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> Drakes, Can anyone make a good character that's a Drake
Seth
post Jan 14 2011, 01:07 PM
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I like making characters for Shadowrun. There are a lot of options, and you can make a lot of different types.

I cannot make a good Drake character. As I see it the drakes loose cyberware / bioware / worn equipment when they change. The powers they get are very low compared to what they loose, and the forms they are quite weak in combat. The cost of the race reduces the flexibility in the character quite a lot. I am struggling with the idea that when the S**t hits the fan the drake turns back into a human because they are tougher and do more damage, but thats the case for every character I have managed to make.

Am I wrong...is there someone out there that has a cool Drake character? If so how do I make a drake that's fun to play, and not so fragile that a little old lady with a hold out pistol can blow through their armour.
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Ramaloke
post Jan 14 2011, 01:10 PM
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Well, I'd say that the first and foremost requirement is Dragonspeech metamagic so actually being in drake form is more attractive. Im sure that there are rules somewhere for "Barding", so you could even armor up in drake form, it might be expensive but what are you going to spend you money on anyway?
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Blade
post Jan 14 2011, 01:23 PM
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Adepts powers and spells are kept, so an adept/spellcaster drake could be a solution.
Switch your fire attack to an electric attack, because electric damages are powerful bordering on broken.
Getting posessed by a spirit might be a way to get tougher, though I'm not sure how the hardened armours act in that case (do they stack, do you only consider the highest?)
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Machiavelli
post Jan 14 2011, 01:47 PM
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This would be my suggestions, too. Adept or even better: mystical adept are the only logical choices if you are even thinking about switching to drake-form in combat EVER. ^^ It is basically the same problem shapeshifters have....i played one for years and NEVER changed to the animal form in combat. Possession is a very good solution and who cares if the armor stacks, as long as you have 10 points of hardened armor from the spirit (force 5)?. But beware: if mages are usually shot first because they tend to gloom...what do you think happens if somebody is going to change into a freaking mini-dragon? Good luck from me...MUAHAHAHAHAHA.
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Seth
post Jan 14 2011, 01:57 PM
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QUOTE
..what do you think happens if somebody is going to change into a freaking mini-dragon? Good luck from me...MUAHAHAHAHAHA.

Thats what I thought too...I can just see it... Its like someone clay pigeon shooting saying "pull", the dragon goes up and every gun targets, shoots and the dragon falls into little pieces.

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Lansdren
post Jan 14 2011, 03:30 PM
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Drakes are one of those instances where I think you have to want the flavour over the mechanics.

We have on in my last game who wasn't terrible, it helped that we treated him at build stage as a melee adept more then anything else. We also allowed him a nodachi that could be used in both forms (he was eastern dragon so had hands) This did give a bit of fun to him but he did suffer from the loss of items when he shifted without preparing first and scattered his clothing (if he was lucky he didn't have to roll for damage from the armour).

In my opinion the only reason why he was viable was the GM's myself included didn't stick the knife in with the obvious added difficulties of dual nature and being hunted (were lightly touched on but mostly were allowed to stay light as fun was more important).

Strictly speaking I don't think he would be putting together another one as he did find a lot of the mechanics less then fun but the flavour he really liked.

The team itself was pretty freaky so his strangeness wasn't to bad, it was very much a pink mo team in some respects.


If I was to put one together now I think personally I would go the mystic adept route as well. Working mostly Adept to start with to up the ability to survive early on but then moving more into the mage side as karma allowed it thus getting best of both worlds.
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Draco18s
post Jan 14 2011, 04:44 PM
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Check out what I put together some time ago.

Drakes are amazingly great at infiltration. You can skip out on combat skills, meaning skimping out on combat durability in favor of avoiding combat.
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Seth
post Jan 14 2011, 09:39 PM
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QUOTE
Check out what I put together some time ago.

Nice: a real stealth adept.
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Draco18s
post Jan 14 2011, 09:48 PM
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The entire design was "how do I make every benefit a drake gets an asset and not a liability?" and that turned into not wearing armor in human form (transform to drake get armor, rather than losing it) to implying combat avoidance to stealth.

From there it was just finding the stuff that stacked with what I was already doing (drake is naked in dracoform + dynamic skin -> camo when naked = bonus).

I don't think I could have done much better. Could use some Assensing (drakes can see the astral when in dracoform), but the build is pretty BP strapped and Assensing is on the low end of usefulness, comparatively speaking. It's also a demo build, a "start here and tweak" deal.
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Ryu
post Jan 15 2011, 12:39 AM
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First, paying for playing a Drake offers mechanical advantages over non-Drake metahumans and a cool factor.

Any stacking of attribute mods is dominated by augmentation.

The powers are cool but can mostly be dominated by spellcasters making good use of the additional BP. Levitate/(Elemental) Ball/Armor plus sustaining foci can be had for less BP.


Letīs simply assume you WANT to play a drake. I understand. The way to make it worthwile is making the dragon from part work conceptually. Western drake adept / eastern drake spellcasting infiltrator / Menehune Sea Drake mobility adept and others. What do you expect from a workable character?
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Draco18s
post Jan 15 2011, 12:58 AM
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Exactly. Always build to the drake's benefits and never do anything that makes you reget going drake form.

(Spell to have: Mind Net)
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Doc Byte
post Jan 15 2011, 01:48 AM
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If you want a combat-drake you'll have to go for a Fomori-Drake-Adept. And don't even think of actual combat until you have at least 100, 200 Karma points.

The best thing about Drakes' their HMHVV immunity. Natural Ghoul-slayers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)
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Stahlseele
post Jan 15 2011, 01:55 AM
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Wait . . a Fomori Drake?
Does he get the Arcane Arrester in Drake Form too?
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Doc Byte
post Jan 15 2011, 02:10 AM
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QUOTE (Stahlseele @ Jan 15 2011, 02:55 AM) *
Wait . . a Fomori Drake?
Does he get the Arcane Arrester in Drake Form too?


As it's a surge power, I'd say: Yes, he does.
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Dahrken
post Jan 15 2011, 07:19 AM
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Metatype quality rather than Surge, but yes, it stays, like it would stay if the Fomori is turned into a dog with a Shapechange spell.
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Ryu
post Jan 15 2011, 09:22 AM
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QUOTE (Doc Byte @ Jan 15 2011, 02:48 AM) *
If you want a combat-drake you'll have to go for a Fomori-Drake-Adept. And don't even think of actual combat until you have at least 100, 200 Karma points.

The best thing about Drakes' their HMHVV immunity. Natural Ghoul-slayers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Combat can be handled by Natural Weapon + Mundane skill. Especially if you have a Troll base.

Fomori Drake - 175 karma

Attributes - 325 karma / 500 total
Body 7 - 35 karma
Agi 4 - 45 karma
Rea 3 - 25 karma
Str 6 - 30 karma
Cha 3 - 25 karma
Int 4 - 45 karma
Log 3 - 25 karma
Wil 3 - 25 karma
Magic 5 - 70 karma
Edge 1

Qualities - 0 karma / 500 total
Mystic Adept - taking the long view here
Mentor Spirit - for the extra dice
Perceptive 2 - extra oomph for Enhanced Senses
In Debt 5 - fittingly, itīs hard to afford other ressources here

Powers -
Magic Power 3
Combat Sense 2
Mystic Armor 2


Skills - 230 karma / 730 total
Unarmed Combat 5 - 32 karma
Exotic Weapon Breath 4 - 22 karma
Dodge (Ranged) 5 - 34 karma
Stealth 3 - 35 karma
Summoning (Choice) 3 -16 karma
Binding (Choice) 3- 16 karma
Counterspelling (Combat) 3 - 16 karma
59 karma for knowledge skills and others. One could try to start with some spellcasting ability.

Contacts - 20 karma / 750 total


Do not get into firefights in Fomori form.
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Doc Byte
post Jan 15 2011, 03:05 PM
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QUOTE (Dahrken @ Jan 15 2011, 08:19 AM) *
Metatype quality rather than Surge, but yes, it stays, like it would stay if the Fomori is turned into a dog with a Shapechange spell.


Rethinking this, I'm not sure anymore. Does a Troll-Drake get reach +2?
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Draco18s
post Jan 15 2011, 03:30 PM
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QUOTE (Doc Byte @ Jan 15 2011, 10:05 AM) *
Rethinking this, I'm not sure anymore. Does a Troll-Drake get reach +2?


Bear shapeshifters do in metahuman form. I think it even stacks with the troll reach (one of the very few things a shapeshifter gets from their metahuman form).
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Omenowl
post Jan 16 2011, 12:49 AM
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Go eastern drake adept. Then go for heavy weapons and automatics as you have hands with opposable thumbs.. The ability to fly and fire will help. Use range to separate yourself from counterfire.
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Stahlseele
post Jan 16 2011, 01:14 AM
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Gratulations, you have just built the most wanted biological aerial drone O.o
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TeknoDragon
post Jan 16 2011, 01:37 AM
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QUOTE (Omenowl @ Jan 15 2011, 07:49 PM) *
Go eastern drake adept. Then go for heavy weapons and automatics as you have hands with opposable thumbs.. The ability to fly and fire will help. Use range to separate yourself from counterfire.


Heh, I call that 'playing turret', when I can have a character hover above and away, laying down fire from on high. A concept I've been wanting to run for some time, is a Drake grenadier/bomber.
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Medicineman
post Jan 16 2011, 12:07 PM
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QUOTE (Stahlseele @ Jan 14 2011, 08:55 PM) *
Wait . . a Fomori Drake?
Does he get the Arcane Arrester in Drake Form too?



Of Course he does (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
And doc Byte is totally Right. last Weekend I had a chance to play mine at a conventieon...
She needs at lest 100 Karma to be on one level with other starting Chars.(She had to start with CHA 1 ,LOG 1 ,Edge 1 and a total of 36 BP for Skills only)
But then....she'll get very ...interesting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

with an interesting Dance
Medicineman
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Stahlseele
post Jan 16 2011, 02:32 PM
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QUOTE (TeknoDragon @ Jan 16 2011, 02:37 AM) *
Heh, I call that 'playing turret', when I can have a character hover above and away, laying down fire from on high. A concept I've been wanting to run for some time, is a Drake grenadier/bomber.

Flying Rocket/Missle-Launcher.
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Udoshi
post Jan 16 2011, 10:58 PM
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GOod character thats a drake, huh?

Hacking
Drake 65.
adept 5
Trust Fund 1 10
magic 6 65
Cracking group 4
Electronics group 4

Adept powers:
Improved Technical Skill Hacking 2 0.5
Improved Technical Skill electronic warfare 2 0.5
Multitasking 0.5
Improved Reflexes 3: 4
Rush 0.5 (if it works with reflexes 3)
or Enhanced Perception 2 0.5

High Lifestyle w/ at least the following
Privacy Screen(matrix)
Free Access
Fung Shui
(its for hack at home)

and like some trodes and pirated programs.

What?
Adept hackers are great.
This one also happens to be a drake.
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Seth
post Jan 16 2011, 11:17 PM
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Very nice: in fact I love it: A drake who always wanted to be hacker (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

My only problem with the character is that he would have been better IMO to have spent those points he spent on being a Drake on absolutely anything else: cash, skills, a bit of cyberware, being a mystic adept with spells... I don't think the character is better hacker for being a drake, and I am willing to bet that the character is probably tougher in combat as a human than a drake.
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