COMBAT
Armed and
Unarmed Combat
When an opposed Unarmed Combat/Counterattack test
is made, a tie does NOT go in favor of the attacker. A tie indicates
successful blocks on the part of both parties involved. No damage is dealt
to or by either party. Unarmed Combat attacks that are not Counterattacked
follow the standard rules, with ties going in favor of the
attacker.
In order to determine the value of Reach, subtract
the smaller Reach value from the larger one. Whatever is left over (if
anything) is applied to the attack/counterattack rolls of the person with
the superior Reach. Reach does NOT modify the person without Reach's TNs
in any way. Reach only modifies the TNs of the person with superior Reach,
regardless of whether he is attacking or counterattacking. This allows
Reach to have an impact on a fight, without making a Troll with a combat
axe pretty much unstoppable via Armed or Unarmed Combat. Here's an
example: Jack and Jill have grown up and don't really like each other much
anymore (Jack's never been the same since that tumble down the hill). Jack
is fighting with a knife. Jill, on the other hand, is skilled in the ways
of the Katana (You go girl!). Jack has a Reach of 0, while Jill has a
Reach of 1. Subtracting the smaller from the larger, the end result is 1.
Jill has the superior Reach, so this modifier applies to her TNs when
attacking/counterattacking. Jack's TNs are not affected by this number.
Thus, when Jill goes to turn her ex-best friend into thinly sliced cold
cuts, her TN is a 4 minus Reach (which is 1), leaving her with a final TN
of 3. Jack's TN to counterattack would still be a 4. It's been nice
knowing ya, Jack.
Since there are VERY few circumstances I can think
of that would ever keep someone from using their specific style of Unarmed
Combat, I have decided to make a couple of changes to the rules for
choosing a fighting style within the Unarmed Combat skill. First, ALL
characters have a fighting style that they use. Streetfighting is
certainly a valid fighting style. Brawling, specific Martial Arts styles,
and Police trained fighting styles are examples of other viable fighting
styles. The chosen style applies to the General skill of Unarmed Combat
(thus, it also applies to any Concentrations or Specializations within
that skill) and is the only fighting style the character knows. The only
available Concentrations for Unarmed Combat are Cyber Implant Weaponry,
Offensive Combat, Defensive Combat, and Subdual Combat. If someone chooses
the Offensive Concentration, for example, he would get the bonus for the
Concentration when attacking, but not when counterattacking.
Specializations within Unarmed Combat would be specific maneuvers like,
flying spin kicks, upper cuts, etc. So what happens if a PC wants to learn
an additional fighting style? It is treated as an entirely separate
Unarmed Combat skill in all respects. Thus, a PC could, for example, have
an Unarmed Combat (Karate) skill of 5, and an Unarmed Combat (Street
Fighting) skill of 2. The vast majority of Martial Arts fighting styles do
NOT incorporate the use of Cyber Implant Weaponry. Thus, if you have a
Karate fighting style and want to use your cyber spurs, you will have to
default to quickness, because spurs aren't included in your training. You
could, alternately, learn another fighting style that does incorporate
Cyber Implant Weaponry.
Dodging
In order to have the opportunity to Dodge, you must
be aware that an attack is imminent. When involved in combat, it is
assumed that you are aware of all immediately obvious threats. The
exception to this is when an opponent uses the Stealth skill to attempt to
attack you without your knowledge. In this instance, a successful
Perception test will allow a Dodge attempt. A Perception test under these
circumstances costs no actions - it's a freebie. Merry Christmas. In the
case of sniping and most other non-obvious forms of attack, a Perception
test will always be allowed. The chance of success may be infinitesimal,
but there will be a chance of success nonetheless. Note that some
magic-oriented attacks may not allow for a Perception test. An example of
this would be a mage in astral space grounding a spell through a focus
while no one is astrally perceiving.
When a PC is aware of a forthcoming attack, he has
two options. The first would be to attempt to Dodge the attack. This is
done by rolling any number of available Combat Pool dice versus a base TN
of 4. Wound modifiers apply to this TN, as well as some other situational
modifiers. Some of these are: being bound, sitting or laying down, being
prone, and dodging within a small enclosure. In the case of these other
situational modifiers, I may reduce the amount of Combat Pool dice that
may be used, rather than increasing the TN. This is entirely GM
discretion. Vision modifiers do not apply to dodge success tests. However,
Dodging may result in a potentially damaging situation if the Dodge
attempt is botched. If this option is taken, no Combat Pool dice may be
used to augment the Damage Resistance test.
The second option would be for the PC to make a
Damage Resistance test in the following fashion: he would roll his Body
plus any number of available Combat Pool dice versus a TN equal to the
Power of the attack minus any appropriate armor. If the number of
successes generated by the Combat Pool dice alone are enough to reduce the
attacker's number of successes to -1 (0 in the case of Unarmed Combat
Counterattacks) then the attack was successfully Dodged and no damage is
taken, nor is any armor degraded. Otherwise, the PC must stage the damage
down as per the normal rules. If he manages to stage the damage down to
nothing , no damage is taken but there may be some superficial cuts,
bruises, tears in clothing, etc. To add to the cinematic feel of the game,
any attack that is successfully Dodged using only Combat Pool dice causes
no change to the target's clothing or body (i.e. they don't wrinkle their
suit or acquire any superficial cuts, etc.).
Armor and Called Shots
If armor degradation occurs when layering armor,
all worn armor in the hit location is degraded the full amount. All
non-magical ranged attacks will be treated in an abstract fashion, unless
a Called Shot is attempted. Thus, all worn armor (except forearm guards,
of course) will apply to the shot, including helmets. When calling a shot,
a PC has two options: he can target a specific location of the body, or he
can choose to cause a special effect to happen with the shot. In the case
of the former instance, only the armor covering the targeted location will
apply to the Damage Resistance test. In the latter case, any desired
special effect must be approved by the GM. Some examples of generally
acceptable special effects are: shooting the gun out of a target's hand
and temporarily disabling the use of a leg by shooting out a knee. All
long coats are considered to cover the full length of the legs, torso, and
arms. Form Fitting Level 1 (FF1) covers the torso only; FF2 covers the
torso and legs; FF3 covers the torso, legs, and arms. For the sake of
simplicity, all coats, jackets, and vests are considered to cover their
standard areas at all times - even if they would realistically not do so
because they were currently open in the front. Also, helmets are
considered to cover the entire head, even if they are open-faced. Calling
a shot to a specific area of the body does not, in itself, increase the
damage caused. For example, targeting the head of an opponent does not
change the base power level or damage code of the attack. Specific
cinematic effects of ranged attacks will be determined by the GM,
including the location hit in the case of abstract shots. These effects
will not affect the amount of damage caused in any way. In fact, it will
often be the other way around - the amount of damage caused may determine
where the target was hit.
Initiative
I have seen a house rule regarding Initiative used
by many others that I think merits trying out, at least for awhile. When
rolling Initiative, one of the dice should be of a different color than
the rest. The Rule of Six applies to this die, but not the others. If you
have only one Initiative die to roll, then the Rule of Six applies to this
die. I think this will allow characters who are generally slow to remain
such most of the time, while allowing Joe Average a chance to shine every
once in awhile. Keep in mind that while this house rule is being tried
out, NPCs will be using this rule as well. (After all, fair is fair...sort
of.) Spirits and Critters apply the Rule of Six to ALL of their Initiative
dice, to reflect an additional boost given to them by their magical
nature. What, you don't want to try this house rule out
anymore?
Healing
Magical healing via the Treat and Heal spells
precludes the use of First Aid. If, however, the spell is unsuccessful
then First Aid may still be utilized, but with a +2 TN modifier. This
signifies the risidual Magical energies in the target's body that
interfere with the chemicals, etc. that are used during the First Aid
process. (The energies are still attempting to heal the target, and
perceive the invasion of the body as a threat to the target's health.)
However, if a situation occurs in which the person applying First Aid
doesn't use a medkit, the +2 TN modifier does not apply. It is a rare
event that someone can successfully perform First Aid on an individual
without a medkit, but it can happen.
The Stabilize spell stops the target from bleeding
to death. However, it does not reduce any damage. First Aid and magical
Healing can still be applied to a target who has been stabilized in this
fashion. (While the Stabilize spell falls into the category of healing
spells, it doesn't actually heal any boxes of damage. It simply heals the
minimal amount of tissue, etc. necessary to prevent further degradation of
the body.)
If magical healing via the Treat, Heal, or
Stabilize spell is applied to a target who has already been treated with
First Aid (successfully or not), apply a +2 TN modifier to the success
test. This represents the difficulty the spell has compensating for all of
the chemicals pumped into the target during the First Aid process. If the
person applying First Aid doesn't use a medkit, the +2 TN modifier does
not apply.
Medkits that default to using supplies and
techniques specifically tailored to magicians are available. When used on
a magician, the +2 TN modifier for treating a magician is not applied. A
+2 TN modifier is applied, however, when using this type of medkit on
mundanes. These medkits cost twice as much as a standard medkit and have
an availability of 6/24 hours. These special medkits are generally found
via Talismongers, and are not available off the shelf at your local drug
store.
MAGIC
Shapeshifters
While I like the idea, I am absolutely revolted by
the concept of Shapeshifters as they are portrayed in the world of
Shadowrun. Thus, until I completely redesign the rules for Shapeshifters
(if ever), they do not exist in anything other than myth and
legend.
Physical
Adepts
For every 1 point of Magic Rating a Physical Adept
"spends" on powers, he gains an additional 0.25 points in bonus powers.
However, a Physical Adept may only have a number of points in powers equal
to his Magic Rating active (or immediately available to activate) at any
given time. The Physical Adept has the option of exchanging active powers
for other powers he has access to through meditation. In order to exchange
any powers, the Physical Adept must meditate for a number of consecutive
hours equal to his Magic Rating divided by 2. At the end of this time, all
powers will have been exchanged as desired and are available to the
Physical Adept as per the normal rules. If the Physical Adept is disturbed
during meditation, the process is aborted and the powers will remain as
they were before the meditation began. The Physical Adept has the option
of making only a portion of a power active if the power is available to be
reduced (i.e. could have been "purchased" at a lower level). If he chooses
to do so, he must do this in increments equal to one whole level of the
power (i.e. powers "bought" in increments of .5 points by must be utilized
in increments of .5 points). Also, a Physical Adept cannot utilize a power
at any higher level of ability than he has "purchased" with his Magic
Rating. Thus, a Physical Adept who has "purchased" Increased Reflexes at
level 2 can utilize this power at level 2 or level 1, but not at level 3.
The Physical Adept may choose to adjust his powers through meditation as
often as he likes. The powers remain in their current state until the
Physical Adept successfully meditates and changes them. The meditation
that Physical Adepts utilize to adjust their powers is an ability
available only to Physical Adepts, and is not a learned skill. It is
treated as an ability that all Physical Adepts inherently know how to do.
The reallocation of powers does not require a success test of any kind.
This special meditation ability cannot be used as a Centering skill.
However, if the Physical Adept learns another form of meditation, he may
utilize it in conjunction with his special meditation ability to obtain
both goals at once.
The Increase Reflexes power has the following
costs:
| Level 1 |
1.0 |
| Level 2 |
3.5 |
| Level 3 |
5.5 |
Physical Adepts have full access to the following
Metamagical skills: Centering and Masking (piercing Masking requires the
power of Astral Perception). They also have limited access to Shielding .
Physical Adepts do not have a Magic Pool, thus they only receive a number
of dice toward Shielding equal to their Initiate Grade. Physical Adepts
have no control of their Shielding abilities, thus once turned on via
Initiation, their Shielding is always active. The time for learning how to
use Shielding still applies, but it is treated as an attuning process,
rather than a learning experience. In order for Shielding to function at
all, it must first be attuned.
Physical Adepts cannot purchase the Talent of
Astral Sight, nor can they purchase the Talent to become an Astral Adept.
If a Physical Adept wants to be able to Astrally Perceive, he must
purchase the Astral Perception Physical Adept power. Physical Magicians
are not limited in this way.
Astral
Perception and Projection
Astral Perception is based upon a sense not
accessible in the physical plane. It's not any of the senses experienced
in the mundane world. Instead, Astral Perception is some weird
conglomeration of the physical senses, plus additional input that is very
hard to describe to anyone who hasn't experienced Astral Perception for
themselves. The act of Astral Perception is awe inspiring. The Astral
Plane is generally a place of great beauty in the opinion of most beings
able to perceive it. While Astrally Perceiving, there is no physical
evidence that you are doing so. Your eyes do NOT roll back into your head,
etc. In order to view a different part of the Astral Plane, you do not
turn your physical head. Instead, you merely shift your perception to view
a different part of the Astral. Thus, when looking around on the Astral
Plane, it doesn't appear to the mundane world that you are looking around
at things that aren't there.
When Astrally Projecting, your body is only
supported by external influences. Thus, unless someone or something is
physically supporting your body, it will fall to the ground when you leave
it. Therefore, the socially conscious Magician will want to take
precautions if he doesn't want anyone in the mundane world to know he is
out of his body.
The process of leaving or entering one's body via
Astral Projection is an exclusive activity, which explains why spells
cannot continue to be sustained when you leave your body. Astral
Projection is also considered a magical activity, so no exclusive
activities may be performed while Astrally Projecting. (This explains some
of the rulings made in the standard rules.)
Psychometry
The Psychometry skill (a.k.a. Aura Reading) is not
immediately derived from Intelligence or mundane Perception. Thus, if a
character viewing the Astral Plane does not have the Psychometry skill,
they must default from one of the following skills/attributes:
Intelligence, Magical Theory, or Perception. Treat Intelligence as if it
were located in the same position as Willpower on the Skill Web for
calculating the default modifier. Also, treat Perception as if it were one
dot closer than Willpower on the skill web for the same purpose. Think of
the Psychometry skill as an Astral Perception skill. This is not to be
confused with the Astral Perception ability which simply allows you to
perceive the Astral Plane. The skill allows you interpret what you
perceive on the Astral Plane more clearly. I will always refer to this
skill as Astral Perception, as the terms Psychometry and Aura Reading are
misnomers.
Extended
Casting
Any spell can be cast over a longer period of time
in an attempt to reduce the effects of Drain on the caster. For every
extra Complex Action spent on casting a spell, the Drain TN is reduced by
1. The Drain TN can never fall below one-half the original Drain TN (as
always, round bad). The success and Drain Resistance tests are both made
during the same action that the spell is released. In the case of Ritual
Magic, the ritual must be extended for one hour in order to reduce the
Drain TN by 1. The reduction to the Drain TN applies to all Magicians
involved in the ritual. If the caster is distracted while casting the
spell, he must make a Willpower (2) test to see if he can continue with
the casting, or if the spell is going to do something nasty. Wound
modifiers apply to this test. If he succeeds, then he can continue casting
as he was before the incident. If he fails, however, something might just
go boom! Roll 1d6. On a 4-6, the spell energies dissipate into Astral
Space creating a Background Count of 1 for a number of hours equal to the
effective force of the spell. The area effected is a circle whose radius
is equal to the Magic Rating of the caster. On a 1-3, something's gonna
blow. Roll another 1d6. On a 1-3, it's the caster. Resist the spell as if
he was its intended target. On a 4-6, he gets lucky and the spell targets
a nearby object (if it's a physical spell); or a random person within LOS
of the caster (if it's a mana spell).
Sustaining Spells
The universal TN modifier while sustaining spells
varies. The base universal TN is 3, not 2. However, this can be reduced by
a strong-willed Magician. To determine the actual TN increase, make a
Willpower test versus a TN equal to the total number of dice used to power
the spell divided by 2. (This includes ALL dice from Magic Pool, Fetishes,
Foci, Exclusivity, and Totem Modifiers.) Reduce the TN of this test by 1
for every level of Initiate Grade the caster possesses. For each success
generated, reduce the universal TN modifier by 1. The universal TN
modifier can never be reduced below 1. The number of spells that can be
sustained at one time is limited only by the caster's skill and strength
of will. If wounded or otherwise distracted while sustaining a spell, the
caster must make a Willpower (2) test to retain control and continue to
sustain the spell. If he succeeds, he retains control of the spell and
nothing changes. If he fails, however, the spell energy dissipates into
Astral Space creating a Background Count of 1 for a number of hours equal
to the effective force of the spell. The area effected is a circle who's
radius is equal to the Magic Rating of the caster.
Also, it doesn't always make sense to apply a
Sustaining Spell (or Concentration) modifier to ALL success tests made by
the sustaining Magician. Such an instance would be when making success
tests directly related to the spell being sustained. For example, while
sustaining Increased Intelligence +4, you shouldn't apply the universal TN
modifier for sustaining the spell when making Intelligence or Perception
Tests. Another example would be while sustaining Combat Sense. While
sustaining this spell, the Magician shouldn't be penalized while making
combat-related success tests. These will be taken on a case-by-case basis.
My primary concern is to not allow the Concentration modifier to become a
double whammy. It is ridiculous to believe that anyone would sustain a
Combat Sense spell if they felt it would make their combat-related success
tests more difficult to make!
Holding
Spells
Have you ever wondered how Sally Tsung managed to
make her hand glow with magical energy on the cover of the Big Black Book?
Well, here's how. The caster declares the force at which he is casting the
spell. He then calls forth the energy from the Astral Plane as normal, but
instead of sending the spell at a target, he holds the spell energy in a
state in which it is aligned with his own aura. This requires a complex
action. While the energy is in this state, it has a physical echo
resembling it's basic nature. For example, this may be some small flames
in the case of a fire spell, or some crackling bits of electricity in the
case of a lightning spell. This echo appears in the area of the aura
surrounding the caster's hand, or it can alternatively appear on the tip
of a staff, the blade of a sword, etc. While in this state, the energy
will not harm anyone or anything if touched. After all, it is just an echo
of the real spell, which is on the Astral Plane. After the spell has been
called forth to this point, the caster makes a Drain Resistance test as
per the normal rules. (This test is made during the same complex action
that the spell is called into being.) Then, make a Willpower test as per
the rules for sustaining a spell to determine the universal TN modifier
acquired while holding the spell. Whenever the caster is able, he may
target the spell as per the normal rules and let it fly with a simple
action. During this simple action, make the spell success test. Yes, this
does mean that he can apply more dice toward the power of the spell than
he would have been able to if casting the spell entirely within one
complex action. However, keep in mind that any TN modifiers resulting from
Drain taken during the casting of the spell apply to this test and that a
Magical Misfire is more likely to occur (more on Magical Misfires later).
The universal TN for holding the spell does not apply to this
test.
A Magician may hold up to 2 spells at any one time
(one in each hand). However, when casting the second spell (i.e. calling
the energies from the Astral Plane and forming them into the spell), the
universal TN modifier acquired from the casting of the first spell applies
to the Drain Resistance test. The caster is now holding 2 spells. Now,
here's where things get fun. He now has 2 options. He may target them one
at a time, each taking a simple action. When doing so, don't forget to add
in the universal Drain TN modifier acquired from holding the OTHER spell.
Then, he would release the remaining spell as normal (taking a simple
action; universal TN modifier not applied). However, if he targets 2
different individuals/objects with these spell, incorporate the modifier
for multiple targets (+2). Alternatively, he could let fly with both
spells at once! This takes only a single simple action, but apply the
using a second firearm modifier (+2) to both success tests. If the caster
lets fly with both spells at once AND targets 2 different
individuals/objects, also apply the multiple targets modifier (+2) to both
tests. It may be hard to do, but boy does it make an
impression!
But wait, it gets better. If the caster is wounded
or otherwise distracted while holding a spell, he must make a Willpower
(2) test to retain control over the spell. Wound modifiers DO apply to
this test. Also, if holding 2 spells, apply the universal Drain TN
increase for the FIRST spell to the test to retain hold of the SECOND
spell, and vice versa. If the caster loses control of a held spell, he
must resist the spell as if it were cast at him without any Magic Pool
dice allocated to it's success test. (This is because the spell, after
all, is currently aligned to his aura.) If he takes any damage from this
test, he is distracted again and must then make a Willpower (2) test to
retain control of the second held spell (if he was holding a second
spell). If the Magician is unfortunate enough to be holding 2 spells when
distracted and fail both Willpower tests to retain control over them, he's
in a world of hurt. He must then resist both spells. (Ouch!) Resist each
spell individually. I hope you have a current Doc Wagon
contract.
Aiming
Spells
Damaging Manipulation spells may be aimed per the
standard rules for ranged attacks. In order to aim any other type of
spell, you must first have the spell held via the Holding Spells rules
above. You may NOT call a shot with a spell, regardless of its
category.
Objects and
Auras
Only living beings possess auras. If it isn't
currently alive, it doesn't have an aura - regardless of its history (some
entities may be an exception to this rule).
Mana spells target auras. Physical spells go
straight for the physical makeup of their targets.
All of this means that, yes, you can target that
corporate executive riding in the back of the stretched limo with a
powerball/manaball/hellblast, or whatever tickles your fancy at the
moment. Keep in mind that visibility and cover modifiers will apply,
however. (Don't you just hate those tinted bulletproof
windows?)
Also, this means that Mana Barriers will attempt to
stop living beings within an enclosed object from passing through the
barrier. So, basically, anyone in a car that drives through a mana barrier
is in for a world of hurt! Don't panic. In this campaign, all barrier
spells that have any effect on the physical plane are also visible on the
physical plane. So, if you go driving into a wall of shimmering energy,
you deserve whatever you get.
Part of an object may be targeted by a physical
spell, within reason. For example, a tire may be targeted when casting a
spell at a car, but the binding of a book cannot. Treat these targeted
shots as if they were called shots. However, the body and armor of the
vehicle apply to the entire vehicle, including tires and windows. This may
not be entirely realistic, but it prevents disabling vehicles with ease,
while allowing for specific attacks.
Spell
Resistance Tests
ALL spells normally allowed a spell resistance test
are resisted as if they were ranged attacks. By the standard rules, only
Damaging Manipulation spells are resisted in this fashion.
Elemental Effects
Only Damaging Manipulations may possess elemental
effects. Therefore, any combat spells that possess elemental effects are
now Damaging Manipulations (and therefore, no longer combat spells). The
Drain Code for these spells remain the same, but they are now cast
following the rules for Damaging Manipulation spells.
Reducing Area of Effect
A Magician may reduce the base radius of the area
of effect of a spell by 1 meter for every die (not every 2 dice) withheld
from the Spell Success Test. Thus, increasing and decreasing the area of
effect of a spell is equally difficult.
Initiates have greater flexibility than
Non-Initiates when it comes to the area of effect of their spells. Upon
casting a spell, the Initiate must declare what his effective Magic Rating
is for determining the area the spell will effect. He may choose his
effective Magic Rating to be any number within the range of his base Magic
Rating and his Initiated Magic Rating. This in no way alters the
Initiate's actual Magic Rating. This is only used to determine the area of
effect of the spell being cast at the time. For example, Jane is a Grade 3
Initiate. Her base Magic Rating is 6, because she has no cyber or bioware.
Her total Magic Rating is 9 (her base Magic Rating plus her Initiate
Grade). When casting an area of effect spell, Jane can choose what her
effective Magic Rating is. It can be either 6, 7, 8, or 9. The area of
effect of the spell being cast is then based off her effective Magic
Rating for casting that spell. If Jane wishes to reduce the spell's area
of effect below that of what a Magic Rating 6 would allow, she must
withhold dice as per the normal rules. The same applies if she wished to
increase the area of effect beyond that of which a Magic Rating of 9 would
allow. Power Foci add to the Magician's Magic Rating AFTER he declares
what his effective Magic Rating is for this spell at this time. Thus, if
Jane determined that her effective Magic Rating was 9, but she also had a
Rating 2 Power Focus, her effective Magic Rating is figured as if it were
an 11. Jane has no control over the area of effect increase incurred from
a additional Magic Rating provided by a Power Focus. As long as the focus
is turned on, her effective Magic Rating will be increased by the Rating
of the Focus.
Noticing
Spellcasting
In my opinion, it is entirely too easy to notice
spellcasting with the rules as they are. In order to notice spellcasting,
the subject makes a Perception test versus a TN equal to the difference
between the force of the spell being cast, and the Magic Rating of the
caster, multiplied by 3 (not 2). If the force of the spell is equal to the
caster's Magic Rating, the TN for the Perception test is 3. If the force
of the spell is greater than the caster's Magic Rating, subtract 1 from
the TN of the Perception test for every point of force above the Magic
Rating of the caster. Thus, a force 8 Mana Bolt (ouch) cast by a Magician
with a Magic Rating of 6 (he must be in a bad situation), would require a
successful Perception test verses a TN of 1. Keep in mind that situational
modifiers apply to this test, and that the end result can be no lower than
a TN of 2. One or two successes indicate that you notice the shimmer of
the spell as it travels across the astral plane. Three or more successes
allows the subject to notice who actually cast the spell. Obviously,
Damaging Manipulation spells are automatically noticed by all but the most
distracted of individuals. Regardless of the force of the spell or the
Magic Rating of the caster, the viewer need only to make a Perception (2)
test to notice who cast the spell. Only one success is necessary in this
case. If astrally perceiving while someone else is casting a spell, you
automatically notice who cast the spell (it's obvious), unless, of course,
if you are distracted an not paying attention to that portion of astral
space...which could happen if you have your own problems to deal with at
the moment....
Conjuring
I feel it is necessary to involve a character's
Magic Rating when it comes to using the Conjuring skill. When summoning a
spirit, the normal Drain rules apply if the Spirit's Force is equal to or
less than your Magic Rating. If, however, you choose to summon a Spirit
who's Force exceeds your Magic Rating, the Drain Level is shifted up one
step (i.e. made worse by one step on the chart on pg. 40 of the BBB).
Since it is possible to stage the Drain Level beyond the limits of the
table with this house rule, there is an additional Drain Level of (L/D)
Physical (Light over Deadly Physical, meaning that you suffer 11 boxes of
Physical Damage). This house rule does not apply to the summoning of
Watchers.
Initiation
Initiation occurs gradually. You're not going to
understand the vast majority of the superior magical forces that exist in
the mortal realm of Earth by simply dumping a chunk of karma into the
Astral Plane.
There is no such thing as a Grade 0 Initiate. Your
first initiation brings you to Grade 1. The karma costs to initiate are
the same as they would be for the equivalent grade in the normal rules.
Don't go jumping for joy because of the karma discount of not having to
initiate to Grade 0 just yet. You only get 2 Metamagical abilities for
every grade of initiation you attain. Furthermore, in order to obtain a
Metamagical ability, you must first understand any simpler versions of the
ability. For example, before you can learn Reflective Shielding, you must
first know Shielding. Also, you cannot obtain both of these in the same
initiation. You must have the simpler Metamagical ability at least one
grade prior to obtaining it's more complex counterpart. Also, when
obtaining a new Metamagical ability, it is treated as a Grade 1 ability,
regardless of your current Initiate Grade. Thus, if you choose to pick up
Shielding upon initiating to Grade 3, you are a Grade 3 Initiate now, but
your new Shielding ability is used as if you were a Grade 1 Initiate. All
Metamagical abilities increase 1 Grade level for every level you Initiate
after obtaining them. Thus, upon Initiating to Grade 4, you would gain a
new Metamagical ability as if it were at Grade 1 in level, and your
Shielding would now function as if you were a Grade 2 Initiate. All of
your previously learned Metamagical abilities would also increase by 1
Grade level in power. This will allow for a lot of flexibility within the
ranks of the Initiated.
In order to even begin to understand the realm of
Metamagic and Initiation, you must have an instructor who is qualified to
introduce you to it. These are not easy to come by, and those who covet
their power will not pass their wisdom on often or for free. Also, many of
the qualified teachers will refuse to teach a student whom they feel just
isn't ready to experience the great arts of Metamagic. Once a student is
ready to learn the basics of the realm of Metamagic and Initiation, they
must make an Intelligence test versus a TN of 6 to determine how long they
must spend with an instructor before the realm is revealed to them. The
base time for this test is 10 days. At the end of this time, the student
is a Grade 1 Initiate and may choose a single Metamagical ability.
However, the student does NOT know how to utilize the ability yet. For
every new Metamagical ability obtained, you must find an instructor who
will teach you how to use the ability, before utilizing it at all. The
amount of time you must spend with an instructor is a base of 10 days
(standard game days = 4 hours). This time can be reduced by making a
successful Intelligence test with a TN of 6.
Yes, this does mean that the high end of the amount
of time you must spend with an instructor in order to initiate the first
time around and understand your newfound Metamagical ability will be 20
days. I hope you have some Nuyen saved up.
The Mystery of Magic
Even in the year 2057, magic is nowhere near fully
understood. There are so many things that haven't even been discovered
yet, much less studied, understood, and mastered. In order to keep with
the feel of the game in this respect, if a PC desires to understand a
given magical occurrence, being, or whatever, he must make a successful
Magical Theory test. If the test is unsuccessful, the PC knows NOTHING
about it. If you feel it is justifiable for your character to understand
more than absolutely zilch about magic, you MUST reflect this in your PC's
background and in his skills. Otherwise, just keep your eyes and ears open
and see what you learn. I cannot stress enough how absolutely annoying it
is to have a player run a PC as if they know just about all there is to
know about magic, even when their character is a Street Samurai with no
Magical Theory skill! Just because you as a player understand the magic of
Shadowrun, doesn't necessarily mean your character has even the slightest
clue as to how it works. Please try to keep this in mind when role playing
your character. As in any other area, if Player and Character knowledge
are muddied too often, you will lose karma. However, I will be more strict
in respect to magic than any other area. It's just no fun when magic loses
its mystery.
And, as if threats weren't enough, I have developed
some house rules governing magic that will help to keep it a bit more
mysterious.
Magical
Misfires
The basics of this rule are taken from the
Shadowrun Companion. Basically, a magical misfire has a chance of
occurring when the number of 1s rolled on a magical success test EXCEED
the rating of the skill being used or the base force of the spell being
cast (whichever is appropriate). Keep in mind that this includes ALL dice
from Magic Pool, Fetishes, Foci, Exclusivity, and Totem Modifiers. If this
happens, a skill test needs to be made versus a base TN of 6. Make this
test with the appropriate magical skill (Sorcery if casting a spell,
Conjuring if summoning a spirit, etc.). A character may use a
Concentration or Specialization if appropriate to the task being
performed. Any successes generated from this test offset one 1 rolled in
the spell success test roll, but they do NOT allow that die to be rerolled
or scored as a success...that die is still a failure, just not a 1. An
Initiate may add a number of dice equal to his Initiate Grade to augment
this test. If, after the Sorcery test is made, you still have a number of
1s from the spell success test that exceed the base force of the spell, a
misfire occurs. Use the rules regarding failing the Willpower test when
distracted while extended casting earlier in this document to determine
the outcome. You cannot attempt to use a Sorcery test to offset any 1s
rolled in the case of a botch. As always, botches can only be avoided
through the proper use of karma.
If the number of 1s rolled is EQUAL to the skill
being used or the base force of the spell being cast, then some odd effect
will occur, but the basic intention will be kept. For example, if casting
a spell, the spell will still go off and will still strike the desired
target, but it may not be quite as effective as it would have been
normally. Or perhaps the spirit being conjured will be more resistant to
your influence, thereby reducing the amount of services you can earn from
it. The effect of this is entirely up to the GM's
discretion.
The magical misfire rules are not being implemented
in order to treat magic as a completely random and chaotic force. However,
when trying to shove too much energy into the framework of a spell not
designed to handle more than a small amount of excess energy, you are
asking for trouble.
Mana
Fluctuation
Some areas of the world have higher concentrations
of mana, while others have little mana available for a magician to shape
and wield. Still yet, some areas have none whatsoever, making it
impossible for magic to function at all. Mana surges have also been known
to exist, making magic unpredictable and hard to control. There are also
dead zones which prevent technology from functioning. Magic is the
ultimate wild card in the world of Shadowrun. Don't underestimate its
power or take what you know of it for granted.
Last Ditch Spell Casting
Otherwise known as "Oh Shit!" spell casting, last
ditch spell casting is when a mage who is in dire straits decides he must
do something spectacular, or he will meet certain death. (Being surrounded
by half a dozen true form insect spirits after your teammates have been
slaughtered wholesale, for example....not that *I* would ever put my PCs
in such a predicament....) ;) In such an instance, the player may declare
that he is making a last ditch effort to save himself or accomplish the
goal of killing whatever is going to kill him, or whatever. There are
house rules for how this works, but if I told you what they were, I would
be forced to kill you. ;) Basically, suffice it to say that if you ever
decide to do this, do NOT make this decision lightly. What you will in
effect be doing is grabbing whatever mana you can get your hands on
(figuratively speaking, of course) in the area and rapidly shoving it into
a spell you are casting. This is likely to produce some profound effects,
and if any of your teammates are alive and anywhere near you, they will
not be very happy with you. Also, you stand a good chance of buying the
farm in the process. The chances of surviving the experience are
determined randomly. That way, you are in the hands of the universe, so
don't blame the GM if, by declaring you are going to do this, you grab a
ton of mana and force it through that sorry excuse of a mortal body and
die.
Last ditch spell casting has been implemented to
add a more cinematic feel to high threat situations for mages, as well as
to give the mage involved a chance to go out with a bang. If you are
really lucky, you may even survive the experience - but don't count on it.
For those of you who have read the Secrets of Power trilogy, this is what
Hart did when she was overrun with insect spirits, and it came very close
to killing her. The Hand of God rule CANNOT be used in conjunction with
last ditch spell casting. (Betcha didn't think I was gonna catch that one,
huh?)
Spell
Signatures
Spell signatures do exist in this campaign.
However, they are not treated as physical manifestations that can identify
the mage casting a spell. A spell signature is treated like an astral
fingerprint. Upon studying the energies of a spell, or the residual
energies of a spell that was cast recently, anyone with a Magical Theory
skill and astral perception can identify the signature of the spell. The
base TN for the Magical Theory test is 4. One or two successes will
determine the type of magic being wielded (Hermetic, Shamanic, Voudoun,
etc.). Three or more successes will reveal the spell signature. An
Intelligence test may be required to recall the exact signature pattern at
a later time, however. Spells leave a residual presence on the astral
plane for an amount of time figured as follows: Tally the total number of
dice used to cast the spell, regardless of the source (including Totem
modifiers, foci, magic pool, etc.). Each die is worth 15 minutes of time.
Extremely powerful spells and special circumstances will alter this
duration. Spells cast through Ritual Sorcery leave a signature at the
point of spell manifestation. However, the signatures of ALL spell casters
involved in the ritual are left in the same location. A Magical Theory
test with a base TN of 4 will determine the number of signatures present.
This test requires only one success. After determining the number of
signatures present, a Magical Theory test with a base TN of 4 must be made
for each signature (requiring 3 successes to grasp the specific
signature). This is the same test as mentioned earlier in this section.
Because the duration of the residual energies on the astral plane is
longer when more dice are involved in casting the spell, spells cast via
Ritual Sorcery tend to leave their presence longer than LOS spell
casting.
Spell
Locks
Spell locks are treated like all other foci when it
comes to their ability to be removed without needing to rebond them, being
visible to mundanes, etc. Also, since physical objects do not have auras,
spell locks cannot be bound to them. They only affect living beings with
auras. Also, a magician may enchant and "fill" a spell lock, while
allowing another magician to bond the lock and use it. However, the second
magician must be present at the time the spell is cast into the lock in
order to bond it. If this is done, then the lock is bonded to the second
magician, and all grounding attacks, ritual sorcery link usage, etc.
effects him, NOT the magician who cast the spell into it. Also, this lock
does NOT count against the number of spell locks the casting magician may
have bound at any one time.
Once a spell is cast into a spell lock, it can no
longer be influenced by the caster or wearer of the lock. That spell will
always have the exact same effect when the spell lock is activated (The
area of effect will be the same as when the spell was cast into the lock,
and cannot be altered, etc.). All the wearer can do is activate and
deactivate the lock, or unbond the lock, thus releasing the spell
contained within it into the Astral Plane (All of this assumes the wearer
of the lock is magically active and possesses a Sorcery skill. If the
wearer is a mundane or doesn't have a Sorcery skill, they cannot do any of
this. Once a spell lock is removed from its wearer, it is automatically
deactivated. Thus, if a mundane removes a spell lock, it will deactivate
and they will have to have the lock reactivated by a magician). Since a
spell cannot be influenced by the wearer of the lock, if a character has
bonded a spell lock containing a Barrier spell, the spell does NOT rebuild
itself on the character's action. This is because the Barrier spell must
be actively concentrated upon to be rebuilt. Since the spell cannot be
influenced by the person it is bonded to (the lock maintains the spell,
not the wearer of the lock), the lock must be deactivated and reactivated
in order for the Barrier spell to refresh (this takes two Simple Actions,
per the standard rules). The spell lock doesn't have the consciousness
necessary to refresh the Barrier spell on its own. In effect, what is
happening is that the spell is being recast by the lock when it is
reactivated. Of course, there is a split second in between when the lock
is deactivated and reactivated in the same combat phase. Thus, another
character with a held action may take his action before the lock is
reactivated.
Some spells cannot be cast into spell locks. These
would be spells that require targeting or other input from the caster in
order to be cast. Some examples of spells that cannot be locked are:
Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Analyze Device, Detect Individual, Analyze
Truth, and Mind Probe. This is by no means a complete list. Exactly which
spells cannot be locked is up to GM discretion. Spells that normally
require targeting can be locked if they are able to function if cast upon
the wearer of the spell lock and if they don't require any other input
from the caster. Some spells that fall into this category are: Treat,
Heal, Increase Attribute, Cure Disease, Antidote Toxin, Armor,
Invisibility, Silence, and Detect Life. This is not a complete list,
either. Again, GM discretion will be used to determine which spells fall
into this category. Keep in mind that these spells can be locked, but they
only target the wearer of the lock (or are centered upon the wearer of the
lock, as appropriate). Thus, a Treat spell would begin to work its magic
when the spell lock is turned on, but it automatically Treats the wearer
of the lock and cannot Treat anyone else. Also, keep in mind that if the
wearer of a spell lock (or any other focus) dies, it unbonds from them
(they have no aura to remain bonded to, after all). So, you better hope
that Treat spell finishes its handiwork before you bleed to death, or it
won't be worth much to you.
Focus
Addiction
You will be happy to know that Focus Addiction does
not exist in this campaign. (Although, there may be a cursed item that
just won't let you put it down, however....but that's not quite the same
thing...) Also, keep in mind that constantly relying on foci will earn you
the reputation of being a poor mage not worth his weight in compost.
Additionally, lots of foci means lots of temptation for the opposition to
start grounding spells through them and destroying the foci. Not to
mention that all mages have heard rumors about astral entities that are
drawn to powerful foci and quickenings, feeding off of them, and leaving
their victims in not-so-healthy conditions afterwards. You have been
warned.
Grounding
Quickenings cannot be grounded through. Nor can
sustained or held spells. Anchorings, however CAN be grounded through at
all times, even when not active. Note that it is actually somewhat easier
to ground through an anchoring while it is inactive.
Talents
Magical spell talents are acquired at a force equal
to the PC's Magic Rating divided by 2, not Magic Rating -1. This force of
this talent can be improved through the use of karma as if it were a
general skill. If the being in question possesses a Sorcery Skill, he will
have a Magic Pool that can be used to augment that spell as per the normal
rules for doing so. He may also use Magic Pool dice for Spell Defense
against this same spell, but not against any other spells. He may protect
only himself with this Spell Defense, not anyone else. Initiation is
allowed for people with a Spell Talent, but they gain no Metamagical
abilities for their efforts. They only increase their Magic Rating when
they Initiate, and may choose to remove a geas (as per the standard
rules).
A Hermetic Spirit Adept may have a number of
Elementals bound at one time equal to his Charisma divided by 2. If the
result causes the number of Elementals allowed to be less than 1, then he
may have only 1 Elemental bound at a time. A Spirit Adept who conjures
Watchers follows the same rules for determining the maximum number allowed
at any given time. Initiation is allowed for people with a
Spirit/Elemental Talent, but they gain no Metamagical abilities for their
efforts. They only increase their Magic Rating when they Initiate, and may
choose to remove a geas (as per the standard rules).
Magical Items
Note that there are some new types of magical items
hitting the streets of Seattle. I don't have a system for them yet, and
may never design one. Suffice it to say that they will be useful, but
expensive. Also, if a PC desires to create any of these items, he needs to
have an arbitrarily high Enchanting skill and some very interesting
ingredients. (Can you say "scale of greater wyrm" and "ectoplasm of a
horror" anyone? I certainly hope not.)
Want more information on these items? Go pay a
visit to your local Talismonger. With a little luck and a respectable
bribe, you may just learn something.
Barrier
Spells
Barrier spells are a great addition to the
Shadowrun universe, but they lack the proper explanations and rules to
cover precisely how they are utilized, thus several house rules are
necessary. I will cover the rules for the specific barrier spells
individually, followed by some general rules that apply to all Barrier
spells.
Barrier:
This spell requires one
success (TN 6) to erect a Barrier with a barrier rating equal to its
Force. Every additional success generated adds 1 point to its barrier
rating. The barrier produced protects against physical attacks, but not
against magical ones. The exception to this is when it comes to Damaging
Manipulation spells. Since Damaging Manipulation spells travel primarily
on the physical plane and are blocked by physical objects, they are also
blocked by a Barrier spell. Also, anything that is the size of a molecule
or smaller may pass through the Barrier unhindered (such as air and
gasses). Monofilament whips do NOT pass through a Barrier spell
unresisted. As long as the Barrier created is not completely destroyed
before the caster's next action, it can be refreshed up to its full Force
at that time by the casting Magician with the expenditure of a Simple
Action. This only applies to sustained Barrier spells, not ones that are
Anchored, Quickened, or in spell locks.
When trying to fire through
a Barrier (targeting someone on the other side of the Barrier), you treat
its barrier rating as the appropriate type of armor to resist the attack
(ballistic for bullets, impact for arrows, etc.). When figuring whether or
not a projectile successfully passes through a Barrier spell, do NOT apply
any modifiers for special ammunition (gel, stun, armor piercing,
explosive, etc.), Dikote, Monofilament wire, Elemental Effects, or for the
fire mode being used. The Barrier spell resists each projectile
individually, thus one bullet may get through, while the rest of a burst
may not, etc. In effect, the Barrier is attempting to slow down the
projectile to the point at which it stops and falls to the ground due to
lack of inertia. Thus, it doesn't matter how many bullets or arrows are
passing through the Barrier spell at once, nor does it matter what the
special qualities of the projectiles are. If the armor provided by the
Barrier spell is enough to stop the projectile, then it is stopped
somewhere within the Barrier and falls harmlessly to the ground, (or just
stops and fizzles out in the case of Damaging Manipulations) leaving both
the projectile and the Barrier spell in perfect condition (except for
those fizzled out Damaging Manipulations). Otherwise, take what remains of
the power level of the attack and add any modifiers for special
ammunition, Dikote, and/or monowire. If enough bullets pass through the
barrier and are directed at the same target to warrant a burst, then add
burst fire modifications as well. At this point, the target resists the
damage as normal (i.e. subtract your appropriate armor rating from the
remaining power level of the attack and resist with your Body attribute).
Of course, you can still use Combat Pool to dodge the attack, if so
desired (if you don't think the Barrier will hold, etc.). Elemental
Effects take full effect upon any appropriate targets after passing
through a Barrier spell, but do NOT affect the Barrier in any way. If a
projectile successfully passes through a Barrier spell, it does NOT
degrade the barrier rating of the Barrier spell.
This may lead you
to ask how to take down a Barrier spell if all your attacks simply pass
right though it (albeit with some resistance). This is all a matter of
what you are targeting. If you are firing through a Barrier spell, you are
targeting someone/something on the other side of the Barrier, and your
attack will be resisted as above. If, however, you wish to attempt to
attack the Barrier spell itself, you may treat the Barrier as your target.
This is difficult to do, but it can be done with a powerful enough attack.
In this case, the Barrier spell is treated as if it had a barrier rating
equal to twice normal (herein referred to as barrier rating (x 2) ).
Subtract the power rating of the attack from the barrier rating (x 2) of
the spell (when targeting a Barrier spell, all modifiers for ammunition
type, Dikote, monofilament wire, and fire mode DO apply). If there is
anything left over for the power level of the attack, subtract that amount
from the barrier rating ( x 2) of the spell. One-half of the subtracted
amount (round in the favor of the Barrier spell) is also subtracted from
the singular barrier rating of the spell.
Damaging Manipulations
can be used to target a Barrier spell in this manner as well, but the
Barrier spell is treated as only having a barrier rating equal to its
singular barrier rating, not barrier rating (x 2). While you cannot attack
a Barrier spell with any other types of spells, you can attempt to Dispel
a Barrier according to the standard rules.
Melee attacks follow the
same rules as ranged attacks when it comes to determining whether they are
able to pass through the Barrier spell. Melee attacks can also target a
Barrier spell in an attempt to take the spell down (adjustments for Dikote
and monofilament wire DO apply). Follow the same rules for taking down a
Barrier spell with a ranged attack, but use its singular barrier rating,
not barrier rating (x 2). A Barrier spell cannot be targeted by any form
of attack other than what it protects against (except for Dispelling or
when being attacked by a Spirit or Astrally Projecting Magician). Barrier
spells do not provide any protection on the Astral Plane.
Bullet Barrier:
The Bullet Barrier
spell works the same as a standard Barrier spell, but only protects
against bullets and other ballistic attacks. Thus, arrows, thrown weapons,
melee attacks, and spells aren't affected in any way by this spell. A
Bullet Barrier spell cannot be targeted by any form of attack other than
what it protects against (except for Dispelling or when being attacked by
a Spirit or Astrally Projecting Magician). Bullet Barrier spells do not
provide any protection on the Astral Plane.
Blade Barrier:
The Blade Barrier
spell works the same as a standard Barrier spell, but only protects
against edged weapon attacks (knives, throwing knives, swords, axes,
etc.). Bullets, arrows, spells, and non-edged weapons are not affected in
any way by this spell. A Blade Barrier spell cannot be targeted by any
form of attack other than what it protects against (except for Dispelling
or when being attacked by a Spirit or Astrally Projecting Magician). Blade
Barrier spells do not provide any protection on the Astral
Plane.
Blast Barrier:
The Blast Barrier
spell only helps protect against grenade blasts and other non-magical
explosions. The barrier rating of the spell is determined as follows: one
success (TN 6) is enough to erect a Blast Barrier with a singular barrier
rating equal to the spell's Force. Each extra success adds 1 to the this
rating. Multiply the final result by 2 to determine the final barrier
rating of the spell.
Whenever an explosion comes into contact with
a Blast Barrier, compare the current power level of the blast to the
barrier rating of the spell. If the barrier rating of the Blast Barrier is
greater than the power of the explosion, then the blast stops at the edge
of the Barrier, and the barrier rating of the spell is reduced by an
amount equal to the power of the explosion that came into contact with it.
If the power level of the explosion is greater than the barrier rating of
the spell, the Blast Barrier is destroyed. Subtract the barrier rating of
the Blast Barrier from the power level of the explosion before the spell
falls. The explosion continues on with whatever power level remains. If
the power level of the blast is equal to the barrier rating of the Blast
Barrier, the spell falls and the explosion is stopped at the edge of where
the Blast Barrier once stood. A Blast Barrier cannot be targeted by any
form of attack (except for Dispelling or when being attacked by a Spirit
or Astrally Projecting Magician). Blast Barrier spells do not provide any
protection on the Astral Plane.
Mana Barrier:
A Mana Barrier protects
against the passing of living beings (humans, metahumans, spirits,
dual-natured beings, and astrally protecting Magicians) and spells
(including Damaging Manipulations and active Foci). However, it protects
against living beings one way and spells another. For protecting against
the passing of living beings, the barrier rating of a Mana Barrier spell
is determined like that of a Physical Barrier. No living being is allowed
to pass through the Mana Barrier unless they are traveling at such a speed
that the force of the attack caused by their slamming against the barrier
is enough to smash it. Of course, this will also cause damage to the being
slamming into the barrier as well. If the Mana Barrier falls because of
this, the being continues traveling on, but is slowed down. Alternately, a
character can make an Unarmed Combat attack against the Mana Barrier in an
attempt to smash it. Compare the power of the attack to the barrier rating
of the spell. If the power of the attack is less than or equal to the
barrier rating of the spell, the Mana Barrier is unaffected. If the power
of the attack is greater than the barrier rating of the spell, reduce the
barrier rating by the difference. Other possible methods of attack are
Dispelling or having a Spirit or an Astrally Perceiving or Projecting
Magician engage the spell in Astral Combat, per the normal rules. When
casting spells across the barrier (firing through), add 1/2 of the barrier
rating of the Mana Barrier (round in the favor of the Barrier spell) to
the TN of the success test to cast the spell. This represents the attempt
of the Mana Barrier to disrupt any spells that cross it. You may also
attempt to destroy the Mana Barrier by casting spells at it. Treat this
the same as attacking the Mana Barrier with Unarmed Combat. When an active
Foci comes into contact with a Mana Barrier, the Mana Barrier attacks the
Foci as if it were a Ward. Resolve the attack as per the normal rules for
Wards and Foci. A Mana Barrier spell cannot be targeted by any form of
attack other than what it protects against (except for Dispelling or when
being attacked by a Spirit or Astrally Projecting Magician). A Mana
Barrier offers its protection on both the physical and Astral planes (On
the Astral Plane, treat a Mana Barrier spell as a Ward with a Force equal
to its barrier rating.).
Spirit Barrier:
A Spirit Barrier
behaves the same as a Mana Barrier, except it only protects against
spirits and astrally projecting beings. Dual-natured beings are unaffected
by Spirit Barriers. Determine the barrier rating of a Spirit Barrier the
same way as you would for a Mana Barrier. A Spirit Barrier spell cannot be
targeted by any form of attack (except for Dispelling or when being
attacked by a Spirit or Astrally Projecting Magician). A Mana Barrier
offers its protection on both the physical and Astral planes (On the
Astral Plane, treat a Spirit Barrier spell as a Ward with a Force equal to
its barrier rating.).
Spell Barrier:
A Spell Barrier
provides protection against spells cast across it the same way a Mana
Barrier does, but does not affect living beings in any way. Determine the
barrier rating of a Spell Barrier the same way as you would for a Mana
Barrier. A Spell Barrier spell cannot be targeted by any form of attack
(except for Dispelling or when being attacked by a Spirit or Astrally
Projecting Magician). A Spell Barrier offers its protection on both the
physical and Astral planes (On the Astral Plane, treat a Spell Barrier
spell as a Ward with a Force equal to its barrier rating.).
Barrier Spells and Area of
Effect
Upon being cast, any type of Barrier spell may take
the shape of a dome, wall, two-sided wedge, half circle, or any similarly
simple construct. Any shape not listed here is up to GM's discretion. Once
formed, the spell may not change shape in any way. Keep in mind that
Barrier spells that protect against spells, may not be effective if they
do not completely surround the target(s) of an incoming spell. However, if
done right, even a partial barrier can protect you significantly, as all
spells travel in a straight line (taking the most direct route) to their
target(s). Manipulation spells travel in a straight line from the casting
Magician as well, so a wall would be pretty effective in this case too. Of
course, that doesn't stop the Magician from walking around the wall and
casting from there.
Personal Barrier
Spells
Personal versions of all of the above Barrier
spells do exist. When cast, the Barrier forms on the exterior of the
target's aura. Personal versions of Barrier spells have a Range of Touch,
and their Drain Codes are reduced to reflect the smaller area that is
covered by the spell. If a held or worn item extends beyond the aura of
the recipient of a Personal Barrier spell (about a foot and a half out),
it is not affected by the barrier, nor is it protected by the barrier.
Outside of these modifications, Personal Barrier spells behave exactly as
their area of effect counterparts. Personal Barrier spells may be cast
upon an individual other than the caster. More details about Personal
Barrier spells can be found in the standard rules.
All types of Barrier spells appear as a shimmering
field of energy on both the physical and Astral Planes. Therefore, all
ranged attacks fired though any type of Barrier spell suffer a +1 TN
visibility modifier. This includes bullets, arrows, spells, and projectile
weapons.
Death Touch and Stun
Touch
The spells Death Touch and Stun Touch are similar
to held spells, but not quite the same. They are what bridged the gap
between standard spell casting and the ability to hold spells. Basically,
cast them as if they are not held spells. All dice must be allocated to
power the spell and to drain resistance within the same action. The spell
is then held in the aura of the caster, in the area surrounding his
dominant hand. The spell can be "held" in this fashion for a number of
combat turns equal to the force of the spell, or until a target is struck
by the spell - whichever comes first. If this energy comes into contact
with anyone during this time, they must resist the spell as normal. Don't
forget that touch spells receive a -1 TN modifier due to not actually
having to touch the target of the spell, but needing only to touch his
aura.
Sterilize
The Sterilize spell is a Health spell, not a Combat
spell. The effects and the Drain of the spell remain the
same.
MISCELLANEOUS
Bioware
Bioware does not cause Essence loss in either
mundanes or mages. It does, however, cause Magic Rating loss in anyone
with a Magic Rating. In this case, the Body Index rating is added to the
amount of Essence lost. Subtract this total from the character's Magic
Rating. (Don't forget to round the Magic Rating down to the nearest whole
number.) Thus, mages still lose the same amount of Magic Rating as per the
standard rules, but they don't lose the Essence.
Cultured bioware is available as per the standard
rules in Shadowtech, with one exception. ALL listed bioware items are of
standard quality, and therefore not Cultured. Thus, even neural bioware
can be Cultured beyond the standard values.
There is also another version of bioware available
that is more Mage friendly. Very friendly, in fact. This "personalized"
bioware causes no loss of Magic Rating whatsoever (!) and doesn't add to
the Body Index. However, this technology is very rare and very expensive.
The cost is ten times that of the standard version of the item being
purchased. The availability is, shall we say, limited. If you desire to
purchase this type of bioware, you must discover, in game time, a person
who can create and implant it for you. These individuals are hard to come
by, and generally only cater to the higher levels of society and to the
military/megacorps. They will require a valid SIN (or a VERY solid fake
one, if you get my meaning) and a background check. This process requires
the donation of several tissue samples and several weeks to grow the
bioware before surgery. If you desire to start your PC with personalized
bioware, let me know. We will discuss the possibility. However, you must
have a strong background for your PC that would realistically allow for
such a luxury.
Enhanced Reaction and
Reflexes
For the sake of realism and simplicity, all
reaction and reflex enhancements may be turned on/off with the use of a
Simple action. It is completely silly to assume that any doctor would
install wired reflexes (for example) without also including a cybernetic
switch to turn them on and off! I mean, I guess someone could convince a
street doc to install a set of reflex enhancements without an on/off
switch, but they probably would not live too long. After all, how many
friends can you kill by mistake when they tap you on the shoulder before
someone decides enough is enough? This rule only applies to cyberware and
bioware that are exclusive of other abilities. (A suprathyroid gland, for
example, would not have this on/off switch because it is not ONLY a
reaction/reflex enhancer.)
Physical Adepts may also turn their Enhanced
Reflexes and Enhanced Reaction powers on/off with the expenditure of a
Simple action.
Dikote
Dikote is hard to come by and is very powerful.
Thus, Dikote has an availability of 16, not 6. Also, in order to start the
game with any Dikoted items, you MUST have a valid Contact who can provide
you with this service. This Contact will most likely not be able to
provide you with any other items or services of any real worth. The
Contact will specifically be for acquiring Dikoted items.
Vision Enhancements
Any racial vision enhancements are always active.
Therefore, a metahuman with natural thermographic vision sees the standard
light spectrum AND sees heat signatures at the same time. Physical Adept
vision enhancements are treated as equivalent to their racial cousins in
all ways, except the Physical Adept version is considered to be more
blatantly magical than the racial version. Cyberwear versions of vision
enhancements can be turned on and off with the use of a simple action.
This action also includes the time it takes for the eyes to adjust to the
new type of sensory input (or lack thereof). While the cyberware versions
of vision enhancements superimpose thermographic vision over standard or
low light vision (as appropriate), it doesn't integrate the two images as
well. While it allows for a person to navigate through the dark while
having thermographic vision enabled (because he can also see the standard
light spectrum at the same time), the thermographic vision superimposes
OVER the standard or low light vision. This blocks out most of the
physical details of an object or person. Trying to make out details about
what a person is wearing, for example, while using thermographic vision
alone is impossible. Attempting to do so with both normal (or low light)
vision and thermographic vision active incurs a +2 TN modifier to the
perception test. Metahumans do not suffer this penalty, because their
thermographic vision only projects the heat radiation as outlines of the
objects/people being viewed. The heat image doesn't bleed through and
block the visibility of the normal light spectrum in front of the
people/objects being viewed.
Increasing
Attributes
Unaugmented Attributes may not be increased above
the appropriate racial maximum, unless the PC has the Exceptional
Attribute edge to allow him to do so. Of course, an augmented attribute is
only limited by the cyberwear/bioware/magical enhancement that is
increasing the attribute. The karma cost of improving an attribute is an
amount of karma equal to the new attribute's rating multiplied by the
number of times the attribute has been improved without augmentation
(including the current improvement). Thus, a PC raising his Strength for
the first time from a 3 to a 4 would have to spend 4 karma points. Raising
this attribute again at a later time from a 4 to a 5 would cost 10 karma
points (5 multiplied by 2 - since this is the second improvement being
made to the attribute). Also, increasing an attribute requires proper role
playing and a certain amount of time dedicated to the improvement. This is
done in a similar manner to improving skills. The rules for doing so are
found in the Shadowrun Companion.
Perception
Skill
Normally, a character's perception is equal to his
Intelligence attribute rating. If desired, a Perception skill may be
purchased, in order to allow for a character with a high level of
perceptivity, without increasing his Intelligence as a whole. The first
level of this skill is bought by spending enough karma to raise the
Intelligence attribute rating by one point, as if it were a general skill.
This gives you a Perception skill equal to your Intelligence attribute
plus one. (For example, a character with an Intelligence of 3 would need
to spend 8 good karma points to acquire a Perception skill of 4.) Further
increases to this skill are bought as per the standard rules for
increasing general skills.
Knowledge
Skills
I feel that a character with a knowledge skill that
is logically related to the skill being used should receive a bonus to his
success tests when using said skill. One example of this would be if a
character had both the Negotiation and Psychology skills and was trying to
barter the price of the new Power Focus he wanted down a bit. This person
should have some advantage over an equally skilled individual without a
Psychology skill when it comes to Negotiation success tests. After all, if
you know what makes a person tick on a psychological level, you should be
a more effective Negotiator. Thus, here is the system for using related
skills for a single success test. A Free Action is used to make a success
test using the secondary skill (in the above scenario, Psychology would be
the secondary skill, while Negotiation would be the primary skill being
used) versus the TN for the primary skill's success test (in this case,
the opponent's Willpower). For every 2 successes generated by this test,
an extra skill die is rolled for the primary skill's success test. Let's
use the above scenario as an example. Let's say the PC's Negotiation skill
is a 5, while his Psychology skill is a 4. His "opponent's" Willpower is a
4. The PC would use a Free Action to make a Psychology skill success test
versus a TN of 4. Let's say he gets 2 successes. This would give the PC
one extra die to augment his Negotiation Skill test with. He then uses a
Complex Action to make a Negotiation skill success test versus a TN of 4.
He would roll a number of dice equal to his Negotiation skill, plus one
additional die that he earned with his Psychology test. This gives him a
total of 6 dice to roll for the Negotiation success test.
There may be the rare instance that more than two
knowledge skills can be used together. If this occurs, use the above
rules, but there will be two or more secondary skills, and only one
primary skill. Roll each secondary skill separately. (Thus, successes are
kept separate for each success test.) Then, total the extra dice from all
secondary skill tests. Add these dice to the primary skill success test.
You may have noticed that these rules are similar to the Centering rules.
They are. All augmented knowledge skill tests must be approved by the GM
before being made. It is entirely up to the GM's discretion as to whether
or not any two or more knowledge skills are related enough to augment each
other in a given situation. Build and Repair skills (B/R) cannot be
augmented by or be used to augment other skills.
Focused Concentration Edge
The Focused Concentration edge is not allowed in
this campaign. A high level of concentration and strength of will is
already reflected in the Willpower attribute.
Magic Resistance Edge
The Magic Resistance edge is not allowed in this
campaign. The only beings that have the ability to resist magic are
magically active (meta)humans with spell defense and/or shielding and some
critters. There are rumors of Nega Mages existing in Shadowrun, but those
are just rumors, right?
Police Record
Flaw
The Police Record flaw has a variable rating of -1
to -6. The higher the rating, the longer and more severe your record. A -6
flaw of this nature is pretty severe, and it would make life extremely
hard on the PC. It is not recommended that a PC take this flaw at a high
value.
Illiterate
Flaw
The Illiterate flaw has a rating of -2, not -1.
Reading is far too fundamental for illiteracy to be worth only 1
point.
Registered Equipment
Edge
The Registered Equipment edge does not exist in
this campaign. If you wish to have legally registered equipment, you will
need to have a valid SIN and pay an amount of money based upon the
equipment being registered. In addition, you will need to have a valid
reason for possessing said equipment...or at least a Contact who could get
you the necessary permits with false data.
Bio-Rejection Flaw
The Bio-Rejection flaw precludes the effective
implantation of ANY cyberware or bioware. This includes cultured bioware
and personalized bioware.
Sensitive System
Flaw
The value of the Sensitive System flaw is -1 for
magically active characters, not -2. The value for mundane characters is
still -3. Cultured bioware and personalized bioware are not affected by
this flaw.
Fractions and
Rounding
In the vast majority of cases, both NPCs and PCs
round in their detriment whenever a fraction comes up when figuring TNs.
There are, however, a couple of exceptions to this in the standard rules.
To keep things simple, and to emphasize the oppressive nature of the world
of Shadowrun, always round "bad". In other words, whenever you come up
with a fraction, adjust to the nearest whole number in whichever direction
would be worse for you. That's life in the shadows, chummer. Don't worry,
you should be able to take some comfort in knowing that the NPCs have it
just as rough.
Money Money
Money
The standard currency in the world of Shadowrun is
Nuyen. For the sake of simplicity, this is the standard currency all over
the world. It is accepted pretty much everywhere. However, there may be
some rural settlements that have their own method of trade and shy away
from this electronic currency. Also, there is no such thing as a partial
Nuyen. Think of it as having dollar bills, but no coins. Everything is
bought and sold in increments of 1 Nuyen. Nuyen exists only on the matrix.
There are no paper forms of Nuyen, and all paper money has been destroyed
by the UCAS government. This happened shortly after the advent of the
matrix. While all paper money was recalled, not everyone wanted to turn
theirs in to be destroyed. Those who held onto their hard currency had
their own reasons for doing so, and this has had an interesting side
effect on the black market. Since the dollar (both American and Canadian)
has been completely removed from society whenever possible, this money is
also effectively untraceable. Whereas certified credsticks are very hard
to trace (about the same as tracing a dollar bill today), they can still
be traced if someone is dedicated enough to do so. The paper dollar isn't
at all traceable. This means that the paper dollar has a higher level of
value to someone in the shadows than certified cred. This generally
amounts to a 10% discount in price, but this is by no means a hard and
fast rule. Some SINless individuals are more paranoid than others about
what they buy their guns and ammunition with. Others don't have much of a
problem with certified cred and don't give discounts for paper money.
Possession of hard currency is a federal offense. If a person is found in
possession of any paper money, it is confiscated on the spot. Depending on
the officer discovering this crime, that may be all that happens. However,
if he arrests you and you are convicted, jail time is required. Small
amounts of paper money only warrant a month of jail time or less,
depending on the circumstances. Significant amounts can lead to
investigation and significantly larger sentences.
System Identification Numbers
SINs are rare in the shadows. This is because
anyone with a SIN is on this nice huge database owned by the government
and they can be identified on sight. Anyone who is magically active in any
way has it even worse. They also have a tissue sample on file with the
UCAS government. This has been justified as a means of locating any
rampant magically active criminals. And if the government has your file,
megacorps can get it. They have influence everywhere.
If you wish to avoid being this recognizable, you
can choose to start the game as SINless. You are a non-citizen and have
virtually no rights in the eyes of the government and the megacorps. What
few rights you are legally recognized as having are often ignored anyway.
If you are ever convicted of a crime, you are immediately assigned a SIN
accompanied by a police record. This, of course, makes you more
recognizable in the future. If you desire your PC to be SINless, he can
start the game with all traces of his identity permanently erased from all
databases at no cost. This reflects the employment of a good decker
sometime in the past to eradicate your identity. Just not using your
registered credstick is not enough to make you SINless. You are still on
the database(s) and are just as recognizable. Just because your fixer
doesn't know who you are doesn't mean the law is equally
ignorant.
If you do not have a SIN, you MUST buy everything
through underground/illegal means. Society views the SINless as criminals
and will not tolerate them around where they live and shop. Thus, the vast
majority of legal establishments will require a SIN to even enter their
premises. This way, the store owners can state that they are doing what
they can to keep the scum of the earth away from their businesses and
customers. Thus, Street Index will almost always apply when a SINless
individual wants to make a purchase.
Contacts
I absolutely love the revised Contact rules in the
Shadowrun Companion. To sum up the important stuff, all I have to say is
Contact upkeep is VERY important. If you want to continue to pump a
Contact for favors, information, services, items of value, etc., make sure
you do something for him occasionally too. The amount of role playing and
upkeep necessary to maintain a Contact is proportionate to the level of
the Contact, as well as the frequency of use. As the rules state, if you
don't maintain a realistic relationship with your Contacts, they will
degrade. Also, they will become more reluctant to help you.
Sometimes a Contact will come to YOU for help and
support in a situation. While you have every right to deny lending a hand
whenever you feel it best not to, keep in mind that the Contact may feel
neglected because of this. This is not to say that you MUST do everything
a Contact requests, however. The request may be unrealistic. Or you may
just be doing something that demands your full attention at the moment. If
you at least appear genuinely concerned and have a desire to help in some
way, he may be forgiving. It also helps if you refer him to someone who
CAN help him if you just aren't in a position to. The key to getting the
most out of your Contacts is good role playing, and perhaps an occasional
act of generosity.
Because I find the idea of all Contacts always
being available and able to be reached by phone boring and unimaginative,
I will put some effort into making a Contact's availability and method of
communication more varied and inventive. It just doesn't make sense that
you can call up the local yakuza oyabun on the phone any time you wish and
have him jump at the chance to speak with you! Thus, when choosing a
Contact, keep in mind that the availability and the difficulty of getting
in touch with a Contact is going to be related to how useful he is and how
deeply he hides in the shadows. Contacts have to make a living too. They
don't just wait around by the phone for you to call and ask them for
favors.
Also, be creative with your Contacts. Some of the
most obscure Contacts end up providing the most valuable information on
occasion. If you come up with a truly interesting Contact idea, I will
most definitely put forth an effort to bring him into the campaign from
time to time, even if such an NPC would never have existed otherwise.
However, keep in mind that any Contacts are up to the GM's discretion. All
I require is a general idea/concept. I will flesh out the Contact and give
you all the details when your PC enters the campaign. Feel free, however,
to make any suggestions you might have. If I like them, I will be sure to
incorporate them into your Contacts.
Karma
and Karma Pools
Every PC starts off with 1 point in his Karma Pool.
Additional Karma Pool points can ONLY be earned at the GM's discretion.
Karma Pool points will be awarded very rarely, if ever.
Karma Pools refresh at the beginning of each scene.
A scene is defined as a series of activities that take place in one
location. However, there are some exceptions to this. One that comes to
mind is a car chase scene. In this case, the scene would end after the car
chase. Also, a single combat is considered one scene, regardless of how
many state lines you cross while chasing and shooting at the opposition.
If you have a shoot out, followed by a car chase, followed by another
shoot out, it's still one scene because the action never
stopped.
After a PC's Karma Pool has been depleted during a
scene, he can permanently burn a Good Karma point to have the same effect
as using a Karma Pool point, with one extra option. Unlike Karma Pool
points, Good Karma points can be burned to buy successes at the rate of
1:1. Under no circumstances will a Karma Pool point be allowed to be used
in this way.
Team Karma Pools don't exist. Whoever came up with
the idea should be shot.
The Hand of God rule from the Shadowrun Companion
applies to this campaign. You should read up on it, lest you may need to
use it someday. However, keep in mind that if such a situation arises
where you feel this is necessary, you have either had an exceedingly bad
run of luck, or you (or the group as a whole) have done something
completely idiotic and deserve what you get. Even if the latter is the
case, you may still utilize the Hand of God rule. Keep in mind that you
can only use this option once in the PC's lifetime. Try to learn from your
mistakes.
I will be happy to award spontaneous Good Karma
awards during a game session if a PC does something that warrants it. I
will not go into details as to what actions deserve this (that would be
telling), but you will know if and when it happens.
Finally, allow me to reinforce the point of just
how valuable good role playing is. A PC that is role played well will
generally receive more Good Karma points that one who isn't. If you can
role play a realistic character personality, you deserve any rewards you
receive (and probably more).
You will often find that a well-planned Shadowrun
will involve less combat and fewer complications than one that is poorly
thought out. Do some legwork. You would be surprised what you can find out
by asking around (discreetly, of course). Those obscure Contacts may have
some information related to your current run, even though you wouldn't
know it to look at them. ("Gosh, Jake, you're a fraggin' port-a-potty
sanitation enforcer, for crissake! How the hell did you know about the
secret back door into Aztechnology's local R&D hosts?!") It's a small
world. Don't ever forget it.
On a related note, if you insist on shooting your
way through every Shadowrun you hire onto, you will find that your
reputation will plummet at a speed known only to chickens in Ethiopia.
There are plenty of non-lethal, yet quite effective methods of taking care
of most situations. A professional team of Shadowrunners uses the minimal
amount of force necessary to accomplish a mission. They also refuse to
take assignments that don't agree with their moral code. I personally have
never met an individual who can wax half a dozen orphans and a handful of
nuns, then go celebrate with a gallon of synthahol and some party favors.
This is probably because synthahol doesn't exist in our reality. Actually,
it's because most sane people have a conscience. Keep in mind that you can
refuse a run while still earning the Johnson's respect in most cases. A
professional will understand the need for a set of standards and will
think more highly of you because of your ability to stand your ground.
There is always someone else out there who needs a good meal and is more
than willing to kill for it. Also, keep in mind that a security guard
getting paid minimum wage really doesn't deserve to be killed just because
he took over his friend's shift the night you decided to hit the
corporation he was working for. Everyone the party kills has friends
and/or a family. Every friend or family member is another potential enemy
for the group. Heaven forbid the guard's widow discovers who offed her
beloved mate. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned....especially if she
is a Mantid Shaman. Get the
point?
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