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[House Rules] Augmentation Affinity

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Slagheap

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« on: <08-18-18/1759:41> »
A while back I was working on some qualities for ware characters that were similar to the Macig Mastery Qualities.  I know may dispise the Magic Mastery stuff, but I'm always game for more options.  Nobody says I have to use everything available. Anway, I was working on giving ware characters a little more room for power increase (since Magic theoretically has no upper limit, and ware is limited to 6 essence), and I wrote these Augmentation Affinity Qualities.  They're probably OP, but in view of the Daemon power Technoadepts (or are they called Cyberadepts) get in Kill Code it no longer seemed TOO OP.

Here they are, let me know what you think.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yLVQQBOSyCEMZdTIuYErgvDvpxrvoVB5

Tecumseh

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« Reply #1 on: <08-22-18/0206:39> »
Man vs. Machine is a bit narrow. If your Essence is under 2 then it's a better deal than Magic Resistance, but for Essence 2+ Magic Resistance is more cost-efficient. I do like that they stack.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is essentially a nuyen buff, especially at chargen. Let's use tricked-out cyberlimbs for example, which can run 100K each when they're fully kitted out. Getting those Used instead can save 25K per cyberlimb and also lets them break some Availability limits, since Used it easier to come by than Standard. (For example, you could get Armor 3 in every limb.) This means that the 10 karma quality could save you 100K in nuyen. 10K per karma is a bit rich, so this one might need to be more expensive or be limited in how many things it can apply to.

Efficient Integrator is an interesting idea. I think the pricing structure is a bit confusing; instead of having separate level costs, I think I'd make it one up-front cost (for the quality) and then the bonding costs that vary based on the grade of cyberware.

I don't like Hidden Potential as much as the other qualities. I like maintaining the limit of 6 Essence, but then making it easier to shoehorn things into that 6 Essence like Efficient Integrator does. I wouldn't be as open to qualities which effectively break the Essence cap, even if it can't ever be used to exceed Essence 6.

I do like the parallel with bonded foci that you use with Efficient Integrator. It seems like an approach that paralleled Initiation/Submersion could also find a home with these, i.e. treating these new additions as "metamagics" of sorts rather than qualities. Man vs. Machine's effect could start out at 1 and then grow with each subsequent "initiation". Efficient Integrator could be a second "initiation", Reduce Reuse Recycle could be a third (which would help keep it out of reach during chargen, when it it the most disproportionately powerful).

Edit: grammar
« Last Edit: <09-19-18/0201:37> by Tecumseh »

Finstersang

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« Reply #2 on: <08-22-18/0608:10> »
I´m not sure about the balancing, but I do like the idea behind these, especially Man Vs Machine. Always seemed weird to me that Magic directed at living beings isn´t hampered by Augmentations. I´d probably adjust the Effects (and the Karma Cost, of course) to make the resistance work only against Mana/Mental/Health spells and similar magic effects. One could also think about a more narrow version that pits the Essence loss due to Headware and Cognitive Augmentations against Mental Manipulations and Illusion. If it´s harder to foil a security cam with spells, it should also be harder to foil someone whose brain is stuffed with advanced electronics.

Generally, you can think about other quality that are not only linked to Essence Loss, but to specific types of Augmentations as well:
  • Armor/Bone Augmentations -> Juggernaut: Reduced Penalties for Covering Fire, Improved Charges, Improved Composure (can be already find in the Ubermensch Psychosis Quality in Chrome Flesh, but with Social Drawbacks)
  • Hidden Blades -> Razorboy/girl: Melee bonuses
  • Headware/Cognitive Augmentations -> Mastermind: Bonus against Mental Manipulations and Illusions, see above
  • Cybersenses -> Omniscient Observer: Bonus against Illusions and on Perception in general
  • Cyberlimbs -> Tin Man: Bonus against Touch Spells, Toxins, Pain Resistance

If I remember correctly, there was a little splatbook with "Ways of the Samurai" back in 4th Edition that offered similar qualities as Masteries, Streams and Adept Ways, but for Augmented Folks. 

Slagheap

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« Reply #3 on: <08-22-18/1503:44> »
Thanks for the feedback, it is nice to get some other eyes on these ideas.  I'm intrigued by the idea of some sort of wear initiation system, but I'd never thought about that before.  I agree that the pricing system for Efficient Integrator could be streamlined, and your idea of a flat initial cost could do it.

Your analysis of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is good food for thought.  The cost may need to be adjusted up.  When I wrote RRR I had street level games in mind.  Some players love the street level character generation rules and some hate them.  Mathematically the street level rules heavily favor magic characters.  I was trying to write something that would close the gap a bit, and also have the flavor of gritty, SINless scroungers scraping by with whatever they could find.

I'm not familiar with Ways of the Samurai (I played 2nd and now 5th, but I skiped over 3 and 4), so I'll have to check that out.  Breaking out More Machine that Man as a series of smaller, more focused qualities is interesting, but might get too fiddly for my taste.  As for MMM's cost, I like that it is less economical at low Essence loss and more economical at high Essence loss.