Both Full Parry and Full Block fall under Full Defense, Block and Parry are the default methods of unarmed defense. The German translators decided to "fix" things by translating "instead of" rather than "other than", loosing the information that Block and Parry are subsets of Full Defense here.

Even a criminal SIN would fit your concept. Your guy could have messed up quite a number of times in the past. The viability depends on the interpretation of the SIN system your group uses.

Light pistols is still not a RAW spec. You could have semi-automatic +2. A houserule?

So the Technomancer archetype has it because? I've never thought of a specialization needed by RAW. They are bonuses you add to round out some skill. I think it even mentions that the specialities listed are suggestions. Of course, they could have also messed that up in translation for you guys...or I may be wrong as my books are at home.

I don´t know why the TM has that. It is totally beyond me.

Might be because the German RAW offers Holdout, Taser, Revolver, Semi-Automatic. Freely choosing light pistols instead of all semi-automatic weapons seems odd, everyone should care about heavy pistols.

Meh, I only needed it as "light pistols" when I was giving him a fubiki. (Burst fire is kinda pointless if you lose your specialization when using it.) I can switch it to semi-auto no problem, which would carry over if he happens to pick up an Ares Predator somebody dropped. As Drogos pointed out though, specializations (and skills for that matter) are supposed to be up to the GM, the listed ones being examples, not an exclusive list, and there is a precedent with the Technomancer.

I actually thought about giving him a criminal SIN earlier, it definitely would fit the idea since he has screwed up in the past (and was put on medication because of it, hence the tranq addiction) but I'd rather that be part of his juvenile record that was sealed when he reached adulthood. (or hacked into oblivion, if they don't seal juvenile records in 2070)

Almost done with the gear. Definitely giving him the SINner quality because of all the extra toys I can fit in with the added 25,000

Not exactly raw, perhaps, but I'm gonna' ask my GM if I can drop some extra cash (via the clothing entry on the armor table) to have a custom-styled Jumpsuit, more befitting a face. I'm thinking an extra 200 would be enough to take it from "singing telegram" to "street fashon". Also giving him an electrician's kit and license as a cover.

Guard: "Why are you in here?"

Rei: "Just checking the wiring, omae."

Guard: "Then why are you armed?"

Rei: "Don't wanna' get jumped. Some of these tools are expensive."

Don't know how far that'll get him if they find his maglock passkey and the three clips of EX-Ex, though.

Will post finished build tomorrow, probably--wait, it's almost 7am...

...okay, I'll probably post them later today--after I get some sleep.

Hmm, Addiction: Being Awake, anyone?

People making up their own specialisations is fine (my next char will have Perception: Sensors +2), I just didn´t see why you did in this case. Hence my suspicion that an unmentioned houserule is in effect. As we are talking your primary weapon here, making that one a heavy pistol is very advantageous. More damage, more range, same legality. Detectability is only a factor if you get Stealth/Palming onto the list of skills.

Actually, it's more of a factor with it off the list, since you don't have the skill to help you conceal it. (Thus you need weapons that are easier to conceal.)

And as I said, I didn't make up that specialization, I lifted it from the Technomancer. Don't know why they're fragging the rules in the translation, it shouldn't be that hard to get it right.

I thought about going with the ares predator, since it also has an internal smartlink, carries more ammo, and has a better damage code, but since Rei's using Stick-n-Shock most of the time anyway, the damage code doesn't matter, and the Hammerli's recoil compensation helps make up for his middling skill. Add in the improved concealability factor and the fact that it still uses heavy pistol ranges, and the Hammerli620S was the better choice.

Wait, didn't I say I was going to sleep? Frag, I have to get up at noon today too...

Heavy Barrel Mod takes care of your recoil comp issue, but you can always pick that up later

That only works when firing fullburst so not very usefull for a pistol and it has the same cost as the weapon.

i would go with a personalised grip.

Oops...I didn't have my books with me at the time. I've just never like personalized grips...not sure why, they just seemed to make it all the less likely for me to want to ditch the weapon. Dangit, there has to be another mod that helps with semi auto recoil comp...Time to crack a spine or two.

well there's Underbarrel Weight for 25
and then there's the Electronic Firing but it cost a hefty 1000

Thanks for all the help guys, the build works great. I can't beleive I was worried about this guy's combat abilities. We're two sessions in, and nobody's been able to touch him yet, despite being in a crossfire during the first session with three mercs firing assault rifles at him, a fourth launching grenades past his head, and teammates shooting past him as he duked it out in the doorway with merc #5.

His offensive abilities aren't super, but they get the job done, and both his social, hacking, and technical abilities have proved useful during the game. So far, Rei's actually been the front line combatant, going in first because of his high initiative and softening up enemies for his teammates to finish off. He's also helped out in negotiations and interrogation, rigged open a door sealed by an old-fashioned keypad, dropped a steel lynx with one hit from his newly modded shock gloves, and amazingly enough, served as a voice of reason for the party, suggesting strategies and ideas that have helped the team in a number of ways.

Here's the final build:

NAME: Unknown AKA: Rei
RACE: Ork [20]

-ATTRIBUTES- [230]

BODY: 4 [00]
AGILITY: 3 [20]
REACTION: 4 (5) [30]
STRENGTH: 3 [00]
CHARISMA: 4 [30]
INTUITION: 5 [40]
LOGIC: 4 [30]
WILLPOWER: 4 [30]

MAGIC: 4 [30]
EDGE: 3 [20]

Essence: 6
Initiative: 9 (10)
Initiative Passes: 1 (2)
Physical Damage Track: 10
Stun Damage Track: 10

-ACTIVE SKILLS- [136]

Electronics Skill Group 3 [30]
Gymnastics 3 [12]
(Smash Dancing) +2 [02]
Influence Skill Group 4 [40]
Intimidation 4 [16]
Perception 3 [12]
Pistols 2 [08]
(Light Pistols) +2 [02]
Unarmed Combat 3 [12]
(Parrying) +2 [02]

-KNOWLEDGE SKILLS- (27 Free) [0]

-Street/Interests-
Underground Fight Clubs 3
Street Raves 3
Data Havens 2
Local Area Knowledge 4
Japanese Action Sims 3
(Anime) +2

-Professional/Academic-
Computer Design 2
Software Design 2
Electrical Engineering 4

-Language-
English N
Japanese 3
Or'zet 2
(Swearing) +2

-QUALITIES- [-20]

Adept [+05]
First Impression [+05]
Human Looking [+05]

Addiction, Combat, Mild [-05]
Addiction, Tranquilizers, Mild [-05]
Allergy, Pollen, Mild [-05]
Sensitive System [-15]
Sinner [-05]

-ADEPT POWERS- (4)

Counterstrike 0.5
Improved Initiative 1 2.0
Kinesics 0.5
Quick Draw 0.5
Pain Resistance 1 0.5

-GEAR- (75,000Â¥) [15]

Low Lifestyle (1 Months) 2,000Â¥

Shock Gloves 200Â¥

Hammerli 620S 650Â¥
Silencer 200Â¥
Skinlink 50Â¥
6 Rounds SnS Ammo 48Â¥
10 Clips SnS Ammo 530Â¥
3 Clips EX-Ex Ammo 195Â¥
Concealable Holster 75Â¥

Urban Explorer Jumpsuit 500Â¥
Style Modification 200Â¥

Sony Emperor Commlink 700Â¥
Response 4 2,000Â¥
Signal 4 500Â¥
System 4 2,000Â¥
Firewall 4 2,000Â¥
Hot Sim Module 250Â¥
Skinlink 50Â¥
Headband Trodes 50Â¥

Subvocal Microphone 50Â¥
Skinlink 50Â¥

"Brutus" (Rtg 4 Hacking Agent) 10,000Â¥
Virtual Person 150Â¥

Analyze 4 400Â¥
Attack 4 4,000Â¥
Data Bomb 4 4,000Â¥
Decrypt 3 1,500Â¥
Encrypt 4 400Â¥
Edit 4 400Â¥
Exploit 4 4,000Â¥
Stealth 4 4,000Â¥

Sim Recordings 500Â¥
Virtual Surround Music 50Â¥
Rating 6 Mapsoft 30Â¥

Datachip (x5) 5Â¥
Certified Credstick (3) 75Â¥
Fake SIN (Rtg 4) 4,000Â¥
Fake Electrician's Liscence 400Â¥
Weapon Permit 400Â¥
Concealed Carry Permit 400Â¥
Fake SIN (Rtg 4) 4,000Â¥
Weapon Permit 400Â¥
Concealed Carry Permit 400Â¥
Fake SIN (Rtg 4) 4,000Â¥
Fake SIN (Rtg 4) 4,000Â¥

Electrician's Kit 500Â¥

Glasses 25Â¥
Image Link 25Â¥
Flare Compensation 50Â¥
Smartlink 500Â¥
Vision Enhancement (Rtg 3) 300Â¥
Vision Magnification 100Â¥
RFID Cyberware Scanner (Rtg 6) 450Â¥
RFID Motion Sensor 50Â¥
Skinlink 50Â¥

Earbuds 10Â¥
Audio Enhancement (Rtg 3) 300Â¥
Spatial Recognizer 100Â¥
Skinlink 50Â¥

Handheld Radio Scanner (Rtg 6) 150Â¥

Autopicker (Rtg 6) 1,200Â¥
Maglock Passkey (Rtg 4) 8,000Â¥
Miniwelder 250Â¥

Stimulant Patch (Rtg 6 x5) 750Â¥
Tranq Patch (Rtg 6 x10) 1,200Â¥

Starting Nuyen: 3d6+9 x50

-CONTACTS- [24]

Erix (Fixer) (Connection 4/Loyalty 2)
Tashi (Hacker/Navy Tech) (Connection 2/Loyalty 2)
"Death Tap" (Pit Fighter) (Connection 2/Loyalty 3)
Charles (Weapon/Armorsmith) (Connection 2/Loyalty 2)

-QUOTES-

"Look, omae, if you want to pick a fight, throw a punch--otherwise let's skip the passive-aggressive drek, ok?"

"Never underestimate the desperate. Knowing you're good makes you overconfident, knowing you're screwed makes you ruthless."

"I know this great club out in Puyallup. It can get a little--intense there--but if your health insurance is paid up you should swing by."

"I have a feeling this is going to end just like Akira. Sweet."

-DESCRIPTION-

With his lean physique, long black hair and handsome features, Rei doesn't look like a typical ork. In fact, it's hard to tell he's an ork at all. Beneath the suave charm and tech-savvy, however, lies a love of combat that borders on insanity. He'll get you past the guards, but if kind words and a smile won't do the trick, he's more than happy to use force. Hyper-alert and intuitive, Rei has a surprising knowledge of electronics, and an even better understanding of combat and social situations. He has a tendency to cut through the drek and grasp things at a base level without being able to put them into words or explain how he knows them. More and more, he's learning to trust that intuition.

Rei faces challenges with a brutal directness, stripping a problem down to it's core and finding the most effective way to deal with it--no matter how cruel or vicious that solution may seem. He may not be the best at what he does, but he often makes up for it with intensity and sheer ruthlessness. He's not a mean guy, he just doesn't see the point of playing nice just because the other guy does. This isn't a game, omae, and even 'runners gotta' eat. He also has a tendency to get in over his head, and has a hard time cooling down. While trying to quit, Rei's downtime between runs often finds him "peaced out" on tranq patches, watching his favorite oldschool anime sims. Hey, at least he's not using rating 10's anymore.

-BACKGROUND-

Born to an Ork father and human mother, Rei's parents took advantage of the SINless amnesty program, hoping to provide a better life for their kids. Unfortunately for Rei, that "better life" consisted of being the poor slots that hold the system up on their backs. Raised on the edge of the Puyallup barrens, Rei developed an early interest in computers and electronics, and honed his skills fixing appliances and patching together the faulty wiring in his apartment complex. He also developed an early love of fighting, drawn to the primal lifestyle of the barrens as well as the ultraviolent "sense-dubbed" animes and martial arts flicks that were remastered as sims during the 40's and 50's. If he'd stayed SINless, Rei's aggression and instinctive combat ability might have been an advantage, as it was, they only got him in trouble.

To be fair, Rei didn't get into more fights than any other barrens kid, but his fights tended to end badly--for the other guy. After getting kicked out of a number of schools for hospitalizing classmates, Rei was put on heavy tranquilizers to control his violent impulses. The drugs reduced him to little more than a couch-potato, ruining his physique and leaving him with a lingering addiction, but allowed him to complete school without getting anything on his permanent record.

During this time, Rei frequented matrix boards and made a number of friends online. Two of these were Tashi and Death Tap. Tashi is a minor computer tech for the UCAS Navy, as well as a skilled hacker and data pirate. He's given Rei tips and pointed him towards caches of "free" data before, but Rei is hesitant to lean on him too much, out of Respect for his skills and for what Tashi could do to him if he ever got annoyed.

Death Tap is an adept and former Muay Thai champion, who participated in numerous bloodsport matches as a child in Thailand. They sparred once, fighting in a field for almost an hour before Death Tap suggested they call it a draw. Although Death Tap was clearly far more skilled, he lacks Rei's intuition and a smoking habit has cut down his endurance. Rei is still uncertain who would have won, had they continued.

After high-school, Rei began to question the wisdom of trying to suppress his primal side, and instead chose to embrace it. Ditching his official SIN, Rei started weaning himself off the tranquilizers and making connections with local "fight clubs." These ranged from punk bars specializing in "smashdance"--a hyper-violent form of moshing that's part dance, part barfight, and part metahuman pinball--to places holding illegal cage matches for anyone crazy enough to participate.

Rei caught the eye of a Fixer named Erix during one of his matches, and after winning him a substantial sum of money on an 8-to-1 bet, Erix approached him with his first Job as a shadowrunner. The job was simple, and not much to brag about, but first jobs never are. It did have the fringe benefit of introducing him to Charles, an old, crippled adept who makes a living crafting custom armor and weapons--including the occasional enchanted piece.

-REPUTATION-

Street Cred: 0
Noteriety: 2
Public Awareness: 0

-NOTES-

Natural Low-Light Vision

-----------------

Now that I've had a look at arsenal and runner's companion, there are some things I would have liked to do differently, but overall I'm very happy with the way this guy turned out, and certainly I've got no complaints about how he's performed. He's a fun character to play, and his stats play well too--what more could a 'runner ask for?