[firebug]

First off, don't be that guy and try to play this guy.  It's supremely uncool to your GM.  I built this to prove a point about it being possible.  But playing this guy would make your GM pull their hair out.


== Info ==
Human                             Movement: 4/8, 2m/ hit, Swim: 2, 1m/ hit
                                  Composure: 8
Street Cred: 0                    Judge Intentions: 9
Notoriety: 0                      Lift/Carry: 3 (15 kg/10 kg)
Public Awareness: 0               Memory: 15
Karma: 0                          Nuyen: 956

== Priorities ==
Metatype: E,0
Attributes: B,3
Special: E,0
Skills: B,3
Resources: A,4

== Attributes ==
BOD: 2                            CHA: 3
AGI: 2                            INT: 5 (6)
REA: 3 (6)                        LOG: 7 (10)
STR: 1                            WIL: 5
EDG: 3                           

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 2.47                     Initiative:           8 (12) + 2d6
Physical Damage Track: 9          Rigger Init:          12 + 2d6
Stun Damage Track: 11             Astral Init:         
Physical: 4                       Matrix AR Init:       12 + 2d6
Mental: 11                        Matrix VR Cold Init:  6 + DP + 3d6
Social: 5                         Matrix VR Hot Init:   6 + DP + 4d6
Astral: 11

== Active Skills ==
Computer                          Base: 5  + Karma: 0  = 5   Pool: 15
Cybercombat (Erase Mark)          Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16 (18)
Electronic Warfare (Hide)         Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16 (18)
Gunnery (Ballistic)               Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 8 (10)
Hacking (Files)                   Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16 (18)
Hardware                          Base: 5  + Karma: 0  = 5   Pool: 15
Pilot Aircraft (Vectored Thrust) Base: 3  + Karma: 0  = 3   Pool: 9 (11)
Pilot Ground Craft (Wheeled)      Base: 3  + Karma: 0  = 3   Pool: 9 (11)
Software                          Base: 5  + Karma: 0  = 5   Pool: 15

== Knowledge Skills ==
Area Knowledge: Seattle           Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 12
Business                          Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16
Drones                            Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16
Matrix                            Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16

== Contacts ==
 (Street Doc) (CON: 4, LOY: 1)
 (Blogger) (CON: 2, LOY: 2)

== Qualities ==
Data Anomaly
Fade to Black
Overclocker
Restricted Gear
SINner (Criminal)

== Lifestyles ==
Small Apartment (Low)  1 months

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Boosted Reflexes
Cerebellum Booster Rating 1
Cerebral Booster Rating 3
Datajack
Genetic Optimization (LOG)
Reaction Enhancers Rating 3
Smartlink

== Armor ==
Armor Jacket                        12
Helmet                              2

== Weapons ==
Enfield AS-7
   +Laser Sight
   +Smart Firing Platform
   +Smartgun System, External
   Pool: 1        Accuracy: 6     DV: 13P      AP: -1    RC: 2
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 1        Accuracy: 4     DV: 1S       AP: -     RC: 2

== Commlink ==
Microtronica Azteca 300 (Array: 7531)
   +Stealth
   +Smoke and Mirrors
   +Signal Scrub
   +Vectored Signal Filter
   +Increase Sleaze Modification
Transys Avalon (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 6, FWL: 6)

== Gear ==
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Shotguns) x72
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Submachine Guns) x96
Fake SIN Rating 4
   +Fake License (Cyberdeck License) Rating 4
Micro-Transceiver
Spare Ammo Clip x2
Spare Ammo Drum x2
Tag Eraser

== Vehicles ==
GM-Nissan Doberman (Medium)
   +Weapon Mount
   +Sensor Array Rating 3
Horizon Flying Eye (Minidrone)
   +Sensor Array Rating 3


Non-hacking stuff first; the character's knowledge skills and contacts were just picked off-handedly, as they don't matter for the build and aren't important to the mechanic concept.  In a fight, this character would rely on their Doberman or a smart firing platform with a shotgun on it, fired via Gunnery.  Their physical initiative (12+2d6) isn't bad if they absolutely cannot afford to be in VR, but most of their best work will be done there.  In these situations, both the drone and the firing platform help protect them.

But the main concept of this build is their ability to break the Matrix by being untargetable.

In the matrix, in order to target someone, you must be able to see their icon (whether it's a Persona, Device, or File).  Running Silent means that they must beat your LOG + Sleaze with Computer + Intuition (or Rating x 2 for Patrol IC).  This character's dice pool for this roll is so incredibly high that they are almost impossible to spot, and thus, can do things with impunity as matrix opponents won't be able to attack them.

Logic is maxed out with Genetic Optimization (LOG) and using the Restricted Gear quality to buy a R3 Cerebral Booster.  Not only does this help this build's specific goal (be untargetable) but it just makes them great at hacking in general.  Not buying Exceptional Attribute means we have space to buy other important qualities, but I'll go into that later.

Now with Sleaze.  The deck I purchased has 7 as its highest (and 1 as its lowest, ouch!).  We use the Overclocker quality to make that 8, then Stealth to make it 9, then Smoke-and-Mirrors to make it 14.  For this build I'll go with the modification that removes two boxes from its condition monitor.  That's 15 Sleaze, which is just ballin'.  Really and truly.  The Noise caused by Smoke-and-Mirrors is countered by Signal Scrubber, your Datajack, and plugging in the Vectored Signal Filter.

Finally we have the Data Anomaly quality and Fade to Black.  Together, this means that this character has a 27 dice to resist being spotted via Matrix Perception, and may make a free Hide action whenever they remove all the marks from them with Erase Mark.

27 dice is, on average, 9 hits.  It's also significantly higher than what most NPCs would be capable of with Computer + Intuition or even Host Rating x 2.  When you factor in device limits, the chances of finding this character are lowered even more, as limits will stop NPCs from being able to even reach the same number of hits you roll on average.  You're literally so deeply hidden in the matrix, that someone with a Transys Avalon could not find you without burning Edge.  Their device is simply too basic to weak to find your icon.  You are able to use the Buying Hits rule (if your GM allows it) to buy 6 hits--  Meaning anything with a limit of 6 can never spot you (you're the defender on the roll--  Ties go to the defender.)  That security rigger with his expensive and rare Lone Star *Remote Commander* RCC?  He may as well be using scratch-built junk for all the good it will be doing him in trying to spot your icon.

With this, you're actually better off relying on Attack actions (like Brute Force) over Sleaze Actions (like Hack on the Fly).  Why?  Because you're more likely to fail a Hack on the Fly roll (16 dice) than for them to beat your Running Silent defense pool (again, 27).  If you fail a Sleaze action, your target immediately gains a mark on you, and thus gets around having to manually spot you.  A failed Attack action causes damage (usually only 1 or 2) but you can afford to fail multiple times.  "But Firebug!" you say, trying not to let it show show that you have a huge crush on me, "Attack actions alert the target if you succeed!  Aren't you trying to be stealthy?"

You're not wrong.  But Attack actions only tell them they should start rolling Matrix Perception, which we know they will probably never succeed (and if they do, you can quick make a Hide action).  It's better to always have them looking (and have basically no chance of finding you) and occasionally you take some chip damage, than to have them looking around because weird stuff is happening and occasionally they get a mark on you and try to dump your ass ASAP.

This character is an interesting experiment, but again, I don't recommend playing this guy (or someone like them).  Being untouchable just makes parts of the game boring and frustrates your GM.

[Slipperychicken]

If you're going to be using brute force anyway, you might as well use lockdown to keep the target from just shutting off his wireless (or rebooting, or jacking out) when he can't find the attacker.

[firebug]

That would be a good strategy for striking targets out on the grid.  I admit I only had hosts in mind when I designed this build.

[deathwishjoe]

If you have the ability make this a technomancer who uses the deck for hacking, even with several essence points missing he can use machine sprites to help him go to even higher dice pools including the stealth roles.  I also think you might be better off using restricted gear on neocortical nanites for a +3 to logic linked skills instead of a +1 to logic.  I've been working on a super hacker myself. 

[ZeldaBravo]

LMAO, you guys are evil. .EVIL! 
I love this forum, really.

[deathwishjoe]

LMAO, you guys are evil. .EVIL! 
I love this forum, really.

 You say that but I stopped working on my super hacker build as it just wasn't as powerful as the two other super builds I've been working on  despite the fact he hacks and neither of them do so. 

[firebug]

Trying to do this on a TM would be awful.  Your LOG would be significantly lower unless you took the hit to your RES; which you'd also need to invest into as a Priority, which would make it impossible to have the requires priorities in Attributes, Skills, and Resources.  Which means you'd likely have sub-par RES and then take Essence loss, which would result in a puny RES score, and thus your Machine Sprites would be low-level and roll only a few dice for Diagnostics.

A bonus to Logic-linked skills doesn't help the character resist Matrix Perception, which this is built around.

Seriously though, don't try to make this build playable.  I wasn't joking; don't play this character or a very similar one; that's a dick move.

[Hobbes]

As mentioned in our Rules chat, I don't see what the Brute Force angle adds that Hack on the Fly doesn't do.  It's totally hilarious and all, but your crazy high resist to Matrix Search works just as well for a Decker that primarily uses Hack on the Fly too.

Oh, and why wouldn't CyberCombat be specialized in Brute Force?

[Slipperychicken]

As mentioned in our Rules chat, I don't see what the Brute Force angle adds that Hack on the Fly doesn't do.  It's totally hilarious and all, but your crazy high resist to Matrix Search works just as well for a Decker that primarily uses Hack on the Fly too.

Oh, and why wouldn't CyberCombat be specialized in Brute Force?

Hack on the Fly lets the target automatically spot the hacker if it fails, allowing the target to do things like launch IC or counterattack. Brute Force does not, so no matter what, the target has to try matrix perception (and contend with the hacker's LOG+SLZ) before it can even try to do anything about the hacker.

[firebug]

If you want to discuss it, it's on this thread here where I mention that you can just brick any Security Spider's deck and then not have any extra problems as the IC are not capable of erasing your marks.

And yes, this awful build can also make good use of Hacking.  The Cybercombat Specialization was picked so that if things did go wrong and the build's main weakness (being marked) happened, it'd have the greatest chance of being able to remove all the marks at once and use Hide immediately (via Fade to Black).  It'd be best to not get marked in the first place, but, bad things happen.

[Dwagonzhan]

So it's basically Flexible Signature + Improved Invisibility but for the Matrix; only front-loaded enough to be immediately viable.
I use extensive House Rules for the Matrix already, precisely because of how ludicrously easy it is to penalize Matrix Perception and/or protect devices from being targeted in the first place.

[tehtrain]

You can get more Dice if you do the same build as TM(and have time to register sprites).
I didn't fully build the char, but here is the outline.

Attributes:      B
Metatype:      E
Resonanz:      C
Skills:         B
Resources:      C

Fewer skill points and no Attribute Boost through Cyber/Bio, so he'll be worse in shooting/sneaking/meatspace stuff.
All the skill points you put into Matrix stuff will get doubled because of Dignostics though.

Money goes on Genetic Optimization[Log](47k), Cerebral Booster Rating 2(63k) , Datajack(1k), Cyberears with Antennaes(4.5k)
and a Little Hornet with Programm Carrier[Smokes and Mirrors], Stealth Mod and the Stealth Programm(75k).
That leaves you with 68k for the usual runner equipment.

Same Qualities, but instead of Restricted Gear I take Exceptional Attribute[Log] because there's not enough money for Cerebral Booster lvl 3.

That gives you:
Log 10
   Base      6
   Genetic      +1
   Cerebral   +2
   Ex. Attri           +1

Sleaze 12
   Deck Base         5
   Stealth Mod         +1
   Stealth(Programm)   +1
   Smoke and Mirror   +5
   
On teamwork tests with two attributes you can get up to [Highest Attribute] dice. In this case Sleaze with 12.
To get 12 Dice from Diagnostics you need about 36 Dice on the Diagnostic teamwork test, which is 18 Lvl of Sprites(since each Sprite will throw 2*lvl dice and you can expect 1/3 of the thrown dice to be hits).
We'll take 6 Lvl 3 Sprites. Max registered Sprites = Log= 10, so we can add Sprites in case we dont reach the max.


You end up with 36(10(Log)+12(Sleaze)+12(Diagnostic)+ 2(Data Anomaly()) Dice. And that's with a bad Deck.
If you can upgrade your deck(In Debt, in game) to one with a 7/9 attribute you end up with 40/44 Dice.
If you want you can add drugs to that, that should be another +2 I think.

The pools for matrix actions will be 22 (10Log+6(Skill)+6(Diagnostic)). Since you have 6 Sprites giving your +1 to your Limit each that be high enough aswell.

[firebug]

That's not how teamwork tests work.  They don't boost attributes; likewise they don't add to defense dice because you're not making a test or taking an action when you're resisting Matrix Perception.  Then again, Diagnostics is really vague and broken, so I can't actually prove you're wrong.  Though you are successfully using the two shittiest parts of 5th edition Technomancer, which I applaud, and even stacking Diagnostics which is, wow.  Diagnostics being extremely abuseable, and the retarded band-aid echo they added to let you use a deck, which is so against the entire purpose of technomancers...  It's like if you could somehow design a fish, then realize it can't swim, and so you just give it scuba gear and call it a day.  "Now it's totally working as intended!"

Without a doubt you've made a build so much worse than mine.  Please never bring that to any gaming table.

[tehtrain]

You don't even need to get the echo, you can first do the spirte stuff with your living persona and then simply jack into the deck.

[ZeldaBravo]

Resources C give you ¥140k. That's a bit less than you have spent.