[SR4] Classic Optimization Builds

[Zubrowka74]

What are the classic CharOp builds for ShadowRun 4e ? Is there an equivalent to the Mailman, CoDzilla, UberCharegr etc ?

I heard of the Pornomancer but that's it.

Also which one should I worry about as a GM ?

[Seerow]

There's also the minotaur cyberzombie that's practically immune to everything, but I can't remember the name of the build.

[LibraryOgre]

One of my favorites was from an earlier edition. It was theorhetically possible, using an adept, to default to the skill "Things the bad guys don't want us to know", using an immense Centering skill against penalties.

You could also default to "What is on the other side of the door". "What is today's password". "What is the maximum amount he can pay us."

Like most CharOp, it required a very liberal reading of the rules regarding knowledge skills.

[Swordguy]

There's also the minotaur cyberzombie that's practically immune to everything, but I can't remember the name of the build.

Binky, the Cyberhorse of the Apocalyse. He abuses the fact that cyberlimbs can add greatly to your stats and armor ratings.




There's also:

Bubba the Love Troll (Ballistic and Impact armor ratings are in the mid-to-high-40s)

Troll Archer (bows have no strength cap - thus as an archery-focused adept you can fire silent arrows that hit slightly harder than tank shells at a range of 900m)

Pornomancer (social adept who can throw 50+ dice for seduction using a combination of bioware, magic, and emotitoys)

Sprite-using Technomancers can get ridiculous (as in, buying enough successes at the 4:1 ratio to hack through military-grade programs in 1 round)

Stick n'shock ammo in general (either ban it, get rid of its ability to stage damage with net hits, or EVERYBODY must equip Rating 6 Electrical Insualtion on their body armor; it's utterly game-dominating in its present form)


...however...

The thing to remember about Shadowrun is that EVERY character is incapable of covering all their weaknesses. Binky or Bubba there? Hit 'em with Willpower-targeting spells. The Pornomancer? In a situation where people aren't willing to talk, she's completely useless. The word "overpowered" is a very wierd thing in SR, and while you can certainly be more powerful than your table would like (which is one reason why I don't share actual stats for these concepts - people tend to actually try to use them if stats are provided), no single character* is 100% completely overpowered in the same vein as a D&D 3.5 Tippyverse Wizard.



*Except for Harlequin. That ****ing clown has an actual rule that says, essentially, "He wins. Period. End of story. Regardless of what the runners do, he cannot be killed. If you allow him to be killed, you are a Bad GM and should be removed from the table. Consider yourself a failure as a gamemaster and a human being." That's overpowered.

[LibraryOgre]

*Except for Harlequin. That ****ing clown has an actual rule that says, essentially, "He wins. Period. End of story. Regardless of what the runners do, he cannot be killed. If you allow him to be killed, you are a Bad GM and should be removed from the table. Consider yourself a failure as a gamemaster and a human being." That's overpowered.

Less "overpowered" and more "plot armored"... though, to be fair, he's several thousand years old, and still in his physical prime. Even if he only averaged 1 xp per year, he'd be unstoppable by SR rules; 1 XP per decade and he's pretty close to perfect. He's perfected all of his stats to the racial maximum for elves. He's topped out numerous skills. He's worked off any disadvantage he's able to; he's trained in advantages you haven't considered yet. Make him an adept (which, as a refugee from the 4th age, he likely would be), and even if costs for improving magic skyrocket during the 5th age, he's got plenty of points to spend on exotic disciplines and skills.

[Seerow]

Less "overpowered" and more "plot armored"... though, to be fair, he's several thousand years old, and still in his physical prime. Even if he only averaged 1 xp per year, he'd be unstoppable by SR rules; 1 XP per decade and he's pretty close to perfect. He's perfected all of his stats to the racial maximum for elves. He's topped out numerous skills. He's worked off any disadvantage he's able to; he's trained in advantages you haven't considered yet. Make him an adept (which, as a refugee from the 4th age, he likely would be), and even if costs for improving magic skyrocket during the 5th age, he's got plenty of points to spend on exotic disciplines and skills.

Weren't Immortal Elves in stasis or asleep or something during the period of low magic between ages, or is that just dragons?

[comicshorse]

Weren't Immortal Elves in stasis or asleep or something during the period of low magic between ages, or is that just dragons?

Dragons I think, they can't function without the Mana level being at a certain level and so hibernate between the Mana spikes. Immortal elves just have to manage without magic powers and so pretend to be people until the magic returns.
Its also pretty much stated that some elves use the low Mana periods to hunt down the sleeping dragons and kill them

[LibraryOgre]

Weren't Immortal Elves in stasis or asleep or something during the period of low magic between ages, or is that just dragons?

There are several novels that state that they were active during the downtime. They might not have been active 24/7, but there were definitely karma-building experiences in there.

[TheCountAlucard]

IIRC, that's why Dunkelzahn left Harlequin the armor of King Richard the Lion-Hearted, and the sword Excalibur, yes? :smallconfused:

[LibraryOgre]

IIRC, that's why Dunkelzahn left Harlequin the armor of King Richard the Lion-Hearted, and the sword Excalibur, yes? :smallconfused:

Possibly. Big D could be a bit inscrutable. ;-)