Social/Face Starting Build Help

[jlaflair]

Hi all,

Having finished DMS and Dragonfall, I'm looking now to get started with Hong Kong. I've read that charisma and etiquettes see far more use this time around, so I'm trying to put together a social/face build. Can anyone offer some guidance for starting attributes and abilities that might work for this, please?

I was thinking an elf, and a shaman makes sense (though maybe a dip into mage would also be good?) for this. Beyond that, any help would be welcome! I understand I may not be a powerhouse by focusing on the social route over the fighting route, and I'm OK with that.

Thanks!

[jlaflair]

I was looking at a Dove shaman, so I would certainly want to make use of spirits. Just feels wrong to play a shaman who doesn't summon spirits, anyway, as an old PnP player of the game. ;)

I'm just having trouble deciding what amounts to put where at this point, for the starting build. That I would want a high charisma for this is obvious, but I think I read somewhere that Intelligence is also checked at times for dialogue choices? And I have given some small consideration to dipping into Will and Int for Mage spells to give my shaman some offensive options.

But, remaining pure shaman and focusing on my social build might be best.

[dwarfpcfan]

Face/mage is probably my favorite build in all of the games. For hong kong, just get your charisma up to 7 then pump up spellcasting, body and agility (plus dodge) with just enough intelligence to have all the requisite for the best spells. By the end of the main campaign my my character has shadowrunner, academic, gang etiquettes. Gets me through most conversations.

[conjurerdragon]

On my charismatic Melee Troll I raised CHA to the racial maximum + the body pheromones that give +1. Did chose Gang (after all the Yellow Lotus, Red Dragon and the triads you have to deal with are numerous), Corporate and Shadowrunner. And found out that in one of the missions you have only the choice to get a code (by having high CHA AND spellcasting OR conjuring OR Academic etiquette) or have to fight the security on that floor.
After finishing the game I’m going to play something else and after a few weeks I might start a demagogic Dwarf.

[jlaflair]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the advice! My build will have to grow, but here's what I'm looking at for the start of my social/face character. Any good? Tweaks?

Race: Elf
Totem: Dove

Body 3
- Cyberware Affinity 2

Quickness 2
- Dodge 2

Strength 1

Intelligence 3
- Biotech 1

Willpower 3
- Spellcasting 2

Charisma 5
- Conjuring 4
- Spirit Summoning 3

[dwarfpcfan]

I'd forget the cyberware affinity (are any cyberware really, mages/shamans don't need or really benefit ffrom it) save the BP and instead get your willpower and spellcasting up

[jlaflair]

I'll give that a try (thought there might be *some* use for the +1 Essence, even if wired reflexes or something). Added Willpower and Spellcasting mostly for added mage spell functionality, but I will focusing more on Conjuring and spirits.

Next challenge is taking that build and figuring out what my number goals need to be in order to be a successful social/face build through the game.

[dwarfpcfan]

The 3 etiquettes that come up the most are shadowrunner, academic and gang. Shadowrunner helps with a lot of missions. Academic unlocks a bunch of options when discussing with your party members, especially Ricter. Gang helps in a bunch of missions and opens up dialogues dealing with the yellow lotus. Charisma 7 is the target as it makes the mission in Tsang tower a lot easier by allowing you to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ a bunch of people you cross paths with and avoiding all fighting until you get to unlocking your uncle.

[di eshor ribly]

Probably one of the most fun builds I've tried was a hybrid cyber-mage/shaman Face, but it took a solid plan to pull off right.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=706470331

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=706470128

I took Dove totem, and my cyber was the Jolt Alert (for stun defense), magnetic arm (for grenade defense), and the mono-filament whip. Most of her time was spent stripping armor from enemies while her spirits softened them up for the rest of the team to deal with. Just be aware that a build like this will mean that you are broke for 99% of the game.

[jlaflair]

I actually just finished the base campaign yesterday and the build worked out well!

Things were difficult at first due to my focusing on Charisma almost to the exclusion of all else, but I managed to squeeze in most useful etiquettes quickly. The build snowballed from there as I increased Conjuring and spirit use, and eventually added in Willpower and Sorcery. When I could, I added to Body and Quickness/Dodge for survivability, but left Strength at 1. Also raised Intelligence and Biotech, as that provides some helpful dialogue options in addition to healing better with kits. For implants, I took Tailored Pheromones and JoltAlert, but never invested enough into the skill to have anything which costs Essence.

As you say, it was a bit broken. I was able to walk through many of the runs just by talking. Kind of the point of the build, so it was a success in that sense, but probably also robbed me of some excitement! When there were fights, I was great support and not bad offensively, crazy powerful on a good dragon line. I might make a sword-wielding street samurai or something for my second go through. Mix up my choices and all.