IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

 
Reply to this topicStart new topic
> New Flaw, Worthy of Gibson (well, no)
Siege
post Oct 21 2003, 05:23 AM
Post #1


Dragon
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,065
Joined: 16-January 03
From: Fayetteville, NC
Member No.: 3,916



Ok, you sign up for Corporate Duty.

Your choice: "Special Projects"

You remember signing the dotted line, you might even remember basic training.

After that, according to your contract fine print, your memory is wiped of all information until the end of your enlistment.

Depending on your contract terms, you either keep any implanted cyberware or might receive cash options.

Your medical profile may be limited depending on security concerns: (if you were exposed to an experimental nerve gas, they are not obliged to report it accurately, or at all).

Besides "screwed", what other flaws would you tack on?

-2 bad rep: Corporate Soldier
-2 amnesia: No memory of enlistment period
-2 command word: Kill (Willpower 6 to resist killing specified target upon receiving command word. Additional Willpower 6 roll to remember actions after receiving "clear" signal)

-1 distinctive feature: Barcode on shoulder. Contains file reference number for corp employment records.

(Sorry, after fencing with Polaris and watching "Soldier" in the background, I couldn't resist...)

-Siege
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Herald of Verjig...
post Oct 21 2003, 05:43 AM
Post #2


Runner
******

Group: Members
Posts: 3,066
Joined: 5-February 03
Member No.: 4,017



Barcode is not needed. Nanites can etch the essential data into his skeletal structure. Having a radio-response barcode on each bone makes it easier to sort the parts if something goes wrong.

Proper procedures should leave the kill word TNs at "nearly impossible" according to the book comparison. TN of 6 may be too easy since no corp would waste the big money on people who will drop at the first poorly placed stunball.

Mysterious cyberware, addiction, compulsion and/or vulnerabilities that make absolutely no sense. Possibly select by a roll of die.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
BitBasher
post Oct 21 2003, 05:46 AM
Post #3


Traumatizing players since 1992
******

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 3,282
Joined: 26-February 02
From: Las Vegas, NV
Member No.: 220



Whatever happened to the 1st edition/2nd edition "Data Filter" cyberware that handled those pesky memories during the durations when it was turned on? vanished?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Kanada Ten
post Oct 21 2003, 05:47 AM
Post #4


Beetle Eater
********

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 4,797
Joined: 3-June 02
From: Oblivion City
Member No.: 2,826



Data Filter is in SR3. Data Lock (P'Fix addition) is in M&M.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Siege
post Oct 21 2003, 05:48 AM
Post #5


Dragon
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,065
Joined: 16-January 03
From: Fayetteville, NC
Member No.: 3,916



The bar code captured the whole "off the shelf" feeling, but you're right about the nano-tags.

You're probably right about the Willpower to resist roll -- I'll have to look at CC again. Although I'm not sure how a corp would "test" or "screen" a Willpower stat. :grinbig:

What do you think of the basic idea? The spin on the Amnesia flaw? It's almost like the concept behind "Johnny Neumonic".

Edit: The datafilter would compromise a soldier's learning curve. "We" want him to be as skilled and experienced as possible while he's working for us. Afterwards, he'll have reflexes and skills, but the details and memories we'll want to erase.

-Siege
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
mfb
post Oct 21 2003, 05:49 AM
Post #6


Immortal Elf
**********

Group: Members
Posts: 11,410
Joined: 1-October 03
From: Pittsburgh
Member No.: 5,670



interesting idea. for the kill word, how about simply extending the duration of the compulsion? leave the TN at 6, but you have to resist the compulsion for three rounds.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
CanvasBack
post Oct 21 2003, 05:51 AM
Post #7


Moving Target
**

Group: Members
Posts: 227
Joined: 18-August 03
Member No.: 5,513



I like it. I love it. That movie was so wrong on so many levels but I'm convinced it was written by a closet Shadowrun player. :smokin:
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Siege
post Oct 21 2003, 05:54 AM
Post #8


Dragon
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,065
Joined: 16-January 03
From: Fayetteville, NC
Member No.: 3,916



Remember that books by authors like Gibson and Walter Jon Williams and others spawned the whole "cyberpunk" genre.

It makese sense that professionally creative people have explored some really spiffy ideas. :D

-Siege
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Herald of Verjig...
post Oct 21 2003, 05:59 AM
Post #9


Runner
******

Group: Members
Posts: 3,066
Joined: 5-February 03
Member No.: 4,017



QUOTE (Siege)
Although I'm not sure how a corp would "test" or "screen" a Willpower stat. :grinbig:

Get the entire group of potentials into a room, have one mage cast a stunball at a standard testing level. Everyone who stays standing gets to go to round 2 the next day, end when you have a group close to the size you want to add to the sleeper assassin forces.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
FlakJacket
post Oct 21 2003, 06:03 AM
Post #10


King of the Hobos
*****

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 2,117
Joined: 26-February 02
Member No.: 127



QUOTE (BitBasher)
Whatever happened to the 1st edition/2nd edition "Data Filter" cyberware that handled those pesky memories during the durations when it was turned on? Vanished?

Like people said, M&M. Plus you don't want goons that can only remember something for a couple minutes at a time. Makes you all distracted - increasing TN's - and gets in the way of things like training and remember what the actual mission was. For something like this you'd be better of dosing them with laes so they only have holes in their memories of the actual job - and after they've been thoroughly debriefed. If they could find a way to make a cyberware version of laes they'd be set.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Siege
post Oct 21 2003, 06:08 AM
Post #11


Dragon
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,065
Joined: 16-January 03
From: Fayetteville, NC
Member No.: 3,916



Herald: Oh, that would just suck.

DI: "Today we test your Willpower. Line up! About face! Eat mana!"
Recruits: "Huuuuuuuuuuuu.....thud."

Although that's a hell of a way to teach the lesson, "Geek the mage first!"

Flak: autoinjector with encoded radio controls? :grinbig:

-Siege

Edit: Although that does make for an interesting idea...could someone learn to resist spells through repeated exposure? Using that kind of training exercise, could someone learn "Resist Stun Spell" (for example) as an Active skill?

Oh, that's just a bad idea from beginning to end.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
sidekick
post Oct 21 2003, 08:16 AM
Post #12


Target
*

Group: Members
Posts: 97
Joined: 17-March 03
Member No.: 4,269



QUOTE (Siege)
Edit: Although that does make for an interesting idea...could someone learn to resist spells through repeated exposure? Using that kind of training exercise, could someone learn "Resist Stun Spell" (for example) as an Active skill?

Oh, that's just a bad idea from beginning to end.

You could always use that as the grounds for purchasing Magic Resistence Edge.

While there is no "magic resisting skills" the Johnson (Nigiel) in the First Run mission Supernova has been taught to notice the use of magic and is granted a -1 to the tests to notice it.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
ShieldT
post Oct 21 2003, 01:19 PM
Post #13


Moving Target
**

Group: Members
Posts: 113
Joined: 5-January 03
From: Butte County, CA
Member No.: 3,836



How about the kill word (once he's failed to resist whatever test is first required) gives a temporary +4 willpower, -1 to intelligence and +4 to further kill word resist tests. That'd pretty much take care of mana based stunballs right there, kinda like one of those drugs in Shadowtech (and just think of what's going to happen to the exhausted guy when it wears off). ;)

This post has been edited by ShieldT: Oct 21 2003, 01:23 PM
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Large Mike
post Oct 21 2003, 08:49 PM
Post #14


Running Target
***

Group: Members
Posts: 1,311
Joined: 26-February 02
From: Calgary, Alberta
Member No.: 2,062




Hey, howabout a variation on Personafix. THe guy in charge has a button. Press the button, the lackeys follow orders and think of nothing else.

To be truely effective, they'd need personality and experience, imho, but it's almost as good.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Shadow
post Oct 22 2003, 04:04 AM
Post #15


Why oh why didn't I take the blue pill.
*********

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 6,545
Joined: 26-February 02
From: Gloomy Boise Idaho
Member No.: 2,006



Theres a move coming out with Ben Affleck where he sign a contract to have his memory erased after each job. It looks pretty interesting and may be worth watching for ideas on Shadowrun.

The movie is called Paycheck and you can watch the trailer by clicking the blue word :D
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Siege
post Oct 22 2003, 04:10 AM
Post #16


Dragon
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,065
Joined: 16-January 03
From: Fayetteville, NC
Member No.: 3,916



Actually, to expand on Mikey's idea, controlled p-fix chips could work.

As I have lamented before, there isn't a detailed listing of how they work.

In the 1st edition adventure, a "Jack the Ripper" chip was profoundly nasty. Now, imagine a nasty hacker group cracked a chip company and one chip out of every 1,000 had an emotional compulsion on it...

A p-fix chip could (theoretically) alter moods and emotional structures -- the infamous "berserker" chip that cranks adrenaline and endorphines while filling the user with homicidal rage.

Similar manifestations could be fear suppression or enhanced concentration and focus abilities.

Although subliminal programming could achieve a similar effect.

Translating that into a balanced bit of game mechanic has always been...problematic at best.

-Siege
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
BitBasher
post Oct 22 2003, 05:36 AM
Post #17


Traumatizing players since 1992
******

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 3,282
Joined: 26-February 02
From: Las Vegas, NV
Member No.: 220



That module was DreamChipper... and was pretty damn cool, I still have it.

They killed the person that slotted them tho...
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Siege
post Oct 22 2003, 02:05 PM
Post #18


Dragon
********

Group: Members
Posts: 4,065
Joined: 16-January 03
From: Fayetteville, NC
Member No.: 3,916



If I recall properly, the "Dreamchipper" chips also added skills without requiring skillwires, which could explain the inevitable fatality.

I'll have to rummage for that module and see if they can provide a base line for expounding on p-chips.

-Siege
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 18th February 2025 - 12:00 AM

Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Dumpshock Forums to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the Dumpshock Forums in any official capacity whatsoever.