Well, here's Malik Sawyer(a.k.a. Tech_Rat). I know he is horribly suboptimized in many ways, and is currently in play. I would like some tips on how to remake him come another game.

Goal is non-lethal Hacker Technomancer. I would just like to see other's ideas and tips on where to take him.

Looking at doing the Overclocking Echoes(+2Response/IPs), not sure about the biowire, as it would be useful to boost Reaction and meat IPs, and also looking into Widgets and Swap.

He was made using 400BP, while jotting notes down on a scrap paper, reading the books on my android phone. So, don't be too rough.

At a glance....

Codeslinger is both bad, and you're using it illegally. Codeslinger: exploit doesn't work, as it isn't a matrix action. Its bad because it only works for Codeslinger: hack on the fly, or codeslinger: probe, not both.
That being said, it CAN be good if you use it properly. Codeslinger: Threading and Codeslinger: Compile/register sprite are very solid choices. Not sure if worth 20bp.
The Analytical Mind quality is fantastic for technomancers, as it boost threading, and is cheaper than raising the skill.
Codeblock: edit is probably a bad choice, as edit is used for making yourself accounts and forging online information.

You're halfway to a rigger. Pilot ground is nice. Dodge is used for vehicle defense. You just need Infiltration to bypass sensors, and Gunnery to cover all vehicle guns.

Which Stream are you? if you're interested in biowires, gaining access to Tutor sprites is a fantastic power play.
No paragon from unwired?
why magic resistance?

Regarding boosting meat IPs: Drugs - specifically, cram and jazz - can keep you alive in combat situations until you can get biowires up and running, or supplement overclocking+mesh reality combos.

Complex forms:
are you aware that you cannot take an action on the matrix without the relevant complex form?
You have no Analze. Literally anyone with a rating 1 stealth program will not be visible to you on the matrix.
Drop reality filter. it is useless. Thread it if you need it.
get your steal to 6 asap
change armor for shield. Get armor as well if you -really- need the matrix defense.

Needs specialties(or at least ones in mind for your advancement) for Software(threading+2), Computer(analyze+2, maybe another oft-used program), Electronic Warfare(decrypt or Jam). Just stuff to think about.

If you're considering the way of the stealth samurai(one with lots of passes from echos that aren't really detectable), consider dropping a point of essence for combat ware and general things to help on the matrix. Resonance 5 and PuSHeD is still the same amount of dice for regular hacking stuff.

also consider karmagen. It favors moderate-stat generalists a lot more than bp does, and it looks like you're trying to cover a lot of bases.

..Your Lined Coat have 12 points worth of mods, it can only take 9 (1,5 x highest rating of the armor (ballistic or impact)
or 6 points, which ever is higher)
dropping 3 p worth of mods and buying PPP shinguards and PPP forearm casings (From Arsenal, both have
armor 0/1),modding them (each can be modded to worth of 6 points of mods)..

We are laughing with you, not about you...

Remaking your char to be more effective as a hacker would IMO require to increase the rating and number of your complex forms and matrix skills. Under BP-gen Resonance 6 has to go unless you can afford the rating 6 CFs to go with it. A bp:karma ratio of 1:5 or 1:6 is not to be passed up. Under karma-gen on the other hand you could buy much additional stuff - at the price of some attribute ratings.



Is he supposed to be a kid that wants to party with the in-crowd or a pro runner? I see a strong street kid aspect in the values, very good on that front. Not having maxxed "pro" values points to karma-gen. Using the still unpublished errata (attribute*5) your current stats are not affordable within the attribute spending cap. One alternative is physical 3 / mental+special 4 at 360 karma. The beauty of that way is having 390 karma left instead of 110 BP.

One way of keeping close to your current build:


You can fight other street kids in a paintball arena, but you have no business in real combat. Not even fighting gangs. Promise that the paintball thing is a background skill.

I´d like to see some mechanics skill as further preparation for developing a rigger. Living with runners your chars moral values will likely degrade, at some point buying of Pacifist. Gunnery should wait until then, you can start with recon drones.

I´ll echo the question on Magic resistance. It does compare badly to a combo like Paragon/Perceptive 2/Analytical Mind, which costs the same.

For some examples of optimized technomancers, check my sig and look at the Technoshaman (who is more hacky) and the Info Savant (who is more riggy, but an intuition stream like your guy). The big things that stand out as bad are your choice of CFs and your prioritization of skills/stats.

Learning that makes me sad...



The codeblock was more fluff, less crunch for the character background wise. But, yeah. Good points.



Thanks.


InfoSavant
Totally forgot about Paragons
When the character was first written up[couple of years ago], it was part of the fluff... Now I forget why I still keep putting it on there. Guess it's just reflex.


That's a good path. He's already hooked on Psych and Longhaul.


Yeah. I've been using a combination of my LP and Comm for that.
Ok. Why is it useless?
Yeah. Don't know what I was thinking on stealth.
Sounds good.


Still working on specs
PuSHeD would also be cheaper, but I dunno about doing it...
I was kind of hoping for KarmaGen, but I'm just happy to play(even if it is PbP).



I'm only using 8 of the slots...
Thermal Damping(3)[3]
Fire Resistance(3)[1]
Insulation(3)[1]
Non-Conductivity(3)[2]
Biomonitor[1]
Leaving me with a ninth slot.

Good to know.


He's a 19 year old party street kid.



It is. He just uses drugged DMSO paintballs in the event of combat.
That actually looks like a nice little build from where I'm already standing.


The idea is that he'll try to keep part of his naive world view until he has no choice. So, yeah. Slow degradation of morals. For the riggin aspect, that would help make him a backup/secondary rigger for our group[already has one].


Fluff from when I first started playing. Never really did change it. Good alternatives, though. I'll definitely write those in. Just not sure which paragon to go with, besides 01.


I saw that a little while ago, and downloaded the page and bookmarked it for future ref. A lot of useful things in there.

For a few reasons.
+1 response is not a big deal, unless you are a rigger.
if you have the form, you must make the test. You can't turn it off.
Having it in general opens you up to taking a penalty if the dice screw you.
If you really need it for some reason, you can always thread it.
Those aren't too bad. What really tips it into bad for me is this
Opportunity costs. It takes up one of your precious Complex Form slots, AND takes a good number of points that could be spent on other things. In karmagen, taking a reality filter to 6 is 21 points. For that price, if you really want Response, just submerge and take overclocking, and have points left over for other things.
For a think that pretty much everyone is supposed to have, its kind of not great, and the cost-benefit makes it not worth it.

Alias would fit, +2 to Spoof is great, but Info-Savants are not the ideal stream due to not having the supported sprite types. Some reworking is allowed at our table, so ask your GM.

Flow is great and fits an Info-Savant. Threading +2 on top of Analytical Mind is already +4.

Idoru plays on the party-kid aspect; it has the same sprite troubles as Alias. Matrix-wise this choice is inefficient.

Thank you. That makes a lot of sense.



After reading Flow, not only does it work, but also fits thematically. The -1CyberCombat and being a pacifist.

Fortunately, it's completely wrong that you cannot turn of complex forms:


So, yes, you can "deactivate" your complex forms, including your reality filter, if you want. Personally, I don't think the CF is worth it, but it can be nice, for a suitable character. My technoshaman won't use it, for example, as he wants to experience the matrix as it is, not as he wants it to be.

Let me start off by saying that the build above did not consider your -20 score on qualities. Just slash Codeslinger if you will.

Technomancer
Paragon (Flow)
Perceptive 2
Analytical Mind

SINner (legal)
Mild Addiction*2 (Longhaul, Psyche)
Pacifist

Add:
In Debt 1 (regardless of any riches you own, you are always in trouble for not paying "party debts").

0 BP/karma, and room for more qualities.

Looking through...

CF's:
Armor adds it's rating to resist Attack Programs only.
Shield: adds it's rating to resist Attack Programs, *and* all other defense pools? Am I reading that correctly?

If so, then I should seriously drop armor for Shield. Would they stack in effect to normal attack progs? Would the cost/benefit ratio at that point even be worth it?
Assuming all mental stats at 4, that would be Sys[4]+Shield[6]? Could it also be Sys[4]+Shield[5]+Armor[5]?
BlackIC would be Will[4]+CHA[4]+Shield[6]?

Shield adds to the matrix defense pool, and if handled right will allow you do avoid needing damage resistance often.

You can still improve your damage resistance against Attack by Armor. You might still get hit after all. It´s just not a priority at chargen.