[Moridin]

"Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can forsee who is likely to win or lose." - Ch. 1 Line 26 of the Art of War, Sun Tzu

Thank you for looking at this thread. I am new to Shadowrun and after reading over many threads on this CharOp forum, I'm hoping that I can present the below character with some of the lessons learned and learn more. The below will not be a complete character as it is still quite fluid. I look forward to the critiques.

I will be posting the character below and then a series of notes and questions. However, I do want to get a couple of things out of the way. First off, I have noticed that there is a very intense argument over Adepts and their use of 'ware. I am very open to both options, whichever works best for the below concept to blend together. Please let it be known that I am looking for input and aid from both camps, but not the conflict that can arise. Second, there is a very deep rift between "Roleplayers" and "Rollplayers/CharOp/Minmaxers/etc." here and everywhere. We are all aware of this. I share the view that it is very possible to build optimally and craft a great character to go along with it. I'm not posting much in terms of character development here yet because its being worked on still. I personally prefer to conceptualize a character from both angels, then number crunch, then ensure that the character can handle the optimization. Others have different styles and that's what makes us gamers great as a community -- diversity. Let's not have that war spill out here onto the thread, please. Thank you very much in advance!
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Campaign Specific Information:
Highlander Theme to typical Shadowrun -- Yes, we're taking heads. Metahumans only allowed if you became an Immortal during the appropriate timeframe. Otherwise, you're human. BP and BP->Nuyen Limits are determined by Immortal Age. All 'ware [Bio/Cyber/Nano/Gene] works with Immortals. Taking an Immortal's head grants you +1 to all Attributes and all the Immortal's Karma. Availability 12 is being enforced, aside from Restricted Gear. Other than that, it appears standard thus far. The GM has been ill, so some things still need to be addressed. I'll be making a list below.

Things to Ask GM:
* Unwired Program Degradation -- In Effect or Not?
* Possibility of creating a weapon group of specific weapons with Exotic Weapon Proficiency to satisfy the character's background training -- Ninjutsu weapons and their modern equivalent -- to allow for more diverse use.
* Value of PSC Coding/Hack Secure Node Negative Qualities if kept.
* If Unofficial Errata for Way of the Adept is allowed, and if so -- are Adept Ways free and is Walking the Ways legal?
* How Edge will be handled in the game, to determine how to stat it.
* If any alternate rules are used for contacts, as I saw most dislike their implementation at character generation.
* Other items as suggested below by the forum.

Character Concept: The character was born in Feudal Japan to one of the major ninja clans. During a mission, he was killed and discovered his immortality. Seeing this as an asset to his clan, he has continued to evolve and serve his clan as the times have progressed. The unnamed clan has grown in influence due to his aid and remained in the shadows helping to shape Japan's future. Think the plotline to Ninja Assassin for how this integration occurred. At this point, the clan has its hands in most of the proverbial cookie jars in Japan with vast influence, even with some of the major Japanese corporations. This allows them to have access to more advanced technology than most would expect [possible hook for Restricted Gear, as well as innate connection for advanced gear in-game] them to have. The clan allows him the freedom to move of his free will out of respect for his lineage and abilities while others do the day to day governing -- few even know of his existance, even in the upper echelons of the clans. When needed, he is assigned tasks for the clan [enter plot hooks!] as well. As technology evolved, the infiltrator role changed as well, becoming less Tenchu and more Sam Fisher/Agent 47/Michael Weston. Thus the unnamed shinobi adapted to the role as well. Upon discovering the Computer Age, the freedom of creativity and the change to digital storage for sensitive data led to learning and investing himself into coding and blackhat hacking. This continues to this day, where he lives in an underground room below a temple within a Japanese community, operating both as a Shadowrunner and as a Shinobi when required.

Character stats:

Name: In Development
Nationality: Japanese
Native Language: Japanese
Metatype: Human [+1 Edge]

BP Allotment: 550BP to start, 275BP Attribute Maximum. 75BP to Nuyen Maximum.

Attributes: 270
Body: 3 [20]
Agility: 5 [40]
Reaction: 5 [40]
Strength: 3 [20]
Logic: 4 [30]
Intuition: 5 [40]
Willpower: 3 [20]
Charisma: 3 [20]
Magic: 5 [40]
Edge: 2

Composure: 6
Initiative: 10

Positive Qualities: [Will equal 35BP post-creation]
Adept [5BP]
Martial Arts (Arnis de Mano) [10BP]: +1 to Called Shot to Disarm, Disarming deals damage
Martial Arts (Krav Maga) [5BP]: +1 to Called Shot to Disarm
15BP to Spare

Negative Qualities: [Will equal 35BP post-creation]
Media Junkie [Mild]
Poor Self Control: Coding [5-15BP]
Poor Self Control: Hack Secure Nodes [5-15BP]
Ideas?

Martial Arts Maneuvers: [6BP currently]
Two-Weapon Style
Off-Hand Training [Sai]
Riposte
3x Possible other maneuvers?

Adept Powers: 5PP to explore, leaving these mostly open due to the 'Ware vs. 'No Ware discussion I hope to happen below. Will post notes below.

Skills: 216BP

Stealth 4 [40]
Electronics 4 [40]
Hacking 6 [24]
Electronic Warfare 1 [4]
Perception 4 [16]
Con 4 [16]
Etiquette 2 [8]
Unarmed 4 [16]
EWP: Sai 4 [16]
Pistols or Automatics 4 [16]
Gymnastics 4 [16]
Pilot (Aircraft) 1 [4]

Current BP Total: 492
Current BP For Gear/Contacts: 58
Max Nuyen: 290000

Gear: To be worked on once the concept is refined more and a more firm idea of available nuyen is set. Planning on lighter armor, plenty of B&E gear, two sais, silenced weapons, etc. Software will be pirated to lower costs. Communications gear will be given priority. Possibility of adding some rigging gear too.

[Moridin]

Notes:

Overall Concepts: There seemed to be three major roles here within the concept: Infiltrator, Hacker, and Niche Combat.
    * Infiltration: This is handled by the Stealth group, Con/Etiquette/Gymnastics/Perception/Hardware skillsets. Allows for B&E and also Deep Cover though less effective.
    * Hacker: Hacking, Electronics, Electronic Warfare, Pilot(Aircraft) for Rigging, and Gear allow for this role.
    * Niche Combat: Silent killing or Silent Non-Lethal takedowns from Unarmed/Sai and Silenced Firearm [either Pistols or Automatics] will satisfy. Sai gives the ability to take down Immortals as well.

Contacts: As mentioned above, I am planning on using the character's clan as a contact, relying on their shadow network for most of what is needed. I'm assuming that group contact is best for this, correct? Would it be possible to make this into an Immersion Group as well, for purposes of Adept Initiation?

Attributes:
    *Body 3: Odd to ensure proper rounding for the Physical Track. It's low on the Encumberance angle, but I was planning on using SoftWeave and Lighter Armor anyway. FFFBA and SecureTech PPP seemed smart. Should this go to a 5 somehow, even though the goal is to avoid combat outside of Immortal Duels?
    *Agility 5: Hitting people is quite good, and it plays into skills too. Leaving it at 5 leaves it open to softcapping with 'ware. Is this the best course for this character, or should Mind over Matter play into account?
    *Reaction 5: Getting hit sucks. Dodging = Ninjutsu. Hitting first is a great way to ensure victory. Five seemed like the smart play.
    *Strength 3: Odd for proper rounding on DV. The DV boost is very low, but I understand that net hits on the attack roll seem to roll over to DV -- is that correct? I don't know if STR = RC will come into play or not. Should this be raised to 5 for extra DV and possibility of softcapping with 'ware?
    *Logic 4: I wasn't sure about Logic. It seems important for Hardware [Maglocks] and Software [Coding] but not really for any other actual Matrix work. Computers and Data Search seem to be Skill + Program, not Skill + Attribute if I read them correctly. Should this be dropped lower to help boost another stat? Raised for Mind over Matter?
    *Intuition 5: I've seen people dump this stat hard, but Perception and Initiative have always seemed important to me in any system I've played in. Infiltrators seem to need both -- thoughts on this specific instance?
    *Willpower 3: Odd for proper rounding for Stun Track, but is it enough to defend against mental assaults? Seems like it might be a big hole -- is it?
    *Charisma 3: Is this enough for the limited use of the social skills? I planned on possibly specializing post-gen in Japanese etiquette but other than that I wasn't expecting to touch either much for quite some time. Deep cover and social engineering were meant to be minor functions, but then again I don't know if we have a face.
    *Magic 5: At first I recoiled against not hardcapping Magic at 6 before starting to read the forums, but one of the lessons I learned was that hardcapping normally is bad. In this case, even with adepts it appears to be inefficient Karmatically. Magic 5 seemed to be the standard Adept start, 'ware or no 'ware.
    *Edge 2: This is my first SR campaign as I said, and I was really tempted to hardcap this too. The forums once more tempered my instinct because of GM fiat on the refresh rate making it really hard to optimize without determining how often it refreshes. I erred on the side of caution for now and didn't touch it -- which seems to be the general consensus in this situation, if I've read correctly.

Skills:
    *Stealth 4: This seems to be the best buy for the Stealth skills. Palming doesn't seem to be much in demand around the forums, but Disguise and Shadowing seem to fit well enough into the Infiltrator's arsenal to warrant Stealth 4. Otherwise, would this be wise to break and just go Infiltration 4? I was planning on breaking this immediately post-gen and going for Infiltration (Urban) 6.
    *Electronics 4: This seems to be a no-brainer for a Coding Hacker and it benefits the Infiltrator too. Computer and Data Search seem to be rather commonly used, while Hardware can be used in upgrades and bypassing maglocks as Software helps in coding. Can you specialize software in Coding/Programming?
    *Hacking 6: Seemed like the best place for my 6. Hacking needs a strong front, and this is the driving BP force. This is my primary role outside of runs, tech specialist. Ideas for specializing here? Seems like it might be a good idea for Adept Power: Improved Tech Skill?
    *Electronic Warfare 1: It's useful to Hackers to be able to scan for such signals, and you can't default on it. Seemed like the smart play.
    *Con 4: Shinobi would sometimes go into Deep Cover for long periods of time to gain an assassination window or to get intel. Con seemed like the skill to pull this off. Is this enough of a dice pool to get by for most common uses, or should I look into Emotitoys/Empathy Software/etc?
    *Etiquette 2: I'm not sure as to the optimal level for this skill. Level 2 is a placeholder, with an intent to specialize in Japanese Culture. Seems like a good skill to have, but level 2 breaks what little of CharOp I've seen here. Thoughts? Advice?
    *Unarmed 4: Ninjutsu was both an unarmed and an armed art. Infiltrators usually study martial arts. Seemed natural, even if it is a BP sink along with a firearm skill and a melee weapon skill. Thoughts? I doubt I can convince the GM to give me this in the EWP: Ninjutsu Weapons I'm hoping to propose.
    *EWP: Sai (Or Kusarigama) 4: The main weapon for the melee combat should it come to that -- Immortal Duels or not. If my character does its part, there should be little use outside of duels, but we all know what happens to plans at first contact. Planning on getting this to 6 ASAP. If I can get the EWP (Ninjutsu Weapons) approved, I'll replaced this with it and specialize in the main weapon -- Sai or Kusarigama.
    *Pistols or Automatics 4: I'm not sure which is better here, honestly. Looking for silent killing but having the ability to go loud for major damage if needed. Pistols seem easier to conceal and fit the archetype better, but SMGs/ARs tend to be louder and Automatics would give more options. Thoughts?
    *Gymnastics 4: The consensus seems to be that most people favor Gymnastic Dodge over Dodge. I'm assuming this is because Dodge is limited in scope and even doubling it on Full Defense doesn't save it compare to Gymnastics' versatility. I leaned toward this for that reason and let's face it -- Gymnastics fits both a shinobi archetype and a Sam Fisher archetype better than Dodge would.
    *Pilot (Aircraft) 1: This skill can't be defaulted, and seems to be required for successful Remote Command of aerial drones. I thought about adding Pilot (Anthroform) too, but I'm not sure about the use of ground drones too much yet. Thoughts of adding rigging to this cluttered mix?

Positive Qualities:
     *Adept: Seemed the best way to blend the character elements together, using the Adept Powers -- unless there's a better way?
     *Martial Arts (Arnis De Mano): +1 to Called Shot (Disarm) and allowing Disarm to cause damage seemed too powerful to ignore when combined with Two-Weapon Style, Off-Hand Training (Sai), Sais, Counterstrike, Full Parry, Riposte, etc. This was the main motivation for the change to Sais over the Kusarigama, my original choice.
     *Marital Arts (Krav Maga): +1 to Called Shot (Disarm) stacks with the above, works for me.
     *Martial Arts (Ninjutsu): Seemed really disappointing for me, thus I did not take it even for thematic reasons.
     *15BP free to play with. I had some ideas for possibilities, but please feel free to suggest anything!
          *Codeslinger (Hack on the Fly/Control Device): Hack on the Fly as most of my mid-run work would be AR based, and Control Device for Rigging.
          *Restricted Gear: Namely looking at a MilSpec Comlink and 'Ware implants.
          *An Adept Way/Walking the Ways if allowed by the GM.
          *Biocompatability if 'ware is chosen

Negative Qualities:
     *I enjoy good fun character flaws for characters, but I also do admit to trying to choose ones with holes I can close easily if needed. Why? I've had GMs/DMs in the past whom have decided to use GM fiat to cause character crippling. I've never approved of it, and it almost always seems to be out of spite whenever I've seemed a GM use it on myself or others. I'm assuming that at some point most of us have experienced this sort of negative play experience.
     *Media Junkie (Mild): Infiltrators/Shinobi are all about knowledge. What you know is what keeps you alive in the field, and so an almost borderline need for such information seems appropriate for this quality.
     *Poor Self Control (Coding and Hack Secure Nodes): I don't like the way that these are implemented here, but it seems to be the closest I've found thus far. I've never thought of this character type as having poor self control. Are there better qualities to help express the innate drive and need to code/hack? I see this as something the character developed upon discovering the Computer Age and was drawn to -- not only by being good at it, but feeling like it was a part of his being and that he had to continue to do so. Both could be seen as a way to test one's skill, to train, as well as the creative outlet expressed when coding or finessing your way past a firewall and into a system.
     *Can anyone come up with any fun, non-GM fiat negative qualities that are enjoyable at the table but don't allow the GM to carte blanche cripple a character? The PSCs seem munchkin fodder, so I want to balance it out even though they are a part of the character in my head. Depending on the values given by the GM for the PSCs, I do need to fill out the 35 BPs.

Martial Arts Maneuvers:
     * Currently I only have selected the Two-Weapon Style, Off-Hand Training (Sai) and Riposte to setup the Disarming combination. The Disarm maneuver seems like a trap as it doesn't appear to accept the boosts from my Martial Arts -- it will do damage, but not get the +2 DPM.
     * For Two-Weapon Style, since you're technically not attacking with both weapons, do you have to split your dice pool? I don't believe you would, but I want to be sure. Also, when defending, do you get the bonus for defending with both weapons? I would think that logically you would.
     * Are there any other maneuvers that would be good for this archetype?

Adept Powers:
     * Geasa: I am planning on trying to ensure this is available to me. I was planning on using Meditation, something similar to the Flame and the Void from the Wheel of Time series to play it out. Daily meditation is thematic, although for these geasa I would keep the amount of time very short. Is this a commonly accepted Geasa or does it appear as heaps of munchkin fodder? If so, what would you suggest thematically? I like the concept of Geasa as I concur that many powers are overpriced, but the rule about not allowing GM fiat to cripple characters applies here too. Thoughts?
     * Counterstrike: I've seen that a lot people on the forums suggest this is a level one and done power. I'm assuming this is a cost-effective reasoning, am I correct?
     * Is this a build that seems to scream Mind over Matter to save points with Logic -> Agility? It seems easier to soft-cap Agility with 'ware than Logic, or am I wrong? Naturally, this would be one power that did not carry a Geas so as to avoid GM fiat.
     * Motion Sense, Magic Sense, Eidetic Sense Memory, etc.: These seem cool and thematic, but are they fluff or cost-effective, mechanically sound, useful choices in the eyes of the board?
     * Aside from the obvious traps of Wall Running, Trackless Step and Gliding, are there any hidden traps that I'm missing?
     * If one takes the appropriate Way and a Geas, is Improved Reflexes 3 suddenly worth it, or should 'ware still trump it?
     * Combat Sense: This seems to specifically add +1 to the actual Reaction attribute in Surprise Tests and in melee/ranged defense tests per level. Am I reading this wrong? If not, is this capped by the racial augmented maximum as we power itself has no innate cap aside from the Magic Attribute?
     * Aside form Counterstrike 1, Combat Sense X, Improved Reflexes X, Improved Skill (Sai, Hacking, Infiltration, ?) Enhanced Perception, Motion Sense, and Magic Sense -- what are the forum's suggestions for adept powers?

Immortal Duels: There can be only one, and as such there must be a way to take heads. The use of an edged weapon is required, and I want to use a ninjutsu weapon that wasn't the typical ninja-to so as to fit into the background. On top of that, I'm sure I'll see a lot of katanas, nodachis, claymores, and Combat Axes. Originally this was conceived with a Kusarigama, but due to the text limitations on in-building use [which is realistic] and mechanics -- Subduing seems less optimal in terms of locking down an opponent than disarming them -- I switched to a pair of Sais. Are my comparisons below correct?

Kusarigama:

    + Reach 2 on the Manriki.
     - Reach 2 on the Manriki prevents TWStyle -- even if you interpret the Kusarigama as being able to be wielded as two weapons.
    + Manriki Subduing seems to act as a locking mechanism on melee opponent, should help control Immortals.
     - Subduing doesn't appear to be easily boosted in terms of DV/AP.
     - Neither the Kama/Sickle nor the Manriki portions appear to be DV/AP efficient nor appear to be able to be easily boosted by other effects.
     - Subduing appears to take up the full IP with a Complex Action, thus preventing the lockdown with the Manriki and the use of the Kama for extra damage.
     - Exotic Weapon: No specialization dice, must use EWSkill and thus limits options. Attempting to resolve with EW: Ninjutsu Weapons.

Sais:

     - Reach 1 on the Sai, potential disadvantage against the Nodachi/Combat Axe/Claymore.
    + Reach 1 on the Sai allows for TWStyle
    + Disarming has no negative modifier when using Sais.
    + Martial Arts boosts become a positive DCM for disarming with Sais instead of trying to mitigate modifiers.
     - Sais don't appear to be DV/AP efficient and don't appear to be easily boosted.
     - Disarm doesn't appear to be easily boosted in terms of DV either, but at least the Disarm is able to cause damage with Martial Arts.
    + Disarm does take up the attack action, but one can attack with two Sais if desired after disarming, with stacking penalties to the opponent's defense pool.
     -  Exotic Weapon: No specialization dice, must use EWSkill and thus limits options. Attempting to resolve with EW: Ninjutsu Weapons.

Disarming:
     * Can one disarm other items besides weapons, and still cause the opponent damage? If so, would it be advantageous to declare dualwielding disarms with the Sais to get the +2 from Martial Arts Disarm Boosts, possible +2 from specializing in Disarming, -1 and -2 to the defender's dice pool due to the dual attacks, and possible Counterstrike bonuses all after splitting the dice pool? Seems like the weapons would lose -- at current levels -- two dice from the split, gain one net dice back with the first attack and both back with the second? Naturally this is a full out assault strategy and not the careful parrying strategy of TWStyle, but if they have no weapon...

'Ware:
     * GM decided that 'ware of all kinds worked on Immortals, with no restrictions mentioned yet to their abilities. Thus, please feel free to include implant suggestions. I'm open to 'ware but didn't add it above because of a lack of distinct knowledge.
     * If we go this route, Biocompatibility seems like a smart play.
     * This catagory is probably where the decision gets made for Agility vs. Logic + Mind over Matter. Both concepts intrigue me and I'd enjoy hearing both sides.

Hacking:
     * I'm hoping that Program Degradation does not happen, but I am not certain yet. If it does, then my skill should be enough to keep things patched up.
     * Is Restricted Gear for the 20 Availability Comlink in War! worth the effort? Or should I stay with the 5 Device rating and obtain programs that can run at 5+Options or 6+Optimization 1 until I can acquire the Device 8 Rating Comlink in game? I understand there is a rule about only being able to upgrade hardware two steps for each component on the comlinks.
     * I'm planning on writing my own software in-game also, which is how I'll be able to get the Rating 10 software. This should allow me to act as the security expert and equip the team appropriately. This will also allow me to backdoor into their systems as needed -- after all, there can be only one!
     * Is there information on creating your own programming haven similar to the ones spoken of in Unwired? The ones listed appear to be legal [not desired as most will be illegal software] or shadow and likely to steal your code -- which isn't exactly desired either. If so, can you direct me to it please?
     * When coding your own software, are the program options technically separate in terms of timeframes, tests, and components or are they all completed at once? If they are separate, does that mean in theory that someone could write a program option -- say, Optimization 3 -- and keep the code secure without the need to ever create it again [assuming no degradation] and just insert it into software being written thus shortening future development? This is one way IRL developers work, using existing code and interweaving it into their own before compiling it together.
     * Aside from Optimization to ensure higher level programs can run on lower level hardware, Ergonomic to prevent response drain, and Mute for Exploit programs, what other Options do you suggest?
     * What programs do you consider Ergonomic as essential on?
     * When trying to Encrypt communications to protect your team's tacnet or your drones, should every device be running an Ergonomic Encrypt?

Drones:
     * Can Pilots be handwritten similar to programs? Can they be pirated? I am assuming yes, but I am not sure.
     * If they can be handwritten, do program options like Optimization work on them?
     * I am considering trying to find enough drones to act as my own personal tacnet for solo runs while maintaining the ability to bring teammates in as needed. Is this viable, and if so what are your recommendations?
     * Stealth programs hide you while you're trying to hack against Analyze. Would running an Ergonomic Stealth program help protect a drone against being Scanned or Hacked?
     * With everything going on here, does adding rigging into the mix with autonomous and Remote Command seem like too much?
     * Am I evil like Xavier St. Cloud for wanting my Tacnet drones to also have at least one sniper aerial drone prepared to kill an Immortal if it looks like I'm losing so I can turn the fight around? If so, then it seems like a good idea.
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Final Comments:

I know this has been a long wall of text and for those of you that made it this far, thank you again for reading it all. Hopefully your expertise can help me trim this down and suggest possible refinements to make this character's optimization phase complete. I look forward to any and all constructive criticism!

[UmaroVI]

Okay, let me try to answer some of these. I have several questions/comments first.

5 Body is worth it if you can get it.
5 Strength is not worth it.
Logic/Agility I will get back to.
Intuition is pro and you do indeed want 5. SR combat is about either getting the drop on people, or going first and murdering dudes before they murder you first.
If you aren't protected by a good Magician or spirit with Counterspelling/Shielding, a reasonably skilled magician can one-shot you very reliably. Having 5 rather than 3 willpower won't change that. Willpower is good for extra stun boxes and tests, and for when you do have Counterspelling. The way to win a fight with a magician is to go first and shoot them in the face before they can Stunbolt you, not to count on taking a Stunbolt. The few things that can save you are Pain Editor and Arcane Arrester, of which you can't take the second unless you can be a Changeling, and you may or may not want the first.
Yes, Magic 5 is the way to go.
Edge is very GM-dependant. If you expect slow edge refresh more than 2 is not worth it.

Skills: I will come back to QQ about your weapon choice later, otherwise:
I don't recommend having split-up Influence group skills like that. I would buy the whole group at 1 rather than a skill at 4 and a skill at 2. If your GM lets Empathy Software fly everyone should use it and it cancels out.
Gymnastics: If you have a melee skill, you can use Gymnastics instead of Dodge and be fine. It's easier to boost in general, although for an adept that's less true, and it is part of Athletics which you might have wanted anyways. People tend to overrate the hell out of full defense though.

You don't split your pool while using TWS. That's why it is pro.

Most manuevers do indeed suck. If you want a fourth, Watchful Guard is not bad.

OK, now lets talk weapons.

You do not want or need 10 different ways to roll Agility+Skill to inflict damage. You want 2, maybe 3. You want a concealable option, a long-range option, and a melee option, and those might overlap.

The first problem I see is that you cannot in fact behead people with Sais. I'm not sure how you think Sais work, but it's not a slashing weapon and I have a hard time seeing how you would remove someone's head with it. The way you hurt someone with a sai is by poking them with the pointy end. Also, even with the Disarming thing, Sais are really not good weapons.

I'm not clear on how immortals work, actually. Have you considered the option of just tasering people or something, and then chopping their head off while they are unconscious?

Assuming you actually do want to use a weapon that can cut people's heads off directly:
First, ninjato are a modern invention and probably weren't used by ninja.
Ninja mostly either used the same weapons as everyone else, or used weapons that either were or looked like tools, which is where most of the goofy ninja weapons like kunai originate.

If you want a weapon that doesn't suck and is at least loosely ninja-related, how about a cane sword? They actually did exist, and were used by at least some ninja. Also, you can put a modern sword - by which I mean a vibroblade sword, because they are awesome - in a cane. See Attitude. It's a solid weapon choice as it is both effective and concealable, and it uses Blades instead of Exotic Weapon Skill (Weaboo). If you do go this route I also recommend Ceramic Knives.

W/R/T Mind over Matter: The reason to go Mind Over Matter is not because Logic is easier to raise than Agility, it's because you want both Logic and Agility high. It's a totally legit way to go. If you have enough Logic-linked skills, which it looks like you do, it pays off.

[Moridin]

UmaroVI,

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the advice, and accept the rebuke for what it was. I actually wasn't aware of the ninja-to being a myth honestly, and as for the sais you are correct and I was aware that they lack any edge. I was going to modify them for the current era with monofilament, but alas I agree that in the end it is better to go with Blades and be done with it. The versatility alone is enough, although it will require altering the Martial Arts choices.

Attributes:
*If I drop Agility to 1 with Mind over Matter, that frees up 40BP. This would allow 20 to go to Body to get it up to 5. 10 could then go to Logic to put it at 5, with 15 spare to play with. In doing some more reading on MOM, it seems it only would negatively impact Jumping distance with no real way to get around it beyond raising Agility.

* I did get a chance to speak to the GM for a short time today, and he stated that Edge will replenish every session, which seems to benefit a high Edge stat. I could raise it, but it would leave Body at 3. Thoughts?

* On your Transhuman Mystic, you used Bioware and Geneware to boost your Logic to 10 while spells and Sustaining Foci to cover the IP boosts. I was trying to put together a combination of Cyber/Bio/Geneware to stay at or under 2 essence cost to boost my Logic, logic tests, and get the 3 total IPs. The below was the closest I got, while adding in Biocompatibility [Bioware] as a positive quality.

Bio: [*.9 due to 10% essence discount with Biocompatibility]
Cerebral Booster 2: .36 20000
Synaptic Booster 2: .9  160000

Cyber:
Encephalon: .6 60000 R1 alpha [.3 Essence after taking the half]

Gene:
PuSHed: .1 15000
Genetic Optimization: .2 45000
---------
1.86 300000

This seems quite expensive, even with the generous BP allotment maximum [75000y left over]. In this instance, would you recommend dropping the Synaptic Boosters and instead using the Adept Powers to take the Improved Reflexes power, only to replace them later? Also, do I determine the order of how 'ware vs. Adept Powers stack? If I use Genetic Optimization to boost Logic's cap to 7, I can use BP to level Logic to 6, Adept Powers to 7, then 'ware to 10 if I use Restricted Gear. It'd be cheaper in terms of PP if I can use Adept Powers first before 'ware, hence my curiousity.

Thanks for the tips on Stealth and Initiative being the ways to survive the mages, especially given the innate power everyone says they tend to hold over the rest of the setups.

Skills:

Athletics: Would you suggest then looking to find points for Athletics 4 instead of Gymnastics 4? I thought I've read around here that most try to avoid Athletics as you can default on them as needed and use climbing gear to assist?

Influence: Is this to allow avoiding defaulting on other skills as well as to ensure I can buy the desired skills post-gen more efficiently? Just curious. It'd free up some BP so I agree.

Firearms: Which do you typically prefer: Pistols or Automatics?

Melee Weapons: I do like the swordcane option now that I found it in Attitude. Thank you for pointing it out to me. I can see a combination of that and either the ceramic knives you mentioned or another blade hidden on the character's body for infiltration purposes.

As for the Immortals and tasering them to take heads: the GM's already said that he would allow it but would frown upon it. I've considered that along with setting up drones to take sniper shots. Shock Gloves would seem to use Unarmed and thus be usable too.

Also, I believe I have convinced the GM to avoid the Program Degradation rules from Unwired, but he isn't that familiar with the Tech Rules so this will be a learning experience for both of us.

Thank you again for your responses, and I look forward to hearing from you again as well as hopefully others!

[UmaroVI]

Huh, the jumping distance thing is weird. It also affects how many throwing weapons you can ready at once and how fast you can load revolvers, whee.

If edge refreshes every session it's much more worth it and I would definitely try to have a 6 if you can scrape the points up.

Long-term, you definitely want the boosters. Starting with Increase Reflexes and saving up your nuyen jar for Synaptic Boosters is totally sensible, if you are willing to plan more long-term. It really depends on how long you think you'll be waiting for them, which means how fast your GM gives out money. Another thing to keep in mind is that you want to lose any essence you're going to lose before spending karma to buy your magic back up - so if you anticipate having a bunch of karma to raise Magic with before you have the money for Synaptic Boosters, you may want to suck it down and start with them.

You apply boosts in the order your character gets them, so yes, you can do that.

Athletics: that's debatable. It also depends on whether you want the other aspects of Gymnastics besides the full defense, and how much you care about Athletics.

Influence: it's mostly that it's one of the few skill groups that gives you 4 useful skills, so it's kind of a shame to buy 2 of the skills in the group but not the group. Another thing to keep in mind is that Kinesics is a very cost-efficient way to boost these skills; you may want less Influence and more Kinesics.

Weapon choice: Given that you have Palming 4 and have concealable Blades, I would take Automatics as it is more versatile; properly modded machine pistols are very concealable and quite effective with SnS, Ares Executive Protector is good as a non-obvious weapon, and Battle Rifles are good for sniping and pink mohawk.

[groduick]

he way you hurt someone with a sai is by poking them with the pointy end.

From a fluff perspective, sais aren't stabbing weapons; the end isn't that pointy, and is more about concentrating the power of your strikes on a small surface.


(see the tip of the "blade", which isn't pointy at all)

[UmaroVI]

True (although IIRC sharp-ended sai exist and were just less common), I was more trying to clarify that it is a poky-poky weapon and not a slashy-slashy weapon.

[RHat]

There are actually two styles of sai - "bayonet" sai are more suited to use as weapons, and are sharp for about the last third or so.

[groduick]

Traditionaly, Sais can be wield with a reverse grip (the "blade" along the arm, and the handle between fingers) to be used as a parrying weapon; not to smart to put something sharp next to your exposed flesh...

As all weapons from okinawan kobudo, they originate from simple, daily life tools (as peasants weren't allowed to use weapons); in the case of sais, they were used to block the wheel on the axis of a wagon (the central prong going inside a hole in the axis, the others around the axis).

PS: hope this is understandable, as english iqn't my mother tongue

[Moridin]

I apologize for the delay, I've been occupied the last couple of days between working on this, Borderlands 2's new DLC, and trying to reach the GM.

Unfortunately, the GM seems to have the opinion that trying to reach him to have questions answered and having such attempts be ignored and not returned is a good way to keep players. Thus, I've elected to remove myself from the game entirely.

I thank you three for your insight and your time. Should I eventually join a Shadowrun game again, look forward to returning to start upon a new build and keep learning.