[Danny Montanny]

   Info
Street Name:
Name:
Movement: 6/12
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0
Human
Composure: 11
Judge Intentions: 10
Lift/Carry: 3 (30 kg/20 kg)
Memory: 10
Nuyen: 112 + 4d6 x 100

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

   Attributes
BOD: 1
AGI: 3
REA: 3
STR: 2
WIL: 6
LOG: 4
INT: 5
CHA: 5
EDG: 3
RES: 6

   Derived Attributes
Essence: 6
Initiative: 8 + 1d6
Matrix AR Initiative: 8 + 1d6
Matrix Hot Initiative: 9 + 4d6
Physical Damage Track: 9
Stun Damage Track: 11

   Limits
Physical: 3
Mental: 7
Social: 8
   Mortimer of London: Berwick Suit (+1: Must be visible)
   Mortimer of London: Ulysses Coat (+1: Must be visible)

   Active Skills
Cracking Skill Group: 5
   Cybercombat: 5
   Electronic Warfare: 5
   Hacking: 5
Electronics Skill Group: 5
   Computer: 5
   Hardware: 5
   Software: 5

Compiling: 6
Con: 6
Etiquette: 2
Gymnastics: 3
Impersonation: 3
Intimidation: 2
Negotiation: 6
Perception: 2
Pistols (Semi-Automatics): 6 (+2)
Registering: 6
Sneaking: 3

   Knowledge Skills
18 points to spend.

   Complex Forms
Diffusion of Firewall: FV L + 1
Puppeteer: FV L + 4
Static Veil: FV L - 1

   Registered Sprites
Crack Sprite: 6 (3 Services)
Fault Sprite: 6 (3 Services)
Machine Sprite: 6 (3 Services)

   Contacts
15 points to spend.

   Qualities
Addiction (Mild: Alcohol)
Addiction (Moderate: Sex)
Did You Just Call Me Dumb?
First Impression
Focused Concentration: 3
In Debt: 5
Poor Self Control: Braggart
Technomancer

   Lifestyles
Middle Lifestyle: 1 month

   Armor
Mortimer of London: Berwick Suit
   +Concealability Modifier (-2)
   +Custom Fit
   +Social Tests (+1)
Mortimer of London: Ulysses Coat
   +Concealability Modifier (-3)
   +Custom Fit (Stack)
   +Social Tests (+1)

   Weapons
Ares Predator V
   +Concealed Quick-Draw Holster
   +Gas-Vent 3 System
   +Personalized Grip
   +Smartgun System (Internal)
   Pool: 11 (12)   Accuracy: 8   DV: 8P   AP: -1   RC: 5
Cavalier Safeguard
   +Concealed Quick-Draw Holster
   +Personalized Grip
   +Smartgun System (Internal)
   Pool: 9 (10)   Accuracy: 8   DV: 6S(e)   AP: -5   RC: 2
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 2   Accuracy: 3   DV: 2S   AP: -   RC: 1

   Commlink
Living Persona (ATT: 5 / SLZ: 5 / DP: 4 / FWL: 6)
Hermes Ikon (ATT: 0 / SLZ: 0 / DP: 5 / FWL: 5)
   +Fake SIN: 4 (Bars W. Licer)
      +Fake License: 4 (Concealed Carry Permit)
      +Fake License: 4 (Pistol License)

   Gear
Ammo: APDS (Heavy Pistols) x 15
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Heavy Pistols) x 60
Ammo: Taser Dart (Tasers) x 12
Contacts: 2
   +Flare Compensation
   +Smartlink
Spare Clip (Ares Predator V) x 4
Spare Clip (Cavalier Safeguard)

[Zweiblumen]

I'd compile/register the sprites during legwork and not spend the karma on them.  If you can squeeze on more karma from ¥¥ and give up the sprites that gets you a body of 2, or adding to those social skills.
Another option would be to ditch the sprites and use that for ¥¥ to upgrade your synergist line to the Mortimer line so you can get a bonus to your social die pool as well as your limit.

Also, you'll probably find using the focused concentration on static viel most and you only need a 2 for that, can free up some karma there.  If you're doing Diffusion of FW at higher levels just hand that off to a sprite to sustain for you.  Great use of a data sprite during a hacking run.

[Danny Montanny]

That's assuming you have the time during legwork, and if you're also facing, that's going to cut into that time even more. What would Body 2 really do for me, anyways? 1 more for soak and overflow? If he's in that much trouble, Body 2 probably isn't gonna save him.

I'll check out the Mortimer line, could always use more dice.

Here was my thought on FC: 3. Sustaining a spell on a sprite lasts all of 3 seconds per service. That's not a whole lot of time. If I'm in a host, the sprite will be burnt up before I can do what I need done. My main thought was to soften the FW so I could more easily Puppeteer the device to Invite 3 Marks. Depends on how you view a host, it might give me more access, but it'll definitely make the IC go down faster if a fight breaks out. Maybe I'm way off base, though. No direct connection surely makes hacking a host a little more tricky. I suppose I could always spring for a Datajack and Pain Editor, though.

Also, I went Special B from C to get more Skills. It gave me 8 more, but if I was thinking right I could've just gone A Skills. Yes, usually a trap, but maybe not this time. The 5 more SG could be put into a face group which should free up some to bump the others. Or I could go 5/5 Cracking/Electronics. I'd loose out on 1 die for threading, but face skills would vastly improve. EDIT: Pretty sure that's what I'll do. I pick up the 4 Karma I spent on 2 skills and put it into the CF I loose going down to Special C. Skills A gets me 11 points to spread around. Sure I lose the 1 on Software, but I also pick up Hardware: 5, which could be useful (especially on repair tests with a Machine Sprite running Diagnostics).

[jim1701]

Sustaining a complex form is done by a registered sprite for a number of combat turns equal to  its level per service.  So it is not quite as bad as all that. 

[Danny Montanny]

Sustaining a complex form is done by a registered sprite for a number of combat turns equal to  its level per service.  So it is not quite as bad as all that. 

Definitely read it wrong, but still, not that long. Again, all depending on how the GM runs the host. The rules are so grey, that's it's nearly impossible to know what the right course of action might be when you get in there. Either way, if I feel I need a higher level, then I'll go the Sprite rout.

[Nartaki Post]

Is your GM using any house rules regarding Technomancers?  Because as I see them, they don't work.  For an example of how they don't work, look at the "Using Complex Forms" example on page 253.  To get 5 hits on 11 dice is a rare event, you would basically have to use a service from a resisted sprite to have any chance of a decant success.  Even then, combining the dice penalty for sustaining Complex Forms, and the wound modifier from fading, the example has the character at -3 across the board in exchange for making a target loose 2 from only one stat.  Puppeteer is worse, with its +4 fade code, you are looking at 9 drain each time you use it.  Four hits is a good result when resisting fading, so you are looking at about 5 or 6 stun for each attempt at puppeteer.

I believe the intent of the TM is to play mostly like a decker, with complex forms to occasionally mix things up.  This is not possible due to many faults that TM's have, like lack of programs, but that is a discussion for another time.

Nartaki posting on the forums

[Danny Montanny]

If I really wanted to hack a host, I'd use Edge to Push the Limit.

Step 1: Find a device slaved to the host. Thread a Level 1 Diffusion of Firewall on the device while Pushing the Limit. Depending on the host rating, I would add 1 or more Level 6 Sprites to help with the Threading. That's 13 + (6+ more) + Rule of Six. I'm hoping to bring the firewall of the host down to 1, since it's the host's firewall that's defending but my target is still a device. If you rule that this wouldn't be the case, then I'd argue that my Form then should be able to target the device as if I was directly connected to it. If you're still gonna rule no way, then I probably wouldn't play a Technomancer in a game you're running.

Step 2: Thread a Level 1 Puppeteer on the device while Pushing the Limit with my last Edge. The firewall should be good and tanked now and with me only having to resist 2 points of Fade, I'm not taking any negatives so long as I have at least Focused Concentration: 1. 12 + (6+ more if I think I need it) + Rule of Six vs. a much smaller dice pool. I'll then command the device to, "indefinitely offer to Invite 3 Marks that last 1 hour to any persona." I'll now have to resist 5 Fade, and hope I can resist at least 3 or them so I don't take any negatives.

Step 3: My Sprites and I all get 3 marks as Free Actions and access to the host for 1 hour. Proceed inside to cause some havoc.

[firebug]

If I really wanted to hack a host, I'd use Edge to Push the Limit.

Step 1: Find a device slaved to the host. Thread a Level 1 Diffusion of Firewall on the device while Pushing the Limit. Depending on the host rating, I would add 1 or more Level 6 Sprites to help with the Threading. That's 13 + (6+ more) + Rule of Six. I'm hoping to bring the firewall of the host down to 1, since it's the host's firewall that's defending but my target is still a device. If you rule that this wouldn't be the case, then I'd argue that my Form then should be able to target the device as if I was directly connected to it. If you're still gonna rule no way, then I probably wouldn't play a Technomancer in a game you're running.

"I wouldn't play a Technomancer in a game you're running" is kind of pointless to say when you're asking a forum of people for advice on a character build.  What's your logic for how that would get around CFs being unable to target hosts, and I don't see your reasoning for then getting a direct connection when nothing related to complex forms suggests you would.

Step 2: Thread a Level 1 Puppeteer on the device while Pushing the Limit with my last Edge. The firewall should be good and tanked now and with me only having to resist 2 points of Fade, I'm not taking any negatives so long as I have at least Focused Concentration: 1. 12 + (6+ more if I think I need it) + Rule of Six vs. a much smaller dice pool. I'll then command the device to, "indefinitely offer to Invite 3 Marks that last 1 hour to any persona." I'll now have to resist 5 Fade, and hope I can resist at least 3 or them so I don't take any negatives.

Step 3: My Sprites and I all get 3 marks as Free Actions and access to the host for 1 hour. Proceed inside to cause some havoc.

That's not how Puppeteer works.  You command it to do a matrix action, not that matrix action for as long as I say to every target I say.  Also I'd point out that at this point you've used almost all (or all) of your Edge before you've begun actually trying to hack with your poor matrix dice pools.  This build would suffer massively and struggle to perform as the matrix specialist of the group, and while it's a decent Face, its dice pools are nothing compared to what an Adept, Magician, or Mundane face can accomplish with ease.

[Tarislar]

A: Skills
B: Attributes
C: Special
D: Metatype
E: Resources

BOD: 1
AGI: 3
REA: 3
STR: 2
WIL: 6
LOG: 4
INT: 5
CHA: 5


Cracking Skill Group: 5
   Cybercombat: 5
   Electronic Warfare: 5
   Hacking: 5
Electronics Skill Group: 5
   Computer: 5
   Hardware: 5
   Software: 5

Compiling: 6
Con: 6
Etiquette: 2
Gymnastics: 3
Impersonation: 3
Intimidation: 2
Negotiation: 6
Perception: 2
Pistols (Semi-Automatics): 6 (+2)
Registering: 6
Sneaking: 3

I'm no Technomancer, but, I would consider changing those Attributes around to the following.
B-3, A-2, R-3, S-1, W-5, L-4, I-5, C-6

I'd also consider shifting the skills around too.
6 - Cracking Group
4 - Influence Group
6 - Automatics
6 - Compiling
6 - Computer
6 - Con
6 - Registering
6 - Software
6 - Sneaking
Then add 4 Specializations to to the above 7 skills based on where you need to be Really Good.