Shadowrun

I haven't played in a while either. Planning on continuing my game with my cousin when I see him over the holidays.

• He's a Triad contractor from the UCAS just arrived in Fukioka, Japan, partly to avenge his family, incinerated by the Yakuza Flamethrower Clan when he was young, partly to find a Ninjitsu teacher, and partly just to have something to do.
• I'm actually trying to figure out what adventures to give him. The Triads are a the underdog side of a Mob War that started as he arrived. I figure, it's a solo game, he's a Shadowrunner, and we need an Unexpected Genre Change, so he's got a budget, a shack safehouse, and he needs to put together Task Force 141 for special Mob War-fare.

Off the top of my head, I think the next mission is to buy or blackmail some police officers. Important, but I'm not exactly sure how one does that, and the usual car battery and jumper cables probably won't be appropriate here. Pity, it's almost patriotic.

I was thinking later, either for a massive raid, or to move to the next stage, massive auto battle along the highway. Motorcycles, guncars, maybe an armored semi or a helicopter as a boss.

• Maybe I should pick up Unwired, for more vehicle rules. That one covers rigging, right?

Jeez, looking back, it seems my campaign is like a cross between Modern Warfare 2 and Grand Theft Auto 4. I suppose it's because my usual style is Sure, Why Not?.

I couldefinitely use suggestions and advice.

edited 24th Nov '10 10:06:27 AM by DrRockopolis

Massive auto battle on the highway? I planned this one for the ending of my adventure (if, of course, the party wouldn't be so "resourceful" to fuck up all the resistance before evac), with a little twist. Someone landed a finishing hit? Roll your Edge, buddy, if you get any hits, things get Crazy Awesome (two pursuing cars crash into each other, pursuing car explodes, pursuing car explodes and starts a chain reaction, pursuing car gets t-boned by a truck etc.). Just a little bonus for tense moments.

That seems like an interesting way to resolve mass combat; it's thematic, as you perform well, the director sets.off the pyrotechnics.

I always thought a rigger on a monocycle with a bow would be awesome. Like a modern mongol horse archer.

Hmm...who gets what? Motorcycles and cars a plenty on both sides, but stuff like "Tank!" and "Chopper!" are enemy bosses. How about the armored semi? Triad backup? Any other ideas for uniques? A Train?

Wow, almost wondering if I should make this the genre change, spend a few adventures autoduelling on the highway before 'settling down' back in a city.

You know, I could see a Shadowrun game of X Com; Insect Defence...a horribly financed secret organization hunting down insect spirits.

So Ares deciding to cut costs by fobbing it off on some hired runners and a poorly funded shell corp? Yeah I could see that.

edited 27th Nov '10 10:51:34 AM by Alkthash

Or you could approach it from the over side and have Bugbusters. Who you gonna call?

Maybe I should look into getting Street Magic.

Yeah, for X Com, you're dealing with Megacorps who deal with the bottom line, not with not getting eaten by bugs.

I think the problem would be replicating the overmatched and rapidly slaughtered aspect. I supposed teams B through Z die horrible offscreen deaths; hey, get bonus karma for figuring out creative or funny deaths, or spend a mission playing as the bugs.

R&D is going to be mostly magical, and upgrading is going to be about being able to afford gear.

edited 27th Nov '10 11:25:04 AM by DrRockopolis

Just got an idea for a NPC: elven black metal vocalist, stage name "Malekith", who caused a scandal by bonking a fourteen-year-old fan/groupie. Not like she didn't want that. Her parents, well, are another thing.

So now it's his duty to fight against the law?

Well, I'm guessing he could use help... Or someone could fuck up his career further by impersonating Malekith's fans and hacking the meddlesome parents to bits.

And lemme guess, he has a hilariously bad BTL addiction too right?

I haven't considered that one. I still have to figure out all the funny substances in Shadowrun, all I remember is that you're stuck in Astral Vision for a good few hours after smoking deep weed. In addition to usual effects of smoking pot, which may include mania, depression, hallucination and munchies.

Any of the memory erasing Laés derivatives are fun, especially the cocaine blend, that makes you forget you got high.

As for BTL addiction, I thought about it and NO. This guy is so awesome he should record BT Ls himself. I mean, when you drive the crowd red-hot for two hours straight and then end up in bed with three chicks and a guy, not mentioning three large bottles of whiskey and assorted dope, it's gotta be awesome.

I wonder what having your BTL played back to you is like? Wait, isn't that the memory stimulator thing they use in cyberzombies?

Wow, the starting Smuggler character is actually pretty powerful. I figured I'd saddle my cousin (playing an Elf Triad) with a Stalker with a Crush (the Smuggler is an Elf Poser), mostly as a driver and backup. Play her as kinda airheaded despite the high Logic and Intuition, since it's a mostly free backup character. Turns out she's really good at driving, and really good at killing people, and handy for technical activities.

• Turns out a door mounted light machinegun firing explosive bullets can almost annihilate a goon squad in one turn. I didn't think she'd be that deadly.

How would you rule a glancing hit from a flamethrower? The flamethrower goon managed to clip her as he was getting gunned down.

Heh, Being stranded in Japan (with no Amm-U-Nation), with his allies scattered, we were joking that the local Triad boss was busy trying to get weapons shipped from China; unfortunately, the arms dealers only buy in bulk, so if he wants a thousand Kalashnikovs, he'd be fine, but since he only wants a dozen, he has to wait until they fill up a shipping container. Plus, he keeps getting transfered to horrible customer service in India.

Did you just make a Shadowrun equivalent of Lex Vincent (my Nosferatu Wrench Wench), just being a bimbo instead of a tsundere?

Perhaps, but I'm not familiar with your character. I ended up naming her Milly, short for Millicent, the most nebbish name I could think of on short notice (no offence to actual Millicents, but that's the stereotype. Upon further reflection, I think it's actually kind of cool).

• "What's your name?" "La Excellente!" *glare* "...Millicent."
• I'm not sure how I'm playing her, actually. I was going to use bimbo, but it seemed like a rather strong word. I mean, you can't be too stupid in Shadowrun.
• I just noticed she drives a van...and the equivalent of some Bugati Supercar.

Hah, the entrance was kinda funny. Triad survivors are huddled on the docks, when she just drives her van out of the water. And she somehow had her sportscar disassembled and stored inside the van.

Just started a 1 month, winterbreak induced, hiatus on my Shadowrun game. Fresh runners are so cute. "Wait, Can I call up my Hacker friend? Where do I get Grenades? What do you mean Lonestar is shooting rockets into my house?!"

But they are also quite annoying, "Ok, so, like, How do I cast spells again? Ok, whats Drain?"

But my Most Favorite quote went something like this:

Me (GM): Alright Decker, I need you to roll a Hacking + Edit Roll. Decker: Ok. (Rolls 12 Dice) 5 successes. Me: Coolio, Oh! Did you remember to Engage your Stealth program? Decker: Whoops! (Rolls 12 Dice) 5 Successes. Me: Wow. Wait a sec, let me see your character sheet... <<Has Computer skill group at 6, bought all programs at rating 6.>> So... Know what? I'm just gonna say Roll 12 Dice anytime you want to do something on the computer. Decker: Oh wait, I get +2 from hot ASSIST. Me: Well, Good to know that you OWN the matrix.

Well, Lex (Alexandria Jane Vincent) is the team's driver and marksman. She has Dexterity and Drive at 4, which means just as much as in Shadowrun, maybe more (the upper limit in SR is 6, in WOD it's 5), plus 3 in Firearms with a specialization in pistols (but specialization in WOD gives only one dice, as opposed to SR's two) and 3 in Crafts with a specialization in vehicles. That and the temper of a badly pissed-off Brujah.

You know what a fun game to play around in Shadowrun when you're bored? See how many superheroes(or supervillains) you could effectively duplicate with adept powers. Some easy ones to make off the top of my head:

• Batman
• Bullseye
• Daredevil
• Hawkeye
• Captain America
• Kenshiro (Delay damage + killing hands + improved reflexes)

And those are ones just using adept powers. Add in the magician adept option and you have a lot more super power sets you could duplicate. Like Spider-Man (Improved reflexes + boosted strength + boosted dexterity + rapid healing and that wall walk spell)

edited 16th Dec '10 6:55:33 PM by Alkthash

Not to rain on your parade, but Batman is Badass Normal. After all, HE'S THE GODDAMN BATMAN.

Yeah...though Cyberzombie Batman would be interesting. Held together by sheer force of will and neuroses.

• "STATEMENT: I AM THE NIGHT. EXCLAMATION: I AM THE GOD DAMN BATMAN!"

The Batman thing was mostly a reference to a throwaway line in one of the magic splatbooks. A poster in Shadowland was scratching his head over an adept she knew who seemed determined to emulate this guy in a blue cape.

Speaking of the splatbooks I love the Shadowland chatter. Especially the Arbitrary Skepticism. Whenever some new magical or technological phenomenon or conspiracy is brought up half the readers seem determined to dismiss the poster as not right in the head. But then the respondents usually point out that they live in the Sixth World so nothing really is impossible. Although aliens and ufos are almost universally dismissed.

edited 17th Dec '10 10:31:52 AM by Alkthash

Speaking of cyberzombie Batman, I picked up a couple splatbooks, including Augmentation, from Drivethru RPG.

• I have to say, I love the picture on page 119, the ghoul (or orc or whatever) with the flattop, doing the You Wanna Buy A Watch? with a collection of organs and bioware.

edited 9th Feb '11 12:10:08 PM by DrRockopolis

I remember this game. Played it way back in '94-'95 for a bit. It was dueling games with Cyberpunk in our group. Neither won, we went with playing Rifts.