[Mason]

Are free spirits able to learn metamagics when they initiate? Runner's Companion states that they gain a Free Spirit Power Point instead of a metamagic, and Street Magic states that they can learn one or the other. Is it only NPC Free spirits that can learn metamagics? Or is it a mistake in the rules? Runner's Companion is the newer book, was it intended that Free Spirits cannot have metamagics?

[Lethe]

Does a possessed mage with the channeling metamagic use the spirits magic instead of his own for his magic abilities (i.e. sorcery and conjuring) since his mental and special stats will be overwritten? SM,p.101
What about mental stats?

[FastJack]

Does a possessed mage with channeling use the spirits magic instead of his own for his magic abilities (i.e. sorcery and conjuring) since his mental and special stats will be overwritten? SM,p.101

Edit:

I would also like this NOT to be a discussion are for any rules issues listed here - if you want to discuss it, make a thread in the Rules forum.

This is a questions only thread.

I think if an answer could possibly exist, it should be at least posted here so we know whether or not the question is a valid one.

[Lethe]

I think if an answer could possibly exist, it should be at least posted here so we know whether or not the question is a valid one.

There are of course lots of "answers" from lots of different opinions, which eventually will lead to discussions. Of course its not forbidden, but it would be nice to respect the OPs intentions and keep this clean.
I myself could answer any single question in here, but my opinion on the matter is not what this thread is about.

[FastJack]

The intention of this thread is to get official answers,  is it not? He posted a quote from the official FAQ.

Because if this thread does nothing but ask questions that you do not expect to get answers to, then there's not much purpose to it.

[UmaroVI]

for this I gues it is spirit who is using Sorcery, not the mage, and is using his own magic. And as such, he cannot conjure at all, as this skill group is banned for Spirits.

The intention of this thread is to get official answers,  is it not? He posted a quote from the official FAQ.

I think Lethe was referring to Sichr's post here.

The point of this thread would be to provide a list of questions that don't have an official answer but need one, so I would argue that while pointing out that the FAQ answers something is relevant, providing an opinion is not and this thread will just get cluttered up with NUH UH IT TOTALLY WORKS LIKE X.

[Lethe]

The intention of this thread is to get official answers,  is it not? He posted a quote from the official FAQ.

I think Lethe was referring to Sichr's post here.

Not only Sichr. But as you can see in his link, he totally misunderstood the question. That is what will naturally happen occasionally and that is why there should be only questions here.
Even on the quoted FAQ there followed 3 posts discussing the FAQ and providing nothing but clutter.
If someone believes to have an answer, do it like Sichr and quote it to the rules section!
If you feel funnny... well this thread is messed up already anyway.

[Blue_Lion]

Why does Unwired even in the newest version still using the outdated rules for subscripton list and subscriptions tied to log on accounts intead of the New SR4A meaning of them. Both books should reflect the same thing with what is a subscripton and account privlages. When you combine the two books it whould be easy to misread it as no remote hacking but that does not seam to reflect the intent of SR4A or the hacking skill. (In SR4 hacking was not tied to subscripton, but subscription was a user account.)

Look at Pg 52 and 55 unwired, was never updated still using subscription list rules from SR4.

[NinthSphere]

Carrying over from the debate on Dumpshock, High-Power Rounds [War! pg. 156] could use clarification.

High-Power Rounds: High-power rounds use a more powerful (and more expensive) propellant than normal rounds. These rounds require a specially chambered modification to the firearm (see High-Power Chambering, above). High-power rounds inflict a –2 dice pool penalty when fired due to excess recoil.

Does the -2 apply to the first shot, since the entry states that the penalty is inflicted when fired, or is this a recoil modifier and thus applies to shots after the first and can be compensated for with rc?

[voydangel]

Why does Unwired even in the newest version still using the outdated rules for subscripton list and subscriptions tied to log on accounts intead of the New SR4A meaning of them. Both books should reflect the same thing with what is a subscripton and account privlages. When you combine the two books it whould be easy to misread it as no remote hacking but that does not seam to reflect the intent of SR4A or the hacking skill. (In SR4 hacking was not tied to subscripton, but subscription was a user account.)

Look at Pg 52 and 55 unwired, was never updated still using subscription list rules from SR4.

I believe that's because those rules are still current, and are in fact not outdated as you suggest. SR20A still has rules for subscription limits based on System.

You can have more than one subscription open at a time. Each
persona is limited to a number of subscriptions equal to twice its
System (e.g., a persona on a System 3 commlink could have up to six
active subscriptions at a time).

By definition, the list of all the nodes you are currently subscribed to would be your subscription list.

The only real discrepancy lies in an implied reference to public access accounts not granting subscriptions in Unwired in a section talking about user access accounts.

The most important privilege normally granted
via user access is one slot on the subscription list.

Other than that one implicit statement, there are no contradictions that I am aware of between the latest version of Unwired and the latest version of SR20A books as far as subscriptions are concerned.

I could be mistaken of course, but I just looked over the pages you referenced and couldn't find any "subscription list errors".

[Falconer]

Carrying over from the debate on Dumpshock, High-Power Rounds [War! pg. 156] could use clarification.

High-Power Rounds: High-power rounds use a more powerful (and more expensive) propellant than normal rounds. These rounds require a specially chambered modification to the firearm (see High-Power Chambering, above). High-power rounds inflict a –2 dice pool penalty when fired due to excess recoil.

Does the -2 apply to the first shot, since the entry states that the penalty is inflicted when fired, or is this a recoil modifier and thus applies to shots after the first and can be compensated for with rc?

The thread was posted on both here and there.

More specifically...
Is the -2 penalty a 'recoil modifier' or a situational modifier?
If it is a 'recoil modifier', then does it apply to every shot?
If it is recoil... then like all other recoil it should be cumulative across an IP and compensable?

If you're after an official answer... you don't lead the question with a doesn't apply to the first shot because it's recoil.  That's pure editorializing on your part.  The modifier is new and self contained and may have NOTHING TO DO with the BBB recoil rules for SA/BF/FA firing multiple bullets at a time, except also maybe being a 'recoil modifier'. 

I agree with the other poster, this isn't the place for arguments or discussion, otherwise the thread ends up merely cluttered... it's a good place to drop questions (preferably neutrally worded like above that don't presuppose other questionable answers).  And I full remember the gent from FASA way back in the day who was all too happy to answer 'official' questions... and was derisively nicknamed the human magic 8-ball because the same answer would get answered multiple ways and people would latch onto whichever one they liked.  (or ask the question til they got the answer they liked).

I'm seeing a lot of things which are answered in the FAQ or should be obvious (like drain and force on heal).  A good 'rule' for a thread like this is... only add questions which haven't already been asked in the rules thread.  Something like heal/force would have gotten a clear concise answer from people without any disagreement.

[Falconer]

p188.  Banishing.  Trying to say this as neutrally as possible.

It says how MUCH drain you suffer for banishing... 2 per success on the spirit.   But it NEVER says whether the drain is stun or physical or both depending on magic of the spirit.


Dispelling includes wording to the effect of resist drain as if casting the spell trying to be dispelled... but there is no similar language in banishing.


Non-neutral:  Every table I've ever played treats banishing as if you're trying to summon/bind the spirit in reverse... with stun/physical drain based on the magic/force involved. 
Prior editions included wording making the drain deadly stun if failed but were radically different in terms of how it was handled.  (exclusive contest until either magic ==0 or the spirit force ==0).
The damage might work a lot better as always stun, given the nature of banishing in the middle of battle vs. summoning/binding outside of battle.

[Glorthoron]

A spell’s Force limits the number of hits (not net hits) that can be achieved on the Spellcasting Test. So if you cast a Force 3 spell and get 5 hits, only 3 of those hits count. In other words, Force has a limiting effect on spells—the more oomph you put into the spell, the better you can succeed with it. This limitation does not apply to Edge dice that are used to boost a spell.

For purposes of drain for casting a Heal spell, the Force doesn't matter. The Drain will always be DV-2. However, your maximum hits are based off Force, so throwing the force as high as you can isn't a bad idea. Also note that regardless of what number the drain comes out to, it is Stun damage unless you crank the Force of the spell up over your Magic, in which case it is Physical, as normal for overcasting. So if you're a magician with Magic 5, and you Heal someone with 8P damage, if you cast at Force 5, you are limited to 5 hits, and will have to resist 6S damage, but if you cast at Force 8, you can potentially heal all the damage, while you resist 6P drain.

There's something about this that doesn't sit right with me, but I can't put my finger on it. 

[RelentlessImp]

A spell’s Force limits the number of hits (not net hits) that can be achieved on the Spellcasting Test. So if you cast a Force 3 spell and get 5 hits, only 3 of those hits count. In other words, Force has a limiting effect on spells—the more oomph you put into the spell, the better you can succeed with it. This limitation does not apply to Edge dice that are used to boost a spell.

For purposes of drain for casting a Heal spell, the Force doesn't matter. The Drain will always be DV-2. However, your maximum hits are based off Force, so throwing the force as high as you can isn't a bad idea. Also note that regardless of what number the drain comes out to, it is Stun damage unless you crank the Force of the spell up over your Magic, in which case it is Physical, as normal for overcasting. So if you're a magician with Magic 5, and you Heal someone with 8P damage, if you cast at Force 5, you are limited to 5 hits, and will have to resist 6S damage, but if you cast at Force 8, you can potentially heal all the damage, while you resist 6P drain.

There's something about this that doesn't sit right with me, but I can't put my finger on it.

Shouldn't the drain be based on the damage value you actually heal and not the total damage value?

[JustADude]

A spell’s Force limits the number of hits (not net hits) that can be achieved on the Spellcasting Test. So if you cast a Force 3 spell and get 5 hits, only 3 of those hits count. In other words, Force has a limiting effect on spells—the more oomph you put into the spell, the better you can succeed with it. This limitation does not apply to Edge dice that are used to boost a spell.

For purposes of drain for casting a Heal spell, the Force doesn't matter. The Drain will always be DV-2. However, your maximum hits are based off Force, so throwing the force as high as you can isn't a bad idea. Also note that regardless of what number the drain comes out to, it is Stun damage unless you crank the Force of the spell up over your Magic, in which case it is Physical, as normal for overcasting. So if you're a magician with Magic 5, and you Heal someone with 8P damage, if you cast at Force 5, you are limited to 5 hits, and will have to resist 6S damage, but if you cast at Force 8, you can potentially heal all the damage, while you resist 6P drain.

There's something about this that doesn't sit right with me, but I can't put my finger on it.

Shouldn't the drain be based on the damage value you actually heal and not the total damage value?

IMO, it should be, yeah, but it isn't.

The actual quote from the book says "DV: Damage Value - 2". The generally accepted interpretation of that is "total damage value suffered - 2."