[Padawan]

In the description it says "Any time the user would suffer 2 or more points of damage, the damage is instantly reduced by one point."

When does a character "suffer" damage? Before damage resistance, or after when the "final DV has been determined"?

[Aryeonos]

It'd be after you roll for damage soak wouldn't it? Like,
Bob gets shot for 7P Physical Damage, and rolls his Body+Ballistic Armour, and gets 5 hits. Bob takes 2P damage, which is reduced by 1 by his platelet factories, to 1P damage.

I think that's how they work.

[Shadowjack]

That is correct, Aryeonos. And platelet factories are awesome

[Mantis]

They are and they aren't. Yeah, not taking that extra point of damage is  nice but sometimes that means you are just one point away from KO or knocked down due to your physical monitor being full. Which means the next shot could flat out kill you. This assumes of course lots of damage or a terrible soak roll or both. I've seen it happen to a couple players. So use with caution.

[Padawan]

Okay, that's what I figured. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks!

[farothel]

One of the main advantages is that they are not restricted or forbidden.  So you can just put them in and not worry about being harrassed by the cops because of it.  Also for bioware I think they're not that expensive, but there are indeed some negatives.

[Mad Hamish]

They are and they aren't. Yeah, not taking that extra point of damage is  nice but sometimes that means you are just one point away from KO or knocked down due to your physical monitor being full. Which means the next shot could flat out kill you. This assumes of course lots of damage or a terrible soak roll or both. I've seen it happen to a couple players. So use with caution.

OTOH it might also mean that when you're hit by a bit hit you've avoided enough damage earlier that you a survive a hit that would have otherwise killed you...

[RHat]

They are and they aren't. Yeah, not taking that extra point of damage is  nice but sometimes that means you are just one point away from KO or knocked down due to your physical monitor being full. Which means the next shot could flat out kill you. This assumes of course lots of damage or a terrible soak roll or both. I've seen it happen to a couple players. So use with caution.

Can you honestly think of any point where you wouldn't want to take one less point of damage?  If you're still standing only because of PF, that's a good clue that you want to get yourself out of the line of fire.  Effectively out of the fight is better than knocked out/dead.

[Mantis]

I didn't say I wouldn't want to take an extra point less of damage, merely that it added a new element to taking damage and a caution on what could happen. I point this out because for the characters I've seen die due to the example I gave, the players did not factor the change in how damage could work.  Ideally a character that badly wounded would get out of the line of fire. Players don't always make wise choices on that sort of thing though.

[teknoide]

Go add a trauma damper to it and your street sam never goes out with this combo.

[Falconer]

Padawan:
Most people I know go with the reading that damage is suffered when you're actually checking off boxes after rolling soak.

But the game doesn't say one way or the other by RAW (rules as written).  And there's not a lot there to go on for RAI either (rules as intended).

Similarly the wording is such that the intent seems to be for physical damage... but the exact wording of the rules operative sentence which says what to actually do can apply to either physical or stun since it only says damage.


Generally for 'pink mohawk' action hero type games... it works well as a free point of damage soak applied before rolling dice to any damage type because it makes for better over the top action.   For more reserved 'trenchcoat' type games it works better applied after the soak dice.  It tends to follow the GM's playstyle pick there.

[Shadowjack]

Platelet Factories damage reduction should always be applied after damage resistance. That is how you know the user has suffered 2 or more points of damage. When you're stricken, you haven't taken any damage until after this test. That is why it's called 'Damage Value' and not just damage.

[Falconer]

No offense Shadowjack... but you're basing that upon one POSSIBLE reading of the rules.

You're not wrong, but you're not right either.  It's just the rules as written are not conclusive that it is the only way it can be read grammatically and intentwise.

The original posters question is the rules are unclear.... and is asking if there is a clarification.   I'm telling him THERE IS NO OFFICIAL CLARIFICATION.   And many groups play it either way... and neither group is 'wrong' specifically because the rules don't say enough.

When people ask rules questions... I try to give them the straight dope even when I don't like the answer.  If I have a preference for one outcome, I then tell them why as my opinion.  Normally based on consequences which result elsewhere in the rules when it's done one way or another.   In this case... the consequences are purely stylistic... if you like more move action hero type cinematics in your games... then it works better if you do it before soak rolls... if you don't like that level of over the topness... then do it after.

[Shadowjack]

The rule on this particular bioware is very clear as written. I don't see what makes it open for interpretation. If you take two or more boxes of damage, you then reduce the damage by 1. DV is not damage taken, it's damage which needs to be resisted. No offense taken and hopefully you won't find this offensive, either. "Thus lessening the trauma from large wounds and quickly stopping bleeding." If I hit you with a 30 DV attack and you reduce all of the damage by armor, clearly you have not bled or suffered a large wound. That only occurs when you have actually been dealt damage, and that's when Platelet Factories come into play.

[Wildcard]

Shadowjack's got it. The platelet factories have no reason to engage if damage hasn't been taken.