[Aria]

Ok, I know some people don’t like pixies, and I’m not fond of them myself when they seem to become comic relief…but I had a pixie rigger in SR4 so I thought I’d have a go at a pixie hacker now that I’m beginning to wrap my head around the SR5 matrix…throw in a dash of pathos and she might be interesting to play.
 
So, concept aside, is she likely to be able to hold her own in the matrix?  I was thinking that she would spend 90% of her time in VR, probably inside the cocoon in the I-Doll (who needs a gun and targeting autosoft so that she has some secondary offensive capabilities in the meat!  Oh, and some armour).  I think she can use control device from the matrix to give the drone orders (right) but it will need to act on its own as I don’t have the spare skills to pilot it herself…
 
Does a hacker need Resources A to shine?  That would mean losing the adept powers and as I don’t want any cyber that seems an obvious way to get bonus D that would otherwise come from PuSHed etc…?!?
 
Skills: is cybercombat a red herring?  She will be a VR hacker so can’t avoid IC like an AR hacker can…?  EW skill could be handled by an autosoft on the drone?  Any other savings I could make or ‘must have’ skills I’ve missed?
 
I’ve still got some cash to play with for boosting electronics etc… I should probably read some of the other hacker advice threads too
 
Thanks very much!
 

Poppy d'Eyn "Jackdaw"                  
                  
European Pixie                  
                  
*Age* 26   *Sex*  F   *Height*   Tiny     *Build*  Tiny                  
*Nationality*  Breton                  
*Sketch*        <<Jackdaw>>   
                                 
Race C Attributes C Magic D Skills C Resources B                  
                  
*Attributes*                  
                  
Body:   1   (   1   )      
Agility:   4   (   4   )      
Reaction:   4   (   4   )      
Strength:   1   (   1   )      
Willpower:   6   (   6   )      
Logic:   7   (   7   )      
Intuition:   6   (   6   )      
Charisma:   5   (   5   )      
Edge:   2               
Magic/Resonance:   2   (   2   )      
Essence:   6   (   6   )      
Initiative:   10   (   10   )      
Initiative D:   1D6   (   1D6   )      
                  
Physical Limit:   3               
Mental Limit:   9               
Social Limit:   8               
                  
Phys CM:   9               
Stun CM:   11               
                  
Composure:   11               
Judge Intentions:   11               
Memory:   13               
Lift/Carry:   10kgs               
Movement:   8               
                  
*Positive Qualities / Racial Bonuses*                  
                  
Astral Perception, Concealment (Self Only), Vanishing, Movement (x1/x2/+1; x2/x6/+2m flight)                  
Codeslinger [HotF]                  
Prime Datahaven Membership [Jackpoint]                  
Jack of all Trades                  
                  
*Negative Qualities / Racial Penalties*                  
                  
Uneducated - bought off                  
Moderate VR addiction                  
Latest & Greatest                  
Infirm [2]                  
                  
*Skill Groups*                  
                  
Influence   1               
                  
*Skills*                  
                  
Pilot Ground Craft   1   (   5   )   
Pilot Walker   1   (   /   )      
Etiquette   1   (   6   )   
Leadership   1   (   6   )      
Negotiation   1   (   6   )      
Perception   2   (   8   )   
Automotive Mechanic   1   (   8   )      
Computer   6   (   13   )   
Cybercombat   4   (   11   )      
Electronic Warfare   4   (   11   )   
Hacking   6   (   13   )   +3D adept   
Hardware   4   (   11   )      
Software   2   (   9   )   
                  
*Knowledge / Language Skills*  Not yet sorted
                  
*Adept Powers*                  
                  
Improved Ability, Hacking [3]                  
Sustenance                  
Linguistics                  
                  
*Gear*                  
                  
Shiawase-i-Doll [H 3 SP 3G Ac 1 B 3 A 0 Pi 3 Sn 3 ] w. Micro Rigger Cocoon                  
                  
Transys Avalon [DR6] w. Hot SIM module, Trodes, Fake SIN [4], 2x Fake Licence [4]                  
Novatech Navigator [DR3, A 6 5 4 3, P3] w. Hardwired Multidimensional Coprocessor, All Common & Hacking Programs                  
                     
                  
Micro Transceiver & Subvocal Mic, Respirator [4], Lowlight Flashlight, Metalink Disposable Commlink, w. Fake SIN [1] , Fake Licence [1], Local Area Mapsoft, AR Gloves, Bug Scanner [6], Tag Eraser, 10x Plastic Restraints, Medkit [3], 2x Stim Patch [4], Trauma Patch, 2x Tranq Patch [6]                  
                  
                  
13K nuyen left                  
                  
                                 
*Lifestyle* Will need one!                  
                  
                                    
*Contacts*  16 points to spend                  

[Hobbes]

Pixie with Infirm 2, doesn't that put your Max Body or Str at 0?  Or does Infirm have some verbage for lowering your own stats to 0?

In any case, VR/AR hackers have the same IC to deal with and avoid them the exact same way, lots of Sleaze and running silent.  And yes Cybercombat is an optional skill for Deckers.  Until you have to do something about a Sprite or Technomancer.     : )   But that really isn't a major concern.

If you're not picking up 'ware Resources C is doable with a small Deck.  B if you want to throw a big pile of moneys at a deck.   Your call.

IMO a decker can get by with a low end deck if you don't mind micromanaging.  Little Hornet from Data Trails, Program Carriers, Overclocker, Perfect time, all the stat boosting programs.  Works just fine if you don't mind the juggling.  If you're not keen on shuffling stats around every time you do a Matrix Perception or Edit File action then you'll likely want to throw a bigger pile of Monies at a Deck.  The Nova is a solid choice.

And my personal very not nice opinion on Pixie PCs, not directed at you personally, you seem like a decent sort that just happens to like the idea:


FWIW Pixie Adepts are about the most mechanically abusive things in 5th edition Shadowrun.  Buying off Uneducated and stuffing one in an armored chassis and interacting in VR is Cheese covered Cheese with a Cheesey filling.  Just play a gnome. 

[Aria]

Lol...ok, I understand the sentiment, but I don't normally try for fondue character concepts, I just like the image of a broken pixie inside a robot...I've done an AI version similarly but those rules seem even more arcane...gnomes, perhaps, would need to be a bigger robot, and human looking to avoid the 'big nose' thing (unless that's a misremembered D&D hang up from many many moons ago - might need to check the description in RF again)

Infirm goes to min of 1 I believe, but it now occurs to me that that gives her 3 stats at max which isn't allowed... I really wanted a 'paraplegic' quality to reflect the loss of her wings at the hands of her tribe but one doesn't seem to have made it through from SR4?!

If she ever got played in ernest then I probably couldn't be bothered with micromanagement so the Navigator can stay . ...in all likelihood she will get added to an NPC list as a hacker option for groups that can't be doing with the hacking rules...

Thanks for the advice, I might even add the cheese warning when I post the semi finished version on my archive

[Dinendae]

... I really wanted a 'paraplegic' quality to reflect the loss of her wings at the hands of her tribe but one doesn't seem to have made it through from SR4?!

I really lament that fact. I had a rigger with that negative quality that used one of the drone wheelchairs adapted with walker legs (the fold-out spider-like ones). Unfortunately the lack of that negative quality, combined with the sorry state TMs have been in since the launch of 5th edition, makes the concept unusable now. 

[Glyph]

Run Faster does have a Paraplegic quality.  The entire build, though, hinges on a GM who house rules that you can buy off a pixie's Uneducated quality with starting Karma (you could do that in SR4, but there is nothing indicating that you can do it in SR5).

[Dinendae]

Run Faster does have a Paraplegic quality.  The entire build, though, hinges on a GM who house rules that you can buy off a pixie's Uneducated quality with starting Karma (you could do that in SR4, but there is nothing indicating that you can do it in SR5).

Huh, somehow I missed that in Run Faster.     As for buying them off, I don't see why not; Life Module creation allows you to buy off negative qualities during character creation. It's not like that particular part is unbalancing, as they are paying with their limited karma to remove it.