Riggerdeckersamuraimageadepts, Make and post Options

[Reaver]

[Grey]

[Solstice]

I have to agree that your char is pretty unreasonable. I don't know what kind of games you play in but in any of my games it would be seriously broken.

[Grey]

As for grades of cyberware, it only really counts when it comes to the big stuff, like a VCR. Look at Optical Mag for the eyes. Its 0.2 essense + 6000 :nuyen: at normal grade, 0.16 + 12,000 :nuyen: at alpha, 0.12 + 24,000 :nuyen: at beta, and 0.1 + 48,000 :nuyen: at delta. Thats not that big of a difference in essense, but way too big of a difference in costs.

Now look at the VCR-1. 2.0 essense + 12,000 :nuyen at normal, 1.6 + 24,000 :nuyen: at alpha, 1.2 + 48,000 :nuyen at beta, and 1.0 + 96,000 :nuyen: at delta. I'd say that getting alpha is worth it for sure and beta is really nice if you have the money, but the essense difference between beta and delta isn't enough to justify the :nuyen: costs.

Besides, deltaware is supposed to be so hard to find and so expencive to install that it is next to impossible to get it.

[boodah]

[Glyph]

*Sigh* You know, I never can resist these "build a character" threads. I just like building characters. But like any generalist, the riggerdeckersamuraimageadept is spread a bit too thin to be really effective. This is the best I could come up with:

[ Spoiler ]

Tarmac Tom, Male Ork Adept of the Magical Way (Sun Totem)
Created with the Priority System with balanced Edges and Flaws
A: Magic
B: Resources
C: Attributes
D: Race
E: Skills

B: 4(6), Q: 6, S: 3, Ch: 3, I: 6, W: 6, E: 2.56, M: 2(6)/0(4), R: 6 [10]

Active Skills - Car: 5, Computer/Decking: 5/7, Conjuring: 2, Etiquette: 2, Pistols/Ares Predator III: 5/7, Sorcery/Spellcasting: 5/7.

Knowledge Skills - (Languages) English/Matrix Speak: 4/6, Read & Write English: 2, Japanese: 4, Read & Write Japanese: 2.
(Other) Corporate Politics: 2, Corporate Security: 4, Data Brokerage: 5, Data Havens: 3, Jackpoint Locations: 4, Magical Background: 4, Seattle Shortcuts: 5, Underworld Politics: 3.

Initiative: 6 + 1d6 (4d6) [10 + 3D6 Rigging].
Combat Pool: 9, Control Pool: 10, Hacking Pool: 6, Spell Pool: 5
Karma Pool: 1, Good Karma: 0

Edges - Bonus Attribute: Intelligence, Natural Hardening, Vehicle Empathy.

Flaws - Allergy: Silver/Moderate, Bad Karma.

Cyberware (All Alphaware) - Cybereyes (with Flare Compensation, Image Link, and Low-Light Vision), Datajack, Math SPU: 3, Smartlink II, Vehicle Control Rig: 2 with Reflex Trigger.

Adept Abilities - Magical Ability: 4 (with Talisman Geas), Improved Ability/Pistols: 2, Improved Physical Attribute/Body: 2.

Spells - Manaball: 6*, Manabolt: 6*, Heal: 6*, Increase Reflexes +3: 1, Healthy Glow: 1, Trid Entertainment (E): 1(3), Makeover (E): 1(3), Levitate: 1. * = Exclusive for lowered Drain.

Bonded Foci: Sustaining Focus (Increase Reflexes +3): 1

Contacts - Deckmeister (Level 2), Fixer (Level 1), Mechanic (Level 1).

Lifestyles - 1 Low (1 Month Prepaid).
Matrix - High Speed/Illegal Hookup with 1 extra wireless device and 5 extra channels: 1 Month Prepaid at 350 Nuyen/Month.
Credstick Balance - 3d6 x 100 Nuyen.

Gear -
Deck: Sony CTY 360 D Cyberdeck with Battery Pack and 500 Mp Off-line Storage.
Persona: Bod: 4, Evasion: 3, Masking: 5, Sensors: 3.
Utilities (Rating/Memory) Total Size: 300 Mp.
Browse (5/25), Commlink (5/25), Deception (5/50), Decrypt (5/25), Evaluate (5/50), Read/Write (5/50), Sleaze (5/75).
DocWagon Contract: Basic (1 Year Prepaid).
Vehicle: Ford Americar with Datajack Port, Rigger Adaption, and Type II/Rating: 6 MagLock.
Magic: Shamanic Lodge (Rating: 6), Talisman (piece of quartz in a brass setting on a braided leather thong: 100 Nuyen cost) and 4 "spares".
Weapons: Ares Predator III with Concealable Quick-Draw Holster, 150 Rounds of Regular Ammo, and 4 spare Clips.
Armor/Clothing: Secure Long Coat, FFBA (full suit), Ordinary Clothing (x 10), Fine Clothing (x 2).
Other: Black Canvas Duffel Bag (100 Nuyen), Medkit (Rating: 6) with 1 Refills, Wire Clippers, Pocket Flashlight, Wrist Phone with Flip-up Screen, Pager, Music Playback Unit with Quad Speakers and 10 Music Disks, Telecom (10 MP) and Disposable Printer.

Description: Tom is a thin, hyperactive ork with spikey bleached white hair and a lean, ascetic-looking face. He used to find it too much of a hassle to dye his eyebrows, too, but since learning his Makeover spell he has started to make them match his hair. He wears well-cared for, slightly conservative street clothing - the kind of clothing a respectable laborer might wear - he also has a pair of suits that he reserves for either dates or formal meets with a Johnson. His t-shirts will often proclaim metahuman rights or some other cause. Tom has a tattoo of a starburst pattern running up the small of his back, and has a cartoony sun tattoo (ripped off from a raisin soybran carton by the tattoo artist) on the back of his right hand.

History: Tom grew up on the outskirts of the Puyallup Barrens, enjoying the breathtaking scenery while not appreciating having to wear a breath mask most days. He ran with a local gang (you either run with the pack, or get hunted by the pack, and he didn't start out a lone wolf - he was a scrawny kid, anyone's meat until he learned to shoot), working his way up to lieutenant. He was good with a gun (didn't flinch at using it if he had to), and was also a good driver. He also learned a bit of decking, because the gang decker wanted someone to help him with some minor hacking. He split when the gang got wiped out by a group of go-gangers, who in turn had been driven out of the I-5 area by the Spikes (then the Spike-Wheels).

He caught a break, getting scouted, and recruited, by a local Yakuza underboss. He got most of his cyberware at this point. He was being groomed to be a courier, able to drive and shoot. His decking also improved, because a small group of the enforcers liked to jack into the Matrix to play combat sims, and they invited him into their little clique. Unfortunately, the underboss's successor was far more racist than his old boss, and quickly tossed Tom out to the curb. Tom went freelance at that point, acting as a getaway driver and freelance courier, as well as getting his first real deck (eventually discarded when he got his current one) and doing some minor datasteals.

After a bad crash, Tom experienced vivid hallucinations while recovering. He thought he was cracking up, but it turned out that he was experiencing his awakening. A dour dwarven shaman trained him, in exchange for a dangerous run into Cascade Ork territory for a case of stolen medicine that a medcorp was holding on to (hoping to drive the price of their vaccine up). His extensive body modifications had messed up his magical ability, though. He could only use his Sorcery and Conjuring through a talisman. He also noticed that he was tougher, and could shoot even better. He embraced spellcasting, but his conjuring ability is currently more stunted - mostly, he limits himself to conjuring Watcher Spirits, which usually appear as faintly luminescent birds.

Right now, Tom is living in a squalid tenement near the Redmond Barrens, which he prefers to the Puyallup Barrens. The air is breathable at least (more or less), and while the people may be kind of scummy, at least it doesn't feel like a ghost town. He has his Lodge set up on the roof, which he shares with a crotchety old guy who keeps cages of pigeons. He is still doing the same thing - he is a courier and getaway driver, and also does datasteals (along with some mischievous hacking just for fun - although he usually has the excuse of indulging his social conscience in some way when he does this).

Personality: Tom is a survivor, but feels that quality of life matters even more than quantity, because you never know when you'll die, but you can damn well make sure it's a life you can be proud to have lived. He disdains the law, with its shallow hypocrisy - he lives answering solely to his own conscience. He deals with people who are either criminals or working with criminals to avoid getting their own hands dirty. He has few compunctions against dealing violently with such people when they get in his way, but he has a lot of lines that he won't cross (torture, cold-blooded murder, BTL-dealing, etc.). Also, he will never harm "innocents". He strongly supports both metahuman rights and eco-activism, and feels that violence in such causes is usually (but not always) justified.

Tom likes driving around just to familiarize himself with more of the city, and enjoys ferreting out secrets. He is mellow and amiable. He never seems to unleash violence out of anger - it is with more of a shrug, after some sort of amicable solution has been proposed first. He likes dwarven microbrewery beer, although it's a rare treat for him at the moment. He is shamefully addicted to Taiwan Tom's barbecued birds - the vendor, who makes much of sharing the same name as Tom, assures him it is chicken, but he knows it's pigeon. Whenever he goes up to the roof and sees the old guy cooing to his birds, after eating at Taiwan Tom's, he feels strangely guilty.

Contacts -
Pudder (Fixer, Level: 1) is a corpulent, sweating man dressed in gaudy club clothing and snakeskin boots, usually accompanied by Alexa, a towering Amazonian troll bodyguard who perpetually scowls but doesn't usually speak at all. He is a fast-talking chiseler with his hands in a lot of dirty dealings. He is trustworthy, up to a point, because he prides himself on his reputation, but he won't hesitate to drop a runner who becomes a liability or to take advantage of a situation that he can exploit. He sneers at Tom's excessive (in his mind) scruples, but grudgingly concedes that Tom is at least reliable, unlike some of the street trash out there.

Napster (Deckmeister, Level: 2), a balding man with a bristly grey mustache, is even more thin and hyperkinetic than Tom. He runs an electronics shop that is wall to wall junk and half-assembled appliances. He has apparently taken his street handle from an old pre-Matrix file service of shady legality - he was irritated when Tom didn't get the reference. He and Tom go back a ways, back to when Tom worked for the Yaks and helped Napster out with "alternate" payments for the Yaks' protection rackets (after Tom got booted out, they stopped "coddling" him, and eventually he had to sell them the place dirt cheap and move to his current, smaller store - which is away from the Yaks, at least, and the local gang is far more reasonable in their "protection" rates). Napster always has some stuff lying around - it may not be quite what you were looking for, but often it's close enough.

Sal Bonner (Mechanic, Level: 1) is a beefy guy with a few missing teeth and slicked-back hair, who loves to work on cars, and bets on stock car racing (usually not successfully). He can get a car running, or call a few buddies over to strip a "hot" car for parts. Sometimes he might even have a used vehicle to sell - such vehicles tend to be overpriced and on the junky side, but they are usually functional, at least.

I put it in spoiler tags, so it wouldn't take up so much space on the thread.

[Lilt]

As an interesting note: Is a magician's way adept's Spell pool based on his actual magic rating (6 naturally) or his magician's way power rating? It says that you use Sorcery and Conjuring with an effective Magic Attribute equal to your level in Magical Power, but would that also apply to spell pool?

I'd be say it is based on the magical power rating but I'd like to hear other people's oppinions.

[GunnerJ]

Just a note, Glyph: Shamans of the Sun must have a minimum Charisma of 4.

[Lilt]

Also: If a character was to take a voluntary geas for the *0.75pp cost on his magical power, can he then take a geas to offset magic loss?

[Herald of Verjig...]

Yes, the magic loss prevention geas can be removed by initiation, but until then, all relevant geasa for a power must be met to use that power.

[Lilt]

OK. Here's my attempt at a rigger/decker/samurai/mage/adept. He uses cyberware above alpha grade, cultured bioware, and used spell points to initiate at character generation. He was also built using the sum-to-ten system. He may not fit some people's descriptions of "sammie" or "adept" but I think he works.

Generation system: Sum-to-ten + Balanced Edges/Flaws
4: magic (Full) (Hermetic Magician's Way Adept)
4: Resources (1M)
1: Race(Dwarf)
1: Attributes (21)
0: Skills (27)
Flaws:
Chronic Ostiocusps (-10)
Dual Natured (-5)
Matrix Addiction (light) (-2)
Edges:
Ambidexterity-Full (8)
Aptitude (edged weapons) (4) (another skill might be better)
Bonus Attribute Point (Int) (2)
Vehicle Empathy (2)
Night Vision for Riggers/Deckers (1)

Name: Jack
Archetype: Yes, most of them
Race: Dwarf Changeling

Attributes
B: 4
Q: 3(6)
S: 3(5)
C: 2
I: 7(9)
W: 7

R: 7 base, 8 physical, 9 rigging, 11 decking
I: 1d6 base. +3d6 from spell, +1d6 from VCR, +1d6 from Deck

Pools:
Combat: 11
Control: 9
Hacking: 8
Spell: 7
Task: 1 (applcable to int-linked skills)

Active Skills:
Centering 6, Sorcery(Spellcasting) 5(7), Conjuring 2, Edged Weapons(Katana) 3(5), Pistols (Browning U.P.) 2(4), Computer(Decking) 4(6), Ettiquette 1.

Knowledge skills:
Criticism 6 (Also his centering skill, see below), Physics 6, Chemistry 6, Biology 6, Bushido Philosophy 6, Forensic Science 6, Talismongering 6, Engineering 3.

Language skills: English (Cityspeak) 4(6), Japanese 2, German 2, Speretheil 2, Shalish 2.

Cyberware:
VCR 1 (Used Deltaware), Math SPU 3 (Used Deltaware), Datajack (Used Deltaware)
Essence loss: 1.2
Bioware:
Cerebral Booster 2, Enhanced Articulation, Trauma dampener, Cultured Muscle Aug 2, Muscle Toner 3
Bio Index: 3.6

Magic loss: 1.2 + (3.6/2) = 3
Offset by Gesure geas applied magical power

Adept Powers
Magical Power (6), 3 points geased, gives 36 spell points + magic rating 6 for magical skills.

Spell Points:
3: Join Magical Group
9: Initiate, Oath ordeal, learn Centering
10: Initiate, Thesis Ordeal, Apply centering to Vehicle skills (or technical if you're that way inclined)
1: Increase Reflexes +3
1: ^-Bind Sustaining Focus
1: Improved Invisibility
1: ^-Bind Sustaining Focus
4: Exclusive Heal 6
4: Exclusive Stunball 6
1: Exclusive Levitate 3
1: Oxygenate

Deck & Programs:
Novatech Hyperdeck 6
Analyse, Browse, Commlink, Deception, Decrypt, Read/Write, Relocate, Spoof, Validate, Sleaze, Deadly attack, Cloak, and Medic all at rating 6
Scanner rating 4
1000MP active storage upgrade (not installed yet)
1000MP off-line storage

BMW Blitzen
Dikoted Katana & Wakasashi
2*Browning UP
General Clips, Ammo, Armor, Stuff

1 month Medium Lifestyle
1 month 20-member Luxury Resourced Magical Group Dues (5k)
Microtronics Kit
Vehicle kit
Talismongering kit
Rating 4 Conjuring Library
Chalk

Hmm. I've probably forgotten something, but you get the general idea. He centers through picking holes in and criticising his opponent's actions/the world in general. It's a form of meditation.

PS: Can anyone see anything rules-wise against adepts centering on technical skills (IE: Computer) whilst decking? What avout vehicle skills whilst rigging? I had a quick look but didn't see anything. That would be really quite powerful if it was possible.

[Glyph]

D'oh. Forgot about the Charisma requirement. I suppose you could change his Totem to Sky Father.

I don't think there's anything in the book saying you can't take a Magic loss-offsetting geas on a power you've geased for lower cost, although keeping that many geasa could be problematic. In Tom's case, it's only the geas for Magic loss that he's taken.

He didn't turn out that bad, actually. If he joined a team of runners, he could be useful to them. Point build system characters, it would depend on how many points. For 120 points, such a character would be spread far too thin to be effective at more than one or two of his/her many roles. But for the 140+ point builds, you could make such a character pretty darn effective. For comparison, I think Tom translates to about 130 build points.

[Lilt]

Jack (Short for Samurai Jack of all trades BTW) is effectively 134 BPs, I think the max possible with the priorities sytsem is 135BPs if you take resources, magic, atts, race, and skills respectively from A to E.

Hey: When you're trying to squeeze *that* much out of a character then it seems perfectly reasonable to choose the standard system that does it best. That said, I've not tried Becks but I think it might be good. I hear becks is good for rounded characters with middle-level skills.

[edit=Yup] Becks 425 comes-out around even with sum to 10, I piped some exta karma in from the flaws (the aptitude is kinda unnessecary) and it has 6 general-purpose karma to spare. It also has slightly fewer knowledge skills (45 points in knowledge skills was slightly OTT anyway). [/edit]

[Austere Emancipa...]

[Lilt]

I think I remember hearing before that Becks was good for adepts. I'm sorely tempted to try and make a centering adept at some point with it. Centering adepts: Extremely high attributes, an extremely high centering skill (8-10), an extremely high initiate rating, and centering every time applied to many different skill areas.

[Jason Farlander]

For even more fun, make a houserule such that your centering adept can apply centering to his centering skill.

[Lilt]

A quickened Analyse Device spell would be invaluable to a jack-of-all trades character such-as this one. It's unlikely to help much for big armoured vehicles but for work on electronics or computers (OR ~8 to 10+) and the like you could get some good bonuses (+3 to +6) to B/R and background knowledge skills on anything within 36m, maybe even 360m if you go with the extended version.

IE: as you walk into a building you instantly accquire background knowledge and B/R skills at rating 6 (or increase your own skills by 6) relating to the security systems, the guard's weapons, the drinks machines, the cleaning robots, the VCR in the guard post, and the manager's chair!

[Kagetenshi]