Not going to post the detail of the background yet, some of it is in motion based on tweaking. I know it's a suboptimal build in many ways.. but meant to be a kid (teen) found and trained by her mentor who disappeared during a run and now she's looking for them. Mainly looking at the powers/qualities (been awhile since I played adepts)
400BP
Metatype - Elf (30) + Drake (65)
Attributes (170)
B 3
A 4
R 4
S 3
C 4
I 3
L 3
W 4
Magic 6 (65) [Yeah I know pricy at start]
Edge 2 (10)
Qualities (-30)
Adept (5)
SINner I (-5) [UCAS Orphanage raised and uses it on her commlink for now. Has it's pluses and drawbacks. Is known as a drake... which is one drawback]
Lost loved one (-5) [Mentor]
Indebt I (-5) [Owes fixer for helping her get started in Seattle]
Phobia: Moderate, Uncommon (-10) [Great Dragons, based on what she's learned about how they view drakes]
Prejudice: Outspoken, specific (-10) [still working on who, but something that will come up in play; leaning towards technomancers due to media portrayal during emergence]
Active skills (86) [focused training by mentor on her strengths]
Assensing 3
Astral combat 2 [taught the basics]
Computer 2 [she always liked playing on them]
Dodge 4
Etiquette 3 [polite and reserved]
Perception 3
Unarmed Combat 4
* Natural weapons +2 [claws/bite]
Knowledge skills (18 free)
LG - english N
LG - Japanese 3
LG - Sperethial 3
Computer Games 3
Industrial Music 3
Local Clubs 3
Magical Background 2
Meditation techniques 1
Contacts:
Fixer 2/2 [mentor's fixer]
Adept powers: [Intended to enhance her drake form more than the metahuman one]
Combat Sense 2 [better defense]
Critical Strike 3 [Hit a little harder]
Improved Reflexes 2 [Speed]
Mystic Armor 2 [defense increase]
Penetrating Strike 3 [gives her claws/bite some AP!]
Gear:
1mth Squatter lifestyle
Backpack [can stuff all she owns/needs in and shift. Usually keeps a couple sets of spare flats in it or salvation army clothing. cheap/disposable outfits]
Lined Coat (6/4) [Easy to slip off before shifting, worn over flats or cheap clothing]
Sony emperor commlink w/renraku Ichi OS (R 2/ sig 3/ Sys 2 /FW 2) [Cheap comm, not really for running]
*std sim module
*Basic user suite (Analyze 2, browse 2, command 1, edit 2)
* 4 VR games
* 50 Virtual surround music chips (industrial punk/rock music)
* Wall space ARE software
Trodes
Subvocal Microphone [or drake form trodes]
Ar gloves
Rtg 2 Goggles w/ Image link, Flare comp
Rtg 1 Headphones
Rtg 6 Respirator [combined with goggles = instant disguise]
2 rtg 6 stimpactchs
Trama patch
Certified credstick
Full Version: My new character.. tweaking advice
Critical strike is superior to penetrating strike - you don't want penetrating strike until you have maxed out critical strike. In other words, critical strike: 6 is better than critical strike: 3 and penetrating strike: 3.
...and Elemental Strike is better than penetrating strike and cheaper, so what?^^ As a drake you anyway donīt have to think about disguise.
Adepts can't use assensing without taking Astral Perception power first.
From Runners Companion p. 75
Drakes can learn assensing and astral combat without the adept power
Drakes can learn assensing and astral combat without the adept power
[ Spoiler ]
Its also worth noting that drakes are only dual natured while in drake form - they are the only variant shapeshifteresque type to claim this - and so avoid a lot of the problems with being dual natured. But it also means you can't use assensing all the time.
I would strongly suggest picking up an Adept Way, if you have access to the way of the adept book. Warrior's Way will give you a lot more mileage out of those powers you have chosen.
I would second the shift from Penetrating strike to Critical strike. Due to how damage is calculated and resisted, each point of extra damage is worth about 3 points of armor penetration. Machiavelli hits the nail on the head with Elemental strike: most elemental attacks are Ap Half, which is amazing. For only half a power point, its effectively worth 2 levels of penetrating strike. Its amazing, you should get it.
On the same note, switch mystic armor over to more combat sense. One hit on defense is worth about 3 on the soak test.
You -may- want to pick up killing hands, because it will let you punch spirits without shifting to drake form. It will also let you choose to do stun damage in any form, which can be useful for not killing people, or racking up penalties on both the stun and physical condition monitors for tough enemies. Its not necessary, and something I wouldn't do unless I had free points, but its something to consider.
I would strongly suggest picking up an Adept Way, if you have access to the way of the adept book. Warrior's Way will give you a lot more mileage out of those powers you have chosen.
I would second the shift from Penetrating strike to Critical strike. Due to how damage is calculated and resisted, each point of extra damage is worth about 3 points of armor penetration. Machiavelli hits the nail on the head with Elemental strike: most elemental attacks are Ap Half, which is amazing. For only half a power point, its effectively worth 2 levels of penetrating strike. Its amazing, you should get it.
On the same note, switch mystic armor over to more combat sense. One hit on defense is worth about 3 on the soak test.
You -may- want to pick up killing hands, because it will let you punch spirits without shifting to drake form. It will also let you choose to do stun damage in any form, which can be useful for not killing people, or racking up penalties on both the stun and physical condition monitors for tough enemies. Its not necessary, and something I wouldn't do unless I had free points, but its something to consider.
rechecking the powers, not worried about elemental strike since in drake form she has fire breath
And a drake still has to consider disguises (of the metahuman form, especially since her first initiation will get her masking)
I may have been thinking of penetrating strike allowing her to harm drones/etc better than just a straightforward damage boost (something about hardened/vehicle armor... but got a bunch of different systems and all rolling around in my head)
And a drake still has to consider disguises (of the metahuman form, especially since her first initiation will get her masking)
I may have been thinking of penetrating strike allowing her to harm drones/etc better than just a straightforward damage boost (something about hardened/vehicle armor... but got a bunch of different systems and all rolling around in my head)
I wouldn't discount the power of Elemental Strike.
Oh, sure, you have fire breath. But your expected damage is only 6(your magic), and you also don't have the appropriate Exotic Ranged Weapon skill to USE it.
On the other hand, its easily possible to go above 6 damage in melee with adept powers. Claws are strength/2+2, one drake form gains 5 strength(which drake type ARE you anyway), you can get 6 from adept powers, 3 from martial arts.... yeah. Your fire breath is nice, but the real damage comes from clawing things to bits.
Also, in checking drake powers, I've noticed that you already have mystic armor/hardened armor. Its worth noting that adept mystic armor and critter mystic power is not the same. If you were interested in taking a dive into Surge, Granite Shell could be worth picking up, as it would give you a LOT of hardened armor. But it would basically ruin your appearance, in drake and human form. It is probably something better left on a troll, where you can fluff it as even MORE dermal deposits.
Oh, sure, you have fire breath. But your expected damage is only 6(your magic), and you also don't have the appropriate Exotic Ranged Weapon skill to USE it.
On the other hand, its easily possible to go above 6 damage in melee with adept powers. Claws are strength/2+2, one drake form gains 5 strength(which drake type ARE you anyway), you can get 6 from adept powers, 3 from martial arts.... yeah. Your fire breath is nice, but the real damage comes from clawing things to bits.
Also, in checking drake powers, I've noticed that you already have mystic armor/hardened armor. Its worth noting that adept mystic armor and critter mystic power is not the same. If you were interested in taking a dive into Surge, Granite Shell could be worth picking up, as it would give you a LOT of hardened armor. But it would basically ruin your appearance, in drake and human form. It is probably something better left on a troll, where you can fluff it as even MORE dermal deposits.
Skill changes (basic ones) [Meaning she's had some training]
Astral Combat 1
Exotic Ranged Weapon - Flamebreath 1 [kinda hard to practice when you burn up the target]
Adept Powers:
Combat Sense 4 (2)
Critical Strike 4 (2)
Improved Reflexes 2 (2.5)
Killing Hands (0.5)
Could drop 2 from strikes for elemental strike(fire) which requires killing hands first (so not as cheap after all)
And as for drake she is a western (+4 body, + 5 strength, +1 reach)
Astral Combat 1
Exotic Ranged Weapon - Flamebreath 1 [kinda hard to practice when you burn up the target]
Adept Powers:
Combat Sense 4 (2)
Critical Strike 4 (2)
Improved Reflexes 2 (2.5)
Killing Hands (0.5)
Could drop 2 from strikes for elemental strike(fire) which requires killing hands first (so not as cheap after all)
And as for drake she is a western (+4 body, + 5 strength, +1 reach)
As a general rule, it's not worth the difference between being awful at something at being really bad at something. You should either focus on fire breath fwackoom fwackoom (and change it out for a better element ASAP), or focus on melee claw claw - not both. Astral Combat 1 is worthless because you are utterly awful at astral combat even with it - your response to astral enemies should be to shift to human form so they can't hurt you either, not to engage them where they are strong and you are pathetic. Astral combats are won with Stunbolt and Fear, not with Astral Combat.
Can you use Martial Arts? Can you use Ways? Either of those would help you a lot. (although MA is not needed if you elect to focus on breath weapons instead).
It looks like you want your main focus to be in physical combat, with "ok at Etiquette' on the side, yes?
Your basic problem is a lack of focus, which Drakes cannot afford.
Can you use Martial Arts? Can you use Ways? Either of those would help you a lot. (although MA is not needed if you elect to focus on breath weapons instead).
It looks like you want your main focus to be in physical combat, with "ok at Etiquette' on the side, yes?
Your basic problem is a lack of focus, which Drakes cannot afford.
Not a problem, intended.
The character was 12 when she awakened, and is now 15 so barely trained in the ways of being a drake (so lots of room to improve her abilities)
but on ice anyway, GM wants a different focus if we play. So normal characters, though dregs of shadowrunners... the kind that blend in more
The character was 12 when she awakened, and is now 15 so barely trained in the ways of being a drake (so lots of room to improve her abilities)
but on ice anyway, GM wants a different focus if we play. So normal characters, though dregs of shadowrunners... the kind that blend in more
You don't need astral combat.
QUOTE (Runner's Companion @ page 75)
As dual natured beings in dracoform, characters can use their Physical Attributes and Unarmed Combat skills in conjunction with their Natural Weapon attacks on both the astral and physical planes.
Glyph, has it right. I'd move those points from astral combat... to exotic ranged weapon(fire) (you have a breath weapon... and a decent one with magic that high).
Also, some ranks in Armourer wouldn't be amiss... (so you can craft 'barding' for your drake form... even the equivalent of the 'armor bag' in arsenal is an improvement).
Another excellent adept power is 'ability boost'. Your agility is low, so a .25PP investment allows you to roll 7 dice and increase your agility by the successes when you need it. Same goes for any of the physical stats.
One way to really play up your elf side... raise charisma through the roof. Then take the mind over matter power (1.5), you then use your charisma in place of strength... now that I rethink that... not the greatest of ideas.
Similarly, you might look at going Mystic Adept.. and only focus on say spirits... a possession tradition like hedge magic helps with that armor problem and gives you some badly needed alternate powers like say 'concealment'. (I always disliked drakes/pixies/etc because it's a massive signature calling card... to anyone looking at security footage, or guards reports. Really they're not that common).
Also, some ranks in Armourer wouldn't be amiss... (so you can craft 'barding' for your drake form... even the equivalent of the 'armor bag' in arsenal is an improvement).
Another excellent adept power is 'ability boost'. Your agility is low, so a .25PP investment allows you to roll 7 dice and increase your agility by the successes when you need it. Same goes for any of the physical stats.
One way to really play up your elf side... raise charisma through the roof. Then take the mind over matter power (1.5), you then use your charisma in place of strength... now that I rethink that... not the greatest of ideas.
Similarly, you might look at going Mystic Adept.. and only focus on say spirits... a possession tradition like hedge magic helps with that armor problem and gives you some badly needed alternate powers like say 'concealment'. (I always disliked drakes/pixies/etc because it's a massive signature calling card... to anyone looking at security footage, or guards reports. Really they're not that common).
Well she's intended to be a learner, but talking with the GM. May redo her a bit with latent awakening/drake abilities (we have houserules about the karma cost on those going active.. the GM usually waives it based on gameplay/roleplay due to the fact the character is going to have a gift but can't do anything till they burn karma getting the skills and magic up there to be useful outside their original role [If ya play the learning part well, it works out.. though he has given a few of us the equivalent of cursed or wild flaws till we get at least rank 2 in the skills to demonstrate how hard it is to learn]
But the idea was really based on a thing I though of doing to players a while back..
young elf girl wandering through some of the better parts of the barrens (aka touristville) with a backpack. Holding a plush dragon toy from the big D's election campaign looking a little worse for wear and enjoying the rare bit of sunshine.
Van pulls up and a couple night hunters hop out and start to go to a club but instead turn and start hassling her. One snatches her bear and tosses it in the van. (now this is when most runners walk away or towards to intervene)
Girl shrugs her shoulders letting the pack and her jacket hit the ground.. things seem to warp a bit. then the gangers find themselves facing about a ton or so of pissed off Drake. Being smart they dive for the back of the van. Only to have one of her claws shred the fender and the tire it was protecting.. while the other rips the sliding door off as her muzzle opens and the pilot light of hell can be seen... But holding her breath she just holds out her hand... and when the smartest of the fools gives her the dwaggie toy she backs off and collects her jacket and pack and hustles into the alley to shift and dress before wandering out again to enjoy the sunlight while holding her plushie
But the idea was really based on a thing I though of doing to players a while back..
young elf girl wandering through some of the better parts of the barrens (aka touristville) with a backpack. Holding a plush dragon toy from the big D's election campaign looking a little worse for wear and enjoying the rare bit of sunshine.
Van pulls up and a couple night hunters hop out and start to go to a club but instead turn and start hassling her. One snatches her bear and tosses it in the van. (now this is when most runners walk away or towards to intervene)
Girl shrugs her shoulders letting the pack and her jacket hit the ground.. things seem to warp a bit. then the gangers find themselves facing about a ton or so of pissed off Drake. Being smart they dive for the back of the van. Only to have one of her claws shred the fender and the tire it was protecting.. while the other rips the sliding door off as her muzzle opens and the pilot light of hell can be seen... But holding her breath she just holds out her hand... and when the smartest of the fools gives her the dwaggie toy she backs off and collects her jacket and pack and hustles into the alley to shift and dress before wandering out again to enjoy the sunlight while holding her plushie
i have to say.... YOINK!
QUOTE (MortVent @ Dec 2 2011, 06:22 AM) 
Skill changes (basic ones) [Meaning she's had some training]
Astral Combat 1
Exotic Ranged Weapon - Flamebreath 1 [kinda hard to practice when you burn up the target]
Adept Powers:
Combat Sense 4 (2)
Critical Strike 4 (2)
Improved Reflexes 2 (2.5)
Killing Hands (0.5)
Could drop 2 from strikes for elemental strike(fire) which requires killing hands first (so not as cheap after all)
And as for drake she is a western (+4 body, + 5 strength, +1 reach)
Astral Combat 1
Exotic Ranged Weapon - Flamebreath 1 [kinda hard to practice when you burn up the target]
Adept Powers:
Combat Sense 4 (2)
Critical Strike 4 (2)
Improved Reflexes 2 (2.5)
Killing Hands (0.5)
Could drop 2 from strikes for elemental strike(fire) which requires killing hands first (so not as cheap after all)
And as for drake she is a western (+4 body, + 5 strength, +1 reach)
about imp reflexes, did that change in sr4a? my sr4 book lists the cost as 3
QUOTE (onlyghostdanceswhiledrunk @ Dec 3 2011, 03:29 PM)
about imp reflexes, did that change in sr4a? my sr4 book lists the cost as 3
It did indeed... Cost is now: 1.5/2.5/4
sweet! any other major changes to the costs that should be noted?
QUOTE (Falconer @ Dec 3 2011, 08:25 AM)
Also, some ranks in Armourer wouldn't be amiss... (so you can craft 'barding' for your drake form... even the equivalent of the 'armor bag' in arsenal is an improvement).
One way to really play up your elf side... raise charisma through the roof. Then take the mind over matter power (1.5), you then use your charisma in place of strength... now that I rethink that... not the greatest of ideas.
One way to really play up your elf side... raise charisma through the roof. Then take the mind over matter power (1.5), you then use your charisma in place of strength... now that I rethink that... not the greatest of ideas.
If you want Barding, then going mystic adept and taking the Fashion spell will have that same effect - its able to change the shape of things while explicitly not altering their protective value. Its a huge point sink, but mystic adepts can be good.
Mind over matter kind of fails in some regards. It only changes dice pools, but doesn't affect any attribute-derived stats. If you wish to use mind over matter in that fashion, you should really talk to your gm about it. For example, mind-over-mattering charisma for strength doesn't change your basic melee damage. It SHOULD work that way, because its so expensive, and running it raw just makes some attribute swaps blatantly worse than others. (logic for agility being the king)
Fashion isn't that radical. It won't allow you to magically cover something the size of a drake.
"... The weight of the clothing does not change, and it must cover
approximately the same amount of area (a jump suit can’t be
converted into a bikini). ..."
Also look at the expanded rules for fashion in Attitude. First you need to beat the object resistance of the armor (which is probably 3 or more as you add special modifications like non-conductivity or chameleon system to it)... then even with 4 successes you can't make radical enough changes to the armor.
Good luck fitting that man sized armored vest over something completely non-humanoid and at least the size of a troll. Every game I've played in, drakes are considered about 3-4m. About 50-100% larger than a base humanoid or about the size of a horse not including tail. It's never officially stated in the rules to the best of my knowledge though.
Didn't realize that (MoM), it was just a brainstorm idea I was tossing out the rest. Guess that makes it really only useful for dual purposing logic. (intuition really doesn't have many ways to increase it to augmented max unlike reaction does, str is basically only used for derived statistics and the oddball raw power check, body marginally usefull for damage tests but doesn't increase your armor limit, agility only used as dice in a lot of different tests).
"... The weight of the clothing does not change, and it must cover
approximately the same amount of area (a jump suit can’t be
converted into a bikini). ..."
Also look at the expanded rules for fashion in Attitude. First you need to beat the object resistance of the armor (which is probably 3 or more as you add special modifications like non-conductivity or chameleon system to it)... then even with 4 successes you can't make radical enough changes to the armor.
Good luck fitting that man sized armored vest over something completely non-humanoid and at least the size of a troll. Every game I've played in, drakes are considered about 3-4m. About 50-100% larger than a base humanoid or about the size of a horse not including tail. It's never officially stated in the rules to the best of my knowledge though.
Didn't realize that (MoM), it was just a brainstorm idea I was tossing out the rest. Guess that makes it really only useful for dual purposing logic. (intuition really doesn't have many ways to increase it to augmented max unlike reaction does, str is basically only used for derived statistics and the oddball raw power check, body marginally usefull for damage tests but doesn't increase your armor limit, agility only used as dice in a lot of different tests).
There is also no reason you can't use a) multiple suits of the same armor to make a drake sized one or b) use the standard Metahuman Adjustment Tax price adjustment to represent a sufficiently bulky base suit of armor. What is it, a 20% increase in the base price? The same rules that work for dwarf and troll equipment(metahuman customization in arsenal) also work for drakes.
As for Attitude: I doubt most games actually use it over the basic street magic core book. New Writer vs Old Writer type deal. I would concede that its a valid point for All The Book games, but my counterpoint would be that even if the spell has expanded rules, it shouldn't lose any of its original capabilities. An expansion, not a nerf.
Agreed on Mind over Matter - logic is basically the only swap that makes sense. The other benefit it has in a 2/4 split magic caster build with heightened concentration is that the Boost Logic spell also does double duty. There are no adept powers to boost it, except for very expensive way-only ones, and ware is kind of out of the question. Even if you do get it, it doesn't apply in drake form. The benefit, however, is that your drain resist values will go up while possessed as well, on average, if you use a high force spirit.
As for Attitude: I doubt most games actually use it over the basic street magic core book. New Writer vs Old Writer type deal. I would concede that its a valid point for All The Book games, but my counterpoint would be that even if the spell has expanded rules, it shouldn't lose any of its original capabilities. An expansion, not a nerf.
Agreed on Mind over Matter - logic is basically the only swap that makes sense. The other benefit it has in a 2/4 split magic caster build with heightened concentration is that the Boost Logic spell also does double duty. There are no adept powers to boost it, except for very expensive way-only ones, and ware is kind of out of the question. Even if you do get it, it doesn't apply in drake form. The benefit, however, is that your drain resist values will go up while possessed as well, on average, if you use a high force spirit.
Strongly disagree. The base spell rules again don't let you resize the equipment, only tailor it's cosmetics. It's hardly changing the base utility of the spell, only further clarifying what it already says. For a PERMANENT spell which doesn't need to be sustained after it takes hold... it's a very reasonable limitation.
Once you start crafting multiple pieces together, you're dealing with an armourer check to assemble a single piece of 'barding'. While the spell could shape the materials you're patching together, it's still an armourer check in my book for the final result. Read the skill, the spell doesn't make it pointless. (and the skill desc still says some kind of technical knowledge is needed to actually design the plans outside of the armorer skill itself!).
I was thinking of something simple yet functional when I made the suggestion. The Body armor bag in arsenal! It's the kind of thing which is easy to carry around w/o too much hassle or suspicion. It's the kind of shapeless mess that's quick and easy to throw on after a hasty shape change. (4/4 hardened... plus 6/2 is pretty reasonable base armor for a drake, it's more than the armor jacket or vest that most people are wearing).
Once you start crafting multiple pieces together, you're dealing with an armourer check to assemble a single piece of 'barding'. While the spell could shape the materials you're patching together, it's still an armourer check in my book for the final result. Read the skill, the spell doesn't make it pointless. (and the skill desc still says some kind of technical knowledge is needed to actually design the plans outside of the armorer skill itself!).
I was thinking of something simple yet functional when I made the suggestion. The Body armor bag in arsenal! It's the kind of thing which is easy to carry around w/o too much hassle or suspicion. It's the kind of shapeless mess that's quick and easy to throw on after a hasty shape change. (4/4 hardened... plus 6/2 is pretty reasonable base armor for a drake, it's more than the armor jacket or vest that most people are wearing).
QUOTE
This spell instantly tailors clothing, transforming garments into any fashion the caster wishes. The hits measure the degree of style in the tailoring.The spell cannot change clothing’s protective value, only its cut, color, pattern, and fit. The weight of the clothing does not change, and it must cover approximately the same amount of area (a jump suit can’t be converted into a bikini). The caster must touch the clothing.
On a side note, i hate PDF cut-and-paste formatting. it just sucks.
You're missing the point. Because it can't change the size, you start with a basic piece of clothing that WILL fit your intended shapeshifted form, which fashion CAN do. And because it explicitly can't alter the protective value, the protective value stays the same.
Basically you are misunderstanding. You don't start with a dwarf sized armored jacked and turn it into a drake sized armored jacket. Per the bikini ruling, you can't do that. Instead, you take a drake sized armored jacket(or Troll XXL) and turn it into one that fits YOU specifically. This obviously works better if your standard form and shapeshifted forms are about the same size.
Buying things sized for nonhumans, critters, and other exotic, nonstandard bodies is a price adjustment/modification already present within the rules. In multiple places. You just have to use a bit of cunning to take advantage of it ahead of time. Its not an exploit, but it is a clever application of planning, not rules bending.
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