House Rules

Below are the house rules being used in Anarchy Subsidized.

Skill Slots

During character creation, characters are limited to 6 skill slots. After character creation, this is increased to 6 active skills and 3 knowledge skills. Additional slots can be acquired by paying 3 karma per slot for active, and 2 per slot for knowledge skills.

Shadow Amp Slots

Similar to skill slots, additional shadow amp slots may be acquired by paying 5 karma.

Rule of Three

Shadow Amps, in their basic form, do one of five things:

• Increase/Decrease dice pools
• Allow/Force rerolls
• Increase/Decrease damage
• Manipulate Plot Points
• Act upon the narrative

Each Shadow Amp is limited to three of any one effect. In addition, any given Skill Test or Attribute-only Test may be affected by as many Shadow Amps as you like, but each individual effect is still limited to three.

For instance, you might have an Amp that adds 3 dice to Firearms, and another Amp that adds 3 dice to Agility-related Tests. In this case, despite being both a Firearms Test and an Agility-related Test, you may add a total of 3 dice (not 6) when attacking with your pistol. In another instance, you might have an Amp that adds 3 dice to Firearms, and another Amp that allows 3 rerolls to Agility-related Tests. In this case, both effects apply in full

Other modifiers, such as Qualities (Positive or Negative), Environment (darkness, cover), Assistance (Teamwork Tests), Range, Injury, etc., will stack with Shadow Amp effects.

If you have an Amp that grants Damage Reduction 3, and you have a Positive Quality that grants Damage Reduction 1, you may decrease incoming damage by 4.

Combining Shadow Amps

Shadow Amps may have multiple (thematically appropriate but mechanically distinct) Shadow Amp effects. The base cost is paid once (including any Karma or Essence cost). Each additional Shadow Amp effect increases the Karma cost of advancing such an Amp normally.

If you have a set of cyberarms that grant +3 to Agility-related attacks (Amp Level 4), you may add 1 reroll to Close Combat Tests by paying 5 Karma and increasing the Amp Level (to Amp Level 5). The Shadow Amp “slot” efficiency is balanced by the ever-increasing Karma cost of such an Amp. The Essence cost does not increase. You paid your price; your real arms are already in a dumpster somewhere in the Redmond Barrens...
Get over it.

Initiation and Submersion

Initiation is a way to get a deeper understanding of Magic for the Awakened. Submersion is a way to get a deeper understanding of Resonance for the Emerged. Initiation grants access to metamagic and Submersion grants access to echoes, which are simply added benefits (but they are not free). Initiation has a base Amp cost of 2. Each additional Amp Level grants your choice of 1 reroll on Sorcery or Conjuring Tests (to a max of 3 each). You may also increase the Amp level to add metamagic effects, such as spell sustaining (quickening) or spell damage reduction (shielding). These work just like other Shadow Amps, but you may avoid using another Amp slot or paying the base cost again. Unlike spells, these Amps are always active. You must be Awakened to take Initiation Submersion works the same way for Hacking or Tasking Tests, and echoes instead of metamagic. You must be Emerged to take Submersion.

Initiation (or Submersion) is just an application of Combining Shadow Amps. They have a higher base cost because they are always active.

Shadow Amp Catalog

To come.

Attribution

A number of the house rules and shadow amps on this page were taken from Surprise Threat.