extra IP sources Options

[da Loof]

Hi, everybody, I'm the newest target on Dumpshock forums.

I'm building my first runner (a stealth specialist), but I'd like to get some IPs on her so she can hold her own in a fight. What are some good ways to get some?

[Marwynn]

Welcome!

Adept Power: Improved Reflexes
Cyberware and Bioware has several, Synaptic Boosters cost more but use less Essence.
Magic: Improved Reflexes spell, sustained through a focus. Or if you're an initiate, you can Quicken the spell to make it permanent.

There's no "natural" way really.

[da Loof]

Thanks!

I was hoping on going cyber-free so I could pull those extra BP from sensitive system (and not trip cyberware detectors - stealth specialist, remember!), but 80k per rating for those synaptic boosters is ridiculous! ShouldI just use cyberware, or scratch it all and be an adept?

[Marwynn]

Being an Adept is the only immediate alternative. You can spend 25 points (5 for adept, 20 to raise Magic to 3) and you can get Improved Reflexes II which gives you 2 extra IP and +2 Reaction. You still have half a power point left for other useful things.

Spend a few more points though, like 10 more to get Traceless Walk. EXTREMELY great for a Stealth Specialist (making hardly any noise, leaving no marks on snow or sand). Combat Sense would also give you some extra defense. Plenty of things open up.

[LurkerOutThere]

Well actually there are combat drugs if you want to avoid cyberware or magic.

[Wacky]

Ah, but you've forgotten the cheapest way of all: DRUGS!!!

Better living through chemistry...

In the Shadowrun corebook alone there are two options: First is Cram which has a nice long duration, and then Jazz which was originally developed by Star but a much shorter duration.

Check out the toxins section of your book for more details!

Sign--

Wacky

[Marwynn]

Ahh my bad, I avoid the drugs part. Don't want to feed a habit when fighting, seems like a bad idea most of the time.

But it is useful!

[the_real_elwood]

Drugs aren't a real substitute for cyber, bio, or magic anyways. If I were you, I'd just go full-bore cyber. Cyberware detectors are really just short-range things used by security guards to check for cyber at facility entrances and other security checkpoints. If you're looking to sneak in and not just sleaze your way past security, it shouldn't be a problem.

[KCKitsune]

Thanks!

I was hoping on going cyber-free so I could pull those extra BP from sensitive system (and not trip cyberware detectors - stealth specialist, remember!), but 80k per rating for those synaptic boosters is ridiculous! ShouldI just use cyberware, or scratch it all and be an adept?

Hey! Yeah, Boosters are expensive as all get out, but let's face it: it doesn't break, it doesn't need tweaking, it repairs itself, and it can't be detected on scanners.

[Glyph]

Wired reflexes would be my personal recommendation for a covert ops guy, who needs a cheap IP boost, but has lots of other 'ware and gear to buy, and skills to get. I generally use move-by-wire for seriously combat-oriented types, and synaptic boosters for awakened characters who need to be stingy with their Essense.

[Karoline]

Ooo, ooo, don't forget about becoming a vampire. That totally gives you an extra IP.

But really, there are only a handful of ways to raise IP, which have all basically been explained. I am honestly surprised that there isn't a quality that lets you get a single extra IP so that you can make an effective mundane non-chromed fighter.

Move by wire is another option as well, though somewhat more expensive than wired reflexes.

[Traul]

I am honestly surprised that there isn't a quality that lets you get a single extra IP so that you can make an effective mundane non-chromed fighter.

It already exists, and you don't even have to pay BP for it : Edge. Everybody can have 2 IP when they need them, 3 with a pop of Jazz.

[dirkformica]

Magician with a conjuring focus (Spirits of Man.) Summon a spirit of man in the morning and have it cast improved reflexes on you. You can also bind one so that it's always up for the rest of your character's life. If it's a force 6, you can add another more or less permanent boost at ~ 4 hits (Camouflage from Street Magic is nice for the -4ish to hit from ranged, if you want to cast spells it's nice to have drain stat boosted, Combat Refelexes is a nice 4ish to avoid death, many other spells are probably good too.)

To cut build points you can go Mystic Adept. That can get you some nice adept powers (or not if you want to ignore them.) You only need a casting level of 2 to get the max hits for reflexes if you overcast.

[darune]

Personally i would not take synaptic boosters for most any starting character. Yes, its less drain, but it is just too expensive (for my taste at least).

As already mentioned i wouldn't worry too much about cyberware scanners either.

So get wired reflexes (cheapest 'permanent' way) or alternatively the adept power if you can find other useful powers and have the BP to spare.

Getting extra passes is definately a good idea and you won't regret it.

Good luck the character.

[Traul]

You can also bind one so that it's always up for the rest of your character's life.

Can you use Masking on spells you did not cast? If not, this is as subtle as going to the stuffershack in millspec armor.

[KCKitsune]

It already exists, and you don't even have to pay BP for it : Edge. Everybody can have 2 IP when they need them, 3 with a pop of Jazz.

Except you would burn through Edge so fast it would make your head spin.

Honestly, if you want reflexes go with 'Ware. Drugs *WILL* screw your character over eventually. Magic can be dispelled. Spirits can be banished.

If you get 'Ware and remove the wireless you should be good to go. Better yet, go with Bioware... can't be hacked.

[Stingray]

Except you would burn through Edge so fast it would make your head spin.

Honestly, if you want reflexes go with 'Ware. Drugs *WILL* screw your character over eventually. Magic can be dispelled. Spirits can be banished.

If you get 'Ware and remove the wireless you should be good to go. Better yet, go with Bioware... can't be hacked.

Cybered way to reflexes and extra IP:s is Wired Reflexes in addition of Reaction Enchanters..
40 bp to pay Reaction to 5, add lvl 2 Wired Reflexes + lvl 2 Reaction Enchanters, you get
maximum Reaction for Human charc. (9) and 3 IP:s

[TeaTime]

Magician with a conjuring focus (Spirits of Man.) Summon a spirit of man in the morning and have it cast improved reflexes on you. You can also bind one so that it's always up for the rest of your character's life.

I like that idea of a summoned Spirit of Man casting and sustaining improved reflexes everyday.
But if you bound it to do spell sustaining on the improved reflexes that you cast wouldn't it use one service every day?
Or would the fact that the Bound Spirit of Man is sustaining the improved reflexes that the spirit cast avoid the use of a service?

[the_real_elwood]

Wired reflexes would be my personal recommendation for a covert ops guy, who needs a cheap IP boost, but has lots of other 'ware and gear to buy, and skills to get. I generally use move-by-wire for seriously combat-oriented types, and synaptic boosters for awakened characters who need to be stingy with their Essense.

Does move-by-wire still give you an extra action at the end of the 1st and 2nd initiative pass (in the case of MBW 3) like it did in SR3? Because that's potentially incredibly useful, having extra actions AND extra initiative passes.

[W@geMage]

I like that idea of a summoned Spirit of Man casting and sustaining improved reflexes everyday.
But if you bound it to do spell sustaining on the improved reflexes that you cast wouldn't it use one service every day?
Or would the fact that the Bound Spirit of Man is sustaining the improved reflexes that the spirit cast avoid the use of a service?

A bound spirit can only sustain a spell for a number of turns. Unless you want to burn up the spirits Force, only then can it sustain a spell for days.
But that will generate quite some resentment from the spirit. Expect the spirit to follow your requests to the letter, extracting as much services as it can.

I would say that casting the spell and then continuing to sustain it would count as a single service.

[KCKitsune]

Does move-by-wire still give you an extra action at the end of the 1st and 2nd initiative pass (in the case of MBW 3) like it did in SR3? Because that's potentially incredibly useful, having extra actions AND extra initiative passes.

By RAW, no. It gives you the extra initiative passes based on rating.

Now what it DOES do is give you a better reaction boost as compared to Wired and Booster. It also gives a boost to your dodge rating. Finally, it has a skillwire set built in! No need to spend even MORE money and Essence to get a skillwire set. Get MBW 2 and get a FREE (wrt Essence) rating 4 Skillwire. What's NOT to love about that... other than if you're a mage and then you just go into the corner and cry like a little Emo about how the world is so unfair. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Dahrken]

By RAW, no. It gives you the extra initiative passes based on rating.

Now what it DOES do is give you a better reaction boost as compared to Wired and Booster. It also gives a boost to your dodge rating. Finally, it has a skillwire set built in! No need to spend even MORE money and Essence to get a skillwire set. Get MBW 2 and get a FREE (wrt Essence) rating 4 Skillwire. What's NOT to love about that... other than if you're a mage and then you just go into the corner and cry like a little Emo about how the world is so unfair. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

Well, for the price of that Move By Wire you can buy the formula for Increased Reflexes, the focus to sustain it and a decent power focus, so it's not that unfair. Until our sammy removed his Wired Reflex II to install a rating III synaptic accelerator he often had one less IP than the mage !

[Megu]

One thing I haven't heard yet is possession magic. Be a voudoun mage or hedgewitch with Channeling and you'll basically have a couple extra init passes, the benefit of spirit concealment power and immunity to most mundane gunfire. Some GMs disallow those, though, so you may have to have a little chitchat. Also, I'm still unclear as to whether spirit concealment stealths you and the spirit from astral detection as well, so that may be a concern for a stealth build.

[Bull]

Well, for the price of that Move By Wire you can buy the formula for Increased Reflexes, the focus to sustain it and a decent power focus, so it's not that unfair. Until our sammy removed his Wired Reflex II to install a rating III synaptic accelerator he often had one less IP than the mage !

Unfortunately, you can't start off with a Sustaining Focus big enough to sustain an Increased Reflexes spell to give you 3 extra IP :/ You need 4 hits on the Spellcasting test, so you need at least a rating 4 focus, and the highest you can get at Chargen is a rating 3. Kinda bummed me out when I was making my COmbat Mage, as I was hoping to be able to do that and a decent Armor spell, both sustained in focuses for Combat Situations.

Bull

[Karoline]

Unfortunately, you can't start off with a Sustaining Focus big enough to sustain an Increased Reflexes spell to give you 3 extra IP :/ You need 4 hits on the Spellcasting test, so you need at least a rating 4 focus, and the highest you can get at Chargen is a rating 3. Kinda bummed me out when I was making my COmbat Mage, as I was hoping to be able to do that and a decent Armor spell, both sustained in focuses for Combat Situations.

Bull

That's the beauty of the restricted gear quality.