Ok. here's the situation.

I started playing a hermetic bodyguard. Sustaining focus rating 6 intended for his armor spell rating 6.

I scored 4 extra successes on the casting test raising the effective rating of the spell to 8.

If i am reading the attacks vs barriers correctly, a shot from an HP at 9m would penetrate the barrier causing it to drop but i would be protected with 8 pts of armor.

What about a 3 rd burst from an UZI III? The damage is 6M but the combined burst damage is 9S. Is the possiblity of penetration based on the unmodified damage code or the modified damage code?

Thanks in advance

if using 3rd edition Rules extra succeses doesnt do anything. Also all the Armor Spell does is add it's rating to armor already worn, and have nothing to do with Barrier Ratings what so ever

Unless my copy of SR3 is bad it did explicitly state that extra successes are added to the rating

The book stated that it acted as a barrier and pointed at page 124 for clarification

...

p. 198: Armor [3]
Replace the text of this spell with the following text (the printed text is an old version of the spell).

This spell creates a glowing field of magical energy around the target that protects against impact and ballistic damage. One success is enough to create the magical field around the character of an Armor Rating equal to the Force of the spell. The Armor spell is compatible with all armor types and adds its rating to the rating of the physical armor being worn. This spell either works or it doesn't; extra successes do not add additional points to the Armor Rating.

...

That is from http://www.shadowrunrpg.com/resources/errata_sr3.shtml

First I thought mine could be wrong since it is the one Fasa released, but I checked the Errata

Coolness

That makes things easier

Thanks for the assistance

[Nevermind.]

Remember to keep track of successes anyway for purposes of dispelling...

Back on topic for your initial question: The final total of the attack determines whether or not the barrier/armor will be penetrated, so those 3 6M bullets will beat the Force 8 spell once they form like Voltron into a single 9S Super Bullet!

Resist 1S Physical.

and that would apply vs a regular physical barrier spell?

do extra successes count when casting a physical barrier?

AFAIK - Yes. I think for any armor/barrier spell the force is determined ONLY by the force at which it is cast, not successes. Xtra successes make it harder to dispell, and that is it. Otherwise, why not always cast your barriers at force 4 and let your Sorcery/Spell Pool dice handle the rest?

[rolls on back, exposes belly, avoids eye-contact]

I submit to your superior knowledge and skill...

To recap the Armor spell:

Armor is not hardened. Extra successes are only useful in resisting dispelling. Rating adds directly to worn armor. The character would still need to resist even the wimpiest of damage codes (ie 2)

What about Physical Barrier?

Is it Hardened? Do extra successes only count when resisting dispelling?