[Request] Technomancer, Need help building one Options

[Harboe]

Hello, runners!
I was wondering if any of you chummers would help me out with Technomancers.

Could anyone show me an example of a moderately effective 400BP Technomancer?
Books: SR4A + most books except for WAR!

Just in case I catch anoter batch of the stupid, would you people mind noting particular strengths and weaknesses of the build(s)?

[Fortinbras]

You can always find tons of stuff on builds with the search feature. There is even a "How to search Dumpshock" post somewhere here, because it's not the easiest search engine in the world.

Here are a few threads about technomancers and tecchnomancer builds.

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=34820

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=34195

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=34156

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=34099

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=33923

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=33677

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=33679

Hope that helps.

[Golgoth]

What are you looking to get out of your Technomancer, Harboe? All out elite hacker? Pretty freakin' good hacker with some utility? riggermancer/dronomancer? Martial Arts expert (it can be done!)?

[LurkerOutThere]

Martial Arts expert (it can be done!)?

Hard without karma, but nerd-fu is entertaining as hell.

[Golgoth]

Very true. Karma is always required.

[TheOOB]

My biggest piece of advice is keep good compiling skills. Sprites are what makes Technomancers good.

[Harboe]

Well, thank you for the links, they're going to be very useful (I swear, I've tried searching and gotten jack-squat of what I needed).

I wasn't planning on going in the rigging direction, and going more for Exploit and Spoof (and Stealth, Shield etc.) for a more "standard" hacker, who finds the data, takes out the local admin with some Blackness* and then leaves.
It doesn't have to be a super-powerful Technomancer, so spending some points sub-optimally isn't necessarily the end of the character. Apart from two Krav Maga moves, I've however failed to spot the usefulness of the Martial Arts styles, so any info on those could be quite helpful (especially since Technomancy + Martial Arts are both things that scanners would be hard-pressed to pick up) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)


* I've heard you can Thread a Black IC to hit someone with the psychotropic option. How does CFs work with adding options through threading, anyway?

EDIT: And how high does a CF need to be, in your opinion, to be actually useful? Is it high enough to start it on 3? Or should I go for 5-6?

[Falconer]

I'm curious as well.. which CF's do people who've played technomancers feel are more important.

For example... shield obviously is better than armor... but is it worth having both. Which CF's are better to just thread on the fly as opposed to having. (even then unless you can generate 3+ hits on threading or have a lot of sprite services to maintain... threading seems like a mixed blessing).

In some ways, widgets seem like a big help also. (sort of like temporary foci). But there are a LOT of echoes in unwired which really now seem to have opened up a large group of possibilities.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I'm curious as well.. which CF's do people who've played technomancers feel are more important.

For example... shield obviously is better than armor... but is it worth having both. Which CF's are better to just thread on the fly as opposed to having. (even then unless you can generate 3+ hits on threading or have a lot of sprite services to maintain... threading seems like a mixed blessing).

In some ways, widgets seem like a big help also. (sort of like temporary foci). But there are a LOT of echoes in unwired which really now seem to have opened up a large group of possibilities.

Well... You do not suffer the Threading Penalty if you are using the CF for its purpose. So Threading an Exploit to use Exploit means you suffer no penalty. You only suffer the penalty if you keep them threaded after you are done using them, on the off chance that you might need it again. Or for CF's that you continuously use, like Stealth or Analyze, you would suffer penalties to all other CF's while they were up.

Widgets are nice too... And the sheer number of Echoes/Streams meens that you will likely not have two Technomancers that are exactly alike.

[Irion]

@Tymeaus Jalynsfein
How long does it take to thread a complex form? One complex action I assume. So it would be a waste of actions, if you should them down after each roll.

[Magus]

Threading is a Non Action. So it takes no time at all. The main issue with this is it is a non action. Some think you can keep threading as much as you want to get the desired result, others think not.

[Golgoth]

For the sake of the other players' sanity, I generally do not keep on threading until I get the right number. I average about 3.5 (3-4) on my threading rolls which is usually just enough to get what I need and just enough for me to normally soak it all. If I get unlucky and roll 1-2 successes, well guess what? I've got 1-2 successes.

But that's just me and not wanting people to hate the Matrix like I used to.

[LurkerOutThere]

Well if your willing to invest two submersions into it I do horrible things to people with resonance trodes. Because you have to get a subdual going I recommend martial arts that aid subduing tests or just boost your damage output until that point.

Advice for technomancers(hacker variant):

Things you must have:
Best stealth and exploit CF your resonance will allow:
Hacking as close as you can get it to six.

Things you should have:
Analytical Mind (cheap bonus to all threading)
Access to machine sprites (pound for pound they are the most versatile sprite out there, diagnostic power will assist you and your allies a ton if use creatively)
Codeslinger(I recommend hack on the fly, as when you need to do it you'll need the biggest dicepool you can get).

Personally I usually use cybercombat as an option of last resort although I maintain a good attack and blackout CF for when it becomes necissary. Your going to need a fairly good electronics group. Registering and Compiling are a must, the banishing equivalent (name escapes me at the moment) is nice but not essential so i'd pick it up later.

Other then that your options are pretty wide open, TM's a huge point sinks like mages but their ability to thread helps them make up for starting shortfalls and do things like boost their stealth complex form to stupid levels.

Finally if your willing to sacrifice a point of resonance there's a lot of good ware out there. I'm a big fan of sleep regulators for those all night hacking sessions as well as platelet factors for helping you deal with fading and just damage in general. If your willing to pony up the points for restricted gear superthyroid is awesome for making up for your physical shortcomigns if you want to play the martial arts game. If you play a logic stream cerebral booster is almost too good not to take.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

@Tymeaus Jalynsfein
How long does it take to thread a complex form? One complex action I assume. So it would be a waste of actions, if you should them down after each roll.

Threading is a NON_ACTION...
And I take what I get with Threading, just like Magus... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Irion]

Well, thats quite good indeed. Since you actually do not need a lot of programs. (Why having an attack programm if you can just thread it).
Seems a bit overpowered to me.

[Magus]

threading creates Fading. Up to your Resonance Level = Stun.
Past your Resonance Level = Physical.

I loves threading especially when you have sprite to boost the rating as well. Stealth rating 20 Yes Please. I am the ghost in the machine.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Well, thats quite good indeed. Since you actually do not need a lot of programs. (Why having an attack programm if you can just thread it).
Seems a bit overpowered to me.

It is not as overpowered as you might think, as long as you do not let players continuously thread until they get what they want, which some will argue for. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif) Personally, I have not found it to be overly powerful.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

threading creates Fading. Up to your Resonance Level = Stun.
Past your Resonance Level = Physical.

I loves threading especially when you have sprite to boost the rating as well. Stealth rating 20 Yes Please. I am the ghost in the machine.

Our Resident Technomancer does the same thing... Typically threads his Stealth to 13-14...

[squee_nabob]

The more I play, the more I am convinced Disarm is worth having

[sabs]

Our Resident Technomancer does the same thing... Typically threads his Stealth to 13-14...

How does he resist the drain?

[Emy]

How does he resist the drain?

Lets see.

Assuming resonance 6
CF already t 6.
Compile any sprite at force 6, for stun fading. Have it assist operation on CF. thats 12, for a short-term boost.
Thread for 2-3 more, depending on the whims of the dice.

[sabs]

God damn Technomancers are stupid.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

How does he resist the drain?

Often... Poorly, but he is starting from 8 (His Resonance is 8, and His Stealth is Maxed out IIRC) I believe... Has a DP of 16 or so for his Threading, so 5-6 successes on average. So it is not horrible, but he usually takes about 2-3 boxes Physical damage, which is much more than I am willing to self-inflict...

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

God damn Technomancers are stupid.

I disagree... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[squee_nabob]

Lets see.

Assuming resonance 6
CF already t 6.
Compile any sprite at force 6, for stun fading. Have it assist operation on CF. thats 12, for a short-term boost.
Thread for 2-3 more, depending on the whims of the dice.

Two problems here:

1) Only registered sprites can perform assist operation, so he needs to register it first.
2) Threaded complex forms cannot exceed 2x resonance, so he cannot thread it before or after he uses assist operation and exceed 12 in any way.

That is found on page 241, and 240 of SR4A