DAQ: SR4 attempted summary, Dumpshock asked/answered questions v.2.0 Options

[Talia Invierno]

CHARGEN

Q. How's the BP cost for the different races now?

25 dwarf, 20 ork, 30 elf, 40 troll.
Metatype abilities look unchanged (vision, etc.)
Human: +1Edge
Ork: +3B, +2S, -1C, -1L
Dwarf: +1B, -1R, +2S, +1W, -1Initiative
Elf: +1A, +2C
Troll: +4B, -1A, +4S, -2C, -1I, -1L, -1Initiative

Q. What is the chargen structure?

400 Build Points (bp)
Attributes

• 1: Free (+ any racial modifiers)
• 2-5: 10 bp per point
• 6: 25 bp

Maximum points allocated to physical + mental attributes is capped at 50% of total points. Magic, Edge, Resonance are not included in this cap.

Active Skills

• 4 points per skill
• 10 points for a skill group
• 2 points for a specialization.

Max at 6 without an exceptional quality, then 7.
Start with only one skill at 6 with the rest 4 or lower, or two at 5 with the rest 4 or lower. No starting with a 5 and a 6. Maximum group rating at chargen is 4.

Knowledge skills: 1/2 active price.
Resources: 5000 per BP max 50 BP, but looks like a lot of stuff is reduced in price.
Spells: 3 BP per spell, 5 karma during play.
Contacts: 1 BP per rating point.

Q. How can a PC become Awakened?

Buy the positive quality of Magician (15 bp). (Presumably there is also an adept positive quality, but I haven't seen it yet.)

Q. How can a PC become a Technomancer?

Buy the positive quality of Technomancer (5 bp).

Q. Is there a different cost for the Mystic Adept quality, or is it the same as the garden variety adept?

They have different costs. (Unspecified to date.)

Q. Okay, cutting to the chase: which qualities made it?

Infirm made it, but the mechanics are totally different.

Ambidextrous, animal empathy, aptitude, astral chameleon, blandness, codeslinger, double jointed, exceptional attribute, first impression was friendly face, focused concentration, guts, high pain tolerance, home ground, human looking, lucky, magic resistance, murky link was poor astral link, natural hardenning, natural immunity, photographic memory, quick healer, resistance to pathogens/toxins, toughness, will to live, allergy, astral beacon was astral impressions, bad luck is like cursed karma, codeblock, combat paralysis, elf poser, gremlins, incompetant, low pain tolerance, scorched, sensitive neural structure, sensitive system, simsense vertigo, spirit bane, uncouth, uneducated, weqk immune system.

New: addiction, ork poser.

No phobias, flashbacks, bad karma, dark secret, mysterious cyberware, amnesia, or day job.

Q. What about Friends-in-high places and Friends abroad?

Friends in High Places can be simulated by a Connections 6 Contact (i.e. it doesn't exist as a Quality, but it can still be used in the game). The special effect of Friends Abroad (being able to make new contacts easily in other places) isn't on the Qualities list. Sorry, but you're just going to have to RP your contacts.

Q. How do contacts work?

Contacts are bought at a cost equal to their Connections + Loyalty level (a Connection 2/Loyalty 3 contact costs 5 BP). The old "Buddy" designation is about Loyalty level 3-4, while the old Friend For Life designation is about Loyalty level 5-6. Connection is how "uber" your contact is on the food chain. Level 1 means they only have access to their own skills and equipment attached to their profession (which isn't so bad if you're only asking for a beer from a Bartender, but don't try to ask for a Shotgun or a new Hacker program). Higher levels of Connections means either they have access to more and better equipment (Corporate Scientist with access to a particle accelerator) or they are willing to introduce you to their own contacts (Fixers with a low Connection rating do not necessarily have few connections... they just aren't willing to introduce you to them), or perhaps they are higher up on the food chain (Corporate Executive rather than Middle Management/Grunt).

Q. I've got a face character with an insane amount of contacts. Under a system like that it would probably cost 100 BP just in contacts. Do you at least start with any for free?

Nope. No free contacts. The thing is, you can probably "lump" a lot of your contacts together under a Connections 6/Loyalty 3 Fixer, someone who can easily introduce you to friend-of-a-friend type contacts.

Q. Are shapeshifters, vampires or the regeneration power listed for NPCs/critters? How does Regeneration work now? Does it heal stun damage?

The main book has no provision for PCs to be shapeshifters. Regeneration rapidly heals any damage. A Magic + Body test is made at the end of the combat turn, and any hits on this test regenerates 1 point of Physical OR Stun damage (I don't know how one would decide, other than picking the "best" configuration based on wound penalties). If a critter takes Physical damage into Overflow, they still get to make a Regeneration test at the end of the combat turn. After the Regeneration test is made, if the overflow is greater than the Body attribute, the critter dies (this is the same as any PC, NPC, or critter).