Campaign Design, Behind the Scenes Options

[NetJacker]

So i´m about to start a brand new campaign for my players and i want to hear some ideas and tips from you, since i´m a beginner in GMing.

My idea was to start the whole big adventure in the shutdown of the renraku arcology, letting them escape (luckily) and then mixing some old adventures with the ones of the brainscan adventure book.

Now i thought that it would be cool to start this adventure in the arc by placing them in before the shutdown and then showing them all the things that happen there. The problem is it´s just a little complex to do so, because (if you read RA:S) it´s a while days after that the whole action begins (i want them to join the resistance and everything).

What should i do? maybe get them captured and then awakened in one of Deus mazes (he-eh)?

[Ancient History]

Intersperse "let's fuck with the runners by running them through pre-fab adventures" with "what do the runners want to do?"

That is, let the runners do things (or try to do things) on their own, and let other things (like getting captured at the Arcology) happen to them.

It's actually fairly easy to get a player on the edge by emphasizing a loss of control on their part, but you have to let them enough room to thrash about and feel how close the walls are. 'cause they start freaking when you restrict that a little bit. I love that.

[RangerJoe]

That's hard advice to follow up.

Better than starting them in the Arc ("You hear a klaxon sound and gates begin to slam down all around you. Roll quickness"), you might conisder giving them a cake-walk which leads them to some small, less-than-obvious part of the arcology (a loading doc, upstairs offices, etc. Just anything but the mall portions) as a warm-up adventure. It might even pay to get them a little bit familiar with the arcology (as PCs and players) with a few runs in pre-shut-down time. Then, after they've gotten familiar with the turf and feel safe there, let the AI out of the bag.... Just don't tip your hand early.

With the pre-programmed runs, it is, of course, important to take the content of the run and mesh it into your group. This means two things, 1) using the groups' contacts, backgrounds, etc., so they feel invested in teh adventures, and 2) jotting down material from the published adventures in your own notebook. As a player, I feel better if the GM appears in control (even if he's using a published adventure). Just my two yen.

[Nephyte]

A) Please, save yourself the headache and don't run RA:S as a newbie GM. There's a lot of things in that book to keep track of, and while I'm not doubting your GM skills, I am saying it can be a lot for someone new to GMing to take care of.

B) Are you giving the players extra-karma and extra money to start? I ask because starting characters that are made legally should *really* have a difficult time surviving the Arcology. Heck, Prime Runners will have a hard time surviving the Arcology. It's really better used *after* you've got some story and history behind your team, not to mention some good nuyen and karma.

[Kanada Ten]

The thing to remember is once you spring something on the players, they won't be surprised by it again. In other words: Start somewhere before the Arcology. The events of Shutdown are character altering, world shaking events. Starting there would leave you with expectations beyond comprehension. Work your way up to the Arcology. Have the players start working for the Yakuza, then they do a few jobs working for Renraku. Maybe even run the first two parts of Harlequin interspaced in there. Use that time to set the mood of the champaign and get a feel for the players and their characters. Then you can use that knowledge "against" them inside the Arcology.