Carlyle Cameron, the Crimson Dove, An attempt to make a non-munchy, non-emo, non-game-destroying vampire Options

[hyzmarca]

400 BP
Street Name: The Crimson Dove
Name: Carlyle Blackwell
Race: Human

Positive Qualities {120BP}
Vampire {100BP}
Magician (Shaman) {15BP}
Mentor (Dove; +2 to Health Spells, +1 to detection spells, +1 to Air Spirits; requires a Willpower test to intentionally violently injure any metahuman or sapient being) {5BP}

_280 BP Remaining_

Negative Qualities {-35BP}
Pacifist 1 {-5BP}
In Debt 6 {-30BP}

_315BP Remaining_

Attributes {130 BP}
Body 3 {20 BP}
Agility 3 {0BP}
Reaction 4 {10BP}
Strength 2 {10BP}
Charisma 5 {20BP}
Intuition 3 {10BP}
Logic 5 {40BP}
Willpower 4 {20BP}

_185BP Remaining_

Special Attributes {40 BP}
Edge 3 {10BP}
Magic 3 {10BP}

_145BP Remaining_

Active Skills {104B}
Biotech Group 4 {40BP}
Influence Group 2 {20BP}
Perception 2 {8 BP}
Assensing 3 (Aura Reading +2) {14 BP}
Sorcery 3 (Health +2) {18 BP}
Counterspelling 2 (Combat +2) {10BP}
Summoning 2 (Man +2) {10 BP}


Knowledge/Language Skills 24 Points {0BP}
English N
Romanian 2
Cantonese 2
Street Doctoring 5
Mafia Politics 2
Infected Rights Politics 2
Cantonese Cinema 2
Street Gangs 3
Biology 3
Chemestry 3


_29BP Remaining_

Spells {15BP}
Stunbolt {3BP}
Heal {3BP}
Diagnose {3BP}
Cure Disease {3BP}
Antidote {3BP}

_14BP Remaining_

Contacts

Marv Marvman, Made Man (Loyalty 2, Connections 2) {4BP}
Marv Marvman is a small time mafia loanshark who Carlyle patched up after he was shot by several angry yaks. Marv, in turn, provided the funds required to set up Carlyle's black clinic, which will, of course, be paid back with interest. He also provides Carlyle with positive word-of-mouth which helps attract mafia affiliated customers.

Angel Halo (Loyalty 3, Connections 3) {6BP}
In a past life, Angel Halo was an aspiring singer named Doreen. She and Carlyle had an on-again/off-again series of flings before his apparent death. Now she's an unappreciated pop singer who has gold albums in Eastern Europe, China, and South America but is relegated to the bottom 40 in English-speaking countries. They were reunited when he worked as a freelance media in Romania. A number of musicians were held hostage by the Sons of Dracula, militant vampire posers who wanted to overthrow the Romanian government and install a vampire monarch, and he was hired to be the rescue team's medic.

John Zartan, black market medical supplier (Loyalty 1, Connections 3) {4BP}
Zartan probably has connections to Tanamous. He and Carlyle have a don't ask/don't tell policy with regards to his sources. What is known is that he is very good at supplying blood, organs, 'ware, and equipment at affordable prices.



_0 BP Remaining_

Resources

30,000 {0BP}


Medical Shop [10,000]
2 Medical Station (Rating 6) [900]
Medkit (Rating 6) [600]
Armor Clothing [500]
3 Months Lifestyle (Comforts 1, Entertainment 1, Necessities 2, Neighborhood 0, Security 3; Friendly Neighbors 1, Rough Neighborhood -1 Worse Neighbors -2, Feng Shui 5, Workspace 1, Ambusher's Delight -3, Aspected Domain (Shaman)) [, Low, 13LP, 3800 Nuyen] [11,400]

_6200 Nuyen Remaining_

Carlyle was a dedicated healer and doctor and a follower of the Dove Totem, in the late 2040s. One day, on his way to work, he spotted an injured man in the streets and attempted to lend assistance. This man just happened to be a vampire, who stunbolted Carlyle into submission before draining him and leaving him for dead. At the time, very little was understood about vampires and HMHVV. Three days later, Carlyle awoke in a drawer and the morgue, about to be autopsied. He promptly escaped and found that he was legally dead and that he had a thirst for metahuman blood and essence.

Carlyle went underground and attempted to suppress his cravings, eventually deciding to use the scientific method to gain insight about his new condition. During his experiments, he lost a great deal of magical potency due to self-starvation, but eventually came to understand that he could obtain what he needed without killing anyone and began wandering the world like Kwai Chang Cain searching for a place to belong.

After some time traveling through Europe and China he settled in Seattle where he opened a street clinic that offers affordable services to SINless individuals, gangers, organized criminals, shadowrunners, and the like.

Due to restrictions placed on him by his Totem, he does not take essence from unwilling subjects. He does, however, accept Essence as payment for various services, including cyberware implantation. Many tight-budgeted Street Samurai come to him because he will take Essence as payment for the surgery and then place the 'ware in the resulting Essence Hole, essentially making the surgery free for the patient.

[Gast]

John Zartan, black market medical supplier (Loyalty 1, Connections 3) {4BP}
Zartan probably has connections to Tanamous. He and Carlyle have a don't ask/don't tell policy with regards to his sources. What is known is that he is very good at

Damn, that guy knows how to keep a low profile.

[Ancient History]

Can we get a name and street name that are less metrosexual?

[hyzmarca]

Can we get a name and street name that are less metrosexual?

Possibly. The names come from a 1917 silent film.

[Adarael]

No.

You'll take your Metropire and like it, dammit.
They are sensitive creatures.

[Ancient History]

Gimme a UV flashlight and I'll show you sensitive.

[hyzmarca]

No.

You'll take your Metropire and like it, dammit.
They are sensitive creatures.

Some people just have cruel parents.

[Sweaty Hippo]

This isn't the first time I noticed, or it may be just an Internet phenomenon, but why are vampires called "emo?"

Thinking that your life will be miserable and never the same after the HMVV doesn't seem delusional. It ruins lives. So a human that became a vampire that's horribly miserable doesn't come of as "whiny." In some cases, his sadness is entitled.

[Rasumichin]

Certainly looks non-munchy to me.
In fact, not munchy enough for my tastes, but YMMV.

I think the healer role is an interesting option for a vampire.
You can get shot up while healing your teammates, a nice, altruistic use of your regeneration power.



Suggestions :

-I'd change the bonus dice for the mentor spirit.
I don't know any SR4 example for one +2 and two +1 bonusses.
Make it air spirits +2 and drop the detection bonus, i'd say.

-As a former human, you start with Edge 2.
I'd raise Edge anyway, so 3 might be a good value.

-The attributes seem well-rounded, but even for a non-munchy build, the Magic is painfully low.
I'd softmax it at 4, non-munchy doesn't have to mean gimped.
As you know the usual DS minmax-drill (raise BOD, drop STR and LOG), i assume you intentionally left it at the values presented here.
The high LOG will come in handy with the biotech skills, of course.
It's good that you didn't get carried away by the attribute modifiers, this can easily cripple a vampire build, leaving no skill points after attributes and the Vampire quality.

-Skills :
I'd consider taking the Biotech group at 4.
Also, i'd raise the magic stuff.
If you play with the optional rule for mystical healing, you might want to pick up a knowledge skill for that, it is a great addition to every healer's possibilities.
The Vampire Politics bit seems a bit odd to me, as there are very few organized vampires in SR.
I'd change that to Infected Rights Policlubs, would fit vampirism in SR better, i think.



The concept has one massive downside, of course :
How do you get your Essence?
The "cleanest" way would be to look for a voluntary donor and pay for a Cellular Repair gene therapy afterwards.
This will cost you about 25.000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) per point of Essence at worst.

[hyzmarca]

Certainly looks non-munchy to me.
In fact, not munchy enough for my tastes, but YMMV.

I think the healer role is an interesting option for a vampire.
You can get shot up while healing your teammates, a nice, altruistic use of your regeneration power.



Suggestions :
-I'd change the bonus dice for the mentor spirit.
I don't know any SR4 example for one +2 and two +1 bonusses.
Make it air spirits +2 and drop the detection bonus, i'd say.

I copied it directly from Magic in the Shadows, when a minor addition (MitS didn't mention Sapient critters).

-As a former human, you start with Edge 2.
I'd raise Edge anyway, so 3 might be a good value.

Fixed.

-The attributes seem well-rounded, but even for a non-munchy build, the Magic is painfully low.
I'd softmax it at 4, non-munchy doesn't have to mean gimped.
As you know the usual DS minmax-drill (raise BOD, drop STR and LOG), i assume you intentionally left it at the values presented here.
The high LOG will come in handy with the biotech skills, of course.
It's good that you didn't get carried away by the attribute modifiers, this can easily cripple a vampire build, leaving no skill points after attributes and the Vampire quality.


-Skills :
I'd consider taking the Biotech group at 4.
Also, i'd raise the magic stuff.
If you play with the optional rule for mystical healing, you might want to pick up a knowledge skill for that, it is a great addition to every healer's possibilities.

The big problem is the lack of points.

The Vampire Politics bit seems a bit odd to me, as there are very few organized vampires in SR.
I'd change that to Infected Rights Policlubs, would fit vampirism in SR better, i think.

Done

The concept has one massive downside, of course :
How do you get your Essence?
The "cleanest" way would be to look for a voluntary donor and pay for a Cellular Repair gene therapy afterwards.
This will cost you about 25.000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) per point of Essence at worst.

I see accepting Essence as payment for services to be one way to accomplish this. The most unobtrusive way to do it is to drain essence before implanting essence-heavy 'ware and then implanting the 'ware in the resulting Essence Hole. There are plenty of people who have no use for most of their Essence.

[Rasumichin]

I copied it directly from Magic in the Shadows, when a minor addition (MitS didn't mention Sapient critters).

Yeah, it does look a lot like an SR3 totem, that's why i suggested the changes. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

The big problem is the lack of points.

Hm...understandable.

I see accepting Essence as payment for services to be one way to accomplish this. The most unobtrusive way to do it is to drain essence before implanting essence-heavy 'ware and then implanting the 'ware in the resulting Essence Hole. There are plenty of people who have no use for most of their Essence.

Drain doesn't leave an Essence hole AFAIC, they result only from explantation.