Revised Shadowrun Etiquette rules

This is a quick recycling of a post I made to ShadowRN last month. I’m heading out for vacation in a couple days and didn’t have time to finish the article I was working on. Feedback and comments welcome via email.

As written, the Shadowrun Second Edition etiquette rules are rather confusing, and worse, flawed. Many people have differing interpretations of these rules. These alternate rules hopefully clear up any confusion.

Current problems: etiquette requires a concentration, but has no general skill. Characters may only have one concentration at CharGen, but does that count for etiquette? When buying a ‘new’ etiquette skill, is it at normal costs, or concentration costs?

Proposed changes

The following etiquette skills are now general skills:

Etiquette (Gang)
Etiquette (Street)
Etiquette (Corporate)
Etiquette (Criminal)
Etiquette (Matrix)
Etiquette (Tribal)
Etiquette (Culture)
Etiquette (Government)

Feel free to add or remove these as you see fit, however adding many more can affect game balance.

These skills are raised in cost like any other general skill:

Rating * 2 = Cost

If you are trying to raise an etiquette skill which you don’t have exposure to at the current time, the cost is:

Rating * Modifier * 1.5 = Cost

The modifier will differ if the etiquette skill is a general, concentration, or specialization.

Example: Bluto has etiquette (Matrix):3 and wishes to raise it to 4, however his deck is toast, so he can’t be online for the next 3 weeks, while raising the bucks for a new MCMP. He tries to keep abreast on recent matrix events by watching matrix oriented trid shows and reading Deckmeister magazine. He needs to spend 12 Karma to raise his skill to 4.

4 * 2 * 1.5 = 12
New Rating * General Skill Modifier * 1.5 for no exposure to etiquette environment.

Basic Etiquette Skills

Gang, Matrix, Corporate, Tribal, Street, Government, Culture

Etiquette (Gang): The character can function in a street or go-gang environment. He can name the leaders of the main gangs in the sprawl and knows where to find the names of the others. He knows which gang is coming his way when he sees purple jackets and black bikes coming his way.

Concentrations: Per gang.
Examples: Etiquette (Gang) (Red Spiders), Etiquette (Gang) (Red Hot Nukes)

Etiquette (Matrix): You can operate in the matrix without making an ass of yourself. You can name important online places, personalities, and know how to behave in those places.

Concentrations: Per location or ‘other’
Examples: Etiquette (Matrix) (Mailing lists), Etiquette (Matrix) (Neuro Blade), Etiquette (Matrix) (Crime)

Etiquette (Corporation): You understand how the various corps work and how they interact. You can name the big 8, some of their subsidiaries, and you know if they bow or shake hands after doing business.

Concentrations: Per corporation or facet of business.
Examples: Etiquette (Corporation) (Ares), Etiquette (Corporation) (Overseas trade)

Etiquette (Street): You can live in the back alleys and undergrounds of the sprawls. You understand that the street is alive and growing, and you can adapt to it. You can track down someone who can get you a gun, and maybe find some kindred souls to help you out. Etiquette (Street) is very close to etiquette (Gang), and etiquette (Criminal), so they can be somewhat intertwined.

Concentrations: Per area or location. It’s a more generic skill than the other etiquettes, so less likely to be concentrated in.
Examples: Etiquette (Street) (The pit), Etiquette (Street) (Puyallup)

Etiquette (Criminal): You can find things on the black market, name some of the local crime bosses, and fit in with the criminal element.

Concentrations: In criminal faction or activities.
Examples: Etiquette (Criminal) (Yakuza), Etiquette (Criminal) (BTL Smuggling)

Etiquette (Government): You know how the politics of a country work, and the various parties that run in those countries. You understand party tactics, and what it takes to get elected in a given country.

Concentrations: Per country
Examples: Etiquette (Government) (Britain)
Specializations: Per party
Examples: Etiquette (Government) (Britain) (Liberals)

Etiquette (Tribal): You know a tribe’s various rituals, its styles of life, the garb it wears, what it values, its enemies and friends.

Concentrations: Per tribe
Examples: Etiquette (Tribal) (Salish Indians)

Etiquette (Culture): You know some of the culture’s history. You know what words you shouldn’t say over dinner, and what they consider good food to be eating for dinner. Etiquette (Culture) requires a concentration in a specific culture, however, it does not count towards the character’s one concentration at Character Generation.

Examples: Etiquette (Culture) (Japanese), Etiquette (Culture) (American)

(I would say there is still an ‘American’ culture, despite the fragmentation of the country.)

I’m currently working on an etiquette skill web, for easy defaulting between the various etiquettes. (I’ve also been saying this for about a month…)

Adam Jury - Tuesday, July 8 1997