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Message no. 1
From: "G.F.BURKE" <61940038%TAONODE@*****.CSUOHIO.EDU>
Subject: Character ideas. Help!
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 10:20:00 ET
Okay, for anyone who has read my post entitled "Take me to your leader,"
you will already understand my dilemma. If not, then here it is in a
nutshell: We're an SR team (loosely speaking). We have no leader figure, or
rather no character with any real leadership qualities. In fact, I don't
think that anyone can role-play the leader...but that's just my opinion (and I
am speaking of myself as well).
What I ask of you all is simple. I need some ideas for a character that
could fill the role...or at the very least, fill the void adequately enough.
I would prefer a mage or shaman (since we'll have none otherwise), but regular
Joe Muscle will do in a pinch (since as a team we are rather feeble as well).
I have taken it upon myself to try and organize the team for several
reasons: 1. I hate disorganization (unless I am causing it, of course). :) 2.
There has been requests to see me play a "normal" character (a challenge I
whole-heartedly accept, especially in times of need). 3. I am the oldest
member in our group RL...I know this holds no particular importance, but there
is something to be said about maturity...we have 2 players not old enough to
drive (with a real short attention span, but nowhere near as curious as some
other PC's we know, right Jamal). :) 4. Their characters suit them...in some
cases it is the only character that they have a shot at playing well.
Oh well....
-Oni
"Don't make me stop this car! I'll turn it right around and we'll go straight
home!"
Message no. 2
From: The Digital Mage <mn3rge@****.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Character ideas. Help!
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 16:09:12 +0100
On Fri, 25 Oct 1996, G.F.BURKE wrote:

> What I ask of you all is simple. I need some ideas for a character that
> could fill the role...or at the very least, fill the void adequately enough.
> I would prefer a mage or shaman (since we'll have none otherwise), but regular
> Joe Muscle will do in a pinch (since as a team we are rather feeble as well).
In terms of stats etc the character should have a broad range of skills
and knowledge of all aspects of shadowrunning. He may not be an expert in
all fields but he should know what can and can't be done. Any spells,
cyberware etc should give an edge but needn't make the character too
powerful.

A good example of a leader is teh guy from Preying for Keeps, he wasn't a
samurai but had basic boosted reflexes, he was knowledgable and could
improvise when necessary. He was always thinking and took responsibility
for teh group.

Skillwires and such like help to fill in gaps in teh character's
knowledge.

The Digital Mage : mn3rge@****.ac.uk
"Life is a choice, Death....an obligation."-Me
Shadowrun WWW site at http://www.bath.ac.uk/~mn3rge/Shadowrun
Message no. 3
From: Rick Jones <rick@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Character ideas. Help!
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 10:34:35 -0500
G.F.BURKE wrote:
> What I ask of you all is simple. I need some ideas for a character that
> could fill the role...or at the very least, fill the void adequately enough.
> I would prefer a mage or shaman (since we'll have none otherwise), but regular
> Joe Muscle will do in a pinch (since as a team we are rather feeble as well).

Unless there's a severe dearth of mages in the team, I'd avoid playing
one as well as being leader. Mages have all kinds of drek to get into
that will distract from being boss.

I wouldn't play this sort of character unless there was a cry for
leadership, but I'd actually reccomend a rigger. Remeber in Aliens (and
in a couple of other movies) where the Lieutenant sat back in the van,
and directed everything via the cameras and comlinks. I took that idea
and ran with it for an NPC Shadowrun team. I made a rigger (with some
decking skills) who used a bunch of drones and cameras to watch
everyone's backs. And he had a pretty good Military Science skill, so
the whole team benefited from the Initiative bonus that gave them.

Add to that a bunch of contacts and various Etiquette skills, and you've
got a good "Thinker" leader.

In the game I'm in, there really isn't a leader, but the closest to
it is the Dwarf PI, who's dead slow in combat, but has the best people
skills (and he's the only one everyone in the group trusts).

At a con game I was in, the team leader was a guy with a boatload of
skills (and skillchips) so he could pretty much do anything.


--
Rick Jones Can not run out of time, there is infinite time.
rick@******.com You are finite, Zathras is finite. This.... is wrong
tool. No. No. Not good. No. No. Never use this.
http://www-ece.rice.edu/~rickj/ --Zathras, Babylon 5, War Without End
Message no. 4
From: Peter Leitch <pleitch_hpcs@*******.COM.AU>
Subject: Re: Character ideas. Help!
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 01:59:49 +1000
At 10:20 25/10/96 ET, Oni wrote:
> What I ask of you all is simple. I need some ideas for a character that
>could fill the role...or at the very least, fill the void adequately enough.
>I would prefer a mage or shaman (since we'll have none otherwise), but regular
>Joe Muscle will do in a pinch (since as a team we are rather feeble as well).

Let me just call up the old MS Word file here...

<sound of shuffling electrons as character sheet comes up>

Ahhh....here we are!

Mace (Liam Yamaguchi) Corporate Hitman turned runner. This guy has
few emotions when on the job and NEVER gets distracted (he lost his
sex drive some time ago...can't remember how). He is a physical
adept with powers like Killing Hands, Web of Concealment, Increased
Stealth, huge Athletics, and most importantly, Leadership and Small Unit
Tactics. He also has the skill from the Corporate Security Handbook,
Security Systems Design (general skill) which provides him with a good
idea of how the security of a place is put together.

Mace is a PhysAd, which may not be exactly what you're looking for.
If you really want a magician, I suggest a Combat Mage from a
Corp Security force or merc unit, with Leadership & Small Unit
Tactics, or perhaps a *combat* shaman from the Sioux Wildcats
or Salish Rangers. Totems likely are eagle, wolf, maybe dog.
Totems I would NOT use are cat (too self centred), coyote (too
capricious), otter (too silly...sorry, prone to distraction) or snake
(too interested in finding out things). None of these would provide
the necessary leadership.

PML

***************************************
Peter Leitch
<pleitch_hpcs@*******.com.au>
Canberra, Australia
Message no. 5
From: Jonathan Wright <jwrigh01@********.CA>
Subject: Re: Character ideas. Help!
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 12:18:21 -0400
On Fri, 25 Oct 1996, G.F.BURKE wrote:

> Okay, for anyone who has read my post entitled "Take me to your
leader,"
> you will already understand my dilemma. If not, then here it is in a
> nutshell: We're an SR team (loosely speaking). We have no leader figure, or
> rather no character with any real leadership qualities. In fact, I don't
> think that anyone can role-play the leader...but that's just my opinion (and I
> am speaking of myself as well).
> What I ask of you all is simple. I need some ideas for a character that
> could fill the role...or at the very least, fill the void adequately enough.
> I would prefer a mage or shaman (since we'll have none otherwise), but regular
> Joe Muscle will do in a pinch (since as a team we are rather feeble as well).
> I have taken it upon myself to try and organize the team for several
> reasons: 1. I hate disorganization (unless I am causing it, of course). :) 2.
> There has been requests to see me play a "normal" character (a challenge I
> whole-heartedly accept, especially in times of need). 3. I am the oldest
> member in our group RL...I know this holds no particular importance, but there
> is something to be said about maturity...we have 2 players not old enough to
> drive (with a real short attention span, but nowhere near as curious as some
> other PC's we know, right Jamal). :) 4. Their characters suit them...in some
> cases it is the only character that they have a shot at playing well.
> Oh well....

I once played (for a very brief period, but that's the GM curse) in a
group that asked for just such a character. I tooled around a bit and
came up with something that worked suprisingly well. He was a former
company man who had dabbled in a bit of everything. His corporate
upbringing lent itself well to organizational skills and the urge to form
a cohesive unit out of a group of shadowrunners. Most importantly
however, he valued his own life, and knew the limits of his abilities.
He led from the rear which, while it sounds cowardly was fun for me and
the other players involved. I was rarely in the thick of things,
preferring to send in the samurai and rigger when muscle and firepower
were required. I assigned the mage and the decker with information
gathering and scouting duties.
In short because my character knew a little about a lot of things he was
able to co-ordinate the various skills the others possessed and focus
them on the job at hand. While some people may understandably balk at
playing a character that doesn't stand out or who can't always be at the
forefront, I can assure you there is some satisfaction in quietly
leading a group to a successful run, and the other players are appreciative,
especially when one person can collectively pull everyone's butts out of a
tight situation by having them use their abilites, not yours. It makes
everyone feel like they had something to do with it, rather than they all
stood around and watched you take out all the obstacles yourself.

Jon Wright
Message no. 6
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@****.ORG>
Subject: Re: Character ideas. Help!
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 11:18:05 -0600
G.F.BURKE wrote:
|
| What I ask of you all is simple. I need some ideas for a character that
|could fill the role...or at the very least, fill the void adequately enough.

Leaders are adaptable, not afraid to give orders, willing
to do anything that they ask of their team, not afraid to
take a risk, learn from experience, listen to their team
members, talk to their team members, debate instead of
argue, willing to take a stand, and support their team
members.

That's the short list :)

Leaders can be of any class. Leadership isn't a list of
skills, it's an attitude.

-David

/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\ dbuehrer@****.org /^\/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\/^\
"His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking
alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free."
~~~http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm~~~~
Message no. 7
From: 'Spaceman' WD Lee <spaced@*.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Character ideas. Help!
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 11:06:59 -0700
It seems that most people are repeating variations on the same
theme: a well-rounded guy who understands what everybody can do so he can
use it. The only thing I would add is to make SURE that the team trusts
you as a player with the job(aren't you the self-described Loon). I have a
loon in my party (down frgkng!), and the mere thought of him being the
planner/leader would send the other players in fits of laughter/paranoia.

The Spaceman |God said, "Let there be light." And God
spaced@*.washington.edu |separated the light from the dark. And
Check out the Bill Page! |did two loads of laundry. -Genesis 1:2.5
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~spaced/bill.html
GCC/GL d- s:++ a-- C++ U+ P+ L>L++ !E W++ N++ o+ K w !O M-- V--
PS+ PE Y+ PGP t 5++ X+ R+ tv b+++ DI+ D+ G+ e+ h r z+
MPA/SH/TA S G Q+ 666 y W C++ N+ PEC+++ Dr

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