Dumpshock Forums > Efacious Cat Shaman. Tir Ghost in Training.

SincereAgape

May 18 2009, 03:00 AM

Tyler Crey alias "Tybalt"

This is my first 4th edition PC. He is based off my fascination of elves and stylish and flamboyant characters. The jury is still out on the character after roleplaying him in PbP and once in Paper and Pencil, but I enjoy him to an extent. There are two other versions of him, each one being slightly different, in the Paper and Pencil and PbP games. The skeletons of the three characters are very similar. This is the current incarnation. He's conceptual in nature, ergo didn't max out magic or spellcasting at the cost of aesthetic and cosmetic character concepts. Such as being better then one in all attributes and desiring certain skills (Bikes and Infiltration).

The character concept = He's a novice member of the Black Sun elven militant/terrorist group. His father was once a offer and squad leader amongst the Tir Ghosts (Adapt), before he botched a mission in the UCAS. Thus their family name was disgraced. His mother was a Shadowrunner (Rigger) working out of DC. He is a extremist for the old regime of the Tir Tairngire. In order to develop contacts, conduct missions, and develop his skills, the Black Suns have sent him out as a Shadowrunner. Because of the family name, the Black Suns are making him conduct a Baptism by Fire for their recruiting process. His goal is to become a member of the legendary Tir Ghosts or become a Tir Paladin.

Any input about his statistics/tweaking/nitpicking archtype personality dichonomy would be appreciated. Since this is my first PC character, I want to make sure he was created properly as well. Thanks.

Breakdown
Race: 30 BP
Attributes: 210 BP
Skills: 116 BP
Qualities: - 15 BP
Resources: 20 BP
Spells: 30 BP
Foci: 5 BP
Contacts: 4 BP
Total: 400 BP.

Mechanics

[ Spoiler ]

Apperance

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Twenty Questions

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Background

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Octopiii

May 18 2009, 05:55 AM

You have a gun but no weapon skills. You have a commlink but no programs.

You spent 5k too much on your sustaining foci, it's rating x 10k.

If you're going to take a sustaining foci, you might as well pick up a rating 3 sustaining focus, and get a third initiative pass.

You can save bp by dropping the conjuring group and picking up Summoning and Binding instead; banishing is pretty worthless.

You might want to see if you can figure out a way to increase your willpower by 1 - it will give you an extra box of stun.

You have a lot of charisma but no social skills! You should figure out a way to free up some bp for that.

Kyoto Kid

May 18 2009, 06:02 AM

...A new target for the forsaken daughter if he ever shows up in the Plex.

SincereAgape

May 18 2009, 02:41 PM

QUOTE (Octopiii @ May 18 2009, 01:55 AM)

You have a gun but no weapon skills. You have a commlink but no programs.

You spent 5k too much on your sustaining foci, it's rating x 10k.

If you're going to take a sustaining foci, you might as well pick up a rating 3 sustaining focus, and get a third initiative pass.

You can save bp by dropping the conjuring group and picking up Summoning and Binding instead; banishing is pretty worthless.

You might want to see if you can figure out a way to increase your willpower by 1 - it will give you an extra box of stun.

You have a lot of charisma but no social skills! You should figure out a way to free up some bp for that.

Thanks for the suggestions. You're right on a lot of accounts. Purchasing the gun and expensive commlink are mostly cosmetic touches upon the character. They easily disposable, and I believe magicians can get away with purchasing inexpensive commlinks (Unless they begin to store data). The character has gremlins so that would not fit the concept. With the extra money, he could purchase the level 3 Sustaining Foci

.

It will be difficult to rework the attributes to obtain a new point in Willpower. I like where the attributes are, and don't think an extra box of stun damage is going to a huge difference in his survivability.

Really considering your suggestion in dropping the conjuring group. Summoning would still be at 4 (20), Binding perhaps a 2 or 3 (8,12), and Banishing could be a one (4). That would free up between 8 to 4 build points.

-What I noticed is that the character does not specialize in any type of magical spells, or specialize in any particular aspect of being a mage. For example, Cat Shamans are apparently good at being nimble, stealthy, thieves. Sharks are combat mages, then there are occult investigators etc. Was thinking about changing his totem to fit better with character concepts. Perhaps taking up the totem of the Lion instead.

Lion (Page 182 of Street Magic)

Lion is a proud and a skilled warrior, but Lion also represents the fringes of the world, where unknowable things threaten mankind. Lion stalks this dark hinterland, protecting civilzation by attacking the things that could threaten it. Lion is not an altruistic beast, however; she will just as readily cull the weak from mankind.

Advantages: +2 Dice for Combat Spells, +2 Dice for Banishing Tests.
Disadvantages: Lion magicians refuse to back down from challenges. A Lion must make a Willpower +Charisma (3) test to forgive a slight, back down from a fight, or refuse a challenge.

Being a Lion would assist with having a banishing skill of one. He would then be able to drop Infiltration in favor of Perhaps a Social Skill. The Charisma is high, mainly because it helps resist drain, decent in astral combat, and helps pass through wards.

Octopiii

May 18 2009, 03:12 PM

Banishing works ok on unbound spirits; but become pretty problematic when facing bound spirits, where you have to add in the Summoner's magic as well. Then you have to deal with the drain being equal to 2x hits... Ask yourself if you think will be facing enough spirits to make it worth while to sink the points into it, considering you're already spread a bit thin. After all, you can just Manabolt them, and take less drain!

QUOTE

Being a Lion would assist with having a banishing skill of one. He would then be able to drop Infiltration in favor of Perhaps a Social Skill. The Charisma is high, mainly because it helps resist drain, decent in astral combat, and helps pass through wards.

You don't have the Astral Combat skill

. Otherwise, good points, but I think you're missing the chance of adding another dimension by not giving him the influence group. You've sunk considerable resources into his Charisma, you should really look to ways of using it besides being a drain stat.

Oh, and you probably don't need a Mana Lodge straight out of Char Gen.

Rasumichin

May 18 2009, 03:43 PM

QUOTE (Octopiii @ May 18 2009, 06:55 AM)

You have a gun but no weapon skills.

None of my casters have weapon skills either (not playing SR4A, i don't see the need to shoot a gun when you can stunbolt your opposition), but they always carry a Warhawk or even an AK97 because in a world where secguards are told to "shoot the mage first", being the only unarmed person in a team of gun-toting runners going up against heavy opposition is kinda like wearing a bullseye on your forehead...

QUOTE

You can save bp by dropping the conjuring group and picking up Summoning and Binding instead; banishing is pretty worthless.

Unless you play a pokémancer and go for stealing other people's spirits.
I like the idea of collecting posession spirits for materialization traditions, or simply spirit types you don't have access to in the first place- or even getting your own pet insect spirit...
But that's a highly specific use.

In general, i think that at least some points in Astral Combat may be more useful than Banishing- even if you use spellcasting as a means of astral attack, going up against a skilled astral combatant (like...every single medium- to high Force spirit...) means entering a world of hurt.

As far as the character goes, i suggest checking out some of the qualities from Runner's Companion- stuff like Prejudiced or Code Of Conduct may fit the theme very well.

Martin Silenus

May 19 2009, 11:04 PM

My mage is somewhat similar to this guy, and in his original build he was pretty sociable. I found the most BP-efficient way to make it work was to just take the social skill group at one point, and the increase charisma spell. You have to cast at force 7 to work, but IIRC the drain is still really low, and you can try a few times if you need to to get your cha maxed out at 12. You have to sustain for -2 dice, but relative to defaulting you're still picking up 5 dice across an entire skillgroup (rolling 11 total instead of 6) for the cost of only 13 BP.

[Edit: fixing math]

easl

May 20 2009, 12:45 AM

No points on dodge?

SincereAgape

May 24 2009, 07:10 PM

QUOTE (Martin Silenus @ May 19 2009, 06:04 PM)

My mage is somewhat similar to this guy, and in his original build he was pretty sociable. I found the most BP-efficient way to make it work was to just take the social skill group at one point, and the increase charisma spell. You have to cast at force 7 to work, but IIRC the drain is still really low, and you can try a few times if you need to to get your cha maxed out at 12. You have to sustain for -2 dice, but relative to defaulting you're still picking up 5 dice across an entire skillgroup (rolling 11 total instead of 6) for the cost of only 13 BP.

[Edit: fixing math]

Thanks for the suggestion guys. Actually re-worked the character right before a sessions yesterday. The Banishing skill was banished from the character and in it's place was social group amongst other things. Did manage to run into a few watcher spirits whom were tracking the party, and might have provided a little to much overkill when the character used a stunbolt to dispose of it. The first karma points the character receives will be used for astral combat and level 1 initiation.

Character was edited from above. Rearranged some of the skill points. Purchased and invested in a level 3 sustaining foci. Added one build point to resources, added one BP to foci, took away two from skills. Replaced physical barrier with stunbolt. Thinking about gearing the character towards a investigator for the Black Suns/Combat mage.

Critias

May 25 2009, 04:51 PM

You seem awful light on mundane combat/physical abilities for someone who's wanting to be a Ghost operator someday. Take a look at their SR4 stats (or even some of them from SR3, where their Combat Mages were statted up) for a little inspiration. Right now he just looks an awful lot like every other street mage out there, in my opinion. Nothing about him really screams "Black Sun Terrorist" or "Tir Ghost in training" in the slightest.

SincereAgape

May 25 2009, 05:40 PM

That's why he's in training

Other than that though. You make a good point. Most Tir Ghosts I believe were either adapts, aspected magicians, or street samurais. The Ghosts probably do have magicians, probably intiatiates at very high level.

Wasabi

May 25 2009, 06:25 PM

Aside from any tweaking of the buildout I must say its excellently written up. A lot of love went into your making your character!

SincereAgape

May 25 2009, 10:05 PM

QUOTE (Critias @ May 25 2009, 11:51 AM)

You seem awful light on mundane combat/physical abilities for someone who's wanting to be a Ghost operator someday. Take a look at their SR4 stats (or even some of them from SR3, where their Combat Mages were statted up) for a little inspiration. Right now he just looks an awful lot like every other street mage out there, in my opinion. Nothing about him really screams "Black Sun Terrorist" or "Tir Ghost in training" in the slightest.

Thanks for the compliment Wasabi and thank you for all of you whom have replied with feedback and suggestions. Re-reading this post and thinking about it makes me kind of pissed in a good way. Because Critias is right. I feel like trying to remake this character into an Aspected magician or a mystic adapt in the coming weeks.

Critias

May 26 2009, 01:05 AM

No insult was intended, by the way -- it was meant as purely constructive criticism. Several of my characters have been Tir based, and (in fact) my longest-running Shadowrunner is a former Tir Ghost named Connor Alan Tybalt. I spent the vast majority of his Shadowrunning career just trying to get him into line and matching, or exceeding, the canon stats posted for Tir Ghosts.

So when I see a Ghost-wannabe named Tybalt...well...I pretty immediately get a certain mental image in my head. When there were certain skills missing, I couldn't help but comment.

SincereAgape

May 26 2009, 12:05 PM

None was taken Critias. Conceptually, it was a very productive set of words.

Color me curious. But I'd like to hear more about your character.

Another poster mentioned this in the 'green beret' character thread, but with only 400 build points, it's difficult to make a shadowrunner who holds up to the standards of a member of an elite group in a military such as the ghosts. I should do a little more research statistics for Tir Ghosts or Paladins. A 4th edition aspected magician should be entertaining to create.

Critias

May 26 2009, 03:08 PM

Well, yeah. It's something that really can't be done as a starting character, but you could at least be walking the right path -- a little Firearms Group, a little Stealth Group, stuff like that. Trying to do so as a starting mage is even more difficult, of course, but there could be some groundwork laid, at least. Remember, too, that for a long time the Tir had mandatory military service for everyone (or, at least, for everyone without the political clout to get out of it). It's perfectly in-character for any Tir elf to have some basic infantry training...and the fact that someday that'll grow up into (potentially) Ghost levels of ability is just icing on the cake.

For Connor, it took me a long, long, time to get to where he was equal to or better than a Tir Ghost (as published) at most things. He was near the 250 karma mark before retirement. An awful, awful, lot of karma went into the nightmarish black holes that became his Stealth, SMGs, and Unarmed Combat pools. I was trying to round him out as a character, too, of course, so plenty of other stuff was getting upgraded...but I made a point of investing pretty heavily in those three (Assault Rifles never got higher than a 6, for me) to maintain the "feel" of a Tir Ghost.