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Very first character, a little overwhelmed, could use some help and direction

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UmaroVI

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« Reply #15 on: <07-27-12/1943:25> »
It's an entire skill just for getting rid of spirits that is worse at it than Stunbolt, and also causes dangerously unpredictable drain.

Gnomeborg

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« Reply #16 on: <07-27-12/2154:11> »
It's an entire skill just for getting rid of spirits that is worse at it than Stunbolt, and also causes dangerously unpredictable drain.

This, combined with your suggestion that I not buy the whole group for spellcasting, was a god-send.

I'm currently using Chummer to create my characters.  Is there a better option?

UmaroVI

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« Reply #17 on: <07-28-12/0111:13> »
Of the character creators, some people like HeroLab more but I think Chummer is still more popular.

Mara

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« Reply #18 on: <07-28-12/0114:00> »
I'm currently using Chummer to create my characters.  Is there a better option?

If you are willing to pay a little bit: Hero Lab. It is actively developed, patched regularly, and is the officially licensed
product.

All4BigGuns

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« Reply #19 on: <07-28-12/0117:52> »
I'm currently using Chummer to create my characters.  Is there a better option?

If you are willing to pay a little bit: Hero Lab. It is actively developed, patched regularly, and is the officially licensed
product.

A little? It's getting close to 100 dollars to get everything just for SR for it.
(SR5) Homebrew Archetypes

Tangled Currents (Persistent): 33 Karma, 60,000 nuyen

Mara

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« Reply #20 on: <07-28-12/0123:59> »
I'm currently using Chummer to create my characters.  Is there a better option?

If you are willing to pay a little bit: Hero Lab. It is actively developed, patched regularly, and is the officially licensed
product.

A little? It's getting close to 100 dollars to get everything just for SR for it.

True, but it can be spread out, too...Frankly, I think I have paid more for the books, and I am not a computer programmer, so
I do not want to try messing with something like chummer that, since it is free, is going to be un-supported eventually as the
guy volunteering to do it gets a job/girlfriend/family/tires of Shadowrun

JustADude

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« Reply #21 on: <07-28-12/0308:10> »
Of the character creators, some people like HeroLab more but I think Chummer is still more popular.

The main problem with HeroLab is that they're still missing certain key things, like "War!" and Attitude that have a few pieces of gear that are either "key" for certain builds, or just highly nifty.
“What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right.”
― Albert Einstein

"Being average just means that half of everyone you meet is better than you."
― Me

All4BigGuns

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« Reply #22 on: <07-28-12/1155:07> »
I'm currently using Chummer to create my characters.  Is there a better option?

If you are willing to pay a little bit: Hero Lab. It is actively developed, patched regularly, and is the officially licensed
product.

A little? It's getting close to 100 dollars to get everything just for SR for it.

True, but it can be spread out, too...Frankly, I think I have paid more for the books, and I am not a computer programmer, so
I do not want to try messing with something like chummer that, since it is free, is going to be un-supported eventually as the
guy volunteering to do it gets a job/girlfriend/family/tires of Shadowrun

I guess I just find the cost to be more than a bit ridiculous, considering that it almost comes to buying most of the books twice. If it were 40 bucks TOTAL for the program with ALL of the information for any one particular game system, then I would consider it.
(SR5) Homebrew Archetypes

Tangled Currents (Persistent): 33 Karma, 60,000 nuyen

Gnomeborg

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« Reply #23 on: <07-31-12/1113:03> »
This is what I ended up with.  Critique?

== Info ==
Street Name: Laufey
Name: Unnamed Character
Movement: 10/25, Swim: 6
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 1
Public Awareness: 0
Elf (Dryad)
Composure: 11
Judge Intentions: 10
Lift/Carry: 3 (15 kg/10 kg)
Memory: 7
Nuyen: 0

== Attributes ==
BOD: 2
AGI: 2
REA: 3
STR: 1
CHA: 7
INT: 3
LOG: 3
WIL: 4
EDG: 2
MAG: 5

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence:                   6
Initiative:                6
IP:                        1
Astral Initiative:         6
Astral IP:                 3
Matrix Initiative:         7
Matrix IP:                 1
Physical Damage Track:     9
Stun Damage Track:         10

== Active Skills ==
Animal Handling            : 0                      Pool: 2
Animal Training            : 0                      Pool: 2
Archery                    : 0                      Pool: 1
Armorer                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Artisan                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Assensing                  : 4                      Pool: 7
Astral Combat              : 1                      Pool: 5
Automatics                 : 0                      Pool: 1
Blades                     : 0                      Pool: 1
Clubs                      : 0                      Pool: 1
Computer                   : 1                      Pool: 4
Con                        : 4                      Pool: 14
Counterspelling            : 4                      Pool: 9
Cybercombat                : 0                      Pool: 2
Data Search                : 1                      Pool: 4
Demolitions                : 0                      Pool: 2
Disguise                   : 1                      Pool: 4
Diving                     : 0                      Pool: 1
Dodge                      : 0                      Pool: 2
Enchanting                 : 1                      Pool: 6
Escape Artist              : 0                      Pool: 1
Etiquette                  : 4                      Pool: 14
First Aid                  : 0                      Pool: 2
Forgery                    : 1                      Pool: 3
Gunnery                    : 0                      Pool: 1
Gymnastics                 : 0                      Pool: 1
Hacking                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Heavy Weapons              : 0                      Pool: 1
Infiltration               : 4                      Pool: 6
Instruction                : 0                      Pool: 6
Intimidation               : 0                      Pool: 6
Leadership                 : 4                      Pool: 14
Locksmith                  : 0                      Pool: 1
Longarms                   : 0                      Pool: 1
Navigation                 : 0                      Pool: 2
Negotiation                : 4                      Pool: 14
Palming                    : 5                      Pool: 7
Parachuting                : 0                      Pool: 1
Perception                 : 0                      Pool: 2
Pilot Ground Craft         : 0                      Pool: 2
Pilot Watercraft           : 0                      Pool: 2
Pistols                    : 1                      Pool: 3
Riding                     : 0                      Pool: 2
Ritual Spellcasting        : 3                      Pool: 8
Shadowing                  : 0                      Pool: 2
Spellcasting               : 5                      Pool: 10
Survival                   : 0                      Pool: 3
Throwing Weapons           : 0                      Pool: 1
Tracking                   : 0                      Pool: 2
Unarmed Combat             : 0                      Pool: 1

== Knowledge Skills ==

== Qualities ==
Allergy (Common, Mild) (Bright Light)
Distinctive Style
Glamour
Incompetent (Summoning)
Low-Light Vision
Magician
Nocturnal
Striking Skin Pigmentation
Symbiosis
Unusual Hair
Vomeronasal Organ

== Spells ==
(Tradition: Norse, Resist Drain with WIL + CHA (11))
Alter Memory               DV: (F÷2)+2
Astral Clairvoyance        DV: (F÷2)-1
Bugs                       DV: (F÷2)
Catalog                    DV: (F÷2)+2
Clairvoyance               DV: (F÷2)-1
Detect Enemies             DV: (F÷2)+1
Detect Life, Extended      DV: (F÷2)+2
Detect Magic, Extended Area DV: (F÷2)+2
Heal                       DV: (Damage Value)-2
Mask                       DV: (F÷2)

== Lifestyles ==
High  1 months

== Armor ==
Form-Fitting Full-Body Suit6/2

== Weapons ==
Krime Stopper
   +Custom Look Rating 2
   +Firing Selection Change, Small Mod (SA)
   +Metahuman Customization
   +Personalized Grip
   DV: 7P   AP: -1   RC: 1
Unarmed Attack
   DV: 1S   AP: -   RC: 0

== Commlink ==
Fairlight Caliban (4, 6, 6, 5)
Novatech Airware (3, 2, 1, 3)
   +Disposable Commlink OS

== Gear ==
DocWagon Contract: Basic
Fake License (Masking Focus) Rating 4
Fake License (Lockpick Set) Rating 4
Fake SIN (Fake ID) Rating 4
Fake SIN (Fake ID) Rating 4
Lockpick Set
Magical Lodge Materials Rating 6
Maglock Sequencer Rating 4
Masking Focus Rating 4
RFID Sensor
Standard Passkey x10
Standard Passkey System
Stealth Tags x20

UmaroVI

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« Reply #24 on: <07-31-12/1143:30> »
Body 2 is really low and that is asking for it.

There's no reason not to have Willpower softcapped on a Magician.

You don't really need a 3 logic and can live with 2 a lot more easily than you can live with 2 body or 4 willpower.

You can probably lose a point of reaction if you really need to, although it's not useless.

I would lose the point of computer. There's not really a middle ground between "useless on the matrix" and "hacker" and you are firmly in the former territory. If you want to have a little bit of matrix usefulness, an agent setup is much more valuable and costs less (see the "Paranormal Investigator" first link in my sig for an example of a simple agent setup).

I don't think you are nearly good enough at Forgery to justify the 4 bp. You aren't good enough to forge anything and its a seriously niche skill. A contact who is actually able to forge stuff is a better buy if you really want that.

Why do you have Palming 5? That is a huge amount of BP for something that is not really helpful.

Why don't you have Spellcasting 6?

I would probably just have 1 ritual spellcasting. The main use of it is tracking, which doesn't really require you be awesome at it as compared to have it.

You are not actually good enough with pistols to do anything besides shoot yourself in the foot. I'd reconsider that 4 bp.

Nocturnal is an enormously terrible negative quality. It is not just the opposite of being diurnal like normal people and especially on a mage, -1 to all your mental stats during the day is horribly punishing.

You should really have a mentor spirit. They are more than worth the 5 bp.

Just so you understand, Incompetent (summoning) is really, really suboptimal. Even 1 point of summoning is hugely useful.

Bugs is a kind of silly spell and you should really just know Stunbolt.

Catalog is just way too specific to be worth a spell slot.

Detect Magic is like Assensing, but less useful and you already have Assensing.

If you're going to know Detect Enemies, it should probably be Extended.

Mask is a useless spell because technological sensors are so common. Physical Mask is very useful, though.

If you are looking for good spells: Mind Probe, Control Thoughts/Mob Mind, Levitate, and Trid Phantasm are all good choices that fit your theme. If you care even slightly about fighting you should know Increase Reflexes.

FFBA is good, but you don't just wear it! The point is that it stacks with other things. Your armor for encumbrance should always be adding up to twice your body exactly. Use FFBA + one normal armor piece + SecureTech PPP Systems to get it to add up.

I wouldn't have a masking focus that you can't use because you don't have masking.

It is well worth the points to get Restricted Gear and a f4 power focus at chargen, because it's very efficient boosting to all your abilities and the way the bonding costs work makes it much more so at chargen rather than getting it later.


Gnomeborg

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« Reply #25 on: <07-31-12/1242:21> »
ok, I made all of the adjustments you suggested... do you have any suggestions for which mentor spirit?

UmaroVI

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« Reply #26 on: <07-31-12/1325:02> »
There's a bunch of good ones:

Dragonslayer (but be really careful about that drawback! I'd also talk to your GM about what constitutes a "promise." I'm not a big fan because it basically makes you have to lawyer your way around to avoid breaking promises, but if your GM is willing to not be a dick about it, DS is fine). [Freyr]
Moon Maiden [Mani]
Raven [Huginn and Muninn]
Seductress [Freyja]
Thunderbird [Thor]
Trickster [Loki]
Adversary (Counterspelling version) [Surtr]
Dragon [Jormungandr]
Sky Father [Odin]
Spider [The Norns]

Gnomeborg

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« Reply #27 on: <07-31-12/1558:55> »
I can't thank you enough for your help, everyone.