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6e could support recovering Essence

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MercilessMing

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« on: <03-05-21/1807:39> »
Alright, a Facebook discussion on Essence Holes made me realize I don't know what editions have supported Essence Holes as official rules, but 6e isn't one of them (yet).  It's a mechanic I'm not sure has ever been in a CRB.
Anyway, IMO Essence holes are, in a game whose goal is streamlining, a needless bit of bookkeeping that should go away.  Just let characters recover the Essence they lost.  Really, what harm would it do?  With as hard as street sams have been nerfed this edition, they could use a silver lining.
Since 6e doesn't feature Essence holes yet, and has very little to say about Essence in general, this is a change they could still make for the cybertech book I assume will come at some point.  A small quality of life bump for a nerfed archetype that reduces bookkeeping at the same time. 

Consider it, authors!
 

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #1 on: <03-05-21/1821:52> »
I wouldn't mind seeing it a step further: don't even give mundane an essence stat.  Other than serving as a mechanic to impose penalties to magic and to cap cyberware,  essence doesn't do or represent much of anything anymore in 6e.   I could see letting mundanes (and only mundanes) have potentially limitless cyberware, in such a way that magic and resonance are technically unlimited given karma expenditures.

That's a bridge too far for 6e, but I dream :D
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

Shinobi Killfist

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« Reply #2 on: <03-05-21/1916:00> »
I wouldn't mind seeing it a step further: don't even give mundane an essence stat.  Other than serving as a mechanic to impose penalties to magic and to cap cyberware,  essence doesn't do or represent much of anything anymore in 6e.   I could see letting mundanes (and only mundanes) have potentially limitless cyberware, in such a way that magic and resonance are technically unlimited given karma expenditures.

That's a bridge too far for 6e, but I dream :D

I was about to say the same thing or at least give mundanes a method to increase their essence so their growth has a similar unlimited potential as adepts. So like in cyber book "this time cyber looks like there has been advancements over the last 30+ years" they add a therapy that costs nominal nuyen but karma equivalent to stat growth for adepts.

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #3 on: <03-05-21/1919:49> »
I imagine a straight up copy of the initiation/submersion mechanic but for mundanes. Instead of magic or resonance max going up 1 (and then paying karma to go up 1), it just raises an mundane's essence back up by one.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

Shinobi Killfist

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« Reply #4 on: <03-05-21/1934:01> »
That would be the easiest method, but if they were not just removing essence as a stat for mundanes I'd like nuyen to step in for the initiation part making this a bit more karma friendly for them.

Xenon

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« Reply #5 on: <03-06-21/0413:58> »
Other than serving as a mechanic to impose penalties to magic and to cap cyberware,  essence doesn't do or represent much of anything anymore in 6e.

In SR6, Essence also play a Big part when it comes to healing.

Essence have gone from Man (+Metahumanity) vs Machine to Magic (+Healing) vs Machine.
« Last Edit: <03-06-21/0417:06> by Xenon »

Shinobi Killfist

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« Reply #6 on: <03-06-21/1134:19> »
What's so odd about the change is initially having magic made it harder to heal, and pretty significantly if I recall  correctly. It was a +2 TN modifier I think.  The desire to punish mundanes more is baffling to me. Though in most games street sam vs adept, the adept is looking worse in 6e.  It will take a lot of karma to get anywhere near base street sam. But once they pass them there is no looking back. And the bio adept rules all.

Xenon

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« Reply #7 on: <03-06-21/1152:26> »
Though in most games street sam vs adept, the adept is looking worse in 6e.
But the adept will be much easier to heal ;-)

And the bio adept rules all.
But the pure adept will be much easier to heal ;-)

Shinobi Killfist

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« Reply #8 on: <03-06-21/1249:13> »
True, but I'd rather contribute and avoid getting hurt as much as possible in the first place than not contribute and get healed afterwards. I still think the healing rule in 6e was a bad one on top of that though.

Hobbes

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« Reply #9 on: <03-06-21/1304:44> »
Though in most games street sam vs adept, the adept is looking worse in 6e.  It will take a lot of karma to get anywhere near base street sam. But once they pass them there is no looking back. And the bio adept rules all.

Build a 6 Magic Adept that goes E skills and C or B Resources and loads up on unbonded Foci.  The Bio Adept has a couple more dice here or there to start but shortly the Foci Adept can match then exceed.  Foci are cheaper to bond than initiate and the 6 Magic Adept can bond with more without having to stop and initiate / raise magic. 

And 6th Edition is similar to 5th.  Adepts build tall, Samurai build broad.  Sami will have 6 or 10 more Skill points compared to the Adept, because Sami goes E Magic instead of the Adept E Skills.  The Adepts combat pools will pull ahead of the Mundane Sami.  But the Sami will be able to swim, drive, pick a lock, ect, ect.  And the Sami will be fine with 19ish dice and 7 or more DV attacks.

Letting a Mundane continue to add Essence / more 'ware would expand into more utility or secondary abilities.  But adding more dice to combat pool and more damage is the Adept's bit. 

MercilessMing

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« Reply #10 on: <03-06-21/2005:46> »
Adepts will always have an easier time getting their augments through security though :D

Hobbes

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« Reply #11 on: <03-07-21/1109:59> »
..and it's not like you can remove Qi Foci  ;  )   

Well you can, but I'm pretty sure if standard security checkpoints start including Flaying stations to remove skin the PCs will just roll for initiative right there.

But between Delta grade 'ware being available out of the gate and licenses Samurai should rarely have serious issues if they make the effort. 

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #12 on: <03-07-21/1136:35> »
Well, wards are cheap. Won't stop adept powers, but carrying around Qi Foci can end up triggering more alarms than cyberware does.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

Xenon

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« Reply #13 on: <03-07-21/1217:59> »
Depending on your reading the intention of Qi Foci might be that they count as innate of the adept, similar to adept powers....

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #14 on: <03-07-21/1237:13> »
Depending on your reading the intention of Qi Foci might be that they count as innate of the adept, similar to adept powers....

I don't see how?  The adept power they grant, sure, probably wouldn't react with a barrier.  But a force x focus is a force x focus.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.