Hey all, needing some help here trying to build a Burnout Mage for a new game I got into. So far as background for the character, got some ideas, mostly dealing with being scared of the magical vision when he first started having them, but when he joined up with a local gang and got some cyber they seem to come by less often and in lessened force. And then up until current time where he has found out that he is a shaman, and now has to deal with the results of his earlier life running from his gift and how to use it. Looking to keep magic around 3. Besides that having trouble making it all, Thanks. (Using Priority System.)

Mechanically, I don't think this character would be much different from others. You'll have to use "A" for magic, and I like to give "B" and "C" to attributes and/or skills. Your GM might let you use "B" for magic since you're making a partially burnt-out mage. I'd probably go with cybereyes and -spur, maybe boosted reflexes for cyber. If the character is young or in a crappy gang, I might make skills the lowest priority to reflect that, although that would make the cyber harder to justify in his background.

Thank, yeah going to have to take A for magic, according to the GM. Yeah having a hard time between skills and cyber, was thinking younger with less skills, but the leaves too much money. Guessing some of that would be related to a totem. Thanks again.

Well, if too much money is a problem, you could always make him a metahuman for his "C" or "D" priority. He won't get much of anything for 5,000 or 15,000 . That makes essence loss due to cyberware a problem, though. You could just attribute the essence loss to drug or BTL abuse and hope your GM will give you a break somewhere else.

I think I'd just make him a little older so he has had time and reasons to have the cyber installed. With resources at "C," he won't be getting a lot of stuff, but he can have enough cyber to knock his magic rating down a few notches.

Thanks, I'll look into that. Thinking for now might go higher skills and lower money. Thanks.

You're going to have to talk with your GM, because you are losing a LOT of good stuff, and paying for the privilege. Unless you're playing with a group of anti-crunch roleplayers, you can't effectively do it in SR3. Maybe your GM will let you create a six-point flaw or something? It would be equivalent to the 2-point 'extra attribute' and/or 'extraordinary attribute', except negative and bought three times.

If your GM will accept the point system, you can look into using Sphynx's chargen system. He's posted it at the SR3R forum. It lets you buy magic in chunks, so you could just by the 3 points of magic in the fields you want and not the rest.

Also bear in mind, you can have an essence hole withotu anything filling it. So if you want to say you had ware and it's been removed, go ahead and penalize yourself right now. You can fill in that essence hole later with no penalty.

Get Skillwires, a multiport chipjack, a CED or 2, and a bunch of chips. Skill problem alleviated and too much money will NOT be a problem. As a human, I'd also get some vision mods so you can see to target. If you are able to get bioware, Trauma Damper is must have, Mnemonic Enhancer is always nice, and I've seen the Pain Editor used to good effect.

As a Burned Out mage, I always feel the need to go A - Magic, B - Money, C - Attributes, D/E - Skills/Race. I try suggesting edges/flaws with balanced point totals.

Thanks! I think I will be aiming for somethnig like that. Thinking maybe going with a DeckerMage, since the group does not have one.

It's a really interesting idea for development. Most burn outs were happy being full force mages but sacrificed part of their magic either to join a military unit or to replace parts damaged in battle. (My very first, 1st ed wolf shaman lost her arm on a run and started down the rabbit hole) the idea of someone who doesn't want magic is a neat one, the role playing could be interesting. The key point is what happened to make him embrace finally it?

For cyber a smart link and datajack or chip jack would be best, if you can get it at beta grade add wired reflexes too.

Though am sure getting all the ware you can would seem sane, techniqually in game world reality you only need two bits of ware.
Two failed biotech roles or even implantation with out the magical patient modifier and you just lost two points of magic (potentially) from surgery. With last form the essence loss.

How harsh due you want to be?

I belive going to be down to 3 or 2 points of essence left after the ware. Might go harsher if I need to fill a role in teh group thanks.