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#1
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Moving Target ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 159 Joined: 12-June 06 Member No.: 8,703 ![]() |
I will soon be starting my players through the "Ghost Cartels" arc. Is there any hints or insights anyone can offer me on how to do it better, what things might work better than others, or mistakes to avoid?
Thanks is advance! |
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#2
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Immortal Elf ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,358 Joined: 2-December 07 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Member No.: 14,465 ![]() |
Don't do drugs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)
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#3
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Running Target ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 1,373 Joined: 14-January 10 From: Stuttgart, Germany Member No.: 18,036 ![]() |
in case your team will have a Rigger, plan on some heavy logistics, there's a lot of unplanned, fast travelling. Was our biggest problem...
also, like in every prepared adventure, there's some more or less heavy railroading written into it. I was only a player, but one thing I remember: [ Spoiler ] That's how we avoided the big shoot out in the parking garage.In case your guys don't have chars yet, you can give them some advice: -A face will rule a lot of scenes, a versatile team in general should be prefered -A char with gang and/or Asian background will have lots of fun. |
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#4
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Shooting Target ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 1,748 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Good ol' Germany Member No.: 7,015 ![]() |
You need at Least one Tank/Tough Guy
The Campaign is quite.... "Bullet Heavy" (well our GM plays it that way) and its not a "Beginners Campaign" so the chars should be at least of Medium Experience( >50Karma) with an experienced Dance Medicineman |
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#5
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Moving Target ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 159 Joined: 12-June 06 Member No.: 8,703 ![]() |
and its not a "Beginners Campaign" so the chars should be at least of Medium Experience( >50Karma) Oooooooooh! We are beginning characters. We will have one small run under our belts before we begin this. Maybe I can drag out the small run and put some "filler" runs in to boost up Karma. Add lib a few things. I'm not adversse to ad-libbing. In fact, the way my players go all over and off of the planned route, I have to be at least a bit prepared to ad-lib. Just don't know Shadowrun NPC's well enough to ad lib encounters. Meh, what the hell, I'll learn as I go. |
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#6
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Moving Target ![]() ![]() Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 963 Joined: 15-February 11 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 21,972 ![]() |
Good plan! I'm planning on doing Dawn of the artifacts if the last book is ever coming out. also, Ghost Cartels will involve travel, and with that comes new legal systems and needing new contacts. Be prepared to flesh those out. Mostly. Don't Do Drugs.
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#7
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Shooting Target ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 1,748 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Good ol' Germany Member No.: 7,015 ![]() |
Don't Do Drugs.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) UhOh, My Char does Drugs and he has latent awakening (We're still in the Beginning of the campaign) So I guess it's goning to get----interesting for my Char.... @Troyminator my Advice would be to add some Runs and be very generous with Karma (8-12 per Run) so that the chars can "Level up" a little faster before you get to the "Tough points of the Campaign" (I don't know for shure (and I don't want You to spoil it to me)but I think Hong Kong is very Tough.My GM has a Sinister smile whenever we talk about it.... ??) with a foreboding Dance Medicineman |
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#8
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Runner ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 2,883 Joined: 16-December 06 Member No.: 10,386 ![]() |
Oooooooooh! We are beginning characters. We will have one small run under our belts before we begin this. Maybe I can drag out the small run and put some "filler" runs in to boost up Karma. Add lib a few things. Keep in mind that this REALLY depends on the builds in play and the size of the runner team. 3 generalists who are trying to split their pools to cover as many areas as possible will struggle with or be forced to flee scenes where 5 min-maxed specialists might waltz through things. Frankly, my group absolutely steamrolled ghost cartels with 400 bp sheets, so I guess this must be a YMMV thing. Not every team has a rigger with a vehicle he affectionately nicknamed the "Fraggin' Wagon," after all. |
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#9
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Prime Runner Ascendant ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 17,568 Joined: 26-March 09 From: Aurora, Colorado Member No.: 17,022 ![]() |
Don't Do Drugs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) UhOh, My Char does Drugs and he has latent awakening (We're still in the Beginning of the campaign) So I guess it's goning to get----interesting for my Char.... @Troyminator my Advice would be to add some Runs and be very generous with Karma (8-12 per Run) so that the chars can "Level up" a little faster before you get to the "Tough points of the Campaign" (I don't know for shure (and I don't want You to spoil it to me)but I think Hong Kong is very Tough.My GM has a Sinister smile whenever we talk about it.... ??) with a foreboding Dance Medicineman Hong Kong is our groups normal stompiing ground. I like it a lot. AS for the Ghost Cartels Campaign, we are in it know. It is a lot of fun (though I am not really into the Gang character that I have been playing. I don't really care for that mentality). We have several character arcs that are taking place within the framework fo that campaign. |
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#10
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Runner ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 3,179 Joined: 10-June 10 From: St. Louis, UCAS/CAS Border Member No.: 18,688 ![]() |
The entirety of Ghost Cartels will be so much better if the entire group plays Mercenaries 2: World In Flames before the game starts.
Everybody pays! |
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#11
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Immortal Elf ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,358 Joined: 2-December 07 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Member No.: 14,465 ![]() |
"Hey, it's the 'Runner that got shot in the hoop!"
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#12
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Runner ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 3,179 Joined: 10-June 10 From: St. Louis, UCAS/CAS Border Member No.: 18,688 ![]() |
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#13
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Moving Target ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 917 Joined: 5-September 03 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Member No.: 5,585 ![]() |
"The entirety of Ghost Cartels will be so much better if the entire group plays Mercenaries 2: World In Flames before the game starts."
I misread that as Mechwarrior 2: Mercenary and didn't know if I should be elated or heartbroken that it wasn't. -Tir ...Still have the CD somewhere, along with the game-destroying scratch down the middle of it. Dammit. |
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#14
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The back-up plan ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Retired Admins Posts: 8,423 Joined: 15-January 03 From: San Diego Member No.: 3,910 ![]() |
I'm not adversse to ad-libbing. In fact, the way my players go all over and off of the planned route, I have to be at least a bit prepared to ad-lib. Just don't know Shadowrun NPC's well enough to ad lib encounters. Meh, what the hell, I'll learn as I go. An easy way to do NPCs--I do this with groups at home or at conventions, for whenever the players wander off somewhere outside of the NPCs I have statted. If the NPC is decent--they get a small handful of dice -- generally 6-9. Good -- full handful -- generally 10-12 Freakin Awesom -- two handfuls -- 18-20. This technique accounts for skill, stat and all modifiers. Yes, it calls for a lot of fudge factor, but overall it makes for a fast game where I'm not accounting for every single +1, -1. I do all of the accounting on NPCs which I actually have stats written for, since I can prep for the common modifiers. |
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#15
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Running Target ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 1,095 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Wa, USA Member No.: 1,139 ![]() |
Old school? I think GC is new school.
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#16
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Moving Target ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 159 Joined: 12-June 06 Member No.: 8,703 ![]() |
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#17
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Moving Target ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 159 Joined: 12-June 06 Member No.: 8,703 ![]() |
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#18
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Shooting Target ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 1,989 Joined: 28-July 09 From: Somewhere along the brazilian coast Member No.: 17,437 ![]() |
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#19
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Immortal Elf ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,358 Joined: 2-December 07 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Member No.: 14,465 ![]() |
Read The Fragging Manual.
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#20
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Moving Target ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 992 Joined: 23-December 08 From: the Tampa Sprawl Member No.: 16,707 ![]() |
Shut The Freak Up
Out Of Character Waste Of Money Brains And Time F'ed Up Beyond All Recognition |
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#21
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Immortal Elf ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,358 Joined: 2-December 07 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Member No.: 14,465 ![]() |
WOMBAT: I resemble that...
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#22
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Shooting Target ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 1,768 Joined: 31-October 08 From: Redmond (Yes, really) Member No.: 16,558 ![]() |
It goes SNAFU (situation normal, all fucked up), FUBAR (fucked up beyond all recognition), Charlie Foxtrot (Clusterfuck)
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#23
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Running Target ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 1,286 Joined: 24-May 05 From: A 10x10 room with an orc and a treasure chest Member No.: 7,409 ![]() |
The walled city can be tough you might want to look at that section carefully.
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#24
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Runner ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 2,883 Joined: 16-December 06 Member No.: 10,386 ![]() |
Yeah, after thumbing through the Ghost Cartels stat blocks I would say that a lot of the grunts are a naster than I would have guessed from when we ran through many of those missions. I don't think my GM softballed us, mind you, but my group managed to avoid most of the unnecessary fighting and had mind control spells and amounted to a personal drone army when we did fight. If your players are the sort that prefer to keep fighting until all opponents are downed then Ghost Cartels will likely either break that habit or break the team.
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#25
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Moving Target ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 159 Joined: 12-June 06 Member No.: 8,703 ![]() |
An easy way to do NPCs--I do this with groups at home or at conventions, for whenever the players wander off somewhere outside of the NPCs I have statted. If the NPC is decent--they get a small handful of dice -- generally 6-9. Good -- full handful -- generally 10-12 Freakin Awesom -- two handfuls -- 18-20. This technique accounts for skill, stat and all modifiers. Yes, it calls for a lot of fudge factor, but overall it makes for a fast game where I'm not accounting for every single +1, -1. I do all of the accounting on NPCs which I actually have stats written for, since I can prep for the common modifiers. Yeah. The thing is: The Gun Adept regularly rolls 12-15 dice for shooting. The Face routinely rolls 10-15 dice for social skills. The Mage can roll up to. . . . . .I can't remember, but it is a shitload of dice for damage spells. The Street Sam. . . . well he missed the last session, but I remember he rolled a lot of dice. The Infiltrator/Hacker was the most "realistic" character. He had decent pools that didn't seem, to me, overwhelming. And the top three characters have edge pool of 3-6. That reminds me. Do I understand the edge rules correctly in that when you use Edge, you roll as many edge dice as your total pool (i.e. 6 dice if you have an edge pool/score of 6) as many times as you have pool? That seems a confusing question. Let me restate: If the Face is trying to blow the socks off a roll and he uses edge (with a pool of 5). The first time he uses Edge for the session, he rolls 5 dice. A while later he wants to use Edge again. Does he still roll 5 dice or is down to 4, then 3 the time after that, then 2, etc.? <Edited for grammatical correctness> |
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