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Zurai

Mar 14 2009, 03:06 AM

So, I'm brand new to actually playing Shadowrun (though I owned the SR3 core rules, I never got to play with them), and about to start up a campaign with several other people who are brand new to Shadowrun. I'm playing the magical support out of the group (we also have a face/sam, a sneaker/sam, and a hacker/rigger) and would like to run my character by some veterans for a basic sanity check, just to make sure there's nothing vital I've forgotten and no glaring errors I've made. I'm not looking to totally min-max the character (as will be obvious from my metatype / mage path choice), and I don't want to steal the show, but I would like to be at least reasonably effective. So, any advice on avoiding either extreme (overshadowing the other players or being totally overshadowed by them) would be welcome. We're using the base SR4 ruleset, not SR4A, at least not yet.

The basic character concept is a Troll Voodoo utility mage. He has a couple combat spells, but mostly he's there to provide support to the other characters. He's got an inroad with the local Vory organization who he trades favors with (supply me with cheap raw reagents and I'll refine raw reagents up for you for free, etc). Eventually he's going to want to make an Ally Spirit or two, but that's a long-term goal. The campaign is set in Jacksonville, FL (where most of the players and the GM live) although there are some minor canon changes (such as having one of the CAS carriers be based in Mayport... Mobile, my heiny!). "Cajun Troll Voodoo Mage" is non-negotiable; the rest I'll be happy to accept advice on.

EDIT: Whoops, forgot the negative qualities.

[ Spoiler ]

Ryu

Mar 14 2009, 07:16 AM

Looking VERY good there. You could overshadow many other builds with that character, but that is in the application of what you have, and not automatic. The thing you have to watch is the use of the "choose from skill category" powers, and of superhuman stats gained from being possessed by high-force spirits. If you go light on that, you won´t have problems.

I would likely try to get some Influence group ranks in there, or some Intimidation skill. Since you get to be physically and magically threatening, a low rating will do for the later.

Zurai

Mar 14 2009, 06:18 PM

Thanks! Glad to hear I havn't missed anything critical.

I did originally have a rank in Intimidation, but it got lost in the shuffle somewhere. I'll see what I can do about dropping a point in another skill and just putting the whole Influence group at 1 (sacrificing the Bargaining spec).

As for becoming a combat monster through possession, I'll try to reserve that for a panic button. The plan is for him to mostly use spirits in a non-combat role. My research on Voodoo doesn't really support either the spirits or the houngans being heavy into combat, anyway, with the exception of one branch of loas.

One question I have that I can't find a clear answer to in the books: can a Possession tradition mage summon spirits in the Astral without them having to possess someone/thing? For example, summoning a Guidance spirit to use its Search power to locate someone on the Astral, without ever physically entering the world. I would assume yes, but you know what they say about assuming...

Ryu

Mar 14 2009, 08:31 PM

Yes, possession replaces materialisation. On the astral, both tradition types are pretty equal.

Zurai

Mar 14 2009, 08:34 PM

Thanks. That's pretty much what I figured, but I wanted confirmation.

kzt

Mar 15 2009, 01:33 AM

I'd be really careful. A troll running a possession tradition is easily capable of over shining just about anyone. Trolls with 12 points of hardened armor plus regular armor can wade through a dozen guys with SMGs like they are not even there.

Zurai

Mar 15 2009, 02:05 AM

I'm not planning on self-possessing in combat unless things have gone really far south.

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