Do you armor for the environment?, it'll be 98 degrees with humidity in the 80's today Options

[Snow_Fox]

In SR we plan if we go to the tropics or somewhere special but do you adjust your gear in your home town depending on the weather?

RL I'm planing on going out on my bike later and it's supposed to be RL temp in the upper 90's today. There is no way I can wear my usualy bike jacket. I'll be risking heat stroke in my usual leathers. seattle has, I think pretty steady temps but Philly can be at the brutal ends of the psecturm . Anyone wearing an armored jacket in summer here or NYC is going to be having regular chats with Doc Wagon drivers. I'm guessing the same is true in Texas or even parts of the border states even like Tennesee. could you ever wear heavy gear in LA? New Orleans?

[Blade]

There have been temperature regulated armored clothes for quite some time in SR.
It'll be conspicuous but you can still wear that heavy black trenchcoat in summer.

[HunterHerne]

I tell my players to keep that in mind. If they want to wear the heavy armoured wear in the summer, they need to pay for the climate adaptations, and they usually just wear whatever PPP/form-fitting gear they have that can be easily hidden for a simple ride around town/johnson meet (if in a public place)

[CanRay]

A good reason to perform Shadowruns in Winnipeg: Armour makes really good winter weather! Especially Lined Coats, the synthleather cuts the wind nicely and the ballistic lining works really well to keep you warm!

Don't forget your kevlar toque and gloves!

[HunterHerne]

A good reason to perform Shadowruns in Winnipeg: Armour makes really good winter weather! Especially Lined Coats, the synthleather cuts the wind nicely and the ballistic lining works really well to keep you warm!

Don't forget your kevlar toque and gloves!

Yes, but that is true of anywhere in Canada.

[CanRay]

No. No. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

Winnipeg has harsh weather by even Canadian standards. You will *NOT* look out of place with bulky attire, be it from winter clothing or gear underneath it. (Layered clothing is the most popular way for locals to handle things, with a oversized light leather jacket overtop everything to cut the wind. I prove myself "Another damned immigrant" by having different coats and wearing what's appropriate.).

The rest of Canada, yes, cold weather in Winter, but not nearly as bad. It's the wind chill. I grew up in the mountains of Northern Ontario, and even I'm still adjusting to Winnipeg six years later. Hell, I heard a couple complain about how the Winters weren't nearly as bad as in "The Old Country", I asked where that was, "Siberia" was their answer.

Summers in Canada are pretty decent, but you can get away with a bit of light armor with the comment "I'm from Texas" or some other rationalization. I know a few folks from the Caribbean who never felt warm for their entire stay in Canada (Even the summer.).

EDIT: I also suggest Winnipeg as a township near the area is a T-Bird stop in canon, and it's near a border which allows for lots of shenanigans. Especially as Aztechnology is a major proponent in that country up north of the UCAS.

[Raven the Tricks...]

Not so much Vancouver, but otherwise yeah that would be true of most of Canada in winter.

My group runs in LA (thus far without the stupidity of the paparzzi), and thus far the whole heat thing hasn't really come up. Then again I don't think anyone in my group actually uses an armor jacket. The troll in our second group will, but then again, who is going to tell a troll what he can or can't wear? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) Personally my character's non-run wear is an armored t-shirt and jeans, obvious forearm guards designed to look like leather bracers and shin guards worn under the jeans. If he's expecting trouble he throws an armored vest on under the t-shirt, but that starts to look pretty obvious.

[Brainpiercing7.6...]

While I would tend to agree that armouring *down* for warm weather should happen.... well, there just aren't any game mechanics in the game to punish you for not doing it. And as far as I'm concerned, there are SO many logical or other errors in the game, I certainly won't apply common sense to a field where I could really DIE if I do.

Occasion appropriate is the limit. Weather... phht, it's a distopia, as far as I'm concerned it's cold and rainy all the time.

For those who like their realism, but still don't want their characters dying... how about this as a house-rule suggestion:
Whenever you voluntarily apply common sense and thereby gimp yourself, you get one bonus use of edge for the duration of the run. (That is, at the same number of dice you normally get.)

[CanRay]

Smart Insulation Orthoskin Upgrade, well worth the cost!

Still doesn't let you blend in with the crowd when you're wearing a heavy jacket while everyone else is suffering from the Texas Heat, however, and there would be social modifiers for that. At the very least, Cops would know who to target as "Looking to start some drek by walking around armoured up."

[HunterHerne]

Smart Insulation Orthoskin Upgrade, well worth the cost!

Still doesn't let you blend in with the crowd when you're wearing a heavy jacket while everyone else is suffering from the Texas Heat, however, and there would be social modifiers for that. At the very least, Cops would know who to target as "Looking to start some drek by walking around armoured up."

Hope your Street Sam isn't going out without the face as back up...

[CanRay]

The rule of the game is to either blend in (Black Trenchoat) or stand out in a way that isn't overtly and obviously dangerous (Pink Mohawk).

[HunterHerne]

The rule of the game is to either blend in (Black Trenchoat) or stand out in a way that isn't overtly and obviously dangerous (Pink Mohawk).

And I stand closer to the Black Trenchcoat side of that meter. That said, if a character can come up with a convincing lie, and pass it off on the dice roll, I'll accept a little bulky armour. In some cases, my NPCs can get away with it, although the most prominent one for that is a Hobgoblin Gang chapter head who likes to break walls with a club in his spare time. The police don't normally bother him in his territory unless someone else has done the dirty work first.

[suoq]

I don't see the problem with simply hitting up the armored clothing dealers locally and seeing what's available. The books are a starting place, not a limit.

[Ascalaphus]

So, related to this:

We've got all manner of upgrades to clothing to deal with acid rain and all that. How often does environmental pollution and foul weather really occur in games?

I'm thinking about assigning each region (Seattle, LA..) an Environment&Weather table; every day, just roll 2d6 to see how the weather is going:

0-2: Totally placid; next weather roll at -2
3: Calm; next weather roll at -1
4: ...
5: Foggy
6: Smog (triggers Pollutant Allergy)
7: Nothing special
8: Acid Rains (triggers Pollutant Allergy)
9: ...
10: Rain without pollution
11: Heavy weather; next weather roll is at +1, civil air traffic shuts down
12+: Extremely heavy weather; next weather roll is at +2, air travel completely impossible

Or something like that. I recently became a fan of Random [...] Tables again. And yeah, that table looks harsh; meant to.

[Daddy's Litt...]

My husband has a very old copy of the Dragon magazine that has aweather chart in it. Soemone with way too much timeo n their hand workedo ut the percentages of weather- temperature and precipitation for each month. He used his own location and then worked out a formula for temperature changes depending on how far north of south you go.

he said it worked fine for D&D but is less good for other stuff because it didn't allow for regional changes- like how Seattle is very wet.

[Megu]

Yes. Last game I ran was set in Minneapolis and in winter, winter gear was important. It also helped conceal things, but that's besides the point. And this time, I'm doing Vietnam, so yeah, it's going to be something I'll enforce if people are trying to wear bulky shit. Besides, even without the environment, actual jungle-trained fighters are going to be doing circles around anybody doing that. Although the two characters I've received so far are a hilltribe guerrilla (still working out the details, but probably Central Highlands Montagnard of some sort) and the other's a centaur razorgirl loosely inspired by Rainbowdash, so maybe it won't be an issue.

[Snow_Fox]

Yeah well Vietnam the GI's in the 1960's had armored vests and the modern troops in Iraq are wearing full body armor so it can be done without over heating but they stand out. You want to blend in your a shadowrunner, not a stormtrooper. And that armored jacket that looks like motor cycle leathers looks great in October is going to really stand out in July.

I have mentioned before but RL a couple of years ago I was in the town of New Hope PA, an artsy town along the Delaware, just north of where Washington crossed in 1776. Nice shops and restaurants and stuff. I was wearing a linen suit (skirt, blouse and jacket) and kept the jacket on because I had a (legal) gun on my hip. Going into a shop two old ladies were coming out. One looked at me and said "Oh my dear, take that jacket off, you're making me feel hot just looking at it." All I could think was "I'll make you feel much more uncomfortable if I do."

I was dressed, pretty much, for the place and the environment but still stood out. Image if I had my bike leathers on instead. She might not have said something but the 'witness' might have remembered me even more. Had something gone down I would just have been in her memory as the small woman with dark hair in a tan suit. If I'd been in leathers she certainly would have remembered me.

[Ascalaphus]

You seem to have an interesting job (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[CanRay]

If you had been in the leathers refusing to take them off, she'd likely have dialed 91, and had her finger hovering over the 1 button still. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Shinobi Killfist]

Actually Bike Leathers might not stand out in any weather. They are worn for safety, and it isn't that odd to prefer being too hot to having the flesh torn for your body.

[CanRay]

Actually Bike Leathers might not stand out in any weather. They are worn for safety, and it isn't that odd to prefer being too hot to having the flesh torn for your body.

Never worn a set around a bunch of straights, have you? Even without extensive patches they tend to freak folks out.

My experience at least.

[Shinobi Killfist]

Never worn a set around a bunch of straights, have you? Even without extensive patches they tend to freak folks out.

My experience at least.

Maybe it is your attitude. If you think of them as straights I doubt you are putting off a good vibe. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Though honestly I suspect you are just seeing people noticing you are in bike leathers and interpreting that as freaking out. I've never noticed any issues when wearing biking leathers around any group of people.

[Critias]

Actually Bike Leathers might not stand out in any weather. They are worn for safety, and it isn't that odd to prefer being too hot to having the flesh torn for your body.

All depends on the surroundings. Plenty of folks (including some who buy and wear those leathers in the first place) still equate riding leathers with biker gangs and motorcycle clubs and such. Whether the gear is practical or not, there are an awful lot of people who'll give someone a second glance, cross the street to avoid them, or hold their purse a little tighter when they see black leathers, vests, etc.

[CanRay]

I was seven (maybe eight). Perhaps it was the attitude the group was giving off as well that I didn't pick up on at such a tender age.

EDIT: There's also a few issues with outlaw bike gangs (1%ers) back then until they were dealt with.

[pbangarth]

No. No. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

Winnipeg has harsh weather by even Canadian standards. You will *NOT* look out of place with bulky attire, be it from winter clothing or gear underneath it. (Layered clothing is the most popular way for locals to handle things, with a oversized light leather jacket overtop everything to cut the wind. I prove myself "Another damned immigrant" by having different coats and wearing what's appropriate.).

The rest of Canada, yes, cold weather in Winter, but not nearly as bad. It's the wind chill. I grew up in the mountains of Northern Ontario, and even I'm still adjusting to Winnipeg six years later. Hell, I heard a couple complain about how the Winters weren't nearly as bad as in "The Old Country", I asked where that was, "Siberia" was their answer.

Summers in Canada are pretty decent, but you can get away with a bit of light armor with the comment "I'm from Texas" or some other rationalization. I know a few folks from the Caribbean who never felt warm for their entire stay in Canada (Even the summer.).

EDIT: I also suggest Winnipeg as a township near the area is a T-Bird stop in canon, and it's near a border which allows for lots of shenanigans. Especially as Aztechnology is a major proponent in that country up north of the UCAS.

Winnipeg at the center of the continent is well known for the cold and the wind... and flooding in the spring. Why anyone would live there.... well, there's the phenomenal ballet company.

But .... the rest of Canada??

I live in Toronto, and the weather here is tropical compared to Winnipeg. I've also lived in northern Alberta, where the winter cold is sentient and out to get you. Then there's the Northwest Territories where my nephew worked. He just smiles when I talk about the cold in Alberta.