Shadowrun Pub
Shadowrun RPG => SR3 (Shadowrun 3rd Edition) General Discussion => Topic started by: daner0023 on February 12, 2006, 11:15:01 PM
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I am a brand new shadowrunner and I was wondering if anyone has seen any effective character builds online. I really don't need my first character to be optimized but I would like to make him effective and not waste points on things I don't really need. Any help would be appreciated.
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I haven't built a 4th ed character, but I generally follow the same pattern regardless of the system.
Figure out the type of character you want to play (I.e. do you want to play a decker, heavily cybered tank, mage, stealth character, etc.) and the race. That'll give you an idea of where to start, how many build points you have for the rest and which active skills to emphasize.
It also helps if you have at least a vague idea of your character's background to decide on how s/he learned the skills. This also helps for knowledge skills. For example, if I build a character who grew up with her parents, it makes sense she learned something about her parents' jobs so I typically give her at least a 2 in a couple knowledge areas that her parents worked in.
Taking flaws will give you extra build points, but be careful with them. Don't take something that you can't/won't roleplay just to get the extra points. It should be something that will cause problems for your character. And some flaws are finalized by the GM, so you might want to think twice about those if you don't want to give up that control.
Beyond that, Shadowrun is a very open system. There really isn't a right or wrong way to build a character and most skills end up useful at some point in the game. Even a knowledge like 20th century science fiction can come in handy. (I was in a game where we ran into Graboid-like creatures in the metaplanes.)
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Yea. start with an idea.
from there, we could probibly give you some pointers as to what to spend your points on.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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There are four basic skills that every shadowrunner needs to have:
Athletics (for running, jumping, swimming and stuff)
Stealth (for hiding, sneaking, stealing, and all that)
Ettiquette (for negotiation of prices, getting jobs, and not pissing people off)
And
Unarmed combat (any form- karate, kenpo- it doesn't matter, as long as he has a fall-back system for combat in case someone takes all his guns away)
Those would be my recommendation.
-kv
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Yup. and to be any good at any of thoes; you should probibly have at least a '3' in any of thoes skills.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Biotech(First Aid) Is also a good bet. Your chummers'll appreciate it when the drek hits the fan.
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yea, but it's a skill you can cut to be better at whatever you want to really do.
if you cut out stealth... you'll make it so that the guy who does do biotech is a whole lot buisyer...
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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True. But again, it's at least partially personal preference.
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A Shadowrunner without stealth is like cola without fizz...
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Well, I personally like Stealth Characters, anyway.
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Don't for get B/R Electronics. I't stough to sneak into a place when you have to break the door down when you get there. B/R skills are very usefull, but they can be compensated for by other means like passkeys or synthetic tumbprints. So if you have to drop those skills, try to make up for them in other areas.
Gabriel
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Vending Machine B/R is not so handy, on the other hand...
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Ever hear of flat-hand Johnny? He made a living, fixing those things- you'd be amazed, the cross-over skills that come from fixing those machines/stealing things out of them.
I saw him stick his arm down into a secure drop chute and get the package we were trying to steal- we didn't even have to break open the safe! He said it was because of skittles, but I don't know what he meant by that.
\ -kv
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Maybe reaching up into the machine to grab that bag of Skittles that got caught on the screw-type dispenser?
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seems like a little bit tragic reason to get cyberwear... perhaps he did it and got stuck... and they had to cut off his hand?
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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You didn't say it was a cyberarm
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tought to grab skittles with your foot...
-RuskiFace the PIrate
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Maybe he was into yoga?
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Yeah, just wait until Vendors start using monowire...
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Actually, he was all natural- no cyber. He was just wiz at sticking his arm into places designed so you shouldn't be able to stick your arm in there. ;D
-kv
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I think I've done that (Not necissarily to vending machines, but definately when I worked on helicopters.)
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I'm glad you specified helicopters. ;)
Gabriel
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I swear, some of the places they put components (and naturally they're the ones we have to access half the time) you've got to be a contortionist to reach them.
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Is this the whole "black box" technology we all heard about during the first Gulf War???
Gabriel
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Most of what I worked on is also found on civilian aircraft. (Airspeed/altitude, pitch/roll/yaw sensors, that kind of stuff)
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By "black box" tech, I meant the modular designs that were so publicized on the Apaches during the First Gulf War. I remember a reporter likening the Apache to a Lego helicopter. You have a problem with a part, just unplug it, and plug another one in. It kind of rreminded me of the way Omni-Mechs are described in Battletech.
Gabriel
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Oh, yeah. We had those.
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Was that system as simple and all-encompassing as the press made it out to be??
Gabriel
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I hate to be the voice of reason, but this has nothing to do with the topic.
*nudge*
-kv
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So... who's tryed to make a PC recently?
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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I hate to be the voice of reason, but this has nothing to do with the topic.
*nudge*
-kv
Damn you adn your REASON!!! DAMN YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL!!!! Ok, Sorry about that, new guy who asked a straight forward question.
Gabriel, Penitent Elf
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So... who's tryed to make a PC recently?
Me, but it was in 3rd edition, so... ;)
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*looks around* So...where is the new guy? He didn't get scared off, did he?
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I think he may have. Oh well, hope he comes back.
Gabriel
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so...how often does that happen?
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Rarely, especially when people create accounts just to ask one question. However, I prefer to think he'll be back.
Gabriel
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huh. I know I joined because I'd finally found a place to talk (and play) Shadowrun without wondering when RL schedules would line up again.
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it's like shadowrun, minus the dice and rules and stuff...LOL
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Except the PBP. I don't have a dice program (Plus I use school computers a lot) so I do physically roll for results in that 8)
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LOL, I bet that's an interesting sight in a university library. Girl stops typing on her PC to roll a handfull of dice, then goes back to typing.
Gabriel
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*shrug* could be worse. she could be taking off her clothes for static safty while reprograming the computer.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Nah, I save that for the privacy of my room with the windows blocked and the doors closed.
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Safety first. not just when it's convienent!
LOL
-RuskiFace the Pirate
(currently naked with a shotgun pointed at him in the middle of a stuffer shack)
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Yeah. I've never been big on jewelry, but when I was working the helicopter systems, I sort of stopped wearing even my watch.
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that's why people get thoes retinal clocks.
if you are banging your eye on stuff... you have more reasons to be afraid than just the longivity of your jewlery.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Well, they don't have them yet IRL, and in game, Adepts tend to avoid those pesky implants.
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of course, whens the last time you saw an adept put more than two skillpoints into any build/repair skill?
most of the ones I know are too buisy maxing out their "killing hands" to pay attention to how their motorcycles work.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Eh, with the expanded nature of Adept powers in SOTA '64 Improved B/R or Improved Computers seems to be quite an interesting idea.
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you'd think so... but i have yet to see it happen.
everyone I know who plays an adept is always trying to keep up with the street sam, not the decker.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Yeah, keep in mind that the idea that adept's need to be combat characters is a little ridiculous, especially considering the myriad of abilities you can have. I'd prefer to have a character with high enough Perception dice and Reaction to never be surprised, ever, and to never forget tiny little details or miss an important clue.
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perhaps it's just the guys I run with... or perhaps thoes that put their skils into more productive methods never become shadowrunners in the first place?
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Yeah, those skills are reserved mainly for the "leader" character. I mean, knowing where all the bad guys are with ultrasound vision, danger sense, select sound filter, and such often prove very useful in ambush situations.
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Heh. Sometimes my characters tell me which skills/abilities they want. I had one I'd planned on making a thief (This was a low-tech GURPS character) but she insisted on being a scout instead.
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and helps ambush situations turn into more friendly 'encounter' situations.
-RuskIFace the Pirate
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Aye, besides, subtlety and discretion earn a lot more personal karma awards...
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ain't that the chip truth.
although it is fun to cut cars in half every now and again.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Heh. Sometimes my characters tell me which skills/abilities they want. I had one I'd planned on making a thief (This was a low-tech GURPS character) but she insisted on being a scout instead.
Isn't it funny how that works out?? People I talk to about role-playing don't get that. Writeres do, at least ones who've actually produced material do, but not "normal" folks. They always wonder how your character can tell you anything if YOU are writing/playing that character. Personally I think it's kind of interesting when you get that into a character.
Gabriel
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Yeah, most especially when a character has to go against the will of the other players to stick to a philosophical belief.
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Yeah, it was kind of interesting. That character was from a Viking-style culture. There was also a character from a Hun-style culture and a really big guy who wouldn't steal from anyone poorer than him (He was relatively rich, so that included just about everyone). The Eastern guy was a thief and poor, so there was some conflict between those two. When I showed up and we went off to find equipment, the big guy told me to keep an eye and make sure he didn't steal from anyone poor. I gave him a weird look and, after we were on our own, compared raiding techniques.
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LOL "Look at that guy's shoes! I bet he's rich. let's rob him!"
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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That and, "We'd take our ships out into open sea, then sail them right up into the rivers next to the towns, what about you?"
"Oh, we used horses. Ride in, take what we wanted and leave."
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I prefer blackmail, personally... not as messy with less rape... usually.
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*Shrugs* My character's brother was the leader. She jumped ship because he wouldn't give her her fair shair of the loot.
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So, what was the basic premise of your campaign then?
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It was an early Medieval-style game some time travel (I was only in on a couple sessions), anochronistic culture mixes, and the existence of metahumans, magic, and mutant-type abilities. The setting for the game itself was set in the equivalent of Spain. The ruling class was pretty restrictive, so anyone displaying non-human characteristics was hunted down.
I wasn't in town long enough to really do much more than make a character and get involved in a couple session.
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sounds like a nice place to live.
it would be better if they had C8H10N4O2 though.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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C8H10N4O2?
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Caffeine.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Ah, ok. I'm used to seeing the numbers as subscript in chemical formulas. Thought at first it was some form of l337 I hadn't seen before.
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Yea, I know. It's a pain to go between 'fake' number-letter words, and real number-letter words.
-RuskiFace the Pirate
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Especially when the one doing it is known for using the 'fake' words :)
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Well, I'd like to think that I'm famous for using bouth connotations...
-RuskiFace the Pirate
but, perhaps I'm just not that famous yet. LOL
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Don't feel bad. At least your known for something.
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Oh come on enow, AJ, you're known for something too. You're the pubber who's about to get here own custom tag. See, I told you it would only take another week. ;)
Gabreil
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Yea, I should be happy to take what I can get.
LOL
-RuskiFace the L337 Pirate