Dumpshock Forums > Character Critique Please

OneTrikPony

Feb 2 2012, 04:03 AM

A while back I read the phrase "ork in a suit" somewhere here and my brain took off making up a character based on that concept. I've not been active in SR for a while so I thought I'd post him here to see if anyone could give me any pointers; tell me what I'm missing and what I'm doing wrong. Also; from a GM perspective is this character legal to play at your table? If not, what would you ask to be changed? Thanks

Character Portrait. I still have work to do on this.

Build Notes:
KarmaGen 750 Karma, Max rating 6, Max availability 12
I used the Karmagen rules from RC, I've never used them before but I think I figured it out.
I wasn't quite sure how the Race Cost worked. As near as I understand you don't pay anything for making an Ork.
I've never played with the genetics stuff from Augmentation so I decided to base my character around being a corporate genehack. It's controversial, but I've used the Genetic Herritage Quality, (Aug p20), to give him a permanent Sideways Genetic Infusion, (Aug p94)

Character Concepts
*Genetic Freak *
The character’s mom was a test volunteer for Yamatetsu drug and genetics experiments. Her messed up genome was passed down to her children; The character has the Genetic Heritage quality (Aug p20) with the effects of the genetic infusion Sideways (Aug p94). He also has several transgenic modifications and genetic optimization for Strength (Yes I optimized a “Dumpstat”)

*Prejudiced and Eliteist *
The character grew up and worked in a corporate environment. He was indoctrinated with corporate bias against poor, uneducated people and specifically the ‘goblin’ races. Later, forced to live on the streets, he’s been able to connect with the culture of his race but he still believes it’s wrong to be unintelligent, uneducated, ugly or uncouth. He’s obsessive about status, grooming, style and wealth. He holds himself above other orks and trolls, exaggerates the fact of his formal education and believes that all trogs should hold themselves to a higher standard instead of, “Begging to be treated as equals.”
*Cutters Gang enforcer *
When a propensity for violence ruined his budding career as a company man for Evo Corp. left him homeless and on the streets. He switched alliances and used a contact in the Cutters gang to find a new home. Working for the pseudo-corporate street gang is a perfect fit. It’s been simple for him to use his corporate training and natural talents to work his way up the ladder. He’s now a ‘made man’, one of the top enforcers in the [Seattle] chapter.

STATS

[ Spoiler ]

Neraph

Feb 2 2012, 05:01 AM

As soon as you get all the bugs worked out I'll give it a look.

OneTrikPony

Feb 2 2012, 05:50 AM

Sorry bout the tease. Got all the data up now

never did figure out the code tags. Hope it's readable.

The Jake

Feb 2 2012, 06:08 AM

Isn't there a seperate forum for this stuff?

- J.

Machiavelli

Feb 2 2012, 06:53 AM

I usually don´t like cybered-up chars. but for a starting one he seems very strong. I didn´t check the costs, but if the build is ok, this is a quite good option.

Midas

Feb 2 2012, 07:18 AM

Seems a fairly solid build to me, but a few questions/suggestions:

1) Transgenic Muscle Toner/Augmentation
I am not clear on the differences between Muscle Toner/Augmentation and the Transgenic versions. You would need Restricted Gear quality for both the standard bioware versions; it seems a huge loophole to me if transgenic versions were readily available.

2) Background
Given the vat-grown super-soldier-type modifications the company went to great expense to give him and his weapon skills, I take it you see him as an ex-Company enforcer type, right? If that's the case, great!

3) Infiltration/Shadowing vs Stealth group
Currently you have Infiltration 4(6) and Shadowing 3(5) for 40 karma (22+2 and 14+2).
I would be very tempted to change it to Stealth group 3 (35 karma) and take the specializations in game. For your loss of specializations and 1 additional die for infiltration you get Disguise 3 (always good if you need to whip out the nanopaste disguise kit) and Palming 3 (which helps you conceal your guns among other things), and 5 karma left to use elsewhere.

Machiavelli

Feb 2 2012, 07:20 AM

By the way: how does an ork with strength 13 look like? The hulk at 1,90 m?

NiL_FisK_Urd

Feb 2 2012, 07:25 AM

Biocompatibility costs 20 karma (but it is aviable as a SURGE Trait)
You need "Restricted Gear" for Muscle Toner/Augmentation
Contacts cost 2 karma per point in Loyality/Contact rating -> 7 karma for contacts is not possible

Changes in lates printing of RC:
Karma Cost for rasining Attributes is *5, not *3 -> you used 490 Karma for Attributes
Race costs [BP Value] in Karma -> 20 Karma for being an Ork

By RAW, you do not get free knowledge skill points in Karmagen

OneTrikPony

Feb 2 2012, 07:41 AM

QUOTE (NiL_FisK_Urd @ Feb 2 2012, 03:25 AM)

Biocompatibility costs 20 karma (but it is aviable as a SURGE Trait)
You need "Restricted Gear" for Muscle Toner/Augmentation
Contacts cost 2 karma per point in Loyality/Contact rating -> 7 karma for contacts is not possible

Changes in lates printing of RC:
Karma Cost for rasining Attributes is *5, not *3 -> you used 490 Karma for Attributes
Race costs [BP Value] in Karma -> 20 Karma for being an Ork

By RAW, you do not get free knowledge skill points in Karmagen

Damnit! Thanks for catching all that. I should have stuck to BP Generation.

The availability rating of Transgenic alteration is 10R.

Back to the drawing board. I guess.

QUOTE (Machiavelli)

By the way: how does an ork with strength 13 look like? The hulk at 1,90 m?

I think he would look like THIS

NiL_FisK_Urd

Feb 2 2012, 07:44 AM

well, the aviability for "standard genetic alterations" may be 10R, but any bioware that is bought as geneware is GM-approval -> you should stick with the original aviability (and hope that the gm even allows that)

Machiavelli

Feb 2 2012, 08:14 AM

QUOTE (OneTrikPony @ Feb 2 2012, 08:41 AM)

Back to the drawing board. I guess.

I think he would look like THIS

I would have wondered if a char. like this could be so good from skratch. I was about to lose my honor as a powergamer.^^

For your links: i cannot open them. Do i have to activate something in my browser? I used firefox and IE, and both don´t work.

OneTrikPony

Feb 2 2012, 08:22 AM

so, I'm guessing, you wouldn't allow transgenics at your table either way.

It's kinda moot cause this character is way broken. I just calculated his stats in build points 194 bp for skils 310 bp for Attributes. No wonder I was having so much fun building with the (apparently wrong) Karma gen system. LOL I give up and I'm burning my RC.

Udoshi

Feb 2 2012, 08:29 AM

Hey, hey hey, even the fixed/balanced karmagen is WAY WAY better than BPgen.

Unless you're minmaxing BP as hard as you can, then you generally come out ahead.

NiL_FisK_Urd

Feb 2 2012, 08:34 AM

Well, i would allow transgenic alterations with exact the same essence and nuyen costs as the bioware alternative, and the same or higher aviability and treatment time. Of course, the reductions for Genecrafted or genetic heritage would apply.

OneTrikPony

Feb 2 2012, 08:58 AM

Sorry about the links. I forgot to make that photo public.
here's a direct link to the drawing.
https://picasaweb.google.com/11239334139768...733154182044754
that should work.

Unless they also changed the skills cost karma gen is better. what cost me 35% of my karma in K-gen cost me 50% of my build points. So that's an "improvement" I guess. Tonight I'm just getting reminded that optimizing a body or strength stat (or even making it average) for an ork or troll is anathema to SR chargen of any flavor. No wonder everyone loves those fragin dandylion eaters.

It's kinda interesting that one extra point of damage on Close Combat (strength 11 to strength 13) costs 105 karma.

Machiavelli

Feb 2 2012, 09:16 AM

Yes, high strenght sucks...unless you have it. It at least keeps you out of discussion about "you cannot carry that", "no you cannot rip that guy/door/car into pieces", "you cannot carry the stormcannon without a gyrostabilizer" as well as the good old "you cannot simply run through that wall". It is not needed, but it makes life so much easier.^^

OneTrikPony

Feb 2 2012, 09:38 AM

So now that you pay for race in the updated Karma system is the max karma for attributes still capped at 350?

I kinda picked strength because it is a dump stat. You could use the same Genetech to boost BOD and have something worth the points; 15 damage boxes.

Edit] my point being that it's still not as awesome as cyberlimbs but if cyberlimbs are supposed to be on their way out while genetech is the up and comming ware then it should be better. Oh well.

NiL_FisK_Urd

Feb 2 2012, 10:15 AM

no, the attributes are capped at 375 + [Metatype BP Value *2] Karma

Machiavelli

Feb 2 2012, 11:06 AM

It looked too good to be real. ^^

ElFenrir

Feb 2 2012, 01:40 PM

Well, you'll be able to trim out some stuff I think fairly easily. What I'd do is actually shave down Muscle Aug and Toner to 2 each-you'd lose 1 DV but it's still very impressive. This would save you a LOT more pain than trying to get another 20 Karma, IMO, for two more Restricted Gears. (Sometimes I thank the norse gods that we don't use availability at Chargen and never have since I can remember, simply using an unspoken 'get stuff that fits your background' rule, since it takes a bit of the hair pulling out of gear picking.) as for Knowledge skills, yeah, six knowledge skills at 3 would cost 42 Karma(they're 7 Karma each) which is another reason I suggested the 2/2 Aug instead, since coughing up that many would take some reworking. At worst, you're looking at digging up 62 more Karma to keep as is, at best, 42 for the Knowledge skills if you keep as is.

Actually, I found one more math issue unless I missed one of the bonuses. Ork Body caps at 9. Ork Strength caps at 8(base 3, so it's 6+2.) So actually, you can save 27 points from the 9 strength(actually...you could save another 24 taking it down to 7 unless you want to lower Agility to a 5...unless your table plays elsewise, which may well be the case, you are still limited to 1 capped attribute.) Either way, there's a rather big pile of points that I didn't notice until now. Personally, I'd knock Strength to a base 7, saving 51 BP. THEN you can chuck 10 of that at Restricted Gear: Muscle Aug 4 to keep a very respectable 11. Still having 41 to kick around for Knowledge Skills. (You would have to trade a Quality for this since you're at the 35 cap.)

[Also, IMO, there is no 'Wrong' Karmagen system-there are simply the original 4e version and the 4A Errata variant, the latter does comply more with the 4A ruleset. however, We still use the old system that you used originally. We also still use the x3 attribute cost in game because we play so rarely and give out low amounts of Karma it balances out either way. Is your table playing with old 4e advancement rules/old 4e rules in general? If so, then using the original system may be fine, make sure to ask. If using new ones, then yeah, you're probably using the errata'd version. In any case, check with your GM.]

And I do approve of the character overall! He actually sounds like he may get along with a Fomori of mine(though the fomori is sorta surged into minotaur legs, white-blue skin and purple hair, he's actually well-educated, well spoken, extremely handsome even by non goblin terms, and works as a bodyguard for rather high end individuals, and has similar eye-twitches when he sees 'stereotypical' goblins.)