Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: pts on <07-24-14/0341:01>
-
Ok, i'd love to play a Prof. X-type character. He's in a wheelchair/ibot with physicals stats set to 1, making up for that with clairvoyance, mind reading, telekinesis, levitation etc. Assuming i don't want to sacrifice more than 1 essence (he's a mage or maybe mystic adept, after all), how could i help him survive despite his horrible physical stats and still participate on runs?
-
I've known people in wheelchairs that are still physically active, so 1's wouldn't justify being there. It sounds like you want a Stephen Hawking type of character, which is fine, but I highly doubt he would be brought on runs. I mean, who in their right mind would hire a sickly mage in a wheelchair to steal much needed data. Not many. I see him more working for the corps in a different way.
Now then, if he is a technomancer in a wheelchair, we have a whole different game to play. you could have drones that you are in control for runs while you sit in a nice comfy place and hack into terminals cause your drones have connector cables for you to access through them. Past that, idk man.
-
http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=16450.0
There was a discussion about the similar matter before, have a look.
tl;dr Not viable.
-
If you weren't so intent on remaining in the wheelchair, then you would have options in Street Grimoire - like Beast's Way Mystic Adept and Totem Form. It's not Missions chargen viable, though.
-
Well, the 1s in physical stats are not essential, let's say he has 2s in the physical stats. That would be just 1 point below average, which i wouldn't consider uncommon or unlikely for a "mind-worker" like a mage or a decker. Maybe the wheelchair is just to keep up while projecting. Question remains the same, how do i improve the survivability of a mentally strong but physically weak character...
-
Question remains the same, how do i improve the survivability of a mentally strong but physically weak character...
By using illusions and spirits. And by not getting into trouble.
-
If you weren't so intent on remaining in the wheelchair, then you would have options in Street Grimoire - like Beast's Way Mystic Adept and Totem Form. It's not Missions chargen viable, though.
The wheelchair is not essential. But i don't think Beast's Way Totem Form (or shapechange/critter form) would help much, since clothing and equipment isn't transformed. I think body 2 with armor 16+ would probably be better than e.g. a wolf with body 6 and armor 0. And he can use levitate or magic fingers to perform many tasks without using a physical attribute (climbing, jumping).
-
If you want to be combat-viable as you ignore your min'd physical attributes, it's probably not going to be as a wolf or dog, no. Maybe a grizzly bear, if you have to.
On the other hand, if you want to use it in other ways, cat, eagle, rat, or raven are probably going to occur to you.
-
Question remains the same, how do i improve the survivability of a mentally strong but physically weak character...
By using illusions and spirits. And by not getting into trouble.
Sounds good, what specifically do you have in mind? I thought about using improved invisibility+Ruthenium Polymer Coating for visibility, maybe levitate for no surface-touching sounds & unexpected positioning, and use spirits & counterspelling / utility spells to help in combat without exposing myself.
If you want to be combat-viable as you ignore your min'd physical attributes, it's probably not going to be as a wolf or dog, no. Maybe a grizzly bear, if you have to.
On the other hand, if you want to use it in other ways, cat, eagle, rat, or raven are probably going to occur to you.
He doesn't have to be any good in combat, he just should be able to survive somehow if the group gets into a firefight. Regarding shapechange, if i do have a spell slot left, i will definitely get it and turn into all kinds of animals. Btw. since you mention grizzly bears, eagles etc., are there any official stats for those? The selection in the core rulebook is rather limited.
-
Invisibility is very versatile. You can turn a brick wall invisible and cast mana spells through it while being safe. Spellcasting is limited by line of sight, and invisibility lets you to bypass this limit.
-
Invisibility is very versatile. You can turn a brick wall invisible and cast mana spells through it while being safe. Spellcasting is limited by line of sight, and invisibility lets you to bypass this limit.
Oh... My... God.....
That is a disturbingly cool use of the Invisibility spell! :o
/scribbles notes for ways to mess w/ GM plans
-
Ok, i'd love to play a Dr. X-type character.
/thinks he means "Professor"
1. I don't believe 1's means your in a wheel chair. It means your "weak", scrawny, but not some paraplegic.
2. I'd pick Full Magician in this situation over Mystic. If you want to avoid combat then being able to Astral Project is very useful.
-
Sadly, combat is where this idea falls flat.
Combat is chaotic and fluid, and means that even the best preperations go out the window when contact with the enemy is made.
While spells like invisibility can help to increase survival, they can also be countered with technoloy. (AoE attacks, ultra sound sensors, gasses, astral sight, spirits)
Every now and then someone in my group thinks that weak physical stats can be overcome with a couple spells..... and then reality of the run steps in. When you restrict the mobility of your character in any way, you limit your viability to a team.... and the GM is under no obligation to make things easy for you just cause you want a snowflake character.
Best advice? Don't cripple yourself with a crippled character concept that limits yourself and the other players in your group. That is a good way to develop hard feelings among the players.
-
I tend to agree with Reaver. Rigger or Decker lends itself best to Prof-X concepts, but even then there are risks.
Range limitation on summoning in 5th make the conjuration method a non-starter. A 2 in a couple would be much more manageable, provided body isn't one of them.
-
Really hate having to pick Attribute A or B for every mind focused character, street sams don't have comparable problems with low mental stats. So, what do you think of this Attribute C array:
Str 1
Agi 2
Rea 1(4)
Bod 3
Int 4
Wil 5
Log 6(8 )
Cha 2
Note: He can use Magic Fingers in many situations for Str/Agi ~4 to 5, levitate for climbing etc. Body 3, Wil 5 and a good Armor ~15 -> 18 dice vs. damage, 10 physical boxes, 11 stun boxes.
Invisibility is very versatile. You can turn a brick wall invisible and cast mana spells through it while being safe. Spellcasting is limited by line of sight, and invisibility lets you to bypass this limit.
Wow, didn't know you could use it on any target! Are there any limitations to what can be turned invisible ? I'm thinking invisible trucks, invisible weapons etc.
-
I don't really know. I guess the size or volume of an object matters in this cause.
-
The description says "Improved invisibility mimics the subject's surroundings from all angles", so I don't think it could be used to see through a wall, any more than painting that wall with a ruthenium coating would. Invisible vehicle, weapons, etc. would work, though.
-
Vehicle Mask is in SG. It doesn't render your ride unseen but it does disguise it, and can reduce its signature. It does have limits on size.
Invisible weapons? Not so much, but maybe Alchemy could work?
-
The description says "Improved invisibility mimics the subject's surroundings from all angles", so I don't think it could be used to see through a wall, any more than painting that wall with a ruthenium coating would. Invisible vehicle, weapons, etc. would work, though.
You are right on that, it means the mage was tricking us all along.
-
Invisibility is very versatile. You can turn a brick wall invisible and cast mana spells through it while being safe. Spellcasting is limited by line of sight, and invisibility lets you to bypass this limit.
Oh... My... God.....
That is a disturbingly cool use of the Invisibility spell! :o
/scribbles notes for ways to mess w/ GM plans
:o
/scribbles for next session AS a GM. :D
-
Cyberlimbs are not restricted by your weak physical attributes. You can be very combat viable with a machine pistol (or monowhip) wielded by an armored cyberarm with 9 agility. Add in a few used feet and a left hand with 3 armor each plus an armored jacket and you can suddenly take quite a beating even as a mental focused character with 1s in your physical attributes.
-
Aren't there a dozen houserule suggestions to deal precisely with that kind of cyberlimb abuse?
-
You don't really need house rules to deal with a mage with cyberlimbs. He will already suffer Essence loss (and Magic loss) from it. Cyberlimbs give you a boost right out of the starting gate, and let you be potentially good in combat even if Agility and Strength are your dumpstats, but on the other hand, cyberlimb Attributes don't affect your physical limit, and over the long term, someone with muscle augmentation/toner and/or bone density augmentation will be better overall.
-
How about using the Magic Fingers spell stats (agi/str) for weapon handling. especially if you use a smartgun system for aiming (so the gun doesn't need alignment to eyes/shoulder etc.) ? If you can pick locks and disarm bombs with that spell, wielding a weapon shouldn't be hard...
-
Now I see in my mind a mage SO lazy that he doesn't even bother firing his gun on the run ;D