New GM Looking for Tools Options

[Haunters]

I am not new to RPGs, I have been running various White Wolf games for years, but after Mass Effect 2, Firefly, and the Deus Ex 3 trailer, I have noticed that I am lacking a good Sci-fi game where the players are part of a family-like-team.

I am half way through the 20th Anniversary edition of Shadowrun and am in love with it. I have already ordered 3 core supplements (Unwired, Runner's Guide, & Street Magic), and already have a list of people who want to play in my games.

I was wondering what sort of tools, cheat sheets, etc, are essential to running a Shadowrun game?

I would also appreciate a list of movies/shows/music which might offer great inspiration towards a shadowrun game.

Thanks

[Saint Sithney]

Well, the whole community projects section has some choice tools and sheets.



As to what films, there are so many.
It can be a heist/score flick like Heat
Or a con show like Leverage
Or some far out brainwarping matrix business like Inception.

I'm sure you'll find lots of suggestions and opinions.
Meanwhile, I'll compile some links for you.

Damian Knight's excellent version of the character generation spreadsheet It has all the options from all the source books, (even german ones,) and easy implementation of several popular optional and house rules.
Java based cheat sheets for combat and modifiers Very useful. tick through the options and it spits out the dice pool.
chinagreenelvis has huge amounts of useful and well indexed data and tools the map deserves special mention.

[tete]

http://pavao.org/shadowrun/index.html

[JesterZero]

I'll cast another vote for Leverage, although I would say that 99% of the Shadowrun groups out there resort to violence more often than that show does. Oh sure, the Hitter fellow gets into melee at least once per episode to show what they keep him around for, but it's extremely rare for anyone on the team to pull a gun.

For an easier time adapting a TV series, just about every episode of Burn Notice can be adapted quite easily. There's always three elements to each show (although not all appear in every show):

1) The meta plot: this is over-arching plot from episode to episode, season to season. Depending on what your characters are doing, this will need the most adapting.

2) The main plot: this is the major objective of each episode that requires everyone to work together to accomplish. You can almost always lift this and just apply SR flavor: people become trolls, cop buddies become Lone Star buddies, etc.

3) The sub plot: this is the minor objective of each episode that highlights a particular individual's skills, friends, contacts, backstory, etc. in a one-off way. In other words, it doesn't usually have any significant impact on the meta plot, and it only serves to make the team juggle a bit between the main plot and the sub plot (handling their business while not letting the team down, not being a burden and pissing off their teammates, etc.)

GENERALLY speaking, I use the meta plot to tell the "big story" and make the characters as a WHOLE feel like they're impacting the world in a meaningful way. The main plot is there to get people paid. The sub plot is there to make characters INDIVIDUALLY feel significant.

Honestly, it's not that hard, and after a while, it becomes pretty second nature. But yeah...Burn Notice is a RICH source of plot ideas. Pretty much any episode can be mined for main plot and sub plot with a bit of creative manipulation.