[Clyax113_S._Xaces]

If there are two runners together that are a decker and a rigger will there be any complications in terms of combat?  I know the rigger has their drones, but I'm worried their lack of physical ability will cripple them if I throw anything above a professional rating 3 at them for real-world combat.  Thoughts?

[kainite311]

I believe they can be a very effective combat duo. There so many variables depending on what the rigger and decker bring to the fight. Never underestimate the power of a few drones laying down suppressive fire. Or a drone sneaking behind the enemy for a surprise attack. Meanwhile the decker, depending on build is either a cyberarm gun bunny, or he is helping the drones and bricking the enemy. There can be a lot of synergy, or not, depending on how they are played and built. The only downside is they tend to be a little more squishy, but you can downplay these weaknesses by playing more tactical. Be patient, don't rush head first into the middle of combat. Draw them in or pick your pace for the ambush. Wait for the right moment to strike vs brute force. Do your recon, ect... Just don't play drones like mini tanks... More like skirmishers, use their speed and do drive by hit an run to limit exposure to attacks when not pinning down the enemy with ssuppressive fire.

[Michael Chandra]

Keep in mind that the characters will be professionals, even if the players forget to state relatively-obvious actions. The Rigger will run drone recon networks, the Decker will hack anything suspicious nearby to get a headstart before the fight breaks out. This is a pair that will prepare well, then shock and awe.

[Ajax]

They should also be selective about the jobs they take on and if they work with a regular fixer, the fixer should know that certain jobs just won’t work for them and not even bother approaching them with it. These guys should be doing Ocean’s Eleven and Italian Job style jobs, not The Expendables.

[Clyax113_S._Xaces]

Thank you all for the tips.  I'm going to try these out in different scenarios and see what comes of them.  I do want to ask about what you said kainite about using ambushes.  Should I as a GM use ambushes to raise the difficulty of combat as opposed to using higher professional rating NPC's and more enemies to try and test the two?

[kainite311]

I was thinking more of the player's ambushing (recon and stealth). Ambushes are tricky to scale. A sniper using ambush is pretty deadly for instance without a defense roll. But that being said, one thing to remind players who GET ambushed, you can spend edge to NOT be surprised. I am amazed how many times my fellow players will spend edge on a spell buff hours before combat (and therefor most likely to have to drop to get thru a mana barrier) or other stupid stuff, but are loathe to spend one on a failed surprise roll and then have to use multiple edge later on to survive...

[Clyax113_S._Xaces]

Noted

[Tarislar]

Should I as a GM use ambushes to raise the difficulty of combat as opposed to using higher professional rating NPC's and more enemies to try and test the two?

Be VERY careful whatever you choose.

As a player, I've seen more situations that either should have been a TPK but weren't through shear luck that left us all near dead, or, flat our were TPK, because the GM wanted to make things a little difficult.

It doesn't take much in SR to turn deadly quick.


My take is less is more here.

Don't change any Professional Rating by more than 1.

Don't do it to ALL enemies or the Boss.  If its a Boss & 5 Goons, pick 1 goon & make him a Lt./Sidekick at 1 PR higher.

Don't "double or triple" goons.   Add 1 extra goon.   Start small & increase to 2 after several encounters to see how they do.

Ambushes are just plain mean by removing the dodge roll.   I still recall going into a mission where the Enemy sniper dropped me to 1-2 boxes left in a single shot after the GM didn't even give us a surprise roll.

You can always increase in more small amounts as time goes on, but you can't rewind time to resurrect everyone after you wiped the entire group w/o looking bad.