How do you construct a Mr. Lucky or a Pornomancer? My friends were believing this to be impossible. I tried to explain I have been warned about these builds so now I'd love to show what combos of qualities, etc. you would take to build one of each. They don't seem to think it id possible for a Pornomancer to be throwing around 40+ dice.

I've no idea what the specific mr. lucky build is, but I'd imagine it would just involve stacking edge to the max.

As for a pornomancer, it's a physical adept w/ some bioware, basically, go through the books find everything that increases social skills, and put it on one person. It is my understanding that this build has been toned down greatly in 4A, if you're using those rules.

The pornomancer is a social adept maxing out Con (Seduction) with some bioware. And yes, it has been toned down in SR4A, since Kinesics is limited to 3 levels and there's the option of capping dice pools at the higher of 20 or (Stat + Skill) x2.

Mr lucky has 8 edge and explots the long shot rules. A pornomancer before SR4A rolled 58 dice on CON(suduction) I don't quite know the details. A Mr lucky build would be a genaralist likely a high aligity. Mr lucky is more an acrtype than a build. How ever a free sprit PC can hit 10+ edge Ive had that at my table before. As such I don't see mr luck a problem.

However mr lucky reminds me of a scene from a Terry Practchet novel where they are trying to make a million to one odds as they happen 9 times out of 10. As to make the most of your high edge you aim to get as many bonuses DV or amor bypassing and anought penaltys that your DP is negative then you get to roll 8 dice to do said task. This can be called shots to take down a tank with a heavy pistol. Or doing stupid thing like having your eyes closed to boost your DP

With SR4A, a typical pornomancer (8 Charisma, 7 skill with the Aptitude quality) will be capped at 30 dice, and a typical face (likelier to have a soft-maxed Charisma and the Influence skill group at 4 instead of one maxed-out skill) will be capped even further. Still plenty good, though.

There are a million ways to make Mr. Lucky. All it takes is the Lucky quality, and maxing out your Edge to 8. You just need to ask yourself if it's worth it. For a human, an Edge of 6 costs 40 points. An Edge of 8 costs 20 points for the quality, and 75 points to raise the Attribute - so you are spending 55 points for those last two points of Edge. A high Edge is useful in many ways, but it is only broken if you agree with certain loose interpretations of the Long Shot rules (which have been tightened up in SR4A).


Even before SR4A, though, they were not terribly broken builds. The pornomancer was a "Hey, how much dice can you get for this?" exercise, playable but hardly the best bang for your buck. And Mr. Lucky, while playable, still suffered for sacrificing 55 build points for those last two Edge dice.

Can't take down a tank with a pistol unless your GM allows the called shot, which they don't have to. And 8 dice is a pretty pathetic pool -- any passable samurai throws 16 at ordinary combat situations. So Mr. Lucky is really not that dangerous in combat, not due to longshots at least. In order for his rolls to get "better" based on long shots, his basic attack pool has to suck horribly... What makes Mr. Lucky good is *adding* 8 edge to stuff, that's huge, plus it gets exploding dice, and he can do it 8 times per session. He's also super versatile, being able to long shot things that nobody else in the team actually knows how to do. But actually closing your eyes to shoot better? 8 dice is a crap of a dice pool, it's just not a good tactic against any sort of skilled opposition.

Dryad

10 Charisma
5 (4) Magic

7 (10) Con (+2 Seduction)

Aptitude (Con)
SURGE II
- - Metagenic Attribute (Charisma)
Adept
First Impression

Kenesics 3
Improved Ability 3 (Con)


Empathy Software 6

Genetic Optimization (Charisma)
Tailored Pheromones 3


39 Dice before applying various social modifiers. This is off the top of my head without books, & taking into account all SR4A optional limiting factors (maximum of 40 dice if using those - you can up this to 50 if you get an Increase Charisma spell).

Isn't there also Global Fame as well as some "Live in the Same Neighborhood" quality?

Both of those give bonuses to social tests in circumstances.

What's the point if it's capped, though? The limitation on social skill dice pools is based on natural Attribute and skill ratings, so increases from technology or magic don't raise the limit. On the plus side, it gives faces more room to improve in other areas, and they will still be the best, since everyone else will be similarly limited.