Character Critique Time!!!, fire away.... Options

[Abbandon]

Well I was going through street magic to find some things to maybe replace on one of my unused characters who is an adept and I spotted some cool abilities I didnt really notice my first time through the book. So I just had to hurry up and make the character. This is my ode to Gambit from x-men.

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Cherry (Meta-type: Human Female. bp)total bp 400
Height: 5'6"  Wieght: 120 lbs
Attributes: (200 bps)
  Body:      4/6  +30bp
  Agility:   5/6  +40bp
  Reaction:  4(6)/6  +30bp
  Strength:  5/6  +40bp
  Charisma:  2/6  +10bp
  Intuition: 4/6  +30bp
  Logic:     2/6  +10bp
  Willpower: 2/6  +10bp
  Magic: 6 +65bp
  Initiative: 8(10)
Condition Monitor: 9S 10P
Edge: 2
Init Pass: 3
Essense: 6.0
Qaulities:( 0 difference)

Postive:(-35)
- Adept -5BP
- Natural Immunity -15 bp: Gamma-Scopolamine, is immune to one does in a 12-body hour time frame.
- High Pain Tolerance 1 -5bp: Can suffer two extra boxes of damage before suffering a -1 modifier
- Toughness -10bp: +1 to all damage resistance tests
Negative:(+35)
- Sensitive System +15: Cyberware costs double essense, bio the same.
- Simsense Vertigo +10: -2 dice when looking at AR/VR images
- Astral Beacon +5: Astral signatures last twice as long, and others get +2 when assensing them.
- Incompetent Pilot(aircraft) +5: Unable to default or learn pilot(aircraft)

Adept Powers: (6.0 pp)
-Improved Reflexes 2 (-3 pp): +2 reaction, +2 IP's
-Agility Boost 1 (-.25 pp): Magic 6 + AB 3 test.  Each hits boosts agility for hits x2 combat turns. Drain 3. Simple action.
-Missle Parry 1 (-.25 pp): Reaction + Missle parry =/+ can grab thrown objects out of air.
-Missle Mastery (-1.0 pp): Harmless objects become(Str/2)P(round up), Normal thrown weapons have +1 damage
-Nimble Fingers (-.25 pp): +1 to palming, manual dexterity actions become free actions.
-Quick Draw (-.5 pp): May draw and fire 1 item if complex, may draw and fire 2 if simple. Thrown + Reaction(2) test.
-Power Throw 3 (-.75 pp): +6 strength for determing range/damage of thrown objects.

Contacts: (8bp)
-Fencer 1/3
-Fixer 3/1

Active Skills:(122bp)
-Athletics 1 =             10bp
-First Aid 2 =              8bp
--spec: Trauma wounds (4) = 2bp
-Etiquette 1 =              4bp
-Con 2 =                    8bp
--spec: Seduction (4) =     2bp
-Palming 4 =               16bp
-Perception 4 =            16bp
-Thrown Weapons 5 =        20bp
--spec:Playing Cards (7) =  2bp
-Dodge 5 =                 20bp
-Pilot(Ground) 4 =         16bp

Knowledge Skills: ([Int 4 + logic 2] x3 = 18 free bp)
-Card Tricks 3
-Poker       3
-Music       3
-Fencers     3
-Pool        3
-Dancing     3

Gear: 5bp =(25,000/25,000)
-Armor Jacket 8/6  900Y av: 2
-Glasses 25Y  av: -
--Imagelink 25Y av: -
--Vision Enhance 3 300Y  av: +4
--Vision Mag 100Y  av: +2
--Low Light 100Y  av: +4
--Flare Comp 50Y  av: +2
--skinlinked 50
-Ear Buds 10Y
--Audio Enhance 3 300Y av: +2
--Select Sound 3 600Y av: +8
-subvocal mic 50Y av: 6
-10 Throwing Knives 20x10  200Y  av: 2
-Defiance EX Shocker 150Y
-concealed holster 75Y
-clothes, dufflebag, 4 packs of playing cards 235Y
-Kawasaki Assassin(sport bike) 6,500Y  av:-
-Fake SIN 4(Jessica Lachelle) 4000Y
--Fake License: Driving 4 400Y
Fake SIN 1(Aubry Pinsky) 4000Y
--Fake License: Driving 4 400Y
-<commlink #1> Erika Elite + Novatech Navi 4000Y
Response 3, Signal 4, Firewall 3, System 4
-<commlink #2> Meta Link + Vector Xim 300Y
--skinlinked 50
--mapsoft 6 30Y
Response 1, Signal 1, Firewall 1, System 1
--sim module 100Y
--skinlink 50
--skinned trodes (50+50) 100Y
-Low Income Lifestyle(1 month) 2000Y

[Abbandon]

Has there been any rules for coating your edged weapons in chemicals and poisons? Should those effects stack on top of the weapons natural damage value? What kind of rules would you impose for handling "poisoned" throwing weapons? Would wearing gloves cancel out nimble fingers?

[Rasumichin]

Would wearing gloves cancel out nimble fingers?

As long as they're not oven mits or boxing gloves, i see no reason why they should.

As far as the general concept is concerned, i just gave it a quick glance, but note that humans start with Edge 2 and that seduction is a specialization of the con skill.
You might want to change that knowledge skill to something like "cajun pickup lines" or somesuch.

[Abbandon]

Ok edited her edge. Seduction...I didnt really mean in the speech sense more of how to be seductive in her body movements and stuff, didnt know it was a spec of con. So I changed it to Dancing.

[Abbandon]

...

[Fortune]

So I changed it to Dancing.

Of course, Dancing is a Specialization of either Artisan or Gymnastics (take your pick). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[fistandantilus4....]

Moved to appropriate Forum. That would probably explain your lack of feedack Abbandon. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[ElFenrir]

Hmm...well, you have Influence and Biotech skill groups at 1...with a 2 Logic and Charisma. Im not trying to be too minmaxy, but if i should, i'd drop Strength to a 3(still giving 2P damage, only one less...and even with a 3P you won't be doing a lot of armor penetration unless you get a lot of hits. (Looking at the skills and powers, with the manual dexterity, quick drawing, sleight of hand, and the like... for some reason im picturing more willowy and agile than brutish but of course you might have different ideas). Rolling 4 dice for any Biotech or Influence skill isn't super great, but it's better than 3...ive tossed 3 dice before on defaults, and those are tough to get hits that you might need. and 4 dice for a backup isn't the most horrid thing in the world; i find that one extra die can sometimes mean alot of difference.

(Alternately, take the 20 BPs from Strength and increase the skill groups by 1 each.)

Just a couple of nuyen. I know having the 5 Strength is nice for range...but still, a 3 +2 will give her a 5 strength essentially for throwing; which is still really good.

[fool]

will of 2? This guy is going to be a sitting duck for most spells. I never run a charactern without at least will 4.
also a point or 2 in a melee skill is often key to survival. Though you can still used ranged combat when in melee, it does have penalties.

[Stahlseele]

not really critique . . but i'd change her name . . as soon as she gets separated from the others the group has lost it's cherry *snickers*
ah well, it's what would probably happen in my group anyway ^^

[fool]

besides with a charisma of 2 who'd want that cherry

[Ryu]

Yep. She might as well be an orc.

Wait? An orc! Magic could simply be five (Imp. Reflexes 1), and five other points would pay for it. Now if we keep Body at 5, thats two points free for Reaction 5(6) and Cha or Wil 3. Strength would be 7 (9 for throwing).

[Abbandon]

Dancing/seduction/whatever!! its just a knowledge skill not an active skill. Instead of telling me what not to call it how about suggestions on waht to call it.

-Currently she can chuck a playing card and do 4P, if i lower her strength that will go down. It is her main form of attack so i cant see how weaking it is a good thing.

-rating 1 group skills are just so I dont have to default. Defaulting sucks.

-less IP's?? I dont think so. She needs all those IP's to do damage.

-no melee...she would have 6 dice against shots and melee normally. 16 if she goes on full defense. I probably will add unarmed combat later but she has quickdraw and isnt really going to ever be left empty handed.

-low willpower....You can either have high offense, or high defense but if you have neither your not going to hurt anything or stop damage which means your totally worthless. If I raise will i have to lower something else which will just make her suck at what she is suppose to do.

Hey I have a question. The power throw ability can be taken multiple times. Do those bonus's count toward your augmented maximums. Like a human max's out at 9 right? If i had strength 6 and 2 levels of power throw (+4) would that max out at 9 still?

Being an orc or troll with Cherry is being a little to min/maxxy for my taste. I want her human.

[djinni]

Being an orc or troll with Cherry is being a little to min/maxxy for my taste. I want her human.

wait...you don't want to lower the strength because it will lower her damage output, but think picking a race other than human is min/maxing? not sure you are going to receive any advice that doesn't min/max you character.

[SoyKaf Adict]

I think you should take away being an adept... Get a gun arm, with a slingshot designed especially for cards. You save 5 BP from adept, you can spend all those BPs used on powers to buy some fancy chrome, maybe some wired twitch grade 2. She'd be just as good, because if wasting an adept into being a card chucker isn't the most random waste of talent possible, I have no idea what is. She'd have to be crazy like a dwarf running in the middle of a bunch of ghouls yelling, "Eat me please!" To be going up against a troll and expecting a playing card to go through armor is unreal. even if it is magic.

Playing cards are a good idea, small and easily hidden. You may want to consider something sturdier, maybe craft your cards out of a thick polymer and have them painted like real cards and have the edges sharpened so they at least will STICK INTO armor rather than falling short a few feet and the floating to the ground... Defaulting does suck but any character made is going to be defaulting, unless you spend yourself thin, and it is like you said, dumb. Only with karma will you be able to buy up decent skills, so it'll happen. Oh yeah, and I agree with Stahl, the character's alias has a little too much "stage name" to it. I mean, hell, the primo Skank McBimbo from the First Run's Stuffer Shack mission(SR3) was called Zany... Methinks "Chastity, Vanity, Cum-dumpster..." would've been suitable names. My 4 random aliases chosen for your card-flinging dervish-seducing adept all should do with the game she knows so well, why not "Euchre," "Parcheesi," or "Rummy"? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif) Hehe, all right, "Aces'n'8s" is my choice for a nick name. What with it being referred to as the Dead Man's Hand. (Not withstanding there is no suicide king, that would be a long and pointless nickname) Even if it is represented to 'kill' the person holding it, she's a shadow runner, if she has some dark fate awaiting her, something tells me if she has balls enough to fight people with cards (And thank you GeneTech for making it possible! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif) ), she has enough to tote the name, think it works?

So now that I feel like a critic of French cuisine, did I leave out any suggestions to the comments?

Dancing/seduction/whatever!! its just a knowledge skill not an active skill. Instead of telling me what not to call it how about suggestions on waht to call it.

-Currently she can chuck a playing card and do 4P, if i lower her strength that will go down. It is her main form of attack so i cant see how weaking it is a good thing.

-rating 1 group skills are just so I dont have to default. Defaulting sucks.

-less IP's?? I dont think so. She needs all those IP's to do damage.

-no melee...she would have 6 dice against shots and melee normally. 16 if she goes on full defense. I probably will add unarmed combat later but she has quickdraw and isnt really going to ever be left empty handed.

-low willpower....You can either have high offense, or high defense but if you have neither your not going to hurt anything or stop damage which means your totally worthless. If I raise will i have to lower something else which will just make her suck at what she is suppose to do.

Hey I have a question. The power throw ability can be taken multiple times. Do those bonus's count toward your augmented maximums. Like a human max's out at 9 right? If i had strength 6 and 2 levels of power throw (+4) would that max out at 9 still?

Being an orc or troll with Cherry is being a little to min/maxxy for my taste. I want her human.

[Fortune]

Dancing/seduction/whatever!! its just a knowledge skill not an active skill. Instead of telling me what not to call it how about suggestions on waht to call it.

As far as I am concerned, pointing out specific rules constitutes as help. If you choose not to see it that way, or do things in a different manner, that's your prerogative. But I stand by the theory that a person should try to understand the canon rules before making up house rules. I don't like telling people how to make their character (or even helping much unless it is for my game), and therefore have almost always limited my advice in this type of thread to what is and isn't permissible according to canon.

Have a nice day.

[Earlydawn]

Woah Fortune, no need to dig on him. He's just trying to build a cool character that has some flair. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Personally, I think it's a great concept, Abbandon. Stick with it. Defenitely go with the custom, sharpened throwing cards made of plasteel or whatever.. also adds a nice little touch if you're going for an assassin background.

[Glyph]

The power throw power isn't affected by the augmented Attribute caps, any more than, say, dermal plating is. It only gives an effective bonus to Strength in certain circumstances.

Personally, I would change the ratings around for Agility Boost (reduce it to 1) and Power Throw (raise it to 3). Lowering the Agility Boost means you are only resisting Drain of 1, something you are likely to do, rather than Drain of 3, which will give you a point of Stun or two if you get unlucky on the dice. You want a boost that you can use often without worrying about it. Power Throw, on the other hand, basically raises the base damage of your primary attack at 0.25 a point - a huge bargain.

[Fortune]

Woah Fortune, no need to dig on him. He's just trying to build a cool character that has some flair.

More power to him. I was merely offering my help (albeit in some small capacity), and there was no need for him to snap at me for it.

[Fortune]

The power throw power isn't affected by the augmented Attribute caps, any more than, say, dermal plating is. It only gives an effective bonus to Strength in certain circumstances.

Power Throw is going to be limited to three levels in the next Errata.

[Ryu]

- Fortune made the suggestion, but Dancing could end up under artisan or under Gymnastics, depending on style. I vote Gymnastics, someone has to carry the flag of chargen efficiency here.

- The +2 from Power Throw increase strength for thrown weapons. Thats clearly counting against the cap. Consider that other people use to throw weapons instead of gaming devices, and you find this to be a sensible move.

- Do not care about IPs that much. If you do, see that you pay 35 BP for +2 IP. Thats a whopping 7 points cheaper than Synaptic Boosters 2 + a point of lost magic. Last I checked, an adept would spend 7 BP if that would permit him to buy two more points of magic.

- No melee is fine, allthough nearly a waste on this char. The basics (Agi, Str, Rea) are all there.

- Low willpower is also fine. The amount of willpower never made a real difference for spelldefense IMO. You either have counterspelling or you don´t.

- I always get "orcs are min/maxing". They save a whopping 15 BP at most, that is not my point here. You need strength to make your weapon of choice work. Currently you stand at the damage output of a light pistol with normal ammo. The concept is cool, but would not work in our game.

[Abbandon]

Sorry if I snapped at you Fortune but i just get frustrated when people are in my opinion being to anal. Who cares what a knowledge skill is called? What different does it make if it had the same name as an active skill? Its not going to be used the same way and IF you thought it could be then what would be appropriate knowledge skills for someone who is seductive/sexy?

Agility boost \/ for power throw /\ is interesting...

AB1 would on average only give me 1-2 hits. that would be 6-7 agility +7 card chucking for 13-14 dice for attacks
But my damage would jump up to (Strength 5 +6)/2 = 6P for starting damage.

ab3 would give me 2-3 hits. That would be 7-8 +7 card chucking for 14-15 dice
Damage is (strength 5 +2)/2 =4P

ab3 is like an axe... sometimes the damage might be really good, other times it might be really low. Hmmm yeah i think Ab1 is a great idea. As others have pointed out, and I knew when i took it but forgot about it mostly is that I would have alot of trouble resisting the drain from a higher AB power.

I still havent heard to much on the quality front. Ok so what if i turned influence -> into con 2/spec seduction 4 and added ettiquete (?) and strengthened biotech or athletics? Im leaning more towards atheletics. She would probably use it less but it fits more with the character. I dont see her playing medic that often since she is so focused on offense.

Man i wish I had arsenal. She could probably use those new qaulities and manuevers to improve her game.

[Ryu]

He does not speak of the name, he does speak of the active skill. Dancing is a given spec for the Athletics active skill, as well as a valid spec for the Artisan skill. Much like Con is used for seduction and Leadership for keeping self control.

[Fortune]

- The +2 from Power Throw increase strength for thrown weapons. Thats clearly counting against the cap. Consider that other people use to throw weapons instead of gaming devices, and you find this to be a sensible move.

Only those things that add to the entire Attribute as a whole (Muscle Augmentation, Cerebral Booster, Improved Attribute Power), and not just one particular factor of that stat (Bone Lacing, Power Throw), are considered to fall under the Attribute Cap. Everything else is a situational modifier.

[Ryu]

Missed the missing qualities. Consider incompetencies for Rifles, Automatics and Heavy Weapons. SINner is allways good, criminal SINner can be depending on the char. I can see both Guardian and Task spirits hate you, much. Both on account of you toying around. Then there is mild addiction (alkohol) for someone who spends her whole life in bars.