[Angelone]

How about a footlong bleach white mohawk, a tattoo on your forehead that says "Kiss my Snake", and you carry around an albino boa everywhere you go?

+1 to whoever gets the reference or who mentioned it.

[Dead Monky]

I have a human/changeling face with bright fuchsia irises and hair.  I mostly just use hair dye, wigs, and contact lenses to skirt the Distinctive Style problems.  Of course, I'm also very anal about keeping track of how much she spends on her accouterments and take the DS into account if she reasonably wouldn't have had enough time to apply them.

[Devil]

If he asks "why would they still be able to spot my awesome head tattoo through this hat," then you as the GM say, "that is what you agreed to when you took the flaw; distinctive style means that you have an inherent characteristic which you can't hide or an affectation which your pride compels you to display."  

This.  Don't let players get away with  free points, disadvantages all have a cost.

They also have conditions. Does it make sense that someone wearing a hood and a wig gets easily recognized from behind because of a head tattoo distinctive style? Shadowrun is made to have mechanics as close to real life as possible, while still being fun. Don't interpret its mechanics in ways that don't make sense when viewed from a perspective of roleplay or fantasy-realism.

Another similar quality is fame. If you are famous, then you put on a mask that alters your voice are you still gonna get your fancy fame bonus? No. It doesn't work differently the other way around either. Sometimes some negative qualities, like their positive counterparts, just wont apply.

Mechanics are built to work with the game, not the other way around. Things should make sense.

[FastJack]

Listen, the Distinctive Style quality is meant to make it easier to find the character, not to spot him. Like Monky's character, if you take the time and energy to hide it, then they will have to make a perception check to see if they notice it. If they do see the "style", then it makes them easier to locate you.

"A street sam with cyberarms? I know about twenty."
vs.
"A street same with bright orange cyberarms made to look like they came off a heavy loader? Sure, that's Donnie!"

[Critias]

How about a footlong bleach white mohawk, a tattoo on your forehead that says "Kiss my Snake", and you carry around an albino boa everywhere you go?

+1 to whoever gets the reference or who mentioned it.

Fields of Fire, wasn't it?

[TranKirsaKali]

In my mind distinctive style should be something you are proud of.  Especially if it is something like a tattoo.  You did it to your self.  You made a choice.  You are proud of it.  If you have incredibly dark blue hair and violet eyes (and yes those are metagenic qualities)  You may not have wanted them.  But a tattoo?  You did it you should not hide it.

Oops the metagenic quality is called Extravagant _____________ and it is a negative.  Not quite the same as what we are talking about here.  But it does have to be unusual and stand out.

[Angelone]

How about a footlong bleach white mohawk, a tattoo on your forehead that says "Kiss my Snake", and you carry around an albino boa everywhere you go?

+1 to whoever gets the reference or who mentioned it.

Fields of Fire, wasn't it?

Yup, but I got the descrition wrong It's aparently shaved on top and the sides are white and down to the shoulder blades with a BITE MY SNAKE tattoo. Close enough.

[Dead Monky]

Oops the metagenic quality is called Extravagant _____________ and it is a negative.  Not quite the same as what we are talking about here.  But it does have to be unusual and stand out.

The Extravagant Whatever is what my changeling has.  It goes hand-in-hand with Distinctive Style.  For the vast majority of the metagenetic traits you get for being a changeling, you effectively get the Distinctive Style trait for free.  Or at least the effects of it.

[Devil]

Listen, the Distinctive Style quality is meant to make it easier to find the character, not to spot him. Like Monky's character, if you take the time and energy to hide it, then they will have to make a perception check to see if they notice it. If they do see the "style", then it makes them easier to locate you.

"A street sam with cyberarms? I know about twenty."
vs.
"A street same with bright orange cyberarms made to look like they came off a heavy loader? Sure, that's Donnie!"

Oh, I see. That makes alot more sense.

[KarmaInferno]

Yeah, sometimes it doesn't make sense, like my Pixie has Distinctive Style by default, but almost nobody in the Shadowrunning biz has actually SEEN her - they only ever see her drones.

But, she still gets all the negatives.




-k

[TranKirsaKali]

Oops the metagenic quality is called Extravagant _____________ and it is a negative.  Not quite the same as what we are talking about here.  But it does have to be unusual and stand out.

The Extravagant Whatever is what my changeling has.  It goes hand-in-hand with Distinctive Style.  For the vast majority of the metagenetic traits you get for being a changeling, you effectively get the Distinctive Style trait for free.  Or at least the effects of it.

It is similar but one is a negative and the other a positive.  My Elven face has Extravagant eyes and hair.  They counted for her negatives for being a changeling. 

[Kontact]

If a player is not willing to suffer the penalties that were agreed upon, then there is no trust. 

If there was a misunderstanding as to the interpretation, then it's really up to the player or the GM to define that interpretation as it differs from the RAW.  According to the almighty Rules as Written,

"Whatever type of flair the character selects, it must enable
other individuals to easily remember him. Any individual who
attempts to identify, trace or physically locate the character (or
gain information about him via Legwork) receives a +3 dice
pool modifier on all tests made during such attempts (including
Perception Tests)."

What does this mean?

Well, it means that once someone has your number, then finding you is much easier.
Therefore it is conditional on being identified in the first place.  This is where disguise comes in.  If you are not identified as an intruder, then they're not looking for you.  But, once you're busted, you're easy to spot.

Naturally, you'd have to be playing a specific type of game to try and bust into a zero zone with a glowing blue mohawk, but as you and your team gain Rep and, possibly, bounty hunters, it's going to become problematic all of the time.

If it later becomes problematic, then spend the 10 karma per level taken to buy it off.  Consider that the cost of going pro.

[Inverse]

So.... How distinctive a style is a missing arm, purposely not replaced with 'ware? I ran it by my last GM, and we both figured it'd take the full BP value seeing as how usually in this time frame, people have replacements for that sort of thing and whatnot.

[FastJack]

So.... How distinctive a style is a missing arm, purposely not replaced with 'ware? I ran it by my last GM, and we both figured it'd take the full BP value seeing as how usually in this time frame, people have replacements for that sort of thing and whatnot.

That would be very distinctive. With all the cyber/bio out there, I doubt there are many people that wouldn't have it replaced.

[Devil]

So.... How distinctive a style is a missing arm, purposely not replaced with 'ware? I ran it by my last GM, and we both figured it'd take the full BP value seeing as how usually in this time frame, people have replacements for that sort of thing and whatnot.

It should probably give you the same number of BP as being partially Blind or Deaf.