r/ShadowrunAnarchyFans • u/ReditXenon • 17d ago
Network and Specializations
It seem as if the recommendation is that you during chargen pick a specialization in the network circle that is most relevant to your character's 'vibe' and 'background story'.
Either that, or that you should try to get a contact that give you risk reduction in a relevant specialization - to "give you an in" in a specific circle (as this also make it a lot easier to play out as a plausible reason in a narration later).
Which totally make sense.
But are there also any actual restrictions around Network circles that you don't have a specialization in (and where you also don't have a contact to give you risk reduction on)?
The Network skill says:
"Specializations are used to narrow down the circles in which the characters have an in"
"Specializations cover the circles the character socializes with..."
3
u/MjrJohnson0815 17d ago
Technically, no. You can still use Network and "ask around" in circles in which you aren't familiar (basic comparison: everyone is capable of flipping through yellow pages).
However, the specialization gives the character some flesh to work with - and contacts (which give RR on Network and/or specializations) give thr character RP opportunities, but only if their usage makes narrative sense (a street vendor in Hamburg won't be able to tell you frag about Berlin, f.e.).
3
u/Interaction_Rich 17d ago
I would guess that, from its narrativist roots, Anarchy 2.0 has Network (with or without specialization) highly dependable on the character background.
If you really want to stretch it's reach, you could allow them to roll with Disadvantage or impose a certain level of Risk to represent that they are trying to extrapolate their knowledge of a group into another. Depending on the case, a roll may simply not make sense.
IMO Network could be a separate stat (it's basically "pool of contacts") and not a skill, but for simplicity sake I think it's a good compromise and works fine the way it is.
2
u/ReditXenon 17d ago
7 of the pregens has a Network specialization, 4 of the remaining has risk reduction in a specialization via a contact, and then we have Capitán (the solder face that has a dice pool of 7 dice in Network) that doesn't have any Network specializations and also no risk reductions on Network specializations via contacts.
5
u/Carmody79 17d ago
No such limits, very well connected faces, for example can have a high Network rank and no specialization. Similarly, you could have a fixer Contact that provides RR 1 to the whole Network Skill.