Rulings/Combat

Banned Combat Content

Banned Items

Banned Cyberware/Bioware

• One Shot Dart Gun (Page 91, Chrome Flesh)

Banned Ammo & Grenades

• Zapper Rounds (KC 48) shall not be permitted on the ShadowHaven in any capacity.
• Fuzzy rounds (KC 50) shall not be permitted on the ShadowHaven in any capacity.
• E0-E0 rounds (KC 51) shall not be permitted on the ShadowHaven in any capacity.
• COS Grenades (KC 54) shall not be permitted on the ShadowHaven in any capacity.
• Douser grenades (KC 55) shall not be permitted on the ShadowHaven in any capacity.
• DumDum grenades (KC 56) shall not be permitted on the ShadowHaven in any capacity.
• MCT/Winchester-Howe Hornet Direct-Fire Mini-Grenades (SL 132) shall not be permitted on the ShadowHaven in any capacity.
• Painade (Page 135, Cutting Aces)
• The Krime Crackle Fin-Stabilized HEAT Slugs (KK, 25) are banned on ShadowHaven.
• The Krime Splash Self-Defense Ammunition (KK, 26) is banned on ShadowHaven.
• The Krime Party (KK, 27) is banned on ShadowHaven.

Banned Qualities

Positive Qualities

• Revels in Murder (Chrome Flesh, Page 56)

Altered Combat Content and Rulings

Combat Actions

• The free action in conjunction with the attack action for a called shot does not reset the Take Aim bonus.
• Barring the use of the Multiple Attack Free Action you cannot take a second offensive action towards another character during your pass. This includes throwing grenades, shooting guns, casting "offensive" spells(recklessly or otherwise), spitting in their cheerios, spiking their tea with arsenic, or anything else that can in any way, shape, or form be construed as a physical or mental attack. You may as an exception use a Free Action to cast disparaging remarks at their mother if you so choose. Final say in this is left up to the GM.
• You cannot shoot the same person with two different guns on the same pass, even if you split your dice pools.
• Pouncing Dragon is it's own special Complex Action. Utilizing it as part of a subdual action is not possible as a result.
• In order to exit a subduing combat as the subduer, one must take a free action. If one has a free action available, they may do this at any time, the same as most other free actions - it need not be on their turn. However, the previously subdued party is free, since they are still in contact at that point, to take an interrupt action to attempt to subue their opponent. This is a -5 initiative interrupt action as described under "Suduing" on page 123 Run and Gun. They may also attempt a Reversal using the rules found in the same section, assuming they possess the appropriate training. There is no interrupt action needed to release a subduing combat, so your original question possesses an invalid supposition.
• all normal combat modifiers apply to the Clinch action as if it were a normal attack.
• You may only make on Clinch attempt per pass.
• Grenade, rocket, and missile launchers shall be fired one of two ways:
  • At a point in space, using a Simple Action rolling Heavy Weapons + Agility [Accuracy] (3) (or a Complex Action using the appropriate Gunnery test if mounted)
  • At an enemy target, using a Simple Action rolling Heavy Weapons + Agility [Accuracy] (or a Complex Action rolling the appropriate Gunnery test if mounted) opposed by the enemy’s defense test.

In either of these modes, the attacker fires a single munition downrange. If the attack fails to hit the threshold or misses the target, immediately roll a scatter test as per Core 182 The Mitsubishi Yakusoku MRL has specific rules which override this. In Burst-fire mode, a character uses a Simple Action to fire the weapon, chooses two targets (either a point in space, an enemy target, or one of each) and splits their dice pool amongst these two targets. Ignore the text about “self-guided systems”.

• There are, at this time, no provisos for splitting your pool with regards to multiple different weapon skills. Given that, and the restriction on multiple attacks, it is not possible to attack in a single Action Phase or Initiative Pass with two or more weapons that do not use the same skill.

Combat Defense

• The "Run For Your Life" interrupt action works against missiles, rockets and grenade launchers, in addition to indirect combat spells, explosive throwing weapon attacks and any other area of effect attack that they are aware of. It is worth noting that one is generally not going to be aware of direct combat spells, or non-combat spells, to the degree necessary to flee them.
• Perceptive Defender will apply any bonuses that are non-specific Perception bonuses. (Example: Synch applies, vision enhancement doesn't.)
• Weapon specs generally, but may at GM discretion not, apply to defensive interrupts. Specs in the interrupt (block, parry, dodge) will always apply.
• Dodge does not work on the astral.
• Parry and Block work on the astral, but only with weapon foci. They add your Astral Combat skill to the defense roll.
• Full Defense works on the astral.
• The DV for the comparison to determine if a character has been pinned does include the net hits on the defense test. The armor value for the above test includes only the armor of base armor pieces, not accessories, cyberware, magic, bioware, or any other forms of armor I am not thinking of right now. The defender's armor value is modified by AP of the weapon as long as that AP is not from electrical weapons. Note that attempting to Pin your opponent with explosive weapons is unlikely to be a very fruitful endeavor, as explosive bolts or arrows explode on impact, leaving nothing behind to pin with. As the comparison between DV and armor is not a process that has ""hits"", the ""net hits"" part refers to the net hits of the original attack test.
• Chemical seals shall remain effective unless the armor is rendered useless. Generally this means that if the armor is still worn and providing armor benefits, chemical seal will still apply. This abstraction is in place to avoid attempting to determine how bullet riddled or cut you are. An exception to this is that any melee attacks with edged weapons that cause physical damage shall bypass a chemical seal and apply the toxin for that attack only. Further attacks must cause physical damage to apply it again.
• Suppressive fire and physical area attacks resolve as they would normally: without defense tests. Suppressive fire only applies the dice pool penalty to characters in cover, and passengers are always considered to be in good cover. Shotgun blasts allow for defense tests, applying the defense test modifiers. Passengers do not get to dodge a ramming vehicle. All attacks affecting passengers, if they allow for armor, add the vehicle’s armor to passenger’s soak tests. This rule applies only to attacks that originate from outside the vehicle.
• Dodge and Full Defense is a permitted combination, including taking both with an interrupt action simultaneously for a total of -15.
• Dodge is ranks only. No Agility is applied, however, the physical limit is applied. It is a valid spec for Gymnastics and applies when taking the Dodge interrupt action and the preemptive Dodge action.

Armor Encumbrance

• Given previous precedent on ShadowHaven, armor accessory encumbrance shall be determined by average, full body strength.

Called Shots

• You cannot make a called shot with spellcasting of any variety.
• Bullseye burst does not provide any defense penalty, regardless of how many bullets are fired.
• Shredded Flesh does not require physical damage to trigger. Stun damage is sufficient.
• Knock Down uses the strength of the attacker, even in cases where damage on the attack would normally be set by some other value, such as fixed-DV weapons or spellblades.
• At this time, one cannot call a shot using a touch attack.
• Damage from Called Shot Vitals will, tentatively, be unable to be regenerated through the Regeneration critter power.
• Sharpshooter shall only apply to ranged attacks and does not apply to melee called shots.
• As the spider silk gland does not have a related Exotic Melee Weapon skill, among other reasons, the Called Shot: Entanglement isn't valid.

Ware and Power Interaction Clarifications

• Striking calluses apply to attacks with Killing Hands that use physical stats to determine DV, but not to attacks with natural or cyberweapons.
• Cyberhands do not play into calculations for attacks. For the time being, lower arms count as averaging halfway with the meat limb.
• The grapple hand may be used as a weapon using Grapple Gun stats for DV and accuracy. If one has cyber-implant weapons which deal physical damage, we would suggest a GM permit the DV to change to physical instead of stun with no further alterations, but it is ultimately up to GM fiat.

Martial Arts

• Knucklebreaker overrides the normal option of Killing Hands to select damage.
• Elemental Strike still applies normally to damage dealt by attacks modified by the Knucklebreaker technique.
• Iaijutsu permits drawing as a simple action upon successful completion of a Quick Draw test, then attacking as another simple at your discretion. It does not grant an attack as part of the Quick Draw test.
• Martial Arts specializations in the Unarmed Combat skill or other combat skills will apply to only attacks utilizing techniques.
• Kick Attack applies in any case where all of the following are true:
  • It is sensible for Reach to be applied.
  • Where the Unarmed Combat skill is used.
  • Where one is able to use their feet in order to kick their opponent.
  • When the possessor both has the technique and desires to apply it.

It does not apply to attacks made with weapons not involving kicks. Thus, the knucks or shock gloves on your hands do not get the reach bonus to attacks in any circumstances. Notably, it will now apply to Nerve Strike.

• A weapon focus bonus may apply to attacks made using the Two-Weapon Style Attack martial art. Only a single focus may add to a dice pool for any given test however.
• Grasping Vines shall now be accessible by the Cowboy Way and Whip Fighting in addition to the techniques already listed within these styles.
• The Gun Kata martial art can use machine pistols.

Weapons

• Monofilament whips may not be used with the Sweep technique unless explicitly permitted by the GM at their sole prerogative.
• Monofilament whips may not be used for the Entanglement called shot.
• The Ares Screech Sonic Rifle affects targets who are deaf or who have cyberears off normally.
• The Ares Screech Sonic Rifle cannot be used for called shots.
• The Aztechnology Striker is destroyed upon firing. It is not reusable in any sense of the word.
• The Ares Lancer is SMG sized for the purposes of cyberimplanting. Note that you need an external clip port in order to load it, as it is not an (m) type weapons.
• The Ultimax Rain Forest Carbine will use the Missions Errata, rather than the original GH3 stats
• Underbarrel weapons possess two side slots, a barrel slot, an internal slot, and an underbarrel slot, unless their original weapon type would not possess one of those. They never have a top or stock slot.
• The Shiawase Puzzler is not immune or resistant to MAD scanners, however, even recognizing it's seperate components as a weapon requires the same test whether one is using a MAD scanner or not.
• The PPSK-4 Collapsible Machine Pistol and the PSK-3 Collapsible Heavy Pistol have a concealability modifier of -6 when collapsed.
• Each throwing attack with wireless-on throwing knives or shuriken gains +1 die, pre-split, for each wireless-on throwing knife or shuriken you have thrown at that target in this combat turn.
• The underbarrel bola launcher will have accuracy 4, 1(m), and SS.
• The underbarrel chainsaw mounts a specific, given chainsaw, and uses the attributes of said.
• The underbarrel flamethrower uses a specific, given flamethrower, and uses the attributes of said.
• The underbarrel Grapple Gun functions as a normal, non-tactical grapple gun as found in Core.
• The underbarrel Grenade Launcher will have an accuracy of 3, 6(c) ammo capacity, SS.
• The Urban Tribe Tomahawk may not be used in melee. GMs may let it be used as an improvised weapon.
• The Krime Trollbow may be used to Overdraw up to Rating 12. Additionally, one is free to buy arrows up to Rating 12 for use with it.
• In the specific case of the Krime Stun Lance, one may substitute one's Clubs pool at a -4 penalty to make attacks. One may not benefit from any specialization in Clubs when doing so.
• Armtech MGL-12 shall not fire a three round burst with a complex action.
• Missiles shall not have a "sensor rating" as described in CRB 435. They may be aquired as availability as +4 and cost +500Y with respect to the base rocket.
• Cyberimplanted firearms roll with the skill associated with the base weapon and do not require an Exotic Ranged Weapon skill.
• Melee weapons may have the Ceramic/Plasteel Components modification.
• For Strength requirements of heavy weapons, use the full-body average, excluding the head.
• The Ranger Sliver Pistol has a concealability of +0. The light, medium and heavy crossbows have +5, +6 and +7 concealability, respectively.
• Underbarrel weapons are considered to possess all the modifications of the main weapon with the exception of its barrel slot mods.
• Extra belts may be represented by the spare clip gun accessory or the gear item of the same name.
• The Shock Ram will deal (STR+2+net hits)P DV -3 AP to the target, then an additional 12S(e) that is soaked separately. It can be turned on or off as a free action if the ram is wireless on. It has 1 charge, and takes 10 seconds to recharge when plugged into a power source.

Ware

• To gain the benefits of Sharkskin, you must be striking with an area of your body that has exposed skin. A good rule of thumb is that if the armor can take a chemical seal (like FBA), there is not enough exposed skin to gain the benefits of Sharkskin.

Shock Frills

• Shock Frills used to attack require a dedicated unarmed attack, but it does not need to be a clinch or grapple.
• Shock frills trigger defensively when clinched or grappled, as well as against unarmed attacks.
• Shock frills deal 8S(e) AP -5, and have an accuracy of [Physical].

Drone Mounts

• Hunting Rifles will include all sporting rifles.
• Sporting rifles will include all weapons using the sporting rifle specialization.
• The Ruger 905 counts as a Sporting Rifle.
• Sniper Rifles will include all other non-shotguns utilizing the longarms skills.

Skinlink

• If you establish a clinch or grapple or can directly touch a device or a piece of cyberware, you may attempt a direct connection hack with the Skinlink echo. Touching specific pieces of cyberware such as limbs or eyes requires making an unarmed (touch) attack with the location-specific called shot mechanics described starting on page 112 of "Run and Gun", and the Matrix action you take is only rolled on a success in the same manner as a touch spell. The cyberware must be touched directly for this to work; internal cyberware may not be targeted this way. Single devices such as drones or vehicles require you first to establish a clinch with one action, after which you may take a Matrix action assuming the clinch is still in place.

Ammunition

• You cannot buy hits to handload your own ammunition. However, remember that you can buy it.
• Handload ammunition retains the availability of the ammo it is duplicating.
• Explosive and Ex-Explosive rounds are non-penetrative rounds, thus do not penetrate barriers.
• Seeker Shafts use the rating of the arrow and their bonus stacs with the smartlink bonus.
• DMSO can be added to the Narcoject Gas Gun.

Gyrojet

• Ammo Types: "The Gyrojet pistol has two types of ammo. The full statline will be provided below. One of these is fabricated but identical to what is listed in Hero Lab.

Gyrojet Ammo - +0 DV, +0 AP. 12F availability. 80 nuyen/10 rounds.

Gyrojet Stick'n'shock - -2S(e), -5 AP. 14R availability. 160 nuyen/10 rounds."

Parashield Dart Weapons

• Parashield Dart Pistol: Parashield Dart Pistols will be treated as Heavy Pistols for the purposes of mounting them on drones and vehicles.

• Parashield Dart Rifle: Parashield Dart Rifles will be treated as Sniper Rifles for the purposes of mounting them on drones and vehicles.

Flechette

• Flechette Ammo: Weapons with Flechette as part of their damage code default can only fire flechette rounds. This does not include Stick n Shock Flechette..

• Flechette Ammo Stick n Shock Flechette can only be loaded into shotguns per RAW.

Specializations

• You make take a spec in "Improvised weapons" for the Clubs skill.
• Making multiple attacks with two different weapons can benefit only from one specialization. There is no functional difference between having a specialization in one or both of these weapon types.

Accessories

• Improved Range Finder does not stack with magnification of any kind, whether or not it is on the weapon.
• The Smartgun must be wireless on in order to receive the wireless bonus. Directly connecting to a wireless off smartgun provides all the benefits of a smartlink except the wireless only dice bonus.
• Ceramic/Plasteel weapon mod can only be applied to firearms.