So you need to hire a Hacker NPC, Let me propose this guy... Options

[Charon]

Dazzler the Hacker (400 BP, Human)

Attributes

Strenght : 3
Body : 3
Agility : 4
Reaction : 3
Logic : 2
Intuition : 3
Charisma : 6
Willpower : 2

Edge : 6
Essence : 5,25

Skill

Con : 6 (Fast Talk +2)
Cracking skill group : 2
Dodge : 4 (Ranged +2)
Electronic skill group : 2
Etiquette : 3 (Matrix +2)
Negociation : 4 (Bargaining +2)
Pistols : 1
Running : 4 (Sprinting +2)

Augmentations

Tailored Pheromones III
Syntha Cardium I
Datajack

Commlink

Unmodified Fairlight Caliban running a Novatech Navi with Printer and Sattelite link.

Analyze 3, Browse 3, Command 2, Edit 2, Encrypt 1, Armor 1, Attack 2, Biofeedback Filter 2, Decrypt 1, Defuse 1, Exploit 2, Medic 2, Spoof 1, Stealth 2, Track 1

Equipment

Armor Vest
Fichetti with 100 rounds.

Contacts

Fixer (3/1)
Therapist (1/2)
Psychanalyst (2/1)

---

So, who wouldn't want that great Hacker on his team?

What, you say? He sucks? Well, that's because you are seeing his stats instead of hearing him talk with confidence about his accomplishment, backed by a 17 dice con roll!

What will he do when he can barely dig up superficial data when you ask him to run a data search? He'll make stuff up!

What will he do when he has to disable security? He'll sometime get lucky (Edge 6) and the rest of the time he'll either make up an excuse ("This is a trap! Security is ultra tough and they were expecting me!") or tell you the job is done and either pray you don't notice that the cameras aren't disabled and that the security guard is distracted or else he'll blame you for having tripped an invisible mechanical alarm that ain't connected to the system.

How long can he keep this up? I don't know. 2 sessions? 3? Until he gets the team killed? Hey man, he has 17 dice to con people!

Why would he do it?

He obviously has mental problems. Notice the therapist and pshychanlyst contacts!

What will he do when you finally understand what is going on?

Notice the high Sprinting and dodging score!

Why the hell would I bring this up?

Because last session I mentionned the concept to my players and we couldn't stop laughing, coming up with ever more outlandish stunts from the hacker bluffer.

And so I had to stat him out and share him with the world! :D

[Lovesmasher]

My -god- that is awesome. I'd almost keep this guy around anyway. Kudos on a well made, incredibly fun character!

[jervinator]

That's just... I like it!

[Ben]

I will probably use him in the next game I GM.

this is awesome 8)

[Charon]

Thank you.

It's too bad my team has a hacker and that I mentioned that concept at the same time it came to my mind. Otherwise I would have used it on my players for sure!

I thought it up when I considered the possibility that a Faceman could try to do like the guy from "Catch me if you can" and pretend to belong to various SR "professions" for extended period of time. And then I thought what if he was simply deluded and a bit deranged? What if he really believed he was a great hacker?

And what would the poor team he was assigned to go through?

[Glyph]

I dunno. He's funny as a joke to post, but actually running him might not be that "funny". Depends on how you (ab)use SR4's social skill rules - 17 dice for Con should NOT be all-powerful, if you impose reasonable limits and set high thresholds for difficult deceptions.

I think it would be a good character to teach the team that not every other runner will live up (or down) to their reputation, and that any new addition to a team may not be what he or she seems. It would go wrong, though, if you used his high Con skill to force players to ignore their characters' suspicions - that would be cheesy, and extremely frustrating for the players. And you also want to be careful not to overdo these kind of ringers, or the players will become hostile to all of the NPCs, to the detriment of roleplaying.

[Lovesmasher]

[yesman]

I love that he has a printer for his Commlink.

[Kesslan]

Oh god I would sooo use that char some time as a GM. That totally rocks :spin:

[Ryu]

I will use him as "punishment" for the team not rescuing the very competent NPC hacker.

The conning of players will not be an issue, I´ll just roleplay a character with bad luck rolling the dice. Nice!

[eidolon]

The last group I ran for had a fantastic decker contact like this guy. :) Good times.

"What do you mean, you can't stop the elevator?"

[Charon]

You know what would be really fun?

To play a prank on one of your player by getting the other players aside and convincing them to all play dud runner wannabes like the hacker bluffer who will make the life of the one normal runner miserable.

This probably wouldn't work for more than one session, but what a comedy session it would be!

Imagine one player trying his best to act professional while he is surrounded by clowns.

Let's say the "mark" player plays a serious Street Samurai, the intellectual kind who likes a good plan before swinging into action.

Team Mates one is a macho Troll ganger type. With combat paralysis and who happens to be a complete coward! He starts every fight by screaming like a little girl.

Team mates two is a mage who used to work in Hollywood, screwed up and was blackballed. He knows a few useful illusion spell that can look useful during planning but when the drama unfolds it quickly appears that he has none of the essentials like healing or basic combat spells.

"Dude, we need healing here!"
"Hmm, sorry, I know no healing magic. But I could cast a Healthy glow spell and at least you won't look as bad as you feel. What do you say?"

He probably is also specialised in illusion and sucks at everything else so as to dramatically let the 'mark' down once he has gotten him in.

Team mate three is a face man with the Tourette syndrome. 'Nuff said.

Team mate four is our Hacker Bluffer. He looks so confident that for a moment there our 'mark' player is bound to believe that this is the only reliable member of his team. How wrong he is!

---

You set up the session by insisting everyone keep their stats to themselves under pretense that you want the introduction process to seem natural.

Then you unleash a complex mission like an extraction where every talent is required. And you try to nudge things so the 'mark' player is in the thick of thing, relying heavily on the support of his team mates.

And boom! You unleash the comedy on his ass!

Oh what a glorious single shot session it would be!