Hello everyone! I am currently involved in a great gaming group. I am playing the face who can somewhat defend himself and can basically be a dopplganger. I just have no clue where to go with my character. I am thinking about doing some cyber/bioware and buy back my point in magic. Not really sure which 'wares to use. Also, I don't know if I should initiate or go in a different direction. Anyway, here he is:

Ork Adept

Stats
B: 4
A: 5
R: 5
S: 3
C: 4
I: 4
L: 2
W: 3

E: 5
M: 5

Total Karma: 38
Current Karma: 22

Qualities
Human Looking
First Impression
Incompetent: blades
Mild phobia: blades
Mild addiction: cram
SINer
Gremlins 1

Active Skills
Athletics Group: 1 (Gymnastics: 2)
Stealth Group: 3
Influence Group: 4
Perception: 4
Pistols (Semi-Autos): 6
Unarmed Combat (Parry): 1
Gambling: 1

Knowledge Skills
Black Markets: 4
Bars: 3
Business: 3
Current Events: 2
Mixed Drinks: 3
Gambling: 3

Adept Powers
Kinesics lvl 4
Voice Control
Commanding Voice
Melanin Control
Nimble Fingers
Facial Sculpt lvl 1
Sustenance
Combat Sense lvl 2

Thanks for any advice!

Personally, I'd go "Catch Me If You Can" style. Instead of buying cyberware, which could affect your facial sculpt ability, spend it on skills. This way, when you need to pretend you're a doctor, you can actually ask for 40 CC of hydrodrenaline to get a character's heart pumping as you burst into the ER, or you can actually discuss high finance as you lie your way into an exclusive businessman's retreat to spy on somebody. When it comes to being a chameleon, knowledge is power.

First thing: buy off that addiction. I know it's expensive, but it'll balloon on you real fast if you don't do something about it.

Next, you got to decide: do you want a face that can shoot, or a shooter who can also double as a face? That decision will shape your future choices. Personally, I'd go with the face who can shoot, but that's just me. You're already invested more in social skills and powers than physical ones.

As general advice, though: Buy up Quickness and buy Astral Perception/Assensing as soon as is convenient. Both those really increase the value of a character to the team.

I'd consider getting Tailored Pheromones 3 & Synthacardium 3 (only if your GM lets the 3 dice be used for full defense tests) for good skill synergy if you can manage it. Since they're both bioware they also won't go tripping every sensor you stumble across and they only cost a single essence between the two of them.

Why is your essence 5? What cyber do you have?

Edge

His current essence is 5 though, which isn't explained. I presumed that further cyber/bio purchases would take his essence to 4?

I think that E is for Edge, not Essence. Which is another generically good thing to buy up.

Hmm, he looks like a good character, and prolly fun to play. I'd second buying off the addiction, then some more skills. I'd go for a wide assortment of knowledges, they always pay off in a face. Also, you could take him into a B&E secondary specialty fairly easily with some computer, lockpick and hardware skill (not hacker level, just enough to run a sequencer and crack maglocks, sensors, etc.). He's got a good start on it with the Stealth and would just need a few more levels in Athletics.

As far as adept powers, Cool Resolve is just awesome for a face, and if you were to go the B&E route maybe Traceless Walk.

I´d go for Electronics group. You´ve already got the ability to go places, so you´d benefit from the ability to do things.

You should not spend karma on increasing magic until you are decided on implants. What kind of money does your group earn? What other chars are present?

another suggestion, which would play along the lines of what a lot of these guys are saying is skillwires .... relatively low essence impact but would allow you to slot any skill you don't currently have which in turn would allow you to fit in with whatever 'type' you may be impersonating

I'd boost up hand to hand. As James Bond and Jason Bourne teach us, impersonation and half-truth works wonders, but there are times when you just have to lure someone into a closet and unleash some absolutely bone-breaking martial arts.

Great stuff guys! How much does it cost to buy off a mild addition?

Currently, I have over 50K and I will be getting about another 10k when we finish this huge run.

The concept of this character is loosely based of the assassin in Smoking Aces who pretends to be a bunch of random people. He is extremely fun to play. I think you guys are right, I should not focus on my offensive capabilities, but make myself better at what I am good at.

I'm thinking, skillwires and tailored pheromones. That will allow me to diversify my skill set depending on the situation (read: lockpicking, electronics stuff, etc). What level of skillwires should I rock? I'm thinking lvl 4, but what do you guys think?

Then I will start adding a few knowledge skills to diversify my covers, probably technicial knowledges like plumbing, mechanic, technician, and doctor. One question on that is, can I take medicine and use that as my knowledge of medicine stuff, or is that just I know how to heal people?

How does this sound?

I know in SR3 you were considered to have a knowledge skill at 1/2 the rating of an active skill if you didn't already have the appropriate knowledge. So an active skill in Medicine at rating 4, for example, would also give you knowledge of Medicine at rating 2. I don't know if there's a congruent rule for SR4, but I have no problem reinstating it for my games, now that I think of it.

I´m voting a combination of cerebral booster and muscle enhancement, each at level two. Fits your budget nicely and increases both combat and non-combat pools.

Skillwires I don´t know. One of my chars had those, and the "can do everything" trick makes the char loose profile for me. Knowsofts do not require skillwires and are another area where you can invest heavily. Very fitting for an impersonator to download the marks "areas of interest" first.

I'd definitely go skillwires and tailored pheromones. SKillwires allow you to quickly duplicate active skills. However, activesofts are expensive, which is why Ryu's point is valid. You can get away with a knowsoft plenty of the time; often, it's enough to talk the talk. Still, you gotta have something to put that knowsoft into your brain, so you may as well get the skillwires to go with it. They're cheap, both in terms of Essence and Nuyen.