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Leviathan
Ok, for an 'upcoming' game, I'm looking at making a Voodoo Shamen who specialises in summoning Spirits, and either using, channeling or having them possess him, depending on need.

Can you guys help me put a character like this together, and give me advice on skills/powers/tips and tricks, that kind of thing?
I'm also not sure whether to go for full mage, or aspected Conjurer.

Finally, special rules:
+ nuyen.gif 2million at chargen
Can initiate for 1/2 million per grade
All availability restrictions are off
(Basically, the group will be an Ares Spec-Ops team)

**EDIT**
Forgot to add, the starting limitation of Rank 6 in skills is also removed, and we're using 130 build points.
Member #5177
Why start from scratch?
Lindt
Depends, aspected will give you a ton of spell points to use to bond foci, or sell back for build (you can get upt to 7 of your 25 build back that way), but a full mage gets you projection, and some added utility.
As for metamagics, invoking is a must, then channeling, and possibly centering. Invoke, channel, immunity to normal weapons.
Prospero
If you have another magician on the team, go with conjuror. Not only will you spend a ton less build points on various magical skills, but, as stated before, you can get 7 build points back to spend elsewhere. Pump these into some secondary skill set - like, say, capoera (sp?) and melee skills or something. Then initiate at least once and use your spell-points to buy an ally spirit as the ordeal (and so keep the magic point). Take invoking metamagic. Buy a shit-ton of really good foci for use conjuring spirits you want to concentrate on (I suppose at the very least, one for your patron Loa and maybe another one for good combat-type Loa if your patron is not so inclined). Maybe initiate another time and take channelling.

Another good idea is to buy a high conjuring skill - say 6 or 7 - at char gen and then specialize from there after you get karma to raise it a little higher (banishing, summoning, whatever).

You probably want a pretty high priority on physical stats, too, so that when you get posessed by the Loa and want to kick some butt, you can do so with the best of them. Buy a good weapon focus if you can afford it, to use in combat. A loa-possessed, focus-wielding, martial-arts bad-ass will give anybody second-thoughts. With that money, you could even do it as, say, an ork, because the foci and ally could really help offset that charisma problem. Then your stats would really kick hoop.

Just some thoughts. I have an elven face/conjuror I played for a good while who did some of this. The ally at chargen is really, really helpful (at least it was for me).
James McMurray
I wouldn't go aspected, but I love the flexibility of being a full mage. Summoning spirits is a lot easier if you're invisible or astral. It's also easier to give spirits an innate spell as a power if you know spells (actually it's impossible if you don't).

If all you want to do is conjure, then by all means go straight conjurer. If you want to limit yourself even more but get back more points you could even go aspected conjurer and be really really good at summoning one type of spirit.
Prospero
It really depends on where the campaign is going and what you want to do. A full-mage won't be as good in any one area, but will have a lot more skills to bring to the table. An aspected conjuror will have no spells to throw around (or spell defense), but can easily branch out into another job description, too, while being a really really fragging good conjuror. If the group doens't already have a magician, you definitely need to go with full - there is no substitute for spells and spell-defense. If there is already a spell-slinger, a conjuror can work really well and you can both concentrate on different niches.
James McMurray
Is this an SR3 or 4 game?
Leviathan
QUOTE (James McMurray)
Is this an SR3 or 4 game?

SR3
Laser
So... question: do you want to make a Houngan (user of Voodoo) or a Shaman? It's hard to tell from your initial statement. There's a big difference between the two, especially where conjuring is concerned; the former doesn't get as many spirits, and the latter's spirits aren't very good.

If you are going to be a Houngan, one crucial step is to choose an appropriate Loa; the powers of individual loa spirits vary widely and some have more utility than others. In particular, spirits of Erzulie and Obatala with their domain of anywhere are particularly useful. Since you can only have one spirit of a different loa summoned at any given time (in addition to one of your own, if memory serves) make sure you can get mileage out of your loa spirit. Similarly, the kinds of spirit that totemic powers give you extra dice for summoning (in the case of shamans) are also important, though not as much.

Go full mage; you're more useful that way even if you don't cast any spells. Exploit the 2 million bonus and take resources E or something. I'd also use at least some of that 2 million to get a spirit focus; especially since you're optimizing for conjuring, you won't need spell points as much and can use those to bond it. Initiate and get invoking because greater spirits are neat, powerful, and outside your normal quota of spirits.

Final reservation: IMO, non-hermetic mages don't fit in well with the corporate lifestyle, even spec-ops. The character you play is up to you, though.
hyzmarca
Voodoo sn't the best route for an aspected conjurer. Loa spirits are astral only and zombies are premenantly dual-natured. This limits the usefulness of both types compared to elementals and nature spirits.

If you are going to go the Aspected route then sell your spell points and use the extra BP to pump up Conjuring. Pump it up to an absurd level since spending karma on it becomes very inefficient. Also, get a combat skill at a decent level.

The cost of initiation is somewhat problematic. If you get karma at a reasonable rate it may be cheaper to just wait. Even using the Cash for Karma rules you should be doing better. However, Invoking and Channeling can both be very useful. If you only get one choose Invoking first since a Great Form is necessary to benefit from Immunity to Normal Weapons when Channeling.

If you only initiate once at chargen you can use the extra money for an Essence point of combat cyberware ad some other useful items.
James McMurray
Shamen don't get good spirits? Huh??? That's a topic for another thread though. I just wanted to voice my confusion.
hyzmarca
Voodoo practitioners don't get good spirits. They get Zombies and Loa. Loa can be useful but tey are limited to astral (although than can use their powers on a purely physical summoner or servitor). Zombies are usefull only as suicide drones and the Wealth Power exploit which no sane GM would allow.
Laser
Hmm... all I was trying to convey was that they're not as outright powerful as loa spirits in terms of abilities. They're still good.
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