Hacker Adepts Options

[ef31415]

Since there isn't any cyberware to boost hacking skills (Good-by Encephalon / Math SPU!) is there any reason _not_ to have a hacker character being an adept?

That gets you a critical +3 dice in hacking, + other skills as neeed.

[snowRaven]

The only reason not to is that an adept with a few powers will cost you 15-25 BPs. Not a huge deal, though you could spend it in other useful things.

However, as a GM I would rule that 'Hacking' itself can't be taken as an Improved Power. But that might just be my personal sadistic-streak :grinbig:

[NeoJudas]

[Rotbart van Dain...]

Hacking mostly consists of Tests done with Skill+Program - so the benefits of a Cerebral Booster aren't that big when hacking.

[JesterX]

That depends... When the SR4 Encephalon will see the day (in an upcoming sourcebook I hope), they will probably make if kinda good.

I easily imagine the encephalon reducing the time need to write your own programs by actually giving some dices to the task pool. It would be nice if it also reduced the extended test duration by one step (day instead of week, hour instead of day and so on.)

As for the hacking bonus, even if it still give 1 to 3 dices to all electronic skills depending of the level, it's still a killer piece of hardware ^_^

Combine that 3 dice (from the highest level) to the 2 dices of the math SPU and you got +5dices to your hacking skills... ^_^

[booklord]

I've been considering the banning of any adept ability which would enhance the ability of a non-physical stat.

Decker adepts, scientist adepts, etc. simply rub me the wrong way.
( and I hated and banned the concept of social adepts in my SR3 games )

Once I actually get the book I'll be able to make a more informed judgement.

[MortVent]

Why does Savant style adepts bother you so much?

[booklord]

Savant style adepts bother me because there is no non-awakened equivilent.

In SR3 the physical adept was always the magical equal to the cybered samurai. ( Well the samurai had the edge, but the adept had other advantages such as stealth and concealability and the ability to walk through airport security )

But where is the equal to these mental-skill savant adepts?

When SR3 introduced social adepts they obsoleted every non-magical face character out there. Suddenly there was someone far superior and it didn't matter how good the face character was the social adept had an edge they couldn't match up to. And now with magical adept style decker the pattern continues. Non-adept deckers will always be second class. And even among players that aren't munchkinators or min-maxers that has to be a real downer.

That's why I dislike mental-skill savant style adepts.

[hobgoblin]

so, what the world needs are either a removal of the ability to boost mental attribute linked skills or for some cyber or maybe more correctly bioware that boosts your mental abilitys.

hmm, i distinctly recall a bioware doing just that...

[hyzmarca]

Reflex recorders for leadership and ettiquite?

[MortVent]

well if they go adept, they basicly loose access to cyberware (can get it.. but magic rating or skill rating whichever is lower limits max bonus from improved ability).

Max bonus is 6 dice to the pool, on average I'd say maybe 1-2 more hits but also more room for glitches.

Plus there are other drawbacks, namely they assesnse as magically active... so wind up prime targets in combat.

Sure some can branch into combat powers, those are the munchie ones. If the character only focuses on the Savant/Social skill modding powers I see no problem with it.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

[booklord]

Don't be cryptic. A lot of us are too cheap for the pdf edition and are holding out for the paper one. I'm working off the information I have.

But I find it hard to believe that a single piece of bioware can overcome the great advantage that mental-attribute savant adepts seem to have. ( Worse since its bioware there is the distinct possibility that a character could have both the bioware and the magic edge )

[Rotbart van Dain...]

Mnemonic Enhancer now gives +1 each level for both language and knowledge skills.

[Kagetenshi]

[hahnsoo]

[Kagetenshi]

Ah, I misunderstood. Yes, if you're adding two or more dice you'll always reduce your probability of a glitch (though adding fewer dice may reduce it by more).

I had thought the implication was that adding dice to a two-die or larger pool would always reduce, which is incorrect.

~J

[MortVent]

[Crusher Bob]

Assensing someone takes an action, would you rather spend your action dropping one of the other side with an attack spell, or trying to find out who to drop, while you risk being dropped yourself?

In general, it's those who draw attention to themselves that get shot. The hacker guy hiding in the back might get shot because they assume he is up to no good, but no one is going to care if he is an adept or not.

Does it really matter if the troll with the assualt cannon is an adept, a street sam, or just a troll with an assualt cannon? Not by much.

[MortVent]

I'd rather have my watchers do it while I cast the nasty spells and adjust as needed on targets.

[booklord]

Watchers can assense targets?
I wouldn't have credited them with the brains required.

Besides are you seriously listening to your watchers give a detailed description of the opposition in the middle of a fire fight? In SR3 that would result in a target modifier. ( distracted )

[MortVent]

Well considering a watcher manifesting over thier heads or an elemental engulfing them as the mark of magical activity (aka shoot this one signs), think tactically dude. After all I want my team mates to know too.


And well I asked about hacker adepts, as I noticed the ability (was there in 3rd edition too but limited use). Savant adpets are about as unbalancing as physical/combat adepts when you think about it (no cyberware or equipment gives say 6 dice to pistol skill)

[booklord]

Tactically?

"Assense those people, and manifest over any magically active individuals."

Okay, here goes. You are facing a group say 8 individuals. 2 are magically active. ( one adept, one magician ) You tell your watcher to manifest over the magically active ones. Your watcher assenses all eight of them because that's what you told it to do first. ( 8 actions ) It then does nothing because it can't decide on its own which of the magically active individuals to manifest over.

That is the level of brains I assign to a watcher.

An elemental would be a different story. As I think Elementals are must more capable spirits. In that case I would allow the elemental to assense the group at a number of people equal to its force per action. It would also be smart enough to immediately engulf any magically active individual it finds with its next action.

Of course tactically you are still probably better off just telling the elemental to attack. That way it wouldn't waste time assensing the opposition.

[MortVent]

And an adept that puts 3pts into pistols can still match the average sami, and with a couple initiate levels match an advanced sami or even excced him over time(since alot of the senseware, etc is available in non-implant tech now). The savant still focuses on a narrow area, (if they munch, the gm needs to deal with them) and hacking now is broken into seperate skills.

Hacking is used most, but cybercombat and electronic warfare are very important as well. Not to mention the skills included in the electronics skill group (computer and data search especially).

Plus a savant should be just that in relation to what powers they pick up, I wouldn't create a savant with combat powers (combat sense is iffy due to the sense nature of it). I could see some of the senses and social style mods for an adept of the savant path.

And I'd send multiple watchers(equal to charisma): assense the group, and manifest over the first magically active individual you find that does not have a watcher manifested over them. Elementals would be attacking after engulfing the first magically active char they find (not already being incinerated). I'd bat mopup along with my team mates with spells as needed (control thoughts on the enemy with the biggest gun usually or fireball/flamethrower with my current mage)

[ef31415]

For a sammi, you can go either the adept route or the hardwired route, and they are both about the same -- I'd give a slight nod to the hardwired, although the adept can get past security easier.

For deckers, without cyberware to boost hacking skills, it seems like the hack adept is the no-brain solution. This is especially true because deckers have one thing they need to do really, really well -- that is break into computer systems.