Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Rules and such => Topic started by: Tenkel-Kwentra on <02-09-13/1756:28>

Title: Making Dream Pact more usable?
Post by: Tenkel-Kwentra on <02-09-13/1756:28>
One interpretation I've seen on dream pact was it activating whenever the character with it went unconscious for any reason, like from damage in combat.  Now, with the spirit earning karma instead of the character while doing this, it likely will cost a karma or two whenever it comes up in a mission, so not ideal, but is it a fair and balanced use of the pact?

Other interesting interpretations of dream pact I haven't seen discussed much:
1: "possessing the character the moment he closes his eyes" is an interesting choice of wording that could mean a character only needs to close their eyes to get taken over.  Allows giving the spirit control on a moments notice, though I guess this would also happen accidentally a lot, which is a potential problem, as simply blinking might mean losing control.
2: What about astral projection or going full VR? Would those perhaps trigger a dream pact?

One major thing that needs to be worked out though is what determines when the character wakes up after any of the above alternate interpretations?  The rules only state the character wakes up 'well rested', which implies to me as being without stun damage at the very least, but even that is questionable.  Even with default, normal sleep only dream pact, how long one would be under would vary: There are a lot of conditions that influence how long some one sleeps, some people sleep 10 hours a night, some people survive on 4, and the spirit would have to suppress many of the normal triggers for waking up as I doubt it'd be much of a pact if loud noises or pain would kick the spirit out.  Waking up due to an alarm or a call on the commlink would be right out for wake up methods too, wouldn't they?
Title: Re: Making Dream Pact more usable?
Post by: Blue_Lion on <02-10-13/2000:02>
Well it depends on how you rule uncoces. Is a hacker in full VR considered unconces, whould he still not get his karma for the hacking while the spirt uses his meat to put a hurting down.

I do not see the person getting controled loosing karma, for getting knocked out. He still gets the karma he earned, the spirt if able gets the karma he earns, it is not have to be a karma parasite.
Title: Re: Making Dream Pact more usable?
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on <02-12-13/0632:23>
The person is unconscious as per normal - this basically means either asleep or knocked out, essentially when your brain is no longer in a conscious high-activity state.  (High-activity dream states do not count as consciousness, wiseguy; it's a dream, ergo you're asleep.)  When you're plugged into hot VR and going toe-to-toe with some IC, you aren't unconscious; your brain is up to quite a bit.  Your body may be temporarily short-circuited, but this doesn't mean you're unconscious; it just means you're not mobile.

As a GM, I would rule that whatever would normally wake you - alarm clock, call from your fixer, whatever - would normally wake you from a Dream Pact state, unless the spirit did not want to surrender power.  At which point it would become a Will vs. Force contest, winner take all.  After 6-10 hours, though - depending on your character's normal sleep patters (someone with a sleep regulator may be 3 hours, a gator shaman may be 12 or 14) - I'd rule that the spirit would have to surrender power as your consciousness is stirring towards a normal waking state.

As for getting KO'd and waking up without any stun damage, I'd make you roll for recovering stun, and rule that you might wake up after enough boxes of stun would return you normally to consciousness.  Otherwise it might take a little longer.
Title: Re: Making Dream Pact more usable?
Post by: Thrass on <02-12-13/0634:36>
I would do the contest with force*2 vs intuition+willpower... because possession uses these dicepools for the same situation
Title: Re: Making Dream Pact more usable?
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on <02-12-13/0755:59>
Well, there you go, then.