Help with Missions characters, Characters for newbies Options

[Cain]

Okay, I've been roped into running Parliament of Thieves for the Puget Sound Roleplayer's meetup this Saturday. Any one in the area's welcome to come, I'll post the info later if anyone's interested.

But that's not the problem. Since I don't have three weeks to generate characters, I need help to develop at least 6 easy-to-understand characters to hand out as pre-gens. We need to cover all the bases: Street Sam/Combat Adept, Faceman, Magician, Decker. We can double up on the Sams and the mages, since you can never have too much muscle or too much mojo. I want to avoid Riggers and Otaku for now, they get too complicated. They should be able to run in Denver, as well.

While I want these characters to be functional, I don't want them uber-optimized, since that usually requires obscure rules to bring them into full flower. These characters have to be run at full effectiventss by total newbies. (This is why my characters, like Mr. Lucky, are out of the question-- they're too complex.)

I have until Saturday to get these charatcers together. So, I'm throwing it out ot Dumpshock as a whole. Can we come up with at least six functional charaacters, easily played by newbies? All that matters is that the characters be A) Simple and easy to follow, and B) Missions-Legal.

What can we come up with?

[Wasabi]

The archetypes in the book aren't bad. Let folks have 10min to swap around spells, equipment, etc, and start.
If they want to bring characters it not like the rulebook is hard to find both in stores, online, via Battlecorps PDF, etc. :-)

[DireRadiant]

The archetypes work fine for SR Missions. While they certainly have flaws and aren't uber optimised, they are perfectly fine to use in any SR Mission and shouldn't have any problems.

[Crusher Bob]

The problem I have the the archetypes in the book is that they don't make the person playing them go, "This is so awesome, I can _________".

So, you might convince a newbie to buy the game if his intro character can beat up a whole gang, or shoot as well as Roland in the Gunslinger, or hack someone's eyes so that instead of his face they see a happy coffee cup...

All the archetypes are much more average, and average has a very hard time capturing the imagination.

[Wakshaani]

You'll also want more than six, to give people the option of picking what trips their trigger.

About everything I have is set for 320, now, instead of 400, but, I'll see what I can do. Chargen practice is always fun. :)

[the_dunner]

Moved -- 'cuz that's why this forum is here. :cyber:

[DireRadiant]

Something that is nice is you have the pdf you can print out the sample characters in glorious color. I bring a full set with me to Missions and hand them out for players to choose from if they don't have a character. And as already suggested, swap out a skill or piece of equipment or two if you like as well.

Unfortunately the Missions Downloads page doesn't include this handy section of the SR4 rulebook as a separate download, though I happen to know one exists somewhere.

[Jimson]

Would you like an elaborate back story? I have a few characters thought up and can post them this week.

[Eleazar]

So you need 2 Sams, 2 Mages, 1 Face, and 1 Decker. One problem I see with this is that you have no covert ops specialist. Sam Fisher is the man, and every group should have a character representing his great utility. Hopefully you know the SR4 rules very wells, especially if new people are going to be playing the 2 Mages and Decker. Even more so if they have not even read the books themselves. If I get the time I will make up some characters for you. It would give me another chance to test thewolf's SR4 character generator. Here is what I am thinking.

1. Samurai- he is going to be good at driving and shooting
2. Covert Ops- an adept that is very sneaky
3. Support Mage- he will be good at healing, have mostly detection, health, buff, and barrier spells
4. Attack Mage- he will have heal, mostly manipulation and combat spells
5. Face- social adept. I just can't see a Face being anything else.
6. Decker- It might be better if someone else makes him.

[RobertB]

Let me just say, I think you do yourself a dis-service if you don't allow rigger types. Easily one of the most versatile archetypes in the game. And during Missions events, can usually find something to do.

Robert (aka Spanner)

[Cain]

Yeah, but I can't follow even one of the three rulesets for Riggers, let alone what'd happen if they collide. If someone wants to bring a Rigger, that's fine, I'll wing it as best I'm able. But for total newbies, I'd prefer to stick to the basics.

Eleazar: You're probably right. I just wanted to keep things as easy as possible. Also:

[ Spoiler ]

The scenario I'm running, Parliament of Thieves, doesn't involve a lot of infiltration. Border crossings, yes, but that involves group sneaky-sneaky.

So, I was afraid a solo ninja type would have nothing to do.

[Crusher Bob]

Alright, here's my first attempt.

The idea behind this is as follows: Each sample character should have a 'hook', something that sets him apart from everyone else. Something you can read and think, "Cool! I wanna play that".

Since the hook will not determine the whole character, there are then some choices listed under each hook, allowing the player to customize their character to their liking.

The gargoyle
Hook:
I saw that
You always knew where your mom hid the Christmas presents. Of course, given that you were poor SINless orks, it was usually salvaged cast offs from some richer neighborhood.
You are an adept one of the magically active who uses magic to enhance their physical abilities. In your case, your senses are superhumanly sharp. You see in the dark, you have a bloodhound’s nose, and you can pick our a single conversation across a crowded bar. Even the mysteries of astral space are open to your inspection. You can’t throw spells like a full mage can, but you can tell a lot about a person or place by looking at their aura.

Customization options:
The Fighter
Growing up, your enhanced senses mostly helped you find people who needed a little boot applied to the head to come around to the right way of thinking. You see everything, and once you find the right person, you can give them the beating they deserve

[ Spoiler ]

ork
adept
sensitive system

Bod 4
Agl 5
Rea 5 (6)
Str 3

Cha 3
Int 5
Log 3
Wil 3

Edge 4
Magic 5

Assensing 5 (Int, 15 dice)
Perception 5 (Int, 15 dice)
Climbing 1 (str, 4 dice)
Con 1 (fast-talk) (Cha, 4 dice, 6 when trying to fast talk someone)
Dodge 2 (ranged) (adds 2 or 4 dice when you take the full defense combat action)
Etiquette 1 (street) (Cha, 4 dice, 6 when interacting with people from the street)
Infiltration 1 (Agl, 6 dice)
Negotiation 1 (Diplomacy) (Cha, 4 dice, 6 when using diplomacy)
Pilot Ground Craft 1 ( Cars) (Rea, 7 dice, 9 when driving a car)
Pistols 4 (auto-loading) (Agl, 11 dice, 13 dice when using a smartlinked pistol such as your Predator IV)
Running 1 (Str, 4 dice)
Shadowing 1 (Int, 6 Dice)
Unarmed Combat 4 (Agl, 9 dice)

Knowledge Skills
Local Area Knowledge 4
Law 2
Chemistry 2
Parazoology 2
Spirits 2
Auras 3
Low class bars 3
Gang Identification 3

Language Skills
English Native
Japanese 3

Contacts
Street Doc (3/3
Bartender (3/2)

Equipment
Shock Glove
Ares Predator IV
Concealable Holster
4 Spare Magazines
120 explosive rounds
Armored Jacket
Commlink (Hermes Icon with Novatech Navi OS)
Honda Spirit
2 months low lifestyle

Rating 3 fake SIN
Rating 4 fake license (Private Investigator)
Rating 4 fake license (to carry a firearm)

Adept Powers
Enhanced Perception 5
Flare Compensation
Improved Scent
Select Sound Filter
Astral Perception
Improved Reflexes -1

The Sneak
Seeing everything won’t help you stop bullets. You are the guy that listens at keyholes, and follows the target based on what kind of cologne he wears and they’ll never notice you.

[ Spoiler ]

ork
adept
sensitive system

Bod 4
Agl 3
Rea 5
Str 3

Cha 3
Int 5
Log 3
Wil 3

Edge 4
Magic 5

Assensing 5 (Int, 15 dice)
Perception 5 (Int, 15 dice)
Climbing 1 (str, 4 dice)
Con 1 (fast-talk) (Cha, 4 dice, 6 when trying to fast talk someone)
Dodge 1 (ranged) (adds 1 or 3 dice when you take the full defense combat action)
Disguise 2 (Int, 7 dice)
Etiquette 1 (street) (Cha, 4 dice, 6 when interacting with people from the street)
Infiltration 4 (6) Urban (Agl, 9 dice, 11 dice in an urban environment)
Negotiation 1 (Diplomacy) (Cha, 4 dice, 6 when using diplomacy)
Pilot Ground Craft 1 (Cars) (Rea, 6 dice, 8 when driving a car)
Pistols 2 (auto-loading) (Agl, 7 dice, 9 dice when using a smartlinked pistol such as your Predator IV)
Running 1 (Str, 4 dice)
Shadowing 4 (6) Urban (Int, 11 Dice, 13 dice in an Urban environment)
Unarmed Combat 3 (Agl, 6 dice)

Knowledge Skills
Local Area Knowledge 4
Law 2
Chemistry 2
Parazoology 2
Spirits 2
Auras 3
Low class bars 3
Gang Identification 3

Language Skills
English Native
Japanese 3

Contacts
Street Doc (3/3
Bartender (3/2)

Equipment
Shock Glove
Ares Predator IV
Concealable Holster
4 Spare Magazines
120 explosive rounds
Armored Jacket
Commlink (Hermes Icon with Novatech Navi OS)
Honda Spirit
2 months low lifestyle

Rating 3 fake SIN
Rating 4 fake license (Private Investigator)
Rating 4 fake license (to carry a firearm)

Adept Powers
Enhanced Perception 5
Flare Compensation
Improved Scent
Select Sound Filter
Astral Perception
Improved Infiltration 2
Improved Shadowing 2
Combat Sense 2

The talker
Your senses tell you a lot about people, and you have the skills to talk them around to your way of thinking.

[ Spoiler ]

ork
adept
sensitive system

Bod 4
Agl 3
Rea 5
Str 3

Cha 4
Int 5
Log 3
Wil 3

Edge 4
Magic 5

Assensing 5 (Int, 15 dice)
Perception 5 (Int, 15 dice)
Climbing 1 (str, 4 dice)
Con 3 (fast-talk) (Cha, 11 dice, 13 when trying to fast talk someone)
Dodge 1 (ranged) (adds 1 or 3 dice when you take the full defense combat action)
Etiquette 3 (street) (Cha, 11 dice, 13 when interacting with people from the street)
Infiltration 1 (Agl, 4 dice)
Negotiation 3 (Diplomacy) (Cha, 11 dice, 13 when using diplomacy)
Pilot Ground Craft 1 (Cars) (Rea, 6 dice, 8 when driving a car)
Pistols 2 (auto-loading) (Agl, 7 dice, 9 dice when using a smartlinked pistol such as your Predator IV)
Running 1 (Str, 4 dice)
Shadowing 1 Urban (Int, 6 Dice, 8 dice in an Urban environment)
Unarmed Combat 3 (Agl, 6 dice)

Knowledge Skills
Local Area Knowledge 4
Law 2
Chemistry 2
Parazoology 2
Spirits 2
Auras 3
Low class bars 3
Gang Identification 3

Language Skills
English Native
Japanese 3

Contacts
Street Doc (3/3
Bartender (3/2)

Equipment
Shock Glove
Ares Predator IV
Concealable Holster
4 Spare Magazines
120 explosive rounds
Armored Jacket
Commlink (Hermes Icon with Novatech Navi OS)
Honda Spirit
2 months low lifestyle

Rating 3 fake SIN
Rating 4 fake license (Private Investigator)
Rating 4 fake license (to carry a firearm)

Adept Powers
Enhanced Perception 5
Flare Compensation
Improved Scent
Select Sound Filter
Astral Perception
Kinesics 4

Ideally, you then go through the adventure and mark out specifics of what this guy might notice. What things smell like, the small things he might see, the conversations the might overhear.

[Zolhex]

@Cain First let me say the sample characters do work and it is acceptable to run them then let your players make new characters at home then these new characters get the karma and :nuyen: the sample character got.

To whom ever needs but does not have either give me a place to post the file or just e-mail me I have a the sample characters as a file that someone typed up so you can print them off. No they don't have the pictures just black and white printing to be ink friendly.

You can e-mail me at Voxzuze@cfl.rr.com

@Cain I have a few characters I made if your interested e-mail me I'll toss ya a copy of them these are on the offical SR4 character sheets that are form fillable.

[Jimson]

Here's a character I created, but never got to play. Again, I'm relativly new to SR, so I don't know if I got everything here. Hope this helps!

Name: Gavin
Alias: Smack
Type: Ork
Age: 27
Height: 5’11
Weight: 221 Lbs.

Attributes
Body 8
Agility 5
Reaction 3 [4]
Strength 5

Charisma 3
Intuition 3
Logic 4
Willpower 2

Edge 1 Essence 6
Initiative 6 [7]
IP 1 [2]
Magic 6

Qualities
Adept

Moderate Addiction (Alcohol)
Mild Addiction (nicotine)
Sprit Bane (Beast)

Powers
Animal Empathy 2
Improved Reflexes 1
Mystic Armor 5
Berserk

Skills
Exotic Melee Minofilament Whip 5
Longarms (Sporting Rifles) 4 (6)
Influence Group 1
Pilot Ground craft (Bikes) 1 (3)
Outdoors Group 1
Perception 1
Handle Critter 2
Automotive Mechanic 1

Knowledges
English N
Or'Zet 4
Torg 2

Ordinary Critters 3
Paracritters 3
Circus Life 2
Types of Alcohol 2
Seattle Occult 3
Boarder Policies 3
Seattle Orc Underground 2

NuYen – 90,000

Gear

Monofilament Whip (Weapon Focus 2) - 23000
PJSS Elephant Rifle w/Int. smartgun system - 12000
Imaging Scope – 300
Normal Ammo 200 rds – 400
EX-Explosive Rounds 200 rds - 2000
Armor Jacket (8/6) - 900
Helmet (+1/+2) w/visual aids - 1000
Vision Enchancement 3
Vision Magnification
Vision Magnification
Smartlink

Erika Elite - OS Novatech Navi - 4000
Mapsoft Seattle Rating 6 – 30
Mapsoft Earth Rating 6 - 30
Browse – 3 - 150
Analyze – 3 - 150
Command – 3 - 150
Scan – 3 - 150
Edit – 3 - 150

Survival Kit – 400
Automotive Kit – 500

2 Rating 3 Fake SINS - 6000
Rating 4 Fake Gun License - 400
Rating 4 Fake Drivers License – 400
Harley Davidson Scorpion - 12000

2 Months Low Lifestyle - 4000
750 nuyen - clothes

Amount Remaining – 1140

Contacts
2/3 Barbara – Talismonger
2/4 Joe - Mob Lieutenant
2/2 Shruk - Critter Trafficker
4/3 Balek – Bartender
3/4 Yipper - Fixer


Brief Background (Not covering all skills but they can all be accounted for)
He was born an orc to two wealthy parents. The parents disowned him and he went out on his own at an early age. He eventually found a job working for the traveling circus. He spent several years shoveling poop for the critters and para-critters, and several other various grunt jobs. It wad during this time Smack began to awaken. His knack with working with critters seemed to develop greatly, as well an ability to absorb damage by the occasional critter attack. These changes/powers took a rough toll on his mind and body, and in conjuction with his “career� (or the lack there of), it eventually led him to becoming an alcoholic and angry with life around him.

As the years went on, he eventually received a promotion: critter trainer. To help train the para-critters, we acquired a Weapon Focus in the form of a monofilament whip. Over time he had them trained quite well and the circus was booming. He also picked up the hobby of hunting.

Well one fateful day, after a long night of binge drinking, and being very angry and depressed, he decided to take his aggression out on a critter or two. In his drunken stooper, he accidentally grabbed the monofilament whip, instead of the normal whip. When he woke up, he found that he had slain most of the critters (and para-critters) of the circus. Fearing for his life from the circus bosses, he fled.

It is now that he is trying to earn of living as a shadow runner.

[Zolhex]

I’ve been asked not to hand out the sample characters file so scratch that idea.

However as to my own characters your free to use them if you want they are just characters I whipped up to learn the game mechanics. Also if there is a character you want made up but have no time just let me know and I'll work it up for you. (For the time being I have no life)

I make straight by the book characters 400BP yada yada yada but you’re free to tweak them as you wish. Just give me the broad strokes IE hacker, mage ECT ECT skills, skill groups focused on just a core idea or versatile so on so forth.

I use bad luck an addiction alcohol (could be due to my love of Jack Daniels) I rarely do contacts (my gm prefers to give us his own fixer and then we work up our contacts in game) I think specializations are the best way to make a character allows for said character to perform the job they were made to do just my way. So do give me some ideas you want me to work with for a character and I'll work it up.

[Glyph]

Background:
An eco-activist who follows the tenets of British druidism. I made this guy a sorcerer to help keep him nice and simple. He is more or less a combat sorcerer, who is also very useful at counterspelling and first aid (both mundane and magical).

[ Spoiler ]

Ork British Druid/Sorcerer

BREAKDOWN (400 Points)
Core Attributes: 170
Special Attributes: 80
Race: 20
Active Skills: 96
Qualities: +20
Contacts: 10
Resources: 17
Bind Foci: 06
Spells: 21

=Attributes=
Body: 5
Agility: 2
Reaction: 5
Strength: 3
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 5
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5
Magic: 5
Edge: 5

Essence: 6.0
Initiative: 10
Initiative Passes: 1
Physical Damage Track: 11
Stun Track: 11

Current Karma: 0
Total Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Noteriety: 1
Public Awareness: 0

=Qualities=
Magician (British Druid)
---
Allergy - Silver, Mild
Sensitive System
Sorcerer
Spirit Bane - Fire Spirits

=Active Skills=
Counterspelling/Combat: 4/+2
Dodge/Ranged: 4/+2
Etiquette: 2
First Aid/Combat Wounds: 4/+2
Perception: 2
Spellcasting/Combat: 6/+2

=Knowledge Skills=
English: N
French: 4
German: 4
---
Corporate Security: 4
Magical Theory: 5
Parazoology: 3
Radical Eco-Groups: 4

=Spells=
Manabolt
Stunball
Analyze Magic
Heal
Increase Reflexes
Improved Invisibility
Levitate

=Bound Magical Foci=
Counterspelling/Combat Focus (rating: 3)
Spellcasting/Combat Focus (rating: 3)

=Contacts=
Fixer (Connection: 4/Loyalty: 2)
Talismonger (Connection: 2/Loyalty: 2)

=Lifestyle=
Low Lifestyle (1 Month prepaid)

=Equipment=
ID/Credsticks:
Fake SIN (Rating: 4), Fake Magic License (Rating: 4), 4 Standard Certified Credsticks.

DocWagon:
Basic DocWagon Contract (1 Year).

Magic:
Magical Lodge supplies (Rating: 5).

Armor/Clothing:
Armor Jacket (with Chemical Protection: 6 and Fire Resistance: 6), Armor Vest, 1,000 Nuyen worth of assorted clothing.

Commlink/Software/Simsense:
sony Emperor Commlink with Renraku Ichi OS, sim module, biometric reader, suvocal mic, trodes, electronic paper, mapsoft (Seattle metroplex, Rating: 6), Virtual Surround Music.

Other:
Sports bag (of 100 Nuyen cost), Mage Sight Goggles, Glasses (with Flare Compensation, Image Link, Low-Light, Visual Enhancement: 3, and Magnification) x 2, Medkit (Rating: 6) with 4 refills, Biomonitor, GPS, Survival Kit.