Ch-ch-ch-changes, How does your game world differ from canon? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[bannockburn]

So, my question is: How did you, as a GM change the official Shadowrun game world canon around to suit your needs or storytelling?
Major changes, more subtle ways, all is appreciated, as my explicit goal is to steal share ideas (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I'll start by explaining my stuff.
1.) I am running an online campaign of Survival of the Fittest right now, which began in late 2072 and has now progressed to early 2073. As such, the dragon conflict hasn't yet erupted as badly as it does in the official timeline, while some tensions are already brewing. After the campaign is finished, I'm thinking about making Hestaby Loremaster (mistress?) and have her use her influence to make the UN speech, but I am still undecided about this.

2.) In 2071, the Shroud surrounding Tir na nOg fell as the culmination of a long set of adventures and as such, the Irish elves are not protected any longer from horror magic and smuggling and other bad stuff™.
The story behind this is, that they used the power of the Wyld Hunt to uphold the Shroud, being able to call it forth only in a severely diminished state. The Tir leadership was only able to do this through a binding pact with the Master of the Hunt, which one particular NPC got wind of after a feud with Brane Deigh in the early 60s.
She was a 'mongrel' elf turned world-class assassin, born from an Irish politician and his Asian wife. Being constantly harassed at court for her heritage, she didn't get too involved with her home country and got kind of bitter, culminating in the feud and her being exiled, which she couldn't care less about at the time but didn't want to concede defeat.
After finding out about the pact when researching weaknesses of her enemy, she hired different groups of player PCs for obtaining more and crucial information. Then she returned to the Tir together with a PC to obtain the final piece of intel, but got caught while infiltrating the Seelie Court.
She and the PC were then sentenced by Brane Deigh to death by Wyld Hunt, which the assassin kind of counted on, as she wanted to wrest control of the Hunt from the court and use it for her own plans. Unable to do this because of missing information, this was a desperate final gambit. However, she had qualms about letting her companion get killed for her sake, after the PC had helped her so much, often even unasked and for some reason always staying loyal. So they ran and almost arrived at the sea to escape the Hunt by the old rule, where the NPC then turned and challenged the Master of the Hunt to a duel.
She subsequently barely won, and took control of the Hunt and their metaplane, which now serves its original purpose again, i.e. hunting down enemies of humanity, such as horrors, gods and the like. This is, of course, not common knowledge.

3.) The metaplanes aren't just planes but I treat them more like the planes in D&D.
Travel is possible, but difficult, and SR magical theory still treats them as described in the sourcebooks, but they are so much more. Astral Gate power allows people to pass over physically, because I like it better that way. Astral travel there still requires the ability to astrally project, being an initiate and besting the gatekeeper. The deep metaplanes are hostile to life, though and not readily accessible.
There is a central plane from which to access all the usual metaplanes, the crossroads, where a large tavern offers rest and food for travelers from all planes, The Inn Between. It features a barter system as virtues may be radically different from plane to plane, and it is considered a neutral zone. (Well, except for the Hunt. They are not welcome there, for various reasons)

4.) I don't use AIs that much.
DEUS, Megaira and whatever their names all were/are are kind of part of my canon, but I do not use feral AIs or AI player characters or other NPC AIs. Whether I just don't use them, or if they don't exist in my world, I haven't yet decided on.

5.) I make almost no use of WAR!
Bogota is not a port city, thank you very much. As most of us agreed to not talk about this topic, I won't expand further.
The conflict is there, but it is not an all out war.

Maybe I'll edit further if I can think of more examples, but for now, I'd like to see what you can think of (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Thanks in advance!