The original thread is here

Breaking it into two parts to make is slightly easier between the two different characters we are making.


Bushw4cker posted up the below as a character to run for a newbie to SR4As magic system in the MISSIONS format at Gencon. HERE is the .pdf to the rules for missions.
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Here's A serious attempt at an Aspected Magician, that would be good and Fun for a starting Player

Attributes (240BP)
Body 2
Agility 3
Reaction 4
Strength 2
Charisma 5
Intuition 4
Logic 3
Willpower 5
Edge 2
Essence 6
Magic 5
Initiative 8
Initiative Passes 1

Positive Qualities (20BP)
Magician (Shaman)
Mentor Spirit (Trickster)
+2 dice for Illusion Spells
+2 dice for Con Tests

Negative Qualities (35BP)
Aspected Magician (Sorcerer)
Thrillseeker
Sensitive System
Gremlins-2

Skills (108BP)
Dodge 4
Perception 4
Spellcasting 6
Counterspelling 4
Unarmed Combat 2
Infiltration 2
*Con 2(4)
*Etiquette 2
*Leadership 2
*Negotiation 2

Knowledge Skills (21Free)
Magical Theory 5
Trid Shows 4
Local Area Knowledge 4
Local Street Gangs 3

Language Skills
English N
Japanese 3
German 2

Armor (500¥)
Armor Clothing Ballistic-4 Impact-0

Gear (5395¥)
Magical Lodge (Rating 6)
Contacts (Low Light Vision, Image Link)
Fake SIN (Rating 2)
*Illusion Spell Fetish (Trid Phantasm)
Smoke Grenade
Flashbang Grenade
1 dose eX

Foci (5BP) (80000¥)
Sustaining Focus (Rating 3)
Power Focus (Rating 2)

Spells (33BP)
Orgasm
Alter Memory
Increase Reflexes
Area Thought Recognition
Influence
Improved Invisibility
Heal
Fashion
Stunbolt
Trid Phantasm*
Levitate
*Fetish Required

Contacts (11BP)
Talismonger Connect-3 Loyalty-3
Fixer Connect-3 Loyalty-2

Commlink (3100¥)
Novatech Airware w/ Iris Orb OS
Response-3 System-3
Signal-3 Firewall-3
Resident Program (Analyze-3)
Resident Program (Encrypt-3)
ARC-Terminate Connection

Common Use Programs
Analyze-3 Command-2 Encrypt-3
Browse-3 Edit-3 Scan-3

Low Lifestyle (1 Month Paid) (1000¥)

Resources (18BP)
spent (89995/90000¥)

Casting Increased Reflexes and using Sustaining Focus, can make this character quite formidable.

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I've read on this forum that taking the Positive Quality to get Restricted Gear and a Focus 4 is the way to start out. With the cap of 20 dice for SR MISSIONs is that still viable ? What else can we do to tweak this build till it makes with the hurting ?

Any tricks / hints on how to use the spell list for a new to SR4A ? I've been since the end of SR3 since I've played so very rusty and very DnD4e'd mindset at the moment.

I designed this character with a few things in mind:
Took Sorcerer aspect, for new players, I think it's a lot easier to deal with only one aspect of magic at a time. You don't have to worry about Conjuring/Assensing/Enchanting. The character works with what they have, their Spells.
Character was designed to be able to cast tons of spells and not worry too much about drain.
Character can hold their own in combat using Increased Reflexes and Stun Bolt.
-Casting Improved Reflexes and using Sustaining focus, you can get up to 11 Initiative and up to 4 IP's, Stunbolt is extremely useful for taking out really fast baddies.
I designed this character to be very useful.
I designed this character to be FUN.

Trid Phantasm is one of the most useful and versatile spells in Shadowrun, you can create ANYTHING you have seen before. The possibilities are endless (Dragon, Grenade, Lone Star Car, Naked woman, Naked Women!) and this character rolls up to 15 dice for illusions. (Target resists with Intuition + Counterspelling)

You could give character a Power Focus Rating 4, but it's an extra 17BP, that I feel is not really worth it. You can always lose Foci or have them disrupted. It would almost be better to take a force 5 sustaining Foci.
You could add/change spells around if you want a more combat oriented magician

You're over the limit on attributes.

You have agility above 2 and charisma above 3. Why aren't you an elf?

Forgot to attune to your foci.

Its 29 BP for a r4 power focus, including nuyen and binding costs. It is great, because it adds to -anything- you roll your magic for.
If you don't get it at character creation, you are pretty much never going to get one in play, due to the nuyen and karma cost.(power foci are rx8, so....)

Why do people always get the hardcap wrong? Its not 20 dice.

Its 20 dice, OR twice the character's natural attribute(not augmented) + skill.

Therefore. Attribute 6 + skill 6 = 12 dice, doubled = cap of 24 dice.
Its not a big deal. Just there to prevent really, really ridiculous levels of dice being tossed around.

I'm personally getting a smidge tired of mage #3547 with mind control and four passes.

Human > Elf
Attributes 200BP (10+20+30+10+40+30+20+40=200) for main attributes, 40BP for Magic, which is allowed (check SR4A premade characters)
It's 12 total BP for a Rating 2 power focus (50K nuyen = 10BP + 2BP to bind) and 29 for a Rating 4 (100K nuyen =20BP + 4BP to bind + 5 Restricted Gear) that's 17 more BP for a Rating 4.

Time to remake your spells a bit:

http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=4035.0

I assume Alter Memory is still ok right?

No, why would it be?

Well just replace the 3 mind-affecting spells with 3 other spells.

If you're going for illusion spells, I'd suggest Bugs.

So ...

Alter Memory
Area Thought Recognition
Influence

Stunball for the AoE worth it ? Or just single target with the Stunbolt work wonders ? Magical Offense with just the Stunbolt enough ?

I'm picturing a runner from the NAN with this guy for some reason.

yeah

AoE spells can be very effective, but you have to have the targets in close together, and they effect friends and foes alike.

You could play Fat Guy Physical Adept, the most awesome character ever created...
-Fat guy with Gymnastics dice pool of 16
-with Iron Gut and Ogre stomach he can eat ANYTHING!
-Very good fighter
-Best Street name Ever!

"Zip Code"
Caucasian Human
200kg

Attributes (240BP)
Body 4(5)
Agility 5(7)
Reaction 5(7)
Strength 3
Charisma 2
Intuition 4
Logic 3
Willpower 2
Edge 2
Essence 5.02
Magic 4
Initiative 9(11)
Initiative Passes 1(3)

Skills (106BP)
Gymnastics 6(cool.gif
Automatics 4
Pistols 2
Unarmed Combat (Ninjutsu +2) 2
Blades (Ninjutsu +2) 4
Infiltration 3
Perception 2
Con (Seduction +2) 2

Maneuvers (4BP)
Off-Hand Training (Blades)
Riposte

Knowledge Skills (21free)(1BP)
Matrix Games 4
Trid Shows (Ninja +2) 4
Pick up Lines 2
Club Music 2
Street Drugs 2
Local Area Knowledge 4

Language Skills
English N
Japanese 3

Positive Qualities (35BP)
Adept 5
Changeling Class III Surge 15
Celerity 5
Dermal Alteration (Blubber) 5
Ogre Stomach 5
Arcane Arrester 25
Martial Arts (Ninjutsu) 5
+1 die on Gymnastic Dodge

Negative Qualities (-35BP)
Chageling Class III Surge
Adiposis 15
Thrillseeker 5
Outspoken Prejudice (Fat Girls) 10
Distinctive Style 5
SINner 5
Moderate Sex Addiction 10

Physical Adept Abilities
Improved Reflexes 2
Iron Gut 1
Sustenance
Improved Gymnastics 2
Enthralling Performance (400lb Fat Guy doing Acrobatics...should get this for free..)

Bioware (Alpha Grade)(79000¥)
Dietware
Endosymbiont: Slimworm
Bone Density Augmentation-1 (Not Fat! Big Boned!)
Muscle Toner-2

Cyberware (Alpha Grade) (4300¥)
Internal Air Tank
Smartlink
Datajack

Melee Weapons (21000¥)(2BP)
O Katana (Weapon Focus 2)

Armor (11850¥)
O Vitals Protector (Ow my balls!)
O Shin Guards
O Forearm Guards
O Armored Jacket
O Bike Racing Helmet
O Actioneer Business Clothing
O Camouflage Suit (Urban)


Weapons (5865¥)
O Ares Predator IV (Personalized Grip, Smartgun, Internal Silencer, Hidden Gun Arm Slide)
w/ 1 extra clip reg ammo
O HK-227X (Personalized Grip, Smart G, GVIII, Sound S. Electronic Firing, Conceal Holster)
w/ 3 extra clips EX-Explosive ammo

Commlink (12750¥)
Transys Avalon
Response 5
Signal 5
System 5
Firewall 5
Agent Optimization
Extreme Environment Mod
Hardening (Rating 6)
Armor (Rating 4)
Resident Program: Analyze-6
ARC: Terminate Connection

Common Use Programs (6050¥)
Analyze-6 (Optimization-3 Ergonomic)
Browse-6 (Optimization-3, Ergonomic)
Command-6 (Optimization-3, Ergonomic)
Edit-6 (Optimization-3 Ergonomic)
Encrypt-6 (Optimization-3 Ergonomic)
Scan-6 (Optimization-3 Ergonomic)
Miracle Shooter

MSP (100¥)
Premium MSP (1 Month Paid)

Hacking Programs (11500¥)
Exploit-5 Stealth-5 Spoof-3

Agent (3600¥)
Unrestricted Agent-3 (Miki) (Japanese Babe Icon)

Accessories (150¥)
Sim Module
Subvocal Microphone

Gear (6885¥)
O Contacts (Rating 2)
w/ Lowlight, Flarecomp
O Earbuds (Rating 2)
w/ Audio Enhance-3, Sound Filter-3
Fake SIN (Rating 4) John Smith
28 Rounds EX-Explosive (HK-227X)
O O Antidote Patch (Rating 6)
O O Stim Patch (Rating 6)
10 Blank Data Chips
20 Stealth RFID Tags
Medkit (Rating 6)
(Starting ¥) Certified Credstick

Drones (5000¥)
O Lone Star iBall (Minidrone)
w/ Flashpack, Smoke Grenade
O Shiawase Kanmushi (Microdrone)
O MCT Fly-Spy (Minidrone)

Vehicle (7000¥)
Suzuki Mirage (Racing Bike)

Contacts (12BP) Type Location Connection Loyalty
Mom Fixer/Mom Fort Lewis 6 6

Notes
Mom is a fixer, who runs a legitimate diner in Fort Lewis that is a front for her illegal operation.

Resources (35BP)(175000¥)