From:	Da Twink Daddy datwinkdaddy@*********.com
Subject:	Skill Tests, Specialization and defaulting
Date:	Sun, 18 Jul 1999 09:20:12 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: LXR <LXR@***.net>

> > The general skill ALWAYS covers all specializations of that
skill.
> In
> > the above case, you could ust use Ettiquette, since Ettiquette
(Street) is
> > just a sub-speciality of Ettiquette.
> > . The specialization is never "required"- its just that, if
you have
> > it, you use it in the appropriate situations, because if
(generally) has a
> > higer rating than the base skill.
>
> BUT in Rigger 2 for example you sometimes suffer target modifiers if
you
> don't have the specialication (e.g. p. 60, if you don't have
Indirect Fire
> Concentration (specialization in SR3) you can use gunnery skill but
suffer a
> +2 modifier).

I have also seen may house rules the require
specializations/concentrations for certain things. IMVHO, this _must
be_ wrong. Why? Because under SR3 rules, once the base skill exceeds
the concentration you lose the concentration hence, the base skill
includes _ALL_ aspects of any concentration under it. [Which is why,
IMC, Martial Arts are all separate base skills. No single skill can
even _hope_ to cover all the Martial Arts Styles.]

I would throw out the little Rigger 2 comment, or I'd simply make
Indirect Fire (or even something like Remote Control) have a global
modifier. This reflects the 'fact' that these things are unintuitive
to everyone. Those that concentrate on that still find it unintuitive
but they still get the normal benefits of the concentration. [Extra
Dice.]

Da Twink Daddy
bss03@*******.uark.edu
ICQ# 514984