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[Starmage21]

Ive looked at some of the stats people create for their games that they play in, and then looked at the archetypes provided in the SR4 core book.

My question is, what exactly do you think fits the archetypes better than what's presented? What does your hacker/technomage/magician/adept/whatever look like compared to the the given characters?

[kzt]

We've found that adepts and mages go to synapic boosters. It's cheaper for the adept in terms of essence/magic than pouring 3 point of magic into improved reflexes 2. And for mages, it's not an active spell, so you can walk through wards, it is running if something bad happens unexpectedly and doesn't give you the sustained spell issues.

[toturi]

First of all, I'd like to say that the archetypes in the book represent the medium of what is possible during canon SR4 chargen.

Second, every GM will have their own vision of what is acceptable in their games. There are some aspects of certain archtypes that is unique to that archetype and those are already represented in the PCs in the book.

So unless my players or I are pushing the envelope, our PCs/NPCs look somewhat like those archetypes.

[Starmage21]

[toturi]

Since we are talking about the Combat Mage:

Unless you are binding spirits or require multiple services from a spirit, 6 dice (Magic 5 + Conjuring 1) should be sufficient for setting a spirit on a warpath. For me the main points of a combat mage archetype is that he is able to be effective in combat. Apart from certain min-max inefficiency issues, he is roughly what I'd expect of a combat mage.

1) Offensive combat spells
2) Initiative enhancement
3) Mundane method of combat

[SleepIncarnate]

I used a rough version of the Hacker and Technomancer archtypes to build my first ever technomancer, but I made some changes of my own. I made her an elf for better biofeedback filter, got rid of natural hardening in place of a dot of willpower (which is used in the same roll, but willpower also helps against Fading and increases Firewall to reduce attack in cybercombat), took some different negative qualities (moderate allergy to seawater cause saltwater and electronics don't mix and sensitive system to hurt me more if I ever get implants), spent my money differently, took a level lower of tasking, no specializations, and started with a rating 5 fault sprite that owes 3 tasks. And even after making those changes, I see areas with faults that I want to fix up fast: namely more willpower, needing a Spoof CF, etc.

[Starmage21]

[Kyoto Kid]

...just got off the Magical Healing thread where I was discussing the effectiveness of mundane healing (doctoring).

As an example I brought up my Dwarf field medic character Kat Markova. In a way she is kind of a hybrid archetype in that she not only has excellent medical skills (both first aid and medicine) but good combat, physical, social, and knowledge skills as well which make her valuable in a number different functions.

Another character that goes back back to an old SR2 archetype (Shadowbeat) is my freelance reporter Media Blitz (still a work in progress). She is a combination Social Adept and Cybersnoop. With the exception of tailored pheromones her implants are primarily headware (eye/ear recording, sensory boosting, commlink etc). She is not as combat oriented as Kat, but makes up for it in her ability to get into places that other runners may have difficulty gaining access to. She not only makes a good face, but also can be excellent for performing recon, and of course has more than adequate skill for legwork & research.

[JRandom]

I'm creating a Night Elf (+2 Cha, +1 Rea, +1 Qui=35 BP) Rigger/Face.

I have a bit of experience playing and it seems that most new teams all go for archetypes that can do the most damage without regards to healing, legwork, and other support abilities. You get a hacker, two street sams, and a combat mage.

He's designed to function in all aspects of the run, from negotiating at the initial meet to collecting information with influence skills and spy drones. Then on the run he makes the insertion, does any initial conning of the guards and proceeds to provide overwatch and combat support with his drones before making the getaway. He has the first aid skillsoft so that he can also patch anyone up on the way back to safehouse.

[Starmage21]

[sunnyside]

When an archtype is "PCed" typically I find

-negative qualities maxed
-agility goes up if it isn't already at the "one more costs 25bp" level, at least on the mundanes
-start seeing fewer 1's and 2's in skills. More 4's. Often somewhat redundant skills vanish. For example the rigger might not be able to pilot anthroforms and the bounty hunter wouldn't have both knives and clubs.