Hey everyone, once again my guys have come to me with some crazy questions and instead of just saying no i come to ask dumpshock.

First, Do the different meta types have different "legal" ages? Orks age faster, do they become legal adults at 15? or is everyone 18 and if your life expectancy is short boo-hoo?

Second, Is there a way to mask the contents of a bag from scanners and show a different image. the troll wants to carry his heavy weapons in a golf bag and would like to modify the bag so that when it is scanned by MAD or x-ray, whatever, that it looks like a golf bag should on the inside and not show the LMG inside?

Third, for the purposes of a cyberholster in a leg, is the Ingram Smartgun X count as a pistol sized weapon?

Thats it for this week. Thank you again your collective knowledge keeps me from having to pull answers our of my tail.

First: they didn't adjust voting or drinking ages based on metatype, so I doubt they do for other ages-related legalities. One more way the system is biased against trogs. That said with the changes in social mores and all the new nations in the SR world means the question might be 'is she 15?' Or lower (but ew).

Second: Probably possible, but probably also expensive and complicated. Plus people wondering why he's carrying a golf bag everywhere, particularly into the kinds of places that use xray scanners.

Third: Smartgun is way too big for a leg holster, even a troll's leg.

Yar. Remember: Pistol-sized or smaller. That means something with a +0 concealability or lower. So a taser or heavy pistol would work, a machine pistol would not.

okay,.. simple question.. where does it give the info on life expediencies for metatypes?

(ignore,. found answer)

Second: Troll with a golf bag. That's gonna raise quite a few eyebrows, especially in a location far off from golf courses.

Also: am I understanding this correctly that my astrally-perceiving adept, being dual-natured, can successfully attack a spirit in melee combat?

If he gets his astral perception from the power, he isn't dual natured. However, yes, he can attack spirits, as long as they are within reach (that pesky lack of physical physics is a problem), and as long as he is using the killing hands power, or a weapon focus.

OK, I get it. Someone stoned on Deepweed or Tempo isn't dual-natured either, right?
And as far as weapon focus goes... My adept is Japanese. I read Street Magic yesterday. There is a damn good reason for keeping the knowledge of traditional Japanese swordsmithing alive, even if the hand-mined ore has to be imported from elsewhere. Catchin' my drift?

It's my understanding that using astral perception gives you an astral presence (though still subtley different form being dual-natured) and that astral attacks are considered magical even without things like killing hands and weapon foci, thus automatically avoiding the spirit's ItNW. Have I got this wrong?

No, you aren't. I may have mispoke a bit, as well. It is my understanding that using a melee skill on the astral requires those powers/objects, but if you have training in Astral Combat, it will allow you to do a proper astral attack.

Huh. RAW, you would need Astral Combat to attack things on the Astral Plane (SR4, p.184). To bypass ItNW on Physical plane, you need Weapon Focus or Killing Hands. Weapon Focus also gives you bonus dice on the astral.

Alright. Well, that solves that problem for you. Although I at least allow the melee skill to be used for Dual Natured entities, if only because half of them are dual natured without Astral Combat (and being non-sapient, can't learn the skill).

Well, if they're dual natured, you can clock them in Physical Combat all the same. The fun starts when you want to duke it out with a spirit.

If you astrally percieve you are considered dual-natured, but you do not have the Dual-Natured Power. Contrast page 191 of SR4A, Astral Perception, last sentence of first paragraph with Dual Natured, page 294 of SR4A.

Quick question regarding a character concept I'm working on:
What happens if a character is officially considered deceased? For example, when the cops stumble upon fresh DNA belonging to a guy who reportedly got burned to a crisp in the Caucasus two years ago. Inactive SIN is obvious, but still there are database entries for him that will raise suspicion if successfully matched to what the sensors spotted or the forensics found at the crime scene. After all, coming back from the dead isn't all that common in Shadowrun.

Also, is it an omission in the XLS Character Generator, or there's no such negative quality as "Phobia"?

As if this kind of stuff gets written down.
If it's for a character concept, work that stuff out to where you think it doesn't stretch suspension of disbelief too much, and stretches enjoyment, lay it down in front of your GM and go "How's this look?"

Also, what you're looking for is the Mania/Phobia quality, on Augmentation pg 164.

OK, found the Mania/Phobia. As for the concept, I'm more concerned if there's a Negative Quality for such a situation. If there isn't, I still have a 10-point fear of fire to take.

You may be looking for "Records on File" or "Sinner".

Beyond the social aspects people mentioned earlier, Runners Companion has the gear for bypassing MAD sensors and various scanners. Pages 28-34 are the shadowtalk parts, and p 34-35 for the actual gear.

I think irl if you try to enter a police departement with a baseball bat or a golf club, that's "no sir".

Actually, they would totally allow it in. That way, if anything happens the cops can shoot the living hell out of the person, because they have "just cause".

"Yes your Honor, I felt that the man with the putter was a threat to my fellow officers & needed to be shot with all 15 rounds from my glock."

You don't understand security.

I've been working security for a little over 7 years and I'm on the road to being a police officer, and Jazz is correct.

It's about as common as in real life. Occasionally there's a mistake and people are marked as "dead" when they shouldn't be.
(Case and point, albeit not "dead," but I've gotten AARP mailings. I'm 25. And they're not "current resident," they have MY name on them.)

My friend attended his own funeral because he lived on the streets for a few weeks and his parents though he had died. He had a death certificate and everything.

Reminds me of Waking Ned Divine.
Completely different, but similar.

I. . . wow, that's not something I'd heard of before.

Isn't this quite common?
Wow though. Talk about jumping the gun.

More like Records on File, but not exactly. Criminal SIN isn't exactly that - with a criminal SIN, you can at least buy yourself a soypak at Stuffer Shack, while "dead" SIN means The Man full well knows who you are, but you can't do jack shit. Once they start digging and go deep enough (and SIN data are commonly available to law enforcement everywhere by GSINR), finding that the genetic data for your fake SIN match with a real one that actually looks like you but is dead, you're in for a rough ride. Former Russian commando - maybe a spy? Deep undercover, turncoat or just renegade? Do we need to drop a whole SWAT team on him and some heavy firepower for good measure or just watch him and wait for a better moment?

I think I'm stretching SIN related stuff way past Rule Of Fun here. And/or the writers suffered from a major case of foot-in-mouth by never even thinking about this kind of situation.

My post was a half-joke. Again, internet doesn't represent inflection. Lol! My brother is a cop, & I've dealt with the Feds a number of times (IT work). The putter incident actually sort of happened. Guy brought his putter into a federal building and security let him. The agents said that if he was stupid enough to use it & get his ass shot, they were happy to oblige.

Though I'm sure Jazz is right in most cases that if someone tried bringing in a bat or golf club, they be told mo.

I suspect this will boil down to a personal preference thing but I know in some states and cities rules vary. For instance I live in Michigan, which is an open carry state, except in certain areas. (Bars, schools, churches, etc...) And some places are stricter on people dressing, or carrying certain things than others. A lot comes down to some variable factors.

I suspect a Troll who looks like a running back with cutting edge tech and milspec training will get closer scrutiny then Red Sanford's third cousin who looks like he's fresh from the junk yard. Also security and the scrutiny the staff working security (Be they private or public sector workers) can vary based on current events and experience. Someone's who's seen a Troll smuggle a Panther Cannon in a golf bag before may be warier than someone who's never seent hat trick before.

He can always carry a rocket launcher concealed as as guitar case. BTW one way to get in is too use the spoof program on the sensor to say it is legit or to appear as a set of golf clubs.

He can always carry a rocket launcher concealed as as guitar case. BTW one way to get in is too use the spoof program on the sensor to say it is legit or to appear as a set of golf clubs.

Lets see. There's a few ways to do this.

MAD is as simple as using the Ceramic/Plasteel components weapon modification from arsenal - its also elegible as an Electronics/Commlink modification in unwired, which uses the same rules as weapon mods.

Defeating Cyberware Scanners is a lot tricker, as they are bullshit good. They have a key weakness, though: (4a 262) Millimeter wave scans can detect any non-biological item by its shape and composition, assuming the item is listed in the device’s database If the threshold is reached, the scanner detects the item/implant and notes its general lo-cations and type; additional hits provide more detail (function, model, grade, etc.).

Its threshold 1 for weapons, by the way, and 2 for 'other items'. And rating 6 scanners are dirt cheap. If you want to sneak stuff past cyberware scanners, then the key is to make the stuff you want to smuggle look like things that wouldn't be in that database.
Other options include Shielded Smuggling Compartments(arsenal vehicle mods), and runner's companion's security section has some options, like MAD-jamming micro drones.


There's also a relevant clause in Natural Weapons for dual-natured critters being able to astral-fight with Unarmed, instead of Astral Combat. Useful for some spirits, but also for ghouls.

Non-database items are still gonna be detected as big metal/etc. objects.

Indeed they are. Which is why Easy Breakdown and a good Disguise(I want to say palming is what you use to resist searches, but I don't think that's right) skill are your best friends. They may be detected, but if they're not registered as dangerous or prohibited, and the operator of the scanner doesn't catch it, then you ought to be good to go

Definitely. I'd allow a Disguise test of some kind to let you make the metal things looks innocuous.

They should have him left his stuff at the entrance. At least that's what the french cops does, at the police prefecture of Paris. Maybe USA's properties laws are more strict, I don't know : we're a latin people so, there's the laws, and... The situation.
I'm quite sure that they would have opened the bag, just to be sure. That would be stupid if they'd not do that.