[Michael Chandra]

Ah just noticed greater than, not greater than or equal to.  So if you hit anything that’s noise rating 3 those things turn off.  (Aka 1 hit on EW to create noise)

Except Drones. There are 3 places in Core listing Drone DR, that one table says 2, another page says 3, and Rigger section says Pilot which for almost all equals 3. And yes, that's the consequence of not using Noise reduction.

[Izork95]

Wouldn’t that imply that noise reduction is inherited by devices slaved to a master?   Is that a special aspect of the noise reduction on RCC’s or does a riggers ear antennas and extra datajack also help cut noise between them and their drones (implying noise reduction applied to everything in your PAN)

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Question about Licensing Spell Formulae in SRM (pg 84 of v1.1)

Is a License for a Spell Formula a license for the materials necessary to learn a spell, or for the use of the spell?

Are the Spell Formula Licenses categorical or specific?  E.G. If a Mage has a Licence for Combat Spell Formula, does he need one per spell or does one License cover the whole category of spell formulae?

[Iron Serpent Prince]

Wouldn’t that imply that noise reduction is inherited by devices slaved to a master?   Is that a special aspect of the noise reduction on RCC’s or does a riggers ear antennas and extra datajack also help cut noise between them and their drones (implying noise reduction applied to everything in your PAN)

That is an age old question that remains unanswered.

It doesn't make sense that a signal in a Noise free zone can be "scrubbed" in any way to be better received on the other end that is in a high Noise area.

On the other hand, it appears that the RAI (although not the RAW) is that all Noise reduction is sort of a collective pool that applies not only to the area it is physically in, but also to the ends of all communications regardless of where they are.

Then you get the crazy things like you mentioned, Antennae that aren't actually in use unless the signal is looped back from the Datajack to the Antennae then out to the commlink...  And then just how that Noise Reduction is supposed to help the drone that is on the other side of a RCC connection...

[Hobbes]

Kill Code p. 92 the Great Form Sprite power Mangler, may want to specify what happens to the devices slaved to a Host that goes offline.  Ditto any Personas inside.  File Icon's I would presume become inaccessible until the Host reboots.  May also want to specify how fast a Host "Heals" damage as it'll take a gawd awful huge Sprite to actually one-shot a Host.  Conga line of Kamikaze Fault Sprites incoming!!!!

[Fedifensor]

Is there any way Appendix C: Legal Shadowrun Missions can specifically spell out which modules are allowed for Chicago-created PCs, and which are allowed for Neo-Tokyo PCs?  Maybe just add a bracket after each heading, like this:

Season 9 Neo-Tokyo Missions  [N]
* SRM 09-01 Started from the Bottom
* SRM 09-02 Finders Keepers
* SRM 09-03 Learning Little from Victory
* SRM 09-04 Neo-Tokyo Drift
* SRM 09-05 Violent Shadows
* SRM 09-06 Seven Breaths

[Bull]

Is there any way Appendix C: Legal Shadowrun Missions can specifically spell out which modules are allowed for Chicago-created PCs, and which are allowed for Neo-Tokyo PCs?  Maybe just add a bracket after each heading, like this:

Season 9 Neo-Tokyo Missions  [N]
* SRM 09-01 Started from the Bottom
* SRM 09-02 Finders Keepers
* SRM 09-03 Learning Little from Victory
* SRM 09-04 Neo-Tokyo Drift
* SRM 09-05 Violent Shadows
* SRM 09-06 Seven Breaths

Honestly I think it'll be pretty simple and not necessary.  It's going to be Season 9+, and any 2018 CMPs and up, I would assume, since this years cons began the new season.  And the CMPs all have their date in the adventure code number (CMP 2010-01, etc).

I could be wrong though.  <shrug>

[Fedifensor]

Honestly I think it'll be pretty simple and not necessary.  It's going to be Season 9+, and any 2018 CMPs and up, I would assume, since this years cons began the new season.  And the CMPs all have their date in the adventure code number (CMP 2010-01, etc).

I could be wrong though.  <shrug>

It's a bit more complicated than it may seem.  There are published modules which are Missions legal, that a new player may assume are legal for either Chicago or Neo-Tokyo.  You're not really looking at the CMP number when picking up Sprawl Wilds or Boundless Mercy in the local game store.  There's also the introductory events like The First Taste that don't have a year listed.

[Bull]

It's a bit more complicated than it may seem.  There are published modules which are Missions legal, that a new player may assume are legal for either Chicago or Neo-Tokyo.  You're not really looking at the CMP number when picking up Sprawl Wilds or Boundless Mercy in the local game store.  There's also the introductory events like The First Taste that don't have a year listed.

First off, I will say that a notation to the FAQ is a simple matter that should be easy enough to include, so I'm not against it, nor do I really care much. So please don't think I'm trying to just shoot you down here.

I'll take these in reverse order:

1.  First Taste events are designed to be a example run to help teach new players the game, and to ease players into the Missions experience.  They're not really an adventure in and of themselves, as they're short events (2 hours long) and don't have any actual scripted or fully fleshed out adventure to accompany them. They're mostly off the cuff things run by the CDT Agent at whatever event you're at. They're not really an actual Mission, and not something the average player needs or even should play in because as I noted they're targeted at newer players.

So that said, they're going to be either season agnostic (generic enough that it doesn't matter), or it will be obvious based on where they're set (Chicago or Tokyo). And either case, I think whatever full Mission you play next will determine the "Season" regardless of where the First Taste took place.

2.  I do wish that the compilations would include the original CMP numbers, but up until this point it's been moot so wasn't needed.  Any of them that are SR5 statted are Chicago (A number of these were originally SR4 and done for the Seattle campaign). There haven't been any new compilations released in a while, I don't believe, and don't know if there will be any more done in the future as I'm not sure what sales of them have been like.  But either way, it's easy enough to check the name of the adventure vs the CMP list, and if it's SR5 stats and 2017 or earlier, then it's Chicago.

3. Beyond that, what published modules are you referring to?  The only other things I can think of would be the April Fools SMP Special Missions, which are one per year at most (I think they average one every other year, mostly, and there's only maybe 4 or 5 of them total, and two of those are only SR4 statted so don't count).  Special Missions were outside the usual seasonal paradigm for various reason (The SMP line started originally with a Charity Event adventure back in 4th edition), so in theory you can play them with either.  There wasn't one for 2018, I don't believe, so by default to be safe, I'd say they're all Chicago.  But that would be a question specifically for Danny and how he wants to handle it going forward.

[Fedifensor]

I guess my main point is that for a brand new Shadowrun Missions player who has a 85-page FAQ to go through, having that information spelled out as clearly as possible is a good thing.

[Kiirnodel]

It is spelled out, and highlighted in bright colors to show the difference. On page 21, under the question "which characters can play in which missions."

Characters created for prior to Season 5 must be converted to 5th Edition become Prime Runners. Characters created for any of Seasons 5-8 (the Chicago Arc) can take part in all regular Missions from those Seasons, Special Missions, and all 5th Edition CMPs published in 2017 or earlier. Characters created for any of Seasons 9-12 (the Neo-Tokyo Arc) can take part in all regular Missions from those Seasons, Special Missions published in or since 2018, and all CMPs published in 2018 thru 2021.

[Fedifensor]

It is spelled out, and highlighted in bright colors to show the difference. On page 21, under the question "which characters can play in which missions."

Despite this, I've had a Catalyst Demo Team member tell me in the past month that a 2017 CMP was legal for Neo-Tokyo play.  It's an 85-page document, and people are often skimming to find what they need at the time.  It wouldn't hurt to add an extra sentence or two to the section people would naturally go to when determining what is legal - Legal Shadowrun Missions.

On a separate subject, is there any chance the license situation could be simplified?  It's a pretty staggering number of licenses, and some are there that I can't understand why they would be licensed.  For example - Astral Combat.  Can you be fined for defending yourself when astral?  If you're using a Weapon Focus, I assume that would be covered by a license for the weapon, but unarmed combat in astral space?  Same thing goes for listing a license for Assensing.  Overall, the licenses are very game-focused instead of lore focused.  Summoning, Banishing, and Binding are all separate licenses in the FAQ because they're separate game skills, but in-game people see you doing one thing - exerting control over spirits. 

Look, I understand the need for licenses in the game, but there are people creating characters that are at a loss as to what licenses they need, and if there is any penalty for not having them.  I've created characters that, by the RAW interpretation of the license rules, need a dozen or more licenses (half just for magical skills).  I didn't buy licenses for everything, and it would be nice to know if my character will be fined or jailed because I used Assensing or Counterspelling when a NTMP mage is watching me.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

With regards to the Licenses, I like the paradigm of "More is More".

It's not appropriate to the genre if you can wave (fake) licenses to the NTMP and justify away your backpack full of illegal gear.  (EDIT: For that matter, walking around wearing a backpack ought to cause you to be stopped and searched more often...)  You're supposed to do your shadowrunning in such a way that you never encounter a NTMP patrol.

Prioritize what you truly MUST carry around and risk having detected by a random Stop-n-Frisk.   Get Licenses for those minimum/mandatory items, and consider having Licenses for every dang illegal thing you own to be an unnecessary luxury.  Just don't carry around unlicensed drek 24/7.  It's Shadowrun, not Pathfinder.  You shouldn't be getting away with carrying around an arsenal (literally or figuratively).

[Fedifensor]

Well, most of my examples were regarding magical skill licensing, not gear, but I think even the "More is More " paradigm is getting a bit stretched. 

If you're licensed to cast restricted spells with a single spellcasting license, why do you have to have up to 5 other licenses to carry around spell formulas?  You can teach a known spell to someone else without a formula, right?

A Grapple Gun is used for B&E, or perhaps Survival with a very generous interpretation.  But because it's a separate category in the Equipment list, it's a separate license.  This is an example of the FAQ using game rules instead of the lore to determine what licenses are needed.

Likewise, instead of just saying that each restricted weapon needs to be licensed separately, you can carry around a Pole Arm, a Combat Axe, some knives, and a Katana with one license, Blades.  But pick up a Stun Baton or Shock Gloves, and an entirely separate license is needed.   It just seems a lot of extra text that complicates gameplay and makes licensing more confusing instead of less confusing.

There's a reason that Restricted and Forbidden are separate categories.  If the game is willing to allow characters to carry an item without being subject to arrest (assuming their fake SIN holds up), it's Restricted.  Otherwise, it's forbidden.  Neo-Tokyo makes all firearms Forbidden, which is an easy, lore-based method of keeping characters from walking around with an arsenal.

It would be nice to have purpose-based licenses.  If you've got a cover ID as a security guard, you get a security guard license that lets you use the tools of the job - Clubs (for Stun Baton), Armor, Optical and Imaging Devices, and Audio Devices).  Likewise, mages with a cover ID as a magical investigator would get a magical investigator license.  Unfortunately, there's no way to enable these licenses without a dramatic expansion of the FAQ, and it's already pretty big.  You'd also have to charge more for licenses that cover multiple categories of restricted items.

[Jayde Moon]

I'll look to see if there's a better way to list who can play what Missions.

I kind of agree that licenses might be rebooked, the problem is that there are a bajillion permutations.  Security guard license.  Ok.

Hunting license?  Private eye?  Mallco?  Locksmith?  White Hat hackers?  The list goes on.