First ever Shadowrun (5e) Character

[Feint's End]

I'll be joining my very first Shadowrun Game soon and since I've never played this game before I thought I'd turn to you wise people for some help.

The current group is a Human focusing on spells (I think he picked priority B for them and priority A for attributes) and a fightery dwarf (nothing special but good skills, attributes and meta).

The DM informed me the group is lacking any sort of person to work in the Matrix so I thought about filling this niche. However there are several ways.

I definitely wanna play a metahuman so take this into consideration when suggesting something.

Thus far I have two ideas. The first is an Elf Technomancer who has kept his abilities hidden thus far. Rich family but currently in a clinch (lowest money class), also very good education and can handle a pistole. While covering the hacker role, this character also has decent social skills.

The second is an Adept (open to both ranged and melee). Not too sure on this one. A to attributes, B to casting, C to skills, D to race (elf) and E to money probably?

I'm open to all suggestions even if those aren't in any way related to the 2 ideas above.

If it makes any difference the campaign is set in Berlin and we use the Streetrunner Karma and money (another reason to give money the least priority).

Thanks for helping!

[Thoa]

Well the Ideas sound solid.
But i have to warn you to play a technomancher in your first game. (I assume you havent played Shadowrun before)
My usual group has some years of expierience and we never really used Matrix rules. In 5e its more possible but still a little difficult.

What i try to say is: When playing a character build for the matrix you have to learn all new rules for combat (which you need for movement and actions and everything, and this would have been the stuff needed for an adept) and you need to learn the matrix rules, and on top of that you need to learn the technomancer matrix rules. So as you seem to be the new guy at the table you will have to use the most rules. Doesn´t sound fun to me.

But thats yust my two cents.

Maybe i can tell you things about your characters tomorrow. But i don´t know the streetrunner char generation rules.

[Feint's End]

Thanks for the input thus far.

The streetrunner rules just reduce your karma at the start of the game (to 13) and the money is less than on the original priority table (I think 76000 is the highest while 6000 is still the lowest).

Otherwise I agree with you. I'm not sure I can (or want to)handle that many rules at once since I haven't played the system before. Maybe it would be smarter to start of as an adept with some capability in this area. Problem is that Adepts aren't really good for receiving bodily upgrades due to Essence loss (if I got this correctly). So can I still do some decent hacking without receiving any unnatural components?

Thanks for helping me. Btw I'm not sure I use all terms correctly (just glossed over most sections really) so some things I say might not make sense.

[Anonymouswizard]

If you're going matrix you have two options, either a technomancer or a decker. The problem is that if you want to play a decker you need a good cyberdeck, and unless you can convince the others to help you steal one than with street level play it isn't an option.

Adept-decker is not a good idea, but not actually due to the essence problem (all you need is a datajack, it's suboptimal but still viable). There are no adept powers in the codebook that benefit a decker (I don't know about Street Grimoire), so being an adept is slightly pointless.

Also, bare in mind that Technomancers want high mental Attributes. It may be a good idea to go A attributes and B resonance, although the other way round should work.

Bare in mind that a lack of money is a lot less of an issue for magic-users and technomancers, due to their lack of need for expensive cyberwear.

[Thoa]

You should also know, that Shadowrun rewards specialities. You usually want to be as good as you can in your field.

On a Streetrunner level i would try to go technomancer if you really want to fill out the matrix role.

And what Anonymous said.

[Feint's End]

So what I get thus far is that for my group the best to fill the lacking role(s) is a Technomancer but it's also the most complicated option. What a situation that is

I can tell you what I have thus far IIRC (it's a Technomancer):

Metahuman: Priority D (Elf), Attributes: B, Special: A (Technomancer), Skills: C, Money: E

Attributes: Con 3, Dex 5, Reaction 4, Str 2, Wil 3, Log 5, Int 4, Cha 5, Edge 1 ; Essence and Resonance both 6

Skills: 2 points into the social group, 3 points in each of the Technomancer skills, 3 points in each of the hacking skills, 4 points in each pistols and unarmed combat, 2 points in the skill to talk people into stuff (forgot the name)

Advantages: Combat Style (Gun Kata) 7 Karma, Two Native Languages 5 Karma
Disadvantages: Sticks out (also don't know name ... + 5 Karma)

Knowledge Skills: a bit of economy (backstory) mixed with music + gangs of seoul (my character is korean)
Languages: Korean M, English M, German 6

Gear: 2 Pistols (1 for 320 and 1 for 870 ... for both hidden and fighting missions), 1 suit (which is also an armorrating 12 armor ... very rare item but I could take it because of backstory and my disadvantage), cheapest com thingy (100), lower class living, some munition

no SIN

I think I got everything.

[Lord Torath]

I'd talk to the GM about the concerns you have about being the newbie and running the most complex character. Tell him you're a little uncomfortable trying to run a technomancer. Since he says the group needs a matrix guy, he may be willing to cut you some slack and let you build a decker with a half-way decent starting deck. Or maybe he'll let you find a decent deck in your first run. If he says "no," tell him you'll build a physical adept instead, and ignore the matrix.

[TheCountAlucard]

No SIN? Not even a fake one?

Even buses and libraries run SIN checks; you want to get your hands on at least a couple of fakes.

Also I rarely make characters without investing another point into Edge. It's too useful to ignore completely.

Last but not least, you might ask the GM about how he intends to run with the prejudice against technomancers. It's a good idea to carry around a fake cyberdeck just in case, so you can explain away your hacking if need be.

[Feint's End]

I'd talk to the GM about the concerns you have about being the newbie and running the most complex character. Tell him you're a little uncomfortable trying to run a technomancer. Since he says the group needs a matrix guy, he may be willing to cut you some slack and let you build a decker with a half-way decent starting deck. Or maybe he'll let you find a decent deck in your first run. If he says "no," tell him you'll build a physical adept instead, and ignore the matrix.

Well tbh it was my idea to begin with ... its not like he forced me to run one.
I only later realised it probably is too much work for me as a beginner. I could ask him if I could start with another character and potentially later reroll a technomancer

No SIN? Not even a fake one?

Even buses and libraries run SIN checks; you want to get your hands on at least a couple of fakes.

Also I rarely make characters without investing another point into Edge. It's too useful to ignore completely.

Last but not least, you might ask the GM about how he intends to run with the prejudice against technomancers. It's a good idea to carry around a fake cyberdeck just in case, so you can explain away your hacking if need be.

I acknowledge these things yeah. The character I had in mind didn't really work as a technomancer yet and wouldn't tell his new teammates right away. Think rich Asian capitalist for whom his technomancer ability is merely a hidden talent.

Well I had another idea. Playing the kind of business person who also can handle themselves in a fight. Distribution here would allow for more money too (like a C priority maybe). Kind of like that one socialiser in the archetype section. No magic or technomancy.
Since skills would be probably the B priority I could invest some in hacking skills.

[Demotivated]

I should also point out that as a Priority A Technomancer you get two resonance skills at rating 5, which means that the points you have invested in them will allow you to have all three at rating 6 with one skill point left over.

[Feint's End]

I should also point out that as a Priority A Technomancer you get two resonance skills at rating 5, which means that the points you have invested in them will allow you to have all three at rating 6 with one skill point left over.

Oh thank you ... I haven't looked that close at that part yet :).

Any suggestions on good complex forms for technomancers?

[Feint's End]

Alright I talked to the DM again and he isn't really willing to let me start with a good deck (I would have to work for it). So it comes down to being a Technomancer or a poor Decker (not really an option as far as I'm concerned :D).

After reading through the book there seems to be 2 roles missing. Hacker of sorts and a Rigger.

What do you think is more important to have in a team? As far as I can tell the Rigger seems to be less crucial than having a good Hacker.

[TheCountAlucard]

Deckers and riggers are actually startlingly similar. The skillset's not quite identical, nor the desired array of Attributes, but they're close enough that one can usually cover the role of the other.

That said, hacking is the more essential role; drones and vehicles are badass, believe me, but hackers are necessary.

[Feint's End]

Deckers and riggers are actually startlingly similar. The skillset's not quite identical, nor the desired array of Attributes, but they're close enough that one can usually cover the role of the other.

That said, hacking is the more essential role; drones and vehicles are badass, believe me, but hackers are necessary.

Well as far as I can tell Hackers are way more necessary than riggers. Without a technomancer or decker you are pretty much defenseless against attacks from the matrix(as long as you have any form of connection... but then again who doesn't). So hacker >>>>> rigger.

We will get another player who will fill the role I don't pick. So if I go hacker of any sorts he will do rigger and the other way around.


I really wanna play an adept but it would be so great if we had the full 4 man team. Decisions over decisions.... I think I will just stick with the technomancer for my team's sake :/.

Thanks for all the feedback.