I would just like to say that, yes, I did try using the search, and went back a couple years and didn't really find what I was looking for. What are the skills and complex forms that a tm really shouldn't leave home without? It seems like Resonance of 5 is pretty standard. With skills cheaper now, should there just be a lot of 1s and 2s? Other than software for threading, what is important for a non-combat oriented mancer? Thanks in advance.

Compiling Compiling Compiling.

And maybe other stuff.

Having played a TM for a while now, I'll say there is one main thing any TM should have:

A team that supports you.

Yeah, that may sound silly, but there it is. To build a strong-in-the-Matrix TM, you're going to be lacking on a lot of other skills, like, oh, Dodge, and you need the other players at your table to know that until you get the karma to advance, they need to watch out for you. In exchange, you'll do wonderful feats like give the gun-bunny an extra 4 or 5 dice for their firearms tests and run tac-nets that are unhackable (from mundane hackers).

Basic skills you'll need:

Software (for threading)
Computer
Data Browse (unless you have a sprite who does it, but I'd never rely totally on someone else, you know what I mean?)
Hardware
(might as well get the group)

Cracking Group (Hacking, Electronic Warfare, Cybercombat)

Compiling
Registering
(decompiling can be handled with a strong enough Attack CF)

So... there's 9 skills you need.

I'd also highly suggest starting with your Resonance at 6, and see if you can get some double-play from your fading attribute (ie, technoshaman + elf for a high Charisma, then you can double as a face/negotiator, especially after a bit of karma and some empathy CFs).

If you look there are some good sample builds posted around here.

If you can afford the extra 15BP(or are using karmagen) a Dryad might be an even better shoice for technoshaman face, i actually have been planning to build that for couple of months.

logic is also a fairly nice fading attribute imo, because logic controls how many complex forms you can start with, and you want to start with as many as you can at the highest rating you can get them at, from an optimisation point of view. there are very few BP choices that have as high a ratio of karma:BP as complex forms (specifically, i believe binding a power focus is the only cheaper choice, if i remember right).

i'll agree with the skills required. i would also add at least 1 social skill... my personal favorite is Con, but you may also prefer etiquette or negotiation.

as to CFs, well, it depends a bit on what you plan to do. personally, like i said, i like to take as many can at as high a rating as possible (note: i believe it's around 7 complex forms at max rating known that resonance 6 actually becomes *cheaper* to buy, relative to the karma it will cost you later)

so then, in general, you absolutely *need* stealth. i don't care what you're doing, you will want stealth. also analyse. unless you like getting shot in the face and not having a clue who did it.

i would then recommend for a hacker: exploit, armor/shield (get shield first if you can only get 1), spoof, medic (for your agents and sprites) would be your first priority. i would then add in edit, decrypt, command (very useful at high ratings), and possibly one of the black programs. after that, maybe sniffer or scan or browse... but you could probably thread those programs if you need.

for a rigger: command, spoof, ECCM, decrypt, sniffer. possibly data bomb to defend your own drones, as well as decrypt. next up probably scan, exploit, defuse, edit (to find and steal other people's drones)

that's what i've found anyways. YMMV.