Low-Down in Loveland, Recruiting Phase Options

[Aria]

Hmmm...have looked over Scratch and decided that I messed up the maths badly...that'll teach me to check my excel file more carefully. Anyway, here's the latest (corrected) version with a slight shift in emphasis away from invisible adept to freerunner (thanks to AH for the PACKS, some real inspiration in there...) and she was originally too close to one of my other characters anyway.

[ Spoiler ]

Basics
Metatype Human (BP 0)
Sex Female
DOB 2055

Attributes (BP 190)
Body 2
Agility 4
Reaction 3
Strength 2
Charisma 3
Intuition 4
Logic 3
Willpower 2
Edge 3
Magic/Res 4
Initiative 7
Essence 6

Skills (BP 124)
Athletics Grp 2
Blades 3 (Knives)
Computer 2
Pistols 1 (Semi-Automatics)
Con 2
Etiquette 1
Stealth Grp 3
Dodge 3
Throwing weapons 2 (Knives)
Perception 3

Knowledge
Orzet 1
Spannish 2
Cityspeak 2
Orc underground 3
Seattle gangs 3
Police practices 3
Local mob activities 1
Matrix game sites 4
Matrix rumours 3
SCIRE layout 2


Qualities (BP -25)
Adept 5
Mild matrix adiction -5
Mild Flashbacks -5
Mild phobia (obvious ware/drones) -5
SINer -5
Dependants -5 (Summer- a child, not the time)
Childhood -5 (Like impaired attribute but in Bdy & Str. This is one of my creation but hopefully it sits ok?!?)

Adept Powers
Attribute Boost Strength 2
Enhanced Perception 2
Flexibility 1
Freefall 2
Great Leap 2
Improved Ability - Infiltration 2
Improved Ability - Gymnastics 2
Improved Sense Lowlight & Direction Sense
Power Throw 1

Resources 10,000¥ (Still not spent anything yet, hopefully this is enough for a link to feed her matrix addiction, a light pistol and ammo, shiny knife or two and a doss for the night, perhaps a lock pick gun if i can get one)

Contacts
Old Man (strange mystic guy) 3 3
Greg (orc underground fixer) 1 2

A

[Saint Sithney]

Aria, you'd probably do better off taking two different Attribute Boost skills if we're going to be taking the power at it's RAW value. With Strength Boost 2 you'll be throwing 6 dice and resisting 2S. If you take Strength at 1 and Agility at 1, you'll still throw 5 dice for each, and only have to resist 1S every use. Also, the Dodge Skill isn't really needed. You've got Gymnastics for your ranged dodge, and your Blades skill will let you Parry up close. Furthermore, since both Gymnastics and Blades are tied to Agility, your best stat, you'll get more dice than with Dodge. Finally, you seem to be geared towards combat, those dodge points could serve you very well in the body stat. That Body of 2 is dangerously low. Alternately, you could soft-max your agility. Remember that Agility is your #1 stat with that kind of layout. It increases your chance to hit, and thereby your chance to increase damage, also it helps you stay undetected and it helps you gtfo, full-defense style, if you're in a bad spot.

[Aria]

Aria, you'd probably do better off taking two different Attribute Boost skills if we're going to be taking the power at it's RAW value. With Strength Boost 2 you'll be throwing 6 dice and resisting 2S. If you take Strength at 1 and Agility at 1, you'll still throw 5 dice for each, and only have to resist 1S every use. Also, the Dodge Skill isn't really needed. You've got Gymnastics for your ranged dodge, and your Blades skill will let you Parry up close. Furthermore, since both Gymnastics and Blades are tied to Agility, your best stat, you'll get more dice than with Dodge. Finally, you seem to be geared towards combat, those dodge points could serve you very well in the body stat. That Body of 2 is dangerously low. Alternately, you could soft-max your agility. Remember that Agility is your #1 stat with that kind of layout. It increases your chance to hit, and thereby your chance to increase damage, also it helps you stay undetected and it helps you gtfo, full-defense style, if you're in a bad spot.

Hmmm...max'd out on attributes so can't use the dodge points there, I take your point though, thanks for looking her over (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I might use the points for an extra magic point and boost attributes that way!

A

EDIT: used the dodge points for an extra magic point - powers now look like this. I'm still a glass cannon but then my characters usually are

[ Spoiler ]

Adept Powers
Enhanced Perception 2
Flexibility 1
Freefall 1
Great Leap 2
Improved Ability - Infiltration 2
Improved Ability - Gymnastics 2
Improved Attreibute Body 1
Improved Sense Lowlight & Direction Sense
Missile Mastery
Power Throw 2

[Combat Mage]

Also, the Dodge Skill isn't really needed. You've got Gymnastics for your ranged dodge, and your Blades skill will let you Parry up close. Furthermore, since both Gymnastics and Blades are tied to Agility, your best stat, you'll get more dice than with Dodge.

If you use Gymnastics to dodge or Blades to parry you still roll reaction + skill not agility.

[Saint Sithney]

Oh, heh. Yeah..

By the way, is anyone else thinking that availability of 8 is a touch high for street level? If it was 6 we wouldn't have so much in the way of explosives and cultured bioware available to us. 8 still puts on top of the ganger pile. We're quite a collection of badasses as it stands.

[Digital Heroin]

I was contemplating that myself, how 8 seemed to be a lot, even given it's a 4 avail drop. It just seemed a bit of a jerk-move to change it this far into the process.

[Propaganda]

Honestly, I'm all in favour of lowering the Avail. cap, it did strike me as a bit odd that wired reflexes is accessible to a bunch of street level gangbangers.

[Digital Heroin]

I don't think it would be too damning, save for the heavier sam builds. Even then, second hand becomes your friend.

[Branmac]

I would have to agree, you still have an amazing range of gear/cyber/bio available at 8. Having that gear is nice, but it definitely pushes us towards the upper end of gang life. Maybe in a gang like the Cutters or Ancients it wouldn't be inappropriate, but for a smaller gang it sort of pushes the line. Not that I am opposed to having good gear, but if you are wanting a more street or low powered feel, it might be worth dropping availability to 6.

[BlackHat]

IMO, second hand almost never makes a difference, since availabilities are usually even.

[Red-ROM]

I've taken some Availability 8 stuff, but I've tried to stay in the spirit of Low level gangers. Some of us non-ork builds could use some decent cyber.

@saint sithney, I like your number crunching, you wanna look over my character?
Micky "Cocktails"

Social Infiltrator

[ Spoiler ]

Human 5'10" white, brown eyes, short brown hair, average build. 36 years old.
background:

[ Spoiler ]

Bruce Arnold was a pretty normal guy. grew up in a poor neighborhood with two wageslave parents. Did okay in school. The girls and the drugs were too distracting to really focus. After highschool, he became a bartender, bouncing from club to club downtown. He landed a gig working this big rock fest sponsored by some new energy drink called Quake. pretty cool scene, until an electrical fire too close to the pyrotechnics launched a giant densiplast sports bottle into the air. The news feeds caught everything, and played it back in slow motion. a little boy with a balloon staring at a giant, overpriced, soda coming down on him with a trail of fire. and out of the background comes a man. Scooping him up and diving for cover. Bruce was lucky that the scaffolding overhead bought them some time. He still lost his right arm, and his lungs were quickly filling with blood. Quake Soda was made and distributed by the Dawn food group, a Horizon subsidiary, and to avoid any bad press, they played up the heroics of the rescue. They made a big show of saving Bruce's life, and giving him a new arm and a new lung. All expenses were paid, they even got him a trid show were he toured the night life of different cities. Life was pretty good for Bruce for a while, but when the Crash came, he lost his SIN and Dawn food group(who was loosing their shirt against Aztechnology's products) took this opportunity to cut ties with him. The show was canceled and he was out on his ear. He went back to bar-tending, but he couldn't get a real job, so he had to work under the table, and the lifestyle he was used to disappeared. He eventually started getting strange job offers from some of his regulars for very illegal work, and he's been slowly doing more and more of these other jobs, and less and less bar-tending. In fact most of his work comes from a troll named Dana that runs several bars around town, and the only "legit" work he does now is take some shifts at her establishments from time to time

Game Info:

[ Spoiler ]

Armor: 9/6
physical damage: [][][][][][][][][][]
stun damage: [][][][][][][][][]
edge spent:0
total Karma:0
spent Karma:0

Qualities(+10bp):

[ Spoiler ]

Pacifist (5)
mild addiction, Alchohol(5)

attributes(150bp):

[ Spoiler ]

body 3
agility 4
reaction 3
strength 2
charisma 4
logic 2
intuition 3
willpower 2

edge 4 (20bp)

Active skills(112bp)

[ Spoiler ]

Negotiations 1
ettiquette 2
con(seduction) 4(+2)
Disguise 1
Palming(sleight of hand) 4(+2)
infiltrate 3
shadowing 2
Dart pistols 3
unarmed combat 2
perception 2
dodge 3

knowledge skills(15 free):

[ Spoiler ]

English N
French 2
gang ID 3
Bartending 3
current events 3
sports 2
music 2

Contacts(16bp):

[ Spoiler ]

Jonas "pure" Pinelly, Mafia picciotti(made man/drug chemist) 2/4
Nightsong, Pirate trid news 3/3
Dana, club owner(Ion Eyes, downtown) 2/2

Ware( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 40,150 / 9bp):

[ Spoiler ]

[1]custom synthetic cyber arm(body 3/strength 3/agility 6) ( 24,500)
-Armor 1 (300)
-Smuggling compartment(1,500)
-Cybergland (3 dose capacity) (700)
[.25]Internal air tank( 650)
[.2]Voice modulator( 7,500)
-secondary pattern(R1) ( 5,000)

Gear(18,610/3bp):

[ Spoiler ]

"Ace of hearts" Bomber Jacket 3/3 ( 1,250)
-chemical protection 1(included)
-Insulation 1(included)
-non conductivity 3 (600)
-shock frills ( 200)
Form fitting body armor, half-body 4/1(900)
chemical protection 6 (1,500)

PPP-system vitals protector 1/1( 200)

Parashield dart pistol ( 600)
-internal smartlink( 600)
20 darts/ 1 spare clip ( 155)
20 doses narcojet (1,000)
hidden gun arm slide(350)

2 Grenades, tear gas(80)

Novatech airware commlink(1,250)
-fake SIN (R2) (2,000)
-System 3 (600)
-firewall 6 (3,000)
-FTL matrixware Netwizard(480)
Glasses R4 (100)
-image link(25)
-smartlink(500)
-vision enhancement 3 (300)
Subvocal Microphone(50)

2 Stim patches(r4) ( 200)
4 Tranq patches(r4) ( 360)
3 doses cram(patch) ( 30)
4 doses Novacoke(laced cigarettes) ( 40)
4 doses Asia(liquid) ( 60)
3 doses eX(pill) ( 30)
1 dose Slab(patch) ( 150)

low lifestyle(2,000)

[Saint Sithney]

Well, I'm willing to rewrite my biz if we want to go dirty dirty street level. But, we can still have a lot of fun where it is. Not many of the characters so far have been local hood rats. Besides a group of misfit transplants all stuck together would likely need a good deal of power to run off the locals and hang on to any turf.

Let me know what you decide DH. Perhaps a gentleman's agreement to try and keep things lower?

[BlackHat]

I'll go over my character tomorrow - as I recall, a lot of his gear ran at availability 8, but I was already thinking some of it was stretching the bounds of believability. It was tough to pass up obvious gear for a medic, but if availability went down to 6 or something, that might help keep the gear to the basics.

I'm thinking I'll name him: Benjamin "Grim" Graham (his street name would be "Grim" as a bastardization of his surname).

[Red-ROM]

I'll go over my character tomorrow - as I recall, a lot of his gear ran at availability 8, but I was already thinking some of it was stretching the bounds of believability. It was tough to pass up obvious gear for a medic, but if availability went down to 6 or something, that might help keep the gear to the basics.

I'm thinking I'll name him: Benjamin "Grim" Graham (his street name would be "Grim" as a bastardization of his surname).

Can I call him "the Thing"

[Combat Mage]

I'd be cool with rewriting the caracter for availability 8 if that's the consensus.

[BlackHat]

Can I call him "the Thing"

Doh! Had to do a bit of googling to figure that one out. Let's make it Jacob "Grim" Graham, then, just to be on the safe side. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[BlackHat]

I'd be cool with rewriting the caracter for availability 8 if that's the consensus.

I'm pretty sure availability <= 8 was the rule from the beginning. DH is considering going lower, but doesn't want to make extra work for people.

[Combat Mage]

Yeah, that was a typo. I meant 6 of course.

[Saint Sithney]

I've made some changes to try and keep things a touch lower. So, basically no Grenade Launcher (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[ Spoiler ]

Race: Ork (20 BP)

Attributes (150 BP)
Body: 4 (0 BP)
Agility: 5 (6) (40 BP)
Reaction: 3 (4) (20 BP)
Strength: 3 (4) ( 0 BP)
Charisma: 2 (3) (10 BP)
Intuition: 4 (30 BP)
Logic: 2 (3) (10 BP)
Willpower: 5 (40 BP)

Special Attributes (20 BP)
Edge: 3 ( 20 BP)

Initiative: 7 ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)
Essence: 3.4

Positive Qualities (20 BP)
Home Ground (Puyallup) (10 BP)
Human-Looking (5 BP)
First Impression (5 BP)

Negative Qualities (-35 BP)
SINner (+5 BP) [hey, he had to claim a legal inheritance.]
Reduced Hearing (+5 BP) [We are vain and we are blind.]
Vindictive (+10 BP) [I hate people when they're not polite.]
Combat Monster (+10 BP) [Psycho killer - qu'est que c'est?]
Nano Intolerance (+5 BP)


Active Skills (88 BP)
Athletics (Group) : 1 (10 BP)
Influence (Group) : 1 (10 BP)
Stealth (Group) : 2 (20 BP)
Automatics : 5 (20 BP)
Clubs : 3 (12 BP)
Survival: 1 (4 BP)
Perception : 1 (4 BP)
Pilot Ground Craft : 1 (4 BP)
Pistols: 1 (4 BP)


Knowledge Skills (18 free points)
Languages:
English N
Or'zet 2
Itallian 2
Japanese 2
Korean 2

Knowledges:
Politics (Underworld) 3
Hangouts (Safehouses) 2
Criminal (Mafia) 2
Gambling 2
Seattle (Regional) 1

Connections (17 BP)
Black Mark (Fixer) 2/3
Yak Lieutenant 1/3
Mafia Lieutenant 1/3
Seoulpa Lieutenant 1/3


Gear ( 20 BP = 100,000 Nuyen)

Commlink Novatech Airware (1000) with OS Iris Orb (1250) 3/3/3/3
Analyze Rating 6 (Opt3 + Ergo) (1000)
Browse Rating 6 (Opt3 + Ergo) (1000)
Encrypt Rating 6 (Opt3 + Ergo) (1000)
Command Rating 6 (Opt3) (900)
Edit Rating 3 (150)
Purge Rating 3 (150)
Scan Rating 3 (150)
Spoof Rating 3 (1500)
Unrestricted Agent Rating 2 (2400) [Vasari]
HotSim Module (250)
Trodes (50)
RFID tag Camera (100)
Empathy Software Rating 3 (600)

{remaining cash = 89400}

Fake SIN Rating 2 (2000) [Lucas Alberti]

Fake License (Vehicle) (200)
Fake License (Firearms) Rating 2 (200)
Fake License (Dermal Plating) Rating 2 (200)
Fake License (Reaction Enhancer) Rating 2 (200)
Fake License (Muscle Replacement) Rating 2 (200)

{remaining cash = 86400}

Glasses Rating 3 with Image Link + Smartlink + Vision Magnification (700)
Earbuds Rating 1 with Audio Enhancement 3 (310) [he's sensitive about his hearing aid]


Form Fitting Body Armor (Shirt) (500) + Nonconductivity 4 (800) [+3/+0] (1300)
Lined Coat (700) + Fire Resistant 6 (600) + Concealable Holster (75) [6/4] (1375)
PPP Systems Forearm (200) + Shinguards (150) + Biomonitor (300) + Autoinjector (1500) [+0/+2] (2150)
Bike Racing Helmet [+1/+2] (200) [integral flare comp and image link std]

4x R3 Stims (300) [in autoinjector]
4x Jazz (300)
25x Cram (250) [one in autoinjector]
20x Security Tags (100)
Tag Eraser (150)

{remaining cash = 79265}

240x Hollowpoint Bullets (1200)
90x Flechette Round (900)

Expandable Baton (50) + Personalized Grip (100) [Up left sleeve]
Ares Viper Slivergun (500) + Personalized Grip (100) + Smartgun System (Internal) (500) + Melee Hardning (300) + 2 clips (10) [kept in concealed holster in left side of lined coat] (1410)
Ingram Smartgun X (650) + Foregrip (50) + Sling (10) + Personalized Grip (100) + Melee Hardning (300) + 3 clips (15) + Concealable Holster (75) [secured to right hip, sling on right shoulder, under coat] (1200)
Colt M23 (750) + Smartgun System (Topmount) (400) + Gasvent III (barrel) (400) + Personalized Grip (100) + Shock Pad (50) + Underbarrel Weight (25) + Melee Hardening (300) + 3 clips (15) + Sling carry accessory (15) [slung over back when headed for war] (2055)

{remaining cash = 72350}

Attention Coprocessor 3 (9000)
Dermal Plating 1 (5000)
Muscle Replacement 1 (5000)
Reaction Enhancer 1 (10,000)
Internal Air Tank (650)

{remaining cash = 42700}

Cerebral Booster 1 (10,000)
Tailored Pheremones 1 (15,000)
Synthcardium 1 (10,000)

{remaining cash = 7700}

Indian Pathfinder (6000) + 2x Runflat Tire (500) + Anti-Theft System (1200)

{remaining cash = 0}

I left the Attention Coprocessor in there even though it's availability 8. It's unrestricted cyber, so I don't understand why it would be hard to come by anyway. Probably just a matter of finding a good surgeon, which didn't seem out of place with the character concept.

If it's a problem, I'll nix it too.
Everything here should be final.

[Combat Mage]

I editet my sheet too. Kicked the power focus and shifted some points around. Still have some avaibility 8 but if Digital Heroin decides to drop the limit to 6 I'll edit again.

[crizh]

I don't recall ever seeing a reply to the question of Restricted Gear.

I've kinda' been sitting on my hands for a while waiting for rules questions like that to be answered before I made the alterations to my character that are going to be necessary.

Similarly restricting Avail to 6 is going to result in a lot of changes. Not that I care one way or the other, it's just that it's going to be a lot of work and I don't have a lot of time at the minute to piss about doing the same work two or three times.

[BlackHat]

I took a look at the gear, and I could go to availability 6 without too much extra work - and it *would* make the character a more believable street-level character. If we still have a while, I'll take a few minutes to reallocate the points tonight - but he basically looses almost all of his cyber, his van, and one of his drones. He can probably replace the van, but there will still be a good chunk of points to reinvest in something non-medic related.

[crizh]

As an aside, whilst do-able for a demolitions type, Avail 6 is going to remove almost every type of detonator from play. I'd be limited to blasting caps with lengths of burning fuse sticking out of them.

[Saint Sithney]

As an aside, whilst do-able for a demolitions type, Avail 6 is going to remove almost every type of detonator from play. I'd be limited to blasting caps with lengths of burning fuse sticking out of them.

Wick-burning pipe bombs? Sounds street to me.
You can still do ANFO jobs, yeah? Maybe cook a little Cram or Betameth? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Or were we mainly going to focus on auto retrieval activities?

As an aside, since this is all taking place during the transition from LS to KE, how awesome would it be for me to buy up some used Crysler-Nissan Patrol-1s on the cheap? A bunch of hoods making their daily rounds, driving around in auctioned-off cop cars, all "Blues Brothers"ed out. Everything 100% legal and above board...
I wonder if I'd have to buy insurance...

[crizh]

ANFO will indeed be available one way or the other. Cooking or any other form of Chemistry is probably off the table.

You can expect a base of operations full of devious and deadly booby traps and maybe some pipe-mortars and the like down the road.