[X] My Assistant

[James McMurray]

I tend to go overboard when creating group newsletters for the games I run, and so here ya go. It's an account of the first run for our new campaign, as well as some details on the world and a few of the PCs' contacts. The full game website is here. It's got our house rules and a few links right now. Eventually it'll be fleshed out more as things get created for the game (for instance I'm sure we'll have at least one magical group in the future, probably more).

For folks who recognize the run or the artwork (or are just curious): I ran Born to Die.

[Ol' Scratch]

Pretty cool! I love this type of detail in the game. You don't see it nearly enough.

[James McMurray]

Thanks!

Our second run, or at least most of it. The team is hired to extract a scientist, but grab the wrong guy.

Mistaken Identity, part 1

or the site's main page

[Adarael]

Pretty cool! I love this type of detail in the game. You don't see it nearly enough.

I came to the same conclusion before I started my current game two weeks ago. Unfortunately, I've been working on my portfolio website, so I haven't had a chance to throw up the game's site yet.

[James McMurray]

I came to the same conclusion before I started my current game two weeks ago. Unfortunately, I've been working on my portfolio website, so I haven't had a chance to throw up the game's site yet.

Well get to it so I can start pilfering ideas! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Adarael]

I intend to. Currently I'm making an InDesign dossier template for my gear, screamsheet and npc dossier updates, specifically so that Dumpshockers can make off with them!

What else am I gonna do with 875 megs of pilfered game concept art? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[noonesshowmonkey]

You have a group of autistic / retarded, sociopaths (the characters, not the players). So many Charisma / Logic 1s!

How do they get work besides 'go kick that trog's face in' or the like? And how do they not just get low-balled all the time, since they couldn't negotiate their way out of a paper bag?

Badass sounding runs, though!

[James McMurray]

You have a group of autistic / retarded, sociopaths (the characters, not the players). So many Charisma / Logic 1s!

Yep. I was worried about it when I first heard what their stats were, but it's been fun.

How do they get work besides 'go kick that trog's face in' or the like?

Fixers with really high loyalty (5 and 6 for most of the characters). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

And how do they not just get low-balled all the time, since they couldn't negotiate their way out of a paper bag?

They do. The run they're on now is paying 17,000 when it should have been paying 20,000. I set the base amount and they negotiate at the meet. Two of them got rating 6 emotitoys (including the summoner, who actually has Charisma), so hopefully they'll do better on their next run. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Badass sounding runs, though!

Thanks! The first one was written by Aaron Pavao. I found it on his site here. The one they're on now was a product of my long commute to work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I'll probably post it once they're done with it. It's not written in the standard SR run fashion, and is instead a web of interconnected nodes with clues leading between them, with a few scenes scattered around in case I need to stall for time or just want to toss some more chaos into the mix.

[Critias]

Looks like a good time is being had by all, and kudos for putting in the effort/overtime and getting such a cool site up!

[James McMurray]

Looks like a good time is being had by all, and kudos for putting in the effort/overtime and getting such a cool site up!

Thanks! I can't help it. I'm a lazy/over-working technogeek. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) For instance, I know I've put more hours of work into the NPC generator then I've spent using it (by a long shot). But I start coding and the next thing you know I've got more than I'll ever use, but I enjoyed making it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[James McMurray]

I just got an email from one of the players.

I really hate stumbling through shit the way we are. Mind if I remake as a Face/Infiltrator type, sam and ray have combat covered and our team's complete incompetance at landing a run, finding information, or subverting security measures without using WMDs is making my brain hurt.

Looks like they'll be a bit more competent in the social department on the next run, though the character that's retiring is Mackle, who was already the only one in the group with any Charisma.

[James McMurray]

The second half, wherein they redeem themselves.

Mistaken Identity or the site's main page.

It's the same page as the last update. New stuff is after the line towards the end of the "What went down" section. I also changed the format a little so I could put OOC comments in without having to break up the flow of the actual story.

[warrior_allanon]

Thanks! I can't help it. I'm a lazy/over-working technogeek. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) For instance, I know I've put more hours of work into the NPC generator then I've spent using it (by a long shot). But I start coding and the next thing you know I've got more than I'll ever use, but I enjoyed making it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

when you have that up and running i would like to borrow/use it, and i promise i will send you my game notes in return for my "RED" game.....yes its based on the movie and its for a mix of prime runners and newbs whom people will be getting a look at as 4ed characters in the upcomming editions of DDH

[James McMurray]

If you mean the NPC generator, it's been up for quite a while now. It's not Shadowrun specific though. It doesn't have any game mechanics in it at all. It's just a quick way to generate names, personalities, and some of the other fiddly bits that I have trouble coming up with on the fly.

[James McMurray]

For the curious the main page's listing of the newsletters now includes links to the runs.

[James McMurray]

The next part is up. It's the first in a (probably) 2 part run where the team is hired to lead a scientist past a UCAS naval blockade and into a magical anolmaly (a recurring displacement alchera).

Direct link or main site index page

[longbowrocks]

Wow. I kinda skimmed, but is this more oriented towards dramatizing the events of previous sessions, or setting the stage for new ones?

[James McMurray]

The long narrative is what happened in the session(s) for that particular run. The NPC descriptions, news, and rumors are to set the stage for possible future runs, show some side effects of past runs, and foreshadow possible future ones.

[Machiavelli]

Great stuff and good idea. Just perfect for a little session in between. But one question (maybe i didn´t get it because i overflew the script): how did ikarus...no theseus...defeat the runner team and smashed their citymaster? Sorry for the question, but i am at work (don´t tell anybody) and i could´t check all the details.

[James McMurray]

No idea, especially since a single bullet from one of the players took him out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The players were hired to help another team but got there too late, so just saw the aftermath of the battle. The adventure I swiped from the web didn't say, but the little kid's stats were pretty nasty when compared to a normal starting runner's (our group has some strong min-max skills). If they were spread out he could probably have taken a couple alone with surprise. He'd have needed help to smash a citymaster though; maybe his sister used Control Thoughts on the first team's troll and made him do it.

[Machiavelli]

Yeah, this would be a solution. I will have to change the adventure a little bit, especially at the point that the person that is left behind in the car is automatically dead...usually one of our sams is taking care for the vehicle and he could have problems with an autodeath^^

[James McMurray]

Ii think anyone would have an issue with it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) SR has rules for that and they're not "you die." If it had come up there'd have been surprise rolls and a combat, not an instagib.

[longbowrocks]

Isn't it better to give the character a rolling/fighting chance? You can always send more enemies if it turns out he built his character like a boss.
Then again, I guess playing by these rules, you'd be outta luck if he played a centaur with skimmers and celerity.

[James McMurray]

Definitely. I don't know the original author so I have no idea why he wrote it as automatic death, but there's no way I'd ever play it that way.

[Machiavelli]

If i would let our hacker back in the car, it WOULD be an auto-death, but all the other members of our team would wipe the ass of the little bugger. But it is anyway a great run-idea and it would be the first adventure that had been run exactly like the author wrote it...stupid players always ruin plans.^^