Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: Snoot on <06-18-12/0226:05>

Title: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: Snoot on <06-18-12/0226:05>
First time player very excited to see where my GM will take myself and the group in this wonderful world.  I have had the privilege(?) of creating and role-playing a FACE but I also wanted to have my character as a battle-mage type or at least magic as his main source of offense ability.  I do believe this is a hard combo to create in a character because of the fact that i cant quite pump BP into all of the abilities that a FACE is required as well as the abilities needed for a combat mage.  So any and all suggestions are going to be taken to heart as i want this to be a fun experience and not a struggle as I am role-playing through Seattle in 2072

Blix Nalldiir - Elf [30BP]

Positive Qualities [20BP] - Low-Light vision, Magician, Mentor Spirit (Dragonslayer)

Negative Qualities [-30BP] - Addiction (Moderate - Bliss), Gremlins (R2), Low Pain Tolerance

Attributes [190BP + 50 BP]
BOD - 3
AGI - 3
REA - 4
STR - 2
CHA - 7
INT - 4
LOG - 2
WIL - 5
EDG - 2
MAG - 5

Skill Groups [30BP] - Influence (3)

Skills [60BP] - Binding (1 = 8 DP), Blades (1 = 2 DP), Con (3 = 12 DP), Counterspelling (4 = 9 DP), Dodge (2 = 4 DP), Etiquette (3 = 10 DP), Leadership (3 = 10 DP), Negotiation (3 = 10 DP), Perception (1 = 5 DP), Spellcasting (5 = 12 DP), Summoning (1 = 8 DP)

Spells (tradition = Shinto) [24 BP] -  Powerball, Stunball, Stunbolt, Mindprobe, Heal, Increase Attribute (CHA), Increase Reflexes, Control Actions

Contacts [12 BP] - Talismonger (Connection = 3, Loyalty = 3), Mr. Johnson (Connection = 2, Loyalty = 1), Street Doc (Connection = 1, Loyalty = 2)

Enemies [-5 BP] - The Magicians Alliance (Connection = 3, Incidence = 2)

Lifestyle - Middle

Nuyen [16 BP]

Gear - (Armor) Form Fitting Full-Body Suit, Padded Leather Armor, Moonsilver Scarf (Weapons) Cougar Fineblade Knife Long, Shiawase Arms Hearth Protector W/ Advanced Safety System, Silencer, Low-Light Flash Light, and Spare Clips.  Power Focus (R2 - Bonded), Sustaining Focus Health (R1 - Bonded), Gentleman's Cane W/ Anchor and Sword Options, Sony Emperor W/ Iris Orb, Contact Lenses (R3) W/ Flare Comp., Smartlink, Image Link, Goggles (R6) W/ Vision Enhancement (R3), 49 Hollow Point Rounds, Fake SIN (R4) - Blix Nalldiir, Fake License (R4) - Magic Practitioner, 40 Bliss, 10 Novacoke, 4 BTL Recording (value = 200 each), 100 Zen, 30 Cram

Grand Total BP = 400

Thanks for looking and commenting.
Title: Re: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: rasmusnicolaj on <06-18-12/0358:10>
Elf charisma tradition mage is totally fine as a secondary face. You wont be a pornomancer but you should be good enough.

Get 5 BP worth of negative quality.
Get Influence group at 4. Much more karma efficient now.
Blades are really not going to do much for you. Stunbolt people in the face instead.
Dodge 2 – I’m not sure it is worth to sacrifice an action to get +2 dodge.
You should get spellcasting 6.
Padded leather armor is a pit archaic and will maybe attract attention.
Why use money on a gun you really don’t know how to use?
You should really try to get Restricted Gear and a Power Foci R4.
Your sustaining foci should be R3. R1 isn’t really doing much for you.
Why a smartlink in your lenses – you don’t need to shoot people. Stunbolt them.
Your goggles don’t need to be rank 6.

Rasmus
Title: Re: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: Critias on <06-18-12/0408:59>
If you've got the money, carrying a gun around isn't a terrible idea as a mage -- if nothing else, it means the other side has to wait until you chuck a visible spell at them for them to start targeting you.  That first round of combat, it sometimes pays off to be wearing a bulky armored jacket and waving around a gun like everyone else.  ;)
Title: Re: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: rasmusnicolaj on <06-18-12/0422:00>
If you've got the money, carrying a gun around isn't a terrible idea as a mage -- if nothing else, it means the other side has to wait until you chuck a visible spell at them for them to start targeting you.  That first round of combat, it sometimes pays off to be wearing a bulky armored jacket and waving around a gun like everyone else.  ;)

If not then hide behind the troll - after all that is why the universe invented trolls  ;D

Rasmus
Title: Re: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: Herr Novak on <06-18-12/0627:27>
Even mages with no firearms skill should have a gun.
Unlike a stunbolt you can point a gun into someones face during a discussion or press it into someones back or stomach when approaching him. Pointing a gun at someone is a nice message which tells "I mean business!"

As a face you might want to consider spells like Alter Memory, Control Thoughts or Physical Mask.

One point into athletics and stealth skillgroups are always nice in our profession. Also for a face character, I miss Intimidation.
Title: Re: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: Snaryl on <06-18-12/1724:29>
Hey Snoot, long time no see, just noticed you have a "Shiawase Arms Hearth Protector W/ Advanced Safety System, Silencer, Low-Light Flash Light, and Spare Clips" without a Smartgun System, but have Contacts with a Smartlink. Without the Smartgun System your Smartlink doesn't have an input source to send you information and give you the +2 bonus for having a Smartgun.

Since you don't have any points in Pistols, it might make more sense to take the cheapest light pistol, maybe even a holdout, and just equip it with a laser sight and a silencer. Then it can be used as a last resort, or to make people think you aren't a Mage.
Title: Re: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: UmaroVI on <06-18-12/1837:22>
If you're going to carry a weapon that you aren't very good with, I actually recommend the ArmTech MGL-6 grenade launcher. The reason for this is that even if you kinda suck, it's still effective because grenades are AEs. Also, it can do useful things besides explosions. Thermal smoke grenades, chem grenades with Narcoject mixed with DMSO, gas grenades with Pepper Punch, and flashbangs are all useful. Make sure you get Airburst, though, or it's worthless.

Rasmus's advice is all good and I second it.

If you want to check out a similar character, look at the Spirit Medium in the first link of my sig.

I'd think about swapping out Control Actions for Influence; it's more useful, IMO, because it's more subtle. If you can squeeze out another 3 bp, Alter Memory is another solid choice.
Title: Re: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: redwolf on <06-19-12/0306:10>
tell if you are an elf and you got natural low light vision way do you take it as a positive quality ?
Title: Re: first time player Character critique and suggestions
Post by: Snaryl on <06-19-12/0343:19>
@redwolf - I think it's because he made the character in Chummer, racial qualities show up there in the same place as positive qualities. Magician in 15BP and Mentor Spirit is 5BP, so no BP spent on Low Light Vision. Someone else mentioned that he had 5 BP more Negative Qualities he could take, but another case of Chummer making things look different, he has the Enemy quality at 5 BP, but it shows up under contacts.