What 'ware to wear? Options

[Hexariah]

I'm currently running a street samurai, based off of UmaroVI's Ghost archetype, and while there's a list of suggested cyber- and bioware already in the document, I was wondering what y'all thought about the various 'wares on the market. I know some of the major players -- Move by Wire, Synthacardium, Suprathyroid Gland -- but I'm still new to the game and curious to see what veterans and other newbs alike think about the sacrifice of essence for badass artificial powers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Glyph]

First off, Essence is mostly a metagame feature limiting how much stuff you can cram into yourself. You should roleplay how your augmentations affect you (and some people might have a negative reaction to obvious 'ware), but thankfully there are no rules imposed to limit your ability to roleplay the reactions an individual character has to augmentations. He might be convinced he is superior to these slow, weak meatbags. She might be high on life now that she is out of that wheelchair and can see again, with legs and eyes that are better than the originals. She might be someone who has grown up in a corporate culture, where augmentations are ubiquitous; even though she has a fractional Essence, she can still sling back some brews with her coworkers in a pub. He might be a Shinto practitioner who is horrified by his cyberhand; he can't even ask women out any more because he feels like such a freak, and he has nightmares about his monstrous mechanical hand detaching itself while he sleeps and strangling him. If you want augmentations to negatively affect your character, there are plenty of qualities (cyber-psychosis, augmentation addict, etc.) that can allow you to do so.

So, initiative boosters. A must have, since extra initiative passes are second only to dice pools in being good at combat: move-by-wire: 2 is the equivalent of wired-reflexes (alphaware) combined with reaction enhancers: 2, having the same Essence cost and only costing 1,000 Nuyen more, although you need the restricted gear quality to get it. It is worth it, since it also gives you +2 to dodge and rating: 4 skillwires. Wired reflexes: 1, though, at 11,000 Nuyen, is just the thing for a character who has combat as a secondary specialty and needs a cheap initiative boost. Synaptic boosters are the most Essence-friendly option, but are expensive. They are worth it for adepts, because synaptic boosters: 2 only cost you a single power point in lost Magic, compared to 2.5 power points to get improved reflexes: 2.

Attribute and toughness-enhancing augmentations: Muscle augmentation and toner are so much more Essence friendly, while still being comparatively cheap, that there is no reason to take muscle replacement for most characters. Suprathyroid gland is very good for a boost to four Attributes. Like muscle toner: 4, it is worth taking the restricted gear quality. I usually get Vegsin with it to counteract the hyperactive eating-a-lot problem. Bone lacing/bone density augmentation are not as good as dermal plating (cheap)/sheathing (better) or orthoskin, but the bonuses they give to unarmed damage make them a good choice for a martial artist. An optimal built-for-toughness character will have both types of augmentations, usually one cyber and one bioware because of how expensive the bioware options are.

Then there is senseware and dice pool boosters, too many to count. Getting cybereyes/other sensory enhancers is a choice between 'ware (more expensive, costs Essence) and external gear such as glasses or earphones (less expensive, but can be taken from you more easily). Of the dice pool boosters, my top three would probably be synthcardium (boost an entire skill group by +3 for 30,000), tailored pheromones (a must for faces), and the attention coprocessor: 3 (a cheap boost to perception, which is a vital skill).

[psychophipps]

So he's making an assassin with a strength of two, then mentions a Panther cannon the character can barely get up a stairwell. He then cranks Edge to 5 but leaves Logic at 2 because being skilled in Logic-based skills like Hardware and Demolitions is somehow really bad for an assassin because being smart and skilled so you don't have to roll Edge at all is far less intelligent than leaving your contracts to a very limited skillset and dumb luck.

*Edits previously typed comments and physically controls himself* It's certainly...interesting. Not the way that I would build it, though.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

So he's making an assassin with a strength of two, then mentions a Panther cannon the character can barely get up a stairwell. He then cranks Edge to 5 but leaves Logic at 2 because being skilled in Logic-based skills like Hardware and Demolitions is somehow really bad for an assassin because being smart and skilled so you don't have to roll Edge at all is far less intelligent than leaving your contracts to a very limited skillset and dumb luck.

*Edits previously typed comments and physically controls himself* It's certainly...interesting. Not the way that I would build it, though.

Easy there, Psychophipps.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[toturi]

So he's making an assassin with a strength of two, then mentions a Panther cannon the character can barely get up a stairwell. He then cranks Edge to 5 but leaves Logic at 2 because being skilled in Logic-based skills like Hardware and Demolitions is somehow really bad for an assassin because being smart and skilled so you don't have to roll Edge at all is far less intelligent than leaving your contracts to a very limited skillset and dumb luck.

*Edits previously typed comments and physically controls himself* It's certainly...interesting. Not the way that I would build it, though.

Consider: If he has high Edge, then he could be lucky enough that he doesn't need to use those skills. Why? He keeps catching luck breaks, people leave doors open or windows unlocked.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Consider: If he has high Edge, then he could be lucky enough that he doesn't need to use those skills. Why? He keeps catching luck breaks, people leave doors open or windows unlocked.

Oh Wait... I thought we were talking about a Professional Assassin here, not someone who relied upon luck to perform his duties. My Mistake.

[toturi]

Oh Wait... I thought we were talking about a Professional Assassin here, not someone who relied upon luck to perform his duties. My Mistake.

Real professionals will tell you that they'd rather be lucky than good.

[psychophipps]

But they also say, "Fortune favors the prepared mind." To be frank, most highly-skilled people make most of that luck themselves.

[psychophipps]

Easy there, Psychophipps.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I can control myself. Just some characters make it really, really HARD...

[Hexariah]

So... about the cyberware and bioware...

[psychophipps]

So... about the cyberware and bioware...

About 90% of it is completely unnecessary. Assassins attack from ambush, if they're smart. Assassins that lack the essential smarts don't last very long. Ambushes are typically at very short ranges so you don't need to crank your stats into the stratosphere, either. Ambushes also mean you don't need to worry about them dodging your shit. Focus on getting in unnoticed, getting it done, and having plenty of backup plans for getting out as you become overcome by events.

Wired Reflexes is tempting, but it's restricted and easily detected. If you can't get to the target, your job just became way harder.

No skin pocket? Great way to sneak in your suppressed anti-MAD custom pistol into restricted areas. Have a magnetic button on your button-up shirt and reach right in to get it out while you grab what you dropped on the floor for good concealed draw.

Synthicardium? Umm...why?

Suprathyroid isn't bad, but there is a lot better utility for that 45K when it comes to killing peeps.

Too damn many weapons. The character is a walking Ares catalog. You need a decent pistol, a good rifle, and a melee weapon of choice. Three mags for the pistol, six for the rifle.

[SpellBinder]

In the way of firearms, take the Silencer and Electronic Firing mods (and go for auto-loaders, not revolvers). Perception rolls will be at a -7 (at least) to hear the gunshot, and you've got no brass to police afterwards. Consider the Barrel Extension for rifles to get some extra range, and maybe go for subsonic rounds (an additional -2 to Perception to hear the gunshot) for the pistols. Unless you plan on burying the muzzle of your gun in your target's back I'd avoid [EX-]Explosive ammo. Stick-N-Shock should be just fine. Also any kind of ammo that's too distorted or torn up after being used (like possibly hollow points and frangible) to be effective ballistic evidence will be worth its weight in gold.

And if you're gonna use SmartGuns, try for those where it's already built in (like the Ares Predator IV), and skinlink everything that's wireless (commlink, contacts, every SmartGun, etc.). That way you can keep your PAN (and SmartLink bonus) if you've gotta go dark when hiding. Also, have more than one commlink; a top of the line one for your PAN that you keep in hidden mode on you, and at least one for day-to-day stuff that you can also pitch if it suddenly becomes a wireless millstone around your neck.

[CaptRory]

You can use external powers in place of building it into your guy. Combat drugs (even hidden in cosmetics and toiletries) can be used in place of cybernetics for some things. You can build stuff into glasses, goggles, contact lenses etc.

If you were building a street samurai combat monster cybernetics makes sense. As a sneaky spy and/or assassin, it can work for some flavors but there is a point to be made about cybernetics being easy to detect and requiring licenses and all..

[Glyph]

There are all kinds of assassins. Some are subtle infiltrators, while others are long-distance snipers. The build in question is good for a street samurai who is a sniper as a sideline, capable of stealth in an urban setting but no break-in specialist (as the description points out).

So it depends on what kind of character Hexariah wants to play; a guy who plans his hits and exfiltration afterwards for several weeks, then gets past the MagLocks and cyberware scanners to ambush the target - or a street samurai who is fast, sneaky, and good at long-range combat and close-range combat but lacking in melee skills.

If you go the subtle route: beware of how Shadowrun's surprise rules work. There is a perception test, which only determines if you get a bonus on the surprise test - which is an initiative test. So the speed-freak sammie you just spent twenty minutes carefully stalking is likely to surprise you. Anyone you know to have initiative enhancements, try to cap them from an extreme range.

If you adapt the Ghost, two things. First, it is assumed that the bonus to Reaction from the Suprathyroid gland is not compatible with the wired reflexes/reaction enhancers, the most stringent reading of the rule. If your GM disagrees, then you can give the character 4(9) Reaction instead of 5(9) Reaction, giving you 10 BP more to play with. Secondly, change the addiction to something other than Betel. It may be technically legal, but it will likely make your GM throw dice at you.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Real professionals will tell you that they'd rather be lucky than good.

None of the ones I know. Relying upon luck gets you killed, or loses you the golden contract for those professionals who do not put their life on the line in their profession.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I can control myself. Just some characters make it really, really HARD...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Indeed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Glyph]

None of the ones I know. Relying upon luck gets you killed, or loses you the golden contract for those professionals who do not put their life on the line in their profession.

The build presented doesn't really rely on luck, though. He is very good at shooting and sneaking, just lacking B&E skills, making him a sneaky sniper (sneaky until his heavy weapons go *BOOM!*, that is) rather than an infiltrator (like one of his other archetypes, the Spook). Of course, even the Spook couldn't get past a cyberscanner, but that is an overrated "advantage" touted for unaugmented builds. Most shadowrunners will enter corporate territory after normal business hours, or have their hacker compromise the security scanners (since they usually need to get more than just one guy in).

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

The build presented doesn't really rely on luck, though. He is very good at shooting and sneaking, just lacking B&E skills, making him a sneaky sniper (sneaky until his heavy weapons go *BOOM!*, that is) rather than an infiltrator (like one of his other archetypes, the Spook). Of course, even the Spook couldn't get past a cyberscanner, but that is an overrated "advantage" touted for unaugmented builds. Most shadowrunners will enter corporate territory after normal business hours, or have their hacker compromise the security scanners (since they usually need to get more than just one guy in).

Indeed... I was, however, replying to Toturi and the point he was trying to make. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Glyph]

I can't say for sure, but I think he might have been a bit facetious there. There are no actual rules for a high Edge resulting in windows being more likely to be unlocked, etc.

[DarkSoldier84]

I think this came from Day of the Jackal: "Killing a man is easy. Getting away afterward is the hard part."

An assassin who wants repeat business always plans at least two escape routes. Good 'ware for making escapes includes a radar sensor for sniffing out ambushes, a balance augmenter for climbing, and a sleep regulator to stay ahead of search parties (or just to stay awake longer waiting for your target). That's off the top of my head.

[SpellBinder]

Add AMPs, Esprit "Petite Brume" Grenades, and GloWands (all in Arsenal). Likely essential for the mundane to try and keep ahead of the magical.

[Stingray]

I think this came from Day of the Jackal: "Killing a man is easy. Getting away afterward is the hard part."

An assassin who wants repeat business always plans at least two escape routes. Good 'ware for making escapes includes a radar sensor for sniffing out ambushes, a balance augmenter for climbing, and a sleep regulator to stay ahead of search parties (or just to stay awake longer waiting for your target). That's off the top of my head.

..as for qualities..Erased and Blandness..
..as disguise..just Cheat being a Adept w/ appearance change powers..

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

..as disguise..just Cheat being a Adept w/ appearance change powers..

Not really cheating if you can change your forms and identity at whim. Just good planning. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
My Ninja is a Master of a Thousand Faces and it is totally awesome.