Certain weapons and attacks deliver damage besides simple kinetic energy transfer.
These forms of attacks, such as flamethrowers, fireballs, lightning bolts, tasers, and toxic waves to name a few, usually have a secondary and/or extended Status effect beyond the initial attack and damage result.
Getting zapped not only hurts, but it also seizes muscles and leaves a victim shaky from muscle tremors. If a character shakes off the damage, they’re all good, but if they suffer even a single box, the character gets the Zapped status for 2 combat rounds.
Attacks that involve corrosive chemicals - acids, bases, caustics, toxins, etc. - tend to stick around and cause damage on subsequent rounds. Chemical attacks add the Corrosive status. Additionally, if the modified Damage Value of an attack exceeds the Armor of the target, the Defense boost from that piece of armor is permanently decreased by one after the attack is resolved.
No one likes being cold. The shakes, chattering teeth, hypothermia, and tissue damage are just a few reasons your life will be harder after you get hit by a cold-based attack. Taking damage from an attack with a Cold damage type inflicts the Chilled status for 3 combat rounds. Lastly, if the modified Damage Value of an attack exceeds the Armor of the target, the Defense boost from that piece of armor is permanently decreased by one after the attack is resolved.
Once you’re hit by an attack that involves fire, the fire ignites flammable objects, including you. This effect means the fire burns for several rounds after the first. Taking damage from an attack with a Fire damage type inflicts the Burning status.
The different statuses used in Shadowrun, Sixth World are described below.
Some statuses such as Burning and Corrosive come with a damage amount that is inflicted every round. This damage comes in at the end of each Combat Round - giving players and their teammates a chance to do something to remove the status. It is resisted as normal by rolling body.
Usually self-evident in the form of obvious blood loss but this also does cover internal bleeding that is as equally life threatening as a growing red stain on any clothing.
Effect: A character gains the Bleeding status when suffering more Physical damage boxes, after the resistance test, than their Body score. Additionally, it may be issued due to Glitches or other misadventures.
When you are bleeding, you suffer 1 box of unresisted Physical damage at the end of each Combat Round.
The Bleeding status can be removed when the victim receives any healing, or has a trauma patch applied. The status can also be removed via a Biotech + Logic (4, 1 Combat Round) extended test with the threshold increased by 2 if a medkit or first aid kit is not used. This test only removes the status and does not heal damage.
Whether it’s flashing lights, some specialized chemical, or the pure force of magic, there are plenty of ways to make it impossible for shadowrunners to see.
Effect: For the first two levels of this status, characters take a cumulative -3 Dice Pool Penalty to all tests involving visibility. At Blindness III, characters automatically fail any tests involving visibility.
The Burning status is the result of being hit with a flame-based attack. Once the initial blow has done its damage, you have to deal with the continuing heat and flames, and the parts of yourself that may be on fire.
Effect: The (#) next to Burning indicates the amount of Physical damage the target must resist at the end of each Combat Round while this status is active.
There are multiple ways to remove this status: A Major Action can be spent to roll an Agility + Reaction (2) test to stop, drop, and roll. You may also jump into water to remove it, and if you gain the Wet and/or Chilled status then this status is cancelled out.
When you are truly, damagingly cold, it seeps into your bones and won’t let go, and you can’t move as smoothly and nimbly as you would like.
Effect: -4 Initiative Score, -1 Dice Pool Penalty to all tests besides Damage Resistance. This status cancels and is cancelled by the Burning status.
Colors, patterns, and weird ideas swirl around your head, keeping you from being able to focus, which makes your actions uncoordinated and awkward.
Effect: The (#) indicates as a Dice Pool Penalty on any actions you take.
Acids, bases, and other caustics eat into your flesh and don’t stop.
Effect: The (#) next to Burning indicates the amount of Physical damage the target must resist at the end of each Combat Round while this status is active.
This status can be removed with certain gear (like baking soda for acids!) and equipment. The Wet status does not necessarily remove it, as some chemicals continue burning the skin even after contact with water. The gamemaster can determine when enough water has been applied to remove the chemical in question.
Whether you hide behind a wall, a dumpster, or a body, Cover is protection from hostile fire.
Effect: Cover comes at four levels, indicating how much of a character’s body is protected (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or all).
A character in Cover gets a +1 Dice Pool Bonus bonus per Cover level to Defense tests.
Attacking from Cover requires an extra Minor Action in order to get clear enough to take a shot. At Cover IV, it imposes a –2 dice pool penalty to your attack.
One too many thumps to the head, or maybe the solar plexus, leaves the character woozy and unable to act with their normal alacrity.
Effect: The character reduces their Initiative Score by -4 and they cannot spend Edge as long as they have this status.
Whether you heard a sudden, hugely loud clap, or someone stuffed your ears full of cotton-like mana, sound waves are not getting through so that your brain can tell you what they mean.
Effect: For the first two levels of this status, characters take a cumulative -3 Dice Pool Penalty to all tests involving hearing. At Deafened III, characters automatically fail any tests involving hearing.
Muscles are strained, joints dislocated, or ligaments are sprained causing the limb to be difficult to move with ease. A disabled arm or leg makes actions and combat more difficult. Gamemaster and players should take note of which limb is disabled so as to use alternative actions such as using an off-hand to attack.
Effect:
I: Minor Actions involving the affected limb (such as Move for legs or Reload for arms/hands) cost 2 Minor Actions instead of 1.
II: Major Actions that use that limb (such as Sprint for legs, or most attacks for arms) now cost a Minor Action as well. This is in addition to effects of Disabled I.
III: A Disabled leg at this level gives the character the Hobbled status. A Disabled arm inflicts a -4 penalty to skill tests using the arm. This is in addition to the effects of Disabled I & II.
At its top level, this status is that dreamlike weariness, where your legs are lead and just will. Not. Move.
Effect: Characters with this status take a –2 penalty per level to all dice pools besides Damage Resistance tests.
Characters move at 5 meters per turn instead of 10 for walking, and 10 instead of 15 for sprinting.
Something has hit your lizard brain and rational thought has left you entirely: all you have left is fear.
Effect: Take a -4 Dice Pool Penalty on any tests directed to or defending against the source of the effect.
Something has messed up your connection to the astral world, leaving that realm entirely out of your reach. Or - worse - if you were already on the astral? You're stuck there.
Effect: A character with this status is unable to move between the astral plane and the physical world - they cannot astrally project or manifest. They may still perceive astrally.
Any movement on foot is hindered - not entirely, but you're much slower than you were before.
Effect: All movement on foot, whether by Move, Sprint, or Avoid Incoming action is halved.
Just what it sounds like: you can't fragging move at all - something is keeping your feet from locomotion!
Effect: Characters suffering this status have a -3 Dice Pool Penalty on all attack tests. They also cannot use their Reaction attribute on their Defense tests.
Radiation is an insidious form of damage. A creature or person who is irradiated may not even realize that they are suffering from damage caused by radiation. This makes it different in that the damage done is measured in days instead of combat rounds.
Effect: The status is noted with a number that indicates the amount of Physical damage the character must resist at the beginning of each day due to the status. Any time the character is unable to resist all this damage, they also gain the Nauseated status.
For attacks that don’t specify what the status number should be, then the Irradiated number is equal to the Magic of the creature that caused it. If the victim suffers a critical glitch on the resistance test, reduce their maximum Body by 1. A normal glitch increases the damage taken by 1.
The only way to remove the Irradiated status is through medical treatment in a facility. This can be treated as an outpatient service, and it reduces the Irradiated status number by 1 per treatment. This treatment is covered under DocWagon Gold or higher, or at a cost of 500 nuyen per treatment.
The go-to status for sneak thieves. Those with this status are less visible to living and sentient beings.
Effect: The (#) after the status indicates the threshold people must hit on a Perception test to notice the character with this status.
Cameras and other inorganic methods of visibility detection can see someone with this status as normal.
Invisibility, but for the modern age. This spell affects living beings as much as it does inorganic sensors and cameras.
Effect: The (#) after the status indicates the threshold people must hit on a Perception test to notice the character with this status.
Invisible (Improved) affects cameras and other technological ways of seeing.
The subject has low the ability to verbally communicate during the duration of this status - they retain the rest of their faculties in which they can attempt to communicate through (sign language, texting, panic button pressing, etc).
Effect: Prevents speaking and the use of Influence-related skills.
Your stomach heaves, your head spins, and you have trouble thinking about anything other than not throwing up.
Effect: Characters must pass a Body + Willpower (2) test at the start of each Combat Round. If they fail, they cannot take an action that round. If they succeed, they can act but have lost a Minor Action.
Due to a bad step or uneven terrain, the character has trouble getting their feet under them.
Effect: The character may not spend Edge on any action linked to a Physical Attribute (Agility, Body, Reaction, Strength) or Defense tests, and they are now more likely to fall Prone, with a Glitch on a Physical test causing them to fall over.
This status persists until the character spends a Minor Action to regain their balance or falls Prone.
The drek has hit the fan and it has splattered everywhere - you have lost the ability to act in any form of coherent fashion.
Effect: Characters with this status cannot act except to avoid the condition that is causing the Panicked effect.
There is a good reason why you don’t want to be in the wrong end of a basilisk stare, and this is it.
Effect: The character is essentially turned into solid material. They cannot take any actions and they gain a +10 Armor rating.
This cancels any other damaging statuses the character may have been experiencing.
Something wrong has gotten into the character’s body, and it’s going to mess them up until it works its way through.
Effect: The (#) next to Poisoned indicates the amount of Physical or Stun damage the target must resist at the end of each Combat Round while this status is active.
The damage decreases by 1 each Combat Round.
Antidotes - both physical and magical - can remove this status.
One of the classics - you drop to the ground to get a stable shot and make yourself tougher to shoot.
Effect: The character’s movement rate is reduced to 2 meters, and they cannot Sprint. They get a +2 Dice Pool Bonus on Defense tests against ranged attacks from Medium range or farther, but –2 Dice Pool Penalty on attacks from Close or Near ranges due to their immobility.
They also get a -4 Dice Pool Penalty to melee attacks or bow attacks.
The character also gains a +2 Dice Pool Bonus to firearm and projectile weapon (besides bows) attacks.
Your ability to make noise is greatly hindered.
Effect: The (#) next to Silent indicates the threshold people must hit on a Perception test to hear a character with this status.
Microphones and other inorganic methods of audio detection can pick up the sound of someone with this status as normal.
Your ability to make noise is greatly hindered, even to inorganic technological sensors.
Effect: The (#) next to Silent indicates the threshold people must hit on a Perception test to hear a character with this status.
Microphones and other forms of technology are affected.
There’s bad news and good news! The bad news is you can’t move. Your feet are absolutely stuck in place. The good news is that if you were plagued by something before? It's gone now.
Effect: The character cannot roll Defense tests, but may still roll Damage Resistance tests.
On the plus side, Stilled halts any ongoing damage or other effects on the character. New damage may be inflicted, but any ongoing effects from it will also be canceled by this status.
Whether it’s a pouring rain, a sudden wave, or the efforts of a rampaging water spirit, you are soaked from head to toe.
Effect: Take a -6 Dice Pool Penalty to Damage Resistance tests against Cold and Electricity damage.
Cancels the Burning status, is cancelled by the Burning status, and may affect the Corrosive status.
A jolt of electrical power has hit you, leaving you fried and scattered. Your muscles aren't working quite right, either. If a character is at the hands of any Electricity damage but shakes off the damage, they’re all good but if they suffer even a single box, the character gets the Zapped status.
Effect: The subject suffers a -2 to their Initiative Score, cannot use a Sprint Major Action, and suffers a -1 Dice Pool Penalty on all actions.
The Zapped status effect normally lasts for 2 Combat Rounds.
These new statuses are available for Matrix-related circumstances.
Black IC has done a number on your cerebral cortex, you are suffering from semi-permanent dumpshock. The number after the status acts as a dice pool penalty on any actions you take.
Effect: The number after the status acts as a dice pool penalty on any actions you take.
Cerebropathy can be treated with a Biotech + Logic (host rating, 1 day) Extended test, with each successful test eliminating one level of the status.
This IC infects your device.
Effect: At level I, the virus begins transmitting your location, increasing your OS by 1 per turn as long as you are connected to the Matrix.
At level II, it begins to copy any data on the device.
At level III, it triggers immediate convergence, transmitting your current location and sending its data packet back to the host.
The virus can be quarantined (device taken offline) and disposed of with a successful Electronics + Logic (host rating, 1 hour) Extended test. A successful test reduces the level of the virus by one.
If a Cybervirus is not quarantined and removed, its level will increase on its own by 1 rank every 1D6 hours. It sends any data collected as soon as it is reconnected to the Matrix.
This Black IC reprograms your brain. The worst part? You're not aware of it at all.
Effect: Each instance of Psychotropic Conditioning imposes one of the following behavior modifications. The victim is not consciously aware they have been subjected to this conditioning.
Brand Loyalty: Hackers subjected to this must make a Composure (3) test to not impulsively purchase equipment from a manufacturer they see. They will have little to no regard for their savings if this test fails for that piece of gear.
Whistleblower: A dangerous version of psychotropic conditioning. Hackers subjected to this must immediately make a Composure (3) test or do everything in their power to reveal their location to a host or physical security by making inordinate amounts of noise for two combat rounds. This is triggered when the hacker attempts to hide from another person using Stealth or a Sleaze program.
Judas: A much more sinister form of conditioning than the other two, this forces the victim to send a detailed report to a specified recipient. This report will have names, capabilities, and descriptions of each person they have worked with for the past two weeks. This is triggered thirty-six hours after the conditioning sets in and may be voided by a Composure (3) test. This report continues to be sent every thirty-six hours for two weeks, at which point this conditioning automatically wears off.
A victim of psychotropic conditioning can overcome their behavioral modifications by succeeding at (host rating) consecutive Composure (3) tests when confronted with their triggers. They may also seek assistance in this from other runners who may make a Leadership + Influence (host rating x 2, 1 day) Extended test, with each hit adding a die to the affected player’s Composure test.
