What would a character designed around the idea of defense look like? I'm thinking he'd be an all-purpose defender; physical, astral, and technological. His offensive capabilities are rather limited, but otherwise he's the medic, the counterspeller, the banisher, the support drone rigger too.
I think it'd be a neat role to play in a group.
Would anyone have any examples of such a character? Or which skills and equipment would be best?
Full Version: Is a Defensive 'Runner Possible?
Had a player in the group with a house-husband once. Watched the kids, shot anybody that came to kill her in the middle of the night, had dinner and the medkit ready when she came home from a run. 
Actually, playing a character with Counterspelling 6, the Adversary Mentor, a pile of Wall spells, Mana Static, and some skill with Electronic Warfare (specialized in Jamming) could be a very effective character.
A Magician is usually on staff to neutralize enemy magic more than he is to necessarily accomplish anything magically. A big pile of Counterspelling and some Mana Static would really let the street sammies go to town.
-Frank
A Magician is usually on staff to neutralize enemy magic more than he is to necessarily accomplish anything magically. A big pile of Counterspelling and some Mana Static would really let the street sammies go to town.
-Frank
Ok well to do most of that you start with a fully magical active character.
Skills are banishing, counterspelling, astral combat, spellcasting, maybe summoning.
Next you get longarms special sniper thus you can kill from range so your still defence.
Now grab heal, first aid, medicine (remember to heal in this order first aid then heal, then medicine for max effect).
That's got you covered on these areas physical, astral, medic, counterspeller, banisher.
Drone rigger is tricky as you don't really want cyber with a magical character (all though I do like alpha eyes ears and comms for 1 ess.)
I'm sure others willhave thoughts as well.
Skills are banishing, counterspelling, astral combat, spellcasting, maybe summoning.
Next you get longarms special sniper thus you can kill from range so your still defence.
Now grab heal, first aid, medicine (remember to heal in this order first aid then heal, then medicine for max effect).
That's got you covered on these areas physical, astral, medic, counterspeller, banisher.
Drone rigger is tricky as you don't really want cyber with a magical character (all though I do like alpha eyes ears and comms for 1 ess.)
I'm sure others willhave thoughts as well.
And if your tradition summons Gaurdian spirits, they can add to your counterspelling via teamwork.
You don't need a lot of technical skills to set up good matrix defenses, just programs and planning.
As a medic a rating 6 medkit, maxed first aid (specialty in combat wounds), and Logic can make those low essence types easier to heal than with magic.
For defending yourself you can't go wrong with a high force spirit possessing you and giving you immunity to natural weapons. You can do it for your teammates too, but if they don't have the channeling metamagic it'll be the spirit acting instead of them.
You don't need a lot of technical skills to set up good matrix defenses, just programs and planning.
As a medic a rating 6 medkit, maxed first aid (specialty in combat wounds), and Logic can make those low essence types easier to heal than with magic.
For defending yourself you can't go wrong with a high force spirit possessing you and giving you immunity to natural weapons. You can do it for your teammates too, but if they don't have the channeling metamagic it'll be the spirit acting instead of them.
...The Drone Rigger/Hacker is the best mundane type. Drones can be ever so useful for Recon, Overwatch, and even last ditch First Aid (Autodoc) when nobody else has the skill & your mage has negative modifiers of her own to deal with.
Since Riggers and Hackers are pretty synonymous with one another, having a few utilities like Analyze, Command, Edit, Scan (general use), Exploit, the all important Spoof, and Stealth (hacking) would be a big help for providing matrix overwatch as well.
Since Riggers and Hackers are pretty synonymous with one another, having a few utilities like Analyze, Command, Edit, Scan (general use), Exploit, the all important Spoof, and Stealth (hacking) would be a big help for providing matrix overwatch as well.
Speaking of possession traditions for defense, here's some sweet tricks with Task spirits:
- Skill (Electronic Warfare) possessing your commlink/jammer.
- Skill (First Aid) in one of the teammates for an instant medic.
- Skill (Medicine) and Skill (Cybertechnology) in one of the teammates to install cyberwear you just "acquired" (because who the hell trusts a street doc?)
I had a character who was a conjurer and a rigger. Ended up being a kind of second-rate rigger, but a really top notch conjurer (big ally spirit in a plasteel homunculus, Invoking). He was quite competitive at finding people in every world. Made for a quite successful magic/matrix character.
I imagine that specializing in interference would be similarly effective. Throw down the Banishing, the Mana Static, the Jamming, and you've locked everything down to shooting people.
-Frank
I imagine that specializing in interference would be similarly effective. Throw down the Banishing, the Mana Static, the Jamming, and you've locked everything down to shooting people.
-Frank
One of the mages I did on the "stat Mr. Lucky" thread was a support mage, so I'll post his stats here:
Pretty useful at mundane healing (17 dice using a medkit to heal a combat wound), magical healiing (15 dice), and counterspelling (4 dice normally, but 9 to block combat spells). Not useless offensively, either, if not quite front-line material.
[ Spoiler ]
Pretty useful at mundane healing (17 dice using a medkit to heal a combat wound), magical healiing (15 dice), and counterspelling (4 dice normally, but 9 to block combat spells). Not useless offensively, either, if not quite front-line material.
The Mana Static spell cannot be cast at too high a level - certainly not at the same level as the Magician's Magic and it imposes a dice pool mod on the caster as well.
EDIT: Answered my own question. Thanks anyway, Fortune.
EDIT: Answered my own question. Thanks anyway, Fortune.
| QUOTE (toturi) |
| A question on Mana Static: Does the Background Count created hurt the caster? |
As far as I know, yes.
| QUOTE (toturi) |
| The Mana Static spell cannot be cast at too high a level - certainly not at the same level as the Magician's Magic and it imposes a dice pool mod on the caster as well. EDIT: Answered my own question. Thanks anyway, Fortune. |
| QUOTE (Street Magic) |
| Mana Static (Environmental, Area) Type: M • Range: LOS (A) |
you can cast mana static as strong as you feel like. granted, it isn't normally a good idea to cast it in an area you happen to be standing in, but that's true of many spells.
Do you guys know how portable the Jammer electronics are? Are we talking cellphone size and smaller here or backpack and larger? I figure that has to be of some worth to cover your back.
A lot of interesting paths being taken here, but it seems being a Magician is almost a necessity. No technological defense against magic that doesn't involve being "proactive" eh?
What about personal defensive skills? Unarmed Combat just to keep yourself safe, etc?
A lot of interesting paths being taken here, but it seems being a Magician is almost a necessity. No technological defense against magic that doesn't involve being "proactive" eh?
What about personal defensive skills? Unarmed Combat just to keep yourself safe, etc?
Frank's got it right about Mana Static. My all time most successful SR4 character was a cybered Magician that quite frankly, kind of sucked in the magic department. Seriously, for a grade 3 initiate, his spell casting was utter crap. On the other hand, thanks to his Pain Editor, Beta SkillWire 4, Counterspell 6, Mana Static (just fire that baby off with some edge) and a handful of drones, he was also pretty much untouchable.
You also don't need a good Magic stat to be provide spell defense. It's really only necessary for dispelling. In fact, if your GM happens to be a bit of a pushover (or simply doesn't mind high power games), there's really nothing stopping you from making a Mystic Adept just to pick up the counterspelling and throwing in things like the Magic Resistance adept power just to make doubly sure that Mages can't mess with your business.
You also don't need a good Magic stat to be provide spell defense. It's really only necessary for dispelling. In fact, if your GM happens to be a bit of a pushover (or simply doesn't mind high power games), there's really nothing stopping you from making a Mystic Adept just to pick up the counterspelling and throwing in things like the Magic Resistance adept power just to make doubly sure that Mages can't mess with your business.
Which Healing spells do you guys think would be the most useful? Apart from Heal and maybe Stabilize?
So far my hypothetical "Defender" has a lot of the Barrier spells. I also figure that having Fix would be a neat idea if he used drones.
I'm also not that familiar with Matrix combat and its inner workings. What would be the minimal skills and programs (with hardware) to provide useful defense?
Glyph, I really like that version of Mr. Lucky, I'm using it as a base actually.
So far my hypothetical "Defender" has a lot of the Barrier spells. I also figure that having Fix would be a neat idea if he used drones.
I'm also not that familiar with Matrix combat and its inner workings. What would be the minimal skills and programs (with hardware) to provide useful defense?
Glyph, I really like that version of Mr. Lucky, I'm using it as a base actually.
don't forget warding. being able to create a solid ward in a relatively short timeframe can be a fantastic asset.
My best/favorite support chars use spirits very heavily. Powers like Movement, Concealment, and Plant/Guardian/Guidance spirits adding counterspelling are great buffs with Accident, Confusion, Fear, and spirits of man with... whatever single spell... are all great debuffs.
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