I was wondering what are good skills for a face to have as far as getting new connects and helping hook the party up with cool stuff.

So far I'm thinking dealers and blackmarkets. What other skills are good?

Fine Restaurants/Fine Cuisine can get you into the upper class where you can solicit for potential employers.

Mercenary hangouts are never dull, and of course Bars. If the area has smugglers, and they do, knowing a little bit about the routes can get you some jobs and gear.

A few that I've used with a variety of my faces included:

- Esoteric Trivia (Small Talk)
- Gambling
- Hard Drinking
- Picking Up Chicks (Hot Chicks)
- Prestidigitation (Street Magic)
- Psychology (Criminal)

The first four are all useful for meeting new people or getting information out of them. The fifth is useful for meeting people or helping out a bit when using skills like Con (was a bit more useful in 3rd Edition when Knowledge Skills could be used as complimentary dice). The last is good all around for any face.

If you want to be a social chameleon, and fit in with all tax brackets, some others to consider:

- Local area bands
- High society
- Art
- History
- Politics - region


Essentially, knowledge of 'small talk' for which ever group you're trying to get to accept you. A bit more helpful then "I roll etiquette"

Thanks guys!

Also look to;

Sports (Or a specific sport, or even Local Sports teams)

Fixers

Mr Johnsons

Trendy Clubs

Trendsetters

Hot Fashion

Local Bands

High Fashion

Business/Finance

Japanese (Or other) Culture

Assorted cover identity skills (Photography, Chef, short-oder cook, waiter, etc)

I had a character once with a Knowledge Skill of NecroPorn Cinematography -- essentially Ghoul Porn.

Things that help you move stolen goods: "Fences", "Matrix Fixers", "Illegal Arms Dealers"
Things that help you recognize people and organizations: "Gang ID", "Triad Politics", "Seattle Smugglers", "Matrix Gangs", etc
Things that help you coordinate your team: "Matrix Security Design", "IC Identification", "Parabiology", "Magic Background", "Spirits", "Architecture"

And if you run out of knowledge skill points or some dont fit your background get them chipped.

Is there any equivalent of rap or hip/hop in 2070?

I just imagine my ork face being a chill ass guy rollin like a G, just acting normal when he has to, but when he's chillin, he'd be reppin' chains and whatnot. Obviously tatted up and wearing Jordans.

Probably, for an ork, your best bet is knowledge of the Orksploitation movement that started in the mid 2060's. I can let you look at the source books for it.

^ That was easily one of the best additions to the game in a long time. Character flavor wise, anyway.

/me agrees.

...corporate society
...the media (personalities, trends, politics, business)
...underworld and/or corporate politics
...SOTA tech

Not claiming it to be the best, just one of them. Plus, it was about time someone other than the Elves got so focus

Organized crime Politics (Yakuza or other group) can be invaluable if you want to cultivate contacts within the organization. You'll know who's high up, and have a fair idea of what impresses them.

Gotta second the Org knowledge skills, since Org contacts are the ultimate double edged sword. The orgs are uniformly dangerous groups with strong traditions that expect to be accommodated. Etiquette will protect from most dangerous faux pas, but it never hurts to be able to pick the big fish out of a lineup from the start if you can help it. Incense Masters and Yakuza lieutenants simply aren't big on accepting ignorance as an excuse for well, anything. Any conversation containing the words "Well, gee, Don Ciarniello, I wish I had known he was your nephew before I shot him." aren't likely to go well.

Something that came up in my game and that me and my players decided on was that picking up a hooker(or gigolo) is a negotiation test just like buying anything else, attempting a one night stand with someone is a Con(Fast Talk or Seduction) test, and that attempting to start up a relationship is Con(Fast Talk or Seduction) test followed by several Etiquette tests at varying intervals and then if you REALLY care(which I didn't but we were feeling silly at this point and carried things too far) we figured the first 3-5 sexual encounters were Gymnastics teamwork tests optionally modified by your partners Instruction skill.


Chris


PS: The talk about the Picking up Chicks(Hot Chicks) comment by Dr. Funk made me think of this.

Again, that's what the base skill is for.