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Maximizing a skill

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Mon, 2011-04-04 14:50

DataPacRat DataPacRat's picture

Maximizing a skill

Looking at things from a somewhat munchkin POV for a bit... how many tricks are there in EP to maximize the odds of succeeding at a skill roll? For something to start with - let's say that Our Munchkin Protagonist, one DPR, wants to be as sure as transhumanly possible to be able to anonymize some of er traffic. And let's say that 'anonymization' is a specialization of Infosec. One thing that comes to mind - during character creation, you can't buy a skill at higher than 80... but skill levels depend on aptitudes, which can depend on the aptitude max of a given morph. So if you start with a Remade and COG of 40, you can buy 40 points to increase a COG-based skill; but if you're in a Case, with a max COG of 20, you can buy 60 points of a skill. (This being aside from paying 10CP to gain Expert for the skill, or 5 CP for a specialization.) So if a character has a Case morph that limits his COG, can he then buy a skill of 80 in Infosec... and then swap into another morph with a higher apt max? Would a reasonably related Academics skill count as Complementary skill, to add up to a +30 bonus? There are certain ways in which a skill can be reduced, such as -10 for using an ecto - would it be possible to try to get a 'higher than 99' skill (either directly, or through bonuses), so that even after such penalties are taken into account, the skill (or at least the specialization) remains maxed out? etc, etc?

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Thank you for your time,

Mon, 2011-04-04 15:00

Yerameyahu Yerameyahu's picture

Re: Maximizing a skill

If your skill raises by changing morphs, you have to pay for it in Rez, and it follows any existing cap/limit rules. I'm not aware that you can buy more skill points than the limit because of an Apt Maximum, though. Complementary is entirely GM whim. :) You definitely can't have more than 99 'real skill' (90 at chargen, don't forget the time penalties for raising with Rez). You can have bonuses, but they have their own cap (+60?).

Mon, 2011-04-04 16:14

CodeBreaker CodeBreaker's picture

Re: Maximizing a skill

Infosec is one of the easiest skills to Max at character generation, or at least very soon after character generation. There are multiple routes you can take. You can go Infosec super-hacker/offspec for an extremely flexible mesh character who can also excel at a different “class”. You can go Psi super-hacker to max out your COG and get massive reductions on your hack attempts. Or you can just go plain Jane hacker who uses every bonus they can grab. Maxing out Infosec at char-gen using a normal character. Starts with COG 20 using free points. Takes Isolate and Titanian, puts +30 points into Infosec Buys his way to 80 Infosec using 50CP Buys Infosec Expert using 10CP Buys his way to 90 Infosec using 20CP Buys his specialization using 5CP Bam. You have an effective Infosec skill of 100(99) for any action using your specialization. That is before adding the 10COG if you use a Menton, which will give you an effective Infosec skill of 110 (Including bonuses) and an actual Infosec skill of 99. After the game starts it begins to get silly. You buy three Ghostrider Modules at character generation, and the first thing you do is fork 3 good Betas and sleeve them into the Modules. They are dedicated assistants and do nothing but focus their actions on helping you. When you need to do multiple hacks at once they also have an effective Infosec skill of 70 when using your specialization. Then you begin custom programming your own software to +30 using the Elite Hack rules. Then you find yourself a good supplier of either Drive or its Narcoalgorithm equivalent. Congratulations, you now have an effective Infosec skill of 160(170) while using Infosec with your specialization. All quite easily doable maybe a week after character generation, if you use a Simulspace to do your programming. You don't even need to rely on pushing your Infosec up with Rez points. You are literally as effective as you ever can be, not including bonuses.

Quote:
If your skill raises by changing morphs, you have to pay for it in Rez, and it follows any existing cap/limit rules.

Erm... what? No you don't. If a character with 20 COG sleeves into Menton, they do not have to pay 50 odd Rez to have all their COG linked skills increase by 10.

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Mon, 2011-04-04 16:50

Googleshng Googleshng's picture

Re: Maximizing a skill

Yeah, the rules are pretty darn clear that all starting skill costs are worked out completely independent of morphs. The only time you have to suddenly pay rez to cover skills being pushed up by a stat increase is when you're spending rez to increase your actual base stats in such a way that the skills are getting bumped over the 60/80 marks. Even your starting morph's bonuses let you exceed what's otherwise the starting caps. Morphs are essentially bonus providing equipment. So yeah, if you pay for 80 points between your base stat and extra skill points, and you have a morph which ups that gives +20 to that stat (and has a high enough stat cap you can actually benefit there), you can only fail on a 99 assuming no penalties. And you can just start with that morph, no having to do weird switching around after creation. This of course also means that no, it isn't any cheaper buying skills up if you pick a morph with stat caps lower than your actual stats. You pay for it up to 80, then your lowered cap has you using it at 70 (or 60 I guess). You've just got the extra potential that'll kick in for you if you can ditch your current morph limits. And yeah, I would assume all bonuses and penalties (whether situational or from equipment/morphs) are calculated at the same time, so if you really minmaxed it, with a totally maxed out skill, specialization, morph bonus to the stat, superior equipment, and bonus granting drugs, you could still conceivably succeed at something with a 98 under conditions where there's a -20 or so penalty from environmental conditions. You'd never count your skill as higher than 98 after applying bonuses/penalties for margin-of-success based stuff though.

Mon, 2011-04-04 21:05

Yerameyahu Yerameyahu's picture

Re: Maximizing a skill

Oh, that's right, google. :) I can't keep the insane apt/morph/skill rules straight. The point is that you can't use morph-switching to game the limits, though.