[saltorio]

I've been playing with ideas for a parallel campaign my current group might be starting (for when our GM is unavailable), and want something different than the heavy gunner/medic I've just started playing. Eventually I came across the idea of character with excellent pistols skill who's even better as a blade martial artist. After messing around with varying builds (augmented stats, cyber limbs, etc.) I'm liking the combination one below and thought I'd post it for comments, since I have exactly 6 sessions of Shadowrun under my belt, and none of them ever involved melee combat.

I have access to all the books, and all are OK with the GM. We're going with a standard 400 BP for character creation (of which I've used 388 with this build as it is below).

Any comments are greatly appreciated, and please let me know if the way I am interpreting the application of stats to my skills seem correct.

[spoiler]Gunkata
Race (20 BP)
Ork (Enhanced Senses, Low-Light Vision)

Attributes (160 BP)
Body 4/6
Agility 3 (effectively 7 for actions with whole-body or both arms)
Reaction 5/9
Strength 3 (effectively 8 for actions with whole-body or both arms)
Charisma 1
Intuition 5
Logic 1
Willpower 3
Edge 5
Essence 0.26

Initiative 10/14
IP 1/3
Condition Monitor boxes (Physical/Stun): 13/10
Commlink, Basic Condition Monitor: 9
Armor (Ballistic/Impact): 23/18

Active Skills (132 BP)
Athletics Group 4

• Climbing [15 dice *]
• Flight [15 dice *]
• Gymnastics [18 dice **]
• Running [10 dice]
• Swimming [15 dice *]

Blades 7 (Knives +2) [16 dice ***]
Infiltration 4 [11 dice *]
Perception 4 [12 dice]
Pistols 4 (Semi-Automatics +2) [13 dice ***]
Shadowing 4 [9 dice]

* using effective whole-body stat
** using effective whole-body stat and Satyr Legs
*** using cyberlimb stat

Knowledge Skills (0 BP)

• (-TBD-) 2
• (-TBD-) 2
• (-TBD-) 2
• (-TBD-) 3
• (-TBD-) 3
• English 6
• Japanese N

Qualities (0 BP)
Albinism
Arnis De Mano (1)
Changeling (Class II SURGE)

• Balance Receptor
• Celerity
• Critter Spook
• Satyr Legs
• Third Eye

Firefight (3)
Hawk Eye
Incompetent: Automatics
SINner (Criminal SIN)
Wanted: (-TBD-)

Martial Arts (16 BP)
Advantages

• +1 dodge vs. Ranged Attacks if in melee
• +1 DV on Blades attacks
• Reduce 'attacker in melee' modifier by 2 (2)

Maneuvers

• Clinch
• Disarm
• Finishing Move
• Multi-Strike
• Off-Hand Training (Blades)
• Set-up
• Two Weapon Style
• Watchful Guard

Cyberware

• Attention Coprocessor (2nd-Hand) (3)
• Cyber Lower Arm (Obvious) (2nd-Hand) (Main Hand) with Cyber Safety (2nd-Hand), Cyberlimb Agility (9), Cyberlimb Body (7), Cyberlimb Strength (11), Enhanced Agility (3), Enhanced Body (3), Enhanced Strength (3), Implant Medics (6), Skinlink
• Cyber Lower Arm (Obvious) (2nd-Hand) (Off Hand) with Cyber Safety (2nd-Hand), Cyberlimb Agility (9), Cyberlimb Body (7), Cyberlimb Strength (11), Enhanced Agility (3), Enhanced Body (3), Enhanced Strength (3), Implant Medics (6), Skinlink
• Reaction Enhancers (2nd-Hand) (2) with Implant Medics (6)
• Wired Reflexes (2nd-Hand Alphaware) (2) with Implant Medics (6)

Bioware

• Damage Compensators (3)
• Platelet Factories (2nd-Hand)
• Reflex Recorder: Blades
• Synthacardium (2nd-Hand) (3)

Weapons & Attacks

• Grapple Gun
  [10, DV 5S vs. I, SS, RC 2, 1 (ml)]
  Chameleon Coating, Improved Range Finder, Smartgun System, Internal
  .
• Nemesis Arms Praetorian (Main Hand)
  [17, DV 6P vs. B-2, SA, RC 4, 12 (c)]
  Bayonet, Bayonet Mount, Ceramic/Plasteel Components (Level 1), Cyber Safety, Electronic Firing, EX-Explosive Rounds x24, Hi-C Plastic Rounds x12, Improved Range Finder, Melee Hardening, Silencer, Smartgun System, Internal, Spare Clips, Stick-n-Shock x12, Trigger Removal
  . . Bayonet (Main Hand) [19, DV 8P vs. I, Reach 2] with Personalized Grip
  .
• Nemesis Arms Praetorian (Off Hand)
  [15, DV 6P vs. B-2, SA, RC 4, 12 (c)]
  Bayonet, Bayonet Mount, Ceramic/Plasteel Components (Level 1), Cyber Safety, Electronic Firing, EX-Explosive Rounds x24, Hi-C Plastic Rounds x12, Improved Range Finder, Melee Hardening, Silencer, Smartgun System, Internal, Spare Clips, Stick-n-Shock x12, Trigger Removal
  . . Bayonet (Off Hand) [19, DV 8P vs. I, Reach 2] with Personalized Grip
  .
• Ceramic Knife [19, DV 8P vs. I] with Ceramic/Plasteel Components (Level 1), Personalized Grip
• Shock Glove [9, DV 5S(e) vs. ½I] with Internal Battery x10, Personalized Grip
• Unarmed Strike [8, DV 6S vs. I]
• Attack of Will (vs. Spirits) [9, DV 1P vs. I]

Armor

• Ballistic Mask with Directional Microphone, Laser Range Finder, MAD Scanner (3), Motion Sensor, Radio Signal Scanner (6), Skinlink, Ultrawideband Radar (4)
• Form-Fitting Full-Body Suit with Biofabrics, Nonconductivity (6), Skinlink
• Lined Coat with Chemical Protection (6), Gel Packs, Ruthenium Polymer Coating, Thermal Dampening (2), YNT Softweave Armor
• SecureTech Forearm Guards
• SecureTech Leg and Arm Casings
• SecureTech Shin  Guards
• SecureTech Vitals Protector

Gear (50 BP)

• Climbing Gear
• Commlink, Basic with Armor (10), Hardening (6), Skinlink, Vector Xim Operating System
• Contact Lenses (3) with Flare Compensation, Image Link, Skinlink, Smartlink
• Earbuds (3) with Audio Enhancement (2), Skinlink, Sound Dampener
• Gecko Tape Gloves
• Glasses (4) with Thermographic Vision, Vision Enhancement (3), Vision Magnification, Electronic
• Hidden Gun Arm Slide (Main Hand)
• Hidden Gun Arm Slide (Off Hand)
• Medkit (6)
• Microwire (m) x100
• Rapelling Gloves

Social (10 BP)

• Identity: (-TBD-) with Fake License: Augmentations (3), Fake License: Concealed Carry (3), Fake License: Firearms (3), Fake License: Melee Weapons (3), Fake SIN (3), Low Lifestyle
• Identity: (-TBD-) (Criminal SIN)
• Contact: Hate Group Member (CL2/L2)
• Contact: Street Doc (CL3/L3)

[/spoiler]

[All4BigGuns]

You have two 1s in attributes, and, personally, if I were the GM, I would ask for a good reason for them to be so low. Especially Logic, as that would represent serious mental impairment.

[emsquared]

Especially Logic, as that would represent serious mental impairment.

Actually, A4BG, it could just mean he has something equivalent to Attention Deficit Disorder and/or is irrational, easily distracted, and has a poor memory. Hardly mentally impaired. Good try though.

[All4BigGuns]

Especially Logic, as that would represent serious mental impairment.

Actually, A4BG, it could just mean he has something equivalent to Attention Deficit Disorder and/or is irrational, easily distracted, and has a poor memory. Hardly mentally impaired. Good try though.

Considering that Logic affects how quickly the character can learn, that definitely makes a Logic rating of 1 seriously mentally impaired.

How easily distracted one would be would be a function of Intuition.

[emsquared]

As for an actual critique, as an Ork and a primary combatant, you are missing out hugely by not taking advantage of your naturally high BOD and STR. I get that you're doing the cyberlimb thing, so you can probably skip out on the STR (though you should just drop it to 7 or bump it up to 9 - this is when your DVs change), but you should definitely bump your BOD up to 7.

Regarding skills, you have taken 32 BP worth of Skills from the Stealth Group - though you only have a 4 in two of them. If you can scrounge up 8 more BP you could have 4s in all 4 Skills.

You appear to have broken multiple rules regarding Martial Arts. You only have Arnis de Mano Rating 1, however you have 3 Advantages, you're only allowed 1 per rating, you are also only allowed 2 Maneuvers per Martial Art rating, you have 8.

Some GMs may not allow 2nd-Hand Alphaware as I think the whole thing with Alphaware is it's tailored specifically for the person who buys it, may want to check on that before committing to it... Also, not a big fan of 2nd-Hand 'ware in general, it's a better investment (i.e. you don't have to re-buy everything later) to just get less stuff IMO, but YM(and GM)MV.

Considering that Logic affects how quickly the character can learn, that definitely makes a Logic rating of 1 seriously mentally impaired.

How easily distracted one would be would be a function of Intuition.

Difficulty learning does not necessarily equal mentally impaired, so sorry. I have friends that aren't good at book learning but are brilliant chefs or businessmen.

p. 67, SR4A - "A Logic-lacking character might get overwhelmed when confronted with a lot of details and may have a poor memory" close enough to easily distracted in the context of Reason and Learning for me

[saltorio]

As for an actual critique, as an Ork and a primary combatant, you are missing out hugely by not taking advantage of your naturally high BOD and STR. I get that you're doing the cyberlimb thing, so you can probably skip out on the STR (though you should just drop it to 7 or bump it up to 9 - this is when your DVs change), but you should definitely bump your BOD up to 7.

In order to bump my body score up to something that'd make a difference I'd have to invest heavily in attribute points, or drop my 2 STR or AGI between my arms. The AGI would hurt my attacks, and the STR would drop my melee damage to 7P.

As for my STR stat, I'd have to put 2 attribute points (20 BP) into STR to bump the effective to 9, and I can't drop the attribute itself any lower. I suppose I could drop the stat in one of my arms to 10. Is there any issue with not matching stats between both cyberarms?

In regards to the Stealth group, I was thinking that.

You appear to have broken multiple rules regarding Martial Arts. You only have Arnis de Mano Rating 1, however you have 3 Advantages, you're only allowed 1 per rating, you are also only allowed 2 Maneuvers per Martial Art rating, you have 8.

You appear to have missed that I have Firefight (3). 

Our GM is cool with 2nd-hand gear. He was able to make the character he wanted in our other campaign because of it. We're pretty good at coming up with reasons for having 2nd-hand stuff.

p. 67, SR4A - "A Logic-lacking character might get overwhelmed when confronted with a lot of details and may have a poor memory" close enough to easily distracted in the context of Reason and Learning for me

I was actually basing my decision to have 1 Logic on that description. I do have enough free BPs (12) to put another point into Logic, but it would actually fit my character concept more to instead put those BPs into Charisma if it came down to it.

One thing I realized after I posted is that "Satyr" is an Ork metavariant. I was thinking I could always switch to a Satyr, and drop 1 rank of Changeling (since I'd have the Satyr legs). It wouldn't actually save me any BP (Satyr's are 25 BP vs. Ork's 20) but it would allow me 5 BP in positive qualities if I found something useful. The only drawback is I'm not keen on having horns. 

[emsquared]

In order to bump my body score up to something that'd make a difference I'd have to invest heavily in attribute points...

Invest in the Attribute, you've only spent 120(!) on them, you effectively gain post-gen Karma by raising it now (by not having to raise it with Karma later).

As for my STR stat, I'd have to put 2 attribute points (20 BP) into STR to bump the effective to 9, and I can't drop the attribute itself any lower. I suppose I could drop the stat in one of my arms to 10. Is there any issue with not matching stats between both cyberarms?

Yeah, I'm not too well versed in cyberlimbs, but I see what's going on now, your "effective" is only used for say, Athletics skills and what not (not DVs), not a big deal then.

You appear to have missed that I have Firefight (3). 

Actually I've never seen Firefight before and have no idea what it does. What book is it from?

[Novocrane]

Arsenal, and it's a Martial Art.

[saltorio]

Actually I've never seen Firefight before and have no idea what it does. What book is it from?

Arsenal, pg. 157

Firefight
In 2068, Ares Macrotechnology unveiled a completely new martial arts form based on the popular image of a gunfighter whirling through a melee with a pistol in each hand, shooting as much as punching and kicking. The product found its market in eager young gunslingers raised on a steady diet of trideo action flicks. Firefight is characterized by distinctive stances that allow proper shooting techniques to be applied regardless of distance to target. In essence, the user is trained to make the weapons an extension of her hands. Firefight is a growing style among Ares Firewatch teams.

Advantages: Reduce the ranged combat “attacker in melee combat” modifier by 1 (may be taken twice, for a cumulative modifier reduction); or +1 die on melee dodge (but not block or parry) Defense Tests

[emsquared]

Arsenal, and it's a Martial Art.

Thought it was a Posi Quality, well there ya go then.

[RHat]

Arsenal, and it's a Martial Art.

Thought it was a Posi Quality, well there ya go then.

Strictly speaking, as a Martial Art, it IS a Positive Quality.

[emsquared]

Arsenal, and it's a Martial Art.

Thought it was a Posi Quality, well there ya go then.

Strictly speaking, as a Martial Art, it IS a Positive Quality.

No way?!

[RHat]

Arsenal, and it's a Martial Art.

Thought it was a Posi Quality, well there ya go then.

Strictly speaking, as a Martial Art, it IS a Positive Quality.

No way?!

Yeah, yeah, I know.  Wanted to make sure noone reading the thread came away with the impression that Martial Arts didn't count against the Positive Quality cap, is all.

[saltorio]

In order to bump my body score up to something that'd make a difference I'd have to invest heavily in attribute points...

Invest in the Attribute, you've only spent 120(!) on them, you effectively gain post-gen Karma by raising it now (by not having to raise it with Karma later).

It's the same problem as the Strength issue, in that the Body score is coming entirely from the cyberarms. To get the overall Body score to increased to 7, four or five attribute points need to be put into Body. That's a huge BP investment for what ends up being 1 physical damage box.

Not saying I shouldn't invest more in attributes (though I'm getting most of what I need from the cyberarms),  just that boosting Body doesn't seem to work out effectively in this case.

-edit-
OK. I overstated (as I was working off my tablet without access to HeroLab). It is in-fact 3 attribute points into Body required to get me an additional damage box. Still not sure if it'd be worth it though. Is 30 BP worth 1 damage box (and as far as I can see, nothing else), seeing as how I'd have to find 18 BP through dropping something?

[emsquared]

It is in-fact 3 attribute points into Body required to get me an additional damage box.

Especially as an Ork, BP-Chargen favors spending as many points on your attributes as you possibly can during Character Generation (which is why I recommended raising your STR now too - upgrade your cyberlimbs later), cyberlimbs cost the same now as they do after, Attributes are more expensive. You either raise your BOD up to 7 now for 30 BP (60 Karma), or you raise it after Chargen for 90 Karma. That's your choice. Unless you never intend to raise your base BOD (and STR) of course. If you have to cut back on your tricked out Gear, well, in my experience it's easier to get Y after Chargen than it is Karma. But again of course its your Choice.