[MadmanMSU]

I could use some advice on what I am doing right/wrong with this character build.  I'm still new to 5th edition, so anything that I have overlooked, please educate me.

Here's a link to the character PDF
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5zo2mh8zb1s0wvg/combatdecker.pdf?dl=0

A - Resources
B - Attributes
C - Skills
D - Metatype
E - Magic

The basic idea here is be good at one thing, and average at a second thing to provide more utility to my shadowrun group, and also because I dislike one dimensional characters.  I don't need to be as good as a street samurai who specializes in turning enemies into red mist, but I would like to be reasonably good at hitting and hurting things with my assault rifle.  I also don't need to be able to hack into a megacorp and fry their security spiders, but I would like to be able to open some doors and steal the occasional file.

Goals with this character (by priority):
1) Be able to shoot someone
2) Open locked doors / gain access to things quietly
3) Shut off defensive sensors (cameras, motion sensors, etc.)
4) Steal data

Caveats to keep in mind:
I'd like to avoid being super cheesy, so no starting attributes below 2.  I also have room to grow, since this is just chargen, so I don't mind having karmic goals set for myself.

So with that in mind, am I in the right ballpark?  What specific dice pools do I need to improve to be successful at my goals?

[8-bit]

It would be nice to see a list of your Priorities (although, I'm guessing Metatype D, Attributes B, Magic E, Skills C, Resources A), and what you spent Karma on.

Here are the goals you've hit, at least, the ones you are looking for.

1) Check, although you could be better.
2) Not reliably.
3) Not reliably.
4) Hell no.

To start with, you need to realize that decking (aka hacking) is a ridiculously specialized skillset. Especially if you intend to fight Host scores. Opening a locked door by hacking it is going to take longer for this character than physically picking the lock. It's also very likely that you will get caught while doing it, as you don't have dice pools that are that high. Shutting off defensive sensors is going to be impossible for you. First, actually shutting them off is going to arouse suspicion and immediately alert guards. Thus, you probably want to loop the footage. The only problem with that is you are going to be spending all your actions keeping the footage looped. And stealing data is going to be pretty much impossible, unless you Edge just about every roll.

My question to you is, "Are you set on being able to hack stuff?" Because if you aren't, a better idea for a dual-specialization would be Street Sam/Face.

I'll wait to see what other advice I can give you until I know if you're set on being able to hack things. Also, I would probably rethink the idea of starting attributes below 2 as being cheesy. If you are boosting them with cyberware anyway, it's really not that cheesy. Considering that you can spend 10 Karma at any time to raise it to 2, it's not that big of a deal. Shadowrun is not easy on those who don't specialize, so trying to be good in all areas (even if it's just all attributes) is pretty difficult.

[Kincaid]

There are lots of small inefficiencies in this character.  Inefficiencies aren't bad--God knows I've built various inefficiencies into characters to reflect their flaws--but if you're wondering why things aren't clicking like you'd want, it's worth examining.  For example, you're spending a lot of money to roll 7+2d6 for initiative, which doesn't even guarantee you a second IP.  Put another point in Intuition (at least--Matrix Perception is a big roll for you) and pick up Reaction Enhancer 3 (used) and you're rolling 10+1d6, which averages out to be about as fast, but guarantees a second IP and is cheaper.

If you're comfortable with being second-tier when it comes to shooting things, then I'd consider reconceptualizing your character to a guy with middling physical stats, an agile cyberarm, and a one-handed weapon of choice.  This will free up a lot of resources to improve the decking aspect of things.  If you can find the cash for a second arm, you're back in business with an assault rifle.  In any event, this would make it pretty easy to maintain a 15+ dice pool for shooting while getting many more dice for hacking, etc.

[MadmanMSU]

Thank you for the replies.  These are good ideas.  I liked the cyber arm idea.  If I bought a cyber arm (with associated AGI boosts), would that apply to any gun I fired using that arm?  Even if rifles are two handed?

I don't see myself as being a primary decker, more of a support decker.  So if there was a run that was really intensive on the decking, like for example against a megacorp headquarters or something, that would not be my area of expertise, I would be more of a gun on that job.  But if we were going against a local Lone Star office, and didn't have a decker with us, I could fill in and do some necessary dirty work.

Side note:  I was inspired by the starter character they have on pg. 113, which is sort of what I was aiming for.  The decking may just be a pipe dream.

I'm going to give another stab at this before I make any drastic changes.  The link in the original post should be updated.  I also put the priorities right under it.

Here are the dice pools that I feel are relevant:

Automatics: 14.  Pretty good?  Probably rolling at least 4 hits on average, with the curve sloping towards 5.  Is that not enough?

(These pools are all assuming I'm in stealth mode and hot)
Hack-on-the-Fly: 16 in a host, which is where I think I will be most of the time.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but to get past a maglock, can't you use a DNI to attack it directly, effectively skipping the host and going against [Rating x 2]?  I would think this would make locks easy.

Crack File: 14.  Matrix Perception: 11.  Spoof: 11.  Edit: 12. 

My thinking here is that my character should be fast.  Find the file, Sleaze a tag, Crack it, get out.  Use edge for bomb disarming.  Or, if there are security systems, shut them off.  I understand the part about looping instead of shutting them off to prevent raising the alarm (which I had not thought of), but I also don't see myself as being a "primary" decker. 

[jim1701]

Thank you for the replies.  These are good ideas.  I liked the cyber arm idea.  If I bought a cyber arm (with associated AGI boosts), would that apply to any gun I fired using that arm?  Even if rifles are two handed?

Two handed weapons would average the agility of both arms.  But yes, it will work for any one handed weapon you use in that hand.

I don't see myself as being a primary decker, more of a support decker.  So if there was a run that was really intensive on the decking, like for example against a megacorp headquarters or something, that would not be my area of expertise, I would be more of a gun on that job.  But if we were going against a local Lone Star office, and didn't have a decker with us, I could fill in and do some necessary dirty work.

Side note:  I was inspired by the starter character they have on pg. 113, which is sort of what I was aiming for.  The decking may just be a pipe dream.

I'm going to give another stab at this before I make any drastic changes.  The link in the original post should be updated.  I also put the priorities right under it.

Here are the dice pools that I feel are relevant:

Automatics: 14.  Pretty good?  Probably rolling at least 4 hits on average, with the curve sloping towards 5.  Is that not enough?

That's fine IMO especially if you are not the primary shooter and if you have enough recoil comp to rip off 3-6 round bursts to penalize the defender.

(These pools are all assuming I'm in stealth mode and hot)
Hack-on-the-Fly: 16 in a host, which is where I think I will be most of the time.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but to get past a maglock, can't you use a DNI to attack it directly, effectively skipping the host and going against [Rating x 2]?  I would think this would make locks easy.

Crack File: 14.  Matrix Perception: 11.  Spoof: 11.  Edit: 12. 

My thinking here is that my character should be fast.  Find the file, Sleaze a tag, Crack it, get out.  Use edge for bomb disarming.  Or, if there are security systems, shut them off.  I understand the part about looping instead of shutting them off to prevent raising the alarm (which I had not thought of), but I also don't see myself as being a "primary" decker. 

You need a direct connection to bypass the master of a master/slave system so you need to be able to connect your datajack to the maglock via a universal cable.  That may or may not always be possible.  I assume that by in stealth and hot you mean running silent and using hot sim to -2/+2 modifiers? 

With 11 dice for Matrix Perception against a real decker he's probably going to see you long before you see him as it is an opposed test so be wary of ambush.  As for the rest I would not mess with a host period unless decking was my primary focus.  Cracking and/or editing files on a device and you are probably ok.  Hacking a host bigger than your public library and it's probably going to have you for lunch.

[ikarinokami]

I'm not a fan of obvious cyberware for any infiltration specialist because the moment anyone sees your obvious cyberware, they immediately become suspicious.

[jim1701]

I'm not a fan of obvious cyberware for any infiltration specialist because the moment anyone sees your obvious cyberware, they immediately become suspicious.

In 2075?  I doubt it.  Someone running around like a Borg?  Sure.  But just a cyber arm shouldn't raise any eyebrows if the person is dressed appropriately.