This is my 1st 4edition character and I could use some help with optimization. It has been a while since I last played shadowrun and I am a bit rusty.

My old 3rd edition character's concept was a magician/face type who was a former spy. Not much of a nuker, in fact she had only 2 combat spells (stunball, bolt). Good with influence and inflitration (skills aided with magic). Obviously my 3rd edition character was more powerful (nature of the edition and more karma) but I want to be effective in both roles of a magician//face (ala spy). I made some notes below.

Thanks in advance.

see post 10 for updated character based on feedback

Search for the key word Pornmancer here in the forums, you will see how that type of character can be built or not built in some point of views.

WMS

I don't think that power foci (especially at low levels) are as useful in SR4 but I'm not sure.

I searched under that keyword and did not find anything

Try Pornomancer

Opps he is most correct.

WMS

what foci are useful for begining character?

lol, i just read one of the pornomancer builds. very funny, but not what I looking for. Though I should make one because it sounds like a lot of fun.

A quote from somewhere...
GM: Three guards at the door. They want to see your SIN.
ADEPT: Are they women?
GM: No.
ADEPT: Are they gay?
GM: No.
ADEPT: I'm going to seduce them anyway. *rolls 28 successes* They're gay for me now! I release my godlike tower of man-meat, and it is pleased.
GM: Stop! Stop!
ADEPT: I say to the guards: "Behold my enormous SIN!"
GM: Every police station in town saw your SIN. Lone Star surrounds you. They're about to arrest you for violating every public nudity law ever made.
ADEPT: No problem. I seduce them too.

Elf is well worth it for a charisma based tradition because it significantly helps your drain pool. As an elf, you pay 30 points and get +3 to your attributes, so it's really a wash if you were going to take those attributes anyway.



High body, low reaction? That's a bad Bakh! Bad! *whip crack sound*

SR4 is all about avoiding damage. You need to have semi-decent reaction if you want to live. Body 5 will not let you soak bullets in SR4, even light arms will kill you unless you go super tank style.

Lower body, raise reaction. Low agility is a problem because you can't use Infiltration well, though that's something you can deal with maybe.



You can't afford to choose between dodge and perception, you need both at decent ratings or your PC will not be viable.



You have a max of 35 points in positive qualities at chargen.



Combat Sense (the detection spell) is your FRIEND. Consider taking it. Chaotic world is not that great in the era of dice pool modifiers; even if you really put the smackdown on someone with 6 net hits, there are people for whom -6 will not prevent them from killing you.



A spellcasting focus and power focus of the same rating duplicate each other. You can't use them both on one test, and they both provide 1 die... Absolutely pointless to have both. I usually go with a power focus 2 on my mages because it's a nice boost to everything and doesn't quite break the bank. Things like spellcasting foci, counterspelling foci, and conjuring foci can have a higher rating at chargen, but they are generally limited to one spell category, making them much worse from a utility standpoint.

You should probably go for sustaining foci for all of the self boosting spells you'd need to sustain at once. That would include increase reflexes and improved invisibility, as well as combat sense if you take it.



A spellcaster with no way to negate vision mods. Ouch! As an elf, you would get lowlight, that would go a long way. Then you could carry around a lowlight flashlight to negate darkness mods, at least...

ok, round 2. Thanks for the input so far!!!!! As before, notes below.

Female Elf (30pts)

Stats: (160)
Body 2
Agility 2
Reaction 4
Strength 1
Charisma 7
Intuition 3
Logic 2
Willpower 5
Edge 2
Magic 5

Skills: (120)
Spellcasting 5 (Combat+2) -----maybe switch to illusion?
Summoning 5
Counterspelling 4
Con 4 (Seduction+2)
Dodge 4 (Ranged+2)
Perception 4

Knowledge/Language (15)
Paranormal Animals 3
Greater Seattle 3
Occult Knowledge 3
English N
Uto-Aztecan 3
Sperethiel 3

Contacts (12)
Fixer 3/3
Talismonger 4/2

Positive/Negative Qualities (35/-35)
Focused Concentration 1
Magician
First Impression
Spirit Mentor (Seductress) +2 illusons and con
Addiction (moderate)
Sensitive System
Simsense Vertigo

Magic (67)
Stunball (Direct)
Stunbolt (Direct)
Heal
Increase Reflexes
Combat Sense (Active, Psychic)
Improved Invisibility (Realistic, Single)
Physical Mask (Realistic, Multi)
Levitate (Physical)

Resources (11) 55k
Sustaining Foci 3
Hermes Ikon Comlink w/ Iris Orb OS, Subvocal Mic
Suzuki Mirage
Earbuds w/ Audio Enh 3 and Select Sound Filter 3
Fake SIN 4
Fake License 4 x2
Glasses w/ Flare Comp, Image Link, Thermo, Vision Ench 2
Camera
Stim Patches x4 4
3 months Low Lifestyle
Urban Explorer Jumpsuit w/ Fire Resist. 5
Helmet
Clothing (300)


If she were a human, it may look something like this...mostly the same except
Human (no low-light)
lower Agility from 2 to 1
lower Charisma from 7 to 5
increase edge from 2 to 3
increase Etiquette 2 to 3
add Intimidation from 0 to 4

Nitpick: Specializations do not actually increase the rating of the skill itself (ie. from 5 to 7). Instead, they are a Dice Pool Modifier, much the same as a visibility penalty or wound modifier. The conventional method of indicating a skill with a specialization is Dodge: 4 {Ranged +2}.

Other than that, personally I'd find a way to increase Counterspelling to 4.

As a spellcaster, you want that Edge up. All your spells are limited in total successes to the Force of your spell; so if you toss a Force 5 stunbolt, you can only use a maximum of 5 successes, no matter how many you roll. The only exception to this is if you spend Edge. Then, the cap is removed, and you can use all the successes you roll.

Once again, thanks for the input. I made the suggested changed to Post 10.

Summary:

Spellcasting 10 dice (12 for combat)
Con 11 dice (13 for seduction)
Drain Resist 14 dice

hmm, if I were to change my positive qualities to:
Magician
Spirit Mentor (Seductress)
First Impression
Focused Concentration 1
it would look like something like this:

Spellcasting 10 dice (12 for combat and illusions)
Con 13 dice (15 for seduction)
drain resist 13 dice

I think that is much better, what do you think?

another question, is armor worth buying for this type character? would it even matter?

Ok, round 3. I have been playing the above character and it works pretty well. However, based on how I have been playing the character, my GM is allowing me to alter the character to better fit my play style. I have been acting more as a spy/face/astral/scout/spirit master, less combat mage. Therefore, here is what I was thinking...reduce reaction, dodge, add binding and assessing, add orgy/orgasm/agony, remove combat sense. Would this be a really bad idea? Here is what it should look like...

Elf Magician
Body1
Agility2
Reaction1
Strength1
Charisma7
Intuition4
Willpower5
Edge2
Magic5

Spellcasting (Illusion) 5+2
Counterspelling 4
Summoning 5
Binding 4
Con (Seduction) 4+2
Etiquette (Street) 2+2
Perception 4
Assessing 2

English(N)
occult knowledge
street drugs
popular culture
paranormals animals
magic background
downtown seattle

fixer 2/2
talismonger 2/2

first impression
focused concentration 1
mentor spirit (seductress)

addiction (moderate)
sensitive system
simsense vertigo

stunball
stunbolt
heal
increase reflexes
agony
improved invisibility
orgasm
orgy
physical mask
levitate

bound spirit of man (with heal) with 5 services

sustaining focus 3
power focus 2

same gear as above