Otaku or Decker - help needed!, Which is more effective? Options

[Yawgmoth]

Hi all,

I've picked up the Matrix expansion for SR3, and am looking to play again after a few years away. I'm writing a new character but can't decide between an Otaku or a decker. I've generated the sheets for both, but it seems that the Otaku is not as effective as the decker, even though they're supposed to be "Uber" deckers. Silly amounts of good karma appear to be needed to increase channels via stat-line. Deckers on the other hand need the deck ect, but as a starting character (via priority system) start off with a better MPCP, and similar hardening and initiative ect.

What do you think? Is a decker or an Otaku the best way to go to be sh*t-hot in the matrix?

[ShadowDragon8685]

Try starting off with the Companion's point-buy system, see if that gets you anywhere else.

[Yawgmoth]

No can do, The GM is quite specific on this. More than enything, I want to know peoples experiance - is it something that balances out as the character gains experience or do deckers always have an edge that Otaku dont?

[ShadowDragon8685]

Well, remember...

You can always put a round into a Cyberdecker's Cyberdeck. And then all his skills are for shit, and it's possible he's lost all his expensive programs. You can't stop an otaku from otakuing, short of putting one through his dome.

Otaku are supposed to be really mad wizzer nova-over Deckers, which pisses me off. It's bad enough PhysAds can beat the unholy hell out of anyone else, now we need CyberAds under a different name?

Why not just call it Mage: The Running? (okay, rant. Sorry.)

I don't know. Maybe you built it wrong or something, but I know an Otaku is supposed to be head, shoulders, arms, hands, waist, groin, and knees above a Decker.

[Yawgmoth]

Well, I've built it pretty well. As far as I can see, the problem revolves around the channels. Since these are linked to your intelligence, charisma and willpower raising them is with karma is rather expensive. These can't be augmented by operational utilities which are available to deckers at high ratings. Submersion significantly improves Otaku, but it's a slow process. We have a starting decker in the group and his initiative is higher, as is his MPCP. And I agree with thie whole magic getting involved with everything - it should be for spell slingers and conjurers. There's not even anything to stop the becoming street sam deckers as well!

As I said, I'm newish (not having played since SR"), and Otaku are pretty new to me - I'd appreciate if anyone had a starting set of stats to compare mine against.

[toturi]

If you use pure vanilla priority system without Edges and Flaws, Otaku do not have the overwhelming edge they have over deckers. But even so, otaku can be a lot more effective than deckers. Remember the best deck a decker has access to at chargen should be the CMT Avatar (unless the GM change the chargen Avail). That is a measly MPCP of 7. A good baseline chargen otaku should have at least 8 in all his mental attributes. A really good otaku could have an MPCP of 10+, which surpasses that of a Novatech Slimcase!

Sample human otaku
Strength 1
Body 1
Quickness 1
Intelligence 9 (Exceptional Intelligence Edge)
Willpower 9 (Exceptional Willpower Edge)
Charisma 8

Or sample dwarf otaku without Edges
S 3
B 2
Q 1
I 8
W 9
C 8

MPCP 9

[Yawgmoth]

ahhh - I see, the starting decker has a kraftwerk-8. Not sure how to get baseline stats of 8, doesn't being aan otaku only add 1 to the racial miximums for mental charachteristics? As a boring humie that would only give me a basic MCPC of 7 :(

Since we're not using the edges and flaws system, it might be better to go with a decker then

[toturi]

Your GM is allowing a Avail 10 gear in your game? And he's not allowing BP? (Forgive me, I'm going to my corner to have a good laugh...)

If you assign only 1 in all physical stats, you get to reduce your physical stat max but increase the mental max by 2. So you get base 8 in all mental. If you are using elf or dwarf, your MPCP is 9.

[Zeel De Mort]

I don't have stats to hand or anything, but I tried running through character creation once with otaku, and found they weren't novahot or anything. Then gave them lots of karma and found the same.

They're broadly comparable with deckers, but need sooooo much karma. Whereas the decker needs a mix of both (usually best, since you get both!). You also have to remember that otaku are pretty shit at anything outside the matrix, whereas it's not hard to build up a decker who is good at other things (e.g. combat, electronics, vehicles, talking to grown ups, and so on).

I'm not a huge fan of otaku anyway (can you tell?), but just on a purely numbers level... they're not miles ahead of deckers.

P.S. Only one exceptional attribute per character toturi, tut tut!

[Yawgmoth]

It all becomes clear!!!!!!

Think I'm going to drop the otaku idea - perhaps with edges and flaws they're better but I'd like to be able to do something besides deck in the game!!

As for the availability I'd never noticed it was 10 for the kraftwerk 8 !!! Words will be had!

[Mugzy]

The thing I have a hard time getting around, is the fact that it's hard to take an otaku seriously due to their age.

Honestly speaking, they can be as hot as they want, but I'm not taking a 14 year old with me on a run. There are too many other risks associated with their general immaturity, and the last thing the team needs is a kid to babysit in the middle of a firefight.

Worse yet, otaku probably can't attend a good number of meets due to their age as well, as many of these take place in clubs and bars.

I tend to use them as background fluff, if at all. AI created otaku are a different story, because they have some substance to them, other than just being around to overshadow the decker.

[tisoz]

[toturi]

Some of my Johnson meets are in the Matrix nowadays since I have now a very competent Social Adept in my group (also any meet involving Link as the Johnson is conducted via Matrix). And those runs are mostly datasteals.

Having an otaku cover you in the Matrix is essential if you want to find out as much as you can about the Johnson. An otaku's Detection Factor is often quite high (higher than that of a similarly created decker). So if your group's otaku wishes to stay hidden during negotiations and follow the Johnson home afterwards so to speak, he is the best Matrix user for it.

[sidartha]

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet is the numerous wacky abilitys that Otaku can get.
There is no substitute for Info Sortalage among the Deckers.
And while Deckers need a balance of Karma and cash, the Otaku only need Karma. The Otaku can still benefit from Bioware that inhances natural mental abilitys and since they're not spending cred on the newest Fairlight they will get those implants quicker.

[Glyph]

Deckers are usually more playable. You can make an effective decker who can also function at least decently in other roles (sniper, gunfighting, break-in, face, etc.). If you play an otaku, typically you are good for nothing but decking. A bit of a generalization, maybe, but otaku do tend to be far more limited in their roles.

[Cain]

That's been my experience as well. It's easier to advance an Otaku's skills and abilites than it is to advance a decker's programs and hardware; but the decker has a lot more versatility. Heck, if you check out the combat decker archetype in the main book, he looks suspiciously like a light sammie.

The big advantage otaku have over deckers is that they get to start with insane mental attributes and a computer skill of 8. However, by doing so, you've pretty much killed off your ability to do anything physical. Decker/samurai and decker/rigger combinations can be extremely nasty, and you can even have solid decker/mage combinations. Otaku are good at what they do, and they start off somewhat better than a starting tricked-out decker, but you lose a *lot* of range.

[toturi]

Looking at it from a purely metagame perspective, the only type of run that a team without a decker but has an otaku is datasteal from an offline Matrix system.

Control and gathering of information (in both tactical and strategic senses) are the domain of the Matrix user. Although some information may be gathered through the Face(contacts) or through Magic (Divination or detection spells), information is primarily gathered by the decker/otaku and denial of information to the opposition is just as important. Consider also that with the high Intelligence that otaku possess, it would less possible for NPCs to outsmart the otaku (much like how some would argue that a high Intelligence NPC dragon should not be outsmarted by a bunch of Intelligence 4 PCs). A RML 8 Intelligence otaku can have a Attr Max of 12 (twice that of a normal chargen PC).

[sidartha]

[Cain]

They're hardly worthless, but about the only dual role an otaku can fill is otaku/face, and that's pretty limited because of the ettiquette restriction. Still, starting with Charisma 8 can be a huge advantage for a face.

In general, it's always better for people to have overlapping roles, regardless of how big the team is. A sam/techie and decker/rigger/techie might not use their backup skills much, but it's always nice to have the option in a pinch.

[Glyph]

It's hard to compare deckers and otaku, because otaku have innate abilities, while deckers depend on technology. On the one hand, deckers are more vulnerable to their decks being lost/stolen, and have to keep up with the technology curve. But on the other hand, their dependence on technology can be a strength depending on how easy it is to acquire it in a particular campaign. A decker who boosts the corporate decker's Fairlight Excalibur is suddenly much, much better than he was before.

If the campaign is a gritty street level one that is high on Karma but low on cash, then the otaku has an edge in decking. If the campaign has higher monetary rewards or opportunities to snag high-tech loot, then the decker will have the edge.


@Toturi: Overall, I would actually say it would tend to be easier to outsmart an otaku than it would be to outsmart a decker. Otaku are geniuses, yes, but also 'semi-autistic street kids with very limited life experiences'. They would probably fall for some tricks that would never work on a hardened runner. Once they get some real-life experience, though, their superhuman mental Attributes will come into play more effectively.

[toturi]

Glyph: Exactly. They won't be street kids in the first place if they fall for any tricks that would never work on a hardened runner. They would be smears on the pavement. Their life experiences might be limited to the Matrix and the street, but I would think these 2 "limited" areas are more than enough. Afterall, a ganger's life experiences might just be limited to the street :D.

[mfb]

keep in mind, there's no reason you can't play a 18 to 20-year old otaku. that's plenty old enough to be an experienced runner, especially if you started young.

[nick012000]

AS for the folks that are saying that otaku are useless outside the Matrix, I have two words for you: grenade launcher.

The Launch Weapons skill is Int-based.

Also, I would personally play an elven otaku. Albino, with the Exceptional Attribute (Int), Bonus Attribute (Int), Aptitude (computer), and Natural Hardening Edges.

Abilities:
Str 1
Quickness 2
Body 1
Int 9
Will 9
Cha 10

And then we get to play the genius elven kid that plays with high explosives. :D

[sanctusmortis]

Can you actually get a launcher and ammo easily to start?

I'd say that, in their domain the Matrix, it's hard to trick an Otaku. IRL, though, easy targets. After all, Matrix has datahavens, IRL has newspapers. Not as reliable or diverse...

[toturi]