SR4? SR4a?, Any differences? Options

[eidolon]

I just burned off a PDF of the SR4A character sheet. The PDF printer I have made the color a bit wonky, but if I leave it at full reso and stuff the filesize is huge. PM me with an email address if you'd like it or have somewhere to host it. Especially if you can host it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Adam]

http://shadowrun4.com/resources/previews/C...ractersheet.pdf

[BlackHat]

I'm a little late to the party, but another big change happened to combat spells, that isn't captured (well) in the changes document - or, at least that document doesn't agree with the pdf. According to that document, the change to direct combat spell DV is optional. According to the book, it is just another rule - nothing optional about it. In fact, its written twice (once for direct combat spells, and once again in the drain value for ALL combat spells). Then, in the examples, it isn't used at all. *shrugs*

Basic gist is that every net hit raises the DV by 1 - which is... insane... as that basically works out to always having to resist AT LEAST as many boxes of damage as your opponent, except in the cases of the weakest stun spells (even then, the mage will probably fall asleep if the target will). I can't imagine any character using this, but I have not had a lot of experience with magic, and have not played with a mage post SR4A. It *feels* like it would be equivalent to informing the gun-bunny that post-SR4A, every time he fires a weapon, the gun will fire a second bullet into his own chest, for no particular reason.

I don't imagine that would go over very well.

[DarkKindness]

I'm a little late to the party, but another big change happened to combat spells, that isn't captured (well) in the changes document - or, at least that document doesn't agree with the pdf. According to that document, the change to direct combat spell DV is optional. According to the book, it is just another rule - nothing optional about it. In fact, its written twice (once for direct combat spells, and once again in the drain value for ALL combat spells). Then, in the examples, it isn't used at all. *shrugs*

Basic gist is that every net hit raises the DV by 1 - which is... insane... as that basically works out to always having to resist AT LEAST as many boxes of damage as your opponent, except in the cases of the weakest stun spells (even then, the mage will probably fall asleep if the target will). I can't imagine any character using this, but I have not had a lot of experience with magic, and have not played with a mage post SR4A. It *feels* like it would be equivalent to informing the gun-bunny that post-SR4A, every time he fires a weapon, the gun will fire a second bullet into his own chest, for no particular reason.

I don't imagine that would go over very well.

This was changed in the 2nd printing of the hardcopy of SR4A to be clearly and obviously called out as an optional rule.

[BlackHat]

Ah, I thought to myself as I was typing it that someone probably caught and fixed this - but I had not seen an actual errata for 4A yet, so I proceeded with the rant. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Krypter]

This was changed in the 2nd printing of the hardcopy of SR4A to be clearly and obviously called out as an optional rule.

What? There's a second printing with rules changes? That's insane. Why are they doing this? Is it correct to say that we now have 4 versions of the rules, aka

1. Classic SR4
2. Changes document
3. SR4A v1
4. SR4A v2

Yikes.

[DarkKindness]

The changes document is not any sort of official rule set, and was overridden the day SR4A came out. The second printing of SR4A only included minor changes, it would seem - mostly formatting and editing errors that crept into SR4A. New printings make small corrections like that all the time - it's not a whole new edition or anything, just some clarifications.

That said, there is only one set of the rules at the moment. For all intents and purposes, SR4A, second printing is the accurate and up-to-date rulebook.

Of course, this would all work much better if the errata on the website got updated with any sort of frequency.

[Adam]

The changes document corresponds with the 2nd PDF of SR4A, which is identical to the first printing of the book -- the only printing yet available.

[DarkKindness]

The changes document corresponds with the 2nd PDF of SR4A, which is identical to the first printing of the book -- the only printing yet available.

Hm. Guess that I hadn't looked at the changes document all that closely after all. Quite right, then.

Doesn't explain the confusion regarding spell hits adding to DV, but that could just be confusion, I suppose.

[Krypter]

The changes document corresponds with the 2nd PDF of SR4A, which is identical to the first printing of the book -- the only printing yet available.

Ah, thank goodness then. I wouldn't have wanted to try to track down my shipment to see which printing it was.

[cndblank]

The changes document corresponds with the 2nd PDF of SR4A, which is identical to the first printing of the book -- the only printing yet available.

How do you get the 2nd PDF of SR4A?

I ordered the PDF and hardcover combo from Catalyst.

When I go to my account at Battleshop, it tells me that the link for the S4A PDF has expired.

Thanks

[Adam]

Depending on when you last downloaded it, you may already have it. But if you want to check, drop quartermaster@battlecorps.com a line and ask them to reset your download count, and when he does so -- should be within a biz day -- grab the most recent version.

[cndblank]

I love most of the changes to SR4A. And a beautiful book too.



The only major issue I had with it was charging 10K per level of an Activesoft. The economics just don't make sense.

If you can download the skill from the web, then they are not doing needing to do some sort of extensive fittings with a custom compile for each individual.

Most every day skills don't change that much from year to year. You going to tell me that my Pilot Ground vehicle skill chip and my Plumbing 101 skill chip are degrading because they are no longer SOTA?

The technology has been around for over a quarter century so there is likely a vast library of public domain software out there.

Some hacker some where will have found out how to run any brand of activesoft software on any brand skillwire hardware.

I can imagine someone installing a new set of skillwires and and the hardware having a vast library of low level but totally free skills softs (including deep discounts for those wanting to upgrading the activesoft) .

And skillwires were one of the few perks for playing a non awaken character so it hardly seemed broke.