[Zolt]

Like many other parts of Street Grimoire, the paragraph on Background Count left me confused. First it was the (absurdly) high background count ratings that make it next to impossible to use Magic in many, if not most of the places a Shadowrunner is likely to ply his trade... not to mention quickened spells and preparations that can fizzle just from crossing a rough part of the Barrens.

And then the actual rules part, we get juste the one (!) sentence on the main aspect of Background count.

A  background  count  impose  a  negative  dice  pool  penalty equal to its rating for all tests linked in any way to magic (such as spellcasting, summoning, and skill tests that use active adept powers such as Killing Hands or Improved Sense).

This seems neither very clear, nor internally consistent. Let's try and see which tests may or may not be affected:

- Spellcasting Skill Roll
Clearly affected by the modifier. However combat spells may be exempt in a domain aspected towards violence, health spells in a holy site and so on.

- Summoning Skill Roll
Clearly affected too with the same caveats as above.

- Dispelling, Banishing, Disenchanting
Very likely affected

- Counterspelling dice pool , Magic resistance test, resist Dispelling / Banishing
Very unclear. If you take a purely literal interpretation of the rules, Resisting magic is "a test linked with magic", so may take a dice pool modifier however unlikely that seems.

- Drain resistance test
This is one of the tricky ones, it's likely affected as it is "a test linked to magic", but conspicuously omitted in any of the examples cited.

- Spirits
As astral creatures, spirits should take a dice pool penalty to all their tests equal to the background count. However I assume that spirits summoned inside the background count area count as acclimated. (But may be warped towards the nature of that area)

- Initiative
   If Initiative is boosted by Increased Reflexes spell, or Improved Reflexes adept power, should it be modified?
    Likely No because it is not a skill test.

- Skill tests with boosted attribute/skill
   If boosted by an adept power, such as Improved Attribute, Increased Reflexes, Attribute Boost, Improved Ability, Danger sense, then the background count applies and in most cases you're better off deactivating the power.
  If boosted by a spell such as Attribute Boost in depends on how you interpret "Test linked with magic". Likely not affected (unless the spell itself fizzles), but that's not terribly consistent with adept powers.

-  Physical defense roll
   For Adepts: These are not skill tests unless you use Dodge / Block / Parry actions, so are unaffected and powers like Combat sense function as normal.
 
-  Combat Roll for touch spells (Death Touch, Punch...)
   For Adepts: Combat rolls with Killing Hands are explicitly stated to be affected.
   The spellcasting test for touch spells in obviously affected, but the combat roll is purely physical combat so may not be affected. Again, that's not terribly consistent with the adept side.

That's all the main rolls that come to mind but there's surely a bazillion more out there with unclear results. Frankly I'm tempted to ditch the whole thing and just go by 4th ed rules on this. Street magic made everything so much clearer (if not any easier for the awakened player)

[Top Dog]

Like many other parts of Street Grimoire, the paragraph on Background Count left me confused. First it was the (absurdly) high background count ratings that make it next to impossible to use Magic in many, if not most of the places a Shadowrunner is likely to ply his trade... not to mention quickened spells and preparations that can fizzle just from crossing a rough part of the Barrens.

I was concerned about that. With BC being apparently strewn around like it's a minor flavor things in some sources, combined with the absolute brutal results for any practicing mage in the SG rules themselves (you forgot your foci being knocked out - fun times if you rely on power and sustaining foci like many a mage) make for a bleak result. The generic 2 BG count in most of missions 5 should make maging very hard in there.

Although my GM says I'm exaggerating and it's a lot less common then it appears at first glance. So we'll see...

And then the actual rules part, we get juste the one (!) sentence on the main aspect of Background count.

A  background  count  impose  a  negative  dice  pool  penalty equal to its rating for all tests linked in any way to magic (such as spellcasting, summoning, and skill tests that use active adept powers such as Killing Hands or Improved Sense).

This seems neither very clear, nor internally consistent. Let's try and see which tests may or may not be affected:

- Spellcasting Skill Roll
Clearly affected by the modifier. However combat spells may be exempt in a domain aspected towards violence, health spells in a holy site and so on.

- Summoning Skill Roll
Clearly affected too with the same caveats as above.

- Dispelling, Banishing, Disenchanting
Very likely affected

All the above are clearly affected in my opinion. Dispelling, Banishing, Disenchanting are pure Magic tests.

- Counterspelling dice pool , Magic resistance test, resist Dispelling / Banishing
Very unclear. If you take a purely literal interpretation of the rules, Resisting magic is "a test linked with magic", so may take a dice pool modifier however unlikely that seems.

- Drain resistance test
This is one of the tricky ones, it's likely affected as it is "a test linked to magic", but conspicuously omitted in any of the examples cited.

Hmm, interesting points, haven't really thought of that before.
I don't think counterspelling applies though. Counterspelling isn't a test is it? (As in, someone else is doing a test, you're just resisting it).
As for drain, that could indeed be interpreted as having the penalty. On the other hand, the drain test itself isn't really linked to magic - it's a result of it, sure, but it's a consequence of doing magic, it's not magic itself. If it were, you could argue that resisting spells is "a test linked in any way to magic".

- Spirits
As astral creatures, spirits should take a dice pool penalty to all their tests equal to the background count. However I assume that spirits summoned inside the background count area count as acclimated. (But may be warped towards the nature of that area)

Non-acclimated spirits would clearly have the penalty. I don't think you'd automatically summon acclimated spirits though. You might, if your tradition fits close enough, but you might as well summoned the spirits of your tradition that are being suppressed by the active BG count.

- Initiative
   If Initiative is boosted by Increased Reflexes spell, or Improved Reflexes adept power, should it be modified?
    Likely No because it is not a skill test.

I believe that was the conclusion indeed.

- Skill tests with boosted attribute/skill
   If boosted by an adept power, such as Improved Attribute, Increased Reflexes, Attribute Boost, Improved Ability, Danger sense, then the background count applies and in most cases you're better off deactivating the power.
  If boosted by a spell such as Attribute Boost in depends on how you interpret "Test linked with magic". Likely not affected (unless the spell itself fizzles), but that's not terribly consistent with adept powers.

I'd say logically both would get the penalty. That does double-penalize mages though (or triple- or quad-penalize them, depending on foci and how you rule on drain... BG count is really nasty this edition).

-  Physical defense roll
   For Adepts: These are not skill tests unless you use Dodge / Block / Parry actions, so are unaffected and powers like Combat sense function as normal.

Defense is still a test involved with magic I think. Wait, didn't I say Counterspelling wasn't a test? Okay, now I'm confused, what counts as a test? Skill test or not shouldn't matter I think - it's listed as an example, but the rule itself states "all tests", not just skills.

-  Combat Roll for touch spells (Death Touch, Punch...)
   For Adepts: Combat rolls with Killing Hands are explicitly stated to be affected.
   The spellcasting test for touch spells in obviously affected, but the combat roll is purely physical combat so may not be affected. Again, that's not terribly consistent with the adept side.

Touching someone isn't really linked to magic though, that's just how you deliver the spell. For an adept it's different, there the physical action itself creates the magic. Or something, I'm not sure about anything anymore now.

That's all the main rolls that come to mind but there's surely a bazillion more out there with unclear results. Frankly I'm tempted to ditch the whole thing and just go by 4th ed rules on this. Street magic made everything so much clearer (if not any easier for the awakened player)

Agreed.

[Beaumis]

This seems neither very clear, nor internally consistent. Let's try and see which tests may or may not be affected:

Sadly the editing is bad and so it's not very consistent, but it seems that generally the Magic Rating is capitalized while magic as a concept is not. This grammar based interpretation would mean that everything that is related to the concept of magic (and that includes every roll of dice) is affected. Personally, I doubt that is the intent.

A  background  count  impose  a  negative  dice  pool  penalty equal to its rating for all tests linked in any way to magic (such as spellcasting, summoning, and skill tests that use active adept powers such as Killing Hands or Improved Sense).
p. 32 SG

1. Every test that includes the Magic Attribute is affected. No exceptions. In your list, that would be: Spellcasting, Summoning, Binding, Dispelling, Banishing, Disenchanting.
2. Skill tests that are affected by adept powers. Killing hands is a weird example here because it doesn't actually affect a skill test, it determines what happens in the aftermath of one.
3. Drain is a double attribute test that is generally not modified by anything.
4. Counterspelling has Magic as it's linked attribute but the Counterspelling dice pool is not a skill test. It should not be affected.
5. Magic resistance tests are double attribute tests and decidedly mundane. Not affected.

Dual-natured creatures or purely astral creatures take a negative dice pool penalty to all actions equal to the background count.
p. 32 SG

Spirits get their force reduced unless acclimated. Resist Dispelling / Banishing is not affected directly, but both are based on force and force is reduced.

Pre-existing active foci, sustained spells, quickened/anchored spells and rituals are reduced by the background count. If they are reduced to 0 or less, spells fizzle, wards and rituals collapse, foci deactivate. A foci cannot activate while under the influence of the background count.
p. 32 SG

This is where limits become incredibly important. Spells get their force reduced by the background count and reducing the force reduces the limit. Reducing the limit reduces the hits that are allowed for the spell. This leads to quite a few interesting effects:

1. Spells that go below their threshold do not fizzle but cease to function.
2. Increase Attribute spells require their force to be above the attribute. If BC reduces the force to equal or lower than the attribute, the spell ceases to function.
3. Spells area of effect is reduced if the effect depended on hits or force.

Adept initiative is the trickiest of things. Personally, I don't think it is supposed to be affected because adept powers are basically an adepts cyberware. Turning of a samurai's wireless smartlink bonus due to matrix noise is one thing, deactivating his reflex booster anther. In that vein, disabling the skill bonus is equal to the smartlink but disabling the reflexes is kind of neutering the character.

Personally I think, BC is a badly designed concept. If should be a simple -1/-2/-3/-6 like ranges and equal bonuses for acclimated beings in their respective zone. Fighting a toxic spirit in Chernobyl should be hard because you're in the heart of it's domain and its strong there. Not because you're weakened and beaten by a spirit that could never hurt you otherwise.

I do like the fact that a background count of one is basically a munchkin killer though. Fun little example:

Examples  include  an isolated violent crime or love affair, [...]

So, lets assume a mage uses a F1 sustaining focus to keep a physical mask spells going. He uses that to get a mark on a date. At some point of the date either of them feels the butterfly in their stomach... and the focus deactivates. Or he kills him/her and the focus deactivates revealing his identity.

[Top Dog]

Selectively answering because of time.

A  background  count  impose  a  negative  dice  pool  penalty equal to its rating for all tests linked in any way to magic (such as spellcasting, summoning, and skill tests that use active adept powers such as Killing Hands or Improved Sense).
p. 32 SG

1. Every test that includes the Magic Attribute is affected. No exceptions. In your list, that would be: Spellcasting, Summoning, Binding, Dispelling, Banishing, Disenchanting.
2. Skill tests that are affected by adept powers. Killing hands is a weird example here because it doesn't actually affect a skill test, it determines what happens in the aftermath of one.
3. Drain is a double attribute test that is generally not modified by anything.
4. Counterspelling has Magic as it's linked attribute but the Counterspelling dice pool is not a skill test. It should not be affected.
5. Magic resistance tests are double attribute tests and decidedly mundane. Not affected.

"Such as" lists examples, not an exhaustive list - as you acknowledge by stating that binding and dispelling are included while not specifically listed. The rule itself states "all tests linked in any way to magic" (emphasis mine). That would include things like drain tests and resistance by mundanes against magic. Especially that last one is extremely weird and almost certainly not intended (but I think we can all agree the rule shouldn't be as I interpret it - nontheless that is what the rule says, by literal reading).

Pre-existing active foci, sustained spells, quickened/anchored spells and rituals are reduced by the background count. If they are reduced to 0 or less, spells fizzle, wards and rituals collapse, foci deactivate. A foci cannot activate while under the influence of the background count.
p. 32 SG

This is where limits become incredibly important. Spells get their force reduced by the background count and reducing the force reduces the limit. Reducing the limit reduces the hits that are allowed for the spell. This leads to quite a few interesting effects:

1. Spells that go below their threshold do not fizzle but cease to function.
2. Increase Attribute spells require their force to be above the attribute. If BC reduces the force to equal or lower than the attribute, the spell ceases to function.
3. Spells area of effect is reduced if the effect depended on hits or force.

I don't think reducing the force reduces the number of hits (after casting). After all, there are numerous ways to break the limit on hits anyway; I'm pretty sure the hit limiting part of Force is strictly an at-casting affair. Otherwise you'd have to keep a list what spells used Edge in casting, for example.

[Lucean]

Drain and spell defense are resistance tests and not affected, compare wound modifiers.

[Beaumis]

The Mission FAQ was just updated and contains explanations on Background Count.

Background Counts apply their modifiers to all Skill Tests that are being affected by magic in any way. This means casting spells, tests to activate adept powers, any test that is being augmented through a skill or attribute boost, etc.  The adept power Improved Reflexes increases your Reaction, and will affect any skill test based on reaction. However, Initiative is not a skill test, so you do not take any Background Count related penalties. 
Drain is a damage resistance test, so likewise does not suffer Background Count penalties.

This settles improved reflexes and drain.

There's nothing in there on how hits and foci work, but from a magical theory perspective it should work like that. A spells force is a measurement of how powerful it's construct is. Think of the force as a container. The bigger the container the more it can fit. Reducing the spells force reduces the container's volume and therefore squeezes out some of the magic power, the hits. Using edge or reagents allows you to squish more magic power into the container but when you reduce the volume some of it has to go.

If limits were an "on cast" only thing, background count would effectively add the same way as reagents or edge and actually add power relatively speaking. The system establishes pretty clearly that going past the limit of force takes additional power. If BC only reduces force but keeps hits intact, it would weaken the frame but keep the construct intact.

However, it should only touch hits that actually scrape the limit. A force four spell with three hits would be reduced to a force three spell with three hits, then a force two spell with two hits and finally to a force one spell with one hit before fizzling.

[Michael Chandra]

Drain and spell defense are resistance tests and not affected, compare wound modifiers.

Meanwhile Dispelling would suffer.

In the Chicago seasons you indeed face background count a lot, but that kiiiinda is to be expected given how you tend to do runs into the CCZ. There are plenty of ways to control the penalties though, especially given the option of Cleansing. Now you'd often face a small Background Count in the Barrens, but not really in Touristville, near the Squatter Mall or any other place that's relatively civilised. Well, except for the Fun House and Kalanyr's bases, since the owners are Aspecting those. But hey, you go there you got a bigger problem than the Background Count. So it really depends on where you run if any normal background count pops up, and special counts are a GM weapon to be used sparingly (such as in Humanitarian Aid).

[Zolt]

I do like the fact that a background count of one is basically a munchkin killer though. Fun little example:

Examples  include  an isolated violent crime or love affair, [...]

So, lets assume a mage uses a F1 sustaining focus to keep a physical mask spells going. He uses that to get a mark on a date. At some point of the date either of them feels the butterfly in their stomach... and the focus deactivates. Or he kills him/her and the focus deactivates revealing his identity.

Thanks for your rules interpretations Beaumis. I generally agree with them but I'm really unsure about the drain. In 4th Ed it stated explicitly that BC affects drain (indirectly, by increasing the force of the spell for drain purposes). It does seem to make sense that drawing mana should be more taxing for the magician, but that seems a bit too much.

I do like the idea of keeping background count around to prevent abuse of quickening / sustained spell foci and so on. For adepts I'm opting to stick with 4th edition rules: They temporarily lose a number of power points instead, but I'm making it just half the BC value.

[Michael Chandra]

That was SR4, Background Count has been made less of a disaster in SR5, which makes it actually allowable for usage.

If I were you I'd REALLY not keep the SR4 rules for Adepts. Just make them take the dice penalty instead, that's already significant enough. If you frequently throw an SR4 Background Count around you're basically telling the Adept players you don't like their character choice.

[Zolt]

The Mission FAQ was just updated and contains explanations on Background Count.

Background Counts apply their modifiers to all Skill Tests that are being affected by magic in any way. This means casting spells, tests to activate adept powers, any test that is being augmented through a skill or attribute boost, etc.  The adept power Improved Reflexes increases your Reaction, and will affect any skill test based on reaction. However, Initiative is not a skill test, so you do not take any Background Count related penalties. 
Drain is a damage resistance test, so likewise does not suffer Background Count penalties.

This settles improved reflexes and drain.

That's good news, by stating this only affects Skill tests that settles a good part of the problems, from an official source.