[Hobbes]

The technomancer wakes up, very pale with blood running down his nose and some coming out of his ears as the door in front of the team slowly opens. 

Technomancer: Wow! guys that security host was pretty hard to hack but I finally got the door open. 

GM:  as the door opens you see a squad of security guards on the otherside with guns drawn.  Every one roll initiative!

Technomancer Player:  ooh a rolled a 4 that means my initiative is a 12.

GM:  did you remember to add your wound modifiers?

Technomancer Player: oh...  ok then I'm at a 9 then. 

Streetsam Player:  36...

Combat Mage Player: 27

... after everyone else goes...

Technomancer Player:  Ok I shoot at one of the guards who is still standing.  and after wound modifiers I roll... 3 dice.  *rolls dice* ... Oh.  what does it mean when I roll 3 1s?

GM:  it means you critically glitch.  In other words 'bad stuff'. *sighs* alright lets say your gun is jammed.  like really bad.  you'll need some tools to fix it before It will shoot again. 

Technomancer player:  ...Oh ok.

GM:  alright everyone take ten from your initiative score if your above zero you get another initiative pass.

Technomancer ...

Streetsam Player:  sweet!

Combat Mage Player: awesome!

..more waiting for the technomancer player...

GM:  *forgets the technomancers took damage before combat started and isn't in very good shape* One of the guards takes a pot shot at you.  he has 5 successes.

Technomancer Player:  uh ok.  I role intuition plus reaction right?

GM: don't forget wound modifiers..

Technomancer Player:  Ok so that's 5 dice I get one success.

GM:  alright resist 11 damage. 

Technomancer Player: *rolls dice and looks at his character sheet*
 
NOOOOOOO!!!"

This game is stupid and boring.  I'm never playing shadowrun again! lets go back to our Pathfinder campaign!
[\I]

If your Technomancer took 9 Boxes of Damage from a Hack and then the GM dropped him into a Firefight...   Anyway.  Technomancers have starting hacking pools within 2 or 3 dice of what Deckers can get, with Sprites Technomancers should be even to ahead.  And with Complex Forums should be able to short cut a hack if there is lots of bad things going on.

In Meat Space your Technomancer really should be rocking the combat drugs.  Initiative of 12+2d6 from Psyche plus Cram, if human then Blitzing is usually an option.  And any PC at 9 Boxes really shouldn't be standing out in the open exchanging shots.  First Action should be get around a corner     

And A TM can have a pretty reasonable gun Skill.  I don't quite understand the whole cripple your Technomancer in meat space thing, you're quite able to have a decent stat and skill array unless you've done something foolish like make a Troll or Dwarf Technomancer   :  )

[Bushw4cker]

If your Technomancer took 9 Boxes of Damage from a Hack and then the GM dropped him into a Firefight...   Anyway.  Technomancers have starting hacking pools within 2 or 3 dice of what Deckers can get, with Sprites Technomancers should be even to ahead.  And with Complex Forums should be able to short cut a hack if there is lots of bad things going on.

In Meat Space your Technomancer really should be rocking the combat drugs.  Initiative of 12+2d6 from Psyche plus Cram, if human then Blitzing is usually an option.  And any PC at 9 Boxes really shouldn't be standing out in the open exchanging shots.  First Action should be get around a corner     

And A TM can have a pretty reasonable gun Skill.  I don't quite understand the whole cripple your Technomancer in meat space thing, you're quite able to have a decent stat and skill array unless you've done something foolish like make a Troll or Dwarf Technomancer   :  )

I actually have 1 more point to add to Attributes, I did my maths wrong.  so either Body, Reaction, or Agility... , used 10 Karma to Raise Strength to 2, so One Attribute has to be Rating 2.  Or I could try get back some Karma from skills and raise Edge to 3.

I could take from Compiling or Registering...  Registering is Rating 6.

I think Automatics is probably best Combat skill to have for character.  Using Cover and Suppressive Fire against any opposition that is stronger than Gangers is going to be best bet.

How good the Technomancer character plays out is also part of the GMs responsibility to do their part.

For Example: Any GM could easily make the game unfair to the Technomancer by putting opposition (Hosts, Deckers, ect.) that are above the skills of the Character.  If the Technomancer is throwing down Suppressive Fire, NPCs should react realistically and go for cover, not try to make heroic self sacrifice and try to take out the Character.  The game should be challenging, but not unfair.

[Jheral]

  I think they should make Technomancers like Mystic Adepts. Improved Ability (Cybercombat),

Friend of mine put together a thing like that a while back - put in Adept-esque powers for technomancers, like splitting echoes into two groups, with the "smaller" ones (skinlink, improved ability for any one technical skill, biofeedback etc...) becoming like adept powers, and leaving "bigger" echoes (MMRI, Ally Sprites and the like) as Submersion-tied powers. He also made some techy gadgets (repurposed commlinks and so on), kind of like foci for TMs.

Don't know how... balanced it would be. Given the narrow range of possibility for TMs, change feels warranted, but it feels like the stuff he made took them too far.

[FST_Gemstar]

Don't diss the dwarf techno, that unaugmented Willpower 7 can be pretty handy. 

But yes, especially 'wareless or light 'ware technos, having the balance of attributes, skills, and resonance (for sprites) can help you stay in the game. An Agi 3, Automatics 3 (+2 Machine pistols) + external smartlink 1 +  3 can get you 12 dice. 18 dice when gun skill 6 and a Diagnostics 6. More with a cyberarm and internal smartlink.   

And drugs are good! Especially for technomancers, especially for technomancers willing to  invest in an essence or two worth of 'ware. Technos tend to have high Logic (for hacking and registered sprite herd limit) and High Willpower (for Fade/Stun/Healing). These are the stats used to resist drug addiction. What technos tend to have a lot of once play starts is nuyen as if they are not 'ware heavy and don't have the equivilant to foci and regents that magical characters deal with. This gives them money for drugs. Ex. A  dose of psyche can last a long time, has nice effects, and pretty safely addiction resistant. Focus on psychologically addicting drugs: from CRB - Psyche, Cram, and Zen can be great. Even better with a mild addiction and Narco, it's really a big boon. 

Remember, if you are going to hack like a decker, they are usually going to have an advantage in Logic (augmented), more edge (mundane), a reconfigurable deck, and cheap cyberprograms that help them moment to moment when hacking. Drugs are the way technomancers augment without taking (too much of) a Resonance hit. It has the benefit of all at the same time increasing dice pools (ex. Psyche - Intuition for Matrix Perception/Search, Logic for Hacking), increasing limits (living persona stats are based on technomancer stats), increase survival (opposed tests in the matrix rely on high mental attributes and matrix stats, drugs boost both at the same time), and usually help in the meat (defense tests, initiative, etc.).  I have never played a technomancer that doesn't rely on drugs and doubt I ever will! 


More mechanically... I still side that technomancers don't make great Matrix Specialists, at least at chargen. It's suck it up for a little if you want to be Net-Cat style technomancer, or start to use your abilities for other roles.   
Sprite are mechanically clunky, but essential to making technomancers work. Figure out a simpler way to use them with your GM (ex. using buying hits rules when compiling, registering, resisting Fade, and on sprite powers like diagnostics. This usually yield weaker sprites than you would typically or potentially roll with weaker Diagnostics rolls, but it save the table a lot of boring sprite rolling time. You can of course still roll if you are trying to get a sprite or power more powerful than buying hits will allow you). 

I will try to write a Resonance-focused Matrix specialist guide one day, but I hope that the new techno book will make it more viable or imaginable by tables. Basically - a low skills, high Edge, high Resonance technomancer that focuses on sprites and CFs for matrix work, eschewing more typically required hacking skills like hacking electronic warfare... I think it makes meta-technomancers more viable as well...(Assuming that 1)Puppeteer can be used to make devices invite marks, 2) if slaved to a host, that such marks are also on the host).

[FST_Gemstar]

Priority Resonancer

Concept:
Matrix Specialist, but not a hacker. Mixes use of luck and  technomancer tricks to subvert the matrix in mystical ways as opposed to logical/mechanical means.

Basics:

Assumptions:
1) Puppeteer can be used on devices to invite marks.
2) If those devices are slaved to a host, said invited marks would also be placed on a host.

See a quick mockup of a Resonancer built in priority. I intentionally made it less efficient as part of the proof of concept.
Karma expense: 10 on Agility, 24 on PQs, 12 on Complex Forms, 4 on Skills, -25 on NQs = 0 Remaining.
I did not buy gear, only 'ware so far. Character has 37.5k remaining for basic starting running gear and hopefully a vehicle.
No knowledge skills or contacts yet.



== Info ==
Street Name:
Name: Unnamed Character
Movement: 4/8
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0
Dwarf
Composure: 10
Judge Intentions: 8
Lift/Carry: 6 (45 kg/30 kg)
Memory: 11
Nuyen: 37580

== Priorities ==
Metatype: A(4) - Any metatype
Attributes: D(1) - 14 Attributes
Special: B(3) - Adept, Magician, or Technomancer
Skills: E(0) - 18 Skills/0 Skill Groups
Resources: C(2) - 140,000¥

== Attributes ==
BOD: 3
AGI: 2
REA: 3
STR: 3
CHA: 3
INT: 5
LOG: 2 (4)
WIL: 7
EDG: 6
RES: 5

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence:                   5.0
Initiative:                8 + 1d6
Rigger Initiative:         8 + 1d6
Astral Initiative:         
Matrix AR Initiative:      8 + 1d6
Matrix Cold Initiative:    5 + DP + 3d6
Matrix Hot Initiative:     5 + DP + 4d6
Physical Damage Track:     10
Stun Damage Track:         12

== Limits ==
Physical:                  4
Mental:                    7
Social:                    6
Astral:                    7

== Active Skills ==
Compiling                  : 5 [Crack]              Pool: 10 (12)
Computer                   : 1 [Matrix Perception] Pool: 5 (7)
Etiquette                  : 1                      Pool: 4
Hardware                   : 1                      Pool: 5
Perception                 : 1 [Visual]             Pool: 6 (
Registering                : 6 [Machine]            Pool: 11 (13)
Sneaking                   : 1 [Urban]              Pool: 3 (5)
Software                   : 6 [Puppeteer]          Pool: 10 (12)


== Knowledge Skills ==

== Qualities ==
Addiction (Mild) (Psyche)
Addiction (Mild) (Cram)
Common Sense
Drug Tolerant
Impassive
Jack of All Trades Master of None
Otaku to Technomancer
Quick Healer
Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins
Technomancer
Thermographic Vision
Weak Immune System

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Cerebral Booster Rating 2
Narco
Partial Cyberskull
   +Attention Coprocessor
   +Radar Sensor Rating 3

== Weapons ==
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 1   Accuracy: 4   DV: 3S   AP: -   RC: 2

== Commlink ==
Living Persona (ATT: 3, SLZ: 5, DP: 4, FWL: 7)


Priority Selection:
Technomancer only needs high skills in Compiling, Registering, and Software to handle the tasks of a Matrix Specialist. All other skills can start low. Dicpools can be upped by key gear, 'ware, drugs, and machine sprites. This makes E a good place for skills. You might pick Skills D, but I find that that those 4 skill points are on the weak end for D priority options. To deal with low skills, taking Resonance at B or A is  must. (If going sum-to-ten, Resonance C and Skills C may also work). This helps with technomancer skills and starting with a higher Resonance. The last needed piece is high Edge. Pick a Meta rating will max your Resonance and Edge as much as possible. Resources can be D to just pick up Narco or C for a full essence worth of 'ware at chargen. D may be preferable if your game doesn't use karma/nuyen exchanges, as buying 'ware is something you can use your nuyen for. Your remaining priority will go to Attributes.

Attribute Selection:
Getting Willpower high is a must. If you can get to 7 (as a dwarf/gnome/ogre, or with exceptional attribute/genetic modification) great. I usually don't like Willpower 6, but for this kind of build, it may also suffice. Willpower 5 might not be enough... I would say Augmented Logic should be at least 3 to have a small sprite herd. Reaction should be at least 3 (so that you don't get paralyzed if you take Zen). Everything else could be at low/mid ranges depending on your tastes.

Having high Edge is important for several reasons. "hacking" as a resonance often requires Edge boost dice pools, mitigate bad rolls, and help with Fade resistance. Additionally, it allows you to pre-edge puppeteer at Level 1, helping achieve a higher dice pool and keeping Fade damage to resist at 5 (probably physical).

Skills:
Max Registering and Software, and Compiling if you can. Everything else is basic needs at this point, probably most efficiently spent at rating 1 + specialization. 

Ware:
This build is doable 'wareless I think, but I feel like the benefits of Narco really outweigh the loss of 1 point of Resonance. Narco would be the only "required" 'ware. A loaded cyberarm is an option if you want to shoot a pistol well and have some capacity. Getting some cerebral boosters for more logic doesn't hurt. Anything you can mix with machine sprite can be fun (attention co-processor, etc.). Nephritic screens may be nice if you are trying to avoid getting addicted to drugs or have a Logic/Willpower at the lower end. An implanted commlink can give very legit cover if you are pretending to not be a technomancer.

Drugs:
Psyche basically all the time you are working. Zen when compiling/Registering Sprites and "hacking" from safe/far locations. Cram (does not mix with Zen) to be used when doing work that requires you to stay AR or in the meat or in the line of fire (increased initiative and defense).

Complex Forms:
Mandatory: Editor, Puppeteer, Resonance Veil
Eventually needed but not chargen required: Static Veil/Cleaner, Diffusion of Firewall, Diffusion of Data Processing.

Hacking Strategy:

Registered Sprites: This build doesn't necessarily have the skills to buff herself with machine sprites to great affect. Having one smaller machine sprite that can bounce around doing diagnostics/gremlins when needed can fill her self-buff needs (Diagnostics roll of 1 or 2 tops). One big crack sprite to help a compiled crack sprite if needed and to add CF dice/sustain CF when needed. A medium/big machine sprite to add dice to CFs/Sustain CFs and to gremlin if needed.

Protected Files: Anything that is going to have to deal with getting access to a file that is potentially data-bombed, the technomancer is going to have to do herself. This is because sprites don't have the software skill and have no way to disarm databombs. Technomancer.
   Device: Matrix Perception test to find a the device the file is on if on a device over 100m away. This may require dropping into VR for a moment for the bonus dice and/or popping a Psyche. Alternatively, a Level 5 crack sprite gets 13 dice to on perception. Puppeteer the device to invite 3 marks. Thread Puppeteer at Level 1 and pre-edge. This will give you a nice dice bonus and only be sending 5 (probably physical) Fade damage your way. Ask one of your registered sprites to help. Let's say Resonance 5 + Software 6 + Puppeteer spec 2 + Edge 6 + Sprite 5 = 24 puppeteer dice. Good chance you'll succeed. With High Willpower/Resonance you are likely to resist most of that fade. If you have Otaku to Technomancer (+2 Fade Resistance) or taken Zen (+2 Fade Resistance), you will be even safer. You should hopefully succeed at this task. With marks on the device. Perceive for the file and determine if it is databombed. If so, Disarm the Data Bomb (Software + Intuition). Depending on difficulty, you with the help of a registered sprite can Diffuse Data Processing the device the file is on. Ask a registered sprite to sustain that Diffusion for a sec. Run Editor on on the file to get what you need (again with the assist from a registered sprite if needed). Repeat Editor until you are able to do all of the  file manipulation you need. Use edge to mitigate bad fade resistance rolls.
   Host: If the file is on a host, you'll find the host. Use hits on this test to help find a device slaved to this host. Alternatively, if you already know the devices that might be slaved to that host (ex. security camera at warehouse owned by hosts' parent company), find that. Pre-edge Puppeteer at Level 1 probably with the help of a registered sprite on the device so that it invites 3 marks. Repeat above.

Non-file hacking: 
An overcompiled crack sprite can handle a lot of matrix issues. They may be edge intensive though. You can compile a Lvl 8-10 sprite, post edging if needed to get a good amount of tasks. Post-edging Fade resistance as well if you get a bad roll. This kind of sprite can do a lot of conventional hacking, even against hosts, for when conventional hacking is warranted. However, this probably is rarely warranted. This kind of sprite I think is better used to hacking non-hosts or slaved to hosts devices (ex. commlinks/decks that are PAN masters). Icon Tracing, Snooping, rebooting are all possibilities here. Use Static Veil or Cleaner on the sprite to reduce OS accumulation if it will be a problem.
An overcompiled Fault Sprite can handle Matrix combat if needed. 
If overcompiling is not your thing, using your registered sprites to help thread and sustain diffusions will allow a smaller crack sprite to perhaps hack conventionally if needed too.

Matrix Illusions:
Resonance Veil allows for easy/quick Matrix illusions. If you have the time and need to, have a registered sprite help thread and sustain a Diffusion of DP before threading the Resonance Veil.

Matrix Search:
Teamwork with sprites for the added dice pool and limit increase.

Combat:
Character probably doesn't have wonderful weapon dice at chargen and should probably get into the best cover they can if they find themselves in a firefight.  Resonancer can contribute by using registered machine sprites to diagnostics a teammates gun and/or gremlin enemy weapons/gear/ware. Compiling another machine sprite for this purpose is a possibility. Additionally, if enemies are relying on matrix assisted gear/weapons, using resonance veil to trick/scare/confuse enemies can help buy some escape time.



Notes/Perks:
Resonance Hacking can be done from anywhere. Sometimes in may be easier onsite, but you can hack from safe locale. Also, you don't have to worry about Overwatch score, because you are not accruing any. This does feel OP to me, so  I am ok with Puppeteering marks being considered more like an Attack action. Basically, it's weird enough to put a device/host on alert. However, it's going to tough to spot you as a threat as you are not actually performing attack/sleaze actions and may not be near the device you are affecting.   
Outside of "hacking," you don't have a lot of utility, but growth can be pretty rapid. Some dice pool boosting gear, skill ranks of 2, and a machine sprite running diagnostics can help pools to meaningful levels early on enough. This character type doesn't even need to get skinlink. Though getting FFF is highly recommended to handle likely wound modifiers (which requires 2 submersions), so you'll probably get skinlink and a few ranks of hacking anyway... 

[Dwagonzhan]

Don't diss the dwarf techno, that unaugmented Willpower 7 can be pretty handy. 

Oh most definitely. My axiom for attributes is that there's no such thing as "too much Body or Willpower", and Dwarf gets both (also: free handy STR bump).
They're rarely the most "twink" meta for a given archetype, but they are the most consistent general performer for the price (outside of Karma Pool/Edge abuse).