The Tanheuser Directive (OOC), For all out of character and mechanics Options

[Trigger]

... a "Mage of some variety" from trigger if hes still playing that way...

She is a combat mage/ magical medic, with some skills as a face and a fiery attitude.

[Raxle]

I'm going to be a boxing ork adept running around in a chameleon suit basically. Is stealth group 2 good enough to go with Agility 5? I could up it to 3 with Karma.

[Scope_47]

I'm going to be a boxing ork adept running around in a chameleon suit basically. Is stealth group 2 good enough to go with Agility 5? I could up it to 3 with Karma.

Stealth group 2 and an agility of five will get you 7 dice on infiltration. The chameleon suit will give your opponent a -4 dice penalty (if they hit 0, they have to spend edge for a long shot roll with one die). To help you out, here is a general guideline to people's perception rolls not including penalty. Remember that the die penalty only applies to normal and low-light vision - thermographic, ultrasound, radar, etc bypass it. Also keep in mind that these dice pools don't count the normal -2 penalty for not taking an observe-in-detail action, so if they aren't looking for you (most guards just stand there and gab with each other or smoke cigarettes/weed rather than watching their designated area like automotons):

Autistic Child: 0 dice
Slow kid: 1 dice
Plain Jane Wageslave: 2 dice
Rent-a-cop: 4 dice
Real Cop: 6 dice
Good corp-sec / average runner / average Police detective: 8 dice
Cybered Security Consultant / Fast Response unit: 10+ dice
Cyberzombie/Cyborg/Low-essence street sam: 16+ dice

This chart is based on the general availability of gear and cyber-ware that gives bonuses to perception, average intuition for the groups in question, specializations, and the skill table that says what sorts of people have certain skill ratings. The two high-end entries of the guide should only show up occassionally so long as your team doesn't have a Homer Simpson moment.

To help with thermographic visioned opponents, I'd recommend adding "Thermal Damping" at Rating 6 to your chameleon suit (keeping in mind the standard rule of no more culmulative modification ratings to armor than 1.5*highest armor rating, as per Arsenal. Note that I rule that since PPP gear is incorporated into the armor, it raises the armor rating for the purpose of accepting modifications to the suit - though you'll look pretty bulky if you have all the PPP gear in a 'skin-tight' suit)

- Scope

[Divine Virus]

Ok, A few more points/questions. In spoiler tags this time

[ Spoiler ]

2) I believe "Extra Fuel Tank" would refer to an extra internal battery. I was referring to carrying around a spare battery, and taking the depleted battery out, and putting the new battery in while on reserve power. If I can plug into an external generator, could I carry a spare battery taped to the small of my back, or in a backpack and plug it in when need be?

5) I would think that drones would not just be limited by their artificial skin, though. Metahumans can have bone density augmentation, or bone lacing. Both are internal rating that increase their soak, and some ratings/variates add armour rating as well. Likewise, a drone should be able to have reinforced internal structures, armoured plates underneath the skin, upraded construction materials, etc. These things are not just limited to the skin, as both dermal plating and orthoskin are, but realistically would not be noticeable and would have an impact on the rating of armour. If you disagree with this point, I shan't push the issue further.

Other note: Would you accept a weakened version of the "Designer" positive quality?

Another Note: Is it possible to upgrade sensor rating? It seems logically possible to me, but there are no rules for doing so. In my own games, I houserule that upgrades cost the same and have the same availability as Response upgrades. Would you consider something similar?

On another topic, parts for repair are availability 24R and cost 1500nY per health box to be repaired. Could I preperchase spare parts at chargen, so I don't need to go looking for them later, when I am badly damaged? If so, would I pay karma for availability for each box worth of parts, or just once for all the parts? Or could the karma cost be included in the karma cost of the drone itself?

[Scope_47]

Ok, A few more points/questions. In spoiler tags this time

[ Spoiler ]

2) I believe "Extra Fuel Tank" would refer to an extra internal battery. I was referring to carrying around a spare battery, and taking the depleted battery out, and putting the new battery in while on reserve power. If I can plug into an external generator, could I carry a spare battery taped to the small of my back, or in a backpack and plug it in when need be?

5) I would think that drones would not just be limited by their artificial skin, though. Metahumans can have bone density augmentation, or bone lacing. Both are internal rating that increase their soak, and some ratings/variates add armour rating as well. Likewise, a drone should be able to have reinforced internal structures, armoured plates underneath the skin, upraded construction materials, etc. These things are not just limited to the skin, as both dermal plating and orthoskin are, but realistically would not be noticeable and would have an impact on the rating of armour. If you disagree with this point, I shan't push the issue further.

Other note: Would you accept a weakened version of the "Designer" positive quality?

Another Note: Is it possible to upgrade sensor rating? It seems logically possible to me, but there are no rules for doing so. In my own games, I houserule that upgrades cost the same and have the same availability as Response upgrades. Would you consider something similar?

On another topic, parts for repair are availability 24R and cost 1500nY per health box to be repaired. Could I preperchase spare parts at chargen, so I don't need to go looking for them later, when I am badly damaged? If so, would I pay karma for availability for each box worth of parts, or just once for all the parts? Or could the karma cost be included in the karma cost of the drone itself?

More verbose rules stuff - spoilered just to reduce clutter:

[ Spoiler ]

I'd allow a battery pack approximately 1ftx1ftx.5ft (roughly the size of a lunchbox) at availability 6, cost of 400 nuyen. It would give up to one hour of non-stenuous operation (it is not as efficient as your internal battery, so some power is lost) or half an hour of strenuous operation (basically, things that would require maneuverability checks: running, jumping, combat, and the like.). This is essentially a car battery, and is pretty heavy. You may optionally eek one extra hour (halved for strenuous activity) out of it, but doing so ruins the internal energy cells of the battery to the point that it can't be recharged and must be replaced. If recharged, it only takes thirty minutes to attain full charge. Also, a milspec version of the power cell meant to be used for portable C&C emergency power is available at avail 12R and a 6000 nuyen cost, and follows the same rules except that the operating time is 6hours (halved for strenuous operation) - it is still ruined by only one hour of use following the six hours should it not be recharged.

The decision about the armor ratings being capped at three was primarily a balance one. You can wear armor like any other character, and other characters only have available to them a 3 armor point increase beyond that (bone augmentation adds to body checks or to situational armor). There are significant advantages to being an AI/Cyborg already, so I wanted to try to keep armor levels realistic (since by Arsenal you can add stupid amounts of armor to vehicles/drones without taking any more modification slots than the first point of armor). I'm willing to meet you partway on this, and increase the allowed armor rating to a four.

Designer Quality: I'll get back to you on this after I've had adequate time to digest the consequences of allowing a weakened version later today.

As per Arsenal, Sensor rating is upgraded as follows: Every drone comes with sensors that are worth its normal rating. However, the capacity those sensors take up can be used instead for better sensors (see the chart in SR4, it gives capacity for drones by size). If you throw out the old stuff and put higher rating sensors in, the sensor rating becomes the average (round down) of the ratings of the new sensors (sensors without ratings count as the drone's original sensor rating numerically). There is also a mod that can get you more capacity for sensors as if you were one size larger than you actually are.

Repair Parts: It is very difficult for you to 'guess' beforehand what parts are going to be damaged - it'd be like my purchasing extra alternators, radiators, and hoses for my car... but when it breaks it turns out to be a spun bearing instead. So the only way to buy repair parts beforehand would be to buy another vanilla Otomo drone to use for spare parts (it'd be worth the number of boxes in its health track as you cannibalize it for parts). My personal suggestion is that you take a decently loyal contact who has access to milspec robotics parts. A friend would go to great lengths to help you out if you were in such dire need, and stolen parts are cheaper anyway.

- Scope

[Divine Virus]

Well, that shuts me up for now.
Thank you very much, I'll get back to you with a draft before to long.

[Mickle5125]

my turn for more questions!

1) how does one go about disguising micro cameras? (I want to disguise it as a nondescript ring. will this cost extra?)

2) do you allow build-time hardware upgrades for comlinks?

3) are you going to be worried about encumberance?

4) how are you going to deal with licenses? (1 for every piece of R or F gear, or 1 for weapons, 1 for conceal carry, and 1 for misc?)

5) how do you want me to deal with clothing costs (for disguises and the like)?

6) What methods are there for quick eye color changes (IE: adept powers)?

[Scope_47]

my turn for more questions!

1) Such spy-gear will be availability +4, and automatically restricted. Nuyen Cost is +200, plus the cost of the item you are incorporating the camera into.

2) No, hardware skill will not give you a discount on character-gen gear. The BP you spend on gear represents all items you have acquired (and managed to keep) during your life... not just things you've purchased.

3) I expect all players to do their own bookkeeping - but if I glance at a character sheet and it is obvious that you should be encumbered even though you are not taking the penalties, I will call you on it (in other words, if you are close enough that it isn't blatantly obvious then I won't care... but if you are way, way off - like a 2 body, 1strength character carrying a panther cannon, full body armor, and every B&E item in the books - then I'll care).

4) Licenses are done as follows: Weapon licenses are done by category. Concealed weapons license covers all legal weapons (note that some areas like schools don't allow concealed weapons even with a license). Cyberware licenses are per piece of ware. Other licenses possible include things like commercial driver's license, bounty hunter's license, Private Investigator license, etc. All licenses must be attached to a SIN. All licenses for restricted gear must have a reason attached to them (Example, a license for wired reflexes might state that they are left-overs from an honorable discharge from the military. A license for muscle replacement might state that it was a medically necessary implantation) - if these reasons don't jive with your fake identity, then it may raise questions when they are checked.

5) For things like regular clothing, use real world prices at a 1 dollar = 1 nuyen cost. Things like uniforms will have the following availability and prices:
Lone Star beat cop: 8F, 1000
Knight Errant beat cop: 10F (harder to get in seattle), 1500
UCAS grunt (counts as camouflage suit armor): 10, 1600
UCAS officer (low rank): 12F, 3000
UCAS officer (mid-rank): 14F, 5000
UCAS officer (high-rank): 18F, 8000
Fast Response Security uniform (armor modification): +4F, +3000
Specific Facility uniforms (most corps don't use the same uniforms at every facility): find out in play

Things like police/FBI/lonestar badges ect are availability (Rating F * 4) and nuyen cost (Rating * 1000) up to rating 3.
They are (Rating * 2000) nuyen up to rating 6. Note that they must also be connected to a SIN that identifies you as a member of that organization, which doubles the cost of that Fake SIN and adds 6 to the availability.

6) Cyber-eyes let you change what your eyes look like to whatever floats your boat. The Adept power "Melanin Control" on page 178 of Street Magic should also be able to alter Iris color, since that is also based on melanin levels IIRC.

- Scope

[Mickle5125]

2) No, hardware skill will not give you a discount on character-gen gear. The BP you spend on gear represents all items you have acquired (and managed to keep) during your life... not just things you've purchased.

I was referring to boosting the response and signal of a comlink beyond the 4/5 of the fairlight caliban for the listed price in the bbb...

[Raxle]

Here's my second draft. I think I need to use some Karma to get some BP back in some useful ways, because I still need to buy contacts and Nuyen.

[ Spoiler ]

Name: Damon Raxle
Alias: Nick Sandine
Age: 33
Race: Ork (20BP)
Appearance: Eastern European Looking w/short mostly gray salt and pepper hair with widow’s peak, and blue eyes.
Sex: Male

Lifestyle:

Attributes: (280BP)

B: 6 C: 3 Edge: 4
A: 5 I: 4 Magic: 5
R: 5 (7) L: 3 Init: 9 (11)
S: 4 W: 4 Init Passes: 3

Skills: (118BP)

Firearms: 1 (10 Karma)
Athletics: 3
Perception: 2
Intimidation: 4
Hardware: 4
Infiltration: 3
Shadowing: 2
Palming: 2

Unarmed Combat (Boxing): 5 (7) +2DV Advantage from Boxing (2 Karma for the specialization)

Knowledge Skills: (21 Free BP)


Qualities: (+5BP)

Adept
Human Looking
SINner (Criminal)
Sensitive System
Martial Art 2 (Boxing)

Adept Powers: (5 essence)

Killing Hands
Critical Strike 3
Penetrating Strike 3 (Street Magic – gives -3AP to Unarmed Strikes)
Improved Reflexes 2

Martial Art Maneuvers: (8BP)

Finishing Move
Set-Up
Riposte
Watchful Guard

Total at 29 BP and 18 Karma remaining.

[Scope_47]

I was referring to boosting the response and signal of a comlink beyond the 4/5 of the fairlight caliban for the listed price in the bbb...

That is fine - though just buying a custom commlink is cheaper (pay for the response and signal chips, and you've got a custom commlink).

[Mickle5125]

righty oh... just have a couple more supplies to procure, a backstory to put to paper, and a handful of buildpoints and karma to blow, and I'll have a copy o' my character ready for you.

How soon do you need the backstory if we want the karma payout?

[Scope_47]

Here's my first draft. I think I need to use some Karma to get some BP back in some useful ways, because I still need to buy contacts and Nuyen.

[ Spoiler ]

Name: Damon Raxle
Alias: Nick Sandine
Age: 33
Race: Ork (20BP)
Appearance: Eastern European Looking w/short mostly gray salt and pepper hair with widow’s peak, and blue eyes.
Sex: Male

Lifestyle:

Attributes: (290BP)

B: 6 C: 3 Edge: 4
A: 5 I: 4 Magic: 5
R: 5 (7) L: 3 Init: 9 (11)
S: 4 W: 4 Init Passes: 3

Skills: (132BP)

Firearms: 1 (10 Karma)
Athletics: 3
Electronics: 2
Influence: 2
Perception: 2
Stealth: 2
Unarmed Combat (Boxing): 5 (7) +2DV Advantage from Boxing

Knowledge Skills: (21 Free BP)


Qualities: (+5BP)

Adept
Human Looking
SINner (Criminal)
Sensitive System
Martial Art 2 (Boxing)

Adept Powers: (5 essence)

Killing Hands
Critical Strike 3
Penetrating Strike 3 (Street Magic – gives -3AP to Unarmed Strikes)
Improved Reflexes 2

Martial Art Maneuvers: (8BP)

Finishing Move
Set-Up
Riposte
Watchful Guard

Hon, you're math is wrong - and its definitely not in your favor.
You've actually spent BP as follows (keeping in mind you used Karma on the firearms skillgroup):
Stats: 210
Race: 20
Edge: 30
Magic: 40
Skills: 120
Positive Qualities: 20
Negative Qualities: -25 (this is a bonus)
M.A. Maneuvers: 8

So you've only spent 423 out of 450.

Further, you are better off to buy that Boxing specialization with 2 karma instead of two build points.

So, you've spent 12 karma and 421BP - leaving 18 karma and 29BP still to spend.

Also, all those skills at 2 have you spread pretty thin. You might want to consider dropping some of them and concentrating on others... for example, you could drop the Influence skill group and instead have a 4 in the negotiation skill, freeing up 4BP to spend elsewhere while making you much better at what is likely the skill you'd use most often from that skillgroup (though if I were in your place, I'd take Intimidation instead of any of the influence group skills - but thats just personal preference). You could do the same with the hardware skill instead of the electronics skillgroup (I say hardware since it would let you bypass maglocks and the like) thereby freeing another 4 build points.

- Scope

[Scope_47]

How soon do you need the backstory if we want the karma payout?

Before we start the IC thread - which won't happen until I have everyone's char-sheet.

- Scope

[Dumori]

Backstory time its long spoilered to reduce clutter.

[ Spoiler ]

Mark "Screamer" Flint.

Mark ,although he knows its not his real name, life started in early 2069 the 4th of January to be precise. When he awoke alone in a coffin motel with a fake SIN calling him a Mark Flint middle manger of a small boxing company. He had a weeks rent a the motel and during his first few days his sleep was plagued with visions of his past. These left him with many questions as one told him his real name although this was quickly lost in the fog of memory. His only perstions a cheap comlink, a silver credstick, some cheap flats and a set of worn dog tags.

His dreams when he finally gets to sleep a plagued with visions of his past. One so common that he can play it back to him self on a mental command. He's stood in a node the alarm ringing though his head unable to move or to escape the matrix as he feels his head explode then it blank. The others are blurry image of bars, faces and nodes never making sense to him always fading from his mind when he wakes.

The first year of his life mark got a normal job working a way in a sweat shop for next to nothing. This didn't last long as his probing in his past dug up more and more questions. He met a fixer called Opinicus in a small bar in the barrens. This was his first step into the shadows. The two got along almost like brothers and in return for a few basic courier jobs Opinicus said he'd try and look into his past for him.

On his first courier run he emerged in the chaotic AR scape of downtown at first he though he'd gone insane or a flash back of some type the city around had turned to an emerald parricide. His rediscovery of this talent was just as hard as the first time, or so he assumes not even sure if there was a first time, the vague images floating in the air a constant buzz driving him mad. At first he thought it was all part of the mental suffering his scorched brain but after he released he could control his comlinks music from a across the room. Up on telling Opinicus about this he was informed that that was the AR view of the city. As he became more sensitive to the matrix he found he could mentally brake though firewalls and control nodes and drones with only his mind.

He was drifting around the 'trix when he came across a node about a small religion worshiping chaos this group of like minded Discordains informed him of there religion on there own way. By embracing the chaos around him Mark grew in power.

By this time Opinicus was giving him small time data steals and other hacks. The other major turning point in his life was when given a job to help a low level assassination it failed the team was killed in meat and he fled after turning the security drones against the mark killing him in a hail of LMG fire. Not knowing what had happened to the rest of the team. The hit was on a small time mafia boss who was treading on to many toes. This small boss was favored by the local don how vowed to kill those who helped in this plot on hearing this Mark went in to hiding laying low and slowly building up an identity from scratch only Opinicus stood by him now after the rest of his contacts wanted nothing to do with Mark Flint now called Screamer a wannabe go-ganger. Screamer carried on his run in the shadows slowly building up a reputation for him self the Don still hunting Mark Flint realized that Screamer fit the description he had for the assassin. Abducted form his apartment screamer was given a chose between being hosed down by the same drone he had use to kill the up and coming boss or a suicidely run against Lone Star to remove and destroy data they had on the mafia and plant some data against the other crime syndicates the he area. Saying he’d have to think it over the sank in to VR and hack in to the drone (his hidden back door was still there) he then said he rather die than help out this Don but when the drone was ordered to kill Mark the filled the guards and then the don with lead.

Facts about screamer

[ Spoiler ]

Screamer is a Dwarf and takes his name form his motor cycle modded so that at a push of a button its front grill opens and produces a sound like the WW2 stooker diver bombers at speed.

He all ways carries a (or keeps some where safe) his chaos star pedant that ass well as having deep person meaning as a symbol of his beliefs also contains a data chip witch he keeps heavily encrypted at all times.

Meta game stuff and other

[ Spoiler ]

Screamer is stat wise a cyberadept but fluff wise he focus the chaotic nature of the matrix to help him accomplish his tasks his sprites are made of ever changing code taking the form that is best for that very second. When braking though firewalls he watches the swelling code probing it for weakness then strikes at many different weak points till one gives way.

Scramers bike is dear to him it was the first thing he brought when change his identay when on the run along with his dog tags and pendant these are his only guarded items he sees all others as expendable if need be.

[Scope_47]

@Dumori

[ Spoiler ]

Good backstory - since Dons and their deaths get into cannon material we don't want to mess with, let's say it was a Consiglieri ( a Don's top advisor) since those are just as important/well-protected but wouldn't require a re-write of Don Rowena's history. Bonus karma amount is being PMed to you.

- Scope

[Dumori]

New post the spenid of my karma

[ Spoiler ]

Im taking the source code tast so that -2.6 round up from my cost of submersion so 10 karma taking overclocking as my echo.
and I'm also spending 10 karma on a parigon the flow with the +1 to data sprites.
leaving me with 2karma

Fulff

[ Spoiler ]

Screamer to show devotion the his discordian fellows produced a pice of code this code is a small program and Chaos Sphere that runs a fully active discodian candler and both forms of clock. The program its self is public assessable (but not copyable) at the same obscure node he found as well as both in his pendent, comlink and encrypted on his online storage as part of is premium MSP package.
After delving in to flow of the matrix Scream not only became 33% faster in the matrix but found the flow with the power granted by this discovery he could access the matrix in a deeper way. He was able to thread new complexforms with ease and his data sprites where just a bit more powerful.

[Scope_47]

Status update:

Dumori -> Ready to play (Technomancer)
Trigger -> Received Backstory draft, no charsheet yet (Fiery Mage)
Raxle -> Received draft backstory and charsheet, not finalized (Ork Boxer Phys-Adept)
Divine Virus -> received character idea (AI in a Drone)
Mickle5125 -> received character idea (Covert Ops Phys-Ad)
Chthulu -> Alternate timetable (Possession Mage)

[Mickle5125]

Probably my last couple questions before I fire off my background and character sheet. Aren't you happy?

1) do you mind if we use the magic group and initiatory ordeal discounts to lower our initiation costs (We would, of course, have to tie it into our backstory)?

2) what metatype is Boris (the vory fixer)?

3) how do you want me to send the character stuff to you? e-mail? post it here?

[Scope_47]

1) Yes, you may use those as per the rules in Street Magic - BUT, each source of discount MUST have repercussions that could possibly extend beyond the backstory into the game: IE, you must still be a member of the order, and the ordeal you take must have be some lingering effect (Like: Geas [if you take this one, you DON'T get the BP for the negative quality], Sacrifice [if you take this one, you must have paid BP for the lost stat-point], Suffering [you don't get bonus BP for the neg qualities, I recommend one of the mental neg qualities from augmentation], or Thesis/Masterpeice [you must tell me how many copies exist and where they are]

2) Boris Romanov is a tall Eastern European human. He has close cropped blonde hair, brown eyes, and a pale complexion. His well-toned body is covered with Russian prison tattoos, and the left side of his face appears to have been burned away by something along the lines of napalm - only having been crudely treated afterwards. He has a significant amount of cyberware (essence between 2 and 1), and usually wears a white suit with a pinstriped white shirt and a pink tie. His primary business involves smuggling anything that needs smuggling - be it weapons, people, or anything else. His business hides behind a diplomatic immunity he somehow managed to gain (probably through illicit means). Unlike most Vory, he remains level-headed during the syndicate warring, always doing what he thinks is best for the business.

3) E-mail, posting here in a spoiler tag, or PMing are all fine - just so long that I get it.


@Divine Virus
I decided not to allow the Designer quality... I don't feel it would be conducive to mechanical balance. However, I will remind you that you can always encrypt your home node with an encrypt program - strong encryption working best (if you stay in a safe place for a day and strong encrypt, then the decryption interval becomes 24 hours.)
- Scope

[Divine Virus]

Sorry I am taking so long. I don't have internet at home, and before today I haven't been able to bring a copy of your information home, so I've had to work from memory (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)
Which is slow work, because as soon as I don't remember something important, I need to stop working for the night. But I have things set up to bring a copy of the houserules home now, so hopefully I can make some manner of headway.

For the Otomo, its sensor rating is four. Does this mean the basic sensor package is all rating 4 sensors? Can you uprade the rating on a camera

Does the drone armour count towards worn armour for the purpose of encumbrance?
THanks!
DV

[Mickle5125]

Argh... I lied about it being the last questions. I have one more. Do you have a magical group that I can join, or should I build one myself for you to approve?

[Scope_47]

@Divine Virus
Drone armor does not count towards worn armor for the purpose of encumberance (similar to cyber/bioware armor points). Yes, the basic sensors in the standard sensor package count as Rating 4. You may not 'upgrade' them, but you can replace them with 'enhanced' versions at a nuyen cost of 100 per Rating point up to a rating of six - these enhanced versions take up [1] capacity.

@Mickle5125
Sample Magic Groups are listed on pages 69->74 of Street Magic. You may pick one of those that is appropriate for your character. I can make a group up for you, but not until I have seen a backstory since I know next to nothing about your character.

- Scope

[Divine Virus]

Is that 1 additional capacity? Does this include sensors normally capped at a lower rating (such as ultrawideband radar capped at 4)?

EDIT: The stat line for the mimic mod is missing from Arsenal. Synner, one of the devs for the project, posted in on dumpshock. I'll post it again below. The Otomo has this mod built in, but it does not say at what rating. Could I have a ruling on this please?

Mimic Modification (Rating 1-3)
Slots: 2
Modification Threshold: 15
Tool: Facility
Cost: Rating x 3000¥
Availability: Rating x 3
Special Skill: Cybertechnology

[Scope_47]

1 total capacity. I was just stating it just in case the table didn't have the capacity for a camera for some reason. That only would apply to the normal sensors. Sensors that already have ratings still cap at those ratings. I'm trying to be lenient since overall sensor rating determines a lot of things including tacnet use and your perception rolls, but I don't want to allow higher rating versions of sensors that have specific effects based on ratings (like ultraband radar) since that would be very likely to become unbalanced in an unforeseen way.

I'd say that as a general rule, if rating isn't listed then it is rating 1. Also, if something comes with a modification, then you should be able to pay for a new, higher rating version to replace it without using modification slots; IE, if you want rating 3 mimic to replace rating 1 which came as standard equipment, then you'd spend 9000nuyen, but it wouldn't cost any modification slots since the drone is designed to have a mimic system - you are just yanking off the old system and putting on a better one (like a mechanic does when he replaces a 60amp alternator with a 120amp one).

- Scope