Howdy all, I'm trying to get some advice on making a mage for a new street level campaign my GM has come up with. Last we played with 400 point builds he just about nearly threw the book across the room because he A. wasn't too familiar with SR4 yet and B. was maybe getting slightly annoyed by what 3 mages can potentially do. Heh.
Anyway, he wants to give it another go but at a street level, meaning 300 BP. Now, I had a hard time making a mage with 400, let alone 100 less. I probably won't be able to do much in the way of foci (being limited by availablity and that I don't want to be addicted) but I still want to have a fair number of spells available. But at the same time I don't want to be gimped at everything but magic, of course my idea of gimped differs from most, heh.
So anyway, this is my call out for help. If you're wondering what tradition for any reason it'd be Norse (meaning Cha + Wil for drain).
Full Version: Street level mage
Wow I just tried to make a mage with 300 BP...you can pretty much forget about foci. Have you considered not making a mage? Sammies can be fun too.
Try to convince your GM to go up to 320 BP, so that you can play the equivalent of a Pedestrian. In order to get even 3's across the board in Attributes takes 160 BP (half of 320).
Ork
B 4
A 2
R 3
S 3
C 4
I 3
L 3
W 5
(140 pts)
Magic 5
Edge 1
(40 pts)
assensing 3
counter spellling 4
etiquette 1 + specialty
perception 3
spell casting 6
summoning 4
(86 pts)
8 spells (24 pts)
35 pts in flaws
(15) magaician quality
10 pts for resources and contacts
B 4
A 2
R 3
S 3
C 4
I 3
L 3
W 5
(140 pts)
Magic 5
Edge 1
(40 pts)
assensing 3
counter spellling 4
etiquette 1 + specialty
perception 3
spell casting 6
summoning 4
(86 pts)
8 spells (24 pts)
35 pts in flaws
(15) magaician quality
10 pts for resources and contacts
One of the things that people keep on missing when dealing with low point values is that you shouldn't get anything over 4 and most of your incidental skills should be at a 1. I would restrict you to only 2 skills at 4.
Everyone keeps on thinking that 2s and 3s suck but they don't. The average person in reality would have most things at a 1 or 2. Only things that they studied for years would be at a 3 or 4. At a 1 you get your full attribute + 1. Compare that number with the old SR3 skill numbers and you'll see what I mean.
A person with a 3 attribute plus 1 skill is rolling 4 dice. In SR3 4 dice skill is pretty good.
Don't get too caught up on the 4:1 dice trade in thing. That doesn't mean that only every fourth dice is worth it. Your chances are better then that on a roll. They are willing to just give you the 4:1 trade in because it is more likely.
The other thing is to make sure that your Magic rating isn't more then a 4 for a street level campaign. You can work up to more.
And I would never allow starting characters to have foci anyway so isn'tmuch of an issue to me.
Everyone keeps on thinking that 2s and 3s suck but they don't. The average person in reality would have most things at a 1 or 2. Only things that they studied for years would be at a 3 or 4. At a 1 you get your full attribute + 1. Compare that number with the old SR3 skill numbers and you'll see what I mean.
A person with a 3 attribute plus 1 skill is rolling 4 dice. In SR3 4 dice skill is pretty good.
Don't get too caught up on the 4:1 dice trade in thing. That doesn't mean that only every fourth dice is worth it. Your chances are better then that on a roll. They are willing to just give you the 4:1 trade in because it is more likely.
The other thing is to make sure that your Magic rating isn't more then a 4 for a street level campaign. You can work up to more.
And I would never allow starting characters to have foci anyway so isn'tmuch of an issue to me.
Yeah, it's not easy, but it can be done. Now, admittedly, you won't be much good for "real" Shadowrunning. But a char for a real street-level campaign (as opposed to just gimped runners) is quite do-able. You won't be taking out a corpsec mage, but you'll be kicking the asses of (or seriously hampering) nearly anyone who doesn't get the drop on you - magic, even low-level magic, is still a great equalizer. A judicious use of specializations can make up for lower-level skills.
Tagged to reduce scrollage.
Tagged to reduce scrollage.
[ Spoiler ]
Tonka That is a great character for 300. That is exactly what I was talking about!
If you want 'better' low poweder characters, switch to a character generation system that has escalating rather than linear costs. My sample mage going to Magic 5, Edge 3 will cost much less karma than TonkaTuff's mage going to the same set of stats. (I have to rase edge from 1->2 then 2-> 3; he has to raise majic from 3->4 and then 4->5). As we both paid 40 CP for our combined edge and magic, I'm comming out ahead.
I recently did one for a topic asking for 320-point characters, so I tweaked him to make him 300 points. Here he is:
[ Spoiler ]
| QUOTE (Crusher Bob) |
| counter spellling 4 spell casting 6 summoning 4 |
Now, IF I would have beeen a GM for a ”street” lvl campaign I would tell you to tone it down a bit.
“Professional” rating skills in Shadowrun 4 is rating 3. A street lvl mage with rating 6 spellcasting must have lived an uninteresting life on a hilltop somewhere blasting rocks to improve his spellcasting for several years…
Street rating would most likely be between 1-2 or perhaps 1(3) with a specialization in a spell group.
| QUOTE (Crusher Bob) |
| counter spellling 4 spell casting 6 summoning 4 |
Now, IF I would have beeen a GM for a ”street” lvl campaign I would tell you to tone it down a bit.
“Professional” rating skills in Shadowrun 4 is rating 3. A street lvl mage with rating 6 spellcasting must have lived an uninteresting life on a hilltop somewhere blasting rocks to improve his spellcasting for several years…
Street rating would most likely be between 1-2 or perhaps 1(3) with a specialization in a spell group.
Those skill ratings are more of a Shadowrunners.
| QUOTE (Garrowolf) |
| And I would never allow starting characters to have foci anyway so isn'tmuch of an issue to me. |
I'm curious about that line.
Why ever not? Do you also not allow Sammies to buy recoil compensators or gyromounts? Or limit the rigger/hacker to rating 3 programs and no drones over size small?
Wow, so much good stuff here. I'll give myself a go at creating myself a mage again and post what I can come up with, I was literally running out of points in skills before I could even get to spells before. It's not even that I try to have skills at high levels... I just try to have massive amounts of skills 
Finished up an Ork Street Shaman just a few minutes ago as I trundle along at my lil' group of 6 "Rookie Runners" at a 320 point level.
I could post him here, but, he'll be 20 points past your target.
-- Wak, uses 320, 400, and 480 for levels.
I could post him here, but, he'll be 20 points past your target.
-- Wak, uses 320, 400, and 480 for levels.
At 300 bp, you can't be both a mage and a skill monkey. If you really want massive amounts of skills, pick up 2-3 skill groups at 1 point, and then get your magic skills up to 3 or so.
Here's what I've managed to throw together thus far, minus the knowledge skills.
[ Spoiler ]
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