My Current Campaign, Advice, Comments, Ideas? |
My Current Campaign, Advice, Comments, Ideas? |
Nov 2 2006, 04:06 AM
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#1
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 174 Joined: 10-September 06 Member No.: 9,349 |
OK, some of you have been following my adventures as a new GM in Shadowrun - mostly a campaign with one player and the potential for a few others in the future.
My player's character is named Jace and is not REALLY a street sammy, but has some similarities - mostly boosted synapses, and lots of skills with weapons. Recently he made the dumb choice to walk alone through the Tacoma Warehouse district at night, got mugged, and lost most of his gear. I was nice and didn't have him get organ-legged. The next night, he went out and mugged some poor drunk leaving a bar and sold the guy's commlink for a few Nuyen. Tonight, we got together to get him to a place where he'd be ready to work with another character (hopefully) this weekend. I posted here and asked for a bunch of creative mugging victim ideas, and so was all ready to roll with it. Instead, he decides to lay low and wait for his scrounger contact to find him an Ares Predator IV. While he's waiting, his hacker brother turns up news that the Pet Store Jace broke into the other night while looking for a specific pet to steal was shot up really badly. No reports or witnesses to who did it (it was the Mob, btw - the pet he stole belonged to a Mafia Lieutenant who had it kenneled there for some personal care. When they didn't have it, he had the place shot up good.). Jace's brother reminds him that a security guard at the apartments where he found the pet took his photo with his cybereyes. Figuring to play it safe, Jace decides that the security guard needs to be found and have his memory erased. He spends 2 days casing the guy (but not very well) and never really makes a firm plan. (I was hoping he'd ambush him with his Narcojet Heavy Crossbow when he headed out for work at 11PM or so, but he never was willing to go to the guy's house for some reason) In the end, he follows the guy to his Rent-a-cop office, and waits for him to come out after clocking out. The guy does, hails a cab, and when it arrives, both he and Jace get in. The guy recognizes that he recognizes him, and begins searching through his headware to recognize it. So Jace pulls out his Streetline Special and tells him to quit doing what he's doing, and that he's coming with him. The guy relaxes, sends a message to his security corp via his headware, and just sits there, knowing that help is on the way. Jace figures out that something is up, pulls out a narcojet bolt, and stabs the guy with it, then pistol whips him for good measure. They're in an automated cab, headed to the warehouse district where Jace's brother will meet them and wipe the guy's memory, and Jace can't break through the barrier to commandeer the vehicle (no pilot skills anyhow). Pretty soon, a squad car from the security corp shows up, tailing the taxi. After a while, it pulls up beside, and the passenger rolls down the window and begins shooting at the tires. Jace rolls down the window, pulls up his Heavy Crossbow and hits the guy for 8 Physical and 9 Stun damage after resistance. (I applied a +2 dice pool to the defese roll to reflect the fact that he's shooting into another car.) With all the damage, the guy slumps over (how do you handle knockdown when seated in a car?) and Jace shoots the driver on his second initiative pass (I gave HIM a +3 dice pool to reflect being deeper inside the car). Hits him and does less damage, but still a heckuvalot. Jace wins the next round of inits and puts another bolt into the driver, who dies immediately and causes the car to crash. At this point Jace STOPS the taxi, gets out, and checks over the security vehicle, but leaves everything, jumps in the taxi and hauls off to an alley to meet his brother. The brother inserts a kink bomb into the security guard's datajack, frying the cyber there, then Jace slits the guard's throat for good measure. Then on foot, they head back to the crash site, jump in the car and drive off, Kink Bombing the two bodies, then rifling through the gear. They leave the car in an alley, and I have Jace's brother think to use the battery and fuel to burn the car after they've stripped some gear out (not a lot tho, it's a small time security corp. ). They t hen go home, grab all their gear, and leave the apartment. Jace wants to start over, so ditches the fake SIN associated with that apartment as well. (I also took away the lifestyle he'd bought before the game) In the end, they picked up 3 crappy comm links, some decent CyberGlasses, 1 Remmington 990, 2 Ares Predators, 2 Armored Vests, and some other small stuff that Security Guards might carry. So, I'm still new to this - did he get away with that too easily? Should I have had other cops show up sooner? (Tacoma warehouse district, roughly 1PM) Should the security guys have had more/less gear? Any comments for future improvement would be greatly appreciated. Also, do I award Karma for this or not? It was not a contract, just something he felt like he needed to do to not get connected with the pet-napping. |
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Nov 2 2006, 04:09 AM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 174 Joined: 10-September 06 Member No.: 9,349 |
Also, some conventions I'm using :
Sometimes I just have him roll his edge dice to see if the situation develops favorably for him or not. He took Mild Common Allergy, but left me to define it, so I made it an allergy to Smog. Anytime he's out without a respirator, I make him roll Body, and if he doesn't get a hit, assess him some stun damage. Should the threshold be higher, effects be different? I find that I use perception a lot, whenever he asks me a detail about the world, I have him roll perception -2 to see if he noticed. A lot of times, I don't generate characters for him to fight - just use 3 for all stats for random generic characters. Good idea or bad idea? Bah, I think I had more questions, but can't remember. I'll post 'em as I do. THX! |
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Nov 2 2006, 06:25 AM
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#3
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Um, it's a Mild Allergy. At most it should be a minor irritant (ie. a small dice pool penalty). It should almost never actually cause damage.
Why the arbitrary and ever-present -2 penalty? |
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Nov 2 2006, 06:52 AM
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#4
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Target Group: Members Posts: 67 Joined: 15-June 04 From: Richmond, BC Member No.: 6,405 |
I'm thinking because of the distraction caused by his mild allergy. |
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Nov 2 2006, 06:57 AM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 174 Joined: 10-September 06 Member No.: 9,349 |
Rules state that unless you SAY you're making it a point to observe in detail, you get a -2 penalty.
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Nov 2 2006, 07:16 AM
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#6
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,537 Joined: 27-August 06 From: Albuquerque NM Member No.: 9,234 |
You realize that following the perception rules explicitly means that the average person without perception skill walking down the street won't EVER notice the crowd of terrified screaming people running past him fleeing machinegun fire without using edge? Does this make sense to you? It doesn't to me. |
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Nov 2 2006, 07:30 AM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 174 Joined: 10-September 06 Member No.: 9,349 |
fair enough. I don't mind ditching the rule - but I'm still grappling with the ruleset, so I have not gotten around to throwing stuff out just cuz it doesn't make sense. :P
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Nov 2 2006, 07:30 AM
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#8
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Rules also say to use Perception sparingly, as in only when it really matters, as opposed to things like noticing whether the last Stuffer Shack Slitch™ that served you was blonde or brunette. |
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Nov 2 2006, 07:35 AM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 174 Joined: 10-September 06 Member No.: 9,349 |
LOL
Well, I was more thinking like specific numbering on a police car, etc. |
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Nov 2 2006, 07:37 AM
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#10
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
And in that example, I would think an actual Perception test with a -2 Dice Pool penalty is fair enough. :D |
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Nov 2 2006, 12:18 PM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 668 Joined: 4-September 06 Member No.: 9,304 |
You do realize that Jace, who would have been only wanted only for B&E and pet napping, commited 3 murders to cover it up?
Shakes his head. That shoot out at 1PM should have been captured on a lot of cameras, specially as he got out of the cab, then came back with an accomplice to get the car. You have to remember that all cybereyes have the capability of recording, as well as all the security cameras and drones flying around. Hmm, think I would have had the guys in the rent-a-cop car been on the commlink to HQ, letting them know about the crossbow wielding guy, before they went off line, after all, they were responding to a kidnapping, with several other cars responding to them going off line, if not Lone Star HTR team. What did they do with the car? ditch it somewhere? if so, did they santize it to remove all of their traces? if not, then the murder investigation will have a few clues and Jace will have problems down the road. Are there any steath RFID tags on the gear taken from the rent-a-cops? hmm, did they even check for RFIDs, the regular kind? You may want to educate your player about RFIDs if he doesn't know about them. As well, depending on the style of game you want to play, you may want to let the player know that murders of any kind will draw more investigations and resources than non-lethal damage or simple B&E style charges. |
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Nov 2 2006, 03:05 PM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 340 Joined: 18-September 06 From: Chicago (CZ) Member No.: 9,422 |
Is this a back story to him actually becoming a pro shadowrunner?
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Nov 2 2006, 03:34 PM
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#13
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
If he's not in combat and he's asking about the world, assume he's takinga simple action and observing in detail. That -2 should only apply in combat when they're not spending the simple action, or if you ask for the perception test (to notice the sniper, for example), rather than when they ask for it.
That's my rule of thumb. |
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Nov 2 2006, 03:38 PM
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#14
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,333 Joined: 19-August 06 From: Austin Member No.: 9,168 |
Re: 3 murders - that was my general comment.
He went *way* overboard and escalated things hugely. The autocab most likely has recordings of him stabbing and pistol whipping the guy. The response team certainly did (although I don't think a bigger response was needed, unless this was a very protective corp. The guy wasn't on duty, and wasn't at an asset - they were just responding to help an employee out. They wouldn't send the big guns.). I personally wouldn't have the response team take out the autocab - it's an *auto* cab - someone controls it. Just call the dispatcher, and have it pull over. But Jace then escalated hugely by killing 3 guards, cutting someone's throat (!?) and burning the bodies. That's huge. Also, 9 phys and 8 stun? Did he shoot the guy twice? Crossbows are a complex action to use, so either he got too many shots off, or you might have misunderstood the damage rules.... |
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Nov 2 2006, 04:04 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 668 Joined: 4-September 06 Member No.: 9,304 |
Lorechaser,
there are injection arrows and bolts. They do normal damage, as well as inject a drug into the subject. Narco-jet is a common drug used on these. So, with a heavy crossbow, 7P, -1 AP (iirc), you also add in 10S due to the narco-jet. |
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Nov 2 2006, 04:07 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 668 Joined: 4-September 06 Member No.: 9,304 |
As for the rent-a-cop company sending in back up, I wasn't saying to have an HTR team go in with the first call, but once the 1st back-up team in the squad car started losing people.
If they are a small company, they will call Lone Star, after all, it is a kidnapping, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, etc... for multiple people. Being used to shadowrunners, or at least the idea of them, they would probably not want to take them on directly, but get Lone Star HTR team to come in and do it. |
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Nov 2 2006, 04:31 PM
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#17
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,333 Joined: 19-August 06 From: Austin Member No.: 9,168 |
Ahhh. The wording confused me. It's early here, yet. ;) Carry on. |
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Nov 2 2006, 04:38 PM
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#18
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,150 Joined: 19-December 05 From: Rhein-Ruhr Megaplex Member No.: 8,081 |
Personally, I like bigger responses of security forces. After all, they have to assume that everyone committing a (capitel) crime is 'superhuman' in one way or another. Today, police forces assume the suspect is armed, and act accordingly.
Bored LS cop: 'Did you hear about those two security guys who commited suicide?' Other bored LS cop: 'How did they do it?' Bored LS cop: 'Went after a kidnapper without backup.' Other bored LS cop, munching another sonut(*): 'Dumb bastards.' [(*) Sonut: our version of a soy donut] |
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Nov 2 2006, 04:45 PM
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#19
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Mystery Archaeologist Group: Members Posts: 2,906 Joined: 19-September 05 From: The apple tree Member No.: 7,760 |
The crossbows are a simple action to fire, like everything else not in FA mode. The write mentions that they need no ready weapon action to load a bolt. They have a pump action like the one in dusk till dawn. |
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Nov 2 2006, 05:35 PM
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#20
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,333 Joined: 19-August 06 From: Austin Member No.: 9,168 |
Dammmmn.
I'd never even looked at the crossbow under the new rules. That's just amusingly impressive. |
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Nov 2 2006, 05:39 PM
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#21
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
How does that work? If you can mechanically cock it with one shotgun-like pump, it would have to have a very weak draw. If it has a strong draw, (stronger than you can achieve with one hand) you'd need to pump it 15 times like a super-soaker have enough mechanical advantage to slowly ratchet it back.
Newton! Archimedes! Help me understand the SR4 shotgun-bow! |
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Nov 2 2006, 05:45 PM
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#22
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The back-up plan Group: Retired Admins Posts: 8,423 Joined: 15-January 03 From: San Diego Member No.: 3,910 |
Perhaps there is a mechanism which automatically pulls the string back, like a tailhook in reverse. Then the pumping action would only be to feed another bolt into the firing line.
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Nov 2 2006, 05:47 PM
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#23
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
Ah, so an electrically powered winch cocks it for you, and the mechanical action is just to put a new bolt in position. Sure, that makes sense. Well, enough sense, anyway. Thanks!
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Nov 2 2006, 05:48 PM
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#24
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,333 Joined: 19-August 06 From: Austin Member No.: 9,168 |
It is an interesting question, actually.
Because on firearms, most of the time the recocking is done by explosive pressure. The crossbow has none of that. So either it has a some sort of geared mechanism that converts the pump to a much stronger pull, or a motorized draw.... And a motorized draw to pull the string back in 1.5 seconds to the point that it does 7P and -1 AP is a strong motor.... |
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Nov 2 2006, 05:49 PM
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#25
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
It still seems to me that it should be SS, not SA, even in that case.
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