[X] My Assistant

[ialdabaoth]

Another useful House Rule:

RULE OF SIX (p.38, SR3)
In addition to the standard Rule of Six, an additional success is added to the target number for every 10 levels that each die beats the target number. Thus, if a character rolls 7 dice against a TN of 3, and achieves 1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 13, 25, he receives eight successes – one for each 4, one for the 5, two for the 13 (13 – 3 is 10), and three for the 25 (25 – 3 is 22). If the 25 had instead been a 33, it would have been worth four successes (33 – 3 is 30). This solves two problems – one, it is now possible (although unlikely) for a character to achieve more successes than he has dice pool, and two, a TN of 7, 13, 19 and so on are no longer statistically equivalent to a TN of 6, 12, or 18, since the probability of getting additional successes is lowered.
Likewise, target numbers below 2 are now possible – a 1 is still a failure, but the lowered TN determines the threshold at which extra successes are counted. Thus, at a TN of 2, a die roll of 2-11 is one success, 12-21 is two successes, 22-31 is three successes, and so on. At a TN of 1, these thresholds are 2-10, 11-20, 21-30 and so on; at a TN of 0, these thresholds are 2-9, 10-19, 20-29; at a TN of –1 they are 2-8, 9-18, 19-28; and at a TN of –6 they are 2-3, 4-13, and 14-23. With target numbers lower than –7, double or even triple successes are automatic.

[mfb]

house rules for the merc game i'm running.

[spotlite]

we have some changes to the karma system. Everything works as it does in the books except:

You can buy successes with good karma not Karma Pool, providing you get at least one on the test, up to the number of dice on the main skill/attribute rolled, not including pools. Yes, this means the characters are much more survivable and can do far more spectacular feats - but if they spend them, thats less for character advancement and its a tricky line to walk. And as I always say - Shadowrun is everyone's favorite action movie. If the main characters keep getting killed or screwing up its just not cool...

Also, if you want to re-roll failures more than once, it doesn't just increase incrementally as it does in the book, it doubles each time. This nicely balances out the good karma rule above in my experience. We've been playing it this way since before Sr3, and we found it works. Not for everyone, I'm sure, but it works for us!

Oh, and we have Deadlier Over-Damage, Extra Strength Remedy: in addition to the rule about attacks with a greater power than 1.5xBody, we also have that if the power of the attack causes deadly damage and was greater than 2xBody, it's instant death, only Hand of God rolls will save you, assuming you have it left. So beleive you me, they DO die every now and again!

And I think that's it for major changes. :smokin:

[spotlite]

D'OH! I forgot the most major change - all characters get +1KP per 10 GK as per standard rules for humans, up to reaching 5KP, at which point EVERYone earns it at 1 per twenty. Then it goes to one per thirty above 10KP. If they drop below either of these thresholds by burning pool, they go back to the lower rate.

Lets everyone advance at the same rate because i really didn't like the SR3 way of doing things with regard the different races - though I do understand why they did. It also keeps the pools low enough that re-rolls don't take over the game, which keeps all the characters a bit more in the non-superhuman range a bit longer so low level stuff can still be challenging.

[Sphynx]

[spotlite]

Had plenty of Physads with astral perception in my game. Never found 2 points that restricting except in the case of one guy who picked a physical mage, obviously hoping he'd be able to munch out. Bit of a shock when he found he really couldn't without vast quantities of karma. The character spent 4 points on magical power and then bought astral perception with the other 2. He's since initiated twice just so he can apply centering to his unarmed combat and behave a little like a physad once in a while!

But apart from this one failed attempt at munchkinism, I've seen five or six physads in our game with the power and yeah its expensive, but not too expensive. Admittedly, very few adepts buy it except at character gen (because in my experience players just can't wait to improve their powers. If they just spent 20-odd karma initiating I think its genetically bred into them that they spend it immediately cos they hate walking round with that extra point of magic and little else to show for it!), but buy it they do.

When you look at the cost of it and the number of things it lets you do I think its worth two. The other improved senses only reduce target numbers (except sound filters which add extra dice), they don't give the character an ability shared by only 1% or less of the population (that stat i think is from Awakenings, possibly MITS, in the background which states that less that one in a hundred people have magical ability, and only 1 in a hundred of THEM is a full mage. So 99% of Awakened types are what used to be called adepts of one type - sorcerors, conjurors, physads, astral adepts, etc). Giving physads astral perception cheaper puts them on a level with their Awakened peers, but still gives them a massive advantage compared to the rest of metahumanity, and I think that's why its on the expensive side. Considering that physads only take drain on one ability I can think of, they get off easy compared to their Awakened counterparts, so i don't think making it more expensive to bring areas where they lack up to that level should be that cheap.

If it works in your game though, have what you like! I might introduce a limited version which is more 'astral sight' than full 'astral perception'. It'll have all the drawbacks (dual natured etc) but you'll only be able to perceive, not set up wards, do Cleansing and so forth. Astral combat would work as normal though. Yeah, I kinda like that. They can have that version for 1 point, and the full version at 2. Choices, choices...

[Sphynx]

Well, considering you could effectively have Astral Perception for 0 points via Surge (spend 10 points to Surge and gain 10 points for being Dual Natured, hardly a negative for most Adepts who specialize in combat anyhows), I think 2 points is way too much. But I don't play an Adept, and when I did, I didn't buy Perception, I bought 6 levels of Improved Ability (whip) for my nunchaku's with a Talisman Geasa, 6 levels of Improved Ability Stealth and Athletics, and TracelessWalk/Balance Augmentation. Never had room or concern for Astral Perception, and my thinking had nothing to do with the points actually, it was just un-needed as it's as much a flaw as an edge.

You honestly think most Adepts are wanting to Assense, or setup Wards? Nah, the Adept that takes Perception, 9 out of 10 times, is creating a Spirit Warrior type and it's the only way to fight an astral being. Of course, if a spirit wants to fight me without Astral Perception, it has to materialize and I still kick it's ass.

No, AP isn't worth 2 points at all.

Sphynx

[John Campbell]

[Sphynx]

Heh, don't think I was calling other people stupid there boss, it was just stupid not to have one. I mean, hell, take ANY skill from 0 to 3 for 3 ( vs 8 ) karma. And don't exploit the elitist 'character' arguement to explain why not to have something that gives you near photgraphic memory and makes it more than twice as easy to learn skills. There's no character concept (other than the anti-ware concept) that would not want to have both of those potentials. Never once heard of a character concept which included a "I just wanna be a slow learner with a bad memory". It fits into any concept imaginable, and at 0.6 BI, there's not a character out there that wouldn't want it once they see the rules for it.

Sphynx

[Kagetenshi]

[Sphynx]

You're right on the Surge thing, I just remember it was perfectly offset by Dual Natured and forgot that DN was variable dependant on Awakened. So it's spend-5, gain+5 instead of -10/10.

You're wrong on the Astral Perception though, as the book says, anyone who is Dual Natured can even start learning to Aura Read.

Sphynx

[spotlite]

[ialdabaoth]

yeah, he's a nutbag. You use Str for damage if you're dual, and Chr if you're projecting. Still, dual nature kicks ASS for adepts, who can buy up Improved Attribute: Strength and get a Strength of 15 as a human.

[Kurukami]

There is, of course, the unusual alternative for physads of taking magic as their first priority, becoming magician-adepts, and getting all the benefits of astral perception plus spellcasting and conjuring for a minimum cost of 1 power point. I'd probably take 2 points in it, just to be on the safe side if I got hit with deadly damage, but...

[Zazen]

[ialdabaoth]

I thought they couldn't do conjuring, only sorcery?

[Zazen]

They can use both, but they don't get astral perception for free. They have to buy it for 2 power points like every other adept.

[ialdabaoth]

I thought that was changed in SR3? And how can they cast if they can't perceive?

[tisoz]

If they perceive while casting, it would raise the TN by 2. You no longer sinchronize auras, or whatever to cast. They no longer mention auras extending beyond armor, etc..

[BitBasher]

[ialdabaoth]

Wow. That kinda sucks. That was what I liked most about SR1/2 - how detailed and consistent the magic was.

[tisoz]

[BitBasher]

[Kanada Ten]

I have two adept characters playing my game out of two characters. One purchased astral perception in game, for 2 points and has never regretted it.

The ability to spot Bug spirits and mages alone...

[mfb]

i may eventually pick up astral perception, but there are more important things my adept needs. when he started out, i spend 5 points on Imp Reflexes and a point on senses; for all intents and purposes, he's a street sam without cyber. i grabbed killing hands with my first 20 karma, then initiated three times and picked up pain resistance each time. my next purchase will be a custom power that gives me -1 to dodge tests for 2 power points; after that, i'll probably pick up another point's worth of senses. then, if something else hasn't caught my eye, i might get astral percep. or maybe not.