Sniper Trouble, Is this really the intent? Options

[Tashiro]

This really should be changed:
1) Taking Aim is a Simple Action. Performing any other action before shooting, including 'Free Actions', breaks Aim.
2) Called Shot is a Free Action. You can't aim to perform a called shot.
3) Adept Centering is a Free Action. A physical adept cannot try to focus while lining up a shot.

Ergo - snipers (even adept snipers) always, always target center mass. This makes me wonder why a called shot is a free action, and isn't, instead, part of an actual attack action.

[Epicedion]

This really should be changed:
1) Taking Aim is a Simple Action. Performing any other action before shooting, including 'Free Actions', breaks Aim.
2) Called Shot is a Free Action. You can't aim to perform a called shot.
3) Adept Centering is a Free Action. A physical adept cannot try to focus while lining up a shot.

Ergo - snipers (even adept snipers) always, always target center mass. This makes me wonder why a called shot is a free action, and isn't, instead, part of an actual attack action.

It's not the best wording, but Called Shot is actually taken combined with the attack action, not taken before. It can't interrupt the aim.

[Tashiro]

Well, that's good to know for Called Shot, but apparently a sniper talking to his spotter screws his aim, since talking's a Free Action. Seriously... this is sort of annoying. 'I have the target, D'OH!' And of course, forget a combat adept using a mantra to help him focus while he aims - not going to happen.

[Thanee]

Well, just use common sense. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Call a Shot has to be taken before you start aiming, BTW.
So you first Call a Shot, then Take Aim, Take Aim, ..., Take Aim, then Fire Weapon.

Bye
Thanee

[Dolanar]

or Call, Center, Aim ... Aim, shoot

[Epicedion]

Call a Shot (p163) says

This action must be combined with a Fire Weapon,
Throw Weapon, or Melee Attack Action.

Adept Centering should probably say something similar (combined with), and there should probably be an explanation of "combined with" that explicitly allows "combined with" free actions to not interrupt multi-action sequences (such as Take Aim) so long as the free action is "combined with" the terminal action in the sequence. Sounds like errata.

[Thanee]

SR4A p. 146

CALL A SHOT
A character may “call a shot” (aim for a vulnerable portion of a target)
with this Free Action. See Called Shots, p.161. This action must be
immediately followed by a Take Aim, Fire Weapon, Throw Weapon,
or Melee Unarmed Attack.

Bye
Thanee

[Epicedion]

SR4A p. 146



Bye
Thanee

Wrong edition.

[Sendaz]

Isn't it now ......

Forget to switch Wireless off, Call the shot, Center, Aim, Get Weapon hacked, Curse, Fire Spirit manifests atop you, Try to fight it off with Stun Baton, Baton gets hacked because that damn hacker is still around, Try to run, Get shot in the leg by enemy sniper who doesn't want you to leave so soon, Throw yourself off the rooftop into the river to lose the Fire Spirit and decker (noise for water), discover it's Flushing Friday at the AZ pyramid and the water has a lovely green glow in the evening, drag yourself back onto shore downstream and hail an autocab, halfway home cab gets jumped into by enemy rigger who sends you a joyride through the orc/troll section of the Barrens while blaring Humanis Rock, drag your beaten, burned, bleeding body back to your hole in the wall only to find the Street Sammy aiming a Warhawk at you when you enter, who then shoots you in your good leg and steps over you dropping a card atop you along the way out with just the word 'Don't' on it.

Or so I have been told... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Dolanar]

why did he have wireless on to begin with?

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

why did he have wireless on to begin with?

Duh... So he can be hacked, giving the Hacker something to do in combat. Apparently you missed the Memo. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

Duh... So he can be hacked, giving the Hacker something to do in combat. Apparently you missed the Memo. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif)

Evidently your Smartgun Link needs to consult NAWS (the North American Weather Service) now before it can properly help you take a shot.

[Jhaiisiin]

Nah, it's probing the hundreds of other devices near your target to confirm wind and positioning.

[forgarn]

Why aren't you running silent and have you smartgun system and smartlink slaved to your commlink???

[ShadowDragon8685]

Why aren't you running silent and have you smartgun system and smartlink slaved to your commlink???

Because then your Smartlink doesn't actually do anything to help you shoot, duh![/SR5"Logic"]

[Jhaiisiin]

It lets really proficient people take more accurate shot. But yeah, being of no benefit to low-dice pool users is a little bit odd, given the history of the device.

[Isath]

It may have made a bit more sense, to switch the base and wirelessboni on this one.

[Dolanar]

wireless bonus: Checking the weather conditions to ensure you are more likely to hit (acc+2)

yup, sounds more appropriate.

[forgarn]

Because then your Smartlink doesn't actually do anything to help you shoot, duh![/SR5"Logic"]

?? Where do you get that from? You are still connected to the matrix with the smartlink, only through the commlink, and you are running silent which makes it harder to see you.

[Dolanar]

Running Silent is basically pointless for anyone who's not running a Deck. The test to detect someone who is running silent is a Computer+Intuition[DP] vs Logic+Sleaze. Since Commlinks have no Sleaze score it is a pure Logic test which means that at best, you're looking at somewhere around 10 vs 6 dice & that is assuming you have a max 6 Logic.

[forgarn]

Running Silent is basically pointless for anyone who's not running a Deck. The test to detect someone who is running silent is a Computer+Intuition[DP] vs Logic+Sleaze. Since Commlinks have no Sleaze score it is a pure Logic test which means that at best, you're looking at somewhere around 10 vs 6 dice & that is assuming you have a max 6 Logic.

That's after you decide that there might be someone there and pass a matrix perception test (I know... not hard, but it is still a test that has the potential to fail). Then you have to choose which hidden icon you are going to run the above test on (presumably the entire group is running silent... at least my whole group does) because the matrix perception test only tells you that there is a/are hidden icon(s) in the node/within 100 meters of you. And presumably you, as the decker, are also running silent (otherwise the opposing decker would see you 100m away) which means that your matrix perception and the detection tests are both at -2 dice.

[Dolanar]

yes, but consider that you can get a ton of information off of a single perception test, you get 1 question for every net hit on your Perception test.

[Sendaz]

why did he have wireless on to begin with?

That was a humor point to allow the rest of the tale to be set up.

Funny how the rest of the pain and misery the poor sniper underwent was just taken in stride. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

But it is not improbable that a sniper might not be offline and prepping for the main shot, flip on wireless long enough to center/take aim before taking the shot then go dark again. It would be a very small window of time for an enemy decker to locate and react to.

Not impossible, but would probably favour the sniper getting the shot off at least.

Myself, I would stay dark (offline) unless there was special circumstances where having the (temporary) link up would be beneficial.

[Dolanar]

I would agree, & looking at my Sniper...aside from a possible 2 dice (he already has 16 not sure if 2 more will make a difference before he grabs Karma) he doesn't need to take himself online for much of anything, unless he is breaking into somewhere for his Autopicker...then he goes on, then off in a matter of seconds.

[DMK]

yes, but consider that you can get a ton of information off of a single perception test, you get 1 question for every net hit on your Perception test.

Keep in mind that a single Matrix Perception test will alert you to all hidden icons within 100m. After that though, you need to do individual opposed Matrix Perception tests against each hidden icon to get information.

So, if you have a team of six runners all with Running Silent enabled it can take an enemy hacker quite some time (as Matrix Perception is a Complex Action) to find the right Icons to brick.

Slaving your stuff to your Decker's deck is always a good idea, but if you don't have a Decker available slaving to a high-DR commlink is a good idea. Assuming Intuition & Willpower of 3 your gear would get a defensive pool of 9 with a 5,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) commlink. Much better then the defense pool of 5 otherwise (average DR of 2.)