[Recruitment Phase!] Sixth World: A Rules-Light Shadowrun Game

[meikle]

1.  A Brief Introduction
So, it looks like Shadowrun has some interest here, and with the recent release of Shadowrun 5e and Shadowrun Returns, that's no surprise!  I don't think that running Shadowrun in any of its official incarnations is conducive to play-by-post play, however; those systems are bulky, have lots of moving parts, very involved character creation, etc; so I want to play Shadowrun, but will be using the Sixth World rules, which are an adaptation of the Dungeon World rules.  The complete rules that we'll be using can be accessed by clicking on the Shadowrun logo above, but interested players only need to really worry about the character creation stuff; the setting is just as you remember it.

2. I don't remember it.  What's Shadowrun?
Shadowrun is a genre-mashed Cyberpunk/Fantasy setting; the newer releases push the game's start date up to 2070, which is a shinier setting inspired by modern technological advanced, but this game will be set in the Shadowrun of 2050, which is more classic cyberpunk: you jack into the Matrix through a giant keyboard that plugs into a socket in your head, biker gangs abound with pink mohawks, and the game focuses down on the grittier part of the world, where for all intents and purposes, it may as well always been eleven at night.  It's set on Earth, as we know it, advanced 50 years, where during those fifty years magic has reawoken, giving rise to magi and shamans, elfs and orks, dragons and spirits.  Here's a handy-dandy timeline, though you don't need to read much past the 2050s; we'll be starting then.  What this means is that we'll be playing in a wired world; 2060 brings the advent of the wireless revolution and augmented reality, and we won't be working much with that.  More Bladerunner and the Matrix, less Google Glass.

If you're already familiar with the setting, awesome!  If you're intimately familiar with the setting, know in advance that I will take liberties with it.

3. So, What's this Sixth World game?
Sixth World is a Dungeon World hack for Shadowrun -- that is to say, it is a Shadowrun game based on the Dungeon World rules.  It is based on the core mechanic of rolling 2d6+modifier (generally -1 to +3, give or take), and examining the results: a 6 or lower is a failure, a 7-9 is weak success (that is, you get what you wanted but there are strings attached), and a 10+ is a strong success.  There are no turns, no initiative, nothing much more involved than that; the system proceeds as if it were freeform until someone does something that triggers a Move, which is an "When X, then Y" function, which resolves and then returns to a mostly freeform format.  For example, if a character decides that they're going to shoot somebody, they'll check that they trigger the Rock & Roll move, which says, When you attack an enemy in melee or at range, roll+Combat, and resolve it according to the move's rules.  Some of these will take GM input, but many of them can be resolved without outside input, which should help to keep things moving!

4.  What kind of Shadowrun game will this be?
This is going to be a pretty down-to-earth game with sprinklings of the Pink Mohawk thing; the characters aren't super successful, live mostly street-level, maybe live it up after a big score and find themselves back to desperation.  They are criminals; they might have lofty motivations and drives, but at the end of the day, they're streetbound people.  This isn't the kind of Shadowrun game where everyone is a professional and nothing goes wrong; this is a game about people who live on the Edge and get by through grit, luck, and slick chrome.  Now I'm not saying play terrible Shadowrunners, but I am saying lean closer to the Pink Mohawk side of things than the professional assassin who never gets their hands dirty side. 

Sexual content in the primary threads won't be a primary focus, and when it comes up will be pretty lighthearted.  This will not be an NC game.

5. What do I have to do if I want to play?
Take a peek at the rules -- you don't have to read them all.  Tell us that you want to to play, right here in this thread.  Maybe tell us a thing or two about the kind of character you want to play; say hi, tell us how you like Shadowrun, share interests and thoughts and etc.  When you're kicking a character together, have these questions (and maybe some answers) in mind -- I'll be asking them of everybody's character:  "You're at an all-time low; what did you do to get here?"  "Everyone's got friends; who is it that you couldn't live without?"  "Every shadowrunner's got problems, and most of them aren't strictly work related.  What's stressing you out right now?"

I aim to post about 3-4 times a week as the GM, and that's about what I'm looking for from my players; I'm going to pick 3-4 players based on mostly arbitrary criteria.

If you're unfamiliar with the rules and need help navigating them, you can private message me here on the forums or contact me in YIM by clicking the little Y! thing under my avatar here, and I'll be happy to help.


I'm looking forward to hear from some potential Shadowrunners!  If you've got questions, things I didn't answer here in the OP, ask away and I'll answer and try to include them here in the OP if it's something really significant that I overlooked.  Thanks!

[Queluna]

I highly recommend that people consider playing with Meikle using this system.  The Dungeon World rules are a ton of fun, allowing for a form of rules yet at the same time having very simple and entertaining character creation and progression.  It flows very easily to make a more cinematic sort of game where you still feel all the elements of risk of potential failure or amazing successes.

I for one will be quite happy to play!  I must consider what sort of character I'd like to be, so I will update this post with my character some time soon!

[arkhos]

Rules-Light sounds quite interesting and the PDF is very intriguing as well, as much as I've ready through it.

Definitely keen on joining in, like Queluna I will think of something pretty quickly. Street Doc sounds like it could be fun, but so could a bunch of other concepts. :)

-ark

[AndyZ]

I would be interested in a two-pistol gunfighter elf adept.  I can throw together stats easily enough if so desired.  I'm familiar with Dungeon World and this looks simple enough.

"You're at an all-time low; what did you do to get here?"

Finding out just how innocent one of her targets is and being unwilling to take the easy path that the rest of the crew wanted to do.  Although everything still got done, she was mostly abandoned after that, and work dried up.

"Everyone's got friends; who is it that you couldn't live without?"

Although she wouldn't admit it, there's a tea shop owner who helps keep her calm and focused when her nature is to speed up and outlast, but that tea shop has been a rock that has kept her from doing more than one stupid thing.

"Every shadowrunner's got problems, and most of them aren't strictly work related.  What's stressing you out right now?"

A local gang has taken up residence in her neighborhood, and they want her to join.  She can't take them all on by herself so she can't just blast at this, and they avoid using abject violence when she's around, but she doesn't know what to do.  At least they've avoided the tea shop...so far.

[Teo Torriatte]

Would love to get in on this if there is room. I would like to play something simple, was thinking about a down on her luck razorgirl who has spent all her nuyen on 'ware and needs a big score to get back in the black again. She may or may not also be addicted to BTLs. heh.

I've skimmed the rules, and they look easy enough, though this would be my first time playing a Dungeon World game.

[meikle]

Hey!  I'm glad to see there's some interest here.

I really do love the Dungeon World system, and I think it will work really well for us.  It shouldn't be a problem for anyone to pick it up; it's really straightforward and I think it's pretty intuitive. 

I won't be around too much today, but I will have more to say when I am back tomorrow!  Feel free to be chattative while I'm gone.

[AndyZ]

Deleted my old post because I realized it was already on there.

If we're allowed to make up our own Bonds and Arkhos takes the Street Doc, I'd like to make up the Bond of "_________ saved my life, so I owe them one."

Luna's could easily go any which way depending on her char concept.

[meikle]

I wouldn't do bonds just yet, if only because I don't mean to close recruitment for a few more days, so which players (and characters) end up in the game may not reflect those who were the first to post here.  Taking the first posters to a thread has never worked out for me, so I like to be a little bit more judicious than that.

I honestly think there's a good reason that the Street Doc doesn't have a bond that says, "I saved so-and-so's life," and that's mostly because saving lives is what a street doc does.  Bonds should be things that give real texture to a relationship, and "The doctor saved my life," is something that is probably true of quite a lot of people who end up in a street doc's care.  I don't mind custom Bonds, but I would encourage them to be bonds that really provide something to dig your teeth into, something that says a lot about the relationship between characters.  Saving lives is what doctors do all the time, so what makes this a bond and not just a doctor being a doctor?  Edit: Some ways to keep the same general concept but to find the kind of texture I'm talking about might be things like, "________ blew the run to get me out alive," or "_____ has comped my visits to the cutting table too many times to count."  Basically, I'd just rather see that kind of bond, if it's going to look to a particular event or theme, and have something really concrete to work from.

But like I said, I wouldn't dig super deep into bonds just yet; certainly not before player selection is finalized and character creation stuff is underway.

I also welcome Luna, arkhos, and Queluna to weigh in on their thoughts at this point (as well as anyone else who's maybe on the sidelines but interested!) 

Edit 2: it looks like E might be down for a day or two after tonight, but we'll be digging in when they come back!

[arkhos]

I also welcome Luna, arkhos, and Queluna to weigh in on their thoughts at this point (as well as anyone else who's maybe on the sidelines but interested!) 

Edit 2: it looks like E might be down for a day or two after tonight, but we'll be digging in when they come back!

I think your thoughts make perfect sense, meikle. But I thought I would throw some other thoughts on the topic here for further consideration.

I think it would be perfectly normal for the person who is -saved- to feel a 'bond' to someone who saved them. Sure, to a street doc who does this 'for a living', it might just be 'another day at the office' saving someone's life. But to the person who was saved, chances are that -isn't- an ordinary daily event. Maybe it is, though, for some of the more bold folks, tho. BUT, I kinda envision the 'bond' being a two-way street. And your thoughts wouldn't prevent Andy from coming up with another 'reason' for the bond, if he wanted to I think?

But you make another excellent point too - I might not even be chosen to be in this game. The cast of characters could be different than what Andy thinks it will be, so holding on on that might be a good idea. :)

But honestly, I am fine either way, and I am enough of a noob in the setting that I'd happily defer to you on this matter meikle! :)

-ark

[AndyZ]

I think your thoughts make perfect sense, meikle. But I thought I would throw some other thoughts on the topic here for further consideration.

I think it would be perfectly normal for the person who is -saved- to feel a 'bond' to someone who saved them. Sure, to a street doc who does this 'for a living', it might just be 'another day at the office' saving someone's life. But to the person who was saved, chances are that -isn't- an ordinary daily event. Maybe it is, though, for some of the more bold folks, tho. BUT, I kinda envision the 'bond' being a two-way street. And your thoughts wouldn't prevent Andy from coming up with another 'reason' for the bond, if he wanted to I think?

But you make another excellent point too - I might not even be chosen to be in this game. The cast of characters could be different than what Andy thinks it will be, so holding on on that might be a good idea. :)

But honestly, I am fine either way, and I am enough of a noob in the setting that I'd happily defer to you on this matter meikle! :)

-ark

I don't have to use it, but wanted to let Arkhos know that he's right.  My char as I envision her isn't used to people actually helping her, certainly not saving her life.  She'd thus have that compunction to pay him back somehow even if it didn't mean anything to him.

Even so, easy enough to hold off on them for now ^_^

[AndyZ]

Victra - Elf Gunfighter Adept

Wary eyes, long hair, clean skin, lithe body

Focus 2 Combat 0 Stamina 1 Awareness 1 Knowledge 1 Rep 0

6 Essence, 3 Edge

Arcane Armor, Paired Heavy Pistols

Contacts: Gunsmith, Tea Shop Owner

Funds: 3d6*250¥

True Power is Within, Gunfighter

[meikle]

Bonds, mechanically, are a one-way deal; Character A might have a bond with Character B, but that bond only has mechanical impact for Character A.

Mostly, I think my stance could be summed up with, "A doctor saved my life," is a good starting point but could use more texture.  The example bonds in the PDF are a good place to look; they're usually a good jump-off point for imagining a scene or situation where they came up.  In the normal run of things, you go to a doctor, you pay the doctor, and you're all set.  So if that's the bond, something must set apart, must make it more important and significant than buying a DocWagon contract and having a couple of paramedics bail you out or whatever.  They should highlight some important aspect of a relationship, whether it's ongoing (______ always returns my calls) or a significant past event (_____ took a bullet that was meant for me.)

My point wasn't, "Don't make your own bonds," my point was more like, "When I read your bond, I want to be able to get a sense of what that relationship looks like."  You'll see I suggested ideas of what I meant, ways to take "______ saved my life," and give it more texture, because "____ saved my life," is super vague.  Did the doctor cut a bomb out of your head?  Did they kill a crooked cop to get you out of an ugly situation?  Did they risk their hide to keep you from losing your guts in an Ares Macrotechnology warehouse?

Bonds should be brief, a sentence, but they shouldn't be super nebulous.  That's all.

[AndyZ]

Ah, okay.  I didn't realize you edited it.  Apologies.