Now im sure its not an unused or unlikely character type, but i was thinking up a new character and thought a Dwarf with high Demolitions and Launch Weapons would be cool. However after thinking for a while, i thought he would really be rather useless in a normal SR team.

So i can't be the only person who thinks thats a cool character idea, Right? But i need to make him more useful for the SR group. Blowing stuff up is good and all.... buut not THAT useful all the time.

Any ideas or twists you guys could put on this character concept would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

-Solzak

you could make the character a gun or melee phys ad. sort of a 2064-esque "battlerager", a la Forgotten Realms Underdark Triolgy from that Other Game...

Nah. Make him an engineer/tinkerer/combat medic, but with a soft spot for demolitions. He'll patch you up, fix your gear, hack the system... bitching all the while about 'skulldudgery'... but give him something to blow up and he gets a gleam in his eye.

I like your idea, dude. But I went w/ the "Battlerager" thing b/c of the "crazy" part of the dwarf demo expert. The books i refer to are well written but "sappy". If you're familiar you know what I'm talking about.

And besides, w/ the medic thing run into the problem of blowing up the innocents. Despite what movies tell you, when you blow stuff up there's a possibility of wacking some civi's. Which I guess brings us back to "crazy"....

So, how crazy are we talking here? Morpheus crazy or Tommy Lee Jones crazy (from Blown Away)?

My demolitions dwarf was a rigger. Those were the good days. Take demolitions use drones for dropping little presents.

Namer18

Nah, exploding garbage can lids!

Dwarven weapon spec:

demolitions
launch weapons (grenade launchers, rocket systems)
b/r electronics (custom detonators)
assault rifle
b/r assault rifle
special weapons (flamers, squirters and so on)
Chemistry (for whipping up those squirter cocktails)
throwing weapons (grenades)
handgun
b/r handgun
car
melee (edged weapons: battle axe)
b/r armor (building spiked armor)
unarmed combat (so you can swing those spiked gauntlets or body tackle in spiked armor)

Let your imagination go nuts.

-Siege

Oooooh!

50m of monofilament line, dwarf battle rager and...a troll with Yoyo 5/dwarf rager on a string 7!

Yes! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!



-Siege

Thanks for the input guys. I've always had a 'thing' for Battleragers in DnD but unfortunately the need for some specific cyberware is overruling my need to hit things with a big axe So i've gone for the electronics type...

As for how crazy, well im not really sure at this point. You've gota be a little crazy to enjoy blowing stuff up right?

Looking something like this atm (123 pt build)... Feel free to coment and make suggestions

Attributes (27):
B 6+1= 7 (10)
Q 4 = 4
S 4+2= 6
C 4 = 4
I 6 = 6
W 3+1= 4

Skills (44):
Biotech(First Aid) 4/6
Car 2
Demolitions 6
Electronics(Maglocks) 4/6
Electronics B/R 4
Etiquette Street 3/5
Launch Weapons 4
Pistols 4
Stealth 4
Throwing(Grenades) 2/4
Unarmed Combat (Fists) 2/4

Edges & Flaws:
Connected (Damm street index on rockets and explosives sucks)
Good Reputation
Hunted Level 1
Allergy Uncom & Mod

Money: 400,000

Notable Cyberware:
Encephalon 2
Dermal Shealth 1
Bone Lacing, Ceramic
Math SPU 3 (So he can keep perfect time with his detonators)

He wears the 4 impact armour overalls with a hard hat (Thats gota look classy) For a grand total of 8 impact armour. So even if he fires a grenade the minimum distance (5 metres) he can take the hit

Course hit him with a Fireball or Lightning Bolt and he goes BOOM. I might have a work around with that with the armour modifications for non-conductive and flame resistant...

-Solzak

Something else to think about shaped charges. Alot of people make demolitions experts with the idea of blowing stuff up. Blowing a small hole through a maglock or an executive's ballpen that explodes when it's clicked are just a couple of interesting ways to use shaped charges. You don't have to be blowing up walls/doors to have a cool character. As a matter of fact (no books here) but isn't there even a specialization for unconventional items? Like knowing what household chemicals to mix to make a bomb? You could walk around with gear that won't get you arrested and still be very very effective.

Sphynx

I cant remember which book it is in but there is a gang in seattle called the red hot nukes.

As far as I am aware they are a group of whacked out criazies who like to make things go BOOM. the initiation test is to defuse a bomb made by the gangs leader before it blows up and takes your face with it.

I think theres a ready made background there for any dwarf explosives exspert as you can be a former ganger moving up to the big leagues.

Get some kind of launch weapon B/R skill and see what you can make with a couple of rolls or tubes and some explosives depending on your GM it might go along way.

Of course try to arrange it so thatyour trapped in a tool shed with the military police outside waiting to take you out in say 6 hours. In that time build a small tank and hopfully a cabbage launcher or is that a bit too A-Team ?

I notice you're lacking a melee skill -- no edged weapons?

No athletics? You didn't like the dwarven yoyo idea?

Seriously:
Instead of spending cash to upgrade your armor, just insulate the bag you carry your explosives in. Cheaper in the short run.

Cyberware:
Microscopic vision is a must if you plan to use B/R electronics. Gotta _love_ the -2 bonus.

If you have the cash, you might consider upgrading to body sheath 2 -- if I remember the math, it's the best of the three levels.

-Siege

They're written up in Brainscan.
I'm liking that idea.
Hell, I think my group is going to meet the 'Nukes

Thanks again for the help. Might have to see if i can case a copy of Brainscan down to check that gang out. I've got some ideas for his background, but that could fit in nicely. I stuffed up the skill list too, hes suppose to have Launch Weapons 6, and only 2/4 in Biotech... Anyone see anyway to add a Launch Weapons B/R to my skill list? Any suggestions on what skills to lower?

The reason i took Unarmed Combat (Fists) over an edged weapon is that it sortof compliments the Ceramic Bone Lacing... Also had the microvision, just didn't right it down on the short cyberwear list. Unfortatley have no cash left for Dermal Sheath 2... I did want it, but i think ive run out of both Essence and Cash

I'll have to go buy an inusulated bag for the c6 though Even though ill be dumping all my explosives into one bag... It still doesn't solve the problem of my ammo going off when its loaded in my gun already... Can i insulate a grenade launcher?

Also does anyone remember any special rules for using the demolitions skill to reduce barrier ratings, specially shaped charges or something? Because atm it takes a lot of c6 to blow a whole through a wall Or am i just confusing different games up again?

-Solzak

Points for trying to insulate a weapon, but sometimes ya just gotta let the chips fall where they may.

Consider it incentive for emptying your weapon as quickly as possible.

-Siege

Red Hot Nukes are also written up in the SR Companion.

Also, don't foreget about Detcord. Fun, fun stuff... especially when you make necklaces out of it.

That's what I get for not checking my math.

-Siege

None of my group have SOTA, which is what i think has detcord in it... What book are these explosive foams in? Or do i have to invent them myself? I've got starting availability to deal with too

And has anyone seen any rulling about using the demolitions skill to increase explosive damage? Cause if there isn't, whats the point of using a high skill for detination if all you need is like one success?

-Solzak

Because botching a block of C-12 is a _bad_ idea.

Of course, you'll only screw up once.

-Siege

Target numbers can get out of hand in situations, just like electronics. Try to bomb open a door with sprinklers raining on you, alarms blaring, blood leaking out of a couple holes, and half your tools scattered around the last door you blew through. You've only got a couple turns before security finds you *again* and the base time to set up is divided by the total number of successes achieved.