QUOTE (Yerameyahu @ Sep 8 2010, 09:24 PM)
I'm assuming he used *something* like the Range Thresholds optional rule + Reaction/3, but I know that's not the exact specifics.
Nope. Far more brutal. Threshold 1/2/3/4 for Short/Medium/Long/Extreme. Looking at it I should probably reinstitute the Counterattack rule for Melee/Unarmed from SR3. Dodge penalties can only negate the +threshold from dodge bonuses. Oh, and I made it so you can take a single Free Action on every combatant's turn so you can dive for cover when getting shot at. Better find some hard cover Omae.
I found everyone was dying in 2 shots anyway unless they jacked their Dodge through the roof. Even then it was still mostly just extra dice rolling. So screw it! I should probably also note that these are experimental rules that I implemented for our current game not something I have been doing since 2005. So take them with a grain of salt.
Screw it, here are all my house rules so far:
Game Mechanics
• All 6’s explode with or without Edge
o Doesn’t matter if Edge is spent before or after the roll now
• All dice pool modifiers become Threshold modifiers
o Positive dice pool modifier becomes negative Threshold
• If a modifier doesn’t have a description then assume it is a Dice Pool modifier
• Threshold Test: a Threshold modifier increases the overall Threshold
o Dice Pool modifiers alter the individual test’s threshold
#hits = Hits – Threshold +1
can change from test to test
Character Creation
• Active Skills cost 2 BP, Knowledge Skills cost 1 BP
o Skill Groups cost 5 BP
• Positive Qualities that give Dice Pool Modifiers still give dice
o They don’t modify thresholds
• Negative Qualities are gone if you want one, role-play it
• Spell Force: since spells are now learned at a specific Force get bonus points
o Full Mage 10 BPs just for spells
o Mystic Adepts 5 BPs just for spells
o Cannot buy at Force greater than Magic or 6 (whichever is lower)
Skills
• Skill Changes
o Dodge is removed
o Outdoors Group is now a skill called Survival replacing all skills in the group
o Firearms group is now a skill replacing all skills in the group
Includes Gunnery and Heavy Weapons
o Close Combat group is now a skill replacing all skills in the group
o Athletics group is now a skill replacing all skills in the group
o Thrown Weapons is removed – Athletics covers this now
o Exotic Weapons skills are gone – exotic weapons now cause a +1 Threshold modifier unless you have a Firearms or Close Combat specialty that covers said weapon
o Driver Skill Group – new skill group that covers the “normal” piloting skills
Pilot: Ground Craft, Pilot: Watercraft, Pilot: Aircraft
o Binding is gone Summoning is used instead
o Ritual Spellcasting is gone Spellcasting is used instead
o Conjuring Group: add Assensing to this group
o Sorcery Group: add Astral Combat to this group
o Electronics Group: add Electronic Warfare and Cybercombat
Hacking is gone Computer is used instead
Data Search is gone Computer is used instead
Computer Science replaces Hardware and Software
o Diving becomes a Knowledge Skill that compliments Athletics
o Parachuting becomes a Knowledge Skill that compliments Athletics
Combat
o Initiative tests are gone: act in order of highest I+IP to lowest
o Speaking is a non-action (similar to Threading)
o Free Actions
may take 1 Free Action per Action Phase including during other character’s action phases
o Ranges: Short 1, Medium 2, Long 3, Extreme 4
o Defense Rolls are gone
Defense Modifiers add as Threshold to the attacker’s roll
o Armor Penalties kick in at STR + BOD (not BOD x2)
Military-grade: add extra limit equal to the higher of the two attributes
o Driving with AR: still adds +1 die instead of modifying Threshold
Magic
o Spells are learned at a specific Force
Can’t cast above that
Can cast at any Force below
Force can be increased at the same cost as Complex Forms
Add +Force to the Threshold for the learning test
o Ritual Casting can be done with participants of different Traditions
o Direct Combat spells are now treated the same as any other attack
o All Mental Manipulations are now Illusions (rules work the same)
o Counterspelling adds as Threshold to the attacker’s roll
o Banishing: now used in exactly the same manner as Counterspelling
Works against all Powers used by Spirits
Hacking
o Treat everything like it was in the real world
o Response is gone: just use System now
TMs get to pick which Attribute to use
o Exploit – used to pick locks, open windows, etc
o Stealth – equivalent to Infiltration, Disguise, and Etiquette
o Analyze – perception, replaces Analyze, Browse, Scan, Sniffer, Track
o Edit – used to change things, acts like build/repair skills
Does the Sniffer intercept
Can also Defuse
o Encrypt (Hacker software) – language skill used to communicate with secure nodes
Replaces decrypt – just roll to see if you “understand” what’s being said
Threshold equal to Encrypt rating being run by target
o Spoof – equivalent to Negotiations, Con, and Leadership
Replaces Command
o Medic – no change
o Amor – no change
o Attack – no change
o Biofeedback Filter – adds to Threshold for the Black Hammer attack test
o Black Hammer – Blackout is gone
damage is Stun/Physical as per normal Armor rules
attacker can always choose Stun instead
o Agents:
Agents cannot pass orders to other Agents
Only actively subscribed Agents may be commanded
If the active subscription to an Agent is terminated then the Agent stops doing what it was told and returns to its “home” node
o Technomancers can work with mundane equipment without having to buy the skills twice
Have an intuitive understanding but can still make things work
o Decompiling can now be used to defend against Sprites in the same manner as Counterspelling and Banishing
Street Magic
• Conjuring Drain: using Force/2 + Hits
• Acquiring Geas during play: Threshold 3 test whenever Critical Glitch on important test
• Magic Loss: Happens with following glitches
o Resisting Physical Drain
o While using a Stim Patch
o When receiving First Aid
• All Foci at Force 6+ require an Exotic Component
• Arcana is linked to Drain Attribute instead of Logic (unless it is Logic)
• Metamagic can be learned as per rules on page 52
• Aid Enchanting is allowed (79)
Unwired
• IPs in AR: can only take 1 Matrix action regardless of number of IPs
• Sprite Fading: equal to Rating/2 + Hits
• Resonance Loss: occurs when rolling a glitch in the following instances
o Resisting Physical Fading
o Resisting Electrical Damage
o When receiving First Aid
• Tactical Software: do not need to pay to get the benefits
o This is what AR was supposed to do when added to the game
• Technomancer Rules (137)
o Attack Protection: +2 Threshold to all attacks by regular programs
o Difficult to Analyze: +1 Threshold to all Matrix Perception using Analyze programs (not complex forms)
o Immunity to Crashing: can only be crashed by Resonance beings
Still used 400 BP so my team isn't exactly a beginning team.
I wanted to streamline the rules as much as possible. SR is way too crunchy and was killing my fun as GM.