Running the Sunday Shadows

[Cynical Cat]

*Accepts fat envelope from Hotfoot* Ahem. So, after consultation, frigid and I will be running Shadowrun on Sunday. We'll be alternating who is GM with each of us handling our own runs and story arcs. Character creation is as per vanilla 5th edition Shadowrun. If you want an exception, convince both of us. Various splat books are allowed and Run Faster is recommended, but that doesn't mean that alternate character creation rules are in play. They aren't. Also, show your work. If it's a pain in the ass to figure out how you built your character "no" is always an easy answer.

That said, go at it.

[Cynical Cat]

So let's start with my character from when frigid wield's the whip. We'll break from pattern to go with a young and idealistic character, the scion of an influential Tir Tairngire family that ended up on the bad end of a bungled power play. Forced to flee the country in his teens, he went from a sheltered and privileged life to seeing the nasty underbelly of the Tir and then seeing the nasty underbelly of the US up close and personal. He's not naive (anymore) but not hardened enough to be cynical and hard bitten.

So let's walk through the priorities:

A for Magic because he's a full magician (Path of the Wheel for full elven traditionalness) with the best education and tutors that not quite clean money can buy. Full Magician with Magic 6, two Magical Skills at 5, and 10 Spells. Fuck yeah.

B for Attributes because he's young and healthy (for now). That's 20 points

C Skills 28/2 for Skills

D for Race which gives us Elf with 0 points to spend on Special Attributes (but an already huge Magic stat)

E for Resources. That gives a craptastic 6,000 nuyen but it was priority E so what did you expect? To have to spend some of the starting karma boosting this, that's what we expected. And we will.


I have 25 Karma to round out the character, but since my background demands it I should start off by purchasing the Negative Quality SINner at 5 points (Tir Tairngire legal citizenship and records) so I'm up to 30. Go me?

[Lys]

How's about i suggest some premade characters?

[frigidmagi]

Lys. Please don't clutter the thread.

[Cynical Cat]

So consulting the attribute table on page 66 we get the base level points for an elf. We can increase 1 stat to max, the others have to be below max but that's okay because 20 points only go so far.

Body: 1 +2
Agility: 2 +1
Reaction: 1 +2
Strength: 1 +2
Willpower: 1 +4
Logic: 1 +2
Intuition: 1 +3
Charisma: 3 +4
Total: +20


Body: 3
Agility: 3
Reaction: 3
Strength: 3
Willpower: 5
Logic: 3
Intuition: 4
Charisma: 7

I'm sure everyone is surprised that the Path of the Wheel uses Charisma and Willpower as its Drain stats. Shocking. Nothing is at racial max so I'm good with everything. Now onto skills. . . . .

[General Havoc]

So... I've never made a Shadowrun character. What do I need to do in order to do this?

[Cynical Cat]

So... I've never made a Shadowrun character. What do I need to do in order to do this?

The Shadowrun main book (5th edition) willl suffice. Run Faster is a plus.

[Josh]

Might want to talk party comp here.

So far, we're covered on magics and rigging. We'll need shooters, physad, a talker or two. Garvin seems to have a disinterest in fielding a decker, so that's off.

For rigging, I'm thinking that while I'll naturally aim to include some shooty drones, I'm going to be more specialized toward intelligence-gathering and overwatch over brute force.

[rhoenix]

Physical Adept who loves guns and swords both here. I know, I know - it's a huge departure for me as a character concept, but I'm confident I can make it work.

[frigidmagi]

So far, we're covered on magics and rigging. We'll need shooters, physad, a talker or two. Garvin seems to have a disinterest in fielding a decker, so that's off.

Out of Friendship and upon Hotfoot's request, I have agreed to review the Matrix chapter of the 5th edition sourcebook and render a verdict there. I should have one tonight.

[Cynical Cat]

Might want to talk party comp here.

So far, we're covered on magics and rigging. We'll need shooters, physad, a talker or two. Garvin seems to have a disinterest in fielding a decker, so that's off.

For rigging, I'm thinking that while I'll naturally aim to include some shooty drones, I'm going to be more specialized toward intelligence-gathering and overwatch over brute force.

I really disliked "balanced" parties that force people into making characters they don't want to play. Given the broad competencies of Shadowrun characters we should have all the bases covered as long as no one makes a carbon copy of someone else's character.

[Karrick]

I'm halfway tempted to go for a centaur just so my greatest nemesis can be ladders. I've got a few (slightly) more sane ideas though. My first concept is a cybered up elf ninja... with dual mono-whips in finger compartments. Good at sneaking, good at blending. Given that this is my first Shadowrun game, I fully expect him to get splattered all over a wall. That's also assuming the more knowledgeable people here don't think the character is likely to be completely ineffective and potentially get them all killed. TPKs can be fun... but TPKs because Steve made a sucky character is fun for no one.

[Cynical Cat]

I'm halfway tempted to go for a centaur just so my greatest nemesis can be ladders. I've got a few (slightly) more sane ideas though. My first concept is a cybered up elf ninja... with dual mono-whips in finger compartments. Good at sneaking, good at blending. Given that this is my first Shadowrun game, I fully expect him to get splattered all over a wall. That's also assuming the more knowledgeable people here don't think the character is likely to be completely ineffective and potentially get them all killed. TPKs can be fun... but TPKs because Steve made a sucky character is fun for no one.

Cyber ninja with monowhips is completely duable.

[Cynical Cat]

Skills

Skillcap is 6.

So free Language and Knowledge Skills (Logic+Intuition)x2=14 pts and free native language

English N
Sperethiel 4
Magical Theory 4
Seattle Gangs 2
Sci-Fi Books 1
History 1

Active Skills 28 points of active skills plus 2 points of Skill Groups and two magical skills at 5.

So Group Skill.
Firearms 2

and Magical Skill

Spellcasting 5
Counterspelling 5

and the rest

Sneaking 3
Disguise 2
Etiquette 3
Negotiation 2
Assensing 2
Astral Combat 4
Banishing 2
Binding 4
Summoning 4
+1 Counterspelling
+1 Spellcasting

[frigidmagi]

Stuff y'all can use.

http://www.extell.us/sr/Shadowrun_5th_E ... _Sheet.pdf

http://www.reddit.com/r/Shadowrun/wiki/knowyourenemy

https://www.reddit.com/r/Shadowrun/wiki ... _resources

[Cynical Cat]

So 6K to spend. I also can't buy anything with an Availability higher than 12 or a Rating higher than 6. Furthermore there's a stat augmentation limit of 4. None of this matters for my character because I've only got 6K and some of my Karma is going to have to be thrown here for more resources at 2K a Karma point and a max of 10 Karma spent.

350-Fichetti Security 600-a high quality light pistol, concealable, and cheap. A veteran Shadowrunner, even a mage, would probably pack heavier boom-boom, but my character is still wet behind the ears.
120-60 rounds regular ammo
240-30 rounds stick and shock (taser ammo)-don't get the mags confused boys but sometimes nonlethal is the way to go.
2000-Armor Jacket with Nonconductive (4)-big outlay but not dying or twitching helplessly is important
2,500-Erika Elite Commlink-superphone and front line of defence against real time hackers fucking up your gear. Totally worth it and I'm not a tech dude.
50-Subvocal mike-if you need me to explain, get the fuck out of the shadows
5-Silver Certified Credstick-like cash, cap of up to 20K, pretty much untraceable and not wireless
5,000-Rating 2 Fake SIN-half decent fake ID costs
400-Rating 2 Fake Liscences
125-Rating 1 Glasses with Image Link-probably buy more features with any left over cash
50-earbuds
100-2 rating 2 Stimpatches
20-2 doses Cram
150--2 doses Jazz
2,000-2 months of Low Lifestyle

13,010 nuyen-which means 4 Karma cost and 990 more nuyen to spend

[Josh]

Are we doing this weekend?

[White Haven]

If memory serves, at least two GMs are out of commission this weekend, so I'm not sure.

[Hotfoot]

There is a thread with that answer.

[rhoenix]

That works out then, I think - I need to study up on the Shadowrun system anyway.

[Cynical Cat]

On the other hand, fuck buying nice shades. My character is a tyro, let him learn the hard way the value of flare compensation in his eye ware.

That leaves us with spells, contacts, and Karma.

25+5-4=26Karma. Pick up the Quality Driven (revenge on people who fucked up his familty) for +2, and 28

10 to kick Edge to 2.
16 to buy 4 points of Focused Concentration (allows me to sustain one spell of up to Force 4 with paying spell sustaining penalties)

So 2 Karma left.

Charismax3 points in Contacts. Fuck yeah. Also can spend Karma on them.

Contact Connection Loyalty
Ancient's Captain 3 2
Talismonger 2 2
Fixer 3 2
Drug Dealer 1 1
Fence 2 1
Street Doc 1 1

So 21 points worth of Contacts. Now for spells

Manabolt
Combat Sense
Increase Reflexes
Heal
Lightning Bolt
Fireball
Armor
Clout
Mind Probe
Physical Mask

[Josh]

Okay, sorting through the hash of the rigger system, I'm getting this:

Piloting skills are important (duh).

Engineering is good shit, mang.

Need me some EW to keep my shit from getting jammed.

Sneak might come in handy for sneaking my little stealthy drones about.

Any other vital rigger skills I'm missing?

Y'all are gonna love this shit. Just love.

[Josh]

Base concept is this:

Former Lone Star rigger, part of an elite tac team. They mixed up in a bit of corporate fratricide and got their asses handed to them but good by a squad of Red Samurai. He's cut loose afterwards and the whole thing is denied, but among other life impairments he has a corporate SIN.

While he packs some heat (Got a Steel Lynx and all), mostly he's more like a rigger AWACs- shit tons of small drones, he keeps an eye on the entire area and coordinates. Lots of tactical skill, topped up with Analytical Mind and a Photographic Memory.

Also, he is blind. Which may have happened before the Red Samurai thing, or during. Not sure yet.

Also has a bad rep, because former Lone Star kill squad dude. Figure he has a decent contact who put him in with our heroes.

[Karrick]

The only thing I can think of for Riggers is a rigger command console and lots of REA. That and/or drones that have good software, but the RCC can help with that. Gonna cost ya, though.

I'm glad someone else is thinking of a corporate SINner. I think I have a good grasp on the mechanics of my blender-I mean totally nice person, but the best reason I could come up with for being an augmented assassination machine is being a mid-level executive's secret and deniable pet project who outlived their usefulness. I'm leaning towards my character having enjoyed the violent part of their job a little bit too much and become something of a liability to their patron and was thus cut loose (being the exec's secret meaning "cut loose" was a hit squad of red samurai or something). I'm not quite sure how well that works in the setting so I'm open feedback on that.

[Cynical Cat]

Most corps have augmented hitters for security and dirty jobs. And as is natural, if things go wrong the higher ups like to throw people under bus rather than take the hit themselves.