Full Version: Bringing balance to a magical group
Any tips?
Make the next run to an area with a background count?
Start a new game. Allow one mage. Don't let him intitiate right off.
Snipers are self-limiting - you'd be surprised how seldom their specialty is needed.
Snipers are self-limiting - you'd be surprised how seldom their specialty is needed.
Since they're all magical, then they're going to be most likely to be hired to run against magic heavy opponents. The best counter to magic, is magic.
No need. They're balanced anyway, because your players are screwed. That's the Shadowrun way.
That being said, maybe if you'd explain your problem in a bit more detail we could be more helpful.
~J
That being said, maybe if you'd explain your problem in a bit more detail we could be more helpful.
~J
One thing you may want to try is, if they have mostly non-tech skills, toss a few maglocks at them in a situation where a tripped alarm brings down a flood of lead at high-velocity.
Right Nikoli. If you're group is all mages, then it's probably true that they lack skill elsewhere. So, find that weakness and exploit it. If none of them have a datajack (pesky essence loss) then force them to hire a decker. Then decide if the decker they hire sells them out or doesn't get them complete information because they don't give him all that he needs to know, etc.
Problem with those approaches are that there are spells to counter them. Mindprobe, analyse truth, control thoughts.
Me? I'll probably toss them into a Mitsuhama z-zone. All tech, almost no metahumans.
Me? I'll probably toss them into a Mitsuhama z-zone. All tech, almost no metahumans.
| QUOTE (toturi) |
| Problem with those approaches are that there are spells to counter them. Mindprobe, analyse truth, control thoughts. |
... all of which will do WONDERS for their reputation in the shadows when the decker says, "hey these guys fragged with my head". Sure, you can get the corp guard to open the door for you. But what about when no one's supposed to know you're there, and you need to get into that safe? or something?
Of course, the savvy group would try to avoid taking runs that specifically put them in a bad light, if they could -- no, we aren't going to try a datasteal.
I like what Kagetenshi said. Fight magic with things that specifically screw with magic users. Background count. Magical beasties. Astral quest-things, I guess, too. Appeal to their vanity ("You four come highly recommended for your magical prowess... ") and then send them someplace that caters to their abilities, but also makes it hard on them. Deal with toxic shamans. Get rid of a nest of nasty-things. *shrugs*
have fun!| QUOTE (gknoy) |
| ... all of which will do WONDERS for their reputation in the shadows when the decker says, "hey these guys fragged with my head". Sure, you can get the corp guard to open the door for you. But what about when no one's supposed to know you're there, and you need to get into that safe? or something? |
Which was why I left out Alter Memory.
"Hey those guys... look familiar..."
Safe? Mindprobe the exec using the safe before going to his office and control thoughts the sec guard and using the sec guard to open the safe for you? And after that Alter Memory?
Light them on fire.
I like Req's solution.
~J
~J
Everything's better with Cyberzombies (+1 background count and insane fighting power).
Armored vehicles/drones can be a serious pain in the ass to deal with magically.
| QUOTE |
| Problem with those approaches are that there are spells to counter them. Mindprobe, analyse truth, control thoughts. |
Which works for some things, but is useless on a datasteal. If the guy's passcode is encoded into his matrix persona, then mindprobe won't do you any good unless you have a decker handy.
On a combat level, drones can really ruin a mage's day. Direct spells are usually ineffective against drones. Illusions are your best friend here; but a properly equipped drone force can counter that as well. (For example, while Improved invisibility will automatically succeed against a drone's video sensors, ones that have radar [at Sensor 3+, I believe] won't be overly bothered.)
Use Nimue's Salamanders to deal with spellcasters, but save them for rare occasions. If you're into real high threat, put together a few delta-grade cyberzombies, and have someone anchor an Astral Barrier spell to them. Face them with technical problems.
The all-magic team is not inherently unbalanced; but it does call for a change in GM perspective. In fact, the all-mage team can be really fun. It automatically puts you more toward a "magical investigation" type of campaign, which is fine for many. (I personally prefer those type of games, but that's just me.) If your team is all magic, then your opposition should be mostly magic-- after all, the things that should interest them should be magical in nature.
If you have a totaly magical group just throw them against magical opposition. Don't screw them by putting them up against something they can't get around though, I hate GM's that do that. A mage can do just about anything that a norm can do, it's just that they are huge karma sinks. Send them into Amazonia. Send them para-hunting. Send the Bug hunting. Send them bounty hunting. A totaly Magical group is really only limited when it come to Technology, use it against them, but not in a way to deny them their objective. If your players all want to be mages, I don't see a problem with it, unless you don't find it fun any more. Your players want a mor magical game, why not give them one. If you have a run that requires a tech solution, talk one of them into running a NPC for a session, or have a NPC Rigger/Decker on hand. I use to solo run a friend of mine that had a Phys Mage and this worked out perfectly.
-The Eggman
-The Eggman
I think Cain and Czar Eggbert have great perspective on this. You need enough opposition to challenge them and put their lives at risk, but the GM is not there to destroy their fun.
Make sure you are up on all the rules that have the potential for magic loss and how to handle such events, as well as the rules for leaving behind an astral signature when casting a spell. There are consequences of being a magician, and you should embrace the consequences built into the game.
* deadly wound all at once
* disrupted in astral combat
* improper medical treatment
* multiple stim patches in 24 hrs
Make sure you are up on all the rules that have the potential for magic loss and how to handle such events, as well as the rules for leaving behind an astral signature when casting a spell. There are consequences of being a magician, and you should embrace the consequences built into the game.
* deadly wound all at once
* disrupted in astral combat
* improper medical treatment
* multiple stim patches in 24 hrs
If you want to subtly encourage them to play more mundane types, then demonstrate how effective they can be. I agree that they should specialize in "magical" runs and face similar opposition, but have them run into a few enemy mages who have a tank sammie and a speed sammie helping them out. Don't kill the group or anything; merely show them how these two tough mundanes can turn a mild threat into a much tougher threat. That might get them thinking about how someone like that could add muscle to their group.
Riggerdeckermagesamuraiadepts!
Or just riggerdeckermages, if you want to stay within the realm of sanity.
~J
Or just riggerdeckermages, if you want to stay within the realm of sanity.
~J
*bows*
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