How is Shadowrun 4.0?

[kigmatzomat]

Just out of curiosity, does a troll with a composite longbow still do damage comparable to a rocket launcher?

(That was one of my favorite rules glitches in 2E...)

Pretty much. IIRC, it's STR+2 damage, or 12 boxes of damage + net successes - (Body + Armor successes). For most targets this is going to seriously maim them. Assault rifles, IIRC, are damage 6 or 7 so it's twice the pain.

 

[Longshadow]

Bows have a rating for the STR minimum needed to actually use them. Range and cost are also based on that rating. If you have less than that STR, you suffer a -2 penalty to your dice pool. Damage is that min + 2.

I hope something is said about obscene STR level bows come the release of Arsenal. In the meantime, I've already house-ruled that availability will equal STR min x 2, thereby capping PCs at STR 6 bows at creation. I'll probably have to come up with something additional if it ever becomes a problem. :\

 

[coyote6]

Melee weapon damage is apparently based on Str/2, I wonder why bow damage isn't, too?

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Any word on physads? Are they pale imitations of street sams, or righteously cool?

And is there a minigun in the equipment section, or do I have to wait until the Guns book comes out?

Brad (who got started on SR solely due to the Vindicator minigun!)

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Newbies to roleplaying as a whole should pick up the concepts as fast or faster than d20.

Holy crap. They made Shadowrun as easy to learn as D&D? You're pulling my leg. That's an amazing accomplishment.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Holy crap. They made Shadowrun as easy to learn as D&D? You're pulling my leg. That's an amazing accomplishment.

The lack of AoOs streamline the learning curve a lot, as does the shorter spell list of much simpler spells. Hacking has been abstracted to something functional in a game without being completely divorced from reality.

SR4s use of multiple initiative passes and movement rules but easy actions are about even with the d20 free/standard/move/full attack/full round/5' step system.

d20's mechanic of d20+skill+stat+modifiers is pretty straightforward but then so is (stat+skill+modifiers)d6s with 5 being success.

Any confusion on SR4 dodging/parrying is countered by d20's full ac/flat footed/touch mechanics.

All in all, yeah, SR4 seems like it could be easier to learn than d20. At worst it's no harder to learn.

 

[AIM-54]

The lack of AoOs streamline the learning curve a lot, as does the shorter spell list of much simpler spells. Hacking has been abstracted to something functional in a game without being completely divorced from reality.

SR4s use of multiple initiative passes and movement rules but easy actions are about even with the d20 free/standard/move/full attack/full round/5' step system.

d20's mechanic of d20+skill+stat+modifiers is pretty straightforward but then so is (stat+skill+modifiers)d6s with 5 being success.

Any confusion on SR4 dodging/parrying is countered by d20's full ac/flat footed/touch mechanics.

All in all, yeah, SR4 seems like it could be easier to learn than d20. At worst it's no harder to learn.

I have to admit I like the sound of that though. Maybe I can get less flack from certain people and actually get to run a campaign!

But I never thought SR3 was that difficult at the core. There were layers and layers of complexities that could be added, but it was pretty easy to leave out those bits.

I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the book!

Also, how're the vehicle/rigger rules? Is there a decent selection in the book, or am I going to have to wait for a supplement for my smorgasbord of vehicle choices?

 

[kigmatzomat]

the BBB gives a decent variety but no smorgasboard. Expect 1-2 vehicles of each class to provide some guidance. A gear book coming out soon will have a chapter of vehicles but they don't plan on ever putting out something as detailed as the RBBs.

Decking is somewhat merged with hacking. The control deck was a computer with a SIM module, transceiver, and control software. Well, every Comm (Pocket Sec v2.0) is equipped with a basic SIM module and transceiver so you just need to buy Command software.

Comms have the following specs:
Response: basically the hardware's processing power. Also matrix initative
Signal: range you can control devices
System: the OS's ability to run programs
Firewall: The OS's ability to keep people out

The firewall and applications can't exceed the System which can't exceed the Response. You can upgrade your Comm at creation to Response:5 but it can go higher later.

Drone riggers can Captain's Chair using a Comm running the Control Program. You can use either the HUD augmented reality (AR) or full VR.

While in VR you can "jump in" a drone and drive it personally. A VCR is now a 0.5 Essence mod that gives +2 dice to all drive checks. All drive checks made while in VR need one less success than normal (roughly equivalent to a +3 die bonus). So an Agility:5/Drive:5 character with a VCR and rigged vehicle gets the equivalent of 15 dice on all tests, compared to 10 dice for someone who's just Agility:5/Drive:5.

The "limo driver rigger" is now someone who bought a fairly cheap piece of cyber and decent drive skill. This means you will encounter riggers who are better than normal drivers but don't necessarily eat, breathe, and sleep rigging. Since you use your meat initiative when jumped into a vehicle or giving commands via AR, most riggers will have conventional initiative boosters, further increasing their general utility to a group.

Being a drone rigger can still be expensive due to the cost but if you just want some R/C car-sized recon or maybe a done rear-guard equipped with an SMG it isn't too bad. Since Riggers can be Deckers and vice versa it helps integrate those normally loner archetypes into the group.

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

I'm still working myway through it. I must say I really like what I've seen so far. Whoever stole the AR/Wireless bit is a genius as it gets rid of a lot of 'game' problems and I think will make things so much more fun.

I am amused at the intercept free action which is essentially an Attack of Opportunity.

D20 will conquer all systems with slow infiltration methods!