 Stats on a Spy, anyone got stats on Michael Western? |
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 Sep 25 2007, 06:02 PM
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#51
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ghostrider  Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333  |
Sure, but for all the minor attention that has been paid to those types of locations (Tir being the exception), SR is set in liberal western societies.
My point, at least, wasn't that every spot on the planet was the same. When you start going into specific exceptions to a rule, then you have to recognize that you're doing so, and adjust accordingly. So if you want to play a spy that's going to be infiltrating Amazonia, then no, you probably don't want him sporting obvious cyberlimbs. |
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Sep 25 2007, 08:53 PM
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#52
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 909 Joined: 26-August 05 From: Louisville, KY (Well, Memphis, IN technically but you won't know where that is.) Member No.: 7,626 |
Before Burn Notice came out (great show, my wife's miffed at me about deleting an episode off the TiVo), one of the first characters I built in SR4 was an undercover DEA operative who got burned by Crash 2.0. He was on his first solo mission, a low-grade white collar crime reported by a whistle blower. Things turned bad, his support got whacked and he was kidnapped when he stumbled onto a drug smuggling operation. He was missing, his immediate chain of command DOA, and then Crash 2.0 nuked all the files while he was out of country. This is a starting character build. His strength is low b/c as back story he had been tortured (physical & VR) before escaping. Then he essentially walked back to The World from Aztlan and has yet to fully recover. He has no cyber as it is something of a fingerprint that can be used to identify you and he's young enough to enjoy the fruits of the decent external tech. Lots of external tech, surveillance gear, and disguises. I highly recommend combining a biometric facial recognition system with a nanopaste disguise to get a really accurate facial reconstruction. Lots of low level business skills, enough to be able to blend into various settings, especially when supported by skillsofts. Speaks multiple languages, mainly to make it easier to eavesdrop. I'd swap out the pharmacology specializations in favor of Explosives; my guy was DEA so it made sense. b 3 20 stats 200 r 3 20 skills 124 a 4 30 qualities 30/15 s 2 10 edge 40 c 4 30 contacts 8 i 5 40 cash 13 l 4 30 w 3 20 ini 8 edge 6 40 blandness 5 first impression 10 pain tolerance 3 15 addiction(alchohol) -5 sensitive structure -5 allergy- shellfish -5 contacts 3 2/1 fixer 5 2/3 DEA buddy active skill firearms 3 30 influence 4 40 stealth 1 10 athletics 1 10 outdoors 1 10 unarmed(def) 2+2 10 dodge 2 8 f.aid(combat) 1+2 4+2 knowledge 27 free english n spanish 3+2 speak sperethiel 1+2 speak japanese 1+2 speak aztec 1+2 speak salish 1+2 speak accounting 2+2 forensics chemistry 2+2 pharmaceuticals business 1+2 biotech police proc. 2 magic theory 1 ucas politics 1 cas politics 1 aztech politics 1 beer 1 cash 65,000Y shock glove 5s el 10c 200 pulsar 6s el/half 150 hamerli 620 4p sm v1 650 viper 8p f/+2 500 hk227 5p 800 sm stock supp vent3 400 alpha AR 6p/-1 1700 grenade launcher vent3 pads (rc6) 500 4900Y conc holster x2 150 spare clip x8 40 exx hlx30 hk x30 ar x60 300 flech vp x60 600 std hk x60 ar x60 240 gel hlx30 ar x60 270 stick'n shock hl x30 6S(el) 240 taser x20 100 minigrenade 360 6xflashbang 6xsmoke 2300y clothes 1000 leather jacket 2/2 200 +6 nonconductivity 1200 actioneer suit 5/3 1500 +6 nonconductivity 1200 armor vest 6/6 600 +6 nonconductivity 1200 lined coat 6/4 +2 conc 700 +6 nonconductivity 1200 + 6 insulation 900 helmet 1/2 trodes 150 fc IL usound vmag 1150 11,000y comm resp3 sig4 sys3 fw3 2250 encrypt3 scan3 command3 450 stealth3 sniffer3 3000 mapsoft seattle6, ss-seattle4, NorthAm1(cost R6) 80 Datasoft- accounting6, chemistry6, magic theory6 180 5,960Y tag eraser 150 white noise gen 6 300 rfid tags x50 50 rfid stealth tags x10 50 rfid stealth sensor-camera 105 rfid stealth sensor-microphone 55 rfid stealth sensor-biometric facial recognition scanner r3 200 rfid security sensor-camera 200 rfid security sensor-microphone 150 micro sensor-MAD r3 165 micro sensor-Directional mike 50 micro sensor-biometric facial recognition scanner r3 200 radio signal scanner 6 150 1825Y contacts sm fc ilink 625 glasses ve3 llight vmag ilink 550 goggles IR l.light fc ilink 325 earbuds enh3 s.filter1 510 micro transceiver x2 sig3 1200 3210Y medkit r6x2 supplies x3 1350 trauma patch x2 1000 nanopaste 2xface 1000 disguise kit 500 3850 honda spirit 10,000 lifestyle med 2mo 4000 squatterx2 2mo ea 2000 fake sins r3 x3 9000 minimal comms x2 skin trode 800 15,800 |
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Sep 25 2007, 09:39 PM
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#53
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 413 Joined: 20-November 03 Member No.: 5,835 |
Edge + Blandness just scream "Spies want this" (-: I've been working on a face-hybrid character, (having just read the Bourne Identity and reading the second book) and was actually thinking along similar lines, so this thread has been especially enlightening. I do have one question, though. I found myself wanting some points in each of three major groups: - influence (con his way into situations, persuade people to help him, etc) - stealth (following people, sneaking where one shouldn't be, disguises, etc) - firearms (doesn't help much if he can't be semi-competent in a firefight) What I'm curious about is the general focus on them. Do you (and others in the forum, of course) consider a stealthy / quick-talking person a more viable spy than one that's a good shot? (and, given the low number of build points I seem to have left, I'm wondering if it's better to buy a knowsoft link or somesuch to fake my way by in office environs and such... but worry that that's a bit of a cop-out.) |
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Sep 26 2007, 02:59 AM
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#54
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 433 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Somewhere in Iraq Member No.: 1,789 |
Don't forget to give him knowledge skills of Social Psychology and Social Engineering. That would benefit his abilities to blend in and acquire codekeys, passwords and various other secrets.
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Sep 26 2007, 12:27 PM
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#55
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Target Group: Members Posts: 20 Joined: 26-September 05 From: Cincy Ohio Member No.: 7,778 |
Nice build. Thanks kigmatzomat.
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Sep 26 2007, 02:03 PM
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#56
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 909 Joined: 26-August 05 From: Louisville, KY (Well, Memphis, IN technically but you won't know where that is.) Member No.: 7,626 |
Thinks I'd change to make it more Michael Westin:
-Change the Chemistry specialization to Explosives -Replace Accounting with either Underworld knowledge or Profession:Spycraft to know how to run an op, use inside knowledge as a code, identify locations for an ambush, etc. -Swap out the flaws for Criminal SIN 10pts (he's a wanted man) and Dependant 5pt (mother+brother) -I'd reduce the gear quota down in favor of contacts. He has Fiona, Sam, Barry the Money Launderer and probably a few more that he's only leaned on once or twice. -Michael doesn't have the skills to make up a fake ID so you could probably crank the Comm down a few notches. Fact is, Sam is more of a rigger/techie so Mike probably doesn't need much in the way of high end electronics, assuming he uses lots of skinlinked hardware. |
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Sep 26 2007, 02:17 PM
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#57
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 909 Joined: 26-August 05 From: Louisville, KY (Well, Memphis, IN technically but you won't know where that is.) Member No.: 7,626 |
Depends on the character role. I built mine in a Westin-esque fashion. You rarely see him sneaking around in the dark like a ninja. Most of the time he walks up to his targets in the open. First Impression does a great job of helping get your foot in the door. When he does need to sneak, he sets up a distraction (Go team) to give situational modifiers. Mostly stealth is there to be a tail or lose one. Blandness is good for losing a tail since it lets you disappear into a crowd. Weapon skill is a good thing but shooting usually means you screwed up at an earlier step. My guy was a bit better at social than weapons but with smartlink & sensor gear was still throwing 8 dice. Against cops, gangers, most thugs this character will hold his own, especially if he uses his gear to have a plan. However an unaugmented special forces type or assassin makes it a 50/50 chance of success. (e.g. the deskjockey assassin and the fight on the boat in the season finale) That's when that fistful of Edge comes in handy. Fiona's a different kettle of fish. Her social guile is much lower, more dependent on sex appeal and confusion than actual infiltration. Again, not a ninja, but can disappear into crowds. However she is the extra concentrated can of whoop ass. Sam replaces Mike's social skills with tech, he'd be the decker/rigger of the bunch. Still good in a fight and some stealthing abilities. |
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Sep 27 2007, 10:38 AM
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#58
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,251 Joined: 11-September 04 From: GA Member No.: 6,651 |
I disagree. He uses Etiquette to fit into the crowd, sure, but also a fair amount of Shadowing (he spots the people tailing him very easily). Its unorthodox in SR since most stealth people are infiltrators but I'd say he uses Intuition based skills a ton and little of the agility based ones. |
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Sep 27 2007, 02:35 PM
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#59
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 909 Joined: 26-August 05 From: Louisville, KY (Well, Memphis, IN technically but you won't know where that is.) Member No.: 7,626 |
I'm not sure we are disagreeing on the concept. I said I used the Stealth group to be or lose a tail (Shadowing -intuition) but not to be a ninja (infiltration -agility). This character has a higher intuition than agility (5 vs 4).
Spotting a tail is a function of Perception, while hiding in a crowd, such as when following people, is actually Shadowing. He probably does need some Perception skill but I figured the Intuition 5, the earbuds with enhanced hearing 3 & select sound filters and the glasses with vision enhancement 3 would cover that for the immediate future. 8 dice for most perception tests means he'll catch many shadows. This character is a decent tail, having 6 dice to follow but effectively 8 dice to avoid being noticed (Blandness -2 to opposed perception in a crowd) so he's competent. This is more Michael Westin from 3-4 years ago rather than today. I'd say that the "Burned" character would have racked up several dozen karma to boost stats and skills (particularly perception, the stealth group, and unarmed combat). |
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Sep 28 2007, 01:33 AM
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#60
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,251 Joined: 11-September 04 From: GA Member No.: 6,651 |
Spotting a person in a crowd is perception but does not necessarily mean you notice they are watching you. The whole point of the shadowing skill is that even though the watcher may be seen it wont be noticed he's spying on people. :-)
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Sep 28 2007, 01:22 PM
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#61
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 909 Joined: 26-August 05 From: Louisville, KY (Well, Memphis, IN technically but you won't know where that is.) Member No.: 7,626 |
Not exactly. Per the RAW, Perception can always be used to spot a tail. Also by RAW, sometimes Shadowing can be used to spot a tail, but sometimes it can't. And it all comes down to the GM and their momentary whims.
If the GM feels like it, you might be able to use Shadowing. Or, if they feel like it, you can't. But Perception works all the time and in more situations. Unless, of course, the GM is a poor reader and interprets "may use" as "must use" or "will use" but that's a different issue. |
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Sep 29 2007, 06:10 AM
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#62
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,251 Joined: 11-September 04 From: GA Member No.: 6,651 |
Gotcha... yeah, the RAW leaves it to GM discretion...
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