Simple question, and i did not find any thread specifying this, so...

If a char is wearing a shock-frilled modified armor and blocks and incoming attack using the Unarmed Combat Skill, does the shock frills do damage as usual?

If the discarge is automatic, there is no reason not to. If it uses a free action to activate, then i suppose it is not possible, but in the SR4a, it only says it uses the unarmed attack skill to use.

Seems to indicate that someone punching is going to get zapped unless you dodge out of the way.

hmm, wonder if i can put these on my Monkey emotipet?

i can call him" Shock, the monkey"

Slightly off topic but...

Whenever I read the Shock Frills entry I can't help but think of those old women who wear the feather-boas.

Yes, so i thought, but i am pondering if that's not broken. Because, well, the user of the frills is getting a free attack, essencially. He can attack with the frills on his IP and again whenever he is attacked in unarmed combat.

Couple things that stop this being broken. First off, the frills only have 10 charges, so you can only use them for a fairly limited time as a double attack. Second, only melee opponents are going to get zapped with this, and likely only unarmed opponents. Third, You can replicate the attack part with shock gloves, so that isn't too impressive. Fourth, you have to have the insulation mod with it and the two combined take up a fairly big chunk of your armor's capacity.

It is mostly good for stopping the unarmed adept pounding you into paste in one move, gives you some defense even without a weapon and so on. It is nice, but it isn't exceedingly powerful.

Remember though that they actually have to hit you (or you have to use unarmed block to stop the attack) for the frills to work. If you dodge out of the way or parry the attack (completely that is), they won't get zapped.

It's hard to see that as broken when everyone in SR3 could beat up everyone that attacked them not on their own turns.

Woe for the demise of the Counterstriking of Unarmed Combat from 3rd Edition... Though I am not really all that broken up about it...

Keep the Faith

It seems as if the System has moved (SR3 to SR4) to a simpler mechanic in which damage is dealt to an opponent only during attack.

Then you read about Energy Aura. If it can do damage while defending, it is hard to argue shock frills can't.

This is oh so true... Shock Frills, for all intents and purposes, are a technological Energy Aura...

Keep the Faith

True that. I forgot about Energy Aura. Thanx guys.