Hi all! I'd like to help my GM out, because while I don't think the character is cheesily built (though I must admit some bias, as it's my character), I do think that Lighthouse could use some tips on how to run encounters so that they are challenging without being overly so.
We've all played and run adventures where Runners have thoroughly mopped up on what we thought would be a difficult encounter. As a Missions GM, I have seen encounters that have absolutely stopped one group while another group just ploughed through it like a hot knife through butter.
So, the character:
Ork
B7 A3 R5/6 S7/9 W6 L3 I5 C2
PQ: Magic Resistance 4
NQ: Destinctive Style: Chicago Lightning Helmet
Prejusdiced (Outspoken) Non-CZ dwellers
SINner: UCAS
Uneducated
Skills:
Automatics 4
Intimidation 3
Perception 1
Pilot Ground Craft 6
Running 3
Unarmed Combat 6
Chicago Gangs: 5
Sports: 5
The CZ: 5
Russian: 6
Augs:
Bone Lacing Alum
Cyber Arm
Cyber Hand (Stated to equivalent natural/enhanced Agl and Str, +2 Armor each)
Orthoskin 3
Wired Reflexes 1
Muscle Augmentation 2
Equipment:
Bike Racing Helmet (Chicago Lightning Helmet)
Riot Control Armor
Ballistic Shield
Metalink
Medium Lifestyle (Recently upgraded from Squatter after GM blew up all of our old doss...es... dossi?)
About to make a bunch of purchases now that we have some down time.
Honestly, I don't see anything cheesy about it. Some might make an argument that stacking armor from cyberlimbs might be cheese, and while I disagree, I can see where they are coming from... but it's only 2-4 of the armor points. As Glyph says, the Tank 'archetype' has over 30 armor.
I'd also note that the GM is new to GMing, I think in general, much less a difficult crunch system like SR5.
Finally, it's easy to pick on the 'tank' because I have the single highest dice pool, in soak and have also padded myself against the easiest physical tank counter: magic. I'm an experienced Shadowrun player who has seen many a tank fall to a singular well cast stun bolt.
The rest of the team consists of a Hacker who is consistently hitting her limits on hacking and computer tests off of the Sony CIY-720 Cyberdeck; a Shaman who is well built and played by a very savvy and experienced RPer who consistently has a (minimally) force 6 spirit of man rolling with us, a Rigger, a Medic, and joining us for the event with the Blood Magic Mystic Adept Vampire was another mage who can bring a Force 8 spirit to bear without over summoning. We are all also pretty experienced RPers and Shadowrunners, so we tend to take our time and plan things out to give ourselves the best advantage in most any situation.
Fighting us in his bedroom after we neutralized his guards and security without the use of my tank's impressive soak and catching him mostly by surprise... well, I don't think it's the 'one character' that's overbalancing. A Force 6 and 8 Spirit, the Mages, a Rigger's Drone and a Street Samurai catching something mostly by surprise in it's bedroom is going to have a relatively easy time of it.
As an inexperienced GM, Lighthouse could really use a bunch of pointers on how to challenge a team of established-level Runners without going overboard, without relying too heavily on GM Fiat, and staying within the parameters of his campaign, which is on the surface a mob-war in Chicago (we've basically taken sides with MacAvoy against McCaskill) with a deeper (and ultimately more important) subtext of some crazy blood magic shit about to go down.
He could also use some advice on when he should expect that we are challenged and when he should be OK with us rolling over something. I think expectation management of how runs should play out is key as well. He's definitely been OK with us just powering through mooks, but I think us taking some of the more creative challenges he's laid out for us has taken him somewhat by surprise.
You can actually see the write-ups of our adventures
here.