I've only been able to play in a couple of games over the years and my choice has been to play a mage detective type (Dresden much?). One thing I see a detective doing is hacking comms and such to trace user, look at call logs, etc. Never really been able to "dip" decker on a mage detective before, but I've also loved the idea of an adept decker (separate concept from my mage detective). The times in the past I've tried to build an adept or Mys Ad decker, there were just too many compromises. Either I had great dicepools and crappy deck attributes, or I had mediocre dicepools and a good deck. With Kill Code out, you can make a custom deck. Sleeze is way cheaper than Attack in this set up. So I've attempted to put together a Decent Sleaze Decker. Mys Ad for two reasons: Improved Reflexes and Improved Ability from adept, and Increase Attribute from Mage. There were still compromises, primarly to Magic (Magic 5 after applying spec att points). Needed skills and attributes to cover decking and basic mage stuff, needed resources at C to actually afford a deck. Biggest compromise I think is Edge 2 on a Human.
== Personal Data ==
Human
Karma: 0 Nuyen: 4,230¥
== Priorities ==
Metatype: E,0 Human
Attributes: C,2
Special: B,3 Mys Ad Magic 5 (after points)
Skills: B,3
Resources: C,2
== Attributes ==
BOD: 3 CHA: 2
AGI: 2 INT: 5 (9 after Increase Att spell cast and sustained by character)
REA: 1 (3) LOG: 5 (7-9 after Increase Att spell cast and sustained by spirit of man)
STR: 1 WIL: 5
EDG: 2 MAG: 5
== Derived Attributes
Essence: 6.00 Initiative: 8 +3d6 (12+3D6 after Int boost). Should have 3 passes most of the time.
Physical Damage Track: 10 Rigger Initiative: 8 +3d6
Stun Damage Track: 11 Astral Initiative: 10 +3d6
Physical: 3 Matrix AR: 8 +3d6
Mental: 7 Matrix Cold: 5 + DP +3d6
Social: 5 Matrix Hot: 5 + DP +4d6
Astral: 7
== Active Skills == (most skills will be boosted by attribute boost except for social and magic)
Computer Base: 10
Con (Fast Talk) 6 (8 )
Cybercombat (IC) 8 (10)
Electronic Warfare (Hide) 11 (13)
Hacking (Devices) 14 (16)
Hardware 10
Perception (Visual) 6 (8 )
Sneaking (Urban) 6 (8 )
Software 10
Spellcasting (Manipulation) 11 (13)
Summoning (Man) 11 (13)
20 points worth of knowledge skills. Security protocol, matrix security, Magical Theory, Area Knowledge, maybe a couple languages at low pools.
== Qualities ==
Addiction (Mild) (Psyche)
Data Anomaly
Fade to Black
Incompetent (Firearms)
Lightweight
Mystic Adept
Ninja Vanish
Overclocker
Perfect Time
Phobia (Uncommon, Moderate) (Dogs)
Prejudiced (Specific, Biased) (Trolls)
== Tradition ==
Chaos Magic, Resist Drain with 10 (14 after attribute boost)
== Spells ==
Alter Memory
Clout (Limited) Thunder!!
Control Actions
Increase [Attribute] (LOG)
Increase [Attribute] (INT)
Lightning Bolt (Limited) (maybe swap for lightning ball) Lightning!!
Mind Probe
== Powers ==
Astral Perception (unbonded qi focus, need to buy some assensing with karma)
Attribute Boost (AGI)Rating: 1 (for when you need to run)
Facial SculptRating: 1 (to cheap not to have. Will add rank of disguise with karma)
Heightened Concentration (for ignoring the sustaining penalty from one spell - Increase Intuition
Improved Ability (skill) (Hacking)Rating: 3
Improved ReflexesRating: 2 (need enough initiative passes to go full defense and still have actions, plus AR hacking)
== Lifestyle ==
Apartment (Medium) 1 Month
+ Grid Subscription (Local Grid)
+ Grid Subscription (Public Grid)
== Armor ==
Armor Jacket 12 When slumming
Ballistic Mask +2
Zoé: Executive Suite 12 When not
== Weapons ==
What schmuck needs weapons? If you can't clout it, lightning bolt it.
If you can't lightning bolt it, send a spirit after it
== Gear: Equipped ==
EX Custom Deck DR5 A 2/ S 5/ D 5/ F 3
+ Vectored Signal Filter ×2 [Electronic Parts ×2]
Fake SIN (Johnny Johnson) Rating 3
+ Fake License (Mage License) Rating 4 ×6 (various licenses: Mage, Security Decker, Combat spell, etc)
Qi Focus (Astral Perception) Rating 4 (unbound)
Fetish x2 for combat spells. Maybe two rings: Thunder and Lightning
Programs:
Armor, Baby Monitor, Biofeedback Filter, Bootstrap, Browse, Configurator, Decryption, Defuse
Edit, Encryption, Exploit, Fly on a Wall, Fork, Guard, Paintjob, Search, Shell, Signal Scrub,
Smoke and Mirrors, Sneak, Stealth, Toolbox, Virtual Machine
So he has about 4K left for gear after deck, programs, armor and lifestyle and SIN. Don't say vehicle. He's made to play on a team, not Missions sessions with strangers.
Post gen, he needs some etiquette with karma. Has passable Con and Sneak. Perception will be boosted by Increase Intuition. Needs skill specializations for computer.
So the EX Custom deck has fixed attributes. His is made to Sleaze. Only thing he'll use attack for is to erase marks (should the cybercombat points be moved to counterspelling maybe?). He'll be running silent with 22 dice to avoid matrix search, with Sleaze of 11. The deck can run 7 programs and will run with -6 to noise penalties. So he'll run with Smoke and Mirrors maxed, Stealth, Sneak, Fly of the Wall (or baby monitor), Exploit, Encryption, and Virtual Machine with Config program ready to swap to evasion set up. He'll have 20 dice to hack on the fly.
With so many program slots, and a deck that can't reconfigure, the Perfect Time/Quick Config trick isn't really necessary. Reconfigurator programs says it remembers the configuration. So have it set for your SHTF setup with armor and shell and filters, plus the program that helps erase marks. With Fade to Black, if you do get made, just erase and hide with your high dicepool of 17. Your overclocker ability will usually be stuck to firewall, but you can switch to attack if you really need it. Worst case scenario, you have Ninja Vanish (always save that last Edge). And that is the biggest thing this character needs is more Edge.
The plan is to be Aces for legwork. Not a liability on the run while he tags along and AR hacks cameras, doors and such. Combat options are two combat spells (can realiably throw F8 clout without taking drain (that's 8S + net hits with AP of -8). Lightning bolt for drones. Air or Fire Spirit if needed (would have to drop Increase Logic Spell for that since its being sustained by the Spirit of Man...wasn't room in the build for Binding). Defends with 12 dice (17 if full defense).
Am I missing anything here? Is there an Achilles Heel besides the low Edge? Post Gen advancement will be adding a few low level skills (etiquette, assenssing, aracana, disguise), then alternating saving up for Edge purchases with adding useful spells utility spells. Mentor spirit Raven was on the initial build, but dropped for Ninja Vanish. Bonus dice to computer and manipulation spells would be good. Probably worth 10 karma post gen. Maybe don't need Perfect Time? Swap for Mentor?
I envision him as a kid who was working for a low level corp as a security guy using a high quality fake SIN purchased by his parents. Maybe they knew he used magic to boost (adept) but didn't know he could cast spells. Dunno. Turned out to be an Ed Snowden type and leaked a bunch of confidential information for the principle of it. Now he's stuck working in the shadows. Maybe he's an idealist thinking he's going to make a difference and stick it to the man. He's definitely not intended to fill the primary mage role. More of a primary decker who traded matrix combat for magic utility.