Shadowrun Play > Character creation and critique
SR5: Optimized Decker Help
FST_Gemstar:
Cause I wanted to...
Karma: 25 karma on Reaction, 10 on PQs, -8 on NQs. At -2, but can take a full compliment and PQs and NQs
Nuyen left: 28kish for gear. I got the Micro Azteca 300 just to demonstrate, but the character really could do fine with a deck half the price, saving a lot of money.
== Priorities ==
Metatype: D,1
Attributes: C,2
Special: E,0
Skills: B,3
Resources: A,4
== Attributes ==
BOD: 3
AGI: 1 (4)
REA: 3
STR: 1 (4)
CHA: 3
INT: 4 (5)
LOG: 6 (8)
WIL: 5
EDG: 5
== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 0.87
Initiative: 8 +1d6
Rigger Initiative: 8 +1d6
Astral Initiative:
Matrix AR: 8 +1d6
Matrix Cold: 5 + DP +3d6
Matrix Hot: 5 + DP +4d6
Physical Damage Track: 10
Stun Damage Track: 11
== Limits ==
Physical: 5
Mental: 10
Social: 4
Ballistic Mask [+1] (Only for intimidation, Must be visible)
Astral: 10
== Active Skills ==
Automatics (Submachine Guns) Base: 6 Pool: 10 (12)
Computer Base: 5 Pool: 13
Con (Fast Talk) Base: 1 Pool: 4 (6)
Electronic Warfare Base: 6 Pool: 14
Etiquette (Street) Base: 1 Pool: 4 (6)
Hacking (Hosts) Base: 6 Pool: 14 (16)
Hardware Base: 5 Pool: 13
Perception (Visual) Base: 4 Pool: 9 (11)
Sneaking (Urban) Base: 6 Pool: 10 (12)
Software Base: 5 Pool: 13
== Knowledge Skills ==
== Qualities ==
Addiction (Mild) (Cram)
Addiction (Mild) (Psyhce)
Overclocker
Perfect Time
== Lifestyle ==
Low ("Low") 1 Months
== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Cerebellum BoosterRating 1
Cerebral BoosterRating 2
CyberearsRating 1
+ Sound Link
+ Antennae
+ Antennae
+ Antennae
Datajack
Mnemonic EnhancerRating 1
Muscle ReplacementRating 3
Narco
Smartlink
Tetrachromatic Vision
== Armor ==
Armor Jacket 12
Ballistic Mask 2
+ Gas Mask
== Weapons ==
Ingram Smartgun X
+ Gas-Vent 2 System
+ Personalized Grip
+ Sling
+ Smartgun System, Internal
+ Sound Suppressor
Pool: 10 (12) Accuracy: 7 DV: 8P AP: - RC: 5
Survival Knife
Pool: 3 Accuracy: 5 DV: 6P AP: -1 RC: 3
Unarmed Attack
Pool: 3 Accuracy: 5 DV: 4S AP: - RC: 3
== Commlink ==
Microtronica Azteca 300 (ATT: 7, SLZ: 5, DP: 3, FWL: 1)
+ Agent Rating 4
Character can get social hits when needed. Sneak fine. Lay fire with an Ingram. And throws enough decking dice. I don't take cybercombat because if you need it, you already messed up and it is best to jackout and start over:).
The Azteca 300 has a highest attribute of 7. With overclocker, it is 8, whenever you teamwork with your agent it is 9, and whenever you have the matrix attribute boosting program you need at the time loaded, it is up to 10. To me this seems like more than necessary limits, but again, you will never really need to think about getting a new deck (I wouldn't think about getting a new deck with DR 2 either though...). With perfect time, you can add a program or switch your array with your extra free action. The lets you start from a defensive position, switch to your hacking array, do your action, and then switch back to defensive witihout skipping a beat. Basically, your Rating 7 attribute can always be where you want it.
Addiction qualities are there to just get the extra +2 drug resistance instead of the -2 without them. You are using drugs a lot the time anyways, might as well get the karma at chargen to get the addiction that you are playing like you have anyway, instead of earning it in play without getting karma for it.
drakir:
@Imladir
I did not forget anything. Except that 12 isn't max, you can get to 14 logic. (At chargen if prime runner). And I still might have missed something. There are other combinations that reach the same result.
Gnome 7 Log
Exceptional Attribute +1
Genetic Optimization +1
Cerebral Booster +2
Psyche with Narco +2
7+1+1+2+2=13
To reach 14, just surge and get Metagenetic Improvement (Logic)
Devil:
Hopefully we aren't really talking about prime runner gnomes with SURGE though. Ideally we are talking about a Human with standard chargen, since that's what is helpful at the moment. Without spending a ton of karma or most my positive quality points in an attempt to squeeze out 1 more point on the cap, logic hard caps at 10 (not to mention that there isn't really 1 more attribute point to spare from anywhere else). I can get it to 8 with ware and then use drugs to take me the rest of the way. That will probably have to do. If I need to go higher then I can probably aim for Genemods during gameplay.
I haven't been specific because I am not an expert on it (as I may have mentioned). I was hoping to not be limited to choosing AR or VR and then building a character that only really works for one of them. A reasonably functional Sneaking, Etiquette, and Con seem like they are important to every runner and it seems I really need Sneaking to deal with things that are too difficult to hack remotely. Perception can be largely replaced with Electronic Warfare and a good sensor or two, I'm told . Thinking possibly a low Automatics and specialization that can be upped with Muscle Toner/Muscle Replacement and a Cyberarm of one sort or another. Mostly I'd just like to be able to contribute some suppressing fire and to defend myself from minor threats. Slapping some armor on that Cyberarm also seems to be a lot cheaper in both essence and nuyen compared to Orthoskin. There are numerous other skills that might be of use, but I know that I need to really cut the fat skill-wise with deckers, so I could use some advice as far as whether anything else is worth trying to squeeze a bit into. I know that I'm going to need everything from Cracking and Electronics at various ratings.
In terms of deck price, I'd prefer to go on the cheaper side. That's the advantage of being a human decker from what I can see. Nuyen is too tight to buy an expensive deck right out the gate and I can working towards upgrading at a later time. Until then I can use edge for the hard stuff.
FST_Gemstar, that character looks pretty darn close to what I'm hoping to build. I'm going to try to tweak it though. Those social skill pools seem fairly useless and I might be able to do without much Perception at all with an Electronic Warfare that high. I may also try to squeeze in Cybercombat, but I do see your point about it. I just feel like stuff always goes wrong in Shadowrun. Kinda the nature of most runs in my limited experience. Is that paranoid or accurate?
Which cheaper deck/s specifically do you recommend if not the Micro Azteca 300? I don't know where I need to draw the line in terms of how low those limits can be. Would taking Quick Config effect my decision?
I've been looking at armors like Ace of Diamonds, Lined Coat, and Chameleon Suit. You think going for higher armor (Armored Jacket) is superior to any of the benefits those offer? My reasoning was that hiding a cyberdeck is probably smart and also my hysical limit is probably going to hold back my sneaking from being very successful. I could be wrong about the sneak thing though. 5 is probably a reasonable limit for sneak for now, I think.
Suggestions for programs? I've seem some people just buy them all. Is that the route to go?
Again, all the help is very much appreciated guys. Thanks so much. I'm making a lot of progress.
FST_Gemstar:
Social dice are there to get an easy hit if you need one... better to not do much talking, but gives you an etiquette check and con defense. They are not intended for the character to be a social pro, but just professionally competent enough not always make a fool of themselves or provoke things.
The Little Hornet coming in at 90k has the same top stat as the more expensive Azteca 200 and Hermes Chariot, and has the same device rating. With Perfect Time, as noted, you can usually only worry about moving that top stat around. To me, it's the goto min-max deck, but it does seem to be mispriced in context. Any of these three decks is what I would go with. The Azteca 300 does work and will help you take advantage of big rolls. On the flip side, if you need to be getting those big rolls, perhaps you should look for an easier approach to your target (direct connection) or just use edge and break your limit anyway.
Talk to your GM about perception/EW. I don't let my players act like they have their natural senses when they are relying on EW and a hand sensor. Ex. If you are paying attention to radiosignals you may need notice the snake in the tree. If your GM is cool with it, then by all means, lower perception more!
As for cybercombat... there just isn't much point based on the rules, unfortunately. You rarely have to go "data-spike to data-spike" with an enemy decker. There are things you can, often including just shooting them. And IC are neverending. Once they are alerted, they keep coming. There is no winning. If going to fight them, your best bet is to leave the fight, or if you have to stay, stick your agent on them for a pass or two until you finish up. There unfortunately is no good reason to go Brute force over hack on the fly for the roles most deckers have to fill. If you can go and get out quite, why would you go in hot? Cybercombat can be fun for things, but GMs/players really need to work together on making challenges that do that. Unfortunately, being Matrix Overwatch and messing around in hosts, the primary jobs of a decker, does not require cybercombat.
Skills C is tough for a decker. if going human,
Human D
Atts A
Mundane E
Skills C
Resources B
This will help get your default dicepools higher, particularly physicals, while still getting 'ware to boost your top pools (Logic/Intuition based) and afford a cheap deck. Athletics isn't worth it. Running and Swimming are rarely helpful, better to just invest a point or two in gymnastics on your own. I'd prob put my points in Influence, but it seems like your games seem to expect higher social dice out of your characters. So have high Agility (and possibly 'wared up) and stealth would also work. But again, I find it hard to deck with skills C.
Here's a decker/conjurer i made with skills C... it is definitely rough! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6kA-rvHAq-rR3UyLUJfY29tMFU/view
Jack_Spade:
Honestly, with Perfect Timing, Overclocker, Device Modification (Modify Attribute), Program Carrier (Virtual Machine) and the various cyber programs to modify one attribute, you can turn even a cheap Erika into a 7/3/1/1 machine with two program slots remaining. Add a teamwork test from an Agent program to increase your limit for your test by an additional +1 and you'll be hard pressed to ever get more successes than you can use.
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