[Wenlocke]

So, this is an attempt to build a concept I built around hostage rescue. Enough Social stuff to get close to them, get them talking, not much obvious cyber, then enough gun stuff and speed  to be able to drop a three round burst (lethal or otherwise) onto them with little to no warning, but can also go in with the strike team when the situation is "assault."

Elf

== Priorities ==
Metatype: D,1
Attributes: C,2
Special: E,0
Skills: B,3
Resources: A,4

== Attributes ==
BOD: 3
AGI: 5(7)
REA: 3(5)
STR: 3(4)
CHA: 5
INT: 3(4)
LOG: 3
WIL: 3
EDG: 2

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence:                                3.25
Initiative:                             9 +3d6
Rigger Initiative:                      9 +3d6
Astral Initiative:                     
Matrix AR:                              9 +3d6
Matrix Cold:                            10 +3d6
Matrix Hot:                             10 +4d6
Physical Damage Track:                  10
Stun Damage Track:                      10

== Limits ==
Physical:                               6
Mental:                                 5
   Attention Coprocessor [+1] (Only for Perception)
   Medkit [+4] (Only for First Aid and Medicine)
   Medkit [+6] (Only for First Aid and Medicine)
Social:                                 6
   Vashon Island: Synergist Business Line [+1] (Must be visible)
   Vashon Island: Synergist Business Line Longcoat [+1] (Must be visible)
Astral:                                 6

== Active Skills ==
Automatics                              Base:6          Pool:13
Con                                     Base:5          Pool:10
Etiquette                               Base:5          Pool:10
Gymnastics                              Base:3          Pool:10
Leadership                              Base:5          Pool:10
Medicine                                Base:2          Pool:5
Negotiation                             Base:5          Pool:10
Palming                                 Base:4          Pool:11
Perception                              Base:6          Pool:10
Performance                             Base:1          Pool:6
Pilot Ground Craft                      Base:0          Pool:6
Pistols (Semi-Automatics)               Base:6          Pool:13(15)
Sneaking                                Base:3          Pool:10

== Knowledge Skills ==
English                                 Native
Japanese                                Base:3          Pool:7
Corporation: Knight Errant              Base:2          Pool:6
Law Enforcement Procedures (Professional)Base:2          Pool:5
Psychology                              Base:5          Pool:8

== Qualities ==
Biocompatability (Bioware)
Creature of Comfort (Middle)
Low-Light Vision (moot due to cybereyes)

== Lifestyle ==
Home(Medium)2 Months
   + Grid Subscription (Local Grid)
   + Grid Subscription (Public Grid)

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Attention Coprocessor
Bilateral Coordination Co-processor
Cerebellum Booster Rating 1
Commlink
Cybereyes Basic System Rating 2
   + Image Link
   + Low-Light Vision
   + Smartlink
   + Flare Compensation
   + Thermographic Vision
Datajack Plus Rating 3
Muscle Augmentation Rating 1
Muscle Toner Rating 2
Synaptic Booster Rating 2

== Armor ==
Form-Fitting Body Armor                  8
   + Concealability
   + Custom Fit
Lined Coat                               9
Vashon Island: Synergist Business Line   9
   + Custom Fit
   + Holster
Vashon Island: Synergist Business Line Longcoat10/+3
   + Custom Fit (Stack)
   + Holster

== Weapons ==
Ares Alpha
   + Personalized Grip
   + Shock Pad
   + Smartgun System, Internal
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   Pool: 13   Accuracy: 5 (   DV: 11P   AP: -2   RC: 5 (6)
Fichetti Executive Action - Left Arm
   + Hidden Gun Arm Slide
   + Personalized Grip
   + Smartgun System, Internal
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   Pool: 13 (15)   Accuracy: 6 (9)   DV: 7P   AP: -   RC: 3
Fichetti Executive Action - Right Arm
   + Hidden Gun Arm Slide
   + Personalized Grip
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   Pool: 13 (15)   Accuracy: 6 (7)   DV: 7P   AP: -   RC: 3
Ingram Smartgun X
   + Gas-Vent 2 System
   + Personalized Grip
   + Smartgun System, Internal
   + Sound Suppressor
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   + Spare Clip
   Pool: 13   Accuracy: 4 (7)   DV: 8P   AP: -   RC: 5
Minigrenade: Fragmentation
   Pool: 6   Accuracy: 0   DV: 18P(f) (-1/m)   AP: +5   RC: 3
Minigrenade: High Explosive
   Pool: 6   Accuracy: 0   DV: 16P (-2/m)   AP: -2   RC: 3
Streetline Special
   + Concealable Holster
   + Smartgun System, Internal
   Pool: 13   Accuracy: 4 (6)   DV: 6P   AP: -   RC: 3
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 6   Accuracy: 6   DV: 4S   AP: -   RC: 3

== Commlink ==
(Implanted)
Transys Avalon(ATT: 0,SLZ: 0,DP: 6,FWL: 6)
   + Commlink Functionality[Camera, Micro, Chip Player, Credstick Reader, Earbuds 1, GPS Guidance System, Micro Trid-Projector, Music Player, RFID Tag Scanner, Shock- and Water-Resistant Case, Touchscreen Display]

== Gear: Equipped ==
Bug Scanner Rating 6
Medkit Rating 6
Slap Patch, Antidote Patch Rating 6 ×2
Slap Patch, Trauma Patch ×2
Tag Eraser

== Alpha Ammo ==
Ammo: APDS (Assault Rifles) ×100
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Assault Rifles) ×150
Minigrenade: Fragmentation ×10
Minigrenade: High Explosive ×10

== Executive Action Ammo ==
Ammo: APDS (Light Pistols) ×100
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Light Pistols) ×150
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Light Pistols) ×100

==  Ingram Ammo ==
Ammo: APDS (Submachine Guns) ×100
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Submachine Guns) ×100

== Streetline Ammo ==
Ammo: Capsule Rounds (Holdouts) ×30
   + Narcojet
   + DMSO



Fake SIN (Thomas Rotherham) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Firearms License) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Concealed Carry Permit) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Restricted Bioware License) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Pistol License) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Restricted Cyberware License) Rating 4


== Vehicles ==
Mercury Comet                     
   + Morphing License Plate
   + Spoof Chips
   + Sensor Array Rating 2


So, some thoughts  from my side:

• Obviously the skills are very much a work in balancing the two sides of the role, these could be tweaked. More stats less skills?
• Guns. Do I really need the Alpha? I suppose if I didn't need the grenade launcher (which I don't think he'd get much of a dice pool with) there are other options for longer ranged stuff that are cheaper. even without changing that, maybe worth adding some less lethal grenades. Also, Is it worth grabbing a heavy pistol as an "I'll hand over my obvious gun?" type of thing.
• Negatives. Creature of comfort works for someone who has had a corp lifestyle at some point and has given it up, but can;t just feel comfortable without some of the things they had. I suspect if I wanted to, this kind of concept would be a shoe in for swapping that to a combo of Corp Limited SIN and Corp Pariah at some level (especially depending on the reasons and incident behind leaving, hostage rescue is fraught emotionally as well as in terms of safety.
• The car. A non-descript car designed not to be noticed, one amongst all the other identical-looking cars out there. Maybe overkill.

[Hobbes]

Stats, Max out Agility.  And its strongly recommended to get Reaction and Intuition to 5 each, before Augmentations.  How you get there is up to you.

Qualities, general rule of thumb only take Biocompatability if you have hit 0 Essence and want more stuffs.  For a wannabe face Alibi is very nice.  Jack of All Trades is phenomenal on Mundanes.  Special Modifications if your table allows it. 

Skills Automatics or Pistols, never both.  Starting skill points are simply too precious.

Augmentations, Tailored Pheromones seems like an obvious choice for someone wanting to be a face.  Cybereyes, generally only taken for character reasons, mechanically you're better off with glasses or whatever.  Take them for funsies.  The Muscle Augmentation isn't doing you any good, I'd drop that.

Gear, Mortimer's of London armor, more Social skill dice.

[Wenlocke]

The extra strength I put in because I may not have 100% grasped the way the new recoil rules actually function. I get the cumulative stuff, and the reset, but it's the initial thresholds that I get confused on. At the top of the combat, I have 1 base RC, +1 RC from strength, for a total of 2RC. I fire a 3-round burst. Is my recoil on that shot 2, for the two extra bullets beyond the first, or 3, because I fired 3 bullets? the extra strength was based on dealing with the second scenario on weapons that can't handle extra RC

[Ixal]

I never tried that combination.
How viable is a shooter face considering that essence loss reduces the social limit?

As for the recoil, the recoil of a 3 round burst is 3. 1 bullet, 1 recoil.

[Marcus]

I never tried that combination.
How viable is a shooter face considering that essence loss reduces the social limit?

Very doable, so long as the character packs a high Charisma as well as agility and the skills for both. Social limit is by far the easiest limit to effect, and lots of options to raise it.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Some limit must be the least important limit from a mechanical sense, and I'd submit that it's Social.  It's the most easily modified or flat out over-ridden limit of the three base limits.

The language being used in the social encounter flat out overrides the Social Limit (the NPC speaks Japanese, and your skill is 3? guess what... your limit is 3)

All sorts of clothing gives Social Limit boosts.

Most everyone is going to assist on Negotiating with Mr. Johnson, and you get +1 limit per assist.

Street Cred gives a ridiculous bonus to Social Limit.

[Wenlocke]

Ah yes, languages, the bane of the face, it appears. From what I've seen, you really can't win (absent linguasofts, nobody really has the skill points to throw enough into languages to be great socially in much more than one tongue, and you're certainly only at the top of your game in one language (two if you have bilingual.) So i assume that is "pick your poison."

[Hobbes]

On the bright side, it works both ways!

[FST_Gemstar]

Lots of different ways to make a shooty-face!

[drakir]

Language is a problem but not as much as you'd think. Ranks does not equal limit. Just how many ranks in the social skill you can use. Take a character with negotiation of 5, charisma 7 and "First Impression". 14 dice (+ other bonuses) in most situations. A language rating 3 would not be that big of a problem. Just losing 2 dice. Limit unaffected. (And social limit is laughably easy to raise.)

Suggestion for character above. Use the fact that you're an elf. get Charisma up to 7 or 8. One way is to move 2 points from Strength to Charisma and then reraise Strength to 2(3) with 10 karma.  Intuition should also be at 5. Lower Rea and/or Logic.

Why the datajack plus? I don't see any reason not going for an ordinary datajack. The eyes are also very expensive when you can put the same stuff in contacts/glasses but at least there's an argument for cybereyes. (cool looking, camera built in and stuff).

You should also choose either pistols or automatics. Not both. Max out Con and Sneaking and get some Disguise/Impersonation with the points left over. (I would also skip Medicine (maybe take that as a knowledge skill). 5 dice will help noone.