CP2020 included a number of "Roles" for characters. Sort of like character classes in other games.
Of course CP suffered (to the rage of its creators it seems) from people using CP2020 to essentially play shadowrun without the magic. Favoring Solos (sammies), Netrunners(hackers), and Techies (Riggers/Medics). In my limited experience a team of three Solos, a netrunner, and a Techie with a chopper might be typical, and the missions pretty close to stereotypical SR.
However for flavor (and keeping the ladies interested) I'm considering expanding a bit and I think it might be useful to consider how CP roles might be practically incorperated into SR both in terms of character creation and practical application in sessions.
Examples of roles:
Cop: as in one that's currently employed by the force.
Corporates: Guys with more money and influence in game
Fixers: Basically the same as we know them, just as a PC instead of a Contact.
Media: Reporters and the like. Again with that as their primary job.
Nomads: Their big thing is a whole lot of what might be contacts that make up a family of bikers, gypsies etc. Usually bikers.
Rockerboys: Muscicians as their primary schtick. Can get crowds riled up and make money in concerts.
Or is that just not going to really work at the table?
Full Version: Making CP2020 style chars work out
And that's why I liked Shadowrun, as you weren't pigeonholed into a "Class" or "Role". You made whatever you wanted.
I played CP2020 just because the only group I could find that was interested in any type of gaming played it.
Although there are some nice memories.
I played CP2020 just because the only group I could find that was interested in any type of gaming played it.
Although there are some nice memories.
I played a Fixer in a CP2020 game a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.
She was a drug dealer, effectively, with all the crazy that implies. For Rockerboy ideas, think Tupac, 50 Cent, and all the 'gangsta' rappers of yesterday and today. That's really who the Rockerboys are, except with Heavy metal. Though in my games, I always had a propondence of RockerBoys be Rappers.
Corporates are basically Johnsons. Company men doing bad deeds for their Corp of choice.
Really all of those work well at the table, but with some Caviats.
1) If the Rockerboy/Media is not the main central character, you need strong ideas as to why he's hanging with the others.
2) multiple Corporate types from multiple corporations can get super tricky.
3) A Cop will not fit in with certain groups, but remember, that Cop is almost certainly corrupt.
4) Nomads who do not hang with their Tribe. Why?
She was a drug dealer, effectively, with all the crazy that implies. For Rockerboy ideas, think Tupac, 50 Cent, and all the 'gangsta' rappers of yesterday and today. That's really who the Rockerboys are, except with Heavy metal. Though in my games, I always had a propondence of RockerBoys be Rappers.
Corporates are basically Johnsons. Company men doing bad deeds for their Corp of choice.
Really all of those work well at the table, but with some Caviats.
1) If the Rockerboy/Media is not the main central character, you need strong ideas as to why he's hanging with the others.
2) multiple Corporate types from multiple corporations can get super tricky.
3) A Cop will not fit in with certain groups, but remember, that Cop is almost certainly corrupt.
4) Nomads who do not hang with their Tribe. Why?
QUOTE (sunnyside @ Feb 14 2011, 09:39 PM) 
Of course CP suffered (to the rage of its creators it seems) from people using CP2020 to essentially play shadowrun without the magic. Favoring Solos (sammies), Netrunners(hackers), and Techies (Riggers/Medics). In my limited experience a team of three Solos, a netrunner, and a Techie with a chopper might be typical, and the missions pretty close to stereotypical SR.
I've always considered it quite sad that most CP2020 games I heard of were simply SR without magic (but almost always more crazy triggerhappiness).
But the "alternative" roles like cops, reporters and so on aren't really new to SR. 1st Ed had Shadowbeat for Rocker and Media campaigns and the SR2/SR3 companion also touched on alternative campaigns like cops, DocWagon teams and so on.
IMHO it'll work best when you turn it into a campaign tailored around a common theme, either that the PCs are working for the same "cause" (a media team, rock band, fixer's team, same shift at the police precint, same corporate department and so on) or the PCs have some pre-established relation (family, childhood friends).
I won't expect it to work well in a standard campaign where the team does your usual runs-of-the-week and consists basically of random guys who met at an inn.
Although the fixer might be the easiest to integrate into a standard campaign since he could fill the "social" role on the team.
If you really want to translate the CP2020 roles to SR I guess you could write them up similar to the "PACKS".
QUOTE (sabs @ Feb 14 2011, 03:46 PM)
I played a Fixer in a CP2020 game a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.
She was a drug dealer, effectively, with all the crazy that implies. For Rockerboy ideas, think Tupac, 50 Cent, and all the 'gangsta' rappers of yesterday and today. That's really who the Rockerboys are, except with Heavy metal. Though in my games, I always had a propondence of RockerBoys be Rappers.
Corporates are basically Johnsons. Company men doing bad deeds for their Corp of choice.
Really all of those work well at the table, but with some Caviats.
1) If the Rockerboy/Media is not the main central character, you need strong ideas as to why he's hanging with the others.
2) multiple Corporate types from multiple corporations can get super tricky.
3) A Cop will not fit in with certain groups, but remember, that Cop is almost certainly corrupt.
4) Nomads who do not hang with their Tribe. Why?
She was a drug dealer, effectively, with all the crazy that implies. For Rockerboy ideas, think Tupac, 50 Cent, and all the 'gangsta' rappers of yesterday and today. That's really who the Rockerboys are, except with Heavy metal. Though in my games, I always had a propondence of RockerBoys be Rappers.
Corporates are basically Johnsons. Company men doing bad deeds for their Corp of choice.
Really all of those work well at the table, but with some Caviats.
1) If the Rockerboy/Media is not the main central character, you need strong ideas as to why he's hanging with the others.
2) multiple Corporate types from multiple corporations can get super tricky.
3) A Cop will not fit in with certain groups, but remember, that Cop is almost certainly corrupt.
4) Nomads who do not hang with their Tribe. Why?
Flavor isn't the hard part. It's the chargen mechanics and how ot make it actually "work" in the game. In my limited CP experience there tends to be fifteen minutes of fronting about how cool your char is, and than a lot of wishing you'd just played a solo.
That and dilemas with using your abilities. Especially nomads and rockerboys, where your special ability is to turn people who love you into cannon fodder.
QUOTE (EKBT81 @ Feb 14 2011, 04:15 PM)
I've always considered it quite sad that most CP2020 games I heard of were simply SR without magic (but almost always more crazy triggerhappiness).
But the "alternative" roles like cops, reporters and so on aren't really new to SR. 1st Ed had Shadowbeat for Rocker and Media campaigns and the SR2/SR3 companion also touched on alternative campaigns like cops, DocWagon teams and so on.
IMHO it'll work best when you turn it into a campaign tailored around a common theme, either that the PCs are working for the same "cause" (a media team, rock band, fixer's team, same shift at the police precint, same corporate department and so on) or the PCs have some pre-established relation (family, childhood friends).
I won't expect it to work well in a standard campaign where the team does your usual runs-of-the-week and consists basically of random guys who met at an inn.
Although the fixer might be the easiest to integrate into a standard campaign since he could fill the "social" role on the team.
If you really want to translate the CP2020 roles to SR I guess you could write them up similar to the "PACKS".
But the "alternative" roles like cops, reporters and so on aren't really new to SR. 1st Ed had Shadowbeat for Rocker and Media campaigns and the SR2/SR3 companion also touched on alternative campaigns like cops, DocWagon teams and so on.
IMHO it'll work best when you turn it into a campaign tailored around a common theme, either that the PCs are working for the same "cause" (a media team, rock band, fixer's team, same shift at the police precint, same corporate department and so on) or the PCs have some pre-established relation (family, childhood friends).
I won't expect it to work well in a standard campaign where the team does your usual runs-of-the-week and consists basically of random guys who met at an inn.
Although the fixer might be the easiest to integrate into a standard campaign since he could fill the "social" role on the team.
If you really want to translate the CP2020 roles to SR I guess you could write them up similar to the "PACKS".
Ooh. I'll check that old book I think I have it! Though those are custom campaigns. Maybe that's just what you have to do
Some concepts are simply tied to an environment more. Cops, corporate types, and nomads (gangers) all basically work with other cops, corporate types, or gangers. For them to work with a group of runners that does eclectic jobs under the table, one of two things need to happen:
One, play a variant campaign where everyone is a cop, corporate type, ganger, etc. or someone who is attached to that environment (sleazy public defender in a cop game, security officer or executive secretary in the corporate game, etc.).
Two, put an "Ex" in front of cop, corporate shark, etc. Then think of what skills this character might have that would transfer over to the shadows. The cop would know how to shoot, know how police procedures work, and know the local underworld. The corporate shark might have some face or hacking skills, and an insider's knowledge of how the megas really do business. This is actually easier to do in Shadowrun, because social skills, information gathering, and knowing the right people can be as important as having good combat abilities.
One, play a variant campaign where everyone is a cop, corporate type, ganger, etc. or someone who is attached to that environment (sleazy public defender in a cop game, security officer or executive secretary in the corporate game, etc.).
Two, put an "Ex" in front of cop, corporate shark, etc. Then think of what skills this character might have that would transfer over to the shadows. The cop would know how to shoot, know how police procedures work, and know the local underworld. The corporate shark might have some face or hacking skills, and an insider's knowledge of how the megas really do business. This is actually easier to do in Shadowrun, because social skills, information gathering, and knowing the right people can be as important as having good combat abilities.
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