New, from CGL (who else?) is The Way Of The Samurai!

Make your slicer-dicer-shooter even more slicey-dicey-shooty!!!

Just bought it. Haven't read the fluff yet, moved to the crunch, and it's really good. I like the idea that prerequisites suggest that if you want take the quality, you already have these traits/implants. It saves one part of players the need to buy useless traits and helps pointing the other part in the right direction!

But I didn't really get Boosted Reflex besides old school nostalgia. How are they better than present reaction/IP boosters?

Any rules for bushido?

I am buying the hell out of this when I get on my own machine, I'll post a quick review later tonight.

No, sorry, doesn't seem to be (unless I missed it in there).

A few qualities that help define your Samurai as one or another of a few archetypal examples (bodyguard, merc, etc), and which require an Essence of less than 3.

A large list of cyberware suites.

Two new implants, inlcuding the return of Boosted Reflexes (yayy?).

...

Pretty much, that's it, crunch-wise. Teh fluff seems to center primarily around Miracle Shooter, and how well it does or doesn't comform to "real life" in the shadows.

... and which makes me wish I could run a game where the PCs weren't shadowrunenrs ... but instead, were just a guild in the Miracle Shooter game, madeof highschool and college age kids.

I finished it in a hurry too, heh.

It's mostly fiction and fluff, new positive qualities (in a new "tech-tree" style where you have to have prerequisite abilities, attribues and/or augmentations to take each one) a handful of cybersuites (probably the nicest crunch addition, I really like the gunfighter and heavy artillery platform ones!), a couple of augmentations (literally :/ ) and the last pages are made up of suggestions for a samurai build for each of the metatypes.

To be honest, I'd hoped for a lot more, rules-wise. It'd be an obvious opportunity to add some weapons and gear, and more than just a couple of bits of new cyberware.. Solid fluff and gear for the money otherwise, can one spare the 5 bucks I guess you get your money's worth.

E: and no rules for bushido or indigenous samurai culture - however, fluff and rules on bushido can be found in both Vice and Runner's Companion. From there, one can probably easy extrapolate, try the following links for inspiration:

http://www.aikidofaq.com/essays/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido:_The_Soul_of_Japan

Boosted Reflexes were already in Shadowrun 2050. Their availability has dropped from 3R to 2R, and the price has dropped from Rating x 20K to 15K/32K/47K.

There's Ronin's Way, it's nice, but nothing too specific

Bushido's already in Runner's Companion.

The book looks pretty solid from cursory flipping through it. Cool qualities, seem useful, dunno if worth the cost though.
The only question I have: the Urban Gunfighter cybersuite includes two cyberguns and also two holsters in cyberlegs. Are those for that rare moment when you need four guns at hand at once?

What if it was just one guy with six guns?

Well, the arms "only" contain Heavy Pistols, so if you need to pack a little more punch, keep a shortnosed SMG or compact grenade launcher in the thigh holsters! I for one love the mental image of a gunfighter samurai empty two armguns, then pull full guns out of his legs and finish the job.

Heavy Pistols in the arms, Tasers in the holsters is another suggestion. Not everything has to be deadly violent.

Hey guys, hopefully folks are enjoying it. It was a funny little project to write up, Devon got to roll up his sleeves and do a hojillion cyberware suites, and we're both glad to see it finally released, I'm sure.

Not everything has to be "better" than existing gear. In this instance, it's meant to be something that bridges the gap between "Combat Drug Guy" and "Wired Reflexes Guy." It's the way-behind-SOTA, dirt cheap, gutter-sammie boosterware option, basically. Second-stringer chrome, but a step up from the guys who just shoot up or puff an inhaler before a big fight.

As far as additional text on bushido, I shied away from that mostly because it's already been covered (and even has a Quality, albeit an already-optional one). I wasn't out to stomp on the toes of Runner's Companion, so much as to offer more than one interpretation of a street samurai. I wanted to show that not every character that fills that "mundane combat guy, dripping with chrome" niche is a Japanophile who follows that particular code (which I tried to hit home in the chatter with one of Jackpoint's few actual "street samurai" types, Hard Exit).

The way it used to be (not sure about SR 2050) was that Boosted Reflexes were far cheaper and Essence-friendly than the real thing, but irreversibly installed and incompatible with some other ware. So certainly an alternative for the rank-and-file, though rather uncommon for samurai...

It's fine to see rules for boosters and it's good as a flavor option too, but I really did expect to see more weapons, augmentations and gear after the brilliant cybersuite section Fiction and commentary is well and good, but the sections vary on how well they "deliver", in my opinion..

Well. I DID nejoy reading this and it DOES have it's upside. teh writing's good, the intro fiction fun, I like most of the new stuff, and hey, it'S the guys from the Street Samurai Catalogue! And fluff names for cyberware! I'm a sucker for these things, so yeah, I like this. Chipped reflexes are back, finally, and there's a hand spur I'm not sure does anything ordinary spurs cannot, but hey, maybe there is some hidden use for it. Using some of the names dropped in Augmentation and never given life with stats also was a nice touch. I'd hoped for more cyberware, but hey, I'm happy about what I get. Countrary to Tiaz, though, I'm quite happy no space was wasted with yet more guns. More guns is about the last thing Shadowrun needs, with added up close to a hundred statted weapons that largely all do the same. I'm actually quite sick of it and would not have paid for this if it was yet another file of pew-pew.

The stuff's rules-wise usable, far as I can see; the new qualities with prerequisites are kind of at odds with the rest of the system but actually not a bad idea.

However, I have two complaints.

First, why a gear book so late in the edition cycle? And with another (Eurowar Antiques) looming, why announce YET ANOTHER gear book? I don't really see how this makes sense. Not that I complain much, but these would have been a lot more helpful earlier in the edition cycle. Why has there never been something like this for hackers, maybe around the time when Digital Grimoire came out? Why hasn't THIS been there at the time of Way of the Adept?

And second, editing. This thing smells "editing didn't happen/was rushed at 3 AM". Several cybersuites have different names in their headers and fluff textx (Ares Bodyguard vs. Bodyguard Pro; UO Glenn Space Survivor vs. Armstrong Survivor). Minor glitches in reused cyberware names, okay, I'm probably the only one to notice the T317a should be TL317a, but this is avoidable and needs to be avoided. If you change a name, for instance, replace it using strg+H in Word. It's not rocket science, and it will not have the player wondering whether this was edited at all, which makes this product seem lower quality than it is.

It took longer on the back end to get this thing together; Peter Andrew was busy juggling things like day jobs and impending fatherhood. I don't know what else might have been going on, but as a father with a day job, I know that kind of thing takes a boatload of time away from fun things, like Shadowrun. The original intent was for it to come out considerably before the announcement for SR5; ditto for Eurowar Antitques, which shares much of the same checkered history for much the same reasons.

Some of those cybersuite names and stuff, I'm going to take the bullet for, since I was doing a lot of the proofreading and those slipped past me. Sorry.

Does the merc quality stack with a black market pipeline?

Yeah, but it has to have it's perks compared to the other things. I mean, every character asks himself the question 'why would I install this piece of 'ware?' if he has a choice. If he has none, that's the other story of course. But if there's a choice, then the implant should offer some benefits in order to be considered. No one would willingly instal a thing that is weak, costly and drains a lot of Essence if there are cheaper and/or better replacements.
With Boosted Reflexes you pay 1.8 Essence and 47K nuyen for +1 IP. Wired Reflexes give the same for 2 Essence and 11K (way cheaper). Synaptic Booster gives +1 IP for 80K and 0.5 Essence (way less). Of course, biowrare is expensive, but Alphaware Wired Reflexes would cost 22K and 1.6 Essence, which is two times cheaper than Boosted Reflexes and burns less Essence.

Move-by-Wire is old too, but for 50K, 2 Essence and a nasty side effect it gives not only +1 IP, but also dodge, Reaction and skillrig. Which is a great example of an implant that is good on every side and is worth its cost, essence and negative quality.

Now, if Boosted Reflexes were, for example, were compatible with drugs, that would give them an edge.

PS: will say this again, great job with the qualities! They are really useful for the player who can't find their way.



Ares Bodyguard and Bodyguard Pro are two different suit. Pro is Alphaware set of the basic Bodyguard

OK, those numbers are really WAY off and leave nothing of the niche Boosted Reflexes used to fill. Here is how it looked liked in 3rd Ed:
Boosted Reflexes:
0.5 Ess / 15,000 ¥
1.25 Ess / 40,000 ¥
2.8 Ess /90,000 ¥
Wired Reflexes:
2 Ess / 55,000 ¥
3 Ess / 165,000 ¥
5 Ess / 500,00 ¥

Disadvantages: Far lower REA bonus (+0/+1/+2 vs. +2/+4/+6), incompatible with other initiative enhancers and the Control Rig (which was absolutely essential for riggers), and the installation was PERMANENT, not even upgrades possible.


PS: And MBW is still considered cutting edge

But for SR4 prices, essence and bonuses have changed:


I can't remember the SR4 cost for WR, and do not have my book on me.

But you are right, his numbers are way off, since you only need Boosted Reflexes 2 to get +1 IP, which us roughly equal to WR1, which will cost you 2 points of Essence and likely more than 11K¥

Wired Reflexes:
11.000
32.000
100.000

OK I'm proven wrong... again

I found some errors in the Calculation of the "Universal Omnitech Infiltr8R" suite.
1. Essence should be 2,07 (forgot to add the chameleon modification essence cost)
2. Availablity of a R3 Chameleon Dermal Sheath is 22, the cybersuite has an avail of 20.

Notes:
The nanocybernetic versions are cheaper than the normal cyberware, why are only the dynamic handprints used? Using the nanocybernetic equivalents would reduce cost to 81900nY and 2,16 Essence.

But obviously not equally: Wires cost a fifth of what they used to and ESS remains the same, Boosted Reflexes cost between the same and half of their old price (depending on Rating) and ESS on R. 1 is nearly twice of what it used to be. So by the numbers Boosted Reflexes are always inferior, even as budget choice Wires are better.

The just took the price from SR2050 and multiplied it with ~0.8. Too bad that wired Reflexes costs were divided by 5.
So Rating * 4000 would be an appropriate price for Boosted Reflexes.

That, or perhaps changing essence cost to Rating * 0.5, so it exists mid-way between Wired Reflexes and Synaptic Boosters

Hrm. I'm not sure how that one slipped by us. I'm sorry for the fuck-up, period. I'll own this one.

I'd say right now the quick (and ugly) fix would be to cut the printed nuyen costs roughly half. Go with, say, 7,500, 16,000, and 24,000 or so.

Unofficially, I'd then fling a d6 and add (or subtract) a hundred bucks per pip, to reflect the way-behind-the-tech-curve-maybe-they're-good-maybe-not nature of illicit street doctoring, and call it a day. Because who knows how long the chemical cocktail's been sitting on a shelf, and how much your crazy street doc buddy needs that shelf space?

There's a reason my group likes going to a "Patch & Stitch" place like Sam's Surgery and Deli rather than a Street Doc/Clinic that does actual Cyber/Bioware Installations.

I would suggest that, and lower Essence costs. Because it was those lower Essence costs, really, that always attracted ME to the use of Boosted Reflexes, in prior editions (Hey, Boost 2 was mechanically about as good as Wires 1, for cheaper and less essence .... in exchange for no upgrades allowed later on. That was a trade I was often, but not always, willing to make.)

I kept the Essence costs high(er) on purpose; to show that it's not up to the date, and it's, in fact, actively bad for you. It's for the folks who are desperate for a cheap upgrade, but not quite desperate enough to just shoot up Jazz and Kamikaze all the time (which is, weirdness of the addiction rules aside, supposed to be supremely unhealthy for you).

Maybe the price should be something like used Wired Reflexes *0,8? Because that'd really, really be dirt cheap.

So when will the "Unofficial Errata: Way of the Samurai" link be in your signature?

Two words: Used cyber

Second-hand WR 1 costs 5,500 ¥, way less than you'd pay for the second IP with the mystery chemical cocktail, and according to fluff both are just about as bad. So either BR has to beat the price, or become a more reputable alternative than second-hand ware...I'd like the idea of BR as a common and proven method for the rank and file, but adjusting numbers is probably easier than rewriting the fluff

I can see the reasoning behind the not-so-low essence costs of BR, but like everyone else said, the price has gotta come way down.

It's like having a warehouse full of this crap that noone wants anymore. Corps are going to be trying to give this stuff away. "Free BR with the purchase of a new shiny datajack!"

I have a question on taking any of the new qualities. How does the Sensitive System negative quality affect the general rule for those qualities? Since Sensitive System doubles any essence costs for cyberware (an augmentation change to essence) not reduces essence would someone with Sensitive System be able to take those qualities?

And, if it is decided that Sensitive System essence increases do not count for taking the quality then would the full essence value be used if someone has Biocompatibility or Type O System? Since these qualities effect the essence costs of cyber/bio-ware the same way Sensitive System does just in the other direction.

GENERAL RULES

To qualify for the following Advantages, a character must
have an Essence score of 2.99 or less due to augmentation (instead
of loss from other sources, such as the Essence Drain power).
If a character meets the prerequisites for more than one of the
following qualities, they may select more than one. Each quality
may be taken only a single time.

I'd say, "essence cost after all modifications".

Or else you have problems with Biocompatibility, Alpha/Beta/Delta grade 'ware, used 'ware, etc, etc.

Occam's Razor: however you get there, if you have 3.01+ essence worth of augments, you're golden.

It's Essence after modifiers (for qualities, augmentation grade, or what-have-you). Simplest is best.

The Ork/Bodyguard has Sensitive System, for instance, and wouldn't have enough Essence loss to qualify, otherwise.

The ONE redeeming point of Boosted Reflexes under SR3 was the 0,5Essence for +1 Initiative Dice and the ability to combine Level 3 Boosted Reflexes 2 Dice with Synaptic Accelerators Level 2 for another 2 Dice for a total of 4 dice of Initiative extra.
Which is more than you can get with Wired Reflexes and more than you can get REALISTICALLY using MoveByWire. Which kills you.
They were the only thing that would let somebody mundane compete with somebody using the Increased Reflexes 3 Spell.

If they allow to combine the Level 3 Synaptic Accelerators with the Level 3 Boosted Reflexes in SR4 for a total of 5 Ini-Passes, then the numbers are justified.

I like this option - get my meat body up to hacker speeds

It'd be, in my eyes, the only reason to ever take boosted Reflexes over anything else. From a Fluff-Perspective, you could argue that they are, because of how they work, as hard to detect as Bioware Betagrade.
Because they are, if memory serves, only a biochemical treatment, and not really a built in device.
They can't be upgraded and they can't be removed either. And under SR3 they were not compatible with Riggr Control Cyber.

Question:

So the Sharpshooter quality's main selling point is that it removes the restriction on how many consecutive Take Aim actions one could take, where it originally was half of the characters' appropriate ranged weapons skill, rounded down. My question is: what's the new restriction when one takes the quality?

Obviously, I assume the new restriction is the full rating of the appropriate weapons skill (ex. If you're using a sniper rifle to Take Aim and have Longarms 5, then you get 5 consecutive Take Aim actions versus 2 of them), and the fact that the alternative would obviously be ridiculous levels of broken ...bbbuuuuttt I want to clarify anyways.

Yes. It's that you don't cut the skill in half any more (so you get a new limit of the full skill, rather than half of it).

It's not going to do you much good in the heat of combat (when you're sacrificing a whole attack for a bonus on your next one)...but for what a sharpshooter/sniper is supposed to be doing -- setting up well in advance, shooting from ambush, etc -- it makes them that much more efficient.

Sniper-Rifle . . Forget Sniper-Rifle . .
Apply it to the Minigun and you might actually hit the arcology about 200m in front of you, if you really really want to . .

Still sour about those miniguns?

Huh?

Ah, thanks for the clarification!

Yeah, well my table's B&E expert is also the sniper of the group, so naturally it'd be more useful to him than to, say, our tables' gunslinger face.

(...even though the sniper in question also has a habit of choosing to break down the door and blow away gangers with his AA-16...but w.e. :eyeroll: )



...is someone feeling snubbed that they can't make their dream character of the Heavy from TF2?

Hm. Had a chance to look it through.
Preliminary thoughts: mixed feelings but I like it in general. Good to see the old artwork
I would have liked to see a bit more new cyberware, though.
The cybersuites are well thought out as far as I can see and I'll have to take a closer look sometime. A boon for creating NPCs, in the very least
I really like qualities with requirements!

Not keen about the prices of boosted reflexes, but Critias provided a quick fix which I like. Good that they aren't compatible with synaptic accelerators this time.

Now, to the questions!
1.) The Street Ninja quality explicitly states that it can be taken multiple times, but how about the other qualities with selectable bonuses? Can they be taken multiple times, too?
2.) Does an implanted blade count for the requirement of the Ronin?
3.) Is the discount of Ronin instantly applicable to everything already implanted or does it only count against new ware when bought with karma?
4.) Is the skill bonus of the sharpshooter a bonus to the skill level or a bonus to the dice pool?
5.) To qualify for the Merc quality, do you need to have 4 ranks in the actual skill _groups_ or 4 ranks in skills _from_ those skill groups?

It might allow the use of the Minigun as an actually mobile weapon, instead of one mounted to something heavy and stable.
Would, of course, reduce ROF extremely, because you can only fire it so often with that much aiming taking place . .
But the on Target Damage would be catastrophic for most things.

Well, miniguns are spray and pray anyways, so ...
On the other hand, if you play a troll in SR4, you can easily reach 13 points of RC, which would be a -4 to your 15 rounds FA burst
Point at target, see it disappear.