Another character build: Western gunfighter adept, The Sixgun Samurai? Options

[TallMan]

Here's another character build. I'm looking for feedback and advice regarding its construction. The concept here is a gunslinger adept with an unhealthy obsession with Westerns and Old West gunfighters, instead of HKA movies and Chow Yun Fat. The character is supposed to be a young kid with preternatural shooting skills out to make a name for himself as a shadowrunner. Several of his gear and skill choices are designed around this concept, so not all choices are optimal. As with my last build, this character was created with karmagen and the 1f version of DamienKnight's character generator spreadsheet. Any feedback you might offer is appreciated. Thanks.

Clay Hardin, aka The Two-Gun Kid
Race: Human
Attributes:
Bod 4
Agi 5
Rea 4/7
Str 3
Cha 3
Int 4
Log 2
Wil 3
Edg 3
Mag 6

Essence: 6
Initiative: 8/11
Initiative Passes: 1/4
Physical Damage Track: 10
Stun Damage Track: 10
Armor: 10/7 (lined coat, FFBA, forearm and shin guards)

Active Skills:
Combat Skills:
Clubs 2 (Specialization: Improvised Weapons)
Dodge 3
Longarms 3 (Specialization: Rifles)
Pistols 7 [9] (Specialization: Revolvers)
Unarmed Combat 4 (Specialization: Martial Arts)

Physical Skills:
Athletics Group 2
Disguise 2
Palming 2 (Specialization: Concealing Equipment)
Perception 2
Infiltration 3 (Specialization: Urban)
Shadowing 3

Social Skills:
Influence Group 3
Intimidation 2

Vehicle Skills:
Pilot Ground Craft 1 (Specialization: Motorcycles)

Knowledge Skills:
AK: Firearm Design 2
AK: History 3
IN: Gambling 3
IN: Matrix Games 2
IN: Westerns 4

Language Skills:
English N
Spanish 3

Qualities:
Ambidextrous
Aptitude (Pistols)
Martial Arts 3 (Krav Maga: Ready Weapon and Take Aim as free actions, Firefight: +1 to shoot in melee)
Braggart
Sensitive System
Signature (leaves a pair of Warhawk bullets at the scene of the crime)
Thrill Seeker

Maneuvers:
Blind Fighting
Kick Attack

Adept Powers:
Attribute Boost (Agility) 1
Combat Sense 1
Improved Combat Ability (Pistols) 2
Improved Reflexes 3
Nimble Fingers

Gear and Lifestyle (245,000Y):
3 mos. custom lifestyle (parent's house in Bellevue; C3/E4/Nec3/Nei3/S3; Negative Qualities: Ambusher's Delight, Living With Parents, Nosy Neighbors, 1700/mo)
Modified Sony Emperor with Modified Iris Orb OS (R3/Sig3/F5/Sys3) and AR gloves, sim module, trodes, skinlink, subvocal microphone (Programs: Analyze 3, Browse 3, Command 3, Edit 3, Encrypt 3, Purge 3, Reality Filter 3, Scan 3, Miracle Shooter w/ 3 mos. subscription, 2 VR games)
1 year Docwagon Gold contract
2 Fake SINs, rating 4
Fake SIN, rating 2
10 fake licenses, rating 4 (2 each for smartlink, pistols, rifle)
Glasses, rating 4 w/ image link, low light, smartlink, vision magnification
Ear buds, rating 2 w/ audio enhancements 2, spatial recognizer
Tag eraser
2 concealable holsters
3 stim patches, rating 6
1 trauma patch

Weapons:
2 customized Ruger Super Warhawks w/ advanced safety (spike), ammo skip system, custom look 2, increased cylinder, melee hardening, smartgun system
Customized Remington 950 Sporting Rifle w/ smartgun system

Ammunition:
8 speed loaders
130 EX-explosive rounds
130 Stick-n-Shock rounds
160 regular rounds

Armor:
Lined coat w/ fire resistant 3 and insulation 3
Form-Fitting Body Armor, half-suit, w/ nonconductivity 3 and thermal dampening 3
Forearm Guards
Shin Guards

Vehicles:
Suzuki Mirage w/ 2 run-flat tires, morphing license plate, spoof chip

Contacts:
Fixer (Loyalty 3/Connection 5)
Journalist (Loyalty 4/Connection 3)

A few notes: the journo contact is a reporter for a major newsnet; the Kid loves to brag, so he tells the reporter about his exploits and feeds him purloined data in return for info and the occasional meeting with one of the journalist's sources. The Kid's negative qualities mean he'll probably build up a rep pretty quickly, and his signature means it will be relatively easy to piece together his history. Despite this, though, he's not particularly unprofessional when on the job. It's after the fact, when he's relaxing, that he's likely to start talking too much and get into trouble. The idea is that he should always be very close to becoming a liability, but his shooting skills and his competence in other areas keeps him as an asset.

[Critias]

Why the specialization in "Martial Arts" (aka, "the free +2") if you're out to make him sub-optimal and stick with a theme?

[TallMan]

Some of my build choices are sub-optimal for thematic reasons, but that doesn't mean they all are. The martial arts specialization could be replaced by "kicks" for much the same effect, since his hands are typically occupied when he's fighting up close. When he's in melee, he'll typically use his pistols as clubs, since he's not really capable of doing much damage otherwise.

[Longshot1650]

Why the specialization in "Martial Arts" (aka, "the free +2") if you're out to make him sub-optimal and stick with a theme?

I agree with that statement but to go even further I don't really see the point in the rating 4 unarmed in the first place when you have other fall backs in place already. I mean you melee hardened your rugers so whats the point of kicking somebody in the face who got to close for base 2 stun with 11/12 when you can crack them upside the head with you gun for X physical (don't know where the damage on this is)or fire a stick and shock round into their chest with 17 dice for base 6 stun.

On another note: a small recommendation on my part is looking into the Full Offense maneuver, a real gem for mid to long range characters seeing as you only lose the ability to dodge melee attacks. Another little point is you could also try to talk to your GM on getting a Martial Arts specialization on your pistol skill because I can see close quarters gun fighting to be well within the teachings of both Krav and Firefight so if you ever got caught you could shoot people at point blank with any pistol, like the hold out you palm off of the guard.

math wrong didn't include point blank bonus

This post has been edited by Longshot1650: Mar 16 2010, 04:37 AM

[Manunancy]

I see the unarmed skill as a fallback options to be used in places shere you can't bring in your guns. The rugers are big honkin' mofos that no serious security staff wants inside his area of responsability unless poreperly vetted and accounted for.
Dropping it would make the character even more of a one-trick pony, completely dependent on his guns and screwed ifhe an't have them.

[Longshot1650]

I see the unarmed skill as a fallback options to be used in places shere you can't bring in your guns. The rugers are big honkin' mofos that no serious security staff wants inside his area of responsability unless poreperly vetted and accounted for.
Dropping it would make the character even more of a one-trick pony, completely dependent on his guns and screwed ifhe an't have them.

Sorry I have a bad habit of being misleading with my words. It's wasn't so much the matter of having it as it was the fact of it being noticeably higher than what looked like the primary melee fall back. I can wholeheartedly agree on having fallback options available because I know the feeling of not having them.

And I just looked at arsenal to find the pistol whip damage and yeah kicking them in the face doesn't look so bad in comparison now.

[TallMan]

The unarmed is supposed to be a fallback, but you're right that it's higher than it needs to be. I dropped it to 2 and used the points to boost Clubs to 3 and Longarms to 4. I might rearrange his gear a bit and give him a stun baton which he can carry into (some) high-security areas.

[ZeroPoint]

Or a defiance-EX Shocker...since it uses the pistol skill, is a taser (and thus same restrictions as a stun baton and more easily concealable i would think), and can be used in melee (not sure what skill you would use in that case though). Also, I think it does more stun damage.

*edit* and the taser/stun club works well as our cowboy's cattle prod

[Squinky]

I would change Unarmed (martial arts) into Unarmed (punching guys to make them roll down hills) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The concept you have is coming across pretty well I think.

[X-Kalibur]

I'm still waiting for someone to make a good cyber six gun samurai.

I should totally get on that.

[TallMan]

I've been thinking about a cyber version with cyberholsters in the legs, Robocop style. If I get something together, I'll post it.

[Glyph]

Here's a cybered gunfighter build:

[ Spoiler ]

Lucky Gunslinger

BREAKDOWN (400 Points)
Core Attributes: 190
Special Attributes: 75
Race: 0 (Human)
Active Skills: 100
Qualities: -5
Contacts: 5
Resources: 35

=Attributes=
Body: 5
Agility: 5(9)
Reaction: 5(9)
Strength: 2
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 3
Logic: 2
Willpower: 3
Edge: 8

Essence: 0.70
Initiative: 10
Initiative Passes: 3
Physical Damage Track: 11
Stun Track: 10

Current Karma: 0
Total Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Noteriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0

=Qualities=
Allergy: Seawater, Mild
Ambidexterity
Lucky
Records on File
Restricted Gear (x 1)
Scorched
Sensitive Neural Structure
Weak Immune System

=Active Skills=
Dodge/Ranged: 2/+2
Influence Skill Group: 1
Intimidation/Physical: 2/+2
Monofilament Whip: 4(5)
Perception: 3
Pilot Ground Vehicle/Bike: 2/+2
Pistols/Revolvers: 6(7)/+2

=Knowledge Skills=
Languages>
English: N
Salish: 4

Other>
Country Music: 1
Gang Identification: 3
Old West Flatvids: 2
Security Systems: 3
Underworld Politics: 2

=Cyberware=
Attention Coprocessor: 3
Cybereyes III with:
>Flare Compensation
>Low-Light Vision
>Smartlink
>Vision Enhancement: 3
>Vision Magnification
Fingertip Compartment
>with Monofilament Whip
Radar Sensor: 4
Reaction Enhancers: 2
Wired Reflexes: 2

=Bioware=
Muscle Toner: 4
Reflex Recorders:
>Monofilament Whip
>Pistols

=Contacts=
Fixer (Connection: 3/Loyalty: 2)

=Lifestyle=
Low (1 Month prepaid)
Starting Money: 3d6 x 50 Nuyen

=Equipment=
ID/Credsticks:
Fake ID (Rating: 4), Fake Cyberware (3) and Bioware (1) Permits (Rating: 4 each), Fake Gun Registration (Rating: 4), Fake Concealed Carry Permit (Rating: 4), 4 Certified Credsticks.

DocWagon Contract:
Basic (1 Year).

Weapons:
>2 Ruger Super Warhawks with internal smartlinks and skinlink modifications, 2 concealable holsters, 120 EX explosive rounds of ammo.

Armor/Clothing:
Armor Jacket with Fire Resistance: 6 and Nonconductivity: 6; FFBA Half Suit, PPP Forearm and Shin Guards (discrete protection version); 1,500 Nuyen worth of assorted clothing.

Commlink/Software/Simsense:
Novatech Airware Commlink with ISIS Orb OS, skinlink, sim module, trodes, and subvocal mic; 5 - Rating: 3 Programs (Analyze, Browse, Command, Edit, and Encrypt), Virtual Surround Music.

Vehicles:
Yamaha Growler off-road bike, Thundercloud Contrail racing bike.

Other:
Sports bag (100 Nuyen cost), Survival Kit, Medkit (Rating: 6) with 2 refills, Trauma Patch, Operations Cleanup Toolkit.

[dannyortiz]

I see the unarmed skill as a fallback options to be used in places shere you can't bring in your guns. The rugers are big honkin' mofos that no serious security staff wants inside his area of responsability unless poreperly vetted and accounted for.
Dropping it would make the character even more of a one-trick pony, completely dependent on his guns and screwed ifhe an't have them.

i feel the same way about character creation in general. one should have a fall back, but every time i do i get flak from the rest of my table.

right now i run a weapons specialist, elf. he began with having one rank in a few skill groups i didnt PLAN on using unless i needed too (like the close combat skill group for example),k but ended up sacrificing it and all the rest of the skills i took for just in case scenario's to min-max my character into a sub-machine monster (still have to take ambidexterity, i'm one game away).

so now i'm a one trick pony (i can fire a gun and blow things up) and thats about it. they tell me the logic is to get teh expensive stuff now, and let your teammates handle that stuff.

i dont know about htat logic though.

[TallMan]

i feel the same way about character creation in general. one should have a fall back, but every time i do i get flak from the rest of my table.

right now i run a weapons specialist, elf. he began with having one rank in a few skill groups i didnt PLAN on using unless i needed too (like the close combat skill group for example),k but ended up sacrificing it and all the rest of the skills i took for just in case scenario's to min-max my character into a sub-machine monster (still have to take ambidexterity, i'm one game away).

so now i'm a one trick pony (i can fire a gun and blow things up) and thats about it. they tell me the logic is to get teh expensive stuff now, and let your teammates handle that stuff.

i dont know about htat logic though.

If you're using BP, the cost/rank for skills is fixed (except for the 6th rank). For 4 BP, you can get rank 5 in Automatics or rank 1 in Unarmed Combat. But after character creation, karma costs go up depending on your initial skill rank; rank 5 in Automatics costs 10 karma, while rank 1 in Unarmed costs 4. So you're better off raising skills as high as possible at character creation and picking up your supplemental skills after play begins.

Another example: at character creation, this costs 20 BP:
Automatics 5

So does this:
Automatics 1
Blades 1
Dodge 1
Pistols 1
Unarmed 1

The second skill set gives you more flexibility, but you'll be substantially less effective for it. The former skill set can add ranks in the other skills after play begins for less karma, so it's also more efficient in terms of advancement to take this route. This is why I prefer karmagen; it encourages more well-rounded characters, with more skills at lower levels.