[Pollution]

3 hits gets you up to availability of 15, which you can do with a 2/5 or 1/6 starting-level contact in SRM.

No, 3 hits gets you up to availability 12 (you round down on buying hits).

To get Availability 15, you need 4 hits.

[martinchaen]

Pollution; except that an avail 15 item rolls 15 dice which buys 3.75 hits, which is then rounded down to 3 hits...

As long as your contact can get at least 3 hits (12 to 15 dice) he can get avail 15 items or less, but avail 12 through 15 will take twice as long to deliver because the avail roll is tied.

[Crunch]

3 hits gets you up to availability of 15, which you can do with a 2/5 or 1/6 starting-level contact in SRM.

No, 3 hits gets you up to availability 12 (you round down on buying hits).

To get Availability 15, you need 4 hits.

The availability rounds down on hits as well, and you win ties.

[DWC]

Bear in mind that a tie on the opposed test means delivery takes twice as long.

[Pollution]

Yeah, I'm a dumbass.

Though, that does mean that my own character can buy things up to avail. 23. 

[martinchaen]

@Pollution How do you get 20 dice when the max Negotiation skill is 6 (7) + 2 for Specialization + Charisma? At best, I'd think you could manage 8 CHA, which would put you at 16 (17), which buys 4 hits putting you at Avail 19...

I doubt that things like Pheromones apply to those tests, which is the only way I can see reaching 20 dice.

[Bull]

martin:  Possible that he's bought up his Negotiation a bit. 

At this point, depending on how many conventions you've attended (Or been a part of some of the playtest groups), it's possible to have played 8 of the CMP 2010 compilation adventures (Sprawl Wilds and Firing Line), 8 2013 CMPs (Dragon's Song and Dangerous Games), 6 Season 5 SRM's, plus the Origins and Gen Con LARP event.  So it is possible that you could have somewhere in the neighborhood of 120+ karma already.  And even above rating 6 skills aren't that expensive to raise.

Crazy, I know!

[martinchaen]

Speaking of, any indication of when the 2013 CMPs will be available for purchase for us non-convention going plebs?

[The Smiling Bandit]

@Pollution How do you get 20 dice when the max Negotiation skill is 6 (7) + 2 for Specialization + Charisma? At best, I'd think you could manage 8 CHA, which would put you at 16 (17), which buys 4 hits putting you at Avail 19...

I doubt that things like Pheromones apply to those tests, which is the only way I can see reaching 20 dice.

Elf social adept with augmented charisma, a enhanced skill,  totem bonus, and a maxed, specialized skill rolls 26 at chargen

[Michael Chandra]

By the way: Why wouldn't pheromones apply?

Anyway: 8 Charisma, 6 Negotiation, +2 Bargaining, +3 Improved Negotiation, just 1 die short even without augmenting charisma (how does an adept boost charisma?) and mentor spirit. Can go 7 charisma and Dragon Slayer, or 7/8 Charisma, Aptitude, 7 Negotiation and +4/+3 Negotiation. All you need in Missions, really. Sacrifice 1 Magic for Tailored Pheromones 3 and go full-out and bam, 24 dice.

[Dr. Meatgrinder]

Perhaps by "adept" he means "mystic adept".  Then he has access to the Increase Charisma spell.

[Bull]

I can see an argument made to not allow tailored pheromones. It's not always a single negotiation, it's a series of them, and many of the people you're going to need to talk to won't be able or willing to meet you face to face.  Honestly, in a world of things like tailored pheromones, mind control spells, and emotitoys (under 4th ed at least), it's frankly a miracle that ANY meet happens face to face rather than in a relatively controlled online environment.

However, for the sake of simplicity, they're fine.  Just keep in mind the time it take to get items, and the restriction of one item (or group of the same items that you would naturally buy in bulk, like ammo) at a time.

[Michael Chandra]

Perhaps by "adept" he means "mystic adept".  Then he has access to the Increase Charisma spell.

Ah, that gets me... 25? 8[12] charisma, 6[9]+2+2 negotiation = 25. 26 with Aptitude or Exceptional Charisma, which are both a bit over the top.

Emotitoys should burn, burn, burn.

[DWC]

martin:  Possible that he's bought up his Negotiation a bit. 

At this point, depending on how many conventions you've attended (Or been a part of some of the playtest groups), it's possible to have played 8 of the CMP 2010 compilation adventures (Sprawl Wilds and Firing Line), 8 2013 CMPs (Dragon's Song and Dangerous Games), 6 Season 5 SRM's, plus the Origins and Gen Con LARP event.  So it is possible that you could have somewhere in the neighborhood of 120+ karma already.  And even above rating 6 skills aren't that expensive to raise.

Crazy, I know!

Speaking of skills above 6, is Missions using the skill training times, since they get so huge so quickly?  I've been assuming that it was, but I figured I'd ask.

[Bull]

Yup.  But keep in mind you can take breaks in the middle of training to do shadowruns (in fact, you need to, since tehre's a limit to how much time you can go without running .