Skillsets and Specialization, Strategies on making characters Options

[Cain]

Stuck in a burning car in an otherwise empty parking lot. Nearest cover was surrounded by 6 guys. Thankfully, they were gangers and my edge was mostly full at the time.

Use the burning car as cover, you don't need to be right behind it to get the benefits of cover. Better yet, cover and smoke as a vision penalty. It should even count against thermo, since the car is on fire. Can't hit what you can't see. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Aborting to dodge is usually a bad idea, if you're a main combatant. If you're more squishy, then it makes more sense. So, if you're a main combatant, you need a higher body + armor as you'll be shot at more. I've survived for years with a Body 2 mage, mainly by not getting shot at in the first place. That's actually easier than it sounds, when you have the right spell selection and spirits on hand.

[Whipstitch]

As always, I think this stuff comes down to opportunity costs. With Magicians and Adepts in particular the durability mods tend to cost too much essence to really be worth taking very seriously given that just being a smidge tougher is a pretty passive benefit. You have to be awful, awful tough before you can start building plans around being tough, and even then there are threats in the game that don't give a crap about your armor. Meanwhile, a cyberarm with a gyromount, armor and nanohive to support your Control Rig Boosters and Nantidotes is a pretty nice all-around implant for a rigger just because you can piggyback in so many goodies into a point of essence you don't particularly need.

[whatevs]

I have heard a ton of different theories on how to create Shadowrun characters. The beauty of Shadowrun that separates it from other tabletop RPGs is the amount of customizing that you can do with your character right from the beginning. It raises questions though on how you SHOULD create your character. A lot of people argue that a Shadowrun character should be specialized in what they do, but the other camp says that they should be good at one type of thing and decent at a lot of other varied skills. This represents a well rounded character that has a lot of room for growth.

Personally I am in the varied skillset camp. I believe that you can get way more mileage out of your character if you give him multiple skillsets. There are a couple of skills that SHOULD be on ALL character sheets. Those skills are Shadowing, Perception, Dodge, Infiltration, and maybe Disguise. Let me explain why. Shadowing is important and in most of the games I run I have my players roll for shadowing a lot when they are doing surveillance. Shadowing should be in every shadowrunner's skill tree because of the nature of their work. When doing recon you HAVE to have some stealth skills to avoid being noticed. That is where Shadowing comes in. You don't have to have a lot of skill points invested in it. Just 2 at the max for certain characters. It really doesn't cost that much and it will help you later on.

Now for Infiltration. Shadowrun is the type of game where it does not pay to go in guns blazing. That is a good way for a runner to get him/herself killed. Shadowrun is all about strategic positioning and getting the drop on an enemy AND remaining undetected. That is why you need Infiltration and EVERY runner should take a couple of points in it.

Perception is a no brainer, but it also has some other uses that a lot of players don't think about. Usually players are only thinking about visual perception when they roll. They rarely think about the other four senses and it is important to keep in mind that you can find a lot about a situation if you use all five senses. It is best to have at least 3 skill points in Perception.

Dodge is a no-brainer. If you are a runner you need those extra dice for Full Defense, they will help when you are in an extended firefight and somehow YOU are the favorite target.

Now for disguise. All of my players know by now that they should be showing up to jobs, meets, and just about everything to do with crime in a disguise. The one thing a runner can't afford is to have his face on the computer of some Lone Star database. You need disguises and EVERY runner needs this skill. You don't need a lot of skill points, just 1 or 2. You can purchase nanopaste disguises to augment Disguise tests or just use a simple Latex Face Mask. Never go out on a run in your "true face" it does not pay.

The essential skills aside, not it is time for my main point. If you vary your skills at character creation and avoid min maxing the points you alot for purchasing skills you will find that the game will run much smoother later on because you not only have a wide range of skills to use, but you can fill in where needed much easier AND you can improve on said skills with karma, making you more than average with them. Isn't this the better alternative? Shouldn't the sweet spot of the game last longer before you become all powerful and pidgeon-holed? I tell my players not to min max, design your character after the personality and image you have in your head of her/him. If you are playing a skinny elf, go ahead and give em that 2 body, you can upgrade him later and provide a roleplay answer for why he/she gets more buff. Don't be afraid to tailor your character sheet on how your character is ACTUALLY LIKE. Trust me, you will be much happier with your character in the long run.

I get a rebuttal that I would like to refute from the get go and it goes as follows, "But I won't roll as much". Not true if you spend your BP wisely. Cyberware, Genetech, Nanoware, and Bioware are beautiful things. I can promise you that I can make a character that has average attributes and average skills and make him/her roll like a prime runner. Even mages and adepts have powers that will do everything that all the warez can do. Don't worry, if you stay true to your concept, it will carry you far.

A penny for your thoughts Dumpshockers?

I like rounded characters that can cover the bases that are expected for their archtype.

Want to make a mage without assensing? If the group is expecting you to be able to cover that skill, you're creating a gap (assuming someone else doesn't take it). Want to create an infiltration expert that can't open locked doors? Same deal. Street Sam with no guns? No good.

As for skills every runner should have, I agree with what you're saying with the exception of Disguise. A ski mask could do the job IMHO.