Another Critique Thread - Egyptian Path mage, Trying for well-rounded, not-broken possesion path mage Options

[Finis]

The game this character was built for is starting next week, and I need to get any changes I want in in the next few days, any holes you guys see?

I wanted to play a possession path mage, but not 'break the game' by using any glaring loophole type stuff. I'm also going to be the only magic support for the team, so I wanted a more rounded mojo-slinger.

Full Wiki'fied Character Sheet Here
That has all the bio and stuff. For those that hate links, here are the numbers:

Body 3
Agility 3
Reaction 2
Strength 1
Charisma 4
Intuition 4
Logic 4
Willpower 5

Edge 2
Magic 5

Active Skills
Sorcery Spellcasting 4+MAG
Sorcery Counterspelling 4+MAG
Sorcery Ritual Spellcasting 4+MAG

Conjuring Summoning 4+MAG
Conjuring Banishing 4+MAG
Conjuring Binding 4+MAG

Arcana 4+LOG
Assessing 4+INT
Enchanting (Vessel Prep) 2(4)+MAG
Perception (Visual) 2(4)+INT
Dodge 2+REA
Survival 2+LOG
Pistols 2+AGI
Etiquette 2+CHA

Knowledge Skills
History (Egyptian) 4(5)+LOG
Theology (Ancient Religions) 3(4)+LOG
Talismongering 2+LOG
Anthropology 4(5)+LOG
Magical Theory 3(4)+LOG

Egyptian Arabic (Lang) Native+INT
British English (Lang) 3+INT
Ancient Egyptian (Lang) 3+INT
French (Lang) 2+INT
Latin (Read/Write Only) 1+INT

Qualities
Magician: Makes the Character a full magician 15
College Educated: +1 to Academic Knowledge Skills (cap of 6) 5
Criminal SIN: Wanted for multiple felonies -10
Prejudiced: Against Muslims, Confrontation Threshold 1 -10
Dependent: 11 year old daughter -10

Spells
Heal
Chaotic World
Physical Mask
Physical Barrier
Levitate
Analyze Truth
Powerbolt
Stunball

[Makki]

looks like more than 400 BP.
I like it, sounds very well rounded, with it's only flaw: for me everthing under Edge 3 is unplayable, that's probably personal

the spells setup sis VERY uncreative und boring. if I had to grade the char, I'd give stats a B-, skills an A and spells a D-

[pbangarth]

I went through the wiki bio and stats. I love the backstory and the pictures to go along with it. I can see why you were rewarded 15 karma for that.

The spell spread is typical, rather than boring, in my view. Excitement comes from how you use them. If you will be the only magician, and have to touch a number of bases, you achieve that goal with this spread of spells. One spell I note is missing is Increase Reflexes. Yes, another 'boring' spell. Nadia's Initiative is 6, and she has one IP. I see this as a more limiting state during combat than having only 2 Edge. This from a guy whose most recent PC was built with Edge 7. I don't know what Nadia's teammates will be like, so perhaps their speed makes up for her lack thereof. Nadia has three spells that are most often used in combat, so it does appears you plan to involve her that way.

I am not one of those who thinks possession is overpowered. I see many aspects of the tradition that give it strengths and balancing weaknesses. It appears from your character sheet that you plan to use the spirits you summon more to possess others than yourself. I say that because your first metamagic is Centering, not Channeling. I see the requirement that your spirits must possess as a weakness of the tradition, one that is balanced by the fact that your own stats can be boosted by the possession of one of your own spirits. This is not how a possession tradition needs to be played, but I think it requires careful thought if you do plan to eschew possession of Nadia herself.

I see that you have no spirits bound at chargen, and no binding materials in your street gear section. Please reconsider this. Bound spirits provide extra abilities that can be handy (not the least of which is Aid Sorcery) and can come in the heat of combat without the need to risk or take time summoning.

Nadia has 4 karma left. You may be saving these for another Initiation. This is a worthy use for them. You may also consider using them to give a Skill or two a specialization. You may have bought the Sorcery Skills and Conjuring Skills as Groups, but if you are spending karma on Initiating, your GM may also be alright with buying specializations. If not in those very important Skills, then maybe in Dodge or Pistol.

I've spent a lot of time in this post talking about combat. Other parts of the game are important too, but combat does tend to happen in Shadowrun, and Nadia looks a little vunerable in that aspect of the game, an aspect that tends to eliminate characters.

[czarcasm]

I very quickly skimmed the background. For someone who stole magical artifacts, why not start her with a power focus? I'd drop agility by one point and drop the pistols skill, add a power focus, and add a point to etiquette and maybe specialize it in Academia. I'd also consider adding the linguist positive quality and offsetting it with focus addiction. You can then add some additional language skills. In your knowledge skills, I'd find room for parazoology and an area knowledge skill for Egypt (or the Middle East as a whole, if your GM will let it be that broad).

Where are your contacts and gear? You can always cut some spells in order to make room. Of your list, I'd be most inclined to cut chaotic world and physical barrier. For flavor purposes, I'd maybe get the preserve spell. No self-respecting archeologist-mage would be without it!

I'd also try to do something to increase the character's survivability in combat. You can't always be sure that you'll be possessed by a spirit. I'd consider boosting the dodge skill and adding a ranged specialization, and the unarmed skill with a block specialization. In fact, if you can find the points, you could leverage the unarmed skill by adding a martial art in order to get the Focus Will maneuver for two additional drain dice when you have the luxury of taking an extra complex action. (And you can choose a martial art that gives you a defensive bonus of some sort.) To find the points, you could resort to the usual move of dropping banishing and maybe reducing summoning/binding to 3.


EDIT: Sorry. I realized just now that I missed the street gear and contacts tabs of your character sheet. I'd boost the focus to rating 2, if possible. And I'd also add the browse, analyze, and encrypt programs.

[Slide7X]

I'm AFB right now, but Criminal SIN means you have been caught and gotten punished, no?

If she has never been caught, but there are people who are looking into her, maybe consider Wanted instead.

YMMV on Wanted depending on how the GM uses it. I've let Wanted flaws slide while GMing before...

Only to have it bite the players in the A$$ when its the most entertaining for me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

[Finis]

As far as combat goes, her team is: an ex-Ghost cybered elf spec'ing in Close quarters and long range (no mid range stuff. melee or sniper rifles), a Face/Hacker (Team leader as well), a orc phys-ad dual wielding pistol monkey, and a (maybe, player is unconfirmed still) Breaking and Entering ninja type; melee skills and stealth. Of those, only the first has 3 passes (outside of the matrix) and the ninja and ork phys ad only have two.

She does have a power focus (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) at rating 1, as the GM asked me not to go beyond 2, and build points were tight. All of her contacts come from free GM gimmies based on her background or our house rule of Cha x 3 in free contact points.

I am indeed, saving her karma to buy specializations for her skills, probably Ranged for Dodge, and something else, the Academia spec for Etiquette sounds perfect. Though I was also contemplating saving for another spell too. Her list is lean, and I tried to get the most bang for my buck (being capped at 8 spells to start by her spellcasting) and thus it does look a tad generic. Hopefully my ideas for making her spells thematically Egyptian in execution will make up for that some (swirling sandstorm for Chaotic World, a Heku blaze from her eyes for powerbolt, etc) The next purchase she makes are almost certainly a sustaining foci and the increased reflexes spell. Most of her spirits will be summoned into fetish like clay scarabs she'll make with her enchanting skill, big ones will be summoned into herself or possibly even the phys-ad if we can work that out through role play.

In combat I envisioning her casting Chaotic world, then sustaining it from cover; and then possibly summoning a spirit into a prepared vessel to cover our escape, or into the phys-ad (or a bad guy!) for added punch. Perhaps throwing out the odd combat spell as needed. Maybe holding actions for active counterspelling if there is an enemy mage.

As far as not starting with binding materials or a bound spirit - the gm has said with her talismongering skills making her own binding mats will be much cheaper than buying them (if a little time consuming) and >.> I am pretty cheap. I do need to find about 2k to buy some common use programs though, can't believe I missed those.