Questions, What I've thought of so far... Options

[BattleJester]

I hope I don't repeat anything already answered on the forums. With Shadowrunrpg.com down, I thought maybe I could get answers here.

I don't see the answer to this question in the rules anywhere. Can you use a foci of a rating higher than your own Magic rating?

Can an Adept reaspect himself, choosing different Powers? Can a mage unlearn spells and learn different ones instead?

Does the Reflex Recorder, p. 340, stack with the Adept Power Improved Ability, p.187?

Can you use a pair of gloves, brass knuckles, a ring, or possibly your own fists as a Weapon Focus for Unarmed Combat?

Would the Adept Powers "Killing Hands" and "Critical Strike" be compatible with Brass Knuckles, Bone Lacing, a Cyber Hand, or the Bone Density Augmentation?

Can you specialize in Dodging Ranged or Melee Attacks with Gymnastics since you can use it like the Dodge skill?

When Enhanced Articulation, SR4 p. 338, refers to Physical Skills, does it mean the skills soley in the Physical Active Skill list OR does it also include other skills, like Dodge?

When Synthacardium, SR4 p.339, refers to Athletic Tests, does it mean those skills in the Athletics skill group?

If you are using a Weapon Focus, do you only get to use the bonus dice for attacking OR any time you are using the weapon (for instance, when parrying)?

Am I correct in saying that Magic and Resonance don't have maximums, per se? For instance, I could have a Mage with 16 Magic if they had an Initiation Grade of 10.

If you are a Mystic Adept, do you have to Allocate any of your points toward Spellcasting or Adept Powers? For Instance, if I had a character with Magic 4, could I spend all 4 points on Adept Powers? If I did so, could I still use skills, such as Spellcasting or Counterspelling, just using the skill as my dice pool since my Magic would be at 0?

On p. 79 (SR4), it says that Mentor Spirit can be purchased by a Magician or Mystic Adept, but on p. 192, it says it can be purchased by ANY Awakened character. Which one is correct?

[James McMurray]

[farrenj]

[Critias]

Everyone else handled the "by the rules" answers -- but just as a quickie, here. In reference to mages unlearning spells and getting new ones, and Adepts dropping powers to pick up something new? From the sounds of things, you might be in kind of a young or new campaign, perhaps with players that aren't terribly experienced. In that case, if you have someone trying the game out for the first time and they realize that they're just plain not enjoying their character, or their powers aren't working nearly the way they thought they would, I'd go ahead and let them swap things out.

There's no point in making someone new to the magic rules suffer through the game, or create a whole new character, if there's something they can just tweak a little bit instead. You could work such a "relearning" process into the game, too, and maybe stretch it out for a few adventures, hook them up with a new contact, or make them to get a special item in order for it to work.

Personally, I'd rather see someone's Adept jump through a few hoops to swap out Missile Parry (that they thought would be really cool) for Critical Strike (which IS really cool), than see them have to scrap the character, or just not like playing in the game. Your mileage may vary.

[Marwynn]

I agree with that. Don't let them use it as kind of "I get any spell for free" ability, but letting them swap spells from what they think are cool in the book to what is practical is fine for when they're first starting.

As for "fists" being weapon focii, maybe if they're cyberhands specially crafted for it. But that'll be up to your GM, typically they're weapons.

Dodge is under the Combat skills tab though, so no Synthcardium bonus for it. As for Gymnastics specializing into that... I'd say no. It won't really replace Dodge as you can use Dodge on the defense where Gymnastics can't be (only used on full defense) but it's not exactly meant to get out of the way of bullets or punches. It just has that side benefit if you devote your full attention to it.

You can however specialize into Riverdancing if you felt like it. Huh!

I thought the errata covered the Magician/Mystic Adept only having access to Mentor Spirit?

[PlatonicPimp]

Wait, weapon foci don't add dice when parrying with said weapon? I'm gonna need a page reference on that.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

[Critias]

[deek]

I've considered allowing Adepts to reallocate up to a point along with their initiation...but I would still want to monitor that strictly as I don't want a player thinking they can just swap out powers all the time...but if they really NEED to, then that is when I would think it could be appropriate.

[James McMurray]

[farrenj]

[James McMurray]

Then why is glove ok but ring not?

[farrenj]

Gloves seem to play the role of a weapon and are a physical object. Perhaps it's my own personal bias that foci should be objects that in some way reflect thier intended purpose because magic tends to prefer appropriate symbolism and acts. Gloves are an appropriate physical object for a weapon focus, we often think of using gloves when we hit people. A ring is not. Besides, gloves can be altered to have all sorts of nasty impact on people it hits.

[Ancient History]

Anything that could conceivably used as a hand weapon can be enchanted as a weapon focus. Some are more useful or easy to use than others. Generally speaking, a single ring on your finger could be enchanted as a weapon focus, but actually using it to damage an opponent can be difficult-a ring of sufficient size, weight, and construction would either be unwieldy or the equivelent of brass knuckles/hardliner gloves anyway.

So yes, you can enchant your big ol' college pinky ring, but just because it's enchanted doesn't mean you'll be leaving the university emblem embedded in a lot of foreheads. You can easily break a finger punching someone with a ring on, or even with brass knuckles, if you do it incorrectly.

[James McMurray]

[James McMurray]

[farrenj]

[Moon-Hawk]

[BattleJester]

[James McMurray]

You can defend with Gymnastic Dodge, but Gymnastics has no dodge-oriented specialties listed. I bounce back and forth between wondering if they left them off on purpose, left them off on accident, or couldn't decide whether just to dump dodge altogether.

[PlatonicPimp]

As I read the rules, Gymnastics can only be used as a dodge skill against ranged attacks. Melee skills can only be used as a defense against melee attacks. Dodge is the only skill that can always be used as a defense.

[James McMurray]

[streetangelj]

I would also agree that gloves must be built for fighting to be used as weapon foci, cyberhands and -weapons (while rare) are also a possibility, but I might consider allowing your actual fists as foci if they are magically tatooed (can't find a page reference, but seen it in the fluff. Can you help me here Frank?).

I also don't see any cap on Magic or Resonance (or edge for that matter- scary). Is there one by RAW, beyond that imposed by creation rules?

As far as the Gymnastic Dodge goes, remember that using a skill is a complex action and I'd sayyou must have a lot of room to use this option, making Dodge an equally viable option.

[Fortune]

Edge is capped at 6 (7 for humans) + 1 with the Lucky Quality.

[Ancient History]

A magician cannot bind more foci than her Magic attribute (p.191, SR4), and the total Force of all bonded foci cannot exceed five times the character's Magic attribute (p.85, SR4).

So a character with Magic 2 can have one Force 10 focus, or two foci with Force summing up to 10.

Magic/Resonance is only capped by Initiation/Submergence and Essence - i.e. the natural maximum is 6 + 1 per grade of initiation (p.73, SR4), and Essence loss will lower Magic/Resonance and the maximum for that attribute (p.62, SR4).

So a 2nd Grade Initiate with Essence 3.75 would have a maximum Magic attribute of 6 - 3 + 2 = 5.

And no, you cannot enchant your hands as weapon foci, even if you tattoo them. Referring to the FAQ: