BTW, it would be nice if each group could have a thread here on Dumpshock. so that members could RP in character. That way, if players chance to meet in RL at cons, their characters might even have a little "backstory" off which to RP.

oh, i'm swamped with editing right now...

my plan has always been to have them done by the end of the year - kind of a Xmas present thing.

i figured between Gencon (when interest in Missions picked up speed) and the end of the year would be enough time to have a lot of people play the intro adventures and gain enough karma for initiation...

don't know about each group having a thread here...i'll have to think about that - there are reasons some groups may not wish to post certain topics!

just to wet your appetites:

* the groups are not connected to the story arc...yet...
* each group will have lifestyle and/or equipment cost reductions
* each group will be totally different from the others...
* player characters will eventually have an opportunity to take part in the leadership and direction of the group
* certain officers in the group may be granted additional abilities by their avatar while serving
* groups will have special opportunities at interactives or other special events.
* anyone in the campaign that meets the criteria can join - this allows those that play in Germany or in the middle of Alabama with no nearby groups to get the benefits of group initiation. Note that "home" groups will have as one of their requirements that you must adventure with someone before inviting them. this should ideally occur during roleplaying.

I like what I'm reading. I may be able to hold off a month before joining/initating. Heck, probably have enough karma by then to get a couple of inits.

if the group offered living accomodations and the member accepts the offer...

there is that too, but i'm looking at the Lifestyle rules in the SSG and working with that...tied in with your second point...

OK, here's one that would be important to me if I became a Commando/GM, also.

In several places, bitrunner, you've indicated that GMs can take the part of the Johnson and roleplay allowing expenses, or perhaps providing specific gear in lieu of extra nuyen, as a result of negotiations. It may be that such things are cheaper for the Johnson.

All makes sense, well and good. This introduces a sense of reality to the hook scene, but one must be careful not to let it be abused. This then brings up the question of table parity, as follows.

Are Commandos are actually empowered to make this kind of decision in a scenario, or do they go by "what's written"? I know that in many other campaigns, Judges are very reluctant to take that kind of initiative for fear of negative feedback: "so-and-so let his player team negotiate that bennie; our team wasn't allowed to, what gives?"

This might be "Secret Commando Info" or something (although one can GM without being a Commando), but is there a guideline as to what "extras" can be negotiated, or is it all left up to common sense (which tends to vary from situation to situation)?

E.g.: team does a run for Ares. Judge thinks it's reasonable for them to negotiate some APDS ammo, or a military item that would ordinarily be beyond their reach on the streets. A different Judge might think not, with exactly the same players under the same situation. This is especially likely to come up if players try for something not available at creation (say Availability 10, or one of the "forbidden military code letters"), but which makes perfect sense in the context of the scenario situation.

It's the old problem of balance between laying it all out and being prescriptive ("there are some questions you don't want answered") and not laying it out and having wildly different interpretations.

i see your point - i guess i'll have to add that to my list - acceptable "wiggle room" in negotiations...

quickly, what it is meant for is stuff like consumables - ammo, medical supplies, etc that the runners would use in the normal cost of "doing business"...extending this to magic is a little expensive in comparison to this stuff though, so would normally be excluded above a certain price range...if you wanted 1 or 2 thousand in conjuring materials, or 1,000 nuyen in expendable fetishes, that's one thing, but double the cost of the run for conjuring materials is a little ridiculous in most cases...you might as well hire another NPC for that price and get better flexibility (at least from the Johnson's standpoint)...ammo would be regular ammo for non-gunnery guns...

cut rates on medical expenses incurred, or even full coverage, is open...

just about anything with an Availability of 24 hours or less is open...other special equipment would be on a case by case basis - if the team is hired to break into a lab that they know has a keypad lock, and they don't have a sequencer, then they might be able to negotiate for one up to level 6, even if it would normally take more than 24 hours - so i guess tack on the Rating of 6 or less, as an exception for the Availability rule...

discounts on cyber/bioware would be warranted if related to the company that is hiring the runners. IE, if you're working for Rose Croix, and you know it, you might be able to wrangle a discount on some basic (NOT CULTURED) bioware and the surgery costs to implant it after the run is finished...

i figured most of this stuff would be common sense...but then again, i guess not...

being a Commando doesn't add to the Negotiation rolls...

what's so big about surgery costs?? you get cyber/bioware, you need to have surgery.

Now, as far as SR Missions goes, you have two choices - either pay the flat fee for surgery as per the basic books healing costs, or if you have the opportunity to visit a clinic (during an interactive, through a Commando, etc), and you want to risk it, you can use the full rules for surgery, creating the procedure, etc and take your chances. You might get lucky and get reduced essence on cyberware, and all that, or you might end up with the 2 bad things...

as for the money curve, well, i'll say this...

don't be planning on getting any betaware or cultured bioware until you've reached "Professional" level - unless you REALLY want it and have saved up just about everything you can, i doubt you'll be able to afford it...deltaware, nanotech and gene therapy won't be available until starting around the middle of "Veteran" level.

# * Level * Total Career Good Karma
1 * Green * 0 - 19
2 * Streetwise * 20 - 49
3 * Professional * 50 - 89
4 * Veteran * 90 - 149
5 * Elite * 150 - 249
6 * Prime Runner * 250 +

Standard grade cyberware installation surgeries without positive options in sr3 under the m&m surgery rules cost about 16,000Y whether it is a fingertip compartment, or wired reflexes 3. The only important difference is the wound level you will be left with and the cost to heal that.

right, so if Mr. J says:
"Do this little job for me, and my superiors are prepared to offer you a chance to have access to our clinic for 50% of our normal fees for any surgery and recuperating time you need."
your answer should be something like:
"hell yeah, brother!"

that's a base of 8,000 nY worth just for the surgery, and then savings on the hospital costs for the time needed to heal the wound...

no - otherwise you could have a new character grouped with a bunch of elite characters and end up getting stuff before their time...

as you advance, each character will get pay and benefits commensurate with their reputation.

right now, you're all independent contractors...when you're hired for a run, you're called separately and meet at the gathering site with the Johnson or Fixer. In most instances, you aren't going to know who you're working with...this means you will all be judged and paid individually - normally, the situation should be that you're all grouped around the same rep level, but in those instances (which will become more occurant as players spread out their time available to do missions) where there is a disparity, don't think your character is going to get a free ride by association...yeah, you might get a run where the Johnson/Fixer pays you the same as an Elite guy when you're only Street, but you better watch yourself, because that means the overall challenge for your character might be more than for the other guy...

Ahh ok. I was hoping it would be that way!

BTW does anybody know where in SR3 there are rules for surgery costs? I was looking last night and the only thing I found was in the healing section it said that the gm would set cost and difficulty for replacement surgery, but it seemed to be talking more about replacing a shot off limb with either a cyber or organic replacement.

there isn't anything canon in the core rules other than on the charts where it tells you doctor and hospital fees...as GM, you are supposed to tell the character how much "wound level" he has sustained from the implant surgery.

without using M&M, i rule the following:
Essence Wound Level from Surgery
0.1 - 1.0 Light
1.1 - 2.0 Moderate
2.1 - 4.0 Serious
4.1 + Deadly

YMMV...

Regarding the Exclusive modifier for the purpose of reducing "Karma to learn", and target, by 2. This has a minimum of 1 Karma, I would anticipate? Or do the few spells that would be useful as Force 2 exclusives cost only time and nuyen to learn?

According to Rob Boyle (when he was answering rule questions), there is no restriction (other than GM common sense) on characters having a handful of Force 2 Exclusive (or Force 1 with Fetish) for no karma cost, even at chargen.

Not that this necessarily applies to SRM though.