Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: Ajax on <03-17-12/2059:43>
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Faeries wear boots and you gotta believe me... -- Black Sabbath (1970)
I'll come right out and admit it, pixies are my favorite option for player character race in all of Shadowrun. I don't care if this makes me reek of "Special Snowflake Syndrome" or not, I don't care that at 55 HP they're costing as much as a Wolf `shifter or Elf Magician for less benefit... Pixies are awesome. End line. (And yes, I prefer Windlings on those rare occassions I get to play Earthdawn). I might be starting a new Shadowrun campaign in the next few weeks, the GM is a twenty-year veteran of the system and most of the players - myself included - have been playing almost as long. We've been given three fairly broad guidelines for making chracters (1) they should be capable of more than just combat, (2) anything rules legal from any and all current SR4 books is kosher, and (3) "munchkin not, least ye be munchkin'ed."
From my talks with the other players, it looks like I will be working with a dedicated Magician (Human), a multipurpose street samurai/hacker/infiltration expert (Human), and a marksman/sniper adept (Elf), and a Rigger/Heavy Weapons Guy (Troll, `natch). Which leaves the group in need of a Face and a little light in close-quarters combat. The troll is focusing on machine guns and assault-rifle drones, the samurai and adept are both drooling over various rifles, and the Magician... well, she's a magician.
I refuse to give up on my precious Pixie, despite the mocking of my peers. So I built one that can punch people with pretty.
Yep, she's got an Unarmed Attack with DV 11P, AP -3, and 15 Dice to hit you with it. Gotta love a 16 kg girl that can punch in the same weight class as a Panther Cannon. But it's not just about the superhuman savate, thanks to an unholy high Charisma score and some budget-priced software, she's rolling 16 for the whole Influence Skill Group... and 10 Dice if she should be out-of-touch with her Commlink. So... Face, Face-punching, and Flight. Awesome.
But I just know I can make this better. Assume I have access to any SR4 book and can do anything that doesn't involve breaking the rules or taking advantage of anything that would be breaking the rules if only they had been better written. How can I make my pixie a better face and a better face puncher? I'm pretty sure that Adept + Mind Over Matter (Charisma) is the key to unlocking this... but I'm open to any better ideas.
Name: Isabelle Créer (aka Tink)
[spoiler="Info in Depth"]== Info ==
Street Name: Tink
Known Alias: Pix, Puck, Lil Bit, Midge (Nicknames); Isabelle Monteque (Fake SIN)
Real Name: Isabelle Créer
Sex:Female Age: 25 Height: 45 cm (18") Weight: 16 kg (35 lb.)
Movement: 1/4, Fly: 20/50
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 1
Public Awareness: 0
Composure: 11
Judge Intentions: 15
Lift/Carry: 3 (15 kg/10 kg)
Memory: 7
Wealth: ¥2,400 (Starting Nuyen)[/spoiler]
== Attributes ==
BOD:2
AGI:5
REA: 4(6)
STR: 1
CHA: 8
INT: 6
LOG: 4
WIL: 3
EDG: 3
MAG: 6
[spoiler="Derived Attributes"]== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6
Initiative: 10 (12)
Init. Passes: 1 (3)
Astral Init.: 12
Astral Passes: 3
Matrix Init.: 9
Matrix Passes: 1
Phys Damage Track: 9
Stun Damage Track: 10[/spoiler]
[spoiler="Skills in Depth"]== Active Skills ==
Only those with a Rating > 1 shown. - Athletics Skill Group [10BP]
- Climbing 1 (Pool: 9)
- Flight 1 (Pool: 9)
- Gymnastics 1 (Pool: 6)
- Running 1 (Pool: 9)
- Swimming 1 (Pool: 9)
- Influence Skill Group [10BP]
- Con 1 (Pool: 16)
- Etiquette 1 (Pool: 16)
- Leadership 1 (Pool: 16)
- Negotiation 1 (Pool: 16)
- Individual Skills [xxBP]
- Computer [Commlink] 1 (Pool: 5[7])
- Dodge [Ranged Combat] 4 (Pool: 10[12])
- Perception [Visual] 4 (Pool: 10[12])
- Shadowing [Tailing] 2 (Pool: 8[10])
- Unarmed Combat [Martial Arts] 6 (Pool: 13[15])
== Knowledge Skills ==- Language: Sperethiel N (Pool: N/A)
- Language: English 3 (Pool: 9)
- Language: French 3 (Pool: 9)
- Academic: Magical Threats 2 (Pool: 6)
- Academic: Parazoology [N. America] 2 (Pool: 6[8])
- Professional: Forensics 3 (Pool: 7)
- Street: Area Knowledge: Seattle 2 (Pool: 8)
- Street: Bars and Clubs [Elf] 2 (Pool: 8[10])
- Street: Shadow Community [Rumours] 2 (Pool: 8[10])
- Street: Underworld 1 (Pool: 7)
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="Contacts"]== Contacts ==
"Orchid" (Elf Call Girl) (C:1, L:2)
Claude Sinjin (Elf Private Eye) (C:2, L:3)
Ichiro "Itchy" Yotsuma (Fixer) (C:3, L:2)[/spoiler]
== Qualities ==
+ Adept
+ Distinctive Style
+ Sapient Education (Buys off Uneducated)
- Geas (Ritual)
- Incompetent (Intimidation)
- Sensitive System
- SINner (Standard) (Tir Tairnigire)
== Powers ==- Geas Critical Strike x5
- Geas Improved Ability (Unarmed Combat) x2
- Geas Improved Reflexes II
- Geas Killing Hands
- Geas Kinesics x1
- Geas Mind Over Matter (STR)
- Geas Penetrating Strike x3
== Critter Powers ==- Concealment
- Enhanced Senses (Astral Perception)
- Sapience
- Vanishing
[spoiler="Lifestyle / Gear / Commlink / Etcetra"]== Lifestyles ==
Elven District Office (2 Months Prepaid)
Comforts: Low Entertainment: Low Necessities: Middle Neighborhood: High Security: Middle
Qualities: Freindly Neighbors 1 [1LP]; Living By Committee [-2LP]; Trigger-Happy Landlord [-1LP]
== Armor ==
- Leather Jacket 2/2 (Not Worn)
- Vashon Island: Steampunk Blouse 1/1
- Vashon Island: Steampunk Corset 2/2 (Nonconductivity x4; Ruthenium Polymer Coating)
- Vashon Island: Steampunk Slacks 1/1
== Weapons ==
Survival Knife (Metahuman Customization)
== Martial Arts ==
Savate (+2 DV on Unarmed Combat attacks; Finishing Move, Set-Up)
== Commlink ==
Novatech Airware (3, 3, 6, 3)
+Custom Commlink OS [Firewall 6, System 3]
+FTL Matrixware Power Suite [Analyze 3, Browse 4, Command 2, Edit 4, Purge 4, Scan 2]
+Gait Analysis Software (Hacked) Rating 6
+Facial Recognition Software (Hacked) Rating 6
+Empathy Software (Hacked) Rating 6
+Lie Detection Software (Hacked) Rating 6
+AR Gloves
+Skinlink
+Optimization (Analyze)
+Mapsoft (Seattle, Hacked) Rating 6
+Mapsoft (Tir Tairnigire, Hacked) Rating 6
+Mapsoft (Salish Shidhe Council, Hacked) Rating 6
+Mapsoft (Portland, Hacked) Rating 6
+Mapsoft (UCAS, Hacked) Rating 6
+Subvocal Microphone
== Gear ==
Contact Lenses Rating 3
+Image Link
+Flare Compensation
+Low Light
Earbuds Rating 2
+Microphone, Micro Rating 1
+Audio Enhancement Rating 1
Fake SIN (NeoNET Corporate) Rating 4
+Fake License (Private Detective) Rating 4
+Fake License (Ruthenium Polymer Coating) Rating 4
Goggles Rating 3
+Camera, Micro Rating 1
+Vision Magnification
+Thermographic
Tag Eraser
== Vehicles ==
Federated-Boeing Kull (Medium)
+Amenities, Middle
+Signature Masking Rating 1
+SunCell
+Chaser (Hacked) Rating 2
+Maneuver (Drone, Hacked) Rating 4
+Medium Drone Sensor
+Laser Microphone Rating 6
+Directional Microphone
+Camera Rating 3 [Thermographic, Vision Enhancement 3, Vision Magnification]
+Radio Signal Scanner Rating 6
+Personality Software
[/spoiler]
[spoiler="Description & Background Fluff"]== Description ==
An attractive female pixie, approximately 18" tall, dressed in stlyish steampunk fashions: goggles, aviator's slacks, and a lace-and-leather corset. Transluscent dragon-fly wings sprout from between her shoulder blades, just above the corset... in bad weath, she throws a light-weight pleather "bomber jacket" overtop (but this restricts her wings).
When in public, she almost always uses her natural Concealment power and will often engage the ruthenium polymers on her clothing as well. She does not like drawing undue attention to herself if she can avoid it. Inside Seattle's Elven District, espesially her home neighborhood, or when in areas where a non-metahuman sapient would attract less shock (such as "mage bars," NAN territories, or even NeoNET officies) she is less guarded.
== Background ==
Subject Isabelle Créer du Paix (#72ICP88) has a very clear data trail for her childhood and teenage years. Subject was born 1 April, 2046, to a suburban enclave of pixies near Portland. Exact parentage is unknown as the Créer du Paix Enclave practice line marriage and raise children communally. Unlike many non-metahuman sapients around the globe the Créer du Paix Enclave appears to be intergrationist and techologically progressive. Isabelle has Tir citizenship, was educated in public schools, and even attended Portland Community College for two semesters in her late teens. No reliable data trail has been round for Subject between 2063-67, likly as a result of dataloss during Crash 2.0. Itis known subject dropped out of college during this time, relocated to the Seattle metroplex, and began to associate with Claude Sinjin, an elvish private detective (see file #72ICP88/Contact_01). Subject appears to have spent several years as Sinjin's apprentice and/or assistant, it is unknown how the pair met or why they seperated.[/spoiler]
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Are pixies legally recognized as people? A pixie showing up with a SIN is going to have a hard time convincing someone that it isn't fake.
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Tir SIN?
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Are pixies legally recognized as people? A pixie showing up with a SIN is going to have a hard time convincing someone that it isn't fake.
It all depends on which book you read: "France is the only nation that issues permanent SINs to pixies; the government of Portland has begun issuing criminal SINs to pixies accused and convicted of a crime. NeoNET is the only AAA megacorporation with any pixie corporate citizens." (Runner's Companion, p. 65) leaves open SIN status with France or NeoNET, or a criminal SIN with Tir Tairnigire. On the other hand, Running Wild greatly expands on the list of nations/corporations that are non-metahuman sapient friendly to include all of the NAN, Tír Tairngire, Tír na nÓg, and the entire Corporate Court. I'm inclined to beleive Tír gives pixies regular SINner status, not just criminal.
One of the reasons I paid extra to live in a High-class Neighborhood was the ability to name Seattle's Elven District as my home. We've always treated it as kind of a "Elf China Town" with a large number of Tír Tairngire ex-pats, Tír sympathetic metahumans, and such. I figure a a pixie is still going to draw comments from the neighbors but not out-right hostility. By registering the fake SIN as a NeoNET citizen, I've got a degree of plausibility... at least, enough to pay the rent. Especially when I get to throw sixteen dice into the Con and Etiquette checks with the landlord, local rent-a-cop, and neighborhood association. "I'm a security critter at NeoNET. ::puppy dog eyes:: Honest."
I'm planning to stick to Concealment and ruthenium polymer to keep questions down to a minimum when I need to move in public. Oh, and smuggling compartment in the rotodrone isn't for contraband... it's for me.
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Why don't you make Isabelle Monteque an elf detective Tir expat who is rarely seen due to being "Out of the office on a case someplace." And then Midge is just Isabelle's pet/girl friday/office security faerie. Of course, there is no Isabelle Monteque, and Midge just hires a stand in whenever an in-person meeting is needed.
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Pixies are in fact excellent at everything, and low strength barely matters for unarmed combat.
Mind over Matter (Charisma->Strength) blows trolls. Melee damage is not a strength test, so it won't help you. It just lets you get a bonus on stuff like lifting tests or running or whatever.
Question 1: Are you specifically interested in unarmed melee combat? Or would you go with armed combat if it worked better?
Subquestion: What about Unarmed Combat rather than unarmed combat, ie, are you willing to use stuff like shock gloves?
Question 2: One of the more effective ways to facepunch people is to use magic to enhance your facepunching. How do you feel about:
a) Being a mystic adept, and using buff spells for facepunchage?
b) Being a Possession mage or mystic adept, and using Channeling for facepunchage?
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Why don't you make Isabelle Monteque an elf detective Tir expat who is rarely seen due to being "Out of the office on a case someplace." And then Midge is just Isabelle's pet/girl friday/office security faerie. Of course, there is no Isabelle Monteque, and Midge just hires a stand in whenever an in-person meeting is needed.
That is a brilliant idea! Gives me a way to work a "The Anselmo Case was never solved..." joke into all of my character logs.
Pixies are in fact excellent at everything, and low strength barely matters for unarmed combat.
Mind over Matter (Charisma->Strength) blows trolls. Melee damage is not a strength test, so it won't help you. It just lets you get a bonus on stuff like lifting tests or running or whatever.
Huh, Chummer seems to disagree with you on that. But I trust you more than the program.
Question 1: Are you specifically interested in unarmed melee combat? Or would you go with armed combat if it worked better?
Subquestion: What about Unarmed Combat rather than unarmed combat, ie, are you willing to use stuff like shock gloves?
I'd prefer for the damage to be coming from me, rather than techonology. But am open to the suggestion.
Question 2: One of the more effective ways to facepunch people is to use magic to enhance your facepunching. How do you feel about:
a) Being a mystic adept, and using buff spells for facepunchage?
b) Being a Possession mage or mystic adept, and using Channeling for facepunchage?
I'm open to Mystic Adept, but dislike Possession Traditions. Possession Traditions are kinda clunky mechanically and seem really out-of-place for a pixie (who should follow a Druidic or Shamanist path. Maybe Path of the Wheel.)
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Develop the Five Point Palm Exploding Face technique. Spread the rumor that it exists. At some point, perform this maneuver on someone, then stand back and explain that you have performed the technique and that the guy will be dead in five steps. Meanwhile, in the attack, you snuck a tracking/homing beacon onto the guy and on the fifth step, your sniper guy blows his head off. Milk that reputation for all it is worth.
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There is one oddity, which is that in order to be most effective at unarmed combat you need to wear some sort of fist-weapon on your offhand (shock glove or hardliner glove). You don't actually need to hit with it. It's kind of dumb.
I'm going to go with the facepunchy mystic adept setup. It's perfectly good. Compared to weapons, you are paying significantly more in PP more to get a little bit more damage, but I see you hopped on board the Geasa-abuse train so that actually matters less. Possession totally can work but it's not better per se; you can be better at melee combat, but you give up having a materialized spirit helping you.
First, you should find out from your GM how they think the power "Heightened Concentration" from Digital Grimoire works. It is either awesome, pretty good, or utter crap depending on interpretation. The version you want to take is one of the ones where you can spend a Complex Action to set it to negate penalties from a specific source and then go about doing things while ignoring that source of penalty. The versions you don't want are the ones where you have to spend one Complex Action right before you make any test, and then the power goes away. You also want to know if "Spell Sustaining" is one penalty of -2 per spell, or a separate -2 penalty that is different for each spell.
Second, you should fine out how your GM thinks Mystic Adepts work: does your GM use SR4A mystic adepts, where they use total magic for all purposes except the amount of dice they roll on magic-based skills, and the amount of PP they get (I am assuming this) or the SR4+FAQ version, where they use their reduced magics for all purposes including maximum rank of adept powers and maximum Force (this version means you either play a full mage, unless the strongest version of Heightened Concentration is used in which case you play a 1-PP mystic adept).
The way you want to work is:
Like all other spellcasters everywhere, Restricted Gear and a F4 Power Focus.
Make sure you can sustain 2 spells, minimum: you want to use some combination of Heightened Concentration (see above) and Sustaining Foci. Those spells are Increase Reflexes and Sound Aura (Street Magic, [Element] Aura).
Qualities: Martial Arts (+3 Unarmed DV), Mystic Adept, Way (Magician's Way using the Warrior's Way set/metamagic). It might, maybe, be worth dropping one MA level for a Mentor - if you have the strongest version of Heightened Concentration, I think a +Manipulation/+Something Useful mentor would be worth it. Adversary, Sky Father, Firebringer, or Raven.
Manuevers: Setup is absolutely worthless. Finishing Move is not. Two-Weapon Style (this is why you need that offhand glove weapon) is a must-have. Vicious Blow is key - this lets you do Physical damage with Sound Aura-enhanced punches. Focus Will is pro (Drain). Riposte is probably better than Finishing Move if you expect to one-punch people most of the time (better against multiple people). Watchful Guard is OK. Summary: Two Weapon Style, Vicious Blow, and Focus Will. Optional: Riposte OR Finishing Move, Watchful Guard.
Spells: Basically, aside from Increase Reflexes/Sound Aura, whatever you want. If you have the best version of Heightened Concentration, one more buff spell you can sustain on yourself - probably Increase Reaction or Increase Agility. I recommend going for utility-type spells to cover the "not face-punching" end of things.
Adept Powers: there are a lot of adept powers that are not useless per se, but are just too expensive to actually be worth it. The ones that are really good and efficient are Critical Strike and Kinesics, and the useful versions of Heightened Concentration. You want just enough "unique" powers to apply all your Way discounts - Combat Sense and Improved Combat Ability (Unarmed) are good if you can get them discounted down enough. Things like Penetrating Strike are just not worth it. 2 body makes me really uncomfortable - while you could wait for 15 karma to up it to 3, that is (a) 15 karma you could spend on getting more facepunching-related magical powers, and (b) a few adventures for you to get killed in. For this reason, I recommend coughing up the .75 PP for Improved Physical Attribute (Body) to get 3 body at chargen without having to cough up 25 BP for it.
Skills: Don't take Unarmed and Dodge and Gymnastics. Unarmed provides Block, Gymnastics covers active defense. Dodge points are best spent elsewhere. Cough up for Assensing 1 so you can actually use that Astral Perception racial.
Stats: You can go lower on Logic and be OK. You need enough to run your foci, but more than that is just for fluff.
Armor: Form Fitting Body Armor. Also, you can Softweave yourself an extra point of armor that you badly need with such low body.
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Develop the Five Point Palm Exploding Face technique. Spread the rumor that it exists. ... Milk that reputation for all it is worth.
No joke, in a SR2 game many, many moons ago my decker was running for his life from a "celtic double cross" and caught unarmed by a street gang he had pissed off a few weeks earlier. He threw a handful of shredded paper in the face of the gang's leader, interupting his intimidation routine, and started shouting things at them in Ecclesiastical Latin... It probably helped "sell it" that I have about two or three dots in Ecclesiastical Latin 'IRL' and actually stood up at the table and roleplayed my "spellcasting." It was 2052, the average sprawl ganger was a lot more worried -- and a lot less educated -- about magic back then. The "Wiz-Nerd of Redmond" became a legend in the sprawl that summer.
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*Cough*
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b143/CanRay/FairysWearBoots.jpg)
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I'll come right out and admit it, pixies are my favorite option for player character race in all of Shadowrun. I don't care if this makes me reek of "Special Snowflake Syndrome" or not, I don't care that at 55 HP they're costing as much as a Wolf `shifter or Elf Magician for less benefit... Pixies are awesome. End line.
Well, you got one thing right. Pixies are awesome. But you're wrong with the reasoning. They're in fact not expensive, but the cheapest and most cost-effective race in the whole game. (Almost) No GM likes having them around, it always smells like munchkinism. Pixies would be a valid race, if they're BP cost was something like ~100...
regarding your build. I find it kinda dangerous to put a geas on all your adept powers. A good GM will make sure, that you can't fullfil it from time to time, which means you will sit this one out.
Also, don't forget, that the Geas negative which quality gives you BP, and the adept power cost reduction geasa are two completely different things.
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Incompetence Intimidation makes it hard to resist intimidation.
Instead of being a Mystic Adept you could take the Sound effect as an Elemental Strike power. That would make you suffer from having to take Increase Reflexes as a power though.
Rasmus
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The Elemental Strike adept power is actually much less good. The big killer is that you have to spend a simple action to turn it on, and it's really short duration. It takes a Complex action to melee, and thus using the adept power means that you have to waste your first action in combat a lot of the time, which is really bad. It also has the drawbacks of needing Killing Hands and not adding DV (which Element Aura does).
I totally missed that Incompetence (Intimidations). As rasmusnicolaj pointed out, you use Intimidation to resist Intimidation, which may not be what you had in mind since it means you automatically fail, and thus anyone who gets even 1 hit can intimidate you.
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Okay, I tried to apply the advice from Umaro and others as best I could. A detailed reply to Umaro's post is in the spoiler tag below, if you just want a summary of the changes skip to beneath the first Spoiler Tag. The latest verison of her "sheet" is in the second Spoiler Tag.
[spoiler="Detailed reply to Umaro's Advice"]
Like all other spellcasters everywhere, Restricted Gear and a F4 Power Focus.
Make sure you can sustain 2 spells, minimum: you want to use some combination of Heightened Concentration (see above) and Sustaining Foci. Those spells are Increase Reflexes and Sound Aura (Street Magic, [Element] Aura).
Qualities: Martial Arts (+3 Unarmed DV), Mystic Adept, Way (Magician's Way using the Warrior's Way set/metamagic). It might, maybe, be worth dropping one MA level for a Mentor - if you have the strongest version of Heightened Concentration, I think a +Manipulation/+Something Useful mentor would be worth it. Adversary, Sky Father, Firebringer, or Raven.
This is well beyond the 35 BP cap on Positive Qualities; I went with Mystic Adept (10 BP), Restricted Gear I (5 BP), Magician's Way (10 BP), Mentor [Raven] (5 BP), and Martial Arts I [Savate (+1 Unarmed DV)] (5 BP). Oh, and buying off Uneducated, but that doesn't count towards the cap.
Manuevers: Setup is absolutely worthless. Finishing Move is not. Two-Weapon Style (this is why you need that offhand glove weapon) is a must-have. Vicious Blow is key - this lets you do Physical damage with Sound Aura-enhanced punches. Focus Will is pro (Drain). Riposte is probably better than Finishing Move if you expect to one-punch people most of the time (better against multiple people). Watchful Guard is OK. Summary: Two Weapon Style, Vicious Blow, and Focus Will. Optional: Riposte OR Finishing Move, Watchful Guard.
Okay, I went with Two-Weapon Style and Vicious Blow. That's 4 HP, and with only a single Martial Arts rank I'm capped at two manuevers.
Spells: Basically, aside from Increase Reflexes/Sound Aura, whatever you want. If you have the best version of Heightened Concentration, one more buff spell you can sustain on yourself - probably Increase Reaction or Increase Agility. I recommend going for utility-type spells to cover the "not face-punching" end of things.
Increase Reflexes, Increase Reaction, and Sound Aura; Heal and Control Actions for utility; and Fashion for fun.
Adept Powers: there are a lot of adept powers that are not useless per se, but are just too expensive to actually be worth it. The ones that are really good and efficient are Critical Strike and Kinesics, and the useful versions of Heightened Concentration. You want just enough "unique" powers to apply all your Way discounts[.]
The primary purpose in raising my BOD stat is keeping my faerie alive, yes? Primarily by wearing heavy armor but also with stronger resistance tests. While playing around with the numbers the Warrior's Way and my ritual geas lets me take either Mystic Armor at 0.25 PP/rank or IPA (Body) at 0.375 PP/rank. Call me crazy, but I think the Mystic Armor is a better value at chargen.
Skills: Don't take Unarmed and Dodge and Gymnastics. Unarmed provides Block, Gymnastics covers active defense. Dodge points are best spent elsewhere. Cough up for Assensing 1 so you can actually use that Astral Perception racial.
Stats: You can go lower on Logic and be OK. You need enough to run your foci, but more than that is just for fluff.
The loss of Mind over Matter really hurts my dice pools for Physical Skills. Reducing my Logic really hurts my already modest investigation pools...
But the real problem is that, following the advice you have given me, I have spent 55 BP on race, 140 BP on Attribute, 85 BP on Special, 92 BP on Skills, and 28 BP on spells, foci, and maneuvers... Even with -35 BP in flaws, that's 400 BP and no Nuyen...[/spoiler]
So I took your advice as best I could add applied it to Mk.II of the character, like so:
- Logic reduced from 4 to 3.
- Adept swapped for Mystic Adept.
- Martial Arts reduced to 1; Maneuvers changed to Two Weapon, Vicious Blow.
- Dodge skill dropped, picked up Assensing 1, Spellcasting 2.
- Added the Magician's Way Quality.
- Adept Powers reallocated: Critical Strike 4; Kinesics 3; Mystic Armor 3; Living Focus; Improved Unarmed Combat 2; Heightened Concentration; and Improved Body 1.
- Spells chosen: Catalog, Increase REA, Increase Reflexes, Sound Aura.
- Bought a pair of Shock Gloves.
[spoiler="Isabelle Mk.II"]
== Attributes ==
BOD: 2 (3)
AGI: 5
REA: 4
STR: 2
CHA: 7
INT: 6
LOG: 3
WIL: 3
EDG: 3
MAG: 6 (Adept: 5 / Magician: 1)
== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6
Initiative: 10
Init. Passes: 1
Astral Init.: 12
Astral Passes: 3
Matrix Init.: 9
Matrix Passes: 1
Phys Damage Track: 10
Stun Damage Track: 10
== Active Skills ==Assensing 1 (Pool: 7)
Climbing 1 (Pool: 3)
Computer 1 (Pool: 4)
Con 2 (Pool: 18)
Etiquette 2 (Pool: 18)
Flight 1 (Pool: 3)
Gymnastics 1 (Pool: 6)
Leadership 2 (Pool: 18)
Negotiation 2 (Pool: 18)
Perception [Visual] 4 (Pool: 10[12])
Running 1 (Pool: 3)
Shadowing
[Tailing] 2 (Pool: 8[10])
Spellcasting 1 (Pool: 3)
Swimming 1 (Pool: 3)
Unarmed Combat [Martial Arts] 6 (Pool: 13[15])[/list]
== Knowledge Skills ==
No changes.
== Contacts ==
No changes.
== Qualities ==
+ Erased (1 Week)
+ The Magician's Way
+ Mystic Adept
- Day Job (10 hrs/week)
- Distinctive Style
- Geas (Ritual)
- Sensitive System
- SINner (Standard; Tir Tairnigire)
== Spells ==
(Tradition: Path of the Wheel, Resist Drain with WIL+CHA)
[Sound] Aura
Catalog
Increase [REA]
Increase Reflexes
== Powers ==
Critical Strike Rating: 4
Heightened Concentration
Improved Ability (Combat) (Unarmed Combat) Rating: 2
Improved Physical Attribute (BOD) Rating: 1
Kinesics Rating: 3
Living Focus
Mystic Armor Rating: 3
== Lifestyles ==
No changes.
== Armor ==
No changes.
== Martial Arts ==
Savate (+1 DV on Unarmed Combat attacks); Two Weapon Style, Vicious Blow
== Commlink / Gear / Equipment ==
Other than buying two Shock Gloves (w/ Metahuman Customization) and removing Optimization from Commlink, no changes.
[/spoiler]
To sum up, Isabelle has given up a touch on her combat power... she needs to have spells cast and sustained for her offense to really shine, but with the sole exception of initiative, her defenses are much better. On the other hand, her social skills have all jumped up two dice, I've gained a smidge of magical utility, and it is a good deal easier to learn more spells than to gain Adept powers. Oh, and we are using the "awesome" verision of Heightened Concentration... given its high Power Point cost, it needs to be good.
Still not sure if this is... quite right.
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I totally goofed on the qualities BP and forgot restricted gear. My bad.
IPA Body is better than Mystic Armor. 1 more body is 1 more resistance and 2 more armor, and it costs less than 2 armor.
You are going to be very meh at Strength skills and at Logic skills, at best. I would drop a point off both, and use it to be better at doing magical things. Magic is very versatile and can contribute to solving a whole variety of problems.
I would also shave some of the skills. Specifically, I suggest cutting the following:
-1 Logic, -1 Strength
-2 Shadowing (reason: spirits are really, really, obscenely good at following people due to being astral and having Search).
-1 Computer (you aren't going to be good with computers. Buying off Uneducated is good enough that you can do basic things without rolling).
-1 Influence (skill boosters are more efficient)
That will free you up 42 desperately needed points. Even if you do want to have 1 rank in some skills I still recommend doing this, because they are 4 karma to get later, and a power focus is much, much harder to get later. Right now you can't actually cast spells well enough for it to help you, and you have to fix this.
I count 30 qualities. I would swap Erased out, and get Restricted Gear and Mentor: Raven (-5 points), get that badly-needed power focus so you can actually do magical things (-24 points to buy and bind it), raise Spellcasting to 4 (-8 points), and buy Summoning 1 (-4). I don't know what you do with the last 1 point.
If you really really REALLY want erased, you should probably drop Raven for it. I don't think it's worth losing Raven for.
Powers: Mystic Armor is always worse than Combat Sense, but both are rather pricey. I would drop the Mystic Armor for +2 Critical Strike, +1 IA Unarmed, and +1 Combat Sense. Living Focus is actually not that bad if your GM is going to let you "roll it in" with Sustaining and use Heightened Concentration, assuming that you do have a mage in your group who has a spell you want cast on you all the time.
At that point, I think you are set. Mystic Adepts always start out really, really tight on points and have to expand, but this will let you start out being able to fight very well, face well, and do some useful magical stuff.
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I agree with Umaro on his points.
Maybe you should take Powerbolt or similar as one of your spells. You will not be very good at it, but at least you have a ranged attack.
Use the last BP on either boosting a contact rating or get a little more gear (maybe Summoning materials) or an extra month of rent paid up front.
Rasmus
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Movement+Pixie=Ranged Attack :P
Also, I think your street name is suboptimal. I suggest changing it to "Tinkerballa."
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Movement+Pixie=Ranged Attack :P
Also, I think your street name is suboptimal. I suggest changing it to "Tinkerballa."
50 mpt running * 10 + Charge = *ZOOOOOOOOOOOM**WHAM**ARUGHMYFACE**
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You took Savate as your martial arts. That is French KICKboxing. It is performed with shoes on (as opposed to most other similar arts which are barefoot). It is also part of the roots of Urban Brawl. There are four strikes (jab, cross, hook, uppercut) and four kicks (roundhouse, reverse hook, side kick and sweep). If you're wearing that jacket, you'll be grounded so consider how the fights go, particularly against larger people when you're on the ground. On the plus side, they probably can't reach you with their hands. That's probably the only time you'd use a sweep kick. If you're facing off against similar sized opponents, maybe as big as dwarfs, you could pull out the whole pallet of attacks. In the air, you lose the benefit of good footing, so spinning attacks would still be effective but not so much the direct strikes.
In any case, your power strikes are going to be kicks. So you might want to put your hardliners and shock gloves into the boots. Which is basically a steel toed boot and maybe one of those slide out knives. And if you're going to be "in your face" about stuff, I don't see the point of spending extra on hardliners when a pair of brass knuckles (which go well with steampunky theme) work just as well.
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(http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110909055051/marvelvscapcom/images/2/2b/Ryu-shoryuken-xm.gif)
Ultimately, you want to replicate shoryuken
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I'm pretty sure Savate+Sonic Aura = Pixie Guile.
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Actually, there is an Australian Savate style too. And everything goes with Guile's theme
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wait... why did I always get the impression that Guile was Australian?
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Okay, here we have Isabelle Créer, Mk. 3. I'm just posing the raw text from Chummer as it is proving a pain to pretty it up everytime I post it. I've incorporated most of Umaro's new round of suggestions, cut down on the geas on my Adept Powers (I had failed to notice that SR4 has two seperate geas systems ::) ) I've picked up a Power Foci R.4, a forensics toolkit, lodge materials, a microskimmer drone, and, just for fun a "Pet License - Sapient Critter, Pseduoavian, Imported." so that my pixie can be the "legally" owned pet of the non-existant Elf that the fake SIN is connected too.
And, sorry Umaro, I know that the 6/2 protection from Form-Fitting Armor would be better... but I just cannot bring myself to give up my beloved Vashon Island Steampunk ensemble. A girl has to have her haute couture, just because I'm invisible doesn't mean I can't look good.
[spoiler="Third Character Sheet"]
== Info ==
Street Name: Tink
Name: Isabelle Créer
Movement: 1/4, Fly: 20/50
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0
Pixie Female Age 25
Height 45 cm (18") Weight 16 kg (35 lb.)
Composure: 10
Judge Intentions: 16
Lift/Carry: 4 (15 kg/10 kg)
Memory: 5
Nuyen: 2400
== Attributes ==
BOD: 2 (3)
AGI: 5
REA: 4
STR: 1
CHA: 7
INT: 6
LOG: 2
WIL: 3
EDG: 3
MAG: 6
== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6
Initiative: 10
IP: 1
Astral Initiative: 12
Astral IP: 3
Matrix Initiative: 9
Matrix IP: 1
Physical Damage Track: 10
Stun Damage Track: 10
== Active Skills ==
Animal Handling : 0 Pool: 5
Animal Training : 0 Pool: 5
Archery : 0 Pool: 4
Armorer : 0 Pool: 1
Artisan : 0 Pool: 5
Assensing : 1 [Psychometry] Pool: 7 (9)
Automatics : 0 Pool: 4
Blades : 0 Pool: 4
Climbing : 1 Pool: 2
Clubs : 0 Pool: 4
Computer : 0 Pool: 1
Con : 1 Pool: 17
Cybercombat : 0 Pool: 1
Data Search : 0 Pool: 1
Demolitions : 0 Pool: 1
Disguise : 0 Pool: 5
Diving : 0 Pool: 2
Dodge : 0 Pool: 3
Escape Artist : 0 Pool: 4
Etiquette : 1 Pool: 17
First Aid : 0 Pool: 1
Flight : 1 Pool: 2
Forgery : 0 Pool: 4
Gunnery : 0 Pool: 4
Gymnastics : 1 Pool: 6
Hacking : 0 Pool: 1
Heavy Weapons : 0 Pool: 4
Infiltration : 0 Pool: 4
Instruction : 0 Pool: 6
Intimidation : 0 Pool: 6
Leadership : 1 Pool: 17
Locksmith : 0 Pool: 4
Longarms : 0 Pool: 4
Navigation : 0 Pool: 5
Negotiation : 1 Pool: 17
Palming : 0 Pool: 4
Parachuting : 0 Pool: 2
Perception : 4 [Visual] Pool: 10 (12)
Pilot Ground Craft : 0 Pool: 3
Pilot Watercraft : 0 Pool: 3
Pistols : 0 Pool: 4
Riding : 0 Pool: 3
Running : 1 Pool: 2
Shadowing : 0 Pool: 5
Spellcasting : 4 Pool: 9
Summoning : 1 Pool: 6
Survival : 0 Pool: 2
Swimming : 1 Pool: 2
Throwing Weapons : 0 Pool: 4
Tracking : 0 Pool: 5
Unarmed Combat : 6 [Martial Arts] Pool: 13 (15)
== Knowledge Skills ==
Area Knowledge: Seattle : 2 Pool: 8
Bars and Clubs : 2 [Elf] Pool: 8 (10)
English : 3 Pool: 9
Forensics : 3 Pool: 5
French : 3 Pool: 9
Magical Threats : 2 Pool: 4
Parazoology : 2 [N. America] Pool: 4 (6)
Shadow Community : 2 [Rumours] Pool: 8 (10)
Sperethiel : N Pool: 0
Underworld : 1 Pool: 7
== Contacts ==
"Orchid" (Elf Call Girl) (1, 2)
Claude Sinjin (Elf Private Eye) (2, 3)
Ichiro "Itchy" Yotsuma (Fixer) (3, 2)
== Qualities ==
Day Job (10 hrs/week)
Distinctive Style
Geas (Ritual)
Mentor Spirit (Raven)
Mystic Adept
Restricted Gear (Rating 1)
Sensitive System
SINner (Standard) (Tir Tairnigire)
The Magician's Way
== Spells ==
(Tradition: Shamanic, Resist Drain with WIL + CHA (10))
[Elemental] Aura (Manipulation) DV: (F÷2)+3
Increase [Attribute] (Health) DV: (F÷2)-2
Increase Reflexes (Health) DV: (F÷2)+2
Mana Net (Manipulation) DV: (F÷2)+2
== Powers ==
Combat Sense Rating: 1
Critical Strike Rating: 4
Heightened Concentration
Improved Ability (Combat) (Unarmed Combat) Rating: 2
Improved Physical Attribute (BOD) Rating: 1
Kinesics Rating: 3
== Critter Powers ==
Concealment
Enhanced Senses (Astral Perception)
Sapience
Vanishing
== Lifestyles ==
Elven District Office 2 months
Comforts: Low
Entertainment: Low
Necessities: Middle
Neighborhood: High
Security: Middle
Qualities: Friendly Neighbors [1LP]
Living by Committee [-2LP]
Trigger-Happy Landlord [-1LP]
== Armor ==
Leather Jacket 2/2
Vashon Island: Steampunk Blouse/Shirt1/1
Vashon Island: Steampunk Corset/Vest2/2
+Nonconductivity 4
+Ruthenium Polymer Coating
Vashon Island: Steampunk Slacks or Knickers/Petticoat and Skirt1/1
== Weapons ==
Shock Glove
+Metahuman Customization
DV: 6S(e) AP: -half RC: 0
Shock Glove
+Metahuman Customization
DV: 6S(e) AP: -half RC: 0
Survival Knife
+Metahuman Customization
DV: 2P AP: -1 RC: 0
Unarmed Attack
DV: 6S AP: - RC: 0
== Martial Arts ==
Savate
++1 DV on Unarmed Combat attacks
Two Weapon Style
Vicious Blow
== Commlink ==
Disposable Commlink (1, 2, 1, 3)
+Disposable Commlink OS
+Suite: Basic User [Analyze 2, Browse 2, Command 1, Edit 2]
Novatech Airware (3, 3, 6, 3)
+Custom Commlink OS [Firewall 6, System 3]
+FTL Matrixware Power Suite [Analyze 3, Browse 4, Command 2, Edit 4, Purge 4, Scan 2]
+Gait Analysis Software (Hacked) Rating 6
+Facial Recognition Software (Hacked) Rating 6
+Empathy Software (Hacked) Rating 6
+Lie Detection Software (Hacked) Rating 6
+AR Gloves
+Skinlink
+Mapsoft (Seattle, Hacked) Rating 6
+Mapsoft (Tir Tairnigire, Hacked) Rating 6
+Mapsoft (Salish Shidhe Council, Hacked) Rating 6
+Mapsoft (Portland, Hacked) Rating 6
+Mapsoft (UCAS, Hacked) Rating 6
+Subvocal Microphone
== Gear ==
Contact Lenses Rating 3
+Image Link
+Flare Compensation
+Low Light
Earbuds Rating 2
+Microphone, Micro Rating 1
+Audio Enhancement Rating 1
Fake SIN (NeoNET Corporate) Rating 4
+Fake License (Private Detective) Rating 4
+Fake License (Ruthenium Polymer Coating) Rating 4
+Fake License (Pet License - Pixie) Rating 4
Forensic Tool Kit
Goggles Rating 3
+Camera, Micro Rating 1
+Vision Magnification
+Thermographic
Magical Lodge Materials Rating 3
Medkit Rating 6
Power Focus (bonded) Rating 4
Tag Eraser
== Vehicles ==
Federated-Boeing Kull (Medium)
+Amenities, Middle
+Signature Masking Rating 1
+SunCell
+Chaser (Hacked) Rating 2
+Maneuver (Drone, Hacked) Rating 4
+Medium Drone Sensor
+Laser Microphone Rating 6
+Directional Microphone
+Camera Rating 3 [Thermographic, Vision Enhancement 3, Vision Magnification]
+Radio Signal Scanner Rating 6
+Personality Software
S-B Microskimmer (Microdrone)
+Hovercraft Upgrade, Add-on
+Microdrone Sensor
+Camera Rating 2 [Thermographic, Vision Magnification]
== Description ==
An attractive female pixie, approximately 18" tall, dressed in stlyish steampunk fashions: goggles, aviator's slacks, and a lace-and-leather corset. Transluscent dragon-fly wings sprout from between her shoulder blades, just above the corset... in bad weath, she throws a light-weight pleather "bomber jacket" overtop (but this restricts her wings).
When in public, she almost always uses her natural Concealment power and will often engage the ruthenium polymers on her clothing as well. She does not like drawing undue attention to herself if she can avoid it.
== Background ==
Subject Isabelle Créer du Paix (#72CP88) has a very clear data trail for her childhood and teenage years. Subject was born 1 April, 2046, to a suburban enclave of pixies near Portland. Exact parentage is unknown as the Créer du Paix Enclave practice line marriage and raise children communally. Unlike many non-metahuman sapients around the globe the Créer du Paix Enclave appears to be intergrationist and techologically progressive. Isabelle has Tir citizenship, was educated in public schools, and even attended Portland Community College for two semesters in her late teens. No reliable data trail has been round for Subject between 2063-67, likly as a result of dataloss during Crash 2.0. Itis known subject dropped out of college during this time, relocated to the Seattle metroplex, and began to associate with Claude Sinjin, an elvish private detective (see file #72CP88/Contact_01). Subject appears to have spent several years as Det. Sinjin's apprentice/assistant, it is unknown how the pair met or why they seperated.
== Concept ==
Pixie Private Eye
[/spoiler]
@CitizenJoe: I'm very aware that savate has a strong emphasis on kicks, but boxe française just seems to be perfect for a pixie for story reasons (the largest population of them lives in France, I gave Isabelle Créer du Paix a French ancestry, etc.) and it works great mechanically as it is one of the Martial Arts that grants +1DV as an Advantage. Also, so far as I know, in Shadowrun unarmed strikes can come from fists, feet, knees, headbutts, or whatever you want unless a particular weapon or technique is being used... Like Kick Attack, which I plan to pick up tout suite. My GM would probably approve of a pair of Hardliner boots, and we all know what faeries wear. ;D
[spoiler="Edit to Add: Street Fighter Reference"]
Who says you need to have super-punches? Now! Fight Your Rival! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlpl0_S1TQ8&feature=player_embedded)
[/spoiler]
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My soul weeps at your armor. I understand the desire to play My Pretty Pixie Shadowrun Dressup, so let me suggest some alternatives that are less likely to result in Pixie Swiss Cheese. Attitude is the book for all your princess-fantasy related needs, and has an entire section on steampunk fashion.
My suggestion, which is optimized for maximum fanciness:
FFBA (6/2, counts as 3/1)
Carbon-Boron Threading Clockwork Vest (2/3)
Softweave Quizzel Dragon Wings (1/1, counts as 0/1)
PPP Shin Guards (discrete version) (0/1)
Optional: Vashon Island (Shiawase Fashion) clothing (500Y, it is 0/0 armor that you wear because it looks cool); see Attitude 174.
Women's Faraday Fan (not particularly useful, but hey).
This setup gets you proper armor, you look cool (and I personally find the idea of a pixie with steampunk dragon wings hilarious), and the clockwork vest's special ability is actually reasonably useful; you can carry stuff like your commlink in it.
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(http://angryfaerie.com/images/comics/50/072bba9d18bbe0dc0c4bfde5b8e88178299338076.jpg)
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Huh, I own a PDF copy of Attitude, I guess I need to read more than the music chapter... ???
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Apologies for the double post, but this is unrelated to the above, and it has been a while since I posted it. The player we were counting on as our hacker has dropped out. Looks like I won't be playing my Tinkerbrawl character afterall... :'(
Hmm... Pixie Combat-Hacker. I wonder.
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Just make a troll, but wear Quizzel Fairy Wings.
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On a less tangential note: you can make a quite effective Pixie Adept (or Mystic Adept, depending on your priorities) command rigger. Command rigging depends on Intuition (which Pixies have the only bonus to, unless you start getting even wierder), and isn't 'ware-dependant. Lack of 'ware means a pixie will never be the best at hacking, but it's easy to be "good enough" on the side as an Adept rigger.
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Minor thread necromancy away!
Earlier you had mentioned that armed pixies would be better, didn't you?
Moreover, if your pixie didn't have a thing for fashion, would you recommend pushing your body up a bit higher and grabbing Milspec for the incredible amounts of larfs that would cause?
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Yes. Unarmed combat is only good if you (a) have a high strength, (b) are willing to install either Bone Lacing or Bone Density Augmentation and (c) are willing to blow significant amounts of PP on Critical Strike.
If you wanted to be an optimal pixie melee character (which is not necessarily the best thing pixies can do, to be clear; I mean that if you were definitely going to be a melee pixie and wanted to work around that) the way to go would be to use fixed-damage melee weapons - ie, a Monofilament Whip or electrical melee weapons. Which exactly depends on whether Martial Arts are allowed (if they are not, the whip is a viable weapon. If they are, you want to be dual-wielding electrical clubs so you can use +clubs Martial Arts and so you can use TWS).
I don't think 2 Body is a good idea. There's various options for what you do about that, ranging from "suck it up until you save up some karma," hardcapping with BP, softcapping and then taking IPA Body to get 3, and sustaining the Increase Body spell.
Milspec is at its biggest payoff in the low-body range that Pixies inevitably wind up in. I do think it's worth owning a suit, although how useful it is depends on what sorts of things your runs typically involve (it being F and obvious). I don't think it's worth a Restricted Gear, though.
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I don't care that at 55 HP they're costing as much as a Wolf `shifter or Elf Magician for less benefit...
Pixie costs only 35BP, not 55. :)
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I do think it's worth owning a suit, although how useful it is depends on what sorts of things your runs typically involve (it being F and obvious). I don't think it's worth a Restricted Gear, though.
Good point, but you already have Distinctive Style: Pixie. If someone notices you you already stand out like a sore thumb, and moreover you probably don't have any rights unless you have a corporate SIN (generally a bad idea) or a faked corporate SIN (Which is more likely to be double checked. Uh-oh.) In any case, you don't seem to favor the unarmed or even armed melee pixie. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but aren't pixies a distinct flavor of ass when it comes to shooting guns? I mean they've definitely got the aim and skill for it but I have a hard time seeing a pixie haul around a Panther XXL, or even an assault rifle at 18 inches tall.
Left with few other options... Pixie technomancers or hackers? They have to buy off the uneducated NQ but that still leaves them with a bunch of bonus mental stats, a useless str stat and a body that only matter if someone sneaks up behind you while you're programming. The obvious is of course Pixie Magicians - pixies are made for astral combat, with that ludicrous mental statline, though they lose out when it comes to drain if they don't manage to resist, and they have trouble getting trauma modules and platelet factories, restricting their options to hoping for the best, and, well, not casting big spells. (Barring the use of the cybercritters mechanic, which I suppose you could make work for pixies if your GM rolls with that) Unless I'm missing something?
(Edit: Quoted post I was referring to. Opps.)
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[...] you probably don't have any rights unless you have a corporate SIN (generally a bad idea) or a faked corporate SIN (Which is more likely to be double checked. Uh-oh.) [...]
Be French, from the Broceliande Autonomous District. Poof, SIN. (Or at least, get a fake SIN that _claims_ you're from Broceliande ... hah!)
Pixie technomancers or hackers?
Hacker yes, technomancer no. They have a Magic Rating racially, so they can never have a Resonance rating. :)
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Hacker yes, technomancer no. They have a Magic Rating racially, so they can never have a Resonance rating. :)
Good catch. I'm a moron.
Anyways, yes, I got the French thing... If you like being a SINner, yes, it's a good idea.
But your SIN is gonna get searched every time, remember. Pixies are weird. Dragons, no one will even try. Centaurs... maybe. Probably not. But pixies are tiny, strange looking, and an easy target. They'll be checked.
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Oddly enough, Pixies can shoot heavy weapons just fine. They do have to get them customized, but yeah, they can use Panther XXLs just fine due to the well-thought out firearms rules. There's nothing wrong with melee pixie though, mind you. Other things they can do well are pure magician of either a Charisma or Intuition tradition, physical-combat oriented Mystic Adept, face mystic adept, and adept rigger. They actually aren't very good hackers because hackers don't care much about stats but do care about being able to use cyberware; Intuition is important for riggers, though, and Pixies are one of very few ways to get an Intuition bonus.
There's a big difference between "that's a pixie, it doesn't have civil rights" and "that's a pixie wearing a super illegal set of armor." If your GM isn't going to enforce that difference, then yes, you definitely want MilSpec.
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Anyways, yes, I got the French thing... If you like being a SINner, yes, it's a good idea.
But your SIN is gonna get searched every time, remember. Pixies are weird. Dragons, no one will even try. Centaurs... maybe. Probably not. But pixies are tiny, strange looking, and an easy target. They'll be checked.
Yes, but an R4 Fake SIN that says you're from France (really helps if you can speak the language convincingly-well, and not via a linguasoft) is still a good idea.
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Oddly enough, Pixies can shoot heavy weapons just fine. They do have to get them customized, but yeah, they can use Panther XXLs just fine due to the well-thought out firearms rules.
Augh. I am noticeably new to Shadowrun but that just strikes me wrong. The section even says you can't give pixies guns.
There's a big difference between "that's a pixie, it doesn't have civil rights" and "that's a pixie wearing a super illegal set of armor." If your GM isn't going to enforce that difference, then yes, you definitely want MilSpec.
You are correct, sir, that is very true. The first is one that is in no way imposing. The second is over the top nuts. Human in milspec armor? Call the security. Troll in milspec armor? Back away slowly and THEN call the police. Pixie in milspec armor? Just pass on by and hope he doesn't see you.
Honestly the concept of a pixie in milspec was for a pink mohawk game anyways.