[Bushw4cker]

Getting my girlfriend into Shadowrun. It's her first Role-playing game.

I'm helping her make her first character. Any feedback is always appreciated. Thanks!
Using the point build system from Run Faster.

The character concept is a Shaman that is just getting started in the Shadows. Her specialty is finding people and dealing with Magic Threats.

Question: Does Improved Reflexes and Combat Sense work in Astral Space?

Name: Rose
Race: Human
Tradition: Shaman (Dog Mentor Spirit)

Attributes
Body: 3
Agility: 4
Reaction: 4
Strength: 3
Willpower: 6
Logic: 4
Intuition: 5
Charisma: 5
Edge: 3
Magic: 6
Initiative: 9 + 1D6

Limits
Physical: 5
Mental: 7
Social: 8

Positive Qualities
Mentor Spirit
Focused Concentration (5)

Negative Qaulities
Code of Honor (Shaman)
Did You Just Call Me Dumb?
SINner (National, UCAS)
Day Job (2500¥/20 Hours)
In Debt (7)

Combat Active Skills
Clubs: 4
 Staves +2
Pistols: 2
Unarmed: 1

Physical Active Skills
Perception: 3
 Visual +2
Sneaking: 2
Gymnastics: 1
Tracking: 1(3)

Social Active Skills
Con: 1
Etiquette: 1
Negotiation: 1

Magical Active Skills
Assensing: 3
Astral Combat: 2
 Weapon Foci (Staff) +2
Ritual Spellcasting: 1
 Detection +2(5)
Counterspelling: 1
Spellcasting: 3
 Detection +2(5)
Summoning: 2
Artificing: 1
Arcana: 1

Technical Active Skills
Animal Handling: 1
Computer: 1

Vehicle Skills
Pilot Ground Craft: 1

Language Skills
English: N
Japanese: 2
Or'zet: 1

Knowledge Skills
Trid Shows: 1
Word On The Street: 1
Current Events: 1
Literature: 1
History: 1
Local Area Knowledge: 1
Music: 1
Astral Phenomena: 1
Magic Theory: 1
 Shamanic +2
Magical Threats: 3
The Metaplanes: 1
Fashion: 1

Spells
Blast
Combat Sense
Increased Reflexes
Detect Individual
Euphoria
Heal

Rituals
Remote Sensing
Watcher

Foci
Health Sustaining Focus (Force 4)
Staff Weapon Focus (Force 3)

Commlink
Transys Avalon w/
AR Gloves, Subvocal Mic, Trodes

ID/Liscenses
Fake SIN (Rating 4)
Fake Licenses (Rating 4)
 Possession (Firearms)
 Possession (Foci)
 Conceal Carry
 Spellcasting

Firearms
Defiance EX Shocked
Colt Future Frontier
 w/ 100 Rounds Reg Ammo

Armor
Lined Coat
 Fire Resistance (Rating 5)
 Gear Access (Staff)

Gear
Contacts (Capacity 3)
 Flare Compensation
 Low-Light Vision
 Image Link
Ear Buds (Capacity 1)
 Select Sound Filter (Rating 1)
Concealed Holster (Defiance)
Concealed Holster (Colt)
Speed Loader (Colt)
Reagents x 20

Lifestyle
Middle Lifestyle (1 Month Paid)
Magic Lodge (Rating 6)

Vehicle
Gas P-179 Pickup

Contacts
Fixer (Connection 5, Loyalty 1)
Decker (Connection 3, Loyalty 2)
Talismonger (Connection 3, Loyalty 3)

Starting Nuye
4D6 x 100 + 155¥

 

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

I think many would say the dice pools are too small.  It'd probably be a good idea to narrow the spread of points into fewer, bigger skill ratings.

The chart on pg 45 is a good metric to keep in mind. You'll want 3x that threshold number to be reasonably assured you can pull off a feat of the given difficulty label.  For example, an "average" task has a threshold of 2 hits required for success, which in turn means you'll want a die pool of 6 or more to pull off that feat of "average" difficulty. 

The flipside of that is if your dice pool is 6, you're unlikely to pull off a feat of "hard" challenge or higher.

OTOH many tests are opposed where you won't be rolling against a static threshold.  NPCs in published adventures tend to have dicepools in the 9-or-so range for low threat opposition (rent a cops, thugs, etc).  Better trained and equipped opposition will have 12 or more dice pool in their relevant abilities.  Elite guys will probably have 16 or more. 

[Marcus]

Half these pools are easy crit glitchland. I doubt that is what you're aiming for, but if a player showed this to me I'd tell.them to focus. Having a one is basicly defaulting anyways. So push the pools that matter up, and forget those pools that don't. Next in debt is rough I doubt your girlfriend is going to like starting every run down health boxes. Other then that I think it's fine.

[Tarislar]

Flip Willpower & Charisma for more Contacts, more Social dice, & the same Stun Damage Track.

Skills are way to small IMHO

I would drop the Staff idea myself, save the Karma & Cash & skill points for other stuff.

Your dice pool for spell casting isn't likely to even net 4 hits for Increased Reflexes so you might as well take it at Force-2 instead or do something to get the pool up to 12+ dice.

Ditto Combat Sense and Force 5 w/ the Focused Concentration.  You can drop it down to 3-4 ranks.

Get a ranged firearm skill that will help with anything but spirits & then use a spell like Mana Bolt to deal w/ spirits.

[Bushw4cker]

Thanks for all the replies.

Was going to start campaign out more Street Level.

Will post modified Character in a little bit.

[Beta]

Aside from adding ditto on what others said aboit focusing more,  she looks like she was built to be the hero of a novel, implying able to do a bit of everything.  Presumably going to be part of a team?  If so, trust a good fighter at melee, let someone else know driving and buy a truck, etc.

If it is going to be a one player game, my suggestion is give a free point of body and of will (after buying stats) because solo characters need to be a little tougher, double knowledge skill points, and throw in a free vehicle.  It just lets the character focus on the cool stuff, but still be able to deal with more situations.

[Tarislar]

Attributes
Body: 3
Agility: 4
Reaction: 4
Strength: 3
Willpower: 6
Logic: 4
Intuition: 5
Charisma: 5
Edge: 3
Magic: 6
Initiative: 9 + 1D6

Limits
Physical: 5
Mental: 7
Social: 8

Positive Qualities
Mentor Spirit
Focused Concentration (5)

Negative Qaulities
Code of Honor (Shaman)
Did You Just Call Me Dumb?
SINner (National, UCAS)
Day Job (2500¥/20 Hours)
In Debt (7)

Combat Active Skills
Clubs: 4
 Staves +2
Pistols: 2
Unarmed: 1

Physical Active Skills
Perception: 3
 Visual +2
Sneaking: 2
Gymnastics: 1
Tracking: 1(3)

Social Active Skills
Con: 1
Etiquette: 1
Negotiation: 1

Magical Active Skills
Assensing: 3
Astral Combat: 2
 Weapon Foci (Staff) +2
Ritual Spellcasting: 1
 Detection +2(5)
Counterspelling: 1
Spellcasting: 3
 Detection +2(5)
Summoning: 2
Artificing: 1
Arcana: 1

Language Skills
English: N
Japanese: 2
Or'zet: 1

Knowledge Skills
Trid Shows: 1
Word On The Street: 1
Current Events: 1
Literature: 1
History: 1
Local Area Knowledge: 1
Music: 1
Astral Phenomena: 1
Magic Theory: 1
 Shamanic +2
Magical Threats: 3
The Metaplanes: 1
Fashion: 1

Spells
Blast
Combat Sense
Increased Reflexes
Detect Individual
Euphoria
Heal

Rituals
Remote Sensing
Watcher

Foci
Health Sustaining Focus (Force 4)

Fixer (Connection 5, Loyalty 1)
Decker (Connection 3, Loyalty 2)
Talismonger (Connection 3, Loyalty 3)

Going to try & recreate this using Priority since I'm not an avid user of Point build & give it some focus.



Attributes-A
Magic-B
Skills-C
Human-D
Cash-E



Attributes-A-24
Body-3
Agility-5
Reaction-4
Strength-2
Willpower-5
Logic-3
Intuition-5
Charisma-6
Essence-6
Magic-6
Initiative-9+1d6   (Once spell buffed = 11+2d6)

Limits:
Physical-4
Mental-6
Social-8


Skills:
Group-Influence-2   (Or Stealth, if the group needs more infiltration over face-ing)
Counterspelling-6
Pistol-6
Perception-6
Ritual Casting-6
Spell Casting-6     (I specifically set up all 3 Sorcery skills to be a "Group" so that you can keep advancing as a "Group" and avoid penalties from JoaT
Summoning-6


Knowledge Skills:
Japanese-1  (Speaking+2)
(City) Knowledge-1  (Specific Area+2)
Fashion-1  (Specific Scene+2)
History-1  (Region+2)
Magical Theory-1  (Astral Planes+2)
Magical Threats-1  (Specific Threat+2)
Music-1  (Genera+2)
Organized Crime-1  (Specific Family/Vice+2)


Karma Spending:  -20
Cash: +20K Nuyen
Strength-2: 


Positive Qualities:  -24
Focused Concentration - 3
JoaT
Mentor Spirit - Dog
Trust Fund - Medium


Negative Qualities:  (+25)
Code of Honor (Shaman)
SINner (National, UCAS)
Day Job (1000¥/10 Hours)


Bind Foci:  -4
Sustaining Health Focus - 2  (4)


Remaining Karma:  2    (To start you out with a pair of L1 Skills purchased after Chargen w/ JoaT,   (Assensing & Arcana would be good options)


Spells:
Blast
Combat Sense
Increased Reflexes
Detect Individual
Heal

Rituals:
Remote Sensing
Watcher



Basic Gear:   (23000 of 26000 spent)
Fake SIN-4   ($10000)
Sustaining Health Focus-2  ($8000)
Yamaha Growler  ($5000)

[Marcus]

Solid. That is a not fooling around shaman.