Looking at page 148 of the corebook. It says that if the modified DV of an attack does not exceed the armor value (This does not include your body rating?) then the damage is stun. Do you still get a chance to reduce the stun damage in some way?

Otherwise it seems more logical to go around with low armor rating. At least then you get to roll your body + armor to reduce the damage you take otherwise your taking the full damage in stun which still gives you the -1 for every 3 damage.

You are resisting the damage with Body + Armor...
If the Modified DV (Before Reisstance) does not exceed the Armor, whatever damage that you are taking is Stun Damage not Physical... but you have already resisted at this point so no, no second resistance roll is allowed...

Going around with low armor is a sure way to actually always take Physical Damage rather than stun... Very Bad Idea...

Keep the Faith

So if im being hit for 4 damage and my armor (not including body) is 8 then the damage is stun.

Then I roll for resistance of 8 + body to resist the stun?

Correct... though I do not know any firearm that has damage of a 3... typical light pistol does 4DV, so if you are hit it is a minimum of 5DV of damage...

Just pointing that out... but you do have the right idea...

Note, however, that some weapons will test against Impact Armor rather than Ballistic, so you would need to apply the relevant armor rating, and Ammunition/Weapons may modify your armor rating relative to the MOdified DV...

For example, that Light Pistol with APDS rounds would inflict a minimum of DV5 on a successful hit and reduce your armor rating by -4 to a rating of 4. At that point, you are taking physical damage (assuming the scenario above of armor 8 ) and would soak with Armor 4 + Body...

Keep the Faith

He may have been hit by a Str 1 human with a handrazor. That's a base DV of 3, and the question is theoretical to begin with.

Yah it was just made up numbers to make sure I understood the way it worked properly.

Hopefully my GM will agree without to much conflict. We are all trying to get into shadowrun with no previous experience so we all kind of scratched our head at this one not being 100% sure if this is how it worked.

While we're on the topic of resisting damage and the stats involved. My question is about the Body attribute.

Is there a way to increase body beyond the natural max?

I've seen the qualities and gene therapies that increase the natural max, but nothing to directly augment the body attribute.

Bone Lacing increases Bod for resisting damage, there are a couple drugs that raise Bod (notably K-10), the Increase Attribute (Body) spell can, Supra-Thyroid and I think like the Adrenal Gland thing from Core book do as well.

EDIT: Also having a spirit Posses/Inhabit you.

All Very good choices...

Keep the Faith