I’m trying to build a well rounded character for an upcoming game, something strong yet playable, akin to the concept I’ve read a few times over here (coming initially from a D&D 3.5 background), that you call “soft-optimization”. It’s also the first character I’m going to play in Shadowrun.
I have very little foreknowledge of the GM’s setting, but I’ve been told we were going to be agents of the European Union, more or less “special forces”, and that our characters would need to be born in the European Union. That’s not so troublesome, anyways. I’ve asked for metatypes, and he said everything was fine, so I stand by his words. Also, all books are allowed, as far as I know.
From a “house rule” standpoint now, the GM has decided to adopt the “More lethal gameplay” optional rule (SR4A, p.75) where all DVs are increased by 2 and where no Physical damage is converted to Stun if below Armor rating, etc. He also added the “Grittier gameplay” option, which makes skills more important, because Edge and defaulting options are made drastically less attractive.
Now, onto the character:
I want to play an enduring character, given the deadly nature of the general setting. Something like a White Wolf’s Vampire Brujah : big, tough, brutal. I’ve also have a fascination for street samurais, especially cyborgs. Finally, I tend to play large creatures, such as Ogres in D&D, so any kind of troll was on my menu. Yet, given the urban hypermodern nature of Shadowrun, physical size can become a vulnerability, so being tough as nail and subtle enough to get anywhere (and escape) without too much complication is a demanding challenge.
I’ve designed a priority list for different goals I’m trying to achieve in order to fit this vision:
- Tanking efficiency (defense, survivability, toughness, etc.)
- Firearms proficiency (offense, damage dealing, etc.)
- Urban subtlety (social appropriateness, stealth, melding in the crown, not being a ‘misfit’, etc.)
- Accurate senses and perception (seeing before being seen, shooting the shooters first, espionage, etc.)
I’ve opted for a powerful tank (I suppose), which will complicate the subtlety aspect, so this gets interesting…
Fomori “Busaw” Ghoul SURGE’d
Fomori gives Arcane arrester and a Metagenetic BOD increase, as well as being Irish, so this fits the EU requirement and makes it so I can speak a funny Irish accent during play;
Ghoul gives extra BOD, REA, WIL and STR, hurts my social attributes, but all-in-all is a pretty efficient and interesting concept to play (I like characters with a tragic evil side);
SURGE gets me the following: Metagenetic improvement to AGI (20pts) (useful for offensive and defensive skills like infiltration and firearms of all kind), Dermal deposits (10pts) (as to look closer to a troll and to improve defenses), Critter spook (-5pts) (fits the evil bent) and Astral hazing (-10pts) (being a walking anti-magic field is quite pleasing, and I hate magic anyways).
Now that’s only the basics, and it contains valuable challenges.
Here’s a preliminary skill lineup I’ve designed with the limitations about defaulting in mind:
Inflitration (spec: urban),
Perception (spec: visual),
Automatics (spec: ?),
Etiquette (spec: ?),
Dodge (spec : ranged).
And the following just to avoid defaulting on simple tasks and for subtlety :
Running 1 rank (spec: urban),
Climbing 1 rank (spec: building scaling),
Gymnastics (spec: tumbling),
Intimidation (spec: physical),
Con (spec: impersonation), and I’ve probably missed a few…
Automatics go from medium machine guns down to machine pistols, and can be carried around more easily that Heavy Weapons. Being big means that additional rules for Recoil Compensation from Arsenal apply, as well as carrying a two-handed weapon one-handed (and maybe having a Ballistic shield in the other, who knows). I’d prefer having a Thunderstruck Gauss Rifle, but I might not be able to carry it around (if you know how this can be done, tell me, I love that weapon). Or course, it’s of note that Automatics may have Silencers, and Heavy Weapons can’t.
For armor, I’ve opted for a typical : SecureTech PPP set, FFBA, Gel, and armored street clothes such as Vashon Island Steampunk Line (and others), and if I’m allowed a SWAT armor during play (being of special forces, I might), then all the better ! I’d like to conceal weapons, and be able to quick draw them… holsters for that ?
For melee, I think a claymore might be appropriate, both mechanically and thematically. Though, skill points might be short for Blades…
For ranged, a Colt M23 with weapon upgrades (smartgun, gas vent, silencer, etc.) to make it recoil absorbent and give it more dakka, should do. Suggest better ideas if you have.
Positive qualities: SURGE III (15pts), Common sense (5pts), Krav Maga martial art (5pts) (for ranged weapon tricks)…
Negative qualities: Infertile infected (-5pts) (actually useful most of the time), In Dept (?)…
For Cyberware (which makes it so I lose, given the Essence loss, that I lose Dual Natured):
Wired Reflexes rating 2,
Cybereyes (ghouls need eye replacements anyways),
“Ultrasound detection”,
Attention co-processor,
Autoinjector (for combat drugs), all skinlinked.
I don’t know if a commlink implant is a good idea.
For Bioware:
Reflex Recorder (on weapon skill, on dodge, perception and infiltration),
Muscle toner,
Muscle augmentation,
Sleep regulator,
Platelet factory,
Trauma damper,
Severe Biosculpting (to look like a normal troll or fomori, and not like a flesh-eating ghoul), …
As for the rest:
Nanopaste disguised program to look like one of his last killed victim (secured database with people he killed = safe?),
Speedballed combat drugs like betameth and snuff,
and one weekly injection of Oxygen fluorocarbons for AGI bonus (every little bit counts)…
This obviously don’t amount to a rounded BP amount yet.
I have nothing about commlinks or computer skills; language and knowledge skills will be done later. I’ve not determined EDGE yet, and the house rules make me skeptic.
Contacts will have to be done, and I have an eye on the High Stakes Negociator as a potential close friend, as well as a street doc for obvious reasons (being a ghoul and all).
Attributes, for fomori ghouls, are quite easy to spread… you don’t have much choice: charisma *will* be at 1, Logic at 3 (lower is kinda bad), and AGI will be maxed at 5, unless you shell out the BPs for a 6. The others can be played on, but BOD is preferably high (starts at 10 anyways) and STR starts at 8, so who needs more ? REA should be quite good, obviously, as well as willpower to increase stun resistance and stuff.
For magic effects, Arcane arrester and Astral hazing cover the ground pretty well, and high willpower and body will ensure mages won’t be too much of an obstacle.
--
Because I have never played in a Shadowrun game before, can I ask for your help in completing the obvious lacks (to your experimented eyes) of this character ? Suggest anything that comes to mind, I’ll try and adjust with your ideas in mind.
Thank you !