So, I had my first Shadowrun meeting with my players, I basically went over the universe and told the story up unto the 2070's. This is a crowd that normally plays DND 3.5 and 4th edition, but everyone has responded well (most of my friends, even if they aren't heavily involved in cyberpunk fiction, have at least seen enough Ghost in the Shell and/or Cowboy Bebob to still want to play).


So I've just started to have them create characters off the base character archetypes in the book, and I've given them the Character Generator spreedsheet. Basically I've got a rigger/explosives man, street samurai, enforcer (and hacker), weapon specialist, and someone who's thinking about either being an adept or some other magician.


I myself have studied the rules for a couple months now, but there are still some things that I need clarifyed, I believe, in order for me to be able to teach and run the campaign (as none of the people playing have used the system before.)



1) I'm getting a little confused. Commcodes is the equivalent to a phone number? Is it the same as an access code? It says that an access code is like a phone number. Are these the same?

2) I'm getting to understand how nodes interact with each other. Let's say you have your commlink, if your accessing the matrix, is wireless matrix usually beamed down onto an entire city? And do characters need to have a contract with a certain ISP or something equivalent? It really doesn't say in the book.

So let's say you were in the matrix, does a website count as a node, or is the actual server the website is hosted on a node? Furthremore, should I even be trying to represent the matrix (in AR anyways) like websites at all?

3) Lets say someone has an implanted commlink, and two cyberarms if they were both slaved to the commlink. Would it work like this:

Commlink node ( ) -------- ( ) Cyberarm node
|
|
( ) other cyberarm node




4) Lets say you walk into a mall, in your AR heads up display you see an ARO telling you theres a public node you can connect to to get map information.

If you had a window open in your AR, and you sent your persona to that node, would you see a whole shit load of other personas all in that same node?

Furthermore, could you then scan (using the nodes range) to another node or someone elses commlink that wasn't in YOUR range, but is in the range of the public node, and try to send your persona to their commlink?


5) I'm still having a real difficulty understanding how automated systems work, like drones and agents. If they aren't directly sending constant commands the drones, does a rigger just once send a command like "stay here and defend" and then it simply shoots anything it recognizes as an enemy? How do you know what it decides to do?

6) How long does it take (free action, simple action) to jump from one node to another? That's not in the list of matrix actions.

As far as AR is concerned, I see it like this: You see the world like you're playing an MMOG today: Floating name tags above people, with links to their "examine" window (aka profile), semi-transparent chat windows with text messages, an overlay map in the corner, inventory, ammo counter, status messages, etc. Voice communication on another channel. All customised, of course, according to your preferences.

A Persona is a user interface for accessing a device and connecting to the matrix. Other devices (those that you connect to wirelessly) can be used via your persona.

Each persona is identified via a unique, hardwired AccessID. Which can be spoofed.

A commcode is a combination of a telephone number and email-adress. Your commlink or household telekom will usually be connected to the Matrix Service Provider that gave you a commcode. SR4 pg. 214 (Commcodes). More detailed information on MSPs can be found in Unwired pg. 42 (and later on).

Wireless Matrix Infrastructure is both provided centrally (wireless transmitters hooked up to the old-school network of cables), and by the network of wireless nodes - all nodes in active mode can function as routers. Some areas have very spotty access, depending on the nodes available for routing.



A node is the matrix representation of a device or group of devices. Each device could theoretically host one of todays websites, and reading a website can be done without subscription. (Data Request, Unwired pg. 54).

If you subscribe anyway, all connected personae in the node are generally represented by their icons. You won´t see the hidden ones automatically, and your settings will likely be one of a)supress the mostly worthless information, b)provide a (sorted) dial interface for personae with shared hobbies, or c) show you a list. You decide what information is displayed.

Using a node to scan for other nodes is possible, assuming that you have the necessary access level (depends on the device).


Jumping to another node? Does one of these help:
Answer A) Simple log-out action, Complex log-in action. Your subscription limit will usually make the first step unnecessary.
Answer B) You only perceive one node while in VR mode, "displaying another connection" takes a "change linked device mode" free action.

Unwired covers most of your questions.

1) The commcode is the equivalent of a phone number. The access code is the equivalent of the IP address.
2) You need to have a MSP (Matrix Service Provider) but it's handled by the lifestyle. Most of the time, a Shadowrunner will have an illegal or at least shadowy MSP. When you access the Matrix, your icon accesses the node where the data is by "going there". Actually the data you need will be sent from the destination node to your commlink (probably travelling through the Matrix backbone).
As for the way the data is represented, most of the time it'll be Virtual Reality rather than webpages. For example, if you want to buy a ticket for something, you'll see a virtual counter (or a virtual assistant) and buy it exactly the way you'd do in real life. If you want a recipe, you'll look in a virtual cooking book, and take the page you want. You'll get a virtual paper you can move around in AR so that you can keep it handy during your cooking. Most of the time, think about how the data would be in real life, and think about how it could be virtually recreated (with added ease of use).
3) Yes
4) Yes, but only if you are authorized to do it with your access level (user/superuser/admin). When your icon is in a node, you run the programs in your commlink but they affect the node. So if you run the scan program, it'll scan from the node your icon you're in. You can also route your signal through any node on the way. So you'll be able to connect to the other person's commlink.
5) There are different ways to control a drone:
* remote-control : just like using a remote control
* jumped-in : the rigger "becomes" the drone
* order : you just order the drone, and the pilot software interprets your order and acts. The "intelligence" of the drone will depend on the pilot rating.
6) When you access a node it only counts as one access node action (I don't remember the exact name), even if you actually hop from one node to another to get there. But if you "stop" in one node on the way (for example you're in a node and then you click a link that sends you to another node), you'll use a new access node action.

Hope that helps.

edit: how do I delete a post >__>

New Questions:

1)What happens on a regular glitch and a critical glitch of a reaction test from trying to dodge a bullet (or any opposed attack test for that matter)?

2)What happens on a regular glitch and a critical glitch when trying to resist damage?

3) To cyberguns show up on mad scanners? I'm assuming no since the text says they make them from non-metallic things.
I'm wondering how hard it is to tell if someone has a cybergun installed, if at all.

4) Related to the previous, if you have cyberholsters with guns in them, does being in the cyberholster give them any help against mad scanners? I'm wondering how hard it is to tell if someone has a cybergun

5) Will lone star care about cyberware on the same level as unlicensed guns? How about regular shadow citizens?

6) Considering I've never GM'd before, how difficult should I make it to get away from lone star officers? Lets say your in a bad part of town and a lone officer or two officers approach you and you either shoot them and run or just run, how hard is it going to be to get away? In moder society, it's sometimes seems impossible to win a hot pursuit chaise once helicopters are involved.

7) One of my soon to be players asked about safe houses. Can you purchase them? How do they work exactly, is it just some place you can run that is off the radar?

How hard is it to steal a car? Do normal cars in the game have GPS locators on them for police to try and find? And what skill would hotwiring be (or would it just be a rigging test?)

Glitches' effects are generally up to the GM.
A glitch should be mostly inconvenient (even though it can lead to extremely dangerous situations indirectly), a critical glitch should be directly threatening.
Glitching could mean that you did not only not dodge the bullet, but also fell over and probably hurt an ankle in the process.
A critical glitch could mean that your attempt to dodging actually exposed a more vulnerable area so that a piece of armor would not apply on the damage resistance test or that maybe even the base damage gets increased.

It would also be possible that the dodge attempt maneuvered the character into a dangerous position, depending on the battlefield.
He may lose cover, fall off an edge and so on.

Depending on where the rest of the team stands, he could also expose one of his teammates to fire instead (this can lead to arguments if you don't use a battle map).

When dodgin weapons with a blast radius, it may actually bring him closer to the explosion and so on.



Damage resistence glitches generally represent really hurtful injuries.
Strongly bleeding wounds (additional boxes of automatic, unresisted damage per round until the wound is treated), twisted or broken limbs (unable to use an arm, drastically lowered movement rate), contussions (apply confusion penalties from the Toxins chapter), a cut above the eye (negative modifier to visual perception tests and partial cover modifiers for opponents until the wound is sutured), damaged cyberware, hurt or destroyed organs, excruciating pain (higher wound penalties) and so on.
Augmentation lists a lot of these effects.
Again, severity should be based on the type of glitch.
A normal glitch may lead to a sprained wrist, a critical to a broken arm.




Cyberware scanners could detect them as well as other pieces of ware.
This depends on the grade- standard cyberware is much easier to detect than cutting-edge delta implants.
Bioware doesn't show up at all.

Another possibility would be a physical examination of the limb, checking for a potential barrel opening in the palm and so on.
This might actually require some Cybernetics knowledge on part of the searcher, as the gun would most likely be well hidden.



As well as with cyberguns, the fact that cyberlimbs usually do contain metal is a very good excuse why the scanner gives an alarm.
There would be a magnetic anomaly, but it would be explainable.
If the character appears convincing, lower-security areas may easily wave him through.



Depends on the legality of the stuff.
There's a lot of legal ware which is also carried by law-abiding citizens.
Lone Star will not care about your cybereyes or implanted commlink.
Some ware is considered restricted, which means that you need a permit just like a gun license.
Other stuff is flat-out illegal, military hardware and the legal equivalent of carrying an LMG or somesuch.
No permits for that.

This is indicated by a letter behind the availability rating.
An R stands for restricted, an F for forbidden gear.



This depends entirely on how you want to play.
Like an action movie, with a good chance to escape and lots of explosions?
Or more realistic, with more planning and stealthy, subtle tactics, avoiding unneccessary attention instead of blowing stuff up and shooting people.
Both can be extremely fun and the games allows for and supports both approaches.

Talk to your group to find a way of handling things you all enjoy.
After you have gotten used to it, you may want to try a run that obviously requires to do things the other way, there's ample opportunity for both.



Yes, you can purchase or rent safe houses.
Runner's Companion includes, besides a lot of other options, ways to customize the lifestyle of the player characters- for starters, let them just purchase an additional lifestyle and talk about what the place is like.
Is it a hidden shed in the mountains?
A place operated by a crime syndicate or official organization that is actively shielded from surveilance by a security hacker, bodyguards in front of the door and stuff like scramblers and wireles-blocking paint?
Or an appartment in a quiet, inconspicious neighborhood where no one would suspect the charater to hide out?

Costs will vary greatly depending on the exact quality and amount of protection.



It's relatively easy to steal a car.
Selling it may be more difficult, though.
However, because vehicles are expensive, some riggers regularly steal getaway vehicles.

In most cases, theft will be handled by hacking, the system's rating depending on the type of car as well as active countermeasures by the owner (much the same as securing any electronic device).

Hotwiring could be handled by the Hardware skill (and probably also the Mechanics skill for the appropriate vehicle to get acces to the components; a good reference may be the chapter on maglocks in the core rules).
There is also a skill for picking mechanic locks, but they would only be used in oldtimers.

This was in reference to cyberguns above ...



And, on p. 336, SR4 under Cyber-Implant Weapons:



I've always taken that to mean that scanners are more likely to detect the cyberarm rather than the cybergun. It's chemsniffers for the internal magazine of bullets that usually catch cyberguns in my games