Shadowrun: Newbie Questions

[radmod]

I like to figure out ahead of time things my character can do, so I'm afraid I need to ask a couple of questions before I join my first real session.

Movement: As I understand it a PC moves at his rate/Initiative Passes. The question becomes, does the move occur before, during or after any actions? For example, presume there is cover 3 m. away (1 IP of move). I declare I want to fire twice (2 simple actions) and move to the cover. If the move occurs first, I take the -1 mod for firing behind cover. If it occurs after, I don't take the penalty. If it occurs during, then I don't know what.

Actions: Presume there are three init. passes. If I have 3 IP, I could fire 6 times with a pistol. If I have a single IP, I could only fire twice. Correct?
What about full defense (and the like?)? If I have 3IP, I could full defense in all three passes. With a single IP, if I declare full defense in the first pass, does this mean
a) I get full defense for only that IP? OR
b) I get full defense for the entire turn (three passes)?
If it's (a) then I presume the best thing to do is to delay action until I'm actually fired upon. That way I'm not wasting an action.

 

[darjr]

I'm a newbie to Shadowrun 4th and as always it depends on your GM.

Movement:
You movement starts when you take that move action, then continues for the entire round until you change it on a later pass or until you reach your goal or are stopped, depending on how fast.

So you could fire first then move, or move then fire. The cover would only be an issue for the second.

And walking isn't even a free action. So you could walk and take a complex, or two simple actions and your free action.

Actions:
Each pass is a full action phase. So anything you can do as an action you can do in that phase.

Full defense you can take anytime as an interrupt, you'll lose your next initiative pass. So you don't have to use a delay action, though you'd lose your next initiative pass the next round. Also full defense lasts until your next initiative pass. So if you go full defense your first pass you'll have to decide what to do for your 2nd.

 

[Thanee]

The thing with movement is, that it is not an action at all, but rather takes place together with whatever action you take. You have to decide how you want to move during the pass (not move, walk, run) at the beginning, because it has impact on your actions (modifiers).

Also, you can move even during actions, when you cannot act there.

For example, if the fastest guy has 3 IP (pretty typical), there will be exactly 3 Initiative Passes. Everyone will have 1/3 of their movement during each of those. You can change how you move only if you have an action during the pass, but you do move during all of them.

The actions then happen in addition to the movement, while you move.

Bye
Thanee

P.S. A good place for Shadowrun stuff: Dumpshock Forums (Powered by Invision Power Board)

 

[darjr]

Thats a great way to put it. I'd just add that running is a 'free' action and sprinting is simple action to increase your running rate.