Bat Totem Options

[Erik Baird]

So I'm thinking about getting back into SR, and I was playing with a PC build that is a bat shaman. The fluff in Cyberpirates (which is nearly identical in MitS: 152) states that:

Bat is well-traveled, rarely staying in one place. A seeker, she sets far-reaching goals and gets restless when not moving. She is adaptable and can make herself home anywhere.
Advantages: +2 dice for detection and manipulation spells, +1 die for spirits of the sky.
Disadvantages: +2 to all magical target numbers when in direct sunlight. Bat shamans get distracted and irritable if forced to stay in one place for more than a week.</P>

In effect, would the character essentially be a vagrant, moving between different motels when poor, or rotating between several different houses if wealthy? Given that there wasn't any hard rules given, that would really be up to the GM and player, but what should the in-game result? How would you run it in your game?

This post has been edited by Erik Baird: Aug 19 2010, 10:43 PM

[Abschalten]

As an SR4 GM, I would say drop the first half of that disadvantage altogether. It's a little too pervasive. But you could work with that second half. Something like a -1 to all pools if the Bat follower stays a week or longer in the same place. That could be an apartment, a safehouse, or just a base of operations on a run. He has to constantly be on the move. If he stays in place too long then he gets a -1, and will keep it until he packs up and goes somewhere else. That honestly could be a tad inconvenient, especially if he's hiding somewhere and trying to lay low while the heat dies down. My inspiration for that comes from other Mentor Spirits like Dragonslayer.

For the advantages, you could do something ike "+2 to Detection spells or Manipulation spells (pick one), +2 to Spirits of Air." I don't have my books in front of me so I can't compare that to other mentor spirits to see how balanced it is, but that's where I'd start from.

Edit: I totally missed you were talking about SR3. I'd keep the rules the same, and just use my guidelines in the first paragraph. Staying in place a week could be a hindrance. Just treat it as a +1 TN to all tests until he moves.

[Badmoodguy88]

SR4 has some cool optional rules for lifestyles in Runner's Companion. If you already own a copy I would check it out.

I think it could be dumped into SR3 with out much fuss. There are just a couple of lifestyle advantages and disadvantages that would need to be modified to take into account how the matrix works differently. Also The cost of things might need to change but I think the costs of lifestyles stayed the same from SR3 to SR4.

[CanRay]

SR4 has some cool optional rules for lifestyles in Runner's Companion. If you already own a copy I would check it out.

Sprawl Survival Guide has those rules in SR3. And advanced SIN rules as well.

[Badmoodguy88]

I did not know that.

Bat is well-traveled, rarely staying in one place. A dreamer with high aspirations, she sets far-reaching goals and gets restless when not moving. She is a smooth wooden club 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. She has an irrational hatred of spheres.
Advantages: +2 dice for detection and manipulation spells, +1 die for spirits of the sky.
Disadvantages: +2 to all magical target numbers if corked. Bat shamans get distracted and irritable if forced to stay in one place for more than a week.

I fixed this for you.

[Erik Baird]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Good one. Just for fun, I oughta give a him a safehouse next to the Mariner's stadium.

[CanRay]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Good one. Just for fun, I oughta give a him a safehouse next to the Mariner's stadium.

Go Seadogs!

[Abschalten]

Suddenly the image appears in my mind of a shaman who is incredibly confused, who in his eternal misunderstanding, thinks he is a Bat shaman instead of a Bat shaman, much to the chagrin of his long-suffering totem, who cannot sway his adherent from delusions of baseball diamonds and home runs.

[Badmoodguy88]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Tiralee]

Please tell me his shamanistic mask isn't a cowl mask...although...

Metamagic Centering: Base Skill 20th century comic book dialogue. Zam, Pow!, Whap!

Or, gods help me...

Metamagic Centering: Base Skill Performance->Music->20th Century Comic Book Series Theme Songs....

-Referring to the resident Dwarf as "Boy Wonder" is going to be great.
-Bonus points if he can drive better than the rigger, has skill in throwing weapons (->specialization Bat-A-Rang) and has a lair that they return to, in order to research and develop their skills....


As a "Joke" character, this one would have great legs, but if playing it seriously...well, expect a few "I'm the goddamned Batman!" jokes from your players, GM and assorted others.

Still...it's got...something....

-Tir.

[Maelstrome]

i played a bat shaman that lived in a metal cube and frequently picked up the whole thing and moved.

[Aerospider]

WRT being distracted and irritable if forced to stay put, I'd say leave mechanics out of it and roleplay it according to how your character would behave in such circumstances. After all, that's the defining point of an RPG isn't it? If the GM simply gives you a penalty to your perception and social rolls you're missing all the fun and avoiding the challenge.

[Erik Baird]

Aerospider, you're right, and that's pretty much how I was thinking of playing him if I get the chance. When he gets stuck in one place, he gets really antsy, like someone waiting on a ride that's running really late. So to prevent that, he has a handful of different places to squat/ crash to beat the wanderlust and still stay close enough to be useful to a team.

I wasn't thinking of playing this guy as a joke character, but now that you guys mention it, those ideas could make for some very funny games. I'm still not going to do it with this character, but I think I'll tinker with a joke version sometime.