We'd all like for technos to not be completely useless outside of the matrix (the special disadvantage to technos incurred by the soft ban on 'ware has already been lamented at length). The main way to mitigate their natural incompatibility with action in the physical world is of course to add some drones (a very costly prospect, depending on how far you want to take it).
Skillsoft emulation would be a great addition, but there's still another avenue staring us right in the face: bioelectromagnetic fields.
Resonant Bioelectricity
Science has long known that organic bodies operate upon electric signals transmitted through their nervous systems, and even generate their own electromagnetic fields. Some rather enlightened technomancers realized the parallels to eastern conceptions of Qi, and proceeded to allow the knowledge from one to inform the other, thus developing a new means of applying their technomancy.
A technomancer with this echo has learned a means of manipulating Resonance to affect a little more than just the radio waves that the Matrix works on. This echo allows you to sense bioelectric fields of metahuman size or larger within 30 meters while focusing exclusively on that sense, and to learn complex forms which manipulate those fields in order to directly affect other organisms' minds and bodies. You learn one such form as part of gaining this echo. At least two ranks of some medical knowledge, as well as the medicine active skill, are required before gaining this echo.
RTMS
Target: Biological
Duration: S
Fade Value: L-2
Near the turn of the century, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was discovered to affect patterns of neural activity, leading to changes in mood. That knowledge has been blended with the eastern wisdom of Qi, spiritual / mental energy, to create this complex form. With it, a technomancer is able to use Resonance to manipulate a person's bioelectromagnetic field enough to alter his mood in various ways. Choose a mood / emotion and thread a complex form vs the target's Willpower + Charisma. The target defends with a -2 penalty if he has an implanted datajack or similar; -1 if he is wearing active trodes instead. Your net hits are applied as a modifier to all tests (both skill and resistance) as appropriate to the mood you chose (excitement will make a target more agreeable to the terms of your negotiation, while anxiety will make him a less commanding leader and more susceptible to intimidation, etc).
If you sustain this complex form for at least a minute, then the modifier will slowly fade after you drop it, being reduced by 1 each subsequent minute as the target's mood slowly returns to normal. If the target has no direct connection to the Matrix, then you must be within 30 meters and have line of sight in order to use and sustain this ability.
Bioconductive Resonance
Target: Biological
Duration: S
Fade Value: L-1
This complex form uses resonance to manipulate the target's bioelectric field, making it fluctuate so erratically that it causes random discharges along the target's motor nerves. The end result is a target that's rather... twitchy. Thread a complex form vs the target's Body + Willpower. The target defends with a -2 penalty if he has an implanted datajack or similar, -1 if instead wearing active trodes, and an additional -2 if the target has skillwires (whether active or not). Each net hit applies a -1 penalty to the target's defense, physical, and social active skill tests; for every 2 net hits, further decrease the thresholds for glitches and critical glitches by 1 each.
If the target has no direct connection to the Matrix, then you must be within 30 meters and have line of sight in order to use and sustain this ability.
Resonant Meridians
A technomancer with this echo has learned to stimulate the transmission of bioelectric energy along certain pathways throughout the body, much as Qigong masters are said to do. This technique allows you to stimulate natural healing processes in any body you touch (including your own). To do so, make a Resonance + Medicine [Mental], 1 Combat Turn extended test; the subject may add your hits to his next healing test. Each full point of essence loss incurs a -1 penalty to this test. As the practice clears all the proper bioelectric pathways, it also makes you more naturally resilient against fading, providing a bonus equal to 1/2 of your submersion grade, rounded up, to resist fading.
This echo is not compatible with the symbiotes bioware. You must already have the Resonant Bioelectricity echo prior to gaining this echo.
. . .
So what do we think? Is (bio)electromagnetic manipulation a reasonable extension of mental radio-wave powers? Are penalties to defense from datajacks, etc balanced and reasonable, fluff-wise? Would you ever even bother with these, or is 13+ karma too much just to get the 1st such complex form and gain access to the other stuff? What other stuff could we add? Maybe a cf to increase Body or physical limit?
Should we even bother adding stuff, or is this actually a rabbit hole we'd be better off avoiding?