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Greetings.
I am looking for a few runners to participate in a new 5th Edition Shadowrun campaign. The setting is Seattle, 2076, beginning in the Redmond area.
Character generation will be as standard for 5ed: Priority System, maximum availability 12, maximum karma on positive/negative qualities 25.
Things I will be restricting: changelings, metahuman variants, and qualities which increase availability from CharGen (black market contacts?)
I highly recommend using either Chummer5 or Hero Lab (if you want to spend money or already have it) for character generation.
The start of the game will focus on the Redmond area and the local gang scene, mostly to allow the runners to stretch their legs a bit and get used to the shadows (and the players to the system) before branching out in who-knows-what directions.
I would like to see people who are interested in strong character driven stories and exciting action, and less interested in crunching the numbers in the absolute optimal fashion. Note: there is nothing wrong with crunching those numbers to be very very good at what you want, so long as the character behind the PC is also engaging and fun.
Posting schedule: I will typically be able to post long and detailed (number crunchy) posts earlier in the day (GMT -5; 0900-1300 ish) and respond or create shorter RP driven posts later in the evening (1530-2300 ish).
Let's hear those runner concepts, and feel free to throw any questions I have not answered my way!
Well i had started a technomancer some time ago for another 5th ed recruitment...i'd like to do the same here
I am interested for sure. Will present a concept soon.
Tentative interest for the moment, as I do find the whole premise of Shadowrun very very interesting indeed, but after being confronted with the 3rd Edition ruleset, I found it quite a bit daunting and had to bow out of a 3rd Edition recruitment thread.
This does seem a bit more newbie-friendly, I have to admit. Is 5th Edition at least even a little simpler/easier to get into when compared to the 3rd?
It is, though 3rd's purported 'complexity' is only such if you use all the books and their options - not unlike 4e or 5e.
Name : Suki Liane. Street name 'Shugyōsha'.
Gender : Female
Phenotype : Human-looking Japanese elf. (As this is a starting character, unlikely it would reach the point where she Awakens, as is part of the character 'path'.)
Archetype : Mastermind / Street samurai.
Stat Spec : Human average; high intelligence, very high agility. Ambidextrous in regards to hand use, but not simultaneous weapon use.
Personality : Cool, collected, and above all professional. She is a firm believer in the structure of battle being 'Intelligence before speed; speed before strength; strength before weakness,' and is set to ensure that she is capable of being the first and second.
Skill Set : Very good pistols and blades; good stealth; some capability for motorcycles, unarmed combat, etc. Datajack and a little computer knowledge; magic potential.
Abilities / Implants : Primarily low-key cyberware and bioware implants, designed for subtlety and precision.[/b]
See the story Pananagutan for snapshots of Shu' both before coming to Seattle, and well down the line; see End of the Line for some fiction written as a potential baseline/unification thing for a '61 3e game that recently got started here on the boards.
Simply put, Shugyōsha - generally known as 'Shu' - would have rather been a bodyguard and company man for her entire life. Unfortunately, things got ... complicated when she got involved with a rising executive. Love, quite public dating, sex, promises of marriage ... and a pregnancy, because Suki was, to be blunt, young and foolish. She had the child, but her daughter (Riian - the last name above is an error, was meant to be Liane) was distinctly, visibly, clearly an elf.
Suki, you see, is a very, very human-looking elf.
Barely a week after Riian's birth, a four-man hit team came after mother and daughter. The resulting gunfight - for the person for which Suki had been the bodyguard had been Hitomi Shiawase, granddaughter of the CEO and member of the Shiawase family - concluded witht he death of all the gunmen, but Suki's mother and sister were killed as well. The violence brought corporate security, but unfortunately when one of them recognized one of the hit squad as being a member of the corporate high-threat response team, the two drew - and Suki was forced to kill them as well to protect herself and her child. Snatching up what little she could, she called the young girl and apologized to her, explained what had happened, and fled the compound in a running gun-battle before she could shake her pursuers and vanish into the Tokyo underground.
Ever since, though she's been on the run from Shiawase - or rather, from her highly-offended ex, who thought she was a proper human, but he's become an executive - she has considered herself a warrior on pilgramage, and sought to find a master worth serving. She has, in fact, discovered that she has a talent for more than just bodyguarding, but for ... agent work. And so she stays in the job, keeping a few steps ahead of her ex, trying to figure out a way to shake him forever.
Rules Request: remove the 'either/or, not both' aspect of Biocompatability; I'd really, really like to take both. :P
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Re: newbie players; Absolutely! Welcome!
My suggestion is to acquire the Core Rules PDF (not super expensive, iirc) and the chummer5 character generation tool (free!)
The core mechanic of SR 5 is fairly simple: you have a pool of X d6, and you want to roll 5s or 6s with that pool. The challenge arises from either another character/creature/item rolling opposed to you (an opposed test), a certain number of "hits" (5s & 6s) rolled (a simple test), or a generally larger number of "hits" rolled over a period of time (an extended test).
Examples: Shooting someone is an Opposed Test. You roll your Firearms+Agility dice pool, and the enemy rolls his Reaction+Intuition to avoid the shot.
Jumping a motorcycle over the gap of a rising bridge at high speed would be a Simple Test . You roll Pilot Ground Craft+Reaction and hope to get the required # of hits. Probably 3 or 4 in that case, depending on the size of gap.
Finally an Extended Test is one which takes a bit more time (or a lot more) and allows for multiple rolls to achieve the threshold. Fixing your bike after you crashed it into a bridge would require Automotive Mechanics+Logic, with each test requiring 4 or 8 hours (more or less depending in the particular challenge) and a threshold of say, 12.
Every time you roll for the Extended Test, you lose 1 die from your total pool and spend however much time it calls for. Get the # before you run outta dice, win! Fail to do that, and you are outta luck for now.
Never played SR, though very interested to try it, especially in a game with daily posting expectations.
Would you consider a full bore neophyte into the game?
Just a heads up I guess, but if I do manage to power through the story and the rules and such, I am considering a magician who also works as a medical doctor during the day (maybe a Street Doc, I believe it is called?). Or rather a doctor who is intensely curious about and keenly interested in magic and the occult, being Awakened himself, and seeks to further increase his knowledge and improve his skills via shadowrunning. Academically or as far as knowledge is concerned, medicine and magic theory seem pretty fitting, perhaps alongside other relevant stuff. Crunch-wise he will be a general spellcaster of the hermetic tradition whose secondary skillset would be first aid and medicine.
Still thinking about him, but this would probably be his basic concept.
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Absolute newbies are certainly welcome.
The SR core rules are a bit daunting to read for the first time, but they can absolutely be mastered.
Street Doc / Mage is quite doable, and actually synergizes quite well.
The Shadowruntabletop.com site has a set of quick start rules available, which you may find a bit more accessible to ease in.
I built an adept that I never got to play. Stealthy illusionist using tiger shaman magic to infiltrate corporations for espionage. She was in marketing before leaving the system: marketing is getting people to see what they want to see, illusion is getting people to see what you want them to see.
Time commitment might be tight. How long do you expect to go?
We are using Priority System, Street Level right?
Don't think he said anything about playing street-level characters. Wouldn't have applied if he had.
Don't think he said anything about playing street-level characters. Wouldn't have applied if he had.
I remember something about that in the interest check. Either way I just want to know what it is. I will play either.
Other than his saying that he is "thinking of starting relatively small" before "moving out into the wider world of running", I do not see anything in the interest check thread specifically about Street-Level Play.
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Correct.
Standard runner setup, A,B,C,D,E priorities.
Edit: for newbies or those who may want some more clarification on some rules, check out the youtube channel Complex Action, especially his video series called "GM Screen". Short vids which focus on particular rules in question. Very good, very east to parse. I highly recommend them.
Correct.
Standard runner setup, A,B,C,D,E priorities.
I get that, but there are two options for ABCDE you can do street level, or prime runners. There is no standard. Pg 64 of the rules. *edit or "Established* which I guess is standard?
Those are alternate starting methods. They change the standard CharGen values, which begin to be listed on the next page, Pg 65 of SR5 Core Rules.
Ah, cool the variants start before the basic, gotta love that set-up. Ok I guess what I am asking is I am using Hero-Lab because trying to pencil and paper character gen in 5th is a nightmare. I have 3 options in Hero Lab, Established, Prime, and Street.
I am going to assume Established, seeing as how the alternate methods are called Street-Level and Prime Runners.
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Yes, established would be the "Standard" I guess.
And yes, the rules being complex is not helped in ANY means by the poor layout of some of the Catalyst books!
Don't forget, there are like 8 or 10 sample archetypes if you would like to play as one of them and tweak or change things around. Or to give you an idea of dice pools/limits.
Rule of thumb: average people have an attribute about 3, with skill ranks around 3, so would roll 6 dice for normal, day-to-day tasks.
A competent runner should have at least 9-10 dice (skill + attribute) in a task.
Your speciality (spellcasting, driving, shooting, hacking) should be around 12 dice at minimum, and get higher as you gain karma.
With the right specializations, cyberware, magic, and allocations of points, you CN reasonably hit 18+ dice in certain tasks if you are willing to take a hit on other options.
Everything comes with a price in the 6th world, omae! ;)
Thanks working on reduing my character a bit
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Also remember: you can't do everything by yourself.
A mage may be a spectacular spellcaster and summoner, hut he probably won't also be the driver, gunman, and face.
Likewise, the Wheelman might be the hot stick behind the controls and a crack shot, but don't expect him to hack terminals or patch up the wonded.
My concept is Qe'Vela, a female Elf. She is a Private Investigator by day, Arms Dealer and Pistol enthusiast by night (or vice versa depending on circumstances). She operates both businesses outside her modified GMC Step Van, but she does live a high lifestyle.
In combat she is very proficient with pistols and throwing grenades.
Out of combat she would fill the "Face" roll. She also has a bit of additional skills to help fill some gaps, but she is primarily good at first impressions and a bit of skullduggery.
Priorities -A Abilities, B Skills, C Resources DMetahuman E Magic
METATYPE: ELF
B 3, A 7, R 5, S 2, W 3, L 3, I 5, C 7, ESS 5.3, EDG 1
Condition Monitor (P/S): 10 / 10
Armor: 13
Limits: Physical 4, Mental 5, Social 8
Physical Initiative: 10+1D6
Active Skills: Acting Group 1, Athletics Group 1, Computer 6, Escape Artist 2, First Aid 2, Forgery 2, Influence Group 1, Locksmith 1, Outdoors Group 1, Perception 6, Pilot Ground Craft 6, Pistols 6, Stealth Group 1, Throwing Weapons 5
Knowledge Skills: Arms Dealing (Pistols +2) 2, Private Investigator 3, Seattle Public Transit 6
Languages: English 4, Sperethiel N
Metatype Abilities: Enhanced Senses: Low-Light Vision
Qualities: Ambidexterous, First Impression, Home Ground (Street Politics): Seattle
Augmentations:
Bone Lacing (Plastic)
Erika Elite (Cyber)
Vehicles:
GMC Bulldog Step-Van [Handling 3/3, Speed 3, Accel 1, Body 16, Armor 12, Pilot 1, Sensor 2, Seats 6]
Gear:
Weapon Mount
Weapon Mount
Weapons:
Ares Crusader II [Machine Pistol, Acc 5, DV 7P, AP –, SA/BF, RC 2, 40 (c)] w/ Gas-Vent System (2), Smartgun System, Internal
Ares Light Fire 70 [Light Pistol, Acc 7, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 16 (c)]
Ares Light Fire 75 [Light Pistol, Acc 6, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 16 (c)] w/ Ares Light Fire Silencer, Smartgun System, Internal
Ares Predator V [Heavy Pistol, Acc 5, DV 8P, AP -1, SA, 15 (c)] w/ Smartgun System, Internal
Ares Viper Slivergun [Heavy Pistol, Acc 4, DV 9P(f), AP +4, SA/BF, 30 (c)] w/ Silencer/Suppressor
ArmTech MGL-12 [Grenade Launcher, Acc 4, DV By Ammo, AP –, SA, 12 (c)]
Aztechnology Striker [Launcher, Acc 5, DV By Ammo, AP –, SS, 1 (ml)]
Beretta 201T [Light Pistol, Acc 6, DV 6P, AP –, SA/BF, RC (1), 21 (c)] w/ Folding Stock
Browning Ultra-Power [Heavy Pistol, Acc 5, DV 8P, AP -1, SA, 10 (c)] w/ Laser Sight
Ceska Black Scorpion [Machine Pistol, Acc 5, DV 6P, AP –, SA/BF, RC (1), 35 (c)] w/ Folding Stock
Colt America L36 [Light Pistol, Acc 7, DV 7P, AP –, SA, 11 (c)]
Colt Government 2066 [Heavy Pistol, Acc 6, DV 7P, AP -1, SA, 14 (c)] w/ Laser Sight
Fichetti Security 600 [Light Pistol, Acc 6, DV 7P, AP –, SA, RC (1), 30 (c)] w/ Folding Stock, Laser Sight
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Fichetti Tiffani Needler [Hold-out, Acc 5, DV 8P(f), AP +5, SA, 4 (c)]
Remington Roomsweeper [Heavy Pistol, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP -1, SA, 8 (m)]
Ruger Super Warhawk [Heavy Pistol, Acc 5, DV 9P, AP -2, SS, 6 (cy)]
Steyr TMP [Machine Pistol, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SA/BF/FA, 30 (c)] w/ Laser Sight
Stoner-Ares M202 [MMG, Acc 5, DV 10P, AP -3, FA, 50 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Taurus Omni-6 [Light Pistol, Acc 5, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (cy)] w/ Laser Sight
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Walther Palm Pistol [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, SS/BF-2, 2 (b)]
Fragmentation Rocket [Acc 0, DV 23P(f), -1/m, AP +5]
High Explosive Grenade x10 [Grenade, non-aerodynamic, Acc 9, DV 16P, -2/m, AP -2]
Gear:
AR Gloves
Armor Clothing
Armor Jacket
Autopicker (1)
Binoculars (1) w/ Vision Magnification, Electronic
Bug Scanner (1)
Certified Credstick, Ebony w/ 20,000
Concealable Holster
Encryption
Hidden Gun Arm Slide
Holo Projector
Medkit (1)
Micro-camera
Mobile Office w/ Biomonitor, Mapsoft: Seattle
Quick-Draw Holster
Quick-Draw Holster
Shop, Armorer
Tag Eraser
Vaness Sola w/ Fake SIN (1), (1 month) Low Lifestyle
Y'olandi T-isser w/ (12 months) DocWagon Basic Contract, Fake License: Concealed Carry (4), Fake License: Private Investigator (4), Fake SIN (4), (1 month) High Lifestyle
Weapons:
Colt America L36 [Light Pistol, Acc 7, DV 7P, AP –, SA, 11 (c)]
Colt America L36 [Light Pistol, Acc 7, DV 7P, AP –, SA, 11 (c)]
Colt Government 2066 [Heavy Pistol, Acc 7, DV 7P, AP -1, SA, 14 (c)] w/ Laser Sight
Streetline Special [Hold-out, Acc 4, DV 6P, AP –, SA, 6 (c)]
Explosive Rounds (Heavy Pistol) x10 [Acc 0, DV +1, AP -1]
Flash-Bang Grenade [Grenade, non-aerodynamic, Acc 4, DV 10S, 10m R, AP -4]
Fragmentation Grenade [Grenade, non-aerodynamic, Acc 4, DV 18P(f), -1/m, AP +5]
Smoke Grenade [Grenade, non-aerodynamic, Acc 4, DV Smoke, 10m R, AP –]
Tracer Rounds (Light Pistol) x10 [Acc 0, DV –, AP –]
Contacts:
Fred Womak(Human) (Connection 1, Loyalty 3)
Hank (Dwarf) (Connection 2, Loyalty 4)
Renik Var(Ork) (Connection 2, Loyalty 2)
Sister Teressa (Human) (Connection 3, Loyalty 4)
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That's a whole lotta guns, omae!
Curious where the 20k on the credstick comes in, and why you appear not to have ammunition listed (saw some explosive rds and some tracer rds, but nothing else).
Things of note: you dont seem to have a smartlink of any kind, which makes your smartlinked weapons a bit of a wash.
Also, with the armorer shop (I assume) built into the van and all that inventory in boxes & crates, the only available seats in the Bulldog would be the driver & front passenger. The entire rear compartment would be all business cargo and work area, without space for people.
I would recommend some vision devices, whether contacts, glasses, or goggles.
Finally, your contacts need to have a "Type" Could be as simple as "Fixer" "Street Doc" "Journalist" or can be as detailed as you'd like.
Ya I have clips on my person, but I figured a van full of ammo was a bit to dangerous so I stuck to just pistols. I can modify that. You get 140,000 nuygen at the Established level-resources C. I could instead just grab some ammo if that makes you feel more comfortable.
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Ah, the final amount of nuyen you can bring into the game from CharGen is limited.
Up to 5k ¥ can be brought in, along with your starting money based on lifestyle. As a High lifestyle user, that would be 5d6x500¥. (Pg 95, SR 5 Core Rules)
In addition, where is your High lifestyle located? Hotel? Secure building/townhouse somewhere? Isolated single family home?
Can be anywhere, really, but living in a work van is not super conducive to High living.
I will flesh out every detail a bit later including the contacts, I just wanted to give you the concept. Credstik was an option for gear, but that makes sense(though having resources as a priority and then limiting it seems odd I might just change that down to a lesser degree then)
First draft...
Not sure what I'm doing, so please let me know if I'm missing anything glaring, or that I've done incorrect.
STREET SAMURAI
A. Attributes (24)
B. Resources (275,000 nuyen)
Cyberware and Bioware
Equipment
Lifestyle
C. Skills (28/2)
Active
Knowledge (12 free)
Language
D. Metatype (Human 3)
E. Magic (None)
Positive Qualities:
Negative Qualities:
Karma: 0
Contacts
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Solid start, Synxol.
Couple things:
•Body: 5 (8)
•Agility: 6 (8)
•Reaction: 5 (8)
•Strength: 5 (7)
•Willpower: 3
•Logic: 3
•Intuition: 4
•Charisma: 3
•Edge: 5
•Essence: 0.70
B. Resources (275,000 nuyen)
Cyberware and Bioware
•[Standard] Body Density Augmentation 3 - +3 Body, Unarmed (STR+2)P, 0.9 essence, 15,000 V
•[Alphaware] Muscle Replacement 2 - +2 Strength, +2 Agility, 1.6 essence, 60,000 V
•[Standard] Reaction Enhancers 2 - +2 to Reaction, 0.6 essence, Wireless, 26,000 V
•Wired Reflexes - +1 to Reaction, +1D6 to Initiative, 2.0 essence, Wireless, 39,000 V
•Smartlink 0.2 essence, 4000 V
The number in parentheses is the Augmented value of your attributes. From your point allocation & Karma spent (for Logic), that puts your right in the midddle for your social/mental attributes.
Ares Predator V is a fantastic & iconic weapon choice, it takes Spare Clips rather than speed loaders, but thats a minor detail.
Full Body Armor is availability 14R, which puts it out of the reach of new characters (maximum availability is 12 at CharGen). I suggest an Armor Jacket & Helmet combo. Other modifications to the armor may include NonConductivity and/or Fire Resistance for better protection against shocking and burning attacks.
Seems like you've gone for the Yakuza Hitman style of Street Sam, which is fine and great. Consider changing your Mafia Contact to a Yakuza Soldier at Connection 2/Loyalty 1 and your Fixer to the Connection 3 / Loyalty 3 (or even 4/2, although thats entirely a personal choice)
All in all, a very solid start with the numbers, especially as a new player! Great work, now think about why a Yak hitter is now on the shadows, and who are his contacts (just a name is fine, although more is also better).
Hmm... Here is a question.
Let us say the magician Bob the Splendiferous has Magic 6 and Spellcasting 6. Being of the hermetic tradition, his Logic is 6 and his Willpower is 5. He also has the Focused Concentration (4) and the Mentor Spirit (Snake) qualities. As he wakes up in the morning he decides to cast and sustain the Combat Sense spell at Force 4 via Focused Concentration. Keep in mind the spell is a Detection spell, so the Snake's effect applies I am assuming.
How does he go about doing that? What does he roll?
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Spellcasting:
1st step, decide spell.
2nd step, decide target.
3rd, declare force.
Those are all taken care of easily enough.
Bob the rolls his Spellcasting + Magic with a limit of Force to effectively cast the spell.
Spellcasting+Magic [Force] = 6+6 (+2 for the mentor spirit bonus) = .
Nice roll Bob, with 8 hits, he keeps 4 (due to the limit of the spells Force) and applies that effect to himself.)
Now, Bob has to resist Drain (Which I believe if Force -1 for this spell), due to his tradition the dice pool is Logic + Willpower. There are no limits here as this is effectively a damage resistance check.
Drain check = 6 (Logic) + 5 (Willpower) for
With 3 hits, that negates the 3 Stun damage coming his way from the spell.
Now Bob has an active Combat Sense spell running for as long as he chooses, without penalty due to his Focused Concentration quality.
Thanks. :-)
Okay P. Ham,
I just had to create an new paizo account altogether (<<<Paul).
I'm reading through the core but I'll probably use a bit of the decker stuff we rolled up last time but never implemented.
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So far we have a couple of characters being crunched, with a few more in the works.
Numbers Provided:
Suki , pistol/blades street samurai, tactician
Synxol , pistol/blades street samurai, Yakima hitter
Qe'Vela , face and gun dealer, trying to recreate the "i need guns" scene from the Matrix
Proposed, no numbers as of yet:
Curaigh with an adept/infiltrator/illusionist
F. Castor with a hermetic mage/medic
Jay Friendly with a decker
Spazmodeus with a technomancer
Anyone I missed? No rush, just trying to keep up on top of what's going on.
Rrrrg... I have been such a huge fan of Shadowrun's lore for ages, but I've never been able to make myself learn the tabletop mechanics for it. Too many people telling me how bleh they were. I do believe your endorsement is finally gonna crack the wall.
I'm gonna see about looking through those quick start rules you mentioned earlier, but for the meantime, know I'm pretty interested in getting together something along either of these lines:
Alexander 'Shin' Shinsarai, Troll Street Samurai, a wall of meat with a sword and a smart mouth,
or Rhiat Transmer, a Shaman following the Dragonslayer who lives for the thrill of it all.
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Quickstart rules can be found HERE!
That document has a LOT of what you need to get right into the game, including several PreGen PCs of various archetypes and metatypes.
So, human hermetic magician, right?
Keeping in mind that no Karma has been spent, here is what I have so far...
Going with Priority D for Metatype and with that Metatype being Human, I get 3 bonus points to put into Edge and Magic. I have chosen to put all 3 in Magic (as Magic is Priority C, it starts at 3).
For the skill points, I am thinking: Assensing 4, Counterspelling 6, Etiquette 2, First Aid 4, Medicine 4, Perception 2, Pistols 2, Ritual Spellcasting 2, Sneaking 2, Spellcasting 6, Unarmed Combat 2.
As far as skill groups go: Athletics (Gymnastics, Running, Swimming) 1, Conjuring (Banishing, Binding, Summoning) 4.
Knowledge and Language skills (20 points in total): Magic Traditions (Academic) 4, Magical Theory (Academic) 6, Magical Threats (Academic) 4, English (Language) N, Greek (Language) 4, Sperethiel (Language) 2.
So, Magic 3 and adding the 3 bonus points from being a Priority D Human, it brings it up to 6.
As for spells, I have five (before spending Karma that is). I am thinking: Combat Sense (Detection), Heal (Health), Improved Invisibility (Illusion), Levitate (Manipulation).
That leaves one more to choose, which would probably be a combat spell. I am considering Stunball or Stunbolt, though not sure which one.
Keep in mind I will probably get one or two more via Karma. Suggestions are very very welcome.
Also, do I choose a Spirit (not a Mentor Spirit, the ones you get via Summoning, like Air and Man and such)? Or do I spend Karma for that? Not sure how that works.
And what about Rituals? Are those worth it?
For Positive, I am certainly getting Focused Concentration (at least 4, not sure if more is needed, yet anyway). I am also considering Mentor Spirit, but not entirely sure about it.
As I am picturing him as being pretty new as far as shadowrunning is concerned, not having too many contacts should not be out of the ordinary.
So, what do you think? I will be making a more proper character sheet sort of post, but I thought to at least present a first draft for review and any feedback and/or advice you may have.
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Attributes & Magic stuff look spot on. You'll have only 2 edge to start with, but that's not the end of the world.
Good magical skills & medical stuff, which is your primary focus so thats good there.
I don't know if Ritual Spellcasting will be a bit of a waste to start with - if you have such a low value (8 dice total, which averages to 2 hits) and will have to spend Karma on rituals anyways...might be worthwhile to specialize in Pistols (Semi-Autos) and Perception (Visual) or Sneaking (Urban).
Also, your Unarmed Combat pool is very low, and your strength is only 3. If you hit someone (unlikely unless you're punching research assistants or other non-combatants), you're still only doing 3S damage. Those are two more skill points which could be better applied to a specialization or two, or to increase your pistol skill. Heck, take all 4 of those, bump Pistols to 5 and take the specialization for Semi-Autos and you're rolling 10 dice to sling some lead. That's never a bad thing for anyone, even mages.
With Conjuring 4 you have a decent 10 dice to summon/bind/banish spirits, so spellcasting will be your primary magical contribution, but you have a decent ability to pull in some allies in a pinch. Or get a friendly low-force (10 dice = average 2.5 hits vs Force 2-3 average 1 hit) spirits for general assistance. If you're planning on going this route, I highly recommend the Complex Action Youtube channel I suggested above - he has a whole 2-3 videos (3-5 min each) on summoning, binding, and spirit services.
Spells: seems like you have a good assortment. Increase Reflexes is fantastic; more dice on initiative means more action in combat, and it's a Health spell to boot.
For a combat spell, I always like the Fling spell. It lets you put some hurt out there, but also allows for flexibilit. Wanna toss a molotov cocktail like 150 meters, using your Magic in place of your Agility? Need to get a rope or cable up on top of a building? Its a versatile spell which doesn't get a lot of love.
A direct spell like Stunbolt would be nice as well, especially if you encounter heavy-armored folks - they typically don't have a lot of spell resistance or high willpower.
Obviously, these are all opinions of mine, so if you have your heart set on unarmed combat or carrying a streetline special, have at it!
Decker
Metatype: Human
Attributes
Body: 3 (5) Agility: 4 Reaction: 2 Strength: 2
Willpower: 3 Logic: 5(6) Intuition: 3 Charisma: 2
Edge: 5
Qualities: Analytical Mind, Codeslinger (Hide), Bilingual, Uncouth, Dependent (lvl 6)
Skills
Group: Electronics (4), Biotech (2)
Individual: Cybercombat (5), Electronic Warfare (5), Hacking (5), Pistols (4), Sneaking (4), Perception (4), Demolitions (4), Artisan/Cook (4, specialty+2), Running (1), English/German (N), Decker Code (2), Corp (2), UCAS Politics (4/Street), History (3/Academic), Business (2/Professional), Police Procedure (2/Professional), Sports (1/Interest)
Contacts
City Councilman: Loyalty (2), Connection (5)
Fence/Ex-Wife: Loyalty (4), Connection (3)
Equipment
Platinum Credstick
Starting Nuyen = 3370
Fake SIN (4) x2
Fake License (4) marked ***
Defiance EX Shocker
Taser Dart(10)
Rugar Super Warhawk ***
Speed Loader
Laser Sight
Gel Rounds(10) ***
APDS(10)
Explosive Foam
Detonator Cap
Chameleon Suit ***
Thermal Damp ***
Nonconductive
Clothing x3
Goggles (4): Thermal, Lowlight, Enhancement
Glasses (4): Enhancement
Renraku Tsurugi Cyberdeck
Programs: Exploit, Sneak, Agent
Transys Avalon Comlink
Subvocal Mic
Stealth Tags
Data Tap
Headjammer
Directional Jammer
Tag Eraser
Medkit
DocWagon Gold
Home Setup
Middle: 5000 [base] + 1000 [work space]+ 20% [daughter] = 7400/month
Satelite Link
AR Gloves
Bug Scanner
Shop (Cook)
Cyber/Bioware Essence
Datajack 0.1
Body Lacing (Aluminum) 1
Lower Leg (Synth) x2 0.9
+1 Str./Agi
Large Smuggling Compartment
Cerebral Booster 1 0.2
Mnemonic Enhancer 2 0.2
Loads of good advice.
Hmm... Good points those. So I will probably take the points from both Ritual Spellcasting and Unarmed Combat (at least to begin with; I can always bump those up eventually if need be, through "levelling up" to show his increase in magical skill as well as his getting used to the shadowrunning lifestyle). Pistols will get 2 (for a total of 4; I am not getting a specialisation yet and will probably stick with the holdout, as I do not see him as a very gun-capable guy yet, more like one who keeps a backup to his magic) and the other two will go to Perception (getting Visual specialisation) and probably Sneaking (the Urban specialisation).
More to come as I decide on what to spend Karma on, as well as figuring out lifestyle and gear.
Also, do you think Focused Concentration at 4 is enough? And should I get Mentor Spirit (if yes, Snake appears to be the most appropriate with its connection to curiosity and knowledge)?
== Info ==
Street Name: Hawatari
Name: Suki Hashimayatsu
Movement: 18/36
Karma: 0
Nuyen: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0
Elf Female Age 50
Height 172.75 cm
Weight 53.2 kg
Composure: 10
Judge Intentions: 12
Lift/Carry: 5 (45 kg/30 kg)
Memory: 10
== Concept ==
Run-and-gun street samurai.
== Priorities ==
Attributes: A - 24 Attributes
Resources: B - 275,000¥
Skills: C - 28 Skills/2 Skill Groups
Metatype: D - Human or Elf
Special: E - Mundane
== Attributes ==
BOD: 2
AGI: 7 (9)
REA: 5 (6)
STR: 2 (3)
CHA: 7
INT: 5
LOG: 5
WIL: 3
EDG: 1
== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 2.98
Initiative: 10 (11) + 2d6
Rigger Initiative: 11 + 2d6
Matrix AR Initiative: 11 + 2d6
Physical Damage Track: 9
Stun Damage Track: 10
== Limits ==
Physical: 6
Mental: 6
Social: 7
== Defenses ==
Defend (Std): 11
Block (-5 I): 15
Dodge (-5 I): 15
Parry (-5 I): 15
Full (-10 I): 20
== Active Skills ==
Con : 1 (8)
Impersonation : 1 (8)
Performance : 1 (8)
Etiquette : 1 (8)
Leadership : 1 (8)
Negotiation : 1 (8)
Perception : 2 (7)
Sneaking : 2 (11)
Escape Artist : 1 (11)
Running : 1 (4)
Gymnastics : 4 (13)
Pilot Ground Craft : 3 (9)
Blades : 5 (14)
Pistols : 6 (15)
Unarmed Combat : 4 (13)
== Knowledge Skills ==
Japanese : N
Sperethiel : 6 (11)
English : 6 (11)
Area Knowledge: Seattle : 4 (9)
Combat Tactics : 5 (10)
Current Events : 5 (10)
== Qualities ==
Agile Defender
Ambidextrous
Biocompatability (Bioware)
Friends in High Places
Linguist
Low-Light Vision
Photographic Memory
SINner (Corporate) (Evo)
== Lifestyles ==
The Bolt Hole 1 month
Low Lifestyle, Extra Secure (+20%): 2400/mo
== Cyberware ==
Flare Compensation
Smartlink
Thermographic Vision
Vision Magnification
== Bioware ==
Bone Density Augmentation Rating 2 (+2 for damage resistance)
Enhanced Articulation
Muscle Augmentation Rating 1
Muscle Toner Rating 2
Nephritic screen Rating 4 (+4 vs Toxins / Diseases)
Neuro Retention Amplification (Photographic memory)
Orthoskin Rating 2 (+2 Armor)
Synaptic Booster Rating 1
== Armor ==
Armor Jacket 12
+Nonconductivity 3
Lined Coat 9
+Chemical Protection 3
== Weapons ==
Ares Predator V
+Concealed Quick-Draw Holster
+Silencer
+Smartgun System, Internal
Pool: 15 Accuracy: 7 DV: 8P AP: -1 RC: 2
Spare Clip (Ares Predator V) x2
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Heavy Pistols) x45
Katana
+Concealed Quick-Draw Holster
Pool: 13 Accuracy: 7 DV: 6P AP: -3 RC: 2
Unarmed Attack
Pool: 13 Accuracy: 6 DV: 4P AP: - RC: 2
== Commlink ==
Xiao Technologies XT-2G (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 2, FWL: 2)
Fake SIN (Suki Ryoshi) Rating 1
== Gear ==
Flashlight, Infrared
Gecko Tape Gloves
Microphone, Directional Rating 3
Survival Kit
== Description ==
Straight waist-length hair, 5'8", 117 lbs. Athletic and well-formed, attractive, very intense personality.
== Background ==
Suki Hashimayatsu has a huge amount of experience and capabilities under her belt. She's been in the shadows for over twenty-five years, she's one of less than a handful of personal troubleshooters for The Big Name in Evo, Buttercup, she's kept her profile so low as to be nonexistent (a true feat for someone so successful in the shadows for so long), and among those who practice the art of the sword, she's considered to be one of the best with a blade. She's got keys to apartments, stashes, and safehouses on seven continents; she's personally worth nine, and perhaps ten, figures; and she has a tight bond with a free spirit (no, not Buttercup) of great strength and as-great innocence.
Yesterday, all that changed.
Twenty-six hours ago, Suki's spiritual bond with Yuri, a free guidance spirit, did _something_. The feedback knocked Suki for a loop - not unconscious, fortunately, but it did a serious number on her equilibrium. This caused her to take a seat just a few houses down from her townhome, to let her head stop spinning. The townhome's network activated as though she'd kept going, its pattern-recognition starting things up as though she were stepping up the walk and sending her recognition codes to the door. Thirty seconds later, the entire townhome blew expertly up, barely singing the places to either side.
Suki discovered that many of her capabilities had been sent into dormancy; this ... attempt on her life, not to mention the apparent capture and isolation of her bond-partner, has caused her to decide that laying low and concealing the extent of her capabilities will be necessary to discover who has been gunning for her. Hopefully, with the eruption of her house they will consider her deceased; just in case, however, she dare not access her accounts, and most of her equipment stashes, apartments-available-for-use, and contacts must be considered under surveillance, if not suspect. Save for a few very, very trusted contacts - those listed - she is going underground until she can find out who the hell she pissed off _this bad_, and then do something about it, and rescue Yuri in the process.
== Contacts ==
Buttercup; Vladivostok*; Free Spirit (12, 5)
. . . Famous free-spirit, major shareholder in Evo (and bunches of other corporations from AAs on down), Buttercup likes things to have a personal touch - people who other people know come from her, if / when she herself cannot be there at any particular time. For over a decade, Hawatari - or rather, Suki Hashimayatsu - has been one of her personal assistants, for which read 'observer, investigator, hatchetwoman, hitman, and operative'. The two have developed a strong friendship, in part due to the fact that Hawatari's twenty-five-year-old daughter (an Evo corporate mage) is turning out to be a strong summoner with very good relationships in the spirit world; another portion of that fact is that Hawatari too has a personal tie with the spirit world.
. . . Fortunately, Buttercup understands that when something has gone insanely wrong, a person has to go about figuring out what the hell happened; she has granted Hawatari an indefinite leave of absence from work, and though she may well still send an assignment to her on-leave operative, she will still be willing to do the occasional - _occasional_ - favor for Hawatari.
Denver Walsingham; Seattle; Corporate Executive / Mr. Johnson (8, 5)
. . . Walsingham, a highly charismatic ork, is Evo's Seattle Chief of Intercorporate Operations - which is to say, he's the man that makes shadowy things happen. He's the man in place to hook Hawatari up with vitally-necessary gear or arrange access to the Evo delta clinic - though he's also the man in place to send her on a hair-raising mission because 'it's her frickin' job.'
. . . He has access and influence throughout Evo Seattle, and he and Hawatari have developed a very close relationship, both working and personal. Though personally and professionally concerned for her, he is particularly aware of her status as one of Buttercup's personal hatchetwomen, and for her own safety he wants her back in the saddle as soon as possible; consequently, he is willing to expedite msot of whatever is necessary in order to get it done.
Six; Downtown Seattle; Fixer (6, 5)
Tinsmith; Seattle; Armorer (5, 5)
== Karma Expenses ==
== Nuyen Expenses ==
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Suki looks good. An interesting choice, being the plaything of a creature like Buttercup, but I think I can work with tha.
Concealed Quick Draw holster for Katana? I will have to check R&G in a bit, but I believe Quickdraw works for firearms (pistols) only unless you have the Rapid Draw adept power or the Iajutsu martial art style/technique.
@F. Castor, focused Concentration is a great quality if you're planning on using sustained spells. Force 4 is when most of the good ones (Increased Reflexes, Armor, some more I can't think of off the top.of my head) start being quite awesome. A solid choice, and thematically appropriate here.
Mentor spirit is almost always a good idea. Works with the whole Asclepius / Wisdom theme of the character, gives some good solid number bonuses, and only costs 5 Karma. Also gives the PC a solid RP hook you can lean on if you ever feel a bit lost for direction.
Does there happen to still be an opening? I have not played 5th edition SR, but I have played 1st edition through 4th :) Kinda a fan of the game, lol. Also, I happen to be a big fan of story driven, daily post games :)
Awesome-Sauce!
Okay, looking over the purposed characters, I think I will make a rigger, haven't played one of these guys in years. Just need to refresh myself with the 5th edition SR workings. I should have a mostly fleshed out carbon unit for you to eyeball either later today, or early in zee morning .
Thanks chummer!