Mechanics Rulings

Table Template for MadMan to use while making this thing

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Example	Example	Yes

Weapons

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
What is a "sniper rifle", and what is a "hunting rifle"? I ask specifically in reference to drone weapon mounts.	For the purposes of drone mounts, Hunting Rifles will include all Sporting rifles.	Yes

Armor

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Example	Example	Yes

Weapons/Armor Modification

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
The inability to put both chameleon coating and powered breakdown has been a thorn on the side of stealth. Could PCs be able to pay the price and add both to a single side slot?	The limitations on slots as relating to Easy Breakdown and Chameleon Coating will remain in place.	Yes
Could PCs pay an extra sum to make the Ares briefcase shield MAD proof, or otherwise get a MAD proof briefcase?	The Ares Briefcase Shield is non-ferrous and not itself affected by MAD scanners. It does not provide shielding to items within it, nor will Mechanics Team create wholesale rules for MAD shielding.	Yes
he biofiber pocket (HT 185) says that it obscures the auras and astral forms of foci using dual natured plant life contained within the pocket. Does that mean that this plant life has an astral form that can be detected through assensing? If so, the availability 10F biofiber pocket would give away its own illegal existence, as well as being a big neon sign saying 'search me, I'm hiding foci!' to any assensing security mage or spirit. If not, that raises the question of how the biofiber pocket actually works (and potentially if it is even necessary).	Biofiber pockets are a detectible aura, however, they generally do not extend outside of the clothing they are within unless someone sticks their head into your pants. This means they are pretty easy to not detect. It will, however, still mask foci within from being seen from outside them. Protection, unless someone is sticking their head into your pants.	Yes
Can you put a chemseal in an urban explorer jumpsuit with the helmet?	Chemical Seal may be applied to any armor that comes with it's own helmet automatically. In order to use this chemical seal, it must be... (1) Placed via capacity into the body of the armor (2)The helmet must be worn (3) And there can be no other helmet or head-covering worn in addition to it. In essence, the helmet must be closed-face, precluding one from wearing a ballistic mask or helmet on top of it. The sole exception is for Full Body Armor, which can recieve a chemical seal without the use of capacity, by having it inbuilt at the increased availability and cost listed in the core rulebook. This is only for Full Body Armor, however, not any other armor.	Yes
Does chemseal provide enough protection from the sun to reduce an infected allergy to sunlight to mild? Does radiation protection 6?	Chemical Seal does not have any particular effect on sunlight. A material's porousness to liquids and chemicals has no impact on the ability of ultraviolet (or infrared, for that matter) light to pass through. However, most armor that is capable of providing chemical seal will by it's nature reduce sunlight allergies by two steps when worn fully. Radiation protection has nothing to do with it, referring to alpha and beta radiation, not electromagnetic radiation. Ultimately, specific cases will come down to GM fiat, however, if no skin is exposed it likely qualifies for a reduction. Assume UV treatment is part of your lifestyle costs.	Yes

Cyber and Bioware

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Does Adapsin retroactively reduce essence cost of already implanted cyberware?	For simplicity's sake, Adapsin will provide immediate essence reduction of already implanted 'ware. This will leave an essence hole, without true essence recovery. This is solely to save the step of "Yo, street doc, rip out all my 'ware and put it back in."	Yes
How in gods name do Modular Connectors work for limbs? Can they be put in limbs, like putting a modular connector into an obvious cyberleg to have the ability to switch it out from the knee and below?	Modular connectors between flesh and limb work in one of two ways - either you purchase a connector and place it in your flesh, allowing you to change out any appropriately-sized limb, or you purchase a modular limb and can swap it out without the use of a connector, but only with other modular limbs. Essentially, you pay in capacity, or you pay in essence. In either case, your essence will adjust, leaving essence holes as appropriate, to any changes in your limbs. A connector does not place a limb into its capacity, so it still costs essence to have an arm attached to a connector.	Yes
There's an incredibly cheap piece of ware, Bilateral Co-ordination Co-processor, that's about 0.2 Esse and 4.5k Nuyen to eliminate the penalties for all hands, yet it seems like Nartaki's need to take Ambidexterity three times to eliminate their offhand penalties	The Bilateral Coordination Coprocessor will reduce penalties by 2 for any given action. If you are only using one non-primary hand, this will typically be sufficient. However, if you are using multiple, the GM may apply the penalty multiple times, at their discretion. I suggest they only do this in cases where multiple limbs are required to coordinate to a higher degree than firing a weapon - for example performing brain surgery.	Yes

Electronics

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Can you put a sleaze dongle on an RCC? Because that would give riggers an actual chance against deckers.	You cannot put a sleaze dongle on an RCC. You can modify in a sleaze rating per device modifications, then run Smoke and Mirrors or other sleaze-boosting programs.	Yes
Does the Virtual Machine program increase the number of autosofts an RRC can run?	Yes
"Here’s a list of handy programs for the savvy rigger and their basic function. See the Programs section of the Matrix chapter (p. 243) for more detail." -Rigger Programs Sidebar, pg. 269 Core. Are these the only programs that can be run on a RRC?	The RCC can run any common or hacking program, though many of them will not be useful. The sole exception is that they cannot run programs that alter an attribute they do not possess already. This means they cannot run, for example, Smoke and Mirrors to gain a sleaze score unless they somehow already have one.	Yes

Magic

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Can you make called shots with single target indirect spells, like lightning bolt?	You cannot call a shot with spellcasting of any variety.	Yes
Calling Ritual, Street Grimoire Page 126 The composition of paraphernalia is always specifc to the class of spirit (e.g., shedim, leprechaun, etc.). Identifying the necessary paraphernalia to call a specifc spirit type requires a Logic + Arcana [Mental] (20, 1 day) Extended Test Do I have to do this for each time I attempt Calling, or only once per class of spirit?	In order to attempt Calling, you must make the papropriate Logic + Arcana extended test to identify Paraphenalia each time.	Yes, however, calling is banned on the ShadowHaven at this time
Can you turn cyberweapons like Hand blades and spurs into weapon foci?	Implants of any kind cannot be both implanted in a living body and be a focus. Per SG, the conflicting auras do not permit it. EDIT: Qi foci may explicitly be tattooed. As a result, one may have a cyberimplant that is also a Qi Focus. Other foci remain invalid targets.	Yes	Can Free Spirits learn and use the Calling Ritual?	Free spirits cannot learn or utilize the Calling Ritual. As a general rule, "Can a spirit make more spirits" will be answered with "No" unless there is an explicit "Yes" as an exception to the general rule.	Yes
The Calling ritual states that Mundanes can use Arcana instead of Ritual Spellcasting; does this mean Emerged and non-ritual casting Awakened (Adepts, some Mysads, aspected Magi) cannot?	As relates to the Calling Ritual, someone who is Mundane (and thus able to utilize Arcana instead of Ritual Spellcasting) shall be considered to be someone who has no Magic score whatsoever. This means that Emerged can, but that non ritual spellcasting Awakened cannot. Incidentally, it also means that Dual Natured beings cannot unless they have Ritual Spellcasting.	Yes	Spirit physical bodies can ignore gravity. This is known, and explicitly called out as 'physical bodies' not 'materialized bodies'. Inhabitation (spirit power) allows a spirit to completely take over a host body, as with bug spirits, and some bugs have wings and the ability to fly explicitly stated, What about Possession (a different spirit power)?	Spirits utilizing the Possession power may only move in the ways that their host entity could ordinarily move. While this is only explicitly stated under Dead/Inanimate Vessels, we will extrapolate this to apply to living ones as well.	Yes

Combat

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Does bullseye burst apply the -2 defense penalty?	Bullseye burst does not provide any defense penalty, regardless of how many bullets are fired.	Yes
Do we use this missions rule? "In combat it says I can only make one attack action. What exactly does this mean? It means don’t get cute and try to play word games. Barring using the Multiple Attacks Free Action (in which you split your dice pool to attack multiple targets), you cannot take a second offensive action towards another character during your pass. This means throwing grenades, shooting guns, casting spells (recklessly or otherwise), spitting in their cheerios, spiking their tea with arsenic, or anything else that could be construed as a physical or mental attack in any way, shape or form. However, you may take a Free Action to cast disparaging remarks at their mothers if you so choose. If you’re not certain if an action would be an attack, well, it probably is. But ask yourself if they used it against you would it be an attack? And if you’re still not certain, ask your Gamemaster. However, be warned, if you try and argue with him he is authorized to smack you upside the head with the Shadowrun, Fifth Edition book."	This rule is in effect on ShadowHaven.	Yes

Qualities

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Does a Nartaki require three instances of Ambidexterity to eliminate their penalties? Note, penalties, not pool splitting.	A nartaki, or anyone else with Shiva Arms, requires an instance of Ambidextrous for each additional arm in order to avoid penalties with said arm.	Yes

Lifestyle

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
The Hobo With a Shotgun quality gives -2 to mental attributes if you stay in a better lifestyle than Squatter. Would staying in a Bolthole lifestyle trigger this penalty? For comparison, Squatter's max Comforts level is 2 while Bolthole's is 3 but you could always not go full on the comforts for the bolthole if that would be a deciding factor.	The Hobo With A Shotgun actually states that you will not willingly stay in a better lifestyle than squatter. This means that you cannot pay for it and add it to your sheet. The penalty to mental attributes will apply if you are forced into that situation, such as if a fellow runner kidnaps you and locks you in their penthouse in order to try to cure your obvious mental illness. The Hobo With A Shotgun quality actually does not care about your comforts and necessities value, nor any other value of an advanced lifestyle. Incidentally, a Bolt Hole is not intended for long term inhabitation. While the argument could be made that neither is a particularly sturdy cardboard box hidden under a pier, the difference is a little academic - Hobo With A Shotgun does not permit you to stay in a Bolt Hole willingly. It's something about the roofs, man.	Yes

Skills/Specializations

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Given the rulings/clarifications about Unarmed specs (allowing nerve strike, shock gloves and knucks). Is Touch a valid Unarmed spec?	Touch is a valid Unarmed skill specialization.	Yes

Other

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Question	Answer	Active Ruling?
Fencing Gear pg. 418 Core Is there a standard for the buyer's dice pool? Is this confined to tables and GMs decide on the fly? Something else I'm not thinking of?	When fencing gear, players are encouraged to utilize the rules basing the return on a contact's loyalty. However, if the choose to utilize the method that involves finding a buyer, it must be rolled out, at a table, with a GM. Needless to say, if a GM is found to be playing it fast and loose with this, the Thematics Department will probably be very grumpy with them.	Yes
Two rules have been established on the haven, with an unclear interaction: (1) Characters do not have to pay rent out of pocket for their first month, because they are considered to have already paid rent for that month (prepaid) during chargen. (2) For every month that characters pay rent, they receive 5 contact chips to improve the loyalty of their contacts. Do characters gain chips for the first month, in which they paid rent in advance?	Given that people no longer recieve contact chips each month with rent, this question is no longer relevant to the Haven.	Yes