Hello all!
I'm new to Dumpshock, and was looking for some tips on a character I'm making for a campaign that's starting soon.
So far, my character's an Elven Black Mage, with the Made Man and Enemy (10 BP) Qualities (for background reasons). He also has to be the face for the party (as well as magical support), and I was thinking of specializing in manipulation spells, like Control Thoughts and Influence.
Does anyone have any good tips on what to add to this guy, like what gear to get at CharGen (we're using the standard 400 BP from 4A edition), or what attributes and skills I should focus on? Also I could use some help figuring out what spells to get, since I've got little experience with that side of Shadowrun. If any more information is needed, like background or something, I'd be happy to give it. We're playing in a pretty professional campaign, so if the Pink-Mohawk/Crazy stuff could be avoided, I'd be much obliged.
Thanks for any help you can give!

Be advised that mind rape mages should be fairly distrusted, even by yuor own teamates, after all, how do they really know that you aren't screwing them over?

*EDIT*

Also don't be afraid of cyber/bio.

Hah, I know he'll be distrusted - in fact, it's rather questionable whether he IS screwing with them...
But I'm planning on at least trying to keep him in a balanced place where he doesn't overtly use mind-rapery, even around his team-mates, unless it's absolutely necessary. That way, I'm figuring I can put them off from realizing it for as long as possible...

Aye, just be prepared for your teammates to blow your head off the moment that you slip up and they realize that you are a mind rape mage, even without evidence that you are messing with them.

Is it THAT taboo, to the point of being a 'boom-headshot' trigger?
Hmm... Maybe I should find a different specialization...
If not, what are some ways you'd suggest to avoid that... er... problem...

control thoughts
influence
mob mind
control emotions
control actions
organism (if you feeling mean, or just dirty) or orgy for group
analyze truth
mind probe
altar memory

did I miss any of the major mind effecting spells?
biggest thing is to figure out if you want to effect one person or a group

oh, pick maybe stunbolt and either armor, deflection, or barrier so you have both offensive and defensive spells as backup

if you are gonna be both the magic / fire support and the face of the group, look at spells that will help both in combat and out, that fits YOUR concept

Well I think that it should be, after all we are talking about someone that you may have only met five minutes ago and yet you remember him as your best friend and lover.

maybe you need to talk to the GM and your fellow players, explaining your concept
there is a mindmage in my group right now and the group doesn't have problem with her. ...

but then she hasn't use her spells on the team, other heal
every other time has been for the group, like getting a better deal on the nuyen
or helping the group avoid nasty combat

Aye, of course to go that route you have to be ok with metagaming, I personally depise having to fall back on metagaming.

All the people in my playing group (the GM included) know about my concept and the basics of what I'm up to.
On the other hand, most of us are pretty strong on the staying-in-character element when reacting to things, which means that if the logical reaction to seeing/realizing a manipulation mage is putting several holes in his head/chest, then I suppose I'll just have to be even more cautious.
Are there any skills I should really focus on besides:
the Influence group
Spellcasting, Counterspelling, Summoning, Dodging, Pistol, Perception, Assensing
Anything else I should be sure to not forget?
Also, what gear should I be sure to get a hold of?

spell focus for maniuplation, since that is where most of your spells will come from
maybe counterspells focus for combat, as that is what you will face the most

silly question i understand that the players know your concept, but do their characters know, as in they have ran with your character before or by rep?
and the GM may start imposing challenges for you if word got out, or you slip up in a meet

i had 2 players slip up on the fact they were Ares Company Men, and the other players caught it. they slowly started putting 2 and 2 together and by the end confronted the duo. because the duo never screwed the rest of the group, and seemed to look out for the group's best, so they let the matter settle.......

might want to be careful, RPing wise

Unfortunately, no, their character's don't know. Technically, in the pre-game, the characters don't know each other, besides certain incidental connections (my character and one other are in the Mafia together, and the mafia is lending mone to one of the others).
Definitely do need to take serious care in the RPing.
A spell focus then? So not a power focus or something?
My current stats look like Spellcasting 5 (Sp. Manipulation), and Magic 5. I also have Negotiation 5, since I'm the face, and the rest of the Influence group at 4. Counterspelling 4 (Mentor Spirit Adversary raises that to 6), and Summoning 4 (Sp. Spirits of Man)
Is that a good set-up, or should I be concerned about any of those choices?
Also, are there any good threads on gear that just any runner should have on hand? Basic mundane things like rope or a crowbar, you know? Also, is there anything on good armor choices, and which to avoid as being sort of useless or suboptimal?

power focus could work, too. was just thinking about cost
power focus doesn't help with counterspellling

It's really a matter of the GM and the group's style about whether mind-oriented mages are taboo. We are talking about a world where people get tailored organisms put in their body to subconsciously influence people by smell, Street Sams can potentially break the other PC's neck without blinking, hackers can unmake your existence or turn you into the Star while enjoying a beer with you, and all sorts of double crosses. Fundamentally, the game implies a level of trust these people have to work together. The game fully supports none of these supposed PvP issues coming up. Then again, if you want them, feel free to include them. Ultimately, don't let anything or anyone but your group decide how you play. Sure, it could be reasonable in your interpretation of SR for the characters to start killing each other right off based on role, but is that FUN? if it is, do it. If it's not, then ignore it.

There is also nothing wrong with asking your fellow players and GM before hand what kind of characters they find acceptable. Playing character roulette where characters get whacked back and forth because somebody's concept doesn't mesh with someone else's sounds juvenile to me. The fluff, the mechanics, and the OOC direct advice in the books advise working together and dividing up tasks based on role. How is that possible if you don't agree on who is playing what?

To give you a bit more direct help...

There is a thread somewhere called "Gear every Runner should have," or something to that effect. Search for it here on the boards. It's a great start.

I'm kinda new, but based on my readings of these forums your stats look pretty good. One thing to get used to here on Dumpshock, though, is that on many subjects there is no conventional wisdom. One person will tell you something rocks, another will tell you it sucks. Come here for ideas then work out the details yourself.

Buying a Power Focus at 2 is pretty normal, as is the slightly more aggressive (and cheesy, depending on your view) of taking the Restricted Gear Quality from Runner's Companion and going for a Power Focus 4. Also, Sustaining Foci are your friends. Note that you have to buy them for each type of spell.

I didn't see a mention of Banishing, which is good. It is commonly considered sub-par as compared to plain ole' stunbolt.

In terms of Ware, anything that helps you deal with Drain is considered helpful, as are cybereyes because you can cast through the various vision modes IF they are part of you, but not if they are just displays from glasses or whatnot. While losing Magic is generally bad, plan ahead to buy specific ware like Platelet Factories and cybereyes, if you budget well you can keep it to an even 1 or so. Remember the threshold for losing magic is every full point. If you buy .1 Essence worth of implants, you might as well buy a full 1. Crossing over into 1.1 will cost you 2 magic, etc.

Finally, Initiative Passes are king in SR, regardless of role. Some people will tell you to get Synaptic Boosters so you don't have to sustain Increase Reflexes, some others say just buy a Sustaining Health Focus. Take a look at your options and decide for yourself. Just note that the Boosters can get pretty pricey, the focus will stand out on the astral, and the spell can be dispelled.

As per your question about fun, if I wanted to play PvP Gankfest, I'd get out Paranoia.
Thanks for the tip on the thread - I did find it, and it seems quite useful so far - there's a lot of gear on it, though, so it's pretty troublesome to sift through. Ah well, can't get out of the work entirely...
I've got a Sustaining Focus (Health 3) and Increase Reflexes, so that's there. It seems that for the 20-something BP it'd take to buy and bind a Power Focus 4, I could do a lot of other things, so is that really worth it? What about stats besides Willpower and Charisma (I soft-maxed both)? What, if anything, should I look at there (basically what should I dump, and what remains critical?)
Also, is the spell 'Shapechange' a good investment for scouting and possibly combat, or should I be looking at other things?

A low-level power focus is certainly worth it. It adds to every Magic DP you have except Counterspelling. Does it really get any better than that? Going whole hog with the positive quality and the high-level one is a matter for you to decide. Personally, I'd grab a 2 on most mages, but the 4 does hem you in a bit from other choices.

Stats: In SR, most stats are important to one degree or another. Body not only dictates your ability to soak damage, but the limitation on your armor. Don't dump it. Agility is hitting people in physical combat, so it's probably a bad dump stat. Reac is how you don't get hit, so it is arguably more important than Agility, at least for you. You can get away with a 2 in Str, maybe less if you don't mind being a weakling. That also depends on how stringent your GM is on encumbrance. Intuition is important for Assensing and Initiative, so I wouldn't dump it. Of course, if you are low on points take a 2 in it and be sure to bump it soon. Same thing with Logic. Some people have trouble with the idea of "stupid" mages, probably from playing too much DnD. Logic does dictate how many foci you can have active at any given time, so if you do keep it low plan an increase as your gear expands. Edge can be pretty important, but at this point you are probably hard up for points. Edge's usefulness is also dependent on how often your GM has it regenerate. Once again, different people have different perspectives on which stats "win;" that is mostly a matter of your GM's style and how you play your character. These are just generalities of the system.

Shapechange has a reputation for cheesiness with some people. It can allow you to fly, absorb crap tons of damage, and other things any creative RP'er can get out of changing into critters. Personally, I view cheesiness as something that comes from a player rather than a mechanic. Just remember that in SR nothing gets attuned, bound, or any other fancy term for your clothes not shredding. Improved Invisibility is also good for saving your squishy, pretty elf face from getting stomped by low-tech opposition. Just note that it doesn't protect against things like Ultrasound, so if you are infiltrating a high-end corp facility, it doesn't make you invulnerable. In SR, everything has a counter. Over relying on any one spell, piece of gear, or tactic will probably get you in trouble sooner or later if your GM has any experience with the system.

All of this, of course, is subject to your concept. Hope it helps.

It does, a lot, thanks.
What sort of gun should I pack? Obviously just using a manabolt is one option, but that seems off, especially since there's so many situations I could get hosed for making that choice in. Instead, would you suggest a heavy pistol, a lighter model, or taking a point or two in Automatics and busting out an Assault Rifle or Machine Pistol...
Another thing - what sorts of things are often a good idea with spirits? I mean in terms of what kinds to summon (assume no limitation by tradition, just so I get an idea of how different spirits are useful), tactics with them, so on. Like Guardian spirits - could you give one an automatics skill and an SMG, and let it rip ass? Or would it be limited to a sword or bow or shovel or something? Also, can you have a spirit of man cast a spell like Physical Mask on you, then sustain it? If so, how long could it hold onto it until it used up services or whatever? Assume it was summoned, not bound...
Basically, tips that come from playing a mage would be helpful here, since my knowledge is theoretical.

Well, there's a difference between Counterspelling to dispel and Counterspelling to protect against an incoming spell. The former would benefit from a Power Focus, whereas the latter would not. If you ever want to try and counter a sustained spell some mage has up on them, then you could get your extra dice from your power focus. But if you're trying to protect against a stunbolt, you won't get any help.

Power foci are incredible, though. I'd highly recommend one. And they're much, much cheaper to bind using BP than they are with karma.

@Bugfoxmaster: One thing that might help here is if you gave a full write-up of your character's stats. That way instead of giving some details on various small things we can give some more directed help. Also, I highly recommend the Automatics skill, if it fits your concept better than pistols. Yes, heavy pistols can kick ass, but with Automatics you're able to use (and use well!) SMGs, machine pistols, LMGs, MMGs, HMGs, assault rifles, and possibly more! Plus, bursts are your friend in ranged combat, since you can reduce dodge pools or increase damage, something you could never do with a semi-auto pistol.

Ah...
Hehe...
The main problem is actually that while (as you well know) I've totally written out, built up, and scripted my character's every facet in terms of characterization...
I've barely scratched the surface of the statistical work. I've got a couple of his attributes, a few more, now that some people have given me some advice. I've got a couple of his skills. And I've got his qualities, but only because they tie into his charactization. I'll try a very basic version of his stats, though it's a still-in-testing version. Think of it as the pre-alpha version.

Elf Face/Mage

Race: Elf (30 BP)

Body: 3
Agility: 3
Reaction: 3
Strength: 2
Charisma: 7
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5
Edge: 3
Magic: 5

Overall: 240 BP + 30 BP

Qualities:
Magician (15 BP)
Mentor Spirit (Adversary) (5 BP)
Made Man: (10 BP)
????: 5 (Potentially either First Impressions, Astral Chameleon, or Restricted Gear (would be a Power Focus 4))
Enemy (-10 BP)
SINner (-5 BP)
Wanted (-10 BP)
Vendetta (-5 BP)
Distinctive Style (-5 BP)

Overall: Either 270 BP + 5 BP,
or 270 BP + 0 BP

Skills:
Influence Group: 1
Negotiation: 2 (Plus the two from above)
Spellcasting: 5
Summoning: 3
Counterspelling: 3
Automatics: 1
Assensing: 1
Intimidation: 1
Perception: 1
Dodge: 1

Overall: Either 352 BP, or 347 BP. Knowledge and Languages will come from free points.

I haven't the foggiest clue about spells, gear, foci-binding, or contacts, and so on, aside from probably taking the maximum number of spells (10), and needing some left over for contacts. Whatever's left goes to gear and foci... Of course, this is preliminary, so if people could toss the book at me and fix my many (likely) errors...

Here's what I'd do:

• Up your Counterspelling skill to 4 at least, maybe 5. You'll be thankful for those couple extra dice when you need them.

• Specialize in Spellcasting. It's worth it - 2 BP for 2 extra dice for one type of spell. This might also help clarify exactly what kind of spells you want the most for your character. I'd probably choose something other than Manipulation, as you're already getting a +2 bonus from your Mentor Spirit, but if you want to rock at Manipulation spells then you can go for that.

• A Force 4 Power Focus is definitely worth the 29 BP total it would cost. +4 DP to all tests involving your Magic is something that's invaluable at any point. With it and Spellcasting 5, you'll have a minimum of 14 dice for any spell, 16 for Manipulation and anything you specialize in, or 18 for Manipulation if you really want to go that far.

• Your skill group is broken up. You'd have Con 1, Etiquette 1, Negotiation 3, and Leadership 1. If you're going to try to be a Face, you need more than 3 in Negotiation. You might want to consider it being your other 5, but at least give it a 4.

• Assensing and Perception are way too low. You want both each at 2 minimum, 3 if you can afford it.

• Spell-wise, I'd definitely suggest Influence. You probably would also want to get Stunbolt and Increase Reflexes. You really don't need 10 spells to be good at slinging them. Look in Street Magic and the SR4A book for some good options.

• Since one of my house rules (yes, this is a character for a game I'm running) is that you get CHA x 2 BP free for contacts, I wouldn't worry about that for now. Between your 14 contact BP and your Made Man quality, you'll be fine with those.

All right, but that basically means out of the 48 BP left:
29 go to the Power Focus 4 - this lowers the total left to 19...
3 Per spell. Assuming 5 spells, this leaves me at only 4 BP for the other suggestions, unless there's anything else I can drop down or out. Suggestions?
Because realistically, I'm quite limited here. I know mages are always strapped for BP, and I'm trying to Face at the same time. HELP!

It may not be the best of ideas, but you can drop the Dodge skill without losing too much. As a mage, you can pick up (and sustain) a Combat Sense spell that will do the same if not more than Dodge without you even having to go on Full Defense. That alone saves you 1 BP. It's not much, but it's something.

You also might want to consider dropping a couple of skills from the Influence group entirely. Despite your 7 CHA, you won't be very good at Con or at Leadership right now. Etiquette is a necessity for a Made Man. With those dropped, there's another 2 BP.

Perhaps a CHA 6 might be a good idea here. Yes, it's a die less for Drain Resistance tests, but it saves you 10 BP and you can always get the Centering metamagic later to boost your Drain pool. Not to mention that, if you really wanted to, you could drop the 35 karma and raise that CHA 6 to a 7. CHA 6 is plenty for a secondary face and primary mage.

These are heavy weapons actually.

with a Made Man Quality, it also means you must work/aid Mob minium 30 hours/week and Distinctive Style make peoples who
is tracking you easier for them, (IMO ditch it, take In Debt 5 BP), (5k more money and you own 7500 yen + 750/month yen to someone)

Hmm... I'd like to avoid the In Debt quality for in-game reasons, so that's out. Also, the 'Made Man' quality plays deeply into his background and gives him a contact (something I'm already scrounging through the 'free' aisle for...), so I'm very reluctant to drop it. I've taken several of the suggestions offered, and put them in. Still, I think it could use a lot of work. If anyone has suggestions, here's version Alpha, with everything done, if very scantily and on the verge of being out of BP...

Elf Face/Mage

Race: Elf (30 BP)

Body: 3
Agility: 3
Reaction: 3
Strength: 2
Charisma: 6
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5
Edge: 2
Magic: 5

Overall: 210 BP + 30 BP

Qualities:
Magician (15 BP)
Mentor Spirit (Adversary) (5 BP)
Made Man: (10 BP)
Restricted Gear: (Power Focus 4)
Enemy (-10 BP)
SINner (-5 BP)
Wanted (-10 BP)
Vendetta (-5 BP)
Distinctive Style (-5 BP) or Prejudiced (-5 BP)

Overall: 240 BP + 0 BP

Skills: My GM Allows us to break up skill groups at CharGen
Negotiation: 5
Etiquette: 3
Spellcasting: 5 (+2 to Manipulation)
Summoning: 3
Counterspelling: 4
Automatics: 1 (+2 to Some specific Kind, probably Machine Pistols)
Assensing: 1
Perception: 2

Overall: 240 BP + 100 BP

Spells:
1 – Influence
2 – Increase Reflexes
3 – Combat Sense
4 – Stunbolt
5 – Improved Invisibility
6 – Control Thoughts
7 – Manabolt
8 – Levitate

340 BP + 24 BP

Foci:
Power Focus 4: 24 BP to Buy and Bind
Sustaining Focus (Health) 3: 9 BP to Buy and Bind

Overall: 364 BP + 31 BP

This leaves 7 BP for Gear, which I think is quite adequate… My GM (As he actually stated above, but I’m repeating to put I all in one place, allows 2xCHA Free Contact Points, so that’s covered – also, Knowledge and Language Skills will come out of the free stuff, so they’re not covered either, since they won't spend any BP.

Oh, and due to some stuff I've done before hand, this character recieves 15 Karma at the start of play. What should I do with it (since it's still sort-of part of CharGen...)? Should I just initiate and save the other two, or do something totally different (and if so, what should I do with it)?

I think you did pretty well. There are always going to be holes in the sheet at start, especially when you are trying to occupy dual roles. 35k should be fine for gear, as you aren't a hardcore gear monkey, at least not yet. Just remember to buy a back-up weapon and a few non-restricted weapons for high-security areas. Star might not like it, but carrying a knife isn't a reason to haul you away. YMMV, of course. Since you are a SINer, having a fake SIN becomes more important.

Good job. Let us know how it works out.

Thanks, all. I'll definitely remember, and I'll do what I can to minimize my problems in-game, when they come up. I'll let you all know how it goes, and again, thanks for the help!