Solstice
Jan 12 2004, 06:18 PM
I'm really not familar with the state of the net as it applies to Shadowrun GMing resources. I know you can find just about anything you need for AD&D from NPCs to maps to whatever. What are some of the places that you guys go when you can't spend 18 hours making up NPCs for a coming run ect, drawing a map, etc etc. Also, which book has monsters? Are the places online to get critter stats..it seems the books we have don't have any in em.
well I'll breifly outline the run we are planning just because I am so excited about it. We were contracted to smuggle several thousand BTLs up to Tsimshian. So we have to go through Salish-Shidhe just to get there. We will probably be killed but meh the J is paying over
200,000 each.
Tanka
Jan 12 2004, 06:22 PM
Critters, which comes with the GM Screen, has critter stats.
Sprawl Sites (SR1/SR2, AFAIK) has maps and NPCs you'd regularly come across (That Guy That Works at Stuffer Shack™ and such).
BitBasher
Jan 12 2004, 06:26 PM
I stopped planning a long time ago. Take notes WHILE you do things to keep things consistent, but 90% of the time without railroading written plans are just a list of things that dont work out like you expected them to.
I just run the gamne entirely on the fly.
I do use a big whiteboard though.
Kagetenshi
Jan 12 2004, 06:33 PM
I personally use Vectorworks, though for non-architectural stuff I may switch over to AutoCAD. As for stuff that doesn't make you do the work yourself, well, I can't really help, sorry.
~J
Solstice
Jan 12 2004, 06:50 PM
you gotta be kidding....
there is no like database full of insta-NPCs for the corp goon squads etc? I find that hard to believe.
How do you guys do it? It takes like hours to make a char. I couldn't imagine having to make a bunch of NPCs by hand.
Mal-2
Jan 12 2004, 06:57 PM
I don't know about anyone else, but I throw together NPCs using
NSRCG in 15 or 20 minutes. I don't do all the detailed work I would on a PC, just basic gear, skills, attributes, magic, and cyber. The program takes care of the number crunching, and I look over the final result to make sure it's in line with the challenge level I was aiming for.
Kagetenshi
Jan 12 2004, 06:57 PM
The advantage to NPCs is that you don't have to make sure the numbers work out just so. You just slap a bunch of stuff togther and boom, you've got your NPC. It takes a while at first, but once you get some experience under your belt, you can turn them out at a pretty good clip.
~J
Pthgar
Jan 12 2004, 07:03 PM
I take about 4 hrs to make up a medium sized run.
You don't have to make NPC's according to the CharGen rules, just write down stats that suit the nature of the NPC. I keep a stable of "Generic Security Guards" of all races and of a couple of difficulty levels. Also, there are the Archetypes and Contacts from the core rule book.
For rules help I use the 3rd ed. GM screen and some cheat sheets.
Go to
McMackie's site and get the "Lost Tables", they help a lot.
As to maps, I just pull out the graph paper and freehand some buildings or landscape. Sometimes I just do it on the fly.
Bit Basher, I like the white board idea. I use one all the time at work, I can't beleive it didn't occur to me to use it for SR.
Solstice
Jan 12 2004, 07:34 PM
We use a huge white board and have for several years. It is very very handy. Just make sure the GM is the only one with the markers or pretty soon you have narotic players up there marking the bejesus out of everything on your map and then it escalates...
anyway...i just get real life maps if possible because I CANNOT DRAW ANYTHING!
i can see freehanding the NPCs I guess I'm not sure what exactly I'm needing to free hand. Border Patrols, guards, I also don't have rigger 3 so I'm a know-nothing on the vehicles. Possibly some High Threat Response teams form Mitsuhama once the border guard discovers us.
Just seems so overwhelming when your not familiar with everything.
IcyCool
Jan 12 2004, 07:39 PM
| QUOTE (Pthgar) |
You don't have to make NPC's according to the CharGen rules, just write down stats that suit the nature of the NPC. I keep a stable of "Generic Security Guards" of all races and of a couple of difficulty levels. Also, there are the Archetypes and Contacts from the core rule book.
|
| QUOTE (Solstice) |
there is no like database full of insta-NPCs for the corp goon squads etc?
|
Using the Archetypes and the contacts is a great way to pick up some generic stats. Also, there is a Database full of handy NPC's and such. I call it the Rectal Database, or RDB for short
.
Stats for NPC's are really easy to come up with on the fly. Joe average on the street has human average stats, 3's in everything. He's got no cyber because his 9-5 job doesn't pay enough, and a few skills (probably no combat skills). Bam, NPC, took me what? 5 seconds? From there you scale. The border patrol guards in the Salish-Sihde are possibly militarily trained (though not on the scale of the Tir ghosts). Figure maybe some cyber or bio, decent weaponry (Assault rifle of some type), and stats and skills decent enough to threaten your PCs.
You also might want to check out Blackjack's Shadowrun page, and particularly his NPC file. No stats, but 500 or so single paragraphs each describing an NPC. For this run in particular I'd suggest checking out Skyhunter.
Mal-2
Jan 12 2004, 07:47 PM
| QUOTE (Solstice) |
anyway...i just get real life maps if possible because I CANNOT DRAW ANYTHING!
|
This sounds like a good time to plug my favorite net resource:
TopoZone. Free topo maps of the entire US.
For example, in our last run, the players were hitting a train coming into Las Vegas.
This is the Union Pacific rail line coming out of Caliente, the last stop before Vegas, and going into Rainbow Canyon. They eventually settled on ambushing the train
here, about 10 miles south.
I never could have come up with better terrain information or maps on my own.
Solstice
Jan 12 2004, 07:50 PM
| QUOTE (Mal-2) |
| QUOTE (Solstice) | anyway...i just get real life maps if possible because I CANNOT DRAW ANYTHING!
|
This sounds like a good time to plug my favorite net resource: TopoZone. Free topo maps of the entire US. For example, in our last run, the players were hitting a train coming into Las Vegas. This is the Union Pacific rail line coming out of Caliente, the last stop before Vegas, and going into Rainbow Canyon. They eventually settled on ambushing the train here, about 10 miles south. I never could have come up with better terrain information or maps on my own. |
yeah TopoZone was the first thing I thought of since I've been using it at work (USFS) for the past few years.
Kagetenshi
Jan 12 2004, 07:50 PM
Yeah, I remember early in my SR GMing days desperately trying to figure out what proper stats should be.
If you can't draw, CAD. If you can properly obtain a copy (through work or school, as it's too bloody expensive to justify getting for the purpose of SR), spend some time familiarizing yourself and then take off. Start small, though; don't be like me and make your first project a 10-story office building and your second the Renraku Arcology (which I'm going to get started on again as soon as I can).
~J
Pthgar
Jan 12 2004, 07:56 PM
I guess I just take it for granted that everyone can draw maps. I shouldn't though it's just that 90% of the people we play with met in art class in high school and can all draw. If you want to quickly make a portrait of a character check out
The Hero Machine.
Sahandrian
Jan 12 2004, 08:14 PM
Solstice
Jan 12 2004, 09:17 PM
Thanks those sites helped alot. Anyone know where i can get the schematic of a small hydroelectric dam? lol?
Tiralee
Jan 12 2004, 11:22 PM
The ever-usefull Gatorboy Random Shadowrun Generators:
http://www.gatorboystudios.com/games/shadowrun/And the
Gang Generator(about 5000+ hits from me and counting)
Other than that, well, try not to ask for possibly sensitive physical infrastructure - like "How easy is it to get into a nuclear plant?"
It makes good shadowrun material, yes, but can lead to some awkward sistuations with certain government agencies.
:L
Luke Hardison
Jan 12 2004, 11:41 PM
Eh, for floorplans ... go to www.google.com and type in *typeofbuilding* floorplans ... you'll usually come up with dozens of hits with free blueprints of the type of building you need.
Solstice
Jan 12 2004, 11:49 PM
yeah been trying that. Simple cross sections is all Google has come up with so far.
Siege
Jan 13 2004, 03:29 AM
Dumpshock lists several sites that have a multitude of references: Blackjack, Plastic Warriors and several others.
Great sites with ideas for the enterprising GM.
-Siege
Mal-2
Jan 13 2004, 04:43 AM
If you're in a foul mood, or need something extra special for a toxic waste dump, turn to the
NIOSH/Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards.
Solstice
Jan 13 2004, 05:36 AM
Well i actually drew up the dam skematic *shudder*.
the normal border guards/shamans are taken care of.
Now...any ideas on fire teams for the Salish Defense Force and Rangers?
I'm not sure what they would have in terms of ware but I think I can figure out the weapons/armor.
Diesel
Jan 13 2004, 06:25 AM
Not much. See any number of threads on why militaries don't use ware that much.
And personally, the only thing I draw out are basic sketches of the buildings were in. Everything else is on the fly. Guards? All fours for stats, maybe an SMG or rifle. Whatever. Just wing it, you'll get good.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please
click here.