Question on Maneuvers

[THE_ANGRY_GAMER]

Okay, I have a question about maneuvers. It's kinda split into two parts:

1. Is it possible to perform navel-gazing manuevers out of combat? The RAW doesn't seem to suggest that, but it seems kinda reasonable to me.

2. If it is possible, could one place an aspect like Ready for Anything on oneself, and tag/invoke it for +2 in the Alertness roll to determine Initiative? It seems logical that an individual who was prepared and expecting a fight would react faster than one who wasn't.

[Mr. Death]

I'd say yes and yes.

[Ghsdkgb]

I'd say yes, with the caveat that such aspects will expire after a time. You couldn't set up that ready for anything and invoke it the next day, for example. If your character has a nap, you'd have to re-establish it with another roll. Similarly, if your character is on midnight guard duty and going into his seventh straight hour with no breaks, the GM might call for an endurance roll to keep the aspect.

Basically, yes, but the rules do specify that these aspects are temporary, and the duration should depend on what makes sense to the group.

[THE_ANGRY_GAMER]

I'd say yes, with the caveat that such aspects will expire after a time. You couldn't set up that ready for anything and invoke it the next day, for example. If your character has a nap, you'd have to re-establish it with another roll. Similarly, if your character is on midnight guard duty and going into his seventh straight hour with no breaks, the GM might call for an endurance roll to keep the aspect.

Basically, yes, but the rules do specify that these aspects are temporary, and the duration should depend on what makes sense to the group.

Of course. Cool.

[Haru]

1) Sure, that's absolutely valid. For example, you could do an NGM for a scholarship roll, if you say you first gather materials about the subject you want to learn about and then use those presorted material to find what you are looking for. Of course, this is going to take time, so another valid option is to shift the duration of the activity around on the time table (YS315), depending on how much time you have or how many extra shifts you need.

2) Also viable, though at some point I would probably compel a character who is always "ready for trouble", to be a bit trigger happy and shoot a rat or something, thus declaring his presence. Double edged aspects ftw

And Ghsdkgb is of course right about the time thing, you can't always be ready for anything. Or if you are, then you will be really (really really) jumpy after a while

[THE_ANGRY_GAMER]

1) Sure, that's absolutely valid. For example, you could do an NGM for a scholarship roll, if you say you first gather materials about the subject you want to learn about and then use those presorted material to find what you are looking for. Of course, this is going to take time, so another valid option is to shift the duration of the activity around on the time table (YS315), depending on how much time you have or how many extra shifts you need.

2) Also viable, though at some point I would probably compel a character who is always "ready for trouble", to be a bit trigger happy and shoot a rat or something, thus declaring his presence. Double edged aspects ftw

And Ghsdkgb is of course right about the time thing, you can't always be ready for anything. Or if you are, then you will be really (really really) jumpy after a while

Yeah, I agree on all points. Personally, I'd drop the Aspect after the tag to gain Initiative - you can't be on your toes all the time, so having it after a fight shouldn't be possible, and it's kinda useless after determining Initiative.

[Sanctaphrax]

1. No, at least not by my reading. But you could use a Declaration, which is not much different.
2. See above.

[THE_ANGRY_GAMER]

So an Alertness Declaration of 'My character was expecting a fight' would be allowable, but making an Alertness Manuver to place an aspect 'Expecting a fight' before any fight  would be disallowable? Sounds kinda hinky to me. That said, I suppose it comes down to one's Gm, and since Haru is my current GM, that's fine.

[Sanctaphrax]

Really, this is just terminology. Maneuver is a term specifically used in the conflict rules and a few other places.

People tend to use it all over the place, but many "maneuvers" are actually Declarations.

[GryMor]

The spell casting rules use maneuver in non conflict situations. A _lot_ of thaumaturgy is, mechanically, a stack of navel gazing maneuvers.

[InFerrumVeritas]

Specifically, the answer to question 2 is a declaration.  However, it is mechanically no different and perfectly acceptable.

I have a character who often makes an "Enhanced Reflexes" potion.  He creates the aspect (3 shifts) then puts everything else into duration so that he can tag the aspect (we usually ballpark it taking 3 shifts for "whole session" duration of something which would normally last a scene).  He'll then tag it either for initiative or athletics.

[Sanctaphrax]

Most of the few non-combat places where maneuvers exist are types of spellcasting.

Doesn't matter much, though, since as InferrumVeritas said there's really not much difference between a maneuver and a Declaration in this context.

[THE_ANGRY_GAMER]

Okay thanks for the clarification.

[Jimmy]

And Ghsdkgb is of course right about the time thing, you can't always be ready for anything. Or if you are, then you will be really (really really) jumpy after a while

Prime reason you don't leave your Street Samurai's Wired Reflexes on all the time in Shadowrun