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Creating the main character of my story. HELP!!!

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RowanTheFox

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« on: <07-20-16/2057:22> »
Sadly, I was forced to sell my SR books recently, so I know longer have them for reference. Google is only helping so much, so I'm asking you guys. I'm going through to process of chargen for my story's main character to help me keep details straight and avoid inconsistencies. She's an elf, and a 1st grade initiate wolf shaman (she's only 17), and woefully inexperienced as a runner. Fragging BRILLIANT, but naive. I have pretty much everything else figured out, but now I'm struggling to choose gear for her.

Another problem is that I know you can have up to seven Karma left after chargen, and she currently is sitting pretty at 17. I don't remember if there's a limit to how much karma you can convert to nuyen, and what the conversion rate is.

So, can I convert enough karma to nuyen to get her down to 7 and use that money to buy gear? If so, how much nuyen would that leave her with, and what gear should I get for her?

The more I Google my problem, the more confused I'm getting. It's been a long time since I drew up an awakened character, so I can't recall much from back then. The more detail you can give me, the better. HELP!
« Last Edit: <07-20-16/2059:11> by EiraHaexa »
It is better to be crazy and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.

"Nothing is wrong if no one can stop you."

Remember, you're only a genius when they need you. The rest of the time you're just an asshole.

Well, drek. Looks like Timmy fell into the Dissonance Well again.

Bushw4cker

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« Reply #1 on: <07-20-16/2147:57> »
Well I would go with Point Build (Karmagen), instead of Priority.

What are your current Attributes? Spells? anything...

2K Nuyen per Karma Spent.

Shaman is going to need Force 6 Magical Lodge
  Some Reagents
   Everyone needs a Commlink, recommend Renraku Sensei (DR3)
    Fake SIN, Usually Rating 4 if you can.
    License's to go with Fake SIN (Possession of Foci)
     Foci
      Rest kind of depends on skills/character.

I attached Quality list I like to use for when I make my characters.
"Stupid men are often capable of things the clever would not dare to contemplate." -Terry Pratchett

Glyph

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« Reply #2 on: <07-20-16/2316:12> »
You can spend up to 10 Karma on extra money (so 20,000 Nuyen), so that's exactly what you wanted to spend.

Bushw4cker covered most of the basic gear.  The two main things I would add are buy a Lifestyle, and buy some armor - maybe an armor vest for discrete protection, and an armored jacket when you are expecting trouble.  A vehicle might be a good idea, so you won't be stuck with mass transit to get everywhere.

Also, you can keep up to 5,000 Nuyen to add to whatever you roll for starting money, although if you have lower starting resources you will probably spend most of it.

Kuirem

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« Reply #3 on: <07-21-16/0142:16> »
Don't try to create a character without the books! Shadowrun is already tough enough without adding extra layers of difficulties. Let's just say you should be able to find the books somewhere on the internet. I'm pretty sure you can even buy PDF versions.

For the essential build I like this source : http://runnerhub.wikia.com/wiki/Runner_Essentials_Gear that even have stuff for low Nuyen character.

Finally if you have karma to spend do not forget that there are much better things than Nuyen : Contacts. Contacts can be a huge game changer and only at chargen you can convert Karma to Contact so do not hesitate to dump your remaining Karma in there. Keeping 7 Karma is useless unless you have a plan (like initiating asap). You can also spend karma on Attributes (to get rid of a 1 STR or something like that), Skills, Spells, etc.

RowanTheFox

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« Reply #4 on: <07-21-16/0247:49> »
Ok, so here's what I got. I used Chummer for this, so it's a bit wonky, but works for my purposes.

Name: Maisie
Metatype: Elf
Sex: Female
Age: 17
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 112lbs
Hair: Dark Red
Eyes: Gold
Skin: Pale

Body: 3
Agility: 2
Reaction: 2
Strength: 2
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 5
Logic: 5
Willpower: 5
Edge: 1
Magic: 6

Positive Qualities:
Low light vision
Will to Live
Magician
Mentor Spirit (Wolf)

Negative Qualities:
Astral Beacon
Combat Paralysis
Simsense Vertigo

Skills:
Blades (Axe) - 4
Assensing - 11
Astral Combat - 9
Counterspelling - 10
Etiquette (Street) - 9
Leadership (Tactics) - 9
Negotiation (Diplomacy) - 9
Ritual Spellcasting - 10
Running (Long Distance)- 6
Spellcasting - 10

Languages:
English (Fluent)
German (Fluent)

Spells:
Flamethrower
Manabolt
Heal
Stabilize
Antidote
Light
Physical Barrier

Initiation Grade 1
Masking

Cyberware:
Commlink (Renraku Sensei)

Gear:
Clothing
Spellcasting Focus (Health) (Rating 1)
Magical Lodge Supplies (Rating 1)

She starts out with very little. Plots kicks off with her going on her very first run with her adoptive dad and his team. It was supposed to be a simple job (HA!), ad she'd been told to run if drek hit the fan. Well, of course DHTF, and Maisie never had a chance to run, even if she'd wanted to.


It is better to be crazy and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.

"Nothing is wrong if no one can stop you."

Remember, you're only a genius when they need you. The rest of the time you're just an asshole.

Well, drek. Looks like Timmy fell into the Dissonance Well again.

Kuirem

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« Reply #5 on: <07-21-16/0348:50> »
5 Intuition, Logic and Charisma? That's a lot and you will barely use Logic, don't forget that Logic is 'measures the cold, calculating power of your rational mind' so you can be brilliant without having truckloads of LOG (I would lower it to 3 personally).

Right now you are not using your Elf higher maximum Agility and Charisma so you are just wasting Karma/Priority for it. Try to raise a bit your Charisma since she is a shaman or consider switching to Human (but I guess that's won't do fluff-wise).

Combat Paralysis and Astral Beacon are tough pick. Combat Paralysis can quicky lead you to death in an ambush so make sure to stay behind your Street Sam and consider picking more self-defense spells (Extended Invisibility!) It is especially tough considering that you chose Wolf Mentor Spirit that is focused on Combat spells. Astral Beacon will make it damn easy to follow your lead through the Astral World unless you spend a lot of time cleaning your signature, it all depends on how much your GM will want to focus on your runners getting followed by cops.

For Skills you are not using Summoning at all, if you are going for Karmagen you should consider switching to an Aspected to save karma if you are not planning to go for it at all. Blades (Axe) is pointless with 2 STR and AGI, Clubs and Unarmed are better skill for low STR character for Stun Baton and Shock Gloves. Con is extremely useful for a face. You do not have any Ritual Spell so is it really worth to invest in Ritual Spellcasting at chargen?

RowanTheFox

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« Reply #6 on: <07-21-16/1142:17> »
5 Intuition, Logic and Charisma? That's a lot and you will barely use Logic, don't forget that Logic is 'measures the cold, calculating power of your rational mind' so you can be brilliant without having truckloads of LOG (I would lower it to 3 personally).

Right now you are not using your Elf higher maximum Agility and Charisma so you are just wasting Karma/Priority for it. Try to raise a bit your Charisma since she is a shaman or consider switching to Human (but I guess that's won't do fluff-wise).

Combat Paralysis and Astral Beacon are tough pick. Combat Paralysis can quicky lead you to death in an ambush so make sure to stay behind your Street Sam and consider picking more self-defense spells (Extended Invisibility!) It is especially tough considering that you chose Wolf Mentor Spirit that is focused on Combat spells. Astral Beacon will make it damn easy to follow your lead through the Astral World unless you spend a lot of time cleaning your signature, it all depends on how much your GM will want to focus on your runners getting followed by cops.

For Skills you are not using Summoning at all, if you are going for Karmagen you should consider switching to an Aspected to save karma if you are not planning to go for it at all. Blades (Axe) is pointless with 2 STR and AGI, Clubs and Unarmed are better skill for low STR character for Stun Baton and Shock Gloves. Con is extremely useful for a face. You do not have any Ritual Spell so is it really worth to invest in Ritual Spellcasting at chargen?

I justified astral beacon as a natural side effect of who she is, but also gave her Masking as an ability as a Grade 1 Initiate. She usually keeps her aura masked, but when she can't or doesn't, her aura glows like a giant pile of burning magnesium. Which is one of the many small clues that she's not entirely "normal". I didn't really want to add Combat Paralysis, but Chummer didn't have the negative quality I was looking for, so I traded it for something that I THINK has the same Karma cost.

Chummer didn't give me a choice but to choose ritual spellcasting, I'd drop it if I could, since she doesn't learn that until MUCH later, but the program won't let me. You're right about the summoning thing. I'm not sure how I managed to overlook that, since spirit summoning is a pretty major plot point.

She's not actually a character I will be playing, she exists solely in my story and would DEFINITELY be an NPC if translated into a game setting. The story doesn't even start until 2090, and the sequel picks up 57 years after that, so she has some metamagic abilities that don't technically exist yet in-game, and those that do exist are more powerful. Suffice it to say that it's an incredibly good thing that she's mostly benevolent....mostly. She doesn't have very many combat spells, but she can still leave nothing left of you but a greasy smoldering smear on the ground if you push her too far.

Not all wolf shamans have a combat focus, just like not all bear shamans are berserkers. Maisie adopted more of a "Mama Wolf" approach. She's primarily a healer, but she will blast you straight into the Netherworld if she catches you hurting innocents, or worse, a member of her pack (read: family and close friends). She gets captured by S-K security when she refuses to abandon her dad's body and flies into a rage that seems to work less like a berserk, and more like Aang's avatar state. She has little control over this, and it only happens in the most dire situations. Physical damage will bring it on more quickly, but it can also be caused by extreme emotional stress.

Long story made longer, I'm going to take your advice and adjust a few things.  :)
It is better to be crazy and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.

"Nothing is wrong if no one can stop you."

Remember, you're only a genius when they need you. The rest of the time you're just an asshole.

Well, drek. Looks like Timmy fell into the Dissonance Well again.

Kuirem

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« Reply #7 on: <07-21-16/1252:29> »
Weird are you using the last version of Chummer? I think it can be found here : https://github.com/chummer5a/chummer5a/releases. Make sure you have the book with your quality activated in your options.

I didn't say that Wolf Shamans all have a focus on Combat spell but the mentor spirit do : It gives +2 dice to combat spell. But to me Backstory > Min/Maxing so if your character is having a Wolf mentor without using Combat Spells much, so be it!

RowanTheFox

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« Reply #8 on: <07-21-16/1301:00> »
Weird are you using the last version of Chummer? I think it can be found here : https://github.com/chummer5a/chummer5a/releases. Make sure you have the book with your quality activated in your options.

I didn't say that Wolf Shamans all have a focus on Combat spell but the mentor spirit do : It gives +2 dice to combat spell. But to me Backstory > Min/Maxing so if your character is having a Wolf mentor without using Combat Spells much, so be it!

I was using the old version apparently. Thanks for the link!
It is better to be crazy and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.

"Nothing is wrong if no one can stop you."

Remember, you're only a genius when they need you. The rest of the time you're just an asshole.

Well, drek. Looks like Timmy fell into the Dissonance Well again.

Bushw4cker

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« Reply #9 on: <07-21-16/1419:25> »
You don't have Perception Skill, every character should have Perception Skill.

and you're a bloody Wolf Shaman!!

"BAD DOG!"

and being Wolf Shaman, I think you are required to take (Scent +2) Specialization.
"Stupid men are often capable of things the clever would not dare to contemplate." -Terry Pratchett

RowanTheFox

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« Reply #10 on: <07-21-16/1439:45> »
So, here's the fixed version using Chummer 5

Name: Maisie
Metatype: Elf
Age: 17
Sex: Female
Height: 5" 8"
Weight: 112lbs
Eyes: Gold
Hair: Dark Red
Skin: Pale

Body: 3
Agility: 5
Reaction 2
Strength: 2
Charisma: 8
Intuition: 4
Logic: 4
Willpower: 5
Edge: 3
Magic: 6

Positive Attributes:
Linguist
Low-Light Vision
Will To Live (Rating 3)
Magician
Mentor Spirit (Wolf)

Negative Attributes:
Flashbacks (Rating 1)
Astral Beacon
Social Stress

Skills -
Sorcery: 2
Assensing (Aura Reading): 6 (9)
Astral Combat (Spirits): 7 (9)
Counterspelling (Combat): 8 (10)
Leadership (Command): 11 (13)
Negotiation (Diplomacy): 10 (12)
Perception (Scent): 6 (8)
Ritual Spellcasting: 8
Spellcasting (Health): 10 (12)
Summoning (Spirits of Beasts): 8 (10)

Spells -
Combat: Blast, Flamethrower, Manabolt
Health: Heal, Cure Disease, Stabilize
Rituals: Calling Spirits of Beasts

Initiation: Grade 1 (Schooling)
Metamagic: Masking

Lifestyle: Middle

Gear:
Commlink (Renraku Sensei)
Magical Lodge Supplies (Rating 6)
Clothing
Spellcasting Focus (Health) with fake license to own



Look any better?
It is better to be crazy and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.

"Nothing is wrong if no one can stop you."

Remember, you're only a genius when they need you. The rest of the time you're just an asshole.

Well, drek. Looks like Timmy fell into the Dissonance Well again.

Bushw4cker

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« Reply #11 on: <07-21-16/1453:46> »
Yes, but I would recommend putting Just the Skill Rating, or the Skill Rating & Dicepool, but don't put up just the Dice Pool.

Using Karmagen might be better for this Character.. From your initial posting, it doesn't look like you're trying to Min Max.

Just an Example of what Character might look like with Karma Gen...


ATTRIBUTES (535 Karma)                                 
BOD      3      WIL      5      WLK      8   
AGI      4      LOG      4      RUN      16   
REA      3      INT      5      SPNT      (+2)   
STR      3      CHA      5      COM      10   
ESS      6      EDGE      2      JUD      10   
MAG      6      LIFT      6      MEM      9   
Init: 8 + 1D6   Edge: OO                                 
                                 
PHY      4      MEN      6      SOC      7   


ACTIVE SKILLS (218)                        RTG      DP   
Blades                        3      7   
 (Axes +2)                              9   
Assensing                        3      8   
Astral Combat                        3      8   
Counterspelling                        4      10   
Etiquette                        1      6   
 (Street +2)                              8   
Leadership                        3      8   
 (Tactics +2)                              10   
Negotiation                        3      8   
 (Diplomacy +2)                              10   
Ritual Spellcasting                        4      10   
Spellcasting                        6      12   
 (Health +2)                              14   
Perception                        3      8   
 (Scent +2)                              10   
Gymnastics                        1      5   
Running                        1      4   
Swimming                        1      4   
Navigation                        1      6   
Survival                        1      6   
Tracking                        1      8   

SPELLS/RITUALS (35 Karma)


You would have 12 Karma (Assuming you Qualities Balance each other out.) to spend on resources/binding Foci/ect. 1 Karma = 2K Nuyen
"Stupid men are often capable of things the clever would not dare to contemplate." -Terry Pratchett

RowanTheFox

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« Reply #12 on: <07-21-16/1609:28> »
Yes, but I would recommend putting Just the Skill Rating, or the Skill Rating & Dicepool, but don't put up just the Dice Pool.

Using Karmagen might be better for this Character.. From your initial posting, it doesn't look like you're trying to Min Max.

Just an Example of what Character might look like with Karma Gen...


ATTRIBUTES (535 Karma)                                 
BOD      3      WIL      5      WLK      8   
AGI      4      LOG      4      RUN      16   
REA      3      INT      5      SPNT      (+2)   
STR      3      CHA      5      COM      10   
ESS      6      EDGE      2      JUD      10   
MAG      6      LIFT      6      MEM      9   
Init: 8 + 1D6   Edge: OO                                 
                                 
PHY      4      MEN      6      SOC      7   


ACTIVE SKILLS (218)                        RTG      DP   
Blades                        3      7   
 (Axes +2)                              9   
Assensing                        3      8   
Astral Combat                        3      8   
Counterspelling                        4      10   
Etiquette                        1      6   
 (Street +2)                              8   
Leadership                        3      8   
 (Tactics +2)                              10   
Negotiation                        3      8   
 (Diplomacy +2)                              10   
Ritual Spellcasting                        4      10   
Spellcasting                        6      12   
 (Health +2)                              14   
Perception                        3      8   
 (Scent +2)                              10   
Gymnastics                        1      5   
Running                        1      4   
Swimming                        1      4   
Navigation                        1      6   
Survival                        1      6   
Tracking                        1      8   

SPELLS/RITUALS (35 Karma)


You would have 12 Karma (Assuming you Qualities Balance each other out.) to spend on resources/binding Foci/ect. 1 Karma = 2K Nuyen

I thought I was using Karmagen, at least that's what I had Chummer5 set to use, but the fragging program crashes after every other change I make. I'm trying my best to keep her balanced, so she doesn't end up a hopeless Mary Sue. Just making her what she is comes dangerously close to skipping rope with the line between Mary Sue and Not Mary Sue.
It is better to be crazy and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.

"Nothing is wrong if no one can stop you."

Remember, you're only a genius when they need you. The rest of the time you're just an asshole.

Well, drek. Looks like Timmy fell into the Dissonance Well again.

Bushw4cker

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« Reply #13 on: <07-21-16/2147:43> »
Quote
I thought I was using Karmagen, at least that's what I had Chummer5 set to use, but the fragging program crashes after every other change I make. I'm trying my best to keep her balanced, so she doesn't end up a hopeless Mary Sue. Just making her what she is comes dangerously close to skipping rope with the line between Mary Sue and Not Mary Sue

You might have been using Karmagen.. I prefer it for the flexibility.

I can help you optimize your Character if you want (It's actually kind of fun for me), then put it on one of my Awesome Character sheets I designed (See Attachment.)


First off, when your Imagining your Character, what are the Attributes? 
Quote
Fragging BRILLIANT, but naive.
says Logic 5-6, Intuition 2-3 to me, or Intuition higher and take a Negative Quality that would reflect her naivety.

Only Negative Quality that I can think off that might fit.. is my favorite one.

DID YOU JUST CALL ME DUMB?
BONUS: 3 KARMA
The character can’t resist camouflaging insults into
well-spoken words. The character gets the satisfaction
of feeling superior to everyone. Unfortunately, once
in a while people will notice and get pretty upset. Any
Glitch rolled by this character on any Social test always
counts as a Critical Glitch.

Maybe these would fit...

POOR SELF CONTROL
(NEW VARIANTS,
BONUS: 5 OR 8 KARMA)
See p. 158, Run Faster for more information on this
quality. New variants of this quality are as follows:
• Attention-Seeking (5 Karma): The spotlight is
the character’s natural habitat, like a fish in water—
and she suffers just as much when she’s not
in it. The character goes out of her way to be vivacious
and gain approval from others. Unless
she succeeds at a Composure (3) Test, the character
seeks to be the center of attention whenever
possible (this may or may not include combat
situations, at the gamemaster’s discretion).

 

human attribute ratings
rating description
1 Weak
2 Underdeveloped
3 Typical
4 Improved
5 Superior
6 Max unmodified human

BODY (BOD)
Body measures your physical health and resiliency.
It affects how much damage you can take and stay on
your feet, how well you resist damage coming your way,
your ability to recover from poisons and diseases, and
things of that nature.

AGILITY (AGI)
Agility measures things like hand-eye coordination,
flexibility, nimbleness, and balance. Agility is the most
important attribute when it comes to scoring hits during
combat, as you need to be coordinated to land your
blows, whether you’re swinging a sword or carefully aiming
a rifle. It also is critical in non-combat situations, such
as sneaking quietly past security guards or smoothly lifting
a keycard from its secured position.

REACTION (REA)
Reaction is about reflexes, awareness, and your
character’s ability to respond to events happening
around them. Reaction plays an important role in deciding
how soon characters act in combat and how
skilled they are in avoiding attacks from others. It
also helps you make that quick turn down a narrow
alley on your cycle to avoid the howling gangers on
your tail.

STRENGTH (STR)
Strength is an indicator of, well, how strong your
character is. The higher your strength, the more damage
you’ll do when you’re raining blows down on an opponent,
and the more you’ll be able to move or carry
when there’s stuff that needs to be moved. Or carried.
Strength is also important with athletic tasks such as
climbing, running, and swimming.

WILLPOWER (WIL)
Willpower is your character’s desire to push through
adversity, to resist the weariness of spellcasting, and to
stay upright after being nailed in the head with a sap.
Whether you’re testing yourself against a toxic wilderness
or a pack of leather-clad orks with crowbars, Willpower
will help you make it through.

LOGIC (LOG)
The Logic attribute measures the cold, calculating
power of your rational mind. Whether you are attempting
to repair complicated machinery or patch up an injured
teammate, Logic helps you get things right. Logic
is also the attribute hermetic mages use to resist Drain
from the spells they rain down on their hapless foes.
Deckers also find Logic extremely useful, as it helps
them develop the attacks and counterattacks that are
part of their online battles.

INTUITION (INT)
Intuition is the voice of your gut, the instinct that
tells you things before your logical brain can figure them
out. Intuition helps you anticipate ambushes, notice that
something is amiss or out of place, and stay on the trail
of someone you’re pursuing.

CHARISMA (CHA)
Charisma is your force of personality, the persuasiveness
and charm you can call on to get people to do what
you want without having to go to the trouble of pulling a
gun on them. It’s not entirely about your appearance, but
it’s also not entirely not about your appearance. What it’s
mostly about is how you use what you have—your voice,
your face, your words, and all the tools at your disposal—to
charm and/or intimidate the people you encounter. Additionally,
Charisma is an important attribute for shamanic
mages, as it helps them resist the damaging Drain from
spells they cast.


What do you want you character to be really good at Skill wise?

RATING 1: BEGINNER
You have a little training about how it works, but not always
why it works.
RATING 2: NOVICE
You’re a hobbyist, but not an enthusiast.
RATING 3: COMPETENT
You’re skilled at basic operations but struggle with complex
operations and “tricks.”
RATING 4: PROFICIENT
You’re comfortable with what you do and perform well under
normal pressures. Professional level for most jobs.
RATING 5: SKILLED
You know how to handle yourself in unfamiliar situations, and
can get creative when solving problems.
RATING 6: PROFESSIONAL
You could easily sell your skills on the open market. This is the
maximum skill level for starting player characters.
"Stupid men are often capable of things the clever would not dare to contemplate." -Terry Pratchett

RowanTheFox

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« Reply #14 on: <07-22-16/0027:57> »
Quote
I thought I was using Karmagen, at least that's what I had Chummer5 set to use, but the fragging program crashes after every other change I make. I'm trying my best to keep her balanced, so she doesn't end up a hopeless Mary Sue. Just making her what she is comes dangerously close to skipping rope with the line between Mary Sue and Not Mary Sue

You might have been using Karmagen.. I prefer it for the flexibility.

I can help you optimize your Character if you want (It's actually kind of fun for me), then put it on one of my Awesome Character sheets I designed (See Attachment.)


First off, when your Imagining your Character, what are the Attributes? 
Quote
Fragging BRILLIANT, but naive.
says Logic 5-6, Intuition 2-3 to me, or Intuition higher and take a Negative Quality that would reflect her naivety.

Only Negative Quality that I can think off that might fit.. is my favorite one.

DID YOU JUST CALL ME DUMB?
BONUS: 3 KARMA
The character can’t resist camouflaging insults into
well-spoken words. The character gets the satisfaction
of feeling superior to everyone. Unfortunately, once
in a while people will notice and get pretty upset. Any
Glitch rolled by this character on any Social test always
counts as a Critical Glitch.

Maybe these would fit...

POOR SELF CONTROL
(NEW VARIANTS,
BONUS: 5 OR 8 KARMA)
See p. 158, Run Faster for more information on this
quality. New variants of this quality are as follows:
• Attention-Seeking (5 Karma): The spotlight is
the character’s natural habitat, like a fish in water—
and she suffers just as much when she’s not
in it. The character goes out of her way to be vivacious
and gain approval from others. Unless
she succeeds at a Composure (3) Test, the character
seeks to be the center of attention whenever
possible (this may or may not include combat
situations, at the gamemaster’s discretion).

 

human attribute ratings
rating description
1 Weak
2 Underdeveloped
3 Typical
4 Improved
5 Superior
6 Max unmodified human

BODY (BOD)
Body measures your physical health and resiliency.
It affects how much damage you can take and stay on
your feet, how well you resist damage coming your way,
your ability to recover from poisons and diseases, and
things of that nature.

AGILITY (AGI)
Agility measures things like hand-eye coordination,
flexibility, nimbleness, and balance. Agility is the most
important attribute when it comes to scoring hits during
combat, as you need to be coordinated to land your
blows, whether you’re swinging a sword or carefully aiming
a rifle. It also is critical in non-combat situations, such
as sneaking quietly past security guards or smoothly lifting
a keycard from its secured position.

REACTION (REA)
Reaction is about reflexes, awareness, and your
character’s ability to respond to events happening
around them. Reaction plays an important role in deciding
how soon characters act in combat and how
skilled they are in avoiding attacks from others. It
also helps you make that quick turn down a narrow
alley on your cycle to avoid the howling gangers on
your tail.

STRENGTH (STR)
Strength is an indicator of, well, how strong your
character is. The higher your strength, the more damage
you’ll do when you’re raining blows down on an opponent,
and the more you’ll be able to move or carry
when there’s stuff that needs to be moved. Or carried.
Strength is also important with athletic tasks such as
climbing, running, and swimming.

WILLPOWER (WIL)
Willpower is your character’s desire to push through
adversity, to resist the weariness of spellcasting, and to
stay upright after being nailed in the head with a sap.
Whether you’re testing yourself against a toxic wilderness
or a pack of leather-clad orks with crowbars, Willpower
will help you make it through.

LOGIC (LOG)
The Logic attribute measures the cold, calculating
power of your rational mind. Whether you are attempting
to repair complicated machinery or patch up an injured
teammate, Logic helps you get things right. Logic
is also the attribute hermetic mages use to resist Drain
from the spells they rain down on their hapless foes.
Deckers also find Logic extremely useful, as it helps
them develop the attacks and counterattacks that are
part of their online battles.

INTUITION (INT)
Intuition is the voice of your gut, the instinct that
tells you things before your logical brain can figure them
out. Intuition helps you anticipate ambushes, notice that
something is amiss or out of place, and stay on the trail
of someone you’re pursuing.

CHARISMA (CHA)
Charisma is your force of personality, the persuasiveness
and charm you can call on to get people to do what
you want without having to go to the trouble of pulling a
gun on them. It’s not entirely about your appearance, but
it’s also not entirely not about your appearance. What it’s
mostly about is how you use what you have—your voice,
your face, your words, and all the tools at your disposal—to
charm and/or intimidate the people you encounter. Additionally,
Charisma is an important attribute for shamanic
mages, as it helps them resist the damaging Drain from
spells they cast.


What do you want you character to be really good at Skill wise?

RATING 1: BEGINNER
You have a little training about how it works, but not always
why it works.
RATING 2: NOVICE
You’re a hobbyist, but not an enthusiast.
RATING 3: COMPETENT
You’re skilled at basic operations but struggle with complex
operations and “tricks.”
RATING 4: PROFICIENT
You’re comfortable with what you do and perform well under
normal pressures. Professional level for most jobs.
RATING 5: SKILLED
You know how to handle yourself in unfamiliar situations, and
can get creative when solving problems.
RATING 6: PROFESSIONAL
You could easily sell your skills on the open market. This is the
maximum skill level for starting player characters.


I would definitely appreciate the help!

As far as attributes go, I don't think Did You Just Call Me Dumb would work well for her. She doesn't try to be rude or insulting. I gave her Linguist to reflect her intelligence, and social stress to reflect her naivety. I also gave her Will To Live to reflect her tenacity and stubbornness. She also suffers flashbacks after her adoptive dad's death (A bomb caused a piece of shrapnel to nearly rip him in half, and then she was nearly killed by S-K security before being taken to a hospital and handed over to Lofwyr on a gold plated platter. It was all incredibly traumatic for her). This starts out mild, but gets progressively worse through the trilogy. She is an astral beacon because of what she is, and its why her teacher insisted that she take Masking as her first metamagic ability after her initiation. To avoid catching unwanted attention.

I used the same reasoning when choosing her skills. She inherited her father's ability to talk her way out of almost anything, though she doesn't make full use of this skill until much later. So she has a much higher Negotiation (Diplomacy) and Leadership (Command) skill than you might normally expect. Her parentage also allows her to cast more powerful spells more frequently without succumbing to drain, but only one or two more spells than any other mage in her tradition of similar age. So her Magic score is jacked all the way up, and I pumped a lot into her CHA and WIL scores.

She's still young and inexperienced, so I wouldn't claim she's a professional at anything. She's skilled at best, and novice at worst.
It is better to be crazy and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.

"Nothing is wrong if no one can stop you."

Remember, you're only a genius when they need you. The rest of the time you're just an asshole.

Well, drek. Looks like Timmy fell into the Dissonance Well again.