Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: Rockopolis on <05-20-11/1550:37>

Title: Wuxing Mage
Post by: Rockopolis on <05-20-11/1550:37>

Any thoughts on this?  Seemed kinda uninspired.  Just an ex-ship's magician, maybe an on again, off again pirate.

I think I at least need a better spell selection, and better skills, but this should do for now.  Maybe focus on Spirits, more?  I don't know, it just seems kinda...average, I guess.

---

Using 400BP

Name: Chang
Alias: (Wild) Goose
Race: Dwarf
Sex: Male
Lifestyle: Low, Custom
Karma Spent:
Physical Description
A slightly taller and skinnier than the average dwarf.  Wears a short black mohawk and an obsessively groomed Fu Manchu moustache.  He's generally dressed in his working clothes, whether it's worker's coveralls, or a very nice sailor's coat.
Personality/Background
Thoughtful and studious.
Though many of China's many less fortunate took to the seas to make a living, legally or otherwise, Chang had an edge; Magic.  As untrained as he was, his abilities rare enough to earn him a place on the more successful ships.  It helped that he was a fast learner, and able to assist with other tasks around the ship.  He left the nautical life behind to further his studies on dry land.

Attributes 200+50

Body	Agility	Reaction	Strength
4	3	4	3
Charisma	Intuition	Logic	Willpower
4	3	5	6
Edge	Magic	Essence	Initiative
2	5 (3 Mystic/2 Adept)	6	7, 1 Pass

Positive Qualities 10
Dwarven Thermographic Vision
Dwarven Pathogen/Poison Resistance
Mystic Adept (Wuxia Tradition)

Negative Qualities -10
Mild Psyche Addiction
Media Junkie

Active Skills 94

Sorcery Skill Group	3
Influence Skill Group	1
Athletics Skill Group	1
Conjuring	3
Binding	2
Assensing	1
Blades	1
Automatics	1
First Aid	1
Medicine	1

Knowledge Skills

Magical News	2
Magical Security	2
Wuxing Traditions	3
Local Gangs	1
Area Knowledge NYC	2
Performance Enhancing Pharmaceuticals	1
Meditation	2
Wuxia Entertainment	1
Piracy	2
Commercial Fishing	2
Shipping Practicies	2

Language Skills

Chinese	N
English	5

Adept Powers

Power	Cost	Notes
Astral Sight	1

Multitasking	0.5	Supernaturally good at multitasking
Sustenance	0.25	Need three hours of sleep and one meal a day.  No discounted Lifestyle :(
Nimble Fingers	0.25	Many simple actions become Free Actions, +1 to Palming and sleight of hand

Spells

Spell	Notes
Heal	-
Stunbolt	-
Firewater	-
Ice Sheet	-
Invisibility	-
Hot Potato	-

Custom Low Lifestyle; Chinatown (1700¥, though with at least one roommates)

Comforts Low, Entertainment Low, Necessities Middle, Neighborhood Low, Security Middle

Friendly Neighbors Homegrown Farming Living By Committee Network Bottleneck Black Hole I Perfect Roommate Crash Pad Poor Condition

It's a bit battered, and rather crowded, but it makes a decent home away from home for Chinese expatriates; it's cheap, and the food is fresh.

Gear (50000¥) 10
Small Nanopaste Disguise
4 Psyche
10 G3

Biomonitor
Medkit VI
Medkit Suppiles
Custom Low Lifestyle
Fake SIN IV

Hermes Ikon
Novatech Navi
Sim Module
Mapsoft VI
Skinlink
Nanopaste Trodes
Satellite Link
Simrig
Atmosphere Sensor III
Cyberware Scanner VI
Geiger Counter
MAD Scanner III
Motion Sensor
Olfactory Sensor VI
Radio Signal Scanner VI
FTL Matrixware Powersuite
Iris Antivirus
Tacsoft II
Area Mapsoft VI
Datasoft (Literature) VI

Meta Link
Vector Xim

Contact Lenses III
Image Link
Flare Compensation
Glasses IV
Image Link
Smartlink
Vision Enhancement III
Vision Magnification
Low Light
Earbuds II
Audio Enhancement III
Select Sound Filter III
Microphone I
Spatial Recognizer

Forensic Thaumaturgy Kit
Forensics Tool Kit
Operations Cleanup Kit
Automotive Engineer Kit
Armorer Tool Kit
Pocket Mage III
Tag Eraser

AK 97 Carbine
Personalized Grip
Gecko Grip
Sling
Extended Clip
Barrel Reduction
Smartgun System
Improved Rangefinder
Suppressor
80 Regular Ammo
80 Subsonic Ammo
3 Spare Clips

AK 97
Bayonet
90 Regular Ammo
2 Spare Clips

Morissey Elan
Gecko Grip
Smartgun System
10 HiC Ammo
Spare Clip

Ceramic Knife
Personalized Grip

Monofilament Sword
Personalized Grip
Gecko Grip
Lanyard

Cougar Fineblade Long
Personalized Grip
Gecko Grip
Lanyard

Industrious Coverall
Nonconductivity 6
Hard Hat
Full Body Form Fitting Armor
Ulysses Coat

Smart Pack
AR Ammo Pouch
SMG Ammo Pouch
Ration Pouch
Smart Canteen
Combat Load Vest
Gecko Tape Gloves
GPS
Gas Mask

Contacts 11-8=3

Contact		C/L
Captain Chan		2/4	Most recent, and friendliest captain.  NYC is one port of call.  Smuggler.
Mentat (Matrix)		3/4	Penpal.  Collects information, good source of gossip, advice, referrals, and Matrix-order Psyche.

BP Totals:  400 = 25 + 200 + 50 + 10 - 10 + 94 + 10 + 18 + 3

Title: Re: Wuxing Mage
Post by: JoeNapalm on <05-20-11/1607:07>

As an erstwhile Ninja, I do not benefit from pointing this out, but an Edge of 1 seems like asking to get ganked.

By Ninjas.

-Jn-
Erstwhile Ninja

Title: Re: Wuxing Mage
Post by: Makki on <05-20-11/1607:19>

are you sure you need Astral Sight, if you don't want Assensing? Drop Magic to 5, invest the free BP in Edge 2, Sorcery 4 and Automatics 2. Change Conjuring 2 to Summoning 3 and Binding 2, unless you really want Banishing for flavor.


otherwise I can't really help you. One cannot build a decent all-round Mystic Adept with 400 BP

Title: Re: Wuxing Mage
Post by: Rockopolis on <05-20-11/1643:58>

Crap, I could have sworn I'd had Assensing.
I don't know, I always thought Astral Sight seemed kinda important.  Being able to see and analyze on the astral plane, right?

Thank you for the suggestions, I'll give them a shot.

Title: Re: Wuxing Mage
Post by: Rockopolis on <05-20-11/1853:48>

Looks a bit better.
I can't really think of any disadvantages I want to take.  I keep thinking about taking Asthma, but it does seem pretty severe.  And a good reason to go back to sea.

Title: Re: Wuxing Mage
Post by: Triggvi on <05-20-11/1914:43>

with 3 power points invested in magic he can only have a magic linked skills at 3, I believe.

Title: Re: Wuxing Mage
Post by: Rockopolis on <05-20-11/2003:22>

Guess I'm maxed out.  Is Astral Sight worth it?

Title: Re: Wuxing Mage
Post by: Xzylvador on <05-20-11/2028:57>

Don't think Astral Sight's worth it: you spend an entire point of magic (20% of your "power") and a skill point on it, to get what? 5 dice? With such low skill it will rarely give you any useful information.

A morrisey elan you don't have a skill for (you're a mage, you don't need a holdout, you're armed 24/7 just being yourself!)
2 AK's, Agi 3, automatics 1: 4 dice on a burst weapon. I wouldn't want to be near you when you need to fire a shot, that's another glitch just waiting to happen.
Invis (not improved) and firewater as only P damage spell? A single drone could take you down, if you don't do it yourself trying to use your low-dice blade/gun or massive-drain spell.
If you're dead set on taking a gun, take something that hasn't got burst, you don't have the dice to take a negative dice pool modifier anyway.

Sorry if I'm sounding so pessimistic; but to quote Bilbo: ... spread too thin, like too little butter scraped over too much bread.
So many ones and two's, SR just isn't a game where that's a good idea.
Don't get me wrong, not every char should be hardmaxed on one or two things. Some general stuff can be useful, but only if your main skill are covered first. And 8 dice isn't all that much for a main skill (spellcasting).

I do like Hot Potato. So often overlooked, but so beautifully efficient for such low cost. Don't see too many people running around with wooden weapons anymore.

Title: Re: Wuxing Mage
Post by: Rockopolis on <05-20-11/2045:41>

No worries, this is good practice.

The Morrisey Elan was actually a habit; every person should carry at least one holdout pistol.  Makes a decent threat, if nothing else.  Maybe I should just carry an empty gun around.

Okay, so...no guns or blades, I don't have the points for it.  Drop Firewater for...Powerbolt or Lightning? and switch out for Improved Invisibility.

Of course, Hot Potato means I'm going to get beaten to death by the one guy who put points in clubs, or unarmed combat.  Or a drone.
Although, come to think of it, almost all rifles are covered in thermoplastic or wood.

Maybe I should go for a Full Mage.  But then I don't get to multitask while not sleeping or eating. ::)