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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Mark Steedman <RSMS@******.EEE.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Bugs : Threat or not, and PC power levels
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 08:41:15 GMT
> And as far as Mark's comments about bugs being no big deal, what kind
> of chrome monsters does he run with.
>
> -Still skeptical
>
Ok the bugs issue.
The quote on bugs goes something along the lines of.
'The invae? , there not the enemy, its not as if there a threat any
more', (Copyright FASA Corporation) , the wording is not correct but
then i don't have the right book open in front of me. This comments
form Harlequin, you either know where i got it from or don't want to
know!
So its not my players opinion ok!
As to what do they think of bugs, well i sent em 3 large true forms
Wednesday, little present for annoying 'Bugs are Us' (had rather a
lot to do with telling the FBI things) and they were rather scared of
the things.
To put power level in context i am used to seeing the mundanes with
wired 2 and smartgun links and the magical types on +3D6 initative
though not everyones that fast (average 18-19). other ware varies but
i have not seen people locking stats after initative averages of 25+
and so far nly 1 PC with wired reflexes 3 ever. To put these in
context reaction scores in the 12-15 region are not that hard to
aquire if you want and a permanent 9D6 intiative (or up to 11D6 on
drugs) is also on. Thats average of going in (12 + 3.5 * 9) 43.5!!!!
needless to say i seriously disadvise anyone trying to actually do
this in game, its no real threat if you are as fast as a bug queen on
the physical, something i am usde to seeing act twice (three times
before most) before ANY PC .


Hope that clears up my opinions somewhat, as i think the wires got
crossed somewhere.

Mark
even when manifest.
Message no. 2
From: Mark Steedman <RSMS@******.EEE.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Bugs : Threat or not, and PC power levels
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 15:31:24 GMT
> Mike Stim said
> How do you get more than 4d6 for initiative. I understand the
> rules that 4d6 is the most dice you can throw. There is no
> increased cyber reaction anymore (are you using ED 1 rules?). I
> talked to Tom Dowd when 2nd ED came out and understood him to
> say that 4d6 is as many dice as you cam throw for initiative.
> He may have changed his mind since then.
>
i have not had any info from FASA direct on this sort of thing,
though i have not asked. I don't remember reading an overall limit
anywhere on how many D6 you can roll for initative though that could
be my memory, it would not be the first rule i have failed to find
and remember but then i have never seen a PC try to get more than 4D6
anyway. As to how do i do it the worst case is the physical adept
(note i know this takes piles of karma and money) he get 1D6 natural,
(assuming we are talking PC metahumans here nothing exotic) and up to
+3D6 for the physical adept power added dice. Your friendly
neigbourhood mage can then lock a +3D6 initative spell on the guy and
the lcoal clinic slap in synaptic 2, if you look at the description
of this in Shadowtech it specifically states that you cannot stack it
with boosted or wired reflexes but says nothing about magic. Thats
9D6 (1 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 9), now boost the guy on the Shadowtech battle
drug that give +1D6 and on the one out of lone star (+1D6) and one
gets 11D6 initative, not sane, probably advisable to ban but it
technically don't break the rules given in the books. I don't know
anything that says you cannot research a +4D6 or even +10D6 initative
spell but expect 'Not in my game you don't!!!' out of the GM.
Yes all that lot would get called tooling which is why i don't use it
in practice but it naver did the GM any harm to know what
theroretically can be done.
As to inceased cybered reac, its mentioned in the text of increase
reaction spell main rule book though only to +4 reac and the drain is
silly.

Ok i hope (barring new FASA rulings i have not heard about) that
clears the situation up - just don't take advantage of this lot to
the expense of your enjoyment of the game. A tthe end of the day it's
did you enjoy yourself not can you kill 500 bugs single handed that
matters.

Mark

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Thwap!