Newbie to 4e., Couple of questions... =D Options

[Vanity Evolved]

So, hi! Recently, my friend wanted to run a solo game of Shadowrun, and I decided to accept. Having looked through the stuff, for the most part, I'm looking to play an Adept who mixes up with both melee and gunslinging, and enhances himself with bioware. Curiously though, after all the flick through core and Augmentation, I noticed something...

Body, Willpower and such have Augmented Maximums, which must mean there's somethings out there that Augment them. =P But so far, the only things I've found which I'd like are either straight up things (Like the +Strength/Agility Bioware), or provide it in a situation (Bone Density Augmentation, which gives Body for the purposes of resisting damage)

Are there any rules for custom cyberware or a rule of thumb to use for making such, or have I missed them? The few things I have seen (like Adrenal Gland) have a bunch of downsides in exchange for that +Willpower and was wondering if I'm just being thick and missing things. ^^'

Thanks in advance! (Only thing I've wanted to avoid are drugs - wanting to play a rather straight edge character ;D)

[BullZeye]

Adept powers and spells augment those, too. Suprathyroid gland adds body and pain editor adds willpower but that's about it.

[DireRadiant]

Are there any rules for custom cyberware or a rule of thumb to use for making such, or have I missed them? The few things I have seen (like Adrenal Gland) have a bunch of downsides in exchange for that +Willpower and was wondering if I'm just being thick and missing things. ^^'

Welcome to Dumpshock.

No rules for creating such items.

The augmented max is a generic limit given on all attributes whether or not there is actually a piece of gear that affects it.

[Professeur]

Bone Density Augmentation

Don't get bone density augmentations. You should get the Platelet Factories and get more Dodge dice. You will use your melee skills to dodge (parry) in close combat, and Gymnastics dodge when you have to dodge in ranged combat ; so get Synthacardium Rating 3, which will provide you with a nice bonus ; you won't need the Dodge skill, and both of them are useful in other circumstances. If you go Adept, take Combat Sense, it rocks.

[Critias]

Or you could go ahead and take Bone Lacing or Density Augmentation, because there's times they're still plenty handy to have. Sometimes you're gonna get hit, no matter how hard you try, and every extra dice you can sling to soak the damage is nice to have. Also, they both give you better damage in hand to hand combat, if you're making someone who's going to be decent at Unarmed.

There are seldom "take this, don't take this" moments when it comes to cyberware and bioware. Most of the stuff there fills a niche, much of it provides more than one advantage, and it all comes down to what each character wants to be able to do (and how much money and Essence they've got to spend).

[Professeur]

Or you could go ahead and take Bone Lacing or Density Augmentation,

Maybe Bone density Augmentation, but not bone lacing if he's going the Adept way. Yes it's cheap, but at .5 essence per level it is too costly to his magic rating. Even Bone Density Augmentation is suboptimal compared to the Platelet Factories : to get the same result on average, you'll need Rating 3 Bone Density Augmentation, at .9 essence and 60 000 nuyen. Platelet Factories will cost you .2 essence and 25 000 nuyen, and you retain buoyancy.

Also, they both give you better damage in hand to hand combat, if you're making someone who's going to be decent at Unarmed.

The magic he will save by avoiding bone modifications will allow him to get better results through Adept powers.

There are seldom "take this, don't take this" moments when it comes to cyberware and bioware. Most of the stuff there fills a niche, much of it provides more than one advantage, and it all comes down to what each character wants to be able to do (and how much money and Essence they've got to spend).

I agree, I love 'ware in general and almost always play characters with body mods, even with the Awakened. But when you have to save some Magic, you want to skim a little to get the 'ware you really need.

[Vanity Evolved]

Adept powers and spells augment those, too. Suprathyroid gland adds body and pain editor adds willpower but that's about it.

Yeah. I noticed Adept has Increase Physical Attribute (which I was going to put two in to boost it to 9 with the Syptrathyroid gland), but nothing which lets them boost Mental... was hoping to find something to boost my Willpower so I can't shrug off bullets because of my amazing physique... but then have a Dwarf with a bottle smashed over my head knock me out because I have much lower Stun. =P As an Adept, or even with Cyberware, there's nothing I can get to boost that? Without giving me a body which can barely feel anything, I can't feel where I'm been hit, and also makes my Intelligence go down? =P

Don't get bone density augmentations. You should get the Platelet Factories and get more Dodge dice.

Was most definately planning on the Platelet Factory. ;D But I hate the archetypal 'super-dodgy glass ninja' kung fu artist. I -like- my John Woo to be able to take a blow to the gut and shrug it off. =P

The magic he will save by avoiding bone modifications will allow him to get better results through Adept powers.

And yeah, I don't plan on going kung fu master... He's going to be decent with his fists, but still going to be better with a blade. ;D Most of my Magic points are going on running up buildings, reloading guns, and parkour movement stuffs.

-Is going to be playing a very Jack-of-all-Trades character, if it hasn't become apparent. ;D Yay sexy Bard Gun-fu Amnesiacs!-

[Traul]

Yeah. I noticed Adept has Increase Physical Attribute (which I was going to put two in to boost it to 9 with the Syptrathyroid gland), but nothing which lets them boost Mental... was hoping to find something to boost my Willpower so I can't shrug off bullets because of my amazing physique... but then have a Dwarf with a bottle smashed over my head knock me out because I have much lower Stun. =P

Bone density does help for that too. The damage track is based on Willpower, but the damage resistance roll is still based on Body. Don't bother that much with your damage tracks, better try to get a good damge resistance pool if that's the way you feel about this character. Any kind of pain resistance could also fit in the concept, but I'm not sure it works that well in SR4.

Or if you really want your extra Willpower, get on drugs (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

[Stahlseele]

Don't Dwarves get a +1 on Willpower in SR4 anymore?
Has that been changed? Be a Dwarf. Call him Casanunda.
+ to Body, + to Strength, + to Willpower is pretty swell.
Use Edges/Flaws to get exceptional attribute on those that don't have ware/powers to boost them with.
Surge Optimization too.
Genetic Optimization too.
You can get your Dwarf to have a 10 natural Willpower, if i am right.
Would that actually mean that a Dwarf can have a longer Stun Track than Physical? O.o
If you don't want to be a Stumpy, be an Ork with the human looking merrit/flaw.
Then you can concentrate everything on getting willpower up.
Good Body bonus for more armor, and then a natural willpower maximum of 9 for good stun track too.

[Vanity Evolved]

Forgot to mention, I'm playing an Elf. ;D

[Stahlseele]

*shrugs* your funeral.

[Kingboy]

Learn to love your addictions then. As someone has stated, drugs are the only real method for upping Willpower.

Unless there's a Mentor Spirit that I'm not thinking of at the moment that gives a bonus to Willpower...

[Stahlseele]

Only Dwarves, People with Edge Exceptional Attribute or Surge Metagenetical Improvement get it without a cost beside the build points.
Then for BIG nuyen and Essence there's the Genetic Improvement. For LITTLE Nuyen and MAYBE Essence there's Drugs. Else? Failed!
Edit: *grumbles*And some magics yes yes yes yes, i forgot, i just don't deal well with magics of any kind -.-

[Mäx]

Mages can with spells augment all normal attributes.