Or get voice input commlinks with vocalisers to read their emails out loud.

I'm going to be talking about this from a non-technomancer perceptive. Mainly because technomancers bring all sorts of other things to the table (overthreading and sprites especially).

Being an AR hacker has two big advantages. The first is that you can actually go on adventures rather than camping out in the truck. The second is being completely immune to dumpshock and all forms of damaging simsense. So you get to laugh at blackhammer and blackout. Now this is kindof a moot point if your GM adapts, but a lot of published adventures always keep Black IC as the "big guns." It also means for all intents and purposes, you are an agent and thus be treated like one. If you're defeated in cybercombat, just log back on (note this requires some hacking on fly 9 times out of 10). Just spoof every once in a while to keep people off your trail (though getting kicked off or liberal use of jack out will stop that as well) and "dying" in matrix is like dying in a FPS, just a short wait respawning. You can try to crash the whole node if you have to and hurt all those hot VR users. While such brutal attacks may not always be the best option, it never stops being an option either. In high TR Missions games, you're going to get caught if you try to hack, so you might as well be prepared. You might be able to team up with a more "subtle" technomancer who can do their thing while you smash though the door and waste everyone's IPs.

Since you already need physical IP, it's fairly easy to become a decent combat character as well. Or you can specialize in breaking and entering and using that theoretical high logic rating hackers are suppose to have to good use (hardware skill is quite handy). Or get some magical ability. It's hard to combine "I'm in a coma" hacking with anything other than drone control (never jump in, use remote) and oddly, facing. You can also play pokemaster with spirits due to remote command cheese, but please do your GM a favor and don't.

However, sometimes cold VR is needed. Probing is a needed skill for a hacker character. If the GM doesn't allow program ratings greater than 6 for PCs, it's hard to hack on the fly to admin without being detected (even with edge) since most equal rating systems will trigger the alarm on the second roll. If your GM allows it, turning off the delayed alarm due having the program option Mute on your hacking is really awesome and then probing doesn't matter (if the GM doesn't allow it, I can't blame him). However the stuff that requires VR can be done cold and takes forever (forever being over a minute) anyways so you're not doing it during the run.

There's also a legality issue. Hot Sim VR is illegal and requires a hardware change that takes hours. If you're a AR hacker, you can keep it cold and if you're worried about the law (like the local police demands to see your commlink), delete all those restricted programs. Just copy them from your home server (you do have your programs pirated or self-programmed right?) when the police aren't on your back.

Going AR does mean giving up on the tasty +2 hot sim bonus. In addition you'll never see 5 IPs. However, I strongly suggest AR hacking. There's enough advantages to make a reasonable choice. It also makes the GM's life easier in that he doesn't have to factor in "guy who sits in the car the entire run" into his adventures. That alone makes it worth it.

Never said it did...

Never said you said it did. I was still responding to Udoshi.

Heheheh... Gotcha... Man this is getting confusing...

I finally have a concept for the character, and it means I'm going the augmentation route rather than adept. He's a member of a criminal syndicate called the Eye, heavily augmented information brokers (inspired by the Omar from Deus Ex: Invisible War) with sidelines in weapons and illegal augmentation. Now to work on the actual build...

Here's my build. Honest critique welcome. Do I need black IC programs, or will a good Attack program suffice?

"Redeye"

Metatype:
Human (0 BP)

Positive Qualities:
Codeslinger (Hack on the Fly) (10 BP)
Erased (10 BP)
Analytical Mind (5 BP)
Photographic Memory (10 BP)

Attributes:
Body 3 (20 BP)
Agility 3 (20 BP)
Reaction 3 (20 BP)
Strength 2 (10 BP)
Charisma 3 (20 BP)
Intuition 4 (30 BP)
Logic 4 (30 BP)
Willpower 3 (20 BP)

Edge 3 (20 BP)
Essence 1.25

Skills:
Cracking group 4 (40 BP)
Electronics group 4 (40 BP)
Athletics group 1 (10 BP)
Stealth group 1 (10 BP)
Pistols 2 (8 BP)
Dodge 2 (8 BP)
Perception 2 (8 BP)
Knowledge: Data Havens 5
Knowledge: Illegal Augmentation Traffickers 3
Knowledge: Arms Dealers 2
Knowledge: North American Smuggling Routes 2
Knowledge: Matrix Security Design 5
Language: English N
Language: Russian 4
Language: Japanese 3

Gear:
Commlink (Fairlight Caliban w/ Novatech Navi) 9500Y
AR gloves 250Y
Common Use Programs 4200Y
-Analyze 6
-Browse 6
-Command 6
-Edit 6
-Encrypt 6
-Reality Filter 6
-Scan 6
Hacking Programs 66,000Y
-Armor 6
-Attack 6
-Decrypt 6
-Defuse 6
-ECCM 6
-Exploit 6
-Medic 6
-Sniffer 6
-Spoof 6
-Stealth 6
-Track 6
Lifestyle (Middle, 1 month) 5000Y
Ares Predator IV 350Y
Spare clips (10) 50Y
Silencer 200Y
100 rounds regular ammo 200Y
50 rounds APDS ammo 350Y
Armor vest 600Y
Cyberskull (obvious) 10,000Y
-Datajack 500Y
Cybereyes (Rating 4) 10750Y
-Flare compensation
-Low-light
-Thermographic
-Smartlink
-Vision Enhancement 3
-Vision Magnification
Cyberears (Rating 4) 18500Y
-Audio Enhancement 3
-Balance Augmenter
-Damper
-Select Sound Filter 6
-Spatial Recognizer
Wired Reflexes 2 32,000Y
Medkit 6 600Y
-Medkit supplies x4 200Y
Tag eraser 150Y
Handheld sensor package 450Y
-Radio signal scanner 6
-Laser microphone 6
Glue sprayer 150Y

Group Contact:
The Eye (15/4) (19 BP)

Does your GM let you auto-downgrade software? Or do you have to run the right ratings?
Cause that fairlight is only response 4, and that OS is Firewall 3/System 4

You can't run programs of a rating higher than 4. No Biofilter? REALLY? That's.. I mean I know you said mostly AR.. but sometimes you gotta go VR and with no biofilters you're matrix damage right on the hull. That seems like a bad idea.

Well, Programs AUTOMATICALLY downgrade to what the system will allow (They will only run at the rating of the SYstem or the Program, whichever is lower). So that is not a worry.
But yes, eventually he will need to go VR, if for just a few things. He will Definitely NEED a Biofeedback Filter Program for those occassions.

Well, I'm super-tight on BP here. I had to downgrade my Logic from 5 to 4 to fit all the cyberware I wanted. Not having a Biofeedback Filter is not a huge concern right now because I can't go VR even if I want to: no sim module or simrig.

On the subject of simrigs, it seems like there should be an implantable version, but I can't find one. Am I just blind, or what?

So, yeah, commlink upgrades are first on my shopping list when I get money, followed by VR hardware and a Biofeedback Filter.

Well then, that should solve all your issues then...
Have Fun...

If your tight on pooints Analytic Mind may be a good one to cut unless your planing on doing a lot of software rolls. Also is the cyberskull something backstory related? It just seems a little out of place, as big a fan as I am of datajacks you could put one in your eye or ears instead without the signifigant essence cost.

Both are integral to the concept. Analytical Mind because I have an image of this guy as something of a Mentat-type human computer, the cyberskull because the crime syndicate that he's part of is inspired by the Omar from Deus Ex: Invisible War, and I wanted him to have their look.

AFAIK, you can't put a datajack in your eye or ears. In SR4.

Bodyware, not headware. Same cost as a hotsim unit, little more essence. Since you're not using an implanted hotsim module, you can just buy a regular hotsim unit for it at a far reduced price.

Given you can't use any of that software at R6. WHy not just buy it at R4 until you get a better commlink?

Well, he could get Optimized.

Do normal programs really scale down to meet your System, or is that only if they already fit your *base* System to begin with? Not that it matters very much.

Programs will only operate at the rating of your System, if the System is lower than the Program's Rating. It is automatic... A Rating 6 Program on a System/Response Comlink Rated 4 will run that Program at Rating 4... take that same Program and put it on a Rated 6 Comlink, and the Program will run at Rating 6.

And Yes, Optimized is awesome indeed...

I mean, I understand the concept, but I wasn't sure where it says that programs actually *do* that by default.

Sorry... let me see if I can locate it, have to go get my books though, so it may take a bit...

Here it is: SR4A; Page 235 under the Programs Topic, 2nd Paragraph...



That should suffice I would think...

Because it's cheaper to upgrade the commlink than it is to buy a bunch of new software. I'd have to spend 70,200¥ on a bunch of R6 software anyway; why also spend 46,800¥ on a bunch of R4 software that I'm going to discard at the first opportunity rather than 3,000¥ on a System 6 OS once play starts? I'm pretty sure I'll get the 3,000¥ from the first run, and then I'm running a full suite of R6 software, as opposed to spending 70,200¥ over however many runs. The difference between R6 and R4 software only saves me 4BP, which isn't enough to make the tradeoff worthwhile.

Are you using Unwired? If so, just buy pirated software at 10% of the price. You'll have to spend some time searching for updates on warez sites, but....

So I did a complete rework of Redeye. Here are some major points.

Being unSURGEd human is very meh outside of certain builds. Being an ork is much better. Formori is really awesome if you can afford it. Arcane Arrestor is one of the few ways for a mundane to have any defense against magic worth the name. SURGE is just a big pile of points. You don't even have to be a freak unless you want to be one. Metagentic Improvement and Biocompability is just too good for its price.

Sadly in SR4, cybereyes and cyberears aren't very good. With easy to get optics and sensor suites, it's just better to carry them around and save your Essence. The complete sucking that is the cyberskull is also sad. I tried to make something of it, but I couldn't, there isn't the room for it. If you can live with just wearing a respirator, things become so much easier. Cyberware is awesome, but just a matter of picking the right ones. I hope you feel sufficiently cyborg with Move By Wire, a cyberarm, and commlinks with DNI.

Move-by-Wire 2 is a very efficient Essence package for what you get. It's Wired Reflexes 2, Reaction Enhancer 2, and Skillwires 4 for 85000Y and 3 Essence. Since the package is normally 60000Y and 4.4 Essence, you're playing 25000Y and a Restricted Gear for 1.4 Essence. I believe this to be a very good deal. You can get it Second Hand for 42500Y and 3.6 Essence and that's just a steal. You also get +2 to dodge tests which is just a freebie.

The cyberarm of awesome (which my friends call this tactic) is what lets you pass off as a street samurai. Sell down your body and agility and buy a customized cyberlimb with a lot of enhancements. It'll average out with your low base stats to give you a decent body and agility score overall. It may or may not be cheap. I'm just happy for an edition where cyberlimbs are generically useful rather at best niche and at worst useless. However, if you use an one-handed firearm, you use the super-enhanced agility giving you a respectable combat pool. This combined with a great body score, good armor, and a reaction of 9 means you're also hard to hurt.

Nanohive with Neocortical 3 is pretty cheap and easy to fit into your cyberarm. It gives you +3 dice to all your logic-linked skills (not to logic tests) as long as you can focus. It's a nice pile of points for when you can take your time. PuSHeD works similar and is a nice way to get an extra dice.

You forgot to get a Fake SIN. While GMs might overlook fake licenses, they won't overlook lack of a Fake SIN. I also bought a second commlink for your "public" face. Keep the one in your arm in hidden mode.

I went with automatics rather than pistols. Automatics covers a larger field of useful niches and you can get a machine pistol almost as concealable as a heavy pistol. Stay with SMGs or lighter so you can one hand them. The Praetor is an great SMG for when you need to lay things down. Be sure to palm it when you can (with a 6 die palming check you can an addition -2 to concealing stuff). If you can buy a longcoat for another -2 conceal, do it.

The only huge flaw with this character is the giant gapping wound that is lack of Charisma skills. Your best bet is to grab some pirated skillsofts ASAP. That'll give you a 5 die pool. Terrible for doing stuff, but merely "slightly below average." However your old character was in a similar boat and if you're in deep trouble, there's edge (which you now have 5 extra dice).

The build has some spare cash left. You can buy an agent, heavier guns, fake licenses, or some cyberware. If you want more points for something, you may want to drop cybercombat and let your agents fight while you do other stuff like spoofing. I didn't check Knowledge skills so I leave that to you.

In game, you want several things. The first is a Response 6 chip. That'll give you that +2 to all programs you need. The second is pirated skillsofts and a tacnet. Lastly, you can decide how you'll want to run that TacNet. I like to run it off a secondary commlink, but you can run it off your main if you want.

With Karma, buy specializations first. Then you can buy whatever you want.

Sigh. Munchkinry causes such odd mental images: 'palm' a P90?

Thinking about it further why don't you put the comlink into the cyberskull? It would kind of go with your theme and make sure it can never be taken from you. I don't recall the number of slots a skull has but this should be doable.

...wow. Hacking monster + combat monster + troll monster = all monster. Daddy likes. I'm going to change the eyes from solid yellow to solid red and say that's how he got his name. Being a fomori gives me an excuse to break out my cheesy 40K quasi-Cockney Ork accent: "Needz moar dakka!" Domo arigato, Hida-sama.

You can't Optimize for 'Hacking'. It's like Specializing in 'Guns'.

SURGE III is theoretically supposed to have a theme, but I can understand that we just assume 'rubberstamp GM' for charop work.

Oops. That should be Optimization (Exploit) on the commlink. It's by program not action. Same net effect though.

It actually has a theme. It's thin scrawny troll with a compromised immune system (he's weak and fragile for a troll) and bad at social skills. He's a high school geek.



To be fair, it's a troll.

Still, I hope you've got big pockets if you want to fit that on your person, a Praetor probably has at least a 9 or 10 inch barrel, even with the bullpup designs FN loves so well you're looking at something considerably bigger than the largest troll's hand. It's like a human trying to 'palm' a Ruger .454.

Yes, but a human can hide a Ruger .454. I'm sure a troll sized concealable holster over his forearm (from Concealable Holster Description SR4A p322) can easily be large enough for an half meter long SMG especially since trolls have long arms even for their size compared to humans. Considering that the Palming skill covers all concealing of items including when someone pats you down for stuff hanging out in your longcoat pockets, it really should be named Concealment or something similar.

Also, the build doesn't even use a Praetor. I gave him a Steyr TMP for this and other reasons (more 'legal' as well). I just suggested a Praetor for more "heavy duty fighting." Though palming everything is a good idea.

Though that does remind me, you might also want to buy Chameleon Coating on those guns as well. It's 1000Y for -4 to Concealment. Just remember all the negatives to perception mods in the world won't do anything to a MAD detector or Cyberware Scanner set to look for guns.

That is what Ceramic Parts are for (MAD Scanners anyways)...

Oops. I didn't notice before, but you got rid of my Erased quality. That is absolutely integral to the character. I think I'm going to keep the scrawny fomori concept, but I have to rework some stuff to get Erased back. Possibly drop to SURGE I, keep Biocompatibility and Extravagant Eyes and ditch the rest. It's a sacrifice of one die on Agility-linked tests, which I can live with, plus I lose a couple of other weaknesses.

That's fair. That's what I would do as well if I wanted to keep Erased. The disadvantages are mostly filler at the moment, but I do strongly advise taking as many points as you can (35 + whatever needed for SURGE).

Talk to your GM if you can start the game with Pirated Ware. It's 10% cost (saving you 68580Y) for only a modest monthly fee (10Y per Common Use Programs and 100Y per Hacking Program). It works out to roughly 1270Y a month for you. Even worst case (Buying hits + -1 die per pass on a extended test) you can get those programs and patches with your 14 Data Search (Data Search 4 + Browse 4 + NeoCortical 3 + PuSHed 1 + Analytic Mind 2). It's a great money saver. As long as the campaign doesn't last for 54 months (4.5 years), you come out ahead and you don't have to worry about the registration option biting you in your tender spots. Either way, grab pirated tacnet 4 for 1200Y + 300Y monthly fee. You'll have to roll it out most likely (at least till you can upgrade your commlink), but it's made of sweetness and light.

Also spoof your lifestyle if you can spare the days. It's not that hard to spoof a middle lifestyle and it saves 5000Y per month.