[Captain Karzak]

At least by common sense.

Anyway, the whole discussion simply based on the FAQ/RB won't solve the issue i guess and in the end the GM has the last word anyway.

You seem confused. You see this is a RULES forum. These boards are where people go to learn how complicated parts of the ruleset actually work and to build a character by the rules.

Now I find myself agreeing more with Lanlaorn than with Mäx's in this debate, but I appreciate that sometimes arguments are required in order to produce reliable knowledge.

So I don't know where you or Lanlaorn get off lambasting Mäx for having a different interpretation.

And as for GM doing whatever the hell he wants so the rules don't matter:  I don't need a bloody internet connection to tell me that the GM can be a tyrant whenever he wants. I am no better informed for having read that kind of commentary. So I think if anything deserves sanction, it would people who come to rules forum and say crap like GM>>>>Rules in an attempt to stifle useful debate.

[Aspartem]

Wow, turn down the hate. It seems i couldn't make my point clear enough.

Of course there should be a place to discuss rules which aren't clear, but i can't see any sense in discussing how to break Shadowrun. Since you "can't win" or "defeat" another player in the sameway as in a board game / pc game or whatsoever i just don't get it why people start to bash each others head about min/max, when in the end the GM is going to say no anyway.

Helping people to understand complicated rules => Good, and that's what (imo) the rules section should be for.
Rules lawyering to break the game in a way common sense just screams NO! => Probably not the best thing to do. Specially if people start to get all furious about it.

And nice, how you just condemn my whole post because of one sentence and neglecting that i acutally answered the question anyway.

Edit: Captain, this is not the rules forum btw. It's the char creation forum. And if we're talking about char creation, yes you've to keep in mind the GM has to allow it. And frankly, while reading alot of char sheets i've got the feeling quite a few people forget that

[Zilfer]

Wow, turn down the hate. It seems i couldn't make my point clear enough.

Of course there should be a place to discuss rules which aren't clear, but i can't see any sense in discussing how to break Shadowrun. Since you "can't win" or "defeat" another player in the sameway as in a board game / pc game or whatsoever i just don't get it why people start to bash each others head about min/max, when in the end the GM is going to say no anyway.

Helping people to understand complicated rules => Good, and that's what (imo) the rules section should be for.
Rules lawyering to break the game in a way common sense just screams NO! => Probably not the best thing to do. Specially if people start to get all furious about it.

And nice, how you just condemn my whole post because of one sentence and neglecting that i acutally answered the question anyway.

If it helps the game Min/max isn't the worst thing that can happen and if it becomes a problem, just manuver around it. Either play at the weaknesses of the character or if they have no apparently weaknesses throw a clone back at them. It depends on the GM though about the accepting it, i'm getting to the point where i'm allowing much more getting away with in Dungeons and Dragons because i'm comfortable in that setting, and I can work it how i want it to still be challenging. xD There's stuff that will always be over an PC's head, and I can lead them straight there to show them even with these cool powers or advantages they have there's always a bigger fish.

and how i love those close won battles.

[Mäx]

Power Foci add their rating to the Magic Attribute for the pool (as per SR4A, p. 201), so your second example is not correct, but the FAQ is right. You don't add Power Foci to the pool after the split.

So your saying that a foci is an attribute modifier(or just power foci?)?
Does this mean the dice from it are limited to 1,5*Magic atttribute?

[Mason]

Power foci actually were a modifier to the Magic Attribute in previous editions, but it does not read that way any longer. Instead, it just adds Force to any dice pool where Magic is included-but not half Magic, Magic, so it should be applied before splitting if I got this right.

[FastJack]

Power foci actually were a modifier to the Magic Attribute in previous editions, but it does not read that way any longer. Instead, it just adds Force to any dice pool where Magic is included-but not half Magic, Magic, so it should be applied before splitting if I got this right.

A bit convoluted, but that's what I was going for.

And we're quickly approaching the argument level that justifies locking the thread to cool some heads, especially since a couple new voices seem to be joining in. Let's ease back into civility, people.

[Mason]

eep! Quick everyone, break into synchronized dancing and launch into song!

[Earthshaker]

Multi-Casting.. rules and common sense all based on SR4a

Skill specialisation to me is doing something really well never mind if it's once or twice... so to me a skill specialisation applies to each spell cast.

Mentor bonus states that you are better at casting spells of that type and that you get a bonus +2 to "type" spells - to me that means each time I cast a spell of that type and multi-casting is casting the spells twice.

Power Foci.. now this is different as the spell casting foci explicitly states that it adds to the spell casting pool i'd assume power foci work the same.

So Magic 5, Casting 5 + spec and power foci 4, mentor spirit with a single applicable bonus

dicepool 14 split any way and add +4 (spec and mentor) to each cast

So 5 and 17 casts or 11 and 11 casts

my 2c