Recruitment: Newbies, How much does experience matter? Options

[gobogen]

Hello everyone,

I've been playing on these boards for quite a while, then I've stopped, and now I'm back again. (I missed the community)

I have played SR quite a bit, but never as a GM, even though I have been GM'ing f2f in other role-playing games. Now I feel like I'm slightly behind regarding the new rules and the new story, and I will be spending some time re-reading the SR4 Rulebook (I don't have any other source books btw). Nevertheless, I want to try my hand at running an SR game/campaign.

What I want to know is if there would be interest for players to join in a friendly game with a newbie gamemaster like myself.

I would make it the theme of the game: newbies. We'd be playing a few short runs so that I get used to being on this side of running things. To incorporate that, I'd require all runners to be newbies (the players don't have to be, obviously, since more experienced players and GMs would actually be of help). So runners with no running experience whatsoever.

They would be running their first run for a fixer named Sonic, an ex-runner jack-of-all-trades who has just retired and thinks that he can hold his own in the shadow buziness; i.e. a fixer who's a newbie as well. They probably just answered to an ad on the matrix shadowland, met once or twice with Sonic (who will be a free contact), and then received their first call for a job.

Special Rules for Character Concept/Background:
- No running experience, although other experience is just fine of course.
- Limited knowledge of shadowrunning; no fixer, johnson or runner contacts will be allowed for instance.
- No restrictions on the "power-level" of the characters though, just consider that the runners are starting their career in this game.
- Make it very clear how and why you're trying to find work as a shadowrunner.

Character creation will likely be something along the lines of 380 BP.

I expect the game to start the week of February 5, to give me the time I need to refresh my knowledge and think some more about the game. I'll pick the players based on concepts alone (full backgrounds also welcome) and I do not want to receive character sheets (!!). I'll probably take 5 players given enough interest. You can submit in this thread and PMs are fine too. It's not going to be on a first come basis and you have until next Monday to submit character concepts. We will then proceed to the character creation process.

So who wants in?

[Tashio]

Beckett, Troll Mage Scholar.

Born a troll, Beckett is a Career Scholar from London, discovered early he was admitted to one of the top Magical schools in the area. Now aged 35, he was researching for his masters in Parazoology when he stumbled across a collection of animals he'd never seen before. After being spotted by security he fled the area.

Shortly thereafter he began to be plagued by spirits and other summoned creatures, and often felt he was being followed. deciding discretion the better part of Valor he left London for Seattle. He was introduced to Sonic via a friend of a friend as someone who could help him out in a spot if need be. Besides Sonic he's managed to locate a local Talismonger.

More at home in a library or his study with a heavy book and his ever present pipe than stuck in his new dingy apartment in Seattle. For what its worth at least the weathers about the same, just as miserable. He is currently searching for a University which would allow him to study in return for tutoring and lecturing, so far with little luck.

[Trigger]

Holden Farrar, Chaos Mage, Magical PI

Idon't have all the details worked out in my head yet, just wanted to throw my name and at least a character name and simple concept on type into the ring.

[gobogen]

Hey, great to hear that some people are interested.

@ Trigger, what exactly do you mean by chaos mage?

[Syndicate_killer]

Would a ganger fit?(not a runner but is in the shady side of the street) I have runners havens and could use one listed there. Also, a little hiccup while registering so i emailed you my interest. (By the way the forum staff is way fast in replying/fixing issues. _

[gobogen]

I'm open to all kinds of backgrounds, including ex-gangers. As long as you have a good explanation for why he wants to become a shadowrunner (as stated in the first post), that's really fine. Looking forward to the full character concept.

If you use a gang from that book and it's an integral part of your character, it would be good to include a description of the gang in an eventual background for the character, since I don't have it and would be happy to know more about them.

And everyone please use the private message feature of these forums to contact me if you want to discuss something privately (sounds a bit redundant hehe).

[Woozy]

Edit: On second thought, I'd rather play Crazy Cyber Ninja (with, of course, our beloved GM's blessing).

[Syndicate_killer]

I am looking at 3 gangs (from the runners havens book)

The Chulos, a Mexican/Atzlander ethnic gang (read Latino): tenative concept is muscle with a focus on unarmed combat with some firearms skills.

The Blood Brothers, an African American ethnic gang: Concept is firearms, muscle and intimidation (spread equally....but perhaps thin at chargen.....and yes i am thinking Samuel Jackson in pulp Fiction lol)

The Cereal Killers, a matrix gang that "runs" in the seattle matrix. Concept.....well, a little easy to see as its a matrix gang. ( I'm inspired by the movie Hackers on this one lol)

If any of these 'pop' to you let me know...currently working on all 3 at the moment.

Side note: If no one approaches to play a Hacker and it fits best to have one i'll play it.

[deathglow]

I would love to join a newb game. I have been playing shadowrun for a while but I am still kind of new to sr4, and am very new to forum gamming. So this would be a great one for me. Plus I always like to start from the ground up.

Wanted to make a phys add. Grew up training in Martial Arts. He wants to try the shadowrunning just because what he hears of it. Going to probably be a big wake up for him.

[Unarmed]

I've played a fair amount of SR3, and am currently playing a SR4 with some people here, but I've never played a message board game so I'd definately be a newb to it as well, but I've read through enough of the message board games to get the hang of it, I think.

I'll have a concept ready for you ASAP. I'm thinking of running with a face of some kind because I haven't done that in a while.

[Syndicate_killer]

By the posts it seems the interests are (if I may consolidate them)

(tenatively)
2 magically gifted
1 rigger/ muscle/shooter(?)
1 psyad
1 face
Please forgive if i've misread/understated your concept (it isnt my intention)

so, that makes my choice easy...i'll concentrate on the matrix ganger.

[gobogen]

Well, I'll try my best to help players new to the forum format to get used to it in the game. Best advice for now is just to look at other games run here for inspiration and understanding the pace, feel, etc. of a forum game.

Again, I'm glad to see so many people showing interest. I'm expecting to receive quite a few more concepts than there will be room for players in the game, though, by the looks of it. I guess having to reject some players is a part of running a game online that I'll have to get used to ..

EDIT: I won't mind people submitting more than one concept/background and don't feel obliged to either.

[Syndicate_killer]

Questions as I'm making this PC:

Would an info broker count as a fixer (a no-no on your list of contacts)?

Should I put other gang members as contacts?

[Woozy]

Oh, extra concepts? Hmm...

Crazy Cyber Ninja
Cybermod geek who's just a little unbalanced. Not party-killing unbalanced, of course. Just not all there. He'll be the epitome of 2070's squalor and decadence--probably a chemical junkie as well a BTL mental case, and no doubt loves video games almost as much as real violence. He'd be shadowrunning to pay for his cybermodding habit, and because what else is a crazy guy who's covered in metal going to do for a living?

Edit: His name will be Charlie.

[gobogen]

Well I'm not sure about all of this just yet, but I'd rather see people work on a more elaborate background first, and worry about how to put it into a character sheet later. No matter what you want to make, it can happen and we can figure out the "stats" for it when it's time for that. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by info broker, but if he doesn't work directly with shadowrunners daily, I'm fine with it.

[Syndicate_killer]

Info broker buys and sells data (paydata) so in loose terms he's a specialized fixer (deals only in data)

which leads me to another, that of deckmeister (fixer who specializes in decks...commlinks tweaked out)




EDIT: if not allowed maybe i just have a names of these individuals and have to work on gaining access to them.

[gobogen]

As far as I'm concerned, this is all good. If you want to include something that I don't want for the game start in the end, then I'll just have you take it out of the char sheet when the time for that comes. No worries.

[Syndicate_killer]

Amok

Icon: a stylized goblin with an old style (1900's) aviators leather cap and googles. chanting amok...amok...amok....amok

Amok, as he's known on the 'trix and especially to the matrix gang he belongs to, the Cereal Killers is out of school, out of a real job and recently out of his parents house. Amok flops between the few gang members he knows in real life, a couple abandoned lofts,and a few dive motels/coffin hotels when he has the money. The need to make money (without any real actual work) has led him in the direction of shadow work. Amok is as childish at times as he is cheerful with a touch of ADD that can grate some of the more gruff types.

[HeySparky]

A good page for handy SR resources, in particular the Cheat Sheets.

[SoyKaf Adict]

I'll definitely throw my cap into the ring.

Ex-DocWagon Medic... I'll send you the full story through PM.

[Syndicate_killer]

That's a SWEET link ES Sparky

[SoyKaf Adict]

Yeah seriously, I love the Matrix hacking programs but I'm still learning its ins and outs... It's really hard to grip, this makes things a little easier. And not just for hacking.

[gobogen]

Hey Sparky, good to see that you're still hanging out around here!

Great link too. Very useful.

[Dranem]

Are you still taking new players?
I have a technomancer that never really got off the ground.
She's an ex-otaku that ran with the gangs after the Crash 2.0 as a need to stay connected with some sort to Tribe. She's had to discover her gifts on her own and only has a few ex-otaku friends still around.. some Technos shun her as she's been 'tainted' with 'ware from her past life.

I'll clean up the sheet and give the link if I can get in.

[gobogen]

This is all in the first post, but I do accept and treat equally all character ideas I receive until Monday morning. And I don't want to see any kind of sheet, even if you have it. I just need character concept and background.