The Unseen Servant forums

Gremlin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 7:48 pm Scratches "Neon" off the list of names I was considering.

I can always give my contact's name something else! It's a play on her neon bright hair. I could name her Rainbow Bright instead. Nothing like a reference to a cheerful children's cartoon in a dark cyberpunk game.

Edit: Thinking I might reduce her points in unarmed a bit, and toss a few into Rifles. I don't really want Baby Blue *owning* one yet, but that might make it a bit easier to pick one up than having to learn Rifles from scratch.

For contacts I was thinking the following :

1st free contact: A source for buying/selling into the vehicle parts black market.

2nd free contact: not decided yet.

3rd contact, paid for Level 2: A very good friend he grew up and went to school with who joined the local gang and is making his way up it's hierarchy. They live in the same apartment block.

Question: Is there a limit on the maximum Force a starting spell can have? The standard cap on Force for a staring character is 6 but with Attributes and Skills being capped at 4 in this game I wasn't sure if spells would also have a lower cap.

Gremlin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 8:46 pm Question: Is there a limit on the maximum Force a starting spell can have? The standard cap on Force for a staring character is 6 but with Attributes and Skills being capped at 4 in this game I wasn't sure if spells would also have a lower cap.

At first, when I read this, my gut was to say, "Frag, I knew I forgot something." But I looked back at all of my FAQs from past games, and I never lowered the max rating on spells or conjuring spirits and elemenentals. I have been reflecting on this, and I am going to go ahead and let the standard 6 Force stand. If you want to resist Drain on a Force 6 spell with the max of a 4 Willpower, well... That has its own innate consequences.

Question for the group:

The four of you seem to be very nearly done with character creation. I had planned to wait and see if anyone else wanted to join, but since you are so close to being done, do you want me to go ahead and request the campaign? I just reread the procedures, and it looks like I can set up threads on my own. I don't know if that means I can get up private threads or if I have to request those from an admin. I had been waiting, so I could ask the admins for all the private threads at startup, but if I can add my own, that's a moot point.

Gremlin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 6:12 pm The talk of weapons brings up an interesting question: How lethal are we planning on being? There should be non-lethal weapon options (or maybe that's in later editions?) unless we're always planning on using lethal force. And I imagine having a reputation of always using lethal force might not be a good thing.

Guess it is different for each runner group.
My character would reason:
More violence probably means more jobs offers containing violence. More succesful stealth missions means even more covert ops offers later. As long as we get paid we are good to go.

I will be using shock gloves as the non-lethal option and the Ares Viper Slivergun as my main choice of weapon.
Both are still silent as the second has a build in silencer. So for me it's not really caring about the killing part as trying to get through the job as efficient as possible.
Kills are bound to happen and as long as we survive I would call it a win.
Obviously I would adjust depending on the group. If everyone wants to bring explosives every run, I would switch to a assault rifle instead of a heavy gun. No need for silencers then.

Charybdis Richelle wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 9:33 pm Question for the group:

The four of you seem to be very nearly done with character creation. I had planned to wait and see if anyone else wanted to join, but since you are so close to being done, do you want me to go ahead and request the campaign? I just reread the procedures, and it looks like I can set up threads on my own. I don't know if that means I can get up private threads or if I have to request those from an admin. I had been waiting, so I could ask the admins for all the private threads at startup, but if I can add my own, that's a moot point.

Think you can always add in the title of this thread the amount of slots that are still open for late comers, while getting the forum going for us in the meantime?

archolewa wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 6:42 pm

Gremlin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 6:38 pm For a street samurai, see if you can fit in any wired reflexes.

Waaaaaay too expensive. The cheapest is 55K. Something to keep an eye on after a few successful runs.

That's why I suggested putting the party funds to the people in heavy need of nuyen first and evening it out later once they have the stuff to get going.
Unsure who has it worse, a rigger, decker or streetsam?
I probably would have taken the wired reflexes at 55k, because even at lvl 1 might be the difference between going once or twice in a full combat turn.
Think their might also be a option for used ware and buy it cheaper?
Then save up for the fancy move-by-wire ware and leave my character in the dust when it comes to speed. But waiting and getting surgery later would be fine as well.

The explanation of move-by-wire is hilarious btw. Perfect for a chromed up streetsam.:
The system puts the body in a constant state of seizure, so that it wishes to move in all directions simultaneously. An implanted expert computer monitors the seizure and counteracts its effects until the user wishes to move. At that point, it channels the effects of the seizure along the motion path desired. When the user moves, she does so with unnatural smoothness.
Move-by-wire users frequently suffer from slight but uncontrollable muscle tremors in specific muscle groups when they are at rest, mostly due to errors in the system's seizure compensation. Other side effects, such as temporal lobe epilepsy with complications (TLE-x), are possible, but less common.

Juramenta wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 10:52 pm

Charybdis Richelle wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 9:33 pm Question for the group:

The four of you seem to be very nearly done with character creation. I had planned to wait and see if anyone else wanted to join, but since you are so close to being done, do you want me to go ahead and request the campaign? I just reread the procedures, and it looks like I can set up threads on my own. I don't know if that means I can get up private threads or if I have to request those from an admin. I had been waiting, so I could ask the admins for all the private threads at startup, but if I can add my own, that's a moot point.

Think you can always add in the title of this thread the amount of slots that are still open for late comers, while getting the forum going for us in the meantime?

Cool... I will put in the request. I may have 2 more. I messaged a few of my friends who used to do PBeM with me 20 or so years ago. One of them messaged back and said both he and his wife would be interested. I gave him the link for Unseen Servant, so <fingers crossed>

Unfortunately I wouldn't say I'm very nearly done quite yet. While I have a great template to work with since I'm repurposing a previously made character, I've always relied on Shadowrun character generators to help me actually build characters (ie: Chummer). There doesn't seem to be one for SR3 though, outside of a very old one made back in 2000 that I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to get to work in Windows 10. So it's a little slower going trying to get all the crunch down. I hope to be finished by the end of the weekend, though.

Okay, I submitted my request for a campaign.

Juramenta wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 10:52 pm I probably would have taken the wired reflexes at 55k, because even at lvl 1 might be the difference between going once or twice in a full combat turn.

Yeah. I could have committed more build points to nuyen to be able to afford it, but that seemed so *boring*. The edges were much more interesting. Either we do well and get cash and I get that stuff later, while also having my Edges, or we die/go horribly broke/whatever fail state for Shadowrun and it doesn't matter!

And probably we're better off donating cash to the rigger. Seems like the cyberware for a street sam is mostly about making them better at what they can already do. Whereas the stuff for a rigger (like the vehicles/drones/whatever) seem like things that allow us to do things we otherwise couldn't.

archolewa wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2024 12:28 am And probably we're better off donating cash to the rigger. Seems like the cyberware for a street sam is mostly about making them better at what they can already do. Whereas the stuff for a rigger (like the vehicles/drones/whatever) seem like things that allow us to do things we otherwise couldn't.

Yeah, it would probably be good if the rigger could get a vehicle large enough to hold the party... or at least those who can't afford their own ride.

Cool, one of my other invites is interested too... So, if they all join, that will be 7.

Charybdis Richelle wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2024 12:31 am

archolewa wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2024 12:28 am And probably we're better off donating cash to the rigger. Seems like the cyberware for a street sam is mostly about making them better at what they can already do. Whereas the stuff for a rigger (like the vehicles/drones/whatever) seem like things that allow us to do things we otherwise couldn't.

Yeah, it would probably be good if the rigger could get a vehicle large enough to hold the party... or at least those who can't afford their own ride.

My plan was to buy a V-W S-kombi, it's one of the cheapest vans at 46300, sits 2 in the front and 5 in the back. However, it puts a bit of a crimp on my spending, there are things I'd like to buy but can't. If people are allowed to put money into buying that then that would really help. I need around 5000Y get the van and buy the things as I like, otherwise I'll have to cut back a bit. If we can put even more money in to it between us then we can get a better model.

The Vehicle Control Rigs have availabilities starting at 6, so wont be available to him at the start This puts a mocker on remote controlling vehicle right from the start, but it's something to work towards. I bought datajacks for the vehicles so he can plug in to them and control them via a 'virtual dashboard' for a reaction boost, but it's not full rigging.

I had the nuyen for you until I dove deeper into the B&E part for my character.
Currently able to deal with cardreader maglocks.
Keypads are going to require a bit of karma so I can learn how to safely remove the casing.
Only problem is that both maglock readers and sequencers have a street index of 3. So I can't purchase them yet. Without those I do not know how to get past maglocks. I could get the permits in advance and worry about purchasing them later. Maybe get a B&E vendor contact and deal with it at the start of the game.

Print scanners are going to be a lot more difficult, but I'm sure someone with security access will be willing to lend a 'hand'.
Voice recognition is doable as well if Chary allows us to use Shadowrun: State of the Art: 2063. That pdf has the professional audio recorders in it.

I like that pdf in general. It even has regular lockpicking skills in it:

No probs, I do have a backup plan.

@ Chary

Are you happy for me to take the Vehicle Empathy edge?

Thinking of another flaw how would you handle 'adrenaline junkie', e. g. He needs to ride his bike very fast every few days (or something else dangerous to meet the need). Is that an addiction, or a compulsion? It feels like a addiction, e. g. Mild effect, every 72 hrs, not sure of the legality.

I was also wondering what languages are prevalent in the area.

For his second free contact how about someone who works in the police department, such as a dispatcher or similar (i. e. not a cop)?

Starting Nuyen rule:
If you have any nuyen left over from character creation, divide that amount by 10 and keep the result as starting cash.

Alright, that rule makes things a lot more difficult as I had reserved 30k for the Maglock Passkey and 8k for the Sequencer aside from the permit costs.
So the character is definitely a WIP, but here is a preview.

Most of my starting karma will be focusing on the skills and lowest attributes I couldn't afford to raise.

Points spend:
Attributes: 36 points
- body: 8 points
- quickness: 8 points
- strength: 8 points
- charisma: 4 points
- intelligence: 4 points
- willpower: 4 points
Race: ork: 5 points
Nuyen: 10 points
Adept: 25 points
Skills: 14 points
Pistols: 4
Unarmed: 4
Stealth: 4
Bike: 2
Flaws: -10 points




Some of the gear isn't showing like the slivergun with mag 3, laser sight and gas vent IV, shock gloves or the Scorpion bike.
I will re-input it into another character sheet so everything is easier to read and the nuyen displayed correctly.

General question. I've dropped the computer build/repair skill and will default from the electronics b/r skill.

I'm thinking of doing the same with the computers skill which is currently at 3. So what's better computer @ 3 points, or default from electronics 4 with a +2 TN.

I'm also wondering about adding stealth as we seem to be a sneaky group.

Here is what I have so far

William "Rev" Revutsky

Attributes:
STR 2
BOD 3
CHR 3
QUICK 4
INT 4
WILL 3
(38 points)

Active Skills:
bike 4
bike b/r 4
car 4
car b/r 4
electronics 4
elec b/r 3
computers 3
stealth 2
pistols 4
etiquette (spec: Street) 2/4
(35 points)

Resources:
10 pts (90,000Y)

Flaws/Edges:
Mild fear of clowns -2
adrenaline junky -3 (mild/72hrs/legal)
vehicle empathy 2

Language Skills:
english (spec: cityspeak) 3/5
OTHER 2

Knowledge Skills:
Gang Identification 4
Criminal Organisations 3
Seattle’s road system 3
Seattle’s music scene (spec: rock) 2/4
Law 3
OTHER 4

Hobby Skills:
Guitar (spec: electric) 2/4
OTHER 3

Cyberware:
datajack
cybereyes
image link
low light vision
smartlink
(0.8 essence, 12800Y. NB: Smartlink slightly cheaper as I had already purchased an image link, see M&M)

Equipment:
Contact lvl 2
Lifestyle (low)
yamaha rapier (with d/jack)
V-W S-kombi (with d/jack)
Ares Predator II
100 rounds
100 gel rounds
Clips (10)
concealable holster
silencer
secure jacket
gun permit
smartlink permit
handset phone
medkit
medkit supplies
Guitar (cheap, 150Y)

Currently 3575Y over-spent

Juramenta wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2024 11:08 am Starting Nuyen rule:
If you have any nuyen left over from character creation, divide that amount by 10 and keep the result as starting cash.

Alright, that rule makes things a lot more difficult as I had reserved 30k for the Maglock Passkey and 8k for the Sequencer aside from the permit costs.
So the character is definitely a WIP, but here is a preview.

Rule also puts a damper on doing much to contribute to helping purchase big stuff for other players. That's clearly intended as a "treat these Nuyen more as built points than in-fiction cash" sort of rule.

shaidar wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2024 11:11 am I'm also wondering about adding stealth as we seem to be a sneaky group.

Probaby not a bad idea. Best way to be non-lethal is to not fight at all.

By the way, how much ammo is a reasonable amount of ammo for an Ares pistol? Most fights in say early DnD last 2-3 rounds, and we're going to be mostly avoiding fights (and probably running if things get really heated). So if fights are as quick as DnD, seems to me that 40 bullets should be *fine*. If they're longer, maybe not. I want to make sure I have enough bullets, but it looks like their concealability goes down by 1 with every 10 you own, and I want my character to look relatively non-threatening.

I wouldn't expect to be carrying more than one or two spare clips around at most, unless I was expecting trouble. The rest would be at home.