Absolutely necessary optional/house rules, Give me your list Options

[Veggiesama]

I'd like to know what people think are necessary optional rules (from the splat books) and house rules for playing a well-balanced game. I'd also like to know rules you use to clear up inconsistencies/confusions in the books or to resolve situations that come up a lot that the rules don't specifically cover.

Just to throw my hat in the ring, I think Karma creation OR build-point advancement is the way to go. Needs to be seamless between creation/advancement (all BP or all Karma) or people end up creating gimped/overpowered characters right off the bat with little room for improvement.

I don't really want to debate the relative merits of each rule. I just want to know which ones you think are indispensable, and why you feel that way.

[Draco18s]

My group has the CHA * 2 free BP of contacts always on. Characters who are strapped for BP need it and those who have high charisma is makes sense for.

We've recently done away with the chunky salsa rules (as written). Considering that most of our combat occurs indoors we came to the conclusion that as written, the chunky salsa rules were too deadly (for NPC and PC alike) as 8 times out of 10, someone would be close enough to a wall to turn painful damage into deadly damage (the last grenade my character took did 12P, had Chunky been in effect I've have taken 20 to 22P--even my spent edge wouldn't have been enough to keep me in the fight, even though it rolled more 6s than average, I didn't get 8 spare successes).

[BlueMax]

[Empty Set]
Not a fanboy. I just move my game away from anything the group finds broken.

[Poison Shadow]

I never liked that logic is mostly useless for hacking. I liked the houserule someone posted that matrix actions are logic+skill, with hits limited by program rating. Seems ok to me, but I'm fairly new to SR, and have only GMed a few sessions. No problems yet.

[Dashifen]

The biggest problem I've run into is vehicle sensors. I realize that it's a small, nit-picky moment but I'm pretty happy with the base rules overall. Arse didn't really help much, so I use this rule in my games. It's worked well for me. This probably isn't the thread to discuss its merits, but if you want to, PM me or start a new one:

Pretend that the information on p. 105 of Arsenal under Vehicle Sensors including Improving Sensors and Sensor Tests but not including Sensors and Jamming doesn't exist. Instead, Vehicle Sensors will continue to be the undefined radar-like capability that SR4 describes them to be and can be enhanced with Sensor Functions (p. 325, SR4) and with other Sensors and Sensor Software (p. 59-61, Arsenal). To improve vehicle sensors, the Improved Sensor Array modification will be co-opted. It's slot costs, threshold, etc. all remain the same. However, instead of increasing sensor capacity, as it does now, it will increase the vehicle's sensor rating by its own rating. It can be purchased at ratings 1 through 3. The final cost for the modification is (1,000 * rating) nuyen.

I also add this to all my games, for nostalgia, if nothing else. The idea wasn't mine, but was posted here, so the original poster could stand up if he or she's still around. It's a genetic infusion, following all the rules thereof including the chance to become permanent for .4 essence, making these both a chance for the cheapest IP enhancing "gear" but a better chance at incurable cancer (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Boosted Reflexes
Duration: 1 week
Effect: +1 Reaction, +1 Initiative Pass
The Boosted Reflexes infusion provides a controlled enhancement to the user's reaction time. When the effect of the infusion wears off, the user is subject to a startling lack of coordination due to the perceived experience of "slower" time. Any agility or reaction tests (including combat) are at a -2 dice pool for 12 hours while the user readjusts to his or her normal reaction speeds.

[Caadium]

A bit of nostalgia has me using a free bp just for contacts rule as well, however I don't use Cha*2 rule. I feel that even gruff trolls know people, so I allow character bp (400 is standard)*.02 in free bp for contacts. This means 8 bp on 400 bp characters. Furthermore, I request that these 8 bp be spent on at least 2 contacts. This means characters have at least 2 contacts (as per old versions of the rules), though not overly powerful ones.

Also as a result of coming from previous editions, I use a hybrid initiative system. In the 2nd edition days fast characters had most, if not all, of their extra actions before slower characters. In 3rd edition everyone got one initiative pass before anyone got extra actions (similar to 4th edition), and that never sat completely well with me. So in 3rd edition I created a hybrid system and have since adapted it to 4th edition. I simply run the IP out of order. I do IP 4, 1, 3, 2.

[Draco18s]

I simply run the IP out of order. I do IP 4, 1, 3, 2.

Of course, you dude who has 4 passes also likely has the highest initiative.

4PSammy with 16
3PGunner with 14
2PDruggie with 11
1PMundane with 8

becomes:

(4) Sam, (1) Sam, Gunner, Druggie, Mundane, (3) Sam, Gunner, (2) Sam, Gunner, Druggie

Actually, that's not too bad...

[Adarael]

I also add this to all my games, for nostalgia, if nothing else...

Totally stealing this, for exactly the same reasons!

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Totally stealing this, for exactly the same reasons!

It is definitely quite nice...

[Caadium]

Of course, you dude who has 4 passes also likely has the highest initiative.

4PSammy with 16
3PGunner with 14
2PDruggie with 11
1PMundane with 8

becomes:

(4) Sam, (1) Sam, Gunner, Druggie, Mundane, (3) Sam, Gunner, (2) Sam, Gunner, Druggie

Actually, that's not too bad...

Your illustration lays it out exactly as I run it. In my game this has not come up, but if I ever needed to do a 5th IP it would go at the very end, after IP 2.

Also, for those SR3 players, here is the original version. Remember that it was designed as a hybrid of SR2 and SR3 initiative

In SR2 you took your init roll, then acted then and subtracted 10, acting again on that number, until you got to 0 or less (32, 22, 12, 2 for example).

In SR3 you everyone acted on their init roll, after everyone acted you subtracted 10 from your score and you acted again on that new number (32 in IP 1, 22 in IP 2, 12 in IP 3, 2 in IP 4 for example).

As I said, the goal was to get mundanes involved earlier; mitigating the extreme value of high inits in SR2, but at the same time give a solid reward for what was then bascially 3+ essence worth of cyber and bio. So here is how I did it back then:

You acted on your init roll, then subtracted 20 and acted again (32, then 12 for example). After you made it through that IP there was a 2nd IP (my hybrid system only had 2 IP) where you subtracted 10 from your original score and acted on that number. You again subtracted 20 until all was done, and that 2nd IP gave everyone the same number of actions but mixed them up. (32 and 12 in IP 1, 22 and 2 in IP 2 is the example). For someone that was fast, but not extremely fast, it would look something like this 26 and 6, then 16. Only those that were really fast got 2 actions before most mundanes, but there was a chance for it for those characters that had spent the cred and essence (or high power point costs).

I just thought I'd put this in there for those that still use the SR3 system.

[overcannon]

We do some interesting things with guns.

SS guns fire one bullet per combat turn
SA guns can fire two bullets per combat turn
BF guns can fire three bullets per combat turn
FA guns can fire up to ten bullets per combat turn

Recoil is cumulative between initiative passes.

For one reason or another we decided that guns don't fire faster due to faster reflexes.

It just didn't seem right to us anyways.

[Draco18s]

Burst fire is faster than 1 bullet a second (combat turn = 3 seconds). That's semi-automatic. Also, in doing this, you've removed Suppressive Fire, which uses up 20 bullets.

[kzt]

We used Frank's character creation rules, we mostly used NPC hackers.

We never used the public awareness or notoriety rules. They seem totally broken. I don't think we used street cred as written either, but I'm not so sure about that. We mostly handwaved it.

We also banned mind control spells after deciding they were abusive.

The part about GM approval is critical, and sometimes the GM has to revoke approval ex-post facto when you don't have a lot of experience. But be reasonable about it.

[Zombayz]

Burst fire is faster than 1 bullet a second (combat turn = 3 seconds). That's semi-automatic. Also, in doing this, you've removed Suppressive Fire, which uses up 20 bullets.

Not even semi-auto though. Ive hit the 2 bullet per second barrier with a Lee-Enfield and a K31 before. Semi-auto, Ive dumped 30 rounds magazine in 1.5 seconds with a modified trigger.

Realistic rates of fire for WW2 submachineguns averaged 600-800 rounds per minute.

Fake edit: the normal trigger had just been replaced with something resembling a paintball gun trigger

[kzt]

Burst fire is faster than 1 bullet a second (combat turn = 3 seconds). That's semi-automatic. Also, in doing this, you've removed Suppressive Fire, which uses up 20 bullets.

An average shooter can shoot at least 2 bullets accurately in a second with an AR on semi (at fairly close range). If you ride the trigger reset you can shoot faster than that and keep the rounds on target at like 10 meters. So yeah, this seems a bit of an odd ruling.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

An average shooter can shoot at least 2 bullets accurately in a second with an AR on semi (at fairly close range). If you ride the trigger reset you can shoot faster than that and keep the rounds on target at like 10 meters. So yeah, this seems a bit of an odd ruling.

I will second that opinion... been there and done that...

[Caadium]

Recoil is cumulative between initiative passes.

I forgot, this is something I also use. Recoil resets each round, not each IP. However, any 'Take Aim' action used on any gun with built up recoil will clear out the built up recoil instead of giving a +1 modifier. This rule was was something I started using at the same time as the modified initiative I listed above.

[Tiger Eyes]

My GM doesn't let us buy successes (but we also don't have to roll for tasks that are super easy, like my TM hacking a rating 2 commlink).

We don't use the Notoriety/Public Awareness stuff.

We get the Charisma*2 free contacts at character generation.

Now that attribute improvement costs increased, he's letting the adept get a powerpoint with initiation instead of a metamagic.

And... hm. This isn't a houserule as much as a playstyle. We *almost* never roll social skill tests. My GM believes firmly in the roleplay aspect. The only time in the last 4 years we've rolled a social skill test was a team-work Con (Seduction) test... and I'm pretty convinced that was simply because he couldn't believe what we were trying. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Malachi]

A magician must stay conscious from the Drain test in order for a spell to take effect.

[The Mack]

And... hm. This isn't a houserule as much as a playstyle. We *almost* never roll social skill tests. My GM believes firmly in the roleplay aspect. The only time in the last 4 years we've rolled a social skill test was a team-work Con (Seduction) test... and I'm pretty convinced that was simply because he couldn't believe what we were trying. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Interesting.

I'm curious how much the players in your group invest in social skills. Do they have any value outside of elaborate scams like the one you mentioned?

I'm assuming your group is idyllic and no one does this, but how do you prevent the CHA 1 Troll with no social skills from talking their way out of (or into) all kinds of situations due to the player's cleverness?

Does the GM say "I'm sorry, your character is obviously too socially inept to have possibly come up with that story."?

[Dakka Dakka]

One houserule I find essential is, "There is only one essence hole."

We also use a oWOD-Style action declaration sequence. Everyone rolls Initiative, then the player of the slowest character says what the character tries to do and any player whose character has a higher Initiatve can say they wish to interrupt.

[HentaiZonga]

I always use the Cha x 2 BP (or Cha x 3 XP) free Contacts, and incidentally allow Awakened-types to purchase bound Spirits/Sprites with those points (I also allow them to purchase Complex Forms/Spells with their free Knowledge Skill pool).

I always use an Action Point/"Tick" system (ala Exalted) in lieu of the standard IP system; it just works so much cleaner.

I also tend to run Technomancer rules a lot closer to Magicy rules (to the point of Complex Form categories, Matrix combat working just like Astral combat, and the like).

[Draco18s]

A magician must stay conscious from the Drain test in order for a spell to take effect.

I'm pretty sure that one is RAW.

Instantaneous effects exempt of course.

One houserule I find essential is, "There is only one essence hole."

And what does that actually mean?

[Medicineman]

we use the Optional Matrix Rule
LOG & Skill (limited by Program Rating)

with an optional Dance
Medicineman

[Dakka Dakka]

And what does that actually mean?

According to RAW of Augmentation you can only replace one type of implant with the same type without losing essence. We did away with this restriction.

Example: A Character has Muscle Replacement 2 (-2 Essence) and wants to replace it with Muscle toner 2 and Muscle Augmentation 2 (-0.8 Essence total).

By RAW the character has An Essence Hole of 2 if the Cyberware is removed and loses additional Essence due to the new Bioware Implants. So he is at -2.8, or maybe -2.4 as it is unclear if virtual Cyberware affects the halving of Essence cost. He can however implant 2 Essence worth of Cyberware without incurring more Essence Loss

With my houserule the Character remains at -2 Essence and can implant additional ware worth of 1.2 Essence, as 0.8 is used by the bioware. Which score is halved is calculated according to the currently installed parts.

Also this removes the necessity to decide whether a character is a Bio-Sam or a more traditional Cyber-Sam.