Help me build a character!, 400 BPs and a background, have fun! Options

[Penta]

So...Hmm. He polevaults, using his field experience and polisci degree (and the help of a former prof) to get a job with...The UCAS DOJ, Seattle Office. So he becomes an office drone.

Rather boring, by comparison. So he starts taking side jobs. (A shame there's no more "Day Job" flaw...)

[Mistwalker]

If your going in that direction, maybe have him start to do jobs that benefit prosecution of criminals. Once on that slippery slope, he could just keep sliding deeper and deeper, or get caught at it, and have no choice but to do it full time.

[Fortune]

You could always go the route that the background you described is your character's 'cover', and all the while he is really working the shadows for some Greater Good™, under the direction (however loosely) of a higher authority.

[Penta]

Hmm. The MU* of which I speak won't even open for a few months at the earliest, so that's something I'll consider, Mist.

Now, OK, you've all poked at the BG enough. Someone want to help me turn the BG (such as it is) into stats?

[Glyph]

Here's some rough stats from me. I am assuming someone with a wide range of skills, who is not quite at the same level as a fully-augmented sammie yet, but is still skilled and has some enhancements. Also a high Edge, for an adrenaline addict who is used to surviving danger. Normally, I don't use skill groups as much, but this is a character who would be pretty well-rounded, skill-wise.


BREAKDOWN (400 Points)
Core Attributes: 200
Special Attributes: 40
Race: 0
Active Skills: 128
Qualities: NET 0
Contacts: 12
Resources: 20

=Attributes=
Body: 4
Agility: 5 (7)
Reaction: 5 (7)
Strength: 3
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 3
Edge: 6

Essence: 2.40
Initiative: 10
Initiative Passes: 3
Physical Damage Track: 10
Stun Track: 10

=Qualities=
Guts
SINNER

=Active Skills=
Athletics Group: 1
Close Combat Group: 3
Dodge: 4
Etiquette/Law Enforcement: 1 (+2)
Firearms Group: 4
Infiltration: 1
Leadership: 1
Perception: 2
Pilot Ground Vehicle/Car: 2 (+2)

=Knowledge Skills=

(One or more of following)
=Cyberware=
Cybereyes: 2 with -
>Flare Compensation
>Low-Light Vision
>Smartlink
>Vision Magnification
Datajack
Wired Reflexes: 2

=Bioware=
Muscle Toner: 2

=Contacts=
Fixer (4/1)
Hacker/DOJ co-worker (2/1)
Sergeant Vasquez (2/2)

=Other Gear=
47,000 Nuyen left to spend on lifestyles, vehicles, etc. Given his background, will probably lack things like fake IDs. Armor will probably be an armored jacket with fire resistance and a helmet. Weapons will probably be things like a Colt Manhunter with a smartlink and a mix of rounds, shock gloves and/or stun baton, survival knife, maybe a Defiance T-250 shotgun or hunting rifle. You described him at turning his gear in, so that's why I think he probably won't start out with things like SMGs or assault rifles.

[lorechaser]

Creating someone from scratch, I made a character pretty close to that one.

I'd recommend SINner, Criminal, though.

Makes it easy enough to explain. Not only was he unable to get someone to cover for him at KE, but he was actually set up to take the fall for the criminal offenses. He knows he's innocent, but he was found guilty in absentia, and now has a record. And that's why he's running the shadows, instead of just picking up at a Stuffer Shack. Also gives a built in drive to clear his name, which will be complicated by future activities....

[Penta]

lorechaser: If we're speaking of UCAS crimes: He cannot be tried in absentia. It violates the 6th Amendment in vicious ways.

Glyph: Hmm. Very close to many of my attempts. My only cyber (I am by nature conservative about such things) was:

Cybereye Rating 4 Alpha w/ Smartlink, Flare Comp, Low-Light, Thermographic, protective covers
Datajack (A/pha)
Touch link (alpha) (Never could figure out what this does, actually)

Reason I went for alphaware: Character was in a dangerous line of work. Chances are, before cyber install, even as a patrol cop, he would have learned that: A. Magical healing can save your life; B. Lots of cyber impedes magical healing. C. The stuff they call alphaware impedes less, though you pay a premium for the privilege.

Things which I ponder:

1. How obviously cyber are cybereyes and cyberears? To sight? What about to the touch (more applicable for ears)? For someone like him, that did work with kids, *not* being obviously cybered would be very important. The closer he could get to appearing to a mundane observer to being non-cybered, the happier he would be.

2. Smartlink has a rather low availability. It's restricted, but still. So how hard would it be to get a license with a legit SIN, some useful fibbery ("I'm between jobs, but I'm planning on working as a courier, and that may require me to be armed"), and knowledge of the system ("Yes, you're right, except when you consider 39 CFR 298, which actually implements that statute; See how it's written when you look it up on Lexis-Nexis?")?

3. My gear loadout replaced a Colt Manhunter w/ an Ares Predator IV, for obvious reasons. I'm pondering more Armor, Clothing, etc.: What the heck is the distinction between chic clothing and regular clothing? Which armors can be worn under, say, a suit?

4. Commlinks. OK, so what programs and stuff does a non-hacker need?

[lorechaser]

True. So he's not been found guilty, he's simply pending trial, and has a bench warrant issued for his arrest on failure to appear?

[kzt]

[2bit]

Glyph's done a pretty good job there. I would err on the side of less cyber, possibly with a less expensive reaction/reflex solution.
Close Combat group could be broken up into Clubs and Unarmed, possibly with subduing specialization.

Intimidation should also be represented. Even beat cops have this, and I would assume it's an important part of the T in SWAT.

[Penta]

[2bit]

In the end it's your character, but allow me to point out why I disagree with your character's skills, since I think you're trying to err on the side of what skills a real person might have:

[Penta]

Hmm.

Pilot Ground would seem necessary; We're not talking (for the most part) about crowded urbanscapes in much of either the Greater Boston or Metro NYC areas, despite the common conception. There are serious bits of freeway, for example, meaning the cop on the beat would need to learn every trick your average cop these days learns re driving.

Influence Group....Hmm. OK, ditching that, buying the component skills EXCEPT Con to 2. When I said char lacked 'influence', I meant in terms of favors owed, things like that. That only comes with time; no matter how charming you might be, if you're a newbie, you got no influence. That said, I took your advice, and after dropping Con, went for Intimidation (Interrogation) 1 (3)

Physical Group: OK, I looked at the descriptions of skill levels for the Athletics Group again. 2 seems better.

First Aid: See, I just disagree. He might have the medkit and patches, but I would still see it being taught; For one thing, DocWagon or similar might well say "Knight Errant has the scene, we're not going in until they're done collecting evidence". Meanwhile, civs bleed out? Bad PR for KE. Similarly, taking that position would lose good PR for KE as well. How often, for example, do you hear about cops delivering babies along the highway because someone couldn't get to the hospital in time?

That said, I also sat down and added Computer and Data Search at 2.

Computer I'm unsure about, Data Search I'm not. Why?

Computer: It seems difficult to imagine *not* having this skill, but then, a lot of the sample chars don't have it. I'm wondering what everybody here thinks it covers, I guess.

Data Search: Ohh, man. Poli Sci and Criminal Justice. Two majors where, if you had even a *1* in Data Search, you'd be lost. You really would be.

Edit: Typo'd re the influence skills.

[Blade]

Attributes :

Physical Attributes depend on how you picture the character, but I'd tend to see an ex-SWAT agent as someone a bit better than the average guy in raw physical qualities. Reaction may be especially useful to react quickly to threats.
I'd raise Charisma or Willpower : SWAT agents need some "Composure". Intuition may be nice too : "Judge Intention" is quite useful to judge if the bad guy is really ready to shoot the hostage.

Skills :

Infiltration may be useful.
I'd get subdual combat as a specialisation of Unarmed Combat.
Intimidation is nice for a SWAT agent.
Demolition (defusing) 1

If you drop the influence group, you may want to keep Leadership (if he was or wanted to be a unit leader)

About computer : don't forget that rating 0 skill isn't incompetence. It's "typical man on the street". Rating 0 in computer skill means you know the common uses of your commlink.

Gear :

You might consider not taking any firearm/armor : he's got not reason for keeping his work gear.

[The Jopp]

I would think that an average SWAT member would mostly have external gear and might have some combat drugs (Anything that gets them extra reaction/IP as it would be far cheaper than giving them cyber/bio.

Skillsets would be above average and most likely specialised towards what they do. I’m gonna give him/her a rather average skill level as rating 3 is professional so they would probably be slightly above or around that level – and most likely specialized in a few weapons.

Clubs (Baton) 2/4
Unarmed (Subduing) 2/4
Pistols (Semi-Automatics) 2/4
Automatics (SMG) 2/4
Longarm (Sniper Rifle) 2/4
Demolitions (Defusing) 2/4
Etiquette (Law) 3/5
Leadership (Persuation) 3/5 (Hostage Negotiation)
Negotiation (Sense Motive) 3/5 (Hostage Negotiation)
Groundcraft (Wheeled) 1/3
Athletics 3
Stealth 3

Physical Attributes: 4
Mental Attributes 3

Points: 322

Now you got 78 points for possible gear that has been aquired after he started running and/or making him magically active. Computer skills won’t be necessary as they are “man on the street” skills anyway, unless he’s specialized as a SWAT hacker (if they exist).

Improved reaction and initiative MIGHT be something useful but that depends on his role in the unit, as a sniper he would most likely have a delayed action and aimed for awhile even before the combat started. As an assault SWAT he might have it unless they use a combat drugs (lots cheaper since they might not be needing such things very often).

[2bit]

[Penta]

Hmm. Re influence: Sometimes. He'd only have been a cop for a year or two before joining SWAT, though, and he was still a junior member in that unit. While he may have had minimal seniority, would it be enough?

Re computer skill: OK. So what would a 1 and 2 mean, respectively?

[kzt]

[Penta]

Yeah...OK, given..He'd gotten out of college at 22, KE training...No idea how long that woulda taken. Let's say he spent 3-4 years on the street, then transferred to SWAT.

[Asheron]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWAT

I know its Wikipedia, but it gives you a good idea of SWAT duties and equipment.

[lorechaser]

Also
http://www.aetv.com/dallas_swat/index.jsp

I've enjoyed that site. Some very deep stuff hidden, but mostly just a general, for the consumer type overview.

[imperialus]