[Sincereagape]

Hi. This is my first hacker/combat and only my second 4th edition character. Any feedback or comments are appreciated and thank you ahead of time for reviewing the character.

A few quick points before the review. The character is conceptual in nature. In terms of improved qualities I wanted one mental (analytical thinker), one physical (double jointed), one emotional (guts), and one social (made man).  Used the pre-generated auxiliary character kit system from Runner's Tool Kit for the matrix gear.  Hacker Pack + CyberWarrior Programs + Brain Melter Programs + Hacker Essential Programs + Data Thief Programs, and modified Drone Puppeteer Programs.

Few Questions:
1.) Should the contact rating of Alexander Tintagel be higher?
2.) Not sure how the internal commlink applies with all of the purchased matrix gear. 

Brief Biography: Paris Tintagel is the younger brother of Tir Paladin Alexander Tintagel (Lugh Surhand's bodyguard). Young Paris was loyal to the former monarchy based government of tir tairngire. Lacking the magical ability to become an adept, or magician. Seeking to serve like his brother, Paris also trained in a few combat skills and used some of his families wealth to become infused with some cyberware and bioware. He also dabbled in learning about eletronics and hacking. The 2064 came, Paris was 18. He took to the streets fighting the factions that were attempting to bring down the old council of princes. During the fighting, Paris was defeated and thrown in prison as an enemy of the new Zincan regime.

-He eventually escaped (either through a jailbreak or political means, not sure of this yet). Eventually he was recruited by a Russian Vory outfit (not sure which one). The Russian's backed by Evo sponsored the rest of the implementation of Cyberware and Bioware into his system. Along with helping him focus on hacking/programming. Paris now serves as a shadowrunner who works with a Russian Vory outfit in Seattle. All of the whilte attempting to escape and evade the extremist factions of the current Tir government who are looking to hunt down anyone associated with the old regime.

Character sheet below in the spoiler tag





Build Point Break Down (Out of Standard 400 BP)
Race: 30 (Elf)
Resources: 50
Attributes: 190
Edge: 10
Skills: 122
Contacts: 8
Qualities: +10

Real Name: Paris Tintagel
Street Name: Trojan
Height: 1.82 Meters (6’0)
Weight: 76.65 Kg (169 LBS)
Age:26
Birthdate: 2/1/2046
Physical Description: Tall skinny elf with artificially pale skin.  He wears black make up over his eyes.  His hair is colored blue and worn in a wavy fashion.  His physical appearance is based off the Marvel Comics Mutant character the Reaper. http://images.wikia.com/marveldatabase/images/e/e5/Shatterstar_cut_Reaper's_hand.jpg

Personality: White Face is a dark and morbid character.  He speaks in a constant monotone and usually has cryptic things to say.  Somewhat of a pessimist, White Face will express his concerns about a run but go along with the consensus.  Despite his constant negative attitude and dark dialogue, White Face is a professional and loyal to those he runs with.  White Face no longer has a political agenda to help the old Tir regime, rather he is trying to survive at this point of his life as a Shadowrunner.

Attributes:
20  Body – 3
10  Strength – 2 (3) – Muscle Augmentation
30  Agility – 5 (7) – Muscle Toner
30  Reaction – 4 (5) – Wired Reflexes
30  Logic – 4 (5) – Cerebral Booster
30  Intuition – 4
20  Willpower – 3
20  Charisma – 5
Edge – 2
Essence – 2.22
Initiative – 8 (9)
IP – 2
Matrix Initiative – (Cold Sim = 9 (10), Hot Sim = 10 (11) – Customized Interface)
Physical CM – 10
Stun CM – 10
Armor – 6 (7)/ 4 (6): Dermal Sheath Rating 1.

Skills:
Perception – 2
Infiltration – 2
Etiquette (Russian Vory) – 2 (4)
Exotic Melee, Monofilament Whip (Reflex Recorder bioware gives plus 1 to skill) – 4 (5)
Pistols (Semi-Auto) -- 2 (4)

Cracking Skill Group – 4
Electronics Skill Group – 3

Knowledge Skills: (27 Free)
Tir Tairngire Politics: 2
Elven Culture: 2
Seattle Underworld Politics: 3
2060s Trid Films: 3
Governmental Matrix Security Procedures: 3
Evo Corporation Cybernetics: 2
Operating Systems: 2
Corporate CEOs: 2

Sperethial – N
English – 4
Russian - 4


Qualities:   
-   Guts 5 BP
-   Made Man – 10 BP
-   Analytical Mind – 5 BP
-   Double Jointed – 5 BP
-   Sinner [Criminal] -- +10
-   Weak Immune System -- +5BP
-   Wanted – +10 BP
-   Distinct Style (MonoWhip + Gold Skin + Trojan Horse Nano-tattoo) – +10BP

Contacts:
--- Local Vory Syndicate (Free Group Contact from Made Man Quality): Rating 8, Loyalty 4
--- Tir Paladin (Brother, Alexander Tintagel): Connection 5, Loyalty 3

Gear: 250,000 nuyen total

Cyberware – 3.28 Essence Cost
(Alpha) Wired Reflexes Rating 1 – (22,000 nuyen) --- Essence Cost 1.6
(Alpha) Dermal Sheath Rating 1 – (20,000) – Essence Cost .48
(Alpha) Data Jack – (1,000) – Essence Cost .08
(Alpha) Finger Tip Compartment – (1,500) – Essence Cost .08
(Alpha) Flex Hands – (7,000) – Essence Cost .24
(Alpha) Cyber Eyes Rating 2 – (1,500) – Essence Cost .24
   --(A) Thermal Graphic Vision – (2,000) -- .08
   --(A) Smartlink – (2,000) -- .08
   --(A) Vision Mag – (2,000) -- .08
(Alpha) Internal Built in Modified Fairlight Caliban (Response 5, Signal 5, Firewall 5, System 5) – (21,000) – Essence Cost .16
   --Customized Interface – (250)
   -- Optimization (Exploit) – (500)
   -- Biometric Lock – (150)
   --Armor (10) – (500)
   -- Nanopaste Trodes – (100)
-Internal Sim Modle with Hot Sim Mod ---- (10,350) – Essence Cost .16
   --Skin link – (50)
   --Tag Eraser – (50)
   -- Satellite Link – (500)
   --Simrig – (1,000)
   --Holo Projector – 200
   --AR Gloves – 250
   Programs
      --Analyze 5 (500)
      --Browse 5 (500)
      --Command 5 (500)
      --Edit 5 (500)
      --Purge 5 (500)
      --Scan 5 (500)
      --Reality Filter (500)
      --Armor 5 (5,000)
      --Attack 5 (5,000)
      --Medic 5 (5,000)
      --Biofeedback 5 (5,000)
      --Black Hammer 5 (5,000)
      --Blackout 5 (5,000)
      --Exploit 5 (5,000)
      --Stealth 5 (5,000)
      --Decrypt 5 (5,000)
      --Defuse 5 (5,000)
      --Corrupt 5 (5,000)
      --Track 5 (5,000)
      --Spoof 4 (4,000)
      --ECCM 4 (4,000)
      --Sniffer 4 (4,000)

Bioware: Essence Cost – 1 (Counts as .5 towards Essence Loss)
-Nanotatoo + Skin Pig – (1,500) – 0 Essence Loss
-Reflex Recorder [Rating 1Mono Whip Single Skill] (10,000) -- .1
-Muscle Tone [Rating 2] (16,000) --- .4
-Muscle Augmentation [Rtg 1] (7,000) -- .2
-Cerebral Booster [Rtg 1] (10,000) -- .2
-Clean Metabolism – (2,500) -- .1

Items + Weapons:
--Indian Pathfinder Motorcycle (6,000)
--Monofilament Whip (3,000)
--Salvatte Guardian Pistol (800)
--20 Ex Explosive Rounds (2,000)
--10 Gel Rounds (300)
--Lined Coat (700)
--1 Rating 4 Fake SIN (4,000)
--2 Fake Licenses (800)
--Maglock Rating 4 (8,000)
--2 Month Paid Low Lifestyle (4000)

      

[UmaroVI]

Some of the funny stuff is probably coming from PACKS so you may have to modify those.

You have a really bad case of widgetitis. By that I mean that you have a whoooole lot of things of the "well why not, it's cheap" variety, and they add up to not be cheap but still be niche.

I suggest looking at my sig and the Combat Hacker.

Lots of low-to-mid rating skills is kind of bad for karma efficiency: buying a skill from 0 to 2 with BP costs 8, 0 to 2 with karma costs 8. But 2 to 4 with BP is still 8, but 2 to 4 with karma is 14.

You have 2.22 essence left and a big pile of Alphaware junk. I would be getting more, better standard grade stuff instead.

Unfortunately, the programs you have are kind of messed up.

1) You should be using Rating 6 Optimized 1 programs for the common use ones.

2) Your Exploit should have the Mute program option.

3) You don't have the very useful Disarm program (but you have lots of really odd sketchy things).

4) Don't buy programs at 4. It's 5000 for 5, 4000 for 4, or 1500 for 3 - the cost spikes right at 4.

5) Spoof, ECCM, and Sniffer are not good things to have below rating 5. Medic and Corrupt are not very useful and aren't worth having above rating 3 (really, probably not at all, but at least rating 3 is fairly cheap).

Why do you own a rating 4 maglock?

Your pistol is a subpar model - the Yamaha Sakura Fubuki is much better. Also, don't use Gel Rounds, use Stick-n-Shock for that.

You can be wearing significantly better armor. You should be using Form-Fitting Body Armor (from Arsenal) plus enough extra armor to put you at your encumbrance cap. You have low enough body that this shouldn't be too hard. Look at the Technoshaman in my sig for one example of how to do this.

[bangbangtequila]

I agree with much of what UmaroIV posted, and disagree with others.

For starters, forget the Sakura Fubuki, it is terrible as anything except a back up, and the cost of making it good could be better spent on making a good Heavy pistol. The loss of the 1DV and -1AP just won't stand up when you face anyone with a half decent set of armour on top of a good Body score (see: Trolls).

If you want a good pistol, take a Ruger Thunderbolt. You get an excellent pistol for a good price, it has an integrated 2 points of recoil compensation that are not a Gas Vent or other, replaceable modification, and it comes as a Burst fire weapon stock. this means it's a mere 300 Nuyen to give it an SA mode. Why you only have 20 explosive rounds, I cannot figure - if you're going to have them, have lots of them, as a minimum 60 (the lowest common denominator of your magazine size and the ammunition purchasing quantity), since purchasing more will be tricky in game. It's easy to stock up on them now, and it's hard later.

Gel rounds are very useful, but not with a Pistol. Shotguns make great use of them, pistols do not (with the exception of the Super Warhawk and the Eichiro Hatamoto II, as the "Scary older brother" pistols). This is because they modify the base damage code of the weapon, rather then generate their own damage like the stick'n'shock does. What I mean is, a Gel Round will take a Heavy Pistol (5P DV, -1AP) and turn it into 4S DV, +1AP vs Impact. This is rather paltry when compared to the powerful taser round, which is dealing 6S DV with -half Impact. Against someone wearing, say, an Urban Explorer Jumpsuit, that means the Gel round would be resisted by an effective 7 Impact Armour, while the Stick'N'Shock would deal more damage by 2, and only be resisted by 3 Impact Armour.

I personally prefer the Lined Coat approach, since it smacks of flavour rather then munchkin. Flavour is what makes the GM not want your character to die, munkinism is what drives him to (sometimes literally) drop a troll on you.

Alphaware is a phenomenal waste of money. Don't bother with the nonsense of paying double to save what, 10% essence? Just get bioware where you can.

Wired reflexes are nice and all, but if you're going Cyber, get Move-By-Wire (Augmentation). each rating gives you one IP, 2 reaction, and counts as an double rating Skillwire system, for the same Essence cost. Granted, it's a little pricey, but it's worth the extra dice on your "not getting shot" tests.

[JustADude]

For starters, forget the Sakura Fubuki, it is terrible as anything except a back up, and the cost of making it good could be better spent on making a good Heavy pistol. The loss of the 1DV and -1AP just won't stand up when you face anyone with a half decent set of armour on top of a good Body score (see: Trolls).

Here's the thing: Stick'n'Shock.

It does 6S DV -Half AP regardless of the weapon. The Fubuki has a 40 round magazine and can fire narrow bursts (making it 8S) at the same recoil as a semi-auto, which is compensated for neatly by the built-in folding stock.

[UmaroVI]

For starters, forget the Sakura Fubuki, it is terrible as anything except a back up, and the cost of making it good could be better spent on making a good Heavy pistol. The loss of the 1DV and -1AP just won't stand up when you face anyone with a half decent set of armour on top of a good Body score (see: Trolls).

Stick-n-shock, as JustADude pointed out, makes the YSF the best light pistol.

If you want a good pistol, take a Ruger Thunderbolt. You get an excellent pistol for a good price, it has an integrated 2 points of recoil compensation that are not a Gas Vent or other, replaceable modification, and it comes as a Burst fire weapon stock. this means it's a mere 300 Nuyen to give it an SA mode.

First, why would you want to give the Thunderbolt SA? The whole point of the gun is that it's a BF heavy pistol with a good damage code! If you're modding it, it should be to put on another 3 points of RC so you can fire two short bursts. Second, it isn't only 300 nuyen to give it SA, it would be 2750 because that is a large change. If you want a SA heavy pistol for non-SnS usage, get a Ruger Super Warhawk.

Wired reflexes are nice and all, but if you're going Cyber, get Move-By-Wire (Augmentation). each rating gives you one IP, 2 reaction, and counts as an double rating Skillwire system, for the same Essence cost. Granted, it's a little pricey, but it's worth the extra dice on your "not getting shot" tests.

MBW 2 requires Restricted Gear, and MBW 1 costs about 50% more than Wired Reflexes 2, but is not really as good unless you are severely essence-limited.

[bangbangtequila]

Everything else (equipping an SS weapon with an SA mode and vice versa, equipping a BF weapon with an FA mode and vice versa, equipping a BF or FA weapon with an SS or SA mode) is considered a small modification.

Pulled directly from Arsenal, page 151.

As to why bother adding an SA to it? So you can have one weapon that you sink the hard Nuyen into for mods (internal smartlink, internal suppressor, electronic firing, chameleon coating - whatever floats your boat here) that will serve as an all purpose weapon, instead of sinking money into upgrades for several different weapons. Likewise, it's only another small mod to make if FA, though realistically, that's not very worthwhile. SA is useful if you want to call your shots, which takes a Heavy pistol round from 5P to 9P and -1 AP, which is pretty darn solid. Even if they have good armour on, that's more then likely going to deal at least some stun damage.

The YSF is the best light pistol. If a light pistol is enough for your main armament, all the best. Well and good to have it, loaded with stick'n'shocks, until you face anyone with a pain editor, insulated armour, etc. If he's not going to have any heavier damage weapons (monowhip aside), he should have something versatile. At least with a Heavy pistol you have something that can deal decent damage, better then decent if you bother with a good dicepool.

[UmaroVI]

Huh, I didn't notice it was still only small going backwards. My bad. I still stand by it being pointless, though. You can call shots with burst fire - just not with full auto. I simply don't see any situation where you'd WANT to use SA on the Thunderbolt aside from not enough RC, and if that's your problem you should be using a Warhawk instead or putting more useful mods on the Thunderbolt.

[Tsuzua]

As to why bother adding an SA to it? So you can have one weapon that you sink the hard Nuyen into for mods (internal smartlink, internal suppressor, electronic firing, chameleon coating - whatever floats your boat here) that will serve as an all purpose weapon, instead of sinking money into upgrades for several different weapons. Likewise, it's only another small mod to make if FA, though realistically, that's not very worthwhile. SA is useful if you want to call your shots, which takes a Heavy pistol round from 5P to 9P and -1 AP, which is pretty darn solid. Even if they have good armour on, that's more then likely going to deal at least some stun damage.

The YSF is the best light pistol. If a light pistol is enough for your main armament, all the best. Well and good to have it, loaded with stick'n'shocks, until you face anyone with a pain editor, insulated armour, etc. If he's not going to have any heavier damage weapons (monowhip aside), he should have something versatile. At least with a Heavy pistol you have something that can deal decent damage, better then decent if you bother with a good dicepool.

It should be also be pointed out that the only reason not to use BF on a Thunderbolt is recoil and even then pretty easy to get all 5 points of needed recoil.  Even if you're stuck with a off-the-shelf Thunderbolt, you're trading 3 dice on the second shot for +2 damage on both attacks which is a very good trade.  Silenced SA/BF modes are just as difficult as the other to hear (threshold 2 for silenced gunfire, -4 for barrel silencer/suppressor -6 for internal).

If you care about physical damage or don't use SnS, the Thunderbolt is a good weapon.  However the SnS YSF is an strong contender for main gun in the pistol skill group.  SnS is a damage improvement for nearly all pistols.  In addition, -1/2 AP is really handy against high armor targets.  Nonconductivity 6 hurts, but anyone who doesn't have 12 armor or more, you were going to one/two shot anyways regardless of the nonconductivity or not.

That's also why the pain editor isn't as bad.  Odds are anyone who has a pain editor is going to have enough armor to make any attack with a pistol do stun.  Thus it's the same effect.  Now if you're going to run into a lot of low armor (12 or less) dudes with pain editors, then yeah, I guess SnS does lose out.  However how often are you going to see that?

I'll grant that SnS is funky against drones.  While you might be able to make them restart over several combat turns, I don't know if that's as useful as just destroying them.  You may or may not want to keep some APDS rounds in one of your YSF tubes for finishing off drones.  Called Shot APDS YSF is doing 9P/11P -4 which is in solid two shot range for most drones.  The extra +1DV and -1AP of a Thunderbolt would help, but it's likely not to make the difference between a one-shot or two-shot which is the only thing that matters.