 New GM, Tips, resources? |
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 Mar 29 2006, 07:28 PM
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#1
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 21 Joined: 29-March 06 From: Denton, TX Member No.: 8,419  |
Hello everyone.
I bought SR3 several years ago to play in a friend's one-shot game and for some reason dusted it off last weekend and really started to read it. I'm totally into the setting and have some players interested in starting a game here in Denton, Texas. I wanted to introduce myself since I will probably be hassling all of you a lot in the future, and I've got a couple of questions. 1) I've read a shit-ton of debates about SR3 vs. SR4, and I've kind of convinced myself to stick with SR3, since I already own it and it seems like everyone seems to think the new version is more bad than good. (I bought SR1 just for the artwork, though. This game seems a specific reflection of everything going on in 1989, and I think the more contemporary art doesn't capture the personality of the setting as well.) My question is, does a condensed version of the basic SR3 rules exist somewhere as a GM resource? SR3 makes sense to me, it's just the organization of the book requires a lot of legwork to remember where all the refference tables and specific rules are. 2) My other question is, what sourcebooks have fluff or crunch dealing with the Shadowrun music industry, bands, instruments, etc. Given my players, I want to run a game in which the shadowrunners are a band as one cover for their operation. 3) What's the best Shadowrun novel to introduce new players to the setting? It's going to be hard to get some of my players to delve into this horribly organized rulebook, so I want to give them something fun to read to immerse them a bit more in the setting than the 2-3 page intro story would. I can teach them the rules verbally. 4) Lastly, links to sites of links that will link me to any helpful GM resources would be fuckin' excellent. Cheers. Lars |
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Mar 29 2006, 07:46 PM
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#2
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Mystery Archaeologist Group: Members Posts: 2,906 Joined: 19-September 05 From: The apple tree Member No.: 7,760 |
Oh thats an easy one. Shadowbeat, technically second ed but it should hold up fine for 3rd. I generally ruled the instrument etc skills as knowledges, to encourage people to take them. |
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Mar 29 2006, 08:51 PM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 296 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Usually under a cat Member No.: 864 |
You want the Shadowrun Quick Start Rules. You can find them in ebook format at the link here. As for a good novel to introduce the setting, I'd say 2XS if you can find it. Check around--there's a thread running about it now. |
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Mar 29 2006, 08:58 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 132 Joined: 24-August 05 From: Luxembourg, Luxembourg Member No.: 7,611 |
1) The GM Screen might help. Most of the commonly used tables and such are on it. 3) There is a SR Novel that is a collection of related short stories. I was loaning it out to new players when I was running games. I think it was called Into The Shadows. |
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Mar 29 2006, 09:41 PM
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#5
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
The best way to introduce people to Shadowrun is to make them play the SNES Shadowrun game first and then the Genesis Shadowrun game second. Then they're all ready to start the real thing.
I agree that the game is really about the late 80s. It's really missing the point of the game to drift away from that. |
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Mar 29 2006, 09:50 PM
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#6
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
I think you can gain a lot by introducing some early-mid-90s here and there, particularly in the higher-tech areas. The late 90s and oughts are a wasteland, though.
~J |
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Mar 29 2006, 10:13 PM
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#7
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
Yeah, point.
Hmm, also, as a GM it's always good to have the PCs play some Rainbow 6 if they're coming from D&D so that they know that SR dosen't have t3h hitpoints per se. |
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Mar 29 2006, 10:42 PM
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#8
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,174 Joined: 13-May 04 From: UCAS Member No.: 6,327 |
You're best bet is also have them run through a quick combat scenario with some pre-gen characters just to let them see how combat and damage are like in srun as opposed to dnd and such before you really start playing with the character they've made.
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Mar 29 2006, 10:51 PM
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#9
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
What do you mean by "oughts?" And what post-1980's stuff are we talking about?
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Mar 29 2006, 11:00 PM
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#10
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
"Oughts" == 2000-2009.
~J |
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Mar 29 2006, 11:00 PM
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#11
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,174 Joined: 13-May 04 From: UCAS Member No.: 6,327 |
oughts as in '00 decade. What we mean by post-1980's is the culture and mood of society and how that is incorporated into the general mood of the game. When Srun first came out it was heavily in the 1980's feel, large japanese corporation, dystopia, big hair bands and the like were all the rage. edit: Dang it Kage, you beat me to it! Of course I was typing a bit more too... :P |
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Mar 29 2006, 11:04 PM
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#12
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
So... what happened to that feel? I mean, Japanese business is a shadow of what it used to be, but it's still a shitty time to live in.
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Mar 30 2006, 01:32 AM
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#13
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
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Mar 30 2006, 02:34 AM
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#14
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Target Group: Members Posts: 21 Joined: 29-March 06 From: Denton, TX Member No.: 8,419 |
Thanks very much for the replies, everyone. I already like this forum a lot. Much more thoughtful and enjoyable than the D20 forums over at WotC.
And yeah. Shadowrun screams 1989, and the kitschy nature of its aesthetic seems based heavily on the underground music culture of the time. Elves are New Wave/New Romantics, the Trolls are the hardcore/thrash kids, etc. And not only Shadowrun, but cyberpunk in general, is a direct reaction to 1980's economic concerns with corporate politics and globalization. I think that updating it to account for more of a contemporary setting, while maybe a good way to attract new players, is not what I appreciate about the game at all -- because it seems like the old gets blended with the new and what you've got is not as distinctive as the original concept. Just two cents worth of initial impressions from someone who really doesn't know much about Shadowrun yet! ;) In your opinions, is it possible to play Shadowrun entirely with SR1 source material; but use SR3 for rules and gear, etc? I located copies for sale online of the novels and sourcebooks you reccomended. Sprawl Survival Guide only has a paragraph on "music". Is Shadowbeat going to give me a lot more than that? I'm okay with adapting material to SR3. |
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Mar 30 2006, 02:44 AM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 296 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Usually under a cat Member No.: 864 |
That's pretty much all Shadowbeat is about--well, that and other entertainment/pop culture stuff. I think it'll be just what you're looking for. |
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Mar 30 2006, 03:04 AM
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#16
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
Yeah, Shadowbeat is definitely something you should buy. Why it's not as rare as LS or UB is beyond me.
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Mar 30 2006, 03:18 AM
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#17
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
Not only is it possible, but it's a heck of a lot of fun. Just replace all of the SR3 fluff with the 2050 SR1 fluff. I don't know if searching would dig much up on this, but I know there have been threads about it before. If you could find them, they'd probably have some good info on how different people have done it. |
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Mar 30 2006, 06:51 AM
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#18
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Grand Master of Run-Fu Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178 |
If you want a good introductory campaign, Harlequin can't be beat. It's technically SR1, but it can be converted readily. It's also one of my personal favorites-- I sometimes leaf through it to brush up on my basic GM skills.
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Mar 30 2006, 08:55 AM
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#19
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,000 Joined: 17-November 05 From: Halifax, Canada Member No.: 7,975 |
The SOTA books each feature a section on Entertainment.... That might help in bridging some gaps between editions.
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Mar 30 2006, 10:17 AM
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#20
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,598 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Hong Kong Member No.: 4,253 |
Holy thread necromancy, Batman:
Ten commandments of interactive storytelling, Rules and cool stuff do not a story make At sunrise and sunset, a man casts a long shadow, Rebirth, parabolic change, apocalypse No surrender!, What's a GM to do? Too hard vs. too soft GMs, Where to draw the line... ----- 'outside' links Where we get all those wonderful toys The Ancient Files |
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