Small question regarding the combination of magic/cyber/bioware.

Ok, I have a hacker who is going to be newly awakened but not quite aware of his abilities.

So, he’s got a bunch of hacking cyberware and other assorted stuff including Digestive Expansion and Sleep Regulator – Then he has the Adept Ability Sustenance.

His intense life of hacking has evolved his magic into sustaining him with as little food and sleep as possible several years after he gained the cyberware and have now become activated so during the last months he’s been sleeping even less than usual and living on Arcology Twinkies and Dunkie Cola.

So, how would the Sleep Regulator and Sustenance work together. Both of them reduce needed sleep to 3 hours so I guess that would be the limit or would one cut down the time even more? 1 hour? Ok, he can be awake for 48 hours.

It’s gonna be fun roleplaying him as he finds out he’s magical but how would his abilities and gear affect him?

Well, it could cut down on Lifestyle costs, I guess (if you were less concerned with comfort, given that you spend less time sleeping) -- but other than that, probably not a big deal during your average 'Run, y'know? I had a guy that went from having to eat three times as much as a normal person (thanks to some bioware) to having the Sustenance Adept power. It wasn't all that big a deal -- I just went from RPing him always munching on something (outside of combat), to...not RPing him always munching on something.

Considering the length and breadth of your average shadowrun, it's not likely to be a big deal. If someone were to get into a more merc-flavored game (long range patrols and stuff), or your 'runner team has to go on the run with nothing but what's on their backs for the long term (and you suddenly have to all hole up in a safehouse and share food and stuff), maybe it'll come up. But... I wouldn't hold your breath.

How often does lack of sleep actually come up in your average game? Does the GM ask if everyone got a good night's sleep before each job, or is it just kind of assumed? How much time do you spend describing sleeping, during between-job downtime? How much does the GM limit what people can get done during that downtime ("Nope, sorry, you can't train to the next level, you were tired," compared to "Sure, buy that next skill level, you don't have to waste 1/3 of your life sleeping like everyone else")?

Yeah would have to vary by GM....


Most games I would have to say wont make a huge deal and 'why bother'

I could easily see:

Both combined 1.5 hours sleep needed (rounding up to 1.5).

Both combined if 'any downtime' during the day character not really effected. Group spends an hour driving someplace (that this toon is doing nothing) he's generally ok. As long as 1-2 hours (even if in 15 minue breaks here and there) could be expected character is fine.

Both combined no extra effect. Much like initiative enhancers there only so far you could push the meat. Both of them push it to the limit... 3 hours is the minimum needed....

Both combined, tweak so that while the 'sleep needed' is still three hours. The 'uptime' incraseses (for simplicity sake to 48 hours). So while a three hour block is still needed, the character could get 48 hours before needing the block.


Considering in alot of games they are immaterial and 'flavor' I would generally overlook, just play with it... though if character did get both I would work our (atleast rough rules) JUST for that one time it becomes very vital.

peace

Well, if you DO play a hacker and decide to do some long-term programming then a sleep regulator might do some good. After all, combining a Sleep Regulator and Longhaul keeps you going for up to a week before modifiers, and a need for sleep.

If you're doing extended exploit tests (instead of hacking on the fly) and taking 3 -4 hours per test, then going on to the next system and doing the same, over and over again... well, the time adds up pretty quickly. We've had several games now where we've lost a lead because my hacker had to sleep. After 24 straight hours of hacking, you start screwing stuff up (and with a strick GM, the screwups get pretty bad). Try having to track someone across several nations by hacking different border crossing stations, grid guides, traffic cams, taxi services... You get the point.

The lack of sleep issue has become a large problem in our game. I'm definitely getting the sustenance power for my hacker (as soon as I save up enough karma!).

(Yes, if I was willing to hack-on-the-fly, it wouldn't take as long. But if you know you're going to be in the system for several hours, watching security camera footage, then you better not set off any alerts when hacking in. And getting an admin level passcode takes a loooonnnngggg time.)