[Kuirem]

There's not enough Troll Mage in this game so I decided to make one. Meet Grandma, the Santeria elderly troll magician :

Betty Calhoun was born in 2009, shortly before the awakening. She lived a peaceful, maybe a bit boring, childhood, her parents weren't rich but they made enough to live without needs. She got through high school but didn't show any particular talent and started working odd jobs. She got married at 22 years old and had a son a year later, once again life was peaceful and a bit boring while the rest of the world was going mad.

Of course this peace wasn't going to last or we wouldn't be talking about Betty. She got a surprisingly late Goblinization at 30 years old and the worst possible year : 2039, after the Night of Rage. Afraid for the safety of her famility she ran away and hide in the shadows, amongst all the Orks and Trolls street scum.

Surrounded by all this misery her magic power started to grow and her destiny was clear : She got these powers to heal the people around her.

For more than 20 years she kept going on her sacred mission but it wasn't enough, for each people she would heal, 5 more were thrown in the gutter. Her anger kept growing for those responsible : the Corporations that exploited people like livestock until she couldn't take it anymore and decided to join the fight. After living 24 years in the streets she wasn't stupid and knew that terrorist didn't live long but there was other ways to fight, even for street scum, she became a Shadowrunner.

Seven years later, during some legwork, she met an unexpected person : her son she had to left at 10 years old. Of course he didn't recognize her since the last time he had seen his mom she was still human. He was now 41 and had a family on his own. Against all reason she decided to meet him (not before finishing the mission of course, we are between professional after all).

After the initial shock his son was actually glad to know that his mother was still alive. His dad, who passed away some years ago, had told him about her goblinization. Of course she said nothing of her criminal activities, all he knows is that she lived in the street for some years and did odd jobs to survive.

She lived some years closer to her family but the anger was still there and she got back into the shadows, five years older but still as determined.

Grandma
Name : Belly Calhoun
Sex : Female
Age : 66
Height : 233 cm
Weight : 300 kg
Hair : White
Eyes : Brown
Skin : Black


Priority : A - Troll, B - Skills, C - Magic, D - Attributes, E - Resources

Attributes

BOD	AGI	REA	STR	CHA	INT	LOG	WIL	EDG	MAG
7	2	3	5	2	5	2	5	3	6

Qualities
Focused Concentration (Rating 2)
Mentor Spirit (Bear)
Quick Healer

Aged (Rating 2)
Dependent (Nuisance)
Gremlins (Rating 2)

Skills

Sorcery	5
Alchemy	4	9
Assensing (Aura Reading)	4	9 (11)
Automatics (Machine Pistols)	5	5 (7)
Binding (Spirits of Earth)	3	9 (11)
Clubs (Batons)	3	5 (7)
Con (Fast Talk)	3	5 (7)
Perception	2	7
Sneaking (Urban)	3	5 (7)
Summoning (Spirits of Earth)	5	11 (13)

Spells
Tradition: Santeria
Resist Drain : 10

• Stunbolt
• Heal
• Increase Attribute (AGI)
• Increase Reflexes
• Stabilize
• Improve Invisibility
• Levitate
• Physical Barrier

Gears & Stuff
Low Lifestyle (1 Month)
Armor Jacket
Helmet
Stun Baton
Steyr TMP /w Concealed Quick-Draw Holster
Renraku Sensei
Fake SIN (Rating 3)
Fake Mage License (Rating 3)
Fake Firearms License (Rating 3)
Dodge Scoot
1425 Nuyen for other stuff.

Any thoughts, comments or recommendation is welcome. Sorry if the story isn't too well-written, I like backstory but it ain't easy to write one not in your native language.

[Bushw4cker]

This character seems like good candidate for Karma Gen... Have you done the Maths?

I would go Ritual Magic over Alchemy. Which spells are Alchemy btw?

I would Specialize in Perception (Visual +2) , I recommend that most characters have at least an eight dice pool for Visual perception. Perception is one of the most used skills when I GM. Having 8 dice will let you buy 2 hits, this means you're not going to miss something you should've seen, but failed to notice because of bad roll.

You have no Counterspelling!

I would take Clout (Indirect) over Stun Bolt (Direct)

[Kuirem]

Pretty much the same for karmagen but I'm into Priority lately.

No alchemy spell, it was mostly for fluff and maybe gathering the occasional reagent. Maybe I should drop it a bit to raise the others skills.

I have Ritual Magic and Counterspelling through the Sorcery Skill group.

She will probably rely more on Assensing than Perception. I hesitated to pick Reduced Sense (Sight) so I have a good reason to equip Grandma Glasses.

I much prefer Stun Bolt which go through armor and use Willpower to resist. Ideal to take down super armored Ork and Troll. For light armored target I can use the Steyr TMP (with Gel Rounds/Stick 'n' Shock for non-lethal) or just rely on my team.

[Bushw4cker]

Oops, I didn't see that you took Skill Group Sorcery..

[Bushw4cker]

It is almost impossible to knock someone out with a single Stun Bolt Spell (Assuming they have no Stun Damage.), unless you cast it at at least Force 10 or Higher (Force 8 if you have Witness My Hate Quality)., unless you use Edge or Reagents, and then you probably going to take some Physical Drain for your effort.

A Force 6 Clout on other hand, can easily knock out an Opponent . You would only need, on Average, 4 Net Hits to knock out your Average Joe Wageslave with a Force 6 Clout.  Stunbolt, you would need, on Average, 10 Net Hits.
Not only is your Target more than likely going to still be standing after a Stun Bolt, you are looking at 7 Drain vs. 3 Drain.

Average Joe Wageslave (All Stats 3)

[Overbyte]

First of all.. love the concept. It's the kinda character I would play.

I would probably dump the Auto skill. You only have 2 AGI (maybe more with spell), you have spells which are more effective, and you are a Bear Shaman (healer).
Seems like a lot points (5) for something that is not going to help you almost ever and you have a bad skill in anyway (7) and Machine Pistols do weak damage.
If anything take Pistol and get a Superwarhawk for some real damage.
Same goes for Clubs. Once again, not sure that is ever going to be good for you to use. Your STR is very low.
Use StunBolt/Clout instead or even get Punch spell.

And yes.. maybe move some points from Alchemy.

[Kuirem]

What is wonderful with Automatics is that I don't need to hit. The Steyr TMP has FA so I can just use it to reduce an enemy defense pool to nothingness and let my team mate finish them. Even better I can use Suppressive fire and remove a couple of dice from all the enemy in the area.

I guess if I wanted to min/max I could give up all the weapon and try to pick more spells but it won't be as badass as a grandma with an automatic.

Club is mostly for Stun Baton, no need STR for that and well she hit 8P with a Club and 7P with a Chair, always good if you are in a tight spot and/or in a bar brawl and don't want to show your magic. The character doesn't have a lot of starting spell and I build her support so direct combat is really not her speciality and is not meant to be. Now it is possible to learn spells later and more combat spell is definitly intended, probably Blast and something to deal P like Acid Stream or Flamethrower.

[gilga]

you selected magic D so you cannot be a full mage, only aspected.
You need a higher priority for magic.

I made a bit of my own version that is legal and provides you with many spells, 6 edge and a reasonable skill set for a mage with a melee option (stun baton). Ranged you have spells.
== Info ==
Name: Unnamed Character           Alias:
Troll                             Movement: 6/12
                                  Composure: 8
Street Cred: 0                    Judge Intentions: 8
Notoriety: 0                      Lift/Carry: 10 (75 kg/50 kg)
Public Awareness: 0               Memory: 6
Karma: 0                          Nuyen: 6000
Age:                              Skin:
Eyes:                             Hair:

== Priorities ==
Metatype: A,4
Attributes: E,0
Special: A,4
Skills: C,2
Resources: E,0
Bonus Skill: Spellcasting
Bonus Skill: Counterspelling

== Attributes ==
BOD: 5                            CHA: 3
AGI: 3                            INT: 5
REA: 5                            LOG: 1
STR: 5                            WIL: 5
EDG: 6                            MAG: 6

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6                        Initiative:           10 + 1d6
Physical Damage Track: 11         Rigger Init:          10 + 1d6
Stun Damage Track: 11             Astral Init:          10 + 2d6
Physical: 7                       Matrix AR Init:       10 + 1d6
Mental: 4                         Matrix VR Cold Init:  5 + DP + 3d6
Social: 6                         Matrix VR Hot Init:   5 + DP + 4d6
Astral: 6

== Active Skills ==
Assensing (Aura Reading)          Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 11 (13)
Clubs (Batons)                    Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 9 (11)
Counterspelling                   Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 12
Etiquette                         Base: 0  + Karma: 2  = 2   Pool: 5
Leadership                        Base: 0  + Karma: 2  = 2   Pool: 5
Negotiation                       Base: 0  + Karma: 2  = 2   Pool: 5
Perception                        Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 11
Spellcasting                      Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 12
Summoning                         Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 12

== Knowledge Skills ==

== Qualities ==
Astral Beacon
Magician
Reduced Sense (Sight)
Thermographic Vision
Wanted (?)

== Weapons ==
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 2        Accuracy: 7     DV: 5S       AP: -     RC: 3

== Karma Expenses ==

== Nuyen Expenses ==

[Kuirem]

I selected Magic C not D, Attributes is D. You use Sum to Ten which help a ton to min/max the character. Personally I was more trying to build a more realistic but still viable character around a fun concept.

I like min/maxing too but there is just too much table that might refuse such character so lately I'm trying to build runners that feel more like they actually had a life so I rarely go over 5 skills at 6 and only with Skills A.

By the way I don't think you will Negotiate much with 5 dice considering it is almost always an opposing test. Didn't you pick it with the Skill Group points instead of Karma?

[Overbyte]

I just noticed..
You don't have First Aid or Medicine?
I realize you have spells.. but..

[Kuirem]

With 2 LOG it is a bit pointless. Using a Medkit 6 in auto will do the job just as well (if not better) for First Aid.

[Overbyte]

Yes.. but YOU are a healer. It seems very much out of character for you to have 0 skill in healing.

[Kuirem]

Being good at magical healing is not the same as being a doctor in Shadowrun. Now you may have a point that given her backstory she should have at least the basics of Medicine skill. I can move some karma from Nuyen to get at least Medicine 1 for the fluff.

[gilga]

If you think creatively there are spells that can replace medicine.
(not the heal that replace first aid)

e.g. Improve body is useful for the shadow-runner, but also gives the patient more dice to heal damage every day, same with improve willpower (the latter also helps with drain).
There is also healthy glow if a potential of +8 to recover damage is not enough for you. Healthy glow does not even need to be sustained so...

I am not sure actually what is better to spend a few days with augmented body and will power, or to have someone with medicine treat you.

[FancyDerek]

You picked a possession tradition.
The best part of a possession tradition is self-possession.
And Santeria is the weakest when it comes to that.

Take Psionic Tradition as an example....
Allow the Combat Spirit to possess you and your shooting energy(fire) which means you don't need automatics.
Santaria on the other hand, he combat spirit just gives you unarmed as a combat option.

The Health Spirit is Man so it can cast your spells...
Santeria on the other hand is Earth which isn't really helpful in the Health department.

Manipulation- Task Spirit... you now can perform any skill that isn't matrix related
Santeria, again not as useful.

If you're married to the concept of Santeria for roleplaying purposes that's ok.

In any event, self possession adds +1 per two force levels of the spirit to your physical stats assuming the spirit stat is higher than yours so you might want to consider BOD 5 as a Force 6 Spirit will increase it to 8. The 2 points saved could be used to increase your Drain Pool. For example, Exceptional Attribute (WIL) to give you WIL 7.... or simply increase INT to 6 and add 1 to AGI>

Just random thoughts.
Good luck with this character.

BTW, when I saw the title I immediately thought an Awakened Medea .... maybe Tyler Perry ought to do Medea the Vampire Slayer....