[Jack_Spade]

We seem like a cool team. Anything I should know about that my character is a native German in the Shadowrun universe?

Well, Kynos is a native German as well. So just remember your stereotypes: We are direct/cruel, efficient and have no sense of humor. 

So, I have not seen to many comments on my proposed build.  Is that a good thing?  And I am not sure that a group like this can have too much medical talent.  At least my van has a seat configured for a troll, which should be a good selling point, right?

You having a van is probably the strongest selling point   
I'll have another look at it, but from a first glance it seems to be quite alright.
The only thing I find a bit... curious is the combat axe. Your strength isn't that high and it's hardly a concealed weapon. A shock glove/fur combo and unarmed skill would give you the same damage and be much more unobtrusive.
But if your concept is a Human Medic with a Battleaxe, who am I to tell you otherwise 

[Mercy Merchant]

Yeah, I have heard that a girl who owns a van can make up for some charisma deficiencies.  Oh, and she speaks German, too.  Not a native speaker, but she should be able to understand what is being said and toss in some swear words here and there.

I went for the axe for a couple of reasons.  It has some reach, and can make a really neat cut into some ghouls.  Really no real reason, though.  But it looks good to be standing on top of a mound of ghoul corpses and leaning on a large battleaxe.

[Kuirem]

@Mercy Merchant

The big problem of Medic in Shadowrun is that it is really a secondary role. That's something you do for maybe 1/10 of a run. Even worst is that a Medkit or Autodoc can do it pretty well and serve as a secondary medic if the main is down so having two medics is really overkill imo. But worry not, I don't mind switching around and as I said before I'm working on an other interesting concept (at least for me ).

Now for your build as I said medic is secondary so what's your main role? Obviously Combat! And the first problem is your initiative. 10 + 1d6 is low for a main fighter, even if you add drugs on top of that. Consider some ware to increase initiative a bit, maybe Boosted Reflexes since you are a bit low on Nuyen.

Attribute could be switched around a bit. LOG 6 is overkill if you only use it for Medic (don't forget that a Medkit Rating 6 is cheap and provide +6 dice so Medicine are really not hard roll), you could go for 5 or even 4 and raise AGI to 6. WIL 5 is also a bit much considering you don't seems heavily based on drugs and don't have Drain, Biofeedback to resist. I think you've spend too much Karma into Attributes considering you have Attributes A. For example BOD 3 AGI 6 REA 5 STR 3 CHA 3 INT 5 LOG 4 WIL 3 should do the job nicely without spending karma. Buying CHA or BOD with Karma could allow you to keep your WIL 5 or raise LOG to 5 and STR to 4. STR 4 will give you 1 extra point of recoil compensation so it's not a bad idea.

Your character lack a Sneaking skill, it's risky for a Shadowrunner.

Try to get a better Commlink than the Meta Link, these things are easily bricked/hacked. Renraku Sensei is a good deal in term of Rating/Price. Transys Avalon will seriously slow down Hackers.

Don't forget that a Medkit Rating 4+ need to be carried around (hanheld case size) while a Rating 3 fits in a pocket. Since you have high Medic skills and you already got a Rating 6 in the van it might be better to switch for a Rating 3.

When I can afford it I like to add Contacts with Image Link, Low Light Vision or Image Magnification, and Flare Compensation. Then putting a Thermographic Vision + Vision Enhancement 2/3 on Glasses/Helmet. That way I'm ready for whatever light the GM throw at me. Earbuds with Select Sound Filter 1 + Audio Enhancement 2 is also nice.

Love your Van with the Rigger interface!

[Imladir]

don't forget that a Medkit Rating 6 is cheap and provide +6 dice so Medicine are really not hard roll

Until you take the penalties (such as conditions where you're often looking at a -2, again -2 if the patient is emerged or awakened, and -1 per 2 full points of essence lost) into account at least... Not that they necessarily make the rolls hard, but it's not that easy to heal enough to be really effective (even if 1P healed is better than nothing).

Try to get a better Commlink than the Meta Link, these things are easily bricked/hacked.

The main problem is that with the noise in the barrens, it would always be disconnected.

Don't forget that a Medkit Rating 4+ need to be carried around (hanheld case size) while a Rating 3 fits in a pocket.

Only if you use the optional rules of Bandage & Bullets.

[Jack_Spade]

With that medic, I'd expect Kamikaze to be a given (+2 STR is great for an axe swinger), especially since you can heal up that drug damage yourself.

By the way: If you have problems to pay for a good commlink a bit of hardware skill and some electronics packs can turn any device into a commlink - an R6 medkit for example...

[Kuirem]

Until you take the penalties (such as conditions where you're often looking at a -2, again -2 if the patient is emerged or awakened, and -1 per 2 full points of essence lost) into account at least... Not that they necessarily make the rolls hard, but it's not that easy to heal enough to be really effective (even if 1P healed is better than nothing).

It's still much easier roll than Combat/Sneaking/Hacking because it's unopposed. I really don't think someone who use LOG only for Medical need 6, losing a couple of dice isn't too bad on this skill.

Only if you use the optional rules of Bandage & Bullets.

Pretty sure the core also have those rule on Medkit size :

A medkit of Rating 3 or lower fits in a pocket; at Rating 4+ it’s a handheld case.

[Mercy Merchant]

Some good comments.  Thanks for looking it over.  I guess I still have some choices to make on this. 

[Ennui]

Any suggestions on mine or Stuttr's?  I think he's pretty happy with his I've definately got some tweaking to do I think.

[Mulcarn]

Sample Human Lone Star Grunt

Attributes

Body: 3
Agility: 3
Reaction: 3
Strength: 3
Charisma: 3
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 3

Derived Attributes

Physical Condition Track: 10
Stun Condition Track: 10
Initative: 6 + 1d6

Skills

Automatics: 3 + 2 Spec
Blades: 3 + 2 Spec
Clubs: 3 + 2 Spec
Con: 3 + 2 Spec
Intimidate: 3 + 2 Spec
Longarms: 3 + 2 Spec
Unarmed: 3 + 2 Spec
Perception: 3 + 2 Spec
Pistols: 3 + 2 Spec

Gear
Cavalier Deputy: Acc 6, DV 7, AP -1, Mode SA, Ammo 7(cy)
Internal Smartgun System
Stun Baton: Acc 4, Reach 1, DV 9S(e), AP -5
Armor Jacket: 12 Armor
Sunglasses - Smartlink
Sony Emperor
35 Normal Heavy Pistol Rounds
1 dose of Jazz


I'm posting this here to give you an idea of what to expect from the opposition, both statwise and gearwise.  What Gilga uses is entirely up to him.  This is merely an example to show what your characters might face.

[Kuirem]

Well for Stuttr I already mentioned using Prototype to get back to 6 Magic. The character is alright, not the strongest katana adept on the street but for that he would need to go Dwarf, Ork or Troll for more STR(it's not too hard to do btw, just switch Magic and Metatype and use all your Special Attribute to get 6 Magic, you lose some skills though).

@Ennui

For your character similar problem to Mercy, not a lot of initiative, even if you plan to run on Jazz.

Biocompatibility doesn't save you lot of Essence and that's not like that's an attribute you need a lot. It might be worth to switch for a Codeslinger (Data Spike) or an other quality.

Get some points into Hardware! Even if it is just 1 point with Karma that's a skill you can't default. Without it if you get Link-Locked you are dead meat.

Antennae is limited to x3 but given the essence cost that might be what you have.

Get a Module on your deck. Program Carrier for example is fairly cheap and incredibly useful. An Electronic Modification might also be a good idea, you could add an other module or modify a Matrix attribute (like going 5 3 2 0 since you don't use Sleaze much anyway). Instead of a Deck you can also pick an Attack Dongle on a Commlink, this is not necessarly much cheaper and you can't run program (except if you add a Program Carrier on it) but it allows you to always run at 6 Data Proc/6 Firewall.

It might be worth to mention that instead of going for a big expensive van like the GMC bulldog (especially on a character with no vehicle skill, you should get 1 point with karma there) you can pick something like a Ford Americar and put an Increased Seating body modification (from Rigger 5) to get 6 Seats on a more inconspicious vehicle. You lose some body and amor but you save some Nuyen.

I recently made a Half gunner half hacker Ork (easily switched for an Elf) a bit similar to yours as a hybrid combat/hacker maybe it can help, I will put the Character Sheet in attachment. He is build with Priority so there is definitely way to max him even more by using Sum to Ten. He is specialized in Data Spike on Persona and lot of Biofeedback damage, yeah he is not a good guy and he hates Technomancers!

@Mulcarn

That's a lot of 3! He looks pretty close to the Professional Rating 2: Corporate Security from the CRB.

[gilga]

I think that first aid is kind of an all or nothing skill.
First the first 3 hits are ignored, so you need to actually get 4+ hits to heal. That also means that small change in dicepool is a large change in healing power.  To make it more specialized, automatic procedures are relatively good so, well you need to be considerably better than them to justify being a medic (as opposed to... I drive the van with the medic kit.).
But I do agree that healing is not that common and that for most injuries heal spell can do the same. As long as you are okay with it, I am cool.

Mechanically if you desperately need healing: Your best bet of healing is probably a team effort, Max with improve logic a medic and some leader to help with leadership.

As much as debit goes: Take into account that one of the things that can get in the way of paying your debits is a physical injury that makes you lose an opportunity to run, or a day job that limits your chances to run in order to pay your debit.

To all you 'Day Jobbers': Day job gives money, but in the big picture it means your potential income from Shadowrunning is diminished. Overall, it is a negative quality and one of the negatives is that you'll make less money as you sometimes miss out on a job due to being unavailable.  In normal circumstances it means you make less money.  It also limits the kind of works you can take, as you cannot hide - if the Yak boss is angry about you the rest can spend a while cooling down - but the day jobber goes to work.

So work on day job if you like the concept and am open OOC to missing out on some of the runs. Do not select that negative quality as a means to earn some extra cash - the best money is picking up the phone when the fixer calls. Rewards may not be much, but still you make 5-10k within few hours of adrenaline.

[gilga]

A regular syndicate henchman should have like 8 of dice to shoot a gun or strike you.
(3 agility, 3 skill and smartlink)
He'll have 6 dice for most social skills - but there are modifiers like if you meat a group of them it is harder to intimidate than if you see just a lone henchman with the rest of his buddies already dead so forth.

Cooperate security should have a bit more dice to harm you, (~10?) (4 ability, 4 skill and smartlink)

Professional soldiers would have around 12.  + some augmentations.  (5 agility, 5 skill and smartlink)

So it help you to position you compared to generic opposition. If you roll 15+ dice you should feel at the level of elite forces.  Syndicates, cooperates (and the army(?!)) all have access to significantly more capable henchman. They are not the kind you just randomly encounter though.

As much as I understand the mechanics, I try to play the NPC's to their strengths for example, if the Yaks figure out that they cannot handle Kynos with their goons - they would not just send waves after waves of them. Their leader understands the limitations of his men and would hire somebody more skilled for the job...

This is by the way why you have job as Shadowrunners - usually when regular henchman cannot do something, you can. So all sort of organizations are willing to offer you what is in SR world a lucrative salary to handle business. I did send an assassin to surprise Maxwell in the middle of the night. If I remember correctly for killing 6-8 Yak henchman with his super fire spirit.  That behavior had also negative economic results with Max needing to change apartments and so forth.

For all of you in debit - a negative economic result like that complicates things even more. I attempt to make you feel that when things go badly, your characters become uncomfortable.

[Kuirem]

Gilga while you are around I have some questionq. I am building a Rigger because I would like to expand the option of the team and I thought of using a Renraku Jardinero as a 'spy' drone. The idea is that most corp probably use some of them as cleaner so I paint mine the right color (or use Chameleon Coating for that) and infiltrate it into the building to spy around. My questions are :

• Would it be usable? If in your scenario no or few buildings use cleaning drones it's a bit pointless
• What skill + attribute would I use to not be spotted? A simple disguise? I also thought of Logic + Etiquette since the drone might look a bit out of place.
• Would it be possible to have a hidden Drone Arm? Even a weak one. Weapon Mount have a Pop-out option that add 1 MP and cost 100xMP could I use that on an Arm?

[Raiderjoseph]

I have about 14 dice for my unarmed and hit for 18dv. Bring it on zombies! I can literally punch their heads off!... Not saying im gonna go out of my way to do so anyway.

[Mulcarn]

Corporate Security are just minimum wage rent-a-cops and mercenaries.  The guards are usually given lesser armaments on purpose because it'd be bad PR otherwise.  Good equipment or high dices wouldnt make sense because they are just your regular average joes making a living as corporate security goon.

Statwise a syndicate soldier isnt much better and is only slightly more skilled.  The big difference is that an organized crime gang has access to deadlier weapons and plain better gear overall than a big joke security guard.  Even more of a joke are street gangers who a literally limited to what they can find readily accessable on the streets. 

The sample professional ratings in the CRB are okay to get a rough idea but personally I wouldn't use it and instead create my own mooks and thugs based on my interpretations.