[maquise]

I'm a fairly inexperienced player, and looking to build a character using the Life Module system. So far, my idea is that she's a Japanese-American, possibly the daughter of a Renraku wage-slave who married a local guy. I'd like to figure out how to make her both an effective razorgirl, as well as having an interesting background that makes sense for a street sammie. Looking for suggestions both on writing a backstory that makes sense for such a character, as well as how to build her into someone that works; So far my biggest difficulty seems to be in getting enough nuyen to chrome her up properly.

[Thanael]

Get chummer 5. Even though it's useless(buggy) for life modules.

As for modules:

15k UCAS (SINless)
40k Arcology Living
50k Corporate Education
100k Real Life: Corporate (Security Guard)
100k Real Life: Shadow Work (Street Samurai)

40k elf

15k to Buy off the corp sin (was deleted during arcology shutdown aftermath or matrix crash)

360 karma spent


Make her an elf, originally aspiring to be with the Red Samurai (the only branch to accept metas, and then only elves).

Some fallout/revelation made her leave. (Renraku Arcology Shutdown maybe?)

Disillusionment with japanese warrior ethos and treatment of metas could also figure in.


130 karma to raise attributes

S 1     3
A 5     6
B 2     3
R 2     4
I 2      3
L 4
W 1   2
C 5
Code of honor(15)

200karma for  400.000 nuyen to buy ware, gear, lifestyle.

60 karma left  to raise skills, buy contacts.

Get another negative quality for 10 and positive qualities for 10. Bilingual (Japanese) fits, balance it with some prejudice vs ... orcs? gangers?

Other qualities to look at:
PQ: Agile Defender, Sensei, maybe hawkeye?
NQ: ...?

You could also change to human netting you 20 karma +1 edge but no lowlight vision with the same attributes. You could lower charisma to 3 then and increase intuition to 5.


Don't let the Red Samurai get you!

[Thanael]

The above looks more like a bodyguard than a traditional Sammie. Needs some more work. Could dabble in a face role, or maybe infiltration.

See this thread for advice on an elf Sammie dabbling in face skills.

[Thanael]

Are you dead set on life modules? Try to build the same char with priorities or Karma methods in chummer. Check if it's better...

[Tym Jalynsfein]

Are you dead set on life modules? Try to build the same char with priorities or Karma methods in chummer. Check if it's better...

Better is relative...
I tend to prefer Life Modules over Priority, personally, as I think the results tend to be better. Even if Priority/Sum-to-10 gives more powerfully optimized characters.

[Thanael]

Sure, I like  them too.

For slightly different result switch security guard with company man. Though I like the former better.

[Thanael]

Another idea where she did not live on corp premises but in the streets, falling in with a gang early.

Alternative
15k UCAS (Seattle)
40k Corp Drone
50k Gang Warfare
100k Real Life: Ganger
100k Real Life: Shadow Work (Street Samurai)

This nets a respectable blades 7, firearms group 5 and lots of other skills.

Strength +1
Agility +1
Body +3
Reaction +3

Logic +1
Charisma +1
Willpower +1

You'll have to buy off negative qualities for 25 though. Keep Code of honor, black market pipeline.

Make her an orc.

[Thanael]

The big background question is what ware did she get and how?

The first option would have been groomed by the corp for elite security maybe with reflex enhancements,  muscle toner , muscle augmentation, eyewear maybe, and possibly more. This one coulld be focused on speed, perception and firearms probably. She can blend in better in a corp environment.

The second would probably have less ware overall but higher attributes. Used ware and a cyberdoc contact would make sense here. Maybe muscle replacements or a used cyberlimb. This one can do blades, you need a high strength there. Firearms skill is quite high too. This is more of a brute with high physical stats overall.

[Glyph]

Life Modules is fun to play around with, but it is very quirky, and it definitely favors some types of builds over others.  If you can use one of the other character creation methods, I would recommend doing so - not so much to "optimize", but to have a character that is a closer fit to what you envision.  Life Modules is something I would recommend for more experienced players.