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Character Build: The Neuromancer (FO4)

Tags: #Fallout 4 Build  #Character Build Sharpshooter  #Character Build Enhanced  #Character Build Infiltrator 
  • Member
    September 28, 2016

     

     The Neuromancer 

     

    ##Neuromancer [neu-ro-man-cer] - Noun.

    >>Definition: an individual trained in neuromancy; Neuromancy (not to be confused with necromancy) is the practice of altering one's perception through sheer willpower via telepathy.

    >>Class Type: Telepathic & Telekinetic Sniper.

    >>Inspiration: Nova / Terran Ghost unit (Starcraft); Velvet Assassin.

    ##There I was watching some guy on youtube play Starcraft's latest Nova Covert Ops mission pack - a mini campaign story about an infiltrator with psionic abilities (a.k.a. Ghost) going by the name of, you guessed it, Nova. As I watched, I grew more and more saddened because of the never released Starcraft: Ghost stealth shooter game... until one thought crossed my mind. What if I could build a character like Nova, like the Ghost unit, in another shooter game? Cool, but which game? The obvious answer was of course Mass Effect. Still, I was not yet ready for another non-Adept unfinished playthrough so, I kept thinking. Then it hit me. I could maybe do something a bit similar in Fallout 4. All I'd need is a sniper, some stealth and a Fatman although no psionic abilities (boy, was I in for a treat). Sure, I wasn't fond of the game, but at least I knew its annoyances well enough to avoid them. A day in terms of gameplay later I was enjoying a very exciting character build complete with ways of simulating telepathy and telekinesis. So, enough about this character's reasons for existing. What exactly is the Neuromancer?

    "Nuclear launch detected!"

    ##The Neuromancer is a super soldier type enhanced infiltrator with expertise in sniper training, small firearms training, environment camouflaging and with unique psionic abilities: telepathy (or mind control) and telekinesis. Yes, it's real mind control. With this character build, anyone can turn attack dogs, raiders, super mutants, even deathclaws against their former allies. It's like playing an illusion assassin in Skyrim minus the boring overpower because of Fallout 4's probability system of mind controlling npcs. Sole surviving subject of the U.S.S.R. top secret Project N.O.R.A. (NeurO-Reactive Agent), this individual was cerebrally reprogrammed into a sleeper agent. Her mission: to infiltrate the United States population into one of the small groups assigned to Vault-Tec sheltering. Once nuclear war would happen, her dormant memories would be activated and she would use her psionic abilities to quietly set the wheels in motion for the U.S.S.R. invasion of the United States. However, things did not go as planned.

      

     Project N.O.R.A.  

    ##U.S.S.R. - Many years before the Great War. In an attempt to find an alternative energy source to nuclear fusion, the Soviet Armed Forces had become interested in harnessing the (then yet) theoretical power of the human psyche – psi energy. Initial experiments on live human subjects had shown remarkable results and in consequence many psi research facilities had been opened with funding for projects being virtually infinite. Sadly, over time, it became clear that the man-made technology required to harness, and later weaponize, the full extent of psi energy would not be invented for decades, maybe even centuries to come. So, every bit of research was halted and its focus was turned towards the technology that could – the human brain.

    ##In the event of worldwide nuclear warfare, which statistical predictions proved that it was not a matter of “if...?” but “when...?”, U.S.S.R. Intelligence confirmed that United States protocol was to separate its population into relatively small groups and shelter them in underground vaults for safety. Nothing other than this was known. If a sleeper agent with “special” abilities were to be infiltrated into even one of these groups and carefully work her way up the chain of command, a small invasion could be initiated in time. Enter Project N.O.R.A..

    >>Project N.O.R.A.’s goal (NeurO-Reactive Agent) was to create the psychic infiltrator: an agent with various weapons training, expert at blending in and enhanced by psionic abilities like telepathy (mind control) and telekinesis. In order to eliminate any chance of exposure, at the end of the process, the agent would undergo Cerebral Reprogramming; the action of putting the subject’s current memories into a state of hibernation (until certain stress conditions are met, like tensions caused by nuclear war) and giving new ones that back up the agent’s temporary cover.

    >>October 23-rd 2077: Her name is Nora. She is a graduate of Suffolk County School of Law, wife of an American war veteran and mother to a little boy.

    >>October 23-rd 2287: Her memories appear intact yet she feels like something is missing. The cryo-stasis must’ve done a number on her head. It matters not. The world is not the same anymore. Her husband was murdered but her child might still be alive... somewhere in the barren wasteland... where things don’t stay hidden for long.

     

     Combat Expertise 

          The Neuromancer is an infiltrator with psionic abilities (mind control and telekinesis) therefore she demonstrates the full extent of her abilities against groups of hostiles. Before engaging in a firefight, she silently approaches her enemies and binds a few to her will via Charisma's pacification perks. The action of mind controlling an npc is controlled by a probability of success. Sometimes it succeeds, other times it fails. It's like a nerfed illusion spell from Skyrim. That is why stealth is important. Regardless of the outcome, the npcs will be alerted, but if the Neuromancer is not in sight, she won't be detected. Once a couple npcs have been pacified, she can incite or command them to attack their allies all while bringing down any hostile with her sniper, pistols or Fatman. In the S.P.E.C.I.A.L.s sheet below, within every sum: the first number is the one set at character creation; the second number, always a 1, is acquired via a bobblehead; and the third number, where it exists, is acquired by investing points at level up.

    ##Sniper Training 

    >>Perks: Rifleman, Scrounger, Lone Wanderer, Better Criticals, Sniper.

    >>Tools: Phantom Trail (Sniper Rifle with Silencer), Ghost Town (Fatman).

    >>Description: Whenever an enemy is at a long enough distance, the Neuromancer causes damage with a sniper rifle or, if circumstances demand it, a Fatman. The reason why I put nuclear weaponry in here is because: A) like a sniper, it does a ton of damage and B) it is also used at long range. The Rifleman and Better Criticals perks are self-explainatory: more rifle damage. Since this is a stealth based character build, I did not take any companions with me, not even Dogmeat. Hence I chose to perk Lone Wanderer too for the damage boost. I found out that Scrounger is an excellent money saver for bullets since rifle ammunition was a bit harder to find in my travels. This way, I always had a steady supply of ammo on me. Finally, even though I used V.A.T.S. quite often, the Sniper perk proved to be quite useful for headshots. 

     

    ##Small Firearms Training 

    >>Perks: Gunslinger, Critical Banker, (Optional) Four Leaf Clover.

    >>Tools: Whisper (Deliverer), Spectre (Laser Pistol), Death Dealer (Revolver).

    >>Description: What happens if the Neuromancer is too close to a target to use a sniper or an npc is already alerted to her location? The answer is a wide variety of pistols. If I wanted to shoot someone in the back at close ranger, I'd go for Whisper. Else, I'd use Spectre or Death Dealer depending on how tough my opponents were. As far as perks go, I took Gunslinger for the damage boost. Critical Banker was a very nice thing to have since pistols take little time to fill up the critical bar. Also, it helped a lot that Spectre was actually the Righteous Authority from Paladin Danse which fills the meter a lot faster. Completely left to the choice of people desiring to play this build is the Four Leaf Clover. If anyone is mediocre at shooting stuff, then they'll use V.A.T.S. a lot and this perk comes in handy for occassional critical strikes. 

     

    ##Stealth 

    >>Perks: Sneak, Mister Sandman, Hacker, Locksmith.

    >>Tools: (Optional) Stealth Boy, (If Found) Any Chameleon Gear.

    >>Description: Would you guys believe me if I told you that a Chameleon Raider Chest piece was the first legendary item that dropped for me? True story! Regardless, stealth is crucial but, not because the build is weak, rather that the skill works well with the pacification perks. I only perked Sneak three times and this way I could enjoy a realistic stealth experience. I feel like this is not a game breaking tactic, unlike in Skyrim. If I wanted to move undetected in a crowded area I had to do it slowly, crouch-walk. Sure, mines were often a pain, but in time I learned to pay more attention to my surroundings and avoid them. This was of course until I perked the third point in Sneak. Also I found out that for a normal difficulty playthrough, the sneak attack boost from Mister Sandman is more than satisfying.

     

    ##Telepathy 

    >>Perks: Mysterious Stranger, Animal Friend, Wasteland Whisperer, Intimidation.

    >>Tools: (Optional) Stinger (Syringer Sniper loaded with Berserk/Yellow Belly Syringe Ammo).

    >>Description: Do you know what it's like to make a Deathclaw your pet? Or incite an entire group of Feral Ghouls into attacking their own? This is the true power of telepathy, mind control. I have achieved mind control through the above Charisma perks. In my opinion, rank two of these three is the best because the Neuromancer can theoretically have under her control an unlimited number of npcs. With rank three, she can have only one per npc type, but the chance to pacify is bigger and "converted" npcs can follow her around. Mysterious Stranger is also a nice way to simulate telepathy. Roleplay it like this: the unknown figure is actually an illusion created by the Neuromancer into her opponent's mind. On a couple occasions I also used a Syringer loaded with Berserk or Yellow Belly ammo to make npcs fight each other or flee.

     

    ##Telekinesis 

    >>Perks: Science!, Demolition Expert, Ricochet.

    >>Tools: Psion (Gamma Gun with Lorenzo's Artifact & Electric Signal Carrier Antennae).

    >>Description: The most obvious perk that simulates telekinesis is Ricochet. Think of it as a telekinetic field wrapping the Neuromancer which at random times redirects any projectile coming for her. The effect does have a small chance to proc but then again, this character spends much of her time in enemy fire. Stealth is used only as a means to engage in combat. On the other hand there's the Gamma Gun modified with Lorenzo's Artifact given at the end of the quest entitled The Secret of Cabot House by choosing to kill Lorenzo and coming back later to talk to his son. This pistol, modded with an Electric Signal Carrier Antennae, shoots charged telekinetic bolts that do Area of Effect damage. The mod can be added only if the third perk in Science! is taken. Furthermore, Demolition Expert boosts the damage of the pistol. 

     

     

     Closing Notes 

    I admit I didn't think I'd ever do a Fallout 4 character build. The game is very unfriendly towards newcomers. It lacks tutorials on a lot of stuff, it has some very odd interface and gameplay controls, many bugs - much, MUCH more than Skyrim - and at times it feels like Bethesda just wants to open your head and forcefully pour down content. Even so, Fallout 4 has a fascinating world. I mean after learning how to cope with or plain avoid most of the game's problems, my playthrough was enjoyable and often exciting. Well, of course, this is also because the Neuromancer is an awesome character build. I guess I have a love - hate relationship with the game. As a last note on the character build itself, you'll notice that despite the fact that the Neuromancer heavily uses pacification, I did not perk Black Widow. Based on this perk's description, it should increase the chance to pacify npcs of the opposite gender. Apparently it does quite the opposite. The Fallout Wiki talks about this bit of information and after doing a bit of research myself, getting a glimpse of the code for this perk it appears to be true. So, do not perk Black Widow. However, during my lengthy playthrough I made a certain observation. It would seem that Legendary npcs have a much higher chance of being pacified than normal ones. I'm not kidding. Jedi mind tricks almost always worked on them. Furthermore I would like to credit all the the authors whose artwork I photoshopped into the Neuromancer's presentation. Keep in mind that without them, this would most likely be a huge wall of text so I recommend you at least check them out in the links below. Where it's possible, show your support: leave a like and a comment.

    • http://comicvine.gamespot.com/scarlet-3/4000-241110/
    • https://ro.pinterest.com/pin/565624034425544314/
    • https://ro.pinterest.com/pin/572168327631639868/
    • https://ro.pinterest.com/pin/456200637236390147/
    • http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/File:Logo_AC4_Black_Flag.png
    • http://www.deviantart.com/art/Vault-Tec-111-Wallpaper-1-610495219

    If you want to check out my Fallout 4 character builds, click on any of the posters below!

          

          

    If you want to check out my Skyrim character builds, click on any of the posters below! 

        

          

        

           

     

  • September 28, 2016

    Awesome Noodles, this is definitely the type of build that I would enjoy in Fallout!

  • Member
    September 28, 2016

    Absolutely stunning pesentation and the use of a Fallout 4 magzine cover is brilliant :)

    The Neuromancer is an infiltrator with psionic abilities (mind control and telekinesis) therefore she demonstrates the full extent of her abilities against groups of hostiles. Before engaging in a firefight, she silently approaches her enemies and binds a few to her will via Charisma's pacification perks. The action of mind controlling an npc is controlled by a probability of success. Sometimes it succeeds, other times it fails. It's like a nerfed illusion spell from Skyrim.

    Sold!! I have to try this :D

  • Member
    September 28, 2016

    If you want Psionic abilities, you could try Lorenzo's Artifact. The weapon mod allows for telekinesis 

  • Member
    September 28, 2016

    Chris said:

    If you want Psionic abilities, you could try Lorenzo's Artifact. The weapon mod allows for telekinesis 

    Have another look at the tools in the telekinesis section :P

  • Member
    September 28, 2016

    Veloth the Vampire-Hunter said:

    Awesome Noodles, this is definitely the type of build that I would enjoy in Fallout!

    Awesome! :D

  • Member
    September 28, 2016

    Phil said:

    Absolutely stunning pesentation and the use of a Fallout 4 magzine cover is brilliant :)

    The Neuromancer is an infiltrator with psionic abilities (mind control and telekinesis) therefore she demonstrates the full extent of her abilities against groups of hostiles. Before engaging in a firefight, she silently approaches her enemies and binds a few to her will via Charisma's pacification perks. The action of mind controlling an npc is controlled by a probability of success. Sometimes it succeeds, other times it fails. It's like a nerfed illusion spell from Skyrim.

    Sold!! I have to try this :D

    Oh, I love that piece myself. It's easily my favorite from all the pictures. :D Have fun with it Phil! Let me know if you have any questions!

  • Member
    September 28, 2016

    Golden Fool said:

    Chris said:

    If you want Psionic abilities, you could try Lorenzo's Artifact. The weapon mod allows for telekinesis 

    Have another look at the tools in the telekinesis section :P

    It's in the bag! :D

  • September 28, 2016

    I'm very proud of this build Noodles. You prove my point about the capabilities of SE beautifully and I am very excited as to where building will go. Many smiles and congrats on a great build. 

  • Member
    September 29, 2016

    Lissette Long-Chapper said:

    I'm very proud of this build Noodles. You prove my point about the capabilities of SE beautifully and I am very excited as to where building will go. Many smiles and congrats on a great build. 

    I dare say that as of now, I like Social Engine's editor more than Ning's. I love it that once you've uploaded a picture, you can re-size it by mouse. That is incredibly helpful!

    I know this is going to sound like proposing self advertising, but I think it's going to help the site in the end. I wouldn't do it otherwise. Maybe put a spotlight on the build in the front page. Use this build to show people what they can do with Social Engine as far as formatting goes. I'm certain many naysayers will change their views on Social Engine.