Glass ceiling in social skills, Trying to come up with the maximum social skill modifier Options

[Chrysalis]

Hi,

I was going through the Shadowrun books and I came up with what seems to be the maximum you can get for charisma based social skills for a starting character.

Attributes
Race elf: Maximum Charisma 8
Exceptional attribute +1
Genetic optimization: +1
Cosmetic surgery +3

Total: 13

Adept:
Kinesics +5
Improved Ability (Social Skill of Choice at rank 6) +3

Positive qualities:
First impression +2


Bioware:
Tailored pheromones +3
Enhanced phermone receptors +2
Vocal range enhancer +1
Cosmetic surgery +3

Software:
Empathy software (Rating 6) +6

Lie detection (Rating 6) +6
Thermographic vision +1

So with empathy software you can get a maximum 35 dice for social skills and with the detect lies software 36.
With the social skill of choice 38/39

Skills:
Con (Cha) RANK 6
Etiquette (Cha) RANK 4
Leadership (Cha) RANK 4
Negotiation (Cha) RANK 4
Intimidation (Cha) RANK 4

Skill specialization +2

Social skill of choice 38/39 + skill+ skill specialization for final total.

Making maximum totals of 46/47


Have I missed something or counted wrong?

-Chrysalis

[Moon-Hawk]

Adept:
Adept magic: Kinesics level +12

Can't have more than your Magic levels of a particular power. Thus, if you have a Magic of 6, you can't have any adept power (such as kinesics) at higher than 6, regardless of power point cost.

[Chrysalis]

Updated with the change to adept power.

-Chrysalis

[Moon-Hawk]

I assume you've read the original pornomancer thread? That might have something you've missed.

[imperialus]

Not sure but can you stack Genetic Optimization with the Exceptional Attribute positive quality? That'd net you an extra die.

[Chrysalis]

Yes exceptional attribute does stack with genetic optimization. Updated original post.

No I haven't read the original pornomancer thread. Link please.

-Chrysalis

[Muspellsheimr]

Drop Kinesics by one (-1 Magic from Essence Loss)
Add Improved Ability (Social Skill of Choice) - Total of 10 ranks to be divided.
Add skill specializations.

[Chrysalis]

Updated.

[Muspellsheimr]

Improved Ability is not a Bonus, but an increase to the skill. As such, it is limited by Augmented Maximum, or +3 if the skill is maxed normally.

Add Aptitude for social skill of choice.
EDIT: Aptitude would replace First Impression due to quality maximum, resulting in one less die first meeting, one more die subsequent meetings.

[Augmentation Optional Rule]
+3 Charisma; Cosmetic Surgery.

[Moon-Hawk]

Attributes
Race elf: Maximum Charisma 9
Exceptional attribute +1
Genetic optimization: +1

Total: 11

Wait, wha? I had assumed you were counting exceptional attribute in the first place. Elves are +2, for a normal max of 8(12). With exceptional attribute and genetic optimization that only takes you up to 10(15). (not that there's a whole lot affected by the augmented maximum) What am I missing?

[Jaid]

don't forget mentor spirit bonus.

[Fortune]

Improved Ability, as mentioned, is limited to Level 3 (assuming a 6 in the associated skill).

Tailored Pheromones are limited to Rating 2 at chargen due to Availability.

[DreadPirateKitte...]

Improved Ability, as mentioned, is limited to Level 3 (assuming a 6 in the associated skill).

Tailored Pheromones are limited to Rating 2 at chargen due to Availability.

Whats your explanation for why Tailored Pheromones would be limited to rating 2 at chargen? Seems a rating x4f = Tailored Pheromones 3 being availability 12, unless you have sources I am not aware of.

[Fortune]

Yep, my mistake. I was thinking of something else. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarrassed.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Chrysalis]

Updated.

So that would mean that for your social skill of choice there would be maximum totals of 46/47.

[HentaiZonga]

Updated.

So that would mean that for your social skill of choice there would be maximum totals of 46/47.

... all of this is why making most of these Dice Pool modifiers was a really bad idea. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Tailored Pheremones, Pheremone Receptor, Voice Modulator and Kinesics should all be Attribute augmentations. Most of the rest should be Skill augmentations. That would cap you out at 25 dice, which is more than reasonable.

[Kithran]

One thing that is missing - you will need to have at least one language at 6 to get full advantage otherwise your skill will be capped at your language (which will also lower the boost from adept powers).

Kithran

[Muspellsheimr]

One thing that is missing - you will need to have at least one language at 6 to get full advantage otherwise your skill will be capped at your language (which will also lower the boost from adept powers).

Have you heard of something usually called "Native Language"?

[Fortune]

The point is that Social Skills are limited to the level of the language being used. While it's all fine and dandy to negotiate with no penalty in your native language, you would be penalized for trying to con someone in Russian when your skill level in that language is lower than the Social Skill used.

[Stahlseele]

so skillwires or ain't those needed for language skills?

[samuelbeckett]

Hmmm, if the skill level is capped by language, does that mean the skill modifiers like Improved Ability would also be capped?

If not you just have to find room for the Linguistics power and then pick up pretty much all languages in the game at Rating 1, losing 5 from the die pool. If it is capped, you lose 7 from the die pool.

So even if it is capped, still allows you to work your mojo with pretty much anyone albeit at a reduced die pool.

[Fortune]

so skillwires or ain't those needed for language skills?

You don't need Skillwires for Linguasofts (or Knowsofts). Merely either a Datajack or a Sim Module.

Hmmm, if the skill level is capped by language, does that mean the skill modifiers like Improved Ability would also be capped?

Canon wording states that the maximum augmented skill level is 1.5 times the current rating. I would say that if language limits the current rating of an Adept's Con Skill, then any Improved Ability would also be limited in kind to the new current rating.

[Moon-Hawk]

... all of this is why making most of these Dice Pool modifiers was a really bad idea. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Tailored Pheremones, Pheremone Receptor, Voice Modulator and Kinesics should all be Attribute augmentations. Most of the rest should be Skill augmentations. That would cap you out at 25 dice, which is more than reasonable.

My guess is that they chose to make them bonus dice instead of attribute augmentations because they didn't want all those powers adding to a potential drain stat and astral strength.

[CircuitBoyBlue]

Yep, my mistake. I was thinking of something else. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarrassed.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Tailored pheromones will do that....(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[HentaiZonga]

My guess is that they chose to make them bonus dice instead of attribute augmentations because they didn't want all those powers adding to a potential drain stat and astral strength.

Well, they can have it only apply in certain circumstances, like the Bone Density augmentation.