[X] My Assistant

[Boxymoron]

Just wanted to start a list of house rules, let them be in one place, mostly because I thought of one.

Free Contacts:

Sum of logic and charisma, multiplied by 2 in points, but connectivity of the contact can only be as high as the base logic attribute, and the loyalty of the contact by charisma.

[CanRay]

Hobby: 'Cause it ain't all about Biz.

Some of the "Free Points" for knowledge skills must be put into a hobby skill of one type or another to flesh out the character. Even a single point is sufficient. No whining.

[Shortstraw]

Aptitude quality may be applied to knowledge skill groups - professional, street, or academic skills.

[bibliophile20]

• 15 free bp at character creation, reserved only for background and essential contacts needed for the character to be able to function--like street docs, armorers, fixers, etc.

• All Mental Manipulation spells give one point of Notoriety each if bought at character creation. If learned during play, care will have to be taken to keep their use from becoming common knowledge, or the character will gain a point of Notoriety per spell. Even in the moral gray zone of the shadows, "mind rapers" are looked upon warily and with suspicion.

• Barring unusual circumstances, any attempts to summon or bind a spirit with a Force higher than one's Magic will have the spirit automatically using its Edge to resist summoning or binding.

• Spirit skills are now equal to half of their Force (round up), instead of equal to their Force. This only affects their skills, not their other powers or attributes.

• The Learning Stimulus nanoware reduces karma costs for increasing knowledge skills by its rating to a minimum of 1.

• By book, anytime a fake SIN or other forged ID is used, whether for crossing the border, paying rent or buying a dress, an opposed test is made between the ID rating and the rating of the verification system. Statistically, this gives even the highest rated SINs a high chance of failure and correspondingly a rather low expected lifespan.
  Thus, to avoid the issues of having to constantly replace a burned high level SIN (which is an event that should be significant, not a regular chore), the validation system will work as follows:
  Validation is done as a Verification System Rating x2 (Forged ID Rating) success test. If the validation does not beat the threshold, the forged ID is accepted. If the validation beats the threshold, a final Verification System Rating x2 vs. Forged ID Rating x2 is made. The side achieving the most successes wins. If both sides achieve the same number of successes, the verifying system will ask a series of questions based on the bearer’s history that the bearer must answer correctly (Memory tests required, with a threshold determined by the GM). If the individual using that ID answers any question incorrectly, the verifier rejects the ID.
• Emotitoys and Empathy Software only add to Judge Intentions tests.

• Stick-n-Shock ammo has been changed to the following: DM -1S(e), AP -half, Impact, 5R, 80¥/10 rounds.
  This is to reflect the difference in capacitor size for different caliber rounds; a capacitor that has to fit in a 9mm barrel will be significantly smaller than a capacitor for a shotgun shell, as well as to bring SnS rounds more in line with taser damage and ammo capacities.

[HunterHerne]

Direct Spells: Only deal net hits damage on the physical plane. On the Astral or in the metaplanes, Direct spells deal F+net hits damage instead.

First Aid: The first aid kit no longer replaces the first aid skill if user is untrained. Instead, it adds half it's rating (round down) to the number of boxes that can be healed by the character's first aid.

Ramming: Use a slight variation. The speed will be relative to the vehicles. If they
are both travelling the same direction, the slower vehicle will be subtracted from the higher speed.
If the vehicles run into each other head on, the speeds will be added together. Each vehicle will
use it's own body to determine what the other vehicle takes as damage. If a truck with body 16
is travelling at 90, and is rammed from behind by a car with body 10, and speed 110, the result will
be an effective speed of 20, and the truck resisting 5 damage, with the car resisting 8. If they hit
each other head on, the effective speed would be 200, and the truck would resist 20, and the car
would resist 32.

Adrenaline Pump: Due to the amount of use Adrenaline pumps get, and the fact the pump is added to the largest free space area in the body, with little risk, I reduced it's cost to Ratingx6000.

[The_Dood]

here are some of mine:

* Tech Noir Character Creation - 320 BP, limited abilities, must take a negative quality, and more.
* Files have a damage track (File Rating) and data bombs cause rating damage. Files not destroyed by data bombs are unreadable but may be recovered.
* Macguffin files take d6 turns to copy or transfer.

Also *yoink*

All Mental Manipulation spells give one point of Notoriety each if bought at character creation. If learned during play, care will have to be taken to keep their use from becoming common knowledge, or the character will gain a point of Notoriety per spell. Even in the moral gray zone of the shadows, "mind rapers" are looked upon warily and with suspicion.

[ElFenrir]

Let's see:

*No availability limit at chargen. Yes, none. At all. However, you are expected to follow the ''don't be an asshat'' houserule with this, and work within your concept. (Given that we've all gamed together forever though, that second part doesn't even come into play since we trust each other.)

*Chax4 Karma free for Contacts(Karmagen is used about exclusively for us.)

*with Karmagen(x5 Attribute cost, pay BP for race, 750 Karma), Edge, Magic and Resonance are *not* counted toward the 1/2 Karma total(due to an issue with awakened/technomancer humans.)

That about covers it for us.

[suoq]

Trim and paste from a set of house rules I was working on. This set is not in use, has never been tried, and is just kept on file so I don't have to start it from scratch of I ever need to have one.

[ Spoiler ]

House Rules

Characters
I see them up front. Most things I allow, but some things I may warn you about. That emotitoy may not work the way you think it might work.

Contacts
Connection is split into two groups: Competency and connection. Add together and divide by two, rounding up to determine the point cost.
Example: A high end chop shop might be 1 competency and 5 connection. They get the parts but don’t install them. A high end mechanic might be 5 competency and 1 connection. He doesn’t get much for parts but he can fix anything.
All characters get one free contact: “The man in the wheelchair” (from Ronin). He’s a competency 2, connection 2 fixer that you get at loyalty 1. You can buy up his loyalty during char gen if you want.

Commlink
Ignore response degradation. If you have it, consider it installed and running unless you say it isn’t so there’s no limit on the number of programs you can run.
A commlink can only have 1 active AR or VR operator at a time. Everything else is passive/background. Basically, this means that you can be active in VR, active in AR, or your agent is actively doing something. Actively communicating with your agent in VR/AR is legal but when that’s happening it’s communicating with you, not fighting off hackers. If you're in a VR meeting and someone is attempting to hack you and you don't have nested commlinks, then it's all up to your firewall, not your agent/IC.

Software
Agents are IC. IC are agents. You have one, you have the other.
No piracy. No writing your own software. Buy it or rent it.
Software is available at half cost and doesn’t come with registration.
Software is available during gameplay as a rental. Cost is 1/10 of the cost per week for a minimum of 1 week. It comes with registration. It is linked to whatever SIN you’re renting it under. If that SIN is burned, the software is burned. It narcs on your about everything.

Dice Pools
No splitting dice pools, multicasting, etc.

Rule Books
I have the bundle (SR4A, Arsenal, Unwired, Runner’s Companion, Street Magic). If you want something from any other book, I’ll probably say yes, but I want to see the dang thing first.

Licenses/SINS
I like to see character sheets in advance so I know who you are, who you’re pretending to be, what you’re carrying, and what you can do.
Items that come stock with forbidden mods/accessories are forbidden. I don’t care what the book says about the HK-227X or the Morrissey Élan.
Bone Lacing is as legal as Bone Density Augmentation.
A license is the right to carry/own X in areas where X can be owned/carried with a license. If you have 3x, that’s still just one license.
You can still get harassed for “Driving while orc”. Sure, you have 20 licenses, and they’re good, but the cops are probably still going to “detain” you while they “verify” all the licenses. God only know what they’re doing to your equipment while you’re detained.

Emotion software:
Software limited to level 3
Software needs cameras and microphones equal or greater than rating or a simrig.
Emotitoys limited to level 3. Need to be focused on target. Contain their own collection of sensors. Such sensors don’t have the range/resolution to contribute to a tacnet. The darn things are obvious if you bring them to the meet. Less so If you’re in your own office using one.
Complex Form limited to level 3. Needs a simrig or a simrig Complex Form.

There's some above (and probably below soon enough) I need to steal.

[bibliophile20]

Well, I just tried to compute a budget for an enchanter NPC last night and ran into the problem that there's no way to actually make a living wage off of RAW enchanting if you're an average character (Magic 3, Enchanting 3); orichalcum is out of your skill range, the net profit on ritual materials is 100 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) per point of Force, and fetishes and talismans, especially Detection and Illusion fetishes, are a net loss. Tweaking was in order. I came up with the following:

[ Spoiler ]

Teamwork tests are allowed for all enchanting activities, although not belonging to the same tradition or Adept Way will result in a -1 to -3 penalty, depending on compatibility (traditions with different circulations times, for example, would be at a -3, while Hermetics and Chaos mages would only be at a -1). Belonging to the same initiation group adds a +3 bonus to teamwork tests (which can cancel out the penalty).

An enchanter may have a number of active circulations going simultaneously equal to his Enchanting skill. A specialization in Alchemy will increase this limit by 2. The thrice-daily checks and adjustments take one hour for all active circulations. Missing an adjustment requires an Enchanting+Magic (number of adjustments missed x2) success test to bring the circulations back into proper adjustment; failure destroys the refined radicals.

An assisting team-member can make circulation checks and adjustments, but must have sufficient skill to match the team leader to be finished in the same period of time for each circulation; if the assistant's Enchanting skill or Magic are lower than the leader's, the base hour required for circulation adjustments will be adjusted proportionately upwards to compensate and can only stand in for the leader for a number of adjustments equal the assistant's Enchanting skill or Magic, whichever is lower. Note that if the assistant is of equal skill or Magic to the leader, this limit does not apply--two enchanters of equal skill can "hand off" circulations as needed.

However, if the assistant is leader on his own circulations, he can maintain the additional circulations for no more adjustments than his Enchanting or Magic, whichever is lower, before having to begin making Enchanting + Magic tests as if he were missing adjustments (above) cumulatively, for all of his active circulations. Note that handing back the additional circulations to the original leader does not reset this limit.

Ritual materials only require two refined or one radical reagent per point of Force.

Fetishes are not attuned to any particular spell when created, but they are attuned to a particular spell category.

Revised Enchanting Table

Focus Attribute Dice Pool Modifier
Force Of Focus -Force
Mundane Telesma -4
Handmade Telesma +0
Virgin Telesma +2
Exotic Telesma +4
(Force) Radical Reagents of One Type +2 (Cumulative per type, max +8 )
Orichalcum, per unit +4
Aspected Enchantment +2

Enchanting a focus is an Enchanting + Magic (8+Karma Bonding Multiplier+Object Resistance, 1 Day) test.

[ Spoiler ]

I realize that these might seem a bit too easy, especially for the focus-enchanting test, but I use the "cumulative -1 penalty per roll on extended tests, limited to a number of rolls equal to attribute+skill" option for my game, which makes hitting a 16-20 threshold on anything more than a force 1-2 focus nearly impossible for all but the most experienced--which, given the costs and availability of foci, doesn't seem likely.

Fetish & talisman prices are tweaked as follows:

Fetish Avail Cost
Combat 9R Reagent cost x2
Detection 7-9 Reagent cost x2
Healing 7-9 Reagent cost x2
Illusion 7-9 Reagent cost x2
Manipulation 7R-9R Reagent cost x2
Talisman 10 Reagent cost x2

[Ol' Scratch]

While I have an entire notebook filled with house rules, completely altered rules, and ideas for whole new concepts, I can't find the damn thing to save my life. I've mentioned a few in other threads recently, though. Anyway, I just wanted to comment on this one:

*Chax4 Karma free for Contacts(Karmagen is used about exclusively for us.)

That kind of house rule always bothered me, as Charisma alone won't win you friends. I prefer using one that combines your Charisma and your Etiquette score instead, such as [Cha + (Etiquette x 2)] points, with an additional [Etiquette Specialization (if any) x 2] points that can only be used on appropriate contacts. It's a little more convoluted, but I think the end result is more appropriate. It also penalizes trolls and orks less, which is a good thing considering their typical sense of brotherhood and family. Especially compared to the more aloof and snobbish elves who, under the default house rule, will almost always have more free contacts.

Of course, I also think limiting your maximum starting Connectivity rating by your Etiquette and your max Loyalty rating by your Charisma is a good idea, too. Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, it makes a lot more sense to me to do something like that instead of a flat bonus based solely on your Charisma.

[ElFenrir]

Actually, I had gotten that houserule from a very old houserule that came out when SR4 dropped. Well, ''very old'' as in I saw it very shortly after the original Shadowrun 4e, and I adapted it into Karmagen. The original, I think was Charisma x 3 free Build Points in contacts, but I can't quite remember at this point.

All this rule was in the first place, when it first dropped, if i recall, was 4e's version of copying over the old SR rules of ALL starting characters recieving two free level 1 contacts. Regardless of Charisma or Etiquette. For some reason, SR4 chose not to copy this over(for which I don't even realize.)

However, I'm guessing it was tough deciding what exactly a level 1 contact was in terms of Loyalty and Connection(2/2 could perhaps be a good bet, if I had to make a pick), the houserule was invented(I'm not even sure by who) to allow a BP variant of the old two free contacts. Charisma was picked, I'm guessing, due to it being the primary social stat.

Though I can understand maybe not even liking the old two free contacts regardless and would rather base them on Etiquette mixed in, which is cool as well. I mean I can see the Charisma bit with lower-Charisma races maybe not being as fair(only if the person chooses to dump Charisma, not everyone does), though only the stereotypical elves are aloof and snobbish, my current bodyguard is nothing of the sort. He's actually pretty laid back.

I suppose another houserule one could use would to just give everyone two free 2/2 contacts(and they can increase them with BP/Karma if they wish.)

[Method]

I have many house rules that I use in various types of games, but here are a few of the more common off the top of my head:

-- I do the free contact thing with [CHA * X] free contact points (X is dependent on the level of the game), but I manage contacts differently. I love contacts and lots of NPC interaction in my games, but I've always thought that powerful (and sometimes game-breaking) contacts are too cheep under RAW. So IMG contacts have a set Connection rating based on their background and story, which does not cost the PC anything. The PC buys Loyalty by spending BP = Connection per level of Loyalty. Thus having the local Oyabun (C:6) as your best bud (L:6), for example, is still possible but instead of costing 12 BP its going to cost you 36 BP.

-- I think the RAW "Combat turn = 3 seconds" time scale is retarded. I think it's meant to model a frantic pace in combat (which is cool), but outside the 3-4 turns most combats require it starts to get ridiculous. For example: players gun down a Stuffer Shack full of gangers in 30 seconds (10 Combat Turns, which is a lengthy combat at most tables). I roll some dice and determine that KE will respond in 4 minutes (relatively fast). That leaves the PCs 80 Combat Turns to do anything they want, which is an eternity. So IMG Combat turns are 20 seconds long. Thus there are 3 Turns per minute (so KE will be there in 12 turns). There are always 4 IP each 5 seconds long. Each Action Phases represents a cinematic series of maneuvers, dodging movement, positioning, aiming, etc. In any IP in which a given PC has no Actions, that PC is simply considered to be moving, dodging for cover, finishing previous actions, etc and may still take a Free Action. A simple action takes about 2 seconds, which I think is about right.

-- Movement rates are set in multiples of 4 (Human, Ork, Elf = 12, Dwarfs = 8, Troll = 16) so as to work with the above Initiative changes and not be retarded. Running multiplies the Walking rate by 2. Only one Sprinting test is allowed per turn. No sprinting if encumbered.

-- Stick and shock is only available for shotguns (and Spirits are immune to electrical damage). AV ammo is only available for LMG and larger weapons. Emotitoys are just toys. Emotive software is used for Judge Intention tests only.

-- When using the rules for Overlapping Grenade Blasts, the power of each additional grenade is half the previous and the base damage from a single grenade is compared to the targets armor to determine stun vs physical.

-- I have a whole bunch of house rules for using Leadership to do stuff like coordinate NPC fire, giving initiative bonuses, boosting Tac Net bonuses etc. These are very helpful for making NPC opposition more challenging.

I'll post more if I have some time...

[Dakka Dakka]

Stick-n-Shock ammo has been changed to the following: DM -1S(e), AP -half, Impact, 5R, 80¥/10 rounds.
This is to reflect the difference in capacitor size for different caliber rounds; a capacitor that has to fit in a 9mm barrel will be significantly smaller than a capacitor for a shotgun shell, as well as to bring SnS rounds more in line with taser damage and ammo capacities.

Woohoo the Barrett just became even better at stopping people and spirits. 8S(e) AP -half impact is pretty great, especially since there is no chance of actually driving the capacitors through the victim (barring ridiculous amounts of net hits).

Let's see what house rules do I plan to use, not running at the moment:

• Initiative: players whose characters have the lowest score announce their actions first, players whose characters have higher scores can interrupt. Actions take place in the then defined order (Fastest first)
• SIN verification: the unit rolls a System Rating(SIN Rating) test.

Can't think of more right now. Might chime in later.

[Bigity]

Old school initiative/declaring action rule (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I like it.

[Dakka Dakka]

Old school initiative/declaring action rule (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I like it.

Was this in SR before? I only know it form oWoD.

[Bigity]

I'd have to check. It's in many older games though. You'd declare actions slowest to fastest, and then resolve them in reverse order.


SR1/SR3 do not do this. I don't have an electronic copy of SR2 rules to check.

I think Star Wars D6 did it that way, so faster characters could 'react' to slower ones.

[bibliophile20]

Woohoo the Barrett just became even better at stopping people and spirits. 8S(e) AP -half impact is pretty great, especially since there is no chance of actually driving the capacitors through the victim (barring ridiculous amounts of net hits).

Well, yeah. It's an anti-vehicular rifle! If it wasn't ridiculously overkill, I'd call shenanigans! (However, if you scored more net hits than their Ballistic armor rating + Body, modified by the usual -4 from the Barrett, I'd say that the whole round ended up over-penetrating and just went through the target, causing damage like a normal bullet. Straw-in-tornado-through-tree time.) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

However, from a game balance POV, if the change means that, instead of there being problems with SnS balance in all guns, now there's just sniper rifles to worry about, I think it's a good change. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Kirk]

Announce delayed action (SR4A 145). The only flaw I have with that rule (delayed action, not your suggestion) is that if multiple players declare they're using a delayed action to interrrupt - sorry, "intervene" - they're all simultaneous.

[Yerameyahu]

RE: that concern, I've got an unfinished house rule to rejigger many of the firearms' DV/AP values; short story, less DV and more AP, to better reflect their anti-armor function.

[Dakka Dakka]

Announce delayed action (SR4A 145). The only flaw I have with that rule (delayed action, not your suggestion) is that if multiple players declare they're using a delayed action to interrrupt - sorry, "intervene" - they're all simultaneous.

So where is the problem? If they all want to do something right before someone else does something, they will all do their things at the same time.

[Yerameyahu]

And I think someone already mentioned that they can't if they're Surprised. (Crap, wrong thread. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

[DamienKnight]

[*]Barring unusual circumstances, any attempts to summon or bind a spirit with a Force higher than one's Magic will have the spirit automatically using its Edge to resist summoning or binding.
[*] Emotitoys and Empathy Software only add to Judge Intentions tests.
[*]Stick-n-Shock ammo has been changed to the following: DM -1S(e), AP -half, Impact, 5R, 80¥/10 rounds.
This is to reflect the difference in capacitor size for different caliber rounds; a capacitor that has to fit in a 9mm barrel will be significantly smaller than a capacitor for a shotgun shell, as well as to bring SnS rounds more in line with taser damage and ammo capacities.

Our group uses the spirit edge rule you use above. We also do the Stick-n-Shock thing, though we did not use -1DV, I think we will going forward.

Just had someone use Empathy Software in the last run for the first time ever. They said, 'It says here in the book it adds dice to all social tests!' I said, are you sure you want it to work that way? I figure it would just help with judging intentions. The group voted that it should help for all negotiation tests, wanting their teammate to get to use his rating 3 software in negotiations against their Johnson. I said OK. I then added 6 dice to the johnsons test, because if he is a professional negotiator, why wouldnt he drop 2k for rating 6 software?

Anything a player can do, the NPCs can do too. They did not end up negotiating any more pay. I think I will suggest your houserule to them.

I have 1 new one to add:
Banishing skill can be used to block spirit powers. (specialization 'Banishing: Counter Spirit Powers')_ Works just like counterspelling. No more force 6 spirit completely pwning the party, and now the Banishing skill is not completely worthless!

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Just had someone use Empathy Software in the last run for the first time ever. They said, 'It says here in the book it adds dice to all social tests!' I said, are you sure you want it to work that way? I figure it would just help with judging intentions. The group voted that it should help for all negotiation tests, wanting their teammate to get to use his rating 3 software in negotiations against their Johnson. I said OK. I then added 6 dice to the johnsons test, because if he is a professional negotiator, why wouldnt he drop 2k for rating 6 software?

Anything a player can do, the NPCs can do too. They did not end up negotiating any more pay. I think I will suggest your houserule to them.

It is not just the software, but the hardware to run it on. The hardware costs MUCH more than a mere 2k Nuyen. Assuming that you do not use the stupid EmotiTOYS to do so.

[Ol' Scratch]

Not to mention that it still works out fine.

Yes, professional negotiators like Mr. Johnsons will likely have the hardware for Empathy 6 and the desire to have it. That's why your team should value having a Face, who also has a vested interest in using it. And against non-professionals who cannot afford or have better things to worry about, it provides a nice bonus in social situations for the Face or other character type that would be interested in it.

Sure, it's power creep. But it's not exactly bad power creep since it balances itself out and only really matters when dealing with the upper end of the spectrum. Even without it, Joe Blow the Common Guy is going to get a new one ripped when dealing with a slick Face. An extra six dice (an average of only two hits) isn't going to change that very much.

Besides, most characters aren't investing that to help negotiate a deal at the Johnson's table. They're getting it for when they have to fast talk their way past a security guard or try to turn a corporate secretary into an asset/contact. And, again, it just makes them a bit better at it; they'd still succeed without it.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Cannot argue with that. We have not seen a lot of power creep, even with the Empathy software. *shrug*
Of course, the typical level is 3 for our table. Unless they are playing a dedicated face, most of the players are just not that interested in investing that amount of money for social dice.