Ask me about Shadowrun 4th!

[Hjorimir]

Looking at Amazon it looks like Aug 29th.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Release date is functionally as soon as they get bound. If I remember what the guys at the booth said correctly, the book was printed in time for GenCon but the printer's large-format binding machine died.

Individual boxes were couriered from the printing house to the Chicago FanPro office and some poor stiff would run between Indy and Chicago to get the books. That's why there were books in the afternoon (from the morning print) and books in the morning (from the previous evening's print).

I'd try Battlecorps.com if you're in a real hurry. They are the "official" dealer for a lot of the old FASA products and are apparently first in line for any books.

 

[GlassJaw]

Have you had a chance to actually see the Matrix/Hacker rules in play? That's the main thing I'm wondering about. How long does it take to resolve Matrix actions? How complicated are the rules? Is playing a hacker viable?

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Sounds good. The rest of us won't be able to get a copy for a while yet you luck SOB .
Assuming our current Shadowrun GM doesn't go to prison (he'll be on trial in one week ) we'll probably start a SR4 game at the beginning of October otherwise one of us players will have to step up.

I have one question though: Did they keep the racial attribute bonuses more or less the same as SR3? And do dwarves finally cost as much as they should?
Thanks!

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Thanks a lot for this! Really has whet my appetite for 4th edition!

How does the new initiative system work out? Anything changed from 3rd?

SR 3. Dwarf. Really should be a 10 point race, IMO.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

About magic: Do you need to buy the general ability to have a magic ability (like in SR 3, where you had to spent points / Priorities to be Awakened), or do you just buy the ability?
The latter would mean that becoming a mage was unusual easy for the setting... (and with the good Force 1 spells + Counterspell as skill it could become a common trick to set magic at one...)

I wonder if it wouldn´t be a lot easier if they just make races by requiring certain ability scores and then spent points for the non-ability related abilities (I believe that was only the type of vision they got, wasn´t it?)
Nah, that would make it to costly to get to the high racial abilty scores...

 

[GlassJaw]

About magic: Do you need to buy the general ability to have a magic ability (like in SR 3, where you had to spent points / Priorities to be Awakened), or do you just buy the ability?
The latter would mean that becoming a mage was unusual easy for the setting... (and with the good Force 1 spells + Counterspell as skill it could become a common trick to set magic at one...)

You definitely have to buy the Magic stat and it doesn't automatically start at 6. You can buy it at a lower value if you want. When you buy spells, you don't buy tham at a specific force. Your magic rating determines the highest force at which you can cast spells.

Also, having a magic rating doesn't mean you know how to use magic. You also need to buy a Quality (Qualities are like Edges and Flaws) to become "Awakened". So theoretically, you could create a character with a magic rating but doesn't become magically active until later in the game.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I have one question though: Did they keep the racial attribute bonuses more or less the same as SR3? And do dwarves finally cost as much as they should?
Thanks!

Racial modifiers are very similar to older versions. I think there may be a slight tilt one way or another but nothing drastic.

IIRC, dwarves are a 20pt race, with the default character being 400pts.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Thanks a lot for this! Really has whet my appetite for 4th edition!

How does the new initiative system work out? Anything changed from 3rd?

Initiative is different but generally has the same feel of the previous versions. Roll Initiative (typically Reaction + Intuition). The # of successes is used to determine when you go in an initiative pass.

Everyone goes on the first initiative pass. Magic, cyber, decking, etc can give additional passes. There are an absolute max of 4 passes per round.

Initiative booster (wires, synaptic, adept power) (Rating:1-3): Add rating to reaction, +rating initiative passes (total 2, 3, 4)

Matrix/Rigging via AR (augmented reality)
same as physical. Control Rig (0.5 essence) gives +2 dice to drive checks

Matrix/rigging via VR (rigging via VR reduces the threshold of successes by -1)
Cold VR: Initiative = Response + Intiution, +1 initiative pass (total 2)
Hot VR: Initiative = Response + Intuition +1, +2 initiative passes (total 3) (risk of BTL addiction)

 

[kigmatzomat]

Have you had a chance to actually see the Matrix/Hacker rules in play? That's the main thing I'm wondering about. How long does it take to resolve Matrix actions? How complicated are the rules? Is playing a hacker viable?

I think it is viable.

The new system has a nice, rational process. Simplified it is:
1. Break into system with privileges (user/security/administrator aka root)
2. Issue commands;
2a commands appropriate for privilege levels do not cause problems
2b Inappropriate commands (crash server) evoke security


Matrix actions are generally Extended tests (meaning you keep trying until you hit the required # of successes) where you can make tests each initiative pass as a Complex action. The threshold (# of successes) is typically the opposing system's Firewall or System+Firewall. If the action is questionable (looping security cameras, opening doors w/o a passkey, etc), the server rolls System + Analyze with a threshold of the decker's Stealth program rating.

Since a decker will have several initative passes in VR mode, he can typically break into a system in one round. Assume a round or so to search for specific data, maybe more for vaguely identified stuff, the matrix run is done in a few rounds. Erasing security tapes and the like are where the risk shows up since it's guaranteed to make the server suspicious.
Since everyone has godawful firewalls to the internet, the best way to break into a server is to break into the office and take advantage of the wireless network's reduced security.

Matrix combat is a lot like melee combat with the attacker making an attack roll, the defender dodging and net successes indicating the damage dealt.