Shadowrun 4e shaman optimization help -- 400 BP

[Ogre Mage]

My group will start playing Shadowrun 4e in a week. I am the only one who is not an experienced player and the rules are too f**king complicated! Even after hours of pouring over the book and looking at advice online I am not sure if my elf shaman will be effective. I am wondering if anyone experienced with Shadowrun has advice. This is 400 BP. The other party members are a troll street samurai and two mystic adepts. One of the mystic adepts is gunslinger and the other is a stealth specialist. I don't know the details.

This is what i have so far.

Metatype -- elf (30 BP)

Attributes (190 BP)
Body: 3
Agility: 3
Reaction: 3
Strength: 1
Charisma: 7
Intuition: 5
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5

Special Attributes (60 BP)
Edge: 3
Magic: 5

Positive Qualities (20 BP)
Magician
Mentor Spirit (custom)

Negative Qualities (-35 BP)
Day Job - sushi bar waitress
Allergy - cats
Vindictive
Incompetent - heavy weapons

Active Skills (88 BP)
Spellcasting 6
Summoning 4
Assensing 4
Perception 4
Dodge 4

Nuyen/Gear (12 BP, includes 4 BP to bind focus)
Sustaining Focus (Force 4)
Armor Jacket
Helmet
Lodge 8

Contacts (8 BP)
Talismonger (L 4/C 4)

Spells (27 BP)
Powerbolt
Stunbolt
Stunball
Heal
Physical Mask
Improved Invisibility
Increase Reflexes
Levitate
Control Thoughts

Knowledge and Language Skills
Magical Theory 4
Magical Threats 4
Street Gangs 4
Underworld Politics 4
Sushi 2 (free)
Sperethiel 4 (native)
English 3
Japanese 3
Chinese 2

[LibraryOgre]

Editing to include a running total, which I find helpful. But take this with a grain of salt, too; I don't have the 4e rulebook handy to check my math.

Metatype -- elf (30 BP/30)

Attributes (190 BP/220)
Body: 3
Agility: 3
Reaction: 3
Strength: 1
Charisma: 7
Intuition: 5
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5

Special Attributes (60 BP/280)
Edge: 3
Magic: 5

Positive Qualities (20 BP/300)
Magician
Mentor Spirit (custom)

Negative Qualities (-35 BP/265)
Day Job - sushi bar waitress
Allergy - cats
Vindictive
Incompetent - heavy weapons

Active Skills (88 BP/353)
Spellcasting 6
Summoning 4
Assensing 4
Perception 4
Dodge 4

Nuyen/Gear (12 BP, includes 4 BP to bind focus/365)
Sustaining Focus (Force 4)
Armor Jacket
Helmet
Lodge 8

Contacts (8 BP/373)
Talismonger (L 4/C 4)

Spells (27 BP/400)
Powerbolt
Stunbolt
Stunball
Heal
Physical Mask
Improved Invisibility
Increase Reflexes
Levitate
Control Thoughts

Knowledge and Language Skills
Magical Theory 4
Magical Threats 4
Street Gangs 4
Underworld Politics 4
Sushi 2 (free)
Sperethiel 4 (native)
English 3
Japanese 3
Chinese 2

Looking at this, I'd lean towards dropping Increase Reflexes as a spell... all of the rest of the party is likely to have their own versions, so it would just be for you. That gives you three more points to play with. I'd put 1 of those into using a pistol (you won't be good, but bullets are cheap), and the other 2 into 1 point social skills... none of your teammates look like they're going to be a good Face, and you've got Charisma to spare. With 1 point in a social skill, you have an 8 dice pool... not great, but likely better than everyone else. You might also shift a point from Spellcasting to Summoning, but I don't remember point allocations for skills in 4e, so that might move a LOT of points. I get the idea; you've got a lot of Charisma, so Summoning+Charisma is going to be a good dice pool... but shamanic spirits can be hella useful.

I also think you've put WAY too much money in your Lodge for a starting character.... 2 points less and you have 1000Y to play with, which will get you a basic Commlink (HOW DO THEY CALL YOU). Sell some of that and buy yourself a pistol (drain switched from Fatigue levels to your credstick... a good ratio, IMO). Maybe a lined coat (better armor, including if a troll hits you with their axe or a car), and some more magical goodie (fetishes?).

I'd also consider breaking up your Contact into several, rather than one big one. A 1/1 Talismonger will get you the stuff you need day to day; starting out, three or four contacts will be more useful than one big one. You work at a sushi bar and know underworld politics? You've probably got a Yak contact, maybe someone from the Triads with your Chinese in there. Throw in a Fixer, too... fixers are great contacts, almost like a spirit... you summon them to get access to a lot of other things that their contacts can bring you. With your 8 points, you might go with 1/2 Talismonger (basic, but they like you), 2/1 Yak (they'll talk to you, and have a little bit of juice), and a 1/1 Fixer, or switch the Fixer and the Yak. In 33 years of Shadowrun, I have never regretted a Fixer contact.

That's my 2 Pesos (San Antonio is in Aztlan... the exchange rate is DREK.)

[Ogre Mage]

Looking at this, I'd lean towards dropping Increase Reflexes as a spell... all of the rest of the party is likely to have their own versions, so it would just be for you. That gives you three more points to play with. I'd put 1 of those into using a pistol (you won't be good, but bullets are cheap), and the other 2 into 1 point social skills... none of your teammates look like they're going to be a good Face, and you've got Charisma to spare. With 1 point in a social skill, you have an 8 dice pool... not great, but likely better than everyone else. You might also shift a point from Spellcasting to Summoning, but I don't remember point allocations for skills in 4e, so that might move a LOT of points. I get the idea; you've got a lot of Charisma, so Summoning+Charisma is going to be a good dice pool... but shamanic spirits can be hella useful.

I also think you've put WAY too much money in your Lodge for a starting character.... 2 points less and you have 1000Y to play with, which will get you a basic Commlink (HOW DO THEY CALL YOU). Sell some of that and buy yourself a pistol (drain switched from Fatigue levels to your credstick... a good ratio, IMO). Maybe a lined coat (better armor, including if a troll hits you with their axe or a car), and some more magical goodie (fetishes?).

I'd also consider breaking up your Contact into several, rather than one big one. A 1/1 Talismonger will get you the stuff you need day to day; starting out, three or four contacts will be more useful than one big one. You work at a sushi bar and know underworld politics? You've probably got a Yak contact, maybe someone from the Triads with your Chinese in there. Throw in a Fixer, too... fixers are great contacts, almost like a spirit... you summon them to get access to a lot of other things that their contacts can bring you. With your 8 points, you might go with 1/2 Talismonger (basic, but they like you), 2/1 Yak (they'll talk to you, and have a little bit of juice), and a 1/1 Fixer, or switch the Fixer and the Yak. In 33 years of Shadowrun, I have never regretted a Fixer contact.

That's my 2 Pesos (San Antonio is in Aztlan... the exchange rate is DREK.)

Thanks for the tips. Something I did not mention is that the GM is having us start with 25 karma to represent the fact we have been on 2 or 3 missions together before. Based on your advice I picked up 1 rank in etiquette, con and pistols. I bought a light pistol. I also got 1 rank in infiltration. Then I picked up specialties for infiltration (urban) and perception (visual).

I also lowered my talismonger to (L2/C2) and got a fixer (L1/C3). Her handle is Ms. Tea. She runs a bar which is a truce zone for Seattle Yakuza and Triads. Ms. Tea is half Japanese and half Chinese which helps her be perceived as neutral.

I will not drop increase reflexes under any circumstance!

[Vizzerdrix]

4th E? Doesn't one of the splats have a spell called orgasim? If I'm remembering it correctly it was a super good way to stun targets. (Or was that in 5th?)

[Lord Torath]

I would also highly recommend a Trauma Damper - assuming it still exists in 4E.

In 2E/3E, each time you take physical damage, it transfers one block of it to stun. Each time you take stun damage, it eliminates one block. This is super helpful when it comes to drain from spell casting. If it does the same thing in 4E, this is your best piece of bio/cyberware.

[Ogre Mage]

4th E? Doesn't one of the splats have a spell called orgasim? If I'm remembering it correctly it was a super good way to stun targets. (Or was that in 5th?)

I only have a copy of the 4E core rules PDF. I looked and it was not there. Possibly it was in a supplement? To be frank, I am only playing this complicated game because the majority of the group wanted to.

[Ogre Mage]

I would also highly recommend a Trauma Damper - assuming it still exists in 4E.

In 2E/3E, each time you take physical damage, it transfers one block of it to stun. Each time you take stun damage, it eliminates one block. This is super helpful when it comes to drain from spell casting. If it does the same thing in 4E, this is your best piece of bio/cyberware.

I did a word search of the 4E Shadowrun core rules PDF and the only damper protects against sonic attacks.

[The Glyphstone]

I only have a copy of the 4E core rules PDF. I looked and it was not there. Possibly it was in a supplement? To be frank, I am only playing this complicated game because the majority of the group wanted to.

It's generally accepted that Shadowrun fans play it in spite of its rules, rather than because of them.

[LibraryOgre]

I only have a copy of the 4E core rules PDF. I looked and it was not there. Possibly it was in a supplement? To be frank, I am only playing this complicated game because the majority of the group wanted to.

It's generally accepted that Shadowrun fans play it in spite of its rules, rather than because of them.

There's a reason I'm working through a Savage Worlds conversion. 4e is the last edition I'm remotely familiar with, and I see so many places they could have unified mechanics more (for example, decking could be a lot more like spellcasting and astral travel).

[Ogre Mage]

It's generally accepted that Shadowrun fans play it in spite of its rules, rather than because of them.

Now that I am trying to learn the rules it is easy for me to see why this is true. It is a shame such a unique and creative setting is hampered by complex, confusing and poorly organized rules. I was so frustrated I googled for posts by people who were confused by/hated the rules. I found a reddit post in which someone asked, "How the hell am I supposed to play this game?" The response from a veteran Shadowrun player made me lol:

There is no good edition of SR when it comes to rules. They're all overcomplicated, inconsistent, unbalanced, and painful for new players. I've played them all, run them all, I still play/run three versions, and they're all absolutely, unquestionably awful for new players. Older players like me have a sort of battered spouse syndrome where we overlook and even justify bad rules out of love for the setting.

[LibraryOgre]

Now that I am trying to learn the rules it is easy for me to see why this is true. It is a shame such a unique and creative setting is hampered by complex, confusing and poorly organized rules. I was so frustrated I googled for posts by people who were confused by/hated the rules. I found a reddit post in which someone asked, "How the hell am I supposed to play this game?" The response from a veteran Shadowrun player made me lol:

I've said the same about Palladium.

[Telwar]

I did a word search of the 4E Shadowrun core rules PDF and the only damper protects against sonic attacks.

Shadowrun has a TON of stuff in the splatbooks, no matter what edition. 4e "core" supplements continued the trend of having a nice set of round-up tables including, say, all the new spells/qualities/gear introduced with that book and the core book. IIRC that stopped at 5e, which is annoying.

Trauma Damper is in the Augmentation supplement for 4e. I'd quibble on the utility of it, given that I wouldn't really consider Drain to be Damage for the purposes of the implant, but that's a common ruling, and removing one box of Stun per drain test is pretty huge. *Maybe* check with the GM.

Orgasm (single target) / Orgy (AoE) are in the Street Magic supplement for 4e. Basically gives a -1 penalty to die actions per hit while active, like some other spells, with the GM option that if their penalty goes over their Willpower, that they're effectively incapacitated. The assumption is targets might be a little less likely to be angry about having spells cast on them if the effect is (ahem) enjoyable rather than, say, brain-frying.

If you're going to get one supplement, get Street Magic, since you're playing a mage; that has useful spells and qualities, and also more options for Initiation (basically magical high level stuff). Maybe see if one of your group has copies so you can peruse prior to purchase.