The Rules of Engagement ...

It is important for all players to understand not only the canon rules but also the judgment calls made by the gamemasters of Dark Masque Productions where a gray area might exist in published rules. The following list is designed to be a reference available not only for DMP players but other GMs and players as well in order to provide a resource for basing your own decisions about the subjects covered. As always, any questions or comments can be directed to DMP at grendel@veldt.org.

Canon:

All standard SR4A rules are utilized including most optional rules found in the mainbook. All fourth edition rulebooks are used. Material from third edition which does not directly deal with mechanics is also compatible with SR4A, and forms a solid background to the world. The following is a list of books which are completely compatible with SR4A:

  • 25015 Shadows of North America (Reprint of 10655)
  • 25014 System Failure
  • 25007 Shadows of Asia
  • 25006 Loose Alliances
  • 25002 Shadows of Europe
  • 10667 Sprawl Survival Guide
  • 10666 Dragons of the Sixth World
  • 10655 Shadows of North America
  • 10653 Target: Wastelands
  • 10652 Threats 2
  • 10651 Target: Awakened Lands
  • 10650 Year of the Comet
  • 7219 Target: Matrix
  • 7215 Target: Smugglers Havens
  • 7214 Target: UCAS
  • 7213 Aztlan
  • 7212 Denver: The City of Shadows
  • 7211 Tir na nOg
  • 7210 Tir Tairngire
  • 7209 California Free State
  • 7208 The Neo-Anarchists Guide to Real Life
  • 7207 Native American Nations Volume Two
  • 7206 Neo-Anarchists Guide to North America
  • 7204 Germany Sourcebook
  • 7203 London
  • 7202 Native American Nations Volume One
  • 7125 Corporate Download
  • 7124 Cyberpirates
  • 7123 Underworld Sourcebook
  • 7122 Portfolio of a Dragon: Dunkelzahn's Secrets
  • 7121 Threats
  • 7117 Bug City
  • 7115 Lone Star
  • 7113 Corporate Shadowfiles
  • 7109 Shadowbeat
  • 7103 Sprawl Sites

Character Creation:

The default character creation system used is the Build Point system. Standard amount available to starting characters are 400 BP. All of the metavariants as well as sapient critters from Runner's Companion are available. Free Spirits and AIs may not be played as characters. The Karma system is not authorized yet, SR4A changed the karma costs for raising attributes and thus the recommended starting totals for the karma system are no longer accurate.

Qualities:

The Latent Awakening quality costs 10BP instead of 5. The Latent Dracomorphosis quality costs 15 BP instead of 5. Martial Arts qualities, when taken during character creation, do not count towards the 35BP limit on positive qualities. A character may only take incompetent in one skill, and that skill must be applicable to the character/campaign. The Code of Conduct quality is allowed, although if you plan on having a Code other than the listed samples it must be approved by your GM beforehand. The following new qualities are available:

Lucky as Frag (positive quality) 20 BP
The character, for whatever reason, leads a charmed life. Whenever (s)he expends an edge point, the GM rolls 1D6. On a roll of 6, the edge returns to the character as if it wasn’t spent. This does not apply when a character burns edge. This quality can be combined with Bad Luck, but may not be combined with Lucky.

Contacts:

No restrictions are placed on the number/level of contacts purchased, as long as upkeep is maintained. Realize that the more people who know you and the more people you have to keep in touch with, the easier it will be to track your movements.

Gear:

For starting characters, the normal restrictions on availability apply (max 12). Specific exceptions can be made on a case by case basis depending on the reasons given in a character's background and the gamemaster's judgment. AV ammunition exists only for light machine guns and heavier weapons. APDS ammunition exists only for assault rifles and heavier weapons. Anti-tank ammunition exists only for assault cannons. APDS, AV, and Anti-tank ammunition will not be found for sale on the street, it must be stolen. Armor Piercing Flechette rounds do not exist. High Power Chambering weapon modification does not exist. Due to this, and the fact that SR4 removed weight from gear, battle rifles are balanced by reducing their damage to 6P, -1 AP. They retain the sport rifle ranges, though. Anti-aircraft mortar rounds do not exist. Other technology from War! is available, but players are cautioned that milspectech used on the streets prompts a Lone Star HTR team. Chameleon suits function at the full -4 modifier only when moving at a walking rate or less. When moving faster, the cameras and photomorphic fabric cannot keep up and the suit only functions at half its normal rate (-2). Reaction enhancers work with both wired reflexes and move-by-wire systems. Standard grenade launchers (both underbarrel and MGL-6/12) have a sensor rating of 3.

Vehicles:

Drone weapon mounts: small and medium drones suffer full recoil penalties from mounted weapons, with the drone body acting as additional recoil compensation.

Vehicle mounted weapon recoil compensation: only the following modifiers apply to weapons mounted in a vehicle weapon mount: internal or barrel mounted gas vents, heavy barrel, electronic firing, or internal recoil compensation native to the weapon.

Skills:

Spells:

Adept Powers:

Adept Blindfighting functions identically to the Martial Arts Maneuver Blindfighting. When warding, adepts use Willpower + Intuition to resist drain.

Languages:

Only elves and dragons speak Sperethiel. No language chips of it exist and no elf would teach a non-elf to speak it.

Combat:

Grenade overdamage rules are in effect. The chunky salsa light is on. Expanded cover rules are utilized. You can always take cover, although the distinction between cover and concealment may be deliniated at some future time. The advanced combat modifiers from Arsenal for both ranged and melee combat are in effect. If a character is sucking a deadly wound, the player has the option of taking nine boxes of physical damage and having a limb blown off. Male characters have a choice of five limbs, females, four. Sorry ladies, them's the breaks. Multiple ammunition types may not be combined in a single clip. Doped gel rounds are no longer permitted.