Starting a new game., or at least gathering interest. Options

[Crank]

I know you said that you're going to be nitpicking each character this week. Does this mean that you're going to finish that and then make the final selection?

[ravensoracle]

I'll be making a final selection this week. I like the characters that have been submitted and I MAY go above my limit of 5. But if I do I will be very strict about keeping the game going. I think I've been pretty explicit about this from the beginning, that I have no qualms about dropping someone who drags down the game. Especially if it is at risk of dying.

This next part may seem like a jerk move, it does to me. But I am doing it anyway. If anyone has seen that a player that has submitted a character has been the death of another game, PM with this information. I won't call anyone out in a public forum but I want to know so it can be addressed. I am putting a lot of work into this game. I'm an insomniac so I have a lot of late nights already devoted. I just don't want to waste my time on a venture that may likely fail. The chances already for a game to survive on these forums are slim.

[BlackHat]

Knowing each other is completely up to you. Come up with a good story and I'll most likely approve it. It does take some of the awkwardness out of the initial meeting.

This will probably be easier later in the week, after people know who is in the team.

That said, I put some stuff in Tag's BG/50 about being extracted from a research facility, and being kept (as additional payment - and, later, as a contributing member) by the team which did the extraction. In order to make room for Tag to join a new team, however, I wrote that the other team had a botched job, and are now either dead, laying low, or retired... which leaves Tag looking for another way to make itself useful, and to pay for its maintenance.

If Tag is a part of the final cut, and anyone is interested, having the current team be the team that did the extraction (or at least have a few people in common) would be fine by me, and makes for a better story than Tag's old team conveniently disappearing. But, I can work with it, either way.

[cndblank]

I'm all for everyone knowing at least one other person.

Keeps the game going.

Best of both worlds really since we really are trying to learn how to work together. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


I'm open to suggestions on joint background.

[cndblank]

Kit's sheet been updated. Still have not spend final 100K and gear is not finalized.

Touching up the 50 questions next.

Open to suggestions

[cndblank]

On casting an illusion spell on sensors.

It is 4 successes to overcome the Object Resistance of a camera or sensor with an illusion spell, correct?

And that applies even to a drone's sensors?

[ravensoracle]

I'd have to look it up and I am AFB, anyone know off hand.

[BlackHat]

Tough to say. A drone (and other computers, vehicles, etc) are "6+" but electronic equipment is "4". I suppose for illusion spells you don't need to affect the entire drone, just its camera-sensor, so it looks reasonable to me at first glance.

[ravensoracle]

Just got a call. The Universal Joint just went out on my SUV, I am having to got pick it up and trailer it home. I will be on for the next hour while I wait for the trailer to get here but then my plans are shot for the rest of the day. Take all plans for the game so far and bump it back at least a day.

[zzyxzs]

Official errata has changed object resistance thresholds to 3 for sensors, 5+ for drones, hasn't it?

[BlackHat]

Official errata has changed object resistance thresholds to 3 for sensors, 5+ for drones, hasn't it?

Yeah, I just looked that up, and you're right. The fact that it calls out sensors, specifically, rather than just "electronic equipment" makes it pretty clear in this case that the OR should be 3.

[cndblank]

So it is 3 successes to fool the drone's sensors that I'm not here with my Improved Invisibility spell.

And 5 successes to use my Shape Metal spell to change all the drone's metal parts to liquid (Bye Bye firing pin, Bye Bye magazine spring, Bye Bye ball bearings, Bye Bye 4 independent electric motor drive wheels. Bye Bye antenna, Bye Bye battery cable, Bye Bye drone)


Pretty damn hard to do but sounds fair considering.

[ravensoracle]

While I do reward creativity, I will admit I am a hardass about allowing something that is a insta-kill spell like that when there are other spells out there designed to take out a drone that require more hits and cause greater drain.

EDIT: For something like that I'd probably up the threshold slightly. I like to think that I am a laidback GM and let most things fly but I do differentiate between rule use and abuse. Not saying your idea isn't a good one. I like it, but like I said I'd probably add a to the threshold simply because of using it in a combat application like that and expecting inst-death.

[pbangarth]

While I do reward creativity, I will admit I am a hardass about allowing something that is a insta-kill spell like that when there are other spells out there designed to take out a drone that require more hits and cause greater drain.

EDIT: For something like that I'd probably up the threshold slightly. I like to think that I am a laidback GM and let most things fly but I do differentiate between rule use and abuse. Not saying your idea isn't a good one. I like it, but like I said I'd probably add a to the threshold simply because of using it in a combat application like that and expecting inst-death.

Rather than upping the threshold, you might consider that the machine is made of contiguous and interlocking pieces that are still separate, and take into account line of sight. Whatever metal the the mage can see, he can affect, but other pieces not fused to the parts he can see remain untouched. This may make the spell still a damn fine spell, but not necessarily an 'instakill'.

[Crank]

While I do reward creativity, I will admit I am a hardass about allowing something that is a insta-kill spell like that when there are other spells out there designed to take out a drone that require more hits and cause greater drain.

EDIT: For something like that I'd probably up the threshold slightly. I like to think that I am a laidback GM and let most things fly but I do differentiate between rule use and abuse. Not saying your idea isn't a good one. I like it, but like I said I'd probably add a to the threshold simply because of using it in a combat application like that and expecting inst-death.

Another option is in cases like that, treat the spell like a damaging manipulation spell. Give the Drone resistance instead of the threshold of 5 and net hits do damage.

[ravensoracle]

That is an interesting way of putting it. I like that and will use it. As an aside, anyone feel free at any time to make suggestions like this anytime. I think we're all experienced players and many of us GM. I know I am not perfect and others have ideas better than mine.

[zzyxzs]

Also, the object resistance threshold for drones is "5+" not 5, so a threshold higher than 5 would still be within the listed guidelines.

On another note, I've updated my sheet with the latest changes (mostly contacts, gear, qualities, and an updated questionnaire) here.

[cndblank]

I was looking for an example of a spell that needed the full 5 successes vs a simple physical Illusion spell only needing the 3 rather than plotting any insta-Drone-icide. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

The only being able to change the metal that is visible (or directly connected to a visible piece of metal) would certainly slow you down considering how common plastic panels are on cars now let alone in 50 years. And is perfectly valid. Had the same issues come up when my players tried to Tunnel up a mountain using Shape Stone. And I certain agree that the smaller drones would likely have little metal in them at all.

I picked Shape Metal because I assume that HVAC duct works are still use metal (tin/aluminum) and metal grates are still common in air and sewer systems. I understand Jail bars are usually ceramic or plasteel to prevent monofilament saws from making short work of them.


Well Shape Material has the same drain as a Power Ball spell. And you have to break the material free from an existing structure (you can reduced the structure rating by the force of the spell per combat turn which would do in most medium drones but then so would a Powerball.)

Not to mention that it would do nothing to Plasteel or carbon fiber composite.


How about using Animate or Glue against a drone (as a purely academic examples)?


Speaking of being creative, One thought does come to mind.
Shape Metal is an area effect spell.

So assume a gun is mostly metal and most of the metal components are connected
And given that she could not effect a gun designed with ceramic or plasteel components.
Also assuming that there is no shortage of targets that are clearly visible and with in the area of effect.

How any could she weld solid (and unusable) in a single action? One per force of spell per combat turn? Or just one per action?
Or is that being ridicules?

Course the damm miniguns are likely compost barrels design to handle the super high heat levels.

[Red-ROM]

Remember that for Attributes, you can spend half of your starting Karma, plus twice the listed BP cost for your metatype. So an ork can spend 375 + (20 x 2), or 415.

I didn't differentiate between the 750 and the 100 Karma because I didn't do anything post-chargen with it (buying Attributes past the 415 limit, getting a second skill at 6, etc.).

I figured as much, but your karma already added up to 850 with the core attributes listed at 345, i'm not trying to be a dick, feel free to check my math too

[ravensoracle]

Ok guys before I leave I have made a decision. I like the characters submitted so far so I am going out on a limb and aloowing all characters submitted to join the game. I am still with-holding final approval on all characters until I get to look over them better but the concepts are accepted. Welcome to the game everyone. Now don't disappoint me and let's all work to keep this game going.

To move things along a little quicker, everyone review each others characters. Point out any number crunching errors or glaring mistakes. I promise as soon as I get the car situation dealt with I will dedicate time to final approval of characters.

[zzyxzs]

Urban Explorer Jumpsuit: 6/6 [6] {500¥}
-Biomonitor {300¥}

The Urban Explorer Jumpsuit has a built-in biomonitor. You just saved 300¥!

[malachite333]

Since we're doing the peer review thing here's my character.

[ Spoiler ]

Name Dr Richard Benson Hoffer
Alias Dr Antony Dobbs

He's 4ft11 with brown hair, green eyes and olive skin. He typically wears expensive and discreetly armored suits.

Metatype Dwarf

Attributes

[ Spoiler ]

Body 3 15
Agility 4 45
Reaction 4 (7) 45
Strength 3
Charisma 5 70
Intuition 4 45
Logic 5 70
Willpower 4 35
Magic 8 175
Initiation level 2 29
Initiative 11
Initiative passes 4

Qualities

[ Spoiler ]

Positive Qualities : Adept 10, Erased 20, analytical mind 10, college education 10
Negative qualities: Sensitive system -30, Sensitive neural structure-10, low pain tolerance -20, sinner -10

Active skills

[ Spoiler ]

Biotech 4 55
two extra ranks in medicine 22
Medicine specialization in trauma surgery 2
First aid specialization in combat injuries 2
Pistols 3 14
specialization in semi autos 2
Influence 4 55
Negotiation specialization in bargaining 2
Electronics 1 10
Perception 4 22
Assensing 4 22
Specialization in aura reading 2
Arcana 4 22
Pilot ground 1 4

Knowledge skills

[ Spoiler ]

Magus factor 5 (6)
Cloning techniques 5 (6)
Neuroscience 5 (6)
Psychology 4 (5)
Cutting edge surgical techniques 3 (4)
Spy thriller simsense 2
French cuisine 1
Academic politics 1 2 karma

Adept powers

[ Spoiler ]

Improved reflexes 3 (4)
Improved ability 3 (.75) (Medicine)
Eidetic sense memory .5
Analytics 1 (.25)
Kinesics 2 (1)
Multitasking 0.5
Astral perception 1

Metamagic
Sensing
Psychometry

Gear

[ Spoiler ]

Gear 61990 nuyen 25 karma

Lifestyle High 2 months 20000
Ares predator 350
Colt america 150
Hammerli 620s 650
Yamaha sakura fubuki 2000
Ares viper sliver gun 500
hidden arm slide 350
Concealable holster x3 75 x3 225
personalized grip x5 500
external smartlink x5 2000
skinlink x5 250
powered folding stock in sliver gun 100
160 regular rounds 320
160 apds rounds 1120
60 flechette rounds 600
contact lense rating 3 150
smartlink 500
flare compensation 50
image link 25
Actioneer buisness clothes 1500
Zoe Executive business clothe 2700
Vashon synergist business line 3300
All mortimer of london clothes 10400
Victory industrius line winterized coverall and jumpsuit 1700
Secure tech PPP all but helmet 900 +2/+4
Laes cigarette x20 500
tarnsys avalon 5000
Novatech navi 1500
trode net 50
Fake sin rating 4 4000
Fake firearm license 4 400
Fake concealed carry licence 4 400
Fake medical license 4 400
Medkit rating 6 600
Biomonitor 300

Contacts

[ Spoiler ]

Contacts loyalty connection 43 karma
“Lou” fixer 6 5
“Mez” Hacker 3 5
Reginald Street Samurai 2 2
Saul Shark lawyer 3 3
Frankie “Talent” scout 2 5
Mr Whiles ID manufacturer 2 4

50+ questions

[ Spoiler ]

1. What is your characters Sex? Male


2. What is your characters physical size? 4ft1


3. What is the color of the characters Hair, eyes, and skin?
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Skin: Olive

4. What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does he dress, etc.)?
Always dresses sharply, always in a suit unless he's doing surgery.


5. Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?
Seattle

6. What is the characters date of birth?
13th March 2040

7. What was the character's family life like?
Comfortable, loving and peacefull.

8. Has the character begun his own family?
No

9. Where or how was the character educated?
University

10. Has the character ever done anything else for a living?
Ran a small shadow clinic for 3 years

11. What are the characters beliefs on church and state?
Concerning separation of them, he wants separation due to some religious elements beliefs concerning magic and research. Otherwise he doesn't care as long he has as little to do with them as possible, including not paying taxes.

12. Describe the characters Moral code. Include how mercenary he is, whether or not he'll kill innocents, etc.
Mostly mercenary, he does what he doe to fund a good standard of living. He's no cold blooded killer so he won't do the actual “wet” part of wetwork and he definitly won't kill innocents. Concerning his word, it's his bond unless he planned on breaking it from the beginning.

13. What are the character have any goals?
To get enough money to restart his clinic and hopefully do some decent research into growing sentient wimps and into the magus gene.

14. Why does the character run the shadows? (Why does he run the shadows still, rather than getting a "real" job?)
He absolutely detests the idea of A: working in a corp or government B:Paying taxes and C: He may have watched a few too many trids.

15. What kind of personality does your character have? This should not necessarily be obviously stated in the background, as it is more important for actually playing the character, but it may color or add mood to the history.
He can be somewhat pompous, usually within the confines of his own head. He's generally self assured, a little bit overconfident and has a great love of living the high life.


16. What special qualities does the character possess? This does not refer to skills, but rather at other things, such as How he gets along with people, does he plan ahead, etc.
He's charming, an experienced dissembler and bargainer. He considers his book smarts to be as useful as street smarts so he likes to keep a regularly updated psychological profile of people he deals with. Considering planning, he won't plan everything out but he always looks before he jumps/

17. Are their certain things the character can't or won't do? Why?
Share his scientific theories or pay taxes to corps or the governent, because both the ideas and money are his. He won't kill a child and I don't think an explanation is needed for that.

18. What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?
People who want something for nothing, you should earn things even if it is by organising a successful heist or a clever con.

19. What things people, or ideas does the character love?
Fine living, scientific freedoms and people who respect his booksmarts.

20. What is the character's name? Give both full birth name, as well as nicknames, street names, etc.
Name Dr Richard Benson Hoffer
Alias Dr Antony Dobbs

21. Determine what your character used to do, before becoming a shadowrunner (very important).
Ran a shadow clinic and a student.

22. Decide why your character left his or her old job, if he had one. (also important).
His black market equipment was busted while in storage and he couldn't really claim insurance for it or demand that the Yaks reimburse him.

23. Come up with a reason for why the character became a shadowrunner. (This very often will tie in with #22. This is not the same as #14, but rather why he started running the shadows originally. What led him to it?)
He needed quick dishonest money to set up his clinic again.

24. How did your character come to know his or her contacts? Contacts are an important part of Shadowrun, decide how and why you know them.
He became a good drinking buddy (and sometimes more) of Lou his fixer while in college, his other contacts where otherwise introduced to him by Lou or came rushing through his clinic doors holding their guts in.


25. Does the character have a SIN? Does the character actually use it? Or is the character one of the SINless_masses? This may be affected by the characters previous employment.
He has a legal SIN which he only uses for legal things and he has a fake one for the illegal stuff. Both are completely clean thanks to a hacker acquaintance.
26. Is the character a full-time shadowrunner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?
Full time but hopefully only temporary.

27. Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?
He secretly(?) loves Lou.
28. Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?
Evo they pretty much stole one of his theses and used it for some research whithout cutting him in.
29. Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?
.Evo because he feels they do some pretty damned good research.

30. Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?
Aztechnology mainly because he's some blood curdling rumours about them.

31. What is your favorite color?
Orange

32. What is your favorite food and/or drink?
Cock au vin and “original” recipe cola, one of his customers had a small hydrofarm and gave him a case of the stuff as thanks.

33. What place would you most like to visit?
Any delta level research lab, other than that the free fall resort.

34. Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
Himself and his fixer.

35. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment? (WARNING: Answering Sex for this question can and will result in penalties to your character!)
Drinking real drink, eating real food and spy thriller simsense.

36. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
Playing pool

37. What annoys you the most?
Whining

38. What (if any) is your favorite form of art?
Chimera pets

39. What is your greatest goal?
To be able to force grow a fully sentient clone.

40. What do you think is your characters best quality?
Adaptability

41. What do you think is your characters worst quality?
Overconfidence



42. What is the most important thing you have ever done?
Initiation


43. Which religion (if any) do you follow?
None

44. What is your most treasured possession (and why)?
A gold ring that was his dad's.

45. What are your three most common dreams?
Since very rarely remember any part of my dreams and have never to my knowledge had the same dream more than once I can't actually answer this for my character. It's just too much out of my experience.

46. What is the Characters current relationship with his family?
None

47. If the characters family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?
They're dead

48. Where did the character learn his Skills?
All the biotech ones he learned at college, influence he picked up over the years, electronics picked up through experience with computers. Pistols he learned from a black market trainer. Pilot ground craft he got from learning how to drive for his test. And he learned arcana and assensing at his second stint in college.

49. Does the character have a good luck charm? What is it, and why?
No

50. What type of music does the character like?
Goblin rock because he can feel it in his bones.

51. List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.
The closest he's ever got to a serious relationship is the occasional drunken dalliance with Lou.

52. Where does your character live? Why does he live there?
An apartment in downtown Seattle, it's safe, it's swish and it's well placed for leisure.

53. Remember, I, as most Gamemasters, like detail, so if you can think of any other little details, quirks, or whatever that you think might please the almighty GM, then add them here.

Background

[ Spoiler ]

Name Dr Richard Benson Hoffer
Alias Dr Antony Dobbs

Metatype: Dwarf

Age: 31

Richard was born to Lynda and Jason Benson Hoffer a dwarvern stockbroker and human doctor respectively on 13th March 2040 in Seattle. He was blessed with a happy childhood, loving and wealthy parents and a peaceful environment. Richard excelled at school and eventually decided to follow in his fathers footsteps by becoming a doctor and enrolled at university at the age of 18 majoring in medicine and minoring in psychology.
He greatly enjoyed his time in uni absorbing himself in his studies, living up the student lifestyle and flashing his cash around as much as possible which led to quite a bit of alienation as people got tired of it. Because of this he decided to find a new watering hole and the one he chose happened to be the favourite haunt of an elf fixer named Lou. They eventually struck up a friendship and have been very good buddies ever since.
Richard passed his course and to everyone's great surprise steadily awakened over the time of his graduation. Richard took to his awakening very well, he developed an intuitive knack for medicine and a perfect memory among other things which allowed him to finish his doctorate in only 4 years. Sadly though shortly after he graduated the rash of 65 occurred and he ended up losing his parents in the ensuing turmoil.
Despite the trauma of the crash he still had to eat and luckily his parents had kept large rainy day fund in the form of credsticks and corporate bonds. With the help of Leo he managed to acquire the equipment and materials to set up a a good quality shadow clinic using the general chaos to get it on the cheap. For the next 3 years he ran the clinic serving the more 'discreet' clientèle of Seattle and making valuable contacts in the shadows.
Although he never fully realized it, he was subconsciously working towards initiation until one day a team brought in there who after a fault with his commlink had left him vulnerable was rendered almost brain-dead by the matrix security of the node he was hacking into. Relishing the challenge and with the aid of a dose of long haul spent the next 4 days performing drastic and somewhat experimental surgery on him managed to fully heal with barely any long term neurological damage after which Richard subsequently passed out.
When he finally woke up he was shocked to find that he was astrally perceiving and after some help
form the teams mage learned what was happening and how to turn it off. After thinking about the ramifications of what happened he decided that if higher education helped to bring about his talent then it would help him to understand it better and further refine it. So he put had his med equipment safely stored in warehouse and did a cause on arcane theory for 4 years, managed to initiate again and learned how to properly use his new-found sight. When he went to set up shop again he found that all his equipment had been destroyed due to some weaponised nanotech that had been improperly (and illegally) stored at the same facility.
With only two months left on his homes lease and not enough money to set up another clinic he decided to start shadowrunning to make up the shortfall.

[pbangarth]

Wow, malachite333, two of us with Sensing and Psychometry! And other Adept powers the same too. I wonder if Bongo and Antony know each other.

[malachite333]

You're right they do share a lot of powers. If Bongo ever got shot up and needed patching up off the books they could very well have met.

[Glyph]

I figured as much, but your karma already added up to 850 with the core attributes listed at 345, i'm not trying to be a dick, feel free to check my math too

Null sweat, I know you were just trying to be helpful.