Character idea needs input, Melee specialist? Options

[Doctor Rat]

I was trying to come up with a mildly original type of character, and I realized that while there is very high tech melee equipment in Shadowrun, there are probably few who completly specialize it over guns.

I was thinking of playing a character who specializes in close quarters melee combat, with an arsenal in various melee weapons... Perhaps some training (Less than average) in firearms would be useful too, though. Melee combat is likely to be a lot quieter than a firefight, which might be a big bonus.

I wanted to know what you thought of the idea? Be honest, if I were sure the idea wasn't silly at all I wouldent have bothered asking.

Thanks!

[RangerJoe]

Well, there's this snazzy laser ax.... I could get you one on the cheap....

[Black Isis]

Well, just remember, it's never advisable to bring a knife to a gunfight....

[RangerJoe]

In all seriousness, generally close-quarters combat characters are designed around an adept core, just because improved melee abilities allow you to throw upwards of 12 dice on a melee attack.

In terms of high-level melee skills, a cybered character really can't compete, although they can make up for it in terms of strength enhancements and speed.

Melee is generally prefered by those who wish to be more discrete, those who want to do stun damage, and those who fetishize katanas.

[TinkerGnome]

The #1 key to being a melee character is having some way to get into melee. Ruthenium cloaks, adept stealth abilities, movement boosters, etc., make good methods for doing so.

Learn to shoot too, though. Unless you're going adept, the investment in a smartlink and a predator is minimal and well worth it.

[shadd4d]

Basically, try to cover all bases, play to your strengths, and know people who can cover your weaknesses.

Melee is a challenge. Closing the distance is the hard part, especially in a hallway.

Don

[Cursedsoul]

I'm playing a melee only character right now. I don't know how effective he'll actually be, but I managed to convince my GM to give me +1reach when using a worn weapon (so basically open handed, hardliner gloves, and shock gloves) but I CANNOT USE ANY FIREARMS. I can use muscle-propelled weapons but that's it for ranged weapons.

I also invented a couple of maneuvers. One got rejected, Flurry of blows. The second was Stunning Fist. I basically stole the names from AD&D. Stunning Fist acts like a shock weapon's stun only I lose 2 power and 1DL for dealing damage. I can send the stuff on the monk order I invented if you like.

I think making the character will be a lot more fun than trying to play him considering I'm so damnably new at this game. Bleh. :(

[Cursedsoul]

Edit: Stupid double post

[Lantzer]

I think the tech-based advantage for mundanes in melee comes in the form of cyber-weaponry. It's all fine and dandy that the adept can kick ass with his weapon focus, but let's see him hide it in his arm. The techie can also be a little more free with other cyber or bio augments. Things like enhanced articulation, or Balance augmenters, or hydraulic leg jacks can make a difference in the character's ability to get into melee in the first place.

[Apathy]

and bone lacing/dermal sheath can help him soak damage until he can get into range.

[Cursedsoul]

What about The optional atheltics(gymnastics) rule in the CC for dodging?

Page 97. Roll athletics(gynmastic) at TN4. 1 for 1 successes for dodge dice, but that's all you can do.

Say athletics 6, you can probably expect 2-4 dice on average, not too shabby. Especially if you go for an adept. 6 levels of improved athetics dice is 0.25 a piece for 1.5 points total. Rolling 12 dice total for extra dodge dice is rather nasty.

[Misfit Toy]

I'm not sure why a few of you are assuming that specializing in high-tech equipment precludes adepts. They're just as good with a Stun Baton or Vibrosword as they are with a Club or Katana.

Adepts are also free to get all the cyberware and bioware a mundane is with and actually have an easier time with geasa than traditional magicians do since they only have to geas a number of Power Points equal to the Magic Loss instead of all of their magic. Placing a single geas on Improved Reflexes 2 is enough to stave off 3 full points of Magic Loss.

The best thing to do is come up with a cool concept. And by concept, I don't mean "high-tech melee fighter." I mean something more like "a gypsy bare-knuckle boxer based on Mickey from Snatch." From there, just build the character as best you can and don't worry so much about how useful every aspect of the character will be. The fun in playing a character is coming up with new and interesting ways to apply all of your abilities beyond the obvious.

Once you have the basics down, then you can post what you come up with and ask people to help you hone the character a bit. There is such a thing as bad choices and crappy characters, but its hard to help you out if you don't at least give us something to work off of. "I want to make a viable high-tech melee specialist" isn't much to go on...

[Cursedsoul]

Don't underestimate the goodness of an extendable baton. 9 conceal when folded, you can probably talk a GM into letting you conceal that in a sleave (it'd be likely to fit in your palm too because a hold-out pistol can) and with a learned reflex, slide it into place, spin it into position and be all "You dead now fool"

[Garland]

I must be reading into things too much; when he said "high-tech melee specialist" I had an immediate image of a technofetishist melee fighter. The sort of guy who keeps up on all the latest metallurgy techniques, reads Modern Swordman on the Matrix, has to have every last new gadget-filled or gimmicky weapon (even down to the much maligned Laser Crescent Axe -- "An interesting, if currently non-viable idea, but with these new microreinforcements Mitsuhama has been talking about..." <runs off to workshop>) and quite possibly maintains a healthy distrust of magic. So maybe "lack of concept" is in the eye of the beholder.

[TinkerGnome]

[Misfit Toy]

There's few melee weapons that require more than 20,000 or 90,000 nuyen at the most in Resources. Most can be bought with only the barebones 5,000 nuyen. Cyberware is completely different than high-tech melee equipment such as Stun Batons, Crescent Axes, and Vibroknives.

And yes, the rules do say that about adept powers but I've never played with a GM who did that. It makes no sense that other magicians can choose what geasa is appropriate for their characters when they suffer Magic Loss, but adepts are stuck taking whatever the GM gives them. It's also counter to the philosophy of character creation Shadowrun normally embraces. I usually consider it a non-issue, but I can see why some would.

Afterall, if a GM can't trust his players to take a sensible and logical geas when appropriate, they have way more issues to deal with than what a simple "I get to pick the geas" rule would fix.

[RangerJoe]

I guess it's only moderate-tech, but there's always, well, Ash (plus or minus the shotgun, at your discretion).

[Dash Panther]

You could also use throwing weapons. Take some powers or cyberware making you resistant to effects of flash-bangs (flare compensation, level dampener) or smoke grenades (blind fighting), throw grenades then charge in after them.

[Shockwave_IIc]

Of late i've been thinking of a NON adept melee character around Extendable batons (x2) and ambidextrous along with telescoping staffs/ Bo staffs....Perhaps a pair of dikoted spurs for the real messy stuff

[TinkerGnome]

[Misfit Toy]

I'd say its a matter of perspective. A traditional magician will have minimal impact for breaking a geas (anything over Magic 6 is generally useless to one except for every three points you need to influence your Spell Pool). But when an adept breaks a geas, he loses access to any powers that rely on that geas -- he can't use them at all.

But otherwise I agree. 'Course, an adept doesn't need to worry as much about Ruthenium Polymers, either. Sure, they're nice, but they have their own alternatives. Improved Ability: Stealth and even the non-canonical Knack: Improved Invisibility are just two quick examples.

[TinkerGnome]

[Doctor Rat]

Thanks for all the input. I was considering more high-tech stuff over magic. What books can give me stats on things like vibroswords/monoswords/laser axes/etc.

When I thought into this character, I realized I was probably going to end up with a katana-wielding-trench-coat warrior, and I got kind of worried. Any idea to surpass this stereotype character?

I thought more into the idea, I began thinking the character could be a modern swordsman (Swashblucker? No Rapier though) with an elegant way with swords, and maybe a smooth demeanor. Add in maybe an aristrocratic family with a penchant for swordsmanship, and some modern cyberware...

You know what, that's kind of cheesy.

[Misfit Toy]

Cannon Companion and Man & Machine (for Dikoting and Ruthenium Polymers) is what you need to look at.

Hmm. How about a EuroTrash-style undercover Templar agent sent on a mission to keep tabs on the underworld? Perhaps the Vatican has heard rumors that something dark and evil is brewing in the seedy underbelly of Seattle, and its your job to keep an eye open for whatever it may be. You can find info on the Templars in Threats 2.

Vashon Island Actioneer Line suit, a Dikoted Vibrosword and matching Vibroknife, the Ambidexterity 3 edge, and working with your GM to develop a European swordfighting-oriented martial art that lets you buy maneuvers solely for use with Edged Weapons has a lot of potential without going too extreme in concept. You could then go adept or stay mundane at your leisure, though being an adept just fits the theme better.

If you want more unusual concepts, I'm sure we can come up with quite a few. I'm just a fan of stereotypes sometimes.

[Glyph]

Personally, I think an adept is really the way to go. Nothing compares to having 6 extra dice in an opposed dice contest. Plus the invaluable power of Quickdraw, which allows you to use the quickdraw rules for things like swords. Any mundane character will not be as good as a starting adept melee specialist.

Sure, a well-made sammie can have pumped up physical Attributes, Impact armor from 'ware that stacks with worn armor, and lots of speed. But if the other guy is rolling 6 more dice than you, you're still usually out of luck.

It wouldn't be bad if you wanted someone good at combat and ranged combat, but for a melee specialist, making it a mundane instead of an adept is like making a troll (non-Fomorian :) ) conjuror - it may be an interesting roleplaying experience, but it's a far from optimal specialist.


Adepts also offer a wide range of possibilities:

The knife guy - uses a Cougar fineblade in each hand and tosses throwing knives (improved Edged Weapons, improved Throwing Weapons, Missile Mastery, and the Ambidexterity Edge).

A stereotypical dwarven techie who uses things like shock batons and monofilament swords, and knows how to build and repair such weapons as well. Add skills such as demolitions, chemistry, ballistics, and booby traps to have a thinking man's melee specialist.

A renegade Tir assassin with an old-school flavor, who uses fencing weapons up close and a heavy crossbow for sniping.