I am a DnD player just learning Shadowrun and I have a character idea and no idea how to build her. I want to make a young troll opera singer with the Charm Person,Charm Creature and Comprehend Languages spells.

Hmm. Well, I'd say that what you're wanting could be done either as an adept or a magician.

Basically, the adept build would use Kinesics (adds dice to social tests) and some 'ware to achieve the social stuff, and knowledge skills and 'softs for the "bardic knowledge" and languages.

The mage would just use spells to achieve the social stuff, and if you didn't mind the minor hit to potential magic level, I'd just go 'softs for languages there too.

I don't recall there really being a whole lot in the way of "charm animal/creature" in Shadowrun, but it may just be that I've never looked for it.

I would say go with a mystic adept to get the best of both worlds. Control manipulations should work just as well on animals as metahumans, right? Plus there's animal attunement.

Good call on the knowsofts for "bardic knowledge".

I'd probably rule "no" on the manips working on critters, but that's just me. Perhaps on one that is sentient, but just perhaps.

It's the whole "you have to understand a command to follow it" thing.

I think you're probably right about using a mystic adept for it though. Get some manips and Kinesics and go to town.

eidolon: you'd be wrong about that ruling, as Control Animal is simply a restricted-target version of Control Thoughts.

~J

Mystic Adept of a bardic tradition (stat one) with an opera singing geas with Linguistics and Control Thoughts.

What about the Adept Powers Enthralling Performance and Improved Skill (Artisan (singing))?