[Blue Rose]

I'm looking at making a social chameleon type character.  Nonmagical human.  A character who can quickly swap disguises to either pass for someone specific, or at least pass for someone who isn't her.  I'm looking through equipment and upgrades and trying to figure out what my limitations would be.

Looking at cyberware...

Fiber-optic hair.  Changing hair color quickly and easily is a plus.  Questions, though.  The upgrade goes on at length about the weird, unnatural stuff you can do with it, but I'm more interested in passing as natural.  Is there anything anywhere that says how the look of fiber hair compares to real hair?  Is there anything in the older editions that talks about the texture of fiber-optic hair, or if there's any way to change the texture of fiber-optic hair on the fly?  Being able to go from flat to wavy hair would be a plus.  If fiber-optic hair is easily and obviously not real hair, it becomes much less useful, worse even than wigs.  Limitations are that length is fixed.  Braids and buns could futz apparent length a little bit, but again, point for wigs.  Though I don't think there're rules for wigs anywhere.  If fiber hair can pass for real hair, it does have the added benefit of taking care of the eyebrows, too.  It would help if there were some sort of modular or retractable fiber hair option, to change length.

Build and size seem like a significant issue.  All I can really find to help with changing that are breast implants 2.0.  Not much I can think of besides heels to futz with height.  Pneumatic heels that wirelessly change height?  Electrochromic shoes?  Are either of those a thing?  And is there anything that can be used to change and redistribute bulk on the fly besides the breast implants?

For the voice, the best I can get of voice mask, voice modulator, or voice mimic seems the way to go, starting with the voice mask at character creation and upgrading when able.  Can nanohives and nanotech that has a built in nanohive, like voice mask, be alpha/beta/deltaware?

Eyes seem like a problem.  I can't seem to find electrochromic contacts, which would presumably exist as a fashion accessory.  Only things I can find even for changing eye color on the fly is retinal duplication/retinal adjusters, which are super expensive and not easy to get.  I want those eventually to beat bioscanners, but in the rather significant interim, are there rules for fancy color contacts anywhere?  Not that they're something I wouldn't be able to work out with any reasonable GM.

Data skilljack for linguisofts.

Dynamic handprints eventually, for beating bioscanners.

Nanohive 2 or 3 (to better hide from deckers) is necessary to maintain nanotattoo 3, letting me replicate/produce whatever tattoos or scars I want, and change/remove them on the fly.

Skin toner for the obvious, false face for the obvious.  Together, those and the fiber hair can let me change apparent ethnicity on the fly, with the possible limitation of fiber hair texturing.


It seems the biggest remaining part of disguises is the outfit, which has some issues, too.  If I have an electrochromic dress, sure, I can change the color, but it's still the same cut of dress.  I can slip something skimpier in a purse, ditching electrochromic dress and purse for electrochromic skimpy dress and handbag, shuffling some accessories around in between, but is there anything that can actually change the cut of an outfit on the fly?


I think I have a good suite of options to do what I want to do with this character.  Main limitations I'm seeing are no real option to mimic metatypes except maybe elves if I grab some fake ears.  No ability to manipulate height outside of my choice of shoes.  No ability to adjust build except for bust size.  No means of changing hair length/texture, and I'm not even sure if fiber-optic hair can pass for real hair.  And unfortunately, that seems like a solid list of consistent themes an experienced and highly trained security guard can look out for.  Any ideas for getting around some of these, and anything to add on the ideas I already have?

[Tai-Pan]

How about as an Adept?

http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=18155.0

[Beta]

Telescoping cyber legs?  Lot of Chrome just for that, but would let you play with bright -- although large stretches would look weird.

Also, all the toys don't substitute for a high disguise skill, of course, and a good disguise and social skills can partially overcome those other limitations, because you just seem so credible.

But good luck, and I look forward to seeing all you come up with as I'm looking at a somewhat similar build for a character.

One last thought, if you are not wedded to human, be an elf or orc with the human looking quality lets you more easily deal with an additional metatype.

[CitizenJoe]

I couldn't convert it to 5th edition, but I had a 4th edition social chameleon with a modified bus with a robotic cosmetic surgeon.  Combined with personafix BTLs  and ome pretty good fake IDs, she could vanish quite convincingly. 

[Whiskeyjack]

I don't think fiberoptic hair can pass as natural. Because it's always going to be somewhat glowing. I had a similar thought for a super-disguise Sam and came to this conclusion :\

[Beta]

Might have to settle for a couple of smart wigs?

If you did use the legs, smuggling compartments could let you invisibly carry wigs, some clothes, etc.  I think you can even get installed (disvuise) kits, although off the top of my head I'm not sure of the capacity those need.

[adzling]

Your best bet for this is a Physical Adept with Facial Sculpt, Body Sculpt, Keratin Control & Melanin Control.
Toss in Mimic for icing on the cake.

With these powers the adept can become anyone of similar size, regardless of meta-type, skin color, age or sex.

Well, a human still can't turn into a Dwarf or Troll...

Add in Commanding Voice for the ultimate face adept chameleon,

[adzling]

Here's a build for you.
Priorities:
A Attributes
B Resources
C Metatype
D Magic
E Skills

He's pretty good with his social skills (16 dice Con & Leadership, 14 dice for most of the rest).

He can shoot straight (15 dice with a smartlinked semi-auto pistol) and is ok with his whip (12 dice).

With his Disguise Kit he can get up 28 dice to roll for his Disguise, average net hits will be 28/3 = 9.
That's a massive threshold for anyone to get through with their Perception Test.
So most often this guy will get away with impersonating anyone close to his size and weight very easily (regardless of sex, metatype, race etc).

He's also got a Mono-whip weapon focus in his thumb, good for geeking things like spirits (or people).
He's not bad with a pistol or sneaking either.
An with JoAT he can burnish these skills quite quickly postchargen and pick up new ones very cheaply.

With Commanding Voice pool of 13 dice he can pull the Jedi mind-trick "these are not the droids your looking for" on most people short of prime runners quite easily.

Going somewhere?
He can plop down in front of the Trideo and watch a few hours or Russian soaps and come up with Russian language 1.
With his intuition of 5 this means he can probably get by in a simple conversation quite happily.

Elf Doppleganger
METATYPE: ELF
B 2, A 6/8, R 5/6, S 3, W 3, L 3, I 5, C 8, ESS 5.1, EDG 1, M 4
Condition Monitor (P/S): 9 / 10
Armor: 14
Limits: Physical 5, Mental 5, Social 13
Physical Initiative: 10/11+2D6
Active Skills: Con (Fast Talking +2) 2, Disguise 1, Etiquette 1, Exotic Melee Weapon: Monofilament Whip 2 (3), Gymnastics 1, Impersonation 2, Leadership 4, Negotiation (Bargaining +2) 2, Perception 1, Pistols (Semi-Automatics +2) 3, Sneaking (Urban +2) 3
Knowledge Skills: small unit tactics (Urban +2) 6, Street knowledge: Seattle 1
Languages: English N, Japanese 4, Sperethiel 4
Metatype Abilities: Enhanced Senses: Low-Light Vision
Qualities: Adept, Agile Defender, Biocompatibility (Bioware), Jack of All Trades, Master of None, Mentor Spirit: Raven, Prototype Transhuman: Wanted, SINner (Corporate SIN): Renraku, Wanted
Adept Powers: Authoritative Tone (1), Body Sculpt (4 hours) (10dicepool), Commanding Voice (12dicepool vs.  Willpower + Intuition), Facial Sculpt (4 hours) (1) (6dicepool), Keratin Control, Linguistics (8dicepool (Varies)), Melanin Control (5h), Traceless Walk, Voice Control (1) (14dicepool[5] vs. Voice rec. x 2 or PER + INT)
Augmentations:
   Fingertip Compartment
   Muscle Toner (Used) (2)
   Reflex Recorder (Used): Exotic Melee Weapon
   Smartlink (Used)
   Synaptic Booster (Prototype) (1) w/ Prototype Transhuman
   Tailored Pheromones (Prototype) (3) w/ Prototype Transhuman
Gear:
   Armor Jacket
   Ballistic Mask (Customized)
   Concealable Holster
   Contacts (3) w/ Flare Compensation, Image Link, Vision Enhancement (1)
   Cram
   Ear buds (3) w/ Audio Enhancement (2), Select Sound Filter (1)
   Matrix Systems GridGopher
   Micro-Tranceiver
   Novacoke
   Plastic Restraints x10
   Tool Kit, Disguise
Weapons:
   Savalette Guardian [Heavy Pistol, Acc 8, DV 8P, AP -5, SA/BF, RC 4, 12 (c)] w/ (50x) APDS, Flashlight, Low-Light, Gas-Vent System (3), Personalized Grip, Smartgun System, Internal
   Monofilament Whip Weapon Focus (1) [Exotic Melee Weapon, Reach 2, Acc 7, DV 12P, AP -8] w/ Weapon Focus (1)
Starting ¥: 955 + (1D6 × 20)¥

Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at http://www.wolflair.com
Shadowrun © 2005-2015 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Shadowrun is a registered trademark of The Topps Company, Inc.

[Blue Rose]

How about as an Adept?

http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=18155.0

I am aware of the adept option, thank you.  I am not interested in making an adept.

Telescoping cyber legs?  Lot of Chrome just for that, but would let you play with bright -- although large stretches would look weird.

...

One last thought, if you are not wedded to human, be an elf or orc with the human looking quality lets you more easily deal with an additional metatype.

I'd considered the telescoping legs, but I came to a similar conclusion.  Also, even the human-looking cyberlimbs aren't hard to identify as chrome.  I want to keep the option of showing a little (or more than a little) leg.

Elf would probably be the superior choice, for more charisma and therefore more disguise.  Orc, though, makes for a very interesting character option.

Might have to settle for a couple of smart wigs?

If you did use the legs, smuggling compartments could let you invisibly carry wigs, some clothes, etc.  I think you can even get installed (disvuise) kits, although off the top of my head I'm not sure of the capacity those need.

Are smart wigs actually listed anywhere, or would that just be some form of electrochromic clothing that logically exists, like the adjusting heels and the bra 2.0?

The smuggling compartments are still an option without cyberlegs, though.  Just install them in meat.  One between the shoulder blades for a gun, one under the rib cage for the wigs.  I suppose I could apply the electrochromic clothing option to contacts for adaptable color contacts.  Finger compartment for a monofilament whip might make it in there for another good weapon option.

[Beta]

Smart wigs are in Hard Targets .... as are the contact lenses you want   (I'd forgotten they were there, I noticed them when double checking on smart wigs).

Naturally assassins are interested in good disguise tech!

[Blue Rose]

*Looks 'em up.*

Oh~  The Smart Wig is exactly what I was hoping for from the fiber-optic hair.  Very nice, very nice.  And far less costly.

[Blue Rose]

Sorry to any interested in what I came up with.  The notion got put on hold due to a combination of it not fitting with the party and my not being able to come up with a backstory for the character I found interesting.

My problem was finding an interesting reason for something like this to exist.  For what reason is someone investing this much money and illegal tech?  I came up with the idea of a high-end liberated bunraku.  Not simple makeup to look kind of like the person the customer wants; cyber enough to be perfect.  At a massive premium.  Eventually liberated by shadowrunners, and began running the shadows.

Since I'm going whole hog on dark and horrible, to the point where no GM I know would likely approve the concept and I wouldn't be comfortable running it, let's make it worse!  So, a mafioso type pissed off the wrong rivals big time, and as revenge, they kidnapped his up-and-coming prettyboy son, cybered him up to high heavens, and shilled him out as the number one girl at a bunraku parlor.  Almost all the augmentations fall under that justification.  Dynamic handprints  and the finger compartment would have been added post-liberation, but the rest was by [insert enemy and subject of vendetta here].

This is what popped out:

Pandora
METATYPE: HUMAN
B 3, A 5, R 3, S 1, W 3, L 2, I 3, C 8, ESS 2.05, EDG 5
Condition Monitor (P/S): 10 / 10
Armor: 12
Limits: Physical 3, Mental 4, Social 8
Physical Initiative: 6+1D6
Active Skills: Con 6, Disguise 6, Escape Artist 1, Exotic Melee Weapon: Monofilament Whip 6, Gymnastics 1, Impersonation 6, Influence Group 3, Intimidation 1, Palming 1, Perception 4, Sneaking 1
Languages: English N
Qualities: Exceptional Attribute: Charisma, Faceless, First Impression, Flashbacks (every other shadowrun): Former Bunraku, Poor Self Control - Vindictive, Vendetta
Augmentations:
. . Breast Implant 2.0
. . Chipjack (6)
. . Cyber Genitalia
. . Datajack
. . Dynamic Handprints (6)
. . False Face
. . Fingertip Compartment
. . Genetic Optimization: Charisma
. . Internal Router
. . Nanohive (Hard) (2)
. . . . Nanotattoos (Hard) (3)
. . Simrig
. . Skilljack (2)
. . Skillwires (2)
. . Tactile Sensitivity
. . Voice Modulator (4)
Gear:
. . Activesoft: Performance (2)
. . Armor Clothing w/ Electrochromic Modification
. . Armor Clothing w/ Electrochromic Modification
. . Armor Jacket w/ Electrochromic Modification
. . Backup SIN w/ Fake SIN (2)
. . Burner SIN w/ Fake SIN (1)
. . Clothing
. . Contacts (3) w/ Flare Compensation, Image Link, Polychromic Lens
. . Erika Elite
. . Improved Synthskin 3 for cyber genitalia
. . Linguasoft: Arabic (2)
. . Linguasoft: Aztlaner Spanish (2)
. . Linguasoft: Chinese (2)
. . Linguasoft: French (2)
. . Linguasoft: German (2)
. . Linguasoft: Hindi (2)
. . Linguasoft: Italian (2)
. . Linguasoft: Japanese (2)
. . Linguasoft: Russian (2)
. . Linguasoft: Salish (2)
. . Main SIN w/ Fake SIN (4), (1 month) Low Lifestyle
. . Second Burner SIN w/ Fake SIN (1)
. . Smart Wig (w/ Trode Net) w/ Trodes
. . Tool Kit, Disguise
Weapons:
. . Monofilament Whip [Exotic Melee Weapon, Reach 2, Acc 8, DV 12P, AP -8] w/ Personalized Grip
Starting ¥: 1,225 + (3D6 × 60)¥

Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at http://www.wolflair.com
Shadowrun © 2005-2016 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Shadowrun is a registered trademark of The Topps Company, Inc.

[Novocrane]

Without being awakened, you're missing out on altering your aura - one of the most secure methods of assuring someone your awakened security has seen before is who they appear to be.

Porting over 4e's False Front would be a better option than 5e's False Face (fewer issues with cyberware scanners, and your GM may rule MAD scanners are also a problem, even with ceramic cyberware), but the drug synthesizing requirements are costly and time limited.

If you're truly set on passing biometrics with gadgets and nanocybernetics, I'd suggest juryrigging for the +1 device rating, but even with the bonus it's less reliable than locksmith.