Boomer, pixie heavy weapons specialist, Oh, how adora- wait, is that a machine gun she's levitating? Options

[Tanegar]

Boomer

Boomer is a pixie from the forests surrounding Seattle. One day, she heard a strange sound, unlike any she had heard before: crack, crack, crack. It was a group of hunters, and the sounds came from long, wood and metal sticks they carried. She was fascinated; anything that made that much noise had to be fun! She tracked the hunters as they took several deer, then returned to their cars and departed towards the city on the horizon.

Boomer eventually made her own way into the city, learned about these things called "guns," and discovered that her natural talent with them could get her a thing called a "job." Now she runs (flies) the shadows, levitating her trusty White Knight machine gun in her wake.

[CanRay]

I LIKE HER!

[Yerameyahu]

Can you aim a weapon with levitation? Lucky it's a White Knight, no recoil. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Shortstraw]

If you can use weapons with levitate it should also be possible to use vehicle weapons (with enough hits).

[Yerameyahu]

No, they have to be mounted on a vehicle to be used. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Lantzer]

Can you aim a weapon with levitation? Lucky it's a White Knight, no recoil. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I think the OP expects the Levitate to carry the weight through a sustaining focus, while the pixie aims the gun. The big question that always comes to mind when dealing with sustaining foci is this:

Levitate is basically a telekinesis spell. It allows whoever is controlling the spell to move things around in the air at will. I've even seen people fly with it. With this comes a -2 sustaining penalty, because you are bonking a troll over the head with park bench using just your mind, and all.

When give the spell to a sustaining focus, are you still actively controlling the spell? It's not like an armor spell that just sits there and doesn't require any input.

1) Will the LMG now just sit there, hovering in the air, immobile unless you are strong enough to overpower the spell's strength?
2) Will the LMG act like a balloon? Can you tow it around easily? Can you pull it down the stairs with you? Can you pull it up the stairs with you? What happens in an elevator?
3) Will the LMG continue to act at your will as if you were the one sustaining the spell even if you aren't?

The question here is more important than it sounds. Because how a sustaining focus works would impact how an anchoring focus works with sustained spells. And some interpretations could become REALLY funky in that case.

Probably the wisest thing to do if that question is raised is to use a limited version of Levitate that just carries the weight and can't be used to remotely nudge a troll with a park bench. Then the question doesn't even need to come up.

Either that or eat the -2 sustaining penalty for holding it up yourself and don't worry about it.

[Tanegar]

No, no. She levitates the MG and its attached smart firing platform into position, plunks the whole assembly down where she has a good field of fire, and then basically uses the SFP like a turret.

As for being able to control a Levitate spell while it's being sustained by a focus, I can't imagine why not. It responds to the caster's will, not the sustainer's will.

[Yerameyahu]

Ah, that sounds reasonable. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

Niiice.


Now I can't wait to see what happens when she discovers the wonders of 'trode nets and rigging.

[KarmaInferno]

Now I can't wait to see what happens when she discovers the wonders of 'trode nets and rigging.

I wonder how that would work out?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)



-k

[Tanegar]

Hell, pick up a Wuxing Crimson Samurai to attach the thing to and you've got yourself a Pixie tank! Get your hands on a Mitsuhama Tomino Ares Madcat*, and you've got a Pixie Battlemech, capable of mounting two heavy weapons, four light weapons, or a heavy and two light weapons.




*I just saw what they did there.

I think these are going to be her main avenues of advancement. She'd also pick up an MCT-Nissan Roto-Drone, attach an MG to it, and mod it with loudspeakers to play "Ride of the Valkyries." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Dakka Dakka]

I don't get, why you paid the markup for pixiesize and then use it like a normal sized weapon. If it is customized it can be used normally. The question though is, whether such a customization is possible.

Can pixies use simsense? If so, why not go the DNI route.

[Tanegar]

I first conceived of Boomer's magic as being Hermetic, but the more I think about it, the less sense that makes. She wasn't brought up among metahumans, and there's no reason for her to subscribe to metahuman metaphysics. The following, then, is an attempt to construct a magical tradition that makes sense (in my mind, anyway) for pixies.

PIXIE SHAMANISM
Concept: As inherently magical beings, members of a species where everyone can directly perceive the astral plane and its denizens, pixies are naturally far more accepting of magic and magicians than metahumanity. While not every pixie develops the ability to shape mana and commune with spirits, those who do occupy places of importance in their clan; they protect the clan by propitiating the spirits of a vast and often hostile world, and through their guidance help other pixies to feel more connected to the world and their place in it. Pixie magic is a form of shamanism, with emphasis placed on communicating with spirits, particularly pixie ancestor spirits.
Combat: Beasts
Detection: Air
Health: Plant
Illusion: Water
Manipulation: Guidance
Drain: Willpower + Charisma

I don't get, why you paid the markup for pixiesize and then use it like a normal sized weapon. If it is customized it can be used normally.

That's extremely questionable, IMO. Pixie customization can't possibly scale down the entire weapon; if it did, it would no longer be a 6P, AP -1 light machine gun. I think the customization sizes the grip and trigger down to where a pixie's hands can use it, and maybe moves the sights to the side so that she doesn't have to lay her head down on top of the weapon to get a sight picture. She also can't use the detachable folding stock. The action and barrel are still full size, because they have to be.

Can pixies use simsense? If so, why not go the DNI route.

I don't know of anything that says they can't, but I also can't think of any advantage she gets from doing so, nor do I think it fits the character. Boomer is quite childlike, in love with anything that makes noise. She would want to get as close to personally wielding the weapon as possible; she can't really wield it the way a human could (she could probably bench-press the White Knight, but that's not the same as having the leverage to wield it), but using a smart firing platform's servos as a power-assist lets her come pretty close.

[Dakka Dakka]

That's extremely questionable, IMO. Pixie customization can't possibly scale down the entire weapon; if it did, it would no longer be a 6P, AP -1 light machine gun. I think the customization sizes the grip and trigger down to where a pixie's hands can use it, and maybe moves the sights to the side so that she doesn't have to lay her head down on top of the weapon to get a sight picture. She also can't use the detachable folding stock. The action and barrel are still full size, because they have to be.

For verisimilitude, you are probably right, then again the rules say no such thing. This is just as true for the other side of the spectrum. A troll modified handgun still does normal damage and a sword for a troll only has reach 1 (+1 for the troll's arms) and normal damage even though those weapons should be considerably larger unless they are supposed to look more like daggers or holdouts. They seem to be appropriately sized for trolls as they do not get a bonus to concealability. For balance I'd be fine with neither getting any modification to the stats. Now whether such a modification for pixies is available in the first place is a different question.

Hmm, no task spirits. With one of them you could create a truely pixiesized machine gun (and discuss with the gm, what the base damage should be)

I don't know of anything that says they can't, but I also can't think of any advantage she gets from doing so, nor do I think it fits the character. Boomer is quite childlike, in love with anything that makes noise. She would want to get as close to personally wielding the weapon as possible; she can't really wield it the way a human could (she could probably bench-press the White Knight, but that's not the same as having the leverage to wield it), but using a smart firing platform's servos as a power-assist lets her come pretty close.

I didn't think the pixie would pull the trigger at all with the smart platform and the AR gloves. As such the DNI was just the next logical step.

[mmmkay]

Lafcadio... kinda.

[CanRay]

There's one Pixie with a Datajack, IIRC. I think that means they can do Simsense.

[Yerameyahu]

Size customization only changes the grips.

[KarmaInferno]

There's one Pixie with a Datajack, IIRC. I think that means they can do Simsense.

Yeah. She's been comatose since Crash 2.0, in a hospital somewhere.

I really need to get around to posting Jack online. I am having a blast playing a pixie rigger driving a human suit, I figure it might be entertaining for others to see her build.

As for sizing, Pixies are literally 1/4 the size of a human. Even with pixie-sized grips, most firearms cannot have their core mechanisms, barrel, firing block, feed mechanism, etc reduced by much if you expect them to perform the same. A pistol is the size of a carbine to a pixie, an SMG probably the size of an assault cannon.



-k

[The Jopp]

Pixies and weapons are an iffy subject since weapon size is normally made for humans.

I treat the hand crossbow as an SMG for a pixie.

A Slivergun with foregrip would be equivalent of a Assault Rifle.

[pbangarth]

As for sizing, Pixies are literally 1/4 the size of a human. Even with pixie-sized grips, most firearms cannot have their core mechanisms, barrel, firing block, feed mechanism, etc reduced by much if you expect them to perform the same. A pistol is the size of a carbine to a pixie, an SMG probably the size of an assault cannon.

So, don't hold the weapon .... put an electronic firing mechanism in it, and a saddle, and ride it!

[The Jopp]

So, don't hold the weapon .... put an electronic firing mechanism in it, and a saddle, and ride it!

Even better give it Bike Stabilizers so you'll have the pixie push the weapon around. Give it the stabilizing effect of a Bipod but with wheels.

[Dakka Dakka]

As for sizing, Pixies are literally 1/4 the size of a human.

Is it 0.25*height or 0.25*volume? the latter would not be that tiny.

[Stahlseele]

Height probably.

[Mäx]

Height yes, their 45cm tall, with a wingspan of 1 meter.

[Tanegar]

Even better give it Bike Stabilizers so you'll have the pixie push the weapon around. Give it the stabilizing effect of a Bipod but with wheels.

Meh, I like the levitating machine gun better.