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Posted by: TKDNinjaInBlack Nov 7 2008, 04:24 AM

Someone had mentioned having a soft spot for riggers and vehicle rules in another topic and it got me thinking about how some of my buddies always play the same kind of character archetypes whenever we launch a new campaign. One of my current players is playing a combat tank bounty hunter pretty close to his standard character of a street sammy. Another player just recently broke his common mold and actually ended up not playing a neurotic chemist/alchemist mage/demolitions character. Another guy at the table told me how he always plays a shaman.


So the question goes out, and especially to those who have been playing Shadowrun over multiple editions and many years, what's your favorite team roll/character archetype to play?

Me? I like to favor a Martial Arts based adept or Mystic Adept, and usually an ork.

Posted by: krayola red Nov 7 2008, 04:37 AM

I like to play lesbian el...oh wait, we're talking about archetypes. Mages then. Definitely mages. I likes the mojo.

Posted by: Malachi Nov 7 2008, 04:39 AM

I was the one who mentioned Riggers... I like playing Riggers.

Posted by: dog_xinu Nov 7 2008, 04:55 AM

I like changing what I play everytime we have a new campaign/game.. so mage this time.. then a gun bunny.. then a decker.. err hacker.. then ...

Posted by: crash2029 Nov 7 2008, 05:31 AM

Generally speaking, I usually play specialized generalist type characters. I often lean towards a type of combat but I like to play characters that have a broad array of abilities. I like flexibility. I don't mean being best in every area, but if one of the specialists is out of commision I like to be able to at least fake it on my harmonica. Usually I end up playing a talker (face/investigator/whatever) who is at least able to saunter, if not walk. Although I admit many of my characters have an obsession with cool. I mean almost every game I play in, no matter what game system it is, my characters try to pull off James Bond stunts. I have been known to deliberately increase difficulty on tests just to make it look cool.

Long story short, I play generalized faces.

Posted by: Fortune Nov 7 2008, 05:52 AM

I typically tend to play non-tech-oriented characters. Various gun-bunnies and mages of all sorts, typically with a splash of face, are much more my cup of coffee (I hate tea! ).

Posted by: Ruin-Gar Nov 7 2008, 06:09 AM

I tend to prefer either mages or faces. I love social characters, but I also loving blasting, and the Occult Investigator is one of my favorite mage types, period (thanks to a love of noir and urban fantasy).

Posted by: TheOOB Nov 7 2008, 06:15 AM

I usually end up playing the mage, partially because I have the best understanding of the magic system and astral space in our group(what can I say, I've always been able to wrap my head around the metaphysics of imaginary worlds), and that I just typically play magic users in general. Otherwise what I play varies, though it will often resemble a character from a show I have been watching recently.

Posted by: Cain Nov 7 2008, 06:25 AM

I can play anything, but I like the gun bunny's and mage's roles a lot. The magician is power with a touch of subtlety. With your ability to command various aspects of magic, you are easily the most versatile person on the team. And the samurai is good for more than just shooting things. You're the one everyone looks to for battlefield tactics, and to protect them in a fight. As a result, you're also the one everyone tends to look to for overall strategies.

Posted by: TheOOB Nov 7 2008, 06:47 AM

While true, I find that team members often over estimate a mages versatility. You can only cast spells you know, and they get expensive, and spirits can't do everything. That said I often build my mages twords a specific goal so I don't step on too many toes as to not bruise any tender egos.

Posted by: Cain Nov 7 2008, 07:06 AM

Well, it depends on what you're going for. It's way easy to hyperspecialize a character, sometimes even by accident. The best approach is to spread out your secondary skills a bit. That way, for example, you're not treading on the toes of anybody else, but keep your versatility.

The trick with mages is to focus on the things only magic can do. Build the rest of the character as you wish, but don't use magic where mundane skills will do. Save the magic for when you need it, and be very good at it.

Posted by: Uli Nov 7 2008, 08:08 AM

I play technophil characters, who adore and embrace SotA technology. That's why my mage is a chaosmage, has cyberware, and is a computer/hardware freak. These characters tend to be highly intelligent and be the brain in the group and have or develop moral qualms about their collegues, addictions, or other bad habits. I like the tragic, unstable geniuses.

Posted by: Blade Nov 7 2008, 10:20 AM

I play a lot of different archetypes, but my mages tend to use guns as much if not more than magic and they often have useless spells or at least spells that I've never seen anyone use.
Nearly all of my characters are good at facing, because I love playing faces and I have a hard time restraining myself in a negotiation.

Posted by: Cantankerous Nov 7 2008, 10:45 AM

Well, trolls allot, usually troll tanks, but almost always also cerebral (for a troll) and philosophical guys. Sometimes I like me a Elf Razor/Gun Bunny/Faceman and once in a while I'll play a Shaman, usually human then and often Ute.


Isshia

Posted by: Cain Nov 7 2008, 10:52 AM

Heh. Back in SR3, I played a Troll sammie/tank who had an Art History knowledge skill at 9. He was very cerebral, but with his Charisma of 1, he liked going to museums and seeing if he could make the curators cry.

Posted by: Tachi Nov 7 2008, 11:05 AM

I'm still looking for my first game.

But, I find myself most interested in gunslinger adepts and gunbunnies.

Posted by: Cantankerous Nov 7 2008, 11:15 AM

Big Blue, an old favorite of mine, is an accomplished Blues Musician (plays the whaa whaa trumpet like nobody else, with his lung mods he can hold a note until YOU get tired ) and writes reams of sonnets ...in old English.


Isshia

Posted by: Drogos Nov 7 2008, 11:50 AM

I play anything, but I tend to prefer to play mages or adepts. I tend to have a decent grasp of all the rules (60% rules lawyer) and I tend to cover my specialized rule set in depth.

Posted by: TKDNinjaInBlack Nov 7 2008, 01:39 PM

I see we are clearly missing a majority of deckers/hackers and save Malachi, riggers.

Posted by: Cthulhudreams Nov 7 2008, 01:49 PM

I have a minimum set of dicepools in a number of skills I will achieve with any character.

Then I always pick two things and try and do both. So a mage/face or a hackerai or whatever. Often mage/X because mages are so complementary, especially hacker mages - its totally irrelevant what tradition you choose, and you can make a decent hacker with two skill groups and some cash.

I particularly like that blend because mages convert karma -> power and hackers convert money -> power, so you can always advance your shtick.

Posted by: Drogos Nov 7 2008, 01:52 PM

My GM is a rigger lover. Hackers/deckers have always been in the minority with out group, though I've played a couple ehre and there. Oftentimes Adept Hackers though, due to shear awesomeness.

Posted by: Wesley Street Nov 7 2008, 01:54 PM

I find faces and infiltration experts fascinating as I enjoy social/charismatic characters or ones that rely on wit and guile rather than the biggest guns.

Posted by: Cang Nov 7 2008, 02:17 PM

I like to play a general character, my first and favorite is a dwarf with a small splash of cyber, a variety of skills, and all the gadgets he could carry. I mean i had felix's the cats magic bag, anytime we came up with something i had an item to handle it. I didn't even use it sometimes, i would just hand it off to the person who could use it the most.

Posted by: Ryu Nov 7 2008, 02:38 PM

It´s either riggers or mages for me. I´m torn on what to play next...

Posted by: Malachi Nov 7 2008, 03:10 PM

There's nothing quite like living in a Ford-Canada Bison with 20 points of concealed armor and a pop-up minigun turret.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 7 2008, 03:13 PM

Tank/Heavy Weapons/Devastating Close Combat Fighter . . yes, Trolls mostly *g*
Every Group needs one, especially one made up of elves and Humans that specialize in stealth and such things . .

Posted by: Stahlkörper Nov 7 2008, 03:37 PM

In SR3 most of my characters were orc tanks with big guns and high charisma. Most of them were taking part in any subculture - Punks, Skins, Rude Boys, Gangsta Rapper,...
My SR4 characters tend to be loner type professionals. Im still searching for a new style for 2070 - and I even dont have found an favourite archetype. TMs are quiet cool, I think... or pixie mages...

Posted by: masterofm Nov 7 2008, 03:51 PM

"Not a mundane" is about the only thing you pin on me.

Posted by: Heath Robinson Nov 7 2008, 03:56 PM

I, too, play technophiles. I honestly don't see any reason why anyone in 2070 should amputate the advantages that tech can bring them. Having technological aptitude in RL, I love AR. I don't necessarily play Hackers or Riggers, but I try to incorporate drones and computational infrastructure into any character I can. Because SR makes it easy. On the other hand, I do like Riggers quite a bit.

Posted by: Namelessjoe Nov 7 2008, 06:31 PM

hi there
I tend to play big guys (read: trolls) simply because there big and can be tough easy.....
next up is usally magic users how ever that may come

Posted by: Whipstitch Nov 7 2008, 06:56 PM

I play mages. I'd like to think I'm good at it.

Posted by: Hatspur Nov 8 2008, 03:52 AM

Totally not enough infiltrator love...

I love infiltrators, all of em', fat skinny, augmented, adepts, mages, shamans; ALL can do the infiltrator. All of them can be unstoppable with a creative player at the helm. Lord forbid if you have a hacker and a mage in support, then you really do become the wind.

I played my first SR4 character as an infiltrator until he reached 204 karma. And he's still not dead.

Posted by: Zombayz Nov 8 2008, 07:32 AM

I like me melee monsters. Somehow, no gun is as satisfying as shredding some long range specialist with an axe or pair of swords

Posted by: ElFenrir Nov 8 2008, 12:42 PM

Melee guys here, usually. I do like to switch things up now and again, though.

I do sometimes mix and match-there was my fellow who was a face/martial artist-still melee but more of a hybrid. Dunno why I like the up-close and personal, but I do.

I also tend to play more brain-oriented trolls/dwarves/orks, the melee guys are humans and elves, typically. Not sure why. Just end up being drawn to it.

Posted by: It trolls! Nov 8 2008, 01:45 PM

Anything that is not a dwarf.

Dwarves suck!

Posted by: Fortune Nov 8 2008, 01:59 PM

They're definitely the right height for it.

Posted by: Cantankerous Nov 8 2008, 03:57 PM

Yup, it says Immoral Elf for a reason.


Isshia

Posted by: Kliko Nov 8 2008, 05:07 PM

Orc marine! , loosely based on the Orc Merc, but with a broader skillset.

Posted by: Kliko Nov 8 2008, 05:08 PM

I feel so stupid right now

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 8 2008, 05:22 PM

that is actually the only reason i do not like playing dwarves <.< . .
i myself alone can come up with at least half a dozend short jokes and little plays of words depending the size, or lack thereof, of dwarves in a single sentence, if i really try . .
and the rest of my group ain't that far behind when it comes to that . . i usually really love the idea of playing a dwarf, but all of the time taking those jokes and having to be the
one to show enough selfrestraint to not shove one characters head into the ass of another character sucks ._.


eh, it happens . . what's the reason this time? ^^

Posted by: Roadspike Nov 9 2008, 07:35 AM

DPS.

Whether it comes from mojo, bullets, or cold steel, I like being able to pump out serious pain in a short period of time. Usually this ends up being an orc cyberthug (occasionally an actual street samurai) with abilities in ranged combat and melee, but I've been known to play a glass cannon human sorcerer on occasion too.

Posted by: Pendaric Nov 10 2008, 08:54 PM

Ref.

As to PC's I play...
Everything with a good story.

Posted by: Thadeus Bearpaw Nov 11 2008, 01:38 AM

Wrong thread, sorry for the non-content bump.

Posted by: ImmoralSalvage Nov 11 2008, 06:15 AM

I like to play a Troll or an Orc, I love being the big mean killing machine. The first guy I made was a weapon specialist Troll, the next guy was a Bioware/cyber ware troll based monster who used his bare-hands having taken the martial arts quality from runners companion. My latest guy is a duel-wielding gunslinger Orc who can put a lot of lead down range.

Posted by: TKDNinjaInBlack Nov 15 2008, 01:54 PM

Well, it seems that people use Trolls for the tanks that they are intended to be. Does anyone use odd combination metatype/team roles? Like instead of having an elf face, using a troll face? Instead of a troll combat monster do something like an elf tank? Let's hear it.

Posted by: Cantankerous Nov 15 2008, 07:28 PM

Yeah, well, because he was "da man" he was, Big Blue often did the talking for his comrades. Mostly of course I relied on RPing bonuses, but hey, he wasn't just a tank, he had a very decent Charisma (for a troll especially) and some bio mods that helped out too. He wasn't all that and a bag of chips, but word got around not to take him too lightly in a conversation either and since there were two elves in the group... Ok, one was mute and the other so disdainful of anyone not metahuman that he only got to open his mouth when there were no humans at all involved as subject of the topic or participating in it. Unless we were trying to piss people off. He was great at that.

Isshia

Posted by: Glyph Nov 15 2008, 07:53 PM

Yeah, I like playing metatypes against the popular stereotype. In SR3, I played Rent, a troll face who was a marksman with a pistol. No elf tanks yet (I have played around with such builds, but not played one as a character), although Dancer was similar, in that she looked like a petite ork woman, but was lethally skilled in melee.

Overall, I tend to gravitate towards awakened characters who are combat-oriented but have some face capabilties. In SR3, I liked sorcerers for their versatility, while in SR4 I tend to prefer adepts with a bit of bioware.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 15 2008, 08:55 PM

elves just don't work as tanks.
in SR3,. you could do that more or less because of high combat pool and armor being restricted on quickness instead of body . .
but to make a strong man, i once used an elf . . after some modding, he surpassed orcs in physical attributes and came close to trolls . .
the GM's face when he realized that i had made a character like that with a 3 in charisma as the dump stat he went into shock *snickers*

Posted by: Zaranthan Nov 15 2008, 09:25 PM

I love hackers. Making the world around me dance to my beat makes me giggle like a schoolgirl. My characters usually pull fire support as a secondary ability, as it's relatively easy to pump out damage boxes with a Warhawk or SMG, and smartguns are great for keeping my hide out of the line of fire.

I would play Jack-of-all-Trades characters, but I'm never satisfied with how they turn out and wind up just making a hacker with high edge and skillwires.

Posted by: Fortune Nov 15 2008, 10:11 PM

Elves work just fine as tanks! I've played my fair share of tanks, and have never once used and ork or troll for the job (or any job! ).

Posted by: krayola red Nov 15 2008, 10:35 PM

You ain't had lovin' until you've had troll lovin'.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 16 2008, 12:10 AM

i would like to see a good(not horribly min/maxed) tank build for an elf before i say anything else to that sentence please ^^
yes, i know that you can cyber up the elf with limbs and built in armor like the troll . . but aside from that?
in SR3, high quickness meant more armor without penalty and high combat pool for dodging/soaking even with not all that high body scores . .
now that armor is based off of body instead of agility and the mali accumulate based on that and not agility and there is no combat pool the only
thing that i would guess would be high athletics with dodge and pool modifiers and edge . . technically, that's still tanking, but i meant tanking as
in MEAT-SHIELD . . not in hard to hit Target every enemy should be shooting at o.O


Troll goes and buys a Trolldo(yes, Dildo in Troll size):"i think i will call him rrrrrrrrodger!"

Posted by: Glyph Nov 16 2008, 02:33 AM

An elf can be a tank in the same sense that a troll can be a face - not as good as the more "suited" metatype, but good enough to handle most situations. An elf with a 5 or 6 Body, ceramic bone lacing, and orthoskin: 3, using FFBA and PPP stacked with normal armor, can soak a respectable amount of damage - and you still have enough to get other essentials such as initiative boosters. Indeed, you can get decent damage soaking and still do a Neo build, getting someone who dodges most things and soaks most of the rest.

Posted by: Snow_Fox Nov 16 2008, 05:41 PM

Usually shamans, often with a 'face' function, thought I had a Voodoun follower of Ghede in an antiJapanese campaign in CFS, fighting against Saito. She was so obnouxious they worked hard to keep me away from people we needed help from. I decided i wanted someone else to be the face.

Posted by: Mäx Nov 16 2008, 07:08 PM

I would think that my Sasha(elven armed escort) would work resonably well as a tank with her Body 5 and 14/12 armor.

Posted by: Siege Nov 16 2008, 08:41 PM

If I ever get to play again, I think it'll be the Jack-of-all-Trades Bod Mod/Tattoo Artist/small-time Street Doc.

-Siege

Posted by: Dumori Nov 16 2008, 09:43 PM

I tend to play sepicilist roles dem/sniper/rigger/Technomancer. I have habit of going with magic/resaonace plus cyber. I only played one mundane but hes perhapes my fav yet and hes done next to nothing.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 16 2008, 09:57 PM

i hate elves . . hate them hate them hate them hate hate hate . . somehow, one of the characters with the best laid out plans/background turned out to be an elf . .
i love dwarves . . really, i do . . and somehow, most of them turn out to be nothing more than an exercise in numbers who get barely if ever played . .
Orks and Humans are meh, and somehow, they get played the most and in all roles too . . .

Posted by: Snow_Fox Nov 17 2008, 03:43 AM

Once you've had troll, that's the way you'll roll?

Posted by: Whipstitch Nov 17 2008, 04:40 AM

So, basically all you really like is trolls? That has to suck.


Honestly, the races are generally pretty even in this one, with maybe dwarves getting the shaft ever so slightly; even then, their enhanced natural vision and Will bonus can make them a natural choice for a Magician. Trolls and orks can be combat machines or cost effective all-arounders while elves are obviously consummate faces. Humans are cheap and Edge rocks. In all honesty, a troll Technomancer is about the only metatype and role combination I'd advise against, and even that is fairly doable if you're comfortable with leaving a few attributes fallow.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 17 2008, 09:13 AM

yep, especially if all of the others decide to play mafia/yakuza human/elf elite killers and the such . .
the james bond kinda thing more or less . . and as soon as they get into a real fight, they suck and
the big street brute has to come and pick up the pieces . . means i don't get to play as much as them.
but it means i get to say:"i told you so" often enough

Posted by: awolfromlife Nov 18 2008, 10:25 PM

Now that SR4 has made it easier for a hacker/rigger combo its gotta be my favorite.

Posted by: Fyndhal Nov 19 2008, 02:06 AM

I've always had a thing for melee/unarmed specialists, either cybered or as adepts. I love playing Mages, too, but usually let others take the mage since it's such a popular role.

I have never done well as a decker/hacker -- I've always had a hard time justifying why a good one would risk face to face contact for most illegal activities.

Posted by: FlakJacket Nov 19 2008, 02:16 AM

Usually adepts with the rest split between street sams and deckers for the most part.

Posted by: LostProxy Nov 19 2008, 02:35 AM

I usually play medics in one form or another just because its really fun taking the fallen bodies of both friend and foe, dumping em in the back of my bulldog taking em home and dicing up their bodies for spare parts and implants which is decent money. Also trying to make a cyber commando. A tech/demo specialist who can hack a computer then blow it up.

Posted by: SincereAgape Nov 19 2008, 02:35 AM

Does anyone else like "Aspected Magicians" from SR 2 and 3? Man, Sorcery Adapts were the Beezzesknees baby.

SR 4th, not sure yet as I haven't PCed yet. But I am learning towards a Elven Technomancer or a Elven Hacker/Face. Shadowrun elves are probably the coolest incarnation of that particular race to date.

Posted by: Glyph Nov 19 2008, 03:23 AM

Sorcerers in SR3 were among my most favorite characters, because they were so versatile. With 35 spell points, you could have a wide assortment of spells, and skill-wise, even at the lower end of the Priority System, you had plenty of points to be well-rounded. Because really, you only needed one single skill, Sorcery, to do your main job.

Posted by: paws2sky Nov 20 2008, 10:23 PM

I'm partially to jack-of-several-trades characters. Augmented/Combat Mages (a la Burned-Out Mage), Skill Adepts (lots of magically improved skills), and so on are particular favorites. I don't feel the need to have absurd dice pools, so if I can manage at 10-12 dice on the things I'm supposed be pretty good at, I'm content.

About as specialized as I like to get are the dual/triple role characters like a Face/Shaman, Mage/Hacker, or Infiltrator/Gunslinger/Driver who can get a lot of mileage out of having one or two really high attributes.

-paws

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 20 2008, 10:44 PM

i usually try to get as much oomph out of any built that is inhumanly possible . . but in game, i tend not to even use most of the stuff i put in somehow . .
for example, i forget the +1d6 from artwinculation and toughness or the + on ouchies from bonelacing . . and combat pool . . in character generation, i try
to get it higher and higher . . had an elf with combat pool 15 once . . and i did not use the combat pool even once in a whole session . .
so generally, i will play the cyber/bio monster that is best at fighting. or best at whatevr it is that he does. Hello, my name is Stahlseele, and i am the Groups PG

Posted by: jmkeown Nov 22 2008, 01:05 PM

I GM SR4, but if I were a player, I'd run Technomancers. In fact, I just got into the game a few weeks ago, and already I'm in love with the idea of TMs. In the old days of my GURPS Cyberpunk game (1991?) I had a metaplot about a technomancer-type character. I was delighted to see the idea repeated in a published game. Very cool.

Posted by: Tachi Nov 22 2008, 01:09 PM

^^In that case.... Welcome to SR, I hope you enjoy it at least as much as I do.^^

Posted by: Marvelous Marvin Nov 22 2008, 02:06 PM

Cybered to heck Troll with tons of armor.

Weapons, demo, and Close combat focused.

However I'm branching out a bit with the contemplation of playing a Technomancer/Rigger.

Posted by: Gnat Nov 22 2008, 06:49 PM

Hackers, by far. And preferably a Technomancer, even being aware of how much of a sink they are for karma. I can't get over the appeal of some one who molds code with the mind alone. But I do have an idea for 2 raven (eagle) shifter mages based on Huginn and Muninn from Norse mythology. Who truely think they are Huginn and Muninn. That aside Hackers hands down.

Posted by: The Jake Apr 19 2009, 02:32 PM

Bumping for goodness.

My main character I played for years was a human Dog shaman with a fair chunk of cyber. He was a 'jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none'. I'm a fan of cybered-magicians (Adepts or Full) and making full use of the cross genres (high-tech meets high-fantasy) and also a person who is a generalist skill monkey.

I never like being caught in a situation where I don't have a skill or an answer to a problem. So invariably most of my characters wind up with skillwires. I also hate being pidgeon holed into playing any one archtype. So I usually go out of my way to play a bit of everything.

Personality wise however (and this is probably the biggest consideration in my playstyle), I love anti heroes and always wind up playing someone with an overwhelming hatred/contempt for authority figures.

- J.

Posted by: Tymeaus Jalynsfein Apr 19 2009, 03:14 PM

Currently I am playing the teams communications specialist... have done so for about a year now... This concept is a lot of fun... I get to hack a little (well maybe a lot, as I have most of the hacker skills/programs), control Drones a little (well, also a lot here... have about 20 or so drones) and I am the tactical coordinator...

Lots of fun...

Posted by: Snow_Fox Apr 19 2009, 09:23 PM

I usually play a shaman, and end up acting as the group's face.

Posted by: Stahlseele Apr 19 2009, 09:30 PM

Have i wanswered in here yet?
I try and play different things, but i usually end up being the Combat-Machine.
My FACE was the groups best fighter once for fucks sake . . And he looked splendid doing the nasty ^^
Mostly, i try to play Characters/Concepts i think would be fun to play/have around for me/the others.
A Mage/Shaman on a Power-Trip, full blown out of control Levitate, lifting heavy objects and trying to
drop them on whatever has provoked his ire for example ^^
Or people who annoy him.
Depending on how much annoyance, the height to which they are lifted changes.
And the height from which they are dropped does too ^^

Posted by: Red-ROM Apr 19 2009, 09:45 PM

I had a great Oni sorcerer in SR3! he was a ninja in close combat, literally, and all his ranged attacks were spells.

that being said, I like interesting, funny type characters. I am currently running a super short and fat human rigger that names all his drones and makes horrible jokes in the form of similes(eg: deader than a cat in a korean grocery, or happier than Jesus at a water park)

Posted by: Shinobi Killfist Apr 19 2009, 10:03 PM

I usually wait to see what the party needs, and then play that. I don't think I'd want to play a pure decker though. Sam/decker rigger/decker sure but pure decker not so much.

Posted by: Cardul Apr 20 2009, 10:03 AM

I like Trolls the most, and finding ways to play against type(Like my Speed Troll Physical Adept, or my Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineer Troll Rigger, or a Troll Face I have somewhere...)

That said, I will pretty much play any concept I think might be fun to play. Generally, I do not play that many elves, though..or normal humans. Well, admittedly..I tend to play Orks, Trolls, and sometimes Dwarves..with Breeders and Daisy Eaters being the bottom of my choices unless I am going for something specific that cannot be done effectively any other way.

Then again, I like my characters to be the "outside the box" thinkers, like my Mystic Adept who has a smuggling compartment in her cyber arm, and some self-destructing, chameleon coated flyspies...(Ok..so the character is an elf..but is surged to be rather, um...demonic looking...fits perfectly for an elf!)

Posted by: crazyconscript Apr 20 2009, 10:18 AM

I like being a tech/logic orientated character, but i hate being left out of combats so i usually end up designing a demi-rigger or semi-sam. And i have yet to play an actual magician, i just cant get the hang of magic users who arent adepts

Posted by: toturi Apr 20 2009, 12:22 PM

I do not get to play much. Mostly I get my playing done here on the forums and I often grab an Equal NPC, mod him to fit house rules and I am good to go. I know it will work, why? Because my PC was an NPC that worked very well against my players' PCs, which is the reason why I got the stats on my fingertips and personality is a snap since I have used him often enough to have it down pat. But the problem is the build is going to be very effective with no easy weaknesses to exploit.

SR3
Elf adept shooter
Troll adept bow hunter
Human druid

SR4
Human adept hitman (Mr Lucky variant)
Human magus(Zoroastrian)
Fomori sam

Posted by: ElFenrir Apr 20 2009, 12:40 PM

That's what I did when I made my guy-only, well, different by the sound of role. I gave him Metagenic Size(2.3 meters tall), made him an elf, gave him the demon-legs, horns, elongated limbs, and claws, and he's indeed an elf. However, his role is more of grinding the opposition bones to dust with his bare hands(or, in his case, his kicks, since I decided to have some fun and make the kicking-machine with about every increase to his Strength that I could muster. He puts trolls regularly in their place arm-wrestling.) He was a gang-leader in his background for awhile of a gang with a demon/angel name kind of theme, but now he's actually able to function in even higher society, albiet his looks still keep him out of the ritzier clubs. A suit does look rather ridiculous on him, even when he pulls his rather unruly mane of hair back into a ponytail.

I dunno why I have fun playing the melee guy, but I do. However, I've branched out and found playing a jack of all trades(I made a battle butler for that), or even a total gunslinger without an ounce of melee could be fun, as well(both of these are human, too.)

And again, I do like the smart trolls and orks, as well. Something about that is just cool.

Posted by: Stahlseele Apr 20 2009, 01:38 PM

Ah, yes, i think i know why i like you . . We have similar Tastes ^^

Posted by: ElFenrir Apr 20 2009, 01:47 PM

xD Agreed. I know you aren't an elf-fan, but, well, I tend to play my elves as not very...''elfy'' at least...

Posted by: Stahlseele Apr 20 2009, 01:54 PM

i don't like the squishies.
Priority:
Troll
Dwarf
Orc
Human
Elf
My elves can usually pack more of a punch than most orcs, my humans are most of the time slick quick boys, my orcs usually kinda facey and my trolly PLAY the big dumb but are usually the machiavellian sheming mastermind . .

Posted by: ElFenrir Apr 20 2009, 02:08 PM

If I had to divide the races up into my favorite race/occupation archetype:

Elven Close Combat Monsters
Human Randoms(whatever I'm in the mood for)
Ork Mages
Troll Faces/Smart guys(who usually have a nice punch to them too, either a spur or some big bang-bang)
Dwarf Mage/Techies

About sums it up.

Posted by: CanRay Apr 20 2009, 02:09 PM

http://www.hobowithashotgun.com/

Posted by: Stahlseele Apr 20 2009, 02:19 PM

how cliché *snickers* ^^

Posted by: ElFenrir Apr 20 2009, 03:07 PM

Hey, gotta love when the little guy can hide, peer out, and no one realizes where the manabolts are coming from.

From inside the drone that's set up to be a half-man size toaster on wheels! No one expects it.

Posted by: Stahlseele Apr 20 2009, 03:27 PM

OK, that is pretty silly/awesome ^^

Posted by: Kev Apr 20 2009, 05:30 PM

My absolute favorite characters to date are CQC tanks. High shotgun/melee skills, martial arts, and armored like a tank.

If only because of the amount of trash you can talk in-game since nobody can really hurt you all the much.

And yet, currently I'm playing a jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none down-on-his-luck mercenary commander. He can't do anything particularly well, but there's tons of shit he can do at least well enough.

Usually though, it's the personalities that make characters playable, and NOT their archetypes.

Posted by: InfinityzeN Apr 20 2009, 07:11 PM

Sam I am... I do not like green eggs and ham.

When I actually get to play, I tend to build the Sam since most people seems to want to play (Mage/Adept/TM/Face). Often times I build an Elf Sam, since everyone expects the Ork or Troll to be the big heavy. Plus, everyone hates elve'z, which gives me a reason to Blow Their FREAKING HEAD OFF AND EAT THEIR BRAINS LIKE A RARE DESER...

Errmmm, excuse me, where was I? Oh yea, Elf Street Sam mostly. My current character is an Ork Ganger (wanna be sam, actually not that bad at it). I was considering making him an Elve'z, but in low point builds Ork is king.

Posted by: suppenhuhn Apr 20 2009, 07:49 PM

Since 1st edition I'm pretty much sold on the burned out mage.
Other types I play are normally things like troll faces or hackers, ie not that amazing at their main role but with some hand to hand abilities for good measure.

Posted by: Angelone Apr 21 2009, 10:06 AM

Human rigger or mage 90ish% of the time. Besides that street sams.

Posted by: Wasabi Apr 21 2009, 10:53 AM

I bounce between good guys and bad guys... one character might be like a librarian who almost got kidnapped and the next might be an Azzie who's goal is to collect jars of blood from blood mages. For me the role is secondary to the personality so I decide on hacker/rigger/mage/infiltrator/gunbunny/skillmonkey after I determine personality.

Posted by: paws2sky Apr 21 2009, 01:56 PM

*high fives suppenhuhn*

-paws

Posted by: InfinityzeN Apr 21 2009, 04:14 PM

I always liked the little backstory from the BOM talking about himself and working a little 'magic' with his gun.