[X] My Assistant

[hobgoblin]

hmm, that that entry about warding a van new?

[Dragnar]

That's a problem with the rules for hardened armor in general, not specifically stacking it with normal armor, which is outside of the scope of a FAQ.

[hobgoblin]

interesting that one time pads are mentioned as still existing and effective, if cumbersome.

that may be the way the banks and credit companies operate, by way of one time pads exchanged between them or supplied by the orbital bank. (gray suit, mirror sunglasses, suitcase locked to wrist. or maybe a non-wireless datajack and area bomb in the head).

that is, when a customer buys something, the sum is reserved on their account using a normal data connection. But no "money" is actually transferred yet. Then at some point the banks/companies involved gather up said "reserved" orders and verify them with each other, using the one time pad.

[hobgoblin]

heh, now i want to give my character obvious cyberfeet thats sculped the chromed shoes, complete with bulk enhancement so that i can have 3/3 armor in each foot. Total armor provided, 6/6, for a cost of .5 essence.

[Ryu]

A new FAQ? Cool! *sniff*

[Tycho]

lol

I guess in the next days we will finally see the augmentation Errata from August 08

if nobody feels resposible to simply post a new FAQ for that amount of time. Things are very bad...

@AH Nice work, would be cool if you can post the missing rules.

[Tycho]

lol

I guess in the next days we will finally see the augmentation Errata from August 08

if nobody feels resposible to simply post a new FAQ for that amount of time. Things are very bad...

@AH Nice work, would be cool if you can post the missing rules.

[Muspellsheimr]

The FAQ is much better than the previous version, but still contradicts the Rules as Written.

If the intent is to change a rule to how it was "intended" to work, put it in a fucking Errata document. The purpose of a FAQ is to clarify unclear rules, not alter or add to them. I'm even willing to write the damn Errata if desired (I'll just House Rule as appropriate in my game thereafter), but until then, stop trying to use the FAQ as such.



I have not thoroughly read through the FAQ yet, but the two contradictions I noticed where:

• Splitting Dice Pools - While not explicitly spelled out in the rules for several instances of splitting dice pools (such as multicasting), when splitting a dice pool, you divide the base pool, then add all applicable modifiers to each division seperately. This, the FAQ got correct. What it fails at is it's "Base Pool" and "Modifiers".
  

  The dice pool is the sum of the relevant skill plus its linked attribute,
  plus or minus any modifiers that may apply.

  
  Anything that does not directly affect the rating of the Skill or the Attribute, but does adjust the Dice Pool is a modifier, regardless of if it specifically states it or not. This includes Specializations and Foci - both of which are listed as adjusting the base pool prior to division.
  
  
• Mystic Adepts - the FAQ still incorrectly lists the Magic value dedicated to "Magician" skills as determining maximum Force of spells & spirits, as well as if it is Stun or Physical. This is blatantly false (despite the unclear phrasing), as the Drain value or damage type, or the Force of magical activities,are not factors of the skill, which is specifically what the partial value applies to. In addition to there being absolutely no rules whatsoever of the Drain or Force values being based off of the skill, I can further support this by pointing out numerous areas where Drain & Force are not dependent on spellcasting or conjury to begin with (metamagics & wards being notable examples). This is in addition to the specific wording regarding Adept Powers that the full value applies to the maximum Rating, indicating the same for Force..
  
  Note: Irrelevant to this in particular, but Mystic Adepts do not suddenly become overpowering if they use their full Magic for Force & Overcasting - they become playable outside of a few specific niche builds.

If I notice any more rules conflicts in the FAQ as I go over it in more detail, I will update/post as appropriate.

Until the FAQ is adjusted to accurately reflect the Rules as Written, or the Errata is updated to accommodate the "intended" rules, it remains an effectively null document in any rules discussion or debate.

[AndyZ]

I was wrong about how vehicle speed and acceleration works. Interesting.

If I may humbly suggest a ruling for 5e, I suggest that for non-legged vehicles the walking and running rate determine how much you can increase or decrease the velocity of the vehicle. For example, a Suzuki Mirage has an Acceleration of 20/50 and a Speed of 200.

For example, via running, the first turn it can run to rev up to 50 velocity, second turn the runner stops flooring the pedal and it increases at the walking rate to 70. However, on the third turn he wants to stop it entirely. The running rate decreases the speed by 50 and gets him down to 20 velocity, so he needs a vehicle test to try to stop it dead.

It may help to just call it Speed instead of Velocity and say Top Speed instead of the old Speed.


Thank you very much for the updates!

[Wuerfelwerfer]

1) The FAQ mentions the Laser Crescent Axe, but I thought that was dropped from 4th Ed. Is it still hidden somewhere?

2) The first answer under 'CYBERWARE/BIOWARE/NANOTECH/GENETECH' implies that you could buy deltaware cultured bioware, while the book (p. 64) says that you can't. What gives?

[Muspellsheimr]

The Laser Crescent Axe does not exist in currently released Shadowrun 4 books. I do not know why it is in the FAQ (or where).

p.64 (Shadowrun 4) does not at any point say Cultured Bioware is separate from the normal Standard-Alpha-Beta-Delta grades. It's description is extremely poorly worded, and not entirely accurate on the fluff end either, but it does not say what you claim whatsoever. I don't know if that description was updated in the Anniversary printing, but I suggest you use that, to begin with. Reading Augmentation would also be a good idea before making statements on rules of the book's namesake you don't actually understand.

[Brol_The_Mighty]

Wow Mud. Whereas I understand pointing out possible conflicts between the new and updated FAQ with some of the books, why such hostility? The credibility of your argument is diminished when presented in the manner that you do.

[Wuerfelwerfer]

Baaaaaaaaah!

Why, thank you for your unsolicited and non-contributing answer.
The laser crescent axe can be found in the FAQ by using a brand new technology called the 'search function'. Entering any of the three words should direct you there.

'Implant Grades' on p. 64 Shadowrun says that there are four grades of cyber- and bioware (basic, alpha, beta and delta) and then goes on (in paragraph 2) that there is another grade for bioware called cultured.
And since all ware can only be bought in one grade, I deduced that cultured and, say, delta, rule each other out.

Further on, I suggest you take a nap so you'll be less grouchy before continuing to post here.

[WorkOver]

Wow Mud. Whereas I understand pointing out possible conflicts between the new and updated FAQ with some of the books, why such hostility? The credibility of your argument is diminished when presented in the manner that you do.

He is always like that, he must be an angry person in real life, or an extreme know-it-all control freak. Maybe he is just an extreme asshat, I suspect its a lot of all of it.

[Dumori]

Dont be hard on him. Muspellsheimr is just misunderstood.

[Ancient History]

The freelancers that put the FAQ together (not just me! Thank them too!) were attempting to clarify the rules as the exist, not create new rules (that's the purpose of new books) or to "fix" the rules (that's the purpose of errata). That said, there were some situations where different arguments regarding playability won out.

Re: Splitting Dice Pools
The wording here gets into gamer legalese (what is a modifier?) but the general purpose is to avoid "double-dipping" so to speak - adding the same specialization or focus to two different tests being performed at the same time.

Re: Mystic Adepts
Closest the FAQ comes to an actual errata, meant to reflect the actual intention of SR4A, and again is intended to avoid abuse of this character concept and emphasize the division between the mystic adept's abilities.

[Draco18s]

'Implant Grades' on p. 64 Shadowrun says that there are four grades of cyber- and bioware (basic, alpha, beta and delta) and then goes on (in paragraph 2) that there is another grade for bioware called cultured.
And since all ware can only be bought in one grade, I deduced that cultured and, say, delta, rule each other out.

Also this on p303

Cyberware and bioware is available in four grades: standard,
alphaware, betaware, and deltaware. Only standard and
alphaware may be purchased at character creation. The prices
for cyberware and bioware presented in this chapter are for
standard ’ware (with the exception of cultured bioware, see
p. 339). When purchasing implants of other grades, apply
the Essence Cost and Cost adjustments as noted on the
Implant Grades table (above).

[Draco18s]

Re: Splitting Dice Pools
The wording here gets into gamer legalese (what is a modifier?) but the general purpose is to avoid "double-dipping" so to speak - adding the same specialization or focus to two different tests being performed at the same time.

Um. If you're performing two different skills you don't get the specialization of both to both pools (8 dice, split) you get the benefit of specialization to each pool (4 dice, split). I think that's pretty clear.

[DireRadiant]

Until the FAQ is adjusted to accurately reflect the Rules as Written, or the Errata is updated to accommodate the "intended" rules, it remains an effectively null document in any rules discussion or debate.

By extension of this principle we shouldn't use the main rule books either?

[Prime Mover]

Just for you and me, I will mention that whenever the FAQ mentions "an upcoming rulebook" in the Magic section, it was talking about a book that was planned to be written by Jennifer Harding and myself. There were actually full answers to those questions, but several of the other freelancers protested that the purpose of a FAQ is to answer questions and not rewrite or provide new rules, so they were removed. I might dig them out and post them later, just so we have something to argue about.

I read the faq before I came here and the mention of an upcoming book associated with the weapon focus vehicle caught my eye and my attention, now I come here and see that the freelancers who have left were supposed to write it . That trumps any argument over semantics for me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohplease.gif)

[Draco18s]

Uh?

"Until the RAW is adjusted to accurately reflect the RAW, or the Errata is updated to accommodate the "intended" rules ("adjust RAW"), it [RAW] remains an effectively null document in any rules discussion or debate."

[Jhaiisiin]

'Implant Grades' on p. 64 Shadowrun says that there are four grades of cyber- and bioware (basic, alpha, beta and delta) and then goes on (in paragraph 2) that there is another grade for bioware called cultured.
And since all ware can only be bought in one grade, I deduced that cultured and, say, delta, rule each other out.

This is now p.70 in SR4A, and it states such:

Higher grades of cyberware and bioware known as alphaware, betaware, and deltaware are available. Alphaware is more Essence friendly than standard cyberware, but is more costly as well. Betaware and deltaware are even more Essence-friendly and expensive, but are also harder to acquire and are not available to starting characters.
In addition to the four implant grades some bioware must be cloned from the recipient’s own cloned cells. Such bioware is known as cultured bioware and is more neurologically compatible and Essence friendly than basic bioware, but is more costly as well.

I've bolded the relevant information.

Basically, this explicitly states that there are 4 grades for cyber- and bioware (standard, alpha, beta and delta). It says that in addition, meaning to be combined with the previous information, some bioware has to be cultured by its very nature. There is no additional wording anywhere that specifically states that something cannot be cultured and deltaware. P. 61 of Augmentation seems to state that cultured too can be of any grade. Cultured isn't deltaware. It's matched to your nervous system. Alpha-, beta- and deltaware are matched to your body's protiens to help prevent rejection and ease integration (read: give you lower essence cost), whereas deltaware is specifically made according to your DNA to insure best possible integration.

Cultured is simply a different "type" of bioware, for lack of a better term, rather than a -ware grade like alpha/beta/delta.

Relevant supporting quote from Augmentation.

Like cyberware, bioware is available in varying quality and availability. The most common of-the-shelf bioware is type O and is roughly matched to the patient's size and metatype. By its nature, neural bioware—aka cultured bioware—must be matched to the patient’s physiology, particularly his brain and nervous system. Likewise, higher-quality bioware (alpha, beta) is tailored more closely to individual biological systems and protein matched to existing tissues. The highest quality bioware (delta) is vat-grown from a cellular matrix containing the individual patient's own DNA, custom-made just for them. Rules for bioware grades (alpha-, beta- and delta grades) appear on p. 303, SR4, and Installing/Repairing Cyberware and Bioware, p.126.

[FriendoftheDork]

I really don't get the acceleration rules. The FAQ tries to explain them using the same confusing semantics as the RAW, but also seem to contradict it at times.

So far I've just interpreted/house ruled them to mean Speed=top speed and Acceleration=changes in speed (not movement). Also I completely ignored the vehicle test to increase speed... how can pressing a gas pedal require a test? Instead greater speed should give penalties to vehicle crash tests, if it doesen't already.

Now the first line about Speed is clear. Then it says

"Acceleration determines the vehicle's movement rate (see Movement Rate. p. 149, SR4A); the first number is the "Walking" rate and the second number is the "Running" rate (p. 168-169, SR4A). Divide the vehicle's Movement rate by the number of Initiative Passes in that turn to see how far it travels in each pass."

So acceleration determines (equals?) movement rate, which is then the total movement that turn (divided by passes). Which means that the Van is slower than a human... yeah right..

Then in the example the vehicle is moving at a velocity which is unexplained how it got to, and when trying to increase it further, a fairly difficult vehicle test is required... still going well below the safe top Speed of the vehicle. With the whopping 4 hits, 2 are used just to avoid crashing I assumed, 1 is used to accelerate by 10 meter (which is the same as the running rate of the vehicle, which I thought would be automatic just like for creatures). The last hit mysteriously disappears!

Then there is some nonsense about you need one test in order to accelerate the vehicle by 5 meters... argh.

[Wuerfelwerfer]

This is now p.70 in SR4A, and it states such:


I've bolded the relevant information.

Basically, this explicitly states that there are 4 grades for cyber- and bioware (standard, alpha, beta and delta). It says that in addition, meaning to be combined with the previous information, some bioware has to be cultured by its very nature. There is no additional wording anywhere that specifically states that something cannot be cultured and deltaware. P. 61 of Augmentation seems to state that cultured too can be of any grade. Cultured isn't deltaware. It's matched to your nervous system. Alpha-, beta- and deltaware are matched to your body's protiens to help prevent rejection and ease integration (read: give you lower essence cost), whereas deltaware is specifically made according to your DNA to insure best possible integration.

Cultured is simply a different "type" of bioware, for lack of a better term, rather than a -ware grade like alpha/beta/delta.

Relevant supporting quote from Augmentation.

Ah, so they changed it from SR4 to SR4A. Then this FAQ item makes sense. Thanks!

[Xahn Borealis]

a little bit of practical research with a similarly sized doll suggests that anything bigger than a knife or hold-out pistol is unwieldy.

Who did this, I wonder?