Commonly overlooked rules, Important or Not, tell them to me! |
Commonly overlooked rules, Important or Not, tell them to me! |
Apr 24 2009, 08:31 AM
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#1
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Target Group: Members Posts: 8 Joined: 26-October 06 Member No.: 9,716 |
Hi folks!
I'm currently starting up a new Shadowrun Campaign set in Halifax/NovaScotia and have already gotten the first run behind me. I've been out of the system for quite a long time, roughly one and a half year, but kept informed and up-to-date with books. We use the "new" SR4A ruleset (which is the reason we began again, the book just made me want to play again very badly, they need to do more books in fullcolor!). Sooo... I'm reading through the whole thing again, but I think you all know that you easily skip one or two rules. One example is that I simply forgot the +2 to all Matrix Actions modifier for being VR (read it after the game on these boards). I'm putting together an exhaustive rule-guide for my players - one for Normal stuff (shooting, tests, melee, car-chase-combat, ...), one for Matrix and one for Magic each. So the question basically is: What are rules you often overlook, that are forgotten for this reason or another, or simply hidden away in text somewhere? Would you help me to make my rule-guide for my players? Thanks beforehand! |
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Apr 24 2009, 08:47 AM
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#2
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Target Group: Members Posts: 69 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Northern California Member No.: 2,021 |
Gernade scatter. I 'forget' them every time in favor of something more dramatic and less likely to involve impossible physics.
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Apr 24 2009, 09:13 AM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 102 Joined: 3-March 09 Member No.: 16,928 |
SR3 knockdown and knockback. I'll use it if someone explicitly points it out, but otherwise everyone ignores it. Maybe for the best, though.
All of the Man and Machine cybersurgery rules, only they're not so much "overlooked" as "heartily rejected." Rules for cyberware and bioware stress and failure. I just never remember to roll or to tell other people to roll. |
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Apr 24 2009, 09:17 AM
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#4
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,336 Joined: 24-February 08 From: Albuquerque, New Mexico Member No.: 15,706 |
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Apr 24 2009, 10:35 AM
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#5
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,009 Joined: 25-September 06 From: Paris, France Member No.: 9,466 |
* Knockdown
* Standing up after a knockdown requires a Body+Willpower (2) test * Influence is a permanent spell and, as such, requires the caster to maintain it for several rounds before it becomes permanent. * Optional rule : armor is reduced each time the character is hit. (I try to use it but forget all the time) |
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Apr 24 2009, 01:49 PM
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#6
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The Dragon Never Sleeps Group: Admin Posts: 6,924 Joined: 1-September 05 Member No.: 7,667 |
The rule most overlooked.
Have FUN! All else follows. |
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Apr 24 2009, 02:05 PM
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#7
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Target Group: Members Posts: 8 Joined: 26-October 06 Member No.: 9,716 |
QUOTE ('Muspellsheimr') The question, I believe, was quite specifically about SR4A. Correct! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) QUOTE ('Blade') * Knockdown * Standing up after a knockdown requires a Body+Willpower (2) test * Influence is a permanent spell and, as such, requires the caster to maintain it for several rounds before it becomes permanent. * Optional rule : armor is reduced each time the character is hit. (I try to use it but forget all the time) Got knowdown in, need to insert the roll after knockdown to stand up, influence and heal as permanents is something I still need to add, and I won't use the armor-reducing after each shot. Thanks so far! I do use a variant of armor and weapon downgrades, mostly just along the lines of "Do they care about their equipment? Do they clean their weapons every few days? Okay, not weapon degrade!". The rule most overlooked. Have FUN! All else follows. This is the Top Number One rule we make heavy use of. As long as my players give me good reasoning and interesting things, I'm willing to bend the rules for awesome and interesting stuff to happen. Thanks so far, folks, I'm looking forward for more (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) If you ever missed a more important rule, remind me of the rule, too! |
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Apr 24 2009, 03:16 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 326 Joined: 10-January 09 From: Des Moines, WA Member No.: 16,758 |
Your movement total per round is broken up per IP pass - i.e., if you can move 10m a round and you have two IP passes, that is 5 meters per pass.
Which means that a person with only 1 IP can cover more distance in their first pass than a person with 4, but... eh. It only matters if you play a very tactical game. |
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Apr 24 2009, 03:54 PM
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#9
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Target Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 25-November 08 Member No.: 16,629 |
Real quick question about Knockdown.
So I was doing an example fight for my girlfriends character to show her how the rules work, so she uses her first attack to shoot a police officer (I made the scenario an off duty Lone Star officer was trying to rape her, because at first she didn't want to hurt him, but that made her not care hahaha) so her first shot she gets an amazing roll, I think 8 hits or something, and he only got 2 for his reaction test, so she's dealing 11P damage, so he rolls 6 dice for damage resistance and gets 2 hits, but is still getting knocked down taking 9P damage. So my question is, since this was her first Simple Action (to fire SA the first time), when she goes to fire the second time, is he still in the falling motion, or is he on the ground by her second simple action to fire again? Does he even get a reaction roll? Even if he didn't get knocked down he'd be taking another -1 for a second attack, but I'm sort of confused as to how long it takes for him to fall. If he's on the ground instantly, lets say he's prone by the time she's firing her second round, what is he even rolling for reaction? Is there a modifier for if your on the ground? |
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Apr 24 2009, 03:55 PM
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#10
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Target Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 25-November 08 Member No.: 16,629 |
Your movement total per round is broken up per IP pass - i.e., if you can move 10m a round and you have two IP passes, that is 5 meters per pass. Which means that a person with only 1 IP can cover more distance in their first pass than a person with 4, but... eh. It only matters if you play a very tactical game. As far as I understand, according to the rules, EVERYONES movement is divided up by the person with the most IP's. So if you only have 1 initiative pass, you are still only going 5 meters per pass (if you can move 10 a round) if the person you are fighting has 2 initiative pases. |
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Apr 24 2009, 06:08 PM
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#11
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,228 Joined: 24-July 07 From: Canada Member No.: 12,350 |
The Spellcasting test is modified by Visibility Modifiers. Considering a Magician cannot use non-cybernetic vision enhancements to cast spells, this becomes very significant.
Also, the defensive bonus from Cover (in SR4 it was an attacker penalty, in SR4A is a defender bonus) applies to the target's defending pool. If you forget these, Spells are much too powerful. |
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Apr 24 2009, 10:58 PM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 286 Joined: 5-September 05 Member No.: 7,688 |
The scatter argument is getting out of hand.
Other rules that aren't normally recognized:
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Apr 25 2009, 02:07 AM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 289 Joined: 15-March 09 Member No.: 16,968 |
Dermal plating nulifies the effects of flechette ammo.
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Apr 25 2009, 03:37 AM
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#14
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,756 Joined: 17-January 09 From: Va Beach , CAS Member No.: 16,787 |
the "attacker" in melee is the only one with the possibility to do damage, its no longer a two way street (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)
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Apr 25 2009, 05:36 AM
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#15
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,537 Joined: 27-August 06 From: Albuquerque NM Member No.: 9,234 |
Ok, to change the topic, how about the Notoriety and public awareness rules? Does anyone even read these? I don't think anyone actually uses them.
The "using a forged ID" rule. Most people don't see to realize that a rating 6 fake sin will typically get burned in a matter of days of normal use due to whoever wrote the "using a forged ID" rules not having a firm understanding of statistics and probability. It's far worse for less expensive IDs. Hence I don't think people really understand/use the rules. |
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Apr 25 2009, 06:44 AM
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#16
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Deus Absconditus Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,742 Joined: 1-September 03 From: Downtown Seattle, UCAS Member No.: 5,566 |
Yeah, both of those are pretty egregious offenders. I don't know anyone who's used the notoriety/PA awareness rules as written and remained sane.
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Apr 25 2009, 04:58 PM
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#17
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
Grenade scatter discussion moved to this thread.
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Apr 25 2009, 05:11 PM
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#18
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,756 Joined: 17-January 09 From: Va Beach , CAS Member No.: 16,787 |
the Ramming rules make me want to smash my head against the wall. hit a deer in a city master? your dead. hit that same deer with a bicycle? minor road rash.
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Apr 25 2009, 06:52 PM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 346 Joined: 17-September 06 From: Utah USA Member No.: 9,402 |
the Ramming rules make me want to smash my head against the wall. hit a deer in a city master? your dead. hit that same deer with a bicycle? minor road rash. I agree. The ramming rule is totally broken. Either search the boards for a good house rule or make it up on the fly. If your curious how broken they are read this post: Broken Ramming Rules Also, people posted plenty of their house rules there. Here's the important parts: The Nissan Doberman (Body 3 / Armor 6) can collide at full speed (75meters per round) taking no damage. I believe that Ares Roadmasters can slam into each other at 40mph and take no damage but I believe everyone inside them explodes. |
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Apr 25 2009, 07:14 PM
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#20
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
the Ramming rules make me want to smash my head against the wall. hit a deer in a city master? your dead. hit that same deer with a bicycle? minor road rash. As I see it, it's just that the ramming rules don't account for the difference in the damage that a vehicle would take from hitting another vehicle and from hitting an animal or character. I'd just wave the magic stick of unretardedness at it and make something up. How often do vehicles hit deer in your games? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) That's not to say the ramming rules aren't broken, btw. Just that I wouldn't apply them in a "deer hit". |
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Apr 25 2009, 07:18 PM
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#21
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,756 Joined: 17-January 09 From: Va Beach , CAS Member No.: 16,787 |
As I see it, it's just that the ramming rules don't account for the difference in the damage that a vehicle would take from hitting another vehicle and from hitting an animal or character. I'd just wave the magic stick of unretardedness at it and make something up. How often do vehicles hit deer in your games? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I guess when i say "deer", I mean people, and we would hit people all the time if it wasn't so deadly. also, i read in arsenal that in a "crash", passengers take no damage as long as the saftey features have not been disabled.. so ...? |
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Apr 26 2009, 01:44 AM
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#22
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 353 Joined: 2-February 08 Member No.: 15,618 |
Returning to the actual topic (because I find this sort of thing incredibly helpful, and would have found it indispensible when I first started running SR):
Attacking from cover applies a -2 penalty to your roll (this one is so easy to forget) Extra damage from burst fire does not count when comparing damage to modified armour (for the purpose of working out if you did stun or physical / beat their hardened armour. So Panthers are better than Full Burst LMGs against vehicles). |
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Apr 26 2009, 02:19 AM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 326 Joined: 10-January 09 From: Des Moines, WA Member No.: 16,758 |
As far as I understand, according to the rules, EVERYONES movement is divided up by the person with the most IP's. So if you only have 1 initiative pass, you are still only going 5 meters per pass (if you can move 10 a round) if the person you are fighting has 2 initiative pases. That doesn't make any sense. What page is that rule on? |
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Apr 26 2009, 02:50 AM
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#24
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 115 Joined: 5-March 09 From: Bay Area, CA Member No.: 16,942 |
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Apr 26 2009, 03:06 AM
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#25
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Prime Runner Ascendant Group: Members Posts: 17,568 Joined: 26-March 09 From: Aurora, Colorado Member No.: 17,022 |
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