[Ajax]

"The best way to lie is to tell the right amount of truth at the right time -- and then shut up."

Character: Shōjiki Sasori / "Storyteller"
Concept:    Con Artist Extraordinare

Just in case my Private Detective character concept for Neo-Tokyo get rejected, I thought I should have a more conventional character as backup. Please review and critique.

Priorities:
Metatype:    D Human
Attributes:    A 24
Magic:       B Adept
Skills:    C 28/2
Resources:    E ¥6,000

Attributes
Body:       3
Agility:    5
Reaction:    5 (6)
Strength:    4
Willpower:   3
Logic:       3
Intuition:    3
Charisma:    6
Edge:       5
Magic:       6
Essence:    6   

Qualities
Allergy [Uncommon, Moderate; Dogs]    (-10)
Creature of Comfort [Middle]       (-10)
Phobia [Uncommon, Mild; Awakened Canines] (-5)
Solid Rep [Mitsuhama]          (+2)
The Speaker's Way          (+20)
Too Pretty to Hit          (+3)

Martial Arts
Style: Kenjutsu
Techniques: Bending of the Reed, Iaijutsu

Adept Powers (Rank / PP Cost)
Authoritative Tone    (3 / 1.50 PP)
Commanding Voice    (- / 1.00 PP)
Imp. Ability [Con]    (1 / 0.25 PP)*
Imp. Potential [Social] (1 / 0.25 PP)*
Improved Reflexes I    (- / 1.50 PP)
Kiai          (2 / 0.50 PP)
Kinesics      (1 / 0.25 PP)
Voice Control       (2 / 0.75 PP)*

*The Speaker's Way Discount

Active Skills
Blades [Kenjutsu]    5
Con*         (3)
Etiquette       6
Impersonation*       2
Intimidation       4
Negotiation [Bargaining] 6
Perception**       4
Performance*       2
Unarmed Combat       3
Pistols       2

*Skill Group
**Free Adept Skill

Knowledge Skills
Business (Megacorp)       3   
Fashion (Tokyo Scene)       3
Japanese Politics       2
Mitsuhama Computer Technologies 2

Contacts   
- Fixer (Con 6, Loy 2)
- Mitsuhama Office IT Guy (Con 2, Loy 5)
- Nightclub Owner (Con 4, Loy 2)

Karma Expenditure (25 Karma)
- 3 added to Contacts
-12 Karma for Martial Arts
-10 to gain ¥20,000 more Resources

Equipment    
Lifestyles
Middle (One Month)       ¥ 5,000

Armor
Zoé Executive Suite [Cap 4]   ¥ 2,000
 > Nonconductivity (Rating 4; -4 Cap)    ¥ 1,000
Forearm Guards [Cap 3]      ¥   300
Ballistic Mask [Cap 8]      ¥   150

Weapons
Combat Knife             ¥   300
 > Personalized Grip          ¥   100
Colt New Model Revolver       ¥   180
 >Regular Ammo (Hold Out, x10)       ¥    20
 >Speed Loader             ¥    25
 >Concealable Holster          ¥   150
Katana                ¥ 1,000
 > Personalized Grip          ¥   100

Other Stuff
Commlink, Meta Link          ¥   100
Commlink, Sony Emperor        ¥   700
 > Biometric Reader          ¥   200
 > Sim Module             ¥   100
Contacts [Cap 2]          ¥   400
 > Low-light Vision [-1 Cap]      ¥   500
 > Image Link [-1 Cap]         ¥    25
Credstick, Standard           ¥     5
Duct Tape, Roll of           ¥     5
Earbuds (Capacity 1)         ¥   100
 > Sound Link [-1 Cap]         ¥    25      
Fake SIN (Tendo Nabiki; Rating 4)    ¥10,000
 > Fake License (Awakened; Rating 4)    ¥   800
 > Fake License (Armor; Rating 4)    ¥   800
Flashlight              ¥    25
Medkit (Rating 4)           ¥ 1,000
Restraints, Metal           ¥    20
Subvocal Mic             ¥    50
Tag Eraser              ¥   450
Trodes                ¥    70
White Noise Generator (Rating 6)     ¥   300

Background[/b]
There's a lot of folks running around Neo-Tokyo who can shoot a gun, swing a sword, or make Matrix code dance. Even a fair few that can sneak up on their own shadows. Shōjiki's different. She can hold her own in a scrap, don't get me wrong, but when she's around most of the time you won't need to fight. Shōjiki Sasori is the only Shadowrunner I've ever met that says "Please" and "Thank You." Like my first `run with the girl... Slot this:

You know the type of job, snatch and grab of a corporate suit, standard relocation package. Should of been a milk-run. But this time situation was a little bit complicated because this particular salaryman didn't want to go. We were going to have to extract him. To do that we needed to gain access to his fortified villa. Four meter tall continuous wall topped with razor-wire and only one gate through it. Six centimeter plasteel plate on the gate, two hardened guardhouses with hardwired air gapped telephone link to the main house, four guards with submachine guns, two guard dogs, and a silent alarm hooked to a deadman's switch linked to each the guards' bio-monitors. So, how do we do it?

Walk up to the front door and ask to be let in.

No drek, chummer. That's how we did it. The salaryman even invited us in for a cup of tea, the two of `em made small talk, and he walked right back out with us.

She told me and the team that she was called Shōjiki Sasori (most likely an assumed name, but we all know not to ask) and on the Matrix she operates under the handle of Storyteller. I don't know too much about Shōjiki's past. Shōjiki Sasori told me that she was the spoiled eldest daughter of Mitsuhama Computer Technologies executives who left her life of luxury behind to seek thrills and excitement in the shadows. But I've also heard Sasori tell other folks she was an orphan from Ciba City, an heiress to a disgraced samurai family, the mistress of a Yakuza oyabun, and many more. So I've got no clue exactly where she came from and damn near every time I've overheard her tell someone her "real history," well... Hell, I would swear to you on a stack of Bibles and my own mother's grave that they were told the absolute truth.

I've seen a lot of weird drek back in Seattle. Seen even weirder drek over here in Tokyo. Never saw a `runner get a bloody 'Thank You' card in the mail though. Not `til I met Shōjiki...

[Shinobi Killfist]

Maybe I am missing something, but the con seems a bit low for a con artist extraordinaire.

[Ajax]

Twelve dice, total, once you add all the bonuses from Adept Powers and a Social Limit of 12... Even Elite Corporate Security (Professional Rating 5) is only throwing two dice to resist (Defaulting on Con with a base Charisma 3).

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

While I agree 12 dice isn't bad, do keep in mind that mooks add their Professional Rating to their dice pools when resisting Social tests (SR5 pg 379).

[Ajax]

While I agree 12 dice isn't bad, do keep in mind that mooks add their Professional Rating to their dice pools when resisting Social tests (SR5 pg 379).

Ah, missed that... Still, that's only another 3-5 Dice for most higher-end security guards. Your average receptionist or other wage-slave desk jockey isn't going to throwing half that.

Besides, the secret to a good con job is to avoid making many tests in the first place. You can get a long way with only one or two lies, if you pick the right ones.

[Shinobi Killfist]

Twelve dice, total, once you add all the bonuses from Adept Powers and a Social Limit of 12... Even Elite Corporate Security (Professional Rating 5) is only throwing two dice to resist (Defaulting on Con with a base Charisma 3).

I can only base this off of Chicago missions which I am running, but the stats and skills are usually better than that if they think the players will be tossing dice.  It got to the point I was pretty sure the pizza delivery guy would have straight 5s in attributes.  Random guards where the set up you can't really con your way past them as well they can't open the door, they think maybe you will try intimidate to force them to call the boss up above so they toss 5 skill on them, they only had a 3 charisma which is unusually low for the characters in Chicago missions. Also assume every Johnson will roll 14-18 dice in negotiation even if they aren't a professional at that stuff. Though I don't think con is one they used much specifically.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Twelve dice, total, once you add all the bonuses from Adept Powers and a Social Limit of 12... Even Elite Corporate Security (Professional Rating 5) is only throwing two dice to resist (Defaulting on Con with a base Charisma 3).

I can only base this off of Chicago missions which I am running, but the stats and skills are usually better than that if they think the players will be tossing dice.  It got to the point I was pretty sure the pizza delivery guy would have straight 5s in attributes.  Random guards where the set up you can't really con your way past them as well they can't open the door, they think maybe you will try intimidate to force them to call the boss up above so they toss 5 skill on them, they only had a 3 charisma which is unusually low for the characters in Chicago missions. Also assume every Johnson will roll 14-18 dice in negotiation even if they aren't a professional at that stuff. Though I don't think con is one they used much specifically.

I can't speak to your example, but it sounds to me like the GM upped the dice pools. They certainly didn't have those kinds of dice pools when I played the last two Chicago seasons...

I'm more familiar with Neo-Tokyo as I've run all 6 missions.  And yeah, you won't be seeing 14-18 dice pool for social opposition very often at all.  Only one instance in the entire 6 mission season is coming immediately to mind actually...

[Glyph]

Comparing the contact skills in the core rules to the ones in Run Faster, you can see that their skills got reigned in (especially obvious since some of them are the same contacts re-statted). 

A high con skill is good; I consider con and negotiation my personal top two social skills, and also the two where a face is likeliest to face negative modifiers, and need more net successes (which determine the degree of success)..

But really, she only needs a high enough con skill to fool Ranma.

[Wenlocke]

But really, she only needs a high enough con skill to fool Ranma.

Insert old-school rant about fanfic writers exaggerating Nabiki into the Master Businesswoman/Con artist extraordinaire/massive capitalist here.

[Hobbes]

I'd pick one Combat skill put it at 6 with a specialization and throw the leftover points into whatever you'd like for a back up.  One Maxed out skill, one minor investment back up.  There are occasional Missions where players are temporarily separated from their gear, but it's not often or for long. 

Mentor Spirit?  Generally easy-peasy dice to pick up there.

I'm not sure you need Improved Potential (Social) if you've got a Limit of 12.  You only need a Limit about half your highest dice pool. 

Per one of the more recent FAQs Ways don't cost double after chargen, so you can pick that up later.  Just an FYI if you were looking at some other Positive Qualities.

IMO Negotiation, Leadership, and Con, are the big three skills for a Face.  You'll use them constantly.  I've never seen the "Doppleganger" gimmick be particularly useful in Missions, just never enough time for all the Legwork and set up.  Absolutely cool for a home game though. 

Mortimer's of London?  Free dice to all Social Tests, can't be beat.

Sapphire Knife > Combat Knife.

Palming, Sneaking, Looper Rounds are De rigueur for Shadow Runners, IMO, anyways. 

[adzling]

your con skill is crap for a face and i don't see Leadership, how are you going to use that Commanding Voice without it?

[Ajax]

So here’s my revised Active Skills list. With this set up, I’ll also swap her Martial Arts Style and Techniques for Aikido with Counter-Strike and Yielding Force (Counterstrike).

Active Skills
Con [Fast Talk] 6
Disguise* 2
Etiquette       4
Intimidation       4
Negotiation [Bargaining] 6
Palming* 2
Perception 4**
Sneaking* 2
Unarmed Combat [Aikido] 5

*Skill Group
**Free Adept Skill

[Marcus]

Redo the skills or redo the power.

[Ajax]

Commanding Voice adds dice to the both Opposed Intimidation or Leadership tests that the adept initiates. Although Leadership tests can result in some useful things every now and then, they’re pretty dang rare... it’s not often I find myself having “Follow me, lads!” moments in Shadowrun.

Intimidation, on the other hand, comes up with some regularity. But usually only with street toughs and gutter punks. Professional shadowrunners, elite security, and corporate big-wigs are too cool to be intimidated (and it’s not usually worth it to try, even if you could throw enough dice at them. “Flies with honey,” and all that).

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Well the cool bit about Commanding Voice is it's the game's version of the Jedi Mind Trick.  Using Leadership to tell HTR troopers that these aren't the shadowrunners they're looking for would be something a GM could reasonably say "will never work, so no I'm not even figuring out your dice pool penalty"... but what's feasible ceases to be a concern when you involve the magic of Commanding Voice.