Feeling "special" in shadowrun

[Weyroc]

I recently picked up with some friends into Shadowrun 4a.

It's been pretty fun, and everyone seems to fit well. The issue is, this being my first foray into SR, I made a mundane martial arts expert (Heavy cyber and focused on unarmed)

I'm aware that's not quite the optimizer's dream, but that's on purpose. The issue is it seems there's nothing that gives my character any flair.

Background-wise, he's a pit-fighter and not in any way a people person, but I'm finding the fact that I can sneak and hit things to be lacking, when most of the crew can do what I do and better. One of the mages will throw down invisibility, or the pornomancer/hacker (ugh) will knock over any doors before I get near them.

All in all, I'm asking...how can I feel like I'm contributing, and have more fun with the game without edging out my friends?

Please and thanks.

[Rhynn]

Create a character who can contribute?

If you limit your concept/build to "sneak and punch," you might indeed feel a bit useless. You should go broader. "Intrusion & Weapons," "Infiltration & Exfiltration" ... something like that.

Not that a game like Shadowrun should be about what's on your sheet as much as about the decisions you make and the ideas you have. Are your adventures very straightforward or unimaginative, with little room for great plans and making things happen without skills/spells/gear? In my cyberpunk game experiences, everyone ends up doing everything, because things only start being interesting when they go sideways... the hacker has to get away from a guy with a gun, the big bruiser has to sneak out of a bad spot, the gunbunny has to talk his way in, etc.

[Weyroc]

That's sort of a last resort. I can do infiltration and whatnot as well. I'm specialized, not niche to the point of handicap. My main issue is that everything I can do, my team does better/faster. Someone needs hurt and they throw a lightning bolt or a barrage of bullets. Need information, the hacker/face throws twenty dice to either get their records or convince someone to talk. Need a scout? Rigger sends in a bug drone.

I feel very sixth ranger, just without the cool powers, and I'd like some advice for an in-character way to bring something to the table that these guys don't, and it's kinda feeling hopeless.

[Mordar]

That's sort of a last resort. I can do infiltration and whatnot as well. I'm specialized, not niche to the point of handicap. My main issue is that everything I can do, my team does better/faster. Someone needs hurt and they throw a lightning bolt or a barrage of bullets. Need information, the hacker/face throws twenty dice to either get their records or convince someone to talk. Need a scout? Rigger sends in a bug drone.

I feel very sixth ranger, just without the cool powers, and I'd like some advice for an in-character way to bring something to the table that these guys don't, and it's kinda feeling hopeless.

Well, I'm a little concerned that your GM might not have a great handle on things if barrage of bullets and lightning bolts aren't bringing down heavy attention from security forces or corporate police. Similarly, the hacker shouldn't be able to replicate the information you cold get from your contacts (you did invest in contacts, right?) by throwing dice at the issue because, frankly, not everything is online. As far as the scouting and doors concerned, well, that is a great use for a rigger and decker, so don't be too down on that one.

So, you've said you've got heavy cyberware (so you're certainly not mundane!) - was it well selected? How's your gear? You said martial arts...does that include gun-fu, melee weapons or just hands? While most of the successful "ninja" characters I've seen have been physical adepts, there's no reason you couldn't be a bad-butt cyberninja...you may just need to get a better feel for the situation/rules/etc.

What's the makeup of the rest of your team? Clearly there's more than one mage, a rigger and a decker. Any mercs/street sams, or are the rigger drones providing the muscle and barrages of bullets?

- M

[Kaun]

hmmm.. how are you at taking damage?

You could act as a point man if your tougher then the rest.

Ultimately pure combat wombats will often feel a bit left out if they don't have other skills to fall back on. Unless you are running a combat heavy game.

If you can get you cyberware upgraded to some of the top of the line gear if will give you the ability to enter difficult zones unarmed and still be dangerous.

Realistically its up to you to make yourself useful. Does your group do all there leg work together or do you often split up to achieve stuff prior to a run commencing?

When i run SR the groups generally have limited time to perform their Runs so anybody sitting around not doing prep is a waste.

You're an extra set of eyes, ears and hands.

Think outside the box, try stuff and see what happens.

That and improve your natural stealth. Invisibility is a wonderful spell up until you come across somebody trained to deal with it. Groups often become to reliant on magic and fall over when it cant solve all problems.

[Weyroc]

the group is 1 sorcery focused mage, 1 conjuring focused mage, a face/hacker, a hacker/rigger, a gun specialist, and an unarmed specialist (me).

A lot of this is good idea, and, yeah, I definitely am the only one in the group besides the gun guy who can take a hit. Gear-wise I focused on non-detection and subdual. Grenades are my secondary weaponry, and I have things like bone-lacing, strength/agility boosting bioware, wired reflexes, you know, standard.

I do have contacts (my big ones are an AI and the head of a deltaware facility), but I've yet to come into a situation where they're really helpful.

I -have- discussed it with my GM and some of the other players, and we have a few ideas to throw around, but thank you all for the support and ideas as well :)

[Kaun]

Yeah looks like your the muscle.

Sometimes you need a tough guy to do tough guy things, play to that.

Also do you have demolitions expert? If your plan doesn't involve explosions then you're doing something wrong.

Also make sure your good at non lethal take downs, runners should never kill anybody unless their being paid too. As an unarmed stealth specialist this can be your strong point.

Also consider looking into skills that assist with the physical "cleaner" duties. When your braking the law on a run, you don't want your bumbling team mates leaving DNA and evidence everywhere. The mages need smudge up their astral signatures, the matrix monkeys have to take care of the data trail but somebody needs to keep an eye on the ol' meatworld evidence your team leaves in its wake.

[ActionReplay]

the group is 1 sorcery focused mage, 1 conjuring focused mage, a face/hacker, a hacker/rigger, a gun specialist, and an unarmed specialist (me).

Not seeing any medtechs in there. Mages can cast heal but that's a drain check and not very easy if you're as loaded with ware as I'm thinking you are. Spells leave traces, a quick bandaging doesn't leave anything you can't clean up quickly. Kaun really hit a lot of good points but I will mention two things I think might be getting overlooked.

Firstly, gear. Plain and simple, it can let you fill a wide variety of roles in the group. Yes, others may be able to do anything you can do in some fields, but can any of them do things as well as you in all those fields? Sometimes you don't need something as overt as a spell or bullet to get past a door. An autopicker gets through much more quietly which is vital on B&E jobs. Whereas the rest of the group isn't likely to get through such a thing silently. Getting into the cleaner role Kaun mentioned, C-Squared cleans up a mess job nicely. You could also have a wide variety of other tools and drugs/chemicals on hand. Freeze foam is a great way for you to keep those you take down immobile if you need them alive.

Secondly, contacts. I know Kaun said it already, but theres a little more I wanted to add to that. Your tech heads got the matrix covered, and your face certainly has it going on with polite society. But what about un-polite society? You aren't a people person, but that's just fine. It puts you closer to other potential contacts. Street gangs, urban brawl teams, pit fighters, janitors, bartenders, organ leggers, etc. You can fill that niche of contacts and get information your group wouldn't have access to otherwise. Sure, your face can show up and throw 20 dice on it. And waste precious time pre-run on something else he could be doing with his other contacts or on the net.

[Weyroc]

Thank you all for the advice, I'll definitely look into the stuff as the game advances. You've all been a lot of help.