A:Admin\Sympathy_for_the_Devil\Sign_up.node, <new_game_sign_up> Options

[milk ducks]

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I've been interested in running a gritty, 300BP SR4 game for a while now. The plan was to write up a story that depicted, as accurately as possible, the often-times dark and violent realism of the Sixth World; something that was distinctly futuristic, but with an undeniably gaudy air of 80's-era science fiction nostalgia. I was going to run a game like this for some friends on mine here on Dumpshock, but I've been waiting for them to create accounts for a while now, and I've decided to press on ahead, without them. (Not too late to sign up, chummers!)

I'm relatively inexperienced as an SR-GM, but I've been running other games now for a while, and I think I can wrap my head around this no problem. Not sure yet how many PCs I'm comfortable juggling just yet, so if there's a lot of interest in this game, I may have to turn some people away. Sorry, that's just how it goes. I'll post some character creation rules after a few people sign up, so don't go crazy just yet. Like I said before, I'd like to run with 300BP. I'll also likely be running with the "Gritty" alternative ruleset from SR4 core.

Some decent writing experience isn't a requirement for entry into the game, but it'll sure help; feel free to link me to some of your work here on Dumpshock, or elsewhere. I'd love to read it.

-milk.


Closing session ... Confirmed.
Awaiting response from new user ...

[Karoline]

Sounds like it could be fun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

What are the limits on our characters? (Any changes to max availability, starting resources, starting stats, etc?)

You've seen a bit of what I can do on the BitW game, you can also check out the DotA game that is currently running for more stuff from me.

[DigitalOYABUN]

Count me interested especially since you referenced one of my favorites Stones songs. I have a phyad with rat spirit mentor thief type in my head that might fit the gritty.

[milk ducks]

I guess the primary reason I want to do a 300BP character creation is because I feel like 400BP is too powerful for what I've got in mind. I'm not saying you guys are street-level characters or anything like that; I think you can make really powerful, well-rounded and realistic characters with 300BP. My concern with 400BP is that, well, you can really have everything you want. I've had 400BP characters that were all chromed out in Alphaware, with tricked out, modified weapons, and physical attributes that modern-day olympic athletes never dreamed of. And that's all cool, really; I just think that if you start out with everything you'd ever want ... why play? You know what I mean?

So 300BP sounds good to me.

DigitalOYABUN posted some modified rules in the Street Level Ork Muscle thread, and I'm inclined to follow them for the most part: skills max out at 3 for character creation (helps spread around the points, I think); max gear availability 6; max gear rating 3 (I can make exceptions on this, though, pretty easily). If I come up with anything else, I'll let you know. I'd prefer if everyone's characters know each other - probably worked together on a few runs prior to the game's beginning. But again, it's not a deal breaker if your character's a newcomer to the group.

-milk.

[milk ducks]

Everyone who signs up will have at least this one (free) contact in common; Matsu Hideki, a sharply dressed mid-level Johnson (Connection 4, Loyalty 2) that operates out of the Bad Juju Lounge in Seattle. Pretty obvious there's some serious power behind him, but whether it's AAA or Yakuza, nobody knows (or nobody's talkin'). He caters primarily to smugglers, but Shadowrunners of all sorts find their way to Hideki's table sooner or later.

Nobody meets him without being frisked by his bodyguards first. There are no exceptions.

-milk.

[cndblank]

I'm interested.

Can you give us an idea of what our first real run was against?


I certainly don't mind the low level start, but could we have a Karma Chargen option?

It would make the starting characters much more realistic and rounded.
If not that then twenty or thirty karma to round the character out would be nice.

Skills max out of 3. Do we get two active skills at 4 or one at 5? And the same for Knowledge skills? Or one at 4 and two at 3 with the rest 2?


Also SRA rules?

Charisma times two in free Contacts option?

[Method]

I'm deffinately interested. Will post more shortly.

[Thanee]

Hey there! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Interested as well. A more lowish starting level is fine. Not being tricked out completely (at least in one's specialty) leaves more room for improvement. And Ratings of 3 are certainly ok enough to accomplish something. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

My current (two) characters around here, are both more on the techie side (a hacker and a smuggler), so I'd prefer to play something magical (i.e. street shaman most likely).

############################################################
##################### -+- CHARACTER SHEET -+- #####################
############################################################

The Raven by The Alan Parsons Project
(based on the famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe)

The clock struck midnight
And through my sleeping
I heard a tapping at my door
I looked but nothing lay in the darkness
And so I turned inside once more

To my amazement
There stood a raven
Whose shadow hung above my door
Then through the silence
It spoke that one word
That I shall hear for evermore

Nevermore
Thus quoth the raven, nevermore

And still the raven remains in my room
No matter how much I implore
No words can soothe him
No prayer remove him
And I must hear for evermore

Quoth the raven, nevermore
Thus quoth the raven Nevermore

############################################################

Character Sheet

[ Spoiler ]

Raven

Metatype: Human
Gender: female
Age: 24
Height: 1.68m
Weight: 52kg
Hair: black, shoulder-long
Eyes: green
Skin: fair

Body: 3
Agility: 3
Reaction: 3
Strength: 1
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 3
Logic: 1
Willpower: 4

Edge: 2
Magic: 3
Essence: 6.0
Initiative: 6
Initiative Passes: 1
Physical Damage Track: 10
Stun Damage Track: 10

Current Karma: 0
Total Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0

Active Skills:
Pistols 3
Perception 3
Pilot Ground Craft 3
Influence 3
- Con 3
- Etiquette 3
- Leadership 3
- Negotiation 3
Spellcasting 3
Counterspelling 3
Summoning 3
Assensing 3

Street Knowledge:
Seattle Area Knowledge 3

Academic Knowledge:
Magic Theory 3

Interests:
Club Music 2
Cocktail Recipes 1
Style & Fashion 3

Languages:
English N

Qualities:
Magician (Shaman)
Mentor Spirit (Raven)
Allergy (Seawater; Common, Mild)
Day Job (Nightclub Waitress; 20hrs/week)
Poor Self Control (Vindictive)
Sensitive Neural Structure

Spells:
Mana Bolt DV F/2
Heal (limited) DV (DV)-2
Improved Invisibility DV F/2+1
Control Thoughts (limited) DV F/2+2
Magic Fingers DV F/2+1
Levitate DV F/2+1

Weapons:
Fichetti Security 600
+ integral Laser Sight
+ internal Smartgun System
+ Silencer
+ Concealable Holster
+ Regular Ammo (60)
+ Stick-n-Shock Rounds (60)
+ Spare Clips (3)

Armor:
Armored Short Coat 6/4
+ Fire Resistance 3
+ Insulation 3
+ Nonconductivity 3

Gear:
Clothing (2,000¥)
Novatech Airware Commlink (3/3) with Iris Orb OS (3/3)
+ Skinlink
Sony Emperor Commlink (2/3) with Redcap Nix OS (1/2)
+ Skinlink
Subvocal Microphone
+ Skinlink
Sim Module
+ Skinlink
+ Trodes
AR Gloves
+ Skinlink
Virtual Surround Music
Glasses (Pic)
+ Skinlink
+ Image Link
+ Low Light
+ Flare Compensation
Earbuds
+ Audio Enhancement 3
Stealth Tags (12)
Survival Kit

Magical Equipment:
Power Focus 2
Magical Lodge 3
Healing Fetish
Manipulation Fetish

Vehicles:
Suzuki Mirage (Racing Bike) (Pic)
Rover Model 2068 (SUV) (Pic)
+ Off-Road Tires
+ Additional Fuel Tank
+ Manual Control Override: Drive-by-Wire
+ Satellite Communication

Credits, Lifestyle & IDs:
400¥ (Roll)
Salary 2,500¥/month
Low Lifestyle (2,000¥/month)
- Comforts (2 LP)
- Entertainment (3 LP)
- Necessities (4 LP)
- Neighborhood (2 LP)
- Security (3 LP)
- Lax Security (-2 LP)
- Network Bottleneck (-1 LP)
- No Privacy: Physical (-1 LP)
Fake SIN 3 (Melanie 'Mel' Mitchels; Night Club Waitress)
Fake License 3 (Personal Firearms License)
Fake License 3 (Concealed Weapons Permit)
Fake SIN 3 (Sabrina McCoy; Freelance Magician)
Fake License 3 (Assisted Spellcasting License)

Contacts:
Matsu Hideki (Johnson) 4/2
A sharply dressed mid-level Johnson that operates out of the Bad Juju Lounge in Seattle. Pretty obvious there's some serious power behind him, but whether it's AAA or Yakuza, nobody knows (or nobody's talkin'). He caters primarily to smugglers, but Shadowrunners of all sorts find their way to Hideki's table sooner or later. Nobody meets him without being frisked by his bodyguards first. There are no exceptions.

Jake 'JJ' Johnson (Bartender & Street-Level Fixer) 3/4
A tall, handsome guy with short, brown hair. JJ is one of the bartenders of the Concrete Beach nightclub, who is upping his salary by working as a fixer. While he is not super successful, he gets to know a lot of people through his job, which makes acquiring new contacts and customers quite a breeze. A few years ago, he had a short relationship with Mel, but things didn't quite work out. They did stay friends afterwards, however.

Kassandra (Talismonger) 2/1
An old amerindian dog shaman, who operates a talismonger shop in Takoma.

Appearance:
Raven is an attractive young woman in her mid-twenties. She is of average height and has a slender and willowy figure, with shoulder-long, black hair, typically worn open or in a pony tail. Her green eyes are usually covered behind a pair of orange-colored sunglasses. She mostly dresses in black, but her wardrobe also includes a wide range of fancy clothes. Thanks to her job, she is quite used to wearing fairly revealing clothes, and she doesn't really mind the attention it offers. Her standard dress consists of trendy, washed-out denim pants, a black halter top, fashionable black leather boots with modest heels and her black mid-thigh-length coat. On her left wrist she often wears a silver bracelet with intricate engravings, her power focus, and there are a few rings on her fingers at most times.

Background:
A traumatic experience in the past left her in a state that few manage to get out of. Hooked up to BTLs and with no motivation or drive left, she was basically destined to wither and fade. Noone would have cared. But Mel was lucky, and she made it out. At first, she didn't think it was real (and even nowadays, where she knows better, she isn't entirely sure), or just a figment of her drug-induced imagination. Whatever it was, it made her curious and it made her follow. It made her take the first few steps of what would become a new life, eventually.

It took a few years, while she learned a lot from her new mentor, until she was ready for a more civilized life. Time heals many a wound, and so it did for her. These things lie in the past now, buried and forgotten. The change she went through made her an entirely new person.

Thanks to JJ, with whom Mel had a rather short-lived relationship, she was able to secure a job in the Concrete Beach nightclub in the southern parts of Downtown Seattle; not the best job, but there are worse, and it pays the rent. She is still unsure, whether there was some kind of revenge for their breakup involved, that she now has to deliver drinks to the patrons in a fairly skimpy outfit in front of his grinning face, but on the other hand, there wasn't much else available at the time, so she took the opportunity for what it was. As already mentioned, it pays the rent. JJ also managed to get her a fake identification, which was required to get employed and to rent the loft she lives in now. He also introduced her into the shadows, and an entirely new source of income, where her gift is a highly sought-after talent.

Character Generation:

CODE

   0 Human
  20 Body 1+2
  20 Agility 1+2
  20 Reaction 1+2
   0 Strength 1
  40 Charisma 1+4
  20 Intuition 1+2
   0 Logic 1
  30 Willpower 1+3
   0 Edge 2
  20 Magic 1+2
  12 Pistols 3
  12 Perception 3
  12 Pilot Ground Craft 3
  30 Influence 3
  12 Spellcasting 3
  12 Counterspelling 3
  12 Summoning 3
  12 Assensing 3
   0 Seattle Area Knowledge 3
   0 Magic Theory 3
   0 Club Music 2
   0 Cocktail Recipes 1
   0 Style & Fashion 3
   0 English N
  18 Spells (Mana Bolt, Heal (limited), Improved Invisibility, Control Thoughts (limited), Magic Fingers, Levitate)
   2 Bonding Foci (Power Focus 2)
  21 Gear (105,000¥)
   0 Contacts (10; Matsu Hideki (Johnson) 4/2 (free), JJ (Bartender & Fixer) 3/4, Kassandra (Talismonger) 2/1)
--------------
325

Positive Qualities:
  15 Magician (Shaman)
   5 Mentor Spirit (Raven)
--------------
+20

Negative Qualities:
  10 Allergy (Seawater; Common, Mild)
  10 Day Job (Nightclub Waitress; 20hrs/week)
  10 Poor Self Control (Vindictive)
   5 Sensitive Neural Structure
--------------
-35

############################################################

Bye
Thanee

[milk ducks]

Can you give us an idea of what our first real run was against?

Matsu Hideki deals mostly (but not exclusively) with smuggling operations; mostly Seattle/Salish-Shidhe area stuff, but it's not uncommon to pick up jobs that require a bit more travel. I'm thinking, if you've worked as a team for Hideki before, it's most likely been to smuggle restricted equipment into NAN territory. The exact details of what went down are probably better left to you guys to discuss, as it might shape your characters in different ways. Also, feel free to be a complete newcomer who hasn't had any previous affiliation with the rest of the group.

I certainly don't mind the low level start, but could we have a Karma Chargen option?

It would make the starting characters much more realistic and rounded.
If not that then twenty or thirty karma to round the character out would be nice.

Tell you what, do the characters with a straight 300bp creation, and if the consensus is that they're under-developed, we'll work out from there. I'm hesitant to offer a flat amount of karma across the board, but I'd be willing to offer a bit to players that put a lot of work into their characters, or who go the extra mile to help me out with some of the administration stuff.

Skills max out of 3. Do we get two active skills at 4 or one at 5? And the same for Knowledge skills? Or one at 4 and two at 3 with the rest 2?

At character creation, skills max out at 3. I don't care how many skills you have maxed out, but 3 is the limit (obviously, you can specialize at 3 points to effectively have 5).

Also SRA rules?

I only have Shadowrun Fourth Edition, so that's what I'll be running.

Charisma times two in free Contacts option?

Uhh, I actually really like (fleshed out) contacts, so yeah, sure. We can do that.

I've had some questions about the "gritty" alternative ruleset from SR4. So I'll post them here for everyone to see:

• The total hits on any tests are limited to no more than the character's skill rating x2. This increases the relevance of skills over attributes, but it also maens that low-skilled characters will have a more challenging time. Defaulting tests would be limited to 1 hit. Edge, however, would allow you to bypass these limits.
• When Edge is spent for extra dice, you only get dice equal to your current unspent Edge points rather than your full Edge attribute (so if your Edge is 4 but you have already spent Edge twice that session, you only get to add 2 extra dice).
• Refresh Edge rarely -- at the end of a campaign arc, for example.
• Increase th chance for glitches when defaulting or taking Long Shot Tests -- count 2s as well as 1s.
• Allow critical successes only on non-combat actions.

Hope that helps.

Also, we may be pushing up against the number of players I feel comfortable handling. So just be aware of that.

-milk.

[Marwynn]

Responding to the invite, thanks.

Question: Are there attribute caps, individual and total? What on special attributes like Resonance or Magic?

[milk ducks]

No hard attribute caps, no. But, in keeping with the SR4 rules, you can't spend more than 150bp (half your total) on attributes.

-milk.

[Thanee]

Uhh, I actually really like (fleshed out) contacts, so yeah, sure. We can do that.

Yep, extra points for Contacts linked to Charisma are pretty good, IMHO. It also makes CHA more valuable to all characters, which can't be bad. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I really don't understand, how this is not an actual rule in SR4. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[milk ducks]

Yep, extra points for Contacts linked to Charisma are pretty good, IMHO. It also makes CHA more valuable to all characters, which can't be bad. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I really don't understand, how this is not an actual rule in SR4. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Yeah, I've never heard of that rule before, but I really like it.

-milk.

[Method]

So i am definitely intrigued. I have some ideas for a brash young pistol adept who fancies himself as a modern day gun slinger. That or a street kid / mage, maybe but it sounds like Thanee is interested in playing a magician, so thats cool.

As for writing samples, you can check out my (currently stalled... again) PbP game HERE and HERE. You can also check out an essay I wrote that will be featured in the forth coming premier issue of the Dumpshock Data Haven Magazine. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I also like the Charisma x 2 house rule, and it seems to be par for the course around here. Its especially good if you (as a GM) want contacts to play a major role in your game. Which brings up the question: how do you want to run contacts? I've always left them to the PCs until they become central to the story and then the GM "jumps into" them.

Also as an aside, people are making some great points about character advancement, and I don't mean to be a naysayer, but I think its important to keep the medium in mind. What I mean is that in a PbP format it can take months in RL time to play through a simple run and years to really advance a character. If you are excited about a low powered game because you like advancement you may be disappointed. I think this game will be far more fun for people who simply want to experience the grit of low level game.

Along those lines, how do you plan to handle karma? Some PbP GM's award "karma by the run" and others do a one point "karma drip" every so often. I recently tried a system where I awarded 1 point of karma to any player who posted at least X times a week (RL), basically trying to keep people engaged, but its unclear how well that's working.

[milk ducks]

I've got a fair amount of DM-experience under my belt, but it's honestly mostly d20 stuff. This is to be my first real attempt at managing a Shadowrun game. I feel like I've got a pretty strong grasp of the world image, and the playstyle, but I just haven't done this enough to know which types of karma gain systems I'd like to use. Honestly, I feel like your "award 1 point of karma to any player who posted at least X times a week" rule to be pretty strong; one of the main issues I''ve had with onlineRP is keeping players posting. I know that real life happens, and that's totally cool, but players who log on and contribute should rightly be awarded. I can certainly come up with other ways of awarding karma in addition to that, but I'll be honest and tell you guys that I'm totally open to any suggestions in that regard.

Also, I think I'm actually more interested in playing a lower-powered game like this because I feel like it's more realistic; not necessarily because of the opportunities for advancement. Just seems like it makes for a more interesting game, you know? Where chromed-out super-sams and mega-wiz hackers are the exception, rather than the rule. Everybody starts somewhere.

-milk.

[Method]

Well I'm right there with you. Character advancement is great and all, but I'm in it for the grit (preferably with extra face shooting).

And the key to the "karma for posting" approach is keeping the game advancing, which I will admit I am not very good at. Otherwise PCs actually advance at a phenomenal rate in game time- if it takes two to three weeks in RL to play through a meet with the Johnson, for example, your runners just gained 3 karma while they sat at the negotiating table.

[cndblank]

Sounds good.

I do like the optional charisma rule. It helps to flesh out the character.



For a new SR GM, my number one suggest is at least 1 NPC hacker/decker as a point of contact for the group (but this is less of an issue for a PBEM game).

If you want to simplfy the game you can always go old school and start it in 2050 (Other than deckers using decks (no wireless VR), no technomancers, and not having to deal with very much genetech and nanotech, you just use the SR4 rules).

I also think that this style of game might give an edge to the awaken (who needs expensive gear when you have magic!!!).

[cndblank]

I'm looking at a elven female go ganger adept or mystic adept.

Likely a fair face.

[DigitalOYABUN]

I have a question, and not really sure I'd buy it if your answer is yes at any rate. Will you be using the used vehicle rule found on page 104 of Arsenal? I was thinking a beat up old van might fit my character...but maybe not lol

[SincereAgape]

This sounds interesting, and ideal for a type of campaign I would like to PC for.

If you still have room I want to throw my hat in.

-Want to make either a hacker/technomancer.

[Thanee]

No hard attribute caps, no. But, in keeping with the SR4 rules, you can't spend more than 150bp (half your total) on attributes.

You probably want to restrict Magic (maybe Resonance, even more maybe Edge), though.

Magic should not be higher than 3 or maybe 4, I suppose.

Bye
Thanee

[OperationSpirit]

I'd definately like to be involved.

[milk ducks]

Okay, so, counting OperationSpirit's submission, I think we're up to about 8 players. That's pretty much my max capacity at this point. So I'm going to officially close recruitment at this point. Feel free to PM me your character sheets, or post them here if you'd like - seeing other submission's may help other people get their creative juices flowing, and everyone could probably benefit from a bit of outside advice.

I've seen some good questions posted, and I'll answer them tonight, I promise. I've only just walked in the door from being at work all morning, and I've got to go out of town for a few hours with my wife (and newborn son). Thank you to everyone who's signed up; I think this is shaping up to be a pretty decent group.

-milk.

[milk ducks]

Okay, let me quickly address some of the things posted earlier:

-Want to make either a hacker/technomancer.

That sounds great, Sin. As far as I know, there aren't any other potential hacker PCs at the moment. I will admit that my knowledge of Otaku / Technomancers is fairly limited, and I'd be more comfortable with a straight-up hacker, but, I really want everyone to have fun, so if you wanna be Otaku, go for it; I'll play catch-up, no worries.

Magic should not be higher than 3 or maybe 4, I suppose.

That's probably a good idea. Let's say no higher than 3 on Magic / Resonance? Probably for the best, considering you also have to take a quality in order to have the stat in the first place; those BP get used up pretty quick. Good catch, Thanee.

Will you be using the used vehicle rule found on page 104 of Arsenal? I was thinking a beat up old van might fit my character...but maybe not lol

First of all, thank you for quoting the page number and the book; I still haven't memorized all that stuff yet, lol. Second, yeah that should be fine. I've read over that stuff before, and I'll go over it again, but if you don't hear back from me on it, you're all clear.

Ok, now that we've covered all that stuff ...

Couple of things to keep in mind while creating your characters: keep in mind that this is a Shadowrun game. What makes your character a Shadowrunner and not a futuristic metahuman mercenary? The differences can sometimes be subtle, but their impact is powerful. Even the use of Sixth World Lingo can make a huge difference. Also, never forget that you're a criminal. Odds are, your character has killed some people in the past; hell, odds are, some of those people didn't even deserve it. I'm not really interested in GM'ing for a bunch of super-villains or anything, but it's important to remember that at the end of the day, your character willingly does some pretty bad things ... just because the pay is good.

Having said that, also keep in mind that anonymity is your greatest armour. Your alias and fake identities are important, so give them some thought. Really think hard before using your name (even your fake name) in public; you have an alias for a reason. If it were me? I wouldn't even want my team to know my real name; if one of them gets pinched by Lonestar or the Corps, and they know anything at all about who you really are ... man, I'd be shitting bricks.

And, finally, have fun. The point of any game is to have fun, and I think it's especially true for RPGS, where there are no real "winners or losers". In the end, the amount of entertainment you take away from it is roughly equal to the amount of effort you put in. So keep all that in mind, and let's start churning out some PCs.

-milk.

[Marwynn]

Okay, making modifications with Magic 3.

Can we put together a list of archetypes or specialties of our characters? So we just know what the team looks like.

Karoline:
DigitalOYABUN: Adept with Rat Mentor Spirit
Thanee: Something Magical, perhaps a Street Mage/Shaman
Method: Gunslinger Adept or Street Kid/Mage
cndblank: Go Ganger Adept or Mystic Adept
SincereAgape: Hacker/Technomancer
OperationSpirt:
Marwynn: Combat Adept

I think we're quite a magical bunch! Maybe I'll tweak my character to be mundane. He'll lose the awesome throwing capabilities but otherwise he'd be pretty similar.

EDIT:

Also for a smuggling group we seem to be missing a Rigger or two. Or at least, you know, a smuggler. Hmm... I do love to make chars (and cars).

Are we looking at a mostly smuggling-centric game? Or more straight running with some smuggling on the side? (Straight running meaning hitting corps in buildings and so on.)