[Elfarcher]

I've never made a character before so this is my first time and I wanted to start off  with a cool shadowrunner idea. I know it's not original but I need some help on making someone like Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. I could use all the help I can get!

[aridun64]

I would look at the Occult Detective listed in the SR4A book, to me it looks like Harry Dresden was what they were going for. It may not be the best but if you take whats there and personalize that to more your liking you should be happy with the results

[Glyph]

Magic in Shadowrun is different than magic in the Dresden Files, obviously, but there is a negative quality called Gremlins if you want to simulate how Harry does not get along with technology.  But trying to adapt characters from other media into a game can be frustrating - you won't be able to emulate all of the things the character in the book can do.  Personally, I think Harry, all of his other skills notwithstanding, fits more into the combat mage category.  Look at how many scraps he gets into during the course of a typical book.

[TheNarrator]

The Occult Detective seems to be intended to capture a similar flavor to Harry Dresden: Wizard P.I. But sadly, the pre-made archetypes in the book are generally not very well made.

My gaming group has kicked around the idea of a Harry Dresden type character before, since they're all Dresden Files fans, so I've given this some thought lately.

Things you'd want for a Harry Dresden in Shadowrun:

-Hermetic Mage
-Gremlins quality at max
-Pacifist quality at minor level (First Law of Magic)
-Ruger Super Warhawk revolver and Pistols skill (Revolver specialization)
-Running skill at a high stat
-Clubs skill (Staff specialization) for whacking monsters with his Wizard's Staff
-Staff, Blasting Rod and Shield Bracelet as either fetishes of foci
-Intimidation skill is decent
-Etiquette skill is not so good (sadly there isn't an "infuriate people" skill)
-Good Sorcery group skills
-Decent Conjuring skills
-Armored Long Coat (possible quickened or sustained Armor spell on it)
-Surprisingly good Body stat for a mage, plus Toughness quality
-Bad Luck quality
-"Wiseass" knowledge skill 

Well, it's a start....

[Elfarcher]

Thanks this is going to help me alot!

[Elfarcher]

But if anyone has any other tips I'll be glad.

[JustADude]

Well... first off, is this going to be a PC? I ask because Bob The Skull has "Ally Spirit" written all over him, but you can't have one at CGen.

[TheNarrator]

Generally Harry is just asking Bob for info on the latest magical threat or how to create a particular spell or item, rather than having him actually do stuff (Dead Beat and Ghost Story being rare exceptions), and Bob usually doesn't leave the apartment with Harry, so perhaps he could be statted as a Contact, at least to start off with?

High Loyalty, low Connection, but with epic knowledge skills.



Another thought I just had on statting Harry: specialize Spellcasting for Combat spells. He's a lot better at blasting than he is at the subtle stuff.

I think we're already at or near the limit on negative qualities, but Harry could be considered to have a Bad Rep (mundanes think he's a kook, while other wizards think he's either evil or an idiot).

[JustADude]

Bob is bound to do whatever Harry commands him to do, however, and he's a Spirit. That's pretty much the definition of an Ally Spirit in Shadowrun.

Hence why I'm asking about if he's going to be a PC or NPC, since they'd be built quite differently... including enforcing caps on Positive and Negative qualities.

[Elfarcher]

He is to be a PC.

[Makki]

Bob's bound loyalty and vast knowledge make him the Perfect Roomate (RC advanced lifestyle quality) - also he doesn't leave unwashed dishes.
Make him a stated out contact as well and you won't have to bother with the fact, that he isn't available on runs, but you can ask him for information and Aid Enchanting.

Another, more RP way would be to design a custom Spirit Pact, where Bob provides information and Aid Enchanting, while you pay him in shelter and romance novels.

[TheNarrator]

It's also important to note that Harry didn't summon Bob. Etienne the Enchanter did, in the Middle Ages. And Bob's passed from wizard to wizard ever since, to Kemmler and then Justin and then Harry. Nor is he really bound to Harry in the way that an ally spirit is: he obeys whoever has the skull, and when Cowl steals it in Dead Beat, Bob turns back into Evil Bob until Cowl puts the skull down. Bob's loyalty to Harry (beyond just the compulsion to obey the holder of the skull) is largely personal (with perhaps some effect from the fact that Harry Named him), rather than hardwired like an ally spirit. Bob's really more like a free spirit that was bound to an object.

And while Bob is a lot like an ally spirit in descriptive terms, he doesn't really do what an ally spirit does in terms of the game mechanics. Bob doesn't sustain Harry's spells, or act as a power focus, or resist Drain for him, or share senses with him, and will only engage in combat on Harry's behalf on very rare occassions. He just provides magical knowledge and dirty jokes. That's more like what you get from a Contact.

So, considering that a PC can't have an ally spirit at character creation, I'd say at least start with Bob as a free spirit Contact (who's also a roommate). Maybe turn him into a proper ally spirit later when there's Karma, but if you do, then he'll be able to do a lot of stuff that the original Bob can't.

[JustADude]

Now that it's been mentioned, yeah. Going the Perfect Roommate + Contact route sounds perfect.

[UmaroVI]

The Paranormal Detective archetype (see the first link of my sig) was loosely based on Harry Dresden. There's also a few Dresden Files references sprinkled in.

[Elfarcher]

Thanks! I'd been wondering how to do Bob the Skull (air spirit).