Shadowrun

Shadowrun General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chalkarts on <09-09-18/1403:59>

Title: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-09-18/1403:59>
Most of my characters are made for concept over stats.  I like to RP flawed characters, it makes the game more challenging.

I’m brewing one now that blends heavy cyber with magic. 

A mage that ended up having to replace large portions of her body, weakening her magic substantially but she’s a street Sam that can counterspell.

My question,
Would a low Essence affect astral perception?
Can you see astral if your eyes are cyber since you can’t just do 1 eyes full cyber the other natural, right?

I know the spells would be weak and the drain bad but I think it would be a fun character.

Any thoughts on making it badass within the parameters I’ve discussed?
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Michael Chandra on <09-09-18/1444:35>
Astral Perception doesn't involve your physical eyes at all. This is why even with Reduced Sight or Blindness (which gives less karma than Reduced Sight II if you're a mage) you can still astrally perceive just fine.

The biggest nuisance will be that Essence loss impacts the dicepools of Health spells. This impacts Increase Reflexed, Increase [Attribute], Heal and so on.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Stainless Steel Devil Rat on <09-09-18/1446:44>
Using reagents would be a way to make low-force spells perform like they were high-force spells.  Plus they're easier to clean up, afterwards!
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-09-18/1507:09>
The biggest nuisance will be that Essence loss impacts the dicepools of Health spells. This impacts Increase Reflexed, Increase [Attribute], Heal and so on.
I’m making it an aspected mage focused on sorcery.
I want her to have a weak heal
So I’m ok with the ding, I also took focused concentration to help with the drain.
I’ll also have an ok stun bolt and a good counterspell.
I mostly want the counterspell.
She also has mentor spirit bear so she can rage lol.
She’ll only have an essence/magic rating of 3 due to her augmentation which will now include a skull with eyes and ears since she can still see astral.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-09-18/2142:10>
Using reagents would be a way to make low-force spells perform like they were high-force spells.  Plus they're easier to clean up, afterwards!

Ooh good idea.
I was also thinking of a weapon focus so he could fight astral things.

She’ll be a bear shaman
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-10-18/1002:23>
I’m kinda stuck in the character creation and needed some advice.

I can give her a full arm, leg and skull with a built in cyber deck and sweet eyes/ears

Or I can go 1 arm, both legs, basic eyes, no deck

Both options drop the essence to 3 so my magic would be 3 which I can live with.

Which do you think would be better?
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Michael Chandra on <09-10-18/1017:54>
I'd consider two legs with some modification that lets you move faster. Cyberlimb Agility doesn't impact movement rate, so some mods to boost movement would be nice for a Street Sam. And Deck for a streetsam/mage would be stretching your skillset too much.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-10-18/1033:47>
I'd consider two legs with some modification that lets you move faster. // And Deck for a streetsam/mage would be stretching your skillset too much.

Is there a speed mod?

And since most of my physical attributes would come from the limbs I was going to treat my str and agi as dump stats so I could better prioritize skills.  I was thinking skills B.  She would need a high counterspell rating, i don’t care about the sorcery as much, shell be all weak healing and location spells.  Aspected mage (C)

Attributes last, focus on body, willpower, and logic
I was hoping that would give me enough skills to put a few points into the decking skills.  I’m kinda trying for a Swiss Army knife character.  That little blade isn’t very powerful, but you could still shank a squirrel.
She’d be well armored, high counterspell, decent melee with a spell focus sword, decking functional enough to unlock doors and divert cameras.  Utility decking.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Michael Chandra on <09-10-18/1053:11>
There's stuff like Centaur lower body, digigrade legs, skates and skimmers in Chrome Flesh to modify rates. The first two cost more essence so pricy, but Skates and Skimmers merely cost capacity.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-10-18/1110:02>
There's stuff like Centaur lower body, digigrade legs

Those things sound cool but wouldn’t really fit for the character background, not basic enough lol.

Since she hadn’t been on the job long, the company that replaced her parts considered it a favor to give her customized str/agi 4, alphaware limbs as severance.


Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Michael Chandra on <09-10-18/1143:33>
Then you'll want to consider Skates or Skimmers. They increase your movement rates but reduce your Physical Limit while they're deployed. Those are quite doable, especially Skates, which take 2 Capacity and are 2x250 for a set. They add 50%. Skimmers double but take [4], are 2x2000 and give a penalty of 2 PL instead of 1.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-10-18/1231:08>
I like the idea of the skates.
But that brings about the question of what’s my movement based on? My agi 4 legs or my agi 2 stat?
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Michael Chandra on <09-10-18/1250:37>
Your agi stat, which is why I advised some movement buffs. Cyberlimb Agility is for tests only, and movement rates aren't a test. So unless some book/errata has overridden that, even when it involves your legs you only use your natural Agility. (Mind you, a GM could rule otherwise.) So you'd have 4m/8m as rates without buffs, 6m/12m with Skates, 8m/16m with Skimmers, per Combat Turn.

Physical Limit also doesn't care about cyberlimbs, though there are kinds of mods that give bonuses or penalties to limits on certain tests.

Edit: Let me check my blog...
https://shadowland.blog/2015/08/02/cyberlimbs-1/
https://shadowland.blog/2015/08/02/cyberlimbs-2/

"Rule: Cyberlegs their Agility applies for Movement Rate" <--- One of the optional cyberlimb houserules I designed that I actually agree with (I dislike most cyberlimb houserules I designed based on people's feedback)
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Sphinx on <09-10-18/1355:07>
I like the idea of the skates.
But that brings about the question of what’s my movement based on? My agi 4 legs or my agi 2 stat?

Your Agility 4 legs.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Stainless Steel Devil Rat on <09-10-18/1357:46>
I like the idea of the skates.
But that brings about the question of what’s my movement based on? My agi 4 legs or my agi 2 stat?

Your Agility 4 legs.

Or your agility 4 legs averaged with your body's 2.  If your core was irrelevant to running, sprinters wouldn't be ripped.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Michael Chandra on <09-10-18/1434:48>
Sphinx, Stainless, did I miss a section in Chrome Flesh or another book clarifying Cyberlimbs to override its Core description, that you both claim Cyberlimb Agility impacts movement rate?
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Stainless Steel Devil Rat on <09-10-18/1438:32>
I don't know.  I'm going by the rules governing cyberlimbs in the SR5 core:

Quote from: SR5, pg 455-456
When a particular limb is used for a test (such as
leading an attack with your cyberarm), use the attribute
for that limb (natural or cyber); in any other case, take the
average value of all limbs involved in the task. If a task
requires the careful coordination of several limbs, use the
value of the weakest limb.

So on one hand making use of one's movement rate isn't a Test.  But using the Running skill IS a test, and it makes little sense if cyberlimbs only affect movement when you're making a deliberate Running skill test.

Of course the simple act of moving from point A to point B can easily be said to involve 'careful coordination of several limbs', and so the GM is empowered to say body's natural 2 overrides your agi 4 legs anyway.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Sphinx on <09-10-18/1532:38>
Movement Rate seems like the main advantage of Agility in cyberlegs. If it's not RAW (and I can't see one way or the other on a quick search), call it a strongly recommended house rule.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-10-18/1614:45>
Movement Rate seems like the main advantage of Agility in cyberlegs. If it's not RAW (and I can't see one way or the other on a quick search), call it a strongly recommended house rule.

I was also looking at the hydraulic jacks if I went with both legs.
Those boost running and jumping checks right?
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Chalkarts on <09-11-18/0103:36>
Back on topic,
I’m being assaulted by options.
I’ve got the magic half of the character all decided, but the cyberware possibilities are overwhelming me lol.

Ive toyed with 2 limbs, 3 limbs, 1 limb a torso and skull, 2 limbs and a torso.....so many choices of how to use 3 essence.
Whatever I end up with will have maximum armor on all the limbs.

Ye grand chummers,
How would you arrange the robot bits on your counterspell specialist?
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Michael Chandra on <09-12-18/0054:16>
Movement Rate seems like the main advantage of Agility in cyberlegs. If it's not RAW (and I can't see one way or the other on a quick search), call it a strongly recommended house rule.
That I completely agree with. It's not raw but it's ridiculous, given how legs are less useful than arms. Just like Strength Boost power not boosting melee damage.

2 legs and an arm for movement speed boost and good attack. And send your gm to us to discuss Cyberlimbs and the movement houserule.
Title: Re: Cyber+Magic?
Post by: Mirikon on <09-12-18/1326:52>
Movement Rate seems like the main advantage of Agility in cyberlegs. If it's not RAW (and I can't see one way or the other on a quick search), call it a strongly recommended house rule.
That I completely agree with. It's not raw but it's ridiculous, given how legs are less useful than arms. Just like Strength Boost power not boosting melee damage.

2 legs and an arm for movement speed boost and good attack. And send your gm to us to discuss Cyberlimbs and the movement houserule.
Agreed on the movement speed, though I'd mod it to the lowest of the two limbs if they have different Agi. Running, swimming, and climbing are all things I'd call needing coordination of multiple limbs (as anyone who's tried to walk or run while their foot is asleep can attest).