Alright, been playing Shadowrun for only a few months now.. but.. I wanted to know if this is possible. I am putting this as short as possible, since most of you know already what this is.

+2 Smartlink
+2 Take Aim (Krav Maga, Free Action)
+3 Improved Combat Ability (Adept)
+7 Agility (+2 Muscle Toner, 5 Agility Base)
+6 Pistols
+2 Semi-Automatics Specialty
+1 Skill Recorder
+1 Enhanced Articulation
---------------------
+24 Dice to attack

-4 Called Shot (For +4 Damage)

+20 Dice to Attack with Ruger Warhawk with 10P Damage Base.

--- Does anyone see any issues with having the 20 dice to attack and a 10 damage base for the gun after all this? I wanted to make this character a single shot gun-dueler who just inflicts massive damage with his one bullet.

Or if anyone else knows how to eek out a few extra dice on his attacks, and might have ideas, let me know.

I could have sworn somewhere I read that there was a bonding process for Adepts to familiarize themselves with a weapon to get +2 dice, but can't seem to find that (its not the metamagic from Street Magic though, I know that).

Restrictions from the game are 400bp, 12R restriction.

Enhanced Articulation no longer adds to all non-mental skills, now it adds to the Physical Skill category which is different from the Combat Skills category.

Analyze Device requires 4-6 hits just to get one extra die but it adds dice past the threshold
Item Attunement metamagic adds to use the object
Adept Centering reduces penalties to Combat Skills (called shot, anyone?)
and the holy grail IMO is "Heightened Concentration" from Digital Grimoire. It negates all penalties from a single source up to your magic rating. So it can negate wound penalties, vision penalties, cover modifiers, movement penalties or even recoil penalties... just one source only. Again I say, Called Shot, anyone? Stack with Adept Centering so you can negate even more penalties since Adept Centering can negate remaining penalties.
You can use the Restricted Gear positive quality to start with Muscle Toner 4. For your char it may be worth it.
If you take Aptitude: Pistols and start with a 7 Pistols you could get 4 levels of Improved Combat ability since by default it rounds in your favor.
Combat Sense helps against everything from grenades to fireballs to surprise tests. Its amazingly good.

I suggest Ammunition Skip System for revolvers... that way you can load it and have the cylinder land on whatever type of bullet you want to fire next. Gel one minute, Capsule with Narco the next, Tracking a third shot, etc.

Gun Adepts in games I'm in seem to get their guns taken away or chopped in half a lot. Get Gecko Grip mod and Melee Hardening and you can mitigate this.

The Adrenaline Surge positive quality is pricey at 15bp but worth every penny. If an enemy doesnt have it you automatically get to go first on the first pass unless they spend an edge to get an initiaitve roll.

Okay, so basically everything there is good except for the Enhanced Articulation.

Unfortunately I can't take the Item Attunment unless I go through an Initiation right?

Yeah but with a group and ordeal its only 13 xp to initiate the first time (5 of that is to join the group) and like 10xp the second time.

Neither of these works, but with resricted gear quality you can raise your agility to 9, so you end up with same amount of dice.

A Take Aim action only adds +1 to your DP.
If you're doing two Take Aim actions, then you don't have enough actions left in the pass to Call Shot (free action) and Fire (simple action.)

Besides, unless you're firing from 5m, or using Centering or Heightened Concentration, you'll need that Take Aim action to mitigate range penalties.

Take Aim is only +1, exept you want to take two take aim actions, which you can with the Ruger. But a normal pistol can shoot twice thus making almost twice the damage a ruger does. plus what Mäx said.
Reflex Recorder doesnt work, because you already maxed your skilled with improved ability power.

Good catch max, its now called a "Reflex Recorder" on p247 SR4A.
(works for combat and physical skills only)

Also, the Enhance Aim spell in a sustaining focus can reduce the range category all the time.

Edit: I originally called it Hawkeye in this post and have edited the name to be correct as 'Enhance Aim'

I wasn't getting caught on terminology, no matter what's that ware's name is it doesn't work for this build as he's allready at augmented max of the pistols skill with the adept power.
Also just a not OP, you need a revolvers speciality not semi-automatics.
Wasabi spell you mean is enhance aim, not hawkeye.

It does not work that way. You have to use your Free Action for a Called Shot. Normally Take Aim is a Simple Action, but Krav Maga makes it free. You do not have a free action in this action Phase however so a simple one is used for taking aim anyway. Now you are at +1. You could use the other simple action to aim again but then you wouldn't shoot at all.
Anyway I'd rather shoot twice with with two dice less. Or take Restricted Gear and Muscle Toner 4 to get AGI to 9. Or go Elf for AGI 10. You could further improve AGI by SURGEing and/or taking Exceptional Attribute.

musle tunner and adapt usually do not mixed well.

anyway, it seem that you put most of you build point to one specific target - be superior shooter - but then what with the other espects of the game ? don't forget that may battle ends after 1 or two rounds. so your super-shotter face with large trool or pist shaman that suommon strong spirt ..and the gunslinger is no more

Are you high man, mucle toner 4 is the best use of a power point a gunslinger adept could do, especially as genetic optimization Agility fits into that same power point.

Just to nit-pick... A Ruger Superwarhawk is a Revolver and not a Semi-Automatic Pistol. So you will need another specialization...

-CJ

My take on this concept:
Surged Elf adept with metagenetic improvement agility and genetic optimization for the same.
Agility 9(13 with muscle toner 4)
Long-arms 7(aptitude)
specialty to shotguns +2
improvmet ability shotguns 3
smartlink +2
-----------------------
27 dice to shoot shotguns

simple action to take aim to lineup the shot negating range penalties
free action to call shot for +4 damage and -4 dice
simple action to shoot Boyd & Richards Desperado loaded with shocklock rounds with 23 dice for base damage of 12 and AP-2.
This cost about 230BP.

You could add an improved range finder to the smartgun so you don't have to negate range penalties up to medium range.
Whats so good about shotguns? Using an a short burst SMG or AR would give you 11P AP 0 or 12P AP -1 at greater range and more ammunition. This gets even better when you use special ammunition.

By RAW you could even use a wide burst to deny your target his defence on the called shot, but that is just silly. Just as silly as not being able to call a shot on a short burst, if the weapon is in FA mode.

If you read the part of the OP:s post i quoted, that should answer this question.

OK, I wasn't sure if he meant actually only firing one round or shooting once.

Well even if using a short burst a shotgun with it's higher basedamage is still better.
But the Desperado is totally a style think, as i see it as a lever action shotgun for the maximum badassness

hmm..what about spec: Heavy Pistols. that should cover "regular" heavy pistols and Revolvers (whose classification is Heavy Pistols)
(Cavalier Deputy and Ruger Super Warhawk..)

It's a question of whether you include revolvers in pistols. If not this specialization is more narrow than the semi-automatic pistols specialization.

Okay so basically what I have now is...


+2 Smartlink
+3 Imp. Combat Ability (Adept)
+10 Agility (+2 Muscle Toner, Genetic Engineering, Enh Agility Quality)
+6 Pistols
+2 Revolver Specialty
+1 Reflex Recorder
---------------------

+24 dice


So someone mentioned the Imp. Combat ability was maxed out? The only thing I read is that it can only be maxed out at 1.5 the base skill of guns max. So that means 6 pistol = 9 pistol with Imp Combat Ability right?

Do specializations in this count? If I had 8 with revolvers, then do I now get 12 maximum with Imp. Combat ability?

If there is a FAQ or rule on this in the book, let me know. I thought the only maximum that it had was that your pistol skill with the combat ability couldn't be 1.5x the skill maximum. Which adds in seperately for everything. The Reflex recorder specifically says its usable for combat skills, and says it stacks with all other abilities/modifiers.

Exactly. It's 9 whatever the source. The reflex recorder is unnecessary with Improved Ability 3 unless you have aptitude.

No, Specailizations do not increase the skill they add two bonus dice. That's why it should be noted as Pistols(Revolvers) 5(+2) and not 5(7)

it's still 7(10) with aptitude (SR4A p118 last paragraph)

With Aptitude it could just as well be 6(10)
The adept power is limited to 1.5* actual natural skill; the maximum augmented skill rating is maximum natural skill *1.5. Aptitude raises the natural as well as the augmented skill maximum by one.

With an actual natural skill of 6 and Aptitude you are allowed to take 3 points of Improved Ability and have a maximum augmented skill of 10. So you could still add a reflex recorder. Raising the skill to 7 with karma gives no benefit in that situation.

Skills have an augmented maximum of current value time 1,5, so that doesnt work.

is that Round up or down?

7 skill would haven an augmented max of either 10 or 11. If it's 11, then the skill recorder is useful

From what I'm seeing, unless you're extremely up close and personal the range modifiers are still going to kill you.

Currently, I like the Hawkeye ability (unaugmented Weapon Range Modifier reduced by 1 step) + Improved Range Finder (reducing range
penalties by 1). I believe this means that long range becomes medium range at a pentalty of 0 and extreme range ends up only having a penalty of -2.

down

Ahhh I see now.

So i can still get 23 dice. Thats not too shabby at all.

It must be round down. P. 118 of SR4A explicitly states that the augmented maximum with aptitude is 10.

What? Revolvers are explicitly pistols. See table "Heavy Pistols," SR4A, p. 318.

Elf Adept/Cybersamurai
Custom Cyberarm with Natural Agility 7, +4 Enhancement, for a total of +11. (needs a cybertorso as well)
So,

+2 Smartlink
+3 Improved Combat Ability (Adept)
+11 Agility
+7 Pistols (Aptitude)
+2 Revolver Specialty
+1 Reflex Recorder

+26 dice.

Also, if you don't mind having an obvious cyberarm, you could easily fit a cyberarm slide into the arm, which would be pretty badass.

EDIT: This is pretty BP heavy; you'd probably have to get a synaptic booster or adernaline surge for your initiative; and the cybertorso only gives you +1 dice, while costing you 1.5 essence (and additionally the BPs you'd need to raise your magic by 2). Something to consider.

Ruhroh, may bad. I've edited my earlier post to say 'Enhance Aim', thanks!

25 dice since the skill + reflex recorder + inproved combat ability specifically caps at 10.


Elf with Aptitude Pistols, Class II surge for Metagenetic Improvement, Restricted Gear, Hawk Eye, and adept (Thats 10+10+5+5+5=35). This nets:

+2 Smartlink
+3 Improved Combat Ability (Adept)
+12 Agility (8+Muscle Toner 4)
+7 Pistols (Aptitude)
+2 Revolver Specialty

26 Dice

If you can skip Aptitude, Restricted Gear, and Hawk Eye you can take Exceptional Attribute instead and still buy Genetic Optimization wtih cash and then later in game pick up the restricted items (>12 Availability) in game of Muscle Toner 4 and a Suprathyroid Gland to end up with:

+2 Smartlink
+3 Improved Combat Ability (Adept)
+15 Agility
+6 Pistols
+2 Revolver Specialty

28 Dice

By a similar method a elf street sam can do all that and pick up a 15 agility arm at the start (rather than adept he can take restricted gear to buy cyberlimb agility enhancement at 5 or 6). He wouldn't have Improved Combat Ability, but could still pick up a reflex recorder for +1 skill, this nets:

+2 Smartlink
+1 Reflex Recorder
+15 Agility
+6 Pistols
+2 Revolver Specialty

26 Dice

You can also net more dice at any range beyond short by using long or full auto bursts with a laser sight and tracer rounds, but that gets away from the one bullet one kill method.

If your going as a one shot kill build. Get extened mag for that one shot pistol for 2 shots it rounds up. This has a base of 7P normaly so a called shot would be 11p base with 20 odd dice.

Nevermind, figured it out.




-karma

I'm not sure an extended magazine on a gun without a magazine in the first place is going to fly. That would be like putting an extended magazine on the street sweeper or on a mortar. It doesn't actually make any sense. Doubling the amount of ammo it can self-load when it doesn't have a self-loader isn't going to help.

Edit: The weapon in question appears to be the Eichiro Hatamoto II, a one shot pistol firing a shotgun round.

I'm thinking the 'one shot kill' build doesn't necessitate a one-shot pistol, but that may just be me.

Could always specialize in that PJSS if that's really the route you want to go. Nothing screams 'style' like toting an elephant rifle with you wherever you may go.

It has a internal magazine just one a tiny one by RAW. If you want uber cheese add additional clip to for 4 shots. Or just add additional clip for 2.

That kind of cheese boggles my mind. How are you going to expand an internal magazine on a breechloader?

The powergamer in my head immediately suggested "ADD MORE BARRELS" so now I have a vision of an Ellen Ripley Special.

More barrels = more gunslinger. My possession tradition night one mystic adept with metagenic/exceptional agility carries around ten Gauss Cannons taped together and fired by voice activation. What she says will be left as an exercise to the reader.

Sadly enough the pistol does indeed have a (m) for magazine. The street Sweeper at least has a (b) for breech loader and they were kind enough to not put notations after the mortal and missile launchers.

During my first week I've wanted to pound my head into the wall with the difficulty of asking a question and sorting through what's a house rule and what isn't but between the emotitoys, this pistol, and the "Alchemical Passkey" (which despite at least one, doesn't answer any questions, although it does raise a few), I can see why Shadowrun has become a system of house rules.

Oh well, I guess it's either constantly changing errata or houserules or cheese. At least I understand the reasons things are the way they are a bit better now.

I missed it - which pistol are we talking again?

(Powergamer suggests taking an M79 and cutting the barrel down so it's 'pistol' sized)

I don't see any mods to alter the ammo capacity on a (m) weapon, theres additional (c )lip, extended (c )lip, and increased (cy)linder.

Thank Vectron! You appear to be right! My faith in the system is restored!

(Note: There is also an extended drum.)

Nope, drum magazines are a version of the extended clip mod available for SMGs and assault rifles. See the extended clip entry, Arsenal, p. 150.

There is no such thing as physical skills as a skill class.

/Begin debate

Page 124 SR4A, the group of skills is categorized as Physical Active Skills.

Yeah, seems pretty obvious.