[Dinendae]

Back in August of last year, I made up a SR5M character (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=15932.0), and tried something new. Prism was a Troll Adept Decker, which (the troll part) was about the only decent way I could make an adept decker work the way I wanted. I decided to try and recreate her using the Life Module system. While not an exact match, I did manage to get her fairly close. For the modules, I chose UCAS General for Nationality (again to represent Chicago), and being a child of the CZ (this time from within it), I stuck with the Part of the Machine and Hacker Club life modules. I bypassed higher education, and picked up two modules in Real Life, Hacker Assassin (it fits her character) and Shadow Work: Decker (to reflect the starter runs she would have done). As usual, any comments and suggestions encouraged! I've been toying with the idea of making her another race, to get more karma to play with (and thus a better deck).

== Info ==
Street Name:
Name: Unnamed Character
Movement: 4/8
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0
Troll
Composure: 4
Judge Intentions: 4
Lift/Carry: 11 (75 kg/50 kg)
Memory: 8
Nuyen: 1715

== Attributes ==
BOD: 6
AGI: 2
REA: 1 (4)
STR: 5
CHA: 1
INT: 3
LOG: 5
WIL: 3
EDG: 4
MAG: 6

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence:                   6
Initiative:                4 (7) + 4d6
Rigger Initiative:         7 + 4d6
Astral Initiative:         6 + 2d6
Matrix AR Initiative:      7 + 4d6
Matrix Cold Initiative:    3 + DP + 3d6
Matrix Hot Initiative:     3 + DP + 4d6
Physical Damage Track:     11
Stun Damage Track:         10

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

== Active Skills ==
Archery                    : 0                      Pool: 1
Armorer                    : 0                      Pool: 4
Automatics                 : 0                      Pool: 1
Blades                     : 0                      Pool: 1
Clubs                      : 0                      Pool: 1
Computer                   : 4                      Pool: 9
Cybercombat                : 4                      Pool: 9
Demolitions                : 0                      Pool: 4
Disguise                   : 0                      Pool: 2
Diving                     : 0                      Pool: 5
Electronic Warfare         : 4                      Pool: 9
Escape Artist              : 0                      Pool: 1
Etiquette                  : 1                      Pool: 2
First Aid                  : 0                      Pool: 4
Forgery                    : 1                      Pool: 6
Free-Fall                  : 0                      Pool: 5
Gunnery                    : 0                      Pool: 1
Gymnastics                 : 0                      Pool: 1
Hacking                    : 4                      Pool: 10
Hardware                   : 4                      Pool: 9
Heavy Weapons              : 0                      Pool: 1
Longarms                   : 5                      Pool: 7
Navigation                 : 0                      Pool: 2
Perception                 : 1                      Pool: 4
Pilot Ground Craft         : 0                      Pool: 3
Pilot Watercraft           : 0                      Pool: 3
Pistols                    : 1                      Pool: 3
Running                    : 0                      Pool: 4
Sneaking                   : 0                      Pool: 1
Software                   : 4                      Pool: 9
Survival                   : 0                      Pool: 2
Swimming                   : 0                      Pool: 4
Throwing Weapons           : 0                      Pool: 1
Tracking                   : 0                      Pool: 2
Unarmed Combat             : 0                      Pool: 1

== Knowledge Skills ==
Area Knowledge: Chicago    : 2                      Pool: 5
Data Havens                : 1                      Pool: 4
English                    : N                      Pool: 0
Gangs                      : 4                      Pool: 7
German                     : 3                      Pool: 6
History                    : 1                      Pool: 6
Matrix Security Procedures : 4                      Pool: 7
Security Design            : 3                      Pool: 6
Small Unit Tactics         : 4                      Pool: 7
UCAS                       : 1                      Pool: 6

== Qualities ==
Adept
Allergy (Common, Mild) (Air Pollution)
Codeslinger (Hack on the Fly)
Decker
Distinctive Style
General UCAS
Hacker Assassin
Hacker Club
Part of the Machine
Prejudiced (Common, Radical) (Elves)
Thermographic Vision

== Powers ==
Attribute Boost (AGI) Rating: 1
Enhanced Accuracy (skill) (Longarms)
Improved Ability (skill) (Hacking) Rating: 1
Improved Potential (limit) (Mental) Rating: 1
Improved Reflexes 3

== Lifestyles ==
Home  1 months

== Armor ==
Armor Jacket                        12

== Weapons ==
Combat Axe
   Pool: 1   Accuracy: 4   DV: 10P   AP: -4   RC: 3
Enfield AS-7
   +Laser Sight
   +Shock Pad
   +Spare Clip
   +Spare Clip
   Pool: 7   Accuracy: 6   DV: 13P   AP: -1   RC: 4
SVD
   +Bipod
   +Imaging Scope
   +Shock Pad
   +Silencer
   +Silencer
   +Spare Clip
   Pool: 7   Accuracy: 7   DV: 10P   AP: -2   RC: 6
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 1   Accuracy: 7   DV: 5S   AP: -   RC: 3

== Commlink ==
Hermes Chariot (ATT: 5, SLZ: 4, DP: 4, FWL: 2)
   +Program Carrier [Encryption]
   +Program Carrier [Stealth]
   +Bootstrap
   +Browse
   +Configurator
   +Edit
   +Search
   +Shredder
   +Signal Scrub
   +Toolbox
   +Virtual Machine
   +Armor
   +Baby Monitor
   +Biofeedback
   +Biofeedback Filter
   +Blackout
   +Cat's Paw
   +Cloudless
   +Crash'
   +Decrypt
   +Defuse
   +Demolition
   +Detonator
   +Evaluate
   +Exploit
   +Fly on a Wall
   +Fork
   +Guard
   +Hammer
   +Hitchhiker
   +Lockdown
   +Mugger
   +Nuke-from-Orbit
   +Paintjob
   +Shell
   +Smoke and Mirrors
   +Sneak
   +Swerve
   +Tantrum
   +Tarball
   +Track
   +Wrapper
Renraku Sensei (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 3, FWL: 3)

== Gear ==
Ammo: APDS (Shotguns) x100
Ammo: APDS (Sniper Rifles) x100
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Shotguns) x100
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Sniper Rifles) x100
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Shotguns) x100
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Sniper Rifles) x100
AR Gloves
Autopicker Rating 6
Contacts Rating 3
   +Flare Compensation
   +Image Link
   +Vision Magnification
Fake License (Adept License) Rating 4
Fake License (Concealed Carry Permit) Rating 4
Fake License (Cyberdeck License) Rating 4
Fake License (Weapon License) Rating 4
Fake SIN (Ashley Bowen) Rating 4
Gecko Tape Gloves
Glasses Rating 3
   +Vision Enhancement Rating 3
Headphones Rating 6
   +Select Sound Filter Rating 1
   +Audio Enhancement Rating 3
Medkit Rating 6
Miniwelder
Respirator Rating 6
Satellite Link
Subvocal Mic
Tool Kit (Electronics)
Trodes

== Vehicles ==
Yamaha Growler (Off-Road Bike)
   +Morphing License Plate
   +Spoof Chips
   +Sensor Array Rating 2

[ZeldaBravo]

I should start using Life Modules, the result looks very good.

[Dinendae]

I should start using Life Modules, the result looks very good.

They are interesting to play with, especially if you have a background story already in your head and can find the modules to go along with it. A couple things to keep in mind:

1. Much like karma generation, you are losing out on 70k nuyen. You are only allowed to spend 200 karma to convert to nuyen, for 400k nuyen, where in either standard priority or sum to ten you can get 450k nuyen from priority A resources and another 20k nuyen from cashing in 10 karma. This hurts if you need a lot of expensive items for your build (cyberdecks, RCC and drones, lots of bioware, etc).

2.If you play Missions games, you need to get approval from your GM for the character.




Other than that, the only warning I have is to pay attention to the modules you are buying; specifically what they are giving you. It is very easy to lose points because you took too many modules that pumped up the same stat or skill.[/list][/list]

[Dinendae]

Hmm, after playing around with this, trying various races including human, I can't really make her much better. The best attempt I had was human, which would have given a bit more nuyen to spend, but not enough to make a significant deck upgrade (and at the cost of much lower lower physical attributes). I'll go ahead and call this one done, unless anyone sees some errors?

[ZeldaBravo]

Have you seen a Cantor-Kurosawa Analyst deck from Data Trails? It is a Device Rating 2 speciality deck that costs 83,800¥. The stat array is fixed but it's good as it is (att1 sl5 dp4 fw3). It has a built-it Edit program and can only run 1 another program at a time though. It's worth considering if you want more money or karma.

[Dinendae]

Have you seen a Cantor-Kurosawa Analyst deck from Data Trails? It is a Device Rating 2 speciality deck that costs 83,800¥. The stat array is fixed but it's good as it is (att1 sl5 dp4 fw3). It has a built-it Edit program and can only run 1 another program at a time though. It's worth considering if you want more money or karma.

Yeah, I looked at those specialty decks, but I like being able to swap the attributes around to help with what I need to do at that particular time. Out of the specialty decks in there, I was looking at the Ring of Fire; originally I was thinking of a brute force approach to decking. I ended up discarding thatin favor ofversatility; the only thing Prism can't do is a deep run, since you need a datajack just to get to that level.

[DigitalZombie]

Nice, how much cash did you end up spending? around 400k?
Im asking because it seems like you are very close to the 800 karma mark (I dont know all the qualities nor their costs/bonusses though) wouldnt it be possible to create Prism 2.0 almost identical with normal karma point buy instead of the life modules then?

I see you dont have any contacts listed, is that an oversight or doesnt she know anyone? (I was under the impression that CHA*3 =contact points was a feature of the charisma stat and not a feature of the standard priority character generation system, thus also elegible in point buy/life modules).

[falar]

(I was under the impression that CHA*3 =contact points was a feature of the charisma stat and not a feature of the standard priority character generation system, thus also elegible in point buy/life modules).

Last I checked, this was true. I had the other impression, checked it and got told that this was the way to go. I believe I asked on /r/Shadowrun at some point.

[Dinendae]

Nice, how much cash did you end up spending? around 400k?
Im asking because it seems like you are very close to the 800 karma mark (I dont know all the qualities nor their costs/bonusses though) wouldnt it be possible to create Prism 2.0 almost identical with normal karma point buy instead of the life modules then?

I see you dont have any contacts listed, is that an oversight or doesnt she know anyone? (I was under the impression that CHA*3 =contact points was a feature of the charisma stat and not a feature of the standard priority character generation system, thus also elegible in point buy/life modules).

Life Module character generation only allows 750 karma to build with. The build spent 92 karma to convert to 184,000¥, with 1,715¥ left over after purchases. I guess I should have re-posted the first part of my first life module character: My GM had asked me to try something different, as my characters are usually stronger than the others (I tend to focus on 2-3 things that the character is supposed to be doing, others I've played with try to take a little bit of everything starting out and thus dilute their potential). I suggested life module character creation to him, and so we're giving it a try; it should allow me to remain good at my primary job, while diversifying my skills a bit more. Additionally I imposed another criteria on myself: I'm try to build each one so that they each cover two archetypes reasonably well (Adept/Decker in this case). As for contacts, I have 3 karma left over for a basic 2/1 contact. I'm still fairly new to using Chummer, and I didn't see where you bought them originally; now I know where they are.

[Dinendae]

(I was under the impression that CHA*3 =contact points was a feature of the charisma stat and not a feature of the standard priority character generation system, thus also elegible in point buy/life modules).

Last I checked, this was true. I had the other impression, checked it and got told that this was the way to go. I believe I asked on /r/Shadowrun at some point.

According to Run Faster (Page 86), you purchase it:

"We use 105 points for starting resources giving Trainwreck 210,000¥ to buy vehicles, weapons, and augmentations. This now leaves us with 37 points. Contacts for Trainwreck are a Street Bum (Connection 2/Loyalty 5) named Old Charlie, from his years as a Street Kid, who helped him find shelter and food in the early days and who he kept in contact with. Johnny Razor from his Ganger days (Connection 3/Loyalty 3); Diamond, a Fixer (Connection 4/Loyalty 2); and Gunsmoke, his favorite Armorer (Connection 3/Loyalty 3). These cost 25 points and leave us with 12."

Point Buy (i.e. Karma gen) works the same way; you have to purchase contacts (Run Faster, Page 64):

"The player uses Karma to buy attributes, skills, qualities, contacts (per the rules on p. 98, SR5)," (emphasis mine)

I think the misunderstanding might come from the contact section of normal priority generation also being on that page (p. 98, SR5), but that's only talking about priority generation, since that was all that existed when that was written. With the newer methods, you have to use what's in the new rules, and that purchasing with karma. It's much like magic: You have to purchase a 'quality' for the type of magic you want (aspected, magician, adept, or mystic adept), which only starts you at a Magic rating of 1. You have to purchase the remaining ranks of your Magic attribute with karma (no life module increases that from what I've seen so far), and if you are a Mystic Adept, you also have to purchase power points (making Mystic Adepts very difficult to pull off with life modules without a very narrow focus).

[DigitalZombie]

Alright, I just heard a rumour that in the german version, characters still got CHA*3 contacts and (INT+LOG)*2 knowledge points in point buy.  (but even if thats true, that doesnt neccessarily mean that it has to be that way in the original version)
Personally I would prefer it that way though. I think point buy/life modules are lacking a bit in the power/value curve compared to priority/sum2ten and getting contacts and knowledge for free wouldnt overpower them.

Ok, naturally if you are too effective compared to your team-mates/opposition then lifemodules is a great way to spread the love a bit more.
I havent fiddled a lot with life modules yet, but I was under the impression that the total karma value would have been higher than regular point buy. But I guess in your case, that isnt true because you went with different roles.
cheers

[Dinendae]

Alright, I just heard a rumour that in the german version, characters still got CHA*3 contacts and (INT+LOG)*2 knowledge points in point buy.  (but even if thats true, that doesnt neccessarily mean that it has to be that way in the original version)
Personally I would prefer it that way though. I think point buy/life modules are lacking a bit in the power/value curve compared to priority/sum2ten and getting contacts and knowledge for free wouldnt overpower them.

Ok, naturally if you are too effective compared to your team-mates/opposition then lifemodules is a great way to spread the love a bit more.
I havent fiddled a lot with life modules yet, but I was under the impression that the total karma value would have been higher than regular point buy. But I guess in your case, that isnt true because you went with different roles.
cheers

Yeah, I would love to get some free contacts, but since you pay karma for everything else, I can see why they make you pay for contacts. It might be changed in the German version; from what I understand they see a bit more for their version. Since the games I play are Missions games, I have to stick with the US version only. Point Buy starts with 800 karma, versus Life Modules 750, but I could see where Life Modules could surpass that if you really synergize the modules you take.