[SHadowrun 4e] Best Zip for your Nuyen

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 6:15 am

What's the most cost-and-Essence effective method for moving faster in combat? For example, Init and stat boosts.

Wired Reflexes R3 costs 5 Essence, which is hefty, and does not stack.
Muscle replacements for Reaction are one solution.
Adepts have stat boosting powers.

Longes · Post by **Longes** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:21 am

Increase Reflexes spell. You pay a few BP for the spell and a few BP for the sustaining focus.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:52 am

Synaptic boosters are very essence friendly but quite expensive. They won't get you your 4th IP at chargen, but they do fine for most games I've played in. You also can't combine synaptic boosters with reaction enhancers, so you're taking a minor speed hit (2 less reaction compared to wired 2 + reaction enh. 2) for the reduced essence.

Muscle replacement doens't improve your reaction. However, do be sure to pick up muscle toner while you're out shopping, it's the good half of muscle replacement for a pittance in both essence and nuyen.

If you want to mix in some adept for the temporary reaction boost, that would also speed you up. The improved reflexes powers are a bit overpriced: they're on par with the essence costs for wired reflexes.

That said, what Longes said is right: the increase reflexes spell is a good way to break the initiative system over your knee. It's also an easy way to cheese of some GMs and make samurai players feel small in the pants. I recommend clearing it with the GM.

phlapjackage · Post by **phlapjackage** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:34 am

Drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. Jazz and/or cram. There are no rules saying that drugs don't interact with cyber/magic (iirc) or with each other.

Longes · Post by **Longes** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 10:27 am

If you want to use -ware, then the cheaty way to get Synaptic Boosters 3 at chargen is this:

Take "Genetic Heritage" quality (10BP). It gives you one free genetic modification for free. Your genetic modification of choice is "Animal Features".

Animal Features wrote:Animal features can include any phenotypic modification drawn from normal animal lifeforms. These might include shaggy lion manes, rabbit’s ears, quills instead of hair, tails, claws, and other animal characteristics. Note that such physical alterations do not automatically imbue the subject with animal-like senses or abilities, remaining primarily cosmetic. Full functionality requires much more profound metabolic alterations. Most of the functional changes available through biotech (p. 61) are also possible through transgenic alteration for comparable Essence and nuyen costs but longer treatment times (typically several months).

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:03 pm

Auto-injector with drugs.

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:43 pm

Movement power from a friendly spirit.

Longes · Post by **Longes** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:50 pm

virgil wrote:Movement power from a friendly spirit.

Movement power will make you run very fast, but won't increase your initiative or give you extra actions. If we want to talk speed, then troll with Raptor cyberlegs and skimmer discs plugin can get about 100 meters per turn.

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:03 pm

Longes wrote:Movement power will make you run very fast, but won't increase your initiative or give you extra actions.

sigma999 wrote:What's the most cost-and-Essence effective method for moving faster in combat?

Now, combining the Movement power with skimmer disc troll is certainly a thing to do.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 3:34 pm

In that case, you should get the Celerity trait (I think it's a SURGE trait) for an extra 1.5 multiplier, and play a Centaur rather than a troll.

A SURGEd Centaur with Celerity+Satyr Legs+Skimmer Disks can go up to 300km/h without sprinting (when sprinting it depends if you consider that the multipliers are added on the base movement speed or on the modified movement speed) and without the Movement power.

While you're at it, give him Elongated Limbs and make him a capoeirist for a mighty kick with a +3 reach modifier, but also (and mostly) to see the whole table trying to picture a capoeirist centaur.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:00 pm

Err, don't you mean a Satyr? The Ork Meta Variant with the bent backwards knees?
Or do you really mean the Horse-People for this one?
And, technically, should the Horse-People not already have Satyr-Legs built in?

Also, best Bang for buck is something that technically the game does not want you to do.
Mix and match.
Get some form of cheap bio/cyber initiative enhancement for a bit of a constant boost. Have your Mage-Buddy turn you red to make you go even faster when you have time to prepare for stuff. And when shit hits the fan pop some drugs to go into overdrive. And when the decision is:"him or me" burn edge, go first no matter what.

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 10:22 pm

A friend once made a rich cyborg with backwards knees. He drove a nice sportscar.

The DM recommended he go by code name... "Legs".

It's definitely not move speed I was trying to cheese out but the ability to Called Shot to the forehead with a powerful pistol and repeatedly fire into the same spot each turn.
You know, to spook people.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 11:49 pm

I did something like that as well.
Made an Orkish Razor Girl, maxed out Charisma, Human Looking, gave her the most beautifull set of Cybernetic Legs you could get.
Made her wear either skirts or hot pants. And then had retractable Weapon-Mounts on the legs.
"Panty-Shot! Now in .50 BMG!"
In addition to that, i gave her retractable skates and foot anchors.
Had her work in a 50's style retro caffee where the waitresses skate around.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 6:02 am

Stahlseele wrote:"Panty-Shot! Now in .50 BMG!"

All right, I chuckled. Got a sheet for her?

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:38 am

@Stahlseele: The horse-people one. You can create one with Runner's Companion, and RAW they don't come with Satyr Legs.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 10:35 am

@Silent Wayfarer
Sadly not, no. It's been years ago with at least one HDD crash and one move in between <.<

@Blade
OK, now i actually tried to imagine a Centaur doing Capoeira @.@
But horses already have digitigrade legs, which is what satyr legs are, right?

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 12:05 pm

@Stahlseele: Yes, like the Capoeirist Centaur, it fails the common sense check, but nothing in the rules prevents from doing it.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 3:06 pm

True.

Longes · Post by **Longes** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 6:38 pm

Blade wrote:@Stahlseele: Yes, like the Capoeirist Centaur, it fails the common sense check, but nothing in the rules prevents from doing it.

Lack of rules for making a centaur character sort of does.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 10:45 pm

SR4 had rules for centaurs as far as i remember O.o
Centaur, Ghoul, Were, Pixie, AI, Free Spirit, all there.

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:56 am

Stahlseele wrote:SR4 had rules for centaurs as far as i remember O.o
Centaur, Ghoul, Were, Pixie, AI, Free Spirit, all there.

I have every 4e book, just haven't read them all.
Guess I have a lot of reading to do.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:12 am

Yes, there are rules for playing a Centaur. I think they're in RC, but maybe that's RW.

Ghremdal · Post by **Ghremdal** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:46 am

My cyber characters usually go with alpha wired reflexes II and reaction enhancers II. I think its 3 essence on the dot for +4 reaction and +2 IP, and I believe it is something like 85k nuyen. Perhaps not the cheapest deal, but solid and doesn't require GM approval.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 11:10 am

Which is in it's own right nothing to scoff at.

Otakusensei · Post by **Otakusensei** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 7:36 pm

A little while ago a made a quick and shitty list of pass boosters in 4th ed. and what they cost in BP or karma at start. If my math is right it's a good way to see what the different methods cost you when you gotta go fast.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14yF ... sp=sharing