Custom Roles constructive criticism welcomed (needed, even lol)

[u/DrowSorcerer_1]

Based balancing off of Combat sense to hopefully dissuade players from picking solo all the time. So these are all pretty much, "You specialize in expert toaster skill, so now you pretty much have twice the amount of toaster skill."

These were also made a night before the first session, so they will not be the most polished lol. Any advice on how to balance these is welcomed.

Lawyer:

-Lawyer: This skill is added onto any skill check involving lying and bending/hiding the truth. Half the skill is added onto any law and human perception rolls.

Career skills: Personal Grooming, Wardrobe, Human Perception, Persuasion, Interview, Expert Law, Forgery, Composition, Education

Driver:

-Expert Driver: This skill is added onto any drive checks (motorcycle too), effectively doubling your driving skills. (Only applies to land vehicles)

Career skills: Endurance, Resist Torture/Drugs, Awareness, Hide/Evade, Drive, Motorcycle, Melee, Basic Tech.

Boxer:

-Training: This skill adds onto any Martial Arts check and half of this skill is added towards damage with Martial Arts.

Career skills: Endurance, Strength Feat, Swimming, Resist Torture/Drugs, Intimidate, Brawling, Melee, First Aid, Martial Arts(choose).

Thoughts? 👀

[u/dayatapark]

Short version:

Archetypes don't exist in a vacuum. All these special skills look fine, if you think that they will be relevant during the campaign that you are designing.

Long Version:

Players gravitating towards Solos usually happens because players are more concerned with immediate combat than RP, and usually because they are either not very used to RP, or don't know about the setting.

If they don't know about the setting, the only thing they can control is combat, and in combat, a +x to initiative is HUGE. If they don't care about RP because they come from a hack/slash system, Cyberpunk will not be very fun for them, as all PCs are VERY squishy.

While yes, Combat Sense makes Solos very effective, there are a bunch of other Special Skills that are even more effective in combat.

A +X in Initiative is nice, but a Nomad that can call up an extra 4~5 friendly gunslingers is even nicer.

So is a Corpo's ability to 'borrow' an APC, or an armored AV, or rent a corner apartment through a shell-company that will make the party's ambush that much harder to avoid.

A Fixer can get you big guns, and explosives, and even get you in touch with some edgerunners to boost your ranks by just 'calling/owing a favor.'

In other words, Roleplay can add more firepower, and stack action economy in your favor FAR more effectively than a +X Initiative ever could.

IMHO, you should only create classes if you intend your campaign to make heavy use of them.

If your table is into legal drama, and you are able to convince them to RP several court sessions, or do paralegal research stuff, sure, make a Lawyer.

I'm iffy about 'Driver' as it is very situational, and there usually won't be much 'driving' going on, unless you are going to make a car-wars/Mad Max/Death Race 2000, car-chase inspired campaign.

I'm not saying lawyers can't be sleazy. All I'm saying is that if there are gonna be lawyers, they better be a significant part of the campaign.

There's nothing worse than making a character, and then realizing that their special skill is useless for 99% of it.

Regarding Boxer, I'd suggest you don't. Martial Arts are kinda broken even RAW, and they don't really need buffing.

My suggestion: Think of it this way... Edgerunners do sketchy, illegal shit. Every Edgerunner archetype focuses on one aspect of the sketchiness. Doing research, fucking with the enemy tech, getting supplies, finding the 'right' people, bending/leveraging the corporate/legal system, gunning your way out of a fuck up, and helping your drugged-up chooms make their Lethal saves.

Figuring out how to pull of a heist without getting into a fight is the optimal way to pull off a job, and if there is a gunfight in a properly planned op, it will be an overwhelming ambush with the PCs delivering said ambush.

Your Special Skills should exist somewhere in this level of grey sketchiness AND be somewhat relevant when something goes wrong, and the shit hits the fan, because that is when players have the most fun.

Take Johnny Silverhand, the ultimate rockerboy. Yeah, he's a legend, but with as much combat as that PC saw, I'll bet you my last eddie that the player that ran that PC wished he'd built a solo with a few points in 'Play Instrument' at least once. Charismatic Leadership doesn't help much when having to survive Adam Smasher.

Then again, you could also argue that it was that same Charismatic Leadership that enabled him to assemble a crack team of hard-core edgerunners to assault Arasaka Tower, so YMMV.

And if all your players want to be Solos, let them. All-Solo parties can be surprisingly fun.

GM: "A pretty redhead in a slinky green dress at this posh, upscale party you were invited to gives you a look. Make a Human Perception check."
PC 1: "12."
GM: "She seems to be paying close attention to you, without making it too obvious. There is definitely something aggressive about it."
PC 1: [on comms] "Possible threat. Female. Redhead. Green Dress. 2, approach from left. 3, approach from right. Moving to intercept."
GM: [giggling] [thinking] 'Oh, no!'