And here's a preview of attributes and skills for your delictation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Profile

Name: Susanna Waters
Alias: Silk
Metatype: Changeling
Sex: Female
Age: 23
Nationality: UCAS
Matrix Icon: Lady in a silk dress
Reality Filter: N/A
Lifestyle: Low [student digs]
Nuyen: ???
Karma Earned: 250
Karma Spent: 250
Street Cred: 25
Notoriety: 1
Public Awareness: 8

Attributes

Qualities

Active Skills

Knowledge Skills

The build is coming along slowly but surely. I'm trying to figure out how not to get into negative essence (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) Beside that, concerning the initinal circumstances post, I'm rather open to everything. Whatever you deem good, I'll roll along with.

Is there a reason alpha/beta grade cyberware isn't an option? I understand the appeal of him still carrying around vintage military hardware, but there's no harm in only having that apply to a few, logical choices. The arm, sure, that can be old. But I'm sure Dexter would have had wires removed and replaced with newer tech, to keep up with the curve and offset the early onset rigor mortis of the old bastard. Another thing is of course Capacity. I don't want to offend or assume, but did you make sure you cancelled all the essence costs of the extras built into your cyber-senses? The cyber-arm is the biggest capacity friendly ware you have, consider what you could fit in there, common choices are things like extra sensory systems such as ultrasound or radar detectors, the ever popular internal air tank.

I keep meaning to go over your sheet with some comments, Aria, but I didn't sleep at all last night and I don't have the energy for one of my soon-to-be infamous TL;DRs. I like that you've chosen a lot of knowledge skills, and you've done work on contacts, which I appreciate.

Oh, it is an option. It's even an option I've taken into account (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I think I might just have to scale down on the ammount of things I'm trying to stick inside the poor ol' guy. I mean, that's not even considering that with the current build, he's at 0.06 of essence and about 450 000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) down the hole, before any gear purchase.

We'll just call him metal micky (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

M&M for short (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I dropped his ratings in German and Japanese from 3 to 4, and in Mandarin from 4 to 2 (those tonal languages are hard!). I also exchanged French and Italian for Egyptian and Enochian (the secret tongue of Hermetics; bonus points if you get the reference), respectively.


I used the points regained from German, Japanese and Mandarin to give him Astronomy 2 and Mathematics 2 as knowledge skills. You make good points.


Nope. Initiation raises maximum Magic, not current Magic. He has to pay separately to raise the attribute. As a Grade 2 initiate, his Magic is now 5/8 rather than 5/6.


I traded out Stunball and Fling for Combat Sense (more effective than Armor and less Drain) and Increase Reflexes. As for Corvina, she does increase Arthur's survivability quite a bit, and is actually quite fearsome once you think about it. Among her powers, she does have Guard (not really good for combat defense, but it does prevent glitches), Concealment, and Movement. The full list is to the extreme right of the character sheet; scroll over to see it. As for the question of tradition, I'm going for a classic "aged wizard" archetype here. Hermeticism just makes the most sense.


I'm fine with you using Corvina as a mouthpiece from time to time. In the introductory scene, I'd like to RP her exclusively, to establish the relationship between her and Arthur. I have a pretty specific tone I'm going for with that, you see.


I would really prefer that Corvina already be at least several years "old" (not that chronological age has any real relevance to a spirit) at the start of the campaign. I want her and Arthur to be very close, with shared experiences. The gear I listed is the stuff that Arthur has acquired since fleeing Ares. In the intro scene, he won't have any of that, except the power focus. I'm anticipating a time skip of several days to a couple of weeks between Merlin's flight and meeting up with the other PCs.


The real MIT is actually in Boston; whether MIT&T ever moved its campus out of the city, I don't know. As for other options, there are six state universities and numerous private institutions in Washington State. How many of them are still in operation in 2072 is up to you, I guess.


Assuming Silk entered university at the normal age of 18 or 19, she would have completed a four-year bachelor's degree at 22 or 23. If you want her to start with or close to a master's, you're looking at about another two years, which would make her 24 or 25.

23 is perfect then, in the middle of masters study...

Still a little way off (got loads of cash to spend on programs / commlink stuff!)

Also slightly concerned that with the alternative matrix house rules that she's a bit spread thin... she's got dice pools of 10-12 in lots of things but nothing really spectacular (apart from her contacts list!)

Thoughts / comments welcome

<<Silk>>

ps. sorry about the ads, it's a freebie website builder (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

I think my first complete build will be done by the end of the day. I've never had so many points to spend for a character, and yet, had to make so many decisions (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I was wondering, since I got the impression that we're going to do a lot of travelling, getting a crap load of gear might not be a great idea, right? When I create combat oriented characters, I tend to try to anticipate every situation they might find themselves in, and then get a boatload of weapons. That sniper rifle for an urban setting, this one for the jungle, one combat shotgun, one shotgun to breach locks, etc... Should I do that or not? My impression was that I was better off getting a few weapons, things Dexter wouldn't part with, ever, and then get the rest in game, on a "mission" basis (this means cutting out most of the very heavy stuff).

On another note, I wanted to state right away that I am ridiculously unfamiliar with SR4 Matrix rules. Yes, I know them, can live with them and can use them. But what I can't do AT ALL, is maximize a character in that field. I'll probably make really stupid choices when it comes to matrix related things, and I might need others to points them out (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Last but not least, I was wondering when the game would be set. I am mainly asking because it'll allow me to revise and tailor Dexter's background a bit more. It'll also probably determine the age of his kids and such.

So yea, that's pretty much it for now!

I forgot to ask: do we (and if yes, how many points) get free points ofr knowledge and contacts?

Thanks a bunch!

Is there still room for another player, It would be my first PBP game? I am a retired military SGT tht stay's at home with my son in Seattle. I have time to commit to the game and love well rounded PC builds. I Like muscle type PC with rich history and great contacts. I also like working with a team and building friendships. I fully understnad if it is two late. Seems you have a great group started in the above posts. Have a great day Drew

I'm not sure Egyptian is a language. Wikipedia lists Arabic as the most common language. I'm not sure anyone has ever heard old Egyptian spoke, maybe it's only a R/W knowledge.

Cool. History could be good, have you got a personal historical interest? Another way to approach knowledge skills is to write a list of things that the character might know, and then prioritise them with the points you have. I'm also considering raising the free knowledge karma too.

I had looked that up, but I was wondering why you didn't spend the points? Fair enough, if that's what you want. You'll probably be spending a lot of your karma once you get it on some basic survivability, so I can't say when your next chance to raise a costly attribute will be.

I love Fling as an idea, like throwing a bottle at the back of a guys head in a bar-fight just before he punches you, so he fucks off looking for the one who threw it, but in practice I don't think it's really that useful. I'm not familiar with combat sense. I still worry about your damage soaking abilities, but hey, it's in character, and I'm sure Dexter will kindly throw you over his shoulder when you get shredded.

Of course, I wouldn't want to give the wrong voice to something dear to you and the character. My main reason is to differentiate the spirit from the character of Arthur, both in terms of stats and game power, but also for the sake of the story. I can use her to reveal plot information to you, and the relationship can be a source of drama, tension, humour, who knows? I haven't gone over all of her powers yet, but did I see that you and her share some sort of linked consciousness? That could be good, if she can read your mind, maybe sometimes it won't be what she wants to hear. I'm curious about this relationship, too. If there's anything you want to tell me about it, you should do it via PM, to keep it fresh and surprising for the other players.

One thing I say about the way you RP Corvina, the age old writer's adage of "show, don't tell" will be very important, their relationship should be conveyed through actions actions and emotions, with sparing dialogue. I've read a few dumpshock IC's, and I roll my eyes at a magician who tears a being of ethereal flames in the old tongue, as a lamb drips it's life force away into his lap - and then he says "Hi there, Flameo! How's the missus? I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble, could you maybe... give those guys a little burn? You see they're in that tank and we just can't punch through... ha! Yeah, like that time in the bar? Yeah! With the cyber-arm! Anyway, I need you to pop in there and burn those drivers to cinders. Gee, it's been a while, hasn't it? We should do this more often."

I'm exaggerating, but you get my drift right? Even if Corvina can take the form of a classy lady, she is not a classy lady, she is an unquantifiable being from another world, bound by will. Keep it in mind. In my games, magic is weird and scary and painful.

In a world with dragons, immortal elves, free spirits, and who knows what else old enough to have been around in the time of the pharaohs, how much you wanna bet nobody's managed a wrangle a Pharaonic Egyptian elocution lesson? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I'm ALMOST done. I know I've said it more than once, but this time around, it's pretty much true (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Everything's done... but I'm over the karma limit. All I have left to do is to cut out 95 karma points and I'm good to go.

As of right now, Dexter isn't built as the fastest, or even the strongest, killing machine there is. Actually, he isn't all that intense of a killing machine. What he seems to be tho, is an extremely versatile character who can pretty much shoot, blow up, punch, stab, repair, and drive anything. Cyberware wise, I had to get rid of a lot of things I liked a great deal (like the Dragon Hide Orthoskin... nothing like having fire resistant skin (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) ), but he's still pretty true to himself.

So yea, I'll try to bring down to extra 95 karma point.

I still need to do some more work but should be complete by mid week. I'm not wild about it but I think I'll need one or two points of muscle toner to sort combat and stealth and increase my logic, probably at the expense of some of the ridiculously expensive contacts (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Marginally happier with Silk now...higher logic and agility should boost her key stats.

Had to drop some contacts and knowledge skills (which I seem to have miscalculated anyway (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) )

Gear is complete enough, if I've fogotten anything I'll probably need to get it 'in game'

<<Silk>>

Comments?!?

Thanks

A

Holy crap, you actually spent the 135 karma to get Silk's Magic up to 7?

135?!? Really? I thought it was new rt x5 = 35! Please tell me I'm not overspent by 100 karma...(IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Of course I'd just get rid of wall running but i wanted one 'cool' power that cyberware can't replicate!

(2+3+4+5+6+7) X 5 = 135 karma.

Ah, in that case, yes I did (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Hell, when you've got 1000 to play with why not?!?

Of course I have to say that I'm going by the excel file and I haven't checked it by hand (and have no intention of doing so - maths is not my strongest asset (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) )

A couple small changes to Merlin's character sheet: I shuffled some points around to give him Knowledge: Cigars 2. He's a minor aficionado. I also swapped out his Ignite spell for Shape Air. I have some... ideas for his use of fire (IMG:style_emoticons/default/vegm.gif) ...but I don't really see him setting things ablaze willy-nilly.

Just a quick note to say that I'm moving tomorrow to a new place, so my online presence will probably be a bit spotty for the next few days.