[jcook119]

Good evening,

I am an old-time Shadowrun player (1st and 2nd edition) that is getting back into the game after a long retirement. I have picked up the 4th Edition 20th A rulebook, and am planning to start playing in the Missions campaign at GenCon. My question is this...are there any character archetypes that are overplayed (or underplayed) in the Missions setting? I don't want to sit down at a table with a mage and find out that everyone else is a mage too. Or find out that everyone plays overpowered physical adepts or the outrageously min-maxed "pornomancers" I have seen references to.

Any info or advice would be appreciated. I have not had a chance to read over all of 4th edition yet, but am very familiar with the Shadowrun backstory, and the basics as they were in the older editions.

Thanks,
James 

[Operator]

I have no personal experience with Missions, but I'll share the approach that I plan on taking. Chart up 2-3 three different character archetypes that you will be happy to play and then give them some polish. Options are always good.

My considerations are a human weapons specialist with strong social interactions, and a CAS troll mage with a fondness for sports.

[Bull]

Simply put:  Play whatever you think will be fun.

Missions games are very random in nature sometimes (And we try and compensate for that in our adventures, so that you never hit a point where you can't "solve" a Mission because you're missing a specific character type).  Sometimes you might have three face characters at the table.  Others, you might have nothing but combat monsters. 

While there are some examples of min-maxing, and a few characters that will have a decent chunk of karma they've earned, overall it's not too bad, in my experience.  Just plan to have fun.  That's the important part.  Especially at a convention Mission, most everyone is there to enjoy themselves.

Bull

[Makki]

while Bull is ofc, as always, right, that Fun is priority 1, your question is valid. From my experience there is a tendency in random convention groups towards combat oriented chars (I once sat at a table of 7 PCs and my CHA4 Troll was the most socially capable char ). The rarest I remember are actually drone riggers or hackers. So, my advice, if you wanna gamble to be something special at your table, get a hacker/face. The GM will instantly like you, if you do actual legwork

[jcook119]

Thank you for the advice. My plan is to create 2-3 characters and evaluate per mission what character would be most useful. I can play and have fun with pretty much any kind of character, so I can get away with some variety.

Back in my old gaming life (80s-90s) I did some RPGA Living City, which was fine for a few years until it got too popular and all of the cheesy characters started popping up left and right. Like how every fighter had an 18 strength, dex and con beside a 3 charisma and 3 intelligence. But they were all master tacticians and diplomats, and spoke like Oxford scholars I am hoping not to see too much of that in the Missions campaign. I guess I'll just have to dive in and give it a shot.

Now if I could just find someone to run some Missions around my area (Nashville, TN). Usually the only convention that I hit in a year is GenCon, so not much opportunity otherwise to play in this campaign.

[Walks Through Walls]

My experience is that at the tables I have been at while at GENCON is that you get a mix of characters though you usually end up with a combat oriented or two. Mages are particularly common, but I have seen faces and a variety of characters.

Like Bull said though it all depends on the table you sit down at, and there are no guarantees to what you will find at the table.

One thing to realize with your multiple character idea is that you won't be able to switch karma from one character to another so if you play multiple characters your karma will be more spread out. This will slow down your character's advancement especially if the only time you get to play them is at GENCON.

 

[Bull]

Back in my old gaming life (80s-90s) I did some RPGA Living City, which was fine for a few years until it got too popular and all of the cheesy characters started popping up left and right. Like how every fighter had an 18 strength, dex and con beside a 3 charisma and 3 intelligence. But they were all master tacticians and diplomats, and spoke like Oxford scholars I am hoping not to see too much of that in the Missions campaign. I guess I'll just have to dive in and give it a shot.

I attended a smallish convention hosted by Akron University in Ohio many, many moons ago (Neovention, back in '95 or '96, maybe) and a bunch of us got talked into playing an RPGA Living City game.  We sat down, and the GM actually had us make completely twinked out characters (18's and 3's).  It was pretty ridiculous, and I never looked back at RPGA again because of that.

Bull

[jcook119]

One thing to realize with your multiple character idea is that you won't be able to switch karma from one character to another so if you play multiple characters your karma will be more spread out. This will slow down your character's advancement especially if the only time you get to play them is at GENCON.

True, I'll be keeping that in mind. I figure I will have my default character, and use him as much as possible. I'll have the other characters in reserve if I have to use them. Like if I sit down at a table with 5 mages and no decker, or 5 samurai and no mage. I'll have more fun playing a useful role that can uniquely contribute to the mission rather than being the newb gunslinger at a table full of expereinced gunslingers. I am not worried as much about advancement as I am playing in an environment where I have some continuity between games. That by itself is what makes the various "living" campaigns worthwhile.

[Operator]

True, I'll be keeping that in mind. I figure I will have my default character, and use him as much as possible. I'll have the other characters in reserve if I have to use them. Like if I sit down at a table with 5 mages and no decker, or 5 samurai and no mage. I'll have more fun playing a useful role that can uniquely contribute to the mission rather than being the newb gunslinger at a table full of expereinced gunslingers. I am not worried as much about advancement as I am playing in an environment where I have some continuity between games. That by itself is what makes the various "living" campaigns worthwhile.

He stole the words out of my mouth.

I also have my hopes of playing Missions, but I am woefully lacking in means of cross-state transportation.

[Wasabi]

In my experience the most critical characters are leaders and investigators.

Leaders i define as someone who can identify clues and organize what to research and preferably have some contacts to fill in gaps in the PC's ability. Frequently they are high charisma characters and a silly high negotiation pool can make gear more available when lifestyle is spent on gear acquisition.

Investigators can come in a variety of flavors: Mages with detection spells (Detect Explosive, Passenger-Ranged, Spatial Sense-Extended Range, Analyze Truth, Area Thought Recognition, Mind Probe) or Technomancers (Tutor Sprites, Skinlink Echo, Multiprocessing/Mesh Reality) or Face characters with goodly knowledge skills or Riggers (with drones with a ton of sensors averaging a high sensor rating, high perception skill, multiprocessing if TM or Adept-Rigger with the equivalent of multiprocessing), etc.

For combat ability AFTER character creation SnS is good but Gel Rounds with DMSO and Narcojet are even better except against vehicles. Some jobs just need trolls or burst-firing .50 cal sniper rifles with AV ammo.

I agree with playing whatever is fun but if you are going in totally blind and dont care what you play an investigator drives story and a leader helps the team be more effective provided you are likable enough they are down with being led.

My 2 nuyen

[jcook119]

Thanks for the advice Wasabi, sounds like a good plan. I had thought about that aspect already, but it went back to my original question. Do I want to play a "face" if everyone else plays one too? Sounds like it is not going to be an issue. One of the characters I had planned is an Ork detective, another is an investigator mage with some combat skill. Either of those would do fine for investigation, and if I put some Charisma and social skills on the mage he may be acceptable as a leader. I don't know about playing a pure, maxed-out face type character, I'll sit down and generate a few and see how it goes.

BTW, thank you for listing some specifics in your character type descriptions, that will help me out since I am not yet familiar with 4th edition.

And for everyone who has contributed so far, I hope to sit down at a table with you at some point. I'll check my Gencon event list and see if we have any in common.

[KarmaInferno]

Back in my old gaming life (80s-90s) I did some RPGA Living City, which was fine for a few years until it got too popular and all of the cheesy characters started popping up left and right. Like how every fighter had an 18 strength, dex and con beside a 3 charisma and 3 intelligence. But they were all master tacticians and diplomats, and spoke like Oxford scholars I am hoping not to see too much of that in the Missions campaign. I guess I'll just have to dive in and give it a shot.

I attended a smallish convention hosted by Akron University in Ohio many, many moons ago (Neovention, back in '95 or '96, maybe) and a bunch of us got talked into playing an RPGA Living City game.  We sat down, and the GM actually had us make completely twinked out characters (18's and 3's).  It was pretty ridiculous, and I never looked back at RPGA again because of that.

Bull

Hm. I played LC in one of the hotspots, the northeast US. Didn't run into that kinda thing a whole lot. And played upwards of 50 Living City events a year at the high point.

It's the people you run into that affects this kinda thing the most, not the game itself.



-k

[Bull]

Oh, I figured as much, KI.  But at the time, the guy running it (and everyone else playing) implied this was S.O.P., so that colored my opinion of it.  Plus, the year after I got involved with Shadowrun and FASA at the cons, and well...  15 years later I can count the number of events I've actually played in on both hands, with fingers left over.

[wylie]

sad that LC colored your view, Bull, and I understand. the LFR seems ok.

On character for missions, your idea to make 2-3 is right on. try to have a good mix so you don't end up in a group mages and need a hacker, or the reverse. It happens, though. It doesn't hurt to have 2 hackers or 2 mages, as they can aid each other. I used a hacker to backup another player' hacker. Some how he ended up as the group's driver too, go figure. 

just pick what you would be happy playing

if nothing else, a combat orineted never hurts as long as he can do other stuff. Combat is just the easiest to learn any new rules with. I suggest don't try a techno until you a handle on 4th ED

good luck & have fun

[lurkeroutthere]

In my experience matrix types tend to be kind of rare in part because that's not everyone's cup of tea especialy after previous editions.

When people join my local missions crew I generally recommend they make a missions character that can do two or if possible three things good to ok rather then one thing exceptionally well. That way no matter what the rest of the table has there's two things you can bring, if you overlap you'll compliment in most cases but it's less likely you'll not have something.

For example:
I used to run a hacker/streetsam type move by wire, encephlon, a good comlink and fair pistols skills. I rounded him out later with additional weapons skills and beefed up his hacking support stuff.

Right now i'm playing a wierd character, his primary skills are first aid and martial arts, but he can also rig/drive reasonably well.

That and a character concept I enjoy playing seem to be the secrets to mission happiness.

Hope this helps.