Vampires? Options

[SpasticTeapot]

Vamp power comes with age.. and vamps have been around for what.. 70 years? give them another few hundred years and you got annie rice vamps.. or VTM vamps akin to 5-6th generation..

I'm just taking a stab at this, but beyond greater entrenchment, influence, and wealth (immortality means watching those long-term high-yield investments roll in), old vampires would most likely be extra scary as a result repeat initiation. Any 6th-level initiate is pretty bleeping scary even before you make 'em vampires.

[Dumori]

Still they grow in power with age. Much maybe at the same speed as a runner but if you ran for 60 years solid as a mystic adept well I think 6th-level initiate scary would be past.

[Glyph]

Still they grow in power with age. Much maybe at the same speed as a runner but if you ran for 60 years solid as a mystic adept well I think 6th-level initiate scary would be past.

That's one of the reasons that I would prefer that initiation and submersion have hard caps like everything else in the game. Less due to possible abuse from players (since it will only become a factor in either extremely long-running or extremely high-Karma games), and more to prevent 100-year old vampire and/or immortal elf GM cheese-monsters. Personally, I think Karma advancement only works for the narrow range of active shadowrunners working to improve themselves, and it breaks down whenever you try to use it to justify some dumbass uber-NPC (well, he gets 1 Karma a month, for 300 years... ).

I would give them a slightly higher cap (maybe cap it at 9 for normal PCs, but 12 for century+ vampires or IEs), but no ridiculous triple-digit initiate grades. If anyone argues that an immortal being should be able to do better than that, I would point out that 100+ years of experience apparently can't raise a base skill rating past 7 - Magic should be no different.


Now, if you want really scary vampires, take the Laurell K. Hamilton approach - make them whiny and insecure, and then have three or four of them all fall in love with the same PC. Then add a drake and a few shapeshifters to the mix.

[Muspellsheimr]

That's one of the reasons that I would prefer that initiation and submersion have hard caps like everything else in the game.

Initiate/Submersion Grade cannot exceed 5, natural Magic/Resonance cannot exceed 7. Magic/Resonance follows the normal rules for augmented maximums (natural maximum up to 7, augmented maximum up to 10).

Certain unique creatures are not subject to this limit *cough*greatdragons*cough*


In my game, spirit/sprite attributes are also one-half Force/Rating (round up), so they cannot ever have a natural Magic/Resonance greater than their summoner/compiler.

[HappyDaze]

Initiate/Submersion Grade cannot exceed 5, natural Magic/Resonance cannot exceed 7. Magic/Resonance follows the normal rules for augmented maximums (natural maximum up to 7, augmented maximum up to 10).

That's a houserule, right? I'm pretty sure that - by RAW - natural Magic can go as high as Essence + Grade and (if you find a way to do it) augmented Magic would be 150% of that value.

[Muspellsheimr]

(if you find a way to do it) augmented Magic would be 150% of that value.

RAW, Magic has no augmented maximum.

[Glyph]

The only way to have an "augmented" Magic rating is to temporarily boost Magic is by using the Essence Drain power, then spending the excess points to boost the Magic rating.

Initiate/Submersion Grade cannot exceed 5, natural Magic/Resonance cannot exceed 7. Magic/Resonance follows the normal rules for augmented maximums (natural maximum up to 7, augmented maximum up to 10).

I don't know where Muspellsheimr is getting this rule from - I have never seen it anywhere. Page number?

[HappyDaze]

I don't know where Muspellsheimr is getting this rule from - I have never seen it anywhere. Page number?

His proctologist could probably tell us that if not for HIPPA.

[Muspellsheimr]

I could have been clearer, I guess, but I did not feel it was necessary. What I posted was a suggestion, that I have posted multiple times in the past as house rules. Further, I did not correct the assumption of it being a house rule when asked - it should not be difficult to figure that out.

The only way to have an "augmented" Magic rating is to temporarily boost Magic is by using the Essence Drain power, then spending the excess points to boost the Magic rating.

Or through Aspected Domains. Which potentially allows for increasing Magic to far beyond it's maximum value. So the lack of augmented maximums for special attributes (such as Magic) is notable.

[Glyph]

Technically, aspected domains provide a dice pool bonus.

Generally, it is a good idea to tell people when you are talking about house rules. There are a lot of newer players here.

[Neraph]

Technically, aspected domains provide a dice pool bonus.

True.

As to the above question about Initiation grades and whatnot, we now have much more expensive Magic attribute increases. That may not limit Initiation Grades, but it'll definately limit Magic increases.

Also, see my signature for Inhabitation Spirit fun. Any vamp worth his... blood... or something vampy... would have thought of this long ago, and would be nearing completion of his Quest For Pow'r ™, much akin to Prince Arthas from WotLK.