[chadawc]

One of my characters wants to make a Bio heavy spec ops guy. I am working on posting it now but what would you all suggest we to make him all super spiffy. That is if it is even possible? (also keep in mind this is his 3 character ever I think....

[Crash_00]

Synaptic Booster (extremely expensive, so probably will only be able to afford R.1 or 2) is pretty much a must if he's a direct combat type. If he plans to ambush constantly he can technically get away without it and use drugs, but I recommend at least a one.

Reflex Recorders are a good way to boost skills.

Muscle Toner (and Muscle Aug if he needs STR at all) are always worth the money.

Bone Density can be nice depending on what his body is before and whether he intends to be using unarmed at all.

Platelet Factories/Trauma Dampener/Pain Editor are all nice little things to look into (although they don't necessarily always work together well).

Really without knowing more about what he's wanting to specifically do there isn't a lot more to say. It's very possible to make a bioware only combatant, it's just more expensive so you won't start out as powerful.

[chadawc]

Thank you crash I am  talking with him now to figure out what he wants to do most. to shoot people in the face in at close range and long range and at medium range... pretty much all the ranges.. and be quite about it. if he gets caught he wants to be able to talk his way out of it... so on and so on... still working on every thing will post it when I am done talking with him and sorry for the premature posting... happens to the best of us I am told lol.

[UmaroVI]

The real question you should be asking is why you want to be bioware-only.

If the answer is "because it is cool," go for it.

If the answer involves cyberware scanners, MAD scanners, "omg he has a prosthetic hand he must be a killer cyborg CALL IN THE NATIONAL GUARD" or suchlike, don't do it, just be a bioware-augmented Awakened character.

If by "bioware-heavy" you mean more "can also use cyberware, but the goal is to look like a normal dude and be able to go to normal-dude places without arousing suspicion," meaning the goal is no externally-visible cyberware and no F cyberware at all, that's much more doable; take a look at, for example, the Spook or the Ghost in my sig.

[aridun64]

haha you actually beat me too posting a similiar character, though I was wanting to go more ninja using bioware. I may still post my idea after I flesh out if im wanting to be an augmented adept or mundane

[All4BigGuns]

There is one issue, and that's that unless you have a LOT of points, you can't really build special forces. You definitely can't do it on the base 400 BP. Take a look at the stats and skills for the Tir Ghost in the core rulebook, and the special forces npcs printed in the War! book. Taking into account their stats and the fact that printed npcs like that generally only list the skills likely to be needed when the team encounters them, and it's obvious there's no way to build that without a crap-ton higher point build.

The best I've found buildable using 400 BP of any of those is the Expeditionary Soldier out of War!, but true spec forces just require too much.

[chadawc]

would 600 bp be to few you think?

[All4BigGuns]

would 600 bp be to few you think?

I suggest looking at those spec-op npcs and doing the math for the stats and skills, but I do know that there is a lot in attributes in most of them.

[chadawc]

I know I was just playing around. I did the math and it is a lot ... and then some. He had to go and we didn't get as much done on it as I would have liked. but that is ok. Thank you for your help guys and sorry I didn't get the character posted.

[sway]

I'm not sure the Special Forces npc build is anything to shoot for anyway, I mean they look nice in their block with all those skills listed but really they seem to be capped at 8-9 die on just about everything... and their primary weapon skills doesn't even hit 15 (well, if we assume they have an unlisted smartlink for their gun of choice it hits 16).

I'm actually pretty sure you could make an equivalent character with only 400 (and even only bioware... for whatever reason)... the question is why would you want to?

I mean, Suprathyroid, Synthacardium 3, Muscle Toner 4 by themselves take a huge bite out of things, then mix in some Reflex Recorders and PushEd, Qualia, empathy software/pheromones/whatever... and you'll be rolling 9 die on most stuff too... if that for some reason seems prudent to you.   

[The Big Peat]

Having tried to do so before, the answer is 'Barely'.

The issue is the extremely high cost of Synaptic Boosters. As one of the meanest bears in the combat woods, you need at least one extra IP, and ideally should be walking around with two more.

This however at 16 BP a pop tears a massive hole into your expenditure. Get two, and you're left with 18 bp for everything else - conspicuously large amount of guns, the rest of your bioware, much needed armour... you can sorta do it, particularly if you spring for Born Rich, but at this point you're tearing into the rest of your stuff, and a SF operator's skill list would be pretty intensive.

But in general, I'd agree with All4BigGuns that Spec Op with standard character creation is pretty much close to impossible anyway, depending on how good you think they are.

[Mystic]

First I would ask what your definition of "special ops" would be? Are you talking an operator in the same vein such as say the British SAS, US Army Delta Force, US Navy SEAL, German GSG-9; you know the classic "commando" type or do you mean more of an intelligence operative like say James Bond or Michael Weston? OR, do you have something else in mind.

I only ask becasue I often laugh how most people tend to think of 'special ops' as some kind of catch-all when in fact there are usualy specialists. Cyber (or in the case of SR matrix) operators, the intelligence gathering types (spies), counter-intelligence, investigations, your classic commando-types, etc etc and so on. The type of mission profile will, in my opinion determine what kind of bio would best benefit said character.

[CitizenJoe]

From what I understand, special ops work on two principles, teamwork and surprise.  They are continuously operating under the assumption of fifty to a hundred opponents and thus IPs to their handful (maybe 6).  Doubling your IPs still doesn't get you to an advantage point against those odds.  And if you need more, you radio in for backup.  Initiative boosters really only help with busted plays where you're scrambling and making stuff up as you go.  SpecOps don't operate like that.  The mission is planned and coordinated.  They have back up plans should things fall through. 

[Crash_00]

Right, if you SpecOp right, the enemy never gets to use their IP advantage. I really don't see the need for it in a SpecOp character off the bat if you don't want to have them (I've played 1 IP characters before that get into combat. It's not impossible if done smart.). Similarly, an Autoinjector with multiple doses can allow for several concoctions of drugs and a Pain Editor can let you mix and match as needed and be able to walk away if you don't get yourself butchered in a fight (which if you play smart you shouldn't).

Good drugs of choice are Jazz (no damage after coming down), Cram (only 6S, combined with Jazz you get the same effect as Wired Ref. 2), Kamikaze (again, only 6S, combined with Jazz you'd lose 1 REA compared to Wired Ref. 2, but you gain 1 BOD, 1 AGI, 2 STR, 1 WILL, and High Pain Tolerance 3. If you can take 12S you can spin the three together to get 1 REA under Wired Ref. 3 with all the extra bonuses listed, recommend pain editor for this.),and Zero to help deal with addiction. There are other drugs good for combat types as well, even if they aren't really IP/Initiative oriented. Betel, G3, No Paint, Oxygenated Fluorocarbons, Ripper and Snuff can all give a small advantage to different stats and skills that could make a difference.

As far as spec ops starting out, it would really depend on the characters specialty, but I wouldn't say it's not possible, just that it isn't efficient under the BP system. Soldiers have small amounts of training in lots of skills. Spec Ops have all that plus dedicated training in several of those skills and several other skills as well, but remember what the ratings mean. A 4 is considered Veteran and a 5 is considered Expert. Rating 6s are not common for any force really by definition, but the realm of extremely talented individuals. Depending on what force the character was from his Expert training could be in just about any survival, electronics, or combat areas. A four costs 14 BPs and a 5 costs 20. For 110 BP you can have 2 5s and 5 4s. Another 22 BP will give you a skill group and 3 skills all at 1. This leaves you with 200 BP for Attributes 50 BP for gear and 18 BP for contacts assuming you take equal points in Pos/Neg qualities. This is plenty to make a spec ops soldier with, just not enough to make a spec ops super soldier with.

[CitizenJoe]

Figure out what the specialty skill is and get those natural.  Then drop in a skillwire system with sufficient memory to hold mission specific skills.