[Fisher]

Ok, I'm going to be trying to use the Data Trails Life Modules to create an old character I've wanted to run for a while. I'm going to run through this on here, step by step, before compiling the sheet. Both to help my orgnization, and so any kind commenters can tell me where I go wrong

Character is a Human Technomancer, so we'll spend 15 Karma out of the starting point on that quality, and 100 Karma to raise Resonance to 6

Nationality: Pueblo Corporate Council [15 Karma]
Primary Language: Zuni,
Secondary Language: English 1

Skills: Archery +2, Knowledge: History +1, Knowledge: NAN +1 Electronics skill group +1, Etiquette +2, Professional Knowledge: Business Practices +1,
Qualities: SINner (5)

Formative Years: Early Emergence [40 Karma]
Attributes: Intuition +1
Skills: Compiling+1, Decompiling +1, Software +1, Interest Knowledge: [Matrix- related] +4, Interest Knowledge: [Technical] +4

Teen Years: High School [50 Karma]
Attributes: Charisma +1, Logic +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Computers +2, Chemistry +1, Software +2, Academic Knowledge: [Any, choose two] +1, Language +1, Street Knowledge: [Hometown/ City] +1

State University (Computer Sciences) [65 Karma]
Attributes: Logic +1, Willpower +1
Skills: Computer +1, Perception +1, Etiquette +1, Academic Knowledge [Any] +4, Cybercombat +1, Electronics skill group +1, Hacking +1, Academic Knowledge: Matrix Design +6

Real Life: Otaku Time [100 Karma]
Attributes: Logic +1, Intuition +1
Qualities Otaku to Technomancer (10)
Skills: Compiling +2, Decompiling +1, Cybercombat +1, Electronic Warfare +1, Software +2, Hacking +1, Tasking skill group +2, Interest Knowledge: [Matrix- related] +2, Street Knowledge [Tech Corporations] +3

[Fisher]

I make that 385 Karma. 365 lft to spend. Feeling a little more tired than I expected, so will resume this tomorrow, my time. If anyone has any advice for modules or priorities at this point, I'd appreciate it. I'm kinda experimenting here, but I'd like to leave with a playable character if possible.

[zarzak]

Honestly ... life modules is a really terrible way to make a technomancer.  They're barely doable with priority/sumTo10, and life modules make characters that are much weaker, mechanically speaking.

[Fisher]

Honestly ... life modules is a really terrible way to make a technomancer.  They're barely doable with priority/sumTo10, and life modules make characters that are much weaker, mechanically speaking.

Never tell me the odds!

More seriously, yeah, I know LMs aren't great... but I'd like to try and see what I can do with them, now that we've got the additional Data Trails ones. The devs made the effort to give the system some support for Technos now, felt I ought to at least give it a shot. Compiling what I have so far...

Body   1/6
Agility   1/6
React   1/6
Strength   1/6
Willpower   2/6
Logic   4/6
Intuition   3/6
Charisma   2/6
Edge  2/6

Qualities: SINner (5), Otaku to Technomancer (10)
Skills: English 2, Archery +2, Knowledge: History +5, Knowledge: NAN +2, Etiquette +3, Professional Knowledge: Business Practices +1, Interest Knowledge: [Trideo] +6, Interest Knowledge: [Hacker Mythology] +4, Athletics +1, Computers +5, Chemistry +1, Software +7, Street Knowledge: [Los Angeles] +1, Perception +1, Cybercombat +2, Hardware +2, Hacking +2, Academic Knowledge: Matrix Design +7, Compiling +5, Decompiling +4, Electronic Warfare +1, Registering +2, Street Knowledge [Tech Corporations] +3

*whistles* Software 7, Resonance 6. That is... tempting. And permissible under Life Modules. Not sure where to go from here though. That's a low attribute array, but some just as low basic Hacker skills. Should I look for another Real Life module to see if I can boost both? Or just jump in to spending Karma? 365 left to spend.... not sure.

[Senko]

I'm about to head out to dinner but I'll try to look over this later, a few suggestions off the top of my head.

1) Combat Correspondent: Adds cha/will, 2 to electronics and perception.
2) Corporate - Hacker/Decker: Adds cracking +2 and electornics +3, prof matrix security design 6.
3) Shadowork - Decker: Cracking and electronics +2, body and intuition +1 street knowledge matrix security procedures, codeslinger quality.
4) Law Enforcement - Cybercrime: If your desperate doesn't add as much as corp or shadowork to eletronics skills.
5) Miltiary - Rigger Corps: Even less than law enforcement.

Personally I'd suggest corporate - hacker/decker and shadowork - decker for 200 then spend the remainder to buy up abilities and other specific skills you need. That'd add +4 to cracking skill group and + 5 to electronics.

[Glyph]

I concur that it is hard to do a technomancer with life modules.  Only two possibilities really jump out at me in the modules, as being cost-effective.

First, in education modules, you can take Community College and then State University.  If you take computer sciences there, too, you will lose some things (software is already at the cap, and matrix design can only go up to 9), but overall - Logic from 4 to 5 is 25 Karma, Willpower from 2 to 3 is 15 Karma, computer from 5 to 6 and cybercombat, hardware, and hacking from 2 to 3 is 30 Karma.  That's 70 Karma worth of things you would want to buy up anyways.  More if your GM goes by the blurb on page 76 rather than the rules on page 66, and lets you put "excess" points into another skill.

Secondly, Postgraduate Studies gives you bonuses to Logic (5 to 6), Intuition (3 to 4), and Charisma (2 to 3) - 65 Karma worth right there, plus gives you 10 skill points to allocate among skills from your education module - you could raise computer from 6 to 7, cybercombat and hacking from 3 to 7, and hardware from 3 to 4, for example (although you could, for example, raise cybercombat and hacking from 3 to 6, and electronic warfare from 1 to 5).

[Fisher]

Hey Senko! Thanks for the advice! Thing is, I've got Electronics effectively maxed. The rating Technos use from it most often is Software. Any boost to Electronics as a whole is going to get wasted.

Instead, I'm thinking of going for High-Profile Hack. Little unsure, as I'm running a touch low on Karma, but it hits the skills I need boosted, ups the right mental attributes.... I think it's worth a shot. The upside to working like this is that it's pretty easy to go back and change stuff later.

,,, Speaking of, hi Glyph! I'm a little unsure on Postgrad, but Community Collage seems like a good idea. Thanks for the recommendation

So... hrm. H-P H would leave me on 265 Karma, but looking like this.

Body   1/6
Agility   1/6
React   1/6
Strength   1/6
Willpower   2/6
Logic   4/6
Intuition   4/6
Charisma   3/6
Edge  2/6
Resonance 6/6

Qualities: SINner (5), Otaku to Technomancer (10), Online Fame (4), Prime Datahaven Membership (7)
Skills: English 2, Archery +2, Knowledge: History +5, Knowledge: NAN +2, Etiquette +3, Athletics +1, Computers +7, Chemistry +1, Software +7, Perception +1, Leadership +2, Cybercombat +4, Hardware +2, Hacking +4, Compiling +5, Decompiling +4, Electronic Warfare +3, Registering +2, Professional Knowledge: Business Practices +1, Academic Knowledge: Matrix Design +7, Interest Knowledge: [Trideo] +6, Interest Knowledge: [Hacker Mythology] +6, Interest Knowledge: [Secure Matrix Locations] +5, Street Knowledge: [Los Angeles] +1, Street Knowledge [Tech Corporations] +3

And now, adding Glyph's suggestion of a Community Collage (Studying Law) and taking Karma down to a nice even 210

Body   1/6
Agility   1/6
React   1/6
Strength   1/6
Willpower   3/6
Logic   5/6
Intuition   4/6
Charisma   3/6
Edge  2/6
Resonance 6/6

Qualities: SINner (5), Otaku to Technomancer (10), Online Fame (4), Prime Datahaven Membership (7)
Skills: Archery +2, Knowledge: History +5, Knowledge: NAN +2, Etiquette +4, Negotiation +2, Performance +1, Athletics +1, Computers +7, Chemistry +1, Software +7, Perception +1, Leadership +2, Cybercombat +4, Hardware +2, Hacking +4, Compiling +5, Decompiling +4, Electronic Warfare +3, Registering +2,
Knowledge Skills: Professional Knowledge: Business Practices +1, Academic Knowledge: Matrix Design +7, Academic Knowledge: Law +5, Interest Knowledge: [Trideo] +6, Interest Knowledge: [Hacker Mythology] +6, Interest Knowledge: [Secure Matrix Locations] +5, Street Knowledge: [Los Angeles] +1, Street Knowledge [Tech Corporations] +3

Languages: Zuni N, English 2,

Hrm.... It's playing with fire, but Postgraduate now might be really worth it. Keying off Law rather than Matrix Design (fluffwise, the character dual-majored, was looking to go into PuebSec's cybercrime division, so it makes sense) I'm cautious though: that would leave me with 110 Karma for everything else I needed to get. That seems.... low. Any thoughts?

[Glyph]

It's hard to find the sweet spot with life modules.  As I have said before, they become progressively more valuable, but you still want enough to bring up your Attributes,, buy resources, and possibly skills/contacts.  Post-Graduate Studies is tempting.  Logic (5 to 6), Intuition (4 to 5), and Charisma (3 to 4) is 75 Karma right there, then you can spend those 10 skill points to get all of your electronic/hacking skills up - cybercombat, electronic warfare, and hacking to 6, and hardware to 5.  Sure, it's 100 Karma, but it's stuff you would want to increase already.  This is where you really start paring things down, and figuring out what you want.  I would cost out raising a few physical Attributes to 2, raising resonance skills, picking up some complex forms, and getting some minimal resources/contacts, and see if you can squeeze it in with 110 Karma or not.

[Fisher]

Hrm... My big wonder is attributes. Let's cost them out first, see what I'm left with after going PostGrad.

Raise all four physical stats to 2 is 40 Karma.
Raising Charisma and Willpower to 5 costs 70. (25 and 45 respectively)

So, raising Attributes to max things out would hit... 110 exactly. Leaving me with no further customization room, including Contacts, Complex Forms, Resources and Skill buy ups.

Hrm.... hitting 5 with everything is expensive. But high mental stats are important to a Techno. I could in theory wring some more negative Karma out of negative qualities, I've got some OK positive ones from the Lifepaths already. But I'm capped at an additional 20.... *thinks*

[Senko]

The problem is your cracking is my conjuring there's not a lot that raises it and most of what does also raises another skill for you electronics, for me sorcery. It may be more cost effective to just buy it outright rather than via a module or to drop the further education modules in faovur of raising electronics via the ones that raise cracking instead. I'll try to play around over the next few day's and see what I can come up with.

[zarzak]

See, even thought you're trying to optimize this:

Your will needs to be higher

Most of the skills you're getting are useless

You need registering at 6 (plus ideally a specialization)

You really need Focused Concentration

I really don't think a technomancer is 'do-able' with life modules ... most normal characters are hard to do well, and technomancers are not really 'normal' in regards to char-gen.

[Senko]

A long post based on the work I just did and now off to bed.

EDIT
Might also be worth considering technomancer boarding school from data trails as your teen years module. Its got some hard to get options compiling, decompiling, registering, electronic warfare and hacking at 1, more importantly its the only module to raise a special attribute specifically resonance meaining you can buy resonance to 5 then raise it to 6 with this saving 30 odd karma.

In fact while its more aimed at decker than technomancers I'd say a lot of the data trails options are better than the ones in run faster for making a character unless your chosing to them rather than mechanics. Escaped technomancer gives a good boost to compiling, decompiling and registring. Hacker assasin gives one of the biggest skill boosts to cyber combat. Then you've got Otaku time which is just plain weird since it adds to the tasking skill group then to two of the skills in that group on top of that which would leave your technomancer skills at 4, 3 and 2 respectively just from that one module plus it boosts logic and intuition which is nice.

Combine it with escaped technomancer for 200 karma (100 since you already have Otaku time) and you get intuition +2, Willpower +1, Logic +1, Otaku to technomancer (10), Guts (10), Pain is gain (5), Vendetta (7), Compiling +6, Con +1, Decompling +5, Hacking +3, Registring +4, Sneaking +1, Software +4, survival +1,  cybercombat +1, Electronic warfare +1, Interest Knowledge (matrix related) +1, interest knowledge (matrix related) + 2, Professional Knowledge (tech corporations) +3, street knowledge (tech corporations) + 3.

Swapping out your standard high school education for hacking club or technomancer boarding skill gives us.

Hacking Club
intuition +3, Willpower +1, Logic +2, Data anomoly (3), Otaku to technomancer (10), Guts (10), Pain is gain (5), Vendetta (7), Computer 2, Hardware 1, Compiling +6, Con +1, Decompling +5, Hacking +4, Registring +4, Sneaking +1, Software +4, survival +1,  cybercombat +1, Electronic warfare +2, Interest Knowledge (matrix related) +1 times 2, interest knowledge (Technical) + 1, interest knowledge (matrix related) + 2, Professional Knowledge (tech corporations) +3, street knowledge (tech corporations) + 3.

Boarding school (my recomendation)
lintuition +2, Logic +1, Willpower +1, Charisma +1, Resonance +1, Otaku to technomancer (10), Guts (10), Pain is gain (5), Vendetta (7), Compiling +7 (max), Con +1, Decompling +6, Hacking +4, Registring +5, Sneaking +1, Software +5, survival +1,  cybercombat +1, Electronic warfare +2, Interest Knowledge (matrix related) +1 times 2, interest knowledge (technical) +1 interest knowledge (matrix related) + 2, Professional Knowledge (tech corporations) +3, street knowledge (tech corporations) + 3.

At which point you've only spent 250 of your 750 karma and your at maxium skill for complinling, near max for deompiling and decent on registring, software is also good at 5 and we have other modules to add. Lets toss in your other modules and see what we come too.

Character is a Human Technomancer, so we'll spend 15 Karma out of the starting point on that quality, and 70 Karma to raise Resonance to 5.

Nationality: Pueblo Corporate Council [15 Karma]
Primary Language: Zuni,
Secondary Language: English 1

Skills: Archery +2, Knowledge: History +1, Knowledge: NAN +1 Electronics skill group +1, Etiquette +2, Professional Knowledge: Business Practices +1,
Qualities: SINner (5)

Formative Years: Early Emergence [40 Karma]
Attributes: Intuition +1
Skills: Compiling+1, Decompiling +1, Software +1, Interest Knowledge: [Matrix- related] +4, Interest Knowledge: [Technical] +4

Teen Years: Techomancer Boarding School [50 Karma]
Attributes: Charisma +1, Resonance +1
Skills: Compiling +1, Decompiling +1, Electronic Warefare +1, Hacking +1, Registring +1, Software +1, Interest Knowledge [Matrix Related] +1, Interest Knowledge [Technical] +1


State University (Computer Sciences) [65 Karma]
Attributes: Logic +1, Willpower +1
Skills: Computer +1, Perception +1, Etiquette +1, Academic Knowledge [Any] +4, Cybercombat +1, Electronics skill group +1, Hacking +1, Academic Knowledge: Matrix Design +6

Real Life: Otaku Time [100 Karma]
Attributes: Logic +1, Intuition +1
Qualities Otaku to Technomancer (10)
Skills: Compiling +2, Decompiling +1, Cybercombat +1, Electronic Warfare +1, Software +2, Hacking +1, Tasking skill group +2, Interest Knowledge: [Matrix- related] +2, Street Knowledge [Tech Corporations] +3

Real Life: Escaped Technomancer [100 Karma]
Attributes: Intuition +1, Willpower +1
Qualities Guts (10), Pain is Gain (5), Vendetta  (7)
Skills: Compiling +2, Con +1, Decompling +2, Hacking +2, Registring +2, Sneaking +1, Software +2, Survival +1, Interest Knowledge: [Matrix- related] +2, Professional Knowledge [Tech Corporations] +3

Assuming I've added everything up correctly this would give you . . . .

Body: 3 (Paid for the extra box of damage)

Abilities
Agility: 2
Reaction: 2
Strength: 2
Willpower: 5
Logic: 3
Intuition: 4
Charisma: 5
Edge: 2
Resonance: 6

Skills
Compiling: 7 (1 wasted)
Decompiling: 7
Software: 7 (1 wasted)
Registring: 5
Hacking: 5
Ettiquette: 3
Computer: 3
Archery: 2
Hardware: 2
Electronic Warfare: 2
Cybercombat: 2
Perception: 1
Con: 1
Sneaking: 1
Survival: 1

Qualities
Sinner: National
Otaku to Technomancer
Guts
Pain is Gain
Vendetta

Languages
Zuni: Native
English: 1

Knowledges
Knowledge History: 1
Knowledge NAN: 1
Professional Knowledge (Business Practices): 1
Professoinal Knowledge (Tech Corporations): 3
Interest Knowledge (Matrix Related): 4
Interest Knowledge (Matrix Related): 1
Interest Knowledge (Tehnical): 4
Interest Knowledge (Tehnical): 1
Accademic Knowledge (Any): 4
Accademic Knowledge (Matrix Design): 6
Street Knowledge (Tech Corporations): 3

Obviously these knowledge skills can be combined.

Which puts you as having spent 630 of your 750 karma. Now here you have a couple of options to take that would modify things a bit. The options that sort of stand out are . ..

Corporate: Hacker/Decker
Abilities
Logic +1, Intuition +1
Qualties
Limited Corp SIn (15)
Skills
Ettiquette 1, Cracking Skill Group 2, Eletronic Skill Group 3, First Aid 2, Accademic Knowledge (Physics) +3, Professional Knowledge (Matrix Security Design) +6, Professional Knowledge (Corporation) +3
Changes
-100 karma putting you at 730 with 20 left to spend. Your not getting anything reduced in price as it were but you do take the cracking and electronics skill groups up by 2 and 3 respectively where you only lose out on softare but raise cracking to 4+ and electronics the same.

Regular Job
Abilities
Charisma +1, Logic +1, Willpower +1
Skills
Leadership +1, Ettiquette 1, Negotiation +1, +6 vocational points to be spent amongst any skills related to your job no more than 3 ranks per skill, Professional Knowledge (Job) +1, Professional Knowledge Job +2, Interest Knowledge (Any) +1
Changes
-65 karma putting you at 695 with 55 left to spend. Your reducing the cost to raise charisma and willpower to 5 by 15 and 20 respectively plus you also get to increase logic from 3 to 4 which is 20 points of karma by itself. Then you can add ranks to electronics skills to suit your taste e.g. 2 to hacking (7), 3 to cybercombat (5) and 1 to electronic warfare (3) if you want to shore up weaknesses or registing (6) if you want to maximize karma value it is related to your job even if you don't tell anyone. The hacking increase would cost 26 karma and the cybercombat to 5 would be 24. Between the increase to logic and these skills your already looking at 70 points worth of karma to purchase which is more than you've effectively added to your karma expenditure especially if you boost registring to 6 which is another 12 karma.

Post Graduate
Abilities
Charisma +1, Logic +1, intuition +1
Skills
Instruction +2, +10 educational points to be spent amongst any skills from your education module no more than 4 ranks per skill, Accademic Knowledge (major) +2, Accademic Knowledge (Any) +2
Changes
-85 karma putting you at 715 with 40 left to spend. Your reducing the cost to raise charisma only here though you do raise logic to 4 and intuition to 5. The problem here is while you can raise a skill 4 points compared to a regular jobs 3 it has to come from your education module which rules out electonic warfare. On the other hand you do have 4 more points and you could raise hardware and computers if you wished.

Its late and I'm off to bed but I'd recommened either post graduate or regular job as both have advantages and disadvantages but leave you with a bit of karma to customize.