I am fairly new to SR only having played 3 games with a guy that ran 2nd ed about 12 years ago, and reading a novel (near the same time) as an alternative to my favorite FASA production: Battletech. So when one of my players for the Temple of Elemental Evil D&D game I was running said he was interested in SR4, I decided to look further into it.
I have now read 4 total novels, read the SR4 sourcebook all the way through, and GMed about 6 sessions. My new players didn't know what to do for characters so I created most of them. One is a Technomancer - Rigger who is the focus of this question.
background on the char first.
Full Version: Mentor SPRITES?!?!?!
| QUOTE (Background) |
| Orphened at birth, the other children found her disturbing to be around. Her constant conversation to the network around her and her constant tampering wit the orphanage's network kept people away and leading her to leavne and start a life on the street at 14, just after the crash of '64. A powerful sprite formed by Deep Resonance itself not only gained its freedom during the crash, but also gained power and knowledge ehnough to become a living entity on it's own; it became a true "Ghost in the Machine". Finding a lost, wandering young otaku, it took her under its wing and showed her how to control and use her power to its fullest degree. Finding her "Big Brother" and "true friends" (other sprites), she now knows how to use her talents and has a certain affection for creating sprites in local machines to give them "life". |
Now that you have read through my background and the character's:
What does everyone think of Big Brother, a mentor sprite?
Is it too much of a leap to pull mentor spirits over for the technomancer (matrix mage)?
here is the adapted spirit as I wrote it up for the Quality = Mentor Sprite 5 BP
Big Brother (saphire bear icon) - protector, teacher
Adv - +2 dice for Medic, Armor, Biofeedback Filter, and ECCM Complex Forms
- +2 dice resisting Matrix damage
Dis - When a sprite under her control is badly wounded or if she is physically wounded (through Matrix damage), she goes berserk. Make Will+Cha (3) with wound modifiers, or berserk for 3 turns minus one turn per hit. Will go aster the attacker without regard for her own safety. If the target is incapacitated before the rage is over, the berserk fury dissipates
((adapted from Bear spirit on p. 192))
Let me know what you think about the adaptation and idea of a "mentor sprite"
(and not just ... "technomancers are confusing" or "that's a dumb idea")
1) That's a heaping pile of advantages. Mentor spirits pretty universally grant two; you have six for your mentor sprite. It's advantages are therefor probably too strong.
2) Mentor spirit drawbacks tend to apply in non-magical situations as well as magical -- for instance the Bear totem that you based your totem off of will go berserk even if magic is not involved. However, your Bear "icon" will only go berserk as a result of matrix actions. It's weakness is therefore probably too weak.
3) I like the similarity between magic and Technomancers, even if some here don't. I am still undecided on the mentor sprite question from a balance standpoint; but I think they will probably show up with whatever the SR4 matrix supplemental will be. As such, I kind of plan to just avoid the issue until then, with the expectation that "mentor sprites" will be an emerging phenomenon at some point in the SR4 future.
4) Aside from points 1 and 2, I think it's fine. It fits with your story and your game, which is what is important, and it's based on a mentor spirit, which should help you balance it.
5) Numbered lists are fun.
666) Please present your SIN before purchasing or selling property.
2) Mentor spirit drawbacks tend to apply in non-magical situations as well as magical -- for instance the Bear totem that you based your totem off of will go berserk even if magic is not involved. However, your Bear "icon" will only go berserk as a result of matrix actions. It's weakness is therefore probably too weak.
3) I like the similarity between magic and Technomancers, even if some here don't. I am still undecided on the mentor sprite question from a balance standpoint; but I think they will probably show up with whatever the SR4 matrix supplemental will be. As such, I kind of plan to just avoid the issue until then, with the expectation that "mentor sprites" will be an emerging phenomenon at some point in the SR4 future.
4) Aside from points 1 and 2, I think it's fine. It fits with your story and your game, which is what is important, and it's based on a mentor spirit, which should help you balance it.
5) Numbered lists are fun.
666) Please present your SIN before purchasing or selling property.
As GM you could use a Mentor Sprite as a contact in a Resonance realm that acts through normal sprites in the same way a fixer or Johnson would act through lackeys. 
Hm, that's an interesting way to do it if you don't want to make up a mentor sprite rule.
It might be best not to explain where the mentor came from, though. From what I've read it's left pretty vague in the books as to whether mentor spirits are "real" spirits or if they're just particularly strong unconscious leanings inherent o the mage. It could be something similar to the technomancer, which would make it counter-productive to come up with a backstory for it.
It might be best not to explain where the mentor came from, though. From what I've read it's left pretty vague in the books as to whether mentor spirits are "real" spirits or if they're just particularly strong unconscious leanings inherent o the mage. It could be something similar to the technomancer, which would make it counter-productive to come up with a backstory for it.
You could, in theory, adjust for the sprite in a different way possibly.
There was a quality that made a particular spirit attracted to you - why not use that for a particular type of Sprite, and in the case of the mentor sprite, compiling such a sprite will usually get you the mentor one????
just an offhand thought.
There was a quality that made a particular spirit attracted to you - why not use that for a particular type of Sprite, and in the case of the mentor sprite, compiling such a sprite will usually get you the mentor one????
just an offhand thought.
Since there aren't "program types" in the same way that there are spell categories, I would keep the resonance bonuses to compiling sprite categories (which do exist). So I'd give your "Big Brother" a +2 bonus with Courier Sprites and a +2 bonus on Negotiations.
Like Thunderbird. Only with Resonance.
-Frank
Like Thunderbird. Only with Resonance.
-Frank
| QUOTE (Feshy) |
| 1) That's a heaping pile of advantages. Mentor spirits pretty universally grant two; you have six for your mentor sprite. It's advantages are therefor probably too strong. |
and
| QUOTE (Frank) |
| Since there aren't "program types" in the same way that there are spell categories |
Well there are only 2 advantages listed ... a set of bonuses to some "programs" and a bonus to protection from damage. the bear lists +2 for healing spells (a group of spells available) and i figued those programs were the closest to being "healing" programs. as for the +2 matrix damage ... the mage gets it to all physical damage so the technomacer kinda gets the shaft on that one, but i think it's ok for the char.
| QUOTE (Feshy) |
| 2) Mentor spirit drawbacks tend to apply in non-magical situations as well as magical -- for instance the Bear totem that you based your totem off of will go berserk even if magic is not involved. However, your Bear "icon" will only go berserk as a result of matrix actions. It's weakness is therefore probably too weak. |
you make a good point here ... i've decided to make it include her little "pets" (drones with mechanical sprites) into what berserks her
thanks for everyone's thoughts and comments!
Another thing to remember is that ECCM is a program that noone "rolls", so getting a +2 die bonus to it is somewhat confusing. I get what you are trying to do - get a +2 die bonus to the fifth of the programs that are most analagous to Health Spells. But Programs really don't work enough like spells to make that a practical goal.
Getting +2 dice with the Armor Program is more like getting a 2/2 Helmet than it is like getting +2 dice with the Armor Spell. The Armor Program is rolled every time damage is inflicted, and directly reduces damage (unlike the armr spell, where every hit is a damage resistance die).
If you want to make Mentor Sprites, stay away from spellcasting bonus analogues, because the basic rules don't really have spellcasting analogues to get bonuses to.
Bear therefore doesn't convert well. Thunderbird does, as does Rat, Sea, Mountain, and even Dark King. You can make new ones all you want. For instance, you could use Thunderbird as a template to make a lot of new ones:
Bonus 1: +2 dice for one Sprite type.
Bonus 2: +2 dice for one skill.
Penalty: Composure Test to avoid some sort of behavior that often isn't what you'd want to do.
-Frank
Getting +2 dice with the Armor Program is more like getting a 2/2 Helmet than it is like getting +2 dice with the Armor Spell. The Armor Program is rolled every time damage is inflicted, and directly reduces damage (unlike the armr spell, where every hit is a damage resistance die).
If you want to make Mentor Sprites, stay away from spellcasting bonus analogues, because the basic rules don't really have spellcasting analogues to get bonuses to.
Bear therefore doesn't convert well. Thunderbird does, as does Rat, Sea, Mountain, and even Dark King. You can make new ones all you want. For instance, you could use Thunderbird as a template to make a lot of new ones:
Bonus 1: +2 dice for one Sprite type.
Bonus 2: +2 dice for one skill.
Penalty: Composure Test to avoid some sort of behavior that often isn't what you'd want to do.
-Frank
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