-snip-
we're currently lacking in the Face and Matrix departments
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Never fear, for I have a solution to this problem that costs only
25,605 115,605 Nuyen (or 133,605 Nuyen, depending on how your GM rules the Program Carrier to work) and doesn't use up any character build resources (except money)!
Items Required:
Transys Avalon (DR 6 commlink, 5,000)
Stealth Dongle (Rating 6, 108,000)
Add a Module Modification (2 Part Packs (500))
Program Carrier (Contains Rating 6 Agent (p. 246, SR 5), 900)
1 Meter of Microfilament Data Cable (5)
Ace of Spades (p. 60, Run & Gun) (+1 to social tests, 1,000)
Trid Projector (200)
Cheese-Deck Stats:
A: -
S: 6
D: 6
F: 6
Total Number of Matrix Condition Boxes: 11
Agent Stats:
Physical (?) and Mental Attributes: 6
Computer: 6
Hacking: 6
Cyber-Combat: 6
AR Initiative: 12+1d6
Cold-Sim Initiative (with Cheese-Deck): 12+3d6
Hot-Sim Initiative (with Cheese-Deck): 12+4d6
Social Limit: 7 (6)
Extra Abilities:
+1 Die on Social Checks
It has stats that should belong to decks that cost more than a quarter of a million dollars, 6's in all attributes, and 6's in three of the main hacking skills. It can also serve as a face, if necessary, although it's not very good at it.
Yes it can, if you eject the Stealth Dongle from it, insert a Stun Dongle (to make the Commlink count as a weapon) into it, and attach either the bayonet or the underbarrel chainsaw (p. 50, 51, and 53, Run & Gun) to it, the Cheese-Deck can cut things up into a fine mush. Or you could just use it to hack a "normal" blender.
No. There's an Sleaze-equivalent for almost every Attack-based Matrix action, so it's not really needed. If you really want one, though, you can replace the Add a Module mod with an Add an Attribute (Attack) mod.
The base device of the Cheese-Deck is not, in fact, an "actual" cyberdeck; it's actually a DR 6 commlink. Its DR of 6 gives it 6's in Data Processing and Firewall, and the DR 6 Stealth Dongle gives it Sleaze 6. Because it has a Sleaze value, the user of the Commlink can use it to perform hacking Matrix actions that require your device to have a Sleaze value.
The agent is a program, which means that it can be permanently added to a device that has an open Cyberdeck module slot by the Program Carrier. Conveniently, the Add a Module mod gives the Commlink a Cyberdeck module slot. You might need to "coerce" someone with ranks in the Hardware skill to install the Add a Module mod, though.
According to the text in the Program Carrier's description, "{The Program Carrier's} Price includes the program cost.", which means that we can get the agent for free. If your GM houserules that you still have to pay for the agent, the Cheese-Deck will still be creatable- it'll just be 18,000 Nuyen more expensive and be unable to be created at chargen (unless you use a Rating 4 agent).
According to the entry for agents in SR 5, their attributes are equal to their rating. This means that our agent has a Charisma and social limit of 6, which is pretty decent for a face. Sadly, it lacks any social skills, so it takes a -1 penalty on all actions that require the use of a social skill. By draping an Ace of Spades (a brand of clothing from Run & Gun) over the Cheese-Deck and activating its Wireless ability, the agent will get a +1 to social skills and his social limit, which conveniently negates the penalty for not having social skills. The trid projector allows the agent to manifest an image of itself in the physical world, which helps it communicate with others.
The data cable helps add to the Cheese-Deck's Cyberdeck disguise, but is optional.
I do not deny that the Cheese-Deck is quite a bit above the standard power-level. However, if your group lacks a decker and/or a face, the Cheese-Deck shouldn't step on any PC's toes. If the party lacks a Decker, the GM remembers to enforce the rules for the agent's pilot-program-level intelligence (p. 269, SR 5), and the players and GM make (and uphold) a gentleman's agreement to not abuse the Cheese-Deck's low price, the Cheese-Deck shouldn't rock the boat too much.
Open your SR 5 book to page 440. Look at the description for stealth tags. Stealth tags (which cost only 10 Nuyen) come with stats of A: -, S: 3, D: 3, and F: 3, which means that you could theoretically replace the Commlink and the Stealth Dongle with one of them, losing 3 points from all of the Cheese Deck's (but not the agent's) attributes, but saving a whopping 113,000 Nuyen from the standard Cheese-Deck. This means that a stealth tag-based Cheese-Deck would cost a ludicrous 2,615 Nuyen (1,145 Nuyen if you remove the Ace of Spades and trid projector).
Note: In case it wasn't already obvious, the stealth tag-based Cheese-Deck is both game-shatteringly overpowered and blatantly against the fluff of stealth tags, and should never be used in anything resembling normal gameplay.
As the creator of this idea (hopefully; I haven't checked the Internet to see if I'm the first to come up with this idea (yet)), I call dibs on creating/obtaining/owning the first Cheese-Deck that our party gets, if we are allowed to have one.