Physad V1.0

Ork
Mystic Adept
B:4
A:5
R:4
S:6
C:2
I:3
L:2
W:4

Edge: 3
Magic 6 (split 3/3)
Init: 7
Essence: 6

Qualities: ambidex, astral chameleon, mentor spirit
Negs: Aspected magic (spellcasting), addiction, mild (cram), allergy, unc/mod (silver), sensitive system

Adept Powers:killing hands, crit strike lvl 3, pen strike lvl 3, combat sense lvl 2

Spells:imp invis, physical mask, stealth, levitate, increase reflex

Skills (that matter):
Athletics group: 3
unarmed (martial arts): 5
pistols (semis): 3
inflitrate: 4
percept: 1
con: 1
spellcasting: 4
pilot ground craft: 1

Main equipment: camo suit (lvl 6 everything), tricked out hammerli, sustaining focus 3 (i dont know what it can do, but I know its probably good, since I will want a bunch of my spells be sustained on me)


Or....

Physad v2.0

Ork
Adept

B:4
A:5 (7)
R:4 (5)
S:6
C:2
I:3
L:2
W:3

Edge: 4
Magic 6 (5)
Init: 7 ( + 1 IP
Essence: 5.02

Qualities: ambidex
Neg: sensitive system, addiction, mild (cram), allergy, unc/mod (silver), incompetent (swords)

bioware: muscle toner 2, synaptic boosters 1, synthacardium 2

adept powers: killing hands, pen strike lvl 3, critical strike lvl 5, combat sense lvl 5

Skills (that matter):
Athletics group: 3 (5 synthacardium)
unarmed (martial arts): 5
pistols (semis): 4
inflitrate: 5
percept: 3
ediquette: 1
pilot ground craft: 1

Same equipment except no sustaining focus but has tooled out mage sight goggles.


My initial guess is that v1.0 is better at stealth but v2.0 is more survivable and better in combat. I would appreciate discussion as to your preferences, why, and how to tweak.

Thank!

Edit: (took out spellcasting error, thanks whipstitch!)

You accidentally left in spellcasting 4 on the physad. Probably just a copy and paste error, but thought I'd mention it in case you used a chargen utility and accidentally paid BPs for it. Overall, it's a tough call which one is better; the second is the better solo artist, but the first one is pretty stealthy and can use his spells to let a clumsy buddy come in with him.

Improved Invis doesn't pay off until force 4+ where the Object Resistance of most objects is lower than the force. Otherwise the objects see through the invis, making it not worthwhile. Your Mystic Adept will be overcasting to be invisible.

Increase reflexes is good at force 3, but won't max out IP's unless overcast also. With all that over casting, any error on the dice is going to be wounding you and thus making you easier to kill from a combat perspective.

Better to do it with bioware/cyberware IMO.

Both are pretty good characters out of the box. The mystic adept will have more future potential with spells and initiation while the adept is better now. Some ways to improve them (strictly from a power gaming perspective).

Mystic Adept
-I would consider switching your focus from unarmed combat to either automatics, thrown weapons or blades.
-If you do switch you can change the adept powers you have to get some power throwing, improved ability or mystic armor - which will improve your combat
-Or you could buy more stealth powers like traceless walk and wall running.
-Drop the Camo Suit - your imp. invis spell is better.
-Use the saved nuyen to buy a weapon foci or convert to karma for more spells.
-Buy the stunbolt spell - it is the best anti-Street Sam weapon in existence.
-Something to consider: Astral sight and one level of assensing can be a life saver.

Adept
-Same thing with the adept powers as above.
-Mage sight goggles are useless for him - get ultrasound goggles instead.
-I would consider dropping the starting magic to 5 (3) and using the extra BP to buy one more level of synaptic booster.

I don't mean to beat up on unarmed combat if the character concept is based around it. It just requires a lot of adept powers to work well, while a weapon foci or a good set of pistols are just as good, but without the adept power outlay.

I'm sure someone will RAW me to death if i am wrong, but I think that you mystic adepts can only an amount of adept powers equal to there adept magic stat. If you want my advice I'd trade out the aspected quality, and trade out all the hand to hand powers and the strength for social skills boosted by improved ability (3), and Kinesics (3), some social skills, and a pair of shock gloves. They have almost as much DV as your punch did, and usually more AP plus come with the +2 to hit for touch attacks. Then have points left over to be a good face. Never underestimate how good it is to have your hacker spoof an emergency repair memo to the gate guard, and walk right in past him with a clip board. Then start sneaking around once you are past the parking lot cammera/drones/spirits and the facility's outer gate and wards. Even if you have face already, I know my team ties him up nearly constantly looking for the hottest 'ware.

I certainly don't want to RAW you to death. I think adepts can have as many powers as they want, but can only have a level up to their magic or adept magic stat.

My intent is to make a character who is decent out of the box, but has room to grow.

Good analysis so far guys. Thanks!

And adept gets a number of power points equal to their magic rating. A mystic adept gets a number of power points equal to their "adept" magic rating. The previous edition's divide between magic and power points is completely gone.

Ok, I followed some of the advice given to slightly optimize the character.

Dwarf
mystic adept

B:3
A:5
R:4
S:3
C:5
I:2
L:2
W:2

Edge: 3
Magic 6 (split 4/2)
Init: 6
Essence: 6

Qualities: ambidex, astral chameleon, first empression
Negs: addict, mild (cram), incompetent (blades), sensitive system, gremlins 2

Adept powers: attribute boost lvl 2 (agility), enhanced perception lvl 2, kinesics lvl 2

Spells:imp invis, phy mask, increase reflex, mind probe, heal, stunbolt

Skills:
Influence group: 2
unarmed: 3
Autos (smgs): 3
inflitrate: 4
percept: 2
spellcasting: 4
pilot ground craft: 1
Assensing: 1
Dodge: 3
Running: 3

This guy is like a second face, stealther, and can be decent in a firefight. I'll probably get a sustaining focus 3, probably use shock gloves and ingrams as my weapons.

Things I am not sure about:
1) spell selection: should I have more illusion and influence type stuff, or should I keep it spread around like I do now?

2) Should I keep attribute boost agility and enhanced perception? With one power point I could do a lot. Maybe voice control?

3) Not sure about all my stats. I don't know where I'd get extra points... I'm probably going to up body asap with karma.

Criticism and comment welcome, thanks!

This new build is begging for an alphaware skillwire (rating 4) for 32k, .96 essence. You could give up the influence skill group to play for the 'ware and ton of skillsofts giving you the skills at 4 instead of 2. This would also let you buy your way into some decent hacking if you want go there as well as those once in a million skills like Parachuting or Pilot Aerospace that you almost never need, but when you do... that 9000 deoesn't seem like quit to much know does it. I'd also loose the Improved Agility because you can't always buy musle toner if you really feel you need it, or you can get one more sustaining focus, or summon a spirit have it sustain it/ possess you. SR has a ton of overlapping effects whenever you see something you want think to yourself if there a cheap/more renewable way to get it. If you can do it with a spell wait untill you have the money for the focus and don't tie yourself down with a 'ware or adept powers. And by the same token comb the adept powers for anything you want that you can't any other way. IMO improve non-combat skill is the best adept power. It's liquid awesome for every build but a one dimensional gun bunny.

Weavermount, could you please articulate what you said a little better for me. I am a complete newbie to SR.

If I loose a point of essence, what should i take it off of? The casting part or the adept part. Skill wires look amazing, but if I took those, shouldn't i just drop magic all together and just cyber/bioware out? Or at least drop down to only an adept....

I like mystic adept, but I don't think it jives well with any sort of 'ware. It seems only adepts can use 'ware effectively.

I love skillwires (I love buying them beta grade or higher once in play), but I'm afraid you're stuck with rating 3 due to availability at chargen. For a mystic adept it might be worthwhile to try living through a few runs with what skills you've got and then really take a long hard look at yourself. If you're really missing some just plain good old fashioned utility skills, then SkillWires would be a great choice. The 'ware itself is quite the bargain. Heck, getting Beta SkillWire 4 is only 32k nuyen. It gets expensive fast once you start adding activesofts ofts, but then again, it only really takes one or two activesofts for the skillwires to be worth having around.

I mean they sounds amazing...thats for sure. But I mean, if I was to cyber, I will have to drop sensitive system and lose a point of magic from either casting or adept...which would be better. I know you need magic at 4 for it to start being good. But adept 1 kinda sucks.

If I go straight adept I could definitely pull it off. But then I would lack free IPs. So I would have to try and get synaptic boosts, which are too expensive.

I would hold off on the skillwires. They are cheap to buy later in the game, even with alphaware. Also, they are much better if you buy them at a rating of 4+, which you can't do at character generation. You'll also have more karma to raise your magic back up.

And let's face it, it is hard to make a mystic adept work with 400 BP. Too much stuff to buy.

@klinktastic:

I also generally allow some tweaking after a few games. Once we get set on the character you're going to play, you can run him for a few games and then alter him a bit as necessary. I wouldn't want you to switch him from a cyber-sam to a mage or anything that drastic, but if you try to use a spell and find out it isn't as good as you were hoping, or you decide you're prefer one more power point at the cost of your magical abilities, that sort of thing is okay with me.