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Skillwire Guy

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Chalkarts

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« on: <09-11-18/1146:56> »
Back in my 3rd(?) edition days, 20 years ago(holy hell, 20...) anyway,
I used to play a face/sniper who was all Skillwire.
He carried a small case full of various softs that he could slot situationally.

I’d like to rebuild him for 5e, I know the costs went way up in 5th and they only go up to skill level 6 of 12, but is it still a viable concept?

He was badass back then but I’m not sure if I can recreate that magic now.

Thoughts?
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Fedifensor

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« Reply #1 on: <09-11-18/1154:26> »
Back in my 3rd(?) edition days, 20 years ago(holy hell, 20...) anyway,
I used to play a face/sniper who was all Skillwire.
He carried a small case full of various softs that he could slot situationally.

I’d like to rebuild him for 5e, I know the costs went way up in 5th and they only go up to skill level 6 of 12, but is it still a viable concept?

He was badass back then but I’m not sure if I can recreate that magic now.
Skillwires are very expensive, but it gives a way for a character to improve over time via Nuyen.  There’s also a wireless option where you can subscribe to a service and just download skillsofts as needed, but you go from slowly collecting skillsofts to having a massive (10k or more) monthly expense hanging over your head.

A character with Skillwires 3 and good stats can be a wonderful jack of all trades.  Just remember that you can’t spend Edge for skill rolls done via skillsofts.

Chalkarts

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« Reply #2 on: <09-11-18/1223:09> »
I was going to start him with Skillwire/Jack 6 but only a few softs.

Escaped debt slave, got away with his wires installed but had to leave the softs behind.

I was thinking a good melee soft and longarms soft, a couple language and knowsofts, a small but functional library for a new runner.

I know the edge issue is a problem for the wired, but I like playing characters with a challenge to overcome.

I’m more concerned with the 6 cap since skills go to 12 now.  He’d be highly social but the majority of his combat and knowledge will come from softs.
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Fedifensor

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« Reply #3 on: <09-24-18/2340:33> »
Spent a bit of time exploring this in Hero Lab.  Keeping in mind the Availability 12 limit at chargen, here's what I came up with
* Skillwires 4 (Used) - 60,000 nuyen, 0.5 essence
* Skilljack 4 - 80,000 nuyen, 0.4 essence
* Chipjack 6 - 6,000 nuyen, 0.3 essence
Total:  146,000 nuyen, 1.2 essence

This gives you the ability to run up to 20 Rating points of Skillsofts (30 points with Wireless), with a maximum rating of 4 each, and 7 physical slots for holding Skillsofts.  That works out to 5 level 4 skills (or 7 level 4 and one level 2 with wireless) that you can have active at one time.  You can save an extra 20k by making the Skilljack used...it only adds 0.1 to the total Essence cost.

Rating 4 Skillsofts aren't cheap - 20,000 for Activesofts, 8,000 for Knowsofts, and 4,000 for Linguasofts.  However, a dedicated "skillwire guy" can buy a new Activesoft every 3-4 adventures and still have enough left over for Lifestyle and basic expenses.  It's also worthwhile to have some cash on hand - with Availability of 8 / 4 / 2 for Active/Know/Linguasofts, it's pretty easy to go to your fixer or similar contact and acquire one during an adventure.

A character with Priority A Resources can have this, 5 activesofts, and over 200k nuyen for other ware and gear.  It is viable to do a skillwire character on Priority B, and still have some nuyen left for some ware and a few activesofts.  You can even do it with a C in Resources (if you go with a used Skilljack), but you'll only be able to have 1 starting activesoft.

For reference, there are 57 non-Magic Active skills in the core rulebook (excluding Exotic skills), broken down as follows:

Agility: 15
Body: 2
Reaction: 5
Strength: 2
Charisma: 9
Intuition: 5 (excluding Assensing)
Logic: 18
Willpower: 1 (excluding Astral Combat)

That's over a million Nuyen if you bought every Activesoft at level 4...though you'll have skills of your own and many skills are used extremely rarely (Nautical Mechanic?).  It's feasible to get every skill you'll want for the character over the course of a campaign.  Or, if you're having a rough run, pay 20k to subscribe to the Platinum Wireless Skillsoft Network for a month.  If you have to have that Locksmith skill to get past a security door, you may be able to get your team to split the cost.

Upgrading to a higher level of Skillwires is also feasible, though you can't upgrade Skillsofts and would have to buy new ones at the higher level to take full advantage of the upgraded ware.

If you don't want the stigma of used cyberware:
* Skillwires 3 - 60,000 nuyen, 0.3 essence
* Skilljack 3 - 60,000 nuyen, 0.3 essence
* Chipjack 6 - 6,000 nuyen, 0.3 essence
Total: 126,000 nuyen, 0.9 essence
 
You're now under a point of Essence for the wires, and can run 6 level 3 skillsofts (or 9 with wireless on).  Each Activesoft costs you 15,000, Knowsofts are 6,000, and Linguasofts are 3000.

Finally, just for fun:
* Skillwires 1 - 20,000 nuyen, 0.1 essence
* Skilljack 1 - 20,000 nuyen, 0.1 essence
* Chipjack 6 - 6,000 nuyen, 0.3 essence
Total: 46,000 nuyen, 0.5 essence

For half a point of Essence and under 50k, you get the ability to have a basic understanding of every skill.  You can run 14 level 1 Skillsofts simultaneously (21 with wireless on).  Buy every non-exotic Active Skill in the game at level 1 for under 300k, and have money left over to get a few exotics.  Just be careful with that Monofilament Whip!

Also, for a mere 2,000/month, you can get a basic Wireless Skillsoft Subscription, which lets you download and run a single level 1 Knowsoft at a time.  With high Logic and Intuition, you can get 6 or 7 dice in any Knowledge skill.  Bonus points if you add a Cerebral Booster and/or Cerebellum Booster.  Impress your friends with your knowledge of Underwater Basket Weaving and Cheese Dips of the Yucatan!
« Last Edit: <09-24-18/2342:25> by Fedifensor »

Myriad

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« Reply #4 on: <09-25-18/0930:53> »
There's also renraku tradejack that gives you R4 for 124k and .9 essence.

Piggybacking on the basic subscription, you can use mnemonic (sp?) enhancers as well.
« Last Edit: <09-25-18/0947:16> by Myriad »

Chalkarts

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« Reply #5 on: <09-25-18/0947:14> »
How difficult is it to replace cyberware?
If I wanted to later replace the lvl 4 wire/Jack with a 6, how much or would it harm the character? 

Also, is the only drawback to used cyberware the essence increase?

Used would fit the character background really well.
« Last Edit: <09-25-18/0951:00> by Chalkarts »
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Myriad

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« Reply #6 on: <09-25-18/0950:37> »
Cyberware (and bioware) will leave an "essence hole".

This can be filled again by more cyberware, but the essence won't be recovered.

Example:  I start with a used cyberarm costs 1.2 essence (4.8 left).  I then replace it with an alpha cyber arm costs 0.8 essence.  My essence is still 4.8....  I then get another alpha cyber arm... and now my essence is 4.4 (0.8 *2).

As you notice, it holds at the same value but can go lower.

edit to add:  There is an expensive geneware that will allow you to recover that essence hole as well.

Chalkarts

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« Reply #7 on: <09-25-18/1028:02> »
Follow up question:
A control rig adds its rating as a bonus to vehicle skill tests.

Does that apply to skillwire skills?

Can I be a rigger whose drive skills are all on chip?
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PingGuy

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« Reply #8 on: <09-25-18/1057:05> »
The Control Rig doesn't add it's rating to vehicle skill tests.  It increases the limit on those tests by its rating, whether you are jumped in or not.  If you are jumped into the vehicle it also decreases those test thresholds by its rating.

I read that section last night so there's a 50% chance I'm remembering it correctly. ;)

Chalkarts

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« Reply #9 on: <09-25-18/1114:34> »
That would still work though, he could be a pretty competent getaway driver, drive anything type with. Skillwire/Jack and a control rig.
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Fedifensor

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« Reply #10 on: <09-25-18/1348:05> »
There's also renraku tradejack that gives you R4 for 124k and .9 essence.

Piggybacking on the basic subscription, you can use mnemonic (sp?) enhancers as well.
Unless Missions offers a way to remove the always-on wireless broadcasting of the ware, I don't think the Renraku Tradejack is worth the difficulties it creates. 


Mnemonic Enhancer is pretty inexpensive, and definitely helps the build.  Thanks!

Michael Chandra

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« Reply #11 on: <09-25-18/1648:52> »
The Control Rig doesn't add it's rating to vehicle skill tests.  It increases the limit on those tests by its rating, whether you are jumped in or not.  If you are jumped into the vehicle it also decreases those test thresholds by its rating.

I read that section last night so there's a 50% chance I'm remembering it correctly. ;)
There's multiple sections listing what bonuses Control Rigs give, and some state +Limits, -Thresholds. Others state +Dice on all vehicle skill tests, which includes Gunnery. The dice-bonus makes higher ratings really useful, so I'm personally siding with both benefits.
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PingGuy

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« Reply #12 on: <09-25-18/1952:09> »
One of these days I'm going to get one of these right.  I really thought this was that day.  Oh well, back to re-reading the rigger section once again.  Thanks

Michael Chandra

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« Reply #13 on: <09-26-18/0052:59> »
What we mostly need is errata describing very clearly how it all works. XD
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Chalkarts

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« Reply #14 on: <09-26-18/0105:30> »
The character is essentially a debt slave.
He got in so deep into debt the people he owed abducted him, shoved a used skillwire, jack, and Elle 1 control rig into him and put him to work doing whatever they needed.  He was worked constrantly, pumped full of long haul and forced to work assembly lines, cooking for the bosses, driving them to and from meetings, cleaning toilets, any terrible shit job they plugged in the right chip and set him to work.

While driving a high muckity muck around the car was hit by rivals, boss was killed, drivers escaped in the chaos and was presumed dead in the explosion.

I’m hoping to make him a jack of all trades type.
I paint the pavement.  It's what I do.  Check it out on Instagram, @Chalkarts