I recently began running a Shadowrun campaign, and completed my first arc of sessions (for which I used the Dreamchipper module as an introduction). One of my players went munchkin on me and made a combat monster troll char. She has a Smartlink II, which by its description gives a -2 normally, and +2 for called shots. She wants to interpret that to mean called shots are a wash, ie +/- 0. I don't really view it that way, and she's quite deadly enough in combat already, but it turned into enough of an argument that I promised to look into it. So I'm curious as to how you guys handle the smartlink?

She's absolutely right. If she spends a free action to call the shot, then the TN for the shot is +2, and the SL gives a -2 mod, so a short shot in broad daylight standing still at a walking target with no recoil is a 4.
There are plenty of ways to make life hard on characters with a SL2. Ranges, visibility, movement ... don't let her get off easy just because you don't use enough mods

Also, I'd advise houseruling the errata on called shots to avoid armor to save yourself some grief. Wait till she figures out Smart II + rangefinder + grenade launcher. That'll be really fun.

Don't forget COVER!!!! That's the #1 most common thing most RPGers forget when doing ranged combat. If there's a desk, a car, a doorway, a trashcan, ANYTHING, jump behind it. It offers additional armor, modifiers to hit a target, and/or percentage miss chance in damn near every gaming system, but no one ever does it. Fastest way to make your players realize this is to make your NPCs start taking cover at every chance. As soon as they realize how easy they are to hit standing in the open and how hard it is to hit the bad guys, they'll start diving behind the dumpster too.

Rather off-topic I know, but something I was just thinking about...

The Abstruse One

wuah, wait a second. i really doubt that.

smartlink 2 gives a -2 tn. called shots are +2 INSTEAD OF +4.

so actually a called shot +4, but because she has smartlink 2 the tn goes down -2 to +2.



that's the way i see it. i don't think it works the way you guys want it to work. if that's the case EVERY single magical active char will implant themselves smartlink 2.

Well, this is how it works, kinda
Base called TN: 8 (base 4+4 for called)
SL called TN: 6 (base 4+4 for called -2 for smartlink)
SL2 called TN: 4 (base 4+2 for called -2 for smartlink)

that is how it works, smartlink 2 is a great piece of ware, yes, what did you expect?

As said, range, cover, visibility... those mods can stack making even a normal shot with smartlink impossible... try it!

Remember though: If the samurai gets to go before anyone else, and he fires a called shot, with the stupid/great errata he will probably insta-kill the closest secguard, then dive for cover, so there! now he is behind cover totally (can't be targeted unless they shoot the cover to smithereens), the rest of the team is out in the open and so are the guards...

If the samurai does that, the team is nearly blown to kingdom come and he makes it unharmed while still jumping out, firing off a burst and then jumping back down, they will start doing that as well...

Then again, we have the opposite version as well, the badass ork gangers threw themselves behind a dumpster, they may jump out and shoot at the sammy, who calmly walks towards them, holding his action to headshot them to death...

In combat, expect the unexpected!

Etc.etc.etc. Or, in normal english: Don't complain, use tactics and modifiers! Enemy uses flashlight in the dark room: Flare mods, as well as darkness mods, as well as cover mods. Wee!

It has become a standing joke in the group to comment that someone "Has blinds!" anytime they have partial cover. This came from one of the players pointing out that the group should just carry around a set of curtains to get the +4TN partial cover modifier.

The SLII versus SLI argument makes sense. Didn't really see why they would put in the +2 if it's really just a wash, but oh well. I'll make her life difficult in other ways.

Shadowrun, in my experience (2nd ed though) didn't really hammer this in as, for instance, Savage Worlds or Deadlands. The system now, though... duck behind something, 'cause you don't have an almost endless combat pool in 3rd.

Don

i really fail to see how the wording for the smartlink-2 could be misinterpreted.

Also remember the commonly overlooked fact: Even though you can shoot twice in a round you can NOT call shots on both of them. Calling a shot is a free action, and you spend that free action to call the shot. This can only be done once.

That's only true for the first round of Initiative.

After the PC has gone once, they can use a free action during someone else's turn to "Call a Shot", then shoot on their turn, use a free action between shots to make another "Call a Shot" before using their second simple action to shoot again.

@ShadowGhost: the description of Called Shot on SR3.105 indicates that to be effective it must immediately be followed by the character's action. Based on my interpretation of this, I don't allow a player to use Called Shot other than on their initiative phase.

Mea Culpa - I missed that. You're right. So only the first shot can be a called shot.

Going to piss off my adept hoblin PC, ambidextrous, with gun skills who likes to make 4 called shots against trolls.

Now I don't have to make the bad guys with ablative-armored cyberskulls

This also begs the question -- what special benefit do you give for using called shots?

The flame wars on the topic are nigh-endless.

-Siege

Personally I don't much like the idea of called shots bypassing armor completely anyway, particularly with the armor stacking rules. To really be true to the whole thing, you need to have seperate armor ratings for the eyes, the face, the neck, the chest, the stomach, the heart, the upper and lower arms, the upper and lower legs, the hands, the feet... the list goes on and on, and is frankly stupid in such an abstract system. Personally I'd just simplify it and say that a called shot cuts the worn armor rating in half for that attack or adds +2 to the attack's Power, shooter's choice.

I'd let it negate all armor if it's realistic that it could do so. The unprotected spot would have to be obviously unprotected and at least head sized. Shooting a moving target in the eye from any kind of range is just nuts.

@Vors: Congratulations on getting a SR campaign going! Your players must be thrilled to have a GM who cares about the players, the adventures, fairness, etc.

Your combat troll is Deadly to any normal security guard (Armor 5/3, no helmet) out in the open, using either a Called Shot or just blasting away. If her TN is 2 for a regular short-range shot, and the guard's TN to Dodge or Resist Damage is 4 or 5, she's very likely to blow away the first guard on one shot without using Called Shot. She's deadly to anyone out in the open, in good light, with no cover or movement penalties. She's supposed to be. That's her job.

Discuss with your players the lethality of Called Shots, as anything they can do to security guards can be done to them. You might all prefer to have a less-lethal game, your choice. If you make called shots less lethal, the outcomes of the battles will not change very much, you either win or run away, but there will be fewer PCs with their heads blown off. (Fewer headless guards as well, but the players might not care about that.)

For more info on called shots, you can also see the online errata (corrections to the rules in later printings), and the online Shadowrun FAQ (answers to common rule quesions from the man who puts out new printings).

I follow the errata, either staging, or bypassing armor appropriately - i.e. a called shot to the arm bypasses the armor vest, but not the FFBA underneath.

Same with cybernetic/bioware armor (Bone Lacing, Orthoskin) - you can bypass worn armor, but not cybernetic armor, unless you're aiming for the eyes, in which case I bump up the TN for called shot to +8 from +4 (way smaller target, unless it's a Cyclops).

Also, how can a person call a shot from behind total cover?

For me as a GM, calling a shot you have to see what you are wanting to shoot at. If you want to take out a guards kneecap, then you'll actually need to have an idea as to where that kneecap is. Just not gonna happen if your ducked behind a piece of cover, unless you expose something to look int he direction of your target, like a mirror a gun camera, your head or a drone.

@Nikoli, the Cannon Companion provides optional rules to handle the character that wants to duck in and out of cover. See "Cover Modifiers" on page CC.97.

Basically, these rules give the character that wants to spend more time behind the greatest cover the largest penalty to actually hitting someone when he pops out.

for calling two shots per round, you can simply call the first shot on the phase of the guy who goes right before you do. since free actions taken during someone else's phase are resolved at the end of that phase, you can then immediately take aim or fire a shot. you then spend the free action for your phase to call the next shot, and fire again. QED.