I just ran the third game of my Shadowrun campaign and while it's going very well and everyone is still having fun, it was the first time I tried to just run it free-form through some subplots, and I think the game suffered as a result - due to my own lack of preparation (even though I did spend several hours preparing notes beforehand.)
I am curious about what other GMs do to prepare for their Shadowrun games. I know the basic checklist items are pretty much no-brainers, but I'm interested in the approaches used by experienced GMs both when they have little time to prepare, or a lot of time to prepare.
What's your personal approach/checklist? What things like stats, maps, NPCs and notes do you create and write up ahead of time and what things do you wait and create on the fly or look up in the books as they happen? How do you organize things?
Full Version: Writing Adventure Notes for Shadowrun
I try and have a list of all of the NPC's that the party could run into, as well as some extras that I can pull in if I need too.
I draw/print out a number of maps at hand. restaurants, hospitals, houses, research facilities. I write out the security.
Depending on the type of run that I am running I have a list of results for social rolls.
(ie. etiquette street tn 4(for trying to locate info on facility x.
0 successes - word gets back to facility (+1 professional rating for security)
1 successes - place is located 123 rundown av. has some guards and a fence.
2-3 successes - guards shift at 8 am and 8 pm. they are rented from company y.
4+ successes - my friend blahblah is the security rigger there... there are pressure plates and number pads.
just some simple success charts. I would also have the stats for the guards handy and in the npc tracking sheet. That is pretty much all I do.
I draw/print out a number of maps at hand. restaurants, hospitals, houses, research facilities. I write out the security.
Depending on the type of run that I am running I have a list of results for social rolls.
(ie. etiquette street tn 4(for trying to locate info on facility x.
0 successes - word gets back to facility (+1 professional rating for security)
1 successes - place is located 123 rundown av. has some guards and a fence.
2-3 successes - guards shift at 8 am and 8 pm. they are rented from company y.
4+ successes - my friend blahblah is the security rigger there... there are pressure plates and number pads.
just some simple success charts. I would also have the stats for the guards handy and in the npc tracking sheet. That is pretty much all I do.
Thankfully I use a laptop for most of my games, so I have a massive archive of contacts, old PCs, and my current players charcters (and their contacts) at hand.
I generally do short write ups for each little segment that I expect, and a bit of damage control, or depending on the run, a bonus round (high risk, high reward).
I also use pre-rolled dice, depending on the run. For a halloween run a few years ago, I had 40 dice worth of rolls for all NPC parts done ahead of time. The effect was 'I' didnt have to pick up dice for the entire evening. It freeked my players out hard core.
Maps... those are tricky. If I have a lot of time, I have printed ones, if not I have CAD maps and a rough idea of stuff.
junk NPCs (guards, gangers, johnsons, anyone thats use once and throw away) I have a 2 line stat block, basic gear, and a 'motive' line. Easy stuff, though it leads to somewhat 2 dimentional NPCS.
Im terrible with the leg work stuff though. never really figured out a good way to orginize it all in my head.
I generally do short write ups for each little segment that I expect, and a bit of damage control, or depending on the run, a bonus round (high risk, high reward).
I also use pre-rolled dice, depending on the run. For a halloween run a few years ago, I had 40 dice worth of rolls for all NPC parts done ahead of time. The effect was 'I' didnt have to pick up dice for the entire evening. It freeked my players out hard core.
Maps... those are tricky. If I have a lot of time, I have printed ones, if not I have CAD maps and a rough idea of stuff.
junk NPCs (guards, gangers, johnsons, anyone thats use once and throw away) I have a 2 line stat block, basic gear, and a 'motive' line. Easy stuff, though it leads to somewhat 2 dimentional NPCS.
Im terrible with the leg work stuff though. never really figured out a good way to orginize it all in my head.
I am pretty fortunate as a GM. I have six weeks to run Shadowrun, then I get six weeks (or sometimes a little more) to plan, as we play another game. I usually get the idea of the run down first, and then I start planning out the NPC's. I usually have the time to customize most of my NPC's for my game, unless there happens to be a TON of NPC's for a particular run, then I'll go with the stats listed in the book. And during that time, I contiue to work on the plot idea, developing it until I'm happy with it. And then I hope all goes according to the plan during the run. Of course it doesn't, but I continue to hope. 
I usually like to have everything relating to security and obstacles written out beforehand. I feel that as a GM I should present pre-made challenges to the PCs. I don't really believe in making things up as I go along or specially tailoring everything to what the party is trying to do at the moment because I feel like that truly destroys the problem-solving/strategy aspect of the game.
I tend to introduce random challenges to the party as I go along. I think, "How will the insect shamans secure themselves?" I answer "They're having their ant fleshforms build a mana lodge with ambergel."
| QUOTE (emo samurai) |
| I tend to introduce random challenges to the party as I go along. I think, "How will the insect shamans secure themselves?" I answer "They're having their ant fleshforms build a mana lodge with ambergel." |
See, the people I used to play with would be on that sort of thing like a musty smell during an important conference on your best improperly dried polo shirt. In my experience, if you wing enough things the players will eventually notice places where things don't make sense in the big picture they'll totally call you on it. As a GM, I always felt like when taken as a whole everything I set up had to make sense.
To clarify, I'm not talking about overall economics and setting because these things are taken for granted. I'm talking about the overall security setup or opposition the PCs are facing.
My setting was very simple; runners, main mall, insect shamans, maintanence basement below. So it was hard to screw that up without having them include Mechashiva rigs on their fleshforms.
| QUOTE (emo samurai) |
| My setting was very simple; runners, main mall, insect shamans, maintanence basement below. So it was hard to screw that up without having them include Mechashiva rigs on their fleshforms. |
Well, keeping it simple is one way to do that, I suppose.
But the thing is that when you eventually need to apply some serious testicular torsion to your player characters so that they can be challenged and face significant risks in the completion of a mission it is probably best to have your integrated security setup carefully written up beforehand.
Why would you want to give your player character major testicular torsion? Because after everyone has been playing enough the game can get boring if things are generally easy. However, a major challenge is mentally stimulating.
What were some awesome security setups for your games?
| QUOTE (emo samurai) |
| What were some awesome security setups for your games? |
One thing which I did that is a bit unusual for SR is I turned the tables on the PCs by having them try to hold a fort while the fort itself was being attacked.
So, the PCs had a fort to their name and something like 20 or 25 mooks to help them defend it. The idea was that these mooks were some corporate soldiers who were undergoing a special secret training program in a remote arctic location and the PCs were hired as security experts to make sure that the training procedures and location remained absolutely secure. (Or something along those lines; I'm forgetting the details, but that was the basic sort of idea.)
I drew a map that had the fort and surrounding terrain which included a forest and a mountain and some snowy flatlands.
The PCs waited around for a while and then the fort was attacked by 100 physad paratroopers. Before the campaign had started I had looked at my maps and determined, completely ahead of time, how the paratroopers would attack. Without explictly saying so I had essentially made it the task of the PCs to look at the terrain map themselves and try and anticipate and prepare for various types of threats.
So, the 100 elite paratroopers used the mountain for cover and bombarded the fort with mortars and tried to keep the walls clear of defenders with their four advanced riflemen.
In this case the PCs anticipated a threat from the forest and had mined it but they did not do anything to the mountain. After a bit of fighting the PCs were forced to retreat from the fort.
So, that's one example of an "interesting" set up because 1.) it was unusual for SR to have the PCs defending a place and 2.) as I described in my earlier post the security threats were all thought out in terms of what they could consist of and how they would act before the game started. Once the game started victory and defeat were entirely in the hands of the players since I would not "adjust" what was happening whether they were doing very well or very poorly.
If I end up running with very little time to prepare, I crack open Mr. J's Little Black Book and roll up a "run on the fly", and then look over the generic skeleton until something pops into my head that fits the game/characters/campaign/etc. Of course, the more familiar you are with the story (either your own, or something from the metaplot that you can borrow, whether that be something as small as one of the shadowtalk posts, or as large as the Year of the Comet book), the easier this is. I flesh out the skeleton that I rolled up based on what I'm aiming for, but only to the point that I can answer questions, and that I still have plenty of wiggle room to allow for what the players do.
If I have plenty of time to prepare, that usually means that I've been running the game for a while, meaning that the ongoing arc tends to provide a lot of its own preparation. In this case, I tend to note what kinds of interactions they've had with NPCs (contacts and shmoes, where it matters/might matter). Then, I try to fit in important NPCs in "downtime" (or ops, whatever the case may be). I might end up with a word document dedicated to each major NPC, with their bio and a list of ideas for how to work them in here and there. Also, I will plan out the next primary or story related run. I'll also try to come up with "incidental" jobs for each character (or grouping of characters, if they've formed within the team) that I can work in if I have time. Same thing here, a well named word document dedicated to each one, and a central document with a "timeline" or order of occurrence.
During games, I take notes into word files named "session 1", "session 2", etc, and place them in a "game notes" folder. I put all of this stuff onto a flash drive so that wherever we play, I can just pull it off of the drive and start running. On the off occasion that we play somewhere w/o easy computer access, I just print out the pertinent files and carry them in a folder, and take notes in a spiral notebook.
It works pretty well. You just have to be careful with your note-taking and organization of your files. Oh, and you have to remember to take your flash drive. (Sucks when you don't, and you've driven a half hour to play.)
If I have plenty of time to prepare, that usually means that I've been running the game for a while, meaning that the ongoing arc tends to provide a lot of its own preparation. In this case, I tend to note what kinds of interactions they've had with NPCs (contacts and shmoes, where it matters/might matter). Then, I try to fit in important NPCs in "downtime" (or ops, whatever the case may be). I might end up with a word document dedicated to each major NPC, with their bio and a list of ideas for how to work them in here and there. Also, I will plan out the next primary or story related run. I'll also try to come up with "incidental" jobs for each character (or grouping of characters, if they've formed within the team) that I can work in if I have time. Same thing here, a well named word document dedicated to each one, and a central document with a "timeline" or order of occurrence.
During games, I take notes into word files named "session 1", "session 2", etc, and place them in a "game notes" folder. I put all of this stuff onto a flash drive so that wherever we play, I can just pull it off of the drive and start running. On the off occasion that we play somewhere w/o easy computer access, I just print out the pertinent files and carry them in a folder, and take notes in a spiral notebook.
It works pretty well. You just have to be careful with your note-taking and organization of your files. Oh, and you have to remember to take your flash drive.
(Sucks when you don't, and you've driven a half hour to play.) | QUOTE (Wounded Ronin) |
| One thing which I did that is a bit unusual for SR is I turned the tables on the PCs by having them try to hold a fort while the fort itself was being attacked. |
On of the GMs in our group ran a setup like this. It ended up being a blast! We were called in to defend a shadow clinic that was to be the base of operations for a major gang takeover (backed by the Yaks, as we found out). I was playing an ex-DocWagon pilot/doctor, so I had to balance duties as a doc and a gun. Lots of fun.
Here's another "interesting" thing which wasn't entirely my idea but was rather something that me and my gaming friends tried once. I really liked it.
We were rotating GMs to give people a break and experiment with different GMing styles. I had just been the GM and rotated to player status and therefore while some people had established characters I didn't.
So, the person who was GMing at the time decided that me and one other person could command 1 squad of soldiers apiece who were being sent to capture the PCs when the PCs were busy doing something in a corporate compound. (I forgot what the PCs original mission was, but the two squads being sent in were a reaction force.) It was a bit like playing the role of the squad sergeant except that if the sergeant were killed we still got to command the rest of the squad.
It was very intense and very interesting...a player versus player chess game which could work because we were on IRC and could all PM the GM. IIRC working together and being very cautious the reaction force squads captured some PCs without taking any casualties but some of the PCs were able to escape using magic.
EDIT: So it's the same sort of thing. The security setup, as in the compound and the corporate resources being brought to bear against the PCs, were predetermined. In this case, though, it really was out of the GMs hands to spare the players by fudging things since it was a player versus player type game.
We were rotating GMs to give people a break and experiment with different GMing styles. I had just been the GM and rotated to player status and therefore while some people had established characters I didn't.
So, the person who was GMing at the time decided that me and one other person could command 1 squad of soldiers apiece who were being sent to capture the PCs when the PCs were busy doing something in a corporate compound. (I forgot what the PCs original mission was, but the two squads being sent in were a reaction force.) It was a bit like playing the role of the squad sergeant except that if the sergeant were killed we still got to command the rest of the squad.
It was very intense and very interesting...a player versus player chess game which could work because we were on IRC and could all PM the GM. IIRC working together and being very cautious the reaction force squads captured some PCs without taking any casualties but some of the PCs were able to escape using magic.
EDIT: So it's the same sort of thing. The security setup, as in the compound and the corporate resources being brought to bear against the PCs, were predetermined. In this case, though, it really was out of the GMs hands to spare the players by fudging things since it was a player versus player type game.
| QUOTE (eidolon) |
| On of the GMs in our group ran a setup like this. It ended up being a blast! We were called in to defend a shadow clinic that was to be the base of operations for a major gang takeover (backed by the Yaks, as we found out). I was playing an ex-DocWagon pilot/doctor, so I had to balance duties as a doc and a gun. Lots of fun. |
Yeah, I think it can definitely be a rewarding change of pace. The GM gets to think about attacking a place for a change and the players get to think defensively for a change.
Of course, when defending a structure, it doesn't hurt to have a veteran demolitions expert just back from the Desert Wars on your team.
(Pistols Adept, Ex-DocWagon Combat Medic, Desert Wars Demo Vet, Mage With Decent 'Splodies and Elementals on Call, and Slimey Fixer Wanna-be w/ a Combat Vehicle to run perimeter.)
(Pistols Adept, Ex-DocWagon Combat Medic, Desert Wars Demo Vet, Mage With Decent 'Splodies and Elementals on Call, and Slimey Fixer Wanna-be w/ a Combat Vehicle to run perimeter.
)
| QUOTE (eidolon) |
| Of course, when defending a structure, it doesn't hurt to have a veteran demolitions expert just back from the Desert Wars on your team. (Pistols Adept, Ex-DocWagon Combat Medic, Desert Wars Demo Vet, Mage With Decent 'Splodies and Elementals on Call, and Slimey Fixer Wanna-be w/ a Combat Vehicle to run perimeter. ) |
Of course, I have to agree.
The other comment I have to make in that same vein is that with a strong team of PCs simply shooting at them with assault rifles dosen't work very well a lot of the time. However, there's literally no reason that well funded corporate armies where each soldier has life insurance wouldn't hang back and just attack with mortars, grenades, and magic. (Unless, maybe, the PCs were holed up in a T'ang dynasty art auction house or something.)
Which also ties into the idea of an "interesting" security setup.
| QUOTE |
| In my experience, if you wing enough things the players will eventually notice places where things don't make sense in the big picture they'll totally call you on it. |
WR is totally right, players will find the inconsistencies in an "on the fly run". I pride myself in being able to adjust but you must have a plot synopsis and some notes. Little things like smells, sounds, and other small cues will usually permeate and give the players some warning... ie... a pile of bodies in a room. they stink... and your characters should notice a scent a distance away ... faintly of course ... but it builds.
If you are running on the fly and suddenly think ... hmmm ... oh yeah ... they require food... the food closet is a bunch of dead host candidates that didn't make it..., you open the door and find dead bodies on meat hooks.... of course here it is minor, but 5 minutes of planning and drawing a layout would have allowed you to build more "atmosphere"
I think one of my favorite runs I did was when the runners needed to defend a rolling tanker. (basically a copy of the event that brought about corp atonomy)
I mainly like to jot down flavor things that I think I'll be able to use in the next session. News stories for the radio, adverts, conversations overheard, stuff that will make the game world feel a little bit more alive. I find that if I don't do that beforehand, I'm not so good at winging it on the night, and the game doesn't have quite as much atmosphere.
On special occasions (arrival in a new city, wrapping up a plot line, etc), I've been known to spend a while doing a little powerpoint 'moodsetter' for them. Some pictures off the net, some quotes or headlines, all playing over a good tune. It's a bit of work, but it's always worth it, I think.
On special occasions (arrival in a new city, wrapping up a plot line, etc), I've been known to spend a while doing a little powerpoint 'moodsetter' for them. Some pictures off the net, some quotes or headlines, all playing over a good tune. It's a bit of work, but it's always worth it, I think.
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