[ImaginalDisc]

I am positive this must have been addressed before, but I don't see it.


Are agents capped in rating based on the device rating of the deck they are on? The book explicitly compares them to pilot programs, and pilots are capped by the device rating of their drones, so I assumed agents were capped the same way?

[Insaniac99]

I am positive this must have been addressed before, but I don't see it.


Are agents capped in rating based on the device rating of the deck they are on? The book explicitly compares them to pilot programs, and pilots are capped by the device rating of their drones, so I assumed agents were capped the same way?

There is nothing in raw that caps them, The rating of the device will serve as a limit however.

[JackVII]

...and pilots are capped by the device rating of their drones, so I assumed agents were capped the same way?

Can you cite this? Most drones have a "DR" of 2, but a Pilot (and apparently effective DR) of 3 from what I recall.

[ImaginalDisc]

...and pilots are capped by the device rating of their drones, so I assumed agents were capped the same way?

Can you cite this? Most drones have a "DR" of 2, but a Pilot (and apparently effective DR) of 3 from what I recall.

Oh, right. Hmmm.

This is weird. Why wouldn't deckers all run rating 6 agents all the time then? They're not terribly expensive.

[ZeConster]

NPCs? Because even with a Middle Lifestyle, 12k is more than 2 months of rent + food + clothes + entertainment budget. PCs? Because decks are expensive enough on their own, and you'll always want more stuff than you can have.

[Reaver]

NPCs? Because even with a Middle Lifestyle, 12k is more than 2 months of rent + food + clothes + entertainment budget. PCs? Because decks are expensive enough on their own, and you'll always want more stuff than you can have.

Wait, you telling me that I don't actually own lunar property???

[ImaginalDisc]

NPCs? Because even with a Middle Lifestyle, 12k is more than 2 months of rent + food + clothes + entertainment budget. PCs? Because decks are expensive enough on their own, and you'll always want more stuff than you can have.

Yes, but it seems that many PC deckers will have a bunch of a rating 6 agents and not bother with lower rating ones at all unless their contacts/face cannot handle the 18 availability.

[ZeConster]

NPCs? Because even with a Middle Lifestyle, 12k is more than 2 months of rent + food + clothes + entertainment budget. PCs? Because decks are expensive enough on their own, and you'll always want more stuff than you can have.

Wait, you telling me that I don't actually own lunar property???

Hate to break it to you, but no. There's a treaty about how nobody can own the moon, no matter how many people claim otherwise and try to sell you a few square feet of moon.

[Reaver]

NPCs? Because even with a Middle Lifestyle, 12k is more than 2 months of rent + food + clothes + entertainment budget. PCs? Because decks are expensive enough on their own, and you'll always want more stuff than you can have.

Wait, you telling me that I don't actually own lunar property???

Hate to break it to you, but no. There's a treaty about how nobody can own the moon, no matter how many people claim otherwise and try to sell you a few square feet of moon.

oh
.
..
...

Hey, wanna buy a bridge?

[ZeConster]

Depends. Is it on the moon?

[Michael Chandra]

...and pilots are capped by the device rating of their drones, so I assumed agents were capped the same way?

Can you cite this? Most drones have a "DR" of 2, but a Pilot (and apparently effective DR) of 3 from what I recall.

((Actually, one of the tables is pretty clear that Drones are DR3. However, DR doesn't cap programs so dunno if they will cap Pilots when we can buy Pilot programs. There also don't seem to be any DR-rating limits left in SR5.))

[JackVII]

...and pilots are capped by the device rating of their drones, so I assumed agents were capped the same way?

Can you cite this? Most drones have a "DR" of 2, but a Pilot (and apparently effective DR) of 3 from what I recall.

((Actually, one of the tables is pretty clear that Drones are DR3. However, DR doesn't cap programs so dunno if they will cap Pilots when we can buy Pilot programs. There also don't seem to be any DR-rating limits left in SR5.))

((Both the Device Rating tables on p. 234 and 421 say 2, but the drone section says "Pilots have a Rating indicated by the Device Rating of the vehicle, drone, or other piece of gear they’re in." Agree with everything else.))

[Michael Chandra]

((There's another table that says DR3.))

[JackVII]

The main point of this question is for it to hopefully be included in the FAQ, but I'd welcome other players interpretations:

The Astral Tracking description seems to imply that you can only use the astral signature of a spell to track down the caster if the spell is still active. From what I recall, an extant astral signature was all that was required previously. Additionally, the first condition in the Astral Tracking Modifiers table would seem to imply that an astral link no longer needs to be active in order to use Astral Tracking (for instance, a Force 4 spell cast at location 2 hours ago that wasn't wiped clean by the spellcaster).

Q: Can the astral signature of a previously cast spell, summoned spirit, etc. be used as the basis for an Astral Tracking attempt or must the spell/spirit/etc still be active?

[Namikaze]

The main point of this question is for it to hopefully be included in the FAQ, but I'd welcome other players interpretations:

The Astral Tracking description seems to imply that you can only use the astral signature of a spell to track down the caster if the spell is still active. From what I recall, an extant astral signature was all that was required previously. Additionally, the first condition in the Astral Tracking Modifiers table would seem to imply that an astral link no longer needs to be active in order to use Astral Tracking (for instance, a Force 4 spell cast at location 2 hours ago that wasn't wiped clean by the spellcaster).

Q: Can the astral signature of a previously cast spell, summoned spirit, etc. be used as the basis for an Astral Tracking attempt or must the spell/spirit/etc still be active?

After reading through the (admittedly very short) section on Astral Tracking, I think I see the part that you're referring to, on page 315:

Active spells are linked to their casters, spirits are linked to their summoners, astrally projecting magicians are linked to their physical bodies, and foci and magical lodges are linked to the magicians who activated them.

However, I see nothing else on the subject of auras, astral signatures, or astral tracking that supports that line.  In fact, like you I found a great deal of contradictory evidence.  Therefore, I would assume that this is not a typo so much as poor phrasing.  It probably should simply drop the word "Active" from the sentence.