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Androcomputus
My friend is getting into shadowrun but feels lost when it comes to building characters... we are starting with 400 points and he wants to build a cybered up human that is a veteran of the Euro Wars...

He has written his backstory as a "failed" ARES experiment... Can you guys give me some pointers to pass onto him? All I could recommend is look at the sample characters and modify them until you are happy with what you have...
toturi
In order to avoid disappointment, avoid being too ambitious with the backstory. With a "special" backstory, you might find that what you envision for your character is unable to be supported by the limited resources you have at character generation.
Stingray
..one way to solve it is to give your friends character Gene Freak (Changeling)- quality (Runner's Companion),
as result of genetic exploration, but IMO i would not do it.
making a "regular" Human merc, adding some cosmetic bioware/cyberware to hide old scars ( Augmentation)..
..at first what must be known, what kind of merc? , Heavy Weapons all the way?, stealthy " dagger in the back of the enemy"?
basic "ground pounder" w/ Assault rifle?
Ophis
As the Eurowars were back in the 30's he'll be getting on in years, it's 2070 now at least.
Stingray
QUOTE (Ophis @ Feb 4 2010, 01:15 PM) *
As the Eurowars were back in the 30's he'll be getting on in years, it's 2070 now at least.

current year is 2072. i think he meant Desert Wars, (as Sahara,Gobi) fighting these as corporate security asset (corporate mercenary)..
if he really meant Eurowars, he would be at really old runner (nearing 60's..) eek.gif
Ophis
QUOTE (Stingray @ Feb 4 2010, 11:41 AM) *
current year is 2072. i think he meant Desert Wars, (as Sahara,Gobi) fighting these as corporate security asset (corporate mercenary)..
if he really meant Eurowars, he would be at really old runner (nearing 60's..) eek.gif

It'd be a good elf bckground, or even human actually, but desert wars would be better for a newbie.

Wanders off to ponder a 60 year old merc character....
Sengir
QUOTE (Ophis @ Feb 4 2010, 12:44 PM) *
Wanders off to ponder a 60 year old merc character....

White hair, cigar smoker...
Aerospider
QUOTE (Stingray @ Feb 4 2010, 11:41 AM) *
i think he meant Desert Wars, (as Sahara,Gobi)

As opposed to Dessert Wars (Apple Crumble, Ice Cream Sundae) ...?
biggrin.gif
Stingray
..being RICH walking out of the clinic, feeling effects of Leonization.. biggrin.gif
Ophis
QUOTE (Sengir @ Feb 4 2010, 12:12 PM) *
White hair, cigar smoker...

I was thinking crazy, coming out of retirement to get revenge on the bastards who murder/raped his granddaughter.
Ophis
Back to the point.

Start with the weapon Specialist drop elf, spend 30 points on attributes.
Get rid of the armorer facility she's got use that money to get 100000 nuyen.gif
Spend this money on cyberware (wireds 2, eyes, ears, muscle toner)

Thats how I'd do it.
Tias
Here's what I would do, grab the "Restricted Gear" quality (found in runner's companion), allowing for one piece of equipment of availability up to F20, and splurge on starting nuyen. Then you could grab some sort of nice equipment that is forbidden from start (and that would be pretty hard to acquire later on otherwise), such as high-rating Move-By-Wire or Wired Reflex systems, or perhaps a Deltaware cyberarm with in-built weapons. Replace with delta-ware implanted comm-link or exotic bioware at your leisure if going the combat hacker or adept route instead of grunt.

Such gear can be found in 2072, but at very high cost and availability, and he might have gotten it implanted as an experiment back when it was still being drawn up. Sounds reasonable? Otherwise just ask what he's looking for, and I'll try to think something up.
Sengir
QUOTE (Ophis @ Feb 4 2010, 01:23 PM) *
I was thinking crazy, coming out of retirement to get revenge on the bastards who murder/raped his granddaughter.

Sounds like a new Stallone movie biggrin.gif

Back to topic, an elven Eurowars vet would be a fiscinating character concept (in other words I'll build one) but IMO too difficult for a new player. Imagine somebody who was born in or shortly after the Year of Chaos and has witnessed all the changes in the world personally.
Ophis
QUOTE (Sengir @ Feb 4 2010, 12:42 PM) *
Sounds like a new Stallone movie biggrin.gif

Back to topic, an elven Eurowars vet would be a fiscinating character concept (in other words I'll build one) but IMO too difficult for a new player. Imagine somebody who was born in or shortly after the Year of Chaos and has witnessed all the changes in the world personally.

Exactly what I was thinking on all points.
Dr Funfrock
QUOTE (Sengir @ Feb 4 2010, 08:42 AM) *
Sounds like a new Stallone movie biggrin.gif

Back to topic, an elven Eurowars vet would be a fiscinating character concept (in other words I'll build one) but IMO too difficult for a new player. Imagine somebody who was born in or shortly after the Year of Chaos and has witnessed all the changes in the world personally.


Not hard to imagine. That's Fastjack.
Dakka Dakka
QUOTE (Tias @ Feb 4 2010, 01:28 PM) *
Here's what I would do, grab the "Restricted Gear" quality (found in runner's companion), allowing for one piece of equipment of availability up to F20, and splurge on starting nuyen. Then you could grab some sort of nice equipment that is forbidden from start (and that would be pretty hard to acquire later on otherwise), such as high-rating Move-By-Wire or Wired Reflex systems, or perhaps a Deltaware cyberarm with in-built weapons.
Delta-Ware is unavailable at CharGen. Restricted Gear does not change that. Only an MBW II can be bought with Restricted Geaqr, Rating III has an availability of 24.
Udoshi
QUOTE (Dakka Dakka @ Feb 4 2010, 07:35 AM) *
Delta-Ware is unavailable at CharGen. Restricted Gear does not change that. Only an MBW II can be bought with Restricted Geaqr, Rating III has an availability of 24.


Alphawear wired reflexes, Biocompatability, and Genetic Heritage to snag Adapsin is a decent way to snag your extra passes, too. In terms of total BP, its only 5 more. Also sets you up nicely for cramming more ware in, or further cheap genetic treatments through Genecrafted. Lighter on the cash limit, heavier on the quality limit. Not too bad, though.
BishopMcQ
QUOTE (Dr Funfrock @ Feb 4 2010, 06:18 AM) *
Not hard to imagine. That's Fastjack.
And he can be a curmudgeon at times...I keep hearing "I'm getting too old for this" whenever he and /dev/grrl are commenting on the same article.

If he wants to go fairly former commando, the other place to start instead of the Weapon Specialist is the Street Samurai. Move some points from Blades into Survival and maybe some extra knowledge skills around Military/Corp protocol.
BRodda
QUOTE (Ophis @ Feb 4 2010, 06:15 AM) *
As the Eurowars were back in the 30's he'll be getting on in years, it's 2070 now at least.


Wouldn't matter that much if he was an elf or dwarf. I had a decker in an SR4 game who was an Elf spike baby. Use the second hand ware rules to show how outdated he is. A living example for going SOTA to obsolete relic in 50 years.
Sengir
QUOTE (Dr Funfrock @ Feb 4 2010, 03:18 PM) *
Not hard to imagine. That's Fastjack.

With pointy ears, and not feeling that old. But for a new player without a solid grasp of SR history that would be hard to play out, also 400BP don't seem enough for that kind of character.
Tias
QUOTE (Dakka Dakka @ Feb 4 2010, 03:35 PM) *
Delta-Ware is unavailable at CharGen. Restricted Gear does not change that. Only an MBW II can be bought with Restricted Geaqr, Rating III has an availability of 24.


My bad. Still, my suggestion to get a bunch of nice gear, buying one or two counts of Restricted Gear, would be a good way to simulate a beefed-up Ares experimental mercenary. A bit overpowered, perhaps, but these wired-out psychopath concepts always fit nicely into SR smile.gif

quick edit: He could even get some of those "faulty 'ware" glitches from Augmentation to simulate the "failed experiment" part smile.gif
Saint Sithney
QUOTE (Sengir @ Feb 4 2010, 09:53 AM) *
With pointy ears, and not feeling that old. But for a new player without a solid grasp of SR history that would be hard to play out, also 400BP don't seem enough for that kind of character.


Well, there's always the long and slow history. Someone who has been in the seedier side of things for a long time, but was never some sort of military cyborg super-soldier type. Just, like, someone who ran a connected business for years and years. They slowly built up some money, enough to kit out with specialist gear, and they taught themselves some skills rather than received training.
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