How well does an adept assassin work?? Especially of he has high stealth and he can double as a face... Any recomendations on how to go around building one?
EDIT: The assassin is to be an NPC that the players will have to take out but I want one hell of a fight!
Full Version: Building an adept assassin in SR4...
Ninja, baby! Ninja.
For example, here's work from teh 320 pt challenge thread.
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Kitsune
Race: Human (0 BP)
Attributes: (180 BP)
Bod: 2
Agi: 4
Rea: 3
Str: 2
Cha: 3
Int: 4
Log: 3
Wil: 3
Edge: 2
Magic: 3
Essence: 6
Initiative: 7
Passes: 1
Active Skills: (138 BP)
Athletics Group: 2
(Gymnastics: 4)
Close Combat Group: 1
Electronics Group: 1
Influence Group: 2
Stealth Group: 3
(Infiltration: 5)
Archery: 2
Escape Artist: 3
Locksmith: 3
Perception: 3
Throwing Weapons: 2
Knowledge Skills:
Mitsuhama Computer Technologies corporation: 3
MCT Ninja Traditions: 3
Poisons: 3
Psychology: 3
Business: 2
Chemistry: 2
Finance: 2
Languages:
Japanese: N
English: 3
[Qualities: [/b] (+10 BP)
Adept
Double-Jointed
Mild Addicion to Zen
Sensitive System
Adept Powers:
Combat Sense: 2
Enhanced Perception: 2
Improved Gymnastics: 2
Improved Infiltration: 2
Natural Immunity: 2
Contacts: (9 BP)
Fixer: 3/2
Fence: 2/2
Resources: (3 BP)
15,000 Y
Gear and Such:
Knife
Sword
Shock Glove
Light Crossbow (Wrist-mounted)
8 Injection Arrows filled with Narcojet
2 Shurikens dosed with Narcojet
2 Throwing Spikes dosed with Narcojet
2 Flashbang Grenades
2 Smoke Grenades
2 Pepper Punch Grenades
Disposable Syringe with 1 dose of Narcojet
Armored Clothing
Sony Emperor Commlink with Renraku Ichi O/S (Response 2, SIgnal 2, Firewall 2, System 2)
Sim Module
Basic Programs: Analyze (2), Browse (2), Command (2), Edit (2), Encrypt (2), Scan (2)
Glasses with Image Link
Goggles with Lowlight Vision and Flare Compensation
Earbuds
Fake SIN (2)
Disguise Kit
Latex Face Mask
Lockpick Set
Keycard Copier (4)
Micro-Camera with Lowlight Vision
Micro-Microphone
Micro-Motion Sensor
60 RFID tags
20 Plastic Restraints
Miniwelder
Gas Mask
Flashlight
Climbing Gear
Rapelling Gloves
Grapple Gun
Microwire (100 M)
Background:
HATTATORI Keiko was picked from her family when standard MCT magical testing revealed her innate Adept nature. A corporate family with loyalty to the company, they were honored to send their daughter off to a special school (And the promotion that followed was welcome as well), but aside from occasional letters from home, they were basicly divorced from her by the age of fifteen and haven't seen her in years.
Keiko was raised in an MCT magical academy for children, eventually trained as a Kunoichi, a female ninja, specialized in the art of deception, seduction, and infiltration. She was an average student, known better for her quiet loyalty and willingness to subsume herself to her betters, never one to rock the boat. Fresh from her graduation, she was sent to Philadelphia, one of three new recruits for the operations there.
Within three months, barely settled in and adjusting, she was given her first solo assignment, tasked to bring in a Shadowrunning team that had recently caused an executive to lose face. he wanted revenge, personally, even though the company, proper, had no such need for a private matter. She was tasked with finding them and bringing them in alive, by whatever means neccessary. It took her nearly a month to track them down, but, in the end, she did, and began to quietly pick them off, one by one, using her disguise talents and no small number of poisons and ambushes to do so as she was no match for most in a fair fight.
Once she had delivered the team, she expected to be rewarded for doing a good job but was instead lambasted for having taken so long, then told that she had been chosen not for her talent but because she was expendable. Puzzeled, she asked for an explination, but was given a gas-filling room as her reply. She freed her captives, and, together, the seven were able to break out, foil her contractor, and escape. Now homeless, Keiko assumed the working name of Kitsune, a mischevivous Fox spirit, and decided to take time, to figure out where she would now belong. She betrayed her oaths by helping the team escape and believes that she can't go back to MCT, but, she doesn't feel that she can trust anyone else yet, either. She's managed to make a couple of professional contacts as she tries to set up her new life, but still has a long way yet to go.
Keiko is ordinarily a quiet and studious girl, one trained to follow the "Unassuming girl" role for most of her life. Being betrayed so casually by her superior made her panic and take a rash action which she regrets, but she also found this new freedom to be something of a rush. She's startnig to build a new identity for herslef and could go any number of ways. Her biggest problem is that she's had the individuality ground out of her after years of corporate life and, at eighteen, is a virtual blank slate. As Kitsune, she tops her attire with a fox-spirit face mask (Her 'goggles') and is not at all a fair fighter. She prefers setting up traps, especially poisonings, or taking advantage of targets when they're most vulnerable, such as when they sleep. She's willing to kill, but vastly prefers to get a job done as quietly, and cleanly, as possible.
******************************************************
Kitsune isn't the best in a straight-up fight, but she cheats really well. Poison is your friend.
For example, here's work from teh 320 pt challenge thread.
******************************************
Kitsune
Race: Human (0 BP)
Attributes: (180 BP)
Bod: 2
Agi: 4
Rea: 3
Str: 2
Cha: 3
Int: 4
Log: 3
Wil: 3
Edge: 2
Magic: 3
Essence: 6
Initiative: 7
Passes: 1
Active Skills: (138 BP)
Athletics Group: 2
(Gymnastics: 4)
Close Combat Group: 1
Electronics Group: 1
Influence Group: 2
Stealth Group: 3
(Infiltration: 5)
Archery: 2
Escape Artist: 3
Locksmith: 3
Perception: 3
Throwing Weapons: 2
Knowledge Skills:
Mitsuhama Computer Technologies corporation: 3
MCT Ninja Traditions: 3
Poisons: 3
Psychology: 3
Business: 2
Chemistry: 2
Finance: 2
Languages:
Japanese: N
English: 3
[Qualities: [/b] (+10 BP)
Adept
Double-Jointed
Mild Addicion to Zen
Sensitive System
Adept Powers:
Combat Sense: 2
Enhanced Perception: 2
Improved Gymnastics: 2
Improved Infiltration: 2
Natural Immunity: 2
Contacts: (9 BP)
Fixer: 3/2
Fence: 2/2
Resources: (3 BP)
15,000 Y
Gear and Such:
Knife
Sword
Shock Glove
Light Crossbow (Wrist-mounted)
8 Injection Arrows filled with Narcojet
2 Shurikens dosed with Narcojet
2 Throwing Spikes dosed with Narcojet
2 Flashbang Grenades
2 Smoke Grenades
2 Pepper Punch Grenades
Disposable Syringe with 1 dose of Narcojet
Armored Clothing
Sony Emperor Commlink with Renraku Ichi O/S (Response 2, SIgnal 2, Firewall 2, System 2)
Sim Module
Basic Programs: Analyze (2), Browse (2), Command (2), Edit (2), Encrypt (2), Scan (2)
Glasses with Image Link
Goggles with Lowlight Vision and Flare Compensation
Earbuds
Fake SIN (2)
Disguise Kit
Latex Face Mask
Lockpick Set
Keycard Copier (4)
Micro-Camera with Lowlight Vision
Micro-Microphone
Micro-Motion Sensor
60 RFID tags
20 Plastic Restraints
Miniwelder
Gas Mask
Flashlight
Climbing Gear
Rapelling Gloves
Grapple Gun
Microwire (100 M)
Background:
HATTATORI Keiko was picked from her family when standard MCT magical testing revealed her innate Adept nature. A corporate family with loyalty to the company, they were honored to send their daughter off to a special school (And the promotion that followed was welcome as well), but aside from occasional letters from home, they were basicly divorced from her by the age of fifteen and haven't seen her in years.
Keiko was raised in an MCT magical academy for children, eventually trained as a Kunoichi, a female ninja, specialized in the art of deception, seduction, and infiltration. She was an average student, known better for her quiet loyalty and willingness to subsume herself to her betters, never one to rock the boat. Fresh from her graduation, she was sent to Philadelphia, one of three new recruits for the operations there.
Within three months, barely settled in and adjusting, she was given her first solo assignment, tasked to bring in a Shadowrunning team that had recently caused an executive to lose face. he wanted revenge, personally, even though the company, proper, had no such need for a private matter. She was tasked with finding them and bringing them in alive, by whatever means neccessary. It took her nearly a month to track them down, but, in the end, she did, and began to quietly pick them off, one by one, using her disguise talents and no small number of poisons and ambushes to do so as she was no match for most in a fair fight.
Once she had delivered the team, she expected to be rewarded for doing a good job but was instead lambasted for having taken so long, then told that she had been chosen not for her talent but because she was expendable. Puzzeled, she asked for an explination, but was given a gas-filling room as her reply. She freed her captives, and, together, the seven were able to break out, foil her contractor, and escape. Now homeless, Keiko assumed the working name of Kitsune, a mischevivous Fox spirit, and decided to take time, to figure out where she would now belong. She betrayed her oaths by helping the team escape and believes that she can't go back to MCT, but, she doesn't feel that she can trust anyone else yet, either. She's managed to make a couple of professional contacts as she tries to set up her new life, but still has a long way yet to go.
Keiko is ordinarily a quiet and studious girl, one trained to follow the "Unassuming girl" role for most of her life. Being betrayed so casually by her superior made her panic and take a rash action which she regrets, but she also found this new freedom to be something of a rush. She's startnig to build a new identity for herslef and could go any number of ways. Her biggest problem is that she's had the individuality ground out of her after years of corporate life and, at eighteen, is a virtual blank slate. As Kitsune, she tops her attire with a fox-spirit face mask (Her 'goggles') and is not at all a fair fighter. She prefers setting up traps, especially poisonings, or taking advantage of targets when they're most vulnerable, such as when they sleep. She's willing to kill, but vastly prefers to get a job done as quietly, and cleanly, as possible.
******************************************************
Kitsune isn't the best in a straight-up fight, but she cheats really well. Poison is your friend.
The perfect assassin is a mage with manabolt.
Being a hard-as-nails combat twink is a bad way to assassinate. The way to assassinate someone is to infiltrate, kill, and escape without leaving a trace. Assassins are generally bad shadowrunners, since they're focused on getting the kill and leaving, not getting into protracted fights to accomplish some goal outside of killing someone.
The best adept assassin is the disguise adept who can chance his appearance at will. Once he has masking and a decent initiate grade, he'll be basically undetectable. He can pose as anyone to get into anywhere and probably poison his target, leaving well before anyone knows what's happened. Your jumpy-flippy ninja will get pulverized to a fine red mist when doing a job in a AAA sec zone, while the disguise adept can go anywhere he wants by looking exactly like he belongs there.
The best adept assassin is the disguise adept who can chance his appearance at will. Once he has masking and a decent initiate grade, he'll be basically undetectable. He can pose as anyone to get into anywhere and probably poison his target, leaving well before anyone knows what's happened. Your jumpy-flippy ninja will get pulverized to a fine red mist when doing a job in a AAA sec zone, while the disguise adept can go anywhere he wants by looking exactly like he belongs there.
| QUOTE |
| The perfect assassin is a mage with manabolt. |
An astral signature is a perfect calling card for an assassin, right?
Of course a combat twink is a bad assassin. An extreme stealth twink is a good assassin. A face makes a good assassin too, of course, but it's not the only way to go.
A character with an Adept Stealth, Adept athletics, some electronics and B/R, lockpicking, and a good strategy can slip in and slip out without alerting anyone except the guy with the knife inbetween his ribs or the poison in his food, and Adepts don't shed astral signature like old barghests.
I agree about assassins not being the best shadowrunners, in a team they're too specialised and not useful to the group. But for a wide range of wetwork they are cheaper than a team, and don't go blowing down doors, and can kill a target in many different ways.
You can remove it? Takes only seconds.
And still much easier than smuggling your weapons wherever you want to use them.
And still much easier than smuggling your weapons wherever you want to use them.
I kind of like the 'mixed' assassin. One that CAN throw down if worst comes to worst but typically does try to stay unseen.
I'd max out magic to get the maximum adept powers...Improved Stealth, Kinesics, and other Improved Skills to help with the physical and social sneaking part. These don't cost more than .5 each. You definately want them to blend in.
Perhaps Killing Hands as a fallback, with Critical Strike...you can get KH at .5 and 2 levels of critical strike for .5. If you set the body of 3, perhaps one level of mystic armor would be nice just incase(.5 points).
Astral Perception could help. It could let them see magical protections. However you might have a backup mage to do this for you if you cant afford it.
Save your power points and buy earbuds and contacts with the works. Its a bit more money but its still very cheap compared to what the power points can get you.
I'd set the attributes at a base of 3 each the bump Intuition, Charisma, Agility and Reaction to a 4. Replace Body with Reaction if you so see fit...since the assassin is probably taking his time, the Reaction might not be as important for them, but i'd make it at least a three.
Assign assassin methods as see fit. If you go with killing hands, take unarmed, of course. Blades could work, as can projectile weapons(both quiet ways for administering poisons.) Poison knowledge for one also. Anatomy knowledge would fit the character(knowing where to hit). Of course, Longarms(Sniper Rifles) is highly suggested, don't worry, they can get silencers. Sure they are forbidden but you aren't getting caught now are you
You wouldnt need a terrible amount of combat skills...id say Unarmed, Blades, Longarms, and your choice of Projectile Weapons or Pistols(silenced of course) to round it off...and you could even skip that last one if you are short on points. (You could even ditch the killing hands or unarmed if you were that sure and just pimp the blades/longarms).
Other skills, pump those Stealth skills(id suggest maybe ditching the group, as painful of BP this would cost you, and getting 2 5's in there and specialize) Etiquette skill, Con, Negotation, anything to make you good at avoiding people. High perception would be desirable. Even some electronics infiltration is good provided you have the points. Nano paste disguise. Fake IDs. Definately fake IDs, as high as you can and as many as you can. And good backup plans for fleshed out alternate lives.
Option 2 would be to max the magic(i find adepts benefit more from this than mages), and plug 1 essence worth of cyber/bio into yourself. (Eyes with retinal duplication could be useful here, as could a voice modulator, if they still have that in SR4...)
Hmm..perhaps ill hit the book and design what i would do for an assassin character. Of course everyone's idea might be different.
They are pretty BP intensive...between getting the skills up that will ensure their survival, and the cash for some of the rather expensive fake IDs and lifestyles and the like.
I'd max out magic to get the maximum adept powers...Improved Stealth, Kinesics, and other Improved Skills to help with the physical and social sneaking part. These don't cost more than .5 each. You definately want them to blend in.
Perhaps Killing Hands as a fallback, with Critical Strike...you can get KH at .5 and 2 levels of critical strike for .5. If you set the body of 3, perhaps one level of mystic armor would be nice just incase(.5 points).
Astral Perception could help. It could let them see magical protections. However you might have a backup mage to do this for you if you cant afford it.
Save your power points and buy earbuds and contacts with the works. Its a bit more money but its still very cheap compared to what the power points can get you.
I'd set the attributes at a base of 3 each the bump Intuition, Charisma, Agility and Reaction to a 4. Replace Body with Reaction if you so see fit...since the assassin is probably taking his time, the Reaction might not be as important for them, but i'd make it at least a three.
Assign assassin methods as see fit. If you go with killing hands, take unarmed, of course. Blades could work, as can projectile weapons(both quiet ways for administering poisons.) Poison knowledge for one also. Anatomy knowledge would fit the character(knowing where to hit). Of course, Longarms(Sniper Rifles) is highly suggested, don't worry, they can get silencers. Sure they are forbidden but you aren't getting caught now are you
You wouldnt need a terrible amount of combat skills...id say Unarmed, Blades, Longarms, and your choice of Projectile Weapons or Pistols(silenced of course) to round it off...and you could even skip that last one if you are short on points. (You could even ditch the killing hands or unarmed if you were that sure and just pimp the blades/longarms).Other skills, pump those Stealth skills(id suggest maybe ditching the group, as painful of BP this would cost you, and getting 2 5's in there and specialize) Etiquette skill, Con, Negotation, anything to make you good at avoiding people. High perception would be desirable. Even some electronics infiltration is good provided you have the points. Nano paste disguise. Fake IDs. Definately fake IDs, as high as you can and as many as you can.
And good backup plans for fleshed out alternate lives. Option 2 would be to max the magic(i find adepts benefit more from this than mages), and plug 1 essence worth of cyber/bio into yourself. (Eyes with retinal duplication could be useful here, as could a voice modulator, if they still have that in SR4...)
Hmm..perhaps ill hit the book and design what i would do for an assassin character. Of course everyone's idea might be different.
They are pretty BP intensive...between getting the skills up that will ensure their survival, and the cash for some of the rather expensive fake IDs and lifestyles and the like.
I have an SR3 Ninjassasin I play. I could post him up, if it's relevant.
Stree Magic has some good adept powers for an assassin. Throwing Mastery is one, with Power Throw to augment it. Very flavorful (e.g, always leave your victim with an antique coin through the skull). Gliding and Traceless Walk are also useful, as is Multitasking for the 'casing' ability.
Well here is one example thats abit more like 'Hitman'
Human Adept:
Body: 3
Agility: 5
Reaction: 3
Strength: 3
Charsima: 4
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 4
Magic: 5
Edge: 2
Traits:
Ambidexterous
Blandness
SINer
Sensitive Neural Structure
Uncommon Allergy/Sever (could be say.. bees)
Powers:
Voice Control
Commanding Voice
Eidetic Sense Memory
Facial Sculpt 5
Melanin Control
Multi-Tasking
Traceless Walk
Kinestetics 1
Skills:
Stealth: 4
Influence: 4
Close Combat: 3
Firearms: 3
Dodge: 3
Perception: 4
Knowledge:
English: Native
Corporate Politics: 3
Security Procedures: 3
Security Devices: 3
Corp security tactics: 3
Fine Cuisine: 3
Fine Restaurants: 3
10k for gear
Human Adept:
Body: 3
Agility: 5
Reaction: 3
Strength: 3
Charsima: 4
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 4
Magic: 5
Edge: 2
Traits:
Ambidexterous
Blandness
SINer
Sensitive Neural Structure
Uncommon Allergy/Sever (could be say.. bees)
Powers:
Voice Control
Commanding Voice
Eidetic Sense Memory
Facial Sculpt 5
Melanin Control
Multi-Tasking
Traceless Walk
Kinestetics 1
Skills:
Stealth: 4
Influence: 4
Close Combat: 3
Firearms: 3
Dodge: 3
Perception: 4
Knowledge:
English: Native
Corporate Politics: 3
Security Procedures: 3
Security Devices: 3
Corp security tactics: 3
Fine Cuisine: 3
Fine Restaurants: 3
10k for gear
Kesslan's Hitman is nice,
but, I think I would drop the blandness, as it is redundant with facial sculpt.
And, I think I would drop a point of facial sculpt, commanding voice and kinestetics and get gliding instead.
but, I think I would drop the blandness, as it is redundant with facial sculpt.
And, I think I would drop a point of facial sculpt, commanding voice and kinestetics and get gliding instead.
| QUOTE (Mistwalker) |
| Kesslan's Hitman is nice, but, I think I would drop the blandness, as it is redundant with facial sculpt. And, I think I would drop a point of facial sculpt, commanding voice and kinestetics and get gliding instead. |
Well it is and isnt redundant. The TNs would still stack. So it works in terms of munchkinism. It also helps if your not actively maintaining the sculpted face.
I'm still not really clear on how the hell that works when combined with masking techniques. Can yous till actively be using an adept power (Such as facial sculpt) combiend with masking and have the end effect be exactly as if you werent using the power at the time?
If the answer is no. Blandness is most definately NOT reduntant. If the answer is yes, then its just munchie goodness.
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