Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Jordan findlerman@*****.com
Subject: PhysAd Power's nature (was Re: A master theif)
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 13:11:56 -0700 (PDT)
> Combat prowess seems
> to be the exact opposite of what your looking for in
> the charcter, and
> that is one of the only thing cyberware/bioware and
> physad powers are
> designed for.

I disagree. I was just discussing this with one of my
players, after seeing the Matrix. He was envious of
the Matrix's characters Really Cool Moves (tm)
(Not putting spoiler space in there to save on size,
and because I think that the running around walls was
in the promos). He wants to purchase for his PhysAd
the ability to do that funky wall-walk thing. I told
him that it was a great Idea, and, though he couldn't
defy gravity right out, a full distace of Magic or
Magic/2 meters (depending on how much he wants to
spend on it) would be an excellent power. That one is
not at all combat related (and a good idea for a thief
character). Most of my favorite PA powers are
non-combat related. Like Traceless Walk, Feather
Fall, and who could forget Astral Perception (great
for that seduction part of it, if you know what they
are feeling by aura reading, then you can play off of
their own emotions). Yeah, they have ones in ther
like Distance strike, killing hands, and a few others
that are over used, but with my the PA in my group, we
find it more fun to go with other ones. The only
Combat power that he has is missle parry (defense) and
missle mastery (offense). Other than that, he uses
regular attacks (My, oh, my. A PA that knows how to
fire a pistol.)

I took a quick look through New Awakenings and can't
say that I agree. Combat is not the only thing that
PA powers are used for, and are really the least game
enhancing ones (from a RPing perspective, which is
most of our games anyways.)

Anyways, just my 0.02¥.

--Fin

P.S. How does one pronounce nuyen (¥). Is it
new-yen, n-yen, or just yen? I had always taken it to
be new-yen, but a player spoke up a few days ago and
said that he found out (didn't say where from) that it
was just yen. Anyone have the 'chip-truth' to this?
Or, baring that, FASA's pronunciation of it?

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @*****.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Message no. 2
From: grahamdrew grahamdrew@*********.com
Subject: PhysAd Power's nature (was Re: A master theif)
Date: Mon, 03 May 1999 04:45:03 -0400
Jordan wrote:
<snip stuff on physad powers arn't just for breakfast anymore>

Just, there are non-combat physad powers, I realize and accept that
fully. However, if you look around, what is the most commonly used
powers?

Increased Reflexes and killing hands

What are Increased Reflexes' and killing hands' only uses?

Combat

If you look at the power listing, almost all physad powers are combat
based. Combat Sense, Counterstrike, the list goes on.


--
If a device is designed to do one thing really well, it can be
redesigned to do many things badly.
-Paranoia
Message no. 3
From: James Vaughan boss_dawg@***.net
Subject: PhysAd Power's nature (was Re: A master theif)]
Date: 4 May 99 19:15:31 CDT
grahamdrew <grahamdrew@*********.com> wrote:
> What are Increased Reflexes' and killing hands' only uses?
>
> Combat
>
> If you look at the power listing, almost all physad powers are combat
> based. Combat Sense, Counterstrike, the list goes on.
Combat is the only use you can think of for increased reflexes? You are not
thinking hard enough. I have a Troll Adept(Night_Train) who was a pro
football player. Don't you think a nose tackle might find increased reflexes
to be useful? Or the pain resistance? Or the quick healing? A Quarterback
with combat sense. I could go on and on. Finding uses for Adept powers is a
function of your imagination, don't let yourself be trapped with just what
FASA has published.

Always feed the troll. -Night Train

____________________________________________________________________
Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1
Message no. 4
From: grahamdrew grahamdrew@*********.com
Subject: PhysAd Power's nature (was Re: A master theif)]
Date: Mon, 03 May 1999 13:12:17 -0400
James Vaughan wrote:
>
> grahamdrew <grahamdrew@*********.com> wrote:
> > What are Increased Reflexes' and killing hands' only uses?
> >
> > Combat
> >
> > If you look at the power listing, almost all physad powers are combat
> > based. Combat Sense, Counterstrike, the list goes on.
> Combat is the only use you can think of for increased reflexes? You are not
> thinking hard enough. I have a Troll Adept(Night_Train) who was a pro
> football player. Don't you think a nose tackle might find increased reflexes
> to be useful? Or the pain resistance? Or the quick healing? A Quarterback
> with combat sense. I could go on and on. Finding uses for Adept powers is a
> function of your imagination, don't let yourself be trapped with just what
> FASA has published.

No, I'm not. A Coach once said football is noting but a controlled
fight. Football IS combat. They call it COMBAT sense for a reason.
Almost any situation you are going to be rolling inititive in is COMBAT,
hence the useage of increased reflexes for COMBAT. Increased Reaction,
that can be used for surprise. Quickness can be used for dodging
(although most of that happens in combat anyway) and an assload of
otherthings. The truth of the matter still is, however, that physads
have thier roots deep in combat, 'nuff said.
>
> Always feed the troll. -Night Train

--
If a device is designed to do one thing really well, it can be
redesigned to do many things badly.
-Paranoia
Message no. 5
From: Marc Renouf renouf@********.com
Subject: PhysAd Power's nature (was Re: A master theif)]
Date: Wed, 5 May 1999 10:39:50 -0400 (EDT)
On Mon, 3 May 1999, grahamdrew wrote:

> The truth of the matter still is, however, that physads
> have thier roots deep in combat, 'nuff said.

Actually, I like to play physads that have a ridiculous number of
extra dice in Stealth and Athletics. One of my players made a physad
along similar lines who was a cat burglar. He loathed combat and avoided
it if at all possible.
Yes, you can use lots of physad powers in combat. But that's
like saying that anything you pick up can be used as a weapon. Sure. But
does it *have* to be used as a weapon? No. Yes, you could use Increased
Quickness to indirectly increase your Combat Pool. Or, you could use it
to directly increase the distance you can leap or the speed you can climb
or run. These are skills that can keep you *out* of combat.
Similarly, you *could* use extra Stealth dice to sneak up on
people and dispatch them with your bare hands. Or you could use it to
simply sneak past the guard without him noticing. Or maybe to secret an
item on your person such that it won't be found in a cursory search.
Just because a power has applications in combat doesn't mean that
it *only* has applications in combat.

Marc Renouf (ShadowRN GridSec - "Bad Cop" Division)

Other ShadowRN-related addresses and links:
Mark Imbriaco <mark@*********.html.com> List Owner
Adam Jury <adamj@*********.html.com> Assistant List Administrator
DVixen <dvixen@****.com> Keeper of the FAQs
Gurth <gurth@******.nl> GridSec Enforcer Division
David Buehrer <dbuehrer@******.carl.org> GridSec "Nice Guy" Division
ShadowRN FAQ <http://shadowrun.html.com/hlair/faqindex.php3>;
Message no. 6
From: Ojaste,James [NCR] James.Ojaste@**.GC.CA
Subject: PhysAd Power's nature (was Re: A master theif)
Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 11:26:27 -0400
grahamdrew [mailto:grahamdrew@*********.com]
> Just, there are non-combat physad powers, I realize and accept that
> fully. However, if you look around, what is the most commonly used
> powers?

That depends on the player, and how much variety they go for. Keep in
mind that all of Shadowrun is slanted towards combat...

> Increased Reflexes and killing hands

I've *never* bought killing hands. Smashing blow is popular around
here, I really like Traceless Walk. Improved Ability is pretty common.
Flexibility is worth getting a rank in, Freefall can be darned
convenient. Pain Resistance and Increased Reflexes are at least
semi-combat (defensive and utility, respectively - who says you need
that speed in order to fight?).

> What are Increased Reflexes' and killing hands' only uses?
>
> Combat
>
> If you look at the power listing, almost all physad powers are combat
> based. Combat Sense, Counterstrike, the list goes on.

Flicking through MiTS listing... Started to categorize them, but it
was too much effort. Yes, many (even most) of the adept powers are
combat-focused. That's just because SR is combat-focused. How much
cyber is there that's not combat-focused? Spells?

Adepts *do* have a wide range of abilities, many of which are *not*
combat-specific.

James Ojaste

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about PhysAd Power's nature (was Re: A master theif)], you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!