[funkytim]

If you were building a technomancer is the magic priority still a trap?  Can you be effective with only 2 complex forms? You can still do all the matrix actions a decker can do except you can't run programs. 

Which complex forms would you pick to start if you only had two?

[Beta]

I think you choose those two complex forms based on  what you want to do. For example, I'd played a hacker some in 5e, so when making a technomancer in 6e I didn't want it to just feel like a decker without a deck -- I wanted some funky matrix magic!  So I took Pupeteer and (name might be matrix veil?  The one that lets you make matrix illusions).  I've only had the techno in one high stress encounter so far, but they made a matrix illusion of an additional attack drone coming in at a different entrance to throw off the matrix intell of the opposing side, and used Pupeteer to pop open a door without having to worry about full-on hacking it.

I'm sure that there are plenty of good choices based on what it is that you want to do.  Once you know your objective, then find the best complex forms for your objective.

[Sir Ludwig]

Beta,

I think you can be effective with 2 complex forms.  The forms I would recommend

Always Pupeteer

The second one depends on what you want to do.

Emulate if you want a program to run and doesn't have a FV.
Static Bomb I is handy to hide once detected.
Infusion ( I have seen it used quit affectively)

best,
SL

[MercilessMing]

I have never played a technomancer but am GM'ing one, how do technos deal with sustaining complex forms, other than the focused concentration quality?  It seems like the -2 sustain penalty is often counterproductive and takes away from the benefits they get with the CF.

[Beta]

I have never played a technomancer but am GM'ing one, how do technos deal with sustaining complex forms, other than the focused concentration quality?  It seems like the -2 sustain penalty is often counterproductive and takes away from the benefits they get with the CF.

That is part of what guided me away from many of them.  On the matrix illusion I was willing to eat the penalty because primary use would be when not actively doing something else.  IIRC Psyche still helps in 6e (lowering the sustaining penalty to -1) but I don't have the pdf on this computer to double check.

[MercilessMing]

Checked - it still does, that's a good one.  Ty.  I see that registered sprites can also sustain CFs.  You know I think the -2 sustain penalty makes sense on magicians, but hackers live and die by the size of their dice pool.  Feels more punitive for some of these CFs.

[Beta]

You know I think the -2 sustain penalty makes sense on magicians, but hackers live and die by the size of their dice pool.  Feels more punitive for some of these CFs.

Interesting though!

Magicians have such a broad toolbox that I think the sustaining penalty is pretty key to limit how much they are doing (and honestly in 5e I think there were too many fairly easy options for sustaining spells, which was part of why mages were so powerful.  It was entirely feasible to support a couple of potent self-buffs (or buffs on others) without facing any penalties)

Technos have a much narrower toolbox.  Yes, they can do lots of things in the matrix, but all of it is in the matrix, which means that a) it does not directly impact the meat world where the majority of the action in most games happens, and b) except in the rare case of them working with another matrix specialist they don't have the ability to buff others.  Overall I kind of wish that the model they'd used for technos was more like adepts and less like mages.

[Xenon]

Pulse Storm can be quite effective since in this edition devices are actually isolated from the matrix if noise levels get too high (unlike previous edition where only wireless bonus functionality was affected by high noise levels and noise due to distance only affected dice pools - not connectivity).

Resonance Channel to keep connected even over longer distances or in high noise situations.

If you have a way to sustain it then Emulate Fork can be pretty useful.

Depending on your reading, Mirrored Persona might be quite over powered in a direct confrontation.

Puppeteer can be used to control devices even if you don't have proper access (but it is perhaps less useful in this edition as you can also just take the Spoof Command action with outsider access)

Depending on how creative you are and how willing your GM is, Resonance Veil can be really powerful.

Infusion and Diffusion can be used to get that extra edge (but is perhaps less powerful in this edition as technomancers get to use their resonance rating as free matrix attribute points).

Unlike the Hide matrix action that only work against one specific observer, Static Bomb let you sneak away from multiple observers at the same time. Which can be pretty useful at times.

Tattletale can successfully be used offensively as a sneaky and stealthy way to get GOD converging on an unsuspecting hacker.