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> Best 1 essence worth of cyber for a mage
WeaverMount
post Feb 20 2008, 08:30 AM
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OK so here's the premise: You have no restrictions on nuyen, availability, time, or grade. What is the most bang you can get out of less than 1 point of essence for a mage. Let's not argue about whether or not a mage should or not.
I'm playing a possession tradition right now that has migrated towards looking more like a gun adept with spirits and weird tricks than a spell caster. That's what lead me to write up this wish list


**.9875 Essence**
Cyberware 1.4 --Delta Grade--> .7
.6 Skillwire (rating 3)
.3 Cyber Eyes (rating 2)
.25 Cyber Hand Right
.25 Cyber Hand Left
Bioware 1.15 --Delta Grade--> .575 --Cyber/Bio Discount--> .2875
.2 Trauma Damper
.2 Platelet Factiry
.15 Sleep regulator
.6 Ceribral Enhancement (rating 3)

[8] Cyber Eyes (rating 2)
[1] Eyes Flare Comp
[2] Thermographic
[3] Enhancement (rating 3)
[2] Vision mag

[8] Cyber Hand -Right (Bulk Mod + 4)
[3] Agility Mod (rating 3)
[3] Body Mod (rating 3)
[0] Auto-Injecter: Deep Weed
Extra Dose Capacity (rating 6)
*2x Stimulant (rating 6) (Less pain)
*2x BetaMeth (+2 reaction, +1 intuition)
*2x Pych (+1 logic, +1 willpower)
[2] Nanohive (rating 6)
Implant Medics
Universal Nanidotes
Universal Nanite Hunters
Nano Bio-Monitor
Neural Amplifier - Limbic
Neural Amplifier - NeoCortical

[8] Cyber Hand -Left (Bulk Mod + 4)
[2] Radar Rating (rating 4)
[0] Auto-Injecter: Deep Weed
Extra Dose Capacity (rating 6)
*2x Stimulant (rating 6) (Less pain)
*2x BetaMeth (+2 reaction, +1 intuition)
*2x Pych (+1 logic, +1 willpower)
[6] Armor (rating 3)


The Bioware seems fairly no brainer under this premise. While I'm not sure that I would give up a point of magic for cyber-eyes, I will totally make room for them them if I've opened that can of worms. So that leaves us with the skill wires and the cyber hands. Admittedly, I wrote this list with for a mage that spits as much lead as spells. I would get a lot of millage out of the having and occasionally redlining that hand. Like wise the skillwires and a possessing spirit put me in the 11+ range for mundane physical skill checks that no mage is ever going to spend karma on. Not to mention letting me rock all over non-stressful technical skills.

So. anything seemingly pointless or odd? Anything obviously missing? Any better ideas than the skill wires and the the cyber hands for a gun bunny mage. What would would you replace them with for a more "traditional" mage?

This post has been edited by Redjack: Feb 21 2008, 02:24 PM
Reason for edit: Flagged as sr4
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KCKitsune
post Feb 20 2008, 08:45 AM
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I'm thinking the following Delta grade stuff (for a gun bunny mage):

Cyber: Commlink (for talking with your buddies and not setting off the mystic defenses), Cybereyes w. Thermo, Flair Comp, Vision Mag, Smartlink; Cyberears w. Increased Sensitivity, Damper, & Spatial Reconizer

Bioware: Synaptic Booster level 2 (Zoom Zoom (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ), and Pain Editor (for any overcasting that you might do)
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WeaverMount
post Feb 20 2008, 09:28 AM
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Speaking completely from an optimization stance, I'm not big on the cyber ears, synaptic boosters, or pain editor. You can get all that funtionality without loosing essence(ear buds + drones, Improved Reflexes spell, and Stimulates). I hear where you're going with the pain editor. It is a little better than stims, but it doesn't stack with platelet factor/Trauma Dampener combo... which makes over casting very viable. Especially if you have 2 extra boxes of P from limbs and 3+ from spirits.
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Abbandon
post Feb 20 2008, 09:38 AM
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Delta Grade Fake wussiness 1.0 essense 0 nuyen.

I hate awakened characters who turn to technology to do stuff. Why dont you just learn some stupid spells to let you see in the dark, how about go astral so you dont even give a crap about the dark. Not only that but its to the point of being ultra popular. Oh look another mage with cyber eyes.

your mentors spirits would be so pissed off. I'd be forced to inflict penalties. Half off your mentor powers, double the penalties, higher threshold or whatever to reach the metaplanes to get past the dweller, -1 or 2 to learning spells from a mentor spirit or something? I'd take great pleasure in blowing out the cybernetics frequently because of drain or being hit by magic.

Bio-mods I would be more friendly towards.

Its like hiring a guy to cut your bushes and then he hires somebody even cheaper and has them cut them and then charges you the same. Something for nothing. Magic and essense are more than numbers. But whatever, I guess in the end I would allow it but anytime i get frustrated or whatever im taking it out on those characters lol.
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KCKitsune
post Feb 20 2008, 09:40 AM
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Except using any spells might set off the Security's mystic defenses. Improved Reflexes is a sustained spell and therefore will impact your abilities with your guns/spirits. The Trauma Dampener is nice, but unless your overcasting (I was mistaken before about overcasting... which causes physical damage rather than stun), it's not helping out that much. For the overcasting bits... when you need to have big booms... carry a MGL-6 grenade launcher pistol. With high explosive grenades, you got a mini panther assault cannon... enough boom boom for any psycho gun bunny or street sammy out there.
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Velocity219e
post Feb 20 2008, 10:35 AM
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QUOTE (Abbandon @ Feb 20 2008, 09:38 AM) *
Delta Grade Fake wussiness 1.0 essense 0 nuyen.

I hate awakened characters who turn to technology to do stuff. Why dont you just learn some stupid spells to let you see in the dark, how about go astral so you dont even give a crap about the dark. Not only that but its to the point of being ultra popular. Oh look another mage with cyber eyes.

your mentors spirits would be so pissed off. I'd be forced to inflict penalties. Half off your mentor powers, double the penalties, higher threshold or whatever to reach the metaplanes to get past the dweller, -1 or 2 to learning spells from a mentor spirit or something? I'd take great pleasure in blowing out the cybernetics frequently because of drain or being hit by magic.

Bio-mods I would be more friendly towards.

Its like hiring a guy to cut your bushes and then he hires somebody even cheaper and has them cut them and then charges you the same. Something for nothing. Magic and essense are more than numbers. But whatever, I guess in the end I would allow it but anytime i get frustrated or whatever im taking it out on those characters lol.


Sadly its just the difference between Roleplayers and Rollplayers

I personally would still play a Cybered Mage in some cases, or possibly even get Cyber AS a mage if it was relatively in context, crappy mage desperate for an edge over the competition gets cut, makes things harder in one respect but easier in another and suddenly you have a fantastic slow decline of magic over tech, assuming its not someone poring over books and min maxing for days on end and finding the ultimate combination of magic / initiation / cyber / bio and hardware.

I love the things people come up with as excercises on here, but if any of my players seriously tried to do that I'd burn all my books and hang up my DMing hat.
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toturi
post Feb 20 2008, 11:04 AM
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QUOTE (Velocity219e @ Feb 20 2008, 06:35 PM) *
Sadly its just the difference between Roleplayers and Rollplayers

I love the things people come up with as excercises on here, but if any of my players seriously tried to do that I'd burn all my books and hang up my DMing hat.

It is time you did that anyway. You'd get cancer if you didn't. Sadly there is no difference between Roleplayers and Rollplayers, both are equally annoying, but at least the Rollplayers have the good manners to do it by the book.
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Rasumichin
post Feb 20 2008, 12:43 PM
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QUOTE (Abbandon @ Feb 20 2008, 10:38 AM) *
your mentors spirits would be so pissed off.


If your mentor spirit happens to be eagle, yes.
Or if you have taken the sensitive system handicap.

Besides that, no.
There's a bunch of traditions openly embracing technology, chaos magic for example.
Or most magical groups that happen to have corporate sponsorship.
It's 2070, not 2011.
Transhumanism is the way to go.
Deal with it.
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Critias
post Feb 20 2008, 12:56 PM
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Yeah. It's totally cheap and lame and weak-sauce to make a guy who uses sorcery and technology at the same time. What do you think this is, a game where man meets magic and machine?! Pick one character class and stick to it, you munchkinny rollplayer, you!
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Cthulhudreams
post Feb 20 2008, 01:05 PM
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QUOTE (WeaverMount @ Feb 20 2008, 05:28 AM) *
Speaking completely from an optimization stance, I'm not big on the cyber ears, synaptic boosters, or pain editor. You can get all that funtionality without loosing essence(ear buds + drones, Improved Reflexes spell, and Stimulates). I hear where you're going with the pain editor. It is a little better than stims, but it doesn't stack with platelet factor/Trauma Dampener combo... which makes over casting very viable. Especially if you have 2 extra boxes of P from limbs and 3+ from spirits.



Pain editor is good for one thing though - binding spirits, particularly big ones. It is *very* good for that, because it keeps you on your feet even if you cock it all up, ensuring the enraged spirit doesn't cap you in the face.

But otherwise yeah, trauma dampener is sweet. I'd probably get both so I can toggle between 'Trauma dampener general use mode' and 'Pain Editor for Summoning rituals'

You could do

Trauma DamperÛ©
Cerebral Booster (1-3) 3
Pain Editor

Datajack

Skillwire (1-6) 4
Skillwire Expert SystemÛ©

Platelet Factories

Cybereye Rating 2

Smartlink
Flare Compensation
Thermographic Vision
Vision Enhancment (1-3)

But really the question is abstract, because a runner who can afford that can also afford to buy a high life style and retire.

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Ryu
post Feb 20 2008, 01:23 PM
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QUOTE (toturi @ Feb 20 2008, 12:04 PM) *
It is time you did that anyway. You'd get cancer if you didn't. Sadly there is no difference between Roleplayers and Rollplayers, both are equally annoying, but at least the Rollplayers have the good manners to do it by the book.


Thanks for the point you make. The rules ultimately decide what is good to do, and what isn´t. In this case, I´ll have to carry the flag of rollplaying and suggest that anyone NOT at an improbable point on the magic power scale (limit of un-initiated magic, spellcaster, and in the shadows) is ingame better off augmenting than keeping their magic up. I totally get single chars that don´t want agumentation, but the notion that magic = no augmentations is not supported at all. Quite to the contrary, mages should spend some of their money on high-grade implants. If the player spends karma on increasing magic again, the char just notices that magic regenerates over a few month (at most). Quite acceptable if you just got:

All delta, because one can:
Cerebral boosters 3, Bio 0.3 - for astral agility, and drain for the lucky ones
Suprathyroid Gland, Bio 0.35 - not much to comment upon
Orthoskin 2, Bio 0.25 - or go with Dermal Sheath 2

Cybereyes, Cyber 0.15 - Lowlight, Smartgun, Flare comp, Vision Magnification
Datajack, Cyber 0.05 - still too good to pass up

Assuming a previous magic rating 4, spellcasting ability is much the same like before, will be up again once the player has 12 karma (often before going under the knife, but that is metagaming), and you have 7 attribute points more than before, don´t ever need to bother with contact lenses or trode nets, and will never again cut yourself with a kitchen knife, and you can eat double as much without getting fat. From that perspective, it seems just a bit munchy to say "I start with max. magic and will never do anything that impacts my magic, because that is what mages should do". I was the GM for such a char, it is no problem, but THAT is the true rollplayer way. Ignore the meat, improve the magic, be the unstoppable mage everyone dreads.

While you are at it, you need three sustaining foci: Improved Reflexes 4, Physical Mask 5, Gecko Crawl 5. All fine and magic, you were going to get improved masking anyway (with you third initiation), and it is a mere 26 karma + 130k¥. You did also notice that chargen is the right time to get that power focus? 6 BP per rating point is a steal, if you can already overcast to force 10 anyway.
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KCKitsune
post Feb 20 2008, 02:35 PM
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OK, Abbandon, before my power went off I had a pretty caustic reply to your post, but since I had time to calm down I was able to respond to your post in a more calm fashion. My response is below:

=================================
QUOTE (Abbandon @ Feb 20 2008, 04:38 AM) *
Delta Grade Fake wussiness 1.0 essense 0 nuyen.

I hate awakened characters who turn to technology to do stuff. Why dont you just learn some stupid spells to let you see in the dark, how about go astral so you dont even give a crap about the dark. Not only that but its to the point of being ultra popular. Oh look another mage with cyber eyes.


I'm going to use a paragraph from the SR4 Core rule book that will explain why EVERY Mage should get Cybereyes. It's on page 173 of the SR4 core rule book, and before you ask, I checked the FAQ and the Errata about this and I could NOT find anything to contradict it:

QUOTE
A spellcaster can target anyone or anything she can see directly with her natural vision. Physical cyber- or bio-enhancements paid for with Essence can be used to spot targets, but any technological visual aids that substitute themselves for the character’s own visual senses -- cameras, electronic binoculars, Matrix feeds, etc. -- cannot be used.


This means that if one spell slinger has vision mag cyberware and the other does not, then the mage with it can geek the mage without it at a MUCH further range.

=================================
QUOTE (Abbandon @ Feb 20 2008, 04:38 AM) *
your mentors spirits would be so pissed off. I'd be forced to inflict penalties. Half off your mentor powers, double the penalties, higher threshold or whatever to reach the metaplanes to get past the dweller, -1 or 2 to learning spells from a mentor spirit or something? I'd take great pleasure in blowing out the cybernetics frequently because of drain or being hit by magic.

Bio-mods I would be more friendly towards.


OK what about the Hermetic Tradition of Chaos Magic? They LOVE tech! Here is a paragraph from Street Magic (page 37):

QUOTE
Chaos mages are the unabashed technophiles of the Awakened community, and commonly use technology in their
magic to complement traditional ritual materials and resources: AROs to represent formulae, mediaplayers for music, holographic symbols for warding, digital storage for their mystical libraries, and so on.


So if I am playing a Chaos Mage with a Cyber Commlink and carry my hermetic library in my head, does that make me a bad player because I want cyber and bioware? I want my Mage to live long enough to retire, and if taking an initial hit in Magic makes him just that much harder to kill then I'm all for it.

Also where in the rule books (SR4 only please) does it state that Drain would cause damage to cyberware? Why would it? Also, if I have cybereyes and they get blown out because of drain, does that mean that other mages in my party might go blind as their eyes get fragged?


=================================
QUOTE (Abbandon @ Feb 20 2008, 04:38 AM) *
Its like hiring a guy to cut your bushes and then he hires somebody even cheaper and has them cut them and then charges you the same. Something for nothing. Magic and essense are more than numbers. But whatever, I guess in the end I would allow it but anytime i get frustrated or whatever im taking it out on those characters lol.


If you hired me to do a job and I then hired someone else to do the work then you have the option to fire me and hire the slot that I got. If you don't then that's your fault.
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ArkonC
post Feb 20 2008, 03:08 PM
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No, i agree, it's like going to war with Iraq, once you commit to a path you should stay the course...
I mean it's not like shadowrunners are the type of people who would do anything to get the edge...

EDIT: Pressed post too soon...

As for ware, if you have a tradition that uses Logic, a cerebral booster is a given...
I usually give my mages a pair of cybereyes (Reasons given by KCKitsune)
The rest of the ware would depend a lot on the type of mage...
A face mage would take tailored pheromones, a combat mage rules with a greater bone density...
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Feshy
post Feb 20 2008, 03:41 PM
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QUOTE
This means that if one spell slinger has vision mag cyberware and the other does not, then the mage with it can geek the mage without it at a MUCH further range.


I would still think that at most ranges where you'd require vision magnification, you'd have time to pull an old-style pair of binoculars. Usually, at those ranges only one mage knows the other one is there.

QUOTE
[8] Cyber Hand -Right (Bulk Mod + 4)
[3] Agility Mod (rating 3)
[3] Body Mod (rating 3)
[0] Auto-Injecter: Deep Weed
Extra Dose Capacity (rating 6)
*2x Stimulant (rating 6) (Less pain)
*2x BetaMeth (+2 reaction, +1 intuition)
*2x Pych (+1 logic, +1 willpower)
[2] Nanohive (rating 6)
Implant Medics
Universal Nanidotes
Universal Nanite Hunters
Nano Bio-Monitor
Neural Amplifier - Limbic
Neural Amplifier - NeoCortical

[8] Cyber Hand -Left (Bulk Mod + 4)
[2] Radar Rating (rating 4)
[0] Auto-Injecter: Deep Weed
Extra Dose Capacity (rating 6)
*2x Stimulant (rating 6) (Less pain)
*2x BetaMeth (+2 reaction, +1 intuition)
*2x Pych (+1 logic, +1 willpower)
[6] Armor (rating 3)


Not possible. According to Augmentation, p44:

QUOTE
Only lower arms/legs, full arms/legs, and torsos
may have their Capacity increased by more than 2.


Then again, you've got room to spare in the right hand still -- just use customized attributes instead of attribute mods. It costs more (and is a real waste of money with just hands, most likely) but you said cost wasn't an issue.

Of course, I think the basic premise you are going for with the hands is flawed -- I don't think you'd get a bonus to firing pistols with only a cyber hand instead of a cyber arm. Gripping the pistol, sure -- but not aiming and firing it.
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Kyoto Kid
post Feb 20 2008, 03:50 PM
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...OK for a physad (using chargen limits)

Qualities:
Adept (5)
Type O (30)

Bio (figured as all Delta grade for basic cost)

Synaptic Booster 2 (.5)
Synthcardium 2 (.1)
Muscle Toner 2 (.4)





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paws2sky
post Feb 20 2008, 03:59 PM
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QUOTE (Abbandon @ Feb 20 2008, 04:38 AM) *
Delta Grade Fake wussiness 1.0 essense 0 nuyen.
I hate awakened characters who turn to technology to do stuff. Why dont you just learn some stupid spells to let you see in the dark, how about go astral so you dont even give a crap about the dark. Not only that but its to the point of being ultra popular. Oh look another mage with cyber eyes.


My favorite archetype of all time was the Burned-Out Mage from 1st/2nd Edition. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I loved that guy, mostly for his sheer incompetence at picking what cyberware he had installed. He was brilliantly inefficient. It seemed like they picked every just slighty too expensive mod they could find: Wired 2 (or was it 1?), Muscle Rep 1, Skillwires 4, Datajack, Smartlink, etc. Poor guy barely had more than 1 Ess left. And his selection of skillsofts included winners like: Fichetti Pistol 4.

You could have stripped out two items and dropped his skillwires a level and he would have been a half decent combat mage. Thinking about it, he was probably a late awakening. He could have been quite good as a mage, but he'd already (carelessly?) started down the cyberware path by the time it happened. Kind of like Sam Verner from Secrets of Power, but with less angst (and much less 'ware). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Personally I think too many people (both players and characters) get too hung up on squeezing every last ounce of efficiency out of their characters. And the problem here boils down to the Ess attribute and just how blatantly metagame-y it is. There's no chart on a the cyberdoc's wall that lists how much Ess each piece of 'ware costs. There's probably even no actual formalized way to track it. They know that certain 'ware hurts the body's integrity more than others. They know that too much 'ware will hose you.

Or maybe I'm wrong... I suppose by 2070 things could be advanced enough that astrally aspected magicians (or other magicians, maybe) can make a decent living consulting with cyberdocs on the negative impact of 'ware on the patient's body. This would be especially important for magicians looking to have 'ware installed.

I almost wish cyber/bio implants had a variable Ess cost. Even a +/-0.1 variation would be enough to make some people hesitate.
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Kyoto Kid
post Feb 20 2008, 04:06 PM
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QUOTE (Abbandon @ Feb 20 2008, 01:38 AM) *
Delta Grade Fake wussiness 1.0 essense 0 nuyen.

I hate awakened characters who turn to technology to do stuff. Why dont you just learn some stupid spells to let you see in the dark, how about go astral so you dont even give a crap about the dark. Not only that but its to the point of being ultra popular. Oh look another mage with cyber eyes.

your mentors spirits would be so pissed off. I'd be forced to inflict penalties. Half off your mentor powers, double the penalties, higher threshold or whatever to reach the metaplanes to get past the dweller, -1 or 2 to learning spells from a mentor spirit or something? I'd take great pleasure in blowing out the cybernetics frequently because of drain or being hit by magic.

...didn't the Path of the Warrior in Tir na Nog allow for a reduction in the penalty to Magic for an adept who had augmentations that assisted her combat abilities? I'll have to pull that out when I get home.
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Sponge
post Feb 20 2008, 04:16 PM
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QUOTE (WeaverMount @ Feb 20 2008, 03:30 AM) *
Let's not argue about whether or not a mage should or not.

Can we honour the OP's request and stick to the topic please (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

QUOTE (KCKitsune)
QUOTE ("BBB p173")

A spellcaster can target anyone or anything she can see directly with her natural vision. Physical cyber- or bio-enhancements paid for with Essence can be used to spot targets, but any technological visual aids that substitute themselves for the character’s own visual senses -- cameras, electronic binoculars, Matrix feeds, etc. -- cannot be used.


This means that if one spell slinger has vision mag cyberware and the other does not, then the mage with it can geek the mage without it at a MUCH further range.

But you can just get goggles or glasses or whatever with optical magnification and get the same effect.

Personally, I think you'd want to focus on cyberware which produces an effect that can't be duplicated through either external gear or sustained magical spells (or is simply much more advantageous as cyberware). However, the list will vary depending on what the focus of the character is, because different things will be valuable (for instance, if your magician is of the Qabbalistic tradition, maybe a Math SPU would be useful.)

About those cyberhands:

QUOTE (Augmentation p44)
Only lower arms/legs, full arms/legs, and torsos may have their Capacity increased by more than 2.


DS
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WeaverMount
post Feb 20 2008, 05:32 PM
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Thanks for the ketch on the bulk mod, and the alternate 'ware ideas.

So sell me on these pain editors. +1 willpower and not getting KOed from stun doesn't seem like that great when the drain from non-overcast spells/binding isn't that problematic in down time. Even if your magic is around 7, and you are binding a spirit at your max, it is very unlikely to get more 7 hits -> 14S. Any mage ought to be able to test that down into something they can stay conscious though. Edge if they can't. Those are perfectly acceptable odds to people who risk getting shot in the face for money.


On another note. Why the vitriol? Is the thought of a mage with some 'ware in a cyber punk game, who shoots in game where people shoot other people in the face for money just so Munchkin you feel compelled to take a swing at it?
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Abbandon
post Feb 20 2008, 05:38 PM
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QUOTE (KCKitsune @ Feb 20 2008, 08:35 AM) *
I'm going to use a paragraph from the SR4 Core rule book that will explain why EVERY Mage should get Cybereyes. It's on page 173 of the SR4 core rule book, and before you ask, I checked the FAQ and the Errata about this and I could NOT find anything to contradict it:



This means that if one spell slinger has vision mag cyberware and the other does not, then the mage with it can geek the mage without it at a MUCH further range.


Never said you could not install cyber. Yeah you could spot the other mage from farther away.....unless he was asral and already casting a spell on your ass, sustaining a spell to make him see farther than you.

=================================

QUOTE (KCKitsune @ Feb 20 2008, 08:35 AM) *
OK what about the Hermetic Tradition of Chaos Magic? They LOVE tech! Here is a paragraph from Street Magic (page 37):



So if I am playing a Chaos Mage with a Cyber Commlink and carry my hermetic library in my head, does that make me a bad player because I want cyber and bioware? I want my Mage to live long enough to retire, and if taking an initial hit in Magic makes him just that much harder to kill then I'm all for it.

Also where in the rule books (SR4 only please) does it state that Drain would cause damage to cyberware? Why would it? Also, if I have cybereyes and they get blown out because of drain, does that mean that other mages in my party might go blind as their eyes get fragged?


Just because they use technology in the use of their magic doesnt mean they would start getting implants. People with the ability to do magic would probably rather die than make their connection to it weaker even temporarily they would be scared they might lose it all together. Its just bad roleplaying i guess.

Drain causing blowouts is nowhere in the rules or street magic, they talk about magic being channeled through your body which is drain. I thought it would be a cool way to punish cybermages to make a severe overcast or hit from magic blow out cyberware(this might also be a cool thing to do to cybered up characters anyways if they got to much money heh or to explain the need to upgrade). They could astral percieve until they can get to a clinic.

I was just saying "I dont like cybermages". I wont respond to any more questions so you guys can all hang out in recovery.
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paws2sky
post Feb 20 2008, 05:38 PM
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Okay, now that I've had a chance to look at the cyber and bioware...

So-Called Must-Have's
Cybereyes: good for all the previously mentioned reasons.
Datajack: a staple of 2070's technology. Sure, you could use a skinlink, but there's not much that beats DNI in terms of stability/durability.
Cerebral Booster: seems like a must-have for Log+Wil traditions. Cha and Int traditions can (and probably should) skip it.
Synaptic Booster: always nice to have an edge on the opposition. You're not looking to out vroom street samurai, you're looking to beat the guy with no mods or to match the ones that have a little bit of an edge over the unmodded folks. Realistically, go with level 1 unless you're getting Delta grade stuff, then go for level 2.
Trauma Damper: Not sure what it does exactly in SR4, but it was certainly something to look into in previous editions.
Damage Compensators: Another nice one that gives you a bit of an edge when the drain starts piling up.

Oddball, but interesting...
Orthoskin: And interesting choice. Stacks with worn armor and lets you get away with a lower Bod score (not less than 3, unless you're insane).
Commlink: Good for clandestine communications, but the difficulty involved with swapping it out makes it questionable, IMO. Best bet is to have it and keep it in hidden mode or turned off, using it only when absolutely needed.
Sleep Regulator: I would get this in a heartbeat if they existed and I could afford it. More efficient sleep means you can do all kinds of stuff that normal folks can't and still feel okay.

Unrealistic, but...
Skillwires: They're just neat, really. Working with 1 Ess doesn't give you much room for them, but man, imagine being able to sink your Karma into your magic stuff and still not completely suck at doing other things.
Implanted Weapon Focus: nothing more frustrating than having your pricey weapon focus stolen, impounded, etc.

Anything else you can probably skip, unless you really feel the need to multi-task as a gunbunny or something, in which case you could add Muscle Toner and a Smartlink to the list.
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Moon-Hawk
post Feb 20 2008, 06:14 PM
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QUOTE (Abbandon @ Feb 20 2008, 12:38 PM) *
I was just saying "I dont like cybermages".

No. If that were the case you wouldn't have drawn any flak. What you said was more like, "I don't like cybermages, and I will actively punish any player who wanted to play one using made-up rules, and justify it using made-up fluff text."
There is a special kind of hat for GMs like that.
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Kyoto Kid
post Feb 20 2008, 06:34 PM
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...heck even an adept purist such as myself has seen the benefit of a little ware now & then.

...but in agreement with Sponge, back to the main topic....

[/Derail]
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Adarael
post Feb 20 2008, 06:38 PM
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Most of the assumptions about what is "right" and what is "wrong" in this thread are patently retarded.
Jesus.

QUOTE
There is a special kind of hat for GMs like that.

It better a dunce hat, Moon-Hawk.
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Kyrn
post Feb 20 2008, 06:58 PM
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It could theoretically include an ass-hat according to my observations of forum vernacular.
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