[Erling]

Rulebok reads as follows:

"Take Aim actions are cumulative, but the benefits are lost if the character takes any other kind of action—including a Free Action— at any time before attacking."

"The suppressive fire zone lasts until the end of the Combat Turn as long as the firer does not move or commit to any other action. Anyone in the suppressive fire zone or immediately adjacent to it takes a dice pool penalty to all actions equal to the shooter’s hits, unless they are completely unaware of it (a magician using astral projection, for example)."

Technically rolling Reaction+Intuition to defend against incoming attack isn't defined as action: it's not listed as Free, Simple, Complex, Interrupt or Special action.

So I can figure out that:
1) defending against the attacks doesn't break Take Aim benefits accumulation;
2) defending against the attacks doesn't make shooter stop suppression fire;
3) defender's dice pool isn't affected with suppression fire modifiers (being suppressed doesn't prevent character from using his full Reaction+Intuition dice pool).

Is that correct?

[firebug]

Those assumptions seem correct from what I understand of the rules.  While a GM would be within reason to say they're different, (I could see getting shot at messing up Take Aim, for instance) the rules seem fairly clear about them.

[Erling]

My doubts are driven by common sense and nature of defensive roll.

I do believe that avoiding incoming attack interrupts aiming, as well as being under suppression fire affects defender's ability to defend against other attacks (he's busy enough trying not to catch some stray bullet, and if at the same time another folk is shooting at him, defender is in trouble).

Although defending in combat isn't strictly mentioned as action, there are some leads (not undoubted though) to consider such to be action.
For instance, some defensive measures are mentioned as actions (particularly Interrupt Actions) - Block, Parry etc. Those actions use Reaction+Intuition+(appropriate Skill/Attribute), which is much like regular defensive roll (except for adding skill/attribute to dice pool).

[RHat]

Here's the thing about the standard defense roll in Shadowrun:  Unless you're Unaware, it is assumed you are never not doing the things involved.  If Take Aim interfered with that, it would require a VERY specific statement.

The Active Defenses, on the other hand, are inherently a different case because they do represent doing something other than what you're already never not doing.

[Xenon]

Actions are listed on p. 163 - 168

You can't Take Aim, Take Cover and still benefit from your Take Aim. You can also not Take Aim, Hit the dirt or Drop Prone and still benefit from your Take Aim.

Supressive fire end if you Take Cover,  Hit the dirt or Drop Prone.

The dice pool for defense is reduced by one for each time you take a defense test before you get to act again, but it is not reduced by two just because you are under Supressive fire (but hacking a host from AR would take a negative dice pool modifier of 2 dice if under Supressive fire).

[Erling]

You can't Take Aim, Take Cover and still benefit from your Take Aim. You can also not Take Aim, Hit the dirt or Drop Prone and still benefit from your Take Aim.

But can I Take aim -> defend against incoming attack with R+I dice pool -> shoot and have benefits of Take Aim action?

The Active Defenses, on the other hand, are inherently a different case because they do represent doing something other than what you're already never not doing.

Does that mean that simple defense roll doesn't stop suppression fire, while Dodge does?

[Top Dog]

Does that mean that simple defense roll doesn't stop suppression fire, while Dodge does?

Dodge is specifically listed as an action - an immediate action, in this case (p168).

[Erling]

Dodge is specifically listed as an action - an immediate action, in this case (p168).

Didn't I mention it at reply #2?

[Xenon]

Yes you can continue to use suppressive fire or aim while someone attack you. But you can not continue suppressive fire or aim if you take a Dodge interrupt action.

[Erling]

Thanx, Xenon

[Tarislar]

So the consensus is ..................

As long as your just using Reaction+Initiative (-1 for each added attack),   you could Take Aim for 3 actions in a row,  all the while praying you don't get shot,  and then fire with the extra dice from repeated take aim ?

[Xenon]

Most people would probably take the shot once combat start
(or possible take aim as one simple action and take the shot as his other simple action).

But yes, you can keep on using Take Aim actions even if people shoot at you
(rule-wise it seem as if you can keep on aiming even if you are hit as well).


with a willpower of 4 you reach your maximum bonus of +2 dice after doing nothing but aim during just one single initiative pass...

[Top Dog]

Dodge is specifically listed as an action - an immediate action, in this case (p168).

Didn't I mention it at reply #2?

Oops, sorry, totally read over that part. So yeah, I basically agree with the consensus.

[Erling]

So the consensus is ..................

As long as your just using Reaction+Initiative (-1 for each added attack),   you could Take Aim for 3 actions in a row,  all the while praying you don't get shot,  and then fire with the extra dice from repeated take aim ?

Yes, kinda like that

Now I wonder if suppressing firer's net hits shall affect character which uses Block or Full Defense  Because those two ARE actions.

[Tarislar]

with a willpower of 4 you reach your maximum bonus of +2 dice after doing nothing but aim during just one single initiative pass...

Wait, Willpower affects Take Aim ?    I have to go read some rules.