SR5 Preview #4, Parts of the combat chapter Options

[bannockburn]

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/1155...=0_0_1700_0_0_0

[binarywraith]

My take :

Yay initiative! Stat + dice, multiple passes modified by wound modifiers in realtime, highest score goes first... I've missed this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Boo, melee attacks are still complex actions, while shooting, firing bows, and throwing weapons are simple. Also, Reckless Spellcasting to make a spell a Simple action with added drain, but melee is still stuck in the corner? Boo I say.

Armor : This paragraph makes me happy.

If a character is wearing more than one piece of armor
at a time, the value of the highest armor piece applies
for determining Armor. All the other pieces do nothing
but add a lot of bulk; too much can make Joe Shadowrunner
look like the SoyPuff Marshmallow Man, slowing
him down more than the protection is worth.

Take that, FFBA!

[bannockburn]

This paragraph isn't notably different than the one in the SR4 core rulebook.
Armor stacking and options usually appear in advanced releases.

[binarywraith]

Could be, but that paragraph and the encumbrance rules attached to it are all I need to control things from a GM point of view without having to houserule it.

[Stahlseele]

My take :

Yay initiative! Stat + dice, multiple passes modified by wound modifiers in realtime, highest score goes first... I've missed this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Boo, melee attacks are still complex actions, while shooting, firing bows, and throwing weapons are simple. Also, Reckless Spellcasting to make a spell a Simple action with added drain, but melee is still stuck in the corner? Boo I say.

Armor : This paragraph makes me happy.



Take that, FFBA!

wanna bet the FFBA gets it's own special snowflake rule again?

[binarywraith]

wanna bet the FFBA gets it's own special snowflake rule again?

I don't bet against sure things. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dead.gif)

[bannockburn]

A few interesting things:
The average troll is now slower than the average dwarf.

Matrix actions table gives a lot of foreshadowing.

[Draco18s]

Armor : This paragraph makes me happy.

Take that, FFBA!

Armor stacking was good in theory as it let you wear a flak vest over a leather jacket (or vice versa) and get the benefit of both, but overall it was kind of a mess.
"This stacks this way, this stacks that way, blah blah exceptions"

[tasti man LH]

And speaking of the Matrix table...looks a lot more slimmed down in comparison to the list of Matrix Actions of SR4. Hopefully, this is a good indicator they cut away all the overwrought complexity from SR4's Matrix (even though it looks like a good chunk of Matrix Actions are Complex Actions).

-And despite having a table for all Combat Actions and Matrix Actions...no table for Magic Actions. Someone forget to put it in?

-Also, when listing all of the actions, it seems like Matrix and Magic actions are getting lumped together with combat actions...not sure if I like.

I get that they want to put everything in once place instead of having to dig through pages just to find what action you use to cast a Spell...but I dunno, it might confuse new players who may think that because the actions are all in the same section, they might confuse it to meaning that ALL PCs are capable of doing all of the actions.

-Oooh, Gunslinger Adept character sheet? I'll have to take a look at this bad boy...

[binarywraith]

And speaking of the Matrix table...looks a lot more slimmed down in comparison to the list of Matrix Actions of SR4. Hopefully, this is a good indicator they cut away all the overwrought complexity from SR4's Matrix (even though it looks like a good chunk of Matrix Actions are Complex Actions).

-And despite having a table for all Combat Actions and Matrix Actions...no table for Magic Actions. Someone forget to put it in?

They specifically note an Astral Combat table and explanation on page 200-something, and the spellcasting/summoning/commanding spirits actions are all in the free/simple/complex table.

[Patrick Goodman]

Oh, I was curious what the next thing was gonna be....

[Cochise]

~hmmm~

1. Wording on Free Actions somewhat contradictory in section on p.158. Clarification on p. 163 doesn't necessarily make it better. Big Change: Unless surprised you can take a Free Action prior to your first own Action Phase.
2. Walking at 2xAGI for all races, merely additional increase per hit differs ... long legged trolls on par with dwarfs there?
3. Various Actions seem to have gone missing or rather the tables are inconsistant / incomplete ... If Activate Focus is on the "Combat Actions table" you'd expect the same for Deactivate Focus.
4. Fireing modes are irritating as well: bursts and full auto as simple action and then again as complex actions

[Tinyemperor]

Interesting changes that show signs of heavy play-testing. I approve.

Movement. Once you start to hustle, you can't stop. There's a rap song about that somewhere.

Electrical damage. The visual of someone smashing a maglock with a stun baton to help the decker crash the thing seems very pink mohawk.

Armor extras (shields, helmets, etc) are restricted by strength.

EDIT: I also approve of the new flammability of elves.

[Shemhazai]

There's a sentence at the end of the Block interrupt action that says that bonus die from a relevant weapon focus can be added to the Unarmed Combat skill. I think this sentence is supposed to be at the end of the Parry section and changed to melee weapon skill. Consider replacing "die" with plural "dice."

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

There's a sentence at the end of the Block interrupt action that says that bonus die from a relevant weapon focus can be added to the Unarmed Combat skill. I think this sentence is supposed to be at the end of the Parry section and changed to melee weapon skill. Consider replacing "die" with plural "dice."

Too late for that... Maybe in the Errata... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Charon]

Adding your willpower to your defense when you take the full defense interrupt seems weird,

[Charon]

The trolls have slowed down a bit to be more in line with 2nd and 3rd edition.

In 2nd edition, they ran at Quickness X 2 (and they had -1 QUI). They were mind numbingly slow.

In 3rd edition they ran at QUI X 3, still had -1 to QUI but were now faster than dwarves,

In 4th edition, they ran at a base of 25, being now the fastest!


Believe it or not, for our group (who always had a troll), it was the most jarring change bar none.

[Prime Mover]

I see there is a rule for adding armor as long as AV is preceded by a +. So FFBA could still fall under this heading?

[Prime Mover]

Really digging the art in previews. Non smooth Trolls get a thumbs up.

[Prime Mover]

Find myself pleasantly surprised by the rollback to the Ini system. This kept high init types up top and gives lowbies a chance at multiple actions without enhancement.

[Aaron]

There's a sentence at the end of the Block interrupt action that says that bonus die from a relevant weapon focus can be added to the Unarmed Combat skill. I think this sentence is supposed to be at the end of the Parry section and changed to melee weapon skill.

You've never had an adept with a glove as a weapon focus?

[Sengir]

While it's laudable that somebody at CGL rediscovered the ancient art of tables, the placement is a bit confused at times...the Movevement Table (probably it's the movement table, no heading) sits inside an "example box", the Matrix Actions Table sits right inside the description of combat actions, even though none are described there...also, you might want to decide whether to center or left-align rows (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
Still, a million times better than the weird and scattered boxed we had in the last dozen of releases

Concent-wise, the oddly slow trolls have already been mentioned, and then there is this:
Most basic ranged weapons have an accuracy of 4 or 5. Specialized ranged weapons, like some sniper rifles, have an accuracy of 6 or higher. Improvised ranged weapons have an Accuracy of 3, and broken, old, damaged, or otherwise flawed ranged weapons can have their Accuracy reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1. This includes items that have been damaged through Matrix Combat.
Well, if sams can play Neo with enemies wielding "basic ranged weapons", it seems only logical that hackers can be Neo, too...

[Seerow]

So wait.

Agility gets excluded from limits because it's too much of a superstat...


...so you make movement speed based on agility?


wtc?

[binarywraith]

So wait.

Agility gets excluded from limits because it's too much of a superstat...


...so you make movement speed based on agility?


wtc?

What else are you going to base it on, charisma? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

[Bigity]

While it's laudable that somebody at CGL rediscovered the ancient art of tables, the placement is a bit confused at times...the Movevement Table (probably it's the movement table, no heading) sits inside an "example box", the Matrix Actions Table sits right inside the description of combat actions, even though none are described there...also, you might want to decide whether to center or left-align rows (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
Still, a million times better than the weird and scattered boxed we had in the last dozen of releases

Concent-wise, the oddly slow trolls have already been mentioned, and then there is this:
Most basic ranged weapons have an accuracy of 4 or 5. Specialized ranged weapons, like some sniper rifles, have an accuracy of 6 or higher. Improvised ranged weapons have an Accuracy of 3, and broken, old, damaged, or otherwise flawed ranged weapons can have their Accuracy reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1. This includes items that have been damaged through Matrix Combat.
Well, if sams can play Neo with enemies wielding "basic ranged weapons", it seems only logical that hackers can be Neo, too...

Ugh. Damaging weapons through matrix combat? I'll stick with mechanical parts, have been working for a couple hundred years and are pretty accurate without any electronics.

Oh wait. I bet this is a spot where you get a bonus because your gear is wifi.



Not happy.