[Geekcommando]

Looking for thoughts/ideas for this hacker I made. The idea is sort of a bubbly dorky hacker with OCD. Thanks in advance!

~Geekcommando

Metatype: Dwarf

BOD: 4
AGI: 3
REA: 3
STR: 3
CHA: 1
INT: 4
WIL: 4
LOG: 7 (9)

Skills
        Electronics Skill Group 4
        Blades 2 (Sword Spec)
        Cybercombat 4
        Dodge 1 (Ranged Spec)
        Etiquette 1 (Matrix Subculture Spec)
        Hacking 6 (Comlink Spec)
        Perception 4 (Visual Spec)

Qualities
        Exception Attribute
        Bilingual
       Allergy, Uncommon Severe (Shellfish)
        OCD
        Incompetent (Survival)
        SINner (Non-Criminal)

Cyberware
        Implanted Comlink
        Cerebral Booster 2
       
Gear
        Katana
        Armor Jacket
        Goggles 6
                Vision Enhancement 3
                Ultrasound
                Image Link


Comlink
        Singularity Battle Buddy Basic
                Operating System: Novatech Navi
                Firewall Boost 6
                System Boost 6
                Response Boost 5
                Signal Boost 5
        End Stats: Signal 10, Response 10, System 10, Firewall 9

Programs
        Agent 4
        Analyze 6
        Armor 6
        Attack 6
        Biofeedback Filter 6
        Black Hammer 6
        Blackout 6
        Browse 6
        Command 6
        Corrupt 6
        Data Bomb 6
        Data Translation 6
        Decrypt 6
        Diffuse 6
        ECCM 6
        Edit 6
        Encrypt 6
        Firewall 6
        IC 4
        Medic 6
        Nuke 6
        Purge 6
        Reality Filter 6
        Scan 6
        Spoof 6
        Sniffer 6
        Stealth 6
        Track 6



That's about it.


















EDIT: Forgot to write him down on here.

[Henzington]

You dont need exceptional attribute for logic as it doesnt help for hacking rolls directly.  It is handy for hadware when you have to take care of all kinds of locks except ones that fall under locksmith.  I would say soft cap logic at 5 and up your INT to 5.  Also do you have unwired because if you do its worth it to get pirated programs as they are quite a bit cheaper in terms of cost.

[Geekcommando]

I do. I'll definitely take a look at the pirated programs.  The exception attribute was just as much a role-playing choice as it was a gameplay choice. But I'll think about dropping that.

[TheNarrator]

So, I'm not all that familiar with hackers, but don't all the commlink and OS components with a Rating above 7 have an Availability higher than can be gotten at character generation?

[UmaroVI]

Yeah, that commlink is way way over Availability limits.

What books do you have?

Why are you an unaugmented mundane?

You need Electronic Warfare of at least 1 to function as a hacker.

[rasmusnicolaj]

You should get body 5 and willpower 5 for the extra condition track and the option of more armor.

Specializations are really cheap for karma so you could wait with those until after start.
Dodge 1 isn't that great. Personally I go for no dodge at all or dodge 4.
Blades 2 - even with the specialization - isn't very good together with agility 3. Most people will fail to get hit by you.
Do you need 4 in cybercombat? You would be better of not doing matrix combat at all.
Maybe get a little Electronic Warfare.
If you a going for a high logic and cerebral boosters you should get some more Logic linked skills to benefit from that.

It wouldn't hurt to have a little more cyberware and bioware to up you general survivability. Wired Reflexes, maybe a cyberarm with some armor and improved Agility.

I agree (without looking in a book) that your commlink is way over the allowed availability for a starting character.

I think you have to many programs.
And yes look at pirated software.
Also Ergonomic for the ones you always want to have running and mute for Exploit.

Rasmus

[TheNarrator]

Dodge 1 isn't that great. Personally I go for no dodge at all or dodge 4.

Dodge isn't all that great, period. Gymnastics will add to Full Defense in place of Dodge, and let you parkour around.

Hardcapping a stat (taking it all the way up to the max) is pretty expensive: 25 BP. For that same amount, you could raise two other stats and have some points left over. This is just advice, so if you really want that Logic 7(9) then that's fine, but ask yourself: would you be okay with Logic 6[8] if it meant you could have two other attributes higher?

If you're intending to get into combat yourself rather than sending drones (and I'm guessing from the Blades skill that you are) then consider reinvesting some of your nuyen in combat cyberware and bioware. People who go into battle with one initiative pass don't do so hot.

I think you have to many programs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the limit is on how many programs you can have running on a commlink, not how many you can own or install, right? Storage space is considered to be practically limitless in SR4. So there's nothing stopping this hacker from having all the programs, and picking and choosing as needed for the situation at hand.

[Lethe]

That commlink...
A firewall 6 upgrade upgrades to firewall rating 6, and does not upgrade your firewall by 6 levels - there are no "boosts". Same for the other upgrades.
Also you can upgrade your hardware only 2 levels above the base values for any commlink.

[Geekcommando]

Thank you to everyone for all the replies! I obviously misunderstood the comlink rules, I'll go back on drop the mods. I got Dodge 1 because I almost never go into Full Defense, so I figured that would be good enough at character creation. As for the blades skill, it was a role-playing choice. He's a pretty nerdy guy who's just starting out as a shadowrunner, so I figured he wouldn't be very good at combat yet. I also do have the Electronic Warfare skill at 4. I guess I forgot to write it down. The lack of 'ware was an attempt to save some points. But it can also be defended using the "he's a newb runner" argument that I used with the blades skill.


EDIT: I made a few changes after posting this and figured it was easier to edit the old post than to write a new one

I dropped all the comlink mods and most of my specializations. And changed all my programs to hacked. Then I used those points to give him First Aid 4, Demolitions 2, and Cybertechnology 1.

[rasmusnicolaj]

I think you have to many programs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the limit is on how many programs you can have running on a commlink, not how many you can own or install, right? Storage space is considered to be practically limitless in SR4. So there's nothing stopping this hacker from having all the programs, and picking and choosing as needed for the situation at hand.

You are not wrong. But programs are expensive, and a lot of them are not that good. So he could save some money and free up som space on his character sheet by getting rid of the least useful ones.

Rasmus

[rasmusnicolaj]

A new runner should have some professionalism. 400 BP is enough to build a skilled specialist. You are a fine hacker but with no combat skill to speak about, so little cyberware to make you almost mundane and a bad armor will put you in risk of being killed quit easy...

Rasmus