[8-bit]

-- Priorities --
Metatype C (Pixie)
Attributes E
Magic A (Magician)
Skills A
Resources E

-- Karma Expenditure --
25 Starting Karma
-15 Pixie
-21 Positive Qualities
+25 Negative Qualities
-10 for 20,000 nuyen
-2 Arcana 1

2 Remaining

-- Attributes --
Body 1
Agility 3
Reaction 6
Strength 1
Willpower 7
Logic 2
Intuition 7
Charisma 3
Edge 2
Magic 6
Essence 6

Initiative - 13 + 1d6
Physical Condition Monitor - 9
Stun Condition Monitor - 12
Overflow Boxes - 1
Physical Limit - 3
Mental Limit - 6
Social Limit - 7

-- Qualities --
Astral Perception (Racial)
Concealment - Self Only (Racial)
Focused Concentration 2 (-8 Karma)
Mentor Spirit - Chaos (-5 Karma)
Spirit Whisperer (-8 Karma)
Distinctive Style (+5 Karma)
Gremlins 4 (+16 Karma)
Poor Self Control - Thrill Seeker (+4 Karma)
Uneducated (Racial)
Vanishing (Racial)

-- Skills --
Arcana 1
Assensing 6 (+2 Aura Reading)
Con 6 (+2 Fast Talk) [+2 Mentor Spirit]
Counterspelling 6 (+2 Combat)
Disguise 6 (+2 Cosmetic)
Escape Artist 6 (+2 Contortionism)
Perception 6 (+2 Visual)
Sneaking 6 (+2 Urban)
Spellcasting 6 (+2 Illusion) [+2 Illusion; Mentor Spirit]

-- Skill Groups --
Conjuring 6
Influence 4

-- Knowledge/Language Skills --
English N
TBD - 18 Free Points

-- Magic --
Chaos Tradition - Resist Drain with Willpower (7) + Intuition (7)

Clout
Ball Lightning
Heal
Increase Reflexes
Chaotic World
Improved Invisibility
Mass Sight Removal
Silence
Trid Phantasm
Physical Barrier

-- Gear --
Chameleon Suit w/ Thermal Damping 6 - 4,700 nuyen
Rating 6 Medkit - 1,500 nuyen
Medkit Supplies - 100 nuyen
2 Meta Link Commlinks - 200 nuyen
Micro-transceiver - 100 nuyen
3 doses of Psyche - 600 nuyen
Trodes - 70 nuyen
250 drams of Reagents - 5,000 nuyen
Gas Mask - 200 nuyen
Survival Kit - 200 nuyen
2 Silver, 2 Standard Credsticks - 50 nuyen
Rating 4 Fake SIN w/ Rating 4 Fake License (Chameleon Suit), Rating 4 Fake License (Registered Awakened) - 11,600 nuyen
1 Month of Low Lifestyle w/ Dangerous Area - 1,600 nuyen

Remaining Money -  80 + (3d6 x 60)

-- Contacts --
TBD - 9 Free Points


I have a few other concepts in mind for a Pixie Magician, but this is the first try. Thoughts?

[Bushw4cker]

Pretty Solid.

Might want to consider buying off Uneducated Negative Quality.

Don't think you really need Escape Artist or Disguise.

Especially if you get Mask Illusion spell.

I would Get Phantasm or Trid Phantasm spell.

[8-bit]

Aye, it is annoying having the Uneducated Quality. Not really enough Karma for it though.

I don't really need Escape Artist or Disguise, but there are like no more skills I can get. Palming seems not so useful, Gymnastics is kind of useless with flying, Running and Swimming with 1 Strength isn't going to work. I'm not going to have any combat skills, as I rely on magic. That left stuff like Impersonation and Intimidation, which could be useful, but I only have 3 Charisma. That's not terrible, but it's not amazing either.

Trid Phantasm sounds fantastic, I just don't know how to fit it in. I need to clear up some Karma somewhere.

[Bushw4cker]

Ritual Spellcasting?  There are some interesting things you can do with that skill.

[Bushw4cker]

Navigation, Tracking, Survival. All of which are linked to your Rating 7 attributes.

[8-bit]

Ritual Spellcasting?  There are some interesting things you can do with that skill.

There are, but you need to specifically buy Rituals instead of Spells. I personally prefer Spells over Rituals, for the most part.

Navigation, Tracking, Survival. All of which are linked to your Rating 7 attributes.

Navigation is a Technical Skill, so it will cost double for me. I thought about Tracking and Survival, but they both seemed kind of niche. It would really depend on what kind of game this guy would be in. They just don't really seem like the sort of thing you would sink a ton of points into, unless you had a good enough reason to think you would need them.

[Bushw4cker]

I would think a Trickster Magician would have less Combat Spells, and the combat spells he did have would be Stun Spells. Your not playing a Shark Mentor spirit character. Stun/Physical doesn't make much difference in the Astral World. Stun is less draining.

I personally love the SR5 equivalent of the SR4 spell Orgy and Orgasm.

[8-bit]

Since I have no other way to be useful in Combat, I like to have a full array of Combat Spells. I could drop down to 1 Stun spell and 1 AoE Physical Spell, relying on Spirits for everything else.

[Whiskeyjack]

Pretty sure you're going to want Stunbolt/ball for fighting spirits or while astrally projecting.

I see the combat focus, I just think MOST fire-and-forget Combat spells are inferior to sustained Manipulation/Illusion debuffs, simply because of more occasions to take Drain if you're firing off new spells constantly rather than sustaining some on your foes.

Also I have found Mana Barrier to be a lot more useful than Physical Barrier.

[8-bit]

Pretty sure you're going to want Stunbolt/ball for fighting spirits or while astrally projecting.

Yeah, I had a long thought about that. I ended up deciding to just stick with Banishing. Yes, it's costly on Drain, but it is likely to be more useful than trying to whittle down a Spirit with Stunbolts.

I see the combat focus, I just think MOST fire-and-forget Combat spells are inferior to sustained Manipulation/Illusion debuffs, simply because of more occasions to take Drain if you're firing off new spells constantly rather than sustaining some on your foes.

Aye, I agree there. I just wanted something, at least.

Also I have found Mana Barrier to be a lot more useful than Physical Barrier.

How? I like Physical Barrier for all the tricks you can do to living beings with it (like smashing them inside of car when they are going 30+ mph down the road; or cordoning off a staircase). I'm just curious, as it seems not so useful to me.

[ikarinokami]

i have always thought skills priority A to be a textbook example of a trap option

[Kincaid]

i have always thought skills priority A to be a textbook example of a trap option

There was a thread months (years?) ago figuring out the ROI for each priority.  Skills A ended up being the most efficient option.

Couldn't find the thread, but here's a more recent analysis from reddit
http://www.reddit.com/r/Shadowrun/comments/2rhrlv/sr5priority_karma_values_and_sum_to_ten/

[ikarinokami]

i have always thought skills priority A to be a textbook example of a trap option

There was a thread months (years?) ago figuring out the ROI for each priority.  Skills A ended up being the most efficient option.

Couldn't find the thread, but here's a more recent analysis from reddit
http://www.reddit.com/r/Shadowrun/comments/2rhrlv/sr5priority_karma_values_and_sum_to_ten/

that's why it's a trap option. it seems like a great idea, but in reality it's terrible.

[MijRai]

It's not really a trap option, provided you're playing a low-priority metavariant and don't need much cash/Magic.  A/B Skills/Attributes gives you some good pools, which are augmented by either Magic or Resources C or D (or lower, if you can deal with being not too flashy at the start).  Metavariant at C, D or E, whichever you want, with whichever of Magic or Resources is left at E (unless you're going low-Edge human). 

[8-bit]

I'm fully aware of the Karma Efficiency of Skills A etc.

Assuming you use it to maximum effect, which, in this case, is 6 Skills at 6 with Specializations and 2 more Magical Skills at 6 with Specializations, it comes out to 547 Karma. Normally, it would only be 6 Skills at 6 with Specializations, and one Skill at 4; that comes out to 469 Karma. Both of those assume one Skill Group at 6, and another at 4.

Personally, I don't go Skills A, for the most part. However, I wanted this character to be very skilled at a lot of things, and Skills B doesn't give enough points or skill group points. I could easily drop it to B and raise Resources to D, which is something I've been considering.

So, yes, I'm fully aware of Karma Efficiency. It's a pretty key thing in most of my characters, and sometimes I choose to break it or choose lesser options for flavor's sake.