I'm kinda new and reading through the 4e core book. I've done some research, although its looking like the games in my area may be stuck as 3e.

I was wondering what is the suggested route for a revolver wielding generalist runner with a secondary focus on hacking and cyberware.

I'm not looking to be a dedicated street sam, just more of a generalist with an exceptional capability with a pistol. Currently I'm looking at an ex-lone star background that was thrown off the force after an incident, was brought into a corp that his girlfriend worked in as a researcher as a security specialist, the corp got hit, she got killed, he got hurt badly, most of his limbs and equip had to be overhauled with cyberware without his choice, and then he was made to disappear (sin chip removed, records destroyed, etc) and kicked on the street when he started asking to many questions.

I was looking at the combat hacker build that I saw on this forums... But any ideas for where to begin would be great.

How much help are you looking for?

As far as the hacking, which aspect?
Infiltration of systems?
Tracking intruders?
Running drones?
Digital Sleuthing?

Just suggestions really on what to concentrate on, where the starting skills should settle, kind of a "gradient" for what is truly good and bad, and suggestions on how to focus down on what I really need to make good for a starting runner in those categories.

As for hacking, I wasn't looking at breaking into systems from the outside (true deep dive hacking) but like a combat hacker, gets in behind the defense in a smash n grab and is there to support. Can pick off a defense node to run interference type stuff or cause a distraction. Maybe a little digital sleuthing.

I think later on I could expand outward into drones but right now I think I'm looking for basic stuff, he will be a dedicated combatant with some generalist skills and a touch of hacking to get the job done (since its relatively new to him).

Well, with 4th ed, combat and deep dive hacking use a lot of the same skills. With a police background, you should have good matrix based leg work skills, data search is definitely a must, I'd also go with Interrogation.

Standard etiquette, infiltration and something else as some basic skills in addition to everything else? what's considered "average" vs "top tier" for chargen skill ranking/stat rankings?

3 is competent
4 is "skilled"
5 is highly reputable
6 is "best of the rest"

Negotiation is also good for "telling when someone is lying to you"

Take a look at the first link in my sig and the Generalist for an example of a character that seems pretty close along the lines of what you are looking for.

I'll definately look, I actually was looking at your combat hacker with a little less emphasis on the hacking and a bit more general, I didn't notice the generalist. Thanks for the help guys, now I just need to find a game T..T. We'll see...

forgive me if you took this into account already:

One of the largest problem with a fighter/hacker is, of course, VR, and the fact that you are absent from your body. I made a combat-hacker/rigger for a teammate recently, and the lag due AR is severe when doing anything hack-worthy. The lack of initiative passes can hurt.

To that end, I used a mobile drone with a rigger cocoon as a safe-transport for my hacker body if I need to dive VR


That aside, if you are looking for a generalist, hacking may not be something you really need much. It has always seemed more of a dedicated field to me, since you need the programs and hardware, the skill in spades to really do well, etc, and no need to worry about stats as much, were-as a meat runner needs them stats to do well.

Hardware, on the other hand, is a perfect up-close skill that doesn't have any of those pitfalls, and can be extremely useful. Hardware and lockpicking can get a revolver specialist pretty far without having to try to truly split your attention on builds.

It's very feasible to create a generalist, especially if your GM is keeping to standard levels of enemies, but tightening your focus to exclude what your team doesn't need will allow you larger dice pools for what you do.

Well here's a question... I mean, I'm an IT security guy, but, if I wanted to use my commlink as a jump point into a system from inside infrastructure while our dedicated hacker back home goes ahead and does his dirty work through my link, is there something to be said for that? In that sense I can run a cable to my skull, the hacker gets the advantage of being ground level, and I can still serve my purpose with the pistol as I don't need to do the hacking if I don't need to.

problem with that is the assumption you still have contact with your hacker on the outside. If you do, then there is no need for the jump point unless you are splicing a fiber-optic line on a wired security system (which is the hardware skill, not hacking) because the hacker can access remotely if the signal reaches. This is feasible; there is also a drone for this, as accessing the wire is not trivial for any place who really has security concerns. Low rating signal can restrict the hacker and require a jump point.

However, add wireless shielding and/or jamming to the mix that you cannot overcome and your hacker might as well be doing something else. No signal, no jump point.

you CAN set up a dedicated laser line receiver by receiver till you get to a signal (did this once) or run a fiberoptic line the entire way (great way to get caught), but you're better off if the hacker goes in with you (rigger cocoon).

However, realistically, the only reason you need a hacker once inside on a dedicated WIRED-ONLY system is to completely fool alarms (rather than disabling them with hardware) or access paydata. The thing about a purely wired security system is it has no way to affect you beyond what is wired. Camera's are nice, doors are nice, but all of them can be beaten with hardware skill. Guards on comms require a wireless external, which grants a hacker access, and drones have the same issue. Only rail-sentrys can function with wire only and still communicate.

9/10 in a realistic security setup, the only reason you need a hacker-point inside is mining for paydata on a wired-only or locally restricted system.

Hmmm... Interesting... I'll have to keep most of this in mind.

From my stand-point, if you are inside, 90% of protections disappear but I could be wrong. Another thing you can do is once in effectively open up a backdoor out to your hacker if mining or whatever is neccesary, just thoughts. Honestly I could do both, I'll just be less intensive on true hacking skills and more intensive on what I need to get stuff done on the ground floor. As for the hacker and wireless, why would a company run any wireless? Maybe for the general user systems in the area, like the company intranet for business, but shouldn't most of the important stuff be completely off the grid? Separated and segregated? No wireless access allowed?

Seems like the whole point of a smash and grab in 4e is that the best stuff isn't accessible... for a hacker the "pay day" would be sneaking in a spoofed drone in a shipment that is inside the company to set-up a backdoor out, either through satellite or rogue wireless or what have you.

Adam Jensen?

~Umi

Given the fact that most wireless systems can easily be compromised by a skilled hacker, I would agree that a lot of corps would keep a lot of their realy valuable info offline, so I think your concept might be workable depending on how your GM sees the gameworld.

However, given the CharGen cost of a SOTA commlink and programmes, pretty much any hacker build that I have ever seen is a reasonably competent hacker who can do a little bit of B&E, social or shooting on the side.

Have you thought about going the hacker-in-a-box route? A good commlink with a R4 agent (or R3 agent with fuzzy logic) and limited paydata-centric programmes (Analyze, Browse, Decrypt, Defuse and Stealth) might be a BP-economic way to cover the hacking side of things, while your character covers Hardware (to hook his commlink up to the offline server as well as deal with maglocks and cameras), B&E skills and shooting. He can always pick up hacking skills himself later, especially if he has a high Edge (probably the most useful attribute for a good hacker anyway).

Pretty close, I'm considering changing some of it. I also have interest in a more ex- courier or ex-detective based idea. I'll have to see, regardless of where the initial concept came from I want to explore the idea of changes to ones body that were not by choice, but rather by survival or forced upon the character by a corp. The psychological effects of that and whether its something that he grows to like or is troubled with.

Also just a curiousity but do horses exist anymore? Are they ever used? Mechanical equivalent besides motorcycles?

Is there such thing as AI for vehicles? AI with in-built personalities? Can players own them?

And that's what I was leaning towards, with a specific "lean" towards being a true crack shot with a revolver. I think the character is going to have a definate sway away from killing people if he can, looking at that pacifist negative trait.

As far as the revolver stuff goes, Agi 12 (surged elf with Muscle Toner 4) + Skill 6 (+2 Revolvers) + 2 (Smartgun) are 22 easy dice. And you will profit from that 12 agi in a LOT of skills. Just have a look at that skill table. A generalist should really try to have as high attributes as possible.

Specifically for revolvers, you also want Ambidexterity to use two of them to get around the SS restriction (at lest if your GM forbids modding a Ruger Warhawk to SA. which he should.) and fire twice a turn with you big pool

Wire your comm to a satlink and have a R6 ECCM running. Almost impossible to jam that.

EDIT:


Running Wild.

That is extremely cost prohibitive for a starting character on the Agi in 4th. Muscle Toner 4 is restricted, and would require the positive quality, plus cost, plus 25 pts for maxing Agi, 10 more points for SURGE II. That's 15 pts in quality, 65 pts for Agi, and then cost of the implant on top of that.

None of which helps hacking. My main point, stated before, was nearly the same. Generalists benefit highly from stats and skillgroups. Hackers gain next to no benefit from stats when hacking because it's Skill + Program, and the stat does nothing. It's very difficult to make a generalist/hacker or generalist/mage in a 400bp game in 4th.
And, as before, hackers CAN still do shooting very well with remote guns. Even if you want to physically attend runs, it doesn't take too much to bring a turret with you.

As always, I'm talking Karmagen of course Sure you du need Restricted gear for Muscle Toner 4 if you don't want to get it later in game.

Where you are right is that a hacker does not profit from attributes most of the times at all. The cheapest way to get high dicepools for shooting if you so desire would be a cyberarm modded for Agi 9. You could even go for natural Agi 1 then and save lots of points. The only problem with this is infiltration, something i personally consider to be important for a _shadow_runner