Topic: Shadowrun: Freeport

[PixelatedPixie]

Hello! 

I would like to try and run a system game now that I have some free time.  The issue being that my experience with the system, with the website, and with GMing are all rather limited.  So while this is probably a horrible idea I am hoping to find a couple of people interested and patient enough to give it a try. 

System
Shadowrun 5th Edition

Setting
Freeport and the Grand Bahama Island will be the starting location.  Otherwise the setting will be the normal Shadowrun setting as much as possible.  It will begin in the summer of 2075 as a hurricane approaches the island.

The glittering skyscraper of the Freeport Arcology sits at the center of a sprawling network of tourist resorts and private villas.  The Atlantean Foundation has the largest corporate presence in the region.  However Ares Macrotechnology has a major base as the result of a contract to fight piracy and provide protection, and Aztechnology maintains a small subsidiary in the area. 

Plot
The story will be heavily inspired by zombie outbreak movies.  Therefore the initial plot will focus on survival and investigation.  I don't want to spoil too much of what I have in mind.  However my goal is to keep things balanced and let every type of character shine. 

Characters
I am trying to set this up so that the characters do not have to be an existing team.  Though I am not opposed to it if they are.  They will be made with the normal rules.  A person on vacation, a corporate employee, a security guard, or even a runner working a job on the island would all fit.  The only thing that I will require for the background is that they are on the island for some reason when things go down.  If you come up with a hook as to why that is, i will try to include that in the story in some way. 

Content
The reason that I am on Elliquiy is because I would like to explore adult content in the context of a roleplaying game.  I don't want to devolve the game into pure sex however, and I don't want to scare people away.  I will however put the game into the Extreme category, if I understand things correctly.  My goal will be to include a dialogue on what players want to happen in terms of adult content. 

What am I forgetting?
I am sure it is something.

[Admiral J]

I'll bite.  This sounds intriguing, and I'm a sucker for a new GMs.  Dibs on vacationing troll adept security pro, maybe?

[HopeFox]

Sounds really interesting! I like the idea of character diversity - not that I don't love playing shadowrunners, but mixing it up is pretty cool. I have an idea for an Aztlan decker who does host design and security for Aztechnology. She could easily be visiting the island either for work or for a vacation.

[AndyZ]

Keeping an eye on this.

[Mystic Dragon]

Interest! If there's a place I can get the 5e rules, I still have some of the 3rd books and browsed 4th. If they still have adepts, Human sharpshooter with stealthy talents.

[Muse]

*pounces* 

  May I play? 

  Also, pleased to meet you. 

  An interesting scenrio!  Perhaps I could bring in a magical gal from the more "legitamate" side of the world?  Maybe a corperate security mage? 

  I frequenty go for the younger side, but I'm actauly pondering a gal veteran enoguh to have crossed spells with a shadowrun team before, now winding up working with a few to survive whatever is to come? 

  I won't play up that drama too far, of course, I've been a GM way too long to be comfortable with too much party tension. 

  Could certainly try other ideas, of course. 

[Hexed]

Sounds really interesting! I like the idea of character diversity - not that I don't love playing shadowrunners, but mixing it up is pretty cool. I have an idea for an Aztlan decker who does host design and security for Aztechnology. She could easily be visiting the island either for work or for a vacation.

Didn't 5e shadowrun really crap on the deckers though? Or was that just technomancers? Seem to recall that they hit the cybersecurity pretty hard at least. And they took the cybertech back a few years do to a... nanite plage?

[TFcommando]

It's not too far off from SR4, but SR5 brought back (expensive) cyberdecks, eliminating SR4's easily portable and ubiquitous commlinks.  Cyberware has wireless bonuses to performance in many cases, and this means that it can be detected and hacked by deckers.  A lot of the core matrix code is now a black box after the last crash, so ordinary computer use can be lethal for ordinary corporate wageslaves.  Not sure about the technomancers, but they're better with their sprites and unique powers than competing head to head with a decker.

A few ideas for me:

A tomb raider/relic hunter mage, not exactly a shadow runner, but at least brushing against the shadows in her work, on vacation.  Expert in 4th World history, fair amount of sensory spells.

A monster hunter combat mage, part of a small company that does that, also on vacation, Dragonslayer totem.

Swordfighter adept, because swords. :)

[Pretty in Pink]

Peeks in

Uhm...  Wow.  So much for diversity?  Everyone is combat experienced, then?  Maybe my music/trid diva wouldn't be a very good fit here?

[Hexed]

^^

Been ages since I've read 5e I just remember all the complaints the changes brought on.


PerpetuallyAnnoyedCleric by normal rules do you mean priority based only or just that the power setting would be standard? And what books are permitted?  Chummer asks many questions before you can poke at it.

[Muse]

Didn't 5e shadowrun really crap on the deckers though? Or was that just technomancers? Seem to recall that they hit the cybersecurity pretty hard at least. And they took the cybertech back a few years do to a... nanite plage?

I'm really weak with all manner of hacking, but from what I can see and remember, the atributes and abilties of hackers are a lot more relevent in 5th than in fourth.  In fourth your programs were a lot more imortant. 

[Top Cat]

I'm somewhat interested, but I need more info.

Peeks in

Uhm...  Wow.  So much for diversity?  Everyone is combat experienced, then?  Maybe my music/trid diva wouldn't be a very good fit here?

Every team needs a good Face. Sounds like your character would be fit for the job. 

[PixelatedPixie]

Hello everyone!  I was not expecting so much interest!

Admiral J
He could be fun!

HopeFox
I like the idea of an Aztlan employee!  I am typing up a bit more no the setting which could be relevant.  The local Aztechnology subsidiary would be mostly in banking (money laundering)

Mystic Dragon
They are available to be purchased in PDF form.  There are still adepts.

Muse
A corporate mage could be interesting!  However I would prefer limited/only with consent PvP.

Hexed
I'm not sure how deckers have changed from earlier versions, but I will do my best to make things interesting!

Yes, priority only so no sum to ten, point buy, or life modules and not street level or prime runner.

I am open to any book that the player owns.  I generally prefer to trust people until they give me a reason not to and hopefully other players can verify if needed.  However if I don't have access to a book I can't promise that I can include it (depending on what it is) in a meaningful way. 

TFcommando
I like the idea of the tomb raider!  It fits with some background for the area.  Specifically the search for Atlantis.  The main site has an exclusion zone, but there are probably other sites nearby.

Pretty in Pink
I expect most people to gravitate towards some combat in most games even if they aren't experts on it.  Though a couple characters already could be low on combat.  I love the idea of a diva though!

Top Cat
What information do I need to add?


General Responses
So I don't want to get too big so will probably cut off interest here.  If you have posted in this thread you are more than welcome to join however!

[Pretty in Pink]

Well, that makes four then.  Two in the thread, one in PMs, and one in Skype.  Diva it is, I guess!  She's either on the island on vacation, or she's there doing a show, could be either one.

Also, I have access to Run & Gun and Run Faster.    So yay for that!

[TFcommando]

While looking over the rules to see about building an adept, I had another idea for the tomb raider concept... instead of a full mage, a Magic Priority D Adept, mainly to get Astral Perception and a few sensory and movement powers, no combat powers, making due with good stats and lots of mundane skills for the most part, maybe a qi foci.  I'll write up both and see which grabs me more.  Did the mage version in SR4 once.

Is Extraordinary Attribute: Magic OK, or would you prefer not?

I like the diva concept too.  SR1 had the Rocker template after all!

Also, I have the core, Rigger 5 (it was a doorbuster) and Gun Heaven 3.  A lot of the reviews of the big books were kind of so-so, not having as much content as their 4e predecessors, so I've been slow to buy.

[Muse]

Muse
A corporate mage could be interesting!  However I would prefer limited/only with consent PvP.

PVP?  *Yelps in horror just hearing it said. * 

Oh God no!  I'd sooner allow it one of my games than I would inflict it upon another GM, and It'll be a cold day in Hell before I allow it in one of my games not explicitly designed for it! 

<---trembles a little more.   

[HopeFox]

Okay, cool! I'll see what I can put together. If she's an active corporate employee, then she won't have shadowrunning skills, obviously.

If we're not all shadowrunners, will having a SIN count as a Negative Quality? My girl Tlazohtzin will have either an Aztlan or Limited Aztechnology SIN.

[Hexed]

^^

Cool. Mostly needed the info because Chummer 5e won't let you play with character gen without imputing that stuff.

I have an odd and rather scattered collection of books myself due to a one time interest in shadowrun. Have to see what I can actually dig out.

[Admiral J]

I'm a team player by nature, and as a long-time dungeon master I understand the resistance to intraparty conflict, but the thing is that Shadowrun /is/ specifically designed for PvP, particularly in a crew of previously unaligned runners.  /Particularly/ particularly when there's an Azzie in the mix.

I'm all right with enforcing that everyone be chummers to give PACleric a hand, as long as the enforcement applies equally to everyone and isn't limited to just combat.  I have /never/ seen a Shadowrun player mention Aztechnology in their character background without the intention of fragging things up, either directly or just by giving the GM an excuse to involve Aztlan in the plot.  If that's the plan, I want to be able to keep a round chambered in my Super Warhawk for HopeFox's decker, because that is SOP for any runner who wants to stay north of a hole in the ground.

To be clear, HopeFox, I'm not saying you're here to derail the game or criticizing your character choice -- I think the concept has legs, and I would love to play opposite an Azzie.  I think Aztechnology is an important part of Shadowrun lore.  But as I'm sure you know, it's not a neutral play, and I think playing it off like it is would be a disservice.  You want to play an Azzie, and I want to play a runner who reacts to the presence of an Azzie in an appropriately paranoid fashion.   

Just my two cents.  This isn't a dealbreaker for me, but if I don't set up multiple redundant safehouses because "we're not doing PvP" and a fellow runner hoses my character, I'm going to be torqued that I was denied the opportunity to prepare and respond in kind.  Do let's be very clear about the rules; that's all I ask.

PVP?  *Yelps in horror just hearing it said. * 

Oh God no!  I'd sooner allow it one of my games than I would inflict it upon another GM, and It'll be a cold day in Hell before I allow it in one of my games not explicitly designed for it! 

<---trembles a little more.

[Muse]

  I don't know what you think I was talking about, J.  I was refering to Cleric responding to my talking about playing a corperate security mage as if I were going to use her for PVP. 

[Top Cat]

I think I'm going to have to step away from this. While I've played 5e, it's been a couple of years, and I am very much NOT up-to-date on things. I think that I'd be a poor mix here. Good luck, all. =^_^=

[Pretty in Pink]

Muse
A corporate mage could be interesting!  However I would prefer limited/only with consent PvP.

Emphasis is mine.    *goes back to building the vacationing diva*

[Muse]

  To further elaborate, J, Hope Fox is one of the best playrs--and GMs--I've ever had--the absolute best for Shadowrun--and he's about as likely to behave in the way you describe as to throw a tenis ball over the moon.

[PixelatedPixie]

Pretty in Pink

I can come up with some details of a show or you can have her there on vacation.  Both have benefits.

TFcommando

I like that concept!  I don't have a problem with Extraordinary Attribute: Magic.

HopeFox

SINner will still be a negative quality. 

Admiral J

I may have worded my initial response poorly.  Any PvP will require consent between the players and even then I want it rare if not non-existent.  That is not to say that there won't be distrust and non-violent conflict, but depending on player attrition not everyone may be in the same scene at the same time constantly.  Also the first portion of the game will be very focused on survival.  The characters may not trust each other, but they may not have a choice but to cooperate to avoid death.  Also the local Aztechnology presence is softer than it may be in other areas.  Banking and Aquaculture. 

If someone decides that their character exists solely to cause issues I will deal with it at the time.  But I don't want to impose the restriction that everyone has to be best buddies.

I am working on getting my background information formed.

[PixelatedPixie]

I hope I did this right!

The Setting
The OOC

The Setting is a living document that I will expand as we go, as I think of things, and as questions are asked.  If there are any specific details I have forgotten or that could be useful, or character related ideas, please let me know so I can add them!