Shadow run help and how to spend my money

[Demons_eye]

Hello all, I am joining a shadowrun game soon. It will be with one other player besides me and he wishes to go 'shooter' type. I planned on going with anything else and the DM, or is it SM, suggested a rigger. This is where I need help: making sure my character is solid and buying things. The DM/SM is new to the system, as is everyone else, so I wish to make my character simple as possible.

The concept is an Aztech CO's son that left after his mothers death. He join with the other after treading the streets for a month and they became good friends. He is a smart human that is really luck and his goal in life to to try and take down Aztech because they caused his mothers death.

Character as followed- 400 BP

Stats:-225

Body:3
Agility:3
Reaction:2
Strength:1
Charisma:2
Intuition:5
Logic:5
Will Power:3
Edge:7
Essence:6
Initiative:7
Magic:0
Resonance:0

Active Skills:-120

Unarmed Combat:4
Armorer:4
Cracking Skill Group:2
Demolition:2
Electronic Skill Group:2
Mechanic Skill Group:2
Stealth Skill Group:2

Knowledge Skills:-30 (Free)

Aztec:6
Chemistry:6
Engineering:6
History:6
Literature:6

Quality:

(Positive)
High Pain Tolerance(5)
Photographic Memory (10)
Quick Healer(10)
Toughness(10)

(Negative)
Allergy (Uncommon, Moderate, 10)
Astral Bacon(5)
SINer(10)
Spirit Bane(10)

Money: 50 BP- 250,000Y


Weapon: Shock Gloves: 200Y
Armor: Chameleon Suit (Shock Frills, Thermal Damping Rank 4): 10200Y
Vehicle: Suzuki Mirage: 6500Y
Drones: One of Each: 27700Y


So unless I miscounted I have 205400Y and 5 BP left. What should I get?

[Demons_eye]

Shameless self bump

[tyckspoon]

I'm not that familiar with Shadowrun, so these won't be specific, but- as a rigger, you should probably have a spare vehicle and some backup drones. Some kind of gun and modest level of related skill would be a good idea, even if you don't intend to use it often. And you don't have any cyberware listed- there's almost certainly something useful for your character you could have installed.

[Demons_eye]

I'm not that familiar with Shadowrun, so these won't be specific, but- as a rigger, you should probably have a spare vehicle and some backup drones. Some kind of gun and modest level of related skill would be a good idea, even if you don't intend to use it often. And you don't have any cyberware listed- there's almost certainly something useful for your character you could have installed.

Hmmm thanks but for variuos fluff reasons he wont use a gun or cyberware. I have ranks in 18 skills so what is a modest set of skills? Will get a new vehicle and more drones now.

[Zen Master]

Hmmm thanks but for variuos fluff reasons he wont use a gun or cyberware. I have ranks in 18 skills so what is a modest set of skills? Will get a new vehicle and more drones now.

Um - come again? You're playing a rigger, but don't want cyberware?

You're like physically linked to your vehicle. You should be cybered to the eyeballs. Um - not that I want to tell you how to play your character or anything, but really ... the class you play is sort of the Tech Priest of Shadowrun.

[Demons_eye]

Um - come again? You're playing a rigger, but don't want cyberware?

You're like physically linked to your vehicle. You should be cybered to the eyeballs. Um - not that I want to tell you how to play your character or anything, but really ... the class you play is sort of the Tech Priest of Shadowrun.

From what I was told it was basically a person that made things and upgraded weapons and armor. Do I need to have cyberware to use drones and vehicles?

[Poil]

Does the no to cyberware extend to bioware too? Because if you're not going to use magic or resonance there's no reason not to get any. Bioware offers superior stuff for less essence, doesn't show up on metal scanners but at a higher cost. Instead of replacing parts like cyberware bioware improves parts of your body in case it's that part your character disapproves of.

I'm not an expert on Shadowrun, but my group is full of compulsive power gamers so I've picked up a few things.

-Bioware is awesome and so is cyberware.
-Your reaction is way too low. It's your number one stat to avoid taking damage and boosts your initiative.
-You won't be able to hit anything but weak mooks with so few dice in combat. But if you're going to use drones that's not too critical.
-Use specializations on skills, the +2 is both great and cheap.
-Good that you're using electricity damage.
-You have no dodge and lousy reaction, if you're in a combat position where you can't use stealth you'll die for sure if you run out of edge.
-You have no way to see in bad lightning, if you don't get cybereyes a pair of glasses with low light or thermal vision will help.
-Pilot Ground Craft is great if you wish to drive things like cars.
-Do you have a skill to pilot your drones? The higher the better.

I've never played a rigger so I'm not sure how it works in detail.

Also; adepts, magicians and mystic adepts are overpowered like crazy so take them out first.

[Demons_eye]

Good advice

Hmmmmm....... This is both enlightening and troublesome. Everyone is new to the system so I dont want to get 'power gamer' level but I do wish not to die.

He does not wish to replace any part of his original body if he cant help it. So unless some one cut off his arm he sticks with his normal one. He also does not use implants. As for bioware if it does not replace anything than that will work.

[Tokiko Mima]

(Negative)
Allergy (Uncommon, Moderate, 10)
Astral Bacon(5)
SINer(10)
Spirit Bane(10)

Mmm... delicious Astral Bacon....

You haven't bought any contacts, and I would expect you would have some high placed one, given your background. SR4 strongly recommends you have at least two. Also, you don't need to spend 50 BP on gear, that's just the max.

[Poil]

Hmmmmm....... This is both enlightening and troublesome. Everyone is new to the system so I dont want to get 'power gamer' level but I do wish not to die.

He does not wish to replace any part of his original body if he cant help it. So unless some one cut off his arm he sticks with his normal one. He also does not use implants. As for bioware if it does not replace anything than that will work.

Well if you're going to sit back and use drones you'll be pretty safe but then again safe is boring.

You can think of bioware as upgrading parts of your body. It can't integrate with drones, vehicles or equipment the way cyberware can but it does offer some very good stuff. Also, read through the section in the book about spending edge until you know it all by heart. Since you spent so many points in it you don't want to forget using it.

[Demons_eye]

Mmm... delicious Astral Bacon....

You haven't bought any contacts, and I would expect you would have some high placed one, given your background. SR4 strongly recommends you have at least two. Also, you don't need to spend 50 BP on gear, that's just the max.

Thanks I knew I would miss something

Well if you're going to sit back and use drones you'll be pretty safe but then again safe is boring.

You can think of bioware as upgrading parts of your body. It can't integrate with drones, vehicles or equipment the way cyberware can but it does offer some very good stuff. Also, read through the section in the book about spending edge until you know it all by heart. Since you spent so many points in it you don't want to forget using it.

Is there a watch or something that I can use to control my stuff? I have looked but I can not find one.

[Poil]

Is there a watch or something that I can use to control my stuff? I have looked but I can not find one.

I think you can run most things through a comlink but I have no experience using drones, sorry. Try pages 238-240 in the corebook. Though you might need to dig around more in it.

[tyckspoon]

You should be able to run remotes in basically the way they are now, with a joystick/keyboard and a Wifi or radio-analogue link; it'd just be considered hilariously old-fashioned in Shadowrun, and you'd be at a significant disadvantage compared to people guiding their devices through cyberware.

[Poil]

Maybe some sort of VI interface helmet/goggles thing, but I'm not sure on the rules regarding it.

[RandomEncounter]

If you don't want cyberware you could just be a tecnomancer, I'm pretty sure they can rig, but not positive. You can do every thing on a comlink with out cyberware or magic, just get a top of the line one, then you can also get a variety of drones and cyberware.

[Raum]

You may want to go back and look at the character archetypes again. Riggers 'jack' into and control vehicles, systems, and machines like Deckers / Hackers do with computers. It will take at least some voluntary cyberware.

If you want to play a character without cyberware, I'd suggest one of the magic-based archetypes - mage, shaman, adept, etc.

[Demons_eye]

You may want to go back and look at the character archetypes again. Riggers 'jack' into and control vehicles, systems, and machines like Deckers / Hackers do with computers. It will take at least some voluntary cyberware.

If you want to play a character without cyberware, I'd suggest one of the magic-based archetypes - mage, shaman, adept, etc.

Never read the archetypes, DM said "One game I played had a rigger. He made drones, little robots, and made weapons and armor."

Might just go with a magic user then....

[comicshorse]

Never read the archetypes

Read the Archetypes !

As said Riggers control vehicles ( great as get-away drivers) and Drones ( good for re-con or combat where you don't get shot at)

Full Magic users do Healing, spells ( these can do pretty much anything ), Astral re-con and spirit summoning. Magic users are royally screwed over by cyberware, so a character determined not to have any would make sense as a Mage

[Poil]

By the way which books do you have access to? If you're going to switch to playing a mage Street Magic is pretty awesome to have.

The secret to playing a mage is to max out your drain resistance. You won't regret it. Even if you do have to play an elf. Just watch out so you don't abuse overcasting with manabolts too much or your dm will start to ban things.

[Tehnar]

I would say that a rigger is one of the most complicated character types you can play in shadowrun. I would suggest you try with something simpler, such as a Street Samurai or a Face for your first game. A mage is a good choice too if you don't like to micromanage your gear.


If you are set on playing a rigger, I can give a few pointers. Im not a expert by any means, but here is a rigger character I made up a while ago.

Spoiler

Show

Mac, SIN Matthew Horton
Human
Nuyen: 1100-5-30 -500
Karma: 3

Atributes (200)
STR 2
AGI 3
REA 4 (7)
BOD 3

INT 3
WIll 3
CHA 3
LOG 4 (6)

EDGE 5

Essence: 2.0

Initiative 10 IP 2
Matrix 8 (9 hot) IP 2(3 hot)

Physical track 10
Stun track 10

Contacts (9 bp)
Gary the Fixer (dwaf) (loyalty 2 / connection 3)
Local law enforcement deputy John Oldman (human) (loyalty 2/ connection 2)

Advantages + Disadvantages
In Debt (-5)
Mild Alcohol Addiction (-5)
Lost Loved One (-5)
Unlucky (-20)

Skills (176)

Armorer 3 (12)
LongArms 2 (8)
Pilot (Groundcraft) 3 (12)
Pilot (Aircraft) 1 (4)
Pilot (Watercraft) 1 (4)
Pilot (Anthroform) 3 (12)
Con 1 (4)
Negotiation 1 (4)
Gunnery 5 (20)
Mechanic group 3 (30)
Electronics group 3 (30)
Electronic Warfare 4 (16)
Hacking 1 (4)
Cybercombat 1 (4)
Perception 2 (8)
Infiltration 1 (4)

Knowledge Skills
Doc Wagon HTR operations (proffesional)4
Hard Drinks (Whiskey, Votka...) (interests) 5
Cigars 4
NE UCAS smuggling routes 3
Cameras and other Optical sensors 2
Proffesional Vehicles 5 (ambulances, riot vehicles, garbage trucks)
Criminal Organizations: Vory 3

Languages
English N
Russian 3


Gear: 254,540 (50 bp + 5,000)

Personal 21,660
Lined Coat 700
Franchi Spas-22 1,250
400 normal Ares LMG rounds 800
50 normal shotgun rounds 100
Goggles 600
low light
image link
flare compesation
smartlink
Earbuds 910
audio enhancement 3 300
select sound system 3 600
Tag Eraser 150
Subvocal Microphone 50
Automotive Shop 5,000
Drone Shop 5,000
Electronic's Kit
Fake SIN rating 4 4000
Fake Liscence (all rating 4) 1600
ambulance
shotgun
reaction boosters
wired relfexes
Poor lifestyle (1 month)
Lifejacket
Sony Emperor Comlink with Renraku Itchi and Basic package common use
[response 2, signal 3, firewall 2, system 2]
Rating 6 mapsoft (world)
AR specs of Crest and Slyph boats (+1 to installation do it yourself).


Vehicles 85,800
DocWagon SRT ambulance 65,000
+2,500 rigger adaptation
+chameleon coating 14,000 2
+anti theft system 2,800
+morphing liscence plate 500
+spoof chips 1,000
valkyrie module
large drone rack

Drones 23,950

2 x Nissan Dobermans 2x3000 (total 12,200)
[handl 0, accel 10/25, speed 75, body 3, armor 6]
[sensors 6, pilot 3, response 4, system 4, firewall 4, signal 4]
+ Ares MP LMG 2x1500 [6P, -1 AP, BF/FA, 3 RC]
+ Gecko Tips 300
Sensors
rating 6 camera 600
w/ flare compesation 50
thermographic 100
low light 100
laser range finder 100
motion sensor 50
rating 6 microphone 300


Renraku StormCloud (medium) 2,600 (total: 10,750)
[sensors 6 spying, sensor 3 normal, signal 5][other attributes at 3, comes with clearsight autosofts rank 3]
+Improved Sensor Array 1,000
+signal boosted to 5 1,000
+chameleon coating 3,000
Sensors
Atmosphere sensor 2 50
3 camera (front, back and top, no upgrades) 300
Directional Microphone 50
Laser Range Finder 100
1st bottom rating 6 camera 600
vision enhancement 3 300
vision magnification 100
low light 100
flare compessation 50
2nd bottom rating 6 camera 600
vision enhancement 3 300
vision magnification 100
thermographic 500



Shiwase Kanmushi (microdrone) 1,000


Augumentation (76,000; 4.0 essence)
Reaction enhancers 2 0.6 20,000
Wired Reflexes 1 2.0 11,000
Cerebral Booster 2 0.4 20,000
Integrated comlink 0.2 (Firewall 5, System 5, Signal 5, Response 5) = 10,000
Control Rig 0.5 10,000
Hot Sim modified Sim module 0.2 5000
DataJack 0.1 500


Programs 45,500

Common Use (3,500)
Analyze 5 500
Browse 5 500
Command 5 500
Edit 5 500
Encrypt 5 500
Reality Filter 5 500
Scan 5 500

Hacking
Armor 3 1,500
Attack 3 1,500
BioFeedback Filter 5 5,000
Decrypt 5 5,000
ECCM 5 5,000
Medic 3 1,500
Sniffer 5 5,000
Spoof 5 5,000
Stealth 3 1,500
Track 5 5,000

Autosofts 4,500
Maneuver (Doberman) rating 3 1,500 x2
Maneuver (StormCloud) rating 3 1,500
Maneuver (Doc Wagon SRT ambulance) rating 3 1,500

[a_humble_lich]

A couple things.

First, it is completely possible to be a rigger without cyberware, although you won't be as powerful as one who does. You can use your commlink to control vehicles as long as you have 'trodes and a simsense module so you can go VR. The control link cyberware helps but is by no means necessary.

Second, As someone else said, rigger can be complicated, as you have to do hacking type actions as well as have drones, vehicles, etc. Are you sure you don't want a nice simple street sam or merc?

Another option (which will start getting expensive and complicated), is to consider being a technomancer or adept. As an adept you could buy just a few levels of magic and use them for "increased [skill]" which you could then use to increase you rigger type skills. This could make you more competitive with people all wired up.

As for what to buy......You will want a good commlink with lots of programs (look at the hacker and rigger sample characters for ideas), several tool shops (each mechanic skill uses different tools), a couple fake SINs are good, nightvision glasses. Vans are always useful since as the rigger the rest of the party will try to bum rides off you :-)

What you have so far is interesting. It looks more like what I would call a mechanic. You may want some pilot skills. Gunner could also be useful (although I know you said you don't want to use guns). If you have the Arsenal Book they have rules there for modifying equipment which you might want to look at.

(Also, I believe only magic characters can take astral beacon, and if you don't want cyberware you might consider the sensitive system quality)