[rungok]

So I have the opportunity to try a new character, and I've been entertaining the idea of making a Jensen/Denton-esque character. And by that I mean completely modded out.

But I have very little experience with builds, and am trying to get a good grasp of what's really available and what I should be concerned about.

I know most augs have an essence loss, but how low can you go safely? How much safety room should I leave?

[rungok]

For that matter, is Cybernetics a good choice, or should I try to get genetherapy/Bioware? Both? Neither? All of the above?

[JustADude]

First off, remember to use the handy "Edit" button up at the top of your post, rather than double-posting. It's just good manners.

Secondly, as long as you have a positive number for your Essence, even if it's 0.000001, you're fine. The story-fluff says you're supposed to get colder, more detached, and less "human" as you start getting down around and below the 1.00 mark. However, I don't imagine that you'd want to play a character styled after the Deus Ex protagonists as lovey-dovey, sensitive, or emotional so playing the character as intended would do just fine for the "altered personality" bit.

As for Bioware and Genetherapy... both are better, but prohibitively expensive. Generally people go for a mix of all three.

The big ticket item is Wired Reflexes; it'll eat up a big chunk of essence, but Synaptic Booster is too expensive to be worth it with a standard 400BP build. Combine that with Muscle Toner and Muscle Enhancement and Dermal Plating, and you've got the basics of a decent Street Samurai (the "official" name for the "Augmented Combat Badass" archetype).

Cybereyes are generally avoided in favor of cybernetic Contact Lenses + Glasses or Goggles EXCEPT if you take maximum-level Cybereyes and throw in all the goodies... which would make perfect sense for your character concept.

Also, if you want to really take a soak in the awesome-sauce, go with the Changeling (Class III SURGE) Quality for 15 BP. It gets you 30 points of Positive Metagenetic Quality and 15 points of Negative Metagenetic Qualities, while only taking up 15 BP off your 35 total BP for Positive Qualities.

Take Metagenetic Improvement (Agility) (+1 to Minimum and Natural Maximum on your Agility!) for 20BP, then take 10 other BP of Positive Metagenetic qualities and whatever Negative Metagenetic Qualities that fit your flavor.

Then, for 5 more BP, take Genetic Heritage so you get Genetic Optimization (Agility), which is +1 to Natural Maximum, at no cost in Essence or Nuyen, since you inherited it naturally from one of your parents.

[rungok]

Oh. Sorry 'bout that.

I think I saw somewhere that if you mix n' match bioware and cyberware up one of them only takes up half the essence loss. Is that right?

[JustADude]

I think I saw somewhere that if you mix n' match bioware and cyberware up one of them only takes up half the essence loss. Is that right?

Right. Whichever one you have less of (by total Essence Cost) gets a 50% reduction in that Essence Cost.

[rungok]

So if I have the money to mix and match the two, I can cram that much more into my character. Interesting.

I have heard theres a difference between the different 'ware' types of augs. Like alpha, beta, and deltaware. What's the advantages and disadvantages of deltaware as opposed to alpha?

[JustADude]

So if I have the money to mix and match the two, I can cram that much more into my character. Interesting.

I have heard theres a difference between the different 'ware' types of augs. Like alpha, beta, and deltaware. What's the advantages and disadvantages of deltaware as opposed to alpha?

Might want to sit down and re-read the book. A lot of this stuff is right in the writeup on Cyberware and Bioware.

But, that said, the higher the grade the lower the Essence cost and the higher the Nuyen cost.

EDIT: Also, go check out this thread by UmaroVI. It has some great write-ups of character archetypes and advice on how to play them. Good for learning what works and why.

[rungok]

Thanks.

Like I said. I was entertaining the idea of the character, but I am not sitting in front of the book yet.
I know more about mages and adepts than I do augmentations, and am admittedly fuzzy of memory on the subject.

Would there be a benefit to getting only one Cybereye over two? The core book only has both eyes replaced, but what about someone who just lost one?

Also, I see that it says you can only get standard and alphaware at character creation. Is there a quality that lets you get a better grade duruing character creation? I couldn't find one in the core book.

[EDIT] Better? Cleaned it up. Sorry again.

[JustADude]

Thanks.

Like I said. I was entertaining the idea of the character, but I am not sitting in front of the book yet.
I know more about mages and adepts than I do augmentations, and am admittedly fuzzy of memory on the subject.

Would there be a benefit to getting only one Cybereye over two? The core book only has both eyes replaced, but what about someone who just lost one?

Also, I see that it says you can only get standard and alphaware at character creation. Is there a quality that lets you get a better grade duruing character creation? I couldn't find one in the core book.

You did it again. Seriously, you need to use the "Modify" button, not double-post.

Yes, you can get a single Cyber-eye, stats and prices are in the book "Augmentation", and no there's no quality to get higher than Alphaware. Really, though, with the way the price goes (Alpha = 2x, Beta = 4x, Delta = 10x), it's just not worth it to buy higher at CGen. The Availability and cost of the items is going to be more restrictive than the Essence cost.

A pretty comprehensive list of what you eventually want, if you're going for a typical "Cyborg Ninja Combat Monster" type character is going to be something what's below, in the Spoiler box... essence costs are for Standard Grade, you'll obviously need to buy higher to make it all fit, but that's what earning money by playing is for, right?


Cyberware

Biomonitor Implant (0.3 Ess)
Gives feedback on health status; really good thing to have with a Pain Editor

Commlink Implant (0.2 Ess)
Internally installed Commlink. Combined with the Simrig and Cybereyes it means you can Skinlink your weapons and turn off your Wifi, which makes you nearly unhackable.

Cybereyes 4 (0.5 Ess)
Replacement eyes; fill the Capacity with all sorts of other goodies.

Dermal Plating 3 (1.5 Ess)
+3/+3 Armor

Simrig Implant (0.5 Ess)
Two way, full-sensory input/output with AR, for making full use of that Commlink Implant.

(NOTE: Be sure to carry around a cheap-as-hell "dummy" commlink in public to broadcast your fake SIN)

Bioware

Bone Density Augmentation 4 (1.2 Ess)
+4 to Damage Resistance checks; Unarmed does (STR/2+3)P damage.

Muscle Toner 4 (0.8 Ess)
+4 Agility

Muscle Enhancement 4 (0.8 Ess)
+4 Strength

Pain Editor (0.3 Ess)
Ignore Stun damage penalties, including being knocked out, while active, also +1 Willpower -1 Intuition while active.

Platelet Factory (0.2 Ess)
Automatically reduce all incoming damage of 2 or more by 1 box

Suprathyroid Gland (0.7 Ess)
+1 Body, +1 Agil, +1 Reac, +1 Str; stacks with Toner and Enhancement

Synaptic Booster 3 (1.5 Ess)
+3 Reaction, +3 Initiative Passes. Start with Wired Reflexes 2 to save money, then switch to this

[rungok]

Okay I found some things I want to do, but a few of them are marked forbidden instead of just restricted and I can't find where it says that affects character creation.

What's the ruling on forbidden items during character creation? I mean I know what the ramifications of having forbidden gear is out of creation, but is it limited?

[UmaroVI]

No, it's just based on the number. 12F can be bought at chargen, 14R can't.

I do recommend looking at the various street samurai in my signature for some examples; it's pretty hard to get right on your first try.

[rungok]

Thanks. I'm looking at them now. I'll post the purchases I was thinking of before committing.

Any other things I should take into consideration?

[EDIT: Added the cyber purchases]

Race: Ork
Body 7
Agility 5
Reaction 3
Strength 5
Charisma 4
Intuition 3
Logic 3
Willpower 3
Edge 3

Relevant Qualities:
Nano Intolerance (negative)
Biocompatability: Cybernetics (Positive)

Cyberware:
Commlink (4/4)
Cybereyes Rating (4)
+Flare Compensation
+Low Light Vision
+Thermographic Vision
+Smartlink
+Vision Enhancement 3
+Eye Light System
+Protective Covers
Biomonitor
Simrig
Cyber-ears rating (2)
+Audio Enhancement 3
+Balance Augmenter
+Damper
Dermal Plating (2)
Internal Air Tank

Bioware:
Tailored Pheremones (2)
Muscle Augmentation (2)
Muscle Toner (2)
Bone Density (4)

The character I am trying to build is supposed to be a street sam/face build, with some effort into doing legwork/investigation.

[UmaroVI]

You have a bad case of average-stats-itis. This punishes you now by making you not good at things, and punishes you later because of how karma prices for increasing things works. In particular, low Reaction and low Intuition are killer for a street samurai. Low Willpower is dangerous too.

It is generally a good idea to have 35 points of negative qualities. If you have to you can bullshit them by taking stuff like Mild Addiction (Betel), Incompetence (Things I don't care about), Scorched on non-hackers (which is explicitly allowed), etc, although I encourage you to take fun and character-defining ones instead.

If you're going to have a good commlink, have either programs and skills to use it, or programs and an agent to use it (for an example of a skills-free commlink setup, look at the Spook in my sig).

Cybereyes are a very iffy purchase because you can just wear goggles that do the same stuff. If you get them it should be solely because you think they are cool - don't operate under the illusion that they are effective.

Ditto for Cyberears.

Dermal Plating is just flat-out bad. It costs way too much for what it does. If you want augmentations that make you tougher, Trauma Dampener and armored cyberlimbs are much, much better.

Tailored Pheremones 2 is a bad purchase simply because you'll want rating 3 eventually and you can't upgrade, only junk and switch. Try to start with Rating 3.

Bone Density Augmentation is bad for everyone except very, very specific types of adepts for the same reason as Dermal Plating - too expensive for not enough value. Incidentally, if you care about punching people, you want to use Shock Gloves (or Shock Hands).

[rungok]

Okay. Maybe I should just pose the character Idea I'm thinking about and see if I can get some suggestions for augmentations.

The character I want to play is a 'retired' or 'perma-vacationed' security corp operative. I wanted the character to have a Deus Ex Kind of feel but not be a direct rip. More of following the theme of it. Let me go into the qualities to kind of explain it.

Negative Qualities:
SINer 5 - Real SIN - Wasn't a shadowrunner until recently
Day Job 5 - Works part time as a low rate security guard for a low importance position
Nano Intolerance - Body just doesn't like the little buggers.
Lost Loved One - Had a wife. She was horribly injured in an accident that his corp was inevitably found at fault for. Though recovered, ultimately she won't speak to him again and has moved to places unknown.
Records on File - The Parent Company has recent files on him due to his recent employment and legal action.
Big Regret - Not being able to be there to save his wife (and his marriage, for that matter).

Positive Qualities:
Biocompatability 10 - Cyberware - Biologically better suited to cybernetics
Tough as Nails 10 - Just born tougher
Trust Fund 10 - Settled stipend due to legal case. Though he is not required to work (Medium lifestyle is sustained) he still works to feel less useless.
Guts 5 - Made of mentally Sterner stuff.

I am open to making changes of course.

[Edit] I was also thinking about skills and gear of course. Just didn't pick those as they are kinda modular depending on 'how' I want to play the operative.

[UmaroVI]

Tough as Nails is kind of bad - you should probably just buy more Body instead.

Augmentations: I would actually check out the Spook archetype in my sig. It sounds like you're going for a "Former Company Man" type of character, and the Spook is designed to fill that niche. The Spook is human but can be orkified easily enough; you can also just look for inspiration.