Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: Malroth on <05-26-11/2236:10>
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I'm hitting a bit of a mental roadblock in making a Dwarf Face...I start from scratch and end up making things almost exactly the same, so bringing it here to get some input.
Concept: Amnesiac dwarf, only has "come to" about a month before beginning of campaign. Gift for gab, adept, but has some random cyber. Playing with the idea of Type O System with some bio - he's not entirely sure what is him and what is augmentation at this point.
Handle: Blank "Real" name: Robert Johnson
Body: 4
Agility: 4
Reaction: 4 (6)
Strength: 3
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 5
Logic: 3
Willpower: 4
Edge: 2
Magic: 5 (3)
Essence: 4.425
Advantages: Adept, Type O System
Disadvantages: Amnesia (10 pt), Minor Addiction (Cigarettes), Incompetent (Pilot Groundcraft), Allergy (Common, Moderate) - Soy
Skills: Influence Skill Group (4), Stealth Skill Group (3)
Adept Powers: Kinesics 3, Commanding Voice, Linguistics, Improved Ability (Leadership) 2, Improved Ability (Negotiation) 2
Bioware: Tailored Pheromones 3, Vocal Range Enhancer, Synaptic Booster 2
Cyberware: Skillwire System 3, Expert Skillwire System, Lower Right Arm Cyberarm (Datajack, Sim Module - Hot)
Contacts: Bartender (L2, C3)
Gear: Fake SIN 3, Squatter Lifestyle (average, higher necessities for non-soy food), Ares Predator, 20 rounds stick-n-shock, Full-body formfit (R6 non-conductive).
I intend him to have almost nothing gear and contacts wise - partly due to lack of BP, and partly fits in with the just starting over with almost nothing. Most gear he has (other than the SIN) he woke up with. I'm just have this feeling that I'm missing something obvious to do. I haven't really worked up his knowledge skills yet (not sure what knowledges to give an amnesiac :) )
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His skills are really, really bare-bones. No combat skills at all, even though he has initiative boosters and a gun? No dodge or gymnastics? No perception?
I haven't checked the math on your Essence, but remember that Type O system does not give an advantage for cultured bioware (your synaptic boosters), only basic bioware.
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First - Type O System. The way I've seen it played previously is that the description of "basic, off the shelf bioware" is a reference to standard vs. alpha/beta/delta, not bioware vs. cultured bioware, since cultured bioware comes in grades as well. Taking a closer look than a passing glance at it, however does seem to make that incorrect. :) Honestly it's not that big of a deal - can switch the cash for another point of magic, move some adept powers around and go with the Increased Reflexes II power.
As to the skills - I completely agree with you. Two skill groups and nothing else is really, really bland. Intent would be after a run or two to maybe break them up with some specializations, or something... Part of the problem honestly is BP resources. In game/non-background he does have skillwires, but no chips. Maybe he relied on chips for his combat skills? I'm just hitting this mental block on the character. I have a clear concept for him, but I'm having problems making him to where I'm happy with him.
Hrm, by the same token, I could drop the Stealth SG, and use those points for a mix of Perception, Pistols, etc. That might actually work better?
Influence Skill Group 4 (40 pts)
Pistols - 2, Spec Semi-Automatics (10 pts)
Perception - 2, Spec Visual (10 pts)
I was trying to get the crunch down before really diving into his Knowledges/Languages. Usually that works for me, but maybe I have to get those worked out first to really tweak his actives right...
I'll come back to this post after I work things out a bit more...
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If I were your GM i would not allow points for addicted to Cigarettes. Addictions are supposed to be more serious issues, like alchohol use, drugs, btl chips, etc. Yes, smoking is really, really bad for your long term health, but you can be smoking like a freaking chimney and it won't affect this weeks run one bit.
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My other thought is that by trying to shoehorn both magic and augmentation into the same character you are running out of points. Pick one and and go with it, save the points on the other for other things. You will still have plenty of dice for your social skills,
As it stands you are a total non-combatant. Not every character needs to emphasise combat, but I think in general you should have at least some ability, say a few levels in dodge to go with that nice reaction and some skill with a pistol. Or if not, back off on your physical combat stats and spend the points on some more support skills. If you don't have any combat training at all why spend the BP for stats you don't intend to use that much.
Also-contacts! You are a face, you need your network to work with. Thats half the point. Your are not just the negotiator and the guy who talks his way past security. The face shoudl have a deep contact network, either for legwork, or as an alternative a lot of gear related contacts- you could be a scrounger, the guy who can run down any gear or fence anything for the group. A face with no one to talk to isn't really doing his job. Yes, I know your character has lost his memory. That may be a bad concept here.
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I don't think the addiction Negative Quality encompasses alcohol and tobacco--alcohol maybe if it's REALLY bad. Personally, I would be more likely to allow it, but I think it actually says that those two aren't included.
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Wow, so much focus on the addiction. :) Honestly, my GM would nail me on if I left a cigarette butt somewhere and use that to track me, so the -5 actually is about right for his campaign. However, I'm still playing with the character concept a bit, so that will probably change before the end.
As to the question of being more focused, and having more contacts...that's kinda the point. He's very much supposed to be a "build from the ground up" sort of character. Yes, he doesn't have the contacts that a proper face should have. And very true, I could probably do much better focusing strictly on Magic or Ware, instead of trying to balance them. But the point of the character really is trying to revolve around the Amnesia disadvantage. He doesn't have the contacts. He's an adept, but where'd this cyber come from? Sure, you can see bioware assensing, but it's quite difficult when it's delta-grade that meshes with his signature so very, very well...how much of his ability is magic enhancement, how much is him, and how much is bio that he's not _quite_ sure is there?
Anyway, should be a pretty slow night at work tonight, so I should have an update on him in the morning sometime. :) Done some brainstorming and think I have a bit better of a handle on him...honestly my main problem with any character creation, no matter the system, is that his personality ends up being completely different from what I had planned...
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Alright, so instead of having things set last night, my GM decided to throw a couple curve balls. 1) He doesn't want to deal with Amnesia. He said it would be OK if I _really_ wanted to, but I decided to take it easy on him, in hopes for karmic payback later. :) 2) Speaking of Karma, he said that he wants us to make characters using the Karma Build system instead of Build Points.
So, sticking with somewhat of the same concept...
Robert is a former minor political campaign advisor. He helped in various campaigns in the Seattle area - nothing in a major role, many people above him, etc. He's an adept, and while he didn't hide the fact, he also didn't bring it up around work either. His talents helped in his job, from quickly being able to talk to just about anyone, to showing up on the gun range to woo contributors.
On a campaign he was working with for a minor official, there was an attack - an assassination of the official at a public appearance. He loses a portion of his right arm in the explosion, and to continue the bad day - a records screw-up combined with a rush to help the survivors leads them to implant a cyberarm instead of a more...essence friendly solution. Upon waking, Robert discovers that he's not as "fast" as he used to be.
Fast forward a few years - a successful claim against the hospital leads to him getting bioware to help "recover" what he has lost, along with a couple other things. Unfortunately, due to the court battles and the desire not to be associated with the explosion in any way, jobs have dried up. He's done some work to stay afloat, but luck is not with him. He's in debt, and at the end of his resources. Many of his old contacts have either cut off ties, or have moved on to greener pastures.
Handle: Blank
Real Name: Robert Johnson
Race: Dwarf
Body: 4
Agility: 4 (~6)
Reaction: 4 (6)
Strength: 3
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 5
Logic: 3
Willpower: 4
Edge: 3
Magic: 6 (4)
Essence: 4.22
Qualities:
Adept
Type O System
Allergy (Common, Moderate) - Soy
Thrill Seeker
In Debt (5000)
Records on File (DocWagon)
Active Skills:
Influence Skill Group: 4
Pistols (Spec. Heavy Pistols): 4 (6)
Perception (Spec. Visual): 2 (4)
Arcana: 3
Stealth Skill Group: 1
Languages:
English N
Or'zet: 2
Knowledge Skills:
Shadowrunner Hangouts: 2
UCAS Politics: 3
Corporate Politics: 3
Law: 2
Martial Arts Trids: 2
Contacts:
Judge (L2 C3)
Lawyer (L1 C3)
Fixer (L1 C4)
Cyberware:
Skillwires 3 (.6 ess)
Skillwires Expert System (.1 ess)
Lower Right Cyber Arm (Alpha .36 ess)
Customized - 6 agi
Sim Module
Data Jack
Bioware:
Synaptic Booster 2 (1 ess)
Tailored Pheromones 2 (.2 ess)
Vocal Range Enhancer (.05 ess)
Total = (1.06/2) + 1.25
Adept Abilities:
Linguistics
Commanding Voice
Kinesics 3
Improved Skill - Leadership: 2
Improved Skill - Negotiation: 2
Eidetic Sense Memory
3D Memory
Gear:
Full Body Form-Fit (Non-Conductive 6)
MetaLink Comlink (POS, but has _something_)
Actioneer Business Clothes
Fake SIN 4
Ares Pred (20 rounds stick-n-shock)
Contacts 3 (Image Link, Smart Link, Flare Comp)
Lifestyle: 9 LP (higher necessities for non-soy food)
Still toying with a few minor details, mainly negative qualities, toys, and maybe tweak his adept abilities some. I might drop the Stealth Skill Group since while he doesn't currently have any chips for his skillwires (has had to sell them for food, etc), that can be made up for in the future, and he could use those points for another contact or two (or increase the Loyalty and Connection of the ones he has now), but I do like the idea of the former politico being a bit of a sneak. :)
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Karmagen makes things a bit easier, since it is usually the equivalent of more than 400 BP. A few things I would tweak -
Type O system is kind of overpriced for what you're getting from it. You're paying 60 Karma to save a mere 0.25 points of Essence. I would get Biocompatibility/Bioware, instead. It doesn't save quite as much Essence (you would save 0.15 points instead of 0.25 points), but it would still leave your Essence under the 2.0 mark, and it is 40 Karma cheaper. Another way to squeeze in under the 2.0 mark, Essence-wise, without either quality, would be to make the skillwires alphaware, which only costs 6,000 Nuyen.
I'm not sure an Agility of 6 for a lower cyberarm would be very useful. A full arm would at least give you a bonus for things like shooting a gun, but a lower cyberarm would only allow you to use that boosted Agility rating for things involving manual dexterity.
Eidetic Sense Memory and 3D Memory are both cool powers, but it is redundant to take both of them. I would consider replacing one of them with Multitasking, a cool power which would also fit the cerebral social adept theme that you seem to be going for.
Finally, Arcana seems a relatively useless skill to have, and doesn't even fit his background. Yes, even mundanes can take this skill, but how useful is it going to be to be able to design magical formulas? I would replace it with the Intimidation skill, which is not part of the Influence skill group.
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The Type O system I have also just to have the option open to taking a couple further mods once play starts and we get some cash...Bring Pheromones up to 3, maybe some Muscle Toner or Platelet Factories, and still remain under the 2.0 mark. I'll crunch some numbers though, see which works better.
By somewhat of the same token, having an Arcana skill will make it that much easier to make the roll later on to hopefully join a magical group (this GM usually pretty good about that). Can't just chip magical skills, after all...
I'm with you on the cyberarm though. I chalk that one up to trying to think at 4am, and then not changing it later. :) Not doing that will free up some cash...maybe not go with the In Debt quality and go with something else...though In Debt does really fit the background.
As for the adept abilities, hrm. They do seem a bit redundant, don't they. Maybe drop the Eidetic Memory, and either go to 3 bonus on the skills, or 3 to one of the skills, and gain Sustenance or something like that. Multitasking does certainly seem to fit very well though.
I could go Alpha on the wires. The main reason I didn't is because at 3 they're already availability 12, and I could have sworn that Alpha raised the availability, but I'm not finding the reference now to grades and increases in availability.
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You can only get second-hand, standard, or alphaware grades at character creation, but even deltaware does not have an increased Availability (only an increased cost). The only grade that has any adjustment to its Availability is second-hand, which has -1.
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Yeah, I think it was a case of me mixing different editions in my head. :)