Shadowrun 4 : The dwarf magician

Dwarf Magician
Race : Dwarf / Cost : 25pt
Attribute : Magician (15 pt) , Mentor spirit(5pt) , Focused concentration 1 (10pt)
Attribute cost : 215pt
Bod	Agi	Rea	Str	Cha	Int	Log	Will	Edge	Ess	Mag	Init	IP
4	1	4	3	1	1	5	6	3	6	6	5	1
Skill cost :  98pt
Spellcasting : 6 Spe : Combat Dodge : 4 Spe : Ranged combat Counterspell : 4 Spe : combat First Aid : 4 Spe : Drain damage Ascencing : 4 Spe : Aura reading
Spell list (30 pt) : Mana ball Acid stream Armor Improved invisibility Increase reflex Levitate Shapechange Mob control Heal Mana barrier
Equipment cost : 19 pt / 3000 nuyen left Power focus lvl 2 Sustaining focus (manipulation) lvl 3 (30 000 + 3BP (binding)) Sustaining focus (manipulation) lvl 3 (30 000 + 3BP (binding)) Sustaining focus (health) lvl 3 (30 000 + 3BP (binding)) Camouflage suit + helmet ( 9/8) (1400 nuyen) Medkit lvl 6 ( 600 nuyen)
total point = 417 / PB = 10 / SB = 11 / Armor : +9/+8

Some explanation on this template : 

- First, the spell casting is on combat, to have the maximum value. If you cast a combat spell , you will have roughly about 6 (skill) + 2 (spe) + 6 (attr) + 2 (spirit) + 2 (foci) , this mean 18 dice. If you want to pump it up, you can use your edge, rolling 21 dice, and with the rule of six, you could possibly have 24 dice, having an average 8 hit. If you overcast your combat spell to the maximum value (12), you have a DV around 13-20 , depending on the resistance test of the opponent.

- Second, the first aid. With your hight logic, you can cure some of you wound, particularly the one coming from drain. Even if it s better to have your friend heal you, being able to heal them in combat is some good point. You will roll around 17 dice, this mean you can heal a reasonable amount of wound and if it is not enough you have the heal spell ( but remember that the heal spell can't heal drain dammage).

- The two manipulation sustaining focus will help you sustaining your armor, shape change, levitate and mana barrier spell. The health one is to have the increase reflex spell linked to it and allow you to have more action than other people.

- This template is based on 417 point, but i haven't add drawback in the creation, so you freely gain 35BP by adding some.

- The shape change spell is a good way to get out of the fight, or to stay unnoticed by common people. Who would start firing at an eagle, dog, cat or else. If you need some extra PB , just change in a big cat like a tiger, this spell allow you to take the base value of the animal, and each net hit will add one to the base value of the animal. ( and this could also help you improve your strength ). Tiger have a body of 6, and if you want it on your sustaining focus, you can cast it to force 3, allowing you to reach 9 for your body value . Also notice that an human is an animal (but an orc , troll, dwarf or elf are considered paracritter)

Shadowrun 4 : Human street samurai

So currently, in my mind, i got a funny idea. It is possible to kill a dragon in shadow run 4th edition, just after character creation?

I think it is possible but for that, you need to be what i call a despicable min-maxer. And that s cool, because I'm one and i like that :D So i will make a five character team and then try to see if they have a chance against a dragon. Of course, it won't be a great dragon, i m realistic and i know that this monster cannot be killed by starting character. But a simple dragon, i think it's possible. So let's start with my first template : the street samurai.

Human street samurai
Race : Human / Cost : 0pt
Attribute : Lucky (20pt)
Attribute cost : 205 pt
Bod	Agi	Rea	Str	Cha	Int	Log	Will	Edge	Ess	Init	IP
4	1	4	1	1	3	1	4	8	0	7	1

This could be odd to you, but having a character that has an incredible hight amount of edge will help you when attacking. The fact that you can use the rule of six every time you need it and that you can add 8 dice to your attack roll is just really powerful.

Then for this street samurai, i will make it a close combat fighter. Again, you can ask me why, but the answer is simple. I can't see a ranged weapon that can compete with an axe. Most of the ranged weapon that has an high amount of damage value (DV) have also a positive value on armor penetration (AP). Most of them have a +5 value, this mean that statistically, it's will almost reduce the DV by 2.
The only decent one is the PJSS elephant rifle. But i will speak about this one in an other post.

Now, let's have a look to the skill. This guy will be a melee fighter.


Human street samurai
Skill cost :  62 pt

• Blade : 6
• Spe : Axe
• Dodge : 4
• Spe : Ranged combat
• Gymnastic : 4
• Spe : Jumping

Here a short explanation.

Blade and the axe specialization will be our main attack, so we put the maximum of point in it. This mean 8 dice when attacking with an axe. Not so bad. And if you have a close combat or an armed combat, you can parry.

Dodge with the specialization ranged combat is to be good enough to avoid range attack. This specialization is because when you will be in close combat, you will parry instead of dodging attack.


An now, my favorite part. Equipment :)

I will start with cyberlimb. In one of my recent game, i've discovered how powerful this piece of equipment can be if use properly.

First we will work on arm .


Street samurai left cyberarm

Bod	Agi	Str	Arm
3	3	3

As you know cyberlimb have a rating of 3 when you create them. We are going to take here customized cyberlimb.


Street samurai left customized cyberarm

Bod	Agi	Str	Arm
5	5	5

And then we will add our enhancement
- Body 4
- Agility 4
- Strength 3
- Armor 2

This will consume 15 capacity slot of the arm ( 1 for each point of body, agility and strength, 2 by each point of armor), leaving 0 free slot.

Street samurai left customized cyberarm with enhancements

Bod	Agi	Str	Arm
9	9	8	2

Why having only eight in strength? Because when you wield a weapon, you're damage value will be strength divide by two, rounded down. So having a nine in strength would be useless, and that allow you to maximize your body that will count in your global body, and your agility that will allow you to hit with a higher accuracy. 

We will do the same for the right arm and for the two legs. 

Now, let s compute the price of this : 

Customized cyberarm : 

15 000 + 6 * 1500 = 24 000

Enhancement :

Body : 4*200 = 800

Strength : 3*250 = 750

Agility : 4*250 = 1000

Armor : 2*300 = 600

Total cost  = 24 000 + 800 + 750 + 1000 + 600 = 27150

the cyber leg will cost exactly the same amount but you will have 5 empty slot in it. 

We will then invest in an axe (600 nuyen) and an armor jacket with an helmet (1000 nuyen, armor : +9/+8). 

Now let's see the cost of all of this. 

4*27150 + 600 + 1000 = 110200 

I would suggest you to buy some alpha ware for the arm. This will double the cost of all element, and selecting the arm to be alpha ware is because enhancement price is doubled also and the arm have only two free emplacement for extra element, this will reduce your cost so. You will also save 0,4 essence like that. Your bill will be 164 500 in this case. 

The aim is to have enough essence and cash to buy wired reflex or synaptic booster. Having two action on a combat turn is always great ^^

Here we will buy the wired reflex level 1 for 11 000 nuyen. 

Now let's compute the enhanced attribute and the summary of this character. 

Human street samurai
Race : Human / Cost : 0pt
Attribute : Lucky (20pt)
Attribute cost : 205 pt
Bod	Agi	Rea	Str	Cha	Int	Log	Will	Edge	Ess	Init	IP
4 (8)	1 (7)	4	1 (7)	1	3	1	4	8	0,4	7	1
Skill cost : 62 pt
Blade : 6 Spe : Axe Dodge : 4 Spe : Ranged combat Gymnastic : 4 Spe : Jumping
Equipment cost : 35 pt / 4500 nuyen left
- Alpha customised cyberarm (Ag : 9, Bod : 9, Str :8, Armor : 2, 0 slot left)
- Alpha customised cyberarm (Ag : 9, Bod : 9, Str :8, Armor : 2, 0 slot left)
- Normal customised cyberleg (Ag : 9, Bod : 9, Str :8, Armor : 2, 5 slot left)
- Normal customised cyberleg (Ag : 9, Bod : 9, Str :8, Armor : 2, 5 slot left)
- Combat axe (DV : 8)
- Armor jacket + helmet (+9/+8)
total point = 322 / PB = 16 / SB = 10 / Armor : +17/+16

The physical box value is compute as following = 8+ body/2 + 4 ( 1 point for each cyberware )

So when attacking with an axe, this guy roll 17 dice with a 8DV basis value.
If using his edge, he will roll 25 dice , and on a statistical basis, you will have four 6 rolling up and that you can roll again, leading to 29 dice rolled. If you have more reach than you opponent, you can go to 31 dice rolled with the axe. On average stat, you will have next to 10 hit , having your damage value between 8 and 18 !

Edit : some minor correction have been brought because you can only have a rating 6 on a cyberlimb at character creation.