How Religiously do you follow the source material?, A GM question Options

[Degausser]

Just a little question out there for all GMs, kinda like a poll. How crazy close does your campaign run to 'cannon' Shadowrun? Do you put every single thing into your campaign? Do you fudge it a little? Do you through a lot out?

As for me? I fudge a little, but not too much. For instance, if books say that the Mafia isn't into drug smuggling, I will still have them smuggle SOME drugs, just not a whole lot. The books say that Laesa and the Ancients hate each other, but in my world they have an unsteady Truce (one that could break down any minute, but still.) Just wondering what you guys thought. Still debating if K-E will take over the 'Star's job in 2072 (It is currently Jan 2071 in my campaign.)

[Blade]

I use the canon setting more as a source of inspiration.

My campaign is set in Hamburg. I've read the canon Hamburg setting, kept a lot of the ideas but also added some of my own and finally ended up with something quite different that can't be reconcilied with the canon setting.

[nezumi]

I stick to canon until it ceases to be convenient. Since I generally run my own plots, the metaplot and such is just background information, and not very relevant to me.

[PirateChef]

I use the material where it suits.

Speaking of which, what's with taking the Red Hot Nukes out of the books? They are mentioned once in Runner Havens (It says a contact is a known member of the Red Hot Nukes) but they didn't get a writeup and I haven't seen them mentioned since.

[Platinum]

I use the material strictly for rules. Any meta plot goes into the trash. I think the last time I actually used any plot was back when harlequin came out. after that the material tanked for me.

[wizwyrm]

I follow it relatively well. Like nezumi i run my own plot, so the big stuff is mostly background noise. My campaign is set in Chicago, and I've taken a few liberties with post CZ Bug City, such as the actual location of the CZ (i've moved it south a little) as well as creating a turf war between dwarfs and trogs in the barrens.

[Paul]

Like some people have said I draw inspiration from the "metaplot", but I rarely use it. I prefer my own games, designed by me for my players. While the events in Canon do influence my game, they rarely directly affect it.

[Malachi]

I stick pretty close to the canon events, mostly because I find them great at spawning run ideas and providing a rich backdrop to the adventures that I run. I do deviate when it suits me, however.

[Fuchs]

When it comes to religiously following canon I am an Atheist. I cut out large parts of whatever I dislike - past and present background information and plotlines. I don't care much about the timeline when I do that - I usually don't even specify which year we're in.

Things I cut out (not a complete list):
- Crash 2.0 - Instead the wireless matrix "has always been there".
- Technomancer Scare - no TMs so far.
- Renraku Arcology Shutdown/Deus: The UCAS Army and Renraku moved in within a week, securing the reactors, then mopping up the resistance.
- Chicago Contaimment Zone: Same deal - UCAS Army and ARES troops did not cordon the city off for years, but killed off the bugs right away. Still has similar effects on astral space due to the FAB and nuke effects.
- Dunkelzahn's presidency. I left that out so far.
- Ghoul Paradise: Ghouls have bounties on them in most civilized countries, and their "nation" is hell on earth, not a paradise.

[Saint Sithney]

I stick pretty close to the canon events, mostly because I find them great at spawning run ideas and providing a rich backdrop to the adventures that I run. I do deviate when it suits me, however.

Yeah, it also puts you in a good place for when new material is released.

[flowswithdrek]

I mostly tend to have the Meta plot running in the background and sometimes the players get to interact with it directly. For example the characters read in the scream sheets or heard about from contacts a lot of the events in Year of the Comet but only once or twice did any of it bubble to the surface of their wee world. However they where up to their eyeballs in the Arcology Shutdown. So in answer to the question it really depends on what the characters are in the middle of when new source material becomes available.

[Jericho Alar]

I treat canon as canon, but I don't necessarily put the players in the thick of it.

everything that 'happened' according to canon actually happened, but think about it for a minute: how directly do major events affect your every day life today? did you notice the g20 in pittsburgh? what about the ongoing war(s) in the middle east?

what about EU elections? etc.

if it touches on where the runners are currently or we intentionally set the time back so we can work our way toward an exciting event for the group (like we did with brainscan) then it'll come up in a big way, otherwise the metaplot does more to influence my game's flow than it does day to day activity of the runners...

[kanislatrans]

I stick pretty close but add my own twist. I really like the direction CGL is taking things so I am more than happy to follow their lead.

but I do take liberty with some stuff...for instance, even before the details on the tempo stuff came out I had The Dogs of War street gang(my boys) try to stop it from destroying thier turf. Then as the Ghost Cartels stuff came out I just integrated my stuff with the cannon stuff and everyone is happy.... only a couple of things needed changed,most of which was "rumor" anyway...come to find out Tempo is not a mind control drug that turns people into raving conservative republicans... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[PBI]

I don't let canon influence an ongoing campaign much. I just started a 3e campaign, and will be using most of the 3e canon until 2060, which is my start date. As for what comes after 2060, that will depend on my whim (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Hatspur]

Setting events never effect the plot in my games. The only massive deviation from the setting that I take is Germany. As far as I'm concerned, Berlin is still an anarchist state. Turning it into a corp town just makes things boring

[LurkerOutThere]

I have disavowed Year of the comet for the most part, ghostwalker still came back but he didn't get the other nations to commit troops to him setitng up his own personal fiefdom as there is no reason for them to do that. Emergency has also been unfolding very differently and I will never allow "small" AI's as PC/NPC's or otherwise.

[Critias]

I stick to canon pretty seriously, but that's largely because most of my games are run in a public domain, a shared world where we all take turns running -- so to keep everyone on the same page, to keep it all fair, we've done our best not to use house rules, not to disrupt the official storyline too much, etc (so that everyone can be involved, and all everyone will need to BE involved is the official source material).

Also, the history major in me enjoys the 'research' involved in looking up official stuff. I'm a masochist that way, but I enjoy flipping through a half dozen books in order to read up on the metahuman terrorists in San Francisco, the origins of the movement, who's involved, how Saito stirred things up, how things progressed over the years, and the current goings-on...all to research a character background, and on top of the "crunch" of the character's actual abilities, with magic, gear, cyberware, etc.

I like having a stack of books in front of me, flipping from one to another, and making my character the thread that weaves multiple chunks of the flavor text together.

[Ayeohx]

Canon's king!

I stick to canon as much as humanly possible. Same with the RAW with some minor exceptions. I find that when you stray too much from the game as it's written you have a harder time relating to others who play the game. It also makes it easier on your gamers. As a GM you're probably already throwing them enough curve balls; you don't need to be teaching them your "special" interpretation of the game system or the Shadowrun world. Things mapped out for you already, use it!

[Ancient History]

1 The BBB is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 It makes me lie down my laptop,
he leads me away from my X-box,

3 Canon restores my soul.
It guides me in paths of righteousness
for Shadowrun's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of geekdom,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rules and your FAQ,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my friends.
You anoint my dice with power;
my dice cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and fun will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the game of Shadowrun
forever.

-Yours in Blasphemy, AH

[Garou]

Amen, brother, Amen.

But i think Holy Dunkelzahn will forgive me for my sins as i didn't went all into the Emergence Thingy. At least yet. There is hope for my soul, perhaps.

I am truly Doomed.

LOL

[Prime Mover]

Canon for me. I'm a rationalist at heart and have never had a problem weaveing my own plots around the metaplots and keeping both intact.

[toturi]

1 The BBB is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 It makes me lie down my laptop,
he leads me away from my X-box,

3 Canon restores my soul.
It guides me in paths of righteousness
for Shadowrun's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of geekdom,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rules and your FAQ,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my friends.
You anoint my dice with power;
my dice cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and fun will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the game of Shadowrun
forever.

-Yours in Blasphemy, AH

Thus speaketh the prophet AH, heed well his words for it leadeth you away to the SINless.

[Nexushound]

Oi Chummers,

Ancient History that was freaking awesome. Cannon is good. In my case I use what is relative and ignore the rest. Major world shaping events like Emergence was something I liked and was able to work into my existing game. As for the rest who cares if your palyers are'nt involved with something are they going to stop in the middle of a run and say "Gee I wonder whats going on in GeMeTo" probably not. Use what is good, ignore what you don't want and most of all have fun.