I'm interesting in running a normal, or at least close to noraml character that is adverse to hardware implants and biomods. Is a baseline human viable as a game option. I'm sure it will have many drawbacks, but is it playable at all? I've already begun working on a charcter for D-con, but want to make sure I'm not screwing up badly or will be a major detriment to the team.

Skipper

You could actually build a useful Hacker/Face without any implants. Start with a high Edge and good mental attributes. Add in a selection of high quality gear. Buy up a bunch of skills. Take a real close look at the Electronics, Cracking, and Influence groups.

Combat is going to be your weak area, most likely. Unless you're using combat drugs or running the matrix in VR mode, there's not a lot you can do to get extra IPs. An armed drone or two might be an option here.

But, if you're okay with staying clear of fights, you won't have any worries.

-paws
PS you might also consider a skill Adept - someone with lots of Improved Ability for non-combat skills.

You can do this... as paws2sky mentioned, you can have skillsets that are useful to the team without taking any cyber or bio.

How the team will take it, on the other hand...

Missions is a slightly different format than your usual tabletop game, in that you'll find yourself in situations that your non-augmented self won't be able to handle, such situations having been written with an augmented team in mind. It's quite possible that the team can cover for you. It's also quite possible that the team might get tired of carrying your mundane butt through combats, and leave you high and dry the next time trouble starts.

YMMV.

Well, I'm new at this system, but my concept includes a high ability face with surveilence and vehicle skills as secondary and tertiary abilities. The concept is initially a low combat charcter that will draw fire, hopefully missing while using full defense with a high dodge. I find that most everyone I play with runs combat heavy charcters, so I'm not too worreid that it'll be an uncovered team option. Though suggestions and discussion is welcomed.

I too am worried about dropping the ball on a team, thats why I started the discussion. I really don't mind not being the star....but I don't want to be too much of a liability.

Skipper

Rather than drawing fire, I'd suggest seeking to avoid it altogether (when possible). Creative use of the Stealth group skills can go a long way in this regard.

From your description, it sounds like a combat drone with a concealed SMG and/or taser, plus flash-paks and/or gas dispensers might be a good way to go. Add in a couple dragonflies to hunt micro drones and a drone packed with sensors and you should be good to go. That way, you can fight/survey remotely.

Soft max your social dice pools and play the face at the meets. Get some decent drone handling and computer skills and and stay in the van/SUV/whatever when the team needs to go on sight.

And I'd still suggest a high Edge. It just gets exponentially better the more you have.

Good luck!

-paws

For combat ability drones can get multiple passes and follow the instructions you give with your 1 pass.
Most SRM GM's I've run under only lightly use the social skills. Its as if they expect the puzzle to be figured out not smoothtalked out by a diplomancer.
Edge can allow you to be superheroic a few times per game. Dragoncon uses 4 hour sessions so an edge of 8 is 1 edge every one every 30min on average and if you get the Rigger Companion quality "Adrenaline Surge" you can act every combat on pass 1 as if you spent an edge to go first, then spend one of your 8 edge to get an extra pass. Its not efficient but hey, you're a mundane with no implants and thats NEVER easy.

Lastly, the best thing you can bring to the table isn't on the character sheet. Its the ability to come up with clever ways to pit a gang against another or to frame a bad guy or other clever ways of defeating an encounter. Your team can do the heavy lifting if they have a good plan to execute on. Just a thought...

Thanks for the suggestions so far, they've been very enlightening. I've been thinking the basic character concept through for about three weeks and am just feeling out the options. I'll keep ya'll posted as my ideas coalesce. It ought to give me lots of role playing possibilities.

How would you get 8 edge, I've already calculated in seven to my first build.

Skipper

Human (Max 7) + Lucky Quality (20 BP)

And, yes, you can build an excellent Face or Rigger or Hacker without any 'ware. You can even make a rather nasty Covert Ops specialist. It's all about skill selection, and choosing opportunities that play to your strength. Also, you remain the guy who can walk through security without worrying about the scanners, etc.

I've played a similar concept(I have some ware and some adept powers, but they're mainly role-playing or cosmetic choices, i.e. I could take them away and not be much disadvantaged) for nearly 40 missions now. I haven't run across anyone who was visibly miffed about my character (Dr.Williams) being pretty much non-functional in terms of actually doing runs. So if your character is a step above mine in terms of skill-choices you should be fine. Most missions players won't care, they're just there to enjoy the game(unlike when I played Living Greyhawk, where I was once boycotted from a table because I didn't have an "Optimal" character and they thought they'd be better off with an empty slot, they couldn't force me to leave cause I had a ticket to the event, but they wouldn't start until I left...yeah, thank god I've never run into people like that playing Shadowrun).

DarusGrey: On the behalf of every respectable D&D player on earth (yes, we exist, we're just like all of you aside from a taste for Tolkien as well as Gibson), let me apologize for your experience at the hands of people we're ashamed of ourselves.

Skipper: You're on the right track. Mundane cyber-free characters work best as Mr. Lucky generalists with a drone for fire support. Invest in legwork skills (Influence group, Data Search, good contacts), and consider picking up skills that most characters gloss over (Demolitions, Longarms, Diving, Navigation, Survival, Swimming, and Locksmith all come to mind). That way, you're guaranteed a significant role in any run (a run without legwork is a session better spent penciling up new characters), and you can offer unorthodox methods of solving problems that the Sammy doesn't have a skillsoft for.

That name sounds familiar to me... Dr Williams... were you at Gencon and what missions did you play if you were?

If you are who I think you were, you're character was pretty cool... augmentations or not...

Yeah I was at Gencon, I played Ready! Set! Gogh! Thur: 8am-noon, then scramble 12-8. Everyone's your friend Friday: 12-4 and Burning Bridges Saturday: 12-14

I played everyone cept Bridges with the group of dwarves(glad I met them, they were all pretty cool guys).

I really hate to topic dig but I had one player go all natural with his character and I watched him totally wreck house. Not because he was a power player with a million initiative passes but because his skills were both varied and specific so he stayed ahead of curve when it came to dealing with infiltration, hacking and demolitions. He never got into combat but the party sure managed to bumble it every time with exception of him. Smart player, I wish I had more like him in my sessions.