My girlfriend wants to play as a Combat Mage in our upcoming local Shadowrun 4e game. Most of us (including her) are new to Shadowrun. Does anyone have a good Combat Mage build for her and/or some tips on making a really good one?
Thanks in advance!
Full Version: Combat Mage tips
Anyone? Pretty please! She is looking at playing a hermetic combat mage. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Ok, what kind of combat mage?
There is the summon spirits who kick ass combat mage, the mind control all the guards to shoot themselves combat mage, the sneaky stunbolt combat mage, the fireball combat mage (who should instead buy a grenade launcher), etc.
My basic suggestion is to not plan to use magic when you can use tech instead. Physical spells are only really useful when you have a magic rating of silly, use a grenade launcher instead of fireball at start. Stunbolt/ball works better then manabolt/ball You can always kill unconscious people, but the reverse is not true. Have healing, it's really useful after first aid instead of going to a hospital. Mana static is a hellishly powerful spell under the right conditions, like a swarm of force 3 spirits, but it isn't a typical "combat" spell.
Consider synaptic booster 2. It's always "cast" and isn't stopped by wards or detected trivially.
Have enough skill with a gun to be able to keep up with at least the bad guys. If you have stunbolt don't worry about unarmed or melee unless you want to.
Always have countermagic at 4 or better. Don't take ritual magic or banishing. Have summoning. A spirit of man who can cast stunballs with you is really helpful, not to mention having him go and see what is on the other side of that wall. Watchers don't suck either, but they are dumb, dumb, dumb.
There is the summon spirits who kick ass combat mage, the mind control all the guards to shoot themselves combat mage, the sneaky stunbolt combat mage, the fireball combat mage (who should instead buy a grenade launcher), etc.
My basic suggestion is to not plan to use magic when you can use tech instead. Physical spells are only really useful when you have a magic rating of silly, use a grenade launcher instead of fireball at start. Stunbolt/ball works better then manabolt/ball You can always kill unconscious people, but the reverse is not true. Have healing, it's really useful after first aid instead of going to a hospital. Mana static is a hellishly powerful spell under the right conditions, like a swarm of force 3 spirits, but it isn't a typical "combat" spell.
Consider synaptic booster 2. It's always "cast" and isn't stopped by wards or detected trivially.
Have enough skill with a gun to be able to keep up with at least the bad guys. If you have stunbolt don't worry about unarmed or melee unless you want to.
Always have countermagic at 4 or better. Don't take ritual magic or banishing. Have summoning. A spirit of man who can cast stunballs with you is really helpful, not to mention having him go and see what is on the other side of that wall. Watchers don't suck either, but they are dumb, dumb, dumb.
Being a new GM myself I would suggest to an unexperienced player to use the premade generic combat mage with the knowledge that it's a learning experience. This will be good to get a grasp on what spells to get and which gear and learning astral perception etc...You can always switch skills and or qualities to flesh out the character to make it her own.
The provided one does have the 'advantage' of being so awful it will make her feel good when she makes her own next and it is kick-ass in comparison.
QUOTE (Strict9 @ Jun 14 2009, 12:50 AM) 
Being a new GM myself I would suggest to an unexperienced player to use the premade generic combat mage with the knowledge that it's a learning experience. This will be good to get a grasp on what spells to get and which gear and learning astral perception etc...You can always switch skills and or qualities to flesh out the character to make it her own.
I like pregens.. but character building is always the reason i LIKE RPGs such as ShadowRun. I would suggest she look at the premades.. and build off of it. When it comes to combat mages tho.. stunbolt, stunball, and Healing are pretty much the bread and butter. Picking of a mentor spirit is nice and a good bit of fluff, also Focus Concentration is good. As far as Attributes.. Magic, Lodgic, Will are good ones to have boosted, and I ALWAYS like EDGE!
If she just wants to bring the big mojo to the party then take sorcery 7 and have manaball as one of your spells. Low drain high output, skip the flasy spells. heal is also good, Other good spell. Wreck Drone. kills drones dead. Hot potato is also fun. makes the enemy drop the guns. Also make sure that she shells out for the magic 6. less than that is silly for a full time caster.
Also I reccomend that since you cannot summon spirits outside your list. Remember that spirits can help you cast spells and resist drain. If you are nice to your spirits, then you want to use the former, if not the latter. Drain sux no matter who takes it. even a low power spirit can be useful, and you don;t have to bind it if you don't want to. a force 3 spirit that you get 10 tasks out of is a darn handy thing. Guardian spirits are cool because they can use every weapon the enemy carries at a skill = to its force. Task spirits are cool because at force 3 they get a technical skill. (computers, vehicles, things that magi generally skip)
Combat: Guardian or Fire.
Healing: Earth
Manipulation: Task
Detection: Either Man or Gudance
Illusion Water or Man.
Also I reccomend that since you cannot summon spirits outside your list. Remember that spirits can help you cast spells and resist drain. If you are nice to your spirits, then you want to use the former, if not the latter. Drain sux no matter who takes it. even a low power spirit can be useful, and you don;t have to bind it if you don't want to. a force 3 spirit that you get 10 tasks out of is a darn handy thing. Guardian spirits are cool because they can use every weapon the enemy carries at a skill = to its force. Task spirits are cool because at force 3 they get a technical skill. (computers, vehicles, things that magi generally skip)
Combat: Guardian or Fire.
Healing: Earth
Manipulation: Task
Detection: Either Man or Gudance
Illusion Water or Man.
I will talk to her and get back to you all.
There was a thread on the same subject just a few days ago, here. It had some solid advice.
Here's a fairly basic combat mage build from me. It reflects a few of my philosophies: Start out with spellcasting, summoning, counterspelling, and minimal assensing, and pick up things like binding later. Save sustaining foci for later, too, when you can get a high-rated one to get the full benefit of your spell (since the Force of the focus caps the Force of the spell). Have a high Edge if you can.
[ Spoiler ]
Wow! That build looks nice and you all are being a wonderful help. I will show this to my girlfriend and go through it with our GM. I will report back soon.
Glyph:
A few notes...
Early specializations are costly. You'd much rather spend 2karma later (after the first run that's 2-3 skills specialized) than 2BP in chargen generally. You'd probably be better served saving those points for actual skill ranks.
You REALLY want the first aid skill and a rating 6 medkit w/ a logic tradition. (specialized in awakened chars to offset the awakened penalty later). It's one of the few ways to heal drain, and you don't want to be defaulting on this test. (first 2 hits don't do anything, and glitches on healing tests are bad)
A counterspelling focus is in most cases a waste. it only works on a single class of spells. You're better off initiating and getting a 'shielding focus' later.
The spellcasting focus is wasted, as you can no longer withhold it's dice for drain purposes. Since you already have a power focus it's a poor suggestion. The points would probably be better spent on raising up counterspelling.
Sustaining focus. A rating 3 health sustaining focus is usefull coming out of chargen. There are a lot of health spells that are very usefull even at low force. Increase Reflexes is the first which comes to mind (3passes through focus). Later on spells like oxygenate or increase attribute can still handily be sustained through that focus when you get higher rating ones. Generally, I'd rate sustaining focus in this order, health by a longshot (force 3+), manipulation (force 3+, preferably 5+), then detection (usefull at low force)/illusion(only usefull at high force) tied bringing up the tail.
Remember sustaining, spellcasting, and counterspelling focus all must have a single class of spells selected when made. They can only buff/sustain /counterspell that class of spell.
I don't fall into the camp, that chars must be absolutely maximized coming out of chargen, but I tend to find the above really poor buys (excepting the sustaining focus). A low force power focus can be usefull though. Or even a middling force one, if you want to spend the 5BP on restricted item.
A few notes...
Early specializations are costly. You'd much rather spend 2karma later (after the first run that's 2-3 skills specialized) than 2BP in chargen generally. You'd probably be better served saving those points for actual skill ranks.
You REALLY want the first aid skill and a rating 6 medkit w/ a logic tradition. (specialized in awakened chars to offset the awakened penalty later). It's one of the few ways to heal drain, and you don't want to be defaulting on this test. (first 2 hits don't do anything, and glitches on healing tests are bad)
A counterspelling focus is in most cases a waste. it only works on a single class of spells. You're better off initiating and getting a 'shielding focus' later.
The spellcasting focus is wasted, as you can no longer withhold it's dice for drain purposes. Since you already have a power focus it's a poor suggestion. The points would probably be better spent on raising up counterspelling.
Sustaining focus. A rating 3 health sustaining focus is usefull coming out of chargen. There are a lot of health spells that are very usefull even at low force. Increase Reflexes is the first which comes to mind (3passes through focus). Later on spells like oxygenate or increase attribute can still handily be sustained through that focus when you get higher rating ones. Generally, I'd rate sustaining focus in this order, health by a longshot (force 3+), manipulation (force 3+, preferably 5+), then detection (usefull at low force)/illusion(only usefull at high force) tied bringing up the tail.
Remember sustaining, spellcasting, and counterspelling focus all must have a single class of spells selected when made. They can only buff/sustain /counterspell that class of spell.
I don't fall into the camp, that chars must be absolutely maximized coming out of chargen, but I tend to find the above really poor buys (excepting the sustaining focus). A low force power focus can be usefull though. Or even a middling force one, if you want to spend the 5BP on restricted item.
Specializations are costly at char-gen, true, but I prefer to get them at the start for either the character's main skill(s), and for a few lower ones that would really benefit from those two extra dice.
I agree on the counterspelling focus... kinda... but initiation, and finding a new focus on the black market, might not happen until quite a bit later in the game, and I prefer to be able to offer good protection to teammates in the meantime. Partly it is that I see providing counterspelling as one of the mage's main roles on the team.
What spellcasting focus? Agreed that it is no longer worth it after being hit with the nerf bat.
Sustaining foci, again, I prefer to wait until I can get the full benefit of the spell. If I absolutely needed one, I would use the restricted gear quality for it (although if I took that, I would be likelier to get a higher-rated Power focus with it). Partly this is because this build can afford to lose two dice for sustaining, and get the focus later.
First aid, I agree, although I'm still getting used to it being able to heal Drain. But a rating: 6 medkit is still usually good to heal a point or two, and this character won't be taking that much Drain, usually.
But I said the build reflected my preferences - lots of ways to tweak a combat mage.
I agree on the counterspelling focus... kinda... but initiation, and finding a new focus on the black market, might not happen until quite a bit later in the game, and I prefer to be able to offer good protection to teammates in the meantime. Partly it is that I see providing counterspelling as one of the mage's main roles on the team.
What spellcasting focus? Agreed that it is no longer worth it after being hit with the nerf bat.
Sustaining foci, again, I prefer to wait until I can get the full benefit of the spell. If I absolutely needed one, I would use the restricted gear quality for it (although if I took that, I would be likelier to get a higher-rated Power focus with it). Partly this is because this build can afford to lose two dice for sustaining, and get the focus later.
First aid, I agree, although I'm still getting used to it being able to heal Drain. But a rating: 6 medkit is still usually good to heal a point or two, and this character won't be taking that much Drain, usually.
But I said the build reflected my preferences - lots of ways to tweak a combat mage.
just wondering, whats the mage's background?
that will influence what spells that are choosen. If you are playing, say an ex-lone star mage, binding & detect truth would be choosen
if it is a certain elven go-gang former member, the spells might be flashier, like lightning
an ex-doc wagon mage would have more non-lethal, like decrease attribute, glue strip, etc..
I understand it is a COMBAT mage, but there are several paths to get to the same destiation
i am just saying the background fluff should influence the spell choice
that will influence what spells that are choosen. If you are playing, say an ex-lone star mage, binding & detect truth would be choosen
if it is a certain elven go-gang former member, the spells might be flashier, like lightning
an ex-doc wagon mage would have more non-lethal, like decrease attribute, glue strip, etc..
I understand it is a COMBAT mage, but there are several paths to get to the same destiation
i am just saying the background fluff should influence the spell choice
QUOTE (wylie @ Jun 14 2009, 04:46 PM)
just wondering, whats the mage's background?
that will influence what spells that are choosen. If you are playing, say an ex-lone star mage, binding & detect truth would be choosen
if it is a certain elven go-gang former member, the spells might be flashier, like lightning
an ex-doc wagon mage would have more non-lethal, like decrease attribute, glue strip, etc..
I understand it is a COMBAT mage, but there are several paths to get to the same destiation
i am just saying the background fluff should influence the spell choice
that will influence what spells that are choosen. If you are playing, say an ex-lone star mage, binding & detect truth would be choosen
if it is a certain elven go-gang former member, the spells might be flashier, like lightning
an ex-doc wagon mage would have more non-lethal, like decrease attribute, glue strip, etc..
I understand it is a COMBAT mage, but there are several paths to get to the same destiation
i am just saying the background fluff should influence the spell choice
Indeed it should
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