[Walder]

(( I made a Christian Theurgist Troll Street Sam, or Paladin for short. Is he viable? ))

== Info ==
Street Name: Paladin
Name: Unnamed Character
Movement: 15/35, Swim: 7
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 4
Public Awareness: 1
Troll
Composure: 9
Judge Intentions: 6
Lift/Carry: 18 (150 kg/100 kg)
Memory: 7
Nuyen: 0

== Attributes ==
BOD: 8
AGI: 3
REA: 3 (4)
STR: 7 (10)
CHA: 4
INT: 2
LOG: 2
WIL: 5
EDG: 1
MAG: 3

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence:                   4.4
Initiative:                5 (6)
IP:                        1 (2)
Astral Initiative:         4
Astral IP:                 3
Matrix Initiative:         5
Matrix IP:                 2
Physical Damage Track:     12
Stun Damage Track:         11

== Active Skills ==
Animal Handling            : 0                      Pool: 1
Animal Training            : 0                      Pool: 1
Archery                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Armorer                    : 0                      Pool: 1
Artisan                    : 0                      Pool: 1
Automatics                 : 2                      Pool: 5
Blades                     : 3                      Pool: 6
Climbing                   : 0                      Pool: 9
Clubs                      : 0                      Pool: 2
Computer                   : 0                      Pool: 1
Con                        : 0                      Pool: 3
Cybercombat                : 0                      Pool: 1
Data Search                : 0                      Pool: 1
Demolitions                : 0                      Pool: 1
Disguise                   : 0                      Pool: 1
Diving                     : 0                      Pool: 7
Dodge                      : 0                      Pool: 3
Escape Artist              : 0                      Pool: 2
Etiquette                  : 0                      Pool: 3
Exotic Ranged Weapon       : 3 [Laser Weapons]      Pool: 6
First Aid                  : 0                      Pool: 1
Flight                     : 0                      Pool: 9
Forgery                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Gunnery                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Gymnastics                 : 0                      Pool: 2
Hacking                    : 0                      Pool: 1
Heavy Weapons              : 0                      Pool: 2
Infiltration               : 0                      Pool: 2
Instruction                : 0                      Pool: 3
Intimidation               : 0                      Pool: 3
Leadership                 : 0                      Pool: 3
Locksmith                  : 0                      Pool: 2
Longarms                   : 0                      Pool: 2
Navigation                 : 0                      Pool: 1
Negotiation                : 0                      Pool: 3
Palming                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Parachuting                : 0                      Pool: 7
Perception                 : 0                      Pool: 1
Pilot Ground Craft         : 0                      Pool: 3
Pilot Watercraft           : 0                      Pool: 3
Pistols                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Riding                     : 0                      Pool: 3
Running                    : 0                      Pool: 9
Shadowing                  : 0                      Pool: 1
Spellcasting               : 4                      Pool: 7
Summoning                  : 1                      Pool: 4
Survival                   : 0                      Pool: 4
Swimming                   : 0                      Pool: 9
Throwing Weapons           : 0                      Pool: 2
Tracking                   : 0                      Pool: 1
Unarmed Combat             : 0                      Pool: 2

== Knowledge Skills ==
Area Knowledge: Seattle    : 2 [Redmond]            Pool: 4 (6)
Ares Arms                  : 4                      Pool: 6
English                    : N                      Pool: 0
Firearms                   : 3                      Pool: 5
Christianity               : 1 [Catholocism]        Pool: 3 (5)


== Contacts ==
Vory Shestiorka (1, 1)

== Qualities ==
Bad Rep
Guts
Magician
Records on File (Ares Arms Employment)
Restricted Gear (Rating 3)
SINner (Criminal) (Johnny Rockets, formerly employed with Ares Arms, fired for obstruction of duty, criminalized for theft of Ares Arms property)
Thermographic Vision
Wanted (Ares, for theft of high-tech gear)

== Spells ==
(Tradition: Christian Theurgy, Resist Drain with WIL + CHA (9))
Alleviate Addiction        DV: (F÷2)-4
Compel Truth               DV: (F÷2)-1
Cure Disease               DV: (Disease DV)-2
Heal                       DV: (Damage Value)-2
Influence                  DV: (F÷2)+1
Manaball                   DV: (F÷2)+2
Mask                       DV: (F÷2)
Stabilize                  DV: (Overflow damage)-2

== Lifestyles ==
Abandoned Church in Redmond  1 months
   Comforts:      Squatter
   Entertainment: Squatter
   Necessities:   Squatter
   Neighborhood:  Street
   Security:      Luxury
   Qualities:     Privacy Screen, Astral (Rating 3) [3LP]
                  Privacy Screen, Physical (Rating 3) [3LP]
                  Reinforced Housing Rating 2 [3LP]
                  Stocked Up [1LP]
                  Rough Neighborhood [-1LP]
                  Worse Neighbors [-1LP]

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Wired Reflexes Rating 1

== Armor ==
Actioneer Business Clothes5/3
Clothing ("Troll-Sized Priest's Clothes")                   0/0
Heavy Military Armor      16/14
   +Biomonitor
   +Chemical Protection 6
   +Fire Resistance 6
   +Flotation System
   +Hydraulic Jacks 6
   +Insulation 6
   +Integrated Weapon: Grenade Launcher
   +Integrated Weapon: Submachine Gun
   +Nonconductivity 6
   +Radiation Shielding 6
   +Shock Frills
   +Strength Upgrade 3
   +Thermal Damping 6
Helmet                    1/2
   +Biomonitor
   +Chemical Protection 6
   +Fire Resistance 6
   +Nonconductivity 6
   +Radiation Shielding 6
   +Responsive Interface Gear
   +Novatech Airware
      +Novatech Navi

== Weapons ==
Ares MP Laser 3
   +Bipod
   +Smartgun System, Internal
   +Melee Hardening
   +Metahuman Customization
   +Personalized Grip
   +Trigger Removal
   DV: 7P   AP: -half   RC: 3
Claymore
   +Custom Look Rating 2
   +Gecko Grip
   +Metahuman Customization
   +Personalized Grip, Melee
   DV: 9P   AP: -1   RC: 0
Grenade Launcher
   DV: Grenade   AP: -   RC: 0
Minigrenade: High Explosive
   DV: 10P (-2/m)   AP: -2   RC: 0
Submachine Gun
   DV: 5P   AP: -   RC: 2
Unarmed Attack
   DV: 5S   AP: -   RC: 0

== Commlink ==
Novatech Airware (3, 4, 3, 3)
   +AR Gloves
   +Simrig
   +Novatech Navi
   +Suite: Basic+ [Analyze 3, Browse 3, Command 1, Edit 3]
Novatech Airware (3, 4, 3, 3)
   +Novatech Navi

== Gear ==
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Submachine Guns) x300
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Heavy Machine Guns) x1000
Antibiotics Rating 6 x10
Antiparasitics Rating 6 x10
Antivirals Rating 6 x10
Battery Pack: Power Backpack x1120
Certified Credstick, Standard
DocWagon Contract: Basic
Fake License (Ares Citymaster (Riot Control Vehicle)) Rating 4
Fake SIN (Czechlaw Meyer) Rating 4
Magical Lodge Materials Rating 6
Minigrenade: High Explosive x80

== Vehicles ==
Ares Citymaster (Riot Control Vehicle)
   +Life Support Level 2
   +Personal Armor Rating 8
   +Weapon Mount (Normal, External, Turret, Remote)
   +Vehicle Sensor

[rasmusnicolaj]

Uneven is better in a lot of attributes. I would raise Body to 9 and maybe lower Strength to pay for that (Strength 5 isn’t bad and you are a spellcaster). Or if you can’t spare the points then lower body to 7. Charisma 4 is really expensive and you should just softcap it at 3. Reaction and Intuition is kind of important for your initiative and being fast is good. And I would definitely try to find BP for Magic 5.
The worst possible tradition you can take as a troll is a charisma based tradition as that is the attribute where you are hit the most. Just saying though as I think what you wan’t to play and how you envision your character is more important than a die or two more in drain resistance.

Drop Automatics – you are a magician so Stunbolt people. Drop Blades (same argument as before). Drop Exotic Weapons – again you are a magician. Get Spellcasting 6. Learn Assensing, Counterspelling and Binding. Right now you are a mediocre magician and a mediocre fighter. Just be good at what you do namely your spells. If you wanna be the magical fighter you should probably make a possession tradition and let spirits possess you before you do battle. Maybe learn Perception, Infiltration and a social skill as those a great for a shadowrunner.

Drop your cyberware. It isn’t worth it. Instead learn Increase Reflexes and get a R3 Sustaining Foci. If you want cyberware as a magician it should be stuff that enhances your magic. For example Cerebral Boosters in a Logic Drain Tradition.

You should get a mentor spirit. It is definitely worth the points. I’m not sure I would allow Wanted on the reason you have stolen some gear. It isn’t economical reasonable to use resources to hunt you for a mega corp like Ares for a little gear. It just isn’t cost effective. Just let it be part of you background story (or describe some other thing you have done. It doesn’t have to be gear you carry on you still just to make a good and interesting story).

With Spellcasting 6 you should get 4 more spells. I would start with a single target spell like Stunbolt and as note above get Increase Reflexes.

Drop your advanced weapons and the armor. For weapons use Stunbolt and you can get almost as good an armor deal with combination of lesser armors (if not actually better). Form Fitting Body Armor, SecureTech PPP System and for example a full Vashon Island Steampunk outfit.
Drop the citymaster. It is incredible expensive and restricted. You are a magician not the rigger. You are spending more than 15 BP to own it and you can’t really drive it or operate its weaponry (no driving skill, relative low reaction, no gunnery).

Use a rank of restricted gear to get a R4 Power Foci. It is a really huge bonus for a magician.

Hope that help you a little.

Rasmus

[Walder]

It does, and yeah I should definitely drop some things (the Citymaster was too cool, and changing traditions to something logic/possesion based would be fine), but from what you're suggesting, my guy would be less of a fighter/mage and more of a mage, which isn't what I was going for with this character. I don't care if he's a mediocre magician, he's supposed to be a better fighter. Maybe I should make him an adept, or make magic play less of a role with him?

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind when I make the adjustments.

[rasmusnicolaj]

You are welcome 

A mystic adept, so you have a little spellcasting and then adept powers to boost your fighting abilities would work. It could be a possession tradition but can also work with an more traditional magician type (fighting alongside your bound spirits). Elemental Aura and Increase Reflexes as spells are a cheap way to enhance fighting power and there are also spells that help a ranged weapons guy.

It is always worth it to be good at what you do so be a good fighter and boost that with magic. And be good at fighting with one weapon and ok with a backup weapon (one ranged option and one melee option). That is a lot better than being bad with a lot of different weapons.
Get your most important skill at 6. Learn the other important skills at 4. The skill you can't be without at 1. That is most karma efficient. Also wait with specializations til you have startet playing because they are so cheap with karma.

Oh a by the way the increase attribute spell will be a good choice to increase your drain resistance.

Rasmus

[Halancar]

I like how you have followed the 'paladin' concept right into your skill and spell choices. But I have to question the Bad Rep quality in that respect, it stains your honor as a paladin...

Otherwise, well, he is viable.

There are of course a lot of points where you could optimize the character, from skill selection (you don't need so many ways to kill the bad guys, even if it makes sense with the concept), to having wired reflexes: that's what the increase reflexes spell is for, you're paying 20 extra BP on the magic attribute to alleviate the essence loss !

Oh, and squatter lifestyle with luxury security ? There must be a story there, did you chain a dragon to guard your squat in the Barrens ?

[Thrass]

I'ld definitely go with mystic adept,
if you can fit the positive qualities get a way where you can get increased reflexes at lvl 3 with a geas for 2 power points, invest maybe 1 more power point in adept abilities,
decide if you really want to got for 2handed melee prowess or... two weapons with 2weapon maneouvre that lets you defend in melee for free each turn
(you can hold 2handed weapons with only 1 point of penalty as a Troll)

automatics is a niche skill... you should probably be better off with longarms and a ares alpha (which you can hold 1handed with 1 point of penalty but get a magical 2 point recoil comp),
you can also use shotguns with it

I'ld personally get rid of laser weapons, (get an ares alpha as mentioned above if you need to fight spirits and want that armor/2 get Stick 'n' Shock)

get rid of the cyberware....

for geas you should imho go for "pray 1 hour every 24 hours"  or something along the lines of your "believe"
go check for aspected magician in street magic as well and look if smth fits your character

once you got rid of the restricted gear change wanted reason to maybe "terroristic acts on weapons transports" since you are a "paladin" fighting for the "good" you could as well have blown up those transports instead of stealing them

skills: buy high or buy low
buy the skills at rank 4...
or if you really need them but don't want to invest buy rank 1...
if you just kinda want to have them: buy them later in game at rank 1

always go with uneven numbers for mos tof the attributes...
strength should be 5 if you basically need other attributes,
7 if you need that 1 more recoil compensation and a little push in melee damage
9 if you really are melee damage focused, but then again you probably should go for 11 or 13 with a point of bioware
body should just be uneven
agility should be softcapped as a Troll if you want to use ranged weapons
willpower, and your 2nd drain resistance attribute should also be softcapped


you don't have that good of a drain resistance pool maybe swap stunball for stunbolt


last but not least:
learn counterspelling... it is a must have

[rasmusnicolaj]

Don't learn Increased Reflexes as a Power. It cost way to much and as a Mystic Adept you have the perfect opportunity to learn it as a spell and then just get a Sustaining foci for it.

Automatics defenitely isn't a niche skill. Longarms are the weakest firearm skill in the game. Automatics gives you much more versatility from small easily concealed maschine pistols to heavy battle riffles that is excellent for sniping the few times you need that. And it has everything in between with SMG's and assault rifles.

Some skills are worth to get at 1. You can't default one everything and you don't get the untrained penalty on key skills.

Rasmus

[TheNarrator]

I like the concept and that you're trying to play against type, but I think you might need to reprioritize a bit. As it stands, your guy isn't that good at spellcasting or combat.

I think part of the problem is that you dumped too many BP into gear. An APC worthy of the team's rigger, milspec armor, a laser weapon... I would take it down a notch. Have maybe one thing that requires Restricted Gear, rather than three. Give up the gun turret on the car, since you're not really a guy who does his fighting from the car anyway.

Honestly, while I know that the laser weapon is tied up in your backstory, the price, quality and the special skill for it are costing you a fair chunk of BP. If you're gonna go that route, then it should probably be your only ranged weapon. Otherwise, make do with Automatics, which is quite versatile and potent. Ares Alpha is a great gun.

I just noticed that you have a grenade launcher, but no heavy weapons skill with which to use it. Not good. Lobbing grenades around with only two dice to roll is a good way to have them explode in your face.


Glaring problem from a teamwork perspective: no Counterspelling. The other runners you work with will be counting on their team spellcaster to be protecting them from direct combat spells that will easily stomp anyone with no Spell Defense.... including your Paladin.


If you're going to get 'ware anyway, then get some Muscle Toner to boost your Agility. You need it for your shooting and swordfighting, and 3 is not a very good stat. Meanwhile, having a Strength 10 doesn't do you any good (melee damage is STR/2, rounded up), so take that one down to 9 or up to 11.

Whether you decide to have 'ware or not, the Wired Reflexes should probably go. The Essence cost is high and really hurts your magic. Better to get a sustaining foci and the Increase Reflexes spell. An essence point's worth of bioware can go a long way, but cyber is probably best avoided by the Awakened except for small things like a datajack or cybereye.


In general, I'd say that the main problems are that your attributes are really low (remember that Intuition affects Initiative and keeps you from being ambushed) and you have very little in the way of skills, and the few skills you have aren't that good, and are linked to attributes that aren't that good. I'd say you should redistribute some build points to put the focus less on your guy's stuff and more on your guy.

[UmaroVI]

I think you can totally make a character like this work, but it isn't really working right now.

What you need to do is focus on synergy between magic and physical combat. You don't need 3 combat skills and a bunch of boom spells; you need 1 physical combat skill (either Automatics if you want to do range combat, or Blades if you want to do melee combat), and spells that make you better at it, then Stunbolt as a backup.

[Ethan]

I like the concept very much. Charisma may not be the Troll's strong point but it can still work.

I was going to suggest using the Fomori subtype to grab the Arcane Arrestor. That would come in handy for a "Paladin" who may have been trained to fight "evil wizards" and the like.

Do you want to stay as a Mystic Adept or go full Magician? If your concept is that he's the heavy combat guy, it can still work if he's a Magician, he'll just need to know a bunch of Health spells and rely on one or two Health foci.

You may wanna consider Heavy Weapons. Now, I neg on those all the time, but with a Troll you can be the ultimate support guy. Which may be pretty bad in terms of becoming a priority for any enemies: heavily armoured troll carrying a massive weapon (or three) and is also Awakened? Yeah kill that first and always.

But you'll be able to provide heavy firepower, magical support, spirit support, plus counterspelling and nifty bladework if you have the spare points.

The City Master's cool but man that's eating a lot of your points.

[Thrass]

I take back what I said about automatics.
I dunno what I was thinking but I was probably thinking about another system while writing about automatics being a niche skill...

You can very well go full mage and melee with a stunball for ranged...
(maybe use elemental aura for melee)

but imho 2 points are acceptable for 4 ini passes and you don't have that christmas tree problem and are not a valid target on astral space