I know that SR4A states you can't take the 'Addiction' negative quality for things like caffeine, nicotine and sugar. Betel can never have an addiction greater than mild. Can you have an alcohol addiction (I'm obviously not talking about real life here)? What about some of the fluffier drugs, like Push or Deep Weed? I only ask because I'm trying to make a character with an addiction to Snuff, just wondering if it merits the quality or if I should just roleplay it.

I allow alcohol addiction in my game. Properly played, alcohol addiction is evil. The social and health consequences are drastic to say the least and the withdrawal can kill you. Also, the long term kognitive effects, like potential Korsakoff-Syndrome or long term cardial degradation are a bitch.
Add to that the shame that comes with the addiction (expressed in trying to hide the alcohol from others and flat out denying the problem) as well as the growing hostility and paranoia and alcohl addiction is a definitve drawback for the character.

As a rule of thumb, I would allow any addiction in the game that has actual disadvantages for the character.

Certainly alcohol. Most other drugs are also fine, especially if they significant effects, side-effects, and/or costs.

While we're at it: are there any actual rules for alcohol or cocaine in SR4A? As it is, our dwarf sam shoots worse when sober, due to the hefty dicepool modifier of his severe alcohol addiction.

There are alcohol- and cocaine-based drugs with stats. You could quickly houserule in stats, but AFAIK they're not in the game.

If you'd ever seen an alcoholic who hadn't had a drink in a few days, you'd get why that would be the case. Not exactly a steady hand.

-DrZaius

Closest would be Novacoke, which should be in Arsenal if it isn't in the SR4 core.

Wordman created a pretty comprehensive list of plants and drugs one could use. It's not 4th ed and definitely not RAW, but have a look. Some cool stuff in here:

Plants and Drugs

Right, novacoke is the cocaine-based, and there's that Troll beer for alcohol. Obviously, it's strong, tainted alcohol, but still.

Hurlg: Strong enough for a dwarf; made for a troll.

Been there,done that, bought the t-shirt.*grin*

I allow alcohol addiction, as well as nicotine. ect. I even allowed a dwarf with an ork pron addiction...a junkie is a junkie no matter what the Drug of choice is....

Isn't snuff nicotine? I guess treat it however you would cigarettes.

Snuff in the game is handy, too.

There are rules in the splatbooks for non-substance addictions, yeah. Matrix, etc.

Simsense is addictive as well. It's why it's peddled as the new "Opium of the Masses", and why there's "Government Simsense" in the ACHE, which I bet are closer to "California Hots" than would be suggested...

BTL is another addiction, but that uses the body's own self-made "Drugs".

I also house-ruled that all Technomancers suffer from "Matrix Addiction". It's so much a part of them to begin with...

SR4 snuff is a combination of Nicotine, THC and Aspirin. So it's a bit stronger than a nicotine addiction.

Oooooooooooooooo! Speaking of "Snuff", "Black BTLs" are also a nasty addiction!

I tried to run a character addicted to snuff BTLs. The GM didn't allow it - said it was too dark.

Bah, we all know the dark only comes at the end of the chip.

Why would it matter what's on them? "I stop shooting to slot a BTL." "Okay, you experience the BTL." "Done."

Not BTLs that killed the viewer at the end, BTLs of people dying. I don't think that'll necessarily kill the viewer - as long as they have a strong heart.

Do you remember this weird movie in the 80s or 90s about recording experiences? Some woman researcher recorded her death, and people who played it back wanted to follow?

I was refering to the end of the BTL when I said the "Dark". And Black BTLs (Snuff BTLs) can kill a person who slots them, can being the operative word. They're for the most jaded of junkies, the ones that are already burned out and are on their way to the end anyhow.

Like the Alcoholic that's already lost the use of his liver, and is still drinking himself to death...

Haha, funny I just re-watched that movie about a fortnight ago. Trying to think what its called... Strange Days!

Nope, but that's similar. Hmm.

A player took Alcohol Addiction. On the role-playing side, he was always passing his free nights in clubs (and if the run was over early enough, he would celebrate in clubs). I raised his lifestyle by 10% to 'pay' the booze. In very stressful moments, I would asked to make an addiction test to determine if he 'needed a drink'.

When he made his first Astral Quest (he's a mage), the five aspects of his tradition forced him to face aspects of himself. Combat was about facing his poison. After this quest, he realized he had to get rid of his addiction (he paid the karma). Good for him ... no more addiction tests.

Several game sessions later, and to make a long story short, he wanted to start a party in a local brew and started drinking so that everyone would follow. With GM's warning, he failed his addiction test (play with fire and you'll get burned!!!). He ended up with a Geas where everytime he would sip alcohol, he would lose 1 Magic for 1 month, and that's cumulative (the long story includes role-playing, relationship with spirit and qualities, astral quests, runs, etc).

That's a good lesson about why you should only take addiction to Betel gum, and only use drugs that actually give bonuses.

...Now I want make a tradition based around liquor I blame you. Gives a whole new meaning to summoning up spirits

Can someone become addicted to creature comforts? I have this idea that a possession spirit could grow to look forward to possession a living vessel and indulging. By them selves in astral space or in an un living homunculus they can not feel the comfort of a sofa, luxuriate in a hot tub, or eat a well made meal. It would sort of be like a Better Than Life chip but the experience would just be life, but more real than they normally get. Back in their home metaplane they are solid and have bodies wile they are there but I could see it not being the same. Probably there is a lack of hot tubs.

Wile on a mission, possessing some wage slave, I could see them needing to roll to pass up taking a bite to eat or the offer of some other luxury. The spirits would also need to roll to stay in astral for extended periods, where they can't feel things in the same way they do in a body. The spirit would also probably spend a lot on comforts and entertainment.

Would this addiction be appropriate? I think compulsion might fit. In the same way someone can be a compulsive eater or compulsive shopper. But from what I have read compulsive hording and compulsive shopping are both closer to addictions than compulsions.

An addiction always carries a physical dependancy, even the mental addictions. An addiction impairs the regular functionality of the body as it develops a further dependancy on additional Transmitters or increased doses of existing Transmitters.

A compulsion on the other hand is a purely cognitive impairment. We all are prone to compulsion, albeit not pathological ones. myself, I keep checking my pockets for my keys each time I leave my home, just because I managed to forget them a lot when I was young. That's already a compulsory action, but it's not pathological in nature. The "Compulsion" Quality in RC refers to a pathological compulsion which is characterized by a moderate to strong affect on the patient's quality of life. Excemples would be the Business man that can't leave his house in the morning without checking whether the stove is off. Not once, but several times, each time going through the same exact motions (Look at the stove, check settings, check the stove for heat, turn the stove on and off again, to make sure that the settings are displaying correctly. Repeat 5 times). A pathological compulsion is a pretty serious thing and other than addiction can not be "cured" through withdrawal. Compulsion needs therapy.

Seems like everyone here is forgetting that addiction comes in grades.

Remember, it's a journey to the bottom of the gutter.

Sometimes a very quick journey, when you start there...