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My first try at a character

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Shinarel

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« on: <12-21-11/0203:59> »
A friend of mine is interested in running a game of Shadowrun, and I'd like some advice as to how the character is. I've never done Shadowrun before, and need some tips.[spoiler]

Shi-Zao

ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 2
Agility: 2
Body: 3
Reaction: 3
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 5
Logic: 5
Willpower: 5

SPECIAL
Edge: 2
Essence 5.65
Magic: 0
Resonance: 6

DERIVED
Initiative: 8
Matrix Initative: 11
Initiative Passes: 1
Composure: 7
Judge Intent: 7
Lift/Carry: 20kg
Memory: 10

QUALITIES
(Positive)
Erased II
Technomancer

(Negative)
Allergy (Unc/Sev) (Adenia Glauca)
Spirit Bane (Beast Spirits)

'WARE
Shock Hand (Left)
Datajack

SKILLS
Cracking: 4
Electronics: 3
Tasking: 4
Pistols (Semi-Automatic): 3

Languages
Mandarin: N
English: 4
Japanese: 4
German: 3

Other
Security Design (Matrix): 4
Security Systems: 3
Yakuza: 4
Matrix Security: 4
Mafia: 4

EQUIPMENT
Vibro Blade Knife
Ares Predator Mk IV
Hidden Arm Slide (Ares)
3 Spare Clips (Loaded)
Silencer
Lined Coat
Mapsoft (6)
Datasoft (6)
Two Datachips
Firewall (6)
Two Commlinks (Metalink)
Fake License (4) x3. (Two fake SIN's, one for the gun)
Suzuki Mirage

COMPLEX FORMS
Browse (4)
Scan (4)
Attack (4)
Armor (4)
Black Hammer (4)
Decrypt (4)
Analyze (6)

CONTACTS
TWO-FACE L2/C3 - A fellow hacker in Shi's group.[/spoiler]

The character is designed to be a hacker (clearly), who specializes in theft. He breaks into a system, grabs what he needs and gets out. For the shadowrun group, he specializes in B&E of maglock systems and theft of electronic funds and trade secrets. In combat he's fairly useless, but he has a basic idea of how to use the Ares. I'd just like some help making it so the character isn't totally useless. This is my first character, so expect to find some grevious errors.

Thanks!
« Last Edit: <12-21-11/0207:23> by Shinarel »

rasmusnicolaj

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« Reply #1 on: <12-21-11/0506:06> »
Drop the ware. Essence loss lowers your resonance just as with magic and the ware you have chooses isn’t that great. Get a shock glove for the hand if you must (you don’t have much agility and no unarmed skill so why bother?).
Drop Tasking and just get Compiling and Registering. I have never played a technomancer but I think Decompiling is a trap option in the same way that Banishing is.
You need Electronic Warfare and Perception at 1.
You can’t by a firewall. Firewall are part of an OS. Get an OS for you commlink (I would go with just one commlink your primary work will be done using your head anyway).
Get some basic software for your commlink now that you have one.
Get some B&E gear. Sequenzer, maglock passkey, autopicker etc.
I don’t think you need 5 logic and would be better of with a little more in charisma and maybe some more edge.

Rasmus
Deplore killings made in the name of religion. Can't it just be for fun?

UmaroVI

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« Reply #2 on: <12-21-11/1148:16> »
Check my sig and look at the two technomancers.

Tagz

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« Reply #3 on: <12-29-11/2336:18> »
While I don't necessarily think one point of Resonance loss due to ware is a bad thing, shock hands is a waste.

A data jack is surprisingly good on the TM so that's ok, but only do this if you're prepared to lose the point of Res to gain some cyber.

Some cyber/bio/etc that fits a TM pretty well include: Datajack, Encephalon (real good one), Math SPU, Simsense Booster, Platelet Factories, Cerebral Booster, Mnemonic Enhancer, Sleep Regulator, Reception Enhancer, Trauma Damper, Genetic Optimization, Magnesense, PuSHeD, Neural Amplifiers of all types, and a few more.

Some of these though are closely mimiced or outright duplicated by some Echos.  Such as Overclocking.  There can be some advantage in taking the cyber route though in karma and time savings, also lets you pick a different Echo.

UmaroVI

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« Reply #4 on: <12-30-11/1144:33> »
Some cyber/bio/etc that fits a TM pretty well include: Datajack, Encephalon (real good one), Math SPU, Simsense Booster, Platelet Factories, Cerebral Booster, Mnemonic Enhancer, Sleep Regulator, Reception Enhancer, Trauma Damper, Genetic Optimization, Magnesense, PuSHeD, Neural Amplifiers of all types, and a few more.

Yeah, most of those are bad. If you aren't a logic stream technomancer, you really shouldn't get ware. If you are a logic stream technomancer, you should be getting good ware, not silly things.

Tagz

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« Reply #5 on: <12-30-11/2237:33> »
I wouldn't necessarily agree.  While in the vacuum of matrix only, yes, many of those are not very useful, however on a broader sense they can enhance other areas that a TM might delve into, such as rigging (I totally forgot the Control Rig and Control Rig Booster nanites!), but I think a few you may have overlooked outright.

A datajack allows a TM to save and store data, chip reading/slotting, allows the TM to operate in limited ways in areas of heavy jamming, and allows wired interface with things not set up for wireless without the need of Skinlink echo or a wireless adapter (which would create a detectable wireless signal giving away your presence, as would the TM's if they didn't mentally shut it off).  Though this could be duplicated with trodes, a sim-module, a commlink (as a sim-module doesn't really work without one), and some optic cable, but then would not allow interface with the bionode without the TM turning on their own personal wireless, defeating the purpose of hiding the wireless signal.  This setup is most useful when you're playing a situation where you must hack something off the wireless and stealth is an issue.  In my opinion, if your GM hasn't given their hacker at least one run where they have to get off the couch in their mom's basement and get in front of the terminal they need to hack, then they aren't challenging the hacker properly.  After all, detecting a wireless signal and detecting a wireless node are two different things, you don't need to find the node to know there is a signal in an area that should be shielded, etc.  Additionally, the datajack is a very common piece of cyber and the presence of noticeable cyber on a person would provide a decent explanation for why a wireless signal coming from the person, ie: they probably have an internal commlink.

Math SPU adds dice to Electronic Warfare.  Granted, many people ignore the actions associated with this skill in favor of more overt methods, but when used smartly they are excellent information gathering and protecting tools.

Reception Enhancers give more dice to perception, in matrix, out of matrix, etc.  It isn't great on the essence, but the benefits are pretty nice.  A good pick if you have a little left after the decimal point, but not a first pick.

A simsense booster isn't an optimal choice, I'll readily agree.  Overclocking is a much better choice.  But if you really can't wait until Submersion to pick up another IP it will get the job done.

Magnesense can basically replace the E-sensing Echo.  I only mention it because of a build once made and tested that used E-sensing with Bio-wire to make the TM an effective physical assassin.  But yeah, that one probably should get crossed out.

Mnemonic Enhancer and Sleep Regulator are useful in their own ways.  While they don't outright enhance any TM ability, the benifits they provide do synergize well with hackers.  In my group, the hacker is typically the one most often called on to use knowskills, etc.  And what runner wouldn't consider a Sleep Regulator?  If a TM is already loosing a point of Res they may as well use up as much of that 1.0 essence as they can, these are just good fillers for any left over essence.

And one last thing.  You should note that several of those do not enhance Logic, they enhance Logic-linked skills.  Hacking is a Logic-linked skill, as is Data Search, Computer, Cybercombat, Electronic Warfare, Hardware, Software, and others.  Anything that enhances Logic-Linked skills is helpful to a TM regardless if they are a logic stream TM or not.  In fact, since it does not enhance Logic itself it doesn't make a difference what stream the TM is as it will not enhance the Fading rolls.  Genetic Optimization would work, but that can be taken for whatever attribute you use for your stream, so I'm not sure what you meant by your statement.

Best picks in the group in my opinion are Encephalon(2), Neocortical Neural Amps (I'd consider a hive at high grade after character creation), Datajack, PuSHeD, and perhaps Genetic Optimization as you can raise the soft cap by one and BP is better then karma for higher stats.  The others are considerations with left over essence if there is any, or picked up when higher grades become available and you get some essence holes.

UmaroVI

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« Reply #6 on: <12-30-11/2320:01> »
"Not a first pick" pretty much sums up a lot of those - they're just too expensive for what they do. It's not that (for example) Reception Enhancers are useless, it's that they cost too much for what they do for you.

Datajacks are silly. You have far better options for dealing with any given issue that don't cost you Essence, such as an optical tap.

The reason Logic stream technomancers are the only ones who should really be getting 'ware is that Cerebral Boosters are really, really good for them, and that nobody else gets things as good as Cerebral Boosters.

Also, look at the essence costs of the stuff you're suggesting! Encephalon 2? That's 1.5 Essence - not at all worth it.