[FST_Gemstar]

Playing with a few concepts. Trying to tackle making Banishing work and trying to stick to standard priority for a change.  Suggestions appreciated!

This character is Cross. He is a folk religious leader/combat mage that has seen to much in his mercenary past. Using a Power Focus to boost banishing and spellcasting rolls, and not require too much investment in other magical skills down the road. His first goal would be to bind his sustained health focus. Then it is on to some metamagics, probably Centering for Drain and Exorcism for flavor. Fortunately he has a lot of starting cash so having a stockpile of reagents to help keep some spell drain lower can last a while.  Not particularly optimized, but perhaps a hireable NPC.

== Info ==
Name: Tomas "Thomas" Fernos       Alias: Cross
Human, Man                        Movement: 6/12
6'2", 220                         Composure: 8
Street Cred: 0                    Judge Intentions: 9
Notoriety: 0                      Lift/Carry: 5 (30 kg/20 kg)
Public Awareness: 0               Memory: 7
Karma: 0                          Nuyen: 4135
Age: 34                           Skin: Brown
Eyes: Brown                       Hair: Black

== Priorities ==
Metatype: D(1) - Human or Elf
Attributes: B(3) - 20 Attributes
Special: A(4) - Magician or Technomancer
Skills: E(0) - 18 Skills/0 Skill Groups
Resources: C(2) - 140,000¥
Bonus Skill: Banishing
Bonus Skill: Spellcasting

== Attributes ==
BOD: 3                            CHA: 3
AGI: 3                            INT: 6
REA: 5                            LOG: 2
STR: 2                            WIL: 5
EDG: 4                            MAG: 7

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6                        Initiative:           11 + 1d6
Physical Damage Track: 10         Rigger Init:          11 + 1d6
Stun Damage Track: 11             Astral Init:          12 + 2d6
Physical: 4                       Matrix AR Init:       11 + 1d6
Mental: 5                         Matrix VR Cold Init:  6 + DP + 3d6
Social: 6                         Matrix VR Hot Init:   6 + DP + 4d6
   Mortimer of London: Argentum Coat [+1] (Must be visible)
   Mortimer of London: Berwick Suit [+1] (Must be visible)
Astral: 6

== Active Skills ==
Archery (Crossbow)                Base: 4  + Karma: 0  = 4   Pool: 7 (9)
Assensing (Aura Reading)          Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8 (10)
Banishing                         Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16
Etiquette (Mercenary)             Base: 1  + Karma: 0  = 1   Pool: 6 (
Perception (Visual)               Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8 (10)
Sneaking (Urban)                  Base: 1  + Karma: 0  = 1   Pool: 4 (6)
Spellcasting (Combat)             Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16 (18)

== Knowledge Skills ==
Creole (Speak)                    Base: 1  + Karma: 0  = 1   Pool: 7 (9)
English                           N                     
Magical Threats (Blood Magic)    Base: 4  + Karma: 0  = 4   Pool: 10 (12)
Parabotany                        Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8
Religion                          Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8
Spanish                           Base: 4  + Karma: 0  = 4   Pool: 10
Sprawl Life                       Base: 1  + Karma: 0  = 1   Pool: 7

== Contacts ==
 (Fixer), Downtown (CON: 4, LOY: 2)
 (Tarot Reader) (CON: 2, LOY: 1)

== Qualities ==
Addiction (Mild) (Zen)
Exceptional Attribute (MAG)
Jack of All Trades Master of None
Lightweight
Magician
Mentor Spirit (Dragonslayer)
Spirit Pariah

== Spells ==
(Tradition: Santeria, Resist Drain with WIL + INT (11))
Ball Lightning             DV: F-1
Fashion                    DV: F-1
Heal                       DV: F-4
Improved Invisibility      DV: F-1
Increase Reflexes          DV: F
Levitate                   DV: F-2
Manabolt                   DV: F-3
Stunbolt                   DV: F-3
Sunbeam                    DV: F-1
Turn To Goo                DV: F+3

== Lifestyles ==
Tacoma Trailer (Low)  1 months

== Armor ==
Armor Clothing                      6
Armor Jacket                        14
   +Chemical Protection 1
   +Drag Handle
   +Fire Resistance 2
   +Gel Packs
   +Insulation 2
   +Nonconductivity 2
   +Thermal Damping 4
Mortimer of London: Argentum Coat   12
   +Concealability
   +Custom Fit (Stack)
Mortimer of London: Berwick Suit    9
   +Custom Fit

== Weapons ==
Medium Crossbow
   +Gecko Grip
   +Personalized Grip
   Pool: 7        Accuracy: 7     DV: 7P       AP: -2    RC: 2
Ranger Silver Pistol Crossbow
   +Concealed Quick-Draw Holster
   +Gecko Grip
   +Personalized Grip
   Pool: 7        Accuracy: 8     DV: 4P       AP: -     RC: 2
Survival Knife
   Pool: 2        Accuracy: 5     DV: 4P       AP: -1    RC: 2
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 2        Accuracy: 4     DV: 2S       AP: -     RC: 2

== Commlink ==
MCT-3500 (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 3, FWL: 3)
   +Fake SIN (Carlos Vega) Rating 4 [Fake License 4 (Mage License), Fake License 4 (Weapon License), Fake License 4 (Driver's License), Fake License 4 (Concealed Carry Permit), Fake License 4 (Minister License)]
   +Sim Module
   +Subvocal Mic
   +Micro-Transceiver

== Gear ==
Animal Tongue
Bolt: Barbed Head (Crossbows) x5
Bolt: Injection (Crossbows) x20
Bolt: Standard (Crossbows) x10
Bolt: Stick-n-Shock w/Static Shaft (Crossbows) x10
Certified Credstick, Silver x2
Contacts Rating 3
   +Image Link
   +Low Light
   +Flare Compensation
Deepweed x2
Little Smoke
Magical Lodge Materials Rating 6
Medkit Rating 6
Narcoject x20
Power Focus (Bonded Foci) Rating 3
Psyche x2
Reagents, per dram x200
Slap Patch, Stim Patch Rating 6 x5
Survival Kit
Sustaining Focus, Health Rating 4 (Not bonded)
Zen x20

== Vehicles ==
Ford Americar (Sedan)
   +Sensor Array Rating 2

== Background ==
Some people are afraid of their own shadows, but in the 6th World, it may pay to be. Spirits in the grips of dark magicians and other planar evils can lurk behind any corner. Cross works to rid the material of evil spirits and to free ones bound by magicians who use them to do evil. Born in Lousiana, everyone thought Cross would grow up to be a priest. Expecations come true, sort of. Cross is not a priest in a formal sense. With the help of the angel Rafael (Dragonslayer), however, he has learned to use his gifts and faith to bring redemption to spirits trapped in the earthly plain and justice to those who come here to do harm.

== Concept ==
Spirit Hunter/Combat Mage

[Jack_Spade]

Let's see how good he is at what he does best:

Cross has been separated by his group and comes across a recently summoned R6 spirit of fire with 2 services open
Luckily, Cross has a sustained increase reflexes on himself, so he goes first:
He tries to banish the spirit:

Banish: 14d6t5 5

Spirit resist: 6d6t5 2
Spirit is banished
Drain: 4
Drain: 11d6t5 3

1 Stun

The summoner is alerted and sends his bound R4 spirit after the Cross

Again he can use the time the spirit is materializing to try and banish him:
banish: 14d6t5 5

resist: 10d6t5 2
The summoner doesn't want to lose this expensively summoned spirit and spends edge for a reroll
resist: 8d6t5 3

The spirit loses no services
Drain Value is 10
Drain: 11d6t5 4
Cross now is at 7 Stun and a R4 Fire spirit is about to engulf him, while the summoner is about to send another freshly summoned R4 spirit after him.

engulfe: 10d6t5 2
Cross goes full defense
Defense: 16d6t5 3

And lives to get another chance to banish:
Banish: 12d6t5 3

resist: 10d6t5 4
Cross now has a serious problem with a drain value of 8
Drain: 9d6t5 3

He gains another 5 stun for a total of 12 and goes unconscious

Moments later the spirit incinerates him....

[FST_Gemstar]

That went well...

But......

Banishing pool is technically 16. (Magic 7 Banishing 6 Power Focus 3)

Cross has some edge too.

I suppose adding an auto-injector and biomonitor into his armor with a bunch of stim patches won't change this scenario much, but may keep him from passing out and losing stun dice, at least until he's in the clear.

And also has some combat spells with 20 dice to throw for when banishing won't do.


But yeah, exclusively banishing is not going to happen, and those skillpoints are more efficiently spent elsewhere (counterspelling).  It seems that Cross's banishing probably works best against higher level unbound spirits that probably have fewer services. Bound lower level ones with more services and the benefit of it;s magician's magic rating as a bonus to their resistance test looks like a real fast way to die (as you shown), when just killing the spirit (or the magician) is less drain intensive and likely quicker.

[Pap Renvela]

Creole in and of itself is not an appropriate language choice as there is most commonly both English and French Creoles and look hard enough in the Caribbean you'll find Spanish Creole. So English Creole(Speak) for example. Or like Cityspeak, spend 1 knowledge point and add it as a specialty to your primary language: English(Creole). Of course if it's French Creole you want to speak, obviously you couldn't add it to English.

[FST_Gemstar]

Creole in and of itself is not an appropriate language choice as there is most commonly both English and French Creoles and look hard enough in the Caribbean you'll find Spanish Creole. So English Creole(Speak) for example. Or like Cityspeak, spend 1 knowledge point and add it as a specialty to your primary language: English(Creole). Of course if it's French Creole you want to speak, obviously you couldn't add it to English.

I was considering more a French Creole. However, I wasn't sure if it was more its own pidgin langauge rather than a French dialect. I guess google could help with this.

[Pap Renvela]

Creole in and of itself is not an appropriate language choice as there is most commonly both English and French Creoles and look hard enough in the Caribbean you'll find Spanish Creole. So English Creole(Speak) for example. Or like Cityspeak, spend 1 knowledge point and add it as a specialty to your primary language: English(Creole). Of course if it's French Creole you want to speak, obviously you couldn't add it to English.

I was considering more a French Creole. However, I wasn't sure if it was more its own pidgin langauge rather than a French dialect. I guess google could help with this.

I'd go with French(Creole) then.

[Jack_Spade]

@FST_Gemstar

Don't forget the sustained spell - as it is you don't have any way to mitigate the penalty
What you really need with this concept is a higher drain pool - Increase Intuition and Willpower

Yeah, you have edge, but it was late and I didn't want to go on too long with this example. There was after all another R6 spirit on it's way...

[FST_Gemstar]

I guess Cross can be a Willpower-boosted elf for a 14 dice drain pool... I just wasn't feeling a high Charisma character.
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[Jack_Spade]

Another thing I just noticed: This character is getting nothing from sticking to banishing. He is a spirit pariah and he can't summon himself.
Spirit Index shouldn't matter to him at all.

Instead of a power focus, I'd recommend you bind that health focus and have it sustain a Willpower buff.

When I get home, I'll simulate the situation if you'd just mana bolted them with reagents to keep the drain low.

[Marcus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuI6Au6BpuQ

The Spirits are always with you!

I do think there is a place for this of concept in the right game.

The inherent issue with banishing is it's basically all or nothing.

[bangbangtequila]

If you take Centring and a metamagic focus, you could easily pull a much, much better drain pool. Often, even with combat spells, getting a bonus 5 dice to your drain pool means throwing 2 extra force on everything.

[FST_Gemstar]

I suppose with a nominal investment in summoning/binding Cross could bind a Spirits of Man to sustain Improved Reflexes on him. Mechanically feasible (character might have to change). This would save some chargen money to buy a Rating 2 or 3 Centering Focus with char-gen money and bind later. So this would be a slow build character. Would have to get by more as a plain mage for a while, but 50 karma in, could have Centering and Exorcising metamagics, bond a Centering Foci, and have some ranks in summoning/binding. This would give the character an extra 4-5 drain dice (15-16) and an extra 5 banishing dice (21).  Is that too far out to plan a character to be competent at their "hook"? Without his Banshing "hook," is Cross still valuable enough as a power foci boosted combat mage (without counterspelling)?

[ZeldaBravo]

It is super hard to be a useless spellcaster.