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Posted by: James McMurray Feb 28 2011, 04:23 AM

I tend to go overboard when creating group newsletters for the games I run, and so http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/born_to_die.htm. It's an account of the first run for our new campaign, as well as some details on the world and a few of the PCs' contacts. The full game website is http://shadowrun.colugo.org/. It's got our house rules and a few links right now. Eventually it'll be fleshed out more as things get created for the game (for instance I'm sure we'll have at least one magical group in the future, probably more).

For folks who recognize the run or the artwork (or are just curious): I ran http://pavao.org/shadowrun/adventures/.

Posted by: Ol' Scratch Feb 28 2011, 04:35 AM

Pretty cool! I love this type of detail in the game. You don't see it nearly enough.

Posted by: James McMurray Mar 15 2011, 07:03 PM

Thanks!

Our second run, or at least most of it. The team is hired to extract a scientist, but grab the wrong guy.

http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/mistaken_identity.htm

or the site's http://shadowrun.colugo.org/

Posted by: Adarael Mar 15 2011, 08:18 PM

I came to the same conclusion before I started my current game two weeks ago. Unfortunately, I've been working on my portfolio website, so I haven't had a chance to throw up the game's site yet.

Posted by: James McMurray Mar 15 2011, 08:47 PM

Well get to it so I can start pilfering ideas!

Posted by: Adarael Mar 15 2011, 08:56 PM

I intend to. Currently I'm making an InDesign dossier template for my gear, screamsheet and npc dossier updates, specifically so that Dumpshockers can make off with them!

What else am I gonna do with 875 megs of pilfered game concept art?

Posted by: noonesshowmonkey Mar 15 2011, 10:18 PM

You have a group of autistic / retarded, sociopaths (the characters, not the players). So many Charisma / Logic 1s!

How do they get work besides 'go kick that trog's face in' or the like? And how do they not just get low-balled all the time, since they couldn't negotiate their way out of a paper bag?

Badass sounding runs, though!

Posted by: James McMurray Mar 15 2011, 10:29 PM

Yep. I was worried about it when I first heard what their stats were, but it's been fun.


Fixers with really high loyalty (5 and 6 for most of the characters).


They do. The run they're on now is paying 17,000 when it should have been paying 20,000. I set the base amount and they negotiate at the meet. Two of them got rating 6 emotitoys (including the summoner, who actually has Charisma), so hopefully they'll do better on their next run.



Thanks! The first one was written by Aaron Pavao. I found it on his site http://pavao.org/shadowrun/adventures/. The one they're on now was a product of my long commute to work. I'll probably post it once they're done with it. It's not written in the standard SR run fashion, and is instead a web of interconnected nodes with clues leading between them, with a few scenes scattered around in case I need to stall for time or just want to toss some more chaos into the mix.

Posted by: Critias Mar 15 2011, 11:12 PM

Looks like a good time is being had by all, and kudos for putting in the effort/overtime and getting such a cool site up!

Posted by: James McMurray Mar 16 2011, 05:59 PM

Thanks! I can't help it. I'm a lazy/over-working technogeek. For instance, I know I've put more hours of work into the NPC generator then I've spent using it (by a long shot). But I start coding and the next thing you know I've got more than I'll ever use, but I enjoyed making it.

Posted by: James McMurray Mar 16 2011, 06:02 PM

I just got an email from one of the players.

Looks like they'll be a bit more competent in the social department on the next run, though the character that's retiring is Mackle, who was already the only one in the group with any Charisma.

Posted by: James McMurray Mar 21 2011, 06:17 PM

The second half, wherein they redeem themselves.

http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/mistaken_identity.htm or the site's http://shadowrun.colugo.org/.

It's the same page as the last update. New stuff is after the line towards the end of the "What went down" section. I also changed the format a little so I could put OOC comments in without having to break up the flow of the actual story.

Posted by: warrior_allanon Mar 21 2011, 07:10 PM

when you have that up and running i would like to borrow/use it, and i promise i will send you my game notes in return for my "RED" game.....yes its based on the movie and its for a mix of prime runners and newbs whom people will be getting a look at as 4ed characters in the upcomming editions of DDH

Posted by: James McMurray Mar 21 2011, 08:07 PM

If you mean the NPC generator, it's been http://www.colugo.org/jmcmurra/generators/index.php?pageId=1&pageType=1. It's not Shadowrun specific though. It doesn't have any game mechanics in it at all. It's just a quick way to generate names, personalities, and some of the other fiddly bits that I have trouble coming up with on the fly.

Posted by: James McMurray Mar 22 2011, 09:21 PM

For the curious the http://shadowrun.colugo.org/'s listing of the newsletters now includes links to the runs.

Posted by: James McMurray Apr 8 2011, 05:18 PM

The next part is up. It's the first in a (probably) 2 part run where the team is hired to lead a scientist past a UCAS naval blockade and into a magical anolmaly (a recurring displacement alchera).

http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/the_appearance.htm or http://shadowrun.colugo.org

Posted by: longbowrocks Apr 9 2011, 07:37 PM

Wow. I kinda skimmed, but is this more oriented towards dramatizing the events of previous sessions, or setting the stage for new ones?

Posted by: James McMurray Apr 9 2011, 11:46 PM

The long narrative is what happened in the session(s) for that particular run. The NPC descriptions, news, and rumors are to set the stage for possible future runs, show some side effects of past runs, and foreshadow possible future ones.

Posted by: Machiavelli Apr 12 2011, 02:20 PM

Great stuff and good idea. Just perfect for a little session in between. But one question (maybe i didn´t get it because i overflew the script): how did ikarus...no theseus...defeat the runner team and smashed their citymaster? Sorry for the question, but i am at work (don´t tell anybody) and i could´t check all the details.

Posted by: James McMurray Apr 12 2011, 02:35 PM

No idea, especially since a single bullet from one of the players took him out. The players were hired to help another team but got there too late, so just saw the aftermath of the battle. The adventure I swiped from the web didn't say, but the little kid's stats were pretty nasty when compared to a normal starting runner's (our group has some strong min-max skills). If they were spread out he could probably have taken a couple alone with surprise. He'd have needed help to smash a citymaster though; maybe his sister used Control Thoughts on the first team's troll and made him do it.

Posted by: Machiavelli Apr 13 2011, 09:28 AM

Yeah, this would be a solution. I will have to change the adventure a little bit, especially at the point that the person that is left behind in the car is automatically dead...usually one of our sams is taking care for the vehicle and he could have problems with an autodeath^^

Posted by: James McMurray Apr 13 2011, 05:33 PM

Ii think anyone would have an issue with it. SR has rules for that and they're not "you die." If it had come up there'd have been surprise rolls and a combat, not an instagib.

Posted by: longbowrocks Apr 13 2011, 08:03 PM

Isn't it better to give the character a rolling/fighting chance? You can always send more enemies if it turns out he built his character http://www.hulu.com/watch/66312/saturday-night-live-snl-digital-short-like-a-boss.
Then again, I guess playing by these rules, you'd be outta luck if he played a centaur with skimmers and celerity.

Posted by: James McMurray Apr 14 2011, 02:33 AM

Definitely. I don't know the original author so I have no idea why he wrote it as automatic death, but there's no way I'd ever play it that way.

Posted by: Machiavelli Apr 14 2011, 07:35 AM

If i would let our hacker back in the car, it WOULD be an auto-death, but all the other members of our team would wipe the ass of the little bugger. But it is anyway a great run-idea and it would be the first adventure that had been run exactly like the author wrote it...stupid players always ruin plans.^^

Posted by: James McMurray Apr 21 2011, 07:38 PM

http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/the_appearance.htm of The Appearance is up. The new stuff is what's after the long line in the middle of that page.

Posted by: James McMurray May 3 2011, 11:43 PM

http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/ready_set_gogh.html

An elaborate plan ends before it starts thanks to a bullet in a security guard's face. Instead, car chases!

Posted by: James McMurray May 12 2011, 09:45 PM

http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/conflicting_interests.htm, in which the kidnapping of pregnant women to sell them into experimentation somehow turns ugly.

Posted by: Brainpiercing7.62mm May 13 2011, 11:54 AM

I didn't read all your runs, yet, I'm afraid, but I'm REALLY happy you posted the link to the Node based scenario design. That's just what I've been looking for to give some structure to a basically sand-boxy game.

Posted by: warrior_allanon May 14 2011, 01:46 AM

been watching "Shoot 'em Up" have you

Posted by: James McMurray May 14 2011, 06:41 AM

Nope. It came from the very first run they did, which was to rescue a kidnapped pregnant woman.

Posted by: Aaron May 14 2011, 05:57 PM

I know the original author, and I think he was treating NPCs with different rules, probably for the sake of the narrative. I'll have a word with him about applying proper game rules to backstory if he writes another one.

Posted by: James McMurray May 14 2011, 08:18 PM

Ah, that would make sense if it's written for his group and he's expecting them to leave an NPC behind. I'd probably run it that way too, and give the kid a box or two of damage if the NPC was combat capale. There's just no indication at that point that it should apply only to NPCs. It is in the Pushing the Envelope section, but I can't imagine anyone being ok with an envelope pushed that far.

Posted by: Aaron May 14 2011, 11:50 PM

Wait a tick. Which adventure are we talking about?

Posted by: James McMurray May 14 2011, 11:55 PM

I was talking about Born to Die, the adventure in the OP. Which one are you talking about?

Posted by: Aaron May 15 2011, 01:07 PM

That one, too. Okay, cool.

Posted by: James McMurray May 19 2011, 12:20 AM

The second part of http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/conflicting_interests.htm is up, in which the team steps away from the kidnapping game for a bit and insteads takes on the mob. With, um... consequences.

Oh yeah, and another fixer hires them to take out anything and everything associated with the kidnappers.

Posted by: James McMurray May 23 2011, 04:26 PM

http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/conflicting_interests.htm is up. Unfortunately the fight took longer than I expected, so there will be a part 4 as well.

Posted by: James McMurray Jun 16 2011, 05:43 PM

The last part of http://shadowrun.colugo.org/newsletter/conflicting_interests.htm is up. It's been a funky week, so I skimmed through the final fight instead of going blow-by-blow like I usually do. It went so fast I may end up doing that for all of the fights for now.