Do bonus dice to attribute tests apply to skills linked to that attribute? Options

[Ranger]

Do bonus dice to attribute tests apply to skills linked to that attribute?

For example, the Improved Reflexes adept power at rating 2 adds +2 dice to Reaction tests. Does the +2 apply only to attribute tests that include Reaction, or does it also apply to any skill that has Reaction as a linked attribute, such as Dodge and Pilot Ground Craft?

[Glyph]

It's not "bonus dice", but an actual increase to the Reaction Attribute. So yes, it applies to dodge, piloting, etc.

[RunnerPaul]

Do bonus dice to attribute tests apply to skills linked to that attribute?

For example, the Improved Reflexes adept power at rating 2 adds +2 dice to Reaction tests. Does the +2 apply only to attribute tests that include Reaction, or does it also apply to any skill that has Reaction as a linked attribute, such as Dodge and Pilot Ground Craft?

The reason that skills have a "default" linked attribute is that there's typical one attribute that's used nearly all of the tests that skill is rolled for. In the rare cases where a different attribute is used for a special "unique situation" test (such as a Software + Stamina test to see if you can stay awake 96 hours straight working on that coding project that simply can not wait for sleep), bonus dice to the skill's default attribute don't carry over, simply for the reason that that attribute is not being used in the test. Bonus dice to the attribute that is being used in the test will apply however.

[Ranger]

Thanks for the replies.

It's not "bonus dice", but an actual increase to the Reaction Attribute. So yes, it applies to dodge, piloting, etc.

Are you sure about that? The book says, "This power increases the speed at which you react, just like wired reflexes. For each level, you receive +1 die to Reaction (this also affects Initiative) and 1 extra Initiative Pass. The maximum rating of Improved Reflexes is 3, and the increase cannot be combined with technological or other magical increases to Initiative." Note the bold text. That's +1 die, not +1 to the Reaction attribute.

The reason that skills have a "default" linked attribute is that there's typical one attribute that's used nearly all of the tests that skill is rolled for. In the rare cases where a different attribute is used for a special "unique situation" test (such as a Software + Stamina test to see if you can stay awake 96 hours straight working on that coding project that simply can not wait for sleep), bonus dice to the skill's default attribute don't carry over, simply for the reason that that attribute is not being used in the test. Bonus dice to the attribute that is being used in the test will apply however.

Alrighty, that's pretty much what I was thinking. With this in mind, if you have Tailored Pheremomes rating 3, what bonus do you get with the Negotiation skill? "Tailored pheromones add their rating as a dice pool modifier to Charisma and Social Skill Tests" (SR4, 339). Tailored pheremomes at rating 3 are adding 3 dice to Charisma tests, and 3 dice to Social Skill Tests--which incidentally all use Charisma as their linked attribute. So, do you get a total of a +6 bonus (+3 due to the bonus to Charisma, and +3 due to the bonus to Social Skill Tests), or +3 (only the +3 to Social Skill Tests)?

[Mäx]

Alrighty, that's pretty much what I was thinking. With this in mind, if you have Tailored Pheremomes rating 3, what bonus do you get with the Negotiation skill? "Tailored pheromones add their rating as a dice pool modifier to Charisma and Social Skill Tests" (SR4, 339). Tailored pheremomes at rating 3 are adding 3 dice to Charisma tests, and 3 dice to Social Skill Tests--which incidentally all use Charisma as their linked attribute. So, do you get a total of a +6 bonus (+3 due to the bonus to Charisma, and +3 due to the bonus to Social Skill Tests), or +3 (only the +3 to Social Skill Tests)?

I'm pretty sure you only get the bonus once for any given skill test.

[Larme]

If something says + to one skill, or + to one attribute, and there are no strings attached, you always get it. No strings attached means just that. There are no hidden rules on this. If it doesn't give exceptions where the bonus doesn't apply, then there are none.

Also, no taking the same bonus twice for tailored pheromones.

[FrankTrollman]

An Agility + Longarms test is a Longarms test and it is an Agility test. Anything which adds to either of those counts.

-Frank

[Ranger]

That's also my feeling that the bonus should only apply once; I just wanted to make sure that's what others thought as well in case I was overlooking something. Thanks for the replies.

[Glyph]

Are you sure about that? The book says, "This power increases the speed at which you react, just like wired reflexes. For each level, you receive +1 die to Reaction (this also affects Initiative) and 1 extra Initiative Pass. The maximum rating of Improved Reflexes is 3, and the increase cannot be combined with technological or other magical increases to Initiative." Note the bold text. That's +1 die, not +1 to the Reaction attribute.

I consider it to merely be clumsy wording, since the power is also described as working "just like wired reflexes", where it is a bonus to the Reaction Attribute. It's kind of a moot point, though, since the prohibition of any other initiative increases means that this is one of the few times there is no practical difference between an Attribute bonus and a dice pool bonus.

As far as tailored pheromones go, they don't add their dice twice because Charisma tests are a specific kind of test, separate from social skill tests. So you get the +3 for the social skill test (whose dice pool happens to include Charisma) or you get it for the Charisma test. Everyone else has nixed it, too, but there's the RAW explanation for it.

[WeaverMount]

(such as a Software + Stamina test to see if you can stay awake 96 hours straight working on that coding project that simply can not wait for sleep)

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