Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: Tsuarok on <06-24-12/2042:28>
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Just sort of taking opinions here.
What cyberware do you feel have good enough synergy with your adept to merit the magic loss and why?
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it all depends on what you are trying to do with your adept. are you going melee, ranged, or some sort of social type or something else. what you want to do will determine what would be useful to you
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I'm not doing anything per se. I was just wondering how people like to build their adepts. So along with any responses it would be nice to also state the goal of the adept.
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There's always something, but what depends on the adept. Check the adepts in the first link of my sig for some examples.
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Really depends on the adept. You want a Social Adept? Can't go wrong with Tailored Pheremones to boost those Charisma-based skills. Gunbunny/Street Sam Adept? It's easier (and cheaper) to get your extra IP through Bioware (Synaptic Boosters 2) (1 Essence vs 2.5 PP).
Wanna go all out with a Gunbunny/Street Sam Adept? Biocompatability (Bioware), Class 2 Changeling for Metagenetic Improvement (Logic), Cerebral Boosters 3 (plus Restricted Gear to get it), Synaptic Boosters 2, and Mind Over Matter (Logic-> Agility) for 10 Logic, 3 IP, +2 Reaction, and all your gunner/melee skills getting a base of 10 dice before your skills and specializations and anything else you add on, for a total price of 1.44 Essence (as opposed to Improved Reflexes 2 costing 2.5 PP or Improved Reflexes 3 costing 4 PP). You even have a spare 0.56 Essence to spend on something like Reflex Recorder (Weapon of Choice) (0.09 Essence) for an extra +1 dice pool and Orthoskin 2 (0.45 Essence)
Can probably twink that out a bit more, but that's one of my preferred setups for a Gunbunny Adept. Does require you to be In Debt to afford it all, but it's worth it, I think.
As for cyberware, eh... I feel that the essence loss outweighs the gains on an adept, but bioware makes up for that in spades.
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Generally, bioware, with its low Essence cost, is the preferable option. For combat-oriented adepts, muscle toner and synaptic boosters are the biggest two, since Attribute improvement and initiative improvement are the least cost-effective things to boost with adept powers. For social adepts, tailored pheromones, a vocal range enhancer, and cosmetic mods are worth losing a point of Magic, because they stack with what you can get as an adept.
Cyberware is a lot trickier to manage, but still, getting a bit of senseware or headware can sometimes be worth it. For example, tricked-out cybereyes with a smartlink and other goodies, along with a radar sensor, for a gunslinger adept (although some prefer goggles to implants, even for mundane characters), or a commlink running empathy software and an image link for a social adept.
Overall, implants tend to be worth it for one or two Essence points, three for a few corner cases. After that, it usually reaches a point of diminishing returns.
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*SNIP*
All things considered, I think the Improved Ability power is better than the Reflex Recorder unless you just happen to have enough "spare change" on your Essence.
Another way to go would be to get Type O System and grab Muscle Toner 4, Muscle Augmentation 4, a Suprathyroid Gland, Pain Editor, Platelet Factories, and Synaptic Booster 2, all for the same 2 essence.
Yeah, you'll have to buy a lot of that after-market, but stick it on an Elf with Agility 5, Strength 4, and Reaction 5 as a base and you end up with one heck of a knuckler-bomber for 1.9 Essence.
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A general rule of thumb is that attribute increasing or "all X-linked skills" bonus granting bioware is a good deal for an adept. The exact pieces will depend on what you want to improve.
For actual cyberware, I'm a fan of cyberlimbs. It can be tricky to fit in a full limb, but it's a nice deal for a non-combat focused adept (see Umaro's Negotiator (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WSle2w2WJgINGDDRBm-Z35rd0K_Uaoqlb2ux5nkzdvc/edit?pli=1)). Partial limbs are surprisingly essence friendly and are a good choice for Mind over Matter Logic adepts since you get armor and a nanohive. I like giving my martial adepts bone lacing since the unarmred DV increase stacks with everything. Lacing however can compromise one of the biggest advantages of unarmed adepts which is being able to walk around anywhere with 7+ DV fists due to its detectably and forbidden nature.
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That reminds me; I always liked the idea of bone lacing as a weapon focus.
Anyway, great ideas guys, thanks. :)