OOC New Beginnings DAWN Options

[pbangarth]

Thanks. I didn't think to do that.

[Necrogigas]

I don't have an issue with you moving on from Torley, and starting up your own character. The Free Spirit sounds fun. With an infiltrator, the team could work around not having a face. The question though, is what are we going to do about lacking a hacker? Crossbow, do you plan on recruiting?

[Crossbow]

Yes, once my life has settled down a bit. I am in the process of moving, so that is the priority at the moment.

[pbangarth]

If recruiting happens, and succeeds (!), that takes some of the onus off of me to fill a critical role.

So, how about I start with the infiltrator Free Spirit, maybe work in some 'faceishness', and if no one else joins as something like a hacker/rigger, I consider switching? Of course, once you grok the awesomeness of this PC, you might not want to let it go!

[Necrogigas]

pbangarth, you've been a damn solid trooper playing Torley for so long. You should play the character that you want, and we recruit for whatever the gap is after the fact.

As for my character, I'm at a bit of a crossroads for the path I take O'Connor moving forward, and would appreciate input.

Options
1. Pure Adept
Increase Magic from 5 to 6
Cost: 30 Katma
Positive quality Path of the Warrior.
Cost: 20 Karma

This path sticks with the build as it stands, and with already having a Shaman contact, I can probably find a trainer for Warrior with only moderate difficulty.

2. Bio-mod Adept
Suprathyriod Gland, Muscle Toner R3, Repair Magic
Standard Cost: 69,000¥, 1.3 Essence, 45 Karma
Alpha Cost: 138,000¥, 1.04 Essence, 45 Karma
Beta Cost: 276,000¥, 0.96 Essence, 25 Karma

Con would become less hampered by Background Counts and Domains. It has rather high Karma and Nuyen costs, and is long term in acquisition.

Would need a surgeon contact, but Snow might qualify if former PCs become NPC contacts.

3. Martial Artist
Krav Maga, and possibly Fireflight
Cost: 10 - 70 Karma

This path can be taken incrementally, but finding trainers would be difficult given how specialized both martial arts are.

4. Jack of all Trades
Heavy Weapons 1, Throwing Weapons 1, Pilot Ground Craft 1
Cost: 12 Karma

These are all Skills that Con has defaulted on in the past to mostly negative results. It would add to his abilities, but only at skill rank of 1.

5. Personal Quest
Remove Negative Quality: Enemy (Azure Fists)
Cost: 10 Karma

This would require the permission of the whole group, as the final act of Con's personal war would be a run in and of itself. Probably not feasible, as we're about to attempt the recruitment of new players.

[pbangarth]

I keep forgetting that O'Connor is Awakened as well. That would make all three of us so. Of course, that's the way it was when I was Torley.

The personal quest could be an easy way to introduce my PC to the others. Say, for example, that the way [insert PC's name]'s summoner died, freeing the spirit, was in a chance encounter with the Azure Fists. [insert PC's name] could even have the Azure Fists as an enemy too! I didn't find them mentioned in the Shadowrun Wiki. Do you have any info on who/where they are?

I like getting more skills. Especially with fewer PCs, having a host of skills makes the team more functional.

Raising Magic to 6 would bring another Power Point to O'Connor. Similar to getting more skills, if not quite so broad.

I don't know O'Connor's current skills, but if he has some melee weapon skill, a weapon focus might be an idea. My PC at Force 6 is immune to a lot of smaller DV weapons, but a measly Force 1 hatpin is scary.

##########

There is an issue about karma acquisition for Free Spirit PCs. They come with a Spirit Pact Power and can have more than one. Theoretically, a Free Spirit PC can get unlimited karma using that Power. When I played an early version of this PC (around a table! Does that happen any more?), we simply limited the amount of karma the PC could acquire through a Spirit Pact to the amount earned in runs. Equality and fairness restored.

[farothel]

Sammy can do some of the face stuff. I build her so that she has some skill in that area. She's not as powerful there as Torley, but should be able to do most there.

If O'Connor wants a weapon focus, I have a talismonger contact I can set him up with. Those cost a lot of money though. Maybe I should get one myself, as I have loads of money.

I was planning on getting two more spells and maybe a skill (if I take over the face role, probably in that area).

Speaking of Money: Crossbow, how do you feel about changing money into karma or the other way around? With a cap if you want, but if we're all awakened we're all in essence karma sinks, not money sinks (I mean, I'm talking about getting a weapon focus to do something with my money, even though I have the melee weapon skill on 1).

[Crossbow]

No, probably not on the Karma for money thing.

Where are the rules for Spirits as PCs?

[Necrogigas]

The personal quest could be an easy way to introduce my PC to the others. Say, for example, that the way [insert PC's name]'s summoner died, freeing the spirit, was in a chance encounter with the Azure Fists. [insert PC's name] could even have the Azure Fists as an enemy too! I didn't find them mentioned in the Shadowrun Wiki. Do you have any info on who/where they are?

A custom enemy created for Con's backstory.

Where are the rules for Spirits as PCs?

Runner's Companion pg. 91

[pbangarth]

Well, we are back. For now.

Crossbow, do you have Threats (2)? I can post relevant excerpts here if needed.

I am looking at making the Free Spirit in the Christian Theurgy Tradition (in Street Magic), having originally been summoned by a Gabrielite knight in the Order of the Temple, p. 102 of Threats (2). The spirit would have minor connections to that organization and the mafia.

I'm close to being able to post a character description. I'm hoping that I can give the PC an extra 33 karma points, equal to what Torley had earned in his stint with the team.

[pbangarth]

Alright, here is a reasonably complete pass at Quaesitor Occultorum. (Latin for Seeker of the Hidden.)

Birth of a Free Spirit

[ Spoiler ]

The Templar had stumbled into a nest of heretics, and they were bent on killing him before he could inform the Order. They stood little chance against the Michaeline knights who were based in this city, but the Michaelines did not know of this cabal. Should the Gabrielite who ferreted them out inform the others, though …
It was going badly for the Templar. Outnumbered, he lived still only because his summoned spirit shielded him from many of the attacks. Clubs, knives and swords did little to the Force 6 spirit. Several lay unconscious or dead, felled by the spirit.
“Elég! Lődd le!” shouted the one who stood back from the fray. Father Ottono could not speak Hungarian, but the intent was clear as two drew firearms. Secrecy was no longer a priority, then. He prayed as he swung his sword, “Sanctissima Trinitas, unus Deus, miserere mei nunc et in hora mortis meae. Amen.”
Bullets pierced his armour and the ‘hour of his death’ did indeed come. The cabalists exulted and expected the spirit to vanish back to whatever cursed realm spawned it, but something strange happened. The form of the spirit, humanoid and clothed in a brown robe that seemed folded in on itself like a mobius strip, shimmered, as water in a bowl struck by a rod. It reached across its chest and tore the shimmer away as if it had been a straight jacket confining it. Then it smiled.
“A szellem szabad! Fuss!” ’The spirit is free! Run!’ But how does one outrun the wind? One by one the caballists fell before the spirit’s spells and scepter. As the leader struck the floor, the spirit turned to look at the trail of bodies and gore. Its arms fell to its sides.
“Quid feci? Quid est propositum huius omnis caedis?” ‘What have I done? What is the point of all this slaughter?’ Rooting out heresy had been his summoner’s purpose, but surely there was more to ... to life. What a concept! It was alive! And free to follow its own purpose.
It just had to figure that out, first.

Vignette of Quaesitor in action

[ Spoiler ]

The team hunkered down in the boat as it cruised across the river. Rain pelted them in the night. As they approached the other bank the three of them leapt out of their craft and waded the last few steps onto shore. They took up a defensive position, night goggles overcoming the darkness.
The boat drifted in the slight current and then disappeared in a shimmer. Moments later a black bird few out of the inky sky and landed on the shoulder of the ork with the assault rifle. “Thanks for the ride, Quaesitor,” the armoured ork said. “ See what’s up ahead.” The raven pecked his helmet sharply and then took flight, cruising over the treetops. The mage commented in a whisper, “You never miss a chance to poke them, do you? They don’t like taking orders. You know that.” The street sam just chuckled.
“I’ve set up satellite coms,” the hacker said. “We’re good to go. Not in range yet for me to work their local net.”
A few minutes later the raven returned. It circled the party and landed by the shore. It disappeared and a few seconds later a woodsman appeared in its place, plaid shirt and jeans and all. Almost a caricature. They spoke. “I saw three guards circling the compound, armed with submachine guns. There is a fourth in a tree twenty meters to the west of the gate. Armed with a large, long firearm I could not identify.”
“Sniper,” the sam said. “Damn. What about the compound itself?”
“Warded,” Quaesitor said. “I chose not to alert them by trying to breach it before informing you of the peripheral defenses.”
“This just gets better and better,” the sam said. “Of course the Johnson failed to mention they had magical support.
“I could try to attune my aura to that of the one who built the ward. This could take some time for me to assense the aura of the ward and then emulate it. It might work.”
“Fine,” the sam replied. We’ll move up and be ready to deal with the outer guards if you don’t succeed. If drek hits the fan, we will keep attention towards the outside while you mess with the inside.”
“Good. I will need some time to set fire to things inside. Once the conflagration is going, I can meet you back at the river.” They disappear.
“Showtime, folks,” the sam said. They started towards the compound.

Quaesitor Stats

[ Spoiler ]

Quaesitor Occultorum

{750 karma points +33 earned by Torley } ;
[( LOG + INT X 3 =24];
“*”= no cost
Free Spirit {250}
Tradition: Christian Theurgy; Drain: WIL+CHA
Originally summoned by Gabrielite Knight of The Order of the Temple ( see Threats (2) p. 102)

Qualities {-40}
Magician *
Spirit Bane (Guardian)
Combat Paralysis
Linguist
Astral Chameleon


Attributes {315}
BOD 3
AGI 3
REA 3
STR 3
CHA 3
INT 5
LOG 3
WIL 3
INI physical 8 (2IP) astral 10 (3IP)
EDG 5
MAG 6
ESS 6
Force 6

Spirit Powers (5 Points)
Aura Masking
Mutable Form
Realistic Form
Guard
Sapience*
Astral Form*
Materialization*
Banishment Resistance*
Spirit Pact (Power Pact)*
Immunity to Normal Weapons*

Active Skills {180}
Spellcasting 4
(detection +2)
Counterspelling 3
(detection +2)
Assensing 4
Astral Combat 2
Infiltration 3
Shadowing 3
Tracking 2
Con 3
Etiquette 3
Perception 3
Flying (qua running) 1
Disguise 4
(cosmetic +2)
Clubs 1

Permanent F6 Ward at Pied à terre {6}

Knowledge /Language Skills [24] {6}
Christian Theology 3
Roman Catholic Rituals 3
Roman Catholic Hierarchy 2
Order of the Temple 3
Order of Sylvester 2
Mafia Organization 2
Arcane Artifacts 2
Latin N
Italian 1(3)
Spanish 1(3)
Portuguese 1(3)
Swahili 1(3)
English 1(3)
French 1(3)
Arabic 1(3)
Japanese 1(3)
Sperethiel 1(3)
Hungarian 1(3)
Nahuatl 1(3)


Spells {40}
Ignite
Stunbolt
Shattershield
Mind Net
Mind Probe
Alter Memory
Spatial Sense
Magic Fingers

Contacts {22}
Templar Sergeant (2/1)
Mafia Consiglieri (3/1)
Fixer ?? (3/1)

Gear 10,000 Nuyen {4} STILL TO BE FLESHED OUT
Armour for metahuman form (eg. Urban explorer 6/6)
Pied à terre -place to hold gear and make hermetic circles
Hermetic circle materials

[Necrogigas]

So between Starlet and Quaesitor we have two face-ish runners. No negotiator though, might gain a rep among Johnsons as smucks that will work below a good rate.

[Necrogigas]

So between Starlet and Quaesitor we have two face-ish runners. No negotiator though, might gain a rep among Johnsons as smucks that will work below a good rate.

[farothel]

I can take negotiation 1. Not much, I admit, but I can do something (and add some edge if needed, although I don't have much of that either).
It will of course bite into my already low karma that I need for a lot of other things. Too bad we can't buy something to help us negotiate (if there is something, I should be able to afford it, so let me know, I don't know everything from every book).

[pbangarth]

Isn't there a Bustamove drone or something that helps negotiations?

[Necrogigas]

Isn't there a Bustamove drone or something that helps negotiations?

The Bust-a-Move drone does not confer any bonus to negotiations.

[pbangarth]

The Bust-a-Move drone does not confer any bonus to negotiations.

Oh yeah. Right! But ...

Arsenal, p. 57: Emotitoy:

... Shadowrunners have also embraced the emotitoy craze,
bringing their “friends” along to meets to get an edge during negotiations,
using the toy’s sensors and empathy software to get a
read on the other side.
The rating of the emotitoy is the rating of its built-in empathy
software.

[pbangarth]

Off to train with sheep till Sunday. Will try to keep in touch in the evenings.

[farothel]

Oh yeah. Right! But ...

Arsenal, p. 57: Emotitoy:

Can I get one of those?

Pbangarth: have fun.

[pbangarth]

Pbangarth: have fun.

I did! What's more, I learned a great deal. Spending a few days with people who have done this thing for decades is a huge boon.

So, what's next in this arc?

[Necrogigas]

I did! What's more, I learned a great deal. Spending a few days with people who have done this thing for decades is a huge boon.

So, what's next in this arc?

Glad you had both a fun and productive trip. As for the next arc, that's unknown at the moment, but I'd be down to continue the Dawn of the Artifacts quest line.