[groduick]

Hello there, I'd like to build an adept character that would be able to take anyone's appearence; he's build around Facial Sculpt and Master of 1000 Faces, and I think I'll use Commanding Voice as my main "offense",because it looks so cool on paper... I used a little bit of cyver/bioware/nanotech to healp him in it's task, mainly because I can't find a way to duplicate someone's retina without implants.

Storywise, he's an amnesiac who can't even remember what it's real face looks like; the Mysterious Implant Quality is just there because I need to think a little about it's Negative Qualities.

I've got 46 BP left to spend on basic gear, a little bit of contacts (not too much, he's an amnesiac after all) and some skill to round him up.

Can anyone tell me if my current build is worthwile (from an infiltration point of view), if Commanding Voice is really useful ("You, shoot your friend in the back!") and what skills and gears do I need to purchase next?

Many thanks (and don't blame me on my poor english, it's not my mother tongue)

== Info ==
Street Name: Zero
Name: Unnamed Character
Movement: 10/25, Swim: 5
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0
Human
Composure: 8
Judge Intentions: 12
Lift/Carry: 4 (30 kg/20 kg)
Memory: 8
Nuyen: 0

== Attributes ==
BOD: 2
AGI: 3
REA: 3 (4)
STR: 2
CHA: 5
INT: 4
LOG: 3 (5)
WIL: 3
EDG: 2
MAG: 4

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence:                   4,05
Initiative:                7 (
IP:                        1 (2)
Astral Initiative:         8
Astral IP:                 3
Matrix Initiative:         4
Matrix IP:                 2
Physical Damage Track:     9
Stun Damage Track:         10

== Active Skills ==
Animal Handling            : 0                      Pool: 3
Animal Training            : 0                      Pool: 3
Archery                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Armorer                    : 0                      Pool: 4
Artisan                    : 0                      Pool: 3
Automatics                 : 0                      Pool: 2
Blades                     : 0                      Pool: 2
Climbing                   : 0                      Pool: 1
Clubs                      : 0                      Pool: 2
Computer                   : 0                      Pool: 4
Con                        : 4                      Pool: 15
Cybercombat                : 0                      Pool: 4
Data Search                : 0                      Pool: 4
Demolitions                : 0                      Pool: 4
Disguise                   : 2                      Pool: 12
Diving                     : 0                      Pool: 1
Dodge                      : 0                      Pool: 3
Escape Artist              : 0                      Pool: 2
Etiquette                  : 4                      Pool: 15
First Aid                  : 0                      Pool: 4
Flight                     : 0                      Pool: 1
Forgery                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Gunnery                    : 0                      Pool: 2
Gymnastics                 : 0                      Pool: 2
Hacking                    : 0                      Pool: 4
Heavy Weapons              : 0                      Pool: 2
Infiltration               : 2                      Pool: 7
Instruction                : 0                      Pool: 4
Intimidation               : 0                      Pool: 4
Leadership                 : 4                      Pool: 15
Locksmith                  : 0                      Pool: 2
Longarms                   : 0                      Pool: 2
Navigation                 : 0                      Pool: 3
Negotiation                : 4                      Pool: 15
Palming                    : 2                      Pool: 7
Parachuting                : 0                      Pool: 1
Perception                 : 4                      Pool: 8
Pilot Ground Craft         : 0                      Pool: 3
Pilot Watercraft           : 0                      Pool: 3
Pistols                    : 2                      Pool: 5
Riding                     : 0                      Pool: 3
Running                    : 0                      Pool: 1
Shadowing                  : 2                      Pool: 8
Survival                   : 0                      Pool: 2
Swimming                   : 0                      Pool: 1
Throwing Weapons           : 0                      Pool: 2
Tracking                   : 0                      Pool: 3
Unarmed Combat             : 0                      Pool: 2

== Knowledge Skills ==

== Qualities ==
Adept
Amnesia (Past)
Biocompatability (Bioware)
Mysterious Implant (25 BP)
Restricted Gear (Rating 1)
The Invisible Way

== Powers ==
Cloak Rating: 3
Commanding Voice
Facial Sculpt Rating: 2
Keratin Control
Kinesics Rating: 3
Master of 1000 Faces
Melanin Control
Unseen Hands Rating: 2
Voice Control

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Cerebral Booster Rating 2
DNA Masking, Masque
Dynamic Handprints Rating 6
Retinal Adjusters Rating 3
Skillwires Rating 3
Synaptic Booster Rating 1
Tailored Pheromones Rating 3

== Weapons ==
Unarmed Attack
   DV: 1S   AP: -   RC: 0

[UmaroVI]

Commanding Voice is good. Master of 1000 Faces...depends. The big problems with it are:
Assensing (which spirits and dual-natured being always do) sees right through it.
It takes a really long time to activate compared to either more mundane things like programmable facemasks, or the simple spell Physical Mask.

As a social adept, you are fine. I am not a big fan of Master of 1000 faces, and I think a better way to be a social adept/master of disguise type is to instead be a Mystic Adept and be good at Illusions.

Given how heavily you are focused on social skills and stuff, I would think very hard about being an Elf.

Your main problem as an infiltrator is that you run into an impassible barrier if there's a maglocked door between you and where you need to go. You can get around this with social skills sometimes but it is still a flaw.

Facial Sculpt 2 is silly. Take Facial Sculpt 1 and, if you really want another +1, Improved Ability (Disguise).

Cloak sounds good but, unfortunately, is not. The easiest way for people to bust you is Assensing which this does nothing about. It won't really stop search, either, and without Counterspelling and with 3 willpower, you aren't going to be resisting many active detection spells. Improved Ability is a better place to spend power points.

Gear: SR is full of widgets and you may or may not want widgets. I am not a big fan. If you want the gear to do infiltration, you need:
Armor - I recommend a combination of Form Fitting Body Armor (arsenal), Holo-wear (Attitude), and SecureTech PPP (Arsenal)
Gecko Tape Gloves (for climbing)
miniwelder (cut through things you can't otherwise bypass)
2 crappy commlinks, one to run your stuff, one to broadcast your fake SIN
fake SIN
Sensory gear (take a look at some of the characters in my signature for examples of sensor gear setups)
at least a month of some lifestyle
a cheap vehicle

[groduick]

Commanding Voice is good. Master of 1000 Faces...depends. The big problems with it are:
Assensing (which spirits and dual-natured being always do) sees right through it.
It takes a really long time to activate compared to either more mundane things like programmable facemasks, or the simple spell Physical Mask.

As a social adept, you are fine. I am not a big fan of Master of 1000 faces, and I think a better way to be a social adept/master of disguise type is to instead be a Mystic Adept and be good at Illusions.

So Physical Mask also works on the Astral Plane?
I'll think about being a Mystic Adept, but I'll have to change my RP to do so...

Given how heavily you are focused on social skills and stuff, I would think very hard about being an Elf.

Done

Your main problem as an infiltrator is that you run into an impassible barrier if there's a maglocked door between you and where you need to go. You can get around this with social skills sometimes but it is still a flaw.

Yes, I plan to buy some Hardware skills with my remaining points.

Facial Sculpt 2 is silly. Take Facial Sculpt 1 and, if you really want another +1, Improved Ability (Disguise).

Cloak sounds good but, unfortunately, is not. The easiest way for people to bust you is Assensing which this does nothing about. It won't really stop search, either, and without Counterspelling and with 3 willpower, you aren't going to be resisting many active detection spells. Improved Ability is a better place to spend power points.

I'll work on that too; an adept can use Counterspelling?

Gear: SR is full of widgets and you may or may not want widgets. I am not a big fan. If you want the gear to do infiltration, you need:
Armor - I recommend a combination of Form Fitting Body Armor (arsenal), Holo-wear (Attitude), and SecureTech PPP (Arsenal)
Gecko Tape Gloves (for climbing)
miniwelder (cut through things you can't otherwise bypass)
2 crappy commlinks, one to run your stuff, one to broadcast your fake SIN
fake SIN
Sensory gear (take a look at some of the characters in my signature for examples of sensor gear setups)
at least a month of some lifestyle
a cheap vehicle

Yeah, I love widgets and toys in SR... I've already looked at your archetypes, you've done a great job; and of course I will be using them as a base for my characters.

Thank you for your feedback, I'll try to follow your advice when possible

[UmaroVI]

Physical Mask doesn't work on the Astral, but neither does Master of 1000 Faces. The way to disguise yourself on the astral is the Masking/Extended Masking metamagics.

Adepts can't take Counterspelling.

[Red]

Umaro is right. Masking is a must. Also consider Flexible Signature, which will also let you forge your astral signature to appear to be someone else's. It's ideal for passing undetected through wards.