Full Version: Lab Rat's Diary: Deuxième Partie
| QUOTE (Kanada Ten) |
| Actually, it was Superman III that I was thinking of. |
Which Office space references and explains that most computers are well equipped to handle that kind of digital chicanery, but Innotech? is so out of date it will work.
Actually now that I think about it Office Space isn't a bad inspiration for a low level, high score/huge risk run for preShadowrunners.
*zombie voice* TPS reports.... TPS repooorts...
May 21, 2006
No session this week, because our school's Sci-Fi club had their 2nd annual seminar/workshop--"So You Wanna Rule The World"--during our regular time slot. Who could pass up the chance to improve one's Evil Overlord Laugh? (My Evil Overlord Laugh is subpar, partly because my mezzosoprano voice is too high to pull off the deep tones required. I have an excellect Mad Scientist Laugh, however.)
I had heard that we would be meeting at noon today, so I went over to the usual meeting place and was surprised to find that Emo wasn't there. I fired off a PM to him, and he rushed over to inform me that although the rest of the group couldn't be there, he and I could RP the scene that took place between me and an NPC. I declined because I had work I'd been planning to do that afternoon, and I figured that Emo would want the chance to get some work of his own done. I said it in kind of a terse way, however, and I think that may have made Emo feel slighted.
I just want to say that I'm sorry, Emo, for being so curt with you. I wasn't mad at you; I was mad at myself for playing Solitaire instead of working. Can you forgive me?
No session this week, because our school's Sci-Fi club had their 2nd annual seminar/workshop--"So You Wanna Rule The World"--during our regular time slot. Who could pass up the chance to improve one's Evil Overlord Laugh? (My Evil Overlord Laugh is subpar, partly because my mezzosoprano voice is too high to pull off the deep tones required. I have an excellect Mad Scientist Laugh, however.)
I had heard that we would be meeting at noon today, so I went over to the usual meeting place and was surprised to find that Emo wasn't there. I fired off a PM to him, and he rushed over to inform me that although the rest of the group couldn't be there, he and I could RP the scene that took place between me and an NPC. I declined because I had work I'd been planning to do that afternoon, and I figured that Emo would want the chance to get some work of his own done. I said it in kind of a terse way, however, and I think that may have made Emo feel slighted.
I just want to say that I'm sorry, Emo, for being so curt with you. I wasn't mad at you; I was mad at myself for playing Solitaire instead of working. Can you forgive me?
I can forgive you with an EATING BY VERJIGORM!!!!
Also, about the Evil Overlord thing, Shadowrun really helped out with the whole "keep the peasants in line" thing for my contributions to the discussions. Like, "Don't rule openly." "Leak fake documents." "Obfuscate whenever possible." Etc., etc.
We need an off-topic forum. Any flaming that happens there won't happen here, and if we do that, we'd have space for bl0gs, too.
Also, about the Evil Overlord thing, Shadowrun really helped out with the whole "keep the peasants in line" thing for my contributions to the discussions. Like, "Don't rule openly." "Leak fake documents." "Obfuscate whenever possible." Etc., etc.
We need an off-topic forum. Any flaming that happens there won't happen here, and if we do that, we'd have space for bl0gs, too.
| QUOTE (emo samurai) |
..............And why shouldn't people want a powergaming option? All the NPC's will get them, too.  |
And if they don't take theirs they will die.
More railroading?
You ever thought about finding out what your players want?
Chaos spirits happened because Vranton's player worshipped chaos, so I made them.
FanGirl's sprite puppy happened because it fits in with my larger plan.
K's and C's options will happen later, but they will fit in to the larger plot, too. So it's not really railroading so much as "here's something you would like, but I won't tell you what it is until you see it."
FanGirl's sprite puppy happened because it fits in with my larger plan.
K's and C's options will happen later, but they will fit in to the larger plot, too. So it's not really railroading so much as "here's something you would like, but I won't tell you what it is until you see it."
I’m making up a backup character sheet in case something bad happens to FanGirl. This character is a face who started out as a sociologist, tentatively named Jane Doe. I still have 46 BPs left to spend on her, and I was wondering how I should allocate them. Any advice?
EDIT: I put 40 BPs into Edge. Only 6 remain.....
[ Spoiler ]
EDIT: I put 40 BPs into Edge. Only 6 remain.....
4 more points of Edge and two more contacts, high loyalty low connection.
Yeah, +4 edge is definitely the way to go. I'd use the other BP for money. I don't have a book handy though, so I'm not sure what I'd buy.
More charisma. CHARISMA!!!! Seriously, you should get pheremone enhancers, or start out as an adept and cheese out the Kinesics.
I took the advice of 2 out of 3 of you and put the 40 BPs into Charisma. Sorry, Emo, but I'm not going to max out the Charisma just yet. There's already one Adept in the party, so taking that quality is out, and the enhanced pheremones just sound kinda creepy. But if it makes you feel any better, Jane is addicted to Novacoke! That's a +1 to Cha for 7 hours right there, as well as equivalent bonuses to Reaction, Perception, and High Pain Tolerance!
I think I'll spend the next 6 points on contacts as Kanada suggested. I doubt I'll need to worry too much about money in any campaign that Emo runs, and a face is supposed to have contacts up the wazoo. But which contacts should I get?
I think I'll spend the next 6 points on contacts as Kanada suggested. I doubt I'll need to worry too much about money in any campaign that Emo runs, and a face is supposed to have contacts up the wazoo. But which contacts should I get?
What if you're a completely different kind of adept? There are two magicians in the party; I didn't stop Greg from making one, and I sure as hell didn't stop myself.
And did you read the S*P thread? It was awesome.
And did you read the S*P thread? It was awesome.
Look, I'm sleepy and don't want to go into details right now. I just don't want this character to be Awakened, okay? Maybe I'll make a nice shammy after this. Would that make you feel better?
Now, I need suggestions for more contacts...oh, and a new name. Jane Doe is a crappy name, unless you're going for the irony factor, which I'm not.
Oh yeah, the S*P thing is indeed awesome. I hope RK goes ahead and makes that strip: you'll be, like, an Internet celebrity. Our little Emo has gone far in the world!
Now, I need suggestions for more contacts...oh, and a new name. Jane Doe is a crappy name, unless you're going for the irony factor, which I'm not.
Oh yeah, the S*P thing is indeed awesome. I hope RK goes ahead and makes that strip: you'll be, like, an Internet celebrity. Our little Emo has gone far in the world!
Contacts in corporations are usually pretty useful, as well as having at least one high loyalty friend in law enforcement. If emo is trying to force feed you a powergame option, make it be a connections 6 / loyalty 6 Lone Star employee. It certainly couldn't hurt to have the CEO of the Star looking out for you when the chips are down.
I won't force-feed it; FanGirl doesn't have to associate with the sprite puppy; it's just an NPC contact that can crack anything. She can choose to avoid it. Johann starts out with 20 shooting dice out of the box; I did nothing to stop or help him. Vranton has chaos spirits, sure, but they're very gimped outside of close-quarters combat and they've got huge problems other spirits don't have. Like Immunity to Normal weapons being only Force rather than Force x 2, and having -2 dice to resist banishing. I think this means balance.
May 26, 2006
At the risk of tooting my own horn, check out my responses to Emo's IC blog (or should I say bl0g?) in "Welcome to the Shadows" if you are interested in FanGirl's character development. The argument between her and Shen has been going on over the last couple of days.
Speaking of confrontation, Emo called me on the phone on Wednesday night at around ten o' clock and asked me: "What do you think of Shen?"
"Well," I said "I can understand his reasoning, and I certainly sympathize with it, but I really disagree with the methods he uses."
Emo then asked me what I would do in Shen's position (i.e. if I was watching a bunch of gangers beating up a young boy and could summon a Force 9 spirit to stop them). I said I didn't know what I would do--in fact, I still don't--and assured him that I thought that his character was perfectly fine. He said that that was okay, and assured me that "I like to call people to talk to them about stuff I don't think they'll like."
I'm telling you all about this because I understand that many of you think that Emo is deliberately annoying on Dumpshock because he feels that the anonmity of the Internet gives him a license to annoy. This anecdote shows that those who you who believe this theory are most likely incorrect: Emo apparently calls his real life friends and acquaintances just to annoy them, even though they know who he is and even where he lives (they can easily look it up on the online campus directory if they don't already know it off hand). Luckily, I have the patience of Job.
At the risk of tooting my own horn, check out my responses to Emo's IC blog (or should I say bl0g?) in "Welcome to the Shadows" if you are interested in FanGirl's character development. The argument between her and Shen has been going on over the last couple of days.
Speaking of confrontation, Emo called me on the phone on Wednesday night at around ten o' clock and asked me: "What do you think of Shen?"
"Well," I said "I can understand his reasoning, and I certainly sympathize with it, but I really disagree with the methods he uses."
Emo then asked me what I would do in Shen's position (i.e. if I was watching a bunch of gangers beating up a young boy and could summon a Force 9 spirit to stop them). I said I didn't know what I would do--in fact, I still don't--and assured him that I thought that his character was perfectly fine. He said that that was okay, and assured me that "I like to call people to talk to them about stuff I don't think they'll like."
I'm telling you all about this because I understand that many of you think that Emo is deliberately annoying on Dumpshock because he feels that the anonmity of the Internet gives him a license to annoy. This anecdote shows that those who you who believe this theory are most likely incorrect: Emo apparently calls his real life friends and acquaintances just to annoy them, even though they know who he is and even where he lives (they can easily look it up on the online campus directory if they don't already know it off hand). Luckily, I have the patience of Job.
| QUOTE (FanGirl) |
| Luckily, I have the patience of Job. |
And this implies Emo is...
| QUOTE (DireRadiant) | ||
And this implies Emo is... |
Yes, yes I am.
I annoy, so I am.
(disclaimer: you don't annoy me)
(disclaimer: you don't annoy me)
So the only thing I have to do to become God is to kill off your family and cast aside all logical objections from my most trusted lieutenant.
| QUOTE (emo samurai) |
| I can forgive you with an EATING BY VERJIGORM!!!! |
Cunnilingus by Vergy?
oh the HORROR
Heheheh... eater of dragons...
April 26, 2006
I PMed Emo to ask him about the neighborhood that FanGirl lives in. Below is the PM (which I have permission to post, even though it is a "private" message):
I PMed Emo to ask him about the neighborhood that FanGirl lives in. Below is the PM (which I have permission to post, even though it is a "private" message):
| QUOTE | ||
They're called the Night Blades, and they're one of the more violent and amoral of the gangs. Your fixer advised you to move there because he holds SO many things over their heads. They basically do what he tells him, move shipments, kill people, basic street level things, in return for the numbers of key contacts like street doctors and gun runners that they wouldn't be able to get normally because of their inability to coexist with other people. He has told them to give you special treatment, going out of their way to make sure nobody ever harms you within their territory. You live on the second floor of a building that has no connection whatsoever to the Seattle utilities grid. You get your power from solar panels, sometimes. Other times the landlord runs the generator on his engine to provide energy for the building. For water, the building has a large collection tank on top that runs the water through a carbon filter that hasn't been changed in years. He is sort of thankful for your presence, since it means that there will be fewer drug murders that he'll have to clean up. Mr. Fixer was very clear about his instructions. There's a reason that your fixer isn't mega-super-pissed at my character that will become very important later on. |
I think it's great that all these gangers keep coming and going from Mackie's hangout: it means that FanGirl will get to interact with them a lot, and that these interactions will form an overture to all kinds of interesting stuff. It'll be fun!
You can talk to my character in our next session. Just knock on wood.
I'm serious.
I'm serious.
May 28, 2006
Yesterday was the best session yet, and it was (almost) all thanks to me! You may have heard about Shen’s takeover of FanGirl’s neighborhood—if you don’t, then read his bl0g in “Welcome To The Shadows.” In this session, the group got to interact with Shen and his spirits, and Johann’s mob connections were revealed.
It all began when FanGirl was leaving her fixer’s place to witness an attempted mugging perpetrated by a member of the Night Blades, the local gang. One of Shen’s Spirits of Man showed up and hung the mugger on top of a lamp pole by his jacket, which FanGirl felt to be cruel and unusual punishment. So she went to the vacant lot where Shen promised to manifest whenever someone knocked on the tree that was there, and when he manifested she asked him to let the mugger down. Shen respectfully declined, assuring her that he would let the mugger down the next day, but FanGirl was adamant that he be let down immediately. She called Vranton and asked him to come over and help, but he was too amused by the situation to help her immediately, not even when she offered him cred for the service. FanGirl bid up to 500 nuyen before finally getting Johann to come and help. Johann offered to have his “friends” get the boy down, and FanGirl—poor, ingenuous FanGirl—accepted happily.
One more call and a few minutes later, a fancy car pulled up and four Mafia soldiers got out. The goons produced a ladder from the trunk of the car and gave the boy on the lamp pole an ultimatum: they could get him down using the ladder, which they claimed was “powered by promises of servitude,” or they could shoot him down with their pistols. The kid was in that inarticulate state that results from abject terror, which wasn’t remedied when one of the goons had an itchy trigger finger and missed him by inches. After a pronounced bout of coaxing, FanGirl got the gangsters to set up the ladder, but Shen was angered by their ignominious tactics, and the kid barely had the chance to set his feet down on the ladder before Shen had a fire spirit blow up the car.
When the dust settled, three of the goodfellas had been Feared away by Shen’s spirits, the fourth had sustained second degree burns to his head and face, the boy was gone (Vranton finally chose to levitate him down while we were in the midst of battle), and FanGirl was wondering whether she had made the right decision. Fortunately, the spirits healed the burned man, so the only permanent damage was to the car. After a conference call with the Mafia capo, it was agreed that Shen would pay for half the cost of the car and Johann would pay for the other half. (We managed to convince the capo that the four soldiers should pay most of the price for what happened, because they ran away). Shen and Johann then got into a brief yet heated debate about the social impact of La Costra Nostra, which FanGirl cut short by shouting “Hey! Let’s get lunch! My treat!”
On the way to the greasy spoon, Vranton and FanGirl filled Johann in on the job they had been hired for (see the May 14th entry), and of FanGirl’s plan to have the mark pay the team to help him fake his death. Johann proposed that the group set up an illusion of the mark jumping off the bridge and then exploding, thanks to Johann’s explosive rounds. I then proposed that we wrap up the gaming session because it was getting late. Vranton, Johann, and FanGirl each got a Karma point for the learning experience that it was, and FanGirl got an extra Karma point for starting shit.
Moral of the story: always start shit.
Yesterday was the best session yet, and it was (almost) all thanks to me!
You may have heard about Shen’s takeover of FanGirl’s neighborhood—if you don’t, then read his bl0g in “Welcome To The Shadows.” In this session, the group got to interact with Shen and his spirits, and Johann’s mob connections were revealed.It all began when FanGirl was leaving her fixer’s place to witness an attempted mugging perpetrated by a member of the Night Blades, the local gang. One of Shen’s Spirits of Man showed up and hung the mugger on top of a lamp pole by his jacket, which FanGirl felt to be cruel and unusual punishment. So she went to the vacant lot where Shen promised to manifest whenever someone knocked on the tree that was there, and when he manifested she asked him to let the mugger down. Shen respectfully declined, assuring her that he would let the mugger down the next day, but FanGirl was adamant that he be let down immediately. She called Vranton and asked him to come over and help, but he was too amused by the situation to help her immediately, not even when she offered him cred for the service. FanGirl bid up to 500 nuyen before finally getting Johann to come and help. Johann offered to have his “friends” get the boy down, and FanGirl—poor, ingenuous FanGirl—accepted happily.
One more call and a few minutes later, a fancy car pulled up and four Mafia soldiers got out. The goons produced a ladder from the trunk of the car and gave the boy on the lamp pole an ultimatum: they could get him down using the ladder, which they claimed was “powered by promises of servitude,” or they could shoot him down with their pistols. The kid was in that inarticulate state that results from abject terror, which wasn’t remedied when one of the goons had an itchy trigger finger and missed him by inches. After a pronounced bout of coaxing, FanGirl got the gangsters to set up the ladder, but Shen was angered by their ignominious tactics, and the kid barely had the chance to set his feet down on the ladder before Shen had a fire spirit blow up the car.
When the dust settled, three of the goodfellas had been Feared away by Shen’s spirits, the fourth had sustained second degree burns to his head and face, the boy was gone (Vranton finally chose to levitate him down while we were in the midst of battle), and FanGirl was wondering whether she had made the right decision. Fortunately, the spirits healed the burned man, so the only permanent damage was to the car. After a conference call with the Mafia capo, it was agreed that Shen would pay for half the cost of the car and Johann would pay for the other half. (We managed to convince the capo that the four soldiers should pay most of the price for what happened, because they ran away). Shen and Johann then got into a brief yet heated debate about the social impact of La Costra Nostra, which FanGirl cut short by shouting “Hey! Let’s get lunch! My treat!”
On the way to the greasy spoon, Vranton and FanGirl filled Johann in on the job they had been hired for (see the May 14th entry), and of FanGirl’s plan to have the mark pay the team to help him fake his death. Johann proposed that the group set up an illusion of the mark jumping off the bridge and then exploding, thanks to Johann’s explosive rounds. I then proposed that we wrap up the gaming session because it was getting late. Vranton, Johann, and FanGirl each got a Karma point for the learning experience that it was, and FanGirl got an extra Karma point for starting shit.
Moral of the story: always start shit.
Hey, starting shit risks your life. You should always get karma for risking your life.
Of course, if you just went along with the run, you would've gotten 6 karma and a shitload of money instead of 1 karma...
Of course, if you just went along with the run, you would've gotten 6 karma and a shitload of money instead of 1 karma...
| QUOTE (emo samurai) |
| Hey, starting shit risks your life. You should always get karma for risking your life. Of course, if you just went along with the run, you would've gotten 6 karma and a shitload of money instead of 1 karma... |
Um, all aboard the Emo Railways now leaving for Godmodeville. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Dude, it wasn't the run. Of course she only got 2 karma.
Have you seen the karma award table in the book?
0-2 Roleplay.
1 Survival.
1 Danger bonus.
1 Smarts.
1 R.P.R.T.
1 Humour.
1 Drama.
etc..
How do you only get 1-2?
0-2 Roleplay.
1 Survival.
1 Danger bonus.
1 Smarts.
1 R.P.R.T.
1 Humour.
1 Drama.
etc..
How do you only get 1-2?
It wasn't the run. He basically gave karma in the middle of the run instead of waiting to give it all at the end.
She got 1 roleplay karma. The situation wasn't dangerous, so she doesn't get survival or Danger. Right place at the right time, no, because she didn't roll for anything. For humor, yes. Drama, no. Smarts, definitely not.
Should have got survival anyway in my opinion.
Nobody shot at her; the spirits weren't out for blood. The only person who was hurt was a dumbass mafioso who shot at the lumbering fire spirit.
... fine, 2 extra karma for everybody.
... fine, 2 extra karma for everybody.
| QUOTE (James McMurray) |
| It wasn't the run. He basically gave karma in the middle of the run instead of waiting to give it all at the end. |
Ah, that would change things a bit.
My comment though was based on Emo actually mentioning that there was a missed opportunity for MORE karma if the group had done what he wanted them to do. The only reason to mention it would be to try and 'train' your players to just do what you want them to do (railroading) in the first place.
Yeah, but we're going to do the run he wants us to do anyway next session.
Speaking of which, I have a final between 3:30 and 6:00 on Saturday, so we need to figure out scheduling. If possible, Emo and I could do a one-on-one thing sometime during this week in which FanGirl go to the party and meets with the mark. Then, he could meet with the rest of the group and play me as an NPC for the actual mission.
Speaking of which, I have a final between 3:30 and 6:00 on Saturday, so we need to figure out scheduling. If possible, Emo and I could do a one-on-one thing sometime during this week in which FanGirl go to the party and meets with the mark. Then, he could meet with the rest of the group and play me as an NPC for the actual mission.
| QUOTE (-X-) | ||
Ah, that would change things a bit. My comment though was based on Emo actually mentioning that there was a missed opportunity for MORE karma if the group had done what he wanted them to do. The only reason to mention it would be to try and 'train' your players to just do what you want them to do (railroading) in the first place. |
I would reward players more for doing their own thing.
It shows they are thinking about character responses, and not just being a shadowrunning drone.
Sunday, June 4th
No session today because of finals. However, last night Witness asked where FanGirl's neighborhood was on Shen's bl0g thread, so looked up Redmond on Google maps and established that she lives in the ruins of a Microsoft corporate complex (marked by tag B on this map). What would you think the residents should call the two-block area she lives in? I'm thinking "Billy's Block," but that's not strictly accurate.
No session today because of finals. However, last night Witness asked where FanGirl's neighborhood was on Shen's bl0g thread, so looked up Redmond on Google maps and established that she lives in the ruins of a Microsoft corporate complex (marked by tag B on this map). What would you think the residents should call the two-block area she lives in? I'm thinking "Billy's Block," but that's not strictly accurate.
What the hell happened to my post? It's all weird.
I don't see anything wrong with it.
Maybe they could call it "Micronesia." It would confuse the hell out of anybody that didn't know the history (including some residents). A runner team could find themselves spending a lot of cash on plane tickets and then finding out they should have stayed in Seattle all along.
Maybe they could call it "Micronesia." It would confuse the hell out of anybody that didn't know the history (including some residents). A runner team could find themselves spending a lot of cash on plane tickets and then finding out they should have stayed in Seattle all along.
That's an awesome idea! I am defintely using it, unless someone else comes up with something better.
I am defintely using it, unless someone else comes up with something better.
| QUOTE (James McMurray) |
| I don't see anything wrong with it. |
Her nick doesn't appear on the left top and there's no chance for me to quote it.
Not on my screen. It's all there.
It's messed up on mine, as is Nighthaunter's right above it.
Monday, June 5th
I made FanGirl a LiveJournal! Lookit!
EDIT: I also made her an email address, so that she can answer all your IC questions. You can find the address on the LJ, or you can just click here.
EDIT2: Any SR-related LJ communities that I should join?
I made FanGirl a LiveJournal! Lookit!
EDIT: I also made her an email address, so that she can answer all your IC questions. You can find the address on the LJ, or you can just click here.
EDIT2: Any SR-related LJ communities that I should join?
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