Street level play, Magicrun incarnate? Options

[FuelDrop]

I just took a glance at the alternate gameplay sidebar, and noticed something rather odd. Street level only really penalizes tech-based runners: dropping the starting cash, availability of gear, and starting karma.

This doesn't really hurt mages. Actually, considering the pitiful cash for even high-level priorities, it helps them by giving them a dump priority. Street sams, on the other hand, are really going to suffer.

Let's look at an (mystic) adept with priority A magic vs a Street sam with priority A resources.
With 75 grand you probably get wired 1, rating 1 reaction booster, and an implanted smartlink... if you're lucky.
Mystic adept gets 6 PP worth of adept powers, plus potentially a bunch of boost spells to add to that. 6 grand of starter gear isn't going to kill you if most of your shtick is mysticism and badass magic powers.

Considering that the game is already considered to favor magic over tech, how is making tech virtually unplayable without noticeably hindering magic at all going to create a street level game rather than just Magicrun?

[LGD]

It doesn't. "Street level" play is 100% magicrun in 5th edition. Also, unlike SR4, there aren't really plausible upgrade paths for mundane characters if the resource level stays "gritty" and "street" and you'll start running into issues created by SR5's wonky economics. By that I mean the income you get from low level runs is going to be dwarfed by what you can make by ganking anyone you encounter with 'ware or a deck and ripping it out/off of them, and your runners will have to face the question of why they're spending enough liquid cash to keep themselves sustained in the style to which they are accustomed in perpetuity on achieving marginal upgrades in effectiveness when engaged in their criminal enterprises.

[PriorityKarmaGen]

You might want to use the Street Scum or High Life variants instead, p 354-355.

[thorya]

Agreed, I would probably also tone down the magic and maybe even skills a little, to compensate and get a real street level game.

Here's what I would try-
A magician or adept needs to take the next priority up to get the same benefit. So B becomes A, C becomes B, etc. i.e. For an adept to get Magic 6, one active skill at 4, they need to take magic priority A, instead of B. The highest a Magician or Mystic Adept can start with is Magic 4, 7 spells, 2 rating 4 magic skills (if they choose priority A). And eliminate magic priority D as an option. Still won't really level the playing field, but it at least has an impact on everyone.

[FuelDrop]

You might want to use the Street Scum or High Life variants instead, p 354-355.

... Hang on, the high life variant means that LITERALLY EVERY RUNNER IS EITHER A TECHNOMANCER OR AWAKENED! Does that mean that every CEO, high roller and noble is magical?!?

[RHat]

... Yeah, that's a little bit weird. But here's the thing: SR4 wasn't actually better. It's suggestion for a "street level game" left you with too few BP to create an average member of a metatype.

[Jaid]

... Hang on, the high life variant means that LITERALLY EVERY RUNNER IS EITHER A TECHNOMANCER OR AWAKENED! Does that mean that every CEO, high roller and noble is magical?!?

only the ones who don't burn out first.... i guess...

[FuelDrop]

only the ones who don't burn out first.... i guess...

So what if you were a mundane who somehow was on the fast track to the CEO level? Is there some kind of magic elitism for every high-roller in the world? If so, why isn't there a metric ton of propaganda that magic is good, rather than still having it viewed with suspicion?

[LGD]

Agreed, I would probably also tone down the magic and maybe even skills a little, to compensate and get a real street level game.

Here's what I would try-
A magician or adept needs to take the next priority up to get the same benefit. So B becomes A, C becomes B, etc. i.e. For an adept to get Magic 6, one active skill at 4, they need to take magic priority A, instead of B. The highest a Magician or Mystic Adept can start with is Magic 4, 7 spells, 2 rating 4 magic skills (if they choose priority A). And eliminate magic priority D as an option. Still won't really level the playing field, but it at least has an impact on everyone.

The problem with that is that it doesn't fix advancement. It might work for a one-shot or very short campaign, but even if you manage to get characters coming out of chargen broadly equivalent you'll still either need to immediately undermine the premise of a street level game by handing out gobs of money to mundane characters or you'll find magical characters outpacing their mundane counterparts by leaps and bounds.

... Yeah, that's a little bit weird. But here's the thing: SR4 wasn't actually better. It's suggestion for a "street level game" left you with too few BP to create an average member of a metatype.

This is unambiguously true. Adjusting the BP limit downward too much did some seriously wonky things to character creation. I always thought it was better to simply put tighter restrictions on BP available for Resources and the lower the Availability limit to 8 or 10, with a small reduction in overall BP. And ban full mages. That left you with competent individuals with a lot of room for growth and gear that felt appropriate for "street level."

[PriorityKarmaGen]

If advancement by karma is outpacing advancement by money, then cut karma awards. Or double/triple karma costs for everything.

[Umidori]

If advancement by karma is outpacing advancement by money, then cut karma awards. Or double/triple karma costs for everything.

Yeah, because THAT will go over well with players. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sarcastic.gif)

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

Yeah, because THAT will go over well with players. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sarcastic.gif)

~Umi

Of course it will! Didn't you know that players want to do everything for no rewards to maintain the status quo, just like in TV shows?

[Umidori]

Yeah, there's a reason I stopped watching Burn Notice, despite how fun the characters were...

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

Yeah, there's a reason I stopped watching Burn Notice, despite how fun the characters were...

~Umi

Ironically, they did actually change the status quo later into that series. Granted, it took 3-4 seasons for elite runner Western to upgrade from a low lifestyle. He does get out of street-level runs at the end of season 2 (I think? I can't remember when the burned spy organization started yanking his leash), which is about, what, 30-40 runs?

[Umidori]

I stopped at season 6 I think.

He kept doing things and meeting people, but nothing changed. Every time he tied up a loose thread, it simply imploded and another identical one took its place. He was always in the same place literally, professionally, and even personally. They tried making him a little more interesting with the whole Fiona complexity angle, but by that point I'd lost faith and didn't stick around to see if anything actually ever developed.

So yeah. Michael Weston is a great inspiration for run ideas and smart running behaviors, but a terrible inspiration for character advancement. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

I stopped at season 6 I think.

He kept doing things and meeting people, but nothing changed. Every time he tied up a loose thread, it simply imploded and another identical one took its place. He was always in the same place literally, professionally, and even personally. They tried making him a little more interesting with the whole Fiona complexity angle, but by that point I'd lost faith and didn't stick around to see if anything actually ever developed.

So yeah. Michael Weston is a great inspiration for run ideas and smart running behaviors, but a terrible inspiration for character advancement. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

~Umi

Character advancement is EVIL! it must be, or why would GMs keep paying runners so little?

Are you suggesting that the GM might be... wrong?

Blasphemer! GET HIM!

[Umidori]

Tell my cyborg Fixer I love her!

*is carried away by the angry mob*

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

Ok, we've got him...

uh... what do we do with him now?

I don't think we thought this through.

[Umidori]

Okay, I know it's kinda hard to avoid when you're collectively hoisting someone aloft, but... can whoever is grabbing my left buttcheek be a little less rough with the goods? At least until you figure out what you're going to do with me?

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

Set him down, it is time for his punishment.
*deep breath*
Umidori... Don't do it again!
That should do it. Good work everyone, tea and biscuits for all in the auditorium!

[Umidori]

So wait... does this mean I have to tell my cyborg Fixer I love her? Because she freaks me out, man. Like, in a good way? But also in a way that makes my back teeth wiggle and my brain shut down? Ya know?

Are you sure you can't, like, tar and feather me or something, so that one of you can go tell her for me? Or, heck, I'll pay someone (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 5000 to do it?

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

Sure, I'll go and do it. Sounds like a milk run.

#Three hours later#
*Stumbles back in, missing an arm and bleeding.*
You didn't tell me she already had a boyfriend, and that he's a fricking troll!
I just hope I can find a discount cyberarm for a measly 5 grand.

[Umidori]

Sorry, used cyberlimbs aren't as available as standard grade for some reason... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

Can I at least grab some painkillers?

[Umidori]

Here, have some NoPaint.

(Don't worry, at (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 15, you can actually afford it!)

~Umi