Just wondering. Do you play Torturi style? Do you play RAW, but let some mechanics like rep, and minor availability checks slide? Alternately do you ban things like for balance or logic like red lining for body. Do you use some of the more main stream house rules like logic+skill capped by program, or 2xCHA for contacts? Or are you more the type to run around house ruling everything that doesn't make a wit of sense like the ramming rules?

I though about doing a

I use moderate house rules, dropping of some rules (Rep especially), variant character gen (modified Karma gen), but generally don't outright ban much of anything.

Weaver, you may want to tidy up your post.

I wanted to run a RAW SR4A campaign but the vehicle damage rules are too flawed (ramming is BS) so we have to house rule it. Sad.

Yeah I use moderate house rules, I beef up adepts mostly(lower power costs & doubling power points), but I also use an alternate edge advancement from Knasser. I tend to let most cyberware combination's be suites. With the power points it doubled up to rating 6 then with initiation I us the power point in lieu of metamagic plus raising your magic so you can keep getting two power points. almost forgot the natural charisma x2 for contacts.

I try to play RAW as best as possible, but truth be told I'm more the type of person that tries to do everything possible without rolling dice first, and then fall on the rules (as RAW) when needed.

Do I rate my own style now?

Total RAW-nilation!

cute title for the thread

House rules a gogo, usually about chargen, char advancement, and the bookkeeping stuff (money, lifestyle, etc.)

Basically, we do not use karma or money in game.

still being a new GM and player to SR4 so I try to keep as much RAW as I can, but if we encounter something that makes NO sense in our games I am willing to houserule a little to make it easier

Most of the significant alterations listed below.

Tweaking the Rules & Optional Rules:

• Severe Damage (Augmentation) is in use.
• Spirit Drain is one-half Force (round down) plus the spirits Hits on the Summoning Test.
• Spirit Drain is Force plus the spirits Hits on the Binding Test.
• Sprite Fading is one-half Rating (round down) plus the sprites Hits on the Compiling Test.
• Sprite Fading is Rating plus the sprites Hits on the Registering Test.
• The "Power Point" metamagic is available to Adepts & Mystic Adepts. It may be taken up to [Initiate Grade] times.

Variant Char-Gen:

• Personally written Karma-based character generation & advancement
• Skill Groups do not exist (including post-generation advancement)
• Running, Swimming, Climbing, & Flying have been removed (including post-generation advancement)
• Athletics Active Skill has been added (including post-generation advancement). Appropriate specializations include Running, Swimming,
• Climbing, & Flying.

Minor House Rules:

• Numerous alterations to the cost & benefits of Metatypes (in. advanced racial options), Qualities, Adept Powers, Spells, Metamagic, Echos, & some equipment.

Moderate House Rules:

• Matrix Actions - Logic + Skill (Program Rating maximum Hits)
• Direct Spells - 'Dodge' with Intuition + Counterspelling. Resist with Body + Astral Armor (Physical) or Willpower + Astral Armor (Mana)
• Augmented Edge increases by +1 at 10, 30, 60, 100, etc. Karma earned. Actual rating (& advancement costs) is unaffected.
• Augmented Edge decreases by -1 when Burned. Actual rating (& advancement costs) is unaffected.
• Natural Magic/Resonance may never exceed 7.
• Initiate/Submersion Grade may never exceed 5.
• Focus Force may never exceed 7.
• Metamagic Focus Force may never exceed 5.
• Heavy Damage is automatic with wounds inflicting 7+ Damage. Edge may be spent to negate this.
• Changes to multiple Critter Powers (in. Essence Drain, Hardened Armor, & Regeneration)
• Spirit Attributes reduced to 1/2 Force (round up) + modifiers.
• Sprite Attributes reduced to 1/2 Rating (round up) + modifiers.
• Skillsoft function altered.
• Banishing temporarily reduces a spirits Force.
• Astral Combat has a range of (astral equivalent) Line of Sight.

Major House Rules:

• Technomancer mechanics re-write.

I like to keep as RAW as possible due to both laziness and an aversion to increasing the number of headaches I have to keep track of. However, I've felt compelled to make a few house rules both for atmosphere and for realism. If anyone is interested (I've linked to it before), my assembled house rules are here if anyone wants a copy. I think they're occasionally useful for new players.

I don't mind ignoring some of the bookkeeping or some of the dubious mechanics, like rep, and I don't mind a few minor house rules like the Cha x 2 extra contacts. I try to keep it relatively RAW, though, only changing things that I really disagree with (such as how empathy software currently works).

You do know that "LOG+Skill for hacking" is an optional rule and not a house rule right? You can use that and still be pretty much RAW (It is a Rule As Written by CGL).

I try to stay RAW when possible, but have been using some "Tweaking the rules" (the logic+skill hacking system).

Here are the houserules I use:
-A few spell modifications, such as for Petrify
-Some tweaks to the combat magic system - direct spells have a damage resistance test and elemental spells have -1 drain, and I still use the old OR system.
-1s and 2s count for glitches with skillsofts.
-The ramming rules have been modified a bit so they could, like, make sense.
-I allow my players to use 1 edge to substract Edge stun damage from their monitor. I also have introduced patches that substract stun damage, but if used too frequently will cause physical damage.

I guess I like my rules Well Done; perhaps even run through a mincer.

I started off entirely RAW, but added tweaks here and there, adopted certain house rules posted here wholesale when they took my fancy, and my players agreed to try them. It generally works quite well for my group, although I am happy to debate house rules effectiveness with my players and rescind them if the concensus goes that way.

Some of our houserules in effect:

-No Availability limit at chargen. Never have, never will. If we play a ganger game we just say it and the table picks gear of an appropriate nature.

-When we used BP, Cha x2 free contact points.

-Much more lean limits on meta augmented maxes(if you start buying and optimizing limbs, you can go crazy. With the underlying message of 'watch the Agility. )

-No hard cap on skills. Chargen limits still apply as RAW, however(one max stat, and skills as RAW as well-1 6, rest 4 or less, etc.)

-SR4 attribute enhancement rules in effect(since these are houserules now.) We use x3 stat advancement; we don't play every week, and sometimes go over 6 weeks between a game, so x3 is not too fast at all. Since our Karma awards are only 4-7 a session, depending on things, that actually makes x3 somewhat slow, even. (For the record, we stick with the SR4 rules. I honestly do not like almost all of the SR4A changes for my games and neither does our other GM after we talked about it. So I suppose if you consider simply that ''we play an older edition'' at our table, this is not a houserule.)

-Little things. We added a few more small windows in which one could make an Intercept attack, for example.

-Houseruled gear. In other words, we just make up some gear that's not in the book. Multi-tools, quick-draw sheathes for melee weapons, hardliner boots(in other words, steel reinforced.) Most of this stuff is common-sense little stuff that would probably exist anyway and they may have forgotten. We're perfectly happy to help out if someone suggests some gear not in the book; we check out it's real-life price, and try to fix a rating on it.



It may seem like our house rules explode power, espeically since we use the SR4 rules and the 750 Karmagen, but our typical die pools for the high end run between 13-17, so it really doesn't explode things. It just gives us the level we like to play.