Joining a game soon, and my team needs a face. We've got a rigger, but we're also short a hacker, which I might be taking up responsibilities for as well.

The premise is that each of us has done one solo run already, for a fixer who's setting us up as a team. I figure if I'm going to wind up being the hacker as well as the face, my character will learn the ins and outs as the story moves forward, having most of his prior experience in things like using multiple identities, having to blend in with crowds, being able to adopt disguises, etc.

There's one kind of person in the 6th World that fits that description and would be a hell of a lot of fun to play: a 3rd-rate action trid star doing "research" for a role, trying to write a script about shadowrunning that he can sell to Horizon or some film studio (with the stipulation that it stars him, naturally). It not only gives him a reason to know his way around (to a degree) things like martial arts, guns, and stunt-driving, but a good reason to have multiple SINs and the acting background to support talking (or faking) his way through most situations. And a mind for cliche planning; the old "I saw it in a movie once" gameplan is always fun for a run.

So now, what I'm looking for are details and advice. Pros and cons. Things to do and things to avoid. Not just "smart" things to keep in mind, but also ideas on how to go about this in a way that will keep the game interesting. For instance, the rest of the team can't know - at least not at first - because blowing cover is the last thing this guy wants. But it stands to reason that eventually they'll find out, and I think when that happens, it's going to be quite a game. I figure at some point he might even be abandoned by the entertainment industry and find himself permanently ostracized, even SINless; permanently forced into a life he thought he was only going to get a taste of.

Of course, a lot of what happens is up to the GM, so I'll be working with him on that. But your ideas are valued! Chuck 'em at me, chummers.

Get a coffin motel cell as a permanent low lifestyle.
Have a Deck/Comlink-System in there. Put Agent into it.
Have it play your Hacker/Decker Personality.
Easy deniability right there.

At first it sounded like an interesting twist on the rocker archetype, but the team not being able to know just leaves the interesting twist part.

For decker/face synergy, an adept or technomancer (in sr4) would work decently. Technomancer trying to get picked up as an actor/writer with Horizon also has some opportunities for fun conflicts between the company's image and their actual actions toward technos. Adept also has stuff like face sculpting, and I think there was an adept way for actors.

Cyberlogician/face might be more fun, though.

I agree with the "I saw it in a movie." See if the GM would let you take some form of that as a knowledge skill.

What do you think would be more interesting: being straightforward and honest about it from the start, or hiding it and potentially having them find out? If that happens, then still trying to keep it a secret, or just saying "screw it" and give up the ghost?

I imagine if the character is trying to keep it on the DL, at least a few of his contacts in the industry would know. Sort of like insurance, maybe.

I'd try to keep it on the DL at first, if only to not lose respect of the other 'runners. "Oh sure, you only want to 'play' 'runner. You're not really in the Game. Soon as things get hairy you'll bug out. Poser." If you end up holding onto that secret long enough you'll prolly net some decent respect.

Obviously you'll have SINner, right? Maybe Day Job and Local Fame or something also?

If they find out about your acting career, it'd be easy to spin as a cover for your Shadowrunning. "No, man, I chose that as a cover because I'm a social chameleon and it explains my action-movie-level skillset if anyone asks too many questions." A little Con and some Street Cred before they find out should seal the deal. And of course you didn't share your *real* identity with people you just met...

A troll Face Hacker or Technomancer

I'm going to go make one now... I like that idea.

I've looked into it. A troll can do a face better than a TM because of the mental stat penalties. You can pad your social dicepools with more than just Charisma.

Geee.... Thanks, Neraph. You just had to go and pop my idea bubble...
Besides, it's because it's so unlikely to happen is the exact reason I would play it.. I never said it would work right.

*I'm currently running a Kobold fighting type in a D&D campaign (eewww.. I so prefer pathfinder)*

Kobold Sorcerer/Barbarian/Rage Mage is totally acceptable.

A Troll would be good as a TM using Sprites to do the hacking for them and essentially using their bionode as a PAN hub and essentially doing a wetware style street sam. Get some bioware, only get like Command, Encrypt, and Smartlink CFs, run everything on Hidden, then go for Biowire and Acceleration Echoes and you have a biological sammy. I even have a character mostly designed like that under the code name of "LiveWire."

As an actual hacker the troll's mental stats will permanently place them behind everyone else. If you play outside the box towards the troll's natural strengths, however...