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shon
Hi GMs. Could you share your inspiration sources with the group? Where do you get ideas for interesting twists, plot turns, NPCs and items? Movies? Books? Other adventures?

And while on the subject, here's a little idea I had (which maybe stupid so feel free to criticize this). Would it be worthy to create, let's say, a forum topic (actually, maybe there already is one?) where GMs could post short plot summaries (is there a plural form of 'synopsis'??) of the adventures/campaigns they just finished, or just invented? I think it's sometimes cool to show off what you came up with, of course provided your players don't read the site or the adventure is over.
In return, when you (the GM) are low on ideas, you can just browse the posts and read what others from all over the world came up with and then incorporate some little piece, or big piece, or even the whole adventure into your next play.
I'm aware there's PbP (or whatever it's called) but I'm getting more at a short plot summary, or item, or NPC summary.

Is this stupid? Do GMs generally have ups and downs of inventiveness? Could you use new ideas from time to time?

edit: I already know there is a post from time to time in the general forum about a campaign or adventure. I'm talking about a post/place to you know, gather them all.
klinktastic
Shon - I'd recommend you listen to this podcast called Postcards from the Dungeon . They're one of my favorite podcasts, and they discuss the ability to assimilate various forms of media and turn them into things to use in your game.

Additionally, there's a Catalyst book for SR4 called "Contacts and Adventures", which I think comes with the GM screen. The literally outline and provide sample ideas for all types of missions. Here are the various missions they categorize: assassination, blackmail, bodyguard, courier/smuggle, datasteal, distraction, destruction, encryption/decryption, enforcement, extraction/kiddnapping, hoax/counterfeit, investigation, plant, retrieval of object, security, tailchaser, war, wild things.

Personally, if you're looking to arc them into a multi-run/session situation, I go with something like this:

1. Mafia hires them to settle a dispute between 2 gangs that are distrupting mafia business.
2. PCs deal with the gangs, most likely thru violence. PCs uncover that gangs are fighting over drug turf.
3. PCs get dragged into conflict with the backers of one of the gangs, Tirads or Yakuza or something.
4. PCs find out the Mafia played them to strike at an enemy.

At this point, you let the PCs do what they want. Sandbox it. Have them continue helping the mafia, or have them try and make good with the Tirads/Yakuza. Just sandbox it, and let your PCs make the story, you just roll the NPCs.
Megu
Honestly, I watch the news, read the newspaper. You'd be surprised what you can pull from it.
Neurosis
Steal. Freely. From anything and everything. All the time.

It's what I do...not in my writing, of course, but in my GMing.
Maelstrome
i apparently have the knack to adapt anything from songs, weather, objects and other fictions into game sessions and the majority of the time its not immediately recognized as being drawn from something. you can always try over exposing yourself to random media and see what comes out.
AppliedCheese
One of the strengths of shadowrun is that the players create a lot of your inspiration for you, just by handing you their char sheets. If you can't think of an epic-cool run right now, and your game is in 12 hours, try this handy 20 minute process:

1. Before a run, look at the different PC's contacts. Fixers primarily, but give the other contacts a chance too.

2. Randomly Pick 2 or 3 PCs whose contacts weren't the source of the last run. Or deliberately aim to get a less involved character's contacts into play.

3. Pick a different mission archetype for each PC your looking at. random or deliberate. Example Player 1: B&E, Player 2: Extraction, Player 3: Wetwork

4. Pick a contact from each PC sheet, and then lay the mission archetype against him.

E.g. A 4/4 corporate fixer looking for a B&E probably has a juicy run against a corp, looking to snag a MacGuffin or the ever useful hard-copy only/OSD only data. No, mr. Runner, you may not ask what the data is

A 2/2 beat cop looking for the same might need you to raid his own evidence locker BUT WITHOUT KILLING ANY OF HIS GUYS. The pay is not so much in nice untraceable nuyen as it is future information and of course, some mysterious glitches in the Star/KE computer records should you ever need them.

5. Now fill out the following for each of your possible runs:

True Employer:
Cover Employer, if any (Note, none does not mean tell the runners who the real one is; it just means 'shut up and don't ask"):
Johnson: Basic character and professionalism.
Meet Location
Target Location
3-5 sentence summary of the job as billed, and meet conditions
3-5 sentence summary of information given after acceptance
2-3 sentence summary of true intent of job

6. At your session, send the appropriate PC's a little message from their fixer or other contact saying that they have a job/problem/etc and they think you might be interested/obliged

7. Observe the PCs try to prioritize. When they start leaning in a direction, go ahead and start fleshing the details on the one they'll probably take.

etherial
QUOTE (shon @ Nov 1 2010, 12:18 PM) *
(is there a plural form of 'synopsis'??)


Synopses.
shon
Thanks guys, I appreciate the suggestions and already incorporating one or two. Would anyone care to comment on the idea of 'adventures I created (or I played even)' topic?
klinktastic
Another fun thing to do is have two different contacts of different PCs approach their respective contactee about the same mission, but for different factions. Let the intra-party intrigue mount as they either screw one another or find a way to make everyone happy.
Megu
QUOTE (klinktastic @ Nov 2 2010, 09:57 AM) *
Another fun thing to do is have two different contacts of different PCs approach their respective contactee about the same mission, but for different factions. Let the intra-party intrigue mount as they either screw one another or find a way to make everyone happy.


I'm definitely a fan of this approach. My last campaign, I hardly ever even had to have Johnson screw the PCs, they were doing a good job selling each other out as is.
capt.pantsless
QUOTE (shon @ Nov 1 2010, 10:18 AM) *
Hi GMs. Could you share your inspiration sources with the group? Where do you get ideas for interesting twists, plot turns, NPCs and items? Movies? Books? Other adventures?

Is this stupid? Do GMs generally have ups and downs of inventiveness? Could you use new ideas from time to time?


Not a stupid idea at all. Creativity cannot be forced, and having to run something in 2 days can cause some serious writer's block for me.


1. Keep a document going for anytime you think of ANY possible SR plot hook. I've got a google doc named "Hooks" that has a dozen or so 1-2 sentence ideas that are waiting to be developed. Anytime you see a movie, or find something in a book, or someone tells you a interesting anecdote that you think could be developed into a run, write it down. When you need inspiration, go to your Hooks file.

2. Watch an episode of Law and Order. Most of the time, the core cause of the crime, (e.g. stolen goods, gang revenge, etc) can be lifted and re-worked into a decent SR run. The key thing is you're only stealing the idea, and maybe a couple of charater ideas for NPC's. Don't try to convert the whole episode. Usually a very simple story is all the PC's are going to unravel in the course of a game night.

3. One way I like to run a campaign is to send the PC's on short one-shot adventures, and note carefully both what they have fun with, and what actions are taken. If you have a hit, make a follow-up adventure.

4. S. Johns Ross's Big List of RPG Plots: http://www.io.com/~sjohn/plots.htm - Good stuff. Flex your creative muscles by trying to write-up a short plot for each and every one in this list.

5. When in doubt, have the PC's try and steal something from a moving Semi-truck. For some reason, Semi-truck's make things funner.
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