So... overall I like the book. But I have to gripe about the echos (hope an author reads this). The echos seem like they were written by someone who has never read much less played SR5.
FFF: Fine, it's actually pretty cool and balances against Mind Over Machine as an echo that replaces some cyberware
Mathemagics: WTF? Encrypt and decrypt are actions from 4th ed, not 5th. In 5th, this is all part of normal communication protocols (like in real life) so this power makes no sense and mechanically does nothing.
MMRI: A reprint of MOM?
Quiet: AOE noise reducer, could be useful for supplementing a party of deckers and riggers. But not as useful to a lone technomancer. But, not unbalanced.
Resonance Riding: So, you can do resonance actions except compile and register sprites and thread complex forms. That leave decompile sprites. Why can you decompile through a commlink but not compile? Isn't it the same thing in reverse? So realistically all this means is "if you GM said you can't hack with a deck because you technomancer skills are technically different from a decker's take this echo to play an even more expensive build of decker (or to hide your technomancy)
Resonance Scream: Like quiet, not bad, like using the jammer action as a free action without preventing yourself from hacking.
Skinlink: Like FFF and MOM this replaces cyberware, with the bonus of affecting devices even if you cannot get to the port.
Sleepwalker: Badly worded, I assume it was supposed to read "This allows them to choose to perform Perception-related Free Actions while in the Matrix for the real world.". Of course this still isn't all that useful since you could just have a window open with a view of the camera on your comlink.
So, here is how I am fixing these, if anyone cares. I included my design notes in italics. With the idea that echos are small bonuses or simply offer additional base capability.
The technomancer brain emulates a cyberdeck already, and 3 other echos replace cyberware. So why not have one that allows it to simulate a command console. All it needs is the master-slave interface that the living persona normally lacks
MMRI
Known as the Man-Machine Resonance Interface, this echo subtly manipulates the Resonance coming off the technomancer, allowing them to better control devices devices. This allows the Living Persona to act as the Master of a PAN using the Living Persona attributes. Thus allowing the Technomancer to provide master-slave matrix overwatch or slave and command drones as if they had a Command Console. They do not get the benefits of noise reduction as they would with a command console, there are other means to get that. Nor do they have room for autosofts, but if they Echo any programs these would still be passed down to the slaved devices. If they Echo an auto-soft, it runs at a rating equal to their Submersion grade and can apply to all slaved drones that are not running their own autosofts (as normal).
And since the original wording left no applicable actions.... Here is it useful as a means of pretending to be a decker, but not without its drawbacks
Resonance Riding
A strange twist of the Matrix follows the technomancer even through secondary means of connection, giving them the ability to perform some Resonance actions while jacked into the Matrix through a commlink or cyberdeck. While going through this secondary system, the technomancer can use their Living Persona and benefit from any of the Living Persona’s attributes while performing actions, but cannot perform the Compile Sprite, Register Sprite, or Thread Complex Form actions. Matrix damage goes to the device first, resisted with its Device Rating and the Technomancer's Firewall (if better), allowing it to acts as ablative armor for the technomancer. If the device is destroyed the Technomancer can choose to either stay connected as their normal Living Persona, or suffer dumpshock and lose connection. The Technomancer can benefit from programs and noise reduction from the device, but when doing so used the device's attributes instead of his own.
And this was poorly worded and a touch low on usefulness (since they can keep a view of their commlink camera open). So I made it more balanced by adding the distracted penalty to the perception roll, and had it affect the AR penalty, and added an option for actually sleepwalking.
Sleepwaker
The technomancer gains the ability to subconsciously perceive minor events happening around their body while working with the Matrix in VR. This allows them to choose to perform Perception tests of the real world, while in full VR, at -3 dice. This also ensures the technomancer never suffers the -2 penalty for real world acting in AR. Finally, this Echo allows the users to move their body in a mechanical zombie-like manner by splitting their dicepool between the matrix and real, no more than Submersion grade dice can be applied to non-matrix actions while in VR.
Run with the concept of super charging part of your brain, but applying the modifier to stats it would effect. The bonus would be much greater than that of other echos, so to balance that, I made it an advanced echo and effectively the "berserk rage" of a technomancer.
Mathemagics
Advanced Echo Requires: FFF and Overclock
Adjusting the brain to devote more power to higher brain functions increases the subconsious math processing potential of the technomancer. This allows the technomancer to have the ability to perform even complex math operations rapidly and with perfectly accurate results. When activated as a Free Action, this results in a +2 increase in Attack, Data Processing, and Firewall matrix attributes, but the Technomancer suffers a cumulative 1S fatigue damage each round this is maintained, the cumulated value decreases at the same rate. While active, the Technomancer sacrafices concepts of speech, social connection (including friend/foe acknowledgement), and memory. They set themselves to a specific goal and run at it. Such goals could be as simple "pass this math quiz" or a violent as "clear all persona and IC from this host". While active, FFF activates as well, as those parts of the brain turn from base needs to higher functions. Meaning, the technomancer is not aware of the amount of damage they are doing to their brain.
