In SR3, there is some equipment that it is impossible to get a permit for. In game terms, this means that no one ever, anywhere, anywhen, is allowed to own these pieces of equipment--not the gummint, not corporations, not anybody. Moreover, even when you can get a permit, the permit is for a single item--one Ruger Warhawk, or one program on your cyberdeck. And in addition, it's impossible to get a fake permit; there are criminal networks in place that forge entire new identities for you, but none of them can get you a fake permit to carry a pistol. Wow. "But wait," you say, "the lack of a P in the Legality Code of a piece of equipment just means it's impossible for a private citizen to get a permit--corporations and governments can get permits, because they make the laws." No kidding--that's exactly my point. Why can't a SIN with the correct affiliations--corporate or government agent, basically--have a permit for certain equipment? I can understand why Joe Corporate might find it impossible to get a permit for his handrazors, but what if Joe Corporate buys a false SIN that identifies him as Joe Corporate Security Guard?
These rules are meant to augment the rules in SR3 pages 272-274. I'm keeping the basic mechanics in place, but making some additions that, I think, will help make the rules more realistic and useable.
HIGH-RESTRICTION EQUIPMENT
It is possible to get a permit for illegal equipment--that is, equipment that doesn't have a P in its Legality Code. However, the TN to get the permit is the Availability of the equipment +6, rather than +2. If the permit is being applied to a false SIN, the SIN must beat a rating 8 verification system in an opposed test. The test has a Threshold of 2 for Categories E, F, L, M, Q, S, T, and V; a Threshold of 3 for Categories G, J, R, W, X, and Y; and a Threshold of 4 for Categories K, H, and Z. All other Categories have no Threshold.
PERMIT TYPES AND COSTS
If an item's Legality Code features a "P", a permit for that Category of item is available. Permits for different Categories have different costs, as noted on the table below. One permit covers any item that falls into the appropriate Category, except those items which do not have a "P" in their Legality Code.
If the item's Legality Code does not have a "P" in it, a permit must be obtained for that specific type of item. For instance, a seperate permit must be acquired for a character's titanium bone lacing and wired reflexes 3. The cost of a specific permit is equal to 20% of the item's base cost.
[table on this page]
FAKE PERMITS
It is possible to create a fake permit, using many of the same methods that facilitate the creation of fake SINs. Like fake SINs, fake permits have ratings. In order to purchase or forge a fake permit, use the rules in SR3 pages 238-239, and SSG pages 125-126. The base time and price of a fake permit is halved. If the fake permit is for Categories E, F, L, M, Q, S, T, or V, the Etiquette test to purchase it and the Computer (Decking) test to forge it have a Threshold of 2; if the fake permit is for Categories G, J, R, W, X, and Y, the Threshold is 3; if the fake permit is for Categories K, H, and Z, the Threshold is 4. All other Categories have no Threshold.
Whenever the permit is used, it must pit its rating against the verification system that is doing the checking. If the fake permit is linked to a fake SIN, the SIN must also beat the verification system; if either the fake SIN or the fake permit fail the test, the permit comes up as invalid.