I Just Got Back From Breastfeeding Class..., ...and it got me thinking about family Options

[FrostyNSO]

I just got back from breastfeeding class, and as my wife was railing on about something in the car, I started thinking about Shadowrun. Then I was like "Wow, Shadowrun offers a flaw for runners with family.

Now if I recall correctly, it says GM's discretion as to the point value. What I was wondering, is what do other GM's rule in this case.

I would think being a single parent of an infant would be at least -3.

Having a wife with no kids, maybe -1.

Having a wife that is particularly nagging, -2.

Wife, 4 kids, another one on the way? I would say at least a -6. Hell, I would almost grab Day Job 3 (Corporate Wageslave) just for the insurance offered by the company.

Well, what do other GM's out there think?

[Silver-Fang]

I hear ya frosty, im about 4 months behind you i think. I would agree with those numbers except for wife no kids i would leave at 0. I think it would be abused by players if not.

[grendel]

I would have any dependent worth at least -2. Any GM worth his/her salt will eventually get around to threatening them, or at least developing a situation in which the runner was put through considerable pain and cost in order to maintain his/her relationship with the dependant.

[Nikoli]

With the option to degrade further down the chart at random times (die rolls made in secret by the GM, etc.)

[Sandoval Smith]

I think the value of that flaw should be left up to the GM. Just a wife might not be much for some PCs, but others it's a big interference. It depends on whether the GM will be including dangers to the family, where it's RPed out that perhaps the runner is hiding his actions from his family, etc.

[Necro Tech]

[grendel]

I would hesitate to call Portia a prostitute. I don't think Puck's paid her once.

[Kagetenshi]

For reference, last time I used this it was a friend in hospital in a coma. Very little risk to the friend, but it cost ¥15,000 a month to keep her there. This was judged a 3 or 4 point flaw, I forget which.

~J

[mfb]

hm. my main char's got a wife and a kid. never thought about giving him points for it.

[Necro Tech]

[Edward]

I had a character with a wife a 12 year old daughter with bunny ears and tail (surge) and magical talent just starting to want training and a 14 year old daughter with a taste for danger (threatening to become a shadow Decker). All this while living in the barons. And he only gave me 1 point. And I had to by the wife as a contact because she was a modest Decker.

Ok on the wife she even earns enough that I don’t need to pay for the extra 3 10% lifestyles but considering the kids. 1 build point for character is willing to kill himself to keep them safe, any time he wants to he can say “something happened to your family” and if I have to I will sell everything to hire the teem to get them back. And if it comes down to there dead then I need enough points to cover the new vindictive and enemy (people I stepped on avenging my family) flaws

Of cause it is possible that nothing will happen to them because the GM cant be ased but that would be disappointing. What do you think the OC reason for the family was, a few measly build points. No I want an interesting game.

Edward

[U_Fester]

[Critias]

[shadow_scholar]

I've given a couple of my players this flaw when they requested it. If it is just a straight monetary dependent, the Point amount is only 1. You visit Granny occasionally in the nursing home and pay for her to be there? Rating 2. You have a wife that lives with you? Rating 3. Wife and kids with you? Rating 4. You have a quadraplegic brother that you take direct care of or you are the single parent of an infant? Rating 5. You run a foster home for problematic children all by your lonesome? Rating 6

[nezumi]

You had to take a class on how to breastfeed? My mom said I took to it pretty naturally.


Families are odd things in SR. I mean after a point they're far more debilitating than a day job, but at the same time, you'd assume your level 3 contact you paid $50k for is about as much of a liability (except, most likely, your lvl 3 contact knows how to use a gun.)

One thing I've started doing is giving people 'lvl 0 contacts'. They're totally useless (won't lend you more than $20 for gas, don't know how to use a gun and never have any information you might possibly need except for stuff everyone knows), but they're still people you know and who take care of themselves. This lets them buy as many parents, siblings etc. as they need to fill out the background. I could imagine making 'lvl -1' contacts, people who don't know anything and you are required to protect. Each lvl -1 gives you 2 bps or something.

*shrug* Contacts really do flesh out the game world a *TON*. I wish the rules were a bit more expansive, considering how many people a shadowrunner should know, even if they don't try to buy guns from those people.

[Fortune]

[Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*]

[hyzmarca]

The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this topic: Breastfeeding during a run. :eek:

What kind of TN modifiers would that produce? I'm sure it would limit athletics and running speed but what about shooting?

More importantly, is the coolness factor of a woman who routinly shoots people while breastfeeding worth the drawbacks of such stupendous negligence? :wobble: