Fomori Mercenary Mage, First character I'll actually get to play. Any advice? Options

[Liam]

Built using Karmagen, 750 points

Name: Viktor Strakov

Metatype: Fomori

Attributes:
Bod 7
Agi 4
Rea 3
Str 5
Cha 3
Int 3
Log 4
Wil 5
Edge 1
Magic 5

Skills:
Dodge 3
Assensing 3
Pilot Ground Craft (Wheeled) 1 (3)
Automatics (Assault Rifles) 4 (6)
Clubs (Batons) 3 (5)
Summoning 5
Spellcasting 5
Binding 4
Counterspelling 4
Etiquette 4
Infiltration (Urban) 2 (4)
Perception (Visual) 2 (4)

Knowledge Skills:
Criminal: Vory 2
Security Procedures 3
Magic Theory 3
Magic Trids 3
History 3
Literature 3
Military Tactics 3
Eastern Orthodoxy 3


Spells:
Stunbolt
Lightning Bolt (Tied to fetish)
Heal (Tied to fetish)
Increase Reflexes
Improved Invisibility
Physical Mask
Trid Phantasm (Tied to fetish)
Levitate
Sterilize
Detect Enemies

Qualities:
Arcane Arrestor
Focused Concentration 1
Magician (Hermetic)
Enemy 3 (Met 2000)
Wanted (Met 2000)
Spirit Bane (Beasts)

Gear:
I'm not going to bother listing all of it, but I think I've got all the main stuff covered. Ammo, fetishes, Fake SIN/Licenses, Lifestyle Low paid up for one month, transportation, but no foci yet.

Weapons:
AZ-150 Stun Baton 7s Reach 2 w/ Personalized Grip
Predator IV w/ Personalized Grip, Silencer, Metahuman Customization, Melee Hardening
AVC 7.62 w/ Gas Vent 3, Metahuman Customization, Personalized Grip, Shockpad, Smartlink, Imaging Scope, Melee Hardening

Contact:
Talismonger 3/3

Basic concept is Russian born Fomori who is a former subcontractor to 10000 Daggers. Religious objections to their brutal tactics led him to part ways with the company amicably, but not before he was personally involved in disrupting a lot of MET 2000's operations in Bagota. Thus the Enemy/Wanted qualities with them. Trying to dodge various bounty hunters has lead him to Seattle where he is currently trying to find work in the shadows. Average dice rolls in our group for focused skills are 10-15, and we have an ork street sam, human rigger, human face, and this guy. Did I miss anything I need to be an effective mage/shadowrunner?

[Manunancy]

As far as I know MET2000 doesn't operate much in the UCAS/NAN - basically if they show up there it's because one of their customer wants them here. Odds are they won't stray just to get you. It gives a good reason to move to Seattle (where they aren't), but it makes picking them as an high-rated ennemy and the basis for a wanted quality quite cheesy. These guys handle army- style missions, which means that unless you're in a warzone there's very little chance they'll show up. Even ARGUS, their intelligence/covert op arm isn't likely tos how up : most of their 15 000 agents are working for the german allied states government and will probably be focused on Europe and it's vicinity. Unless you do something to make them think you're involved into something hostile to the GAS, there's no special reason they would hunt you.

I also note in the background that the ennemity was garnered while serving with the 10000 daggers - which means that there was nothing personal but only business. You weren't someone out to get them but merely one of the opposition's best assets. Sure that makes you a priority target, but unless you went out of your way to make the matter personnal, MET2000 would be more likely to try to recruit you to have that asset on their side now that it's available than holding on with a vendetta nobody pays them to keep going.

Note that this disadvantage will also quickly end up given for free to the whole party if they take your side - particularly when it's combined with 'wanted'. Which might piss them a bit, but if they have ennemies or bounties of their own odds are you'll pick them too.

One possible way to rework the thing is to make the ennemy not MET 2000 as a whole, but someone decently ranked amongst the organisation. Maybe the guy in chargeof their Bogota operations who keeps a personnal grudge against the frigging trog who cost him a promotion and a black market on his evaluation report.

On a more technical side, it's a bit odd of an ex mercenary to have no athletic skills - running and the like are par for the course for a merc, since you're quite often on foot. Having a few points in the 'athletics' group may come handu when it comes to running, climbing or doing a gymnastic dodge out of harm's way.

[Faraday]

One possible way to rework the thing is to make the enemy not MET 2000 as a whole, but someone decently ranked amongst the organization. Maybe the guy in charge of their Bogota operations who keeps a personal grudge against the frigging trog who cost him a promotion and a black mark on his evaluation report.

This is a pretty good option. You'd have to lose the Wanted quality, but there are a lot of good alternatives.

[Mardrax]

One possible way to rework the thing is to make the ennemy not MET 2000 as a whole, but someone decently ranked amongst the organisation. Maybe the guy in chargeof their Bogota operations who keeps a personnal grudge against the frigging trog who cost him a promotion and a black market on his evaluation report.

It's a better option at least, but still: a midranking mercenary in one of the hotter contested territories reaching out to someone who's 8000 miles away is definitely unlikely. Too unlikely for a 15 point quality at least.

[Faraday]

It's a better option at least, but still: a midranking mercenary in one of the hotter contested territories reaching out to someone who's 8000 miles away is definitely unlikely. Too unlikely for a 15 point quality at least.

What if the guy had gotten discharged for it?

[Mardrax]

What if the guy had gotten discharged for it?

Valid point. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Paul]

Another option is the enemy is working freelance, on the company dime because he's convinced someone somewhere that given a few weeks, and a handful of men he can send a message to the wayward lamb. Yet another hook might be he has something, whether he's aware of it or not that MET2000 or someone wants. Maybe he was a witness...

[Stingray]

..no need for Metahuman-customization mod. By default,everything u buy in chat.gen
is already sized to to size..

[Yerameyahu]

That means you don't pay for it, not that it's not there.

[Stingray]

That means you don't pay for it, not that it's not there.

yeah,no need to pay it,no modification slot's used...

[Yerameyahu]

I'd say that mod slots *are* used. Otherwise reality breaks. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The same gun has different numbers of slots depending on timing. But there are enough glitches between SR4A and Arsenal anyway.

[Stingray]

I'd say that mod slots *are* used. Otherwise reality breaks. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The same gun has different numbers of slots depending on timing. But there are enough glitches between SR4A and Arsenal anyway.

..are u saying that Ares Arms would not make Predator's already different size's ..?
that would be really stupid..

[Yerameyahu]

That's not relevant, because then you could just buy that version later. No mod needed.

I think you're talking about a different thing. Here are the two options:
1. 'Normal' Gun, Troll Sized; always uses a mod slot for that Troll Sized mod.
2. 'Troll Sized' Gun, unmodified; never uses a mod slot, probably costs more/higher Avail.

At chargen, a character could get either of these. The fact that the character explicitly listed Metahuman Modification means that he's got option 1. Maybe that's not what he intended, but he'd still have to make a separate note that his gun is Troll Sized (unmodified).

Yes, Arsenal makes dumb things happen between modified and 'stock' things.

[Stingray]

That's not relevant, because then you could just buy that version later. No mod needed.

I think you're talking about a different thing. Here are the two options:
1. 'Normal' Gun, Troll Sized; always uses a mod slot for that Troll Sized mod.
2. 'Troll Sized' Gun, unmodified; never uses a mod slot, probably costs more/higher Avail.

At chargen, a character could get either of these. The fact that the character explicitly listed Metahuman Modification means that he's got option 1. Maybe that's not what he intended, but he'd still have to make a separate note that his gun is Troll Sized (unmodified).

Yes, Arsenal makes dumb things happen between modified and 'stock' things.

..yeah,Arsenal is sometimes Glitchy..
as i see it,everything that charc. buy's in char gen. is standard factory modded to their size (no slots used)..and charc. have those wo/ extra cost..
Avalilibility is as BBB (as standard,12 is magic number...)
in game charc. can choose 2 options. (w/ GM's saying ok)
1. getting factory modded version (to their size) (paying + 10-25 % more ) (paying more,no mod slots used)
2.getting standard version (human size),and having it Metahuman Customization mod (paying cost of the mod and mod.slot is used)

availibilty is always up to GM..

[ggodo]

Been wondering this for a while, do we have any pictures of Fomori? I honestly can't form a decent picture for them in my head. it seems to come off too Sasquatch.

[HunterHerne]

Been wondering this for a while, do we have any pictures of Fomori? I honestly can't form a decent picture for them in my head. it seems to come off too Sasquatch.

Runner's Companion 56. The mage is a Fomori. Essentially, bigger humans with horns. The pretty Trolls.

[ggodo]

I'm not sure when I got them confused with Giants, but I thought they were the hairy ones.

[HunterHerne]

I'm not sure when I got them confused with Giants, but I thought they were the hairy ones.

Giants aren't hairy. They have skin like bark. The hairy ones are usually Ork variations.

Although, yeah, the giant in that pic does have a long beard.

[ggodo]

Yeah, Fomori just got less cool in my mind. I was picturing Trolls with Epic Braids and Beards. ah, well, human-like trolls are ok too.

[Manunancy]

Yeah, Fomori just got less cool in my mind. I was picturing Trolls with Epic Braids and Beards. ah, well, human-like trolls are ok too.

But nothing prevents a fomori from growing a ZZ-top style beard or yard-long dreadlocks - wether with patience or some capillar implant (I don't remember but I think they don't cost essence, so even a mage can have them)

[Traul]

That's not relevant, because then you could just buy that version later. No mod needed.

And that's exactly what happens, just as they make guns with stock electronic firing or climate adaptation that do not cost slots either. The metahuman customization mod is not for the guns you buy, it is for the guns you loot: it would be a pity to have to discard this shiny Gauss rifle just because the grip won't fit.

[ggodo]

But nothing prevents a fomori from growing a ZZ-top style beard or yard-long dreadlocks - wether with patience or some capillar implant (I don't remember but I think they don't cose essence, so even a mage can have them)

New plan, All troll Cover band.

[Liam]

Well, looks like I'm growing a ZZ top beard for this guy. Thanks for the advice with this guy. I might be reworking his backstory into IRA connections since it occured to me that Fomori are often Irish, and I read Critias' awesome backstory for an adept with an IRA background. Any specific build advice though? Or is he all good as far as managing the magic side of our group? I reshuffled some points and stats and got him a rating 3 health focus, and first level initiation with Cleansing, as well.