Shadowrun 5 & a lot more in 2013! Options

[Cochise]

Not at all. It's the power foci / magic rating split difference. Both do the same thing mechanically, but with different prices.

In this case, buying back essence would be a serious karma sink in exchange for more cyber, as opposed to cybermancy which is the fast and dirty way of taking someone off the street and not killing them while jamming more cyber into them than they can actually cope with.

The problem is: Cybermancy mechanically "sucked" pretty much ever since rules for it were provided. Now your suggestion moves cybermancy from being the only way of exceeding the absolute barrier created by Essence and turns it into an even less desirable "quick and dirty" form. And you suggestion even brings about the question of Cyberzombies returning to "life" by regaining Essence with your mechanic.

[Ixal]

The problem is: Cybermancy mechanically "sucked" pretty much ever since rules for it were provided.

Thats apparently a common problem with most of the "special" races (Cyberzombie, Shifter, Drake, HMVV ...). Only SURGE seems have been accepted well (because of the MinMax potential).
Personally I do not care, but groups who tend to play "on the limit" likely won't see any of those characters.
But then, I would like to see rules which would discourage minmaxing as (only?) valid way of gaming anyway.

[Cochise]

Thats apparently a common problem with most of the "special" races (Cyberzombie, Shifter, Drake, HMVV ...). Only SURGE seems have been accepted well (because of the MinMax potential).

I wouldn't blame "MinMax potential" but rather the fact that originally all these concepts were designed to be NPC-only and - at least in case of cyberzombies - were mechanically vastly inferior in comparison to what they were supposed to be on "fluff"-levels (both in p&p material and in novelizations). Oh and SURGE originally wasn't accepted well at all ...

[Tzeentch]

At first glance the idea sounds interesting, but then it even more invalidates the idea of cybermancy than the various cybermancy rules did so far ...

-- So no loss. The cybermancy rules were a very ugly kludge to get around the Essence mechanic - which itself was just a game balance stat to add a "fun" element of resource management and prevent cybered reign of terrors.
-- The less "fun" resource management elements the better.

[Ixal]

Oh and SURGE originally wasn't accepted well at all ...

I wonder if there ever was anything new which was received well...

[Fatum]

-- So no loss. The cybermancy rules were a very ugly kludge to get around the Essence mechanic - which itself was just a game balance stat to add a "fun" element of resource management and prevent cybered reign of terrors.
-- The less "fun" resource management elements the better.

Essence is a reflection of a very important fluff point, I'd even say, one foundational to the setting. It's truly puzzling how you can't see it.

[bannockburn]

So, new blog post up, talking about artwork.
Disregard the link title, it may be misleading. Unfortunately, the linked picture isn't ... well, linked.

http://www.shadowrun.com/shadowrun-tableto...er-as-the-hero/

[_Pax._]

The image is properly included at the original blogpost: http://www.shadowruntabletop.com/2013/04/s...er-as-the-hero/

[bannockburn]

Yep, found that, too, about a minute ago (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[tasti man LH]

Well, judging by the name of the image, I guess this is our first look at the character portraits for the Pre-gen character sheets. So far lookin' good. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

And if that's supposed to be an MCT Fly-Spy drone, kinda not what I expected them to be...slimmer? Although I guess that's one other layer of camoflage if the drone actually looks like a fly from a distance...

[DMiller]

DMiller:
See 'Infusion" foci... in SR4... they contain an adept power... usable by the adept. No need to break power foci in that way.

Which book is the Infusion Focus in? I don't recall having seen it, of course I haven't purchased all of the books either.

[tasti man LH]

Infusion Foci are in the Digital Grimoire.

The Infusion metamagic is in Street Magic.

[DMiller]

Nice, thanks guys. I do have both of those books, I just never noticed the Focus before. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Falconer]

Dmiller:
They're also far less expensive to bond than power foci.

I really like the flavor of the infusion metamagic as well... it's like turning on the nitrous funny car boost to the adept... for that short term boost in power with the attendant downtime.

Effectively the infusion focus is 3 karma per 0.25PP it gives you access too... far cheaper than raising magic or initiating provided of course our initiate grade is high enough to make use of it....

But especially if you allow PP for initiating on pure adepts... initiations are cheap (and even preferable) to raising magic for adepts. Adept centering goes off initiate grade... as do many other things...

[Pepsi Jedi]

Well, judging by the name of the image, I guess this is our first look at the character portraits for the Pre-gen character sheets. So far lookin' good. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

And if that's supposed to be an MCT Fly-Spy drone, kinda not what I expected them to be...slimmer? Although I guess that's one other layer of camoflage if the drone actually looks like a fly from a distance...

I rather liked the art. My wife loved it. That's her kinda ork.

[tasti man LH]

Hey, like I said, I like it too. Hell, apparently my current players STILL have it in their heads that all orks and trolls are ugly as sin, and hence why no one wanted to play as one.

Also, who's the artist of this piece, if I may ask? The art style looks the same as the guy who did the pre-gen sheets for runners in the 2050 sourcebook...is is the same guy?

[DMiller]

Dmiller:
They're also far less expensive to bond than power foci.

I really like the flavor of the infusion metamagic as well... it's like turning on the nitrous funny car boost to the adept... for that short term boost in power with the attendant downtime.

Effectively the infusion focus is 3 karma per 0.25PP it gives you access too... far cheaper than raising magic or initiating provided of course our initiate grade is high enough to make use of it....

But especially if you allow PP for initiating on pure adepts... initiations are cheap (and even preferable) to raising magic for adepts. Adept centering goes off initiate grade... as do many other things...

Thanks for the info. Infusion is really cool, except that it becomes almost unusable later in the game. Oh well, guess it's back to increasing my Magic for PPs.

[sk8bcn]

Well, judging by the name of the image, I guess this is our first look at the character portraits for the Pre-gen character sheets. So far lookin' good. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

And if that's supposed to be an MCT Fly-Spy drone, kinda not what I expected them to be...slimmer? Although I guess that's one other layer of camoflage if the drone actually looks like a fly from a distance...

Not at my taste. It make me think of Hawkmoon's idiotic jumping frog technologie from Shattered Island (old scenario from the 90s).

I mean: either they are supposed to look like flies for camoufage and then the pic has a problem with proportions, either they are really 10cm long drones and then, beeing modeled to look like a fly is idiotic.

[Falconer]

DMiller... that can be fixed fairly easy if you allow the adept to 'dial down' the infusion power in a manner similar to how a mage can cast at force 8... but can easily dial it down to force 4.

Also the point of the infusion foci is they don't count against that power for drain purposes, the focus is merely unusable while it recharges quickly. So infusion foci even with the rules as strictly written continue to work well by taking the edge off.

[Larsine]

I wonder if there ever was anything new which was received well...

SR1?

[binarywraith]

SR1?

Street Sam's Catalog and Neo Anarchist's Guide to Real Life. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/love.gif)

[tasti man LH]

SR1?

Last I checked it was for the setting, not necessarily the rules for gameplay.

[CanRay]

Street Sam's Catalog

I freely admit that I loves me my gear porn! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Jareth Valar]

Seattle source book. Best fluff book ever...well in the top 3. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[cryptoknight]

Not unarmed Adepts. There's no applicable or comparable place for them to spend that money.

Also, even a weapon focus pales by comparison, pricewise, with cyberware.

Weapon Foci Hardliner gloves?