[imthedci]

I feel stupid for asking, but I like verifying everything...

1. Focused Concentration says that "the spell you cast can't have a modified Drain Value of 7 or greater." Does this mean that you just can't cast spells with an equal or higher modified Drain Value? Or can you still cast those spells, but you don't get the benefit of the quality (and have to take the -2 dice pool penalty per sustain spell)?


2. Sustained spells say that the -2 dice pool penalty per sustained spell is for each action test. What is meant by "each action test"? Is this just for casting other spells or does it apply to stuff like shooting and/or making skill checks as well?

[Michael Chandra]

Q1: You can only sustain without penalty if low enough, you can still sustain with penalty if too high.
Q2: Every action test. Shooting, skill checks, spellcasting are all actions. So those are penalized. On the other hand, damage resistance is not an action in itself.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

To add to what Michael Chandra said:

With regards to the odd term "action test", it's one of those times where the language was tweaked to say "test", so that it includes things that are not actions (namely, when you're rolling to resist other people's actions!) but the editing process didn't remove the word "action".   It basically should just be saying "test" instead of "action test". 

The TL;DR on 2) is that it should apply to everything that's not a soak roll.

[imthedci]

The TL;DR on 2) is that it should apply to everything that's not a soak roll.

I'm making a cheat sheet for a friend, so do you think it's safe (i.e. easy to understand) to put down that it "applies to everything that's not a soak roll"?

[Lormyr]

I read it a little differently in that "Action tests" refer to tests that require an action on your part (major or minor). So it wouldn't apply to things like defense tests, soak tests, drain tests, surprise tests, ect.

[Xenon]

I read it a little differently in that "Action tests" refer to tests that require an action on your part (major or minor). So it wouldn't apply to things like defense tests, soak tests, drain tests, surprise tests, ect.

This is also how i read it.
That it also does not apply when you oppose "an action test".

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Due to the wording, that's admittedly a fair interpretation.

The TL;DR on 2) is that it should apply to everything that's not a soak roll.

I'm making a cheat sheet for a friend, so do you think it's safe (i.e. easy to understand) to put down that it "applies to everything that's not a soak roll"?

Well, depends.  "soak roll" is a colloquial term used by the community but isn't a technical rules name.  If you want a cheat sheet to establish using proper rules language, a better name would be "resistance test".

[skalchemist]

Q2: Every action test. Shooting, skill checks, spellcasting are all actions. So those are penalized. On the other hand, damage resistance is not an action in itself.

Just to clarify, is Drain resistance an "action test"?  I'm thinking it isn't, but seems worth asking.

[Michael Chandra]

So apparently there is indeed a mistake with the errata, my bad. -,-

So, tests. The terminology in the book is a bit sloppy at times. Technically, damage resistance is also a test. But it's a special one, since wound modifiers call them out as special.

More importantly, Drain, Fading, Damage and Toxin Resistance all are tests, but they're special ones involving resisting damage with what you are. However, of those only Damage Resistance does not involve the mind. So one could argue on one hand that anything involving the mind can suffer from distractions and injuries. On the other hand, one could argue that the inherent natural defenses of oneself also apply there so no distraction penalties, or that all four are non-'tests' since all four involve reducing a number, rather than trying to reach one or facing an opposed roll.

RAW is unclear. RAI is as well. But I personally consider all four of those a form of damage resistance, immune to wound and sustaining penalties.

[imthedci]

I read it a little differently in that "Action tests" refer to tests that require an action on your part (major or minor). So it wouldn't apply to things like defense tests, soak tests, drain tests, surprise tests, ect.

Personally, I think I like Lormyr's definition the best as it makes the most sense. So I'm gonna run with that one unless I see official clarification otherwise.

[Michael Chandra]

We've been told by several errata people that it should have read "action test" and that it was a slipup in the errata process.

[Lormyr]

Since none of us are mind readers or prophets to know what was intended, all we can do is go with what the book actually says until errata happens. Even then it can fall to a judgement call since SR is very loose to non-existent in using a lexicon of specific words to denote game mechanic definitions vs. english language definitions.

Coming this summer: The errata for the errata's errata! It's almost comical at this point.

[imthedci]

We've been told by several errata people that it should have read "action test" and that it was a slipup in the errata process.

(Forgive me, I'm figuratively trying to wrap my brain around this ) So that means that it applies to everything? I mean the only thing that I can think of in the game that this probably wouldn't apply to (i.e. that isn't a test) would be rolling Initiative...

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

You already know what the text says.  There is no official clarification as to what that's supposed to mean, in practical terms.

Several slightly different interpretations have been given upthread, but despite any titles (or lack thereof) none of them outweigh the other in terms of "official-ness".  An official clarification simply does not yet exist, so choose whichever reading you like best.

[imthedci]

You already know what the text says.  There is no official clarification as to what that's supposed to mean, in practical terms.

Several slightly different interpretations have been given upthread, but despite any titles (or lack thereof) none of them outweigh the other in terms of "official-ness".  An official clarification simply does not yet exist, so choose whichever reading you like best.

No problem. I'll go with whatever makes the most sense until I hear otherwise. 

Thanks for helping. Sorry for being so dense about this...