What's the best way to rig, Mundane+Ware, Magic or Technomancer? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Standard Switch to: Linear+

[Elfenlied]

Hello all,
I've been thinking about cooking up a rigging character, i.e. a matrix character focused on using drones for surveillance, scouting, combat etc. The question is, what's the best way of doing it? There are three possible paths IMO:
1. Mundane character, with the usual Rigger 'ware (Control Rig, Nanites, etc.). Straightforward, but fairly expensive in regards to Nuyen, leaving you with just a basic loadout of drones at chargen. Has the added advantage of being potentially deadly in meatspace too.
2. (Mystical) Adept, with some optional 'ware (Control Rig). The main selling points of the Myst Adept are "Improved Vehicle ability" and the spell "Analyze Device", resulting in above average dice pools. Also, as an awakened character, most money can be spend on gear and drones. Disadvantes are the high degree of specialization, leaving you thin strechted in other areas.
3. Technomancer, preferably one with Machine sprites. Sprites are stronger than agents, since they're essentially uncapped, and can rig just fine, assuming you rule that machine sprites can jump into drones and use their autosoft powers. I know that this was heavily debated some time ago, but for the sake of this comparison, please assume that sprites can jump into drones. Now, Technomancers are awesome in the matrix in general, especially with threading and certain complex forms, but they tend to be dead weight in meatspace.

Now, I'd like to think what my fellow dumpshockers think about rigging. What's your usual approach? What do you consider best in actual gameplay?

So long,
Elfenlied


P.S.: I remember a certain player playing a pixie rigger as a missions character who had pretty high stats. Shame I never saw the exact layout of that build.

[Modular Man]

A mystical adept's got to be somewhat good with detection spells to beat a drone's object resistance.
On the other hand, some magic-tech combinations are just awesome, especially spirit powers. Conealment works just fine, Movement gives hell of a speed.

[Udoshi]

A technomancer with a point of ware is plenty good too.

Our GM is nice, and has let TM's learn unrated complex forms for skillwire expert systems and control rigs, because they can already duplicate other cyberware with learned resonance abilities.

Chances are YOUR gm is nowhere near as generous, in which case you probably want a point of ware for the control rig, and for a simsense booster until you can pick up advanced overclocking(overclock+simsense boost does not work)
Dronomancers are notable for one thing they can do better than anyone else: They can have 5 IPs and two complex actions per pass in combat situations. With the macro echo, normally it can't be used in combat, but it can if you have mesh reality.
The Immersion echo is notable because it adds to ALL tests while jumped in, not just Vehicle tests. It does stack with a control rig, too.

If you're playing in a high powered game, a TM is probably the way to go.

Regarding mystic adepts, i posted a pretty good skeleton build over here, which may be worth looking at.


A plain jane ware-based rigger has a nice advantage you haven't brought up: Its pretty cheap to do, compared to the other ways to rig.

[KCKitsune]

Chances are YOUR gm is nowhere near as generous, in which case you probably want a point of ware for the control rig, and for a simsense booster until you can pick up advanced overclocking(overclock+simsense boost does not work)

... and when you get Advanced Overclocking you can take the Essence hole and add in other 'Ware. You can get the Essence treatment and get bioware to augment your Living Persona.

[Mr. Smileys]

There is a 4th way that can be really really powerful as one of my players has proved to me. He built an AI with the 10 point Piloting Origin quality allowing him to "Jump" into drones and vehicles as a rigger would, he used an armored delivery van as his "Nest" which housed his commlink and also several smaller drones that he would use on missions.

[Udoshi]

... and when you get Advanced Overclocking you can take the Essence hole and add in other 'Ware. You can get the Essence treatment and get bioware to augment your Living Persona.

I'd lean away from statboosts for your persona. There are other things that are so much better.

Pushed helps with pretty much all your hacking. Pain Editors are frankly amazing on a techno - whats that? Ignore all stun track penalties? What do techno's use for matrix condition monitor? Oh, thats right, stun track. Yes please. Trauma Dampers help a ton with casual(not over Resonance) threading, rigging biofeedback damage. If you thread over your force a lot, platelet factories are good too.

A plain cyberhand with a nanohive in it is fantastic too. Logic nanites are excellent.

Technos are also notable because they have the potential to have 5 passes and control rig booster nanites - but the nanites kind of suck.

[Fortinbras]

A plain cyberhand with a nanohive in it is fantastic too. Logic nanites are excellent.

I've yet to find a GM who will let you get away with this.
I swear an author or someone retconned this exploit, but for the life of me I can't find where. Maybe I just dreamt it.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I've yet to find a GM who will let you get away with this.
I swear an author or someone retconned this exploit, but for the life of me I can't find where. Maybe I just dreamt it.

Why? They are completely within the rules...

[CanRay]

I don't care about what's the best way to do it statswise, I just want guns, many guns, floating around me controlled by my murderthoughts!

So, um, yeah, Dronomancer.

[PoliteMan]

Or be an AI,

"I am murderthoughts!"

[CanRay]

Or be an AI,

"I am murderthoughts!"

Consider how big a gun nut I am. Consider my previous occupation of being a tech support agent.

Do you *REALLY* want me playing a character like that? The Pink Mohawks of the group will be going, "Really? Too far, man!"

[PoliteMan]

Now I really want to play an AI who emerged from a smartgun.

[Rubic]

Consider how big a gun nut I am. Consider my previous occupation of being a tech support agent.

Do you *REALLY* want me playing a character like that? The Pink Mohawks of the group will be going, "Really? Too far, man!"

I'm an enabler at heart, so, to answer you question...

YES!!!!!!!!!!!

[CanRay]

I'm an enabler at heart, so, to answer you question...

YES!!!!!!!!!!!

...

Does "The Internet Told Me To Do It" sound insane enough? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Rubic]

I am not the internet, I am merely a jerk who has no sympathy for your runner group (and this fact would not change even if I was included in your runner group).

[Fortinbras]

Why? They are completely within the rules...

I'm not 100% on that. Just as you can't put Headware into a cyberhand, I'm not sure what kind of Capacity the nanohive was supposed to take up. Nano hives are supposed to be integrated throughout your entire body, so it just seems a little weird that it can exist solely in a hand.
I think most people are in agreement that this was either a misprint or something, having a minimum .75 Essence device cost 2 Capacity slots regardless of Rating.

I'll put it this way, would you allow a player in one of your games to take it?

[Udoshi]

Yeah, uh, cyberlimb capacity pretty explicitly works like that. It doesn't matter if its a head, torso, or hand.

Eyes and Ears are the only things that don't.

[redwulf25]

I'm not 100% on that. Just as you can't put Headware into a cyberhand, I'm not sure what kind of Capacity the nanohive was supposed to take up. Nano hives are supposed to be integrated throughout your entire body, so it just seems a little weird that it can exist solely in a hand.
I think most people are in agreement that this was either a misprint or something, having a minimum .75 Essence device cost 2 Capacity slots regardless of Rating.

I'll put it this way, would you allow a player in one of your games to take it?

Yes. Why wouldn't I?

[Fortinbras]

Am I the only person who sees a problem with a piece of cyberware that potentially costs 2 Essence only costing 2 capacity points? Or, moreover, something that allows 6 types of nanites with a capacity of 2?
It's a pretty obvious exploit; the result of a pretty obvious typo and I've yet to see anyone even attempt to explain it.

[hobgoblin]

I don't care about what's the best way to do it statswise, I just want guns, many guns, floating around me controlled by my murderthoughts!

So, um, yeah, Dronomancer.

seriously, every time i read that i think of a certain anime series.

[Ascalaphus]

The real problem with Logic nanites is this:

Neocortical: Neocortical neural amplifiers enhance frontal
lobe activity, which is essential to a metahuman’s abstract thought
processes and problem-solving ability. When using Logic-con-
nected skills, this implant increases the user’s dice pool by +1 per
rating point—as long as the character is able to concentrate on
the problem at hand without major distractions or encroaching
stressful situations (such as a raging firefight, an ongoing chase, or
hacking an ultra-secure system).

So basically, they're not so good for hacking or rigging, because that's too stressful. They're good for programming though.

[Fortinbras]

The Focus Reality Amplifier in Unwired removes dice penalties for distracting or stressful situations.

EDIT: It's at too high an Availability to get at chargen, and 14R is nothing to sneeze at even after the game begins, so there that is.

[PoliteMan]

A Focus Reality Filter will take care of Neural Nanites.

[Ascalaphus]

Is not getting a bonus the same as a dice penalty?

[Fortinbras]

Focus cuts out the part of your brain that gets jittery when stressed. Sort of.
The text says it lets a hacker write code while taking heavy fire. The wording is a little too specific in conjunction with nanites. So, yeah, that's what it does.

But a Reality Amp is a BTL, so every time a player uses it an addiction test is in order.