My First Character, Please point and laugh... Options

[sandchigger]

Okay, so Divine Virus mentioned the Hacker Adept on another forum and I decided to make one to see if it was doable. So... please, please, please critique my character. It was built on a 425bp scale, with knowledge skills being equal to (Log+Int)*4 (as opposed to the usual *3). What does everyone think?

Screaming Meme
Human
Adept

[ Spoiler ]

Attributes
Body: 3
Agility: 2
Reaction: 5
Strength: 3
Charisma: 3
Intuition: 5
Logic: 4
Willpower: 3

Edge: 2
Magic: 6
Initiative: 10
Essence: 6

[ Spoiler ]

Active Skills
Electronics Skillgroup: 4
Computer : 4 (8)
Data Search : 4
Hardware : 4
Software : 4 (8)
Cracking Skillgroup: 4
Cybercombat : 4(8)
Electronic Warfare : 4
Hacking : 4 (8)
Dodge : 2
Perception : 1
Pistols : 2
Etiquette : 1
Negotiation : 2
Pilot Ground Craft : 1
Climbing : 1
Shadowing : 1
First Aid : 1

[ Spoiler ]

Knowledge Skills
English : N
Japanese : 3
Sperethiel : 2
Cantonese : 2
Mandarin : 2
Matrix Games : 3
SOTA Science : 3
Street Drugs (BTLs) : 2
Computer Background : 4
Sci-Fi Sims : 3
Pirate Trid Broadcasts : 2
Modern Literature : 2
Ares Macrotechnology : 2
Security Companies : 2
Lone Star Procedures : 2
Corp. Security Tactics : 1

[ Spoiler ]

Qualities
Codeslinger
Photographic Memory
Addiction, mild (BTLs)
Sensitive System

[ Spoiler ]

Weapons and Armor
Ares Predator IV
Smartgun System, internal
Regular Ammo (10 shots)
Regular Ammo (10 shots)
Ares Predator IV
Smartgun System, internal
Regular Ammo (10 shots)
Gel Rounds (10 shots)
Gel Rounds (10 shots)
Gel Rounds (10 shots)
Spare Clips
Spare Clips
Spare Clips
Spare Clips

Clothing (Regular)
Armor Jacket

[ Spoiler ]

Commlink
Commlink : Fairlight Caliban
OS : Novatech Navi
AR Gloves
Trodes
BTL Recording (above average)
Sim Recording (expensive)
Sim Recording (expensive)
BTL Recording (expensive)
BTL Recording (expensive)
BTL Recording (expensive)
BTL Recording (expensive)
VR Game
VR Game
VR Game
VR Game
VR Game
VR Game
VR Game
VR Game
VR Game
VR Game
Virtual Surround Music
System (Rating 5)
Firewall (Rating 5)
Response Upgrade (5)
Analyze (Rating 5)
Armor (Rating 4)
Attack (Rating 5)
Biofeedback Filters (Rating 4)
Black Hammer (Rating 4)
Browse (Rating 5)
Data Bomb (Rating 3)
Decrypt (Rating 3)
Edit (Rating 5)
Encrypt (Rating 5)
Scan (Rating 5)
Spoof (Rating 4)
Stealth (Rating 5)
Track (Rating 4)

[ Spoiler ]

Miscellaneous Gear
Mercury Comet (Sedan)
Fake SIN (Rating 3)
Goggles
+Flare Compensation
+Smartlink
+Image Link
+Vision Magnification

[ Spoiler ]

Adept Powers
Improved Ability : Computer (Level 4)
Improved Ability : Software (Level 4)
Improved Ability : Cybercombat (Level 4)
Improved Ability : Hacking (Level 4)
Improved Reflexes (level 1)

[ Spoiler ]

Contacts
Street Doc (L:1 C:2)
Blogger (L:2 C:1)
Fixer (L:2 C:2)

[Jaid]

you may want to include earbuds with at least a sound link.

actually, scratch that... just get yourself a hotsim modified sim module. for one thing, he's addicted to BTL, and you can't very well get addicted to BTL without using hotsim.

for another thing, you want full VR for that extra IP, and the +2 to all tests.

thirdly, per the errata you are limited to improved ability:2 on skills at 4. to get the benefit from improved ability: 4 you would need to have the base skill at 8 (impossible for a PC right now). anything higher than 3 cannot ever be used, and even 3 at this point won't be useful for you until you boost the base skill to 6 (see errata for details).

and IMO, you should have all hacking programs at rating 1 minimum (just in case, it at least lets you attempt to do something, which you can't do without the program). you probably also want an agent, so that you can later crack it's software and make as many agents as you want.

on a side note, you don't need that base commlink. if you buy each attribute separately, so long as you have all 4 at some rating (and 0 is a viable rating for signal, if you have something else to boost it), you don't need a commlink to start. neither do you need to have, say, response 4 in order to buy response 5; you can just buy the response chip and put it into something with response 1, or even combine it with something that has no response whatsoever (so long as you give it an OS to work). same thing applies to the OS; just buy system and firewall separately (and buy firewall 6, it isn't limited by response).

you probably want a reality filter program too, so that you can attempt to get your response up to 6 if you feel the need to do so.

oh, and i seem to recall codeslinger requiring you to choose a specific action... which you haven't.

[sandchigger]

Okay, let me make sure the info you gave fit properly into my tiny chiggy mind:

1) I need a BTL rig. I thought it was an easy mod to do and so didn't bother with paying the cashola as my char could well have done it himself. But yeah, you're right. Duh, Chigg...

2) I don't need the 'base stock' commlink to improve upon, I can just buy the four stats on chips, plop 'em into a little box and get on with it? Schweet.

3) The book says that you can't buy Improved ability greater than your actual skill. The errata says that you can't buy Improved Ability greater than HALF your actual skill? Jeebus... that rather limits things.

4) Buy More Programs and reality filter (even if only level one) with cash saved on unnecessary commlink.

5) Agents work like non-physical drones, right? They're just little helper programs? How do I 'load them up' with copies of my other programs (armor, stealth, attack, whatever)? Is there a limit to how much they can 'know' or is it assumed they have infinite storage, like a commlink or other computer?

[Butterblume]

1) trodes with a hot simsense module is needed, in your case ;).

2) Basically, yes. Where would be the point in having to purchase the weakest commlink before upgrading ;)

3) actually its a clarification of an existing rule ... and quite welcome ;). Still easy to abuse, though

5) How much agents can 'know', depends on their rating. The actual answer is much more complicated ;).

[hobgoblin]

whats with the spoiler tags?

[sandchigger]

Umm... everyone else was using them to show their characters. I dunno, didn't want to buck a trend, sorry.

[hobgoblin]

everyone else? hmm, maybe i have missed something lately...

[Glyph]

It's done on new game threads a lot, so players can post new characters for the GM without other players unintentionally seeing them. It is also done frequently to save space on a thread - it's not mandatory or anything, but sandchigger is right that a lot of people do it.

[sandchigger]

I was just trying to maintain the 'flow' of the boards and to save space (and the spoiler tags are kinda neat...)

[hobgoblin]

maybe if you left it at one tag so that i could just open one of them and see the whole char. having one for each part makes it harder as they are not labled in any way and i dont know where you put the dividers...

ok so maybe its done over at the game section, but i have rarely seen it before in the other sections (that is unless this one is supposed to be used for a game in the game section, then i kinda understand).

[Edward]

Don’t worry about loosing the points of IA.

You will save a lot of build points buy dropping your magic back to 5 as you don’t need that much IA

I suggest buying hacking up to 6 at the start and taking that IA at 3. And specialising in one aspect (probably exploit)

With that and programs at 5 you are as good as fast jack at his own game. And you can still get better, he can’t.

Edward

[Glyph]

Fastjack's still around? I though the SR1 decker archetype was going to "put him into the history banks." :D

[Divine Virus]

Nicely done chigg, and I mostly agree with what people are saying. It will be good to see him in action. Cheers!
DV

[Azathfeld]

Love the name.

[nick012000]

You need to pick a specific matrix action for Codeslinger to apply to.

Also, take more flaws and get every program at Rating 6, with a 5/5 commlink (and start running Reality Filter).

Reality Filter is rediculously useful to put in everything you can. You commlink, your drones, your agents... everything. Why? Because you get +1 Response, so you either get +1 to all your tests, or you double the number of programs you run (not including Reality Filter).

[sandchigger]

I've revised the character as per everyone's advice (adding a reality filter, upping the commlink, changing some skills aorund). Thank you ALL!

And I'm glad you like the name, Azathfeld, I find that's usually the hardest part of chargen.