QUOTE (Tymeaus Jalynsfein @ Aug 10 2012, 05:03 PM)
The point,
Yerameyahu, is that Variety already exists. It is a choice. If you want the variety, then you choose the spells. If you don't actually choose the spells, you obviously do not want the variety, and the argument is there just to be there. And Magic in Shadowrun IS NOT arbitrary. It has rules that it follows. It is interesting to note (at least for me) that many of those who argue that the Indirect Spells are underused do so because they do not actually like the Fluff of the World itself. By the World view, Indirect Spells SHOULD be vastly less used.
To have choice you must be able to choose inferior options, otherwise there is no choice.
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QUOTE (Dakka Dakka @ Aug 12 2012, 09:29 AM)
Unfortunately apple is right. The FAQ contradict RAW in this case as well, and you provided proof. While indirect combat spells work like ranged attacks, they do not fire in single shot (or semi-automatic or burst fire) mode. It takes a Simple Action to fire a SS weapon and another simple action to make the weapon ready to fire it again. Neither is the case for indirect Combat Spells. Ergo indirect combat spells are not launched in SS mode.
I am of the opinion that it was the intention to allow called shots for indirect combat spells but sadly they wrote the rules saying otherwise and FAQ cannot provide rule changes. That's what Errata are for.
The rules state that the weapon must fire in SS, SA, or BF modes. The rules do state that a single shot weapon fires as a simple action but only once per round. That is all there is to it. It is worth noting, however, that SS mode states weapon while SA/BF explicitly state firearms. However, one could simply check for this by locating a firearm that has SS, SA, or BF modes and requires a complex action to fire. Such a weapon will qualify for Called Shot since it is still firing in those modes even though it is using a Complex rather than Simple action. The Savalette Guardian serves as a good weapon to call into question the reliability of the rules. It can fire in burst fire mode using a Complex Action rather than a Simple Action. By RAW, since it is not a simple action it is not "technically" firing in burst fire mode and it cannot gain the benefit of a called shot when using that option. Throwing Knives, Shuriken, crossbows, and technically bows also cause problems. Aside from the fact that they lack firing mode designations and are not melee weapons and thus should not qualify for a called, it is a simple action to throw a knife or shuriken and you can do so as long as you have one readied. Their firing mode is SA yet the SA firing mode explicitly states firearms.
One must conclude one of the following.
A: That the rules of the firing mode are what matter for determining whether a weapon is firing in that mode. In this case the Savalette cannot Call Shot when using its burst fire mechanic.
B: The method of the attack is what matters. In which case the Savalette qualifies since it is firing a burst.
There is also no requisite for a second simple action to be taken to ready a SS weapon to fire. The Ruger Superwarhawk is, in fact, one such weapon. It fires in SS mode but requires no action to ready it to fire again. It requires six action phases before you must commit another action besides firing (reloading, which is a complex action) compared to the three action phases it would take for a SA weapon with the same ammo capacity. The rules for Single Shot mode contain no references requiring a weapon to be readied before it can fire in SS. The only rule that it contains is that it a single shot is fired as a simple action.