 Magical threats in SM |
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 Aug 21 2006, 03:32 AM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 750 Joined: 9-August 06 Member No.: 9,059  |
I'm surprised no one has really commented on this section yet. In my opinion, this is arguably the most improved of any over previous editions. Past toxics and other bad magical news had little flavor and few mechanics other than "more powerful." Reading the SM toxic section and seeing the spirit artwork was the first time I can recall actually thinking of toxics as dangerous, demented, and scary rather than just overpowered and a bit cartoonish. My congratulations to everyone who worked on this.
Insect spirits weren't as lacking in past editions, but the cleanup, consolidation, and standardization among them is nice, if biologically implausible in certain cases, but even that is handwaved adequately. |
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Aug 21 2006, 06:25 AM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 734 Joined: 30-August 05 Member No.: 7,646 |
I've only had a chance to glance it so far, but I really liked how they handled the threats section, including a sort of "build a threat workshop". In particular I liked the a cannabal adept. :)
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Aug 21 2006, 03:23 PM
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#3
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Ain Soph Aur Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,477 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Montreal, Canada Member No.: 600 |
I loved it. It's FULL of really good ideas.
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Aug 21 2006, 04:32 PM
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#4
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,314 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Lisbon, Cidade do Pecado Member No.: 185 |
A lot of work went into this particular chapter and I'm rather pleased with the way it came out. I believe it does a pretty good job of conveying what makes each Threat unique and giving each some color and menace of its own. Heck, it even adds some new twists to old favorites. My thanks to the writer and everyone who contributed ideas and feedback.
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Aug 21 2006, 04:47 PM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 212 Joined: 30-November 04 Member No.: 6,858 |
What I really like is the way the dark paths now fall under the same rules structure as the rest of the magic system. Makes it far more of a temptation for PC's that way... |
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Aug 21 2006, 06:51 PM
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#6
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
heh, time to break out a dwarf with a yoda attitude :P
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Aug 21 2006, 09:06 PM
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#7
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Shadow Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 3,737 Joined: 2-June 06 From: Secret Tunnels under the UK (South West) Member No.: 8,636 |
I found the threats section inspiring. Can't give much higher praise than that. The Insect Spirits section was the very first part that I read when I got the PDF. I wasn't dissappointed with the rules - all very elegant and playable - and there was some stirring of inspiration with the new insect spirit categories. Nymphs? Interesting. :) But when, much later, I re-read the whole threats section, it really got my creative juices going. Reminded me just how cool I thought some of this stuff was when back in SR2, Initiation and Ally Spirits first appeared. Shadow Spirits - me like. And twisted path adepts! I have to agree that the cannibal metamagics are great and personally have been the basis of a great new bad guy. My game is re-inventing the Shadowrun history and I'm going to be taking players through Queen Euphoria (wish they'd release a PDF). Insect Spirits for the first time! *shiver*. The new rules couldn't have come at a better time. |
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Aug 21 2006, 09:24 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 137 Joined: 8-June 06 From: Present day, Detroit Member No.: 8,683 |
Hey me too. I definitely like how the various insect types were streamlined, while letting them keep a unique power. Some of my players know about the UB though, so now I just need to think up a fake name for that organization :) |
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| Guest_MK Ultra_* |
 Aug 21 2006, 10:12 PM
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#9
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Guests |
@ knasser & Dr. Dodge
Hehe. I have an old adventures/new rules champain, too, that was stalled for some months now, due to lack of player interest, but the arrival of Street Magic has re-ignited player-interest again. It will be some time, before I play Euphoria & UB with them, but next up is Bottled Demon (the focus addiction will come in handy here), then Mercurial and than Ivy & Chrome. I have the same problem with the UB, but I will probably use the 'New Wave' -some organization from the old Sprawl Sites encounters- as a front. If you´re into bloodmagic, 'Ivy & Crome' is a very cool adventure dealing with the beginnings of Aztech bloodmagic. |
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Aug 21 2006, 10:15 PM
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#10
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Shooting Target Group: Validating Posts: 1,618 Joined: 29-January 03 From: Montevideo, Uruguay. Member No.: 3,992 |
Definitely. I love when the players find out about "Charlotte." Mine started humming the A-Team's theme. :rotfl: |
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| Guest_MK Ultra_* |
 Aug 21 2006, 10:24 PM
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#11
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Guests |
:grinbig:
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Aug 21 2006, 10:26 PM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 291 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 806 |
I've been thinking of going this route; I planned of substituting UB with Mother of Metas or whatever that oraganization's name is. Noone'll suspect a rights-activist group with genuine reputation :evil: |
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Aug 22 2006, 04:17 AM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 137 Joined: 8-June 06 From: Present day, Detroit Member No.: 8,683 |
Hmm i'll have to look into New Wave (i know i got sprawl sites somewhere around here...) I ran QE a long time ago with the same group (which I forgot, but luckily it got brought up recently) but i've always wanted to run all the other bug adventures (which i've managed to track down) so I'm looking forward to it. Another player around here wants to run a big city campaign (which i'm playing in), so i figure they'll never suspect me throwing bugs at them too :) bugs bugs bugs around here. I was thinking of running DNA/DOA, i have only glanced at it though, i know Aztechs are involved, any blood magic? |
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Aug 22 2006, 04:20 AM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 137 Joined: 8-June 06 From: Present day, Detroit Member No.: 8,683 |
Yeah i was thinking of something a little more obscure than MOM (though they would definitely never expect that) to me, they are just to involved in the main metaplot (or at least mentioned a lot over the years). |
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Aug 22 2006, 05:24 AM
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#15
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,086 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 364 |
The Church of Scientology? :D
No Blood Magic that I remember, just a late 80s D&D dungeon crawl, dressed up with "Genetic Engineering" as an explanation for the monsters that the players encounter in the
To be fair, it was the very first SR adventure released. The only reference to the setting that the author had to work with was the original core rulebook, and maybe the original Secrets of Power novels (can't remember if that trilogy came out before or after DNA/DOA). Without a context to set it in, it's no wonder why it reads like it does. |
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Aug 22 2006, 07:14 AM
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#16
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Shadow Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 3,737 Joined: 2-June 06 From: Secret Tunnels under the UK (South West) Member No.: 8,636 |
Perfect - thank you. The Scientologists it is. What could be more scary than an insect version of Tom Cruise or a Beetle John Travolta? |
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Aug 22 2006, 07:28 AM
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#17
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,086 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 364 |
Well, to be honest, I've always thought that the UB was merely a thinly disguised representation of Scientology to start with. I think it has to do with that one billboard up in the corner of the cover art on original Universal Brotherhood module. How many recently-founded, unleash-your-inner-potential religious movements use erupting volcano imagery in their advertising, after all? |
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