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Posted by: Seth Aug 30 2011, 03:44 PM

I am planning on running a shadowrun game with some friends. One of the players is very keen on economics, so I am planning on making the players be a "start up", and we can run the economics of the shop through a spreadsheet. The intension for the game over the next few (real) years is to grow it into a full business, maybe even a corporation

There appears to be a lot of roleplaying fun here:

• Missions to collect rare arcana
• Commissioned missions
• Dealing with protection rackets
• Setting up trade routes from deepest darkest <insert continent> for rare leafs / herbs / roots...
• Dealing with corporate bullying who want to recruit / buy out the business...
• Stealing arcana from mega corps...
• Chasing down people that have stolen "their" arcana

I wonder if you have any advice for character types, encounters, missions, opportunities or threats.

Posted by: Tanegar Aug 30 2011, 03:46 PM

The word you're looking for is "telesma." Arcana is a Logic-linked skill used to develop spell and focus formulae. Telesma are the physical objects and substances that go into making foci.

Posted by: Neraph Aug 30 2011, 03:57 PM

There's a thread around here somewhere that actually deals with this. It's an optimized group of Prime Runners who are able to make a few million a year by creating orichalcum with alchemy. I didn't bookmark it though...

Posted by: Seth Aug 30 2011, 04:30 PM

Thanks. Glad that got sorted before the game got going...otherwise it gets very messy.


My google-fu is weak, and I didn't find the reference. It demonstrates there is nothing new under the sun.

Posted by: Tanegar Aug 30 2011, 05:47 PM

"New" is overrated. I'll take a well-worn tale, expertly told, over something completely original told by an idiot. See David Eddings' work. Original? Hardly. Damn good books? Damn straight.

Posted by: Makki Aug 31 2011, 09:33 AM

sounds fun. what you need:
x Mages for the Enchanting,
a Survival expert for the Location Test and surviving,
a travel organizer,
a face to deal with locals and authorities,
a business guy who actually runs the store front,
a weapons expert for security.

can be any group from 3 to 6+ chars. would be a nice campaign imho.

Posted by: phlapjack77 Aug 31 2011, 10:02 AM

Sounds really cool!

For a brick-n-mortar store game, it seems like you should also add the relationships the store has with others to the spreadsheet. All of the different groups (gangs, police, government, corps, runners, etc) are going to be able to affect the store moreso than a usual hard-to-find runner team.

Posted by: Seriously Mike Aug 31 2011, 10:34 AM

I even have a name for your company: Tiger Telesmatics. You could even start a telesma store franchise called El Gizmo Mondo!
(yeah, I am being ironic here. Not like you wouldn't figure it out from the second name.)

Posted by: Neraph Sep 1 2011, 01:23 AM

There was a magic item shop game released earlier this year for the computer. Give it a spin and get some ideas. I don't remember exactly the name of the game, but the main character was something like "Rosa" or "Rosalina"...

Posted by: LostProxy Sep 1 2011, 01:27 AM

On steam yes? Where you would try and juice adventurers for all their gains.

Posted by: CanRay Sep 1 2011, 01:29 AM

So exactly like Talismongers and Shadowrunners or Wageslave Wizwyrms.

Posted by: LostProxy Sep 1 2011, 01:44 AM

Exactly! You got to be the leech for once. And it felt good. Arrg, I've played this game but I can't remember it and it's bugging me.

On topic though my first thought was "Competition will be fun." Rival stores, especially fake mom and pop ones run by the Corps, will make business difficult. No one ever said the free market was cuddly.

Posted by: CanRay Sep 1 2011, 02:03 AM

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale.

And Talismongering legitimate Foci (Focus? Focuses? Latin was never offered in my schools) is one of the areas where small businesses do reign supreme. You just can't mass produce them, which Corporations can't wrap their heads around. S-K (On account of having a FRICKIN' DRAGON in charge) and Aztechnology are the only two with major chains going, and even their stuff is typically considered not as good as the Mom & Pop shops. They do, however, control vast territories of virgin land for the raw materials, and charge for collecting items from it quite highly, so they make their cash easily enough, which is passed onto the consumers.

Makes Poaching and Black Market Talismongering almost legitimate, "And we pass the savings onto you, and not the DAMNED CORPS THAT RAPE OUR LANDS!!!"

Posted by: Seth Sep 1 2011, 09:02 PM

Lol I enjoyed reading the above posts thank you.

We are kicking off in a few days. All the players are aged 14 to 17 so it's going to be quite intense. I'll get them to name the group!

Any suggestions for the first game?

Posted by: CanRay Sep 1 2011, 11:55 PM

"Moby Dick II: Ishmael's Revenge"?

They are tasked to get a ritual sperm sample from a white sperm whale?

Posted by: Seth Sep 2 2011, 06:08 AM

Being 14-17 I might run into trouble with their mums. And that would be bad. Very bad.

Posted by: CanRay Sep 2 2011, 06:21 AM

Ah, right, sorry. Going for immature humor and went too far. Sorry.

Posted by: Neraph Sep 3 2011, 03:07 AM