Bioware would also do the trick.
Granted, going exclusively bio gets pretty expensive as well, but it's even more inconspicious than deltaware or a masked low-grade initiate.
Similar things can be said for technomancers.

You'd still have to watch out for high-force spirits at customs, though.
Still, i doubt that entry points like the Chunnel or the port at Dover have anything at Force 5+ (which you need to detect bio, delta, technomancy and masked Awakened even halfway reliably).
Such powerful spirits will not be bound by a mage who is resigned to customs checks, which means he's only summoned for a day, which means there's fewer of them. So these would likely be restricted to airports.

Granted, that can easily change on special occasions (recent or supposed terrorist activity, important diplomatic visits, major public events), so make sure to check your newsfeeds carefully before boarding.

And what if we're small time, just getting our start, and in the bowels of London already? I was planning on running an Elf Street Sam, which would be kinda hard if I can't get chromed.

Get out of London, fast.

Ask your GM about if and how he'll modify availability and the police clamping down on chrome, weapons etc.
Maybe he's got a completely different vision of the setting than we do.
All of the following is just based on my view of shadowrunning in London, his may require entirely different priorities.
Maybe he just wants Seattle with more fog, cool accents and old buildings. In that case, you cold build your character as normal.
Maybe he's out to kill half of the team, which means you'll have to play smart, go for the full mirror shades deal and hope for the best. Maybe he wants characters who are slightly less tricked out, but can act mostly in the normal fashion.
Who knows.
Get to know what kind of theme he's looking for when he chooses London as your campaign setting.

-In general, i'd invest in skills for less restricted weapons that are easily silenced and don't cause giant explosions (pistols, longarms, maybe even projectile weapons) and skills that make you more self-reliant (such as Armorer to reload your own ammunition).
-Look out for 'ware that can be passed off as medical treatments or is otherwise legal (synthacardium, cybereyes without smartlinks), particularly used stuff might fit the theme and would safe you a lot of money.
-Avoid cyberweapons, not worth the hassle.
-Your biggest issue are additional IPs. Once more, ask your GM how strictly cyberware laws are enforced. Maybe he is particularly looking for a game where one or two IPs are the norm (although this is less of an issue than in SR1 and 2 for a variety of reasons).
You may end up wanting to get an auto-injecor with IP-boosting drugs instead of wired reflexes, or try to spare the money for a synaptic accelerator.
-Make sure to have good faked licenses for everything.
-Get at least one good connection in law enforcement, particularly the LPO (Lord Protector's Office). Someone you can get inside knowledge about surveilance measures from, someone to help you out when things really go south.

That's the gritty street version.
The possibly cheesy, but very efficient alternative would be to play Jack the Ripper.
Stat up an extremely well-connected character with kickass 'ware straight from the labs of NeoNET who also happens to be a murderous career criminal for shits and giggles. Give him qualities like Erased or let him be an aristocrat from an important family. Go to town gaming the rigid class hierarchies to your advantage.

Sure, but GB isn't the only place were having a good excuse for your chrome might come handy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Surely you're not suggesting there are no low-level runners in the big smoke.

Some options may include:
1 be the face or rigger (getting run over by a car is pretty deadly no matter how legal the vehicle is)
2 really push the grunge and enjoy some runs armed with chains and boards with nails
3 push the pink mohawk
4 play high-risk

I think he's going for a Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Shadowrunners style campaign - he says we're going to have to play pretty mirrorshades but it's not like we're going to be on the knife's edge all of the time, he's not trying to kill us. That being said, he doesn't want any pink mohawk shenanigans either.



I was planning on going for a Street Sam rather than a Gun Bunny, for basically that reason. I'll have to ask the GM what he's thinking about IPs, but I did ask if he'd allow me to pay a bit more for "stealth" wares, that are either shielded or designed to look like something less problematic. I'd rather avoid combat drugs, if possible, but it may be a better solution, given the likely prices of wares. Though my character may have had his work done in Tir (I'm thinking he'll be a Belfast boy) or on the continent. But that means I'll have to have figured out how to get it past customs.



I don't think having him be an aristocrat would work, thematically speaking. As to his being Jack the Ripper, well, I was thinking of calling him MacHeath, so that may not be too far off.

God no - I'd assume Man and Machine or Cybertechnology (the one with the surgery rules).

If going SR3, I'd suggest a houserule (if there's not one RAW) whereby the doctor (biotech skill, with associated skillsets of cybertechnology and possibly stealth) modifies the chrome to obscure the scanner readings. Sure, it can pick up the metal in you, but the detail is "foggy" or you've got the 'ware inlaid with denser metals to hide some of your more illegal options.

NOTE: The mechanism for Cyberware Scanners wasn't really fleshed out, so it's up to the GM and the players to rule how sophisticated such techniques would be.

I'd suggest using the base detection numbers for cyberware (that's cannon, from distant memory) and have the doc roll an open test of their biotech/cybersurgery modifications less the character's essence. (Ie: if he's chromed to the hilt, someone's going to be a little suspicious that it's all legal and medically-required equipment)

Or using a less broken mechanism, have the doctor aim for a TN to hide the chrome, less the "grade" (1 for alpha, 2 for beta, 3 for delta, always use the lowest grade number) but + the essence loss of the individual. (As per casting "Heal" on someone, TN-wise)

So, Joe Sammy has an essence of 2.0, all alpha, and wants his gear to slip through without comment (TN 10).
Doc rolls 8 dice (Biotech) with whatever complimentary skills the GM decides with a TN of 17 (ie: 10 - 1(alphaware) + 8( 10- Essence, like the healing spells - as a basis of difficulty rather than anything special.)

That's a hard roll, but dooable if the good doc spends additional time (time required dependant on knowledge of individuals' medical history and equipment, like all the surgery rules stuff) and the player spends additional cash getting it right.

TN 10 to detect/identify 1-K cyber is a bare minimum in a security situation like an International Airport, I'd think.
In any case, that would mean you'd be able to slip in through the mechanical scanners and spirit's detection stuff ok, but at quite a hefty cost. (50% extra on top of deltaware? Heh, heh, heh....)



For 4th ed, hmm...remember we don't play it.

But for argument's sake;

Resist detection for cyberware (whatever number the game's tossed up, don't know what it would be) + dice gained from taking steps to hide cyber.

I'd assume that the steps taken would be like...

REALSkin covering, +1 to resist detection for obvious cyberware; GM rules on this.
Grade of ware: Delta +3/beta +2/alpha +1/ used -2 (Used alpha -1 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) )
Stealth cyber components, +50% cost of cyber, +5 dice to resist detection
Deceptive Surgery, +1 to resist detection, adds +10% of cost for the surgery, can be taken 3 times, dependent on skill of surgeon

So, Jonny Sammy from above would have X dice to roll normally (to deceive the search, don't know what the numbers/related skill would be) and +5 extra (ie: Alphaware: +1; for having his arm's reskinned: +1; getting a good doc in to install the sneaky stuff: +3) which isn't that fantastic, but worth the investment if you'll be legally slipping over borders on a regular basis.


So, how's that sound?
-Tir.

Uhm, i don't think the searched party gets any dice at all.
It's a simple success test on the searchers side i think O.o
For hiding gear, you get to do the palming trick. Cyber?
Not so much.

So, for SR4, the dice "advantage" of the player with hidden 'ware would remove dice from the party searching? (Ie: -whatever dice from their search roll?)

...This is the reason why I shouldn't suggest workarounds for a system I'm not familiar with:)

-Tir

*nods* exactly.

a metal scanner will find metal, no matter what -.-
you can still get ceramic bone lacing for example (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

maybe apply the Ceramic Components weapon modification from arsenal to appropriate cyberware?

That would be one way to handle it. Another would be to let it increase the target number.

You mean, Treshhold?

Could you just remove the cyber for travel and ship it by another method?

If you have modular CyberLimbs, yes, otherwise? . . Are you serious?
Major Surgery every time you travel?

Yeah, sorry about that.



I'd assume that finding a suitable facility for cybersurgery and going through an extensive healing process twice would be a major pain in the ass, particularly if you operate on a tight schedule.
You'd also run around with low Essence that's clearly visible on the astral, without any explanation for it.
That's admittedly not as bad as walking through customs with functional Wired Reflexes, but it would still raise an eyebrow and could probably convince the LPO to put you on audit.

I got Viral Huntington's, they needed to replace half my CNS and I still get twitches occasionally *pitiful face*

Depends on the metal, and the means of detection, wouldn't it? Non-ferrous metals shouldn't show up on a MAD pass for example. But I like the idea of replacing the metal with Ceramic Components or non-ferrous Cermets or something, using graphene for the connections instead of copper or gold or whatever they use in the '70s.



I doubt it, though I'm not too concerned about getting it through customs (if I can do it once, that should be enough, assuming my character won't be doing much traveling out of the U.K.) as long as I can do it once. And there are plenty of ports and other methods of getting into England, beyond Dover/Newcastle/Heathrow/Wherever so I should be alright. How hard would it be to swim the channel (with proper equipment of course)?

I've gotten the Sixth World Almanac and Shadows of Europe and my GM is going to lend me his London Sourcebook when he's done with it, so I'll have more questions soon, I'm sure.



Guard 1: "Hey, wait a minute, I thought Huntington's was genetic?"
Guard 2: "How'd you know that, Will?"
Guard 1: "Biology A Level."

Time for plan B: Whack the guards with a parchment folio edition of Hardwired until he believes Viral Huntington's exists. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Turn. To. Goo.

We are NOT doing this discussion again are we?
Turn to Goo does NOT work like that.
You are basically turned into wine gum . .

With a surface puncture rating equivalent to concrete! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

But you are separated from your chrome without major surgery!
Now only to piece it back together. But that's half the work removed. And you can ride the suborbital in a jar as luggage to boot!

No, you are not.
All of you becomes a giant Gummy Bear, with the ware clearly visible and STUCK in there.
And you are about as hard to open up like a statue made out of beton . .