Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: Devil on <12-12-12/1242:40>
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Hey there. Me again. I have a concept for a character that I'd like your help with. The basic idea is a multitalented thief type. Someone sneaky that has methods of breaking in, avoiding detection, extracting something, then breaking out on his own. In the 2070s that pretty much requires you to be a hacker and an excellent B&E specialist, from what I understand. How do I use my points to accomplish this? I've never even played a normal hacker, so I appreciate any and all advice. I get that this is a team game, but this is a support character for a group with nobody to fill these roles.
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My first suggestion is to look at Umaro's archetype, the Combat Hacker (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vtQotUH64UwZ50qfVnPB_sEQ-ZP2Z42sSICHExzCZi4/edit). He can break into places and hack. The document also has some screamsheet level tactics and suggestions as well. You can scale back on the combat effectiveness, but being sneaky and being good at combat synergizes well.
As for in general, you need a way to deal with maglocks and a good infilitration roll to be acceptable at B&E. Maglocks can be defeated by the Hardware skill. Since maglock ratings only go up to 6, you really only need to be able to get 12 hits eventually unless you think you'll need to bypass locks in the 6 second timeframe rather than the 30 second timeframe. You do want to be able to deal with the rating 4 anti-tamper lock so you'll want ~12 dice or edge in case you run across one.
Don't be afraid of hacking from AR. While you don't get the handy +2 hot SIM VR bonus, you are immune to a lot of stuff. If you do crash, then you're just a restart away from being back in the game best and worst case. Therefore, you'll want non-matrix IPs as well.
For more specific stuff, what books do you have access to?
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I was working on a similar concept (B&E/AR hacker, no cybercombat or e-warfare) a while ago to try and help me learn about the Matrix and hacking, gave it up (at programs and crap) before ever completing it though so I will be very interested in the input you get.
As Tsuzua mentioned, I started with Umaro's Archetypes. I was referring to the Merc Rigger and Combat Hacker for guidance (especially the "Tactics" bit and skills and programs), as well as the hacker threads I could find in Character Creation forum. Seems like centering your attributes around LOG, REA and AGI is a good way to go for this hacking/B&E/stealth approach, and also as Tsuzua mentioned with AR hacking and stealth, you'll have good synergy with combat.
So yeah, now that I've done nothing but reiterate Tsuzua, I will leave and lurk with baited breath.
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For more specific stuff, what books do you have access to?
Nearly everything of use. Everything from core books, like SR4A, to flavor, like Attitude.
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well, a prime hacker is very cash heavy, lots of expensive toys + software.
a high end commlink (R6 stats) is going to require restricted gear to get at chargen so i'd plan for that.
thankfully, the electronics skill group is a good call for a hacker char, you get your usual computer/search/software and the Hardware skill, so its well worth having a good rating in the group.
you can use software + programming suite to hack your software and upgrade it so its a good call for the long-run too.
Hot sim has its bonuses, but most people are pretty twitchy about hot sim hacking due to your exposure to cybercombat from IC. i'd either prepare for cybercombat like you do for physical combat, or take an agent to buy you some time and just log out instead of fighting
other than that, you'll want the usual stuff, decent agility, 2 IP's and ruthenium coated FFBA. some athletics skills and B&E gear. probably need a vehicle to get around in too!
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So, I think I want to make a him a hacker that never uses VR, as suggested. How do I go about making an AR hacker that specializes in infiltration, extraction, and avoiding detection? What skills and programs do I absolutely need? I need to specialize, rather than just being good at every aspect of being a hacker.
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So, I think I want to make a him a hacker that never uses VR, as suggested. How do I go about making an AR hacker that specializes in infiltration, extraction, and avoiding detection? What skills and programs do I absolutely need? I need to specialize, rather than just being good at every aspect of being a hacker.
You'll want the logic-skill bonus augmentations from Augmentation like PuSHeD, Encephleon, and Neocortical nanites. They help with hacking and hardware. They also make you better with first aid as well.
However, mundane hackers aren't specialists even on the matrix. Technomancers are what you want to be if you want to focus on the matrix. Mundane hacking is more about being competent hackers while doing other stuff. You may want to grab Cybercombat as that's the only thing Umaro's sample character doesn't do matrix wise. You could also get an agent for your own pwning.
If you're playing a more long-term game, I'll still use the Combat Hacker as a base. You may want to make him an ork so you can agility 9 eventually, but it'll cost more BP at start. You also could start off with rating 6 programs and System 6 which will "upgrade" once you buy a response 6 chip for your commlink. You could also drop the Restricted Gear, Born Rich, and the Suprathyroid + 5000Y to save 25 BP that can be spent on skills or attributes. That's definitely a "less power now for more power later" tradeoff though.
For a variation on sneaking mundane hacker, I do have my character I just built for my home Mission's game, Dagon (https://docs.google.com/document/d/10cpxtrQ4KCS7bPruqmiAVCf0GGimqIbvzm21qXKA6eU/edit). He's a themed character so he may not be right for you. But he is built following more of a "power later" style. You may want to talk to your GM on how cyberlimbs and Attitude's armor weaves work since it's very GM dependent and our group has discussed at length how we want to do it. There's also some +Swimming cheese, but seriously it's Swimming. I'm not sure if I'm ever going to roll it.
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How do I go about making an AR hacker that specializes in infiltration, extraction, and avoiding detection? What skills and programs do I absolutely need?
Joker, you inspired me to dive back into learning hacking/finishing my B&E AR Hacker build. If you haven't figured it out yet, here are the most important skills for such a build:
Hacking
Electronic Warfare
Computer
Software
Hardware
Data Search
i.e. the Electronics Skill Group + Hacking and E-warfare. Turns out E-warfare is pretty important to have as it allows you to find hidden nodes and some other useful, not direct matrix combat-related, things. Even though that's 2 of 3 in the Cracking Group, I would not under any circumstances get that skill group for this build as it only has 3 skills in it anyway, and it's still 10BP.
Here is a list of the most important Programs for punching in, getting out, and not leaving a trail - near as I can tell.
Analyze
Browse
Corrupt
Decrypt
Defuse
Disarm
Edit
Exploit
Scan
Spoof
Stealth
Maybe some experienced hacker players can provide some input on these lists?
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Encrypt!
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Track and Sniffer are the only other ones I would add to that list.
Encrypt and Command are not strictly necessary for your stated goal, but both are common use (hence very cheap, and you can Optimize/Ergonomic rating 6 ones out of chargen), and are useful. Encrypt will slow other people from hacking you by a little bit, which can matter sometimes, and Command 6 is enough to let you do some rigging stuff OK on its own, which is a good deal for 600 nuyen.
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Track and Sniffer are the only other ones I would add to that list.
...Encrypt will slow other people from hacking you by a little bit, which can matter sometimes...
Strong Encryption with 1 hour interval (or 1 day).
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Encrypt!
Track and Sniffer are the only other ones I would add to that list.
Encrypt and Command are not strictly necessary for your stated goal, but both are common use (hence very cheap, and you can Optimize/Ergonomic rating 6 ones out of chargen), and are useful. Encrypt will slow other people from hacking you by a little bit, which can matter sometimes, and Command 6 is enough to let you do some rigging stuff OK on its own, which is a good deal for 600 nuyen.
Good stuff. Encrypt does seem like a good idea.
Regarding Sniffing and Tracking, I guess I didn't put them in the list because (I probably don't fully understand what they do but) it seemed like Sniffing and Tracking are for hacking a node without being within it's Signal range/physical location, and I didn't know if you could do this without going VR.
And if Command can give you some versatility as a Rigger that's pretty great too.
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I'd take Command if you were intending to crack the security of a node and give yourself user access (or admin/security access) to control aspects of the node and it's peripherals. That's where Edit and Browse would come in as you searched the node for files, edited whatever files you wanted and then erased the data trail of your hack.
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Wow. Thanks guys. You've given me the information I need to make this character. Now i just need to balance it all out. I'm gonna give this a try and then i'll post the resulting character for critique.
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Okay, I'm nearly finished, but I'm having a little trouble with balancing Nuyen and you can help me out, I believe.
Analyze
Browse
Commend
Corrupt
Decrypt
Defuse
Disarm
Edit
Encrypt
Exploit
Scan
Sniffer
Spoof
Stealth
Track
Those or the programs I've taken, as per your recommendations. What ratings and options do each of them need? That's what I need to know in order to balance my nuyen to a place where I can cover all my bases.
Also, I'd love some specific recommendations about commlinks, commlink options, ect, as well as other specific gear that would work well for the character.
Question: If I have a skinlinked datajack does that allow me to interact through DNI to my skinlinked commlink?
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Rating should be equal to System (which you should have equal to Response). Personally, I wouldn't waste optimization on any but Analyze and Encrypt. Picking (System) in ergonomic programs would be good too.
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yes, skilinked datajacks will work fine for DNI. you can plug data jack into fibreoptics and connect to commlink that way as well if you'd prefer. i believe trodes work just as well for dni
as regards commlinks, get the best one in the book. you can only upgrade them to +2 of the attribute so i think its the novatech airware and navi combination you need to be able to get the best upgrades.
if you want rating six commlink to start off with, then you need to get restricted gear and response 6. upgrade the system to match and get the best firewall you can.
tbh though, its a lot of cash, you might as well stick with R5 kit and software.
having your software at R5 means you can put program options in them (avail is too high for this @ chargen without restricted gear on R6 software)
so you could put mute on your exploit program and ergonomic on others to keep your response high.
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Rating should be equal to System (which you should have equal to Response). Personally, I wouldn't waste optimization on any but Analyze and Encrypt. Picking (System) in ergonomic programs would be good too.
This is fairly good advice. On thing you can do is start with a Response 4, System 6 commlink with a ton of rating 6 programs. Then when play starts buy a rating 6 response module. You can't start play with one due to the availiablity cap, but it's fairly cheap and your face should be able to find you one. Once you have it, all of your programs will naturally increase to 6. In the meanwhile, you can survive with rating 4 programs for a run or two.
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Another piece of advice, ignore those here who try to make the claim that Firewall isn't restricted by Response (everything else is, so it's really just rules lawyering and looking for exploitive loopholes to say it isn't).