 On the subject of freaks, Building a more distinctive 'Runner |
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 Jan 16 2008, 12:11 AM
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#51
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 37 Joined: 14-December 07 Member No.: 14,641  |
I did play an elf who specialized in (what he called) Aquatic Infiltration. He had gills, fins, and even carried extra cyber air tank in case anyone wanted to dive with him. His specialty was to go in through the sewage. :) If your facility was on a coastline he felt he could get in.
I really wanted him to have the punk feel and I figered anyone who spends this much cash to alter himself wants to stand out so I had his orthoskin (sp?) fashoned to have the markings of a killer whale. Best part of the game was when a witness was asked to identify us her reply was, " I'm not sure but the elf may have had paint on his face." :spin: |
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Jan 16 2008, 01:01 AM
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#52
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Target Group: Members Posts: 85 Joined: 22-October 07 Member No.: 13,837 |
Good honest citizen he is, probably a veteran. |
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Jan 16 2008, 05:54 AM
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#53
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Cybernetic Blood Mage Group: Members Posts: 3,472 Joined: 11-March 06 From: Northeastern Wyoming Member No.: 8,361 |
Hells, in my games if you don't look like a total freak then you are going to stand out everywhere except in the most uptight corp enclaves, and even then most teenagers have at least one or two mods...
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Jan 16 2008, 06:07 AM
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#54
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 772 Joined: 12-December 07 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 14,589 |
Cosmetic mods. For example, if one was a bartender, waiter or cook, it would probably be advantageous to get fake hair, so it doesn't fall into the food. The problem with claiming body mods as a Lifestyle expense is that Lifestyle has to be kept up and body mods are a one shot. I don't know if that would be kosher with all, but anything that gets your elf to look like he lives in the future rather than an average schmuck is going to delve the player further into the character and make the playing of the role that much more fun. |
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Jan 16 2008, 06:32 AM
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#55
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Cybernetic Blood Mage Group: Members Posts: 3,472 Joined: 11-March 06 From: Northeastern Wyoming Member No.: 8,361 |
Well one could always assume that part of the lifestyle costs is paying back the loan the character used to pay for his mods in the first place.
I think I feel a "you just might be a redneck" joke coming on... :cyber: |
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Jan 16 2008, 07:04 PM
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#56
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,241 Joined: 10-August 02 Member No.: 3,083 |
I might think about giving them an exta few K to buy purely cosmetic things. Or just factor in style more when calculating RP bonuses for karma awards.
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Jan 16 2008, 08:43 PM
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#57
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Deus Absconditus Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,742 Joined: 1-September 03 From: Downtown Seattle, UCAS Member No.: 5,566 |
This isn't actually all that true for cosmetic mods. While it's true for gross or invasive implants such as arms, 'wires, eyes, and the like, there are myriad groups of cultureware that are easily reversible (and therefore a revolving cost) or that run down or out. Some examples: -Fashion nanotech tattoo injections - or nanotech of any kind, without a hive. -'Slow burnout' bioware such as Carcerands designed to time-release something. Say, compounds that make hair bioluminescent, so that a week or two down the line, they have neat hair. -Less effective but more safe forms of Oxygenated Fluorocarbons - no game bonus, but no chance of embolism! Or really, any of a slew of performance enhancers. Bacteria in the lungs which function as air pollution scrubbers. Dietary expansion drugs, so you can (for a limited time) eat mildly toxic substances - or increase your alcohol consumption without hangovers. There's all kinds of stuff you can think of, if you wanna go down this route. It's not for everybody, but I loves me the high tech and body mods. |
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Jan 16 2008, 09:55 PM
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#58
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,241 Joined: 10-August 02 Member No.: 3,083 |
What do you guys think of adding in a "style" karma bonus, separate from the RP bonus? On one hand, there's a worry about it encouraging stupid behavior (trying to double-gun your way through a room full of LS), but on the other hand...if Shadowrun isn't about taking stupid risks that could get you killed, what IS it about? :)
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Jan 16 2008, 09:58 PM
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#59
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
What does being one-shot vs ongoing have to do with being covered by lifestyle? A big screen TV is a "one-shot" item, but that is certainly within a high or even medium lifestyle. If they tried to get a big screen TV every month I'd say no unless they had Luxury, but just because something doesn't send you a monthly bill doesn't mean it can't reasonably be covered under lifestyle. Higher-end lifestyles even list cars as being included, that's a "one-shot" item. |
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Jan 16 2008, 11:04 PM
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#60
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Deus Absconditus Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,742 Joined: 1-September 03 From: Downtown Seattle, UCAS Member No.: 5,566 |
I actually regard that as not one-shot. Most people now pay for their vehicles in installments via auto loan, or through lease-to-own. Compound that monthly payment with upkeep costs, and it's really just a monthly money hole like anything else.
I mean, really. Who do you know who's bought a new car in one lump payment at the dealership? Not many, I'd wager. |
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Jan 16 2008, 11:18 PM
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#61
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Awakened Asset Group: Members Posts: 4,464 Joined: 9-April 05 From: AGS, North German League Member No.: 7,309 |
Who cares about one-time or not? If someone is jumping lifestyles to get an advantage, no big deal. It´s a mayor out-of-character decision, and it gives no power to the PC. Noone will do that for real.
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Jan 17 2008, 12:06 AM
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#62
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Cybernetic Blood Mage Group: Members Posts: 3,472 Joined: 11-March 06 From: Northeastern Wyoming Member No.: 8,361 |
Personally I like the idea of a "style bonus" provided that the players understand that the DM is not going to pull any punches and that their characters very well might die if they try to pull something stupid and fail.
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Jan 17 2008, 12:42 AM
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#63
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Target Group: Members Posts: 28 Joined: 2-October 07 Member No.: 13,500 |
I own both of my cars and my motorcycle outright. I didn't buy them in cash from the dealer, but they're all paid for *shrug*. I'm probably low-mid middle class, so someone in a high lifestyle in SR could easily do the same thing. |
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Jan 17 2008, 01:03 AM
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#64
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,241 Joined: 10-August 02 Member No.: 3,083 |
I usually don't have problems with that. When I have players do stupid things, they're usually stupid selfish things, so style bonuses won't affect that. |
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Jan 17 2008, 02:27 AM
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#65
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 192 Joined: 13-July 06 From: Long Beach Sacrifice Zone Member No.: 8,885 |
I've always seen my character and my player's characters as having style, but not so blatantly distinctive as to be a hindrance. Shadowrunners need to stand out, they have to have a unique style to match their rep (and tie to it), but not to an extreme.
Sterling (the shark shaman with the cyberarm) stood out, as he didn't fit the usual profile of a magically active character. He did dress professionally, but he did tend to berserk and fireball things that annoyed him. That's pushing the edge of distinctive style. The sammy with the flaming purple mohawk, ripped clothes, and custom knives is not distinctive style, but again, pushes the edge. The second you have a weapon that leaves distinctive marks (or fires bullets that all have 'spaz' stamped on them) you begin to enter the realm of distinctive style. Anything you do that leaves a trace that the corps or cops can easily say 'Joe Runner did this, I can tell because that fragger has a gun custom modded to fire square bullets', you're in distinctive style. In fact, the distinctive flaw is something some runners might embrace, but not as a flaw. If you adopt a distinctive style to go with a fake SIN, then ditch the style with said SIN, then you can 'vanish' that much easier. |
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Jan 17 2008, 07:48 PM
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#66
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Deus Absconditus Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,742 Joined: 1-September 03 From: Downtown Seattle, UCAS Member No.: 5,566 |
You are in the severe minority, I assure you. |
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Jan 17 2008, 08:39 PM
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#67
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Target Group: Members Posts: 28 Joined: 2-October 07 Member No.: 13,500 |
I don't doubt it. I was just saying that it's not impossible, is all. |
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Jan 18 2008, 07:47 PM
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#68
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,241 Joined: 10-August 02 Member No.: 3,083 |
I always thought "Distinctive Style" was more about guys who leave calling cards, or commit "theme" capers, like The Riddler. Which would, you know, be AWESOME. Imagine a Troll with orange hair and a green bowler hat. "Riddle me this, chummer!" |
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Jan 18 2008, 08:37 PM
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#69
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The ShadowComedian Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,538 Joined: 3-October 07 From: Hamburg, AGS Member No.: 13,525 |
WEEE AAAREEE THEEE BLAAACK HAAAND . . ok, probably not like that in english <.<
starting off with leaving black handprints, going over to leaving black leather gloves and finally leaving black cyber-hands as a business card *g* |
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Jan 18 2008, 09:18 PM
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#70
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...that would definitely qualify. My demolitionist Leela (#101) always left a Queen of Diamonds playing card in a plastic holder behind at every demolitions job she did. That was the Codename assigned her by Serbian Intelligence when she was still with the Croat Resistance. |
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Jan 18 2008, 11:24 PM
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#71
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 170 Joined: 18-September 06 Member No.: 9,412 |
Wouldn't the card get blown up immediately afterwards? |
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Jan 18 2008, 11:25 PM
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#72
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...she'd leave it nearby after the job was done.
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Jan 18 2008, 11:39 PM
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#73
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,241 Joined: 10-August 02 Member No.: 3,083 |
On a related note...what with the prescence of tails, and the possibility of gaining animal features and fur, are the devs trying to tell us that the Furry subculture has exploded in 2070? When you walk down the street in downtown Seattle, are you in danger of being mugged by a dude that looks like Starfox?
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Jan 18 2008, 11:48 PM
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#74
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Deus Absconditus Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,742 Joined: 1-September 03 From: Downtown Seattle, UCAS Member No.: 5,566 |
Only if you're doing a barrel roll.
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Jan 18 2008, 11:58 PM
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#75
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,241 Joined: 10-August 02 Member No.: 3,083 |
I'm not sure if streets teeming with cybered-up furverts makes Shadowrun more or less dystopian.
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