I just got done reading almost all of the shadowrun books past and present because i'm gearing up to GM a new campaign in Chicago. With all the things that could happen in the Shadowrun universe what plotlines do people fforeseeor want to see happening?
What things are you doing in your campaign? What factions are you using? Who does your group work for? How do your runners or GM style affect the story world?
Finally what do you want to see happening?
Me? I gave chicago and the cz wireless access, and very minor construction projects are taking place again (if you been here there are 2 season... construction and winter). With the suburbs as their back yard my runners are going to have their hands full running the gambit aginst Megas, CZ factions and gangs, the mafia, Organ leggers, smugglers, anarchists, bugs, and arachne mysteries throughout numerous old and new chicago hoods. With Ares being the primary bad guy (and still messing with the bugs) I'm hoping I can take my players somewhere exciting and rebuild a little bit of chicago back to the glory it once was a little bit at a time. No dragon angle yet but I'm sure it can be arranged I'm not sure how to get around Fab-III yet.
Chime in and let me know I'm curious to see what people want to happen and have made happen
Full Version: Shadowrun Plot line
I've been playing with the election in seattle. Though that's about to end soon. I'll probably have the incumbent win.
I'm working on the centennial edition of Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, aka Election 2072.
And those are included in the contacts book huh? Looks like I really need to catch up on shadowrun and play it how its ment to be played, with a guide in the source books and adventures.
| QUOTE (ChicagosFineset) |
| Finally what do you want to see happening? |
Some epic nuclear devastation. Possibly centered over Denver.
Civil war in Britain, eventually resulting in some sort of high weirdness awakened nation, in the sense the land is awake...
Hrm. Awakened Nation...
...Expand epic nuclear devastation to Britain, as well.
...Expand epic nuclear devastation to Britain, as well.
| QUOTE (ChicagosFineset) |
| Finally what do you want to see happening? |
Civil war in AGS. Get rid of the stupid small states and nations.
| QUOTE (ChicagosFineset) |
| What things are you doing in your campaign? What factions are you using? |
I had the Emperor withdraw from the treaty and used military (and covert) force to gain control over disloyal Japanese corps, and used a deniable ASAT (in conjunction with Ares) to destroy the orbiting corporate Court complex. Very sad. Kicked over the whole table.
Lofwyr and Hestaby join forces, reunite the scattered and temporarily deposed Immortal Elves, and then unleash Leonardo's secret Otak ... oops, Technomancer Army on the world.
| QUOTE (Steak and Spirits) |
| ...Expand epic nuclear devastation to Britain, as well. |
But then how does V... er, Pendragon overthrow the Hea... Lord Protector?
I mean, you're going backwards from the comic.
The only major move I've had was this:
The Five Minute War
Aztechnology, buffeted by the loss of one "Mister Darke", one or more powerful magical resources, the loss of popular President Juan , the Yucatan Reebls, and more, quite simply wasn't ready for a pan-national invasion of the northern border. Several units were pulled off border patrols, to be sent southwards, while others were retracted for quiet power plays as the fallout amoung the board of directors, as different players moved to gobble up Darke's resources, leaving the CAS, or more specificly the Texas Guard, a golden opportunity.
The invasion was blistering in speed and effectiveness, reflecting the codename of Texas Twister perfectly.
The first wave consisted of dummy flights from the Cal Free Zone, cruising down to teh Aztlan border, were interceptors were scrambled, only to find a wave of drones which were dealt with fairly easily. While this flight was being polished off, CAS submarine carriers had crept into the Gulf of Aztlan, surfacing within a kilometer of the shore and launching the second air wave, catching planes unprotected on the ground, inflicting heavy material damage. As the lead anti-aircraft wings turned from attacking the drone flights, elite Pueablo Corporate Council fighters launched, nipping at the Aztlan heels, taking advantage of their low fuel status to inflict significant casualties and ensuring the land invasion had significant coverage.
CAS carriers submerged, frustrating what few fighters had managed to make it into the sky, rapidly refueling and re-arming their charges as CAS strike cruisers chugged into position from 'War Games' in the Gulf. Missile strikes from these ships were largely inneffective, but kept heads down. The combined attacks of the PCC and the CAS on the ground broke the Aztlan lines relatively easy, having taken advantage of the weakened border and a wide front, then pushed further, trying to race past enemy lines to the fragile rear lines and then beyond into fully civillian areas, intending on mopping up left=behind Aztlan units later. The biggest worry was the Aztlan magical forces, which were being arrayed in the major pyramids, unleashing waves of spirits against the attackers. Normal spirits were problematic, but the blood spirits were going to be a major factor.
Enter the second wave.
As quickly as the ground assault had been blunted by the spiritual wave, the tide shifted again as a wave every bit as large crashed into Aztlanner lines, with a particular mad-on for the Blood Spirits ... Ghostwalker, it seems, was not pleased.
The final two parts were then enacted, as agents that had been previously seeded in Aztlan made their move, sabotaging Aztlan wards ... those protecting teh magicians from ritual magic were far too well guarded, of course, but those that kept up anti-missile barriers were far less so, assuming, incorrectly it turned out, that the spiritual resources at hand would easily deal with most worries. Three pyramids had their anti-missile wards defeated, which lead to the second, but far less effective, air wave from the CAS. These attacks were not able to destroy teh pyramids fully, but were able to disrupt the anti-magical wards, which brought down fresh and waiting CAS ritualists who, in essence, dropped "Magical Tactical nukes" on the areas that were viable.
Here, there is some confusion.
It is known that a huge wave of Aztlan magicians had been called, with astral forms surging northwards to deal with the spirits and spells that were being tossed around. Several were, of course, wounded or destroyed by the massive magical 'bombs' set off, and the shockwaves that travelled along the manalines of Aztaln... CAS shamans that were watching, to spot for ritual teams, report that in the prime pyramid in Tenochitlan, something ... moved. No one could define exactly what it was, only that it was large and that this reaction sent a wave of panic through the magical lines like nothing else. All forces were recalled with great haste to the pyramid, and it's known that roughly a quarter never re-emerged.
With this, the spiritual assets of Ghostwalker stopped, then retreated. When asked of this later, the dragon stated only, "I learned what I needed to learn." That this followed the reaction of Tenochitlan is telling. The ground forces, meanwhile, were running out of steam. With a much-reduced spirit 'Umbrella', the soldiers were unwilling to press on, a fact further noted when the PCC radio'd, to let it be known that they'd reached their objectives and were stopped to hold their gains, rather than press forward. CAS high command, meanwhile, furiously called on the Texas Guard to halt advancing, for fear of nuclear retaliation after the magical assault. After much heated arguement, the CAS assault, too, was blunted, then recoiled somewhat to control the forces left behind. Negotiations between the two countries followed, with virtually all gained ground being ceeded back to Aztlan ... everything, in fact, beyond the original United States border. Texas was *furious* at this, but teh fact that the state, as a whole, had been restored was enough to molify things for now. The PCC also found a much thicker band protected its Californian gains, giving it a needed buffer zone and breathing room ... it hadn't wanted any Aztlan gains beyond this, and, again, considered the restoration of former US borders to be sufficient for its needs. Within 24 hours of teh initial attack, it was over.
Aztlan, and Aztechnology, of course, were devastated. Losses to the military and supporting structures were painful, but far from overwhelming ... most units that were cut off were given safe passage after the war's end, returned to their homeland. Damaged airstrips could be easily fixed, and, while the air force had taken a savage beating at the hands of superior PCC fighters, they had seen the capabilities of the CAS submersable carriers and had found their measure. Teh *real* damage had coem from the loss of three pyramids and massive damage to the higher level magicians who had been contained both their and at the primary facility in Tenochitlan. Aztechnology stocks also suffered a heavy hit, forcing the company to sell off several assets to regain capital footing. In truth, this was probably the most severe result of the entire war (Which was named the Five Minute War, despite having taken a full 24 hours, due to the sudeenness and swiftness of it) with the most interesting effect seeing Stuffer Shack, a major part of Aztechnology branding efforts, sold off to All-Mart.
The Five Minute War
Aztechnology, buffeted by the loss of one "Mister Darke", one or more powerful magical resources, the loss of popular President Juan , the Yucatan Reebls, and more, quite simply wasn't ready for a pan-national invasion of the northern border. Several units were pulled off border patrols, to be sent southwards, while others were retracted for quiet power plays as the fallout amoung the board of directors, as different players moved to gobble up Darke's resources, leaving the CAS, or more specificly the Texas Guard, a golden opportunity.
The invasion was blistering in speed and effectiveness, reflecting the codename of Texas Twister perfectly.
The first wave consisted of dummy flights from the Cal Free Zone, cruising down to teh Aztlan border, were interceptors were scrambled, only to find a wave of drones which were dealt with fairly easily. While this flight was being polished off, CAS submarine carriers had crept into the Gulf of Aztlan, surfacing within a kilometer of the shore and launching the second air wave, catching planes unprotected on the ground, inflicting heavy material damage. As the lead anti-aircraft wings turned from attacking the drone flights, elite Pueablo Corporate Council fighters launched, nipping at the Aztlan heels, taking advantage of their low fuel status to inflict significant casualties and ensuring the land invasion had significant coverage.
CAS carriers submerged, frustrating what few fighters had managed to make it into the sky, rapidly refueling and re-arming their charges as CAS strike cruisers chugged into position from 'War Games' in the Gulf. Missile strikes from these ships were largely inneffective, but kept heads down. The combined attacks of the PCC and the CAS on the ground broke the Aztlan lines relatively easy, having taken advantage of the weakened border and a wide front, then pushed further, trying to race past enemy lines to the fragile rear lines and then beyond into fully civillian areas, intending on mopping up left=behind Aztlan units later. The biggest worry was the Aztlan magical forces, which were being arrayed in the major pyramids, unleashing waves of spirits against the attackers. Normal spirits were problematic, but the blood spirits were going to be a major factor.
Enter the second wave.
As quickly as the ground assault had been blunted by the spiritual wave, the tide shifted again as a wave every bit as large crashed into Aztlanner lines, with a particular mad-on for the Blood Spirits ... Ghostwalker, it seems, was not pleased.
The final two parts were then enacted, as agents that had been previously seeded in Aztlan made their move, sabotaging Aztlan wards ... those protecting teh magicians from ritual magic were far too well guarded, of course, but those that kept up anti-missile barriers were far less so, assuming, incorrectly it turned out, that the spiritual resources at hand would easily deal with most worries. Three pyramids had their anti-missile wards defeated, which lead to the second, but far less effective, air wave from the CAS. These attacks were not able to destroy teh pyramids fully, but were able to disrupt the anti-magical wards, which brought down fresh and waiting CAS ritualists who, in essence, dropped "Magical Tactical nukes" on the areas that were viable.
Here, there is some confusion.
It is known that a huge wave of Aztlan magicians had been called, with astral forms surging northwards to deal with the spirits and spells that were being tossed around. Several were, of course, wounded or destroyed by the massive magical 'bombs' set off, and the shockwaves that travelled along the manalines of Aztaln... CAS shamans that were watching, to spot for ritual teams, report that in the prime pyramid in Tenochitlan, something ... moved. No one could define exactly what it was, only that it was large and that this reaction sent a wave of panic through the magical lines like nothing else. All forces were recalled with great haste to the pyramid, and it's known that roughly a quarter never re-emerged.
With this, the spiritual assets of Ghostwalker stopped, then retreated. When asked of this later, the dragon stated only, "I learned what I needed to learn." That this followed the reaction of Tenochitlan is telling. The ground forces, meanwhile, were running out of steam. With a much-reduced spirit 'Umbrella', the soldiers were unwilling to press on, a fact further noted when the PCC radio'd, to let it be known that they'd reached their objectives and were stopped to hold their gains, rather than press forward. CAS high command, meanwhile, furiously called on the Texas Guard to halt advancing, for fear of nuclear retaliation after the magical assault. After much heated arguement, the CAS assault, too, was blunted, then recoiled somewhat to control the forces left behind. Negotiations between the two countries followed, with virtually all gained ground being ceeded back to Aztlan ... everything, in fact, beyond the original United States border. Texas was *furious* at this, but teh fact that the state, as a whole, had been restored was enough to molify things for now. The PCC also found a much thicker band protected its Californian gains, giving it a needed buffer zone and breathing room ... it hadn't wanted any Aztlan gains beyond this, and, again, considered the restoration of former US borders to be sufficient for its needs. Within 24 hours of teh initial attack, it was over.
Aztlan, and Aztechnology, of course, were devastated. Losses to the military and supporting structures were painful, but far from overwhelming ... most units that were cut off were given safe passage after the war's end, returned to their homeland. Damaged airstrips could be easily fixed, and, while the air force had taken a savage beating at the hands of superior PCC fighters, they had seen the capabilities of the CAS submersable carriers and had found their measure. Teh *real* damage had coem from the loss of three pyramids and massive damage to the higher level magicians who had been contained both their and at the primary facility in Tenochitlan. Aztechnology stocks also suffered a heavy hit, forcing the company to sell off several assets to regain capital footing. In truth, this was probably the most severe result of the entire war (Which was named the Five Minute War, despite having taken a full 24 hours, due to the sudeenness and swiftness of it) with the most interesting effect seeing Stuffer Shack, a major part of Aztechnology branding efforts, sold off to All-Mart.
I like that Idea, Ghosty puts the spirt of denver back together and we get to find out a dragon lies in Atzlan. I would say an Uber great dragon though (dragons are trying to evolve into a higher form than great). I would say that this dragon created the dragon hunters to kill other dragons. Thus knowing this All the other greats have to work together to fight the big baddie Azzie dragon, and his few dragon minons. How cool would it bee to see the dragons struggle through some turbulance for a little bit in the story history?
I would also love to see what the Sea Serpant has in mind. Besides pushing her own agendas how can she proactively contribute to dragon kind?
I wonder how many more angles the writes can come up withthat we havent even got to address yet
I would also love to see what the Sea Serpant has in mind. Besides pushing her own agendas how can she proactively contribute to dragon kind?
I wonder how many more angles the writes can come up withthat we havent even got to address yet
| QUOTE (SL James) | ||
But then how does V... er, Pendragon overthrow the Hea... Lord Protector? I mean, you're going backwards from the comic. |
We should just call him the Vendragon, it will save typing. I'm against nuclear explosions, they've been over done now. Mostly I was thinking given the British King is the Land thing (mostly a europe wide celtic thing I believe). If the current incumbant dies, and Princess caroline takes over, with her Corp husband Jonny Spinrad, Loffie is going to make a move to help the Movement. The druids pull out all the stops on the coronation which evn in the modern day is a marraige of sots between Monarch and nation. Now believing that they have the true monarch the do ley rituals to awken the Spirit of Britain™ and find it doesn't like their Monarch, maybe it likes Vendragon, probably not enough to accept him as king. Hilarity ensues, play up the mystic side as the Land strikes against things it don't like and both sides catch it some, until the true King appears to draw Excalibur from the stone. Mostly I like the idea of the hills actually having eyes and woodlands shifting around you to get you lost.
| QUOTE (Wakshaani @ Oct 26 2006, 10:55 PM) |
| The invasion was blistering in speed and effectiveness, reflecting the codename of Texas Twister perfectly. |
I somehow doubt that Aztlan would fall for it considering that it's pretty much the exact same strategy the other seven members of the Big Eight pulled back in 2047 when they attacked Enseñada.
But, anyway, I try not to do anything crazier than something Nigel Findley would do if he was still alive (e.g., I don't nuke anything or have countries go to war, which makes the stuff in System Failure so fucking assinine to me).
Our team is going "up the gravity well" to check out space in the 2070's and do a run on Mars. First dragon on mars! Ok well maybe first in a really long time. First shadow team? Probably.
So more space stuff would be cool. I suppose we'll get to see how the lunar and mars stations are doing.
So more space stuff would be cool. I suppose we'll get to see how the lunar and mars stations are doing.
I'd like to see some sort of new Frankish Empire, from France, the AGS, and chunks from surrounding countries (yeah, in my book Charlemagne was a dragon!).
And oh boy how I'd like to have a 'runner team in space, explore a space station or some cool stuff like that (what the hell lurks in the bottom of those mines on Mars?)
And oh boy how I'd like to have a 'runner team in space, explore a space station or some cool stuff like that (what the hell lurks in the bottom of those mines on Mars?)
You could just buy an old copy of Blood in the Boardroom and/or Wake of the Comet if you want a published game set in space.
or wake of the comet.
I've heard about the horrors, but haven't seen anything in writing about them (and I own most of the rule books.) I wouldn't mind a new magical threat with some teeth to it.
And more dragons, I like dragons.
I've heard about the horrors, but haven't seen anything in writing about them (and I own most of the rule books.) I wouldn't mind a new magical threat with some teeth to it.
And more dragons, I like dragons.
| QUOTE (Ben) |
| I'd like to see some sort of new Frankish Empire, from France, the AGS, and chunks from surrounding countries (yeah, in my book Charlemagne was a dragon!). |
You aren't german, right?
| QUOTE (Grinder) |
| You aren't german, right? |
nope, I say Aix-la-Chapelle and not Aachen
| QUOTE (fool) |
| or wake of the comet. I've heard about the horrors, but haven't seen anything in writing about them (and I own most of the rule books.) I wouldn't mind a new magical threat with some teeth to it. And more dragons, I like dragons. |
Oh, I don't know. I rather like the way the threats are set up in Street Magic. It makes me feel all tingly in my naughty region.
| QUOTE (SL James) | ||
Oh, I don't know. I rather like the way the threats are set up in Street Magic. It makes me feel all tingly in my naughty region. |
Must.....resist...urge to...comment on this, the threats in Street Magic that is and not your tingly naughty region. You just keep that to yourself.
Other plot lines that I'd like to see?
The Death of Lofwyr (GASP!) ... the level of shakeup that it'd bring would be ... huge. It has to be done well and done at teh right time, but, at some stage, it needs to be done.
Resolution fo some of the Big Questions (Where the Crash Virus nested, who is The Watcher, who recorded the Aztechnology discussion between Big D and the Immortal Elves, etc) ... not all of the questions, of course, but a few would be nice.
More threats that are neither magical nor Matrix based ... street level scum is *always* welcome. Smaller and more personal, in effect.
More info on the Double A and Single A corps. (Tho that isn't really a plot)
Lastly ... Crater Lake. Can we finish that yet?
The Death of Lofwyr (GASP!) ... the level of shakeup that it'd bring would be ... huge. It has to be done well and done at teh right time, but, at some stage, it needs to be done.
Resolution fo some of the Big Questions (Where the Crash Virus nested, who is The Watcher, who recorded the Aztechnology discussion between Big D and the Immortal Elves, etc) ... not all of the questions, of course, but a few would be nice.
More threats that are neither magical nor Matrix based ... street level scum is *always* welcome. Smaller and more personal, in effect.
More info on the Double A and Single A corps. (Tho that isn't really a plot)
Lastly ... Crater Lake. Can we finish that yet?
Are you running very high level games or are you just collecting stuff for the newspapers to comment on?
| QUOTE (Ben) | ||
nope, I say Aix-la-Chapelle and not Aachen |
I knew it! Only a non-german could suggest a new french empire.
you can say Karolus Magnus if you wish 
Low level games (My team worries more about if they get to eat this month) but I'm also a fan of the Big Backstory ... You have to toss rocks in of all sizes to get the best ripples.
I agree I would like to see some of the back story connect with some of us small timers. Although I think they are doing that with the shadowrun supplimental here and there. Sometimes the information the books give is few and far between. While I know they cant give us everything they need something extra to let players and GM know where they are at.
Thus is why Missions is a great idea. I would love to see more cons (I have yet to go to one) with a chance to interact with the developers, share my love for the game, and convince them to create a new prime runners book. I see it detailing alternate adventues like in the missions book. I would also like to get more input on how to run high, mid to low level campains, and how they conncect to the greater world. (I'm big on details and staying within bounds of storylines, yet I like to try and think outside the box).
BTW I would like to know whats going on in Africa, maybe a new plotline could develop (SR is so global period). There is potential for some great sprawls, big factions, and introcate story lines that could pop up in "the motherland".
Thus is why Missions is a great idea. I would love to see more cons (I have yet to go to one) with a chance to interact with the developers, share my love for the game, and convince them to create a new prime runners book. I see it detailing alternate adventues like in the missions book. I would also like to get more input on how to run high, mid to low level campains, and how they conncect to the greater world. (I'm big on details and staying within bounds of storylines, yet I like to try and think outside the box).
BTW I would like to know whats going on in Africa, maybe a new plotline could develop (SR is so global period). There is potential for some great sprawls, big factions, and introcate story lines that could pop up in "the motherland".
Been a few developments I want to see
- I know it is a few years away but the Olympics have got to go to Denver. Man that would be delicious.
- What was Ghostwalker doing and learning out in the planes.
- We need a big war, maybe,. I’m thinking the Azzies, I mean they’ve thrown around enough threats. I’d like to see maybe CAS or Amazonia finally go at them
- Lofwyr and S-K. I mean it has been cute these last decades but enough is enough, time to take them down a peg.
- Good Lord has the Huk won independence yet? (Cant remember if this has been resolved yet).
I'd preffer some more mundane developments actually.
- I know it is a few years away but the Olympics have got to go to Denver. Man that would be delicious.
- What was Ghostwalker doing and learning out in the planes.
- We need a big war, maybe,. I’m thinking the Azzies, I mean they’ve thrown around enough threats. I’d like to see maybe CAS or Amazonia finally go at them
- Lofwyr and S-K. I mean it has been cute these last decades but enough is enough, time to take them down a peg.
- Good Lord has the Huk won independence yet? (Cant remember if this has been resolved yet).
I'd preffer some more mundane developments actually.
| QUOTE (Ben) |
| you can say Karolus Magnus if you wish |
The cheap booze?
| QUOTE (Warmaster Lah) |
| - Good Lord has the Huk won independence yet? (Cant remember if this has been resolved yet). |
Iirc: yep, they did. In the aftermath of "Wake Of The Comet" the japanocorps and the japanese army went back to Japan, so the huk had easy game.
Guess it's been covered in SoA in more detail.
I think the problem with "low level" plotlines is that they are usually city specific (or even neighbourhood specific) so they have a very limited appeal to people not playing in those cities. While big, earth shaking plotlines can effect everyone, everywhere.
I personally loved Renraku:Shutdown and Bug City so something along those lines would be nice.
More about the Draco Foundation and what it's long term goals are would be nice (even a whole source book just about them could be cool.)
also maybe stuff about the Atlantian Foundation and what they have really discovered so far.
In fact, Jackpoint books, along the lines of Runner Havens, about different corps would be cool. Just cover two corps per book in good detail with info and shadowtalk about what they have going on all around the globe, secret projects, take over plans, etc...
You wouldn't have to cover all the corps, just the ones that have cool stuff going on with them. Maybe the Draco, Atlantian, Evo, etc...
I can make my own adventures, just give me cool stuff going on in the world that I can play with.
I personally loved Renraku:Shutdown and Bug City so something along those lines would be nice.
More about the Draco Foundation and what it's long term goals are would be nice (even a whole source book just about them could be cool.)
also maybe stuff about the Atlantian Foundation and what they have really discovered so far.
In fact, Jackpoint books, along the lines of Runner Havens, about different corps would be cool. Just cover two corps per book in good detail with info and shadowtalk about what they have going on all around the globe, secret projects, take over plans, etc...
You wouldn't have to cover all the corps, just the ones that have cool stuff going on with them. Maybe the Draco, Atlantian, Evo, etc...
I can make my own adventures, just give me cool stuff going on in the world that I can play with.
| QUOTE (Warmaster Lah) |
| - Lofwyr and S-K. I mean it has been cute these last decades but enough is enough, time to take them down a peg. |
| QUOTE (Wakshaani) |
| The Death of Lofwyr (GASP!) ... the level of shakeup that it'd bring would be ... huge. It has to be done well and done at teh right time, but, at some stage, it needs to be done. |
I absolutely disagree. There are some players who are sufficiently competent and powerful that they can weather even the biggest shakeups and come out ahead.
That's not to say that Lofwyr should be utterly immune to the world around him, but there's no reason to beat him up just because he's there.
In fact, it'd be nice to have some plot at a level below "one of the big 10 collapses". Not irrelevant street level jank, but, say... what happend to Lucien Cross or Leonard Auralius?
Didn't Lucien bite the big one in a plane crash right at the time of the Crash 2.0?
| QUOTE (Fortune) |
| Didn't Lucien bite the big one in a plane crash right at the time of the Crash 2.0? |
You're right. He did die in the crash.
| QUOTE (Chandon) |
| I absolutely disagree. There are some players who are sufficiently competent and powerful that they can weather even the biggest shakeups and come out ahead. That's not to say that Lofwyr should be utterly immune to the world around him, but there's no reason to beat him up just because he's there. In fact, it'd be nice to have some plot at a level below "one of the big 10 collapses". Not irrelevant street level jank, but, say... what happend to Lucien Cross or Leonard Auralius? |
Every now and then, when writing a story (And Shadowrun is, of course, an ongoing story) you should sit back and just ask, "What happens if this character dies? Or this one? Or this?" Sometimes it hurts things, sometimes it helps.
Right now, there's probably more stories that can be run with Lofwyr alive than dead. I say probably because, well, I'm biased in this.
It wouldn't have to *end8 teh company, but it'd knock them out of the top spot in short order. How far would they fall? Who would replace them as the number one? Who would take over the company? What kind of plotlines can be pulled from this? It's at least worth considering, that's for certain.
| QUOTE (Grinder @ Oct 30 2006, 03:45 PM) | ||
Iirc: yep, they did. In the aftermath of "Wake Of The Comet" the japanocorps and the japanese army went back to Japan, so the huk had easy game. Guess it's been covered in SoA in more detail. |
It's a bit more complicated than that, and even in SoA I wouldn't call what the Philippines has "independence," or even anything close. Apparently, it's a bit different in Runner Havens. "When the Philippines regained their long-fought freedom, Caracas snatched Manila’s place as the new hot spot for the sex tourism industry" (RH, 126) suggests that this particular plotline has been addressed.
Wakshaani: One of the things that makes a complex fictional setting cool is consistency.
Lofwyr has been portrayed for nearly 20 years as completely in control, with plans so detailed and effective that nothing ever really so much as been a significant setback for him, much less thwarted him. In fact, Lofwyr is the only major character in the setting who has been able to project this aura of infallibility. If Lofwyr were to lose that appearance, it would conflict with all of the preceeding writing. It would also make Dragons seem less cool and powerful - which would hurt the setting immensely.
Lofwyr is also an important contributor to making other major figures seem cool. He's a superhuman being who can singlehandedly administer the largest financial empire in the world. He's the ultimate example of the "don't deal with dragons" theme. But... how cool does that make Richard Villers? He, a mere human, successfully competed with Lofwyr as a mega corporate administrator for years. If it weren't for Lofwyr, Villers would merely be "the best human business guy".
Lofwyr has been portrayed for nearly 20 years as completely in control, with plans so detailed and effective that nothing ever really so much as been a significant setback for him, much less thwarted him. In fact, Lofwyr is the only major character in the setting who has been able to project this aura of infallibility. If Lofwyr were to lose that appearance, it would conflict with all of the preceeding writing. It would also make Dragons seem less cool and powerful - which would hurt the setting immensely.
Lofwyr is also an important contributor to making other major figures seem cool. He's a superhuman being who can singlehandedly administer the largest financial empire in the world. He's the ultimate example of the "don't deal with dragons" theme. But... how cool does that make Richard Villers? He, a mere human, successfully competed with Lofwyr as a mega corporate administrator for years. If it weren't for Lofwyr, Villers would merely be "the best human business guy".
So then did Dukie set him up to go head to head with Loffy? Lets not forget Loffy has Wilhelmina Graff-Beloits heir to watch out for do you think Villers could be it?
BTW Loffy has already been shut down once in the right of succsession by Hestaby
BTW Loffy has already been shut down once in the right of succsession by Hestaby
Russia is about to nearly implode and almost go down in flames, leading to another revolution. Those bones they found at the bottom of the mine outside of Ekaterinberg? Some of them were fake, Tsarevich Alexei somehow managed to escape out of the country and get access to his family's offshore funds. And now his great great grand-son is coming back and he is pissed.
| QUOTE (SL James) | ||||
It's a bit more complicated than that, and even in SoA I wouldn't call what the Philippines has "independence," or even anything close. Apparently, it's a bit different in Runner Havens. "When the Philippines regained their long-fought freedom, Caracas snatched Manila’s place as the new hot spot for the sex tourism industry" (RH, 126) suggests that this particular plotline has been addressed. |
Thanks for clarification and expanding my post (which I wrote out of memory).
| QUOTE (Chandon) | ||||
I absolutely disagree. There are some players who are sufficiently competent and powerful that they can weather even the biggest shakeups and come out ahead. That's not to say that Lofwyr should be utterly immune to the world around him, but there's no reason to beat him up just because he's there. In fact, it'd be nice to have some plot at a level below "one of the big 10 collapses". Not irrelevant street level jank, but, say... what happend to Lucien Cross or Leonard Auralius? |
Well secretly I kind of hate Dragons and their evil machievellian schemes. And their meddling in our affairs acting like they own the world, and there is no one to stop them.
(^_^)
(Actually I'd rather not see him dead. But sheesh the beastie has too many plots, too many enemies, and too many covert shadow conflicts with too many other big coverts to always come out on top. I give him credit for keeping them all un-unified against him.)
The dragon slayers are there to stop them, and loffy believes what doesnt kill you makes you stronger. I wonder how many drakes he has besides "Scales" I was reading in the dragons book scales made a lot of trips around and he was even mentioned in threats when they were talking about drakes.
Personally I like dragons and IE's as long as they are fallible and above all beatable. A bunch of unbeatable, perfect beings that just do as they please, and can always expect to get away with it are in my mind not worth my time as a gamemaster to use, either actively or even as background material. The IE's have obviously had to deal with setbacks, and it is about time that Lofwyr has to eat some crow. Killing him is not something I would want to see, but a perfect plotter just does not provide the storyline with any real meat. In other words he is reminiscent of the Antediluvians in the Old World of Darkness. Yes beings of such immense power that nothing the players could possibly do could in any way shape or form affect the final outcome. Invincible characters lead to stories where players can often feel like a sideshow compared to the uberpowerful not nearly as cool as the writers think they are main act. At my table the players are the main show, and for them to feel that way there needs to be at least a hope in hell that they can change their environment (i.e. the world around them) should they direct their energies down that path. As it stands you can either bow down to the all powerful GD's or get ground under foot. Just my two cents.
Things I would like to see
GD's and IE's that the players have a chance of foiling
More details on the Big Ten
Most of all a timeline of recent events even if there are no plans for developing them into full books
Things I would like to see
GD's and IE's that the players have a chance of foiling
More details on the Big Ten
Most of all a timeline of recent events even if there are no plans for developing them into full books
Lofwyr just disappearing for a time would be enough to shake the corporate world and europe. No need to kill him, just let him do something or the other in secret, preferable tied to Dunkelzahns Legacy. Meanwhile, the caretaker he leaves in charge is threatened by all sides as he struggles to keep SK intact.
Would take SK down a bit, could let us guessing and discussing for years if handled properly, and when he comes back, he must rebuild his empire.
Would take SK down a bit, could let us guessing and discussing for years if handled properly, and when he comes back, he must rebuild his empire.
Teh Lof *has* lost a step in the past, mind you. His brother KO'd him with a magical thingamajigger a while back, triggering a brief "Oh Frak!" storm in the company proper until Lof woke back up. (IIRC, he was down for 24 hours)
After teh contest to pick a new Loremaster, Lof has also been spending a lot of time exploring his prize and was ... not *ignoring* the company, but lots of "I can't be bothered" moments where, again, things spun without him getting claws constantly in motion.
Personally, after two such events, I'd be putting serious thought nito a back-up plan, for what to do if he'snot around, so that teh corp can still float.
Of course, once that system's in place, well, you don't really *need* him anymore, now do you?
Heck, there's still rumor that Nachtmaster isn't dead but, instead, is penned up in Lofwyr's private cave somewhere, bound by magic and being used for who knows what. Lof took the body and let no one else get near, after all.
At this stage, you'd have to figure out the whos, wheres, and hows, since teh whys are already taken care of.
Me?
I'd suggest a small cadre of younger dragons ... Say a band of five (non-Great) dragons, Eurotrash maybe ... who were raised in the modern world and decided that the Olde Ways no longer apply. One draws the Lof out with a direct challenge, he meets the target, scoffs, then gets gang-rushed by the lot, violating the rules. He fights back, one Great vs five Normal, gets overwhelmed, and brought down while everyone goes "Buh".
Bonus points if one is Nachtmaster's son, who binds Lof into the same place that his dad was stored. Lof, of course, can break free later, but you get a year or so of the Young Turks running the show, watching the company stagger under the mismanagement, and speculation about "Is Lof really dead?!" ... Dependning on where you want to go from there, the group would likely implode without the central target still in their sight, splitting over personal hording instincts and jealousy, until, finally, Lof breaks free and raises holy Hell on them once they're devided. Then he takes his company back over, and starts trying to rebuild after dropping two or three places overall... The other dragons will get to turn around and look at the young dragons as well, going, "Hey. What're you guys planning back there?!" .... Ahh, paranoia.
It's fun to shake things up.
After teh contest to pick a new Loremaster, Lof has also been spending a lot of time exploring his prize and was ... not *ignoring* the company, but lots of "I can't be bothered" moments where, again, things spun without him getting claws constantly in motion.
Personally, after two such events, I'd be putting serious thought nito a back-up plan, for what to do if he'snot around, so that teh corp can still float.
Of course, once that system's in place, well, you don't really *need* him anymore, now do you?
Heck, there's still rumor that Nachtmaster isn't dead but, instead, is penned up in Lofwyr's private cave somewhere, bound by magic and being used for who knows what. Lof took the body and let no one else get near, after all.
At this stage, you'd have to figure out the whos, wheres, and hows, since teh whys are already taken care of.
Me?
I'd suggest a small cadre of younger dragons ... Say a band of five (non-Great) dragons, Eurotrash maybe ... who were raised in the modern world and decided that the Olde Ways no longer apply. One draws the Lof out with a direct challenge, he meets the target, scoffs, then gets gang-rushed by the lot, violating the rules. He fights back, one Great vs five Normal, gets overwhelmed, and brought down while everyone goes "Buh".
Bonus points if one is Nachtmaster's son, who binds Lof into the same place that his dad was stored. Lof, of course, can break free later, but you get a year or so of the Young Turks running the show, watching the company stagger under the mismanagement, and speculation about "Is Lof really dead?!" ... Dependning on where you want to go from there, the group would likely implode without the central target still in their sight, splitting over personal hording instincts and jealousy, until, finally, Lof breaks free and raises holy Hell on them once they're devided. Then he takes his company back over, and starts trying to rebuild after dropping two or three places overall... The other dragons will get to turn around and look at the young dragons as well, going, "Hey. What're you guys planning back there?!" .... Ahh, paranoia.
It's fun to shake things up.
| QUOTE (Wakshaani) |
| It's fun to shake things up. |
When you shake things up all the time, it's occasionally fun and novel to have something that doesn't get radically shaken up.
| QUOTE (Faelan) |
| At my table the players are the main show, and for them to feel that way there needs to be at least a hope in hell that they can change their environment (i.e. the world around them) should they direct their energies down that path. |
So... you think that if the players don't have a reasonable hope of changing something, it shouldn't be in the world writeup? Does that mean they should get to move North America, or change the fact that Magic doesn't work in outer space? Or does it just apply to named characters? Should a PC be able to produce more robots in a year than MCT?
I value having a consistent and well-known game world that my players can understand and interact with. By necessity, in a setting like Shadowrun, that includes forces that are powerful economically and politically. Their existence provides the flavor for the game world. Just because Saeder-Krupp is run by a dragon with a name doesn't mean that the players need to be able to thwart him any more than they need to be able to thwart Aztechnology.
| QUOTE (Faelan) |
| Personally I like dragons and IE's as long as they are fallible and above all beatable. A bunch of unbeatable, perfect beings that just do as they please, and can always expect to get away with it are in my mind not worth my time as a gamemaster to use, either actively or even as background material. |
Exactly. I was saying in another thread recently that it bothered me how some forces (dragons, Johnsons, etc.) are presented as all-knowing, all-powerful super-beings that never make mistakes, always know what's going on behind the scenes, always have a leg up on the players no matter what. It's ridiculous to me, and not in any way realistic.
Does that mean my players are going to be able to just walk up and shoot a GD with a Needler and wipe him out? No. But it does mean that with a good plan, enough forethought, and some ingenuity, my players could beat one and significantly alter the power structure of the game world. Why? Because nobody is perfect.
As to
| QUOTE (Chandon) |
| So... you think that if the players don't have a reasonable hope of changing something, it shouldn't be in the world writeup? |
I'm not seeing how you're getting that from his post at all.
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