SHADOWRUN - Seattle 2070 (Semi-Freeform Game Now Recruiting!)

Started by LunarSage, December 31, 2012, 07:13:22 PM

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LunarSage




FRESH MEAT
By: Jennifer Harding

The meet was in a small restaurant attached to the bar. It was early, so most of the chairs were up on the battered plastic tables. Ten people stood and sat around the room, eying each other suspiciously. When I walked in beside Mr. Johnson, they all looked over at us. Most passed over me and focused on the well-dressed corporate suit beside me, smiling at them with just the right amount of teeth, just the right amount of a crinkle at the corner of his eye. He probably practiced in front of his mirror, labeling this smile Confident Professional. I didn’t blame any of the prospects for ignoring me, with my off-the-rack suit that’d been out of style a few years ago, hair several weeks overdue for a trim, and a face could best be described as bland.

Mr.  Corporate  Suit—Mr.  Johnson  for  today—handed me a piece of electronic paper. Its wireless capabilities were turned off—which meant there was at least one hacker in this group, and Mr. Johnson wanted to preserve privacy. Fair enough. I glanced at the paper, saw it held ten neat little picture-icons, each one a snapshot of one of the hopefuls. I touched one, and the paper filled with text; name, age, history. Skills.


Twenty-one. A kid. An uneducated Latino street tough with a few talents and a nice physique. I flipped through the other nine profiles, then looked up at the hopefuls.

I pointed to the Latino kid, who watched me with wary black eyes. “Why do you think you’re here?”

He narrowed his stare at me, flicked an almost imperceptible glance towards the suit. “For a job.”

“What’s the job?” I asked.

“Snatch and grab,” he said, using some street lingo. “Dunno any more details.”

“And why should I hire you?”

He sneered at this, as though I was some annoying Mr. Johnson. “I’m a wheelman. I know the streets. I’m good with my fists, an’ I can shoot straight. I got experience, never been caught.”

“What, you’ve boosted a couple of cars, taken them to a chopshop for some easy cash. Maybe knocked over a stuffer shack for some soy crunchies when you’ve gotten drunk with the gang,” I said scathingly. I looked around at the ten hopefuls, all of whom now stared at me as if I’d suddenly sprouted an extra pair of arms. “And now you think you can be a professional? You want to play in the big leagues?”

I leaned forward. “Do any of you care that less than ten percent of runners survive their first year? There’s ten of you here. Do the math—if you can count that high—and that means one of you might still be standing this time next year.” I pointed to Humes. “Think that’ll be you?”

His dark eyes were a bit wider now, and he looked around with a touch of nerves under his bravado.

“Or maybe you?” I pointed to a thin redhead, a girl with more freckles than skin. “You think your magic will protect you, keep you alive? Let me tell you, mages burn out in the shadows faster than idiot kids with hard heads and fast fists. You go against another team, or some corp sec goon, and the first thing they’re gonna do is try to take you out.”

“Or you?” I pointed to a beefy ork, “Think ‘cause you’ve got some secondhand ‘warez, ‘cause you’ve been faster than some overweight security blobs, that you’re ready to be a pro? What happens when you go up against some corporate sec team with first-class cyberware and guns that’ll punch a hole through your armor jacket? When you come up against a hacker who puts a virus in your cheap ‘warez? When you slow down and get a couple of your teammates killed ‘cause you’re a cocky son-of-a-bitch who doesn’t listen to your own team’s hacker?”

I turned around, left the room, Mr. Johnson following me with a frozen smile on his face. I’d call it his oh, shit smile.

When we were alone in the hallway, he cleared his throat.

“Perhaps if you reviewed the files, you’d see that they have solid skills, and, while, yes, they’re inexperienced, I’m sure your experience can compensate—”

I held up a hand, cut him off. “I know what you want to do. I don’t want to see a bunch of kids die. You can’t just take a couple of street toughs and hand them a Predator and call them shadowrunners. That’s how you end up with deadkids and botched jobs. But I’ll talk to them individually, see what I think—and then I’ll tell you.”

That evening, I sat in a ratty chair, looking over five young faces. The safehouse was being rented out of the stingy expense allowance I’d negotiated. Otherwise, we were on our own. No funding, no support—just their talents and my experience. Sink or swim, baby.

It was too late to regret the favor. I was already feeling the weight of responsibility, of knowing that these fresh young faces might not make it, hell, probably wouldn’t make it. I gritted my teeth. My job was to keep them alive for a month. To make them into a team. To teach them survival skills before throwing them out to the wolves. Goddess help me.

“Okay, I’m DangerSensei. For the next month, you’re gonna be my team. Mr. Johnson has hired us for a job. We’re to hit a warehouse, under Yak guard, and get several crates of material. That’s not the real test, though.”

I looked around at them. The Latino wheelman was looking much more humble, after the ripping I’d given him last night, during our “interview.” He also sported a nice shiner, a gift of the knowledge I’d given him as well: being “good with your fists” didn’t mean dick if you didn’t know how to duck. I’d picked up the red-headed magician—a wiccan, goddess help us all, fresh off the farm, but magic was rare enough that you worked around what you had. An elf chica, a techie—not the best techie they’d offered, but she’d surprised me with a burning wit, and I figured that a good dose of brains could make up for inexperience. Muscle came packaged in a hulking troll who was fidgeting on the floor. His specs said he could handle heavy weapons, and someone had put some ‘warez in that oversized body. Probably best if we avoided asking who had put it there. Hell, he could double as a vehicle if we ever needed a ride somewhere. And finally an all-about man, a twenty-three year old guy with a completely eclectic variety of skills and charm in spades. I’d had hopes he’d make a face. Or a used-car salesman.


“The test?” Mr. Charm asked.

“Survive for the month,” I said. “All of you. We lose anyone, we’ve all failed.

“I’ll start. I’ve taken this job because I owed someone a favor and I couldn’t say no. You’ve taken it because you don’t have any better ptions,” I said. Tech girl gave a snort. “My job is to show you guys the ropes. The ‘What Not To Do’ stuff. Teach you how to use your skills, how to build your team.”

They looked at each other, wondering. I nodded.

“Muscle-bound boy here,” I pointed to Humes. “He’s got the makings of a good wheelman, a good rigger. Good reflexes, courtesy of some secondhand wires that’re probably loaded with malware. He’s fast with his fists, and can handle a gun. Never handled anything bigger than an AK. He’s got more guts than brains, and needs to learn to listen to a leader.”

Humes narrowed his eyes, opened his mouth to object. I held up a hand.

“Look, you don’t know each other. You can’t rely on each other. A lot of teams start this way, thrown together by a Fixer because he thinks you have a good complement of skills. Well, first thing you should do is say what you can—and can’t—do. Because if your team is counting on you to smooth talk some guard, and you’ve got the charm of a ghoul, you’re gonna all end up dead. Got it?

“Now, you, tech-girl. Introduce yourself.”

The elf looked around, cleared her throat. “People call me Gidget,” she said. “I’m—as DangerSensei so elegantly put it—a tech. I can do some hacking, good at doing data searches, but I’m best at hardware. Building it or taking it apart, either way. I can handle a gun, I’m quiet, and I’m pretty good at blending into a crowd. I may not have graduated from charm school, but I can string together a sentence just fine. I don’t know anything about fighting up close, though.”

I gave Mr. Charm a nod.

He smiled around at everyone, giving the two women a wink. “I’m Rick,” he said. “I’m quick on my feet, quick thinker, and I’m comfortable going into most any place, high class or low. I’ve run with gangers and I’ve served drinks at corporate to-dos. I can ride a bike and drive a car, but I haven’t got a clue as to how they work. I know how to shoot, I know how to duck—” he gave a pointed look at Humes, “—and I can handle a knife. I also know a bit about patching people up, basic first aid, that sort of thing. I can get around in the Matrix, but I’m no hacker. Chat rooms, that’s more my style.”

Gidget rolled her eyes at that, but I shrugged, then pointed to the skinny redhead.

“I’m, uh, I’m Riley,” she said, her voice soft and nervous. “I’m a Wiccan. I can do magic… um, healing, and shielding, and turning people invisible. And, confusing things a bit, if necessary. Spirits. I know about spirits.” She fell silent, her checks almost as red as her hair. Mr. Charm eyed the girl with a bit of awe and envy, Humes, a touch of fear. The troll looked like he was wondering if she’d turn him into a newt. Yeah, magic can do that to folks. I was pleased to see the techie seemed blasé, even though she was sitting right beside the redhead. Girl had a good head on her shoulders.

“Now, you,” I said, pointing to the troll. He shifted on the floor. “Buster,” he said. “I’m a troll.” I closed my eyes, counted to ten.

“Right. Buster is here for muscle. Heavy weapons. Close combat. And he’ll serve as a living shield in a fight—Riley, you and Buster are going to be best friends. Buster, someone starts shooting, your first job is to get yourself between the bullets and the redhead. Understand?” The redhead and the troll looked equally terrified at the prospect. I smiled.

“So, there you have it. A wheelman, a hacker, some muscle, a face, and a magician. Some of your skills overlap. Some don’t. We’re missing some, but I’m working with what I’ve got.

“Now, let’s talk gear. Our budget is covering the safe house for the month, and there’s plenty of soybars in the cupboard. We don’t have the cash for anything else, though. A lotta times, you come into a one-shot deal like this, it’s each man—or woman—for themselves for gear. Since we’re spending a fun-filled four weeks together, let’s talk about what you can bring to the table.” I pointed to Humes, who was scowling.

“What?” he asked, belligerent. “I’ve got my own gun, my own clothes. If I was rolling in the nuyen, you think I’d be here?”

I gave a short bark of a laugh. “How about a car, wheelman? Or some bikes?”

He nodded, grudgingly. “I got a truck,” he said, shrugging. “It’s even got seatbelts. I can install a leash in the back to hold Buster.”

“Good,” I said, biting my tongue. “Transportation, check. Now, you, tech-girl.”

“I’ve got my ‘link, my programs. I may have even, ah, cracked the copyright on them, so I can patch up your links with something a bit higher-end. I’ve got a few odds and ends. Tech gear. A toolkit. That sort of thing.”

“Tech, check. Rick?”

Mr. Charm smirked, and spread his hands wide. The meaning was clear: It’s all me, baby. Gidget rolled her eyes again.

“Riley?” I asked.

The Wiccan blushed once more. “I have my own tools, for my, uh, magic. I have some spirits I know, too. Um. Nothing else, really. I’m sorry.”

“Spirits are good, kid. They can make a big difference, so don’t sweat the rest,” I said, making an effort to be nice. You pampered your magic a bit, in the shadows. Hell, for a team like this to even have a magician, that was a miracle. I’d point that out to the rest of them privately, later on.

“Buster?” I asked. In reply, he unzipped a large duffel beside him, and a handful of bullets spilled out and rolled across the concrete floor. Inside, I saw a jumbled assortment of guns, spotting the standard Predator Iv, an Uzi, an AK-97, a Remington, and—fuck me, was that a Panther? I took another deep breath. I could almost feel my hair turning grey.

“Okay, next up, contacts. Who you know can make the difference between getting work—getting work that doesn’t get you killed—and starving. We’ll start with Rick this time,” I said. “Oh, I’ve got lots of friends. Got a friend who works up at the charity clinic in Pomona, she can get her hands on lots of stuff. Another friend who works for the PCC, in their ID services department, and her sister, who’s in the police secretarial pool. I know a lady in the Ancients, and another girl whose brother’s in the Koshari. Know a girl who works at the Long Beach port
facility. Know—”

I stopped him with a raised hand again. “Do you anyone who’s not female?”

He gave me a grin.

“Okay, we’ll leave the contacts to Mr. Charm here. Now, this is the part where, if you all had some experience and knew each other, we’d start planning the job. But since we don’t know squat about each other, or about what we can do… let’s do some team-building bullshit. Go do some mountain climbing.”

Four sets of eyes looked at me with shock. I cracked a grin; the first one of the day.

“Or we can go grab a beer and swap life stories,” I said, and they all sighed in relief.

I shook my head. Kids these days.


© 2009 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Shadowrun, Matrix and WK Games are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.



ABOUT THE GAME

Seattle, 2070... unlike any place in the awakened world.  That's right, I said 'awakened'.  Near the beginning of the century, magic, dragons and other creatures of legend returned to the world with a vegneance.  Some discovered that they suddenly had a talent for casting spells, empowering them to do anything from levitate to hurl balls of fire down the streets.  A few folks started to be born to normal humans that some began to call 'elves' and dwarves'.  Then some normal humans started 'goblinizing', painfully transforming into what were dubbed 'orks' and 'trolls'.  Humanity was split into 5 subcategories of metahumans.  All this along with technological advances in computers, as well as cutting edge cybernetic implants called 'cyberware'.  It seemed that the world as we knew it had changed forever.


Now, some 60 years later, magic and cyberware are commonplace.  Central governments have balkanized into smaller nations and city-states and Megacorporations have emerged as  the new world superpowers, a law unto themselves. Nestled amidst the Native American Nations, Seattle stands as the center of the North American world of corporations.  In this environment, the rich get richer and the poor remain in abject poverty.  High security areas have good police protection but there are many places that law enforcement dares not venture. In these areas, gangs run rampant and criminal enterprises are the law of the land. 

When a corporation needs something done discretely or illegally, they often call upon Shadowrunners, inner-city mercenaries willing to do other people's dirty work- for a price.  These individuals eke out a living, risking reputation, life, and limb in the hopes that one day, they'll hit that big score and be able to afford the finer things in life; opulent luxury, real food (as opposed to the nutrisoy that most folks have to eat) and everything else most people feel they need to be happy. 

A Word From the GMs

This game is semi-freeform, which means that it uses very simple "stats", but only to aid in the freeform RP.  A player will never need to roll dice.  We will be using our own game stats, not the stats from the tabletop RPG.  Money is very important in this game however, so players and GMs alike will need to keep track of the Nuyen (the world currency in 2070) they accrue and how much they spend.  Note that most minor expenditures are usually covered by your lifestyle rating.

The GMs for this game will be LunarSage and Ciosa.

All the information on the setting can be found on the wonderful WIKI that the lovely Josietta has worked so hard on.

Characters are created via the priority system described here

Anything you wish to buy can be found here.  Remember that even things like clothing must be purchased (prices for clothes are per outfit).  Also, don't forget to buy a Lifestyle.  Prices are monthly but can be bought months in advance at character creation.

PM full sheets to myself (LunarSage), but basic concepts can be discussed here.  Players are encouraged to work out relationships, friendships, rivalries and enemies with one another.

Character Sheet:

[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Street Name:[/b]

[b]Player Name:[/b]

[b]Race/Metatype:[/b]

[b]Sex:[/b]

[b]Essence:[/b]

[b]Magic Rating:[/b]

[b]Street Cred:[/b]

[b]Height:[/b]

[b]Weight:[/b]

[b]Hair:[/b]

[b]Eyes:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b]

[b]Sexual Orientation:[/b]

[b]Ons:[/b]

[b]Offs:[/b]

[b]Place of Birth:[/b]

[b]Current Nationality:[/b]

[b]SINless?:[/b]

[b]Current Place of Residence/Lifestyle Level:[/b] (Do you live in Auburn?  Tacoma?  Downtown?  Low Lifestyle?  High Lifestyle?  Squatter Lifestyle?)

[b]Living Arrangements:[/b] (Do you live alone?  If not, do your roommates or family know that you're a Shadowrunner?)

[b]Hobbies:[/b]

[b]Unusual Features:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Attribute Descriptors:[/b]  (Indicate what's natural and what is via cyberware or magic)

[b]Skills:[/b] 

[b]Contacts:[/b]

[b]Cyberware and/or Spells/Adept Powers:[/b]

[b]Nuyen[/b] ¥

[b]Gear (Weapons and Armor):[/b]

[b]Gear (Other):[/b]

[b]Vehicles:[/b]

[b]History:[/b] (Must be detailed and include at least three paragraphs)

20 Questions:

1. Where is your character from?
2. Does your character have a family?
3. Does you character have an ethnic background?
4. What does your character look like?
5. What does your character dress like?
6. Does your character have any physical quirks?
7. Where did your character learn their Skills?
8. Where did your character get their gear?
9. Where does your character live?
10. Who are your character's contacts?
11. Who are your character's enemies?
12. How did you character learn magic? (Adepts/Magicians Only)
13. What are your characters likes and dislikes?
14. What is your character's moral code?  Will the character kill?  Why?
15. Does your character have goals?
16. Does your character have personal beliefs?
17. Is your character religious?
18. Does your character have personality quirks?
19. Why does your character run the shadows?
20. How does your character view their role as a shadowrunner?


As always, any questions or concerns anyone has can be directed here or via PM to myself (LunarSage) and Ciosa.



IMPORTANT GM ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Quote from: LunarSage on January 01, 2013, 07:58:52 AMNOTE:  This may seem somewhat complicated, but I assure you that you the player will not have to worry about any of it.  I will handle it all and then tell you the results.

-------------------------------------------------

STREET CRED:  Street cred is clout and experience all rolled into one.  Other runners tend to give those with higher street cred respect, even if that respect if begrudgingly given.  You are more well known to Johnsons, Fixers and other runners, but that also means your name is known amongst law enforcement officers as well.  Make a good name for yourself, and the runs will just get easier.

The GM adds 1/10th (round down) of your Street Cred rating to the secret rolls to determine the success or failure of a given run.  Also, for every 20 Street Cred you earn, the character receives a free level in a contact.

At the end of each in game month (which will be announced by the GMs), each player will PM LunarSage with up to 5 runs that they would like a given character to go on.  You don't have to do 5 runs, but you can do no more than 5 each month per character.  You choose the difficulty of each run and send what you'd like to attempt like this example:

"The Chrome Badger - 5 runs (in this order)

1 Milk Run
1 Moderate Run
1 Moderate Run
1 Milk Run
1 Difficult Run

(If CB gets injured, he'll pay the 1,000¥ so he doesn't miss out on the next run)"

The GM in charge of the rolls (LunarSage) will then make a roll with a twenty sided die for each run and the success or failure of said runs will be PMed back, along with the total nuyen earned or lost, as well as earned Street Cred for that month.  He will also give a brief description of that run.  There will be a thread where the players will have the option of writing up a detailed description (anything from a paragraph on) of each run and what happened exactly.  Well written run descriptions may have aspects of them posted as rumors or on the news ("An Ares R&D facility exploded last night.  Authorities are not releasing any information, but speculations are running rampant").

NOTE:  If characters wish to go on runs together, they need to decide amongst themselves who the "leader" of the group is.  The "leader" uses his or her Street Cred bonus for the Run roll, so it's advantageous to assign the leader as the character with the highest Street Cred bonus.  A runner team consists of 5 characters; usually two street samurai, one mage, one hacker and one "face", but this is not set in stone.  If you do a run "alone", it's assumed that your character was on a team of NPC runners for that particular run.


Milk Runs:

1-2: Failure With Injury - The run has failed and you had to get out of the area quick, but you suffered injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.

3-4: Failure - The run has failed but at least you got out without being hurt too badly.

5-6: Success with Injury - You have succeeded at the run but not without suffering injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.  Rake in 500¥ from the run.

7-20: Success! - You completed the run with no injuries!  Way to go, chummer!  Rake in 500¥ from the run.


Moderate Runs:

1-3: Failure With Injury - The run has failed and you had to get out of the area quick, but you suffered injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.

4-6: Failure - The run has failed but at least you got out without being hurt too badly.

7-12: Success with Injury - You have succeeded at the run but not without suffering injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.  Rake in 1,000¥ from the run, along with 1 Street Cred.

13-20: Success! - You completed the run with no injuries!  Way to go, chummer!  Rake in 1,000¥ from the run, along with 1 Street Cred.


Difficult Runs:

1-4: Failure With Injury - The run has failed and you had to get out of the area quick, but you suffered injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.

5-9: Failure - The run has failed but at least you got out without being hurt too badly.

10-15: Success with Injury - You have succeeded at the run but not without suffering injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.  Rake in 3,000¥ from the run, along with 2 Street Cred.

16-20: Success! - You completed the run with no injuries!  Way to go, chummer!  Rake in 3,000¥ from the run, along with 2 Street Cred.


Very Difficult Runs:

1-6: Failure With Injury - The run has failed and you had to get out of the area quick, but you suffered injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.

7-13: Failure - The run has failed but at least you got out without being hurt too badly.

14-17: Success with Injury - You have succeeded at the run but not without suffering injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.  Rake in 8,000¥ from the run, along with 3 Street Cred.

18-20: Success! - You completed the run with no injuries!  Way to go, chummer!  Rake in 8,000¥ from the run, along with 3 Street Cred.

-----------------------------------------------------

In addition to the success of the run, I'll be making another roll on this chart for each run.

...and yes, for groups of PCs doing these runs, they can set up one character as the "Face" or the "Negotiator" for the team for that run.  This character can be different than the "leader" of the team.  The "Face" uses his or her modifier for the whole team.  The idea is that the "Face" is sweet talking the contact out of more nuyen for the job, assuming it's successful.

Nuyen Modifiers:

Modifier to the roll = Charismatic levels + Negotiation levels (So a maxed out "Face" could have a +6 modifier)

1-3: x.5

4-6: x.75

7-14: x1

15-17: x1.5

18-20: x2


Quote from: LunarSage on January 01, 2013, 09:56:07 AM
NOTE:

I want to reiterate something else that Michael already mentioned, but it's important.  This is not going to be a slow paced game.  It won't be a super fast paced game either, but please, remember the one post a week minimum.  If you don't think you can post at least once a week, this may not be the game for you.  Slower than that and games tend to bog down and die in my experience.

That said, if you can normally commit to that level of posting but for some reason you temporarily won't be able to at one point, that's fine.  All we ask for is solid communication.  Let the game know "I won't be able to post for a week or two because of real life kicking my ass" or whatever.  As long as your writing partners aren't left in the dark waiting, you should be good.


Quote from: Josietta on January 01, 2013, 04:32:59 PM
I FIXED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!  *bounces!*

Codes for Signatures:

Centered:



[center][url=https://elliquiy.com/wiki/Shadowrun][img]https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/fa/SRSig.png[/img][/url][/center]



to the Left:



[float=left][url=https://elliquiy.com/wiki/Shadowrun][img]https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/fa/SRSig.png[/img][/url][/float]



To the right:



[float=left][url=https://elliquiy.com/wiki/Shadowrun][img]https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/fa/SRSig.png[/img][/url][/float]





Quote from: LunarSage on January 02, 2013, 02:47:25 PM
FYI, if anyone wants to take Desperado as a contact, he counts as a x1 Bartender.  The owner of the Duke Saloon, which is going to have it's own thread.  Popular runner bar with a western theme.


Quote from: Michael Corvus on January 02, 2013, 05:10:10 PM
Please address any and all stat concerns to the GMs via PMs. This is NOT a system game and we don't want all the stats and numbers being tossed around to confuse or worry our writers have no experience in or no desire to participate in a system game. While we appreciate any and all input, we don't want to intimidate potentially interested writers with too many stats and numbers right off the bat.


Quote from: Michael Corvus on January 02, 2013, 11:47:00 PM
Just a note to everyone... I'm not sure if this was included anywhere on the wiki so I'll say it here now, just in case (Since it's occurred to me) in the hopes that if anyone is doing this hopefully I can catch before you spend too much time on your character sheet.

We don't want anyone to be one of the best or most highly sought after runners. They can be damn good at what they do when it comes to jobs (if they have jobs) their magic, weapons, and skills and such. That being said, everyone who has a runner character should either be new to Shadowrunning or relatively new. Meaning they can be good at what they do and with what they have, but they're not going to have the shadow rep or street cred as a runner just yet. They're just breaking into the Shadow biz, more ore less. Becoming one of the best or most highly sought after ... whatever...  will come with role play and with experience in the shadows, which will include the runs that the characters do in game. That make sense?


Quote from: LunarSage on January 03, 2013, 03:51:22 PM
Just an FYI in general though... x8 is the best possible skill and ability combination one can attain, whether that comes with the help of laser sights or smartlinks or not.  In other words, someone with Agile x4 and Firearms x4 would get no added benefit from any sort of firearms enhancement.  At that point you're so good that things like laser sights and smartlinks do nothing for you.

Also, one can assume in the RP that your Agile plus any cover you may have can protect you from incoming projectiles like bullets.  Just work with each other or the GMs in that case and a 'victor' can be worked out by comparing stats and the scene as written.  Just like Agile and Unarmed or Melee work as a 'to hit', they can also work defensively, assuming they are defending against a non ranged attack.

SIMPLE TERMS:  Agile levels are always used to attack and defend, along with appropriate skills.  Use the 'stats' to aid in the RP, but in general don't let them get in the way of doing cool stuff against NPCs.


Quote from: LunarSage on January 05, 2013, 09:17:05 AM
I'd like to remind everyone that commlinks are absolutely required (even if you only spend 300 nuyen on one), so don't forget to buy one.  You'll also need AR gloves and contacts, goggles or glasses with an image link built in so you can interact with the AR world. 

Everyone has this stuff... even homeless people.


Quote from: Michael Corvus on January 05, 2013, 06:00:27 PM
If everyone would, please be sure to include nuyen costs as well as any applicable essence costs out beside each piece of cyberware/gear/equipment, etc.

Makes it a whole lot easier when I'm checking the sheets to make sure someone hasn't screwed themselves out of any extra essence or nuyen.  ::)

A line break after each item would make it immensely easier as well, so that all the numbers don't blur together.

And lastly, if you would include your priority list somewhere too, that would be helpful, so I'll know if you're supposed to have 5 attributes and 3 skills or 2 Attribute points and 10 skills...  or whatever.

Thanks y'all! :)


Quote from: LunarSage on January 05, 2013, 10:30:37 PM
Sorry, but sharing starting money to that extent is not allowed.  Buying another character a gun or something simple is one thing, but buying another PC cyberware before game starts is too much.  Once the game starts, she can use her 50k or however much she has left however she wants to, but then you'll have to RP out recovering from cyberware surgery, etc. to some extent.  So you'll have to wait for her to buy you cyberware.


Quote from: LunarSage on January 05, 2013, 09:59:52 PM
NOTE:

I had not thought about this before, but as this game is supposed to be focusing on the need to make nuyen on a month to month basis, we're going to ask that starting nuyen be spent down to no more than 50,000 at character creation.  If you need to, buy some lifestyle, buy some expensive clothes, buy some vehicles... but that nuyen above 50k must be spent before that character begins play.

Most of you are ok in that regard, but some of you are going to need to take another look.



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Callie Del Noire

Tempting.. I got a 'Face Adept' I've never got to play out much. :D

Pumpkin Seeds


Kuroneko

Color me interested, but I think I'm going to need some help understanding it all.  8-)
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Michael Corvus

Quote from: Pumpkin Seeds on December 31, 2012, 08:26:38 PM
:: gasps:: it's time for games?

*grins and nods* Indeed, it is! *rubs hands together gleefully.

Quote from: Kuroneko on December 31, 2012, 08:27:34 PM
Color me interested, but I think I'm going to need some help understanding it all.  8-)

No problem at all, Kuroneko. Just ask and you shall receive. ;)
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Kuroneko

I just read through the first part of the wiki again, and I'm overwhelmed - and that's just the first category.  I don't think this is going to be for me, even though I was looking forward to it.
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Current Posting Time - Once a Week or More

"One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art" ~ Oscar Wilde
"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream" ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Josietta

Quote from: Ciosa on December 31, 2012, 09:26:39 PM
Dibs!  (Interested)

*flops into a lap*

Hai!!

*Grins*

I have my three concepts flopped to the GMs!

Roughly for those who want to know:

1-  Human Street Sam  who works as a day job for Lonestar Security originially from Tokyo but has been working/living in Seattle for the past 10-12 years

2- Human Rigger/Mechanic who has her own shop and mostly does work on vehicles, armoring them and repairing them as well as working on building a special bike.  She can do drones but doesn't care much for them. Orphan who lives alone but has made friends with the Doc. ;)

3- Elven PhysAd -- Fresh meat.. completely new to running as in she has a very small amount of Gear and such. She is an engineering/science student at UW.  Brother is a Lt in the Ancients Street Gang.

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Josietta

Quote from: Kuroneko on December 31, 2012, 09:37:31 PM
I just read through the first part of the wiki again, and I'm overwhelmed - and that's just the first category.  I don't think this is going to be for me, even though I was looking forward to it.

I know it looks like a butt ton of info. First thing I can say for anyone looking at it. Don't pay much mind to the first section. its mostly background and blurb stuff.  What you want to look at is the "From the Shadows" section. It has all the rules and equipment and such.  Decide what you want to do before you look at hte wiki. Lunar is VERY patient with people as is Michael. Either will be happy to help you work out a concept without you even needing to worry about the wiki immediately.

It can be a bit overwhelming upon first glance..but once you get going its not so much as you might think at first.

Some of those pages in the wiki won't pertain to everyone. Magic and Matrix won't apply to Street Samauri.   

These are the pages you should look over IF and when you are ready (this applies to any and all NEW and easily overwhelmed folks looking to join):

https://elliquiy.com/wiki/ShadowrunInfo  (all the rules/character building/equipment is on this one page)

https://elliquiy.com/wiki/ShadowrunAR  (this is part and parcel of the atmosphere .. its fairly simple and straight forward)


The other pages are things you can look at over time.   I hope this helps in some way.

I'm not a GM (and i requested not to be one.. I am a player just like y'all..)  but Lunar and Michael are great and can help in any way you need.  They don't mind questions no matter how silly or stupid you may think they are. :)


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Michael Corvus

#10
*Adjusts Josi on his lap and gets comfy*

Yes, what Josi said.

And Josi, dear... those three character concepts all seem very fun. I think your mechanic girl and my guy (the only one I have at the moment) may get along swimmingly seeing as how one of his hobbies is working on and customizing motorcycles as well as restoring antique models... in fact, he has a very old Harley Davidson.  ;D

But a little bit more about my guy in case anyone is curious and wants to make sure they don't duplicate something too similar.

He's a Human who works as an independent bounty hunter. Fairly new to Seattle, he's from the Confederated American States (CAS), deep in the mountains of East Tennessee and possesses a unique southern... "Flair." He's ex CAS military and has recently started dabbling in the Shadow scene as a Street Samurai.

His character sheet is nearly complete but I'm juggling around some gear to account for essence and stuff... as well as hashing out a few last little details.

And as Josi so eloquently stated, if anyone needs any help or has any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask. Unless you're asking "why is the sky blue" or "How many licks does it take to get to the center of..." Josi, you did a good job on the wiki, darlin.  ;D
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Josietta


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Cold Heritage

There's a couple references to bioware (either to its existence, or how dermal plating states it doesn't stack with orthoskin) in the equipment section, but I can't seem to find a cost listing for bioware itself. Is it just an artifact of transcribing descriptions from a Shadowrun sourcebook, or am I lacking in the finding things skill?
Thank you, fellow Elliquiyan, and have a wonderful day.

Michael Corvus

Hmm... thank you for pointing this out, Cold Heritage. It is, indeed, an artifact from transcribing information from a Shadowrun sourcebook as there will be no bioware for player characters in this game. An attempt to try and keep the game as simple as possible without taking away too much from the basics.

We'll get that fixed up. Thanks again. :)
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Starlequin

*has finished poring over Josietta's beautiful wiki and is now even more interested than before* How many players are y'all looking for, and what kind of posting rate are you expecting?
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

Ciosa

The wiki is fantastic, Josie.  Bioware's a separate kind of equipment than cyberware, and I don't believe there's a section yet.  For the most part, with a couple exceptions, bioware immitates some things that cyberware does... badly.  )There are exceptions!)  But it works on a separate index than Essence... but it's connected to Essence at the same time.

If you're confused, it's because the initial rulesets for bioware were kind of confusing.  :/ 

Michael Corvus

#16
Quote from: Starlequin on January 01, 2013, 01:57:16 AM
*has finished poring over Josietta's beautiful wiki and is now even more interested than before* How many players are y'all looking for, and what kind of posting rate are you expecting?

As of right now, we are not setting a limit on the number of players. This is to take into account the fact that there's just about always a number of players who drop out after the first week or three.

Post rates, so long as you post at least once a week, you're golden. We don't want to pressure our writers but we also don't want the game to stagnate and die. We felt that at least once a week would accomplish this. Now if you WANT to post more than once a week, that's fine, go ahead and knock yourself out. I'm sure we'd all enjoy the read. If something comes up and you can't post once a week, just communicate with us and let everyone know what's what and I think we can make it work. :)

Quote from: Ciosa on January 01, 2013, 02:01:50 AM
The wiki is fantastic, Josie.  Bioware's a separate kind of equipment than cyberware, and I don't believe there's a section yet.  For the most part, with a couple exceptions, bioware immitates some things that cyberware does... badly.  )There are exceptions!)  But it works on a separate index than Essence... but it's connected to Essence at the same time.

If you're confused, it's because the initial rulesets for bioware were kind of confusing.  :/ 


Bioware? What's bioware? We'll have none of that in this game! :P Just being silly, of course, but on a serious note, yes... we will not be implementing the use of bioware into this game for sake of simplicity. There's plenty of other goodies to play with as it is, adding one more thing would likely make some of our heads explode... and not because of cranial bombs either.  ::)
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ShadowFox89

 Hmm.. I've read a bit of the Shadowrun 4e rules and have most of the stuff, including Runner's Companion. Would that be of any use for this?
Call me Shadow
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Cold Heritage

I actually like bioware. I like being all meat. The way it worked with Essence and Cyberware not so much. That was some obligatory min-max inducing bullshit.
Thank you, fellow Elliquiyan, and have a wonderful day.

Michael Corvus

#19
Quote from: ShadowFox89 on January 01, 2013, 02:22:50 AM
Hmm.. I've read a bit of the Shadowrun 4e rules and have most of the stuff, including Runner's Companion. Would that be of any use for this?

Any use in terms of the game mechanics, your character concept, or... something else? Can you elaborate?

Btw, I have just about all of the SR 4E sourcebooks on pdf.

Quote from: Cold Heritage on January 01, 2013, 02:25:34 AM
I actually like bioware. I like being all meat. The way it worked with Essence and Cyberware not so much. That was some obligatory min-max inducing bullshit.

Yeah, Bioware certainly has its perks. I like it too, to be honest, but since we already have so much cyberware and magic and guns and ammo and vehicles and other equipment to sort through, we decided to sacrifice it for this game, sadly. :( I'll defer to Lunar for further details on the topic when he logs back in. :)
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ShadowFox89

Call me Shadow
My A/A

Josietta

Lunar told me  and will be adding to the wiki tomorrow..that he is only using what is on the wiki.. no books.  Meaning if its not on the wiki you don't have access to it.

I pouted some because I wanted a dikote katana.. and i can't have it :(  its not part of the main book so it was a no.  He reiterated to me.. if its not on the wiki equip.. you can't have it.

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Cold Heritage

I'm just talking. I'm not trying to passively-aggressively push for bioware or anything.  ;D
Thank you, fellow Elliquiyan, and have a wonderful day.

Ciosa

There was some cool bioware stuff - and it's always nice not to set off metal detectors. 

Oh, concept wise, I'm running a dwarven doctor who operates a clinic in the Z-Zones.  He's not a runner, has no magic or cyber, and a complete code of pacifism.  So you probably don't want to invite him along on a run.

Feel free to stop by when something's been gnawing on your leg, though.

LunarSage

Quote from: Kuroneko on December 31, 2012, 09:37:31 PM
I just read through the first part of the wiki again, and I'm overwhelmed - and that's just the first category.  I don't think this is going to be for me, even though I was looking forward to it.

Kuro, we would absolutely adore having you play with us... but I understand if you decide not to. 

That said, Michael and I are always here to answer any questions or concerns that you may have if you do decide to join us.  Remember also that the game itself probably won't begin for another couple weeks (we don't want character creation to be rushed), so you still have plenty of time to go over the Wiki and ask questions.

Also remember that most of the Wiki is background stuff and some of it (The Critters section and the Corps section) is largely irrelevant for folks at first and the Magic and Matrix section is only relevant if you plan on playing a hacker or a magic user.  The "Running in Shadows" and "and So it Came to Pass" sections are purely background and can be perused at your leisure.  The only things I would worry about immediately are the "Augmented Reality" section (which is short and contains some important background stuff about day to day life in 2070) and the "From the Shadows" section, which details character creation and equipment.

Again, we're always here to help, either here or in our PM boxes.  :-)

Quote from: Cold Heritage on January 01, 2013, 01:29:58 AM
There's a couple references to bioware (either to its existence, or how dermal plating states it doesn't stack with orthoskin) in the equipment section, but I can't seem to find a cost listing for bioware itself. Is it just an artifact of transcribing descriptions from a Shadowrun sourcebook, or am I lacking in the finding things skill?

As Michael has stated, at this time we will not be using Bioware.  We're keeping things simple.  Any references to Bioware on the Wiki may or may not be used in the future depending on how well this game takes off.  Who knows?  Maybe some point down the line some NPC scientist will develop Bioware as a "new, experimental type of cyberware" and we'll go from there.  Just not right away.

Quote from: ShadowFox89 on January 01, 2013, 02:22:50 AM
Hmm.. I've read a bit of the Shadowrun 4e rules and have most of the stuff, including Runner's Companion. Would that be of any use for this?

Yep as Josi said, we are not using the books.  What I've done is taken things from the main 4th ed book and simplified it to work in a semi freeform setting.  This was done so that we could attract people who prefer freeform games in addition to those who like system stuff.  If it's not on the Wiki, it's not available for now.

I want to reiterate, though... there will be no dice rolled by any PCs.  The only time dice will be rolled is by the GMs when background runs are established each in game month.

Now, since many folks hadn't read the Q&A thread and this isn't on the Wiki yet, I wanted to post it here.

NOTE:  This may seem somewhat complicated, but I assure you that you the player will not have to worry about any of it.  I will handle it all and then tell you the results.

-------------------------------------------------

STREET CRED:  Street cred is clout and experience all rolled into one.  Other runners tend to give those with higher street cred respect, even if that respect if begrudgingly given.  You are more well known to Johnsons, Fixers and other runners, but that also means your name is known amongst law enforcement officers as well.  Make a good name for yourself, and the runs will just get easier.

The GM adds 1/10th (round down) of your Street Cred rating to the secret rolls to determine the success or failure of a given run.  Also, for every 20 Street Cred you earn, the character receives a free level in a contact.

At the end of each in game month (which will be announced by the GMs), each player will PM LunarSage with up to 5 runs that they would like a given character to go on.  You don't have to do 5 runs, but you can do no more than 5 each month per character.  You choose the difficulty of each run and send what you'd like to attempt like this example:

"The Chrome Badger - 5 runs (in this order)

1 Milk Run
1 Moderate Run
1 Moderate Run
1 Milk Run
1 Difficult Run

(If CB gets injured, he'll pay the 1,000¥ so he doesn't miss out on the next run)"

The GM in charge of the rolls (LunarSage) will then make a roll with a twenty sided die for each run and the success or failure of said runs will be PMed back, along with the total nuyen earned or lost, as well as earned Street Cred for that month.  He will also give a brief description of that run.  There will be a thread where the players will have the option of writing up a detailed description (anything from a paragraph on) of each run and what happened exactly.  Well written run descriptions may have aspects of them posted as rumors or on the news ("An Ares R&D facility exploded last night.  Authorities are not releasing any information, but speculations are running rampant").

NOTE:  If characters wish to go on runs together, they need to decide amongst themselves who the "leader" of the group is.  The "leader" uses his or her Street Cred bonus for the Run roll, so it's advantageous to assign the leader as the character with the highest Street Cred bonus.  A runner team consists of 5 characters; usually two street samurai, one mage, one hacker and one "face", but this is not set in stone.  If you do a run "alone", it's assumed that your character was on a team of NPC runners for that particular run.


Milk Runs:

1-2: Failure With Injury - The run has failed and you had to get out of the area quick, but you suffered injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.

3-4: Failure - The run has failed but at least you got out without being hurt too badly.

5-6: Success with Injury - You have succeeded at the run but not without suffering injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.  Rake in 500¥ from the run.

7-20: Success! - You completed the run with no injuries!  Way to go, chummer!  Rake in 500¥ from the run.


Moderate Runs:

1-3: Failure With Injury - The run has failed and you had to get out of the area quick, but you suffered injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.

4-6: Failure - The run has failed but at least you got out without being hurt too badly.

7-12: Success with Injury - You have succeeded at the run but not without suffering injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.  Rake in 1,000¥ from the run, along with 1 Street Cred.

13-20: Success! - You completed the run with no injuries!  Way to go, chummer!  Rake in 1,000¥ from the run, along with 1 Street Cred.


Difficult Runs:

1-4: Failure With Injury - The run has failed and you had to get out of the area quick, but you suffered injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.

5-9: Failure - The run has failed but at least you got out without being hurt too badly.

10-15: Success with Injury - You have succeeded at the run but not without suffering injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.  Rake in 3,000¥ from the run, along with 2 Street Cred.

16-20: Success! - You completed the run with no injuries!  Way to go, chummer!  Rake in 3,000¥ from the run, along with 2 Street Cred.


Very Difficult Runs:

1-6: Failure With Injury - The run has failed and you had to get out of the area quick, but you suffered injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.

7-13: Failure - The run has failed but at least you got out without being hurt too badly.

14-17: Success with Injury - You have succeeded at the run but not without suffering injuries.  Pay 500¥ and miss out on the next run, or 1,000¥ for better medical treatment and you don't miss out on the next run.  Rake in 8,000¥ from the run, along with 3 Street Cred.

18-20: Success! - You completed the run with no injuries!  Way to go, chummer!  Rake in 8,000¥ from the run, along with 3 Street Cred.

-----------------------------------------------------

In addition to the success of the run, I'll be making another roll on this chart for each run.

...and yes, for groups of PCs doing these runs, they can set up one character as the "Face" or the "Negotiator" for the team for that run.  This character can be different than the "leader" of the team.  The "Face" uses his or her modifier for the whole team.  The idea is that the "Face" is sweet talking the contact out of more nuyen for the job, assuming it's successful.

Nuyen Modifiers:

Modifier to the roll = Charismatic levels + Negotiation levels (So a maxed out "Face" could have a +6 modifier)

1-3: x.5

4-6: x.75

7-14: x1

15-17: x1.5

18-20: x2

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