I was thinking the other day about Sidekicks. Shadowrunners obviously don't have them (Under most circumstances) but I could see a lot of story possibilities to playing more than one runner at once.
The thoughts I had were:
Essentially a groupie/minion is an NPC that follows your PC around and is "Controlled" by your character's use of the Leadership skill. While under GM control the Groupie is sort of a cross between a contact and a dependent and will obey and follow your instructions (Dependent on leadership in stressful and dangerous situations). A groupie's story might be anything from a kid brother you're introducing to the Family Business to a guy who's life you saved and is sworn to follow you until he saves your's back.
How could this be done? How many build points is a groupie worth? Would they be completely game inbalancing?
Full Version: Groupies/Minions
Let the guy have a free sidekick and then kill him in the first encounter. 
Seriously I think it would be rather imbalancing having another guy to make Perception tests, skill tests, combat tests and the like. It would be easer if the sidekick were under the GM's control then he becomes a massive mobile reusable plot device.
Seriously I think it would be rather imbalancing having another guy to make Perception tests, skill tests, combat tests and the like. It would be easer if the sidekick were under the GM's control then he becomes a massive mobile reusable plot device.
Level 3 Contact. 200,000 nuyen.
| QUOTE (A Clockwork Lime) |
| Level 3 Contact. 200,000 nuyen. |
How many BPs? Maybe 35 plus 20,000
of gear? That'll give him 3 across all attributes plus a few points for skills.
If the PC wants a leech, let him achieve it in game. Provide the possibility, and RP it into existance. The red-shirt should be played as a NPC that likes the PC and is willing to help most of the time. If it gets annoying/troublesome/imbalancing, that's what guns resolve best.
Such a wannabe should not be standard shadowrunning material when introduced. You could be mean by making the PCs karma suffer a big hit if the extra dies or is otherwise removed from the game against his (the extra's) will.
Such a wannabe should not be standard shadowrunning material when introduced. You could be mean by making the PCs karma suffer a big hit if the extra dies or is otherwise removed from the game against his (the extra's) will.
| QUOTE (sidartha) |
| Let the guy have a free sidekick and then kill him in the first encounter. Seriously I think it would be rather imbalancing having another guy to make Perception tests, skill tests, combat tests and the like. It would be easer if the sidekick were under the GM's control then he becomes a massive mobile reusable plot device. |
You might have noticed that in my post I called for a GM controlled NPC who's actions are influenced by the PC's leadership tests.
I'm thinking more along the lines of "Ally spirit for the Street Samurai."
Herald of Verjigorm:
While I'd agree it should be possible in-game as well, your scenario is a bit strange. You're calling for the player to attach a largely useless lump to himself and suffer massive karma loss if his useless lump is removed. I don't know what your games are like but typically I reward players for their good role-playing ideas and actions rather than penalize them. I certainly wouldn't penalize karma for the death of an NPC that's not even under player control, and the sidekick would probably have at least one useful skill.
At least one useful skill, sure. Equal to the PCs, definately not. A groupie decker would be a conveniant addition to a group, but should not start as powerful as a PC could if devoted to decking. I am assuming that the wannabe will gain karma with the group and be counted as a member of the group on those rare occasions payment is defined per person.
If the extra was unstoppably going into shadowrunning and the only factor the PC plays is as a contact, I wouldn't have a karma link effect between them either. If the PC convinced the extra to go into running, then I would emphasize how "you are responsible for his dying this way" if the PC is negligent. If the PC chooses the path of tutor, I would make sure to emphasize such failure even harder, but I would also reward the PC when the extra does remarkably well.
If the extra was unstoppably going into shadowrunning and the only factor the PC plays is as a contact, I wouldn't have a karma link effect between them either. If the PC convinced the extra to go into running, then I would emphasize how "you are responsible for his dying this way" if the PC is negligent. If the PC chooses the path of tutor, I would make sure to emphasize such failure even harder, but I would also reward the PC when the extra does remarkably well.
| QUOTE (Moonstone Spider) |
| I'm thinking more along the lines of "Ally spirit for the Street Samurai." |
When you put it like that you could just take the ally spirit rules and modify them a bit. I'd definately make it need to be roleplayed into existance, with a karma expenditure to reflec the 'ally spirit' like qualities. The henchman should definately be 'Inferior' when starting comapred to the character he's following.
As long as it's not abused it could make for a great plot device for the character and even the group.
Is what your referring to (author) similair to the system in Star Wars?
Where you have the option of using your reputation bonus. +6 or something and use it to attract a certain amount of followers.
Like the Level 6 Noble who has +4 Rep so she can have
for +2 worth of Rep, a bodyguard (Level 2 Character)
a +1 Negotiator (Level 1 Character)
and for +1 Two intendants ( Two level 1 low class throw aways.)
It could work for shadowrun. Maybe based off of good karma or something????
Mind you the characters would be no where near a PC character. Like tony the cab driver, or your kids, or an aprentice. Very low level but still a follower or someone indepted to you. A street sam who protects a tenenment of squatters in tern for help/servitude? Heck maybe your playing cobra commander, he had to start low I bet.
GM controlled but based off of Leadership. Sounds interesting. Its good to just RP something like that, but I'd like to see rules on it too just for fun.
Where you have the option of using your reputation bonus. +6 or something and use it to attract a certain amount of followers.
Like the Level 6 Noble who has +4 Rep so she can have
for +2 worth of Rep, a bodyguard (Level 2 Character)
a +1 Negotiator (Level 1 Character)
and for +1 Two intendants ( Two level 1 low class throw aways.)
It could work for shadowrun. Maybe based off of good karma or something????
Mind you the characters would be no where near a PC character. Like tony the cab driver, or your kids, or an aprentice. Very low level but still a follower or someone indepted to you. A street sam who protects a tenenment of squatters in tern for help/servitude? Heck maybe your playing cobra commander, he had to start low I bet.
GM controlled but based off of Leadership. Sounds interesting. Its good to just RP something like that, but I'd like to see rules on it too just for fun.
| QUOTE (Warmaster Lah) |
| Is what your referring to (author) similair to the system in Star Wars? Where you have the option of using your reputation bonus. +6 or something and use it to attract a certain amount of followers. Like the Level 6 Noble who has +4 Rep so she can have for +2 worth of Rep, a bodyguard (Level 2 Character) a +1 Negotiator (Level 1 Character) and for +1 Two intendants ( Two level 1 low class throw aways.) It could work for shadowrun. Maybe based off of good karma or something???? Mind you the characters would be no where near a PC character. Like tony the cab driver, or your kids, or an aprentice. Very low level but still a follower or someone indepted to you. A street sam who protects a tenenment of squatters in tern for help/servitude? Heck maybe your playing cobra commander, he had to start low I bet. GM controlled but based off of Leadership. Sounds interesting. Its good to just RP something like that, but I'd like to see rules on it too just for fun. |
Never played Star Wars, nope this is at least somewhat my own idea.
I'm not exactly sure how ally spirit rules could be applied, they're pretty narrowly defined for spirits, a Samurai could hardly give up a point of magic and losing a point of essence would suck hugely for them. Perhaps permanently giving up a point of Karma Pool to gain a groupie.
Hmm, at character creation a single groupie can be created without loss of Karma Pool by expending resources and build points to create the minion instead. Prices for the Minion's abilities are equal to those of a normal PC, however the player should be allowed to spend more than 60 build points on attributes if they so desire (Though no more than 60 per character).
In normal play a groupie gains Karma at 1/2 the normal rate from activities such as Shadowrunning, and typically should gain a half-share of the wealth from runs due to being a junior or lesser member of the team. The player may expend his own Good Karma to improve the groupie's abilities beyond the Groupie's own Karma but may not take Good Karma from the Groupie.
A Groupie is controlled by the GM but should have a very strong attachment to the player. A Groupie will not normally leave a player outside of extreme circumstances. A PC can influence the Groupie's behavior using the Leadership skill (Nobody takes Leadership, it's such a useless skill in SR).
Should the PC die the player may have the option to take over the Groupie as a new PC rather than rolling a new character, at the GM's discretion. At that point the Groupie becomes a normal PC and follows all rules normally.
We did this in a game in college. One of the characters was a hermetic mage who was also a pimp. He bought five friends for life at chargen (we were playing with a bit more than standard chargen rules). The GM ruled that they were prostitutes that made money for the character but he had to protect them and make unwilling "customers" pay up. They only showed up once and under GM control. They saved our hoops in a very, very, nasty combat situation: a group of mage supported, HMG toting, street sam types - a rather "nice" kill squad.
Yes, this was a silly type campaign with a deadly twist - we were working for Atlantis though we didn't know it until our charaters were giving three choices: 1) live in Atlantis forever 2) die very quickly or 3) have your memory wiped back to infancy.
[edit] In conclusion, if the whole group of minions are only used in a really tight spot - determined by the GM - and otherwise act as Level 3 Contacts, I don't see why "Friend for Life" wouldn't work at chargen. In game? Let's just say that LOTS of RP would be involved.[/edit]
- theartthief
Yes, this was a silly type campaign with a deadly twist - we were working for Atlantis though we didn't know it until our charaters were giving three choices: 1) live in Atlantis forever 2) die very quickly or 3) have your memory wiped back to infancy.
[edit] In conclusion, if the whole group of minions are only used in a really tight spot - determined by the GM - and otherwise act as Level 3 Contacts, I don't see why "Friend for Life" wouldn't work at chargen. In game? Let's just say that LOTS of RP would be involved.[/edit]
- theartthief
Go back to the SR2 character creation rules and they have a section for buying followers at 100K for a couple of punks of totally average stats that you equip out of your own purse.
On the other hand you can talk to your GM and tell him you would like to acquire a sidekick and the two of you can build this trough roleplaying. Most likely this would take at least six sessions as a subplot.
for a couple of punks of totally average stats that you equip out of your own purse.On the other hand you can talk to your GM and tell him you would like to acquire a sidekick and the two of you can build this trough roleplaying. Most likely this would take at least six sessions as a subplot.
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