From:	Protokol13 Protokol13@********.com
Subject:	Concealing stuff [2]
Date:	Tue, 23 Feb 1999 10:58:47 -0500

"Bob Tockley <zzdeden@*******.com.au>" wrote some of the following:

>Concealabilty has always been a problem in Shadowrun - especially if you
>treat it how the books read - make a Perception Test to determine if
>-every- NPC notices the gun... or the clips... or the Nav-DAT GPS... etc
>etc etc. Based on the "I can't see it because nothing's drawn my attention
>to it" mentality of humankind, I've been trialling a separate system, which
>I'll outline the basics of...

> Characters with reason to suspect the character or who have the
>appropriate training or experience to know what to look for, make their
>Perception Tests normally.

It is a good idea for separate tests in the case of normal everyday people, compared to
trained "runners". But I also find that adding more rules can sometimes muddy
the
game. What I usually do, is assume that a trained professional CAN use the perception
rules as is. But in the terms of average people, I assume that most people wouldn't
even look, given that they do not live in crime infested neighborhood. Now, I wouldn't
use this when average people see an obvious display of fire-power.. A scary looking
troll, keeping his hand under a long flowing trench coat... Or some scrawny elf futilely
trying to conceal an assault rifle under a spedo suit ("Hey, is that an assault
rifle,
or are you just happy to see me?"). Basically I like to reduce die rolls by using
common sense. Although die rolls are good for randomness, they are quite unnecessary
when the answer is obvious. I've seen too many adventurers slow to a snail's pace as
people started rummaging over obscure rules, and referendum.

-=PrOtoKol13=-
ICQ: 17589925