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GuyofDoom
I'm a relatively new SR player. About 6 months ago I was introduced to SR 3rd and I feel in love with the universe and system. When SR 4th came out it wasn't long before I acquired a copy and looked through it. It's a different feel, but I enjoy it and think it will make it a little easier to bring some of my other friends into the system/universe.

My basic question/concern is this:

I'm trying to come up with a good mission or two to bring Shadowrunners together without the cliche "You've known each other for awhile now." I've looked at the intro official SR Mission on the main website and it provides me with a little inspiration, but otherwise I'm dry. Any suggestions?
stevebugge
Well one of the tricks I've used as a game master is assigning some in-common contacts, single fixer shared by one or more characters for example. Be careful though, some players really hate this. Having low level getting to know you runs isn't that bad an idea, especially in your case where you will have some brand new players who in addition to having to get to know each other's characters have to learn the rules and get acquainted with various types of tests. You could take advantage of the food fight scenario to have all of the chracters just happen to be shopping at the same stuffer shack when the Gang shows up too, so what if it's a little too coincidental.
Kleaner
It's hard to say without knowing what kind of characters your group is playing.

If they are all from Seattle, high school reunion would be a neat idea. (see Grosse pointe blank).
SEAL Intel
I normally use short adventures around the people that are not from the city in which we are playing. For instance if you have 2-3 players from Seattle and one from Sioux or Tir then have something around the reason that the person is in Seattle. An adventure does not have to be a "run" per se and instead could be road rage incident, drive by, good samaritian response to an assault, or even just responding to a disaster of some sort. They could be neighbors (depending on lifestyle maybe just in the same area at the same time) and an earthquake, spirit, overly aggressively runners, etc. start fires, destroy roads, hurt people and the party has to respond. I don't know your group so I don't know which buttons to push.

I have had situations where two different J's hire two different runner teams to hit the same target and they meet up during the break-in. The key is keeping them from killing each other but they will now know each other and the combat abilities they bring.

Edit: I just saw the above posts. I try to avoid having the players with the same contact. If I do, normally I give it to them instead of in effect taking away their BPs.
hyzmarca
Nothing beats Renraku Arcology: Shutdown for throwing completely unrelated PCs together. However, you may not want to rewind the metaplot and you may not want to premenantly traumatize your players on their first run, both of which would be requred to run Deus' Arc. Still, a similar situation doesn't hurt. The PCs are cought together in a disaster and have to work together to escape.
MaxMahem
The first Shadowrun Missions run, "Mission Briefing" I think, is designed to do just this. All the runners are supposed to brought in from diffrent fixers to guard a big fixer meet. Not the best get-em-together premise ever devised, but not terrible either.

I ran it with an established team about a month ago. A little on the easy side maybe, but a solid run. Good for introducing players to the system as well I would think. Translating it to SR4 is pretty simple as well. If you want I could dig out the stats I used for the conversion. Worked great for my players, but we are a little underpowered. For more powerful runners you might want to jack up the opposition.
stevebugge
QUOTE (SEAL Intel)

Edit: I just saw the above posts. I try to avoid having the players with the same contact. If I do, normally I give it to them instead of in effect taking away their BPs.

That's a good point, I forgot to mention that these contacts come out of an 8-12 point pool of bonus points the GM uses to add contacts to a character that they want them to have for plot or character development purposes. We added this to replace the two free contacts that were given in SR-3, which in our games were also GM assigned most of the time.
TheHappyAnarchist
The upcoming campaign I will be running everyone will have the same contact. A fixer.

Now they won't be wasting their BPs, because they will have to decide what their connection is. They will only have to spend BPs on loyalty, connection is fixed.

He is Connection 4 (thinking about upping it to 5)

Are you just a business, untried and untrusted? Loyalty 1.
An up and comer in his commlinks address book? Done a few runs and shown promise? Loyalty 2.
Regularly worked well, shown to be professional and even maybe done some extra business through him? Loyalty 3.
Or maybe you are actually a friend of a friend, long term partner, special project or for whatever reason, he keeps a watchful eye on you. Loyalty 4.
That is the highest I will allow, as he will be quite the influential and useful contact.
SEAL Intel
QUOTE (TheHappyAnarchist)
The upcoming campaign I will be running everyone will have the same contact. A fixer.

Now they won't be wasting their BPs, because they will have to decide what their connection is. They will only have to spend BPs on loyalty, connection is fixed.

He is Connection 4 (thinking about upping it to 5)

Are you just a business, untried and untrusted? Loyalty 1.
An up and comer in his commlinks address book? Done a few runs and shown promise? Loyalty 2.
Regularly worked well, shown to be professional and even maybe done some extra business through him? Loyalty 3.
Or maybe you are actually a friend of a friend, long term partner, special project or for whatever reason, he keeps a watchful eye on you. Loyalty 4.
That is the highest I will allow, as he will be quite the influential and useful contact.

Something like that, where there is more choice will result in fewer ticked off players.
emo samurai
Maybe have them all squat in the same apartment and get involved on the same side in an inter-apartment block gunfight.
Oracle
If you have idiots as players the "Food Fight" introduction will end with a lot of dead or mortally wounded PCs. Not one of them will be killed by a ganger, though. Trust me. I once had a group of idiots.
Azralon
QUOTE (Oracle)
I once had a group of idiots.

Just once? Lucky dog.
mintcar
This can easily be a cliché also, but using it once couldn´t hurt: In one of the old scenarios connected to the 2057 election (in which the dragon Dunkelzahn became president), the characters wake up in the wilderness outside of Tir Tairngire with complete memory loss from the last weeks. I made that scenario the first in a campain, and the characters didn´t know eachother. First they had to recognise they where in the same boat and try to get back to town some way. Then they had to figure out what had happened to them. As they found out more about what happened, they realized that they´d pulled off some kind of job together, so they actually met several weeks before.

If you haven´t already overused the amnesia angle, this is my best recommendation to you. Maybe not that exact scenario, but something similar.
emo samurai
But the whole random violence that throws them together angle works, too. Right? Unless, of course, one of the characters is living high and not in the Barrens.
SEAL Intel
QUOTE (emo samurai)
But the whole random violence that throws them together angle works, too. Right? Unless, of course, one of the characters is living high and not in the Barrens.

Yeah and even then you can always have an excuse for them to be in the same place. It could be for a game of urban brawl, traffic accident, airport, etc.
Orb
I like the random violence idea - I've started two campaigns that wayand it worked well both times. Both times none of the runners knew each other before.

For one group and had all the PCs in a bar when the power goes out in the area and someone decides to make a hit on the local gang who are hanging out in the bar. After the smoke clears the bar owner hires the runners to protect his bar from looters untill the power comes back on.

With a second group, I had them on a commuter train that was attacked by terrorists. Once again, after the smoke cleared, I had a couple of visiting businessmen ask for protection on their way to an important meeting the next morning. They had a bodygaurd but he was killed by the terrorists.
Mr.Platinum
I'm just going to make a cut and paste doc for the amount of times i see this kind of post.
Paul
Cliche? There's nothing wrong with being cliche, at least as long as it's fun. Everything has been done at one point or another if you boil it all down to essentials. The key here isn't to worry that you're running just another datasteal, or just another snatch and grab-but to work on each one as individual, giving each it's own set of circumstances, pivotal moments and plot devices.

Don't be afraid tolearn. No one hear became good at what they do over night. I've played Shadowrun for 17 years now, and I still learn new stuff each time we play. I steal from everything and anything I can for my plots. It's all about being fun, if your game stops being fun then you're doing something wrong. But if it's fun, then nothing you do is wrong. (I don't care if you run your game like Monty Haul meets Rifts, as long as your players are having fun, then so what?)

Don't be afraid to experiment, to rewind, to start over. I've had to do it. "Gusy this just sucks. Lets take fifteen, let me get my head on and we'll start something that doesn't suck hat." "Copy that Paul, we're gonna go hit the five and dime, want anything?"

That simple. Period. No there are some good suggestions in here, so don't be afraid to take them and put your own spin on them-but don't feel obligated. Make your game yours.

Some tips I always hand out to anyone who solicits advice:
  • Take notes. Or make someone take notes. Buy a notebook, and make someone log the basic plot, events and results of the run. (Keep it Simple See? "Datasteal, hired by Johnson we believed was Ares, Johhny Five got shot, we killed a cop, and got paid. 1 Karma each except Joey Two Tone who got three.") This will help you tons in the long run. You can look back and see what you've done, and what can spin off of it. (That cop they killed? His partner is gunning for revenge now....)
  • Invest in your players, communicate. Ask them questions. Review their performances. (I do an after action after every game, in which I make some encouraging remarks, praise the players who did well-I try to keep it positive. That works a lot better in my opinion.) Ask them what they thought of the run, what they want to do. The more involved they are, the easier it will be for you as a Game Master to please them.
  • Consider the perks. I stole this from someone here a few years back: After each game have them vote by secret ballot (Just scribble on a folded up scrap of paper) the top two players in the game. I give the top rated player a point or two of karma depending on the power level we play at, and number two gets honorable mention or a point of karma depending on the power level we play at.
  • Get copies of the character sheets. Trust me this will save you time.
  • Roll dice. Scares the hell out of them if every so often you roll some dice behind your hands, or a screen, make some "harrumphing" noises, then shake your head. when they ask what's going on reply "Nothing." It adds to the paranoia level, and makes them think you know what you're doing. (First rule of leadership: Always look like you know what you're doing, even if you don't.)
  • My final piece of advice for you is a fun one, in my opinion-Omnidome! We take some time everyonce in a while to lay out a map, and have a battle royale that exsists outside of the games continuity. Last man standing gets a point of karma, or something. Great way to blow off some steam, have fun and learn the combat rules with out losing a character.

Well I've rambled on long enough.
mfb
one possibility is to have one character hire the others. for instance, a face character might need bodyguards for a particularly touchy underworld negotiation, or a revenge-seeking character might want some backup. be careful, though; giving some characters in-game power over other characters can really, really backfire if the wrong players are involved. and, of course, the characters have to gel well enough in-game to warrant an extended relationship. again, that's a touchy matter than can turn a game sour if it's mishandled by any of the parties involved.
Paul
QUOTE (mfb)
One possibility is to have one character hire the others.

That is definitely a possibility. Although I am wary of this personally-there's a lot of mving parts here, depending on how you play it out.

QUOTE
Be careful, though; giving some characters in-game power over other characters can really, really backfire if the wrong players are involved. And, of course, the characters have to get along well enough in-game to warrant an extended relationship. again, that's a touchy matter than can turn a game sour if it's mishandled by any of the parties involved.


Yeah that's pretty much why I don't use this. The few times I've done it's blown up in my face. Which isn't to say others haven't pulled it off with spectacular results.
Azralon
QUOTE (Paul)
There's nothing wrong with being cliche, at least as long as it's fun.

Well said.

Fortunately, the experienced nerd has a large inventory of cool cliches to draw from at any given moment. The trick is to use the appropriate combination of cliches that will entertain your particular group.

~~~~~

For the record, here's the cliche 20-step routine for the traditional shadowrun formula:

1) The elven faceman gets a call from his fixer contact; meet a mysterious Johnson at some shady bar at something-o'clock tonight. Bring any teammates that are interested in making some money.

2) Everyone in the team shows up, except for the loose cannon who insists on working his own side project. The uncouth troll is convinced to wait outside. The attendees scout out the bar if they haven't already, and assume strategic positions with specially-prepared gear at the ready.

3) The Johnson, a smarmy corporate suit with a pair of ork and/or troll bodyguards, outlines the job to the faceman. The job initially sounds easy, and after the faceman tries to squeeze a bigger paycheck out of the Johnson, the team agrees to the job with some minor reservations.

4) The job is to break into a rival corporate facility and steal a particular item (which could be data, technology, artifacts, and/or personnel) without anyone knowing about it. Oh, and it needs to be done as soon as possible... which will typically equate to "sooner than the PCs would like."

5) Everyone rallies up in the Secret Hidey Hole ™ to discuss the plan in the most paranoid way possible. Certain things are decided upon, but ultimately everyone realizes that they need better intel before proceeding.

6) Contacts are called, the Matrix is used, and astral/drone scouting is done of the relevant location(s). After everyone goes and gathers their intel, another powwow is called and things are discussed all over again.

7) Once the second planning phase stalls out, everyone goes to prepare in their particular ways. The faceman is instructed to buy certain specialized gear. Usually the rulebook is consulted multiple times as players attempt to uncover new and effective exploits that will give them an edge in the upcoming mission.

8) Under the cover of night, the team (concealed by summoned spirits and/or illusion magic) slips up to the target facility in the rigger's armored van. The van deploys scout and combat drones, the mage does a quick astral check, and then the group goes about slipping into the facility.

9) Everyone waits on the hacker to bypass the electronic security and/or waits on the faceman to socially-engineer the team past the guards.

10) Once inside, the team has little trouble locating their quarry, but the risk of distractions starts to overwhelm the loose cannons in the team. Typically this will consist of personal agendas interfering with the mission, or personality conflicts coming to surface at exactly the wrong time.

11) The objective is swiped through some ingenious combination of Matrix, astral, and physical talents.

12) On the way out of the facility, someone screws up badly enough to trip the alarm. Gunfire and spells erupt; many guards are downed, and a few PCs are injured. Greedy teammates want to stop to strip the guards of their gear, and an argument starts up until more guards come around the corner.

13) Everyone scrambles to the waiting armored van while taking fire from the apparently-infinite supply of guards. Once in the van, the magician (if still conscious) instructs a spirit to use its Movement powers on the van to get them the frag out of there. Concealment and Confusion powers are possibly also used on the corporate pursuers.

14) After spending hours making sure they weren't followed, the team contacts the Johnson to arrange the drop. The Johnson acts grumpy but sets up the meet. It's in an inconvenient place or at an inconvenient time as far as the runners are concerned, but they agree because they want to ditch the loot and get paid.

15) The runners show up to the meet early and case the joint. A defensive perimeter is set up, but not too obviously.

16) The Johnson shows up, and having anticipated the runners' every move, has just enough people with him to counter the defensive perimeter. It turns out that there was a complication with the job and he doesn't want to pay the runners full price (if at all).

17) Depending on how well the faceman does, the Johnson will either end up paying the team or end up telling his goons to take down the team. If the J is particularly good he will delay the shooting until after he's already in his superarmored limo. If the team is good, the J will end up dead and they'll have both the money and the objective (and a stained street rep).

18) The team gets paid (either from the promised certified credstick or in the loot taken from the fallen Johnson goons) and then foolishly split up because "it's safer if we all aren't in one place."

19) The GM knows that he should lay the smack down on the people that went off on their own after a somewhat-failed shadowrun, but it's getting late and he wants to wrap up the session.

20) The team gets karma, the swag gets sold, and then everyone starts talking about how they want to spend their new money and karma.

~~~~~

So all you need to do is deviate from that formula as much as you can, and you won't be cliche!
GuyofDoom
Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'll go with a mesh/hybrid. smile.gif cyber.gif
emo samurai
I'm thinking of having a local gang from another apartment block start a gunfight with a local gang from the one the characters live in. They'll shoot at the other guys, since the other gang is really stupid but powerful and with lots of people and wants to make a name for itself. They drive off in a really, really nicely-modded car.

The gangs who live in the apartment block the runners live in will notice that the runners shot more intelligently and more accurately than everyone else, including their own gang members, who either sprayed bullets at random or ran and hid. They'll get approached by this gangster who will tell them the other gang just stole his gang's flagship vehicle. His older brother, the one who actually runs the gang and is much bigger and probably smarter than he is, is out of town and will probably kill him or at least deface him a lot if he finds the car was stolen. He wants you to recover the car. It'll be easier than the average mini-corp facility, since the gangsters will have jack for any kind of security and they'll be partying on the night of the hijack. All of them.

It'll be even easier if there's a technomancer/rigger who can steal the rest of the cars, since the gang, even though it had to steal a flag car in order to stand a chance of winning the street race, has a lot of nice cars for the enterprising technomancer with 3-4 registered sprites and cracked driving autosofts nice and ready for copying.

This gets by the whole "munchkin players without brains" problem. I think.
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