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 SR3 rules are utilized including most optional rules found in the mainbook. All third edition sourcebooks are used, as well as those second edition sourcebooks that have no third edition counterparts, i.e. Cyberpirates, Aztlan. Most optional rules in M&M and CC are utilized as well.

Character Creation:

Either priority system or point system is acceptable. Use 125 building points for generation. If the priority system is used, then any edges taken must be balanced by flaws. The edge skill aptitude is accompanied by a one point reputation and an extra enemy based around the character's uncanny ability. No restriction is placed on the number of flaws taken. Additionally, the flaw addiction at 2 points and the edge state of the art at 4 (beta) or 8 (delta) points have been carried over from second edition.

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 (rating 6/ availability 8). 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 autocannons. APDS ammunition will not be found for sale anywhere. It must be stolen or scavenged. Likewise, BattleTac gear will not be found for sale at all. This includes BattleTac cyberware, BattleTac FDDM and IVIS modules and RC deck components.

Vehicles:

Players can decide upon purchase of a vehicle whether or not they want to pay monthly upkeep or calculate optempo. Use the vehicle availability listings in Rigger 3 Revised. No military/security vehicles will be available for sale to characters. ED and ECD are purely security/military items and will not be found for sale to characters. Optional Vehicle Subsystem damage rules are in effect. Vehicle mounted weapons may be equipped with grenade links at the listed price. Weapons so equipped fired using sensor enhanced gunnery rules are treated like air-timed minigrenades.

Skills:

Background skills for already purchased active skills start when the active skill reaches rating 4. Optional skills found in CC are used for leadership and small unit tactics. All optional martial arts are open to characters, but it is strongly suggested that if your character utilizes a martial art that the player have some experience with a martial art as well. The active skill Disguise is an intelligence based skill covering the application of make-up, dyes, colored lenses, shoe risers, speech accents, gestures, and styles of movement to camouflage one's true identity.

Spells:

Minimum karma cost for spells is one point of good karma. Using spell points during character creation to bond foci is allowed as per normal rules. Beware focus addiction. A spirit's force must exceed the rating of a spirit barrier in order for their powers to affect anyone protected by the barrier. A spirit of higher force will suffer a negative modifier to all its powers that pass through a spirit barrier of lesser rating.

Languages:

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

Karma Pools:

Staggered rate karma pools are in use as per p. 82 of the SR Companion. A character who burns karma that puts them below a threshold while having enough good karma to add one to their karma pool automatically loses one point of good karma into their karma pool. Team karma pool is available for usage. The team karma pool will decrease when any team member leaves/dies by the fraction that member represented. (8 members in team, one dies, 1/8 of team karma disappears) Karma pools refresh at GM discretion, usually any time the group has a chance to sleep. Karma pool usage for long duration endeavours; spell learning, vehicle construction, programming, may be restricted.

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 optional wound effect rules are in play, it is a player's responsibility to verify that his/her resistance roll garnered at least one success. 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 be combined in a single clip except for caseless and flechette. Burst capable weapons firing bursts of more than one type of ammo do damage as the least powerful round in the burst. Doped gel rounds are no longer permitted. Crossbows may mount internal smartlinks plus an additional accessory with a bow accessory mount.