Contacts and Starting Action Dice

[Provocateur]

Hopefully this hasn't already been asked:

Is it possible for my acquaintance-grade contact to summon a specialist that has the 5th-level Sleuth class ability "It's Elementary" to use the Friends on the Force option?

I mean, I know it technically is possible: the acquaintance-grade contact's specialist can have any 1 base class ability from up to 6th level. But Friends on the Force summons a number of police "equal to your starting action dice." How does this use of a contact work since specialists don't get any action dice but still get the option of using this particular Sleuth ability? Does it work? 

Thanks for thinking about it.

The Provocateur, here for all your provoking needs

[Mister Andersen]

Contacts use (and spend) your action dice for any abilities that involve them

[Provocateur]

So then the contact would use my starting action dice total to determine how many police his specialist's Friends on the Force ability summons?

'Cause that'd be swell.

Everyone else in agreement?

'Cause that'd be even sweller.

The Provocateur, here for all your provoking needs

[Psion]

I mean, I know it technically is possible: the acquaintance-grade contact's specialist can have any 1 base class ability from up to 6th level. But Friends on the Force summons a number of police "equal to your starting action dice." How does this use of a contact work since specialists don't get any action dice but still get the option of using this particular Sleuth ability? Does it work? 

Actually, Mr.A is right when it comes to spending action dice, but for the purposes of abilities that refer to "a number equal to your starting action dice", this blurb out of the 2.2 errata applies:

"“Starting Action Dice” (page 446): Each time an NPC benefits from a character option that refers to his ‘starting action dice,’ that number is determined as if the NPC were a special character with a Career Level equal to his Threat Level: 3 dice for levels 1–5, 4 dice for levels 6–10, 5 dice for levels 11–15, and 6 dice for levels 16–20."

That should about cover it.

[Mister Andersen]

That passage is about NPCs using the "Class Ability" NPC quality.

For contacts, it's specifically based on the action die of the summoning character.

[Psion]

That passage is about NPCs using the "Class Ability" NPC quality.

For contacts, it's specifically based on the action die of the summoning character.

I don't know where you are getting that from. The contact text has basically the same content: "Each successfully summoned specialist uses the ability at his disposal, as directed by the summoning player character. If the specialist’s career level is required, it is equal to the team’s current Threat Level." I think you are thinking of the fact that if you use a specalist's ability that modifies some sort of ability, you use your own.

[Mister Andersen]

You'll note the text is talking career level of the NPC. Important for abilities such as Flawless X.

But it's not talking action action dice. Anything reliant on the number of starting action dice for an ability brought to play by a contact relies on the summoning charactder's AD. It's been flat out stated at least once on the old Crafty boards, but think of it as a modicum of restraint on what a contact allows a player to bring to bear on the narrative.

[Psion]

You'll note the text is talking career level of the NPC. Important for abilities such as Flawless X.

But it's not talking action action dice. Anything reliant on the number of starting action dice for an ability brought to play by a contact relies on the summoning charactder's AD. It's been flat out stated at least once on the old Crafty boards, but think of it as a modicum of restraint on what a contact allows a player to bring to bear on the narrative.

I think you are mis-remembering the old discussion about the war chest ability. That ability uses your abilities because that's the way its phrased; it falls under the "character uses the ability as if it was their own" clause. That's different than abilities that require you know the specialist's level, which is clearly spelled out in the book and errata as being equal to threat level.

We'll wait for Morg to show up and clarify, but I think if he had said something that basically over-ruled existing text, I'd have remembered.

[Antilles]

Nothing new to add, just that I think Psion's right. I think I recall the war chest discussion ended with Psion's version being confirmed as the correct one. But yeah, I guess we'll have to wait for Morg to get an answer to this one.

[Mister Andersen]

Each time an NPC benefits from a character option that refers to his ‘starting action dice,’ that number is determined as if the NPC were a special character with a Career Level equal to his Threat Level

Notice the emphasis. The specialist called in via a PC's contact isn't benefiting from that character option, the PC is. Hence the PC's starting action dice are used to calculate the benefit, not those of the specialist.

[Provocateur]

Either way, thanks for the lively discussion, guys. I'm content knowing that I can use a contact to tap into the Friends of the Force Sleuth ability. How it happens is just icing, albeit important, errataesque icing.

The Provocateur, here for all your provoking needs

[Morgenstern]

Class Confidential includes detailed language for specialists based on that class' abilities. In this case you'd be looking at~

Acquaintance: Specialist (friends on the force). After successfully reaching your contact, you may call upon one of their specialists to persuade the police to come to your aid. If you are in a city, a number of local police equal to your starting action dice arrive to assist you. Each of these NPCs is a Tier II police officer (see 2.0, page 453). Per the GC’s discretion, they help you in any non-combat endeavor for which they’re skilled and equipped until the end of the current scene, or until one of them loses more than 1/2 his vitality points (rounded down), loses 1 or more wound points, fails a Morale check, or suffers a critical injury, at which point the entire group withdraws.

[Mister Andersen]

Each time an NPC benefits from a character option that refers to his ‘starting action dice,’ that number is determined as if the NPC were a special character with a Career Level equal to his Threat Level

Notice the emphasis. The specialist called in via a PC's contact isn't benefiting from that character option, the PC is. Hence the PC's starting action dice are used to calculate the benefit, not those of the specialist.

So this is indeed the correct interpretation - PC benefiting from NPC ability=PC action dice?

[Provocateur]

Seems so.

Thanks, Morg.

And nice call Mr. A.

The Provocateur, here for all your provoking needs

[Forcegypsy]

Crunchy yummy goodness. Thanks for the ruling Scott and for the lively discussion everyone else. Every single one of these is useful now that I'm gearing up to run Spycraft again.