[darklightuk]

Well as you can guess from the title I'm number crunching for a new character.

Am very keen on 'Nocturna' as a meta human but never fear I'm not committed to it.
What I am committed on is making a full awakened character, with a strong sorcery AND conjuring group.

The original idea was to attempt at a vague re-skin of my old SR3 favourite.
He's a Germanic Nocturna, Phoenix Shaman (alas there seems to be no 5ed Phoenix totem) with a Distinctive Style - never without his trenchcoat, fedora, Weapon Focus Katana, nor heavy pistols under slung beneath his coat.
So so far we've got
Meta type
Full Awakened
Mentor Spirit
Distinctive Style

I can access (a good friend owns all the current SR releases) most books, but myself I only have access to the CRB, Street Grimoire, and Run Faster.

First attempt - frankly thought is that the best this system can do

[Bushw4cker]

I really wanted to try using modules to make character, but getting character you want is almost impossible.

I would do Sum to 10 build

1. Meta: Nocturna (0)
3 or 4 Attributes
3 or 4. Magic
1 or 2 Skills (You get 10 Extra with Magic 4)
0 or 1 Resources.

Minimum Attributes (I recommend)
BOD: 3   AGI: 4   REA: 3   STR: 3   WIL: 6   INT: 3   LOG: 3   CHA: 6  (Priority 3(B) Attributes)

You might want to think about only taking 3 or 4 Sorcery/Conjuring Skills, instead of group.

Spellcasting - Must Have
Counterspelling - Very good to have
RItual Spellcasting -Read up on it. Might not be for you in 5th.
Summoning - Must have for your Character.
Binding - Read up, Binding is a lot harder in 5th, might not need or want it.
Banishing - Don't need it imho.

Nocturna 1/5 3/8 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 2/7 1/6
Racial Traits: Allergy (Sunlight, Mild), Low-Light Vision, Keen-eared, Nocturnal, Unusual Hair (Colored Fur)

[Bushw4cker]

This is what I would do for Phoenix Mentor Spirit.

PHOENIX

ADVANTAGES
All: +2 dice pool modifier for one social skill of choice, OR +2 to Artisan Skill
Magician: +2 dice for health spells, preparations, and
health spell rituals. OR +2 dice for summoning spirits of Fire.
Adept: 1 free level of Voice Control

DISADVANTAGES

Can survive physical overflow damage of Body x 2. However, each time overflow occurs in the Physical column, reduce the total by 1. This means that over time, Phoenix may lose all overflow boxes.


Previous Editions


Phoenix in 4th Ed.

Phoenix is the ultimate expression of creative energy, to
the extent that it is reborn from its own ashes in a fiery display.
It symbolizes vibrancy, resurrection, and the life-giving
energy and cyclical nature of the sun. The Phoenix is beautiful,
regal, and honest, and in Chinese mythology she is the
Phoenix Empress, the counterpart of the Dragon Emperor
and symbol of the balance of yin and yang. Phoenix magicians
are often vibrant, energetic, and creative individuals who can
not be slowed down.
Advantages: +2 dice for Health spells, +2 dice for fire
spirits.
Disadvantages: –1 die for Binding Tests.


Phoenix    Mentor Spirit 3rd

+1 die with Health and Illusion spells,
+2 dice with Spirits of the Flames. Can survive physical overflow damage of Body x 2.
However, each time overflow occurs in the Physical column, reduce the total by 1. This means that over time, Phoenix may lose all overflow boxes.    
May not summon Spirits of Man, minimum Charisma 4, must know creative performance skill (singing, musical instrument) which may be used for geasa or centering.    Proud, Artistic, Symbol of beauty and rebith

[falar]

Since Street Grimoire came out before Run Faster, we're a little lighter on good Life Modules for Mages. Here's what I'd do though:

Nationality: General CAS or Tir Tairngire Elf/Human
Formative Years: Rich Kid, White Collar, Corp Drone, Orphan, Street Urchin
Teen Years: Corp Education, High School, Magical Education, Preparatory School
Continuing Education: Community College or State University/College or Skip
Real Life: Corporate Wage Mage (if you took Magical Education), Postgraduate Studies, Street Magic: Occult Investigator or Street Mage/Haman or Eco Shaman, Tour of Duty: Any Mage Corps

You're not going to end up rocking 7s (unless you can convince your GM that you can take Street Magic multiple times with different specialties), but you'll be pretty solid. I'd consider dropping Education and going for another Real Life module, although with Postgraduate Studies, you can end up getting +3 to the Sorcery Skill Group.

[Bushw4cker]

Oh and you have to get this spell if your Phoenix Shaman!!

SUNBEAM
(INDIRECT)
Type: P Range: LOS Damage: P
Duration: I Drain: F–1
Developed under contract with the Kingdom of Benin
by Mitsuhama, Sunbeam was intended to give spellcasters
an advantage against HMHVV-Infected invaders or infiltrators
from Asamando. The spell creates an instantaneous
beam of sunlight directed at the target. Intended to take
advantage of ghouls’ vulnerability to sunlight, it has proven
effective against other sufferers of the virus. The spell
is not very useful against targets without any Allergy to
sunlight; it does half the normal damage (rounded up) as
Stun damage. Damage resolution is handled as explained
in Indirect Combat Spells (p. 283, SR5). Against targets
who have the Allergy (sunlight) weakness, however, the
spell’s Damage Value is increased to twice what it normally
is, and it always inflicts Physical damage regardless
of the target’s armor value. All targets must deal with the
bright glare of the spell; any target hit by the spell (whether
it does damage or not) receives a –1 dice pool penalty to
their next attack due to glare (flare compensation of any
kind removes this penalty).

AOE (+2 Drain)

[darklightuk]

I can access (a good friend owns all the current SR releases) most books, but myself I only have access to the CRB, Street Grimoire, and Run Faster.

All very nice attempts and I thank you immensely #Bushw4cker - I will most definitely try get the okay for this spell - its fits right with my character.

But unfortunately I CANNOT break from the other players with genning method.
As such I have to use the Life Modules.

[Bushw4cker]

I can access (a good friend owns all the current SR releases) most books, but myself I only have access to the CRB, Street Grimoire, and Run Faster.

All very nice attempts and I thank you immensely #Bushw4cker - I will most definitely try get the okay for this spell - its fits right with my character.

But unfortunately I CANNOT break from the other players with genning method.
As such I have to use the Life Modules.

Spell is in Shadow Spells PDF

[falar]

As such I have to use the Life Modules.

So, here's my big top ones:

Take Magical Education to Conjuring +1, Sorcery +1
Take Community College: Magic for Sorcery +1
Take Tour of Duty: Mercenary: Mage Corps for Conjuring +1, Sorcery +1
Take Street Magic: Eco Shaman for Conjuring +2, Sorcery +2
Take Street Magic: Street Shaman for Conjuring +3, Sorcery +2

That will give you 7s across the board in your main area and a ton of random skills. Spend 15 karma to get rid of the Limited Corp SIN. If your GM won't let you take Street Magic twice, replace Eco-Shaman with Corporate: Wage Mage.

[darklightuk]

Isn't that going to leave me with severely crapped out attributes?

(So am now out and about so can't check the books for a while)T

[All4BigGuns]

Isn't that going to leave me with severely crapped out attributes?

(So am now out and about so can't check the books for a while)T

Most of your attributes end up crapped out in Life Modules, and yet there's barely enough karma to be able to patch those let alone get the necessary gear for most characters.

[falar]

Magical Education: +1 Willpower, +1 Charisma
Community College: +1 Logic, +1 Willpower
Tour of Duty: +1 Body, +1 Reaction, +1 Strength
Street Magic: +1 Willpower
Wage Mage: +1 Logic, +1 Intuition

You'll still have Formative Years and Nationality to choose, but you'll end up with:

Body 2
Agility 1
Reaction 2
Strength 2
Willpower 4
Logic 3
Intuition 2
Charisma 2

Which is pretty normal for Life Modules. Life Modules are generally good for skills, crap for Attributes. Pick a Nationality and Formative Years to up your Willpower and/or Charisma. Save 100 karma to get Magic up to 6, of course.

[falar]

IMPORTANT NOTE: Talk to your GM about what he expects your "normal" dice pools to be in your specialty area. If he's expecting a maximum of a 12, you have a little more wiggle room.

Also, remember, it's not necessary to have the whole group at a billionty. If you only want Spellcasting and Summoning high, you can afford to drop a life module to spend that karma elsewhere.

[Whiskeyjack]

Oh god there's no good drain stat option with that spread.

[falar]

Oh god there's no good drain stat option with that spread.

It is super hard to Drain Stat in Life Modules. The attributes are basically all over the place. I think with good choices for Formative Years and Teen Years, you can get +2.

It's hard to attribute in Life Modules. REALLY HARD.

THAT SAID - there are some archetypes that it does better than others. I got a hacker with stacked 7s for skills, Logic/Intuition Capped and Soft Capped respectively. I would ask your GM if you can substitute Logic/Charisma/Intuition on magical modules to the Drain Stat of your choice. That way you could stack up things a bit more.

[Glyph]

One thing to remember is that if you take magical education, you have to take a corporate module.  Not a huge sacrifice, since magical education is the only option to get magical skills at that point in life modules, and wage mage is a good bargain too.  If you take magical education, community college or state university, wage mage, and street shaman, you will have the sorcery and conjuring skill groups at 6.  It might be tempting to take a tour of duty to raise them both to 7, but in my opinion, your remaining karma to spend will already be low enough at that point, and you will need all of it to be a mage, buy magic rating and spells, raise attributes, etc.