Can save with another name, yes.
OK, I should have a first draft char build and backstory ready for your review in the next couple of days. If there's not too much revision, Orthos' projection of being able to start after this US holiday weekend seems feasible.
That reminds me - I need to take the turkey out of the freezer.
Any thoughts on using character avatars? In my Mass Effect game, we went avatarless because the pics weren't really suitable. I can probably make do with one of the drow for mine.
That's a good idea.. It might be easier to, as you suggest, go without avatars to avoid breaking the aesthetic of the shadows in the 2060s. (I mean, how often do we find ourselves thinking our party members in PbP look like the avatar they picked from the list instead of whatever their description might say..)
I have made a character with the builder, but I'm really, really not sure that I've done it right...
It's all good. Post it somewhere, and we can look it over.
Strength of 2 might limit what you can carry - but you're not likely to be buried under three dozen assault rifles anyway.
Ok, Onyx - a bit of helpful advice for your initial build:
Ok, first thing - any spell that can be resisted by the target (combat spells, influence, etc) -- the target resists based on the Force of the Spell. So a spell like influence at level 1 or 2 is not going to be terribly effective -- your opponent's resistance roll will be 2 (the minimum). This is why it's usually a good idea to have a Force 6 combat spell (or two, one area, one individual so you don't fry your chummers) -- you can always choose to cast at a lower level if you want or need to, but having the option to bring the hurt is good. Generally, in combat, if you've cast a spell at someone, you don't want them still on their feet and mad at you for having done so.
Your 4 levels in Aura Reading is a lot - Aura Reading is a complementary skill to the Assensing Test - that is to say, you're rolling 6 dice from your int *plus* your skill. (Also, those dice might be more useful as, say, Stealth, given the line of work you're entering). Also, you might want at least a few levels of street Etiquette -- I mean, it's where you grew up, and one of your contacts is street. [That said, they seem to have taken away the need to specialize in Etiquette that existed in previous versions - though not having a specialization can bump your target number, I'm betting -- I'm not sure I approve of that change.]
I'm not sure about your background skills -- and there are 2 specific areas when I say that:
1. You've spent points into Background Skills linked to magic - but - that's not necessary. The point of background skills is to represent someone with book knowledge, where you already have the active skill. That is to say, your active skill acts as if you have Background Knowledge (at level -3), so spending ranks on that isn't so necessary. (That said, if you want higher ones, than that's good).
2. Some of the background knowledge skills you have are linked to bunch of skills linked to magical skills that you don't have (and can't have until you learn the higher mysteries of magic and metamagic) - like Centering, and Divination. I mean, I suppose you could have advanced theoretical knowledge of these things, I suppose, but it's pretty esoteric. I mean, centering allows initiates to learn to use another physical skill to focus mind and body to help spellcasting (dance, chanting, meditation, etc.) --- I'm not sure why you'd need a deep, rich understanding of this. (Divination would be the same sort of thing). That said, you might have additional (deeper) knowledge on some of the things you're familiar with - this would include Dad's corp thanks to your indoctrination - and may have learned about some other things out of concern/survival that could still be linked to magic (i.e. - Paranormal Animals [maybe from the Underground and streets, maybe from your book learnin'], Free Spirits, Insect Spirits [likely top of mind after Chicago]) -- and, of course, you might have an SW on street mages and the like (two background skills you might have, depending how burnt out your teacher is, would be Talismongering - which is the background for enchanting -- and Spell Design, assuming you ever want to reverse-engineer and/or make your own).
Lingos (Trog, f'rinstance) are specializations in a language - that is to say, someone who speaks English can still communicate/understand the Lingo (though at a +2) -- so in most cases, it's usually better to be more fluent in the base language (i.e. - more dice is almost always better than fewer dice) and then have a high Etiquette to fit in with that group. (Also, you get R/W at character creation for free at half the level of the language, round down).
Etiquette is a skill that is so very, very useful - and being able to fit into places helps with a lot of things, including being able to gather information (even from your contacts) - I highly recommend it for everyone.
Ok, so, your 2 Strength lets you carry 10kg unencumbered. As I said, it's not the end of the world, but it does mean you'll likely be making very specific choices about what you choose to carry on you. I'd recommend smart "shades", a pistol that's smart (Predator II or III, for instance), some clips, a concealable holster, and some body armour. (Sometimes, in your new line of work, you might get shot before having time to turn on a protection spell). If you've got money, the secure line is armour built to look like normal clothes - which is to say, it turns the concealability up a great deal so that normies don't react to you being armoured. People often like long coats as they increase the concealability of what's underneath - but remember if you stack armour, exceeding your quickness will start eating your combat pool.
And, when picking your free contacts, it's usually good to try not to have them overlap too much -- you want to have people who can help you in the widest possible range of activities. (That said, overlap helps avoid hitting up the same ones too often and can give you multiple kicks at the can -- but usually people tend to reserve that for when they start making additional contacts) So, for instance, your corp mage (presumably a teacher or fellow student) could become the friendly security guard, or the kid of an executive, or.... so you still get the corporate access, but don't double-up on the magic.
Anyhow, those would be my suggestions -- as always, friendly advice, your mileage, all that...
Etiquette Skill
Ok, I can't deal with the notion that there's general etiquette as a single, stand-alone skill as they did in 3 -- implying that someone can learn the "way" to behave in all social circumstances like some sort of twisted protocol droid (especially considering how awkward that droid was in most circumstances).
In previous editions, each type of Etiquette was its own skill -- though when 2e introduced the rules for specialization, they started being treated as Specializations (and that, I was ok with, if you're a master in one area, you'd probably be able to handle other ones).
All that to say, since I can't live with the 3e approach (which is so weird to me -- across versions they went from having 1 firearms skill to one per weapon type, but then lumped all et together?) -- I'm going to implement the following rules for this:
1. You must specialize in Etiquette. There is no general skill on its own that a person can learn. [That said - the specializations are pretty broad -- i.e. - Street, Corporate, Political, Magic Groups, Matrix, Tribal -- with the knowledge that they're also linked to the area you learned them - so it's Street (Seattle), which may not translate fully to Street (Tokyo)]
2. You *can* learn multiple Etiquette Specializations.
3. You can default to "generic" etiquette from a specialization - but the modifier will vary based on the degree of shared context. (For instance, going from Street [Seattle] to Street [London] is less of a leap than from Street [Seattle] to Corporate).
4. To make up for this, though:
-- You will gain a number of bonus skill points at chargen for Etiquette equal to your Int or Charisma (whichever is higher); and
-- You can also use your initial knowledge skill points to gain Etiquette.
Sorry, I answered some of this online - but the one I will say is that other than Etiquette (thanks to my house rule, above), there's no need to specialize with any skill -- but some people choose to in order to be better at stuff - because it's cheaper to buy the specialization (and also cheaper to increase it later).
Also, with the new optional rule, you can probably play around a lot with your Etiquettes. ;)
In terms of "is 3 a lot" I'll say that Shadowrun works on a number of successes, the way that other games work on margin of successes -- so, whereas in Pathfinder, you pass a check with a, say, 15, you can get better information or whatever if you roll 20 or 25 -- in Shadowrun, I don't care if your exploding die rolls 50 above the target number -- I care how many times you exceed (or even match) it.
Just wanted to check in, make sure things are still progressing, offer to answer any questions (and/or talk about backgrounds and especially the helping hand that happened in the past)
My Thanksgiving week, despite being mostly off work, ended up being far busier with other things and I didn't get a chance to get into a headspace for character creation.
That said I'm free tonight and most of tomorrow and getting this character done is priority one for me, so I'm rereading over the quick rules and going to hammer something out. I've narrowed my concept to a dwarf (because the world always needs more dwarves) and going for a sort of tech-savvy, self-experimental type with lots of cyberware and a sort of transhumanist mindset, interested in poking around in programs (especially if they shouldn't be there - character I have in mind is sort of iffy on the idea of code and programs as things that can be "owned") and "seeing the code in the Matrix" sort of thing.
I'll be back later tonight with a character post hopefully. =) Apologies again that this is taking so long, I'm a lot rustier at character creation than I thought.
Alright, here's what I have so far.
Race: Dwarf
Priorities:
A - Skills (50 pts)
B - Resources (400,000Y)
C - Attributes (24 ranks)
D - Race (Dwarf)
E - Magic (none)Attributes:
Body 4 (3+1)
Quickness 5
Strength 4 (2+2)
Charisma 2
Intelligence 6
Willpower 7 (6+1)
Essence 6
(Magic) 0
Reaction 5
Initiative 5+1d6
Dwarf Bonuses: +1 Body, +2 Strength, +1 Willpower; Thermographic Vision, Resistance (+2 Body) to any disease or toxin
So my issue at this point is option paralysis. There's just so many things to spend money and skill points on that I don't even know where to start.
I know what I want to do - a dwarf decker and technophile who's all too willing to trade flesh for chrome and has a relentless curiosity and tendency to tinker combined with a dubious grasp on the concept of ownership when it comes to anything non-physical - think the OpenSource/Freeware/Limitless Internet movements on hyperdrive. Not much of a combatant, though should be able to defend themselves from basic day-to-day troubles; likely will be the resources and support character for the team, hacking the mainframe and jury-rigging equipment and generally being the off-site person for missions, but you won't find anyone who understands technology better who isn't already a robot.
I'm willing to swap Resources and Skills if that's a suggested route to take, since I haven't spent either yet.
So at this point asking for tips and advice about what and where spending my resources will be most useful and most suited to reaching that concept goal.
Hi Orthos,
When you said techhead before, I wasn't sure if you meant gearhead or Decker - I'm going to probably want to use streamlined matrix rules to avoid needing to do a whole dungeon crawl via PbP while everyone waits for it to resolve - which might end up being less exciting than you were hoping.
That said you're still welcome to do it - and you'll likely still be saving the bacon of the party most of the time (just by dreaming with security cameras).
So, assuming you're ok with rapid resolution of most Matrix spins -- then...
Using the point build from the Companion and 130 build points gives you a little more flexibility -
Dwarf costs 5,
24 attributes costs 48
50 (active) skills cost 50
You can get 400k Nuyen for 20 points -- leaving 7 points for Edges, more skills or up to 3 attributes.
...or...
You can get 650,000 Nuyen for 25 points -- leaving 2 (2 more skill points, edges, an attribute, whatever) -- the advantage of that is you've got the Nuyen for a good deck and some personal enhancements.
That would be helpful, as I'd recommend going a bit of the type who likes to break into places and access the systems that aren't otherwise accessible (a la "you can't hide your systems from me!").
Obviously you need a datajack (2, I'd think). Since you like chrome, an eye replacement to get a good package (thermo, lowlight, magnification, flash comp), a smartlink (always useful). An encephalon adds its level to your hacking pool, so that's useful. Might be useful to get boosted Reflexes or a synaptic accelerator to get a bit of speed.
In terms of skills, obviously Computer (and then Computer B/R) and Electronics should be at 6. Stealth for breaking in. Pistols or SMGs. Electronics B/R can also be useful.
I'll say that the chargen program we linked to above is a little ugly but very helpful. ;)
Awesome, that gives me a good start to work from. Thanks much!
There are rules for putting a deck into a cyberlimb ... somewhere... creates a way to never lose your deck, especially if you've got the skills to rebuild it yourself (and, unlike a cranial deck, you don't need major brain surgery each time you want to upgrade).
Maybe they're in Matrix. I'll look for them.
Hi Limey,
So, looking over the build...
So I'm not sure if you built around the point-buy or not -- but if you have 27 actual attribute points (as opposed to 27 build points), then your attributes are too low (by about half). [Ironically, this will free up skill points, because you won't be buying stuff way above your attribute limit].
Also, you've got a bunch of martial art specializations, which is a thing you *can* do, but it's probably more efficient to just take Brawling - which isn't necessarily as stylish and flashy, but gets the job done as a mix of everything (and, again, frees up some skill/build points). [Honestly, I never really thought the martial arts rules made all that much sense - and nothing stops someone with high brawling from doing all the maneuvers they want]
You took lightning reflexes as an edge, but I would assume, as an adept, that you'd be looking at taking the adept powers that make you better/stronger/faster -- in fact, at the moment, I see no adept powers at all. [Suggestions would be, as stated, Improved Reflexes, some improved senses (low-light or thermal, magnification, flare comp) -- beyond that, there's a bunch of ways you could go (I will say Pain Resistance rocks, but it's pretty expensive)]
Also, you have some starting skills (Clubs) at 8, which isn't possible. Your specialization in Knife is ok (as it's a specialization), but otherwise, the max starting level for a skill is 6. You put points into off-hand -- based on that, I would suggest that the better edge for you would be Ambidexterity -- especially since if you take it at a high enough level, you don't need to spend skill-points on the off-hand versions of skills.
As I said, I can't confirm all your numbers, but that's my advice/suggestions on the first pass, anyway.
Just, quickly, running things in my head -- working from 130 points:
- 25 points to be an Adept
- 0 points to be Human
- 54 points to have 27 Attributes
- 6 points to be (mostly) ambidextrous
That's 85 points spent out of 130 -- leaves you 45 for skills and coin. Assuming you can buy everything in 20K, then that 40 (active) skill points (without a need for off-hand skills) -- plus a few more if you keep the flaw. Assuming your new-found attributes translate into some more strength and quickness, your skills would be a bit cheaper, too. (Also, as someone likely to get shot, I'd say body is also your friend).
There are rules for putting a deck into a cyberlimb ... somewhere... creates a way to never lose your deck, especially if you've got the skills to rebuild it yourself (and, unlike a cranial deck, you don't need major brain surgery each time you want to upgrade).
Maybe they're in Matrix. I'll look for them.
Nope, in Man and Machine. Anyway, it lets you jack into your arm (or get a DNI, so then you just need to plug your arm into a port)
In the config, you can change your build point total. (the interface is ugly, I admit) - and adept powers end up being on a tab I think from magic.
So the chargen program isn't bad at all for putting things together and definitely makes it easier to keep track of spent costs and all that.
I went with a bunch of eye mods (displink, opticam, mirror covers, thermo and ultrasound, plus retinal clock because why not), two datajacks as recommended, Encephalon 1 (may upgrade), Math SPU 2, Subdermal and Subvocal upgrades (if I'm going to be sneaking around I don't want to be overheard), Commlink 1, and a cyberarm with a shock hand and DNI. (The hand is mostly going to be last-ditch defenses, in worst-case scenarios; primarily going to rely on pistols for if I get into general combat.) Some standard, some alpha.
The program doesn't seem to have an option for moving stuff normally placed in Headware to my cyberarm, or if it does I can't seem to find it. I also couldn't seem to find the actual Deck option, unless it's under a different name or I'm just blind. (Or if it's under Gear rather than Augmentations/Cyberware.)
Anywho, could probably add more - I'm considering some ear upgrades and possibly more gizmos on my cyberarm - but I am already down to less than 2.5 essence so probably shoudn't spend too much more. ;)
So now down to Gear. I'm obviously going to need a computer, preferably a portable one, but of course the question becomes how much to sink into it. Pistol for defense, toolkits, and general lifestyle expenses. Not sure what else is a must-have, or where would be wisest to spend my remaining cash.
Skills I have selected (mostly - have no languages picked, for example) but haven't spent ranks beyond the basics yet. Have Decking, Programming, and Cybernetics; B/R for Computer (general), Cybernetics, and Electronics; Control Systems, Diagnostics, Cybertechnology, and Linking; Knowledge in Cybertech and Security Devices (I feel like I'm missing something vital in here); and Pistols and Stealth to round it out.
My thanks again for helping sort through the myriad of options - I definitely feel like the character is coming together, just having to get through the sea of unfamiliar options to find the things that are must-haves and most-helpfuls for getting the concept rolling.
(And if it isn't obvious I'm posting it this way rather than just using the alias because I don't have a name set in stone yet and don't want to get too many posts during chargen to change it when I do <.< )
Putting a deck in your cyberarm (assuming the arm had the space) doesn't require the cranial deck rules - it's just a normal deck that gets built into the limb. It takes 5 units of space in the limb for a custom deck - basically filling a synthetic limb (or half the space in an obvious arm) -- which can limit slightly what else you can put into the arm.
On the plus side, I was mistaken about needing the second datajack - you plug your datajack into your arm, and then the arm into the matrix. You could bypass that with a DNI, but most people have datajacks, so but really necessary.
In terms of eyes, remember that replacing the eyes gives you a bit of a package on essence cost - basically stuff can get built into the eyes.
In my exploration, I came across this chargen utility, which while a little clunky and ugly also seems like just the sort of thing that could vastly help in character creation.
I tried it - and it let me make a useable samurai in a handful of minutes -- and it also blocked cultured bioware at chargen - there must be a rule I missed somewhere saying that.
Anyhow, it could be something fun to play with if nothing else.
(Replying to keep that chargen link handy.)
I'm back. Super tired. While I was away I did finish my first pass through the quick start rules. I think I like the game system. Tossed around a few character ideas. I'll put some time in this weekend.
Hi Thom,
Glad to see you're coming up for air. ;)
Not to be prescriptive, as I want everyone to play something that they find fun, but, based on the current composition of the party, I'd say that I'd recommend either someone face-y, or a "heavy" -- which doesn't need to mean a mountain of troll. (To use naval terms, sure, it can be handy to have a Dreadnought about, but sometimes the better tool is a Battlecruiser -- tough enough to punch out some lights and then quick enough to get away before you get surrounded).
I was coming to a similar conclusion about role, although with Danny's interest in the martial arts styles I was thinking he might be aiming to be a light heavy.
Last night I had some really good ideas, but they revolved around a hard core decker. Someone who would probably make a great NPC, but not so much a PC.
I'm thinking someone facey now. Young, naive, but thinks they're plugged in. Still lives with his dad, but has ambitions for 'business.' A tubist, (and lederhosen afficionado) who supplements his income dealing low level drugs ("Hey, my stuff never hurt anybody.") to friends and keeps out of trouble because he's also a snitch for a high school friend who's now on the police force.
Danny is going the samurai path - was just thinking might be best if he's not alone. There's a reason bodyguards often work in pairs :)
And, of course, the mix of magic (adept) and chrome isn't the worst thing either.
Bought the basic rules PDF and read through. Tried making my PC by hand.
That's a lot of work for character creation.
Put attributes as first priority, but then he runs out of skill points, so I think I'm going to rebuild him with skill points first, although now that I say that, I think I missed something Tilnar said ....
Better go look.
...
As I said, I'm here to help folks build their characters - might be something we can do as a group workshop here, in fact.
Gonna need that help. I didn't buy the Companion. I'll build with the base rules and you can help me tweak him to point buy.
Doh! The chargen utility must handle point buy. I'll check that.
In my exploration, I came across this chargen utility, which while a little clunky and ugly also seems like just the sort of thing that could vastly help in character creation.
...
Got to download that.
So, as I said, we'll be using the point-based rules from the Shadowrun Companion rather than the rules in the main book -- the end characters end up looking very similar, but the point-based system provides more flexibilty than the priority system -- your number of attribute points doesn't have to be a multiple of 3, for instance) -- and allows for taking edges and flaws (without needing to make them a zero-sum).
I'm going to be (a little) nice and say we'll build on 130 points. No character can have more than 6 points of edge or flaws.
We will be playing with Man and Machine (so Bioware exists, you can get it with your starting cash) and Magic in the Shadows (which at low-level basically just allows different traditions and more totems). I'll also throw open the doors for the Cannon Companion (the tinkering with firearms rules suddenly seem potentially relevant). [I can dust off my Rigger 3, also, if it's needed...]
I don't expect that you'll all have all of the books, that's fine, we can work it out - as I said, I'm expecting to be doing a lot of hand-holding through the design process (and might even make suggestions as you go -- for instance, let me start by saying: "make sure you buy spare clips and ammo", "think about concealability", "having stuff that's street legal can be helpful in certain posh neighbourhoods", "for the love of the street, get a smartlink system, even if it's not cyber", and "expendable spell fetishes can be your friends")
A few reminders:
- Per the rules, you can't start with something with a rating higher than 6, or an availability higher than 8 (so no lasers).- Alpha-grade cyberware is available at character generation (twice the price, but only 0.8 the essence) - but no higher grades.
- Cultured Bioware (4 times the cost, but only 75% the bio-index) is also available, but it bumps the availability of what you're getting by 2 -- so it might put something you wanted over 8.
- You need to have at least some fractional essence left once all is said and done - otherwise, you're already dead and we'll need to make you a new character before we ever started.
- You need to buy your initial lifestyle with starting nuyen.
- Somewhere in your history, you or someone you loved were helped out of a jam (one of those they felt powerless, and got help from someone that made the problem go away -- a corp, a gang, what-have-you)
Another idea, totally lifted from a different thread - to help people conceptualize their characters (mechanics can always be worked out) - would be to fill in a template like this (for the purposes of an example, I'll fill in one of my earlier characters):
Handle/Street Name: Paladin
Name: Alexandre Deslauriers
Gender: Male
Race: Elf
Legal Status: Citizen of the Republic of Quebec, believed deceased.
Archetype: Street Samurai (Razorboi)
Skills: Paladin's stealthy, very fast and good in a fight - preferring pistols, SMGs, his bow and sword.
Special Abilities: Paladin's got Wired Reflexes III, cybereyes, and some other helpful bioware to boost speed and strength.
Description: Paladin's a lean, handsome elf with no obvious enhancement.
Thumbnail: Born magically active, Paladin lost his link to his totem following a severe beating (when his father tried to "beat the magic out of him") and the implantation of nervewires during the surgeries after the beating (when his father sobered up and felt remorse... or at least worry about what his corp bosses might say). When he recovered, he drained his father's accounts, faked his death and fled Quebec, coming to Seattle in order to get as far away as he could (without crossing an ocean) - using the money to upgrade the wires, getting better, stronger, faster so he could help others.
Personality/Philosophy: He's a "Robin Hood" of the Shadows - preferring to take jobs that help the little guy or smaller corps - and lives by a code - he prefers to use non-lethal means (unless he's desperate or the other guys deserve it), and he won't take jobs that involve kidnapping (voluntary extraction is fine though) or wetwork. He things the best run is one where nobody knows you were even there.
Etiquette Skill
Ok, I can't deal with the notion that there's general etiquette as a single, stand-alone skill as they did in 3 -- implying that someone can learn the "way" to behave in all social circumstances like some sort of twisted protocol droid (especially considering how awkward that droid was in most circumstances).
In previous editions, each type of Etiquette was its own skill -- though when 2e introduced the rules for specialization, they started being treated as Specializations (and that, I was ok with, if you're a master in one area, you'd probably be able to handle other ones).
All that to say, since I can't live with the 3e approach (which is so weird to me -- across versions they went from having 1 firearms skill to one per weapon type, but then lumped all et together?) -- I'm going to implement the following rules for this:
1. You must specialize in Etiquette. There is no general skill on its own that a person can learn. [That said - the specializations are pretty broad -- i.e. - Street, Corporate, Political, Magic Groups, Matrix, Tribal -- with the knowledge that they're also linked to the area you learned them - so it's Street (Seattle), which may not translate fully to Street (Tokyo)]
2. You *can* learn multiple Etiquette Specializations.
3. You can default to "generic" etiquette from a specialization - but the modifier will vary based on the degree of shared context. (For instance, going from Street [Seattle] to Street [London] is less of a leap than from Street [Seattle] to Corporate).
4. To make up for this, though:
-- You will gain a number of bonus skill points at chargen for Etiquette equal to your Int or Charisma (whichever is higher); and
-- You can also use your initial knowledge skill points to gain Etiquette.
Ok Thom, more than happy to help -- if you post a profile-y thing I could even throw together a rough sketch of something that delivers it mechanically
Handle/Street Name: Jay Gould
Name: Ernst Schmidt
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Legal Status: SINless
Archetype: Small time hustler
Skills: Talking and dealing -- when that doesn't work, pistols and knives.
Special Abilities:
Description: Medium build, brown hair and eyes, handsome on close observation. In plain clothes quite unremarkable. For social biz, likes to dress in an affected style reminiscent of the Weimar Republic.
Thumbnail: Born and raised in the greater Seattle sprawl. His father, Victor Schmidt, was a mechanic in a corp motorpool who lost his job when his first child, a daughter, was born a troll. Dad still curses his racist supervisor, Wendell Buckley, who got him fired on false pretenses. (At least that's dad's story.) Born seven years later.
Started playing tuba at age 8 with his father's oompa band.
Mom, Irene Schmidt nee Daudh, died when he was 10. His sister, Gunilla, who took to calling herself Boudicca six years after Ernst's birth, was long gone by then. Dad lost interest in 'most everything except motor vehicles. Ran a garage out of a storefront in a derelict strip mall. Some small rooms framed by his father in the store's interior serve as home to them both. No lift. Dad jackhammered and hand dug two pits to roll cars over. Free to come and go by the back door; the front is for garage business.
After mom died, Ernst pretty much raised himself, mostly on the streets so that he wouldn't have to work in the garage. When he was 14, he discovered marijuana -- not for intensive personal use although he did inhale on occasion, but as a wedge into nicer social circles.
Since then he's been hustling and gigging to make a living. He's expanded his pharmaceutical offerings to include speed and mild hallucinogens.
Nineteen now, he's dissatisfied with his life and looking for a big score.
Personality/Philosophy: Ernst tries to be outgoing, the friendliest man in the room. In his Jay Gould persona, he fancies himself an unscrupulous businessman who will stick at nothing to achieve a life-style of luxury. The fact that he won't deal hard drugs belies that statement. He does have a rudimentary conscience that he tries hard not to acknowledge. However when frightened, he may do terrible things. Who knows he may become Jay Gould yet.
@Thom:
So are you thinking con-man hustler type, someone who tries to swindle the people who try to take advantage of others, or the fast-talker a la Fletch (dating myself again) - a guy who tries to talk himself into places to root out truths (but isn't against grabbing some paydata or valuables for himself while he's doing it).
Thinking big charisma and things to boost social, spending some coin on contacts, and maybe some low-level enhancements to be able to get out of what his smart mouth might get him into.
That seem about what you're thinking?
Tilnar, you're very close.
Thinking big charisma and things to boost social, spending some coin on contacts, and maybe some low-level enhancements to be able to get out of what his smart mouth might get him into.
This is exactly right. Though in a possibly self-destructive vein, I can't see him ponying up for enhancements at this stage of his life. Maybe something small that he thinks will give him an edge surviving the street.
So are you thinking con-man hustler type, someone who tries to swindle the people who try to take advantage of others, or the fast-talker a la Fletch (dating myself again) - a guy who tries to talk himself into places to root out truths (but isn't against grabbing some paydata or valuables for himself while he's doing it).
LOVE the Fletch reference. I'm pretty sure I saw it, but long time gone. My memory may not be accurate. He's definitely not in Chevy's league, yet.
Ernst is young; his future is fluid. Game events will determine his long term vocation and attitude. His, is a right of passage story. He could end up a Fletch, a Robin Hood, a Han Solo, or a Face from the A-team. Or he could end up John Cusack in the Grifters, or Nicolas Cage in Matchstick Men without the OCD.
Right now he's ekeing out a living playing tuba and dealing to friends. (Although that may change slightly. He might become a tailor who plays tuba and deals to friends. ) In any case life sucks.
Maybe it's most accurate to say he aspires to be a high-level fixer. Someone in the middle of biz, working networks, getting things done, and getting paid. But he's absolutely clueless about how to get there. So he's blundering around the edges of the game. He's not above taking some personal risks to get ahead.
Swindle is much too strong a word for anything he'd do right now. He's not above the odd short-con for drinking money, but it's not a vocation.
Tilnar, you're very close.
Ok, so, Thom, just throwing stuff together based on your character idea (and increasing slightly his ability to shoot to get out of problems, and being sad that tailored pheremones have an availability of 12, so they're not available for you at chargen)...
- I did 29 attributes -> 5 Body, 4 Quickness, 3 Strength, 6 Int, 5 Wil, 6 Charisma (give you a combat pool of 7)
- Took 400K in money to give you some starting augmentations, money to buy extra contacts and gear
- Leaves 52 for skill points/edges
- 44 skill points gets you: Pistols 5, Negotiation 5 (Con 7), Disguise 5, Electronic 5, Forgery 5, Lock Picking 5, Stealth 5 and Athletics 5. (Between electronics and lock picking you'd be good for old fashioned and technological locks) -- the remaining 8 could upgrade those or be used for edges.
- With 6 int, you get a fair bit of knowledge - figure you'd focus on 6th world and street type knowledge (thought knowledge on scams might also make sense)
- Per the house rule, 6 Charisma is useful for a start on etiquette -- was thinking you'd use some of your knowledge points to get even more.
- Spending your essense and money, I thought a focus on senses [(Ear Hearing Amplifier, Recorder, Sound Filter (2), Low/High Frequency), Alpha-Grade Replacement Eyes (Opticam, Ultrasound Vision, Optical Magnification 43, Low-Light, Flare Comp)], some headware memory (150Mps) and a datajack to get stuff out... In terms of a bit of combat boosting, I was thinking you might have done boosted reflexes based on your "wouldn't probably do much there" statement - it's a one-time electrochemical process (also means it can't be undone of upgrades) that gives you an edge, but pales compared to Wired. (Or, you could be a keener with a bioware Synaptic Accelerator)
After that shopping list, I still had 50K - so figured buying 4 contacts to get an even half-dozen (since 2 are free) would be good, leaves you enough money to get a decent place to live, maybe a crappy hiding spot bolt-hole, and some useful gear (pistol, body armour, that sort of thing)
Hi Limey -- only thing I'll say mechanically is that you still technically have a magic rating of 6 (even if you've "spent" those points).
Also, you *could* get a discount on the cost of some of your powers by accepting a geas -- which means that you need to satisfy the condition for the power to work - I would never do that for all your powers, but it's not too rough to take, for instance, a fetish geas so that power-x only works when you're wearing your amulet, or what-have-you (each power would need its own fetish, and charm bracelets don't count). [Some people take time of day or fasting -- there are others.]
A few general things to consider when making builds:
- Going fast gets you more actions to remove opposition, which is an excellent way to avoid them shooting you.
- Relatedly, jumping opponents from ambush is also what we call in the biz "a good idea" [So.... things that make less noise are attractive here - whether it's sound suppressed pistols, dart guns, arrows, spells...]
- Guards are probably packing heavy pistols, shotguns or SMGs, which means that you're often going to be facing damage codes that start with 8, 9 or 10 (the latter being an SMG burst) -- so, you're going to want to get some ballistic armour to bring that down to numbers you can manage (a 4 succeeds 50% of the time, a 3 66%). [Standard Lone Star street cops get heavy pistols that can also fire bursts - which is owwie]
- Secure facilities, SWAT and the like will add Mr. Assault Rifle and Mr. Grenade into the mix.
- Speaking of Mr. Grenade, his little brother, Mr. Flashbang, can be pretty popular, too. Especially in a facility where guards can use targeting systems or even just polarized glass. This is why flare compensation systems (and adept powers) can be helpful.
- Speaking of eye-things that are helpful -- magnification lets you negate penalties for firing at range.
- It's hard to beat a smartlink, even for people who don't have it wired to their brains (sure, if you don't, there are other options, but do you really want to paint your targets with lasers they might notice?). Getting it built into shades and snaking the wire to your induction-pad glove (or part glove) under your jacket is totally doable, plus then you get to keep the whole "sunglasses all the time" cool factor.
- Magic is your friend, unless the opposition has it. A single mage can take out an entire gang with a single spell if (s)he gets the drop on 'em. [Shadowrunner Rule #1: Geek the mage first.]
- And, most of all -- staging down deadly damage to nothing takes 8 successes (2 per level) -- so I cannot recommend a body or willpower of less than 4 if you plan on running the shadows for a living -- unless you've already got a new character in mind, that is.
I love Shadowrun.
CH! With so many new people on the boards, it's great to see another relative old-timer.
I'll confess that I just skimmed your posts. I didn't realize that there was still an active Fawlt thread. Never felt quite clever enough for that crowd, but there's familiar names. Maybe I'll drop by.
Welcome, CH. More than happy to answer any questions you might have.
But first business. Shopping is the worst thing for me. The total lack of shopping in first edition D&D was a huge advantage for me personally.
You bought a sword or a spear and a pathetic suit of armor and off you went.
....And you just took whatever randomly generated treasure the DM gave.
...........And were grateful for it.
Back in a few minutes
Here. I. am.
How very pleasant to meet all of you.
Tilnar -- here he is. Again, I built him using the core rules and we can tweak him to point buy.
Skill points : Still not enough.
Languages : I'd like to end up with something like
English 4 specialization in Cityspeak 6.
German 4
Japanese 2
Spanish 2 or maybe Chinese depending on which would be more prevalent
I thought I saw something about using knowledge points to beef up languages but couldn't find it again.
Still have a few loose knowledge points kicking around. Any suggestions on the knowledge list would be appreciated.
Having trouble drawing boundaries between interests and knowledge skills:
a few interest/knowledge fence-sitters :
1. he's professionally interested in cyber-tech and deckers for long term gain.
2. drug use and interaction -- because it's an income stream and fun to recommend good things to friends. ANd make sure he doesn't have to go to the morgue for one last visit.
3. Homeopathy. So German.
4. History, especially late 1800, early 1900 Germany and the US Civil War and Reconstruction Era.
Still have some unspent active skill points. Could we talk about etiquette? I'd like him to know street etiquette very well, and corporate as well as can be eked out within other constraints.
Hey Thom,
Looks like a good start -- from a point build perspective, you've spent 50 points on skills (almost), 54 on attributes, and 10 on resources -- so you're at 114 of 130 -- leaving you 16.
A few suggestions would be:
- If we "steal" 5 of those points, your resources bump to 200K -- enough for some low-level boosts (eyes, a smartlink, datajack, maybe a camera and memory) and maybe some spare contacts (taking 10 to 400K would be even more effective in that regard - could allow some subtle bioware and/or alpha grade cyber -- reflecting the whole "been on the street in the trade, so I've got a bit of non-obvious self-protection" Plus, as I said, money for additional contacts [like a fence and a fixer and, and, and...]).
- Grabbing 2 of those to make another attribute and putting it into Int will give you more points for background skills and languages, as well as make it cheaper if you want to go "deep" in those areas (or use some of the knowledge ranks for more etiquette specializations, per the house rules) [...and yes, you can spend your knowledge points to get more languages, if you like...]
- You might consider specializing your Negotiations in either Con or Fast Talk (drops the "base" to 5, but the specialization up to 7) -- though not necessary.
- I recommend against having skills at level 1 when it can be avoided. The Rule of 1 triggers if all of the dice rolled on a test are a 1, and, and, well, when you've only got 1 die.... [i.e. - this might be a useful way to spend down one's "extra" skill points]
- As per the earlier house rule, dump the active Etiquette - you'll get bonus points for Etiquette based on your charisma/intelligence -- and then can use background/knowledge skills to get more ranks (though you can also use active points, too - but remember you're buying a specialization).
- Might want a touch of Biotech, if only to know enough to help someone who's OD-ing -- in fact, specializing in First Aid or something could help there. (Might have a touch of knowledge in Chemistry for a related reason)
- Yes, there is an Armour Build/Repair skill. Like all B/Rs it's int-based.
- Also - people who have active skills get (for free) a measure of the background in that skill -- basically, your knowledge is applied, sure, but you do have to have an understanding of the theory. (Not saying you fell into that trap, just that you have some unspent knowledge skill ranks. ;) )
Even if you went to 400K, you'd still have 4 points to spend on edges -- and there are a few Edges that could be helpful depending on your "take" on your background/history.
- Resistance to Toxins [1 pt], for example, would be helpful with one's own stash (and if anyone else tries to drug you);
- Perceptive [3 pts] if you're of the "stayed alive because I notice stuff" variety (the nice thing here is that it reduces target numbers, rather than giving you an extra die);
- Friendly Face [1 point] - which helps you "fit in" to new situations via social tests;
- Good Reputation [1-2 ponts] means people in the 'plex have heard of you and trust you, making social stuff easier;
- Good Looking (and Knows it) [2 points] which gives you a solid bonus dealing with people who'd be attracted to you and a bit of one in general;
- Connected [3-5 points] to reflect knowing a guy who buys or sells (or both) - but it's only 1 type of product; and
- Common Sense [2 points] which means there's a little voice inside your head that might gently suggest you reconsider things that are blatantly dangerous.
Generally, they suggest you don't take more than 6 points worth of edges (as you decide how to juggle your points) - and there are others, certainly, that are useful, those are just the ones that kind of jumped out to me and would seem to fit.
I would say having a second samurai would be useful.