Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: adzling on <07-05-15/2309:33>

Title: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: adzling on <07-05-15/2309:33>
Ok this is a thought experiment in the "what if" category.
What if a Technomancer took move by wire to become a JoaT?
The answer is below.
Do anything with a dice pool of @13-14 dice.
Yes, anything.
Not sure if it's worth it be interesting nonetheless.

Priorities:
A Resonance
B Attributes
C Resources
D Skills
E Metatype

Unnamed Hero
METATYPE: HUMAN
B 2, A 5, R 5(6), S 1, W 6, L 5/6, I 4, C 1, ESS 3.24, EDG 2, R 4
Condition Monitor (P/S): 9 / 11
Armor: 0
Limits: Physical 3, Mental 8, Social 5
Physical Initiative: 13+1D6 (16+1d6 with level 4 or 5 Machine sprite in his Move by Wire system)
Matrix Initiative: 10+3D6
Active Skills: Compiling 6, Computer 5, Electronic Warfare 5, Hacking 5, Registering 6, Software 5
<pistols 14 with machine sprite in gun and wires + smartlink>
<13 for most other skills that use equipment that can be inhabited by a machine sprite>
<10 for skills do not use equipment that can accept a machine sprite>
Languages: English N
Qualities: Addiction (Moderate): Coffee, Allergy, Common (Moderate): Coffee, Exceptional Attribute: Resonance, Restricted Gear: Move by Wire rating 1, Alphaware, Technomancer
Complex Forms: Cleaner, Puppeteer, Resonance Spike, Resonance Veil, Transcendent Grid
Augmentations:
   Cerebral Booster (1)
   Skilljack (Alphaware) (2)
move by wire (alphaware) (1)
cyberware cost: $121,500
Skillsoft network subscription (2) $10,000 <load any rating 2 activesoft to suit>
activesoft (2) $10,000 <perception?>
activesoft (2) $10,000 <pistols?>

Total base gear: $141,500
Starting $140,000+$20k (10 karma) = $161,500 - $141,500 = $20k to purchase armor, weapons, comlink, fake sin etc.

room for a bit more cyber down the road (another cerebral booster?)

I would be inclined to take JoaT for 4 karma post chargen as it will help this skill starve chappy acquire a few useful skills at rating 2 rather cheaply (for example Perception, running etc).
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: gilga on <07-07-15/0517:26>
I think that the maximum bonus dice you could get from machine spirits equal your skill.
So a move by wire 1 - can only run skill 2-  so you can get +2 dice. I do not think you can get more than that.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: UnLimiTeD on <07-07-15/0544:49>
Get "Restricted Gear" and use it to grab rating 6 Skillwires or atleast a wire package off the start (I think the package doesn't even need Res.Gear?).
Move by Wire to me looks like it's more meant for Adepts.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: SoulGambit on <07-07-15/1511:40>
You are probably better off buying Active Hardwires, IMO. They match the Essence cost of Skillwires if you buy five or less of them and you need to buy eight of them before they match the NuYen investment in a set of Skillwires. Active Skills rated at 2 even with machine sprite assistence, is kind of meh. Hardwires [Hacking] 6 loaded with a Machine Sprite is a great way to get Decker or better dicepools.

Pitty there's no Compiling or Registering Skillsofts.

Oh. I just realized, the Activesoft Accounts are added to your Lifestyle costs. There has got to be a way to abuse it. I wonder if a Trust Fund's free lifestyle can be used with it? Probably not, but I'm sure there are ways to reduce lifestyle costs.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: adzling on <07-07-15/1627:10>
So we went with the Renraku Tradejack suite which confers rating 4 skillwires, skilljacks and chipjacks for 0.9 essence and $124,000 nuyen.
Good bang for buck.
Stick a machine sprite in their and you got almost any skill (except social ones) at effectively level 8.
Not bad at all.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: gilga on <07-07-15/1656:19>
For a techno decker I think hardwires (hacking + computers) at 6 are also really fun.

up to 12 dice + logic/intuition and you do not have to use a deck to get them - so you can use your powers.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: Whiskeyjack on <07-07-15/2104:59>
Not sure what exactly Diagnostics is supposed to benefit in this setup.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: SoulGambit on <07-07-15/2144:01>
Same thing it benefits in every set-up. +Dice.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: Whiskeyjack on <07-07-15/2155:13>
Same thing it benefits in every set-up. +Dice.
+Dice to what? Skillsoft pools?
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: jim1701 on <07-08-15/0343:32>
Same thing it benefits in every set-up. +Dice.
+Dice to what? Skillsoft pools?

Evidently Arron indicated in the FAQ thread back in 2013 that this was legal.  It boggles the mind IMHO.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: SoulGambit on <07-08-15/0758:17>
Yes. Skillsoft dicepools. If you really need a reason...

Skillsofts are pure information translated into action. Diagnostics allows a Machine Sprite to not only monitor the information going in and supply commentary with regards to efficiency, it can monitor every step of the process between the chip and the meat body. It uses that information to make adjustments (or allow the device to do so automatically) to protect the information's integrity and allow for more efficient flows of data.

A.k.a. it runs a diagnostic analysis on the device and its function and thereby allows for it to be more efficient.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: adzling on <07-08-15/1423:24>
Yar a technomancer with a rating 6 skillwire system could be rather good with a level 6 machine sprite in there to provide +4 dice on average.

He'd be rolling 10 dice + stat + other mods.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: FST_Gemstar on <07-16-15/2032:15>
Wow that bundle is a steal and with only .9 essence loss! Buying the bundle separately takes 1.4 essence, so this is a really powerful (and unbalanced)! Activesofts and high rating skillsoft networks are expensive though (20k per activesoft with only 4 running at a time, 20k month for rating 4 skills). For the wireless network, you only have access to one skill at a time and it does take time/initiative to change skills. If you went sum to 10, you could drop skills down to E and boost resources to up to B. You could buy four rating 4 Activesofts for Computer, Perception, Electronic Warfare, and a Weapon, while still maximizing (with specs) Compiling, Registering, Software, and Hacking (or however you want to split the skills). With a level 4 Machine Sprite you will start very competent, all of your activesoft skills will have an effective rating of 8 and your "real" skills will also have an effective rating of 8 (when using specialization). This could be a really elegant build for a cybered technomancer. 

I guess the issue would be that you can't turn off the wireless functionality and Renraku will know a lot about you too. You might be able to get around this by taking biocompatability (cyberware), take the skilljacks at alpha, and the skillwires and standard (rating 4 at alpha will have too high an availability). the Skillwires/jacks and activesofts will run 208k, leaving close to 70 for other gear.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: UnLimiTeD on <07-17-15/0332:47>
I only counted 1.1 base essence cost.
Probably better to just buy the parts, though.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: adzling on <07-17-15/1032:20>
The Renraku suite actually is the exact same essence and $ cost as the items separately so it's not any advantage over buying the items separately.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: UnLimiTeD on <07-18-15/0625:26>
Well, I counted Chipjack: 0.2, Wires: 0.8, Skilljack: 0.1.
The suite was 0.9, wasn't it?
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: FST_Gemstar on <07-18-15/0843:26>
Rating 4 chipjack .2, Rating 4 wires: .8, Rating 4 Skilljack: .4. That's my chummer math.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: adzling on <07-18-15/0955:24>
The Skilwires essence cost in Chrome Flesh is a typo.
It should be the same as core, 0.1 per rating.
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: UnLimiTeD on <07-18-15/1424:32>
Are we sure about that?
Title: Re: Cybered Technomancer move by wire w/ machine sprite...
Post by: adzling on <07-19-15/1035:25>
Wak said it was a typo somewhere.