[anchoress]

Hey folks,

starting my SR5 campaign very soon. Today i recieved the character build of one of my players. Here is the build in short. I will explain afterwards what is my problem:

== Info ==
Name: Sparky
Elf                               
Movement: 10/20
Composure: 12
Judge Intentions: 12
Lift/Carry: 4 (30 kg/20 kg)
Memory: 9

== Attributes ==
BOD: 2                           
AGI: 5                           
REA: 3                           
STR: 2                           
CHA: 8
INT: 4
LOG: 5
WIL: 4
EDG: 2                           
RES: 5

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6                       
Physical Damage Track: 9         
Stun Damage Track: 10                     
Physical: 3                       
Mental: 6                         
Social: 9                         
Initiative:           7 + 1d6
Matrix VR Cold Init:  4 + DP + 3d6
Matrix VR Hot Init:   4 + DP + 4d6

== Active Skills ==
Clubs                             = 1   Pool: 6
Compiling (Fault)                  = 3   Pool: 8 (10)
Computer                           = 3   Pool: 8
Cybercombat                       = 5   Pool: 10
Electronic Warfare                 = 5   Pool: 10
Gymnastics                         = 3   Pool: 8
Hacking                            = 5   Pool: 10
Longarms                           = 4   Pool: 9
Perception                         = 2   Pool: 6
Performance                         = 3   Pool: 12
Pilot Ground Craft                  = 2   Pool: 5
Registering                       = 3   Pool: 8
Software                            = 4   Pool: 9

== Knowledge Skills ==
Area Knowledge: Seattle            = 3   Pool: 7
Bars and Clubs                      = 3   Pool: 7
English                            N
Matrix Games                        = 4   Pool: 8
Music                              = 4   Pool: 8
Sign Language                       = 4   Pool: 8
Sperethiel                          = 4   Pool: 8

== Contacts ==
Weapon Merchant (CON: 3, LOY: 1)
Smuggler (CON: 2, LOY: 2)
Technomancer (CON: 3, LOY: 3)
Street Doc (CON: 3, LOY: 2)

== Qualities ==
Codeblock (-2 DP to Hide actions)
Codeslinger (+2 DP to Data Spike)
Distinctive Style (mute)
Go big or go home
Gremlins (Rating 1)
Inspired (Performance)
Low-Light Vision
Ninja Vanish
Otaku to Technomancer
Phobia (Uncommon, Mild) (Fear of dolls)
SINner (National) (California Free State)
Technomancer

== Commlink ==
Living Persona (ATT: 8, SLZ: 4, DP: 5, FWL: 4)

Player said, that she is an orphan, recently moved to Seattle. Doesn't feel comfortable in the "normal" areas, so she hides herself and the fact that she is a TM in the shadows. Works as a DJ from time to time. But i guess with all her qualities, she is not known for silent matrix operations. And matrix operations are the only thing she can offer to a Johnson. So, why would you hire her? How would you get her involved into a run? I'm a little bit confused, to be honest. Her motivation is "living the adventure". So it looks to me like she is a matrix action jackson. But looking at the stats i'm not quite sure, what she really has to offer to a Johnson besides frying some poor decker's deck in a blink. But most of the time you only Brute Force/Data Spike your way in if things are going wrong. So what will she do until then? She can shoot a bit, but with defence 7 and BOD 2 she will get one-shot by a random ganger, she is not able to sneak... sorry, I'm just confused.

So, final question: How would you handle this situation with your player? Ask him to change some stats? To search for another motivation for his character? To make a new build? Build a story around a friend of the character getting involved in some random shit in the shadows? I'm not sure... please, if you guys can, help me!!

[Hobbes]

Ask the Player what she is signing up as?  Hacker, shooter or DJ?  Shadowrun teams don't really need a DJ....  *shrug*

[ZeldaBravo]

So, why would you hire her?

1. That character is (Sprites, hey!) good at hacking;
2. That character is good at hacking and the Fixer suspects her being a Technomancer so scumbag mr.Fixer wants to confirm it and sell her to a corp X.
3. Cha 8. She's someone's girlfriend (IC) and founds out about her friend's runner career. So they share a bounty.
4. That character was a runner back before and her rep is good.

[Marcus]

Classic example of issues with starting Technos.
I mean the character is dead man walking in any fight, has none of the basic social skills, and while she can murder almost anything with a matrix damage track like weasel at rabbit convention, she's not going to be a stunningly useful asset without some more development.
Now that said how to get her involved? Contacts! Her techno friend talk to your Johnson's friend talk who talked to the Johnson so on and so forth.

Once the player comes to understand that not having etiquette is fail, a quick character re-write and the glaring issues can be fixed.

btw does anyone else think that is very weird that Otaku to techno doesn't include a data jack? (Sorry off track)

[Reaver]

Well, the Otaku were.... how shall we say this.... the precurser to techno's. Kinda like Homo Erectus to Homo Sapien...

The Otaku still needed datajacks to connect, while techno's evolved a way to wirelessly tap into the marrix.

Of course, this MIGHT have been an Otaku ability too.... but with the old wired matrix, there was no wireless signal to pick up...

[zarzak]

I like helping players optimize to their concept.  A lot of your player's central concept can easily be RP/knowledge skills only, and you can build a competent technomancer build that still fits in with all of that.

Also ... Gremlins?  In a technomancer? :/  Depending on how you interpret rules, thats ... eh ...

[Hobbes]

I mean the character is dead man walking in any fight, has none of the basic social skills, and while she can murder almost anything with a matrix damage track like weasel at rabbit convention, she's not going to be a stunningly useful asset without some more development.

There are mechanical issues with the character.  If your player is interested in assistance feel free to direct them our way.  Or not. 

And she can't murder much with matrix damage with dice pools of 10.  But we can help if the player wants it.  Good luck mr. GM!

[fseperent]

The lack of social skills with a mute is somewhat forgivable.
Question would be how many people understand sign language, or mistake it for "evil technomancy"
Otaku to Technomancer almost would require a datajack. (maybe house rule it)
SINner: maybe have her switch it to UCAS or Seattle.
Why would a CalFree SINner know so much about Seattle?
Playstyle: she'd have to be a ninja, or she's not going to live long.
Might have her look at Sneaking or Disguise.

[Whiskeyjack]

Otaku to Technomancer almost would require a datajack. (maybe house rule it)

RAW it is not required. Therefore it is not required. All it does is fuck your Resonance a bit if you require this. Great.

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

Otaku to Technomancer almost would require a datajack. (maybe house rule it)

RAW it is not required. Therefore it is not required. All it does is fuck your Resonance a bit if you require this. Great.

Thereby removing it from the "Everybody will take this" category of broken as it currently exists in. Otaku interacted with the Wired Matrix that came before... if they really are an Otaku then they should still have the former equipment they used as Otaku before becoming a Techomancer.

[fseperent]

Otaku to Technomancer almost would require a datajack. (maybe house rule it)

RAW it is not required. Therefore it is not required. All it does is fuck your Resonance a bit if you require this. Great.

Well, the Otaku were.... how shall we say this.... the precurser to techno's. Kinda like Homo Erectus to Homo Sapien...

The Otaku still needed datajacks to connect, while techno's evolved a way to wirelessly tap into the marrix.

Of course, this MIGHT have been an Otaku ability too.... but with the old wired matrix, there was no wireless signal to pick up...

They had trodes back before crash 2.0 true enough.
Sadly, with the non-rpg books I read, there was never 100% efficiency.
Can't say one way or the other about the earlier editions.
That would of thrown off anyone, especially otaku.

[Hobbes]

Otaku to Technomancer almost would require a datajack. (maybe house rule it)

RAW it is not required. Therefore it is not required. All it does is fuck your Resonance a bit if you require this. Great.

Thereby removing it from the "Everybody will take this" category of broken as it currently exists in. Otaku interacted with the Wired Matrix that came before... if they really are an Otaku then they should still have the former equipment they used as Otaku before becoming a Techomancer.

Focused Concentration is still more important.  Honestly, how much Fade is a Technomancer taking?  You're rarely compiling large sprites on the fly and CFs tend to be "I Win" buttons of one sort or another.  It's certainly the next best quality for a Technomancer to grab, but honestly that is saying very little since it was competing for second place with the likes of Hawk eye and Quick Healer. 

Otaku to Technomancer isn't as automatic as Overclocker or Perfect timing is for Deckers.  Any Technomancer would take an equivilant to Overclocker over O2T in a heartbeat.     

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

You could be right... I don't play techno cause they seem like one trick ponies who are to MAD to be useful in a lot of situations that a Decker can do with a Gunarm. But every single Techno build on the forums since Data Trails came out has it, which could be a case of Newness. But still has to be something to it when all the builds people have been putting together the past couple weeks has it imo.

[Marcus]

I apologize for bring this up otaku thing I did not intend to derail this thread. Start a new thread on it if you want to discuss it.

[fseperent]

Actually, Marcus, it fits within the theme of the thread.
Being an Otaku was possibly a core facet of the character in question.
If anything I should be the one to apologize about bringing it up.
But, fact of the matter is, the debate on Otaku to Technomancer requiring a datajack or not should of been in data trails.
Or has that been eratta'd by now?