Shadowrunner: Why I've never used this term in Game. Ever., Professional Criminals Options

[Paul]

First let me give some back ground. I've played Shadowrun for about 20 years now, and I love it. It's been one of my favorite games consistently for a variety of reasons: quality of ideas; quality of writing; quality of inspiration. (Notice Crunch doesn't make my top three list. That's important.)

However my vision of the game, I think, vastly differs from what I see as the average "Cyberpunk" game out there. I draw my inspiration from a variety of sources-my career in Law Enforcement, my time in the Military (Hey does Derek still post around here these days?); popular culture (Movies like Heat, Ronin, The Way of the Gun, and more. Comic Books like Fables, The Walking Dead, and many more. Music like Aphex Twin, NIN, Machines of Loving Grace, etc...) My game is more Noir in some respects, definitely grittier, and far less "Punk" than how the game is presented.

Now I get we all get to bring our own vision's to the table, and that's fun. So please don't think I'm missing that point. Iget the Gamer Police won't show up on my door step if I don't use YoTC, or stuff I don't like. I also get the people selling the game aren't doing it for free, and that one of the many ways they keep the game alive is attracting a new market.

Now all of that said this thread is inspired by a post I've quoted below, and is intended to be a discussion of what it means to be a Professional Criminal, which I believe is different from Criminal, and certainly much removed from "Violent" and "Unstable". So feel free to contribute, try not take it too personal, and most of all have fun!

A Note

I've removed the specific poster's name from this post, although I am sure any one can easily figure out who posted it. My intent is not to single this poster out, and harass them. Rather their post inspired me to make this post, and it's been one of the more fun posts I've written for any forum in a long while. Please respect this user's privacy, and please refrain from getting to harsh. I've tried to keep my comments lighthearted, and tried to refrain from making it a personal attack. (I'm not sure if I succeeded, and if I failed my apologies.)

Ok, let's go over this again: we're talking about professional criminals.

Well see here's the rub my friend. There's professional criminals and there's Professional Criminals. I work in a prison, and I am around people who've chosen Crime as a profession all day nearly every day. There's a pretty huge difference, in my book, between a Thug and a Professional. Anyone can commit a crime. It's pretty easy. Sure society tries to differentiate between "Serious" crimes and "Non-serious" crimes. (Or if you prefer violent, non violent, property damage, etc...etc...) but the fact is we're really bad at it. Most people get away with more crimes than they are caught for.

Talk to any convict and they'll tell you that they committed tens, if not hundreds of offenses prior to being committed. Even more after they've been committed.

Being a Criminal is like any other job. Some people care about what they do, and how they do it. Some guys are going to burn the place down if we take their stapler one last time. Being a good criminal, in a lot of ways, is like being a good soldier or spy, or actor. In fact it sort of involves being all of those things at once in order to be successful. (A term I reluctant to use, successful, because it's subjective. We'll all define it just a little differently.)

To me the point of a "Shadowrunner" (Seriously? Who would say that? Who? No one that's who.) is that you aren't some jack ass with a day glow mohawk drawing attention to what you're doing. You're a nameless, faceless, anonymous ghost in the machine. You can be anyone. You can be anywhere. You can do anything. (Or at least make people believe you can.) That doesn't mean you're an amoral slob who'd jump out of a bush to touch kids funny. Even hardened killers (There are few of these in reality, most people kill one or a few people whom they tend to know well enough to be emotionally invested into.) have codes of conduct.

...who hire themselves out for the purposes of committing crimes.

Ah but not every job has to be illegal, and not every crime is equal, or even unjust. Just because you commit crime for money doesn't mean you have to take any job that comes along. Every criminal, just like anyone else, has different goals. Some are obviously less noble than others.

In all probability, they are violent, unstable, and quite possibly clinically insane.

I think this is way too narrow of a definition, and utter bullshit to boot. It's nothing personal, but if that were true wouldn't playing Shadowrun amount to some sort emo sadomasochistic circle jerk? Even the game as presented isn't about being an amoral, unstable, violent, insane monster. Maybe that's how you roll, but in my game that shit would get you tossed out on your ass, unless you had a story to tell.

They probably shoot or otherwise seriously injure and/or kill people routinely as a matter of course, have little to no respect for authority, and are probably breaking all kinds of laws just because of the stuff they own, never mind the stuff they do.

I think all of that can be true, but those are the guys who get caught, and do hard, hard time. For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. Remember that? No where is it more true than law enforcement. Ever been pulled over? Were a prick to the cop writing you a ticket? No? Why not? Because he could shoot your ass, right? Or write another ticket. Or search your car. Contempt of Cop is a pretty common offense, especially inside prison walls. (No that doesn't make it right, or even common place. It is what it is. I am not saying every cop is dirty, or that every cop is looking to bust your balls.)

Kill a boat load of people in my game, and guess what? Local, County, State, National, and International Law Enforcement people start looking for you. Unless it's the job to kill, why bother? A wounded security guard can only press charges against you for malicious wounding, felonious assault, and/or felon in possession of a firearm, right? A dead security has friends, family, and murder charges following you.

So yes, Use of Force is a tool in every Professional Criminal's tool box. But just like working in law Enforcement there should be a Use of Force Continuum. This isn't perfect but here's a decent example:

[img]http://www.cbp.gov/custoday/nov2000/images/force.gif[/img]

(Not sure why this isn't displaying, but just in case The Link

Notice it starts with Presence.

Presence is commonly defined as

Officer Presence. The mere presence of a highly visible uniform security officer or marked vehicle is often enough to stop a crime in progress or prevent future crime. Included in officer presence are standing, walking, running, and use of vehicle lights, horn, or speaker. Without saying a word, an alert officer can deter crime or direct criminals away from a property by use of body language and gestures. At this level gestures should be non-threatening and professional.

Follow up on each level, and their appropriate response. Use of Force is not cut and dried. Nor should it be. You don't use a screw driver to hammer a nail, and you don't use a hammer to open jars. The right tool for the right job.

[Paul]

Private investigators and bodyguards don't dabble as Shadowrunners. They don't break into high security facilities and steal prototypes or kidnap people. They don't commit arson or assassinate people. certainly, some of them will have appropriate skill sets to be Shadowrunners, but that is a very different thing from being a hired professional criminal.

I think you either don't know anyone who works as a Private Investigator, or perhaps you just don't get the game as written (At the minimum you have a vastly different idea of what the game is, or how I understand it to be commonly understood.). While I agree that currently Police Corruption isn't anywhere near the levels it's portrayed as being at in Popular Culture, the News media, and other forms of entertainment (Make no mistake the News Media is selling you the news my friend. They're not nonprofits.); I think that misses the mark of the game is envisioned. It's a Dystopian Future where there are fewer checks and balances on authority; where violence is more common place and accepted at a level that would make International Prime time news these days.

For all intents and purposes there is little difference between Shadowrunners, P.I.'s and Body Guards. In fact I'd suggest that Investigative Work, and Body Guard are types of jobs some Shadowrunners could take. (The idea that all Shadowrunners have to be Professional Criminals is a box I don't feel the need to limit my players or game to.)

Shadowrunners do kidnap and steal. They can commit arson, assassinate people, and all kinds of other crimes.

So can every day people. Every member of this board, whether they want to believe it or not, is capable of any of these acts. Some may have actually committed them. Single parents kidnap. Soccer moms steal. Priest's commit arson. Everyday people assassinate each other every day. It's called murder.

A Shadowrunner can do these things. Or conversely they can choose not to. Haven't you ever seen the wrongly convicted Hero strive for his freedom? (Hey Harrison Ford in the Fugitive, I'm looking at you!) You need some more Pop Culture exposure my friend!

Odds are good that they're wanted under one or more alias in several countries, and the only reason they aren't wanted in more is because those crimes haven't been linked to them (yet).

Or not. You do realize how many people have Warrants right? In times past these warrants have been issued by Creditors, Jealous wives, angry coworkers...Let's just say it's not always a judge of what's really going on. That said, i do think you're somewhat correct. A high enough profile criminal will attract some attention, these could take the forms of Warrants, etc... That's one consequence to use on players who are sloppy.

We're not talking about sane, stable people here. We're talking about people who are not capable of functioning in normal society, for the most part.

You keep saying this. Why? Why is it true? Why is it like that in your game? Why limit yourself to that single definition?

Now I address all of this to you, but I should mention I'm not trying to put you on the spot here. You certainly don't have to answer, and I am certainly not trying to say your a bad person, or anything like that. I just trying to understand how you have your fun at your table, while explaining how we have fun at ours.

People who have skills that could allow them to get a high-paying job where they aren't likely to get shot at, and instead choose to routinely risk getting shot in the face.

That perfectly describes a lot of people under arms: Police men, Fire Men, the Military. Money isn't everything right?

Assuming that you can trust violent psychopaths who were probably drunk/high/chipping when you called them but not licensed professionals who've probably received some degree of training in their job and who carry the added plus of not being violent sociopaths?

Man how unfun is your game? Even in real life not all criminals are drunk or high when they commit crimes. I think you're bringing a personal chip to the table man. I think the game would be more fun if you left it behind.

Perhaps your specific group of Shadowrunners are a bunch of stable, well-adjusted people who for some random unfathomable reason just like risking their lives on a regular basis. But that is not likely to be the standard in a group consisting entirely of highly skilled individuals who've chosen a life of crime.

Wow, do you have any fun when playing? Look I'm not sure how to say this any better, but the best Criminal's are the well adjusted ones. The ones that fit right in. The violent psychopaths don't last long. Even in real life they burn out and fade away, getting old takes the piss and vinegar out of most people. Few people can be angry all of their lives.

I think you need to take a serious look at what you think of the game, and re-examine it. I think you'd have more fun if you let up a little. I'm sorry this has taken a slightly personal twist at the end, and obviously if you're having fun then who am I to tell you how to have your fun?

Now onto remarks inspired by your post:

A Shadowrunner is a Professional. Like any Professional they have a code of conduct they adhere to, be it No women, no kids, or something more concrete. Just because you're a Shadowrunner doesn't mean you're SINless, or even a criminal. The game allows you to do more than that. Just like not every PC is a Mage or a Street Sam-not every "Run" is illegal, immoral or illicit.

Build an internally consistent world folks. Don't be afraid to make the game work for you, and make it fun.

Okay tear me apart! Tell me what you see Shadowrunners as being? What is your definition of a Professional Criminal? Do Shadowrunners in your game get Shoe Endorsements? Are they heroes? Are they antiheros? Are they villains? Is your game a wanton bout of blood soaked violence? Is it a puzzle trap that would make Grimtooth shudder? Is it a pop culture reference fest?

Speak the Word.

[Paul]

Stupid rules about "Maximum" number of quotes. So I had to break down into two posts, sorry.

[LurkerOutThere]

I support your views and wish to subscribe to your news letter.

While I didn't want to revisit the original thread in question or the unnamed poster I was reading through ghost cartels last night and I couldn't help but notice both investigative and bodyguard jobs in the job bank side bar. Huh, how odd, why ever would they not go through licensed and legal channels.

[Paul]

A lot of guys who lose their tin, especially midstream, find they have little patience or desire to work a "normal" job. I know a few guys who also work as PI's to supplement their income. Obviously not all PI's fit these molds, and it's not all cut and dried. In this day and age PI work has to be easier than ever, imagine how easy some of it must be in the Sixth World?

[LurkerOutThere]

Yea, for those who are wondering Paul is reffering to my post that 2 out of 3 PI's i've met known/personally were cops who lost their jobs for one reason or another badly enough they couldn't get on a police force somewhere else. I didn't want to paint the whole profession with too broad a brush.

[RunnerPaul]

Although the video is played for comedy, intended to sell video games of an unrelated franchise, I can't help but think of Team Fortress 2's Meet the Sniper when reading this thread.

[Totentanz]

Bravo. +1.

I'm new to SR, and I've only really read the rule books, but I've noticed this tendency and wondered why. The game itself goes to great lengths to describe people who could be amoral, immoral, or possibly very moral and simply buggered by circumstance. The vignettes in the books describe people who have all sorts of different reasons for doing what they do. The opening vignette of the 4th BBB involves a Runner team that tries to complete their contract, gets almost TPK'ed, and part of the reason they are so pissed is the Johnson was trying to kill a bunch of Orks and Trolls. Psychopaths? Hardly.

I partially attribute this to a tendency among RP'ers in general to throw around words they don't quite understand. Examples include psychopath, sociopath, sadist, schizophrenic, lunatic, narcissist, and a whole host of others. It seems every time I turn around somebody is throwing around these words like everyone who commits crimes is one of them. Part of it is the trend of pseudo-intellectualism in the RP community. People hear about something on TV, spend 10 minutes on wikipedia and dub themselves expert. Sorry, my little mini-rant there.

I think the game is intended to have diversity. If every PC is supposed to be a mentally screwed up individual the game is going to get boring fast. Perhaps more importantly, some people don't want to handle themes like that in their games. I can already hear some people say, "Then don't play SR," but that is a cop-out. Modern storytelling is filled with genres and sub-genres where life sucks, people get killed, but the terror of it all is glossed over for the sake of the story. SR is just a game, and adhering to some artificial standard of "realism," or anything else at the expense of the game is just silly. Besides, how are players supposed to portray Ice Cold Runners professionally working together on a mission if they all belong in a nut house, and know it?

I've played bad characters. I mean the kind of people you love to see die at the hands of somebody like Mel Gibson at the end of a movie. I've played really good people. I mean the kind of people who usually end up dying in movies to save something larger than themselves, and sometimes failing to save it. I've played a lot in between, including some people who were genuinely amoral. I've done my damn best to play old-school Malkavians in WoD and had my players, not their characters, get seriously scared. I'd like to think SR can encompass all those experiences, and provide a wealth of opportunities for exploring concepts and having fun.

I don't think a world in which all, or even most, Runners are crazy can provide an adequately large RP experience. I don't think the UAW (Universe as Written, Kerenshara's phrase) supports that view. I know the fluff I've read doesn't support it. If somebody wants to play a game where Runners are crazy, more power to them. I always put the desires of the table over the books. But, I disagree with the notion that the game is intended to be that limited.

As for criminals, the 6th World is even more clear on that. People without SINs don't have opportunities outside of crime for the most part. Most of them just suffer, endure poverty, and die. Some of them join gangs or crime syndicates. A small percentage of them might just be talented enough for a corp to scoop up. Some of them become Runners. It can pay well, and it can get them killed. For many it is apparently better than near-starvation on the streets and a lonely, ignominious death. Being a criminal in the 6th world doesn't mean they are sociopaths or like stealing and killing. It could just mean they are ambitiously dissatisfied with their circumstances and are willing to take the physical risks and the moral hazards if it means a chance at something better.

Paul, you have a done a fine job on this. Much better than my ramblings.

[CanadianWolverin...]

I like your take on things ... only, like the quoted post's take on things as well.

I wouldn't want to demean in any way your IRL experience, in fact I would respectfully defer to it, but do to my own limited experience with playing SR (which was disappointing, but that was for Out of Character reasons IMHO, I don't blame SR for it) there seems to be a distinct lack of respect for the being Professional part of being a Criminal.

I remember thinking, even as my first character blew apart a guards head, "This sucks, I don't think my runner would actually want to kill anyone unless that was expressly the goal of the job." and became resentful of my fellow runners actions that lead to my character having to unnecessarily (though necessary by that point) take a life, especially the life of some poor slob in 2070.

What do I think of Shadow Runners as? Simply, a self employed Contractor looking to get paid under the table, which most of the time will mean the job they are doing is illegal because the Client of the Contractor needs something that they would like to be paid under the table as well ... and because of those conditions, since tax/duties/etc are not paid, even if the act is legal normally, it would be considered illegal.

Heh, so I could so see a Shadowrunner doing a renovation for someone on their house for a certified cred stick just so that individual didn't have to get a building permit, pay for inspections, and stuff. Holmes On Homes wouldn't like Shadowrunner home builders possibly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) And that is my perspective taken from a bit of experience and training in rough carpentry and general construction.

In conclusion, I think there is room in SR for the Pro and Pink, I just don't think they would get along, sorta like in Heat when they go to take out that one guy who we later learn murders women for jollies. In fact, in a strange way, I think a Mr. J might even prefer a Pink for some jobs, perhaps as a distraction to the actual target the Pros are going against so the Emergency Response Teams are tied up with the Pink Mohawks ... hey, come to think of it, a Pro team might even hire a Pink team to do that, hedging their bets that they wouldn't even have to pay the Pinks if none of them survive.

[Ravor]

I have to disagree, I don't think Pink Mohawks could survive as actual Runners in an Ice Cold Pro world, as gangers sure, but not as real Runners.

With that said, Ice Cold Pros could eek by in a Pink Mohawk world, but they would mostly be "pets" being kept by one corp or another.

[CanadianWolverin...]

I have to disagree, I don't think Pink Mohawks could survive as actual Runners in an Ice Cold Pro world, as gangers sure, but not as real Runners.

With that said, Ice Cold Pros could eek by in a Pink Mohawk world, but they would mostly be "pets" being kept by one corp or another.

Oh, I don't mean to be misunderstood, so I actually agree with you: I don't think the Pinks would survive either, even in their own "world". I just think there would be more Pinks then Pros, so sure, more death in the Shadows and all that, then by attrition you end up with the few still alive being alive for a reason, so Pro. At least, that is my humble opinion.

[Ravor]

Not sure that I actually disagree, well with the exception that personally I don't think the survival rate of the "Pros" would be much better, even in a Pink World, Running isn't a lifestyle that you take up if you want to live to the ripe old age of thirty. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)

[hobgoblin]

heh, the pink mohawk may survive, if he is professional enough to get said mohawk done in synthair, and ready to go "gray man" as the job requires.

but then, it depends on the mohawk being physical, or just a shorthand of a playing style where one would break a glass door and step thru the frame just because it sounds so much "cooler" then simply opening the door...

[Earlydawn]

Pink mohawks could survive in the world I read out of SR4 fluff, but I agree that they'd be either gangers, or raving maniacs that various corporate organs keep starved and on a short leash until they need to let it out for a one-shot damage spree.

[Kerrang]

Okay tear me apart! Tell me what you see Shadowrunners as being? What is your definition of a Professional Criminal? Do Shadowrunners in your game get Shoe Endorsements? Are they heroes? Are they antiheros? Are they villains? Is your game a wanton bout of blood soaked violence? Is it a puzzle trap that would make Grimtooth shudder? Is it a pop culture reference fest?

I have been GMing SR for 20 years, and I have seen a wide variety of groups. Every group has been different, and even within long standing groups, I have seen vastly different types of teams from one campaign to another. I ran a Denver campaign with a group that would not do wetwork, and would go to great pains to avoid killing, even to the point of treating the injuries of those they incapacitated or wounded during the course of a run. I ran a Caribbean League campaign with that exact same group and they became blood thirsty pirates, smuggling drugs, hijacking commercial ships and killing the crew, and just being generally bad people.

My definition of a Professional Criminal is someone who makes a living through criminal activity. Can you play Shadowrun without playing a Professional Criminal? You certainly can, I also ran a campaign where everyone played Sioux Military Spec Ops. They may have technically broken a law or two during the course of the campaign, but they were definitely not professional criminals, they were soldiers. The SR rules even provide you with ideas for alternate campaigns such as DocWage HTR teams.

The game is what you make of it, both as a GM and as a player. The only thing that is the same about every SR group is that they are all different.

[CanadianWolverin...]

heh, the pink mohawk may survive, if he is professional enough to get said mohawk done in synthair, and ready to go "gray man" as the job requires.

but then, it depends on the mohawk being physical, or just a shorthand of a playing style where one would break a glass door and step thru the frame just because it sounds so much "cooler" then simply opening the door...

I've been operating under the assumption that "Pink Mohawk" means a style of play that is a bit more dirty. The best analogy to a movie I can come up with is Smokin' Aces, iirc the movie title correctly. There were those guys who bust into the penthouse and one has a chainsaw ... and well, it gets interesting. Even that one chick doing her sniper thing goes "Pink" IMHO when she thinks her girlfriend is dead.

Ultimately though, I think how well the criminals of SR get by is largely dependent on what a GM allows the setting to let them get away with. There is definitely the possibility that some GMs out there will allow the PCs to rack up body counts that would make Rambo jealous and the setting hardly bats an eye other than the Mr. J offering a job that sets them up against progressively harder opposition so that the GM thinks they are challenged in combat or whatever. Just saying though, I think that style of GM'ing gets old fast and rather hope that the setting will take notice when NPCs start dying, even if they are guards for a corp or gang or whatever and assumed to be in the line of fire by their fellow NPCs.

[Bugfoxmaster]

I've always operated under the assumption that Pink Mohawk is a more flashy, stylistic playstyle, sort of taken with the Rule of Cool as paramount - a game where everyone can do what's awesome, and does awesome things because they're awesome. Basically, a giant one-upping contest, almost, with everyone int he game basically looking for a distinctive style.
Whereas Ice-Cold Pro is just a downright gritty game - may not be in the streets, but is more realistic, with tough consequences and a bloody painful approach, attempting to keep people form doing stupid things and making them think and work for their pay.
I dunno - is that sort of accurate?

[Ravor]

Pink Mohawk is style over substance where-as Ice Cold Pros are results above all else.

However, I disagree that "grit" or even "realism" has anything to do with either trope.

[shuya]

Okay tear me apart! Tell me what you see Shadowrunners as being? What is your definition of a Professional Criminal? Do Shadowrunners in your game get Shoe Endorsements? Are they heroes? Are they antiheros? Are they villains? Is your game a wanton bout of blood soaked violence? Is it a puzzle trap that would make Grimtooth shudder? Is it a pop culture reference fest?

i tend to see most vanilla-runners as a group that came to prominence as a result of the cultural points of divergence in the shadowrun timeline.

excessive urbanization gives them a wide range within which to operate and a natural habitat that may be foreign to many other people - cities are beautiful places with a million things going on at once, giant organisms, and shadowrunners are capable of navigating them.

corporate extraterritoriality results in a situation where what is "illegal" in one area can be legal, or at least overlooked, in another area, and shadowrunners are in a position to cross these jurisdictions freely.

the transhuman aspects of shadowrun, namely cybernetics and magic in all their forms, offer people shortcuts in many areas that would otherwise require a large amount of legitimate time, training, energy, money, etc... to accomplish. the edge that this gives an otherwise normal human can be rather significant in dangerous situations.

so basically, you've got balkanized legal jurisdictions serving as barriers between entities within an overpopulated urban environment, and this subset of people who are not bound specifically to any single one of those entities who KNOW how to navigate that urban jungle AND who are usually capable of some significant feats of human-boundary-pushing through whatever flavor of dice-pool-boosting-mechanic you like, and what are they gonna do, since their lack of entity-affiliation makes them unfit to participate in the dominant social structure...

this doesn't fit all shadowrun CHARACTERS, of course. you can make a character whomever you want her to be, but that just means not all SR characters are actually shadowrunners. unlike the contemporary professional- or career-criminals that some people are comparing them to, shadowrunners exist in a world abundant with cultural rifts occurring in relatively small areas - sociopathic, insane, amoral, etc... are all adjectives that are defined within those different cultures. even if they all agreed on what was crazy or moral and what wasn't, the shadowrunner still comes from a place that is by its nature antithetical to that. they are from a world where the obvious question is not, "what is right, and what is wrong?" but, "what IS right and wrong?" they ARE sociopaths, they ARE amoral, they ARE violent, but they are only so as representatives of a post-societal, post-moral, post-violent world.

[BobRoberts]

shuya - that's an excellent post (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Think a great point - the transhuman elements really push the setting apart from modern day comparisons. Most (in my games, at least) of these private contractors do have superhuman powers...

The forces of law have these things as well, but in a checks and balances way - they come after you if the waves you make are too big, but don't (IME) have mages and cyberninjas out on the regular beat cop patrols/backwoods security work.


Personally I like variety in the game - from elements of realism through to complete action movie bodycount stuff... I just like to know is which style of game the GM and group are playing before we start making characters. Figure the only time it's a problem is when people in the same group are on different pages.


My only occasional bugbear is something I've seen from one 'ice cold pro' GM was: He'd screw you over with things your character probably should have known.

He killed our group in the first session of one game because we forgot to destroy all the skin flakes and hair we'd shed in a car - we had ritual magic done on us with them. Kinda makes some sense, but if that's a regular consequence in the game I would have thought our 'pro' characters should know this?

When the scars faded and we let him run again, he screwed a player over for some unsecured comunications chatter - fair enough, but the player didn't know, the character probably should have done?

What I'm trying to get at is I like it when the characters knowledge adds an 'ice cold pro' edge to a game without the player having to think of every little thing.

[Ravor]

Did your characters have the proper skills, knowledge or active that would have allowed them to actually be "Ice Cold Pros" or were they relying on OOC knowledge?

[kanislatrans]

I think the Pink mohawk/vs professional issue was handled well in the movie "Smokin' Aces". it even had pink mohawks.. and a sniper with a 50 cal. sniper rifle...(IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[hobgoblin]

a orc, a troll and a dwarf walked into a hotel... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

My only occasional bugbear is something I've seen from one 'ice cold pro' GM was: He'd screw you over with things your character probably should have known.

He killed our group in the first session of one game because we forgot to destroy all the skin flakes and hair we'd shed in a car - we had ritual magic done on us with them. Kinda makes some sense, but if that's a regular consequence in the game I would have thought our 'pro' characters should know this?

When the scars faded and we let him run again, he screwed a player over for some unsecured comunications chatter - fair enough, but the player didn't know, the character probably should have done?

What I'm trying to get at is I like it when the characters knowledge adds an 'ice cold pro' edge to a game without the player having to think of every little thing.

If the characters all had some sort of security or forensics knowledge with at least a dice pool of 4, then yeah, I would say my characters would have the appropriate know-how to avoid this kind of stuff.
Also, I believe there is one part of the book that says the GM has to talk with the players before the game begins on how hard he will come on this kind of stuff, where they draw the line for "you must tell your character is doing this in order to happen" and "I assume your character is taking precautions for this already".

[hobgoblin]

raise of hands, how many seasoned RPG GMs read the GM section of a new corebook?