + 1D6 Edge: OO
PHY 4 MEN 6 SOC 7
ACTIVE SKILLS (218) RTG DP
Blades 3 7
(Axes +2) 9
Assensing 3 8
Astral Combat 3 8
Counterspelling 4 10
Etiquette 1 6
(Street +2) 8
Leadership 3 8
(Tactics +2) 10
Negotiation 3 8
(Diplomacy +2) 10
Ritual Spellcasting 4 10
Spellcasting 6 12
(Health +2) 14
Perception 3 8
(Scent +2) 10
Gymnastics 1 5
Running 1 4
Swimming 1 4
Navigation 1 6
Survival 1 6
Tracking 1 8
SPELLS/RITUALS (35 Karma)
You would have 12 Karma (Assuming you Qualities Balance each other out.) to spend on resources/binding Foci/ect. 1 Karma = 2K Nuyen
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Yes, but I would recommend putting Just the Skill Rating, or the Skill Rating & Dicepool, but don't put up just the Dice Pool.
Using Karmagen might be better for this Character.. From your initial posting, it doesn't look like you're trying to Min Max.
Just an Example of what Character might look like with Karma Gen...
ATTRIBUTES (535 Karma)
BOD 3 WIL 5 WLK 8
AGI 4 LOG 4 RUN 16
REA 3 INT 5 SPNT (+2)
STR 3 CHA 5 COM 10
ESS 6 EDGE 2 JUD 10
MAG 6 LIFT 6 MEM 9
Init: 8 + 1D6 Edge: OO
PHY 4 MEN 6 SOC 7
ACTIVE SKILLS (218) RTG DP
Blades 3 7
(Axes +2) 9
Assensing 3 8
Astral Combat 3 8
Counterspelling 4 10
Etiquette 1 6
(Street +2) 8
Leadership 3 8
(Tactics +2) 10
Negotiation 3 8
(Diplomacy +2) 10
Ritual Spellcasting 4 10
Spellcasting 6 12
(Health +2) 14
Perception 3 8
(Scent +2) 10
Gymnastics 1 5
Running 1 4
Swimming 1 4
Navigation 1 6
Survival 1 6
Tracking 1 8
SPELLS/RITUALS (35 Karma)
You would have 12 Karma (Assuming you Qualities Balance each other out.) to spend on resources/binding Foci/ect. 1 Karma = 2K Nuyen
I thought I was using Karmagen, at least that's what I had Chummer5 set to use, but the fragging program crashes after every other change I make. I'm trying my best to keep her balanced, so she doesn't end up a hopeless Mary Sue. Just making her what she is comes dangerously close to skipping rope with the line between Mary Sue and Not Mary Sue.
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I thought I was using Karmagen, at least that's what I had Chummer5 set to use, but the fragging program crashes after every other change I make. I'm trying my best to keep her balanced, so she doesn't end up a hopeless Mary Sue. Just making her what she is comes dangerously close to skipping rope with the line between Mary Sue and Not Mary Sue
You might have been using Karmagen.. I prefer it for the flexibility.
I can help you optimize your Character if you want (It's actually kind of fun for me), then put it on one of my Awesome Character sheets I designed (See Attachment.)
First off, when your Imagining your Character, what are the Attributes? Fragging BRILLIANT, but naive.
says Logic 5-6, Intuition 2-3 to me, or Intuition higher and take a Negative Quality that would reflect her naivety.
Only Negative Quality that I can think off that might fit.. is my favorite one.
DID YOU JUST CALL ME DUMB?
BONUS: 3 KARMA
The character can’t resist camouflaging insults into
well-spoken words. The character gets the satisfaction
of feeling superior to everyone. Unfortunately, once
in a while people will notice and get pretty upset. Any
Glitch rolled by this character on any Social test always
counts as a Critical Glitch.
Maybe these would fit...
POOR SELF CONTROL
(NEW VARIANTS,
BONUS: 5 OR 8 KARMA)
See p. 158, Run Faster for more information on this
quality. New variants of this quality are as follows:
• Attention-Seeking (5 Karma): The spotlight is
the character’s natural habitat, like a fish in water—
and she suffers just as much when she’s not
in it. The character goes out of her way to be vivacious
and gain approval from others. Unless
she succeeds at a Composure (3) Test, the character
seeks to be the center of attention whenever
possible (this may or may not include combat
situations, at the gamemaster’s discretion).
human attribute ratings
rating description
1 Weak
2 Underdeveloped
3 Typical
4 Improved
5 Superior
6 Max unmodified human
BODY (BOD)
Body measures your physical health and resiliency.
It affects how much damage you can take and stay on
your feet, how well you resist damage coming your way,
your ability to recover from poisons and diseases, and
things of that nature.
AGILITY (AGI)
Agility measures things like hand-eye coordination,
flexibility, nimbleness, and balance. Agility is the most
important attribute when it comes to scoring hits during
combat, as you need to be coordinated to land your
blows, whether you’re swinging a sword or carefully aiming
a rifle. It also is critical in non-combat situations, such
as sneaking quietly past security guards or smoothly lifting
a keycard from its secured position.
REACTION (REA)
Reaction is about reflexes, awareness, and your
character’s ability to respond to events happening
around them. Reaction plays an important role in deciding
how soon characters act in combat and how
skilled they are in avoiding attacks from others. It
also helps you make that quick turn down a narrow
alley on your cycle to avoid the howling gangers on
your tail.
STRENGTH (STR)
Strength is an indicator of, well, how strong your
character is. The higher your strength, the more damage
you’ll do when you’re raining blows down on an opponent,
and the more you’ll be able to move or carry
when there’s stuff that needs to be moved. Or carried.
Strength is also important with athletic tasks such as
climbing, running, and swimming.
WILLPOWER (WIL)
Willpower is your character’s desire to push through
adversity, to resist the weariness of spellcasting, and to
stay upright after being nailed in the head with a sap.
Whether you’re testing yourself against a toxic wilderness
or a pack of leather-clad orks with crowbars, Willpower
will help you make it through.
LOGIC (LOG)
The Logic attribute measures the cold, calculating
power of your rational mind. Whether you are attempting
to repair complicated machinery or patch up an injured
teammate, Logic helps you get things right. Logic
is also the attribute hermetic mages use to resist Drain
from the spells they rain down on their hapless foes.
Deckers also find Logic extremely useful, as it helps
them develop the attacks and counterattacks that are
part of their online battles.
INTUITION (INT)
Intuition is the voice of your gut, the instinct that
tells you things before your logical brain can figure them
out. Intuition helps you anticipate ambushes, notice that
something is amiss or out of place, and stay on the trail
of someone you’re pursuing.
CHARISMA (CHA)
Charisma is your force of personality, the persuasiveness
and charm you can call on to get people to do what
you want without having to go to the trouble of pulling a
gun on them. It’s not entirely about your appearance, but
it’s also not entirely not about your appearance. What it’s
mostly about is how you use what you have—your voice,
your face, your words, and all the tools at your disposal—to
charm and/or intimidate the people you encounter. Additionally,
Charisma is an important attribute for shamanic
mages, as it helps them resist the damaging Drain from
spells they cast.
What do you want you character to be really good at Skill wise?
RATING 1: BEGINNER
You have a little training about how it works, but not always
why it works.
RATING 2: NOVICE
You’re a hobbyist, but not an enthusiast.
RATING 3: COMPETENT
You’re skilled at basic operations but struggle with complex
operations and “tricks.”
RATING 4: PROFICIENT
You’re comfortable with what you do and perform well under
normal pressures. Professional level for most jobs.
RATING 5: SKILLED
You know how to handle yourself in unfamiliar situations, and
can get creative when solving problems.
RATING 6: PROFESSIONAL
You could easily sell your skills on the open market. This is the
maximum skill level for starting player characters.
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I thought I was using Karmagen, at least that's what I had Chummer5 set to use, but the fragging program crashes after every other change I make. I'm trying my best to keep her balanced, so she doesn't end up a hopeless Mary Sue. Just making her what she is comes dangerously close to skipping rope with the line between Mary Sue and Not Mary Sue
You might have been using Karmagen.. I prefer it for the flexibility.
I can help you optimize your Character if you want (It's actually kind of fun for me), then put it on one of my Awesome Character sheets I designed (See Attachment.)
First off, when your Imagining your Character, what are the Attributes? Fragging BRILLIANT, but naive.
says Logic 5-6, Intuition 2-3 to me, or Intuition higher and take a Negative Quality that would reflect her naivety.
Only Negative Quality that I can think off that might fit.. is my favorite one.
DID YOU JUST CALL ME DUMB?
BONUS: 3 KARMA
The character can’t resist camouflaging insults into
well-spoken words. The character gets the satisfaction
of feeling superior to everyone. Unfortunately, once
in a while people will notice and get pretty upset. Any
Glitch rolled by this character on any Social test always
counts as a Critical Glitch.
Maybe these would fit...
POOR SELF CONTROL
(NEW VARIANTS,
BONUS: 5 OR 8 KARMA)
See p. 158, Run Faster for more information on this
quality. New variants of this quality are as follows:
• Attention-Seeking (5 Karma): The spotlight is
the character’s natural habitat, like a fish in water—
and she suffers just as much when she’s not
in it. The character goes out of her way to be vivacious
and gain approval from others. Unless
she succeeds at a Composure (3) Test, the character
seeks to be the center of attention whenever
possible (this may or may not include combat
situations, at the gamemaster’s discretion).
human attribute ratings
rating description
1 Weak
2 Underdeveloped
3 Typical
4 Improved
5 Superior
6 Max unmodified human
BODY (BOD)
Body measures your physical health and resiliency.
It affects how much damage you can take and stay on
your feet, how well you resist damage coming your way,
your ability to recover from poisons and diseases, and
things of that nature.
AGILITY (AGI)
Agility measures things like hand-eye coordination,
flexibility, nimbleness, and balance. Agility is the most
important attribute when it comes to scoring hits during
combat, as you need to be coordinated to land your
blows, whether you’re swinging a sword or carefully aiming
a rifle. It also is critical in non-combat situations, such
as sneaking quietly past security guards or smoothly lifting
a keycard from its secured position.
REACTION (REA)
Reaction is about reflexes, awareness, and your
character’s ability to respond to events happening
around them. Reaction plays an important role in deciding
how soon characters act in combat and how
skilled they are in avoiding attacks from others. It
also helps you make that quick turn down a narrow
alley on your cycle to avoid the howling gangers on
your tail.
STRENGTH (STR)
Strength is an indicator of, well, how strong your
character is. The higher your strength, the more damage
you’ll do when you’re raining blows down on an opponent,
and the more you’ll be able to move or carry
when there’s stuff that needs to be moved. Or carried.
Strength is also important with athletic tasks such as
climbing, running, and swimming.
WILLPOWER (WIL)
Willpower is your character’s desire to push through
adversity, to resist the weariness of spellcasting, and to
stay upright after being nailed in the head with a sap.
Whether you’re testing yourself against a toxic wilderness
or a pack of leather-clad orks with crowbars, Willpower
will help you make it through.
LOGIC (LOG)
The Logic attribute measures the cold, calculating
power of your rational mind. Whether you are attempting
to repair complicated machinery or patch up an injured
teammate, Logic helps you get things right. Logic
is also the attribute hermetic mages use to resist Drain
from the spells they rain down on their hapless foes.
Deckers also find Logic extremely useful, as it helps
them develop the attacks and counterattacks that are
part of their online battles.
INTUITION (INT)
Intuition is the voice of your gut, the instinct that
tells you things before your logical brain can figure them
out. Intuition helps you anticipate ambushes, notice that
something is amiss or out of place, and stay on the trail
of someone you’re pursuing.
CHARISMA (CHA)
Charisma is your force of personality, the persuasiveness
and charm you can call on to get people to do what
you want without having to go to the trouble of pulling a
gun on them. It’s not entirely about your appearance, but
it’s also not entirely not about your appearance. What it’s
mostly about is how you use what you have—your voice,
your face, your words, and all the tools at your disposal—to
charm and/or intimidate the people you encounter. Additionally,
Charisma is an important attribute for shamanic
mages, as it helps them resist the damaging Drain from
spells they cast.
What do you want you character to be really good at Skill wise?
RATING 1: BEGINNER
You have a little training about how it works, but not always
why it works.
RATING 2: NOVICE
You’re a hobbyist, but not an enthusiast.
RATING 3: COMPETENT
You’re skilled at basic operations but struggle with complex
operations and “tricks.”
RATING 4: PROFICIENT
You’re comfortable with what you do and perform well under
normal pressures. Professional level for most jobs.
RATING 5: SKILLED
You know how to handle yourself in unfamiliar situations, and
can get creative when solving problems.
RATING 6: PROFESSIONAL
You could easily sell your skills on the open market. This is the
maximum skill level for starting player characters.
I would definitely appreciate the help!
As far as attributes go, I don't think Did You Just Call Me Dumb would work well for her. She doesn't try to be rude or insulting. I gave her Linguist to reflect her intelligence, and social stress to reflect her naivety. I also gave her Will To Live to reflect her tenacity and stubbornness. She also suffers flashbacks after her adoptive dad's death (A bomb caused a piece of shrapnel to nearly rip him in half, and then she was nearly killed by S-K security before being taken to a hospital and handed over to Lofwyr on a gold plated platter. It was all incredibly traumatic for her). This starts out mild, but gets progressively worse through the trilogy. She is an astral beacon because of what she is, and its why her teacher insisted that she take Masking as her first metamagic ability after her initiation. To avoid catching unwanted attention.
I used the same reasoning when choosing her skills. She inherited her father's ability to talk her way out of almost anything, though she doesn't make full use of this skill until much later. So she has a much higher Negotiation (Diplomacy) and Leadership (Command) skill than you might normally expect. Her parentage also allows her to cast more powerful spells more frequently without succumbing to drain, but only one or two more spells than any other mage in her tradition of similar age. So her Magic score is jacked all the way up, and I pumped a lot into her CHA and WIL scores.
She's still young and inexperienced, so I wouldn't claim she's a professional at anything. She's skilled at best, and novice at worst.
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Would love to help. (I'm at home recovering from Pneumonia, so I've been kind of bored and have not been able to sleep much. That and I just watched Black Mirror T.V. series, think I've been traumatized, wouldn't mind something else to help repress memories of that show... )
So First lets start with Qualities.
I think we just edit this Quality just a little bit...
OTAKU TO TECHOMANCER SHE GETS IT FROM HER FATHER'S SIDE
COST: 10 KARMA 8 KARMA (Mages have way more ways to soak drain with spirits, fetishes, ect, so I think 8 Karma is appropriate.)
You were an otaku, a child of the Matrix, bending the
Matrix to the will of your mind alone, before it was cool
to do so. Most of your kind, assuming they even survived
this long, did not emerge as technomancers. But
for you, lightning struck twice—you went from otaku to
technomancer. Having known your abilities for longer
than just about anyone else alive, dealing to deal with these inherited
strange powers is second nature to you. You gain +2
dice when resisting Fading Drain from any source.
Who needs a fetish?, You're too old to play with dolls anymore. Spellcasting or Ritual Spellcasting
from Fetishes only reduce the Drain Value by 1 for you. (Instead of 2)
Fetish, not to be confused with Foci or Focus..
FETISH
An alchemist can create a magical device that reduces
Drain when cast with a spell suited to fetishes (p.
212). Such spells have to be learned specifically with
the fetish, meaning that a character would have to learn
a spell twice if he wants to cast it both with and without
a fetish. An alchemist needs 1 dram of radical reagents
to make the fetish functional for magical use. A magician
casting a fetish spell either through Spellcasting or
Ritual Spellcasting can reduce the Drain Value by 2 (to
a minimum of 2).
You could take Linguist, but may I recommend reflecting your Linguistic abilities with just buying the Languages with Free Points and/or Karma.
I also gave her Will To Live to reflect her tenacity and stubbornness.
Will to Live sounds way better than it actually is, and is actually a terrible quality if you're a Lone Wolf (pun intended), unless you have Super Duper Platinum Docwagon.. then maybe..
From what you've described so far, Indomitable or Guts would fit your character way better. I listed a few others in Spoiler that would all be better than Will to Live. I would combine either with Quick Healer to reflect her tenacity and stubbornness.
INDOMITABLE
COST: 8 KARMA PER
LEVEL (MAX 3)
Bodies and minds have limits, but some people have
the will to push right through those boundaries. For
each level of Indomitable, a character receives a +1 increase
to an Inherent limit of his choice (Mental, Physical,
or Social). He can take up to three levels and can
apply them in any way he chooses (+3 to one Inherent
Limit, for example; or +2 to one Inherent and +1 to another;
or +1 to all three).
GUTS
COST: 10 KARMA
When a bug spirit with dripping mandibles comes calling,
the character with Guts is the one most likely to
stand and fight instead of freaking the hell out. Guts
gives a character a +2 dice pool modifier on tests to resist
fear and intimidation, including magically induced
fear from spells or critter powers.
TOUGHNESS
COST: 9 KARMA
Characters with the Toughness quality shrug off damage
more easily than others. Such characters gain a +1
dice pool modifier to their Body when making Damage
Resistance tests.
QUICK HEALER
COST: 3 KARMA
A character with the Quick Healer quality receives a +2
dice pool modifier to all Healing Tests made on/for/by
her, including magical healing.
Positive
Mentor Spirit (Wolf) 5 Karma
She Gets It From Her Father's Side 8 Karma
Indomitable (Physical) 8 Karma
Quick Healer 3 Karma
Negative All Perfectly fit I think
Flashbacks 7 Karma
Astral Beacon 10 Karma
Social Stress 8 Karma
Now for Attributes.
Human Elf attribute ratings
rating description
1 Weak
2 Underdeveloped
3 Typical
4 Improved
5 Superior
6 Max unmodified human
7 (Charisma) Hot even by Elf Standards / (Agility) You walk faster than most people Run
8 (Charisma) Too Sexy for this Run
This is what I imagine after reading your posts.
ATTRIBUTES
Body 3
Agility 4
Reaction 3
Strength 3
Willpower 5
Logic 4
Intuition 5
Charisma 7
Astral Attributes
Body 5
Agility 4
Reaction 5
Strength 7
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Would love to help. (I'm at home recovering from Pneumonia, so I've been kind of bored and have not been able to sleep much. That and I just watched Black Mirror T.V. series, think I've been traumatized, wouldn't mind something else to help repress memories of that show... )
So First lets start with Qualities.
I think we just edit this Quality just a little bit...
OTAKU TO TECHOMANCER SHE GETS IT FROM HER FATHER'S SIDE
COST: 10 KARMA 8 KARMA (Mages have way more ways to soak drain with spirits, fetishes, ect, so I think 8 Karma is appropriate.)
You were an otaku, a child of the Matrix, bending the
Matrix to the will of your mind alone, before it was cool
to do so. Most of your kind, assuming they even survived
this long, did not emerge as technomancers. But
for you, lightning struck twice—you went from otaku to
technomancer. Having known your abilities for longer
than just about anyone else alive, dealing to deal with these inherited
strange powers is second nature to you. You gain +2
dice when resisting Fading Drain from any source.
Who needs a fetish?, You're too old to play with dolls anymore. Spellcasting or Ritual Spellcasting
from Fetishes only reduce the Drain Value by 1 for you. (Instead of 2)
Fetish, not to be confused with Foci or Focus..
FETISH
An alchemist can create a magical device that reduces
Drain when cast with a spell suited to fetishes (p.
212). Such spells have to be learned specifically with
the fetish, meaning that a character would have to learn
a spell twice if he wants to cast it both with and without
a fetish. An alchemist needs 1 dram of radical reagents
to make the fetish functional for magical use. A magician
casting a fetish spell either through Spellcasting or
Ritual Spellcasting can reduce the Drain Value by 2 (to
a minimum of 2).
You could take Linguist, but may I recommend reflecting your Linguistic abilities with just buying the Languages with Free Points and/or Karma.
I also gave her Will To Live to reflect her tenacity and stubbornness.
Will to Live sounds way better than it actually is, and is actually a terrible quality if you're a Lone Wolf (pun intended), unless you have Super Duper Platinum Docwagon.. then maybe..
From what you've described so far, Indomitable or Guts would fit your character way better. I listed a few others in Spoiler that would all be better than Will to Live. I would combine either with Quick Healer to reflect her tenacity and stubbornness.
INDOMITABLE
COST: 8 KARMA PER
LEVEL (MAX 3)
Bodies and minds have limits, but some people have
the will to push right through those boundaries. For
each level of Indomitable, a character receives a +1 increase
to an Inherent limit of his choice (Mental, Physical,
or Social). He can take up to three levels and can
apply them in any way he chooses (+3 to one Inherent
Limit, for example; or +2 to one Inherent and +1 to another;
or +1 to all three).
GUTS
COST: 10 KARMA
When a bug spirit with dripping mandibles comes calling,
the character with Guts is the one most likely to
stand and fight instead of freaking the hell out. Guts
gives a character a +2 dice pool modifier on tests to resist
fear and intimidation, including magically induced
fear from spells or critter powers.
TOUGHNESS
COST: 9 KARMA
Characters with the Toughness quality shrug off damage
more easily than others. Such characters gain a +1
dice pool modifier to their Body when making Damage
Resistance tests.
QUICK HEALER
COST: 3 KARMA
A character with the Quick Healer quality receives a +2
dice pool modifier to all Healing Tests made on/for/by
her, including magical healing.
Positive
Mentor Spirit (Wolf) 5 Karma
She Gets It From Her Father's Side 8 Karma
Indomitable (Physical) 8 Karma
Quick Healer 3 Karma
Negative All Perfectly fit I think
Flashbacks 7 Karma
Astral Beacon 10 Karma
Social Stress 8 Karma
Now for Attributes.
Human Elf attribute ratings
rating description
1 Weak
2 Underdeveloped
3 Typical
4 Improved
5 Superior
6 Max unmodified human
7 (Charisma) Hot even by Elf Standards / (Agility) You walk faster than most people Run
8 (Charisma) Too Sexy for this Run
This is what I imagine after reading your posts.
ATTRIBUTES
Body 3
Agility 4
Reaction 3
Strength 3
Willpower 5
Logic 4
Intuition 5
Charisma 7
Astral Attributes
Body 5
Agility 4
Reaction 5
Strength 7
Yuck! Pneumonia sucks! I steam treatment with a few drops of eucalyptus oil should help clear out your lungs a bit. Nettles tea is also good for giving your body a needed boost of micronutrients while it's fighting off the illness. *shrugs* I'm an herbalist.
ANYWHO, those stats all look good to me. Now I'm wondering how I can reflect her slow decline into Aina Dupree levels of mental instability. She never loses her heart of gold, but her behavior becomes increasingly erratic and unpredictable. She definitely ends up with the Vendetta attribute in the last story. Vestrial's machinations gets her son permanently crippled, and she hunts him down with all the wrath and fury of an angry, old testament God. It...doesn't end well.
-
Body: 3
Agility: 4
Reaction: 3
Strength: 3
Charisma: 9
Intuition: 5
Logic: 4
Willpower: 5
Edge: 2
Magic: 6
Positive Qualities:
Exceptional Attribute (CHA)
Mentor Spirit (Wolf)
Indomitable (Physical)
Quick Healer
Negative Qualities:
Astral Beacon
Flashbacks I
Social Stress
Spells: Manabolt, Heal, Stabilize, Calling Spirit of Beasts.
Initiation: Grade 1 (Masking)
Street Gear: Commlink (Renraku Sensei), Magical Lodge Supplies (Rating 6), Clothing.
-
Now I'm wondering how I can reflect her slow decline into Aina Dupree levels of mental instability. She never loses her heart of gold, but her behavior becomes increasingly erratic and unpredictable.
Maybe Bi-Polar Negative quality from Run Faster.
-
Now I'm wondering how I can reflect her slow decline into Aina Dupree levels of mental instability. She never loses her heart of gold, but her behavior becomes increasingly erratic and unpredictable.
Maybe Bi-Polar Negative quality from Run Faster.
Possibly. I'm also drawing up Maisie's son for the third story, and her daughter for a possible fourth. Having much less trouble with them than I am with Maisie. No surprise that she's being difficult. ::)
-
Possibly. I'm also drawing up Maisie's son for the third story, and her daughter for a possible fourth. Having much less trouble with them than I am with Maisie. No surprise that she's being difficult. ::)
Is there going to be a Vampire and Shapeshifter love triangle?
-
Possibly. I'm also drawing up Maisie's son for the third story, and her daughter for a possible fourth. Having much less trouble with them than I am with Maisie. No surprise that she's being difficult. ::)
Is there going to be a Vampire and Shapeshifter love triangle?
Ah, Twilight. A story about a girl's choice between necrophilia and bestiality.
No, just a lot of Shaman/Hermetic hanky panky. ;)
Her son is a spitting image of his father, to the point where most people have to do a double-take. Her daughter is a changeling with glamour, scales (hands, feet, cheekbones, and along her spine), and unusual hair (it has a more feather-ish look to it). She's also suffers from Albinism II (white hair, white skin, pink eyes).
-
Between the first and second stories, Maisie makes her home in Neuschwanstein Castle, and manages to create her own kingdom in what basically amounts to a giant "FRAG YOU!" to the German government after they unleash a surprise attack on her and the downtrodden mages that came to her for help (The Germans thought she was planning something sinister. She wasn't.), and the assassination of the diplomat she sent to meet with German officials in Munich a few weeks later. Lofwyr took the attack as a grave personal insult (for reasons that are explained in the story), and bankrolled her campaign with his own funds. She did not disappoint him. Maisie is compassionate and benevolent, but won't hesitate to unleash hell on those who harm her or those she cares for.
After she signs a peace treaty with the Germans, she immediately forges alliances with the Troll Kingdom to the west, Nebelherr to the east, and Austria to the south. This is why her Leadership (Command) and Negotiation (Diplomacy) skills are so high. Silver-tongued angel, she is. Lol
-
You're going to have to use Priority, because you're not going to be able to make this character with Point Buy if you want Charisma 9.
Attributes: A
Magic B, Race: C, will give you (Edge 2, Magic 6, 7 Spells, 2 Level 4 Magic Skills)
Skills D: 22 Skills
Resources E: 6K
(Priority A & 15 Karma)
Body: 3
Agility: 4
Reaction: 3
Strength: 3
Charisma: 9
Intuition: 5
Logic: 4
Willpower: 5
Edge: 2
Magic: 6
A few questions.. How good is your Character at Magic in the Beginning of your Story.. Casting Spells?, Summoning?, Counterspellling?
MAGICAL SKILLS
Magic skills are reserved for those who practice magic.
In order to acquire magic-specific skills, characters
must be an Aspected Magician, Magician, or Mystic
Adept. In order to use these skills, their Magic rating
must be 1 or higher. Please visit Magic, p. 276, for all
your Magical skill-using needs.
ALCHEMY (MAGIC)
Alchemy is used to create substances that store spells.
Alchemy is most commonly used to brew potions, distill
magical reagents, and even create orichalcum.
Default: No
Skill Group: Enchanting
Specializations: By trigger (Command, Contact,
Time), by spell type (Combat Spells, Detection Spells, etc.)
ARCANA (LOGIC)
Arcana governs the creation of magical formulae used
to create spells, foci, and all other manner of magical
manipulations. Arcana is required to understand formulae
that may be purchased over the counter or discovered
by other means.
Default: No
Skill Group: None
Specializations: Spell Design, Focus Design, Spirit
Formula
ARTIFICING (MAGIC)
Artificing is the process of crafting magical foci. The
skill may also be used forensically, in order to assense
qualities about an existing focus’ creation and purpose.
See Artificing p. 306.
Default: No
Skill Group: Enchanting
Specializations: Focus Analysis, Crafting (by focus type)
ASSENSING (INTUITION)
Assensing is a magic user’s ability to read and interpret
fluctuations in the astral world. This skill allows practitioners
to learn information by reading astral auras. Only
characters capable of astral perception may take this
skill. For more information, see Astral Perception, p. 312
Default: No
Skill Group: None
Specializations: Aura Reading, Astral Signatures, by
aura type (Metahumans, Spirits, Foci, Wards, etc.)
ASTRAL COMBAT (WILLPOWER)
Fighting in Astral Space requires the Astral Combat
skill. Combat in the Astral World relies on a very different
set of abilities and attributes than physical combatants.
See Astral Combat, p. 315.
Default: No
Skill Group: None
Specializations: By specific weapon focus type, by
opponents (Magicians, Spirits, Mana Barriers, etc.)
BANISHING (MAGIC)
Banishing is used to disrupt the link between spirits and
the physical world. Banished spirits are forced to return
to their native plane and are no longer required to complete
unfulfilled services.
Default: No
Skill Group: Conjuring
Specializations: By spirit type (Spirits of Air, Spirits
of Man, etc.)
BINDING (MAGIC)
Binding is used to compel a summoned spirit to perform
a number of additional services. See Binding, p. 300.
Default: No
Skill Group: Conjuring
Specializations: By spirit type (Spirits of Fire, Spirits
of Earth, etc.)
COUNTERSPELLING (MAGIC)
Counterspelling is a defensive skill used to defend
against magical attacks and dispel sustained magical
spells. See Counterspelling, p. 294.
Default: No
Skill Group: Sorcery
Specializations: By spell type (Combat Spells,
Detection Spells, etc.)
DISENCHANTING (MAGIC)
This skill governs a character’s ability to remove the enchantment
from an item. See Disenchanting, p. 307.
Default: No
Skill Group: Enchanting
Specializations: By type (Alchemical Preparations,
Power Foci, etc.)
RITUAL SPELLCASTING (MAGIC)
Ritual spellcasting is a spellcasting skill used to cast ritual
spells. See Ritual Spellcasting, p. 295.
Default: No
Skill Group: Sorcery
Specializations: By keyword (Anchored, Spell, etc.)
SPELLCASTING (MAGIC)
The Spellcasting skill permits the character to channel
mana into effects known as spells. See Spellcasting,
p. 281.
Default: No
Skill Group: Sorcery
Specializations: By spell type (Combat Spells,
Detection Spells, etc.)
SUMMONING (MAGIC)
This skill is used to summon spirits. See Summoning,
p. 300).
Default: No
Skill Group: Conjuring
Specializations: By spirit type (Spirits of Earth,
Spirits of Man, etc.)
RATING 1: BEGINNER
You have a little training about how it works, but not always
why it works.
RATING 2: NOVICE
You’re a hobbyist, but not an enthusiast.
RATING 3: COMPETENT
You’re skilled at basic operations but struggle with complex
operations and “tricks.”
RATING 4: PROFICIENT
You’re comfortable with what you do and perform well under
normal pressures. Professional level for most jobs.
RATING 5: SKILLED
You know how to handle yourself in unfamiliar situations, and
can get creative when solving problems.
RATING 6: PROFESSIONAL
You could easily sell your skills on the open market. This is the
maximum skill level for starting player characters.
This is just example what you would be looking at Skillwise...
SKILLS (22 + 2 Free Level 4 Magic Skills)
Perception: 3
Spellcasting: 6
Counterspelling: 4
Ritual Spellcasting: 3
Summoning: 4
Negotiation: 5 (Diplomacy +2)
Leadership: 3 (Command +2)
You can always buy a few Level 1 Skills with Karma for 2 Karma Each..
Etiquette
Unarmed Combat
Sneaking
Pilot Ground Craft
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She's an incredibly good spellcaster, but is limited to the spells Nip and her mentor spirit taught her. She can also counterspell with some effort. She has a very low Arcana skill at the beginning, which was Nip's way of retaining some measure of control over what she learned. He always knew there was something odd about her, but whether or not Nip knew more about Maisie's heritage than he admitted, the world may never know. *shrugs* He's a cat shaman.
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Fun Fact! It was this song that inspired this character, and her story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hosCuzo6JKo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hosCuzo6JKo)
Note: There is a typo in the lyrics. It's "father's" not "farther's".