[Esch]

Read SR1 and 2, but never had a group to play. Now, my hack'n'slash D&D group is rolling into SR4A. We're limited by GM to SR4A only for the first run so we all get up to speed (including the GM), but we'll be allowed to tweak, or even replace characters, and use other core books such as UW.

So, I'm biased to the TM, and after reading all this, I'm looking for a critique. This is both for the character, but also get some feedback so I can see where my understand misses and I need to review/reread. Keep in mind, SR4A only, which I know cuts out a number of options.

I'm not investing a lot in this, as I want to see how heavily Matrix/Astral play, as well as if the bias to combat overrides stealth that I saw in D&D.

Ork TM

B 4
A 2
R 1
S 3
C 4
I 6
L 5
W 5
Edge 2
Res 6
Essence 6

Skills:
Electronics Skill Group 4
Hacking 4
Electronic Warfare 1
Compiling 4
Registering 4

Gunnery 1 (planning a gun w/ pilot 1 program)

Gear: 15k, likely copying the SR4A sample TM's gear and adjusting it.


Positive Qualities: Technomancer
Negative Qualities: Sensitive System <cheeze>, Scorched (Hacker/TM), Allergy (Plastics, Mild)

Contacts: Spider 2/2, Blogger 1/1

CFs
Analyze 6
Command 6
Exploit 6
Spoof 6
Stealth 6

Thoughts? Glaring Weaknesses I failed to mention? Ways to improve without serious changes? Keep in mind I'm looking both for the character but also some thoughts on characters in general.

[Phylos Fett]

Being a Technomancer is a Positive Quality.

[Mason]

Basic non Matrix combat abilities. Seriously, every runner should have perception, Dodge, and one weapon skill.

[UmaroVI]

If you're only using core, you have to use the sucky Willpower stream that technomancers default to. That 6 Intuition is definitely not worth it, a 5 might maybe be. You also don't really need that 5 logic. 6 Willpower is probably worth it.

Since you are going short-term, I would probably:
-3 Willpower
-2 Logic
+1 Intuition
Perception 1
Hacking 6 (if you plan to be a hacker you really should have this...)
Infiltration 1
Get yourself a Steel Lynx with a rigger cocoon and a mounted Ingram White Knight, and some sort of vehicle you can hide in like a Sedan.
Put anything left over into Edge. You're probably not going to get into physical combat THAT often, so having Edge to save yourself will be a better investment than picking up something like Dodge.

[kirk]

Basic non Matrix combat abilities. Seriously, every runner should have perception, Dodge, and one weapon skill.

Not sure I agree with the "one weapon skill" argument for the TM. Instead, pay the 1000 to put a pilot on a smartgun and make it a drone. Command+Gunnery in AR may be a low initiative complex action but it's still going to be more dice than maybe 4 dice with automatics.

Oh, wait. Base book only. sigh.

[Esch]

Oh, wait. Base book only. sigh.

Aye, that's the kicker. Same issue with the Rigger cocoon, it's from Arsenal which is off limits for now,

The biggest question is I keep seeing 'spend 200 BP on attributes', and UmaroVI pulls 60 BP out for skills/gear/edge. Is that sacrifice in attributes a response to the one-shot nature of this, or a more thought out decision to get skills at creation rather than have the large attributes for later? I debated dumping attributes, but it felt like I was giving up more than I gained, especially if the character continues onwards in game(s).

Note I'm trying to avoid the obvious secondary Rigger, mostly as I expect a full rigger in the game. Let him have his limelight, I'll have mine.

[UmaroVI]

Gear is the only thing I would do differently in a longer term game. As a technomancer you have nothing BUT drones/vehicles to spend significant amounts of money on - nearly everyone else has something they want to do with their money ('ware, foci, or both). So in a longer-term game, a technomancer really wants to keep starting money to the absolute bare-bones minimum they can possibly manage with. In a shorter-term game, that's not such a great idea.

The other thing to keep in mind for longer-term is karma efficiency. But that doesn't change what you want to buy, just how much. For karma efficiency, either don't buy something at all, or buy it as high as you will ever want it - prioritizing things you will eventually want very high. So for karma efficiency, always get a skill at 6, then get skills at 4 or not at all, don't specialize anything, and either leave attributes at base/1 or buy them up to the soft cap, then finally buy things that you don't ever want to soft cap.

[Esch]

Take #2. Bold for revisions

Ork TM

B 4
A 2
R 1
S 3
C 3
I 5
L 4
W 5
Edge 5 (in lieu of maxing other stats)
Res 6
Essence 6

Skills:
Electronics Skill Group 4
Hacking 4
Electronic Warfare 1
Compiling 4
Registering 4
Gunnery 1 (planning a gun w/ pilot 1 program)
Pistols 1 (+2 specialization)
Perception 2
Dodge 2

Gear: 15k, likely copying the SR4A sample TM's gear and adjusting it.

Positive Qualities: Technomancer
Negative Qualities: Sensitive System <cheeze>, Scorched (Hacker/TM), Allergy (Plastics, Mild)

Contacts: Spider 2/2, Blogger 1/1

CFs
Analyze 6, Command 6, Exploit 6, Spoof 6, Stealth 6


Definitely 'rounder' as a character, though will still get eaten in non matrix combat, but will actually make someone realize I'm shooting. In comparison, it doesn't feel as lacking as I feared with trading out attributes though it's something I'm going to ponder. I am seeing why Umaro commented about 'why not an Ork?' though, as it seems to give a little more oomph.

Then again, Troll has some appeal, in a bizarrely twisted way where the TM can still get into a bar room brawl.

Thanks folks