[Bewilderbeast]

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

Karma: 25
+7 for Bad Rep
+3 Biased versus HMHVV, Ghoul-sympathizers
+15 for Code of Honor (no kids)
-10 for Logic 1 -> 2
-10 for Charisma 1 -> 2
-12 for Perception 3
-2 for Locksmith 1
-2 for Escape Artist 1
-10 for nuyen
-2 for Street Doc Loyalty +2
-2 for Fixer Connection +2

Body 5
Agility 6 (9)
Reaction 3 (5)
Strength 3 (6)
Willpower 5
Logic 2
Intuiton 4
Charisma 2

Physical Limit 7, Mental Limit 4, Social Limit 6

SKILLS
Athletics 2
Unarmed 6
Pistols 6
Automatics 3 w/ Assault Rifle spec.
Sneaking 3
Perception 3
Con 3
Etiquette 3
Intimidation 1 w/ Physical spec.
Palming 1
Locksmith 1
Escape Artist 1

CONTACTS
Fixer- Loyalty 1, Connection 4
Street Doc- Loyalty 3, Connection 2

CYBERWARE

Used Muscle Toner 3 (-72,000, -.75 Essence)
Used Muscle Augmentation 3 (-69,750, -.75 Essence)
Used Tailored Pheromones 3 (-69,750, -.75 Essence) (2.25 Essence)
Used Rating 2 Cybereyes (-4,500, -.375 Essence) w/ Smartlink (-3,000), Thermographic Vision (-1,125), Vision Enhancement 3 (-9,000) = 17,625 total for eyes
Synaptic Booster 2 (-190,000 -1 Essence)
Used Cyber shock hand (-3,120 -.3125 Essence
Used cyber light pistol (-4,000 -.3125 Essence)
Used Bone Density Augmentation 4 (16,000 -1.5 Essence)

442,245 nuyen spent on cyberware

GEAR
Fake SIN Rating 4 w/ Cyberware License, Weapon License, Concealed Carry License, Driver's License = 14,000 for Fake IDs
Transys Avalon w/ Subvocal Microphone (-5,050)
Ares Lightfire 70 w/ internal smartlink (-400), hidden arm slide (-350) and special silencer (-750)
Ares Predator V (-725) w/ Quick-Draw Holster (-175)
AK-97 (-950) w/ external smartlink (-200), gas vent 3 (-600)
Lined Coat (-900)
1 month Low Lifestyle (-2000)

468,345 nuyen spent

[Bewilderbeast]

Gear not quite finished yet, but pretty close.

I set out initially to create a more optimized street sam, but I ended up getting distracted by cyberlimbs and other fun things.

Background is a guy that used to work for a ring of organleggers; becoming a Shadowrunner is a rung up in terms of morality for him. I might fiddle with NQs somewhat.

But I was seriously trying to build the most practical combat monster I could. Not quite sure I succeeded (he could especially use another initiative die). Still, Pistols and Unarmed beat all in terms of practicality for me, and he has the AK for when firepower is necessary and called for. With Tailored Pheromones, he throws out 8 dice for Con and Etiquette, which isn't great but should let him barely squeeze by (especially since he has decent Edge). I was very sad to learn that Intimidate is not affected by the pheromones, but that's what Edge is for, I figure.

Ambidextrous is mostly so he can use that implanted shockhand. It also opens up dual-wielding pistols as a possibility; mostly handy if the Ares Predator is loaded with non-lethal stuff for "self defense" and the Light Fire is loaded with lethal rounds for anti-drone combat and wetwork. The cyberholdout is a last resort thing, and will most likely be packing APDS or something similarly illegal/scary.

I had to cut a vehicle from this guy, but that plus a point in Pilot can always be a post-chargen pickup. His stealth abilities are slightly lowered than I'd like, but overall this guy is more man-in-the-crowd and less sneaksuit ninja.

[Michael Chandra]

The Cyberlimbs seem like a bit of a waste, since your Agi is already 6(9) and you're not currently enhancing Strength past your 3(6). Might be better if you go for Used Orthoskin 4 and Used BDA 4, definitely would be cheaper Nuyen-Wise and it'd put you at rather significant Unarmed damage.

[Bewilderbeast]

Yeah, the cyberlimbs are definitely sub-optimal, but I can just never resist them on a heavily 'wared up character. It's a personal affectation and a style thing.

For this particular character, though, I might cut them. Gonna think on it some more and come back to that.

Mostly I just liked the idea of this guy sporting some +6 Armor, gauntlet-style cyberlimbs.

[Michael Chandra]

3 extra armor and 4 extra body is just as good for damage resistance, and if you gear up enough you'll rarely if ever get Physical damage anyway. And Shock Gloves are nice things to wear.

[Bewilderbeast]

3 extra armor and 4 extra body is just as good for damage resistance, and if you gear up enough you'll rarely if ever get Physical damage anyway. And Shock Gloves are nice things to wear.

Nice things to get confiscated at a security checkpoint, too. I have a paranoid of fear of my characters getting A) disarmed and B) being without a non-lethal method of attack.

I'm going to mess around with his cyberware and see what I can do, though. After thinking about it, having directly implanted shockhand/spurs fits the character concept a little better. And bone lacing/bone density was something I really wanted on this guy but couldn't fit in, so I think I will likely nix the partial cyberlimbs after all.

[JackVII]

Nice things to get confiscated at a security checkpoint, too.

After thinking about it, having directly implanted shockhand/spurs fits the character concept a little better.

If you're worried about security checkpoints, you should probably reconsider spurs since they're (F) rated and easily detectable with a MMW scanner.

[Michael Chandra]

Against getting disarmed 9P unarmed damage also works. But 8S(e)/-5 means it's even possible to wrestle with Spirits. ^_^

[martinchaen]

If you're worried about security checkpoints, you should probably reconsider spurs since they're (F) rated and easily detectable with a MMW scanner.

Only on a character with no/everything else bioware.

On a character with 5+ items of (Alpha grade) cyberware, especially in the same approximate location as the spur if going a little bit beyond the game mechanics, they are nigh undetectable...

[JackVII]

If you're worried about security checkpoints, you should probably reconsider spurs since they're (F) rated and easily detectable with a MMW scanner.

Only on a character with no/everything else bioware.

On a character with 5+ items of (Alpha grade) cyberware, especially in the same approximate location as the spur if going a little bit beyond the game mechanics, they are nigh undetectable...

It really depends on whether that chart is correct or not. It doesn't really make sense that it gets harder to detect the presence of cyberware the more cyberware that is there. A case could be made that it is more difficult to distinguish individual items, but then they're just not going to let you in.

[martinchaen]

The description really doesn't seem all that unclear to me; the more cyberware you have, the more difficult it is to detect the precense of a specific item. Imagine a character with restricted (i.e. as opposed to illegal Forbidden) muscle replacements, skin enhancements, bone changes, etc etc.

The more metal and synthetic materials in the body, the harder for a millimeter wave system to detect the profile of known illegal cyberware like a spur. Makes perfect sense to me, as it's how smugglers and terrorists have been fooling x-ray systems for years. Think of it as signal interference reducing the accuracy of a system designed specifically to detect known signatures, or as the skill of the user to confuse such systems by disguising items to look like something that they are not.

[JackVII]

I think I'm going with poor copy and paste error. I checked my 4E book and the table used to list Threshold (based on cyberware grade) and then Modifier (based on the number of pieces of cyberware) rather than both being listed as Threshold. Whenever Modifier is listed in the section, it refers to a dice pool modifier for the security device. But I don't know, they may have changed in in 4A and carried it through to 5. I don't know.

In all honesty, I would be pretty surprised if a MMW system wouldn't report "Unidentified Masses" that it picked up but was unable to characterize based on its library.

[Bewilderbeast]

Alright, major update on this guy.

I realized that the partial cyberlimbs were just not meant to be. Once I dropped them, I realized I could get that extra synaptic booster I wanted and still have some nuyen and Essence left over. This guy is significantly improved, I feel; sure he lost a Physical hit box and some armor, but he gained a ton of bone density, upgraded that cyber holdout to a cyber light pistol, a point of Reaction and an extra initiative die... he looks pretty scary and fun to play.

His Essence, though, is currently sitting .25. I normally avoid dipping below 1 Essence out of habit. Are there any unforseen consequences to having such miniscule Essence that I'm missing?

I'm considering an alternate version that uses Bone Density 3 instead of Used Bone Density 4. I can imagine a GM putting up a stink about "used" bone density. I personally think "used" just indicates poor quality, not necessarily that it used to be inside of somebody else, but a hypothetical GM might disagree.

The various changes meant that ambidextrous was useless, and also that the cyber implant specialization for unarmed was going to pretty useless to, so I picked up Escape Artist, Palming and Locksmith at rank 1. Just trying to make the most of that crazy Agility.

[Novocrane]

I think I'm going with poor copy and paste error. I checked my 4E book and the table used to list Threshold (based on cyberware grade) and then Modifier (based on the number of pieces of cyberware) rather than both being listed as Threshold. Whenever Modifier is listed in the section, it refers to a dice pool modifier for the security device. But I don't know, they may have changed in in 4A and carried it through to 5. I don't know.

In all honesty, I would be pretty surprised if a MMW system wouldn't report "Unidentified Masses" that it picked up but was unable to characterize based on its library.

While 4e had the fluff correct for millimetre wave scanning in Runner's Companion (more complicated systems = less visibility), it's only in 5e that the mechanics match.

By hiding items inside of more complex systems, the scanners and guards watching the readouts can be fooled. Electronic devices are best for this, as they already have tightly packed circuits and materials to block scans. Smuggling compartments built into cyberlimbs use the same technique. Additionally, many improvised explosives are built to look like a micro-transceiver or holo-projector.

Millimeter wave scans can detect any non-biological item by its shape and composition, assuming the item is listed in the device’s database.

I'd assume failing to match an item to an illegal db entry means your item is matched to a legal entry, rather than showing up as a suspicious unidentified mass.

[ve4grm]

You're missing an Edge score, just FYI.

Also, I assume you're human?