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My mage, What do you think?

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Seraph

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« on: <09-04-11/1700:42> »
Hi again. The last projct(the augmented adept) resulted in a char driving towards different ends. Specialization is important as everyone says and by that thought of mind I created a Mage insted. So the setting will be rather low pace and we will be playing the chars for a long time and advancing them, so the GM set the dice pools to around 15:ish.  Do you think I have made a mage not playable or do you se some things that wont work so please tell me.

His job will mostly be about protecting the others in the group and focus a lot on manipulation spells. Side job for him will probably be as an Interpreter with the day job negative quality.

Background: Born and raised in Japan. Taken from the family at age of 5 to start magical studies. And henceforth he has very much magical knowledge (both active skills and knowledges).

Attributes:
B  4                 C  1            Edge  3
A   1                 I   5            Essence  6[5]
R  4                 L  5 [8]       Iniative  8
S  1                 W 5            Magic  5  [4]

Skills
Summoning 1
Binding 1
Spellcasting [Manipulation]  6 [8]
Counterspelling 4
Arcana 1 [+3]
Assenssing 1[+3]
Dodge 2
Perception 1 [+3]
Armorer 1 [+3]
First Aid 1 [+3]
Computer 1 [+3]
10 languages(  :)  ) and spirits knowledge, magical threats, spell designs, metaplanar knowledge for knowledge skills.


Qualitys
Magican
Focused concentration 1
Mentor spirit [adversary +2 manip and counterspell]
Restricted gear (cerebral booster +3)

In debt [will change this one for something else, tips ?]
Day job r1

BIO/CYBER
Cyberfoot with nano hive [neocortial r3, limbic r3  +3 on logicc and intuition linked skills]
cerebral boost r3
mnenoric enhancer r1 (for flavor only)
Cyber eyes r3 [vision enhancement r3, magnification, flare reduce, thermographic]

Focis
sustain foci r3
power foci r2

Magics
heal
alter memory
mind probe
stunbolt
levitate
deflection
increase reflexes
imp invisibility
control actions
stunball (should i go for a harder nuker?)


Advancing later ingame as a mage is a pain in the ass exspensive with karma, any tips for development that will be sufficient?
« Last Edit: <09-05-11/1939:07> by Seraph »
What swedish tanks canīt blow up is not worth destroying!

UmaroVI

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« Reply #1 on: <09-04-11/1748:57> »
I have a few notes/suggestions, but I think this is basically a good character.

I would try to dig up for that last point of Intuition; it's very useful and going first is important.

Banishing is a trap option; just buy Summoning and Binding separately.

Astral combat is iffy in general, more so for you. You should instead invest in one decent mana spell you can fight on the astral with - like Stunbolt. As is, all you can do is wuss-slap astral enemies, and they can most likely do much worse to you. A force 3 spirit can stomp you in astral combat, and that's not good.

I would not have both Unarmed Combat and Dodge. I would suggest losing Unarmed Combat, since Dodge already adds to your melee defense, and having Stunbolt (which you want anyways, see above) as your "my machine pistol got taken in a strip search" option. With a 1 strength and a 3 agility, you're not exactly going to be a terror in HTH offense anyways.

Since you are concerned about long-term: starting with a bunch of mid-range stats and skills is bad because of how karma upgrading works. Try to have skills at 1,4, or 6. Same for stats - try to get stats to "as high as I will ever want this" at chargen, or leave them at 1 - like, if you eventually plan on buying more Reaction and/or Intuition, you would do better to start with Reaction 1 and Intuition 5, since buying Intuition from 4->5 costs 25 karma, but buying Reaction from 1->2 costs 10 karma. Magic 6 is a little inefficient too - it's 30 karma or 25 bp - and I think you could do better spending the 25 bp on other stuff that would be more expensive to raise later (like having skills at 4 instead of 2-3) and buying up Magic as your first karma purchase.

While not worthless, Focused Concentration is bp-inefficient; it is 10 points for +1 drain, but buying another point of a drain stat is also +1 - although since you are maxed out, it maaaay be worth it for you, but be aware that it's like hardcapping stats - you pay a premium for the last bit.

Check your GM interprets Adversary's bonus as +2 to all counterspelling, including counterspelling for defense, and not just to counterspell existing spells (I think that ruling the latter way is moronic, but I have seen people insist it works like that).

I'm not a huge fan of Astral Chameleon, but YMMV.

I can see cybereyes as a human mage, but cyberears are rather meh - consider just wearing earbuds. Mnemonic Enhancer is very meh. Better things to get: PuSHeD (adds +1 to ALL logic linked skills, instead of just knowledge skills), cyberfoot with a Nanohive and Neocortical Nanites (+3 to all logic-linked skills when you are able to concentrate - great for using stuff like knowledge skills or Arcana). Reflex Recorders are handy too. Longterm (when you can free up more essence by using better rated ware), a cyber lower leg or lower arm might be nice so you can fit in nifty stuff like armor, cyberarm gyromount [very handy as an Automatics user], etc.

Counterspelling and Sustaining foci require you to specify a school. For this reason I think Counterspelling foci are rather iffy and I would recommend using the Shielding metamagic for more spell defense - you can even get a Shielding focus, which helps against all schools instead of just one (same nuyen price, 6x force karma instead of 3x force karma).

Armor is not a good spell choice, because armor glows in the real world and that is not good. Stunbolt is a good spell choice because right now you cannot attack with spells and that is bad. Against a lot of enemies, Stunbolt is going to do better than your gun, and even without that, why would you not want 3 bp for a backup attack option that can't be found in a pat-down? You should also very, very strongly consider Stunball, because the ability to deal with groups of enemies is one of the biggest reasons to have a mage around on a battlefield.

baronspam

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« Reply #2 on: <09-04-11/1818:29> »
I for the most part agree with Umaro.

Get stunbolt.  Every magican should be able to cast it.  The drain is trivial, even with moderate overcasting, and against an opponent with no magical defenses there is a solid chance of one-shoting someone with it.  Its good for astral, its good for trolls, its good for vat grown twitch jobs that have 27 dice to dodge.  Fantastic spell half the reason to be a mage.

I am more open to the idea of a mage taking cyberware than I used to be, the cerebrial boster is nice for logic tradition drain, but your magic score figures into darned near every magic dice pool you have except for drain.  I would personally keep the essence loss to 1.  The cybereyes/ears are better as gear than spent as essence IMHO.  If you could get essence lost to 1 you could softcap your magic at 5, reduce to 4 for essence, and have 25 more points for skills and still have the same dicepools with magic.  Its a personal call, but thats how I go about it.

With your huge dice pool for manipulation spells you might try to leverage that a bit more with something like Control Actions.  Very, very useful.

I would give up the idea of unarmed combat, your agility meh and your strength is terrible.  If someone is in melee range you should be driving an overcast stunbolt into their face.  Even automatics, which is better, is iffy.  Some magicians like a physical combat option if they hit a high background count area, but even with skillwires and a smartlink you are roling 8 dice with an automatic.  My advice is to stay out of downtown Chicago and stunbolt, stunbolt, control actions, and stunbolt.  Only use the gun in the rare case your magic is for some reason buggered.


The Big Peat

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« Reply #3 on: <09-05-11/0327:22> »
I would personally swap out Body 4, Intutition 4, for Body 3, Intutition 5 if you wanted to raise Intutition. Which wouldn't be a bad call.

I agree that Banishing is a mildly poo option, but would still keep it simply for character. What sort of man enmeshed in the learning of magic doesn't know the basics at least? Its only 2 BP after all.

I would recommend at least one spell that boils down to "I hurt you". Partly because its characterful; partly because it really is useful.

UmaroVI

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« Reply #4 on: <09-05-11/0630:19> »
I agree that Banishing is a mildly poo option, but would still keep it simply for character. What sort of man enmeshed in the learning of magic doesn't know the basics at least? Its only 2 BP after all.
Someone who watched a fellow mage yell "I banish you, Pikachu," and then have their face melt off? Banishing isn't just "not useful" it is "actively hazardous to your health to use."

If you goof and try to, say, banish a Force 6 spirit bound by a Magic 6 magician (and yes, that's not every spirit, but the trouble is it only has to happen once), you take twice the hits on a 12 dice pool. There's about a 18% chance of you taking 12P or more from that, and your children weeping over your exploded corpse. Or you could just have Stunbolted it in the face with less risk and more effect.

The Big Peat

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« Reply #5 on: <09-05-11/0712:27> »
Well, going by mechanics, yes.

Going by background, no. I'll be going by background here.

Seraph

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« Reply #6 on: <09-05-11/0945:55> »
Great feedback guys.

Edit: For christ sake, i always push the Reply bytton instead of Submit, so im rewriting this  again and again.
So this time the answer will be alot shorter :/

I will try to get rid of the ears/UA combat, change the mnenoric enhancerfor the PuSHed.. or the Hive.

Me and my GM are on terms for the mentor spirit, so no problems there.

I wonder how i could  not see the awesomness  with the stunbolt, will get it!

Thanks and Laters
« Last Edit: <09-05-11/0955:31> by Seraph »
What swedish tanks canīt blow up is not worth destroying!

Seraph

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« Reply #7 on: <09-05-11/1620:23> »
Quick question. The nanites you can put in you hive that boost linked skills. The ones that push logic higher wont help me for resisting drain i assume? That would make them to good i think.

And since they say linked "skills" it probably wont either.
What swedish tanks canīt blow up is not worth destroying!

UmaroVI

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« Reply #8 on: <09-05-11/1641:13> »
Nope. Actually, they are kind of funny - they work with skill tests with skills that are linked to logic, which is not the same as logic tests involving skills. For example, Hacking on the Fly is Hacking+Exploit. The nanites add to this because Hacking is a logic-linked skill...even though this particular test doesn't involve logic! Drain tests aren't skill tests so no neocortical.

Seraph

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« Reply #9 on: <09-05-11/1710:32> »
So, now ivé done the updates up top. Dropped the astral charmeleon for a restricted gear (cerebral) and dropped magic from 6-5.  Got the stunbolt (had forgotten to write up control actions and ana bolt) and dropped the skilwire completly, took to much essence in my min/max world. Moved a point of charisma to reaction too.

Does it look better?
What swedish tanks canīt blow up is not worth destroying!

UmaroVI

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« Reply #10 on: <09-05-11/1716:49> »
I think you are basically set, I would suggest a few tweaks:

1) I would lose focused concentration for +1 intuition. 13 drain dice is pretty good already, 14 is not much better, and initiative is VERY important when you get into fights as a mage. That said, this is more "not the choice I'd make" then "outright a bad idea."

2) I more strongly recommend swapping Manabolt for either a P-damage indirect single-target spell (like Boom), or for Stunball. The reason is that Manabolt is only good for one thing - killing living single targets - but you can accomplish this fine with Stunbolting them, and then shooting them in the head when they are unconscious, and Stunbolt does less drain. Manabolt fizzles against vehicles or drones, which are the things you typically want to be doing P-damage to rather than just "hit them until they stop shooting back, who cares what damage type."

Stunball lets you take down groups. A P-damage indirect spell lets you take down drones/vehicles. Either one leaves you more flexible.

eshoup1

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« Reply #11 on: <09-05-11/1722:51> »
I am a huge fan of Boom. Much love to any mage who takes it.

Seraph

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« Reply #12 on: <09-05-11/1753:45> »
Ok, i did change the manabolt for stunball, and thinking of changing one spell for a P type killer spell for vehicles like you said, or just buy one spell more.

Got 10bp left right now and thinking of picking up a skill group for Lofic or Intuition since they will start of at high dice pools by just getting 1 rank.Any suggestions for a group, im thinking Electronics.

How can i get Intuition 5 when i already have Willpower and Logic at 5, only 2 stats can be at 5 at chargen right?
What swedish tanks canīt blow up is not worth destroying!

Seraph

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« Reply #13 on: <09-05-11/1800:19> »
Probably a good idea to drop agility 2-1 for another 10 bp freed up.
 
Maybe 2 more skills at rank 1 or pushing the ones i got.

Pushing edge to 4 may be a goodchoice to.
What swedish tanks canīt blow up is not worth destroying!

UmaroVI

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« Reply #14 on: <09-05-11/1801:05> »
That's skills you're thinking of. Stats, the limit is 200 points spent on non-special stats (ie, edge and magic don't count), and no more than one 6.

First Aid is handy and worth being really awesome at; it stacks nicely with magical healing.
Mechanics is useful to have at an OK level (for modding stuff)
Armorer is useful to have at an OK level (same)