Advice for a new SR4 GM Options

[Freya]

Hey everyone! I recently discovered the DS forums after being asked to run a SR4A game for a few friends. I've GMed other systems before, and have read a ton of the SR4/SR4A sourcebooks (and written fanfiction, but anyway), but since I haven't actually "worked with" the mechanics I worry that there's something I'm going to trip on without ever seeing it coming - which brings me to you fine folks. (I've tried searching the forums for similar threads, but "new gm advice" apparently caused the search engine to choke. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/indifferent.gif) )

So, my big question: What would you (plural) add to a "things I wish I'd known when I started GMing Shadowrun"?

[bannockburn]

As this is a bit nonspecific, let me link you:
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...9&hl=advice

Also: Welcome, and if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask them, too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Freya]

ty, much appreciated!

[Freya]

Alright, specific questions incoming! I'm likely going to be running a game with five people, possibly six, and I'm fairly sure at least two of those will be hackers deckers. From what I've seen of the concepts behind decking in SR4, there doesn't really seem to be any benefit to having multiple hackers working in concert on the same Matrix task (just because of how linear the tasks are). Is that reasonable, or am I missing something important? If that is the case, any suggestions on how to give each character their chance to shine aside from effectively "taking turns?"

(I've also been reading through the thread on problems with decking rules in SR4A, so I'm somewhat aware of the "hacking while everyone else goes for pizza" problem. That's probably best left for a separate discussion, though.)

[DeathStrobe]

Alright, specific questions incoming! I'm likely going to be running a game with five people, possibly six, and I'm fairly sure at least two of those will be hackers deckers. From what I've seen of the concepts behind decking in SR4, there doesn't really seem to be any benefit to having multiple hackers working in concert on the same Matrix task (just because of how linear the tasks are). Is that reasonable, or am I missing something important? If that is the case, any suggestions on how to give each character their chance to shine aside from effectively "taking turns?"

(I've also been reading through the thread on problems with decking rules in SR4A, so I'm somewhat aware of the "hacking while everyone else goes for pizza" problem. That's probably best left for a separate discussion, though.)

Because rules are always a bit of a problem and if you need an answer quickly, the official SR4 forums are a great place to search really quick for rules and how their interpreted.

As for your question, there is some benefit for having more then one hacker on the run. You guys can do team work tests to make things go a little faster, or start to offer multiple objectives that require some hacking. Like needing to open a door and search for some pay data at the same time. Or one of your hackers can be a rigger and use drones or vehicles a lot. The rigger can do some light backup hacking on the side too. But to give you fair warning, the Matrix is a beast because its very abstracted with lots of strange rules that aren't like any other rules. So, watch out...

[Freya]

Thanks a bunch for the link and the tips, DeathStrobe. I'll have to look more into the teamwork tests rules, I remember skimming them but I didn't look into it that closely.

[Elfenlied]

Alright, specific questions incoming! I'm likely going to be running a game with five people, possibly six, and I'm fairly sure at least two of those will be hackers deckers. From what I've seen of the concepts behind decking in SR4, there doesn't really seem to be any benefit to having multiple hackers working in concert on the same Matrix task (just because of how linear the tasks are). Is that reasonable, or am I missing something important? If that is the case, any suggestions on how to give each character their chance to shine aside from effectively "taking turns?"

(I've also been reading through the thread on problems with decking rules in SR4A, so I'm somewhat aware of the "hacking while everyone else goes for pizza" problem. That's probably best left for a separate discussion, though.)

Use "hacking" while you still can. It's going to be "decking" soon again anyway, if the developer blog is any indication.

As for possibilities:
-Teamwork tests
-Different specialities: Cybercombat, Stealth, Programming, AR/VR Hacking
-Branching out: Hackers can easily include Rigging or physical combat into their skillsets

[UmaroVI]

Two hackers don't really work together very well. 1 hacker and 1 technomancer work together OK, especially if the hacker has other skills outside the matrix.

[Freya]

Use "hacking" while you still can. It's going to be "decking" soon again anyway, if the developer blog is any indication.

I'm sure I'll trip over terms no matter what the dev blogs are saying. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

As for possibilities:
-Teamwork tests
-Different specialities: Cybercombat, Stealth, Programming, AR/VR Hacking
-Branching out: Hackers can easily include Rigging or physical combat into their skillsets

Two hackers don't really work together very well. 1 hacker and 1 technomancer work together OK, especially if the hacker has other skills outside the matrix.

That's kind of what I was thinking, whether it came up as two hackers or hacker/TM. Right now the group looks like it's going to be two hackers, two sammies and a question mark (hopefully mana user for balance's sake), so I'm tempted to just tell the Matrix specialists to figure out how to divide up "traditional hacking", rigging and so on among themselves. How that'll work if it ends up being hacker/TM, I don't know; can anyone fill me in a little more on the details of why TMs tend to "start slower"? Is it just because of having to spend BP/karma on so many different things?

[onlyghostdancesw...]

Its not so much a question of "start slower" as it is needing to place more bp into base line stuff without being able to branch out. A hacker can grab top of the line equipment for a decent chunk of nuyen and still do something else; a techno is just that, generally without room to do much else. A starting hacker can hack some scary systems with more setup than a techno (botnets blah blah) but a techno shines because they own in the matrix. Sprites and threading are win and any decent techno will have his fading stats maxed so as to be able to spin whatever he wants. Threading is a non-action and so can be done at any time. This is huge because it evens out the normal offender defender imbalance.

[UmaroVI]

Threading actually got errata'd to a free action.

Technomancers are better at the matrix, but have to cut themselves to do things outside a narrow specialty. Hackers can be OK at everything for relatively cheap and also be OK at some stuff that's not the matrix. Also, technomancers can have sprites assist a hacker (Machine or Code sprites can boost the hacker's dicepool, and Paladin sprites can help the hacker in matrix fights).

Hackers also have the advantage that they aren't actually forced to take any risk when hacking; they can hack from AR and not care about Black IC. Technomancers can't do that.

[Freya]

Thanks for the clarifications, being able to get a more solid idea for party balance is really helpful. Clearly I'm going to need to read more from sourcebooks other than the core book (I have Emergence and Unwired, I just haven't spent much time with them).

[Aaron]

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, and apologies if it has, but I've got a Shadowrun Resources page with a lot of helpful stuff created by various people.

[thorya]

I can recommend Aaron's resources. His cheat sheets were a life saver in my first game as GM with 3 new players. I could hand each the applicable cheat sheet and focus way less on explaining each roll. And the character generator was useful.

[Freya]

I think I bookmarked your link earlier, Aaron, but I hadn't had a chance to look through it in detail before now. Thanks for the resource! (And thanks Thorya for the endorsement!)

[Aaron]

I should be the one thanking thorya for the endorsement (thanks thorya!). And if you're looking to try out SR5, I'll be putting up resources for that as soon as it's out.