Hi there. Im new tho SR4 and would like some tips from you guys. Having recently read Neal Gayman's American Gods and being a fan of unknown armies, I had the idea to create a "City Shaman".

This guy would be like a Shaman but deconstructed to have its "indian" elements substituted by urban ones. So instead of wooden amulets, feathers, leather clothes, etc. the would wear wrist clocks, cell phones, Nike snickers, digital cams, synthetic drugs and other urban gadgets that, while totally mundane for me and you, would be of uttmost significancy to his magic (just like wooden amulets and fetishes are for a indian shaman).


His tradition's spirits would be something like this...

Illusion: TV
Manipulation: Money
Combat: Firearm
etc.

So, he could summon the spirit of the DigiCam and ask it to search for a person (through all people camera lenses in a city block); or Summon the spirit of money to help him bribe a cop, or summon the spirit of the Firearm and make a target get hit by an astray shot from a firefight ocurring 2 blocks away. Or yet, summon the spirit of the Highway to travel from Seattle to New York in just 1 day.

And he could have a huge penalty if he goes out of city to the wilds, or even by entering a intra-city park with many trees.

I would like to try and build a character like this, but dont know how. Any help is appreciated.

Personally, I'd use the standard shamanism template but write the fluff to refect your ideas, which are good. So the spirits your character summons would look like a TV, credstick, etc. This requires no additional rules but fits your concept well.

Thanks for the tip.

By the way, how the templates categories interact with the spirit type? I mean, if I got "Combat: Beasts", what does it mean in game terms?

+1 You don't need additional rules. What you describe is purely flavour.

The spirit categories describe which type of spirit does support which category of spells if you want it to aid you in spellcasting.

The different types of spirits (Air, Beast, Earth, Fire, Man, Water, Guardian, Guidance, Plant and Task) each have specific attributes and powers. The powers describe the 'special' things that spirit is capable of and many of the ideas you've listed above have an analogous power. For example, a spirit of earth using the movement power would fit your concept of the spirit of the highway helping characters to get around quickly. A spirit of man using influence could be the spirit of money you describe helping you bribe a cop, or a spirit of man could use search and provide you with the information you described getting from the spirit of the DigiCam.

Have a look at the powers section of the core rule book and also the spirit powers described in Street Magic to get an idea of what can be done and how to flavor it for your shaman.

Incidentally, it's Neil Gaiman. American Gods is one of my favorite books, and he is one of my favorite authors. I'd recommend you folks pick up a copy!

I myself prefer Jim Butcher's Dresden Files for inspiration for magical paradigmas (traditions) in SR but I see what you did there.

Take Geas:Location:city from Street magic p.27.

If you break geas (go outside of city in this case), your magic is reduced by 1 for 24 hours.

Ok, thanks. Now I see aI will have to get Street Magic.

What are some good supplements to get beside SM ? Which ones have the more usefull substance?

for the city shaman? digital grimoire (more magic), arsenal (manatech) and runner's companion (qualities, more about free spirits)

Okay. Gonna look them.

One doubt I have: is the Mentor spirit optional? May I be a full magician and choose not have a Mentor Spirit (and keep conjuring spirits anyway) ??

Yep.

LOL at "Gayman" instead of however it's really spelled. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were making a joke about his being gay.

EDIT: I mean, I don't know if he is or not. I'm really just commenting on the mis-spelling.

common misspelling.

Gaiman is married and the father of three. If he's gay, he's pretty deep in the closet.

Silva, you don't need to buy those books, though they will help to better customize your character. A lot can be done with just the core rules. Street Magic is definitely the best resource for you, for this character concept, as it details a number of magical traditions, which are essentially just a list of the five spirit types that sort of magician can summon, and what magic they are linked to, the stat they use to resist drain, and then the flavor which describes the way they view magic and fit in to society. You already have an excellent concept and flavor, IMO, so it's just a matter of putting the stats together to make it all work. To do that, you will either want to build upon an already existing magical tradition or create your own (with GM permission).